Issue 1490

Friday 2nd February 2018

Redbrick Issue 1490, Vol. 82

FREE

Getting over the Rainbow Rainbow Venues announce closure

Redbrick

News page 5

Redbrick reflects on

The Official University of Birmingham Student Newspaper, est. 1936

iconic Birimingham club Music page 23

Snacks of Inequality Unnanounced rise in prices for food outlets on Edgbaston campus and The Vale over Christmas are particularly affecting students on Meal Plan Tim Abington

The University of Birmingham is currently facing controversy after several campus food outlets increased prices over the Christmas break without prior warning. The most dramatic illustration of the inflation was an increase to the price of a pizza by ten percent in the the Vale outlet, the Melt. The rise affects all students, but most harmed are those on the Meal Plan accommodation scheme who have no choice but to use university-provided food outlets. It is compulsory for students located in Elgar Court, Aitken or Shackleton to use the restaurants located on the university estate as part of their accommodation costs, paying an extra £50 a week for the ‘privilege’.

Despite the price rises, there has been no

equivalent increase in the allowance provided to Meal Plan students for food each week.

Those on the scheme are still expected to continue to purchase the now more expensive daily meals from university restaurants.

The reality of Meal Plan accommodation is a marked contrast to the optimistic message provided by university advertising. The optimistic quote displayed on university advertising material appears to fail to reflect the stressful situation that students can find themselves in. '... I use it [Meal Plan] on campus either in the Library Cafe, Go Central or Starbucks, and get a sandwich or jacket potato. For dinner I get a meal and a drink from infusion - sometimes I get a dessert too'. In reality, many students cannot afford to make purchases like this. A Meal Plan resident of Elgar Court said, 'I struggle to eat lunch and dinner on campus given the average meal is now about five pounds'.

Continued on page 3

Features: Caitlin Dickinson on the North/South divide at UoB

Gaming: Impressions on the new action-RPG Vampyr

Life&Style: The UK's obsession with the Royal Family

Sci&Tech: Facebook's role in the response to 'Fake News'

Features page 13

Gaming page 26

L&S page 32

S&T page 34

News Contributor @TimAbington

Roshni Patel

02

REDBRICK

Friday 2nd February 2018

redbrick.me

Letter from the committee...

Given that I am the Digital Editor of Redbrick, quite how this impressive looking newspaper has ended up in your hands right now is a complete mystery to me.

Even after three years of being part of Redbrick, I still haven’t the faintest idea how it all works.

In first year, I wrote about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the comfort of my bed. In second year, I wrote and edited articles from the comfort of my bed and left the paper in the capable hands of, my then Film friend and now committee compatriot, Joe Ryan.

And now in my third year, I publish everyone’s articles from the comfort of my bed. It’s a hard life, isn’t it?

But by reading virtually every word written by a Redbrick member you do learn a thing or two; mainly, that our writers and editors are all incredibly talented and passionate individuals which bodes well for the society going forward. The date has been set for the AGM has been set for the March 8th and with that my days on the committee are numbered.

But I am supremely confident that whichever lucky soul steps into my scuffed size 8 shoes will do an excellent job.

If you are a member of the society, then I implore you to come along and get involved; even if

you don’t want to run for a role, come along and have your say about who gets to carry this great newspaper forward. But those of you who have a vague interest in being part of next year’s committee, then you should go for it, regardless of your level of experience. Being part of Redbrick has been one of the most rewarding university experiences and being on the committee has been the cherry on top of the cake that my post-Christmas diet prevents me from eating.

However, the AGM isn’t the only thing on the horizon; the annual Guild Awards will take place on March 20th and it’s set to be a night of fun and strictly ‘responsible’ drinking. Come along and support everyone’s favourite guild media society and keep your fingers crossed that we win something. And if that isn’t enough to whet your whistle, our very own Editor-in-Chief, the incomparable Will Baxter, may even be hosting the evening; expect nothing less than a Neil Patrick-Harris level of theatrics, just with ginger hair.

We may already be in February (oh god, my dissertation is due in 2 months!) but there really is no better time to join Redbrick. It’s never too late to get involved and make a difference. Sign up today, write an article for whatever sec-

tion takes your fancy and it will make its way to my incredibly slow laptop. And if you include a pun, chances are you’ll make me chuckle.

In other news, this issue we welcome a new member of the Redbrick team. Named by popular demand after last year's Editor-inChief, Anna Griffish has relocated from the Guild Officers' penthouse suite to our own homely office.

Thus far we have struggled with getting a fish to sign an NDA. From the dungeons, we salute you,

Alex McDonald, Digital 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...

LIFE&STYLE

FILM

TRAVEL

COMMENT

Peaky Blinders: The Truth Behind 1920s Fashion

Review: Coco

How To: Busabout Europe

Selective Sypathy in Macron's Refugee Rhetoric

Redbrick Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief 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 Grace Duncan Phoebe Radford Emily Roberts Erin Santillo John Wimperis

Music Editors Emily Barker Issy Campbell Luke Charnley Thom Dent music@redbrickonline.co.uk

news@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 Jack Cooper Emma Kent Roshni Patel

culture@redbrickonline.co.uk

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

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

Life&Style Editors Tara Kergon Sophie Kesterton Imogen Lancaster Nia Roberts lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk

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

gaming@redbrickonline.co.uk

Food&Drink Editors Caitlin Dickinson Adele Franghiadi Dean Mobbs food@redbrickonline.co.uk

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

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Editorial Assistants Beth Cole Tara Kergon editor@redbrickonline.co.uk Amy TownsendKennedy Sana Haq Kate Ezard Olivia Frankel Jake Bradshaw Redbrick is printed through Kezia Johnson www.mortonsprint.com Aamina Siddiqi 01507 523 456 Rebecca Cutler Bethan Parry To advertise in Redbrick, get in touch with Greg Woodin marketing@redbrickonline.co.uk or visit Ellie Cannon www.redbrick.me/advertise-with-redbrick 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.

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03

Graduate Employers Target UoB Liam Taft

10 and 25 universities - yet UoB has still managed to become the second most visited site.

The ‘Graduate Market in 2018’ The University of Birmingham report looks at which institutions (UoB) has come second place in a have seen the highest number of new league table revealing the employers attend recruitment universities who are most fre- fairs, presentations, and careers quently targeted by employevents. ers in the UK. The figures are Birmingham sits compiled from gradbehind Manchester in uate employers the rankings, with included in The the rest of the top Times’ ‘Top 100 five consisting of G r a d u a t e universities Warwick, Bristol, Employers’ list, and UCL. Perhaps which is made targeted by half surprisingly, neither up of companies the country's top Cambridge nor such as the BBC, employers Oxford made it to the Amazon, Sky, and top five spots on the Google.

These list, with Durham just employers were voted making it into the top 10. for by students who For the 2017-2018 recruitment responded to the question: season, half of the country’s top ‘Which employer do you think employers only targeted between offers the best opportunities for News Reporter

10-25

graduates?’

The research compares this data alongside rankings found in The Times & Sunday Times’ ‘Good University Guide for 2018’.

Cambridge and Oxford made up the first and second places – based on a range of factors such as entry standards, teaching quality, and likely grade outcome – but Manchester, which is the most

frequently visited university by employers in the UK, failed to make the top 20. UoB is placed higher than this at 15.

"It gives me a lot more confidence knowing that Birmingham is gaining a lot of interest from employers" The report has also found that graduate employment was substantially lower in 2017 compared to 2016. This has been linked to uncertainty surrounding Brexit, which led to a 4.9% reduction in

graduates being hired by employers featured in The Times’ list.

This was the first drop in five years.

Despite this, students at UoB are reacting positively to the report. Sophie Magill, a second year English student, said: ‘Although recruitment figures are going down across the country, it gives me a lot more confidence knowing that Birmingham is gaining a lot of interest from employers. Clearly, there is something that is making our students stand out’.

As Eluned Jones, Director of Student Employability at UoB, states: ‘[This report] reflects our strong partnerships with a range of employers. As a University we are producing highly employable graduates so it is very gratifying to see this reflected in our evergrowing reputation with a range of top graduate recruiters’.

UoB Joins Alan Turing Institute Birmingham alongside rest of Russell Group in AI research institute Tom Leaman News Reporter

The University of Birmingham is set to join the Alan Turing Institute for data science in 2018. The British Library-based organisation prides itself on its high research standards, and UoB will be one of the first eleven universities to join, alongside the likes of Cambridge and Oxford.

Using algorithm technology and inference, data scientists aim to resolve analytically complex problems by finding trends in raw data sets. From Spring, it is hoped that the university will be involved in research programmes with the Institute, which could include looking into the field of Artificial Intelligence.

The Institute, founded in 2015,

is named after British mathematician Alan Turing, who is best known for helping to bring an end to World War II by cracking the Enigma code used by the German military.

"This opportunity presents the university with the chance to work alongside other established universities" As of November 2016, the Alan Turing Institute has been the

national centre for AI, adding to their other data science responsibilities, such as vital research into cyber security.

They also have a role in training the future generation of data scientists. Birmingham will, alongside the likes of Exeter, Leeds, and Queen Mary University of London, join the five founding universities of the organisation, which aims to ‘advance the worldchanging potential of data science and artificial intelligence, strengthening a growing scientific and industry network for data and AI research in the UK’. The ViceChancellor of the university, Sir David Eastwood, added that he hopes ‘to make a significant contribution towards advancing the world-changing potential of data science’ as a member of the Alan Turing Institute.

This opportunity presents the optimum conditions in which to university with the chance to flourish and continue to make work alongside other social, economic and culestablished universitural impacts’, and ties in a similar way thus can ensure to the Russell more valuable Group. Each of funding for their the 24 Russell r e s e a r c h Group members projects. has an average It seems, annual income therefore, that average annual of £688 million being a member income of Russell compared to a of the Russell national average Group can act as Group members of £132 million a catalyst to profor non-member mote a higher universities, which standard of research is won to an extent and teaching, bringing through being given with it more funding and grants for competitively-won better facilities. The university is research. optimistic that becoming a memAs a member of the Russell ber of the still-growing Alan Group, UoB has the advantage of Turing Institute can have similarly being supported to maintain ‘the positive implications.

£688m

Making a Meal of It Contined from front page.

fasts and all my weekend food...

With the rise in prices I am now Material distributed by UoB having to use even more of my describes 'a day in the life of a own money'.

Meal Plan student' as consistAs open days commence, ing of a 'bowl of cereal', incorrect pricing dis'butternut squash and played on the accomroast carrot soup' and modation website a 'homemade chickmay be misleading en and Wiltshire potential applicants ham pie'. However, to the University the leaflet admits of Birmingham. in the small print The listing of food cost inflation that it this 'is just an evening meal due to changes in an example and in available from the the value of general Meal Plan Hub continues to covers two meals a state the original sterling day with student’s price prior to the self-catering for breakChristmas increase of fast'. Even limiting the use two percent. The university of the scheme to twice a day will has stated that it has passed rising fail to cover a normal diet. supplier costs onto customers. A One student has described spokesperson outlined how since their situation as 'outrageous'; 'I October, food cost inflation ‘has am having to subsidise all break- increased further, hitting 4.17%’

4.17%

in what the university believes to be a consequence of the change in value of sterling following the Brexit referendum.

"The university has stated that it has passed rising supplier costs onto customers" This issue has now been acknowledged by the Guild of Students. Kris Ali, Housing and Communities Officer, confirmed that inquires were being made into the situation.

Following a student complaint, Kris has now emailed the Director

of Catering 'to confirm whether [price increases] are the case, the reasons why, and what considerations were taken'. Kris has also asked other students who have experienced negative experiences with Meal Plan accommodation to bring their case to his attention, stating that 'there should be some-

thing done for Meal Plan students'. There is now an open possibility for changes to the Meal Plan scheme so that it can better accommodate the students it caters for.

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

04

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News Analysis: Will the Dubai Campus Be a Safe Space?

Following a number of questions at Vice-Chancellor Question Time on the safety of LGBTQ students attending UoB's UAE campus, News Reporter Tim Abington reflects on the safeguards put in place by the university Tim Abington News Reporter

The Vice-Chancellor Question Time held on January 25th raised potential issues regarding the safety of the LGBTQ community at the University of Birmingham's Dubai campus, set to open in a month’s time. Professor Sir David Eastwood revealed that the venture in the United Arab Emirates was approved based on ‘assurances’ of safety rather than supportive measures already in action.

The issue was first raised by Lucinda Bleichroeder, LGBTQ Officer at the Guild of Students, who asked the VC, ‘Why Dubai?'.

In a statement disputed by some members of the audience present, Eastwood declared that if the university wished to remain ‘global’, it was necessary to establish a ‘global campus’.

Claiming the Gulf state to be 'the higher education hub of the Middle East', the VC outlined how the campus would allow the university to recruit students from India and North Africa, areas that have proved difficult to recruit from in the past.

Eastwood stated that 'there will be a net financial benefit for all students as a consequence of the investment in Dubai, but didn’t clarify whether such fiscal benefit will come as a consequence of the university profiting from international students’

heightened fees. Students registered at the Dubai campus prior to the end of February are to be offered a five per cent discount, leading Marco, an audience member, to state: 'If we are going to Dubai, we are not a university but a business’.

"The university won't give us anything to ensure that if a student gets in trouble that they will support them legally" Aside from the issues regarding the commercial element of the Dubai campus, of greatest concern to the audience was whether all members of the university community can be assured safety in a state that continues to criminalise homosexual acts.

Postgraduate Officer Rose Bennett tweeted that 'the university won't give us anything to ensure that if a student gets in trouble that they will support them legally'. Will the university abide by the homophobic legislation of Dubai?

Eastwood couldn’t offer much detail, and so turned to the Academic Registrar to answer the

question further.

Stephen McAuliffe stated: ‘All students will be subject to the laws of whatever country they are in’. Students who engage in homosexual acts would be imprisoned if ‘outed’.

The VC underlined his belief that UoB will offer an ‘alternative or challenge’ to the illiberal traditions and legislation of Dubai.

The inaugural provost of the Dubai campus, Professor Glyn Watson, has explained that for the Dubai campus to be successful, ‘it very much has to feed into broader national agendas’. In short, the university will ‘have to reflect the priorities of Dubai’.

Eastwood expanded: ‘The university stands for an open and inclusive culture that recognises and celebrates diversity.

‘With some protocols around public behavior, it has been safe and comfortable for those of all sexualities’.

However, we must question the extent to which true freedom of expression can be achieved if the community is subject to ‘protocols’ that must be followed if they wish to stay.

Eastwood also posed that there would be ‘interest in some of our students spending time in Dubai's campus’, but such opportunities may not be be feasible for all, given the legal risk posed to LGBTQ students. Stonewall, an LGBTQ rights charity based in the UK that UoB liaised with when deciding to base its interna-

tional campus in Dubai, states that the ‘inclusive activity that is appropriate elsewhere may put LGBTQ staff in danger in the UAE’.

Nevertheless, no concrete measures have been actioned to obtain protection for members of the LGBTQ community prior to the opening of the campus next month. All safeguards are currently under discussion. In response to an accusation of lack of preparation, Eastwood repeated that 'actual practicalities are finally being worked through'. He confirmed that further detail will only be provided once discussed in a meeting with Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for international affairs, at the start of next month.

"With some protocols around public behavior, it has been safe and comfortable for those of all sexualities" In a statement from the university, Professor Una Martin, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equalities, told Redbrick: ‘The University of Birmingham is com-

mitted to treating all employees and students fairly and we’re working closely with the Guild of Students and Stonewall as an integral part of the Dubai project. We have joined the Stonewall Global Diversity Champions programme and sought advice from Stonewall about operating in Dubai – we will apply for its Global Workplace Equality Index in due course.

‘Equality and fair treatment are key values that inform all of our UK and international activities. We recognise that this approach may potentially be in conflict with the legal, social and cultural norms of other countries where we operate.

The University is, therefore, working hard to ensure we provide balanced support, advice, and guidance around this issue’.

In his final remark on the issue during the Question Time, Eastwood said: ‘We must be able to guarantee safety to all our students and that is what we will do’. Yet guaranteeing safety has so far only been limited to words with little detail approved. The key question is the extent to which actual policy can guarantee security for the university community in a nation where homosexual acts are criminalised.

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

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UoB to Provide IAAF Games Volunteer Staff Hiu Ng

News Reporter

The University of Birmingham has announced that it will be the latest supplier of the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018, and will support its volunteer programme.

This event, described as ‘the biggest indoor sports event to be staged in the city for 15 years’, is launching from March 1st - 4th at Arena Birmingham.

Almost 150 countries are planning to send teams to Birmingham for this event and 500 athletes will be competing. Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council and Chair of the Executive Steering Group for the Championships, said, ‘As the host city for this major sporting event, it’s really important for us to take this opportunity to showcase Birmingham’, as he announced the winning medal design.

UoB is regarded as a reliable supporter for the event’s volunteer programme as it is highly experienced, with its involvement in other international preparation camps and major events. It understands how important volunteers are in such a large-scale event, where they are called ‘Gems’ in the IAAF World Indoor Championships. UoB is trusted as a supplier in this event not only because of its experiences with volunteer programmes, but also because of the level of its academic excellence. As one of the

Russell Group universities, UoB is the first academy offering sports-based degrees and has a high global ranking in sports science research.

"It’s a privilege to be a part of another global sporting event happening in Birmingham"

Quite a few students and alumni of UoB are athletes and winners in international games.

Jonny Davies, our sports scholar, won silver and bronze medals at the World University Games in Taipei. Zena Wooldridge OBE, the University of Birmingham’s Director of Sport, expressed her support for the programme: "It's a privilege to be a part of another global sporting event happening in Birmingham. In a university where athletics is part of our heritage, and volunteering is an increasingly important part of our student experience, our support for the Gems programme is a natural synergy. It’s an exciting

opportunity for our own volunteer team to contribute to the success of the IAAF World Indoor Championships, whilst supporting some of our students to gain a unique and memorable volunteering experience from this event coming to Birmingham’.

There are six sessions in total within four days. Tickets for the sessions are currently on sale; however, tickets for the Saturday PM slot and the Sunday slot have already sold out. More information about the event is available at their website: www. wicbirmingham2018.com

Rainbow Venues Announce Closure with Video Issy Campbell Music Editor

On the evening of the 18th January, The Rainbow Venues shared a video announcing their closure. ‘Everything is gone’, states Lee McDonald, the founder of the venues. The Rainbow Warehouse lost its music licence earlier this year, on the 28th November 2017, after a fellow student died at the Halloween event hosted by the venue.

McDonald reported that this has subsequently led to closure of all The Rainbow Venues. This includes The Warehouse, Blackbox, The Roof Garden, The Arena, The Carpark and also The Crane, the newest of all the venues, having only opened back in September. The video featured a number of speakers, all of whom have connections to the venues.

The tagline reads ‘We need your help to appeal for justice. We need you to #EDUCATENOT REVOCATE.’ Alongside this was an appeal for everyone to share the video and head to the follow-

ing website: www.educatenotrevocate.com.

Only minutes after the video was posted, the website crashed due to receiving such a high volume of visitors. The post was amended to advise those trying to access it to come back and try again later.

"Rainbow had done a lot for the local economy, having grown up here I saw the changes it made" After informing viewers of the closure, McDonald explained this means many events hosted by the venues will now no longer take place, including; The Haunting, any New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day events, Chapter Festival and MADE festival, the latter two of which McDonald

stated accommodated for 15,000 customers.

McDonald continued to discuss the impact of the closures.

Having provided a platform for many aspiring artists the opportunity of performing in a club environment, and even more people the opportunity to attend an array of events which the venues hosted. McDonald described the closure as ‘a little bit tragic’ for the youth of today, to which a Facebook user commented as being the ‘understatement of the century’.

The founder shared his frustration with the authorities, reminding viewers that The Rainbow is a monopoly of venues. He continued to highlight that this does not deplete promoters, artists, managers and ‘the same crowd listening to the same genre of music’, stating they will just go elsewhere to host or attend the type of events The Rainbow once housed, the inference being that the closure of The Rainbow does not solve the problem of drug usage.

Numerous people have taken

to social media to share their frustration with the decision. One Facebook user comments ‘Rainbow has given me such amazing memories.’ They continue, ‘shutting the club down is going to do nothing to help the drug problem.’ On Twitter, many people have taken to tweeting their support for the venues campaign.

Many students have been left wondering the impact this will have on Birmingham’s night life as well as the city in general.

Emile Fisher, a second year English student here at UoB, told Redbrick ‘Rainbow had done a lot for the local economy, having grown up here I saw the changes it made’ he continues ‘it is devastating to lose such an integral part of this city.’

The venues are appealing for everyone to buy merchandise and donate to help with their campaign via the link on the video. It is unclear what the future may hold for the venues, but for now this looks very much like the end.

05

Time You Got a Watch Grace Duncan News Editor

Erin Santillo News Editor

On the 28th January, Old Joe was about 12 minutes slow for nearly 24 hours according to reports. The huge deficit in the timing meant that many students were left not knowing the time.

The clock tower officially known as the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower was opened in 1908 inspired by the Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy.

The funding was made possible by an anonymous donation of £50,000 to the university ‘to be intended for the erection of a tower in connection with the new buildings at Bournbrook’, the Birmingham Post reported at the time. The tower is estimated to have costed £25,000 by architects and was initially advertised as an asset to the university not only as a prominent feature but also as useful to the physics department as a record tower. In recent years it has come to be seen as synonymous in representing the image of the university as a whole.

We spoke to students about their experience.

‘My housemate was late to yoga because she believed her watch had stopped working, so great was her faith in Old Joe to maintain accurate time’, one student told Redbrick.

A second year English student told us of how the clock corrected itself as he was walking into campus: 'I heard the quarter-past bongs but my watch clearly said 2.24pm, and then, as I was staring at clock face, Old Joe’s minute hand span round to the correct time. It was like time itself was speeding up - very surreal and, admittedly, rather disturbing’.

Not all students reacted as badly to the scene with one telling Redbrick, ‘seeing even Old Joe could make mistakes, made me more accepting of my own, it felt therapeutic.’

However the clock tower has been inaccurate for some time with many noticing it being a few minutes out for a number of months. However, the extent of the problem only reached its peak early this week.

The usual inaccuracy of the clock, often around 2 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), has been loving dubbed ‘Old Joe Time’, with some students changing their wrist watches to match him. Although idiosyncratic to the university, exam invigilators often refuse to follow the clock’s time and opt for GMT instead, which, according to one student, ‘can be confusing when you think you have two minutes left of the exam and then Old Joe bongs - cue much stress’.

The tallest freestanding clock tower is a prominent Birmingham landmark, and its stopping has been dubbed as a ‘serious embarrassment to the university’ by one student.

06

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UoB Hosts Fulbright Event Madeline McInnis News Reporter

On January 9th, the University of Birmingham hosted the annual US-UK Fulbright Forum.

The university welcomed over 50 Fulbright scholars to explore and learn about its own cultural heritage and academic achievement, as well as that of the United Kingdom at large.

This forum was also the inaugural event of the 2018 year for the ‘Fulbrighters’, which marks the 70th anniversary of the US-UK Fulbright Commission.

Those who attended the event were treated to sessions led by university faculty, as well as a visit to the Cadbury Research Library where they were able to view the Birmingham Qur'an

manuscript. They toured cultural and historic institutions in and around the university, as well as also visiting Stratford-upon-Avon and the university’s Shakespeare Institute.

The Fulbright Commission US-UK is a special division of the greater Fulbright scholarship that focuses on cross-cultural academia between the two countries. The organisation, as a whole, is a very competitive process that provides opportunities and exchanges between the United States and various institutions across the world.

According to their website, the US-UK Fulbright Commission was founded in 1948 to provide ‘mutual cultural understanding’ between these two countries in particular, and is funded jointly through the governments of the

United States and the United Kingdom.

There are a wide range of different university partnerships in both countries, but there is an emphasis placed on high-achieving and high-standing universities within the programme.

UoB is an important member of the Fulbright Commission, providing scholarships for multiple students at a postgraduate level, including Masters programmes and PhDs. There are also undergraduate summer programmes and work placements in the university through the commission. In a press release for the event, Penny Egan CBE, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission, said, ‘We love working with the University of Birmingham and have more Fulbright partner

awards with them than any other university in the UK’.

"We love working with the University of Birmingham and have more Fulbright partner awards with them than any other university in the UK" According to the Fulbright website, there have been approxi-

mately 27,000 exchanges between the United States and the United Kingdom through the programme as of the 2015-2016 academic year. The programme continues to be a prestigious way to participate in an exchange, with a strong commitment to academic achievement.

UoB strives to be a global university and the Fulbright Commission is an important part of the international reach. In addition to this, students can also get involved internationally through work schemes and the university’s own study abroad programme, as well as a range of other opportunities. For more information on how to apply for Fulbright, the university encourages students to visit their website: www.fulbright.org. uk

Imperial University to Continue To Receive EU Funding After Brexit Sophie Woodley News Reporter

The imminent consequences of Brexit are said to pose a potential threat to the relationship between British and European academics.

However, Imperial College London are seeking to alleviate this pending issue, as they have developed a ‘close partnership’ with a research agency in France.

In light of this, British academics hope to continue to retain access to European research funding.

A joint maths laboratory in London has collaborated with a research body in France, known as the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

Despite the potential consequences of the UK’s withdrawal from

the EU, the collaboration will provide Imperial’s researchers with the same funding status as those in France. A spokesman from Imperial College claimed, ‘all members of the UMI, whatever their nationality, will have equal access to funding, resources and most importantly, opportunities for collaboration’.’Members’ of the UMI (Unite Mixte Internationale) involve others from UK institutions.

This new centre in London is looked upon with optimism, as it is believed to hold the same status as a laboratory in France. This is the first time a research unit in the UK has been co-funded by the French government, thus marking a big step in research connections and networks. Although the ‘Anglo-French maths centre’ was

planned before the Brexit referendum, it will provide a ‘model of co-operation and a shared approach to funding’ after the results of the referendum take their toll.

"Imperial is and will remain a European university" This relationship between France and Britain is something UMI director Richard Caster feels particularly strongly about, as the project demonstrates a ‘commitment to strengthening our ties

with Europe by improving mobility and giving new opportunities for researchers to exchange ideas’.

Similarly, France’s ambassador claims it will ‘provide a window to reach out to the UK mathematical community at large’.

The laboratory primarily aims to advance research and progression in the mathematical field, exploring areas such as ‘number theory, mathematical analysis, biomathematics and financial mathematics’. French and British connections are prevalent in the mere number of French students attending Imperial College London, with 700 attending its South Kensington base.

In light of the EU referendum result, President Professor Alice Last has promised to ‘vigorously defend our international values’.

Last also comments how ‘political changes’ will not restrict the college’s research work, telling staff and students that ‘Imperial is and will remain a European university’.

Despite the work colleges are pursuing in the hope of maintaining European connections, there have been numerous warnings from UK universities concerning the international projects they run through European frameworks.

This solely stems from the fact that UK universities have been one of the biggest networks to benefit from EU research funding.

No matter what academic field, concerns lie on the horizon of 2020, when Brexit regulations will come into place.

Brum Faces Jaguar Land Rover Cuts Tom Leaman News Reporter

Having already cut production in its plant on Merseyside, the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) plant in Birmingham is having its production lines reduced, in part over fears of uncertainty regarding Brexit.

Over a four-week Christmas period, no cars were produced at the Castle Bromwich plant, though a JLR spokesperson said that there had been no job losses. According to the giants of car manufacturing, a lack of consumer confidence in the industry (in part due to Brexit) has led to the decision to slow UK production, alongside a fall in demand for Diesel engines over environmental concerns.

According to the Financial Times, the first half of 2017 saw only £322 million invested in the

UK’s car industry, down from £1.66 billion over 2016 and £2.5 billion before that. The figures do suggest a correlation between the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union in June 2016 and the lack of success in the UK is experiencing in the automotive industry. The statistics also show that Birmingham is not alone in having cuts to its production lines; Professor David Bailey of Aston Business School has warned that Nissan could follow suit in decreasing production in Britain in favour of the Continent.

A key factor in whether or not other major manufacturers choose to remain in the UK or move overseas is said to be the negotiation of freedom of movement of goods to and from the EU. Nissan Sunderland- who made one in every three vehicles produced in the UK in 2015- would be the most significant loss to the

British industry, but Bailey would not be surprised to see ‘shifting production from the UK at the time of new model launches, especially if uncertainty can be used to justify it.’

At a local level, the loss of Jaguar Land Rover would mean the loss of hundreds of jobs. In October 2016, four months after the Brexit vote, JLR released 260 agency staff and the closures in Merseyside are perhaps a bad omen for the Castle Bromwich plant. Cuts at the Halewood assembly, near Liverpool, makes 6000 jobs uncertain in the second quarter of the financial year. In Birmingham, the lack of production over Christmas is being followed up by two weeks of shutdowns at the end of January and the beginning of February, despite JLR claiming a seventh successive year of growth.

A common factor in the strug-

gling manufacturers in the NorthEast, the North-West and Birmingham are the largely working-class population who would make up the bulk of the workers at such plants.

However, two of these regions voted to leave the European Union, with a majority of 61.3% in Sunderland and a lesser 50.4% in Birmingham voting in favour of Brexit. The vote could be viewed as a self-destructive act by the British working class; speaking to The Guardian in October, the government’s Europe Minister Sir Alan Duncan said that the leave vote was a ‘tantrum’ regarding the effect of immigration on working-class employment which ultimately may, as he predicted, ‘cause us a lot of damage.’

While the lasting damage of the leave vote on the automotive industry in the Midlands and indeed in the UK will not be truly

revealed until the big-hitters in the industry release their next generation of vehicles, the decreasing annual investment and uncertainty regarding jobs does not appear too hopeful.

"The leave vote... may 'cause us a lot of damage'" What does seem evident from Duncan’s words and the statistics from the vote is that, if the worst were to occur, the primary factor would be self-inflicted damage, particularly from the British working classes in voting to leave the European Union on the grounds of immigration.

NEWS

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricknews

07

Brum Liver Brander Fined £10k Kat Smith reports on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital surgeon fined for branding patients' livers with his initials Kat Smith

Comment Editor

In December 2017, Simon Bramhall admitted to branding the livers of two patients back in February and April 2013, whilst working as a surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.

On January 12th, after pleading guilty to assault by beating, he walked from Birmingham Crown Court with a 12-month community order, 120 hours of unpaid work, as well as a fine of £10,000, but no jail time.

Bramhall, a previously wellrespected surgeon, worked in the QE up until 2014 when he resigned.

The initials branded on the first patient’s liver were seen by another surgeon about a week after it had been implanted by Bramhall. The liver had failed due to reasons disconnected with the implantation. The 4-cm high branding was photographed on a mobile phone and Bramhall subsequently admitted to making the mark. The QE has reassured that

the quality of the surgeon’s clinical outcomes have not been impacted negatively.

"What you did was an abuse of power and a betrayal of trust that these patients had invested in you" The prosecution claimed that the actions were done with no regard for the patients’ feelings, and Tony Badenoch QC claimed that one of the victims felt violated after being branded with the initials ‘SB’ and was continuing to suffer psychological harm.

Addressing the surgeon, Judge Paul Farrer QC acknowledged the length and difficulty of the operations being performed and said that ‘I accept that on both occasions you were tired and stressed and I accept that this may have

affected your judgment’. However, he also stated that ‘What you did was an abuse of power and a betrayal of trust that these patients had invested in you’.

He went on, ‘This case is about his practice on two occasions, without the consent of the patient and for no clinical reason whatever, to burn his initials on to the surface of a newly-transplanted liver.’

public’s trust in the medical profession, it is important that the public feel that they are treated with dignity and respect’.

It has been said that the unique nature of this case has led to surgeons being placed under more intense scrutiny. They are no

longer just liable for the medical mistakes that cause physical complications and can lead to suing additionally, they may now face allegations for what could have been considered medical pranks in the past.

"it is important that the public feel that they are treated with dignity and respect" Speaking to Redbrick, UoB Medicine student Alex Cotter, said that ‘as far as I understand the branding wasn’t to any adverse outcome for the patient. Thus, I am unsure of whether the actions he committed constitute “battery” in its entirety’. However, he went on to say ‘in order to maintain the

News in a Nutshell...

News Editor, John Wimperis, summarises the major national and international events that have developed since the last issue Do you trust no other news source besides Rebrick, and therefore have no idea what’s happened in the world for the last fortnight? Then here’s your ‘News in a Nutshell’ to keep you informed of what’s been dominating the headlines of the nes outside the University of Birmingham for the past two weeks.

What about US? American Government Shuts down On January 20th, the first anniversary of Trump’s inauguration, the US government shut down after Democrats refused to agree government funding without a compromise over protections for ‘Dreamers’ (undocumented migrants who came to the US as children). The shutdown ended on the 22nd after Democrats gave in to Republican demands. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, the Republican and Democrat Senate leaders, agreed to hold a debate on immigration after reopening the government.

dating to between 177,000 and 194,000 years ago. If confirmed, this fossil would contradict the current theory that modern humans started to leave Africa between 90,000 and 120,000 years ago. The jawbone was discovered in 2002 by a first-year archaeology student on his first dig, but it took time to determine the dating.

World Two Minutes Clocking Out

from

The Doomsday Clock, which acts as a metaphor for how close the world is to nuclear apocalypse, has been moved 30 seconds closer to midnight. The Clock now stands at two minutes to midnight, the closest it has been since 1953, when the US and USSR tested hydrogen bombs. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, who control the clock, said their decision was based on multiple factors but pointed towards North Korea’s nuclear tests and heightened tensions between them and the US as predominant ones.

Scientists Sink Teeth into Fossil Evidence

French Shoppers go Offensive as Nutella Inexpensive

on is

The fossilised upper jawbone of a modern human found in Israel,

There have been fights over reduced Nutella in French super-

markets. Supermarket chain Intermarché reduced the price of the spread by 70%, from €4.50 to €1.41. Staff from a supermarket in Moselle claimed ‘people were piling in, they knocked everything over and broke stuff’, while customers in a Toulouse shop were reportedly handed one each. The BBC reported one customer telling French media that ‘they are like animals. A woman had her hair pulled, an elderly lady took a box on her head, another had a bloody hand’.

New Zealand Prime Minister Expecting First Child

Club Charity Dinner Reveals Sexual Harassment

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has revealed that she is expecting her first child in June. Her deputy, Winston Peters, will take over the running of the country for six weeks while Arden is on maternity leave after the child is born. Responding to a question about how she managed to set up her government while suffering from morning sickness, Arden said ‘it’s what ladies do’.

There’s No Haltin’ Bolton

Britons Favour Second Referendum by 16% Lead

Financial Times correspondent, Madison Marriage, went undercover as a waitress to the menonly President’s Club Charity Dinner and exposed the event, described as ‘the most un-PC event of the year’, for groping and harassment. The event featured a charity auction with one of the lots offering plastic surgery to ‘spice up your wife’. The only women present were waitresses in a uniform of tight dresses and high heels, who were paraded on stage.

One student told Redbrick, 'I am shocked and appalled that systems like this still exist in the country that we live in. I would have thought that in this day and age we would have moved on from actions like this. The fact that the waitressing organisation assumed guests of their calibre would not be able to commit acts of this underlines a major issue within our class system.'

It was reported that some were then groped and sexually propositioned. Comedian David Walliams, who hosted the event, claimed to have left early and have been there ‘in a strictly professional capacity’. Following the exposé, charities returned donated money and the President’s Club charity closed.

UKIP leader Henry Bolton is refusing to resign even after a vote of no confidence from the party’s National Executive Committee which, aside from his own vote, was unanimous. The vote will have to be ratified by UKIP’s members within 28 days to be binding. Calls for Bolton to resign came after it emerged that his then girlfriend, Jo Manley, had made racist comments about Meghan Markle. He is, however, refusing to resign, claiming that this could lead to the collapse of the party, which is believed to be heavily indebted. He is the fifth person to have acted as the party’s leader since the EU referendum in 2016.

Holding a second referendum on Brexit once the final terms of the deal are known is favoured by a 16% lead among Britons.

According to a poll conducted by ICM for the Guardian, 47% of people support a second referendum, while 34% oppose the idea, with other participants of the poll not giving a view. Before the Brexit vote, Nigel Farage himself had said that ‘in a 52-48 referendum, this would be unfinished business’ but speaking to Piers Morgan on This Morning he decried claims that he’s once supported a second referendum as ‘fake news.’

Exposé of All-Male Presidents

08

COMMENT

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickcomment

Sympathy for the Devil Disliking Donald Trump's actions is no excuse for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about mental illness, argues Thom Dent Thom Dent Music Editor

In 2014, The Daily Mail took excessive delight in covering the tragic crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, focusing their attentions on the mental health of the man responsible: co-pilot Andreas Lubitz.

‘Why On Earth Was He Allowed To Fly?’ screamed the headline to an article that detailed how the proclaimed ‘suicide pilot’ had a long history of depression, and how this should have disqualified him from any and all employment.

While it is true that far more could have been done to prevent the tragedy, the treatment of mental illness as a scapegoat for Lubitz’s crime was incredibly insensitive, and a troubling insight into the way mental health is perceived generally.

I write this in January 2018, four years on from the Germanwings crash and a year on from Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States. It has been a year continually and extensively mired by scandal, farce and endless thinkpieces. Besides the growing threat of impending nuclear apocalypse that has ceaselessly terrorised the minds of humankind for the last twelve months, for those of us not responsible for electing the current leader of the free world it has been a vintage year for taking the piss.

What fun we have had: from ‘Idiot-inChief,’ through to ‘President Cheeto’ via Kim Jong Un’s inspired use of 14th-Century pejorative ‘Dotard,’ creative insults have been flowing in a rich flood from celebrities, political rivals and the general public ever since Trump first announced his candidacy back in 2015. This last year, though, has seen the ridicule increase to insatiable levels in tandem with the growing madness of the most bizarre government in living memory. It’s all very good and entertaining,

but lurking beneath this mirth making is a dark undercurrent of intolerance, which has damaging implications.

"Approximately 20% of adolescents will suffer from a mental disorder at some point in their lives" As Trump’s presidency has gone on, the name-calling has become more and more abusive.

Michael Moore named him ‘Donnie Dementia’ and is just one of several public figures to have called for Trump to be classed as ‘unfit to serve’ due to his supposed mental incapacities. And with every tweet the President sends out, be it a garbled midnight ‘covfefe’ or a vitriolic tirade against some senator, nation or basketball player, comes a fresh barrage of outraged

Twitter folk calling him every name under the sun.

In a year which has already seen a notable spike in mental health cases across the Western world (according to an Antioch University study, mental illness is now the leading cause of disability in the U.S., and approximately 20% of adolescents will suffer from a mental disorder at some point in their lives), turning Trump’s mental health into an argument against him is a trend that can only do more harm than good.

Unfortunately, the publication of Michael Wolff’s White House exposé Fire And Fury last month brought about even more speculation over the president’s psychology – prompting Trump to undergo the first medical check-up of his tenure and fight back against suggestions that he is mentally unfit, declaring himself a ‘very stable genius.’ With statements like this, he is not doing himself any favours, but the reaction both of Twitter (with thousands of accounts parodying the claim and declaring themselves ‘very stable’) and of publications across the world was deeply worrying. ABC questioned the lack of a m e n t a l assessment, and some sites even went so far as to question the health of the doctor who gave Trump the all-clear.

Wolff himself has led this attack, u s i n g every television and print interview available to him (as well as a plethora of vitriol inside the book itself) to scorn the president, and portray him as some kind of infantile madman who has, in his words, ‘lost it.’ The content may be correct, nothing has been proven so far about the president’s mental stability – but the language, the blasé way in which it has become normal to insult

Trump therein lies the issue.

"It seems if you are talking about a figure you despise, anything goes - all pretences of decency and respect can disappear" By all means, do everything that you can to undermine the Trump presidency. There is no denying that the ex-TV star and exploitative billionaire was never going to be the right man to lead the free world, and it is obvious to most that he is doing a shambolic job so far. But the Trump shambles is a composite of a number of different hilarities: surely we have better ways in which to scrutinise him than simply weaponizing his mental health. We’re better than this.

This is something of a problem generally when it comes to the left’s treatment of people they dislike, an issue heightened significantly by the rise of Trump. It seems if you are talking about a figure you despise, anything goes – all pretences of decency and respect can disappear in the excitement of satire, and the results are often problematic.

When stories of Russian collusion first began to appear following Trump’s election, the news was treated with a widespread trend of homophobia, with lewd suggestions of some kind of sexual congress between him and Putin emerging as the primary brand of political satire.

Amidst all this, it seemed as though nobody had the tact necessary to examine what kind of effect this mainstream homophobic slur was having on the world’s LGBT community.

"Mental health has already emerged as an issue amongst our MPs" Obviously, this issue stems from all ends of the political spectrum - take the Andreas Lubitz case, for example, or the appalling abuse that Labour MP Diane Abbott has had to endure ever since her infamous LBC interview in May. Abbott's stumbling with numbers turned her overnight into a figure of ridicule, with a smorgasbord of public figures, comedians and members of the Question Time audience taking every oppurtunity to

paint her as the figurehead of the opposition party's apparent incompetence - with encouragement from tabloids and the enabling force of Twitter creating torrents of vitriol that soon became incredibly insenstive, personal, and often racist. Abbott has faced racism ever since she became a civil servant, but this new wave of unrelenting scrutiny as to whether she has the mental fortitude to serve her country has had damaging ramifications upon the perception of mental health in the UK, not to mention the effect it may have had on the next generation of aspiring BAME politicians.

Mental health has already emerged as an issue amongst our MPs. Alastair Campbell opened up about his ongoing struggles with depression back in 2011, admitting his fear of 'the stigma' surrounding mental health issues and how it affected his decision to take on a role in Blair's election campaign back in 1997.

"Being depressed is not funny, whether you are a right-wing demagogue or not" More recently, Ken Livingstone came under fire for his comments on fellow Labour MP Kevan Jones, who he called 'obviously very depressed and disturbed' in response to comments made about Livingstone's policies on defence. Jones made a speech in Parliament in response, detailing his depression and stating, 'offensive statements like this just reinforce the stigma about mental illness.'

Livingstone, of course, has since been ostracised from the party, but his refusal to rescind his comments remain indicative of a far bigger problem.

Now, as what the internet loves to call a ‘straight white dude,’ I am not at liberty to suggest that any person of colour should necessarily have taken offence to any of the hatred directed at Diane Abbott.

Likewise, it is not for me to say that LGBT identifiers should necessarily be offended by any of the Trump-Putin slash fiction.

But as a man suffering from depression, I can say that I personally don't find tongue-incheek thinkpieces about Trump being 'sad and alone and gaining weight' all that funny, especially when the main takeaway we are expected to get from this is that he deserves it.

Being depressed is not funny, whether you are a right-wing demagogue or not.

Frankly, if you are unable to mock Trump without reducing mental illness to a punchline, you are not trying hard enough.

COMMENT

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickcomment

09

Meet the Men Who Own the World Jadzia Samuel laments the massive global wealth inequality found in a recent report from Oxfam Jadzia Samuel Comment Writer

In 2018 we would like to think that we have reached a stage where economic and social progress is at the forefront of global development. Wouldn’t it be lovely to think that we had moved beyond colonial-levels of inequality of the past? Instead, the reality we face could almost be the premise to a new bestselling young adult dystopian novel. (Only we unfortunately don’t have a beautiful yet elusive seventeen-year-old heroine to save the world while simultaneously seducing all the sub-average white boys in her path.)

"Ortega is definitely not the only billionaire whose mountain of wealth is built on foundations of social exploitation" What we do have, however, is an almost incomprehensibly shocking degree of disparity between rich and poor, which might even give Veronica Roth nightmares.

Oxfam recently published a

study showing that the eight practice with some of the men richest billionaires in 2018 col- on this exclusive list of fat cats; lectively control the equivalent one of these men is Amancio wealth of the poorest 3.6 bilOrtega, the founder of lion. In 2016, this list of Zara. Zara has been the world’s wealthiest one of the fashion was originally a colchains at the vanlection of sixtyguard of so two billionaires called ‘fast(whose combined fashion’ in the wealth amounted past few years, to that of half yet this modthe global popuern manner of lation), however rapidly this dropped to producan all-male collai n g tion of only eight highin 2017 after a furstreet ther study brought clothAmancio to light the ing at Ortega Net shocking levels affordWorth of poverty in a b l e India and China, prices for $78.4 Billion thus widening the the average gap between richconsumer is est and poorest. actively contributThe question is, how ing to the exploitation of workdid this happen? How can eight ers in developing countries. In men come to own the equivalent 2011, the Regional wealth of half the world? It Superintendent of Labour and would be most convenient if we Employment of Sao Paulo, could simply brush this off as an Brazil, closed down a Zara facanomalous case of eight lucky, tory due to the extremely poor hardworking men who fought to working conditions, as well as make it big. But I think that we allegations of slave labour. all know that these men are just In 2017 in Istanbul, customsymptoms of a wider social dis- ers shopping in Zara found ease; a capitalist system which handwritten notes in the pockexploits the most vulnerable ets of Zara clothing from members of society in order to Turkish factory workers, urging benefit those in control of capi- shoppers to put pressure on the tal. company to pay them their corWe can even find examples rect wages. The list could go of this exploitative system in on. And Ortega is definitely not

Jeff Bezos Net Worth $116.6 Billion Warren Buffett Net Worth $93.2 Billion

the only billionaire whose mountain of wealth is built, in part, on foundations of social exploitation. Although, while it is these people at the top of the food chain who are actively holding the tap on the world’s wealth and perpetuating the situation of extreme disparity, it is the downward spiral of our social system itself which allows this exploitation to take place.

So, what can we do? Stop buying clothes from Zara? Oh, and H&M. And Forever 21. And Urban Outfitters. And Primark.

Oh, and you should probably stop buying things from Amazon because they don’t pay their taxes. Which means you need to

boycott Starbucks too. Or simply perhaps we should just become ethical consumers and try to source our clothing/coffee/mobile phones from companies who give their factory workers basic human rights.

Because in 2018 that’s apparently still something we need to be thinking about.

"How can eight men come to own the equivalent wealth of half the world?"

Do You Even Lift?

Helena Shaw argues that weightlifting should be made more accessible Helena Shaw Comment Writer

New year, new me. I’m going to do it guys, I’m going to the gym.

But the decision to start is only the beginning; as a girl there are a myriad of considerations to take place. With issues of body

confidence and weighing up the choice of whether to look ‘slutty’ or boil to death, it is a minefield of superficial decisions that hold more weight than they really should. Its no wonder, with thoughts such as these and fears of looking stupid or feeling out of your depth, that 75% of women don’t want to exercise

out of fear, and only 29% of women are achieving their recommended levels of physical activity. Even once you’ve made it to the gym there is a major hurdle to get over, a major hill to climb - well actually in this case to climb down. I’m talking about the descent between the top floor of gym with cardio and small weights area, and the lower floor with heavy weights.

I have been afraid of the weights ever since I entered the gym. It’s always seemed like an archaic boy’s club that I, not possessing strength, male genitals, or an accompanying strained gym face, do not have an invitation to. The fear is only strengthened by the room separation. On an average day at the university's new sports centre, overpacked with struggling students, you will tend to see the upper floor split roughly equally in gender on cardio machines, yet there seems to be series domination of the free weights and weight machines by boys. This split seems to fit far too snuggly

into traditional gender roles of women as slim and men as muscular; there to open the lids of our jars and carry the heavy bags.

"I've been afraid of weights ever since I entered the gym. It's always seemed like an archaic boy's club" Researchers blame this split on women’s fear of getting too bulky and not fitting the stereotypical slender physique, which is shown to us through so many supermodels. I would disagree.

With our generation, in this new age, big is beautiful. Big bums cultivated through heavy weight squats, such as that of Kim Kardashian and fitspiration posts

on Instagram showing a development from small and skinny to strong and confident are encouraging gym and weight use, yet we are still afraid. There are always those few inspirationally daring women who dominate the weight area and I think it’s time women everywhere stood with them.

Weightlifting builds strength and increases metabolism, as well as confidence. It may be a sick cycle that the confidence we need to go down into, this sea of testosterone, is the confidence we will gain from doing it. It’s also showing of gender relations that I’m afraid to enter a male dominated area, but I’ve decided to stop being afraid and I implore you to stop, too. I am going to conquer my fears because it's unfair that being strong should be designated only to men.

So, I’m daring to enter the forbidden weights section and if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be busy working on my straining gym face and grunt.

COMMENT

10

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickcomment

Continue Brexit and EU'll Be Sorry Rahim Mohamed explains why his trip to Brussels intensified his resentment of Brexit even more Rahim Mohamed Comment Writer

The Brussels trip organised by the Department of Political Science and International Studies was a major pull factor when deciding to apply to the University of Birmingham – it didn’t disappoint.

This was an opportunity to visit the so called ‘capital city of Europe’ and get a first-hand understanding of the strategic decision making and operational management of the EU’s various institutions. In doing so, I was intrigued to see how my proEuropean views would be impacted.

The first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the Union; no less than 14 institutions work in tandem to create, implement and adjudicate legislation. Add to this the need to accommodate 24 different languages, which can’t always be translated directly from one to the other by a single interpreter, and you begin to understand how passing laws can be considered and extremely arduous process.

While all the above was being explained at the various talks that we attended, the following sequence of questions were being lined up in my head: does the EU really need this many bodies? How on earth

does anything get done? Were the Brexiteers right in their belief that the bureaucratic nature of the EU is counterproductive?

These fears were further compounded on being told that no MEPs were actually present in the main Parliament chamber during our visit, as they’d all made the trip to the Strasbourg parliament building (effectively a replica) where, once a month, they convene to debate matters which could have more easily been discussed in Brussels.

Why? Purely for political reasons; Strasbourg had a symbolic role to play in the EU’s formative years and the French won’t allow a break in this tradition as they stand to lose too much prestige and economic income.

None of the above paints the EU in a particularly good light.

Yet, some perspective is required and several points of discussion which followed reaffirmed my belief that we should strive to retain or, assuming we do leave, regain our membership to the EU. First, we were reminded why the EU was formed. Simply put, the key goals were increased cooperation and economic interdependence in Europe in the hope that this would avoid further military conflicts escalating to full world involvement – so

far so good!

Second, we were told to look around at our classmates and acknowledge the diversity of nationalities present. Name a country and in all likelihood, someone on that trip was there to ‘represent’.

I feel privileged to be able to share my one-year postgraduate experience at the University of Birmingham with people from all over the world. It goes without saying that I feel all the richer for the exposure I will have had to these different cultures, the friends made and, literally speaking, the free accommodation that I can expect to receive when I go visit them after our time at Birmingham comes to an end.

Leaving the EU may or may not have a significant effect on European students, but being a part of it in the first place was certainly a key contributor to this academic environment which promotes tolerance and acceptance.

Finally, the EU is not (contrary to popular belief) simply a club for Europe’s better performing economies working to protect their own

interests at the expense of the rest of the world. I was extremely impressed with our visit to the European External Action Service (EEAS) which is set up to promote peace building, maintenance of good relations, development and humanitarian work amongst other worthwhile endeavours with countries outside the EU.

H o w the Leave camp got away with promoting the idea of a more Global Britain outside the

EU when we have so much influence on foreign policy from a position of strength within Europe beggars belief.

The ideals that Europe promotes are alone worth fighting for: peace, tolerance and acting as a collective to assist other countries.

If we do successfully leave and later decide to re-join, a whole generation (namely the readers of this paper) will have missed out, considering the time it will take to try to make the new arrangements work and the time it will take for a new application to be made.

Edward Heath was desperate to lead us into Europe in 1973 and successfully did so even after applications under the previous government were twice rejected in the 1960s. This came at a time when Britain was searching for its place in the world, a search which Brexit proves is far from over.

Poll of the Week: The Monarchy

The Royals' renaissance in popularity preceding the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has sparked controversy over the relevance and morality of their existence... %

-5

-

45 Should the monarchy be abolished?

%

Yes

"They can provide their own security, and they can pay some damn tax"

3.

4

5 6 .5

No

"It's not worth the hassle of getting rid of them when they're not doing anything anyway"

"Referendum, please..."

"They bring in a lot of revenue due to tourism and the queen provides a politically impartial figurehead to patriotically unite the country."

"The Royal Family are a symbol of entrenched inequality"

Take part in our polls:

@RedbrickComment

Redbrick Comment Contributors

Amelia Hiller Comment Editor

This week Redbrick Comment asked whether the monarchy should be abolished, as the royals are currently experiencing a renaissance in popularity following the wedding announcement of Prince Harry to the American actress Meghan Markle, as well as the popularity of Netflix series ‘The Crown’.

However, is there more of a feeling that the monarchy no longer have a place in contemporary society? This has been one of our most divisive polls yet.

According to poll results, 53.45% of our respondents across our survey and Twitter poll claimed for various reasons that the the monarchy deserves a place in 21st Century Britain, so overall responses were rather divided. Statements in support of the British monarchy were that they are ingrained into our cul-

ture, and act as symbols of our nation.

Additionally, many discussed the spike in tourism that they provide. On the other hand, several responses outlined that no public money should be invested in the monarchy, with one respondent declaring that ‘a large proportion of their wealth should be redistributed to help the less fortunate.’

Overall, as a student body we seem to agree with the monarchy as cultural and political figureheads, although we do believe that their wealth should be put to better use, with them being described by one individual as ‘boring tax evaders’.

Personally, I believe that the monarchy do have a place in contemporary Britain, although they are now less political and more celebrity, but that their wealth is obviously the reason why opinion regarding them is controversial.

COMMENT

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickcomment

11

Knives are No Accessory

The glamorisation of knives is doing nothing to prevent an epidemic in knife crime, asserts Natalia Carter Natalia Carter Comment Writer

Between September 2010 and September 2016, the number of the police workforce in England and Wales fell by 18,991.

Theresa May argued that they protected the counter-terrorism policing budgets, but she fails to recognise the problem.

Ultimately, her negligence and rejection of warnings that police cuts would result in an increase in crime, has led to the horrific knife crimes of present.

With the lessened security on the streets, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that crime will increase.

Unfortunately, Theresa May seems incapable of realising this. If young adults and teenagers are feeling unprotected, then they are going to turn to alternative ways of keeping themselves safe. For some it’s carrying around an alarm or putting a bell on your purse, for others it’s carrying around a knife.

It is illegal in the UK to manufacture, import, sale, hire

or loan a flick knife. Yet Instagram has recently been seen promoting such items on their website. These knives are weapons disguised as everyday items, they are highly decorated and targeted towards young females.

Whilst the pictures themselves might not be a problem, the fact that UK citizens are buying and importing these weapons is a huge problem.

"For some it's carrying around an alarm or putting a bell on your purse, for others it's carrying around a knife" The iridescent design and novelty of the items has led to customers purchasing the weapons from the US company, Alien Outfitters. The company are using Instagram to promote their

products and link to their comThe promotion and distribupany website, which is based in tion of these products is making North Carolina. The knives are our cities more dangerous. But glamorised as fashion accesso- who will deal with it? Who will ries, creating a less threatening prevent knife crimes from appearance and hence making becoming an epidemic? As far them seem like nothing more as I can tell, Theresa May has than a toy. done a terrible job of keeping If knives are being glorified our streets safe from (regrettalike this, and disguised in every- bly) everyday threats of vioday items such as lipsticks and lence. I cannot dispute that the combs, what chance do the counter-terrorism budgets few police left on the have been protected, streets have at stopor that they are ping knife crime very important, spiralling out of but so are neighcontrol?

The bourhood knives are prepolicing budgsented as insigets. These are nificant, as the budgets though they that have been could be nothing cut. more than a fun It is despi(Office for National gift to bring out cable that Statistics) and show your knives are being friends; but imagine advertised on if one worked its way social media platinto a club. All it would forms popular with take is a rowdy argument teenagers, and it is outrabefore the deadly lipstick made geous that they are making their its way out. After all, there’s no way into the country. Instagram way anyone would know it are promoting a page which viowasn't one. lates its community guideline of

36,998 counts of knife crime in 2017

following the law. It’s illegal to sell flick knives, and I believe they should remove the posts.

Yes, it’s an American company, but that does not detract from the UK purchases and the general danger generated by the owning of, or carrying of, a knife. It is an insult to anyone who has been affected by knife crime that the page still exists.

Knife crime is becoming a severe problem with the number of crimes increasing over 2017 and fears about gangs growing.

Over the New Year period, four young men died in London from fatal stab wounds. All four incidents were unrelated and brought the number of knife deaths in 2017 alone to a total of 80. The availability of weapons such as flick knives can only end in tragedy. One of the victims was 18, another only 17 years old, the others both 20. The lives of the four young men killed over New Year are a consequence of the persistent ignorance of the Conservative Party and their irresponsible police budget cuts, and as far as I am concerned, they have blood on their hands.

You Are The Company You Keep

Madeline McInnis claims that, in light of his ex-girlfriend's racist remarks, Henry Bolton is responsible for his reputation and thus who he surrounds himself with Madeline McInnis Comment Writer

Last week, UKIP leader Henry Bolton came under fire for the comments his then-girlfriend, Jo Marney, made about Meghan Markle and her race. Despite not being directly involved with the slurs on Markle’s race and allegedly breaking up with Marney soon after the backlash began, some are calling this the last straw for Bolton and his political career.

This, of course, raises the question of whether romantic partners are responsible for the actions and statements of each other. We’ve come well past a time where it’s acceptable for one partner to be subservient to the other. Everyone should be making their own decisions, and none of us should be responsible for the actions of others.

Responsible for bad actions?

Of course not. Responsible for your own reputation? Always.

You are responsible for the group you hang around with and their actions reflect on your reputation.

Think of the backlash to your partner’s actions like the policies of a political party. When you identify with the group, be it anything from Conservative to Communist, you assign yourself to their ideals — even the nutty ones. Even if you do not person-

ally agree with everything they say or do, your reputation is connected to theirs as soon as you go public with your support for them.

As soon as you start advertising your relationship, be it your Facebook relationship status or showing up in the tabloids, your reputation is interwoven with that other person’s.

That should be something to be proud of, rather than afraid of. If you’ve picked a good apple, there’s no fear of finding a worm.

"Pick your partners with your future in mind" It is naive to think that couples have not had deep conversations. It is hard to believe that you never saw that side of your partner — if you really had not, it shows that the relationship was built on superficial things, and in a position of power like Bolton currently has, there is not really anything to brag about if that is the case, either.

On the flip side, you could have a completely clean slate and still have a bad reputation because of the crowd you run with.

A lot of us students are not thinking about those broader

implications right now. A lot of us are just here for a good time, making some friends and getting out. When it comes to a job interview, they’re going to be way more impressed if you were recommended by the head of your department than the fact that your buddy holds the Brum record for longest keg stand.

Romantic partnerships are like that, just on a far more intimate level. What your romantic partner does reflects directly on you because this is the person you have chosen to spend so much time with. It is impossible to separate yourself from your ‘other half’ in terms of ideas and wavelengths.

Relationships should be built on similar ideas, a mental connection, and a worldview that manifests in both of you.

Something drew you to them, you have to have had close conversations, and there’s no way for you not to know what they are like behind closed doors.

Relationships are people who are closer to each other than they are to the rest of the world, so the connotations are that you have to have had conversations — similar to the ones that got Marney in hot water — together before they went public.

If my partner were to get in trouble with the law, for example, I would be mortified. As much as I didn’t commit those actions myself, I love someone

who did. I never have to agree with everything he says or does, but I also understand that my moral compass has to align with his, not only for our relationship to work, but also for me to be proud of what we have.

Pick your partners with your future in mind. If anything ever goes public, you should never

have to shrink behind closed doors and lies about your knowledge of their views and actions.

You are never responsible for what your partner does, but if you want people to respect you in a relationship, you better have someone who is just as respectable holding onto your hand.

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Vice Chancellor Question Time Sparks Debate

Redbrick News Editors take you through the questions asked and the responses given at the first Vice Chancellor Question Time in nearly a decade Grace Duncan News Editor

Phoebe Radford News Editor

Emily Roberts News Editor

Erin Santillo News Editor

John Wimperis News Editor

On Thursday 25th January, the University of Birmingham held its first Vice Chancellor Question Time for nearly a decade, with students given the opportunity to grill Professor Sir David Eastwood about university policy. Socialist Students Society giving out flyers with the caption ‘Hey Dave, how big’s yer bonus?’ before the event set the tone for the rest of the meeting. Tensions ran high with questions including, ‘when are you going to resign?’ being met with cheers and applause from audience members. The event was chaired

by Nick Petrie, a former Editor-inChief of Redbrick now working for The Times.

The Student Experience Beginning with the topic of the student experience, the first question concerned why the new library only has 2,000 study spaces. The VC argued that that they had built the country’s largest university library but, as more study spaces were created, more students used them. He said that spaces remained available, even when it seemed full.

Asked next why the university was taking more and more applicants despite student complaints of overcrowding and limited resources, the VC said that UoB would not overshoot its targets and was also investing in new study spaces, reducing the strain on space. On overstretched counselling services, he said that funding for mental health support had increased over recent years.

"What we have to do is make the best use of what we have" Pressed by Petrie about what he will do while these new study spaces are being built, the VC said that there were plans to introduce an app to highlight free study spaces but ‘in the interim, what we

have to do is make the best use of what we have’.

The VC delegated a question about provision of counsellors to a member of university staff, the Academic Registrar. He claimed UoB counselling was ‘substantially better than the NHS’ and that the shutting down of the service over Christmas was routine but badly communicated. He claimed that because UoB offers a severalweek long therapeutic course, they do not start a new course shortly before the break for the holidays but offer a triage service to assess the best way to support a student.

Asked about under-resourced disability support, the VC again called on this member of staff, but this time he could offer no specifics. The VC said that he has a ‘personal interest’ in this, being himself disabled, and a review and report on support and welfare funding will be given to the university council. Pressed by Petrie to say how students not present at VCQT were supposed to know any of this, he said that they should go to the Student Hub and be assessed.

One student questioned how overcrowding would be tackled, claiming the Hydrology MSc was being cut. The VC said this course was only altered, though other universities had cut it. The student interjected and asked if UoB was dealing with overcrowding by closing unviable courses, or seeing students as pound signs at the expense of quality. The student audience applauded this question while the VC claimed the university is committed to improving staff-student ratios.

Campus Growth and Development Moving on to issues surrounding campus growth and development, the VC was first questioned about the Green Heart project taking shape in the centre of campus. On noise pollution stemming from the multi-million pound development, Eastwood revealed that the university is talking with contractors to schedule the noisiest work around less busy times on campus, whilst only quiet work would take place during exam season. Further, disagreeing with a student, the VC argued that the Green Heart will not be a waste of space as it will host art installations, outdoor theatre and prom concerts, resulting in ‘more teaching space [...] not less’.

Responding to a query from Twitter about the number of trees that were felled on campus over the summer break, Eastwood underlined how the university plans to add 144 mature trees to the Green Heart project in order to increase the ‘green footprint’. He said: ‘we cut down trees because

we’re going to plant more’.

Turning to other projects on campus, the VC defended the seeming lack of funding for the Arts building by explaining that Psychology will move out of its current base in Frankland to make room for CAL. He also said that the new hotel and conference facility behind Gisbert Kapp was not funded by tuition fees and will be run at no cost to other services, such as mental health support. On campus accessibility, Eastwood declared that Trevor Payne, Director of Estates, has commissioned a report to highlight issues.

Regarding university owned accommodation, the VC said that UoB is committed to having a range of rental fees, claiming that ‘the hardest accommodation to let is the cheapest’. When challenged on the lack of postgraduate housing, Eastwood stated that the university plans to extend its portfolio from 5,200 student rooms to 8,300, which would cater for higher student numbers.

"We cut down trees because we’re going to plant more" Fees and Finance The section devoted to the issue of ‘Fees and Funding’ sparked a number of questions from those in attendance at the Question Time.

With regards to fees, students raised questions about the cost of tuition, who should pay for it, and how the money should be spent.

One audience member highlighted an article written by the Vice Chancellor in which he allegedly claimed that there was no alternative to tuition fees. Another took the opportunity to draw attention to the conclusions the Browne Review reached in terms of how fees should be set. In response, Sir David Eastwood explained that the system the Browne Review recommended is not the same as the one currently being implemented.

He went on to say that what we have is ‘effectively a capped graduate tax [...] that is designed to be progressive’, highlighting the fact that 45% of tuition fees will not be repaid nationally. The VC went on to claim that the whole country can benefit from an educated workforce. One member of the audience asked Eastwood if the money raised from fees could be channeled into important student services (specifically mental health and welfare support), to which he stated that the university spends 100% of income derived from tui-

tion fees on students - ‘it is exactly balanced’.

The Question Time then turned to questions surrounding the VC’s own pay. One student asked if it was true that he was on the remuneration board that sets his own pay. In response, Eastwood stated that he does have a role in remuneration across the university, however his own pay is set by a council distinct from his home office. He went on to say ‘Everything I do has been declared.

Everything I do has been approved.

Everything I do is on the declaration of interests’, and stressed his commitment to philanthropy and higher education.

Our ‘Global’ University One of the most hotly contested subjects during the Question Time was the subject of ‘Our Global University’ with most questions focussing on the Dubai campus.

Many were concerned that considering the laws in the UAE it would be difficult for the university to protect students. Although the VC stated that UoB has worked with charities such as Stonewall who have experience with working in this type of environment, students remained unconvinced. For a full analysis of the safety of students in Dubai and what Eastwood had to say regarding it, turn to page 4 to read news reporter Tim Abington’s full report on the topic.

Others called attention to the necessity of the campus, to which the VC answered that while university officials spent a long time considering the appropriacy of global campuses they deemed that it is the future of higher education.

Eastwood acknowledged campus presence in China and Singapore but argued that a more substantial campus in the UAE is key in the country’s position as the Middle East’s higher education hub. He argued it would allow UoB to recruit students from India, North East Africa, and the Middle East that could not otherwise come to Birmingham. He was also met with criticism that it was making the university more of a business than a university to which he responded, ‘The University of Birmingham Dubai is not a business, it is a university. It is a campus of this university [...] Of course, it will run in a business like way, but it is not a business’.

The only questions not about the new campus in the UAE were regarding international students.

The first was about the high price of fees. The VC gave a short response to this question, saying that international student fees are set two years in advance and that currently there are no plans to change them as he believes they are good value. There were also questions regarding funding to the

International Student Advisory Service to which Eastwood gave no clear response.

"[The Guild] does a fine job with the resources it has" Open Questions The last part of Vice Chancellor Question Time was dedicated to open questions ranging from student housing and safety in Selly Oak to university investments, and Guild funding. The first question asked about the standard of housing and highlighted that most rental contracts are twelve-months, yet hardship scholarships are only ten.

The VC stated again his intention to increase the stock of university accommodation, to give more students a choice between university or private residences. When prompted by Petrie, he said that the hardship issue could be looked at if raised with the Guild officers.

In response to a later question on Selly Oak, the VC said there is only so much the university can do in the private renting sector but that they were committed to working with local police.

A later question asked if the university was planning to divert its investments in fossil fuels to renewable technologies, to which the VC said the university was leading research into generating hydrogen fuel, but discussions on the issue were ongoing and he was unable to expand more on the question.

The biggest cheer of the night followed a question asked by Redbrick’s Editor-in-Chief, Will Baxter, asking how the Guild was expected to adequately fund student societies and activities with such low funding compared to others, and highlighting the university’s use of Guild activities in their promotional materials. The VC agreed that the university is proud of the Guild, but then explained that student union funding differs from university to university. The VC also mentioned the Guild’s own mechanisms for fundraising.

Petrie pushed Eastwood on Guild funding, to which the VC said the Guild ‘does a fine job with the resources it has’.

Petrie closed Vice Chancellor Question Time by personally urgeing the VC to give the Guild as much money as possible, as an exstudent and major supporter.

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13

The Great North South Divide: Mind The Gap

Food&Drink Editor Caitlin Dickinson talks about her experiences as a Northerner studying in the South Are you a Northerner or Southerner? Depending on where you believe the North, South divide to be would place you in one of the distinct categories to define yourself. Most claim that the divide is around the Midlands, thus placing the border at Leiceister or Birmingham, which for obvious reasons divides the UK in half, but many have now started to claim that the North, South divide is just above Watford Junction. The divide is perceived by many to be so low in the country that it makes around 70% of the UK the North?

I am no geographical expert, but in my opinion, this is just fundamentally flawed in every aspect.

Basic directions always put a 50/50 split on North and South on a compass, which is why I strongly believe that the North starts around the West Midlands.

"There is a 'cultural barrier' that a lot of Northern students wanting to study in the South will have to apprehend before they locate there"

PicxaBay

From hearing the stories of those elder than me who have been to university, and experienced what the whole ‘uni life’ was like, I never really picked up on the fact that each person would claim they were ridiculed for their accent. This is despite coming from an area where 'Northern' accents are mild. From pronouncing the phoneme ‘a’ differently to reducing the preposition ‘the’ to just a ‘t’ mumble, us Northerner’s have it hard with just speaking how we were brought up to do so.

It seemed that during my fresher week I had comments from most

people imitating the way I said 'grass' or 'dinner' (not lunch).

With the gift of hindsight, I am now able to make a correlation between the fact that the more south you go as a Northerner, the more likely you are to be mocked for these language traits. It may seem ridiculous that this could be an issue to us ‘Northerners’, as surely Southerners could claim they feel just as alienated by their accent when they travel more north? But I just cannot believe that is the case.

In the North, Southern accents get regarded as more ‘posh’, or perceive the individual speaking to be a tourist, or residing student.

I come from the Ribble Valley in East Lancashire, which if you do not know is just one county away from Scotland, so pretty much as Northern as you can possibly get.

What further surprises people, is that I study English Literature, which for many is ironic as I ‘do not speak correctly’ to study a subject which is comprehensive in what undoubtedly premises itself on using correctly language and grammar. It may be the case that people are just joking to me, which most of the time I do take light heartedly. However, the problem is deep rooted in societal division between the North and South.

Through studying English, I have also received a shock about the lack of ‘Northern’ based texts and critiques there is actually available for academic study. I have actually only this year been introduced to a text that is set in Manchester; about the deprivation and poverty the North has unfortunately been subjected too throughout the years since industry has moved down South.

The lack of awareness of the North that I see from Southern students every day is not helped by the apparent insufficient amount of literature on our lives to raise awareness of these basic principles of the North. It seems that

from the day I moved into halls, lack of opportunity and the barriand to the current moment, the ers that are felt, then I do not know way I speak and the habits that I what does. have (such as enjoying chips with There is a ‘cultural barrier’ that gravy) have singled me out as a lot of Northern students wanting being someone who is radically to study in the south will have to different from her Southern coun- apprehend before they locate there. terparts, despite studying at To be able to ‘fit in’ is a big the same university. thing for students at uniWhat amuses me versity, especially most about being a when you can be so Northerner, in a far away from predominantly friends and famiSouthern student ly at home. dominated uniThis is not of the worst versity, is that I made easier areas for get asked ‘Is the when the first social care North as scary time you open as what I have your mouth at are based in heard?’, ‘Is it university you the North really dirty up are met with an North?’, 'Are all imitation game of Northerner people who can do the best gypsies?' and ‘I thought Northern accent. I all Northerner’s were stupid, remember that most people I how did you get into uni?’. These met quoted Peter Kay lines at me, questions did shock me when they or Andy Tate football commentary were first asked, and still to this snippets. Trust me, I have heard it day I wonder where the stereo- a thousand times. types have come from. Even What is worse is that I was though the questions may be asked occasionally met by individuals in innocence or to be funny, I that just completely missed the never found myself asking back point with me being from questions to perpetuate Southern Lancashire and started asking if I stereotypes. was Scottish or a Scouser. Believe You may argue from Benefits it or not, Northern people do not Street, Little Britain or character’s homogenise into one Scouse from Benidorm are where they accent! I have frequently been told originate from. But if this is the I sound so broad with my accent, case then why do caricatures of but I believe mine to be quite mild Southerner’s not exist to this in comparison to the mock accents extreme form? If anything, the I have been faced with whilst at news readers, presenters, actors university. are all predominatly Southern, To prove that what I am prowhich cannot be a bad thing sure- claiming is not just a personal ly? qualm of mine, it is proven that I do admit that a smaller pro- 49% of those who live in the north portion of Northerners go to uni- of the country are more likely to versity, but in my opinion, this is die between the ages of 35- 44 if due to lack of social mobility and they reside in the North. It has opportunity given to Northern been a common fact that the North teenagers. In actual fact more of England citizens have a poorer international students get admitted quality of life; schools get funded to Russell Group Universities that less, 15 out of 20 of the worst students from the North of England areas of social care are in the do. If this does not highlight the North and life expectancy is at

3/4

77.9 compared to Londoners at 80.5. The North of England has been 59 billion pounds worse off on public transport compared to London in the last 10 years. There is no doubt therefore that Oxbridge only accepted 800 Northern undergraduates compared to the SouthEast and London accepting 2,700 undergraduates.

"In actual fact, more international students get admitted to Russell Group Universities than students from the North of England do" Despite promises to build up a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ by Theresa May and her conservative government and invest up to 556 million into Northern industry, this has not yet been seen or felt by the North of England. Experts predict that to bridge the gap between the North and South there is an estimated 700 million needed for social mobility. Unfortunately, the fact still remains that Southern privilege continues despite failed ‘efforts’ by the government to create social equality for all within England.

Although the North for many may seem like a decaying, dangerous and dark place, it is still my home. It still baffles me that the South charges over a quid for a pint, and they do not like chips and gravy, Lancashire hotpot or pie sandwiches. But the solid facts still remain for me, I come from God’s own country and love a good cuppa with my tea (not dinner). Who wouldn’t want that for their home?

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Top 5 Videogame Soundtracks Music Editor Luke Charnley revisits a misspent youth and counts down the five best gaming soundtracks of the last fifteen years.

GAMING & MUSIC Luke Charnley Music Editor

Of all the factors that define a memorable gaming experience, music is perhaps the most important. There’s a reason humming the first few bars of the Super Mario Bros. theme will gain you the instant attention of any given millennial (though that might have been because I was in the library), or why the Gregorian chants of the Halo theme make me feel so damn nostalgic on the rare occasion I happen across a track such as the legendary 'Opening Suite' or 'On A Pale Horse' (unfortunately, Halo: Combat Evolved didn't make the list, but I

“Kelly Bailey's score is memorale for its subtelty and sparcity” just wanna say here that it's still the best in the series.

The thousands of hours that go into crafting the games that define a generation make for a technical marvel, and yet I would argue that, were it not for the magic of the score, it would be impossible to view games as the art form that they are growing into. And while it’s been a while since I last sat down to play a game for fun, its occasionally good to take a walk down memory lane and rediscover the music that helped to soundtrack a misspent youth.

1.Kelly Bailey - Half-Life 2 (Valve, 2004) The best soundtrack to the best game. Half-Life 2, much like its predecessor, represented a landmark in storytelling through gameplay. Unlike some of the other soundtracks considered to be iconic, Kelly Bailey’s score is memorable for its subtlety and sparsity; much of the game passes in silence punctuated by short snippets of ambient electronica and alien radio chatter. Much like the series’ narrative elements, it serves to complement gameplay rather than the other way around.

Supporting this is a flawless sense of timing: hearing ‘Triage at Dawn’ after emerging from that harrowing mine sequence at the end of Ravenholm is, in many ways, its own reward. Unlike many of its peers at the time (or indeed since), Half-Life 2 was unafraid of stepping back from mindless run-andgun action and providing the player with a taste of something else: I’m actually a huge fan of that section that sees you driving along a coastal highway for the better part of an hour (no, really). The game is filled with memorable, beautiful moments such as this, and it is the work of Kelly Bailey that eternally etched them into my memory.

2.Jack Wall & Sam Hulick - Mass Effect (Bioware, 2007) I’ll be honest, the first installment of Bioware’s space-opera RPG hadn’t aged well when I played it about five years ago. That doesn’t matter too much, because why the game remains so timeless isn’t in its clunky mechanics and weird sex scenes, but in its soundtrack (noticing a theme here?). Just as the game takes many of its visual cues from the cyberpunk future of Blade Runner, its composers similarly looked to Vangelis’ retro-futuristic score for inspiration.

The effect in-game is a magical one: the player’s journey through the galaxy is underpinned by atmospheric, synth-laden compositions such as the beautiful ‘Vigil’ and navigating the map screen on the Normandy is simply incomplete without the calming loop of ‘Uncharted Worlds’. A couple of forgettable battle tracks aside, the best moments of Mass Effect’s soundtrack easily rank among the best in gaming.

3.Mike Bithell - Thomas Was Alone (Steam, 2013) Now, for a trip to the indie side of gaming. Released on Steam in 2013, the independently released Thomas Was Alone is a 2D puzzle platformer that tells the charming story of a group of rectangles on a journey of self-discovery and friendship (I’m not kidding, it won a BAFTA).

The excellence of the game comes through in Danny Wallace’s warm narration, and in the retrofitted 8-bit of the soundtrack: I can’t think of another time that I’ve been so invested in the personalities of virtual quadrangles.

Evoking the work immortalized in platformers from the ‘Golden Age of Gaming’, Bithell also makes restrained use of strings and keys to achieve a ‘floaty’ sound, ideal for a subtle game about jumping rectangles and the ethical implications of AI sentience.

4.Gustavo Santaolalla The Last of Us (Naughty Dog, 2013) From a narrative perspective, The Last of Us is perhaps the videogame equivalent of Oscar bait: a gritty and bleak exploration of the human condition that made everyone who played it really depressed.

Contrasting the dark and violent tone of the gameplay and story is Santaolalla’s subdued score. Emphasizing gently picked guitar arpeggios and quiet strings, the ambience of The Last of Us takes on a folk music quality that melds perfectly with the games aesthetic focus on desolation and nature.Witnessing our two protagonists make a protracted and harrowing journey across a post-apoca-

lypse United States is a grim and foreboding narrative experience like no other in gaming (the next entry aside that is) In a game that puts so much stock into making the player emotional, it helps to have a soundtrack as beautiful and sad as this one.

5.Various Artists - Spec Ops: The Line (Yaeger, 2012) If The Last of Us was Oscar-bait, Yaeger’s antiwar shooter is very much a critical cult classic. A game that asks subversive questions of the morality in finding entertainment in violence, Spec Ops: The Line takes stylistic inspiration from Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, the latter of which is found in the liberal use of upbeat 60’s pop such as Deep Purple’s ‘Hush’ and Martha and the Vandella’s ‘Nowhere to Run’ in an effort to connect combat in sand-blasted Dubai to the

“The work of some of the world's most prominent leftfield artists...builds an uneasy atmosphere” darkness and violence of the conflict in Vietnam.

Elsewhere, the work of some of the world’s most prominent left-field artists, such as Björk and Mogwai, builds an uneasy atmosphere, perhaps the only example of a video-game using licensed music to unsettle and horrify the player. In a game hat emphasises involving and, dare I say, incriminating its players, the use of popular music to create tension is a subtle yet effective move that deserves a spot on this list.

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Mark E. Smith of The Fall: British Rock Cult Hero

MUSIC Harry Wilkinson Deputy Editor

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Last Wednesday morning legendary frontman of The Fall, Mark E. Smith, died in his home at the age of 60. Deputy Editor, Harry Wilkinson, pays tribute to his life.

A few months ago I went through a short phase of obsession with The Fall, having been suddenly exposed to their quaintly fantastic sound. I watched documentaries, read Smith’s book and watched videos of live performances. One video that stood out was a performance of their set at Glastonbury in 2015, which featured Mark E. Smith in the newest version of The Fall performing alongside his relatively younger and more attractive wife, Elenor Smith, playing keyboard. The frontman appears to urinate on himself within the first few songs, and goes on to perform the rest of the gig as if all was normal. One of the comments on the video was enquiring how such an eccentric man could have such an attractive wife, to which someone ingeniusly replied something along the lines of, ‘That question probably has one of the best answers ever’.

The Fall formed in 1976 after Smith saw The Sex Pistols perform at the lesser Free Trade Hall, inspiring Smith (as well as members of Joy Division, Magazine and The Smiths) to form a band. 42 years, 31 albums and 66 band-members later, The Fall were still together, with Smith still seeking to push the band further. Although the band never really had widespread mainstream success, aside from a few singles that made their way into the charts in the 80s, it has retained a strong cult following.

Perhaps the primary reason for such a following is down to Mark E. Smith himself, who’s unique style as a lyricist, vocalist and frontman continued to intrigue and entertain through years of performing.

Smith's lyrics were provoking and abusdist, and delivered in a strong Mancunian accent.

Their words are intelligent, but the delivery primal. During performances Smith would often walk off-stage or start intefering with amps. The whole thing was a creation of his own, constantly being altered to satisfy his musical instinct.

The Fall are said to be 'the most prolific band of the British post-punk movement', releasing 31 albums. The first of these albums, Live at the Witch Trials, came out in 1978, and was recorded in a single day. The Fall has a signature sound of rawness of intentional repetitiveness; a sound that is adequately displayed in the song "Repetition", including the lyrics, 'we've repetition in the music and we're never going to lose it'.

I've always looked at interviews as being an important part of the game.

I very rarely read other group's interviews but when I do they usually come across tame and irrevelvant...but with me it's diferenttotally opposite.

Renegade: The Lives and tales of Mark E. Smith, page 156 Smith was an avid Manchester City fan, and wrote some songs related to football that achieved some success. "Kicker Conspiracy" (1983) was one, and "Theme

from Sparta FC" (2003) another, the latter being used as the BBC's Final Score theme for a period. Smith didn't mind his song being used, but thought it was quite odd since it is quite a dark song.

Mark E. Smith had strong opinons about parts of the music industry. This particualar passage shows him ranting about

It was only a year later (1981) they started brainwashing kid and record companies. It all boils down to an easy fix- straitjacket your acts, get them to deliver simple sentiments, simple albums and all of a sudden music’s no longer something you carry around in your head but just another piece of TV. I understand it’s always been about the money; that’s a given. But there’s something inhuman about the way in which it’s put into practice. And the swiftness of it all! From idealistic punks to moneyed indie chaise. I prefer to stay away from it all; attack them from the comfort of my abode with a nice cup of tea and The Chuckle Brothers on the box.

Renegade: The Lives and tales of Mark E. Smith, page 98

the introduction of MTV: It wasn’t just Smith’s onstage performances that caught the attention of admirers, it was also his general character off-stage.

Smith was famously a nightmare to interview, often avoiding questions or talking about something completely unrelated or inappropriate.

Smith seemed to be constantly seeking to transcend normality whenever he could.

The result of this was unpredictable, with there being many alleged instances of him falling out with band members, often whilst performing on-stage. This might have been catalysed by Smith’s insistence on each member of the band being paid the same, meaning that, according to Smith, it increased their expectations of how successful they would be. In Renegade, Mark claimed, ’They didn’t understand why they weren’t playing stadiums, failing to realise the fact they’re doing something they want to do and earning the same money as f***ing Bono’. ‘A lot of people think I’m an idiot because I keep paying these people. but I don’t see it like that. where would I be now if I didn’t do that? In a big house in Cheshire on my tod, not doing anything’.

Mark E. Smith was unquestionably a British rock cult hero, and it is the expression of opinions like this, in such a way, and in ways displayed through music, that made him such an exceptional artist. He was a living embodiment of his music, and lived his life as if he was always caught in that moment. He was able to capture an audience, either in his presence, or listening to a song years later after it was recorded. He lived in that moment. Nothing else really mattered.

Mark E. Smith: 1957- 2018

'I could have easily jacked it in.

But there's a part of me that's very defiant. I wouldn't have been able to look myself in the mirror if I'd quit. The Fall has always been there for me like that; in a mad way that was all I had'.

'To certain people you've got to be a bit poetic, or a bit aggressive. they have their image of you - and I play up to it. But it's a protection, a screen. I can pull it out when I need it, because with some people you do need it. ' Renegade: The Lives and tales of Mark E. Smith

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Crossing the Line? Sexual Assault on Trial

In the wake of disgraced gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's conviction for historic sexual abuse, Deputy Editor Kirstie Sutherland asks whether it is right for judges to allow their emotions to influence sentencing Kirstie Sutherland Deputy Editor

Last week the world watched as one of the largest sexual abuse scandals in sporting history finally came to a dramatic end.

Since 2016, former Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been publicly accused by over 150 women and girls of sexual assault. The use and abuse of his position that would allow him to come into close contact with so many of these young women turned stomachs the world over, including that of judge Rosalie Aquilina. The final hearing created further headlines, with Aquilina sentencing the disgraced doctor to a minimum of 40 years and a maximum of 175 years in prison for his crimes. She emphatically addressed him following this announcement: ‘I just signed your death warrant'.

Aquilina used her courtroom more like an open forum, allowing these women to tell the world their stories of abuse and to give an honest account of Nassar’s perverse ‘special treatment’ within the gymnastics sphere.

Despite claims against Nassar being made since 1998 and other

claims dating back as far as 1992, his actions did not become public knowledge until 2016. A former gymnast, Rachel Denhollander, emailed the Indianapolis Star with information on how Nassar had treated her during training. The newspaper had published a report on the investigation into sexual abuse allegations within gymnastics and Denhollander took this opportunity to name and shame her abuser. Fast forward to present day and Aquilina demonstrated no mercy for Nassar, allowing 156 women to tell their stories in court.

“It begs the question: how did he ever expect to gain Aquilina's sympathy in a letter that belittles women in such a way?”

Nassar’s actions were hidden under the guise of medical treat-

ments given to hundreds of gymnasts over the two decades he worked for Michigan State University, where he was described as a ‘respected faculty member’. Denhollander explicitly questioned in court just how his behaviour could have been allowed to continue for such a long time and was damning of gymnastic institutions. With these abuses systemically covered up by the individuals and organisations in place to first and foremost care for these athletes and help them to progress, they have instead failed these individuals and allowed their professional careers to be marred by psychologically and physically-damaging actions. This should not be occurring in any capacity, but especially not within a sport that is so constantly wearing and exhausting in every possible way. With gymnastics being a sport that essentially trains its stars to ‘doubt their own feelings’, according to sports psychologist Joan Ryan, it is clear that Nassar was able to take advantage of the dramatic toll on young athletes in his care.

Aquilina allowing this amount of victim statements to be heard is unprecedented, but also entirely necessary in order

Excerpt from the testimony of Olympic gold medallist Aly Raisman: “Larry, you do realise now that we, this group of women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time, are now a force and you are nothing. I am here to face you, Larry, so you can see that I have regained my strength. That I am no longer a victim. I am a survivor. I am no longer that little girl you met in Australia, where you first began grooming and manipulating. [...] Lying on my stomach with you on my bed insisting that your inappropriate touch would help to heal my pain. The reality is you caused me a great deal of physical, mental and emotional pain. You never healed me. You took advantage of our passions and our dreams. [...] Imagine feeling like you have no power and no voice. Well, you know what, Larry? I have both power and voice, and I am only beginning to just use them. [...] We will use our voices to make sure you get what you deserve. A life of suffering spent replaying the words delivered by this powerful army of survivors. [...] I am also here to tell you to your face, Larry, that you have not taken gymnastics away from me. I love this sport, and that love is stronger than the evil that resides in you and those who enabled you to hurt many people. You already know you're going away to a place where you won't be able to hurt anybody ever again. But I am here to tell you that I will not rest until every last trace of your influence on this sport has been destroyed like the cancer it is. Abusers, your time is up. The survivors are here, standing tall, and we are not going anywhere. And please, your honour, stress the need to investigate how this happened so that we can hold accountable those who empowered and enabled Larry Nassar. So we can repair and once again believe in this wonderful sport.” to shine a light on the horrors going on behind closed doors.

Among the 156 testimonies, several came from high-profile stars within American gymnastics, including Olympic goldmedallists Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman. In her victim statement Raisman accused USA Gymnastics, the national governing body, of telling her ‘to be quiet’ when she first reported Nassar’s actions.

Other testimonies revealed the fact that some Michigan State students are still being billed for the ‘treatments’ they received from Nassar, essentially being billed for the abuse at his hands.

The more that was revealed within these statements, the harder it was for Nassar to refute his guilt..

“Aquilina demonstrated no mercy for Nassar, allowing 156 women to tell their stories in court” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, residing over the court case of Larry Nassar in Michigan, USA

Nassar eventually entered a guilty plea, having already received a sentence of 60 years’

imprisonment for child pornography in July last year. In November 2017, he pleaded guilty to several charges of firstdegree sexual assault. In an attempt to aid his case, he wrote and sent a 6-page letter to judge Aquilina, itself becoming a particular example of victim blaming. He asserted that his treatments were in no way sexual, but strictly medical, but that his pornography charges had caused him to ‘[lose] all credibility’. He instead blamed the media for convincing his victims ‘that it was wrong and bad’. It is no wonder that Aquilina threw his letter away after quoting it in court, with his blatant disregard for the women baring their souls in front of him in such a public way. He even went as far as to write the words ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’. It begs the question: how did he ever expect to gain Aquilina’s sympathy in a letter that belittles women in such a way?

Aquilina has been deemed a feminist hero for her actions during the Nassar case, especially due to her choice to give so many women a voice in a case that would only normally rely on a handful of testimonies and statements. However, I would argue that she made known her deep emotional investment in the case. She pow-

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Friday 2nd February 2018

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erfully conducted this case, but all too often the language she used was incredibly hyperbolic and emphatic. Addressing Denhollander and how she had sparked this incredible band of women to testify against their abuser, she called her ‘a fivestar general’ leading ‘an army of survivors’, stating that she was ‘the greatest person I have ever had in my courtroom’.

“She powerfully conducted this case, but all too often the language she used was incredibly hyperbolic and emphatic”

Former gymnast Rachel Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Nassar

Redbrick Revisits Bryony Parsons Redbrick Archivist

While Redbrick is the longest running UOB newspaper, beginning as ‘Guild News’ in 1936, it is far from being the only publication in the University’s history. This week in 1970 saw the first publication of ‘Bluebrick’, launched by the Conservative Association. Its selfproclaimed mission was to introduce ‘an element of spice into the drab Edgbaston campus’, and it ran for approximately 5 years. Unfortunately, there are no surviving copies so I am unable to determine whether it was indeed spicy.

My favourite historic university publication however has to be ‘Wall’.

‘Publication’ is a loose term, as it was actually pinned to a notice board in the Guild, rather than being available in physical copies. Beginning its life as ‘Pillory’ in 1941, the notice board was a gift from its founder, Pierre Drillien, who described it as ‘a place for irresponsible scribblings by people who want to let off steam’. Redbrick has always admirably tried to remain neutral and considered, so ‘Wall’, explicitly designed to be controversial, filled a very different role in student society. The students seemed to love to hate it. There were numerous attempts by students to physically obliterate editions by spray painting over the notice board glass. Indeed, ‘Wall’ team had to beg for a glass cover for their notice board, as so many of the first editions were ripped down. But the student body also fiercely protected ‘Wall’. On

the 2nd of February 1966, there was campus wide rage when Redbrick exposed that the Guild President, Jeremy Hindle, had removed an unflattering article from ‘Wall’ entitled ‘Hindlebum’. The freedom of ‘Wall’ might have been controversial, but it was valued by the student community.

“'The freedom of 'Wall' might have been controversial, but it was valued by the student community” Throughout my period of study, the Redbrick team always seemed to respond affectionately to ‘Wall’. Mark Burke, editor of Redbrick in 1996, compared ‘Wall’ to the office of the court jester. He respected it because it was the only university publication at the time ‘that has the right to mock, distort, abuse and smear – this is both its point and privilege’.

Those interested in university publications should contact the Cadbury Research Library in the Muirhead Tower.

Those with a specific interest in ‘Wall’ should look for ‘Pariah’, described as the 'official organ of the 'Wall' government in exile'.

Testifying against someone like Nassar is an incredibly tough act, that much is true, but as a judge, Aquilina perhaps oversteps the mark in her professional capacity.

While Denhollander has done a remarkable thing in bringing these women together and bringing them to justice, this kind of comment is not expected of a judge. She further made an allusion to retributive punishment.

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While she acknowledged that the American constitution does not allow for cruel punishment in these situations, she would have perhaps allowed ‘many people to do to him what he did to others’. This poses a question of morality - whilst there may be a desire for retribution upon hearing the nature of a case such as this, this should not be alluded to in capacity as a judge who resides over a case and makes the ultimate decision. This woman had the power to sentence a monster, and whilst I am happy she did, she should have been able to do this job without letting her emotions get the better of her.

Given her behaviour whilst residing over the case, and the amount of witnesses involved, does this set a precedent for future trials of this nature? With the #MeToo movement and constant news reports regarding alleged horrific abuse at the hands of high-profile men such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, this could perhaps become a new blueprint to follow in the conviction of those in similar positions to Nassar.

Nassar will never set foot outside a prison again, and despite my criticisms of Aquilina, she has been successful in dispensing with another evil blighting the world of sport.

Emily Youlton BurnFM Head of Production @EmilyJYoulton

At Burn FM, radio has never just meant shows broadcasting but it has always had strong journalistic teams and a production team. I am often asked what the production team do at Burn FM and quite simply, it is the behind the scenes work, we make all the jingles and fancy bits that make a radio station sound like a radio station.

The main function of the production team within Burn FM is to produce audio content for use on air, everything from the irritating horn to the charming backing music has been provided by production teams over the years. It is not too difficult to grasp the necessary skills and we really try and let everyone learn by trying their hand at recording and editing because it’s a great skill to have as well as being fun. But once a year, we endeavor to emerge from our background role to produce a radio play, something I feel is a staple for any radio station. Last year we didn’t make one, but we were determined for radio drama to return to Burn in 2018.

I see the radio play as an exciting challenge and I have loved the journey from finding a script to read throughs and now at our current stage of casting. It has been made even more fun by my supportive Deputy, George Hodson and the enthusiastic Production Team. I am looking forward to the producing, especially finding all of the unique and, at times, complicated sound effects; I am really not sure what ‘standing up’ sounds like! For me that is one of the hardest concepts of producing a radio play, you have one mode of communication and it is not in any way visual. It is this aspect

that has been the most challenging; to make sure the script is fluid and can be understood without any visual cues - relying solely on our sense of sound. It certainly is an exciting, albeit busy, couple of months ahead in order for the production team to produce a play ready for broadcasting on air before the end of term, but I am holding out hope. If Radio 4 can produce the Archers daily, surely we can manage a 20 minute play in 3 months!

Check out Burn FM on social media to listen to the premiere of the 2018 radio play, it isn’t to be missed!

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CULTURE

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickculture

Review: Let the Right One In

TV Editor Matt Dawson reviews 'Let The Right One In' at the Crescent Theatre, an adaptation that proves to be an 'enjoyable' but 'chilling' experience.

Matt Dawson TV Editor @mdawson_96

Adaptations are sometimes difficult to pull off, having to maintain a balance between remaining loyal to the source text and taking creative liberties depending on the medium to which it is adapted.

There is an extra level of pressure, as fans of the original story will, to some extent, constantly compare the two in the back of their minds. This was something that I didn’t take issue with upon taking my seat in front of the intimate stage at the Crescent Theatre’s production of Let The Right One In. As I had never read the original novel from Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist, nor seen the 2008 film and only having heard of its 2010 counterpart, Let Me In, I felt as if I was more able to judge this production on its own merits. And it is safe to say that it was an unexpectedly enjoyable, yet chilling, experience.

Without giving too much away in terms of plot, Let The Right One In focuses on Oskar (Niall Higgins), a lonely teenager who lives in small-town, suburban Sweden in the early 90s, and his struggles as he navigates a dysfunctional home life, being harassed by bullies and all the other problems that come along with puberty. He soon meets the sweet,

if not a little awkward, Eli (Molly Packer) as she moves next door with her “father”, Hakan (Simon King). The teenagers quickly become close friends, but there is more to Eli and Hakan than meets the eye, and shortly after their arrival, there is a spate of murders, each corpse drained of blood.

"Packer dominates the stage in spite of her small figure, giving a performance that inspires both pity and sympathy, with an ever-present underlying current of terror..."

The play benefits from its close staging, forcing the production team to be creative in the use of the multi-purpose set. The audience feels like a bystander to the events, as the stage is flat and they transpire just several feet from the front row. Director Liz Plumpton makes full use of practical effects,

from a simple, two-tiered gymnastic structure to show Eli’s athletic prowess, to the horrifyingly convincing fake blood, culminating in an expertly directed finale involving inventive strobe lighting.

But what really carries the production are the performances of the central cast. King’s Hakan is clearly devoted to Eli, to the extent where you question his motivations. His background is never elaborated on, allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions about the background of their relationship. Higgins is a relatable lead, successfully winning the audience over to his endearing character, and giving voice to pubescent male insecurity and body image, an under-represented perspective in mainstream media. However, the star of the show hands-down is Molly Packer as Eli. Stealing every scene she’s in, Packer dominates the stage in spite of her small figure, giving a performance that inspires both pity and sympathy, with an ever-present underlying current of terror.

"A night to remember" While Let The Right One In has many supernatural elements,

it is first and foremost a story about interpersonal relationships, and the human monsters that are hidden in plain sight. But the play’s biggest shortcoming is that at times, it doesn’t convey this message as well as it would hope.

The dynamic between Oskar and his parents is only alluded to and never elaborated on, and his school bullies are only clichés instead of characters in their own right. A new character, Micke (played by Elliot Mitchell), is introduced in the final act as an antagonist, but as the audience is unfamiliar with him, instead of instigating terror, he inspires only

confusion as to why he suddenly appears out of nowhere towards the finale.

In spite of these minor flaws, Let The Right One In is definitely a stage adaptation worth taking the time to go and see, if only to witness the blossoming relationship between Higgins’ Oskar and Packer’s Eli. Liz Plumpton’s staging brings the audience up-close and personal to the play, accentuating the emotions taking place on stage and leaving spectators with a night to remember.

Photo Credit:Graeme Braidwood

Review: The Sound of Music

Culture Editor Olivia Boyce reviews an outstanding touring production of an iconic musical, The Sound Of Music, as it visits the New Alexandra Theatre.

Olivia Boyce Culture Editor @liv_boyce

Sitting in the auditorium of the New Alexandra Theatre, it is difficult not to notice a palpable anticipation amongst the audience members who are eagerly waiting for the curtain to rise. It is no wonder, given they are about to see perhaps one of the most iconic musicals of all time Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. There are few people who can say they are not familiar with at least one of its songs or the 1965 film, and indeed this week sees the current touring production make its way to the Birmingham venue. It is safe to say - it has done so in splendid, unforgettable style.

The Sound of Music, based upon a real-life story, tells the story of trainee nun Maria who is placed with the von Trapp family.

As she is welcomed in by the Captain and his 7 children, she finds her own future in the process, all amidst the ever-present threat of the Third Reich. The musical has been wowing theatre audiences since 1959, and this particular production is exceptional in every aspect. From the beautiful costumes used throughout, to a lavish and deceptively

complex set that brings to life the Von Trapp family house, the Abbey and even a concert hall, it is a visual feast, and with the stellar musicians giving phenomenal renditions of the score, an auditory one too.

"The von Trapp children are a highlight of the show, with seven astoundingly talented and often scene-stealing performances..."

Returning to the role of Maria is Lucy O’Byrne, who has enjoyed acclaim in the role in a previous Sound of Music tour, as well as for her time as Fantine in the London production of Les Misérables, and also placing second in the BBC show The Voice in 2015. O’Byrne is fantastic, bringing a mix of vocal perfection and endless charm to a role she firmly establishes as her own. From her rendition of ‘The Sound of Music’, uplifting and stirring, to her interactions with the children

throughout, she shines in every scene. O’Byrne is joined by Neil McDermott as Captain von Trapp, the military man whose stern exterior slowly reveals a deep love for his family, his country and for music. McDermott, having enjoyed roles on television and in theatre, brings a beautiful singing voice to a nuanced interpretation of his character, undergoing a visible change with the arrival and presence of Maria.

Of course, the von Trapp children are a highlight of the show, with seven astoundingly talented and often scene-stealing performances. From ‘Do-Re-Mi’ to ‘So Long, Farewell’, they sing both beautifully and emotionally, and Katie Shearman particularly shines as Liesl, her ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ duet and dance with Jordan Oliver’s Rolf Gruber truly beautiful. Megan Llewellyn also astounds as the Mother Abbess, who performs the powerful Act One finisher, ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’. Her soaring voice fills the auditorium to several audible gasps, and when she returns again to sing it once more, it is with a palpable emotion that left many in tears - a far contrast from the comedic and joyful rendition of ‘My Favorite Things’ that she performs with O’Byrne. Kara Lane and Howard Samuels are also well cast as Elsa

Schraeder and Max Detweiler, in roles much expanded in comparison to that in the film, with the lesser known ‘How Can Love Survive?’ a particular delight.

"This production is something rather wonderful."

It is clear from the way that the audience rises to their feet during the curtain call, clapping and singing along, that this production is something rather wonderful. The New Alexandra

Theatre is well and truly alive with The Sound of Music, in an unmissable production sure to delight audiences of all ages.

With its stellar cast and the unforgettable score, it is one audiences should climb any mountain to see.

The Sound of Music is currently touring the UK and Ireland, with future venues including the Edinburgh Playhouse and the Palace Theatre in Manchester.

Production photography pictured below includes previous cast.

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith Photography

CULTURE

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickculture

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Review: Hedda Gabler

Culture Critic Holly Reaney reviews the 'threatening and irresistible' National Theatre touring production of Hedda Gabler at the Wolverhampton Grand.

Holly Reaney

Culture Critic

She has been called the female Hamlet and ‘been lovely all her life’. She is both a possession and a possessor. Hedda Gabler is dead, replaced by Hedda Tesman but she is still ‘more her father’s daughter than husband’s wife’ as Ibsen states in his character notes for the play. The National Theatre’s production of Hedda Gabler is an assault on the senses. Against the backdrop of an undulating oppressive sound score, each scene felt like a strictly choreographed dance; perfectly constructed and expertly executed.

The transformed stage of the Wolverhampton Grand is a world away from the vibrant, ebullient scene with which I was confronted last month as I sat in a similar seat watching their Pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk. In its place stands Jan Versweyveld’s stark, cold stage starved of life, warmth and love, on which Olivier and Tony Award-winner Ivo van Hove directs an agonisingly modern Hedda Gabler.

The stage becomes like Hedda: manifest, prisonlike and totally enclosed. It embodies her mind, expressing her inner rapture and turmoil with the nihilistic casting of flowers across the stage, stapling them to the wall with abominable precision. The language of the play mimics the scene, and Patrick Marber’s stripped back

adaptation adds an acerbity to each utterance, where there is no room for niceties upon this stage and bitterness is on the tip of everybody’s tongue. To take this play as a study of the damaged female mind is captivating. Van Hove retains a believability to Hedda, the captivating nature of her violence and passion illuminating our own occasional suppressed desires to unleash our own inner Hedda Gabler. Hedda is painfully human and that is terrifying.

"Deliciously dark, threatening and irresistible, flirting with the audience’s intellect to create a truly modern and moving piece..."

Lizzy Watts personifies Hedda with a beautiful complexity, investigating her irrationality and deep sense of self-loathing. Watts provides a new dimension to the role, dressed in a white satin night-slip, bare-feet and black wrap around gown, adding a vulnerability hidden beyond a constructed and repellent manipulative exterior.

She is both the hunter and the hunted.

Joni Mitchell’s Blue becomes the soundtrack to Hedda’s thoughts, creating whirlwinds of

destruction. She is never alone, always on show, always performing, not only to the audience but to each cast member who occupies her space. The intimate cast bombard the stage in a constant barrage of coming and going, creating an intense sense of claustrophobia, only added to by the glaring lights which radiate from a large window to the left of the stage.

Judge Brack (Adam Best) provides a physically threatening presence, slowly tightening his grip on Hedda, reversing the control and manipulation which she has over others back onto herself in an achingly familiar display of patriarchy. Annabel Bates’ innocent Mrs Elvsted, Abhin Galeya’s bookish though not intolerable Dr Tesman and Christine Kavanagh as the busybody coiffured Aunt all provide a constant crushing presence on Hedda, escalating the pressure to the inevitable and anticipated point of explosion.

Each character has a vibrancy and roundedness which creates an intense narrative and oozes originality and passion. There’s something totally transfixing about watching these savage figures stalk the stage like animals in a cage, each playing out their own fatal flaws. It’s deliciously dark, threatening and irresistible, flirting with the audience’s intellect to create a truly modern and moving piece of theatre.

Photo Credit: Mögenburg

Brinkhoff

Culture Corner Phoebe HughesBroughton Culture Critic

Culture critic Phoebe HughesBroughton discusses three cultural favourites in our regular feature, ‘Culture Corner.’

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon I first came across this book around 2010, at the age of 12, 7 years after it had first been published. I had started secondary school and was discovering my love for English Literature and reading novels in general, and the word “curious” in the title really did pique my curiosity. When I read it, it wasn’t at all what I was expecting, and yet I was captivated.

The novel is told from the perspective of Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy who says he has some 'behavioural difficulties.’

Although it is primarily written as a first-person novel, it includes diagrams and illustrations that put you inside Christopher’s mind, and help you to understand not only his perspective on the world but that of many people on the autism spectrum. This new take on the novel format intrigued me, and over the years as I’ve come back to this book it has encour-

aged me to be more creative in my own writing and more experimental with how I demonstrate the inner workings of other people’s minds. Although this book mainly follows Christopher’s journey to uncover what happened to the dog in the nighttime, it also explores his family relationships and the stories behind the friction between the people around him, something which I have always endeavoured to explore in my own work.

Mischief Movie Night This is the most recent theatre production I’ve seen, as well as one of the best. Before seeing this show, I was a bit of a snob about comedy on stage and improvisation in particular, but the Mischief Theatre group soon changed that.

The premise is that the audience is watching a film alongside the character of Oscar, who has a DVD library of every film that ever has, will, or possibly could exist. The audience requests a

genre and a few details of what should happen in the film, and the cast are left to invent an hour-long play. It’s a simple premise, but Oscar’s quick wit and the cast’s perfect comedic timing had us in fits of laughter from minute one, and it was an incredible night that I won’t forget in a hurry. After watching the heist film set in a doughnut factory that we requested, I went home to check out everything else that Mischief Theatre have done – including two BBC Christmas specials, ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’ and ‘A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong’ – and it’s safe to say I’m now much more open-minded about improvised comedy.

David Hockney: A Bigger Picture Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2012 When I attended this exhibit with my mother I was only 14 years-old, but I already had a pretty good idea of what ‘art’ is meant to look like, particularly landscapes which this exhibit revolved around. Seeing a gallery full of drawings using the medium of an iPad, then, was quite a shock to me, even more so to discover that they had been done by a then75-year-old man; and yet, they were incredibly detailed. Although I lack any semblance of artistic talent myself, the exhibit inspired me to open my eyes to more

experimental forms of art, and to see the beauty in all mediums, not just traditional oil on canvas. It also highlighted the beauty of the Great British landscape, particularly with Hockney's works tracking a single location through the various seasons, and it has made me ever more grateful to live in this great nation of variety and beauty. Plus, seeing the seasons laid out before me was a nice reminder me that our weather can do more than just rain.

"The exhibit inspired me to open my eyes to more experimental forms of art, and to see the beauty in all mediums, not just traditional oil on canvas."

Photo credit: Vintage UK/ Random House, (Cover Illustration © Marc Boutavant, Cover Design © Suzanne Dean, Hand Lettering © Tim Marrs)

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FILM

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickfilm

Review: The Post

After years of digging, Film Critic Matt Taylor finally uncovers the truth about Vietnam Matt Taylor Film Critic

The Post is the latest awards hopeful from Steven Spielberg, stars Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, and was completed in the space of just nine months.

Nine. Between February and November 2017, the cast and crew worked tirelessly to get it done, because they felt it had a story that needed to be told now. It’s been noted that Spielberg would shoot scenes, edit them in his lunch break, and continue post-production on his upcoming Ready Player One in the remainder of his free time. This production schedule was the shortest that Spielberg has ever had, something that can usually spell disaster (consider Suicide Squad, where director David Ayer was only given six weeks to write the script – we all know how that turned out), but watching it, you wouldn’t know it: it’s exceptional.

It tells the true story of The Washington Post publisher Kay Graham (Streep) and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), and their struggle to publish the Pentagon Papers, a series of documents that detailed a decades-long government cover-up hiding the truth about the Vietnam War. As the cast and crew have themselves pointed out, it’s a story that needs to be told now;

in an era of those in power regularly hiding and denying truths, it feels chillingly relevant, and perhaps that’s what makes its impact all the more powerful.

Yes, to learn that the US government covered up their true thoughts on a war that killed millions of American citizens for fear of being humiliated is awful. But to watch a film about that cover-up and notice so many parallels with our current, realworld affairs? That’s downright terrifying.

What isn’t terrifying is that The Post is incredible. From its intense opening right through to its very clever ending, it’s exciting, it’s involving, it’s dramatic, it’s nerve-wracking, and it’s thoroughly enjoyable. A lot of that can be put down to the power duo that is Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. This marks the first time that the two of them and Steven Spielberg have all made a film together, and I for one am hoping that they make another as soon as possible.

Streep is as fantastic as ever, playing Kay as a woman with a job to do, but one who’s also wary of the effects that her actions could have on her company. She’s also not afraid to get her hands dirty and make decisions, unlike many of the men that surround her, and seeing Meryl Streep shut down obnoxious men will never, ever get old. Hanks is equally as good, putting in his best performance

this side of Captain Phillips. His Ben Bradlee is very much a man of the people, wanting to get the truth out at all costs, and not realising the consequences that could have until it’s almost too late. The chemistry between the two is simply perfect; they’re so at ease with each other, and it’s a joy to see these two titans of modern cinema sharing the screen. Throw in the likes of Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Alison Brie, Bradley Whitford, Tracy Letts and Bruce Greenwood, and you’ve got a stellar cast to lead one of the timeliest films for years.

As ever, Spielberg’s direction is flawless. His camera is so fluid it feels as if we’re right in the moment, and his cinematography is superb (shout-out to long-time Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski). There are so many instances of interesting camera angles, but the standout has to be one where the camera pans up from the base of a box as it is opened – we know what’s in it, but Spielberg makes us wait with baited breath, as we see the reaction of the journalists gathered around it. Combined with an opening scene that sees him go back to his Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers days, what’s on display here is nothing less than classic Spielberg.

Speaking of classic Spielberg, John Williams’ score is marvellous. It isn’t as grand or iconic as previous efforts (such as Star

Wars, Superman, Jaws and Indiana Jones), but uses a combination of orchestra and lighter, more electronic elements to underscore a good portion of the film’s more dramatic moments.

It isn’t in your face either; it’s subtle yet noticeable in equal measure, and is a solid effort from one of the greatest film composers of all time.

For all its extraordinary inner workings, The Post as a whole is exactly the film the world needs right now. Not only is it a taut, tense, well-acted, well-directed drama, it’s a startling reminder of the importance of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

It serves to remind us of just what can happen when governments are built on secrets and lies. In this day and age, that’s

something that is more important than ever.

VERDICT: Fronted by excellent performances from Streep and Hanks, and backed by superb direction from Spielberg, The Post is a triumph that’s as enjoyable as it is unnerving. It’s chillingly relevant with its countless modernday parallels, and is a stark and excellent reminder of just how important free speech is

Review: The Commuter

Film Critic Tom Smith-Wrinch boards Liam Neeson's fun train Tom Smith-Wrinch Film Critic

It seems that Liam Neeson just can’t catch a break. Mirroring his 2014 thriller, Non-Stop his use of public transport simply isn’t working for him. Walking into the film, one has certain expectations regarding the character Liam will be portraying: rugged, pragmatic and unequivocally menacing. Fortunately for fans

expecting this regurgitation, this husky silver fox doesn’t disappoint. It is safe to say that, having watched this rather twisted rendition of hide-and-seek on a moving train, audiences will leave movie theatres in a state of suspense, paranoia and an undoubtable eagerness to catch an Uber back home.

The Commuter follows the journey of Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson), who like most tired

commuters, wants nothing more than the quiet life. Unfortunately for him, he ends up getting fired, helping a terrorist organisation, joining a world of political corruption and, potentially, becomes responsible for derailing a train.

And who said that the daily commute was a drag? That said, the movie is unnervingly tense throughout, who on the train (as said in the trailer) does ‘not belong’? Who must Neeson find?

And, inevitably more importantly, how in the hell is an ageing and jobless sixty-year-old going to summon up enough energy to save his family, his fellow commuters and (potentially) the fabric of government itself.

"It seems that Liam Neeson just can't catch a break" Saying that, Neeson has done this rodeo for the past seven movies now so anything else is little much of a surprise. In fact, you have to feel for the man’s family at some point - constantly threatened, held hostage and in some instances, killed all in order to provide audiences with the elements of the ‘Neesonesque’ cat and mouse thriller that we have become so acclimatised to. Just leave the family out of it for once

Liam. During the film, one is sucked into this universe of suspense, danger and the unparalleled greyness of the inside of a metro train.

Interestingly, the film attempts to introduce the morality behind human psychology within- ultimately becoming ensnared by the rather sinister Joanna (Vera Farmiga), MacCauley must decide to save the ones that he loves or help a syndicate realise relatively malignant ends, making a bit of cash in the process. I mean, for a man his age, perhaps enrolling in much more innocent expenditures such as the local Lollypop man might seem like the logical and indeed, less dangerous option. But what would a Neeson film be if it adhered to logic? The man is unemployed, over sixty and basically had enough with life and yet he still finds time to jump trains and kill terrorists throughout the film.

Where would the fun be if Neeson chose such a quiet life?

Having said that, one must touch upon the less appealing aspects of such a film. Taking inspiration from elements of both Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and the rather less refined Fast and Furious series the movie does seem to lack originality and, at times, direction. If you want to see Neeson act as the forlorn yet equally intimidating pensioner, then this is the film for you.

Otherwise, this over-used rendition of the doting action man may seem to drag into one hell of a long train ride. One mustn’t confuse a lack of imagination with a lack of entertainment however. For all that it is worth, this latest instalment into the conflicted world of Liam Neeson does indeed provide moments of intense suspense, claustrophobia and ultimately, a thrilling commute nonetheless. And for that, the film is in itself a success.

Despite flawed logic, an unoriginal and regurgitated plot line and the perpetual greyness of this public train the movie will draw audiences in. As all good thrillers should.

VERDICT: Drawing us into a universe of corruption, deceit and mystery this picture doesn’t fail to adhere to Liam’s movie motto of, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ That's all that can really be said for such a film, however for Neeson I will say this and only this; In future, just get a bloody taxi.

FILM

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickfilm

21

Review: 12 Strong

Film Critic Ellen Macleod locks and loads with Chris Hemsworth and the boys Ellen Macleod Film Critic

12 Strong tells the true story of the Horse Soldiers; twelve special forces operatives who are sent into Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attack, to help an Afghan warlord remove the Taliban from the country. Without near extraction or close American back up, the chances of survival were very low.

Used to flashy action films with over the top plots, cliché lines and the token death of a comrade to spur everyone on, at first it takes a while to adjust to this film. At the beginning, it doesn’t seem enough, there isn’t the expected emotional sub plot or token death and it seems, at first, wanting in both plot and character. The film is almost too close to reality to be interesting, which paints a bleak picture of our reception of reality. However, the stubborn comradeship, dark banter between the soldiers and stunning Afghan scenery wins you over, and the film transforms into a something much richer than expected. The characters are not the flashy, ripped Americans we are used to, like Mark Wahlberg, or Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson, we don’t even see Christ Hemsworth’s abs once, ONCE! Instead the characters we get feel real, and are characterised as such; providing a much more powerful effect

than a gung-ho trigger-happy yank that we have seen so many times before.

"[It] transforms into something much richer than expected" The first hour or so of the film feels very much like a documentary. The uninspiring soundtrack, constant reminder that this is built on reality, and the impenetrable military jargon created the sense that the audience was watching something that didn’t have enough spirit to be a film. This is typified by the films repeated emphasis that the Taliban are inherently evil, shown in a variety of ill-fitting, gory scenes throughout that give the film a propaganda feel. The humour, however, was a surprise. This film is funny, in a dark way, in fitting with its setting in a war zone. General Dostum frequently radios the enemy, just to insult them, and the jokes between the soldiers never stop. The humour humanised the characters, made them likeable, and only then were the audience drawn in.

12 Strong is directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, a Danish director and an odd choice for a film considering his sparse Imdb

page, which featuring just three films begs the question: How the hell did this guy land the gig of directing a movie starring Chris Hemsworth? Fuglsig’s varied career answers this question. His photojournalism career led him to the Kosovo war, where he ended up making a short documentary. This in turn led him to an award-winning career as an advertising director.

His experience of war, directing adverts and his 1999 book on nuclear disaster (?) seem to all collectively prepare him for the role of director of 12 Strong, and there is no discernible weakness on show.

Chris Hemsworth’s lack of abdominal flaunting in this film suggests his move into a more

serious phase of his career. His acting is good but unremarkable.

The true star is Navid Negahban, who plays General Dostum, an Afghan warlord in the Northern alliance. Dostum’s family was murdered by the Taliban, and the film quietly depicts his journey to revenge. Nagahban’s acting is easily overlooked, but magnificent and he was truly the highlight of the film. The film overall seems to rely on acting power, which it just about manages to get away with. The sparse plot, lack of stunts and reliance on the majestic scenery suggests that this film threw at least half its budget on explosives. Yes, the film details the usefulness and efficiency of American bombs, but after the

1000th slow mo shot of an explosion, the wow factor wore a bit thin.

VERDICT: On the surface this film has something for everyone. Big guns and bigger explosions for the gents, horses and Hemsworth for the ladies.

However it is more then that, the idea of a Northern alliance, mounted warriors and stunning scenery create a film which can only be described as Lord of the Rings meets the War on Terror.

Whilst it is a good film, the end cannot escape the dull first half.

12 Strong was half a superb film and half a dull documentary.

Review: Hostiles

Film Critic Joshua Woods finds no comfort in the Old West Joshua Woods Film Critic

The first thing to say about Hostiles is that it is devastatingly brutal. It’s 1892 in New Mexico and the American Indian Wars of the “Wild West” are in their dying throes. The US Army is slaughtering and imprisoning Native Americans, whilst Comanche war parties are raiding havoc on white settlers - murdering the entire family of homestead housewife Mrs Rosalie Quaid (Rosamund Pike). In the midst of all this, the stern, revered, yet utterly drained Army Captain Joe Blocker (Christian Bale) has been

tasked with one final job before his retirement - the humiliation of having to escort the dying Cheyenne chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi), a man he loathes, a thousand miles north to his tribal lands in Montana. These are the orders straight from the President in Washington, and the captain’s refusal would mean losing his honour and, worse, his pension.

Blocker assembles his horseback team of both closely trusted friends (Rory Cochrane; Jonathan Majors) and ragtag misfits, who chain up the chief and his family, rescue the traumatised Mrs Quaid from her scorched home and set off on the treacherous mission.

Comanche warriors lurk the hills...

Such is the tendency with the modern-day, so-called “revisionist” westerns, that it feels inevitable for the narrative to arc a certain way. Over the past few decades, there has been established in Hollywood a long overdue recognition that the westward expansion was terrible crime inflicted upon the Native people by the US. While Hostiles, correctly, subscribes to this idea, its navigation of this historical viewpoint comes off as careful and calculated. The plot feels too rigidly determined by what “can” happen (the white protagonists

learning to respect indigenous people’s rights), and what “can’t” (any notion of slipping into a “white saviour” narrative), in a respectable politically correct film in 2018. Whilst I admire Hostiles’ intentions in telling the story of the white man’s crimes, the tone feels a little shallow and inorganic, and the film fails to expand beyond these parameters and say something more interesting about the Cheyenne.

"The tone feels a little shallow and inorganic" Hostiles, directed by Scott Cooper (whose 2015 Black Mass also handled heavy violence) does successfully capture the deep despair and exhaustion of the American West at this time, in the soldiers, frontierspeople and Native Americans. A pervading pessimistic tone marks the first half of the movie, and the struggle for the land no longer seems worth it for those involved.

Joe and Mrs Quaid share with each other their grief and confusion of how God could apparently forget about this part of the country and its people. The film’s second half struggles to get into gear, as it strives for a development in the characters’ relation-

ships: between Joe and Mrs Quaid, and between the white characters and Yellow Hawk’s family. These developments feel somewhat forced, and are not as emotionally compelling as they should be. Joe’s men learn important, thought-provoking lessons about indigenous people, but there is not enough exploration as to how or why. The characters befall many awful deaths and shallow graves, but these moments fail to pack a real punch for the viewer.

VERDICT: Hostiles is beautifully shot, and capitalises on the landscapes of this naturally awe-inspiring portion of the United States. Bale and Pike lead an impressive cast whose acting elevates each scene. This is far from a bad film, and it leaves the viewer to ponder the human toll of this recent chapter in history – with lingering shots on the national flag flying at forts driving home that, yes, this is America. It’s a solid, competent western, just held back by a patchy plot and a lack of imagination.

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MUSIC

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickmusic

Album Review: Django Django Marble Skies "Marble Skies may piece have just released their third album. Marble Skies may sound like the title of an edgy Halsey song but each of the ten songs on the track list is recognisable as the band.

I was left disillusioned by the singles released from this album.

‘Tic Tac Toe’ is an overwhelmingly okay song. But as the lead single from the band’s third album, six years after their first, I expected it to be a little more than just okay. And as much as I wanted ‘In Your Beat’ to grow on me, my opinion of it being nothing special did not seem to want to budge - though the Matthias Zimmerman remix is pretty excellent.

"I never thought I would compare Django Django to Harry Styles, but the similarity to the verses of 'Carolina' is hard to ignore" Kat Smith

Comment Editor @katlouiise

Sixteen-year-old me listened to ‘Hail Bop’ and ‘Default’ every day on the bus to sixth-form and thought she was cool as hell... even if I did only discover their self-titled debut album three

years after it was released.

Throwing it right back to Reading Festival 2015, I spotted Django Django on the line-up and was cemented in the excitement of my very first weekend of muddy, boozy heaven. It is safe to say, I was a massive fan.

Skip forward two and a half years, and the Edinburgh four-

Despite the singles being underwhelming, the full release left me with a little more hope.

The titular track opens the album with a cinematic build that is definitely more engaging and satisfying than the opener to their sophomore effort, ‘Giant’. The second track on the album, ‘Surface to Air’ with Self Esteem (Rebecca Taylor from Slow Club)

is an even stronger start for the band and arguably would have been a better opener. Even if it lacks the excitement and pace of the former song, it has more depth in both vocals and instrumentals. I would say it is the best song on the album, with the collaboration paying off in a memorable melody and possibly the only song on the album I would want to dance to. The next song, ‘Champagne’ closely follows it in quality, which offers a little variation from the other songs. I never thought I would compare Django Django to Harry Styles, but the similarity to the verses of his ‘Carolina’ is hard to ignore.

Unfortunately, my enjoyment wavered after the first three songs. From here on out, none of the songs gave me the sense of intrigue that ‘Skies over Cairo’ or ‘Found You’ provided, nor did any make me want to dance like ‘Hail Bop’ or ‘Waveforms’. An exception to the weakness of the rest of the album is ‘Further’, but even the piano-driven ‘Sundials’ falls short of expectations, in spite of it providing a moment of calm in the album.

Their distinctive sound is one I love, but perhaps Marble Skies is a little too recognisable. It hurts me to say that Django Django have failed to refresh their sound. An album should always have some cohesion, but the cohesion within Marble Skies is due to its similarity to the Django Django’s discography, rather than because of any identity of its own. Most of the songs could have been slotted into the previous two records. Six years

should be enough time to own your sound without offering the same songs over and over, right?

sound like an edgy Halsey song, but each of the ten songs on the track list is recognisable as the band" Sometimes a song’s first release sticks with you for sentimental reasons. Two Door Cinema Club’s Tourist History will always remind me of school house parties and Alt J’s An Awesome Wave will never not be brilliant, in spite of each band’s respective succeeding releases.

But when it is the only record you listen to of a band, there is definitely something that is not quite right.

I like Marble Skies, do not get me wrong, but I do not love it in the same way I love Django Django. It is good for background noise, but none of the songs get me particularly excited except for ‘Surface to Air’.

Perhaps their first album was a little too good and set my expectations way higher than is fair, but I just hope that Django Django find how to recreate the magic of their debut, without sounding exactly the same.

«««

Greatest Hits: Bodalia

A medical student by day, a sucessful DJ by night. Kishan Bodalia tells Redbrick Music the songs that have influenced him the most

Kishan Bodalia is not just your average medical student. He is also a international DJ. Entering his fourth year of his university studies, Kishan has

already begun embarking on his real dream; becoming a successful DJ. Having played along side the likes of Hannah Wants as well as perfoming his very own set at

Tommorrowland, arguably the worlds most prestigious dance music festival, it sure looks like that dream is becoming a reality.

Studying in Birmingham

allowed Kishan to be surrounded by a thriving music culture, which inspired him to push his own music career. Bodalia will be graduating in 2019, but until then

he shall continue to balance his medical degree alongside his music.

To see more about Bodalia, go to: www.bodalia.co.uk/press.

My running anthem: George Fitzgerald – 'Burns'

Favourite Shower Track: Maggie Lindemann – 'Pretty Girl'

A track to work to: Bastille – 'World Gone Mad'

A perfect car anthem: NDPC – 'Daylight' (Bodalia & F.O.D Remix)

A track to unwind to: Ruth B – 'Lost Boy'

As predominantly a house music DJ, you would probably expect me to be biased towards listening to repetitive 4x4 beats in the gym.

And that is correct – there is nothing I would rather listen to!

In ‘Burns’ by George Fitzgerald, the additional layers build on top of the previous ones, building energy and excitement throughout the track. This definitely helps give me a boost in the gym and has to be my favourite track at the moment!

There is no pattern to the style of music I choose to listen to in the shower. Most of the time it is just music that I stumble across, but I must admit I tend to use this opportunity to blast some chart music...

I became a huge fan of the Cheat Codes remix of Maggie Lindemann’s ‘Pretty Girl’, a chart hit in 2017. I absolutely loved the vocals, so I did some exploring on Spotify to find more of Maggie Lindemann’s music. In the Cheat Codes remix her voice is immaculate, and even when stripped right back to her performance in the original, her voice achieves a whole new level in terms of impact and character. The lyrics in the track are really powerful. too.

I have seen Bastille three times, once at their headline show and twice by coincidence as support acts at other concerts. They really know how engage a crowd and create fantastic music. I have followed their musical journey for years, and the success they have achieved has been more than welldeserved. Their warm, catchy hooks combined with energetic electro-influenced instrumentals are definitely easy-listening when studying for exams.

My favourite place to test out my new productions is in my car.

When I am driving friends and family, I will play them my latest track (without them knowing it is one of my own) and casually drop the question, ‘what do you think?’

Most of them have now worked this out and usually respond with, ‘is it one of yours?’

This track came about in a very interesting way - my friend Jean (F.O.D) and I decided to remix ‘Daylight’ by NDPC. When we finished, we sent it over to them. A few weeks later, we were told Sony wanted to sign and release it globally. Now, it has been played on BBC Radio 1 and supported by international DJs Tiesto and NERVO.

Ruth B’s raw, vulnerable and honest lyrics are a pleasure to listen to. 'Lost Boy’ came to my attention after a Vine went viral of her performing a song about Peter Pan. Her voice is soulful, deep, clear and clean with little need for any dominating instrumental or production. Ruth’s album Safe Haven keeps the listener captive, opening with the candid, soft vocals on ‘Mixed Signals’ and takes us through to more up-tempo, catchy ‘Superficial Love’.

MUSIC

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickmusic

23

Over The Rainbow

Following The Rainbow Venues closure, we offer tributes to the heart of Birmingham's nightlife The venues filling the void: Harry HetheringtonAherne Music Critic

It sprawls across quiet back streets and under huge railway arches in an old industrial area of Birmingham, and yet looks entirely at home. The Rainbow Venues mean wandering through the intimacy of Blackbox into the more open, cavernous space of the Warehouse, and up the stairs into the night air on the Roof Terrace, overlooking the lights of the city to the west. Two nights stand out for me: seeing Bicep and Hunee perform in December 2016; and Gilles Peterson and Motor City Drum Ensemble in October 2017, a month before its closure. Both shows were funk-and-disco-filled; perfect for the smaller confines of the main venues. Also notable at both was the demographic of the crowd: far more varied in age than the average student-filled Birmingham night out, with several generations coming together to revel in a captivating, alternative music experience.

Its closure highlights a problem in the city’s cultural offerings. When, effectively, only one venue plays host to relevant nonguitar based music, the scene becomes centralised, meaning

Rainbow’s closure has affected a disproportionate area of the city’s arts scene. It is vital that not one, but several new venues rise up in its place and diversify Birmingham’s culture further, a city that for so long has underachieved in its creative output.

Caitlin Nash Music Critic

This is an ode to The Rainbow Warehouse, the jewel in Digbeth’s crown. Sitting on the outskirts of Birmingham’s city centre looking over the city, this space has been home to some of the city’s most legendary parties and played a pioneering role in progressing Birmingham’s nightlife reputation both nationally and internationally. I spent a significant number of my late teenage years there and the walls hold many stories and memories. Rainbow was a rite of passage for many young brummies and a place that will always be remembered by those that graced the warehouse floor.

Every night holds some memory, but the first ever event Elrow hosted at Rainbow was particularly special. In the summer of 2015 the Spanish clubbing institution brought their renowned party

to the UK for the first time, holding the show to London before taking over Rainbow in August.

With a Rio carnival theme, both the Warehouse and Rooftop were adorned with flowers, streamers and glitter, Rainbow like I had never seen it before. Starting at midday and running through to the early hours of a Monday morning, everyone was covered in glitter and sequins as they danced amongst the sea of inflatables that littered the venue.

This was one of Elrow’s first UK shows and since then the party has grown into a global phenomenon. Rainbow has paved the way for Elrow’s successes as well as countless other events. They have always championed new sounds and given a platform to both established and up-and-coming artists. Rainbow is responsible for putting Birmingham’s nightlife on the map and has shaped the city’s music scene to the point where it rightfully rivals places like London or Manchester. For all the nights like Elrow, Rainbow we thank you.

Emily Barker Music Editor

The fact that I can barely bring myself to single out specific memories at Rainbow is a testament to how many great nights and early mornings it has provided over the years. I had the joy of growing up locally and spending many a formative night out circulating between sweaty seshes in the Blackbox, cool-downs on the terrace, and replenishing bloodalcohol levels while lounging on the balcony (rinse, repeat until 6am). I suppose it is natural then that those hallowed arches, and the rite of passage that is getting a taxi driver to understand exactly which of those hallowed arches you have been standing under for the past half hour, are close to my heart, and honestly, I am not sure how Birmingham nightlife will heal. From bright-eyed freshers stumbling along to ‘something a bit heavier than Broad Street’ for the first time, to Swingamajig and 02.31 veterans, we will miss you immeasurably, Rainbow, and can only hope that our loss is temporary.

Rainbow have set up a fundraising site for their campaign to save the Venues, and change perceptions of drug culture in Britain. To find out more, visit: www.educatenotrevocate.co.uk

Amusement 13 Despite having 3 rooms and being kitted out with a state-of-the-art VOID sound system, Amusement 13 is yet to find fame amongst partygoers. However, now is their chance: Rainbow has long reigned champion as the hosts of the best events the city has to offer, but its closure gives the opportunity for smaller venues to rise up from their ashes. Unfortunately, A13 does not offer many regular events as of yet, although it has hosted the

likes of Disko Haus, Get Together and Subtle, as well as many free parties. However it is not just home to these start-up events, but also attracts big name acts. Most notably, dub reggae royalty Mungo's Hi Fi Sound System will take over the venue in March to bring Birmingham a night slightly different to Digbeth's typique.

Having long housed some of the most underrated events, now is their time to be recognised.

Boxxed Boxxed is known for hosting several creative art and music events, perhaps more familiar as the home of Ouse: twice per term, the two main rooms are fully transformed into immersive environments ranging from a Brazilian street party to the neo-lit cityscape of backstreet Tokyo. The open plan layout is a sandbox for venue organisers to go all out with creative design at a level which most

other venues just cannot pull off.

The large smoking area provides punters with more than adequate space to cool down and chill out, a blessing for the busier and more crowded events such as Portal and Cirque du Soul which Boxxed now hosts in the absence of Rainbow. Boxxed is perfect if you want to feel like you have travelled back in time to an Aztec forest party and be home in time for tea.

Lab11 Wandering wide-eyed round this winding rabbit warren fills me with the same sense of disorientation and discovery I once experienced as a Rainbow novice navigating their sprawling complex for the first time.

Much like Berghain (but without the techno-fuelled orgies), there are nooks and crannies aplenty here, and Lab11 is teasingly slow in revealing all its labyrinthine secrets. The outside terrace is

the venue’s main attraction, with a woody, leafy vibe and colourful fairy lights lending it the aura of an enchanted garden you’ve stumbled across in a forest somewhere. With raised platforms on either side sandwiching the main dance floor, it is a truly unique space that matches, if not eclipses, the Rainbow’s much-loved roof terrace. It would be good to get some underground heating going, though – it can get a bit nippy.

Hare & Hounds Amongst Birmingham’s most prominent music venues, the Hare & Hounds boasts a packed, genre-spanning schedule of club nights and live music. With opening hours restricted to 3am, the 250 and 150 capacity rooms set above the relatively unassuming pub cannot accommodate extensive lineups, instead showcasing an eclectic mix of high-caliber artists attracted over the years in an inti-

mate setting with a friendly atmosphere. Even prior to the closure of The Rainbow Venues, the Hare & Hounds had already hosted the likes of Maurice Fulton, Shanti Celeste, and Artwork’s ‘Art’s House’ since September, and with Shadow City joining fellow party-starters MoodFix and Leftfoot in taking up residency at the venue, there has never been a better reason to head to Kings Heath.

Issy Campbell, Tom Galvin, Greg Woodin & Nathan Davies

24

TELEVISION

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricktv

Dancing On Ice, Why Bring it Back?

Figure skater Tasha Burden criticises ITV's revival of Dancing on Ice Tasha Burden Television Writer

Back in the day, Dancing on Ice worked as a format. It was an amazing opportunity for semi-celebrities to get free, extensive tuition from the best coaches in the UK, and boost their popularity.

When the show bowed out in 2014 with its “All-stars” series, I was relieved. It was a format that had probably been exhausted. I recall the program lengths being so long that they must have tested the patience of even the most loyal fans of the show. The program certainly was not missed by many, and though I was not particularly surprised to hear of its

return, I did think that it was a bit of an insult to the integrity of the old format, which, along with many who had been involved in it from the start, took a very long bow out with the final series.

In the past, the judging panel included Robin Cousins, 1980 Olympic men’s singles gold medallist, Karen Hardy, Olympic ice dancer, and even Katarina Witt, German ex-figure skater who won two gold medals in the Olympic women's singles.

With Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean at the rink-side, the combination of skating royalty could

allow the audience to overlook the presenters pandering to Jason, the pantomime villain of the judging panel, and the dreadful made-up skating terms used by the commentator.

As a figure skater, I perhaps find the skill level of the celebrities somewhat less remarkable than the average person, but if you look at the celebrity away from the professional skating around them, they are stood still or being pulled around for much of the routine. Towards the end of the series the entertainment value of the routines does admittedly

increase, however the likelihood of the celebrities falling over decreases.

The revival of the show has made some interesting changes; the commentator somehow seems to be given even more air time, and the judging panel now con-

source, the show follows Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams, Hart of Dixie), formerly known by Black Lightning, from his vigilante days against the city’s biggest gang, The 100. Retiring for the sake of his family, he swapped the tights for a suit and tie, saving young futures as the principal of Garfield High School, bringing the graduation rate into the 90’s; which even fictional, is better than the current US average. But when his youngest daughter, Jennifer (China Anne McClain, Descendants 2), mistakenly gets caught up with The 100, sparks fly once again. Supported by his ex-wife, Lynn (Christine Adams, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD), who left because of his past reckless vigilantism, and his humble tailor, Peter Gambi (James

Remar, Dexter), who is both his tailor and his Alfred, Pierce dons the suit once again to save his family and his community.

much younger heroes, Pierce is a middle aged man, who has a family and responsibilities, that unlike Barry Allen and Oliver Queen, he must juggle with his extra curricular vigilante career. A career he’s no longer sure he wants, as he battles with giving it up for the sake of putting his family back together or keeping his family safe from harm as Black Lightning.

Disparaged by the media as a dangerous vigilante, while other Arrowverse heroes are lauded as such, Black Lightning further distinguishes itself apart from the others, with the strifes of his city very different to those in Star City.

This show is a must watch, not only is it great to see such show which has so many african- ameri-

Review: Black Lightning Roshni Patel Gaming Editor

Following Marvel’s success with their Netflix hero Luke Cage, comes the latest comic book adaptation of a hero of colour, Black Lightning. Plucked from the DC universe and created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden, Black Lightning is a refreshing change from the majority of the DC comics previously brought to life and integrated into the Arrowverse by The CW. From the beginning they pulled no punches for political correctness, boldly showing racial biases and the anger and fear they incited in the characters.

Taking the storyline from the

"The first episode finishes brilliantly, allowing for later developments in the comic to be drawn in" However, what makes Jefferson Pierce an interesting superhero, is he’s nothing like the others in the Arrowverse. In contrast to these

"A less successful version of Strictly Come Dancing with adverts"

and choreography roles of Torvill and Dean, which was one of the only features of the show that set it apart from other celebrity talent shows, and meant that even the very worst skaters managed to complete entertaining routines.

Therefore, whilst I love the exposure that the show gives to the sport and the support it gives to local ice rinks, I truly can not watch the new series of Dancing on Ice, which is now a less successful version of Strictly Come Dancing with adverts.

Do you agree with Tasha? Let us know @redbricktv

sists of Torvill and Dean, Jason, and a member of Diversity. This sets aside the previous coaching

can characters, but it is also such a refreshing change from the typical TV masked crusader. The first episode finishes brilliantly, allowing for later developments in the comics to be drawn in from the beginning, instead of painstakingly dropping hints until the midseason finale. The only flaw with the premiere was that it focussed so much on the Pierce family and Pierce’s strong independant daughters, that the villains just did not get the screen time they needed to establish themselves. With Netflix releasing episodes every Tuesday, there will surely be time for all of the characters to develop further in order to create a show that could easily rival Luke Cage and the rest of the Arrowverse shows.

Who is the Best TV Family?

I don't know... can you repeat the question?

Alex Taljaard Comment Editor

Who is the ultimate TV family?

Many will say the Simpsons, others might argue it is the Brockman’s of Outnumbered.

Aficionados of ‘80s US sitcoms will say the Huxtables from The Cosby Show or the makeshift family in Full House. Some could even try to argue it’s the Griffin family from Family Guy, although I am not sure why you would

want to. There are so many famous TV families, and everybody has their own opinions on who is the best. Unfortunately, I am here today to tell you that if you named any of the above families you are wrong and your opinions are trash. So, who are the ultimate TV family? Well if you have read the headline of this article I’m sure you can probably piece together where my loyalties lie. Yes? No? Maybe?

Malcolm in the Middle is without a shadow of a doubt the

best TV depiction of a family, and in my opinion the realest. It is a confusing and chaotic mess, a series of arguments, tantrums, and the occasional act of love.

Maybe what drew me in to Malcolm in the Middle so much was the way it so eerily mirrored my own family, something I have only recently come to realise.

Although the mirroring isn’t perfect (I do not have in my family a Francis or Jaime parable), the core family unit, mum, dad and three boys, is reflected in my own life, with me taking the role of Malcolm. My mum is the de facto head of the house, I have a pianoplaying younger brother, an older brother with whom I did battle constantly, and a dad who is in touch with his emotional side. My recent binge-watch of MitM has been more than just a re-watch of one of my favourite shows, it has also been like looking back into my own childhood. Although, I would at this point like to make it clear that I am not suggesting I, like Malcolm, have a genius level IQ. While I am the first in my immediate family to go to university, it’s less because of intellect and more because I didn’t really

know what else to do.

But aside from my own emotional attachments, what is it that keeps drawing me into MitM a full 12 years after the series ended. One of the biggest reasons is how complex and endearing the characters are. It would have been so easy for the series creators to make the characters forgettable cardboard cut-outs, overthe-top stereotypes who serve no function other than as vehicles for a series of zany plots. This kind of writing can be seen in recent series of The Simpsons, where the goal seems to be trying to drop the titular family into the wackiest situations imaginable.

Instead, in MitM each character was fleshed out, with subtle nuances which let the characters drive the plot, not the other way around. Take Reese for example.

In the hands of lesser writers Reese could have easily been reduced to a dumb jock, a recurring antagonist and foil for Malcolm. Instead, Reese is a sensitive and emotional boy who hides behind his troublemaking persona. Take, for example, the episode where he watches pulpy day-time TV with Lois, and when

Malcolm enters, rather than admit his penchant for soap operas, pretends he is being scolded by his mother. Lois, being the amazing mother she is, proceeds to tell Reese that plenty of manly man watch TV with their mums.

These kinds of life lessons are peppered throughout MitM, and really underpin the point of the whole show. In fact, the biggest life lesson that you are taught is in the opening theme. Life is indeed unfair, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still be happy.

Unlike other shows of a similar ilk that tried to go high-concept, MitM stuck to its roots, finding the joy in the quiet, mundane moments between family. A family whose surname is never properly (except for briefly in the pilot) disclosed, because they could be anybody’s family. They don’t live in a big house and go to exotic locations – they are exceedingly ordinary. But it is this ordinariness which has endeared them to me so much. And while they bicker and argue constantly, one upping each other with (often disgusting) pranks, you can tell that theirs is a household full of love.

TELEVISION

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricktv

Review: Silent Witness

Erin Santillo reviews the newest season of the BBC crime drama Silent Witness Erin Santillo News Editor

The Christmas season is not truly over until the festive programming is on the slab and prepped for post mortem, making room for the blood, bodies and ballistics reports that come with BBC1’s Silent Witness. Returning for its 21st series in 2018, the forensic pathology programme is now the longest running crime drama in the world – and rightly so.

Following the life of pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and her colleagues at the Lyell Centre, a prestigious forensic laboratory in London, each Silent Witness case is split over two hour-long episodes broadcast on Monday and Tuesday nights.

Each week, the team encounter a horrific crime scene, incompetent police detectives and, you guessed it, a tantalising mystery to solve.

With Jack Hodgson (David Caves) plucking torn items of clothing from fences for forensic analysis, Clarissa Mullery (Liz Carr) searching databases to identify traces of an unknown powder found near the victim, and Dr Thomas Chamberlain (Richard Lintern) dissecting countless organs and delicately prodding even more, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the programme was the same as ever. However, haunted by her harrowing experiences in Mexico, Nikki is now on compassionate leave from work as she

tries to forget being buried alive in the middle of a desert by a malicious crime cartel at the end of series 20. Which, perhaps unsurprisingly, is not going well.

In a bid to escape her heavily tattooed demons, Nikki seeks emotional support from old friend and fellow pathologist Sally Vaughan (Emma Fielding), but when her companion disappears days later Dr Alexander decides that returning to the Lyell and working the case is the best course of action. Recruited on the side by a fantastically dry DCI Guy Bernhardt (Alex Macqueen) to spy on the prime suspect, pathologist David Cannon (Julian Rhind-Tutt), Nikki is almost immediately plunged into the heart of a deeply personal mystery.

This series takes the team eve-

"This series takes the team everywhere...all without loosing the pace and thrill that is integral to the drama" rywhere, from the swanky corridors of the US embassy to the bland rooftop of a multi-story carpark, all without losing the pace and thrill that is integral to the

drama. The high class of the acting combined with the realistic staging of the post mortems is what makes Silent Witness so believable, and so watchable. In each week’s 23 hour wait between the airing of part one and part two, the murderer is not only at large on the screen, but might as well be stalking the streets of London in reality too. Thankfully, the BBC only uploads each episode to iPlayer after broadcast, making the series, in this respect, gratifyingly unbingeable.

However Silent Witness does ask it's viewers for some level of dramatic licence. As the pathologists quiz suspects, lecture the FBI and chase criminals down alleyways, the question you must avoid posing is: ‘but is that really in their job description?’.

Admittedly, the answer to that is probably in the negative, but where would the fun be in a drama completely revolving around test tubes and beaten up cadavers?

The most controversy this year has seemingly stemmed from the slight alteration to the title music for this series, modernising John Harles’ ‘Silencium’ to give it more of an eerie quality. According to the Daily Mail, viewers were ‘up in arms’ regarding the change; a notion I somehow doubt, and most certainly disagree with.

Additionally, the programme has never been averse to commentary outside of the forensic bubble, and this series is no dif-

Television Writer

Everyone wants a good conspiracy theory, and it is even better when those theories turn out to be true.

Dirty Money, a new Netflix original documentary series, launched on 26th January. It has six episodes, all approximately an hour in length, and all focusing on different high profile business scandals.

Netflix was surprisingly tightlipped about the themes of the episodes until the premiere, and when I saw the episode titles, I understood why. In order of episode, the series focuses on the Volkswagen clean diesel scandal, the downfall of Scott Tucker, the drugmaker Valeant hiking drug prices, HSBC and its ties to the Mexican drug cartels, a Canadian maple syrup heist, and an investigation into the business deals of Donald Trump.

It seemed promising, and I could not wait for that last, juicy episode — and that is probably what Netflix was counting on. I had high expectations, and, unfortunately, they were not met.

Within the first 10 minutes of ‘Hard NOx’, the Volkswagen episode, the aim of the show became quite clear: this is a show to infuriate, not to educate.

The filmmakers juxtapose shots of an average American fam-

ily trading in their Volkswagen Jetta, due to the emissions scandals, with shots of Adolf Hitler commissioning the first Volkswagen factory. They even admit that the mention of Hitler is controversial, but he is connected to Volkswagen so he is worth mentioning.

To be fair, they do start to outline a history of the company’s history.

However, a history of the company is not what the viewer expects or is promised on a documentary series about American greed and the struggles of late capitalism. Other than the original commission, there is no connection between Hitler and the scandal, and it seems like a really cheap way just to get people angry.

But they make that connection — and I think it was not only a stretch, but a distasteful lack of regard for human decency. By the tail end of the episode, of their interviewees, an American lawyer who represented angry clients in the scandal, compared Volkswagen using American people in their emissions tests to the gassings in the Holocaust.

Now, I do not get to say what is or is not offensive to the families and memories of the millions

of people that died as a result of these catastrophes and I have no personal connection to the Holocaust. But as a student of history, it makes me incredibly angry that this comparison is being made without looking into the implications of that metaphor or the complexities of the events behind it.

I finished the last ten minutes of the episode, but stopped watching after this point. It was such an obvious blow just for the sake of making people infuriated.

They made me angry all right, but not at Volkswagen.

Another notable flaw in the documentary is how biased it is.

By the end, the viewer learns that many of the men who seem to be involved with the scandal are still walking free. However there was no indication that the filmmakers attempted to discuss these events with any of them.

They only talked to the people who were angered by the scandal, missing an important and, I would assume, equally damning side to this story. They are not trusting their viewers to think critically or come to conclusions based on the facts. That seems to be a trend: emotion is important than the facts, and especially in a docu-

Our Top TV Picks For February 2018

ferent, featuring a case exploring tense UK-US relations with the line, ‘the old [political] battle lines, they don’t really exist anymore . . . it’s now the current [Trump] administration and then everybody else’. Previous cases have tackled themes such as child abuse and terrorism, and a key protagonist, Professor Leo Dalton, was even killed in a Taliban raid on an Afghan village in series 16. Silent Witness never fails to speak to the times we live in, and for that reason it could, and should, continue on our screens indefinitely.

The show airs every Monday

"Silent Witness does ask it's viewers for some kind of dramatic licence"

Everything Sucks Season One - Netflix February 16th

and Tuesday night on BBC1, and the whole series so far is available to watch on iPlayer. Each two-part case works as a standalone drama, so don’t feel like you have to watch the previous 182 episodes to catch the drift.

Do you agree with Erin? Let us know @redbricktv

Netflix Explores the World of Dirty Money Madeline McInnis

25

mentary, that is disappointing to see.

The series is composed of found footage, dramatic recreations, and talking heads style.

Overall, it is fairly well filmed and edited, just incredibly long and drawn out. If you cut out all of the extra, irrelevant jumble, this easily could have been a 40 minute show. Instead, it was a 75 minute extravaganza that strings out the plot to the point of exhaustion (pun intended).

I did not come to watch how a car company developed. If I wanted that background information, I could have read the Wikipedia summary in 30 seconds instead of wasting 10 minutes on irrelevant footage.

Furthermore, the court recordings were used obsessively in the first episode, leading to the feeling that they simply had no other evidence or visuals to support the anger they wanted to inflict.

The first episode did not say anything new or tell me anything I did not know from the news coverage. Their thesis was weak and overdone. We know that capitalism and the search for money makes people do illegal and stupid things. There could have been a new angle on this story, and I promise that Hitler was not it.

What did you think of the Netflix series Dirty Money? Let us know @redbricktv

Requiem BBC One February 2nd

Here and Now Sky Atlantic February 11th

Good Girls NBC February 26th

GAMING

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickgames

the pipelines at Playground Games Nick Burton Gaming Editor @Nic_the_thinker

Rumours from Eurogamer sources have speculated that British studio Playground, famous for producing the Forza: Horizon series, have been rumoured to be gearing up development for a brand-new Fable game. This, if true, is very exciting news ladies and gentlemen.

Being a huge fan of the first two Fable games, hearing this news was joy to my ears. Let us divulge now in some good old speculation as to when this game could arrive, why Microsoft may have made this decision, and what sort of Fable game we can expect in a post-Witcher 3 world.

As the rumours and reports of this game being in development have only just surfaced, and as the team is recruiting open-world specialists from across the globe, I suspect that this game has been in development for only a few months. I hope that the game has

been in development longer than this, but we shouldn’t get our hopes up too much for the time being. We have so many great games like Red Dead Redemption 2 coming in 2018, I think we’ll be more than pre-occupied with what’s on the horizon. If we’re hoping that Microsoft gives Playground the time and funding it needs to create this next Fable, then they should need at least 3-4 years of development to really make this game true to the source material, and able to stand its ground against the current RPGs of the gaming world.

It is still perplexing to me that Microsoft shut down Lionhead studios.

When you have all the talent in one studio, with all that passion, vision, and understanding of the Fable franchise, why shut it down to outsource the franchise to another developer? Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great another developer has a chance to expand the Fable universe, but why not just cancel Fable Legends, and let the Lionhead team create Fable 4 with the time and resources they

require? Perhaps Microsoft were bleeding chips and they had no other choice. I’m just glad the Fable franchise might still be alive, and even well.

“...this could easily be the best Fable game yet.”

Will this be Fable 4, or will this be a reboot for the franchise?

I think it would be best if Playground made this Fable 4, but it acted as a prequel. Perhaps even ‘Fable: The Something Something’. Having it as a prequel means you can create new stories in the Fable world we already love and include characters which we already adore. An alternative could be a Fable game set in between Fable 1 and Fable 2. Anything that lives off the legacy of the first two games is a thumbs up from me. I don’t think a reboot would be the best move at the moment, since it would require a lot more innovation and creation from the Playground team. That, and I think there are still some stories to be told in the Fable legacy. Let’s explore the origin of Jack of Blades. Why did Theresa take the spire at the end of Fable 2? These questions have

plagued my mind as a Fable fan for many years, and now we have the chance to answer them, and to look upon the world of Fable with a broader eye.

In terms of the actual gameplay, it’s got to have British humour (which won’t be a problem), great writing, fun gameplay (and include the combat from the first game), lots of content to compete with other games, and polish. The only game which felt like it had enough polish was the first Fable game. Let’s make sure this game mostly works unlike Fable 3 and some of Fable 2. I can see the team being tempted to create a Fable game which competes with the likes of Skyrim and The Witcher 3, but this is not the way to go in my opinion. Make it a concentrated open-world like Horizon: Zero Dawn. A large enough map, but dense with activities. Oh, and the music must be composed by Russel Shaw. If all goes to plan, this could easily be the best Fable game yet.

I give the team at Playground all the luck in the world, and they have my support. Let us pray that this game can show everybody why Fable is fantastic, and why it’s one of the best exclusives on the Xbox.

Sequels of Shame

5

Bioware

Fact or Fable?

Nick Burton investigates rumours that a new Fable game is in

Redbrick's

Dragon Age 2

Gearbox Software

26

4 Duke Nukem Forever

Image Credit: Lionhead

Bethesda

Impressions: Vampyr 3 Fallout 4

Galen Reich

Assassin's Creed III he break his oath in order to aid his own survival, or does he grow weak and risk death, unable to complete his cure? The developers have put an emphasis on the consequences of players’ actions and it will be interesting to see if they manage to pull this off in the truly dynamic way that they imply (the previous game from Dontnod, Life is Strange, left players divided over the impact of their choices).

Reid’s goal to discover the origins of vampirism and its links to the Spanish flu will take him on a twisting journey through high society and the most

depraved parts of the city. On his way he will come across a variety of different species of vampire, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and motivations in the world, not all of which are benign.

The combat system feels like that of Dishonored 2, with various abilities, powers, and weapons at the player’s fingertips. As the player feeds and gains experience, they can evolve Reid’s vampiric abilities, strengthening and customizing them to match their

favored playstyle.

With play taking place only at night (it is a vampire game after all), the atmospheric and disease-ridden London of Vampyr appears well-researched and meticulously built, promising a shadowy and dynamic world to investigate, discover, and shape.

Image Credit: Dontnod

EA, DICE

Set in 1918, at the height of the Spanish flu epidemic, Vampyr follows the story of Doctor Jonathan E. Reid as he returns to London from medical duty at the end of World War 1. On his return home, Reid is attacked and regains consciousness with no idea that he has been corrupted by vampirism. This tale sets the stage for the latest game from developer Dontnod, a gritty gothic vampire RPG where actions really do have consequences.

Although in the midst of researching a cure for the Spanish flu and bound by his Hippocratic Oath to do no harm, Reid now finds himself fighting a primal bloodlust, each life presenting him with a moral decision: does

Ubisoft

2

Gaming Critic @ChronicAardvark

1 Star Wars Battlefront II

GAMING

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickgames

27

Overwatch League Start With A Bang Roshni Patel

Nintendo

Gaming Editor @Roshofalltrades

Nintendo Brings Back Cardboard Roshni Patel unpacks the Nintendo 'Labo' announcements Roshni Patel Gaming Editor @Roshofalltrades

Once again Nintendo have released a product teaser trailer which captures our inner child and sends our creative minds soaring, with their latest creation, Nintendo Labo; cardboard peripherals for the Nintendo Switch. While peripherals for Nintendo consoles aren’t new (think Wii fit board, or Donkey Kong’s bongos), we’ve never seen something so unique.

Unveiled on Wednesday 17th, Nintendo Labo is a build-it-yourself peripheral kit, where some assembly is required as you pop out and fold together cardboard nets to create fairly intricate models. Add in the right joy-con and

the model comes to life, as your real world actions translate across to your Switch game.

From making music on a cardboard piano to reeling in a big one using a cardboard fishing rod, the infrared camera and sensors, along with the joy-cons’ accelerometers, can bring almost any design to life. This is seen particularly well in their final and most ambitious model, the full size robot kit, which adds pulleys to your arms and legs, and connects into your backpack receiver to translate your movements to the big screen robot transformer.

While many of us are still children at heart, these models are just the start of what could be a wide range of custom games made by Nintendo or indie developers alike, as the technology required to

design and create these kits is fairly simple. For now however, these kits are a little overpriced (if you consider the game will likely cost £35-50 alone), and far too simplistic to be played by older audiences for more than few hours, with only the robot kit looking to have any replayability at this moment in time.

For younger kids, these cardboard peripherals will provide hours of fun, sparking their creative and engineering minds, until the cardboard tears or wears out, potentially costing parents a fortune in replacement nets (though Nintendo have said that replacement parts can be made from the leftover cardboard).

All in all, the Nintendo Labo seems like a very Nintendo-like innovation for kids and big kids

alike. Launching as 2 separate kits, where the ‘Toy-Con’ kit 1, or variety kit will include most of what we saw in the trailer for £59.99, and kit 2 will include the robot kit, and will of course cost a whole £10 more. With additional licensed customisation tapes and stickers, parents and curious adults will truly be fleeced by the Nintendo Labo.

However, regardless of the costs, fragility, and the almost gimmick-like nature of Nintendo’s latest peripheral innovation, it's a step in the right direction, as we kill off the era of expensive, plastic, single-use peripherals. Available to buy from the 27th April 2018, there’s plenty more time for more details to emerge while we wait for the pre-orders to open.

After much scepticism and controversy, the Overwatch League Inaugural Season launches successfully, drawing over 10 million viewers for the 1st week of stage 1, with concurrent views almost rivalling those of the NHL. As the tournament kicked off, 12 teams went head to head in the newly built Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles, Blizzard’s custom built eSports arena.

Featuring a four stage season, with each stage lasting five weeks each, and a stage title match between the top 3 teams at the end of each stage, which is sweetened with a $125,000 bonus. Streaming to twitch every Wednesday to Saturday, or Thursday Midnight til Sunday morning for us, each day consists of 3 matches of 4 different map challenges, from Control to Escort, with additional tie-breaker maps. Accompanied by an app for scores, scheduling, live coverage and replays, Blizzard have gone above and beyond to ensure the success of the inaugural season.

Retrospective: This War of Mine Gaming Editor @GoneEFK

This is a game you cannot win.

Surprised? That would be understandable, particularly given that the ability to either win or lose is one of the defining features of the video game form. Yet in This War of Mine, game completion comes at a terrible cost, forcing you to question whether you have truly won at all.

Based on the siege of Sarajevo in 1992-1995, This War of Mine is a strategy war survival game by 11 bit studios that was originally released in 2014. The player must protect their small group of characters in a city under siege for an indefinite amount of time. Each night a character is sent out into the dangerous world to gather precious resources such as food,

medicine, or building materials. In doing so, however, the character is often exposed to serious danger, ethical dilemmas and the true horrors of war.

This War of Mine is cleverly engineered to steer the player into understanding the oftenoverlooked civilian experience of warfare. With only limited resources available in the midst of escalating violence and a worsening winter, the player is forced into taking more and more risks in order to survive. On one of my play-throughs, for instance, my long search for food forced me into sending a character to a place called 'Sniper Junction'. That went about as well as you could imagine.

The alternative to this sort of risk-taking is even worse. While at the beginning of the game you might try to maintain your normal moral compass, soon the pressures

of living in a warzone force you into ethical dilemmas, where all options seem equally awful. Do you take fuel from other scavengers to prevent your own people from freezing? Do you steal medicine from an elderly couple so that your friend might survive? These situations made me understand how morality can become so easily confused and ambiguous within a warzone. I was hit with the sudden realisation that the 'thugs' I had previously encountered in the game were actually the same as me; war victims going to more and more extreme lengths in order to survive.

This War of Mine also succeeds on an emotional level, expertly conveying the sense of being trapped in an impossible situation.

There are only limited locations to visit, meaning that you must often re-visit the same house for days and survive only on the last scraps

you find there. The number of days until the ceasefire is randomly determined by the game, so that you never know exactly how long you have to survive to escape the war. Without a set time frame to work towards, the days can seem to drag on endlessly, thereby conveying the emotional toll of being in a siege situation.

Although it is an uncomfortable game to play, This War of Mine is still a rewarding experience. I came away with a greater understanding of why crime escalates so quickly in war zones, and (strangely) developed more sympathy for the perpetrators after having become one myself. For this reason, it is well worth your while to play This War of Mine; a game in which your personal journey is more important than outright victory.

11 bit studios

Emma Kent

But despite setbacks, such as players being fined or banned for misconduct (xQc and Profit), the league has successfully drawn crowds, in both the stadium and online around the world, who have turned out to see the world's top teams and players dominate the league, while others struggle for position. Currently, all Korean rosters have been dominating the standings, losing few games, and fewer matches. In contrast, the Shanghai Dragons have struggled to gain purchase in the league.

Meanwhile teams such as the Houston Outlaws and Los Angeles Valiants have battled for their states and shown that they are teams to be reckoned with.

With the season now going into the final matches of stage one, I still personally can’t support the ‘home’ team, the London Spitfires, when none of them are from the UK. For now, I plan to watch the season with hope, supporting the teams which show the most promise, and hoping that this new signing window might bring in the diversity and skills that this all male league desperately needs.

Image Credits: Blizzard

28

FOOD&DRINK

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickfood

Interview: Nutellatasha Food&Drink Writer Amber Allcock interviews the Birmingham based dairy-free and pescatarian blogger Amber Allcock Food&Drink Writer

Amber Allcock delved into the blog of Nutellatasha this week, uncovering her love of vegan food and dairy-free places to eat in Birmingham. Her eventual transition into veganism is enough to inspire anybody to take a look at what this enthusiastic blogger has to offer, and maybe even take the plunge themselves! Check her out at www.nutellatasha.com, or her Instagram @nutellatasha.

First and foremost, what inspired you to start Instagram blogging?

I started my Instagram as a way of promoting my blog page but it evolved into a mini blog in itself. I like how instant it is compared to a conventional blog, which helps now that I have a full-time job. I enjoy taking pictures and I love that I have been able to build up an audience that want to know about vegan options in Birmingham.

I know your diet is dairy free, but you are also a pescetarian are you lactose intolerant and, if so, is that what inspired you to start up a food blog for others?

Yes, I am lactose intolerant and I created a blog niche around that. Before this, my blog was a mix-mash lifestyle blog, which was fun, but not as focused. I cut meat out of my diet for ethical reasons which made my blog and Instagram vegan as a result.

I think it’s really important to have a focus for your page, and I want to go fully vegan eventually, so I love to do my reviews from this perspective and only show vegan foods on my Instagram.

I used to think that Birmingham was lacking individuality on the food front, but your Instagram really made me think differently about Birmingham's food scene and has inspired me to try lots of new places. How do you discover new eateries?

I'm so happy that my Instagram has helped to show others how diverse Birmingham's food scene is. There is a great amount of amazing, independent places and the vegan options that are available in this city are vast.

I walk around Birmingham a lot, so I find a lot of places this way. I also have a number of food blogger friends that share new places they've found, and Google Alerts helps too. I literally make it my mission to be in the know!

Have you always lived in Birmingham, and if so, what do you think about Birmingham's rising food scene? Do you agree the options are now getting more extensive, or have you always found it easy to discover new places with a little bit of research?

I'm a Brummie through and through and I've been here since I was 9 months old. I moved away for uni to Bristol for 3 years and the contrast between Bristol and Birmingham was vast at the time, but it seems to be narrowing now. I enjoy Birmingham's food scene and like the fact that it isn't pretentious. I love that this is a city that embraces the independents because they give Birmingham so much unique character. I used to find it difficult to find new places, but now that I have a stable job and know where to look, it's become a lot easier.

I know you have a beauty Instagram too (@nutella_does_ beauty). Do you find it difficult to balance both, alongside having a full-time job or do you find Instagram more of a stress release?

I used to cover beauty on my blog but since getting a niche I had to let that go, and so having a beauty Instagram helped to fill that gap in my life. I concentrate more on my food page now though, so it's not balanced at all.

The beauty one is just for a bit of fun and focuses on how I'm trying to go vegan with my makeup and find items that suit my skin tone and dry skin type.

I work as a social media manager as well and so it can be overwhelming sometimes to use Instagram after work, but I do enjoy it a lot and, like you mentioned, it's a good stress release for me.

What is the thing you love most about Instagram blogging?

The amazing community I've been able to converse with is the best thing about Instagram blogging. The people I meet are great, and someone even recognised me whilst I was eating in Natural Healthy Foods - she told me that I had helped her to find new places since she had decided to go plant-based. I love the way people notify me about events or ask my opinion on certain eateries too, it's nice to know my opinion is valued! I’m always honest in my reviews and I hope this shows people that I'm genuine and a trustworthy vegan food reviewer.

Obviously you try a lot of restaurants, but do you like home cooking too? What's your favourite thing to make?

I love cooking but only when I have time because I’m super slow at it! My favourite things to make are pasta and buddha bowls and of course, trying out new vegan recipes is always at the top of my agenda.

Do you enjoy being a part of the Brum Bloggers community and do you meet up regularly?

Brum Bloggers is amazing.

I've been a part of this supportive community since 2013 so I've seen it change so much and I've been able to make some great friends too. I meet up with a lot of them frequently but I also am lucky enough to see a number of them at events in Birmingham as well.

Your mum features a lot on your Instagram and you seem to try a lot of restaurants together, is that a passion you share?

It’s definitely a shared passion of ours, which is why she is normally my plus one every-

Credit: @nutellatasha where. She's become infamous amongst my Brum Blogger friends for her straightforward opinion! Our shared passion of food comes from my extended family - we are a family of food lovers. My mum is a natural at cooking. She knows what works and doesn't follow recipes but the end result is always amazing.

She's invented some awesome dishes which she probably gets from my grandma who is seen as the master of food in my family.

If you had to give your best advice to someone who wanted to start up a food blog, what would it be?

Ooh, that's tough. It would be to find a niche - discover your style and enjoy it. The passion will always show through your words!

Who are your top 3 Instagram food bloggers? What do you love about them?

There are so many food bloggers I love. But my top 3 would be @AvantGardeVegan,

@ChaiceChaice and @ VegansofLdn. The first is an amazing vegan food vlogger - his images and recipes are incredible. Have a look and you'll see what I mean! The second is based in Birmingham and is ace at showing great places to eat vegan food in this city. She gives me recommendations all the time and they have always done me right.

The last shows me all the best places to eat in London which inspires my annual foodie pilgrimage there!

What do you think Birmingham's food scene is missing or lacking?

The food scene in Birmingham has improved so much, but I still think more cuisines are needed as we are lacking a number of them at the moment, Afghani and South American to name a few. And, although it’s improving, I would also like to see more vegan food places as well - you can never have too many options!

Cauliflower: The Steaks Are High Comment Editor Kat Smith discovers the most recent M&S misteak As a long-term veggie and food enthusiast, Mark & Spencer’s Cauliflower Steak has got me thinking. If you hadn’t heard, the luxurious food retailer recently began selling a ‘Cauliflower Steak’. It is essentially two slices of cauliflower with a lemon and herb dressing, packed in an excessive amount of plastic. It was on an introductory offer for £2 usually, and was going to eventually sell at £2.50. They have since stopped selling the ‘steak’ after ridicule on social media from their customers.

I’m usually a big fan of M&S.

Their veggie Percy Pigs are a joy and their meal deal is good value for the quality. But this is a step too far. I even thought it might have been a joke before looking into it properly.

I’m not angry, but amused.

My astonishment surpasses the ridiculous price - it’s the entire thought of selling a cauliflower as a steak. It’s funny that even now, with the rise of Veggie Prets, Wagamama’s new veggie/vegan menu and an abundance of plantbased Instagrams, M&S still don’t get it. Yes, I love my vegetables, but if I was ever tempted by a

steak, cauliflower wouldn’t exactly be my first choice. I can imagine a board of meat-eaters genuinely thinking ‘Yes, this will definitely satisfy the growing demand for alternatives to meat’. Honestly, it’s hilarious. Who even likes cauliflower?

With the abundance of meatfree alternatives (Linda McCartney sausage rolls have changed my life), surely M&S should’ve known to up to their game. While they’re not exactly renowned for budget-friendly prices, I would like to think they never compromise on quality.

I’m also confused by how retailers like Sainsbury’s and Tesco have consistently met the needs of a vegetarian or vegan diet in an affordable and delicious way, yet this is M&S’s attempt.

Surely it didn’t take too much market research or common sense to know the way to a veggie’s heart?

Even if the price was significantly lower, the product would remain ludicrous. It’s especially ironic seeing how much packaging was used when firstly, cauliflowers can be sold loose, and secondly, a lot of people go veg-

etarian or vegan for environmental reasons.

M&S even had the cheek to say to BBC Three that the product was created for customers wanting to buy a ‘quick and convenient vegetarian meal option.’ It is also a case of convenience going way too far. It doesn’t take a lot of time to cut up a cauliflower and drizzle some lemon on it. If you have to fry it then it’s not exactly an on-the-go meal either. What were they thinking? I don’t know if I just have a big appetite, but a slice of cauliflower ain't a meal.

FOOD&DRINK

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbrickfood

29

2018: Meating Your Expectations?

Food&Drink Writer Toni Baker explains why 2018 is the best year to go vegan Toni Baker

Food&Drink Writer @toniveganeats

This is the year to go vegan. We are only weeks into 2018 and already, the range of vegan options are tastier and more plentiful than ever before! The vegan community ended last year on a high, with high-end restaurant brands such as Pizza Hut, Pizza Express and Zizzi offering innovative new menus and dishes for those choosing to eat cruelty-free. New products appeared on supermarket shelves, including Ben and Jerry’s non-dairy ice cream and Bailey’s Almond Milk Liqueur, and chain eateries such as Pret A Manger and Leon extended their vegan ranges and options. Brands such as Quorn and Linda McCartney expanded their vegan selections and the Quorn ‘fishless fingers’ were a particular hit - if you haven’t tried them yet, thank me later!

"Celebrity endorsements [...] made veganism the buzzword of 2017" Part of the surge in support for the vegan movement can be attributed to documentaries such as ‘Earthlings’ and ‘What the Health’ which shed light on the cruelty of the meat and dairy industries, as well as raising awareness of the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Celebrity endorsements from those such as Miley Cyrus, Leonardo DiCaprio and Liam Hemsworth helped make veganism the buzzword of 2017 and challenged us to take a step back and examine the reality of the food on our plates and the process

by which it arrived there. people registered at the time of In my city, new vegan restau- writing! Restaurants such as Las rants and eateries popped up, Iguanas offered deals for those offering extensive menus, includ- participating, encouraging vegans ing mock meats and cheeses and to eat and enjoy the plant- based more nutritious options for the options at their diner. more health-minded people One of the biggest successes amongst us. Myself, friends of already this year must be the mine, and many others took launch of the new Tesco to social media to provegan range, Wicked mote a vegan lifeKitchen. Demand for style. There are greater vegan connow thousands of venience options Instagram pages and the surge in alone dedicated the number of to plant-based those choosing Brits are living and the to eat plantchoosing to community is based products always keen to has clearly been buy vegan share new tips, heard and this alternatives tricks and prodnew line offers a regularly ucts that are new number of prodon the agenda. ucts, including pizFlexitarianism zas, wraps and sandwas another phenomewiches to satisfy our non which swept the UK cruelty-free desires. Another last year. A study carried out by big supermarket brand, Ocado, The Vegan Society in 2017 found have also extended their vegan 1 in 3 Brits were choosing to buy selection and it now features over vegan alternatives on a regular 90 different products, giving us basis and attempting to cut down vegans plenty to choose from! their meat and dairy consumption, Aldi has also recognised the plantopting instead to fill their trollies based market and announced a with mock-meats, dairy-free new vegan range to enter shops options and all the fruits and veg- shortly. gies.

After the success of their Meatless Mondays were vegan products last year, Quorn another trend born on social have released a new deli range media, encouraging meat eaters to which promises to fill the sandswap their usual Monday night wich-filling shaped hole! And, to steak for a healthier plant-based my great excitement, Ben and alternative once a week.

Jerry’s have announced new nonIt is now estimated the number dairy ice-cream flavours includof vegans in the UK is nearing the ing, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, half a million mark. With the Chunky Monkey and Peanut 'trend' of veganism set to expand Butter and Cookies and I, for one, ever further this year, it really cannot wait to try them. does seem like 2018 will be the There are plenty of exciting year of the vegan! and ambitious vegan events Veganuary has proven to be planned for this year and they more successful than ever this look set to attract more people year, with more than 115,000 than ever before! The London

1/3

Viva! Vegan Festival takes place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18 th of March, promising to feature more than 140 stalls. On June 2nd and 3rd, The Level in Brighton will host hundreds of stalls, live music, speakers and various workshops all outside in the (hopefully!) summer sunshine. The biggest vegan event of the year is set to be the Vegan Camp-Out 2018, held on 17th-19th August in Nottinghamshire. A number of talks, workshops, kid’s activities and stalls are planned, accompanied by live music from some big names.

So whether you’re a fullyfledged vegan, just dabbling in the plant-based universe or still enjoying a steak most nights, these events welcome anyone and everyone with any degree of interest in vegan living. Check them out and I hope to see you there!

There is growing awareness of the health benefits of a vegan diet and the cruelty behind the meat and dairy industries is becoming mainstream knowledge. People are realising the consumption of meat and dairy is unsustainable, unethical and cannot go on for much longer. It seems people are taking real steps to change their eating habits and embrace a healthier, more compassionate way of life.

I would encourage you to inform yourself of the reality of the food on your plate and the processes by which it arrived there. While at first becoming a vegan can seem daunting, there are plenty of websites and other sources of support to guide you through the initial transition. The PETA website provides plenty of advice for those just embarking on their vegan journey and even offers a free vegan starter kit to put newbie vegans on the right

track.

"Whether you’re a fully-fledged vegan, just dabbling in the plant-based universe or still enjoying a steak most nights, these events welcome anyone" Challenge 22 is another great site which provides transitioning vegans with their own personal mentor to guide them through the first few weeks of veganism. They share recipes, tips for eating out and other guidance and advice to help prepare inexperienced vegans for their new way of life. Going vegan in 2018 is easier than it has ever been before and there are ever- increasing vegan options in all the major supermarkets, restaurants and eateries.

Personally, the decision to go vegan is one of the best I have ever made and I feel better in all aspects of my life because of my choice to refrain from meat and dairy. So if you’re considering it, have a few doubts or have just stumbled upon this article, I urge you to give veganism a go!

Irn Bru: Let's Irn Out The Details Food&Drink Editor Dean Mobbs investigates Irn Bru's latest head-turner Dean Mobbs Food&Drink Editor

So it’s hardly a secret that Irn Bru is literally one of the biggest things to come out of Scotland.

Therefore it’s no wonder that a recipe change makes for bloody big news, especially for those of us who live off the drink! Now the recent and particularly startling news of the new recipe is something that hits home for a lot of us who have watched (and enjoyed) the growth of the brand and its distinctive taste, and so I thought it right to do somewhat of an ode to the origins of the drink. Let’s take it all the way back, shall we?

There are so many things that I bet you never knew – Buzzfeed would slurp this up in a heartbeat.

We’re all aware of the longrunning production of the drink. It directly states on the bottle ‘BRU’D IN SCOTLAND TO A SECRET RECIPE SINCE 1901’.

But did you also know that 117 years ago, the drink was actually

titled ‘Iron Brew’? Yeah, that’s right – apparently spelling was more important back in the day.

The drink took over the country, so much so that it was endorsed by a famous athlete who even featured on the label! If this wasn’t enough, in 1930 the longest running advertising cartoon in history, Ba-Bru & Sandy, boosted Iron Brew to heights it had never seen before, and thus history was well and truly in the making. However, the drink certainly wasn’t without its shortcomings, and actually stopped production in 1942 due to shortages of raw materials throughout the Second World War. Fast forward to 1946, and Iron Brew was back under the newly phonetical ‘Irn Bru’ as we know and love it today. Well, as we knew it up until just recently.

With new regulations introduced that enforced brand names that were true to their product, this meant that Iron Brew had to be rebranded – although iron was an ingredient, it wasn’t actually brewed! Add a couple of different

labels, some sugar-free expansions, and a couple more endorsements, and we’re led right up to the 21st century, where the new recipe has reared its head. Let’s delve in.

Firstly, some facts about the new recipe: sugar content will be reduced from 10g per 100ml to 5g per 100ml, meaning that each can will have four teaspoons of sugar as opposed to 8.5 and 65 calories instead of the original 140. Now, there are many ways that this can go. Not only could the taste be completely ruined, but there are a lot of people whose first choice of drink is Irn Bru (myself included) and most would be lost if they had to choose anything else! It might seem sad to some of you reading - why would any of us have such an attachment to the drink? Well, we all have that one food that brings us comfort, and for a lot of us, that comfort lies firmly within the fizz of Irn Bru. Now, remember that scarily huge sugar reduction? Read the next sentence very carefully. The

same secret recipe is still being used and the drink should taste exactly the same. Yes, you read that correctly. AG Barr – the very company that have produced the drink for over 100 years – have stated that Irn Bru will taste pretty much the same, but it will be healthier. I don’t know about you, but I’m all for that!

"Sugar content will be reduced from 10g per 100ml to 5g" As a pretty standard millennial, I’m constantly worrying about my health, but never really do anything to change it. So if I can find a way of helping my diet without actually having to change what I eat and drink, then it doesn’t really get much better than that (unless we figure out how to do exercise while simultaneously doing nothing – that

would be great).

So before we all freak out about potentially losing the one good and consistent thing in our lives, we should all take a moment to give this healthier option a chance. 2018 is probably going to have a lot of ups and downs, and yes, it really does seem to be a rubbish way to start the year, but it might well pick up. I wouldn’t worry about it too much just yet, because I have a good feeling about this. If we keep a level head then maybe we can make it through this health surge, which some might say has been bru-ing for a while now.

As a final point, Irn Bru really isn’t going anywhere - at least not for a while anyway! Having been a long-running supporter of the drink, through all its changes and various label remakes, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to handle a little less sugar. And trust me, if I can, then I’m sure you all can too (nobody loves the drink more than me).

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TRAVEL

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricktravel

Travel Diary: Dublin Ella-Jane Coxwell Travel Writer

Known for its charisma, cobblestone streets and of course, alcohol, Dublin is a charming city steeped in history with plenty on offer to see and do - and it's just a stone’s throw away from London.

I escaped for a winter weekend getaway earlier this year and, despite having limited time to explore, I managed to cram as much of Dublin – and its many, many pubs – into the three days as possible.

When I visit somewhere for the first time, I like to do and see everything. In order to do so we committed to the pre-sunrise flight, which was surprisingly easy with the promise of a cold Guinness on the other side. Most people may be worried about arriving before their hotel checkin time; however there is no need to stress as you can start exploring immediately. Of course if you have mounds of luggage this may be a problem, although most hotels will hold your bags prior to your room being ready.

First on the agenda was to source the city’s best brunch spot.

We roamed the streets around our hotel and luckily we stumbled across Brother Hubbard - passing the Leprechaun Museum on the

way. Located on Chapel Street, just one block back from the River Liffey, it soon became apparent that this was the place to eat brunch in Dublin. Everything here is homemade, from breakfast to the baked goods and it was outrageously delicious, so much so that we returned later to test out their drinks menu. Warning – when you order a hot cocoa in Brother Hubbard it will be the richest, most moreish pot of molten chocolate, that comes with a side of warm frothy milk. It will make every future hot chocolate taste like disappointment.

Once happily fed, we headed off to our first attraction of the holiday: Dublin Castle (I like touristy stuff, so sue me). I highly recommend getting a guided tour for £8, which takes approximately 70 minutes and provides access to State Apartments, the Viking Excavation and the Chapel Royal.

On this tour you learn about Dublin’s ancestry and how the city got its name – from the Gaelic ‘dubh linn’ which means ‘black pool’, and refers to the deep body of water where the Poddle stream used to meet the River Liffey at Dublin Castle. After the tour, the surrounding area is great for wandering and you can discover the impressive Christ Church Cathedral and St Patricks Cathedral, both of which are spec-

tacles worth seeing, whether you pay to go inside or not. That evening came to an end with dinner at a local bistro, any of which offered a true locals' touch as well as incredible food – to find a great dinner spot, I encourage you to just close your eyes and point.

This was followed by drinks at the not-so-secret ‘Secret Bar’, a spot not to be forgotten.

Having found the Viking excavation at Dublin Castle so fascinating – and as a way to escape the wintery weather, our next stop was Dublinia: a museum offering a unique Viking and Medieval experience, also highly recommended on TripAdvisor. If you like longboats, trying on excessively heavy chainmail armour, and have always wondered how Viking poetry sounds, then this attraction is for you. You will experience Dublin through the Viking and Medieval ages and, if you have the energy by the end, there is the opportunity to climb the 96 steps to St Michaels Tower.

From here you can admire stunning, panoramic views of the city.

Impressed by the Dublin

brunch scene, we sniffed out another highly recommended establishment, Wuff. Wuff’s food was just as delicious as Brother Hubbard's, but with an entirely different style and vibe. Hidden away in an unsuspecting corner of the city, it has an intimate and quirky interior. It is the sort of place where you will probably endure a long line of people outside, however once you are in, you will understand why the wait was worth it! Here I enjoyed a full stack of pancakes (which I highly recommend) and a cup of tea.

Next up was Dublin’s greatest tourist attraction: the Guinness factory. Book online to avoid the lines, and get there early so you do not miss your tour time. If you are like me and do not enjoy Guinness, or any beer for that matter, the tour is still one hundred percent worth it. There are four floors offering different information on the ingredients of Guinness, the brewing process, transportation of barrels and advertisement of the product.

They teach you how to pull a ‘perfect’ pint and then how to taste it.

The tour culminates at the Sky

Bar where you can enjoy a complimentary pint of Guinness (or soft drink) whilst overlooking the city.

Merry on Guinness and soft drinks, that night we headed out to the pubs. One thing is for sure: the Irish know how to drink. There are plenty – and I truly mean plenty – of old fashioned pubs to try out, most of which also have live music. Beware, however, of the Temple Bar area, as it is quite the tourist trap and will not provide the local feels that we oh so desire while travelling.

Satisfied with the attractions we had ticked off on Days 1 and 2, we had a relaxing final day in Ireland. The sun was shining and so we decided to do an open top bus tour. There’s a 2-hour route or a slightly shorter option; I recommend the longer of the two as it ensures you do not miss out on any of this great city. You will get to see the outskirts of Dublin and all it has to offer including: Dublin’s famous Kilmainham Gaol, the colossus Aviva stadium, and the city’s largest graveyard – which with 1.5 million interments, is more populated than the city itself. Finishing the tour in the heart of the city, where you can find the main shopping area, the first purpose-built Parliament building in the world and, thanks to Ireland’s incredibly low corporation tax, the international Head Quarters of Google, Twitter and Facebook. Also situated in the centre is Trinity College Dublin, ranked the best university in the country, with an awe-inspiringly beautiful campus which is open to the public. Perfectly manicured lawns lay in front of grand white stone buildings, in a square courtyard with an impressive bell tower at its centre.

With our time in Dublin drawing to a close, we made one last food stop at Offbeat Donut Co. where the variety of donuts is so vast that I do not recommend entering this shop if you are the slightest bit indecisive. The perfect end to the trip, and wonderfully timed to board the plane home with a belly full of joy.

Best of Britain: Start Bay Helen Locke Travel Writer

As a child I loved coming to this historic stretch of coastline, and I still never tire of perching on the sea wall by Start Bay Inn, soaking in the ocean sound. There always seemed to be new angles to discover. Cliff paths offer a good chance of spotting sealife, and I get a thrill whenever I catch sight of seals diving between the rocks and spray.

A narrow stretch of land separates the sea and a freshwater lake, host to a beautiful assortment of birdlife. Between the water runs a road which makes for a gorgeous dusk drive, as rooks fly home over the lake towards the hills on one side, and gulls settle on the ocean opposite.

Start Point lighthouse has stood

watch over the bay since 1836. A 4 mile underwater bank makes

shipping treacherous, and sits around 2 metres below water at

low tide. Until 1917, a fishing community, Hallsands, lived below the cliffs, but offshore dredging for construction materials ate away at the beach, and a severe gale finally caused it to collapse.

Stray west outside of the bay for a wild and beautiful walk to Mattiscombe Sands.

The path, scattered with gorse and flint, is worth venturing down. Calves watch the passers-by, russet red like the Devon soil.

Slapton Sands was used for Exercise Tiger (rehearsals for the D-day landings). Tragically, friendly fire and German E-boats caused the deaths of hundreds of soldiers, and an information blackout was ordered by the US to prevent details from becoming known, until local resident Ken Small

and others discovered evidence, including an American tank. The tank was then hauled from the sea and positioned between the lake and the ocean as a memorial. And the history of the area inspired The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo.

TRAVEL

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricktravel

31

Top Photo Spots: London Madeline McInnis Travel Writer

As a photographer, I’m always on the lookout for the best places to take a great skyline shot. You do not have to go far to capture one of the most iconic skylines in the world — London! There are no shortage of places to go in London to capture that skyline either. But which is the best? Whether you are new to photography or looking for your next print to sell, here is my breakdown of the best public places to take shots of the London skyline.

The Sky Garden offers swanky panoramic views of the city, all from a beautiful, green garden space. The biggest bonus is that it is free, although you do have to book your spot in advance so it doesn’t get too crowded up there.

I was able to book mine about fourteen hours before going, but I would not recommend waiting that long, as I got the last space.

There are great views of The Shard and the City here, just impeded by glass, which did not produce much of a glare for me at all. The only drawback is that it’s hard to take pictures from both of the sides facing St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London, respectively.

Coming in at a price of £16.00 at the door, St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the pricier destinations that I have visited. This being

said, it is one of my personal favourites. You’re not just paying for the view, like so many of the other destinations, but you are also paying for your tour of the cathedral. There are two outside levels for you to take pictures from that are completely openair and unimpeded. Especially as high up as the Golden Gallery, at the very top, having a view like that without glass or webbing in the way is rare. I would definitely

not recommend this if you are scared of heights - I’m fine with them, but even I got vertigo! Also be warned, you can’t take pictures inside the church unless it is one of the special photographer days.

The Shard's pricing of £25.95 for a student ticket was way out of my budget. It was also supposed to be cloudy the day I was planning on going, so I did not want to pay that much to just see clouds. I have no doubt that the view is spectacular — I’ve seen the pictures from their toilets and even that looks incredible - but as a student it was just too much for me to justify. If you plan ahead, you can get a student ticket from £13.95 in advance, which would definitely be the way to go!

I had a notably great experience with the Monument staff, and would definitely recommend that everyone visit. However, I think it would take a very particular kind of photographer to get the most out of their photos from the top. Monument does have netting around its views (with good reason — it is a small place with a fair number of people) but I found it just made for interesting framing.

I did not regret the walk up,

and I really like how my photos turned out. If you’re looking for unimpeded views, however, this might not be the place for you.

One note here is that the stairs are absolutely incredible. They were so steep, and you had to turn sideways to pass people going the other direction! Definitely not for the faint of heart — or those with large camera bags — but it is worth it when you manage to get up to the top.

I got the joint ticket for Monument and Tower Bridge, so I was not really expecting much more than a discounted experience and a quick run through. However, I managed to hit Tower Bridge at sunset and it made for some gorgeous pictures! The bridge itself has plenty to photograph, but in terms of skyline views, it just is not tall enough to achieve the full effect. You have The Shard and the Walkie-Talkie, but that is about it. I would definitely recommend this attraction for history buffs, but not for photographers. I had a fantastic time, but the views were nothing to envy. The glass floor was really cool, but again, I would not recommend it to anyone who is afraid of heights.

Everyone should embrace their inner tourist and go to the London Eye at least once, but I wouldn’t really recommend it for photographers. I went several years ago, and I doubt that much has changed since then. You are always photographing through glass, and I found it to be a

little dirty as well. There is an undeniable aesthetic from within the pods though. I would like to go back again with my new camera eventually, to take some more pictures in order to try and hone it, but at £27.00 a ticket for just 30 minutes, I think I might have to wait a while for that one.

That’s the entirety of your ride — 30 minutes — and you spend only a fraction of that at the top.

You have to be very quick to get what you want, and I found I never really looked up from my camera and enjoyed the view because of it.

If you are a dog lover, Primrose Hill is your perfect place. Whilst I was trying to take pictures, I had at least five unleashed dogs come over to say hello, which is really the opposite of a problem. Primrose Hill is free and provides some pretty amazing views for a public park.

The main skyline buildings are quite far away, but I was able to get fairly close without a problem using my 75-300mm lens. The hike is also pretty steep, but even while I had bronchitis I managed to do it without stopping, so it really is not unmanageable. And there are benches to stop at along the way if you get tired. As I travel nearly exclusively by Tube in London, it was a little out of the way and inconvenient to get to, but it was clearly marked from Chalk Farm, which was beautiful and picturesque by itself.

How to: Survive Without Data Madeline McInnis Travel Writer

Surviving without the internet seems like an impossible feat nowadays. When you are in a new place, it is easy to get overwhelmed, lost, and feel like you have gotten in over your head. Going to a new place can be challenging on its own, but being completely disconnected brings an added level of discomfort.

However, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your travels without service.

Before you leave your data area, take screen shots of the maps you will need to get to your accommodation. Most hostels and hotels will have paper maps that you can take with you around the new place, but you have to actually find them first!

If you’re ever lost, do not go to the petrol station like all of the films tell you to do. A pizza place likely delivers, and they will know the area way better than the people who stay stationary in a building. If that is not an option, look for any major shopping centre — almost all of them have free wifi these days for you to check Google Maps and get your bearings. They are usually well-lit, with lots of people around, so you can feel safe while you are disconnected.

Then while you are actually out travelling, try to

enjoy being disconnected. You can sit on Facebook at home - enjoy the area that you are in now!

When you capture beautiful moments that you want everyone

to see on Snapchat, it can be difficult not to send every photo like you would if you had data.

The photos will just bounce back to you, whether you were sending them to a specific person, to a group, or to your story, and you can just ‘retry’ the post the next time you are on wifi. If you have some kind of social media inspiration while you’re out, you can always just write it down in your notes to post whenever you’re connected again.

Make sure to have a check-in time with a trusted friend or family

member so that they know that you are okay. As soon as you get onto wifi, send your status along.

If something does go wrong, that person will know to look for you. Keep checking in with them throughout your journey, as well.

Being disconnected is scary, and they just want to make sure that you are safe.

It goes without saying to be more careful than you usually would when you are out on your own, without access to the internet. Be vigilant, do not take unnecessary risks, and have a plan before you go out anywhere.

The more you know about the place you are going, the more comfortable you will be without your virtual safety net. So, as always, plan ahead and keep an open mind — there are very few things that cannot wait a few hours to be posted!

32

LIFE&STYLE

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricklife

A Right Royal Obsession

As we anticipate a royal wedding and a royal birth, Life&Style Editor Imogen Lancaster asks whether we're a little bit too invested Imogen Lancaster Life&Style Editor

As you will undoubtedly have noticed, the recent news of the engagement and upcoming royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has gained an incredible amount of coverage over the past few weeks. The British Royal Family, much like respective royal families across the globe, have always attracted great attention from both the media and the public. Everything from their contributions to society and royal visits to other nations, to fashion choices, relationships and private scandals have made headlines and have been the at the centre of national talk and gossip for centuries. The British Royal Family especially seems to have worldwide appeal - we are all transfixed with every mundane detail of their daily lives.

And it comes as no surprise, since the Royal Family are arguably on the pedestal of our societal hierarchy – at least technically. From an early age fascination

with the royals is ingrained into us - to grow up reading and watching fairy tales about kings and queens is very much the norm in Western society. Perhaps because of this, the royals are then loved, epitomised, and idolised simply for being who they are. And beyond their titles, they are then respected for their contributions to important causes and are appreciated as the official figureheads of the United Kingdom.

But they are simultaneously hated by some for exemplifying an out-dated custom and for their arguably unjustly acquired position of power. Indeed, it has been lifetimes since the royal family maintained absolute authority.

Our democratic system now leaves The Queen with little real power or responsibility with regards to the legal system of her country. And, as a result, many now doubt the necessity of the Royal Family in British culture.

But whether you love them or hate them, plenty of people would admit to being somewhat fascinated by the ins and outs of their lives. And even if you couldn't

care less, the sheer quantity of coverage slowly but surely drew you in - even if only because you couldn’t avoid it. The next royal wedding (due to take place in May 2018) and the birth of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge’s third child (rumoured to be in April 2018) is bound to continue to make headlines for months to come.

Our obsessions can be clearly realised within our consumer society. We buy and read dozens of publications which scrutinise every last movement of the Royal Family. Royal weddings and royal births generate great tourism and trade for our country, and lead to the mass merchandising of Royal Family memorabilia. The garments worn by these royal celebrities (especially those worn by Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Prince George and Princess Charlotte) are not only documented in magazines, but are often highly sought after, sell-out items once they have been clocked by the public, simply because of their metaphorical royal stamp. The Royal Family have truly become

style icons in their own right, and therefore the very concept of the monarchy is an undeniably profitable commodity.

But their popularity simultaneously puts tremendous pressure on the Royal Family: they must live up to expectations, and maintain a façade of composure in the midst of increasing media speculation. In reality we are all human - we are not perfect and we make mistakes, but for some reason the Royal Family are not allowed to put a foot wrong. And they cannot live a ‘normal’, anonymous life.

The Duchess of Cambridge would be critiqued for wearing a skirt deemed ‘too short’, and Prince George, a four year old child, would be ridiculed for throwing a tantrum in public. Whilst the press is admittedly part of the job and something the Royal Family will expect and become accustomed to, we deprive them of private lives. So-called private moments - like honeymoons, or the first day of preschool - are never private for the royals.

Maybe their relentless attention and coverage makes us feel

like we know them. Maybe we consider them our role models. Or maybe we believe they have idealised lives that we want to live vicariously through them. Either way, the royal family’s prominence in our society is undisputed.

Although such public adoration and obsession is ridiculous to some, it is clear that people want, and maybe even need, someone to idolise in their life. And as a result we buy into this royal illusion of perfection. But the question remains: do we care too much?

And where should we draw the line?

What do you think? Is our royal obsession getting out of hand, or do we have every right to be interested in our current and future heads of state? Let us know by tweeting us: @RedbrickLife.

New Year, Organised Me

Caitlin Steele discusses the trials and tribulations of getting organised - and how to really make it work!

Caitlin Steele Life&Style Writer

Every year without fail, on the first of January, I start a diary – new year, new me, new organization regime. And then every single year I miss one entry, then two, then a week’s worth, and before long the whole thing ends up at the back of a drawer along with its predecessors. Google 'how to be organised' and you are met with 14 million results, and with thousands of top tips and interviews. Clearly, I am not alone in my New Year’s Resolutions.

The concept of being 'super organised' seems to be both appealing and relatively new, with social media influencers posting regularly about how they keep on top of their hectic schedules, seemingly managing to achieve more things in a day that I could in a week. But is this healthy?

Undeniably, for some people it works. Some people embrace

and utilize these ever-expanding resources, from meal planners to mood journals - and they actually manage to use the calendar app on their phones. Others, like myself, foolishly purchase and then predictably forget the aforementioned. But that is not to mean that becoming organised is inaccessible. You may never be the version of 'super organised' that the internet sells, but that does not mean that you can’t become better organised.

Organisation means different things to different people. As with any transformation, you cannot expect to go from disorganised to super organised overnight. Just as you would not go straight from never exercising to running a marathon, you need to take the time to figure out what works for you.

Perhaps it can be something as simple as getting up a couple of hours earlier each morning. Or maybe it is something which creates more structure in your life – such as creating a to-do list each morning, or planning out your

week ahead. Start by figuring out what exactly it is that you want to change, and learn from your past experiences.

Breaking old habits can be a useful start – for example, until recently I used to stubbornly write all of my lecture notes out on paper, but I have found typing to be much more beneficial after trying it out. And although it is easy to get intimidated by the internet, it can be a very useful tool for tips and tricks to help you stay on top of things. However, be cautious not to invest in too many new techniques at once, only to find yourself disheartened three weeks later when you haven’t managed to keep up with your bullet journal, your food chart, or your daily reflection! Just as everyone’s day to day lives will be different, what you need to do, and how you want to achieve it will also be entirely different to anyone else. So try not to let yourself be intimidated - whatever helps you to stay calm and in control of the situation is what works for you.

Everyone could probably do with being a bit more organised, but it is also important to keep things in perspective. As a concept, being super organised is a great idea but it can turn into something far too punishing in practice. We all have certain tasks or responsibilities to prioritise, and it is important to remember that it is okay to not complete everything on your list, or to shift a task over to the next day, especially if you simply overestimated how much you could get done, or found a task took much longer than expected.

The best way to become organised is to find out what suits you and then do it – don’t worry about being 'super', or about having the rest of your life planned out. Sometimes life will throw something unexpected your way, and no amount of organisation can help. But in day-to-day life, taking just a few simple steps can help your everyday routine run a little smoother.

LIFE&STYLE

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricklife

The Women's March: The Messages One Year On Bethan Lewis Life&Style Writer

One year after the first Women's March in 2017, the event returned to the US to protest Donald Trump's policies about immigration and race, and also featured two main movements to campaign for women's rights. According to data from the University of Denver, between 1.6 and 2.5 million people were involved across the US, demonstrating that President Trump's government still faces strong opposition from many women.

One of these themes, 'Power to the Polls', focused on increasing voter participation as well as encouraging young women to run for office.

Many of Trump's policies have been deemed harmful to women, leading to a surge in female candidates running for offices in the US. The other main movement of the march was the #MeToo campaign, which quickly became the driving force behind many of the protests. It helped to demonstrate the issues of sexual harassment and assault, with many celebrities spreading the word for the cause and making references to their own experiences. These heartfelt speeches helped to shine a light on so many problems in society, and hopefully increase awareness

of sexual harassment.

One of the most memorable speeches came from Halsey, who read an intense poem about her own experiences with sexual abuse. Her speech was filled with raw emotion as she described when her friend was raped at 14 years old, and was too afraid to ask her parents for help.

These hard-hitting stories continued as she moved on to speak about her personal experiences of being forced into situations she did not want to be in, and not knowing what to do or how to stop it. She conveyed the message that so many of us have similar stories to her own but do not talk about it, and encouraged those people to try to help each other and to speak out for those who cannot.

'To reach a better world in which women can say and wear whatever they like' Natalie Portman also gave a moving speech about the media objectifying her at a young age, and how she received rape fantasy letters after her first film, when she

was only 13. This led to her feeling like she had to cover herself up and not wear certain clothes, as she feared for both her safety and her reputation.

She described how she wanted to reach a better world in which women can say and wear whatever they like and still be respected, without feeling bad for expressing themselves.

Other speeches included Viola Davis, who placed emphasis on the importance of speaking for the women who don't have the confidence to do so due to the stigma and shame surrounding assault. Similarly, Olivia Munn argued that it is essential that all women stand together and stop judging each other, so that future generations may grow up with different mentalities, never feeling like they are alone.

Gender equality was also a notable topic at the event, with Eva Longoria speaking about the importance of this movement to call a change, so that women can feel safer, more respected, and receive equal pay and representation. This demand for equality was also part of Scarlett Johansson's speech, who wants to reach a place of equality where we move away from the social norms of the past, in which women comparably have less power in relationships.

Overall, these powerful speeches highlighted many of the challenges women face,

regarding sexual harassment and equal rights. They encourage us to speak up for those who struggle to do so for themselves, and eventually move forwards to a better society, where women do not have to face the same experiences that so many of our generation have.

Invest in an eye cream Most of us are far from considering the onset of crows' feet, but eye creams aren't just for anti-aging.If you've had a long night, the biggest giveaway

Can't beat it? Conceal it!

Even if you don't usually wear makeup to class, a dab of concealer will instantly brighten your eyes a give the illusion of being well-rested. Getting your skin a bit glowier, as well as covering the dark circles and blemishes is a quick fix and well worth those five minutes. I pride myself on never looking as tired as I feel, and it's mostly thanks to Collection's 'Lasting Perfection' - brightening, buildable, and a total bargain.

The bolder the better It's far easier to take on the day if your appearance doesn't

By Yatin Arora

So you've swiped right, exchanged numbers, sent endless '<3', and decided to meet in a fancy-schmancy restaurant.

You're suited and booted, and see her coming. She's ethereal. You greet her, help her sit, and the order is placed. The food arrives - "Delicious! We should come here again!" - then three hours later the pristine white bill lands on the table.

What do I do? Insist on paying and risk bankruptcy or wait for her to reach into her purse? Will she hate me if I don't pay? Maybe I should sell a kidney?

Given that Valentine's Day is around the corner, and sure to throw up this dilemma, I asked Birmingham's boys whether a man should always pay on a date.

“Well, equality is a big thing at the moment, women campaign to be recognised as equal - surely then they won't mind being equal partners at the dinner table and paying their half? I don't see anything wrong with going halves, especially if we're both students. The financial impact of university doesn't only affect women. I would look at it this way: if we pay half each then we both have enough money left for our next date.”

Name: Jonathan Bowen Course: Computer Science (third year)

Life&Style Editor Tara Kergon shows us how to disguise a sleepless night way are those inevitable dark circles. My go-to is Clinique's 'Pep Start': a hydrating, plumping undereye cream that honestly makes me look like I've got a great sleep schedule! Apply at night to wake up fresh, and pop some more on in the morning if you're really burned the midnight oil.

Manthropology

Name: Alex Mann Course: Medicine & Surgery (second year)

Fake It 'Til You Make It Let me preface this with a quick disclaimer: sleep is one of the most important things for your mental and physical health, and I am in no way suggesting you should deprive yourself of it! But let's face it - whether you're staying up late to meet deadlines and then dragging yourself out of bed for a 9am, foolishly accepted the offer of a night out when you've got an early start the next day, or simply couldn't get to sleep; sometimes we just can't get those restful eight hours. Some mornings you wake up lethargic, still exhausted, and bemoaning your haggard appearance. So if you don't want the rest of the world to know how tired you are, here are a few tips for faking it (at least on the outside!)

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scream 'two hours of sleep'.

Whether it's some bold liquid liner, a bright lip, or a brightening swipe of highlighter, in just a few minutes you'll look far more awake, and everyone will be distracted from your tired eyes. In the same vein, don't wallow in your sweats - a put-together outfit is also a boost. Besides, it's a bit of time to also mentally prepare for the day!

(Tr)Eat yourself right While it's tempting to just get wired on coffee, the dehydration caused by caffeine is guaranteed to make you look more tired. And instead of creating some artificial alertness, your body will be far more grateful if you drink plenty of water or juice, as well as eat fruit and vegetables to naturally keep your energy levels up. If you find you're still slumped over in class wondering why you got out of bed, then try regularly taking a multivitamin, or just pop a Berocca!

“I'm a hopeless romantic. I believe in being a gentleman and like to hold doors, compliment a lady on how she looks, and naturally it follows on from this that I would pay for her meal. If you don't treat a lady well you might just lose her!"

Name: Ben Hughes Course: Biology (second year) “I know the custom for paying at the end of the date is steeped in traditional gender roles. However, living in contemporary society I feel paying for the bill on a first date is just a nice gesture, a great way to end a successful date. Having said that, I do find it frustrating when my date makes no offer to even split the bill.

Personally I would always pay the bill, but expecting me to do so takes away from the nice gesture. Ultimately, whether you pay the bill or not, I think it just comes down to decency and respect on both sides.”

Interesting! While some of Birmingham's boys conform to the traditional altruistic image of a gentleman, most of them are endorsing more comtemporary views, grounded in equality and self respect. Nonetheless, the common theme appears to be that while sticks and stones may break their bones, paying for a meal will not hurt them!

We'd love to hear your views on who should pay for a first date, or how you plan to celebrate Valentine's Day. Let us know by tweeting us:: @RedbrickLife.

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SCI&TECH

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricktech

Amazon Go: Goodbye Cashiers How Amazon are redefining the way we shop with its new "Just Walk Out" system Will Nunn

Sci&Tech Writer

On the 22nd of January, Amazon opened a new kind of grocery store to the public. Though the Seattle “Amazon Go” store may

appear to be an ordinary supermarket, it lacks one key component: cashiers.

Customers scan the Amazon Go app as they enter and are then welcome to browse the store, placing whatever they want to buy straight into their bags or pockets before walking out. The app then charges their Amazon accounts for the value of the goods. No queues, no waiting: this is shopping streamlined.

The company advertises the system as using similar technology to self-driving cars. As you walk around the store, cameras will recognise the items you pick up and add them to your shopping list. If you change your mind, they will detect you returning the item to the shelf and remove it from your bill.

This system is being widely praised for its efficiency, but the

first week has not been without error. Deirdre Bosa, a reporter for CNBC found she had walked out with a yoghurt which she had not been charged for. Though concerning, these issues are likely to become less frequent as time goes on. The “Just Walk Out” technology has been built using deep learning algorithms, AI and extensive testing, allowing it to “teach” itself not to repeat mistakes and to reinforce successful behaviour.

Allowing customers to simply walk out the door raises a number of concerns. Removing the need for check out staff, while desirable for corporations, will cut back significantly on the number of available low-skill jobs in the future. If a company like WalMart, which employs 2.2 million people worldwide, were to adopt similar technology there could be considerable job losses for people

dependent on this kind of work.

The impact on spending habits could also be troubling for some.

Recent studies at the University of Toronto have demonstrated that paying up front with cash can be more impactful on the consumer.

The physical exchange of spending money leads people to value what they buy more, and to make fewer purchases. The use of card and digital payments disconnects people somewhat from consumption and makes people buy more irresponsibly. A “Just Walk Out” system could therefore be detrimental to people’s wallets.

For most people however, the convenience and speed of Amazon Go could trump these concerns. It will certainly be interesting to see how these advances impact the retail industry and our spending habits over the coming decades.

Facebook's Fake News Battle Kat Smith

Comment Editor

It came as no surprise that Collins Dictionary's Word of 2017 was ‘fake news.’ Popularised by US President Donald Trump, the term has now gained popularity outside of the political sphere. No longer just a buzzword, fake news is currently recognised as a monumental threat to democracy, debate and public access to information, particularly online.

With the popularity of online news sources continuing to overtake that of newspapers, radio and even television, it is easier than ever for unverified stories to go viral on social media sites. Some critics believe that social media platforms have the responsibility to filter out this misinformation whilst others think it is down to

individuals to ensure that they do not fall prey to the ‘fake news’ epidemic.

Facebook’s battle against fake news began in August, when the social media platform vowed to improve its efforts against misinformation-spreading by sending suspected fake news to fact checkers. This was succeeded by fake news warning flags as well as an experiment to bring stories containing the comment ‘fake’ to the top of our news feeds. Both of these strategies have proved unsuccessful and have since been halted. Facebook is now hoping to use surveys to decipher which news sources are considered credible and trustworthy by users.

Perhaps this is a little too optimistic about the amount of dedication people currently have for accessing the truth. Although people rely on social media or specu-

lative websites for information, accessing viable news sources in order to get information is a much better option, as they are held accountable for false claims or proposals.

It is very easy to get caught up in political propaganda and rumours on Facebook, Twitter etc. but fake news is not going to cease in the foreseeable future. It is entrenched in our culture to want information quickly and to be curious about clickbait headlines and bold claims. Samidh Chakrabarti (Facebook’s Head of Civic Engagement) wrote that “In 2016, we at Facebook were far too slow to recognise how bad actors were abusing our platform.

We’re working diligently to neutralise these risks now”, when considering the role of social media in the election that saw Trump become the 45th President

of the US. This admission that social media is not always positive for democracy and can be somewhat harmful is a step forward for Facebook. Denying its responsibilities would be naïve and damaging – it is clear this is a valued source of information many people rely on. Although the internet can provide us with a wealth of information and can lead us to be more well-informed about politics and policies, it can certainly provide a filter on what news we see and how we see it, as social media newsfeeds tend to reflect the views of the people you associate with rather than providing an unbiased and accurate representation of events taking place. It is everyone’s responsibility to educate themselves about other views and stances before cementing their own.

Loss of Nurses in the NHS Captions go in the corner of pictures and shouldn't be hyphenated

Sasha Scadding Sci&Tech Writer

The rate at which nurses are leaving NHS England has been likened by some to a haemorrhage and something drastic must be done to stop the bleeding.

In a period where the NHS is already chronically underfunded, data from NHS Digital shows that there has been a deficit between nurses joining and leaving the system for the past 3 years, with the largest being in 2017.

Furthermore, the worrying nature of these figures is further exacerbated by the fact that over half of those leaving were under the age of 40. What is driving this perpetual and dangerous downward spiral?

Statements from nurses themselves suggest that the underlying cause is multi-faceted. They are under mounting pressure from the system and many feel they are not being financially rewarded for their increasing efforts at the

frontline of healthcare. Although the definition of a nurse’s duty is to care for the sick or infirm, as increasing demand and staffing shortages continue, many nurses feel so stretched in their duties that they find they're unable to truly fulfil this role. As part of an article written by Helen Cowan, she stated that she felt the system was being increasingly driven by targets set to meet the increased demand, and not by the patients.

This is what eventually drove her to quit. Moreover, 40% of nurses feel that they are unable to sleep because of financial anxiety (The Independent). Although Jeremy Hunt has promised to remove the cap on their pay, some nurses feel this is not sufficient, and that more must be done.

Figures also suggest that Brexit may also be having an effect. In the last year alone, 3,985 EU nurses left the UK, compared with the 2791 who joined (The Independent). Further evidence from the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) register shows

that the number of health professionals from Romania joining the register has dropped from 1,604 a year ago to just 104 people between October 2016 and September 2017. These nurses cannot be blamed; Brexit has presented them with huge insecurities over the future status of their jobs in the UK after the deal is signed. If this pattern is to be changed, EU nurses need reassurance about the long-term security of their jobs.

These statistics are alarming.

Nurses are integral to the functioning of the NHS; they are an invaluable aspect of the multidisciplinary team within hospitals, with a dynamic role which is constantly changing. This is well demonstrated by the Cuckoo Lane Practice in Ealing, where the dayto-day running of the practice is done by the nurses, rather than the general practitioners. The care here has been rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Nurses are clearly a huge part of the web that holds the increas-

ingly fragile NHS together, so what can be done to reduce the staffing deficit? The NHS claims the problem is being tackled with the implementation of an NHS improvement-retention programme and an increase of 5000 nurse training places by the next academic year. However, according to the Royal College of Nursing head Janet Davies, nurses need a pay rise and more support from the system. Only then will the bleeding stop.

Creature Feature The Orangutan Ellen Heimpel Sci&Tech Writer

A recent study by Dr Foitova, from Masaryk University, on Orangutans in Borneo observed them using medicinal plants to soothe joint and muscle inflammation. The orangutans chew leaves from the Dracaena cantleyi plant to create a white lather which they then spread onto their bodies.

This plant is also used by indigenous people, local to Borneo, for anti-inflammatory purposes.

Tests carried out on the plants revealed that extracts from the leaf inhibit the production of ‘inflammatory cytokinases’ which aggravate joints and muscles. This act of self-medication has been observed seven times and always in females. The research suggests that females use this plant to soothe their aches from the extra weight of carrying infants through the forests.

Similar behaviours were observed in some monkey and lemur species, which rubbed concoctions, such as tobacco, on their fur to repel insects. Some chimpanzees and gorillas are also thought to self-medicate, by swallowing rough leaves or chewed plant pith to help flush out intestinal parasites. However, wild great apes have never before been observed rubbing ointments onto their fur. This is also the first animal to be observed using anti-inflammatory medication.

Helen Morrogh-Bernard, a primatologist at the University of Cambridge, says the findings show a definite link between humans and apes. She believes that there is a possibility that the ancestors of the indigenous people learnt about this plant drug from observing ape behaviour.

SCI&TECH

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricktech

The SAD Truth About Winter Blues Katie Jones Sci&Tech Editor

When coming back to university after Christmas, many students experience anxiety and other negative feelings with the prospect of having to complete another semester and the looming deadlines and exams. It is easy to assume that these work assessments are the root of all these bad sentiments.

While this is true for the majority of people, other factors could be playing a part in many students’ wellbeing.

According to BBC News, almost one in ten people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, during the winter months.

The symptoms include lethargy, a persistent low mood, despair,

craving carbohydrates and difficulty getting up in the morning.

These symptoms are quite vague and often people have them for other reasons aside from this disorder. SAD is most severe in December, January and February and this is thought to be due to the shorter amount of sunlight we get during these winter months. The sunlight affects the hypothalamus in the brain with the production of melatonin (the hormone that creates sleepiness), the production of serotonin (the hormone that affects mood and appetite) and the maintenance of your body clock (which indicates when to wake up).

Luckily for people who suffer from this, it normally goes away once the days start getting lighter again. There are also lots of ways in which people can help themselves through these months too!

A change in diet is a simple but key way to keep a healthier and happier mind. Obviously having a balanced diet is something which most people are familiar with, but making sure that you have enough Vitamin D in your diet, at this time of year, is also a good idea.

The body produces Vitamin D after exposure to sunlight, but without this in the winter months, the main source of it is through food. A lack of Vitamin D has a lot of symptoms that overlap with many of the symptoms experienced by people with SAD, including fatigue and depression.

It also causes a weakened immune system, achy bones and muscles.

Vitamin D rich foods include fish (like salmon or tuna), egg yolks and mushrooms.

Exercise is also another really effective way to raise mood lev-

els- especially when it is done outdoors in the daylight- as this will also increase the amount of sunlight exposure. Being active causes chemical changes in the brain which positively affect mental well-being.

Also generally increasing your exposure to sunlight, whether that be sitting near a window or taking a walk outside, is helpful too. For people that suffer from extreme symptoms of SAD, light therapy is quite a popular way to improve some of the symptoms. This consists of being in front of a light box for half an hour each day.

Other therapies include Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT), counselling and antidepressants.

Anna Pitts

Sci&Tech Writer

Cancer researchers at Johns Hopkins University have moved one step closer to the potential of having a universal blood test (or 'liquid biopsy') to detect eight different types of cancer at early stages of tumour growth. In one thousand and five patients studied who had cancer of the ovary, liver, stomach, pancreas, oesophagus, colon, lung or breast (which had not yet spread), the blood test called CancerSEEK detected 70% of the cancers. Currently this is one of the highest results from a

results.

The 'liquid biopsy' works by looking for mutations in sixteen genes and eight proteins, often released in the blood, that are related to cancer. CancerSEEK costs around three hundred and sixty pounds per patient which is similar to the cost of other common cancer diagnosis techniques, such as a colonoscopy.

Yet some scientists are reserving judgement on the technique until after the results of the current trial of CancerSEEK on people who have not been diagnosed with cancer, as this would then fully demonstrate if the test is actually effective in detecting early stages of common cancers.

Moreover, other researchers are concerned that, while early detection of cancer is important, not all cancer types have effective treatment options. This area would need further developments before screening programmes can be put in place. Otherwise, some patients could have to live for years with an untreatable diagnosis.

While further research is essential to verify the results and effectiveness of this potential technique in detecting cancer, scientists are hopeful that CancerSEEK could eventually be used as part of a routine cancer screening programme and help reduce the mortality of some of the most common cancer types.

Plastic pollution has now reached all corners of the globe. Mounds of plastic can be found washed up on beaches, sunken to the deepest parts of the ocean and swirling in a vortex in the middle of the Pacific. Pieces of plastic have even been found frozen in the Arctic sea in polar regions that have always been considered pristine and unaffected by human activity.

According to the WWF, eight million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year.

This is equivalent to a garbage truck dumping a truck full of rubbish into the ocean every minute. Their experts estimate that this plastic is regularly ingested by 31 species of marine animals and over 100 different species of marine birds.

These animals become entangled in old fishing nets and six pack rings and choke on bottle caps, straws, and plastic bags. As well as directly harming sea creatures, this plastic also causes habitat degradation. The microscopic particles from broken down plastic on the seafloor interfere with

of privacy abuse made, saying that Lyft employees were abusing customers’ private data by tracking former partners and celebrities. Lyft argues that the claim was made anonymously, with no verification but would investigate the matter.

A children’s app has been banned from google after par-

children with a knife. After parents complained about the app, “Blaze and the Monster Machines” was removed from the Google Play store - a move which has been criticised as insufficient in a time where there are increasing concerns about the safety of children online.

The first monkey clones have been born in a laboratory in China. The genetically longtailed macaques were created using a technique called somat-

8 million tonnes of plastic waste dumped into our oceans every year Sci&Tech Writer

Lyft is to investigate claims

turbing voiceover threatening

Our Plastic Problem Ellen Heimpel

This Week in Sci&Tech

ents noticed it featured a dis-

A Promising New Cancer Detection universal blood test for the detection of cancer.

The findings are promising as five of the cancers tested in this trial have no screening programme at present. Therefore, the CancerSEEK test has the possibility of increasing early detection of tumours, before patients show any symptoms, which could then increase the chances of patients responding to cancer treatment.

In some cases, the test was also shown to narrow down the form of cancer by detecting the origin of the tissue. This could potentially have significant applications in finding the location of tumours for surgery in the future - if further tests support these

35

ic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) where the nucleus of a donated

ecosystem function.

More than 50% of the plastic entering the ocean each year comes from 5 countries: China, The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Just 20 countries, including these five, are producing the vast majority of plastic that is leaked into the ocean. If these countries reduced their plastic waste per year by half, then the amount of plastic put in the oceans would decrease by 40%.

So plastic pollution is a major issue for the wellbeing of our planet.

However, it is not plastic itself that is the enemy, it is our attitude towards it and the way we handle it that needs to change In 2012 The Ocean Conservancy founded the Trash Free Seas alliance which is a coalition of business, science and conservation leaders that work together to try and tackle the problem of ocean pollution. They have two main goals, to clean up the plastic already in our environment and to reduce the amount put into it in the future.

This is where you come in.

Follow this list of 10 simple adjustments you can make to your life to reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce: 1. Stop suffocating fresh vegetables with plastic. Instead of buying fruit and vegetables that have been wrapped in plastic or put into a polystyrene tray, buy loose vegetables, go to a farmer’s market, or even get fresh produce delivered to your front door.

2. Use reusable coffee cups. Most disposable coffee cups have a plastic film on the inside which means they can’t be recycled.

3. Don’t use plastic straws. These are probably the most unnecessary disposable plastic items and will doubtlessly end up in the stomach of some poor seabird. So make your next straw the final straw and buy a steel or bamboo one.

4. Don’t wrap your food in clingfilm. Instead put it in a reusable tupperware or use one of the many alter-

natives including beeswax food wraps.

5. Carry a re-usable shopping bag instead of buying a plastic one each time.

egg cell is replaced with a somatic cell’s nucleus containing the desired genome. It is

6. Don’t use disposable cutlery- just remember to bring your own.

intended that primate clones will be used as a model to study

7. Give up gum. Gum is made from synthetic rubber aka plastic.

diseases with a genetic basis,

8. Use razors with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors.

9. Choose cardboard over plastic bottles and bags.

Where possible chose items packaged in cardboard rather than plastic because it is far easier to recycle e.g. pasta or detergent in a cardboard container.

The National Institute for

10. Use bar soap instead of liquid hand soapnone of those pesky plastic bottles.

such as cancer.

Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has urged GPs to stop prescribing ‘precious’ antibiotics to patients with a sore throat as in most cases it is caused by a virus, not bacteria. Instead, patients are advised to use overthe-counter drugs, such as paracetamol, to ease their symptoms, which usually disappear in a week.

36

SPORT

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricksport

Figure Skating in Pyeongchang Sport Writer Tasha Burden offers her opinion on ahead of the Winter Olympics Natasha Burden Sport Writer

With the Winter Olympics fast approaching it can be difficult to understand the events that many of us only watch once every four years. With that, here is a breakdown of some of what we can expect to happen at the rink in Pyeongchang this February.

There are numerous medals up for grabs in the different figure skating events at the Winter Olympics: women’s singles, men’s singles, pairs, ice dance, and a team event. The winners of these events are decided by the judges scores, which are admittedly very confusing to even those in the figure skating world because the ISU often changes the classifi-

cations and levels of elements.

The basic premise of the scoring system is that there are two sets of scores for each performance: an artistic score and a technical score.

The technical score is worked out by the base value of the elements performed (eg. a triple salchow is worth a certain amount of points) and points can be deducted or added to this score based on how well the elements are performed.

So, if a skater performs a difficult variation of an element, (eg. a jump with their arm in the air) or performs an element exceptionally well, (eg. a jump with a lot of height), they will get points added to their scores. If they perform the element worse than the base value, they can have points deducted, which often occurs if skaters land jumps with two feet rather than

one foot on the ice. The artistic score is based on the skater’s interpretation of their music and their overall performance.

"Adam Rippon marks a step forward in history as the first openly gay American athlete to qualify for any Winter Olympics" The skills to look out for at Pyeongchang that will give skaters an edge over their opponents if performed well are, in singles skating, jumps, spins and step sequences. Particularly in the men’s event, we can look forward to seeing more quad jumps than ever before. In pairs skating, the most spectacular skills on display include twists, in which the man throws his partner in the air and twists them horizontally above him before catching her, complex lifts, throw jumps, and the ominously named death spiral. In ice dance, which includes different skills to the other skating events, the judges are particularly looking for perfectly timed twizzles, as well as other dance elements such as lifts. The key to finding out whether the skaters are in sync when they are spinning or twizzling is to look in the space between them on the TV. There are a lot of exciting names who will be appearing in Pyeongchang. In the men's singles event, the ones to watch are Yuzuru Hanyu, the reigning champion from Sochi 2014. He is a popular Japanese skater who is famed for his flexibility and his difficult entry into triple axels, which he often performs from a spread eagle. Javier Fernandez of Spain is competing in his last Olympics this year, and he is known for his highly entertaining

performances, combined with his extremely powerful jumps.

Competing from America are Nathen Chen, Adam Rippon and Vincent Zhou. Nathen Chen is a one to watch, whilst Adam Rippon marks a step forward in history as the first openly gay American athlete to qualify for any Winter Olympics.

"In the women's event, the Russian skaters dominate" In the women's event, the Russian skaters dominate; Evgenia Medvedeva is the reigning world champion, who has recently lost an almost two year long unbeaten streak. At only eighteen years old, this will be her first Olympics, yet she is no stranger to the world stage, having already won two consecutive world championships. Medvedeva’s winning streak was broken by fellow Russian Alina Zagitova at the European championships earlier in January, meaning that the fifteen-year-old is in with a chance of winning gold. Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond has also been predicted to win big after her silver medal at

the 2017 world championships, whilst thirty-year-old Carolina Kostner is making a comeback, following a break from skating due to a drugs scandal surrounding her ex-boyfriend. The biggest shock to Olympic selection so far has come from the American Selection with the lack of Gracie Gold, who has withdrawn from competition for health reasons, and Ashley Wagner, who placed an agonising fourth place in the US championships. This means that we will not be seeing any of the famous front runners from the last Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Instead, Bradie Tennell, Mirai Nagasu and Karen Chen will be representing the USA, each in with a chance of winning a medal.

As for British medal hopes, the only people competing in thefigure skating events this year are Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland in the ice dance competition. After coming back from a horrific knee injury, they have recently placed seventh in the European championships, standing them in good stead to give a performance that they can be proud of in Pyeongchang.

All About the Price Tag

Sport Editor Alex Alton reviews the biggest transfer stories of January Alex Alton Sport Editor

This month has been one to remember for a lot of clubs in the Premier League, given the unusually high amount of transfer activity that has occured during the transfer window.

Firstly, Liverpool have been incredibly busy. With their starman Phillippe Coutinho leaving for the bright lights of Barcelona, Liverpool have looked to reinforce in January.

Despite this, they have failed to directly replace Coutinho, instead opting to break the world record for a defender in Southampton’s talisman Virgil Van Dijk for a whopping £75 million.

Besides this, very little business has been done at Anfield in terms of incomings. Birmingham born Daniel Sturridge has left for West Brom, who will be looking to the

England man to score vital goals to keep them up.

On the other side of the city, Everton have also made some interesting acquisitions, bringing in Cenk Tosun from Besiktas and Theo Walcott from Arsenal.

"In Manchester, there is plenty to talk about in terms of big deals" Tosun has played and scored in the Champion's League this season, whilst Walcott has been somewhat out of favour at Arsenal. Both players will be adding much needed qualities to the side, with Walcott’s pace on the wings and Tosun’s eye for a goal. The Toffees also finally put an end to a burning transfer saga, allowing homegrown player Ross Barkley to leave for Chelsea

for the paltry sum of £15 million.

Meanwhile in Manchester, there is plenty to talk about in terms of big deals. Firstly, Manchester United have demonstrated their financial muscle in the window, bringing in one of the Premier League’s best: Alexis Sanchez.

Jose Mourinho managed to land the Chilean on a swap deal, involving out of favour Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way.

It remains to be seen whether Sanchez can adapt to life in Manchester and thrive as many will expect. On the other side of Manchester, noisy neighbours City have broken their own transfer record, signing Aymeric Laporte for a rumoured £63 million. The Frenchman, who is yet to make an appearance for the national side, is a left sided defender who excels with the ball at his feet.

The busiest club in the transfer window has been Arsenal, who

have had to provide some sort of knee jerk reaction to the loss of Sanchez. Some would say that it is impossible for the Arsenal board to satisfy the fans whilst Arsene Wenger is still at the helm, especially given the drab performances of late.

"The strangest transfer triangle seen in a long time" However, at the very least, attempts at improvement rather than the same old fiscal responsibility now seem evident at Arsenal.

Mkhitaryan comes in on a swap deal, which is arguably a good move for Arsenal considering the circumstances. They get a player of world-class ability rather than £30m for Sanchez only, which Wenger

would definitely have squandered.

Also, Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Gabonese striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund for a reported £55 million. The striker has electric pace, and an eye for goal after scoring 98 times in 4 seasons for Dortmund. The deal involves Chelsea letting Michy Batshuayi leave on loan to Dortmund, whilst Chelsea sign Olivier Giroud from Arsenal, completing the strangest transfer triangle seen in a long time.

Other moves in the window include Southampton signing Monaco striker Guido Carrillo, Chelsea signing Italian-Brazilian full back Emerson Palmieri from Roma and Watford bringing in Spanish winger Gerard Deulofeu on loan from Barcelona and Alex Pritchard signing for Huddersfield on a permanent deal from Norwich City.

SPORT

Friday 2nd February 2018

@redbricksport

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Spotlight on: Modern Pentathlon

Sport Editors speak to the President and Social Secretary of the Modern Pentathlon Society, James Prince and Benjamin Logue to find out more about the sport Olli Meek Sport Editor

Alex Alton Sport Editor

If you could describe Modern Pentathlon in one sentence, what would it be and why?

JP: “I’ll start with fun because running, fencing, horse-riding, swimming, and shooting, you don’t really get that combo anywhere else it’s very unique.”

Where has modern pentathlon come from as a sport? What makes it “modern”?

JP: “Normal Pentathlon doesn’t exist any more as it originated in Ancient Greece and was the perfect sport to train soldiers with as it included things like javelin and shot put. Then it was updated in 1912 by a French cavalry officer, so it's updating the sports to apply to more modern forms of warfare and they thought that horse-riding, fencing, running, swimming, and shooting were the sports that every soldier should take part in.”

What is the atmosphere like around the club at UoB? JP: “It’s growing. Our propaganda department is doing a very good job, especially on Fab and Fresh at the moment, largely because we don’t have self-respect so we don’t mind posting as much. We really hit the nail on the head at the Give It A Go Fair. We’ve put together a promotional video as well, which is on our Facebook page to draw people in.”

like to do, largely because realistically a lot of people won’t want to do the running and swimming because it’s quite challenging.

With that flexibility we draw in people that usually will go to do specific sports.”

BL: “That flexibility clicks with people, especially on top of the membership fee which is so reasonable, its a silly deal to turn down. After the initial payment of £3 you pay for individual sessions.”

JP: “It’s opt in session by session which again means that people don't mind if they miss a training session because of work, for example. They don’t feel guilty or pressurised as a result.”

BL: “It’s a perfect opportunity to try three new things at once because you can dip in and out and if you find out you don’t like any of them then it doesn’t matter because you’ve only paid for one session.”

How do you facilitate training with such a variation of disciplines including horse-riding?

JP: “Our equestrian centre is only 20 minutes away from campus so it’s a very reasonable trip in an Uber. It has an indoor school and that way we can still train when the weather is bad.”

Do you have specialities yourselves?

JP: “I would fit most comfortably in the running and the shooting but other than that I’m pretty much a novice.”

What is the team structure that you have, is it similar to other sports clubs or is it more informal?

BL: “I’m just a runner, although I would like to give the swimming a go. We team up with the triathlon club which gives us great access to the new running track along with swimming sessions.”

JP: “We haven’t put together teams. We try to keep it flexible so that members who join can choose the sports that they would

How did you first get involved in Modern Pentathlon and what was it that interested you about

the sport?

JP: “At the end of exams last year I didn’t have much to do, and having seen it on the Olympics I wanted to give it a go but there was nothing for it at UoB. We don’t even have a shooting range here which I found surprising. I also want to go into a military career and found the military history and foundations of the sport really interesting. I decided to set something up for Modern Pentathlon, and wanted it to be a full blown sports club but there are lots of criteria to go through before that can happen. What was initially offered was to pay a fee then join the existing clubs for whichever sessions you would like to go to, but I wasn’t very keen on this model because it wouldn't offer the social cohesion and club atmosphere I was aiming for. So, I went to the Guild and spoke to Steve [Streatfield] about it. We negotiated with different clubs and teams and got some on board to negotiate the structure we have now. We didn’t team up

with the equestrian club because they wanted to remain separate and we ended up finding a centre that is closer, cheaper and altogether better for us.”

So are you a society rather than a sports club?

“Technically speaking yes we are, but next year we will look to do both. There is a lot of kudos to being a university sport, but with the Guild there is a lot of flexibility so had we been a university sports club I don’t think we could have put on the same amount of events that we have managed thus far.”

Why should prospective members join your club?

“For the simple reason of variety.

You get to try all of the sports and unlike other sports clubs there’s no overbearing commitment to turn up to training - if you don’t like it, no one will force you to continue. We always have things going on so it really fits to however you feel that week. Also, we throw on some really cool events like a laser run and hopefully a charity soap box race in the future.

I’ve negotiated a collaboration with ValeFest as well for them to do the advertising if it all goes ahead and donating the entrance fees to a charity of our choosing as well as the two that ValeFest are supporting. The laser run came as a result of our contact with GB Pentathlon who have really helped us out with materials and support so they were really keen to raise our profile with an event like it.”

What has been your favourite thing since you have started?

JP: “There’s a very rewarding feeling to seeing something that you have had as an idea come to fruition and actually be set up and running. It’s probably been the most rewarding thing I’ve done since coming to university.”

BL: “Probably the impressive numbers that we have racked up

since the start. The riding and shooting sessions are a sell-out.

People are waiting to go and it’s great to see.”

JP: “We are looking at around 18-20 capacity for those sessions but we are really only limited by the number of cars we can book and spaces at the centre. Hopefully our all-round training will improve when we get bigger and better with more members and more funding” Ben you’re one of the social secs for the society; what are your socials like? As a society do you still get into sports night?

BL: “Yes, we still get into sports night fine and we go pretty much every week. We’ve had pub nights that have been a great success and have been looking at ways to improve and evolve the socials into the new term.”

As a new society, is it manageable to set one up alongside work and other things you are doing?

BL: “It’s been very manageable from my perspective so far, it’s completely new to all of us and we haven’t had a past committee or former members to rely on for help whenever we needed it but we have still managed and it hasn’t been too much hard work.”

Modern Pentathlon recently ran a Laser Quest event, which was a roaring success.

For more events in future, visit their Facebook page: h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / UoBModernPentathlon/

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Friday 2nd February 2018

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Helena's Half-Time Review

Guild Sports Officer Helena Bailey provides us with update on her manifesto

I’ve been in the role as sports officer for over 6 months now halfway there! There have been a fair few challenges (closure of gym memberships!), but overall I’ve had a great year so far.

I started off the year with 10 free 'This Brum Girl Can' sessions which ran weekly over the first term. This gave lots of women and non-binary people a chance to get involved, try something new and hopefully have some fun!

I also ran an LGBTQ+ campaign in November. This involved student profiles on social media and writing about their experiences of being in the LGBTQ+ community and as part of sport clubs here at UoB. Clubs also had themed training sessions and sports nights, promoting LGBTQ+ awareness to all of their members and sharing pictures on social media of their colourful rainbow teams.

I also linked the campaign to the American Football event

'xpLosION'. The American football team wore rainbow laces to support the cause, and these were also sold during the game, alongside rainbow sweets and glitter.

Another goal that I have been working towards this year surrounds the improvements to sports night ticket allocation. Hopefully the change has made the lives of social secs somewhat easier than the 9am starts on Thursday mornings! It has also made a fairer system for every sports team that would like to attend sports night by accounting for club membership numbers and the total tickets requested in order to share the tickets fairly across every club.

"The American football team wore rainbow laces to support the cause" I am grateful to have been involved in UBSport's new strategic plan. I have been working with UBSport to hopefully ensure that the student viewpoint is focal throughout. This has been a great opportunity for me to gain an insight into how organisations work and plan for the future. With this, I have been able to have an impact on influencing basic student resources at the Sports and Fitness Centre.

I am very pleased to announce that there will now be pay-as-yougo swim at Sport and Fitness!

Georgie, our last Sports Officer, was very passionate about this;

it’s a huge win for students to now be able to go swimming without having to pay an entire membership fee upfront. It has been a long-time coming, but it will be fantastic to finally see this student-orientated payment method in the centre!

The transition to PlayerLayer has also been a key focus of mine this year. Having a new kit provider was bound to see some difficulties at the beginning.

However, with the help of some great feedback from clubs, I managed to put together a report which was presented to PlayerLayer, outlining what exactly students want improving. They have dropped the prices of leggings by £20 and also promised to make some extra changes. Hopefully, we will be seeing some better

service from them in the near future.

"I am very pleased to announce that there will be payas-you-go swim at Sport and Fitness" The next date in the calendar that I am working towards is a wellbeing and sport campaign with Henny, your Welfare Officer.

This campaign will hopefully be on March 19th to March 23rd. It’s

all about truly loving yourself and will revolve around different themes: eat well sleep well, be active and checking yourself.

There will also be a wellbeing fair, so keep your eyes peeled for more information to follow!

Helena is part of the 8-person Officer team at the Guild, elected by you to represent your interests on campus. Elections for the next team of officers are coming up in March when you can vote for your next Sports Officer, as well as your next officers for President, Education, International, Activities and Employability, Postgraduate and Welfare & Community.

Edmund's Time to Shine

Deputy Editor Kirstie Sutherland reviews Brit Kyle Edmund's brilliant recent form in the Australian Open Kirstie Sutherland Deputy Editor

Whilst Roger Federer may have won a record twenty Grand Slams this weekend, the most won by a male professional player, this year’s Australian Open tournament was not without successes closer to home. With Andy Murray withdrawing following hip sur-

gery, it was young Brit Kyle Edmund’s time to shine - and ace it he did.

His Grand Slam personal best up until this year was at the 2016 US Open tournament, in which he reached the fourth round before being beaten in straight sets to that year’s runner-up, Novak Djokovic. However, the start of 2018 seems to have exceeded all expectations.

Beating eleventh seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa in an intense five-set opening match, Edmund then went on to thrash Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in straight sets. Edmund seemed to be in fine form and continued through to the third round, where he met Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili for another five-set fight. This was when heads started to turn; if Edmund were to make it through this next round, he’d be into his first ever Grand Slam quarter-final.

Edmund battled hard against Andreas Seppi of Italy in four sets to make his own personal history, leading him to be pitted against previous Australian Open quarterfinalist Grigor Dimitrov. This was Edmund’s biggest test of his Grand Slam career so far, and beating the Bulgarian, who is currently ranked world #4, would be his golden ticket to his first Grand Slam semi-final.

In another four-set clash, the odds were in the Brit’s favour, and after winning 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4, he became only the sixth British man to make a Grand Slam semi-final in the Open Era.

Considering the mighty expectations placed on his shoulders in the absence of Andy Murray, the British #2 certainly flourished.

However, the fairytale had to end at some point; his semi against sixth seed Marin Cilic was doomed from the outset. Within the opening set, Edmund had to call a trainer onto court due to a hip problem, resulting in the match being a straight set victory for the Croat at 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.

With Edmund clearly not playing at full fitness, his run at the tournament was particularly impressive and begs the question: what could he do in the next few years when he is truly fit and healthy?

This year’s Australian Open has set a precedent for the rest of the ATP tour and has now given Edmund a solid reputation on home soil. It will not just be Andy Murray, if the Scot is fit and ready to play, who we’ll be talking about during Wimbledon; Edmund will most definitely be under the microscope when it comes to public scrutiny.

The biggest test for Edmund will be coping under this new-

found pressure. Whilst he may have been part of the GB team that won the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936, men’s singles’ tournaments are a whole new ball game and come with a far heavier burden.

If Edmund makes it to another second week of a tournament, he needs to ensure he is able to remain focused on the task in hand, as well as making sure his body can withstand the extra week of intensity.

His official residence in the Bahamas should help this; he is able to practice in a warmer, more extreme climate than he is used to back home in Yorkshire. It has clearly already helped him improve somewhat, given his Australian Open results.

However, with grass not being his strongest surface, could Wimbledon be the place we see Edmund choke and crash out early? I sure hope not. If he continues at the pace he is currently at, he could be heading for the top 10 rankings in a matter of years.

We will need someone to take the helm when Murray eventually retires, so no pressure, right?

SPORT

Friday 2nd February 2018

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Scrum Down: Six Nations Preview

Comment Editor Alex Goodwin offers her predictions for the upcoming Six Nations Championship Alex Goodwin

Comment Online Editor

On the back of a poor performance of English Premiership sides in the European cups, questions arise as to whether Eddie Jones’s side will be able to win the championship for the third year in a row.

However, England will meet Wales and Ireland at Twickenham this year, so English fans can all breathe a sigh of relief - or can we?

If anything has come from the Autumn Internationals, it is that Scotland should not be discounted, especially with Ireland and Wales recently scraping to find their feet. I, for one, will be most nervous on February 24th as England travel up to Murrayfield.

"Progression of young French players has been stunted, and it reflects in the international games" Much like England’s immediate turn-around when Jones stepped up as Coach, Scotland seem to be reflecting Gregor Townsend’s personality on the pitch. Their attacking game has risen to a whole new level, and with Stuart Hogg now back to full health and fitness, Scotland’s Six Nations bid is more hopeful than it has been in decades.

Having said all of this, although dull and uninspiring, Ireland’s performances meant easy wins over South Africa and

Argentina before Christmas; we should not write off a side that can win big games without unleashing their fifth gear. Joe Schmidt’s team will undoubtedly turn up the heat for the Six Nations.

"Scotland’s Six Nations bid is more hopeful than it has been in decades" England have lost out on their top two number 8s due to injury, which is undoubtedly a huge blow to their scrum. Then again, Scotland are out of their first two choices for tight-head prop, with Nel and Fagerson rendered unable to play. It would appear Wales have lost out most significantly however, with Biggar missing the first three matches due to a shoulder injury, alongside the holes left behind by Warburton and Faletau’s injuries.

Ireland are ‘winning’ on the injury front, and Irish clubs’ recent performances are a sure sign of how well their players are performing. Thus they have been rendered as England’s biggest rival for the championship.

France have still not been able to find their feet. With the Top14 pulling in an array of talented international players, the progression of young French players has been stunted, and it reflects in the international games. Unfortunately for Italy, they meet the French in Paris, quickly withdrawing hopes of placing above the wooden spoon whitewash.

However, Italy do maintain some incredibly strong players; not all hope is pinned on captain Sergio Parisse. 22-year-old Jake Polledri has shown he is a valua-

ble asset to Gloucester in the position of Flanker, and I doubt it will be different story in his international debut.

Polledri’s performance will be interesting to witness alongside Wales’ latest call-up, James Davies. Davies has proven himself as a talented 7s player and now a strong flanker at the European club levels, so it will be interesting to see how he holds up in his first international Union tournament.

My predictions show England

as winning the tournament, although I am sceptical they will do it with a Grand Slam, whether that be losing out to Ireland at Twickenham or Scotland securing a monumental victory at Murrayfield. I do believe however that Scotland will fall short to the Irish, maiming them of a position above third.

Without a shadow of a doubt, 2018’s Six Nations Tournament promises to be one of the most exciting in recent years. Can England secure a Grand Slam

ahead of their bid for World Number 1 in the autumn? Can Scotland prove their autumn performances were not a fluke? Tune in next weekend to find out.

Predictions: 1. England 2. Ireland 3. Scotland 4. Wales 5. France 6. Italy

Russia Banned from Paralympics

Sport Editor Olli Meek reports on Russia's ban from the Winter Paralympics Olli Meek Sport Editor

In an announcement made by International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Russia has had their ban on competing at the 2018 Winter Paralympics upheld subsequent to the discovery of a state-sponsored doping programme.

These revelations were uncovered after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) commissioned a team led by Dr Richard McLaren to investigate claims made by former head of anti-doping, Dr Grigory Rodchenkov.

Rodchenkov claims that he was party to the doping of medallists in a scheme that was heavily aligned with the Russian government, prior to the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014.

One part of the scheme used

clean urine samples, that were frozen in the period leading up to the games, which were put in the place of offending samples by Russian secret-service operatives who posed as technicians during the events. They used techniques that did very little damage to the containers, so they would be inconspicuous to the untrained eye. However, part of the investigation by McLaren was to send random samples to a testing facility in London, returning results that revealed 100% of the samples had been tampered with.

The Sochi games were an unprecedented success for the Russia, with the team topping the medal table on 33 overall, including 13 golds. The programme was discovered to have taken place over a number of major sporting events, spanning a period from 2011 until 2015. Following WADA’s recommendation that all

Russian competitors be barred from the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games in 2016, the IPC issued a blanket ban on all competitors.

This contrasted with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who were criticised for allowing each individual sporting federation the decision on whether to allow Russian competitors to compete, subject to a final decision from an IOC panel of three.

"In 2016, the IPC issued a blanket ban on all competitors" Any Russian nationals willing to compete will need to register as neutral competitors if they can

prove that they are clean. The move from the IPC is a continuation of this policy, but it is a tangible break from the policy in place from the IOC which will allow those competing in the Winter Olympics to wear similar colours as those of the Russian national team and compete under the name 'Olympics Athletes from Russia'.

Thus far, 169 competitors have passed an anti-doping panel, allowing them to compete which is estimated to be around 50% of the number that the Russian Olympic Committee had intended to send to the Winter Olympics.

Allowing certifiably clean Russian competitors is a step forward for the IPC’s position on Russian doping, as 2016’s blanket ban was the result of a system that was “totally compromised, corrupted, and open to abuse”. The remaining criteria that the Russian Paralympic Committee need to

meet are specifically addressing the McLaren report in adequate detail and having the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) reinstated by WADA. International political conspiracy has also reared its head, as Russian President Vladimir Putin is clearly not satisfied with the bans being loosened. He claimed in December that American intelligence bodies were connected with the allegations in an effort to damage his re-election chances.

If you are interested in this subject, watch the documentary Icarus on Netflix. The story follows Rodchenkov's involvement in the 2014 Sochi alleged state sponsored doping programme.

West Midlands Football Update 02.02.2018 Natasha Burden previews the figure skating in the upcoming Winter Olympics Page 36 Alex Alton and Olli Meek speak to the Modern Pentathlon Society to find out more Page 37 Kirstie Sutherland takes a look at Brit Kyle Edmund Page 38 Alex Goodwin makes her Six Nations predictions Page 39

For more, follow us on Twitter: @redbricksport

Sport Editor Alex Alton reviews the season so far for all of the Football League clubs in the West Midlands Alex Alton Sport Editor

West Bromwich Albion This season has been a truly tumultuous one for West Brom, who are usually known for their absolute consistency throughout the season. Following a poor run of results under Welshman Tony Pulis, the board decided that his tenure was over. Many at the time amusingly suggested that Tony Pulis, being that he is so good at keeping a team up, should have been rehired as boss to keep the Baggies afloat.

In reality, though, the Hawthorns hierarchy decided to appoint Alan Pardew. At the time this seemed to be an incredibly bizzare appointment from West Brom, especially considering that steadier managers in Martin O'Neill, Sam Allardyce and Ronald Koeman were available instead.

So far, the board are yet to be vindicated by their decision, with Pardew failing to instil the notorious boost in form that he is synonymous with, given that he worked wonders early on with both Newcastle and Crystal Palace.

Pardew's first month in charge was indeed a torrid one. His first match was against his last club, Palace, in which West Brom mustered a 0-0 draw.

Following that, things got worse for the club, losing to basement side Swansea City 1-0. Fans may have been slightly more inspired by next week's result, though, with a 0-0 draw away to a free scoring Liverpool team. Ultimately, though, West Brom went through the whole of December without picking up a league win under Pardew, something that is unlikely to inspire confidence in the fans of any long term success or even Premier League survival.

January was not to start fantastically either, with a 2-1 loss away to fellow strugglers West Ham. Saying this, Pardew did finally pick up his first win against Brighton with a 2-0 victory. At the time of writing the club lie 19th in the table, perilously close to the drop.

Aston Villa

Wolves

The end of 2017 was an incredibly positive one for Aston Villa in terms of league position. The side finally look like challenging the promotion places under a dogged Steve Bruce, who has plenty of experience in this kind of situation.

Saying this, Villa struggled to pick up consistent results in December, with early draws against Leeds and Millwall and a 2-0 defeat to 2nd placed Derby. Following this came a 2-2 draw against Sheffield United and a 2-1 loss against Brentford. The only positive to take was the game on 30th December, a 1-0 away win to Middlesbrough, who had just been taken over by departed West Brom boss Tony Pulis.

League-wise, January has been an incredibly fruitful month, with their best result under Bruce a 5-0 win against Bristol City. Despite Villa unexpectedly crashing out of the FA cup to Peterborough, they have won every single other game in the league in January. The Villains now lie four points behind Derby in 4th, and have brought in defender Axel Tuanzebe on loan from Manchester United.

Wolves have gone from strength to strength during the Christmas period, extending their lead at the top of the Championship to nine points.

December was another succesful month for Nuno Espirito Santo's men, with the club picking up 14 points from a possible 18 over the course of the month.

January has been less successful, though, with an encouraging 3-0 win against Brentford followed up with a draw against Barnsley and a loss against Nottingham Forest, along with a second leg FA cup defeat to Swansea.

Despite this, fans of the club should already be looking ahead to next season in the Premier League.

Birmingham City Birmingham's horrendous campaign following the departure of Harry Redknapp continues. December was a rather sobering month for the Blues, with the side staying in the relegation zone for the whole month.

Their only win of the month came against Leeds United on 30th December.

January has been a much more positive month for Steve Cotterill's men, with two wins on the bounce against Reading and Burton Albion.

Although they lost to high flying Derby 3-0 the next week, there is much to be positive about, resultswise.

Walsall Walsall are continuing what seems to be an average season in League One, languishing in 16th place in the table as it stands. The Bescot Stadium based side must be looking over their shoulders, though, as they are only three points above relegation placed MK Dons at present.

Consistency will be key to their efforts to survive, following a run of consecutive loss and win streaks in the last two months.

Coventry Football supporting life for Coventry fans has been incredibly tough of late.

Yet recent results perhaps indicate that good times may be on their way soon. 'Cov' picked up three wins in December, following that up with a mightily impressive defeat of Premier League Stoke City in the FA Cup. The Sky Blues now lie in 5th place in the League Two table, with a playoff positon looking increasingly likely.