Spark Newspaper February 2018

M O N D AY 12 FEB 2018

VOL 76 ISSUE NO. 2 FREE

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S T U DY S PAC E S Where can you study on campus now?

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C A M P U S FA S H I O N Featuring a range of the best student outfits.

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C R E AT I V E C O R N E R An exclusive look at a published story by one of our students!

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GO FOR GOLD Get yourself acquainted with Knight’s new Accreditation scheme.

NICK SELENSKEY

Four week lecturer strike after pension row EMER SCULLY Print Editor

H

UNDREDS of lecturers will leave their desks for four weeks next month after a row over pensions caused 86% of University of Reading staff to vote for strike action.

361 lecturers voted in favour of going on strike after changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), a private pension scheme for universities, meant lecturers could see their pensions fall by almost £10,000 a year after

retirement.

Lecturers will stop working for four weeks from Thursday, February 22 after a ballot organised by the University and College Union (UCU) saw 86.2% of staff at the University of Reading, and an average of 88% over 61 other UK universities vote for strike action.

The new pension scheme will scrap guaranteed pension benefits in favour of a defined contribution scheme, which will leave retirement income down to the returns made from investment in the stock

market. A study by financial advisors Tilney suggest the final pension lecturers can now expect will be worth 20% less than before the change.

Jerome Cox-Strong, 3rd Year English Literature: “As I see it, this planned industrial action is absolutely necessary, both to combat the specific measures being forced through

by Universities UK (UUK), and to prevent a broader slide towards ever more privatisation of universities.

“The specific measures would see an end to the cur-

rent USS pension scheme for lecturers and support staff, with funds instead being put into stock market speculation.

“Even in a best case scenario, such a scheme would leave lecturers worse off upon retirement, and given the current financial climate and instability, we’re not really headed for a best case scenario.

“And at a wider level, the plans would see the standard of British Academia and university teaching fall in the long-term, as promising academics seek employment in

countries where they can find more financial stability.

“This could in turn only negatively impact students at British universities. While the timing of the strikes will interfere with the crunch time of my studies and those of my peers, the industrial action is something I overwhelmingly support to protect the future of our universities.”

However not everyone is on board with full strike action and one lecturer deemed the decision ‘too drastic’ at a time (continued on page 04...

NEWS | PAGE 02

Our new newspaper EMER SCULLY Print Editor

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ELCOME to our new newspaper. After years of the same broadsheet-style layout we are modernising, changing it up, and becoming better.

Over the years there have been so many changes to your student newspaper After working with this newspaper for two years now, since being given the role of Entertainment Editor in December 2015, I am so excited to introduce to you the newly-designed and improved Spark Newspaper, brought to you by Eden

Sinclair, our incredibly talented Design Editor.

Over the years there have been so many changes to your student newspaper as section editors and other members of the team came and went, bringing with them their unique ideas and inputs.

But now we bring to you a complete overhaul with the hope that your opinion of The Spark will be updated too. This new, modern issue will bring you the latest campus news, fashion, sports and entertainment reviews.

The latest buzz on campus, which I was surprised to find many students haven’t heard yet, is the strike action which will be taking place later this month.

With lecturers at the heart of our education these strikes are expected to impact us all in the worst way possible, leaving us without

the teaching and help we need most.

Whilst RUSU are gathering their thoughts and coming up with a response it is important to understand exactly what is happening, despite how complicated it may seem. Read our report

We bring to you a complete overhaul with the hope that your opinion of The Spark will be updated too to find out the basics, alongside a few opinions.

Many are divided, with students wanting to support their lecturers in a bid to en-

sure they receive the pension they deserve, whilst others are angry. Angry that despite the £9,000 and sometimes more we pay for an education, our chances of a good degree are now in jeopardy.

No matter where you stand on the issue it is vital to know the facts. Remember that we will all be retired one day, and all deserve a decent amount to live on.

With lecturers expected to receive a huge £200,000 less during their retirement than before the changes they have every reason to be angry.

However, are strikes the answer? Will they work?

Have they worked in the past? Many argue that strikes have never been effective.

They did not stop the closure of the mines in the 1980s, did not work when the same lecturers strikes several years ago over pay, and it is likely they may not work again.

But that does not mean lecturers should do nothing. Strikes can, and often do, force change, and with such a high number of staff voting to go on strike it is clear something needed to be done.

Perhaps we should all buckle up for a stormy few weeks of independent study.

Regardless, the strikes look like they will happen and it is pointless to point fingers and blame our lecturers for asking for the pension they deserve.

Let’s all be adults about this, and get on with our work, making use of our lecturers whilst they are working, and allowing them to do what they need to do to prevent a difficult retirement.

They’ve done a lot for us, so I suggest we support them here.

[These are my own views, and not those of RUSU or The Spark as a whole.]

Four week lecturer strike after pension row EMER SCULLY

86% V OT E D F O R STRIKE ACTION

LECTURERS CO U L D LO S E

£10,000 A YEAR

361 LECTURERS SET TO STRIKE

Print Editor

(continued from front... when there are ‘bigger things’ happening.

A lecturer in a humanities department, said: “I absolutely support the issue of the pensions but I’m not a union member so can’t legally go on strike. “I think the pension cuts are a disaster. Opening the whole thing out to the market is a disaster.

“I was hoping they would go for action short of a strike as it’s completely the wrong time to be mounting such radical action, with the consequent effects on students.

The country’s going through all sorts of problems affecting working people, so there are bigger things happening and this strike feels too drastic at the moment”.

“In the past we’ve delayed marking and held things back just to demonstrate that we could disrupt if need be and that had a limited effect. I just despair of it all really.”

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: “Staff who have delivered the international excellence universities boast of are understandably angry at efforts to slash their pensions.

“They feel let down by vice-chancellors who seem to care more about defending their own pay and perks than the rights of their staff.

“Strike action on this scale

has not been seen before on UK campuses, but universities need to know the full scale of the disruption they will be hit with if they refuse to sort this mess out.”

Lecturers will be unavailable to students for two days from Thursday, February 22 before taking Monday until Wednesday off the next week, Monday until Thursday the week after and another full week away from their posts the week after that, with the strike set to officially end on Friday, March 16.

A University of Reading spokesman, said: “Naturally, students will be very concerned about the impact of strike action on their studies.

While we will do all that we can to minimise the impact of

the strikes on students, should all of Reading’s UCU members choose to participate in such action, significant disruption to University activities will, unfortunately, be unavoidable.

“Active consideration is also being given now to various options for managing the consequences, particularly around examinations and graduation, if the strikes continue into the summer term. This builds on work that the University did when strikes took place in previous years. “We will continue to keep students updated as further information becomes available.”

To express your view on the upcoming strikes email the editor at editor.spark@reading. ac.uk and your opinion could be printed in our next issue.

NEWS | PAGE 03

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NEWS | PAGE 04

TAT E TA K E O V E R

GETTING A JOB

FEMINISM

Zoe reports on Reading’s art exhibit

An interview with Reading Uni’s support centre

Will a debate bring a feminist society?

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PA G E 0 7

PA G E 0 9

news PHAIDRA ROBINSON ZOE OSMAN Co-News Editors

Welcome to the News section, this marks the first issue of The Spark with Phaidra Robinson and Zoe Osman as Co-News Editors.

This month has been a busy one, from the an-

nouncement of lecturers striking over pension cuts to the resurfacing of feminist debate on campus. In the first half of term, University of Reading’s Art Department designed a futuristic display of London which was featured at the Tate Modern, and Channel 4 played a male contraceptive-based prank

This month has been a busy one

on students.

This month in News, we also covered how you can access information about the best places to study during the library refurbishments.

As we move into February and the motivation for New Year’s resolutions start to fade, we look in to how societies can become more

inclusive and have a more central role in students’ university experience.

If you would like to write for the News section then please join The Spark News Group on Facebook or email n e w s @ s p a r k n e w s p a p e r. co.uk.

We hope you have a great Week 6!

6 of the Most Extreme Weather Records on Earth ED WILSON 3rd Year Meteorology

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HE weather is the most talked about topic in the UK, with 9 out of 10 Brits mentioning the matter every 6 hours. But after reading this article, an overcast sky and light drizzle will become a welcome sight. Some of the following records are from some of the most hostile and unthinkable environmental conditions on the planet.

E X T R E M E H E AT 56.7°c was recorded in Death Valley, California on July 10, 1913. At that temperature, an egg would be able to cook on an asphalt pavement in less than 20 minutes. Temperatures in Death Valley regularly exceed 50°c

(hence the name!). For reference, the hottest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 38.5°c in Faversham in Kent during the summer ‘heatwave’ of 2003.

EXTREME COLD A soviet station in Antarctica recorded a temperature of -89.2°c on July the 21st in 1983. Fortunately, there was no one there to witness this spectacle. However, a small town in Russia named Oymyakon is known as the coldest inhabited place on Earth with an average January temperature of -46.4°c.

In temperatures like these, indoor plumbing fails to function which forces residents to use outhouses. The people of Oymyakon are largely carnivorous as crops are unable to grow, and ice

cubes of horse blood are a known local delicacy.

DROUGHT Arica, Chile holds the record for the longest time without a single drop of rainfall.

It underwent 173 months (roughly 14 years) without rainfall in the early 1900s.

“WETNESS” Cilaos, on the island of reunion in the Indian Ocean (just off the coast of Madagascar), experienced 182.49 cm of rainfall over a period of 24 hours. This is roughly the same height as the average Montenegrin man.

L A R G E S T H A I L S TO N E 20cm in diameter. Get your ruler out and let that sink in for a second. That is only 2cm less than an official size 5 football. This freak of nature was found in Vivian,

South Dakota. At this size, the hailstone was predicted to have fallen at around 105 mph. Unusually, in a report of a hail storm in 1882, multiple living frogs were reported to have appeared inside large hailstones in Dubuque, Iowa.

EDEN SINCLAIR

BIGGEST TEMPERATURE CHANGE The small town of Fairfield Montana experienced a huge drop in temperature, from 7°c at midday to -30°c midnight. This is a 37°c difference in only a 12-hour period.

NEWS | PAGE 05

Where can I study?

PHAIDRA ROBINSON Co-News Editor

A

S we get further into the Spring Term and closer to the exam period, the releases of new study space maps creates more communication between the University and students about the places in which students can study during the library refurbishment. Ed White, the RUSU Education Officer, has discussed his involvement in this new development and how he came up with the study space maps: “The university are saying “we’ve got all these alternate study spaces”, but no one knows where they are.” He also helped develop the idea of using the JCR rooms in halls to become study spaces because: “Historically, the JCR rooms in all the halls aren’t used throughout the year.” Ed’s idea was to “convert some of those spaces

UNIVERSITY OF READING

into study space with vaguely flexible arrangements so that you can still do fresher’s stuff at the start of the year.”

Last term, the petition to raise awareness about student’s concerns about lack of study space during the library refurbishment put pressure on the University, and allowed progress towards the study space map.

Ed White stated that: “When the petition came out, interestingly, that was really nice because, miraculously, at the same time stuff started happening... I was originally told that there probably wouldn’t be the resources to print these, there probably wouldn’t be the resources to get them on the triangle boards around campus or the resources to get it stuck around URS.” The petition seems to have encouraged the University to ensure that the study spaces available on London Road and

Whiteknights campus are easily accessible to all students. Ed commented on the petition because it “helped bring around a lot of the things I was already working on to fruition because it created that added pressure.”

Chancellors now has more formalised hours, once teaching finishes it’s open, same as Eat at the Square As well as the study space map, Chancellor’s building on Whiteknights campus has been converted to overflow study spaces for URS since the start of the academic

year, but has notoriously unreliable opening times.

Ed has also tackled this by ensuring: “Chancellors now has more formalised hours, once teaching finishes it’s open, same as Eat at the Square.”

The new study spaces in halls will be available from the end of February, but until then, the study spaces available on Whiteknights campus now include: Eat at the Square (3pm-6pm) and Chancellor’s Building (6pm9pm), both from Monday to Friday. These spaces will also continue to be used when the URS building reaches full capacity. The URS building’s current anti-desk hogging service will continue and extra rooms will be available in the URS building over weekends and vacations to replace lecture theatres that cannot stay open out of term-time. The URS building is currently open

UNIVERSITY OF READING

24 hours all week excluding between 9pm on Saturday and 8.30am on Sunday. The library will continue to be open 9am to 10pm all week.

The free room finder is also available online http:// w w w. r e a d i n g . a c . u k / f r e e room-finder, which includes the building, room name, availability, capacity and which campus the building is on. As well as this, the PC availability on campus can be accessed online, including a full list of PC facilities on campus https://www. reading.ac.uk/internal/student/academic-support/stdserv-pc-facilities.aspx.

There are also two study areas completely dedicated to study. The Study is located at the back of RUSU next to car park 4 and is open during the same hours as the URS building. This Study is located in TOB2, near Bridges halls and will be open between 8am to 8pm.

NEWS | PAGE 06

Reading’s Tate Modern takeover ZOE OSMAN Co-News Editor

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TUDENTS and staff from the University of Reading’s School of Art took over the Tate Modern with an interactive exhibit featured from the 23rd to the 28th of January. The project featured an installation of an imagined London in 2050, exploring ideas of whether it appears as a utopia or a dystopia.

The installation showcased the using of art as a way of commenting on wider issues and questions in the world today. The combination of moving images, thought experiments and green-screen technology helped visitors picture either idyllic or nightmarish visions of the future capital.

This exhibit was just one of a variety of free activities and workshops put together

by Reading’s School of Arts

and Communication Design (ACD).

As part of Tate Exchange programme, Reading’s School of Art staged the project on the fifth floor of the Blavatnik Building.

This programme is an open experiment designed to allow outside members of the public and external organisations the chance to be involved in the Tate’s creative process and projects.

Over the duration of the week there were also free workshops, performances and lectures exploring the idea of ‘Production’, which members of the public were invited to take part in. ArtLab organised a series of collaborative clay workshops and the Reading International Partner Summit held a public meeting which debated the future of art and culture in Reading. There were also debates and interactive activities discussing

the politics of representation and identity in art and production.

Tina O’Connell, a Fine Art Associate Professor in Sculpture and Media at the university, said: “This is a unique opportunity for our

UNIVERSITY OF READING

The installation showcased the using of art as a way of commenting on wider issues and questions in the world today students, local schools and key partners to work with one of the world’s leading cultural institutions to provide some fun and fascinating activities for visitors to enjoy for free”.

UNIVERSITY OF READING

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NEWS | PAGE 07

The key to getting a job JESSICA DUDLEY 3rd Year Ancient History

Interview with Elizabeth Forbes

W H AT I S Y O U R R O L E AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F READING?

I am the Support Centre Manager for Early Gate and Foxhill, so that includes departments such as Law, Agriculture, Art and Psychology, so, a lot of areas! There are three Support Centre Managers and each of us covers a different range of departments, our aim is to provide a consistent staff and student service.

H O W D I D YO U G E T TO THIS POSITION?

I went to Edinburgh University and studied Geography but I ended up joining the Royal Air Force (RAF) afterwards, which I loved! I didn’t want to leave ... but I was able to stay in the RAF for ten years. I could have stayed longer but it would have meant leaving Reading and I had just bought a house with my other half so

I decided to start applying for jobs. I ended up working at the University of Reading as the Head of Customer Services and then with all of the big moves and my logistics background, with the military, I ended up becoming a Support Centre Manager. So, a bit of an unusual transition!

W H AT I S Y O U R VOURITE PA RT YOUR JOB?

FA OF

Well, I get to run enrolment during Welcome Week.

Coming from an operational background, the running around, helping people and problem solving definitely appeals to my nature. That’s the part of the job that I really enjoy, I don’t like being stuck behind a desk, and I dislike the hundreds of emails. I would rather get out of my office and actually talk to people. I think that’s one of the good things about this University, it has really good networking opportunities. You can go and talk to so many people and with the multiple cafes there are lots

of different meeting places so you are not in a constrained environment. But the operational role during Welcome Week is the bit that I enjoy the most.

HAS YOUR ROLE BEEN CHALLENGING?

It has been a challenge, especially since the changes from the PAS restructure. After PAS we had to manage 127 staff members through a significant change programme without adequate time and resources, which was quite difficult. The challenges keep the job interesting and we worked really hard to bring everyone on board to recognise that we are trying to provide a good student and academic service, and that will only happen if we work together.

their passion. There are a lot of people who don’t write anything and rely entirely on their CV. A really good example I can give you is, if someone tells me that they have been a manager for 15 years, that doesn’t tell me that they were a good manager.

Give evidence, look at the job description and demon-

strate your potential by telling the employer how your skills are relevant to the position. Make yourself stand out. Show your passions, show why you want the job, show that you have done the background research. A lack of role specific experience should not put people off applying if they can demonstrate transferable skills and personality.

ELIZABETH FORBES

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR STUDENTS LEAVING UNIVERSITY?

I do the recruitment across all three Support Centres and what is very obvious to me is when someone doesn’t put any effort into their cover letter and doesn’t show

Walk and Talk on campus together to help BEAT eating disorders REBECCA STEVENS 2nd Year English Lit and Theatre

U

N F O R T U N A T E L Y, mental health issues and eating disorders are becoming more and more widespread every year, especially amongst young people.

Many of us have experienced the stress and strain of University, and sometimes the negative effects it can have upon our mental health and wellbeing, which can have lasting damage.

To try and combat this and

raise awareness, BEAT (the UK’s leading eating disorder charity) has teamed up with the University to help destigmatize mental health, discuss issues and make new friends in a relaxing environment.

The event will be held on Saturday, February 17, starting in the University’s Student Union at 2pm. It will offer people a chance to walk around the University’s beautiful and tranquil gardens and grounds (which have recently been recognised as one of the top green spaces in the UK by

the Green Park award).

At least 1.25 Million people in the UK of all ages, genders, and backgrounds have an eating disorder.

Eating disorders can be fatal, and anorexia has a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness; making it more important now then ever before. We can talk about the struggles of eating disorders whilst also removing the stigma surrounding Mental Health as a whole.

The event has been organised by BEAT’s University Team Leader, Nicole Dor-

rington, and commenting on the Walk, Nicole said: “Talking openly and positively about mental health

Mental health issues and eating disorders are becoming more and more widespread every year

is fundamental in showing there is no shame in these illnesses, helping sufferers to find the courage to seek and engage with the treatment they deserve.

Walk & Talk Reading will be an opportunity for us to meet new friends, walk away from eating disorders and into a future of health and happiness together.”

With the opportunity to make new friends, explore our beautiful campus and maybe even meet some cute doggos, whilst also knowing you’re helping charity and removing the stigma surrounding mental health and eating disorders, it is an event not to be missed!

NEWS | PAGE 08

Irish accent voted ‘sexiest’ by UOR students EMER SCULLY Print Editor

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HE Irish male voice was voted ‘sexiest’ by University of Reading students, according to The Spark’s recent poll.

The ‘melodic,’ ‘sing-songy’ and ‘sexy’ sounds of the Irish male voice deemed it the most attractive accent in the world in a poll of nearly 200 students this week.

A total of 30 students voted for the male Irish accent, with 27 students choosing the Indian male accent as a close second.

Jemma Callue, Masters in Law, said: “Irish is the best. I don’t know but it is just really soothing. It’s sing-songy, sounds like a song and is really pretty.”

Other high scorers included French women, Scottish men, English men, Italian men and German women, all scoring over 10 votes each.

The poll, which saw 192 students choosing the accent they found the most attractive, were given the option to choose another accent not already featured on the list.

Additions included “a nice and gently Scottish accent, not from the ass end of Glasgow,” “R2D2 noises followed closely by wookie followed

by Jabba,” and “David Attenborough.”

Molly-Jane Bowen, 3rd Year Film, said: “I’m quite a sucker, I quite like Scottish, I think James McAvoy is definitely someone I could listen to for a while. I don’t find the European accent very sexy, the Germanic, Scandinavian accent. It’s all about the Scottish, or the very soft Irish. The Gaelic accent is sexy. I like the Welsh accent.

I have Welsh family so I can’t call it sexy, but I like it.”

Jacob Smith strongly dis-

agreed with Molly’s rejec- sounds good. I’m a Soviet tion of the European accent, Russian student so I know a claiming Germany’s husky lot about it. German is good to but it depends though because you get different parts of Germany. So you might get a really Saxony accent.”

Deanna Caplan explained why she thought so many people voted for the English

I know the difference between a Dublin accent and a Belfast and I prefer Dublin because it’s a bit softer

tones, as well as Scottish and Russian accents, were the best.

The 3rd Year History student, said: “Scottish or Russian. Scottish is a nice accent. I just like Russian books. I think it’s if they’re able to speak it well then it

accent as the sexiest. The 2nd Year Zoology student, said: “Without being narcissistic I think my accent is the sexiest. The London accent is the best. Just under Received Pronunciation.

I like the way it is so eloquent and clear but it’s not the only accent that’s eloquent.”

E M E R S C U L LY

Reading University hopes to alleviate anxiety and depression in local schools News channels including BBC London Breakfast and BBC Radio Berkshire have featured the project and its aims to support young people

ALISHA ASSOMULL 3rd Year History

O

UR University is trialling a new therapy to help young people who suffer from anxiety and depression. News channels including BBC London Breakfast and BBC Radio Berkshire have featured the project and its aims to support young people.

Depression and anxiety are among the most com-

mon mental illnesses affecting students. The University of Reading is working with Little Heath School in the hope that mental health support will be available to students more quickly than in the past.

This project is hoping to expand its reaches, and is currently considering working with Maiden Erleigh and Bulmershe Schools. One pupil praised this project, explaining

that he “learnt from the sessions that there are different ways that you can control things.” Others have described their anxiety as having the potential to “waste whole days”, and make students feel “upset with my own self.” Yet, the same pupil continues, this project “taught us how to deal with those feelings and thought.”

Per Professor Shirley Reynolds, the University

hopes to “make help available more quickly to children at their neighbourhood in their school.” Currently, she explains, there is a clinic at the University, but this project “is about extending this treatment.”

This great scheme hopes to work with teachers and parents. It looks to help in the treating of anxiety and depression, provide practical comping strategies, and one-to-one help.

NEWS | PAGE 010

Is Feminism dead?

A F E M I N I S T D E B AT E W A S F O R M E D T O C R E AT E I N T E R E S T I N A P O T E N T I A L N E W F E M I N I S T S O C I E T Y.

PHAIDRA ROBINSON Co-News Editor

‘D

EBATES and Doughnuts Presents: Is Feminism Dead?’ sparked a new way of thinking about feminism on campus on Thursday, January 18. The event was organised by third-year students, Vicky Matthews and Jack Champion, both of whom are passionate about creating more feminist debate on campus.

The flyers throughout campus and the online campaign, stated: “We would like as many people with diverse opinions as possible.”

The turnout for the event was an interesting mix of undergraduates, postgraduates, lecturers and other staff members who presented a variety of views on many different aspects that the umbrella term of ‘feminism’ presents The flyer also asked: “What happened to our Feminist Society?” after the last Feminist Society committee disbanded two years ago. A sign-up sheet was handed around for people to show their support for the creation of a new Feminist Society.

The aim of the new Feminist Society is to be more focused on debate and discussing the complex and pressing issues feminism faces both on campus and in wider society.

The debate occurred in the Palmer Building and although many of the at-

tendees may have only been tempted initially by the offer of free doughnuts, the discussion interested them enough to stay. The turnout for the event was an interesting mix of undergraduates, postgraduates, lecturers and other staff members who presented a variety of views on many different aspects that the umbrella term of ‘feminism’ presents.

Dr Madeleine Davies began the debate with an anecdote about a conversation she had with a student in the aftermath of the Trump election in the US. The student made a valid point about how these political changes “revive the importance of identity politics” and thus brings feminism to the forefront of political discussion.

The debate then discussed how language and abuse is used to silence women in discussions over gender politics, and the dangerous power social media has.

It was discussed whether, by showing support to movements like #MeToo, awareness is created about the frequency of sexual harassment or does it ultimately do little to change the minds of those who perpetrate sexual violence?

The discussion moved to the inclusion of the LGBT community, and all races, and ultimately how feminism, through educating those who aren’t interested in the movement, needs to ensure that all oppressed people who identify as female are included and supported.

This would allow for the feminism movement to develop and learn from past mistakes when other marginalised or oppressed groups were not included in

feminism. Several speakers discussed their anecdotes of lad culture, toxic masculinity and lack of education on consent and women’s bodies on campus.

The debate showed the importance of learning to develop your opinions, as new information is presented, and allows self-reflection to become not only better feminists, but more empathetic people.

Vicky and Jack managed to gain a substantial number of signatures to support their set up of the new Feminist Society, but due to being in their last year of their degree they are looking for passionate students who can be part of the commitJ A C K TA M E

tee for the next academic year.

If you want a taste of what the new Feminist Society stands for, there will be two more events in the next few months. The first is an event celebrating the 100th anniversary women getting the vote in the UK and took place in Edith Morley on Thursday, February 8 between 6pm and 9pm and will be supported by the Diversity and Inclusion Fund. The event will include lectures; exhibitions organised in cooperation with the Museum of English Rural Life and Special Collections; and a celebratory party!

The third event planned,

after the debate and the anniversary, will occur on Thursday, March 8 in G25 in the Edith Morley Building between 5pm and 7pm.

The event is an International Women’s Day Debate and Celebration: ‘Press for Progress’ and will include talks from staff and another debate and is supported by the Vice-Chancellor’s Endownment Form. The hope of the new Feminist Society, once established, is for more healthy debate and education on feminist issues.

The event was sponsored by the Diversity and Inclusion Fund and was supported by English Literature lecturer Madeleine Davies.

NEWS | PAGE 11

Chocolate wins student cigarette butt poll

E M E R S C U L LY

A QUIRKY POLL, SET UP OUTSIDE THE URS

B U I L D I N G , H A S S E E N S M O K E R S D I TC H T H E I R C I G A R E T T E B U T T S I N A F U N N E W WAY

EMER SCULLY Print Editor

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new poll has been set outside the URS building in a bid to reduce the number of buds being discarded on the floor.

Compared with the usual boring cigarette bins dotted around campus this new poll allows.

Matthew Cowles, 1st year graphic communications, said: “It’s hilarious.

It’s a great way to keep the

environment clean.

Chocolate was undoubtedly gonna win, let’s be real. I love it as an idea to reduce the number of butts left on the floor, plus it’s really fun.”

Issues with St Pats Hall Development EDDA PERNICE 1st Year Law

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he project for the development of St Patrick’s Hall is set to go before the Council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday, February 7. However, MP Matt Rodda expressed his opposition against the project, claiming that it would impact the historic heritage of the surrounding area.

The initial project of UPP Projects Limited intended to demolish the accommodation block at New Court and build 884 spaces for the students of the University of Reading, as the

growing popularity of the University has increased the demand for affordable on-campus accommodation. The former plan has now been revised in order to maintain the original buildings and will only complement them to allow for more student spaces.

UPP Projects spokesman listed some of the benefits of the projects such as sustainability, social benefits and improving its international position compared to other Universities.

Nonetheless, MP Rodda and the residents still hope that the council will reject the plans.

UNIVERSITY OF READING

NEWS | PAGE 12

Dildos on campus A PRANK ON CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTED THE ISSUES OF CONTRACEPTION FOR MEN.

KARYN LEWIS 3rd Year Biological Sciences

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prank show exhibited a male contraceptive stall on campus outside the Students’ Union Building last month. On Thursday, January 18 Channel 4 set up a stall outside RUSU with dildos and other sexual devices on display. The more plausible contraceptive devices shown were condoms rolled onto dildos and a jar filled with neon-orange ‘male contraceptive pills.’

Some of the more humorous and far-fetched devicCHRISTINA XU / FLICKR

es shown included a plastic switch that was to be inserted under the skin around the tube that transports sperm from the testicles to the penis. Participants were told NASA was producing the device and that men could get the procedure done and be able to just reach down, feel for the switch under the skin, and simply “switch off ” their semen flow at will. Another device shown was a slim, jelly butt plug that participants were told could be inserted eight inches up their anal canal twenty-four hours before sex which would dissolve to

prevent conception.

The final device shown was a miniature chastity belt, displayed tightened around the testicles of a plastic model which was said to restrict the flow of semen and prevent male fertility.

As the show is still in its filming stage, details are vague but the Assistant Camera Operator, said: “It’s a comedy prank show for Channel Four. It’s highlighting the disparity between men and women. It’s for the 100th anniversary of the suffragettes and will be on in early February.” The pranks

victims were mainly men as they would be the hypothetical users of the male contraceptive devices, however, females were participants of the prank too.

Georgia Mcglasson, a female biomedical scientist included in the prank, said “I guess there were a few silly ones [contraceptive devices] that I can’t really believe I thought were real. The belt one that ties around the testicles was probably the silliest in my opinion.” When asked if men should take more control over contraceptives, Tilay Lawson, a male Poli-

tics and International Relations student, said: “I definitely think that guys should take more responsibility for contraception. At the end of the day, both parties have a shared interest in not getting someone pregnant.

“I did a little bit of research on the different methods of contraception available to both men and women, and I’m pretty shocked with the disparity.”

The male contraceptive pill has been much talked about in recent years but it does not exist. The male pill could exist by 2021 as researchers at Wolverhampton University but it is still very early days as the compound has yet to be tested in animal models.

A contraceptive that has been tested in humans is the male jab. Trialled by the World Health Organisation it was found to be 96% effective in the 320 men tested. Yet, side effects such as depression, mood disorders, muscle pain and acne have prevented the jab from progressing towards public availability.

Further research avenues are “plugging” the vas deferens, the tube that transports sperm from the testicles to the penis, with a semi-permanent filter to remove sperm or injections of a drug into the vas deferens that would kill sperm flowing towards the ejaculatory ducts.

So, it seems that the buzz of a prank show on campus, however amusing, might be all that is needed to get a conversation about male contraceptives started.

Men, understandingly, may not be willing to insert a NASA device eight inches up their rectum, but they might begin to think about the discrepancy between the sexes.

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P H OTO G R A P H Y | PAG E 1 4

photography It’s not too late to try something new!

LAURA MCCARTHY Photography Editor

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EW year, new you?

Why not join a new team or society? Reading University hosts over 200

different activities for students, which you can get involved in today. These were showcased at the Re-fresh-

ers fair at the end of last month. Here are just a few photos of the event and the mixture of societies which are available to you.

But don’t worry if you missed the event (and the free Dominos), because it’s never too late to join, and

be part of a team. Whether you’re a first year student wanting to get involved in something different, or a finalist making the most of your last year at University, there is something for everyone with the wide range of activities.

A few that showcased last month include, The Debate Society, Quidditch Club, as well as RAG. So...what are you waiting for?

A L L P H OTO C R E D I T S TO L AU R A M CC A RT H Y

P H OTO G R A P H Y | PAG E 1 5

RAG RUDDIYS KNITTING

D E B AT E S O C I E T Y

DISNEY SOCIETY

SIGN LANGUAGE SOCI-

RIDING CLUB

Q U I D D I TC H C LU B

SURFING CLUB

LIFESTYLE | PAGE 16

VA L E N T I N E ’ S D AY

TRAVEL

PETS OF THE MONTH

Jacob shares his wisdom on breakups around Valentine’s Day.

Alicia tells us about her trip to Disney Land on New Years Eve.

This month we bring you our farmyard special.

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PA G E 1 9

PA G E 2 3

lifestyle Top Tips for Surviving a Long Commute

A G U I D E TO S U R V I V I N G A

CO M M U T E TO U N I V E R S I T Y

KATHARINE PEBWORTH MA Applied Linguistics

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AVING decided to move back in with my family to study for my masters after four fun years of being an undergraduate in a student house, I committed myself to a lovely little commute in exchange for no rent and a magical restocking fridge. Of course this sounds like a brilliant exchange, save money on rent and spend an hour a day reading a book… why would you need survival tips? Well, let me tell you that spending almost two hours in traffic at 6am because your lecture starts at 9am and the bus timetables do not work out quite well enough for you to get up at a normal time, is no easy feat. However, I have learnt some lessons and am now extremely skilled in the art of surviving the dreaded public transport from my house (only a mere 14 miles

would you believe) to the University, and I have some top tips for surviving.

It has taken me four months but I have finally discovered the art of the PODCAST. Reading on the bus, very unfortunately and painfully for myself, makes me feel ill and therefore my entertainment was limited to scrolling Twitter (and wasting all my data allowance every month) until the discovery of the podcast. There is such a huge, huge, range out there that you can literally find one for any mood.

You can keep up to date with politics, learn another language, or just have a laugh.

Snacks are ESSENTIAL. I repeat, essential. Imagine this: it is rush hour, you have been in lectures all day and you ate lunch 6 hours ago.

The bus is stuck in a really, really long queue of traffic which consequently means you have to run for the next

bus leaving no time to buy coffee or snacks. You then have another hour on the bus starving hungry, and end up getting home in a complete grump, ruining the rest of your evening. It is not fun, and it is why you always need emergency snacks.

Preferably of the chocolate kind.

Commuting in and out of Reading might not seem like the worst thing in the world but if you have to do it everyday at rush hour, it is extremely challenging

Try to BREAK UP your journey. Sometimes, taking a break between buses or trains in town by grabbing a coffee and a cake makes the commute so much more bearable. Plus it can be really productive and a good time to get some reading done.

Get yourself a SEALED

coffee cup. The last thing you want is to pour hot coffee or tea all over yourself when the bus grinds to a halt at the next bus stop because the bus driver almost missed it.

DO YOUR RESEARCH. Do not just do the route that you have always done just because you know it. It might take you less time to get off a stop earlier and walk (really, it might). Or, tickets might be cheaper if you buy multiple trips in one go. The cost of commuting can be so expensive so it is so important to know you are getting the most for your money. Less money and time spent on the bus means more money and time for coffee. It is a no brainer.

AVOID the front of the bus. This sounds weird but the front of the bus is always so chaotic and you are much more likely to be coughed and sneezed on. It is always

good to have a seat further back that you can get settled in whilst the hoards of people get on and off at every single stop.

And finally, BE POSITIVE. Commuting in and out of Reading might not seem like the worst thing in the world but if you have to do it everyday at rush hour, it is extremely challenging.

So, remain positive. Remind yourself why you are commuting. It might be to save money on rent, which means working fewer hours at the weekend. Or maybe it is so you can live with the people you want. Whatever it is, keep it in the back of your mind at 6am when someone with a dreadful cold (who probably got on at the stop that the driver almost missed causing you to spill that coffee) has decided to sit next you despite the rest of the bus being completely empty.

LIFESTYLE | PAGE 17

Post-Breakup Valentine’s Day T H O U G H T S O N T H E M O T I V AT I O N A L B E N E F I T S O F V A L E N T I N E ’ S D A Y A F T E R A

JACOB COLMAN 1st Year Philosophy

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lot can change in a year.

Last Valentine’s Day I was in Paris with my girlfriend of two years, loving every second and presuming that we would have many more years together. However, like an estimated 90% of all first year students who start University in a relationship, several months ago, we mutually ended things.

Breakups are hard, at any time of the year. However, I am sure most would agree that winter has got to be the worst time of all to end things. The festive period kicks off proceedings when

you are meant to be with the people you love, cuddled up around the fire, listening to Mariah Carey. Next comes New Year’s Eve when at the strike of the clock at midnight, you are supposed to have a lover at an arm’s reach, kissing you into the New Year. Then, having had a month to lick your wounds, Valentine’s Day slaps you round the face and reminds you just how single you really are. No cards, no flowers or chocolates, certainly no rose petals on any beds; just me, myself and I, as the saying goes.

Whilst Valentine’s Day can be seen as a sad reminder of just how single we have recently become, or indeed how single we have been for

a long time, I think the Valentine heartbroken people of the world have been looking at the 14th of February with the wrong sentiment in mind. Thanks to social conventions, and a whole lot of advertising, we overly-obsess about relationships not from the point of view of the person we would be if we were suddenly in one, but instead about the fact that we are not. We get hung up on the people we wish we met, or the people we wish we were still with, and miss the most important person in this discussion; ourselves.

As opposed to being overly concerned with the people we want to meet, we forget to think about what person we ourselves would be to meet.

In other words, Valentine’s Day for recently heartbroken folk should be seen less as a reminder to hook up or desperately search for ‘the one’, but should be a reminder to focus on ourselves and the people we would be if we were, by chance, to meet our next partner. Questioning what kind of people we are, where our strengths and weaknesses lie, and which avenues in our lives we are yet to pursue, this time of the year suddenly feels a lot more optimistic and inspiring.

The recently heartbroken amongst you will have noticed that post-breakup, the world seems to be doubly filled with happy, loved-up couples with every day that you wake up single; it never

seemed like half of the world was happily in love before!

We see what we want to see and so the truth is rarely reflected. In reality, if you are single this Valentine’s Day, you are sitting comfortably in the reassuring place of the majority. The only difference is that you might be hyper-aware at this time of year that you have not found your ‘secret admirer’. What would make you less of a majority, however, is if you saw Valentine’s Day as an opportunity for self-improvement and growth, reflection and realization, and a fulfilling preparation to become a better partner, because love seldom comes when expected and so might come earlier than you think.

Valentine’s Day Makeup D AT E O R N O T, C E L E B R AT E T H I S V A L E N T I N E ’ S D A Y W I T H T H I S R O M A N T I C M A K E U P T U T O R I A L OLIVIA LOWDEN 3rd Year English Literature

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ITH Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to do a look inspired by the divisive holiday. Some love it, some hate it, but either way V-Day creates an excuse to do a fun and girly makeup look. Even if you are not spending the day doing anything in particular, this look utilises classic romantic pinks in a homage to love. What better way to celebrate than by playing around with these colours?

PRODUCT LIST

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation Barry M Brow Kit Soap & Glory, Thick & Fast Mascara Revolution Bronzer Kit Lime Crime Venus 1 Palette Lime Crime Venus 2 Palette Natural Collection Pressed Powder Kiko Cosmetics Eye Pen Burt’s Bees matte lip colour

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Start by priming your eyelids with some foundation or concealer, and then set with pressed powder for an extra smooth and blend-able base. On top of this apply the colour ‘Divine’ (a muted, pale brown) above the eye crease and in the inner and outer corners of the lid. This acts as the transition and base shade for the other colours.

Next, take the shade ‘Muse’ (a deep crimson) and apply this again to the inner and outer corners of your eye lid. Use a large blending brush to make sure it melds well.

Repeat this step but with the colours ‘Rebirth’ (a bright, shrimp pink colour) and ‘Venus’ (a deep pink) to really build up a rosy glow. You want it to be quite bright and

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strong, creating a halo-effect around your eye lid.

Try and connect the colours above the crease if you can, to enhance this effect.

Using an angled brush, apply a black shade (I used ‘Boot’ from Venus 2) lightly and precisely into the inner and outer corners. You will not need as much pigment with the black, as all it is used for is to deepen and darken the colours and create some dimension. Go over this shade with the blending brush until it all looks smooth and seamless.

Now, take a shimmery pink shade (I used ‘Shuffle the Cards’ by Topshop) and apply it directly onto the centre of your lid. I dampened my brush slightly so that the colour looked almost metallic.

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I finished off the eyes by adding more of the shade ‘Venus’ above the crease to extend the colour further towards my eyebrows. I also took ‘Venus’ underneath my bottom lash line to bring the look together.

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F i n a l l y , a p p l y t he rest of your makeup as usual. I gave this look winged eyeliner, bronzer and plenty of blusher before finishing off with a matte pink lip colour. The finished look should be fun, girly and romantic. Perfect for Valentine’s Day.

LIFESTYLE | PAGE 18

Tacos, Tequila and Reggaeton

MY EXPERIENCE OF SPENDING

TWO WEEKS IN MEXICO OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK

SALLY NICHOLLS Lifestyle Editor

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AST summer I did Camp America and was lucky enough to meet people there from all around the world.

One of my closest friends from camp, Jessi, is from Mexico. She invited me to stay with her and her family in Xalapa, Veracruz, which is near the east coast of Mexico. I flew there on Boxing Day because the flights were cheapest then, as it seems that no one wants to fly the day after Christmas. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, and was in a slight state of panic on arrival after reading a Mexico travel book on the plane that talked about crime rates and avoiding corrupt policemen. However, being shown around Mexico by a local, I found it to be really safe and was never worried about my safety there. The language barrier was a slight challenge because although Jessi speaks fluent English, her family only speak Spanish.

My Spanish is very lacking so we resorted to varying forms

S A L LY N I C H O L L S

of sign language, Google translate and Jessi acting as a translator which was enough to get by. I got to experience a traditional Mexican New Year’s Eve spent with Jessi’s family which was very different to New Year’s Eve in England. At midnight we gathered around a table and were each given a wine glass with twelve grapes in.

We had to eat the grapes and make a wish for each one, which was meant to symbolise a wish for each month of the coming year. Following this, everybody around the table took it in turn to share how their 2017 had gone and what they were hoping for in 2018 (it was all in Spanish so I didn’t understand but I still thought the idea of it was cool). After that we had copious amounts of food and tequila. We did a lot of sightseeing during the trip and these are a few of my favourite places: Puebla- we began by visiting Puebla, a city southeast of Mexico City. We saw the Great Pyramid of Cholula, Puebla Cathedral and played chess in a park. We also saw

the “Danza de los Voladores” (Dance of the Flyers) which is an ancient Mesoamerican tradition involving dancers climbing to the top of an extremely tall pole and jumping off while attached by their feet with rope so that they are suspended upside down swinging around the pole.

Xalapa- we then stayed in Jessi’s hometown for a few days and visited Macuiltépetl Ecological Park which had amazing views of the horizon of Xalapa, scattered with multi-coloured houses galore. It also had a zip-wire which you could go on free of charge and glide over the forests below.

Cascada de Texolo- this was a waterfall near the town of Xico. The views from the wobbly draw string bridge over the waterfall were surreal, and even more so were the views from below following a long climb down the side. In the same day we also went to a traditional restaurant and had a typical Mexican dish called Tampiqueña which consisted of meat, salsa, guacamole, rice and beans. However, as amazing as Mexican food was, my stomach definitely didn’t agree with it. I could not believe how cheap everything was in Mexico though- the currency is Mexican Pesos and at the time I went it was around 26 pesos to 1 pound.

This meant that you could get things like a three course meal for around £2.50.

Cofre de Perote- we were feeling adventurous so went to climb this extinct volcano in the state of Veracruz.

It first involved a long drive up the first part of the volcano on bumpy, cobbled

S A L LY N I C H O L L S

roads through tiny mountain farming villages. We reached a point where the road was too bumpy for the car so had to park and begin walking. The ascent was steep and the altitude made it hard to breathe, meaning I had to have a little lie down a few times on the way up.

We didn’t quite make it to the top as it was starting to get late, but the views from even part way up were still spectacular.

Naolinco- we visited this picturesque city for a wander round and more tacos, as well as trying a Mexican alcohol, Torito, which is made of rum, milk and tequila.

Veracruz- the city of Veracruz is by the beach on the east coast. Here I experienced my first night out in Mexico. We went to a club which played reggaeton which is a type of Latin music. I didn’t know any of the words because it was all in Spanish but after a certain amount of tequila I danced anyway, and have found myself continuing to listen to reggaeton even now I’m back in the UK. At the club, as soon as you finished your drink one of the waiters would come round and fill it up for you, resulting in me drinking more tequila than I ever have in my life. According to many Mexicans,

tequila is the answer to all problems; from emotional turmoil to a sore throat. In Veracruz we also visited the aquarium and the famous prison, San Juan de Ulúa.

Mexico City- this was the last stop before flying home.

We went up the Monumento a la Revolución which was built to commemorate the Mexican Revolution. At 67m tall, it has breathtaking views across the whole of Mexico City- a perfect photo opportunity. We also saw the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral. On our final day we visited the Teotihuacan Pyramids which were part of an ancient city built in 100 B.C. and had an array of stone temples and murals.

Our final stop was the Museo Soumaya, an impressively designed building covered in silver hexagon plating, which housed 66,000 works of art. That night we stayed with Jessi’s friend in Mexico City and played the Spanish version of “never have I ever”- “Yo nunca nunca”.

Although the trip was stressful at times due to my lacking Spanish skills, I would 100% recommend Mexico to anyone who wants to experience a completely different culture and way of life to what we have in England.

LIFESTYLE | PAGE 19

New Year’s Eve Trip HOW I TRADED AN EXHAUSTING JOURNEY FOR THE MOST MAGICAL NYE OF MY LIFE ALICIA O’DONNELL 3rd Year Classical Studies

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HIS New Year’s Eve I decided to head off to Paris with my best friend to celebrate the evening at Disneyland. When, back in November, we saw an organised trip on Groupon, we thought “why not” and booked our tickets to go. I knew going in that we would be sleeping on the coach during the drive over and spending some time in the centre of Paris during the day, then travelling on to Disney for the evening party. It was a great deal to see so much in one day and get to count down the New Year in the most magical place on earth.

Leaving an M4 service station at 10 pm marked the start of an extremely long and tiring journey that gave me so many unforgettable moments. The night on the coach was exhausting as we could not get to sleep, before getting on the ferry across

the channel as we had to disembark. After missing one ferry at 1 am from Dover, we sat in our seats until the next one was leaving at 3 am.

The ride across consisted of the earliest breakfast I have ever had in my life and going on top of the deck to get some fresh air to avoid seasickness. When we arrived in Calais at around 5 am, we could finally get some sleep before we got to Paris.

Thankfully we stopped at some services about an hour outside of Paris after getting 3 hours sleep and we had a chance to freshen up before seeing the city. Upon arriving in the centre of Paris we drove past the Arc de Triumph briefly before arriving at the River Seine for the river tour. I had never been to Paris before so this was the perfect way to get all the sights in on a time constraint. Everything was beautiful and made me fall in love with the city, I hat-

ed having such a passing experience in Paris but it has only encouraged me to go back for a longer visit.

We got to stop at the Eiffel Tower for 45 minutes and we went through the Christmas market at its feet, buying souvenirs from the stalls.

When we arrived at Disneyland, the excitement was palpable. Magic was in the air and mouse ears adorned every head. Getting into the park required a little patience but when we were in and walking around, the drizzle and crowds did not matter. Even queueing for the rides was not an issue, as they were rarely more than 10 minutes. As it got closer to midnight, we all gathered in the main square waiting for the fireworks and laser show. As the New Year began, the fireworks started over the castle and lights strobed. It was a truly unique New Year’s Eve and every minute was worth the

Austria Ski Trip ALENA DAVIS 2nd Year Primary Education / Art

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friend of mine and I decided to squeeze in a ski holiday before Uni started for the New Year. We managed to find a good deal through STA Travel whose main aim is to provide affordable trips to students with as little hassle as possible. They offered a mostly inclusive Contiki tour in Hopfgarten, Austria.

It included accommodation, ski hire, lift pass, breakfast and 3-course meals for 5 evenings, as well as a trip to Salzburg.

Since we were keeping costs low we opted for the over nig ht co ach j our ne y from London. After a very long (20 hours to be ex-

act) and moderately comfy drive, we finally arrived at the hostel. Straight away we were whisked off to get our lift passes and equipment fitted. Once they were sorted we were allowed to settle into our room and chill in the lounge which let us get to know the other people on the tour. It was noticeable from the bus ride that the trip was dominated by Australians however it became more apparent when we found out there were only six British, one American and thirty Australians.The next day we were up bright and early ready for our ski lesson; we had opted to take 3 days of group ski lessons.

Although we had both skied before, the lessons proved

very useful in perfecting our technique and getting us familiar with the area.

They were very intense but definitely worth it. We were lucky that the weather was clear for most of the days as it meant we got to see the beautiful views and had decent powder, especially on New Year’s Day when the slopes became very quiet; it was perfection.On the final two days of skiing, we enjoyed exploring the slopes with a few friends from the hostel and paid a quick visit to the ice bar. Hopfgarten is brilliant as there are a range of slopes and easy access to other areas within the snow park, perfect for every skier from beginner to advanced.

Although I loved skiing all

ALICIA O’DONNELL

exhaustion and long journey.

A coach trip is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a quick break abroad or a fun New Year’s Eve, but it fulfilled every expectation, even if it left me catching up on sleep for a week. I would recommend a coach trip to everyone I met, but maybe on a one time basis. Also make sure you go

with someone you know you can spend 30+ hours with.

I loved this trip and loved making amazing memories with my best friend so take a chance and get some cheap tickets somewhere with your closest people. Every experience will be remembered as the best ones of your life, because sharing incredible moments with your friends will always be the best times you have.

day, one of the best things when up on the mountain was breaking for lunch. The restaurants on the slopes served a range of fantastic food low on price and big on size. If ever in Austria, I would recommend the popular dish called Kaiserschmarren; shredded pancakes with apple sauce. This dish was highly recommended by locals and is a very hearty warm meal that fuels you for the next session of skiing.

On one of the days we visited the restaurant Gasthof Oberbrau for the extremely popular pork knuckle dish which had to be booked 24 hours in advance. This spectacular dish had to be shared between at least 2-3 people as it was massive and came served with big helpings of sauerkraut, potatoes and dumplings. I highly recommend trying this dish as it will leave you feeling ex-

tremely satisfied and full.

The tour offered a trip to Salzburg, which unfortunately for us would have been better if it had not chucked it down with rain.

They also offered paragliding, which I was told was fantastic, and night skiing; however again the weather failed us and we opted out.

Overall we could not have wished for a b etter trip! Celebrating the New Year watching fireworks on the mountain side and locals welcoming the year in with a candle walk forming ‘2018’ definitely led to it being my best New Year by far. Skiing all day pretty much every day on excellent slopes was great in easing stress and allowed the perfect amount of leisure and adrenaline. The people we met on the tour also helped make the experience brilliant.

LIFESTYLE | PAGE 20

Arriving in Aarhus - The ‘City of Smiles’ GRACIE MADDISON

GRACIE MADDISON 2nd Year English Literature

THE PEOPLE O far my experience with Danish people has shown me that they are quite reserved, but as soon as you talk to them they are friendly, helpful and cheerful. Also, Aarhus is known as the ‘City of Smiles’ and this is certainly the case. There is less of a focus on going out clubbing in the evening and instead, Danes prefer to see friends, have coffee, play board games and just be relaxed and cosy.

It is likely that you have heard of the concept of ‘hygge’ which is a general amalgamation of these things.

However, with the focus on beer drinking in Denmark, Danes are also known to have good nights out.

ART Aarhus is home to the vast ARoS art museum, the most visited museum in Scandinavia. During my visit to their late opening evening, I was

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ALENA DAVIS

impressed by the amount of installation art and interactive works. The museum houses many famous artists - I saw works by Ron Mueck, Grayson Perry, Francis Bacon and Andy Warhol. There is also the amazing rainbow panorama on the roof of the museum, where many a tourist photo has been taken. The city also has frequent art events such as ‘Sculpture by the Sea’ which saw the construction of ‘The Infinite Bridge’, created by architect Niels Povlsgaard and Johan Gjødes which sits near one of Aarhus’ beautiful forests on the beach.

ARCHITECTURE Aarhus is an ancient city, founded in the 8th-century as a fortified Viking settlement. Despite containing many old buildings, especially in the pretty Latin Quarter, it also has a variety of impressive modern architecture. Situated on the harbour, Dokk1 is a massive neo-futurist public library

and cultural centre. Inside, a giant gong sounds every time a baby is born at the Aarhus University Hospital. The ‘Iceberg’ is a group of unique apartment buildings also in the harbour area which is also very modern, the criss-cross points make the building bear a strong resemblance to floating icebergs breaking up. There are some student halls there too. A short way from the harbour, the Aarhus Theatre stands in contrast to the modern architecture with its detailed relief work and colourful paintings - it is so pretty lit up at night.

Aarhus City Hall looks like something from a dystopian novel, it is a harsh-looking building centred around symmetry with a clock tower clad in marble, illuminated by blue light at night.

FASHION I have noticed that many Danes wear fairly neutral colours and I have seen so many black woollen coats

with big grey scarfs. I think their outfits look very sophisticated compared to people in the UK and I have to admit that my clothes seem quite outlandish against most people in the street. Coats are a must here – it is rainy, windy and cold.

However, Danes do not tend to bother with umbrellas, they just embrace being wet.

THE UNIVERSITY The Uni is similar to Reading – it is also a large campus with a big lake in the centre.

However, whereas Reading is made up of a range of different styles of buildings, Aarhus Uni is mostly comprised of iconic yellow brick buildings, designed by C.F.Møller in 1931.

Another difference to Reading University is that Aarhus Uni actually has a library! Home to the Royal Danish Library this is definitely the most striking building on campus. The 17-floor book tower stands at the top of the campus with only a single window on one side, it is somewhat daunting and a little like Azkaban.

On a tour of the library, we were lucky to be shown to the balcony of the top floor which is not actually open to

the public - there were a lot of stairs! In the basement, there are ping-pong tables, football tables and massage chairs whilst on the first floor there are real trees, a piano and the best cafe I have ever seen in a library.

TRANSPORT Most people get around the city via bike and there are cycle lanes on practically every road. The bikes in Aarhus seem so much prettier than the ones in the UK and I have seen a lot in bright colours with cute baskets.

Like every city, there are lots of buses and also a new tram system which was only introduced at the start of the year.

Many of the pedestrian crossings in Aarhus are on automatic timers which faintly beep at different frequencies, giving the impression of lots of hospital machines sounding at the same time. It takes around 3 hours to get to Copenhagen by train. Whilst they may eat a lot of cake, the Danish are also very active people - there are always a lot of runners around and running groups.

Walking is also an accepted form of transport.

LIFESTYLE | PAGE 21

Campus Fashion TA K E A L O O K AT S O M E O F T H E O U T F I T S W E S P O T T E D O N C A M P U S

A L L P H OTO C R E D I T S TO L AU R A M CC A RT H Y

Name: Pip Anderson Role: Campus Jobs Administrator Clothes: kimono- Sheen, jeans- Next, shoes- Doc

Names: Tim Stiles, Teddy Turpin Courses: Physical Geography, Business Management Clothes: (Left) jumper- SHM, tracksuit bottoms- Superdry, boots- Tim-

Names: Rose Little, Charlotte King Courses: Animal Science, Education Studies Clothes: (Left) shirt- New Look, skirt- Rock and Roll, shoes- Pri-

Martens.

berland. (Right) jumper- Regatta, shirt, jeans, shoes- ASOS.

mark. (Right) headband- Primark, shirt- Tesco, jeans- New Look, shoes- Capezio.

Names: Antonia Braun, Tristan Spencer Roles: RAG President, RUSU President Clothes: (Left) jumper- self made, jeans- River Island.

(Right) jacket- River Island, jumper- Primark, shirt- Topman.

Names: Esme O’Mahony, Sophia Mangroo, Agnieszka Kowalik Roles: Belly Dance Society Committee Members Clothes: All hipscarves- Amazon. (Left) top- New Look, jeans- Topshop, shoes- Sports Direct. (Middle) vest- H&M, leggins- Gymshark, shoes- JD Sports. (Right) jeans- Boohoo, shoes- Deichmann.

Name: Millie Furmston Course: Theatre and Film Clothes: top- H&M, jeans- Topshop, shoesRiver Island.

LIFESTYLE | PAGE 22

Honest Burgers REBECCA STEVENS 2nd Year English Lit / Theatre

Food- 5* Service- 5* Atmosphere- 4* Value- 5* Overall Feel- 5* F there is one thing Reading has a lot of, it is choices of where to eat, and in particular burger restaurants- TGI Fridays, Handmade Burger Co, Browns, Five Guys- the list goes on.

So when I saw another burger restaurant was opening in town, I felt both happy to indulge in my burger addiction, but also frustrated at a lack of something diverse or different. But that is where I was wrong. Honest Burgers sets itself apart from the crowd by using locally sourced ingredients, specially tailored to its location (The ‘Reading Burger’ being one clear example of this, using only local produce and ingredients that Reading is known for to cre-

I

ate a unique choice). The burgers are all handmade to order, and the attention to detail for each and every burger creates a fabulous combination of a delicious meal packed with flavour, safe in the knowledge you are helping local producers. When we entered, I was happy to see an upbeat and modern décor, a total transformation from the previously deserted and derelict building. Upon entry, we were greeted by a member of staff casually dressed but full of enthusiasm, his knowledge of the menu and happiness was contagious, making you feel like you were at a good friend’s house rather than a restaurant. Again this is a stark change from the sometimes dull service we have come to accept as the norm in so many chain establishments.

The menu itself was simple but diverse, rather than being overwhelmed by pages of choice it was presented

on single sheet of paper on a bamboo board. What is also particularly notable is that because everything is handmade locally or on site they are able to easily cater for vegetarians/vegans, as well as offering a gluten free bun option for celiac’s, for only a £1 supplement. Now, let’s get onto the ‘meaty bit’ (sorry for the pun), the burgers themselves. I ordered the January limited edition of the Disco Bistro and my partner opted for a simple cheeseburger. The service itself was very prompt despite it being a busy Saturday evening, and the burger was served with a generous serving of hand cut ‘rosemary salted chips’ which is something else that Honest Burger is known for. I can see why, as the chips tasted like no other chip I have ever tasted; skins on and rosemary salt adding a delicious twist on the conventional chip which left me reaching for more even when I was

REBECCA STEVENS

full. The burger itself does not fall apart in your hands but is totally moist inside (thanks to the founders Tom and Phil aspiring for a burger ‘cuts like butter but still stays together’ and ensuring they only use the best, carefully selected cuts of meat, and dicing it by hand rather than mincing it). The meat was served pink (the way it should be!) with delicious fillings, each carefully thought out and full of favour. I really wish I could find some sort of critique for this place because I went there not expecting much, but I have found its somewhere that I just can’t stay

away from and keep coming back for more (2 nights in one week!). The friends and family who I have recommended it to agree as well.

Whether this popularity will stick in the long run or if it is just a passing fad remains to be seen, but for now I and many others are totally taken by the friendly service, delicious burgers (like nothing I have ever tasted before), and an honest approach to creating honest food. BEST FOR- a casual date night, meal out with friends or a casual meal with parents. Anything you want really, as long as you want a burger!

London Lumiere Festival ROBERTA HOWSON-JANES 3rd Year Fine Art

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ROM January 18-21 2018, the streets of London were lit brighter than ever before. The Lumiere Festival hit the capital full force, with over 50 light themed installations scattered around the city. The pieces of art featured work from various local and international artists and were placed in locations such as Piccadilly Circus, Kings Cross and Westminster. I was Lucky enough to be able to attend the spectacular event.

The free outdoor event was designed to highlight the powerful architecture of

London as well as adding a more interactive aspect to it. However the festival is not limited to one city, with the first event taking place in Durham 2009. With that being such a hit, the festival continued to illuminate cities throughout the years. The event took place for four nights and each one saw sculptures, projections and even an aquarium in a red phone box being switched on from 5.30pm until 10.30pm for public viewing. Whilst there was a huge amount to see throughout this period, there were a few that particularly stuck in my mind for their inventive nature and huge scale.

My favourite piece of the evening, Child Hood took place in Trafalgar square.

The piece created by French group Collectif Coin who focus on creating site specific installations focusing on the environment they use.

This particular work created a sort of floor based cloud of balloons which lit up in time to an ominous soundtrack.

The wind of the night gave the added element of movement to the piece, whereas many of the others remained static, creating a more interesting visual. A close second favourite was set up within walking distance at Leicester Square. Nightlife was created by a UK based artist

and played with the idea of wildlife in an urban environment. The delicate work saw nature illuminated in giant sculptures of rabbits, butterflies, and various floral shapes. What was interesting about it was that it literally gave light to an otherwise R O B E R TA H O W S O N -J A N E S

unknown nightlife.

The only downside to the entire festival was the limited time the artworks were available for viewing. However, if you are willing to brave the cold, be sure to keep an eye out for the next event!

LIFESTYLE | PAGE 23

Pets of the Month

O W N E R : W I L L W AT E R S

O W N E R : M O L L Y-J A N E B O W E N

OWNER: CONNOR

P E T ’ S N A M E : H O L LY

PET’S NAME: TIPSY

VIDAL P E T ’ S N A M E : FA B I O

P H O T O G R A P H E R : M O L L Y-J A N E B O W E N

OWNER: JOHANNA LITTLE

S Q U I R R E L I N S T. J A M E S ’ S P A R K ,

PET’S NAME: THUMPER

LO N D O N

FA R MYA R D S P EC I A L FA R M E R : H A R R I E T H U R F O R D

NAME: SNOWBALL DOUGHBALL

NAMES: DANNY AND JAMIE

NAME: SAUSAGE

NAME: CORNFLAKE NAME: BELLE

E N T E R TA I N M E N T | PA G E 2 4

P L AY LO U D !

BLACK MIRROR

M U S I C T O W AT C H

Robert Bern tells us why learning an instrument is a must do

What did entertainment regular Taz Usher think of Season 4?

Can you sing a song in sign language?

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entertainment Remember to Millie’s Mumblings relax ARI CARRINGTON Entertainment Editor

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ERE we again, with another issue packed to bursting with fantastic content about things you guys are really passionate about.

It’s always my favourite part of editing each issue, seeing what things you all want to write about, and seeing you do it with such energy!

There’s some incredible work again this month, and you can really see the passion shining through all the pieces.

I’ve been thinking a lot about passion for work as we’ve built up this issue. And this month I’m really proud to be able to share a little of mine with you, in Creative Corner. A short story I wrote a couple of years ago has just been published in an anthology of stories, along with works by a number of Australian authors (including my aunt!). This story is really important to me, as I wanted to explore some of the darker ideas of the human mind.

I’ve put an extract from the opening of the story in Creative Corner, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it! I definitely loved writing it.

The whole process of getting there these last few months has really made me think. I never write anymore – I haven’t since I took the creative writing module in second year. But why? I love writing, I have endless notebooks/scraps of paper filled with ideas. Simply put, I never have time to write. I know they say “make time for the things you love” – but it’s not always possible. I’m in my final year – if I have any free time, it goes to catching up on some reading, or hitting the gym so I don’t lose my mind to stress. And as this term progresses, so does the intensity and the workload.

But we’ve got to find that thing that makes us keep pushing on. Yes, the workload’s getting crazy, and everything else is gearing up too. But there’s not really any other option, so it’s all about finding the ways to keep on going with it, even when it’s tough, even if it’s always tough. If you can take a day off every now and then, to just chill out and relax – always take that opportunity, otherwise just find little things day to day. But it’s got to be more than just making it through – you need to carve out time for something you love too. Because that’s what’s going to give you the real payoff.

MILLIE FARQUAH

3rd year English Literature

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AST weekend (27 January) I attended an event at the National Film and Television School hosted by the job searching platform My First Job In Film. It was an eye-opening event about how to get ‘up and running’ (the name of the event and

Many actors do not have the luxury of choice when it comes to jobs a useful phrase) in the film industry.

Whilst I was there, I met a girl who was just a little over 15 and we got to talking about her dreams for the future. She wanted to be an actress, more than anything in the world. And she had had a large amount of experience working as an extra for films like Pirates of the Caribbean. We were talking about how difficult it is to break into the industry as an actor and that she wanted to take every single role that was offered to her, something which I can relate to even if I work behind the camera.

But upon reflection, I realised that inexperienced actors and actresses have a

much harder time of it than we do. It seems obvious that actors and actresses without experience have a hard time, especially given the backlash Hollywood has recently received over abuse and harassment, not to mention the competition from others, but after a little discussion and some reflection, there are so many more obstacles actors face when starting out in the industry.

The first thing that comes to mind is that many actors do not have the luxury of choice when it comes to jobs.

Many are so keen or desperate to work that they will say yes to anything that comes their way, even if that project is a film about Lesbian Vampire Killers (yes, that’s a real film, starring none other than James Corden).

But many do not realise the damage a bad project can do to your reputation and credibility as an actor, something which is shown in the career of Brendan Fraser, someone who many people today have never heard of. He was the star of the Mummy franchise, with fingers in many pies such as the Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Crash.

However, when he agreed to return to the Mummy franchise in 2008 with the Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008 and it was slashed by

critics and fans alike, Fraser soon fell into obscurity, being dropped from Journey to the Centre of the Earth 2 in favour of Dwayne, the Rock, Johnson and passed up for so many roles over the coming years. One bad film ruined Fraser’s reputation and ultimately was responsible for his fall from grace! This shows just how much influence the film itself has on someone’s career.

Working behind the camera, you get more freedom,

Working behind the camera, you get more freedom, something I am eternally grateful for something I am eternally grateful for. I get more chances to gain experience and there are so many more jobs out there because of it.

I have so much respect for people trying to get into the industry, it takes an incredible amount of dedication and determination. I cannot wait to work alongside actors and directors in the future and helping to create their dreams and form their films in the future!

E N T E R TA I N M E N T | PA G E 2 5

7 Reasons to Learn an Instrument ROBERT BERN 2nd Year History

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OR many, the idea of learning an instrument has been a vague fantasy allotted into perhaps one or two years’ worth of new years resolutions.

What with start-up costs tending towards a high price point for a not inconsiderable degree of effort, being able to pluck out a few chords or blow a few rests basically seems like an unappealing lost cause. However, if you were ever in any doubt as to the benefits of ascending to the rank of maestro, look no further. Here are 7 reasons why learning an instrument could actually be beneficial to your student life.

1 It can introduce focus and structure to your life.

I’m not going to pretend that learning the violin will suddenly encourage you to hand all your essays in a week before their respective deadlines, nor is it any more likely to get you out of bed willingly than a halls fire alarm. However, spending some time playing an instrument each day can certainly provide you with an incentive to set yourself time limits; arguably a better outcome than had you lay in bed for that last hour doing Buzzfeed quizzes and scrolling through Instagram.

Musicians tend to approach practice differently. Some choose to structure it rigidly, others pick up their instrument as and when. Some simply don’t bother. However, a casual learner who picks up their instrument in the midst of sheer boredom from time to time, may find that the activity provides just the right amount

of mental engagement and easy-entertainment to wake them up enough to complete the reading for an essay.

2 It can be simultaneously relaxing AND productive.

Leading on from my last point, playing an instrument is one of those few activities whereby the partaker usually finds a balance of fulfilment, challenge and enjoyment. Of course, there are many, many wonderful pass-times someone may choose. Sports, art, performance arts, botanical studies and video games can all provide people with the sense of personal achievement that little else can provide.

However, while the sense of personal achievement of learning an instrument matches that of the aforementioned activities, there are some features of jamming around that the others do not share. For example, you’re unlikely to get muddy or covered in paint (though it is possible, be warned), you’re not going to receive any kicks to the face (though again, this is a possibility), and you’re never going to risk losing your saved game. Unlike painting abstract modernist surrealism, an instrument and music theory forces creativity within given confines. However, this makes it more akin to a sonic jigsaw puzzle for a rainy day than a path to perceptive enlightenment.

3 It can be sociable or an individual activity.

Ask many musicians why they took up the instrument and it’s highly likely that somewhere in the mist of their cryptic response is a partition of motivation following a sentiment that goes along the lines

of “initially to acquire the attention of people matching my particular sexual preference… but then I stayed for the music”.

Whether or not this is the case, playing an instrument can seriously improve or destroy your social life, depending on how you apply your newfound skill to your quests for friendship. Unless you despise the attention of other people, you may find that playing an instrument can simply serve as a straightforward, go-to icebreaker for those ineffective team-building activities. Nonetheless, it may encourage you to attend jam nights, form bands or even do something as simple as bringing your acoustic guitar to a campfire. Caution is advised here, as there are many scenarios to which pulling out your trumpet might be considered an annoying or inappropriate response to the situation, including but not limited to house parties, weddings and/or funerals. However, to suggest that learning an instrument can open doors to new social groups - should you not wish to keep it private – would be an understatement.

4 It can introduce work opportunities.

Don’t be under any illusion that just because you play an instrument to a professional standard means that people are going to pay for the privilege of hearing you play. In fact, most will try to rip you off or avoid paying you altogether.

Unfortunately, the ‘market’ is saturated with mediocre bands who will undertake such unfair contracts, so don’t imagine that forming a band and running through a few standard covers of the Killers and the Red Hot

Sign-a-Song with RUSLS HRISTINA MIHAYLOVA 4th Year Psychology

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HE SIGN language society (RUSLS) invite you to join their Valentines’ themed sign a song event on 8th February from 6pm in Ed-

ith Morley G25. Sign a song sessions are open to everyone, even complete beginners, as each song is taught from scratch. They are a fun way to learn and remember different signs, to have some pizza, and to meet other students from all over campus.

Last year the society learned the songs “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri and “Castle on the Hill”

by Ed Sheeran. The events were well regarded by members and non-members alike, as they are quite fun way to learn some sign language and

Chilli Peppers will land you a record deal. However, there are certainly still opportunities to make money from your craft.

You could busk on the street, perhaps by bringing along a portable keyboard and playing some sultry, quiet covers of modern top 40 hits (I have personally known some to make upwards of £2,000 a week using this one weird method).

Session musicians are always required to sub in for function bands or recording artists. You may even land yourself a residency if people like your style.

Or you could simply pass on your knowledge for a small fee, teaching can be both rewarding and an easy way to supplement your income (or lack thereof).

5 It can change your approach to thought.

There’s a couple of different ways in which playing an instrument can alter your perspective. Most notably, it can encourage creativity and a zest for perseverance in the face of frustration. This probably doesn’t need explanation, but learning an instrument is essentially a combination of theoretical and physical problems to solve. Many tend to view it in a numerical sense, but most can be interpreted in terms of shapes, colours, or simply sound alone.

However, an instrument will almost definitely force you to constantly self-critique honestly and, upon becoming frustrated with your current ability, look for new ways to improve.

This will inevitably influence your approach to other problems in life. You might try to add some flair to your report, or it might give you an idea of how you might go about a psy“sing along” without actually having to sing.

The song will be voted for by members, with the choice this year including some sad and happy songs, as well as some classics: “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt; “Yellow” by Coldplay, “Hold Back the River” by James Bay and “Your Song” by Elton John.

The poll will be opened until 3rd February, you can vote

chological study in a more productive manner.

6 You may begin to appreciate music more.

Aside from those strange people who say they don’t like music, most can appreciate the odd ditty, anything to get groovy to in the club. Easy listening lo-fi, Top 40 hits and the more palatable tastes of music culture all probably have a semblance of influence on your life or people in your life. But being forced to deconstruct music in order to play it will almost certainly develop your understanding of music structure. This will more than likely cause you to consider your tastes more deeply.

You may ultimately find yourself completely engrossed in a genre, searching for similarities in music everywhere you hear it. Be it 4am Chopin in MacDonald’s or dance beats in the gym, even the most mundane tune may actually have elements you can now appreciate.

7. You make a friend for life Above all else, learning an instrument grants you eternal company. There’s no instrument you can’t learn to a reasonable standard within a year, and secondary instruments become easier to learn after the first. While all the primary concerns that people have preventing them from picking up a bass, ukulele or harmonica are somewhat justified, if the passion is there, nobody has ever regretted learning to play music. You never know, it may just take you somewhere you were never expecting to go. Like the job centre.

Coincidentally, if you would like to learn to play guitar, contact Rob at robert.bern43@ gmail.com, or find me on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/ robert.bern.96 All abilities and styles welcome. on facebook.com/RUSigning If you would like to know more about the society, visit our RUSU page and email us on rusls1234@gmail.com.

H R I S T I N A M I H AY LO VA

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Wakanda Forever GEORGIA COURTNEY-COX 1st Year English Literature

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ARVEL fans are savouring each new update to the countdown of the Black Panther movie. From the teaser trailer released in July 2017 which had all YouTube reaction channels buzzing with excitement, to the official trailer that dropped in November, the soundtrack teasers from famous faces in the industry such as Kendrick Lamar, Future and SZA, to finally the extended featurettes in January. To say that this movie is highly an-

ticipated would be an understatement.

What makes this movie so highly anticipated is the presentation of Wakanda, a fictional nation situated in Africa that first appeared in the Fantastic Four comic book #52. Wakanda can be seen as paying homage to the African nations with rich depictions of the scenery from the trailer which draws close attention to its roots as the Motherland. Wakanda is the home of vibrant colours, tropical greenery and lush landscapes heavily infused with afro-futurism of highly constructed technology seen

in the warriors’ armour and the surrounding architecture.

Whether you are a Marvel fan, a DC fanatic or neither of the above, Black Panther is definitely a film to watch out for. What also makes this film so anticipated is the scheduled release date during the middle of the United States’ celebration of Black History Month. The movie readapts the comic book storyline of the first black superhero in the Marvel universe which fans have not seen portrayed on the big screen, further adding to the hype. As a huge Marvel fan myself, I have seen snippets of the Black

Panther’s character appearing in Captain America Civil War and like many other Marvel fans we are so ready to see him in his own movie.

Speaking of Captain America Civil War, the top selling Marvel movie of 2016 has now been dethroned by the Black Panther. It is reported that the Black Panther now holds the record for most pre-sale tickets in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya jokes in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he ‘hasn’t bought his ticket because [he] hopes they will save him one’ however the interview takes a less playful tone with the actor revealing that the movie will ‘change the world’ and that being a part of the process was an ‘absolute

privilege’.

The impact of this movie can even be seen in the creative Halloween costumes giving children a wider choice of role models for years to come. The reason the trailer and featurette visuals resonate particularly with black viewers is because it celebrates afro-futurism living in a future influenced by the richness of black culture.

In February, the Black Panther will give movie goers who are not typically represented in leading roles on the big screen, especially in the superhero universe, the opportunity to be represented, included and celebrated. So be part of history in the making and go see what the hype surrounding this movie is all about.

Black Mirror Season 4 Review TAZ USHER

1st Year English Language / Applied Linguistics

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HARLIE Brooker brings Netflix viewers another haunting, yet addictive, season of the Netflix original series ‘Black Mirror’ for the fourth time. With the previous seasons leaving its viewers with a powerful perspective of humanity, and the future that may be encroaching on us, Brooker puts a refreshing twist on this season with his exploration of the dangerous, and often fatal, potential that advances in science and technology could have on our race. And for those of you that are unfamiliar with the series, you can start at season 4 without watching the previous three. One of the many great things about this original programme is that each episode is in isolation: covering a different concept, in a completely different setting and with completely new characters. If you’re like me and hopeless when it comes to keeping up to date with series, this is one to try…

Across the six episodes, Brooker addresses the contemporary concepts of gaming, dating software, and tracking devices, whilst innovating some unnerv-

ing presentations of human memory and conscience preservation. Below I give my personal take on a couple of my favourite episodes from this series - I’ve tried as best as I can to avoid giving too many spoilers.

EPISODE 2- ARKANGEL If you’ve ever considered your mum or dad to be somewhat of a ‘paranoid’ parent, you’ll find yourself extremely grateful after watching this episode. Brooker tackles the parental fear of exposing children to the real world, intertwined with a revolution-

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ary tracking device which allows one mother to monitor all that her daughter sees and does. Nevertheless, this serious attempt to protect her daughter from the evils of the world soon transforms into something much more controlling when she chooses to reactive the device further into her daughter’s teenage years- leading her to see much more than she’d wished to. A harrowing reminder of our human right to privacy.

EPISODE 4- HANG THE DJ

Whilst I’m still yet to discover the connection between the title of this episode and the content of the episode itself, this clever insight into the future of blind dating is a careful reminder of the importance of keeping it ‘real’ in the world of romance.

Brooker gives Tinder, match. com and eHarmony a run for their money with this new take on online dating which brings its life-long users to a restaurant where they are aptly matched with new lad or lady. Like any other dating website, this new system

helps individuals to experience a range of characters before finding the one that’s ‘right’ for them. But it’s the system’s complete dominance over this final decision that spurs two of its users to break free from the chain. A promise of romance which suppresses the laws of destiny.

EPISODE 6- BLACK MUSEUM The most chilling episode of them all is set in an abandoned museum in the Australian outback which a young, inquisitive teenager travelling nearby is keen to explore. The owner of the museum; a man roughly in his 40s- gives the girl a detailed and slightly horrifying history of the items on display. An electronically wired headpiece which enabled a pain-addicted doctor to experience his dying patients’ pain; a cuddly bear which is the eternal host of a coma patient’s neglected conscience; a holographic projection of a wrongly-convicted murderer which the owner revels in the manual electrocution of.

But when the girl reveals her close connection with the innocent electrocution target, it is the owner which soon becomes a part of the most helpless display in the museum. A twisted tale of tyranny.

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Marvel versus DC LUCY HOWELLS

2nd Year English Language

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ANUARY, a freezing time of year and a universally acknowledged time of sadness, a time when you put your virtually unattainable goals for 2018 into place.

Joyous. However, if you’re an avid superhero movie fan like me, then you may be feeling surprisingly sprightly.

This year, Marvel and DC are set to deliver some very late Christmas presents for fans, in the form of films: Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and DC’s Aquaman (2018). As Aquaman symbolises the thrilling beginning of DC’s new superhero band of misfits’ journey, and Infinity War marks a conclusive end to the longstanding and much-loved Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. It is clear to see why these anticipations alone are keeping me warm this winter!

Having this in mind, I shall be reviewing the recent releases of Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and DC’s Justice League (2017), to help you decide who you should be paying most attention to this year… Marvel or DC? THOR: RAGNAROK (2017) Director: Taika Waititi Written By: Eric Pearson Ragnarok, by definition means “the fall of Asgard.”

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However, Thor: Ragnarok, truly means to anyone who has seen it, the rise of the Thor franchise. Our favourite feuding brothers, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) are back in their third instalment (or Thor-ilogy), only this time there might not be any Asgard left to fight over. Owing to the unleashing of Odin’s (Antony Hopkins) darkest secret, Thor is found stranded and held captive on the bizarre planet of Sakaar, in which a strange turn of events has the God of thunder set to fight against fellow marooned pal and Avenger, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). But hold my hammer, if that wasn’t enough for you, Thor must desperately make it back to his planet Asgard before it and all of its inhabitants are completely demolished by Ragnarok, the prophesied reckoning.

Thor: Ragnarok is a masterful cinematic display of Marvel nailing (or should I say hammering… okay I’ll stop now) their niche, with their perfect formula of rambunctious humour and classic rock powered kickass action scenes. Pearson’s outlandish jokes are unswervingly unpredictable and endearing, the impeccable choice of Led Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song” sparks electric currents in both Gods, and

human audiences alike, and the spell binding fight scenes gives one the need to also do battle against blinking, in order not to miss the flawlessly choreographed action.

Generally, these features do tend to come with the adrenaline igniting party that is the Marvel package, however, Waititi’s Thor seems to go above and beyond. The cinematography is quite unique to its predecessors, with every shot impressively oozing spectacular ethereal beauty; a modern-day recreation of heavenly mythological art, that you must see for yourself to believe. Alas, Ragnarok doesn’t just seem to have moved forward cinematographically, but the film also spoils us in (not one, but two!) multidimensional female main characters, who are typified as strong and independent within their own right, rather than as a romantic accessory to a male protagonist, or even more comically, simplified as evil as a result of an unrealistic backstory of being scorned by a man. For many reasons, Thor: Ragnarok is fresh, loud, and bursting with life, and has utterly revived Thor from his past as the strong, but often left trailing behind Avenger. Massive thanks to Waititi for giving Thor the movie he deserved, but as

Thor’s infamous tagline goes “that’s just what heroes do.”

JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017) Directed by: Zack Synder Written by: Chris Terrio After DC’s recent renowned success of the magnificent Wonder Woman (2017) movie (reigning in $103.1 million at the domestic box office), I could not have been more eager to witness its very own notorious comic book idols finally uniting to save humanity. However, sadly it would seem that the only thing they could not save us from, was complete and utter

This year, Marvel and DC are set to deliver some very late Christmas presents for fans, in the form of films: Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and DC’s Aquaman (2018) disappointment. Following on from Batman vs. Superman (2017), Justice League sees Batman (Ben Affleck) inspired by Superman’s memory (Henry Cavill) and on a quest to build a superhero team to defend the Earth from the greatest evil yet. He gains the trust of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to help him enlist a team, which include big names: Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher).

Despite a star-packed cast and the long-awaited plot of DC’s very own Avengers, the film flopped on multiple accounts, with a stale story-line and predictable “surprises” that failed to distract or redeem itself. Beginning the cast of disenchantment, Ben’s Batman remains a mere caricature of Christian Bale’s, ex-

FLICKR/ANTMAN3001

uding no personal expression to the role other than stifled.

This could be assumed to be because of the thick black mask which he dons most of the film, but alas, when the mask is removed, Affleck is still suffocated and veiled.

In between DC’s infamously loved sombre and gritty tone, Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller provide comic relief in the form of the loveable brute Aquaman and adorable outsider The Flash. However, whilst they did offer some one-dimensional hilarity, the lack of character development was often an overriding niggle.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman remained my only saviour, as a fleshed-out character with realistic emotional variety, however, this felt sooner squashed and undone by frequent unnecessary comments concerning her looks, and at one point, a fellow Justice League teammate needlessly falling on her breasts. Oh…what about Cyborg, I hear you say? Exactly.

THE VERDICT: Marvel (1) DC (0) Whilst DC’s Aquaman (2018) has a strong possibility of being far more successful than its precursor by having a tighter focus on Aquaman’s story (without any bad bats) and hopefully including a stronger sense of character progression, after watching Thor: Ragnarok it would seem that Marvel’s Infinity War (2018) with the reappearance of the loveable hammer yielding God would be the one to watch .

E N T E R TA I N M E N T | PA G E 2 8

This Month in BandSoc ROBERT BERN 2nd Year History

R

IDING on the coattails of refreshers, Bandsoc has been hard at work preparing for the months ahead.

Most notably, coming up on the 1st of February is Bandsoc’s bi-Monthly Encore gig - live music from 8 til late in Café Mondial. This month’s Encore event will be in aid of Childreach, a global charity that seeks to protect the

rights of children all over the world, ensuring to the best of their capability that children have access to clean water, food, housing, education and much more. If quality live music isn’t your bag, then come and have pre-drinks with us in support of a good cause. There will be Krispy Kreme Donuts available too!

Newcomers to the Encore scene, Tiger’s Bride, will be opening the night. This band’s secrecy and shrouded

mystique hasn’t stopped rumours spreading that these cats are not to be missed.

Volume and distortion are Local Reading favourites, Favourite Fears, will be bringing their Indie Hard Rock sound to the stage

hotly anticipated, but no one knows quite what’s going to happen. We’ll have to wait with bated breath and see.

Following Tiger’s Bride, local Reading favourites, Favourite Fears, will be bringing their Indie Hard Rock sound to the stage. Steeped in energy and danceable beats, you can expect a mix of Arc-

tic Monkeys-esque tone and attitude with assertive guitar solos and intelligent, mature songwriting. Their most recent EP, “Feed the Addiction”, can be found on their website, soundcloud and YouTube. This band aren’t messing around.

Third up on stage, Reading University Band Society’s flagship band, the Bolivars, will be playing what could be their last gig for some time.

The fun, eclectic trio are unfortunately likely to part ways in the next few months, but they are determined to go out with a bang. A combination of melodic ballads and infectiously catchy bangers awaits the audience as this dearly beloved band sets sail for one last voyage. You can

find their debut single ‘Don’t Blame It on Me’ on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and other major platforms for a taste of the talent that might be slipping through our fingers.

Finally, our headline act: Quebek. This hard-working, hard-rocking band have a most impressively full roster of songs to offer. Their groovalicious, trance-inducing roster of tunes displays their massive pool of skill, soul and sincerity. Few other bands can match the degree of excitement and joy onstage that they induce. With this band closing the night, you’re in for a good time whether you want one or not.

Come down and see the justified hype for yourself, this band have yet to disappoint.

C R E AT I V E C O R N E R C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G F R O M O U R S TA R S T U D E N T W R I T E R S

A R I C A R R I N GTO N Creative Corner is probably my favourite part of the Entertainment section to read every month – getting to see the amazing creative efforts of a variety of different students here is fantastic, and I hope all of you enjoy seeing the great works of students here as much as I do.

This month I’ve got something very special for you guys to read (and hopefully enjoy!). It’s an extract from a short story of mine, Barefoot in the Snow. It’s just been published in an anthology, Seasons of Discontent, which features a number of works, all on the themes of winter or discontentment, from some amazing Australian authors, including my aunt, Sophie L Macdonald.

I was really lucky to get to contribute to this book, and I’m so excited to have my first short story published.

So check out the extract below, and if you like it, check out the book for the rest of the story!

You can pick up a copy online from blurb.com/ b/8414931-seasons-of-discontent

BAREFOOT IN THE SNOW The sleet falls over me, but I do not feel it. I press my palm against the window, my hand too cold to make any sort of impression upon the frigid glass. My breath puffs out, too icy to fog the glass.

Yet on the other side it is so warm and busy that droplets of condensation are gathering in the corners of the panes.

It is a bar, packed to bursting with young students in high spirits. The new term has just begun and their responsibilities and deadlines are so far in the distance that they may as well not exist. And so here they are, night after night, drinking pint after pint, laughing and joking without a care in the world.

A young man, average build with choppy brown hair, holds two glasses. Without looking at her or pausing in his conversation, he hands one of the glasses to a girl who is seated, though most of the group is standing. Perhaps it is her shoes that have forced her to sit. They are beautiful, but intricate and incredibly high - patent black leather, with more straps than I could count caging each foot completely. I once owned a pair just like them; a gift from an old boyfriend. But the day I left him I flung open the large bay window and tossed the damned things to the street far below. Those shoes were not made for standing, as hers aren’t. She could never be comfortable standing in that crowd.

She holds the glass with both hands, her knuckles slightly whitening with tension, rested in her lap. She is very still, eerily so. If one were to simply cast a passing eye across the bar they could easily miss her, or dismiss her as a part of the background scenery.

Condensation is beginning to form on the outside of her glass too. The heat from her hands is melting the ice in the glass. It’s funny; here I stand with frost forming on the hem of my skirt, turning it from red to palest pink, and yet just a few feet away a girl sits, so warm and holding a glass full of rapidly melting ice.

A drop rolls down the side of the glass, pooling onto her red woolen dress, darkening it with a small uneven spot.

It is just water, it will not stain, but she frets over it, placing the glass on the bar and rubbing at it. She keeps her movements minimal and tries to be discreet about it, but it worries her greatly. Her brow furrows deeply as she tries in vain to remove the damp mark. The man with her notices her movements and turns slightly towards her, a slight frown crossing his face. She continues to stare at the mark on her lap, but ceases bothering it, simply laying her hand over it.

He reaches out and pats her shoulder and she smiles.

He turns his back to her once more, continuing his conversation with his friend. She picks up her drink again.

E N T E R TA I N M E N T | PA G E 2 9

PUZZLES IT’S PUZZLE TIME!

DOWN 1 Rescue tip from ploy for sausage (7) 2 It's used to measure a sovereign (5) 3 Mother's arranged frame, forming a permanent resin (13) 4 Could it carry everything? No (7) 5 Fruit company (5) 6 Short dress Ned's lifted in German city (7) 7 Display how support initially leads? (4) 12 Warm lather splashed around top of midriff (7) 13 A slicer's distributed cakes (7) 14 Pilot a plant feature in part of book (7) 16 CPS welcomes alternative division in army (5) 18 Evening? It would be 14 days after fort! (5) 19 Some concerned an eagle (4)

ACROSS 1 Withdraw from ace, say, in a better game?

(11) 8 Shanty home often vetoed edible lamb heads (5) 9 Overshadowing cuts in Europe's borders (7) 10 Two animals making an elementary name once? (7) 11 Change soldiers in ad (5) 12 Attempt to score at Rugby? (3) 13 Support for artists relax model at last (5) 14 Something cooling a supporter (3) 15 Do well with complex cellulite (5) 17 Can sort for an old photo (7) 20 "Drink, Martin? I'm at the end!" (7) 21 Grassy emerald? (5) 22 Forget loss of eight in error (4,5,2)

Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium TAZ USHER 1st Year English Language / Applied Linguistics

J

UST a few minutes walk away from Brick Lane, Shoreditch in London is home to one of Britain’s most unique cafes- Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium.

For those of you who are cat lovers, this will probably be an absolute dream for you; not only do you get to natter with you friends over a lovely hot drink, but you can do all TA Z U S H E R

of this in the company of several furry friends I had the pleasure of visiting the Emporium on the first Thursday of this year with my Mum and sister. My sister and I had seen the café advertised on a Facebook pop-up a few months ago and thought it would be the ‘purrfect’ gift for our cat-crazy mum.

From the outside, the café looks like any regular coffee shop: a couple of baristas making delicious hot drinks from those listed on the handwritten chalk boards behind them. However, upon enter-

ing the café, it was soon clear that the experience was due to be unique in comparison to an average Costa catch-up.

We were met by a lovely team of staff who were both organised and showed a genuine admiration of the cats.

After listening to a few health and safety guidelines we were then guided to the central café where we were greeted by several cats - some on the chairs, some playing with toys, some strolling around, and others making use of the fantastic environment that has been designed for them.

The layout of the shop features an Alice in Wonderland theme including a large tree sculpture with a hanging bridge (the sleeping spot of the largest cat in the café), a flower-styled bed stand and even a ‘cat’ wheel (similar to those found in a hamster’s

cage!). The experience included choosing a cat-themed drink from a menu including drinks such as a “cattachino, moccat and iced catte” and being seated on a table next to these structures whilst watching the cats go about their daily adventures. The café staff had also provided us with toys to tempt the cats over with-although we had little luck with this once their food had been brought out and they became preoccupied.

Once we'd got talking to one of the waiters, we soon also learnt the heartwarming story behind the cats' arrivals at the cafe. These cats were rescued animals from the local area, and some beyond, which had been brought in, re-stabilised and given a permanent home which they all adore.

The best part of the visit has to of been meeting the biggest and cuddliest cat of the bunch,

Wookie, which was without a doubt two times the size of my regular cat at home. His paw was roughly the same size as a toddler’s hand and once it was feeding time, there was no stopping him from having a taste of all the other cats’ food!

The atmosphere was great as everyone was so engaged with the cats and the rooms never got too loud due to a collective fear of waking all the adorable sleepy felines.

It was an hour I wish could have been extended to last the whole day but one that was nevertheless definitely worth its price!

All tickets have to be purchased online beforehand as the café is so popular, however if you have the opportunity to go, I’d highly recommend doing so as a Mother’s Day gift or day out with a couple of friends this year. ladydinahs.com

E N T E R TA I N M E N T | PA G E 3 0

HOROSCOPES F I N D O U T W H AT T H E S TA R S A R E S AY I N G A B O U T YO U T H I S M O N T H

ARIES

TA U R U S

GEMINI

CANCER

MARCH 21 - APRIL 19

A P R I L 2 0 - M AY 2 0

M AY 2 1 - J U N E 2 0

J U N E 2 1 - J U LY 2 2

The ram will want to utilise its horns this month! Most everything you aim for, especially in your close relationships, will seem like a battle. However, remember to pick themyou can’t always have your own way. This feeling of detriment and frustration will soon pass, as long as you make the effort to cool your fire and ride it out.

February is a busy time for Taureans, and it will feel like you need a constant flow of energy to deal with the matters at hand. Use your stubbornness to your advantage, make the best of your time and try to apply yourself to the many aspects of your life that are pulling you every which way. This month is tough but very fulfilling if you can take the heat. However, it also just as important to take some time out for yourself, you need a break too!

This month is one which will be fruitful for matters of love and understanding. The time is now if you’re single and want to risk asking somebody who has caught your eye on a date, or even just to venture into the world of relationships. Luck is with the Gemini this month, as risky decisions should pay off.

However, it is also important to stay grounded, luck does come and go and there’s always pride before a fall - be humble!

You may feel slightly underappreciated in some periods of this month but you must remember that not everyone is as emotionally adept as you are. The feeling of giving but not receiving anything back will be prominent but there is no use feeling sorry! You may make a new friend at work or there may even be new love interest on the horizon. Keep your eyes peeled!

LIBRA

SCORPIO

LEO

VIRGO

J U LY 2 3 - A U G U S T 2 2

AUGUST 23- SEPTEMBER 22

S E P T E M B E R 2 3 - O C TO B E R 2 2

O C TO B E R 2 3 - N O V E M B E R 2 1

Your roar will be slightly muffled this month but you are urged to stand up for your opinion. You may feel as though others are not listening to you and that your opinions do not matter to your wider circle. Confide in a water sign, a close connection will listen and give you the audience you deserve.

You may be feeling a little overworked this month and in need of some TLC. Take a day off or make time for activities that you enjoy instead of trying to please everyone.

Those who are in relationships are urged to be more attentive to their partner, you may be so wrapped up in your work that you are neglecting someone!

The scales are balancing in your favour this month as you are regarded well by your peers for something you have achieved. Your hard work has paid off and you will have the chance to win at many opportunities if you have enough self-belief. Go easy on someone who has angered you, you might not know the full story.

You may feel a lot calmer this month than you have felt previously; your stinger has retracted for a little while! You’ll feel a lot more patient and willing to give people or activities a try.

This month is all about new beginnings and for the Scorpio it is about letting go of past grudges and allowing people back into your life again.

S A G I T TA R I U S

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21

DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19

JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18

FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20

This month is a month of the phrase ‘you win some, you lose some’. You might feel disappointment with a result from a task you completed, or perhaps you were turned down. However, rejoice in the fact that these perceived failures are in fact a blessing in disguise. They may open the door to new opportunities on the horizon and see you progress more than before. .

Due to your element of earth being deep-rooted in your personality the combination with Aquarius’ air can be rough. You may feel like you have no control over the events which happen to you and that you are on a wheel of fortune. This is purely a cosmic feeling rather than a reality. However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take up a new hobby at this time- you have to break the routine you are so fond of.

To most of you, Happy Birthday! This month does indeed have it windfalls. You should be lucky in material matters and prosper in any business ventures you may be partaking in.

In terms of love, Aquarius should take a more attentive approach to an issue a partner has, and if single you must also echo a sense of empathy right now- your trusty sensitivity needs some revival in February!

This month you should be extra careful with your health- watch out for clumsiness and silly mistakes! This means taking a more relaxed approach to life and to stop spreading yourself too thin- it only results in mental and physical drainage. This month is good, however, in matters of the heart. You will get to know someone a lot better and develop a deeper relationship, and you will feel satisfied in romantic endeavours.

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SPORT | PAGE 33

sport Spring Into Action MANON JONES Sports Print Editor

J

ANUARY is over and fingers crossed warmer weather will be on the way soon. With all this rain and cold dark nights getting many of us down, we have been working hard this month to bring you a range of exciting events coming up on campus and quick easy guides to getting

the most out of that fresh spring air. So let’s hop to it and get on with this month’s top picks.

Last week the University launched #ReadingGirlsCan week in support of the national campaign ThisGirlCan which is helping to inspire women around the country to try something new and get involved in sports. For those stumped

for ideas for valentine’s day, worry no longer as Laura has got you covered with four sport activities for you to try with your beloved.

Learn how to sweep them off their feet with some saucy dance moves - why not take them along to one of the dance societies to get your groove on? Catch up with Becky as she rounds up the latest news from Read-

Go for gold with RUSU MANON JONES Sports Print Editor

T

HIS year RUSU has announced the introduction of the Knights Accreditation Scheme for Sports and Dance societies on campus.

Structured similar to that of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, the Knights Accreditation Scheme will ensure our sports clubs are being rewarded for their commitment and the positive impacts they have on the student body as well as their successes.

There are three different levels to this scheme – bronze, silver and gold.

Each level will have differ-

ent requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to progress. These requirements are focused on many aspects of the union, ranging from raising money for charity to non-drinking socials and much, much more.

When you have completed the requirements for a level, complete the survey by ticking the boxes and submit to Student Activities. Each requirement needs to be backed up with evidence, so e-mail all evidence to Student Activities via e-mail (student.activites@rusu. co.uk) once you have submitted the survey.

BRONZE Every club must reach

Bronze accreditation in order to be an affiliated club.

This means you are able to have a bank account, a webpage, ability to bid for funding/extra grant fund etc., RUSU booking and admin/development support.

Clubs must complete all 10 of the Bronze requirements to be considered a bronze standard club. These range from submitting a re-affiliation form with 4 positions including President, Treasurer, Secretary and Welfare.

You must also have a representative attend a minimum of 3 out of 5 activity group committee meetings (RUSU recommends you come to them all) and have a mini-

ing FC’s football season and when their next games are on at the Madjeski stadium throughout the year. If football is not your cup of tea, read more on the weird and wonderful types of sports that are from around the world and learn how you can make your ironing days extreme.

Step into the ring for a couple of hits as we get the

inside scoop on what it is like to be party of RUBOX, the University’s Boxing Society - there is more to it than just packing a punch!

As always, we are interested to hear what you want to be featured in the sports section. If you fancy writing for us, get in touch with your ideas by emailing us on sport@sparknewspaper. co.uk

mum of 15 members part of the society.

S I LV E R Every club should achieve this to show they are a well-run, developing club engaged with the Students union and the Knight community. Clubs must have achieved Bronze and completed 10 of the 15 of the Silver requirements to be considered a Silver standard club. Examples on how to achieve this stage include writing or featuring in an article for The Spark Newspaper (why not get in touch with us ahead of our next issue to get this ticked off ). You must also collaborate with another club or society to run a joint event or club swap ( this can be through breaking down barriers RUSU events). Ad-

ditionally, you must create a social media page/account to publicly publish results, show community work and promote the club on events such as non-alcohol socials.

GOLD Every club can easily achieve this, but can display a consistent level of effort put in by the committee to achieve a well-run and rounded club. Clubs that achieve this will be recognised at Awards and throughout the year through RUSU and social media. These stages include raising £300 for charity (can be in conjunction with RAG), running 3 volunteering events with at least 10% of members (can be in conjunction with RUSU planned volunteering projects) and increased your membership numbers by 10%.

SPORT | PAGE 34

#ReadingGirlsCan U N I V E R S I T Y O F R E A D I N G L AU N C H E S # T H I S G I R LC A N W E E K

Manon Jones Sports Print Editor

B

RING out the war paint and scrunchies!

This week (running from the 5 to 11 February) the University of Reading is launching their #thisgirlcan week in support of the national campaign helping to encourage women to try something new in sports.

This Girl Can is a national campaign that your RUSU Activities Officer, Charlotte O’Leary, is bringing to campus to celebrate women in sports. The national campaign was developed by Sport England and a wide range of partnership organisations. It’s a celebration of active women up and down the country who

are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look whilst doing it. Funded by The National Lottery and developed by Sport England, the aim is to help women overcome the fear of judgement that is stopping too many women and girls from joining in sporting activities.

Sport England CEO Jennie Price states that before starting the This Girl Can Campaign that they “looked very carefully at what women were saying about why they felt sport and exercise was not for them. …. One of the strongest themes was a fear of judgement. Worries about being judged for being the wrong size, not fit enough and not skilled

enough came up time and again.”

Sports should be a place where women can come together and be celebrated, not based upon their physical features, but upon their strengths as an athlete, offering a space to shake off the stresses of academia and worries where you can be passionate about taking part in something you always wanted to try and make new found friendships along the way.

Throughout the course of the week many societies on campus will be holding taster sessions for you to try, from mixed hockey to self defence classes. There is something for everyone, so get involved in this brilliant campaign!

RUSU

Ultimate Frisbee’s Hardcore Week 4 ARI CARRINGTON Entertainment Editor

W

EEK Four of spring term means one thing and thing only for the Ultimate Frisbee team: Hardcore Week 4. That’s right – every year the team cranks things up several notches with an intensive week of extra training, fitness, fun challenges and all kinds of crazy antics.

Pushing ourselves to the absolute limit is pretty much the goal. There’s extra training sessions throughout the week, including 7am fitness sessions most mornings.

Nothing brings a team to-

gether like push ups in the rain whilst it’s still dark out, after all.

But as hard as we work, we play harder, with 7am games of hide and seek around HUMSS (apologies to the bemused cleaners who got to see us sprinting around in our socks), entertaining challenges like training in fancy dress, and of course a week long game of assassins, in which participants are assigned targets throughout the week, until only one assassin is left standing. At the time of writing (halfway through Week 4), it’s too early to call a winner, but I can tell you for sure it won’t

be me, as I was taken down on day 1, with a copy of this very paper, no less.

And if that all wasn’t enough, everyone’s taken an individual challenge to make the week that bit more gruelling. These can be anything, and challenges this year range from fitness-related (1000 sit ups a day), to course-related (2000 words of a dissertation written per day), to random and just plain weird (imitating Big Ben, on the hour every hour).

It’s a crazy week, but we all come out of it fitter, faster, and more together as a team.

@ R E A D I N G K N I G H T S U L I T M AT E

SPORT | PAGE 35

The 4 Top Couples Sports LAURA STAES Secretary

S

TICKING to your New Year’s resolution until February can be a challenge especially once the Christmas weight has been lifted.

Thus, couples sports are introduced to help motivate one another to do better and keep pushing through the year to reach your goals.

These are Four Couple Sports I recommend: FITNESS WALKING What you need: • Running shoes

• A bottle of water • Comfortable clothes

This is perfect for couples that enjoy nature and romance. You could even have a picnic in the middle of your walk. However, if you F L I C K R / V L A D I M I R P U S TO V I T

do not want to embellish yourself in the commerciality of Valentines Day, you may discover new places of your neighbourhood together or go on the treadmill at the gym. In all aspects this is perfect, as you do not need to be heavily into sports to enjoy this workout. It is good for your overall fitness and circulatory system.

WEIGHT LIFTING What you need:

• • • •

larly for legs, arms, chest, back and abdominal area. It takes a lot of trust in your significant other to let them push you as far as you can go and you can bond over the accomplishments you make with new weights as you see each other grow.

F L I C K R / J A S M I N E K A LO U D I S

Sport shoes A bottle of water Comfortable clothes Circuits/sets

Weight lifting is one of those sports that do not require for you to be both at the same fitness level. You can take turns in motivating your significant other and then reset the equipment to your level.

This is an exercise particu-

• A water bottle • Yoga matt • Comfortable shoes

This is the most popular couple sport that exists.

When Valentines starts taking over the Internet, so do the couple yoga videos. Even many famous Youtubers have done a couple of these challenges (pun intended).

How does yoga help our physical health? It benefits an increase in our muscle strength, flexibility, toning

FLICKR / NICOLAS COOL/

DANCING What you need:

• Comfortable shoes / clothes • A bottle of water

What could possibly be more romantic than dancing? There are so many different styles a couple can do together exploring each style that took over every decade. As well as this, us students do it on a regular basis on nights out and aids us in meeting new people and maybe for the singles out there, a new partner.

This exercise aids in weight control and the overall fitness of our bodies. 1 hour of dancing could lead to 300 calories burned! So most of us are exercising without even knowing it.

YOGA What you need: • Comfortable clothes

and the realignment of the muscles. It is known to be a cardiovascular workout and is famous for being able to do it anywhere and also in private, unlike the weight lifting sport. It also helps create a deeper bond with your partner as they guide you to a decrease in stress and a better sense of self. It is an exercise that requires a lot of trust but is the best way to connect and get closer while improving yourself.

SPORT | PAGE 36

Drop and Give me Zen MANON JONES Sports Print Editor

K

NOWN for boosting both body and mind, yoga really can be for everyone. But how to start out on your yoga journey? From kitting out to finding classes, we have got you covered on how to become the ultimate yoga warrior.

DO YOUR RESEARCH Jumping straight into a yoga class that’s out of your depth is a sure-fire way to make you feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. Instead, do some research into the different classes offered at Sports Park. The stretches might seem gentle but the length of time you have to hold them for can be testing at first.

B E P AT I E N T Don’t expect to see miracles overnight when it comes

to flexibility and strength – this will take time and really is dependent on the individual. If you’re keen to start yoga to become more flexible, it’s worth remembering that the more stressed you are, the longer this process could take – high levels of cortisol in the blood can stop the body from relaxing and lengthening. While the average person can increase hamstring length fairly quickly, shoulder and hip flexibility takes time and requires consistent practice.

DO IT FOR THE MIND If you’re looking for a reason to get into yoga, the mental benefits almost outweigh the physical. Spending an hour focusing on your breathing in your own space can be hugely calming; breath work in general is often neglected and can have an overwhelming effect on our overall health. Breathing

properly helps to improve focus, energy, general health and the immune system.

WEAR THE RIGHT KIT Make sure your leggings aren’t too tight – this can inhibit certain poses and may cause them to strain at the seams. Similarly, if your t-shirt’s too baggy it’ll end up over your face when you’re in downward dog or a forward fold. Lastly, remember no socks and shoes – some studios even have a no-shoe policy. the mental benefits almost outweigh the physical.

DON’T FEAR THE STUDIO Setting foot in a yoga studio as a total beginner can be intimidating, but it’s crucial to practice with an instructor before going it

THEFROMFITNESS / UNSPLASH

alone. Learning basic technique is so important – even something as simple as readjusting your hips or feet can have a real impact on the posture and muscles used.

AVO I D CO M PA R I N G YOURSELF Yoga is one of those things that takes time for your

body to get used to and it can be frustrating when you feel like you can’t do poses as well as others in the class.

Try not to compare yourself to others – instead focus on your personal improvement and take it steady. Remember each body type is unique and different people are at different levels of expertise.

One race to rule them all MANON JONES Sports Print Editor

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ARATHONS come in all shapes and sizes, and there’s not right or wrong way to run a marathon. There’s so much variety in marathons out there, so there’s sure to be one to suit all tastes. Here are some of the different marathons you might want to try.

T H E B R U TA L B U T SCENIC ONE Forget your 26.2-milers. The half-marathon, arguably, is the perfect distance: long enough to plan a day out for, testing enough to justify a brace of post-race ciders, but also short enough to actually

race rather than just trying to survive. And a trail half is even better: hilly, off-road courses means nobody’s going to worry too much about your time, so you can concentrate on enjoying the scenery and maybe getting some snaps for your social media as you know what they say - “If you don’t post it did, you even do it?”. The Exmoor half is probably the UK’s best, mixing impossibly stern ascents and slideon-your-arse downhills with some of the country’s most glorious scenery.

THE TEAM-BUILDING ONE Who does not love doing stuff with friends? Why not

be the one to up your activities this year and do some bonding by taking a visit to the Welsh valleys. Three words: London to Cardiff.

160 miles on foot, 24 stages, 24 hours to do the lot.

You can do it relay-style, so you can run anywhere from three to 13 miles in one go.

Half of your friends might hate you when it’s all over, but it’ll be worth it. By god, it will be worth it. You may even have a laugh along the way as well.

T H E C O M P L E T E LY R I D I C U LO U S O N E Sorry to disappoint, but this one sadly does not involve a llama with a tiny trumpet or space hoppers. With the

obstacle-running arms race still escalating, every major outfit now offers some sort of “ultimate” option: but there aren’t many more daunting than Nuclear Races’ Oblivion Extreme, or as many laps as you can manage of a 12k, 90-obstacle course

in, er, nine hours. Get four done and you can come back for the 2018 championships, but a mere two secures you a personalised racing vest – just the thing for letting them know what’s what on your bi-weekly trot through campus.

B R U N O N A S C I M E N TO / U N S P L A S H

SPORT | PAGE 37

Madejski Monthly BECKY WATSON 2nd Year Film and Theatre

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January: Reading 0 - 2 Birmingham – Fourth Defeat in Five for Royals Reading may now be wondering where the next points are coming from after another lacklustre display at Madejski Stadium.

Stam made three changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Barnsley including a rare Championship start for Pelle Clement.

Jacques Maghoma thumped in the opener for Blues in the 24th minute and Gallagher finished the game off with a cool second goal in the 64th minute.

It seemed that some of the fans turned on Jaap Stam after Gallagher’s goal when boos and the chant ‘sacked in the morning’ were fired Jaap Stam’s way. The Royals came closest to scoring in stoppage time when Yann Kermorgant struck the woodwork from a deflected shot.

Stam’s men could not be faulted for a lack of effort before the opening goal but

once Birmingham found the net it seemed Reading could just not find the confidence to bounce back.

The Blues ended their sixgame winless run while the Royals extended their winless run to six and fans are beginning to wonder if Jaap Stam has lost the dressing room.

Birmingham city’s first away win of the season lifted them off the bottom and dropped the Royals to 18th.

This was Reading’s 12th loss of the season leaving them four points above the relegation zone.

Pelle Clement admitted confidence in the dressing room is at an all-time low and insists that the players must shoulder most of the blame for their alarming run rather than manager Jaap Stam.

Reading boss Jaap Stam told BBC Radio Berkshire: “I don’t agree it was dreadful, the supporters might talk about it like that. We had chances in the first half to score, but if you concede the first goal from a set-piece that makes it difficult.

5K Pizza Run LAURA STAES Secretary

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AY goodbye to those old boring marathons and hello to a run orientated around pizza. The idea was originally in New York and, due to its popularity, is being spread to the UK. Do you enjoy eating pizza, running, or maybe both?

Then there is the perfect event running for you this spring in the UK. There are 6 locations: Bristol 28 April, Cardiff 29 April, Manchester 12 May, Birmingham 13 May, Leeds 19 May and London 20

May. Now before we start to believe that we get an unlimited amount of pizza, a small letdown is the fact that we only receive two slices of pizza for the whole duration of the marathon. There won’t be any checkpoints, but instead, we have the option to have two slices in the beginning, end or during our run. It is being assumed that it is because New York has more pizzerias than London, therefore making it harder to obtain more food for everyone. However, if you feel the need for more pizza, there is no stopping you from getting more for yourself !

“I am cross with my players in some ways, but I can’t blame them for not working, because they are working very hard, sometimes when you’re not winning games it’s difficult to get back into the game.

“We are very unhappy, it’s not like we’re happy and dancing in the dressing room, it’s easy to blame people when things are going wrong, we need to stick together. I told them that. We need to work on that. They need to make their own decisions.” (BBC Berkshire) 20 January: Reading 0 – 1 Brentford – Royals Continue Winless Run at M4 Derby You have to go back to December 2nd for Reading’s last Championship victory when they defeated relegation-threatened Sunderland.

Lasse Vibe scored the only goal as Brentford extended Reading’s winless run in the Championship to eight games.

Stam made six changes from the side that defeated Stevenage in the FA Cup third-round replay.

Brentford looked more

likely to open the scoring and Mannone was forced to make a double save in the eighth minute to rescue the Royals.

Then luck deserted Stam’s men in the 65th minute when Liam Kelly clipped the top of the bar with a free-kick for the hosts.

Lasse Vibe’s 74th minute strike from inside the box proved to be the difference as Royals failed to score for the third league match in a row.

Reading have now lost five times in their eight-match barren spell keeping them in 18th place and it leaves Royals desperately needing a change of fortune.

When asked about the Royals poor run of form Chris Gunter told BBC Radio Berkshire “I wouldn’t look at it too negatively just yet, but we’re not naïve…We need to get points on the board.”

But the Wales defender feels it is too soon to say they are in “a relegation battle”.

A minute’s applause was held during the match for Royals fan Tom Stead who passed away from a rare

E V E LY N / U N S P L A S H B R U N O N A S C I M E N TO / U N -

form of bone cancer on Boxing Day. Reading boss Jaap Stam had this to say after the game: “You can see in the decision-making and the accuracy in passing, at times, it was just not good enough.

“Sometimes, in winning the second ball and anticipating situations, we can do better.

“And when you get a moment when you can score, you need to take that opportunity and put it in the net.”

(BBC Berkshire) Player of the Month: Jon Dadi Bodvarsson Coming up in February: Reading v Millwall Reading v Derby County J O N C A N DY/ F L I C K R

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London Irish’s ‘Project Rugby’ L O N D O N I R I S H ’ S N E W P R O J E C T I N S P I R E S T H E C O M M U N I T Y. MANON JONES Sports Print Editor

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ONDON Irish have just announced their disability strand of ‘Project Rugby’ and are already seeing the community benefit as a result.

London Irish’s free to ac-

cess ‘Project Rugby’ sessions aim to encourage more disabled athletes to play rugby.

The London Irish Community Team are working with schools, colleges and community groups across Berkshire with the aim that disabled participants have access

to rugby, inside and outside education.

London Irish rugby sessions at Castle School have inspired one participant, Bradley, to join Thatcham Rugby Club.

“Before the London Irish sessions, Bradley had never

‘Project Rugby’ sessions aim to encourage more disabled athletes to play rugby played rugby before. Now it’s great to see his passion for the sport,” said Joseph Pegg, London Irish’s inclusion officer.

“He was one of the most apprehensive participants and now he is the first one on the pitch.”

Bradley has shown the desire to develop his game while often taking the opportunity to help others at the session learn too. This shows that all the hard work that the London Irish Com-

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munity are doing is paying of.

The sessions started as inclusive tag rugby before progressing into contact. The participants worked on their tackling technique to ensure that they all had the confidence and ability to try contact rugby. These sessions worked on body positions, knowledge and tackling themed games.

Moving forward, the London Irish Community Team are looking to create a ‘Project Rugby Team’ to compete against other schools and clubs with Castle School being the core of the team. The Project Rugby sessions run

by London Irish hope to instill confidence to improve the participants’ wellbeing and develop them for adult life.

Mucha’s Mentality for 2018 to be in big fights at 147 domestically!

WILL HE MAKE 2018 HIS YEAR? THOMAS LYONS Politics / International Relations

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FTER a very prosperous year for British boxing in 2017, it wasn’t all straightforward for Reading’s Welterweight contender, Tamuka Mucha.

With several pullouts and other uncontrollable barriers that have resulted in inactivity for Mucha (161), it is now to the relief of his team and management that he gets his shot at the English title on February 16 against John O’Donnell, part of another stacked Hayemaker-Ringstar card at York Hall. This also features

GB outstanding amateur and Olympic silver medallist of 2016, Joe Joyce, and Willy Hutchinson who has been tipped to be a top talent domestically by the Hayemaker himself, David Haye.

I did an interview with Wraps on TV with Tamuka down at the enclosed and tightly-knit Whitley Amateur Boxing Club, where Tamuka now trains with trainers Nathan and Wayne, who have sharpened Tamuka up and now look forward to the big fights in 2018, if they overcome a tough assignment for the English first.

The ten-stone five division is thriving at the minute with British champion Bradley Skeete, who has won the

coveted Lonsdale belt outright, set to vacate and move onto European and fringe world level challenges. There still features the likes of Josh Kelly who is being guided

by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, a fight that Tamuka has called for.

“My mentality this year is to crack on and get those big fights. I’m looking to make a statement against John O’Donnell. I know he’ll come to fight but training has gone accordingly and I’m itching to get back into the boxing ring”, Tamuka told the Wraps on TV audience.

Referring to Skeete, Tamuka commented, “Everyone is chasing everyone, I don’t know who is the mouse, the cat… maybe Amir Khan is the mouse, Bradley’s the cat and I’m the dog”.

Tamuka is accompanied by some good local talent, including fellow professional boxer Asinia Byfield, who campaigns at 154lbs (light-middleweight).

He mentioned their sparring sessions together and how invaluable he was as an asset to training camp. “We all spar each other and help

each other stay in shape and ready to fight,” said Mucha.

It’s fair to say that the welterweight mix is booming and to start the year of boxing for 2018 with a bang, Amir Khan has also signed a three-fight deal with Matchroom boxing and will now fight on April 21 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

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Put Your Skills To The Test Returns!

A N D YO U T H O U G H T T H E B I K E P O LO WA S S T R A N G E . . .

MANON JONES Sports Print Editor

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UT Your Skills to The Test’ is back by popular demand! I have hunted down some more unique and frankly pretty bizarre sporting events for you to try this year. Last time we explored the wonderfully wacky world of martial arts, learning more about the influences behind silat and the hybrid known as footgolf. Here are four new activities ready to tempt you and your mates.

Wife Carrying: Here’s one to try for Valentines’ Day. Originating in Sonkajarvi, Finland, wife carrying is a sport in which male competitors race to carry their wives through an obstacle course. Could be one way MARK ROBINSON/FLICKR

to get to the restaurant quicker if your significant other is taking ages to get ready for date night? At the annual North American Wife Carrying Championship, winners receive the traditional prize of the wife’s weight in beer, five times her weight in cash

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Here’s hoping that they don’t make crying over spilt milk a sport and an entry into the World Championship in Finland.

Cheese Rolling:

You may have heard of this one, the annual Cheese-Rolling event at Cooper’s Hill in

Gloucestershire, UK. Here’s how it works: a large cheese wheel is rolled down a steep hill, and competitors race after it. The first person to reach the bottom of the hill wins the cheese. It may not sound dangerous, but the steepness of the hill has resulted in several injuries.

Very few contestants manage to stay on their feet, instead tumbling head-over-heels down the hill in a desperate

I have hunted down some more unique and frankly pretty bizarre sporting events for you to try this year effort to catch the coveted dairy prize.

Extreme Ironing: Now Dave can feel epic when he’s ironing his socks for that big night out at Union. Competitors who call themselves “ironists” go to

a remote location and iron their clothes. The domestic chore has been performed underwater, hanging from cliffs, while skiing or snowboarding and even on top of vehicles.

Egg Throwing: According to the World Egg Throwing Federation (yes it is real, I know you are rolling your eyes), egg throwing “has been a sport enjoyed by millions of people since early humans discovered the delight of watching a failure of another to catch a tossed egg.” Eggheads have the opportunity to participate in the annual World Egg Throwing Championship, which involves a variation of games, in Swaton, England. Here’s hoping that they don’t make crying over spilt milk a sport.

Have you heard about any interesting or unusual sports?

Do you think the university should have a wacky Olympics including these events?

Which one would you give a go? We would love to hear your thoughts. You can send us your ideas to sport@sparknewspaper.co.uk

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Lyons gives us a few rounds on boxing life

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sport Things you would only know if you are a… Boxer THOMAS LYONS Politics / International Relations

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO THE SPORT? I started off boxing when I came to uni in first year and since then not looked back. I’ve grown a passion for the sport and have been involved in some big things inside and outside of the boxing club.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT IT AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS YEAR? I enjoy the drive and passion shown by everyone in the club and it spurs everyone on to do well. Discipline has always been instilled in me growing up so boxing just replicates that aspect of training and daily life.

Competition is also integral to being successful and this is shown in sparring, training, runs etc. I’m most looking forward to getting in contact with other unis for

spars and fights. In general boxing terms, and as a boxing journalist myself, there’s some massive fights to be made more globally and internationally. Seeing Tyson Fury back in boxing would definitely be a moment for every boxing lover for sure!

WHAT MAKES IT STAND OUT FOR YOU AS A SPORT? Boxing is the one sport where you can’t play it. You either live it, take it seriously or you don’t. It’s a dangerous sport and that’s why the preparation for a fight is essential. It’s becoming a massive sport in the UK with so many young people joining clubs and amateur and professional boxing thriving at the moment. A lot of positives to take from 2017 in terms of boxing becoming a household sport and women getting involved too which makes it even more exciting.

WHAT IS YOUR DAY LIKE?

Wake up, then breakfast (usually porridge with fruit and then some eggs). Being a uni student, it’s difficult to fit in a lot of training, but when I do train for boxing it’s usually after lunchtime SANDY CHASE / FLICKR

and then sometimes even a run in the evenings for general conditioning.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST MOMENT? Doing fight night in Novem-

ber. Although it’s not the same as an amateur bout, the atmosphere and having my mates there was unreal!

I will look to push on now and have a few more fights for the uni for sure!