Issue 1484

Friday 6th October 2017

Redbrick Issue 1484 , Vol. 82

FREE

No Room at the Gym

Redbrick

The Official University of Birmingham Student Newspaper, est. 1936

Memberships for £55 million sports centre sell out within days full story on page 3

Student Fee Concession from Conservatives PM restructures controversial tuition fee policy at Conservative Party Conference in bid to compete with Labour for the student vote Phoebe Radford Food & Drink Editor @phoebe_rad

In a change of government policy, Theresa May has announced that tuition fees will be frozen at £9,250. Plans for fees to rise to £9,500 for the 2018-19 academic year will now be abandoned.

May also revealed that graduates will start repaying their loans once they earn £25,000 or over, rising from the current threshold of £21,000. Graduates will pay 9% of their earnings over that threshold until their debt is paid off. In keeping with previous conservative policy, if the debt has not been cleared within 30 years, it will be wiped.

Further changes to student finance were not ruled out. May promises a review of the entire system, including the controversial

interest rates currently applied to loans, and has refused to rule out the possibility of a graduate tax.

There have been claims that Theresa May’s change in policy is perhaps motivated by the fact that young people voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour in the snap general election, in which the Conservatives suffered a net loss of 13 seats. This could be part of a wider drive to win back votes from under 45s after a loss in their support last June.

Guild President Ellie Keiller wrote on Facebook that the changes were ‘proof that the Government will listen if we talk to them with our votes like we did in June!’ Indeed, May herself said that the election had taught her that she needed to ‘listen to voters’, especially those who are ‘just about managing.’

Yet May has been criticised for not going far enough. Labour, who have promised to scrap tuition fees, dismissed changes as inad-

Millie Guy UoB students protest the trebling of tuition fees in November 2011

equate. Jeremy Corbyn took to twitter to criticise May, declaring her promises ‘not to raise them were meaningless.’ Similarly, Keiller wrote that fees were ‘still extortionate’ but that the changes to loan repayments threshold was ‘the real positive news’.

In possibly another attempt to listen to voters and those ‘just about managing’, May also announced an extension of the govern-

ment's Help to Buy scheme. The scheme gives financial assistance to those buying newly-built homes, something that may help recent and future graduates as they attempt to get on the housing ladder.

Whether these new policy directives will attract younger voters and secure wider support for the Conservative party, and Theresa May's premiership, remains to be seen.

Redbrick Comment share student housing horror stories

Features: Eight first years share their Freshers' Weeks

Redbrick Gaming reports on the bestin-show at this year's EGX

Manthropology: Life&Style introduce their new feature

Comment 11

Features 16-17

Gaming 26-27

Life&Style 33

02

REDBRICK

Friday 6th October 2017

redbrick.me

Letter from the committee...

So here we are, we made it. Welcome to Redbrick’s first full-length issue of the academic year, we’re so excited to be back!

Every issue this year will bring you a letter from a different member of the committe. For the first time, Redbrick's committee now has nine members, as an extra deputy editor role was added at our AGM earlier in the year. This editorial comes to you from one of said deputy editor dream-team, and it's an honour to be opening the first paper of the year!

It’s been a very full on few weeks for the new committee.

The creation of our annual freshers’ edition had us busy before term even started, but it was great to return to the dungeon office we call home after so long away. We loved meeting so many of you as we gave out our eight page special in freshers’ week, which brought its own challenges to the group of nine mostly-final-years gearing up for their toughest year of academia yet. But seeing so many of you at our welcome meeting in the Guild Council Chambers made the prospect of final year so much less scary – what an incredible team we’re set to have this year!

212 of you have already joined the Redbrick family, and we’re welcoming more and more of you each day. Remember, it’s not too

late to join if you want to get involved in writing for any of our twelve sections, from News to Life&Style, Music to Sci&Tech and Culture to Sport. With one £8 membership, you can write for any section you like and join our editorial assistant team, plus be a part of one of the biggest and friendliest societies that the university has to offer.

Our feature on the freshers’ week experience of those new to the fold is a particular highlight, but reading pieces from seasoned Redbrick veterans and fresh-faced newbies alike has been so fun in the creation of this issue. Watching so many of you come into your own with writing and editing is such a joy of being part of the Redbrick committee. Look especially in this issue for your house meal guide from our Food editors and the run down of films you may have missed this summer from our Film team.

With the risk of repeating every other editorial that’s ever been written for Redbrick and sounding like the most insistent kind of broken record, I will say that joining Redbrick is the best thing I have done in my university career. I’m in fourth year now and could easily be completely jaded and sick of the University of Birmingham, but Redbrick has kept my univer-

sity experience constantly varied and changing, from being new to writing in my second year and new to editing in my third, to taking on the role of deputy editor this year, there are always new challenges to contend with, new skills to be learned, and new people to learn from and laugh with. If the last few weeks are anything to go by, this is going to be a very exciting year here at Redbrick, and we can’t wait for you to get stuck in to this issue so you can see it for yourselves.

From the dungeons, we salute you.

Holly Carter, Deputy Editor

Follow us on Instagram @redbrickpaper Want to be featured? Send us your photos at: deputy@redbrickonline.co.uk and/or tag us in your photos by using #redbrickinstagram

Online this week at redbrick.me...

CULTURE

LIFE&STYLE

MUSIC

COMMENT

Review: Son of a Preacher Man at The New Alexandra

Feeling Comfortable in Brum: My Experience as an International Student

Live Review: Mr Jukes

#280Characters - So What?

Redbrick Editorial Team Editor William Baxter editor@redbrickonline.co.uk

Deputy Editors Holly Carter Kirstie Sutherland Harry Wilkinson deputy@redbrickonline.co.uk

Print & Features Editor Joe Ryan print@redbrickonline.co.uk

Digital Editor Alex McDonald digital@redbrickonline.co.uk

Lead Developer Tom Galvin developer@redbrickonline.co.uk

Marketing Secretary Kamila Geremek marketing@redbrickonline.co.uk

Social Secretary Laura Burgess social@redbrickonline.co.uk

News Editors Erin Santillo Grace Duncan Gregory Robinson Emily Roberts

Music Editors Emily Barker Issy Campbell Luke Charnley Thom Dent

news@redbrickonline.co.uk

music@redbrickonline.co.uk

Comment Editors Alex Cirant-Taljaard Alex Goodwin Kat Smith

Television Editors Amelia Bacon Matt Dawson Abbie Pease

comment@redbrickonline.co.uk

tv@redbrickonline.co.uk

Culture Editors Olivia Boyce Hannah Brierley Rebecca Moore Natalie Welch

Gaming Editors Nick Burton Roshni Patel gaming@redbrickonline.co.uk

Travel Editors Iesha Thomas Phoebe WarnefordThomson Olivia Woodington travel@redbrickonline.co.uk

Life&Style Editors Maddie Bourne Antonia Miles Nia Roberts Zoe Screti lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk

Sport Editors Alex Alton Olli Meek Leanne Prescott sport@redbrickonline.co.uk

culture@redbrickonline.co.uk

Film Editors Patrick Box Emillie Gallagher John James film@redbrickonline.co.uk

Food&Drink Editors Emma Chambers Caitlin Dickinson Phoebe Radford food@redbrickonline.co.uk

Sci&Tech Editors Katie Jones Emilia Rose tech@redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TT 0121 251 2462

Editorial Assistants Olivia Atherton Beth Cole editor@redbrickonline.co.uk Tara Kergon Dom Garwood Zak Barlow Saivan Khonji-Sajjadi Greg Woodin Amelia Hiller Redbrick is printed through Rebecca Cutler www.mortonsprint.com Ali Gosling 01507 523 456 Emmy Hawker Charlie Murray To advertise in Redbrick, get in touch with Kezia Johnson marketing@redbrickonline.co.uk or visit Josie Hart www.redbrick.me/advertise-with-redbrick Helen Locke for more details, and to see our rate card.

Designed and typeset by Redbrick Copyright (C) Redbrick 2015 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.

NEWS

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricknews

03

UoB Moves Up in Times Rankings Emily Roberts News Editor

The University of Birmingham has been placed at number 15 in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018.

Published on 24th of September, the guide moved the University of Birmingham (UoB) up the rankings, an improvement on last year where the university was placed at number 16.

The Times Good University Guide is published annually and is determined based on nine different factors. These include: student satisfaction, research quality, entry standards, graduate prospects, student to staff ratios, service spending, degree results and degree completion rates.

Institutions are rated on these aspects and ranked accordingly, with the guide providing a point of reference for prospective students when deciding on a university, as well as an in-depth analysis of Britain’s higher education.

"This is just another reason for people to consider studying at Birmingham" Whilst Cambridge kept its place at number one overall and within 30 individual subjects, UoB was ranked highest for

Anthropology and was also ranked 5th for graduate employment prospects.

The most significant movement in the top ten included the University of Lancaster to sixth place and the University of Loughborough to seventh.

Lancaster was named University of the Year 2018 and Nottingham Trent University was awarded Modern University of the Year.

The University of Warwick, located in Coventry, was placed ninth, however UoB was once again the highest ranked institution in Birmingham, with Aston University falling to 46th, and Birmingham City University being placed 105th.

When Redbrick asked students their opinion on being placed at number 15, Hannah Ephgrave, a

second year Chemistry student, said ‘it’s a brilliant achievement and adds to the already great reputation of the university’, with another commenting on how ‘this is just another reason for people to consider studying at Birmingham’.

The university was also placed

at number 15 in the Guardian University Guide 2018, however was placed 16th in the newest edition of the Complete University Guide.

Do you have opinions on this article? Tell them to us: @redbrickpaper

International Rankings Plummet Grace Duncan

News Editor @gracieellen_

The Times Higher Education rankings have been published leaving Birmingham at 141 on the international rankings.

The University of Birmingham has fallen 11 places since last year’s rankings dropping from

130 to 141.

The international rankings are calculated on consideration of 5 factors: Teaching, Research, Citations, Industry Income and International Outlook. In each category the university is scored out of a hundred before being given a general score which decides the rankings.

Despite falling down the general rankings, UoB has risen in

some of the sub-categories. Most notably the university’s score for international outlook has increased to 86.3 which is perhaps due to the new campus in Dubai, the opening of which was confirmed in May of this year. This high score could also be attributed to the large amount of international students that the university houses with 27% of all students coming from abroad.

However, in things that most likely matter most to students at the Birmingham campus, such as the score for teaching, the university did not do so well receiving only 38.3 points in this category.

While this seems low in comparison to other divisions, in comparison to other similar ranking Russell Group universities this is not a remarkable score with Warwick which placed a whole 50

places ahead only scoring 46.6 for teaching.

The university has also fallen in terms of Research and Industry Income which would account for the university’s fall overall.

However, it seems likely that in factors such as International Outlook, the university will continue to rise especially once the new campus in the Emirates opens in September 2018.

Sports Centre Out Of Gym Spaces Branwen Onono

News Reporter

The University of Birmingham has spent £55 million on its highly anticipated new sports centre. The UoB Sport and Fitness Centre opened on the 22nd of May 2017 after a year of delay, ready for the 2017 autumn term.

The Sport and Fitness Centre boasts state of the art facilities such as a 50-metre swimming pool, a climbing wall, and a dojo; however, by the end of the first week of term the new gym has run out of both student and general membership spaces.

Those yet to join have been left with the choice of either squash membership (starting at £90), pool membership (starting at £75),

or having to pay-per-go for classes and sessions, which could quickly become a costly habit.

"It seems ridiculously shortsighted" One second year student says, ‘I am disappointed the University didn’t design a building capable of meeting the needs of its community. It seems ridiculously short-sighted to have built a centre that is not capable of accommodating more people’.

However, it is not completely unreasonable that the centre cannot cater to each student at the

university. As the university’s student body is made up of over 33,000 students, including postgraduate researchers, it would be near impossible for one building to have the capacity to host such a high number of people.

Students have been prioritised by the new Fitness Centre, with 69% of memberships there being held by UoB students. When contacted, the centre stated that they are ‘looking into expanding programmes’, and the shortage of available memberships was tied to the fact that ‘there are three times as many students now using the gym compared to this time last year’.

Alternatives to the sports and fitness centre do exist locally.

Tiverton Pool, is located in the heart of Selly Oak, and for £6 a

year, local residents can benefit from free daily gym and pool sessions as part of Birmingham Council’s Passport to Leisure scheme.

"There are three times as many students now using the gym compared to this time last year" Sports Officer, Helena Bailey, said 'I fully understand how frustrating the closure of gym memberships is to our university stu-

dents. UoBSport were not expecting to attract so many gym users from the data that they had received from the munrow. It has been great that the facility has been so popular and is being used by so many students and I hope this doesn’t deter students from using the other aspects of the facility.' She urges students to send her an email if they have any remaining questions.

For those living on the Vale, a nearby Pure gym offers 9-month student memberships for the equivalent of £12.75 monthly.

Furthermore, the Guild of Students hosts a range of sports societies. The inability to get a membership may be disappointing, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the road for those looking to improve their fitness.

04

NEWS

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricknews

Fresh Faces, Fresh Beginnings Two freshers recount their tales of beginning their time at UoB Tim Abington News Reporter

Although there is a grain of truth in the idea that Freshers was just a week-long piss-up, there is a tad more to it then at first apparent.

It was one giant icebreaker. It was tree hugging, it was pass-theball-around-the-circle type stuff.

Introductions could have been described as one giant game of ‘Who’s Who?’.

‘We’ve shared our darkest desires over a Jack Daniels and coke, but I still don’t know your name’.

When in doubt, one just kept plugging away at the classic questions. One introductory lecture and Freshers picked up more place names than an ‘A to Z.’ Flatmates shared banter like they’d grown up in the same playground, shared taxis like it’s anyone’s business and shared enough drinks to fill a Wetherspoons. Then, at some point in the evening, there was the daunting realisation that they’d only met their drinking partner last night and that mum always said don’t let a stranger hold your drink. It was a one-night stand that just kept on going.

Another point about university: everybody is just so nice.

Genuinely, everyone at Birmingham is friendly. Is it a

Midlands thing? A taxi journey from Snobs to the Vale covered more philosophy than a Religious Studies textbook. Does the city make everyone as friendly as Pooh?

The emotional side can’t be overlooked, of course. The drink or the lack of sleep perhaps.

Maybe the ‘toons’ were just too overwhelming. But the old adage ‘rollercoaster ride’ is an understatement. This Freshers' week forced students to cram their insides back down the gullet and hold on.

"We’ve shared our darkest desires over a Jack Daniels and coke, but I still don’t know your name" Freshers isn’t all about the drugs and the drink (as hard as that is to believe). The week was what Freshers made it. Some chose to party hard, others chose to make full use of the free pizza.

Some did both. Not one Fresher experienced the same week. The

Fresher that was as high as a kite and had a hangover that they’d have killed to be rid of. The Fresher that came along to ‘Gales, then ‘uber-ed’ home just after midnight. The Fresher that stayed in, and remembered the names of people they’d met.

Freshers is explained in two words. ‘An experience’.

Katie MacCrindle News Reporter

The Checklist of a Fresher 1) Arrive at your accommodation feeling absolutely terrified.

Be reassured at how friendly all the staff are and panic about getting charged for all the marks on the walls. Wonder why the hell the ceiling is included in your flat’s inventory.

2) Get to know your flatmates.

Overshare and learn many intimate details about them that you wish you’d found out at a later date.

3) Attempt your first night out.

Drink more than you intended and feel incredibly underwhelmed; the club is hot and sweaty and everyone is making eyes at each other. Nearly fall asleep while leaning against a pillar, then get an extremely pricey taxi back to your flat because you don’t know

which ones are reasonable yet.

Get confused about where your flat actually is and annoy the taxi driver.

"Also try to go to every taster event in sight but realise you’d need Hermione Granger’s time turner to actually achieve this" 4) Go to the welcome tent and all the fairs in sight. Get bombarded with leaflets and free stuff that you will never use again after freshers week. Eat all your edible freebies as soon as you get them and regret this decision when you stumble into your flat after a night out. Get accosted by people on campus who approach you in order to get you to join societies, and be filled with uneasiness as you try desperately not to make eye contact with them. Sign up to all the society mailing lists (whether or not you intend on

joining them). Rue the day you did this when your inbox starts filling up.

5) Attend your first Guild night. Realise that despite the massive queues at the bar, it is, as some might say, ‘lit’.

6) Go to your course induction while extremely hungover.

Wonder why you bothered turning up- you could be asleep right now.

Wonder if professors are deliberately putting your inductions at 9:30am just to take the mickey.

Expect much fear mongering.

7) Attempt to go to some of the non-alcohol-related freshers events and fail miserably. Also try to go to every taster event in sight but realise you’d need Hermione Granger’s time turner to actually achieve this.

8) Go on an expedition to Aldi and consider whether it’s really worth it. Attempt to cook with varying levels of success.

9) Lie to your parents about how ill you are when they come and visit you. Take advantage of the fact that they’re a bit worried as to how you’re coping and leech off them in any way you can.

10) Realise that you’ve only been at uni for a week, but at the same time, it feels like you’ve belonged there forever.

Green Heart Transformation Begins News Reporter Josh Hamilton investigates changes on campus Josh Hamilton News Reporter

The Green Heart Project, the ambitious enterprise taking over the Edgbaston campus, is well under way.

Over the summer, work began on demolishing the old Main Library. With the process set to finish in early October, builders will continue phase one of the redevelopment, which is set to last until January of next year.

Phase one will redesign the right side of University Square, bringing it more akin to the design envisioned by Aston Webb, the 20th century architect of the Edgbaston campus.

"Green Heart is a nice idea, but I’d rather they just use the space for studying" Phase two will complete the transformation, taking place between February and June 2018.

This phase will see the left side of University Square cordoned off.

Both phases will see new seating areas and over 160 new trees planted, with as many as 144 of the existing trees remaining in place. The North Car Park, previously behind the old Main Library, was permanently closed on the 8th of September 2017 to make way for the large-scale demolition.

"I’m not against it, but it’s just a patch of grass" Student input has formed a large part of the lengthy process.

Niamh Coffey, third year History student, said ‘Green Heart is a nice idea, but I’d rather they just use the space for studying. We already have a lot of green on our campus anyway. I’m not against it, but it’s just a patch of grass.

The disruption is a bit of a pain, but it’s not going to seriously affect anyone. It’s a minor inconvenience, at worst’.

Eleanor Beestin, also a third year History student, said, ‘I just don't see the point to be honest the students at UoB generally want more indoor study spaces, not a nice bit of landscaped gar-

den.

‘The powers that be seem to have forgotten that most students aren't at uni over summer, and by the time everyone's back in autumn it'll be too cold to actually sit outside and appreciate the Green Heart’.

Some students are more positive about the changes. One English second year student told Redbrick, 'I love the idea and it will be so nice in the summer, especially for revision breaks in exam season!'

"I love the idea and it will be so nice in the summer, especially for revision breaks in exam season" As early as May 2016, suggestions for the final design were taken from the University community. Highlights include wild and native flowers, water features, and dedicated areas for art from the University collections. A new

café and bar will also be built.

The proposed building boasts an outdoor terrace, with 125 square metres of indoor study space. The building will stand at the heart of campus, near Muirhead Tower, and will act as another meeting point for students and staff to mingle during down-time.

An amphitheatre is also set to make an appearance, next to the café. This will be for socialising, meeting, and studying, as well as providing drama students a place to hold outdoor performances.

A 360 virtual reality experi-

ence of Green Heart’s proposed view is available online. It is hoped that the redesign of campus, which will open up a path from Old Joe to the Vale, will bring its aesthetics into the 21st century.

Work takes place on campus between 8am and 5pm every weekday, and occasionally on weekends, to minimise disruption.

The Green Heart Project’s completion is set for January 2019.

NEWS

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricknews

05

UoB Research Kills 54,000 Animals John Wimperis News Reporter @john_wimperis

54,728 animals were killed in testing at UoB last year, almost a 40% increase from ten years ago.

According to UoB’s policy on the use of animals in research, animal testing only takes place where there are no alternatives and ‘is fundamental to advances in understanding that will prevent suffering, protect and prolong both human and animal life’.

As of 2015, UoB was conducting the ninth most animal research out of all universities in the country. Together with the rest of the top ten, it accounted for a third of the animal research being done in the UK. The breeding of genetically modified animals constituted roughly as many of these

experiments as experiments did.

In the vast majority of cases mice were experimented with, although significant numbers of rats, fish, and, to a lesser extent, amphibians were also involved.

"In the vast majority of cases mice were experimented with" Dr Katy Taylor of Cruelty Free International, an anti-animal testing campaign group, argued in The Birmingham Mail that the public mood was against animal testing and they would be ‘horri-

fied’ to learn of the extent of animal testing at UoB. ‘We urge the University [of Birmingham] to lead by example and make a clear and concerted effort to eliminate

this horrific, outdated and unnecessary practice’, she said.

In a statement, UoB spokesperson said that 'some diseases and health problems involve proc-

esses that can only be studied in a living organism'.

The statement also included an assurance that 'we have periodic visits from a Home Office inspector who checks the welfare of the animals used in research and the facilities that they are kept in. During these visits the inspector is looking for evidence of a caring culture, which ensures responsible behaviour and respect for the use and care of animals'.

An Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body at UoB ensures that tests are not conducted on animals where there are possible alternatives, in accordance with the ‘3Rs’ principles of ‘replacement, reduction and refinement'. This is an internal body, the staffing of which is controlled by the university, not an external regulator.

£1.4m Granted To UoB Cancer Unit Emily Roberts News Editor

A scientist working at UoB has been granted £1.4m by Cancer Research UK to carry out potentially revolutionary research into how cancer compromises healthy cells. Dr Mathew Coleman, who is based within the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences at the university, will carry out his work over a period of six years, and it is hoped that the findings will contribute part of a greater

understanding of various types of tumour.

Dr Coleman’s research will be focused on the relationship between cancer and three specific proteins. According to the scientist, these proteins ‘are all enzymes that act as “locksmiths” for other proteins’. In cancer patients, these proteins become defective, meaning they can no longer perform their vital functions. It is thought that when the proteins become faulty, they can cause abnormalities in the growth and function of healthy cells, which in turn can

lead to the onset of cancer.

"We may be able to identify and develop new drugs" By studying the tissue and cells of patients with tumours, it is hoped that Dr Coleman and his team will pave the way for new

pioneering cancer treatments, with the scientist saying ‘we may be able to identify and develop new drugs that target the cellular processes [the proteins] control or, we may be able to develop drugs that act as a “skeleton key” that does their job for them’.

In a statement, Dr Coleman expressed his appreciation for the opportunity, saying, ‘we’re incredibly grateful to the patients who donate their tumour samples to research; their contribution is making a real impact in allowing researchers like me to understand

cancer. We’re also extremely thankful to the people who support Cancer Research UK because without them, our work would not be possible’.

Cancer Research UK was created in 2002, and for 15 years the organisation has worked to raise money to fund the research projects of scientists within the field. The charity hopes that scientific progress will mean that, within the next two decades, 75% of those diagnosed with cancer will survive the disease.

News Analysis: Could Brexit Threaten Academic Conferences?

Following recent visa rejections, Jasmine Khatri examines the future of international academic conferences in a post-Brexit Britain Jasmine Khatri News Reporter

At least 14 African academics were recently denied entry to the UK to attend a renowned conference on African Studies due to visa problems. Tightened immigration policies are making it difficult for academics to obtain visas for situations like this, and it is potentially threatening international academic contributions – which are especially important in this field. Various reasons were given to the academics, such as having no proof they would return home despite evidence to the contrary.

The recently released Home Office document on post-Brexit immigration already reveals an increased toughness on entry to the UK – including visa applications. The document says the

transformation of Britain’s immigration policy will take place in phases, with one being the initial phase before Brexit. It’s likely, therefore, that immigration and visa systems changes are already underway.

"It is increasingly likely that foreign academics will find it difficult to enter the UK [postBrexit]" With Brexit resulting in a tightening of visa rules as the UK takes control over its own immigration policies, it is increasingly

likely that foreign academics will find it difficult to enter the UK, even for conferences like the one above. Visa applications at present are often a long and arduous process. Academics must pay for flights and other expenses before getting a visa. Those from countries such as Iran find that their representative embassy cannot process these visa applications effectively and must travel to a country like Dubai to wait.

These all add up to mounting costs. Given that post-Brexit Britain is likely to be even more tough on visa applications – especially to those from certain countries – it is reasonable to expect costs to increase further. These aspects can could deter academics from attending such international conferences and as a result, halt the academic engagement and collaboration that make the UK a

top academic hub.

"Disciplines may indeed be threatened as it becomes more difficult for faceto-face exchange and thus more difficult for academic research to develop" International academic conferences are a vital component in academic research. They encour-

age the exchange of ideas and research within a discipline and allow for networking, which improves the breadth of knowledge in a field. Conferences also play a side role in developing further curriculums for higher education students by enhancing the current knowledge of a discipline by academics.

Free exchange of ideas is necessary in academia, but potential Brexit rules are likely to complicate this as it becomes increasingly difficult for academics to obtain visas. EU academics may also face difficulty despite reassurance that they will not need visas to enter the UK. Disciplines may indeed be threatened as it becomes more difficult for faceto-face exchange and thus more difficult for academic research to develop.

06

NEWS

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricknews

Birmingham Bin Strike Suspended Normal refuse services have resumed as of the 20th September Grace Lynskey News Reporter

Selly Oak has been the victim of a bin strike this summer, causing colossal disruptions to students and residents living in the area.

It’s been a dominant feature in the discussion amongst students since transitioning back to university this month.

The strike was a result of the industrial action carried out following a dispute between Birmingham City Council and the refuse workers union, Unite. They claimed restructuring plans threatened the jobs of over 120 staff while the council said plans will modernise the service and save £5m a year. The whole scheme is fundamentally based around saving money.

sion of the strike action was negotiated briefly in August but was resumed on 1st September.

Since then, this has resulted in an amalgamation of abandoned waste, littered streets and unpleasant aromas in Selly Oak, as well as other parts of Birmingham.

Needless to say it has been a frustrating turn of events for students who have continued to live in Selly Oak over the course of the summer months. Student Luke

quiet’.

However, this week many students will have been awoken by the sound of bin lorries making their way back down the streets of Selly. Birmingham City Council has stated that normal service has now resumed and as of the 20th September, the bin strike has been suspended. The council has now begun the process of clearing the remaining rubbish that has accumulated over the past weeks and

the result of a missed collection.

in

the budget by £5.7m for the 201718 financial year, however, it must make changes in order to stay within the revised budget.

As of the 20th September, Birmingham’s bin strike has been suspended after the High Court granted an interim injunction against the council's bid to make workers redundant. A trial to determine whether the council acted unlawfully when issuing redundancy notices is set to take

Garrett explained how it’s been an absolute nightmare for students who have continued to live at uni over summer. He stated, ‘every street was a complete mess, I’m just glad it happened whilst it was

months. New council leader Ian Ward has said sorting out the bin dispute is ‘top priority’. In terms of overflowing bins, additional bags of rubbish will be collected if they are suitably bagged and are

Birmingham is the most expensive when compared with other major cities and has the lowest recycling levels. The bin service went £11.9 million over budget in 2016-17. The council increased

place in November.

To find out more about the daily collections, or if you have any further queries, go to the Birmingham City Council Website.

"New council leader Ian Ward has said sorting out the bin dispute is 'top priority'" The

waste

service

"As of 20th September, Birmingham’s bin strike has been suspended after the High Court granted an interim injunction against the council's bid to make workers redundant" On May 23rd Unite announced that they were not satisfied with the council’s plans and called for a vote to decide on industrial action. Strike action has therefore been in play since 30th June following an inability to come to any form of agreement. Workers organised 2-hour stoppages to bin collections. A temporary suspen-

Award Winning Author Visits UoB Erin Santillo News Editor @ErinSantillo

Nikesh Shukla, the critically acclaimed author, screenwriter and essayist, visited the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Contemporary Literature and Culture on Monday 2nd October in order to read from - and answer questions about - his 2016 essay collection, The Good Immigrant.

The event was hosted in the marquee in Chancellor’s Court by Dr Asha Rogers from the Department for English Literature, who gave attendees an insight into Shukla’s motives for creating the book through a series of preprepared questions before opening the floor to the audience for a thought-provoking Q&A session.

Shukla also read extracts from his essay, ‘Namaste’, which is featured in The Good Immigrant and

merges his comic writing style with his views on attitudes towards modern-day cultural misappropriation.

More than 150 students, locals and academics attended the event; more than expected, perhaps, as the chairs were filled quickly and many resorted to sitting on the floor of the marquee for the 90minute session.

There was also time after the conclusion of the event for Shukla to take selfies and sign copies of his book, which features on the second-year English Literature module, ‘Twenty-First Century Literature’.

Edited by Shukla, The Good Immigrant offers a platform for twenty-one emerging British black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) voices to explore race and immigration in the twenty-

first century. The collection of essays features contributions from journalists, educators, poets, bloggers, comedians and actors, including Nish Kumar and Riz Ahmed.

"Edited by Shukla, The Good Immigrant offers a platform for twenty-one emerging British black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) voices"

The Good Immigrant was named the winner of the Readers’ Choice Award at the first Books Are My Bag ceremony last year, and has received high praise from fellow novelists such as Zadie Smith, Malorie Blackman and J.K. Rowling. Describing the collection as ‘an important, timely read’, Rowling was also one of the main financial backers of the crowdfunded project, reportedly having donated £5,000 through the website of the publishing house, Unbound.

This was just the first of a series of events hosted by the Centre for Contemporary Literature and Culture this academic year. Shukla is expected to return to the university in January 2018.

NEWS

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricknews

07

Millennial Home Ownership Halves According to recent figures, millennials are half as likely to own their own home compared to previous generations Liam Taft

are faced with a less attractive option due to low security of tenure and high rent prices.

News Reporter

Last week, Resolution Foundation published a report revealing the intergenerational disparity in the housing market.

The Intergenerational Commission compared the security, affordability and quality of housing that different generations experienced – and found that young people are overwhelmingly worse off.

Millennials (18-35 year olds) are half as likely to own their own home as baby boomers. The report cites the increase in young people in higher education and waiting longer to have children as some of the factors contributing to this figure. They also found that the Right to Buy scheme in the 1980s and 1990s may also have caused this disparity.

On average, young people are four times as likely to rent privately as previous generations.

This so called ‘generation rent’

"For students looking to settle down and buy a home, this ideal is becoming increasingly unattainable" Significantly, millennials spend 23 per cent of their income on housing, in comparison to baby boomers who spent 17 per cent of their income at the same age, leaving 18-35 year olds with proportionally less disposable income.

Owning a home is still the best option financially. Mortgage owners spend 12 per cent of their income on housing costs, whereas

private renters spent 36 per cent – almost three times as much.

However, with millennials needing 19 years on average to save for a deposit, compared to the three years required of their parents, home owning is still an inaccessible option for many.

Although in some respects housing quality has improved – outside toilets, mass slums, and a lack of running water are mostly a thing of the past – on average young people are living in more overcrowded conditions. Longer commute times are also decreasing quality of life.

The report does anticipate that homeownership will increase in the next few years as we recover from the financial crisis, but this is still uncertain. The looming prospect of Brexit also casts doubt on this prediction, which is a major source of anxiety for many young people.

Second year Economics student Hannah Morrow said ‘The uncertainty of our future economic prospects, alongside the persistent housing crises, does not bode

well for aspiring home owners.

For students looking to settle down and buy a home, this ideal is becoming increasingly unattainable’.

Overall, the commission finds that millennials are getting less

for their money when we compare their experiences to previous generations. However, the authors suggest that there is hope in the prospect of future policy, akin to the Right to Buy scheme, which could improve this disparity.

Automation for Low Paying Jobs

The pace at which artificial intelligence is improving could result in lowskilled workers' jobs becoming automated, experts say Ida Elmdal Thagesen

ices or within public administration and defence, are at a high risk of being replaced by AI. According to research by The Guardian, 94% Gregory Robinson of paralegals and 40% of judges News Editor will be replaced with AI within 20 years.

350 academics were surveyed Workers who have low paid rou- on when they believed the crucial tine jobs are at risk of being turning points in robot advancereplaced by new technology ment would take place. referred to as Artificial Intelligence Researchers from the University (AI). Experts now claim that the of Oxford then took the average process of automation is acceler- of their answers to make predicating. This might affect workers tions. By 2049, robots will be able having a university degree, which to write a bestselling book, with is a general concern to students AI able to exceed the performfrom UoB. ance of humans as surgeons Research from just four years later.

Oxford University The research adds suggests that there that all human jobs is a '50% chance could become of AI outperautomated within forming humans 120 years, with in all tasks in 45 those who work Years until all years'.

In in the driving human jobs become response to the capacity being research finding, some of the soonautomated a third year est to be replaced, Political Science thanks to the introstudent said, 'That duction of driverless really makes me nervcars. ous!'

Andrew Murray, a proWhile it is not known how fast fessor of Technology Law at the the process of automation will be, London School of Economics, it is likely that technology will said, ‘An algorithmically-regulatreplace many English workers ed self-driving car would theoretiwithin our lifetime. Besides low cally be unable to speed or to paid routine workers, students breach dangerous driving laws. who will be employed by the This means we will reduce financial and insurance sector, in towards zero criminal prosecuadministrative and support serv- tions for driving’.

News Reporter

120

According to Murray, Law students looking to take advantage of the introduction of AI should consider an internship with large tech companies such as Facebook or Google. ‘It shows an awareness of a developing client base’.

The impact AI will have on the workers has been addressed

by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has suggested that companies that profit from replacing humans with robots should pay more tax (known as ‘robot tax’) because of the ‘threat’ automation is to workers. Corbyn intends to use the money to create a fund to retrain workers who lose their jobs due to AI. During his speech

at the Labour conference on Wednesday, Corbyn claims he will form plans to ‘manage’ robotics and technology ‘for the benefit of society as a whole’. Corbyn said: ‘we should all get the benefits’ from corporations such as Amazon, which have ‘made a great deal of money out of incredible advanced technology’.

08

NEWS

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricknews

Birmingham is 2022 Candidate City Captions go in the corner of pictures and shouldn't be hyphenated

The 2022 Commonwealth Games may be hosted in Birmingham after Kuala Lumpur and Victoria fail to submit rival bids Michael Francis News Reporter

Birmingham is officially the only city to have submitted a bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) after beating Liverpool for official British endorsement in September and their predicted rivals across the globe failed to submit a bid.

The Chief Executive of the CGF, David Grevemberg CBE has said in a press release: ‘Bid documentation has been received from Birmingham, England and the CGF will now go through a comprehensive review and feedback process to ensure the bid meets the requirements of suc-

cessfully hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games.’ With no other cities making bids for the 2022 games, this leaves Birmingham almost certain to host them.

"One of the key strengths in Birmingham’s 2022 bid was the claim that 95% of the second city’s venues are already constructed"

Kuala Lumpur (1998 hosts) structed. Should Birmingham be and Victoria, British Columbia awarded the games? Alexander (1994 hosts), were both Stadium will be upgraded previously considering from its current capacity putting a bid forward of 12,700 to 40,000 in for the 2022 games. order to accommoKuala Lumpur date audiences for however, has the games. In addiopted to put its tion, a new aquatefforts into bidics centre will be Estimated cost of ding for the 2026 planned for conthe 2022 Games g a m e s . struction in Meanwhile, Sandwell for hostVictoria had failed ing the swimming to win the backing of and aquatic events. the British Columbia The 2022 games are Provincial or the Canadian estimated to cost £750 milFederal Government. lion, with 75% of the bill being One of the key strengths in paid for by the government.

Birmingham’s 2022 bid was the Birmingham bid organisers and claim that 95% of the second West Midlands Metro Mayor city’s venues are already con- Andy Street, have both stressed

£750m

that the other 25% of the bill will be shared by all West Midlands regions, and not just Birmingham.

Street has also stated that local funding for the games is separate from funds used for local services so there should be minimal effect on council spending.

Although Birmingham is the only city to submit a bid in time for the September 30th deadline, CGF Chief Executive Grevemberg has stated: ‘there have also been continued expressions of interest and support from Canada, Malaysia and Australia.’ Despite Grevemberg’s claim of continued interest from other cities, Birmingham’s bid - in terms of funding, preparation, and enthusiasm - remains the only stable bid under consideration.

Success for First Vélo Birmingham George Lithgow News Reporter

Over 15,000 cyclists crossed the start line in Birmingham’s city centre last Sunday, ready to take on the 100 mile journey on closed roads. The route took participants out into the picturesque Worcestershire and Staffordshire countryside before returning to Birmingham.

Participants ranged from seasoned sportive riders to cycling newbies. American cyclist, John Hoppingarner, mistakenly signed up for the ride thinking it was set to take place in Birmingham, Alabama, rather than Birmingham, West Midlands. He has since

received praise from many for making the 4000 mile trip and continuing to take part anyway.

Charity fundraisers also took part with around £2 million expected to be raised for both regional and national charities.

The event showcased Birmingham City Council’s ‘Birmingham cycle revolution’ – an initiative to promote cycling as a preferable mode of transport for local residents.

Former England Rugby international Martin Johnson helped launch the event before posting an impressive time of 5:21:23.

Speaking afterwards he said ‘It’s a real privilege to ride closed roads, with no cars. It was quite a community event, lots of people

out, sitting on their lawn chairs with a cup of tea or whatever, cheering you on’.

"Birmingham is one of only three places in the country where you can ride a closed road 100 miles" The deputy leader of Birmingham City Council Ian Ward was also quick to praise the event. Speaking to Birmingham

Mail he said ‘We’ve had people from all over the country taking part in today’s event. It's had amazing interest. Birmingham is one of only three places in the country where you can ride a closed road 100 miles’.

Despite winning the approval of many, some residents have expressed anger towards the event after extensive road closures lasted for most of the day. After voicing concerns to event organisers CMS Active, Diane Wilson from Harborne was told she would have to make a 50 mile round-trip detour to visit her mother in a Bournville care home – a journey which normally takes just five minutes. Road closures also hit some businesses hard, although

others benefitted from the large crowds that gathered to watch the event.

Several complaints were also made after the race about sharp metal objects being thrown onto the course. Nails and razor blades were reportedly thrown onto the course by saboteurs to puncture tyres. Organisers CMS Active described the act as ‘pretty appalling’ when speaking to the BBC. No cyclists were thought to have been injured by the act.

Vélo Birmingham is planned to return in 2018 with the route yet to be confirmed.

News in a Nutshell...

News Editor, Grace Duncan, gives you the low down on national and international news from this fortnight Welcome to our new section, News in a Nutshell, where your editors give you a fortnightly round up of the news that you don’t normally see in Redbrick News. So we are not just fixed on Birmingham, here you can read about what’s been going on outside of our campus bubble.

First up, the big story this week is the shooting in Las Vegas which, at time of publication, has left 59 people dead and over 500 injured.

Gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire in the

Mandalay Bay Hotel where he was staying.

Police have since found 23 guns in his hotel room as well as ‘in excess of’ 19 firearms and explosives at his home in Nevada. It is declared the largest gun attack in history surpassing the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, acting as another reason to reconsider the gun laws in the USA. While most of the press have not named it as such, it is a terrorist attack which many have taken to social media to express.

Next up, Spain is looking increasingly divided as Catalan votes for independence. With a voter turnout of 42.3%, there was an overwhelming majority of 90% voting in favour of the split

from the rest of Spain. However, the vote was deemed illegal by the Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy who stated that the Catalans had been fooled into taking part in an illegal vote. Due to the chaotic nature of the vote it is perhaps wise to take the election results with a pinch of salt, it remains to be seen whether the vote will be recast. It is worth keeping an eye on Spain in the coming months.

Another referendum story has been in the news recently, this time in Ireland where a vote is being held to decide whether the country should repeal its ban on abortion in all circumstances. In summer 2018, the Irish people will decide whether they should change the 8th amendment to the constitution which gives the foe-

tus the status of a citizen even in early pregnancy. There have also been marches in favour of the change with people declaring that the law is outdated and dangerous.

In the UK this month there have also been some major political stories as the main parties have had their political conferences, the most recent being the Conservative party’s with speeches from Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd, David Davis, Boris Johnson and Theresa May. The Labour Party conference ended with a speech by Corbyn where he claimed the party was ‘on the threshold of power’. While at the Liberal Democrat conference new leader Vince Cable stated that he could lead the Lib Dems back to

power by offering a mix of ‘hope and realism’.

More in politics, UKIP has elected another new leader. Henry Bolton won with a clear margin and the party remains just inside the political mainstream in UK politics. The former Liberal Democrat wants to ‘serve to lead’ as he stated in his victory speech.

Whether Bolton will be able to win back the seats and support that the party lost in the general election will become clear in coming months.

That is not all the news that has happened in the last two weeks but it should mean that you’ll be able to sound remotely educated in current affairs. Pick up the next edition of Redbrick for your next News in a Nutshell.

COMMENT

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickcomment

09

Citizenship and the Pursuit of Foreign Identities Vanesa Medina argues that immigrating doesn't mean denying your cultural identity Vanesa Medina Comment Writer

On the 22nd September, and after twenty years of marriage to Livia Giuggioli, native of Rome, British actor Colin Firth was finally granted Italian citizenship amid immigration debates and EU uncertainty.

Brexit controversy aside, the media’s first reaction to the news was to question Firth’s identity.

Even though he doesn’t seem to give much importance to his dual citizenship, saying, ‘I will always be extremely British,’ this situation is a reminder of the way immigrants’ identities are often challenged when seeking to be part of a foreign society.

Does gaining a foreign citizenship necessarily mean the denial of someone’s previous cultural identity?

As an international student myself, I haven’t stopped questioning my motives for leaving my country since the moment I received that expected acceptance letter. Was there something wrong with me? Did I not love my country as much as my fellow nationals? Part of the process of adapting to a new life abroad is to identify how this

decision might change you, and whether that is good or bad. This should not come as a surprise; immigration, unlike travelling, remains a controversial topic, even in a world as globalised as ours.

To solve this dilemma we can start by looking at what happens when different cultures interact in a neutral context, like when two international students meet in a country that is foreign to them both. As comparisons take place, all the little things that characterise a culture’s identity become more evident now that they are no longer the default: gestures, clothes, habits and even names (people always find it amusing that I have two surnames, one from each of my parents). These details make you

realise how unque your culture really is.

This self-awareness is what allows people to remain true to their traditions in an unfamiliar country, and is also what makes multiculturalism possible. But multiculturalism is not always seen as compatible with the creation of national identities, a basic need for the pursuit of the common good in functioning societies.

Multiculturalism focuses on individuality, whereas national identities are collective.

Giving more importance to the problem of national identities over multiculturalism, when talking about immigration and foreign citizenships, is expected.

After all, becoming an active member of a society requires you to feel a certain sense of belonging to said society, hence the creation of citizenship tests.

This leads to the belief that immigrants should adopt their host country’s culture if they really want to be part of it. As a result, this questions the identities and loyalties of all those applying for a foreign citizenship.

The problem with this line of reasoning is that it completely overlooks the complexity of human identities. Whether you

like it or not, being born and raised in a certain country and culture influences your personality, the way you look at the world, and the way you think. I am not less Peruvian because I

"Feeling a sense of belonging to two different countries is possible as long as you recognise and appreciate the influence they both have on you" live in the UK; my country is part of me.

Love for a country should not be determined by geographical location. Instead, patriotism is recognising the role of your home country in the process of becoming who you are, identifying what makes you and your culture unique, and being proud of it. Immigrants should not necessarily be regarded as less patriotic because of their deci-

sion to live somewhere other than the country of their birth.

Multiculturalism and national identity are not mutually exclusive. The decision to move abroad and the time spent there also has an impact on who you are –no wonder cultural exchanges are often regarded as lifechanging. Acknowledging this allows immigrants to form a special bond with their host countries, thus allowing the creation of national identities.

Feeling a sense of belonging to two different countries is possible, as long as you recognise and appreciate the influence they both have on you.

Immigration and multiculturalism will likely remain controversial topics in years to come.

Instead of focusing on what drives people away, it is time to think about what makes everyone unique, and the ways in which this can bring people together.

This is the first step towards more diverse and tolerant societies, so that more people can continue enjoying the wonders of multiculturalism.

The Uber Ban is Bad News for London

Emily Youlton argues that banning Uber will only hurt drivers and commuters Emily Youlton Comment Writer

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Uber is an essential for many students in Birmingham.

Now that Transport for London is seeking to ban its operation, it has certainly put doubts in people’s minds as to the future of the company in the UK. What saddens me most about this issue is that, once again, the people who are unlikely to have used the service are the ones making the decision about it.

I’m not naive to the fact that Uber has made some serious

mistakes, but I think there is a better way to deal with this than to place a ban on business operation. The loss of this increasingly necessary service could really have a devastating effect on London, for so many people.

It seems as if the management of TfL are happy, reassured by the comfort of their large salaries, whilst there is now a multitude of people facing the prospect of unemployment, something I believed we as nation were trying to prevent.

Here in Birmingham so many students rely on the private hire service to travel safely around the city. The reasonable pricing and convenience of ordering on the app makes it the perfect tool

for young people. The clearly marked cars, number plate identification, and all of the added security features included in the app mean it is the ultimate tool for getting home safely at night.

It is easy to report issues; you can send your Uber details to a family member so that they can track your journey the entire way. But this vital service is now at risk, this service that suits the smaller pockets of students and new graduates. This service that makes many cities accessible to anyone of any economic background could be on its way out.

It just seems an extreme move to completely ban this necessary service in London – not to mention restricting a customer's freedom to choose!

Our capital city is notoriously expensive and it’s about to get

"It is the ultimate tool for getting home safely at night" worse with the loss of Uber.

Maybe I'm championing it too much, but I really do feel it is an unnecessary ban that could have a detrimental effect for the less

wealthy in the city. It seems very authoritarian to just completely ban the operation of a

"Once again London is trying to be rid of the millenials who can't afford to flash the cash in a black cab" company because they have done something wrong. I thought we were a nation who stood together and worked through issues, rather than barring their London presence altogether.

Apparently not.

It came as no surprise that the Uber UK boss, Jo Bertram, has now resigned.

Athough sources are claiming that Bertram was planning on leaving around this time anyway, it does seem a little coincidental.

Bertram has been responsible for the expansion of the compa-

ny in the UK, from a few hundred drivers to now a growing network of 50,000, thus proving its success and the high demand in cities across the country. Her resignation has now led to Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, flying to London to begin talks with TfL to try to save their license in the capital. Despite this, it is likely to take months for this issue to be rectified, leaving many Londoners without this essential transport service.

So it seems that, despite running a successful and innovative business that offers benefits to so many, Uber has been severely penalised as a result of a mistake.

O n c e again, London is trying to be rid of the millennials who can’t afford to flash the cash in a black cab. Let’s just hope Uber’s appeal is successful.

10

COMMENT

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickcomment

Coming vs. Going: UoB Students

Phoebe Christofi discusses the troubles she faced when coming to Birmingham Phoebe Christofi Comment Writer

I am an Australian exchange student from Adelaide, and have always loved the idea of studying in the United Kingdom. Call it a motivation driven by a romantic incentive; an incentive based on history and literature.

But I’ll be honest when I tell you that the University of Birmingham was not my first preference. London would have been fantastic, Edinburgh would have been swell, but, alas, it was my fate to become an honorary Brum for a term. Cue more honesty (because this piece will be nothing but); I knew nothing about Birmingham. And what I did know wasn’t especially reliable. I’m sure a few of you know the television series Peaky Blinders – this was the extent of my knowledge of Birmingham: a fictional series on Netflix with a small amount of history weaved in.

Being an exchange student meant that I obviously didn’t have my parents to help me move in. However, what I lacked in parents I made up for in Uber drivers, having one deliver me right to my front door on The Vale. I was exhausted from the train ride and from having to drag my luggage into my accommodation. Once I was settled, though, as far as I knew, the stress was over. After a month of travelling I would finally just be able to exist in a serene state of

mind.

How very wrong I was. You can imagine my surprise when I logged on to the university portal only to realise that half of my modules had not been registered.

Before this ordeal, I received an email from The College of Arts and Law, stating that unfortunately all the modules I’d applied for were unavailable, but they could offer me some others.

How generous of them. These modules however, were not appearing anywhere on my.bham or Canvas. I told myself that other students would be in the same boat as I was. I didn’t realise, however, that it would be every single exchange student.

"I told myself that other students would be in the same boat. I didn't realise that it would be every single exchange student" I would understand if the University had some minor troubles with the system of enrolling students and organising a couple of hundred international student’s degrees. But then I thought to myself – Universities have the same process of enroll-

ing international students every year, surely there would be an easy system, or at least one that would work.

Not at Birmingham. This year, the university changed its system when enrolling their international students. Now, each college registers each individual student. However, it seems as if the colleges haven’t been corresponding when students are in a double degree or are seeking modules from external colleges. You can imagine the reaction from the several hundred International and Erasmus students when they realised that all their lectures and seminars clashed, or better yet, that they hadn’t been enrolled in anything at all. I started to question what the University was doing in the months leading up to the start of semester. While I was backpacking my way through the UK, it seems as if they must have been having an equally time-consuming and fulfilling holiday.

I won’t say that I didn’t spend my Freshers week signing up to new societies, indulging in free food and meeting new people, because I did – but not in the conventional sense. Instead, I did all of this whilst waiting in line at various undergraduate offices/colleges. It’s amazing to consider the people you meet and the events you get invited to when you’re waiting in line for two and a half hours. Many a discussion was had in these queues. Why did none of us

have modules? Why did they all clash? Why wasn’t this sorted out months ago? Sitting on this floor is starting to hurt, is your butt numb too? With what seems to be the worst behind us, I mus say that I’m looking forward to my study at the University of

Birmingham. I like to think that Freshers week hasn’t scarred me and that one day it might become a funny story. However, it just would have been nice if I knew what subjects I was studying before I had to start studying them.

Coming to Birmingham: The experiences of other students 'I had to wait in line for two hours to hear that none of my chosen modules were available. At least I had something to bond over with the other international students waiting in line.'

Anonymous, The Netherlands 'Every time there was a problem here, I had to contact my home university, ask if the new subject was acceptable, and then ask Birmingham if they still had available spots in that course.

It was a mess.'

I. Thagesen, Denmark 'It's f*cked' A. B, Australia

Rhi Storer comments on the unexpected reality of her year abroad in Sydney Rhi Storer

Comment Writer

Homesickness.

Adrenaline.

Naivety. Wanderlust. These are just some of the words I’d use to describe my own experience of travelling abroad.

The idea of spending a year lounging on golden beaches and non-stop partying is alluring for any student, but even more so myself. Having lived, studied, and worked in Birmingham for my entire life, I felt that I was ready for a complete upheaval in my typical day-to-day. While being a native at the University of Birmingham certainly has its perks (for one knowing where a good night out is), the familiarity of my hometown was becoming stale.

Combined with being overworked on the ‘deadline treadmill,’ and overwhelmed by the lack of decent weather here in our tiny rock island, those returning students who turned up at my lectures to talk about their year broad looked like walking gods.

They were but messengers of good times and good vibes.

So I took it to task to really challenge myself. How far could I go abroad from my little Birmingham hamlet? What would await me? What could possibly go wrong?

Surprisingly the application process was not as daunting as I thought it was. One personal statement and cover letter later I received my offer to study at the University of Sydney! Forget Adelaide or Melbourne - the ‘London on the Caribbean’ was awaiting me! The anticipation to move far away from Birmingham grew and grew.

I turned 21 on the 7th July. 3 days after I journeyed down to Luton and hugged my Dad goodbye before boarding my flight.

Nearly 24hrs (and a cheeky stop in Malaysia) later, I arrived in Sydney.

I didn’t have the wisdom of my parents to guide me through the first week of being in a new country, so I took the next best thing: an Uber driver. As we cruised down George St. over conversations about the 'poms'; cricket; and kangaroos, it was only then that it really did hit me I was very far from home. 10,582 miles to be precise.

"What would await me? What could possibly go wrong?"

So what was good about my year abroad? Well, the weather to

start. Sydney has over 100 beaches dotted around, from the famous Bondi right down to its secret ones - think Milk Beach, Gordon’s Bay, and Kutti Beach - so there’s always a good place to relax.

Tourist hotspots like the dramatic escarpments of the Blue Mountains were pretty awesome to visit too.

Another thing that was really great about living in Sydney was that it really did live up to the stereotype of being laidback.

Even though the University of Sydney (or USyd) is really prestigious and ranked pretty well worldwide, lecturers always seemed chilled out. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish whether I was talking to a professor or a friend.

But while many of my contemporaries said they had such an ‘amazing’ time on their adventures overseas, I felt slightly dis-

heartened. The reality of my Year Abroad was that I felt isolated.

Even though I met so many different people, new experiences, and gained independence, I found myself lacking energy and motivation to turn up to my classes.

The constant sunshine began to wane. I felt detached from others who appeared to have it a lot easier than myself. Even though I put myself out there and tried all sorts of different societies at USyd, I never felt I truly connected to anyone. Everything seemed temporary - people were constantly moving, friendships seemed short-lived and easily forgotten.

Another problem was the costs. I knew Sydney was an expensive city, but I didn’t realise how expensive. While my hall mates were able to afford travelling to New Zealand and Bali, I struggled to pay my rent, study

"I struggled to pay my rent, study and work a full-time job" and work a full-time job.

Eventually the stress became too much and I decided to return after one semester. I had too much pride to return, but after a lot of convincing from my parents I felt obliged.

Having said that, that semester abroad was the best thing that has happened to me. When I stopped comparing my experiences to others, I realised that actually, I did quite a brave thing, and I would encourage others to step out of their comfort zone.

Just maybe don’t travel to the other side of the globe!

COMMENT

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickcomment

11

Welcome to the Rat Shack

Jadzia Samuel and Helena Shaw share horror stories of living in student housing Jadiza Samuel Comment Writer

Helena Shaw Comment Writer

First day of second year: not quite as enthusiastic and hopeful as we had been the year before, but retaining that small sliver of belief in the world, we wrestled open the front door of our new student house to reveal an unexpected (and uninvited) new housemate. A rat.

The rat was so bright-eyed and bushy tailed we almost mistook it for a fresher.

After only having seen this property in a ten-minute whistle-stop tour one October night, nearly eleven months prior to moving in, we were shocked to find it was not quite as we had expected. Looking past the thin layer of grime coating the walls and floor, and the black mould lurking in every other corner, the dead rat on our kitchen floor was a bit more than we had bargained for. Whilst we had joked about the idea of getting a house pet, this was not exactly what we meant.

The astonishing thing is that we are not the only ones thrust into this uncomfortably hairy situation.

According to a Redbrick sur-

vey from 2015, one in ten student houses had issues with vermin, and over half had experienced mould. Many have reported their landlords as being reluctant to deal with these prevalent issues of sanitation, including our own. After consistently ignoring our emails about the dirt and mould, our landlord finally disposed of the rat and called pest control to sort out our issue with our vermin housemates.

"Unfortunately, Pest Control was unwilling to remove any of our problematic human housemates" Unfortunately, Pest Control was unwilling to remove any of our problematic human housemates.

Once the immediate crisis of a rat corpse was averted, the fleeting respect we felt for our landlord quickly dwindled. Pest Control had recommended that the landlord fill in the holes in the side of the house (through which the rats were getting in),

as well as tear out the cupboards in the kitchen to fill in the tunnel through which they burrowed.

Our landlord, however, had very different ideas.

It wasn’t until almost two weeks after we had moved in, that a builder was sent round (five days after we were promised) with a bucket of quick-dry cement simply to patch up the outside wall. The landlord then refused to look behind any of the cupboards in the kitchen, insisting that his job was done.

After multiple back-and-forth emails, angry telephone calls, and sobs of despair, Pest Control finally conformed, much to our relief, that our house was in fact vermin free.

Unfortunately, countless of students deal with similar problems every year. Others have reported similar experiences with unhygienic houses and reluctant landlords; for example, one student from the University of Birmingham described his landlord’s refusal to clean the mess from a toilet pipe which leaked from another house into his own, describing ‘dried toilet paper [which remains] all over the drain pipe in the shared access passage.’ Another student, Charlotte Russel, reported an infestation of slugs in her house.

She described the landlord’s reluctance to resolve the issue, saying ‘I walked into the bath-

room once and literally counted 18, it’s vile.’

These are clearly not stand-alone incidents. The huge influx of student housing horror stories we received blatantly shows the Selly Oak-wide epidemic of poor-quality landlords, substandard letting-agents, and an exploitative market set out to rip off students. While mould and vermin are problems not solely faced by student tenants, it seems as though landlords regard these problems as acceptable when letting out to the young and inexperienced. Unless we are able to afford the rent of expensive properties, some costing over £120 a week (not including bills), many students are denied basic tenant rights and forced into stressful and dangerously unsanitary living

conditions. Even in one of the more affordable properties (at only £80 a week per person), in our 9-person house, our collective rent is £3120 p.c.m. Despite clearly being below acceptable standards of sanitation, these prices are comparatively extortionate as the house itself is only worth around £280,000. In the second-largest city, a high cost of living is of course to be expected, but when renting properties and spending large sums of money (which very few students can afford), a basic level of hygiene and respect from landlords should also be the norm.

A final closing message to our estate agent: We would like to thank you for the free lollipops.

They totally made the rat problem worth it.

Give Arts the Respect They Deserve

Amelia Hiller and Lucy Painter argue that it's time to start taking the arts seriously Amelia Hiller Comment Writer

Lucy Painter Comment Writer

As students studying English Literature, History and French, we have observed the negative perceptions associated with studying arts and humanities subjects first hand.

This leads to discouraged students who question the relevance and value of undertaking such courses at a higher academic level, whether it be post16 or at university. We believe that culture is essential to society and it is a great shame, though not a surprise, that Britain appears to have turned its back on celebrating and furthering the arts in education, instead concerning itself with STEM subjects in the current economic and political climate.

With any subject, students must be given opportunities and access in early education so that they can develop their interests and passions, though sadly this is not the case for the arts and humanities, which are now perceived as ‘soft’ compared to STEM subjects.

Schools are now placed

under increasing pressure to improve students’ standards in the core subjects, much to the detriment of other creative pursuits. A relative working in a primary school frequently tells me how stressed students become over complex maths problems set or how to identify a subordinating conjunction, as well as how little they do art or music.

"We are constantly being asked to justify our academic choices" This process and bias against the arts and humanities is manipulative and misleading, as although very different, the skills developed in the pursuit of creative, more subjective courses are no less valuable than those developed in the study of a STEM subject.

Many seem to have retained a false perception of the opportunities an arts degree can provide, and I’m sure that fellow humanities students can relate when I say that if I had £1 for every time I was asked if I wanted to be a teacher, I’d be able to pay off my tuition fees

tomorrow! Of course, teaching is an extremely respectable profession, but the point I am trying to make is that even in the current, STEM-orientated climate, there are plenty more career opportunities than teaching.

We are constantly being asked to justify our academic choices and intentions and, though career options and pathways may not be as explicitly obvious as those of a medicine degree, for example. The skills developed through undertaking such a degree are applicable to many different situations in life: we don’t ‘just’ read, we argue, debate, defend our viewpoints while acknowledging those of others, developing a curiosity and awareness of other cultures and our own which are now more important than ever.

It's rdiculous that tuition fees in England are now £9,250 a year, and yet students willing to pay thousands of pounds for their education feel restricted by future career prospects when selecting university courses, and may instead choose a more ‘practical’ subject rather than one they genuinely enjoy studying. Some may argue that this is simply due to the UK’s current economic climate, but I am convinced it is more than this, that this growing stigma against arts

courses is augmented by the policies of current political parties, specifically those on the leftwing of government. Gove’s cutting of creative A-Level subjects, for example Art History, from the syllabus prevented thousands of young people from receiving a broader education instead limiting them to a specific, not to mention overly-rigorous academic curriculum.

As well as this, the current UKIP policy is to provide tuition fee funding, but only for those who choose to study STEM subjects at university. This is completely discriminatory, and though UKIP may not be hugely popular, this policy still serves to discourage young people from pursuing their genuine interests.

Additionally, Britain has a serious shortage of language students, which is especially concerning following the vote for Brexit and the subsequent tensions surrounding negotiations.

Students like myself who are studying modern foreign languages will be more in demand as a result of Brexit, though our opportuni-

ties for work abroad will be more competitive. As part of the last cohort to have a confirmed Erasmus grant supporting a Year Abroad in Europe, I am fortunate, though there are fears over support for languages students in future years. In a more general sense, following our departure from the EU, Britain will need to demonstrate its cultural prowess to be respected by the member states. This influence can only come about from the elevation of culture by promoting Arts subjects, enabling the next generation who will feel the full impacts of Brexit, to lead the way in our post-EU society.

We are disappointed but not surprised by the recent findings that arts students are now at their lowest level in a decade. It seems that at a time when they are most valuable, society is discouraging young people from pursuing artistic interests, instead feeding them the false perception that STEM subjects are far more worthwhile.

Elafris Photography

FEATURES

Friday 6th October 2017

www.redbrick.me

13

All the World's a Stage...

Culture

CULTURE

Hannah Brierley & Olivia Boyce Culture Editors @brierleyy @Liv_Boyce

One of our University's undeniable selling points is its unique relationship with the legendary Royal Shakespeare Company in nearby Stratford upon Avon. The university has been part of a collaboration with the RSC for the past five years which has enabled students, particularly within English and Drama departments, to benefit from a wealthy range of skills and opportunities by accessing what this incredible company has to offer.

Academically, having the RSC alongside the Shakespeare Institute as a place to research is invaluable. For those students, like myself, who have sat in a Shakespeare lecture with a researcher from the Institute, and shared my awe at their extensive knowledge of perhaps our country's most adored writer, will understand the privilege of having access to such resources on Shakespeare. Masters courses available, like MA Shakespeare and Creativity and MA

Culture Editors Hannah Brierley and Olivia Boyce explain the link the University of Birmingham has with the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company, the ways students can get involved, and their upcoming seasons.

Shakespeare and Education have been hugely enriched by the collaboration offering chances to work exclusively with RSC artists at the Other Place; their new creative hub dedicated to research and development.

"Post-show or pre-show chats with the director.. offer invaluable insight" The RSC collaboration isn’t purely academic either, English and Drama students get the chance to partake in workshops on acting, playwriting and even stage design with industry professionals, as well as regular discounted trips to see some of the RSC’s world renowned shows. Post-show or pre-show chats with the director are often included, offering invaluable insight into the plays and a chance to get your curious questions answered.

For most English students at the university, a second year trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon courtesy

Paul Stewart (c)RSC

Hannah Brierley & Olivia Boyce Culture Editors @brierleyy @Liv_Boyce

Students are sure to be thankful for the RSC connection ,with the arrival of two exciting seasons.

There’s nothing quite like a cosy trip to the theatre during the winter months and luckily the RSC are providing plenty of choice for those of us desperate to feel the warm glow of the stage.

Everyone’s festive favourite, Dickens' A Christmas Carol, will play November 2017- February 2018. Audiences will be treated to the story of cold-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge, who learns to value himself and those around him after a night of ghostly visitations. It will be brought to life in a new adaptation by none other than David Edgar, one of Britain’s best con-

of the RSC is a highlight of their time here. Last year’s trip included a ticket to Oscar Wilde’s rarely performed Salome in the Swan Theatre, an experimental version directed by Owen Horsley that breathed life into Wilde’s poetic masterpiece. Also included was a ticket to an epic production of Anthony and Cleopatra in the main theatre, a performance charged with dark humour and eroticism.

The theatre is sadly so often viewed as an elitist past-time, aimed at those with the money to spend on often considerably highpriced tickets. Audiences, particularly for Shakespeare, are so frequently sparse of young faces.

That’s why it’s so important that the university has the ability to organise bargain £5 tickets for students, as well as those offered by the RSC Key for people aged between 16 and 25. This allows students and young people, who so often struggle financially, to be able to immerse themselves in such fantastic theatre at a price they can afford. The Key covers lots of the RSC productions, including their smash hit, Tony and Olivier award-winning Matilda, now playing in London.

RSC Visual Communications

RSC Visual Communications/ Alamy

Manuel Harlan (c)RSC

temporary writers, and whose extensive history with the RSC will undoubtedly mean the show maintains the magic of Dickens’s classic whilst encouraging a fresh retelling.

"An inspiring hub of creativity and theatrical excellence" There’s a great deal of Shakespeare in the programme too, with Twelfth Night also securing a winter spot on the RSC stage, running from November 2017 to February 2018. This infamous tale of mistaken identities and unrequited lovers is one of the original rom-coms and always promises to be entertaining. With recent high profile productions at

the National Theatre and the Globe, this new production is under the careful direction of Christopher Luscombe, whose previous works at the RSC have been described as ‘glorious’. With a stellar cast including Adrian Edmondson and Kara Tointon as Malvolio and Olivia, it promises to be an evening of mischief and giggles.

November through February also sees the arrival of Mike Poulton's adaptation of Robert Harris' Cicero trilogy, in Imperium Part One: Conspirator, and Imperium Part Two: Dictator.

Poulton previously adapted Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, and now turns to the tale of Cicero, whose legendary cunning, skilful political maneouvering, and incomparable oratory power, was used in defence of Rome’s Republic against various foes. Staged as six plays split into

two performances, it will star RSC Associate Artist Richard McCabe, who has worked extensively with the company in the past decades.

The recently announced summer 2018 season similarly includes some incredible productions. Popular Shakespeare titles like Romeo and Juliet, directed by Erica Wyman who previously directed the much lauded A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will return to the Royal Shakespeare stage. Also in the season is Macbeth, here starring Christopher Ecclestone who makes his RSC debut in the title role, and Niamh Cusack as the wife of the famous tragic character whose ambitions prove their downfall, as well as The Merry Wives of Windsor and a revival of the recent production of King Lear.

The Swan, the smaller of the RSC main stages, will see three plays focusing on diverse works

aimed at creating leading roles for women. Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi will be followed by The Fantastic Follies of Mrs Rich (or The Beau Defeated). The two classic plays will be followed by a new musical about Joan Littlewood, a legendary figure who changed the theatre industry forever.

The RSC never ceases to be an inspiring hub of creativity and theatrical excellence, making its collaboration with the University of Birmingham a match made in heaven. This relationship encourages students to share in the joys of the arts and become inspired by an industry they might want to journey into once they graduate.

For our reviews of the current RSC productions, turn to pages 18 & 19, or visit us online at www.redbrick. me/culture

14

FEATURES

Friday 6th October 2017

www.redbrick.me

FILM

I Know What You Missed Last Summer... Too

Redbrick Film takes a retrospective look at the summer films that may have passed you by Patrick Box Film Editor

Ahhhhh the end of summer is here, which also means the end of blockbuster season. This year we watched, enthralled, as: Spiderman skipped out on his homecoming dance, Caesar won the war for the planet of the apes, Edgar Wright directed a hyperactive music video, Christopher Nolan gave a badass history lesson, The Guardians saved the galaxy (again), and whatever the hell happened in Transformers 5. But what about the ones that slipped through the cracks? The ones overshadowed by all the bombastic entertainment we rely on summer to deliver. Arty films, poignant films, films with style, with grace and autobots.

It is a fledging tradition for Redbrick’s film section to bring to your attention eight movies worth a look, that may have fallen off your radar this summer. With that in mind...

1) Wind River

ten crimes of the American heartland Wind River is a character driven thriller that boasts a careerbest performance from Renner, a nerve-shreddingly-tense plot, and amazing cinematography. If you enjoyed its creators back catalogue, this will not disappoint.

2) The Big Sick Revitalising a genre that most believe has been stale since the the 1990s, The Big Sick is THE romantic comedy for the modern era.

The film is a semi-biographical account of comedian Kumail Nanjiani’s romance with his wife Emily V. Gordon (both of whom share writing credits).

"Many are lauding The Big Sick as the saviour of the genre."

Nanjiani plays himself, a struggling Pakistani-American comedian who falls in love with Emily a white girl. However the pressures put on Nanjiani by his disapproving parents, hellbent on marrying him to a Pakistani girl, ruins their relationship. When Emily suddenly contracts a rare disease and falls into a coma, Najiani decides to help care for her and is forced to deal with Emily’s parents (played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano). A Rom-Com that is not only funny but also packs an emotional gut-punch is an endangered breed. Many are lauding The Big Sick as the saviour of the genre.

Wind River

The first film on the list is also the most recent and the first film directed by esteemed screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. Set on the Wind River Indian Reservation in the remote Wyoming tundra of America the film follows Jeremy Renner’s veteran tracker as he teams with a townie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) in order to investigate the murder of a young Native-American woman.

Described by Sheridan as the third in a loose trilogy, with his previous films Sicario and Hell or High Water, about the forgot-

Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig may have flown beneath the radar but the box office speaks for itself.

Set primarily in the US Southern states of West Virginia and North Carolina it follows the Logan brothers (played by Channing Tatum and Adam Driver) who team with an incarcerated explosive expert (Daniel Craig) in order to rob a NASCAR race on the busiest day of the season.

Soderbergh came out of retire-

3) Okja Netflix originals are all the rage these days and the streaming network made a splash this summer with the release of the American/ Korean co-produced Okja, the latest from director Bong Joon-ho.

The story revolves around the friendship between a young Korean girl called Mija and the titular creature, a genetically engineered super-pig created by the Mirando corporation. When the corporation reclaims Okja in order

A Ghost Story

to capitalise on her abilities to benefit the meat industry, Mija teams with a group of animal rights activists to rescue her.

Boasting Bong Joon-ho's trademark blend of wackyness and soul-crushing realism, and an all star cast that includes Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, and Byun Hee-bong, Okja is the first in a new wave of Netflix original movies from a-listed directors with films from Duncan Jones and Martin Scorcesse to follow.

4) Shin Godzilla Amazingly the 31st film in the Godzilla franchise turned out to be something completely original. Original-Godzilla-studio Toho takes the reigns for the first time since 2004 in this franchise reboot that is light on the monster mayhem but heavy on the political satire. A radioactive monster emerges from Tokyo Bay and wreaks havoc on the city, to the chagrin of the Japanese Government, whilst Cabinet Secretary Rando Yaguchi (Hiroki Hasegawa) puts together a special task force to discover a way of stopping the monster.

"...light on the monster mayhem but heavy on the political satire."

Taking its cue from the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, directors Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi have recast the monster as a new breed of natural calamity. With a thick vein of black humour running deep through the film it plays out as a sort-of Japanese The Thick of It as politicians scramble to save face and pass the buck as the monster demolishes the city. It may have some ropey CGI but it’s unlike any other monster-movie to date, and as such is well worth a watch.

5) A Ghost Story Okja

In potentially the oddest film on this list, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, and directed

by David Lowery (who last directed Disney’s Pete Dragon

which probably was on last year’s list), a recently deceased ghost (Casey Affleck) returns to his suburban home to try to reconnect with his bereft wife (Roony Mara).

As a ghost, Affleck spends the majority of the film under a white sheet with a pair of black holes for eyes, in what is either a strikingly understated and minimalist representation of the afterlife or the world’s most bankrupt costumedepartment. Joking aside, this elegiac and melancholic film has been lauded for its exploration of loss and love as we follow Affleck weirdly shuffling around his house, unable to let go. Like The Sixth Sense, but hopefully with more consistent narrative logic.

6) The Beguiled Sofia Coppala’s latest film is a drama set in an all girl’s school in 1864 during the US Civil War. The school’s tranquil isolation is shattered when the students find a wounded Union Corporal, played

by Colin Farrell, and decide to nurse him back to health. A battle of wills soon develops between Firth’s injured soldier and the school’s headmistress, as the residents vie for the attention of their manipulative male guest.

"Soderbergh came out of retirement to direct this breezy script from newcomer Rebecca Blunt." ment to direct this breezy script from newcomer Rebecca Blunt.

Effortlessly enjoyable and boasting comedy both slapstick and subtle, its cast is pitch-perfect with specific kudos going to Adam Driver and Daniel Craig who run away with the film every-time they’re on screen. A good time, to put it succinctly.

8) It Comes at Night A polarising horror film is a not necessarily an oddity - either the film’s scary or it’s not. It Comes At Night is unique though in that it divided critics and cinemagoers, with critics hailing it whilst genre fans were left deeply disappointed. Blending classic horror with phycological suspense and a postapocalyptic aesthetic, the film follows a family of three, led by patriarch Joel Edgerton, who have

The Beguiled It Comes at Night

Featuring an all star cast including Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, and Nicole Kidman as the school’s headmistress, the film is a fascinating look at the ways male sexuality can threaten female camaraderie and is being touted as potential awards contender for its performances.

7) Logan Lucky It seems strange to suggest that a Steven Soderbergh film starring

secluded themselves deep in the woods after a mysterious contagion has ravaged the world. When a new family of three joins them, camaraderie soon turns to mistrust and paranoia.

Whilst failing to deliver on the terror promised by the trailers, critics have praised its form, engaging drama, pacing, and cinematography. If you are looking for something a bit different from horror movies, this could be for you.

FEATURES

Friday 6th October 2017

www.redbrick.me

15

Presenting our...

Soundtrack to the Summer Singles Music Editor

Mura Masa 'Messy Love' One thing that seems to be trending in pop music right now is a new incarnation of the DIY ethos, encompassed in a swathe of young bedroom producers writing and recording chart music on their laptops. Leading the pack is Mura Masa, the solo project of 21 year old Guernsey native and multi-instrumentalist Alex Crossan. Although first catching the public’s attention last year with viral single ‘Love$ick’, this summer the Mura Masa hype became a phenomenon, following the release of his debut record and a number of infectious singles. The best of all these was ‘Messy Love’, a bouncing floorfiller packed full of glassy marimbas and a ricocheting beat plucked from the upper echelons

Sierra Fransen Music Writer

Barns Courtney 'Golden Dandilions' Eleven hour shifts at work over summer got me a little down, so I'm forever indebted to "Golden Dandelions" by Barns Courtney for pulling me through three months of summer job fun. The song is a charged summer anthem with a sense of immediacy that not only got me through work but also played as a backing track on some of my favourite nights out. The fast drumbeats and sensuous lyrics encompassed the speed and general feel for the summer heat, as if it were written to be played at full volume in fast cars. An acoustic version was also released later in the summer that has a far more relaxed tone i found myself starting my mornings with and that often slipped into my rainy day playlists.

Matt Bates Music Writer

Haim Something to Tell You With summerfuelled ass kicking pouring from every corner of Haim's disc o g r a p h y, their 2017 addition did not disappoint.

Given, there was pressure from critics, fans and – most likely – the trio themselves, for this latest album to build on the band’s acclaimed 2013 debut – yet their radio play over the last few months would suggest that, commercially at least, Haim didn't miss the mark, with the sisters taking their rightful place at the fore of our summer soundtrack.

Albeit having dropped the Michael Jackson-esque guitar play, Something to Tell You feels like the work of a band who knew that, having already forged a reputation which resembles that of future legend, they had a rare opportunity, in a world of single streams and viral comeback videos, to demonstrate complete ownership of their

Ones to Watch Music Writer

Dua Lipa A singer, a songwriter and a model, twenty-two year old Dua Lipa is the name on everybody’s lips. Her smash hit single ‘New Rules’ was the anthem of the summer, allowing her to become was the first female solo singer to obtain a UK no.1 single since Adele’s ‘Hello’ – in short, she’s big news. Hailed the new princess of pop, her throaty vocals making any song she produces distinctive, her recently released self-titled album brims with confidence and lyrics that are able to evoke emotion in a fresh way.

She has the confidence of someone much older than twenty-two, but as she started her career on YouTube at the age of just sixteen she already has a few

years of experience under her belt. Along with all the praise for her album, she has recently opened for Coldplay and Bruno Mars, as well as headlining several of her own sellout tours. ‘New Rules’ is the anthem everyone had been waiting for – I mean, even my mother personally called me to tell me how much she liked it. It also probably helps that Dua Lipa has cutting edge style, model looks and over three million Instagram followers. She’s undoubtedly one to watch, and I for one am excited to see what is in store for her.

Kieran Read Music Writer

And Yet It Moves It started with The Amazing Snakeheads, a Glaswegian trio notorious for their addictive slowburn rock n’ roll and punkish live performances, that disbanded last year in mysterious circumstances.

From their ashes rose And Yet It Moves, a heftier, heavier and angrier unit of musicians with ambitions greater than their predecessors. Whilst the Snakeheads perfected the art of creeping dread,

their new incarnation promises something of much greater volatility.

Following a handful of singles, the group dropped their debut album Free Pass to the Future this summer: an unhinged, freewheeling cacophony of ideas that’s as ambitious as it is untidy.

Wrenching open and melding as many styles as they possibly can, And Yet It Moves takes an impressive array of genres (punk, metal, dance, indie) and rapidly filters them into a noisy and uncompromising experience that’s thrilling to the end. It’s all (perhaps knowingly) slightly insane and sometimes ridiculous, though it all shows a great potential for what’s next to come.

The true brute force of the band is, of course, best experienced live. Led by the often intense, often intoxicated and almost always shirtless Dale Barclay, And Yet It Moves’ stage presence is unmatched: mesmerising, brutal and a spectacle of performance. Having watched them (and been blown away by them) twice, I couldn’t recommend seeing the group enough.

Though it’s unknown where they decide to take their sound next, their evolution is bound to be nothing less than exciting, unique and certainly worth keeping track of.

Getty Images

Sorcha Hornett

craft.

While their sophomore didn't have the same euphoric thrill of Days Are Gone, it was piled meticulously well to tide you right through summer, even after the initial July heat had cooled down.

Holly Carter Deputy Editor

Lorde Melodrama

When I think back on summer 2017, if I’m not thinking of festivals or holidays, I’m thinking about Lorde’s Melodrama.

The 11-song soundtrack to the confusion of early adult life was perfect to many of us

straddling university years throughout the summer months, and every song on the album seemed to hit somewhere new. The party haze of ‘Sober’ and drunken thrill of ‘Homemade Dynamite’ contrast perfectly to tender breakup track ‘Hard Feelings’ and the heartbreaking loneliness of ‘Liability’.

It captures that early-20s zeitgeist perfectly: from new love to lost love; celebrating friends that are your true family whilst crying over insatiable feelings of inadequacy, Lorde sang all of summer’s emotions back to me in raspy vocals and contagious rhythms. Having listened to Melodrama’s 41 minutes on an almost constant loop since it came out in mid-June, my favourite track is constantly changing, but this really is a true attestation to the genius of Lorde’s second offering.

Though this album will no doubt be in my ears throughout winter and beyond, it was summer that was truly saturated with ‘Green Light’ and ‘The Louvre’, with ‘Supercut’ and ‘Perfect Places’. Nice one Ella, summer 2017 was yours.

Getty Images

Thom Dent

Albums of disco heaven. Sure, it does sound like it’s destined to appear in the soundtrack to an H&M advert, but I can’t think of any song more likely to make me want to buy a knockoff Ramones tee than this.

Artist of the Summer: The xx Caitlin Nash Music Writer

The xx returned this year with their third album ‘I See You’, an album nearly five years in the making, encompassing a yearlong hiatus for Jamie Smith (Jamie XX) to work on his successful solo career. It became quite evident that the band had changed, they had stepped out of their own shadow and produced an album that almost doesn’t sound like it’s theirs.

Undeniably Jamie’s solo success has a huge effect on this project – the trademark breathy vocals and echoing guitar chords are layered onto livelier beats than ever, making this album more festival-ready than any previous. Once a band who struggled to make eye contact with their audiences and let the stage absorb them, The xx are now a confident trio who know exactly what they are doing.

Their summer success was preempted by the spectacular ‘I See You’ tour, all their stages framed with revolving, floor-to-

ceiling mirrors that reflected the trippy lightshow of lasers and rainbow infusions. Commanding spots on both Glastonbury’s famous Pyramid Stage and the main stage of Bestival (as headliners), they proved themselves as a band who are able to deliver on expectation. Their sets coasted through songs off all three albums, as well as crowdpleasing Jamie XX tracks like ‘Loud Places’. The resulting, overwhelming adoration from audiences showed how the trio had them, and us, in the palm of their hand.

16

FEATURES

Friday 6th October 2017

www.redbrick.me

A Fresh Perspective After all the hype, Freshers' Week is now safely behind us. Now that the novelty has worn off, first-year Redbrick Contributors discuss their differing experiences of the first week of university Josie Hart

Lily Haugh & Emily Chapman

Redbrick Contributor @myfashionmoJO

Redbrick Contributors

You have probably heard about the price of the Freshers’ tickets, the confusion over what tickets to buy and about Freshers’ events being cancelled due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’, but surely this chaos and immense decline in our student bank accounts is all part of the student experience?

"Freshers' Week was everything I had hoped it would be" The Guild of Students organised a range of events from informative Society and Jobs Fairs to brilliant, yet admittedly blurry, nights out; all of which allowed new students to meet plenty of fresh faces and feel welcomed into university life.

Highlights included the ‘Freshers Fling’ which saw students gather-

Sophia Baker

Redbrick Contributor @sophdbaker

When I spoke to my mum on the phone at the end of Fresher’s Week and she told me that ‘it is perfectly natural to feel homesick’, I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I wasn’t missing home at all. Admittedly, the stories I had heard and the expectations I had about Fresher’s Week terrified me. The idea of drinking and clubbing with a group of people that I had never met before was my worst nightmare, and I was convinced that I wouldn’t have the stamina to keep up with everyone else. The day I moved in, everything seemed to be going wrong. The bathroom pipes were leaking, cupboards were broken, and at one point the hot water was even running a suspicious browncolour. Also, most of the girls in my flat were doing science degrees and I was worried that I wouldn’t have anything in common with them. I just wanted to turn around and drive back home. Thankfully,

Emma Curzon Redbrick Contributor @EmmaMCurzon

Regarding Fresher’s Week, we usually think of clubbing, drinking more than the Lannisters throughout all 7 GOT seasons, and a billion times more events than your brain has time for. Sohere is the experience of someone who enjoys none of those things.

Yay! The week was certainly fullon: leaflets, stalls with even more leaflets, events and more events.

Fine if you have endless energy and thrive on chaos. However,

ing around The Vale in the rare September sunshine enjoying free(!) food, drinks and inflatable games with newfound friends.

The Freshers’ Ball was another highlight, offering unlimited trips to a chocolate fountain and headliner, Fuse ODG. Personally, Freshers’ week was everything I had hoped it would be. I have made friends I hope to keep throughout my time at university (as well as my fair share of Facebook friends that I could not tell you where I met now). I have explored what there is to be involved with at the University of Birmingham. I have had some memorable nights I

cannot remember too well, and I have come out of the other side completely exhausted and coughing my way through my first lectures. The true Freshers experience.

Like most things in life, what you put into Freshers’ Week is what you will get out of it. Making the most of what the Freshers’ Week at the University of Birmingham had to offer, without worrying too much about this long queue or getting my money’s worth for this or that, means that I feel that I have kicked off my university experience with a 'Bang!'

things started looking up pretty quickly.

No-one in my flat seems to have a desire to go out clubbing or drinking every night, in fact we skipped most of the events as they didn’t appear worth the hype and, from what we were told afterwards, they weren’t. Everyone in my flat seem to have connected really well. There are thirteen of us – the kitchen is an absolute tip – and we have spent our nights curled up around the kitchen table with a few bottles of wine, singing Disney songs at the top of our lungs, sharing embarrassing stories, and playing Cards Against Humanity. This definitely seemed to be the best way to break the ice and get over any potential awkwardness. The funniest moment was when we had to explain to one of our international students, who was from China, what a transvestite was. He seems absolutely bewildered by our sense of humour and his friends from China didn’t actually believe him when he tried to explain our various antics such as blowing up condoms and drawing faces on

them, or making each other do shots of oriental sauce (the disgusting ones that came in our welcome pack) if they break our ridiculous flat rules. He had to send them photographic evidence.

coming home physically drained, with a bag full of flyers and staying up past midnight the next morning is so exhausting it feels impossible when I stop and think about it. Also, I have discovered for myself (via two ‘parties’) that the music is so loud it is slightly painful and it gets so crowded you are crushed between several (sweaty) backs and God help your toes if you are naïve enough to wear sandals. Essentially, I spent £30 to work out that clubbing is not really my thing.

Still, even us socially awkward types cannot not be excited about starting uni. The campus is

as good as I remembered from the open days, full of cool places to discover (I will avoid bookwormish gushing, but seriously, the library is awesome) and everybody, from Society Reps to canteen staff, was really friendly and helpful. The view from my flat is also amazing.

I met my poetry seminar tutor and several future coursemates too, all of whom are great. All in all, now that things have calmed down a bit, I am really glad I chose both university in general and the University of Birmingham in particular. I am already referring to it as ‘home’, after all.

Under 12 hours after arrival, suitcases half unpacked, you are already upending shots, cheered on by your new flatmates. At 4 am, you collapse into bed for the first time, only to crawl back out at 11 am. The kitchen is an apocalyptic mess of empty bottles. One thing you do know however, is that it was wild, and it will be the same the next night, on and on until the Freshers’ Flu has consumed you.

Although this stereotype may be a reality for some, many of us are lost under the excessive club promotions and become onlookers to the ‘real Freshers’ experience.’ Left to fend for ourselves, it seems we are forgotten as we peer, in vain, over hundreds of empty vodka bottles, trying to catch a glimpse of the ‘glamorous’ lives of the party animals in the flat next door.

Before even receiving any course-related information, you are bombarded with incredibly pricey package ‘deals’ for nights out: and that’s leaving out the amount of alcohol you will need to buy to forget how much you spent on a night out that usually

costs a fiver. Our instinctive desire to not be left out results in many Freshers - who are not that bothered with these repetitive events – investing in such huge package deals and committing themselves to a week-long hangover and a seriously depleted bank account balance.

So, from the perspective of two chilled-out individuals, where are the live music nights? Where is the Freshers’ Ball (we mean an actual Ball, rather than a glorified club event)? Where are the opportunities to have a drink and socialise, without having to shout your name down a stranger’s ear?

In reality, we were fortunate in finding ourselves surrounded by like-minded flatmates, who were happy to order a takeaway and kick back with a film. But many are not so lucky, ending up in isolation or pretending to enjoy an event, that they do not so as not to spend all week as an outcast; 'the one who doesn’t really go out.'

This label, that we have heard so tossed about, equates with ‘boring’ in an age-group defined predominantly by a powerful party culture. But the intensive nocturnal lifestyle is not everyone’s preference, and many might struggle in adapting to survive a week of it.

"The kitchen is an absolute tip" I’m already sharing meals with one girl in my flat, it has only been two weeks and we are practically like an old married couple, cooking together and sharing a bottle of wine over dinner. She went away to visit her boyfriend at another university for one night this week and I missed her. We definitely want to live together next year.

By this point, two weeks in, I thought I would have a permanent hangover, feel awkward with my flatmates, and be completely broke. I suppose the secret is if you expect the worst, you will always be pleasantly surprised.

Although, I do have fresher’s flu.

Gabrielle TaylorDowson Redbrick Contributor

My expectations of freshers week were set before I even arrived: clubbing on Broad Street until the early hours, flat parties with crazy drinking games and inspiring conversation with like-minded people.

Whilst the likes of Instagram and Facebook can be a great way to document all the new memories you are making and to keep family informed, social media also adds unnecessary pressure to an already anxious time. Scrolling through my timeline, insecurity began to creep in as I subconsciously compared my freshers week to my friends and other people at the university. The snapchats of people doing shots and downing dirty pints and the notposed-but-definitely-posed group pictures of girls laughing made me think 'Should I be going out more?' 'Why haven't I made as many friends?' 'Am I doing fresh-

ers right?'

You could argue that this doubt stems from personal insecurity rather than the external pressures of social media, but studies have shown that 60% of people using social media reported that it has impacted their self-esteem in a negative way. When you look through social media you are seeing a highlight reel of people's lives, and inevitably compare it to your own. It is hard to separate reality and the fantasy that social media creates.

Now, after making it through

"Should I be going out more?"

Freshers' week, my advise would be to try and put down your phone and try to remember that if you are feeling lonely, anxious or nervous, the people behind the smiling pictures and funny snapchats are having moments when they feel exactly the same.

FEATURES

Friday 6th Octoer 2017

www.redbrick.me

Ida Eldmal Thagesen

Redbrick Contributor

I thought I would blend in here at the University of Birmimgham. I am a Danish exchange student and Denmark and England are, after all, both similar Western countries. But I was surprised by a few cultural differences that I did not expect.

If you guys had been able to hear my thoughts during the first week, this is mainly what you would have heard: 'Wow, everything here is different, even your plugs.' 'Sh*te, I do not understand where the cars are coming from, do I even dare crossing this road?'

'Wow, there is food everywhere, It’s delicious! I wonder where I can find something healthy?

Nevermind, I will order fish n’ chips again.' 'Why does this lady not understand me? Oh, it’s just my pronunciation.' 'Wow, you guys are so polite, so, so friendly and so, so, so helpful.' 'I love it here!'

After thinking all this, I am curious, and I have a couple of questions for you.

Firstly, Do you ever say 'yes' or 'no'? Back home, I was taught to say 'yes' when agreeing to something in English. But it seems like you guys never do that.

Although it also seems like to use the phrase 'yeah yeah yeah' literally all the time in a million different ways! Also, you guys are so friendly and polite that I do not

really understand when you mean 'no' because you never come out and say it. Instead, you guys say: 'Well, might be', 'Maybe', 'If you fancy it' or even 'yeah yeah yeah' when you actually mean 'no'. How do I tell when you mean it and when you are just being polite?

Next, do you ever freeze?

What took me most buy surprise is how obvious it probably is that I am not an English girl when I enter a club. How do you actually survive with crop tops and miniskirts in this weather? I am actually wearing more clothes than make up. And don’t get me wrong, you guys look fantastic, but I’m literally wearing a scarf and gloves. It is incredibly impressive.

Finally, do you realize how annoying your plugs are? It seems like everything here is done differently than in the rest of Europe.

First of all, your cars drive in the wrong side of the road (and I mean this objectively, because literally everyone else in Europe does it the opposite way). And whats up with the plugs?

England is special and in a truly likeable way. The fact that I was taken by surprise is nothing but positively meant. I already love Birmingham and the people I have met at the university. But guys, it is not weird plugs that makes you special, that is just irritating. And it is not the driving either, that is just dangerous. It is the fact that you are so nice that I cannot figure out whether you mean it when you say 'yeah' and the fact that you seem to be able to enjoy life to its fullest in pubs wearing crop-tops. This makes me look forward so much to my exchange here at UoB - but I will probably keep my sweater on.

Over the last 82 years of our existence, Redbrick has covered some rather remarkable stories. Almost every big event on campus, in Selly Oak and in the city centre, as well as national and international news, has been given the Redbrick treatment.

Throughout this time, we’ve always focused not only on delivering the news to Brum’s students, but to represent their voice on campus and in the wider world. We thought the best way to celebrate this would be to look back on some of our older

stories to get a picture of what the university was like when the Redbrick was produced on typewriters, not Adobe InDesign.

Redbrick’s roots lie in Guild News, the paper created by students in 1936. A lot’s changed since then – most noticeably the name, with Redbrick replacing the Guild News masthead in 1962. We’ve also flirted with various print dimensions, going from full broadsheet in the 1950s to a thenmodern A4 magazine style during the 1970s before settling on our current tabloid size about 20 years ago.

At times in the past, Redbrick charged for our quality journalism – with prices ranging wildly from 1p to 4p in 1976.

Today, that would translate to the now princely sum of about 20p! We've sine slashed the price by 100%, but donations of equivalent value in the form of cake/biscuits/coffee are now welcomed in the Redbrick office, Guild of Students basement.

Redbrick entered the digital age at the start of the 21st century. Though we are (obviously) firm believers in the power of print media, our website continues to grow.

In 2011, our online coverage of the Birmingham riots was praised by national media whilst our overall website won its category at the Guardian Student Media Awards. Find it at www.redbrick.me and you’ll see all of our articles featured in the paper as well as a huge selection of other content.

We look forward to bringing you chapters of our history over the coming months.

Remember, it is never too late to get involved with Redbrick. Who knows – in 50 years’ time it might be your article featuring in a future Redbrick Revisited.

Getty Images

Redbrick Editor-in-Chief @williambaxter2

Redbrick Contributor

Picture the scene: results day feelings have just warn off and young people are quickly realising the reality of their situation.

Uni is no longer a future event that can be brushed away, but a reality. From trying to find cutlery in IKEA, to realising you won’t see your friends in ages, anything can set you off. But what is it that makes young people so stressed?

I know I wasn’t alone in my answer: Freshers Week, the seven day period which has come to define what it means to go to uni.

For over a year you’ve heard that “freshers week will be the best week of your university life”.

I longed to hear. But instead I was faced with a whole hoard of “have you got the tickets?”. What tickets? I’ve only just got here! In the first week I hardly saw my flat mates. After blowing a whole £70 on a freshers ticket the idea of not going out every night just wasn’t an option for them, and I didn't have one. Freshers' is stressful enough, but had I imagined the logistical nightmare that I walked right into? No. Now, call me retro, but buying your ticket on the door is a system that works. Freshers doesn’t need to be a massively complex ordeal, its a chance to get to know people. My suggestion: keep it simple and the week will be a whole lot more enjoyable for everyone.

"Freshers' doesn't need to be a massivley complex ordeal" You’ve just arrived, you’re tired, and a little homesick. The confident ones are scrabbling around wildly making friends, and the shy ones just want to sit in their rooms watching Netflix but are forcing themselves to make small talk for fear of being alone.

“Any one want to go and grab a drink from the bar?”, “anyone up for a game of pool?”, “movie night?”. These were the questions

New: Redbrick Revisits William Baxter

Florence Jones

17

Dan Wootton

BurnFM Head of Station @WoottonDaniel

As Burn FM gets started for a new academic year the cycle of show applications gets underway, and we hope to start broadcasting a brand new schedule of shows on Monday the 9th of October, but over summer we’ve already had plenty to keep ourselves busy. Our ValeFest 2017 coverage was the broadest Burn has ever done – the bedraggled post-Carnival committee turned up in full to report on all aspects of the festival, from the crowd to bands to the charities the festival support; this year BasicNeeds and RSVP. This was the first year we’ve done ‘Burn Corner’ – a shameless rip off of BBC Glasto coverage, but we thought it would be a good way to get interviews in a styled,

formatted way – the video of which is on our Youtube channel, along with our acoustic Canal Sessions with ValeFest performers. Our three-hour General Election 2017 show in early July was a great success for the Burn News Team. Catherine Pullinger hosted representatives of each party for (remarkably) friendly debate, followed by headline news from the election and satire from Burn members, the full recording of which is available on the Burn FM Mixcloud.

I am also delighted to report a glorious victory for the Burn FM Mixed XI in our charity ‘Dungeons Derby’ football match against Redbrick. 5-1 was the score, but more importantly between both teams we raised £72.96 for the Manchester Bombing Victims.

It’s been a busy but enjoyable summer for Burn FM, and we’re looking forward to a new semester of exciting shows!

18

CULTURE

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickculture

Interview: Aaron Wright Culture Editor Olivia Boyce interviews Aaron Wright, Artistic Director of Fierce Festival, taking place in Birmingham October 16th-22nd Hi, Aaron. I wondered if you’d like to introduce yourself and the festival in your own words?

Fierce is a festival of international performance, and it has been going since 1997. It was founded

by Mark Ball, who then went on to run the London International Festival of Theatre, and now is working on the new Factory arts centre in Manchester. Originally, Fierce was called Queerfest, and had a focus on queer art and culture, but it changed the name to Fierce after a couple of years – I think that we realised that we were actually interested in a wider, more intersectional politic, and so the change reflected that. We’re not an LGBT+ festival in that sense, but the festival is informed by a queer politic.

The festival itself features a really broad range of performance work, from experimental theatre and dance to performance art, installation, public engagement projects, and also things like club nights and parties. There’s a real interest in Fierce about blurring and f*cking with our understandings of lowbrow and highbrow culture and what that means, and in making experimental practices and work that might be considered challenging more accessible and approachable.

With it being such a large programme of event, can you give us a taster of what sort of thing those attending can expect?

One of the big events is our Grand Opening on Wednesday 18th October, of our festival hub space. We have this massive cavernous warehouse space in Digbeth that we are taking over for the week of the festival and doing loads of events down there.

That opening night is essentially a sort of party, but people can come down, it’s totally free, and from six till ten we are going to have different performances all over the building. We have a piece called Duchesses where two dancers, Francois Chaignaud and Marie-Caroline Hominal, hulahoop naked until they are completely exhausted and can’t hula hoop anymore. We have a piece by a Swedish duo called Quarto, who always carry this mile-long piece of rope around with them, and over the course of two hours they manipulate and make this rope come to life, and them doing this in this big warehouse space makes it just so incredible and beautiful to watch. There are also lighter performances: we have the band Splash Addict playing, which is artist Suzi Green, who has an exhibition on at Grand Union gallery currently, and then the night will be topped off by the feminist riot grrl punk cabaret band Double Pussy Clit F*ck, who do sort of really outrageous and mad performance.

That’s one of the big highlights, but then over the weekend we’ve got another huge party on the Saturday night headlined by Parisienne DJ Kiddy Smile, and a

rapper from Serbia, a brilliant female rapper called Gnucci, and then there’s loads of just amazing stage shows happening in the usual venues, the REP, the mac, DanceXchange, some really brilliant work, some really clubby dance shows, with sort of techo soundtracks. A brilliant dancer, Lucy Suggate, dancing to the music of James Holden, a technoproducer, and Michele Rizzo has made a brilliant piece we’ve got at 10pm on the Saturday night, called Higher, which he sort of studied people dancing in clubs, developed a choreography from that research, and that’s soundtracked by Lorenzo Senni, who is a warp records artist. So, there’s lots of stuff for young audiences who might like clubbing, and it’s about trying, perhaps, to make the arts more accessible and reach wider audiences than perhaps people who wouldn’t necessarily be interested in going to see, say, an Oscar Wilde play at the REP. With UoB having a thriving student performance scene as well as many students interested in the creative side, have you got any advice for young people looking at, not only going into the performance side, but also perhaps the directing, organisational positions, or looking to get involved with something like Fierce further down the line?

I think really doing your research, getting out there and seeing as much stuff as possible, and really know who is doing what, going to different venues and seeing what they do, and taking a risk on seeing different things. It’s also about finding your own voice, because it is a difficult industry and your heart has got to be in it, but finding that unique voice and working out what makes you different to others, what you can bring to the table that perhaps other people can’t, is really important. Persistence too, that it won’t happen immediately, it will probably take a number of years to happen, so to not give up at the first hurdle, and to be aware that, if people are trying to make it artistically as directors and things like that, that it can take years to really develop and hone a voice, that unique artistic voice.

Sometimes, people can be scared to just go for it, and sometimes people can be successful because they’ve just bothered to go for it whilst others might have been too scared to. There’s lots of factors why you might not do something you want to do, whether it’s putting on a production, or trying to open a venue, or throw a club party or something like that, but actually, if you can take that first step and commit to doing something, that’s absolutely the hardest step, and beyond that you can work to make it happen.

To read the whole interview, delving more into local arts, the festival, and much more, go online at www.redbrick.me/culture

Review: Coriolanus at the RSC Jennifer Bentley

Helen Maybanks (c) RSC

Culture Critic

Shakespeare’s brilliant tragedy brings the RSC’s Rome season to a dramatic end. We’ve seen a connected series of his tragi-histories, taking us through a journey of 'love, defiance, betrayal, duty and sacrifice’. Comprised of Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Titus Andronicus and finally, Coriolanus, the four plays have been given the freedom to play with setting, costume, and stage; their creative teams given the chance to explore Shakespeare’s plays in modern and alternative ways. Angus Jackson’s Coriolanus in particular, took the risk of communicating a modern setting through its props, stage setup, costume and comedy, appealing to its contemporary audience. A risk that definitely paid off.

"Shakespeare's brilliant tragedy brings the RSC's Rome season to a dramatic end " We meet our hero, Caius Martius (later, Coriolanus, played

by Sope Dirisu) during the rebellion of the plebians, who believe that the rich are hoarding grain for themselves during the famine they’re experiencing. When Caius appears dressed to the nines, we understand perfectly his contempt for the common people. Yet, a few scenes later, we are treated to a valiant soldier, a brave man who throws himself at the enemy and proves himself a worthy protector of Rome. When his peers push him to take the post of Consult, he reluctantly agrees to place himself among those he despises, the commoners, and gain their voices for the prestigious honour. Upon achieving this, the people’s tribunes, being certain of his true nature and disrespect for them, rally the crowds against the now named Coriolanus which leads to his exile from Rome and his vow of revenge on the side of the ones he previously defeated, the Volscians, reconciling with their leader, his sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius.

Coriolanus is a play which explores the boundaries of the tragedy: there are no soliloquys, explanations or major subplots.

Instead, there is a huge emphasis on rhetoric, displayed through the speeches of its main character.

The part of Coriolanus was played exceptionally by Sope Dirisu, who skilfully guides the audience’s emotions throughout.

When he wanted us to laugh, he did so without fail, when he wanted us to feel anger, we were ready to stand by his side and in times of confusion, we felt his despair. We were essentially in his hands, and Sope had no problem in absolutely dominating the stage. My eyes were fixed to him whenever he entered the stage. 'A fearless soldier but a reluctant leader', Sope portrays his character as a misunderstood hero with the inability to

express himself in a way which pleases the people.

"Probably not a play for the fainthearted " Coriolanus’ path, in this depiction by Jackson, is placed almost entirely in the hands of women. His mother, who was so influential in his youth as to encourage him in participating in war and gaining honour at any price, ultimately causes his death by using her relationship with him to beg for Rome’s mercy. The part of his mother, Volumnia, played

by Haydn Gwynne, was acted masterfully. The scene in which she is reduced to her knees before him, dressed in dirty ragged clothing, contrast to her expensive whites in the first act, is particularly striking and the relationship created between Dirisu and Gwynne is one of pain and tenderness, and is beautifully portrayed.

He is at her mercy, alone.

Similarly, Coriolanus’ downfall is brought about by the power women, Sicinius and Junius, Jackie Morrison and Martine Laird, who also dominate the stage. Well-cast, and skilled in their roles, the two people’s tribunes manipulate their crowds and although they’re our antagonists,

they were well-loved by those in the audience.

There were scenes placed throughout this play that I will never forget: an explosive rebellion bursting onto stage, Coriolanus drenched in blood, a mother and wife on their knees and death by chain. I didn’t realise I was so invested in the characters until my heart was broken at the end. It’s amazing how actors can rein in your affections without you even suspecting. The RSC never fails to astound me in their ability to take a tragedy and make it enjoyable in times of tension and painful when it counts.

"Explores the boundaries of tragedy " This is probably not a play for the faint-hearted but that’s what made for such an exciting and tense atmosphere. I would thoroughly recommend this play, especially to those who want to challenge everything they thought they knew about the Shakespearean tragedy.

Coriolanus runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford -Upon-Avon, until October 14th inclusive, and the Barbican Theatre, London, 6-18th November.

CULTURE

Friday 6th October 2017

19

@redbrickculture

Review: Dido, Queen of Carthage at the RSC Culture Critic Felicity Hemming reviews an enjoyable new RSC production of Marlowe's classic play about passion and identity Felicity Hemming Culture Critic

The stage is set. Entering the smaller, more intimate Swan Theatre inside the RSC, the exotic atmosphere of a Tunisian island envelopes you. The stage floor is a carpet of dark sand and the dim, orangey lights cast beams about the wooden room. Through the swirling smoke, which creates a hot and steamy feel, we can see the impressive Carthage walls, engraved with simple but large ancient script and symbol. The eerie mix of discordant melodies of the musicians warming up and the presence of the actors, in modern dress and in character about the stalls and the edges of the stage, immediately cast a hush amongst the audience members taking their seats.

"Chipo Chung gives a brilliant performance of this feisty African queen " The play opens with the gods.

Jupiter (Nicholas Day) is interrupted by his daughter Venus (Ellie Beaven), whilst trying to win back his complaining lover.

The goddess is distressed and angry at Jupiter for standing by whilst her son, Aeneas, is caught in a terrible storm at sea as he flees from the destruction of Troy.

Throughout the opening scenes, music is used to show power, as it is manipulated by a wave of the hand of each of the gods. This is later abandoned as the plot leaves the gods, and focalises on the action in Carthage, leaving only Cupid and Hermes, and occasionally Venus herself, to represent their influence on the destinies of the mortals. This occurs almost as if the playwrights have forgotten

they introduced Juno, Jupiter and Ganymede in the first place. The way the music was chopped and changed introduced this idea of control and influence over the mortal world but was also used quite well for comedic effect. This was particularly successful with Cupid, played by Ben Goffe, who was the comic relief throughout the production, drawing laughs from the audience as he undermined Jupiter’s power and was later sent disguised as Aeneas’ son to carry out Venus’ plans, which she plots when Jupiter is too wound up in his own affairs to help her.

In a dramatic scene in which Venus directs the winds to wash her son up safely on the shores of Carthage, we realise that the original setup was only the tip of the iceberg of Ti Green’s design vision. The heavens literally open and a complete wall is created between the sandy ground stage and the main stage behind it, as water showers down from the ceiling. This impressive effect married with the flashing stage lighting and intense music creates this very real surrounding result as the surviving Trojans roll through the curtain of water onto to stage and into Carthage.

Unfortunately for Aeneas, his mother’s interference does not stop there. Aeneas and his Trojans are welcomed by the Queen who takes them in and agrees to help repair their ships, as she listens to Aeneas’ tale of woe. Venus is still unsatisfied and sends Cupid to inject Dido with Venus’ blood, Sykes’ chosen representation of Cupid’s arrow, causing her to fall deeply in love with Aeneas thus providing him with everything he could possibly need. Caught in a storm created by Juno and Venus’ powers combined during a hunting trip, Dido and Aeneas meet in a cave where, to the sound of thunder and rain, confess their love in some of the more beautiful speeches of the play.

It doesn’t quite compare to the declarations of Anthony and

Cleopatra in terms of prose, yet I would argue that the characterisation of the two lovers, both created by the script and performed by the actors deserves recognition.

After all, Aeneas is a humble yet strong leader who is torn between where he should set up his new life, and which new identity he should claim. Sandy Grierson portrays this conflict between his heroic destiny and his longing for stability with the woman he loves really well. Although the costume design throughout is relatively simple, Aeneas’ robe, given to him by Dido upon his arrival, becomes a symbol of his indecision as he constantly takes it off and replaces it in a Hamlet-like manner each time he is torn between leaving to fulfil the destiny Jupiter has demanded of him, to travel to Italy, only to be swayed into staying with Dido and making Carthage the new Troy.

Topher McGrillis (c) RSC

"Entertaining, with exciting effects and impressive acting" As for Dido, although she may not have quite speeches to equal those of Cleopatra, Chipo Chung gives a brilliant performance of this feisty African queen. The intensity of her acting is particularly prominent in the final scene of the play; the epic deaths of Dido, Iarbas (Daniel York) and Anna, Dido’s sister (Amber James). They were melodramatic, yet simple in terms of props and effects, only accompanied by flashing lights and distressing music, which struck me as an odd contrast to the start of the play showcasing the power of the gods.

Perhaps this is intentional, making a point that though the gods' influence may continue to cast a shadow over the main characters despite their absence, the mortals’ only remaining freedom lies in Topher McGrillis (c) RSC

their own simple human actions.

This is ultimately, for Dido, her reason for suicide, a final act of independence.

"Director Kimberley Sykes’ colourful vision of this ancient legend... turned out to be oddly refreshing" I must admit that it did verge on creating a moment of ridiculousness and awkwardness, yet in the absence of real fire, knives and oil, fancy props or special effects, the scene was saved by the acting as they managed to create just enough intensity and invoke just enough horror as with Anna’s convulsive choking and Dido’s pain filled wailing, to maintain, not so much the sense of belief, as the audience’s emotional investment in Marlowe’s plot and characters. Dido’s death at her own hands in the flames created to burn her lover’s possessions which he left behind in his abandonment of her, was an epic physical portrayal of her inner anger and pain caused by Aeneas’ departure. Perhaps it is not the director’s choice or acting that renders the death scene a little excessive and melodramatic but it

is possible that the fault lies with the writing - Marlowe and Nash’s plot provides little explanation for the necessity of these suicides and doesn’t build up enough emotional intensity and therefore they seem futile and avoidable.

I’m not a Shakespeare snob, but there is a reason that his work is so well known and loved throughout the world. So going into the Swan Theatre to see an RSC performance written by his contemporaries, Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nash, I harboured some preconceived assumptions. Although, for me, the production possibly became more convoluted and confusing in regard to the numerous gods’ roles and inclusion in the play as it progressed, the overall performance was entertaining with exciting effects and impressive acting. It turned out to be oddly refreshing to watch an Elizabethan play without knowing its whole plot or even reputation. Dido, Queen of Carthage is not a play often performed or particularly renowned, despite being based on the betterknown legend depicted in Virgil’s Aeneid; even T.S.Eliot’s opinion that Marlowe’s first play was ‘underrated’ had little effect in promoting it amongst its stronger competition. However, after witnessing director Kimberley Sykes’ colourful vision of this ancient legend, I would be likely to agree with him.

Dido, Queen of Carthage runs at the Swan Theatre, until October 28th inclusive.

20

FILM

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickfilm

Review: mother!

Critic Luis Freijo spends a long weekend with Jennifer Lawrence and some uninvited guests Luis Freijo Film Critic

Thank God that there are some creators like Darren Aronofsky left. In the current film outlook, where endless franchises, Marvel adaptations or unnecesary remakes get publicity and viewers, the burst in of mother!, with all its defects and imperfections, is a much needed breath of fresh air.

I would say that it is mandatory to watch mother! knowing nothing about the plot but in truth, there is no plot at all.

Aronofsky's film is not a normal story. It's pure symbolism, raw metaphor, a dream-like fable that, rather than accurately portray psychological characters, aims to reach universal truth. An ambitious goal, you might think.

But ambition is exactly what´s missing from our screens these days.

The main subject of this savage and uncomfortable crescendo is the fragility of love ties. A perfect and hopeful relationship (represented in the movie by that ambiguous house), can burn to ashes in just a snap of the fingers, especially when one of the members of the couple is

immersed in his own ego and endlessly experiments in love destruction. Imposibility of healthy boundaries? Yes, and in an apocalyptic way.

"Everyday nature can be broken in an instant, even in the happiest moments" Perhaps that's the main defect of the film: it's over the top.

Watching mother! is an exhausting experience. Aronofsky takes us to dantesque, macabre, bizarre and probably unjustified depths.

There's an argument to be made that he goes too deep, and the last third of the film is overdone to the extent that the final comprehension of the film's meaning suffers. Namely that everyday nature can be broken in an instant, even in the happiest moments. The battle, the strange cult and the obscene cannibalistic scene is just taking this idea way too far.

Granted, this is a minor criticism as Aronofsky redeems himself throughout the film by

offering a magnificent style excercise. In addition to powerful images (such as the house and it's surroundings, the crystal, the fire) and daring visual ideas (the blood spilling through the floor, the contrast between the celebration dinner and what happens afterwards), Aronofsky makes an aesthetic bet, and wins.

The camera stalks Jennifer Lawrence throughout, rooting us in her tortured perspective. The audience only sees what she sees, and the precise rendering of Aronofsky's angles mean we only see what he's prepared to show us.

"The camera stalks Lawrence throughout, rooting us in her tortured perspective" Once again, Lawrence proves her tremendous value as an actress. The movie is held on (and subject to) her sensitive, subtle and omnipresent perform-

ance. Some situations reach such a high degree of ridicule and uneasiness that it was very possible for an actor to overact.

Fortunately for mother! , she does not, and is perfect in every second. Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer might be nominated for Oscars in the supporting actor categories because they are excellent in the role of the disruptive couple. Javier Bardem also composes a very sinister character, one of his specialities, and could very well pronounce that verse that Shelley wrote:

"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!". And it seems that those could be Darren Aronofsky's words, too.

VERDICT: If it's just entertainment you're looking for, this is not your movie. However, it´s a personal and radical work, a must-see work for film lovers who will not be indifferent to it.

««««

Review: Borg vs McEnroe Redbrick Editor-in-Chief William Baxter finds out whether Shia Labeouf's latest film serves an ace or hits a double fault William Baxter Redbrick Editor

From the outset, I think it’s important to state that I know nothing about tennis. The sport, the players and its history are all mysteries to me. In short, I’m not a tennis fan. Borg vs.

McEnroe is a tennis film. It is made for tennis fans. Again, I am not one. I am also not a fan of Borg vs. McEnroe. That said, Borg vs. McEnroe is not a bad film. It has faults, but it is neither offensive nor horrifically boring. It has a cohesive plot.

The problem, sadly, is that it is

about as exciting as two-week old strawberries with off-cream.

Honestly, the subsequent crippling food poisoning would probably be more interesting.

"It has faults but is neither offensive nor horrifically boring" Plot-wise, the film is exactly what I expected, even with my as previously stated very low knowledge of tennis. All of the action is at the end, as four-time

Wimbledon champion Bjorn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) faces rival John McEnroe (Shia Labeouf) in the 1980 Mens’ Singles Final, widely described as one of the best matches in history. Before this final 20 minutes (which is mostly done well), each player is given a lengthy introduction as the action takes us from the early stages of the tournament to the final, via some clumsily inserted childhood sequences. These almost entirely focus on Borg rather than McEnroe (in Sweden the film title drops any reference to McEnroe, wisely noting the under representation of the American player ’s background).

In general, these are pretty awkward, and despite some hard work from Borg’s son Leo as the young star, I feel the film fails to benefit much from these sections.

Intended to d i s p l a y young Borg’s fiery temper (perhaps

made a little too similar to McEnroe’s famous on-court tantrums, but I stress again that I don't watch tennis), they instead cause a disconnect in Borg’s character arc. Put simply, the two strands belong in two different films.

Despite this, there are some really good elements to Borg vs.

McEnroe. Cinematography is mostly beautiful and original, with overhead shots during the match particular highlights.

LaBeouf excels as the volatile McEnroe, exposing genuine vulnerability in the character.

Stylistically, the film is dead-on, with costuming, scenery and general feel capturing the 1970s vibes nicely. At the very least, Borg vs. McEnroe is a visually pleasant film.

"Labeouf excels exposing genuine vulnerability" However, its shortcomings are probably more attentiongrabbing. I’ve already mentioned the lack of interest in McEnroe’s story; far more noticeable is the one-dimensional nature of every other supporting character in the film. Stellan Skarsgård, playing Borg’s coach, tries hard to inject life into a

thin character, and the film would benefit massively by extending his screen time and backstory.

The same can be said about Tuva Novotny’s role as Borg’s fiancé. Pacing is an issue throughout the film – at the start the actions jumps around haphazardly whilst lingering in all the wrong places, whereas the end of the film feels a little rushed – a pre-credits sequence detailing the next stages of both players’ lives doesn’t help.

Montage-style flashbacks during the final match reduce Borg vs. McEnroe to a level of parody, at best making it feel incredibly dated.

VERDICT: All of these problems create a difficult film. The stakes never feel particularly high, and if you know the result of the final before watching (I didn’t) I honestly can’t see how Borg vs. McEnroe would hold your interest. This’ll surely show up on Netflix in months, so unless you’re itching for a mediocre exploration of 1970s tennis, I can’t see a reason to head to the cinema.

««

FILM

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickfilm

Review: Kingsman: The Golden Circle Critic Samuel Houseman reports for Queen, Country and... Elton John?

21

Best and Worst of Summer 2017 John James & Emillie Gallagher Film Editors

Best 1. Baby Driver Strap in for a wild ride with Edgar Wright and co. in this turbo-charged musical caper. Ostensibly a hesit film, Baby Driver is more a rom-com with attitude eptomised by Jamie Foxx's (literally) insane Bats.

2. Dunkirk Who knew you could do anything more with WW2 films? Who knew Harry Styles could act? Who knew a film without characters could be so entertaining? Christopher Nolan defies convention in this WW2 epic.

3. War for the Planet of the Apes Samuel Houseman Film Critic

So far 2017 has been a good year for sequels. John Wick: Chapter 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, War for the Planet of the Apes and Annabelle: Creation are all either equal or better than what came before them. It is in this respect that Kingsman:The Golden Circle has a lot to live up to. The film sees the return of Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and tech-savvy Merlin (Mark Strong – a highlight of the film) who, after an attack on Kingsman, are forced to seek help from their American cousins, the Statesmen. Sent on an ultra-violent, ultra-smutty mission across the world, they must track down the head of an international drugs empire, Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore).

"In that respect Kingsman has a lot to live up to" The overwhelming success of the first movie has been translated into the sequel's considerable pulling power cast-wise, with Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum and Halle Berry all featuring as members of the Statesmen. However, their screen time is so minimal that it becomes infuriating when you realise these actors have pushed aside some of the young, break-

out stars of the first film, such as Sophie Cookson as Roxy, only for them to be so insignificant that their acting credentials go unseen throughout. The most glaring example of this waste is that Elton John gets more to do than Channing Tatum in an extended cameo that while highly amusing, quickly deteriorates and stands at odds with the film, pulling you out of its world.

As spoiled in the trailers, Harry Hart (Colin Firth) is back from the dead. While without a shadow of a doubt one of the highlights of the first film, the cost here is that by resurrecting Firth, all death and danger in the series now loses its power. His death in the first film was significant. as like Samuel L. Jackson so eloquently puts it, ‘this ain’t that kind of movie’; Kingsman originally defied all expectation by subverting many tropes of the spy genre and blockbuster movies, for example how a main character is killed off before the film’s climax.

Still, the sequel does attempt to continue this trend. Swedish princess Tilde (Hanna Alström) from the first film is established as Eggsy’s girlfriend, in contrast to how James Bond has a new love interest every time we see him. Moreover, the introduction of the Statesmen allows the writers to engage in cliché and cultural differences which creates an enjoyable dynamic; where the Kingsman get their names from Arthurian legend, the Statesmen get their codenames from alcohol.

"Elton John gets more to do than Channing Tatum" Fans will presumably be hoping for a scene that rivals the church massacre of the original.

Although the film is packed with terrific action scenes, it’s clear that Kingsman: The Golden Circle has a higher budget than the original as CGI is more heavily relied upon, sometimes to very poor effect, and so it never really reaches the level of action seen in the first film. If there is one aspect that director Matthew Vaughn seems eager to recapture, it’s the controversy surrounding the jarring anal gag from the end of the first film.

During Glastonbury festival, Eggsy must get close enough to the girlfriend of one of the film’s villains to plant a tracker on her so they can locate her boyfriend when they next meet. The controversy comes from the fact that the tracker cannot be placed just anywhere, and in Vaughn’s typically crude style, must be placed inside her body to work, leading the audience to be taken on a trip through the girl’s vagina, CGI style. It’s a scene which has been defended as satire for the misogyny and vague sex scenes that appeared in classic Bond, yet it’s clear that some may take disgust or even offence with it. One thing is for sure though: Vaughn has successfully gotten people talking about his new movie.

VERDICT: Kingsman: The Golden Circle was always going to have a tough task to match the surprise and uniqueness of the first film. Despite having plenty of opportunities over the course of its 141-minute run time to put up a fight, and although the film is still a fun, enjoyable movie-going experience, the scenes that do standout unfortunately cannot save the film from feeling stretched, disjointed and unnecessary at points.

A fitting conclusion to one of the most underrated trilogies out there.

Caesar and co. face off against humanity in a no-holds-barred monkey smack down. Andy Serkis deserves an Oscar but won't get one.

Worst 1.The Emoji Movie The passion project of Lucifer and Kim Kardashian, Sony Pictures Entertainment's The Emoji Movie has taken $84,651,983 so far and with every dollar it makes, the aliens' eventual case for nuking us grows ever stronger. Take your kids to see this movie... if you hate them.

2. The Dark Tower The first of a planned franchise, and with a strong cast featurimg Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, hopes were high. Unfortunately this blockbuster didn't do enough.

3. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Hollywood still thinks Dane DeHaan is the next big thing. Critics and audience members the world over disagree. Though Luc Besson dutifully attempts to hide De Haan behind mountains of CGI, the rot shines through.

22

MUSIC

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickmusic

Bad Blood: Why Won't Fans Stop Groping Their Favourite Artists?

First Taylor Swift, now Alvvays' Molly Rankin... Kylie McCormick asks where the line is between fan devotion and sexual assault Kylie McCormick Music Critic @kyliemccormick

What exactly defines the parameters for the relationship between fan and artist?

For most it's probably not a question we think about with regards to popstars. Yet in light of several cases involving harrassment of female artists both on and off the stage, the question must be asked: can, and when, does fandom cross the line?

Although sexual harrassment is hardly a new issue for women in music, the fact that female artists are still subject to the same lack of respect is frankly shameful. In the last few months alone there have been two well-publicised stories of this nature - one of which including Taylor Swift, arguably the world's most famous popstar, who was groped offstage during a photo op. A more recent, but no less significant case, came when Alvvays frontwoman Molly Rankin was forced to dodge an unsolicited kiss from a stage invader during the band's show in Antwerp earlier this month. Based on these cases alone, it seems women in the industry face the threat of sexual aggravation both on and off the stage.

Now this article is not a direct deconstruction of either story - particularly Swift’s

trial, which is more an issue of professional conduct than fan/artist relations. However, both the trial and the Rankin incident are key pointers for a larger narrative found in the celebrity world. I have heard numerous accounts of handsy fans, and have witnessed just as many accounts as I've heard of overeager audience members invading privacy on all levels. What drives this and what can we do to create a better space for fan interactions?

"As consumers we are defined by what we purchase and what we therefore own"

Taylor Swift's lawsuit concluded last month, while Alvvays are yet to make an official statement.

Some may be quick to blame the newfound accessibility of artists as the leading cause of misconduct with fans. It is obvious that the use of social media has opened private areas of life that were once closed - yet I would be cautious to immediately blame social consumption for this obsessive level of fandom. A simple look at Beatlemania, or the hordes of fans that helped Elvis dominate the charts in the late 50s, will reveal that for as long as there have been musicians, there have been deeply entrenched and obsessive fans.

Single Review: Morrissey Spent the Day in Bed David Evans Music Critic @dwrevans

Over his long career of 11 solo studio albums and a genre-defining discography w ith The S miths , Morrissey has always been overtly outspoken and controversial. Not one to shy away from voicing his opinions, ‘Spent the Day in Bed’, the lead single from upcoming release Low in High School, holds a berating attack on the media.

Instrumentally the song is a departure from old ways: driven by a plucky, upbeat keyboard riff, the single manages to feel fresh in comparison to the huge discography that precedes. Lyrically however,

the song is so Morrissey that it could be satire. The chorus - ‘Stop watching the news / Because the news contrives to frighten you / To make you feel small and

"The single manages to feel fresh in comparison to the huge discography that precedes it" alone / To make you feel that your mind isn’t your own’ - is old territory for

Moz and perfectly fits the moaning stereotype people have of him, with previous songs such as ‘Teenage Dad on His Estate’ covering virtually the same subject.

Still, for fans this won’t be a problem: with such a backlog of content behind his name, Moz doesn’t need to be nuanced or subtle any more. ‘Spent the Day in Bed’ sets the tone of what looks to be a loud and unapologetic album - ironically though, Morrissey has just kicked off a new record with a single about doing exactly nothing.

«««

So what then lies at the core of this problem, that has existed for so long that it's now pretty much a reality of industry life? I would venture that it is an innate sense of ownership that propels fans to take advantage of their idols when the moment comes.

With the growing concepts of identity and consumer amalgamating into a single intertwined being, we as humans quickly become what we buy.

Beyond that, we feel that we are the rightful owners of things we purchase: that new car you buy, it's yours; that new jumper, obviously yours.

As consumers we are defined by what we purchase and what we therefore own.

This perhaps unconscious link between purchase and ownership then extends into our media consumption. When we buy an album or a gig ticket, we own that moment.

Listening to a singer becomes a purchase of time, we chose to listen to the specific artist just as we chose a certain pair of trainers. We define it and it defines us.

This purchasing of an artist is only expanded by the slow creation of emotional connections that often come with music. Not only do we, in one way or another, buy an artist, but we then begin to define emotional connections and reactions to this artist.

These two aspects then collide in our new ability to be socially invested in the daily

lives of artists, creating the perfect storm - one that prompts fans to act beyond reason when they come faceto-face with their favourite artists.

"Although sexual harrassment is hardly a new issue for women in music, the fact that female artists are still subject to the same lack of respect is frankly shameful" Meeting an idol is no doubt an exciting experience, yet when it moves beyond regular bounds of accessibility it becomes an degrading and draining experience for the artist. It can, and does, escalate into an uneasy case of sexual misconduct. The sense of ownership must stop, for it is not real.

As fans we can be engaging without crossing the line.

Acknowledging this innate concept of ownership, and understanding that it is a mirage, will hopefully create a better atmosphere for fan and artist interactions.

MUSIC

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickmusic

23

Live Preview: Pale Waves

Redbrick Meets Gilles Peterson

Ahead of his headline set at The Rainbow Venues, Hannah Brierley sits down with Giles Peterson to discuss everything from festivals to politics

Hannah Brierley Culture Editor @brierleyy

Gilles Peterson's extensive and eclectic knowledge of such a wide range of musical genres keeps him just as relevant today as he was back in the 80s. We caught up with the Radio 6 legend ahead of his show at the Rainbow Venues in Birmingham this month, to discuss festivals, politics, records and music recommendations.

"Birmingham has always been a solid place, there's always been good people" In a previous interview you described the new music scene as ‘category-less’, which I thought was a really interesting description and something that could be applied to your own, eclectic sets. What can we expect from your set in Birmingham this month?

Well, I’m not sure yet. I build sets from scratch - I start off in January and usually can’t stand listening to any of the stuff I played in

December. When I’m happy with a set I've made, which normally takes about two months, I find overnight I can suddenly get bored of it and so I start again. I’m on my fifth set of the year this year and I’m still feeling good about it.

Throughout your career you’ve played over the world. Do you have a favourite place to play?

Somwhere that has particularly enticed you with its energy.

I’ve had some great times in Birmingham. I’ve been coming here for quite a while, there used to be some really great nights at the Custard Factory. Birmingham's always been a solid place because there’s always been good people inside that city who have championed the scene even when the scene wasn’t so strong. There were always people like A But of course every DJ who’s been to Tokyo or even just Japan is going to say that's their favourite there’s a certain appreciation for club culture. As a DJ you feel really appreciated so it’s a really good place for the ego!

Travelling has obviously enriched your career, but recently there’s been an increase in hostility towards multiculturalism in the UK. Does music transcend those borders?

Yes! Look at the Mercury Prize

winner this year [Sampha]. I’m excited about the anger about these issues, because out of that can only come good music and great artists. We need people to believe in, we're not getting that from politicians so we need artists to inspire us. On one level there’s a lot to be depressed about globally, but on another level there’s this new subversive energy that’s beginning to have an effect and hopefully we'll see that develop in the future.

You’ve always managed to identify potential in artists: A Tribe Called Quest for example, or even Amy Winehouse. Are there any artists who really excite you at the moment?

I’ve just signed an artist called Skinny Pelembe to my label. I also think Moses Sumney is going to be massive, he’s a folk singer from L.A. There's such tough competition at the moment, but they’re just saying something that hasn’t been said before, whether that’s through production or just in their own way. They’ve found a way to be unique in a world that’s had so much of the same already.

You’ve described your younger self as being a 'bit too keen' when you were first trying to get involved in the industry, would you recommend the same persistence to young DJs and artists trying make it?

The thing is, right now everyone’s a DJ. But, I feel like music is something you should do as a hobby for as long as you can, rather than commit to it professionally, because unless you’re really deeply passionate about it you’re probably not going to make it, you know? I’d just suggest to new DJs to build you, build your identity. You need to go through so much disaster to be able to come out the other end.

Finally, what would your top three house party tracks be?

I’d recommend the Dimitri remix of 'Thinking of You' by Sister Sledge. Then a track like, 'You’re The Sweetest One', I love that.

Then I just love this track by Waajeed, it’s called 'Better Late Than Never', it’s new but it’s such a good one.

Laura Mosley Music Critic

Riding on the wave of their latest release, 'Television Romance', Manchester fourpiece, Pale Waves are set to head out on their first UK headline tour. Calling at 13 cities, the quartet will kick off their tour right here at Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds on October 16th.

Having joined The 1975 on a US and European tour in spring, the band have already gained a taste of life on the road. And with only a handful of songs to their name, expectations are high for what kind of indie-infused melodies the band will debut.

With singer Heather Baron-Gracie’s onstage charisma and chemistry with fellow bandmates including drummer Ciara Donan, their shows are likely to be more of riptide than a gentle ripple, but definitely one you don’t want to miss.

Festival Review: Bestival 2017 Issy Campbell Music Editor @issycampbell

Known for being a quirky, boutique-style festival, Bestival encourages all things weird and wonderful. This year’s theme was ‘The Year of Colour’, which had definite potential, however it’s clear their budget had been reduced, reusing production from last year. Although the stages were not of extreme grandeur, ‘SS Bestival’ and ‘The Temple’ were worth noting. You could walk across the whole site in ten minutes, or at least you could on the first two days.

After that, the weather turned the grass into slush, making walking extremely difficult; and whilst this was not Bestival’s fault, the site couldn’t handle the weather. SS Bestival was placed on a slope where slipping was almost inevitable, The Temple was on a hill making the walk tiresome, and journeying from the tents to the stages involved such a steep incline that it resembled a Tough Mudder challenge.

The festival also suffered from bad clashes - hardly anything on during the day, and then suddenly everyone you wanted

to see was on at the same time in the evening. Friday saw a clash between Nick Mulvey and Little Dragon - not an easy choice. I chose Little Dragon; their set was fantastic, but the crowd was less than mediocre. A lack of communication was also evident: we had hoped to watch Peggy Gou, only to find she had been pushed back an hour and no one had informed us. Unbeknownst to us, this had a knock-on effect, adding even

"It wouldn't be top of my festival to-do list, but I'd give it one last chance; and honestly, I think that's all it has left" more clashes to an otherwise bare day of music. However, due to there being little on that interested us in the day, we did manage to explore the site. We encountered the ‘Loop’ tent, blasting high speed music. Upon entry we found it was a spin class. Naturally we joined in, not that we needed more exercise after all the hills,

but it was something different which really credited Bestival.

Friday night’s headliners, The xx, were exceptional and had one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. Their set was flawless, and the crowd seemed pleasantly enthusiastic. Music went on till 3am, with Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, who curated their own stage, having some of the best atmosphere of the whole weekend.

By 4pm on Saturday the festival was at its peak, with the New York Brass Band and Dat Brass both giving fantastic performances. Solardo and Patrick Topping kicked things off at The Temple, and Foreverland played some refreshing bassline, which was lacking from the lineup, on SS Bestival. It would be wrong of me to say that Dizzee Rascal’s main stage set was anything but fantastic: he brought much-needed energy and the crowd, which for other artists had been very subdued, went suitably bonkers.

But of course, Saturday at Bestival was important for another reason: it was where A Tribe Called Quest played their last ever show. Let down by the crowd, there seemed to be a lack of buzz for such a huge headliner.

Nevertheless, ATCQ continued and their talent was undeniable.

This final set was a fitting tribute

to Phife Dawg, who died in 2016, with the group paying homage to their childhood friend and band member. Despite being

"Saturday was important for another reason: A Tribe Called Quest playing their last ever show" just nineteen, Sam Gellaitry’s set at the Bollywood Stage confirmed that he is one of the finest DJs in the country.

Unfortunately, his set was interrupted when wind caused part of the roof to collapse, but luckily it was all up and running again thirty minutes later and Sam returned to grace us again with his artful mixes.

By Sunday festival-goers were pretty fed up of the mud, wind and rain. Once again, little was on in the day and many couldn’t face standing in the cold amongst more flat crowds.

Loyle Carner was the only act that made my decision to leave early difficult, and I think he was probably the reason why

many people stayed. But the weather crippled Bestival for one final time, with high winds shutting down the whole arena just as Loyle walked on. It remained closed for the entirety of his set, reopening just after he would have finished. The Bestival team took to rescheduling acts, but unfortunately Loyle had to be cancelled altogether - just another fatal error by Rob Da Bank and his team.

It’s a shame the weather was as awful as it was, or perhaps my experience would have been entirely different. I left feeling like Bestival still has the potential to be something great – as it has been before. Perhaps though that’s just because this was my first year, maybe what I should be saying is that it’s lost its potential. Bestival is obviously struggling: they’ve downsized and decreased their budget and it definitely showed this year. It wouldn’t be top of my festival to-do list next year, but I’d give it one last chance; and honestly, I think that’s all it has left. Bestival 2018, if there is one, needs to pull something truly tremendous out the bag to save itself from disappearing into a far-off memory.

24

TELEVISION

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricktv

Redbrick TV's Top Three Reggie Yates Documentaries Kat Smith takes a look into Reggie Yates' most compelling investigations Kat Smith

Comment Editor

I don’t remember seeing Reggie Yates on my TV for the first time.

From his early CBBC appearances to his documentaries over the recent years, he has been an omnipresent feature in our generation's viewing experiences.

Covering topics spanning from life in a Texan jail to the ‘white slums’ of South Africa, Yates has immersed himself in many situations, cultures and horrors. In doing so, he has created a catalogue of insightful, emotive and, at times, haunting documentaries.

Although all of them are fantastic, here is a list of what I consider to be his three very best:

1) Extreme UK: Gay and Under Attack Focusing on the hostility met by those in the black and Asian communities when it comes to sexuality, this documentary provides a frustrating insight into homophobia in the UK. I firstly think it’s important that Reggie Yates doesn’t just create programmes

about the extremities of views in other countries and cultures that we may find shocking as British viewers. He also acknowledges the extreme and problematic views many hold here in the UK.

"I loved this documentary in spite of how angry it made me" Yates’ Gay and Under Attack is a hard-hitting realisation that although we may have some of the most progressive equality rights in the world, we are still a far cry from perfection. It’s astonishing to see how many people still believe that being gay is a choice. This perception of sexuality lets viewers question the society that we live in today, highlighting the importance of accepting those around us.

One man, Sohail, recalls being by his own mother that ‘If you murdered someone I'd still accept you. But you being gay - I can’t accept you for that.’

Later seeing him loving his time at a pride event is a definite highlight of an otherwise heart-breaking documentary. Yates’ broadcast of these experiences is inspiring in the way it celebrates identity without undermining the adversity still faced in the gay and transgender communities.

It’s saddening and quite frankly unbelievable that this was filmed only two years ago, but this closeto-home documentary is well worth the watch.

2) Extreme Russia: Teen Model Factory As part of his series covering the far-right views and homophobia in Russia, Yates delves into the savage world of teen modelling. And when I say ‘teen’, I mean girls as young as 13.

It is another hard look into the lives of the girls who are having to parade in bikinis whilst still being school-age, the girls who eat buckwheat for all three meals in order to lose weight for a casting and the girls who are abandoning their dreams at such an early age in the pursuit of a ‘more

fruitful’ career path. The documentary also shows modelling schools in Siberia, where even five-year-olds are in training.

It is an insightful yet saddening documentary that covers the many issues of teen modelling.

It covers a wider message of the pressure we put on young people to look a certain way, the intrinsic wrongness of sexualising underage girls and the financial difficulties that lead parents to support their daughters in this career path.

I loved this documentary in spite of how angry it made me because it gave a voice to every party: the child, the parents and the people photographing/commissioning the teen models.

3) The Insider: A Week in a Toxic Waste Dump With the attitude that you have to ‘walk a mile in their shoes’, in one of his latest documentaries, Yates throws himself into life in the ‘e-dump’ in Ghana’s capital. It is a dumping ground of computers, TVs and general electronics, where ‘technology goes to die.’

Released only in mid-September, Yates experiences life in Agbogbloshie, the dump where young men burn electronic waste in order to expose the metal to then sell. The chemicals produced can inevitably lead to damages in the nervous system and cancer, with families being forced to raise young children in these horrific conditions.

"It shines a light on one of the most toxic places on earth" Reggie encounters men selling scraps from as close to home as Wimbledon and Manchester, showing that the ‘strict’ regulations of e-waste in the UK are not being followed by everyone.

This has made it to my top three documentaries because I had no idea about it before – it shines a light on one of the most toxic places on earth and it’s a shock to think it’s not common knowledge.

Do you have any thoughts on Reggie Yates? Let us know @redbrickpaper on Twitter

The Apprentice: Meet the Candidates The infamous reality series is back with a whole new set of candidates Grace Lynskey Television Writer

Your favourite reality series is back with a whole new set of eighteen candidates all hoping to win Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment into their own business.

They are set to entertain the nation in the new series beginning on 4th October 2017.

A preview show is currently online, hosted by Radio 1 DJ Matt Edmondson. The seven-minute preview doesn’t actually give much away in terms of what we are to expect from this year’s selection of candidates. It is largely based on a focus towards humorous editing of candidates' one-liners, making it difficult to gauge which candidates are strongest and will stand out throughout the series.

"Charles may be one to watch with a solid background of relevant and transferrable experience" Candidates have been attracted from a wide range of business sectors including fashion, construction and engineering. From

what was revealed, they appear to be the standard montage of overpromising and under-delivering wannabes that every series always brings. Amongst the boys, the only words we heard from James, 26, was ‘Do nice guys earn £200,000 a year?’ He does, however, have his own IT recruitment business and considers his drive and ambition to be his best qualities. Jeff Wan, 28, is a semi-pro hip hop dancer, a skill a little more interesting than the generic business-related credits most of the other candidates have. He has the potential to separate himself from the rest. Harrison on the other hand described himself as being ‘quite opinionative’, conveying his cluelessness in the use of a word that doesn’t actually exist.

Michaela Wain, 33, looks to be a no-nonsense contestant, as she’s stated she ‘has no patience for people who say stupid stuff.’

The only candidate who claims she is not ‘all talk’ is Jade English, a 25-year-old PR & marketing manager from Manchester who actually seems fairly normal. She claims she is ‘emotionally intelligent’ - perhaps this will be useful when the weeks become more intensive further into the series.

24-year-old Charles seems to be the most versatile candidate as he has experience in management consultancy, a watch trading company and comparison website. He may be one to watch with a solid background of relevant and trans-

ferrable experience for the show.

Sarah Jane Clark, 25, has a harsh exterior and believes that never letting her guard down will help her win. This is definitely a strong trait to have for a challenging twelve-week endurance test.

"This series there definitely appears to be a stronger accumulation of experience" This series there definitely appears to be a stronger accumulation of experience in general, with a lot of the candidates being older and more impressive in terms of their current business credits to date. This will without a doubt give them an edge in their ability to improvise and adapt well to the varying tasks set out each week. Bushra Shaikh, 34, may hold this advantage, having her own modest fashion label for Muslim women. Similarly, Danny Grant, 32, owns his own retail store and seems to have the makings of a very strong candidate.

He seems grounded and loyal, but also admits to his weaknesses something that is a true rarity on The Apprentice. The oldest candidate is Melissa McKenna, 39, owner of a florist chain. It will soon become clear whether these

extra years of business experience will be the difference in how the candidates perform.

Irrespective of the fact that most of the candidates will probably be ‘all talk,’ it does have the makings to be a very good series.

The first episode is at 9pm on 4th October and will see the candidates making their own luxury burger businesses. Needless to say, it will be an entertaining start to the series.

Do you have any thoughts on the new candidates? Let us know @redbrickpaper on Twitter

TELEVISION

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricktv

A Show Stopping Start For Bake Off

Rebecca Cutler reviews Channel Four's The Great British Bake Off Rebecca Cutler Television Writer

If anything came close to breaking my heart in 2016, it was undeniably the slim majority of the victorious Leave campaign. This was not aided in the following weeks and months with The Great British Bake Off derailing in a seemingly comparable manner. With hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins and judge Mary Berry staying loyal to the BBC, thus removing themselves as the faces that made the show famous, there remained a single set of piercing blue eyes in which the (weakened) pound signs could roll. Paul Hollywood, in a time when jumping ship was the nation's activity of choice, bravely stayed on board.

The important thing to remember with Bake Off is that both the BBC and Channel 4 are merely the platforms on which the show is viewed. It has always been, and still is, produced by Love Productions. Armed with this information, it would be foolish to expect dramatic changes to have occurred in the 'new' Bake Off. Even to call it new seems unneces-

sary - Bake Off has simply moved into a new house. A new house in a slightly cooler area, with noisy neighbours and fewer law enforcement officials. Without the guiding presence of Mary Berry, things could go downhill very easily.

The new kids on the block should be glaringly, obviously different to the faces we are familiar with.

However, by casting a quirky lesbian and a not-quite-as-funny-ashe-should-be comedian, Bake Off has eased the transition somewhat.

Whilst both Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding appeared to be bold choices as the new hosts, they blend into the format effortlessly.

Toksvig is the calm, comforting figure, in place to counteract Fielding's more explicit unusuality. They are an positive presence within the hallowed tent, interacting with both the judges and the bakers without proving a nuisance to either, unlike their predecessors.

The steely, firm but fair judgement of Prue Leith has superceded Hollywood, who now delivers several of his once-special handshakes per episode in an effort to stay both relevant and revered.

Leith's subtle interjections shame

Hollywood into being a better judge, a better baker, and a better part of the show. If he wants the money, Prue Leith is going to make him work for it.

The Great British Bake Off is also attracting a higher level of baking talent; whilst each baker certainly has less successful rounds, they have all being displaying a high level of talent since the earliest stages of the competition. This improvement has been necessary to keep up with the increasing difficulty of each of the rounds. The technical challenges are increasingly obscure and testing for the bakers, forcing them to prove their worth. The introduc-

tion of Caramel Week harnessed the bakers' skillsets, forcing them to demonstrate skill beyond the combination of eggs and flour.

The diversity of the current series' contestants is also more natural.

Where the BBC presented a wide range of contestants, it frequently used the social/cultural/racial identities of contestants as a way of differentiating them. Channel 4 has championed diversity and difference louder and for much longer.

Nothing that should hinder The Great British Bake Off during its first series on Channel 4 is proving catastrophic. Even the introduction of advertisments, and the consequential extension of the programme's length to a runtime of over an hour can only be a good thing - a time to make a drink or visit the bathroom is a much needed way to diffuse the tension of a difficult or delicate Showstopper Challenge. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Bake Off on Channel 4 takes the best of what made it brilliant on the BBC (and also Paul Hollywood), and changes it just enough to bring new life to the old format.

Review: Bojack Horseman Max Marks

Television Writer

On the face of it Bojack Horseman is a rather bizarre creation, even for an animated comedy. The setting is entirely unique, but the beauty of animations is they can create an alternative reality and invent their own universes. After a shaky start the cartoon swiftly found its feet and it has produced some excellent satirical takes on current affairs and Hollywood, as well as touching on some very serious issues. This is a departure from the traditional adult animation model, followed by such shows as South Park and Family Guy, which focus on comedy and

use the cartoon setting to get away with some truly outrageous behaviour.

Whilst I am sure some people will suggest an animation is not the best place to try and bring about change, I would argue that it is perfect. A cartoon as a platform for discussing taboo subjects is excellent, as it allows people to say things they would maybe not dare to say if it was their face on the screen. The fact that this is a comedy gives the programme popular appeal, ensuring more people view the programme and therefore engage with the issues.

Bojack Horseman has taken a step towards normalising the discussion of mental health conditions.

The journey that Bojack is on sometimes seems bleak, but I am always left with a feeling of hope that one day he will find his happiness. I believe for all those people who can relate to Bojack’s struggle that there is a hopeful message.

I feel the show has also helped the LGBTQ+ community, both whose who identify as asexual and people struggling to come to terms with their sexuality.

I am not suggesting that Bojack Horseman has solved anything, but a popular television show has raised some powerful issues which currently are somewhat taboo subjects, and hopefully this has generated some discussion as a result. If anyone follows Aaron Paul (voice actor

of the character Todd) on Twitter, you will know that he recently responded to a tweet thanking Todd for the help in explaining their asexuality to their parent.

This is a powerful endorsement of the show's premise.

All four seasons of Bojack Horseman are currently available on Netflix. Season 5 of Bojack Horseman has been confirmed and I look forward to seeing what happens next. I hope the show continues the excellent work it is doing to raise awareness of people who currently feel isolated or who are afraid to seek help.

Review: The Child in Time

TV critic Izzy Detheridge reviews an adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Izzy Detheridge Television Writer

It’s always impressive when directors make their audiences weep.

Certainly, this was the case for Britons nationwide on 24th September after the BBC’s much anticipated screen adaptation of Ian McEwan’s 1987 masterpiece The Child in Time.

The drama, starring Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen, an emotionally tortured father following the disappearance of his four-year-old daughter Kate, is a gripping ninety-minute tale of heartache, guilt and loss of innocence. However, it clings to the hope of acceptance and moving forward, which makes it a sliver above enervating to watch to the end. As time is the predominant theme pervading the story, viewers are jolted back and forth by a

non-chronological timeline which can only be mediated by reading McEwan’s novel prior to viewing.

However, Cumberbatch’s performance is truly compelling; viewers feel as if they are suffering with Stephen and acting as sole confidante throughout the programme, which is guaranteed to set on edge every cell in the body. It is a challenge not to become emotional when he experiences 'visions' of his long-lost daughter, being tormented to the point of following a child that resembles Kate into a school and narrowly avoiding a trip to the station.

In fact, Cumberbatch’s tears shed for the role are real ones, as revealed in an interview with Radio Times where he admitted, ‘I said to the director, “I’m worried I’m getting a bit too upset in these scenes”. These circumstances are unthinkable for any parent’. A

father himself with two children off-screen, Cumberbatch’s understanding of parenthood pairs superbly with his role as the pensive and listless male lead of this tale.

Food for thought in The Child in Time is the juxtaposition between Stephen’s reaction to their daughter’s disappearance, and his wife Julie’s (played by Kelly Macdonald, Trainspotting).

While Stephen swears to himself that he will find Kate and keeps his promise for three years, Julie instantly accepts helplessness and retreats into herself by moving away to a cottage on a beach. The bitterness between them is prevalent during the immediate aftermath of the trauma, with guilt and blame enveloping both father and mother. Both Cumberbatch’s and Macdonald’s performances are highly commendable throughout.

Despite airing thirty years after the

book’s publication, Stephen is faithfully depicted as deeply affected by his loss. This, I believe, is a statement that, although time passes and society’s expectations of men and women change, a father should never trade his relationship with his children for masculinity.

Essentially a tale of emotional resilience rather than abduction, the final words uttered by Cumberbatch’s character summarise its purpose: through tragedy, 'keep breathing'. This, I believe, makes The Child in Time well-deserving of all its praise received, for being a meaningful lesson to us all.

Did you enjoy The Child in Time? Let us know @redbrickpaper on Twitter

25

Liar: The Hard Hitting ITV Drama Making Viewers Question Their Judgements Rebecca Garbutt Television Writer

ITV's most intrepid and controversial drama of this autumn is now upon us in the form of the new drama Liar. It stars Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt as Laura, a schoolteacher who accuses surgeon Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd) of raping her after a dinner-date, when she clearly remembers saying no.

Through the first three intense episodes, the audience is encouraged to scrap all their preconceived ideas of what really happened as we are drip-fed lies and accusations. In true ITV style, every episode ends up with more revelations and reasons to question the motives of every character.

Whilst I have been enjoying watching this series, especially as I'm a big fan of the two leading actors, the story does seem to be on the unrealistic side with Laura breaking into Andrew's house and accidently leaving her earring, a sign that if she really wanted to change profession she should at least learn to not get caught. Likewise, this drama has the same cringe feeling when looking at the other minor characters. Are these characters based on real people? I've never met anyone who has asked their ex-boyfriend, who they now have a weird 'are we more than friends still' relationship with, to break the law.

Cringe-fest aside, Liar does look to break down the stereotypes surrounding rape victims and their cries for justice. The writers, brothers Harry and Jack Williams, have previously said their intentions were to tackle these stereotypes in a realistic, but compassionate way. Yet many viewers and charities have accused the ITV show of discouraging real life rape victims from coming forward, as we see Laura’s pushes for any sort of prosecution failing due to lack of evidence. Perhaps the show’s creators, in dramatising this sensitive subject, have yet to fully realise the enormity of such a sensitive subject.

So, is the show treading waters that it can't swim in, or is it a brave thing to do, in the hope that victims will feel they are gaining more attention? If you want to decide, Liar continues on Monday at 9pm on ITV.

GAMING

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickgames

Impressions: Middle Earth: Shadow of War Gaming Editor @Nic_the_thinker

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor was my game of the year for 2014.

So, it seems pretty appropriate for me to say that Middle Earth: Shadow of War looks to be in the running for my game of the year this year. Especially after seeing an impressively diverse, interesting, and humorous presentation provided by a developer and Q&A tester from Monolith.

The sequel appears to build on the strong foundations of the first game. Implementing the nemesis system once again, you will be hunting unique orc captains, warchiefs, and commanders, in order to reclaim the land of Mordor and the areas surrounding it. Using new abilities both as Talion and Celebrimbor, you’ll be slicing your way through giant forts with the assistance of your orc army you’ve converted to your cause.

There seems to be enough new features and abilities to keep the game fresh and interesting, and the gameplay looked just as addictive, if not more, as the first instalment.

Dominating fire-breathing drakes

in order to crush a fort's catapult defenses is nothing short of fulfilling a childhood fantasy.

Participating within the nemesis system means you can identify each orc captain’s strengths and weaknesses, and plan your attacks around these in order to take them down with the method that you see fit. Essentially it seems to be a bigger, better Shadow of Mordor. I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. One thing the presentation did not show was any story elements or characters. Considering the first game's story was better than it had any right to be, this is definitely a factor gamers shouldn’t overlook when considering to purchase this game on release. The game looks stunning, and I’m sure will look even better for those of you who have a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, when the time comes.

recently passed, and micro-transactions being available, making players better at the game through the purchasing of loot chests, the game hasn’t had the best reception since its reveal earlier this year. I can’t say that it gets a pass on these things just because it looks like a fantastic game. On the other hand, I will be purchasing this

game soon after its release, and I can’t wait to lose myself in Middle-Earth once more, for weeks on end. I’ve been dying to decapitate orcs since I last played Shadow of Mordor, and you should not miss out on this title when it arrives October 10th on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Best Of EGX

5

Shooty Fruity VR Ubisoft

Nicholas Burton

Redbrick's Top 5

NDreams

26

"The gameplay looks just as addictive"

4

A lot of controversy has surrounded Shadow of War, without a doubt. With a price-tag on DLC made in tribute to a developer who

Warner Bros

South Park: The Fractured but Whole

Gaming Critic @Jack_Cooper8

After a long series of delays, South Park will finally be back on consoles and PC when South Park: The Fractured but Whole launches on October 17. The game wonderfully combines satire, superheroes and surprisingly satisfying RPG gameplay to create a hilarious and incredibly fun experience. You play as the New Kid, the same character from South Park: The Stick of Truth, but, instead of playing Game of Thrones, the kids of South Park are now playing superheroes (in a brilliant parody of the recent surge and monetisation of the superhero genre).

The EGX demo has your character playing as sidekick to Scott Malkinson, A.K.A. Captain Diabetes, and tasks you with finding out information on a missing cat. This being a South Park game, the cat isn’t just stuck up a tree.

Instead, you must infiltrate a strip club to question one of the strippers, give a lapdance to some incredibly inebriated gentlemen, and concoct one of the most vile and repugnant drinks I have ever seen. Having already watched several playthroughs of this level on YouTube, I knew what to expect

from the demo. But, what I didn’t expect was the amount of fun I still had playing it. Even though I knew exactly what to do, where to go and what would happen, I really enjoyed my time with the game.

It still felt fresh, and the jokes were still funny. A real testament to the game’s quality.

Another way in which the

demo surprised me was through the sheer amount of depth that South Park: The Fractured but Whole offers players. The levels (which have been delightfully designed to look as if they were taken straight from an episode) are full to the brim with character, and exploring them rewards players not only with collectables and

Ubisoft

items, but also brilliant interactions with familiar faces of the show. There is a dedicated craft system that allows players to use the random junk they they find to create useful items (rather than just selling it for money like in The Stick of Truth), further encouraging players to explore. Fights now feel more tactical with the introduction of a grid system that allows players to plan their nextmoves, all without taking away from the sheer fun of the game’s combat. Even upgrading your character has added depth: players are able to multi-class different superpowers, allowing you to customise your superhero to suit your playstyle and your team composition.

As a huge fan of the South Park series and of the first game, I had high expectations for South Park: The Fractured but Whole. I am very happy to say that the demo has not only met them, but easily surpassed them. In a game that weaponises farts, changes your character’s race to reflect the game’s difficulty, and has a superhero based on Tupperware, South Park: The Fractured but Whole is guaranteed to be a brilliant and hilarious game for (almost) everyone that picks it up.

Middle Earth: Shadow of War

EA/DICE

Jack Cooper

3

2 Star Wars: Battlefront II

Nintendo

Redbrick Gaming Critic Jack Cooper plays the sequel to the humourous South Park: The Stick Of Truth

Warner Bros

Hands On: South Park: The Fractured But Whole

1

Super Mario Oddessy

GAMING

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickgames

27

Hands On: Detroit: Become Human Redbrick Gaming Editor Roshni Patel investigates this latest case of deviant androids as Detroit gets a new lease of life Roshni Patel Gaming Editor @Roshofalltrades

From the studio that brought us the hit game Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, comes Detroit: Become Human, the latest branching, neo-noir thriller, from French developers, Quantic Dream. Set in the future where androids are everywhere, every decision the player makes has a rippling effect on the plot, changing the game on every playthrough.

First shown to the press in 2015 as a demo video at Paris Games Week, Detroit: Become Human has grown into 3 very different branching plots, each spearheaded by 3 different androids.

The first android introduced was Kara (voice and motion acting by Valorie Curry), who finds herself more sentient than her stoic batch of siblings and struggles to define her place in society, feeling much more than she should, which is seen both in her 2015 demo and the dialogue options available to her. In contrast, Connor (Bryan Dechart) is exactly as CyberLife

intended, and as an enforcer of deviant androids, is cold, calculating and analytical. The third android is the deviant that android models like Connor chase down; Marcus (Jesse Williams) is the android that broke free and is determined to free other from the bonds of servitude. While these three stories are interwoven, the death of one playable character doesn't stop play, which is similar to Heavy Rain, where players can continue to play as other characters, with plot alterations as a consequence of the loss. However, players will be able to rewind events to reshape their outcomes, to help ease progression later, should they come to regret how a past situation played out.

Available to play on the EGX showfloor was Connor's hostage situation, seen in the promotional trailers. Beginning with a cutscene, we slip seamlessly into the gameplay, with little cuing and no black

screens, it was so smooth that I didn't even realise I needed to move until I was prompted. Every cutscene transitioned in and out this smoothly. Like in Heavy Rain, the player is required to investigate and collect clues to increase their chances of success for each of the objectives. From bubbling pots and discarded items, to analyzing victims and replaying their last moments, each piece of the picture increased the overall chance of success before you stepped out to face the hostage situation.

Out on the roof, the branching nature of the story became more apparent, and the player is forced to think carefully about the options chosen, any of which could increase the chance of failure, rather than success. Unable to foresee how tactfully Connor would negotiate the little girl's release, I was forced to guess the correct emotional response and hope for the best, watching the branching plot bring

me closer or further from the ideal outcome. While I just missed out on the goal, the game was on the whole quite well polished, with only a few clunky features, such as the unnecessary analogue stick actions for Connor's hands and the fly-onthe-wall camera positioning, which at times made watching replays jerky and was often an exercise in precision to catch a tool-tip.

While I didn't manage to fulfill the objective of the mission, to save the girl, I was able to get fully immersed in the situation to see how it could have played out differently, if only I had made different decisions. Due for release in 2018 as a 4K ready PS4 exclusive, Detroit: Become Human is one game I'm really looking forward to exploring in full, as I'm dying to see how many different paths the plot can take. With great reviews from the other critics, and the players at EGX, only time will tell if Quantic Dream has struck gold for a second time.

Hands On: Star Wars Battlefront 2 Emma Kent Gaming Critic @GoneEFK

Amongst the many booths at EGX, there was one game that beckoned to me over all others. Secretively enclosed behind dark walls, ominous Storm Trooper murals and a long queue, lay the preview for the hugely anticipated Star Wars Battlefront II. Having enjoyed the previous game by developers DICE, I was eager to see how Battlefront II had improved on its predecessor. Most importantly, I wanted to kick ass in a galaxy far far away, and thankfully I was not disappointed.

When the game began, we were first met with a beautiful sweeping shot of the city of Theed on Naboo.

I was stunned by the remarkable quality of the game's visuals, which really brought Theed's glistening domes and elegant architecture to life. The beauty of the visuals made the action feel almost cinematic in nature, contributing to the epic experience of the battle.

It soon became clear, however, that Battlefront II is more than just a pretty face. Playing as the Separatists, our team escorted a tank to the gates of the palace, blowing open the doors to begin a final fight against Clone troopers in the throne room. The level was varied and well-designed, beginning with open courtyard areas before funnelling the action into a frenzied close-quarters finale. By the late game, many players had accumulated enough battle points to become Heroes such as Rey and Darth Maul, which only added to the intensity. I myself saved up to be Boba Fett, which was well

worth the wait just for the experience of flying around the throne room blasting the Clone troopers below.

Unlike its predecessor, Battlefront II made me feel like part of a team during the fighting, which was a welcome development. Respawns occurred in waves so you could follow your teammates into battle, allowing you to watch their backs and overpower enemies with sheer numbers. This came with a bonus of additional points if you stayed with your team, thereby providing an enticing reward to encourage cooperation in the field.

The new class system was also intriguing, consisting of four main classes (Assault, Heavy, Officer and Specialist) which all had

unique abilities. Officers, for instance, provided team buffs, while Specialists were snipers who could also lay trip mines. This allowed for tactical changes midbattle and great variety in the gameplay.

"I was stunned by the remarkable quality of the game's visuals" Although Battlefront II had many great features, there were still a few issues that came to my attention. One of these was the way in which the battle seemed to end too abruptly, with little expla-

nation as to how we lost. A more obvious information feed or voiceover would have helped to relay battle information to the player.

Another issue was that the inclusion of some Heroes, particularly Rey and Han Solo, jarred with the setting of the battle and broke my immersion. While it was somewhat entertaining watching Darth Maul destroy Rey, ultimately it felt just a little bit weird.

These problems, however, remain the only small flaws in what is otherwise an extremely promising game. At its core, Battlefront II's multiplayer mode is a fun, immersive and exhilarating experience and I await the full release in November with great expectation, and a large dent in my wallet.

EGX Impressions: I Am Here Galen Reich Gaming Critic @ChronicAardvark

I Am Here is a beautiful alpha-stage game, and the debut output of Dundeebased and student-led indie developer Lavalamp Games.

Following in the footsteps of Campo Santo’s Firewatch in design aesthetic (albeit in a much smaller production), Lavalamp Games sets out to tell an evocative tale through beautifully rendered and narrative-driven gameplay.

Set in an American ranch house in the Midwest, I Am Here explores the memories that the protagonist, Karen, recalls as she moves from room to room within the building. Despite its early stage of development there is already an attention to detail present throughout the environment; the carefully crafted and subtly changing objects in the world are as vital to the storytelling as the narration by the protagonist.

With themes surrounding mental health and social liberation, I Am Here weaves a tale of discovery and hardship spanning several decades.

At the time of writing there is no release date and so we could be waiting for I Am Here for a while, but even at this early stage I am confident that Lavalamp Games will be able to produce a captivating and compelling experience.

For an extra dose of Redbrick Gaming, catch our EGX Special Podcast on our YouTube Channel, Redbrick Gaming EA/DICE

28

FOOD & DRINK

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickfood

A Vegetarian in Budapest

Food&Drink writer Amber Allcock recommends the best places for vegetarians and vegans in Hungary's capital Whether you’re vegetarian or vegan I’m sure you’ve at least once experienced the pain of being abroad and having no appealing eatery options.

Sure, chips and pizza are staples but sometimes you’re after something that’s a break from your typical student grub, or maybe, you’re just a bit of a foodie who’s looking for something tasty in Budapest. I hear ya, so here were my favourite options:

1.

Vintage Garden

Vintage Garden was perfect for coffee, cakes, cocktails and all sorts of grub (what more could you ask for though?) With a shabby chic vibe it was definitely a spot for Instagram bloggers and, although I didn’t see many vegan options, the vegetarian pastas were nothing but goodness, and this is definitely a great place for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. I had the spinach and ricotta tortellini, and for dessert, the Oreo blueberry cheesecake (heaven).

2.

during our week in Buda. You could also get great drinks here, and there were lots of other stalls which offered a variety of tantalising options. There was even some traditional goulash available (with a vegetarian twist of course).

(we went a little overboard and bought more slices than anyone else in sight) but it was so affordable that it was hard to say no.

6.

"Budapest’s answer to Birmingham’s ‘Digbeth Dining Club’"

Pizzica

Pizzica was incredible. No matter how much of a food snob you are, you can’t deny the heavenly goodness that is pizza. You pay by slice for these pieces of paradise and there’s vegan, vegetarian and meat choices alike.

The atmosphere here was also a major bonus. With funky artwork, tunes and decor, this really was one of my favourite quirky spots in Budapest and would be a viable option for lunch or dinner,

Karavan Street Food

This was Budapest’s answer to Birmingham’s ‘Digbeth Dining Club’. They had ‘Las Vegans’ - a stall that offered amazing vegan burgers and chips.

We had the Indian chickpea burger which was definitely the best veggie burger we consumed

Hummus Bar

Dotted around Budapest are tons of Hummus Bars. Again, this is a place for vegetarians and meat eaters alike, though the bars are part of a chain, so if you’re after something that’s more of an experience due to its uniqueness, this isn’t the place for you.

The portions here were very generous - think mountains of olives and dollops of hummus and tahini - and, as with most of these places, it was very affordable and great for a lunch option.

As most of the area was open air, we couldn’t return as we didn’t have the best weather.

If you’re visiting in the peak of summer though, this should definitely be top of your list as the atmosphere was fab.

3.

smoothies. This is not one to miss if you enjoy more unconventional concoctions, and is perfectly located not far from the river Danube.

4.

Szimply

5.

TokMag

The avocado toast at this place was (szimply) to die for. With roasted chickpeas, sourdough bread, rosemary, sundried tomato and basil, it was the perfect mixture of both aesthetic and taste goodness.

Again, the tunes in this place offered a retro throwback, and there was all sorts of interesting drinks on offer. The staff were also very friendly and there was a very quirky vibe about the whole place, especially since it was located down an almost secret side street.

7.

Napfenyes

Again, another wholly vegan joint.

As a vegetarian, I love trying out vegan restaurants abroad as it gives me greater peace of mind knowing there could be no crosscontamination.

If you’re like me and into trying new things, this is definitely the place for you as there was lots

Another great spot for if the weather’s good - there’s not much seating available so be prepared to take a seat in the open air. Tokmag is a fully vegan joint with a street food vibe, offering great burgers, sandwiches, vegetable crisps and a good selection of homemade

Food of the Month: Mushrooms Phoebe Radford Food Editor

You most probably did not know that September was national mushroom month. Yes, that’s right, a whole month dedicated to our favourite fungi. Whether you like them stuffed, fried, or battered with garlic, the humble mushroom has rather impressive nutritional qualities.

Whilst very low in calories, fat and sodium, mushrooms are a good source of fibre and vitamins and minerals. B vitamins found in mushrooms are known to aid digestion and the nervous system, as well as helping the production of hormones.

Mushrooms are also a great source of the mineral selenium, which acts as an antioxidant and helps to protect against cell damage that could possibly cause heart disease and some cancers.

Most of us do not get enough potassium in our diets, but it’s an important mineral that helps to control blood

Halloumi and Mushroom burgers

pressure and maintain healthy function of nerves and muscles.

So mushrooms are good for you, and very tasty and easy to cook in many different ways.

Here are a few easy ideas of how to eat your ‘shrooms.

What you need: Large Portobello mushrooms Halloumi

Cheesy Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms:

Burger buns

What you need:

Salad as garnish

Large Portobello mushrooms

Method:

Bread crumbs Cheese (any type of cheese will be ok) Oil Garlic Parsley

Method: These mushrooms are very simple and easy to make.

Take your mushrooms, remove the stem and then roast them in the oven at 180º for about 20 minutes, until they’re soft.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix bread crumbs, garlic, oil, parsley, and your cheese. You can get creative and add in more ingredients, like peppers or tomatoes.

You want the mixture to be a little sticky, but don’t add in too much oil. Spoon this mix into your roasted mushroom, and then bake until the stuffing has gone crispy.

Another easy recipe, but you could jazz these up to your own tastes, perhaps adding in some caramelised onions, some pickles, mustard, whatever you normally like in a burger.

For the mushroom, simply roast your until they’re soft, which will probably be about 20 minutes at 180º. Slice your halloumi and fry off until sufficiently browned on both sides.

Serve in a burger bun with salad and any sauces you fancy.

of traditional Hungarian options available. We opted for the not so wild option of pizza though, and shared a mixed vegetable pizza, which had the creamiest vegan cheese I’ve ever tasted, and also their version of a Hawaiian pizza.

My main disappointment with this place however was the fact they didn’t serve alcohol, which is just what we wanted after a day of chilling out in the thermal baths.

Not to worry though, Budapest is full of plenty of good drinking spots, our favourite being ‘Kuplung’, which had a great indie vibe and offered half price drinks on a Monday.

FOOD & DRINK

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbrickfood

29

Cooking for One Plus More

Food&Drink Editors Caitlin Dickinson and Emma Chambers give us the lowdown on cooking at uni Practicality

Cooking for one

This is most likely to be a brand new experience when you start university. It encompasses multiple life lessons of quantity, budgeting, practicality and planning.

In developing your independence in the first semester of starting university, this may all seem very overwhelming! But do not fear, the best and most efficient cooking comes with practice, patience (this involves going wrong and making mistakes) and being creative as you go.

Quantity

To know how much or how little to make is a difficult skill when cooking is new to you. A good idea is to measure out dry carbs like pasta, rice and cous cous in the bowl you intend to eat out from. This enables you to grasp portion size before you cook and add extras.

It is highly unlikely that every night you will eat a full roast dinner or splash the cash on microwave meals. To compensate for this, shopping on a weekly or fortnightly basis and buying practical foods to last will save you time and money in the long term. Food such as fresh meat, and vegetables may be delicious but go off quicker than their frozen counterparts.

To solve this, buying good quality frozen meat and vegetables lasts longer and is cheaper!

Creativity

This may be key to surviving in the kitchen. Sometimes food you planned to eat may go off, or after a night out you may have eaten all the food you prepped for the next day. This is essential when you have to put together unlikely ingredients to eat!

Veggie Florentine Pizza Serves 5

You will need: 200g passata

Method: Heat oven to 200 degrees.

Spread 2 tbsp of passata of flatbread. Scatter spinach on top leaving a gap in the centre. Add mozzarella and garlic.

Carefully crack an egg in the middle. Season with basil. Bake for 7 minutes. Make sure the egg is cooked.

Once cooked. Cut into slices and share with everyone!

5 large flatbreads Large bag of spinach

Patience

It can be easy and tempting to just buy a £1 pizza, shove it in the oven and your meal is sorted. Yet, this is actually more expensive than cooking from scratch or cooking in a batch. Most people do come to university inexperienced in cooking (myself one of them),but to gather the skills to cook for one, you need to keep trying and testing with ingredients until you get it right!

your housemates to make, it is easy, quick and simple as the traditional 'florentine' pizza uses flatbreads instead of dough.

Cooking for more than one

Whether you have just settled into halls or a house with new/old housemates. Here is a cheap as chips recipe to do as a flat/house one evening, I mean who could say no to bonding over food?

This recipe is perfect for you and

1 garlic clove 3 balls of mozarella (torn) 5 eggs Basil

Finding the Yum in Brum Food&Drink Editor Phoebe Radford explores the city's food scene Regular Food Events Digbeth Dining Club DDC was voted Best Street Food Event in the UK, and it’s not hard to see why. Held every Friday and Saturday in the heart of Digbeth, each night offers plenty of choice from different food traders who are there on a rotating basis, so you can go week after week and still try something new.

Highlights include Buddha Belly’s amazing Thai food, the English Indian’s twist on traditional fish and chips and The Flying Cow’s burgers, winners of best burger at the 2017 British Street Food Awards.

DDC is held at Spotlight, Lower Trinity Street, Digbeth.

a varied vibe. Fridays offer an after work/pre-party vibe with street food and drink. Saturdays have live music and DJs alongside food, cocktails, and craft beer.

Sundays are more chill, with a bottomless brunch and DJs.

Hawker Yard

Birmingham Tequila Festival The festival vibe will be strong at the Rainbow venues this Saturday, with tequila flowing, live music and processions, performers, and piñatas to bash.

Cheese Fest Birmingham Featuring cheese traders and street food stalls, this is every cheese-lovers heaven on earth.

Think melter raclette, mozzarella sticks, halloumi fries, mac n’ cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches and everything else cheesy.

There will also be craft beers and wine. Can you think of anything better? I can’t.

Tickets available at cheesefestuk.com.

German Christmas Markets The markets are back! Taking over Victoria Square and New Street, it is the largest German market outside of Germany or Austria. There are over 120 stalls selling all sorts of food and drink, but also traditional German goods. It’s a lovely atmosphere and makes a great day out for large groups of friends.

Saturday 18th November, 10.0018.00, Custard Factory, Birmingham.

Hawker Yard is open Fridays 17.00-00.00, Saturdays 12.0000.00, Sunday 12.00-22.00 and can be found at 62-70 Pershore Street.

Harborne School Yard Market

Hawker Yard is a street food venue with resident and guest street food traders. This past spring/summer, resident traders were Burgerilla and Mr Bailey’s Jerk Shack. Previous resident vendors have included The Vegan Grindhouse, Dim Sum Su, The Mexican Bean, BAKE, and more.

Keep an eye on their social media accounts and website for upcoming collaborations.

Hawker Yard is open three evenings/nights a week, each with

Upcoming Annual Events

Every Saturday sees the School Yard turn into a market with a street food focus. The food stalls rotate each week, so you can go back each week and not get bored.

The food is globally inspired, ranging from Caribbean curry and plaintain to New Orleans and Canadian-inspired dishes.

Cocktails and craft beer are on offer to wash it all down, and then you can browse all the fashion and vintage stalls.

If the food on offer isn't too your taste, then you could always head to one of Harborne's many restaurants, like The Plough, Boston Tea Party, Prezzo, and more.

Every Saturday, 12.00-18.00, Harborne School Yard.

BBC Winter Good Food Show The bar will be stocked with over 30 different types of tequila and offering a menu of tequila cocktails. Prepare yourself for the booze by lining your stomach with tacos and fajitas from street food vendors.

Redbrick Food have had press tickets to BBC Good Food shows for the past two years, so if this is something you’re interested in going to and you’d like to write a review, keep an eye out for announcements!

The Rainbow Venues, Saturday 7th October, 15.00-22.00.

"Over 30 different types of tequila" Oktoberfest Oktoberfest has moved from Cannon Hill Park to Eastside Park in the city centre. There will be bratwurst, Bavarian music, and, of course, lots of beer. Their tent has capacity for 2,500 people and you can buy a package to book a table with beer and food. Tickets and packages are available online at Birmingham-oktoberfest.co.uk.

Featuring live demonstrations and over 500 exhibitors of brands and independent producers, the BBC Good Food Show promotes all things good in food!

18th - 22nd October, Eastside Park.

30th November – 3rd December, Birmingham NEC.

16th November - 24th December, Victoria Square and New Street.

Pizza and Prosecco Festival There is a lot of good stuff going on in this line up. 20 different types of prosecco as well as prosecco cocktails, pizza, more street food, and live music. Held at the Rainbow venues, this event has already proved to be popular, with only final release tickets still available. If you want a slice of the action, head to skiddle.com to buy your ticket.

16th December, 14.00-22.00, The Rainbow Venues.

30

TRAVEL

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricktravel

Travel Diary: Europe Inter-Rail Kat Smith & Elin Kaemmer-Bailey

Our Advice

Travel Writers

With a great desire to travel but an inability to commit to the rather overwhelming prospect of organising a gap year, inter-railing Europe proved to be a wildly exhausting but utterly thrilling, bitesize alternative. Ditching a basic level of personal hygiene and your daily quota of Tetley tea to explore the lively capitals of Europe is a daunting prospect which requires a great deal of organisation and commitment.

However, it is undoubtedly the best way to consolidate your first year friendships, making a lifetime of memories and perhaps becoming a little friendlier with your overdraft in the process.

Italy We flew from London Stansted to Rome, where we stayed for three nights before taking a two and a half hour flight to stay in Florence for two nights. Both cities provided stunning scenery and amazing pizza; Dolmio day was every day!

I favoured the riverside atmosphere in Florence to the hustle and bustle of the Italian capital.

However, Rome is jam-packed with bucket list attractions: the Colosseum, Vatican City and the Trevi Fountain. In spite of the sore feet, those first three days left us feeling like seasoned travellers already. We were full of good food and felt incredibly cultured upon leaving the beautiful sights of Italy.

Our time in Florence coincided with a public holiday, St. John’s day, which featured parades through the city and historical battle re-enactments (...we all make our own fun). In the evening there was a beautiful fireworks display over the city, a magical close to our brief time in Italy.

When planning your travels, definitely research public holidays and special events to attend in advance.

Be flexible: acknowledge that not every place is going to be the same price and your spending will fluctuate

Ljubljana

Krakow

Budapest

Ljubljana was definitely a hidden gem – initially intended as a stop between Italy and Croatia. It's so important to go off the beaten track when interrailing and to explore less popular destinations.

This paid off as we ended up falling in love with the idyllic city, its parks and cheap restaurants.

Everything was a highlight.

Considering I couldn’t even pronounce the name of the city we visited, I allowed myself no expectations and was therefore wonderfully surprised.

When arriving in Krakow, we didn’t have many expectations, which made the ridiculously low price of everything even sweeter.

We loved the Jewish Quarter, where we visited a ‘quote café’ that serve your coffee with a little slip of paper with, you guessed it, a quote. The food at Krowarzywa Vegan Burger was also filling and cheap enough to satisfy both veggies and meat-eaters.

Staying in the Goodbye Lenin Hostel appealed to both my love for history and bright décor. Our 8-bed dorm meant we met lots of fellow travellers and stayed up late chatting about everything from the price of grapes in Australia to our plans for the future (deep). It was surreal at times (the street performers were questionable at best) but we enjoyed our short time in Poland.

It’s clear to see why Budapest is so popular with almost everyone who visits – there’s an abundance to do for a fraction of the price.

Our night out to the famous ruin bar Szimpla Kert was the highlight of the time we spent in Budapest.

Szimpla is a spacious and ambient pub which featured a variety of mismatched rooms and bars to explore with live music, beers and cocktails. Although Budapest was generally cheap, the £8 I paid for a double vodka in the trendy ruin bars sure left a sour taste in my mouth.

Karavan on Kazinczy Utca provided us with budget-friendly but tasty street food. Burritos, pizza, vegan burgers, sushi, we were spoilt for choice! We were flexible with our budgets and accepted that we couldn’t indulge in restaurant meals every day.

"Everything was a highlight" Needless to say, a great deal of your time during an interrailing trip will be spent either on a train or waiting for one. I kept reminding myself to enjoy the train journeys as part and parcel of the experience. After all, they’re probably the most expensive part!

A memorable train journey was between Villach and Ljubljana, it departed at 5am and carried us through the most beautiful landscapes in rural Slovenia. Watching the sun rise behind the magnificent mountain ranges is not an everyday experience, which made the early morning that little bit more bearable (especially as Kat was sleeping).

Be realistic: be honest with yourself about how much you can save/how much you'll need to spend Write it down: keep a note of your spending to make you think twice before making unnecessary purchases Be patient: hold out for cheaper, less-touristy places when it comes to food

"It was a difficult, surreal and emotional day" Visiting the largest extermination camp of the Holocaust, Auschwitz, was not easy. It was a difficult, surreal and emotional day, but also a very important and memorable experience. It’s a place everyone should visit if they have the chance.

Best of Britain: Shaldon Izzy Detheridge

Travel Writer

'It’s the epitome of British clichés', I groaned, when I heard we were going to Devon this year for

our summer holiday. Forget the sun and sand of our usual August destination in the Mediterranean, I was condemned to eternal drizzle and zero chance of swimming in the sea.

Despite this, I was glad of the

change from a four-hour flight to a couple of hours on the motorway, and we felt extremely welcome at our accommodation, Devon Valley Holiday Village.

The resort had an impressive indoor swimming pool, games room and entertainment lounge, and our chalet itself was the perfect size for four guests, with cosy rooms and excellent washroom and kitchen facilities.

The weather couldn’t have been better during our stay in Shaldon – a real blessing. The cataclysmic nightmare of a holiday I imagined was history. We entered a different world descending the wooded cliff face to Babbacombe Beach – where we actually managed to swim – and discovering Ness Beach through an ancient smugglers’ tunnel. The gigantic cliffs, smooth red beach

and endless sea and sky when we emerged were intense. Shaldon Zoo was a gem - its seclusion upon a cliff allowed tranquillity and time to get the perfect photograph without being mobbed.

Teignmouth Grand Pier’s

"Go discover Britain. But take a brolly with you, just in case!"

Victorian architecture is as breathtaking as standing a hundred metres out to sea, viewing the magnificent coastal landscape. In Shaldon, I learned the meaning of not judging a book by its cover.

Unsurprisingly, I felt quite

guilty for being cynical about my home country after my amazing experiences. My preconceptions of a “British holiday” were completely wrong, and I enjoyed Devon as much as I have enjoyed cruises around the Med. Really, go discover Britain. But take a brolly with you, just in case!

TRAVEL

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricktravel

31

Insight Into: Teaching English in China Laura Mosley Travel Writer

With English becoming an increasingly popular language across the world and a lingua franca for business and global communications, the demand to speak it is high. So naturally, TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) has taken off too. With a multitude of programs online, the 120-hour course offers the chance for native speakers to equip themselves with the skills to teach the language and then jet off across the world in pursuit of adventure – getting paid to do it in the process. Rather than spending my summer training at the confines of my laptop, I opted to fly halfway across the world to China for an experience I’ll never forget.

I decided to complete my TEFL through Gotoco, an enterprise aimed specifically at university students. They’ve visited the university before to advertise their scheme and this is where they first caught my eye. The sign-up process is quick and simple, offering a wealth of information for an inexperienced traveller such as myself.

They organise the placement andoffer guidance regarding obtaining a VISA and booking flights.

They also put me in touch withother students on my placement through a messaging app called WeChat, giving me the chance to get to know people beforehand – we even organised a trip to Shanghai before the TEFL program started!

The largest costs involved in the program were the flights and visa.

My visa cost me around £181, including the price of doing it through an agency. My flights just surpassed £900 and included two stopovers each way; an absolute killer. However, my misfortune was due to booking last minute and you can get cheaper flights if you book as early as possible.

I arrived in Shanghai on the 22nd of July to excruciating forty-

degree heat (the hottest it had ever been in Shanghai since records began), spending four nights there before getting a train to Hangzhou on the 26th of July. I was picked up from the train station and delivered to a beautifully air-conditioned hotel and met my host family the next day. The program took place at Echo English in Hangzhou and lasted three weeks before I flew back on the 21st of August, however some of the other volunteers continued their Asian adventure, travelling to places such as Beijing, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Much like moving into a flat of strangers in first year, it can be hard to get to grips with a new set of people. The major difference with this, however, is that you have both a language barrier and cultural differences to cope with too. One of the most common questions I’ve been asked is “How did you manage to live with a host family? I wouldn’t be able to do it.” But it’s not as hard as you think. The family are very welcoming, after all, they’ve chosen to have a guest in their house and therefore treat you with respect. Due to the vastness of

Hangzhou (it’s population is larger than that of London), most families inhabit small-scale apartments, so there is the risk of you getting under each other’s feet. However, I was still provided with my own room with a double bed, so I always had the chance to relax and have some alone time when I needed to.

The language barrier was at times difficult, since in my instance only the mother of the family could speak English.

Therefore, I always needed to communicate through her if I wanted to speak to other nonEnglish speakers within the family. Some volunteers had the luck of being placed in an entire English-speaking family, but I was far more limited. All the host families had young children who were learning English so many evenings were spent interacting with them. However, living with young children can be difficult as they often tire quickly which means days out can be cut short.

Thankfully, I spent a lot of time with the other volunteers and made a few Chinese friends of my own so I still managed to fit a lot of sightseeing.

One thing I quickly learned is that Chinese admin is not quite the same as in the West. We were provided with three days training (in addition to our online training), and then thrown into a classroom with the expectation to teach children English for three weeks. There was a lot of thinking

"One student spent the three weeks sleeping at his desk... while others attacked each other with paper airplanes." on my feet, as I had to navigate myself around a classroom of 8-10 year olds, showing huge variation in their language abilities.

This age group is challenging to say the least: one student spent the three weeks sleeping at his desk, occasionally opening his eyes to murmur a response to a

question, whilst others spent time attacking each other with paper airplanes. The teaching itself was enjoyable but there were times when the class were so uncontrollable I had to sit on a chair in the corner, whilst the Chinese co-teacher yelled at them in their native language until they would eventually calm down (if I was lucky). Peppa Pig was a great soothing agent (Peppa is an A-list celebrity out in China) when a game of musical chairs got too rowdy. But the children were great fun and I had my favourites who I’ll miss.

You’ll notice out in China is how cheap everything is, and consequently, how expensive everything is in the UK. A ride on the bus is 2RMB (around 23p) and a ride on the metro is about twice as much, which makes London prices seem staggering. A meal out, if you choose the right place to go, can be as cheap as 16RMB (around £1.88), which makes me think that a bowl of noodles from Wagamama is surely fraud. China is full of both the traditional and contemporary – most cities offer a selection of temples and traditional gardens, whilst in the backdrop you’ll be able to see modern skyscrapers. My favourites included West Lake, famous for its beauty and historic relics, as well.

China is well known for its censorship and consequently, you need to have a VPN when travelling in order to access social media such as Facebook and Instagram. It’s easy to download paid VPNs (I recommend ExpressVPN) through the Apple or Amazon store. However, despite this the Internet was often poor and our Western privilege of constant connection became apparent.

Moving in with my host family, I realised I’d have to become a meat-eater. Upon reflection I’m glad I abandoned my vegetarianism for the trip as I got to try everything from duck head, to chicken feet, to jellyfish.

How to: Travel the UK on a Budget Phoebe Christofi

Travel Writer

Before I arrived in Birmingham, I devoted August to becoming acquainted with the UK. My friends back home in Australia couldn’t understand the attraction. They would have much preferred their Instagram and Facebook feeds being clogged with shots from Paris or Barcelona, but it was green fields and the occasional cow that awaited them.

Every traveller is different which means that every traveller has different priorities. Some are foodies and spend all their money on the trendiest meal of the week, which would often involve avocado. Others prefer to spend their money on the finer things in lifesuch as a city's local beverage.

I, however, prefer to save my money when it comes to food and drink and spend it on activities.

Backpackers are not unfamiliar with a good old budget. You can only get so far in discovering a city when you start to feel the tightening of your purse strings whether you intend to or not. If like me, you’re interested in a city's festivals, exhibitions and events, then you may have to sacrifice the odd pint or gourmet meal.

London has an oasis of activities, and luckily for the public, many exhibitions and galleries are free to view. All the same, you can’t go to London and simply not see a show. Last minute tickets can be pricey, but if you go to enough websites, it’s quite simple to find a cheap ticket with an average seat. That’s exactly what I did, allowing me to see Les Miserables and Wicked for under £40 each. For the following days, I lived off of £1 Tesco sandwiches and a packet of almonds, but it was definitely worth it.

I wholeheartedly believe that the best things a city can offer are free, and most of the locations and events I wanted to discover in Edinburgh were just that – meaning I could indulge in a pint or five and possibly some avocado if I felt especially daring.

This event draws thousands every year and thankfully, they have hundreds of free performances for poor students like you and me. By taking advantage of the free events within a city, you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.

Arthur's Seat: an extinct volcano which upon climbing enables you to see the best view that Edinburgh has to offer; the city in its entirety. Likewise, during my travels in Edinburgh was the iconic Fringe Festival.

32

LIFE & STYLE

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricklife

The Power of Being You Life&Style writer Hannah Strong explains the importance of not trying to fit into the status quo, by being yourself at university Hannah Strong Style writer

University can be a daunting experience. Whether you’re a first year student or final year student, there is always pressure, periods of stress, and sometimes high expectations. Yet at the same time, university will be some of the best years of your life. There’s the chance to challenge yourself in more ways than you thought possible. It’s also the time to figure out who you are and what you want to do for the rest of your life.

These 3 to 4 years at university are a vital learning experience, but it can be easy to lose yourself in the process.

The start of the uni year seems to come with the common perception that you can change and become anything you want to.

Yes, university does allow you to experiment with new activities, but at the same time we’re all unique and are all individuals with different quirks that make us “us”. We can always try new activities and meet new people but if we end up changing the core of who we are in the process, we lose sight of who we really are The pressure at the beginning of the academic year can be huge, particularly for first years. There is also so much hype about Fresher’s week and what it entails.

Freshers and the first term in general is a great time! You meet people (who will potentially

become your friends for life), you might have moved away from home for the first time, and you’re learning how life works at university. It’s also a time of panic and wanting to “fit in” with everyone you meet.

It may seem okay at the time to follow the crowd, but it can eventually become tiring, especially if you don’t like or agree with what they are doing. For example, freshers has become culturally associated with drinking. If you love drinking, great – go ahead, have fun and be safe. If drinking isn’t your forte, that’s absolutely fine too. It may feel like the most important thing to drink with your housemates or do what everyone else is doing, but if you’re not feeling up to it, don’t do it. Don’t compromise who you are, your values or your opinions for the sake of “fitting in” or being accepted. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s so important to remain true to who you are and what you believe in; and I guarantee that you’re not the only one wanting to stay in. There are plenty of other activities to do during first term that will help you make friends We live in such a changing environment where there’s a new gadget to purchase or a new "cool" genre of music to listen to every other week. Similar to the pressures of fresher’s, it may feel essential to keep up with these trends so that people will like you and accept you. Reality check it’s pretty impossible (both liter-

ally and financially) to keep up.

As individuals, we all have our own tastes which make us "us", and having these little quirks is essential at university. When things get a little too much, whether it’s a deadline or you’re just missing home, we come to rely on the things that make us happy to get through it.

''At the end of the day, we can't change who we are'' As ridiculous as they may be, the things you like and obsess over will be the things that people admire about you. Whether you’re obsessed with a band, love Disney movies or wear bumblebee tights, don’t be scared to showcase these things and talk about them.

Chances are these quirks will spark friendships and, by final year, you will have a pretty close knit circle of friends who love you for who you are. Having a close knit group who accept you for being you is far more important than having loads of friends who hardly know you and that you don’t have common interests with.

By being yourself and embracing it, you’re helping yourself out.

When it does come to those meltdowns, which can feel pretty lonely, those friends who appreciate you for who you are will be

the ones able to comfort and help you, not those you changed to fit in with.

University doesn’t stop for anyone. Before you know it, you’re in final year questioning where the past two years went. So spend it wisely. Don’t spend it unhappy or pretending to like something you really don’t.

University truly is about trying new things and learning more about yourself - so do what makes you happy. If you want to take up dance lessons, or learn to play a musical instrument, just do it! Do something that will fulfil you and I promise the rest will fall into place.

At the end of the day, we can’t change who we are. Living a lie will only catch up to you and make you unhappy. So be you.

Embrace everything that you are and everything that you love.

University is already such a transformative experience; you don’t need the added pressure of trying to be something that you’re not.

As cliché as it may sound, in the future you’ll only look back and regret not being yourself. Who you are is more than enough to have the best time at university, and will help you find yourself and everything you want much quicker. Be you. Be amazing. And most importantly, trust yourself and have fun on this journey we call university.

4

Do you have opinions on this article? Tell us: @redbrickpaper

City Life: The Best of Brum Life&Style writer Bethan Lewis reveals some of Birmingham's hidden gems in the city

Independent Shops

Craft Beers & Alcohol

Fitness

Food Quarters

Brum Couture

Birmingham has a vast array of independent shops and is home to Swordfish Records on Dalton Street, selling new and used vinyl as well as collectables and CDs. As one of the few record shops in the Midlands, it’s well worth the visit, having many famous customers over the years such as The Foo Fighters, Neil Diamond and Franz Ferdinand. For make-up lovers, Cocktail Cosmetics situated in the Custard Factory stocks niche brands like Violet Voss, Sigma, Morphe, and Gerard Cosmetics, which can’t easily be found in your local Boots or Superdrug.

If high quality craft beer is up your street then you should visit Clink Beer, a boutique off-licence selling unusual beers from around the world, such as chocolate ice-cream beer from Sweden, and cucumber-flavoured tzatziki beer from Liverpool. And for alcohol closer to home, why not try Drinks 2 Go in Selly, your one stop shop to more expensive, premium alcohol?

Still not persuaded? It's also 100% the friendliest off-licence you will come across, where every purchase comes with a complimentary lollipop. You will not be disappointed.

PureGym is a reliable and highly recommended gym which offers 24-hour access from just £10.99 per month, with a wide range of classes to suit everyone from boot camp, cycling, Zumba, or even ladies’ only classes. If you’re looking for a gym in Edgbaston, 24/7 Fitness on Hagley Road contains a sauna and steam room on top of fitness classes, free weights and a boxing area. The best bit?

There’s only a £20 joining fee. Or equally, head on down to Yoga heaven for classes such as hot yoga and candlelit classes to relax after a day of lectures!

Birmingham has ample amounts of restaurants and fast food places to choose from. Firstly, only a fiveminute walk from the Bullring, the Chinese Quarter has great Chinese cuisine at student friendly prices. For your much-needed food after a night out in Snobs, head to Dixy’s Chicken just around the corner to soak up all the cheap booze and recover from the hours of dancing.

Birmingham is also known as the birthplace of the Balti in the late 70’s, so take a trip to the famous Balti Triangle if you want to truly experience the best Brum has to offer.

Vintage Hideaway, an intimate boutique in Selly Oak, is filled with vintage bargains, specializing in vintage, retro, collectible, and handmade items. Off the Scale is a profit free clothing store selling recycled and up-cycled clothes in order to raise awareness of the stigmas that surround depression. For men’s fashion in Brum, Autograph sells international designer labels, as well as chic and stylish clothing and shoes, with Esquire magazine ranking it as one of the five finest menswear boutiques in the UK.

LIFE & STYLE

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricklife

The Relationship Debate Samantha Callaghan defends being in a relationship at uni, while Phoebe Hughes-Broughton argues for the single life

In a Relationship Modern day relationships are difficult and pressurised enough as it is, without their “worth” being evaluated by everyone else. Everyone has an opinion on issues which don’t concern them, which is something I’ve certainly experienced by choosing to continue my relationship when moving to Birmingham.

The general ideology I’ve encountered is a negative one, met with grimaces and the classic line “ooh, you’re brave” as if it’s the expectation to be single, and I’m made to feel like some kind of naïve fool for still being in a relationship.

There is a definite pressure to be single when starting uni, as if it’s the “done thing” to just end a relationship before you go, regardless of feelings or circumstances, and your uni experience will be “spoiled” somehow by having a partner.

Some people assume that you’ll be antisocial and avoid interaction with course mates and flat mates in favour of Skyping your significant other all night, every night.

But in my case, this couldn’t be further from the truth. My boyfriend in fact encourages me to go out, socialise and try new things. He understands my personal journey to get here, as he was there to help

me revise for every A Level exam and support me through every breakdown, which he continues to do through uni.

Contrary to what some believe, he would never dream of hindering either my academic or social success, intentionally or otherwise.

Instead he shares my passion and excitement and helps me find my way back onto the right path when things get too much or I lose sight of what I’m doing. I choose not to be defined by my relationship status and why should I be? I am my own person, making my own decisions, and enjoying my life and university experience to the full - no less than someone who is single.

Ultimately, there is absolutely no shame in being in a relationship whilst at uni, and the stigma attached to it, in my opinion, is ridiculous and damaging. Of course, there is always the chance it won’t work out, because who knows what the future holds? But equally there is a chance it could go the distance. Yes, it is a risk. But in my case, one I am happy I have taken. If anything, I would say it has enhanced my uni experience.

So far, so good.

Being Single As someone who is rather partial to a drink or two – or three, or four – on a night out, I think that being single at university has saved me a lot of hassle. If a guy starts chatting me up at a bar, I don’t have to remember through my drunken haze whether me and that guy I’ve been seeing are actually exclusive. When I see a hot guy in a club, I can walk up to him with all the alcohol-induced confidence I can muster, rather than sadly letting him walk away because I have a boyfriend waiting for me at home.

''Being single... lets you experience true automony" Don’t get me wrong when I do get home it can be boring knowing that there’s no one waiting for me to call them, or worrying if I don’t text them to say I’ve survived the night. But that’s what friends are for. Name a situation and, as long as they’re decent people, your friends can fill in for your boyfriend in many ways. Friends should care whether you made it home alright, or if you want a cuddle because you’re feeling

low; and besides, friends are definitely more willing to watch a cheesy rom-com to cheer you up than most boyfriends would be.

''Ultimately, I am not my relationship status" Being single at university lets you experience true autonomy – both the hardships, and the happy times.

You can cook what you want when you want, and every weekend is a chance to do whatever you like without considering another person’s interests or opinions; it just means that you might have to work a little bit harder to find a human hot water bottle on a night out if you want someone in your bed when you wake up. It can be scary, and lonely, and cold; but for every bad time, there is always the exhilaration of a night out, the freedom of dinner alone, or the calm of a quiet night in with a film of your choice. I have my independence, and I wouldn’t give it up for all the boyfriends (or girlfriends) in the world. Ultimately, I am not my relationship status!

Interior Design on a Budget Life&Style writer Caitlin Steele reveals her top ways to invest in interior design for your uni room, without breaking the bank

Photos Photos of family, friends, pets, places you’ve been on holiday – photos of absolutely anything that makes you happy! There are loads of photo apps to use; FreePrints give you 45 free prints a month with £1.49 postage, and Snapfish offers 50 free a month with £2.99 delivery. I ended up in the smallest room in my house this year, but covering the walls in photos has transformed it from dull and drab to cozy and inviting. Postcards, posters and bunting can also help renovate a room, giving it that personalised touch, as well as helping you feel more settled by surrounding yourself with happy memories and things you love.

Fairy Lights Another personal favourite of mine to help your room feel more like home are fairy lights. Primark do an amazing selection of different coloured lights, with simple copper wires ones for £2 and lovely star shaped ones for £4. Wilkos, Ebay and Amazon also offer some cheap, simple options, with WHSmiths and Paperchase offering slightly more expensive but interesting creative alternatives. The main light in my room is quite dull and gives a harsh light, so fairy lights help brighten the room, adding to the cozy feel. It’s also worth buying a lamp if you haven’t got one already, to make the room bright and welcoming.

Bed Sheets Potentially my favourite part of decorating a new room (after the photos!) is the bed linen. I really love picking a new duvet set because there are just so many options to choose from! I tend to favour anything bright and loud – and potentially clashing with the rest of my décor. Primark Home is a personal favourite, as they have some amazing colourful, patterned duvet sets.

They’ve also got some great simpler options, all with prices that don’t break the bank! Primark and Wilkos are also fab for throws, cushions and rugs, which all tie wonderfully together to make a room feel more like home.

Reminders from Home Finally, if you’re (unlike me) lucky enough to have a big desk and lots of surfaces, I’d recommend putting out a few trinkets and reminders from home around your room. Whilst it’s exciting to go out and buy a new everything for this new chapter, there’s something to be said for keeping your childhood teddy, trusted alarm clock, or favourite jewelry stand to make the room feel a little homelier. Whether you favour a busier, colourful look, or prefer to keep things organized and minimalist, mixing in some belongings from home can help the room feel less like a hotel, and more like your own.

33

Manthropology

by Yatin Arora Given that Milan and Paris Women’s Fashion Weeks are just around the corner, I decided to do some research to see what really makes a man stylish in 2017, so, in traditional Redbrick ‘style’, I asked some of Birmingham’s handsome male occupants what pressures they believe men are under to look a certain way, and who they believe their style inspirations to be.

Style Elevation Name: Hamza Zaman Course: Computer science (first year) Answer: "For me, Alpha M is my style icon. Being stylish allows one to compensate for any short-fallings such as height. Alpha M is 5 foot 6, but the way he carries himself elevates him.

Being stylish gives you a confidence boost; it makes you feel special”.

Cultural Roots Name: Navraj Dhesi Course: History and political science (third year) Answer: “Men are concerned with being up to date with fashion. Some are obviously more self-conscious than others, it all depends upon the individual. Personally, I believe that it is not necessary to have particular icons or outlets that inspire style, keeping up to date with what is popular in our current generation is more important. I am Punjabi and my cultural roots have inspired me to dress a particular way in a certain environment – sticking to roots is important to me”.

Male Empowerment Name: Suraj Hallan Course: Law (second year) Answer: “Style is empowering; stylish people have an easier time and the world is more open to those who are stylish. If you walk into a job interview suited and booted with a nice watch, nice cufflinks, nice shoes, and a nice tie, you already have a competitive edge over anyone with an ill-fitted suit, untucked shirt and poorly groomed facial hair. Musicians, actors and fitness instructors all set the bar high for men. I am inspired by Maluma, Sean O’Pry, Colton Haynes, and Ed Westwick; I wouldn’t call it pressure, but they do spur me to take care of my hair and skin”.

If there is one thing that we can all agree on, it is that the Birmingham boys clearly know their style! From what we have seen on campus, it appears that individual taste and free will has definitely taken a backseat when determining what, and how, men conduct themselves; there is truly no ‘I’ in ‘style’. We’d love to hear what you think! Let us know by tweeting us at @RedbrickLife.

34

SCI & TECH

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricktech

Deceived by Sodium Valproate Creature Feature How withheld information about health risks has resulted in thousands of birth defects Ellen Heimpel

Sci & Tech Writer

Sodium Valproate is a drug used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder and even some migraines. It has recently come to light that it can cause birth defects and developmental problems in babies if taken by pregnant women. And the worst thing? These women could have been warned 40 years ago and were not.

The drug has a 10% risk of causing physical abnormalities in children and a 40% risk of developmental problems- including autism, lower IQ and learning disabilities. It is estimated that 20,000 children have been affected since the 1970s according to the Telegraph.

‘These warnings should have and could have been given in

1974’ stated Catherine Fox from not go on the package inserts, so the Fetal Anticonvulsant that there would be no danger of Syndrome Association. The the patient seeing it’. regulators of the drug Sodium Valproate is knew about the mainly used in the medpotential risk to icines Epilim, pregnant women Epicentre and Epival, when the drug which are used to was first licensed control seizures in for use in the epilepsy sufferers. control of epiRecently a survey Risk of child leptic seizures. carried out by developmental In addition, Epilepsy Action, problems healthcare profesEpilepsy Society, and sionals were Young Epilepsy warned that the drug revealed that 68% of the had been shown to have women they surveyed did negative effects on animal not remember receiving any foetuses and so had the potential kind of warning about the possito have the same effect on humans. ble negative side effects to pregHowever, they decided not to dis- nancy. close this to patients because they Epilepsy Action demand that thought it would cause them to the warnings be made mandatory. worry unnecessarily.

The They also wish to change the way Committee on Safety of Medicines that prescriptions for these drugs stated that the warning ‘should are issued. They argue that repeat

40%

prescriptions should not be carried out for more than a year with women of childbearing age, without face-to-face consultations- so they can be informed of all of the risks involved.

This case also opens up further questions about the way that medications, as a whole, are prescribed. Should the Government be able to decide what warnings we do and do not receive about the potential side effects to our health? The worry is that if every potential side effect was relayed it would whip the country into a frenzy, with people refusing to take the medicines that they need because of a minute risk to their health. However, in this case, the risk is not minute. Campaigners state that there is no argument and that they absolutely should have been warned, especially when considering the health risks to their unborn children.

The New iPhone: Technological Leap or Expensive Toy? Katie Jones Sci & Tech Editor

Sonal Tandon Sci & Tech Writer

“Say hello to the future” are the words which greet you on the iPhone website. If this slogan was used by any company other than Apple, it would probably be seen as a little pretentious. However, with the hype which always surrounds the release of every one of their products, you could argue that this statement is simply a reflection of reality.

While some people may have some issues with Apple as a company, there is no denying the enduring popularity of their iPhones.

Part of the allure for people buying the most recent iPhones are the cumulative technological advancements which are ready and waiting for the masses to explore at their fingertips. Nearly all iPhones, when released, challenge the capabilities of its predecessor with an abundance of new features. The iPhone 8 and X are no exception to this rule. Both are powered with the A11 Bionic multi-core processor - the fastest and most powerful chip in an iPhone to date - which not only enhances the performance of the device but also prolongs battery life by up to twelve hours due to four of the six cores in the processor being dedi-

cated to energy efficiency. This innovation vastly improves the new iPhones’ suitability for mobile gaming and augmented reality apps. In addition to this, both iPhones also boast wireless charging, water resistance and a 12MP camera - Apple’s best rear camera in a mobile phone to date.

As an even bigger step up, the iPhone X has left behind the traditional setup of previous models by completely ditching the home button in favour of a more streamlined screen without bevels. There

iPhone 8 and an eye-watering £999 for the cheapest iPhone X. Are the new features really worth the price? Especially as many of these new features are clearly added with a target market in mind: young people - the vast majority of whom just don’t have the money.

As someone who doesn’t have an iPhone, Sonal Tandon tells us why she was never impressed: I have often wondered what the hype was about iPhones.

has also been the introduction of facial recognition instead of touch ID, made necessary through the lack of a button, which Apple claim is actually safer than the original fingerprint technology, although it is still far from foolproof. Sounds all good, right? Let the price hit you like the realisation that a degree no longer equals a job: £699 for the cheapest

Never having owned one myself, I have never experienced the hypnotic lure that seems to send everyone to the nearest Apple store to procure the latest model.

Whether you’re Team Android or a self-confessed slave to Apple, there is no denying that an iPhone has become a must-have accessory in the so-called millennial age with their distinctive design and

user-friendly interface. Apple have always been clever enough to recognise trends and cash in on them (rose gold iPhones being the obvious example).

However, when the key features of a smartphone focus on aesthetics and a few snazzy features (even I was impressed with Siri when it came out),other aspects of the device are bound to suffer. The most obvious is durability (or the lack of it). Perhaps it is an unfortunate coincidence that the majority of iPhones I have seen have smashed screens, ranging from the few cracks in the corner to the complete spider web effect, most likely a result of the cheap, poor quality components from which iPhones tend to be manufactured.

I would hope, however, that the iPhone X would be a little more durable, especially with its glass casing, the ever-increasing price of their already expensive screen repair service and its hefty £999 price-tag.

Also, how can anyone justify that kind of money for a phone? I wouldn’t willingly go and carry a thousand pounds in my hands around the neighbourhood, in a queue or at a party. So why would I want to carry around the equivalent: a flashy iPhone X? As well as making yourself a target for theft (or giving yourself a heart attack if you misplaced it accidentally) why purchase the iPhone X when you can buy a more powerful computer for less?

Sharp Ribbed Salamander Ellen Heimpel Writer

We’ve all heard of animals that protect themselves by attacking others with sharp body parts; thousands of animals have horns or spikes as a means of protection. But what about those animals without an obvious means of defence?

Surely, they would have to come up with other ways of protecting themselves, right?

Wrong. At first look, the sharp-ribbed salamander looks harmless enough. It is a large grey-brown newt with a flat head and a back covered with small warts.

However, it has a secret weapon! When attacked, the sharpribbed newt pushes its ribs out of its body and forms a row of bones that act like poisonous barbs. Once threatened the bones rotate to an angle of 50° where they pierce the skin, a process that appears not to harm the newts in any way! The newts also secrete a poisonous substance onto their skin, which coupled with their sharp ribs, makes them potentially deadly... So there you go, let this newt be an example to us all. Even if you don’t look like much, you can still be a force to be reckoned with.

SCI & TECH

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricktech

Fare-Well to Uber?

The debate on whether Uber should stay in Birmingham Emilia Rose Sci & Tech Editor

Joseph McGrory Sci & Tech Writer

Since its inception in 2009, Uber has revolutionised the way we travel within our cities. With a few taps on your smartphone, a cheap, efficient ride will arrive at your location within minutes. Uber’s popularity has only increased as of late, with its logo emblazoned on more and more cars across the world.

However, accusations of sexism within its headquarters along with questions of the service’s safety (particularly for women) have plagued Uber. If this wasn’t enough, its business practices are also heavily criticised.

Uber’s failure to address these issues has undoubtedly influenced Transport for London’s decision to revoke its licence in September – a move that has been the subject of much controversy and has left many wondering if this is the beginning of the end for Uber.

In light of this, Emilia Rose and Joe McGrory discuss whether or not Birmingham should follow suit and ban Uber.

Uber should stay- Joseph Despite concerns regarding the service’s safety, Uber has introduced several safety measures to the market. When requesting a vehicle, you receive its licence plates and your driver’s name, so you’ll get into the correct car with the knowledge that your driver is registered with Uber. The app also allows you to track your vehicle’s arrival in real time, providing extra reassurance if you are travelling alone. In addition, all drivers are required to have been rated a minimum of 4.5 stars by their previous riders to maintain a high standard.

Although some are critical of

the hourly wage of Uber drivers, studies have shown that drivers can earn almost £9 an hour more than a regular taxi driver. Uber drivers themselves have praised the company’s flexible approach, with the main appeal being that drivers can work as much or as little as they want. As a result, many Uber drivers only work two or three days a week, using it to supplement their income. Uber also allows you to drive your own car (provided it complies with their regulations) which holds a high appeal for those wanting casual work. This, combined with the option to work as and when you please, makes it an attractive option.

If we were to ban Uber from Birmingham, the risk to students’ safety may increase. Many may choose to brave walking home instead of paying expensive black cab fares or risk using an unregistered taxi. Also, the innovation of Uber’s cashless fares means that there is no need to hunt for a cash machine down Broad Street at 3AM - surely that’s worth keeping?

Teach Uber A Lesson- Emilia There is no denying that Uber has made travel within large cities easier and more affordable, particularly for students. I have used Uber for doctors’ appointments, nights out and even to get me to campus in time for a deadline (which I unfortunately ended up missing regardless!). The cheap fares that Uber offers makes it possible to travel on a moment’s notice and to destinations that would not usually warrant a standard taxi. It also means that I can pay a few pounds to be driven around the corner from a friend’s house rather than having to brave the streets of Selly Oak alone in the dark.

Despite this, I think that Uber should have its licence revoked in

Sci & Tech Writer

Human Immunodeficiency Virus, better known as HIV, is a virus that can lead to the development of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is often fatal. Unlike most viruses, it cannot be completely eradicated from the body and has proved incredibly difficult to treat as a result.

Since its discovery in 1983, scientists have been working tirelessly to learn more about how HIV works, to find a treatment for those already infected and eventually develop an effective way to prevent new infections.

The development of antiretroviral drugs has produced remarkable results in allowing HIV positive patients to live a long and healthy life by suppressing the virus to almost undetectable levels. In 2016 there were 36.7 million people living with HIV worldwide and in cases where the virus is detected early, there is little to no difference in life expectancy compared to those who have

not acquired the virus. However, despite significant advances in treatment options, millions continue to die each year from HIV/ AIDS related causes.

The main issue that scientists have encountered in their quest for a cure is that the outer structure of HIV is constantly and rapidly changing as a result of the virus’ high mutation rate of its surface proteins. This means that the human immune system struggles to identify the virus and so HIV goes undetected at the point

"The antibody works by attacking three critical parts of the virus, making it more difficult for the virus to change and evolve resistance"

This Week in Science & Tech...

Uber set to appeal against TFL’s decision to revoke its license from London and will continue to operate for now.

Birmingham.

Why, you may ask? Because although Uber’s business model is brilliant in theory, there are real concerns about how the company operates in practice.

One of these concerns regards the professionalism of the drivers Uber employs. Between February 2014 and February 2015, thirtytwo cases of rape or sexual assault by an Uber driver were reported to police in London alone. This figure may just be a fraction of the true number, with many cases of sexual assault or harassment going unreported to the police and some women choosing to use Uber’s procedures to file complaints.

Uber has been criticised for failing to address these concerns via any long-term solution, instead preferring to slap a plaster on the problem, often by offering a refund.

This type of response may deal with one dodgy driver, but it fails to deal with the systemic issues underlying this behaviour.

Another issue with Uber is that the way it operates has created a monopoly over ride services instead of increasing competition.

The multinational company classifies drivers as ‘customers’ instead

of employees. This means it can avoid providing drivers with basic provisions such as sick pay and a fuel allowance - shifting these costs onto the drivers themselves, allowing Uber to maximise profits. This explains how Uber manages to keep fares so low and why traditional taxi companies have not followed suit. Currently, fares are up to 60% subsidised by the company’s wealthy shareholders, meaning that riders only pay a fraction of the true cost of the service. This of course excludes vehicle rental and training costs, paid by the drivers themselves.

As a result, many drivers have to work over fifty hours a week to earn the minimum wage. Not only is this unsustainable business model abusing its workers, it’s driving traditional taxis out of the market. The worry is that once Uber has the lion’s share of the market, they will be free to significantly increase their prices, with no competitors to challenge them.

Until Uber learns to play fair and keep its customers safe, ban it from Birmingham.

Major Breakthrough in HIV Fight Anna Pitts

35

of infection. Also, once the host is infected, the virus can mutate into multiple different strains which makes it impossible for the immune system to keep up and develop specific antibodies before the virus mutates again.

Previously, scientists have found that approximately one percent of patients are able to develop “broadly neutralising antibodies” which bind to structures on the surface of the virus called “spikes”. These remain identical among different strains, due to the fact that spikes do not mutate like the rest of the virus. This has opened up the possibility for these broadly neutralising antibodies to be used to attack multiple strains of the HIV virus.

Collaborative research by pharmaceutical company Sanofi and the US National Institutes of Health has been utilised to develop a powerful antibody that attacks 99% of HIV strains (BBC News) - findings which the International AIDS society has described as an “exciting breakthrough”.

This new antibody is formed

from a combination of three of these “broadly neutralising antibodies” to produce a “tri-specific antibody”. The antibody works by attacking three critical parts of the virus, making it more difficult for the virus to change and evolve resistance. The researchers have found that, even at “very low concentrations”, the new antibody has coverage across multiple HIV strains, with none of the twenty-four monkeys injected with the tri-specific antibody before exposure to HIV developing the virus.

The first clinical trials on humans are expected to begin in 2018, in order to determine whether the antibody can treat those already infected with HIV in addition to potentially providing a highly effective preventative treatment.

Although it will be years before such a treatment would be available for use, scientists are hoping the results will lead to the development of a vaccine for HIV which would revolutionise the way the disease is treated and managed.

Scientists in China have successfully performed DNA surgery to remove the genetic disease betathalassemia from embryos, paving the way for more innovative surgeries of this nature to be developed to combat other debilitating hereditary illnesses.

Giant rodents, four times the size of any other species of rat, have been discovered for the first time on the Solomon Islands.

Clorgyline, a common antidepressant which increases levels of the neurotransmitter catecholamine, has been found to reduce belly-fat in older mice. This is thought to be because low levels of catecholamine can hinder signals telling the body to burn excess fat.

Hundreds of small marine creatures have been detected off the coast of the US having come over from Japan after their massive tsunami in 2011.

After toddlers see their parents work hard in order to succeed, they themselves are more likely to persevere. So if you’re a lazy student, blame your parents!

36

Sport

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricksport

West Midlands Football Update

Sport Editor Alex Alton takes a look at football in the West Midlands so far this season West Bromwich Albion

Aston Villa

Birmingham City

The Premier League's sole West Midlands representative have started the season off as they left last, in rather average style. Whilst rarely turning heads in the "world's most entertaining league", Tony Pulis and his bunch of merry men strive for a consistency which is arguably unparalleled in Premier League history. Saying this, The Baggies have shown some ambition in the transfer market, signing highly rated Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, Premier League record appearance maker Gareth Barry and Scottish wonderkid Oliver Burke off the back of an unsuccessful season in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig.

They also managed to secure the signatures of high quality yet injury prone duo Jay Rodriguez and Kieran Gibbs.

Perhaps their most surprising success so far this season has been the signing of Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazy. The former Fiorentina man has chipped in with goals and decent defensive work so far. Results wise, Albion had been reasonably successful this season with early wins over Bournemouth, Burnley and Accrington Stanley in the Carabao Cup. September unfortunately took a turn for the worse, with the Baggies unable to register a win. Tony Pulis will hope that the club's October form will resemble that of August, rather than September.

Aston Villa started off with a 1-1 draw (Gabby Agbonlahor chipping in with a goal) against Hull.

Following this, they lost their first two away games to Cardiff and Reading. Since then, their fortunes have turned around.

The solid defensive partnership of John Terry and James Chesters means that Villa have transformed into a much more solid unit, conceding only one goal in their five September league games. They now lie 7th in the league table, and top of the form table with four wins and one draw in September.

Manager Steve Bruce has found somewhat of a saviour in largely unfancied youth striker Keinan Davis, who has shown maturity beyond his years leading the line for Villa recently.

After a very decent end to last season, most Villa fans would have been incredibly excited for this season. After 3 games, many supporters were calling for Steve Bruce's head. Their 3-0 loss to Cardiff was their particular nadir, but now they are on the verge of the playoffs and looking to get back in the big time this year.

Many Championship pundits are now backing Villa to get promoted. The sheer amount of Championship experience in the current Villa side is unparalleled, with seasoned winners such as Elmohamady, Chester and Adomah in a side on which Steve Bruce has spent around £60 million.

On the other side of the city, it would be fair to suggest that Birmingham City have fared less well than their Aston based rivals. After the magic of 'Arry Redknapp's man management kept the St Andrews side afloat last year, their performances so far this season have left a lot to be desired. After failing to win in any of their first six league games, Redknapp was promptly dismissed, despite claiming he would have succeeded in getting Birmingham promoted. Even since the seasoned manager left, the Blues have won a solitary game against Sheffield Wednesday. Recently, the Chinese owners even came out with a bizarre mission statement in which they claimed they would still finish above Aston Villa this season, despite the 11 point disparity between the two sides.

There could be some fight still left in the Birmingham dog, however. Redknapp managed to make 3 signings from Brentford, namely Maxime Collin, Jota and Harlee Dean. Jota was considered by some to be Brentford's best player. The Blues also arguably boast one of the best goalkeepers in the division. David Stockdale won promotion to the Premier League with Brighton and Hove Albion last season. Now, Birmingham have appointed another experienced head in Steve Cotterill, who has reportedly informed his players that their season starts now.

Wolves Elsewhere, the story of Wolverhampton Wanderers' remarkable resurgence under Nuno is intriguing to say the least. After being purchased by Fosun International last season, an array of highly rated Portuguese and Brazilian talent have arrived in the Black Country, presumably with the help of super agent Jorge Mendes, who just happens to be best friends with manager Nuno.

With prospects such as young Porto captain Ruben Neves and on-loan Atletico Madrid attacker Diogo Jota arriving, Wolves have had an electric start to the season.

After 11 games played, they lie in 2nd place with 23 points.

Last season's manager Paul Lambert now appears to be somewhat of a West Midlands ghost, after previously dooming Villa.

Walsall League One outfit Walsall have had a disappointing start to this season, with the low of being thrashed 5-1 by relegated Rotherham in September. They lie in 16th place at the time of writing, after an average 14th place last season. It is a long old season, and Walsall fans should look forward to the ride.

Coventry Coventry fans finally have some reprieve from years of mediocrity and disappointment, lying 4th in the table after 11 games. A particular highlight has been nineteen year old wonderkid Jodi Jones scoring a hat-trick on the first day of the season.

Spotlight On: Men's Cricket

Deputy Editor, Harry Wilkinson, speaks to chairman of Men’s Cricket, Robert Shenkman, about what it is like to be part of the university cricket team Although the current cricket season is coming to a close, UBCC is getting ready to embark two terms of winter training, in preparation for next summer.

What is it like to be part of UBCC?

“Last season had some mixed results. The 1st consolidated their position in BUCS Midlands 1A, the 2nds narrowly missed out on promotion from the league below that (Midlands 2B), whereas the 3rd were relegated (after competing also competing in Midlands 2B).”

playing one of the best innings you’ll see despite having two hours sleep, in my opinion, is one of the greatest things I’ve seen on a cricket field.”

Best personal cricket-reWhat are the aspirations lated anecdote? for this year?

“I’ve been talking a lot with the

"To be honest, it's unlike any other cricket club you can play for at home. I’d say the team atmosphere and friendships you make is different; the team-bonding is something else completely."

How did last season go?

"Last season.. the firsts consolidated their position in Midlands 1A, whilst the seconds narrowly missed out on promotion from the league below"

Where do UBCC train, performance manger, Tom and how long is the sea- Marshall, and it's looking like the son? first team are really going to try “So we train once a week indoors at Edgbaston, just round the corner from The Vale during terms one and two. The outdoor season is in term three, which is obviously in exam season which can cause problems, but we get through. We have three teams that complete in the BUCS leagues.”

What was the most memorable moment from last year?

“I’d say, certainly, some of the socials were pretty momentous.

'Tour de Vale', in particular, was memorable for a variety of reasons. However, on the field, seeing Fred McMillan score 65 and

relegated they’re going to look to bounce straight back. We’ll just have to see what freshers we can get in at Sports Fair and trials.”

and get promoted this season as certain players step-up, with the second team also trying to build on their second place by getting promoted. It sounds like a cliché but with the third team getting

"..it's really looking like the first team are really going to try and get promoted this season as certain players step-up"

“It’s got to be watching Anthony Dibble relentlessly sledge the captain of the University of Derby and then getting out to the first ball of the UBCC innings. Let’s just say his chat backfired on him horrifically.”

Sport

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricksport

37

Max's Masterclass: Birthday Boy Comes of Age Sport Writer David Garbutt gives his take on Max Verstappen's win in the Malaysian Grand Prix David Garbutt Sport Writer

A day after turning 20, Max Verstappen’s wildest birthday dreams were fulfilled, when he took first place at the last ever Malaysian Grand Prix. His stunning victory left Lewis Hamilton to claim second with Daniel Ricciardo coming in third to ensure a double Red Bull podium for the first time since last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix- Red Bull will certainly miss this track next year!

Before the race, it looked like it was going to be Hamilton’s dream weekend, with Sebastian Vettel starting at the back due to having an engine issue in qualifying, whilst second on the grid Kimi Raikkonen was forced to retire before the race began, with engine problems again looking like the issue for Ferrari. All this meant that at the start Hamilton could hold his position into the first corner, whilst his teammate Valtteri Bottas managed to overtake Ricciardo to claim third after turn 1.

However, Hamilton’s dream quickly turned into a nightmare as it was soon evident that he was driving a wounded car. After three laps Verstappen was still on his gearbox, with Hamilton suffering from a lack of electrical power at the end of the straights. This meant that going into turn one on lap 4 Verstappen was ideally placed to complete a great overtaking move to take the lead.

Mercedes’ difficulties quickly got worse with Ricciardo managing to overtake Bottas to claim third on lap 9, with the Red Bull drivers demonstrating far superior pace to the Mercedes, something which hasn’t been seen for years.

Hamilton was unable to keep up with Verstappen, ensuring that he had dropped ten seconds behind him by lap 18.

Meanwhile, somewhat going under the radar, Vettel was making short work of moving up the field, with his Ferrari showing

lightening pace. He had moved up to eleventh within a few laps, before great moves against Fernando Alonso and then Kevin Magnussen brought him up to 9th after just 9 laps. Taking a different strategy to the leaders, he had started the race on the more durable soft tyre, ensuring that when cars ahead of him pitted for fresh tyres he could easily move up the field. This meant that he had moved up to fifth by lap 21, and was quickly bearing down on Botta.

During the pitstop phase, Hamilton pitted before Verstappen on lap 27, with Verstappen responding the following lap to come out comfortably ahead of the Englishman. Meanwhile, Ferrari decided to pit Vettel early on lap 28, even though his soft tyres had a lot of life left in them, mainly to try and complete the undercut against Bottas, who was doing a great job in keeping the much quicker Ferrari behind him.

This move proved successful as, when Bottas pitted the following lap, Vettel, on fresher tyres, had easily overtaken him.

Following Ricciardo’s pitstop on lap 30, Verstappen reclaimed first, with Hamilton second, Ricciardo third, Vettel fourth and Bottas a very distant fifth.

Verstappen then sought to control the race, keeping Hamilton around ten seconds behind him, whilst his teammate slowly closed the gap on Hamilton to try and claim a Red Bull one-two. However, Ricciardo soon had other things to worry about as Vettel was rapidly catching him on his much quicker super-soft tyres, with the German setting lap records as if it was for fun. By lap 46 Vettel was right behind Ricciardo and an overtaking manoeuvre looked inevitable.

However, Vettel failed to capitalise on a great opportunity to overtake at the first corner, with Riccardo defending brilliantly well, and from then on his tyres began to rapidly deteriorate, ensuring that he couldn’t keep pace with the Red Bull, and thus he had to settle for fourth.

With all this excitement, Verstappen’s commanding performance at the front could easily have been forgotten. However, it it needs to be noted that the young man had a tremendous race, taking his opportunity to take the lead expertly, whilst he didn’t put a foot wrong for the whole race, resigning Hamilton to claim second 12.7 seconds behind him.

Hamilton was quick to congratulate the Dutchman after the race, and many years from now we may see this as the coming of age race for Verstappen in more ways than one.

In terms of the championship title, Hamilton managed to extend his lead over Vettel to 34 points, but if it wasn’t for some great driving by the German it could have been so much more. With only five more races left to go in the 2017 season, it could be said that it is Hamilton’s title to lose.

Nevertheless, the pace of the Red

"It needs to be noted that the young man had a tremendous race" Bulls and the relative lack of pace

by Mercedes will give Hamilton much cause for concern, as if the two Red Bulls and Ferraris can take points off him in future races, Vettel could quickly catch up, thus this title race is far from over.

The constructor's championship looks to be in favour of Mercedes also. They currently stand on 503 points, with second place Ferrari trailing with only 385 points. In third place lie Red Bull. There seems to be no hope of salvation for Sauber and McLaren Honda, who have a paltry combined 28 points.

38

Sport

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricksport

Redbrick Sport's Premier League Predictions 2017/18 Redbrick Sport writers offer their predictions for the 2017/18 Premier League season, considering factors such as title favourites, the top four, and who will be relegated

Olli Meek Sport Editor

United so far this season have been ruthless, banging in the goals at every opportunity, and for me, there is little reason for them to stop. Mourinho certainly knows how to hold on to a lead in the Premier League, and if they are still top at Christmas then who's to say that they won't be in May? The one caveat to this is that they haven't faced truly formidable opposition in terms of Premier League rivals yet - they have neither hosted nor travelled to City, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, or Arsenal, and these will be the real tests for them.

"Mourinho certainly knows how to hold on to a lead in the Premier League" City have been just as free scoring in the opening exchanges of the season, however; I don't believe that they will show the resilience and guile that United can under Mourinho’s guidance when under pressure. Even a strong second will be a little disappointing for Pep Guardiola, unless they triumph in other competitions, but their stakes in the goal difference department could place them above the next best.

Chelsea, despite being champions last season, started with a whimper in their home defeat to Burnley. A team still developing following multiple summer signings, they are a little disjointed in places, and Antonio Conte is yet to lead their charge in Europe, something to put their relatively small squad under strain. Having said that, recent away performances at Stoke, Spurs, and Atletico Madrid were a strong indication of the gumption they possess and the tactical dominance that they

can exert over other teams in future. The squad may not be vastly experienced together, but Antonio Conte is, and he continues to demonstrate this worldclass managerial ability.

Lastly come Spurs, who, despite star striker Harry Kane scoring for fun, are unlikely to compete on the same level as United and City. Head-to-head they are not at Chelsea's level, but have the quality in their squad to carry out a successful and multifaceted campaign.

When considering Palace, I just can’t see them recovering from their collapse to end all collapses. Of course it is possible for them to remain up on points, but the psychological impact of such a poor run of form puts them in a very challenging position to turn things around.

Despite Huddersfield putting in some solid performances so far, I don’t think that they have the legs to make it out of the mire. Swansea are the final team to make up my relegation triumvirate.

Racking up braces and hattricks like they are going out of fashion, Harry Kane has already proven his credentials as a clinical finisher. Whilst Romelu Lukaku is undoubtedly in contention, he has blown hot and cold in the past, and Kane can achieve the consistency to pip the Belgian to the post, or rather the net.

Alex Alton Sport Editor

Man City have to be my title favourites for this season. After a shaky result against Everton (a 1-1 draw which looks shocking in hindsight) they have gone on to win every single game in convincing fashion. They also seem to have overcome their Jürgen Klopp/Liverpool demons by thrashing the Reds 5-0. Jose Mourinho has fortified an already strong Man United side by adding goals in the form of Romelu Lukaku, whilst adding spinal steel with Nemanja Matic. I think

Chelsea will finish comfortably in the top four in either third or fourth, simply because of other teams' deficiencies. Spurs will need to overcome the Wembley curse in order to build on or sustain their Champions League status. Liverpool still look rocky at the back, but electric in attack.

Arsenal seem to continuously fluctuate between crisis and stability.

As for relegated teams, goalless and now strikerless Crystal Palace look certain to go down.

Swansea look bereft of quality and have failed to adequately replace their star man Gylfi Sigurdsson, so may well join Palace in the bottom 3. As for the other relegated spot, I will opt for Brighton and Hove Albion. The Seagulls have made some interesting signings in the form of Pascal Gross and Davy Propper, but, in my opinion, lack goals from their attacking options. For that reason they will be relegated.

"Goalless and now

strikerless Crystal Palace look certain to go down" My surprise package is Watford. Marco Silva has rejuvenated the tired Hertfordshire side, whilst bringing in Brazilian wonderkid Richarlison. Before the season began, Watford would have undoubtedly been one of my relegation choices. Yet now, minus a blip against the mercurial Manchester City, they seem to have solidified their team to finish comfortably mid-table or upwards My pick for top scorer this season is Romelu Lukaku. This is simply for the reason that he now has the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata laying on passes for him, rather than Kevin Mirallas and Aaron Lennon.

Although Harry Kane will be up there, I'm not confident Spurs have the longevity to supply the "three season wonder", Kane.

In other Belgian related news, I think that Kevin De Bruyne will win player of the season. Pep Guardiola has taken the former Chelsea and Wolfsburg man to another level, with the playmaker becoming an exciting fusion of Dennis Bergkamp and his teammate David Silva.

Harry Wilkinson Deputy Editor

There looks to be a proper title race on this year, with both Manchester clubs making a hammering start to the season. United seem to be winning every game 4-0, whilst City seem to be a more defined and ruthless team than last year. Chelsea, the current champions, are being held as dark horses for the title - much like last year - but certainly should not be

ruled out as potential winners.

Spurs also deserve a mention, but with an expected focus on the Champions League, and the 'Wembley curse', not many people back the Lilywhites for a real title challenge this year. However, the North Londoners should have enough consistency to reach a solid fourth place and consolidate their Champions League status.

In the end, I think that City will triumph. Winning the league is all about consistency, and even though both Manchester teams have got off to an explosive start, it feels like City will be most likely to maintain the better form throughout.

United's Lukaku will be top scorer, though. Narrowly missing out last season with 25, and spoilt by the service he will receive off his new teammates, the 'big Belgian genius should score at least 30. Saying that, Kane looks to be in incredible form, so it could easily be close between them.

Haydn Dupree Sport Writer

My Premier League winner is Manchester City. It’s almost impossible to put City anywhere but in the number one spot.

Guardiola has built a team with strength in depth, improved his full-back options, and created electric pace going forward.

Certainly, no team will outscore Manchester City this season.

I think the rest of the top four this season will consist of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham. Manchester United will improve upon their 6th place finish from last term due to their summer business, which saw them bring in Matic and Lukaku, who will surely transform bore draws into wins. Chelsea will find it hard to repeat last year’s success due to their participation in Europe this time around, and Spurs really need to improve their results at Wembley to attempt to pull off another title charge.

In terms of relegation, I have opted for Huddersfield, Brighton and Crystal Palace. With Premier

League inexperience and lack of quality in depth, it is difficult to see Huddersfield and Brighton avoiding relegation. Palace will most likely take up 20th spot, mostly due to their incapability to score goals and a shocking start to this season.

Kevin De Bruyne is my choice for player of the season.The Belgian playmaker is perhaps City’s biggest creative talent, playing a pivotal role in their midfield whilst controlling games single-handedly at times. This season his quality will truly be recognised.

Harry Kane is my pick for top scorer this year. August is over and Kane will inevitably hit incredible goal scoring form and win the Golden Boot once again.

With Alli and Eriksen feeding him, surely no striker can keep up with the target man.

"Kane will inevitably hit incredible goal scoring form" I believe that the surprise team will be Burnley. The Clarets have become a hard team to beat in this division, particularly at Turf Moor, and with Chris Wood upfront surely more goals will come. Therefore, Burnley should improve dramatically on their 16th place finish from last term.

Sport

Friday 6th October 2017

@redbricksport

Leanne Prescott Sport Editor

Manchester City have been the standout performers for me so far.

Going forward, they’ve looked unstoppable with the combination of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, with the likes of David Silva and Raheem Sterling pulling the strings behind. Thumping Liverpool 5-0 was a real statement of intent, albeit having had a man advantage, while defensively they look like a much more solid outfit. The arrival of two fullbacks in Danilo and Kyle Walker has allowed Guardiola’s attacking style to come to fruition, while goalkeeper Ederson has dealt well with the rigour and physicality of England’s top flight thus far.

Consistency was City’s worst enemy last season – but if the early games are anything to go by, they’ll be right up at the top.

"Consistency was City's worst enemy last season" United suffered a severe goal scoring problem in Jose Mourinho’s first season, with a lack of creativity from the midfield resulting in a turgid and all too predictable style of play.

However, having splashed £139.74million on three high quality players, including the Premier League’s second highest goalscorer last season in Romelu Lukaku, goals are no longer eluding them. Couple this with the service that Lukaku is now getting, and it should be an exciting season for the Reds.

In fact, they’ve pretty much been banging them in for fun. 23 goals in seven games is a frightening record and it would be naïve to think they won’t be challenging this season with such a prolific forward line. Add to that their defence, who have only conceded 2 goals so far, and it looks like Mourinho has a squad more than capable of mounting a title charge.

The holding league champions, Chelsea, have retained the core of their squad, adding further depth in quality with the arrival of Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morato for £34 million and £55.25 million respectively.

"Mourinho has a squad more than capable of mounting a title charge" However, I can’t see them repeating their fortunes this time round. Having beaten Atletico so comfortably in Europe, such an average display against Manchester City came as a real surprise. The team looked worryingly sterile going forward with a lack of desire and hunger to make the ball their own, while there were all kinds of gaps to exploit on the counter attack There’s no doubting Chelsea will be up there this season, but Manchester United and Manchester City look to have that extra edge about them.

Spurs have gone silently about their business since the season got underway, recording very routine wins and displaying the attacking verve that saw them enjoy one of their best campaigns in the top flight last year. They’ve arguably

got the best defence of the lot, with the Premier League top goalscorer leading the line in front of one of the most promising young players in Europe. We’ve already seen they’ve got the ability to grind out 1-0 wins and, should Harry Kane remain fit for the season, I fancy them to get a top-four spot over the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool.

Hamaad Karim Sport Writer

This might surprise quite a few people, especially given Manchester City’s brilliant form and their win away to Chelsea, but there is no manager in the world who knows how to win things as well as Mourinho. This season his squad has depth as well as Ibrahimovic to come in January.

As many have stated, it is Mourinho’s magical second season at another club and therefore, for me, the Mourinho factor brings the title to the red side of Manchester.

The rest of my top four comprises of Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham. In all areas, Manchester City consistently outplay their opponents and, although the Aguero injury may have a slight impact, it will not prevent them from securing their position in the Top Four. Due to the long awaited departure of Diego Costa, Chelsea have to be ruled out of the title race. Similarly, Tottenham have not displayed enough skill on their new Wembley ground to be considered as serious contenders for the title. Regardless, due to the likes of Harry Kane, they have a serious shot at a position in the top four.

"In all areas, Manchester City consistently outplay their opponent" Under two different managers, Crystal Palace have made it evident that their squad lacks quality and players that have the ability to make the game theirs in an instant, therefore, they will not be able to remain in the Premier League.

Although Brighton have begun the season fairly well, their lack of new talent will have a damaging impact on their chances of remaining in the Premier League.

This will be made increasingly evident in the latter half of the season when other teams will be fighting hard to stay and they won’t be able to prove themselves.

"The Mourinho factor brings the title to the red side of Manchester" Lastly, despite the fact Newcastle have demonstrated tremendous talent under the leadership of Benitez, it is inevitable that he will, at some point, resign. This is largely due to his conflicted relationship with Mike Ashley, the owner of the club. When this day arrives, the average striking and the poor midfielding of the club will be highlighted and thus result in them being relegated. Saying this, they have had some very

soild results this season, including a recent draw against Liverpool.

They've also notched up wins against West Ham, Stoke and Swansea Harry Kane is my choice for top scorer. As well as his phenomenal finishing ability, his play of the ball is arguably amongst some of the world’s best. His positioning, capability to manoeuvre small spaces and gaps, and just overall talent is what makes him the strongest contender for this award.

"Due to the long awaited departure of Diego Costa, Chelsea have to be ruled out of the title race" My player of the year choice is Kevin De Bruyne. During his latest spell in English Football, he has been magnificent in an attacking role sitting behind Aguero. He excelled previously at Wolfsburg, gaining Bundesliga notoriety for breaking the league assist record.

This season he has moved back and looks an entirely different sort of animal. His bursting runs from deep and his fabulous passing ability, as well as his goalscoring touch, all makes him almost the complete midfielder. What he lacks defensively he more than makes up for in an attacking sense. De Bruyne alongside Fernandinho is one of the best midfield partnerships around, so I think he will just about beat Harry Kane to player of the Year.

39

English Success in Europe (apart from Liverpool) Sport Editor Olli Meek discusses the positive fortunes of English clubs in the UEFA Champions League after Matchday 2 in Europe's top club competition

06.10.2017 Alex Alton reviews West Midlands club's start to the season

Page 36

Olli Meek Sport Editor

@ollimeek

Redbrick Sport

Most of the action in Liverpool’s game away to Spartak, Moscow took place in the first half, with the Russian champions taking the lead 23 minutes on through a Fernando free kick.

Liverpool, however, soon equalised through Philippe Coutinho just past the half hour. It was a frustrating night for the Reds, and having dominated for most of the match they really should have taken all three points back to Merseyside, which would have put them level on points with previous opponents, Sevilla, at the top of Group E. Manager, Jürgen Klopp, made his frustrations clear after the game, emphasising that chances cannot be wasted on this kind of international stage. It was, at least, a positive attacking display from Liverpool, which does give encouragement going forward, however defensive frailties were again to haunt them. Having escaped with a win the previous Saturday against Leicester, Klopp installed Loris Karius in goal rather than the penalty-saving Simon Mignolet. Karius, however, was fairly easily beaten by Fernando’s free kick, and as the third different goalkeeper for Klopp in as many games, he did not do a significant amount to relieve the headache. The other game in the group saw Sevilla win 3-0 at home to Maribor.

predict how the Premier League will look at the end of the season

"the toughest test is yet to come for Mauricio Pochettino’s men"

Harry Wilkinson puts a Spotlight On: Men's Cricket

Page 36 David Garbutt

summarises the Malaysian Grand Prix

Page 37

Page 38 & 39 For more, follow us on Twitter:

@redbricksport

Tuesday also saw Manchester City walk out as victors, winning 2-0 over Ukrainian outfit, Shakhtar Donetsk.

Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring with a wonderful finish on 38 minutes, and despite having a multitude of opportunities to add to the tally, it took Raheem Sterling until the 90th minute to make it 2-0. Shakhtar were by no means pushovers, providing a couple of scares to this previously free-scoring City side. However, Pep Guardiola will be pleased to have another win under his belt. Guardiola will be keen to build on these convincing victories, having beaten Feyenoord 4-0 in Rotterdam previously, as he never managed to win the Champions League with Bayern Munich and an English side hasn’t won it since Chelsea in 2012. Sergio Aguero struggled to

make an impact in this game, missing a penalty, and it may be a while before we see him back on the pitch having been caught up in a road traffic collision whilst on his day off in Amsterdam.

Elsewhere in Group F, Napoli took the spoils beating Feyenoord 3-1.

Tottenham Hotspur were also in action on Tuesday, this time away to APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus. They continued in their strong vein of European form with a 3-0 victory, having put three past Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last time out. The three goals were courtesy of a perfect Harry Kane hattrick, the Spurs striker finding the net five minutes shy of half-time before grabbing two in the space of five second half minutes.

The prolific form of Englishman, Kane, prompted rumours in the morning papers that taking home another match-ball is encouraging him to consider having an extension put on his home to house more of such artefacts. The victory places the Lilywhites exactly equal with the other team joint-top of Group H, however that team happens to be Real Madrid. It doesn’t take a football scientist to recognise that the toughest test is yet to come for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

Nevertheless, the two resounding victories so far have put Tottenham in a strong position moving forward and give them breathing space going into the two clashes with Los Blancos and an away trip to the intimidating Signal Iduna Park in particular. The other clash in Group H was Dortmund hosting Real Madrid, where Real Madrid walked out 3-1 winners.

Manchester United were the other English team in Russia on Champions League duty, although faring significantly better than Liverpool in their 4-1 win at CSKA Moscow. CSKA provided little opposition for the Red Devils and their only consolation goal came right at the end in the 90th minute. United, by then, had had the game wrapped up for a

significant period, with Romelu Lukaku netting twice and Anthony Martial adding another, all before the half hour mark. Jose Mourinho was emboldened also by his team's strong showing, already claiming that they are nearly in the draw for the knockout stages. Although, few would disagree with him in what must be understood to be an easy group for this United side, and the Old Trafford faithful will be happy to be finding success return to Europe’s top table.

United gave Basel a drubbing last time out and the Swiss champions in turn saw off Benfica on this matchday with a 5-0 home win.

In a mouth-watering repeat of the 2014 semi-final draw, Chelsea faced a trip to the Wanda Metropolitano to face Atletico Madrid, arguably the sternest test of the group stage for both teams.

"the Atletico goal came against the run of play, making it even more challenging to take for the Chelsea players"

After David Luiz gave away a penalty for pulling Lucas Hernandez’ shirt, Antoine Griezmann converted to make it 1-0 just before half time.

Chelsea had been dominant before this point and the Atletico goal came against the run of play, making it even more challenging to take for the Chelsea players. Chelsea responded through Alvaro Morata’s header early in the second period, building on his fine goal-scoring form for the Blues, to restore parity at 1-1, however, with part of Eden Hazard’s potential Man of the Match performance being his assist to this. When the match looked beyond both sides, a intricately worked Chelsea free kick set up Michy Batshuayi in the 92nd minute to prod home and take a massive 2-1 win, as well as a psychological boost, back to west London. Elsewhere Roma came out 2-1 winners away to Qarabag in Azerbaijan, leaving Chelsea atop the group two points ahead of the Serie A runners up.

In other news: Bayern Munich and Carlo Ancelotti parted company after their 3-0 loss to PSG in Paris, Barcelona were frustrated in Lisbon being held to just the 1-0 victory by Sporting, and Celtic put in a good performance to win 3-0 at Belgian side, Anderlecht.