3
Monday 27.02.12 Volume 59
Issue
The future of RUSU?
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Rosi HirsT
The nominations for RUSU elections 2012 are now closed, and the full candidate list has been released. The upcoming elections will decide who will become the Student Officers and Student Trustees for the Union next year. The five Student Officer roles up for election are President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Student Activities, Vice President for Welfare and Representation, and Vice President for Democracy and Campaigns. These roles are all
full-time, paid positions. There are also three voluntary Student Trustee positions, a role which is held voluntarily alongside normal studying. This year has seen a marked increase in the number of students putting themselves forward for the roles. Last year saw a total of only 22 students running for election, whereas this year this has risen by 50% to 33 students. The rise is particularly noticeable in the number of students applying for the roles of VP for Academic Affairs, which has more than doubled from four students last year to 10 this year, and nomi-
nees for VP for Student Activities have tripled from three to nine. To find out more about the candidates running this year, turn to page 23 for Spark*’s special election feature. The candidates full manifestos are also available on the RUSU website. Students will also have the opportunity to hear more about the candidates goals and put questions to them at Hustings. This event will take place at Café Mondial on Tuesday 28 February at 6pm. Every current student at the University of Reading is able to vote for their choice of candidates, as long as they have registered
themselves as a voter on the RUSU website. For more information on this year’s elections, visit www. rusu.co.uk/rusuelections The voting window opened Friday 24 February, and will close a week after this date, on Friday 2 March. The results will be announced later that day, at 7.30pm in 3sixty, an event open to all students. Junction11 and RU:ON will be collaborating together with Spark* to provide live coverage, which will available on www.rusumedia. co.uk. Also, remember to look out for the full report in the next issue of Spark*, out Monday 5 March.
Travel Society pamper students for charity Kate Delaney
Reading University Travel Society (RUTS) held a Pamper Evening to raise money for charity.
The event raised money for charities in Mexico and Honduras The event raised money for charities in Mexico and Honduras: a cat and dog shelter, a soup kitchen and a coastal management plan. Some society members will also be visiting the charities in the near
future during their visit to Central America. Over 50 people attended the event and enjoyed a range of pampering activities throughout the evening. The team organized for a range of beauticians to come pamper students and the public who attended the event, maybe in preparation for a valentines date of just for a girlie night in. Other than the pampering opportunities, the event offered a range of stalls selling beauty products as well as a tombola with some great prizes donated from the stalls including a wizard book.
Steven Howse helped to organize the event, he said “Everyone loved it. Obviously I had a massage which was great.”
“Everybody loved it. Obviously I had a massage which was great” Some of the treatments available included manicures, a variety of facial treatments, an Indian head massage or a shoulder, neck and back massage, a short massage
that aimed to relieve the tension and stress of a typical student life. Event host Jade Taylor, RUTS fundraising officer also helped out with the event. She told spark “It was a relaxing and fun evening that everyone seemed to enjoy.” Tickets for the event were priced at £10; this included a glass of wine or soft drink and 10-15 minute session with the fish exfoliation pedicure spa and one other treatment from the list above. The Travel society are also running a tombola at The Fairtrade Fashion Show, on 9 March.
What’s Inside? Film Review of The Muppets
13
Candidate roundup
23
We look at the RUSU election contenders
Arts & Books
28 Book review of Jane Eyre
Gaming Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure
36
2 News
news.spark@reading.ac.uk
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
New Faculty Reps and PartTime Officers Elected
Emergency Student Voice Meeting
Over the past month Reading University Students’ Union (RUSU) has been searching for the passionate individuals that will be leading the Students’ Union for the next academic year.
Reading University Students’ Union RUSU) called an unplanned Student Voice meeting. The meeting was held on Tuesday 21 February to discuss problems to do with the library and an approaching National Union of Students (NUS) issue.
Chayya Syal
The role of a Part-Time Officer is to campaign for, represent, support and celebrate students The role of a Part-Time Officer is to campaign for, represent, support and celebrate the students from each group. Reading University holds over 22,000 students from a variety of diverse backgrounds and minority groups, these officers will aim to be the voice of students from these groups that feel that they are not heard. Officers will support their students and help tend to their specific needs. The results for the Part-Time Officer elections are as follows:
Ushana Gamany – International Students’ Officer Laura Kane – Environment & Ethics Officer Ben Rider – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual (LGBT) Officer Emily Todd – Disabled Students’ Officer Badal Naik – Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic (BAME) Officer Melissa Knight-Adam – Postgraduate Students’ Officer Carys Williams – Women’s Officer The search has also been on for Faculty Reps who will make sure your views, opinions and concerns are addressed by the people who make the decisions at Reading.
Faculty reps are elected students who speak on behalf of students at a Faculty Level Faculty reps are elected students who speak on behalf of students at a Faculty Level university meetings. Faculty Reps serve for a year
whilst studying and their role is to ensure that the student voice is clearly heard where it matters. Each area of study at the univerity will have a spokesperson to speak for them and put the views of students forward. They work really hard alongside the Course Reps and Academic Affairs Vice-President, Alex Slater, to make sure the University listens to what students want, need and think. The results are as follows: Arts & Humanities Faculty Reps: Joanna Coulton and Sophie Sheppard. Henley Business School Faculty Reps: Thomas Hurrell and Edward Stittle. Life Sciences Faculty Reps: Sukhwinder Singh and Petronella Murape. Science Faculty Reps: Hannah Gough and Thomas Parkinson. Social Science Faculty Reps: Nathan Bartlett and Jennifer Pickering. Congratulations to everyone! Remember to contact your faculty rep if you have any queries or problems with your course and are always there for you.
Kate Delaney
The Libary has been subject to criticism over security problems The Library has been subject to criticism over recent weeks due to the problems with security. The library has also been criticised over the last few years regarding the opening hours, particularly at the weekend. Among other problem, these issues have not been totally resolved to the extent that students are happy with. The Student Voice meeting aimed to gain feedback from the students themselves about how they feel the library needs to be improved.
Six Nations spirit spreads to Mojo’s Menu
Clare’s Law Campaign
Laurence Green
“I believe every woman has the right to know about violent men and the police should disclose the information so that we can protect our families”. Tracey Williams, a local freelance writer, is looking for your support in her campaign for Clare’s Law to be piloted in Reading. Clare’s Law is named after 36 year-old Salford woman, Clare Wood, who was strangled and set on fire by her partner, George Appleton in 2009. The result followed months of assaults and death threats, and she was not previously warned that Appleton, in fact, had a history of violence against women.
To help celebrate all the drama and action of the Six Nations rugby, Mojo’s has unveiled a selection of six themed burgers – one for each competing country. The selection ranges from English egg and bacon to an Irish potato rosti and Guiness dip as potential fillings. They make for a delicious accompaniment to the passion and energy of the games. The burgers are priced at £5.75 or at a special reduced rate of £5.25 if the corresponding nation is playing that day – and all also come served with a portion of chips. Spark* News Editor Kate Delaney tried the Scotland burger. She commented “The Scottish burger was great. It definitely had a quality burger inside rather than the phony meat you get in some fast food restaurants. It means those who have no idea what’s going on in the match can still get involved with the Six Nations. ”.
Mojo’s are selling 80 burgers a day The limited edition burgers seem to be a hit with students trying to get in the spirit of the tournament. Mojo’s are selling around 80 of these burgers each day. The menu
The Scottish burger. Photograph by Kate Delaney at the bar is developing. Although the standard daily menu is shrinking, a variety of dishes are being added as specials. Mojo’s celebrated Shrove Tuesday with the students by adding pancakes to their menu on 21 February. The favourite country burger is the Scotland burger with France following close behind. The menu offers a different kind of burger for all tastes and tendencies. The offer will end with the tournament so get in quick if you want to try them.
The full list of themed burgers is as follows: England: Beef burger with egg, bacon Ireland: Beef burger with a potato rosti and Guinness Dip Scotland: Angus Burger with x2 Onion Rings and Melted Cheese Wales: Lamb Burger with Caerphilly Cheese France: Beef Burger with Brie, bacon and caramelised Onions Italy: Burger with mozzarella and chorizo
Hayley Garwood
The police may disclose information about perpetrators of domestic violence The law proposes that police may disclose information about perpetrators of domestic violence, whether pro-actively or by request. Tracey Williams finds the law propositions very close to her heart, having been personally effected by the issue, and hopes the law will prevent ignorance of predatory men.
Not only will the event be attended by students and the Sabbatical team, but the University’s Vice Chancellor, Sir David Bell, and will be joined by the Reading Librarian and the President of the University of Aberdeen, a University which has recently updated its library services. RUSU are questioning whether the library should completely rebuild the institution in an attempt to satisfy the needs of the students.
The NUS are proposing a ‘walkout’ from all lectures and seminars on 14 March The emergency Student Voice will also highlight an issue from the NUS. The NUS are calling for a national day of action to reject the idea that the education bill is no longer a parliamentary bill. The NUS are proposing a ‘walkout’ from all lectures and seminars on 14 March to support the campaign against this happening.
I myself had a dangerous stalker, known by the police and social services, who manipulated his way into my family. I’m lucky to have discovered plenty of documented evidence relating back to when he was in Broadmoor Hospital (one of the highest security psychiatric hospitals in England). We weren’t protected under Sarah’s Law. Clare’s Law is the next step up. Tracey was forced to move home in order to protect the welfare of her then 12-year-old daughter and, regardless of huge concerns, she was not informed of his past offences for four years. She has contacted Berkshire Woman’s Aid in order to spread the news of this potentially huge improvement in the numbers of committed acts of domestic or predatory violence in the South-East. The law will be decided at the end of February and as much support is needed as possible to pass the law in Reading. The decision will be made by Home Secretary Theresa May and any readers willing to support this campaign should email mayt@ parliament.uk, simply stating that they would like to see Clare’s Law piloted in Reading. Although many of us have not been directly effected by the cause of Clare’s Law, any improvement in security for victims such as Clare and Tracey, are steps towards a safer and more knowledgeable environment for all of us, not only women.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
news.spark@reading.ac.uk
News 3
Reading DoE students meet Prince Edward Rosi Hirst
Members of the Reading University Duke of Edinburgh award (RUDE) were honoured by a visit from HRH the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward. On Thursday 2 February the Prince was greeted at the Henley Business Centre by various important figures in the DoE, including Phil Pitcher, the co-ordinator of the Wokingham DoE Centre (under whose jurisdiction Reading falls) and Christian Scott, the Duke of Edinburgh award South East director.
Students participating in the award were honoured by a visit from Prince Edward Other VIPs present included the Hon Mrs Baglins, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Cllr David King,
mayor of Wokingham, and Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading.
The DoE award benefits not just the pariticipants but also the local community Shortly after his arrival, Prince Edward presented the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award license to Christian Soctt and Andy Couldrick, the Interim CEO of Wokingham Borough Council. The license allows the council to hand out awards on behalf of the scheme. There was also a brief address from Sir David, who praised the work of the award, which benefits not just the students who take part but the local community as well. Following the presentation, His Royal Highness went on to meet RUSU president Karl Hobley, VP for Student Activities Jack Legon
Prince Edward handing over the licence. (Left to Right) Vice Chancellor Sir David Bell, HRH Prince Edward, Cllr David King, Christian Scott and Andy Couldrick. Photographs by Kate Delaney and Student Activities Manager Adam Bailey, as well as Nathan Bartlett and Mark Ferrey, President and Vice-President of the DoE society at the University respectively. Speaking after the event, Nathan said: “It was an amazing experience to meet the prince. He seemed very down-to-earth and a lovely guy to talk to.”
“It was an amazing experience to meet the prince. He seemed very down-to-earth.” The Duke of Edinburgh Award is made up of three levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) to achieve each
first aid, nutrition, and routeplanning.
The prince spent time talking to every member about their experiences The Prince spent time talking to every member about their experiences, including sharing some of his own personal anecdotes, before moving on to the next room where he spoke to several ex-committee members and graduates of the scheme. The informal private visit from the future Duke of Edinburgh was brief and lasted under an hour. Commenting on the visit, Karl Hobley said: “It is such a fantastic honour for the students here
and a wonderful recognition of all the hard work that the Duke of Edinburgh participants do. All of us at RUSU are extremely proud of them and we hope they continue their successful work.” Vice-president Mark Ferrey added: “The friendships you make during the award are different from any others. Trekking across on a rainy mountaintop with someone creates the kind of bonds that last forever.”
“Such a wonderful recognition of all of the participants’ hard work” For more information about RUDE, vista www.rudofe.org or email enquiries.rude@gmail.com
level participants must undertake tasks from four different sections - volunteering, physical activity, personal skills, and an expedition (and a fifth residential section for the Gold award). The University of Reading is one of only seven higher education establishments offering the award to students. Victoria Huth, a graduate of the University and ex DoE committee member, said: “Doing the Duke of Edinburgh award is such a great experience; spending a night hungry and tired in a tent teaches you who you really are.” Afterwards, the prince was given a tour around the Business Centre, where there were several stalls manned by student participants of the scheme demonstrating skills learned on the award, including
Left: Prince Edward meeting RUSU President Karl Hobley, VP Student Activities Jack Legon, Student Activities Manager Adam Bailey and Phil Pitcher, co-ordinator of Wokingham DoE. Below: Prince Edward meeting students taking part in the award. Photographs by Kate Delaney
4 NEWS
news.spark@reading.ac.uk
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
Benyon Hall takes weekend away to Amsterdam Chayya Syal
Benyon Hall has become the first accommodation halls to have gone on a weekend trip abroad. Approximately 60 students, including members of the JCR, left for Amsterdam on Thursday 26 January. The group spent two days in one of Europe’s most beautiful, diverse and vibrant capitals.
“Our brilliant freshers made this the best trip any hall has ever seen”
or not, it’s a city not to be overlooked.”
The group spent two days in one of Europe’s most beautiful, diverse and vibrant capitals The trip was a great success and the Benyon Hall JCR are very pleased with the outcome.
Aleksandra Taskovic, JCR treasurer said “Seeing that other societies quite frequently do trips abroad, we thought it would be a brilliant idea for us.” JCR Social secretary Elizabeth Ward added, “The dedicated JCR and our brilliant freshers made this the best trip any hall has ever seen.” They stayed in the Hans Brinker hostel – famous for advertising itself as the worst hostel in the city – and explored the city via bikes and boat cruises. They visited the Rijks museum, the Heineken brewery, the Van Gogh museum and saw Anne Frank’s house. Manisha Dubb, a Benyon Hall fresher said “It was the best weekend away to date. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone. Whether you want to see the world in a “different” way
The scenic side of Amsterdam. Photographs by Elizabeth Ward
Happy Birthday NUS Sarah Lienard
The National Union of Students celebrated its 90th birthday on Saturday last week. As a voluntary membership organization representing the interests of over 7 million students across the UK, the NUS aims to promote, defend and extend the rights of all students while developing strong individual students’ unions at their respective institutions.
The NUS aims to promote, defend and extend the rights of students The NUS was formed at the University of London Club, Gower Street, in 1922. Its first president, Ivison Macadam, was elected on 12 February. By 1924, all university colleges were affiliated with the NUS. The NUS has had a number of triumphs over the years, including bringing about the introduction of the student grant system in 1962, and successfully calling for an
independent inquiry into higher education in 1996.
Last term, RUSU voted overwhelmingly to remain affiliated with the NUS In 2012 the NUS will be celebrating their history, beginning with a parliamentary reception later this month, hosted by MP Jack Straw, who stood as NUS President from 1969-71. The reception hopes to bring together past and present officers, staff and friends of NUS, in celebration of the achievements of the union. In April, the NUS National Conference will have a special 90th anniversary theme, with speaker Stanley Jenkins, the NUS’ oldest surviving ex-president, who was in office from 1949 to 1951. Mike
Day, Director of Nations, will also be launching his book on the history of the NUS later this year. University of Reading students have had a long tradition of being at the forefront of the National Unions’ leadership, with recent and current Student Officers sitting on the NUS’s executive to this day. Frank O. Darvall, the first recorded President of RUSU was in office in the year that the University College Reading received its Royal Charter. He went on to be elected only the seventh ever NUS President. Last term, University of Reading students voted for RUSU to remain affiliated with the NUS, with an overwhelming 726 out of 771 votes in favour of the proposal. The RUSU website says that it “would like to wish the NUS a fantastic birthday and hopes to see it have many more.”
Rethinking Britain’s farming Chayya Syal
According to leading figures in agriculture, the price of food is set to keep rising as 50 years of cheaper food comes to a standstill. Monday 30 January saw the University of Reading Agricultural Club play host to their 46th annual conference. Around 250 people attended to listen to guest speakers discuss the public’s attitude to farming and see a live debate. One of the speakers, Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmer’s Union, said that the public needed to have a radical rethink about farming or society could face an even more challenging future. Professor Richard Ellis, professor of agriculture and Dean of the University’s Faculty of Life Sciences, said after the event that prices could not continue the previous downward trend. He said “The recession may be confusing the picture a little, but it would be imprudent for society and governments to assume that the trend of the last 50-60 years will resume.”
Conference organiser and agriculture student Owen Piper thanked the speakers and sponsors for their help in making the event happen.
Lecturer Owen Piper commented on the health of internatonal agriculture “Turbulent economies at home and elsewhere in the EU have raised doubts about the future of food production,” he said. “Personally, I think that while the era of cheap food may not quite be over yet, we may soon have to face up to the reality of rising prices.” Reading has a long history of providing some of the best agricultural research on the planet. The University’s Department of Agriculture collaborates with overseas institutes in conducting research in different climates. Reading also focuses on monitioring the effects of climate change on global agriculture.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
news.spark@reading.ac.uk
News 5
Christian Union: There is such a thing as a free lunch Bethany Lunn
Throughout week five the Christian Union (RUCU) have been holding exciting events every day on campus to let people see for themselves what the Bible has to say about contemporary issues. Friendly members of RUCU have been standing outside Palmer every morning offering free tea or coffee and a biscuit to cold passers by, while handing out flyers which describe events happening that day. Some are wearing strange, white one piece suits which represent forensic gear, because you are invited to weigh up evidence about Jesus for yourself this week.
Friday’s lunch bar seeks to answer the question “Do Heaven and Hell exist?” There is a daily lunch bar in Palmer 103 (except Wednesday) from 1-1:50pm which consists of a talk by an outside speaker, a question and answer session and a free pasty. On Monday the lunchtime question was “Does suffering show
Photos from RUCU Facebook page
University of Reading still popular despite fee rise Zoe Crook
The University of Reading has become an increasingly popular choice for 2012 applicants. With approximately 20,000 students applying to study as an undergraduate, there is an increase of 10.4% in comparison to last year’s statistics. With over six applications to one place, it is becoming progressively more competitive to gain a place within the university.
There is an increase of 10.4% Reading have gained the second largest increase in applications of English institutions within the 1994 university group, and have outperformed all English Russell Group universities. Despite claims that university applications for 2012 were down by 9%, highly likely to be caused by the fee rise, Reading appears to have defied these statistics. Although the university is charging the maximum fee of £9,000, this does not appear to have affected applicants perceptions of the University. This fee, however, enables the university to maintain the high standard of the teaching quality, extracurricular opportuni-
ties, pastoral and financial support, accommodation and facilities. Ranking in the top 200 universities from 2006 until 2010, the University of Reading is now positioned at 215, according to QS World University Rankings. Also, having risen from 45th, to 32nd in the Guardian’s University Guide 2012, prospective students may seek to gain value for their money on a high-quality education. A particularly popular course, Agriculture, is ranked top in the country at Reading, with a 92% satisfaction rate, and with over 87% of the University’s research rated as international standard in areas of particular research strength by the Research Assessment Exercise in 2008. Clearly Reading holds a highly established reputation.
“Our students play an active role in university life as well as in the life of Reading itself” Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, Sir David Bell KCB stated: “Successful students joining our University this autumn will be joining a university ranked among the world’s top 1% with a strong reputation for both re-
search and teaching. We provide an environment that will stretch and challenge students to ensure they achieve their potential and are ready for the world after university. Life at Reading is also about joining a real community; our students play an active role in university life as well as in the life of Reading itself.”
Reading is ranked top in the country for Agriculture with a 92% satisfaction rate In early December, applications were reported to have increased by 2% on the previous year, with as many as 400 applications coming in per day, after following a slow start to applications initially, from October to November. These statistics have evidently increased, with a late surge of applications in late December and early January. According to UCAS, on average undergraduate university applications fell by 7.4%, allowing the university to have approximately 17% application increase on the national average. Figures claim applications have risen by approximately 2,000 applications, from 17,872 to 19,733.
there is no God?”, on Tuesday RUCU asked “Isn’t faith just wishful thinking?”. On Wednesday, the lunch bar was held in HUMSS 127 at 1pm, but was still a free event with lunch provided. On Thursday the lunch bar was back in Palmer 103, looking at “The Bible: fact or fairytale?”.
RUCU are showing The Passion of The Christ film starring Mel Gibson Friday’s end of week lunch bar sought to answer the question “Do Heaven and Hell exist?” from 1pm in Palmer 103. RUCU were providing evening meals with a speaker, answering questions in Café Mondial on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. This meal cost £2 and included live music and the word of God. On Monday the speaker asked the question “What is Satisfaction?” from 7:30-9:30 and Mondial was full of students eager to listen. On Tuesday from 7:30 Mondial filled up with students who want to know “What is Love?”
Wednesday’s format was a little different, with the lunch bar moving location to HUMSS 127 at 1pm to confront “The Arrogance of Christianity: Can Jesus be the only way to God?”. On Wednesday night at 7pm in Palmer 103 RUCU showed The Passion of The Christ, starring Mel Gibson, which was a free event including popcorn and snacks. On Thursday night in Mondial on the menu was lasagne and the question posed was “What is Freedom?” from 7:30-9:30. The week finished with the question “What is Happiness?” at 7:30 in Mondial which was again £2 on the door with a meal and music.
There is a daily lunch bar offering a talk by an outside speaker and a free pasty Throughout events week RUCU were posing evidence to display who Christians believe Jesus is, in a way that is accessible for everyone. You have been invited to test the evidence and see for yourself who Jesus is.
Facebook overrun with UoR memes Chayya Syal
It seems that every university in the UK has one of these pages on Facebook and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down just yet. The University of Reading Memes Facebook page boasts over 1,585 likes. This means that in the first 4 days over 75,000 different people have seen at least one of the page’s photos pop up on their newsfeed. Leon Maughan, a second year Meteorology student and founder of our University memes page said “I came up with the idea because I saw other universities were doing
a similar thing and it seemed like a good idea.” But what exactly is a meme? Memes mainly take the form of pictures, videos, websites or words and phrases that people in certain institutions recognise. An example would be the number of jokes about the HUMSS building and finding a way out, or not. The meme then spreads from person to person via social networking sites, blogs or any other web-based services. He added “I never expected the page to get so massive. It seems to bring everyone together and everyone’s been talking about it.”
An example of a meme from the University of Reading page. www.facebook.com/ReadingMemes.
6 NEWS
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
news.spark@reading.ac.uk
Fortnightly Media Blog: RU:ON RU:ON have a number of videos up warming you up to the RUSU elections on Friday 2 March, including our RUSU elections 2012 video, which you can look out for in Café Mondial soon; as well as “A Day in the Life” of the sabbatical officers guiding you through their roles. Look out for our upcoming videos of the candidates, of the Hustings and of course our live broadcast of the results as they unfold in 3sixty! Also the second episode is up for the fourth and final series of Accumulate! RU:ON TV would like to thank Accumulate!’s creator and host Daniel Peake for the service and dedication he has put in from the start. We wish him the best of luck for the future! Keep watching to find out which team gets to our nail-biting final, with a very special twist… We are also rebooting our most popular programme The Sports Show, with the first new episode out either at the end of this week or early next week. The Sports Show is also featuring a special Fight Night II episode, which we are recording live on Thursday 23 February in 3sixty. We have got so many exciting new videos to look forward to, including our entries for this year’s NASTA awards, so keep your finger on the pulse and keep on
checking out our website: ruon.tv. You might also notice that we have a brand new website with HTML5 video so now you can watch our content on all phones and tablet devices. Along with this we have a brand new logo, which you can see in the picture below. So come
along and propose your own idea for a programme too. Also don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Lianna Pim Head of Marketing, Co-producer of The Sports Show
what’s going on? what
where
28th
Comedy Night
Mojo’s Bar
28th
Hustings- Student Voice
Café Mondial
29th
flirt! UV Rave
3sixty
3rd
Saturday Union
3sixty
3rd-5th
RUDS presents: Cabaret
3sixty
when February
February
February
March
March
next issue of Spark* out:
Monday 5 March 2012
across the students’ union
7 POLITICAL COMMENT
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
politics.spark@reading.ac.uk
POLITICAL COMMENT The Falklands Issue rises again
Tom Puddy
For months now there has been a large amount of sabre rattling over the ownership of the Falkland Islands. Argentina, the UN, the majority of South America and Hilary Clinton all believe that there is a need for negotiation over the sovereignty of the British Overseas Territory, named “Islas Malvinas” by the Argentineans. Recently, Argentina’s frustration at not having control of the island has manifested in different ways. Many South American states (including Chile, a former ally) will now no longer allow ships flying the “illegal Falklands flag” to dock at their ports, in the hope that this bullying tactic will starve the Falkland economy into seeing things from an Argentinean point of view.
Their sabre-rattling will certinaly prove empty On top of this, irate mobs have taken to burning the Union flag in the streets to show their annoyance at Britain’s continuing refusal to throw the islands under the yolk of Argentinean rule. Argentina’s claim to ownership of the Falk-
lands dates back to a short period in the 1820s, during which the islands were under South American rule. However, the upcoming arrival of the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war is seen by many as a reason for increasing tensions. Many also believe that the routine deployment of a Destroyer for naval patrol in the area is provocative on the part of the British Government. Similarly, some feel that in arriving at the Falklands in his role as a search and rescue pilot, Prince William is comparable to a “conquistador”. However, the recent escalation in tensions coincided with the discovery of large amounts of oil in the area around the Falklands. Yet only a cynic would think this was related to the Argentinean government’s new found posturing. Why is it, as President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner herself put it, “Malvinas is not an Argentine cause, it is a global cause, because in the Malvinas they are taking our oil and fishing resources”. With so much hard feeling amongst the Argentinean people, such a sense of loss from their government and such international pressure from diplomatic behemoths like Hilary Clinton, surely we ought to make the small step of at least discussing the issue? The answer to this is no. The Falklands are not up for discussion and never ought to be. Unlike the Argentineans, the British claim to the islands dates back to 1765. Since 1833 this claim has been well established, and with the brief exception of the Falklands war, this claim has been unbroken. The
Falklands are British territory, just as much as Cornwall, London or Gibraltar. The geography is irrelevant. The opinion of an oil hungry government with a collapsing economy and a 30-year-old chip on its shoulder is irrelevant. The patronising jibes and taunts of “Malvinas” from an increasingly isolated US Secretary of State are irrelevant. What remains relevant is the sovereignty of the islands and the right to Falkland Islanders to remain British.
The opinion of government with a chip on its shoulder is irrelevant Argentina may have long derided these people as “Kelpers”, but it is their wishes which must be heeded, not those of Argentina. Their decision to remain British lies in their proud heritage and culture; a culture which still has God Save the Queen as its official anthem. If the Islanders had any interest in changing their culture and identity to Argentinean they would have done so by now. It is no wonder that Argentina’s behaviour has been called “colonialist”. Argentina’s sabre rattling will almost certainly prove empty. They cannot afford another war and their entire show is based upon a fiction of “British aggression”. But if war happens, then Britain must defend British lands and British people.
New Political Comment Editor Needed! It is that time of year again where us final year editors must hand over the reigns to fresh new budding journalists! Are you interested in editing and writing for Spark and also have a keen interest in Politics? The position of Political Comment Editor is now open for next year. It is a really great role to have and not only is it really enjoyable but also looks great on your CV. Please send 200 words as to why you think you would be the best person to be the next Political Comment Editor, what you would do in the position and what your favourite area of politics is. Please send to current Political Comment editor Jessica Rees, politics.spark@reading.ac.uk by Friday 24 February 2012.
Student penalty plans scrapped students and graduates to forever be poor and surviving on beans on toast?
It’s just not right to quash debt aversion
Jessica Leah Rees
The government and their regard to student loans, fees and students in general need to quite frankly sort it out. Under their current ethos towards us, we absolutely cannot win. This week the current government are expected to announce a scrapping of the early repayment penalty proposal that bright spark Business Secretary Vince Cable had the intention of imposing. But why on earth was the ridiculous proposal even suggested in the first place?
The government would have been promoting prolonged mass debt upon students Under the proposals, students who made the ACTIVE choice to pay off their debts as soon as possible upon graduating, which surely in itself is a good thing and an act that the government should be promoting, would have had penalties imposed which could have charged graduates hefty sums if they cleared their debts before the 30 year mark after leaving university. So not only would the government have been charging £9,000 a year fees, but also would have been actively promoting prolonged and mass debt upon students. Do they want another crashing of the economy, a recession and for
Whilst obviously their only intention from this proposal was to be able to receive more and more pennies in their pocket from interest payments, it simply does not look good, and sends no good moral message to the masses, but then, this is politics, where morals are left in the lobby.
Their intention from this proposal was to be able to receive more pennies in their pocket The government’s justification of the proposals was that it would be a progressive annual charge of about 5% on payments that are over the necessary amount in order to prevent the wealthier graduates avoiding interest charges. But surely it is not the wealthy, but just those who are more sensible with money, and want to avoid being in debt for much longer than necessary?
This sends no moral message to the masses, but in politics morals are left in the lobby Whilst I personally will be paying the bare minimum repayment for as long as possible due to my everlasting desire to enjoy life, shop, travel and shop, (both stupid and costly) it just is not right to quash debt aversion and promote being in debt for longer than necessary, that is what got us in to this unsightly mess in the first place, and it certainly is not going to be the message that gets us out.
8 INTERVIEW
interview.spark@reading.ac.uk
Monday 27 February 2012
Spark*
interview
How ready are you for the workplace? Ellis wheatley
Jane Standley, Director of the Student Employment, Experience and Careers Centre (SEECC) introduces the new service and answers some of the questions put to her since she joined the University last month. How does SEECC differ from the Careers Advisory Service? The old-fashioned view of ‘careers’ was a place you went in your final year when the panic had really set in about leaving university. Some perhaps even saw it as a ‘remedial’ service for those with career problems. But SEECC is focused on helping put you in the driving seat when it comes to achieving your career of choice. We can help you use your time at university t build relevant skills and experiences and get a good graduate job as quickly as possible. SEECC is a modern new service, actively involved with a wide range of employers, appropriate to the career interests of Reading students. Do you need to be doing a ‘vocational’ degree to succeed in today’s job market? Far from it, in fact the percentage of graduate employers who recruit from all degree disciplines has gone up in recent years and is thought to be about 50-60%. They recruit graduates for their intellect and generic skills and will provide any specific knowledge and training that the job requires. But they do expect you to have some understanding of their world – that’s why SEECC brings so many employers on campus and helps you to get a placement. Why don’t I see the kind of organisations that interest me at the careers fairs? Many of the organisations that attend careers fairs are those with many vacancies in areas such as finance, management and IT. SEECC aims to achieve a balance between large and small firms and the private, public and voluntary sectors. It is, however, up to students to use our website and make sure they don’t miss out on relevant opportunities. For example, some people think that firms offering technical products or services will only recruit technical staff – that is often far from the case. Do not forget all the targeted events we run for students in arts and humanities, law, construction
management, biosciences, education etc. How else can our readers meet employers? There are some organisations that do not come to fairs because they recruit only very small numbers or their vacancies are so popular that they do not need extra publicity. Examples include PR, advertising, journalism and psychology specialisms so, wherever possible, we involve them in workshops and source work experience opportunities. We also have a lot of information to help you find them, too. How important is work experience? More and more employers do expect relevant experience so SEECC has a particular focus on helping you to find good quality placements. If you can build up your experience as a student, you will probably move more quickly into a job that uses your skills and interests when you graduate – it is likely to be better paid too!
If you are applying for a job in the autumn, show your recent progress I’ve heard about the RED Award, is it too late for finalists to get involved? Not a bit. As a busy finalist, we wouldn’t be encouraging you to take on hours and hours of new activity but you can ‘count’ the experience you have already got. Nearly a thousand students are already registered for RED, so join them and have something extra to add to your degree transcript. What do the changes to SEECC mean in practice for me? You will find that there is a Placement and Development Officer for your faculty and subject, as well as a Careers Adviser, and each will help you with different stages of your career planning. Do I have to have a career plan, or idea, to use SEECC? Not at all. Our professional staff are all trained to help you decide what is right for you. If our readers have a CV, when should it be updated? Your CV should be updated everytime you do something interesting that shows a development, such as
post-placement. Something to remember, if you are applying for a job in the autumn, is to show your recent progress, in doing so you will show that you have not been a couch potato, over summer.
We have just recruited an Employer and Graduate Career Manager for our recent graduates Can I still get help with my CV?
Absolutely. Depending on what you have done so far, we can offer some great resources, CV improvment workshops or drop in sessions. These include coaching topics on researching occupations, applications, interviews and a blog that includes interview tips. What about when I graduate?
We have just recruited an Employer and Graduate Career Manager who will develop new services for our recent graduates. SEECC’s current expertise is in initial entry to the graduate job market so we normally offer one to one support for six months after you leave the University but you can use our resources and attend most of our events for as long as you like. Help us to help you by using us before you graduate and in the summer vacation before some of the graduate recruiters start focussing on the new finalists.
Join nearly a thousand students already registered for the RED Award Isn’t the job market so bad that it’s just not worth bothering?
No, it’s not and I get very frustrated at media reports that only want to tell you the bad news. Of course we’d all like the market to be better, but the latest bulletin from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development predicts steady growth in the private and voluntary sectors. As a new graduate, it helps if you are flexible and patient and can accept that your very first job is a stepping stone towards your ultimate goal. We help you identify starting points and help you build from them.
And where do you see SEECC going in the future?
I’ve only been here a month, so I can’t give you a precise answer, but I can give you the general direction of travel. First of all, we will go on embracing new technologies and expect to make an exciting announcement in the New Year. Some of you will have experienced TARGET Connect which had a few teething troubles in its early days. Hopefully they are over now and the system is helping more students and graduates access vacancies and events.
The media paints an unnecessarily gloomy, unduly scary image to students Secondly, we want to continue to do things that really work for Reading students. We have a big campaign to get student feedback on what we have been doing so far this term and will continue to listen to student representatives and get their help in developing and marketing our services. We have also been given the greenlight to begin our on-campus job service - expected to launch ready for the start of the next academic year which we are very excited about! What appears to make students who visit you most anxious?
Students feel that they have too much to do and not enough time. Another common woe is their ‘imperfect’ record of experience. We are working on website material called ‘Careers Fears’ which addresses the common fears of students. The media paints an unnecessarily gloomy, unduly scary image to students. My advice: start in your first year - employers like to see early development, too. Are there any upcoming careers events for our readers?
Yes! The information for these events are on our website. We are currently running our week for Arts and Humanities students which began 20 February - find out more about these events online, plus many more opportunities. SEECC has some great resources for those looking for jobs, guidance and assistance. Find out the latest from www.reading.ac.uk/seecc.
Sarah Lienard
Last week students were asked to voice their opinions on their work experience placements. This is what they thought.
66% of students had
updated their CV in the last three months
87% of students have
had one or more work experience placements
72% were unpaid placements In only 22% of these placements were travel and lunch expenses covered
23% felt that they had
been taken for granted at placements Katy Richardson, a first year Art student, says of her less than satisfactory experience, “The staff gave me menial jobs, like licking envelopes to be sent in the post. They were also extremely rude when I asked basic questions that weren’t immediately obvious to me, such as codes to the entrance doors.”
Petrina De Gouttes, a third year English Literature student, agrees. “I wanted to be on the fashion desk but, instead, I was in the fashion cupboard doing returns and tidying up. My portfolio made it clear that I wanted to go into journalism, but this was ignored. I felt like an extra body rather than an intern.” 63% of students asked thought their placments had been useful, including Laurence Green, an English Literature student. “Not only did it prove a great experience, but has provided me with vital contacts in the industry.” Overall more paid internships are desperately needed, as students struggle to support themselves whilst getting vital experience. An overwhelming number of students expect more structured activities and feedback from the placement provider, after all it is supposed to be a helpful use of time.
Spark* Monday 27 Febraury 2012
comment.spark@reading.ac.uk
DEBATE 9
Debate
A love-ly question
Is Valentine’s Day just commercial hype? No
Yes lucy ponder
There are many theories surrounding the origin of Valentine’s Day. The most well known of these concerns a Roman named St. Valentine who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “from your Valentine”. Another theory claims St. Valentine was a bishop who defied Roman laws and conducted illegal marriages, thereby getting a romantic association with his name. When discovered he was sentenced to death by the Romans. Whichever myth is actually correct, and I suspect it is an amalgamation of both, it is clear that Saint or not, Mr Valentine was a true romantic. But somehow, since this sweet, romantic gesture from a man who saw the power in love and, for religious reasons or not, wanted people to revel in that power, his namesake day has become a commercial opportunity for consumerism to excel at its worst. Don’t get me wrong I am not against people taking the time and energy to tell that social someone how they feel about them. But the pressure, excess and hyped-up capitalism makes the ‘holiday’ more about spending money than love. Millions of pounds will be spent leading up to February the 14th, on things that no one needs or sometimes wants. Flowers, chocolates, cards and even engagement rings are bought to celebrate the one day in the year that you are supposed to make that special effort. But if you’re in love, surely you don’t need just one day to tell that special someone how you feel? And if you’re not with someone, but single and happy about it, why does society pile on the pressure and make you feel unloved, alone and unhappy? No one needs a day (and all of the commercial nonsense that goes with it) to tell them that they need to be with someone to justify themselves. If you choose to be alone you should be able to embrace that without society telling you it’s the wrong
decision. And if you don’t want to be alone but that’s just how the dice have rolled this year, why should you be made to feel like a failure? Valentine’s Day isn’t even a real holiday. Christmas is a holiday. Easter is a holiday. If you are American, July 4 is a Holiday. If you are Jewish, Hannukkah is a holiday. But a day that celebrates nothing more than Western society cashing in on materialistic pressures is not a holiday. Aside from the emotional pressure and the materialistic craziness that the world succumbs to for one day a year, there is the fact that if you’re with someone you care about, why would you only use one day to tell them? A day marked on the calendar and then massively exaggerated by consumerism should not be the one time to make romantic gestures. It is such a cliché, but if you’re in love then surely everyday is a Valentine’s day? It would be great if the materialistic element of the day was taken away, and the focus was shifted back on to the true meaning of what it means to send someone a valentine. It isn’t about the price of red roses shooting through the roof, or restaurants raking in the cash with increased bills, it is about taking the time to send a personal and heart-felt message to someone, in whichever way means the most to you. In a romantic world, companies wouldn’t take 14 February as an opportunity to sell more rubbish that we don’t need, or throw their everyday prices out for the few that can’t come up with their own ideas. But our society needs the thousands if not millions of shops that we can’t help but frequent at this time. If we are currently living in a time of austerity and meant to be tightening our materialistic belts, why not use some imagination and some genuine thought? Use this Valentine’s day to show that special person how you feel, without the use of tacky gimmicks. You know that person more than any card shop ever could, so why would you use their message? Tell your own message, and follow St. Valentine’s true romantic gesture.
Eliora Shahrabani
The ultimate message is love, and that is worthy of celebration
Use the day to show that special person how you feel
It reminds us not to take the people we love for granted
I believe that Valentine’s Day is a romantic opportunity. I will admit to being a true romantic - I grew up watching Disney films which ended with a ‘happily ever after’, and I still watch them to this day – whilst forcing others to watch them with me. Any friends or boyfriends are forbidden from speaking during Beauty and the Beast, my personal favourite, so I can’t believe that there would be anything wrong with a holiday that celebrates people living their own ‘happily ever afters’. Every holiday has the potential to be commercialised. Christmas is no longer only about the birth of Christ but about Father Christmas who, despite his size, can fit down a chimney and deliver presents to multitudes of children in one night whilst forcing his weight and the weight of all the presents on the poor, oppressed reindeer. Preparation for Christmas starts in October, and Harrods’ Christmas lights have been known to be put up as early as July. Easter is not only about Christ’s resurrection but about the different types of chocolate eggs that a person can acquire. This does not mean that these holidays are just ‘commercialised hype’, so why should this sentiment be connected to Valentine’s Day? Yes, it’s now traditional to give gifts to your loved ones, as it is on Christmas, yet I believe that there is still sanctity in the holiday that reminds us not to take the people we love for granted. Can we not take just a few measly hours to show our appreciation for their presence in our lives? As with other major holidays, Valentine’s Day also started out with religious meaning. In the ancient Athenian calendar midJanuary to mid-February was used to celebrate the marriage of Hera and Zeus, as well as there being a specific festival called Lupercalia, connected to fertility, which was celebrated from 13 February to 15 February (we get off easily now with just one day). Plutarch tells us that “many of the noble youths… run through the city naked… and many women of rank also purposely get in their way,
and like children at school present their hands to be struck, believing that the pregnant will be helped in delivery, and the barren to pregnancy.” This trace of sexuality and nudity could easily have led to romance when we consider the later Christian twist. The history of Valentine’s Day continued with Saint Valentine whose feast was, and still is by some denominations, held on 14 February. There were two Saint Valentines, and we know little about either of their lives. However, the romantic origin concerning one Saint Valentine (which one is unknown) is that he died for performing marriage ceremonies for soldiers in the army of Claudius II, which were illegal at the time. Phang wrote in her book The Marriage of Roman Soldiers that the Roman soldier “was separated from civilian life by a set of legal privileges and restrictions. The most drastic restriction was that he was prohibited to marry”. For performing these ceremonies, Saint Valentine was thrown in jail, and on the evening before his execution it is said that he wrote a card to his beloved – the jailer’s daughter – that ended ‘from your Valentine’. There are thousands upon thousands of love songs, and just as much literature, and their meanings range from the celebration of love to the desire for love. Chaucer is credited with the first literary mention of a romantic Valentines Day in his poem “The Parliament of Fowls” which tells the reader about three eagles competing for the love of a female eagle. He tells us that once the birds have found love they had “joy more a thousandfold”, and most songs would tell us the same. The lyrics of Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls have the narrator tell his partner that she’s ‘the closest to heaven’ he’s ever been. This, just like Chaucer is beautiful. For those of us lucky enough to have found such a depth of emotion in our lives, it should be revelled in. You don’t have to buy into the ‘commercialised hype’ of chocolate, flowers, and jewellery, but the ultimate message of Valentine’s Day is love, and that is always worthy of celebration.
10 COMMENT
Monday 27 Febuary 2012 Spark*
comment.spark@reading.ac.uk
comment
To binge or not to binge? Natalie Taylor
Binge drinking. It’s all part of the student lifestyle right? After all, ten percent of our time at uni is spent studying and the other ninety is spent drinking. Well, we all know that stereotype is complete and utter rubbish and have probably spent about half of our holidays politely laughing as older relatives inform us of our supposed habits. For the record, you and I would have never known these habits if it hadn’t been politely pointed out by some distant relative. However, a few drinks here and there never hurt anybody. But how much are you actually drinking? And what harm are you actually causing your body? A recent viral video showed a student at Cardiff’s student union strip completely naked in a paddling pool in the middle of the union. This video was completely and utterly shocking to me. She has apparently justified herself on a social networking site stating that she got drunk and naked, so what? This may be all well and good, but to me the fact that anyone could get so drunk that they lose all their inhibitions and selfrespect and strip completely naked in a crowded club is extremely worrying.
The fact of the matter is that people are getting so drunk that they are completely out of their minds and in extremely vulnerable states. We’ve probably all woken up with a sore head and thought to our selves ‘what the hell happened last night?’. I know I have. However, is getting so drunk that you are completely out of control actually fun? Whenever I’ve had a heavy night, I usually want to hide away after my housemates debrief me about my drunken texts and how many times I fell over. When asked if I had a good time last night, my answer is usually ‘I don’t know.’
The best nights out are the ones I can remember However, it’s not just the sheer embarrassment and mental effects alcohol has on us that is the problem. It is the physical effect it is having on us. I have to admit until recently I tended to ignore the idea of alcohol units. What even is a unit anyway? How drunk you get depends on how much pure alcohol you drink, this can be worked out by counting the amount of units you drink. The government advises that men
A literal point of view Elliot Baker
I am honestly getting tired of the word literally. I figuratively can’t imagine something that is more overused and virtually can’t think of any word used more unnecessarily. See what I did there? I used three, yes three, other words that can be replaced quite easily with literally and still make sense in every day conversation; but I restrained. What is this desire to emphasise a point so much that we have to convince our audience that we really have conviction in what we’re saying? So much conviction that we use the magical term “literally” and all becomes apparent how important our point is.
Use“figuratively” and risk sounding too cool for school Literally, meant for use of emphasising something is true when seemingly not, has now become in my opinion the most uselessly
used word; storming past “like” in the rankings.
I am honestly getting tired of the word literally I’m confused why. Do people, when saying “I’m literally going to kill [name] when I see them!”, have some sort of abstract thought pattern when speaking; or am I just slow to the take on this? In my mind, saying “I’m going to kill [name]” has to be sarcastic, exaggerating a feeling of an emotion and making a joke about how angry you are. In what world is that not clear? And even if so, what effect does that horrible word even evoke? That we are really going to kill (or what ever action) the desired object? It’s a painstaking process that slowed down sounds like this “I’m going to kill [name] when I see them. But not really. Seriously I will. Or not. But literally I’ll kill them. Just kidding that was a joke.” The annoyance is that rather than using “figuratively”, and risk
should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol (e.g. a pint and a half of 4% beer) and 2-3 units for women (e.g. 175 ml glass of wine).
It’s all part of the student lifestyle ‘Regularly’ refers to drinking every day or most days of the week. So, one unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. It’s all well and good me harping on about units, but you’re probably still sitting there thinking what on earth is a bloody unit, how the hell will I know if I’ve drunk 10ml or 50ml of pure alcohol on a night out? Annoyingly it is not as simple as one drink, one unit. A glass of wine can have between one unit to three units, depending on the size of the glass and type of wine. So you could be drinking a lot more than you think. Just because you’re not wasted doesn’t mean you are drinking safely as you could have built up a tolerance. Although you might not feel the effects as much, the fact remains that the more you drink the greater risk to your health. A tolerance is a bad sign. If you’re worried about your intake of alcohol, the unit calculator on www.drinkeaware.co.uk is a good
sounding too cool for school, the majority opt for literally. I do realise while I say that, I am writing an article only the grammar police would be proud to print. But never the less, the word is tedious to me. Past the point of tolerance any more. I’ve opted to asking or telling people awkward questions or statements who unnecessarily use the word “literally”.
Literally meant for emphasising something that is true “I literally have a ton of coursework.” “Ahh that must be because you’ve metaphorically spent so much time on your other work.” So I ask for all those using “theword-which-must-not-be-usedunmeaning-fully” to tone it down a notch. There are so many other words out there that you can use. Step back from your fear of being scared to commit to a statement, be it satyrical or genuine, and have more class to your speech; for my sake. It’s liter... It’s driving me crazy.
place to start. And fear not busy students, there is a phone app for you to calculate your units on the go. No excuses not to be drink aware now. Now let’s get to the problem at hand, binge drinking. What actually is binge drinking? It’s drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time. Therefore, for men it’s drinking more than 8 units of alcohol (about three strong beers), and women it’s drinking more than six units of alcohol (two large glasses of wine). When I read this statistic I was shocked. I would in no way call myself a regular binge drinker; however I have definitely drunk more than two glasses of wine on a night out, and that’s just for predrink. Some studies have indicated that drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time is much worse for your health than frequently drinking small quantities. Binge drinking can affect your physical and mental health: accidents are more common because being drunk affects your balance and co-ordination. Yes, that is where all those bruises come from. In extreme cases, you can die from binge drinking. Overdosing on alcohol stops your breathing or your heart, or you could choke on your own vomit.
Who wants to go like that? Binge drinking can affect your mood and your memory and in the long term can lead to serious mental health problems. More commonly binge drinking can lead to anti-social, aggressive and violent behaviour. Let’s face it, binge drinking does not sound as attractive anymore. The scariest fact for me is that if you binge drink now, studies have shown that you are twice as more likely to be binge drinking twenty five years later.
Binge drinking can affect your physical and mental health It’s ridiculous to say ‘don’t drink at all’ to students, as we live in a culture that pivots around drinking. And despite the risks there is nothing wrong with drinking sensibly and in moderation. Just don’t let the good times turn bad because of alcohol. Nobody wants to end up with pictures of themselves passed out on Facebook, let alone have a viral video of themselves spread across the internet. The best nights out are the ones I can remember, rather than the ones I can’t remember, or worse the ones I seriously end up regretting!
Do you want to write or edit the Comment and Debate section? Sadly the editors of Comment and Debate are leaving at the end of the year. Send an email to Kerrie and Lucy at comment.spark@ reading.ac.uk telling us why you would be perfect for the role!
comment.spark@reading.ac.uk
Spark* Monday 27 Febuary 2012
A moment to spare? Sarah Mason
There is something extremely pleasant about winter. Wrapping up in layer upon layer against the weather is something I find satisfying – knowing I am a little beacon of heat amidst a cold landscape. Something else that is pleasing is the value of a hot drink. On a crisp, clear day, one might sit in a patch of sunshine with a hot drink clutched in gloved hands and you can watch the world scurry by. I say scurry because the idea in most people’s heads is to get from A to B very quickly. This is something else which is nice about sitting one side. No one else is doing it. It is a little piece of time to reflect and watch, cupped in the hands of a weak winter sun. Especially nice is the campus during this time. There is barely a soul around. Everyone is inside, working or relaxing. Those who are out are intensely focused on their destination, like bees to the hive, craving the warmth.
Although sitting for a long time can be unpleasant, bordering on idiotic, a five minute step back from those stalking from building to building is a refreshing experience. It shows the change in behaviour. In summer, you see waves of people drifting about on the grass. There is barely a spot untaken, un-trodden, undiscovered. The winter landscape is that of wonder. A seemingly desolate, sad expanse, rimmed with frost. Yet it is tense. The earth is waiting, waiting for the thaw. It gathers the roots and the plants beneath the surface know that the time to bravely thrust their bare tender shoots out of the ground is approaching. In a way, I suppose winter is the calm before the storm of spring and summer. It is in this calm that one sees the most profound changes in both nature and the people that surround us every day. It is in this calm that one may sit, protected by the many layers and invigorated by some tasty, hot beverage, that we too may make
our preparations for times to come. In this crucial time, there is much activity in the work as well as in the travel. We run ourselves ragged, readying ourselves for the inevitable tirade of exams and jobs (for those of us who are to leave this place). Such is the business and the busy-ness that I often wish I had more than a moment to spare to sit and watch the world.
A planet-sized playpen Sarah Mason
It has long been my opinion that university has been the best thing that has happened to me. In fact, the majority of my further education has been a growing experience, learning not only exam material but new social skills and how to be nicer to one another. In college, I noticed that the system that ran the social hierarchy was very similar to that which ran the secondary school one, which in turn was closely modelled on the playground of dear primary school. Ah well, thought I, university will be a place of wonderment and joy where I will be able to discuss ideas and meet like-minds and we will all be happy, mature, nice and honourable to each other.
Fees have been uncapped so university
giggle while those around them try and concentrate.
I value my knowledge and I value my education The education system produces children; children that are typically 21 – 25 years old when they leave university. Where do these children go? Into the working world. They fill the top end jobs and rise through the ranks and end up being the people who control the system. So what do we end up with? Children who control taxes, defence, cows, budget, jam and schools. They end up controlling pretty much everything and because they are stuck with this childish attitude that is what becomes the dominate attitude. That is the hegemony that you have to follow is you want to succeed.
is going to be for the elite again What I think might have to be purported to people is that doesn’t happen. As far as I can see, nothing has changed. You still have the popular cliques, only there are more ways to exclude you from these due to societies and nights out – if you don’t like top 20s, you’re out of luck, Chuck - and you still have the lonely, nerdy kids except there are more places for them to go and those places are still invaded by those who sit and
Hear that? Children rule the planet This seems to have been happening for years. Back in the day when universities were for rich men from rich families who know all the other people in power and will end up getting that power when Mother and Father want to retire to the South of France. There is pretence of equality but as we know, the fees have been uncapped so university is going to be for the elite again. Maybe too
many honest, straight-edge people are getting through and upsetting the system of masonic power that rules most if not all of the planet. Hear that? Children rule the planet. Most of the people who I have met who have dropped out of school and worked and made their living are some of the nicest people I have ever come into contact with. With work comes responsibility and growing up. It is these people who are the true adults. They say exactly what they think and you know exactly where you stand and they make any situation clear as day.
University will be a place of wonderment and joy Quite frankly, I value my knowledge and I value my education and I am lucky that I have managed to get through university because of the grants and loans that are on offer. However, I am still a child and I think most of the students here are, and will remain, children. We are the Peter Pan generation, never having to and never wanting to grow up. When we leave, we’ll go into graduate jobs, or stay in academia where the same system we followed in school prevails but the prizes and punishments are bigger. I have never claimed to be a politician. I am just an observer and what I see is terrifying.
COMMENT 11
How real is reality TV? Natalie Taylor
First Big Brother, then The Hills, now TOWIE. What is the new obsession with reality TV? Which, let’s face it, is about as realistic as Eastenders. Where has the hype come from and what is the nation’s need to know every detail of every bodies lives? Why are we all so interested in watching a bunch of nobodies and wannabes do nothing? The dramas, the highs the lows, they reflect our own lives right? Well that’s not strictly true. I’m from Essex and I definatly don’t drive around in a range rover and push my dog in a pram. Is that the attraction of these so called reality programmes? The obscurity and abstractness of the reality that is represented on our screens? Do we like to think that everybody’s lives are just like a soap opera or a movie and that everything will work out in the end? Very likely!
I’m from Essex and I don’t drive around in a range rover and push my dog in a pram Or is it simply the concept of instant fame that gets everybody’s blood pumping for yet another reality show. The idea that anybody can be famous for doing nothing nowadays seems to appeal to everyone on some level. With
the fast-pace and instant nature of the tabloids and the news now is it any wonder that hundreds of clones of Katie Price get suddenly propelled into the limelight for, oh, ten minutes? Are these reality shows promoting the ideology, do nothing and get famous fast? Go on a reality TV show and keep saying ‘reem’ until you create your own brand. Forget actually working hard and building a business for yourself. Why would you when you can take the fast track to fame and fortune?
The idea that anybody can be famous for doing nothing seems to appeal to everyone But what is the psychological effect of these reality shows? What will happen when the media turns on these so called stars or worse still they are simply forgotten. When your reality becomes a staged enterprise what happens to your real reality; is it lost forever? When you become a product for a television show, what happens to your personality, your individuality when that product is no longer wanted? What happens when the reality show takes that one little step to far? The Truman Show is suddendly real. Is true reality being suffocated by reality TV, and the media’s perception of what our reality should be?
12 FILM&TV
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
film.spark@reading.ac.uk
film&TV The Muppets: Director: James Bobin Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper Running Time: 103 mins Genre: Comedy
Start the music, light the lights!
Sam Thornton
Last year I reviewed Spielberg’s Tintin movie, and remarked upon how the adaptation carefully re-imagined one of my favorite childhood characters. This week I saw a movie that was no different and was filled with nostalgia again as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and company entertained me once more after a twelve year gap from films. Jason Segel, writer for the film and also one the starring actors, has brought the Muppets out of obscurity and back onto the big screen with little or no change to the formula that made the series so popular before. Never hiding his love for the characters in interviews, he brings his own personality into the role of Gary, a Smalltown citizen who takes his girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams) and his brother, Walter (who happens to be a Muppet, but is never explained) to LA to see the famed
Muppet Studios, but when they find out the buildings are going to be torn down by oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), they attempt to re-unite the Muppet crew (with a very funny ‘where-are-they-now’ look at each Muppet) to perform one last show to raise the $10 million needed to save the studios. The film opens as a typical Disney should, a happy-go-lucky musical song and dance on how
good life is, too closely directed to the younger audiences as older members may not enjoy it as much. Even though they were well performed, Segel, Adams and Walter’s characters aren’t strong enough to carry the film forward well enough to start, as narrative and expositions move along too quickly to begin with, rushing through the opening and not fleshing out the main trio enough. It’s only when the Muppets first appear on screen and ally with Segel and co. after the opening that the film truly comes into its own. The scripts for each of the Muppets are well-written and deeply thought out, as if Segel understood each of their individual characteristics perfectly. The comedy side is very good as well; unpredictable humour and fourth-wall breaking jokes are abound, with references to narrative, exposition and the movie itself. The eventual show that is put on is one of the highlights, the best example I can give is at one point there is a barber shop quartet rendition of Nirvana’s Smells like Teen Spirit. What surprised me the most was the truly gigantic amount of guest stars and characters: Jack Black,
Dave Grohl, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Whoopi Goldberg, Mila Kunis, Mickey Rooney, Neil Patrick Harris and more all shared some screen time, but my personal favorite had to be the musical act from Jim Parsons (Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory). If I had any poor points to reflect on the film as a whole, it had to be that Amy and Jason’s relationship isn’t realistic or focused on enough, 10 years together and there is little romance or understanding of each other, a kiss on the cheek is the extent of their love, all though the love triangle between Gary, his brother and girlfriend is interesting overall. If I’m getting picky, however, I’d say
there wasn’t enough of Animal and his drumming. Overall I have to say I really, really liked this return to form for the Muppets; it is definitely directed more towards families, however. But as I said with Tintin, if you’ve had loved any of the Muppets’ previous film or TV efforts (which is very difficult to not accomplish) I advise you see this film for what you loved about them as a child, and considering I watched this on Valentine’s Day, it’s safe for me to say that (without sounding too cringy) I’ve fallen in love with The Muppets again.
from Worthington, with Bell only marginally beating him covering up his British twang, as the script gives little for them to work with. Ed Harris plays the ‘villain’ and the centre of Nick’s revenge plan a bit too predictably but well all the same. Banks gives a mediocre performance but lacks the onscreen chemistry needed to make her faith in Nick believable. Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) puts on the most convincing performance, playing Joey Cassidy (Nick’s brother) who is performing the heist that Nick was framed for, to prove his innocence. Sound a bit more ridiculous now? The chemistry is slightly more realistic; with some awkward comical banter with love interest Angie, played by the beautiful Genesis Rodriguez (clearly quite a bit out of poor Jamie’s league). The cinematography is brilliant at times, as we are constantly reminded at the height of Cassidy’s risk, with great angles circling the building creating suspense by emphasising its danger. However, there are only so many skyline camera shots with jolty, dramatic music that can create
tense moments with the occasional intentional wobble from Nick as a distraction, with everything becoming a bit samey. The music is a key tool for the tension in the film and does suit the tone of the film extremely well. The idea has potential, an interesting angle to tackle a thriller movie; however the script becomes tedious and embarrassing. That moment when you can’t help but roll your eyes as the film’s title is entwined into the narrative, “we’ve got a man…on a ledge” is a particularly low point in the narrative. You often don’t believe Cassidy is in a lot of danger, and as we are (slowly) revealed the underlying subplot of the film it’s difficult to find the action particularly gripping. The film does capture some terrific chase scenes and there are some moments where you are genuinely intrigued at how everything will turn out, however on a whole Man On A Ledge is pretty predictable and sits comfortably on the ‘average’ spectrum.
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Man on a Ledge: Look out below! Director: Asger Leth Starring: Sam Worthington, Jamie Bell, Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Anthony Mackie Running Time: 102 mins Genre: Thriller/Crime Kate Holman
As I took my seat in the cinema I had one thought, please not 102 minutes of watching a man wobble on a ledge of a building, not exactly my idea of compelling viewing. Within the first few minutes surely enough, he’s on that ledge. Luckily, much of the action is taken away from the building and we are involved in a complicated subplot with plenty of plot twists along the way. Our protagonist is Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), an ex-cop turned escaped convict attempting to prove his innocence by standing on the edge of the 21st floor of New York’s Roosevelt Hotel. Sound a bit far-fetched? Well, yes. Much of the real plot is kept from
us, offering some insight with flashbacks and some probing from police psychologist Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks), attempting to stop the apparent suicide attempt whilst a mob of New Yorkers gather, waiting and chanting for the ex-cop to jump. Suspicions are raised of the police-force’s involvement in the heist that supposedly got Cassidy wrongly
locked up for stealing a diamond worth $40 million, and we’re often left guessing at who the bad guys are. This isn’t exactly giving the New York police good publicity, or in fact the angry New York public who are all egging him on to jump whilst videoing it on their iPhones. There are no strong opinions on the acting, apart from the occasional uncertain American accent
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FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - Beauty and the Beast is going to be epic! Not only is Guillermo Del Toro going to be the director, but Emma Watson will be Belle
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FILM&TV 13
Chronicle: Dont p**s off these kids! Director: Josh Trank Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Dane DeHaan and Alex Russell Running time: 83 mins Genre: Action/ Sci-Fi Tom Hill
2012 is going to be freaking awesome! There are too many amazing looking films to list and Chronicle has to be the best way to start it off. I know everyone has gone to see The Muppets instead but I thoroughly recommend seeing Chronicle before you miss it in the cinema; it’s an epic experience. Chronicle follows misanthrope Andrew (Dane DeHaan), a boy humiliated at school, bullied by his father and caring for his sick mother. In an attempt to distance himself from the world, Andrew begins videoing his life. While at a party with his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and class president Steve (Michael B. Jordan), the three discover a cavern in the woods which contains a strange, possibly alien, relic. After passing out the three boys awaken to find they have telekinetic powers and begin putting them to use, playing tricks on people and trying to get the most out of their new found gifts, using them for personal gain. As the boys develop their powers they have to try and reign in their
anger, which comes more easily for popular Steve and Matt, but not so for bullied Andrew, resulting in a jaw-dropping finale that equals the armed monkey uprising of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The story also has references to superhero stories like Superman, anime like Dragonball Z and Akira, and high-school revenge movies like Mean Girls, Revenge of the Nerds and most of all, Carrie.
2012 is going to be freaking awesome! The effects are impressive for such a low budget film but this may be due to the hand held camera gimmick, which has allowed other films such as Trollhunter and Cloverfield to get away with a lot due to the shaking of the camera. Don’t worry though - this film isn’t filled with motion sickness. Thankfully the first thing the boys learn to do with their telekinetic powers is hold Andrew’s camera steady at a distance, resulting in some pretty beautiful flight footage. The finale also uses a combination of helicopter cameras, news footage and pedestrian cameras to allow a panoramic view of the entire situation. The director has truly outdone himself with his inventiveness and deserves more recognition than he may be getting.
The acting is tight and everyone plays their part amazingly. My one complaint is that Steve and Matt do not get as much exposure as Andrew. Despite the equal development of their characters throughout the story, turning from pretentious chumps to something close to superheroes, they are ne-
glected for Andrew’s descent into revenge. To be fair this was still done superbly and left me wanting Andrew to succeed. This film is hilarious, the action is astounding and thanks to the characters it has to be one of the most engaging films you can see at the moment. To top it all off the mar-
The Vow: In sickness and in amnesia
tively resists Tatum as if he were some sort of troll. They work into the script that she used to be an entirely different person before she met him, and before a certain event changed her perception of her family and her own identity. But until we find out what that event is, we are left with the staggering, black-and-white personality about-face which she seems all too happy to embrace. It makes us wonder how one event could have made her voluntarily leave this life in the first place and whether the car accident at the beginning of the film was the first she had survived.
Director: Michael Sucsy Starring: Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Sam Neill, Jessica Lange Running Time: 104 minutes Genre: Romantic Drama Emma Dawson
For most of its run, Michael Sucsy‘s The Vow did exactly what I asked of it. It was surprisingly heartfelt and emotionally weighty… before it slowly remembered it was a Hollywood romantic drama and reverted to the woeful tropes there contained.
Much of the movie’s potential is squandered in McAdams’ character Tatum plays a man experiencing his own personal hell. He’s had the great fortune of finding a true love that completely defines and fulfils him only to have it ripped away from him. Every day he has to try to convince his own wife
that she, at one time, loved him all the while existing with a woman who now sees him as a stranger and avoids his touch at every turn. Much of the credit for the emotional resonance I experienced is due to Tatum himself. He occupies the role with such quiet agony and genuine passion as well as managing to sell us on his everyday Joe persona, despite the numerous superfluous shots of his Ken doll
abdomen, and yet he displays a disciplined actor’s understanding of goals and expectations, navigating the various levels of the role with great skill. Where this movie started to lose me however, and where I feel much of its potential is squandered, is in McAdams’ character. I understand that Paige has lost parts of her life memory but what I don’t understand is why she ac-
The Vow is a decent romantic drama I could have, however, forgiven this issue of character definition if that were The Vow‘s only problem. But as the film moves into its final two acts, all the over - done conventions start cropping up. There is of course a love triangle involving Paige’s ex-fiancé, a scene of Leo playing the guitar to show he’s sad and another one of
keting for this film was true genius (Google New York flying people, also Death and Return of Superman). If it weren’t for wanting to see The Muppets I would definitely go watch this again, but I highly recommend it to everyone else.
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him taking in a stray cat to show that he’s lonely. None of these things feel especially well-earned, in particular the “softer side of Leo” moments which only reiterated what Tatum’s performance had already clearly communicated.
Much of the credit for the emotional resonance is due to Tatum himself All in all, The Vow is a decent romantic drama that could have been exceptional if not for its reliance on convention and weak story elements. Tatum gives one of the best performances of his career, which is not a sentence I expected to write. I’m sure all the girlfriends out there will love this one for Valentine’s Day and there’s no shame for the guys to enjoy it either. It’s a very safe film, rarely straying into any real danger or difficult scenarios.
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FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - Although stating before that he would not direct any more Transformers movies, Michael Bay has signed on to direct Transformers 4
14 FILM&TV
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
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film&Tv
The Woman in Black: The boy who lived vs the undead Director: James Watkins Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer Running Time: 95 mins Genre: Horror Ellie Holland
The spine-chilling and truly terrifying adaptation of Susan Hill’s ghost story, The Woman in Black will have you covering your eyes with your hands- and thankfully, not just because of Daniel Radcliffe’s acting. The young actor did well, albeit not brilliantly, in his role as a lawyer who lost his wife in childbirth. Perhaps it was his stigma of usually declaring “expelliarmus!” each time he was faced with a villain, but it was rather difficult to believe Radcliffe as the family man, as opposed to the student wizard, in this Edwardian themed horror which combines classic horror motives with modern techniques. Director James Watkins, known for previous horror films such as Eden Lake (2008) and The Descent: Part 2 (2009), uses the eerie innocence of children who are under the spell of something
evil as the main premise for the film. The chanting of the young girls at the beginning will have the hairs on the back of your neck stand up within seconds, and the superstition of the village keeps the audience on their toes wanting to know who, or what, is the reason for these children suffering such awful deaths. The plot is coherent and well written, and when Radcliffe is
sent to the village to investigate in the affairs of the deceased Alice Drablow, we place ourselves in his position and endure every sense of dread with him. The use of empty spaces, shadows, and prolonging suspense stimulates our fear, and although the film does not expose anything remotely terrifying, this is exactly what makes it even more terrifying.
Martha Marcy May Marlene: Girls’ names! Director: Sean Durkin Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy Running Time: 101 mins Genre: Drama/Thriller Saskia Whelan
Martha Marcy May Marlene is a quiet, intense and beautiful film but I feel like I should offer a disclaimer now: if you’re looking for a film with clear plot development and a clean resolution, then look on, because you won’t find it here. What you will find, however, is definitely worth the price of a cinema ticket and an hour and forty minutes of your time. Martha, played by newcomer Elizabeth Olsen (and yes, she is the younger sister of the infamous Olsen twins, but don’t let that put you off, this certainly isn’t Passport to Paris), has recently left a cult not unlike the Manson “family” cult of the late 1960s. But leaving the past behind her is not as easy as she would hope. Through her eyes we see life in the commune compared to the life her sister leads in
the society we know well, but both seem as bizarre as the other. To me, this was the film’s greatest strength; director and writer Sean Durkin asks us to consider what normal really is and pushes the boundaries of what is really acceptable. Olsen’s protagonist holds the entire thing together, and is both sharp and vulnerable. John Hawkes also gives a strong performance as Patrick, the leader of the commune; he’s as frightening as he is charismatic, and it’s easy to see how a person could get sucked into his persuasive way of life, despite the extremely dark elements of it.
Definitely worth a watch if you’re looking for something a little different It’s particularly hard to pin down the exact genre of the film, because it encompasses many; it’s disturbing, genuinely chilling and yet quiet, sensual and thoughtful all at the same time. Flashbacks and dreamlike recollections are blurred seamlessly together, creat-
ing a fairly unnerving sense that memories and dreams are, in fact, utterly inextricable from each other. The plot is revealed slowly, almost languorously, but with enough pace to completely captivate your attention. Martha unlocks the memories of her life in the cult one at a time, and is continuously jolted back into the present by the fear that she isn’t really free at all. Martha Marcy May Marlene is also beautifully shot, and is hon-
However, Watkins does waver on the fine line between classic, and boringly cliché. The use of misty graveyards and black crows are nothing new, and when Radcliffe looks out the window to see the woman in black standing outside and looks away, of course she has ‘mysteriously disappeared’ when he looks back again. Not exactly ground-breaking. The ending is also both poignant and anti-climactic; Radcliffe is reunited with his wife and the family exit by holding hands and walking into the mist (once again, the use of cliché comes back to haunt us). The camera then draws into the woman in black, who holds a chilling gaze on the audience and opens her mouth to screech. The screen turns black, and that is our apparent ‘cliff-hanger’. Nevertheless, despite the rather flat ending the film held a good performance and succeeded in delivering a chilling retelling of a ghost story. But I feel the dramatic horror hallmarks give the plot more justice on the theatre stage, rather than on screen.
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estly just a pleasure to watch, so much so that the slightly less than cohesive plot really doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the film at all. This probably isn’t a film that everyone will enjoy, but is definitely worth a watch if you’re looking for something a little different. Martha Marcy May Marlene doesn’t disappoint there, and is the kind of film that stays with you, even after the credits have rolled.
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Top Ten Food Moments in Film Hannah Ridyard
The Henley Film Festival takes place on the last weekend of April, the theme this year is Food in Film. And so here are our favourite film food moments
10. Pretty Woman (1990)
If Julia Roberts throws a snail across a room, a millionaire falls in love with her. If I do it, I get escorted out of the restaurant.
9. Rocky (1976)
Aaah, raw egg dribbling down one’s chin. We lucky ladies have Sylvester Stallone to thank for guys who down protein shakes expecting to become the next Rocky Balboa…
8. Juno (2007)
I would challenge anyone to watch this without getting a craving for a blue slushy or Sunny-D. And a mailbox full of tictacs? Perfection!
7. The Parent Trap (1998)
Two pre-rehab Lindsay Lohans, an absent parent and half a photo. They take a DNA test right? Wrong. They both love Oreos dipped in peanut butter.
6. Matilda (1996)
Brucie was an example to all of us. With sheer determination and courage, you too can plough your way through a mammoth chocolate cake.
5. Chocolat (2000)
As the Count discovers; if you wake up in a shop window, face smeared with chocolate as an adult, you’re not a confectionary hero. You’re checked into The Priory.
4. Annie Hall (1977)
There’s not many things more adorable than Woody Allen, however Woody Allen being chased around by a lobster-wielding Diane Keaton is definitely up there.
3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Personally, Fanta is my drink of choice before blowing someone’s brains out. Sam Jackson on the other hand finds a Big Kahuna burger with a Sprite to be the perfect pre-assassination nibble.
2.Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Part of this movie that will remain in my head forever is the first time the greedy golden ticket winners walk into the chocolate room.
1. Lady & the Tramp (1995) The classic spaghetti scene makes this film. Note to all humans. This is cute on scruffy little dogs only. Dogs, yes. Humans, no.
FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - Ghost Rider- Spirit of Vengeance is barely in UK cinemas and Nicolas Cage is already eager to get stuck back in with number three!
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FILM&TV 15
George Lucas: The Defence, Episode I Jonathan Edney
George Lucas, the man who is responsible for the creation of the Star Wars universe, recently announced his retirement from blockbuster filmmaking. One reason for this was the difficulty of finding funding for the film Red Tails, which will be released soon. However, he stated that another reason is fatigue from the violent backlash against areas of his work, particularly the Star Wars
prequels and his changes to the original trilogy.
The revamped versions look cleaner and the visual effects match the look of the prequels After reading the news of his retirement on Total Film’s website, I scrolled down to the com-
ments section and predictably read numerous hateful comments. Whenever an opportunity presents itself to bash the prequels, the changes or Indiana Jones 4, Total Film, among others, take it. I will address those three areas without the insane bile that some fans can’t seem to shake off. Having recently seen the original, unaltered versions of Star Wars Episode IV-VI, I can safely say I still prefer the 2004 revamped editions. They look cleaner and the visual effects match the look of the prequels. Jabba the Hutt in A New Hope is admittedly unnecessary, as is the recent addition of Darth Vader shouting ‘NOOOOOO!’ to the BluRay release of Return of the Jedi but Lucas has stated on numerous occasions that he makes changes to match what he would have done at the time had the technology been available and some changes, such as putting in Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor to replace Clive Revill, help establish continuity across the saga. Ultimately, the films are not that different and any unnecessary changes do not detract from the overall awesomeness that is Star Wars. Now to Indiana Jones 4, which Lucas wrote the story for, and I ask: is the film really that bad?
Carnage: Let battle commence! Director: Roman Polanski Starring: Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christopher Waltz, John C. Reilly Running Time: 80 mins Genre: Drama/Comedy Colette Harris
One apartment, four characters and a whole lot of arguing. Carnage is a film set in real time in a New York apartment. The Longstreets (Foster and Reilly) and the Cowans (Winslet and Waltz) are trying to settle a dispute their children have had in the playground but things are far from being resolved and an onslaught ensues. The comedy lies in the fact that throughout the film they are trying to resolve a puerile fight their children had but they resort to the same childish behaviour they are trying to prevent. There is a plethora of side-taking, low personal offences, destruction of property and a good deal of shouting. It is an example of how every adult can still have moments of infantile behaviour but at the same time have to punish and prohibit it in their children. The best things about the film are the performances (especially nearing the end) and the undeni-
able irony of the situation. The worst thing about the film is that in parts it does tend to drag, even for the abnormally short running time. This problem of pacing however could be because it is an adaptation of a play, something which can also be seen in the fairly static camera work and the single set. At the beginning you seem to be aligned with all of the characters, not only in the awkwardness of the situation but in the desire for the Cowans to leave the apartment. However, by the time the film is in full swing you become nothing more than an onlooker to the disarray of the situation. Regarding the all-star cast, Winslet peaks at the end with her drunken performance in which her character's true colours are revealed. The rest of the performances are also strong considering the script’s slight lack of full character development. By this I mean that even though the characters have unequivocally changed by the end of the film, we still do not know very much about each of them, especially in equal measures. Additionally, apart from a few choice moments of the ridiculous, the situation is in a constant state of believability, and this is maybe something that adds to the excruciatingly awkward
tone the film holds. At times it is sharply witty, at others it is a little slow paced and even though it’s an enjoyable film, it may not completely live up to its bold title.
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Harrison Ford still punches with fervour and it has great action sequences in the opening warehouse scene and the jungle chase. As for the aliens ending (which was Lucas’s idea) – if non-religious people can believe in the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, why can’t they accept the possible existence of aliens in the Indy universe? Some characters are underdeveloped and there are some implausibilities along the way (escaping a nuclear blast in a fridge among
them) but the criticism of CGI red ants is unfair. I don’t hear anyone complaining about the CGI beetles in The Mummy (1999). In any case, the movie’s faults are not all entirely down to Lucas, for Steven Spielberg is the director after all, and whilst not up there with the original Indy films, it is an enjoyable addition to the franchise. I will address the Star Wars prequels in the next issue, for judging by the hatred they receive, I have considerably more to defend.
This fortnight at the RFT... Student Tickets: £4.50
This fortnight at the RFT films include The Ides of March starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosling as a presidential candidate and one of his staff as they tackle the world of politics where your friends can be as dangerous as your enemies. Also, the month of history in film continues with The Filth and the Fury which follows the Sex Pistols and their cultural assault on 1970s Britain featuring archive footage and inerviews with band members.
Thursday 23 February (20:00): Ides of March (15) Tuesday 28 February (19:30): Wuthering Heights (15) Wednesday 29 February (19:00): The Filth and the Fury (15) Thursday 1 March (20:00): The Cabinet of Dr Galigari(U) Tuesday 6 March (20:00): Weekend (18)
Prices: Members £4.50 Non-members £6.00 Annual Membership £10.00
FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - The reboot of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has found a director in the form of Jonathan Liebeman of Wrath of the Titans fame
16 MUSIC
Friday 16 March 2012 Spark*
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music
LIVE
Laura Marling turns the huge Hammersmith Apollo into an intimate setting
Laura Marling 7th March, 2012 Hammersmith Apollo, London Jamie Milton
The first time I saw Laura Maring play live was upon the release of her debut album Alas I Cannot Swim. She tucked herself inside a snug record store in Brighton, in the middle of winter, discussed
her favourite albums with the audience and wore the same white t-shirt that she sported when appearing in a recent Mystery Jets’ music video. I say this not out of some boastful “I saw her first” claim, rather I’d like you to picture the intimate scene of January 2008 and compare it to a grandiose evening in London’s Hammersmith, where Marling is joined by a full band and a massive audience of 3,000
OPINION
Roberta Sarll
Lana Del Rey, does the name sound familiar? Of course it does. Well then, take your mind back to just 6 months ago, September 2011, and think about whether you’d ever heard of her then? The answer is very probably ‘no’. Fast forward to 2012 and seemingly out of nowhere she is practically already an icon. Lana Del Rey has gained support from fans as diverse as Harry Potter actor, Daniel Radcliffe and fashion designer Christopher Kane, who used her track Video Games to open his show last
odd to boot. Such a rise in popularity seemed inevitable even back in the day, but to see it fully realised now is a really heart-warming moment. Intimacy is physically a thing of the past when you compare the scale of venues, but somehow Marling’s full band - equipped with strings, fancy pianos and arenafilling percussion - bring unprecedented closeness to this big-deal show.
Perhaps its band member Pete Roe’s recommendation of the best pub in the local area midway through the show (Roe is born and bred Hammersmith), or even the middle section of the 2-hour stint, where Marling steps onto the stage alone to perform stripped-back, string-less renditions of the likes of Goodbye England. It could be those things, but the intimacy more likely stems from the sheer confessional nature of Marling’s songs. The eldest member of the set, Failure, which the singer wrote when she was fifteen, is a prime example of her refreshing honesty.
There’s unprecedented closeness to this bigdeal show Sometimes Laura is too confessional for her own good. After ringing a couple of guitar notes, seemingly playing around with a melody, she admits to the audience that she’s completely forgotten how to
play one of her own songs. The audience seem to appreciate her honesty in more ways than one. Of her three crtically-acclaimed albums to date, perhaps the least honest, arguably the least charming, is her latest, A Creature I Don’t Know. An intentional detachment from the far-too-sickly ‘nu folk’ scene of Mumford & Sons and co that she might have previously been associated with, it succeeds in showcasing an artier, more jazz-like quality to her songwriting. But it lacks the aforementioned intimacy. Yet the album’s songs make far greater sense when you see each backing band member providing their own valued contribution to proceedings. Songs like I Was Just A Card carry added poignancy in this daunting setting. So not only do we get an affirmation of Laura’s flourishing talents of many years, we also see a notable improvement in one of her biggest live shows to date. Now if only she could make the O2 Arena feel like a miniscule capacity record store. At the very least, the venue is within her reach.
Lana Del Rey: Icon or con? Roberta Sarll investigates the scene...
season. She is currently gracing the covers of major publications, including British Vogue and has inspired it-bag fashion stalwart, Mulberry to design and name one of their handbags after her; the “Del Rey”, launching in May. But she has also incurred the ire of numerous anonymous commentators online, angry at her sudden rise to fame. East Coast Hipsters and die-hard music aficionados deride her supposed “re-branding”; from the humble image of Lizzie Grant to has-it-all Lana Del Rey. Her privileged background as the daughter of a millionaire who made his fortune in the dot com
boom does not do her case any favours. But I still like Lana Del Rey. Her songs are a moody, evocative mix of heartbreak, tragedy, longing and hedonism. A beautifully melancholic voice singing dark tales of romance, love, deceit, exhilaration: “I’m feelin’ electric tonight/ Cruising down the coast goin’ ‘bout 99”. There are numerous characters within the titles and the lyrics of her songs, like Carmen and Million Dollar Man; distinctive, sultry anti-heroes. This Is What Makes Us Girls is a particular favourite of mine, a quirky spin on the sometimes
fickle nature of teenage friendships, relationships and crushing rejections. Then again, I can’t help but get an image out of my head of drunken girls stumbling home from the Union when I hear the lyrics: “There she was my new best friend/ High heels in her hands, swayin’ in the wind/ While she starts to cry, mascara runnin’ down her little Bambi eyes/’Lana, how I hate those guys’.” Embarrassing as it is, we’ve all been in a version of that sorry situation at some point, or else know someone who has.
Die-hard music aficionados deride her supposed “re-branding” Which leads me to my main point; her music strikes a chord, hinting at the kind of love or lust, which is destructive and yet oh-so-powerful, “Honey I’m on fire, I feel it everywhere/ Nothing scares me anymore”. Even if only on the level of over-the-top day-dreams about a current person of desire, it is easy to connect with and relate
to that. All of the crazy, intense feelings that come with the first heady stages of chemistry in a relationship made all the more exciting by its inappropriateness.
Born to Die is overtly melodramatic Perhaps the person in question can show you a good time, take you out of the monotony of real life, if only for a while but that kind of escapism, that kind of lust/ love does not a healthy relationship make.
To steal a lyric from Lana Del Rey’s National Anthem, it’s a love story for the new age, except that it isn’t. Lana’s just the modern day version of Anna Karenina of the novel of the same name, or in more recent times the characters of The OC and Gossip Girl. That irritating and yet intoxicating mix of “upper echelon” hedonism, broken hearts and tragedy. Yes Born to Die is overtly melodramatic and Lana Del Rey herself a feminine mystique but both, artistically, are undeniably all the better for it.
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FILM&TV 17
Stella: An easy watch for a Friday night in Starring: Ruth Jones, Craig Gallivan, Elizabeth Berrington, Julian Lewis Jones Created by: Ruth Jones, David Peet Running Time: 43 mins Genre: Comedy/Drama Liberty Jackson
For someone who preferred the comedy of Horne and Corden to Gavin and Stacey, I was a bit apprehensive watching Ruth Jones’ new venture Stella on Sky1. I thought I knew where the humorous side of the Corden/Jones double act lay. It appears I may have been mistaken. Five minutes into the first episode, I was hooked. It follows the life of Stella, a single mother of three who lives in a small town in Wales, and irons for a living.
When you throw in a funeral director with a coffin fetish things get a bit more interesting There are, of course, the predictable storylines you would expect from a sitcom, but the Welsh charm that we only saw glimpses of in Gavin and Stacey comes
by the bucket load in Sky1’s new comedy. Every gag is genuinely funny, from the straightforward, to the utterly bizzare (let’s just say I didn’t realise there was that much fun to be had in a funeral directors). It is, most definately, a vast improvement on Sky1’s summer
offering, Mount Pleasant, which although I personally enjoyed, was a bit too ‘safe’ and daytime-tv esque. Stella’s spread of characters varies hugely from the typical good looking guy-next-door to the alcoholic, funeral director sisterin-law. This adds to the cleverly layered storylines, which include
Hustle: The last great con Starring: Adrian Lester Running Time: 60 mins Genre: Drama
teenage pregnancy, weddings, clashes with exes, most of which you would expect from such a programme. But when you throw in a funeral director with a coffin fetish, a pair of teenagers who insist on getting married and a larger than life rugby coach who is obsessed with the lead character, (played by
Jones herself), things start to get a bit more interesting. Whilst I have to admit that the pilot was a lot juicier than the last few episodes, if you’re having a night in to prepare yourself for the weekend ahead it’s worth checking out.
end Ash has to outwit both groups who are after the painting so they can save mickey’s life and not get killed themselves.
friends into spying on the gang and Emma ends up in jail when Fisk plants cocaine on her. As things go from bad to worse, Sean is bribed into telling Fisk the whereabouts of the handover of the money in exchange for Emma’s freedom. Mickey Bricks is finally caught red-handed, or so it seems. Hustle is a fast-paced show that keeps you guessing right up until the end. The characters are funny and charming and nothing about this show is at all predictable, and so it is sad that after eight series Hustle will no longer be on our screens.
Lauren Purcell
Hustle features some very funny cameos from Sheila Hancock and Bill Bailey
Master con man Mickey ‘Bricks’ Stone (Adrian Lester) and his team of highly skilled accomplices are back for the last ever series of Hustle. Mickey, Albert Stroller (Robert Vaughn), Ash ‘Three Socks’ Morgan (Robert Glenister) and Emma and Sean Kennedy (Kelly Adams, Matt Di Angelo) are still targeting the rich and greedy and this series it seems if they are pushing themselves and their grifting skills further than ever.
The characters are funny and charming and nothing about this show is predictable The series starts off with the team taking on the owner of a goldexchange company, with a con involving stolen Libyan Gold. But
there is more than just money at stake in this series, in both the first and the second episodes the grifters’ lives are at stake if the con goes wrong. The second episode sees the gang struggling to return a stolen Picasso to its owner to save Mickey’s life, after their con goes wrong and they try to sell a fake to the original owner. They try to get the
painting back after learning it was stolen by the McCrary brothers and sold to renowned gangster Harry Holmes (Martin Kemp) but as soon as the gang start on their elaborate plan to retrieve the painting the police turn up and reveal the painting to be a fake. The gang are led on a wild goose chase after the real painting and are foiled at every turn. By the
The episode also features some very funny cameos from Sheila Hancock, as the mad artist who fakes Picassos and Bill Bailey as ‘Cyclops’ a contact in the world of stolen goods. The third episode of the series is by far the best to date. Even when things seem to be going really badly for the team, there is always some elaborate twist that emerges and the audience learn that not all that has been presented to them so far is thewhole truth. This time Mickey and his gang are engaging in an inheritance scam while being hunted down by bent cop DI Fisk (Patrick Baladi) who has been paid to catch Mickey. Fisk blackmails one of Sean’s old
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This is the last ever series of Hustle Maybe the plots can get a little far-fetched; but my advice is if you’re a fan of films like Oceans 11 or television shows like Sherlock, you will definitely enjoy watching this series. I guarantee you will be hooked.
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FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - Heavyweights Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Sylvester Stallone are teaming up again after The Expendables for action film The Tomb
18 MUSIC
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
music.spark@reading.ac.uk
music
LIVE
Spark* heads on down to South Street to enjoy a night with the Kabeedies The Kabeedies 11th February 2012 South Street Arts Centre, Reading Katie Langford-Foster
It’s not often that you come away from a gig having been blown away by not just the headliner, but by all three of the night’s musical offerings. I wanted to moan, I really did, but this Saturday, South Streets Art Centre laid down a three course feast of mouth watering melodies that was truly irresistible. Having racked up airtime on BBC radio and playing one of Britain’s biggest festivals over the past two years, opening act Peers pulled no punches despite the intimate audience. Tighter than Joey Essex’s jeans, the band smashed out an energetic string of chisel-
FEATURE
Jamie Milton
Something, Chairlift’s second album, is hugely intent on making a statement (read DIY’s review here). Few records share this trait; they either explore one cohesive concept or they back up a hit single for purpose’s sake. Chairlift needed to prove that they were a serious band who went beyond soundtracking commercials or winning critical acclaim in some quarters. They’re in it for the long run, intent on producing formidable albums that crossover several styles and genres at once. Caroline Polacheck and Patrick Wimberly succeeded magnificently in outdoing their earlier work,
ling, baby Maccabee riffs, but with a vocal way dirtier than Orlando’s could ever be. Quick to follow in the appetiser’s footsteps, These Ghosts live up to their name. With his translucent voice, lead singer Calum strokes you gently on the shoulder when you least expect it, leaving you haunted by the memory of his lucid tones, questioning whether this moment ever really happened at all. It is only then that by launching into anthemic crescendos, These Ghosts can remind you that they are definitely still here. Written perfectly around dominant, tribal drumbeats, the subtle keyboard progressions and bass lines dart elusively around each other. An extrovert riot of a performance this was not, but it would be hard to turn down such an intimate invitation into this secluded parallel universe.
Already featuring on an Xbox advert, and having supported the likes of CSS and The Futureheads, headliners The Kabeedies are doing pretty well for themselves. If front woman Katie Allard’s dancing is not enough to captivate an audience, this bouncing, limbo of a set certainly was. Think a redheaded, less frizzy Cyndi Lauper fronting Vampire Weekend on a Jamaican beach and you are getting close. Katie’s uber feminine 80s-esque voice against that of the lads’ and the twang of guitars creates happy-go-lucky harmonies that are authenticated by the band’s onstage rapport. Set highlights included Elizabeth, Santiago and Eyes, and with a copy of their latest album, Soap, accompanying every ticket, I get a little token of The Kabeedies’ Caribbean chaos to take home with me. Score.
Spark* chats to Brooklyn band Chairlift
in turn making this much-needed statement. Something is something - a work of huge substance. And in many ways it came out of the blue, announcing a band who despite being reduced by one member, weren’t planning on disappearing any time soon. DIY spoke to Patrick about the stunning album itself as well as sinister lyrics and self-choreographed dance routines. There are so many elements of nostalgic, 80s’ pop that you seem to hone in on for Something. Did you listen to lots of power ballads and big synth records before writing the album?
Not a lot of power ballads but their was a few 80s influences. Most of our influences are not from the 80s though. People tend to think that because of the sounds we use, I think... Did Caroline really fully choreograph the dance routine in ‘Amanaemonesia’ or was it improvised? Caroline did choreograph it herself. She disappeared for a couple weeks and then came back a dancer. She had written the whole dance. Needless to say, I was impressed. I find it interesting that between albums, you’ve lost a member but you’ve developed a bigger sound. Have you got a vivid idea of how you’ll play the record’s songs live? Yes. We’ve started touring now and are bringing along three more musicians for the live show. Caroline and I played the parts on the record, but we always had different characters in mind for each part. There’s just two of us but we haven’t ever considered ourselves a “duo.” We never had any intention of performing as a duo. We started making this record with the intention of a bigger sound. Now because of that, we have a bigger live band. As concepts go, Sidewalk Safari’s is pretty sinister. What led you to writing a song about running someone over!?
I remember very well the day Caroline came in and told me she wanted to work on a song about running someone over with a car. She didn’t seem horribly mad or angry that day, but obviously she was feeling aggressive. It was a kind of happy aggression, though. I had always imagined us making a more aggressive second record. That song was the beginning. I’m still not totally sure who she was thinking she wanted to run over that day, but I have a few ideas. Actually, this is a good example of how the two of us work together. Often she comes in with an idea of something to write about. Then both us throw all of our ideas together until the song is done. Sometimes people think it’s just her writing lyrics and melodies and I produce the music. That’s not the way it works. We’re both very involved in writing/producing all the pieces that make up these songs. Did you specifically pick Dan Carey as a producer because of his work with pop artists like Kylie Minogue? No, we worked with him because he’s a mad genius and we just had too much in common. Mostly in the way we work, but also in more personal ways. In a way, the fact that he’s worked with artists like Kylie was mostly helpful for us because its an easy way to con-
vince a major label to pay for our time in the studio with a producer that we love. I’m a Kylie fan, but that wasn’t the reason we worked with him. Do you think some people will be surprised by the record? It’s of such contrast to Does You Inspire You. Yes. I hope it’s a pleasant surprise, though. I feel like this whole record will connect with more people. Does You Inspire You had several songs that connected with people, but I think this one will connect more as a full record. Were you ever at all concerned that your career might be defined by Bruises? It’s not necessarily something that I’d agree with but other people might have solely associated you with that track... It’s okay with me that to most people, our career so far has been defined by Bruises. I’m confident that we have some songs on this record that will redefine our career. Hopefully the record after that will redefine it again. I’m not too interested in doing the same thing twice. At the end of it, I don’t think there will be one song that defines our whole career, but you gotta start somewhere. Definition is good. We want people to understand what we’re up to. Chairlift’s new album Something is out now via Columbia.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
music.spark@reading.ac.uk
MUSIC 19
ALBUMS Emeli Sandé makes her big debut
Emeli Sandé Our Version Of Events Virgin Records
George Reed
Winners of the BRITs Critics Choice award always have a lot to live up to. The award is chosen by industry chiefs, critics and music moguls, and push the winner into
the public eye before their album has even been released. However, every winner so far has gone on to become superstars, both here and overseas. So, joining the likes of Adele, Florence +Machine, and Ellie Goulding is this year’s winner, Emeli Sandé, with her debut album, Our Version Of Events. Heaven, the album’s first single, is an up-tempo and somewhat sporadic start. The adrenalin fuelled break-beats accompany Sandé’s soaring vocals brilliantly, making Heaven one of the biggest pop singles of 2011. This style and genre, made famous by the likes of Katy B, proves to be a great start to the album. However, this style doesn’t continue and already by track two, My Kind Of Love, the ballads start. Yet, it’s not entirely a bad thing, with this gospel sound displaying Sandé’s graceful and ‘slower’ side, in a similar way to that of Leona Lewis. Where I Sleep
and Mountains continue this with their subtle backing tracks mainly consisting of swooping strings and simple piano chords. This allows for all attention to focus on Sandé both vocally and lyrically, and her love for poetry and literature (including her tattoos of Virginia Woolf quotes) can be easily seen through the album’s lyrics. This is once again shown in following track Clown, which is a piano led ballad, allowing Emeli’s vocals to take centre stage. It is a beautiful track that contains all the qualities of an X Factor finalist song or an Adele-style tear-jerker.
A beautifully brilliant debut album However, it is about now that the album needs a kick of adrenalin, and Daddy does just that. Once
for the release of his debut album in America this Spring. His expressive acoustic folk music, comparable to that of James Vincent McMorrow, Bon Iver and Newton Faulkner, encompasses his natural surroundings and transports me back home where I can smell the sea and feel the fresh Devon air hitting my face.
Ben Howard Every Kingdom Universal / Island
Leonie Heath
Labelled as “the UK’s answer to Jack Johnson”, singer-songwriter Ben Howard could easily be perceived as an average ‘beach bum strummer’. However, it is the combination of natural imagery, raw emotion and Howard’s husky, soulful voice which makes his debut album Every Kingdom so addictive.
Howard has built up a solid fan base by sheer word-of-mouth. As a keen surfer and down to earth Devon boy, Ben Howard is well known for performing on beaches to intimate crowds and appearing at local festivals in and around the South West. However, similarly to Ed Sheeran, Howard has built up a solid fan base by sheer wordof-mouth. This has resulted in him recently completing a month of sell-out gigs in the UK and in Europe, as well as bracing himself
Invokes images of long summer evenings In particular, the track Old Pine, which was first released on an EP last summer, invokes images of campfires and long summer evenings as well as the waves crashing against the shore. Whereas Keep You Head Up is an infectious, self-empowering anthem which is guaranteed to make you smile. Furthermore, songs such as Gracious and Black Flies deal with deeper, darker emotion and heartache, Black Flies in particular which evolves into a powerful break up song. This album is an assortment of captivating melodies, raw emotion and heartache combined with a sense of being at home and in the countryside. Howard manages to serve all of these elements in a perfectly blended cocktail of acoustic guitar, electric and double bass, drums and cello as well as unique, quirky vocals. He may be slightly under the radar at the moment; however, having recently played his brand new, unrecorded track Oats in the Water live at Maida Vale on Zane Lowe’s evening show, I’d like to think this is just the beginning for ‘beach bum’ Ben Howard.
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Django Django Django Django Because
Charlie Allenby
If I could describe this album in one word it would be ‘wowbutthisbandclearlyhasthepotentialtodoevengreaterthingsthanthis.’ I know that this isn’t actually a word yet, but it is the only way to describe this album in one. Hailing mainly from Scotland, with slices of Leeds
Van Halen A Different Kind of Truth Polydor
Phil Whittaker
Van Halen – The only band that can make a pop song sound heavy. Obviously I am referring to their most famous hit Jump. The veterans of hard rock are back strong as ever and show that they aren’t ready to be fossilised just yet. If you challenged me to describe 80’s metal in three letters, then I would choose E,V and H (or Eddie Van Halen to the unenlightened readers of this article). If you’d let me use three words, then I’d go with divebombs, sweeps and
again Sandé uses breakbeats but this time mixes them with dramatic strings and gritty, yet powerful lyrics. Sandé portrays so much emotion through her voice that singing every single word sounds like it pains her to do so. It is a stand-out track, along with latest single Next To Me. The stomping piano chords and blues style drum beat, along with the enjoyably fun ‘woo-hoos’ make this arguably one of the best tracks on this album. Although Sandé is an accomplished songwriter and has been for many years, she is joined by Alicia Keys to write Hope. It’s an epic anthem detailing the UK riots of 2011, and has Alicia Keys written all over. In fact, in the same way Alicia released Empire State Of Mind Part II, Sandé wraps up the album with Read All About It (Pt. III), her version of the No.1 song she performed with Professor Green.
Overall, this is a strong debut album from the Scottish singer-songwriter. The only thing holding it back is the number of ballads and slow songs involved. Although it’s not a bad thing, with each one being a perfectly good track in their own right, it does make listening to this album in one sitting a heavy and hard task. In fact, there are points when the listener is waiting for another track like Heaven, wishing Emeli to be bolder, stronger and more adventurous (or just more like Heaven!). Yet, if you go into this album not expecting fourteen tracks of up-tempo breakbeats, then you’ll come out having witnessed a beautifully brilliant debut album from a rising popstar. With the talent shown here, Emeli Sandé can surely only go from strength to strength.
and Derry thrown into the mix, this four-piece has been on the rise since 2009 when their first songs were released onto the interweb through their MySpace page. After being the band to look out for in 2010 and 2011, their debut album has finally arrived, and it was definitely worth the wait. Every song on the record is a cracker, with the album being a patchwork of multi-genre inspired music. The flitting between dance inspired electro-synth bangers, such as Waveforms, Zumm Zumm and Skies Over Cairo, and the more orthodox art rock of Hail Bop and Default makes the album an interesting listen, and keeps you wanting more of this obscure type of music which can only really be described as space disco. Even in the more laid back acoustic track of Firewater the guys have found space for an infectious big beat, which is a theme throughout the album. There are also slices of more surf-styled garage rock on this
album, but as with all the other songs on the record, it has a Django Django feel to it, which is arguably unique. It may seem that there are too many different styles of music for this album to have any real consistency, but it really does just work. Django Django have found their own sound during their three years of emergence, and it is definitely a sound to check out. You can tell that whilst making their debut, the band have had a lot of influence from the likes of DEVO, early Talking Heads and I would even go as far as saying a smattering of fellow Scots Franz Ferdinand in there too. This influence, and the sounds that have come from it, have led to this album being my favourite of the year so far, and although it’s only February, I can see it being up their at the end of the year as well. Check them out when you can with them touring in February across the country.
tapping; guitar techniques which Van Halen are fabled for and what modern guitarists take for granted these days.
modern bands seem to lose; their heritage, their origin, the energy that got them noticed in the first place. A song I definitely recommend you listen to if you don’t buy the album is Honeybabysweetiedoll. It has a very interesting introduction – to me it sounds like the guitar is slowly being ripped into two by the claws of the devil. The song also makes use of the darker scales of music, which makes it stand out from the rest of the tracks on this album. Van Halen are back baby and they are here to stay! If they decide to tour the UK, you’ll know where to find me.
Van Halen are here to stay! The album’s first single, Tattoo has got that catchiness that makes a band get recognised even if it’s not their best piece of work. But it’s not surprising that the band is trying to reach out to a younger audience and boost their fanbase. Without a doubt, China Town is the best song this album. It goes straight back to the roots of the band and deliver what most
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20 MUSIC
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
music.spark@reading.ac.uk
ALBUMS
InMe The Pride Graphite
Laurence Green
Powerful fifth album riff-rockery from the Essex lads, The Pride’s real charm comes in its bringing together of straight-laced solid guitar hooks with a wide-ranging smatter of baroque influences.
Strings, needling solos and choiresque harmonies on Beautiful Sky Gardens, staccato electronics that wouldn’t sound out of place on the latest Enter Shikari album on Moonlit Seabed. Even on the slower numbers like the languidly decadent Escape to Mysteriopa, the band keep the standards high, sketching the tracks together with a binding unity that only adds to the quality of the individual songs. From the beating core of its heart, flowing outward, there’s just so much going on in the album, captured at its best in rousing closing number Legacy, which trips from the blissful flanged chords of its opening to the terrific Hollywood blockbusterscale crescendo. The ambition of the album is palpable, its consistency assured.
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SINGLES The Maccabees Feel To Follow Fiction
Jake Polden
Inspired by a conversation with a cab driver, Feel To Follow is the second single from the Maccabees recent album, Given To The Wild. Slower than previously released Pelican, the song abandons the traditional structure of a pop song and in sections, features a close vocal harmony as well as a double crescendo. The hypnotic chord sequence and overall orchestral experience of the song is complimented superbly with the climax of signature sounding frenetic guitars. For me, this single doesn’t have the ability to capture the attention of a mainstream chart, but is all the more desirable for this. Feel To Follow is both, in parts, effortlessly relaxing and energetic, and I find myself in full agreement with frontman Orlando Weeks as naming this song as my favourite from the album.
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The Overtones Say What I Feel Rhino
Rachel Pilcher
Today’s charts are seemingly dominated by run of the mill pop, be it manufactured by The X Factor (and the like) or not. I’m not complaining; One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful is a guilty
The Kabeedies Soap Fierce Panda
Rachel Pilcher
Since releasing debut single Lovers Ought To in 2008, The Kabeedies have continuously grown, from having Come On picked for the Xbox Kinect advert, to inciting near riots during their shows at Latitude and Hamburg’s Dockville
Festivals. Not bad for an up-andcoming band and second LP Soap definitely breaks the mould of ‘that difficult second album.’ Right from the start, their influences shine through their music, with hints of Blondie and the folk elements of Bombay Bicycle Club, particularly in The Boy with the Bad Mouth standing out. There’s arguably essences of The Drums hidden in album opener Hang-Ups of the West, with guitars echoing the sense of a summer in California. This isn’t to say The Kabeedies are in any way a copy of these bands. Not afraid to experiment with sound, from the brass present on Santiago to bringing a carnival feel to what appears to be an accordion on The Boy with the Bad Mouth, the band needn’t be afraid of being branded unoriginal. Added to that, it’s been a while since a great new band came on the scene with a female vocalist, but Katie
Allard completely changes this, bringing with her stunning vocals that fit like a puzzle to every element of the band. The Kabeedies are not just a band on one note though. Drowning Doll is filled to the brim with energy and fast-paced guitars, mixing vocals from Katie along with Rory (bass) and Evan (guitar) to bring another dynamic to the album. Another turn is then taken for album closer LT, bringing a calm, sophisticated and somewhat reflective to what is seemingly the end. Listen long enough though, and you’ll get a surprise in the form of a proper goodbye minisong, simply formed of harmonies, claps and drums. In the freezing temperatures of February, this album will keep you warm, bringing the summer into your bedroom.
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Can Speech Debelle live up to the post-Mercury prize hype?
pleasure of mine. Even so, it’s a refreshing change to welcome a group that effortlessly combine elements of modern pop with the harmonies of classic vocal groups. Having already achieved a number four hit UK album with debut Good Ol’ Fashioned Love, latest single Say What I Feel cements their position as one of the best groups around. Mixing traditional love song lyrics with smooth harmonies and an upbeat melody, not forgetting a small key change, Say What I Feel is an undoubted pop nugget. Staying firmly on the right side of High School Musical territory, the track is strangely but wonderfully addictive. Warning: it will probably be in your head for weeks! Move over One Direction, The Overtones are set to steal the hearts of girls everywhere.
with a string background, bouncing bass and tinkling glockenspiel. Debelle switches between rapping for the verses, and singing for the upbeat and simple chorus refrain of ‘I’m with it babe’. In contrast to the wide range of content on her debut album, the lyrics are a sweet and timeless ode to love. It’s all very nice, but once the song is over and done with little has left an impression apart from the memorable chorus line. This is a song that never really strays from its comfort zone and plays it safe, thus forgoing the chance to be something more impressive because of it.
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BEST OF THE REST Here We Go Magic Make Up Your Mind Coming on strong with a rhythm section equipped to blow your very inners apart, Make Up Your Mind makes an immediate impact. From then on, you’re given minutes to adapt to its ferocious pace and its Tapes ‘n Tapes-esque guitar structures. But by the time the four minutes run their course, you’re still left in a taken aback state, such is exchanging of idea and skill that’s on display in this Nigel Godrich-produced effort. The A Different Ship album cannot dock soon enough. (JM)
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Richard Petty
When The XX won the coveted Mercury Prize in 2010 it led to a meteoric increase in sales and fame. Unfortunately for previous winner Speech Debelle it hardly made a difference to her career, and she now returns to have another crack at the UK market with I’m With It, the lead single from her sophomore release Freedom of Speech. The song at first takes a sparse approach, but soon diversifies
Outfit Dashing In Passing In their signature idiosyncratic style, Outfit have returned with a dark-wave disco anthem; one suited to sedated, lovestruck couples. Dashing in Passing is so many things at once: Lustful; haunting; tranquilised and gritty. Best of all, it’s the perfect example of an unconventional pop song, of a similarly triumphant ilk to Two Islands. If the rest of the Another Night’s Dreams Reach Earth Again EP lives up to this standard, these hyped-up Liverpudlians will truly be staking their claim. (JM)
Labrinth Last Time The real man of the moment right now, the Tinie Tempah collaborator looks set to replicate the success of his pal’s Disc-Overy and hold the banner high for British urban music this year. For his latest serving, Last Time, Labrinth turns the synth-popometer up to max and fire a volley of J-Pop accentented thrills. Oriential string sections and robo-vocoder work-outs, Last Time is hedonistic, exhilarating and comes replete with the profound sense of both style and fun the star has already marked out as his own. (LG)
M.I.A. Bad Girls Halfway between the raw electro of XXXO and the low-slung Eastern melodiousness of Paper Planes, M.I.A’s new single Bad Girls comes on as a powerful summation of everything she stands for as an artist. With the kind of credibility and critical affectation most artists can only dream of, M.I.A. is in many ways the true outre pop princess, and with Paper Planes, Slumdog Millionaire and everything else that came with Kala’s acceptance into the public consciousness, M.I.A. became the kind of singer who could deliver profoundly ‘big’ records like Bad Girls at the bat of her lashes. And what a track to step into the limelight with. A brawling, pulsing monster of a track that throws everything into the mixer. (LG)
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
marketing@rusu.co.uk
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22 SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
Society spotlight
It’s never too late to get involved
University of Reading Philosophy Society collette naden
Do you regret not getting involved in more university activities? It might be week six of Spring term, but it is not too late to get involved. The Philosophy Society is an ideal group to join. The society is not just for those studying the subject. President James Kirkpatrick tells Spark* about the Philosophy society: How long has the society been at Reading? The Philosophy Society has been at the University of Reading for over 20 years, beginning around 1971. What does the society do? The Philosophy Society aims to provide a stimulating social environment for anyone with a philosophical disposition. This includes talks with visiting speakers for the academically minded. Oxford and Kings are just a few of the universities that take part. We also have regular outings to Reading Film Theatre (RFT)
nights. The RFT show some great cultural films that can’t always be found at regular cinemas. Aside from that we meet regularly at the local watering hole for a good old chin wag Tell us about any previous big events or future events. Earlier this year, the philosophy society took a large outing to see the Tree of Life and the Skin I Live in, both were a huge success. In previous years, the society hosted weekends away at various locations. Students and staff spent the weekend doing various activities like going to the cinema, hiking and inevitably going to the pub. However, in recent years the society has hosted a ‘summer party’. After summer exams are over, the society arranged a day of exciting talks (topics from previous years have included pornography and drugs that control your sexual habits) and philosophically related games like Pictionary. It all culminates in a students versus staff
football match and dinner in town, before rejoining at the Oakford. Itenary:
Week 7, Monday 27 February: Social: Wine and Cheese Evening and Election. Note: This event will take place at Palmer G04 at 18:00. Week 8, Tuesday 6 March: Film: Milk (dir. Gus Van Sant). Reading Film Theatre (Palmer Building). Week 9, Saturday 17 March: Social: Reading University Students’ Union. Week 10, Tuesday 20 March: Talk: Talking about the weather. The cost of membership is £5 for the academic year or £1.50 per talk. For more information join the Philosophy Society Facebook group. Alternatively, email Rowan Constantinou-Stygal (Secretary) at wj015142@reading.ac.uk
Reading University Fairtrade Society (RUFS) collette naden
On 9 March, the Fairtrade Society is holding a fashion show. President Laura Kane tells Spark* more about the society and why you should join it. How long has the society been at Reading? The society was founded in December 2010, by the current committee. There was an old Fairtrade Society at Reading, however, they disbanded before I came to the University. What are the aims of the society? The Fairtrade Society aims to promote and raise awareness of Fairtrade and all that the Fairtrade mark does for people around the World. We are actively involved on campus, having collaborated with many other societies. We are currently working with RUSU and the Women’s Campaign to organise our Fairtrade Fashion Show, in celebration of Fairtrade Fortnight, happening on the 9 March. We are also involved with both the University and Town Fairtrade Steering
Groups, who aim to promote Fairtrade in Reading.
What does the society do? We host a variety of socials and meetings on a monthly basis, from our Fairtrade Quizzes to our more serious speaker events. So far this term, we have had only our Fairtrade Quiz, which went down a treat! We are also proud to present our Fairtrade Easter Egg Hunt! We plan to take a break from last minute deadlines and spend an afternoon racing around Campus, with baffling clues, lots of chocolate and prizes. On Wednesday 14 March, at 1pm, meet in front of Palmer to join us. Our most exciting event this term is our Fairtrade Fashion Show. Through the Fashion Show, the Fairtrade Society and the Women’s Campaign hope not only to raise awareness of Fairtrade but also to promote the Body Positive campaign running on campus this year. There will be many stalls organised by the Travel Society, RUDDIYs, Campus Central and Traidcraft. There will also be a range of stalls dedicated to
the Body Positive cause, including a clothes swap -- so bring any unwanted items of clothing. Entertainment will be provided on the night by the Bellydancing and Singer Songwriter Societies! It is on Friday 9 March, at 7pm in 3Sixty. We hope to see you all there. Standard tickets are £4, or £3 for students. What have been some of your highlights? In December 2011, the Chaplaincy, the People and Planet Society and the Fairtrade Society organised a Fairtrade Festive Fayre in the Palmer Foyer between 12pm and 2pm. We had a variety of stalls including RISC, Traidcraft, Green and Blacks Chocolate, RUDDIYs and Reworked in Oxfam. The event was a huge success and there was mulled wine and mince pies handed out throughout the event. You can find this fantastic society on Facebook for more information about all their events and meetings. Or you can email them at: fairtradesociety.reading@gmail. com
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
ELECTION FEATURE 23
We’ve got election fever! Spark* takes a look at the candidates for RUSU Elections 2012-13 President
James Fletcher
things with students. I I’m an approachable person and I think I cn an properly convert the real issues that are affecting students into real results.
I think I can really make a difference to university life at Reading. With experience on societies and JCRs, I have the knowledge of the system to do a good job. RUSU really is an active union but not many people get involved in it for a variety of reasons; I want the union to reach out and discuss
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I would really like to be involved i n politics at Westminster as a career. That would be the ultimate job for me; helping to represent people in a highly-charged instituion with plenty of interesting people (a lot like RUSU actually. I would like to think that I would still be in contact with some of the
Politics and International Relations Why are you running for election?
Hannah Hayes
Geography BSc (Human and Physical) Why are you running for election? I want to be President of RUSU because being an active Student Trustee, president of a successful society, and an engaged student has shown me that even though RUSU is a brilliant organisation, there is still so much more the union could do to improve what it
does and how it does it. For me, becoming president is all about being the change you want to see. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Hopefully part of a large organisation that focuses on changing things for the better and working my way up to the top.
What has been your biggest achievement at Reading? I can’t just choose one achievement because there have been so many brilliant moments at Read-
fantastic friends that I have made at Reading too. What has been your biggest achievement at Reading? Undoubtedly, becoming JCR President. The people that I met during my time at the Bulmershe JCR are really amazing. The union, other JCRs and the committee at Bulmershe all helped each other out to represent their hall residents and to make sure that they all had a good time. All the events that we organised were really well attended and everyone had a pretty goo dlaugh (which is what it’s all about, no?).
ing, but if I had to choose my two biggest achievements they would be: winning the election last year to become RUSU Student Trustee 2011-12 and being president of a society which won RUSU’s Most Improved Society Award 2010-11. Which political figure (dead or alive) would you model yourself on and why? She may not be a ‘political figure’ but definitely Miss Piggy – because she knows exactly what she wants. (And has good taste in frogs!)
Student Trustee (three positions available)
Which political figure (dead or alive) would you model yourself on and why? Brace yourselves; this is going to be nerdy. It would be Neil Kinnock. He was leader of the Labour Party during the Thatcher era (for those of you who didn’t know). We come from extremely similar backgrounds (we went to the same school) and he is a classic case of ‘local boy done good’. He is an inspiration to anyone who wants to reach the top of their game (almost) from any background. He is an inspiration to me and if I could have half his career, I could die a happy man.
Want more? Read the full details online at rusu.co.uk
NUS DELEGATE
Sukwinder Singh Adam Hartley
Tom Rye
Joseph Lynes
Scott Compton Alexander (photograph not provided) Butler (photograph not provided)
Hannah Hayes
Hannah-Rebecca Guscoth
24 Elections feature
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
VICE-PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Adam Hartley
Philip ‘Pip’ Smither
Fiona Connor
Kara Swift
Varuna Boolkah
Why are you running? We at the University are about to enter a critical junction as tuition fees triple and student expectations sky rocket. As a RUSU veteran I feel I could help guide and make the right decisions to make sure students remain the number one focus on the University agenda.
Why are you running? I have been actively involved in student engagement in Academic affairs from day one at university. I have spoken to students and academics across the university and found that there are many are many thing that they all agree on which would benefit the university and make it a more open academic place.
Why are you running? I chose to run because every year I have been involved with academic affairs within the University. I have become more passionate and taken a greater role with increasing enjoying and I can’t wait to take it to the next level!
Why are you running? My work alongside the Law Society, one of the biggest societies at RUSU, means that I am familiar with working with relevant university staff and personnel in RUSU.
Why are you running? I am running because we need to continue what the previous officers started, representing students and making sure their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I will hopefully have just qualified as a solicitor and be working in a private client area of the law. In this capacity I hope to continue helping people in need, giving a voice to those who need to be heard.
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? I will make sure not only new students but everyone is aware of my role as the person they can turn to when they need to talk about any study related topics.
BSc Infomation Technology
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? In regards to academic issues, Course Reps are how you successfully spread the word of the support RUSU offers academically. What is your most prized possession and why? A photo of me, my mum and my brother, because it reminds me of where I’ve come from and of a time where my life was a lot simpler and full of happiness.
BA Ancient History & Archaeology
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I would like to be working with students in some form and hopefully see myself having made an impact at Reading.
BSc Physical Geography
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? As VP Academic Affairs I would ensure continuing improvement of the communication scheme between students and RUSU. As it is my opinion that the link being between students and Course Reps is the most important, Course Rep promotion would be on my agenda.
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? I would enhance the role of Course Reps at the SSLC and make changes for other students to question them.
What is your most prized possession and why? A set of moonstone jewellery family and friends got me for my 18th birthday. It’s my favourite gem!
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? I plan to raise the profile of Course Reps and Faculty Reps by ensuring the roles are standardised across the University. I also plan to enforce Student Staff Liaison Committees across all areas.
Christopher Williams
BSc Geography and Economics
BA Modern History and Politics
Nathan Bartlett
Leon Slater
Why are you running? I feel passionate about changing society for the better through education. To change the future, we must start from the roots and help the youth understand the values and principles of life.
Why are you running? I want to enhance every student’s experience here at the University of Reading, by improving the student engagement with RUSU and the University of Reading as a whole.
Why are you running? I have enjoyed representing students as a Course Rep and a Faculty Rep, and wish to continue my involvement with RUSU on a larger scale.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Working for a successful financial institution, having revolutionised learning and development at the University of Reading.
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? I will be proactive on the academic affairs blog, increasing the amount of advertising on academic affairs, issues and events. I will also publicise weekly student officer drop-in sessions.
Badal Naik
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? Students will know who I am and what I intend to achieve so they can question me and offer suggestions. I believe that RUSU is currently not connected enough with students and I intend to be incredibly connected so that students know who they can talk to.
BA Law LLB
What is your most prized possession and why? Well, if I was in a terrible fire, my most prized possessions would be my family and friends, as I would save them over absolutely anything else. They are what I care about most.
BA Philosophy and English Lit.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Working in the not-for-profit sector for a large charity. I find the inner workings of large organisations genuinely interesting and want to have an impact on people’s lives. How will you ensure students will know where to turn? After Student Officers are elected, their campaigning of themselves seems to stop there, but it really shouldn’t. They need to advertise their role, especially while they’re in it, through every available means. That’s what I intend to do. I want to be personally involved.
BA War, Peace and International Relations
BA French
What is your most prized possession and why? My cheerleading outfit and baton. When I was little I used to be the cheerleading captain at my primary school. This role taught me how to be a team player and I learned that every victory is not simply my work but the result of a team effort.
Sukhwinder Singh Dhol PhD Student
Why are you running? I have been surprised by the lack of influence that Course Reps have and I want to give them a louder voice as times get tougher for students. I also want to ensure that the new library funds are targeted on what students need most.
Why are you running? I want to bridge the gap between the University of Reading and the student community, in and out of RUSU and bring positive change in learning.
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? My aim is to give Course Reps genuine influence by enabling them to have more meetings with the staff that run their courses.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I would like to be researching with an international institution like World Bank or FAO on how to improve farming systems in developing countries.
What is your most prized possession and why? My most prized possession has to be my Swiss Army Knife. It was a gift from my parents to celebrate my GCSE results and has great sentimental value. There’s never a situation when it isn’t useful.
How will you ensure students will know where to turn? I will ensure students know where to turn by all of the bridging communication gaps and creating platforms where students can air their views.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
elections Feature 25
VICE-PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT ACTIVITIES Jamie Boyd
BSc Environtmental and Countryside Management Why are you running for election? I have a real drive to see the Union improve by not simply introducing my ideas but by listening to and implementing everyone else’s too. Therefore, I will ensure that all clubs and societies have more face-time with the people running the union - including myself! What is your favourite student activity? Since starting university I have had a heavy involvement in the canoe club and consequently white water kayaking has become a huge
Abigail Floyd
part of my life. My roles as Captain and then President have allowed me to offer this opportunity to hundreds of other students. The club provided me with a support network to help me through my time at university.
BA English Language Why are you running for election? After being RAG President this year, I have had many ideas about how the Union could make clubs and societies more accessible to students by giving them more acknowledgement. Getting equal access to resources and help is an important aim for me for all societies and clubs.
What makes you perfect for this role? I have always been involved in a wide variety of activities including kayaking, conservation and volunteering. My involvement has provided me with a vast amount of experience in the problems and issues they may face.
What is your favourite student activity? Anything that showcases what societies and clubs do, that gets people involved in the different activities they do or promote what
Sum yourself up in five words Just a really nice guy.
Josh Van Haaren
Sukhwinder Singh Dhol PhD Student
Why are you running for election? To bring about change in some aspects of our academic learning What is your favourite student activity? Conducting meetings with students and learning their problems
Russell Ede BA History
Why are you running for election? I am running for this role because student activities have played such a massive role in my university career, and I feel that I could give something back to RUSU and all of its student groups by undertaking this position for the upcoming year. What is your favourite student activity? Well there is a rumour going around that it’s photography. It’s probably true, but I also enjoy archery and being part of the Rollercoaster Appreciation Society, as
Gerard Flanagan BA Politics and Economics
Why are you running for election? Societies are where many show their passions and this should be encourage. Sport has played a great role in my university life and I want others to feel the same. Awareness of the number of opportunities available to students through societies and volunteering must be increased. I have the enthusiasm to bring UoR forward in an area I am passionate about. What is your favourite student activity? Football is my favourite student activity. I have a passion for the
BA History
so that I can try to find practical solutions to any non-academic problems.
Why are you running for election? I was limited in my first year as to what sports and activities were open to me, due to injury. Since recovering I’ve truly been able to appreciate just how important the extra-curricular side of university is. There are so many opportunities available, which I believe every student should benefit from, and this would be my chance to play a part in that.
What makes you perfect for this role? My understanding about nonacademic affairs. My experience as Course Rep and Faculty Rep for Life Sciences. Sum yourself up in five words Ready to take new challenges.
What is your favourite student activity? As a member of RUBC, rowing is a big part of my life. Since start-
well as volunteering, both for the union and the University. I love them all so much that it’s too hard to choose.
Sebastian Boon
What makes you perfect for this role? I feel that I would be perfect for this role as I’ve been involved in societies, sports and volunteering and I’ve realised that all of these things need to be looked after and treated exactly the same. It’s not just societies or sports or volunteering. It’s all three of them together.
BSc Construction Management Why are you running for election? I not only want this role but believe I can serve all of the clubs and societies improving them for all Reading students. I have benefited from all the support RUSU has given the clubs and societies I have been involved in, I will ensure this standard of help and support is upheld and improved.
Sum yourself up in five words Professional, experienced, helpful, dedicated and understanding.
What is your favourite student activity? UoR is pretty close to a few wakeboard parks; anytime I can I will get down to these to ride on the cable. It’s a good place to spend
sport and look forward to representing the University’s 1st team each week. Like many in their respective clubs, I have made some good mates and will take a great deal from the experiences I have had. What makes you perfect for this role? I would be perfect for this role because I would be working on my passion, so I would be able to give 110% to the position. As JCR President of Windsor Hall, I have shown my drive to get things done. Sum yourself up in five words Creative, organised, determined, friendly, shenanigans.
Nick Cook BA History and Politics
Photographs from top to bottom: Gerard Flanagan, Josh Van Haaren, Nick Cook, Russell Ede, Sebastian Boon, Jamie Boyd and Sukhwinder Singh Dhol. Photograph not provided by Abigail Floyd.
Why are you running for election? I’ve really enjoyed my tie at Reading Uni and a large part of this is due ot my involvement in some of the great sports clubs and societies that we have here. I’m standing for election because I want to make a positive contribution to student experience at Reading by supporting and enhancing our large variety of sports clubs and societies. What is your favourite student activity
they stand for. ‘Give it a go’ and ‘Fight Night’ are a great example of encouraging students to get together and share what they do. What makes you perfect for this role? As RAG President I have worked with members of the RUSU team and have organised activities on a small scale for RAG. I have struggled to get RAG recognised and would like to use my knowledge to help others who are having trouble to make their group what they would like it to be. Sum yourself up in five words Creative, organised, introvert, extrovert, tenacious. ing as a beginner last year, it’s become the main focus outside of my studies and I’ve loved the mix of training hard, competing and socialising. What makes you perfect for this role? I will bring passion and experience. I have always been involved in some sort of activity from drama to Army cadets. I have seen first hand the benefits of a range of extra-curricular activities, and have gained the experience, enthusiasm and skills necessary to get things done. Sum yourself up in five words Best man for the job. the day, hanging out with your friends and getting away from the city. What makes you perfect for this role? I have alwaysbeen heavily involved with RUSU, working in the bar for 3 years and with 4 years committee experience. I understand all the requirements of student groups. I want to further improve the service RUSU provides by creating initiatives such as increasing the participation of disabilities in adventure sports by working with the company iDID. Sum yourself up in five words. Trustworthy, optimist, energetic, driven and short. I’d have to say lacrosse. I’ve played it all through my time at uni and never stopped enjoying it. What makes you perfect for this role? I’m passionate about the role that societies and sports play in making this an awesome uni to study at. I’m approachable and committe, and also experienced at working with student societies due to my roles with lacrosse and on a JCR. Sum yourself up in five words. Pro-active, team-player, sociable, humorous, dedicated.
26 ELECTIONS FEATURE
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
editor.spark@ac.uk
VICE-president for welfare and representation
Askay Koregaonkar
BSc Computer Science and Cybernetics (Applied) Why are you running for election? I am passionate about student welfare and think it’s important that students feel safe and happy during their time at University. From my past experience as the VP of the International Society I’ve helped hundreds of students from all different backgrounds settle into life at the University. Who is underrepresented and how will you correct this? Being an international student, I know that this group is underrepresented in quite a few sports and societies. I would get in touch with the different international committees and try to make them involve their society members in different sports by providing them with taster sessions. If you went on Britain’s Got Talent, what would your talent be? I’ve always fancied myself to be a singer, although I’m not sure that my friends agree!
Sophie Davies BA English Literature
Why are you running for elections? I believe I have the experience, ideas and the passion to be incredibly successful in this role. I have been an active and engaged student throughout my time at Reading and have spent the last two years on St. George’s Hall JCR, first as secretary and currently as leader. I have a lot of experience representing a diverse student body and am currently responsible for representing the views of over 400 students. I would love the opportunity to increase this number and be a representative for every student in Reading. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?In the next five years I would like to have travelled a bit more; I spent the last two summers travelling different parts of Europe but I would love to don the backpack again and go a bit further afield.
Roger Hill
Aishworaya Bhandari
Why are you running for election? I am running for election because I have always had a passion and belifef in helping people. I also know that your time at university can be the best in your life, but it can also be very difficult. I want to be able to make everbody enjoy their university life as much as possible.
Why are you running for election? It is an opportunity to get to know new people from all different beliefs, cultures and backgrounds. It also helps me to discover new skills and develop my confidence. I want to take the opportunity to participate in the work of the Union.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Working in a position where I can make a positive change to people’s lives, perhaps some level of the government or in a legal profession.
Who is underrepresented and how will you correct this? The underrepresented are disproportionally affected by issues and problems, and I will correct this by reliably making frequent visits among these underrepresented members. I will also try to maintain a trusting, harmonious relationship with them.
Philosophy and English Literature
If you went on Britain’s Got Talent, what would your talent be? It would probably be something pretty standard like singing and playing guitar, but in an ideal world I would be able to write musicals which would be performed by trained slow lorises. The plays would all be mournful but have happy endings so they could do that arm raise thing!
Biological Science
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I see myself progressing in a job where I can learn new skills, increase my confidence and benefit others. I would like to be in a role that is really challenging for me and provides a great experience.
Chris Harrison
Louise Rains
Why are you running for election? I have been heavily invovled with the welfare of students for two years now, with JCRs, Peer Support, the disability service and in my course. I feel the need to take my experience and apply it.
Why are you running for election? I’m a supervisor and social secretary at RUSU, I’m a course rep and one of the leaders of the Art fundraising committee, I completed the RED award and I’m having a great time. I’ve learnt that the university has a lot to offer students but I think it’s easy to get a bit bogged down in your own life and not to notice. I want to make sure the union keeps doing good things, whilst strengthening up a few areas, and make sure that everyone is hearing about it.
BA History
Where do you see yourself in five year’s time? I take representation seriously and as such I hope to go on into politics. If I am to have any chance of being good at this, I must first prove it to you as VP for Welfare and Representation.
BA Art and Psychology
Who is underrepresented and how will you correct this? I’d like give men’s issues them the same significance of everything else.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Good question - hopefully a few years into a good, creative job role, either living abroad or with some travelling under my belt, in a flat without a mould problem!
If you went on Britain’s Got Talent, what would your talent be? Flicking beer mats off the edge of a table and catching them. I’d win with that, right?
If you went on Britain’s Got Talent, what would your talent be? I do a lot of performance art in my degree so I would probably like to utilize that.
VP for Democracy and campaigns Voting for the elections opens Friday 24 February and closes Friday 2 March. The results will be announced live in 3sixty the evening the voting closes. Chris Diffin Callum Duffy Ceri Jones Look out for full BSc Psychology BSc AI and Cybernetics BSc AI and Cybernetics details of the winners in next issue of Why are you running for elections? Why are you running for elections? Why are you running for elections? is exciting! There’s As VP for Sibly JCR, I have been I’ve spent the last two years in Spark*, out Monday 5 Campaigning nothing more fun that getting out involved with the Union in many Reading getting involved with March. there and getting your point across ways. Having done this, I would JCR and trying to increase student Make sure you are able to vote by registering on the RUSU website beforehand Your vote can really make a difference to how RUSU is run.
Be a voter. Get your voice heard.
face-to-face. As the current station manager of Junction 11 I have a huge bank of experience to help next year’s media streams be a focal point for debate and discussion. Give an example of something you have campaigned for. Last year I was on the team for the successful student motion “Unite for Diversity in RUSU Entertainment Services”. We campaigned for a greater variety of music and entertainment in the SU, and a better system for students to give feedback. We passed by a huge majority and the effects are already being felt, but there’s always going to be room for improvement!
like to become more invovled in how the Union can bring students the services and facilities they want.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? In five years I would like to have completed a graduate scheme in a technological or engineering capacity. Obviously, being rich and attractive wouldn’t hurt either. If you could go on holiday with any living or deceased celebrity who would it be? It would have to be trip to Vegas with Elvis, back when he was in his prime. The stories would be amazing!
participation. I’ve had the chance to talk to people at all levels of the University and understand how much of an important role that the student union plays and would love to take my involvement a step higher.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I’ll be settled in a job I love, ideally in publicity, marketing or media where I can implement the skills I have learnt throughout my time at Reading. I wish to be interacting with the people and using their support and a public platform to run big and worthwhile campaigns. I hope to have got involved with issues that really matter.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
marketing@rusu.co.uk
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28 ARTS&BOOKS
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
arts.spark@reading.ac.uk
Arts&BOOKS It hurt much more than words could explain... Creative Writing ‘England, 1942’ Mindy Devlin
“Ok, here it comes” I heard her say, and I felt a warm sensation within me, filling me up, an awful pressure building inside of me until I felt quite ready to burst. It did hurt, much more than words can explain, and though I thought myself strong of mind, I couldn’t resist crying. Small, salty drops of emotional agony dripped down my face as I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out the room around me. “What are we going to do?” I’d heard them whisper the day before. “No equipment. No anaesthesia”, a soft voice whispered as I drifted in and out of sleep on the days leading up to the event.
Small, salty drops of emotional agony dripped down my face “I know someone who can help. Another bloke in my barracks got his lady in a bit of trouble and he took her to this nurse of sorts and they got it sorted.” Jack reassured
me. It wasn’t what I’d wanted to hear at that moment in time if I’ll be perfectly honest.
My occasional weeping had now developed into loud sobbing He hadn’t proposed to me. I’d anticipated the romantic scene of him down on one knee, promising a secure future together. Even now, I don’t think that I was out of line in hoping for him to make me his wife, it’s what was expected of people. We’d been courting for nearly a year now, and though we’d planned on waiting until after the war to marry, the current circumstances had thrown a spanner in the works and changed all that, well for me it had at least. Jack didn’t seem to think so. His answer to my being pregnant left me feeling stunned, nauseous and more than anything else, betrayed. And I held back my tears because as he took my hand, he had such conviction in his eyes that this was the right thing to do that I half convinced myself that it must be true. Now wasn’t the time to have a baby, he’d said. After the war, we’d get married, settle
down, and have kids when he was home for good, he’d promised. But as I lay on that fold out bed, nurse by my feet doing something that would inevitably lead to the death of the tiny life within me, I felt completely helpless and so very tainted. Old ladies tutted and shook their heads as young girls, some no more than teenagers, waddled past, their bellies full with the child of a soldier, the all important ring missing from their left hand. We were encouraged to do the same, to shun these ‘loose women’. As I watched, I couldn’t help but wonder about the hardships that they would face once the baby came, especially if the father never came home from the fighting. Many wouldn’t, we knew this much, and for that reason alone many sought the company of each other, and connected with each other in the most primitive way just to feel a momentary spark of life in the face of the death and destruction surrounding us. No one thought of the consequences at the moment of truth, not even me. I, so cautious and moral and full of advice for others had been lost in the moment, fearing nothing but not being able to be as close to him as humanly possible. At
that moment, there was nothing more beautiful or natural that two people could do for each other, and so here I lay, dealing with the consequences of those few moments of heedless passion. A sharp pain shot through me, causing me to wince and tense my body. I’d been nervous coming in for this, and though I understood that there would be some pain in the days that would follow, I never assumed that this part of the process would be as painful as it was. I clenched Jack’s hand tightly, as he rested his forehead against mine, and I felt a fresh wave of tears pour from my eyes as my cries broke the deafening silence in the room. “It’ll be soon over dear,” the nurse reassured, “you’re doing really well.”
No one thought of the consequences at that moment of truth, not even me My occasional weeping had now developed into loud sobbing, penetrating the deafening silence in the room as I tried time and time
again to say the words to make the nurse stop. My voice choked in my throat each time as the voice in my head stopped me from a life of drudgery and shame, an unmarried mother at just seventeen years of age.
There was nothing more beautiful or natural that two people could do for each other Anger, sadness, fear, loneliness and betrayal: I felt them all at that moment. I hated myself for consenting to this; I hated Jack even more for having suggesting it. “All done”, her voice cheery as she removed the tube, and left the room, leaving just Jack and myself in the cold, miserable room. With tears clouding my vision, all I could see was the deep blue of his eyes as they stared down and bore into mine. “I hate you.” My voice staggered between sobs. “I know sweetheart, I know” he whispered against my cheek as he picked me up, and carried me from the room. “And for that, at least, I am so sorry.”
Feisty feminists, this is a book for you! Book review of Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte Natalie Taylor
Jane Eyre, it’s Pride and Prejudice with a twist right? Full of nineteenth century women drinking tea and pining for Mr. Right, right? Wrong! I have to admit, I had my doubts as to how enthralling Jane Eyre would be, despite my friends’ reassurances that it really is a good read, my thirst for danger and secrets put me off the ‘safe’ read as I thought it would be. However, from the moment I picked up Jane Eyre I was captivated. Full of dark secrets, gothic twists and grotesque images this novel is not one for the faint hearted. And it is extremely mentally demanding: my thinking hat was well truly screwed on during
this read. But fear not, you horror phobics out there, it is by no means unreadable. If you, like me, somehow didn’t know the story of Jane Eyre (perhaps the Twilight saga has drawn us away from the classics) you will be instantly engrossed by the secret lurking in Mr. Rochester’s third story
From the moment I picked up Jane Eyre I was captivated Although Jane Eyre is not simply Pride and Prejudice retold, I can see where the comparison comes from. Dun dun dun, nineteenth century literature, there is a love story! Shock horror! Although I have to admit I actually enjoyed the love story and the banter
between plain Jane and the brooding Mr. Rochester. Rather than cringing at the long, over the top love scenes, I found myself urging the lovers on and even crying and laughing out loud, yes out loud. The dark and mysterious Byronic hero Mr. Rochester could be compared to the dashing Mr. Darcy we all know and love. However, I have to admit Bronte’s Mr. Rochester did leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Although I wanted the lovers to unite, I am still not convinced Mr. Rochester is all sweetness and light. For those feisty feminists out there this is a book for you. Even for those of you not inclined to burn your bras and shave off your hair, this book will bring out your feminist side, trust me. However, it’s up to you to decide how much of the book is ironic and how much
panders to its original patriarchal society and readership.
I found myself urging the lovers on and even crying and laughing out loud, yes out loud Boys do not throw this review away and despair, Mr T will not appear and angrily shout ‘Get some nuts!’ if you dare read this book. Jane Eyre is not just for us ladies, the gothic edge to the novel will enthral any reader. You will be pulled into Jane’s journey, from youth to adulthood, from wealth and poverty, through webs of secrets and lies, whatever sex or age you are. If you generally stick to modern chick flicks, please put them down
now and pick up Jane Eyre. It is utterly spell-binding. From the moment you pick up the novel you will be charmed by Jane’s bird song, enthralled by Rochester’s secrets and utterly captivated into the world of Jane Eyre.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
It’s Us, It’s Us! Art Exhibition At the Turbine House, Riverside Museum 23rd-25th February Daisy Dixon
It’s Us, It’s Us! is a two-part series of group exhibitions between artists from UWE Bristol and the University of Reading’s Fine Art Department.
The opening exhibition at the Motorcycle Showroom in Bristol begins as “a parody of conflict between the two cities, as the Reading antagonists intrude the local identity, and any opportunity for compromise is sabotaged.” Bristol will then invade Reading on Thursday 23 February at the Turbine House, Riverside Museum, where the work will be reconfigured and
manipulated to respond to its new space.
The artists present a “satiric celebration of the darker desires of the ego Working in a variety of mediums including video, performance and
arts.spark@reading.ac.uk
installation, the artists are presenting us with a “satiric celebration of the darker desires of the ego, the notion of the masterpiece inspiring their boldest, loudest intentions.” An exploration into the nature of group exhibitions, the artist’s work to deliberately out do the other, in some cases resulting in selfmockery.
ARTS&BOOKS 29
The second part of the exhibition will be shown in Reading at the Turbine House, Riverside Museum from Thursday 23 to Saturday 25 February, with a private viewing being held at the venue on 23 February at 6–9pm. Come along to see the exhibition and support your fellow students at the University of Reading, and show Bristol exactly what we’re made of.
“The game is afoot, Watson” Book review of The House of Silk By Antony Horowitz Laura Howe
Sherlock Holmes is recognised all over the world as the most famous fictional detective. There have been numerous film and TV adaptions of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic stories since the publication of the last short story in 1927. The iconic detective has recently experienced a revival with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and the BBC’s series Sherlock hitting our big and small screens. If these latest adaptations have left you craving more from our favourite detective, the new Antony Horowitz novel is the perfect cure for your Holmes addiction. The House of Silk is Antony Horowitz’s latest novel and the latest literary adventure for Sherlock Holmes and his charming sidekick John Watson. Many writers
have attempted to continue Conan Doyle’s legacy and have failed miserably, but Horowitz’s offering feels authentic and it is easy to forget that you’re not reading one of the original stories. Whether you are a devoted Holmes fan or are new to the stories, The House of Silk is a scintillating read.
The new Antony Horowitz novel is the perfect cure for your Holmes addiction The story begins with Holmes and Watson receiving a visit from an art dealer who claims he is being stalked by a strange man in a flat cap. Whilst trying to resolve this mysterious case, Holmes finds himself in the midst of a second, much more horrifying crime which he believes himself to be responsible for. When a young boy is discovered brutally mur-
dered the intriguing plot becomes further complicated. How are the two crimes related? Who is the mysterious villain attempting to help Holmes? And what do the obscure references to The House of Silk mean? It is clear that our favourite detective is safe in the hands of Horowitz; he adopts Watson’s narrative voice flawlessly and it is evident that he has a firm understanding of the relationship between Holmes and Watson. Fans of Conan Doyle’s original stories can expect classic, intelligent deductions from Holmes, along with appearances from some characters they will recognise. However, they may notice differences in Horowitz’s narrative style. In The House of Silk, Horowitz offers a contemporary perspective of Victorian London. There are detailed observations of the poverty and culture of the time which we rarely find in the original stories. Although these
sections are not entirely faithful to Conan Doyle’s style, they provide interesting contextual detail which helps modern readers to imagine Victorian London and allow us to be immersed in the mysterious world that Holmes and Watson would have lived in.
It is clear that our favourite detective is safe in the hands of Horowitz Horowitz creates an elaborate web of mysteries which is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat until you have turned the last page. Horowitz takes his readers on a literary rollercoaster; each twist is thrilling and completely unexpected. Readers who are new to Sherlock Holmes can expect to be entertained by an exciting crime novel which can easily rival modern crime novels.
The House of Silk is available in hardcover in book shops now and will be released in paperback in May 2012
Revived just in time Review of the performance of Saved London’s Barbican Centre Emily Herd
Going to see the revival of Edward Bond’s Saved at London’s Barbican Centre, was a violent experience that I would not particularly wish to repeat – it really was rather excellent.
The performance of those acting in Saved was of a high standard Bond’s 1960s story of Pam and Len has not seen a revival in almost thirty years. Their story is not one of love, but one of loss and anger; the climax of this play being the
torture of Pam’s baby in a park by a group of young men.
This play has been revived because it applies just the same today Prior to the child’s death we hear it crying uncontrollably through an entire scene and receive no love from its family; not even receiving a name. All of these moments are wonderfully striking and cause an immense amount of discomfort for the audience – which is exactly what the play aims for. Bond wishes audiences to see this cruelty within his play and the way people in society treat one another. The play is supposed to be a meta-
phor for the cultural poverty at the time, suggesting peoples’ frustration with the lack of work and lack of change. This revival successfully conveyed Bond’s messages, there was however a disturbing symmetry between the characters actions on stage and the motiveless riots that hit England in the summer of 2011. The young people on stage hurt the baby because they could, just like the young rioters who looted and attacked cities. The question is then raised that perhaps this play has been revived because it applies just the same today, as it did almost 50 years ago when it was first performed. The performance of those acting in Saved was of a high standard, Lia Saville presented us with a strong portrayal as Pam, the mother who refuses to fill her role,
instead spending most of the play moaning and acting like a pathetic child. However it was Michael Feast and Susan Brown (who took on the roles of Pam’s parents Harry and Mary) who gave the most conviction to their roles. Their broken marriage which hits a climax in the plays second act, shows another moment of violence within Saved. The passion of the two characters in their hatred towards one another was completely magnetic, the proof being in the gasps from the auditorium which came as Mary hits Fred over the head with a teapot. Despite the strength of this scene, it will always been the infamous moment young adults stone a baby to death that people will remember Saved for. This production did not have a model child in the pram during this scene, or at
all during the performance. This shows that the baby is not the target here; it is a device to make the audience aware of the characters lack of consideration for society and their violent nature. Hopefully the arguably optimistic ending to the play is to suggest that society can be saved.
The passion of the two characters in their hatred was completely magnetic Edward Bond’s 1973 play Bingo, is playing at The Young Vic from 16 February with Patrick Stuart reprising his role as William Shakespeare.
30 FASHION
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
fashion.spark@reading.ac.uk
FASHION
So, you want to be a fashion intern? petrina de gouttes
Sabina Rouse: PR intern at Aramis
With the fashion and beauty industries so notoriously difficult to get into, experience is a necessity. Whether you want to be a fashion journalist or work in beauty PR it makes no difference. Interns are the ‘engines that drive the fashion industry’, according to ELLEuk. com and fashion designer Cozette McCreery, so you have to be organised, eager and dedicated. Think you’ve got what it takes? Meet three University of Reading students who could tell you a thing or two.
What did you do at Aramis? Firstly, I shadowed the PR Intern watching what she does everyday and what her main responsibilities are. After two or three days I started to help her with small tasks such as going through every newspaper and magazine for that day or week and looking for coverage on any of the brands beauty products. Later I was given the task of putting together a database of all the beauty bloggers and columnists around London and then inviting them to the launch of a new perfume.
Robyn Sweeney: Fashion Intern at Celebs on Sunday How did you get your internship? Getting an internship can be relatively straightforward if you contact the right people. I found that the best way to find out who to talk to was through Twitter. Being a bit gutsy and putting yourself out there is a must - if you don’t ask, you certainly don’t get. After tweeting a couple of editors I was offered a number of interships and things went from there. Was it difficult? I had great fun at Celebs on Sunday. I helped find information for articles which were being written, spent hours surrounded by gorgeous clothes and I even spent an entire day assisting a shoot in Central London, where I met a few of the Hollyoaks girls (one of whom I still talk to now) and top photographers, hair stylists and make up artists who I later interviewed for Spark*. All in all it was a greatly rewarding experience because it gave me the opportunity to network with people I would never meet on a normal basis. There is a downside to this kind of internship however, and it starts and ends in the fashion cupboard. Luckily for me I spent very little time doing fashion cupboard sorting and returns but others might not be so lucky. It’s best to assess whether the time you’re giving for free is going to benefit you. Fashion is far from the glamorous lifestyle people believe it to be!
The other Olsen: Elizabeth
How did you manage to get your internship? roberta Sarll
I’m lucky enough to have a contact there so she arranged it for me. How long did it last for and were you paid or did you have expense covered?
Illustration by Nathalie Hammond that I enjoyed my time at Celebs on Sunday and got to do a lot more than just fashion cupboard sorting. I’ve met some great people and been asked to go back - it was definitely worthwhile.
Collette Naden: London Fashion Week Casting Assistant How did you get the position of ‘Casting Assistant’ to Vogue’s Booking’s Editor Rosie Vogel? I have Twitter to thank for becoming Rosie’s casting assistant. Rosie tweeted that she was looking for an intern for London Fashion Week S/S 12 and so I emailed her with my CV and a cover letter. I attended an interview at Soho House. I was called a few days later to be told that I had the job.
I was buzzed into the studio and as I entered I was greeted by Henry Holland himself
Did you have any previous experience in fashion beforehand?
Was it difficult?
I didn’t apply for my internship with any experience in fashion at all and I do feel that from magazine to magazine the requirements can differ vastly. But I’m glad
The job itself was not particularly difficult. My main duties included photographing models, organising the hundreds of model cards from castings, getting them through
hair and makeup on time and lining them up in the correct order to walk. The difficulty for me was controlling my nerves and excitement. On my first day I was asked to go to the House of Holland studio. This was my first experience in the fashion industry and I had no idea what to expect. I was buzzed into the studio and as I entered I was greeted by Henry Holland himself. It got easier through the week and I became accustomed to meeting creative and fabulous people. Have you had many opportunities since, thanks to this placement? I have been asked to do the same job this month for London Fashion Week A/W 12. I will be working with eight big clients (unfortunately I can’t tell you who they are). During this time I hope to network as much as possible, in order to line up some opportunities ready for after I graduate. Where there any negative aspects of the job? There was nothing negative about the job, I was just so grateful to be there. I was asked to get the odd coffee, but I have no horror stories like some interns. The hours could be quite stressful as fashion week is 24/7, not 9 til 5.
I stayed there for two weeks and as my time there was classed as work experience, as opposed to an internship, which usually lasts from three months to a year, I wasn’t paid. Yet I live relatively close to London so the cost wasn’t too expensive. Was it difficult? The first few days were definitely daunting! It was my first real experience of work that wasn’t in a shop so as well as learning all about PR it was a real eye opener to the world of work. The first few tasks I was given were very interesting and fairly simple to complete. Yet, the assignment of creating a database did challenge me further and I really got to see how Public Relations works and understand the significance and necessity of make contacts. Have you had many opportunities since, thanks to this placement? I did my work experience at the end of summer last year, before I started university so since then I haven’t had any time to look for any other placements. However I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Aramis and am positive that is has has given me more knowledge and experience about PR that a lot of people don’t have and I’m looking forward to searching for some more opportunities in the future.
Elizabeth Olsen, ethereal and stylish with oh-so-familiar features, just in case you can’t quite place her she is the sister of über stylish twins Mary-Kate and Ashley, phew, now we’ve got that out of the way we can focus on Elizabeth. Virtually unknown until recently, the 22-year-old wowed critics at the Sundance Film Festival, with her performance as the leading lady in indie drama Martha Marcy May Marlene. Fast forward a few months and she has enchanted both the press and the fashion world with her kooky charm and humble nature. If Mary-Kate and Ashley have the granny-chic look perfected to the nth degree, well then Elizabeth is 1920-40s meets now, all pretty, figure hugging dresses, with quirky details and a splash of colour. Apologies but the sibling style comparison just cannot be avoided, does a more stylish set of siblings exist? So the twins have chic fashion lines The Row and Elizabeth + James (named after their siblings) but Elizabeth has Karl, Karl Lagerfeld that is, of Chanel, who shot photos of her for his latest coffee table book. It doesn’t get much more fashion than that. Better watch out for Elizabeth. Olsensanoymous.blogspot.com
Tweetbox ‘On my way to Elle Style Awards. Fearful that I may be channeling Harry Hill. (With hair)’ - @henryholland
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
fashion.spark@reading.ac.uk
FASHION 31
BAFTA 2012 Nominees: They didn’t win but we still love them for their style! sabina rouse
Melissa McCarthy Since making her debut in the quirky TV series The Gilmore Girls, Melissa McCarthy has gone from strength to strength. In 2011 she entered our screens playing a masculine, make up free tomboy in the hilarious chick flick comedy, Bridesmaids, which has landed her over fifteen film nominations, including a BAFTA for Supporting Actress.
McCarthy’s character Megan possesses the antithesis of Melissa’s real life chic style. Often seen throughout the movie in darker patterned macho shirts, balloon trousers, always worn with a comedic white cap, McCarthy effortlessly captures Megan’s frumpy fashion sense in a humorous way but retaining an inch of femininity with the pearl necklace and earrings. Nevertheless, off camera McCarthy has stayed true to herself and her feminine fashion sense by wearing draping full length dresses in stand-out colours which
not only serve to flatter and accentuate her curves, but also portray her positive personality. Bright colours, bold patterns and beautiful accessories all give Melissa a feminine edge, whilst her gently curled hair completes the look softening her face and elongating her figure. McCarthy wears what makes her happy whilst giving her figure the best advantage. Mixing bold statement dresses with a pair of glamorous chandelier earrings and long flowing necklaces will appeal more to the Melissa in you, and less to the Megan.
Michelle Williams Michelle Williams was first brought to light following her role as Jen Lindley on the hit TV drama Dawson’s Creek. 2011 was an amazing year for Williams where she achieved the almost impossible, portraying the iconic 1950’s film star Marilyn Monroe in the critically acclaimed My Weekend with Marilyn. William’s stunningly accurate portrayal of Monroe has led to not only a nomination for a BAFTA for Leading Actress, but has also entailed over twenty
Carey Mulligan After winning a BAFTA in 2010 for Best Actress in An Education, Carey Mulligan is no stranger to film awards, and 2012 is certainly no exception. This year, she has been nominated for Supporting Actress, following her role as Irene in Drive. Carey first graced our screens back in 2005, playing the frivolous and flirtatious Kitty Bennet in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She has also established her own striking original
style, which she is quickly becoming known for off camera. When attempting to emulate Mulligan’s immaculate look, we must remember the golden rule: less is more. Mulligans minimalistic style perfectly captures her modest and youthful personality whilst not going overboard with colours and textures. Her single tonal dresses imitate those of sexy blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe and waif-like elegant film star Audrey Hepburn whilst her flawless snow white skin allows almost any shade to compliment her complexion and
Stephanie Weekes
Fashion Prodigy and all-round ‘cool kid’, Charlie Casely-Hayford is one-half of the brains behind internationally acclaimed menswear brand ‘Casely-Hayford’ (the other half being his father Joe CaselyHayford OBE). After a foundation course at talent machine Central Saint Martins in London, he enjoyed stints at a number of publications both here and in Japan, including i-D magazine. He can
and golden tresses giving her an almost ethereal and goddess like image, whilst darker hues of burgundy, mauve and black serve to give her a ghostly appearance and wash the colour from her face. When working William’s look, slip on a midi or floor length dress in a paler tone whilst accessorising with metallic gold jewellery to keep the look modern. Embellished strappy stilettos and an undersized handheld clutch will complete the look with minimalistic make up, including a pale nude lip.
experiment with a multitude of colours. Channelling Mulligan’s vintage yet classy style does not mean having to lop off your locks mimicking her cute pixie cut. Pairing a cute lace dress with a smoky eye will give any look that classic and timeless edge that Mulligan always seems to have so perfect. A mix of vintage skirts and blouses combined with high street tees and skinny jeans will provide the ultimate Mulligan day look, paired with minimum jewellery and an oversized handbag.
Introducing... Charlie Casely-Hayford also boast of a modelling career which has earned him a spot on the illustrious books of Premier in London. The designer also acts as a stylist and consultant for several UK musicians, including indie act The XX, and previously, man-of-themoment - Tinie Tempah. His father Joe has been responsible for the stage wardrobes of The Clash, U2 and Jarvis Cocker among many others, so it is safe to assume that an aptitude for styling is certainly a gift which runs in this family. The pair launched their collaborative brand ‘Casely-Hayford’ in 2009, when Charlie was just 22, taking inspiration from both “English Heritage” and “British Anarchy”. They pay homage to London in their collections, drawing from the “social uniforms”, “sub-cultures” and “cultural diversity” of the city. ‘Casely-Hayford’
-five nominations for her role, thirteen of which she has won. Like Monroe, Williams has been gifted with an unspoilt ivory complexion, which, when paired with daring red lips, white blonde curly hair and a darkened brow, can instantly vamp up the sex bomb appeal that Marilyn so effortlessly possessed. Michelle’s minimalistic yet undeniably glamorous look all boils down to the fact that she knows what works for her. Softer tones of white such as cream, beige and taupe all enhance her pale skin
is undoubtedly a celebration of duality and juxtaposition, exhibiting quintessentially English style and incorporating foreign and social influence. Charlie has been photographed by Nick Knight as one of the 200 portraits of i-D’s fashion faces of the future, and has been named a ‘Brilliant Brit’ by Esquire for his contributions to the fashion industry as such a young talent. In recent years, he has certainly become a fashion personality, by fronting a campaign for Dr. Martens alongside fellow prodigy Coco Sumner, and more recently, for Converse. We can definitely expect great things from Charlie Casely-Hayford, who has considerable fashion pedigree, but has also become a valuable contributor to British sartorialism in his own right. Not to mention the fact that he is unbelievably handsome!
Model turned designer: Claudia Schiffer katherine watkins
In the autumn of 2011 supermodel Claudia Schiffer launched her own cashmere fashion label with a collection that showcased the German beauty’s personal style and eye for design. Now, after the success of her previous collection, Schiffer’s new Spring/Summer 12 collection, a selection of carefully designed knitwear inspired by British fashion icon Jane Birkin, has a vintage twist. Schiffer’s focus with this label is to create designs that reflect her own fashion habits; the supermodel has favourite outfits which can be worn over and over again with different accessories. She wanted her own designs to be investment
pieces that could be worn through the seasons. Schiffer’s personal favourite is the feminine draped gypsy dress, in a colour-blocked style. The collection features cosy knitted dresses and retro-styled shifts in a palette of neutrals, as well as brighter colour-blocked oranges and greens. Evolving from her A/W 2011 collection, the pieces encompass a finer fabric and a looser fit ready for the warmer weather of spring and summer. The ss12 collection can be purchased from Net-A-Porter, who offer some exclusive pieces, as well as at Harvey Nichols. And this won’t be the last that we hear of Schiffer, she plans to expand her fashion label outside of knitwear in the hope to bring a little bit of luxury to everyday life.
32 BEAUTY
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
beauty.spark@reading.ac.uk
BEAUTY
Beauty trends at NYFW
Campaign for natural beauty
ELLE TURNER
The media is usually awash with pictures of celebrities fully madeup and sporting an abundance of fake tan and hair extensions. However, there has been a change in direction recently and we are seeing more and more pictures of celebrities without make-up, sporting the natural look. Most notably Victoria Beckham and Alexa Chung have been pictured without their makeup, two celebrities you would usually associate with glamour and perfect make-up and hair. Lorraine Kelly has recently launched a campaign called ‘Lorraine: Naked’ on her breakfast show, in which women can send in pictures of themselves without make up. They are looking for Britain’s most natural beauties and the public will be able to vote for the winner, who will be invited to front a nationwide Superdrug campaign to promote natural beauty and self-esteem in women. Lorraine Kelly is encouraging the
As most of you will know, New York kicked off their 2012 Autumn/Winter Collection with a week full of fashion’s finest. So what new inspirational make-up trends did they spark? Most designers chose to keep their models’ make-up relatively simple, choosing between three main looks; the classic smokey eye, which was popular amongst Chanel, Derek Lam and Jason Wu to name just a few; a statement bold lip, which made many appearances, most notably in Victoria Beckham’s collection; and, by far the most popular make-up look on the runway this season, minimalist, barely-there make-up which featured in many collections including Alexander Wang, DKNY, Helmut Lang and Tommy Hilfiger. Generally, most designers chose a subtle make-up look, preferring to let the clothes speak for themselves, however Prabal Gurung broke the mould with daring blue/ brown smokey eyes and signature hawk-like brows to add drama to
LILY BROWN
campaign by appearing without make up and with natural hair on the programme, yet still manages to look fabulous in the process!
Lorraine Kelly has recently launched a campaign called Lorraine: Naked Not only do campaigns like this promote a better self image, but taking a break from makeup or wearing less can be very beneficial for the skin. Foundation can clog pores and cause blackheads especially around the nose and Tzone, which means you will need to wear more make-up to cover them up. Not wearing make-up allows the skin to breathe and also allows those all-important vitamins to reach the skin. You do not have to go completely without make-up to achieve the natural look; you can do so by making some minor changes to your
make-up regime. Avoid covering the whole of your face with thick and heavy foundation, and instead use a small amount to cover problem areas like under the eyes and any blemishes. Then use a light dusting of powder to remove any shine and to achieve an even skin tone. Finally add some bronzer or blusher to achieve that healthy glow and some mascara to highlight your eyes, so you can still feel confident without being overly made-up.
his runway. The hair, much like the make-up this year remained fairly minimalistic, as the main trends this season saw hair slicked back off the face or poker straight (goodbye beachy waves). Preen’s catwalk, for instance, sported a unique “aerodynamic” look, described by hairdresser Paul Hanlon as “windblown and romantic with mixed textures” whilst Jen Kao mixed things up with an innovative “reverse ombre” style. Overall, the main trend this year has been a move towards a natural, simple style. What better message to put out there than to embrace your inner and outer natural beauty?
Made in...Electric How to be red-carpet ready! EMMA WARD
Ever since the cast of Made in Chelsea exploded onto our screens in 2011, it was certain that they would become instant celebrities. Famed for their ridiculously wealthy lifestyles and love of all things luxe, it is not hard to see why some have hailed it as the reality show of our time, with many avid viewers taking to their Twitter account with the likes of “MIC is so much better than TOWIE! Can’t wait for Series Three!” So we need to ask ourselves, how do the cast members look so ridiculously groomed at all times, despite their notorious party lifestyles and their early mornings due to filming? One way in which they achieve this look is through regular trips to Electric Hairdressing London, who are the official hair stylists for these glamorous stars. Recently, two of the main cast members, Alexandra ‘Binky’ Felstead and Ollie Locke checked into Electric Hairdressing for a pampering Electric Hair Ceremony treatment and blow dry to ensure that they are ready for the start of the new series. Other members of the cast who have made Electic Hair their salon of choice include Francesca Hull, Amber Atherton and Rosie Fortescue, who have all become salon regulars. It is clear
your top eye lid with a smooth gel eyeliner like Bobbi Brown’s ‘Long Wear Gel Eye-liner (around £16.50.)
KATY ASHFORD
looks they are given, with Binky recently tweeting, ‘Thank you very much @Electric_London for turning rats tails into a glossy head of hair! ;) xx’ The best news of all is that Electric Hair have a salon in the centre of Reading, so you too can emulate the looks seen on these stars if you wish, or create a whole new style thanks to the designers at the salon. What’s more, being the official hair stylists of the show, Mark Woolley and the gang at Electric are set to make yet more special appearances on the show in the next series, so watch this space!
With the BAFTAS on the 12 and the Oscar’s on the 24, February is a huge month on this year’s redcarpet calendar for both British and American A-listers. Make-up artists and hairdressers will be on hand to help the stars look photo fabulous, and ready to be scrutinised by the eyes of the world. But what are the secrets to perfect that award winning look? Let’s start with the hair. If you’re used to sleek straight hair, now’s the time to think volume. A set of rollers like Nicky Clarke’s Compact Heated Hair Rollers (around £20) are a great investment. Start by dividing your hair into equal sections.
Michelle Williams can be used a perfect example for red-carpet make-up Then take one strand and spritz with a volumizing spray, like Redken Body Full Volume Amplifier (around £11). Starting at the tips, curl your hair around the roller and roll upwards until you reach your scalp. Secure with a pin and fix any whisps of hair with hair-
February is huge on the red-carpet calendar for British and American A-listers
spray. Repeat this for each strand of hair, then leave your locks to rest for twenty minutes. Once the rollers are out, you’ll be left with big bouncing hair; perfect for a glamorous look. Moving on to the skin, make sure that the perfect primer becomes part of your make-up bag necessities. Benefit’s ‘That Gal Brightening Face Primer’ (around £19.50) is the perfect solution for brightening skin and covering any blemishes before applying your make-up. In terms of make-up, BAFTA nominee Michelle Williams can be used a perfect example to show us how it’s done. This year’s award ceremonies are all about the lips, and focus less on the eyes. Using an ultra fine eye liner brush, sweep
Start at your tear duct and move the brush outwards to the corner of your eye leaving a small flick. To finish off this classic look, lengthen and volumise your lashes by using your favourite lengthening mascara. However, do make sure you choose a waterproof mascara! Something like Maybelline ‘Define-a-Lash’ waterproof mascara (around £8) should avoid those awkward Gwneth Paltrowesque acceptance speech moments. Lastly, finish the look off with a vibrant lipstick. Something like Maxfactor’s Flame Tree Shade from their Colour Collection (around £7) will leave long lasting bold colour ready to walk the red carpet. After these four simple steps you will be left feeling transformed and your award winning look will be completed!
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
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34 HEALTH&FOOD
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
health.spark@reading.ac.uk
HEALTH Are you stressed out? Sarah Lienard
Even if you don’t think about it, you might be surprised at how much stress you face on a day-today basis. Our modern daily lives are full of stress factors, from appointments and deadlines, to complex emotional and social situations, not to mention the technology that we are wired into 24/7. Stress affects every major system
in the body, from your digestion to your immune system, and can leave you feeling frazzled, so it’s important to know the effects of stress and how to manage it well. On a physical level, any stress�������������������������������� ful situation causes huge changes within your body. The body doesn’t distinguish between physical and psychological stress – it reacts in the same way to any trigger as it would to a life-or-death situation,
causing the ‘fight or flight’ effect. Adrenaline and cortisol are released into the blood stream, making us more alert and tense. This response is useful if the stress trigger is an advancing predator, but less useful if it’s just a massive pile of coursework. When stressful situations are left unresolved, the body keeps responding to them, creating a cycle of chronic stress that can become so common for the person experiencing it that they cease to even notice it, instead becoming part of everyday life. There are ways to tell if you are stressed, however, as most people respond in one of two ways. Feeling agitated and irritable is common, as is the opposite feeling withdrawn and lethargic. Other signs to look out for include memory problems, an inability to concentrate, aches and pains, nausea, a lack of libido, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, increased procrastination and nervous habits, like biting your nails. All these responses can seri-
ously impact on your emotional and physical health, not to mention wreaking havoc on your social life. So, how can you manage stress better? One obvious answer is to avoid any stressful situations that you can. Although ignoring problems can be stressful in itself, try to avoid unnecessary conflict where possible. Sleep is also key, allowing your brain to cope with stressful demands. To improve your sleep, try to stop doing work or using very brightly lit screens, such as laptops and phones, for half an hour before going to bed. Studies have also shown that regular exercise can result in a 70% improvement in levels of stress and anxiety. Finally, it might be the last thing that you think of when you’re already frazzled, but taking some time out to relax and do something that you enjoy can make all the difference. For more information of the effects of stress on the body, visit mind.org.
The science of sleep vigorous level for at least 150 minutes a week (that’s just over 20 minutes a day) reported a 65% improvement in sleep quality.
Sarah Lienard
Sleep is a mysterious thing. We spend about a third of our lives doing it, and yet it’s still not entirely clear to scientists what function it serves. What is clear is that without enough sleep, it is impossible for us to maintain normal levels of cognitive skills such as speech, memory and thought, and we are at a higher risk of emotional and mental issues. So to stop you nodding off in that 9am lecture (although I can’t make any promises) here’s some tips to help you improve the quality of your sleep.
4. Take a hot bath Contrary to popular belief, it’s not actually while you’re in the bath that the magic happens, but when you get out. During this time, your body’s core temperature drops slightly, causing drowsiness, and sending the signal to your brain that it’s time to drift off.
5. Choose your midnight snack wisely
1. Limit your screen time Its tempting to surf the web from the comfort of your bed, but the light that TV and laptop screens emit has a blue tinge to it, which mimics daylight and prevents the creation of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Try to switch off all gadgets at least 30 minutes before going to bed to improve your sleep.
2. Pimp your bed Upgrading your bedding can do more than simply please the eye. Old and worn out mattresses and
stuffy covers can have a severe impact on your sleep quality. If you’re not in furnished accommodation and your budget will allow it, try and get a decent quality mattress. For a cheaper option, try changing your duvet cover to a natural fabric such as cotton or silk rather than their synthetic counterparts of polyester or similar, which will allow your body to regulate its heat properly while you’re asleep.
3. Exercise in the morning Exercise raises your core temperature and makes you more alert, so it’s not an ideal activity just before bed. But breaking a sweat in the morning can help you nod off later when you get a chance to unwind, as well as reducing stress and anxiety, which can often keep people awake at night. A recent study found that people who exercised at a moderate to
Scientists have found that a chemical called tyramine, found in a number of foods, can contribute to sleeplessness by triggering the release of a brain stimulant, norepinephrine. Try to avoid eating bacon, cheese, ham, aubergines, raspberries, avocado, nuts and red wine in the hours before you go to bed. If you’re really hungry, opt for some carbohydrates such as bread or cereal, which produces the hormone serotonin instead. And of course, avoid the coffee at 11pm, unless you’re pulling an all nighter!
Banish acne with tea tree oil
Chayya Syal
We’ve all woken up one morning and gasped at the overnight explosion of acne across our face that no amount of make-up seems to cover. So ditch the concealer and pick up a bottle of tea tree oil instead! You can buy it in The Body Shop, Holland & Barrett and other skincare shops for a reasonable price. Tea tree oil has a long history of traditional use. Australian aboriginals used tea tree leaves for healing skin cuts, burns and infections by crushing the leaves and applying them to the affected area. Recently, the scientific community has confirmed that tea tree oil has tremendous medicinal benefits. It is an anti-bacterial substance and can be used to treat a wide variety of infections from Athlete’s Foot, bad breath, chicken pox and boils to treating flu and cold sores. It is a light yellow oil that has a scent similar to nutmeg, and it is produced by steaming tea tree leaves and then squeezing the oil out. It is very strong, so do not apply it anywhere near your eye area! More importantly, it helps to treat acne and reduce any inflammation. When applied on acne, tea tree oil helps the immune system to kill the bacteria inside acne pores. What’s more, tea tree oil not only helps as an excellent healing agent, but it can also go some way to help reduce the appearance of scars. So how should you use it? Firstly dab a cotton swab into the tea tree oil. Gently apply the oil onto the acne areas using circular motions (this also helps to maintain good blood circulation). You can then choose to either rinse off the tea tree oil in the morning or a few minutes after applying it. Those with sensitive skin should dilute the tea tree oil with water before applying it. It’s normal to experience a slight tingling sensation – it’s a sign that the oil is doing its job and cleaning your skin. However, if you experience any irritation, swelling or redness you should discontinue use immediately and see your GP.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
health.spark@reading.ac.uk
HEALTH&FOOD 35
Food Foodie This week’s click list Dates
Hannah ford
The Chocolate Festival From 17 to 18 March the annual chocolate festival (with free admission and the chance to sample a selection of some of the best chocolates from around the world) is taking place in Brighton. Why not stock up on some special Easter gifts and have a few cheeky chocolate cocktails. What a treat! If you claim to be a budding chocoholic check out this festival and get high off the smell of cocoa. While you are there you can discover some of the health benefits raw chocolate has to offer, you’ll be amazed.
The Great British Mustard Bash Making its first debut this year, Britain has now got a mustard festival being held in Melton Mowbray. It’s a condiment of kings and will always get those taste buds tingling. Join the mustard making team and earn yourself a food crown by sending off your finished product to the adress found at the link below. This is a time to appreciate mustard and embrace it smooth or grainy nature. Why not add some to your mash or make a honey and mustard marinade for chicken. It’s sure to jazz up any boring meal. www.greatfoodmag.co.uk/thegreat-british-mustard-bash-iscoming/
Amateur Gourmet Hannah Ford
Warning: make sure you are well fed before looking up the following blog as you will only become depressed and wish Chicken Base was that much closer. This blog provides mouth watering pictures and recipes to make all your friends fall in love with you. Amateur Gourmet is a must read food blog created in 2004 by Adam Roberts who draws in foodies with his quick witted writing style. As the title suggests the blog focuses on food that we can all attempt and yet feel rather smug about, including some quirky and inventive ideas such as breakfast burritos. I was rather pleased to come across a blog that didn’t reflect the typical food snob, informing me that deep fried olives are the next best thing, dwaarling. Adam’s down to earth blog is voted one of the best in America with rave reviews about his scrumptious recipes and amusing cooking comics. The cooking comics are fantastically terrible yet this is why they are annoyingly addictive and a great way to waste away the hours if you are putting off any university work that needs to be done. I recommend reading the ‘How to throw a party’ comic as it includes a slide on how to serve cheese in a way that resembles Stonehenge.
Oh dear, is all I can say. I’m sure this will be much appreciated at any student party. “Project sourdough” has to be one of my favourite blogs he has written. The video clip showing him making the sourdough bread reflects the stereotypical cheesy / friends type American humour as after all making sourdough bread is one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to him guys, and yes if you made the end of the video he did just weep over how staggeringly gorgeous this lump of bread is (truly in touch with his feminine side). For once he is a blogger that even posts when things have gone wrong, the photos of the burnt sticky buns will always stay with me, it was heartbreaking stuff especially after the time and love he put into making them. Overall this blog imparts knowledge wherever it can; I never knew purple Peruvian potatoes existed until he told me. I certainly haven’t come across a recipe that I don’t like the sound of, as they all look mouth-wateringly good. I love how he is always so impressed with what he has cooked and photographed that it makes reading his blog infectious. He really manages to captivate his food audience and makes you think, how hard can it be? If you want to get experimental in the kitchen I would recommend checking this blog out and flicking through his tempting recipes.
Supper time with BBC Good Food Emily Tredinnick
As a student, it’s very easy to sack off healthy eating and complicated recipes when it comes to meal times. Now, I’m not the best cook myself. If there is a cock-up in the kitchen you can bet it’s because I’ve put the grill on instead of the oven, for example, or made a lumpy mash. Sharing a house with friends that are well trained in the kitchen means I’ve often felt a little lost when it comes to carving a chicken or making a decent gravy.
So seeing as it’s the final term of my final year at university, I really do need to crack on and learn to cook for myself a little bit. And hopefully shake off those patronising looks from my housemates every time I chop up an onion. I recently discovered the BBC Good Food website online and they have all kinds of recipes from hearty English dishes to jazzy Mediterranean meals. They even have a selection of aphrodisiac recipes, if you fancy it. So last week I decided to choose three meals dubbed as quick and simple. On Monday night I cooked a chicken, sweet potato and coconut curry, which was a huge success. Just make sure you add a tad more curry paste for some extra flavour. This dish is also super-tasty for next day leftovers. Wednesday night was veggie night. I chose a halloumi-based dish with chickpea salsa and cous cous and made enough for Thursday’s supper too. This is the perfect meal to have if you’re in a hurry as it’s just so quick and seriously yummy. I went all out on Wednesday evening, in fact and rustled up a lemon drizzle cake (recipe by Tama Ramsay), too. I may have got a little carried away with the lemon icing, though. This then led to watching YouTube videos of babies eating lemons. Come Friday, I was feeling pretty smug. After my delicious ‘speedy’ fish supper with chorizo and butter beans, I had managed to cook three different dishes (plus the cake) with no major slip-ups. All recipes can be found online at www. bbcgoodfood.com. Follow me on: http://lapetitefemme1.tumblr.com/ for more supper suggestions.
36 GAMING
gaming.spark@reading.ac.uk
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
GAMING
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure James Taylor
I have a very vivid memory from early childhood. I’m six or seven years old, sprawled out on the upstairs landing. The summer sunshine is dappling through the window, as it so often does in rose-tinted flashbacks. I’ve decided, understandably, that play time would be much more fun if my toys were alive and have also decided, that putting them under a magic tea towel will make this happen. The tea towel, of course, is expected to supply its own magic. It doesn’t. As I remember it, I tried to will my assorted action figures to life all afternoon, to no avail. In reality I probably sat there for three minutes. I don’t blame myself for this brief and horribly disappointing moment of insanity. I blame pop culture. Long before Woody and Buzz, the idea that toys can come to life has been a constant fixture of popular entertainment. From the wooden and tin dancers of The Nutcracker to The Indian In The Cupboard, we tend to assume that all toys harbour a secret soul just waiting to be coaxed into wonderful life. That’s the instinct Activision has very shrewdly tapped into with Skylanders, a game sold entirely on the basis of physical toys that can come to life on screen thanks to the mystical Portal of Power. The portal isn’t that mysterious as it turns out, the magic coming down a normal USB cable and relying on the sort of contactless data transfer that powers the definitelynot-magic Oyster card. But thanks to clever product design, it still feels magic. Place a figure on the portal, which glows and changes colour, and they crash into action on the TV with a flash and a blast of light. To swap characters, just swap the figures. To play co-op, just add a second figure to the portal. It’s intuitive and impressive, helped all the more by surprisingly high production values. These are not cheap tacky trinkets, but robust and well-sculpted toys that have an appeal and collectability that exists outside of the game. The game comes with the portal and three starter figures - Spyro, the purple dragon with prior video game form, Gill Grunt, an aquatic creature with a harpoon gun, and Trigger Happy, a beaming maniac with a fondness for firearms. There are 29 other figures to
collect, available in single packs for around £7.00, or in bundles for slightly more. They’re an eclectic bunch as well, ranging from cool-looking creatures to goofy comedy characters. If you wanted to be pedantic you could argue that there’s no real sense that this disparate bunch come from the same universe, but I don’t care, as this game, although quite clearly designed for children holds an appeal for people of all ages. The game the bizarre cast inhabits is a simple take on the platforming genre. Like the toys themselves, it’s a colourful and chunky affair, but also a fairly ordinary combat-heavy romp with no jumping, limited exploration and occasional basic puzzles. A sort of nerfed spin on the Lego games template, it has none of the depth of that series, with levels that play out almost exactly as they first seem rather than revealing exciting new aspects with each play. This sounds overly negative, however the game does have some hidden depths. As an incentive to poke around in the margins, each stage contains hidden treasure chests, one legendary item and some hats, which bestow different effects. It’s fun to put bunny ears on a monster, and by doing so also increase their respective stats. You can also boost your powers or XP rate by collecting more toys, complet-
ing challenge stages and meeting level-specific objectives. There’s the beginning of a decent RPG-lite mechanism here, but it never quite fully develops. What you can do is use characters from different elemental classes to open self-contained secret areas. The three starter figures are enough to get you through the game and to earn all the Achievements, but if you want to get the full three-star rating on each of the game’s 22 stages you’ll need to buy at least five more toys to add Air, Life, Undead, Earth and Fire types to the Magic, Water and Tech powers already covered by your starting trio. As a student, the wallet aches at the prospect, even if it’s really no more sinister or demanding than any other minor hobby investment. It’s just a shame that, having urged you to invest in a growing collection of fun characters, the game doesn’t really give them much room to grow. Each toy acts as a bespoke memory card, recording any gems, power ups and stat-boosting hats collected by that character. However, it doesn’t take long to hit the XP cap at level 10, and with only two attack upgrade paths to choose from it doesn’t take long for a toy to be maxed out. In any game where characters can be levelled up there’s a balance to be struck between immediate gratification
and long-haul commitment, and Skylanders constantly favours the former to its long-term detriment. It’s here that the flatline design of the game hurts most, as there’s limited enjoyment to be had from replaying the mostly linear stages over and over to power up a new toy. There’s just not enough variety or exploration in the game to justify the amount of replay that the toys demand. Luckily as all the toys are cross platform compatible, then there is a great deal of incentive to also pick up the 3DS version of the game, which plays as a much more straightforward action platformer, offering a unique storyline and completely new set of levels. Thankfully, there’s more to the Skylanders experience than just the single player game, with three competitive game modes adding much-needed longevity. There’s a standard combat mode, which plays not unlike Sega’s late lamented Power Stone series, as well as a basic football-style game and a collect-the-gems mode. Skylanders’ saving grace actually comes from a feature barely mentioned on the packaging. There’s also another Skylanders game, you see, only this one is free to play and online. Plug the portal into your PC and you can add your characters to Spyro’s Universe, a MMO-flavoured social network that, although again designed more
for children, does offer plenty of fun. Customise your lair, play mini-games, earn coins, spend coins, show off your collection... it ticks all the boxes. All of which makes it very hard to pin down what exactly Skylanders is. As a traditional console game it’s partially successful, with both console and 3DS versions offering gentle entertainment. As a collectible line, it’s rather lovely, with lots of personality and reassuringly sturdy production values. As a gateway into a larger online game world, it’s extremely promising. There is absolutely no doubt that this game is designed for a younger fanbase, but when has that really stopped things from being fun? A game using this toy technology with the depth and breadth of Pokemon, or the variety and replayability of the Lego games, would be absolutely amazing. Please don’t pass this by just because it has a colourful box and doesn’t involve gratuitous violence (editor’s note: see the next page for a game that does) it is a fun little game, which offers great promise and a change from the other Identikit games currently on the market. You have nothing to lose and might just possibly open yourself up to a new genre. 7.5/10
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
gaming.spark@reading.ac.uk
GAMING 37
The Darkness II Step into the shadows Jason Reeves
An extra pair of limbs is so useful in an FPS, and so much fun, that it’s a wonder we haven’t seen more games transform you into a multitentacled engine of destruction. Instead, we’ve had to wait five years for this sequel to The Darkness - an unusually long delay in an industry as fond of annual sequels as it is of taking good ideas and running them into the ground. And having four limbs really does make a difference, opening up combat possibilities that other shooters can’t hope to compete with. As demon-infected mobster Jackie Estacado, you not only have two human appendages with which to wield a standard variety of pistols, shotguns and assault rifles, but two piranha-faced tentacles - manifestations of the ancient Darkness that has set up home in Jackie’s body. The one on the left- let’s call him Grabby. The left shoulder button sends him snapping out to sink his teeth into any of the objects marked with a glowing core. Hitting the button again throws the object in question. So you can quickly lob scaffold poles and pool cues as deadly spears. Car doors can be ripped off and used as a shield, then thrown as a lethal frisbee. Grabby can also lash out and feast on the hearts of fallen foes, topping up your health in the process. That’s not the only way to use your powers to bend the stakes in your favour. Stunned enemies can also be snatched. Once in your clutches, the face buttons allow you to perform a variety of gruesome executions. Decapitation, dismemberment, bisection, disembowelment: all the family favourites are here, and each provides some auxiliary benefit such as more health, extra ammo, a shield or faster recharge on your other Darkness powers. The tentacle on the right, he’s Slashy. The right shoulder button, in conjunction with the right stick, enables you to slash across the screen horizontally or vertically, smashing through scenery or carving up enemies like a joint of ham. And, of course, at all times you’ve still got two hands free to keep blasting away at the cannon fodder blocking your path. Many of these powers were present in the first game, albeit in clumsier forms, but here they’ve been streamlined and slotted into a control scheme that puts myriad possibilities within easy reach at all times. There’s a pleasing
fluidity to the way new developer Digital Extremes has taken the template set in place by Starbreeze and enhanced, upgraded and embellished it. Imagine an even more ghoulish and sadistic spin on Bulletstorm’s bodymangling metagame, and you’re halfway there. Movement, too, is fluid. While the weaponry packs a punch, Jackie glides smoothly through the game like an ice skater, free from the leaden jogging that the more realistic shooters are forced to offer. This isn’t a game that wants to pin you down for too long, so encounters are fast and fierce, full of circle strafing rather than duckand-cover antics. In keeping with this, even the toughest foe can be taken down with a few well-placed shots. There are no bullet sponges here, and you’re able to pull off distant headshots with an Uzi, so clearly those who demand real-life ballistics should not apply. There’s a deeper reason for mucking around with the gory stuff though. The more outrageous your kills, and the more varied, the more Dark Essence you earn. This is the currency with which you evolve your powers, and the escalation is well paced. Even at their most basic you’re capable of doing serious damage, but with four prongs of evolution to play around with, you only get tougher. Unfortunately, the enemies don’t. Whether facing normal mob enforcers or demon-infused agents of The Brotherhood, an ancient organisation that wants The Darkness for its own ends, you’re always more than able to bring the slaughter. Certain enemy types require a modicum of strategy, but it rarely goes any deeper than snatching away a shield to expose
them to attack. Their A.I. isn’t up to much either, which fits in well with the game’s relentless pace and energy - but it does mean that even when the screen is dripping with viscera, there’s not much muscle pushing back against you. Your only real weakness is light. Straying out of the shadows strips you of your Darkness powers and leaves you disorientated and dazzled. It’s a thematic fit, but not one that works particularly well in a gameplay context. This isn’t a game where you’ll spend much time sneaking around, plotting your attacks, so rounding a corner only to be blinded by white smears as a gang of hoodlums fills you with lead feels like a cheap shot. There’s potential here for some more interesting light-and-dark play, but the game seems content to just shine things in your face when it’s least convenient and leave it at that. What’s most refreshing is that, even in a game that goes out of its way to keep you moving, slashing, shooting and tearing your way through, it’s always driven by narrative. Indeed, this may be the most story-fixated shooter in years. With a five-year gap in the real world and in-game events picking up two years after the events of the original, Digital Extremes could have been forgiven for rebooting or ignoring a lot of the existing story. Instead, the game gives you a quick recap and then plunges right in as though nothing had happened. The loss of Jenny, Jackie’s father, the struggle to contain The Darkness - this is the heart of the tale, not optional narrative colour. With so many shooters squeezing plot into the spaces between gun-
shots, it’s great to play a game that makes you walk around and talk to people, that takes its characters and their emotions seriously. There are even regular interludes in an asylum which play out as miniature adventure games: all story, no action. Even in a frankly ridiculous slapstick game about a gangster with demon tendrils, a little attention to character detail can make all the difference. The downside is that The Darkness 2 feels like a one-and-done experience, with little replay value. There’s a New Game + option after completion but, short of filling out the gaps in your skill tree and finding hidden relics, there’s not much reason to dive back in. Each relic, for example, has a full backstory but impacts the gameplay in only the shallowest way. It’s a waste. The same is true of the Darkling, a scampering Cockney-voiced imp that acts as a pathfinder and comic foil during Jackie’s quest. You’re able to take control of the Darkling and scurry around in the shadows, ripping the throats out of unwary guards. It’s a fun change of pace, but it only happens twice, and at strictly scripted moments. Look too closely and the game is full of interesting ideas like these: fun in the moment, but never really leading anywhere. There’s more ambition on display in the online side of things, though that’s more down to what Digital Extremes has left out rather than what’s been put in. Unusually (and boldly) for a shooter, there’s no competitive multiplayer. If only more games were able to resist the easy lure of a perfunctory deathmatch mode. Instead, we get an entirely separate co-op campaign in which four players can take the roles of some outrageous
stereotypes - spooky voodoo black man, boozy foul-mouthed Scot, sword-wielding Japanese man and vengeful sexy lady - as they perform a series of missions and hits at Jackie’s request. These actually relate to the main story mode, and fill in a few minor plot points, so there’s good reason to give them a spin even if you play solo. Each character has their own Darkness-infused weapon, which in turn gives them unique execution moves and skill trees. It won’t take long to max them out and the characters are fundamentally the same underneath their national clichés, but there’s no denying that it’s fun to have all four rampaging around the map, gutting and skewering the identikit bad guys. The online is basic to the point of being crude - you certainly won’t be blown away by the mannequinesque movements of your fellow players - but with an enjoyable secondary story to play through, plus unlockable bonus missions designed specifically for two players or more, it supplies a solid enough suite of multiplayer action without trying to squeeze the unique pleasures of The Darkness into an ill-fitting capture-the-flag mould. Ultimately, it’s this unique style that makes The Darkness 2 worth your time. After years of chestbeating military domination, the FPS genre is starting to show signs of life in more eccentric ways. Everything old is new again, so by concentrating on character, story and giddy comic-book excess, The Darkness 2 is a more compelling offering in 2012 than it would have been in 2008. 9/10
38 SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY scitech.spark@reading.ac.uk
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY Nokia Lumia 800 - Review Mat Greenfield
From just a cursory glace at the smartphone market as it currently stands, it’s pretty clear that 2012 will see handsets judged by the features of the operating system far more than the unholy abomination of plastic and glass it happens to have been stuffed into. Microsoft and Nokia have less than stellar track-records in this arena. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform was already pretty antiquated when Apple’s iPhone first came out, and failed to capture the imagination on the fledgling smartphone users with its clunky, productivity-oriented design. Its rebranded Windows Phone 7 has taken the last few years to mature. Meanwhile, Nokia’s staunch refusal to budge from imbuing their blowers with their own software until as late as 2011 very nearly signalled the death knell for them. Can the union of two former titans, incarnated as the Nokia Lumia 800, succeed where neither could alone? The first thing you’ll notice is that the Lumia 800 looks almost identical to HTC’s crop of Windows Phone 7 handsets. That’s because Microsoft only licenses out WP7 for devices that meet certain hardware requirements, such as three touch-sensitive buttons on the front. Uniquely, though, the Lumia’s gorillaglass screen is embedded in an injection-moulded polycarbonate body; though this deprives the phone the slenderness we’ve come to expect from smartphones, it does make it feel much more durable and stalwart. Our review model is a neatly understated black, but in true Nokia style it also comes in a range of gaudy fascia colours, such as sky cyan and tepid pink. On top you get the microSIM slot, 3.5mm headphone jack and a rather flimsy cover for the USB port. The right edge houses volume rocker and buttons for power and the camera, whilst the bottom seats the microphone. Around the back, you get a pretty decent Carl Zeiss camera and flash, though it lacks a front-facing camera. The screen is a gorgeous 3.7-inch AMOLED display with a 252 ppi resolution. The handset comes with a rubber case that, thankfully, doesn’t add much bulk to its already stocky form. Though since the Lumia itself looks like it could take a beating or six it’s probably not
necessary. Still, having some padding between your phone and the ground never hurts. The Lumia comes pre-loaded with the Mango blend of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, which will be the standard install on every WP7 handset from hereon in. Since this is a review of the Nokia Lumia 800, whereas WP7 will be present on an increasing number of handsets in the coming months, we won’t go into too much detail about the OS here. Instead, we’ll be bringing you a full review of the Windows Phone 7 software itself later in the term. For now, we’ll just say that it’s refreshingly different and fully customisable homepage is a delight to behold, and made finding specific app tiles a breeze. Though the home screen has been sinfully underused (such as no signal indicator or quickaccess to connectivity options) and the only browser option is the always dejecting sight of the Internet Explorer logo, it is otherwise a very well-designed and very usable interface. The app marketplace for WP7 is a tad lacking at the moment due to the relative infancy of the OS, but that looks set to change and the more popular apps are already there. For the Lumia’s part, the interface between hardware and OS has clearly been thoroughly tested and is seamless. Nokia have always had a love of tacking their own software onto their handsets, far more than the users do, and haven’t let the Lumia 800 escape their tinkerings. Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music are three
pre-installed apps that distinguish this phone from its HTC cousins. Nokia Music is a fairly unremarkable music hub, combining streaming with local files and a store that has to not only fight off music-monolith Spotify (available from the App Marketplace) but also Microsoft’s own Zune software that comes pre-installed too. Not great coordination there.
The Lumia 800 looks almost identical to HTC’s crop of Windows Phone 7 handsets Nokia Maps is, oddly enough, a map. Once again, Nokia have bundled this very basic application into the WP7 software that itself already comes with a far more sophisticated and featurerich map app. Nokia Drive, on the other hand, is a unique addition to the handset and provides free turnby-turn Satellite Navigation. Feature-rich, detailed displays and utilising the GPS receiver rather than hog your data allowance with 3G, this is definitely a nifty add-on. Although, we did notice that Nokia Drive ran down the battery pretty rapidly, so you may want to buy an in-car charger if you’re planning to use the Lumia for a lengthy voyage. As mentioned, the Lumia 800 lacks a front-facing camera and this was a massive disappointment for us. With the WP7 Skype app just around the
corner, Nokia could’ve used this chance to add one more killer feature to the device. The flap covering the USB port, which opens by a peculiar mechanism of applying pressure to the hinge, seems almost destined to snap off over the phone’s lifespan. Battery life is contentious. Just after it hits the shelves it was subject to a storm of criticism over a bug that gave the phone a battery life of about eight seconds, but our review model managed a comfortable 36 hours of moderate use straight out of the box. When the update purported to fix the legendary battery glitch descended, the practically clockwork lifespan of the battery became a mercurial mess. At times it would struggle to eke out 8 hours but at others it would nearly reach its former glories. Having turned off a few pertinent battery-intensive features, we’ve managed to get an average life approaching 40 hours. It’s also worth noting that, due to the one-piece polycarbonate shell, the battery is not user-replaceable. The Nokia Lumia 800 is a great leap forward for both Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 software and Nokia’s modernisation of their smartphone offerings. It’s by no means perfect and that’s probably why the follow-up Lumia 900 has already been announced for imminent release; which will feature the frontfacing camera lacking on its predecessor. If the 900 gets a UK release, then hold out for that; but if you can’t wait then the 800 will serve you very well.
To catch an editor With each passing edition, Shenol and I draw closer to ending our time as editors of the Spark* Science & Technology section. As we said at the start of the term, we are looking for applicants to take over as section co-editors for the next academic year. Job responsbilities include talking to writers in order to collect articles and help any problem with writing that they may have, and also to keep the section within legal and ethical journalistic standards and to pull together the articles on the page to deadlines. The benefits include a great role of responsibility, leadership and teamwork to add to your CV, creative control and to be part of a community of like-minded editors and writers. The socials are pretty good too. We intend to train the new editor in using the software tools over the next term, exam permitting, but even then I will still be at Reading doing my final year so wll be able to help and advise as necessary. If you are interested in applying, please e-mail us at scitech.spark@reading. ac.uk or join the writers group at: http://www.facebook.com/ groups/scitech.spark/ and talk to us there. Mat Greenfield, Science and Technology editor.
Spark*
SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY
Monday 27 February 2012
scitech.spark@reading.ac.uk
39
Skepticism in science - the tabloids Horatio Watson
At the beginning of the term, Spark* featured an article by Tom Hill about skepticism in science, pertaining to people clinging to debunked ideas for any number of ideological reasons and the importance of skepticism. Climate science is perhaps the biggest place where skepticism is misused, by people who apply the epithet to hide their dogmatism rather than base their views on the evidence. We’ve seen how scientists can do it and we’ve seen how religious and political groups can do it; but how does misleading information infiltrate the public consciousness?
This was the very first truly comprehensive satellite survey of the area A paper published in Nature at the start of February invoked the expected slurry of articles by the mainstream media covering it. The study looked at the changes in glacial ice from January 2003 to December 2010 in order to extrapolate future sea level rises and test the accuracy of previous predictions, as this was the first comprehensive satellite survey. The findings were that whilst the planet has experienced a devastating net loss of 532 billion tonnes of ice over that time, this is around 30% less than was predicted. In particular, the net loss was far less than predicted in the Himalayan glaciers where the previously predicted 50 tonnes was actually only 4. Since higher altitude glaciers are practically inaccessible, the predictions had to be extrapolated from the data at lower altitudes. Professor John Wahr, who lead the study, speculated that these earlier predictions may have incorrectly accounted for the lower temperatures at these altitudes, hence the vast disparity.
Though the anomalous Himalayan prediction was interesting, it is by no means the main point of the study. Surely, a loss of 532 billion tonnes of ice should be a shocking statistic to hear, should convert the self-proclaimed “skeptics” in the matter and rally a call to action amongst all the peoples of the world. In fact, none of this happened; as the mainstream media stressed the Himalayas point in order to subtly disparage the threat of climate change. It’s one thing for a journalist to misunderstand the data, but this was such a glaring omission that it could only have been borne of agenda. The blatant over-sensationalising of science in The Daily Mail’s online equivalent, MailOnline creates an intellectual black hole so large it can be seen from space, a metaphor which they’d promptly report as a looming threat that will decimate the population. Their coverage of the Nature article blazed a trail with the headline ‘New satellite data reveals that Himalayan glaciers are melting far more SLOWLY than predicted’ and spent it’s opening paragraphs repeatedly emphasising that the scientists had been wrong. To their credit, unlike several other news outlets, they did eventually discuss the rest of the findings. Though yhis was only once the attention span of the average climate change denier had long since expired.
The article emphasised the Himalayan mistake more than the study’s actual conclusions Such transparently biased articles are usually the result of one of two factors. Either, in order to attract more page views, the MailOnline is purposely delivering a skewed headline and article that will draw in both the validation-seeking deniers and the astonished remainder. Alternatively, the writer of the
article, and the editors of the MailOnline, have political or ideological reasons to ignore the reality of climate change, and so overlook and omit anything that doesn’t corroborate their preconceived ideas. It certainly makes for a quicker-written article if you don’t have to challenge your own opinions or do any proper research. There is, however, a third option: the MailOnline is participating in the perpetual game of Chinese whispers that permeates modern online journalism. In a time when up-to-date information and content is in constant demand, and online news outlets live and die on the rapidity with which they get news to the audience, research is outsourced.
One person misrepresenting the data (either by accident or by design) publicly enough will invariably result in the proliferation of that misinformation. When the window of opportunity is so limited, what inclination do journalists have to do their own analysis on a source when someone else already has? Though accuracy should be the highest priority, in such a competitive world it far too often takes a back-seat to speed.
They are participating in the game of Chinese whispers permeating online journalism Malicious intent and agenda make a far more interesting characterisation of these tabloids, but the simple truth may be laziness. In fact, by leading this article asserting that the MailOnline is carrying an agenda, aren’t I committing the same fallacy as them by sensationalising and speculating before looking at all the facts? And didn’t you agree with me? Odds are good that this is simply a natural, if unwelcome, side-effect of the Information Age; by all means we should fight to resist. I suppose it can
only start with individuals, and I endeavour to fact-check every point I make, with the time afforded me by the fact that this is a print newspaper. I hope this mentality would carry over in an online news environment. I’d rather be the last person to get it right than the first person to get it wrong. The MailOnline article that I have referenced so far can be seen at: dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ article-2098798/New-satellitedata-reveals-glaciers-meltingfar-slowly-UN-estimates.html I recommend reading the comments, many of the anti-science ones seem to have taken the article entirely at face value and believe that this constitutes proof against the looming threat of global warming. When the data appears to corroborate climate change, the “skeptic” often dismisses it as falsified by a scientific agenda. It’s odd to see them so readily accept data from the same sources, just so long as it aligns with their opinions. The MailOnline may not be trying to pass off an agenda, but their readers are. The article in Nature that the MailOnline is reported on can be read in it’s entirety at: nature.com/nature/journal/ vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10847. html
40 TRAVEL
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
travel.spark@reading.ac.uk
travel A seasonaire’s summer in France A highlight of working at the centre was the training period during which a highly amusing American girl decided that the job wasn’t for her - but our ‘practice calls’ to each other before her departure were nothing short of farcical, pretending to be all sorts of dubious motorists. The joke was on me though, as I had to deal with some of these characters for real when I started ‘on the call floor’ and their threats to disembowel, dismember and generally sue me for all I was worth if I didn’t do X, Y or Z did begin to wear thin after a while.
When I wasn’t in ‘Bar 203’, I was busy making and receiving calls SIMON TRUSCOTT
Quite what led me to be treading water in an inner-city lake whilst listening to a French policeman (whom I was unable to understand) make repeated requests to remove myself from the vicinity, I do not know. I think that it must have been a culmination of a boiling hot day; an open and inviting body of water and a never-ending summer kind-of-atmosphere. I had signed up to work for an European breakdown call-centre in Lyon, France and I had learned to expect the unexpected, being a
phone operator for what is often regarded as a ‘fourth emergency service’. This mixture of a relatively serious job and an incredible south-eastern city made for an exciting and more often, ahem, intoxicating mixture.
With bizarre European students I sometimes felt like an extra from ‘Auberge Espagnole’ When I wasn’t in ‘Bar 203’ (a chic, cheap little wine bar) or ‘Le Cav-
ern’ (a nightclub in a wonderfully smoky cellar), I was busy working. This meant making and receiving calls from anyone from a British army fleet on tour, to stranded families on the motorway, to multimillionaires and their wrecked exotic cars. These calls were often quite stressful and required quick-thinking, diplomacy and tact. Each time that a customer asked to be towed from Poland to Dorset, or demanded a limousine rather than a Mini, I had to remind them politely that cheaper options would have to suffice!
That said, the nature of a European centre is that you meet lots of interesting colleagues who help to diffuse the pressure of some situations - for example Sacha, a crazy Dutch woman who frequently argued with customers, Valdo, a born-agan Christian who went on strike practically every week and for any reason, including complaining about the ergonomics of the telephones! During my five months in Lyon, I stayed in a beautiful 1940s apartment in the sixth quarter, with a balcony, a huge living room and an old-fashioned hallway that played host to many parties. The bathtub there at 109, Rue Garibaldi once
saw 13 people in it - fully clothed of course! Within 10 minutes of the city park, and 15 from the city centre, my flat was perfectly placed for picnics as well as predrinks. In the old city, a series of ‘secret’ passages linked street to street, old restaurant to buzzing main road, and all open to the public, marked with only a small plaque. Vieux Lyon, with its tourists, cobblestones and bistros, is well worth a visit, as is the funicular railway which ascends to a huge white church perched on the hilltop like a watchful yet brutish angel over the entire city. With friends living on the riverside in ancient, crumbling apartments, shared with bizarre European students, drug addicts and musicians, I sometimes felt like an extra from ‘Auberge Espagnole’.
The Lyon music festival with a mass of people, music and mist, was just incredible This sense of timelessness was something that I felt completely drawn to. My most magical moment? Annoyingly I didn’t capture it on camera, but the brilliant Lyon music festival in the rain with a mass of people and umbrellas, mist, music and fog, was just incredible.
Booking journeys the smart way FINN PARKER
Booking planes and trains needn’t be a stressful activity. Often time consuming, it’s really worth spending a while planning your trip in order to save money and get a great deal that you’re comfortable with. If you were going to buy a new gadget or watch, you’d shop for the best price then, so why not be smart when it comes to travelling too? Websites such as kayak.co.uk use interesting graphics in the stlye of an old-fasioned departures board to attractively present the best deals based on your input of dates, required stop-offs, class of travel and preferred options. It’s actually quite satisfying to use and you can save a huge amount of money - or at least feel that you spent the least amount necessary to get what you wanted. I recently saved about £150 by booking a longer stop-off in Dubai
international airport (meaning five hours waiting instead of one and a half) and far from being an inconvenience, I managed to use a five-star hotel pool whilst waiting for my connecting flight to India. Bearing in mind the fact that induvidual airlines always have their own ‘deals’ going on, it’s worth checking them out. However, I find that the truer picture is often found on comparison websites, like skyscanner.net or KAYAK. Also, if you don’t have a railcard yet and you’re eligible for one, they are a really worthwhile purchase as they quickly pay for themselves. With or without this, when booking any train journey in advance, buy from the provider directly as they don’t normally charge booking fees like thetrainline.com website does. That’s best avoided despite their advertising claims.
41 TRAVEL
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
travel.spark@reading.ac.uk
travel +
Welcome to the new TRAVEL PLUS page! Each issue, we’ll be including the quirkiest news and places, interviews with students on their tragic trips and great escapes, and the best travel gear on the market.
News Places Your Holidays
Gear
THAT SINKING FEELING
Quite apart from the tragic loss of life during the sinking of the Costa Concordia, the accident raises moral issues - is it really the captain’s duty to go down with his ship? Or is this an antiquated concept? Perhaps judging by the resulting international outcry, Captain Francesco Schettino ought to have shepherded off all the elderly clientele to safety before fleeing, thus saving himself from his embarrassing house arrest. Also, is it just us, or does the water look decidedly shallow, and er, near to the shore?
RISKY ANTI-TOURISM A British travel company has reportedly started offering expeditions to North Korea. The only possible attraction that we can think of is if you think that the rest of Asia is too tame...or liberal. If you want to spend two weeks being followed by two armed guards, and you’re not afraid, then by all means, sign yourself up. Similarly, ex-army-jocks-turned-travel-reps will tell you that Bagdhad is perfectly reasonable holiday destination. But we’ll not be going there in a hurry.
AIRKIX, MILTON KEYNES If you thought that Milton Keynes was a little bit square, then you might want to try Airkix. An indoor skydiving experience that is basically the nearest thing you’ll get to flying without throwing yourself out of a light aeroplane. With prices that start from £29 for beginners, and an indoor ski centre nextdoor, this is one place that is highly reccomended.
CARCASSONNE, FRANCE THE DUTCH ON ICE The canals of Dutch towns were briefly filled with people skating along and eating chips. They were obviously on something - namely a layer of thick ice. As the canal system froze over this season, officials organised a series of ice skating events designed to ‘increase wellbeing’ during the gloomy, cold weather. Café owners also benefitted from extra seating space. Luckily nobody dissapeared before paying their bill - probably too scared to move from their seat.
MEANWHILE...IN LEEDS Airport staff at Leeds Bradford International Airport were surprised by a slightly confused passenger when she asked at check-in “How do I know that I’m getting on the right plane? - my ticket says 23 but none of the planes that I’ve seen have numbers on the side.”
Lizzie, 21, Third Year BA Classics and English
Located in the Aude, south-west France, Carcassonne is an ancient settlement, and the whole city is encompassed by Roman and medieval walls. Inside, rugby and cycling are the two major local sports, and tourism the main trade nowadays. But the best thing to do? We’re reliably informed that a ride in a horse-drawn carriage over cobbled streets will both inspire and horrify visitors!
Kate, 20, Third Year BA English Literature BEST TRIP? Lake Tahoe, USA - skiing and making the most of the American Christmas holiday. That meant the biggest Christmas dinner I’ve ever had and a really great time with my family on the slopes. EPIC MOMENTS? When you’ve been skiing until you think you’re about to fall over from tiredness, an easier blue run is a welcome sight. The best ones lead straight to the apres-ski scene or to a glass of mulled wine. AWFUL TIMES? Well I got acquainted with a snowcannon, one of those machines that’s used to replenish the slopes in the afternoons. Even though it was covered in fluorescent padding and a load of warning signs, I went right into it. DREAM DESTINATION? Morocco - my friends have all been there and are practically raving about it all the time. I normally go either to the beach or to the slopes - so it seems like a good idea to do something more cultured!
Get involved!
Are you a budding explorer, inquisitive daytripper or a seasoned traveller? If so, we’d love to hear from you. You don’t need to have been globe-trotting - UK destinations can be equally intriguing! Contact us at:
travel.spark@reading.ac.uk
BEST TRIP? Venice 2011 - I went with my fiancé, and we basically had a relaxing time sitting in cafes, taking in the misty scenery. EPIC MOMENTS? Venice is like the best of Italy’s art and architecture crammed into one beautiful and watery city. We got a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace, and the secret passageways that used to hold prison cells - including that of Casanova. AWFUL TIMES? Briefly running out of money - two euros won’t buy a great deal in Venice... DREAM DESTINATION? I want to go back to Italy!
london day travelcard cushion
Try using this on the underground. Or just tart up your student pad with it! A vaguely masculine cushion? Whatever next? notonthehighstreet.com,
£28
LIFEVENTURE MONEY STASH SKATE BELT
When you’re hanging off the side of an Indian express train, you don’t want to be worrying about your cash going flying - this great belt has a secret pocket for your rupees. lifeventure.co.uk, around
£10
Stephen, 19, Second Year BSC Building Surveying BEST TRIP? Amsterdam! It was a proper lads’ holiday. EPIC MOMENTS? Well, the whole thing was a bit of a blur to be honest. There’s only one photo from the week and that’s not suitable for publishing. AWFUL TIMES? The morning after the night before. Every morning. DREAM DESTINATION? Tommorowland house music festival in Belgium is going to be massive.
VW CAMPER VAN TENT
We love this 1-1 scale camper replica which comes in red, blue or yellow. Pitch it next to a real one and see for yourself! It’s got 2 rooms, zip-up doors and sleeping space for 4 adults. This is a tent you won’t want to burn after Glastonbury. Well, we can dream, can’t we? firebox.com, around
£299
42 LETTERS
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
Letters & Events
Reading University Tap and Modern Club presents
A note from Development Dance With Me Tonight! and Alumni Their first ever solo dance show Relations extravaganza featuring dances inspired by love, Asia, Girl Power and Office many, many more...
Thursday 1 March 2012 7.30pm Van Emden Theatre, HumSS Tickets are £4 Tickets are available to purchase outside Cerealworks on Monday 20, Wednesday 22, Friday 24 and Wednesday 29 February, or on the door on the night. Come and dance with us!
February has given our team lots of opportunities to work with you – our current students. And what fun it’s been! On Saturday 4 February, we did what we do best and invited our alumni back to campus for an event – the Alumni Sports Day. What made this day particularly exciting is the fact that these former students were coming to Whiteknights campus to compete against those of you who have since filled their shoes in the University’s sports teams. Turn to the Sports section of this edition of Spark*to discover how the day panned out – amongst the snowfall and freezing weather! Meanwhile over in the Palmer building, we are working with many of you to deliver our Annual Fund telephone campaign. If any of our student callers are reading this – thank you so much for all you’ve done so far. Your hard work, along with the support of the alumni that you are telephoning, has raised over £100,000. Given that we’ve just had the Alumni Sports Day, it seems fitting to tell you about the sports-related projects that the Annual Fund donations support. You may have seen (or heard!) the American footballers training on the sports pitches on a Wednesday afternoon. Did you know that their helmets were purchased thanks to Annual Fund grants? The Reading Knights can rent their new head gear out too, bringing in extra revenue for the club. On these dark nights, sports teams can still practice outdoors thanks to two powerful floodlights; made possible thanks to – yes, you guessed it – generous donors to the Annual Fund. The cheerleaders have also been granted new safety mats thanks to our alumni donors. In fact, the great work of the Annual Fund is evident all around campus. With the success of the current Annual Fund telephone campaign set to continue, we can look forward to making even more projects like this possible. Don’t forget, you can see what else we’re up to on Facebook (search ‘University of Reading Alumni’) and Twitter: @UniRdg_ Alumni Laura Garman, Alumni Communications Officer
Running the Reading Half Marathon?
Come along for some tips on training, preparation and race-day advice. Guest speakers from Sweatshop, Launchpad, RUKA coach and experienced Reading Half Marathon runners. Thursday 1st March, Palmer 106, 7pm Free entry Email: ruathletics@hotmail. co.uk for more info
P.O. Box 230, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AZ Vol 59. Issue 3
Editorial Staff
Editor:
Rosi Hirst editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
Deputy Editor:
Lizzie Pollington deped.spark@reading.ac.uk
News Editor:
Kate Delaney news.spark@reading.ac.uk
News Sub-Editor:
Calum Rogers news.spark@reading.ac.uk
Comment Editors:
Lucy Ponder and Kerrie Black
comment.spark@reading.ac.uk
Political Comment
Jessica Rees
Editor:
politics.spark@reading.ac.uk
Interview Editor:
Ellis Wheatley interview.spark@reading.ac.uk
Film, DVD & TV
Steven Howse and Thom Dixon
Editors:
film.spark@reading.ac.uk
Music Editor:
Laurence Green music.spark@reading.ac.uk
Music Sub-Editor:
Jamie Milton music.spark@reading.ac.uk
Science & Tech
Mat Greenfield and Shenol Chaker
Editor:
scitech.spark@reading.ac.uk
Gaming Editor:
Tom Wood gaming.spark@reading.ac.uk
Arts&Books Editor: Lucy Snow arts.spark@reading.ac.uk Fashion Editors:
Petrina De Gouttes and Roberta Sarll
fashion.spark@reading.ac.uk
Travel Editor:
Simon Truscott travel.spark@reading.ac.uk
Health Editor:
Renate Cumming-Benson health.spark@reading.ac.uk
Fun&Games Editor: Chris Ryder fun.spark@reading.ac.uk Sport Editor:
Sophie Elliot and Cameron Humphries
sports.spark@reading.ac.uk
Head of PR:
Collette Naden pr.spark@reading.ac.uk
Proofreaders: Spark* is written, designed & typeset by students at the University of Reading. Printed by Newbury News Limited, Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire. RG14 2DW. Published and funded by Reading University Students’ Union vp.studentactivites@rusu.co.uk. Spark* is completely editorially independent. 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/e-mail address. These may be withheld from publication at specific request. Spark* or RUSU can take no responsibility for products or services advertised herein. Spark* 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 Spark* do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, particularly those expressed in the comments pages, which are often the opinions of the specific authors. Photographs in Spark* are copyright to the photographer concerned.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
fun.spark@reading.ac.uk
fun&games Crossword 034 16. Write up melody from The Planets? (7) 17. Eventually army does movements, after king’s abdication (4,3) 19. Perfectionist wipes last of stain off necklace (6) 23. Ship goods off with great speed (4)
Straight Clues ACROSS
Cryptic Clues ACROSS 6. Who should start outlining Pick’s Theorem? Pick! (3) 8. Nowadays, uniform reserve for list of contacts (7,4) 10. New York’s back payment for order (6) 11. Too much gone past to waste (8) 12. Daringly lay railway over remains (6) 14. Wrong ways to lift pole (8) 15. Reddish-purple, if such a fit coming on (7) 18. Justifies fine taste (6,2) 20. Fuss over ring road going in the wrong direction a long way away (3-3) 21. Owing money, like members of the Labour Party! (2,3,3)
22. Survey nice man announced underneath the pavilion (6) 24. Undercover man with current condition with feet firmly on the ground (11) 25. Regular frenzy about hat (3)
DOWN 1. Making a large amount in one go of film about Catholicism? (4,10) 2. Peculiarity common to one, three and five, say? (7) 3. Letter penned by Tibetans (4) 4. Flourishing, starting adventure to Orlando (6) 5. Utterly fed up with hearing about committee’s argument (5,5) 7. Highly anxious, having critical viewing of article (7) 9. Maintains equal authority with crooks far below Capone (7,2,5) 13. I definitely belong to you? (5,5)
by Chris Harris
6. Choose (3) 8. Place for recording names and contact details (7,4) 10. Order of words in a sentence (6) 11. Greatly excessive (8) 12. Carelessly; with wild abandon (6) 14. Having made an error (8) 15. Reddish-purple flower (7) 18. Explains a mystery (6,2) 20. Distant (3-3) 21. Having expenditures exceeding one’s income (2,3,3) 22. Octagonal pavilion providing a pleasant view (6) 24. Descriptive of animals that walk with the entire foot flat on the ground (11) 25. Red hat popular in North Africa (3)
DOWN 1. Manufacture of items in bulk (4,10) 2. Abnormality (7) 3. Second letter of the Greek alphabet (4) 4. Flowering (6) 5. Finding something thoroughly dull and uninteresting (5,5) 7. Extremely nervous (7) 9. International policy that prevents nations from having control over each other (7,2,5) 13. Valediction often at the end of a formal letter (5,5) 16. Roman god of the sea (7) 17. At an uncertain time in the future (4,3) 19. Stickler for minor rules (6) 23. Jason’s ship in Greek mythology (4)
FUN&GAMES 43
Dear Aunt Adelaide... Adelaide Featherstonehaugh was delighted to discover last week that lots of her mail gets addressed simply as “Adelaide” and, as a result, finishes up labelled “undeliverable” in an Australian sorting office with a lot of extra postal charges incurred. The rest of it, correctly addressed to Spark*, is printed here every two weeks for your pleasure and as a warning to others that they may have more luck with the Australian sorting office. Dear Aunt Adelaide, I’m a second-year student and this year I have moved into rented accommodation with a few of my mates from halls. I thought it was going to be good fun, but now I find I’m really unhappy. It all started a couple of months ago, when I saw him using my mug. I mean my personal mug. I’m quite protective of my belongings, but I’m aware that it may seem a little petty to some, so I explained to him that I would rather he didn’t use it. Yet the very next day he was using it again! This really annoyed me as I’d asked him very politely, so as punishment I decided to eat some of his food from the fridge. Not a lot,
you understand, just a little, and in front of him so that he got the message. That’s resonable, isn’t it? Anyway, I wished I hadn’t because the week after I found he’d taken all my food from the fridge and spread it all over my bed. To get back at him, I poured milk into his shampoo bottle. Since then, the situation has escalated to ridiculous levels, to the point where I hate living with him and I’m sure he hates living with me, too. I know that it’s out of hand now and that I should talk to him, but I don’t know how to start the conversation. Everything’s become so hateful that if I try to talk to him he’ll probably just ignore me and walk off. What should I say to him? Thanks, Erica.
Dear Erica, Forget conversation, it’s far beyond that. Drawing pins in his cup of tea is the next stage and is the only fitting punishment for a mug-stealer. Let me know how it goes! Adelaide.
Answers to all puzzles can be found at www.sparknewspaper.co.uk. Not interested in the answers? Charming. But you should visit the website anyway, there’s lots of other stuff to look at.
Letter Sudoku
Like any other Sudoku except with the letters A to I for the heck of it.
44 ADVERTISEMENT
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Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
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Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
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SPORT 45
SPORT COMMENT
Is it time managers take some of the rap for their players’ disobedience? Matt Davies
Despite Tottenham’s 5 – 0 drumming of Newcastle, West Brom’s 5 – 1 victory against fellow relegation potentials Wolves, it was Suarez’s refusal to shake Patrice Evra’s hand that dominated the weekend talking points.
The ‘siege-mentality’ established by Kenny Dalglish The ‘siege-mentality’ established by Kenny Dalglish in his attempt to provide a ‘back to the wall’, ‘us versus the world’ attitude at Anfield culminated in an act of extreme petulance, prompting Sir Alex Ferguson to brand the Uruguayan’s act “a disgrace”. The incident attracted so much criticism that Suarez felt compelled to issue an apology through a club statement; with Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre also issuing his own statement condemning the 25 year old’s actions. The latter claimed the forward had misled his club in relation to his intentions regarding the handshake, suggesting he had let down his manager, amongst others. However, it is Dalglish’s ‘siege mentality’ that led to a situation in which Suarez saw fit to play the
victim. A system whereby the Scot has publicly criticised his team just once, after defeat at the hands of Bolton, combined with a series of ill judged acts are certainly at least partially responsible for an episode which has again undermined the tradition of the pre match hand shake.
poor tackles and physical aggression reflects the attitude demonstrated by the Liverpool boss. Without a damning verdict cast on the choices made by his footballers, the Portuguese manager cannot be deemed to be sufficiently contributing to the eradication of such events.
Managers cannot continue to shield their side from criticism
This was much more than a disregard for common courtesy
It is important not to tarnish all players with the same brush, but if those who are creating such tension in the world of football are to learn the humility and discipline necessary, it must stem from their managers, and it is vital that they are not blindly defended.
Decisions that include sending his team out in tops supporting the attacker after he was found guilty of racially abusing the United left back, along with claiming that his star striker should never have been banned, have all contributed to providing Suarez with the sense of injustice that manifested itself in the rejection of a hand shake.
It is important not to tarnish all players with the same brush This was much more than a disregard for common courtesy however, the match provided the opportunity for a line to be drawn under what has been an extremely ugly affair. Suarez ignored this,
Dalglish: both his and Suarez received orders from above to apologise. and so the tone was set for a flurry of similarly tempered reactions; Ferdinand refused to shake Suarez’s hand, Suarez kicked the football towards the United dug out after the half time whistle, and Evra coincided his exuberant celebrations with Suarez’s walk towards the tunnel at full time.
Mourinho is another manager who is no stranger to creating a situation that pits his club against the odds, often portraying his players as casualties of refereeing decisions amongst other biases. His own objection to blaming his players, particularly during a series of heated El Classicos, for
It’s time managers started accepting the role they play in their players’ behaviour If occurrences such as these are to be eradicated from the game, it is high time managers started accepting the role they play in the behaviour of their players and they cannot continue to incessantly shield their side from criticism.
Clean up: Why football needs to stay out of the courts perpetuate this debate. Liverpool owners, John Henry should not have had to tell the manager and player to apologise. Kenny Dalglish, too, has damage limitation to carry out. The very fact that Liverpool players are part of the anti-racism ‘Kick It Out’ scheme and then wear t-shirts supporting Suarez during a match is something that, perhaps, the manager should have put a stop to.
Sophie Elliott
It seems the last few months have seen football the subject of headlines concerning legal wrangles rather than those on the pitch. Even those cases that stemmed from on-pitch incidents have progressed from sport bulletins to being part of the news itself. Last weekend, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez’s refusal to shake the hand of Manchester United’s Patrice Evra hit the headlines. Twitter exploded, the players’ names trending worldwide. My view: Suarez has been found guilty and punished. If Evra was prepared to shake hands and move on, then Suarez should have done the same. I have seen opinions that Evra did not help the situation, but in the end, these are professionals – professionals who are paid a great deal to play football – but, more importantly, are role models. They should all be adult enough to stop dragging their sport through the mire and be seen to combat racism, rather than
How many more times can English players be the centre of such controversies?
Redknapp: has been between court and the pitch in the past weeks
Yes, support your team mate, but when it is an accusation of racism, maybe such a gesture just isn’t appropriate. Off the pitch, current favourite for the England manager’s position, Spurs’ Harry Redknapp was acquitted from his tax evasion charge on the Wednesday evening and favourite for the England
manager’s job on the Thursday morning. If he is to be England manager, as many believe he will, perhaps this needs to be the last time court cases and Redknapp are linked. Furthermore, John Terry’s alleged racist behaviour towards Anton Ferdinand is another case which, thanks to the trail being scheduled for after the European Championships, means this won’t be the last of football and racism being reported. The second time the captaincy has been taken away from him, maybe Terry’s time with England should end. How many more times can English football and its players be the centre of such controversies? These are highly conspicuous people within English society, like it or not, and so surely changes need to be made. Football leads to allegiances and so I know that pressure run high which is why, by being a confessed football-phobe, I feel that the game, as a whole, needs to keep its news to the back pages. Football: clean up. This can’t go on.
46 SPORT
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
sports.spark@reading.ac.uk
Six Nations: round up of second weekend action Sophie Elliott
After the disappointment of last week’s home defeat to England, Andy Robinson, yet again, wanted his players to convert promise into results.
Saturday: A tale of two halves A snow covered pitch in Rome saw England stage a second half resurgence against a buoyant Italian side on Saturday. Despite attendants at the Stadio Olimpico using leaf blowers minutes before the match in an effort to clear away the snow, the first 30 minutes seemed stagnant as both teams were stopped from playing wide, expansive rugby due to the conditions. Two penalties from Owen Farrell’s trusty boot seemed to England in control. Then, at the close of the first half, two minutes saw two opportunist tries from the Azzuri after mistakes from full-back Ben Foden.
Could this be the first time Italy draw English blood in the Six Nations? England went into half time trailing Italy and the resilient Italian crowd started to think they had the better of England’s inexperienced team. Could this be the first time Italy draw English blood in the Six Nations? It appeared not. Despite some mistakes creeping into what has been a much more disciplined England side, the pack performed well in the scrum. Alex Corbisiero and Dan Cole executed their roles well although Graham Rowntree, England’s forwards coach stated “Overall I look at our breakdown and the lineout and we have lot to
Wales were without captain Sam Warburton and the banned Bradley Davies
work on to give better ball to the backs”. The tide appeared to turn in England’s favour when Charlie Hodgson achieved his second charge down try in two weeks. Asked about what has been called, by some, as “Charge-down” Charlie Hodgson said “I just try my best to get to the kicker and put pressure on him. It is not so much about practicing, you just have to go for it and hope for the best”. From there, impeccable kicking from Farrell was not replicated by the opposite side and a winning English margin began to appear. Italy had good opportunities to close England’s lead but squandered them. However, it must be said that England’s performance was far from comfortable. Speaking after the match, Stuart Lancaster, the England coach said, ‘we are delighted to get the win. We started well but then had a mad five minutes and came in down at half-time. The most pleasing thing from that point of view was there was no sense of panic.”
I thought Italy played extremely well and put us under a lot of pressure. They were very difficult conditions to play in. “Overall we are pleased to get the win and looking forward to getting to Twickenham to play Wales in two weeks’ time. Elsewhere, a frozen pitch prompted France’s match against Ireland to be called off, only minutes before kick-off. Conditions were worse than the -2°C the week before and perhaps organisers could have made a decision before allowing the stadium to fill with expectant supporters. The match will now need to be re-arranged Indeed, perhaps what was most promising from the England side was their ability to come back after being down at half time – especially with such an inexperienced team.
Wales started well with a vociferous home crowd cheering them on. Over twenty minutes passed with no score, but on the 23rd minute, a penalty gave Scotland the lead. On the close of the first half, 21 phases saw Scotland camped out on the Welsh line, but a fumbled knock on meant it led to nothing. Wales then lost George North to a twisted ankle. The statistic that at half time Wales had made 97 tackles to Scotland’s 45 led to doubts as to who would perform better in the second half. As it turns out, Wales hit back at Scotland within the first three minutes of the second half. After
a Scottish mistake at the restart, Wales immediately exerted pressure by scoring a try. Then a mad 10 minutes saw Scotland lose two players to the sin-bin. With the score 13 - 3, Scotland really needed a try to be in contention. However, it had been 400 minutes of rugby since they had last done this. Down to 13 men, Scotland had to defend another Welsh try and Scotland coach Andy Robinson did not look impressed. However, to say Wales dominated would not be representative of the second half. Just as Dickson was a boost to the English team the day before, Scotland’s changes brought energy to the team and, after a missed opportunity (and bad decision by the referee to deny the visitors five points) a try followed. Nevertheless, the match finished 27 -1 3, seeing Wales at the top of the table after the second weekend. Despite it being another loss for Robinson’s Scotland, they played with determination and resilience. Wales, on the other hand, must be confident as they travel to Twickenham for the next game.
Sunday: A trial of endurance
Scotland hadn’t scored a try for the last four matches before facing Wales on Sunday – but Wales were without captain Sam Warburton and the banned Bradley Davies.
Premiership: Battles at top and bottom of the table as the season end draws closer Jack Bowyer
This weekend the Premier League saw one of its most eagerly anticipated fixtures as Manchester United took on Liverpool at Old Trafford. This ordinarily heated encounter was made even more so as Liverpool’s Luis Suarez lined up against United’s Patrice Evra for the first time since the two men became
embroiled in the racism row that saw Suarez banned for eight matches.
It’s looking like a three horse race for the title Despite the fact that both clubs were keen to move on from the controversy, the game was marred from the off by Suarez’s refusal to
accept Evra’s pre-match handshake. United won the match 2-1 thanks to two second-half goals from Wayne Rooney in a very assured performance from the champions who will be looking to hit top form in order to retain their title. Evra led the celebrations in exuberant fashion at the final whistle which prompted the referee and stewards to intervene.
United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson labelled Suarez a disgrace Fortunately, this potentially hostile situation was diffused swiftly, but the game will not be remembered for the football. United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson labelled Suarez a disgrace after the game and although it was the Uruguayan who pulled one back for Liverpool, the best team, and indeed man, won on the day.
The result moved United into top spot in the table however, it was only a short stay as their city rivals Manchester City beat Aston Villa 1-0 to reclaim pole position. Tottenham also kept the pressure on by drubbing Newcastle 5-0 at White Hart Lane with loan signing Louis Saha grabbing a brace.
The fight to avoid relegation has intensified With Chelsea losing 2-0 at Everton it’s looking like a three horse race for the title as Andre Villas-Boas’ side slipped to 10 points behind Tottenham. Arsenal took full advantage of Everton’s win to move level on points with Chelsea, coming from behind to beat Sunderland. Thierry Henry’s 176th Premier League goal won the match for the gunners in the 90th minute and condemned Sunderland to their
first home defeat under manager Martin O’Neill. Elsewhere, Norwich’s 3-2 win at Swansea moved them into the top half and Fulham’s new signing Pavel Pogrebnyak scored in a 2-1 over Stoke at Craven Cottage. Only two points separate the bottom five teams as the fight to avoid relegation intensifies. There were massive wins for Blackburn and Wigan against their fellow strugglers as they overcame QPR and Bolton respectively.
The bottom five are somewhat adrift now Wolves slumped to a 5-1 home defeat to local rivals West Brom with Peter Odemwingie scoring a hat-trick for the Baggies. The bottom five are somewhat adrift now and few would bet against three of those five playing Championship football next season.
Spark* Monday 27 February 2012
sports.spark@reading.ac.uk
SPORT 47
Reading University Knights Reading University Knights Athletics Voting Closing Soon Antonia Bamford
On Saturday 4th February, Reading University Knights Athletics had two men’s teams and one women’s team competing in the BUCS Cross Country Championships held in Cardiff this year. Poor Sarah Janes, who originates from Wales, enjoyed taking a lot of shoddy Welsh banter! If you can retrace your memories back to the weather conditions that day, I think it is fair to say the icy/ snowy conditions added a further challenge for the runners. The course was mainly flat, with only a few mounds to allow overtaking on the downhill. The total distance for the male A team was 10.6km, with David Kirk the first to finish for Reading with an outstanding time of 36 minutes 43 seconds, shortly followed by Aaron Simpson, finishing in 36m 59s.
It was another fantastic effort in this race adding to the overall team BUCS points total It was another fantastic effort in this race adding to the overall team BUCS points total, Laurence Stech- of whom this term is continuing to show improvements with his faster times and his pure determination. I quote his facebook status that morning “Will definitely take the Usain Bolt approach of eating chicken nug-
gets before the race if we stop on the M4”. However, without pursuing this Stech still managed to improve his time dramatically since last year and beating his overall 2011 positioning. At 1pm it was the girls’ turn to brave the cold, part with extra layers and line up in the blizzard to begin the 7.3km route. The great RUKA supporters were on the edge of the course to encourage the girls to push past that person in front, and putting the girls team in 66th position out of 100 teams. This was achieved and scored by our top three runners - Vikki Frith outstandingly finished up in the fast group of the field with a time of 29m 2s. Close behind was team member Natalie Pecoraro in 30m 27s, a fantastic performance for a fresher and promising for years to come for RUKA! Still contributing to BUCS points total, Antonia Bamford with a sprint finish moving her up 7 places in the last 100m crossed the finish in 35m 22s. This year there were twice as many teams that entered the women’s race, however the point total still showed an improvement. Hopefully, this will increase the chance of more funding next year for the growing athletics club. The men’s B team were last to compete, if still alive after the long wait in temperatures of -6, with the snowy course resulting in a softer ground being an advantage. In particular, a great result for Sam Arbon completing the 8.1 km route in a nippy 32m 8s. Emillio Schweighart-Gate and Darryl Dil-
ley ran almost the entire course together showing true sportsmanship, however Schweighart-Gate broke away to finish in 35m 43s, just ahead of Dilley. The overall efforts from all runners is very promising with the upcoming events we have this term, including the Bath 10km on February 19th and of course the majority who are training for the Reading Half Marathon in April. Special thanks goes to David Kirk, not only was he the hero driver, safely getting us back to Reading with horrific driving conditions but also for providing the team’s Red Bull to fuel and energize us to produce that extra spurt in finishing the races. The Athletics club are competing in the final London Colleges League Cross Country race on Wednesday 29th March, in Bushy Park, where they will be hoping to finish the season on a high.
International debuts were given to the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Jack Wilshere, Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck and Kyle Walker, this all from a manager who as far as many were concerned, had no incentive to focus on the future of the English team given that his contract, which both he and the FA had no desire to extend, had a definitive ending point after Euro 2012. Older players such as Scott Parker, Ashley Young and Darren Bent were introduced on a more regular basis than some of these players in a movement toward a much more fluid 4-2-3-1 system than the rigid 4-4-2 employed at the World Cup. Many of Capello’s detractors, however, still remained. Despite apparent progress, they continued to snipe at a man who still had
very little grasp on the English language despite a four year spell as boss of the national side. The rigidity of his tactics and poor selection at the last World Cup was too much for many to take and it was a popular belief at the time that he should just walk away from the job. For all the relative statistical success, with a win rate of 66.7% from 42 international matches overall, it remains the case that this World Cup showing will be what Capello’s reign will be judged by and what he will be remembered for. It was an unequivocal failure, insipid displays against the likes of Algeria and United States, followed by a 4 - 1 mauling at the hands of Germany. Yet the performances were not the end of the issue at the World
The club are also making good progress with their Reading Half Marathon training The club are also making good progress with their Reading Half Marathon training and are holding a “Half Marathon Advice Evening” on Thursday 1st March in Palmer 106 at 7pm. The talk is open to everyone, and will have guest speakers offering training and race-day tips for completing the 13.1 mile course. For more information or to get involved with the club, email ruathletics@hotmail.co.uk.
A RUSU Report
The Societies, Media & Volunteer ball will be held on Thurs 15 March in 3sixty.
The Sports ball will be held on Thursday 22 March in 3sixty Deadline for nominations is midnight on Sunday 26 February and voting for the winners will be held on the Wednesday 7 March. Similarly the sports awards will be held on Thursday 22 March. Deadlines for these nominations are midnight on Sunday 4 March
and voting will be held on the 12th March. Media categories include ‘Society of the Year’, ‘Best New Society’ and the coveted ‘Media Steam of the Year’. Sports awards up for grabs include ‘Club of the Year’, ‘Team of the Year’, ‘Committee Member of the Year’, ‘Club Member of the Year’ and the ‘RUSU Recognition Award’ for someone who has shown outstanding contribution to their club and RUSU projects. It is sure to be an enjoyable evening celebrating the great work done over the past year. To find out more, contact RUSU at the Hub or go online.
Ultimate Frisbee Tereza Menclova
The Ultimate Frisbee team had great performance that our university women’s team achieved this weekend (4/5 Feb) at SEUWIR (South-East University Women Indoor Regionals). It is the first time ever that our club has enough female players to be able to play indoor tournaments (5-a-side). We therefore decided to enter south-east regionals for the first time, not expecting great things and not knowing what we were actually capable of. Our first game on Sunday didn’t start very well and we lost not being able to score any points. However after we woke up a little more, we won the following two
games, then drew, then won again which moved us from our original ninth seed to third place. First game on Sunday morning we were battling to secure our place at nationals, and won. Having done that we then became even more confident in our abilities and decided to play the best we have ever done. We won the semi-final and went on to play the final with an amazing determination and decided to fight with whatever was left of our energy. We gave up the fight and won 7- 3. I would like to thank our captain Sarah Hartley for doing a great job. Also a huge thanks to Amber, Lisa, Karline, Theo and Gill. It wouldn’t have been possible without your help.
Curtain call for class of Capello John Kallend
It’s hard to escape the fact that just a little under two years ago many people, England fans and media alike, wanted to see the back of Fabio Capello. It was rumoured that he himself even wanted to leave the job after one of England’s most uninspiring World Cup campaigns in recent memory, and if recent memory is anything to go by, that isn’t saying much at all for England’s displays in South Africa. As the news of his resignation broke last Wednesday, however, the reaction was very much a mixed one. Several senior players quickly tweeted in support of Mr. Capello who had spent much of the last 18 months addressing many of the errors of the 2010 World Cup.
Cup, unrest in the camp dominated much of the back pages both during and after the tournament. This is the off-field baggage that the next England manager will have to expect when he takes the job, and perhaps Capello came unprepared for.
The next manager will have to deal with the fallout from these issues After all the captaincy question that dogged much of the reign of the previous manager and led to his resignation, when the FA stripped John Terry of his captain-
cy, did so because of issues that were out of the manager’s control. The next manager will have to deal with the fallout from these issues with no current captain, along with possible animosity between key squad members such as Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, just a few months away from a major tournament. Attention has now turned to Harry Redknapp, predictably the frontrunner for the job vacancy, and the talk has already begun on how he can confront these tasks and emulate Capello. As with other England managers in the past, the latter is now a forgotten man and we will never know if the lessons he learnt from the last World Cup were to be put right on the European stage this summer.
48 SPORT
Monday 27 February 2012 Spark*
sports.spark@reading.ac.uk
SPORT Reading Alumni Sports Day On Saturday 4 February, former students returned to campus to compete against current students for the second Alumni Sports Day.
A fun-filled, nostalgic day
Six Nations round-up
Despite weather warnings of snow and ice, students and alumni were not deterred from gathering on the Whiteknights campus with their hockey sticks, badminton rackets and various sporting attire to see who fared better: the current student teams or their alumni predecessors? The badminton squad were the first to arrive to campus and start proceedings. Their fast-paced
match was won by the alumni team, much to their delight. Similar success was also enjoyed by the alumni Lacrosse team, who were thrilled to beat the current student team on the day. Lacrosse is a relatively new sport at Reading, and the camaraderie between all the players was clear to see as they all gathered in Mojos after their match to enjoy lunch.
Students and alumni were undeterred by warnings of snow The result of the mixed hockey game was a little more ambiguous. The student team were well and truly warmed up as many of
them had played in another hockey match earlier in the day, and rumour has it that the alumni team were losing. However, Mother Nature soon won out as the snow started to fall during the game, covering the pitch and its players. The match was therefore declared an honourable draw after snow fall made it near-impossible to carry on. As the weather took a turn for the worse, our alumni took full advantage of the indoor sports on offer, with many enjoying a good game of squash in the SportsPark or pool in the Union. In fact, sport aside, plenty of our alumni used the Alumni Sports Day as the perfect excuse to come back to campus, meet up with old friends in the Union and watch
Tune in: radio sports show Matt Maynard
Capello exit
There’s only one place you can hear about all the latest sport action, Junction 11’s sports show. It’s the only talk based show on Reading University’s radio station. The show hosted by Matt Maynard, Mikey Hayden, and Will Gane, is one hour long and provides an in depth analysis of the past weeks sporting action as well as a review of the university teams. Listeners are encouraged to join in with the hot debate topics by messaging in, and it’s certainly not uncommon for the presenters themselves to disagree with each other on air.
The show has developed a lot since its humble beginnings at 9am on a Monday, when a show couldn’t finish without playing New Order’s World in Motion.
Listeners are encouraged to join in with the hot debate topics by messaging in Now there is barely time for any music, although you might hear the occasional rock tune. There’s certainly a lot of banter between the hosts, unsurprisingly, as they
constantly reference each other football teams. It is fair to say that fifty per cent of the show is football related, and it always brings up the most hostile debates. But pretty much all bases are covered with tennis, cricket, rugby, F1, and golf all discussed on a regular basis. Of course if you play for a university team, this show is essential listening as it mentions all of the university results of the previous day, and the boys even award their infamous result of the day. You can listen to the sports show, at 6pm on a Thursday only on Junction 11.
the RBS Six Nations on the big screens. Amongst the spectators were a group of 2002 alumni, who graduated just as 3Sixty was completed. They were delighted to finally have the chance to check out 3sixty for themselves, as they joined fellow alumni and current students at the night club for the perfect finish to a fun-filled, nostalgic day.
Many alumni used the event as a great excuse to return to campus Follow the Alumni team on Twitter: (@UniRdg_Alumni) and Facebook (search ‘University of Reading Alumni’).
Matches called off due to weather Sophie Elliott
Many matches were called off due to snow laden, frozen pitches on Wednesday 8th February. This picture, captured by @UniRdg_Alumni on Twitter shows the conditions on Whiteknights campus.
Reading University Knights Women’s Lacrosse Becky Roper (Women’s Captain)
Lacrosse is fondly known for the being the fastest sport on two legs as well as for its violence.
Comment: Why football needs to clean up its act
Lacrosse is a sexy sport with attitude and adrenaline The game involves a stick/crosse which is used to carry the ball
from one end of the pitch to the other. The aim of the game is to work as a team to score, by shooting the ball into an opponent’s goal, using the lacrosse stick to catch, carry, and pass the ball. This year the Reading University Women’s Lacrosse team competed for the first time in the BUCS league. We currently stand at second place holding the best goal difference within the league.
We currently stand at second place holding the best goal difference within the league Last term we won matches against Kent 2nd and Canterbury CC, 28-3 and 26-3 respectively.
So if you’re looking for a sexy sport with attitude and adrenaline... look no further. The club welcomes everyone of any abilities and backgrounds.
Our only defeat came to the leagues top side, Kent 1st, in a hard fought game ending 15-9. Ali Kennedy, Laura Jones and Liv Stevens top the goal scoring list, deservedly being voted woman of the match in separate games. All team members, including those new to the sport, have made a great impact on our success this year. We hope our hard work and dedication will lead us to victory in the BUCS cup where we will overcome Kent 1sts.
With over 30 members, the women’s team is expected to keep on growing The women’s team is expected to keep on growing with the hope of establishing a 2nds squad. If you fancy giving lacrosse a go, the men’s and women’s teams train every Tuesday 5-6pm on the grass pitches and Friday 7-9pm on the astro. There is also the opportunity to play in the mixed team (noncontact version) who train Monday 4-5pm on the astro.