WRITTEN BY STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS
DECEMBER 2019
Reading Fess A new Gossip Girl styled Facebook page is the talk of campus. Find out more in this month’s News section.
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RuPaul’s Drag Race The award-winning show has finally come to the UK. But is it too much too fast? Find out on page 27.
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BUCS 2019
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The Reading Uni Swimming Team competed in the Speedo and BUCS short course championships.
VOTE IN THE GENERAL
DISABILITY HISTORY
ELECTION.
MONTH.
DON’T FORGET TO VOTE ON DECEMBER 12TH.
EVENTS TAKING PLACE ON CAMPUS FROM NOVEMBER 22ND TO DECEMBER 22ND.
‘TIS THE SEASON
Photo by: Annie Davis
Holly Fournier | Lifestyle Editor
Head over to our Lifestyle section this month for all things Christmassy. From a Christmas gift guide to an article about how to make your bedroom more festive this Christmas, you won’t want to miss out on these tips from your fellow students!
AUTUMN LEAVES Sara Mattar | Head of Photography
STRIKE TWO! Madelyn Morgan | Digital News Editor
This month in Photography you’ll find images of the Autumn landscape taken across campus. To join our photography team email photography@sparknewspaper. co.uk.
For the second time in recent years, University and College Union members (UCU) from 60 establishments, are walking out for 8 days (November 25th until December 4th). 43 of the universities, including Reading, are taking industrial action over pay, conditions and pensions. It is estimated by the union that more than
half of all academics are on temporary contracts and pay has fallen by 17% since 2009. Further actions are to be taken after walkouts, such as working strictly to contact, refusal to reschedule lectures lost to strike action and not covering absent colleagues. 72% of UCU members at Reading University voted for strikes over USS pension changes and 68% backed action over pay and conditions.
The general secretary of the UCU, Jo Grady has stated that employers need to: “start talking to us seriously about how they are going to deal with rising pension costs and declining pay and conditions.”
“We are committed to ensuring USS remains one of the very best pension schemes in the country and hope that UCU will now join us to consider governance reforms and alternative options for future valuations.”
This comes less than 2 years after a 14-day strike over pension changes from 65 universities in action to USS disputes.
The strikes could possibly affect more than a million students, as reported by The Guardian.
The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) spokesperson said:
VIEW THE RESULTS OF RUSU’S STRIKE ACTION REFERENDUM ON PAGE 10.
FIND THE SPARK ONLINE AT SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK AND ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.
Contents
CONTENTS
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DECEMBER 2019
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR 03 Print Editor Taz gives an overview of this issue’s content and explains how aspiring writers can get involved with the next copy of The Spark.
GENERAL ELECTION 05 Student writer Ryan explains how the power is in your hands on the December 12th and gives an overview of the sorts of things you’ll be voting for.
COURSE READING 08 Course reading lists can be a little daunting, and finding the time to power through them; just as stressful. Student Laura Searle shares her tips for this aspect of your degree.
‘NYLON’ HAIR SALON REVIEW 16 Third year English Literature student Louisa Chopping shares her experience of a hair salon in central Reading.
BEAUTY AND SKINCARE HACKS
Print Lifestyle Editor Holly shares some useful beauty hacks
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that can be used for travel, applying makeup, and skincare routines.
HOROSCOPES 28 Read what the stars are saying about you and your love interests this month.
20 YEARS ON THE THRONE 35 Last month Disney’s iconic Lion King the musical celebrated its 20th year on stage. Writer Annie Davis gives her review of the anniversary performance.
AUTUMN LEAVES 38 Take a look at our student photography from throughout the Autumn season.
RUGBY WORLD CUP
Read-up on South Africa’s triumph in this year’s Rugby World
PRINT EDITOR TA Z U S H E R E D I TO R .S PA R K @ R E A D I N G. A C.U K HEAD OF WEB N I KO L E T T BA RT U S O N L I N E E D I T O R @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R .C O. U K NEWS EDITORS KIA MACKENZIE JESS STORRY M A D E LY N M O R G A N N E W S @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R .C O.U K LIFESTYLE EDITORS H O L LY F O U R N I E R MILLIE DINSDALE L I F E S T Y L E @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R .C O.U K E N T E R TA I N M E N T E D I T O R S LOIS PLUMMER RAAGULAN UMASHANKER E N T E R TA I N M E N T @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R . CO.UK SPORT EDITORS IZZY EINON
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Cup.
RUN SANTA, RUN! 47 Find out how you can get involved in a local Christmasthemed charity run this month.
The Spark Newspaper is designed and typeset by students at the University of Reading. Printed at Newbury News Limited, Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG12 2DW. Published and funded by Reading University Students’ Union, contact: activitiesofficer@rusu.co.uk. Our students strive for accuracy but on occasion can make mistakes. Errors can be corrected/ acknowledged by contacting the Editor. Complaints should be made to the Editor in the first instance, and thereafter to RUSU. All complaints should be made in writing. All articles, letters etc. must include a name, address, and contact number/email address. These may be withheld from publication at specific request. The Spark Newspaper or RUSU can take no responsibility for products or services advertised herein. The Spark Newspaper reserves the right to reject or edit any submissions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Editor. The views expressed in The Spark Newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors or RUSU, particularly those expressed in the comments pages, which are often opinions of the specific authors. Photographs in The Spark Newspaper are copyright, and you will need permission from the photographer to re-use. Contact the Editor at: editor.spark@reading.ac.uk.
DAISY HANSON S P O R T @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R .C O.U K SUB EDITORS S A B I TA B U R K E P R I YA K H A I R A LEAD DESIGNER X I A O M E N G FA N G HEAD OF PHOTOGRAPHY S A R A M AT TA R P H O T O G R A P H Y @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R .C O. U K SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM ALEX WINFIELD ALEX BURROWS D A N I E L L E J AY S E C R E TA R Y & S O C I A L S R E P OLIVIA MILL TREASURER ARHAM NAHAR
Editorial
DECEMBER 2019
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EASY WAYS TO MINIMISE YOUR PERSONAL PRODUCTION OF WASTE
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Print Lifestyle Editor Holly shares easy and simple changes you can make in order to minimie your waste production.
Dear Spark readers, Welcome back to another issue of The Spark. I hope you’ve had a great start to the academic year and are starting to look forward to the winter break.
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NEW MUSIC FROM HAIM
Our favourite indie sisters are back with new tracks this winter.
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SOUTH AFRICA WIN 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP Match Reports of the Semi-Final and Final matches of this year’s Rugby World Cup.
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Ascot event, and how to be more sustainable this winter. In Entertainment you’ll find reviews of Netflix show Atypical and film The King. You’ll also want to read student Annie Davis’ review of Lion King the musical and an engaging critique of new American horror film, Dr Sleep.
Your December paper brings you a range of campus and world news, festive-themed lifestyle tips, Christmas entertainment hacks, and A festive theme can also be spotted in the latest on campus and local sport. Entertainment where student writer Josh Deane gives an Ode to Elf, one In News this month you can expect of the most popular Christmas films to read our front-page story on of our generation. A range of music university strike action, as well as reviews and recommendations can student takes on national and global also be found in this section. news such as the upcoming UK General Election and why climate For a wholesome look at the change activist Greta Thunberg beautiful campus we call home, take a look at the wonderful student turned down a large cash prize. images on show in our Photography On a lighter note, you’ll also want to section this month. read student Izzy Einon’s discussion of the new Gossip Girl-styled Our Sport section has just as an Facebook page Reading Fess which exciting line-up this issue. Our Print has risen in popularity over the past Sports Editor Izzy gives a detailed report of the Rugby World Cup, month. whilst we deliver updates from The News section also features campus sports societies including activity recommendations for Korfball, Swimming, and Rounders. your spare time. These include a We also hear from students about celebrational talk about the rise of their favourite classes to take part in female scientists and Thursday Quiz at the gym, and a costume-themed sporting event taking place on Nights at Mojo’s bar on campus. Sunday, December 8th. Meanwhile, over in Lifestyle you’ll find plenty of festive reads including As always, we are looking for new Digital News Editor Madelyn writers and members to join our Morgan’s feature piece on ‘Getting society. Please get in contact at into the festive mood’. Madelyn gives editor.spark@reading.ac.uk or via readers a tour of local Christmas our Facebook groups. events including Reading Winter Wonderland on Ice and the Reading I hope you enjoy reading this issue 5k Charity Santa Run. She also lists and have a great winter break! her top Christmas films, Christmas songs, how you can celebrate Christmas with your flat, and shopping hacks. The Lifestyle section also features articles on the new student Bumble ambassador team, this year’s Royal
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News
DECEMBER 2019
News
PYRAMID SCHEMES- WHAT A AND WHAT SHOULD I BEWAR Jess Storry| Print News Editor
Pyramid Schemes – Why Students are falling victim to a business opportunity that’s too good to be true. Sounds too good to be true? But who could pass up the opportunity of making £5,000 a week – a real claim on Instagram – whilst working from home or around your studies? Many students are taking these propositions aiming to make big money conveniently, via their mobile. Students from the FAU have been the most recent takers. Elyssa Reardon, a student at FAU studying health sciences, saw a Health and Welfare company’s representative post numerous shout-outs on Instagram for “all boss babes” to earn those thousands. Their appeal doubles when their only requirements to work were “Motivated, 18-years-old, coachable and ready to learn.”. A few weeks after joining Elyssa realised, she wouldn’t come anywhere close to the promised £5,000. She ended up losing over $300 over the four months she spent in the company. “The whole thing felt like a hoax,” she said. Police are investigating a suspected pyramid scheme scam circulating on Facebook across the south and west of England. The ‘get-rich-quick’ scheme was reported to Devon and Cornwall Police as a report of online
“approximately 90% of all people who invest in a pyramid scheme lose their money” fraud. The scheme has been dubbed by some as a “pyramid scheme” also known as multilevel marketing (MLM) or investment circles. Students are one of the most likely demographics to become victims. The schemes invite people to invest money into a bank account, then recruit other
“Often victims ‘overstock’ to receive a bigger discount then cannot keep up with selling or payments.” people to form an investment chain. Therefore, the invite may come from an obvious third party or more dangerously, a friend or family member attempting to adopt you as their own ‘recruit’. Many fellow students have spoken up about feeling pressured or guilty when a close friend becomes involved with one of these schemes. Often told these schemes are ‘not a pyramid’ and they are legitimate, students may struggle to refuse to invest or stand up against loved ones. One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said “It’s so hard to get them to think straight. They never understand because you’re not arguing against their logic. You’re arguing against their hopes and dreams.”. John Oliver filmed a comedic yet educational video on Last Week Tonight, highlighting that these schemes become an ill-fated scam when the business receives the majority of its money through new members ‘buying in’ rather than selling an actual product to the public and promoting the economy. This leads to a loss of money with approximately 90% of all people who invest in a pyramid scheme losing their money. When the scheme inevitably runs out of new recruits it collapses.
What is a Pyramid Scheme or MLM? Pyramid Schemes may seem legitimate. Fundamentally they ask you to
Don’t fall victim to a pyramid scheme to earn some extra money join for a small fee for the opportunity to then buy and sell their products through other members rather than the public. The discounts of the products you sell increase with the amount you purchase. Often victims ‘overstock’ to receive a bigger discount then cannot keep up with selling or payments. Typically, the only way you can get your money back is to persuade other people
to join and take their fees. People at the top of the pyramid make money from the fees of people lower down, rather than selling a legitimate product. The business model is unsustainable, and those at the bottom of the pyramid lose their fees with no prospect of recovering their money or profiting at all. What are the warning signs?
To make money you will be required to sign up other people, usually, you’re provided a goal to hit with incentives or ‘levels’ to reach. There will be an upfront joining fee or large initial investment. You will need to buy your own supply to sell, normally with incentives or discounts to encourage you to buy more.
DECEMBER 2019
ARE THEY RE OF?
General Election 2019: A Call to Action Ryan Harnell | Part Two International Development
“The United Kingdom is going through nothing less than an identity crisis” On December 12th students across the country will go to the polls in what is shaping up to be one of the hardest fought elections of our generation. We as voters have a critical decision to make, not just over who we want to represent us at a local level, but over what kind of country we want to live in.
about real change. But we’ve got to start by taking part in our democracy. We cannot allow this election to be all about Brexit. There is too much at stake - an NHS collapsing before our eyes, rising poverty and inequality in one of the largest economies in the world, an archaic voting system that delusions voters, a spike in hate crime, small businesses struggling to compete with online rivals, a spiralling mental health crisis and inevitably the threat of ecological breakdown.
The United Kingdom is going through nothing less than an identity crisis, and it’s this conflict of national direction - or lack of one - that is pitting the young against the old, north against the south, Westminster against the rest of the country and Leave against Remain.
I personally believe these last two to be the greatest issues of our time. But where is the bold vision for a country where happiness, health and well-being are the goals of all government decision-making? Where is the vision for a country built from the ground-up on empowered, sustainable and climate-resilient communities?
The stark reality is that none of the major parties offers an ambitious and inspiring plan for national rejuvenation. They present an image of wanting to fix a broken country, offering injections of cash into issues they know will win votes - but it’s going to take more than a spending spree to truly achieve as much.
If you like myself, don’t see these visions presented to you in this election, then it is your responsibility to go out and demand something better. As good a place to start as any is by voting.
If you, like myself, are disillusioned with the short-termism, dogma and spite in our democracy today then it is your responsibility to play a part in its renewal. We are the healthiest, most well educated and most engaged generation that has ever walked the Earth - we have all the tools at our disposal to challenge the status quo and bring
So this December the power is in your hands. Think critically. Choose Wisely. But most importantly, vote for what you believe in.
Here’s why students need to vote Olivia Mill | Secretary and Socials Rep They will only promote ‘success stories’ on social media with unobtainable rewards only the top-level management could achieve. Study.com, www.which.co.uk and TheStudentRoom provide articles and information on how to avoid pyramid schemes and what to do if you get involved. However, if you are concerned for yourself or for someone you know
there are many online governmental resources on how to help. If something looks too good to be true, it may be a scam. If you suspect something is a scam avoid it and report to the appropriate authorities (if it is via email or social media each platform will have a ‘Report Spam’ email or button, or head to www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-report-ascam to find out how)
With the General election coming up on December 12th it is key that all students register to vote.
Our future. As well as this the results may also impact tuition fees for universities.
We are the youngest generation that can currently vote and therefore our voices should be heard as the views we portray are the views of the future.
So make sure to register at Gov. co.uk/register-to-vote to have a say in our future as students and our future as the younger generation.
News
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MOJO’S QUIZ NIGHTS ARE BACK! Jess Storry | Print News Editor Every Thursday night at 7pm Mojo’s and Monterey is the place to be. Brush up on your general knowledge, quirky facts and bring your best singing voice! Mojo’s Quiz and Karaoke nights are an essential part of the University of Reading experience! Whether It’s your first time or your hundredth, bring your friends and start brainstorming team names. There are plenty of prizes to be won (including cash prizes!) and the iconic glory and fame as always, earned through the Karaoke! Teams can be up to 8 people and it costs only £5 entry per team! Doors open at 19:00 and it’s only for over 18s with a valid student ID.
ECO REFILL STATIONS Jess Storry | Print News Editor The Castle Tap community pub in Reading will be hosting a monthly sustainability and zero plastic pop up event with Maya’s Refillables. Head to the first pop up Refill Station in Reading West, with your own detergent and hand soap bottles or containers and refill them with the product you need in the quantity you need. The detergents are biodegradable and vegan and animal cruelty-free, yet affordable. It will be the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. To see a list of products visit mayasrefillables.com/refillables
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DECEMBER 2019
GRETA TURNS DOWN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD AFTER BEING NOMINATED Jo Hawkins | Part Two English Literature
Modest or reasonable, was Greta right to turn down an environmental award? By now almost all of us are well acquainted with 16-year-old climate change activist, Greta Thunberg…
Would we really deem the mass decision of coffee shops to charge 20p less if you bring your own cup award-winning? Or rather, is it sensible and logical, a realisation of what we should have started years ago?
By now almost all of us are well acquainted with 16-year-old climate change activist, Greta Thunberg. In a lengthy Instagram post on October 29th, Greta explained why she would be declining the Nordic Council’s environmental 2019 prize she had been awarded. Confirming that she feels ‘the climate does not need any more awards’, Greta turned down the £40,000 win.
That being said, the government’s decision to charge for plastic bags in 2015 has had a drastic impact on the attitude of the British public. In my own experience working in retail, in eighteen months, the shift in attitude was monumental.
It may seem ridiculous, a 16-year-old turning down so much money. However, I began to think about Greta’s reasoning. Firstly, it makes perfect sense to put the money elsewhere; invest such a large sum into sustainability; something that can work to combat climate change. Secondly, Greta explained in her post that ‘there is no lack of beautiful words’, instead ‘what we need is for our politicians and the people in power to start to listen to the current, best available science’.
“we may even change the minds of older generations” After all, none of Greta’s protesting is about fame and fortune, she has gone above and beyond to spread a message of science; a message of plain facts and figures that need changing in order to secure the planet for future generations. This then got me onto thinking, is Greta really award-winning? Is trying to save the environment heroic?
In the beginning, customers would approach the tills already wielding sarcastic comments, asking what we were playing at and weren’t they paying enough already? Eighteen months later, I was watching customers juggle items in all sorts of bizarre ways just to avoid the need for a bag. Maybe this is award-winning stuff after all. There are many things about Greta that I would deem award-winning: she’s only sixteen, she doesn’t see the environment as adult’s work, she knows what she wants, she initially defied her parents, she has told the world that being on the autistic spectrum is a mere fact rather than anything of great consequence. She has even refused to back down over the most brutal social media remarks. Her recent denial of an environmental award is a certain reflection of her modesty and determination that what she is doing is not award-winning and instead standard practise. I think it is fair to say that Greta is an award-winner, her determination and fiery ability to stand up for herself and the world must count for something. I was pleased to see Greta won an award for ‘revolutionary of the year’ at the 2019 Glamour Women Annual Awards. Aside from its connotations of being a part of Glamour magazine, Greta is the fearless female figure everyone should be aware of. So, maybe a sum of £40,000 is unnecessary, but I am inclined to agree that Greta is an award-winner in more ways than one.
Photo by Markus Spiske
What I think I would take from this myself, is that perhaps we should stop seeing environmental action as such
“ She has even refused to back down over the most brutal social media remarks.” an impressive move, rather a given, a feature of our day to day life. Whilst as students, taking the bins
out can often seem like a momentous moment, we do not go around congratulating one another for it; likewise, we need not praise each other for considering putting less plastic in said bin. Perhaps the less glorified environmental action becomes, the more normalised it can become. By doing so we may even change the minds of older generations, or those who resist on principle. Nevertheless, it seems fair to say that Greta Thunberg is something of an award-winning 16-year-old. With
Hilary Clinton commenting just recently that ‘male world leaders are scared of Greta’, and having seen the confident glare she served Donald Trump at the United Nations back in September, in my eyes, she deserves a medal. However, for now, there are still many days of environmental action and change ahead. Recipient of an award or not, Greta’s total devotion and commitment to even stop going to school is admirable and we should all bare such determination in mind when going about our own day to day lives.
DECEMBER 2019
Creative Arts Anthology Submissions Alannah Moody | Part 2 English Literature
News
Gossip Girl Page takes over Reading University Izzy Einon | Print Sport Editor The Reading Fess Facebook page has taken over the university this term with anonymous confessions from and about fellow students. Ranging from posts declaring their love for the Bagelman to a contentious discussion of the North/South border in England, this Facebook page is an entertaining read for anyone attending the uni. The page has seen a huge increase in political discussion since the announcement of the General Election, with students sharing their own experiences, opinions, facts and figures
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At the forefront of every student’s social media is the Reading Fess Facebook page... while also encouraging all students to register to vote, proving that the page is more than gossip. Reading Fess has also seen students interacting with local and national politics, such as Chick Fil A opening and closing in the Oracle and Recent developments in Brexit. With the growth of the page, reaching not just students at the University of
Reading, but also alumni and students of other universities, the question is how long will the page be able to keep up this level of interaction and readership? Will the administrators be able to continue monitoring the submissions at this frequency? Or, will the page fizzle out as the year gets busier for administrators and students who submit posts? Photo by Reading Fess Facebook
Photo by Creative Arts Journal
The 2020 Creative Arts Anthology is now open for submissions! The Anthology is a book published yearly by the University of Reading and is designed, written and edited by the students! Any and all ages can apply (not just those studying in the English department, although of course we’d love to hear from you!), and we’re looking for 1000 words or less of prose, poetry or drama, as well as art, photography or other creative media pieces. The closing date will be the 13th of January 2020, and all submissions should be emailed to readingcw@ hotmail.com.
For more information, email the above address or visit https://readingartsanthology.wordpress.com/ Looking forward to hearing from you! This year we’re also partnering with Longitudines creative writing workshop. The Workshop will be held every Monday from 3-5pm. This is a great opportunity to see what we’re about and to see if this is something you could get involved with! So, if you’re a budding writer but think your work might need a bit of polish, or just want to chat with other like-minded creatives, we’d love for you to come along!
Environment Fact Check Tom Oldham | Part Three Politics and IR
We’ve seen a lot in recent months from Extinction rebellion, yet little is known about the governments environmental achievements over the last decade.
By making the UK by far the world’s most attractive place to invest in renewable energy, the government has successfully overseen a new, clean revolution.
I argue that it is factually untrue to accuse the government of standing by.
In the third quarter of 2019, the UK’s wind farms, solar panels, biomass and hydro-plants generated more electricity than the combined output from power-stations fired by coal, oil and gas.
In June 2019, the UK became the world’s first country to legislate for net-zero emissions. In May 2019, the UK reached a record stretch of 18 coal-free days. This represents a landmark moment as the UK moves away from fossil fuels, and towards renewable sources of energy. Coal has virtually disappeared while renewable energy production has quadrupled since 2010.
Why? Studies show that the reason for this rests in the increase in capacity as new wind farms have opened. The world’s largest offshore wind farm opened in October, off the coast of Yorkshire. Furthermore, the latest auction round
produced record-low deals for offshore wind farms that will generate electricity more cheaply than expected market prices, and potentially below the cost of running existing gas plants. Far from capitalism being the problem, it seems to be the answer! In addition, between 2010-17, UK carbon emissions fell 25%, 50% more than any other G20 country. UK carbon emissions are currently at their lowest level since 1888, and analysis shows that emissions fell in 2018 for the sixth consecutive year, the longest series of continuous reductions on record To figure out the best way forward, we should acknowledge the progress that we have made.
Photo by Sara Mattar - Unsplash
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RAIL STRIKES CAUSE CHAOS Jess Storry| Print News Editor RMT warns of new walkouts in 2019 as South Western strikes threaten chaos. The Rail union has confirmed a totally of 27 days of strike action in December. This announcement comes after the company dangled a potential breakthrough deal in front of the union and then failed to honour it. The Strikes will take place workdays between the 2nd December until the 1st January 2020.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
DECEMBER 2019
THE PRESSURES OF READING AT UNIVERSITY Laura Searle | Part Three English Literature
One of the main questions I am asked as an English Literature student is how do you cope with the reading? Not just the sheer amount, but also how do you read books you don’t even like?
October was #BreastCancerAwareness month and #wearitpink flooded across campus.
The answer is with great difficulty. And it’s not just the humanities departments, but all degrees have long and demanding reading list of chapters to have finished and fully comprehend by each week.
The RUSU team wore pink for a day and bakesales were held, Thankyou to everyone who got involved!
As the year progresses and essays begin, keeping up with the reading can seem like even more of a challenge.
Find out more about Coppafeel at coppafeel.org or Breast Cancer Awareness at wearitpink.org.
Despite several methods to try and keep up with the reading, making a list of the books and setting goals as to when to finish by, it still seems like a never-ending task.
Jess Storry| Print News Editor
CAFÉ SCIENTIFIQUEWOMEN’S JOURNEY IN STEM Jess Storry| Print News Editor Join Café Scientifique talks as they celebrate and showcase women’s journeys in science. There is no need for you to be a scientist or have a knowledge of science, all are welcome. No booking is required, and entry is free. For more information contact scienceinreading@gmail.com or visit www.scienceinreading.org. The Talks will take place at Smokin’ Billy’s, 61 St Mary’s Butts, Reading RG1 2LG on Wednesday 4th December at 19:30.
to complete, reading can be accomplished with little more than a comfy chair. Personally, I find the booths in the corner of the Library’s café the best place, mainly due to the sources of caffeine. The university runs several sessions to help students cope with the stress of study and with reading as a primary part of each module’s work, devolving a strategy to combat these
pressures will go a long way. I attended one such seminar during reading week which covered using the library more effective to conduct research and managing the reading of coursework. A number of other seminars are held through the year, covering a broader range of concerns that can then be applied to all different courses. If you feel like you’re struggling, or
just think you could be doing better, then I would recommend attending any one of the sessions. As I move through my third year, staying on top of the reading is simply part of a weekly routine and if I have learnt anything over the past few years of intense reading, it’s not to panic. As far as I’m aware, no one has ever failed their degree because they didn’t finish Moby Dick in time.
Looking for a solution, I found the university offers several places and services to try to accomplish reading on time.
“Reading can be accomplished with little more than a comfy chair”
With the new library comes new places study in a variety of different settings and volume levels, from complete silence to quite rooms, there is a place for all different types of readers. One of the positive of the reading element is that, while important, it can be done just about anywhere. Unlike essay writing, in which I seem to take up an entire desk in order
Photo by Laura Searle
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News
DECEMBER 2019
STUDENTS VOTE IN SUPPORT OF STRIKE ACTION
GLOBALISATION IN THE ERA OF DEGLOBALISATION Arham Nahar | Treasurer
Molli Cleaver | RUSU President
Reading University Students’ Union (RUSU) student members voted in support of the University and College Union (UCU) strike action and action short of a strike.
ABSTAIN 50
RUSU Trustee Board called for a referendum to invite student members, the students of the University of Reading, to determine whether RUSU should support UCU strike action over pension dispute and the pay and working conditions dispute.
Turnout 1185 YES 755 NO 347 ABSTAIN 83
Student members were also asked to determine whether RUSU should support UCU taking further strike action and/or action short of a strike in relation to these disputes from the 25th November 2019 and ending no later than 29th April 2020. There were four separate questions in the referendum; the results are as follows: Should RUSU support UCU strike action over pension dispute? Turnout 1224 YES 775 NO 418 ABSTAIN 31 Should RUSU support UCU action short of a strike over pension dispute? Turnout 1201 YES 750 NO 371 ABSTAIN 80 Should RUSU support UCU strike action over pay and working conditions dispute? Turnout 1193 YES 768 NO 375
Should RUSU support UCU action short of a strike over pay and working conditions dispute?
RUSU recognises and respects that our members, the students of the University of Reading, hold differing opinions relating to the current disputes. In this referendum, student members voted by a majority to support strike action and action short of a strike. RUSU will continue to support individual students, through our advice and representation functions, in relation to the impact strikes may have on an individual students’ academic student experience and academic progression. RUSU will provide resources (short of financial resources) to our members should they wish to protest in solidarity with UCU members, for example, physical space to produce campaign materials. RUSU Officer Trustee(s) are permitted to protest in solidarity with UCU members (should they wish to do so and where this does not impact their ability to fulfil their duties). RUSU Officer Trustee(s) will represent RUSU position at relevant meetings and consider other activities whereby RUSU can demonstrate its position in relation to UCU strike action. If you have any questions, please contact enquiries@rusu.co.uk.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (or RCEP) is one of the biggest trade deals on the horizon across the globe.
“RCEP is one of the biggest trade deals on the horizon across the globe” Covering 30% of the global GDP and more than half of world’s population, the deal highlights the importance of globalisation at a time when protectionism is digging its roots deep across major world economies. Initially started as talk to resolve inter-country disputes, it evolved as a trade deal over 30 rounds of negotiations across 7 years. It encompasses more or less all the major economies in the Asian Pacific region, such as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Association of South-East Asian Nations. At a time when two of the largest economies are locking horns over trade disputes, global economic
growth is heading towards recession, and investors’ risk appetite is low. RCEP provides a glimmer of hope to the proponents of globalisation and works effectively in favour of China, whose industries are under pressure, with the introduction of tariffs and restrictions being imposed on movement of its goods and services. RCEP opens new market opportunities for China’s firms to exploit and dump their excessive production to various member economies, one of the prominent reasons cited by Indian government for backing out from the treaty at the last moment.
“with the withdrawal of India, the treaty looks a bit fragile” With the withdrawal of India, the treaty looks a bit fragile due to the inability to access a market with a population of 1.3 billion people, as well as a China-centric policy guiding the treaty with not many countries opposing it.
The current framework of RCEP allows members to trade with no need to protect labour rights and environmental standards, making it unethical when economies around the world are coming together to fight the menace of climate change and exploitation of labour. One of the bones of contention between US and China has been the protection of Intellectual Property rights, which has been given free rein in RCEP, making the trade deal skewed in favour of China.
“the agreement in its final round of negotiations is expected to be signed in 2020” The agreement is in its final round of negotiations and is expected to be signed in 2020, however what needs to be seen is the acceptance of the agreement in the home countries of the members, with populist parties gaining ground and the ability of member countries to persuade India to sign the agreement to enhance the scope and magnitude of the treaty.
News
DECEMBER 2019
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MOVING ON OUT Jess Storry| Print News Editor
If you haven’t been convinced by the beauty and charms of University Halls so far, then you’re probably beginning to think about where you going to live next year. It’s a daunting process and, for many of you, will be the first time you rent privately. To make the process a little easier, here is a little advice: Live with Friends you can Trust! This may seem obvious as its only the lucky few who could move out alone. However, it’s equally important to pick people to live with not only just because you get along, but also because they’ll be helpful to live with. Your roommate may be a laugh now and always up for a night out, but helpful is that all-night noise going to be before a 9 am class next year?
Your best mate that never paid you back for that Chinese, and already seems to have blown through their whole student loan, also may not be the most efficient bill payer. Pick friends you can rely on. Compare! That new house may seem a great deal, and the Estate Agent may assure you it is, but make sure you compare your prices
“pick friends you can rely on.” and location with others. You don’t want to end up comparing rent prices with your neighbours next year and realise they’re all paying less. Make sure you all visit the house Again, this may seem obvious,
but there’s always someone who has a late class, or goes home for the weekend and misses the viewing. Don’t let them move in next September and realise they hate it. If they can’t see it first, take lots of videos and pictures for them. Take Photos This is vital. Take photos at your viewing, you’ll remember what’s broken and needs fixing, what you need to remember to bring with you next year and when you’re looking at several houses, which one your favourite is. This is a lifesaver once you move in too. Take photos of any existing damage so your landlord can’t fine you for it once you move out! Don’t Split Everything Obviously, to make things fair splitting bills and cleaning supplies comes as a given. However,
if you’re sharing a house that requires bulky purchases like a Kettle or a Toaster, try to allocate each purchase to an individual each if they can afford it. Splitting a Kettle 5 ways at the end of the year can become dif-
day so you can all bring as little as possible and work together. Don’t Panic Not only is there loads of help as the University (The RUSU Advice
“Take photos of any existing damage so your landlord can’t fine you for it once you move out ficult, this way, whoever paid, takes it home! Organise Ever realise in your Fresher Hall’s Kitchen you had about 30 tea towels and no washing-up brush? There’s no point you all bringing the same thing so try and chat with each other before moving
Service run a regular drop-in service or go to the RUSU website for advice on Deposits, Student Housing and Leaving a Tenancy Early) but ask family, friends from older years who’ve done it all, and don’t let Estate Agents scare you. Overall, living in a shared house with your friends is going to be a lot of fun and make the most of
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News
DECEMBER 2019
HONG KONG ANTI-ELAB MOVEMENT CONTINUES Colette Chan | Part Three International Develpoment
Blue like the sky, yellow like the sun; these two colours seem harmonious together, yet this is not currently the case in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, yellow and blue are the political colour. It all started from Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement 2014 - yellow represents the pro-democracy group, whilst the blue represents the pro-government group. In the previous issue of The Spark I talked about the background of the anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (anti-ELAB) movement in Hong Kong. This time, I am going to look at the conflicts arising among the citizens with different political views, as well as how the Hong Kong Police Force’s brutality has added fuel to fire. Since June, apart from having arguments verbally or across social media, multiple street violence also happened between the protesters and rival groups. Weapons were also used to express the anger, for example protesters were being attacked by sharp weapons on street and being hit by cars; and since the trust to police has been decreasing, protesters have chosen to fight with rival groups themselves when any incidents happened.
Among all of these, the most outrageous and shocking incident was the 7.21 Yuen Long Attack. An attack that many might view as indiscriminate. The Yuen Long Attack occurred on July 21st, about a month since the first anti-ELAB protest. It was a mob attack at Yuen Long, a town in the New Territories. Around 100 assailants were dressed in white and armed with iron bars and wooden clubs, attacked civilians on the street and passengers at the Yuen Long tube station. More than 45 people were injured in the attack, which has included pregnant women, elderly, children, journalists and teenagers who dressed in black. Citizens made calls to the emergency hotline, but the police only showed up 3 hours after the initial calls for help. After the attack, pro-Beijing legislator Junius Ho was suspected of involvement after videos of him greeting and calling the white-clothed assailant “heroes” during the attack went viral. Protesters escalated their movement to vandalising and boycotting the facilities, shops and restaurants that are either supporting the government or with
mainland connection. This includes setting up fires to tube station and shops. Black smoke billowed. This has given pressures towards those pro-government owners to release the CCTV footages of their shops or facilities for protesters, in order to combat police brutality in certain incidents.
“the protest has been going on for around 5 months” At the same time, the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department stated that the value of total retail sales in July 2019 has fallen 11.4% when comparing to previous year. Therefore, protesters are creating a “yellow economic circle” to support the yellow-ribbon (pro-democracy) business by boycotting shops and restaurants that have mainland connections, in order to allow pro-democracy supporters to reduce the downturn of Hong Kong’s economy during the anti-ELAB movement. The Vicious
Cycle between Police Brutality and the Anger of Citizens. As the protest has been going on for around 5 months, the government have condemned the violent acts by protesters and imposed the Anti-Mask Law, which unfortunately escalated the tension in the city even more. In the meantime, the police brutality and use of the excessive force has gradually rising, ominously. The anger of the public has shifted towards the police authority by assaulting each other, such as calling police “dog” and protesters “cockroaches”. This is a vicious cycle. Extreme violence by protesters such as tossing petrol bombs to riot police also happened as a result of it. Since October, at least 3 protesters were shot by the live rounds when some of them appeared to be no harm at the situation. A few protesters, first aiders and journalists were injured by police firing rubber bullets. The misconducts of these police officers have caused most of their eyes severely injured or blinded. Veby Mega Indah, an Indonesian journalist, is one of the victims whose one eye was blinded due to the rubber bullet. She was shocked that the Hong Kong police do not only target the
protesters, but also target on the journalists. Besides, on November 12th, the riot police started a fierce battle with weaponless students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong - 2356 cartridges were collected afterwards on campus, more than 60 students were injured whilst ambulance services were blocked. From firing teargas and bullet guns to shooting live rounds in the city, the guidelines for police using lethal force is being questioned; as well as emphasizing there is a huge humanitarian crisis with Hong Kong police using excessive force during the protests. The vicious cycle is further promoted by media with different political views. For instance, a young volunteer medic was shot by the beanbag round during a protest back in August; however, the pro-Beijing media sources reported it as the medic was paid to be victim. Hence, media performed a vital role in promoting “facts” of the situation; but what does it mean by “truth” and “fact”? In the next issue I will discuss how the Hong Kong police force has violated human rights during the anti-ELAB movement; and whether there will be any solution to it.
DECEMBER 2019
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Lifestyle
DECEMBER 2019
Lifestyle
2019 CHRISTMAS Madelyn Morgan | Digital News Editor
Getting into the festive mood. Once again as in olden days, it’s the happy golden days leading up to Christmas! For those that celebrate the holiday or like to partake in the festive season, this 2019 Christmas guide will give you some great ideas, advice and shout outs for current seasonal events and student deals. What to look forward to: If you weren’t planning on going home as the semester ends, the community of Reading host some promising Christmas events in the upcoming days and weeks. Reading Winter Wonderland on Ice Forbury Gardens RG1 3EJ now until 10th January 10am - 10pm daily readingwinteronice.co.uk for booking. The inaugural Reading 5k Charity Santa Run December 14th 9am, readingsantarun.co.uk New Year’s Eve comedy special Just the Tonic Comedy Club at Sub89 31/12/19 (New Year’s Eve) 6:30pm2:00am, tickets on skiddle.com Stepping into the Christmas mood: While you may be hounded with plenty of options from TV or radio/Spotify to get yourself feeling festive, here are some student favourites. Also, for those who are done with xmas music, some lesser known songs. Must see Christmas films: -Elf, 2003 -It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946 -The Muppets Christmas Carol, 1992 -Meet Me in St. Louis, 1944 (The song ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ was written for this film!) -Die Hard, 1988 (A debatable choice) -Some lesser known Christmas songs: -Senor Santa Clause by Jim Reeves -Mele Kalikimaka by Bing Crosby -The Twelve Pains of Christmas by
Bob Rivers -Mull of Kintyre by Wings -Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher from the cast of Billy Elliot Are you really a student who celebrates Christmas if you haven’t had your house/flat xmas dinner? A great way to feel closer to your house/flat and commemorate your first term at university is to prepare and sit down together for a meal, Christmas theme or not. By all chipping in together even the most elaborate meal can be cheap. And be sure to use that instax camera (because there’s always at least one person with that camera) and make some memories. The Shopping: Here’s the part that can make even the students with jobs shudder… Christmas shopping! Whilst we all know that should we have Kylie Jenner money all our friends and family would receive all the presents they deserve. However, for most student’s funds are limited but we still want to spread some Christmas cheer with gift giving anyway, it’s the thought that counts in any gift. If you aren’t one for planning gifts well in advance and didn’t snag gifts during the sale season in autumn or Black Friday sales, there are still options
“Here’s the part that can make even the students with jobs shudder… Christmas shopping!”
out there for you to save money on presents this year. Remember to only spend what you can and don’t feel pressure to spend beyond your means! You still need food and a social life in January. If you weren’t aware of UniDays or StudentBeans, these apps pro-
Photo by Madelyn Morgan
Lifestyle
DECEMBER 2019
GUIDE
SHEIN UK Student Ambassador Scheme Taz Usher | Print Editor
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a SHEIN ambassador so far and am excited to see what other opportunities the scheme has to offer. ” At the start of July, I became an ambassador for the women’s clothing company SHEIN, an online fashion store. The SHEIN ambassador programme: although occasionally confused with influencer schemes, is designed specifically for students and open for application from any female students with an Instagram account and passion for fashion or photography. Once selected for the ambassador scheme, several benefits become available for members including access to a personalised discount code, monthly goodie bags, and the chance to earn an income. The goodie bags are unique to each month and are earned by ambassadors upon completion of a five-minute survey about their ideas for the company’s upcoming events and style planning. This is a really important aspect of the scheme as it involves both ambassadors and SHEIN staff members working together to improve the brand image and suitability to its target audience.
vide students with discount codes of varying savings across a huge number of brands and stores, use your student email to sign up and save on your gift shopping! As well as this other places like Etsy are great for finding a more personal gift whilst also supporting the person who makes the items you buy.
to people always, during this time of year, I implore you all to look out for your fellow students who may be feeling low, homesick or lonely.
Thinking of others and looking out for each other:
-24/7: Samaritans: Call 116-123 -If you live in Wales: 24/7 Community Advice and Listening Line on 0800-132-737 -Under 25s: The Mix on 0808-8084994 (Sunday-Friday 2pm–11pm)
Although this is a very happy time of year for many, it can be very lonely for people, especially students living away from their friends and family. There are also many other circumstances in which people may be feeling down this time of year. Some students may not be able to return home during the winter break, or many may not be looking forward to going home. Suicide rates in the UK have reached their highest level in 16 years, and while we should all show kindness and understanding
If you or someone you know is feeling particularly low here are some useful helplines:
There are also plenty of volunteering opportunities to help those around the reading area, one of them is ReadiFood, the food bank in reading that would appreciate as much help with donations and volunteering as possible. Find them on readifood.org.uk. Check out the local volunteering opportunities page on the UoR website for more information.
Another huge perk of the scheme is the chance to work at SHEIN’s launch events and promotional stands. For example, just two weeks after I joined the programme, I was invited to work at SHEIN’s London Fashion Week pop-up shop on Great Portland Street, just off of Oxford Street, London. The pop-up shop event, which took
place from Friday, September 13th to Tuesday, September 17th, celebrated the launch of SHEIN’s Autumn/Winter collection and invited celebrities and members of the public to view and buy from the range. My involvement in the event included preparing the shop and working at it on the Friday. The items on show at the shop were products from SHEIN’s party, workwear, winter coat, and delicate blouse ranges. And to our delight, we were welcomed to pick our favourite piece from the collection to wear to the launch party. From 6pm onwards, guests including Love Island’s Amy Hart, Joanna Chimonides, Elma Pazar, Jourdan Riana, as well as Tiff Watson (Made in Chelsea) arrived to view the new collections and enjoy the event’s cocktail bar, live DJ and nail salon. Both the evening and public open days which followed were a great success. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a SHEIN ambassador so far and am excited to see what other opportunities the scheme has to offer. If you’d like to get involved, contact SHEIN UK with a link to your Instagram and explaining why you’d make a great ambassador. In in the meantime, you can get 20% off your SHEIN UK shop by entering code 20TAZ at the online checkout- a great way to save money on this year’s Christmas shop!
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DISSERTATION? DON’T PANIC
Amelia Dinsdale | Digital Lifestyle Editor
You have time Most dissertations are not due until after Easter which is 6 months away, you can do a lot in 6 months. Pace yourself 10,000 words seems like a lot but if you break it down into 10 1,000 word ideas it suddenly becomes a lot more manageable. Use your resources If you are struggling go to your dissertation supervisor or your academic tutor. You aren’t expected to be able to do this alone. Don’t leave it until the last minute Leaving it until the Easter holidays really isn’t a good idea. Extreme Pressure is not fun. Once it’s gone, it’s gone Try not to worry after you have handed it in. You’ve done it, go and celebrate!
TIPS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS Ella Murphy | Part 3 English Literature Buy reusable fabric gift bags or use recyclable wrapping paper. If you’re feeling creative, you can upcycle brown paper. Cut out last year’s Christmas cards to create new labels for gifts. If you’ve got an artificial tree, keep using it! If not, purchase a real tree that’s been sustainably grown (look for the FSC certification). Try opting for more plant-based meals, if you do buy meat and cheese try buying from small-scale farmers and local business!
Winter make-up and skin-care Dhriti Dawda | Part 4 Food and Nutritional Sciences
and tested, best skin care and makeup for winter! First and foremost – moisturiser! Moisturiser can be sold at an inexpensive price and works wonders. Tip: Hyaluronic acid is a good option instead of moisturiser as its quite hydrating.
Photo by Tamara Bellis There’s countless information on make-up products and the dos and don’ts of applying makeup. So, I will narrow it down for you to the tried
Use warm colours on your skin and avoid dry/powdery products. For example, Kat Von D and Fenty Beauty are great brands that provide various colours. The Kat Von D lip products
this lip product stays on all day – no matter how many times you lick your lips. Tip: is to dampen a beauty blender (if you have one) before you use it. Or mix a few drops of an oil with your foundation like Argan or Rosehip. Never forget sunscreen! My ersonal favourite is Heliocare. I hope you try them and that you love them as much as I do!
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Lifestyle
DECEMBER 2019
Mojo’s Installs Phone I HAD COMPLETED 90% OF THE RED AWARD WITHOUT Charging Stations REALISING... WHY YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE RED AWARD Taz Usher | Print Editor
It’s a Thursday night in Mojo’s, you’re enjoying a snakebite after a long day of lectures and your slightly intoxicated friend nominates themselves for this week’s round of karaoke. You whip out your phone to capture this comedy gold on your Instagram story, but a 5% battery remaining warning message pops up on your phone screen. If only there was a way to overcome this!
Holly Fournier | Print Lifestyle Editor
A popular bar and pub at the University of Reading, Mojo’s, has installed mobile phone charging stations to help students avoid low battery panic. RUSU president Molli Cleaver announced this new addition to Mojo’s Bar- located in the Students’ Unionin her weekly Facebook progress update last month. Molli said: “The provider got in contact with me about installing the charging stations on campus. I thought it would be a great idea to enhance the student experience. I worked in bars for two years so found people quite often came searching for a charger so I hope this helps to solve the problem.” And to find out more about the innovations themselves, I got in touch with the CEO of the charging bank provider, Mr Tilmouth, who happens to have recently graduated from university himself.
“All I had to do next was complete 5 hours of training and development sessions.” I saw the Red Award advertised several times whilst I was in my first year at university and thought it looked immensely challenging due to the 50 hours you must complete. However, little did I know that since researching into the award I had already completed 45 hours. I did not know that my job at Tesco’s already accounted for 35 hours of the award and I had no idea that being part of a committee in a society accounted for 10 hours of volunteering! This meant I had already fulfilled most of the criteria without realising, and I suppose many of you reading will have too. All I had to do next was complete 5 hours of training and development sessions. I thought I would just be attending because I had to. However, I have found these
sessions to be incredibly useful regardless. My favourite session was ‘Delivering an Effective Presentation’. The speaker was unbelievably enthusiastic and knowledgeable about delivering a presentation which inspired me to be more confident when presenting in front of a class. Without participating in the Red Award, I would never have found out about these beneficial events, so I urge those of you interested to participate. The Red Award is not only excellent for your CV, making you stand out as someone who partakes in extra-curricular activities aside from your course, but it can build your confidence and push
you to take part in events that can be useful for your future. Taking part in a committee role or volunteering for an organisation can also allow you to make new connections with people and build your teamwork skills- which employers love. Consequently, why not take part in the Red Award? Incorporating the Red Award into your everyday life at university can be incredibly easy. For example, you could attend one training and development session a week for 5 weeks after a lecture. Even if you have not done any volunteering or part-time work since starting at the University of Reading, this is the perfect chance for you to earn some extra cash whilst receiving an incredible award to go alongside your degree.
24-year-old Hugo Tilmouth- who studied Renewable Energy Engineering at Exeter University- innovated his phone charging initiative ChargedUp following a light bulb moment during a cricket match. The CEO said: “I was sitting at Lord’s Cricket Ground waiting for a call to come in about a job offer and my phone battery was running low – the ultimate panic situation. I had to leave
the match to go and buy a charger.” In that moment it occurred to me how great if would be if you could rent a portable charger from somewhere when your battery is running low.” And it was from this moment onwards that Hugo’s moment of panic transformed into a million-pound tech idea. Since its launch, ChargedUp has thrived into a network of 15,000 power banks doted across communal spaces in London. By scanning a unique code, customers can unlock a battery from one of the power banks, charge their phone, and return it to any station on the ChargedUp network at the end of the day. And with a hire charge of just £1 per hour or a maximum of £3 for the day, it is no surprise that the initiative has bolted to the top of the market. Ahead-of-the-game, Hugo also gives readers a glimpse of what is next on his agenda. He said: “We are expanding across the U.K. rapidly and moving into more and more cities. We are now at 1500 venues and expect to reach 2500 by the end of the year.” For more information on ChargedUp log on to chargedup.green.
‘Nylon’ Hair Salon Review Louisa Chopping | Part 3 English Literature The quote ‘a woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life’ by Coco Chanel should be in every student’s handbook. Whenever I start the term at university the stress begins to accumulate with deadlines and piles of reading, and it begins to have a physical effect on my appearance. So, I booked myself in to get a hair refresh at the salon Nylon Hair Artists in Duke Street and with a modern, New
York style vibe you definitely get a sense of luxury with the attentive and friendly team who consult with you to ensure they know what you are expecting. The best part is definitely the massage chair whilst you receive a relaxing hair wash with the amazing scented products, and to sell it even more they do student discount on Wednesdays!
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Lifestyle
DECEMBER 2019
Let’s Get Rid of A Day at the Races: Ascot Those Winter Blues Holly Fournier | Lifestyle Editor
Monica Lillis | Part 4 German and Economics
Photo by Monica Lillis
“There are so many things that makes Christmas the most wonderful time of the year - tis the season of festive parties and family gatherings” There are so many things that makes Christmas the most wonderful time of the year - tis the season of festive parties and family gatherings. Although socialising and getting a little merry is what Christmas is all about, the long nights are starting to close in. Most of us find the darkness depressing, with 1 in 3 of us suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, for me, this really hit home in the week the clocks went back. So, on a rainy and cold November day, I needed something to perk me up, and so I got myself up and went into town on a mission to get rid of
the blues. I walked into M&S and my mood instantly lifted; Commercial Christmas is well and truly underway. I picked myself up a pair of christmassy pyjamas and a fluffy fleece jumper and went home and put them straight on. Although it may seem like a small act of self-care, I immediately felt in the Christmas spirit. Therefore, if you’re feeling particularly down this December, remember a cosy night in, with the perfect pair of Christmas pyjamas is probably just what you need.
Photo by Holly Fournier The QIPCO British Champions Day was the most popular day of the year this year at Ascot for students. With £10 student tickets and an afterparty DJ with headliner Basement Jaxx, what more could a student want at a day at the races? Winning bets! Ascot were accommodating to the student lifestyle on the day since you are permitted to bring in one bottle of sparkling wine per packed lunch (these are sold by various
supermarkets by the till for around £2.50) in a cool bag or hamper. This allowance is excellent for us students when we generally don’t have a lot of money to spend on food and drink at an expensive place like Ascot.
other you would have on a Saturday during your year at university. We as students are lucky to get an offer so good once a year considering it costs around £30 for a normal ticket to Ascot in the Queen Anne’s Enclosure.
What’s more, is that a return train ticket to Ascot from Reading is only £4.45 with a railcard and Ascot train station is only a ten-minute walk from the racecourse.
So, if you are interested and can get a group of friends to attend, I recommend going for the day next year if you are a first, second, postgraduate or placement year student- it is one of those student-friendly events that is not to miss!
Ascot is a great excuse to get dressed up and have a day out that is unlike any
London in Colours Deborah Scaggion | Masters in International Commercial Law with Energy Law and Natural Resources
London is one of the most vibrant cities in the country and hosts a lively art scene in constant renovation. This year has been full of events and exhibitions, gathering the best of contemporary art from around the world. Last October two of the most influential art fairs in Europe, ‘Frieze London’ and ‘Frieze Masters’, landed in the city, bringing together the most prestigious and avant-garde international galleries. A record number of art collectors and enthusiasts alike visited the fairs, along with several students who, thanks to a reduced entry ticket, had the opportunity to get to see closely the works of masters and contempo-
rary artists on a budget. The most cherished artist of this edition was Lucio Fontana, with his famous artworks of the series ‘Concetto Spaziale’ (spatial concept). Plus, an increasing number of galleries gave space to the works of female, Asian and African artists. Other events and exhibitions enriched the cultural scene of London throughout the year, such as the Affordable Art Fair and the ‘Mandalas’ exhibition by Damien Hirst. We are already wondering which exciting events, artists and ideas the new year will bring to the capital, and you?
Photo by Mark Blower. Courtesy of Mark Blower/Frieze.
DECEMBER 2019
STUDENT BEDROOM FESTIVE DECORATIONS Holly Fournier | Print Lifestyle Editor To make your student bedroom look more festive this month, here are a few of my ideas to make your room feel super festive on a budget. Tinsel is a very inexpensive festive decoration and you could hang this up around a shelf using Sellotape or blue tac. Also, putting up fairy lights immediately change the atmosphere of a room, making it cosier during cold December nights at university.
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN READING Holly Fournier | Print Lifestyle Editor Reading town centre is a great Christmas shopping location. With the Oracle and Broad Street Mall, there are plenty of shops that have excellent student deals to make your student loan go that extra mile.
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THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS MOVIES YOU CAN WATCH ALL YEAR ROUND Shreya Markendey | Part 1 English Literature
“Although these three films are the best for a holiday like Christmas, that does not mean you cannot watch them at any other time of this academic year. They can remind you of the special holiday all year long. “ Christmas, for many, is known to be one of the most enjoyable holidays. Whilst some look forward to wrapping
gifts to place under the Christmas tree, others cannot wait for a scrumptious roast dinner. Over the years, whilst our lifestyles may have changed, there persists one immutable tradition in our day to day lives that brings everyone together: Watching movies, especially at Christmas.
turns into a nearly two-hour slapstick film with every kid wishing they had the house to themselves. But when a crisis arises, who will Kevin go to for help? My thoughts on this film are far from perfect but it never fails to make my family and I laugh; hence, I would personally give this film 5/5 stars.
So, here is a list of my definite top three go to films for this festive holiday:
2) The princess switch: Moving to a rather modern Netflix film that released in 2018. The princess switch is a rom-com starring High school musical’s sweetheart, Vanessa Hudgens. I mean who does not love a good cry at times? Just like Home alone there has to be something that goes wrong right before Christmas! A duchess decides to switch places with an ordinary
1) Home Alone: How can a Christmas movie list even exist without having Home Alone there? The classic 1990 adventure/comedy cannot be forgotten this Christmas. The worst nightmare of every parent accidently leaving their kid at home before a flight
girl that looks just like her and whilst that is not confusing enough, they fall for the wrong man. How can that be undone? Personally, I would give this film 4/5 stars. 3) Elf: Who would truly want to miss out on a 2003 comedy starring no one better than the comedic legend Will Ferrell? Whilst we assume these last two films were crazy enough, here, Jon Favreau introduces a live sized man claiming to be Santa’s elf. However, when he realises that he is not actually a real elf, he decides to find out where he came from and who he was which brings troubles and challenges. I would without a doubt give this movie 5/5 stars.
MY PERFECT CHRISTMAS EVE Eden James | Part 2 History
Christmas Eve is my favourite day of the year and these ideas will help you to make it yours too. My top tips are: see both friends and family (maybe a last-minute present exchange), have your favourite wintery meal (I always go for a stew), snuggle up in the evening while watching a Christmas film and go to a carol service to get into the Christmas spirit.
Photo by Shreya Markendey (Collage Creation)
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DECEMBER 2019
Buying Christmas SABBY STUDIES: Presents on a COPING WITH DEADLINE Budget PRESSURE Amelia Dinsdale | Digital Lifestyle Editor
Sabita Burke | Sub Editor
Photo by Sabita Burke
“Loads of Christmas presents to buy but no money? Here’s my guide on how to buy all those presents without splashing out on the cash. ” Prioritize Make sure that you buy the most important presents first. You don’t want to buy presents for all your friends before realising that you don’t have enough money to buy presents for your family. Sales are your friend The best way to get good quality presents that your friends and family will actually like is to shop the sales. Amazon has a section called ‘Today’s deals’, it has some brilliant present ideas at affordable prices, especially around Christmas. Shop around If you know what you want to buy, shop around to make sure that you are getting the best deal. The first place you see isn’t necessarily the best. The quickest way to do this is probably to use the shopping tab on Google. Try a Secret Santa If you have a lot of friends to buy presents for maybe try setting up a secret Santa. That way, everyone only has to buy one gift and it can be something that the person really wants and will
be able to use. You can also do it with your family and it’s a great way to get everyone together at Christmas time. If you’re struggling on present ideas here are my top 10 cheap present ideas: -Scented candles, you really can’t go wrong. -Personalised glasses and mugs, my favourite website for this is ‘keep it personal’. -Hats. Gloves or scarves. -Socks. I know they are cliché, but you can never have too many socks. -Makeup or skincare products. -A plant, you can even get personalised plant pots. -A framed photo. -Rings, bracelets or necklaces. -Homemade cookies, cakes or anything else that you want to make. -Make a gift, this can be cheaper and is also more personal.
“With the end of term fast approaching, this time of year often comes with a terrifying slew of impending doom… I mean deadlines. ” It can become extremely stressful trying to split our time between working on all our various assessments, whilst still giving ourselves the downtime that is essential to avoid letting our mental health go down the drain or getting ill. Here are some things I’ve done (or at least I try to – let’s keep it real) which have genuinely helped me manage my work and complete it to the best of my ability. 1) Prioritise while you still can. Put that Wednesday Union night on hold. It may seem like the most important thing in the world to you
right now to drink as many snakebites as you can before you graduate. But, in the crunch of deadline week when every moment counts, losing a morning to being hungover could make the difference between sending off an essay you’re happy with and having to rush a messy draft that really isn’t you. It will be all the more exciting when you finally hand in those essays and are able to have fun again, and all the hours slaving at your desk will have been worth it. 2) To-do lists are your friends. To get started, use your phone to jot down roughly what you want to do the night before, along with some ideas about the coming few days. In the morning, write out your tasks in full, complete with timings. Start with small tasks. There are reasons for this. Firstly, there will always be some sort of minor job that needs doing, the kind of chore that you never find the time to actually get round to.
Putting them at the beginning of your morning makes for a clear headspace for the rest of the day, without having to worry about anything other than your most important assignments. Secondly, accomplishing things just a few minutes into your day gets those productive vibes flowing. At the end of your study sesh, ticking off your tasks after completing them generates a rewarding feeling; it’s science! Go study it if you don’t believe me. 3) Surround yourself with like-minded people. When applying to university I knew I wanted to go to good one, not because of the rankings but because I wanted there to be people on my course who were likely to have the same love for their subject that I had. This type of person is often the kind of student who’s put smashing that 2:1 somewhere near the top of their priority list. So, without ignoring your mains, make sure to spend time with the people who really get it.
APPLY NOW Return to Hall for 2020/21 See reading.ac.uk/return-to-hall for more information B25390 Returners adverts newspaper MM v5 PRESS.indd 7
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Lifestyle
DECEMBER 2019
WHAT IS BUMBLE? Photo by Hanza
Bumble, the social networking app with over 70 million users connects people across dating, friendship and professional networking. Zayna Hussein | Part 3 International Business and Management
“Bumble recognizes the importance of relationships and how crucial they are to a healthy, happy life. ” Bumble, the social networking app with over 70 million users connects people across dating, friendship and professional networking. Whatever type of relationship it is, women make the first move on Bumble. Bumble recognizes the importance of relationships and how crucial they are to a healthy, happy life. They’ve built their platform around kindness, respect, and equality – and their users play an important part in that. Bumble holds its users accountable for their actions and has zero tolerance for hate, aggression or bullying. Bumble is available in 150 countries. Since 2014, Bumble has facilitated
over half a billion women-led first moves and over four billion messages sent. Bumble is free and available in the App Store and Google Play. Our ambassador team has been making moves in Reading this term, with events in QClub and hand out merch. Whether it is seeing us walking around campus with our bright yellow tote bags, yellow water bottles or the ‘Download Bumble’ stickers all around the University, we can’t be missed. If you don’t know already, your Bumble Team for this year are: Zayna Hussein – Media and Publicity Lead
Firstly, we were around during Freshers giving you exclusive knowledge that Bumble was coming to Reading this year and to our Facebook Page ‘Bumble Reading Events’ to keep up to date with all things Bumble. We hosted a bar tab night at Q Club on Friday 18th October. We handed out a lot of Bumble stash, which you all couldn’t get enough of and for everyone who showed us their profile on the door, they received a drink token to be use at the bar for a free drink. Now who doesn’t love a free
“We gave five societies the chance to have their events supported by Bumble. ”
Nell Worthy – Events Lead Tillie Winchurch-Beale – University Lead
drink on a night out? I know we do! This was a huge success!
We gave five societies the chance to have their events supported by Bumble. Bumble very kindly sent us a lot more stash for you all for these events and it was all gone within minutes. So far, we have had Hockey and Swimming, and these have been a big hit. We will have more lined up over the next few weeks so keep an eye on our socials to see what you could getting. If your society wasn’t chosen this time, don’t worry! We still have the rest of the year left and so many more exciting opportunities to work with you all. We also have five new additions to our Bumble team. Natalia Dalenkta, Josh Bryant, Lauren Kendall, Priya Kumar and Kaitlyn Griffin will be BFF’s joining our team for this year and we are so excited to have them on board. We have a very exciting event
planned this month and trust me it is one that you DO NOT want to miss! We will have plenty of merch to give out. Your Bumble team will also be hitting the slopes with RUSNO in just a few weeks’ time and we are ready to paint the slopes yellow. We are always open to new ideas on events we can put on for you all. So, if you have something specific you would like us to do then please message us on our Instagram’s below: Instagram: @zaynahussein @nelliebethxo @tillie.wb We’re looking forward to continuing to do events on and off campus. Make sure you follow our Reading Bumble Facebook group where we post about what’s coming next or follow our Instagram’s to see what’s been happening with Bumble.
Lifestyle
DECEMBER 2019
Easy Ways to Minimise Your Personal Production of Waste
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Beauty and Skincare Hacks Holly Fournier | Lifestyle Editor
Holly Fournier | Lifestyle Editor
Photo by Holly Fournier
The unnecessary production of waste is becoming a large problem; a problem larger than it has ever been before for climate change.
“These are some various beauty and skincare hacks that you’ve got to be in the loop with.” 1) When you’re travelling:
The overuse of plastic packaging in supermarkets is an issue that is hard for individuals to stop and reduce, however, we as individuals can make our own impact to help the environment in a few relatively easy ways. I believe that the easiest way to start reducing the amount of waste you produce is to take a look in your bedroom bin in your student room. What is going into that bin the most? Is it makeup wipes? Is it empty bottles of soap dispensers? Makeup wipes or cotton pads: makeup wipes are something that you can easily reduce the amount you’re throwing away by simply switching to a new alternative. You can buy reusable cotton pads on Amazon, which you wash in the washing machine and reuse to take off your makeup. Although these might not seem like the most appealing option at first because they stain and cost a little more money than disposable makeup wipes and cotton pads, they are incredibly effective in the long run because it means you are reducing your waste which is better for the environment. Investing in reusable cotton pads means you won’t have to buy some more for a very long time and if you bought 14-20 of them you would only have to wash them every 1-2 weeks!
Here is a link to some that you can buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ Reusable-Anti-Stain-ProductsCleansing-Alternative/dp Regarding empty bottles of soap dispensers, an extremely easy way is to reduce your personal amount of waste is to merely swap to using a bar of soap. Switching to bars of soap to wash your hands is not only super inexpensive (you can literally buy them for 15p in Tesco), but they last so much longer than a dispenser of soap. They also come with a lot less
“an extremely easy way to reduce your personal waste is to swap to using a bar of soap.”
packaging (a small wrapper), which is overall better for the environment when you dispose of it. Some shops even sell bars of soap in paper bags/ small cardboard boxes which is a bonus. Trying out some of these easy changes to your lifestyle can decrease the amount of waste that goes to landfill more than you may think.
When travelling, I always feel like I forget something in my makeup bag. Usually it’s not an essential product for me, such as mascara, however, sometimes I seem to forget my favourite eyeshadow palette. If you’ve forgotten your eyeshadow palette but have remembered the brushes, you can use bronzer and highlighter as eyeshadow. Use the bronzer in your crease to add definition, colour, and depth, then use the highlighter on your eyelid to create a shimmery glow. I find that this look always looks great and you won’t be able to tell the difference! 2) When doing your makeup: When doing your eyeshadow, do it before you put on foundation. This way, you can stick a short piece of Sellotape next to your eye pointing upwards towards your eyebrow diago-
“Use the bronzer in your crease to add definition, colour, and depth, then use the highlighter on your eyelid to create a shimmery glow.”
nally, so when you apply your eyeshadow there will be a perfect line once the Sellotape has been peeled off. This easy hack makes your makeup look incredibly professional without any professional skills needed! 3) When doing your skincare routine: Use good quality products. If you keep up a consistent skincare routine and use the best products that are suited to your skin, you may feel like you don’t have to wear as much makeup! I recommend the ‘Bioderma Soothing Micellar Cleansing Foaming Gel’ (costs £10.80) for removing makeup because unlike other micellar waters, this product removes all the dirt on your face as you are washing your face at the same time. By using a cotton pad on my face after usage, there wasn’t a single trace of makeup or dirt left on my face- dirt and old makeup can contribute to acne! A good quality moisturiser will do your skin miracles too. It is important to hydrate the skin, especially during these cold winter months. When I use the ‘Bioderma Sensibo Rich Soothing Cream’ (costs £15.00), my skin feels comfortable and nourished
for hours- perfect for a long day at university. It is travel-friendly sized too (40ml), perfect for a flight- my skin always feels incredibly dry when I’m flying!
“A good quality moisturiser will do your skin miracles too. It is important to hydrate the skin, especially during these cold winter months.” 4) When buying new makeup or skincare products: Look out for ‘dupes’- it does your student loan wonders. Dupes are a cheaper high street alternative in comparison to luxury brand products that would be sold in Debenhams for example. Many brands create dupes and my favourite by far is ‘Sleek’. Their face contour kit in the shade ‘light’ is almost identical to Benefit’s ‘Hoola Bronzer’ in terms of colour and formula, which costs around £22. Whereas, Sleek’s contour kit cost me only around £7.
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DECEMBER 2019
DECEMBER 2019
QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS
> > > > > > > > > > >
Holiday Week- A celebration of the diverse ways our students spend the winter holiday period. There will be workshops, shows, a film night and quizzes run by our fantastic societies. To view a full list of the events visit page 17. Monday, December 2nd 10am-4pm: Holiday Fayre- Kicking off Holiday week is the Holiday Fayre where societies will be promoting their events and RUSU will be running free holiday craft activities all day. Friday, December 6th-Sunday 8th December, 5pm: Vue Cinema, Reading: Gremlins - 35th Anniversary Showing. Saturday, December 7th, 11am: Voulez-Vous: ABBAthemed Brunch. Caffeine & Cocktails, Reading. Sunday, December 8th, 9am-11.30am: Reading Santa Run, Forbury Gardens Reading. Monday December 9th, 7pm: Mojos Mondays makes a return and will feature a Nintendo 64 hooked up to the big screen and free pool. Don’t miss the UK Snooker Championship in York on 26th of November- 8th December! Disability History Month: RUSU will be celebrating UK Disability History month from November 22nd to December 22nd 2019. For a calendar of the events taking place on campus visit rusu.co.uk. 1 in 4 podcasts: Tune into RUSU Welfare Officer Gemma King’s mental wellness podcasts by searching ‘1 in 4 youre not alone’ on Apple podcasts or by searching ‘podcasts’ on the University essentials pages. If you’re intestested in writing for Lifestyle we are looking for some more health-related articles so please get in touch with Holly Fournier at lifestyle@sparknewspaper.co.uk to find out more! If you or someone you know is interested in writing Sports articles please contact Izzy Einon (Print Sports Editor) or Daisy Hanson (Digital Sports Editor) at sport@ sparknewspaper.co.uk
Notice Board
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Entertainment
DECEMBER 2019
Entertainment
BACK TO ROOM 237 DOCTOR SLEEP REV The Shining’s long-awaited sequel has finally arrived at our cinemas. Read all about it in this movie review: Seethalakshmi Muralikrishnan | Part 3 LLB Law Now, I know we had Joker as our prime Halloween movie, but I need to bring this 150-minute fantasy-thriller to the party, even if it is slightly late. An adaptation from Stephen King’s novel of the same name, the movie sequels The Shining (1980) and takes Danny to a small town two decades later where he eventually meets a young girl with the same gift as him. Together, they work to fight a group of monster-humans who like to eat children who ‘Shine.’ Luckily enough, I had the chance to watch the movie without any bias, since I have yet to read the book. Top tip: if you have the chance to watch the film adaptation of a book before reading it, by all means, do so! You would enjoy it far better, and reading a book after brings you pure sense of peace. So, if anyone has an opinion on it without going on with the usual “the book was better” followed by a ‘harumph’ (and is also reasonably spoiler free), it would be me. And here’s my two cents. Predictability? Somewhat predictable, to be honest. Then again, what is predictable to me might not be seen as such for you so, don’t worry too much about it. Even if it is as predictable, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. The movie does not really focus on plot twists, but more so on reviving the story of The Shining and putting it to new light. I need to add that it works pretty well as a standalone too, but there might be certain references made to The Shining that will only hit the viewer if they did watch it before. Scare factor? Now, with this movie showcasing characters from a realm that has been the pinnacle of horror culture, and considering the fact that it was released on the October, 31st, you would think that you’d be in for one
of the biggest scares of your life. This is not necessarily the case, since Dr Sleep has been labelled as a fantasy and thriller movie. It is safe to say I was fairly thrilled, but no, I was not completely scared. And I’m a scaredy cat in general – I would watch horror movies in the afternoon with the curtains open, with a cushion covering my face. Score and Cinematography? I honestly think these were one of the best things of the whole film as it had set an atmosphere that was so fitting to this thriller. The Newton Brothers should be credited, as they brought proper pacing to the movie, from eerily silent and slow to ‘on the edge of your seats’ anxiety. The cinematography had its ups and downs - ranging from spot-on conversions of ideas to an unexpected Mary Poppins scene (you’ll know when you know). But nothing too shabby. Overall? Well executed. Story was good, direction was good too. Casting was brilliant! Ewan McGregor’s execution as Danny was as well delivered as many of his other roles, so no surprises there. Rebecca Ferguson is always a delight to see in most movies, and newer cast members in no way underperformed. All in all, a delightful thriller.
“Danny is taken to a small town where he eventually meets a young girl...”
Worth watching on big screen? Oh yeah, definitely. A far sight better than the earlier Stephen King adaptation (Pet Sematary, 2019). It’s not Joker-level morbid, so it’s a decent watch for people who don’t want to be terribly disturbed. It’s a good film that shouldn’t be missed, especially if you’ve been a fan of the Stephen King’s all this time. Dr. Sleep is still playing in cinemas, so do get around to watching it while you can! Rating: 6.8/ 10
Photo by: IMDB
DECEMBER 2019
RuPaul’s Drag Race, Too Much Too Fast?
7: VIEW
The drag phenomenon has helped LGBTQIA+ voices, but is it now quantity over quality?
Photo by: IMDB
Alternative Christmas Playlist Get into the Christmas spirit with these modern indie takes on cheery classics. Last Christmas - Lucy Dacus
Alone on Christmas Day - Phoenix
It’s Christmas And You’re Boring Me - Slow Club
2000 Miles - Pretenders
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NEED A NEW TV SHOW TO WATCH? Olivia Mill | Social Secretary Photo by: Netflix
Elsie Stuart | Part 2 English Literature & Film Studies
Photo by: Leigh Kelly/BBC
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Entertainment
RuPaul’s Drag Race. International sensation, pop culture staple, and pretty much a household name. With 11 US seasons, 4 All Star seasons, Thailand spin-offs, spreading to the UK, and next year both Canada and Australia, it is safe to say this franchise is more than successful. However, is this all too much, too fast? Whilst it’s safe to say that the show and RuPaul himself has done incredible things on giving queer identities a voice and increasing diversity in media, there are issues to be had with the mass capitalising and merchandising of these identities. Through the rising fame and platform of the show, certain criticisms have arisen on the way queer slang and culture has been thrust into a more hetero gaze, being now something taken over by a cis and straight audience almost fetishizing this culture. The incessant way more and more seasons and variations are created with little to no break in between releases suggests that the passion and warmth behind the making of a show which can be so creative and loving is sometimes lost over the potential monetary gain and commercialisation.
Frosty the Snowman - Fiona Apple This is of no criticism to the queens who appear on the show; their
personalities honesty help shine lights on issues and truths surrounding being HIV+, being rejected by their families, and the political and social disadvantages of their sexuality. It is the contestants which bring warmth and the LGTBQIA+ spirit to the show, not the production. With DragCons, tours, and other such ventures, it provides opportunities for the fans to meet their idols, yet the constant spitting out of seasons and stars make it seem more like using queer artists for profit. The historic and prolific art form of drag, which was integral to furthering gay rights (think Stonewall), has become both more accepted yet also neutralised through consistent commercialisation. Everyone knows drag, but does not see it as the expression and escape through art which may be more understandable by the members of the community. Despite all this, it is essential to say that no other show has had the same effect on pop culture as well as societal culture as Drag Race, and what it has done for providing queer voices – it’s not to be looked down upon but celebrated. However, with the abundance of seasons and variations being thrown at its audience, is the radical production of it still beneficial at this rate, or a cash grab devaluing its content?
We all know that empty feeling that comes when we finish binging a series and you don’t know what to do with the endless hours of procrastination. The solution: start another series. I recently finished watching Jane The Virgin and would recommend to anyone and everyone. Funny and heart-warming, this series is based on Jane Villanueva who is accidentally artificially inseminated, and other unexpected and ridiculous events in her life. Just like a Latin American Telenovela, it’s dramatic, hilarious and tragic all rolled into one and everyone should give it a try.
LOOKING FOR A LAUGH THIS WINTER? Olivia Mill | Social Secretary
Photo by: AVALON/UKTV In winter I often need saving from the dark evenings and distracting from the freezing temperatures in my student house, and I find solace in funny TV shows which make the evenings pass quickly.My unexpected winter TV show this year is Taskmaster. I found this unexpectedly whilst looking for something to put on my TV in the background and found myself watching and laughing so hard I could barely breathe. Taskmaster is a British game show where 5 comedians are given tasks from the Taskmaster (Greg Davies). Past comedians featured include Josh Widdicombe, Romesh Ranganathan and many more. Watching them tackle ridiculous tasks like ‘break something into the most parts and fix it’ and many more stupidly easy or hard ones is a guaranteed laugh to get you through the winter months.
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Entertainment
DECEMBER 2019
YOUR WINTER Lois Plummer | Entertainment Editor
Aries Taurus (21/03 – 19/4) (20/4 – 20/5) Intimacy is a major theme for you at this time. You’re craving someone you can connect with on a deep level. They will be unexpected. You may be avoiding something because you’re worried you might fall short of perfection. Do your best to slow down so the depth you seek reveals itself.
This winter, you’re letting go of old patterns. You’re expressing yourself and discovering new sources of inspiration. You’re beginning a new journey and changing your perspective, and it’s important that a partner will support your ambitions. Better love, from others and yourself, will come in time.
Gemini (21/5 – 20/6)
By the time Christmas comes around, you feel ready to plan some dates. You’re rethinking intimacy and security. You’ve learned valuable lessons from previous relationships, though these hurt you, an adventure is on the horizon. You want someone as thoughtful and excited as you are.
Virgo Libra Scorpio (23/8 – 22/9) Your social circle could change this (23/9 – 22/10) (23/10– 21/11) winter. You get a surge of creative inspiration, and it’s important to you to be with a partner who is fun and makes you laugh. You may be doubting yourself: wondering what they think of you and how you feel about the relationship. While confusing, it’s on the way to being organised. Trust that what will be, will be.
You might be moving around a lot or renovating this winter. You may then crave a partner who has their finances in order and is willing to commit to the more domestic, simple stuff. Once everything is organised, you’re ready to let go and party: nothing or no one can hold you back from a good time.
You feel like getting things off your chest; wondering if you should send that text. Have the courage to say what’s on your mind. You become very clear on your desire for a partner who is reliable and a good listener. Remember: A stable relationship and personal space are not always mutually exclusive.
Entertainment
DECEMBER 2019
LOVESCOPE Cancer (21/6 – 22/7)
You want to detach from old patterns that have been holding you back as you explore new (or renewed) partnerships. You’ve been reflecting on how much you’ve learned about compromise and commitment in the last few years. By February, you’re ready to start afresh in your relationships, with both friends and lovers.
Leo (23/7 – 22/8)
You’re in a domestic and nostalgic mood this winter. You crave support from a partner who as you take on new responsibilities. By the end of this season, you may reflect on whether your partnership is ready to progress, or whether your partner is someone who reciprocates your generosity. Prioritise yourself and new commitments.
What do the stars have in store for you this winter?
Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius (22/11 – 21/12) (22/12 – 19/1) (20/1 – 18/2) As you move through some big changes, you appreciate lovers that shower you with gifts and affection. This is not the time to be afraid to ask for what you want! If you were thinking about moving in with a partner, expect some changes and delays—or even upgrades—during February’s Mercury retrograde.
You have more power than you think. You’ve learned so much about your boundaries and now you have to be wiser about the way you expend yourself. You may be letting go of past partners as you step into a new journey. You won’t settle for anything less than a partner who’s a dependable and important part of your life.
You’re focussed on your career goals and reputation this winter. You’re breaking bad habits and making new routines; you feel good about how hard you’ve worked and feel ready to settle down somewhat. You’re starting a new phase in your commitments to your partnerships and to yourself.
Pisces (19/2 – 20/3) Major drama could take place in your social life around the holidays, and you may be questioning a friend or lover. However, if your relationship is strong and this person understands your need for space, it may stand the test of time. If you feel indecisive about commitment, remember that it’s okay to wait until you know for sure.
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Entertainment
ATYPICAL – NEW SEASON REVIEW
DECEMBER 2019
Christmas With The Gilmore Girls Ryan Gavin | Part 1 Theatre
Giulia Waddington | Part 2 English Literature
Photo by: IMDB
“I smell snow...” Take a trip to the weird and wonderful world of Stars Hollow this winter. Nothing screams Christmas more than a good entertainment-binge. From binge-eating food to a box of Celebrations, Christmas would not be the same without it. But most importantly, the holidays would not be complete without the bingewatching of good old TV shows and films.
Photo by: IMDB
Netflix: “Sam’s on the spectrum. He’s ready to start dating. But growing up means growing pains for his family.” Atypical is back with its third season: read all about it. “It’s not normal, nor does it doesn’t fit into nice little categories we can discuss in book club. It’s messy and shows us what real life is like for a family...” Atypical is back for its third season ladies and gentlemen, and it does not disappoint. The ten episode, thirty minutes a piece season shows us the journey of Sam Gardner going through the anxiety of having his first time with his
girlfriend, starting college and dealing with complex family dynamics. The same problems we all experience really. We get to see a new side to the loveable Sam who is, fittingly, Atypical. This show holds a magnifying glass up to the autistic community, but never in a pitying light, never undermining Sam’s experience. Most importantly, never ever do you want to take your eyes of the screen. What I like most about the series is that they pay attention and give a spotlight to each member of the family, as well as Sam. They give each a moment of real humanity, not being able to cope with their own personal lives outside of the structure they have created for Sam. We love Atypical because, as the name suggests it’s not perfect. It’s not
normal, nor does it doesn’t fit into nice little categories we can discuss in book club. It’s messy and shows us what real life is like for a family, it just so happens that this family has an Atypical and we love it for its diversity. The biggest draw to this show is the awareness for young adults and children with autism but also its ability to not hang on the point as if the whole show depended on it. And the juicy, dramatic love triangles going on in each generation keeps the gossip eaters in us pleasantly full. There are three seasons on Netflix now which will occupy the bingers amongst us for a weekend, but I can honestly say that it’ll be a weekend well spent. 10/10 would recommend.
To me, the number one show that I absolutely cannot live without every Christmas season - is Gilmore girls. The world of Stars Hollow is full of Christmas magic. From Lorelai Gilmore’s spectacular nose for the snow that blankets the quaint little town to Luke Danes’ hot coco, it is warm and nostalgic. Even the upper-class house parties at Richard and Emily Gilmore’s mansion are comforting, albeit a little chilly. Oh, and a Gilmore Christmas would not be complete without an “everytopping pizza” from Al’s Pancake World (yes, I did say pancake world.)
Family and relationships are something that most TV shows are built upon, but Gilmore girls would not be the same without the foundations of family life and love interests. Christmas episodes are jam-packed with entertainment. From Lorelai and Rory’s first real fight in “Forgiveness and Stuff ” in Season One, to Dean Forester and Jess Mariano fighting over Rory in the midst of high-school drama at Chilton in “That’ll Do, Pig” in Season Three. The Christmas episodes do not disappoint and will provide instant entertainment that will hook you in from the moment
you click play. Lorelai Gilmore’s emotional arch throughout the show is heavily based upon her relationships with men. Be it the famous Luke Danes, the lesser known Max Medina or the hot stuff that is Christopher, Rory’s father. Like every Christmas episode, Lorelai Gilmore’s senses are heightened by the snow. We witness her fall in and out of love throughout the Christmas episodes, more specifically in Season 7’s “Santa’s Secret Stuff ” in which we witness (spoiler alert) …the end of a true tragic love story between Lorelai and Christopher.
Nothing screams full circle like the Netflix original Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life. The last episode titled “Winter” is a 90-minute showstopper that connects all the dots within the strange world of Stars Hollow together. Watching this episode would pull on the heart strings of even the manliest of men when we see Rory confess that she is pregnant to her mother on the steps of the iconic Stars Hollow gazebo, bringing the story of the Gilmore Girls to a close (for now.)
In my opinion, Christmas would simply not be complete without the warm fuzzy feeling of watching Gilmore girls under a blanket, eating junk food and drinking absurd amounts of coffee.
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Entertainment
DECEMBER 2019
Our Favourite Sister Trio Is Back: New Music From HAIM Lois Plummer | Entertainment Editor
Photo by: Polydor The HAIM sisters are back with two new retro-infused singles straight out of sunny LA. Reinvigorating the classic rock of Fleetwood Mac, adding their own unique blend of dream-pop and dance, their songs are always fierce, fun and feminine. Our summers were graced with the aptly-named Summer Girl, inspired by the iconic bass-line from Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side. Lead vocalist, Danielle Haim, got LA on all of our minds with Summer Girl’s jazz saxophone motif and 90s’ RnB-esque drums.
Their latest single, Now I’m In It, breaks from this free-spirited synth-pop groove and indulges in what could only be defined as a “sad banger.” The piano and drum solos offer a gentle catharsis in the electro-pop aesthetic of the song. It’s the perfect soundtrack to clubbing sad-girl on the dancefloor. Think Diane from Trainspotting in 1996. Pairing the two together is a strangely comforting pendulum of emotions. It’s a reminder that bad times are temporary, but summer is always just around the corner.
The King: Film Review Elsie Stuart | Part 2 English Literature & Film Studies Shakespeare is alive and well in our film world today, with the newest adaptation of his work by director David Michôd, The King. Long, dark in tone and colour, the film is no doubt a grand and lavish cinematic affair. And yet, it does miss the wit, depth and pace of its source material, and the life and energy we desire from such a film. Timothée Chalamet charms as the passive King, compelling yet not as charismatic as his more standout roles, although his accent is pretty good, only dropping the odd vowel. Robert Pattinson does entertain with his ridiculous French accent, the actor recently having proven his extreme talent with films such as The Lighthouse, yet this portrayal being one slightly missing the mark, albeit amusing. The film has slightly gratuitous violence reminiscent of Game of Thrones, and fairly generic battle sequences. It tries to make commentary on war, passivity, the monarchy and cultural identity, yet does not give it the depth which it needs, often feeling quite bland and greyscale. Out now on Netflix, feel free to give it a watch for light entertainment but expect to be scrolling through your phone recurrently.
Photo by: Netflix. Pictured: Timothée Chalamet as King Henry V in The King (2019).
The Aeronauts: Movie Review Seethalakshmi Muralikrishnan | Part 3 LLB Law Bring yourself back to the early 1860s, back to where many things seemed impossible to mankind. his is where the The Aeronauts will take you, as characters James Glaisher and Amelia Wren go through the adventure of their lives. The story has been based on real the life events of Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) who fought hard for weather prediction. Following history, he succeeded in his work, becoming one of the pioneers to the science of meteorology, saving many from a bad hair day – not to mention saving hundreds from potential bouts of famine and tragedy as a result of properly predicted droughts and storms. He pairs up in this movie with daredevil balloonist Wren (Felicity Jones) who has a passion for the skies, and a penchant for theatrics. Fact or Fiction? Despite having such a promising sto-
ry, it soon enters the fictionalising airbrush. Certain daredevil acts also proved a little too unrealistic. “How are you still alive?” was a question I asked at least three times throughout the film. While I understand that films have tendencies to stray a little from actual events to create a good story, I also think a good story in itself shouldn’t be painted over for the sake of dramatic flair. A spark? Jones and Redmayne are also known for their spectacular chemistry in their earlier movie, ‘The Theory of Everything.’ Whether or not their chemistry was passed into this movie seems uncertain. I won’t spoil too much for you, but all I’m thinking is that it looks like certain things are left hanging. And sometimes, that’s perfectly fine! Especially since these two characters begin with very, VERY chaotic minds - think angsty teenagers, but with adult problems. However, I
still would have loved for some closure between the both of them. There was just so much of that fiery will to prove people wrong, and with over an hour of facing adversities and admiring the unseen world “beyond the clouds” together, that it would only have made sense. Not all bad Apart from that, it’s an interesting film to watch! Unresolved issues aside, there definitely was chemistry, and it would have proved a really boring movie if there wasn’t any. Jones and Redmayne were set up for a really difficult task, and landed it gracefully. Cinematographer George Steel managed to bring an elegance to even the most tragic of scenes, and composer Steven Price brought an atmosphere that complimented every tone and tension. It was a well-embroidered film of drama, delight and passion.
Photo by: IMDB
DECEMBER 2019
AN ODE TO ELF: BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE? Josh Deane | Part 2 English Literature & Film Studies
Entertainment
KING PRINCESS’ CHEAP QUEEN: ALBUM REVIEW
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Music to add to your December playlist: Pop queen King Princess is back with an eclectic dreampop soundtrack for this winter. Olivia Reynolds | Part 2 English Literature Since bursting onto the scene with her hit 1950 last February, King Princess (Mikela Straus) has already proven herself a fully-formed pop queen. Endorsed by the likes of Harry Styles and Mark Ronson, her music does not fall short of the high standards expected by these pop legends.
Photo by: IMDB
Now I’m sure that this choice comes as no surprise to anyone, but Elf is without a doubt one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. Yes, of all time. No, you can’t change my mind. And NO, Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. Growing up, it was sort of an unspoken tradition to watch Elf every year when Christmas came creeping around the corner. To this day, I don’t think a year has gone by that I can’t remember watching Will Ferrell pelt snowballs with Roger Federer-like power and accuracy at unsuspecting children, and I encourage all of you to do the same! (Watch the movie, I mean…)
An icon for the LGBTQ community, she has detailed her experiences of lesbian relationships in heterosexual landscapes in the emotionally rich narrative. Musing over being blissfully in love to bitterly lonely, the 20 year NYC-born singer touches on a bit of everything: from relationships, to mental health and newfound fame. The eighth track off Cheap Queen and the only collaboration - the track features Tobias Jesso Jr - Isabel’s Mo-
ment is an intensely empathetic and lyrically strong outpouring of sadness and loss. “Like you’re haunting my home, I’d be amazed if you walked through those doors…” The song details a sense of grief following the breakdown of a relationship and is virtually impossible to not be moved by. Maybe not one for your party playlist, but a gorgeously cathartic track for a more relaxed sort of day. Alternatively, for something more upbeat, King Princess pulls through with the title track Cheap Queen. It’s quirky, gently fierce and self-assured, an empowering example of softpop perfect for a classy drink at home with your girls:
“I can be bad sometimes /I’m a cheap queen / I can make a grown man cry…” It is safe to say there is no shortage of confidence in the defiant lead single. The third single of the album is the gorgeously melodic Ain’t Together, detailing the complexities of her open relationship.
“a gorgeously cathartic track for a more relaxed sort of day.” It is just as emotionally charged as the rest of the album but composed so beautifully between her soft Dolly Parton-inspired vocals and the gentle synth and backing vocals that support them. Another track that stands out from the
album is the dreamily sexy synth-pop ballad that is Hit the Back, and this is arguably where she shines brightest; experimental, bold, and unapologetic for its twist on the male gaze, it dives into what King Princess stands for as an artist – inclusivity, empowerment and freedom. All things considered, the album is hard to fault and full of evidence of her prodigious musical talent. It is a truly atmospheric and warm album that is so easy to listen and enjoy from start to finish. There’s a lot to be learnt from the self-recognised Cheap Queen and her future projects can only be more exciting as her style and talent are refined.
Cheap Queen - Tracklist 1 - Tough on Myself 2 - Useless Phrases 3 - Cheap Queen
With my own snowball in hand, I will laugh with the same childlike-vigour that I did when I was a seven-year-old watching my box TV after trying (and failing) to carry all my presents up the stairs in one trip. Like the titular elf in the movie, I hope to never grow out of this brilliant movie. Without fail, it always gets me into the Christmas spirit.
4 - Ain’t Together 5 - Do You Wanna See Me Crying? 6 - Homegirl 7 - Prophet 8 - Isabel’s Moment (Ft. Tobias Jesso Jr.) 9 - Trust Nobody 10 - Watching My Phone 11 - You Destroyed My Heart
Keep up to date with the latest music by following our playlists on Spotify. @The Spark Newspaper
12 - Hit the Back 13 - If You Think It’s Love Photo by: Zelig Records
ASK THE CANDIDATES We are pleased to host this lively debate ahead of the General Election on 12 December, for candidates running in Reading East and Wokingham, this is your chance to pose questions on issues that matter to you to your MP candidates.
Thursday 5 December | 7:30–9:00pm (doors open 7:00pm) 3sixty, Reading University Students’ Union Admission free, to book your place visit www.reading.ac.uk/events B25557 SPARK Full Page Advert JM v1.indd 1
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Entertainment
DECEMBER 2019
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DISNEY’S THE LION KING: MUSICAL REVIEW Annie Davis | Part 2 Biomedical Science
Photos by: The Lion King UK
20 years of magic, read all about the West End’s Lion King... It has been 20 years since Disney’s landmark musical, The Lion King, arrived in the West end. A whopping 16 million people have enjoyed watching it, and for good reason. To celebrate the anniversary, the Lyceum Theatre opened its doors, welcoming members of the public to attend their gala performances on the 18th and 19th October 2019. I was lucky enough to receive tickets to watch it on the Friday. Based on Disney’s 1994 animated film, the performance follows the philosophical journey of a young lion called Simba. Simba is first introduced as a young cub, where he is taught by his father, Mufassa, about his responsibilities as heir to Pride Rock and about the role that they play in the circle of life. His uncle, Scar, watches in jealousy and plots to claim the throne. After
Simba’s
father
is
brutally
murdered by Scar, Simba blames himself and leaves Pride Rock. On his journey, he discovers a different way of life from meeting a meerkat named Timon and a warthog called Pumbaa. They teach him to put his past behind him and to live a stressfree life. Meanwhile, at Pride Rock, Scar has taken over and the balance between prey and predator has been lost. Simba’s childhood friend and soulmate, Nala, ventures out of the pride in search of help and finds Simba, whom she convinces to return. With help from Timon, Pumbaa, and Nala, Simba manages to take control of pride rock and removes Scar from power. Every aspect of the performance was incredible. Visually, the performance was incredibly engaging; the set and costume designs were elaborate. I nearly forgot that I was watching humans.
An extensive cast made up of the main characters, talented dancers and gifted singers ensured that there was always something to watch on stage. Classic songs such as “Hakuna Matata” were sung by main characters and accompanied by other cast members and a live orchestra. Choreography and execution from the dancers were seemingly perfect; all dancers were in time to the music and had enough space on the stage, without making it seem too spacious. Despite having a longer running time than the original film, the theatre performance provides an optimum viewing time. The extra time allows for a perfectly timed interval and low comedy. I would highly recommend anyone to watch The Lion King; not only is it emotive and immersive, but it is also suitable for the entire family.
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Entertainment
DECEMBER 2019
STATE OF THE UNION BITTER AND BRILLIANT: BUT IS IT NEEDED?
Photo by: HBO/IMDB
This series is excellently crafted and performed but, has the BBC explored white-middle-class lives enough? Will Lickley | Part 2 Film Studies It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the TV series State of the Union (2019), written by Nick Hornby, directed by Stephen Frears, and starring Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd, is compassionate, venomous, and teeming with detail and subtlety. This seemingly oxymoronic description may seem unhelpful, but this series strips its narrative and cinematography to the core, allowing the
“[It] is compassionate, venomous, and teeming with detail and subtlety...” ambiguities in the script and performance to take centre stage.
Every episode of the 10-part series
takes place in the same pub across the road from the marriage counsellors, 10 minutes before Tom (O’Dowd) and Louise’s (Pike) session. The married couple of 15 years are prompted to the sessions by what Tom so gracefully describes, to a not-soclose-friend, as Louise’s “spot of infidelity.” Pike and O’Dowd fit neatly into their leading roles; with Louise, a highly ambitious doctor who seeks an intimacy that has been drained from her marriage, and Tom a hopeless former music critique stuck in a rut and forced to witness his wife’s successes while he falls deeper into failure. As they talk at the table the two work in reaction to each other. The beats and rhythm in the performance building and recessing, both reading into each other’s semantics, tone, and body language ready to rebuttal or haphazardly trip into one another’s insecurities.
The simplicity of the shot composition highlights the subtlety within the performance as they listen and react to each other. The two become familiar as the episodes go by, as we start to learn their ticks, desires and gain sympathy for both. Their marriage teeters on the edge as they claw at what little is left or simply let go. Of course, these excellent performances would mean nothing without the detailed script by Hornby. The dialogue is lush with bitterness, humour, and locality. With the bicker over Brexit or running commentary on strangers, to the discussion of prison sex, these quirks in the text reflect the seemingly personal eccentricities of real conversation. Additionally – and this may be due to a British stiff upper lip - they rarely discuss the matter at hand, avoiding
“They rarely discuss the matter at hand, avoiding directly expressing their feelings...” directly expressing their feelings and instead distract themselves with bizarre interludes. The script elegantly reflects the messiness of real conversation.
“The script elegantly reflects the messiness of real conversation...” Due to the intricacies of the script, we are even bought to examine the same repeated choice of drink, with Tom having a pint of London Pride, and Louise a dry white wine. Both fall on familiarity and habit echoing the similar passivity that has entrenched their married lives. Tom’s standard of simply ale, hints at his comfort with his mediocracy and lack of exploration, whereas Louise’s dry white wine demonstrates her so-
phistication and her professional, well-to-do appearance. Even the drinks are brimmed with conflict. State of the Union follows in the successes of recent middle-class London TV comedy-dramas, with the likes of Catastrophe (20152019) and Fleabag (2016-2019). Despite all my praise of the show, the BBC’s 2017 pledge to ‘to reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’ seems to fall short. Again, the BBC have seemed to ignore the heaps of criticism for its programming and operations being too middle-class and London-centred. Although the series has been fantastic, it calls into question once again if another white middle-class charming comedy-drama is really something we needed?
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Photography
DECEMBER 2019
Photography Photo by: Charlotte Abraham
AUTUMN LEAVES Photo by: Charlortte Abraham
Photo by: Jessica Wilson
Photography
DECEMBER 2019 Photo by: Seethalakshmi Muralikrishnan
Photo by: Lauren Vincent
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Photo by: Sara Mattar
Photo by: Seethalakshmi Muralikrishnan
Photography
DECEMBER 2019 Photo by: Charlotte Abraham
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Photo by: Jessica WIlson
Photo by: Seethalakshmi Muralikrishnan
Photo by: Sara Mattar
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DECEMBER 2019
Photography
Photo by: Chalotte Abraham
Photo by: Jessica Wilson
Photo by: Lauren Vincent
Photo by: Sofia Taylor
Photography
DECEMBER 2019
Photo by: Lauren Vincent Photo by: Seethalakshmi Muralikrishnan
Photo by: Seethalakshmi Muralikrishnan
Photo by: Lauren Vincent
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Sport
DECEMBER 2019
Sports
RUGBY WORLD CUP WIN FOR SO Izzy Einon | Print Sports Editor The First Semi-final match kicked off at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama City on Saturday the 6th of October, with England facing the reigning World Cup winners, New Zealand. This exciting game began with a Try within the first 2 minutes by England’s Manu Tuilagi followed by a Conversion and a Penalty within the first 10 minutes. Both teams successfully protect their own try-lines until half time, ending the first half with the score at 10-0 to England. The second half saw several subs on and off and a missed penalty from England’s Elliot Daly before England’s George Ford scored a Penalty in the 50th minute, adding another 3 points to England’s scoreboard. The next 7 minutes saw even more subs on and off on both sides, with a Try and Conversion from Fiji’s Ardie Savea and Richie Mo’unga, closing the gap between the teams to 13-7. Then came another 2 Penalties from England’s George Ford, ensuring what would be the final score of 19-7 to England in the 69th minute. The next 11 minutes saw the All Blacks and England play well and ensure no points were awarded on either side, this was unfortunately not well enough for the All Blacks, as England won by 12 points and the current World Cup Winners 2 years running went home, leaving England to face the winners of the next Semi-final in the Final- either Wales or South Africa, in their first defeat of New Zealand in 12 years.
“England through to the Final thanks to their first defeat of New Zealand in 12 years” The Second Semi-final match took place at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama City on Sunday the 27th of October, with Wales facing South Africa in a match that
seemed to repeat the 2015 Rugby World Cup Quarter-final with Wales edged out of the competition by the Springboks once again. This intense game kicked off with a penalty for each team by the 18th minute, followed by another two penalties for South Africa and another penalty for Wales, ending the first half with a close score of 6-9 to South Africa. The second half begins in the same vein as the first, with a Welsh penalty, evening the scores to 9-9. The only action for a little while is subs coming on and off as both teams defend excellently, until South Africa’s Damian de Allende scores a Try for South Africa in the 57th minute and a speedy Conversion from South Africa’s Handre Pollard, raising the score to 9-16. It’s another seven minutes of subs
“South Africa win the 2019 Rugby World Cup with the biggest margin of victory since 1999” coming on and off the field left, right and centre until Wales’ Josh Adams, a breakout star for Wales in this Rugby World Cup, scores a Try and Leigh Halfpenny ensures its Conversion quickly after. This evens the scores again to 16-16. The next eight minutes pass without scoring until South Africa’s Handre Pollard scores a penalty in the 76th minute, giving South Africa the edge to win and face England in the final match of the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Saturday the 2nd of November sees the Final match of the 2019 Rugby World Cup kick off at International Stadium Yokohama in the Kanagawa Prefecture, in Yokohama City, with England facing South Africa. The game began with a missed Penalty by South Africa’s Handre Pollard in the 2nd minute, followed by a successful one in the 10th, putting South Africa in the lead. Then came an English Penalty by Owen Farrell in the 23rd
Sport
DECEMBER 2019
KORFBALL TAKES OUTH AFRICA! OVER CARDIFF!
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Josie Edwards| Part 3 Human and Physical Geography
On the 26th of October, Reading Knights Korfball Club headed down to Cardiff for a Fresher’s tournament, taking with them two mixed teams, including returners and very eager freshers. It was definitely a tournament to remember. We all drove over on the Friday evening and settled into the community hall for the night, playing some games of competitive pool and Cards Against Humanity before we turned the lights off for some well needed sleep before the tournament the next day. The tournament kicked off at 9:00am on Saturday with 18 teams from all over the country ready to have a day filled with korfball. Reading Knights entered two enthusiastic but nervous teams. For many freshers, this was their chance to learn how a full korfball game actually looks and works - these morning matches were the first full games they had played, but this did not stop them from giving it their all. The various skills we all had learnt in the training sessions in previous weeks were put to the test during these games. As the day and tournament got underway, the confidence in both teams increased massively! Both teams played with passion and a determination to win. Everything from shooting, passing, defending,
finding space on the court and oncourt calls were performed fantastically.
“These morning matches were the first full games they had played, but this did not stop them from giving it their all”
Not only were the returners putting up many shots and scoring points, but equally, the freshers were taking the chances they had at putting up the shots, and lots were successfully scored. Peter, our club captain, also won the Charity Killer Competition by knocking out the competitors and shooting in the korf consistently fast! After the tournament, Reading Knights refueled with noodles and pizza and later on in the evening, we all
let off some steam and took to a night out in Cardiff dressed up as pumpkins and ghosts. The weekend was made even better by this social on the Saturday night where we all bonded as a team over lots of drinks, dancing and singing. The night out was a great way to be welcomed to the sport and into the korfball family. A lot of the freshers said that after not really knowing anyone, and with almost no idea how to play korf, they came back from the weekend with so many new friends and a much better understanding of the rules. It’s a great sociable and confidence boosting event.
“The night out was a great way to be welcomed into the sport” The tournament ended with loads of new friendships and new passions for playing korf - it was definitely a weekend the team will never forget. Photo by: Josie Edwards
minute, evening the scores to 3-3. By half time South Africa had scored 3 more Penalties, and England had scored 1 more, putting the score at 6-12 to South Africa. While South Africa are in the lead at half time, 6 points is not unachievable by England’s team, and hope is not lost for the team to close the gap. The second half started with a Penalty from South Africa’s Handre Pollard, increasing their score to 15 and ensuring that they’re widening the gap between their score and England’s. Then came another Penalty from England’s Owen Farrell, changing the score to 9-15. Only 3 minutes after this Penalty comes another for South Africa, and only 2 minutes after that comes another for
England, with the scores at 12-18 to South Africa in the 60th minute. In the 66th minute South Africa’s Makazole Mapimpi scored the first Try of the match, followed by a conversion by Handre Pollard, increasing the scores to 12-25 to South Africa. Only 6 minutes later comes another try, this time scored by South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe followed by another Conversion from Handre Pollard, increasing the scores yet again to 12-32, this would be the final score, with England scoring no Tries at all for the first time in their 2019 Rugby World Cup. South Africa are the 2019 Rugby World Cup winners for their third time in the biggest margin of victory since Australia’s 35-12 win in 1999.
Sport
DECEMBER 2019
FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE: TURN THIS SHIP AROUND
Reading Santa Run: Make Fitness Exciting This Winter! Daisy Hanson | Digital Sports Editor
Ian Downey | Part 1 MA English
As a Fantasy Manager, your score could be anything this season. You may be one of the more fortunate players who is ranking well above the average.
With freezing weather rapidly approaching England, the last thing most of us want to do is take up running, especially outdoors running. However, this may in fact be the perfect time to take up the hobby. ‘Reading Santa Run’ is fast approaching: it takes place on Sunday 8th December at 9.30am at Forbury Gardens, near the Abbey ruins. The main purpose of the ‘Reading Santa Run’ is to raise money for local charities while having a good time. Runners dress in fun Father Christmas costumes to sweat it out for charity. This year the charities are Sport in Mind, MS Society and Rotary Charities. ‘Reading Santa Run’ is a grand total distance of 5k, and so taking part in the NHS ‘Couch To 5k’ in the weeks leading up to it would make for perfect preparation.
Judging by the more than 7 million players that have taken part in Fantasy Football this season, I would be very happy to be sitting anywhere upwards of 400,000. It has been an unpredictable season, and to be up-and-around this mark is an achievement. It’s meant that you’ve corralled a squad of fifteen consistent combatants using only your insight and wit. And, I suppose, a healthy dose of luck. Some things will just always be unpredictable (looking at you, John Lundstram). But, what if you’re one of those lessthan-lucky folk, those who didn’t Triple Captain Lundy when he had that 21 point haul a few weeks ago? Is your season over? Are you destined for inevitable doom, never to breach the summit of the prestigious ‘Top 10K’? As Roy Keane Would say; “Nonsense. Absolute nonsense”. This season is more open than Phil Jones’ mouth whenever he makes a tackle, and that man can gape. All of my mini-leagues are incredibly tight, so tight in fact that, in some, first and last place have switched within a single game week. All of the dead cert consistencies that we knew last season have failed to replicate in 19/20, with the likes of Liverpool’s cleansheets stealing the show with their disappearing act, or Sterling and De Bruyne having perfectly synchro-
nised their blank cycles. Cute. What about David Luiz coming in to solidify that dissonant Arsenal defence? “Thank u, next,” Emery should have said when the deal was proposed to him; in life, some things are just not meant to go together, and David Luiz and a Premier League Top Six jersey is one of them.
“ But, what if you’re one of those lessthan-lucky folk who didn’t Triple Captain Lundy when he had that 21 point haul a few weeks ago?” So, it’s time to put the past behind us. Bury the hatchet. Whatever has happened has happened and, with months still to go, we now have to re-evaluate and look to the future. In terms of prospects, and looking to see if we can make up the most points to supersede our opponents, what are the best options? It’s going to take a good mixture of consistent ‘must-haves’ and differentials. This season has been perfect for producing quality differentials, as
‘Couch to 5k’ is typically a 9 week running program designed to ease the non-runner into somewhat comfortable but still challenging cardio exercise. You can get an app for your phone to track your progress and schedule your runs for the weeks ahead. Although it is too late to get in the full 9 weeks of practice, the program will help you to get used to running in no time. If you end up staying in the warm instead of preparing, there will be a 1k ‘Mini Santa Run.’ The website states it is geared at families with young children or buggies, but I’m sure the unfit University student would be welcome. This run is also tailored for wheelchair users and other disabilities, so everyone can take part! Make sure you stretch before and after taking part, and be sure to wear good running shoes to avoid injury. The most important part is to get a cheap Santa Claus costume, have fun and raise some money for a good ‘Claus’!
there is an eclectic range of players in this regard. It’s a promising time to review Leicester’s players. They are having a fantastic season, boasting an almost impermeable defence, and offer a collection of offensive players that are producing every week. At this moment, you can’t look past Vardy. Alongside Leicester, Chelsea have had an impressive underdog season. It was a gloomy Summer for the Blues as their transfer ban was upheld, but Lampard’s employment of youth has shone in Autumn. Again, Chelsea offer a lot of value from their midfield, even Tomori in defence, but rotation has become a problem for Fantasy Managers. You know Lamps has a selection headache on his hands (or crown) when prized asset Hudson-Odoi struggles to play more than ten minutes a game. Tammy is the main man here, though, and has recently gone above 50% ownership. Whoever you decide to go for, remember to research well, and not to worry about a big gap in your mini-league. After all, Fantasy Football is a marathon, not a sprint.
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My top 5 classes at the gym! Amelia Dinsdale | Part 3 English Literature Zumba You can’t go wrong with a bit of crazy dancing, especially on a Sunday morning. Pilates If you want to discover muscles that you didn’t even know you had then Pilates is for you! Legs, Bums and Tums Don’t knock it until you try it. This is a great one if you like good old aerobic exercise. 45 minutes is a long time in this class. Yoga For those days when you want to go to the gym but you don’t want to get sweaty. It was absolutely invaluable during exam period as a way to relax. Pure Stretch My personal favourite. It’s a great class to take after doing some other exercise and it reduces your chance of injury.
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Sport
LEWIS HAMILTON WINS FORMULA 1 IN TEXAS. Daisy Hanson | Digital Sports Editor Lewis Hamilton recently achieved his sixth Formula 1 champion title, secured with his second-place finish in Austin, Texas. The races took place between the 1st and 3rd November 2019. Hamilton is now two wins away from surpassing Michael Schumacher’s record seven wins. His latest win marks him as one of Great Britain’s most superb sportsmen. Lewis Hamilton has won 62 of 83 races he has participated in, and 5 out of 6 of his Formula 1 wins have been in a Mercedes. He told Independent “I am working on a masterpiece and I haven’t quite finished it yet.” It seems that the driver will try to secure his seventh champion title next year in the 2020 Formula 1.
WHY I JOINED ROUNDERS: Olivia Mill | Secretary
Photo by: Jasmine Carter
At the beginning of the year I decided I wanted to join a sports society with a sport I already knew, which wouldn’t be too competitive. I decided to join rounders and after 3 months of playing once a week I can honestly say I’m having a great time. The people, the sport and the socials are just some of the reasons why I love it. In the past 3 months I’ve been to every rounder’s session on Wednesday at 1-2:30pm and although I might not have even scored a whole rounder myself, I keep going back and having the best time. Every session includes some drills then a game to finish. I love these sessions as it gives me the opportunity to do some exercise on a Wednesday afternoon and have an entertaining game of rounders. I’ve also been to both socials including a pub crawl and a Halloween social. I think Rounders is a great sport for all abilities as there is a massive range of skill. I’ve also already made great friends as everyone is so funny and welcoming. Although it isn’t a competitive sport society the opportunity to play friendly matches with other universities is available, so it’s got the best of everything.
RUSC ATTEND BUCS 2019
DECEMBER 2019
TEAM USA TURN IT AROUND IN THE OVERWATCH WORLD CUP Daisy Hanson | Digital Sports Editor
Emma Shilton | Part 2 English Literature
On the weekend of the 15th November, 22 competitive swimmers made the journey to Sheffield to compete in the Speedo and BUCS short course championships
the first of the individual races where many of our swimmers swam in the 50m Backstroke, 50m Breaststroke and 100m Fly. With some amazing performances by all our swimmers in the first session the second session was upon us and this saw our swimmers compete in the 50m Freestyle, 200m Breaststroke, and our relays were in action again in the Medley relays.
The event sees over 1,700 students compete against each other from all over the country. This competition has always been a highlight for the swimming team, and this year was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The team travelled on the Friday in time to make the first session of the competition, which is where our freestyle relays, both female and male, swam.
“The women’s medley A relay had a brilliant swim, finishing 1st in thier heat, the men also had a great performance and swam faster than their entry time.”
Both our A and B teams put in a fantastic performance with the women’s Freestyle A finishing 40th out of 91 teams, and the men’s Freestyle A finishing 48th out of 92 teams. With the first session under our belt, the team headed out for a group meal before the rest of the competition continues the next day. Saturday morning saw
The 50m Freestyle was a popular event with 15 of our swimmers competing. Some outstanding swims lead two of our swimmers, Alex Din and Ffion Thomas, to achieve personal best times in this event. The end of the session is where the relays got to perform again. The women’s medley A relay had a brilliant swim, finishing 1st
in their heat, the men also had a great performance and swam faster then their entry time. After a long day at the pool, the team headed for a night in Sheffield, where the theme was cheerleaders and jocks, the night was such a good time and a great way for the team to bond! With a few sore heads on Sunday the team woke up and was ready to start the last day of the competition.
“The night was such a good time and a great way for the team to bond!” This session saw swimmers compete in the 100m Breaststroke and 100m Backstroke. A great swim from Katy Webber led her to achieve a personal best in her 100m Breaststroke. This weekend saw many of the club’s records broken, including the women’s 50m Freestyle and 50m Breaststroke by Emma Shilton and the 200 Breaststroke by Ronnie Hester. A big well done to everyone who competed this weekend! Photo by: Zayna Hussein
On November 2nd Team USA won against Team China and became the champions of the Overwatch World Cup. The Overwatch World Cup is a yearly competition where teams representing various nations compete to win games of Overwatch. It is a change from the more regularly scheduled Overwatch League, as the World Cup is more of a world-wide celebration of skill in the game. Teams in the Overwatch League get split apart to form the national teams: San Francisco Shock largely became Team USA and Team South Korea. Due to this, any previous grudges or allegiances are stripped away, leaving a team of players all working towards one goal: to win. From the group stages Team USA dominated: regularly defeating teams like Team UK and France 3-0. They even destroyed South Korea, the three-time champions, 3-1. The team kept up with their 3-0 streak in the finals and defeated Team China, securing the trophy. The defeat of South Korea is the game everyone has been talking about. South Korea have been known as giants of Overwatch for years. They have fearsome players like Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok. But it seems that the young aggressive talent of Team USA, and especially that of players like Jay “Sinatraa” Won and Indy “Space” Halpern was enough to shake the three-year victory streak that Team South Korea held. This streak had lasted from the very first Overwatch World Cup in 2016. This year the Overwatch World Cup introduced more teams than it has exhibited in previous years. New teams that did not make it to the World Cup but did compete in the preliminary rounds include South Africa, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and India. As eSports gains more popularity, hopefully the array of teams will widen to include all countries. You can watch live or past broadcasts of Overwatch League and World Cup content on the official Twitch channel.