Friday 17th November 2017
Redbrick Issue 1487, Vol. 82
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Living On The Other Half
Redbrick
The Official University of Birmingham Student Newspaper, est. 1936
Over half of student loans spent on ever-increasing rents page 7
Boris Bikes for Birmingham?
University enters crowdfunding contest to introduce public bike hire scheme to campus John Wimperis News Contributor @john_wimperis
The University of Birmingham has revealed plans to bring a Santander bike hire scheme to campus. If fundraising is successful, the scheme will see 50 bikes at 8 stations around campus. UoB is in competition with four other universities (Surrey, Brunel, Portsmouth and Swansea) to secure a £100,000 investment for the scheme. The two winners of the crowdfunding competition will be determined by whoever raises ‘the largest percentage above their operational target’, according to the scheme’s crowdfunding page, meaning that the university must raise over £47,000 in order to have a chance of winning. If successful, the scheme would see hire bikes available to students, staff, visitors and the local community. After implementation in 2018, cyclists will be able to choose between a paid membership or a ‘pay as you go’ option. Bikes would be easily accessed using an app, online or over the phone. The new bikes would be fully fitted with mudguards, lights, a lock and a basket and would be maintained by Urban Cycles, who are already located on campus. The capital costs of the two winning universities’ schemes will be paid for by Santander. Matt Hutnell, Director of Santander Universities UK said: ‘Santander is committed to supporting both higher edu-
cation and local communities across the UK, and we believe that a cycle scheme, such as this one, could bring significant local benefits to the winning institutions.’ In a statement on their website UoB said ‘We want to bring a bike share scheme on campus in order to make our staff, students and the local community more mobile, healthier, happier, improve air quality and reduce congestion in the local area’. The University’s Sustainable Travel Co-ordinator Peter Edwards added: ‘this is a really exciting project for us and we are totally committed to surpassing our target. A cycle hire scheme like this could really transform how people get around our fantastic campus. Housing and Community Officer Kris Ali, one of the scheme’s organisers and a prominent supporter commented “when I was first made aware about the bike scheme I knew it was something that I had to get involved with. It is a fantastic opportunity that benefits everyone as it enables students, staff and the community to get around quicker and more efficiently, and explore some surrounding areas around campus. It also comes at a time where green impact is at the forefront of our minds as a society so anything that is sustainable and encourages good environmental behaviour should be supported greatly!” The University surveyed over 700 staff and students back in February, with 88% saying they ‘would love to see the scheme on campus’. When asked by Redbrick, the vast majority of students responded positively to
A row of students' bikes locked up outside University Centre on campus
the scheme, although some did raise concerns. One student questioned whether people interested in cycling around campus would not simply ‘use their own bikes from home’. The University is asking people to pledge money towards the scheme to help reach the target sum. Those who pledge can choose between a number of rewards including dis-
counted cycle hire membership. Birmingham based company TOA Taxis has already committed an impressive £15,000 towards the total. At the time of writing, UoB has raised 35% (£16,400) of its target and is in first position on the leaderboard. The deadline for campaigning is 8 December.
Features: Spotlight on three stories from the Paradise Papers
Music: Reviews Taylor Swift's new album, Reputation
Sci&Tech: Discuss the merits of opt-out organ donation schemes
Sport: Crown Lewis Hamilton "one of the greats"
Features page 16
Music page 22
S&T page 35
Sport page 32
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REDBRICK
Friday 17TH November 2017
redbrick.me
Letter from the committee... You are holding the 4th edition of Redbrick for this year, which means that I did my job properly. The time is flying by almost too quickly. I would attribute this to my oh-so-busy schedule and incredible workload that is single-handedly keeping this paper afloat, but to do so would be an utter lie. Instead, the fantastic print team we have here are building a paper of such quality that I dare not interrupt them. As I write this I have copies of the first 3 editions next to me and, to be honest, I am astonished. As far as I am concerned, there is no better student newspaper than Redbrick at this very moment. This is, of course, down to contributors who craft articles of supreme journalistic quality, reporting on pressing issues and writing entertaining and informative pieces. However, as Print Editor, I spend much of my time with the editors, whose work goes unnoticed when done correctly while I get to think of punny headlines. Much of our editorial team is new this year, with little to no prior experience of our software or design. Add to this the changes and improvements to content and formatting we have made to the paper and you begin to get a sense of the talent, hard work and sheer dedication of our team here.
Volunteering your time to put together their section pages is no small ask. Doing that every two weeks with all the deadline pressure and technical issues that can blight a print run is nothing short of humbling. It is a testament to all of them that, were I not to say this, you probably would not have given the practical aspects of formatting a second thought. Our confidence in the paper this year is such that we are once again entering Redbrick for awards at the Student Publication Association, starting with their regional conference (SPARC), including for best publication. I think this edition proves that we stand a good chance of winning, although at the time of writing I have no way of knowing this, so this better not come back to haunt me. Of course, we are still a society at heart, with socials on the agenda. Chief amongst which is the upcoming Media Ball. All media societies, from Redbrick and PhotoSoc to Burn FM and SatNav, are coming together for one night of suspended hostilities in the festive spirit. The night promises to be a veritable Bacchanalia with an appearance from a large, jolly man whose exact whereabouts for most the year are a mystery. That’s right, Harry Wilkinson will be in
attendance. Tickets are still available through the Guild website, for more information on the event, contact Social Secretary Laura Burgess (email address below). In closing, I want to say to anyone reading this who has not yet joined our society, go for it. Pen our next exposé, write our next 5-star review or comduct our next interview. However, if you noticed that I misspelled “conduct” just then, maybe an editorial assistant role. We’re always looking for new contributors, no matter what they wish to contribute, so don’t put off getting involved like I did for nearly two years. Do as I say, not as I do. From the dungeons, we salute you,
Joe Ryan, Print Editor
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Online this week at redbrick.me... LIFE&STYLE
GAMING
TRAVEL
COMMENT
Self-Confidence in University: A Struggle We All Face
Gamers are the Biggest Hypocrites on the Internet
An Insight into Adelaide
Free Education: Time to Seize the Moment
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
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Travel Editors Iesha Thomas Phoebe WarnefordThomson Olivia Woodington travel@redbrickonline.co.uk
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Television Editors Amelia Bacon Matt Dawson Abbie Pease
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Gaming Editors Nick Burton Jack Cooper Emma Kent Roshni Patel
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Food&Drink Editors Caitlin Dickinson Adele Franghiadi food@redbrickonline.co.uk
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NEWS
Friday 17th November 2017
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UoB Pledges to Change 10,000 Lives Sophie Woodley News Reporter
On Friday 3rd November, the University of Birmingham (UoB) launched their ‘10,000 lives’ scheme. Over the next couple of years, it has set a target to change ten thousand students’ lives by providing them with more opportunities in education. The scheme has been introduced as founders are aware of the unfortunate and limiting opportunities many students face. The methods that the appeal is adopting in order to achieve its goals include participation with local schools, scholarships, mentoring and work experience. It applies to a wide range of ages,
covering a student’s whole educational journey - all the way from school to graduating from university.
"The appeal focuses more on the number of lives changed than the amount of money raised" Those involved in the scheme are alumni, volunteers, and a wide range of supporters. One alumni involved is Brandon Doherty, who states that
‘it can be difficult to make the grades and push through some of the challenges you face’ whilst growing up. He discusses this in relation to how the scheme benefits the education of those who are in difficult situations. By opening up opportunities to thousands of students, the scheme aims to develop their skills, which the founders hope will improve the employability and confidence of individuals. The appeal focuses more on the number of lives changed than the amount of money raised. Consequently, it is the first UK university to make such an appeal, as monetary value is not the predominant focus. The university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir David Eastwood, announced, ‘we are proud to launch 10,000 lives’
for this very reason. - one suggested method is to run The scheme disregards situa- 10 kilometers. tions that students may previousHowever, if you want to actively have experienced, as it ly participate in helping, the looks for students to scheme offers an opporcome to UoB and tunity for mentoring. ‘have a successful This involves giving career, regardless up roughly an hour of their circumof each month to stances’. share your experiThe scheme ences as a student is offering variwith those curfor your name on ous opportunities rently benefitting for people to get from the scheme. a brick in the involved; you can The founders donate a sum of have suggested that Green Heart money to the offering advice with scheme and, if you CVs or job applicagive £200 or above, a tions is one of the most brick in the Green Heart effective ways in helping space on campus will have your them to reach their ‘10,000 lives’ name inscribed on it. You could target. also raise money for the scheme
£200
Guild Officer Announces Changes to Lecture Recording Panopto Policy Emily Roberts News Editor
On Thursday 9th November, Guild Education Officer Adam Goldstone announced via Facebook that changes would be made to the lecture recording policy at the University of Birmingham (UoB). In the post, Goldstone stated that ‘lectures should be recorded, and, if not, an alternative should be provided so that if you do miss a lecture, you’re able to catch up’. He went on to add that ‘just providing lecture slides isn’t enough - it should be detailed notes’, and urged students to comment on the post with their course name if their lecturers do not do this.
"Not all UoB staff members choose to use Panopto" The post prompted a strong
student response, with almost fifty people replying with their degree names, ranging from Mechanical Engineering to Philosophy. Panopto is a platform used widely within universities as a method of recording both the audio
material for key assessments. However, as stated on Canvas, not all UoB staff members choose to use Panopto - something that may change in the near future once the new policy is implemented. The issue of lecture recordings often inspires debate within the student community, with some who fully support the decision and others who do not.
"I’m happy that lecturers don’t always use it in order to protect their intellectual property" and visual elements of lectures. Links to the recordings are then posted on Canvas pages for students who were unable to attend the lecture, and also as revision
Speaking to Redbrick, Oliver, a third-year Political Science student, said, ‘all of my lecturers who don’t use Panopto do provide good notes’, and criticised the move, saying, ‘I’m happy that lecturers
don’t always use it in order to protect their intellectual property, as Panopto content is owned by the university’. Third-year English with Classical Literature and Civilisation student, Amy, said, ‘although I think it’s important to go to lectures to get the full experience, I think lecturers should be more adept at using Panopto so that sessions do get recorded if you have to miss them’. When asked about the policy change, she said ‘[it is] helpful but makes things perhaps too convenient’. When asked about Panopto as a platform, fourth-year Computer Science student, Parth, said, ‘I think it’s important for learning throughout the year or for catching
up on stuff you missed in a lecture’.
"I think lecturers should be more adept at using Panopto so that sessions do get recorded if you have to miss them" He then added that his lecturers appear to have made a conscious effort to maintain consistent lecture uploads: ‘there has [sic] been a lot less missed recordings’. It is yet to be seen whether or not this policy change will have a significant effect on student experience, but the immediate response does illustrate how this issue is of considerable importance to a wide range of people studying at the University of Birmingham.
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NEWS
Friday 17th November 2017
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Birmingham Qur'an Exhibited in the United Arab Emirates Tom Leaman reports on the unique exhibition of the 1400-year-old Islamic manuscripts in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai over 2017/18 Tom Leaman News Reporter
A unique exhibition of some of the world’s oldest surviving Islamic manuscripts opened on 1st November in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. By the summer, the Birmingham Qur’an pages will also have been shown in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. However, the document itself remains beneath the Muirhead Tower in the Cadbury Research Library. Only a digital copy of the two parchment leaves travelled to the UAE, along with Prince Charles, who is supporting the exhibition together with a host of Emirati government officials. Such attention to the document discovered at the University may bring the institution criticism, however, as it has been suggested that the Birmingham Qur’an ought to be permanently homed closer to its place of writing in the Middle East. The Birmingham Qur’an has been carbon dated to between 568 and 654 AD, which means the document is between 1363 and 1449 years old. According to the BBC, it could even be a fragment of the first ever complete version of the Islamic Holy book, making it perhaps ‘the most important discovery ever for the Muslim World.’
"The digital exhibition allows visitors to explore the manuscript in detail – immersing themselves in its history and cultural significance" The parchment is written in the Arabic script Hijazi and contains Suras 18-20 of the Qur’an. Originally discovered and brought to Birmingham by Alphonse Mingona in the 1920s under the orders of the industrialist Edward Cadbury, the scripture remained unnoticed until much more recently. In July 2015, the Birmingham Qur’an gained international fame. Italian scholar Alba Fedeli found the scripture in the University’s archives (within a much younger Qur’an), and identified the manuscript as seventh-century. In an interview with The Guardian in October 2015, Fedeli pointed out that ‘the carbon dating gives us only a period, not a year, we cannot say that this is the earliest
Qur’an fragment in the world, possession of the modern Greek only that it is very early - and state to begin with. Since 1925, interesting.’ the Greek government have Without doubt, the demanded to every British discovery proved a Ambassador to Athens milestone in helping that the sculptures be to piece together returned, but to no where and when avail. the Qur’an origiThe prospect nated, leading to of a diplomatic Decade in international row similar of interest. With the that between the which the attention, howUK and Greece manuscripts ever, comes the has been played were possibility of condown by Worrall, troversy surroundwho makes it clear discovered ing the University, that there is no one as it has been suggestcountry that holds the ed in the past that the right to display the document (believed to be writQur’an. ten in Egypt) should be perma‘The manuscript is not bound nently stored closer to its place of to a particular place and is part of origin rather than in the United Kingdom. The digitalisation of Cadbury Research Library the Birmingham Qur’an is only likely to intensify that debate. Speaking to Redbrick, Susan Worrall, Director of Special Collections at the Cadbury Research Library, gives us an insight into the decision not to send the document itself to the Middle East. ‘The Birmingham Qur’an is one of the oldest surviving Islamic manuscripts and considered a global treasure, but is very delicate and fragile. The digital exhibition allows visitors to explore the manuscript in detail – immersing themselves in its history and cultural significance’ explains Worrall. The edges of the parchment pages themselves are showing signs of damage, and so it is of course understandable that it was ‘not feasible to send the Birmingham Qur’an itself to the UAE.’ Worrall does, nonetheless, make it clear that the absence of the document itself does not subtract from the exhibition. ‘We included a highly-accurate replica of the manuscript as part of the exhibition’ she continues. ‘This allows visitors to fully experience the significance of the manuscript – digitally and physically.’ Whether or not the home of the Birmingham Qur’an becomes an issue in the future is yet to be seen, but clearly the document is of significance to the University, the Cadbury Research Library and the local Islamic community. The debate draws parallels to that of the Elgin Marbles, which were claimed by Brit Lord Elgin from nineteenth century Greece and are now stored in the British Museum. The Marbles are Classical Greek sculptures brought to Britain by Elgin under controversial circumstances. They were taken from the Parthenon - a former temple dedicated to the goddess Athena - which is estimated to be 2500 years old. Greece claim that Elgin took the marbles illegally, while the UK maintains that the Ottoman Empire were paid for the statues, and that they were never in the
1920s
the University of Birmingham’s Mingana Collection.’ Conversely, Professor David Thomas thinks that there is a very real chance that the Birmingham Qur’an could spark a diplomatic row like that between Greece and the British Museum. Thomas, a professor of Christianity and Islam at the University of Birmingham, claimed there is ‘possibly an analogous situation’ between the Birmingham Qur’an and the Elgin Marbles in an interview with the Daily Mail in 2015. This is because the Birmingham Qur’an is speculated to be identical to scripture held in the National Library of France, which references a Mosque in Fustat, the former Egyptian capital. As with the Elgin Marbles, the Birmingham
Qur’an is clearly a long way from where it was produced over a millennium ago, and there may yet be dispute over the long-term home of the sacred parchment. Fortunately, the Cadbury Research Library is committed to ensuring that the Qur’an can continue to be treasured by future generations. The Director of Special Collections at the Research Library told Redbrick that ‘we are honoured to host such a globally important collection of manuscripts as the Mingana Collection at the University of Birmingham – we fully understand our responsibility to ensure their long-term stewardship.’ For now, it appears, the Birmingham Qur’an will remain firmly in Birmingham.
NEWS
Friday 17th November 2017
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05
UoB Virtual Reality Research Team Recognised Nationally Roshni Patel Gaming Editor
Last week the world’s 4th largest body of ergonomists, the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF), made a special visit to the University of Birmingham to recognise and commend the research of the Human Interface Technologies (HIT) team, who have been part of a diverse range of life-changing projects in a variety of real-world sectors, some of which have even been installed in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QE).
"Director Professor Bob Stone credits the team’s success to the their strong belief in 'working with real people, doing real tasks in the real world'" Founded in 2003, this small research team within the department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering have been punching above their weight for many years, gaining awards such as the West Midlands' healthcare innovation award for the most ‘Innovative Team of the Year’ and numerous awards from other professional bodies. Recently the team has been shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award (Technological Innovation of the Year) for their research into ‘mixed reality’ tech-
nologies for emergency response team training. Up against five other research groups, director Professor Bob Stone credits the team’s success to the their strong belief in ‘working with real people, doing real tasks in the real world.’ Some of the team’s past work has been used to train submariners, helicopter rescue personnel and divers, helping them to better understand the nature of their tasks. The HIT team achieves this through cleverly designed simulations and exercises, both with and without VR headsets, breaking the common misconception that virtual reality must be delivered via a headset to be ‘immersive’. As an internationally recognised team, it is no surprise that their projects have travelled the world too. Their Virtual Wembury project, which sought to bring a virtual naturescape based on a real West Country location into the QE’s Intensive Care Unit, in order to help improve patient recovery, has also found application as a way of ‘escaping’ from desolate realities. Some of these locations include the Canadian military base on Ellesmere Island, the most northern and permanently inhabited place in the world, and University of Hawaii’s NASA-funded Mars habitation simulation base, which saw six “astronauts” simulating eight months on the barren red planet. In recent years the team has worked on a wide variety of projects, from defence and healthcare, to heritage and education. Another of the team’s current project areas is that of ‘serious healthcare games’, which are being used to aid in the rehabilitation of amputees and those recovering from decreased lung function at the QE, helping to strength-
en their lungs and muscles through games that are designed to motivate them to try their best with what would otherwise be considered a boring physical exercise.
They are also working on a number of heritage projects, one of which is to create a virtual Mayflower for children and adults alike to take part in 2020, during
Another project the team is investing a lot of time into is their Medical Emergency Response Training (MERT) simulator, where they’re mixing virtual reality with real-life objects to help train military medics on how best to respond to emergencies whilst in the confines of military vehicles such as Chinook helicopters, landing craft and hovercraft. Affectionately called the 'bouncy castle', the team utilises an inflatable tent, real military props and virtual window views onto high-definition inflight video sequences filmed using their own drones to help create a realistic training environment.
the 400th anniversary commemorations of the Mayflower’s iconic voyage from England to the New World in 1620. As well as research, the team enjoys bringing what they’ve learned and discovered through their projects and research to the classroom, teaching first and final year module students about the importance of human factors and encouraging them to think about human experience when creating good designs. Through their 4th year course, for example, they have taught students how to evaluate the latest technologies objectively, thinking about the capabilities
and limitations of the human end users before marvelling at the new, and often over-hyped, technology. Students of all years are able to undertake projects with the team, with some famous student projects including a minigun simulator for Royal Navy training, which simulated the ‘kick-down’ effect that caused many first time operators to struggle with the weapon when on board. While this project has gone on to change training for years to come, the student involved went on to work for Rebellion, the video games developer known for games such as Sniper Elite and Alien vs Predator, a game for which he was actually involved in designing the AI governing the enemy behaviours. In the coming years the team hopes to continue to remain a small but powerful team, known for getting out in the field to gain first-hand knowledge to inform better human-centric designs. Some of their future projects include expanding their MERT and virtual command centre with more dynamic and demanding scenarios, and allowing schoolchildren to carry out scientific experiments using the data and video from the proposed Mayflower autonomous ship, which will set sail to Plymouth in Massachusetts, USA in 2020. The team has also recently partnered with Blue Abyss, an organisation planning to create an advanced UK-based astronaut and aquanaut training facility. As new requests for guidance, expertise and deliverables arrive in Professor Stone’s inbox, it is safe to say that this will not be the last we’ll be hearing about the HIT team as they continue to produce great work for the world to enjoy.
£100m Apartment Complex Planned for Birmingham City Centre Kat Smith
Comment Editor
Following the trend of development in our city centre, plans to build a £100m apartment complex in central Birmingham have been proposed. The land was acquired in March 2017. Camborne Land Investments (CLI) and Urban High Developments hope to provide a range of accommodation: studios, as well as one, two and three-bedroom apartments. There will be 500 total homes, with 400 available to rent and 100 to be bought. The blocks will range from six to eighteen storeys, boasting many amenities for residents, such as a public courtyard, private residents’ hub and a retail space. CLI pro-
pose that the project is aimed at regeneration of Southside in providing homes for young pro- Birmingham.’ fessionals and middle-income According to their website, families. Camborne’s goal is to proInvestment director vide 5,000 energy effiat Camborne Land cient, attractive and Investments, Conal purpose-built homes Long, hopes that in the next five the apartments years. They will will provide be focusing on Number of ‘high-quality both social and energy housing that is environmental both sustainable sustainability. efficient and accessible for The complex homes modern living’, has been designed planned owing the confiby Glenn Howells dence behind this Architects, a project to Birmingham-based ‘Birmingham’s drive and company credited with ambition.' designing the likes of Edgbaston ‘Our plans for a rental-led Priory Club, the John Lewis anchor development at the former Kent store in Exeter and the University Street Baths site continues the of Birmingham’s very own
5,000
Bramall Music Building. Their director, Dav Bansal, said: ‘Our key focus for the Kent Street Baths scheme is to ensure community is central to the development by creating a desirable, innovative and attractive environment for people to live and enjoy.’ The desirable 2.25-acre site, surrounded by Kent St., Gooch St. North, Bromsgrove St. and Henstead St. was once home to Kent Street Baths, which first opened in 1852. In spite of these being replaced in 1930 with a new building for swimming pools and baths, the site became derelict after being heavily damaged in the Second World War. They were demolished in 2009. A mere 8-minute walk from
the station, the site is situated near the O2 Academy, a popular music venue, as well as the Birmingham Hippodrome and Bullring, Birmingham’s famous shopping centre. Allsop, a UK property consultancy, are due to find a funding partner for the development. Andy Pointon, Partner at Allsop, said that ‘Build to Rent developments are crucial to the government’s plans for the housing sector, offering a flexible alternative for modern living and, combined with Birmingham’s increasing popularity, we believe this scheme will raise the bar for the residential rental market in the City.’ Awaiting planning approval, building is due to begin in summer 2018.
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NEWS
Friday 17th November 2017
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Universal Credit in Crisis
News Reporter, Miki Leigh, investigates how the government are facing pressure over Universal Credit which could leave students and graduates waiting for a minimum of six weeks for their first income support payments. Miki Leigh News Reporter
Recent graduates, part-time students, student parents, postgraduate students, and other students who require income support when looking for work, may have to wait for a minimum of 6 weeks for their first payment if the UK government’s plans for the nationwide rollout of their welfare reform policy Universal Credit goes ahead.
"1,182,000 three day emergency food supplies [were] given to people in crisis in [the] past year – 436,000 to children"
system by merging forms of entitlement into a single monthly payment, and will ‘make work pay’ by incentivising work, which has been described by Conservative MPs as ‘the best route out of poverty’. However, there are several problems with the government’s justification for Universal Credit. Firstly, while the government’s welfare reforms have saved billions which contribute towards eliminating the UK’s structural deficit, the IFS has shown that the overall distributional impact of the government’s planned tax and benefit changes, including Universal Credit, disproportionately targets those with the lowest incomes. Universal Credit has also faced criticism from numerous charities such as Citizen’s
"Areas of full Universal Credit rollout...have seen a 16.85% average increase in referrals for emergency food"
Faced with public and parliamentary pressure over the minimum six-week wait, which hasfrequently been higher in areas where Universal Credit has been piloted, the government has agreed to make an ‘advanced payment’ available during the wait for the first Universal Credit payment. However, this advance payment is a loan which must be repaid from future Universal Credit payments. The Labour Party recently Advice, Shelter, The Trussell won a ‘symbolic victory’ in an Trust, the Joseph Rowntree opposition day motion in the Foundation, and the Child Poverty House of Commons, calling for a Action Group. pause to the Universal Credit rollAlso, support for the governout until identified problems have ment’s welfare reforms is prembeen resolved. The Conservative ised on systematic public misperwhips instructed their MPs to ceptions of, for example, the proabstain on the motion which even- portion of the welfare bill allotually won 290 votes to 0. The cated to out-of- work benefits, vote was dismissed by the gov- and also welfare fraud, which the ernment who plan to continue public on average overestimated with the full rollout of Universal to be 34 times its true level, Credit nationwide. The govern- according to 2013 survey research ment also recently U-turned on a by Ipsos MORI. previous decision to charge claimFurthermore, the government’s ants 55p per minute to call the policy of austerity is facing Universal Credit helpline. increasing public scepticism as The architect of Universal British Social Attitudes research Credit, Iain Duncan Smith, and shows that public support for ausother Conservative backterity policies is at its lowest since benchers have argued the 2008 global financial for the government crisis. This mirrors to change course, growing criticism of suggesting a austerity policies reduction in the from experts and wait time from international instisix weeks to tutions such as the four weeks as IMF and OECD. People in one possible This was partially solution. The reflected in the poverty live Chancellor, swing to the antiP h i l i p with someone austerity Labour Hammond, has party in the 2017 suggested the wait general election, which in work could be reduced to saw the Conservatives five weeks. lose their absolute parliaThe government says that mentary majority. the reforms will save the taxpayer Lastly, contrary to the governbillions, will simplify the welfare ment’s assumption that work is
60%
the best route out of poverty, it has been found that 60% of people in poverty live in a household with someone in work. The government’s plans for Universal Credit were first announced in 2010 by Ian Duncan Smith MP but the policy has been beset with numerous delays to its planned nationwide roll-out. Universal Credit comes on top of measures taken by the Coalition and Conservative governments which have put pressure on those on the lowest incomes. These include; freezing the benefits uprating rate which severed the link between social security payments and inflation, capping housing benefit, implementing what has been called a ‘two child policy’ which limits child benefits to the first two children, removing income from social housing tenants with spare rooms (known as the ‘bedroom tax’) and implementing benefits sanctions ever more liberally (in 2017 sanctions increased by 50% in six months). In Leeds for instance, a quarter of Universal Credit claimants were found to have been sanctioned. Benefits sanctions can leave claimants with no income support for up to three years if they have failed conditionality requirements on several occasions. Research has furthermore linked benefits sanctions with increased food bank use.
Emergency food bank use has increased over 2500% since 2010. Between 2016-2017, the Trussell Trust found that ‘1,182,000 three day emergency food supplies [were] given to people in crisis in [the] past year – 436,000 to children’. The Trussell Trust are only one of several food bank distributors so the actual emergency food aid figures are higher. Two people now die of starvation or thirst per day in the UK. Research has linked Universal Credit pilots with increased food bank use: the Trussell Trust has found that food banks in ‘areas of full Universal Credit rollout...have seen a 16.85% average increase in referrals for emergency food, more than double the national average of 6.64%’.
student mental health crisis. Students are currently facing record suicide rates and dropout levels, and a survey of first year students indicated that reports of mental health difficulties have risen fivefold. A charity has claimed that work capability assessments permanently damage the mental health of those subjected to them. For those who have been found to be fit for work, a sixweek wait for the first Universal Credit payment for disabled students and students with mental health difficulties (already facing tens of thousands of pounds of debt upon graduating) will pose Access to justice has also been severe challenges. Disability cut, which will have consequenc- Rights UK expect that half a miles for future Universal Credit lion disabled people could be claimants who appeal Department worse off under Universal Credit. Students and graduates for Work and Pensions (DWP) enrolled onto Universal Credit in decisions. Legal aid cuts preits current form may also cipitated a 99.5% colface additional housing lapse in numbers difficulties: DWP receiving state supresearch has found port for appealing Universal Credit is decisions to a key factor in remove their increasing claimincome support. ants in rent The majority of arrears. these are sick Some female and disabled Increase in students could also P e r s o n a l face considerable Independent foodbank use hardship from Payment (PIP) Universal Credit in its and Employment current form. Research Support Allowance has shown that women (ESA) claimants. have shouldered 86% of the burStudents with disabilities could also face severe hardship den of austerity cuts. In addition as, in addition to the government to this, the Women’s Budget cuts to the ESA Work Related Group have argued that Universal Activity Group, ever more strin- Credit will reinforce the male gent conditionality requirements breadwinner stereotype and this for PIP and ESA recipients have could therefore reducewomen’s led to greater numbers losing sup- financial independence. One female student told port and being told to look for work. More disabled students pre- Redbrick, 'it seems to be penalisviously entitled to ESA and PIP ing the poor. And it perhaps sugcould therefore find themselves gests that misogyny is more deeply engrained in society than most forced onto Universal Credit. An FOI request found that people believe.' Another student said, 'I am 4,000 people had died after the DWP declared them ‘fit for work’ very concerned about it especially after a work capability assess- considering how hard it can be to ment. However, without average get a job after graduation. It all death rate figures of ESA claim- seems pretty terrible.' Student parents are facing an ants for comparability, which the DWP does not collect, the figures unprecedented challenge, as child remain contested. Furthermore, poverty is now predicted to rise the United Nations have recently for the first time since great condemned the Conservative progress was made halving the approach to disabled human level between 1997-2010. The rights, claiming their policies have IFS has warned that 400,000 more children will live in poverty in led to a ‘human catastrophe’. Universal Credit in its present 2021 due to benefit changes form could exacerbate the current including Universal Credit. Lone parents will lose more of their income from Universal Credit than other groups. Given the research showing the significant negative consequences of Universal Credit where it has been piloted, the motion in the House of Commons and calls from MPs from multiple parties, the public, activists, charities and experts for the government to revise the policy, the government will clearly face considerable pressure and opposition to its plans to implement the policy in its current form over the coming weeks and months.
"It seems to be penalising the poor. And it perhaps suggests that misogyny is more deeply engrained in society than most people believe"
2500%
"I am very concerned about it especially considering how hard it can be to get a job after graduation."
NEWS
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricknews
07
Students Spend Half of their Student Loan on Accomodation Miki Leigh News Reporter
Students nationwide are spending up to 65% of their student loan on rent according to research by Studenttenant.com. A ‘critical shortage’ of student accommodation has led to an increased demand for high-quality housing, which is causing landlords to either increase rents or leave the student housing market altogether. Rent has risen by as much as 18% over a year in some areas and students are up to £600 poorer as a result. According to The Complete University Guide’s 2017 data, Birmingham is the 16th cheapest university city to live in the UK. However, this is down 11 places from the previous year, reflecting a comparatively steep increase in student accommodation costs in
the city. The amount of loan that students are entitled to varies according to the financial circumstances of the student. Students on average face £45,000 of debt on graduating, in addition to £5,800 in interest payments. Students from the lowest income families will leave with the highest debt levels - reaching over £57,000 on average - following the replacement of maintenance grants with loans. Three quarters of students will never repay these loans according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The increasing share of loans being allocated to housing costs in student budgets reflects the
national picture of the UK’s current housing crisis. Shelter last week released research showing that around 300,000 or 1 in 200 people are now homeless in the UK. Student living costs have been squeezed further by increasing food price inflation in 2017. Student loans are the chief source of income for the majority of students. Only 28% of students work part-time according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Furthermore, students working part-time who are aged under 25 receive a minimum wage that is lower than the so-called ‘National Living Wage’ rate. The IFS has found that average incomes are 25 times
65%
Loan spent on rent
lower in the West Midlands than the South East.
"My landlord has increased my rent for the following year but my student loan has stayed the same." The ONS shows that ‘private rental costs paid by tenants in Great Britain rose by 1.6% in the 12 months to September 2017’. The index of private housing rental price percentage change has been increasing in the West Midlands in the years following the 2008 global financial crisis. Rent for University of
Birmingham-owned accommodation costs on average £100 per week for a private house, £140 for self-catered halls and £175 for catered halls. Median private rent in Birmingham is £700 per month according to home.co.uk. Ross, 23, a second-year Medicine student at the University of Birmingham will have to movehouse again following news that his rent is due to increase next year: ‘My landlord has increased my rent for the following year, but my student loan has stayed the same. I think rent is already too high and students shouldn’t be in a position where they are struggling topay their rent’. If the current high demand for student accommodation increases or stays at its currentlevels, more students like Ross will likely find themselves spending even more of a proportion of their loans on increasing rents.
Rainbow Venues Loses Licence Phoebe Radford News Editor
The Rainbow Venues have had their licence suspended following the death of a nineteen year-old man at a Halloween event on Sunday 29 October. Michael Trueman, a student at Birmingham City University, died in hospital the following day. Initial reports suggested that Mr Trueman was thought to have taken MDMA, but his friends have now claimed that his drink may have been spiked. According to friends, Mr Trueman told a doctor that there had been ‘something blue in his drink and he felt sick.’ Shortly after, he fell into a coma. Originally, police said that the death was not suspicious. They are now investigating but have not commented further.
Following the death, the Rainbow Venues’ license was suspended by Birmingham City Council after a request from West Midlands Police. The suspension affects Rainbow’s Warehouse, Blackbox, and Roof Terrace venues.
"It is the second drug related death at the venue within the last two years" It is the second drug related death at the venue within the last two years. Dylan Booth, 18, from Solihull, died at a New Year's Eve event in 2015 after taking a contaminated substance. The Venues’ license was suspended at the time, and reissued under stricter terms,
including under-cover security, sniffer dogs, and extra drugs signage. In a statement, Rainbow stressed that ‘West Midlands Police have demonstrated that The Rainbow Venues acted responsibly, and adhered by all of its licensing objectives.’ Despite the measures, the licensing sub-committee said that drugs were still 'finding their way' into events at the venue. This left the Councillors wondering if the club’s management team were operating the club in a ‘safe manner’. A student from UoB, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that they felt security at Rainbow has ‘been fairly high over the past few months’ but that it would be ‘impossible for them to catch every individual taking drugs into the club.’ The student added that searches and sniffer dogs have been in place at Rainbow events.
They also praised the care given to those that may have ‘had too much to drink or taken a substance and are in a bad state’ saying that they have witnessed medical attention being given at the club. Tasha, a third year student, also felt Rainbow’s security had been firm. ‘When I’ve been, there’s been a lot of security personnel in the queue that always give you a body search and a bag search. It is very intimidating, so that might put off potential drug users.’ However, Tasha added that ‘drugs are an inherent part of the underground scene, especially at venues like Rainbow.’ ‘I think people will get them in no matter how tight security is.’ The suspension meant upcoming events had to be moved or cancelled. Applebum, supposed to be at the Rainbow venues on
Halloween, was moved last minute to nearby venue Scru. Tektu, normally held every two weeks, was cancelled on 2nd November. An upcoming Tektu on 16th November has been moved to Spotlight/Mama Roux.
"Drugs are an inherent part of the underground scene, especially at venues like Rainbow" The Rainbow Venues’ licence is suspended pending a full review hearing, which will be held within a month.
Nightingale Fined After Lift Injury Josh Hamilton News Reporter
The Nightingale club must pay a £10,000 fine after a staff member fell down a lift shaft. The employee fell thirteen feet, breaking his back in the process. He had been loading a storage frame onto the lift at the time. The incident took place on the 30th of July 2016, two days after the lift had been taken out of use. To gain entry, the employee forced the emergency door release with a screwdriver, even though a fault with the middle release door
had not been remedied. Nightingale pleaded guilty under the Health and Safety Act at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, arguing that the lift had been used strictly against company rules. Club operators were found guilty, and must now cover the cost of court, a victim surcharge, and have been fined for not electrically-isolating the lift, or doing more to prevent its use. The total comes to over £16,370. Birmingham City Council prosecuted the company. Councillor Barbara Dring said, ‘This case shows what can happen if a business fails to ensure that suitable systems and control
measures are in place, particularly if failing to do so could result in serious or life changing injuries. Falls from heights are well known to cause serious or fatal injuries.’
"Stupidity should not be rewarded with monetary compensation" She added, ‘Officers will continue to take action where minimum standards of health and safe-
ty are not met or flouted.’ Harry Lindow, third year Law student, and Niamh Coffey, third year History student, visited the club on Saturday night. Lindow said, ‘It’s not just Nightingale's who should take due care and diligence, it’s also its employees. Nightingale’s should bear some of the responsibility, but stupidity should not be rewarded with monetary compensation. It didn’t bother me when I was at the club on Saturday; I still felt safe and able to enjoy the night.’ Coffey said, ‘Clearly the man was given instructions to not use the lift. Perhaps more could have
been done to prevent it from being used, but at the end of the day, it was still his decision. ‘I think the fine issued to Nightingale’s is unreasonably hefty for what is one man’s actions, but at the end of the day, they do have a responsibility to protect their employees as well. ‘Knowing that this happened didn’t dissuade me from going’. Nightingale's owners have since been ordered to ensure that all employees receive improved training on conduct and operation, and have hired a contractor to maintain the lift.
08
NEWS
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricknews
Birmingham is Fastest Growing City Michael Francis News Reporter
Birmingham has been ranked as the UK’s fastest growing city to live and work in. This is according to research carried out by PwC and think tank Demos, who recently published their annual Good Growth for Cities report. Whilst Birmingham ranks first as most improved city in the report in comparison to last year, Birmingham, however, still ranks only 32nd in the overall Good Growth for Cities Index. The report highlights that Birmingham in particular has
most improved in: work/life balance, income distribution, and new businesses. These improvements can be seen in the ongoing regeneration of Birmingham city centre. The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station, and the opening of Grand Central shopping centre in 2015 serve as the city’s most recently completed major regeneration projects. Ongoing major projects in the city centre include: the extension of the Midland Metro tram line, the construction of Arena Central, and the construction of Paradise Birmingham on the site of the old Birmingham Central Library. In the future Birmingham can
expect to see the reopening of Birmingham Curzon Street Station for High Speed Rail 2 in 2026. Additionally, Birmingham remains the only city to have submitted a bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
"It is great to see Birmingham doing so well" In terms of jobs, Birmingham has seen a fall in unemployment. According to the Office of
National Statistics, Birmingham’s unemployment claimant rate fell to 6.2% in July 2017. Birmingham is expected to look forward to more employment in the future from major companies with thousands of HSBC jobs moving to Birmingham from London to name one of many. HS2 is also expected to generate jobs from the city and region. Another contributing factor towards the improvement of regions outside London was the introduction of Metro Mayors last year, including Andy Street in the West Midlands. Although, the report finds that greater devolution for cities like Birmingham
has already had a positive effect, the introduction of the Metro Mayor has itself not affected Birmingham’s index score. Areas surrounding Birmingham have also seen some encouraging signs from the report. Wolverhampton and Walsall were both ranked as the ninth fastest improving cities. Coventry, whilst ranked as the eighteenth fastest growing city, is also ranked eighth in the Good Growth for Cities Index. One student told Redbrick, 'It is great to see Birmingham doing so well. People really underestimate it as a city so maybe after this study, they will not.'
Fireworks Kill Birmingham Man John Wimperis News Editor
A series of attacks in Birmingham committed with fireworks in the days around Halloween have seen students attacked in Selly Oak, as well as one man’s death after his house was destroyed by a commercial firework. A University of Birmingham graduate living in Selly Oak, Josh Fourstar, told Redbrick that he and a friend had a firecracker thrown at them while sitting in front of a house on Tiverton Road on 26th October. He described a car of four stopping and asking them for directions to Heeley Road, and ‘whilst we were answering, the guy in the back threw a firecracker firework at us’. Fourstar called it ‘a big firework’ and told Redbrick that ‘my mate ran inside and I hid behind a bin’. The incident was reported to the police.
Second year student Benjy Poslad also spoke to Redbrick about being the victim of a recent firework attack. He claims he was targeted by two people, described as clearly drunk and probably students, who gestured at him before letting off a firework. ‘The next thing I know there’s a huge explosion of both sound and light and I’m nearly on the floor in pain’, Poslad told Redbrick.
"The next thing I know there’s a huge explosion" ‘Everything blurred after that but I remember much laughter from them,’ he continued. Poslad suffers from hyperacusis, a condition which causes intolerance to sounds and canrange from making the sufferer
feel uncomfortable to feeling severe pain. Meanwhile, in Tile Cross, a man died after his house was set alight by a ‘commercial sized’ firework on the night of 2nd November. Anthony Nicholls, 56, suffered from smoke inhalation and serious burns. He was put into an induced coma but did not wake up, dying early in the morning of 7th November. A murder inquiry has been launched. Nicholls’ partner, a 50 year old woman, survived the fire by jumping out of an upstairs window. She suffered multiple leg fractures and, as of 7th November, was still in hospital. The large firework that started the blaze contained 200 shots of
explosive and was put inside the house before being set alight. The fire spread throughout the house, quickly gutting it. Detective Inspector Paul Joyce urged anyone that had sold or was missing such a firework to get in touch. He called the firework used ‘large’ and ‘heavy’, saying that it ‘would have been difficult to carry some distance’. He continued ‘I would ask anyone who saw someone carrying a large box in the area last Thursday night to contact us.’ There were also other incidents across the city. A teenager launched a firework at the Harvester restaurant in Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield on 28th October, forcing patrons to flee the smok-
200
shots of explosives
ing area as the firework exploded. On Halloween itself, a group was filmed shooting fireworks into traffic on Alcester Road in Moseley, in the south of the city.
"The fire spread throughout the house, quickly gutting it" Similar attacks using fireworks were seen around the same period last year in several cities across the UK. A police van was pelted with a volley of fireworks in Birmingham, and police were similarly attacked in London. In Northern Ireland, youths throwing fireworks attacked the fire service, preventing them from attending to emergencies.
News in a Nutshell...
News Editor, Emily Roberts, gives you the low down on this fortnight's big stories
Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
Paradise Papers Leaked One of the stories that has dominated the headlines this past week has been the leak of 13.4m confidential financial documents, known as the Paradise Papers. These documents caused a stir worldwide as they shed light on the extent of offshore financial activity, where key figures within the upper echelons of society utilise particular schemes in order to shield themselves from high levels of tax. Those named in the leak include prominent members of the royal family, government officials, celebrities, organisations, and businesspeople. The records were obtained by German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, and are currently being investigated by the International
Priti Patel Stands Down After Controversial Israel Meetings Then Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel, has been forced to leave her post after details of her unauthorised meetings in Israel emerged. It became apparent that Patel failed to formally declare ‘14 unofficial meetings with Israeli ministers, business people and a senior lobbyist’ she had over the summer period - of which the Foreign Office and Downing Street were not aware. In a statement, Patel said, ‘While my actions were meant with the best of intentions, my actions also fell below the standards of transparency and openness that I have promoted and advocated’. Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct In Westminster As big Hollywood names continue to be accused of sexually inap-
propriate behaviour, the attention has now started to turn to Westminster, as numerous MPs currently face allegations of sexual misconduct. Key figures from both ends of the political spectrum have been accused, including Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam Jared O’Mara (who is now under investigation by the Labour Party), and Conservative MP Michael Fallon. After the allegations emerged, Fallon was forced to resign from his position as defence secretary, stating that his behaviour had ‘fallen short’ of the standards expected of someone in his position. Responding to the controversy, Theresa May said in a statement at a CBI conference, ‘What has been revealed over the last few weeks has been deeply troubling - and has understandably led to significant public unease. Women and men should be able to work free from the threat or fear of harassment, bullying or intimidation’. Act Of Parliament Set To
Finalise Brexit Deal It has been announced by Brexit Secretary David Davis that Parliament will be given the final say on the Brexit deal. This is an important development in the Brexit saga, as it essentially means that - unless the outcome is nodeal - MPs will have the ability to ‘scrutinise, amend and vote’ on the final Brexit deal. The announcement is also noteworthy as it exemplifies a significant concession to both Labour MPs and potential Tory rebels. Following the news, Davis said, ‘It is clear that we need to take further steps to provide clarity and certainty both in the negotiations and at home regarding the implementation of any agreement into United Kingdom law’, adding ‘there cannot be any doubt that Parliament will be intimately involved at every stage’. Boris Johnson Issues Apology
For Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Comments Another controversy that has caused outcry recently revolves around the remarks the foreign secretary made about the Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe case. In April 2016, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested during a visit she made to Iran. She had been accused of attempting to overthrow the government in Tehran, something she has denied, and is currently serving a five-year sentence as a result. Boris Johnson became embroiled in the issue when he claimed that the British-Iranian mother had been in the process of training journalists - a claim that some argue could potentially exacerbate her legal situation given that it is understood that she was simply on holiday at the time. Responding to the criticism, Johnson said in Parliament ‘I apologise for the distress, for the suffering that has been caused’.
COMMENT
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickcomment
09
In Favour of Trigger Warnings Emelia Lavender argues that critics of trigger warnings miss their purpose Emelia Lavender Comment Writer
Last month, Ian Burrows, a teaching associate in the faculty of English at the University of Cambridge, was vehemently attacked by the press (Guardian, Telegraph and Daily Mail alike) for publishing a trigger warning for a lecture about the portrayal of rape in theatre. The purpose of this warning was, in Burrows’ own words, to signal ‘that the way this discussion was conducted might be particularly difficult for those who had personally encountered abuse or assault.’ The criticism of Burrows’ use of trigger warnings was primarily concerned with defending free speech, and argued that the use of trigger warnings was against students’ best interests. These are recurrent arguments in the debate about campus free speech, often paired with ‘special snowflake’ rhetoric. I would suggest, however, that the use of trigger warnings is not an attack on free speech, and that trigger warnings do act in students’ best interests. Trigger warnings are commonly associated with censorship. It is argued that they restrict academic freedom in order to
appease a few uncomfortable ‘snowflake’ students. However, on the most basic level, if a trigger warning accompanies a discussion, it implies that the discussion is still happening. The use of trigger warnings in academia actually facilitates meaningful discussion and critical engagement by giving those students who might need it a chance to prepare and ensure that they are able to approach the subject with a critical eye. Ian Burrows’ own response makes it clear that he was not censored in any way.
"If a trigger warning accompanies a discussion, it implies that the discussion is still happening" It is argued that as well as infringing on academic freedoms, the use of trigger warnings negatively impacts students’ academic and personal development. I should first like to address
the idea that trigger warnings would prevent education from preparing students for the ‘real world’ by shielding them from harsh realities. Consider for a moment the Burrows example: do you really think that those students who would have benefitted from being warned about a discussion of rape and sexual assault, i.e. survivors of rape and sexual assault, are unaware of the harsh realities of life? I would suggest that survivors of trauma are pretty familiar with the idea that the ‘real world’ can be harsh and horribly unfair. David Mitchell and others have argued that students are refusing to acknowledge realities which make them uncomfortable or opinions that they disagree with. Returning again to the Burrows example: trigger warnings are put in place to help prevent survivors of trauma from being forced to encounter material that would trigger an overwhelming psychological response, such as a flashback. Re-experiencing sexual assault in a lecture theatre does not seem to me to be a question of mere discomfort or disagreement. One particularly frustrating argument against trigger warnings is the notion that they are bad for mental health because
they promote an attitude of avoidance which is detrimental to healing. While it is true that treatment of PTSD can involve confronting and reliving traumatic memories, this is done in a controlled clinical environment under the care of a trained mental health professional. The idea that experiencing a flashback in a full lecture theatre might be a healing experience demonstrates profound ignorance.
"I would suggest that survivors of trauma are pretty familiar with the idea that the 'real world' can be harsh" Much of the criticism of trigger warnings comes from offcampus commentators. However, the debate is also playing out on campus. I stand firmly with my peers in defence of free speech; the fact that we are able to critically engage with this discussion through student media is something to be celebrated. However, I take issue with the
Titus Andronicus, one of the plays which was provided a warning
conflation of trigger-warnings and censorship. I believe that strong arguments in favour of engaging critically with alternative views are undermined by a misunderstanding of what a trigger warning is and the purpose it serves. I hold firm to the belief that the use of trigger warnings does not endanger freedom of speech, that it does act in the best interests of students’ academic and personal development, and that it should be advocated for on university campuses across the country.
How John Lewis Stole Christmas John James laments the UK's annual meltdown over John Lewis adverts John James Film Editor
The John Lewis Christmas advert has dropped. #MOZTHEMONSTER is here. Since 2007, John Lewis has released an advert set to various airy songs that seek to portray the core values of Christmas, within their product market (look how nice Christmas is when you wear a John Lewis scarf!). Though nobody remembers any before 2010 when Ellie Goulding’s cover of Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ gave her a number one and him millions of pounds in royalties, they’ve regrettably become as traditional as Mum forgetting to wrap the presents and Dad not returning your calls. Well, at least in my family. This year it tells the charming tale of a boy and the monster who lives under his bed, all
night they play together leaving the poor lad rather tired in the day! Luckily on Christmas day under the tree lies a John Lewis night light, bequeathed to him by the monster with the whole tale functioning as a metaphor for the child’s fear of the dark.
"Nothing captures the festive spirit of the nation like a parable of an insomniac and a Monsters Inc. reject" Ahhh, how sweet. Well no, it’s not. It’s a travesty, it’s a disgrace, it’s like kicking Father Christmas in the ballbag and
firebombing his grotto. Monsters aren’t Christmassy! Where’s the snow and the carrots and the reindeer and the snow... and.. and.. the snowmen? We’re poised for the statement from Downing Street but one can only assume this marks the final death knell for Theresa May’s government. Yes predictably, the country has come together in outrage to condemn the advert, seemingly oblivious to the fact: it is an advert. Shock. Has there been a single year when people didn’t criticise the advert. Like we criticise the town’s Christmas lights, or the council’s treatment of the bins, or Britain for not being the Britain it was, we are compelled to criticise and moan about this video every year. It is an advertisement, it is designed to sap you into buying something. The fact it’s not working should give you reason to be cheerful no? Genuine Christmas cheer! Buying your loved one a John Lewis hamper because you saw a magic penguin buy his partner one isn’t going to magically alter their perception and appreciation of you. They know what you are, you monster. But we’ve sunk so low as a nation that people eagerly await the adverts arrival like stranded
Agamemnon seeking the Oracle of Delphi’s guidance (at great cost too, but I fear that’s a story for another time). As a result, the industry for this thing is massive. Last year John Lewis spent £7 million on the campaign. The firm that makes the advert, Adam and Eve, begins work on the next advert immediately after they release this years. Nothing captures the festive spirit of the nation like a parable of an insomniac and a Monsters Inc. reject brainstormed in November, cast in January, filmed in spring, edited in summer and released in the first week of November, does it? Yes, it’s November. Even if the advert was Jesus Christ riding a tripod through the north pole with Kermit and Rudolph sound tracked to an unreleased Freddie Mercury Christmas ballad, by Christmas Eve you’d be so fatigued by the whole ordeal you’d want nothing more than
the whole charade consigned to the flames. Let’s just accept it, nobody’s felt Christmassy since they were a child and obsessing yearly about a music video set to product placement isn’t going to recapture it. Please everyone shut up. Like it, or don’t. It doesn’t matter, there are other things you can like, other things you can discuss. At any other point in the year, if you heard someone talking about an advert you’d think them at best boring and at worst disturbed. Apply the same principle here. This advert like many before it is simply an advert. And an awful one, not because it fails to give Christmas cheer, but because it’s got Elbow on it. Nobody likes Elbow, Elbow don’t like being Elbow, Imagine getting an Elbow CD in your stocking, or tickets to an Elbow Gig, just you, the band and the sound technician, all trapped in your own personal hell.
COMMENT
10
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickcomment
Demonising Mental Illness Will Not Prevent Gun Crime Jonathan Isaacs criticises society's reponse to mass shootings Jonathan Isaacs Comment Writer
On Sunday, November 5th, an all too familiar story hit our social media feeds; ‘gunman open-fires on innocent [insert event/occasion/location here] goers.’ This time it was a church in Texas, last time a concert in Las Vegas. Last year, a nightclub in Florida, often it’s a school. British media, for the sake of decency, doesn’t show the bodies, but in some ways, that’s
"If the shooter is brown, it's an immigration/ terrorism issue. If the shooter is white, it's a mental health issue" worse. Left prey to our own imaginations, the bodies of strangers take on the faces of those we love. We get upset, we get scared and we get angry. We pretend like we understand the nuances of the gun debate in the US, and
we argue about it over coffee. white men throw acid at With the safety of an ocean Muslims, it’s a different story. In between us, we reflect on how a Daily Mail article following ludicrous ‘the right of the people the London Bridge attack, Katie to keep and bear arms’ is, but we Hopkins uses the word ‘terror’ are guilty of a much larger 17 times. About the acid attacks, crime. the Mail article mentions ‘terForeign (to the USA) media ror’ exactly once, to say that it try to focus on the gun debate, wasn’t terrorism. American liberals try to focus I honestly believe that for on the gun debate with the hope most people this is an unintenof making change. American tional reflection of the ingrained conservatives have two ways of biases and prejudices of our getting out of the gun debate: if society, and not a malicious the shooter is brown, it’s an expression of conscious racism. immigration/terrorism issue. If Yet, if anything, that makes the shooter is white, it’s a men- it harder to combat. There’s a tal health issue. When we focus great deal of introspection that so much on antiquated American needs to take place for us to fire-arm policy, we neglect to realise that not only are our talk about the racism and responses to such tragedies demonization of people stooped in racial prejudice, with mental health but also incredibly issues that goes on. unhelpful for preWe do this in venting future the UK as well, attacks. I think it right-wing comwould do well to mentators fetremember that ishized blaming the terror attack Mass shooting ‘radical Islamic with the most fatalities in the terrorism’ for the wide-reaching US since 1982 Manchester consequences and Arena bombing, highest subsequent the Westminster body-count of the and London Bridge last 150 years was attacks, as well as any not 9/11, but a Christian other acts of terror around assassinating Franz the world. However, when a Ferdinand in 1914. white man drives a van into Now that we’ve established mosque goers, or a group of the discrepancy in response by
political leaders to these kinds of events, I want to turn our attention to Republicans’ favourite get out of jail free card; ‘this is not a gun issue, it’s a mental health issue’. I’d like to give some of them the benefit of the doubt and say that, while they are blatantly ignoring what a massive factor that their gun policies are, they genuinely believe better policies towards mental health could prevent these kinds of shootings. But the closest things to mental-health law introduced by any Republican since this Congress took their seats in January are
the three bills aimed at repealing Obamacare, which would in turn cut funding for mental health services, and allow insurers to deny coverage for mental health issues. This disingenuous response and deflection from guns makes the 25% of Westerners who suffer from mental health issues, such as myself, feel like we are being demonised and blamed. The actions of one person that were only possible because of illogical and antiquated gun policy are not our fault, so stop blaming us.
732
Poll of the Week: Gender Pay-Gap 3
% .3
"I’d hope that soon enough we will realise that there is no need for the gap in the first place. There’s no logical reason why this shouldn’t be attainable"
Ye s
-
Can the Pay-Gap be Closed Earlier Than 2234?
66
"More women need to be willing to take higher risk and higher paid jobs"
.7 %
No 3
The World Economic Forum claims that the pay gap will not be bridged for another 217 years. We asked students whether it could be closed earlier...
"No serious economist takes this feminist talking point seriously"
"Men on average work more lucrative jobs, take more overtime, and work longer hours. For the same work, the exact same job- men and women earn exactly the same. The #PayGap is a feminist myth that has been debunked" many times."
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Alex Cirant-Taljaard Comment Editor
This poll revealed something about UoB students which I had for a while suspected. Many of them, presumably male (although few people left their real names, which means thats pure speculation), don't have a clear grasp on what the pay gap is. This is why so many of them took to our poll to tell us either that the pay gap has already been closed, or that it never existed in the first place. There seems to be some confusion over what is meant by the pay gap, which is fair enough because it is a term used to mean a few different things. Sometimes, it refers to the overall average gap in wages between men and women, other times it refers to the gap in pay for specific occupations. Just to clear this up, there are gender pay gaps both overall and in specific occupations, so the argument made by a few of those responding to the poll that women simply work dif-
ferent jobs to men is a bit defunct. In fact, one person polled argued that women should be more willing to take 'high-risk' jobs in areas like 'construction'. Construction actually has one of the highest occupational wage gaps, with men paid 45% more than women. Lets talk about the overall pay gap though, and the reason why women tend to go into lower paid jobs. Many of those polled talked about individual choices being made by women not to go into more lucrative jobs. However, none of them stopped to question why women tend not to end up in higher paying sectors. Could it be, perhaps, that our inherently patriarchal society teaches women from a young age that finance and the sciences are man jobs whereas care roles are for women? Perhaps the key to closing the pay gap is no longer gendering certain occupations. Certainly, the pay gap won't be closed any time soon if people keep denying its existence.
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Don't Turn Campus into a Building Site Amelia Hiller questions the necessity of building a hospitality facility on campus Amelia Hiller Comment Writer
Since September, I’ve arrived at the Gisbert Kapp building at 9am every Thursday, ready to learn about a bunch of fictional pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. My seminar room is on the third floor, and comes with a less-than-picturesque view of you guessed it, more campus building work. Any University of Birmingham student knows that campus is pretty hectic at the moment, not only with the ‘Green Heart’ plan being well underway (R.I.P Old Library), but also the building of new student halls, the Collaborative Teaching Library, and also the university’s recent purchase of a 9.9 acre site in Selly Oak, which will later become the Birmingham Life and Sciences Park.
"This is in no way relevant to the university's main purpose" This is all fantastic, and I’m really enthusiastic about the fact that the university is investing
money on improving future student experience. However, I’m much less enthusiastic about what’s going on next to the Gisbert Kapp, which is actually the building of a new hotel and conference facility. My one question is: Why? Why does our university need another hotel and conference facility? Well, the University of Birmingham website states that this will ‘enhance the experience of those visiting and staying on campus.’ No offence, but this is in no way relevant to the university’s main purpose, which in my opinion is the teaching of its undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as the research of its staff. I believe that investment in hospitality on university grounds is a complete waste of money, some of which will probably be student tuition fees. I can think of plenty of other things the university could be investing in, for example further provision and support for those struggling with university life, improved study spaces, subsidising printing and textbooks for students, or maybe even a free Old Joe Christmas jumper for every student. All I can say is, what definitely would not be on my list is a cosy hotel for visitors to cam-
pus, especially when the university already possesses adequate accommodation and conference facilities off of Edgbaston Park Road. Who would want to get married right next to the Gisbert Kapp and North East multi-storey anyway? I definitely wouldn’t. Of course, conferencing and hospitality is important. The university is central to the local community, a leading research institution, and also possesses a variety of resources which prospective visitors will no doubt value.
to be the following morning. There’s already perfectly decent accommodation and conferencing just down the road, but we’ve now only got one multi-storey car park between 36,000 staff and students! (Hint hint, UoB) What I am trying to put across is that the ‘Hotel and Conference Park’ makes no sense whatsoever. On this occasion, the university has chosen to invest in facilities that already exist on an adequate level, instead of those which value student and staff experience. I’m
pretty sure that if the university held a survey regarding plans for the site overlooking the Gisbert Kapp, the response wouldn’t favour a hotel and conference venue. Just to add (although this is me getting a bit pedantic), listening to building work throughout my seminar doesn’t really fit with the Chaucerian atmosphere that was intended, nor does it do anything to assist the hangovers of my classmates that left Sports Night a mere five hours earlier.
"The universty has chosen to invest in facilities that already exist on an adequate level" My argument is that the staff and students are not likely to benefit hugely from this investment in cosy hotel rooms or a space for people to get married! I can’t speak for anyone else, but I just worry that my £9,000 a year is being spent on a businessman being able to stay just that little bit closer to the Barber Institute, or wherever he needs
I Am a Pacifist but I Wear a Poppy With Pride Alex Goodwin explores what Remembrance Day should represent to us Alex Goodwin Comment Editor
I am a pacifist. I don’t like human suffering of any kind, and at the age of thirteen I was both overwhelmed with emotion and horrified to see the millions of graves across France and Belgium whilst on my Year 9 Battlefields trip. So, naturally, like many others, I am against war. H o w e v e r, R e m e m b r a n c e Sunday rolled around once again this year, and once again debates about the traditional ‘Poppy Appeal’ loomed over the day. I was always brought up to wear a poppy. With a Grandfather that fought in the Second World War, and a Grandmother that became a nurse to aid wounded soldiers, a poppy was a sign of my appreciation to them, and to many others. Observing Remembrance Day, falling silent for two minutes and wearing a poppy does not mean you’re a supporter of all modern conflicts the British
Army have partaken in. In fact, to me it signifies the exact opposite.
"Displaying the red flower should not come to symbolise the countless military interventions in the seond half of the 1900s" During the fateful years of 1914 to 1919 millions of innocent men went to fight for our country so that my parents’ generation, my generation, and the generations that will come after me could live in peace. The first poppy day in Britain was held in 1921, and the money raised by the Royal British Legion went to ex-servicemen and their families, many of whom lost all male counter-
parts. I agree the state should look after veterans; however, the modern military should not be able to hijack the symbolic commemoration that the poppy has come to represent. The men from across Britain and its Commonwealth and International allies had no choice but to fight in the First and then the Second World Wars. Displaying the red flower should not come to symbolise the countless military interventions (whether right of wrong) in the second half of the 1900s. It should not be seen as a universal connotation and support of all subsequent wars, as the nature of conflict has changed significantly. Since the Second World War, Britain has not had to fight for absolute protection of national security, and therefore the poppy should not represent these conflicts. Post-Brexit, the poppy has also been claimed by extreme nationalists (or fascists, whichever term you prefer) such as the BNP. Of course, this fallacy is
hypocritical to the highest degree, as over a million Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus from across the Indian subcontinent travelled to Europe to fight in our trenches. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers came from across Africa, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. The poppy is also a remembrance of these individuals. I think most can agree that the British empire was rather undeserving of these countries aid in our fight for freedom. Yet they did, and we owe them our gratitude. Our freedom is taken for
granted in the modern day. We have the choice whether to learn German in school and we are lucky enough to maintain a democratic government. The poppy is a way to remind ourselves of the individuals that allowed us to enjoy this freedom. A poppy is a sign of respect for the fallen that had no choice in losing their lives, not for neoimperialism or extreme nationalism. I choose to display this gratitude by placing a poppy upon my shirt, and you should too. Lest we forget.
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Interview: Dinita Gohil CULTURE
Holly Reaney Culture Critic
Sitting and waiting for the phone to ring is always nerve-wracking. Watching the clock slowly tick closer to 12:30, I sit re-reading my prepared questions and ensuring everything is ready. It rings unknown number. I answer and am greeted by a cheery, enthusiastic voice. Dinita Gohil is currently rehearsing in Stratford-upon-Avon for the RSC’s latest production of Twelfth Night, in which she plays Viola. As well as this, she is playing a selection of characters in A Christmas Carol. Educated at Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls, Dinita Gohil is a local Birmingham girl who has a multitude of acting credits to her name as well as a degree in French and Spanish, and now makes her RSC debut. Hello, Dinita. I want to start by thanking you for taking the opportunity to speak to us today. Have you had a good morning so far? Hello, it’s been really good, thank you. We had Sunday off, so I was back in London, actually, which was nice and took the day off which was great and the weather was lovely and I’ve just got back to Stratford. There’s been over a dozen productions of Twelfth Night at the RSC over the last fifty years, so what makes yours stand out? The decision that Chris [Christopher Luscombe, director] made, to set it in the Victorian era, and tie it into the Raj, is really interesting and really clever, particularly the way the themes in Twelfth Night resonate with the themes within the Victorian eras and how these are brought out by the Indian influences that underpin the play. How did you get into acting? Was it something you always wanted to do? I grew up in Birmingham and started doing school plays and whatnot. I really enjoyed it and went to the National Youth Theatre. Then I studied French and Spanish at Royal Holloway in London. I love languages; I worked in translation for a couple of years before doing a three year drama course at Guildhall in London. So, have you acted in productions in French and Spanish? No, I haven’t, but during university I spent a bit of time out in Chile in South America and I was studying at the university there. I joined the university drama club because I thought it would be really good for my Spanish and we did put on a production whilst I was there; it was just a bit of fun, really, but it was really hard. Is that something you would like to do it the future - productions in French or Spanish? I never really thought about it. I think I’m just going to concentrate on doing it in English.
Culture critic Holly Reaney interviews Dinita Gohil, currently starring as Viola in the RSC's production of Twelfth Night. You have taken on the role of Viola in this production of Twelfth Night. Do you think there are a lot of similarities between you and her? I’d like to think there are because she’s such a wonderful character. If I had to chose one, I think I share her sense of fun and playfulness.
another and to the creatives coming in and out, so then suddenly getting an audience reaction is really illuminating. Their responses really inform a lot of the moments, and in previews we have been tweaking the performance accordingly.
"It is theatre really that made me want to act...The feeling that I got from going to the theatre just made me want to be a part of it"
In playing Viola, you get the opportunity to explore two characters - obviously Viola, but also her male alter-ego of Cesario. What’s that like to perform? It’s great to be able to play a character who has access to a completely different world. To assimilate the world of Orsino’s through Viola, you get to explore the opportunities which open up for her as Cesario and learn with her as she discovers love, but it’s also exciting as it lets her have a lot of fun. There’s also a bittersweet element to this fun though, because when Viola gets to be Cesario, she gets to keep her brother alive, and can cling onto the memory of him. Her adoption of a male persona raises the stakes and makes everything more exciting and dangerous. The challenge is ensuring that Viola maintains her strong sense of self and that all her actions are true to who she is, which I think I achieve.
Any surprises from the audiences? So many moments, but that changes night to night. That’s always fascinating: how an audience as a collective responds to the play and to certain moments. I think the thing to take away from it is that it can mean different things to different people, so you get different reactions which makes live theatre so exciting.
What’s your first memory of Shakespeare? Probably studying it at school, where we did Romeo and Juliet, but I think where it really became something of interest was when I started to see it in the theatre. I grew up in Birmingham, so Stratford wasn’t far, and I remember coming to see things here. I think that’s when it started to mean something to me beyond what I was studying in the academic sense. Seeing it make sense and these incredible stories unfurl. I remember seeing David Tennant’s Hamlet at the RSC which was absolutely incredible.
Who’s your inspiration? What made you want to get into theatre? It’s theatre really that made me want to act, and I remember going to see great productions. The feeling that I got from going to the theatre just made me want to be a part of it. I think now I am mostly inspired by the people I work with. It’s great working on Twelfth Night with such a wonderful company of actors and being in a rehearsal room with people like Ade Edmondson and watching him create this incredible Marvolio. It’s been great.
"...doing such a great role within a brilliant play is a dream come true" This is your Royal Shakespeare Company debut - is it strange going from an audience member to a member of the company on the stage? Yeah, especially somewhere like the RSC which I know so well as an audience member. It’s somewhere I’ve always dreamed of performing whilst growing up, so to be here doing such a great role within a brilliant play is a dream come true. It still feels quite surreal; we’re only three shows in and there’s been several ‘pinch me’ moments. How’s the show going so far? It’s great to put it on in front of an audience. You spend so long doing it in the rehearsal room and to one
You’ve mentioned Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. If you could be any character in Shakespeare, who would you be? That’s a tough one. There’s so many. I’ve always loved Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing; I just love her sass and wit and I think she’s just an amazing, amazing character. I remember seeing the film version with Emma Thompson when I was young, and that had a huge impact on me and I remember thinking that would be an amazing role to tackle one day. There’s been a lot of discussion at the moment about Shakespeare’s relevance and whether we should have a moratorium on Shakespeare. What does Shakespeare mean to you? I think it’s incredibly relevant, these stories are so relatable and I think so many of the issues that come up in Twelfth Night really resonate with today’s society. For instance, the gender and sexual politics of the play with Olivia falling in love with someone you
think is a man but is actually a woman. I think the questions that those themes raise couldn’t be more current. So, are the sexual politics something that have been highlighted in your production? Definitely. We’ve not shied away from the exploration of Antonio and Sebastian’s relationship, which is something that our director, Chris, has really looked into and cultivated. There has been so much in the press at the moment about the arts and entertainment industry facing a lot of challenges. From an inside perspective, if you could change one thing about the theatre industry what would it be? I think the cuts that the arts are facing is a real travesty. It means that putting on a show is becoming so much harder and we’re seeing less new pieces of writing because people are up against it with regards to getting that vital support and funding. Also, there’s a lot of talk at the moment about 50/50 and making sure that’s there’s enough women in theatre and that they’re fairly represented on stage, which is something that I’ve definitely seen gaining more momentum throughout my career.
What advice would you give people who are in university and want to pursue a career in acting? Be persistent! Write plays! Instead of getting frustrated with the industry about what’s not happening, try and be proactive about it. Get together with friends and put performances on however you can, wherever you can, so that you can be seen. What does the rest of today look like for you? We’re in previews at the moment, so we’re going back into the theatre now to go over Saturday’s performance. We’ll make a few tweaks and put the show on tonight. We’re out of previews this Thursday (8th November). And finally, it’s been an absolute pleasure to talk to you - can you leave us with your favourite line of the play? I love it when Olivia says ‘most wonderful’ at the end. It’s a brilliant moment. Twelfth Night runs until 24th February 2018 at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, and will be broadcast live to cinemas across the country on 14th February 2018.
Photo by Manuel Harlan (c) RSC
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The Ultimate Christmas Getaways TRAVEL Olivia Woodington Travel Editor
For many of us, the Christmas break is a time for some welldeserved rest and copious amounts of homemade food as we take an opportunity to shelter in our families’ heated households. So why at an already expensive, dark and chilly time of year, should we choose to do a spot of globe-trotting? The winter period is often overlooked as a time for travels, unless you are thinking of the Caribbean or Thailand, there is little option available in the Northern hemisphere for some winter sun. Nonetheless, whilst New Year in Aruba sounds desirable, you cannot beat the merry charm that Europe’s festive cities offer. If you are looking to have a memorable Christmas season, or simply want an excuse to procrastinate all that Christmas shopping you said you would have finished by the end of November, then find your passports and get packing.
Why book a winter trip, and where to go? Save Some Pennies December can be an expensive time to travel, there is no hiding that. Nevertheless, some flights are surprisingly cheap (and if you fancy travelling on Christmas Day you will be sure to bag a bargain.) Return flights to Warsaw for example are only £29, or if you f a n c y Geneva, you can get there and back for £54. You are unlikely to find a particularly warm destination on a budget but you might find some cosy hotels. Many accommodations offer sizeable discounts during the winter
Travel Editor Olivia Woodington lays down the best Winter destinations for 2017 season, like the Max Browns Hotels group. There is nothing quite like thawing frosty toes by the fireplace of your fourstar hotel that you got at a two-star price.
Festive Decor Some fairy lights and a bit of tinsel can warm up even the iciest of Europe’s cities. If you are concerned that you will be missing out on the sights due to a cloak of darkness descending on your day at 3:30pm, then think again. The dark can do quite the opposite of cutting a day short during the festive season. Amsterdam’s canals look quite spectacular as lights ripple across their surface, or if you would rather stay closer to home, Bath’s Christmas display takes you to the scene of an overpriced greetings card. Besides, a Christmas city break is surely better than that one token street that tries to outdo each other with the lights every year.
Strasbourg, France Where better to go at Christmas time than one of Europe’s oldest Christmas Markets? Starting in Strasbourg in 1570, it is now spread out over 300 stalls in twelve locations in the city centre. Beginning on 24th November and lasting until the end of December, you have plenty of time to beat the school holiday rush.
Dresden,Germany If you would rather go one step further, why not visit the world’s original Christmas Market in Dresden? Infamous for the Dresden bombings in WWII you may be surprised to find out that the traditional Christmas Market, known as
Seville, Spain If you are not one for frost and snow, a trip to Seville in winter is on the cards. The weather is still mild, hovering around 12 degrees, meaning you can ditch the gloves and scarves and stroll around the gardens of the Alcazar Palace. Take part in Belén tradition and marvel at the displays of Bethlehem dotted through the streets of the city. Immerse yourself further in Spanish culture and spend New Year’s feasting on fish and grapes at the stroke of midnight (it is said to bring you good luck.)
The Christmas Markets This goes without saying, european Christmas markets triumph a sandy beach on the Gold Coast in December. Blistering sun does not exactly scream Christmas, but mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and games that are impossible to win sure do. And remember that Christmas shopping that you were putting off? Where better than to find some alternative gifts than the Christmas markets (or the airport’s souvenir shop.)
past at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Striezelmarkt, began in this German city in 1434. Be sure to try to the “Dresden Christollen”, a Christmas cake that is suitably enjoyed against the backdrop of Altmarkt Square. You can find amusements such as the world’s biggest nut cracker and the world’s tallest pyramid all within one stretch.
Manchester, England If you would rather stay close to home this winter break, step away from the swarming commotion of London’s Winter Wonderland and look no further than Manchester. Manchester hosts the biggest Christmas Market in the UK (and the original), so it is of course a must-see. However, if you need some shelter from the bitter air, take time to explore the John Rylands Library, a beautiful Victorian Gothic Building or investigate Manchester’s industrial
Poznan, Poland With presents and parties, the Christmas season is expensive and tiring. Poznan is a remarkably cheap destination at any time of year. The reconstructed architecture of this Polish city is vibrant and picturesque, the perfect backdrop for some wintery Instagram photos. Being a relatively small and inexpensive destination, you can take your time to recuperate from the strain of the festive activities, and give your debit card a few days off too. If relaxing is not for you, you will be pleased to hear that the nightlife in Poznan is far from quiet. Being a student town, there are plenty of snug bars to warm up in before partying in venues which are said to rival Poland’s capital.
Brussels, Belgium Brussels’ Winter Wonderland stretches over 2.5km and is one of Europe’s largest
Christmas markets. Head to Sainte Catherine Place for a ride on the magnificent Ferris Wheel for a splendid view of the city lights. If w a r m Belgian waffles dripping in chocolate and whipped c r e a m sound like your cup of tea then you will be delighted to find out that in Brussels they are traditionally served as street food, and as a result the markets are abundant in them. If you need to work up an appetite, or work off all the waffles, then take a skate around the ice rink at the Place de la Monnaie, which is open until 7th January 2018.
Vienna, Austria Another delicious winter treat are roasted chestnuts. Luckily Vienna’s street corners feature plenty of “Maronistands” selling hot chestnuts all season. Not to mention, if you are still seeking that flawless photo, the lake in front of the Belvedere Palace offers magical reflections in the dark water, no filter necessary. If you do not have chance to visit the Austrian city in December, the Christmas market in front of the Schonbrunn Palace soon becomes a New Year’s Market so that you can enjoy all your festivities well into 2018. Forget reserving all your travels for the summer months and instead consider a visit to one of these destinations this holiday season. They are great cities whatever the occasion, but there is something particularly special about a trip away at Christmas time. Swap mince pies for chestnuts and waffles, forgo the crowded shopping malls and take a step back from the hustle and bustle of daily life to appreciate the company of your family and friends amongst the merry musings that are only a short flight away. All prices subject to time of writing.
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Paradise Windfalls
The shocking revelations about the finances of the world's richest people and most lucrative corporations that people are still not talking about Joe Ryan
Print & Features Editor @JoeRyan130212
On the 20th October, an anonymous person took to aggregation website Reddit to warn users that information regarding “the extremely wealthy and members at the highest level of government in developed countries around the world” was imminent. They signed off with a cryptic, oneword moniker, “Paradise.” 16 days later, on the 5th of November, newspapers around the world broke the story of the Paradise Papers. Originally obtained by the German paper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared with other media sources around the world using through International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), it was the Guardian that broke the story in the UK. The Paradise Papers are huge. Approximately 13.4 million documents (1.4 terabytes of data) were taken from two off-shore law firms, including ‘magic circle’ firm Appleby. Specialising in fields such as Corporate, Property and Regulatory law, the firm claims on its website that it represents “global public and private companies, financial institutions, and high net worth individuals.” These extensive documents indicate widespread and systematic use of artificial structures to avoid tax on a global scale. Although the papers are widely described as having been ‘leaked’, Appleby maintains in a series of press statements (available on their website) that they were the victims of a “serious criminal offence” conducted by an individual or group displaying “the tactics of a professional hacker."
"These extensive documents indicate widespread and systematic use of artificial structures to avoid tax on a global scale"
Guy caught with Hands in pockets of failing care home provider A private equity firm takes companies into ownership and provides financial support and reform to the internal structure of this company, now part of their portfolio. The hope is that these reforms can increase the value of the company which the firm then gets rid of to recoup their initial investment plus any profits from the increased value. This can be done through a variety of ways, including floating the company on the stock exchange to recoup their money from public investors (known as an Initial Public Offering of IPO) or through a simple resale of the company, including to another private equity firm. These hopes have not been realised for Guy Hands, whose private equity firm Terra Firma took ownership of Four Seasons Health Care (FSHC) in 2012.[7] FSHC operates over 300 care homes in the United Kingdom, but is in debt to the tune of £500m due to cuts in the care budget and haemorrhaging money.[8] So it looks like Terra Firma didn’t do its job and the 17,000 FSHC care
home residents are in danger.
"This deal may have avoided the 20% tax on interest payments from outside the UK" However, revelations from the Paradise Papers have revealed that, from 2012, Terra Firma saddled the Four Seasons with a 10-year £220 million loan from its own subsidiaries, charging 15% compound interest.[9] What this means is that, by 2022, FSHC (which gets most of its funding from the public sector) would have owed its private majority shareholder a ‘nominal sum’ of £890m pounds. Whilst this debt was written off due to the woeful financial situation of FSHC, the loan remains on the books, meaning that Terra Firma could still
Guy Hands, owner of private equity firm Terra Firma
enforce their terms should the company relieve itself of its debt before 2022. And the best part, this deal may have avoided the 20% tax on interest payments from outside the UK that Guernsey-based Terra Firma may have had to pay. With the assistance of accounting firm Deloitte’s ’34-step plan’, the loan is alleged by the Paradise Papers to have been given to FSHC through a “deep discounted bond” via artificial financial manoeu-
vring that does not attract interest, thus avoiding this 20% rate. The FT reports that Guy Hands is currently attempting to offload FSHC to its creditors for a “nominal fee.” This was proposed 24 hours after an offer was made by the main creditors, H/2 Capital, that involved Terra Firma retaining an 11% stake in the business. [10] In those 24 hours, the above information was published, and now Hands seems to want out of FSHC as soon as possible.
Yuri's out on Russian influence over Facebook Russian billionaire Venture Capitalist (VC) Yuri Milner founded and operates DST Global, an investment firm. It’s focus on “late-stage, high-growth, private
companies in the global internet industry” made it an ideal investor for both Facebook and Twitter before their respective IPOs in 2012 and 2013.
VCs are notoriously private spread, with estimates that Russiaabout their financial dealings and backed fake news reached 126m investments. Therefore, it took Americans during the 2016 electhe Paradise Papers to reveal that tion. the money used by DST for their However, it must be said that a investments into Twitter came financial investment is far from a from VTB Bank and statement of executive conFacebook from trol in a company. Milner Gazprom. Both inveshimself has released a tors are majority statement to this owned and coneffect, claiming trolled by the that if these return on DST Kremlin. During investments early round were part of Global's investments strategy to get into Facebook Donald Trump investment into prior to its IPO, elected, DST DST acquired “would surely Facebook after 4 8% of the comhave sought some days pany. Four days control over the after the IPO, a DST companies” and yet subsidiary cashed in acquired no board 27 million shares making seats and waived their roughly $1 billion. votes given to them by virtue of Although ordinarily this would their investments. With this said, have been a standard high-level US federal investigations into investment, the links to the both Facebook and Twitter are Kremlin are concerning in the ongoing and a paper trial leading current political climate, in which back to the Kremlin does not look alleged Russian interference in good for US-Russian relations for the US election is making waves. the foreseeable future. The potential impact is wide-
$1bn
The papers name thousands of companies, institutions and individuals and there has been detailed international coverage, as with last year’s Panama Papers. Much has been made of the inclusion of Lewis Hamilton avoiding tax on a £16.5 million plane, Bono’s Malta to Lithuania to Guernsey paper trial, the legality of which he seems to be blissfully unaware and the Queen’s 75 percent stake in a defunct off-licence retail chain. However, all this glamour and celebrity may disguise important revelations in the papers that aren’t grabbing the headlines quite as much. DST Founder, Russian investment billionaire Yuri Milner
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Controversial mining company continues to dig itself into hole Glencore is a multinational mining company and is described as “the biggest company you’ve never heard of.”[16] In 2015, it was listed on the Fortune Global 500 as the 10th largest company in the world, and is the 3rd largest family owned company. Reportedly, the company also had its own “Glencore Room” at the head offices of Applebys.[17] It is no stranger to controversy, with previous allegations including tax evasion in Zambia and dealing with ‘rogue states’ such as apartheid era South Africa and Iraq under Saddam Hussein.[18] Glencore of course denies these allegations. In 2009, Glencore was negotiating for control over Katanga copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Acting on behalf of Glencore was Dan Gertler, an Israeli mining and diamond billionaire. Gertler himself was mired in controversy in a 2001 UN investigation alleging that Gertler had given $20m to the
DRC government, used to buy weapons, in exchange for a monopoly on diamond mining in the country.[19] This deal is alleged to have cost the DRC up to $1 billion. The Paradise Papers reveal that a secret loan of £45 million to Gertler was tied up in a $265m deal between Glencore and Katanga. The money was loaned to Gertler with a clause stipulating the money would be “immediately repayable on demand” if the Katanga contract was not secured within 3 months.[20] Glencore then paid $534m to buy Gertler’s stake in Katanga, widely seen as an attempt to distance themselves from Gertler.[21] Glencore also maintains that the deal was conducted “at arm’s length,” indicating an attitude of damage limitation at Glencore with its relationship to the controversial billionaire. All parties have rubbished allegations of improper business conduct. However, the secrecy of this arrangement is nothing but bad press for both Glencore and Gertler, whose billions can be seen as coming at the expense of the lives and prosperity of citizens of the world’s poorest nations. The Paradise Papers offer further blows to Glencore in the form of evidence that the company avoiding tax on $25bn through crosscurrency swaps. Whilst this practice is legal, Glencore has deemed it necessary to assure us that they no longer indulge in that practice.
What this tells us? This culture of tax avoidance is endemic, that much is certain, but is it cause for concern? If the global taxation system allows for the potential loss of billions in tax every year, who is to say they are rightfully owed it? The debates always seem to run the same way, accusations of impropriety are levelled at high-profit tax avoiders who claim that they’re conduct was strictly legal and that we do not understand the world of global finance. Whilst this is unsatisfying, what else can be said in response beyond ineffective moralising and bitterness towards millionaire celebrities and multi-national corporations.
"This culture of tax avoidance is endemic, that much is certain, but is it cause for concern?" The Paradise Papers however, do not just uncover the tax affairs of the rich and famous. In some cases, they point to wider misconduct and agendas that could do genuine harm beyond artificial manipulation of profits that keep accountants and tax lawyers in jobs. They provide solid evidence of dangerous fiscal irresponsibility, with allegations of playing fast and loose with the healthcare of society’s most vulnerable, the potential manipulation of the democratic process and the exploitation of the desperate political realities of developing countries, trading lives for profit.
A Glencore-Katanga owned mine in the DRC
Redbrick Revisits Bryony Parsons Redbrick Archivist
The 17th of November 1965 issue of Redbrick was particularly heated, as the crisis in Rhodesia escalated. The student body was no stranger to campaigning for international issues at this time, and Rhodesia was of particular importance to them, as UOB’s partner university, University College Salisbury, was based there. Student concern had reached such levels that an Emergency Guild Debate was called to discuss whether British troops should be sent into Rhodesia, following the country’s illegal Universal Declaration of Independence (UDI) on the 11th of November 1965. Britain had been refusing to grant Rhodesia independence on the grounds that the current Rhodesian government was almost entirely white, where 95% of Rhodesians were black. Therefore, it was decided that independence in these circumstances would be unacceptable to the Rhodesia people as a whole, a stance supported by black Rhodesian nationalists.
But feeling that his country was owed independence, Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith and his Cabinet declared independence illegally. This led to economic sanctions being placed on the country by Britain, the Commonwealth, and for the first time in the organisation’s history, the UN. But Birmingham students felt that this was not enough, and called for British troops to be sent in. They felt so passionately about this that a group of students protested the issue in Chamberlain Square, and in a rare departure from the political neutrality of Redbrick, the editorial column of the 17th November 1965 issue argued that economic sanctions were futile and troops should indeed be sent in. Ultimately, as is so often the case with these sort of conflicts, the solution was not simple. The British government chose not to send troops in 1965, and the country struggled through Civil War and international isolation for many years to come. The country only gained an uneasy peace and international recognition in 1980, under the name of Zimbabwe.
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Engagement Should Not Equal Abuse William Baxter Editor-in-Chief @williambaxter2
Despite being the Editor of this fine newspaper, I rarely take the opportunity to comment on major news or campus events. This isn’t simply because I’m too busy making dad jokes and ironing ‘sensible’ shirts (a huge percentage of my working week), but because I believe it isn’t appropriate. Redbrick exists to not only be editorially independent, but to be politically neutral, something I don’t believe could be maintained if I was ranting fortnightly (the readership would of course be likely to quickly grow very bored). However, last week I saw something unfold that I felt I really had to comment on. On the 9th of November, Guild Education Officer Adam Goldstone posted a Facebook status regarding Panopto, asking students to let him know which courses presently didn’t use it.
"When did it become acceptable to label someone a scab?" The response, which I’m sure most will have seen, was to say the least a little unexpected. Several students did as asked, commenting their courses, with some going in to the unrequested
George Alderson
BurnFM Co-Head of Music @Georgey_Aldy
Burn FM hosts its termly live event, Burn Live, in under two weeks’ time in Underground at the Guild of Students, and this is certainly an event not to be missed. Burn Live is a termly tradition at the University of Birmingham, and as the live DJ scene thrives across Birmingham from the Broad Street clubs to the warehouses of Digbeth, here at Burn we believe it is time we put the fine DJ talent coming out of our university on display in an intimate gig right here in the Guild. With a limited capacity of tickets on offer, Burn will be taking you on a musical journey with the best of UoB DJ talent spinning everything from techno to trance, garage to grime in a setting much like the Boiler Room style gigs that every student has seen on YouTube and wished they’d been to. We’ll be taking over the Underground sound system with tunes to satisfy everyone from the old-school garage fan to the late-night techno raver, ensuring that this is an event to put on your calendar. And the price? You get all this enter-
detail of adding modules and lecturers. What came as a surprise was the intensity of some of the comments aimed at Adam. Obviously, it’s clear that this is a more controversial issue than most would’ve considered, but when did it become acceptable to label someone a ‘scab’? I highly doubt most people commenting on the post would say the same to an officer’s face. Personally, my position remains fairly neutral. The Panopto argument itself is largely irrelevant – whatever your thoughts are (and I can guarantee that all viewpoints would be welcomed and considered if expressed politely and respectfully), it’s never okay to abuse someone online who was quite literally just doing the job he was elected into by the student population. Officer Question Time, office hours, Your Ideas and other forums exist to give students the opportunity to challenge officers, give constructive feedback and suggest policy change. I’m proud that Redbrick aims to hold the Guild and the university to account, but I’m prouder still that we will never resort to personal insults and unnecessary aggression. Hopefully everyone else could try and do the same (it is with some irony that as I write this, Guild officers are upstairs making free tea and coffee for students as part of ‘Self Care Week’) and remember that there’s a human being behind the Facebook profile. Next time, think before you comment.
tainment and a great night out for the mere price of a meal deal, with tickets only £3! Look out for releases and promo appearing across our social media platforms over the next two weeks as we release line-ups for the event alongside promo mixes to get you in the groove for the night. Also, for all those with a love of live band music, keep your eyes peeled for announcements next term as we’ll be putting on a live band night to rival even the best line-ups seen in the local gig scene. Burn Live is always an event that you don’t want to miss. Burn Live: 24th November, Underground @ Guild, 9pm-1am, doors open 8:30pm
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CULTURE
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickculture
Review: Spectacular Classics at Symphony Hall Ruth Horsburgh Culture Critic @Ruth_horsburgh
‘Spectacular classics’ is quite a billing to live up to. But with a winning combination of outstanding musical classics, clever lighting effects and pyrotechnics, this proved to be a memorable evening. In the impressive venue of the Symphony Hall, the audience enjoyed pieces performed by the City of Birmingham Orchestra and City of Birmingham Choir, conducted by the renowned Anthony Inglis. Included in their programme were some of the greatest musical pieces from across the ages. From Handel to Elgar, Bizet to Puccini, this concert was any classical music fan’s dream! As the orchestra began with the 'Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture' by Glinka, the promised lasers immediately began to swirl around the concert hall. The addition of lasers is obviously an attempt to innovate and to help the evening live up to the ‘spectacular’ billing. The lighting and lasers were effective when used to evoke a certain mood, such as the sunrise haze effect created as Mascagni’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana was performed. The first outing for the City of Birmingham Choir came in a rousing rendition of Handel’s 'Hallelujah Chorus'. Throughout the concert, their performances were assured, and they reinforced
the collective spirit of the evening. Inglis ensured there would be an informal and friendly atmosphere for the evening’s concert. His amusing background anecdotes to some of the pieces, such as how Vaughan Williams had been arrested on suspicion of spying due to him sketching the cliffs of Dover as Allied boats departed, were well received. The audience also have a collective chuckle as he told the entertaining story of an explosive trombonist!
"This concert was any classical music fan's dream!"
had bought a concert programme also received two Union Jack flags to wave during performances of Elgar’s 'Land of Hope and Glory' and Arne’s 'Rule, Britannia!'. With Inglis’ encouragement for us to stand and sing along during the choruses, the audience were soon up on their feet singing and waving their flags in support. Even the lighting turned a patriotic red, white and blue. This was a particularly enjoyable and uplifting moment of the evening. It was wonderful to feel and see a concert hall united in true Proms style. We were treated to some enjoyable opera extracts. Puccini’s ‘O soave fanciulla’ duet from La Bohème saw Soprano Ilona Domnich and Tenor David Butt
Philip give a tender rendition of the piece, before returning to the stage to playfully perform Verdi’s ‘Brindisi’ from La Traviata. Known as ‘The Drinking Song’, a bottle and glasses of wine were enjoyed by Domnich and Butt Philip, with Inglis leaning over from his conductor’s podium comically trying to steal a glass for himself. The standout moment of the evening for me was Butt Philip’s performance of 'Nessun Dorma'. Iconically performed by the great Pavarotti, I prepared myself to feel slightly underwhelmed. However, Butt Philip’s emotive and formidable delivery was exceptional. I am certain that I was not the only member of the audience with goose bumps, and I
was one of many who stood in awed recognition of such a stellar performance. To conclude, the audience enjoyed Tchaikovsky’s '1812 Overture'. With lasers, booming cannon effects, and an amazing indoor golden fireworks finale, these special effects were a fitting end to such a celebratory evening of music. An encore including a humorous 'Can Can' and a final rendition of 'Land of Hope and Glory', ensured everyone left this concert in jovial spirits. I would thoroughly recommend seeing and supporting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Choir whenever you get the chance. Photo: THSH, Raymond Gubbay
There was a more serious moment in the evening when Vaughan Williams’ 'The Lark Ascending' was dedicated to the armed services, as the concert took place on the 99th anniversary of the Armistice. This tribute was beautifully and poignantly led by violin soloist Alexander Sitkovetsky. He later returned to demonstrate his remarkable skill and virtuosity by playing pieces by Monti and Vivaldi at an astonishing speed. Sitkovetsky deservedly received a rapturous reception. This was an evening of rousing patriotism, with three ‘unofficial national anthems’ performed including Sibelius’ Finlandia. However, British pride and patriotism ruled the day, as those who
Review: (sorry) at the REP Mollie Johnson Culture Critic
Susie Sillett’s trilogy of monologues offers a deeply insightful interpretation of young people’s experiences in the 21st century. She challenges generational assumptions that millennials face with a focus on three key themes: job exploitation, crumbling friendships and the apocalypse. Performed in an eight-row theatre, Phoebe Brown incorporated humour and relatability from the very first line, captivating the audience with her sarcasm, wit and delivery. You’re taken on a journey in the form of a three-part monologue with a woman who represents a generation of apologisers. The set comprised papers in a circle around a chair, never meeting an end. They could symbolise CVs, ice, thoughts and are completely open to interpretation by the audience. Jennifer Davis, the director, claimed that the set is 'whatever you want it to be' in the post-show questions, reminding us that the paper would also be recycled after the show. The play opens with Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry’ and a quip about the 'fruity hints of slave labour' that work experience and internships offer. As a millennial sitting in the audience who has undertaken unpaid work experience, the points seemed to hit
home as the morality of unpaid work was questioned and attacked. Young people’s exploitation at work through the lack of contracts, pay and the consuming nature is a persistent problem today. So many graduates leave university with the hope of a high-paying job and end up living back at home with their parents, struggling to earn a living and desperately trying to reach a step on the housing ladder. The monologue dealt with these issues as this millennial attempts to convince herself that returning home is normal and that 'everyone does it'. The meaningful messages are interwoven with a discussion on whether to purchase branded or supermarket own chickpeas. The audience follows ‘a day in the life of a young adult’, gaining an insight into how our generation lives and the struggles faced. The monologue is littered with comparisons with other graduates, with doctors, with nurses, with paramedics, and with family members. How can one make a difference in the world if they do not save lives? References to Disney films and an unattainable ‘happy ever after’ are thrown out to the audience, one after another, whilst the music reaches its crescendo and the lights begin to dim. Part one ends with a reminder: life is no fairy tale. The beginning of another day
and section is signposted by a musical interlude and blue lighting representing the night. She is sat on the chair with a napkin on her lap. There is an explicit suggestion that she is at a meal with a friend, though it is not obvious who and their gender seems to change throughout the scene as she confronts and questions the outcome of different friendships from her past.
"...a deeply insightful interpretation of young people's experiences...' Sillett’s writing of this scene plays around with the mechanisms of friendships, asking the generic questions and proclaiming happiness for their engagement, their new job, their new house. The play deals with technology throughout the three monologues, but pauses on the importance placed on it here when noting how friendship is measured by the number of Facebook friends you have and the amount of likes you get on a post. For example, the disappointment that one feels when they see their 'number go down' and realise that someone no longer wants to know
what’s going on in your life. The 'friends forever' promise that every millennial has been made resonates with a generation whose forever friends wouldn’t even smile at them in the street anymore. Comparisons aplenty, Part Two furthers the exploration of the self as she blames herself for the breakdown of friendships and assures both herself and the audience that she’ll be getting married soon too, just like her friend. Probably the most relatable monologue to those in the audience, Brown’s depiction of crumbling friendships post-university highlights a familiar issue for many. The incessant and evergrowing loneliness as people that you used to share your life with slip further and further away is perfectly shown through the overlapping narratives, both explicit and implicit. The end of Part Two is marked by the naturalistic sounds of birds and lapping water, coinciding perfectly with the topic of the third monologue: the environment and impending apocalypse. Sillett uses her grandmother’s death as a framing device, flitting between her grandmother’s situation and the wider issue of climate change and our failing planet. The narrative shifts impeccably; one moment she (Phoebe Brown) is talking about her trip to Iceland with her grandmother and
the next she is questioning why nobody has ‘fixed’ the world beforehand, claiming how it is now the millennial generation’s job to do so. The blending of personal and global experience is key to the monologue’s success through the explicit references to feeling guilty for being upset about personal events, like a grandparent dying, when the world is falling apart around us. The audience are forced to weigh up our own ‘waste versus contribution’ to the planet. She calls her grandmother Princess Aurora, foreshadowing her death in line with the earlier message regarding the falseness of fairy tales. The philosophical thoughts presented in this final section deliver a powerful take-home message: What is the point in being alive if you’re damaging the planet more than helping it? A side note, an apology for an apology from a generation who apologise on a daily basis but seem to be the only ones doing so, (sorry) does a brilliant job of conveying the struggles of a misrepresented and misinterpreted generation. The show is the final instalment for this 'New & Nurtured' season, which celebrates work created by local, young artists. The next season begins 26th January 2018, with tickets for all 7 shows totalling £35.
CULTURE
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickculture
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Review: Twelfth Night at the RSC Holly Reaney Culture Critic
With words like ‘marvellous’ ‘magnificent’ and ‘genius’ still buzzing around his name in the wake of his 2014 RSC directorial debut, Christopher Luscombe returns with a stellar cast to take on Shakespeare most revered comedy. A comeback is never easy, particularly since it has been a relatively short time since the critical acclaim of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Love’s Labour’s Won, so does Luscombe manage to reignite his comic flame in the RSC’s latest production of Twelfth Night? Most certainly. Taking the classic tale of mistaken identity, unrequited love, and yellow stockings to a Victorian India, Luscombe highlights the challenges of the Raj with Beruce Khan’s Feste being reimagined as Olivia’s Munshi (or secretary), adding a racial element to the tensions between Malvolio and Feste. This bitterness adds a complexity to both roles, functioning as a microcosm of some of the era’s less performed politics. With the recent release of the film Victoria and Abdul, there are parallels with Olivia and Feste that can’t help but be drawn. Furthermore, the addition of creative decisions of cast, costume and race serves to reflect the historical unity of Britain and India in the year of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Raj. Luscombe adopts a slight variation on the play’s original structure, reversing the order of the first two acts. Opening with Viola (Dinita Gohil) beginning to explore the new world she finds herself in. The shifting of scenes leaves you hanging, desperately longing for those universally
famous and beautiful opening lines of the play. So, in the theme of the production, I too shall make you wait... Dinita Gohil’s portrayal of Olivia was one of the stand out performances of the play. Her enthusiasm, wit and vivacious performance perfectly encapsulated Viola’s charming playfulness. Often in productions where large names take the leading roles, in this case Ade Edmondson and Kara Tointon, the other cast members are perhaps overlooked. This was not the case for Twelfth Night where each actor so perfectly suited their character that no figure was lost.
"This adaptation really is a beautiful rendition of the play" This was no clearer than in the play’s marvellous subplot, which was as riveting as its romantic counterpart. Sir Aguecheek (Michael Cochrane) and Toby Belch (John Hodgkinson) were the perfect comedic double act, fuelling each other’s performances. Vivien Parry created a zealous Maria whose manipulative plotting propelled the action forwards with exceptional ease. In addition, the gender-swap of Fabian to Fabia, played by Sarah Twomey, was well suited and created a nice doubling of characters in the subplot scenes. Luscombe’s production does not shy away from the questions of gender and gender identity that Twelfth Night implicitly raises. Giles Taylor’s Antonio is involved in an additional plot of unrequited love, as he falls for Sebastian after rescuing him. Instead of
being arrested for thievery, it is assumed that his arrest may be more as a result of his sexuality, giving Antonio a Wildean quality which evokes a tragic sympathy lacking in the original. A further mention must go to Nicholas Bishop’s Orsino, whose bisexual character further plays into the exploration of sexual politics that Luscombe explores. He is a colourful character with many layers of complexity, who famously marked the beginning of the action of the play with the line ‘If music be the food of love, play on!’ And play on it did. Nigel Hess’ music score gave the play a vibrant energy which punctuated the highs and lows of emotion which ripple throughout the play, both in evocative interludes and bright Elizabethan ditties. It is not in the habit of the English theatre audience to erupt in rapturous applause midway through a performance, however, the musical numbers, particularly Ade Edmondson’s ‘Please One and So Please All’, was fuelled by the audience’s enthusiasm and encouragement as each pause brought a sea of laughter and applause. The two big names of the production were perfectly suited to their characters. Ade Edmondson, best known for his 1980s role as psychotic punk Vyvyan in The Young Ones, might not be so recognisable as the suave, straightbacked butler of Olivia’s house. However, very quickly, this stern Puritan exterior unravels to reveal one of Britain’s best comic actors, equipped with the signature crossgartered yellow stockings. Kara Tointon’s delicate elegance delightfully encapsulated the mourning Olivia, though at times her performance did seem a little flat: particularly in the play’s more passionate climactic
scenes. One of the stand out elements of the already spectacular production was Simon Higlet’s staging. The immensely versatile staging immerses and takes you through a fully formed world, reflecting a romanticised India under the British Raj. The hustle and bustle of a railway station is magically summoned in a few moments, whole gardens and hallways are risen from the ground, and a rotating backdrop of a glass orangery creates a quintessentially Victorian backdrop to the performance.
is an adaptation of Ibsen’s 1884 play of the same name. It tells the tragic story of the Edkal family who, through the course of the performance, slowly descend into ruin. Stone’s adaptation brings the play firmly into the 21st century, with the dialogue completely reworked, making it an extremely powerful domestic tragedy with a universal appeal today. I went to see The Wild Duck in 2014 as part of a Barbican Weekend Lab, a twoday directing workshop with Simon Stone himself. The weekend lab gave me an insight into Stone’s adaptation process and I was completely in awe of his approach. His dedication to the original text is unwavering and he breathes a new energy into well-known, classical texts. Sitting in the audience at that performance, with the glass box perfectly placed on stage and the lights flashing on and off to show a real duck walking around the stage, I really felt as though I was watching the future of theatre. His new play, Yerma, an adapta-
tion of the 1934 play by Federico Lorca, received 5 star reviews from practically everyone – and you should believe the hype.
This production has already received a lot of hype both critically and online, and it is the talk of the English department (then again, when is Shakespeare not the talk of the English department!). With this excitement comes the question of actual value - is it as good as everyone is saying? My answer: yes. It’s entertaining, witty and an excellent reinvention of the Shakespearean classic. A favourite play for many, and the name Ade Edmondson will definitely put bums on seats, but this adaptation really is an beautiful rendition of the play. Photo by Paul Stuart (c) RSC
Culture Corner Rebecca Moore Culture Editor
Culture Editor, Rebecca Moore, kicks off our brand-new feature ‘Culture Corner’, where our team of writers let us know their culture favourites and how they’ve been inspired by them. D.H. Lawrence - Sons and Lovers Everyone wants to find that one book they absolutely love, the one they’ll be reading and rereading throughout their life. For me, that book is D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers. Sons and Lovers is a coming of age novel about an adolescent called Paul Morel, dealing with themes of love, loss, sexuality, and familial relationships. I had to read it as part of my Modernism module as an undergraduate English student. I dreaded reading it at first, primarily because it’s over 500 pages in length, but also because Lawrence has a reputation for being overly ‘wordy’ , causing a lot of people to dislike his writing. But, as an emotional 21-year-old, the book really related to me and I grew to love the
way that Lawrence labours over seemingly insignificant moments. He tests the limits of language and questions whether it has the power to explain emotional epiphanies. If you’re feeling unsure about your future, feeling estranged from your family, or questioning what love is, then you need to read this novel. It has a way of making you feel better about shared, young adult anxieties. I ended up writing my dissertation on Lawrence’s early novels and his influence can be clearly seen in my own creative writing. I have no doubt that he will continue to shape my writing throughout my life. Simon Stone - The Wild Duck After graduating, I spent a lot of time travelling from Birmingham to London to watch the theatre I’d learnt about in lecture halls. This included work being produced at the Almeida, the National, the Royal Court and (my favourite place) the Barbican. Simon Stone’s The Wild Duck
Jon McGregor - If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things When I started to study Creative Writing at postgraduate level, I was relieved to hear that I would need to read a lot more contemporary fiction. Having completed an English degree, I felt as though my reading life had been dedicated to classics. As part of my Poem as Story module, I read Jon McGregor’s This Isn’t the Sort of Thing that Happens to Someone Like You and was deeply impressed by his genre-bending form and challenging of conventional fiction. I didn’t leave much time before picking up If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things and I don’t recall being as moved by a book since I had read Lawrence all those years ago. If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things is a book about the community. Evolving around a traumatic incident that happens on a street, McGregor explores a series of characters, in turn, who live next to each other but rarely interconnect. McGregor
is a leading writer of genre-bending prose poetry, writing in the form of traditional fiction but borrowing poetic elements such as heightened language and heavily emotive imagery. I read this book and thought, this is what I want to write, this is what I have been trying to achieve here. I’m currently starting to brainstorm ideas for my MA dissertation and, writing in prose-poetry, I intend to use McGregor as an influence. His new novel, Reservoir 13, has just been released, to much critical acclaim. It’s at the top of my reading pile and I enthusiastically encourage you to add it to yours. Production photo - Robbie Jack
Rebecca Moore
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FILM
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickfilm
Review: Murder on the Orient Express Film Critic Phoebe Christofi follows the clues in Kenneth Branagh's glitzy Agatha Chrisie adaptation Phoebe Christofi Film Critic
Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), the eccentric and charismatic world-famous detective decides to have a mini holiday by catching what should be a calm and relaxing train journey from Istanbul to Paris. With the prospects of reading his Charles Dickens and indulging in delectable sweets and pastries, Poirot soon discovers that his holiday will be extremely short-lived due to a very unexpected murder; or was it? As the plot continues you find that all the passengers are on the train for a reason, not just pure coincidence. The twists and turns that follow leave both
Poirot and the audience shocked by the investigations findings. Something Murder on the Orient Express is not, is a train-wreck. Although, I wouldn’t call it a majorly 'wow' production either. It sits quite comfortably in the middle, being both an enjoyable film though not one makes you fizzle with excitement. When the cast list was first revealed, I was confused – why did they need an A-List cast, surely they knew this film wasn’t actually going to be that good? Turns out, every actor was necessary. With Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Tom Bateman, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Olivia
Colman and Manuel GarciaRulfo, all on top form, the film revelled in the tense atmospheric stranglehold of Christie’s whodunnit plot. However, there was a limited shock factor to the murder. This stems both from the title of the film where you know it is going to be inevitable, but also with the camera angles. Displaying a birds-eye view of the corridor where Poirot is trying to access the victim's room, it is the only shot like this in the entire film. As it is the moment where everything changes, it’s quite artistic to use a different filming technique. However, as you don’t see the body, there is no wow factor by the murder scene - you are also unaware of any clues to the death. Despite the cast list being fantastic, the iconic actors did not get enough screen time to really strut their stuff. The only actor beside Branagh who gets to showcase any variety or ability, (in his relatively short-lived performance), is Depp. Further notable performances go to Josh Gad and Michelle Pfeiffer, who had the most lines besides Depp, had active scenes, and their presence were inescapably key to the plots continuance. With so many actors from so many different genres, the variation of the cast is perhaps meant to draw in the crowds, so as not to appeal to just one specific group of cine-
ma-goers. However, even though the cast list is flawless, I resented the fact that you do not see more of them. Judi Dench’s role for example was minimal, albeit key to the plot. In many group shots where all of the characters were shown in sweeping cinematic views, there were many occasions where the actors seemed to just be there for marketing value. Something no Branagh film can go without is breath-taking cinematography, right down to a coat button. His keen eye for detail makes the film exquisite to look at, with the period costumes flaunted by the actors a marvellous addition to the timeless period. And yes, Branagh’s moustache is magnificent. Shooting on 65mm, the final result of the film was incredible,
giving the cinematography an insanely epic feel. From the open Jerusalem squares with their immense structures, juxtaposed to the tight corridors and confined spaces of the train, the stark contrast between the two settings showed how quickly a situation can change. VERDICT: If there is one thing I can draw from this film, it’s that you have fun with it. The costumes, setting and charismatic characters make it an extremely enjoyable way to spend an afternoon; even if you already know who did it.
Review: The Florida Project
Film Critic Todd Waugh Ambridge dips below Mickey Mouse's bread-line Todd Waugh Ambridge Film Critic
Last year, Ken Loach released I, Daniel Blake to critical acclaim for its emphatically real look at those the welfare system is (supposed to) support. It highlighted that often it is people – and not the state – who provide the social services required. Sean Baker, who calls Loach one of his heroes, takes this idea and runs with it, giving us The Florida Project, an indie film that succeeds on an even grander scale.
"It can't be hit home enough how real this film feels" But The Florida Project is not your usual film. There’s not much narrative or structure to it, choosing instead to present grounded characters in a believable world. This world is The Magical Kingdom; a motel with a growing community of extended-stay guests managed by the stern but compassionate Bobby (Willem Dafoe). We follow sixyear-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her two friends
through their summer misadventures at the motel and its surroundings. Despite her childish naivety, however, Moonee comes face-to-face with the harsh reality of homelessness and the toll it takes on her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite). Both Prince and Vinaite are newcomers to acting but excel here. Their characters’ motherdaughter relationship is the soul of the film, and is flawlessly authentic throughout and only enhanced by the roughness of their performances. The other child actors equally surprise: they land moments both humorous and distressing with incredible grace – and while they are often brash and irritating, you quickly remember that that’s precisely the point. Meanwhile, Baker utilises Dafoe to his fullest potential, utterly destroying his ‘quirky villain’ typecast. He will make you laugh and he will make you cry.
"The Florida Project succeeds on an even grander scale" It can’t be hit home enough how real this film feels. The Florida Project is a character
study about parenting, childhood innocence, societal divide and community – but none of it feels constructed. The sound of feet hit the floor as the kids run across the parking lot and the camera slowly widens to a shot of the motel with detail in every corner. Baker has placed shards of reality in every beat, and you can practically feel the intensity of the beating Florida sun. And on a story level, you will recognise these characters from all walks of life: the compassion they show each other is decidedly human, and their motivation and desperation is never melodramatic or farcical. It’s surprising to learn that none of this film
is non-fiction. The audience experiences the film from the perspective of Moonee and the other kids, learning information as they do and experiencing their confusion and distress. Sean Baker does this without us ever realising, and its effect is massive in that we don’t feel like an outsider looking in. Baker writes of The Florida Project, 'Like in all my films, it’s important to be in the moment with these characters,' and there’s no better way of putting it. At one point, the residents of The Magical Kingdom see an abandoned condo engulfed in flames; they crowd around as if it were bon-
fire night, taking pictures and laughing. In the moment, the characters are alive, and that’s all they need to be. VERDICT: The Florida Project is touching, funny, heart-breaking and, most of all, alive. Its title comes from an original name for Florida’s Walt Disney World, and the parallels don’t stop there. This film asks and answers one question: if Disney World is the epitome of childhood fantasy, then what is next door?
FILM
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickfilm
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Feature: Hollywood's Diversity Problem Film Critic Emma Curzon discusses the diversity problem that still plagues the film industry
Emma Curzon Film Critic
The trailer for Marvel’s Black Panther dropped two weeks ago. And it looks bloody amazing, but I know nothing about superhero movies so I’m not here to talk about that. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett and Michael B. Jordan, the film will undoubtedly stand out next to its competition’s posters - and not just because of the star-studded cast. As the New York Times points out, Black Panther ‘feels revolutionary’ because ‘this could be the most Afrocentric blockbuster in Hollywood history.’ I doubt they are lying - out of ten cast members on the poster, eight of them are black. Even Star Wars: The Last Jedi poster only has three BME actors (John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and KellyMarie Tran), out of an eightstrong main cast. The point is, unless you’re a straight, ablebodied, cisgender and (probably rich) white man, you are bound to find yourself under-represented across the film industry.
"Unless you're a straight, cisgender and (probably rich) white man, you're bound to find yourself under-represented across the film industry" Even though things have improved in recent years, the problem of representation is frustratingly hard to solve because there is an infinity of groups that would quite like some, thanks very much. The cast of The Last Jedi boasts an impressive number of badass women, a huge step up - but nearly all of them are white. In 2015’s Pride, around half the cast were gay - but there are literally no ethnic minority characters. Essentially, the more ‘differences’ you add, the less options you have. As well as
straight romances outnumbering gay ones, white lesbian characters vastly outrank BME ones. Black trans women have Laverne Cox and that’s pretty much it. And if you’re a deafblind, bisexual black woman, an Asian transgender man, an asexual woman with a disability or a gender non-binary person well, good luck finding anyone who even vaguely represents you on any screen, let alone the silver one. Why does this matter? Because the blockbusters we go and watch on Friday nights do not exist in a vacuum: they reflect the way their creators see the world, and what we see as most important in it. And in turn, we project that version of the world onto real life. For example, after American Sniper was shown in cinemas, many took its portrayal of (mostly Iraqi) enemy fighters far too seriously. The American-Arab AntiDiscrimination Committee claimed that anti-Arab/Muslim threats tripled following its release, and tweets by viewers included ‘Great fucking movie and now I really want to kill some fucking ragheads’, and ‘Nice to see a movie where the Arabs are portrayed for who they really are - vermin scum intent on destroying us.’ But Leah Meyerhoff (founder of Film Fatales) explains how this approach can work in reverse: ‘Films teach us to empathise with perspectives different from out own, and the more that stories on screen reflect the diversity of the world around us, the better.’ Sadly, ‘reflecting the world around us’ is exactly what is lacking. The 2016 Oscars boasted great characters including Brie Larsson as an abduction and rape survivor, Rachel McAddams as a journalist exposing child sexual abuse and Charlize Theron as the fearless Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. And every single one of those women - plus practically the entire main cast of all the nominated films - was white. That, of course, was the #OscarsSoWhite scandal. For cold, hard statistics, in the top 100 films of that year, only 29% of protagonists were female and among female characters in general, 76% were white, 14% were black, and for Asian and Latina
women? 6% and an even measlier 3%, respectively.
"Moonlight is the first afrocentric winner that wasn't centered around slavery, civil rights or race relations" To make matters even more difficult, the problem is not just having more named female, nonwhite, LGBTQ+ etc. characters - it’s what those characters do and how they’re portrayed that can make all the difference. For example, even though Hermione Granger, Leia Organa and Rita Vrataski (Edge of Tomorrow) are totally brilliant, as far as saving the day is concerned they still play second fiddle to a white man. On the rare occasion when you find a well-known film with a roughly equal racial balance, the chances are it’s either set in Africa, or that the plot revolves around slavery and/or racism. Take 12 Years A Slave, Lupita Nyong'o's performance in which made her a household name. Such films, if well-made, are in no way undeserving of the acclaim they have received, but it’s still irritating that - according to the Guardian - Moonlight is not only the first film about an LGBT subject to win Best Picture; it’s also the first afrocentric winner that was not centered around slavery, civil rights or race relations. Hidden Figures, meanwhile, was at least told from the point of view of the women affected by racism: many race-focused films just cannot seem to exist without a white ally as the main POV character. As an example, take a look at IMDB’s description of drama The Help: ‘An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.’ And the storyline on the same site begins with ‘Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter (Emma Stone) is a southern society girl who returns
from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives - and a Mississippi town - upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families.’ In both cases even though the black women clearly have it worse in this film, it is clear who - according to marketers - the plot really revolves around. Of course, it’s not all bad news. There was an undeniable improvement this year, with nominations and wins going to Lion (starring Dev Patel); Viola Davis (for Fences, making her the first black actor to win the ‘triple crown’ of an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony) and of course Moonlight, a coming-of-age film about a young, gay AfricanAmerican man, scooping the win for Best Picture (eventually.) And we’ve got Rey, Finn and (soon!) Rose, the Goldstein sisters and Seraphina Picquery, plus Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Carol, Wonder Woman and quite a few more. It’s a start. So, what can be done to make sure this trend continues? First off, obviously, we need more films like Black Panther: blockbuster and/or acclaimed, award-worthy films that represent women, BME characters and other minorities. And sitting around waiting for the current higher echelons to step up isn’t going to help. When crafting a story as a director, writer etc., we’re most likely to create protagonists we can identify with hence they usually end up looking and/or living like us or rather, usually, like him.
"If we want more representation in front of the camera, we need more diversity behind it" In the top 100 highest grossing films of 2016, women made up 29% of protagonists - and it cannot be a coincidence that in those same films, women only represented 11% of writers and a miniscule 4% of directors. If we really want to get more rep-
resentation in front of the camera, we need more diversity behind it and, as one indie director told Indie Wire, ‘those with money and power to lose will not relinquish control gently.’ The industry ‘will only become just and diverse if we filmmakers change it.’ Thankfully, those who control spending power do seem to be taking note: all three of Hollywood’s highest-up agencies (CAA, UTA and WME) are pursuing initiatives to make sure all filmmakers get access to funding, for example by presenting every film studio and TV network with female and BME directors and writers. As agent Christy Haubegger puts it, ‘we can’t make you hire our female directors, but you’re not going to say you didn’t see them.’ At UTA, 50% of each incoming class is now made up of BME trainees and/or women, setting the foundations for more representation among agents and executives. According to Forbes, the evidence indicates that those trainees will go to represent their different backgrounds among their clients.
"The more diverse your cast, ther more consumer dollars you'll get" So there is clearly a way forward, and in spite of a certain world leader whose first reaction to a young girl was ‘I’m going to be dating her in ten years’, in the cultural industry the times are changing. And it will probably come down to money, because every time UCLA releases its annual Hollywood diversity report, it finds that the more diverse your cast, the more consumer dollars you’ll get. Slowly, it seems, people are waking up to it- and maybe one day all the movies we watch will have casts- whether they’re Jedi knights, superheroes or high-school seniors- that really reflect the world around us. What do you think about Hollywood's diversity problem? Tweet us @RedbrickFilm
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MUSIC
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickmusic
Album Review:
Louisa Bebb Music Critic @louisabebb
The newest Taylor Swift album came with a warning. ‘The old Taylor is dead,’ we were told, in a statement that made hardcore fans nervous about just how different Reputation would be. It would be wrong not to admit that something has changed on this new record: this is Swift’s first explicit, riotous album, although the differences do not end with the odd mild profanity or reference to drinking alcohol. It is still, like most of Swift’s discography, largely an album about falling in love, but unlike past records Reputation tells the story of a woman who comes across stronger, more confident and more independent than she has ever been before. The opening track ‘...Ready For It?’ certainly stays true to its name, building anticipation for the
rest of the album with a grittier sound than we have previously heard from Swift. The most notable difference in her sound though is brought to us in ‘End Game,’ which features an odd collaboration between Ed Sheeran and Future - you have to wonder if Swift is out of her depth slightly with this particular collaboration. The chorus is memorable, but ‘End Game’ seems a million miles away from the curly-haired and cowboybooted Taylor who released her debut album at the age of 16. Reputation has more of an edge than anything Swift has previously released, with lyrics that are wonderfully cutting and present no sign of vulnerability: ‘I owe him nothing / I don't regret it one bit,’ she sings in ‘I Did Something Bad,’ a song which appears to be aimed, quite unsubtly, at former flame Calvin Harris. The track also features the lyric ‘But if he drops my name, then I owe him nothing
/ And if he spends my change, then he had it coming,’ seemingly referring to Harris failing to credit Swift for co-writing his hit song ‘This Is What You Came For’. Swift has been constantly been accused of playing the victim throughout her career, but on Reputation she goes very firmly on the attack. The lyrics are also far more risqué than fans will be used to, for example ‘You know I’m not a bad girl / but I’d do bad things with you,’ from ‘So it Goes...’ and the flirtatious ‘I only bought this so you could take it off,’ from the track ‘Dress.’ Much of the album is a nod towards EDM and a more synthetic side to pop than Swift has explored before, especially evident on tracks such as ‘Delicate’ and ‘Dancing With Our Hands Tied.’ But it is not all change: ‘Getaway Car’ sounds as if it could have come straight off 2012 album Red,
and ‘This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ comes complete with the repetitive chorus, tongue-incheek lyrics and general fun that Swift has always been so proficient in providing.
"Reputation has more of an edge than anything Swift has previously released" The standout track, however, is the blockbuster single ‘Look What You Made Me Do.’ It is truly brilliant; the lyrics are clever and catchy and the melody, although largely simplistic, is one you will not be getting out of your head in a hurry.
The whole tracklist, in fact, is good, but it is true that some are more forgettable than others. An honourable mention must go to ‘Don’t Blame Me,’ which provides Reputation with an epic and almost gothic sound which ties together perfectly with powerful lyrics: ‘Don’t blame me, love made me crazy / If it doesn’t, you ain’t doing it right.’ However, closing track ‘New Year’s Day’ never quite gets going. It is by no means a bad song, but seems like a poor moment on which to end such a powerful album. This abrupt change in Swift’s sound is ultimately a positive one, bringing with it a more mature and authoritative voice which helps make Reputation her most intimate record to date. The old Taylor may be dead, but thankfully the new one is just as brilliant.
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Greatest Hits: Sorcha Hornett Music Critic Sorcha Hornett takes on the formidable task of compiling a five-song soundtrack to her life An Anthem From My Childhood: Christina Millian - ‘AM to PM’ I was slightly scared to see that this song came out in 2001. I remember hearing it on the radio for the first time and thinking how catchy and fun it was. I started to learn the lyrics (obviously I did not actually understand them, but that is beside the point) and would rejoice whenever it came on the radio. I never learnt the name of the song and for the years I did not hear it, it haunted me. It was not until my early teens when I rediscovered this tune and realised I knew all the words off by heart; it was then I realised this was the anthem of my childhood and my earliest song I can remember being my favourite, so I could not leave it out.
The Sound Of My Teenage Years: Lorde - ‘A World Alone’
Lorde has absolutely shaped the person I am today. I remember getting her first album Pure Heroine for Christmas in 2013 and I have been hooked on her ever since. ‘A World Alone’ was the perfect song for me: ‘I know we’re not everlasting / We’re a train wreck waiting to happen’ and ‘Let ‘em talk ‘cause we’re dancing in a world alone / We’re all alone.' These lyrics meant so much to me as a young teenager caught up in rumour mills and failed first loves, it was my safety net. The whole album remains one of my favourite to date and after seeing her live recently she has cemented herself as my teenage icon; I cannot thank her enough for everything she did for younger me.
My Favourite Track To Work To: Tame Impala - ‘Eventually’ The album Currents by Tame Impala is the one record that I always come back to when I need to get some serious work done. I can rarely work in silence because I get too distracted with my own thoughts and need some background noise; whether this be the hum of students in the library café or this winner of an album - it is literally the perfect soundtrack. ‘Eventually’ is one of my favourite tracks, the lyrics mean a lot to me, but it also motivates me to keep going and meet my impending deadlines. This album saved my first year, it was the only thing that got me through those long revision sessions and I am forever grateful.
The Song That Changed My Music Taste: The 1975 - ‘Chocolate’
I have seen The 1975 live a grand total of six times. They completely opened up a whole new world of music for me and they remain my favourite band of all time. Their first album was a masterpiece, it completely showed me that it was okay to like something other than the Big Top 40. Growing up in Essex meant one thing: mainstream. It was weird to like anything else, yet this band changed everything for me. ‘Chocolate’ was the first single I discovered and it still remains one of my all time favourite songs. Their music allowed me to explore this indie-alternative world and introduced me to so many new artists and bands - my music taste would not be what it is now without them.
The Perfect Anthem To Drive To: Drake - ‘Passionfruit’ Drake cannot go without mention in this article; ‘Passionfruit’ was the highlight of my summer. It was the perfect anthem for those long drives I had up to Birmingham from Essex as it is just downright catchy and such an anthem. No matter what melancholy mood I begin my drive in, it is completely dissipated when this comes on. It makes me want to dance, it is simply the perfect thing to sing your absolute heart out to on those long country lanes. It is the perfect medium between sweet and sad. If you have not driven to this song, pop it on your playlist, hit the road and reminisce about the one that got away. You can thank me later.
MUSIC
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickmusic
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Spotlight On: Sampa In Pursuit of the Sesh The Great Pablo Doyle reviews the best ry is also remarkably anthemic: 2015 track ‘F E M A L E’ opens on the chantalong verse ‘Big bold women, round of applause / Get my goals women, round of applause,’ a spoken-word celebration of femininity that is as empowering as it is catchy.
online live sessions Pablo Doyle It is hard to put into words what is so great about live sessions, but if they are not already part of the way you listen to and discover music, then you are missing out big time. Nothing can compare to the elation in finding out that your favourite artist now has an acoustic version of their single, and you can actu-
ally watch them while they sing it. Just type into YouTube any artist you are into at the moment, followed by the word ‘session,’ and there you go. There are countless channels out there dedicated to bringing you the sesh, and sometimes it is all about filtering through and getting to know the best ones. In no particular order, here is a quick guide to four of the best channels out there, and their finest sessions.
ists to perform in their actual office. What makes Tiny Desk so great is the intimate and quite often stripped-back nature of the sessions. A lot of the time you can even see the artist is feeling awkward, bringing out a side to them you would never see when listening on Spotify or even at a gig, when you are so far away.
showcase a wide range of artists. Oddly, the best sessions seem to be those by hip hop or rap artists. There is something about seeing them in that specific setting that makes it slightly comical, but equally special: the best session on this channel must therefore go to Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals.
Music Critic @pabsdoyle
"Sampa the Great is carving out a niche for herself that makes her all the more essential NPR Tiny Desk Concerts to modern hipAs the name suggests, NPR (an The sound quality and mixing is hop" American radio network) invite art- also phenomenal, and they always
Thom Dent Music Editor @thomdent
Sampa Tembo is nothing if not unique. Hailing originally from Zambia, she was raised in Botswana and moved out to Australia when she was 22. Now based in Sydney, Sampa has set about making music that encapsulates the diverse influences that have formed her. It is a sound that soars, that sings with the voice of southern Africa and the swagger of western hip-hop, as indebted to Thandiswa Mazwai as it is to Lauryn Hill.
"Sampa's lyrics are nuanced, clever and tremendously provocative" Her latest mixtape, Birds And The Bee9, was released just last week, but it can already stake a claim to being one of the best releases of the year. In a genre fully invested in the trap phenomenon to the extent that even Kendrick Lamar, previously hailed as the great saviour of jazz rap, is releasing tracks like ‘Element,’ Sampa the Great is carving out a niche for herself that makes her all the more essential to modern hip-hop.
You are fairly likely to have already heard some of Sampa’s music – her biggest hit, ‘Blue Boss,’ has over 5 million plays on Spotify thanks to the airplay it received (in the UK at least) from Annie Mac on Radio 1. And while the pool of female afro-Australian rappers is, admittedly, relatively small, Tembo is already one of its biggest players. Although her first full-length, The Great Mixtape, appeared back in 2015, Sampa has made a name for herself across the last couple of years with a string of excellent singles, such as the dub-groover ‘2 4’ and the fleeting ‘Blessings,’ a superb soul-tinted jazz rap track. Now well-established as one of the most exciting up-and-coming rappers in the world, the young Zambian is flying the flag not simply for African and Australian music, but is speaking out as a notable female voice amidst the male-dominated hip-hop scene. Sampa claims Lauryn Hill to be ‘the woman that got me up on stage,’ and it is obvious to anybody who has seen her live or listened to one of her tapes that Tembo is putting in the graft to become the successor to Hill’s indomitable throne. With a background as a slam poet, Sampa’s lyrics are nuanced, clever and tremendously provocative. Take some of the political punches on ‘Blue Boss’ for example: ‘It’s time for you to see / That this is democracy / If the rich are getting richer boy how poor we gonna be.’ But at her best, Sampa’s poet-
Birds And The Bee9 is Sampa’s softest and best work to date. Texturally it finds the perfect blend of her African roots and western inspirations (I am not going to entertain a debate about Australia’s status as a Western nation, but hopefully you catch my drift), beginning with the gorgeous choral ‘Healing’ and peaking with the record’s wonderful centrepiece, the seven-minute odyssey ‘Bye River.’ It is a unique record that perfectly encapsulates and ascertains Sampa’s voice – from the assertive ‘Protect Your Queen’ to ‘I Am Me,’ a rhythmic exercise in self-love that rivals Loyle Carner’s ‘Sun Of Jean’ as the most uplifting hip-hop track of the year. It is a tremendous record, a poetic statement of intent from the woman who unashamedly calls herself ‘Great.’ While Birds And The Bee9 should by any measure be the project that kick-starts her career, Sampa’s talent has certainly not gone unnoticed so far. Already this year she has earned support slots for hip-hop heavyweights Kendrick Lamar and Joey Bada$$, the latter taking her to the Birmingham O2 Institute at the end of last month. She returned to Brum in her own right a couple of weeks later, headlining an intimate show at The Hare and Hounds the night before the release of Birds And The Bee9. Her live show is not yet spectacular, naturally, yet even the simple setup of Sampa and her selector is powerful, particularly in such a small venue. Although she cannot stand at more than 5’5” tall, Tembo cuts a powerful figure onstage, holding the microphone like it was born in her hand and carrying herself with a grace and swagger that could command any stage in the world. Seeing Sampa live at this stage in her career feels special. It carries the same potency that must have been felt at the 1976 Sex Pistols gig in Lesser Hall, or at one of the rap battles that Eminem was frequenting in the late nineties. You get the same impression listening to her music – it has the sound of endless potential, and feels like you are hearing the burgeoning of one of the next musical phenomena. Sampa the Great, indeed.
KEXP Presents... KEXP is an American radio station based in Seattle. In a similar fashion to BBC Live Lounge, they broadcast the artists playing live and also submit a video onto their YouTube channel. In many respects, KEXP could be the best channel out there. Most of the time, artists will come in and play with their full set up, just like they would when you see them in concert. This means you get to hear their full sound and really get
to appreciate the dynamics and talent of a band. Artists will usually perform three or four songs, so you get a good amount of material. There is also a 5-10 minute interview inbetween from the fabulous presenter Cheryl Waters, a true sweetheart and a reason in itself to watch the sessions. For the full KEXP experience check out the sessions by The xx, Jungle, or Father John Misty.
La Blogotheque: A Take Away Show La Blogotheque is a session like no other. The focus is not only on the artist, but also on the visuals and the videography. All the sessions take place in Paris, with the artist walking round the streets, catching the metro or playing in someone’s flat. They are always filmed in one take and are extremely pleasing to watch. The number of artists who feature is also astonishing, so
give yourself plenty of hours to sift through them. Take Away Shows are very intimate, often including scenes where you can hear artists joking around and having dayto-day conversations, not to mention the extreme close-up shots of the artists. For the full Blogotheque experience, watch the video of French band Phoenix playing ‘1901' in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Triple J: Like A Version Another radio station, but this time we are all the way in Australia. Since it is a well known fact that any music coming out of Australia is automatically good, the Triple J studio is no exception. The setup and sound quality is fairly basic, but Triple J's uniqueness comes from their ‘Like A Version’ sessions. The artist will come in and perform their own song, but they are also asked to play a cover. They also encourage
the artist to do an unusual cover, by crossing over genres for example. The result: Noah And The Whale covering The Pixies, or Kasabian covering the Sesame Street theme tune. And if your favourite artist has not performed there yet, it is likely that someone else has covered one of their songs anyway. In typical Triple J style, the best session goes to Tame Impala covering ‘Prototype’ by Outkast.
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TELEVISION
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricktv
David Attenborough is Back With Blue Planet II Izzy Detheridge reviews the stunning masterpiece that is Blue Planet II. Izzy Detheridge Television Writer @ambitious_izzy
Four years, 125 expeditions, 39 countries and 6,000 hours of footage in the making, Blue Planet II is the BBC’s latest masterpiece to grace our screens, once again featuring legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough and a moving score composed by Hans Zimmer. Achieving an eye-watering 9.9/10 rating on IMDb, this series is shaping up to be a contender for the top spot with 2016’s Planet Earth II. The sequel to ‘the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans’, The Blue Planet (2001), the new
series sees Attenborough – now 91 – documenting the weird and wonderful lives of never-beforeseen creatures that inhabit the endless blue. So far, viewers have been treated to a melange of ground-breaking footage, including a tusk fish using ‘tools’ to crack open a clam, and a giant trevally fish that leaps from the waves to seize unsuspecting birds from below for their next meal. Now technology has made it possible to go down further, get closer, and see clearer, Sir David a n d his crew can deliver the cutting edge of marine exploration to our Sunday screens, the most incredible of which so far is the story of survival in the Marianas Trench.
Where pressure is more than the weight of 50 jumbo jets and the depth is greater than Mount Everest is high, fish dwelling near searing-hot undersea volcanoes at the sub- duction zone of two tectonic plates
miraculously prevail on microscopic tit-bits of food that have drifted down from the surface. For science, this is ground-breaking, as this may be
where life on Earth began. But there is just as much excitement brewing at the surface, where bottlenose dolphins dive through the rippling waves for pleasure and social bonding. The camera crew spare no expense in terms of monitoring sea and wind conditions for weeks in anticipation of the perfect shots, and are almost overcome by vicious waves at one point when filming. For every shot of adrenaline, however, there is a touching feature to keep us riveted. The most notable one as yet is the moving footage of a mother walrus and her pup desperate for a slither of ice on which to rest from swimming so far, struggling futilely to fathom the disappearance of Arctic ice.
Week on week, viewers can be charmed and bewildered by the complexity of the planet on which we live, captured in stunning high definition and paired with an evocative soundtrack. Completed by the iconic voice of a British national treasure, Blue Planet II is a pleasant reminder of the amazing world around us, and that life is more than just what occurs on terra firma within the boundary of humanity’s influence. This really is a show that can appeal to anyone; it is insightful, beautiful, and the perfect end to a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Share your thoughts on Blue Planet II @redbricktv
Review: The End of the F*****g World Dominic Lyons Television Writer
James is seventeen and so empty inside he once deep fried his hand just to feel something. A selfconfessed psychopath, he's been killing woodland creatures for years and now he's ready to murder a real life human being. Luckily for someone with zero social skills, he does not have to do much to gain his would-be victim’s trust. Alyssa is an angsty live wire who spots a fellow outcast and develops something of a fascination for him. “I've seen you skating.” She lies. “You're pretty shit.” Alyssa is a captivating character who is sick of serving canapés at her mum’s shallow
garden parties and being leered at by her creep of a stepdad. It is fortunate for us then that James abandons his plan to put a gruesome end to her and instead becomes her partner in crime. He is just weighing up the best angle from which to slit her throat when she suggests running away from their small town. Next thing, our miniature misanthropes are on the road in a vintage Mercedes, prized possession of James’ dad. James and Alyssa are rebels with a cause – that's to say, they have plenty to run away from. But they run straight into all sorts of trouble. In The End of the F*****g World, adults are right to be treated with suspicion. There are a couple of seriously bleak scenes where the teens’ vulnera-
bility is exploited by sinister men who feign to help. Even left to their own devices, in the haze of their awkward teenage years they lack the self-knowledge to know what to run to. Unsure what to do with their newly won freedom, the road trip is really a game of chicken to see who is the most fearless and least sentimental. For all that they defiantly assert their independence, the duo are as yet unseasoned in adulting and only know how to mirror the parents they so eye-rollingly loathe. They have broken into a house and are squatting overnight when Alyssa suggests that they go downstairs and have a glass of wine, in the manner of a mum who's just spent all afternoon scrubbing the bathroom. As ever
in adolescence, the idea of the two having sex recurs, brought on not by desire but by a sort of nagging expectation. Each near sexual encounter is a cringeworthy reminder of the self-conscious, ungainly attempts at copulation that most of us endured during puberty. Having broken free from the shackles of social conformity (Alyssa's response when texted by someone sat next to her was to violently smash her phone), the only peer pressure comes from themselves and each other, and it is even harder to avoid. The audience knows this because our antiheroes’ true thoughts are audible as voiceovers. This Peep Showesque device is also a vehicle for some caustic lines, providing
many of the show’s laughs. The pitch-black humour of the misfits’ situation is juxtaposed against a soundtrack of wholesome doowop. The music is just one example of how the director transforms Middle England into a slice of Americana. Classic cars, wide roads weaving through forestland, diners, run-down petrol stations and mansion swimming pools – The End of the F*****g World is All American, save for the accents. The beautiful cinematography is punctuated by slick flashback sequences and punchy cutaways. Both stylistically and thematically, the series pushes boundaries, and in encouraging us to laugh in the darkest moments, The End of the F*****g World is certainly a show for our times.
Gordon Ramsey Swaps Cooking For Cocaine Jonathan Issacs reviews Ramsey's performance as a documentarian. Jonathan Isaacs Television Writer
When reviewing a documentary, it is difficult to know how much focus to put on the subject and how much on the documentary itself. Going into Gordon Ramsay on Cocaine I did not know what to think. Like anyone with a sense of humour, I get a kick out of watching him blow up at contestants on Hell’s Kitchen, I mean who thinks to call a burnt fish ‘Gandhi’s flipflop’? I did not know where I stood on Ramsay as a serious documentarian, so I was reassured by his explanation of how drugs, cocaine in particular, are an impor-
tant subject to him personally. Ramsay’s brother Ronnie was a junkie, to the extent that Gordon had to secure him a fix just so that he could attend their father’s funeral. Ramsay also lost a close friend and colleague, David Dempsey, to a cocaine-induced accident. This personal angle perhaps goes a way to justify some of the loaded reactions Ramsay has throughout his investigation. In one instance we see the emotionally packed beseeching of a man pulled- over for driving whilst under the influence; ‘get help’ Ramsay begs him, as one might beg a friend. The aim of this two-part documentary, as I see it, was to famil-
iarise the audience with the story of cocaine, from the harmless coca leaf to the untold misery coke can cause.
"[Ramsey] uses his own experiences as a starting-point" Ramsay’s journey spans three continents and multiple countries to understand how the 24/7 labour of a poor Colombian farmer, earning £30 a week, translates to the £4bn industry in the UK, costing
£30 per gram. The most interesting part of the investigation was the time spent in Colombia, following the production of the drug. Ramsay shadows a cocaine farmer, learning about the process behind the recognisable white powder. In the space of a day, the two men embark on a number of hikes that woud make even your DofE coordinator cry. They collect thousands of coca-leaves and refine them into cocaine paste through a disgusting process. If you ever need encouragement to avoid coke, watch leaves turn to paste through the use of concrete, battery acid and petrol! Gordon Ramsay approaches this documentary in much the same way that he
does restaurants and hotels on Kitchen Nightmares and Hotel Hell. He brings his considerable personality and colourful vocabulary to the task of highlighting an under-appreciated epidemic in the UK and around the world. He uses his own experiences as a startingpoint, and recommends powerful but realistic changes as at the end. In the tradition of Ross Kemp, John Oliver and Russell Howard, Gordon Ramsay uses his personal popularity to bring our attention to important issues when our elected leaders will not (and frankly if they did, would we even care?). If this is the new path for the fiery chef...well I say f**king go for it!
TELEVISION
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricktv
Review: Law & Order: SVU Season 19 Olivia Boyce charts the success of Law & Order: SVU's newest season. Olivia Boyce Culture Editor
Now in its nineteenth season, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American television staple. It has been nearly two decades since Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her squad first appeared on screens, yet SVU still garners weekly audiences of around five million US viewers, and occupies a primetime slot. So, what is it about the show that continues to bring in audiences year after year? And does the newest season live up to its sizeable reputation? Season 19 promises more of what SVU has been praised for doing in past seasons, though this new season seems to interact even more consciously with issues and events covered in contemporary media. Showrunner and executive producer Michael Chernuchin confirmed this was his intention, telling The Hollywood Reporter that this season of SVU would be 'ripping the headlines' of more current and political events. The show has been praised for representing with integrity and sensitivity the debates around consent, accusation and due process, recovery and public discourse, and the new season seems to continue this thread. As usual, most of the episodes function as standalone cases, with some continuing plotlines referenced throughout that mostly involve members of the SVU team. Benson’s adopted son Noah is central to an early plotline involving a challenge to her custody, as she discovers lies told by his birth mother that then threaten their little family unit, and Benson also has to deal with shocking allegations made against her that
bring a previous partner back into the series. her life. Poor Benson has been Episode 4, ‘No Good Reason’ through a great many traumas in is perhaps the standout of the early her time at the special victims unit, season, focusing on the victim of a and season 19 is going to add to severe cyberbullying case in a that list. school, as a result of a sexual Episode 1 sees Finn Tutuola assault at a party she attended. The (Ice T) travel to Cuba on a ‘holi- case is a highly emotional one, day’, where he is in fact chasing a seemingly inspired by similar plots perp outside the scope of his squad. in other media outlets including 13 Though an unusual season opener, Reasons Why. It addresses the it puts the spotlight on one of the pressures experiences by victims, longest serving detectives in an particularly young people in an era episode that deals with his fight of anonymous social media between what his role and scrutiny, that leads the victhe law dictates, and tim to begin to doubt what he feels is morherself. Towards the ally right. With Will episode is a powerChase making a ful statement on Law & Order: well-acted guest sexual assault and appearance, it’s a bullying, a fiveSpecial Victims Unit strong beginning minute scene that first aired in to the season. will undoubtedly September 1999 This promishave an impact ing start is foleven outside the lowed by some the show's paramedecent showings in ters, given how powepisodes 2 and 3, erful a message it carwhere the squad deal ries. It’s SVU at its best, with cases back in New York taking a stand in a case that after Finn’s return. Both are strong mirrors countless real-life examepisodes, though the twists in the ples and creating a powerful scene case featured in the third episode which could, and should, inspire are clever and well-realised, and change. ADA Barba, played by Broadway Lead Mariska Hargitay is and television veteran Raúl undoubtedly a contributor to the Esparza, is commanding in a scene show’s enduring success, having in which he addresses a jury pas- starred in all seasons as Olivia sionately about the ideas of the Benson, making a place as one of ‘fair’ versus the ‘just’. the most iconic characters on The closing moments of the American television. However, episode seek to forward Benson’s Hargitay also now serves as an storyline with Noah. The conflict executive producer, and having is seemingly concluded, but a last- trained as a crisis counsellor for minute surprise puts Benson’s victims of sexual assault and viorelationship with her son in danger lence to prepare for the role, is once more, opening up a continual now the founder of the Joyful storyline for the rest of the season Heart Foundation, whose mission that has the potential to be heart- is to ‘transform society’s response breaking for Benson and fans of to sexual assault, domestic vio-
lence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end sexual violence’. It is a background that has allowed Hargitay to give an extraordinarily nuanced and compelling performance as the now Lieutenant of the squad, and she continues to be one of the series greatest assets, not only in her acting, but in her continued and vocal advocacy outside of the show. Her compassionate Benson advocates for victims whilst frankly acknowledging past traumas within her own life and this has led her to be a character whom many can identify with. Hargitay has received countless messages disclosing stories that parallel those told within SVU, as well as those admiring the role her character has played in helping real people with the same experiences. This is undoubtedly a testament to the show’s continued dedication to telling truthful stories with compassion and nuance, and to Hargitay’s standout performance, almost twenty years after she was introduced as Olivia Benson. If the quality and variety of the first episodes are an indicator of the rest of the season, then SVU should be on schedule for a strong Season 19. With more than 15 episodes still to be aired, this season has much to offer for longterm viewers, or fans of policeprocedurals, but it also undoubtedly has the power to contribute to conversations about sexual violence, survivor’s healing and the need to combat such crimes. Think differently about Law & Order: SVU Seaon 19? Tweet us your thoughts @redbricktv
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Coming Soon On Television
I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here ITV 19th November at 9pm
The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds Channel 4 21st November at 8pm
Grey's Anatomy Celebrates the Big 300 The American medical drama has released its 300th episode. Sophie Woodley Television Writer
For all those dedicated Grey’s Anatomy fans out there, you will know that on Thursday 9th November, the show celebrated its 300th episode. In total, Grey’s Anatomy has had 13 seasons, and season 14 is currently being aired. That’s right – season 14. From the outlook, this seems like a hefty sum of episodes and seasons for a show about doctors. However, Grey’s Anatomy is much more than that. With all the relationships, dramas, deaths, plane crashes and weddings, comes tears, laughter, shock and pure dedication to this show. From what I have just described, Grey’s Anatomy sounds very depressing and heavy going. Yes, this may be true. But, there is a great deal of light-hearted humour and simply feel-good moments, which gives a perfect balance to make a show so great. The cast and crew of Grey’s Anatomy have always celebrated big achievements like this. For instance, the 100th, 150th, and 200th episodes (you get the picture), have always been monumental moments. The show cele-
brates this with an iconic Grey’s Anatomy cake, and the cast traditionally put on their best outfits and celebrate the huge success with a massive party. If you follow any of the cast on Instagram, you will know exactly what I am talking about. Jessica Capshaw (who plays Arizona Robbins), celebrated this by doing an ‘Instagram Take Over’ of the official Grey’s Anatomy account, where she walked around the whole set and spoke to her colleagues who were filming the episode. Something that was worth seeing for all the die-hard Arizona fans.
"Not only have we been re-kindled with old characters, but new ones as well" But despite all these celebrations, and the wonder that comes with the big 300, what can we actually expect from the episode itself? So far, season 14 (aired on 28th September in the US), has involved the return of a few old
faces (Teddy Altman and Owen Hunt’s sister), who have inevitably brought drama along with them. Not only have we been re-kindled with old characters, but new ones as well, as Arizona Robbins has gained a new love interest. Also, Owen Hunt (trauma surgeon) and Amelia Shephard (neurology surgeon), have divorced after becoming more and more distant. We have recently found out that this was because Amelia had a brain tumour which she decided to keep a secret – the biggest and most shocking moment of the season so far. As well as this, Meredith Grey (the central character to the whole show), went through the heart break of losing her husband, the beloved Derek Shephard, in season 12. If you know one thing about Grey’s Anatomy, it will be that this writeoff caused widespread upset for fans across the world. However, Meredith has found a new love interest, whom in season 14 has so far let her down. Poor Meredith hasn’t had much luck, so will this anticipated 300th episode introduce a new lover for her? Will Arizona’s new relationship crumble? Or will Owen and
Amelia’s parting prove more difficult than expected? Knowing Shonda Rhimes (the writer and producer), anything could happen. Rhimes, who also writes the series ‘How to Get Away with Murder’, and ‘Scandal’, is renowned for throwing massive curve balls in a series. For me, this is what makes Grey’s Anatomy so great – you never know what is around the corner. So, if you have not watched Grey’s Anatomy before, you will have a lot to catch up on, but it willl be worth it. But, if you’re a dedicated fan like me, you will be itching to watch the 300th episode. It is bound to be a good one.
Peaky Blinders BBC Two 22nd November at 9pm
She's Gotta Have It Netflix 23rd November
GAMING
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickgames
Review: GT Sport
Redbrick's Top 5
"In short, the driving is sublime; even without a driving wheel" The cars of GT Sport, look stunning – an insane attention to detail has clearly been paid to each of the car models. This game is the closest to photorealistic that I have ever experienced in a PS4 title. Performance wise too, GT Sport has been great: I play on an original PS4, and the gorgeous graphics are maintained with no frame dips. Another welcome change is that there are no longer ‘standard’ and ‘premium’ cars, an
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"There is no way to spend real world money on in-game currency" Overall, I think GT Sport is a fairly solid racing simulator, but the lack of cars, tracks and career mode content is disappointing. The seriousness of Gran Turismo makes a ‘sport’ title into the franchise the next logical step. It is just a shame that it has doubleddown so hard on the online aspect, that it has adversely affected longterm Gran Turismo fans who love a great single player progressiondriven campaign. If you are a Gran Turismo fan, you don’t need me to tell you to buy it, or otherwise. But if you are a racing simulator fan, I would recommend giving GT Sport a miss, or at least wait for the price to drop and for Polyphony to add more content.
5 Spiderman 2
Warner Bros.
Going into this, I knew that this was going to be a difficult review to write. I am a massive Gran Turismo fan, and, hence, I am torn between exuberance at having a new addition to this franchise, and bunching my fists at the high expectations that have not been met. A racing game must have good driving mechanics, that goes without saying. So, how do the cars feel on the track in GT Sport? In short, the driving is sublime; even without a driving wheel, it is one of the best feeling driving sims that I have ever played. The sense of speed that you get in the hypercars is uncanny, and the ‘feel’ of the track, transmitted through to the player, is unparalleled. You can hear and feel when the car is just about to lose grip, and adjust your course accordingly – all subconsciously. Furthermore, every single car in the game feels different. You can get in a Audi R8, and instantly tell, from the feel alone, that you are driving an all-wheel drive monster.
I cannot speak first-hand about the multiplayer ‘sport’ mode, as I do not have PS+, many reviewers have stated that it is one of the most solid, clean and competitive online racing experiences to date. However, for me, the combination ‘online only’ play, with a severely limited single player, and no campaign mode, is very disappointing for returning Gran Turismo fans. The modes you do get are ‘Driving School’ (as much a pain as the driver licences in previous titles); ‘Circuit Experience’ (a good addition for mastering individual track segments, but not a decent replacement for a progression-orientated campaign); ‘Mission Challenge’ (an unnecessary collection of seemingly random missions). With this new eSports focus, Gran Turismo has left the door open for a new PlayStation franchise to fill the void of a solid, progressionfocused single-player racing simulator.
4 LEGO Star Wars
3
Rare
Gaming Critic
arbitrary immersion breaking Another excellent feature of divide, that has plagued recent GT Sport is its Stellar Photo mode. Gran Turismo games. Yes. Seriously. I thought exactly That being said, however, what you are thinking now, but it there is a shockingly small roster is strangely addictive, and you of only 162 cars in GT Sport. can take some truly breath-taking Many of the vehicles are concept shots of your cars! In fact, the cars, with very few production image below is not a promotional models. While this makes sense pre-rendered shot, but one that I given the ‘sport’ focus of this have personally taken in this game, I personally would prefer mode. more Le Mans Prototypes, Group It offers a wide range of real 3 and Group 4 class racing vehi- world scapes, into which you can cles, over fantasy concepts. The place your stunningly rendered few classic Le Mans Prototype cars in real time. It also has an vehicles present, and the lack of incredible array of customisation F1 vehicles and Japanese Classics, options, from the choice of lens, is rather disappointing. colour-correction and filters to A further problem with GT apply before you take your Sport is its very small track list: photo. there are only 17 unique locations As far as car customisation (40 total variants), and of those, goes, the livery editor is really only 6 are real world locations. good, and highly intuitive to use. To make this worse, the Furthermore, it allows you fictional tracks that are to download other peopresent are not the ples’ stunning recrea‘classic’Gran Turismo tions and imaginatracks that we all tions! One of my know and love. As favourites is a recreathe so-called ‘the real tion of the livery of Unique driving simulator’, Takumi’s Trueno, locations GT Sport has an awful from Initial D, on a lot of fictional cars and modern Toyota 86 GT. tracks, and the number However, this cosmetic of cars and tracks pale in bonus is rather offset by the comparison to other recent titles limited tuning & vehicular modisuch as Project Cars 2 and Forza fications that are available. All 7. performance modifications have On the other hand, Porsche been reduced to two sliders of vehicles are finally available in power and weight, which is Gran Turismo with this instal- extended by spending ‘miles’. ment, which is a very exciting My biggest gripe with GT addition. Moreover, Polyphony Sport is that it is ‘online-only’. Digital has promised upwards of This is a serious problem when it 350 new cars and several new comes to losing progression when tracks as free DLC. One of the saves fail, servers are down or best things about GT Sport is that your internet drops. The only it has zero micro-transactions. Let mode available to play with no me repeat: there is no way to internet connection is Arcade spend real world money on in- Mode; even then – none of your game currency in Gran Turismo progression is maintained if you Sport. All additional in-game happen to leave the game before items are purchased via ‘miles’ – resuming internet connection. so, the more you drive, the more Generally, you get the feeling you will be able to buy, be it paint that GT Sport is catering to the colours, driver poses, helmets, eSports crowd rather than oldand special edition cars! school Gran Turismo fans. While
GoldenEye N64
2 The Walking Dead
Polyphony Digital
Zak Barlow
Telltale Games
Gaming Critic Zak Barlow races around the the track in the latest installement of Gran Turismo
Activision
Franchise Tie-ins
1 The Witcher III
CD Projekt RED
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GAMING
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickgames
Star Wars Battlefront II Avoids Joining the Dark Side
Gaming Editor Jack Cooper discusses EA's update to the Star Wars Battlefront II Loot Box system Gaming Editor @Jack_Cooper8
After receiving criticism from players of the Open Beta, EA have announced in a recent blog post that they will be changing how progression and Crates (the game’s equivalent of Loot Boxes) work in Star Wars Battlefront II. The previous system used Crates as the only way for players to unlock class gear, weapons and Epic Star Cards (incredibly powerful upgrades). This approach faced heavy opposition from many who believed it made the game ‘pay-towin’ as the easiest way to get Crates, and subsequently the best items, was by paying for them with micro-transactions. The new system that EA are implementing into the game reflects a much more traditional
progression system with most items, weapons and upgrades requiring the players to play the game and complete milestones and missions to unlock. The Epic Star Cards have also been removed from Crates and, except for those available as pre-order bonuses, will primarily be obtained through crafting - a process that will only be unlocked after a ‘certain Rank’. While it isn’t clear how EA’s changes will impact and affect gameplay and the game’s use of micro-transactions, one thing that is clear is that, with this new system, matches will not just be won by the highest bidder.
With so much controversy currently surrounding loot boxes and micro-transactions, it would be easy to write off EA’s changes to the Star Wars Battlefront II Crate and progression system as a way to reduce player backlash. However, EA frequently uses loot boxes and micro-transactions in their games and the way in which Crates originally worked in Star Wars Battlefront II is no different to how packs currently work in
Gaming Editor @Roshofalltrades
Fifa’s Ultimate Team. Therefore, EA’s decision to change the Star Wars Battlefront II system was because of the response from players of the Open Beta rather than the studio attempting to avoid criticism. The fact that EA have changed their game because of the response from players goes to show the power the gaming community has and is a huge win in the fight against micro-transactions.
"Matches will not just be won by the highest bidder"
Telltale Restructures Its Narrative James Honke Gaming Critic @Jameshonke
Telltale, the developer behind narrative-driven games such as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us has announced a restructuring that involved the studio laying off 90 employees to focus on fewer games going forward. In a statement sent to Rolling Stone’s ‘Glixel’, Telltale CEO Pete Hawley
claimed that the decision was designed to make the company ‘more competitive as a developer and publisher of groundbreaking storydriven gaming experiences with an emphasis on high quality’ with Rolling Stone reporting that this won’t affect any of their previously announced games going forward. This move seems to be the
result of Telltale saturating the niche market they created. Whilst the number of Telltale games coming out has jumped from 1 per year in 2012 to 3 or 4 per year, fans have noted a drop in both story and gameplay quality (despite an engine upgrade), with less meaningful decisions and more quicktime events. Telltale’s more recent games have also included an unforgiv-
able number of bugs given the limited size and scope of the games and the fact that the games are built upon immersing the player within the narrative experience. In truth, this decision has come not a moment too soon as a scaled down and more focused Telltale team means that the studio can get back to what they do best - delivering quality immersive stories. I, for one, look forward to it. Image Credit: Telltale Games
Blizzard Brings Back Vanilla Roshni Patel Gaming Editor @Roshofalltrades
Easily the most exciting news that came out of BlizzCon was the announcement of World of Warcraft Classic servers, which was well received, not only by the audience in attendance, but fans across the globe. Teasing the crowd with an ice-cream metaphor, executive producer J. Allen Brack, was equal parts excited and nervous to announce that development would begin on a Classic server option. So, what is vanilla World Of Warcraft? You may ask. Vanilla ice-cream is the plainest flavour, the base flavour, and in the same vein, vanilla World of Warcraft is the base game, before all the expansions and the patches that fixed all of the worst bugs. Unlike many games, where you can relive the roots of the game by playing disc 1, or level 1 again. In WoW, the terrain and gameplay is often drastically changed by its expan-
sions and patches, leaving players unable to revisit the features which drew them into the game in the mid noughties, when WoW launched. Over the years fans have been repeatedly asked about reviving WoW Classic, and have been repeatedly been told no, with the most public denial at BlizzCon 2013, when a fan asked Brack about a classic server option. ‘ N o , ’ Brack had responded. ‘And, by the way, you don’t want to do that, either. You think you do, but you don’t.’ Despite this, fans persevered, with multiple private servers allowing players to play the original WoW, complete with bugs, lag and hard leveling labour. One of the more famous servers to be shut down, was Nostalrius, who ran a PvE and a PVP server. The developers of which were later invited to meet Blizzard to discuss
how they had managed to get such a big following. This was likely the beginning of Blizzard’s decision to revive WoW Classic, and what form this Classic option will take, is anyone guess. As currently, there is no release date, we don’t know how we’ll play it or how we’ll be charged for it. All we know is that it’s coming. But there are many technical hurdles to be cleared first, many of which may produce more hurdles, depending on how they’re solved. One of the major issues is, to create the ‘Blizzard-quality experience’ which Brack mentioned, how will they have to alter the original to make the game play more fair, to reduce the number of exploits, bugs and of course the infamous lag which was a staple of any authentic Classic experience. But how will making these changes,
detract from the Classic experience? With the work being undertaken by a separate team, Blizzard are assuring fans that despite starting a side project, development on the next expansion, Battle For Azeroth, would not be affected. While thousands flocked to the Classic servers when they were privately owned and free, we’ll soon find out whether people really did want vanilla WoW when Blizzard officially released a potentially monetized vanilla option. I for one, would love to go back to play the original. Though I joined during the Burning Crusade and missed some of the more spectacular bugs and lag, I still had to run around until level 30, before I got a mount. Since those days, a lot of things have changed and the game is generally easier to get into, which often leaves me feeling like that veteran in the background yelling ‘back in my day, we had to look for our own dungeon groups!’. Image Credit: Blizzard
UOB's Coldhands A Win Away From The ESL Finals Roshni Patel
EA
Jack Cooper
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UOB eSports teeters on the cusp of qualification in the Electronic Sports League’s Autumn Premiership, as one of their 2 Hearthstone players, Hugo Kay, aka Coldhands, ranks just within the top 8 after another rousing match, against the very player who almost saw him out of the qualifiers initially. Ready for a tough match against Lemon, whom he had previously lost 3-0 to, Kay brought his A-game to game one of the 4 series match, playing his shaman against Lemon’s druid. While he stacked the cards against Lemon, creating a powerful board, it was not to be, with Lemon clearing the board with cards to spare, forcing Kay to concede. Determined to counter his loss with a win, Kay played his warlock against his opponent's priest, and quickly swept the board with some sharp moves, winning swiftly to level the series score to one-all. Using his win to turn the tide of the series, Kay played his shaman against Lemon’s paladin, using all of his cards to get strong lead, which depleted both their hands at the same time, resulting in a stalemate. Relying on the best card from the tops of the deck, they entered sudden death, but with a stronger deck, Kay was able to take the 3rd game of the series, despite a few poor draws. With one game remaining and victory in sight, Kay was not going release the pressure, playing his priest against Lemon’s paladin. Hampered by a slower deck, the match drew out, as Kay struggled to clear Lemon’s multiple boards, but with 2 good consecutive draw, the match was over 3 turns later.
Finishing the match with a score of 3-1, Kay now resides at 2 wins, 1 loss on the leaderboard. With 2 matches left before the finals, Kay only needs one more win to secure his place in the live finals in the ESL Arena, Leicester, where the pressure will be on, as he’ll be taking on the best Hearthstone players the UK & Ireland have to offer.
Image Credit: Blizzard
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FOOD&DRINK
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickfood
Review: Natural Healthy Foods Caitlin Dickinson Food&Drink Editor
The 100% vegan health store that uses fully organic and natural products within every meal they make is a hidden gem within Birmingham city centre. Situated just off Suffolk Street Queensway, and opposite the Mailbox, it can easily go unnoticed – but not for much longer! The surprisingly busy café, with a small vegan food store attached is styled with neo-industrial low lights and natural polished wooden tables which have recycled clipboards as menus on. What makes the little eatery special is that every element of the rustic café speaks natural, which forces you to wind down and relax just out of the city centre. The warm and friendly staff, who all had in-depth knowledge of the menu and the natural products it uses, explained how the system worked. Instead of ordering off a menu, you grab a plate (of a multitude of shapes and sizes) and you are charged according to the weight. It works out that you pay £2.10 per 100g, so an
average plate of food would be around £8. The plates of food you fill up comprise of both hot, cold, raw and chilled items. Once at the counter you order your drink. The MASSIVE selection of teas was incredible! From teas to relax or to energise, there was definitely one in stock for you! We tried a loose leaf jasmine tea which was recommended by the manager. This came on a platter with a glass tea cup and see through tea pot. The special jasmine tea smelt divine and was a delicate balance between subtle sweetness and fragrance. We also ordered a ‘Bulletproof Vegan Latte’. This coffee is the best I have ever had in Birmingham and puts all those disposable Starbucks caramel lattes to shame. It was composed of coconut milk, cinnamon and locally ground roasted coffee. I have never tasted a coffee like this as it was surprisingly light for a latte, and the undertones of cinnamon complemented the coffee wonderfully. The plates of food we created ourselves were comprised of a mixture of hot and cold elements from the buffet. The selection of raw onion bread, rainbow slaw, fermented carrots, kaleslaw,
Singapore noodles, hummus and Caponata pasta were the elements of the cold buffet we tried. They were all extremely fresh tasting. The raw onion bread, something I have never tried before, was exceptional as it had the texture of toasted sourdough bread, but with onion flavourings which paired well with the hummus. Also, the superfood salad which included avocado, cucumber, broccoli and kale with a light dressing was an amazing accompaniment with the hot and cold foods as a palate cleanser. From the hot buffet, we tried rosemary roast potatoes, lemon and line whole grains, tomato wholegrains, cinnamon roasted roots, vegan cauliflower cheese, Sri Lankan dhal curry and south Indian curry. The range of flavours and spices available in this buffet would suit any eater. The best element of the hot foods for me was either the Sri Lankan dhal or cinnamon roasted roots. Both had a wonderful spice to them which was not over powering, and the dishes were cooked to perfection as the roasted roots were soft and delicious.
Halloumi: Grill or Fry? Phoebe Christofi Food&Drink Writer
Everyone is always proud of their nation's cultural dish. Coming from Australia, I can’t say that we actually have one; there are too many nationalities. But the dish from my heritage, it’s enough to make you all jealous. As many people know halloumi is Cypriot, and my family's Cypriot background means we definitely claim it as a traditional family dish – it’s a staple in our kitchen. In Cyprus, a typical breakfast would consist of halloumi and watermelon – something cool and refreshing for those hot summer months. It’s usually also included on an antipasto platter with salted meats, olives and bread with olive-oil. Over the years, halloumi has become more and more popular in the West, with many countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, including a variation of halloumi in almost every typical restaurant or café. There are always promotions of halloumi stalls at markets, and due to its immense popularity, you can guarantee that it will earn shop owners a pretty profit. But of course, the age-old question: grilled or fried? Both
are exquisite, and needless to say as someone with a Cypriot heritage, I can hardly claim that one is better than the other. Halloumi is always there for you, it suits your needs. If you want to grill up some halloumi, then great. If you want to fry it, halloumi won’t judge your decision. As long as it’s being consumed, it’s happy, and because you’re eating halloumi, you’ll be happy too. Whether you eat it on its own or it’s the key ingredient in a lavish dish, the flavour is always unique, and the cheesy texture is derived from Aphrodite herself. For all of you halloumi lovers out there, here’s an affordable, easy, and healthy recipe to get you through those halloumi cravings. Halloumi and Beetroot Sliders Serves 4 Ingredients: 4-6 slices of halloumi (halved) 400g chickpeas 250g raw beetroot (grated) 1-2 finely chopped green chilli 50g wholemeal breadcrumbs 1 egg 1 cup of rocket Small buns Chilli jam
Olive oil Method: Put the chickpeas in a bowl and roughly mash them with the chilli. Add the breadcrumbs, egg and the beetroot with salt and pepper seasoning. Mix together and form between eight and twelve patties. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the patties until they’re a golden brown. Then, fry the halloumi until it starts to go a golden brown too. Assembling the sliders, halve the buns, place some rocket leaves on the base, add a patty and a piece of halloumi with a small dollop of chilli jam on top. You can serve two or three per person, just depends on how hungry you are!
Meat Free Meat Amber Allcock Food&Drink Writer
Winter is approaching. Casseroles, curries and hearty pasta dishes are already on our minds. When all you are craving is some wholesome good food, meat often seems a staple ingredient. But whether you are new to vegetarianism or just generally looking to cut down your meat intake, meat-alternative products are a great way to get your protein. With an ever-growing, extensive and imaginative range, any meaty cravings you may have will be covered – from spicy chicken burgers to turkey slices and fish fingers, they’ve got an alternative to just about everything. And what the official Quorn range lacks, you can find elsewhere in other great meat-alternative brands. Having been a veggie for as long as I can remember - and therefore having tried pretty much every meat-alternative going - I have devised a list of products which are not to miss, and contrarily, should definitely be avoided.
Basics Chicken pieces: I find the Quorn range has the best chicken pieces. These are absolutely perfect for adding to dishes like fajitas. I’m a big believer in not needing a meat alternative for most dishes, but there are some that just aren’t the same without a substantial meaty alternative. Like most of Quorn’s unbreaded chicken products, you’ll need plenty of flavouring to make these taste delicious – but who has unseasoned chicken anyway? If you’re on a tighter budget, Tesco offers a cheaper, good quality version of chicken pieces for just £1.75 a bag, or you can mix and match on their meat-alternative range and get 3 for £4 (bargain). Mince: Again, Quorn has got to be the winner on this front. Vegetarian mince seems to be the most popular meat-alternative product, which is often mutually appreciated by many meat eaters too following the 2013 horse meat scandal. A great option for tacos, this can be cooked and added as normal to just about any dish where mince would traditionally be used. Plus, the texture of these is so likefor-like that I’ve actually had my dad do a taste test to compare – and he could barely tell the difference. That’s some definitive proof right there. Sausages: My personal faves are Linda McCartney’s ‘original’ sausages. I’d probably say to avoid the Quorn’s version until you’ve tried these, although they have recently updated their recipe which I am yet to taste. These are often on offer for half price at Sainsbury’s, but you can also pick up a pack at the permanent price of £1 in Iceland. For when you’ve exhausted the original flavour (woe is me), they also offer a red pepper and chorizo version - which are admittedly slightly more greasy but still have a great taste - or the red onion and rosemary flavour.
For Chicken Lovers Chicken nuggets: Hallelujah, if you used to be a meat eater and struggled at the thought of parting
with your beloved chicken nugget obsession, then you’ve got to try these. Yes, they’re never going to beat the real deal (and I’m perfectly happy with that), but they’re still great if you are having an extremely lazy day and just fancy pigging out on some comfort food. Better still, the official Quorn range’s version are high in protein, low in saturated fat and high in fibre, like the majority of their products. Chicken nuggets without the guilt? It’s a win-win situation. Chicken kievs: Ever since I discovered Tesco’s version of these they easily made it to my top three meat-alternative list. Heavenly, garlicky goodness – just go get a pack.
The More Obscure Bacon: Otherwise known as 'facon'. Among the many questions that I am consistently asked when people find out that I am vegetarian is how on earth I live without bacon (though of course, nowhere near as popular as the timeless ‘BUT WHAT DO YOU EAT?!’). I promise, it’s easily possible, but if you really want to get experimental you can try out the Quorn version (although Sainsburys and Tesco also offer a meat-free alternative too.) I have to say it’s definitely an acquired taste (and texture) but it’s such a 'marmite' option that it can’t harm giving them a go. Quorn pepperoni: Another 'marmite' taste – it’s worth trying if you are world’s biggest pizza lover (I’ll fight you for the title). Sausage patties: I’ve never tried these, and in all honesty they don’t appeal to me. If you used to be into your red meats, this substantially meatier taste may appeal to you, and can be found in the Quorn range. Quorn fishless fingers: In my opinion these are a categorical 'no'. The texture is odd, and the concept of creating an alternative for fish fingers just seems a whole other kettle of fish for me (sorry). Though, if you’re looking to wean yourself away from pescetarianism, I can see these working for you. Christmas Dinner: Another completely random yet classic question I’m often asked as a vegetarian is, ‘But what do you eat on Christmas day?!’ Lo and behold, I’ve survived many Christmases without meat, and am enjoying new, alternative twists on the classic festive dinner every year. Unsurprisingly, the options are becoming ever more extensive, but Linda McCartney’s vegetarian beef roast with red wine and shallot glaze might just make it to my Christmas table this year. And, for the annual buffet, I recommend Linda McCartney’s or Quorn’s cocktail sausages. Scotch Eggs: Although they may be one of the more pricey Quorn varieties, scotch eggs are an enviable meat-free lunchtime snack. They are not always available in every store, but when they are I would recommend you bag yourself a pack. They are perfect for a winter walk in the park, pair well with the cocktail sausages and look great on a Quorn buffet spread at a Christmas party!
FOOD&DRINK
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbrickfood
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Pepper Month: Saved by the Bell Food Editor Caitlin Dickinson gives us the low down on peppers Cayenne I get a shout out for all peppers, all colours, all shapes and sizes this National Pepper Month? Whether it is green, orange, yellow, red or sometimes even white and purple... the pepper is the staple vegetable in everyone’s Aldi basket, and the bulk of every meal. You can eat them raw with hummus, cooked with pasta, noodles, rice and in salad. I would like you to suggest something you cannot do with this amazingly versatile vegetable. As you can probably guess, I am the pepper's biggest fangirl at the moment and I suggest if you have not included them in your weekly shop yet, you should start this very moment. As National Pepper Month is underway, why not get a family pack for around £1.29 at Aldi and have a field day inventing weird and wacky creations with these bad boys! Bell peppers are my focus for this article, or alternatively known as sweet peppers, and they live up to their name – deliciously sweet. They have a recessive gene in them that removes the spicy element of the pepper, which a chilli pepper would possess. So do not be afraid to help yourself to this vegetable, because it will not blow your head off. As a mild pepper, this gives them a zero score on the ‘Scoville Heat Units’, unlike a jalapeno which would earn around 2,500 to 4,000 points. Red peppers are arguably the sweetest colour of peppers, and the green bell pepper does have a slightly bitter taste. But as with all vegetables, this will vary upon how ripened the
fruit is. If peppers cannot get any better than this, let me sell you some more. Peppers are rich sources of vitamin C and antioxidants. For red peppers in particular, this is nine times more likely, unlike their green counterparts. These yummy nutrients help your body fight against inflammation, boost the immune system and protects against scurvy. If y o u ' r e watching your calorie intake, don't sweat it, because per hundred grams you will approximately consume only 1 calorie! That's easily burnt off by just sitting down (!), so it is best to fill up and bulk buy peppers if you want to feel full, but for low calorie intake and low cost. If you are not completely in awe of this food yet, I do not know what else will sell you. But where to start when cooking up these bad boys? Try a simple stuffed pepper with feta and sundried tomatoes. Chop the top off the pepper, fill with pre-cooked cous cous and then sprinkle
chopped sundried tomatoes and feta on top. After you have baked this for 15 minutes in the oven, you will be good to chow down. Alternatively, a pepper will taste delicious when you pan fry slices of them in a stir-fry with chilli powder and turmeric, or
using them in strips as a fajita filling. Just pair with lettuce, sour cream and some cheese for a full fajita – or add some kidney beans for a burrito. If spicy cooking strikes fear in your heart, rest easy because peppers also go well with a pasta dish. Chop them up into small squares, take out the inner bitter white seeds, and then dry fry with Italian herbs – they taste wonder-
ful! This would need to have chopped tomatoes added to, and sometimes some chorizo to get that rich taste. Or simply make into a bolognese with some mince and garlic. However, if I was to have a pepper any way it would be oven roasted with paprika, onions, garlic and olives to create a vegetable accompaniment that would pair well with spiced chicken or salmon. This is much healthier than pan frying, and makes the pepper softer and sweeter to eat. If you've got leftover peppers, they can be easily frozen and used at a later date. Or the next day you can add them to a wrap or salad for a quick lunch. What if you're known to be a kitchen nightmare? Step away from the hot surfaces, because raw peppers can be delicious as part of a sandwich or in a salad. Peppers pair well with feta cheese, rocket and cherry tomatoes, dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, which is surprisingly filling and healthy with so little
ingredients needed! Or if you fancy a sandwich, peppers taste fabulous with goat's cheese and chutney, which can be served deliciously hot or cold.
"If spicy cooking strikes fear in your heart, rest easy because peppers also go well with a pasta dish" If you do not want to do anything fancy with pepper and just want to eat them, no fuss involved – go ahead! Raw foods have a higher nutritional value and are argued by nutritionists that they are healthier for you. So on the day that you need to rush to the library, just chop up some strips of pepper and you have a light, healthy lunch. It is best to use peppers within 3-4 days of purchasing them. They will retain their crunch and sweet taste in this time. But do not worry if they start to go soft! You can easily add them into a soup or cook them thoroughly in order to make them tasty and not put food to waste. There is nothing worse than being a student: buying foodthen wasting it! In my opinion, peppers are the only vegetable that is this versatile and tastes divine. If you feel the need to get some, which you must do after reading this declaration of love, a trio of colours comes in at under 90p from Aldi, or a family pack for £1.29. Spice up your life with these wonderful creations.
Love Or Loathe: Nigella Lawson Kat Smith
Comment Editor
Do you love or loathe the famous TV cook Nigella? Nigella: a household name so famous she needs no surname. Although she may be considered a nice respite from the emphasis on clean-eating with her unapologetically indulgent dishes, I cannot help but feel Nigella’s brand is a little too much. Cooking in a silk dressing gown, presenting a never-withering smile as she cracks bog-standard eggs and giving somewhat violating eye-contact while she tests her creations all results in me
cringing in discomfort. ‘I’m going to rupture the calm by whisking the egg whites’ is not something I was expecting to hear in the context of waffle-making, but that is just Nigella for you.
"Cooking and food are not things that should be sold through sexualised performance" Of course, this is harmless. She is frivolous, attractive and no one is forcing me to watch Lawson’s long introductions about how a table is more than a piece of furniture. I do not have to endure her enunciated sigh of relief once her electronic mixer had finished. Maybe I should accept her brand as a transcendence of her cooking ability and thank her for not banishing carbs and saturated fat from our diets. She is the reigning queen of eating for pleasure, something so frowned upon in a generation of gym-bunnies and clean-eaters. So for that, I salute her. But even if, at times I adore her dramatic display of cooking and the breath of fresh air it pro-
vides, I am concerned that cooking and food are not things that should be sold through a sexualised performance – enacted through her exploitation of her femininity. Her shows are reminiscent of low-fat yoghurt adverts where women sensually moan to showcase just how indulgent and delicious it is. Is this acceptable in the twenty-first century? It seems that women either have to have vegan, low-calorie, gluten-free, non-carb, sugar-free (the list is frankly endless) cooking blogs or indulgent, sexual ones. Where are the savage Gordon Ramsay-esque female chefs at? That’s the content I want to watch on BBC iPlayer. This gap in the market for powerful female TV chefs and cooks needs to be met. Food is about enjoyment but she takes it way too far. If I want to learn how to make a waffle, I will be on BBC Good Food. Sorry, Nigella.
Aamina Siddiqi Food&Drink Writer
Nigella loves food. This may seem like a glaringly obvious statement to make, but in an age where food crazes are dominated by a focus on wellness, I admire her for staying true to herself. From her extensive vocabulary to her wardrobe, to the way she smiles at the camera, everything about her oozes glamour and sophistication. In a recent episode, she admitted to caving in to the allure of the spiralizer, which instead of a standalone device that most people buy, was an attachment to her copper KitchenAid. Affronted with the idea of making ‘courgetti' she uses it to make potato spirals which she then deep fries. This is not Nigella redefining food, but reclaiming it in a way that we don’t have to be guilty by association. So much of the 'clean eating' rhetoric relies on a division between good and bad,
when really it is not dirty or the enemy but something to be celebrated and enjoyed. If anyone buys too many varieties of chilli, there would have to be an intervention, but Nigella dedicates an entire shelf to it. I respect her dedication to ingredients, even if they can only be found at Fortnum and Mason. What I especially love about her series’ and cookbooks is that dish is preceded with a story. Why create a recipe for brownies unless they need to be made in an emergency?! Food does not simply have a functional purpose, it provides comfort and meaning, it is evident in the joy that she gets from cooking – I want Nigella to look at me the way she looks at a plate of food. Her serving style is amazing and I understand that when you’re at the table, it’s a space where the consumption and appreciation of food is the medium through which other things can happen. The image of Nigella standing in her kitchen in a silk dressing gown whisking waffle batter on a Sunday morning is the level of adulthood I want to attain. Some may say that she’s showing off – I saw that she’s embraced herself and is truly content in all things ostentatious.
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TRAVEL
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricktravel
Travel Diary: Chile Ben Smith
Travel Writer
“Why on earth would you want to go to Chile?” My Spanish classmate stands in one of the corridors of the university, staring at me quizzically. I think for a moment, why am I going to Chile? It is miles away. 7,381 miles to be exact. The furthest I’d travelled before that was to Portugal on a family holiday. Hardly adventurous. Now, for some reason, I’d decided I was going to the other side of the world. Flash forward three months and I am stood outside the Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Chile’s capital, alone, confused, tired, a bit cold and absolutely buzzing. One of the most surprising things about Santiago is that once you’re there, it is very easy to forget that you are in South America. After arriving in the city centre I could have fooled myself into thinking I was in Madrid. There were no tiny indigenous-looking people with big hats riding along dusty roads on the back of donkeys. Instead, there were, cycle lanes, gyms, and Starbucks. It all felt very European. That was until I noticed the looming mountain range in the distance, its snow-cappedpeaks visible from miles awa, with stray dogs chasing motorbikes up and down a busy road. That’s the strange thing about Santiago: one second you feel like you are just round the corner from everything you know, and then suddenly you see a man walking around with a llama on a lead and you’re hurtled back to the reality of being thousands of miles away. Chile has this modern, European feel as it is the most developed nation in the region, having enjoyed a long period of economic prosperity in the 20th century. This has undoubtedly taken away some of its cultural identity, however it has also brought some advantages. There is a sea of cafes, restaurants and bars offering all varieties of food on every corner. Most travel
guides will point you towards an area called ‘Bellavista’, yet a short stroll away from the grotty, tourist-filled streets of this area will take you across a park and into the ‘hip’ neighbourhood of Lastarria. Here, the cafes don’t have indoor seating; instead, you can eat the food on the benches just out the front, or better, whilst walking along the cobbled streets where vendors are stood selling art, jewellery and second hand books. A favourite of mine was Buffalo Waffles, where they give you a waffle filled with anything from strawberries and cream to pastrami and cheese for just five quid (or 3,500 Chilean pesos). No brainer. It must be said that traditional Chilean cuisine is not actually that great. Even the Chileans themselves admit it. Avocado is a bit of a delicacy back in England but in Chile they use it so much that it starts to become a bit like ketchup or mayonnaise, while they insist on putting sugar in almost everything. However, geography has been kind to Chile and, being on the border of Peru, means that there is a whole range of amazing Peruvian restaurants serving some of the best food you’ll ever try (without an avoca-
do in sight). After filling yourself up on a waffle or three, the next logical step is to go on an indigestion-inducing hike up Cerro San Cristóbal, the giant hill overlooking the city, featuring a large statue of the Virgin Mary at the summit. The locals will tell you that the best time to go up is just after a day of rain. This is because the city sits in a valley between mountains, meaning the pollution from the cars and factories gets trapped, forming an almost constant layer of smog, and hence obscuring the view. Although, considering that the average rainfall in Santiago is less than four days per month, it is unlikely you will be lucky enough to see the views smog-free. You can take the funicular up, but the half hour walk is definitely worth it, especially if you are there for the sunset. The next stop is the beating heart of the city, Plaza de Armas. This place was the central meeting point in Santiago after the Spanish conquered the city in 1541 and, to this day, it has a buzz unlike anything I have ever experienced. The receptionist at my hostel told me sternly: “Keep a lookout. They’ll pickpocket you at any opportunity,” meaning I
spent my first few visits there with my hands firmly in my pockets, eyeing everyone who came near me with extreme suspicion. Nevertheless, I soon realised that although Santiago is known for its high levels of pickpocketing, as long as you are always vaguely aware of your surroundings, you will be fine. Surrounding the Plaza is the cathedral, history museum and within a short walk, the Museum of Pre-Colombian Art, that features an astonishing collection of Inca pieces. Most of the museums and galleries in the capital are free to visit and may ask for a small donation. Travelling all the way to Santiago and not trying the famous ‘terremoto’ drink would be like visiting London without seeing Big Ben or Trafalgar Square; for the sake of being cultural, it should be tried at least once. The best place to find these is a bar called ‘La Piojera’ and is certain to provide you with that ‘South American feeling’. It is always rammed with locals and there is usually a little man with a hat playing a guitar in the corner. Like the majority of Chilean food, these drinks are horrible, however people love them for one reason: they are cheap and get you ham-
mered. Translated to literally mean ‘earthquake’ for their ability to make your legs go wobbly, terremotos are made up of wine, grenadine, fernet and pineapple ice cream. Just three of these will have you dancing on the tables with the rest of the locals. Santiago comes alive when the sun goes down. ‘Pionono’ is the city’s central strip of bars and nightclubs, offering everything from techno to cheesy classics. The bars are fairly cheap and vary widely in style. Chile, and the entire Spanish-speaking world are obsessed with a genre of music known as ‘reggaeton’. At first I didn’t mind it, it gets you in the mood for a night out and is quite good fun after a few drinks. But after you’ve heard it every single day, in every shop, club, and taxi, it starts to drive you mad. Apart from that, you’re almost certain to have a good night out on Pionono and it won’t break the bank either. Overall, Chile really is a special country. Santiago will most likely be your first stop should you visit, however there is so much to explore beyond the capital, from the surfing beaches in the west to the vast desert in the north, to the stunning glaciers in the south. Without doubt, Chile is a trip well worth the effort.
Best of Britain: Plymouth Sound Helen Locke Travel Writer
If you want to relive the excitement of Bonfire Night, then get ahead and start planning your summer trip to Plymouth. Fireworks here are literally the best in Britain, as this town hosts the British Fireworks Championships; it is as amazing as it sounds. Every August at Plymouth Sound, six professional display companies gather to demonstrate their skills. Pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with fireworks, the displays they engineer are startlingly artistic. It is satisfying to think that the spectacle in front of you is designed to live up to some very exacting criteria. There are eight scoring categories:'Design’,
‘Performance’,‘Symmetry’, ‘Overall Impression’,‘Variety’, ‘Rhythm’, ‘Colour’, and ‘Overall Wow Factor’. This year, the judges were rather harsh on some displays, ‘lack of symmetry in terms of height and star duration’ being among their comments. Who knew fireworks were such a serious business?
"... Who knew fireworks were such serious business?" The winning display, however, was ‘beautifully thought out... every sequence was considered’. Past displays have made use of impressive 3D effects, with sparks
flying out in the shape of hearts and Saturn’s rings.
"The showers of golden light reflect beautifully in the dark waters of Plymouth Sound..." The official competition website recommends the Citadel and Plymouth Hoe for the best views. But my advice is to avoid the crowds and aim for higher ground, to take in the panorama of the night time ocean backdrop. The showers of golden light reflect beautifully in the dark waters of Plymouth Sound, and you can see
the sparks falling precariously amongst dozens of little boats. Next year is the champion-ofchampions event in which the national winners from the previous six years compete. This will be a spectacle not to be missed. Book a hotel now, as when championship time comes (8th-9th August 2018), tens of thousands of visitors will descend on Plymouth.
TRAVEL
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricktravel
31
Insight Into: The Netherlands Katherine Lambert Travel Writer
The irony is not lost on me when writing about the trouble of tourists in Amsterdam in the travel section of Redbrick. Of course, tourism is great and all of us love the chance to explore other countries and cultures as tourists ourselves, but the downside to all this and our enjoyment of the places we visit are often dampened by our encounters with other tourists! Amsterdam sees around 14 million visitors flock to it every year, and although many areas of the city retain their Dutch charm, much of the centre is overrun with tacky bars and shops catering to the stag and hen-do scene, which has sprung up due to the famous red-light district and coffee shops. This is just one element of what Amsterdam has to offer and of course can be avoided, but in the summer months especially, it can feel as if the city is invaded by tourists. So if you are after authentic Dutch culture, it might be time to look beyond Amsterdam. Outside of the vibrant capital there are a wealth of places to discover, and having spent my year abroad there I ventured out to explore the world beyond Amsterdam’s A10 ringroad!
Rotterdam The scale of the Netherlands and its fantastic public transport links make it ideal to hop around from place to place, and discounted group tickets are available online
at NS Travel. Rotterdam, the second city, is just 40 minutes by train and has a very different feel to Amsterdam with a more industrial edge. With a housing shortage in Amsterdam and rocketing rents, many young creatives are making the move to the 010, and the cultural scene is booming. Galerie Kralingen, the Nederlands Fotomuseum and TENT are all based in and around the city centre with internationally renowned contemporary art exhibitions. Bombed in the Second World War, areas of the city were rebuilt with a variety of innovative architectural projects, such as the cube houses, and its dazzling modern skyline is unlike anywhere else in the Netherlands. The roof terrace at the Hotel Rotterdam is a great place to soak in views of the city and the famous Erasmus Bridge, which is spectacularly lit at night. Further into the centre, the lively area of Witte de Withstraat is bustling with bars and restaurants to every taste, and at a fraction of city centre prices in Amsterdam. North African culture has a strong influence in Rotterdam, and so fantastic Morrocan food can be sampled among the restaurants lining Witte De Withstraat. A personal favourite is Bazar, with huge platters at reasonable prices and modern Moorish décor. The quaint area of Delftshaven provides some preserved older architecture, with typically Dutch buildings framing a small canal. The old charm here is made all the more enjoyable by the fact that it is not overrun with tourists,
so you can fully appreciate the cobbled streets at a less frantic pace. Delfshaven is home to Rotterdam’s only brewery, which also doubles as a charming café and a great place to sip on their Pilgrim brew. In terms of nightlife, other cities in the Netherlands tend to pale in comparison to Amsterdam, however Rotterdam certainly does not follow suit. Toffler and Transport are two major hotspots for the Techno scene, while the Maas Silo – a huge warehouse complex plays host to many big events and live music. In Amsterdam clubs like De School and Shelter can be intimidating for tourists to get into, so the nightlife in Rotterdam is a great alternative.
Utrecht
Utrecht is a student city, very architecturally similar to Amsterdam. Chocolate box houses line picturesque canals and there are boutique bars and restaurants aplenty. Prices here are relatively low, and a personal favourite for lunch is Kimmade, a Vietnamese street food restaurant with brilliant Banh Mi setting you back a modest four Euros! In the absence of mass tourism the city centre retains a very Dutch feel, with most people there students at its university. The city has an impressive cathedral dating back to the 14th century and is also home to the Dom tower, which I am told had fantastic views from the top, but its 465 narrow spiralling steps are not for the faint hearted or claustrophobic! After the Dom tower you will probably be in need of a stiff drink and just round the corner there are cosy canal side cafés. Café Ledig Erf has a great atmosphere and selection of Dutch and Belgian beers. Utrecht was almost a microcosm of some of the better aspects of Amsterdam without the crowded city centre.
Broek in Waterland If a countryside adventure is what you are after, the Netherlands can certainly deliver. Broek in
Waterland is a great place for a daytrip, hire a Fluister-boat or canoe at Broeker Boot Verhuur to explore the watery landscape and moor up at the little villages along the way. The countryside here is reclaimed from the sea so you can see for miles across the flat land, with windmills and wildlife dotted around. The Fluisterboats are a great way to see the countryside in this area, and are great fun to navigate through the winding backwaters. Being in the Netherlands, you notice that boating is second only to biking as the nation's pastime and on sunny days you will find many of them heading out on their boats armed with picnics, so snap up the chance to blend in. The villages in this area are charming and you feel as if time has stood still, with 16th century wooden houses and churches painted in pretty pastels with weeping willows flowing down off the banks. Although the area is visited by tourists, it is not overwhelmed and the slow pace of life is maintained, making it a perfect relaxing day trip.
Dugerdam Durgerdam is about an hour by bike from Amsterdam and is well worth a visit if you are in Amsterdam but fancy something a little different. Cycling for tourists in Amsterdam can be hectic and scary, and the locals often are not
thrilled when they see the telltale red and green rental bikes. Cycling out of Amsterdam to Durgerdam is a great way to get a Dutch biking adventure under your belt with much less stress, a cycle path takes you around the IJselmeer with beautiful views and in no time you are in pretty countryside. The cycle path is easy to follow and signposted to Durgerdam. Here you can again see the pretty colourful houses around the shores of the lake with boats moored up and jetties out into the water. The Oude Tavern is a lovely (perhaps the only) place for a drink or some Dutch apple tart, with a terrace made out of narrow jetties stretched out into the lake. If by this point the saddle sore is not holding you back, you can continue on the cycle path further around the lake and come to more pretty villages along the way, as well as a farm selling delicious, freshly made ice cream, including stroopwaffel flavour. The lake is perfect for a dip if you are feeling brave but it is not exactly tropical - although the lapping clear water is very inviting. Durgerdam is a great option for exploring beyond Amsterdam and getting a slice of Dutch culture at very little effort. Amsterdam is a great destination and probably my favourite city, but if you are in the Netherlands it might be worth looking further afield, as there really are some hidden gems.
How to: Survive a Solo Trip Ben Smith Travel Writer
Whether you are going on a weeklong holiday, or backpacking around the world, doing it alone can be a daunting prospect. Here are some tips on how to not only survive a solo trip, but enjoy it too. Be prepared This seems like an obvious one, but being organised before your trip can really affect your experiences travelling. Having your travel documents to hand (as well as electronic copies) makes any changes or delays to your plans much easier, and predownloaded maps can be a lifesaver if you find yourself without wifi. When it comes to packing, think practically. Earplugs will
likely be your new best friends, while you may want to leave your hairdryer at home in exchange for carrying a lighter backpack.
Talk to strangers but always trust your instinct It is a common saying that everyone you meet knows something you do not, and travelling is a great opportunity to hear others' stories and share your own. Strike up a conversation with whoever sits next to you on the bus and introduce yourself as you walk into a hostel room. Generally other travellers want to mix and you may even make friends along the way. That said, trust your instinct, leave a situation if you feel uncomfortable, and check in with family or friends at home regularly as your safety is the main priority. Enjoy your own company Being in a new place or seeing a famous landmark alone can feel odd without having someone to share it with, but embrace it. Do
not be afraid of sitting at a table for one. It will give you a feeling of independence you never knew possible. If you do feel lonely though, try writing a diary or a
blog to remember your travels, or brush up on your photography skills to share online with the rest of the world.
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LIFE&STYLE
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricklife
Instagram & Mental Health: The Worrying Link Phoebe Hughes-Broughton explores the detrimental effects of social media platforms and advises us on how best to combat them Phoebe HughesBroughton
Life&Style Writer
Scrolling through any Instagram feed, you will undoubtedly be bombarded with images of smiling, happy people on nights out, evenings in, or holidays abroad. Whether eating luxury food, posing in front of the Eiffel Tower, or just hanging out with immaculately dressed friends and family, the majority of photos posted to Instagram are ‘lifestyle porn’ through and through. They are posted not as memories from happy times, or even honest reflections on less happy experiences, but to boast to others about how great their life is with the ultimate goal of putting themselves on a pedestal that others can only dream of reaching. Whether from celebrities or even your own friends, these posts can be seriously detrimental to one’s health. A survey of 14-24 year olds earlier this year found that Instagram was rated the worst social media platform for its impact on mental health. Given that 90% of people in this age group use social media, and 71% of American teens use Instagram, this is a serious issue. A large part of this problem is the loneliness that young people are experiencing now more than ever. One of the reasons we often think of ourselves as being lonelier than our friends is because we
only ever see our friends in social situations. It sounds simple, but unless you spy on them, there is no way to see your friends sitting alone in their house, experiencing the same solitude. Whenever you see them, they are with at least one other person (you) and so they seem less lonely.
"Social media essentially exists purely to allow for narcissism to blossom" This same issue occurs on social media. Few people post photos showing how they really feel on nights in alone, and even when they do they’re praised for it and still end up on a pedestal even if that wasn’t their initial intention. Looking over my own Instagram photos, nearly every single one is from a night out with friends, or even just meeting up with one or two others for an impromptu gathering. The few photos I share publicly of myself alone are either selfies from times when I was really digging my look and felt that the world needed to see it, or celebrating things like results day and publication events. Even when I’m alone, I’m still boasting about something in
my life. We’re all guilty of it – social media essentially exists purely to allow for narcissism to blossom, in a world that often feels so overstuffed that it’s hard to be heard (or seen) above others’ noise. Instagram has perfected this to an art. There’s little that can be done at this point, though the makers of Instagram for their part are trying. Perhaps the most important thing from the perspective of the consumer is simply to acknowledge that these problems exist, and take notice of them when scrolling through Instagram is actually fostering worse feelings than the boredom it alleviates.Public health experts are advising Instagram to add pop-ups warning of overusing social media, features to identify and provide support for users that show symptoms of mental health issues, and highlighting the falsities and digital manipulation in many of the images that users see daily. While we wait for however long this may take, though, there are a few small things you can do for yourself. Firstly, limit your social media use. Whether by installing an app on your phone or laptop that will prevent you from using particular networks for longer than a certain period, by asking friends and family to help you, or by knowing that you have strong enough willpower to stop yourself (but be realistic here, because I for one know that my willpower is not
that strong), if you’re spending more than a couple of hours a day on social media you should really consider the effect that it's having on your mental health. Secondly, be realistic. Look at these photos from a more practical perspective, and try to remember that the people you’re seeing are just as human as you. Maybe they ended that perfect-looking night by throwing up in someone else’s toilet; maybe they’re not as close to the people they’re hugging as they appear; maybe that image has been through Photoshop three separate times to make their body look perfectly toned. You can’t know exactly what is going on in someone else’s life, but you can be pretty damn sure that it’s not as perfect as Instagram makes it look. Finally, don’t be so hard on yourself. You are not perfect, but you don’t need to be. If you think Instagram, or any other social media, may be negatively affecting your perceptive of yourself and the world more than most, it’s okay to ask for help. Whether from a friend, a teacher, or a medical professional, talking about your problems is the best way to begin the process of solving them.
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Do you have opinions on this article? Tell them to us: @redbrickpaper
New Brand on the Block: Helenell Raiment
Elliot Sparrow introduces his new clothing brand to Food&Drink Editor Phoebe Radford Many students approach their final year of university with apprehension, concerned that the heavy workload and pressure might leave little time for much else. Yet this did not stop Elliot Sparrow, a third-year Sports and Materials Science student, from setting up his own business this September. His company, Helenell Raiment, is a clothing brand currently selling online (www.helenellraiment.com) and on the app Depop. Elliot says that as a teenager he “had an idea of starting a clothing brand but thought nothing of it.” “I never had the money to invest and didn’t think twice about it during college or my first two years at UoB.” When Elliot saw how simple current trends were, he finally thought about starting his brand; “I joked with a friend, claiming I could produce certain pieces for at least half the price. After briefly shopping around for wholesale sweatshirts and bespoke embroidered patches, I bought my first batch of
stock and achieved the halfprice goal.” Initially, the designs were sold to friends and on Depop, but Helenell’s growth has been rapid. “Two months later, I run a registered limited company with an online store.” Sparrow describes Helenell’s style as “90s-inspired streetwear.” Growing up in his older brothers’ handme-downs meant vintage has been a staple of his own style. “Baggy ill-fitting clothes have been part of my fashion since I was a kid.” The brand currently has four distinct collections. Hel’s Classics are “simple designs that will be in stock indefinitely.” Ell’s Originals feature “totally unique pieces that are made as and when.” Sparrow is keen to create individual items “to ensure the customer won’t ever walk past someone wearing the same thing.” The third, Vintage, is a collection of other brands that influence Helenell’s style, a mix of “all sorts of new and second-hand garments." The final collection, Authentic
Raiment, is Helenell-branded items including caps, sweatshirts, hoodies and t-shirts with the brand’s own original koala logo embroidered or printed on. Elliot says a key influence in his creative direction is his own style. “I ask myself if I’d wear it – if so, I’ll produce it and sell it.” Being a student, Elliot says he is aware that “the cost of buying new clothes is sometimes out of the question.” He aims to ensure that “no one pays over the odds for this style,” something he says is helped by being a small business, as he is the only employee and “happily gets by making smaller profits on each product.”, although he admits that it is "manic". “I may have shot myself in the foot taking this on in my final year- we shall see when exam results come out!” The work Sparrow has undertaken is clear: managing accounts, design, productionand marketing and sales, describing it as a “one-man mission.” Although he has
friends helping with modelling and representing the brand around campus, and his younger sister helping on social media, Elliot is making all the designs himself. “When things started, I was basically hand-stitching selected patches onto sweatshirts – which took a lot of time and effort. Now, I machine-sew hoodies and sweatshirts with various patches including my own custom logo.” His hard work is paying off quickly. “To be honest, I had no intention of getting to the stage I’m currently at. I just invested my student loan into the company and hoped to make money!” Helenell Raiment are currently offering student discount with the code Selly10 on their website www.helenellraiment.com. The brand also has an Instagram page, @helenellraiment.
LIFE&STYLE
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricklife
Tracksuit Trend: Why It Isn't Always Positive
Gabrielle Taylor-Dowson argues that sports luxe belongs with the original grime era Fashion is always a reflection of its time. In the 1960s, rebellion against a society growing increasingly conformist and repressive resulted in the loose-fitting, tiedyed garments of Hippies. The popularity of alternative rock music brought grunge into the mainstream in the 1990s. Last year saw grime music come of age: it made headlines, swept awards shows and dominated social media conversation. I know I am not the typical target audience for such a genre, but to me, grime brings fond memories of my teenage years back home. Grime is knowing all the words to Devilman’s ‘Drum and Bass Father’, along with the sound of ‘Too Many Man’ getting everyone excited whilst getting drunk down the park. But the popularisation of grime music has also led to the adoption of elements tied to it. Ten years ago, grime conjured up negative images of tracksuits and council estates. Now with the meteoric rise of the likes of Stormzy and the broader recognition of artists like Skepta and Kano, grime ‘culture’ has leaked into other aspects of the artistic industry - namely fashion. The Guardian has called the adopters of such grime-
related style ‘Nu-lads’, characterised by their choice of brands such as Lonsdale, Puma, and Reebok, alongside some higher-priced pieces by Supreme, Palace and Hood by Air. Their enjoyment of sportswear, however, doesn’t carry the negativity that the staple two-piece tracksuit of ‘terrace culture’ did in the 1980s, when it was associated with football hooliganism. Two-piece tracksuits have long been vilified as a key signifier of the ‘chav’ of the working class. Not long ago, people credited chavs with single-handedly decreasing the value of the Burberry brand, their apparently antisocial behaviour and uneducated reputation stemming from their use of slang putting people off associating themselves with the checked print. Now, tracksuits are cool. They are a luxe fashion statement popularised by the rise of athleisure. Champion and Nike have collaborations with the over-priced high-street brand Urban Outfitters. The likes of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid are making sportswear ‘off-duty model’ cool, and you too can achieve this look, so long as you have a pair of hoops and a Chanel bumbag on hand. And people are copying this
look, but they are the kinds of people who wear an Adidas windbreaker from festival to festival, or sport an Ellesse bucket hat whilst burning their chests on a lads’ holiday in #Napa. Even the kinds of people - often students - who are struggling to find their identities after the financial stability of a middle class upbringing, and fearing being seen as a part of a wealthier group, will try to disguise it by dressing like something they are not. I am not saying that you cannot wear a tracksuit. You can listen to and enjoy grime and you can adopt its style, but you must also try and recognise its social importance. This trend may be like all the others that come and fade with the next obsession but please, try and remember that for a large sector of our society, it is a way of life. When you buy Fila or Adidas from a high street store or as a piece of ‘reworked vintage’, when you wear neon-glow face paint and a bucket hat and shout along to Stormzy, try to take into account the movement’s significance. More than clothes, they are an artistic outlet for a sector of society: Britain’s working class and minority groups whose lives are built on struggle.
simple steps to check your breasts: 1. With your arms by your side, stand in front of the mirror and look for visual changes. 2. Repeat step one but this time with your arms lifted up. Do you breasts look like any of the lemons in the picture? 3. Have you noticed any fluid coming out of the nipples? 4. Lie on your back, raise one arm behind your head and use your hand on the opposite arm to feel the breast. Firmly press into your breast using your finger pads, and then make a circular motion the size of a £2 coin. Do this all over your breast, top, bottom and both sides. Also check the nipple and your armpit. Then switch sides when you are ready. 5. Repeat step four, this time whilst standing. Many women choose to do this whilst in the shower. So how can I (as a student) lower my risk? Cancer
by Yatin Arora Walking through Boots the other day, I couldn’t help but notice the great variety of skincare products that are now available for men. Facewash and moisturiser ‘for men’, eye creams, face masks, serums, you name it, they all exist - in aisles of aqua blue packaging. “Men don’t need moisturiser,” chuckled my middle-aged father as he saw me pick up some Bulldog ‘for men’, “I’ve never touched that stuff in my life!” His remark made me wonder: do men have these hidden super-powers that make them not age? Equipped with this curiosity, I asked Birmingham’s boys what ‘skincare’ meant to them, and whether they have a hidden skincare routine under their belt!
Name: Stanley Leadsomme Course: Law (first year) “For me, skincare is lower down on my agenda. Fortunately, my skin doesn't reflect my diet. Although I don’t do much, it is, however, ingrained into my routine. Usually it's the last thing I do before bed and it is something I like to maintain. Being simple is essential clogging up pores with oils and moisturisers can be easy. Dermalogica is an amazing brand; it keeps my complexion even, but nothing beats a good diet and sufficient exercise”.
Care for your skin Name: Suraj Hallan Course: Law (second year)
Bethany Ball informs us how to lower our risk of breast cancer visually understand what you should be looking for. Cancer Research UK states that, “the first symptom of breast cancer for many women is a lump in their breast. But 9 out of 10 breast lumps are benign. That means they are not cancers.” So do not panic. However, ANY lumps or changes in the breast should be examined by a doctor. You can check your breasts easily in the comfort of your own home, and this should be done at least once a month. BreastCancer.org recommends following five
Manthropology
A simple approach
Breast Cancer Awareness: Learn How to Self-Check Checking your boobs is incredibly important. According to Cancer Research UK “1 in 8 women and 1 in 870 men in the UK will develop breast cancer. It is also the most common type of cancer in the UK”. With the odds being so high, it is important to catch cancer early. The image below is from the #KnowYourLemons campaign and it has gone viral on social media. It shows you what breast cancer can look like - if your breasts were lemons. It’s a great way to
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potential risk factors relating to breast cancer such as age, alcohol consumption, weight, family history, hormones and having babies. While you cannot control the aging process or your genetic predispositions, you have freedom in your own lifestyle, and you can make balanced choices. Should I be worried? No, you are young. You have plenty of time to adapt your lifestyle to get the risk of breast cancer down to minimum. Additionally, Cancer Research UK concludes that “breast cancer survival is improving and has doubled in the last 40 years in the UK” and “around 65% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in England and Wales survive their disease for twenty years or more” which is truly amazing. If you would like any more information about breast cancer or the selfcheck, please visit: cancerresearchuk.org or breastcancer.org.
“Skincare is really important to me as your skin is the first thing people notice. I make sure that I use face masks and moisturisers. When I dry my face, I don’t use a towel because a towel provides a fertile ground for bacteria growth. Rubbing your face with a towel damages your skin, releases oil and blocks your pores. Caring for your skin is a must.”
Avoid chemicals Name: Jonathan Bowen Course: Computer science (third year) “Skincare is just that – caring for your skin. For me, that doesn’t involve plying my skin with soaps, lotions and creams that contain chemicals. If you look after your body, this radiates through your skin, so a healthy diet is part of skincare. I have quite a simple approach: I eat healthily and only use water to wash my face. I shave often as this gives my skin a nice clean look, using an electric shaver to save time and avoiding shaving gel. I am guilty of splashing on aftershave though as I like to smell nice.” The word is out! They may not be ardent worshippers of lotions and potions, but their views are ‘clean and clear’; caring for your skin is important, but topical concoctions are not the be all and end all – healthy eating and healthy living are key. If you feel good, you will look good too! We’d love to know what you think! Let us know your thoughts on skincare by tweeting us @RedbrickLife.
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SCI&TECH
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricktech
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels at Record High Ellen Heimpel Sci&Tech Writer
"These figures highlight the importance of research into the effect of global warming and increasing carbon dioxide levels"
On Monday 30th October the UN published their annual review on the CO2 concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere. The report’s findings are based upon observations taken around the world by the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch programme. This revealed that there is an alarmingly large gap between current carbon-cutting plans and necessary temperature reductions to keep the temperature rise below 2°C by 2030. Current reduction pledges are insufficient to keep within the temperature levels set by the Paris climate agreement. So far, these pledges only account for 1/3 of what is needed to keep this target. The World Meteorological Organisation revealed that concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere in 2016 were at a record high. The increase in 2016 was 50% higher than in previous years, with the average concentration reaching 403.3 ppm, up from 400 ppm in 2015. This is the largest increase that has been seen in the 30 years it has been monitored. A combination of El Niño and human activities raised the CO2
levels to the likes of which have not been seen for 800,000 years. El Nino impacts on global carbon dioxide levels by causing drought, which reduces the amount of carbon that can be taken in by trees and other plants. Another concern highlighted by the UN report is the increasing methane levels, which were higher than any in the past ten years. Scientists worry that this will start a vicious cycle because methane increases global temperatures, which then cause more methane to be released from natural sources. However, there is still hope. The UN say that solar and wind energy, efficient appliances and passenger cars, planting trees and preventing deforestation could be sufficient to cover the emission gap. Still, these figures highlight the importance of research into the effect of global warming and increasing carbon dioxide levels. One such research project is taking place right here in Birmingham. The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) runs projects to improve our understanding of how forests
will respond to future increases in global CO2 levels. A big part of this project is the Free Atmosphere Carbon Enrichment (FACE) facility. This consists of a series of cylindrical ring structures, 25m high and 30m wide, which support pipes releasing CO2. The CO2 is released in such a way that the woodland ring is completely immersed in elevated levels of CO2, whilst the rest of the forest is unaffected. The FACE project consists of three sites exposed to increased CO2, three controls where everything is identical except CO2 levels are normal, and three controls where the woodland has been left completely unaffected. The aims of these studies are to see how forest environments are affected by global increase in CO2 levels. Key questions include how carbon storage, nutrient uptake and biodiversity are affected by elevated CO2 levels. If this study is of interest to you, there are opportunities for University of Birmingham students to volunteer with BIFoR find out more information on the University website.
Smart Fabric: The New Fashion that Can Store Data and Open Doors Sonal Tandon Sci&Tech Writer
Smart fabric has taken a significant step forward with the development of a material which can store data, such as passwords and keys, without the need for a power source or sensors. The world is now a step closer to discarding key cards and providing a wristband to open your hotel door instead. Shyam Gollakota and his team at the University of Washington have developed the fabric after discovering the previously unknown magnetic property of conductive threads. A magnet can be used to align the magnetic poles of the thread in certain directions. The directions of the
poles can then be read as one and zero, the basis of binary, which is the language in which data is stored. As a result, both digital and visual data may be stored in the fabric, while still allowing it to be washed and ironed as normal. In order to read the information from the fabric a magnetometer, which measures the directions and strength of magnetic fields, must be used. Since magnetometers are already in the majority of smartphones for navigational purposes, this technology would use little power and potentially be inexpensive to implement on a mass scale. There are a variety of potential applications for which this new technology could be used. To give just one example, it could be used
for opening doors (ie. as a substitute for temporary pass cards) this would be on the provision that the doors already have magnetometer-controlled locks installed. The research at the University of Washington has also found that smartphones can read six gestures from magnetised material in gloves, therefore, as you do not need to touch the phone directly, your phone could be operated through your pocket. As the smart fabric simply consists of a thread which is woven into the material, any fabric garCaptions go instore the corner of pictures ment could the data, includand shouldn't be necklaces, hyphenated or ing belts, ties, cuffs, even a simple wristband. This means that uniforms could have access codes woven directly into them, which would greatly improve security when compared
The Star of Blue Planet 2 Katie Jones Sci&Tech Editor
With a cool 10.6 million viewers, the Blue Planet 2 debut was eagery anticipated by many. After the popularity of Planet Earth 2, and the fact that it had been in the pipeline for four years, people certainly held high expectations for this new series. And it did not disappoint! There was such a variety of incredible creatures on the programme that it was difficult to choose just one specific favourite.
What most caught our attention, however, were the transgender fish - the Kobudai. This species is particularly interesting as they can change their sex after reaching adult maturity. For females, this is when, or if, they grow big enough - even after producing offspring as younger fish. Surprisingly, sequential hermaphroditism (as it is otherwise known as) is not as rare a capability as one would think. According to The Open University, 27 families of fish have been recorded to have this
ability. So, how does this sex change take place? In those fish which have the ability to change, both sex tissues are present. Depending upon their size, they undergo rapid and dramatic hormone changes and a complete restructuring of the gonads. Why some fish change and some stay the same depends upon their levels of sex hormones (oestrogen and androgen), but what exactly decides the balance of these hormones still remains a mystery.
to a keycard, which can so easily be lost or stolen. There are still potential problems with the technology, however. Similarly to when a hotel key card does not work effectively after being pressed against a phone, any magnetic fields in the surrounding environment of the smart fabric could prevent it from functioning. The strength of the magnetisation can also decrease by up to 30% over a week, and, whilst it can be magnetised again, this is hardly ideal or practical. So, the textile industry has a new feature – one which may even be appearing soon on the catwalks Whilst there are clearly still problems to be solved, one day perhaps a belt or a tie could replace our university ID cards.
Creature Feature
Antherea Pernyi Moth Ellen Heimpel Sci&Tech Writer
Antherea pernyi is a large orange moth that originates from southern China. Sounds pretty ordinary, right? Wrong! Recent research from the Universities of Aberdeen and Oxford has shown that sterilised silk from the antherea pernyi moth has a potential use in spinal cord repair. Over 50,000 people in the UK have spinal injuries with 1000 new cases every year. On average spinal injuries cost the NHS £1 billion a year and there is currently no cure. This is largely because the nerves cannot cross the scar tissue barrier and cavity which form in the spinal column following an injury. New research has shown, however, that a modified version of this moth silk could be used as a scaffold bridge across this cavity and allow nerve growth across the damaged region. This silk is both strong and flexible, giving it the correct rigidity for nerves to grow along. It also has a specific chemical sequence on its surface which binds to receptors on nerve cells and encourages them to attach to this silk and grow along it. This research is still in the early stages, but even if this moth silk is only able to slightly improve the quality of life for patients with spinal cord injuries it would be beneficial. Not only that, but this antherea pernyi silk may also have the potential to repair some types of brain damage. Pretty cool for a moth, huh?
SCI&TECH
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricktech
A Parting Gift The success of 'opt-out' sytems of organ donation in Scotland and Wales may encourage the rest of the UK to follow suit Katie Jones Sci&Tech Editor
Dying is not exactly the easiest or most comfortable topic to think about. It is, however, the most inevitable thing for all life and, as a result, should be given more attention. This is especially important when considering organ donation: the opportunity for almost everyone to save a life. According to NHS Blood and Transplant, 3 people die every day waiting for an organ to become available for transplant. While this is an upsetting figure, the good news is that it has improved in recent years. In fact, this year more people than ever are 'opting in' to have their organs donated when they die. Wales has taken the concept of organ donations one step further, and two years ago introduced the new 'opt-out' system whereby, unless a person opted out of this system, their organs would be donated. Although many criticised this system, sceptical about the positive effect it could have on donation numbers, the outcome of
this new policy has seen many more people receive transplants, who otherwise might not have done - with only six percent of people in Wales opting out of the new system. The success has been so clear that Scotland introduced the same approach earlier this year. So why has the rest of the United Kingdom not followed suit? Northern Ireland have argued that a public campaign to promote organ donation would be better than the opt-out system, despite the encouraging results which Wales has shown. England hadpreviously rejected the idea of an opt-out system, but is now reconsidering that decision. At the time the government first considered the idea in 2008, The Guardian reported that a Labour task force looking at the issue strongly disagreed that the 'opt-out' system would be a good idea, arguing that an organ donation should be thought of as a 'gift', and even going as far as to infer that the opt-out system would put more people off donating their organs. Although the results in
Wales have now disproved this theory completely, another issue has come to light. In Wales, the families of people who have not ‘opted out’ (and have thereby
agreed to donate their organs) are refusing permission for the organs of their loved one to be harvested. This is obviously undermining the success of the ‘opt-out' system,
and people in Wales are now being encouraged to tell their families if they do wish to donate their organs in order to avoid confusion and disappointment in the future. England, like so many other countries, is critically in need of organ donations for transplants. Organ transplantation affects the majority of medical fields as it is usually used as the final solution for any type of organ failure. This means that it impacts a huge number and variety of people with medical problems - from victims of serious vehicle accidents to people with cancer. As well as this, it can also radically improve someone’s quality of life if they are in need of a non-essential transplant, such as replacement corneas for the eyes. The 'opt-out' system used in Scotland and Wales has already considerably improved the supply of organs for their respective nations. With this in mind, and learning from the mistakes already made, it is high time that England - and if possible Northern Ireland - should make the switch too.
The Theory of... Breaking the Internet
How Stephen Hawking's enduring popularity continues to make science more accessible Emilia Rose Sci&Tech Editor
When faced with the idea of ‘breaking’ the Internet, most of us would think of would think of Kim Kardashian’s infamous Paper Magazine cover or the release of the latest iPhone. But what if this was achieved by something with a less obvious appeal, like a PhD thesis in Theoretical Physics? That is exactly what happened when the University of Cambridge recently made Stephen Hawking’s PhD thesis available to the public for the first time. Entitled Properties of Expanding Universes, his thesis discusses the ‘implications and consequences of the expansion of the universe’,
and proved so popular that the University of Cambridge’s repository website was still inaccessible some nineteen hours after its release. Although 60,000 downloads in fewer than twenty-four hours is not a statistic that can compete with the likes of the Kardashians, it is still an impressive figure, especially since this document is a highly specialised piece of scientific research and would not ordinarily capture mainstream interest. The unprecedented interest in Hawking’s thesis may be attributed in part to his status as a muchloved public figure and as the subject of several biographical films. He is known as someone who has overcome adversity to make incredible scientific discov-
1963 Diagnosed with motor neurone disease
1942 Born in Oxford
eries and become a leader in his field, as opposed to a nameless, faceless scientist whose work is only aimed at other specialists. Stephen Hawking has suffered from motor neurone disease, a rare version of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since the age of 21. ALS gradually leads to paralysis, which is why, when Hawking was first diagnosed, he was given only two years to live. At 75 he has outlived this prediction by far, much to the awe and disbelief of the medical professionals who diagnosed him. Hawking has attributed his increased lifespan to his ongoing work with science, which keeps his mind active. It is this human story perhaps which makes the science more appealing, combined with the fact that
most people have wondered at the mysteries of the universe that Hawking has worked to unravel. Such information is often beyond the reach of lay persons and although the thesis may not make for easy reading, its release is helping to popularise science and disprove the idea that it is only accessible to and intended for a select few. Hawking has already inspired a generation with his story, and will continue to do so for many years by making one of his most famous works freely accessible to the public.
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This Week in Sci&Tech 2017 is set to be in the top three warmest years recorded. This is likely due to elevated greenhouse gas levels and the absence of El Niño. A new orangutan species has been identified in Indonesia the Tapanali orangutan - and it is already endangered. A star has been labelled a 'zombie star' after surviving several explosions - even though when most stars go through a supernova they die out after one. A self-driving shuttle bus in Las Vegas has crashed on its first day. It was claimed that this was a result of human error and the shuttle bus was not at fault. Facebook is trialling a new method to combat online revenge porn by messaging the users with their own nude photos, so that they have a fingerprint of the photo link to prevent others from sharing those photos at later dates. The UK is set to ban all pesticides which harm bees in an attempt to save their numbers. Uber have signed a deal with
1982 Awarded a CBE Present Day Hawking continues with his research and family life
NASA with the aim of introducing 'flying taxis' by the year 2028, using the drone techonlogy. Uber plan to have the first test runs in operation in LA in
1959 Enrols at Oxford University aged 17
1966 Achieved PhD in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
2020 so that they have the 1988 Publication of Hawking's bestseller, A Brief History of Time
2009 Awarded the Predidential Medal of Freedom
capability for air travel by the time of the LA olympics.
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SPORT
Friday 17th November 2017
@redbricksport
Mixed Fortunes For Home Nations In Opening Autumn Internationals Sport Editor Olli Meek reports on the weekend's international rugby fixtures, with England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales all in action Olli Meek Sport Editor
England The opener to England's autumn campaign left a considerable amount to be desired, with a lacklustre display that was just enough to beat their Argentine opponents. It took 23 minutes for the first try to be scored in an England side lacking attacking flair - and, as if symbolically, it was scored by a forward. Argentina's Joaquin Tucalet was in the sin bin at the time for what was deemed to be an illegal aerial challenge on Mike Brown, and it wasn't long before this paid dividends for England. George Ford was the centrepiece in the move when, taking advantage of the extra man, he threw a miss-pass to find no. 8 Nathan Hughes on the outside, who subsequently dispatched the remaining tacklers to score in the corner. This was to be a rare highlight in England's performance, the only other first half points coming from the boot of Ford to make it 14-3 at half-time. The kicking opportunities for Agentina were also plentiful, and they could have added 12 more points to their tally throughout the match, Juan Martin Hernandez and Emiliano Boffelli missing two kicks each.
"It took 23 minutes for the first try to be scored in an England side lacking in flair" These points would have rocked the England vessel, and given Argentina a far stronger foothold in a match where few expected them to keep up. As it stood, however, England managed to give themselves the comfort blanket of a second try just past the hour mark when Semesa Rokoduguni crashed over, following a break through the Argentine half from England centre Alex Lozowski. It was especially poignant for the match to call on Remembrance Day for Fijianborn Rokoduguni, who is a serving soldier in the British Army and has served previously in Afghanistan. In a match that England Head Coach Eddie Jones later went on to call a "grindathon", many of England's weaknesses were exposed. If they are to get a result against Australia next time out, it is fortunate that these were proofed for with a week of training to go rather than on the pitch.
Wales Warren Gatland's stubborn Wales side put in a shift against Australia, but to no avail as an assured Wallabies outfit ran out 21-29 winners at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. In an entertaining match punctuated with tries, it was all about the attacking play, and it was in this area that Australia earnt their win with four tries to Wales' one. The men from Down Under scored three of their four tries in the first half, Bernard Foley playing a significant role in all from fly-half. The first was from a lineout, won by Australia, that was taken down and rolled over the line by Tatafau Polota-Nau. The second was set up by Will Genia, who put in a man-of-thematch performance at scrum-half alongside Foley. Genia sent a superbly flat pass along the line to a flat-out Adam Coleman, the second row bursting through to touch down. These two tries were separated by the only Welsh try of the afternoon when home-debutant Steff Evans collected the ball and went on a darting run, ducking and weaving through the Australian back line to score. This was in a period of dominance from Wales; however, they could not capitalise on the momentum that they had amassed, and Coleman's try swiftly put them back in their place for the time being. Australian captain Michael Hooper was the next to put his name on the scoresheet on the fated stroke of half-time. He was set up by Kurtley Beale to go over the line and extend their lead, the buffer now 9 points. This was a comfortable position for Australia to be in going into half-time, and Wales needed to make the most of their team talk. The next score was set to make or break Wales' chances to take anything from the match: score first and they could build momentum and put Australia under pressure, but concede and
surely they would slip too far adrift to catch Australia. Unfortunately for the home side, it was to be the latter. On the hour mark Steff Evans again received the ball on the left wing, trying to work some quick feet into the contact zone to make a few more yards. He dodged one or two oncoming defenders, however Full-Back Beale was there yet again and ripped the ball from Evans, then rolling him and proceeding at pace over the 50 metres between him and the Welsh tryline. Some are of the opinion that Beale's try was controversial and had an element of fortune to it, however upon review from the Television Match Official, there was very little, if any, evidence to
"The Scots couldn't have made a better start to the match, breaking the deadlock inside the opening two minutes" say that in the process of stealing the ball from Evans, Beale lost control of it. This took Australia to 29-13, a 16 point deficit for Wales to make up in just under 20 minutes. Stranger things have happened, but anything less than a monumental performance from Wales would see the Wallabies inflict a 36th loss for Wales against the 'big three' of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa since Gatland took the helm in 2008. No such performance materialised, and Wales only gleaned a penalty and an unconverted Hallam Amos try in the dying moments from a late spell of pressure, leaving the final score at 21-29.
Scotland Scotland played out an 11-try thriller with Samoa in their latest outing, both sides shipping and scoring tries as often as the other. The Scots couldn't have made a better start to the match, breaking the deadlock inside the opening two minutes, with Stuart Hogg racing onto Tommy Seymour's hack through having chased a grubber kick that broke the Samoan defence. Multiple penalties were exchanged by the two sides before Samoa scored a try of their own just shy of 30 minutes played. They were beneficiaries of a penalty decision from referee Nic Berry, and subsequently took it quickly, building the phases in the forwards until they went over the white line and were awarded the try by virtue of the TMO. Scotland were to score twice more before the break, with Huw Jones powering through from centre, followed swiftly by Stuart McInally waiting patiently at the base of a post-lineout maul to crash through in overtime on his first start at Murrayfield. The oranges were beckoned by the referees whistle, with Scotland 25-10 to the good. The second half started in a very similar fashion to how the first had ended. Scotland in possession: check. Lineout drive: check. Stuart McInally present to trundle over the line: check. It was turning into a memorable afternoon for the hooker with his second of the game. 'Pick and go's were becoming a theme of the game, as this was also how Samoa responded. They applied consistent pressure down the centre of the pitch and Piula Fa'asalele scored despite the best Scottish efforts to hold him up. Samoa's next try came from one of the backs, for a change, Tim Nanai-Williams the scorer. After these two scores the Scottish lead had shrunk to a less-than-assertive 8 points. The match was turning into an
inter-try-line ping-pong battle rather than a game of professional international rugby, with Alex Dunbar, Kieron Fonotia, and Peter Horne all scoring for their respective sides before Samoa's Ofisa Treviranus exploited yet another Scottish defensive frailty to score the 11th and final try of the match. It was lucky that Samoa left it so late to realise the Scottish defensive weaknesses and their own vein of attacking prowess, as had there been much more time left on the clock, they might well have taken more than a spirited loss from the match. Samoa are up against England after a weekend off, and Scotland face New Zealand in their next round of Autumn Internationals, again at Murrayfield. If they perform with anywhere near as leaky a defence as they did this time out, may our prayers be with them - they will need them.
Ireland Ireland made a barnstorming start to their Autumn Internationals campaign with a 38-3 victory against South Africa This was the highest winning margin that the Irish have ever recorded over the Springboks, scoring four tries in the process against a lacklustre green and gold defence. The kicking game of Jonny Sexton was the momentum that kept the scoreboard ticking over, the first penalty being nudged from distance within the first five minutes to get the home side off to a positive start with the first points on the board. Sexton maintained a 100% kicking record throughout the match, knocking over four penalties and a conversion compared to the one penalty from South Africa's fly-half Elton Jantjies. Joey Carbery added two more conversions to the total. Another thorn in the side of South Africa was Conor Murray at Scrum-Half who instigated the move that led to Ireland's first try. His kick over the top evaded the efforts of Courtnall Skosan, and Andrew Conway capitalised to score in the corner. Along with penalties, this try gave Ireland a 14-0 lead at the end of the half. South Africa came out after half-time showing little more motivation than they had in the first 40 minutes, something that Ireland didn't manage to exploit until inside the final ten minutes of the match. Rhys Ruddock scored the first of a trio of late tries, followed by Rob Herring finishing off a rolling maul, and Jacob Stockdale touching down in the corner to finish off an assured display. Ireland face Fiji in their next match, which, judging by this performance, should not cause them many issues at all, whilst South Africa are up against a boisterous France side in Paris who pushed New Zealand very close in their last match.
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Friday 17th November 2017
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Hamilton Equals The Greats Sport Writer David Garbutt reports on Lewis Hamilton's fourth Championship win, crowned in Mexico David Garbutt Sport Writer
Lewis Hamilton cemented himself as one of Formula One's alltime greats following his fourth World Championship win of his career - he now joins Prost and Vettel with four Championship wins, with just Fangio (five) and Schumacher (seven) winning more than the Brit since Formula One began in 1950. Hamilton arrived in Mexico knowing that the World Drivers' Championship was his to lose, as finishing higher than fifth would secure the championship regardless of Vettel's actions, whilst if Vettel finished lower than second the title would also go to Lewis. Despite this, after lap 1 it looked like the World Championship was going to elude the Brit this time round as Vettel, who started on pole, managed to collide with Hamilton, puncturing his tyre, whilst Vettel suffered front-wing damage. Although Hamilton asked his team whether Vettel had crashed into him on purpose, on reflection this didn't look to be the case, as the clash arguably hurt Vettel more as he knew that he had to finish in the top two to have any chance of prolonging his title bid.
"Lewis Hamilton cemented himself as one of Formula One's greats" Following their coming together, both Vettel and Hamilton came into the pits, coming out 18th and 20th respectively. This left Verstappen, who had brilliantly overtaken Vettel in the first corner having started second on the grid, to lead the race, with Bottas second. From here, Verstappen could continue his fine driving form to pull away easily from Bottas to lead comfortably, and from this point on a Verstappen win never seemed in doubt. Meanwhile, both Vettel and Hamilton tried to make their way through the field, but they found their progress quite heavy-going, despite their cars being much faster than those at the back of the field. This was largely because of the thin atmosphere at the track due to the race taking place at high altitude. As the air is much thinner at this race than all the others, the impact of slipstreams and DRS is greatly reduced, hence overtaking becomes almost impossible. In fact, Hamilton had admitted the day before that overtaking was only possible if a car was 1.4 seconds a lap faster than the car in front. Hence, whilst Vettel managed to slowly make his way through the field, reaching eighth by lap 32, Hamilton was very unlucky to come out the pits behind Carlos Saiz's Renault,
which was nowhere near 1.4 seconds slower than the Mercedes. Consequently, Hamilton was still at the back of the field until lap 28, by which point he had already been lapped by Verstappen.
"After lap 1 it looked like the World Championship was going to elude the Brit" On lap 32 Brendon Hartley's Toro Rosso caught fire, resulting in a Virtual Safety Car, which prompted Hamilton and Vettel to pit again, with Hamilton finding himself in sixteenth place and Vettel in eighth. At the front, Verstappen was still comfortably holding off Bottas whilst Raikkonen was clear in third place. Hamilton, although being slightly disappointed that he hadn't sealed the Championship in style by winning the race, was overjoyed as well as overwhelmed by his achievement As the laps ticked down, Vettel managed to move all the way up to fourth, but this was still not good enough for the German who needed to finish in at least second to prolong his title hopes. Meanwhile, Hamilton had managed to claim ninth following a terrific battle with Fernando Alonso on lap 69, and by this point he must have been aware that the title was his. Despite Verstappen claiming another hugely impressive victory to demonstrate that he will be challenging for World Championships before too long, all eyes were on the car coming home in ninth as Hamilton claimed his fourth World Championship to huge adulation from the vociferous Mexican fans, Toto Wolf, the team principal, Niki Lauda, Mercedes' non-executive chairman, and most surprisingly of all, Neymar Jnr.
"By this point Hamilton he must have been aware that the title was his" During his post-race interview in front of the Mexican fans it was clear that Hamilton, although disappointed that he hadn't sealed the Championship in style by winning the race, was overjoyed by his achievement. Not only had he joined the realms of Formula One greatness, he had also become the most successful British Formula One driver ever. Surely, then, it won't be too long before we talk about Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Brazillian Grand Prix This race was won by German Sebastian Vettel, followed by Finnish drivers Valtteri Bottas in second and Kimi Raikkonen. Vettel controlled the race pretty much from start to finish, after overtaking pole man Bottas on the first lap. Lewis Hamilton had already wrapped up his fourth title the previous weekend in Mexico. However, the Brit provided plenty of excitement throughout the race, fighting from the back of the field to be in 6th place after 20 laps. The gutting thing for Vettel is that he may have still been in the race for the title if it had not been for slip ups earlier in the calendar in previous months. Hamilton raced in a manner reminiscent of other great races, such as Hungary 2014 and Belgium 2016, where he clawed back 19 and 18 positions respectively throughout the race. The race was entirely Vettel's in reality, though, as he controlled from start to finish. The only point where he could have slipped up was involving second placed Bottas, as the Fin pitted a lap before him which could have created some later problems. This race acted as a nice reprieve for the Ferrari driver, as he may have been doubting his ability in recent weeks. He can now look on to next year's calendar as a massive opportunity to prove his racing class that he has showed in his four previous Championship wins.
"It won't be too long before we talk about Sir Lewis Hamilton" Daniel Ricciardo also completed a comeback of sorts, coming from 14th on the grid to finish 6th at the end of the race. Ricciardo was also involved in a collision of sorts during the race, in which Kevin Magnussen's car hit the Australian and curtailed his significant progress. There was also a nice battle between old flames Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso during the race. This was Massa's last race at his home GP, Brazil, and he finished in 7th place. Massa, with the superior engine and the fortunate timing of a safety car coming out, used his advantages well and Alonso could simply not pass. This capped another disappointing race for Alonso, as he failed to recapture his form of old. Despite the Vettel win, Hamilton yet again proved his sheer racing ability this time around to get in contention. The competition next year should be exciting.
Drivers' Standings
pts
Constructors
pts
1. Lewis Hamilton
345
1. Mercedes
625
2. Sebastian Vettel
305
2. Ferrari
495
3. Valtteri Bottas
280
3. Red Bull
358
4. Daniel Ricciardo
200
4. Force India
177
5. Kimi Raikkonen
193
5. Williams
82
6. Max Verstappen
158
6. Toro Rosso
53
7. Sergio Perez
94
7. Renault
49
8. Esteban Ocon
86
8. Haas F1
47
38
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Friday 17th November 2017
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Spotlight On: Tenpin Bowling Sport Editor Alex Alton speaks to Tenpin Bowling Press Secretary and Gaming Editor Roshni Patel to find out more about the club covered the sport. The sport was formally created in 1895 in New York, when rules were formally introduced along with associations to maintain the rules and update them as years went by.
Alex Alton
Sport Print Editor
What is the atmosphere like around the club at UoB? Our club is generally quite relaxed, treating Ten Pin Bowling as the social sport it generally is. As a result there’s a lot of talking between turns, taunts and teasing about bad shots and scores, as well as a lot of encouragement to do well and improve. Do you train? If so, where and when do you train?
If you could describe Tenpin Bowling to our readers in one sentence, what would it be? Easy and fun to play, deceptively difficult to master. From where does Bowling originate?
Tenpin
While the history books argue over whether the Ancient Egyptians or early Germans dis-
Bowling tends to be a lot of trial and error, and as a result we all give it our best, sharing knowledge if we’ve found the trick to getting a pin that’s a nightmare to hit. As a result both of our sessions, Monday at 7pm and Wednesday at 5pm at Bowlplex, tend to be training sessions of sorts. We do occasionally hire a coach to come show us how to really bowl, but usually we just bowl more games if we need some extra practice before a tournament. Bowlplex can be found in Broadway Plaza in Five Ways. It is a comfortable walking distance from most first year accomodation.
What form do competitions take? The great thing about bowling is that it is both an individual and team sport. At tournaments there can be a variety of ways to play, from singles, 1v1 to fives, 5v5. But just because you’re in a team of 3, doesn’t mean you’ll always play together, with formats such as diamond trios, where you begin by playing 3 games of singles, before adding a player to your screen and playing a further 3 games, and then finally adding the 3rd player for 3 games. Then like a diamond, your team must taper back down to a single point, with a player being lost after every 3 games, until the last player to join is playing singles again. By the end everyone has played 9 games each and are usually exhausted and hoping their team pinfall beat everyone else’s. Another fun format to play is Baker, where games are both played normally and together, where multiple players will take turns to bowl the frames or turns, in one score board. This one is particularly funny, as one player might bowl a strike on their turn, only for the next player to undo their work with a double gutter. How did you get involved in Tenpin Bowling and what was it that you found particularly
attractive about the sport? I got involved in Ten Pin Bowling in my 1st year and have been in the club ever since. I’m now in my 4th year. Before I joined the club I typically only bowled once a year, for the one birthday party that was hosted at the bowling alley. But with the bowling alley being only 15 minutes walk away from my 1st year halls, it was an easy sport to get to and after making lots of friends on the lanes, it was a good sport to stick with through the years. Why should prospective members join your club? Bowling is a really social sport. While some of people might occasionally get competitive, it is always a great laugh. It’s a great atmosphere and a great place to make friends as people generally come every week on the same days. It’s also a really flexible sport, as there are no enforced training sessions, or squads for tournaments, you can turn up whenever you have time and go to tournaments if you fancy having a laugh with bowlers from other universities. Tournaments are all handicapped too, so no one is at a disadvantage, no matter how bad you think you are. No need to worry there.
What has been your favourite thing about the Tenpin Bowling club since you started? Going to tournaments has been great fun. I have loved making friends in my own club at home and it’s great to go to tournaments and socialise with bowlers from other clubs. It is great fun to show off your skills to them, watch their best bowlers destroy others and gain the odd tip or trick to improve your own game. I’ve made lots of friends on the various student bowling events, and it’s always fun to go to a tournament and catch up with them while you bowl against each other. Team Details Email - bowling@guild.bham. ac.uk Website - can be found on the Guild website by going to the Student Groups section. Membership costs - £6 for annual social membership, £15 for annual competitive membership Sessions - Monday night at 7.00, Wednesday afternoon at 5.00 at Bowlplex, Five Ways.
Dementia and Football: Is There a Link? Sport Editor Alex Alton comments on Alan Shearer's recent documentary questioning whether there is a link between heading a football and developing Dementia in later life Alex Alton
Sport Print Editor
Heading a football is one of the fundamental parts of the game. Although it features less and less now because of the influence of passing football, it is still a massive part of playing the game which is inescapable for those who want to make it in the big time. But would heading be legal if a causal link was established between heading and Dementia? Alan Shearer set out to discover this in a new documentary, Dementia, Football and Me.
"Would heading be legal if a causal link was established between heading and dementia?" The documentary centred around cases of dementia in high profile football players, such as West Bromwich Albion legend Jeff Astle and England World Cup winning player Nobby Stiles. The post mortem for Astle hinted that the reason he was more exposed to dementia was because of his
repeated heading of a football in his playing career. Astle certainly did plenty of that, scoring 174 goals for West Brom, many of which were with his head. Dawn Astle, Jeff's daughter, has been campaigning since her fathers death for increased research to establish a causal link between heading the ball and dementia in later life. Shearer is personally implicated in this research himself, scoring over 40 Premier League goals with his head, and thousands more headers taken in training. He admits in quite a brutal fashion that he is personally invested in making sure this gets the right amount of exposure. Crucial changes have already been made in America regarding this issue. Heading has been banned for under 11's players. It is possible to argue that by being proactive regarding the effects of heading could save many lives in future. However, critics will always say two things. One is that heading is part of football, you can't just remove it in the same way you can't remove a tackle in rugby or a backhand in tennis. Another is that until a causal link is established between heading and dementia, there is justification for removing heading from the game. This has become a problem in other sports too, with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a real issue in American Football. It
was recently highlighted in the case of high profile star Aaron Hernandez, who committed suicide in prison after being convicted of murder. A post mortem revealed that the 27 year old's brain had stage 3 CTE, which had never been found in a brain younger than 46 before. We can see, then, that this raises huge issues in other sports and should be on the agenda for football too. Shearer also met with his former coach Chris Nichol, who blamed his bad memory on repeated heading of the football also. However, Nichol seemed reluctant to seek help regarding this. This is one attitude that will be unhelpful in future to tackling the stigma of illnesses like dementia in football.
"Heading has been banned for under 11's players" The fundamental problem with establishing a link between dementia and heading a ball is that it has been ignored for many years. The PFA and the FA both launched studies into the link in the early 2000s. Studies were inconclusive and this caused an ignorance of the issue for many years. Shearer now seems to have
put the debate back on the table, and with such a high profile name it should be able to gain some traction. A frankly rather shocking part of the documentary included Shearer visiting the head of the PFA, Gordon Taylor to enquire about the numbers of players with dementia. Of the 50,000 players registered, he had no idea as to the figure. This is quite telling to the attitude of this problem within football - it is on the back burner Shearer visited England's Medical Director, Charlotte Cowie to ascertain whether the FA was willing to invest in the research. The FA have now invested in the research, which will attempt to determine whether footballers'
battling dementia is proportional to the rest of the population. If this isn't the case, the FA will seek to look at the reasons why and make recommendations from there. All in all, dementia in football should be taken extremely seriously. If a link can be established between the heading of the ball and dementia in footballers, it is an incredibly ugly aspect of the 'beautiful game', especially considering the neglect of research in recent times. Shearer has done well to give this exposure and hopefully he has got the ball rolling for research and action, before others are killed by heading a ball.
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Friday 17th November 2017
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39
Moyes and West Ham's Sinking Ship Sport Editor Leanne Prescott examines West Ham United's appointment of David Moyes and what the future holds Leanne Prescott Sport Online Editor
West Ham have endured a turbulent start to the season, finding themselves 18th and in the relegation zone with just 9 points from their opening 11 Premier League games. Such disappointing form saw Slaven Bilic axed after suffering defeat to Liverpool prior to the international break. Despite fans calling for an exciting addition from the board to show strong ambition and intent to improve upon their league struggles, David Moyes was appointed Bilic’s replacement. The 54-year-old’s arrival was largely met with frustration, having struggled to impress in his last few managerial jobs - most noticeably Manchester United and Sunderland.
"A strong work ethic will be paramount to their survival hopes" Succeeding Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford in 2014, the Scotsman signed a six-year deal with the club only to be sacked just 10 months into the job with United seventh in the table and way adrift of their rivals. Moyes later went
on to manage Real Sociedad before being sacked after a year in November 2015 in another subpar campaign at the helm.
"Going forward, Moyes will need to put his faith in the Mexican" Things continued on a downward spiral, with a move to Sunderland in July 2016 failing to bring any better fortunes. The Black Cats struggled to muster up any kind of attacking intent during the course of the season, while leaking goals at the other end to confirm their relegation to the Championship - a result that saw Moyes quit in May 2017. So, with a less than stellar record from his past three jobs, can Moyes save West Ham’s sinking ship and guide them to safety after a disappointing start to the season? The 54-year-old has already started to make his mark at his new club, introducing a far more rigorous training regime than his predecessor Slaven Bilic. It’s gone down pretty well with the players, too, with Declan Rice one of a number of individuals to complete Moyes on his session as he looks to improve upon West Ham’s poor fitness levels. Whipping the play-
ers into shape will provide a much needed boost to the side ahead of their next league game against Watford, with several high profile players noticeably failing to track back against Liverpool. The good news for Moyes is he’s inheriting a pretty good squad. Impressive transfer business in the summer saw Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Marko Arnautovic bolster the ranks with proven quality while Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang provide good steel and grit in the middle of the park. All four players are likely to be key to any hopes West Ham have of salvaging their season, but none more so than Javier Hernandez. Going forward, Moyes will need to put his faith in the Mexican, who’s netted four goals in 11 appearances for the club. The former-United striker has already won the hearts of the Hammers fans, showing brilliant desire and work-rate to hunt down the ball despite largely operating as an isolated figure upfront. Even in games where Bilic distributed him out wide, Hernandez continued to show willingness to help his teammates out. Such a strong work ethic will be paramount to their survival hopes and it’s of little surprise therefore that Moyes has got the players working so hard to give every ounce to each game. Hernandez proved during his time at Old Trafford that he’s got goals in him. He’s a real poacher
"The 54 year old has already started to make his mark" when given chances and if West Ham can get the ball in the box more often, providing him with support rather than isolating him alone against a back three or four, the goals should start flowing a lot more than they currently are. That’s where star-man Manuel
Lanzini’s quality will come into the picture. Despite a poor track record in his most recent jobs, David Moyes knows the Premier League inside out. He’ll know what’s needed to get the very best out of his players. With Joe Hart, Zabaleta, Arnautovic and Hernandez, West Ham’s team possesses far too much quality to be heading for the Championship. Only time will tell if that proves to be the case.
XpLosION: A Cheer Perspective Sport writer and Cheerleader Molly Sutton discusses xpLosION from the perspective of the Birmingham Pussycats, UoB's Cheerleading team Molly Sutton Sport Writer
Every year, the Birmingham Lions, the University of Birmingham's competitive American Football team, are supported by thousands of fans at their largest event of the year, xpLosION. This is a match on a Saturday afternoon in early November against another university- this year, they took on the Portsmouth Destroyers from the University of Portsmouth. One of the most notable events on the afternoon other than the match is the Birmingham Pussycats performance. The Pussycats take their places next to
the match supporting the team throughout, coming on at half time to give a pulsating display to entertain the crowds. XpLosION is a huge event for the cheerleading team, as it is the first and only time in the year that all members of the team train and perform together,before they will split into four teams to compete for, and in defence of, their national championship titles. The match provides a setting where the cheerleaders can continue their support for the lions, but also utilise the student crowd to gain publicity and an audience to see their work. The team puts in hours of training and choreography to train the newest members how to stunt, dance and tumble,
showcasing an array of new skills on the pitch before the crowd. As a completely student led sports team that only compete twice a year, xpLosION is great coverage for the pussycats and allows others to witness what great work the girls do. This year, coaches Olivia Roche, Becks Roddy,Charlotte Chaston and Jessie Albutt pulled off an incredible performance that impressed the crowd and excheerleaders alike, by renovating the usual routine to add a unique touch.
"XpLosION is great coverage for the Pussycats and allows others to witness what great work the girls do" The brand new, innovative stunt section was executed to a high standard which was synchronised and impressive to behold. This year, the team had the biggest intake of freshers they had ever had, and therefore utilised the small preparation time available to them to teach many new members cheer skills from
scratch. The many elements of the performance really showed what cheer was all about, and identified the team in their own right as a separate, autonomous sports team to the American Football club. In particular, the tumbles of 4 athletes, led by tumble coach Valentina Oxley, impressed the crowds and really emphasised the talent of the girls on this team. Although the performance was the pussycats shining moment of
the event, Ginny Dearn led the team throughout the rest of the match to cheer for, and encourage the plays of the Lions against the opposing team, Portsmouth. The pussycats will now be splitting into their competing teams- pom, hip-hop, competition and jazz- to train for their University Nationals in February where they are sure to place highly.
UoB Victorious in XpLosION 17.11.2017 Olli Meek rounds up the Autumn Internationals in Rugby
Page 36
David Garbutt reviews another title win for Lewis Hamilton
Page 37
Alex Alton discusses the issue of dementia in football
Page 38
Spotlight On: Tenpin Bowling
Page 38
Molly Sutton
gives us her Cheerleading take on XpLosION
Page 39
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Credit: @jakedavidson952
Olli Meek Sport Editor @ollimeek
Saturday saw the return of one of the highlights of the University of Birmingham's sporting calendar: the annual American Football match "XpLosION". This year it was the turn of the University of Portsmouth "Destroyers" side to take on the Lions. The fixture was both eagerly awaited and well-attended, with significant crowds turning out in the chill to support the team. They also had the opportunity to enjoy the barbecue and bar that were in operation throughout the afternoon, as well as getting their last fix of pyrotechnics-inspired Snapchat stories for the year watching the succeeding fireworks display. It was to be the first outing for the squad in an XpLosION on the new 3G pitch at Bournbrook, alongside the other new sensation that the players needed to contend with: going into the game without being defending champions for the first time in ten years. The stinging last-minute loss to Bath Killer Bees was still fresh in the minds of all who were there and Birmingham were very keen to set the record straight and get back to their winning ways. It was a bright start from the Lions, immediately showing their attacking prowess having taken posession from kick-off. They quickly made this opening pay off, despite the best efforts of the referees' flags, with the first score from Derius Price. This made the score 6-0 without the Points After Touchdown (PAT) - or conversion. Whoever had
given the influential pre-match teamtalk to the Birmingham players before kick-off certainly knew how to make them tick, as after the touchdown the defence went at Portsmouth all guns blazing, evidently trying to outdo the offense. The next score was also Birmingham's when Louis Haines dashed over, the PAT was successful and inside the first quarter Birmingham found themselves 13-0 ahead. The more time went on, the more the 'Destroyers' were being destroyed by a blitz attack from UoB and a defence that was all over them like a rash. Elliot Walters was the next man to score a touchdown on the carousel of attacking players who were adding their names to the scoresheet. Rohan Sandhu was the provider, sending through an excellent pass for Walters to collect in the End Zone. Birmingham were 20-0 up inside the first. They were also in dreamland. The men in red were streaks ahead, the crowd were in good spirits, and it was the perfect time for Birmingham University Dance Society, or BUDS, to take to the pitch and put on a spectacular show for the crowd at the quarter break. An additional six points were added with another Elliot Walters touchdown in the second quarter, making the score an impressive 26-0 at half-time. The second instalment of entertainment during the match came at halftime, this time with the Birmingham Pussycats Cheerleading Team putting on quite a show, further to their efforts on the sidelines throughout the match. Portsmouth needed a significant turnaround in the second half to have any hope of salvaging some pride from
the match, and it looked, at the start of the second half, as if this may be on the cards. Ben Myers scored a touchdown for the visitors with their first effort of the half and put a good kick over the uprights to make it 26-7. Elliot Walters was soon to redress the balance after this scare, however, touching down for his hattrick and boosting Birmingham's deficit. This was further reinforced by another significant contribution by Quarter-Back Sandhu who made sure of the finish with some quick thinking and improvisation. Portsmouth did manage to score again before the conclusion of the match, but it was little consolation with the final score coming to a handsome 38-14. A fantastic afternoon for Birmingham supporters and players alike, with many positives to take forward into the rest of the season.
"The more time went on, the more the 'Destroyers' were being destroyed"