The Spark Newspaper - November 2018

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Y O G A L AT E S

The Unpaid Women’s Lunch Megan Siarey 3rd year English Literature

Reading UCU organised a lunch on Tuesday, October 16, when staff members and students gathered in front Whiteknights House to make visible the gender gap of 19.6% that is present within the University.

This pay gap converts into a number of days women effectively work for free. Tuesday 16th October marked the date from when female staff will be working unpaid until next year (this number is cal-

culated through The Guardian’s website).

The majority of those standing out in support were female staff members. That being said, there were male staff present too.

The event had a completely different turnout in numbers,

The majority of those standing out in support were female staff members.

in comparison to the picket lines that were formed in regard to the pension strikes by female and male staff members last academic year.

At a local level, UCU ‘provide representation and support for members who have problems in the workplace’.

Reading UCU used a panda costume to engage people with their messages, the theory simply being, ‘people will wave at a panda’, and that will get them to stop for a moment and engage with the cause.

This a complex subject matter and there is much more to it than the differ-

This a complex subject matter and there is much more to it than the difference in pay. UCU states that the University has ‘not committed to any formal plan’. ence in pay. UCU states that the University has ‘not committed to any formal plan or schedule to eliminate [the pay gap] but only ‘set institutional targets to address the gender imbalance in senior roles by 2020. Thus we are

addressing this issue as one of the aspects of our local claim, just submitted to the University.’

Catherine Thorpe, our Part-Time Women’s Officer for RUSU attended the event and states, “It is important we support some staff of the University as they support us to get an education. Attending the picnic was an important mark of solidarity.”

To show your support for university staff and to find out more, you can keep up to date on the UCU website, http://reading.web.ucu.org. uk/.

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news Sabita Burke News Editor

Happy November everyone, and welcome to this month’s News section of The Spark!

For the eagle-eyed among you, you may have noticed that I am not Phaidra.

I have taken over from her as News Editor, and this is my first month overseeing, editing and helping design this exciting and informative part of the newspaper.

So far, I have absolutely loved the experience and got to know some amazing people along the way. I have also been very impressed by the quality of content that each of our writers has produced, so keep up the great work!

And it goes without saying that Phaidra did a stellar job in her time here, so we wish her luck in her future endeavours. I will try my hardest to match the brilliant standard she has set.

A little bit about me: I am a second year and study English Language and Linguistics. I absolutely adore my course and find the study of language fascinating, but I like to think I am involved in the wider uni community too. I am also Course Rep, Treasurer of the Writers’ Guild, and a member of the Yogalates Society.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as I enjoyed helping to create it, and re-

member: we always welcome new articles about anything and everything, from writers We always welcome new of all different backgrounds, articles about anything no matter your level (or lack) of experience! and everything, from If you’d like to find out more writers of all different about writing for News, do not hesitate to email news. backgrounds, no matter spark@reading.ac.uk or your level (or lack) of search us on Facebook. Have a fun-filled, productive and experience! happy month!

Careers and Placements Fair Arianna Previtera

2nd Year Language, Markets and Culture of Asia

More than 90 employers and hundreds of students gathered on the Reading University Campus to take part in the biggest career fair of the year on Wednesday, October 24.

Graduate and undergraduate students from different backgrounds and different goals got together with many companies involved in different sectors and working environments.

We interviewed those students to find out what the hopes, goals, expectations, and impressions of the day were. I asked Elliot, a Business and Management student, about his thoughts

on the fair, and he said: “I think this is a really good opportunity for students to find out what they want to

Rachel, a Law student, said “I think… this career fair is really useful! Of course, being a Law student I have a pretty clear idea of what would be a suitable job for me but it’s still interestAn event like this really ing to see what else is out there.” exposes students to all the We also interviewed the options available”. c o mp a ny r e p r e s e nt at i v e s about their feelings on the fair. Morenike from Moore Stephens International found the fair “absolutely fabulous, a really great do next year, [and] what the opportunity for students possibilities for a future job to come out and just find placement are. You get the out what’s available. We ofopportunity to speak to em- fer many different profesployers directly, and to peo- sional job openings for stuple you might not usually get dents. When you study at a chance to speak to.” Most university you don’t necesof the students were of the sarily know what of careers same opinion. are actually an option for

you. An event like this really exposes students to all the options available”.

The overall impression of the event emerging from the survey is very positive.

Both from the points of

view of students and recent graduates, and of companies looking for employees, the fair was in fact considered a great success.

ARIANA PREVITERA

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S PA R K TEAM PRINT EDITOR

A note from the Editor...

W

elcome back to an-

student cartoonist, Florencia

other issue of your

Botta, who produced this

on-campus student news-

month’s fantastic piece to

paper, The Spark. I hope

accompany third year Eng-

that your first term has

lish Literature student, Meg-

been a productive and en-

an Siarey’s, article covering

joyable one for you so far. The Unpaid Women’s Lunch As

we

enter

November,

darker days and assignment deadlines may be starting to dawn on us as students, nonetheless life on cam-

which took place last month.

Through her work, Florencia delivers a powerful message which aptly captures the motive of the event.

TA Z U S H E R E D I T O R . S PA R K @ R E A D I N G . A C . U K

DEPUT Y EDITOR MARTHA ODYSSEOS E L L I E P E S TA I N A

duced by our student writers.

D E P U T Y E D I T O R @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R . C O. U K

Alternatively, Entertainment provides a series of TV, film,

NEWS EDITOR S A B I TA B U R K E

theatre and book reviews

N E W S @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R . C O. U K

as well as its monthly hor-

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

oscopes, Reading Film Theatre showings and Top 10 Moody Music list. These are

ROSIE NEVILLE L I F E S T Y L E @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R . C O. U K

also accompanied by an ex-

SUB EDITORS

citing interview with poet,

MARTHA ODYSSEOS E L L I E P E S TA I N A

performer

and

children’s

author A.F Harrold which

E N T E R TA I N M E N T EDITOR

pus has by no means suc-

Elsewhere in News, you will

is certainly worth a read!

cumbed to this dreariness,

find articles covering the

Likewise, our Sports and

and has once again provid-

launch of RUSU’s Diversi-

Photography sections also

ed us with a fantastic ar-

ty and Inclusion Campaign,

provide readers with a taste

ray of campus news, advice

campus

change

of other events and scenes

S P O R T @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R . C O. U K

and entertainment pieces

projects, and updates from

across campus. Resultantly,

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

for you to read and enjoy. societies This month, The Spark committee has welcomed a series of new members including additions to our marketing and design teams, as well

climate

including

the

Christian Union and Writers’ Guild. One of my favourite articles also takes a look at RUSU’s unique celebration of Diwali last month.

there is something of interest to everyone this issue.

As always, we are continuing to welcome new writers to our team and are now calling for submissions for

Equally, if you’re looking for

our last issue of 2018. If in-

Sabita, and Print Entertain-

advice, study motivation or

terested, please email me at

ment Editor, Olivia. Please

a thought-provoking read

editor.spark@reading.ac.uk .

take the time to familiarise

this issue, Lifestyle promises

yourself with our editors by

just that. Our lifestyle editor,

reading their editorials. Ad-

Rosie, has compiled a vari-

ditionally, the cover of this

ety of content this month,

issue showcases artwork pro-

with personalised advice and

duced by The Spark’s new

important

@ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R

@ T H E S PA R K N E W S PA P E R

SPORTS EDITOR T H O M A S LY O N S

EUAN CARMICHAEL P H O T O G R A P H Y @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R . C O. U K

as our Print News Editor,

messages

OLIVIA MILL E N T E R TA I N M E N T @ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R . C O. U K

DESIGN TEAM RAAGULAN UMASHANKER E L I S A B E T TA M O L I M O CONNOR WOOD OLGA SHE VCHENKO

CARTOONIST F LO R E N C I A B O T TA

Wishing you a fantastic rest of November.

MADELINE EASTWOOD OLGA SHE VCHENKO ELLIE SLANEY CHIMA AGBANYIM

pro-

@ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R

MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION

@ S PA R K N E W S PA P E R

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Diwali Lights Up 3Sixty Raagulan Umashanker 2nd Year English Literature

On Friday 2nd November, Nozomi Tolworthy 雷希望 , the RUSU Diversity Officer 2018/19 (along with the University of Reading Hindu Society and the University of Reading Sikh Society) hosted a Diwali Lunchtime Fair in 3sixty in the RUSU building.

The room was filled with twinkling fairy lights, contemporary Indian music and the smell of spiced herbal tea.

Diwali, Deepawali or Deepavali, the festival of lights, is a five-day celebration that is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world.

It is a fascinating festival that celebrates new beginnings, hope and the triumph of light over darkness. This celebration is characterised by a strong belief in giving food and goods to those in need, and typically includes families and friends sharing sweets and gifts.

Just like the festival traditions, students were offered traditional Indian snacks like Shakkar Pakorra and Chakri at the fair. There was

also an arts & crafts stall, giving students the chance to do some relaxing Rangoli colouring. Students also had the chance to have beautiful henna artwork designed on

Just like the festival traditions, students were offered traditional Indian snacks like Shakkar Pakorra and Chakri

their hands.

This student-led Diwali lunchtime event was a perfect chance for all students to learn about and celebrate the festival. The event also aimed to help international students feel a sense of home despite being away from where they might usually celebrate Diwali.

Students and staff were awed by RUSU’s event as they were able to experience the enriching and spectacular festival. One anonymous student said: “The lights were pretty and the atmosphere was nice”. Another,

This Diwali celebration lit up the day.

also anonymous, said: “It was nice to still celebrate Diwali even though I was away from home.”

Indeed, this Diwali celebration lit up the day.

N O Z O M I TO LW O R T H Y 雷 希 望

N O Z O M I TO LW O R T H Y 雷 希 望

N O Z O M I TO LW O R T H Y 雷 希 望

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Free Online Mental Health Support for Students fect many of us as students.

These currently include News Editor beating winter blues, setting goals and handling depresTo mark this year’s World sion.

Mental Health Day on Oc The entire site is contober 10, the University of stantly moderated by cliniReading has launched an cians or “Wall Guides” who online platform called Big ensure that every member White Wall. feels safe and supported.

This site, akin to Child Ariana Suleyman, who line but available to adults manages the partnership beand students of all ages, is tween BWW and the Univera safe space where any UoR sity, said: “for students, ‘feelstudent can share their emo- ing less isolated’ and ‘feeling tions and talk through them more able to deal with probwith other users in a confi- lems’ were most commonly dential, judgement-free way. reported as wellbeing im Big White Wall is avail- provements after using the able 24 hours a day, 7 days service. At Big White Wall, a week, 365 days a year, so you can look after your menstudents can access it even tal health by learning coping when the university’s coun- strategies to deal with chalselling services are una- lenging situations or feelings vailable, and at times such when they arise throughout as evenings and weekends your time studying - so that when they might be feeling you don’t reach crisis point. the most lonely or low.

We would always recomUpon signing up, mem- mend that everyone takes a bers have access to four look online at what your inmain areas on the site. On stitution offers in terms of the Talkabouts page, threads mental health and wellbeing can be created to talk about support and make a choice anything that might be dis- that’s right for you. Whethtressing you, whether you er it be taking a fitness class, are seeking others’ advice or making an appointment just needing to vent. with the counselling team, The Bricks section is an- speaking to your personal other place to express any tutor, calling the Samaritans emotions, whether positive or taking an online course or negative. There is also the on BWW, it’s important to ability to decorate posts with know there are always oppictures, colours and differ- tions and you’ll always find ent fonts, which gives a crea- someone, or a whole comtive outlet to those who may munity, willing to help you.” be feeling overwhelmed.

All students can sign up Heading over to “Guided for free by doing a Google Support”, you can find free, search and selecting “Uniinteractive self-help cours- versities and Colleges” under es which provide support the “Organisation” heading, in dealing with a range of and entering your universiissues, such as improving ty email address. Remember, relationships, losing weight, it’s completely anonymous quitting smoking, and man- and separate from the uniaging stress and anxiety. versity.

Finally, in the section “Useful Stuff ” you can find resources such as tests to help identify particular All students can sign mental health problems or pinpoint what to do in cerup for free. tain situations. There are also simple, easy-to-read articles discussing coping strategies for issues that af-

Sabita Burke

S A B I TA B U R K E

S A B I TA B U R K E

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Celebrating Women of Colour Imi Snell

3rd Year English Literature

On Thursday, October 18, the Feminist Society held their first event ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’, an empowerment evening celebrating women of colour and in aid of CoppaFeel, the breast cancer awareness charity.

Conducted by the society’s Diversity Officer, Fia Karim, the evening began with the lights out and a stirring recording of Sorjourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ speech read by Alfre Woodward. The first talk was by Selina Patankar-Owens, the University’s Head of Student Wellbeing, who described her own experience with ethnicity in relation to employment, and familial culture.

Selina guided the audience through a psychoanalytic meditation, showing what it may feel like to be in a cultural pocket; and then explaining what effect that may have.

Dr Marrisa Joseph and her friend and corporate barrister, Teni Onabanjo. The two discussed their own stories of ethnicity and femininity within the workplace, but also at home and in their own families. Teni, who is originally from Nigeria, described the importance of equality in a relationship, relating it to the ‘mother-athome’ culture that exists in Nigeria.

Following the pair’s conversation, a Q&A began in which the audience posed questions to Marrisa and Teni; questions touched on topics such as the wage gap, unconscious bias and white feminism.

The event had a good turn out with fifty attendees and by the end of the evening, the

Selina guided the audience through a psychoanalytic meditation .

Questions touched Teni, who is originally from Nigeria, on topics such as the wage gap, uncondescribed the importance of equality in a scious bias and white feminism. relationship, relating it to the ‘mother-athome’ culture

society had raised £52.00 for CoppaFeel, one of their four main charities. In response to the powerful discussions of the Q&A, they have also taken on a second Diversity Officer, Savannah Fuller, to better represent diversity within the committee.

The Feminist Society’s second ‘taster’ event was a Debate and Resilience Class on 30th October. The class explored the variety of negative responses that feminism can receive and discussed

different problems this can cause. Within the group combative suggestions were shared, including relating to non-feminists by discussing topics such as family and bringing up the relationship between men’s mental health and feminism, to traditionally non-feminist groups such as white men.

The session featured interesting debate and helpful tips, and the committee suggests it will run the class termly.

The society’s next event will take place in week seven with the continuation of the ‘Debates and Doughnuts’ series. The first of this academic year, the debate will pose the question: ‘Is feminism inclusive?’.

The society’s Facebook event page writes that potential attendees ‘must not be discouraged’ if they do not identify as feminists as the session is designed to explore all perspectives. The series, started by alumni Jack Champion and Vicky Matthews, began with ‘Is Feminism Dead?’ in January of the last academic year, and is open to all university students and staff.

Debates and Doughnuts presents: Is Feminism Inclusive?’ is on Wednesday 14th November in Palmer 109, and you can drop in from 1pm until 3pm. Doughnuts and water included. @readingfemsoc | facebook.com/readingfemsoc

The evening began with the lights out and a stirring recording of Sorjourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ speech read by Alfre Woodward.

Selina was then followed

by Rachel Hartley, president of the Reading University’s CoppaFeel UniBoob Team, who explained that CoppaFeel was founded by a young woman who developed breast cancer, and emphasized the importance of both women and men checking their chests.

After the interval, the audience was greeted with a discussion between Entrepreneurship lecturer

IMI SNELL

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Public Lecture – Our Changing Climate: Past, Present and Future Phaidra Robinson

3rd Year English Literature

The University of Reading hosted their first public lecture of the academic year, discussing ‘Our Changing Climate: past, present and future’ . The talk was given by Professor Ed Hawkins in the Palmer Building on Wednesday 17 October and was presented to a packed lecture theatre.

Professor Ed Hawkins was introduced as having been an undergraduate at the University of Oxford before studying his PhD at the University of Nottingham, and he now works at the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading.

He began his lecture by recounting a recent trip to see icebergs, during which he was shown pictures of how the icebergs had quickly reduced over time.

He then went on to show slides which portrayed how the glaciers have retreated

in Greenland and Austria and how the Arctic has dramatically reduced.

He stated, ‘Now we’re seeing ships passing through the Arctic as a shortcut between Asia and Europe.’

He then went on to describe the history of global warming research, showing how far we have come in science and how we can use this information to develop in the future.

Professor Ed Hawkins informed us that sea levels have risen 25cm since the 1880’s and that this rise in sea levels means that storms hitting land are much more aggressive, but that this is also due to more moisture in the atmosphere as a result of rising global temperatures; more moisture means more rain, which means more flooding.

He commented on attitudes towards global warming stating, ‘We can get very focused on where we live, but it’s about the bigger picture.’

PHAIDRA ROBINSON

He then later stated, when talking about how we as a public can bring more attention to the pressing issue of global warming, ‘Voting and talking are two very key aspects.’

The talk was incredibly clear and informative and was a very impressive start to this year’s University of Reading Public Lecture series.

The next public lecture

will be ‘Human Rights, Global Wrongs: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights At 70’ and will be presented by Professor Rosa Freedman on Wednesday, 21 November.

University Backs World Bee Project Connor Wood

3rd Year Aroad (Eng Lit)

As bees face increased threats around the world, the University of Reading has partnered with the World Bee Project to deepen the understandings about bees’ health and to further food security globally.

According to Research Fellow Dr. Deepa Senapathi, bees are threatened by changing land use, some of the chemicals used in modern agriculture, invasive species, disease and climate change.

Effects from all of these are felt across the globe, but also at certain levels in the U.K. and around Reading as well.

Senapathi said that these ‘drivers,’ “cause loss in abun-

dance ... loss of diversity ... and also impact pollinators by reducing the amount of nesting habitat and foraging resources available for these pollinators.”

To combat this, the World Bee Project was established to work with smallholder farmers to teach them about the importance of bees as pollinators and to improve the contributions bees and other pollinators make, not just to food production, but to the farmers’ finances and national economies as well.

The university will be using artificial intelligence (AI) to help the project, according to Senapathi.

They will use AI to find indicators of good and bad bee health so that those trying to protect and help

P I X A B A Y, P E X E L S

bees will better know what to look for.

Senapathi said, “This will facilitate the setting up of an early warning system for honeybee keepers around the world so that

they can respond quickly and effectively to threats such as honeybee diseases and predators like hornets.”

According to the World Bee Project website, 77% of food production relies

on pollinators like bees, so these steps will help improve food security and production worldwide.

More information can be found at http://worldbeeproject.org/.

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Who are the Christian Union?

Nicole Hitchcock 3rd year, Histor y Hello, we are Reading University Christian Union, or RUCU. You might have seen us somewhere around campus, be it outside Palmer underneath our red tent, handing out water bottles after Union or in your Halls running various events and helping you move in.

Throughout the year we hold a multitude of events!

We start with our tea and coffee tent in Welcome Week, run Christmas and Easter events, and in the Spring Term we hold our Events Week in a big white marquee, where we hold talks with evening entertainment and run a café throughout the day. We also

run Halls Outreach, such as Ping-a-Pizza (where you can text in a question about Christianity and in exchange receive some food), and THIRST, where we hand out free water to people as they leave Union.

As a society, we believe that we are loved by God and have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, and that the Holy Spirit is at work today. Due to this belief, we want everyone to know that they are loved by God and can know and love Him also. We love all the students at the University and we exist to give every student the opportunity to hear about Jesus.

As a CU we are just a small fraction of the wider fami-

ly of God, and you are welcome to join! We hold regular meetings on a Thursday evening at 6.45pm in Edith Morley G27, and ANYONE is welcome to come along.

We hope to see you at one of our events soon.

For more information see: http s : / / w w w. r u c u . c o. u k / , https://www.facebook.com/ ReadingCU/, or https:// www.instagram.com/readingunicu/ .

CU feels like a family to me, it feels so open and inviting a nd I look forward to going to it every week Becca Shaw (a third-year member) PHOEBE MILLS

Writers’ Guild Established on Campus Josh Coombes 2nd year Philosophy and English Literature I was lying awake at about 1:00 a.m. one night in March. I wish I could say I was deep in thought, but I was probably just trying to get off to sleep. Often, when one empties their head of the day’s thoughts, there’s room for a gem of inspiration to shine in the darkness. This was one of those times.

Immediately I sat up, snatched my phone off the bedside table, and wrote a note on it: “creative writing society.” Then I passed out.

In the weeks that followed, I asked my coursemates if they were interested in joining me on this quest.

Most were highly keen; all were astonished at the lack of a society dedicated solely to the craft of creative writing hitherto. Over the summer, we gathered over four dozen signatures. I was

pleased to find that a lot of the owners of these signatures were as vocal as I was about the need for a Writers’ Guild on campus.

Being elected President was an honour, but the real privilege came with the election of an excellent committee filled with dedicated, hardworking writers. Together—and with the support of a wonderful membership—we have held our first few events this term: an indoor workshop, an outdoor “walkshop,” and a few socials—including a Tropes’ Night Out, the brainchild of our Vice-President Eleanor Jordan, conjured up during her election campaign.

Our Curator, Izzie Sheldon, explained that she joined the Guild “to push my creativity and give me the type of motivation provided most effectively by a community,” while Rhiannon Ford, our Welfare Officer, said she joined “to further

develop my understanding of the creation of texts for my theatre career.”

Inspiration, motivation, and technical know-how are just the tip of the literary iceberg. Though we are still a young society, we have big ambitions. We want to offer anyone interested in honing their craft a place to practise their prose, poetry, or playwriting, as well as a wealth of opportunities to push themselves out of their comfort zone, including an end-of-year Writers’ Guild Anthology in which they can publish their work.

If this sounds appealing, I humbly suggest you look us up on Facebook and join us—we’re a free society, so there’s absolutely nothing to lose, and yet so much to gain.

J O S H C O O M B E S THE WRITERS’ GUILD COMMIT TEE AFTER THEIR FIRST MEETING WITH RUSU

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Co-Leader of Green Party at Reading Uni Sammie Holt

Berry fought to place funds back into youth services, Siân Berry, the new- from where it had been prely elected co-leader of the viously been displaced. SheGreen Party, visited the Uni- hopes to eliminate the stigversity of Reading on the ma around young people’s evening of Tuesday, October mental health, and reduce 16. After a swift introduc- the waiting time it takes for tion from the University’s diagnosed individuals to reGreen Party Society com- ceive therapy. mittee members, Berry took Berry possesses a funto the floor and captured damental understanding of the attention of the gathered the central role money plays students with invigorating in people’s lives, and has enthusiasm. She spoke with suggested a ‘Citizen’s Wage’ refreshing frankness. to alleviate this pressure.

When asked what makes A small, baseline pay-out, the Green Party different, Berry feels this will be benBerry candidly replied: “We eficial for the unemployed; ask the questions that other the stay-at-home parents; [parties] don’t.” and those wishing to pur An advocate for youth, sue the arts and other such Berry spends much of her activities. She also believes time attending their events; this will level out the playshe is a strong believer in lis- ing field, allowing everyone tening to the younger gener- to take advantage of any opation and creating concrete portunities that come their policies from their feedback. way.

During her role as a Lon Berry is also pushing for don Assembly Manager, 3rd Year, Zoology

a four-day work week, where employees will still be paid for the usual five, hoping to inspire a better work-life balance in the UK. Along similar themes Berry is interested in protecting young people from being manipulated by zero-hour-contracts, encouraging them to demand fairer working hours and decent pay. She is setting-up unions and encouraging people to assert their rights as tenants, after a study showed that two-thirds were too scared to complain to their landlord.

In essence, Berry is trying to initiate the change we want to see in the world of politics. Her final message, for our generation, was that: “You do not need to be elected to make a change.”

S A M M I E H O LT

Bike Riding for All Olga Shevchenko

Msc Applied International Development

Every Wednesday you might see a few people on campus who are learning to ride, like babies learning to walk. It is not a coincidence: it’s learning-to-ride sessions, led by Karen Roberts, an experienced cyclist.

There are sessions for everyone – for people who are just learning to ride, and for the confident riders who want to learn more about cycling in the UK and Reading and meet other cyclists.

Karen is a great trainer; she understands the issues riders usually face. Her support is comfortable and stern at the same time. This is great for beginners like myself, for whom the most difficult thing is to stop overthinking and just trust the body and the bike. Thanks to that, I have had great moments of joy when I could just let go and enjoy riding

on our green campus!

For some beginner International students, learning to ride in the UK will mean having to learn again back home, where the cars drive on the right side of the road instead of the left as they do here. For experienced riders it is the other way around– they felt comfortable at home, but have to re-adjust to the rules here.

Riding sessions could help all of them.

“I want to get everyone steady on their bikes before winter comes”, says Karen.

Beware of beginner riders on Campus – or come join them on Wednesdays!

Cycle training runs form 2:00-6:00 p.m., and you can email Karen at k.robertson@reading.ac.uk to book a place.

For the latest information and events see: reading.ac.uk/sustainability/travel/cycling.

https://photos-6.dropbox.com/t/2/AACTYjGtOhsGRv9oWnSJg_z1NizHOFLB

O LG A S H E V C H E N K O

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RUSU and University of Reading Launch Diversity and Inclusion Campaign Kate Perkins 3rd Year Business

RUSU and Reading Launch Diversity and Inclusion Campaign The University of Reading and RUSU are partnering in the launch of the diversity and inclusion campaign, #NeverOk. The #NeverOk campaign kicked off on Monday, 12 November and will be an ongoing campaign to promote diversity and inclusion. The campaign is working to raise awareness of behaviors that are not tolerated, including sexual harassment and hate crimes. It is also working to create a more comfortable reporting system and support system for students and staff.

RUSU Diversity Officer Nozomi Tolworthy said: “The campaign kick-off week, coinciding with national anti-bullying week, will be very interactive with the students in order to start conversations about the issues that #NeverOk covers.”

For example, there will be a blackboard set up in the RUSU building where students can write their name in order to show support for the campaign, or even write experiences they have had with harassment or hate, Tolworthy said.

Tolworthy, along with RUSU welfare officer Dan Bentley, will also be around campus throughout the week passing out #NeverOk wallet cards with information on how to report an incident.

“We wanted a campaign that was serious but also friendly, because it deals with very serious topics

the award winners are those who have been shown to be the students who have stood out so we want students to be aware of what the next step is if you are to encounter anything like this,” Tolworthy said. “But at the same time we want to create that friendly environment where it’s like ‘we’re here talking to you about it because we’re not telling you it has to happen, it has to be scary, but we’re telling you if it happens we’re here to help.’”

Although the campaign covers a wide variety of issues including abuse, bullying, discrimination and racism, a major topic is sexual harassment and consent.

“Consent is more than a welfare JCR chucking condoms whilst shouting ‘I heart consent!’ at you”, Bentley said.

“Because a lot of people don’t really understand consent… A lot of people don’t know that if you’re drunk you can’t actually give effective consent,” Bentley said.

“So I think the more you actually educate people on what consent is and how it works, by creating that sort of inclusive culture I think the reporting system is then used effectively.”

Along with raising awareness for recognizing consent and harassment, one of the

campaign’s main goals is to improve the reporting system, in hopes that students and staff will be more comfortable to come forward with their experiences and not feel alone.

“If you look at sexual assault and rape... a lot don’t even get to reporting stage,” Bentley said. “A lot of people have a lot of guilt and shame about what’s happened, and they blame themselves, so it’s making sure people know that it’s not your fault it’s happened and you can come forward and talk about it and you will be supported all the way through the process, and because no one should ever feel like that. Especially on a university campus.”

The university has recently recruited 16 welfare officers within student services, all of whom will be answering reports of harassment and other actions not tolerated by the university, said Dean of diversity Simon Chandler-Wilde. The #NeverOK website has a detailed reporting process.

Everyone who participates in a society comitee works incredibly hard The campaign will be coinciding throughout the year with different international days against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, as well as the international day for the elimination of discrimination which focuses on racism issues, Chandler-Wilde said. “#NeverOk is also experimenting with the Good Lad Initiative, which is getting small groups of students to think about diversity and inclusion and how students interact as individuals and in groups”, Chandler-Wilde said. It looks at society culture in university life and allows students to discuss

consent issues openly with one another and how to avoid being a bystander.

“Once you’ve got one person and maybe changed their attitude towards something, it’s like a ripple effect and it goes through to their friend groups... even though it is only a trial this year and we have a limited number, I do think we will see a bit more of an impact on wider groups,” Bentley said regarding the Good Lad Initiative.

“Although #NeverOk is a year long campaign, the RUSU officers and the university hope to see the lasting effects for a number of years”, Chandler-Wilde said.

“It’s taking the first steps and changing the culture.

So maybe it’s not something that we’ll achieve in the year that we’re here at RUSU, but it’s something that we’re all very sure we want to start doing, so that the officers after us kind of carry it on,” Tolworthy said.

K AT E P E R K I N S

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Walk in the (not so) Wild 2018 Olga Shevchenko

Postgrad, Applied International Development

On Saturday, October 27 a small group of students squeezed into a minibus and went to see the White Horse in Oxfordshire. The bus brought us to the start of the Ridgeway National Trail, and we then had to walk uphill to see the White Horse figure, before going back down to Uffington village.

The trip was organized by the University Chaplaincy

for Reading students, and led by the chaplain, Mark Laynesmith.

This field trip was called Walk in the Wild, but the only wild thing about it was how our group looked, in a plethora of colourful and warm scarfs and Santa hats, provided by Mark. Those were an absolute necessity as it was very windy on the White Horse hill.

After about an hour of walking and climbing, as well as having a coffee break and listening to Mark read-

With its black-roofed houses it reminded me of the roofs of Scandinavia, although the hous-

ing a story, we faced the famous chalk painting of the horse on the hill. It is a very old, prehistoric art installation, picturing an animal, presumably a horse, but possibly something else, like a cat or a dog.

The figure did not look as impressive as it looks on the photos from the Internet, because we were looking at it from the hill and did not get an aerial view. But when we got down from the hill and walked past a few groomed and friendly horses, I was

‘those’ magical moments I will never forget, I think.”

It was a very nice trip– not too long, not too short, perfect for nature lovers and people curious about the English countryside.

For similar or other events organised by the Chaplaincy, you can join the Reading University Chaplaincy Community group on Facebook or email chaplaincy@reading.ac.uk.

O LG A S H E V C H E N K O

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ADDICTION

MOVEMBER

ALICE’S KITCHEN

The ‘all or nothing’ mentality.

The moustache revolution that is changing mens lives.

Another great recipe from Alice - this months recipe is carrot burgers.

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lifestyle

Advice From a Uni Drop-Out L AU R A M CC L IN TO C K

1st year International Development

Trigger warnings: suicide, Some of those students will have dropped out for no reaself-harm, mental health. son other than it just wasn’t I’m 18 years old. It’s the for them; fair enough.

Of the hundreds of thousummer of 2014, and I open my A level results; I did well. sands of students enrolled I got the grades to go to uni- however, there are some versity. Although I’m not people who are especially really sure if I want to go to vulnerable when going to university yet, Mum said that university. These can inif I don’t go now, I’ll never clude students from ethnic go. So off I went. Finally, I minority backgrounds, with thought. My life starts now. learning difficulties, that I’m going to read 10 books a are or have been victims of week and debate radical top- homelessness and poverics with like-minded people ty, LGBTQ+ students, and over a pint in the pub. I’m students affected by mental going to be the most organ- illness.

I’ve struggled with poor ised student I’ve ever been and I’m going to make loads mental health and self-harm of new friends for life. I can’t since I was 11 years old. I’ve received various different wait.

I spent 3 months at uni- diagnoses and I have made versity before I officially attempts to take my own life. packed up and went home. It wasn’t surprising that my I was one of the 6.2% of reason for dropping out of students who dropped out university was because of my of higher education in the mental health.

It’s now four years later 2014 academic year (HESA).

TIME TO CHANGE

and I’m back at University, I’m happy(er). At this point in my degree four years ago, I was isolated, not attending lectures, and subsisting off of 20p noodles and cereal. I was spiraling. I didn’t have a support system.

At this point in the academic year as the hype from freshers has settled, you may have deadlines approaching, homesickness may be affecting you and you may be struggling to keep your head above water, I know what it’s like to feel like this. Admittedly some days in the last few weeks I couldn’t make it to lectures, and sometimes I get so anxious and frantic that I forget to eat or have a panic attack. But that’s okay.

I’m working on it, and I’ve got a great support system now. It’s baby steps, people.

What can I do if I need help?

Noticing there is a prob-

lem is the first step. There are people that care about you, no matter how much your mind is screaming that they don’t. You’re not weird, you’re not a burden and you are worthy of living your best possible student life.

People will listen to you.

It is so important to communicate if things are getting worse. If you are withdrawing from everyday life, not taking good care of yourself and experiencing dangerous thoughts, it’s crucial to reach out. You do not have to reach out to any specific person; it could be someone you know from home, a friend in your accommodation or your halls, or your personal tutor.

There are also societies in the university that arrange socials where you can make links with other people at the university. Joining one could encourage you to get out and about once a week.

A cuppa, a biscuit and a chat a week may be enough just to keep things from getting out of control, and is better than going it alone.

A great resource at the University of Reading is the Disability Advisory Service; you can visit them in person in the Carrington Building or contact them by phone and email: 0118 378 4202/ disability@reading.ac.uk. I also suggest that you get in touch with your student finance provider about applying for a Disabled Student Allowance.

From here, at least one person knows what is going on. Although things may seem bleak and impossible to get through sometimes, I can promise from experience that there are always options, and no one should have to face these issues alone.

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Grow a Mo, Save a Bro T H E M O U S TA C H E R E V O L U T I O N T H AT I S S AV I N G M E N ’ S L I V E S NI A DA LTO N

3rd year English Language & Linguistics

Movember : the month that men all over the world grow mammoth moustaches … but why?

The Movember Foundation is the leading men’s health movement in the world. Mo Bros and Mo Sistas grow moustaches to raise awareness and fund men’s health research. Some of the biggest health issues that Movember supports is: prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health and suicide prevention. In 15 years, The Movember Foundation has funded more than 1,200 men’s health projects around the world.

Movember encourages men to check themselves and check up on others. Here are the five things that men should be doing now: Make man time - Catch-up and check in on your mates.

Have open conversations Listening to a friend might save their life.

Know the numbers - At age 50 you should be having conversations with your doctor about a PSA test.

Know your nuts - Check them regularly and go to the doctor if something doesn’t feel right.

Move more - Add more activity into your daily routine, and do more of what makes you feel good.

There are many ways you can become a Mo Bro and

join the revolution. To grow a moustache and start vital conversations, sign up at movember.com. To make your move and run for charity, sign up to the 60 kilometres challenge at movember.com, for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour of every day. Alternatively, make a donation at movember.com.

Most importantly, have discussions about men’s health with your friends, brothers, dads, cousins … everyone!

Awareness is the most effective solution.

In the United Kingdom, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in young men is testicular cancer. If diagnosed early, testicular cancer can be effectively treated and often cured. Treatment should not alter your ability to have sex or have children.

In order to diagnose and treat it early, you need to check your nuts! Movember’s guide tells you how:

JOE TOOZE AND JOE MARCOVITCH

1. Get steamy and have a warm shower.

2. Roll one nut between thumb and finger to get to know what’s normal.

3. Repeat with the other nut.

If you notice a change in size or shape, a lump that wasn’t there before, or if they become painful to touch, see a doctor.

talking about real issues” (movember.com). Male student suicides are rising; the suicide rate of young men is 50% more than young women in England and Wales.

We must get rid of the stigma surrounding male emotion and vulnerability. Joe Marcovitch, Third Year English Language student, says “I want all my mates to feel Suicide is the biggest kill- they can speak to me about er of young men in Britain. anything”. To change attiIt’s time we got “real men tudes and save lives, reach

out to your friends, family and flatmates.

If you’re struggling, or know someone that is, there are many ways you can get help: The University Student Welfare team provide a walkin service in the Carrington building where you can speak to someone in person, Monday to Friday, 10am4pm.

- Speak to Mind, the mental health charity, who are available 9am-6pm, Monday

to Friday, on 0300 123 3393.

- Call PAPYRUS, the National UK charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. Trained mental health professionals are available on 0800 068 4141, 10am-10pm weekdays and 2pm-5pm on weekends.

- Contact Berkshire NHS mental health crisis on 0300 365 0300.

Help a friend, a ßatmate or a classmate:

Suicide is the biggest killer of young men in Britain. Male student suicides are rising. It’s time to reach out to your friends and ßatmates. Catch-up and check in on your mates, and have open conversations about real topics. Listening to a friend might save their life.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering, hereÕs a few ways to get help: 1. The University Student Welfare team Walk-in service in the Carrington building where you can speak to someone in person Open Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm 2. Speak to Mind, the mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 Available Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm 3. Call PAYPYRUS, the National UK charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide Trained mental health professionals are available on 0800 068 4141 Available 10am-10pm weekdays, 2pm-5pm weekends 4. Contact Berkshire NHS mental health crisis on 0300 365 0300

Stick me on your ßat fridge

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Ending Addiction A N O NYM O U S Ending Addiction: The ‘Allor-Nothing’ Mentality Addiction is a serious mental health problem, and one that I have personal experience with. Some functioning addicts may not recognise that they are dependent on their substance, though it darkens their days like a cloud; other addicts might watch their life falling apart and feel helpless, unable to stop it. Obviously, ending addiction is easier said than done; here, I will tell you how I did it.

Addiction is not fixed by willpower alone. Willpower is hugely important in the recovery process, but, though many people seem to be unaware, it is also a skill. There is a worryingly common ‘all-or-nothing’

mentality prevalent amongst many addicts, recovering or otherwise; if they relapse, they are weak. If they do not, they are strong.

But addiction is far more complicated than this.

No matter how emotionally strong you are, if you have never exercised before and suddenly attempt to swim the English channel, your muscles will eventually seize up and you will drown. You will run out of energy. This physical failing has nothing to do with courage or cowardice. You drowned because you had not trained beforehand.

Similarly, if you attempt to go ‘cold turkey’ after suffering for months or years from addiction, the likelihood is that you will be unsuccessful. You will drown because you have not trained your ‘willpower muscle’, or rather the prefrontal cortex, the

part of the brain which controls decision-making and judgement. Therefore, it makes far more sense to stop slowly, limiting the intake of your substance day-by-day.

From my experience, I know that you are far more likely to succeed in defeating addiction if you have a strategy. Going cold-turkey, or being inspired by something or other and deciding that this is it, you are going to stop using forever, is the mental equivalent of throwing something against a wall and hoping that it sticks. To successfully beat addiction, you have to have a plan. You have to think about what no one wants to think about: how you are going to respond when, sooner or later, you have a craving.

This requires deep, considered thought and is a step which many avoid as it means they must confront

their own self-defeating behaviour. Firstly, you must know your triggers; in which situations do you crave your substance? Is it when you are bored, lonely, sick or depressed?

Next, you need to create an action plan for when you feel this way. Consider why you want to use in these situations; is it due to a need for self-validation? Does it seem the only way for you to feel any pleasure? Does it distract you? Whatever the reason, find a healthy, safe activity which provides you with a similar result. When cutting down your usage, you will find that you crave your substance when you have told yourself you would only, for example, smoke five cigarettes a day. This is when you can begin to try and do the healthy activity you have chosen instead. Over time, this is how I defeated addic-

tion.

Overall, not all techniques for beating addiction are helpful for everyone; for example, Alcoholics Anonymous’ method of ‘counting days’ for which an individual has been sober can be encouraging for some, but could suggest complete failure for someone who relapses for just a day. Instead, this individual should be encouraged to pick themselves back up again immediately and keep going; one mistake hardly means all your progress has been for nothing.

We must put a spotlight on this problematic ‘all-ornothing’ ideology if we hope to end addiction. The journey to sobriety is hard and painful, but it is possible, and it is worth it. Have faith, and keep going.

How to Survive Long Distance Relationships S A B I TA B U R K E

News editor

Your family might ask you many questions when you’re preparing to leave home for university for the first time.

We’ve all been there. “Have you got your bank account sorted? House bills? How are you going to cook your meals? Make sure not to set the fire alarm off when frying!” But the most dreaded question is: “How are you going to make your relationship work with all this distance?”

When I first met my boyfriend, it was in a group chat with some of our mutual online friends from America.

When we decided we wanted to be together, I was 15.

When we met up for the first time in person, we had been dating long-distance for nine months and hadn’t yet talked on the phone. Despite all this, we felt close because we talked for long periods

every day. Thoughts, hopes and fears shared can bring two people together regardless of whether or not you’re doing this face-to-face.

The way I see it, trying to stay close to another person when you can’t see them for weeks at a time is the biggest test you can go through in a relationship. You may be forced to be apart from your loved one for longer than you’d like, but, provided you’re confident in how much they mean to you, it can be done once you put your mind to it. How cheesy does it sound to say that if you love someone, anything is possible? But if it’s been said enough times to become a cliché, it must be true!

After allowing your mind to accept the challenge and to have faith that it’ll be worth the wait, make sure to use your time wisely to stay close to your partner.

Even if your uni essays are

stressfully time-consuming or you want to spend time getting to know your new friends, making sure to send a few selfies over Snapchat so you can see each other, or to have a quick call together, can make all the difference to feeling their presence and being reminded why you both care. When my boyfriend started university and the distance became even wider, we arranged to Snapchat as well as messaging every day, Skype once a week and meet up every two months. Even when it might feel like your other half is busy and their life is unfolding without you, remember they are likely to be missing you just as much as you miss them, so don’t be afraid to reach out and tell them this.

My boyfriend Rob, who graduated from the University of Southampton this year and studied English Literature, said: “Long distance

relationships are all about give and take. By sharing time together, even virtually, you create a close bond. It’s how much time you give to it that decides how it turns out.”

Never forget that if your love is real, it will always be strong enough to carry you through the ups and downs

S A B I TA B U R K E

of whatever uni life may throw at you. And when at last you get to see your partner again, your time together will be all the more special for having waited so long.

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Sorting Your Life Out LYD I A B R OA D L E Y

2nd year English Literature

As University students, it’s no secret that we all occasionally need to take a step back and re-evaluate our lives. After one too many union nights, or when all your deadlines seem to hit you at once – sometimes you just need to dedicate a day or two to sorting your life out. Here’s a guide on how to achieve this: STEP ONE: Tidy your room. The saying ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ doesn’t exist for no reason.

You can’t expect to feel any sense of organisation if your living space is a mess.

Better yet, suggest to your flatmates that you all spend an hour or two doing the dishes and sorting out the kitchen. It can often be underestimated how therapeutic cleaning can be if you’re feeling stressed; and how much living in a tidy space

can positively impact your mental health.

STEP TWO: Write down everything you have to do and when it has to be done by. Write down every task, not just the academic ones. The calendar app on your phone can be a really helpful tool for this as it’ll be with you at all times, so you know you can always check it on the go. Personally, I like to have everything written in a planner too, as I feel it helps me visualise things better. It’s all about finding the method that works for you. Once you have it all written down, plan when you’re going to do what – but sure you leave enough time to actually do it before moving onto the next thing.

STEP THREE: Have a shower. It sounds obvious, but along the same

lines as having a tidy room, having a shower and washing your hair can be surprisingly helpful when you’re feeling stressed.

STEP FOUR: Treat yourself. If you’re feeling stressed, the last thing you want to do is start working on your todo list the evening you create it. So, leave the rest of evening free to do whatever you want. This could be anything: from going on a night out (although I don’t recommend – in my experience that’s probably what made you need to sort your life out in the first place), to watching a film with friends, having a pamper night, baking, calling your mum – anything you know will help you relax.

STEP FIVE: Hopefully now you’ve completed the above steps you’re

feeling less stressed and ready to face your deadlines. Make sure you get at least eight hours sleep, you’ll never be able to get everything done to a high standard unless you’re well rested. Take everything one

step at a time, seeing it as an individual task that needs to be completed, rather than spending half your attention focused on everything else you need to do.

Lastly, good luck!

Student Housing Advice R E B E K A H S AM O S A The time to start your house search for the next academic year is fast approaching.

This can be a daunting and stressful time, so we have comprised this article to best prepare you with loaded questions for those tedious house viewings, as well as other information consider.

As a third-year who has only ever lived in student housing, it is fair to say I have accumulated a bank of knowledge when it comes to private accommodation. I have dealt with my fair share of both good and bad landlords, trying to find housemates, and faults with the houses themselves.

When commencing your house search it can be quite intimidating so it is important to prioritise a few factors, such as the location and the number of rooms the property has. These are crucial starting points as they help tailor your search. For example, if you know what area you want to live in and

that you are looking for a 6 bedroom house your search becomes much more refined and manageable.

Viewing a property entails an estate agent showing you around your potential house. This provides you the perfect opportunity to get answers to all your questions so it is important to do some research before a viewing. There are a few key questions to consider asking such as how much is the deposit and when is it due?

Does the property have access to parking? Do you have to maintain the garden? Are you allowed to put decorations on the walls?

When it comes to finding housemates, there are a few routes to explore. The common situations are your current housemates, course mates, or work friends. If none of these options appeal to you then don’t worry there are many people in your position and luckily the university have catered for this. There are many Facebook pages to help such as the university official ‘Find a

Housemate-Reading University Students’ Union’ page. If you’re still at loose ends you can always seek further advice from the housing team at RUSU as halls might be your best bet!

As for landlords, sadly it is not common to meet with them before signing a lease in my experience so it is the luck of the draw whether you will get a good one. It will become apparent very quickly if you have a good landlord through the way they communicate with you and how quickly they respond to your reports of faults within the house. If you need help dealing with your landlord, make an appointment with the RUSU housing advice team and they will be able to assist you further. It is important to remember that you have rights as a tenant so make sure you familiarise yourself with your rights, as well as what is legally expected of your landlord.

A common problem with student housing is landlords trying to fit as many rooms

into a property as possible in order to maximise their income, however this often results in rooms of differing sizes. This tends to create friction within your housemate group leading to the common debate of who gets which room. If you encounter this argument an easy way to solve this is simply alter the rent. Whilst this isn’t a legal contract but a negotiation within your group you should comprise your own agreement where for example who gets the biggest room pays more and smallest pays less. This is just one suggestion which may not be for everyone, so if you’re still struggling make an appointment with the housing advisors at RUSU and they will be able to help you further.

When moving in you will have to complete an inventory. With this, it is crucial that you make note of every imperfection within your property and take photographic evidence of it, ensuring the date of the photo is recorded. When it comes

to returning your deposit you could be liable to pay for damages, so it is important to have both written and physical evidence that it was not your fault.

You can find out more information from the RUSU housing advice team. They are situated at the heart of campus in our student union and offer impartial, confidentia,l and most importantly, free advice. They can help with a range of queries from housing laws and the rights of tenants to how to find housemates.

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Positive Use of Social Media Platforms R A J K HA N

2nd year English Literature and Politics

Social media is both an inconvenience and a blessing.

Everyone, including myself, knows the negative aspects of social media. Popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter have increased people’s feelings of anxiety, depression, low body confidence, and loneliness.

It can lead to procrastination which is detrimental to your studies, and many people constantly compare themselves to their peers.

This leads to the Imposter Syndrome – a psychological condition where an individual doubts their own accomplishments and is worried of being a ‘fraud’. This syndrome is common in education and in the workplace.

There are plenty of news stories that discuss the negative aspects of social media sites.

But there are dozens of ways to use social media thatcreate a positive outcome for yourself and for your family and friends.

The first method requires some responsibility on your-

self. It’s a simple moral code to live by: treat others the way you want to be treated.

It is a cliché but it’s true.

There are too many cases of cyberbullying on social media. Since anonymity is facilitated on the internet, we need to combat this problem. Do not be part of the problem.

Use social media in a positive way by sending lovely messages to your friends at university and asking them how their day has been. It might not seem like a heroic action, but having a nice conversation with your friend can brighten up your day and theirs too.

Make sure you keep in contact with your family and friends on a regular basis.

Not only does it help combat homesickness – if Reading is not your hometown – but your loved ones will know how your university life is going. Obviously, don’t contact your loved ones back home all the time; you must ensure you don’t become too dependent on them.

Another way to use social media effectively is to follow your department’s pages.

The connection between education and technology has revolutionised how students learn. It’s more common for The Applied Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities to promote their courses through social media, rather than Mathematics and Natural Science faculties.

Utilise the resources we have by following your department’s page on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For example, if you are a psychology student, follow Reading University’s ‘School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences’ Twitter page. Every department page publishes regular articles and events information.

If your department is hosting an event, go to it! It is a fantastic way to socialise with people on your course; also, you get to know your lecturers and seminar leaders. A healthy staff-student relationship allows you to get the most out of your uni-

versity experience.

Besides your studies, your future career requires you to have work experience. Many students have a part-time job to pay their bills, whilst others want to improve their CV by doing specialised jobs and summer internships.

It has been recommended that undergraduate students should do at least two internships during their threeyear degree: one at the end of first-year and the second internship at the end of second-year.

You can use social media to find the latest jobs and internships on MyJobsOnline, TargetJobs and other job advertising websites.

These types of organisations regularly post new jobs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Reading Internship Scheme regularly posts new job prospects on their pages.

In fact, the Red Award and The Professional Track are great programs – provided by the university – that help

graduates look employable for dozens of organisations and social enterprises. Their social media pages provide great advice on a variety of issues: how to improve your CV; advertising certain workshops and public events where a guest speaker will come in.

Traditional media is slowly being replaced by the internet. Vast sections of the world use social media to get news updates and to connect with their loved ones across the globe. According to Statista, the start of 2017 saw over 42 million UK social media users. Since January 2018, Hootsuite and We Are Social estimated there are over 4 billion social media users globally.

Social media will get more popular as time goes on; the negative side of the internet will always exist.

But you don’t need to engage with it: you can utilise social media sites to create a positive life for yourself and for your peers.

Dream Travel Destinations LYD I A B R OA D LE Y

2nd year English Literature

We’ve all thought about where we would go if money was no object and if we had all the time in the world. It’s hard to know where to even start narrowing down all the beautiful destinations the world has to offer, but here’s a short list to inspire anyone looking for their next holiday or intrepid adventure.

Thailand From the buzz of Bangkok and Chiang Mai to the beach relaxation of the Phi Phi islands, Thailand has everything to offer for a

reasonably small price tag.

You can volunteer with elephants one day, snorkel on the beach the next day and go to a full moon party by night. Also, once you’ve paid for the flight, living costs in Thailand are comparatively a lot cheaper than other destinations.

Italy One thing that’s always attracted me to Italy is the food; the pizzas that take up an entire table, there is cheap wine, and endless amounts of pasta. There are so many places in Italy so it’s worth staying there for a while to

make sure you can make the most of everywhere - from Rome to Venice, and everywhere in-between.

if you are more attracted to the nature side of things, with many opportunities for adventure and daring hikes.

Australia

Iceland

What would a dream travel destinations list be without Australia? Despite the minor drawback of everything there being out to kill you – Australia really does have it all. The east coast in particular is the backpacker’s dream; the greyhound bus will take you up the coast, dropping you at places along the way to explore. The west-coast, on the contrary, should be top of the list

For those who are less attracted to sunny weather, Iceland could be the place for you. Reykjavik, the countries capital, boasts of amazing culture and nightlife. From the famous geothermal Blue Lagoon Spa to the northern lights, Iceland is definitely one to tick off the bucket list.

Safari in Africa

For the animal lovers out there, what could be better than seeing lions, elephants, giraffes and more in their natural habitat? You can admire the awe-inspiring scenery in a safe and budget friendly way, with experienced and knowledgeable tour guides that can tell you everything you want to know about the animals, the history, and the culture.

L I F E S T Y L E | PA G E 2 3

What Have RAG Been Up To? S E L I N A M U S TA FA

3rd year Art and Psychology

Hello once again from RAG! We hope that the start of your year has been just as exciting as ours! RAG has been working tirelessly to bring to you the biggest and best events this Uni has to offer, and we’re so thrilled about it all that we must share it with you! If you’re interested in getting involved with any of the activities you read about here, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Send us a message through Facebook or email and we’ll get back to you asap! It’s never too late to join in with RAG! LOST Our first major RAG event of the year is fast approaching!

November 24th is LOST! The ultimate challenge where you and your mates will be dropped off in a mystery lo-

LOST 24/11/18

cation anywhere across the UK! It’ll be your team’s task to make it back to Reading – but here’s the catch: you only have 12 hours and cannot spend any money! Will you make it back? Or will you remain LOST?! If you and your friends are looking for a full day jam-packed with unusual and thrilling experiences, then LOST is definitely the event for you. Sign up ASAP to ensure you and your team nab a spot on this event as places are limited and going fast! Make sure to check out the Facebook page ‘R U LOST?’ for event info and tickets!

dents, sports societies and squads are growing moustaches throughout November to raise money and awareness for male mental health, prostate cancer and male health! Just one week into November, we are so proud to announce that we have already raised a massive £2,167! (Shout out to Men’s Hockey Club raising £915 alone!). This means that our Uni is now in 13th position for the UK’s Big Moustache on Campus Challenge!

There’s still time to get involved! If you and your friends want to sport a sophisticated ‘stache for charMOVEMBER ity, check out the ‘Reading RAG does Movember 2018’ You may have noticed some Facebook page for all the of the funky facial hair info! sprouting around campus lately. That’s because stu- NAKED CALENDARS

The annual RAG naked calendar will be available to purchase very soon! Make sure you don’t forget to pick up a calendar of your barely-dressed besties or your favourite sports team to support them taking their kits off for charity!

TRAVELS & ADVENTURES There’s still time to sign up for the adventure of a lifetime! Does the possibility of conquering Mt. Kilimanjaro thrill you? Does your inner explorer dream of discovering the ancient city of Machu Picchu? Or perhaps you want to undertake a colossal cycle all the way from London to Paris? These opportunities truly are once in a lifetime. If you’re considering embarking on any of

MOVEMBER

these challenges, we recommend you sign up ASAP before it’s too late! You do not want to miss out! You can expect to raise an inspiring sum of money for charity, travel to an exotic corner of the world, and make lifelong friendships along the way.

Check out the Facebook pages for each challenge to find out more.

Get in touch! www.rusu.co.uk/societies/ rag Facebook: @ragreading Twitter, Instagram & Snapchat: @readingrag

L I F E S T Y L E | PA G E 2 4

Fast fashion - A sustainability crisis

W H Y Y O U R J E A N S C O S T M O R E T H A N T H E P R I C E TA G .

N I A DA LTO N

3rd year English Language & Linguistics

Armed with my plastic water bottle and reusable shopping bag, I feel content with my small contribution to saving the environment. And yet, unbeknown to me, I’m dressed head-to-toe in the worst contender of them all: cotton. The single pair of Levi jeans that I’m wearing used 3,781 litres of water to manufacture - that’s enough water to provide 3 people with a years supply of drinking water. Cotton is one of the most unsustainable crops, produced on an industrial scale with dangerous chemicals and mass amounts of water.

BBC One’s recent “Fashion’s dirty secrets” documentary opened my eyes to the consequences of fast fashion and the ever-changing trends. Stacey Dooley investigates the production of clothing in overseas tex-

tile factories. The chemicals used to manufacture clothes are polluting lakes that millions of people use to cook, wash, and clean. Exposure to these toxic chemicals, such as lead, arsenic and mercury, can damage brain cells, cause skin cancer and lower the IQ level of children.

Clean water is vital for human survival, and our shopping addictions are affecting the health and wellbeing of innocent communities. Not only does the fashion industry drastically impact our people, but also our planet.

At the current rate of clothes consumption, textiles will account for more than a quarter of our total impact on climate change by 2020 (BBC News, 2018).

Fashion is the second biggest pollutant in the world, and yet the majority of us have no idea. Admittedly,

I’ve never shopped around for sustainable clothing, or researched the impact of my ever-growing wardrobe on the environment. This widespread lack of awareness is detrimental to the lifespan of our planet. There needs to be a sudden surge in recognition for sustainably sourcing fashion. The authorities must impose regulations and legislations to stop textile factories in their tracks.

Brands and businesses must be aware of where their clothes are manufactured.

And we, as consumers, must change our shopping habits.

So, how can we enforce change? By following the 6 R’s, you can make a difference: Reduce: Try to be savvy with your shopping and reduce the quantity of un-necessary clothes you buy, ask yourself

‘Do I really need this?’.

items.

Reuse: Shop in secondhand shops and charity shops for vintage gems. There’s a University Vintage Fair regularly on campus in the SU! Or, buy reworked clothing - Topshop have an on-trend reworked Boutique range.

Research: Before you buy a new staple piece for your wardrobe, research the brands that make sustainable choices. For example, H&M Conscious use sustainable fabrics and Mango Committed are a line of environmentally-conscious fashion garments.

Recycle: Donate any unwanted clothes to friends and family, or charity and secondhand shops. The centre of Reading is full of charity shops: Sue Ryder, British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK are just a few.

Rediscover: Regularly rotate your wardrobe and make yourself aware of all the clothes you own. Rediscover old gems that you forgot you had, and you might be less tempted to stock up on new

Rewear: Just because you’ve already wore that dress on a night out, or posted it on Instagram, doesn’t mean you can’t wear it again! The biggest change that needs to happen is our attitudes towards fast fashion. Natasha Daniels, writer of Our Daily Thread, believes that the most significant impact would be an “initiative where people don’t feel ashamed of wearing the same thing again” (BBC, 2018).

Alice’s Kitchen HIGH PROTEIN CARROT BURGERS A L I C E BYR A N T

Final year Nutrition and Food Science

High Protein Carrot Burgers It is always great to have something in the fridge that you can heat up for a quick lunch or a light dinner and these carrot burgers are perfect for that, bulk make and store in the fridge ready to just pan fry when needed!

High in protein and low in fat, they are healthy too.

Ingredients 3 tbsp vegetable oil -£0.05 500g carrots, grated - £0.40 3 garlic cloves, crushed £0.20 2 tsp cumin seeds -£0.10

210g tin butter beans, drained -£1.00 4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter -£0.80 Bunch of chopped coriander -£0.50 1 lime, zested, plus 1 tbsp juice -£0.50 2 tbsp self-raising flour -£0.20 3 tbsp natural breadcrumbs -£0.50 Time - 60 minutes Price - £4.25 for 10 carrot burgers Difficulty Level - Easy Method Step 1) Add the grated carrot into a frying pan and soften

for 5 minutes. Once soft add the crushed garlic and cumin and cook for a further few minutes.

Step 2) In a food processor, add the grated carrot, butter beans, peanut butter, coriander, flour and lime zest and blitz until all combined.

and roll in breadcrumbs, now you can either keep in the fridge until you want to heat them up (they last about a week if left in the fridge), or heat them up in

Step 3) Add some water if needed until everything is combined into a patty consistency.

Step 4) Chill the mixture for half an hour.

Step 5) Take the chilled carrot mixture, shape into burger shapes with your hands

ALICE BYRANT

a frying pan with a splash of oil for about 5 minutes until hot all the way through.

For more ideas and inspiration head to @alice_bryant on Instagram and follow for weekly recipes and food ideas.

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A . F. H A R R O L D I N T E R VIEW An author’s insight into writing a children’s novel

HARRY POT TER MAGIC Review of the enchanting Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

HOROSCOPES See what the stars are saying about you this month.

entertainment Editorial O L IVIA M ILL Enter tainment Editor

Another month, another issue of The Spark, another Entertainment Editor.

Hi everyone, I’m Olivia and I’m the new Entertainment Editor for The Spark.

I’m excited to be joining the team and encourage all those interested in contributing to the paper to get in touch, if you’re really experienced or just want to try something new let me know, I can’t wait to hear from you.

I hope to make this section of the paper as enticing and captivating as ever, so please read on and enjoy!

This issue the entertainment section has something foreveryone...including some of the most watched moments of TV this month, such as The Great British Bake Off final. Also, amazing live stage moments from a Har-

Flickr/ Geer t Pieters

ry Potter and The Cursed Child review to the latest updates on what’s on at the Reading Film Theatre.

Those of you who are into movies definitely need to give The Nutcracker review a read, to find out what the most recent Disney movie has in store.

And an article not to miss this issue is the interview with author A.F. Harold, it’s a big one. Finally, if you’re feeling mystic make sure to check out your horoscope for a hint of what to look for in your future, according to the stars.

I’m excited to be taking on this role and I want to say thank you to the team and everyone reading the paper.

Here’s to a good November!

And starting the count down to the festive season.

Marmozets are ready to take over the world of Rock J AC K HAW E S

1st Year Politics and International Relations

On the 19th October, I had the privilege of being able to go see Marmozets play their biggest headline show to date at the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, and after being a staple of the Brit-rock scene for half a decade; this night proved what many have always known. That Marmozets are ready to take over the world of Rock.

For years now, the West Yorkshire five piece have been slowly, but masterfully, crafting a unique style, mixing hard-core sensibility with anthemic rock balladry, resulting in two different but equally ingenious albums with The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets, (2014) and their latest Knowing What You Know Now, (2018).

Both albums have earned acclaim; but it’s been their live shows where their brilliantness has truly shined through. Whether it be at the biggest festival or the smallest pub, the band excels at creating atmospheres that make the mouths of moshers drool.

But what they achieved at Kentish Town was something extraordinary.

It started with a simple instruction. ‘1, 2, 3 play’, followed by the opening of a circle which wouldn’t close until the curfew hit. From here on the live crowd were treated to a night of classic tracks, (particular highlights being a roaring rendition of Captivate You and a reprisal of Major System Error’s final chorus that ended the night), but also, debuted a new track, ‘We are Strange’. Whilst this was the fist-time a live audience had heard the track, it fit perfectly within the set, boasting a killer chorus. What was undeniable throughout the night was the sheer presence the band commanded, especially Rebecca Macintyre (vocals), who moved with such a fiery passion you couldn’t help but be captivated, (if you’ll pardon the pun). They were fearless, and it’s exactly this reason that proves the Marmozets are ready to do more in the world of rock, which is in need of more bands that offer something unconventional and perhaps a little weird but wonderful; which the Marmozets definitely do.

If you cast your eyes at the line-up to Download Festival or Slam Dunk, you’ll

be hard pressed to find as many female led rock groups. It’s been a point of contention for many years and really should have been addressed and fixed a long time ago, given the wealth of female fronted rock groups in the UK alone.

Bands like Black honey, Muncie Girls, Dream Wife, Honey blood, and Anteros, all female fronted and all deserving of a larger stage.

Marmozets have the potential to truly break the mould and be a female fronted band topping festival line ups, and from what this night showed, they more than deserve to. They need to.

Also, Jamie Lenman deserves a lot of praise for his opening set. Before I had only heard good things about his work but had never sort out to listen to any of it. Yet after this set I felt he had to. He opened the night for Marmozets perfectly whilst also selling himself as a new voice in rock that has the potential to be huge.

Marmozets will be supporting You Me At Six on their winter UK tour alongside the Xcerts and I, for one, cannot wait to see where they go after that.

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A.F. Harrold: Reading’s International Author

Unmissable interview with children’s author A.F. Harrold Kahina Bouhassane Online Enter tainment Editor

W

ith A.F. Harrold’s new book, The Afterwards being published this month, it seemed like the perfect time to sit down with the man behind the books and ask him all about what it’s like to be a children’s author, and about his life in our town of Reading.

Whether you know Harrold for his poetry or his children’s books, he’s certainly made a name for himself in the literary world, but it’s strange to think that all of this happened around the Reading we know and love.

In fact, he walked the very halls that we walk now when he did his degree in Philosophy here at the University, back in 1992.

Harrold very much attributes his success to moving to Reading. Having grown up in Horsham, a small West Sussex town (which Harrold describes as “Nice with a capital N”), he believes he might have led a very different life had he not come to Reading. A glimpse of this possibility comes from the Summer between his undergraduate degree and the start of his masters, where he worked as a postman there for 3 months.

Just as the postman life didn’t necessarily stick for Harrold, neither did his postgraduate degree, when he dropped out after just 4 weeks. But having paid for halls for the whole semester, he was allowed to stay long enough to find a job (at Blackwell’s) and somewhere else to stay in Reading, which finally allowed him to take more of an interest in the towns art scene.

Harrold’s involvement in Reading’s art scene was (and still is) hugely widespreadHe became involved in the

Poets Café (to which he returned this week as a guest speaker) and a mic night called ‘Bohemian Night’. He also became involved in the music scene and found that Reading’s connections to London and other big cities made it a great place to grow as an author and poet.

He said: “All that, the musicians and poets and artists that I met, brought me to where I am now.”

Certainly, Harrold has worked with quite a few talented illustrators over the years, such as Emily Gravett, Chris Riddell, Levi Pinfold and countless others, many of whom are Kate Greenaway Medal winners, but even he isn’t immune to getting a little star-struck every now and then.

He recounts the story of when he met Shaun Tan, a multi-award-winning Australian illustrator that, amongst other incredible projects, worked on Pixar’s WALL-E. He said: “I met him, I was in Australia earlier this year and he’d just done a panel with Levi and with Chris Riddell and I got to sit next to him in a mini bus for about 45 minutes driving from Parramatta into Sydney, just going back to the hotel. I talked to him and he was so kind and so nice. He was just a sort of quiet Australian guy who listened to me going ‘I THINK YOU’RE BRILLIANT!’ for 45 minutes and ‘I DID A BOOK WITH LEVI THAT’S WHY I’M HERE’ and it was slightly embarrassing.”

In all his modesty however, Harrold’s work does seem to have a life of its own across the globe. Currently in New York, one of his books, The Imaginary, is being adapted into a musical as well as having been translated into more than 10 different languages.

He said: “It’s crazy to

Harrold very much attributes his success to moving to Reading

think that the book has been written more by other people, than I have written it.”

Despite living worldwide, some of Harrold’s poems do remain a little closer to home, as they are set in Reading. Some of his poems that feature animals see them finding their way around the streets of Reading, so if you’re local, it’s definitely something to try and spot!

And with Christmas coming up, an A.F. Harrold book could be the perfect gift for some of your younger loved ones.

To find out A.F. Harrold’s answers to your questions, see the extended article on The Spark Online.

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

gave me a detailed layout of Disneyland Paris from memory and then went on for 30 minutes about his latest holiday there. This included a 15-minute photo viewing session during myself I decided to have which I noted the micky some fun with the new ears, the secretive cosplays height advantage I had and when changing for the date and the unmistakable Simba I chose a nice pair of heeled tattoo that took up ¼ of his back. ‘I got that two days boots to wear. Not to make him feel small of course, but after coming back’ he said to me as I stifled a giggle. because they were the only You see dear reader, he had shoes that went with my mistaken Simba for Mufasa outfit. You might call this and had misquoted possibly cruel, I found it hilarious, one of the easiest lines in especially seeing the shock the Disney films. Instead of on Tom’s face as he saw me ‘Remember who you are’. stood waiting for him the His tattoo had ‘Remember station entrance. what you were.’ I asked him But this story continues, what the line meant, hoping Tom was a fan of Disney. he had made the line more Not just a fan of the films, personal, ‘perhaps he wants but a Disney tourist and theme park aficionado who to remember who he used to be?’ I thought. But no, he not only could recite every line of the lion king, but also then said ‘What, you don’t

Millie’s Mumblings MY ADVENTURES IN ‘TINDER’ LAND adventures in Tinderland…

The adventures of Tom 3rd Year English Literature Thumb ‘Tom’ was one of my first Once upon a time on a tinder dates, after a few days drunken night out, being of talking he offered to take newly single and ready to mingle my friends persuad- me out to Bills in town. An hour before we were due to ed me to download Tinder and soon my swiping adven- meet up he told me he had lied about his height. ‘I’m tures began. After a couple of weeks, I had a few match- not 6 foot tall’ he said. ‘I am really 5 ft 6.’ This admission es and a couple of dates, so struck me as bizarre. Not I thought I would tell you only because lying about some stories about one of the dates. It may sound like your height is a bit odd, especially given that it is the it’s come out of a fairy tale, first thing someone notices or a horror movie. (Obviabout you but also because ously, names and things I had told him previously have been changed and none of them were students that I didn’t mind if somehere.) So, sit back and enjoy one was shorter than me or not. But as a 6ft tall human my first instalment of my MILLIE FARQUHAR

know that line? Its only the most famous line in the film,’ not only confirming that he had misremembered the line, but that it was forever preserved on his back. It was a mercy when I dropped him off at the station, because I could finally let out the laughter I had been keeping in all evening.

The moral of this story?

Don’t lie about your height and for the love of all that is good! Check your tattoos before you get them! Stick around and see if I have anymore adventures next month!

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – A contradictory review Ellie Slaney 3rd year fine ar t “I’m just as lost as when I arrived here” Something Clara, the spirited protagonist, says and how I felt when watching Disney’s ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’. I had seen the trailer before viewing the full film, so already had a vague idea of what I thought it might be like.

In some respects, I was right and in others completely wrong. Firstly, the beauty and magnificence of the sets, costumes and music was something I had been expecting from

the trailer, yet they still exceeded these expectations. The film uses barely any CGI and so all the magic and wonder of the different locations and outfits are real. The music especially was wholly encompassing and transported me to the magical land of the Nutcracker.

That, however, is where the magic firmly ended. The acting and dialogue of the film confused me greatly – brilliant actors such as Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and Kira Knightley feature, yet their performances and characters lacking.

*Spoilers ahead* Kira Knightley’s character Sugar Plum was easily the most confusing - she started out incredibly sweet to the point of being slightly irritating, yet during the ‘twist’ of the film where the baddie is revealed, she turned out to be the most obvious choice. Sugar Plum suddenly became a whole other person, but in a slightly non-convincing way. Plus, for a children’s film she was oddly innuendo-ish. Additionally, our leading lady Mackenzie Foy was earth-shatteringly average. A refreshing role model for young children

she certainly was, Clara was brave, intelligent and most importantly kind, but she was almost too naïve and innocent.

Ranting aside, this is certainly a magical children’s film, however due to the lack of development in plot and flat dialogue that is all it is.

It’s like a beautifully wrapped Christmas present with an ok gift inside; wonderful to look at yet when you delve inside it lacks substance

and is a bit underwhelming.

Overall impression – it was a beautifully made film, and worth watching simply to enjoy the aesatch it a second time.

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The Legendary Lorien Legacies Penelope Faithfull 3rd Year Classics

Synopsis: Set in our contemporary day, the Lorien Legacies are about ten children who are sent from their home planet, Lorien, to Earth, when it is destroyed by the Mogadorians. The Loric are split: Garde and Cêpan. The Garde have powers, called Legacies, and have the intention of protecting Lorien from the planet’s prophesised destruction. However, the Cêpan have no Legacies and take on more administrative roles and train the Garde. To protect the Loric children sent to Earth, they have a charm placed on them which means they can only be killed in order of their number, which they are named after when they are separated. However, when they are together, the charm breaks and they can be killed in any order.

The series starts with I am Number Four because One, Two and Three have been

killed by The Mogadorians who are ruled by one leader with one goal: to destroy the universe. For, what he calls, Mogadorian Progress. When Lorien was destroyed, the Loric elders sent nine children, and their Cêpans, to Earth, in the hope that one day these children will help to defeat the Mogadorians and restore Lorien. However, a tenth child, and their unplanned Cêpan, were also secretly sent to Earth. This series is about how these children, with some unexpected human allies, fulfil that goal.

Legacies Reborn is the follow-on series from the Lorien Legacies, and it features a new cast of characters. Although the old favourites from the previous series do make an appearance and, as each book continues, it seems that certain characters are becoming more prominent. This series focuses around the aftermath and the consequences of the Lorien Legacies. This series is still being written.

Thoughts: From heartbreakingly sad to laugh out loud funny, this series has it all. The Lorien Legacies grips you from beginning to end with secrecy, romance, action, superpowers, conspiracies, wit, suspense, betrayal, twists and turns, a brilliant plot and great, strong characters. But, Lore is not afraid to kill them off. With gritty realism, the characters face grave dangers, and, even

though Number Seven, has a healing Legacy, the characters are still seriously hurt, and they must deal with the consequences of their actions. Interestingly, Pittacus Lore is one of the Loric elders, and the series was originally written by a collection of ghost writers under this pseudonym, which was then reduced to two writers for The Power of Six and then just one for The Rise of Nine onwards, so some ideas in the first two books are never mentioned again. Even though, I am Number Four may be seen as a rocky beginning, The Power of Six is good, and the series then becomes excellent from The Rise of Nine onwards. The main characters are wonderfully written, distinctive individuals who have their own quiet but important development over the series, and it is hard not to have affection for all of them. The books are written in the first person, present tense, with just John’s point of view in I am Number Four, and then

from multiple characters’ points of view from The Power of Six onwards. Curiously, the Lorien Legacies Reborn series is written in the third person, past tense.

Although, there are a lot of the books in the series, it is important to read them in order. Lore has also written some extra short stories which have been released online, the writing is so fastpaced, simple (but not boring), and intriguing that it is hard to put them down, and so I can usually read one three-hundred-page book in three hours! So far, I have found the Lorien Legacies Reborn series slightly underwhelming. However, the ending of Fugitive Six certainly promises a good third book, and the main characters from the Lorien Legacies are becoming more prominent and with the rate at which Lore seems to churn out books, it will not be long until we find out what happens in the next instalment. Due to Lore’s past pieces, I have high hopes for the Lorien Legacies Reborn.

Favourite Fears – The Student Band Taking Reading by Storm.

Ellie Slaney 3rd Year Fine Art

L

ast Thursday night, in a bar just a few minutes outside the centre of Reading, I went to watch two Reading University students headline an event with their band Favourite Fears. The venue, The Facebar, was dark (in a good way) and pub-like. You could also hear the music from outside before you entered. When walking in, one of the warm up bands had already begun playing, channeling some young Jack Black vibes. The performers reminded me of Black’s band Tenacious D, and they did a good job of charging their audience up

in a similar way to him. ext up was Ivøries, a five-piece rock band.

They performed a mix of covers and original songs, including a cover of Wolf Alice’s ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ which truly enabled the lead singer to showcase her voice. nce their set was over, it was time for Favourite Fears: the band that I, and evidently most other audience members, were here to see. From the moment they entered the stage, the crowd grew. At the same time, I stood up from my comfy sofa seat and managed to make my way to the front for a better view. As they began their set, audience members immediately began to dance

N O

and enjoy the music. Favourite Fears’ music was unique and rocky, with each song building slightly from the last until by the end, both the singer and lead guitarist were playing (and dancing) in amongst the crowd. hey were performing to promote their new EP Single ‘L’Appel du Vide’ (meaning ‘The call of the void’ in French). I felt energised and alive after watching the performance, and also managed to speak to a couple of other students at the event. One expressed “it was a really good night and I had loads of fun, all the bands were awesome.” ou can download/find out more about ‘L’Appel

T

Y

ELLIE SLANEY

du Vide’ from their website, or listen to Favourite Fears on Spotify. However, studio recordings have nothing on the live sound.

I felt energised and alive after watching the performance

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter just got more...Wicked!

Taz Usher Print Editor

A week on from my day trip to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two at Palace Theatre in London, and I can now finally put into words just how spectacular the show experience was.

From start to finish, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was everything I, and the hundreds of other Harry Potter super-fans in the audience around me, had been waiting for since the moment we put down J.K. Rowling’s final novel of the Harry Potter series ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’.

With my utmost loyalty to this spellbinding show, and awe at its ability to transform my childhood dream of seeing Harry Potter on stage into a reality, I must #keepthesecret and take a different approach to my typical show review style. Regardless, there are some aspects of the production which I can share with you: my main motive for this being to convince you that, if any, this is the one show

you must see before you die.

So, if you’ve already visited Harry Potter World or read the series over and over like I have, I guess you could say that you’re a minuscule step of the way towards your ultimate Harry Potter experience.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child combines J.K. Rowling’s magical innovations with a genius refreshing storyline, written in collaboration with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. Meanwhile, the plot grips tightly to our most loved (and most despised) characters, favourite spells and dialogue we’ve heard too many times to forget.

The execution of the play is beyond magnificent. With a cast of 42 of all ages, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child truly celebrates the notion that when it comes to believing in magic, age really does have no limit.

The entire cast gave a faultless performance across the four hour and 40 minute total running time. Nonetheless, it would be senseless not to recognise the outstanding performances by Jamie Ballard, Thomas Aldridge and

W H AT ’ S O N

Franc Ashman who played the famous three. Likewise, Jonathan Case and James Howard also gave incredibly realistic (and unique on Jonathan’s part) performances as the Malfoy males.

The extreme popularity of the play, typically requiring fans to purchase tickets up to a year in advance, implies that the current actors will have performed the show hundreds of times for both parts. Nonetheless, their effortless talents and theatrical expertise, with all actors also participating in set changes in the slickest manner, was enough to convince audience members that the actors were indulging in every magical moment and conquering every injustice for the first time.

Another of the unforgettable qualities of the production included the impressive characterisation adopted by the actors. They took into account the most intricate of details to accurately reproduce J.K. Rowling’s initial creations; notably use of accent, mannerisms and costume choice. Equally, the production’s set design and special effects contributed

TA Z U S H E R

enormously to the show experience. Needless to say, there were countless breathtaking moments which left viewers mind-blown and truly captivated by the magic of the show; so much so that during the intervals, I didn’t hear a single person question ‘how’ a trick was done.

In every dimension, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stuns, satisfies and surprises- giving Harry Potter fans a memorable and sensational audience experience. If I haven’t said already, I highly, highly recommend this show- you’re in for a treat.

MOODY MUSIC

AT R E A D I N G F I L M T H E AT R E

November 20 22 27 29

The guardians Members’ Choice - Film To Be Announced To Be Announced Dogman

December 4 Wildlife 6 Go West (1925) 7 Go West (1925) 11 Utoya 13 Peterloo Films are shown in the Palmer Building on the Whightknights campus. Doors open 45 minutes before the advertised start time.

Membership: £10/£5 for under 18s and University of Reading students

Songs for Relaxation

1. Taylor Swift- Ours 2. Emilie Mover- Brand New 3. Cimorelli- The One 4.Cimorelli- A Thousand Years/I Won’t Give Up/Thinking Out Loud 5. Plain White T’s- Hey There Delilah 6. Adele- Daydreamer 7. Paolo Nutini- Candy 8. Ghost of Summer- Daylight 9. Amber Virena- Back in Time 10. Ed Sheeran- All of the Stars

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child combines J.K. Rowling’s magical innovations with a genius refreshing storyline

E N T E R TA I N M E N T | PA G E 3 2

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 W R I T T E N B Y S A B I TA B U R K E

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

November 22- December 2

December 22- January 19

January 20- February 18

New things are on the horizon this month, and with your birthday comes a new year and many changes. An unexpected challenge may come your way. But if you are brave and have faith you can overcome anything. You are feeling full of passion and fun, so why not dress up and treat yourself to that Union night out you’ve been longing for?

As Jupiter briefly aligns with Uranus, ever ything you have taken for granted c o u l d c o m e c r a s h i n g d o w n . H o w e v e r, y o u r determination and clear-headed personality will serve you well in this time o f u n c e r t a i n t y. B u t b e w a r n e d n o t t o be too strong willed with your friends.

Staying in touch with your own thoughts will produce a deep, close friendship later on.

As the sun crosses your constellation, you may feel a sudden burst of energy, Capricorn. This may leave you feeling inspired and spark your romantic side. But, be careful to keep your long-term goals in mind and use your deep intuition to make decisions that are right for both you and those around you.

Venus in retrograde brings you influxes of passion and creativity, so now is a good time to put pen to paper and write that article for the Spark that you’ve been meaning to. An outlet . from the stress of your studies is essential; otherwis e there is a danger of increased agitation, which could lead to an angry outburst or over-asertiveness in your realtionships.

PISCES

ARIES

TA U R U S

GEMINI

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

The sun in your decan heats things up and brings pressure, it seems everything is weighing down on you. Try not to react to these challenges impulsively or lash out, but even if things get out of hand, remember that you don’t have to go it alone. Talking through your problems with that someone special can make all the difference and give you a new boost of positivity.

You have been feeling more in need of love than usual, Gemini. This, combined with Mars’s transit across the sun, will create a build-up of energy fuelling your desire for others to do your bidding.

This need for control could have damaging effects on your friendships, however, so try to appreciate everyone in your life and keep your loved ones close.

October 23-November 21

February 19- March 20

The birthday month of many of you out there! The month of April brings a whirlwind of emotions to the forefront. The feeling of anger at the l ittlest of thinge expected, so

Your nervous bouts of anxiety recently are a sign that it is time to regain your inner peace, so going to a meditation class or even signing up to the gym may help you get back on track with your work. Then, later in the month you’ll feel yourself regain your strength and courage.

Despite having felt more sensitive than usual recently, take charge of the confidence you know you have inside you and find your assertive voice to stand up for yourself. Even though you may unintentionally upset a friend by saying no to an evening at Park Bar, remember your own needs are always the most important in your own life, so don’t feel guilty about a little self-care if you ditch in favour a quiet night in.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

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

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

AUGUST 23- SEPTEMBER 22

SEPTEMBER 23 - OC TOBER 22

You may have been finding the mundane routine of going to lectures and socialising with

After having done a work in class that went better than you’d expected, you are feeling a new surge of confidence. This will help you to feel at ease and encouraged to tackle the rest of your workload bravely. The full moon on November 23rd will increase this resilience, and your confidence will give you a new appeal. Retain some degree of caution if making new friends, however; not everyone may be at ease with themselves as much as you are.

Impulsive drunken moments of buying rounds for all your friends at the Q Club bar last Monday may have led to maxing out your card and spending all your student loan, but never fear. Venus’s energy crossing through your star sign will bring you a new level-headedness and clarity of thought, so put this to good use when budgeting.

Saturn in your decan may draw other people towards you, and while you may be glad that you’re finally making friends if a first year, or enjoying time spent with your housemates if a third year, be wary of these people putting pressure on you. But even if caught up in the middle of friendship group fallouts over housing drama, your sensible mind can recall your sense of balance and approach the situation in a calm and calculated manner.

your housemates more emotionally taxing than usual recently, Cancer. But the passage of the Sun across your decan will shed light on your inner peace, and your overriding ability to be tranquil in the face of all challenges will surface, calming not only yourself but also your

The Spark Newspaper is designed and typeset by students at the University of Reading. Published and funded by Reading University Students’ Union, contact: activitiesofficer@rusu.co.uk. Our students strive for accuracy but on occasion can make mistakes. Errors can be corrected/acknowledged by contacting the Editor. Complaints should be made to the Editor in the first instance, and thereafter to RUSU. All complaints should be made in writing. All articles, letters etc. must include a name, address, and contact number/email address. These may be withheld from publication at specific request. The Spark Newspaper or RUSU can take no responsibility for products or services advertised herein. The Spark Newspaper reserves the right to reject or edit any submissions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Editor. The views expressed in The Spark Newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors or RUSU, particularly those expressed in the comment’s pages, which are often opinions of the specific authors. Photographs in The Spark Newspaper are copyright, and you will need permission from the photographer to re-use. Contact the Editor at: editor.spark@reading.ac.uk.

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

What to read: Revolutionary Road Jacob Coleman 2nd year philosophy Revolutionary Road (1961) quietly draws readers into a world of white picket fences, dead-end jobs and unfulfilled potential. It takes us back to a time when a generation struggled to fill the void of post-war life, and in doing so, struggled to see the point in their monotonous existence.

I want you to read the book because, within it, there is a story all young adults ought to be told.

Yates wrote about the small section of the world he inhabited and, like his protagonists, also felt the claustrophobia of the American dream. A dream that seemed ever increasingly to be turning into a nightmare.

The prose is clean, unelaborate and, for all the descriptions of beauty and melancholy, urgent. Even though the novel went out of print during the author’s lifespan – Yates died thinking himself a literary failure –it has only been with the passing of those years that the novel’s relevance and poignancy

have been illustrated. But to me, this book is more than a great work of fiction. It is an example of what a great novel ought to do: change, or at least impact, the life of the reader.

I’m keen to emphasize that this review is not to put forward a case for Revolutionary Road’s literary quality.

I want you to read the book because, within it, there is a story all young adults ought to be told. We meet Mr and Mrs Wheeler years into their marriage and are made aware hat the

source of their love was sharing in a pining to be different; to feel things; to live in Paris and discover who they were.

Throughout the novel, normal life - the kind the Wheelers were so afraid of - becomes more vivid in its repetition. The infuriatingly boring micro-politics of office life draws Frank Wheeler to the point of an affair.

Meanwhile, the once aspiring actress of April Wheeler loses herself with every day she continues to attempt

As students, this novel ought to act as a cautionary tale.

with the lives of unfulfilled adults who were too afraid to chase their dreams – although, they did arguably achieve the American dream (the house, the car, the two children and the office job that pays enough for such a life). As students, this novel ought to act as a cautionary tale. At best, to give up the day job before we even apply to it, move to that city we always dreamed of and live the life we know we’ve always wanted. More realistically though, Revolutionary Road cautions us not to lose sight of what matters in life: our own fulfilment, cherished relationships, meaningful work, etc.

For ultimately, we all ought to question, as April Wheeler does: “Are artists and writers the only people entitled to lives of their own?”

quietly draws readers into a world of white picket fences, dead-end jobs and unfulfilled potential.

to play the role of housewife. The problem with the lives of the protagonists is not that their lives are anything to be ashamed of, but instead, the problem is that both characters had such great dreams, but let – admittedly, very human – shortcomings prevent them from having the life they so wanted. There was a time when the Wheelers were madly in love, fascinated by the world and each other, and planned to leave their dull life in the suburbs and move to Paris – Frank to find himself, April to finally build a career of her own.

But Frank lets a promotion at work blind himself to the fact he is falling prey to the capitalist trap he is deeply enslaved in. More-

over, as the light goes out in Frank, so too does the spark of their relationship, resulting in a tragedy that closes the novel.

In many ways, they are the embodiment of the voice in our heads that begin to speak in our early teenage years but goes shy once we are old enough to attempt to bring its suggestions to fruition.

That person we loved but were too afraid to tell; that career path that deep down we really wanted; those cities far from London that – if we just took the risk – could have become perfect places to start adult life.

Revolutionary Road is the storyof a man who stopped listening to that voice in his head, adhered to the normal life he so hates, and as a result, destroys the world around him.

The novel is concerned

“Are artists and writers the only people entitled to lives of their own?”

P H O T O G R A P H Y | PA G E 3 4

photography decay

EUAN CARMICHAEL Head of Photography

34

P H O T O G R A P H Y | PA G E 3 5

as the leaves have started to fall, I decided to look further into other things in life that decay...

35

S P O R T | PA G E 3 6

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S P O R T | PA G E 3 7

MAKING THE TRANSITION

ROONEY’S RETURN

TIME TO DESTRESS

Berkshire boxing booming

The pros and cons

Relax with Yogalates PA G E 3 7

PA G E 3 5

PA G E 3 8

sport

MAKING THE TRANSITION TOM LYONS

PRINT SPORTS EDITOR

Red-hot Reading amateur Damon O’Neill has just returned from Mexico to get more rounds in the bank with debutant and MTK signed professional Josh Adewale.

The Berkshire duo have done countless minutes in the ring together and the Slough fighter, while making the transition to the paid ranks with his highly anticipated and rescheduled debut this month, has given O’Neill the opportunity to learn from him and provide a stern test in the gym.

DAMON O’NEILL

A M AT E U R P R O S P E C T O ’ N E I L L S H O W I N G S U P E R B P O T E N T I A L P R O V I D E D W I T H VA L U A B L E R O U N D S B Y U N D E F E AT E D P R O .

Given that the next few months are the embryonic stages for Adewale, this stagnation of date and time has spurred him on even more to get off to a winning start and look impressive doing so.

O’Neill joined an elite amateur team to travel to Mexico, way out of his comfort zone, winning his bout and returned to the UK having learnt so much.

The Mexican fight culture is notorious for being tough and gritty and O’Neill knows exactly what boxing

provides him with: an added incentive to train hard and remain disciplined.

Adewale is the latest of boxers in the area to turn pro, and Bracknell’s Charles Frankham, another talented Berkshire fighter, has yet to unveil when he will turn over from the amateur game.

He has joined the reputable Tony Sims Matchroom Elite stable, sparring withthe likes of multiple time and weight division world champion Ricky Burns, Joe Cordina and so on.

Not just sparring partners

but true friends, O’Neill and Adewale appreciate the talents and skills of one another and it makes perfect sense for them to keep learning off one another.

In boxing, there is always room for improvement and despite both men winning a number of accolades as amateurs, the pro-game provides a different test.

The change from the conventional 3x3 mins rounds and smaller oz gloves means that the levels and intensity increase substantially.

O’Neill is a 2x National

Alliance Senior Champion while the largest management company in world boxing, MTK Global have reached out to Adewale and given him the exposure and platform to showcase his skills.

You can watch both their careers unfold by following their social media tags and tune into Adewale’s fight, as a professional at the Brentwood Centre on November 17.

S P O R T | PA G E 3 8

Rooney’s Return: A Sentimental Send-Off or Farewell Farce?

Charlie Holmes First year History

On November 15 England’s most prolific talisman, Wayne Rooney, will return from international retirement in a one-off friendly against the USA at Wembley, more than two years after he called time on his national service.

However, the surprise second coming of the former Everton and Manchester United striker has drastically polarised fans who are ambivalent about the 33-year-old’s inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s squad.

Billed as ‘The Wayne Rooney Foundation international’, the FA announced to the nation, last week, that the country’s all-time leading goal-scorer will adorn the Three Lions shirt once more in a match where proceeds will be donated to the footballer’s dedicated charity.

Fittingly, this testimonial is against American opponents with Rooney now plying his trade in Major League Soccer with D.C United across the Atlantic, the side who he helped to catapult from the foot of the standings to the post-season play-offs in a matter of 5 months.

Nevertheless, since the FA’s unforeseen appraisal last week, footballing fans, pundits and even players have been torn about the decision to host a testimonial for Rooney, who will win his 120th cap for the national side in less than a week’s time.

So, is Rooney’s unique readmission to the national set-up a sentimental send-off celebrating an illustrious career or a farcical farewell lauding what has been an indifferent international narrative for the Liverpudlian? The Spark Sport weighs up both sides of the debate.

A Sentimental Send-Off? In March 2017, England lined up against Germany at

Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park in an international friendly with the old enemy.

Although, in contrast of the anathema that normally punctuates clashes between the fiercest of footballing rivals, there was an unusual sense of respect and friendliness between the two sides.

This was because the game was marked as a testimonial for Lukas Podolski, arguably a German equivalent to Rooney.

Perhaps the FA, after seeing the jubilance and poignancy generated for Podolski’s swansong, took inspiration and decided to consecrate Rooney’s record-breaking career in similar fashion.

Despite all the consternation and opposition towards Rooney’s return to the national set-up, there is no doubt that the occasion has benevolent ulterior motives.

The fact that the FA has pledged to directly donate proceeds from the game to the Wayne Rooney Foundation – a fantastic organisation that can have a transformative impact on children from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds – surely renders this testimonial as being a philanthropic, therefore worthwhile, venture?

Arguably, if the game is helping out those in need, why are people kicking up such a fuss?

In an era where many constantly castigate the economic landscape of the modern game, berating professional footballers for earning astronomical weekly wages for just kicking a ball or moaning about the exorbitant transfer fees paid for global stars, this charitable event is a refreshing reminder that humanity and humility still exists in the game.

Amid all the criticism, it must not be forgotten that many

other leading nations in international football have staged analogous tributes for their finest players. For instance, as well as Germany’s salute to Podolski in March 2017, the Netherlands recently paid homage to Wesley Sneijder, the mercurial midfielder who played a central role in getting Holland to the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa, by recreating a living room on the pitch where he and his family looked back at the finest moments of his career while sitting on a sofa next to the touchline.

Essentially, the FA’s decision to host a testimonial for Rooney is not an untoward occurrence when it comes to international friendlies, but instead the national footballing body is just following a trend that has been around for some time.

A Farewell Farce?

However, on the other side of the coin, there is an overwhelming majority who are vehemently against the FA’s decision to host a testimonial for Rooney. Outspoken footballing pundits and legends, most notably Chris Sutton and Peter Shilton, have vocalised this stance the loudest, citing how it is debasing the significance of earning an England cap and how we are returning to a period of humdrum and meaningless international friendlies.

The main bugbear for those who are opposed to Rooney’s return to the national set-up is that many refuse to inaugurate England’s all-time top-scorer into the pantheon of English footballing icons.

And there is a case to support this.

Rooney’s highlights reel in an England jersey is more like a montage of mediocracy and madness, a phantasmagoria of low points in the history of the national side. Apart from

lighting up Euro 2004 in Portugal as an intrepid 18-yearold, Rooney has consistently failed to perform on the biggest occasions.

Sent off in the quarter-final of the 2006 World Cup; featuring in the side which failed to qualify for Euro 2008; criticising fans when the cameras faced him at the 2010 World Cup after a goalless draw against Algeria; and captaining the side that was eliminated from Euro 2016 by Iceland in Nice.

Rooney was a main protagonist in all of the moments that have pockmarked the prestige of England in recent times. In short, many question why we are celebrating the international career of such a divisive and, at times, underperforming player.

The move to recall Rooney in the England squad also goes against the grain of Gareth Southgate’s progressive selection policy of investing in the young talents that England is producing.

During his 25-month tenure, Southgate has been eulogised for his bold decision to call-up the youth but surely Rooney’s inclusion in a oneoff game contradicts the new agenda? What’s more, Rooney’s place in the squad could obstruct promising prospects on the periphery of England’s squad from getting a call-up, forcing Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson or Reiss Nelson, on loan from Arsenal at German outfit Hoffenheim, to wait for a maiden cap in spite of their terrific respective forms.

This view is shared by many students at the University of Reading with Ryan Smith, a 2nd year Mathematics student arguing how: ‘it is not a good idea because I think the youngsters deserve more of a chance… Rooney gas gone past his sell-by date.’

Although Wayne Rooney’s one-off return to the national team has faced much hostility, the benevolent rationale behind the testimonial itself makes it an irrefutably sentimental gesture that should be praised.

It should be remembered, and even celebrated, that Rooney is the nation’s most potent goal-scorer ever, and that the occasional unsavoury moments whilst wearing the England shirt should not pale his prestigious playing career into insignificance.

S P O R T | PA G E 3 9

Time to Destress Sabita Burke News Editor You might have seen us on a Tuesday evening as you’re walking through the Wessex Hall corridor or strolling past the building on your way home.

As we kick our legs in the air and do Russian twists, you might wonder what this somewhat crazy-looking activity is and be curious to find out more.

The truth is that the Yogalates Society is a rather unique, and in my opinion, genius combination. I don’t know who first came up with the idea, but the core principle of the classes that run every Tuesday evening in term time from 6:00-7:00 and then 7:008:00 are a killer combination of yoga, pilates and more

W H A T W E R E A L LY G E T U P T O A T Y O G A L A T E S

workout-orientated, gymstyle exercises.

First of all, the 2nd and 3rd-year students who volunteer as instructors start the sessions with a lively warmup. This usually consists of some simple jogging on the spot to get our blood flowing, followed by some more traditional yogic stretches.

This is when you may find yourself feeling the most relaxed as your body responds gratefully to the softening of your muscles, tense from sitting on those uncomfortable lecture theatre benches all day.

The main part of each class is divided into four sections which concentrate on intensive exercises pinpointing legs, arms, abs and butts

This is the time when you’ll really be gasping for breath and asking your friends why they persuaded you to come tonight and subject yourself to this torture, but you think this whilst simultaneously loving every second (trust me). Why? Because there’s nothing more refreshing than enjoying the exhilarating rush of adrenaline that comes from fast-paced movement, in the company of friends.

Finally, we often finish off lying down and with some gentler stretches such as child’s pose, the restorative nature of which has been known by Eastern yogis for thousands of years.

For me, one of the best things about going to

the sessions every week is the music that accompanies us throughout the hour.

The instructors choose the most upbeat, feel-good playlists on Spotify, and we all know that singing along to Despacito (when we have enough breath left to do so, that is!) makes even the hardest, most taxing exercises bearable.

There was one day last year when the session was transformed into “Glowgalates” and all 80+ participants got given glow sticks to wear whilst working out in the dark.

The effect was stunning, and it was a worthwhile fundraiser for charity.

The Society doesn’t stop being active when it

comes to socials.

Every year there are formals where you can get dressy for a three-course meal and champagne with your friends, new or old, as well as nights out to Union where everyone wears funky 80s’ active wear, to name a few.

You can try out the Yogalates Society by coming along to a free taster session whenever you like (if unsure, ask for details on the Facebook page).

If you’re feeling pumped already and want to get started right away, you can simply buy your membership on RUSU for £10.15.

MILLIE SMITH ( Y O G A L AT E S S O C I E T Y C O M M I T T E E ) B U R N I N G C A L O R I E S A N D R E L A X I N G : Y O G A L AT E S C O M B I N E S O L D A N D N E W M E T H O D S O F E X E R C I S E .