Issue 1379

James Reevell gets a sneak preview of the Royal Shakespeare Company's new theatre Read the full article, p10

Redbrick

The University of Birmingham's Student Newspaper since 1936

Friday 26th November 2010 Volume 75 | Issue 1379 redbrickonline.co.uk

Protestors call for Eastwood to resign

Students protest outside the Aston Webb building; several gained access to the balcony James Brilliant Reporter

On Wednesday morning, approximately 40 students forced their way into the Great Hall before occupying the main exterior balcony overlooking Chancellor's Court.

This was part of a national protest organised by the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) against higher education cuts and increases to tuition fees.

Local and national media were in attendance as students unfurled a number of banners over the face of the Great Hall, attacking government policy and calling for the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Professor David Eastwood. They also coordinated a number of chanting, placard-waving protesters below.

Reports from within the Great Hall suggest that University security attempted to refuse the protesters access to the balcony but were overrun. There were, however, no reports of violence.

Around fifteen police officers

INSIDE

were subsequently called to the scene when further demonstrators outside the Great Hall attempted to push their way inside. Despite some scuffling and pushing, their paths were subsequently blocked by the officers.

Once access to the Great Hall had been denied, the tone of the protest changed. A band started playing music and a number of protesters broke into dance, both on the steps of the Great Hall and up on the balcony. No more attempts to storm the Great Hall were made, and whilst the message of the protest was still being expressed loud and clear the atmosphere was somewhat more buoyant.

The 40 protesters who had already gained access to the balcony were not forcibly removed, and they continued with their chants and rallying speeches.

Nicholas O'Brian, a third year mathematics student and one of the most vocal protestors said: 'Today has been a success, it's been a peaceful process.'

Although the vast majority of

students praised the peaceful nature of the demonstration following the violence in London earlier this month, others held a different viewpoint.

'The last 10 years of government has demonstrated that entirely peaceful protest doesn't get acknowledged,' argued Amy, a fifth year medical student. Another student who did not wish to be named claimed the violence in London was 'entirely justifiable'.

The rhetoric of the 40 protestors on the balcony specifically criticised Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats for 'going back on their word' regarding tuition fees, and was warmly welcomed amongst the protesters .

It is believed that the students were also attempting, following the end of the protest outside by mid-afternoon, to embark upon a 36-hour 'sit-in' demonstration within the Great Hall.

At 5pm, despite the dispersal of the protesters outside the Great Hall some hours earlier, a strong security presence remained throughout the Aston Webb com-

All photos by Kelvin Rose (PHOTOSOC)

plex with only members of staff able to gain access to the building.

The University later said in a statement: 'Students and staff have the right to protest peacefully but the safety of students and staff must remain our priority.'

Alongside the student demonstration a separate protest was taking place in Chancellor's Court.

Unison, the public services trade union, had organised a day of protest and walk out for University Staff regarding public sector cuts.

The demonstration was less vocal, and some felt it had been overshadowed by the student protest.

However, many Unison protesters expressed sympathy for the students too. Although Unison and the NUS tend to disagree on a number of issues regarding education, there was a common consensus amongst the protests of the government having broken promises.

The Guild of Students did not offer support to those students who were planning the occupation of the Great Hall. Johnny Davis, Vice President of Welfare, said:

'The Guild supports all students who choose to protest in a peaceful way, especially on an issue as important as this, as seen through the sustained action the Guild has already undertaken this year; however, we believe it important to continue a constructive working relationship with the University and as such we don't think an occupation is the right way to make progress on this issue.'

See page 3 for an exclusive interview with the Vice-Chancellor.

The Vice-Chancellor will be engaged in a question time debate with Guild President Dora Meredith on 7th December. All students are invited to attend.

EXCLUSIVE REDBRICK INTERVIEW WITH THE VICE-CHANCELLOR >> PAGE 3 | LOUGHBOROUGH SPECIAL >> SPORT

2

redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

26th November 2010

News

Interview with former Chief of Command of British forces in Afghanistan Colonel Richard Kemp Edwina Moorhouse, p4

Redbrick Editorial Editor Samuel Lear Deputy Editors Victoria Shires Sam Langtree Seb Mann Rosa McMahon Online Editor Micaela Winter Treasurer Jonathan Craven

Food Editors Harriet Constable Dami Olugbode food@redbrickonline.co.uk Travel Editors Ed Gordon James Cull travel@redbrickonline.co.uk

Art Director Thomas Walters

Sport Editors James Phillips Simon Hall sport@redbrickonline.co.uk

Chief Photographer Mike Roberts chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk

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

Technical Director Jeremy Levett

Crossword Editor John Rizkallah

News Editors Helen Crane Glen Moutrie Anna Hughes news@redbrickonline.co.uk

Editorial Assistants Victoria Bull Rochelle Balach Laura Hewitt Vikki Jeff Will Hunter Kate Selvaratnam

Features Editors Rosa McMahon Seb Mann features@redbrickonline.co.uk Film Editors Elmley de la Cour Matt Davis film@redbrickonline.co.uk Arts & Culture Editors Sian Gray James Reevell arts@redbrickonline.co.uk Music Editors Will Franklin Charlie Bailey music@redbrickonline.co.uk

Online Editorial Assistants Charmaine Katz Becky Sibson Danielle Fox Sophie MurrayMorris Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Jazzarie Lee Photography Editor Bethany Richardson

A

view across Victoria Harbour of the Hong Kong skyline, as seen from Kowloon, the edge of mainland China. Hong Kong is home to both the world's third most busiest container port and the third largest airport by international passenger traffic

Send your pictures and a brief summary to pow@redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick Calendar

Lifestyle Editors Briony Singh Rob Lewis lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk

Theatre

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

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

Music & Nightlife

The Secret Garden

CMS Concert

THE REP THEATRE, 25 NOVEMBER – 8 JAN 7.30PM West Yorkshire Playhouse present The Secret Garden. Adapted from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett Tickets available at £10-£32.

BARBER INSTITUTE 28 NOVEMBER, 3PM The UoB Chamber Music Society presents its autumn term concert with performances by various student groups. The programme will include works by Grieg, Beethoven and Elgar. Free admission.

Copyright (C) Redbrick 2010 Redbrick strives to uphold the NUJ Code of Conduct. The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers. If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication.

Full events listings available online redbrickonline.co.uk/events

Copy Editors Anna Lumsden Ruth Bradley

Television Editors Natalie Timmins Joe McGrath tv@redbrickonline. co.uk

Glen Moutrie

Sports

Workshops & Events

Men's football v Glamorgan

What does it mean to be German in the 21st century?

MUNROW TRACK PITCH 1 DECEMBER, 5.30PM Cheer on the men's football team as they battle it out against Glamorgan.

WINTERBOURNE HOUSE, 3 DECEMBER, 3PM-6PM Lecture by Peter Watson and Prof Maja Zehfuss on modern German identity. Free admission, register by email: v.a.ahmed@ bham.ac.uk.

Swap It Party The Secret Garden

Phaedra's Love TC'S ON CORONATION ROAD 1, 2 & 5 DECEMBER, 7.30PM 3BUGS Fringe Theatre presents 'Phaedra's Love; a classic Greek tragedy rewritten and reworked by one of Britain's most controversial playwrights. Tickets £4 members, £5 non-members.

CMS

Men's football

The Idan Raichel Project

Men's rugby union v Loughborough

THE GUILD, 1 DECEMBER, 8PM The triple-platinum selling artist, enchanting blend of Africa, Latin American & Middle-eastern sounds.

Acoustic concert of songs from latest album 'wthin my walls' with songs in Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish and Amharic.

BOURNBROOK PITCH 1 DECEMBER, 6.30PM The men's rugby union team take on the Loughborough seconds.

Idan Raichel Project

Men's rugby union

BRISTOL PEAR 29 NOVEMBER, 7.30PM Oxfam Outreach present the Swap It Party. Bring along an item of clothing to swap including a customisation station, campaigns corner and cake sale. Tickets £1.50.

Education & University Open Forum THE GUILD, 30 NOVEMBER, 5 – 6PM Chance to ask questions or make suggestions about anything to do with your course, department, the library or general facilities and services on campus to do with your academic needs.

Redbrick

News 3

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie and Anna Hughes

VC: 'This is not a debate about price'

Professor David Eastwood, Vice Chancellor Anna Hughes News Editor

This week, Redbrick met with the University's Vice Chancellor, Professor David Eastwood, to ask him about how he would justify higher fees, his opinions on student protests and how impending cuts would impact the University.

The Browne Review suggested that the tuition fees cap would be lifted to £9000, potentially tripling the price of a current degree.

When asked about how higher fees would benefit students, Professor Eastwood said: 'We are currently engaged in a review of how we deliver teaching, the value of what we deliver, and the way we further enhance the quality of the teaching and of the learning environment will certainly enhance the

Quotes of the week 'The sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalisation of sexuality' Pope Benedict XVI

'He's always been a keen ballroom dancer and he's indicated it is something he would like to do, providing he can fit it in amongst his ministerial duties' Spokesperson on Vince Cable's upcoming stint on Strictly Come Dancing 'Am I a big royal fan? Yes. And I'm a big Camilla fan too.'

David Cameron Laura Frost

quality of teaching and the quality of the learning environment.

'This is not a debate about price, it is a debate about value and Birmingham is going to take its stance unequivocally on offering unparalleled value to our students.'

It has been recently announced that cuts to the University of Birmingham may reach 49 per cent. Professor Eastwood responded to this by saying an increase in fees would reverse the 'devastating' effects of these cuts on students: 'If the new fee regime is phased in as the funding reductions hit universities we will be able to sustain the quality of education and won't be in an environment where we've got to make large scale cuts.'

Professor Eastwood went on to explain: 'If the fee was set at about £7,500, it would replace the funding we've lost. I'm certain that the deal for students won't be that you'll find larger size classes, you won't find reductions in teaching, you won't be taught in shabby or declining learning environments.'

When asked if increasing fees would result in better teaching and learning facilities, Professor Eastwood said: 'If we set the fee a bit higher we would have to discuss what we would prioritise.

That's the debate we are having and is one I am very much involved with.'

Student views show that they would perhaps prioritise better library and computer facilities for improvement. Redbrick asked Professor Eastwood what priorities he would make. 'The role of Vice Chancellor is to listen and take advice, and that is what we are doing. I think the quality of tutor support is important and think that should be high up on our list of priorities.'

Student protests have been rife in recent media and have directly involved students from the University of Birmingham, including 400 students attending the National Demolition in London and several staging a sit-in at the Vice Chancellor's office.

In response to this, Professor Eastwood said, 'The student voice is very important and I understand

University Press Office why a number of students are concerned about cuts.

'There are others, of course, who support them, and we should remember that. I think it was unfortunate that the demonstration turned into violence, I don't think that helped anyone's cause. I don't think sit-ins help anybody's cause.'

He went on to say that 'as a university we probably have the best student representation of any university I know of. The student voice is listened to very closely.'

The issue of contact hours is widely criticised throughout the student body, particularly in those taking arts and humanities degrees.

When asked if humanities students are getting less value for money, Professor Eastwood said: 'I don't want to get into a position where we just focus on and make a fetish out of contact hours.

However, we are looking very actively at contact hours on all the key programmes and where we need make additional investment in contact hours, especially in first and second years.'

Professor Eastwood was also asked if he agreed with the view that arts students may be hit the hardest by the rise in fees, particularly as these subjects are the ones facing the most radical teaching cuts. 'I don't think they would. If a university sets the same fee for the all students then the contribution all students make is identical.'

He added: 'There is a large public commitment to share the cost of higher education; recognising that not everyone will go into high paid jobs, not everyone will work for the whole 30 years where the fee payments are taken.

'Those students will be significantly represented in humanities and social sciences, so you can see that public money going in to support them.'

It was also asked whether Professor Eastwood would agree that higher fees would act as a deterrent to potential arts students. 'I don't see why anyone who wants to read a humanities or social sciences programme should be deterred. If they are high quality programmes, if they are well taught, if they are well resourced

there will be high levels of employment.'

He said, 'In the cuts of the 1980s it was said it was the end of the humanities, in the 90s when fees were first introduced we were told it was the end of humanities, when the current funding regime was introduced in 2006 they were absolutely confident that we would see a collapse in humanities subjects and applications increased each time.

'As long as you continue to offer high quality, well resourced, intellectually exciting programmes then the future is good.'

Student accommodation in Birmingham is one of the highest in the country, with an average rent of £103 a week for first year halls.

Professor Eastwood responded to the idea that high living costs may further deter future students looking to save money: 'We have held the levels of rent across the lower end of the range and we have done that again for next year.

'The University remains committed to providing a portfolio of student accommodation that accommodates for the range of student demand and range of student requirement. It is not true that the cheapest accommodation goes first.'

When questioned as to whether he expects more students to live at home or study part time after cuts are made, Professor Eastwood said, 'There has been a trend over a number of years now for students studying closer to home and living at home. That trend no doubt will continue.'

On the University of Birmingham specifically it was added: 'Birmingham is residential, that's the part of the nature of the University. It is a campus university. For the majority of our students it is an important part of life at Birmingham.

'Those who want to study in different ways with more flexibility, more compressed degrees, or by living at home will probably choose to study at different universities.'

Professor Eastwood had highlighted that a raise in fees in 2012 may not mean significant changes would be made in terms of teaching and resources, and would serve to replace the money lost through cuts.

In response to questions about how prospective students in 2012 would benefit from higher fees and what differences they would see, Professor Eastwood said: 'The Government is reducing its investment in higher education in order to sustain its investment in primary and secondary education to create social opportunities and widen participation.

'What we are going to do through the new fees is to ensure this doesn't impact adversely on the next generation of students. If we are charging a higher fee they will see the benefit of extra investment and we will make sure that's apparent from day one.

'I'm not going to pre-empt the discussions we are going to have next month. We will gather the fruits of those discussions and then decide what the priorities are.'

Any views? Email us at news@ redbrickonline.co.uk, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Uni Watch

Auckland A New Zealand company has launched the world's first wireless car charger for electric cars by using technology developed by The University of Auckland. The technology allows cars fitted with a receiver pad to charge automatically when parked over transmitter pads buried into the ground.

University of the West of England The University of the West of England will be accommodating the Kenyan Olympic Team during the 2012 Olympic Games in London, as well as providing training facilities for the team.

Canterbury A new degree for paramedics is being launched at Canterbury Christ Church University, in response to national moves towards degreequalified ambulance staff.

Durham Durham University is celebrating after a rare 17th Century First Folio of Shakespeare's plays was returned more than ten years after being stolen.

Yale Sir John Major, former UK prime minister, will present the George Herbert Walker Jr. Lecture in International Studies at Yale on November 30 with a talk, titled 'Fantasy to Reality: The World that Lies Ahead.'

Freddie Herzog

4 News

Redbrick

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie and Anna Hughes

This week in statistics €77 billion The amount of aid Ireland will receive to be bailed out by the Eurozone, the IMF and the UK.

350,000 The amount in pounds handwritten lyrics by John Lennon are expected to fetch at auction.

Selly Oak MP on police cuts Laura Frost Reporter

UK Policing is facing cuts on spending over the next four years due to the government's recent Comprehensive Spending Review.

The cuts, potentially rising to 4 per cent each year, will continue until 2015. Police authorities in the UK will be making tough decisions on spending reductions.

Selly Oak's Labour MP Steve McCabe said 'the cuts they have in mind are 8 per cent above the level which Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary said was the maximum figure that could be safely achieved.'

There have been warnings of job losses, and the government intends to cut Home Office funds by 20 per cent over four years between 2011 and 2015. The Government hopes to scrap authorities by 2012 and introduce directly elected commissioners.

Steve McCabe said 'these cuts are front loaded so the heaviest effect is felt in first two years. It almost certainly means that we will see substantial job cuts.'

The government plans to cut 6 per cent in 2011, 7 per cent in 2012, 4 per cent in 2013 and 3 per cent in 2014. It has been debated that police wouldn't be able to adapt to such cuts.

Although there are no official figures yet, the Police Federation claimed that 40,000 jobs would go if cuts were as low as 25 per cent.

This could affect the strength of front line services overall, and it has been suggested that crime levels will rise as a result.

Regarding the Birmingham area, McCabe said 'West Midlands stands to lose much more than some other wealthier parts of the country because more of our policing costs are met by direct government grant – about 83 per cent in the West Midlands as opposed to

Poll

Sinead McVeigh asked 100 students: Are you bothered about the recently announced royal engagement?

17

The number of years since Arsenal last lost to Tottenham Hotspur at home before their defeat on the 20th of November.

Steve McCabe about 51 per cent in Surrey.'

When considering crime and safety in and around the University of Birmingham, areas such as Selly Oak have been focused on reducing street crime.

A report investigating the stability of Policing forces across the UK read 'The reality remains that few authorities are well positioned, or well prepared, to do what is needed to ensure smart direction and value for money.'

McCabe said 'It seems likely that the plans will reduce face to face contact with the public and the police and may damage police/ community relations.'

He also said 'The coalition seems to put a much lower premium on public safety and law and order.'

30,000 Number of people who joined a Facebook campaign for Wagner to win.

Colonel Kemp on Gaza, Iraq and Blair's memoirs Edwina Moorhouse interviews Former Chief Commander of British forces in Afghanistan Colonel Richard Kemp, who gave a talk on campus this week

The 2008 Gaza war, similar to the outrage in 2003 against the war in Iraq, caused mass protest from students across the UK. How much does the Government pay attention?

'It seems likely that the plans will reduce face to face contact with the public and police and may damage police community relations'

8 minutes 45 seconds The amount of time an adult spends complaining a day according to a study conducted by toothpaste brand Sensodyne.

I think student protests like we've seen today in Westminster will make the Government sit up, because you can't really ignore when you have that number of people.

In terms of protest around the time of the Gaza conflict, it does provide a barometer in terms of public opinion and the Government will observe what has happened.

Quite often the Government wants to follow public opinion as well as to form public opinion. It's difficult to say how much attention the Government places on student protest.

The Iraq war protests…they clearly didn't divert the Government from its path. It would have highlighted to the Prime Minister and the cabinet the pretty strong antiwar feeling among large sections of the population. But then of course the Government balances that even more people who weren't out there protesting may have felt, we don't know not strongly one way or another.

Dr Avi Shlaim of Oxford University spoke on campus last week and described Tony Blair as a 'war criminal.' How would you respond to this?

military force, even if unfortunately a number of civilians were killed in the process, does not make him a war criminal. Also when talking about Tony Blair we should remember his decisions to use military force in the Balkans, to remove war criminals, other war criminals, from killing innocent people including large numbers of Muslims who were being attacked.

Will you be reading his autobiography over Christmas?

I bought the audio book read by Tony Blair. I thought it was quite frank in some of its admissions of errors. I think he clearly went out of his way to justify some of the things he'd done as well, and you could perhaps question some of the justification he put on it in hindsight. But having been involved with the Blair government closely, and with Blair himself over some of the time he wrote it, I found it an interesting read.

of the British Government or out of personal conviction?

It was personal, it was not on behalf of the Government. The British ambassador to the UN, or the British diplomatic team made their own representation at that council, so no, I was not acting on behalf of the British government.

The reason I chose to give my view in that form and also in the media was because I felt that a lot of what was being said about Gaza was false. It was based upon a deliberate distortion of the truth, or what was based upon misunderstanding. I felt that there were too few people with military expertise and military knowledge, who were prepared to give an independent and objective account of the situation. I knew I was in a position to do that.

I've spent 30 years in the military, most of which spent in counterterrorism or counterinsurgency.

I felt I was in a good position to give a more objective perspective.

Did you make your presentation to the UN Human Rights Council on behalf

I would completely reject that characterisation of Tony Blair. As a prime minister he was faced with a series of very grave threats to the United Kingdom, which he decided to address in part by military force. I think by attempting to remove the threat to the UK, using

Competition to win work experience Janine Rasiah Reporter

On Tuesday the Zellig Building in Digbeth played host to the launch of B-Hive 2011, a unique scheme which provides talented second year, third year and Masters students from all five Birmingham universities with the opportunity to receive paid work experience during Summer 2011.

Now in its third year, the scheme is offering 30 placements across five disciplines (Advertising, Graphic Design, PR, Marketing and Web Design) at some of the most well known and well respected creative employers in the West Midlands. Competitors must fulfil the tasks in the brief assigned to their chosen discipline by the sub-

mission date in early March. A panel of six to seven judges will then invite back selected candidates to pitch their ideas to them before announcing the winners in an awards presentation. In addition to the placement itself, successful students will take part in a training course run by Graduate Advantage, with the overall winners in each category also rewarded with a place on Birmingham Future's mentoring scheme.

Emma Gray, Director of Marketing Birmingham, one of the partners on the scheme, emphasised the fact that those who receive placements will gain 'sufficient practical experience' in a sector that is notoriously difficult to break into.

Currently just 40 per cent of students remain in the area after graduating, and local employers hope that by offering these opportunities more students will be encouraged to stay.

It is hoped that winning applicants will go on to experience the success that their predecessors have had, as five finalists last year have secured a full time job as a result of their placements.

Ellie Rance, who was the overall winner in the Marketing category last year, is an example of one such success story. She applied for B-Hive whilst studying for an MA in Events Management at BCU and on winning gained the opportunity to spend a month at Marketing Birmingham, where she

took an active role in live campaigns including the Taste of Birmingham Festival project. She kept in contact with her employers and as a result was offered a temporary position for a few months, before a permanent role became available. She strongly believes that the scheme 'opens doors' as a result of her experience.

Ema Kufel, was another winner in the 2009 Marketing discipline. She was awarded placements at Aga and London Midland, as a Freelance Consultant. She says that the expansion of B-Hive proves that 'there are places to go here' and she 'encourages anyone to enter.'

For more information, contact www.bhive-creative.com.

Redbrick

News 5

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie and Anna Hughes

Corinna Thompson

8

The number of years that Prince William and Kate Middleton, whose engagement was announced this week, have been a couple.

6.2 percent The average percentage increase in the price of rail tickets in the new year.

18.3

£18,098,199 Amount raised on the night of BBC's Children In Need, down from £20.3 million raised last year.

The amount in pounds H a r r y Potter and the Deathly Hallows took on the opening weekend in the UK.

Rise in poorer Asbestos find prevents demolition of old QE hospital students – for now Jennifer Anderson Reporter

It has been revealed that the old QE building cannot be knocked down as result of asbestos being found in the 1930s structure.

The old QE was made officially redundant last week, with the last patients being transferred, to make way for the new £2.6 billion hospital.

However, it looks like sections of the old building won't be going anywhere for a while. To remove asbestos from the structure will be a multi-million pound operation and due to the current efforts to cut costs within the NHS, University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust chiefs have told union officials that they have no plans to renovate the site.

Rob Johnston, spokesman for Unison West Midlands said: 'The trust is saying that it is prohibitively expensive to remove the asbestos.

Therefore, they will undertake regular health and safety inspections to make sure everything is fine. There are no plans to remove it.'

NHS spokesman Mr. Gareth Duggan said: 'The vacation of the QE provides an exciting opportu-

nity for the hospital to contribute to the continued regeneration of south Birmingham and the trust will be working with key stakeholders over the next 12 to 24 months to develop a plan for the site.'

Asbestos becomes a danger when disturbed, often through maintenance work. It can lie dormant for decades but still be fatal.

The inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause serious illnesses including a form of malignant lung cancer called mesothelioma.

However, asbestos exists in the ambient air only at low levels, which itself does not cause health problems, hence health officials are confident that if left as it is the old QE will remain safe.

Freddie Herzog

The new Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Freddie Herzog Reporter

Figures announced last week show that more disadvantaged students have gained a place at University this year than last.

UCAS have revealed that the number of school leavers from the most disadvantaged 20% of the population gaining a place at university rose 2.3%, from 29,390 to 30,052 in 2009. This is the highest increase of any group of students this year.

Despite this, the report also showed that Russell Group of Research Universities (including Oxford, Cambridge and Birmingham) are being dominated by private schools.

Over 20% of Russell Group admissions were made up of private school pupils (only 7% of all pupils in the country) with 19,000 out of the 92,000 Russell Group acceptances being from comprehensive schools.

This is in comparison to the 24,000 from comprehensive schools and a further 10,600 from sixth-form colleges.

While a rising trend for disadvantaged pupils at university is being seen at the moment, it is unlikely to remain that way.

An Ipsos Mori poll has found

that raising tuition fees to £7,000 would deter over two thirds of pupils from deprived backgrounds from going onto university.

Brian Lightman, the General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, commented on the UCAS figures saying 'I cannot see this [trend] continuing with the introduction of higher university fees.'

He went on to say that: 'Universities must remain accessible and affordable for students of all backgrounds.'

'This is one of the great successes of the UK education system in recent years. It will be a travesty if university fees discourage less well-off students from attending university, but this is likely to be the reality.'

The University and College Union (UCU) have predicted that tuition fee increases in 2012 will mean more applications than ever for the next academic year starting in September 2011, as students try to avoid the higher fees.

This was described by the UCU's General Secretary, Sally Hunt, as an 'inevitable scramble'.

The situation for pupils applying for next year has been made worse by over 30% of last year's applicants missing out on a place.

Aimhigher scheme Mailbox to be sold after to be scrapped three years of losses Ryan Jones & Kerrina Gray Reporters

The Aimhigher scheme is set to be scrapped under the government review of higher education funding.

The scheme, which aims to assist children from disadvantaged backgrounds to get into higher education, will be axed in favour of university led programmes.

The Aimhigher programme is comprised of 100 universities, 300 colleges and 2500 schools and encourages students from traditionally working class backgrounds to aspire to life in higher education.

This is particularly significant for the established universities such as Birmingham as there is sometimes an over-representation of young people from higher income families and private education.

Universities Minister David Willetts has defended the government's plans, arguing that universities themselves should run their own student access schemes as they are better placed to know the

most effective ways of improving access for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

He said: 'What I can guarantee is that we will place on universities an obligation to achieve the things that were previously being achieved by [these] kind of schemes.'

However, concerns have been raised regarding the combination of potentially higher tuition fees, likely university funding cuts and the loss of schemes such as Aimhigher, saying that it could possibly damage the chances for poorer young people.

The ability and willingness of universities to run such schemes has been called into question.

The Head of the Aimhigher scheme in London, Dr Graeme Atherton, said 'The idea that universities can do it themselves is flawed.'

First year Physics student Dan Bulmer-Bird, whose school was part of the scheme, said 'Aimhigher did certainly widen my outlook. I enjoyed numerous visits to universities, which encouraged me to work hard with my studies.'

Judith Hancock Reporter

The Mailbox, the UK's largest multi-use building, is set to be put up for sale following its significant drop in value during the economic recession.

This comes after a series of recent financial difficulties for its development company.

The owners of Birmingham Mailbox Ltd, Alan Chatham and

The Mailbox

Mark Billingham, plan to sell the canal side development next year, and have hired CB Richard Ellis and GVA Grimley to observe the market, with its potential value estimated at £150 million.

Both Chatham and Billingham were major shareholders in Birmingham Development Company (BDC), which went into administration in March this year, along with its subsidiary Build Ability, the developers behind The

Harvey McKeown

Cube.

Lloyds TSB had originally financed The Mailbox, before RBS took over half the debt, and it was then reported that the two were in discussions over the possibility of having to put The Mailbox into administration too.

The Birmingham landmark was once the Royal Mail sorting office, but since its redevelopment in 1998 has held a range of luxury shops, restaurants, spas, hotels, residential flats and offices, as well as being the home of the BBC Midlands headquarters.

However, if a sale did take place, there is the possibility that The Mailbox's purpose would be altered.

Chatham made the announcement last week, saying, 'There is a great deal of demand for well let, cash generative properties but very few are actually coming to market.

Those that have, have generally achieved excellent prices, as illustrated by the sale of properties at Brindleyplace earlier this year. We are therefore currently considering selling The Mailbox in the new year, subject to appropriate market conditions.'

6 redbrickonline.co.uk

26th November 2010

Comment & Features

Redbrick

Discord in the Eurozone: something must be done

Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain are all in economic deep water, but their problems are the result of economic mismanagement on a continental scale Oliver MacArthur Political Commentator

On November 22nd, Britain agreed to £7bn of loans to Ireland. In addition, a £77bn bail-out fund has been made available from the European Union. Following the recent Greek debt-crisis, this represents another chapter of turmoil within the troubled Eurozone. The fate of Ireland looms large on the horizon as further pressure increases on Portugal and Spain. Many blame the problems of Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain (PIGS) as victims of their own undoing.

However, the mainstream thought regarding the recent Eurozone crises are ungrounded and ill-conceived. The unfortunate position of PIGS is not caused by fiscal mismanagement or poor regulation – it is due to the imbalances lying at the very heart of the union.

All sixteen nations are locked into identical exchange rates despite vastly different economic and social differences. The German finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, has been highly critical of international currency manipulation: 'It's not right when the Americans accuse China of manipulating exchange rates and then push the dollar exchange rate lower by opening up the flood gates by turning on the printing presses'. This statement appears hypocritical considering the monumental benefits accrued to Germany in the context of the flawed Eurozone.

In the second quarter of 2010, Germany recovered rapidly from recession to register its highest rate of economic growth since reunification. Equally, France has recovered strongly from the recession. Exports, largely seen as the engine of growth, have continued to rise. Germany is now the worldleading exporter to China. Germany and France have always advocated closer European economic and political integration; they were both founding members of the Eu-

rozone. This is no coincidence; Franco-German exports have directly benefited from the weakness of the PIGS peripheral European countries. Exchange rates of currencies reflect the relative economic strength and confidence within that currency. Therefore, it is likely that the Deutschemark and the Franc would be far more expensive than the Euro. However, a more expensive currency reduces exports due to its increased price abroad.

Due to the relative weakness of the PIGS and other poorer nations, the depreciation of the Euro does not reflect the increasing strength of Germany and France. Rather than poor management, it is the underlying structural imbalances that have created this turmoil.

You cannot have a successful currency union without total political unity anything less is unsustainable

France and Germany are in danger of throwing the others out the ring

One cannot have a successful currency union without total political unity - anything less is unsustainable. Unless these imbalances are corrected, the Eurozone will remain highly unstable in the medium to long-term. In this respect, the whole fate of the EU project depends on the radical rebalancing of the European economy. The project must move forwards towards

total political unity or should be abandoned. Any half measures will only serve to exacerbate the current problems. Strong leadership is required. Perhaps Tony Blair would have been the better candidate for EU president than the meek Herman Van Rompuy.

The Eurozone desperately requires the creation of a European Monetary Fund (EMF) in order to provide safety to the weaker nations and confidence within money

markets. According to EU diplomat Juergen Stark, the EMF 'would be the start for a system of financial compensation that could become very expensive, set the wrong incentives and finally be a burden for countries with solid public finances.' However, it is inequitable and inefficient to be locked into an exchange rate that only benefits the largest and most powerful countries. The current system does not allow for in-kind transfers to en-

Beth Richardson sure stability. Alongside the EMF, a much stronger method to transfer resources and vast expansion of development funds are necessary.

Of course, with such a large membership, it is almost impossible to ensure perfect harmonisation.

Despite this unfortunate certainty, far greater efforts are required. If the EU project is to continue, the Eurozone requires radical reform.

Dithering is the route to damnation.

An unborn baby's fate in the hands of the public

Edwina Moorhouse Commentator

Last week's newspapers reported an American couple who had set up a website called birthornot. com, a website displaying a poll where the online population can vote for or against them aborting their unborn child. The part of this summary that should most shock you should be 'poll' and not the potential abortion, because I firmly believe this news story transcends whether you are pro life or proabortion/ pro-choice.

The story developed, and this week The Daily Mail reported the whole thing to be a right-wing, prolife motivated hoax. Regardless of it potentially being a fake, the website has been up and running for sometime, people have been voting and 'hoax' does not make the hypothetical idea of polling for birth or abortion any less disturbing.

Would you want to be the adult who had to explain that their parents decided to have them, because a certain percentage of people on a website thought they should?

I want to reflect on this, as if

the situation had been 'real,' because in my mind for a good few days, it was. The couple argued that ultimately it was going to be their decision, but they would more or less abide by the majority vote: 'If it's overwhelming one way or the other, that will carry a lot more weight.' I suppose the beauty of choice is that a couple in their situation have the freedom to make a poll, because they choose to. However, it seemed so insensitive to the people who have experienced abortion, to simplify the process and make it so black and white.

It is fantastic that in the UK, women have the ability to choose whether to have a baby or not, but it doesn't make the often emotional and sometimes physical effects any less easy. Furthermore, the couple's insensitivity continues as the poll is still listed as ending on the 7th December, because

the 9th December is the last date Mrs Arnold is supposedly able to have her abortion according to the state law. Is this date for the voters or the 'hoax' couple to have has much time as possible? It sounds remarkably like a countdown you would hear on the reality TV: 'You have until midnight tonight to cast your vote,' except you are not voting to give someone a record contract, you are voting whether or not to give something life.

I believed that Mr and Mrs Arnold of Minneapolis should have been making this decision together as a couple, in the privacy of their home. Whichever way they chose to go, it was fundamentally going to affect their lives – they don't need to worry about this now.

Try as I might, I cannot be open minded to this whole issue, it seems 'unethical.' I am 110 per cent pro-choice, but I still think unborn foetuses and the decision

to give birth or abort need a lot of thought and consideration. The more and more information the couple fed onto the website, the more 'human' it becomes and the harder it is for them to justify putting it on the website. We were told it was a healthy boy, complete with photographic scans, nicknamed 'Wiggles.'

Birthornot.com has shown to me that there is no longer a line that cannot be crossed when it comes to the internet or blogging – an opinion I had more or less already reached after hearing about a Russian artist who allows internet users to electrocute him. He argues that 'it addresses issues of freedom of speech and expression as basic human right' and the Arnolds argued their poll is there to 'make a difference in the real world.' Are they right? I don't know, I'd have to think about it some more – or perhaps I could just create a poll.

Comment & Features 7

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann

President, Peace Prize winner and story teller

Obama's new children's book, Of Thee I Sing, has been met with mixed responses. It may instigate a much-needed reappraisal of American history, but why has Obama limited his focus to America?

How do you solve a problem like... procrastination

by Siobhan Palmer

Laura Hewitt Commentator

Three artists, two scientists, one sports player and seven politicians (or social activists). These are the subjects of Barack Obama's new children's book, Of Thee I Sing.

Subtitled 'A Letter to My Daughters', it compares their personal attributes to those of thirteen inspiring Americans.

Obama's selection of role models for his daughters is fascinatingly eclectic. Eight are men, five are women. Seven are white, six are non-white. There are people of African American, Native American and Jewish heritage, and Americans of Mexican and Chinese descent. Most are those who worked to improve the lives of other people, as Obama himself did as an organiser in Chicago.

There are the obvious figures: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. all belonging to the canon of American Greats.

But many, such as Sioux leader Sitting Bull, are controversial choices. Fox News even ran the headline 'Obama Praises Indian Chief Who Killed U.S. General'. As bigoted as this statement clearly is, Obama's position as president inevitably places all that he writes under scrutiny. The description of Sitting Bull in the summary at the back of the book as someone who 'spoke out and led his people against many policies of the United States Government' reads as unfortunate ammunition to Obama's opponents.

Other surprising inclusions are singer Billie Holiday, who had drug and alcohol addictions, and Neil Armstrong, who isn't a likely Obama supporter after the President cancelled NASA's back-

Critics are calling it a publicity stunt. This completely misses the point; it's a cultural manifesto, not a political ploy to-the-moon mission. A fairly revealing choice is Maya Lin, the architect of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It might seem odd to prioritise the memory of an event over the event itself, but Obama's positioning of the death toll incurred over the glory gained, indicates an awareness of America's problematic role in Vietnam.

The key point about the book's structure is not the individuals themselves, but the communities they represent. Critics are calling it a publicity stunt to gain favour after the Democrats' disappointing mid-term results. This completely misses the point; it's a cultural manifesto, not a political ploy. It celebrates difference, re-centres the marginalised and equalises representation in the American national narrative. It's not historical revisionism, it's historical proportionalism.

In the words of Indiana University historian Ed Linenthal, 'what Obama has done is… expand

our sense of who counts in our own history'. Who 'counts' therefore includes victims of racial discrimination, such as baseball player Jackie Robinson; the deaf and blind, such as activist Helen Keller; and rural labourers, such as Mexican American farmworkers' activist Cesar Chavez. These figures may not have been part of our history education in the UK, but they are crucial to many people's situations and identities today in the United States.

My only criticism is that, however inclusive Obama tries to be, his writing is still grounded in American exceptionalism. The adjectives that he calls his daugh-

ters – 'creative', 'smart', 'strong', 'kind' – may be appropriate for a father-daughter relationship, but feel mired in national sentimentality when partnered to a pedestalled figure. 'You are the future', he tells his children, although he might be addressing the country as a whole.

The first line, 'Have I told you that America is made up of people of every kind?', sets out a progressive vision, but erects blinkered borders that establishes the country as globally central. I agree with the review by British children's laureate Anthony Browne, who wrote of that line: 'How I wish he'd written that the world is made up of people of every kind'.

The language of politics: vague, falsely emotive, and riddled with PR Alexander Blanchard Commentator

The great orators of yesteryear have drowned in a viscous sea of banality and mediocrity. There is an evident refusal to speak the truth amongst politicians today and all the while their spin doctors stand at their flanks, solemnly whispering into their ears 'political correctness, political correctness'.

While statesmen that speak with point and purpose have been cut away by the narrowing of party ideologies to suit the mainstream masses and the media-manipulated electorate, today's political language is purposefully vague.

Aside from the word 'cuts', politicians refuse to speak definitively on any single point or issue, lest any future contradictions or 'U-turns' should arise. Government ministers shy away from directly answering questions for fear of hypocrisies materialising. It is vagueness that offers protection, it prevents pinning yourself to one point or position. It is a tool for political survival – and a widelyused one at that.

Beginning with New Labour's

accession to power and its narrowing of ideology, we see leaps towards mainstream policies that, almost by definition, must be vague and all-encompassing. To advocate such policies, an equally vague language must be used.

Thus, political language degenerates into a pointless mess and further still, government policies must further grow ambiguous, as our ability and scope to debate them is weakened.

With the perceptible rise of 'PR-Men', comes a fashion for euphemisms and phrases which evoke favourable connotations.

Phrases are tacked together as convenient 'emotive-bullets'; short sharp shots to flame the passions of the people. The constant reiteration of 'we're all in this together' creates a feeling of unity, but give this phrase a little consideration and it seems as hollow as a vuvuzela.

This is all part of the intense 'dumbing-down' of political language, not only to suit a politically apathetic population, but also to suite the 24-hour rolling news that we are now subjected to in this country. Politicians are obliged to make short sharp sound-bites that can be used in a news headline of

only a few seconds. Once these sound bites are netted by Britain's media, the rest of the speech can be left to wander the deserts of irrelevancy. It is a sad reflection of the nation's collective concentration span.

Occasionally, though, we find the politician who says something worthwhile, something apparently concrete and meaningful. They stand out like a beacon through the fog of drivel and we pin our expectations to them. We follow their every utterance and every action in the political arena closely. We place them on a pedestal as 'a man of a different politics'; 'a man for a new type of government'.

So, Mr Clegg, when you told us in March of 2008 during your first speech as the Liberal Democrat party leader, that you would 'never allow the Liberal Democrats to be a mere annexe to another party' and that 'the future of hundreds of thousands of children [had been] sold down the river because the Labour party sold its soul and became the second Conservative party', did you really think we'd forget? Beacon through the fog, or sore thumb?

Alastair Campbell, spin doctor

'The constant reiteration of 'we're all in this together' creates a feeling of unity, but give this phrase a little consideration and it seems as hollow as a vuvuzela'

With deadlines for assessments creeping nearer, and Reading Week now dissolved into the memory of time wasted, most students at this time would probably very much like the ability to kick the habit of procrastination. After stressing out for a few days and still achieving nothing, however, I now offer a different suggestion: redefine procrastination.

Procrastination is not just the pastime of the bum or the unmotivated. Thanks to the World Wide Web, everyone procrastinates.

Gordon Brown was tweeting last week; the Queen has Facebook.

Procrastination is an inevitability, so, in order to make this column useful, I am not going to set out fruitless ways in which to stop oneself from procrastinating, but instead propose that the more sensible option would be to not see it as a problem anymore.

Being able to meet someone and establish a shared adoration of sneezing pandas is not a part of the modern world that I am prepared to lose. Procrastination is integral to our culture now, so let's not try and eradicate it, let's not brand it as an evil; let's embrace it and make time for it in our lives. Without it, I would never have been aware of the hilarity of a kitten falling off a table, or seen an elephant getting stampeded by a rhino, or worked out how to walk to the best pub in my home town by only taking roads that the Google street view van went down.

If everyone sets aside a couple of hours of each day for 'Procrastination time', much the same way they do for eating or showering, then not only would scanning Youtube and tweeting about how you still haven't started that assignment become legitimised activities, but procrastination would no longer be classed as such. It would be a real hobby, like waterskiing or Falconry.

'Problem' solved.

Anyway, must finish up there. I've got three thousand words to write by Monday and a backlog of tweets to catch up on.

Which to start on first…

8 Comment & Features

Redbrick

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann

Rubbing out the traces of youthful idealism: any hope in the honesty of politicians is laid to waste

'Imagine the Conservatives go home and get an absolute majority, on 25% of the eligible votes.

They then turn around in the next week or two and say we're going to chuck up VAT to 20%, we're going to start cutting teachers, cutting police and the wage bill in the public sector'

Sam Langtree Commentator

Six months and 26 days following the televised debates that took place within the Great Hall of the University of Birmingham, much has happened within the political structure of our society. Most notable is that we are now in a coalition government made up by the two, then, opposition parties.

With all that has happened since that eclectic and eventful night on the 29th of April, it is interesting to examine what was promised in the manifestos of the two eventually triumphant candidates, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, in comparison to what has actually been done in office.

This debate looked in particular at the economy, and this is what makes it most interesting in regards to students, especially considering the Browne Review, which is currently causing unrest and dissatisfaction amongst students at a national level. The Tory manifesto declared that it would provide 10,000 extra university places for this year and would also pay off loans for Maths and Science students who would go on to teaching. The Conservatives manifesto also stated that they wouldn't take a stance on tuition fees until a independent review had reported on student finance after the election.

In hindsight this appears to be a very clever way of stating the Conservative Party's intent to raise fees, without drawing potentially damning attention. I'm curious about the thoughts of David Cameron as he stood inside the Great Hall of Birmingham half a year ago. As he described this University as a 'great university', was he deliberately keeping tight-lipped on his plans to hike up fees?

I would also like to point out that the Browne Review is, at best,

The Aston Webb building on the night of the final Prime Ministerial election debate

Lib Dem policies spoke of the belief that studying at higher education level should be free and admissions based on your ability, not your bank balance

a sketchy 'independent review'.

Though those involved may have no ties to the government, their positions as Chancellors of universities, such as our own David Eastwood, surely implies they have a vested interest in promoting an increase in tuition fees. They are the ones who a rise in fees would benefit, giving them more money to invest within universities, but also a heftier income. This can hardly be considered independent.

Turning then to the Liberal Democrats manifesto promises, with Clegg at the forefront promising that he would not raise fees.

Clegg became the most popular amongst students, and the key for their initial successes, was their education policies.

Their policies spoke of the belief that studying at higher education level should be free and admissions based on your ability, not your bank balance. The party would gradually fade out tuition fees over

the next six years, saving students an average of £10,000. On top of this, a national bursary on household income would be introduced, allowing students to earn the same amount of money regardless of the university they attended.

Re-reading the Lib Dem manifesto six months down the line makes for uncomfortable reading.

Yes, the coalition is limiting the effectiveness with which they could even begin to implement any of their policies, but thus far we have only seen a complete dismissal of all the policy promises the Lib Dems had set up to ensure the support of the student body in the run up to the elections.

No wonder the chants against Clegg in the demonstration two weeks ago were so aggressive. For those students who voted for him in May, with the hope of stabilizing the university loan system, the recent results are even more painful.

Not only have the proposed poli-

Nick Clegg in The Observer

cies been ignored, but the Browne review manages to undermine every single aspect of the Lib Dems stance to tuition fees in the run-up to the election.

My point is this: this election has proved beyond doubt that it is both easy and possible for electoral candidates to set up policies with no intent on fulfilling them. Clegg recently admitted a few weeks ago that he regretted signing the pledge prior to the election. If these politicians can comfortably undo or resist the constraints of their manifestos, which are supposed to keep their policy making structured and available to the public, then how do we hold them accountable?

At the same time, it was so easy for these politicians to stand in the Great Hall under so much scrutiny, and still manage to fail to be completely honest in their intentions.

This really makes me question how much you can truly believe anything proposed by a politician.

A thoroughly modern monarchy Does the Prince's announcement of engagment mark a change to the Royal Family's place in today's society?

Victoria Bull Commentator

Aside from the controversial idea that the wedding bill would be footed by the tax-payer, the announcement of Prince William's engagement to his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton could be great news for our generation.

Our current monarch's coronation happened years before our fathers were twinkles in our grandfather's eyes, let alone before we were born. Nowadays, the Queen is often viewed as nothing more than a tourist gimmick, or a mere figurehead with no de facto influence. While I am all for tradition, and am proud to live in a country with such a rich heritage and a surviving royal family, it remains to be said that – with the possible exception of the older generation – the Queen is simply not relevant to most Britons. With as much disillusion as Britain's youth seem to view the economic and political systems inherent in this country, is it about time that we were able to look forward to the prospect of

a new, more modern example of a monarchy?

The answer to this is problematic, it could be a good thing when Prince William becomes King. We would finally have a monarchy that younger generations could genuinely relate to. After all, we grew up with the Prince and have watched him develop through the media for most of our lives. From a young age, his mother was adamant he and his brother experience a relatively 'normal' childhood, visiting McDonald's and owning video games, much like we did. Indeed, he has not exactly lived by the strict royal conventions one would expect. He has, in-keeping with modern times, lived in university accommodation, lived with Kate out of wedlock and will be around 29 years old by the time he is married.

This may signify a welcome move from the conservative conventions of the traditional monarchy, which the younger population of the UK are perhaps alienated by. On the other hand, however, the idea that the 'down-to-earth' William and Kate will one day be our King

Kate

will be the first Queen to have attended university

William

chose a middle class wife, instead of the usual aristocratic choice

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip and Queen raises the possibility that the monarchy would be given even less national importance, and the public focus could switch to become shallower and, with the ever-increasing demand for celebrity gossip, more trivial. A similar example of such a concept was the emergence of Michelle Obama as a fashion icon and celebrity in her own right, a concept which can be

argued to have overshadowed the slightly more serious matter at hand – Obama's presidential campaign.

Whichever side you come down on, it seems the latter point has already come into effect. Jewellers across the UK are reportedly receiving orders for copycat sapphire and diamond rings like the one given to Kate by William:

the ring given to Diana by Prince Charles. Since his early twenties 'Wills' has become tagged as a sex symbol, and Kate's entrance into the public eye has been coupled with a comment on her fashion sense. Whether an example of 'celebritisation' or modernisation, it is undoubtedly exciting that the old-fashioned, out of touch monarchy is due for a bit of a shake-up.

Redbrick

Editorial 9

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick Editorial Protest

Rosa McMahon Another week has passed, and again we have seen students expressing their concerns over the changes to the way we experience higher education.

Across the country the second wave of protests have been taking place to portray the discontent felt by students. Birmingham, I feel, has a special case. Our Vice-Chancellor sat on the Browne Review panel, and so it seems we have a double chip on our shoulder.

It is our Government and our University who are making decisions so flimsily, but which will change the structural core of the British university system, making it more like the American, elitist riddled, model.

What happened in London on the National Demonstration was indeed over the top, and allowed the phrase 'the minority ruining it for the majority' to gather its true meaning.

However, it has been misreported by tabloids, and created, or perhaps reinforced, an opinion that students who protest are Lefties who have no sense of normality or indeed reality. It is those who say such things, or absorb these easy words, that I wish had witnessed the protest on our campus on Wednesday.

Chalk on concrete outside the library told people the time and place where, again, we can voice our dissatisfaction with the unfair way that our system is veering. The information that the 'gratifiers' (if they

Deputy Editor can be called such) didn't include was the tune to which students would be marching.

It wasn't anti-Tory and go-awayClegg rhetoric which defined London's National Demonstration.

Both of which have, in my opinion, been jeered to death, but music.

Using brass instruments made Birmingham's student voice travel further than chants could.

As I was leaving the protest, 'no ifs, no buts, no education cuts' soon faded out, but the music could still be heard from the edge of the Poynting Physics building. This I feel is a real credit to out students.

Yes, some of the demands were unrealistic, but at least it was peaceful, and, credit to the music students, it was very tuneful too.

I left Chancellor's Court wondering where Eastwood was during the occupation of the Aston Webb, his office Head Quarters. During the final election debate he was in India.

Did he fear a similarity to Millbank happening and fled accordingly? Doubtful. Media coverage said the same: one TV van present, which belonged to ITV. I don't mean to sound idealistic, and do realise less peaceful (and questionably tuneful) protests took place across the country. Yet with a Thatcher nightclub opened in Chelsea this week, idealism may be all I have left.

Samuel Lear For one that tends to avoid protests at all costs, I enjoyed witnessing the carnival atmosphere of yesterday's peaceful attempt on campus.

This made it the more gutwrenching when switching onto BBC News in the evening to see the disgraceful violence that descended on our capital.

The right to protest freely and openly is one of the great gifts that we have as British citizens and many have laid down their lives for that cause, and to see it ruined in this fashion blights the public opinion of our cause.

I also want to challenge the aim of the protest, and would suggest an alternative route into ensuring that the cuts, which are inevitable, hit us in the least destructive way.

One can debate the necessity of cuts, but most economists will agree that our budget deficit needs to be cut radically in order to maintain our AAA credit-rating, and whilst one

The Redbrick Crossword

Mordo Nahum Puzzles Editor This week's prize is a choice between either Bad Science by Ben Goldacre or Little History of the World by Ernst Gombrich

1_2_3_4_5_6_= _=_=_=_=_=_=7 8____=9______ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ 0______=a____ _=_===_=_===_ b___c_=d__e__ _===_=f===_=_ g_h__=i_j____ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ k______=l____ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ =m___________ Across

1. Unsuccesful chargers? (5, 7) 8. _____ Bordello, punk band named after Russian writer (5) 9. Don _______, author of White Noise and Underworld (7) 10. Rectangles (7) 11. Jumps very high (5) 12. Fall asleep (3, 3) 14. Mark ______, 20th century abstract painter (6) 17. Latin prefix meaning "between" (5)

19. Largest city? (7) 21. Hard to get hold of (7) 22. R&B musician who has sold over 50 million albums (5) 23. Famous conquistador; careens north (anag.) (6, 6)

Down

1. Disease which can lead to pneumonia (12) 2. Laughed (7) 3. Bird claw (5) 4. Root vegetable used in salads (6)

5. Italian astronomer who discovered Jupiter's moons (7) 6. 4th letter of Greek alphabet (5) 7. Part of the UK parliament; odorous flesh (anag.) (5, 2, 5) 13. From overseas (7) 15. Axe, tomahawk (7) 16. ______wipe, TV review show made by Charlie Brooker (6) 18. Peace agreement (5) 20. Astronomical object formerly considered a planet (5)

Editor can debate this until the cows come home, these are inevitable.

Because these are inevitable, we should not be protesting against the cuts, but how the cuts can be dealt with in the most constructive manner.

This is why we, as students, should be supporting our Guild in opening a dialogue with the University, to ensure that the cuts don't impact on contact hours, and other vital tools to our academic progression.

The Vice-Chancellor should be commended for building a surplus in the face of the recession, and calling for his resignation is completely counter-productive to our individual battle in Birmingham.

Let's protest, but let's protest with a degree of realism. Let's rethink our strategy and look to debate constructively against matters that we can influence. Violence is not the way to the hearts of public opinion.

Sudoku

Apologies and Clarifications Apologies to Rosie Adams. Her article for Food last week on the Asian supermarket in the Guild was wrongly credited to Siobhan Palmer.

Please send all letters to letters@ redbrickonline.co.uk Letters for publication must be marked 'for publication' and include your name and course title. Letters without these details will not be published. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Video of the week

The objective of the game is to insert the numbers 1-9 into each row, column, and 3x3 box once Medium

How do you say it?

Julian Smith – Malk This sketch comes from Julian Smith, a scatter-brained American (his words) who is currently working towards directing a full length feature film. Check his sketches out on youtube.com.

Did you know?

Hard

Kissing can aid in reducing tooth decay. This is because the extra saliva helps in keeping the mouth clean.

Last issues solution: vishnu=g=s=c= e=e=e=lexicon spacejam=e=l= u=s=d=m=psalm venus=bait=i= i=a===o=lakes u=i=barge=a=a salsa=g===s=n =m=itch=moped hutch=i=a=a=i =l=i=oncourse fellini=r=o=g =t=y=e=silvio

On average, you blink 15,000 times a day.

Men are six times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.

The average person's scalp has 100,000 hairs.

On this day Scribble box

1842 – The University of Notre Dame is founded.

This week's winner is John Maillard, 4th year Chemical Engineer. We will email you with details of collecting your prize.

1922 – Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon become the first people to enter the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in over 3000 years.

Finished crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office.

Deadline 30/11/10.

2003 – Concorde makes its final flight, over Bristol, England.

10 redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

26th November 2010

Arts

Behind the scenes photos from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre's online gallery are available at

www.redbrickonline.co.uk/arts-culture

Previews Royal Shakespeare Company Uncovered Into the Woods

Deb Hall 30th – 4th December A combination of traditional fairy stories brought together in a compelling production by GMTG challenging unconventional themes.

Tickets £5 for students.

BRB: Cinderella

The Hippodrome On Now – 12th December Get into the Christmas spirit and head over to The Hippodrome for one of the most beautiful and festive ballet performances this season.

Student Sessions

James Reevell Arts Editor

This week the RSC showed off not only its new theatre, but also its own vision for the future of theatre. What's more, its a startling, revolutionary approach, harking back to the enfant terrible roots of the organisation.

Despite, the RSC's ridiculously cheap tickets to major productions, the abiding memory of a trip to the RST once was vertigo, distance and sensory deprivation, particularly for students hidden in the heavens. This unfair distribution of seats was fundamentally anti-democratic and anti-theatre.

The RSC to its credit has realised this and acted with the complete rebuilding of the RST. The theatre in many ways serves as a metaphor for the history of the RSC as a whole, with poorly thought through extension after extension added to the theatre, all in an attempt to keep its head above water.

In fitting with a more open RSC, the central aims of the project was to open up the theatre and change it's relationship with the audience and public, whilst retaining the history of the building and organisation. To this end, parts of the original exterior that were covered have been exposed, and left untreated. Architect Alasdair McKenzie said: 'We wanted to acknowledge that the building has had a previous life, this wasn't a renovation.'

Other nice touches include using the old stage floor for the

Royal Shakespeare Company's revolutionary foyer, or the former prop chair that swears at people in Shakespearean when sat on. Light now permeates all areas of the theatre, with the central point, the glass tower, rebuilt to provide a pivotal theme for the building and to replace the tower burnt down in 1926.

The RSC's ambitious restaurant and art galleries within the building, make it, as Michael Boyd the Artistic Director says, more 'sticky' in attracting visitors. With the building open seven days a week and the whole theatre actually turned to face Stratford, there is a real sense that the organisation is re-engaging with the public.

This is combined with the impressive new thrust stage, which

Peter Cook

the audience surrounds, and a new more democratic seating plan. The best seats are now spread around the theatre and levels. This means that young people, and students in particular, will no longer be ghettoized up in the heavens. There was a desire to marry the epic and the intimate in the theatre, allowing for all shows and all people.

However, in this lies my one, but in many ways substantial, gripe with the RSC. Despite, being openly desperate to attract the new generation of Shakespeare fans, there appears to be a distinct lack of ambition in doing so, with few exciting new works (with the exception of Tim Crouch's upcoming association) in the upcoming programme.

Michael Boyd promoted several revivals, including Pinter's Homecoming, but this seems to miss the point. Pinter is no more attractive to a new theatre goer than Shakespeare, to draw in a younger audience the RSC must have new works for a new generation.

Sir Christoper Bland, RSC Chairman, pointed to the success of the musical Matilda as a way of drawing in new fans, but does he honestly believe that they will come back for Shakespeare, not musicals? It is only by making real fans of theatre that the RSC will get real fans of Shakespeare. The RSC has a new home for a new generation, now please, just get some plays to match it.

We are ComSoc at The Underground

Me and My Girl at Deb Hall

Barber Institute 1st December After the huge success of the previous Student Sessions, the Barber Institute is throwing another for all those who missed the last and for those that want more!

Tickets FREE

Len Lye Electric Body

The Ikon Exhibiting Now An exploration into the life of Len Lye, this huge exhibition, covering two floors at the Ikon, is a combination of film, sculpture, painting and pictures.

Tickets FREE

Comedy Society

Gilbert & Sullivan Jessica Bull Critic

Now in their second year of existence, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society fills a niche that no one realised needed filling.

Having never seen a production of this 'genre' before (musical theatre) and knowing very little of the society, I was impressed by the sheer popularity of the performance, the range of age groups in the audience, and most significantly, the presence of non-students.

This society clearly has its regular fans, and this, teamed with its professional attitude to putting on the performance regardless of budget, resulted in a successful and entertaining evening.

The comic gags may have taken a short while to get off the ground, but once they got going they had the audience in stitches and the characterizations were adhered to throughout.

The most outstanding performance in terms of choreography, vocals and acting ability must be awarded to Ben Powell in the role of Bill Snibson. Heather Burgess as Sally Smith also gave a consistent, comical and effective performance. It must be said that every actor showed admirable skills and the whole cast numbers seemed to be the vocal highlights for the supportive audience.

One of the most significant reasons for such a successful evening was the atmosphere, something formed mostly by the cast in their quite obvious sheer enjoyment of performing; this is something that's vital in amateur theatre, especially theatre with comical intentions!

The comic intentions were realised in this production, the cast worked fantastically together alongside the live orchestra (complete with conductor in bow tie and tails!) and it seemed a great time was had by all.

Teodora Barzakova Critic

Bob Dylan once said that 'you can fake an orgasm, but you can't fake laughter'. Well, with University of Birmingham Comedy Society's performance, laughter was the last thing you needed to fake. Despite their low budget, the bunch provided an evening of genuine entertainment.

The students wrote the sketches themselves and thus the audience found it easy to relate to at least one of the many characters on stage. There were witty and sarcastic exaggerations of familiar stereotypes, which are always good to make fun of.

From every students' production, I always expect the worst and turn up at the Guild with the lowest expectations possible. So when the beginning of the show was slow and not amusing, I wasn't disappointed. The actors seemed nervous and most jokes came

across as blunt and flat.

With every following sketch, the atmosphere got better. With brilliant impersonations, such as one of Jeremy Kyle (Chazz Redhead) and the pregnant virgin (Katie Davison) the show was on.

And a very clever 'Mock the week' version paved the way for a promising second part.

Every now and again we got to enjoy a male Russian prostitute (Michael Brownlee) that got married to a British man (Chris Bates), who was too desperate to give up And although Matt Saull failed to sell us a flat on Albert square, he was highly successful at starting the weekend.

A personal favourite was the sketch with the seven days of the week, with clever and amusing jokes it broke down our everyday lives, pointing at the silly bubbleexperience we all share.

So next time the Society gives you a brilliant comedy show, you better go and see it!

Redbrick

Arts 11

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Sian Gray, James Reevell

Christian Scott at the Hare and Hounds

Stella Duffy at the Library

Oliver Wilson Critic

As I entered the beautifully atmospheric room at The Hare and Hounds pub in Kings Heath, it was immediately noticeable that there was an eclectic mix of generations present to enjoy what would be a feast of poetic and passionate jazz.

The atmosphere at the beginning of the night reminded me of the lounge bar in the Plaza Hotel in New York, with dedicated jazz listeners casually swaying to the music. However, after a song or two, Christian Scott introduced himself and his group to the crowd. If I were to quote Christian, I would have to abandon my morals and use a range of expletives that I was not expecting to hear at a jazz concert.

He did joke, however, that the majority of listeners tell him that 'they don’t like jazz, but love his music'; emphasising that his sense of humour and personality really shine through in his albums.

Thankfully, his lack of vocabulary was surpassed with what I can only describe as potentially one of the best live displays of musical talent I have seen in a long time.

The raw emotion and passion that Christian conveyed through his music was immense, so much so that at some points he would just sway alone on stage, eyes closed, listening to the music being played

Cheltenham Literature Fest Lexie Wilson Critic

Russ Escrtitt by his guitarist or sensational drummer.

The raw emotion and passion that Christian conveyed through his music was immense The crowd could see Christian Scott in awe of the talent of his fellow band mates and this appreciation was a delight to behold. I did, however, feel that potentially the other members showed off their

talent more, especially the drummer whose hands moved at the speed of light.

As the set continued towards the close, I couldn’t help but picture myself sipping on a Scotch on the rocks in a New Orleans piano bar, effortlessly swaying to the comforting sound of Christian Scott.

The 2006 Grammy nominee totally blew me away at the end of his performance where he shared an anecdote about the influences for his music, demonstrating how even without one lyric, his songs convey a meaning that you hold close to your heart as you walk out of the venue smiling.

'I wanted to find a religion that lets me eat meat, drink wine and shag women.'

This is Stella Duffy’s explanation for why she made the transition from childhood Catholic to practising Buddhist, and I think it sums up the tone of the evening pretty perfectly.

The talk started well with the fleeting goal of talking about her latest foray into fiction- the pseudo-historical piece about the surprisingly compelling but largely unknown figure of Theodora.

However, perhaps inevitably, the conversation soon veered off on so many tangents, we ended up taking a literary detour into lesbian lifestyle, 'pretty freckles' and famous friends. This is something that was reiterated a lot, Stella Duffy has a lot of famous friends.

Like, really a lot. She once knew Eddie Izzard.

Peppered with blink-andyou’ll-miss-it diversions into Duffy’s books (I only sound bitter here, because for the brief time she was talking about them, it was just so good) we got to know the real Stella Duffy. And she did stand up.

She was utterly fascinating, but after about half an hour, 'pas-

sionate' and 'absorbing' spilt over into a suspected case of verbal diarrhoea. The bottles of wine on the table, and intimate nature of both the theatre and remarks, gave me the impression of being a fly on the wall watching old friends catch up.

She was preaching to the converted; it’s probably worth adding, as the audience was eating up every word. Some of the digressions divulged points that did ring true: like the world’s obsession with taking about other people’s pain (the example she used was about the reaction to the 7/7 bombings); or the bizarre idea of women performing strip shows for their own 'empowerment'.

For the scrap of time that we heard about her novels, she was engaging. The Room Of Lost Things should be on every list of books everyone-should-read-before-they-die written from now on, deftly proving that she completely deserved the Stonewall Prize.

Obviously influenced by her own multi-cultural upbringing, it was touching and beautifully written. Theodora managed to make first century Rome interesting in a way I’m sure my history teachers would have sold their soul for.

They might have skipped over the token lesbian encounter though.

Hidden Venue: Castle Fine Art Gallery

The ICC Teodora Barzakova Critic

Once again we have a reason to run away from campus. The Christmas experience in Birmingham has begun with the opening of the annual German Market. How about after that cup of Gluhwein you walk a bit further into the ICC? There you will discover one of the most exciting fine art galleries in the Midlands.

In a small space, the retailers of Castle Fine Art Gallery have managed to exhibit an impressive range of works – from lithographs

by Picasso, sculptures by Dali and Lorenzo Quinn, to prints by Andy Warhol and stunning paintings of dance by Robert Heindel.

The Gallery was founded as a small family-run business and after opening more venues, it became part of the Halcyon Fine Art Group, which is a leading publisher in the art world today. You can find many Castle Galleries around the country and each of them has its own unique atmosphere. What I love about the one

in the ICC is that every time I walk in, the setting has changed. They have a vast amount of works that deserve to be on show, and the space and the arrangement changes every now and again, making room for new and different art.

Currently the stunning From My Heart by John Waterhouse struck me as one of the most beautiful figurative paintings of a woman that has ever existed. The Gallery is hosting a powerfully visual show called Masters of the female form, which follows the influence that Renoir and Picasso have played upon figurative painting today.

Also, there you can find a contemporary exhibition of works by Bob Dylan and A Holographic Response – an impressive collection of three dimensional photographs of nude women by Jeffrey Robb.

So, if you are considering buying your family an original Christmas present worth over a grand, or you simply love beautiful art, the Castle Fine Art Gallery in the ICC is a definite must.

12 redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

26th November 2010

Film

Daniel Day-Lewis to play Lincoln Steven Spielberg's presidential biopic will likely be pencilled for a late 2012 release

The American – More than meets the eye

Ana Martin meets director Anton Corbijn and co-star Violenta Placido and Elmley de la Cour reviews Clooney's latest film sex, but not sexual. By not showing that much, I thought it would feel stronger, you'd feel more of what he did to her.

Director: Anton Corbijn Cast: George Clooney, Violante Placido Cert: 15

Were you a fan of Anton's work before you did the film?

After seeing any of the promotional material for The American, you could be forgiven for thinking: well, Damon had the Bourne series, Pitt had Mr and Mrs Smith, it was only a matter of time before this happened.

You could be forgiven, but you'd be wrong. The American is a truly unexpected gem, a stunning visual spectacle and one of the year's best so far.

Clooney plays Jack, a hitmancum-gunsmith who, after a close encounter in Sweden, travels to a sleepy, Italian mountain town to lay low. Naturally, he finds it harder than imagined to escape his violent past.

In terms of plot, then, it doesn't sound like much, but in a strange way this is exactly the point.

From its very opening, it is clear that atmosphere and foreboding is its currency, rather than surface action and dialogue. In this sense, it's wrong to compare The American to the efforts of Clooney's Ocean's buddies. It is more a Western than a James Bond movie, and owes more to No Country For Old Men than The Bourne Identity.

Violanta Placido: Yes, yes. I loved the movie Control, and music is another great passion I have so I share that with him.

So why this project?

Anton Corbijn: I knew that after Control I wanted a very different genre. I came across this book and story, and I realised I could combine a Western with a suspense thriller, so I put two genres into one. The core idea of the film of course is whether a person can change himself, whether you can really turn your life around.

What made you decide to cast George Clooney?

AC: I needed to find an American actor, and within the American actors, I think George is the best for this role because he can say a lot with very little. That was important because there's not much dialogue in the movie. You have to

watch some guy doing something for five minutes without speaking.

There's not many people who can carry that and keep you interested.

The nude and love scenes in the movie are quite surprising. You don't get much of this artistic nudity in modern film anymore. What made you decide to show the nudity of a woman in this way?

AC: I wanted to show the aggression, and then the change during that scene to love, so I filmed it in a way that you feel Clara's sexuality rather than seeing her. I thought that was important because I know that a lot of sex scenes, whether it's pornographic or normal films, they usually don't feel sexual. It's

Film News Harry Potter

away. British actress Carey Mulligan (Doctor Who's Sally Sparrow) will play the female lead, Daisy, in what looks to be a sumptuous reimagining of the great American novel.

How was it to work with him as a director?

VP: He's very subtle and visual.

We worked in a very profound way, like getting into the deep aspect of the soul of the character.

What was the most challenging scene in the film, for you?

VP: Yeah, it was the intimate scene, but also the restaurant scene where I think Clara and Jack actually connect with each other, and go a bit beyond their external ... how do you say? 'Masquera'... mask.

Continued at redbrickonline.co.uk film@redbrickonline.co.uk

The Great Gatsby

That's right! Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal and co. are coming back to the big screen in a new adventure written by and starring Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall). The story follows Gary (Segel) and his flatmate Walter – who is actually a muppet – on a quest to save the old muppet theater from demolition. Cameos are already rife, and stars set to appear include Jean Claude Van Damme, Jack Black, Zach Galifianakis and Oscar-winner Alan Arkin. Amy Adams of Enchanted will also star.

Trailers Baz Luhrmann, director of Moulin Rouge and Romeo & Juliet is working his movie magic on F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel. Leonardo DiCaprio is set to play the eponymous American-dreamer while Tobey Maguire will join him as awkward narrator Nick Carr-

This week has seen an excellent and especially bountiful crop of trailers including the new oldfashioned animation Winnie the Pooh film and Michel Gondry's buzzy comic-book adaptation The Green Hornet. The funniest trailer of the week, though, is medieval romp Your Highness.

Genevieve Taylor

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Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

The Muppets

Who would win in a fight: Harry Potter or James Bond? Last weekend's box office proclaimed a massive win for 'the boy who lived' as the eagerly anticipated Deathly Hallows: Part 1 smashed UK records. Beating Quantum of Solace's previous biggest opening day by £1 million, the wizarding flick took a massive £5.9 million on Friday and approximately £17.5 million over the weekend - a pretty magical figure!

It is a remarkably confident film from second-time feature director Anton Corbjin (Control, 2007). Scenes play out with very little dialogue or action. Tension builds only to be abandoned or cut short. However, this makes The American a gripping, magnetic experience rather than an impenetrable bore.

Corbijn is an accomplished photographer, and it shows. His inventive approach to angles and lighting makes The American consistently beautiful to look at. This is none more so than in the Italian mountain setting itself, a ghostly network of cobbled streets that Corbijn makes a character of its own.

It's not all style and no substance, though. The American has a satisfying third act, but one that crucially doesn't betray the tone of its preceding two. Only at one hilarious moment where we see Clooney riding a Vespa, earnestly pursuing an assassin, does the film put a foot wrong. Nonetheless, Clooney is compelling throughout, his trademark bachelor vulnerability replaced by a cold, muscular exterior.

The American is a fantastic cinematic experience and, on the base of it, Corbijn is definitely one to watch out for.

Director: Jalmari Helander Cast: Jorma Tommila, Onni Tommila Cert: 15 Santa Claus is coming to town – and cinemas – this December but you really won't want to sit on his lap. Finnish director Jalmari Helander is bringing the traditional legend of Father Christmas to the big screen, which tells of a sinister supernatural legend that existed long before Coca-Cola got their hands on him. The result is one of the most inventive, terrifying, hilarious and surprisingly feel-good films of 2010.

Europe seems to be churning out all of the best and darkest films these days: The Orphanage, Let The Right One In, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and now Rare Exports. The film is set in the remote snowy landscapes of Finland, where an excavation is taking place deep in the mountains. A rich industrialist is digging in search of Father Christmas's remains – as you do – and it is not

long before dead bodies are found, and the local farmers are rallying together to investigate.

Rare Exports is a prequel to Helander's infamous short films – Rare Exports Inc. (2003) and Rare Exports: The Official Safety Instructions (2005) – which have a huge cult following on YouTube.

Both shorts are great, but Helander's first foray into feature length film-making really does allow him to shine. The increased running time – and budget – allows Helander to fully develop his characters, put together some superbly tense set-pieces and spend the entire first act building a sense of eerie foreboding across the stark wilderness.

Thankfully the very dark humour of the shorts remains throughout. This must be the first Christmas movie where the supposed heroes tie up Santa Claus and leave him hanging on a slaughterhouse meat hook. Rare Exports delights with a string of great gags just before the credits. Just make sure you avoid the YouTube shorts until then, if you want to keep the

punch line a surprise.

Our hero, young Pietari (a brilliant Onni Tommila, son of his onscreen father Jorma) is responsible for much of the humour by trying to ward off Santa Claus through such ruses as stapling his advent calendar shut, and leaving bear-traps in the fireplace. He is also one of those plucky, heroic kids usually found in eighties children fantasy films – three of which we glimpsed in The Hole 3D last week – and, therefore, Pietari is armed, naturally, with hockey gear throughout.

These laughs and sight gags are welcome comic relief as there is a good streak of intense horror running throughout Helander's movie.

Santa Claus is terrifying: naked, dirty, feral, emaciated and relatively comatose... until he smells a child. And there's a lot more than one. And wait until you see their boss.

It is hard to nail the exact appeal of Rare Exports. It is such a hodgepodge of great ideas, conflicting genres and convention reversals.

None of this is surprising, though, considering Helander's self-cited influences: Signs, Pan's Labyrinth, ET and Fargo. As a result, we have farmers battling the supernatural, horned beasts, children saving the day and a fair amount of snow & meat grinders.

It is the scariest Christmas movie since A Nightmare Before Christmas, and one of the most original films you will see all year.

Just don't expect to get any sleep on Christmas Eve. Simon Fairbanks !

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Redbrick

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Matt Davis, Elmley de la Cour

Chico and Rita Dream Home

Redbrick Recommends...

American Psycho

Director: Mary Harron Cast: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux Cert: 18 Having read American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis, I was fascinated to see how any director would possibly adapt the controversial novel to the big screen. Readers were shocked and outraged in 1991 when the novel appeared on shelves detailing the ultra violent accounts of Patrick Bateman, an 80s Wall Street banker who works on 'mergers and acquisitions' by day and 'murders and executions' by night.

The film adaptation necessarily avoids the gorier elements of the novel, and instead director Mary Harron decides to focus on Ellis's razor-sharp satire of 80s materialism. A portrayal of an era where success was measured by the people you know, places you eat, the clothes you wear, and how lavish your business card was. The films starts with Bateman talking us through his meticulous washing

Film 13

Director: Javier Mariscal Cast: Mario Guerra, Limara Meneses

habits, rigorous exercise routine and his penchant for expensive taste, but despite all of Bateman's wealth he is emotionally bankrupt, and it's only a matter of time before his homicidal thoughts lead him into serial killing.

There is very little plot here and much of the film is left open to interpretation by the viewer, where it can be difficult at times to draw the line between reality and Bateman's own twisted fantasies.

Plot substance aside, Harron does manage to engage the viewer in one of the finest character studies of the 21st century.

While the book is extensively more violent and detailed, I would have to say that the film is not a bad companion piece. It captures all the relevant social commentary of the novel, and Christian Bales performance of Bateman is truly iconic.

Highly recommended to those who enjoy a tall glass of orange juice after brushing their teeth. A really twisted 'cult classic'.

Sandip Parmar !

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One of few mainstream animated film aimed at adults, Chico and Rita tells the romantic story of two Cuban lovers and the long, hard path to true happiness.

Chico is a talented piano player. Rita is a Latin beauty with a big voice. Together they make beautiful music that stops everyone who hears it dead in their tracks. The sensuous duet rule the jazz scene of 1940s Latin America, that is until Rita is approached by an American businessman after one of their shows.

Desperate to make her big in America, the anonymous businessman offers Rita the opportunity of a lifetime to try her luck in New York.

Rita is consumed by Hollywood glamour and success, whilst Chico continues to play piano in jazz clubs around New York.

Neither is happy without the other, no matter what opportunities fall upon them. A scandalous betrayal by a mutual friend leads to deportation and a heartbreaking separation of 47 years, but everything ends well as all good romances should – with a sickeningly sweet and a little unrealistic cliché.

This is a beautiful and touching love story, but nothing particularly new or exciting. This animation should have been left to the ruling experts at Disney.

Gemma Fottles !

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Director: Ho-Cheung PangCast: Josie Ho, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang Cert: 18 All money and no new house makes Cheng a vicious girl. That appears to be the basic premise of this asian horror. A young woman, Cheng Li-sheung (Josie Ho), works two part time jobs and has been saving for her dream home with a sea view for years. When stock markets in Hong Kong go haywire, the seller of her desired apartment raises the price meaning she can no longer afford it.

From then on Cheng seems to leave the building of her stable mind and descends into a moment of madness that involves disturbing and downright horrific acts upon her would-be neighbours had she moved into the apartment.

The motive for killings is shown about half way through the film which by then is too little too late in terms of feeling sympathy for

Cheng, especially after viewing one shocking scene involving an innocent pregnant woman.

With different kinds of organs being sliced and diced all over the place, one couldn't help but start rooting for the victims considering how sadistic the main character appeared to be.

However, if you are looking for a film with lots of squeamish gore and naked tussling this will be your next stop. The creativeness of some of the deaths is just plain ludicrous, although there is some humour to be had in certain scenarios which seem shocking at first then fall into a pit of absurdity that seems out of place.

Let's just say that in the future if anyone decides to buy an apartment next to you and their deal falls through. You might want to invest in some mighty strong locks and not answer the door to strangers for a while. Just to be on the safe side.

Heather Smeeton !

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26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Stuart Gittings, Manpreet Pangli

Technology

Review: Xbox

Write for Technology! email technology@redbrickonline.co.uk

Kinect

Ian Mallowan reviews the release of the new Xbox Kinect

The release of the Nintendo Wii in 2006 heralded a new era for Videogames. Laughed off by the traditional gaming media and the 'hardcore' demographic as a fad, the Nintendo Wii managed to astronomically exceed the expectations of all.

This is to the extent that system sales for the Wii are approaching double that of its two main competitors the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3.

Motion controlled gaming managed to reach out to a market that the videogame industry had never even realised existed, and with system sales for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 slowing down with each consecutive year, Microsoft and Sony have now been forced to play catch-up.

Sony's Playstation Move almost seems dangerously close to copyright infringement from Nintendo, even with an impressive 1:1 tracking ratio and the full use of the PS3's superior hardware.

Microsoft has taken a more

left-field approach to their motion controller, and instead has turned the player's body into a controller with a sophisticated motion tracking camera, creating an experience liberated from the constraints that a conventional controller brings.

This is less reinventing the wheel than doing away with the whole concept of the wheel altogether.

In theory, it sounds like Microsoft's silver bullet in winning the motion controller wars. The argument that the experience of playing a game can be made

more immersive with the real life simulation of on-screen action has found the purest method of proof in Kinect.

Fighting games could turn each swing of a real life fist into a bone-crushing blow to your virtual opponent, strategy games could allow players to orchestrate battle plans with mere hand movements, and music games may finally teach gamers how to dance without the use of arrows on the floor. The possibilities are seemingly endless.

How disappointing then, that the current offerings of Kinect software create so many barriers to achieving its lofty promises. As is the case with most launch game consoles and accessories, fun and innovative games seem to be initially thin on the ground.

Kinect Adventures, the game bundled with the hardware, seems to be too much of a glorified tech demo, containing a series of minigames to give the player a light introduction to what using the Kinect hardware involves. River raft-

ing, balloon popping, a hole-inthe-wall style obstacle course and a submarine repair minigame serve to offer a fun taster of what Kinect is capable of and what experiences one might expect from it in the future, but simply cannot support the hardware alone.

Some of the other 18 games available at the time of release come close to justifying Kinect's existence, and with a promising line-up of future releases, the Kinect software catalogue could turn out to offer some genuinely different experiences to those currently available for conventional control methods.

In addition to concerns about the lacklustre software catalogue, the hardware itself makes its existence hard to justify.

A large clear floor space is necessary for

Gaming & Digital day @ Aston Science Park

Smoking 2.0?

Adam Ball Reporter

Stuart Gittings Technology Editor

Whether or not you agree with smoking, there is no denying the colossal size of the industry. The main cause of nicotine products becoming less popular in the UK is the danger of passive smoking and, of course, the ever growing amount of dangerous chemicals found in your average cigarette.

Enter the E-Lite. With a name fresh from a boardroom of executives, the 'UK's No.1 electronic cigarette' suggests 'Don't light...ELite'.

The concept of an electric cigarette may seem futuristic, somewhat ridiculously so, but offers a new take on a pastime for millions of people.

The E-Lite is designed to simulate the feel and taste of a traditional cigarette, but doesn't contain the 4000 harmful chemicals which are in a cigarette.

Smoking or, as E-Lite prefer, 'vaping' an electronic cigarette requires you to inhale on the replica cigarette shell: this draws liquid nicotine from the cartridge, heats

Kinect's hardware to fully track a player's body, which from the perspective of a Student in a shared house makes Kinect practically useless without annexing the living room.

It is perhaps unfair to criticise Kinect so heavily after barely two weeks of release. The Wii took a great deal of time to establish a strong catalogue after the frenzy of Wii Sports and, in a similar vein, Microsoft are only just starting out the same process.

At ÂŁ130, however, it is a tough sell to all but the most enthusiastic technology fans until a game is released which maximises the potential of the Kinect.

it in an atomizing chamber and is then exhaled as a harmless vapour.

It must be said that from a distance it does give the appearance of a normal cigarette.

Some may feel, however, that the electronic cigarette loses all of the character which the flame, smoke and ash of its traditional counterpart is iconic for.

E-Lite even offer a Havana Cigar replica, which of course, would be ridiculous to expect it to bear any resemblance to the real thing.

The major selling point of the E-Lite is that it avoids the tobacco

smoking ban which was nationally imposed in 2007. The E-Lite does not give off passive fumes and it is not flammable, allowing you to smoke anywhere.

I feel this freedom is dangerous, because the introduction of designated smoking areas has made it less convenient to smoke and, in many cases, will mean a smoker uses fewer cigarettes.

Although chemicals such as tar may be absent from the electronic cigarette, an E-Lite still contains the addictive property of nicotine.

Having sampled them, I found that E-Lite offers not only convenience but also a false sense of security; this inevitably leads you to take nicotine hits more often than you would through traditional smoking.

Last Tuesday, as part of the Global Entrepreneur Week, a 'Gaming and Digital Day' was hosted at Aston Science Park. The event showcased an array of gaming and technological talent, old and new, that has emerged through entrepreneurship.

The attendees of the event included the likes of Rare and Blitz Games alongside a number of up and coming independent producers.

Stephen Roper from Warwick Business School began with a keynote speech on entrepreneurship and the successful characteristics it entails. Once the tone had been set, it was time for a true entrepreneur to come to the stage, Philip Oliver, CEO of Blitz Games Studios. Established in 1981, the gaming studio now employs over 230 employees and produces games like the Biggest Loser (2009) a far cry from games such as Wargames (1998). He gave the strong advice to industry start ups by emphasizing that you need to 'be prepared to fail': if something doesn't take off straight away don't panic.

Soon it was as time for the new generation to make presentations.

A prominent display was made by Soshi Games who strive to produce online social games which deliver a more meaningful impact. It was positive to see these start ups beginning to thrive amongst the recent economic instabilities which have shaken the industry.

The exhibition also highlighted the array of support there is in the Birmingham area for those looking to establish digital products and services. The Aston Science Park itself allows the allocation of office space to some of the companies which presented, and, positively, this is planned to be expanded by an extra 5000 square feet to accommodate fledgling games and technology companies.

What produced the biggest buzz of the day was undoubtedly the live demonstration of the new Xbox Kinect. Nick Burton, Rare Talent Director, described that, 'We are at the cross roads in removing the barriers in interacting with this new gaming system and we are looking towards a new level of accessibility for users.'

The day offered a fresh perspective on the new talent emerging in the technology industry as well as showing that with a great idea, hard work and the right backing it is possible to set up a successful digital company in the future.

Five under-the-radar releases...

There are always a few releases in the run up to Christmas that everyone's heard of. This year, Call of Duty: Black Ops (check out our online review at redbrickonline.co.uk/technology), is out of the way, we've just had new instalments from the Need for Speed and Assassin's Creed franchises and the next World of Warcraft expansion drops early next month. However, if you're looking for something a bit different, then look no further: here's five relatively unknown releases, from the sublime to the patently ridiculous.

Jeremy Thackray 1. Epic Mickey (Wii)

2. James Bond 007: Blood Stone (All major formats)

3. Poker Night at the Inventory (PC)

4. Super (Wii)

Mario

All-Stars

Mickey Mouse? Boring. Mickey Mouse as realised by the guys behind the brilliant Thief, Deus Ex and System Shock Series? Hello...

If you don't fancy Call of Duty, consider this: a mix of gun-fighting, car-chasing and world-saving all under the Bond license.

Play poker with the minigun-toting Heavy from Team Fortress 2 for just ÂŁ3 on the Steam download service. Completely bonkers.

Mario turned 25 this year, so celebrate with this package containing all three class Super Mario Bros, a book and CD soundtrack.

5. Michael Jackson: The Experience (Wii)

This was inevitable. Dance along to your favourite Jacko tracks and bag yourself a spangly glove if you pre-order. Thrilling.

16 redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

26th November 2010

Television

The Top Ten TV Dads

10

Jed Bartlett

Although you're constantly followed around by the secret service, have no real privacy, and are even at risk of being drugged and kidnapped by terrorists, your Dad is the President of the United States!

The West Wing showed Jed as a light-hearted and caring father, who even temporarily resigns to focus on finding kidnapped Zoe... and he's a pretty good President too.

9

8

Chaz Finster

We all felt sorry for this single dad, but his sweetness and relationship with Chuckie made him the most lovable Rugrats' dad by far. Any Rugrats devotee must hold a soft spot in their heart for this red-haired sweetheart.

Michael Bluth

Cameron Tucker

Michael is constantly trying to keep his family together and acts as sole parent for his son George Michael in Arrested Development. His dead-pan humour and normalcy amongst a family of odd-balls and criminals makes him a perfect role-model, and he constantly tries to teach his son that family is the most important thing in the world (...not breakfast).

6

4

Homer Simpson

You couldn't really have a top ten Dad's list without Homer, so here he is. He was the archetype for other cartoon dads such as Peter Griffin and Hank Hill. He made it alright for dads to be a bit rubbish, and for us to laugh at them. And besides, he always redeemed himself in the end.

3

Mick Shipman

This Essex lad was the perfect husband to Pam and a great father to our Gavin in Gavin and Stacey.

He supported him in his move to Wales, comforted him during his fertility issues and provided musical entertainment at Christmas.

He was lovable, down to earth and was even a father figure to Smithy.

Reality TV has come a long way since 1999 when the success of the first Big Brother revealed the popularity and potential of the reality television genre. Now it seems that nearly every network has its own reality TV show, with some channels hardly broadcasting anything else.

One wonders how stations like Living and ITV2 would fill up their timetables if they didn't have an assortment of 'unscripted' dramas to repeat endlessly. Now it seems that a reality show can be constructed to showcase anything: a twelve week job interview, the goings on in a tattoo parlour, botoxed housewives, a fat man who eats his way across America, a group of brain-dead orange people in Essex, a group of brain-dead orange people in Jersey, singing, dancing, culinary and modelling competitions... and Kerry Katona's pathetic little life. The list is endless and consequently terrifying. No aspect of life is sacred; everything and anything can be televised and sensationalised.

I'm not a detractor of reality television. I enjoy the obviously contrived ridiculousness of shows like The Hills and I tune into The X Factor every week. My issue isn't with reality shows per se, but with the sheer amount of them. We have been force fed so much reality television that this once thrilling, yet unhealthy diet has frankly become unappetising and monotonous.

The fly on the wall shows have started to blur into one, the talent

Big Brother: A social experiment gone wrong? shows are fixed and the shows with a supposed educational slant only manage to teach us things a monkey would know already.

I can hardly say that watching Katie Price fly all the way to America to get her veneers sorted out, and wincing as Gok gropes a naked, middle aged woman in public is a good use of anyone's time.

Either the nation has truly become obsessed with the mundane, or we have allowed ourselves to become brainwashed. We watch the same shows year in, year out; the only difference is the title of the programmes and the names of the 'stars'.

Attempts have been made to diversify the genre with a host of allegedly 'highbrow' broadcasts.

The Apprentice, for example was intended to inspire the nation's hopeful entrepreneurs, encouraging business aspirants to follow in the footsteps of Lord Sugar's candidates and turn their acumen and creativity into gold.

However, with each year, the contestants have become more opinionated and argumentative and the heart of the show seems to have been lost in the drama.

The disputes in the boardroom are reminiscent to those seen after a raucous night out in Jersey Shore.

Meanwhile Sarah Jessica Parker's Work of Art (think Project Runway, with the participants creating pieces of art instead of clothing) was reviewed as lacklustre by the critics until six episodes in, when the competitors started squabbling. Eventually reality television becomes one and the same.

So is there any hope for reality TV? In my opinion, the genre isn't going to fizzle out anytime soon. With any luck, some genius will come along with a big idea to make this type of television fresh and exciting again. However, it will probably continue down the path it is already following, landing in a fermenting heap of unoriginal depravity.

We Are Family!

Lola Lawal Reporter

Burt Hummel

You might not have expected Kirk's manly mechanic father in Glee to be supportive of his son's sexuality, but he was and we loved him for it. He loves Kirk for who he is and sticks up for him, which is refreshing against the common storyline of gay television characters' battles and conflicts with their fathers after coming out.

Burt embodies the era of the modern dad.

1

Uncle Phil

Nathan Scott

Being one of the best dads in the genre of American teen dramas isn't be the hardest task (especially in One Tree Hill), but NBA star Nathan is still a great dad.

Blessed with one of the coolest kids ever, Nathan lets his son Jamie come to games with him, gets him signed shirts, but still manages to teach him the values of humility and friendship – aww.

Amber Alexander Reporter

Cameron, the stay at home dad of Lily, adopted his daughter with partner Mitchell, from Vietnam.

The Modern Family dad may be overly caring, such as threatening to break into their car with a chair after Lily is locked in, but his hilarious camp personality makes for great comedic moments with his daughter, such as introducing Lily to the rest of the family by recreating the unveiling of Simba scene from The Lion King.

2

The best moments of Scrubs: redbrickonline.co.uk

As Seen on TV...

Hal Wilkerson

At times he seemed like one of the kids, but in the end Hal, father of Malcolm in the Middle, was a caring and involved dad, giving the kids relief from their tyrannical mother Lois. His childlike obsessions led to such antics as power-walking to Lego towns, which kept the kids, and us, entertained.

7

5

Scrub up!

Even though he was Will's uncle, he became a father figure through his caring and generous nature.

Taking in Will after his 'one little fight', Uncle Phil was serious and authoritative but fun when he wanted to be, and was pretty awesome at pool too. And after all, he brought us Carlton‌

Emma Dukes

Most of us would be highly embarrassed if our friends saw some of the shenanigans that went on in our household, let alone any old stranger. So how would we feel if these shenanigans were broadcast on a television screen for the whole British public to see? That's exactly what Channel 4 have done with their intrusive but innovative documentary: The Family.

Now on the third series, the show introduces us to the Adesinas. The clan of six are a Nigerian family who live in London. There is a real sense of East meets West as the parent's very traditional African views often collide with that of their four children, all born and bred in Britain. What makes The Family so popular is that it deals with everyday domestic life, but when this is mixed with the 'clash of the cultures', the show gains a more entertaining edge.

'My children... their lifestyle is different from mine' claims Vicky, the mother of the house, and she couldn't be more right. Whilst she can be caught dancing and singing along to solely Nigerian folk songs, the eldest daughter Julie will be blasting out some R'n'B at full throttle through her speakers (leading to a standard telling-off).

It's little nuggets such as this

The Adesina's are featured in The Family on Channel Four. that make the show so comical,, especially for people like me who also have Nigerian parents and can totally relate with the mix of two worlds.

It's hard to tell yet who my favourite family member is, as all of them stand out for different reasons. We have Sunday, the father of the house. His quiet and laidback attitude mixed with the sharp tongued, assertive nature of Vicky make them an interesting duo.

Then there are the children.

Ayo is the bad boy of the household. My favourite rebel moment was when he disappeared late in the night and came back at eight in the morning, giving what can only be classed as the lamest excuse in all television history: having to see a man about some dog. Younger brother Olu is a far cry from this

and apparently dreams of one day taking over the family's food business. Apart from Julie, the other girl is Ola, the youngest of the family and a stroppy, privately schooled teenager.

With such a packed house, it's no wonder there's always a drama.

This week's episode saw Vicky planning an extravagant birthday party for Sunday's 60th. You got the impression though he probably would have been equally satisfied with a night in and a plate full of good grub! The defining moment of the whole fiasco, however, was right at the end when all the celebrations where over, and Sunday realises that for sixty years he has been marking his birthday one month late, but decides to keep it a secret.

Documentary gold? I think so.

Redbrick

New Mentality

TV Gold: Father Ted Rebecca Hardwick Reporter

My favourite comedy series of all time has to be Father Ted. The Channel 4 show may have ended twelve years ago but it is still just as funny as ever and has definitely survived the test of time.

The show ran for three series before Dermot Morgan, who played the eponymous Ted Crilly, tragically died just a day after finishing filming the third series. Father Ted was hugely popular when it was first broadcast, winning the 1995 and 1998 BAFTA for best comedy, and continues to be today.

Father Ted's brilliant characters and one-liners make the show laugh-out-loud funny and remarkably entertaining. As such, credit must be paid to the excellent writers Arthur Matthew and Gary Lineham, who has gone on to write The IT Crowd and co-write Black Books.

The surreal comedy follows three Irish Catholic priests who have been exiled to the isolated, fictional Craggy Island, which is perhaps one of the worst places on earth. The title character is the most 'normal' of the bunch, though in no ways a model Catholic Priest.

The reason for Ted's exile to the Island is an accusation of financial impropriety, with Ted claiming that 'the money was just resting' in his account.

The most amusing character is Dougal, played by well known Irish comic Ardal O'Hanlon. Dougal is incredibly dim-witted and stupid, despite being a priest he has absolutely no knowledge of Catholicism.

Father Jack, a raging alcoholic, is played with red-faced vulgarity by Frank Kelly. The humour behind this character derives from

Television 17

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Natalie Timmins, Joe McGrath

Sarah Pullen Reporter

The Father Ted cast his limited vocabulary of four words; drink, feck, arse and girls.

Looking after the priests is the housekeeper Mrs Doyle. Mrs. Doyle is played delightfully by Pauline McLynn, who has a fondness for making unwanted cups of tea.

Despite the remote setting, the priests have no problem managing to get themselves into the most awkward situations. These usually revolve around surprise visits from other priests or ill-fated trips to the mainland, and make for some highly amusing episodes. A prime example of this is the Christmas special show, and is something I tune into religiously each year.

Somehow, whilst shopping for presents in a department store,

Father Ted and Father Dougal manage to stumble into lingerie department, completely unable to find their way out.

The Fathers find a number of other lost priests in the department and Ted saves the day by getting them out of the shop, thus averting another scandal for the Catholic Church, after all 'eight priests hanging around the lingerie section... we're talking a national scandal'.

Although Father Ted only ran for a short time, it is definitely deserving of the label, 'modern classic', and I am sure that it will continue to attract new audiences and make people laugh.

Father Ted is now available, on 40d.

The Mentalist returned to our screens this October on channel Five for its third season. The show has enjoyed huge success in the States and has generally received very positive reviews. So what makes this programme so popular?

The premise of the show is based on lead character, Patrick Jane's (Simon Baker), ability to notice seemingly insignificant details, to draw conclusions from them and profile people.

Ok, so hardly a new concept.

This idea originally began with Sherlock Holmes and has been reused in shows such as House, Monk and Psych, many times since.

Yet, there is still something about The Mentalist which comes across as a breath of fresh air in the world of Crime dramas. This has to come down, primarily, to the successes of the lead character, an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation.

Creator and Executive Producer, Bruno Heller, has successfully assembled a character that is complex, believable and strangely relatable. The writers drip feed the audience information on Jane, adding to the intrigue of the character, initially giving us very few clues about Jane's past apart from the events surrounding the sinister Red John.

The pilot episode introduces us to a man torn apart by guilt over his responsibility for the deaths of his wife and daughter. To contrast this dark side to the character, Jane often comes across as an arrogant individual with no regard for the rules, whose behaviour occasionally is little more than childish.

These different elements of

A New Hope

the character seem as if they ought naturally to conflict. Instead, they fit seamlessly together, thanks to Heller's vision and Baker's consistently powerful performances.

Baker has the backing of a fantastic supporting cast too. Agent Lisbon, played by Robin Tunney, offers something of a balance to Jane. She is quick witted and nononsense, rarely taking kindly to Jane's mind games, but regardless she is willing to bend the rules for him and it is hard to deny that there is significant chemistry between the two.

While Lisbon and Jane's relationship simmers on a low heat the romance of the show is provided by their two colleagues, Wayne Risby (Owain Yeoman) and Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti). However, their relationship is sweet rather than sizzling and seems to be there merely as an attempt to appeal to the masses rather than to develop the plot.

Meanwhile Agent Cho (Tim Kang) offers brilliant entertainment with his totally deadpan delivery. Yes, the show's underlying premise isn't new, but Heller's angle on it is. Yes, sometimes the episodes are as holey as a colander but the chemistry between all cast members and the fascinating character of Patrick Jane stop the show falling apart and make it highly enjoyable.

It is a show with a dry and rather dark sense of humour and one that, while having broad appeal, rarely underestimates the intelligence of its audience.

If those aren't good enough reasons to tune in, Simon Baker's smile and charisma is surely capable of persuading fifty per cent of the population that The Mentalist might simply be a show worth watching.

Want to edit this section?

Sarah Murphy looks at Sky 1's brand new comedy Raising Hope From the creators of My name is Earl comes the brand new bluecollar comedy Raising Hope, written and directed by Greg Garcia.

In small town America, anything can happen and for Jimmy Chance, a dad who cleans neighbourhood pools for a living, and anything generally does.

At 23 years old, Jimmy's already made every mistake in the book. After 'rescuing' a woman named Lucy and celebrating in the back of his van, Jimmy had not quite prepared himself for the appearance of Hope, his seven month old daughter, whose arrival turns his world upside-down.

Hope, daughter of Lucy, lands on the doorstep of the Chance family, comprised of Jimmy's mother, Virginia, father, Burt, and barely lucid Grandmother 'Maw Maw', who as a whole can barely take care of themselves let alone a minor.

One might say, Hope – birth name Princess Beyonce – isn't exactly set up for the best start in life.

However, Jimmy is determined to fulfil what he feels is his purpose in life, to be Hope's father.

But, as the show demonstrates, he is anything but prepared. Using kitchen gloves as baby bottles and a beanbag as a car seat, Jimmy soon discovers that he needs more

than good intentions to care for a child. So, his parents reluctantly agree to help.

Involved in Hope's hilarious and haphazard upbringing are the acting talents of a little known but alarmingly gifted cast.

Newcomer, Lucas Neff, embodies perfectly the dim-witted yet well meaning Jimmy Chance; full time father and part-time dreamer.

Also included in the line up are ER's Garrett Dillahunt as Burt, Jimmy's pool-cleaner father who fancies himself as a bit of a scientist, and hysterically funny actress Martha Plimpton, as Virginia, who we have seen in titles, such as, The Goonies and How to make it in America. Not to mention Shannen Woodward as store clerk Sabrina, Jimmy's dark-humoured and potentially only friend.

Also, appearing from beyond the grave, Lucy played by Bijou Phillips, who is on hand to help raise Hope via video diary and provide valuable life lessons, such as, how to 'sexy dance'.

With a cousin who lives in the laundry room and a scantily clad great-great grandmother, the family based show is hardly orthodox but provides a rare and valuable take on working class American

Think you could bring something new to Redbrick TV? Cover TV industry news and attract interviews with major stars? If you're enthusiastic and dedicated then we need you!

Meet the family from Raising Hope. life.

It demonstrates the ordinary jobs of much of America such as store clerk, cleaning staff or office worker, as opposed to the glamorous lives of the Beverly Hills' elite The show is both comedic and controversial, with performances that are perfect examples of what many now label, “sophisticated white trash”.

However, whether or not this is just another take on the recently cancelled My name is Earl is yet to

be discovered.

But, for now, this half hour programme is well worth a viewing, having garnered positive reviews and humour that is bang on target. The show has proven to be a big hit in the United States, but we shall have to wait and see whether fans of similar shows like My name is Earl and Scrubs, will rate Raising Hope as highly.

So, give the show a chance; it might even raise a few laughs out of you.

Applications for the editor position must be received by Sunday 28 November (the end of week 8), and interviews will be held in week 9.

If you have any questions or would like to apply, email : tv@redbrickonline.co.uk Good luck!

18 redbrickonline.co.uk

Music Jukebox

William Franklin Music Editor

Nicki Minaj – Did It On 'Em It's been barely a year since Nicki signed to Lil' Wayne's Young Money label, but she's established quite a reputation in that time, and it's tracks like this that are responsible. Her latest release from Pink Friday is a gloriously purile rant powered by machinegun high-hats and Wobble Girl bass.

Business as usual then really, you know why? Because she's 'got more talent in her motherfuckin' left thumb'.

Girls – Carolina Less frisky 'Frisco rock and roll and more gloomily epic crowd pleaser, the closer from Broken Dreams Club sees Girls really get in their stride. Arguably more grim and distant, it maintains the simplistic form fans know and love, while adding some subtle experimental flourishes.

The Knife – Seeds This is another fairly dramatic self-re-invention. The Knife are known for their anaemic beats and reggae-inspired synths. But with Tomorrow, In A Year on the horizon, it seems they've taken a far more conventional approach.

Seeds is reminiscent of Orbital or maybe even Deadmau5 in its snappy trance backing, but the ringing, operatic vocals ruin that comparison.

Pretty Lights – More Important Than Michael Jordan Take DJ Shadow's genre-spanning sampling and Four Tet's hazy electronica and you've got something pretty close to this Colorado altruist. Eschewing his usual hip-hop aesthetic, (apart from the titular sample from Aceyalone), this is is a lengthy but engaging piece of electro production, with buzzing synth work and a nostalgic use of distortion.

Telepathe – Chrome's On It Perhaps 2009's most under-appreciated synth-pop act (though understandable, given the sheer number of them these days), Telepathe have a dreamy slant on the genre. This particular track has some pleasantly pounding beats, a weaving melody and unintrisive vocals. And it's pronounced Telepathy apparently.

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Redbrick

26th November 2010

Bestival tops UK Festival Awards www.bbc.co.uk/music/news

Single Reviews Album Reviews Sufjan Stevens Whole Sky Moniter 6 8 !!!

Twisted Little Piggies

The Age Of Adz

Jamie My Intentions Are Bass

Call me old-fashioned, but I like being able to distinguish song lyrics when I listen to an album. Vocally speaking, Whole Sky Monitor's second album Twisted Little Piggies reaps the same pleasure as the awkward smile and nod after asking someone to repeat what they said for the third time. With song names as provocative as 'Idiot God' and 'Shoot The People' the album does suffer from at-timesinaudible pontificating.

Nevertheless there is something notably vintage sounding about Twisted Little Piggies.

Opener 'Freakshow' could be an unreleased Sonic Youth track, with brooding guitar riffs mimicked by echoing vocals and steady drumming. With most songs barely exceeding the three-minute mark and aforementioned indistinct yells of lyrics it's easy to trace Whole Sky Monitor's punk influences. This is perhaps why Twisted Little Piggies falls short of the mark – despite solid songs such as 'Sold' using the classic punk formula of anger plus guitars plus pace, it lacks a certain something to bring it into the 21st century.

Whilst this is a good album, it's not great. All twelve songs mesh to create a consistent, listenable creation of punk, which I imagine to be better performed live than on record. However what it lacks is originality. The album is the cumulative effect of all of Whole Sky Monitor's influences – but without a personality.

Amy Davidson

The last five years have brought a rash of side projects and one-offs but, until now, not a brand new Sufjan Stevens studio LP. In fact, 2010 has been doubly productive for the Detroit native, with The Age of Adz following hot on the heels of August's hour-long EP: All Delighted People.

The time away hasn't diminished Stevens' knack for melodic beauty and emotive singing, but Adz is, for the most part, a more or less complete overhaul of Stevens' previous template. The banjos and acoustic guitars of yore have been traded in for electronic bleeps and bloops, sound effects, and brass.

Lilting opener 'Futile Devices' does not prepare the listener for the clattering electronics of 'Too Much' or the almost cartoonish title track, an ambitious multi-part suite featuring choral vocal effects and off-kilter chord progressions.

As the record continues, its unique sonic palette of brass, orchestral flourishes, and electronics brings out the drama and complexity of the songs. Each one has its share of unusual vocal interplay and a certain cinematic quality, and it all seems to be heading towards the record's intricate 25minute closer 'Impossible Soul' whose dance section would, in an alternate universe, make the pop charts. It's a suitably unorthodox end to an impressive artistic achievement. It's a challenging record that will require repeated listening to reveal its charms.

Matthew Barton

'Jamie My Intentions Are Bass' is all about danceable funk rock, catchy choruses and a build-up to a crescendo that just urges you to move your feet (or at least nod your head in approval of the infectious bassline). Add some snarling lyrics about wanting to put flowers right in someone's face and informing whoever Jamie is over and over that their intentions are bass. There is more than just danceable landfill indie rock here, hints of blues and a bit of vintage disco are snuck in to make it stand apart. It's still fairly easy-listening, though maybe some parts of the track drag on for a little more than they should, but !!! have at least tried to liven this release up by mixing some of their influences.

Noel Byrne

Essential Albums

Hundred In The Hands Commotion

Fragile yet piercing vocals over a frenetic beat makes 'Commotion' an instant dance track with some depth. The fact that vocals are almost incoherent is irrelevant, because as soon as lead singer Eleanore Everdell opens her mouth, you're sucked into her angst and instant toe tapping ensues. A sure fire hit for dancefloors, this is restless, anxious and energetic in an awkward and frantic way that can only mean electro pop perfection.

Released as the second single from their self titled album, The Hundred Hands produce a kind of OCD electronica which is spot on.

Tamara Roper

John & Jehn

Down Our Streets Following the release of their album Time For The Devil in May this year, this London-based, French duo are set to tour the UK this November. John and Jehn's new single 'Down Our Streets', which came out on November 15th, is a mellow track with a much more acoustic tone than some of their previous songs.

The sparse, almost wistful piano introduction instantly captures the listener, which then gently rolls into the steady drum beat and soaring synth-accordion melody. The pair's vocals, which have previously been criticised

by NME as nothing more than an inaccurate drawl, do add a sense of melancholy to the music. However, the overall effect of John's warbling lyrics, combined with the faint whisperings of Jehn's voice creates a peaceful, yet direct sound, comparable to the well loved pop-rock of the 1980s.

Some may find this single slightly monotonous in sound and perhaps even a little dull in relation to John and Jehn's more electric songs. Nonetheless, the track is far from unpleasant and certainly worth a listen, even just as a bit of pop-rock to chill out to.

Anna Lumsden

The Week In Music Charlie Bailey Music Editor

Tom Waits

Closing Time (1973) Lexie Frost Critic

Maybe all your nights out are Gatecrasher-tastic, you look and feel amazing throughout the evening, you get who you want, when you want and wake up full of the joys of spring. On the other hand, if you prefer to lurch from wine bottle to wine bottle Bernard Black-style, fixated on a pretty girl at the bar but shuffling home with a niggling mixture of yearning and shame, then boy do I have the album for you.

Closing Time is priceless in its simplicity. Listen to it any time, any place, anywhere and you will instantly be transported to the fuzzy logic of the night's dying hours: the slightly untuned piano, the gentle minor guitar chords and the grizzled voice of Mr Waits.

Standout tracks include 'Ol' 55', 'Martha' and 'I Hope That I Don't Fall In love.' With the latter rec-

#10 ommended as a song to walk home and kick piles of leaves to.

This album is doubly outstanding given that it's Waits' first studio effort and he was just 24 when it was recorded. The voice has that premature huskiness, but has not yet become his signature sound, as if there is some hope of salvation for young Tom. Though Closing Time was recorded in 1973, you would not know this to listen to it; the sound is bell-clear and somehow ahead of its time whilst retaining the smoky feel of say, Rick's Cafe in Casablanca. It never ceases to astonish me that Waits is a Californian musician; such jaded music should surely hail from the cynical East Coast. At any rate if you are searching for a little magic in your Autumn playlists, this record contains many indispensable tracks.

An album for dedicated boozehounds and budding reprobates.

Everyone's favourite man/boy/ girl/child Justin Beiber walked away from the American Music Awards, with four gongs from four nominations, including artist of the year, lending credence to the theory that our cousins across the pond may be being dropped on their heads at birth en masse.

Moving from oddly juvenile adolescents to oddly juvenile adults: Blink – 182 are reformed and ready to hit the UK in 2011. In which case, fans can be oddly disappointed again after their spectacularly lacklustre Reading/ Leeds weekend.

The living embodiment of everyone's post Beatle hate, Yoko Ono has further enraged the musically sensitive by endorsing this year's X-Factor contestants. Ono lent her backing to a contest which is characterised by infighting, fall outs, walkouts and bad songwriting... parallels may be drawn...

Music 19

26th November www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Charlie Bailey, William Franklin

Live Reviews We Are Scientists O2 Academy 16/11/2010

If the music all begins to go wrong, Keith Murray and Chris Cain could easily continue on together as a comedy double act, with their witty rapport deflecting hecklers.

Chris and his delightful moustache tease one such dickhead, asking 'Why pay to come see us if you think the next song will be shit?' after asking the audience what they thought the next song might be and one particular wit replied 'shit!' But as it stands, the music is going well for We Are Scientists, with the new album living up to the popularity of some of the older songs like 'Nobody Move', 'Nobody Gets Hurt' and 'Great Escape'. 'I Don't Bite' and 'Rules Don't Stop' got just as big a cheers from the crowd as they recognized the first few chords and everyone began to bop as if they were old favorites.

So there's no need for the boys to give up the day job just yet.

The two guys and their music is most definitely the key to a We Are Scientists gig, no tricks or mess, just them and their unfathomable energy. Keith doesn't miss a note, even in the encore when he has a hat obscuring everything but his mouth. There are even calls for a second encore when the band leaves the stage, which is pretty impressive to leave your crowd wanting more after an almost two hour long set. We Are Scientist are currently touring the country.

Laura Schofield

Chase and Status

Ellie Goulding

Chase and Status entered the HMV Institute to the sound of 'Smash TV' from their last album More Than a Lot and the crowd went absolutely nuts for it. For a pair of dj's who normally start their rowdy sets towards the early hours of the morning, they showed that their tracks can still have the same incendiary effect in a normal gig setting.

They began burning through their hit singles with surprising pace and a constant mosh-pit. Club bangers like 'Eastern Jam' and 'Saxon' made the walls vibrate and reminded us of Chase and Status' dubstep credentials, much needed lull's provoked sing-alongs and gave everyone the space to catch their breath for a minute.

The most intriguing parts of the night were reserved for the showcasing of new tracks of their new album (titled No More Idols) one of their new collaborations

Sporting a D&G t-shirt with Johnny Depp printed on, the university dropout opened with 'Under the Sheets' to great response from the audience.

A surprisingly mixed crowd filled the venue, but the majority was made up of teenage girls already wearing their Ellie Goulding merchandise (yes merchandise already).

It is easy to see why Goulding's album Lights, released March this year, was so successful, with the easy sing-along pop tunes we are now so familiar with. Goulding continued to deliver her top 10 hits from the album, which were performed with vocal and musical perfection.

Her new single, a cover of Sir Elton's 'Your Song', proved to be the most triumphant crowd pleaser, and the song that Goulding wore a huge smile throughout whilst everyone sang along. She also played a new single 'Human', which will feature on the re-released version of Lights (Bright Lights) due to be released at the end of the month. The song was toe tapping and quirky, but nothing out of the ordinary for Goulding's music.

The singer-song writer, who is known for accompanying her songs with a guitar, revealed herself as no one-trick musical pony, as for a few songs she branched

O2 Academy 15/11/2010

HMV Institute 17/11/2010

with super energetic rapper Tempa T was a definite highlight as both MC's bounded around the stage, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

Other new tracks separated the old from the new and only one or two sounded a bit similar to their old material.

As for the show as a whole; every song had it's own stylized video which covered the stage wall, the live drummer added a much needed oomph to the beat and separated it from just another boring dj set which it could so easily have become. Liam Bailey and other guest singers made an appearance to wrap up a frantic show by Chase and Status that was surprisingly lacking in dubstep (which seems to be everywhere now... thanks Katy B) which only made it better.

A master-class in radio-friendly DnB, if you can survive the mosh pits.

Desmond David

Music Diary

The Death of the Album?

Richard Warrell laments the passing of a cultural landmark...

The death of the album is coming and so many factors are to blame.

The chart system, for starters, discourages it. iTunes used to be far more restrictive in often stopping a user downloading certain tracks without downloading an entire album, and until 2005, it was not possible for a song to reach the UK charts on downloads only.

The American system – where a song must be designated as a single – works far better for encouraging the album's survival.

The current system means an album's relative success can be rated based on how many songs creep into the lower rungs of the chart, rather than what total sales are. America has been more optimistic about maintaining their old systems, before the record industry's slump. They often appear ridiculously backward and slow to respond, but in this instance I find myself agreeing with them.

The matter came to a head with the second Arctic Monkeys album.

Though it didn't have two chart topping singles like their frighteningly popular first album did, half the album emerged on the singles charts – 4 of them making the top 75 in the album's opening week.

The death of the album will have a broader impact. It will affect live shows – only a band's hardcore fans will know more than a handful of songs by an artist, reducing the set length they-

Charlie Bailey thinks we're missing the point... could present to a major, broad audience. This restricts a band to tiny halls, or short festival sets.

Much as I applaud the increase in singles sales, the money is now distributed on a far wider spread.

More bands release a few songs of minor note, but fewer release big ones. Where will the anthems of our generation be? And while the pubs and clubs now have far too many indie bands with a halfdecent following to find a place for all of them to play, will any of them ever get to go full time?

For once, concentrating the wealth in the hands of a minority might well benefit both the industry and the fans. A few bands would lose out, but no one earns much in this business with the current set-up anyway.

Epic prog concept albums will become a thing of yesterday. A truly mammoth release such as Pink Floyd's The Wall requires a following large enough to justify the vast expense involved. A dedicated fanbase will keep some forms of album alive, but not others.

Presently, giving away free music appears to be the interim method for drumming up attention for a band to increase their fame looks like the only way to ensure the survival of the industry. In many ways, freely available music is a brilliant idea. But if the style and nature of the music changes, is it worth the artistic cost?

out to an individual drum, which certainly livened up the show.

Goulding's backing singers, however, were not so well received. The two singers seemed to be inclined to do a continuous mum/x factor-backing-singer/ cringe worthy side step dance, which was not quite so fitting with Ellie's quirky pop tunes.

Overall, Goulding's talented performance proved enjoyable, yet she seemed to lack the excitement that makes a great gig. It was probably like comparing her to my diet-coke that night; tasty, 'nice' and predictable, but it did pull me out of my Monday blues.

Eva Hibbs

What is an album? On face value it is a collection of songs by an artist, nothing more. A great album will be judged on the strength of its songwriting, illusory fluff like conceptual storytelling and arty conceit; pretensions to greater cultural significance ought to be ignored as the self-important blustering of jaded 'artists' or the ramblings of ultimately misguided dinosaurs.

Let's be honest, the album as a concept is a sham, a veiled attempt by record companies to generate lasting appeal with an artist. If there had been digital distribution at the birth of the industry then we would not have the album as it exists today. There would have been no call for artists to do more than record, tour, record, tour, cash, money, profit…

Instead what we got was aspirations to a traditional model: the intellectual prestige of composers. Labels wondered how to present the output of bands and singers to keep people listening after the radio stopped plugging the current single. What they came up with was a bastardised collection of stand alone songs, with the only one thing in common generally being the period of time in which they were written.

It is thanks to this development in the industry that we face this current 'problem', which isn't really a problem at all. Aside from my distain for the 'album

26th – 2nd From flickr by Swanksalot as art' argument, as far as I can tell all that is happening is that people are reacting to a problem that was masked by traditional sales spin. How many people in the sixties, seventies, or eighties took the effort to listen to and appreciate the majority of an album beyond the singles? I think you'd find that relative to music listenership, the number who invest time in an artists larger body of work will be the same, if not higher in this age of 'throwaway music'.

This idea that by losing 'The Album' (*cue heavenly choirs*), we lose something is rubbish. What band is going to lose sleep over the fact that their work won't be collated under a totally arbitrary banner and packaged, shipped and promoted by an industry that chews them up and spits them out.

In an age when you can record a decent quality song on your mac in your bedroom, there is massive scope to make the listening experience of an artist so much more relevant and immediate. Remember, recording studios are expensive. Releasing a couple of songs a month in anticipation of a tour? That could work.

But to say that the album's demise is anything saddening? That it will be detrimental to the future of songwriting? Artists ought to write enough good songs if they want to keep an audience, not peddle filler and pretentious wankery.

Friday 26th Interpol O2 Academy

Vampire Weekend Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Saturday 27th Dark Horses The Flapper

The Drums HMV Institute

Sunday 28th Sonic Syndicate O2 Academy 3

Monday 29th Skatalites The Library, HMV

Tuesday 30th

Frightened Rabbit Slade Room, Wolverhampton Squeeze (with Lightning Seeds) Symphony Hall

Wednesday 1st Dec. Mike Fantastic 02 Academy 2

30 Seconds to Mars (with Enter Shikari) NIA

Thursday 2nd Peter Andre LG Arena

20 redbrickonline.co.uk

26th November 2010

Lifestyle

Redbrick

Fierce or Finished?

Not my style icon Natalie Cassidy

Kirsty Victoria Taylor Reporter

I honestly don't have the words for how sad this girl makes me.

Her mean line in leisurewear is the envy of every Jeremy Kyle guest. The clothes she chooses for soap awards appearances are usually made out of that same awful stretchy material we see straining over her formidable bosom in her staged pap shots. And that face!

There's something heartbreaking about its honesty – she'll never stop trying to make us like her.

Perhaps it's curse of the child

star. Actually, I say star, but can we count the most depressing of Eastenders alumni as a star? She's always seemed an unlikely, conflicted television presence. As Sonia she cut a sorry figure, mouth-breathing her way through various crap storylines. Although, there was that one time – who remembers Sonia and Jamie? Jamie was played by Jack Ryder, the first crush of the soap-devouring schoolgirls of our generation. Jamie's death was the most heartbreaking bit of TV ever to enter our little lives! And for a week after that, Natalie was the nation's heroine, incredibly brave in her portrayal of Sonia's ugly, unflattering grief.

Then, as her storylines perked up a little, it became clear that the odd grey-pallor wasn't dazzling acting prowess, it was just her face.

And the infatuation was over. A few years later she left Eastenders for a 'serious' acting career.

And now? Well, we've lost count of the number of times she's appeared in Heat, but it's usually the 'What Were You Thinking' pages. She gives enough interviews for us to be fairly sure she's reading her own press; I imagine her Googling her name in a darkened room as she eats something deepfried, and yet she never learns.

For a few months we'll only see her on those smirking pages, with her mistakes circled in a taunting red circle. And then, the comeback: she's standing there in her bikini, her 'after' photo barely discernibly different from the 'before'. She declares she's proud of

She'll never stop trying to make us like her! her 'new' body, and 'cutting-edge' style. The next week? She's pushing a shopping-trolley along some bleak high-street, sweat stains somehow visible through her parka! It's a predictable pattern, and one whose motion she does nothing to stop: her current E4 documentary 'Natalie Cassidy: Becoming a Mum' has reconfirmed Lifestyle's belief that she is surely one of the most unfortunate women ever to grace a TV screen.

Fierce At one point, near-panic, she asks a (surely cash-strapped) pap 'How did you find out where I live?'

An odd question from a woman who has invited the camera crew to document her pregnancy, in all its biological glory. You could argue it's brave and honest, but somehow Nat still isn't engaging.

Compare this series with Cherry Healey's 'Cherry Had a Baby', and you see how uncharismatic and illthought out this final grand gesture is. But Natalie gave birth to her child in September, and this documentary is only just airing: Natalie has managed to make pregnancy an out-of-date concept. Oh well, we can look forward to the Closer feature on how she sort of lost her baby-weight (when in reality she's just sucking it in and posing with her arms in the air).

Perhaps though, I'm looking at this all wrong: with her ill-advised fashion choices, her battle with her weight and her evident desire for approval, in many ways she's the iconic every-girl. Thinking about it, I pitched this article to the Lifestyle team wearing trackie bottoms and a stained sweater. Natalie, wear whatever you like and damn the consequences. You can always give an interview saying how you regret that parka anyway.

cara! Campus cliques

as Save or Splurge? M

Maybelline £4.99 Emma Debruslais Reporter

Fine, we admit it, we too have spent many a minute in Gatecrasher trying to work out if that girl opposite us is naturally blessed with killer lashes or if she's just faking it.

Chances are, if you're questioning it, they're fake. A good way to tell is when she 'oh-so-subtley' bats her chocolaty lids in the direction of some guy, only to look like she's fallen asleep, one of the perils of eyelash glue. So why fake it?

Falsies, Stick-ons, fiddly tubs of glue, lashes that are either welded to your lids and don't EVER seem to come off, or half becoming unglued mid-way through the night, causing you to adopt a slightly lazy-eyed look, hardly sultry, don't you agree? Why not bare it and go au natural? Now don't be silly, we don't mean au natural au natural, but there's nothing wrong with the traditional mascara girls.

So we're going to test out the best ones for you, from bank-breaking, to guilt-free splurges.

Maybelline Great-Lash – price: £4.99, bargain price and delivers dark dark lashes, so if coalrimmed eyes are your desire, this could be the mascara for you. The packaging looks really cute too. It's a great size so will easily stow away in your makeup bag. But, although this makes lashes very dark, which

Max Factor £10.99 is great for all you blondes out there who want the extra coverage on your nudey lashes, it doesn't give the best volume and we found our lashes tended to stick together a bit. Overall Rating: 7/10 Max Factor False Lash Effect – price: £10.99, a slightly pricier buy, but for us, this really is the dream product. I don't have a bad word to say about this mascara; the shape of the product is cool, the colour is dark, the fatter brush-head made it easier to apply, it's easy to remove with makeup remover AND comes in a waterproof version too. I wore this mascara out and got asked by three different people whether my lashes were natural, which I could proudly reply, they were! Overall Rating: 10/10 Yves Saint Laurent Luxurious Mascara False Lash EFFECT, Noir Radical – price: £22.99, this product makes the same claims as Max Factor's False Lash Effect, but comes with a slightly pricier tag. But, frankly, we don't think it's as good, the volume offered by this mascara is undeniably great and granted, we're tempted by the gold luxe packaging too, but it's just not worth it when your lashes are in one big clump, ALL NIGHT. Overall Rating: 6/10 This week girls, Max Factor's False Lash Effect is a clear winner, go for it! Why fake it, when you don't have to?

Vicky Hodgkinson Reporter

Wandering around campus is an interesting fashion experience.

I'm constantly looking people up and down and scathingly asking myself 'What were they thinking?' but paradoxically, I also think that people should stick to their own style. Birmingham University offers an array of fashion sets and they tend to have their place on campus.

The Aston Webb: Here the business elite revel.

The Great Hall is often host to careers events so inevitably you get the high powered business leaders strutting around in tailored suits, ties and silk shirts paired with pencil skirts. This fashion set schmooze and chat about career prospects whilst the general student populous walk around dazed and confused. Sometimes you will get the ever fashion forward student ambassador passing through the double doors, taking young people and their parents on tours in pea green jumpers and the ever desirable lime green polo neck tshirt – true campus chic.

Arts Building: Here the Arts student dwells. The English students recline in the Mason Lounge wrapped up in their depressing verse, iambic pentameter and epistolary novels. There's always one or two who are head to toe vintage, faux fur coat for the girls and a velvet blazer for boys.

The epitome of what you would imagine a literary great to sit down and scribble a few lines of poetry dressed in. The history students keep it chic and practical

ready to debate over the orthodox and revisionist aspects of any given period of time.

Maths and Physics buildings: Practicality is the answer here.

Back packs and laptop bags are rife and lace-up sensible shoes are key for a day of number crunching.

Poetry is nothing but words and they have no time for metre unless we're taking about the measurement. Grey is the new black in this fashion set and a mac is a classic wardrobe essential – they laugh in the face of flimsy umbrellas.

The Munrow: The sports elite spend their time here to tone up, so a tracksuit emblazoned with their sports team is indispensable. This should be accessorized with the biggest sports bag available with some racket or another poking out. Shin pads, knee high socks, goggles and soggy trainers are optional.

The Main Library: The home of the RAH. The gillet, Ugg boots, stripped shirt and UoB sports sweat pants are crucial here, especially on floor 1C. Flip-flops also make a regular appearance on the feet of many male students. In the silence the breathy squelch of the Ugg boot can be heard and girls can be seen to have piled their locks into a bun on the top of their head as they click away on their Blackberry.

Campus chic is fascinating and extends much further than what has been described here. Each location varies: next time you strut past 'Old Joe' take a look around and try and work out which set you belong to. I'd like to think I was a half-way-there (missing the fur jacket) pensive English student.

Hollister opening in the Bullring The preppy style isn't to everyone's taste but due to the model staff, I don't think many people will object to a bit of 'window shopping'.

The Royal Engagement Wills and Kate make it official eight years after meeting at university… but where are all the princes hiding in Brum?

Ron Weasley His magical new physique in Deathly Hallows: Part One is one of the highlights of the film.

Misfits Back and even better than the last series.

Sunday movies as Christmas approaches Childhood films like The Little Princess, The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter give us that Christmas feeling.

Homemade cocktails Grab some fruit juice, an assortment of spirits, add a bit off sugar and get mixing!

Lara Edwards

Finished

all you

Nadine Coyle Put your album at the Tesco checkout all you like: you're not Cheryl, love.

Sunlight It's over. We get up in the dark, and leave lectures in the dark. No thanks.

Queen dreams She's stolen our future crown. We won't even say her name.

Gillian McKeith Unbearable.

If you really are what you eat, then she's been snack- ing on shrivelled old prunes.

True love Jason Manford is the latest unlikely male celeb determined to do the dirty and screw up his marriage.

Call of Duty Black Ops We'd like our men back please!

The HUGE potted plants in Mermaid Square Whoever choose them has some serious Freudian issues! Lifestyle says no!

Cold necks Those directional pixie crops weren't such a good idea.

Kirsty Victoria Taylor

Redbrick

Cheryl babe, you're going down!

Rosie Collins Reporter

Tuning into the X-Factor on Sunday night, I was a little bemused by what stood in front of me. Was it Cheryl Cole or Minnie Mouse?

Our favourite Geordie lass had got it all wrong. Two bright red buns sat awkwardly on top of her head and her much too revealing gown made Cheryl look, dare I say it, somewhat trashy.

The press loved Cheryl's mistake, just like they've loved every other one she's made since her recovery from Malaria. First her decision to choose Katie Waissel over Gamu Nhengu and then their questions over whether she mimed

Sexual politics

Grace Owen Reporter

'She slept with him after Fab on Saturday night. God she's such a slut'. Granted I can't say that the conversation I overheard in the Library on Monday morning was intellectually stimulating, but I was intrigued. Not particularly with the 'who-slept-with-who' part, but however, with the girl whispering particularly loudly in the computer room. The girl being talked about had made a decision to sleep with a guy she'd met that night, and as a result, was being judged.

As students, we are lucky to live in a society where freedom of speech is paramount, and this freedom includes sexual expression.

Whether that involves promiscuity or celibacy, it is entirely up to the individual. Some students will inevitably choose to engage in casual sex. What females cannot still choose however, is the way society will react to their behaviour.

Flicking through the music channels, the average music video usually involves a beautiful model grinding on some slightly overweight and physically unfortunate RnB 'star'. Some media products encourage women to act promiscuously, yet often such behavior results in women being branded

Lifestyle 21

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Briony Singh, Rob Lewis

her X-Factor performance – it seems that the girl who could once do no wrong can now no longer do anything right. Could it be that the nation's sweetheart has fallen from grace?

Propelled by the X-Factor, in no time at all, Cheryl became one of the most popular people in showbiz. She grew up on a council estate, was down to earth, approachable and beautiful. Most importantly, she kicked cheating Ashley to the kerb. With girls wanting to be her and guys wanting to date her, she couldn't put a foot wrong. This series however, it appears that the press assault has begun and Ms. Cole is no longer a model of perfection.

Her outfits have been hit and miss, her dresses too short and outlandish, and her new hair colour a little bit lurid. I for one think Cheryl has gotten too big for her boots. Meanwhile, Dannii Minogue keeps getting better in my eyes. She is the only judge without a massive ego, making genuinely constructive points on the judging panel and responding gracefully to the attacks of her fellow mentors.

Considering that Dannii herself admitted to having little time to pick her X-Factor outfits after the birth of her son, I'm impressed by everything she has worn this series. Let's face it, the X-Factor is 50% about Dannii and Cheryl's style war, and it seems that Dannii is winning this series, never failing to look classy, elegant and sophisticated. Take note Cheryl.

This week it was even re-

with derogatory terms such as'hoe' or 'whore'.

In contrast, the term 'lad' has become a cult word in the university dictionary. The word itself has essentially become the modern day 'boys will be boys'. We're told that it's okay for guys to be promiscuous, because the more girls they sleep with, the more of a 'lad' they are.

So why does this hypocrisy still exist? Well, one thing I have learnt from studying a male-dominated degree is that generally speaking, girls have become their own worst enemies. Women from all walks of life seem to have internalized the misogynistic messages of society and the media. Describing the girl in your lecture to another as a 'hoe-bag' just because she got with the boy you fancy is apparently an acceptable thing to do nowadays.

A classic example of this use of language is when a boy cheats on his girlfriend with another girl.

Nine times out of ten, it's the girl who's the 'slut', even though she wasn't the one cheating on anyone.

Words like these are weapons – they can be used against any woman, whether or not she 'deserves' them or not, and the women who receive them most are the ones who speak their mind, who sleep with as many (or as few) people as they want.

Indeed men are also to blame.

Men bitch just as much as women do, most porn is grotesquely degrading of women, and as yet there are no commonly-used male equivalent words for promiscuous men.

However, both men and women have a responsibility to eradicate misogyny and it's time society put Christina Aguilera's 'Can't Hold Us Down' on repeat and ditch the hypocrisy.

Lady X

ported that designer friend Julian McDonald had turned on Cheryl, brandishing her a 'chav' at a party they were both attending. Bitchy celebrity blogger Perez Hilton took a swipe as well, suggesting that Cheryl sack her stylist and choreographer.

Lady X Columnist

With the press, one false move and you get picked apart, and the descent begins In the world of fame and showbiz it's almost inevitable that something like this will happen – and it has with many a celebrity. As the old saying goes, what goes up must come down. With the press, one false move, and you get picked apart and the descent begins.

I don't doubt that Cheryl will be fine; she's suffered bad press before and gotten through it. I'm sure Cheryl Cole will regain her crown as the nation's sweetheart in no time.

Stumbling around the sweat-fest that was Gatecrasher last week, with my eyes half closed and a great deal of VK Orange spilt down my top, I bumped into a gangly silhouette, who grabbed me with both hands, looked me up and down and let out an impassioned 'phwoar'. Probably in his alcoholinduced reverie, it was Megan Fox he saw strutting towards him, not me staggering in heels I couldn't walk in.

This faceless stranger then attempted to lure me onto the dance floor by using his most persuasive techniques (pulling me impatiently by the wrist). It was only after 30 seconds of nonsensical discussion that I finally managed to convince him that I had a boyfriend, to which he replied: 'So? I have a girlfriend.'

Unsurprisingly this blasé attitude to one's other half isn't uncommon at university. I can honestly say that I know more people who haven't remained faithful than

I do those who have. In my first year in halls I was friends with a computer science student who was secretly sleeping with my two next door neighbours. Eventually they both found out, but his girlfriend from home never did.

As students we are expected to misbehave. One of the joys of going to university is being able to act like 17th century libertines, and with the alcohol constantly flowing and the nonstop partying, there are so many opportunities for mischief.

However, this debauched student lifestyle doesn't seem compatible with maintaining a relationship.

One of my friends was so eager to immerse herself into 'university life' that she'd often go out and get so drunk she would genuinely forget she had a boyfriend. On one occasion, whilst grinding between two suited and booted beef cakes in Mechu, she asked me pointedly which one she should take home that night.

When I reminded her about the 'love of her life' she smiled innocently and simply said: 'Oh yeah.'

A Law student I know once cooked a lavish meal for a guy who had a girlfriend of three years back at home, proving that while romance isn't dead, fidelity certainly is.

Hopefully I'm just being cynical and it's only the people I know who want to have their cake and eat it too.

It's just too depressing to think that one can't go wild at university whilst staying faithful to their partner, and besides, I haven't cheated on my boyfriend... yet.

Do a Bridget: big knickers are back Emily Booth Reporter

The winter months are upon us – the cold has set in, the frost is on the ground and all we want to do after a long day of uni is to get the hot chocolate boiling and indulge in pastry and pies.

Unfortunately, the high street has another idea, if the microscopic, velvet stretched mannequins in the windows are anything to go by.

It does seem cruel that when you want to be shrouded in layers of chunky knits, watching back to back episodes of Sex and The City with your very agreeable date of Cadbury Milk, you have to instead pour yourself into a coloured bit of spandex, which quite frankly would serve better as a dish cloth.

Nothing can quite hide the red wine bulge or the pasty sheen your skin takes on from between the months of October and February, but for the latter at least we can bronze and prune ourselves to adequacy.

The former is a little trickier, especially if you attempt the double package of sexy underwear, sexy dress. Other than in films, no bodycon dress can look perfect and line free, to then reveal a full naughty maid underwear theme going on underneath. There is only one thing for it and I do believe that now is time. Forget diamonds, a girl's true best friend is back. It is time for the revival of the Bridget Jones Pants, and this time, it's here to stay.

Now don't laugh or stop reading and believe me when I say that control underwear is back. The joy and wonder of them is unimaginable and the fact that everyone can benefit whether you're size 8 or 18 is an added bonus. They re-shape odd bulges, rid you of the DVPL (dreaded visible panty line) and can generally sculpt your body to a dress.

The amount of times I have gone out and seen some gorgeous girl who looks fabulous from the front – dress, shoes, accessories all immaculate, who then turns round to reveal the horror of her rear. In one case I could actually see the indention of her thong.

In this case, the poor uniformed dear had clearly tried to prevent the DVPL by wearing said undergarment, but unfortunately it performed the opposite effect and I could hardly keep my eyes off her behind which resembled a sliced cheese cake.

My rule of thumb is that unless you are brave enough to go commando, then the smaller the dress, the bigger the underwear.

Not only will this make your derrière utterly bootilicious but it will also prevent it from looking like it should be on the dessert menu (in a bad way…).

Control underwear has long had a bad name but contrary to popular belief, wearing them does not relegate you to the realms of middle age, nor does it mean you have given up on yourself, your life, your future etc. Although they used

to be the self -help of underwear, where women would hide their pair at the bottom of their Marks

"It's time for the revival of the Bridget Jones pants, and this time it's here to stay" and Spencer's shopping baskets, now they have had something of a re-invention.

Many celebrities have said to be fans, from Eva Longoria to Beyoncé , and are reported to have helped Anne Hathaway achieve her character's aim of dropping from a 6 to a 4 in her film The Devil Wears Prada. Really, control pants are to our behinds what cover up is to our face. Few women would go out without make up on, so why forget the rest of you?

Admittedly, control pants are not very attractive. No, let me rephrase; control pants are deeply unattractive and hugely un-sexy and if your goal at the end of an evening is to return with company then you will need to be prepared to do a bit of readjustment.

With your new found friends you will be able to do your outfit justice whilst being able to enjoy yourself too – no more will you need to abstain from the vodka lemonade for fear of the alcohol belly, or look constantly constipated as you attempt to breathe in a whole size smaller, for your enormous pants will already have the situation under control and you can enjoy yourself in the knowledge that bottom is looking distinctly perfect. For, after all, that is what all bottoms should look like.

22

redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

26th November 2010

Food

Did you know?

Last year's punters at Royal Ascot enjoyed 120,000 bottles of champagne, six tonnes of salmon and more than four tonnes of strawberries!

This is not just any offer Review The Vaults Sophie Pryn Food Writer There is a chance that I am Marks and Spencer's greatest advocate.

This could be because I spent my gap year working for them and was treated like a surrogate grandchild by colleagues and customers alike.

Alternatively, it could be due to their high quality, fresh produce and innovative ready-made meals.

Whatever it is, I think that their 'Dine in for £10' offer is a good enough reason for everyone to love the place.

For those of you who abandoned M&S by the wayside, believing it to be somewhat out of the student price range, here's the deal: choose a main meal, side dish, dessert and a bottle of wine for £10! The wine itself is worth the trip.

Be warned, however, that the

offer is subject to availability and a delightful bargain, so the shelves are emptied fast.

My advice is to get to the store on the Friday to avoid being left with the last dregs. While these are, of course, not just any dregs, I've seen many a disgruntled pensioner have to settle for paella with a side of pork and apple stuffing... an incongruous meal at best. Don't let this be you!

It might be strange to promote the buying of pre-made meals in the Redbrick food section but I'm not entirely naive – perhaps you haven't seen the kitchen surfaces for days or there's a rodent hibernating in a saucepan, or maybe cooking simply isn't your forté.

If that's the case, then you could do a lot worse than a ready meal from good ol' Marks and Sparks.

Keep your eyes peeled; you won't want to miss the next one.

If you fancy eating out...

If the delectable M&S deals don't take your fancy, or cooking for yourself just doesn't appeal, check out our freshly picked www.studentbeans.com offers for excellent deals from some of our favourite restaurants.

3. £10.50 for 2 courses at Cafe Rouge

1. A free pizza when you

With the impending doom of a dissertation deadline, Food Editor Harriet Constable craved nourishment in every way, and she found it thanks to The Vaults.

It is that time of year. Five weeks into term and I realise, to my horror, that I am slowly but surely sinking into the evil quicksand of work that third year happily dishes up. So, instead of pounding my head against the table in desperation (or, heaven forbid, actually going to the library) I popped on my coat, and with co-editor Dami, snuck out for a bite to eat.

On entering The Vaults through the nondescript door I can safely say all my university worries were replaced by a feeling of tranquility and intrigue. This restaurant is cool. Secluded underground in Birmingham's luxury Jewellery Quarter, it provides an intimate atmosphere in boutique, simple surroundings.

This hidden gem boasts open brick walls, gorgeous food and a splash of class that Selly Oak just can't offer. And despite all of this glamour, it is not pretentious. We were warmly greeted by managing director Julian Brown who seemed excited by our presence and enthusiastic about the new autumnal menu.

We tucked into a corner table and embraced the welcome retreat The Vaults offers as our friendly waiter tended to our needs and

brought us our drinks. The modern British menu features exciting takes on simple dishes and a welcome change from the obvious. I started with the Twice Baked Blue Cheese Soufflé which was flavoursome and beautifully presented. It didn't look too good to eat though, as I tucked straight in.

Next came a delightful main course of Sea Bass with Banana Wrapped in Bacon. All testament to The Vaults for procuring this innovative menu - it certainly had our mouths watering.

This hidden gem boasts open brick walls, gorgeous food and a splash of class that Selly Oak just can't offer.

For me though, it was all about dessert. I tried the Nougatine Parfait with Banana Ice Cream and it was delicious. The simple but delicious blend of exciting flavours created one happy eater. This is where The Vaults excels: it keeps things simple and powering off into the tasty distance, leaving average restaurants in its mist.

After dinner we headed over

to the bar to get the low-down on cocktails galore from the rather dashing bartender Jake. He recommends trying the Porn Star Martini – just try not to blush as you ask for it (in this task I did not succeed).

The bar area is separate from the restaurant but maintains the cool, relaxed vibe and brick wall décor. The whole place is rather romantic. There are a number of intimate booths which are available for hire on the weekend, and an open bar area with comfy seating, mood lighting and a piano in the corner for good measure.

I think I can safely say The Vaults has it all. Although being considerably more pricey than, say, The Selly Sausage, The Vaults offers some excellent deals and it is certainly worth every penny.

For a special occasion, impressive date or Christmas party, this is the place to go. They currently run a mid week offer with three courses costing only £16.50., however this price tops up to £19.50 on a Friday.

Readers on a budget will also be delighted by the news that it is 2 for 1 on selected cocktails on Fridays. That Porn Star Martini isn't sounding so obscene, now is it?

donate £1 to Oxfam at Pizza Express

4. Feast for a fiver at Las Inguanas

2. 50% off main courses at ASK

BBC Good Food Show Winter The BBC Good Food Show Winter has everything you need to create the perfect Christmas this year, so why fight your way through the Christmas crowds when you can get everything you need under one roof? The show is packed full of

exhibitors, celebrity chefs and live demonstrations dedicated to the festive season so come along to the NEC to enjoy a fabulous day out and pick up some tips to impress your guests this Christmas.

£10 Tickets for Students

Sunday 28th Nove

mber

Just bring along your NUS card an d present it at the box office to rece ive this offer

To tip or not to tip: the proof is in the pudding Vicky Hodgkinson Food Writer The question of tipping is always a contentious issue as you drink up your beverage and nod to the waiter or waitress to bring you your bill.

Most restaurants leave it to the customer's discretion to give a gratuity, whilst others add the standard 10 per cent tip straight onto the total as though it is a given that the service has been excellent.

I am an avid tipper, as having waitressed for almost five years I really appreciate that extra something left on the table once the customer leaves.

Waiting tables is not the best way to make money – the hours are long, your feet hurt severely (even if you wear the most sensible shoes), you end up covered in food, you have to pick up snotty napkins off the table post-dinner and sometimes you have to clear up the sick

of an over indulgent client. I put my all into making the customer feeling comfortable and happy, making sure they are well watered and content.

I even put up with the most horrific flirting from old men ('Would you like to order, sir?'

'What I want isn't on the menu... *wink*'). In most cases I try to act as though I've heard the best joke ever and laugh uproariously, and in the event of a complaint I look deadly serious, apologise profusely and do my best to make up for the usually minor incident.

Some people leave the exact 10 per cent, others dig the coppers out of their pocket (this I deem offensive) and some leave a very generous tip more akin to the US standard of 20 per cent!

Of course, only tip if you appreciate the service given to you and feel you have been looked after. I do not condone tipping waiting staff that walk around with the proverbial face like a slapped arse,

look at you blankly when you try and interact, ignore you when you want to order or rush you through your meal. This kind of behaviour is not acceptable.

Some argue that gratuity is futile as the waiting staff should get a good wage, and some prefer to argue that their bill is expensive enough already, thank you very much.

Please bear in mind that restaurants have huge overheads: there are kitchen staff, waiters and waitresses, food costs, cleaning products, rent costs, taxes, maintenance, window cleaning, refurbishment and much more.

Although your pasta dish may not be worth nine pounds itself there are many other things to consider. Dining out is an experience and the service should reflect that.

The proof is in the pudding.

If the food was good and you were served by a polite and conscientious individual, then make the right decision and tip.

Redbrick

Editors – Dami Olugbode, Harriet Constable

The Great British Pub

Jordan Warner Food Writer British cuisine often gets attacked for lacking a certain je ne sais quoi. The French dismiss us as being prudent eaters who would rather drench our meals in bland gravy than a sophisticated béarnaise sauce. The Italians see us as avoiding certain sexiness in our food, and the Americans... well, they can't really comment with a national cuisine of McDonald's and Chuck E. Cheese. Our small island is often the brunt of culinary jokes because we pride ourselves

on great British dishes such as fish and chips, pies, and spotted dick, not the crème brulees or paellas that give the continent their boasting rights. Well, Gastronauts, I think it's about time to set the record straight about British food.

The fact is that we do have the finest livestock in the world, and although our climate may not compare to certain European countries, we still can and do grow an array of beautiful fruit and veg that finds its way into the top Michelin star restaurants all across our fine isle.

We at Birminghmam can do our own part to help the Brit-

Food 23

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

British Food Wars ish cause. Surrounding our lovely University is a selection of fantastic pubs and restaurants that serve the finest of quality British dishes.

In Edgbaston the White Swan offers a warm, classic and cosy surrounding that would ideally be suited to joining your parents for a nice Sunday lunch. Harborne is often overlooked by students looking for a quiet retreat from their bustling student lives. Two pubs to excite and deliver a delicious British meal are The Plough and The Harborne Central that won 'best suburban pub' in the Best Bar None Awards in 2008. Both of the Harborne establishments and the White Swan offer a collection of fine quality foods an array of beers, wines and ales. Try all three of these pubs this winter. You, your friends and your family will definitely not be disappointed if looking simply for a delicious dinner or possibly a hot drink to warm yourselves up in the cold coming months.

After visiting all three with family and friends I can safely say that none of them fail to deliver on ambience, food and the traditional British feel of a friendly local pub that defines what we, as a nation, are all about.

British recipe of the week Eton Mess

Our writers battle it out in a fully-fledged food war this week to determine which wins – beloved Fish and Chips or hearty Bangers and Mash.

Fish and Chips Carl Carlstedt Food Writer In the past Britain has never had a reputation for fine dining, and there are only a very few dishes that resonate clearly with the image of the United Kingdom across the world. This is of course the national favourite: fish and chips. A simple dish that signifies a tradition going back to the 1850s uniting the steaming crispy chips of the industrial north with the cheerful golden batter of East London. This is not a fussy combination of continental herbs and flavours but a simple British classic, a flavour we can equally enjoy on summer trips to the seaside as well as during cold frosty nights.

There are many regional takes on this classic from the traditional salt and vinegar with a side of mushy peas to the infamous Brummie garnish of curry sauce, to name but a few. However what really carried this dish to all corners of the empire is the satisfaction it produces when crispy batter wrapped around vinegar-infused flaky fish melts on your palate.

Lucky for us in Birmingham, England's No.1 fish and chip shop, the Great British Eatery is right on our doorstep. Andrew Insley, co-owner of Great British Eatery says 'The success of this dish is the simple combination of fresh fish and locally grown potatoes fried

in the traditional way, using beef dripping'.

However don't be scared away by the deep fat fryer, studies by the National Federation of Fish Fryers (NFFF) has shown that fish and chips and mushy peas has considerably less calories and fat than other takeaways including kebabs, burgers and pizzas. As an added bonus for all students lacking brain food, the fish naturally contains an extra treat in the form of Omega-3 which will lend a boost to any late night essay marathon.

Simply put, this delicious golden dish is not just a treat for the taste buds, but a British institution that stands firmly alongside Wayne Rooney as one of the main topics of conversations between any Brit and their cab driver whether they find themselves in New York or Shanghai. So the next time you treat yourself to a takeaway, keep in mind this much loved classic which always hits the spot.

Bangers and Mash Jordan Murphy Food Writer

Chelsie Collins Food Writer This delicious English dessert, consisting of strawberries, peices of meringue and cream, will certainly leave you begging for more.

Ingredients 4 cups of strawberries 2 teaspoons of caster sugar 2 teaspoons of pomegranate juice 2 cups of whipping cream 1 pack of meringue nests

Method

1.

Wash and chop up the strawberries into bitesize chunks.

2. Put the strawberries, sugar and

pomegranate juice into a bowl and mix to amalgamate all the sugary sweetness.

3.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Then, crumble the meringue nests into the whipped cream, leaving larger chunks of rubble and finer dust like particles for different textures.

4.

Place half of the strawberry mixture into the cream and meringue, mix and fold until you get a nice blend of colours.

5. Finally present the Eton Mess in

Student Shop Just to help you along...

1.

Strawberries £2.49 for 454g in Tesco

2.

Meringues pack of 8 for 75p in Tesco

wine glasses for a touch of finesse and add the remaining strawberry mix on top, with a sprig of mint for good measure.

For a tasty kick try adding a shot of amaretto to the cream Like what you see here? Check out our website, www.redbrickonline.co.uk, for more tasty, student-proof recipes you can make at home!

3.

Try adding some mixed berries, Tesco are currently offering two bags for £5

I love bangers and mash. However, like those whose life-long loyalties lie with fish and chips, I enjoy the satisfaction of a chip-shop craving finally being fulfilled, after hours of imagining the taste of that salt and vinegary goodness.

For me though, it doesn't quite epitomise the ultimate hearty British food like bangers and mash so effortlessly does. Whilst being minimal, they can be cooked to perfection in a variety of interesting ways so the classic never becomes boring.

Let's look firstly at the variations on mash: creamy is always good, delectable to the taste buds and essential in procuring a successful bangers side-kick, nonetheless it's always fun to throw a few crazy flavours in there to spice the whole thing up. Cheesy mash is an enduring favourite, particularly with students who, on close inspection, seem to be convinced that adding cheese to everything they cook is a compulsory modification. Luckily for us though, cheese is full of both protein and calcium! Mustard too sits at the top of the favourites in the mash league, although heed my advice, do not get over-excited. An overdose of Dijon can have horrifying implications.

To my mind, mashed potato should always be dealt with like a blank canvas, however past experiences have taught me, again, not to take this too literally. Upon read-

ing, in a student cookbook, a list of sauces/ ingredients that were described as 'cupboard essentials' that 'compliment and add flavour to anything' there were indeed some car crash meals in which sweet chilli sauce, Worcester sauce and chillies were forced upon my mash. Please learn from my mistakes.

With regards to sausages themselves, spicy sausages are more than acceptable (just don't inflict spice on any other part of the dish). Sainsbury's pork and apple sausages are always good and taste even better with a dash of apple sauce on the side.

Finally, the maker or breaker of sausage and mash is the gravy.

Indisputably, onions are integral.

If you're feeling continental, try red onion chutney as this addition can only be described as a taste sensation. With an empty tummy, and these delicious aids, there can be no dispute that bangers and mash win the food war hands down. Fish food, move over.

24

26th November 2010

redbrickonline.co.uk

Sport

Redbrick

Men's hockey take on Loughborough Close game at Bournbrook p27

Brum v Lufbra: Sporting rivals Redbrick Sport talks to the two men who make things happen in the respective university sport worlds of Birmingham and Loughborough The American Football team are also champions, having been unbeaten for over two years.

Ewan: All sports, including Athletics, Rugby, Football and Hockey. One stand-out would be Swimming, where we recently claimed 20 medals at the Commonwealth Games.

Frankie Conway Sport Reporter

Both the University of Birmingham and Loughborough University have a rich heritage in sporting achievement. Last year Loughborough topped the British Universities and Colleges Sports tables and Birmingham finishing third.

This week, Redbrick Sport had the privilege of speaking to Loughborough's Athletic Union President Ewan Paterson and Julz Adeniran, Birmingham's very own Vice President for Sport. Here is what they had to say about the secrets behind the success at their respective universities.

How would you advise a sportsman/woman to balance their busy student life with other sporting commitments?

Julz: With time management, good discipline, planning and a little sacrifice.

Ewan: Getting a diary helps you plan and keep good time management. Have a great time at University, but be sensible. If you have a match the next day, it would be advisable not to go out the night before.

What benefits does participating in sport bring to a University student?

Julz (Birmingham): Sport is extremely character building and provides unparalleled skills that are transferable into many walks of life. The trials and tribulations of being part of a team, along with the social enjoyment it brings adds tremendous value to a student's experience.

Ewan (Loughborough): Sport helps keep you fit and allows you to get involved in different areas of student life. This enables you to meet new people through being part of a team. It also provides the opportunity to win things or to just have fun!

What are the key factors behind the Sporting success of Birmingham/Loughborough?

Julz: Sport at Birmingham is student-led, through the sports committees, giving all the teams freedom to make sport what they want it to be. There is a great coaching structure which helps athletes reach their full potential.

Ewan: The great facilities and high-profile reputation of Loughborough Sport mean we constantly attract the elite athletes. With this profile comes a desire to win and to constantly improve each year.

How does Birmingham/ Loughborough help nurture the talent that comes into the University?

University of Birmingham Founded: 1900 Students: 26073 BUCS Ranking: 3rd Motto: Per Ardua Ad Alta (Through efforts to high things)

Who would you consider to be your main rivals?

Birmingham's VPS Julz on campus Julz: Firstly, through our sports scholarship programme, 'University of Birmingham Hi: Performance Centre'. Also our extensive support package helps nurture the talent coming into the University. Within this, we have mentoring, sports science support, medical support and funding for our athletes.

Ewan: There is a good structure at Loughborough. Our tiered system allows everyone to find their level.

If you play sport mainly for fun, you can play for your Halls of Residence or in the Intra-Mural Leagues within the University. Moving up, you can represent the University in one of the Athletic Union Clubs, where there are teams from first to fifth in most cases.

How does Birmingham/ Loughborough encourage new people to get into sport?

Julz: At Birmingham there are opportunities for involvement in sport at different levels. The work of the Resident Ambassadors, plus the proposed 'Try-Sport' scheme will encourage new people to get involved. Our thriving intra-league system and designated 'social' section at most sports clubs also help achieve this.

Ewan: Through our proposed 'Universities Bid Active Scheme.'

We also have a number of fitness classes in our Active Lifestyle programme, including Yoga and Pilates, along with beginners' classes in volleyball and rugby etc.

Sunday Times University Ranking: 18th

Are students encouraged to specialise in a given sport or participate in a range of sports?

Famous Alumni: Victor Ubogu – Earned 24 England Rugby Caps in the 1990s.

Julz: Some students know they want to be a part of a specific sport, so will put all their energies into

Colours: Red, Blue and Gold.

their favoured area. But we are careful not to assume this. Every year we have a Sports Fair in Freshers' Week, where students are encouraged to take a fresh approach and to try new things out.

Ewan: The demanding nature of being a member of a first team in a particular sport means it is recommended that you prioritise in this area due to training and match commitments. But for those who wish to play at a more casual level participation in a few sports is encouraged.

What sports do Birmingham/ Loughborough particularly pride themselves in?

Julz: Hockey and Lacrosse, where our women's first teams are reigning BUCS champions in both these sports. Also Squash, Athletics/ Cross-Country and Badminton.

Julz: Loughborough, Leeds Met, Bath and Edinburgh.

Ewan: In recent times Leeds Met has emerged as a big rival, seeing as they finished second to us in the BUCS champs last year. Also Bath, Nottingham and Birmingham are rivals.

And specifically on the Birmingham/Loughborough rivalry?

Julz: It is a healthy rivalry which draws a lot of negative cohesion between all our teams. Every sports student would love to get one over on Loughborough at any given opportunity. We beat them in a few sports including Hockey and Football last year and I will be watching closely this year.

Ewan: We have a lot of fixtures against Birmingham and there is always extra spice attached. Last week we beat Brum in Badminton, Hockey, Fencing and Lacrosse. It is a healthy rivalry that brings the best out in both Universities.

What has been the best sporting highlight/achievement

Loughborough's AU President Ewan Paterson

Loughborough University Founded: 1966 Students: 18220 BUCS Ranking: 1st Motto: Veritate, scientia, labore (With truth, knowledge and industry) Colours: Purple.

Sunday Times University Ranking: 16th Famous Alumni: Sebastian Coe – Olympic Legend whilst you have been involved at the University?

Julz: Our women's hockey team achieved extremely well in the 2009-2010 season. Every week we were able to field a team full of international players. The women's team were also the only university hockey team to play in the professional England National Hockey Premier Division. We have a number of stand-out individuals. Susie Gilbert was short-listed for this year's World Hockey Player of the Year Award and won a bronze medal with England at both the Commonwealth Games and European Championships. Also Sarah Haycroft won the award for UK Young Athlete of the Year for 2010.

Ewan: This year's Commonwealth Games has to be the highlight. Our swimmers won 20 medals. As a whole Loughborough were higher than a few countries and level with South Africa who were 8th on the overall table.

What factors make a good sportsman?

Julz: Dedication, discipline, working extremely hard, good planning, mental fortitude, self-belief and resilience. Plus having the natural talent is a vital component of a good sportsman.

Ewan: Determination, commitment, being a leader and a good team player. Also physical factors such as being quick, co-ordinated, skilful and agile, as well as having good strength and stamina are vital.

How do you plan on maintaining or improving the success at Birmingham/Loughborough for future years?

Julz: Performance Sport Department enhance sport at the university through talent identification camps, talks and road shows in schools, Sports Open days, work with local communities and strong links with local clubs and national governing bodies, such as the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme.

Ewan: We are also constantly striving to improve our coaching and facilities. We are always setting new targets and higher standards for our top athletes.

Redbrick

Sport 25

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Charles' men produce royal performance

Birmingham were equally effective in defence as they were in attack shutting out Northampton completely

Mike Roberts

Men's Lacrosse

Birmingham 1sts

11

Northampton 1sts

0

Stefano Goosey Sport Reporter

On a chilly afternoon at the Metchley 3G pitches, the Birmingham men's lacrosse team managed to pull off a stunning 11-0 win over the University of Northampton.

The Bulls have had a mixed start to the season as they've won two whilst losing the same amount of games, making it necessary that the home side got off to a good start, and they did just that.

Birmingham were readying themselves for a tough battle as they beat the same opponents just a few weeks ago by 6 points to 3 with there being very little competition between the two sides. However Wednesday's match was far

from close.

Both teams were eager to start well as both had something to prove, but it was Birmingham who edged in front with some good interplay between the attackers, resulting in James Lindsey firing into the net in the first few minutes of the quarter. Northampton looked as if they were in for a tough fight when Ben Delebo doubled the home side's lead soon after.

Brum started to look confident in possession after a score from Dave Litton 10 minutes in as a result of an impressive individual run. Not long after Delebo doubled his tally following a scrappy tussle in the away side's area. Northampton's goalkeeper was arguably at fault for conceding, and again making errors as Pete Cail claimed his first of the afternoon making it 5-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Northampton's coach was understandably unhappy with his

team's performance and as expected they came out in the second quarter with much to prove pulling two shots off, but home captain Dan Charles saved both in quick succession. Although the away side's performance was increasing-

"It was great to see us play so well and score so many goals"

Dan Charles

ly encouraging, Litton scored his second to increase Brum's lead.

Charles made some magnificent saves to keep Northampton out and Birmingham always showed they were the better side

in possession as Lindsey scored his second in controversial circumstances. The ball clearly cannoning of his foot and into the net, but the goal was allowed to stand as Brum took a healthy 7-0 lead.

The away side's coach became increasingly frustrated with his team's performance but the Bull's defence was much too strong and Charles once again made a fantastic save before half time.

As the third quarter began, Northampton had to prove they were a competent team but again Birmingham broke the deadlock early on to make it 8-0 as Delebo converted to claim his hat trick.

It seemed Northampton reverted to going for long passes and the change in play worked but they failed to capitalise on their chances in front of goal. Although the away side's defence became more solidified as time went on, Delebo scored twice to make it 10-0 by the end of

Trent tormented by Hamp's rugby girls Women's Rugby Union

Birmingham 1sts

50

Notts Trent 1sts

17

Harry Kitchen Sport Reporter

On a great run of form in the BUCS league, Birmingham women's rugby union first XV didn't disappoint, seeing off tough opposition Nottingham Trent in a 50-17 victory on a brisk Wednesday afternoon at the Metchley pitches.

Prior to the match, captain and fly half Faye Hamp declared that this was the 'biggest' game of the season and this was certainly recognised by the whole team, who in return worked hard from prematch training, to the final whistle to make sure they were the side who went home happy.

Playing against the slant of the Metchley ground, Birmingham still managed to stay on top in the

first half, outpacing the away side's backs.

This contrast in physical fitness paid dividends in the seventh minute with a textbook try from the reds. After a string of tough rucks and rampaging runs, led by towering number eight and club captain Chloe Downer, scrum half Deborah Hartley and her fellow backs managed to ship the ball to full-back Ash Aiston, who then decisively exposed a gap in Trent's defensive line.

The away side seemed dazed after the first try and their complacency let them down in the tenth minute with another Brum effort down the channels. A similar thread of passes ended with agile and fast winger Natalie Kwaita soaring to the try line, with Downer converting the kick to make the score 12-5 to the home side.

Following the second try, the game livened up and became more fluid with a series of battles in the middle of the pitch. Birmingham

were still on top but against the run of play the opposition's outside centre (with the help of a little fortune) nipped a kick off Hamp in the 17th minute and successfully charged towards the try line, bringing the Nottingham based side back into the match. To add to this, Trent pushed hard for a second try, piling their large forwards into the Birmingham line, which paid off five minutes before half time when Trent's giant tighthead prop broke the home side's defence after a tense period within the Brum 22.

The second half saw some fantastic play both offensively and defensively. The girls maintained a clean sheet for Brum and scored a mass of six tries, three of which were converted by Downer.

Within 13 minutes Birmingham had scored three tries courtesy of Kwaita, hooker Alex HarrisonWolff and rampaging centre Garnet Mackinaer.

Kwaita gracefully manoeuvred

her way through Trent, executing a side step on the full back in the 42nd minute. Forward HarrisonWolff leaped over the line on the 49th minute and by this time Brum really had the wind in their sails.

Mackinaer continued the dominance, scoring a brilliant, long solo try which started nearly in the opposition's 22 in the 55th minute.

Bar the one Trent try scored in the 71st minute from a tap-and-go penalty, Brum dominated the final period. They added more tries to their tally through full-back Aiston and another great effort by Mackinear in the last minute, which was converted successfully, wrapping up the game for the ladies.

The final whistle was met with the usual sing-song of the Birmingham team, however they were outdone by Trent's irrepresible spirit at the final whistle. Regardless this was definitely Birmingham's day, proving too quick, organised and passionate for the lacklustre Nottingham Trent side.

the quarter.

The fourth quarter was low key as there was absolutely no way back for Northampton and they were now playing for pride more than anything. Their coach obviously enjoyed their physicality as they managed to stop the Bulls attacking as much as in previous quarters. However after a missed opportunity from Charlie Hazzan, Cail scored a great individual goal to finish things off at 11-0.

Not only did captain Charles pull off a man of the match performance, he was delighted with his team, 'After losing to Cambridge last week it was great to see us play so well and score so many goals and we're looking forward to playing Nottingham seconds next week'. After Wednesday's display the Bulls will certainly be strong contenders to win next week and it seems they will go into the trophy as a competitive team.

Online Developments

Sport Twitter Follow Redbrick Sport's brand new Twitter feed at www.twitter. com/redbricksports. We will be bringing our followers live scores on Wednesdays as well as all the latest sporting news and gossip from around the University campus.

Uni Sport Online Check out the brand new website www.unisportonline.co.uk. The page reviews all the latest university sport action across the UK with reports from Redbrick and various other university newspapers.

Podcasts Dont forget to check out all of Redbrick Sport's latest podcasts.

This week's guest will be women's hockey captain Sarah Page.

26 Sport

Redbrick

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Football leapfrog Loughborough to go top Men's Football

Birmingham 1sts

3

Loughborough 1sts

1

Patrick Surlis Sport Reporter

A tremendous performance from the Birmingham men's football first team saw them run out 3-1 winners over a lacklustre Loughborough side on Wednesday evening. Knowing that a victory would send them to the top of the Northern Premier table at Loughborough's expense whilst retaining their game in hand over all of their closet rivals, Birmingham produced a perfect display to extend their unbeaten run to four games.

On a Munrow track pitch that looked like it could do with a cut, Birmingham started brightly and were ahead inside ten minutes. A shot from Nick Vasey ricocheted back to David Bellis whose low drive was turned in at the far post by an alert Jamie Williams, giving Birmingham just the start they were after. Loughborough predictably responded, shocked into action by the blistering opening salvo from their opponents and crafted a few half chances with long balls over the top.

Birmingham were playing a high line and looked vulnerable to the diagonal ball but Christian Burgess and Bonto Toto dealt with what came their way with relative ease at centre half, the Loughborough forwards' first touches often evading them at the crucial mo-

ment.

As the game settled down Loughborough enjoyed the lion's share of possession but Birmingham remained dangerous on the a counter and were rewarded with second goal 25 minutes in. A clever one-two between Vasey and Bellis saw the former released into a bit of space on the right and his shot, looping up from a deflection, found the far left hand corner, handing Brum a deserved 2-0 lead. Their opponents looked to rally again and nick a goal before half time, Brum keeper Eric Hathaway uncharacteristically fumbling the ball at his near post but making up for it with a superb finger tip save at the expense of a corner. However, from the resulting set piece a fizzing near post cross was met firmly by the Loughborough forward and nestled into the net, halving the deficit with the scoreline 2-1 at half time.

Birmingham began the second half on the front foot, full back Rob Godfrey and winger Jamie Williams linking up neatly on the left flank whilst Vasey continued to torment the opposition left back with every foray forward. In midfield Bellis also began to dominate, looking assured in possession and enabling Mike Wardle to drop off and get more involved in the buildup play, much to Birmingham's benefit.

Taking advantage of this greater possession would be key for Brum as they looked to put the game beyond Loughborough.

Instead however it was a long ball which eventually unlocked their

0

Sport Shorts Ironman

University of Birmingham alumna Chrissie Wellington defied the odds and the elements to claim an outstanding victory in the 2010 Ford Ironman Arizona with a time of 8:36:13. The gruelling event tests competitors to the core with a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and marathon run to cap it off.

33-year-old Wellington showed fantastic courage and strength to even break the World Record for the marathon within an Ironman event, coming home in a time of 2:52:56.

Try Sport Dmitry Trushchenkov

Brum's pace up front was basis for the win tiring defence. An innocuous ball forward was latched onto by Wardle who showed tremendous pace to slide past the defence and place an expert finish with the outside of his boot into the Loughborough net, extending Brum's lead.

As the game wore on Loughborough showed little appetite to get back into it, creating only half chances from set pieces but a stout Birmingham defence repelled what came their way. Abe Osho was introduced late on and the forward caused all kinds of problems for a beleaguered Loughborough defence. He came close on a few occasions, but couldn't quite put extra gloss on an already impressive scoreline, the final whistle giving

Birmingham a 3-1 victory.

After the game, captain David Bellis praised his side's 'absolutely outstanding performance which makes a big statement to the rest of the league. Loughborough are our biggest rivals and tonight's win was not only well-deserved but could also prove vital come the end of the season.' Birmingham go into next week's cup game with Glamorgan full of confidence and with every right too after such a comprehensive victory over a strongly fancied Loughborough side. Unbeaten in four, Birmingham resume league action in a fortnight's time with a match against struggling Northumbria knowing that they're in the driving seat.

Brum battered by Northumbria Women's Basketball

UBSport began their Try Sport campaign this week, offering University of Birmngham students the opportunity to sample sports that they may not have been able to previously. The scheme offers five-week courses in a wide variety of interesting sports to give as many of Brum's students the chance to get involved in sport as possible. For further details visit www.sport.bham.ac.uk.

Golf

The difficult conditions on Wednesday afternoon proved too tough for Warwick's golfers to handle as Birmingham seconds won five of their six matches at Edgbaston. Ollie Hart, Owen Edwards, Rob Menzies, Harry Boyd and Charlotte Hope all overcame their opponents to seal overall victory for Brum on a cold day for the golfers.

By Charlotte Hope

First team fixtures Weds 1st December

Birmingham 1sts

31

Support our clubs!

Northumbria 1sts

77

Game of the week: Men's Football vs Glamorgan 1sts Munrow Track Pitch 5.30pm

Joel Lamy

Sport Reporter

The Birmingham women's basketball team went down 77-31 to a strong Northumbria side at the Munrow Sports Hall, with the damage largely being done by the opponents' star player from the USA, Ta'yanu Clark, who plays in Division 1 of the university leagues.

Birmingham, who sat at the bottom of the league going into the game, were looking for their first win of the season with a team containing many freshers. The visitors, on the other hand, had won four of their first five matches but were coming here on the back of a 91-39 loss to Leeds. Their coach, Deirdre Hayes, had called for a response from her team which she certainly got in a free-scoring first quarter.

After an even start, Northumbria began to pull away with their finishing being the more clinical of the two teams. Birmingham's Jenny Smith was the hosts' creative spark but the opposition's defence proved difficult to break down and their swift counter-attacking punished any errors which came their way. Home coach Dave Codrington was critical of his team's start, saying their 'heads weren't in the game', possibly as a result of the calibre of the opposition who also play in the league above.

With the score at 26-9 after

Men's Basketball vs Oxford Brookes 1sts Munrow Sports Hall 8pm Women's Football vs Brunel West 1sts Munrow Track Pitch 2pm Men's Hockey vs Nottingham 1sts Bournbrook P1 1pm

Despite some smart Brum footwork Northumbria came out on top the first quarter, there was a worry that the visitors would pull away and rack up a big score, but much credit should be given to the hosts for their response, especially in the wake of a barrage from Clark, whose fast hands and immense dribbling skills left spectators and players alike watching in awe.

However, they refused to be intimidated and began to have more and more attempts at the opposition's basket but could not take enough of their chances to even things up.

They only scored six points in the second quarter and the half-time score of 48-15 to the visitors was ominous.

The second half was a much tighter affair, with the hosts' defence, which captain Mira Runkel called their strong point, becoming tighter and tighter, conceding only 15 points compared to the 48 in the previous two quarters. The fourth quarter was even better, with Birmingham winning it 11 points to 8 to highlight the talent that they have, but had not shown at the start of the match. This final quarter was noticeable for its physical nature, with players from both sides being penalised for fouls and a Northumbrian player ending up injured with what her coach said looked like a sprain but could po-

Mike Roberts

tentially be worse. The surprising physicality of what is a non-contact sport had the effect of slowing the scoring down and the game petered out at the end.

In summing up their performance, Codrington said he was encouraged by what he was seeing from what is essentially a new and inexperienced team. Although their record this season says played six lost six, there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from the second half of the match and it is this which gives Codrington hope that in time this team, with more experience, will be a strong match for anyone.

Women's Hockey vs Nottingham 1sts Bournbrook P1 6pm Women's Netball vs Loughborough 2nds Munrow Sports Hall 4pm Men's Rugby Union vs Loughborough 2nds Bournbrook Campus 6.30pm Men's Table Tennis vs UEA 1sts Munrow New Gym 2pm Men's Volleyball vs Nottingham 1sts Munrow New Gym 7.15pm Women's Volleyball vs Loughborough 1sts Munrow New Gym 5.15pm

Redbrick

Lacrosse girls bounce back by thrashing Scots Women's Lacrosse

Birmingham 1sts Edinburgh 1sts

21 4

Phil Shepka Sport Reporter

Birmingham's women's lacrosse team bounced back after a run of two defeats this Wednesday afternoon, winning 21-4 against Edinburgh in what was a one-sided contest at the Munrow Track Pitch.

After last week's final minute loss to Loughborough, the Brum team were out to prove a point in this encounter. However, coach Dave Abini was not going to get complacent against bottom of the league Edinburgh saying 'The team need to work hard to get back on top of their game'.

From the off the hosts looked the better team, taking an early lead through a great run from the halfway line by Jess Adams, who took it through the opposition defence to make it 1-0 in the first minute. The score quickly doubled in a fast-paced opening with Lizzie Sharpe hitting the net.

Edinburgh soon found their

Sport 27

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Hockey men close but no cigar

cided to call a time out for a rest after running backwards for most of the game. The game restarted with a period of great pressure from the visitors but they were unable to find a way past Brum keeper Chelsea Claridge.

The goals began to flow towards the end of the half with great passing movement allowing Rhea Patel to open her account for the firsts making the half time score 10-3.

The contrast in emotions during the break was apparent as the Birmingham team were laughing with coach Abini whilst the opposition looked very sorry for themselves.

The second half began with the away side having a prolonged period of pressure and getting a goal through Laura Hustler-Wraight but this was the final time they would find the net.

Birmingham's speedy attack proved just too good for Edinburgh with Alice Bruynseels running the show. The home side took advantage of defensive errors with some clinical finishing increasing the score with goals from Fizzy Keeble, Emily Hughes and Liv Clayton.

A fantastic passing move

The hockey men were unfortunate to be edged out at Bournbrook Men's Hockey

Lacrosse girls were back on form at Munrow feet in the game with Myrtle McPherson looking dangerous in the centre of the field. McPherson then found herself with space to run at the defence and score to make it 2-1.

This proved to be as close as the opposition got all game as Birmingham began to rip the Edinburgh defence apart. Sharpe and co-captain Kirsten Lafferty scored in quick succession to increase the lead to three goals. The home side continued to press with rapid counter-attacks which the visitors were unable to handle.

The scoreline soon reached 7-1, at which point Edinburgh de-

Dmitry Trushchenkov

which culminated in Patel scoring again to make it 18-4 led to great cheers from a relatively quiet crowd. To compound Edinburgh's misery, a pass back to the goalkeeper went straight into the net.

At full time, the visitors looked relieved that their ordeal was over.

Coach Abini said the game was 'just the start of a hill this team needs to climb after the losses'. He went on to say that 'defensively we played very well today giving away hardly any fouls, which has been our downfall recently'. Birmingham will hope they can take this form into their next game away to Warwick.

Edinburgh's long journey south was wasted

Dmitry Trushchenkov

Birmingham 1sts

1

Loughborough 1sts

2

Joseph Audley Sport Reporter

The Birmingham men's hockey first team failed to capitalise on several chances allowing Loughborough to take all the points on Wednesday evening. The hosts fought hard but the final execution of attacks was their downfall and an organised Loughborough claimed a 2-1 win.

Confidence was high throughout the home team as they went into this tough fixture, as coach Steve Floyd reiterated, 'We are very positive about this big game. The last time we met we drew 3-3 so we can be confident. The first ten minutes will be very important' The first ten minutes in fact turned out to be very shaky as neither side wanted to make any mistakes early on. Loughborough were stringing some nice passes together in attack while Brum were tackling well but often failed to control passes and gave away possession cheaply.

When it looked like the sides were cancelling each other out, Birmingham began to push out and the confidence grew within the side. Although both teams were marking extremely well, captain Pete Jackson was executing fantastic cross pitch passes to his team mates. There were no clearcut chances within the first 20

Rita Toth

minutes due to solid defending (at almost international level, as several England players were present in both sides).

The breakthrough came after 15 minutes as a pass from the right wing found its way to Dave Tipping who slotted it past the Loughborough keeper making the score 1-0 to Birmingham. The home side then stepped up and exploited the right wing on which they had previously succeeded. This did not stop the visitors however, as they also kicked into life and began to attack fiercely, forcing a good save from Graham Brune. The tackles were flying in and tempers began to flare, evident from Loughborough's Henry Weir receiving a green card.

As the half drew to a close the leaders continued to deal with dangerous pressure from Loughborough. The visitors equalised through a well-worked short corner, converted by Simon Fawkner on the stroke of half time. The 1-1 scoreline was a fair reflection of the half as both teams had put in a decent effort.

The second half started much like the first with both sides playing cautiously. Again it was the stray passes from Birmingham that allowed the visitors to maintain possession and the defence were working hard to thwart any Shots on Target

chances created. Tristan Wild was doing a great job of closing down the Loughborough forwards and the home side began to step up again. Birmingham forward Charlie Haywood had a shot saved as did Loughborough's Chris Griffiths.

With balanced possession and chances, the game could have gone either way but it was Loughborough who took the lead after 53 minutes. Weir linked on to a pass from wide left and shot with precision to score what proved to be the winner. In the last ten minutes Birmingham pushed up in an attempt to salvage something from the game, but with their top goal scorer Ben Stoney out injured it was proving difficult. Four short corners in quick succession saw chances go begging as the attackers fired over the bar or the Loughborough defenders closed them down.

A decent crowd had gathered in freezing temperatures to cheer along the home side and there was disappointment all round as the final whistle blew. Captain Jackson was evidently disappointed, 'It's been similar to most of our games really, we're going to work on our short corners. We did well against the best team though, we worked hard.' Birmingham hope to claim a win against Leeds next week.

Shots off Target

Birmingham

6

5

Loughborough

5

4

28 Sport

Sport

Redbrick

26th November 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Meet the Presidents Birmingham's VPS Julz and Loughborough counterpart Ewan Paterson talk to Redbrick Sport, p24

Woolven shines as champions march on Women's Hockey

Birmingham 1sts

3

Loughborough

1

Rory Millar Sport Reporter

Birmingham's women's hockey first team overcame fierce rivals Loughborough in a comfortable 3-1 victory on Wednesday afternoon. A brace from striker Jenna Woolven in the first half saw the home side lead 2-0 at the break.

Katie Hewitt replied for the visitors but Kirsty Dawson restored Birmingham's two goal advantage with a great finish midway through the second half.

The win has maintained Birmingham's unbeaten start to the new season. Prior to the game, the hosts would have been forgiven for being in a confident mood having already beaten Loughborough 6-2 on the opening day of the campaign.

The match started at a high tempo and Birmingham applied some heavy pressure in the early stages. This pressure didn't take long to pay off, with the home side opening the scoring in the sixth minute of the game. Sophie Bray made a good run on the right before playing a pass which deflected into the path of the unmarked

Woolven, who finished well from close range. The hosts almost doubled their lead moments later after a counter-attacking move, with Bray the architect again, passing the ball into the path of Dawson who was denied well by Helen Fagg.

The game then settled down after the frenetic first 10 minutes and chances started to dry up. Bray had a good opportunity to get on the score sheet in the 15th minute, but the chance was dragged wide of the left post. It was now that Loughborough had a brief period dominating possession and almost got back on level terms when they were unfortunate not to make the most of a goal-mouth scramble. A penalty corner was awarded which Suzy Petty took, setting up the ball for Gizelle Ainsley who struck it well but the ball was blocked on the line by Hannah Richardson.

Towards the end of the first period, Birmingham started to dominate again but Loughborough goalkeeper Fagg was playing well and keeping her side in the match.

The resilient Loughborough defence was finally broken for the second time of the afternoon on the stroke of half time and again it was Woolven who was on hand to apply the finish and make it 2-0.

Loughborough made a brighter start to the second half. Lauren Anning over-hit a pass to Hewitt

who was in acres of space after the ball was given away carelessly by the Birmingham defence. Shortly afterwards Jenny Mashford had to make her first save of the afternoon after a shot from Hewitt who had been set up nicely by Hetty Murray.

This period of domination finally lead to a goal for the visitors, with Hewitt striking the ball in to the net to make it 2-1 after intercepting the ball on the edge of the shooting circle following a Birmingham free-hit taken on the right.

The hosts responded well to this set-back and came close to immediately restoring their two goal advantage with Fagg making the save low to her right from captain Sarah Page's low powerful strike, set up well by Emily Atkinson. On the hour mark, the game was finally put beyond Loughborough when a well-rehearsed move from a short corner was finished

by Dawson with an unstoppable strike into the net.

The hosts saw out the final ten minutes and after the game, Birmingham skipper Page said 'it was good to get another win and extend our unbeaten run. We battled hard and didn't play as well as we could have done but it shows we can win even when not playing well.' She added 'it's always nice to get one over Loughborough!'

The hockey girls are looking to retain their BUCS crown

Rita Toth

Putt and Nymaen net as Worcester are put to the sword Women's Football

Birmingham 1sts

2

Worcester 1sts

0

John Wilmott Sport Reporter

Promotion rivals Worcester were seen off by Birmingham's women's football team on Wednesday in a crucial top of the league clash. An early penalty from Caroline Putt followed by a late strike from substitute Nicole Nymaen capped a fantastic second half showing and set up the win that sends Brum to the top of the league and blows the promotion race wide open.

The hosts came into the game on the back of a victory against their own second team but had previously lost in Bedfordshire, leaving their aspirations of a return to the top division hanging in the balance. With captain Lucie Vickers still out with a torn knee ligament sustained against Loughborough and star Emma Follis away with England U19s, the Birmingham side knew that the unbeaten Worcester side would expect nothing less than a win.

However on a bitterly cold afternoon down at the Metchley

pitches it was the home side that struck first. Putt latched onto a through-ball managing to hold off her marker until she was brought down by a poorly timed challenge.

She then got up and took the penalty herself, coolly slotting the ball into the bottom left corner beyond the outstretched arm of Worcester's number one, Emma Roche.

Shortly after that, Worcester's Charlotte Hughes had a chance to level matters from the edge of the box, but her weak free kick went past the right hand post. This was quickly followed by a rasping shot on the turn by the away side's Emily Ridge that flew just over the bar.

Chances were few and far between in a first half that was fought mainly in the midfield, with Worcester rarely threatening Amy Edwards' goal.

The second half brought about a better spectacle with Birmingham stepping up the pace and creating the best chances. KellyAnne Willis brought about a smart stop from Roche, forcing her into a good save from 30 yards. Willis turned provider a few moments later by supplying a cross to the back post that Lindsey Whitton headed narrowly over. With Fran Boggi clearly struggling with an injury, home coach Mark Smith

brought on Nymaen, whose impact was instantaneous. A corner from Willis was headed back across the Worcester box falling kindly for Nymaen who saw her shot from six yards cleared off the line.

Worcester did muster a chance shortly after but substitute Laura Schmid put her shot from the edge of the area narrowly past the left hand post. With less than ten minutes on the clock, the home side gained some breathing space with a fine finish from Nymaen. Finding herself in space just over 35 yards out, the defender-turned-striker curled the ball over Roche, who helplessly palmed the ball into her net.

The game was closed out well

by Birmingham to the delight of head coach Smith who called it 'an important win' and going on to comment, 'It was the best fortyfive minutes we have played this season.' This was echoed by club captain Vickers saying, 'it was a brilliant second half, we should be pushing for top of the table now.'

With three points in the bag against a previously unbeaten side, the Midlands conference first division title race is set up to go right down to the wire, with a place in the premier division the prize for the victors.

Worcester were outdone by the Birmingham girls

Sophie Bryant

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