Spark 20120511 - Vol. 60, Issue 2

2

Friday 11.05.12 Volume 60

Issue

Reading soars up the ranks in The What’s Times’ university league table inside?

Interview

6

Will you use your student voice?

Film & TV

10

Whiteknights campus at the University. Photograph from www.reading.ac.uk Beth Lunn

Reading was ranked 12th in the ‘Times Higher Education Student Survey 2012’. This improvement of 24 places from 2011 is due to the positive opinions of a panel of surveyed students.

The survey covers a wide range of aspects of university life. From the performance of staff and lecturers, quality of facilities, community atmosphere, support and welfare, good students’ union, to the library and whether students would recommend the university to friends.

Reading ranked 12th in the Times Higher Education Student Survey 2012 The university achieved ratings equal to or above the UK average in 20 out of 21 categories and high ratings were given for teaching and academic staff, good social and sporting opportunities. The university also ranked highly in

terms of excellent accommodation and a strong sense of community.

The results were published on the 26 April following good results in the ‘Complete University Guide 2013’.

“Delivering the best environment for students to make the most of their potential” Reading moved up two places to 32 out of 116 UK institutions in this survey, and these results were well received by all staff. They indicate that headway is being made with improvement.

Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “These latest results from two independent university league tables reflect our commitment and passion to deliver the best possible experience for our students.”

“Our £400m investment programme over the past decade has helped to create outstanding facilities for students in beautiful campus surroundings. I believe

this provides the best possible environment for students to make the most of their potential. But it is the quality of the learning experience that ultimately counts and Reading strives to provide a stretching and challenging academic environment, to ensure our students achieve their potential and are well prepared for life beyond university.”

The University of Reading has also risen thirteen places, from 45 to 32 in its 2012 University League Table.

Reading’s School of Agriculture has featured heavily within the table for many years, ranking in the top three for the past four years.

“ We aim to provide a stretching challenging academic environment” This year, Reading has been ranked as the best in the country to study agriculture in the country, out of the 17 universities that teach the degree.

Professor Mike Gooding, the Head of Agriculture at the University of Reading, stated that: “We are delighted at the news.

Being routinely ranked at the top of league tables reflects our commitment to add value to the experience of our students, and to serve the industries to which they aspire.”

“Being routinely ranked at the top of league tables reflects our commitment to our students” This ranking success is especially positive news for the university as competition for new undergraduates is expected to intensify, owing to the fee rises. The total figure of UK university applications has fallen by approximately 8.7%, and this coming year could spell for institutions who fail to raise enough money in tuition fees. Over a hundred institutions - especially those reliant on foreign applicants - have had to shut down this year already.

Avengers Assemble hits the big screen

Music Eurovision Song Contest preview

Arts

15

18

Stand ups: beyond a joke?

2 News

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

news.spark@reading.ac.uk

LGBT equality at Reading

University boat club among best in country ROSI HIRST

chayya syal

Reading University Boat Club have established their place as one of the leading rowing clubs in the whole of the UK. Last weekend their impressive appearance at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) PwC Regatta earned the women’s squad five gold and two silver medals. The men’s team also performed well, making an impressive seven finals.

As well as this, rowers from the University also had a successful week at the Rowing World Cup in Serbia. PhD student Anna Watkins rowed her way to victory in the Women’s Double Scull, taking home a gold medal. She and her fellow rowing partner are now on track for the Olympics, where they are favourites to take home the gold for Great Britain.

Reading graduate Alex Gregory was also a winner at the event, and his team took home first prize for the men’s coxless 4.

University of Reading Director of Rowing Will Rand said: “I am extremely proud of the whole squad. The results are testament to the huge amount of work and enormous commitment of everybody concerned with RUBC. Our women’s squad is truly one of the best in the UK while our men’s squad is young but very talented.

We are looking forward to seeing it develop over the next few years.”

Watch this space for more news on the up-and-coming boat squad.

On 17 May RUSU LGBT Liberation group, with the help of RUSU will be celebrating International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

This is the chosen date for IDAHO because it is the anniversary of homosexuality’s removal from the World Health Organisation’s international classification of diseases.

The university will be flying a rainbow flag, the symbol of the LGBT community outside the library. There will also be a poster campaign and a guest blog on the RUSU site.

President of the LGBT Liberation Group, Ken Smailes said: “This day highlights that unfortunately homophobia, transphobia and biphobia still exist worldwide but it also provides us with an opportunity to make a difference to this.”

The LGBT rainbow flag will be flown in front of the library LGBT rights campaigners no doubt took heart from Wednesday’s development that US President Barack Obama openly supported the right for gay couples to marry.

Pictured: the women’s 8 at the PwC Regatta. Photographs by RUBC

UoR Gold Star Awards results Zorba’s to close for good chayya syal

The Gold Star Awards are the exciting new way for students to recognise and reward members of University staff who go above and beyond their normal duties in enhancing the student learning experience.

The award aims to recognise and reward exceptional staff at the University The ultimate winners are as follows: - Henley Business School: Dr Maria Gee. - Faculty of Science: Dr Orla Kennedy .

- Faculty of Life Sciences: Helen Marlow .

- Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Social Science: Alan Renwick .

- Support Staff: Jane Batchelor The above staff members have been nominated for a Gold Star Award by University of Reading students.

A short listing process took place with the RUSU Student Officers.

The winners were then picked

by Faculty Reps. Staff were

overwhelmed with the glowing responses from the students who nominated them.

Staff who enhance student learning experience were chosen as winners Comments on their hard work included: ‘supports students and staffs to achieve their full potential’, ‘always there to support me through my studies’ and ‘a bril-

liant member of staff who really deserves this award.’

RUSU would like to thank all of the students who submitted nominations and to all of the hardworking university staff who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide an excellent experience at Reading.

Congratulations to all those who were both nominated for and won a Gold Star Award. This award is a reminder of all those who work towards and contribute to the university as a whole. It is this, perhaps, that has helped the university’s Times’ ranking.

Photo from www.readingchronicle.co.uk zari’aat masood

From L-R: Alan Renwick, Dr Orla Kennedy, Helen Marlow. Photos from www.reading.ac.uk

After an extended suspension period and a cutting of their opening hours, Zorba’s Mr Cheezzy Chips is to close for good. Violence was common amongst both the employees and late night customers, who were often making their way home from local clubs and bars.

There have been 15 crimes reported in and around the fast food joint, and with the accusations of employees buying stolen goods on the job, and attacking customers, the Chairman of the committee, Councillor Paul Woodward, has

decided that it would be best to impose a two month suspension.

Mr Joannou, who has been selling food in Reading since 1963, said all the occurrences had taken place whilst he was not present, and stated "the police treated me like a drug dealer, I only sell burgers and kebabs!"

Although Zorbas may be missed on late nights out, the controversies surrounding the restaurant have led to several warnings, and the closing will undoubtedly be welcome from local authorities who are often called to the establishment.

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

news.spark@reading.ac.uk

News 3

Minghella building opened by Oscar-winning producer Sophie Elliott

Last Thursday 10 May saw the official naming of the University of Reading’s Minghella Building.

Guest of honour at this event was Oscar-winnning producer Lord David Puttnam, whose long career includes producing the iconic1984 film Chariots of Fire.

The new state of the art building will be the new home for the Departent of Film, Theatre and Television. Completed in 2011 at a cost of £11 million, the building contains two fully-equipped stu-

dio theatres and an experimental performance space, a digital cinema, TV studio, post-production suites, prop and costume workshops. It will as also house an extensive archive of films, recorded performances and TV programmes.

RUSU states that the Minghella Building “provides the ideal environment for world-class research into the performing arts and to allow the next generation of talented performers, writers, directors and technicians for stage, screen and set to blossom”.

Before the ceremony itself, Lord Puttnam delivered a special masterclass which gave students advice and an insight into working in the film industry.

Attended by family members of the late Anthony Minghella, after whom the building is named, Lord

Inside the new Minghella Building. Photo from www.reading.ac.uk

New facility for UoRM Reading student Sophie Elliott

The University of Reading Malaysia (UoRM) last week announced the opening of brand new teaching facilities in Johor Bahru.

UoRM aims to deliver programmes for future business leaders through the University’s Henley Business School, one of the world’s leading business education providers. The University also aims to be running pre-sessional courses for students “wishing to raise their English and academic levels before starting a university degree course and a one-year International Foundation Pro-

gramme preparing students for an undergraduate business degree”.

The programmes, which will start in June 2012, will be taught

by University of Reading faculty staff.. They will be located in the brand new purpose-built University of Reading Malaysia facility in the Kotaraya Office Tower in central Johor Bahru.

A RUSU press release states “this is the first phase of a major investment in Malaysia by University of Reading Malaysia. In 2015, the University will open its permanent campus in EduCity, to deliver a wide range of programmes, from law to chemistry, construction and finance”.

produces heist movie

“We now have a resource that befits our renowned reputation and will ensure we continue to produce graduates who will go on to achieve great things.”

His presence and words will be an inspiration to our current and future students Academy award-winning film director Minghella who died in

2008, was made an honorary graduate of the University of Reading in 2006 and was a patron of the Beckett International Foundation at the University.

An award-winning playwright, screenwriter and director, he is best known for directing The English Patient, for which he won an Academy Award, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Cold Mountain.

Professor of Psychology to receive award Chayya syal

Professor Dianne Berry, Director of Postgraduate Research Studies and Researcher Development, is to receive an honorary fellowship of the British Psychological Society for an outstanding and sustained contribution to psychology. She also received an OBE for services to scientific research in the 2012 New Year Honours list.

An outstanding contribution to psychology

A still from the second trailer. Photograph from YouTube. chayya syal

Architect’s impression of UoR Malaysia. Photo from www.reading.ac.uk

Puttnam also gave a speech during the ceremony in which he officially named the new facility.

Professor Jonathan Bignell, Head of the University’s School of Arts and Communication Design, said in a press release: “We are extremely grateful to Lord Puttnam for agreeing to open the Minghella Building. His presence and words will be an inspiration to our current and future students.”

RUBRiC is an upcoming heist movie directed by final year Fine Arts student Shaz Fard. The film is about a group of criminals planning to steal a piece of conceptual art from an art gallery called ‘The RUBRiC’.

Shaz says the movie draws influences from conceptual art pioneers Joseph Kosuth and Seb Lewitt. It is made by and features

Film and Theatre students from the university. Filmed in London and parts of the university, Shaz said: “We are currently in the process of post production and are tweaking the film. I greatly admire the work of Stanley Kubrick and this is definitely reflected in the film.”

To watch the trailer and for further details on the film’s progress, google or search YouTube for ‘Shaz Fard RUBRiC’.

The British Psychological Society is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK, responsible for the development, promotion and application of psychology for the public good.

This is the most prestigious award that the Society confers and is awarded to Professor Berry for her outstanding and sustained contribution to psychology. Professor Berry will be officially presented with the award at the Society's Annual General Meeting of the Society on 15 June.

4 NEWS

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

news.spark@reading.ac.uk

Illegal PR tricks by student mag editor CaLum Mcintyre Rogers

Spark* has been forwarded emails from the editor of National Student - a magazine aimed at students James Thornhill, to his writers.

The emails apparently reveal an ‘astroturfing’ attempt, where students would be paid for promoting a company on Facebook.

Astroturfing is when a company creates a fake grassroots movement. This is ruled as an illegal PR technique under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 act. In the emails, Thornhill offered £10 Amazon or ASOS vouchers in return for “post[ing] a few things on Facebook”. Though at first he asked students to get in touch if interested, he sent our source the rest of the information without being requested to do so.

Astroturfing has been illegal in the UK since 2008 Thornhill was promoting Hays plc, a recruitment and HR company which has been involved in illegal business practices in the past - Hays was fined £30 million in 2009 after being proven to have fixed prices in concert with similar companies.

Thornhill was targeting 12 universities, including Brunel, De Montfort and Kings College London. The students were asked to complete the ‘Hays Challenge’, a video game which purported to assess the participant’s potential HR skills - and then post a link to the game on student-oriented Facebook pages.

Students were offered £10 in vouchers in return for promoting Hays, an HR company Thornhill required screencaps of posts on a student society’s page, one’s own Facebook page and “your Universities” [sic], all with written comments. Thornhill warned that though the students could “feel free to adapt this to the normal way you would talk, there must NOT be any negative language towards Hays, the challenge or BigChoice”.

Whether Thornhill realised what he was doing was illegal is uncertain; on his Linkedin page, however, he claims to have a “[wide] knowledge of marketing practices and digital marketing including SEO, social media and web-promotion.” It is unclear as to whether anyone took him up on his offer.

Above: part of the second email from James Thornhill detailing the conditions of the details of the astroturfing

Crime in Reading is down

Photo of Superintendant Stuart Greenfield of Thames Valley Police Photo: www.getreading.co.uk Jon Hulks

Superintendent Stuart Greenfield confirmed last week that figures published in the Reading Post, which showed a 17% fall in crime in Reading, are reliable. When the statistics were released, they drew criticism from members of the public who claimed they were not trustworthy and had been 'massaged' by the police force. Supt Greenfield denied this allegation and reassured the public that a

recent study by HMIC (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary) showed Thames Valley is one of the top performing forces in the country in terms of data reliability.

The statistics published show that between April of last year and March this year, crime has fallen at a higher rate than the national average.

Chief Constable Sara Thornton commended Thames Valley Police, saying "we have done this despite reductions in our budget which

makes it more impressive. Most important of all, this means that there were over 20,000 fewer victims in Thames Valley last year."

The largest drop was of 'serious acquisitive crime’. These include burglary, robbery and car crime.

Supt Greenfield focused on reducing burglary.

Thames Valley Police has worked with individual offenders and the council’s drug and alcohol team.

However it is not all good news.

The detection rate (the percentage of crimes reported that end with someone being caught) has dropped from 24.1% to 23.2%.

Perhaps more alarmingly, currently only 8.7% of burglaries end with a prosecution.

Crime has fallen at a higher rate than the national average Superintendant Greenfield has admitted more needs to be done: “It is a difficult offence to detect – unless we catch them in the act it can be very hard because often burglaries aren’t reported until several hours or longer after they happen because people are out.”

Extra study spaces opened in time for exams chayya syal

The University has elected to designate new study spaces to accommodate the increased demand of students.

The rooms are open during a variety of hours, from 7pm-7am to 9am-10pm Selected teaching rooms have been converted into extra study areas for all students. Rooms available to use from 9am to 6pm are Miller Building G05 with 100 seats, the Henley Business School Building G04 with 24 places and the Agriculture Building GU06 with 20 places.

from 7pm to 7am. The Carrington Building 101 and 201 with 40 places in each room for students to do an all-nighter. Other rooms that are available from 9am to 10pm are in the HumSS 175 with 34 places and HumSS 301 with 30 places.

The university has also allocated study areas with computers for those who need them for their studies. These rooms will be open from 9am to 6pm and can be found in the JJ Thomson Building 128 and 19 with 12 places for students who also wish to work with computers.

The study spaces will accommodate the increased demand of students For those who work better late at night, the university has allocated certain rooms that will be open

Photo from www.coffeestainedcards.com

No bull.

Straight talking from KPMG.

Graduate Programmes All degree disciplines

We close for applications once we are full. To secure a place at KPMG, be sure to apply early. To find out more head straight to: www.kpmg.co.uk/careers

marketing@rusu.co.uk

© 2011 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

ADVERTISEMENT 5

6 INTERVIEW

interview.spark@reading.ac.uk

Friday 11 May 2012

Spark*

interview

Student Chosen Campaign no academic should believe themselves to be beyond additional personal development How often should we be seeing our personal tutors?

Ellis Wheatley

Student houses up and down the country seem to be obsessed with the singing show sensation, The Voice UK, but how do we make our voices count, on campus?

For this issue, Interview decided to report on the recent Student Voice meeting – in Upper 3Sixty - held on Thursday 3 May. The meeting was the first of the Summer term and discussed, in detail, two proposed campaigns.

Currently tutees are expected to be in contact with their tutors once a term. For many readers they will be shocked that this ‘expected’ number is as high as it is, as many have only seen their personal tutors once or twice in over a year!

At RUSU, however, we think that this simply isn’t enough. We propose that tutees should be seeing and contacting their tutors twice a term, to encourage and ‘follow up’ on the suggestions of action from the previous meeting.

What would these, twice termly, meetings consist of?

The twice termly meetings would be mandatory. Discussion would be the focus. The goals which the tutor and tutee set will not, necessarily, be written goals but also personal goals. The tutor will be a provider of both academic and pastoral care.

How could this be policed?

We would look into the involvement of the Director of Student Services and the Heads of Faculties.

What campaigns are you proposing this term?

We have two, equally deserving, and campaigns this term. Firstly, we have our ‘Tutor the Tutor’ campaign and, secondly, we have our Bulmershe campaign proposal.

Ben Haines proposes ‘Tutor the Tutor’: Could you tell us a little more about the ‘Tutor the Tutor’ campaign?

The proposed campaign aims to deal with the real disparity between the best and the poorest personal tutors. We believe that this gap has become so vast that it is having a serious and measurable impact on both academic performance and student welfare.

Who will benefit from this campaign?

Everyone: students and tutors. By developing and training tutors’ skills the students will reap the rewards.

The campaign name implies that the focus is on the tutors, what about the students?

It is a two way obligation. Our aim is not to punish the students, but create a more effective system and change the attitude to the current tutoring system. It would become beneficial and would be in the student’s own interest to attend and contribute.

Tutors may read this and view the proposal as an unnecessary workload. As a representative of RUSU, what are your views on this?

RUSU exists to represent the students. Students have identified this as a real concern and this campaign aims to address and change this – for the good of the students. Any real concerns of the students shouldn’t be ignored, especially by the body which seeks to represent and resolve their issues.

Is the funding, training and development a realistic hope?

Personal tutors have the potential to be, and many succeed in being, the most influential and inspiring academics we meet at University. Great personal tutors should inspire and encourage personal development. No academic should believe themselves to be beyond additional personal development.

We see a need here; one obligatory meeting a term simply isn’t good enough. We are paying fees and this shouldn’t be a matter of money for us as students.

We see a need here; one meeting a term simply isn’t good enough The other campaign proposed is the Bulmershe Hall campaign. The campaign is seeking recognition and short term change. This is the last academic year that Bulmershe Hall – an off campus halls of residence – serves our University.

Unfortunately the facilities at Bulmershe appear to have been closed, before the date of the closure of Bulmershe itself. The shop, the bar, the library have all been closed.

Lobbying the university senior management to immediately open and informal study space for Bulmershe students – as a replacement for the library, which they had expected to use, for the rest to term. We aim to also lobby the catering team, to reopen the Bulmershe bar and, finally, to lobby the university officials for monetary compensation for Bulmershe students. An explanation for the residents from the University with reasons for the changes would also be gratefully received.

How would you describe the Bulmershe campaign?

It is a reactionary campaign for students who are removed from the Whiteknights campus and potentially at a disadvantage – with regard to Student Voice.

Student Chosen Campaign Vote 4 -11 May Vote for your Chosen Campaign

Take Me Out

There are approximately 600 students at Bulmershe hall, all without the facilities which they were promised that they would receive.

What is the feeling emerging at Bulmershe that RUSU representatives have been faced with?

Some students residing at Bulmershe Hall feel ripped off and it is the job of the Students’ Union, and the wider student body, to support them in their struggle for a fair deal.

Some students residing at Bulmershe Hall feel ripped off What action is being proposed by RUSU, to help these students, in their proposed campaign?

If we can raise money for worthwhile charities, whilst having fun, we will The money goes towards a great cause, could you tell us briefly about the charity?

Childreach work with children in developing countries in different parts of the world, giving children access to healthcare, education and rights/protection. There are some great schemes. They’ve created helplines and tracking systems in India to stop children from being trafficked out of the country, they’ve built schools in Tanzania, and arranged for healthcare for new mothers in some of the remotest parts of Nepal.

[Childreach:] arranged healthcare for new mothers in the remotest parts of Nepal

Steph Johnson proposes that we need a ‘Fair Deal for Bulmershe’: How many students is this decline in facilities affecting?

popular and if we can raise money for worthwhile charities, whilst having fun, we will. There have been Take Me Out nights in universities around the country raising money for Childreach International. It’s just a very popular show and the format is really simple but also very entertaining.

EMILY HERD

Spark* interviewed Jenny Jope, who is in charge of Take Me Out for this term. Emily puts some questions to her, before the big night, tonight, Friday 11 May. You and the team have been planning this event for a while now, what have been the best and worst things about organising the event?

It’s exciting, but it has been quite stressful organizing it, especially during the exam period. We just thought it would be a good chance for students to get a break from revision. The best thing so far has been recruiting the guys and girls. We’ve got some great people involved.

Why have you chosen to take on Take Me Out instead of another entertainment show?

The show is one of the most entertaining on our TV screens. It is

The big night is tonight, what are you most looking forward to and what are you most worried about?

I can’t wait to just watch it myself now, after all the effort we’ve put in. I’m not really worried about anything at this point, I’m quite confident that’s it’s going to be a great night. Rebecca Digby, Sophie Hardwick and Ronan Handcock put on a brilliant show with their Take Me Out last term, so hopefully we’ll recreate their success!

Can we expect any surprises?

Who knows!? It’s the male and female contestants themselves who will make the show, so we’ll have to wait and see!

Congratulations to all the people organising this term’s Take Me Out event. Get your tickets now online or at the box office for the night’s event. (Friday 11 May)

Spark* Friday 27 April 2011

comment.spark@reading.ac.uk

DEBATE 7

Debate

First year: a practice or a waste of time?

Debating whether part one exams should count

No

Yes Tom puddy

First year at the moment is, for want of a better term, one big p*** up. One very big, very long and very expensive p*** up, but a p*** up nonetheless. Deadlines are ignored and derided, lectures are skipped, essays are put off until the very last minute, and many people forget that it’s possible to wake up in the morning without feeling hung over. So let’s face it, it’s a p*** up.

I apply this to teetotallers and light drinkers as well, you’re not working any harder than the rest of us are/did, and deep down, you know it too.

It’s easy as well. The great creed of the first year student of “f*** it, it’s 40 percent” has served to reassure many a first year that they’re doing the right thing. That hard work and revision are unnecessary, and that lectures are a waste of time.

You’ve put in all that hard work for your A levels, you’re finally free and independent from your parents, it’s all new and it’s exciting. Why not enjoy yourself? And if you miss a couple of tutorials here and there, well f*** it, it’s 40 percent.

By and large, I agree with it.

First year is a great time. You’re never going to have as much time to enjoy yourself as in first year, you’ve worked hard to get to uni, and you’re now free to be your own person away from home. Not to mention all the new friends and experiences out there. There is absolutely no reason to put an end to the fun of first year.

Yet by exam time, is there really all that much of uni life that’s new to you? After several months of settling in, getting yourself acquainted, meeting new people, coping on your own, discovering how your course works etc. etc. is there really all that much more that you have to learn to cope with? If there is then I would love to know what on earth it might be, because if you’re not settled into uni life by exam time, the chances are that you won’t ever be.

Assuming that you’re one of the multitude who under-performs in first year, what exactly have you left with? A substandard knowledge of your subjects, a rough idea of how lectures work and probably a battered liver. The marks mean nothing and reflect even less about the student taking the exams.

So far as your CV is concerned, you’ve achieved nothing. Zilch.

The year was wasted.

But if the first year were worth something, it would surely make first year students try harder. The majority of first years don’t fail, but rarely reach their potential in their marks.

Instead they learn very bad habits. Pulling an all nighter for example is a great way to lose marks, but also a way of letting you have one more night out before starting your essay. At A level however, it’s almost unheard of. In fact I will go out on a limb and say that many some students rarely if ever work as hard at uni as they did at A level. And the reason? Well... f*** it, it’s 40 percent.

It’s this apathy from first year that is the problem. For some students, it can even endure into later years at uni, and has a significant impact on the grades of students who treat second and third year the same as they treated first year.

This is damaging for students.

Obviously these are all generalisations.

Of course this isn’t universally true, but students only stand to gain by having a greater incentive to work. Yes, many students struggle to fit in at first. But by exam time, people really ought to have made that adjustment. By the end of the year students ought to have something to work for.

Their exams ought to mean something, and not just be a dummy run for real exams.

Academically first year is little more than a year long waste of money. It ought to mean more.

First years should have a better idea of what’s expected of them, and they need a reason to give it their best shot.

The majority of first years rarely reach their potential

Academically first year is little more than a year long waste of money

First year is our year to taste freedom and cut loose

Eliora shahrabani

The first year of university is time of major change in every student’s life. Most of us will have moved away from home for the first time and will have to learn how to become self sufficient.

Now everything must be done by us. The washing, ironing and cooking for ourselves is a huge adjustment and because of this the first year will teach us how to balance commitments.

University demands a new lifestyle; that amount of change in our lives is enough for one period of time.

When we start university, one of the first things that we notice as students is the massive jump in the expectations of our professors and the work we’re set. More research required, longer essays, and more work overall. The expected standard of this work is also higher than what we have been used to and despite this, though our lecturers are available to help us, they will not chase up our work. We are given an abundance of free time in which to complete our assignments and if we don’t do it ourselves then it’s our problem.

The first year is a practise year to see how much effort must be put into our work and how to make ourselves work without the push we have been accustomed to. The number of students dropping out of university in their first year is on the rise and when attempting to find the right balance in a new situation for first year exams to count towards our degree would be unneeded, excess stress.

The first year of university is used to ‘even the playing field’. The degree programme chosen may be entirely new to us but there are others who took it at A level and so they’ll have an advantage, having already learned what’s new to us.

When studying a literary based degree, if one of the students in your class has already studied the book in school and been able to discuss it with their former teachers, their previous knowledge gives them an advantage. When studying a language any previous

course taken, even if all that was learned were the basics, gives the student with prior knowledge an advantage. The levelling out of students is even more important for the foreign students for whom English may not be their first language and yet they’ll be taught, at least primarily, in English. Some time to become accustomed to how people talk as opposed to ‘textbook’ English could be very helpful.

First year will help bring students to the same level.

In this University, most courses require that we take forty to sixty credits outside our degree programme in our first year. It’s mandatory. What if we didn’t enjoy the modules we chose? I personally took two archaeology courses and I despised them. The subject which is so interesting to others became the bane of my existence for a year; I resented being forced to take them at a time in my life when I was expecting complete freedom, especially in my education. While it’s great that we get pushed to expand our horizons, if you don’t like the subject that you’re studying then the chances of doing well decrease. It would be unfair for our degree to be marked on how well we do in exams that are not from our degree programme.

There is a social aspect to university that we can’t ignore, especially when it’s new to us. For most of us, this is the longest period of time we’ve ever had without our parents. We have no one telling us what time to come home at night, or how many drinks we’re allowed to have and if our parents do still try to set these rules they can’t make us follow them. First year is our year to taste freedom and cut loose. We are discovering who we are, joining societies and making new friends. This is the year we’re given to test our limits and try new things, which is not something I’d want to lose. University isn’t just about academics but also about advancing ourselves as a person.

That much change in our lives in such a short period of time should not be inhibited by the stress of exams.

8 COMMENT

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

comment.spark@reading.ac.uk

comment My view: can we redefine feminism?

Roberta Sarll

Kerrie’s article in the last issue, which was called ‘Why I won’t use the F word’ in the previous issue of Spark* was both interesting and thought-provoking in its discussion of feminism and its relevance to today’s young woman.

However, I disagreed with it on many levels.

Firstly I disagree with the idea that “men are no longer the biggest threat, it is now women themselves”. Men exclusively were never the problem in the first place. It was the perpetuating ideology of a patriarchal society that continued up until second-wave feminism/ the feminist movement of the early 1960s to the late 1990s, in which women were complicit.

Men exclusively were never the problem in the first place Like Kerrie, I think labels can be unhelpful, and confusing. However, I believe that in modern, progressive western 2012, the only thing being a feminist means is advocating equal rights for women.

This is the definition the Oxford English Dictionary also gives.

To call yourself a feminist is a personal choice but it can also be irrelevant if you make your belief in equal rights for women vocal, if only when discussing such issues with friends.

The term ‘feminism’ certainly has negative associations. For many, images of bra-burning, unshaven armpits, cropped-hair and man-hating are all ideas that spring to mind when considering what a feminist is, as Kerrie points out. When I was having some lunch with girlfriends two weeks ago, I was horrified when one friend said that feminism is all “about man-hating isn’t it?”

No it definitely isn’t. Extremities happen in any given political/ religious/ general beliefs. It doesn’t mean this is what the majority of followers of that party or religion or people in general believe, far from it. That said I can’t think of a single man-hating feminist off the top of my head.

I believe in equal rights for women. I have long hair and like most women I know, I shave my armpits and wear a bra. I also have a boyfriend, whom I respect very much. Let’s confound

feminist stereotypes even more – I used to be co-fashion editor of this newspaper. Yes I’m interested in feminism, fashion, beauty. There’s nothing wrong with this combination.

these people find enough things to talk about?”

it here. A few years ago I would have disowned myself for writing a blog, if that’s even possible.

But now I have seen the glorious blogging light and am converted.

Granted, my blog gets in the way of my revision. It is my prime mode of procrastination. The thing that has been the most eye opening is that I find it very soothing, being able to type out a little ramble about something innocuous. It’s like escapism in my own private realm of what I find interesting. It’s also quite nice to see how many people had read it, but I try not to focus on that too much.

I am the first person to admit that blogging can be pretentious and pointless. But if it’s a way for talented writers, and sometimes important issues, to be made known, in a free forum, then why the hell not!

Women who call themselves feminists do not in fact scorn women who choose to return to work after having children Generalising is, in this instance, very unhelpful. The majority of women who would call themselves feminists do not in fact scorn women who choose to return to work after the birth of their children, as Kerrie suggests. Every woman has a slightly different idea of what feminism means to them but that’s because every woman has her own personal set of circumstances, are different.

Just look at the range of perspectives expressed on www.thefword. org.uk and http://feministing.com/, as well as http://www.object.org. uk. Kerrie asks why fight only for female equality? I agree that

A big blogging deal?

Lizzie Pollington

Social media is taking over the planet. Well that might be a little bit over dramatic but surely you can see where I’m coming from.

Every single time I turn on a computer, I have to check my Facebook and Twitter before I can do what I really meant to. I often forget why I even turned my laptop on. I’m a pretty restrained person, which says a lot about the power of social media. But the thing that I’ve found most addictive recently is blogging.

Blogging is a great forum for opinions, talent and information I won’t lie, I didn’t get blogging for a long, long time. Sometimes I forget how long blogging has actually been around, but then I remember, a few years ago, thinking blogs were just another way for self centred people to talk about themselves. I got why famous people had blogs, but even that seemed a bit to self congratulatory for my liking. I always thought, “How do

Sometimes blogs are pointless, but most of the time they are at least well written and entertaining Those thoughts are a thing of the past. Having witnessed friends’ blogs that were funny and quirky and that I actually looked forward to reading new posts on, I started to have some appreciation.

Blogging is a great forum for opinions, talent and information. Not everybody has a student newspaper to have their writing printed in, and blogging is a free, accessible way to share things.

Sometimes blogs are pointless, but most of the time they are at least well written and entertaining.

More often than not blogs do have a point, whether it’s fashion, food or politics, and the internet is the thing that facilitates it all.

I have even gone so far as to start a blog of my own. Don’t worry, I’m not shamelessly advertising

men should have equality too.

The truth of the matter, however, is that sexism towards women is a great deal more pervasive in today’s society, than it is towards men. As a woman you only have to walk down the street to get harassed by a guy who thinks it’s his right to do so simply because he’s male and you’re female.

We aren’t cave men or women any more. Women shouldn’t have to put up with such harassment but most people don’t think it’s a big deal, that it’s flattering even. Personally, there have been several times when I have found harassment more than just irritating but actually highly intimidating. Why should I be subject to that purely because I am a woman? Holla back! is a movement to end street harassment: http://www.ihollaback. org/.

Feminism is still an issue.

Women are significantly underrepresented in key positions of power, positions that impact our society.

The overall number of women in the Houses of Parliament is less than 25%. Gender pay gap statistics are also alarming; the gap in median hourly pay in the UK is 10.2%, with women suffering. The gap in full-time median hourly pay

is even worse; it can be as high as 48.6% for female metal making and treating process operatives, 42.4% for female brokers, 28.5% for female doctors, 23.6% for female lawyers and 21.6% for female directors of major organisations, I need not go on.

Feminism is also important because if this generation doesn’t stand up for itself then we are only making things harder for ourselves. Women and men are good for society, why can’t we recognise that equally, rather than pushing one gender at the expense of another? Finally, what about the rest of the world? In Saudi Arabia you are feminist if you’re a woman and you want to drive a car. We need to be the change we want to see the world over.

Women are significantly underrepresented in key positions of power Call it feminism or any name you please, it’s not important so long as we acknowledge the situation and its relevance today.

Do you want to write for Spark*?

If there is something you want the readers of Spark* to hear about, drop us an email at: comment.spark@reading.ac.uk

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012 

comment.spark@reading.ac.uk

COMMENT 9

Exam records: know your rights Lewis Carr

Anyone who wishes to know exactly what the examiner thought of their work have the right to ask more about exam marks under the Data Protection Act.

The Information Commissioner’s Office promotes openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals According to this act, students can request information about themselves, including examination marks, scripts, comments and the minutes of examination appeal panels. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 at the University of Reading gives a greater account of the university’s individual policies.

The right to access the personal information an organisation holds about us is one of the cornerstones of the Data Protection Act. At this time of year, many students are focusing on their exam results and may want to access further infor-

mation about their performance.

They can do this by making a subject access request under the Data Protection Act. Having the right to access information such as a breakdown of your overall mark and examiners’ comments may not always lead to grades being altered but could help make important decisions that impact on your future - such as deciding whether to re-sit an exam or pursue a particular subject.

Under the Data Protection Act, individuals have the right to request the information that an organisation holds about them – known as a subject access request. In the case of exam results, exam bodies must respond within 40 days from the date the results were published or within five months of the request being received - whichever of the two is the earliest.

If examination bodies fail in their legal duty to respond students can take a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent regulator of the Data Protection Act, who will look into it: http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_

public/topic_specific_guides/ schools/exam_results.aspx Advice about accessing exam records, provided by the ICO, has been developed to explain student’s rights to access personal exam records under the Act and also outlines how people can access more general information about college or university policies or procedures.

The Information Commissioner’s Office upholds information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.

Individuals have the right to request the information that an organisation holds about them The ICO’s Student Brand Ambassador campaign is a nationwide project aimed at raising young people’s awareness of information rights.

For more information about the campaign visit: http://www. facebook.com/therealalexdavies.

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10 FILM&TV

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film&TV

The Avengers: the best superhero movie ever made Directed by: Joss Whedon Starring: Sam Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Robert Downey Jr. Running Time: 142 mins Genre: Action/Adventure/ Sci-Fi

driving forward. The film never lets up, continually having the story going, but some how it isn’t exhausting to watch, thanks to the amazing dialogue scenes drawing you in. The genre is even hard to describe, switching between that of sci-fi, Shakespearean drama, war-epic and even some times horror, across the entire film. I think Joss Whedon has some how made a super(hero) movie!

Tom Hill

Pulitzer Prize winning film critic, Roger Ebert once said: “When you ask a friend if Hellboy is any good, you’re not asking if it’s any good compared to Mystic River, you’re asking if it’s any good compared to The Punisher.” And on that grounds, Avengers Assemble is the best super hero film ever made because The Dark Knight is a crime epic that happens to have Batman in.

Firstly, I wouldn’t recommend seeing it without first seeing Ironman 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, otherwise you won’t understand who any of the non-eponymous characters are and why they’re important. Once you’ve seen those three (do it fast!), go see Avengers Assemble, you won’t regret it.

the greatest performance is the director, Joss Whedon

Everyone plays their parts wonderfully. Tom Hiddleston and Scarlett Johansson are a treat as a devious, manipulative demi-god and assassin, respectively. Alongside this, the verbal sparring matches between Chris Helmsworth, Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are hilarious, engaging and definitely the main draw of the film. Sam Jackson, Jeremy Renner and Clark Gregg also perform astoundingly.

Though by far the best, Mark Ruf-

falo steals the show as the timid Bruce Banner, all the time trying to control the rage monster within.

Unlike what I was expecting (a drawn-out war film), The action is in short bursts; it’s well shot, entertaining and intense. Though it suffers from a bit of ‘Cloverfield camera’, the fact everyone’s costume is so varied makes it easy to know who’s where and doing what. Each person also gets there own time to shine, with several

sequences showing that everyone, even Agent Coulson, can be a bad ass.

But definitely, the greatest performance in this film is the director, Joss Whedon. He managed to bring together characters, written and directed by completely different people, into this film and made it work. The story (co-written by him) ties together the other films perfectly; it’s funny, engaging, easy to follow and continuously

American Reunion: top of the class... Again!

Director: Jon Hurtwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Starring: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott Running Time: 113 Mins Genre: Comedy Claire Minnitt

It’s fair to say that it’s been a while since the American Pie movies

were a popular choice for teenagers in search of some crude, high-school humor. In the mid-00s they were taken over by a new generation of high-school, nearthe-knuckle comedy films such as Superbad. Now, it seems that by bringing back the American Pie series in the format of a reunion allows the previous late 90s nostalgia to mix in with the familiarity of the 2012 world we live in.

The basic plot is simply the old crew coming back together after seemingly ‘growing-up’ and leading adult lives. Of course, throughout the film it is clear that not much has changed since high school.

The basic plot is simply the old crew coming back together Each character deals with particular ‘blasts from the past’ either eventually reinforcing their current relationships or causing them to partner up with old classmates, seeing them in a different light to before.

mishaps to their high school days yet with a strangely sweet and touching atmosphere surrounding it all.

Editor’s take:

The Reunion brings back all the characters as we remembered and loved them. Stifler, for example, is still the biggest jerk yet they all still love him. The constantly awkward and crude jokes and moments are still very much included in this sequel, yet there is a slight air of sweet nostalgia and reminiscence throughout the entire film.

Perhaps this is down to the original target audience of the first films have, indeed also, matured much like the characters yet are reminded that their maturity doesn’t necessarily mean they have changed as people.

Overall, the same awkward, crude crowd return for similar

This is probably the best film of the four. It was quite an achievement just to bring the entire original cast; something which the American Pie: Presents spin-off couldn’t do.

The hints of nostalgia were perfect, especially the throwbacks to classic tunes of the 90s. The soundtrack is always something worth mentioning with any American Pie

I went into this film just hoping it wouldn’t suck and ruin the rest of the series but this film blew me away and was so much more than I was expecting. The only way it could have been better was if Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson kissed. If you get the chance in between exams, treat yourself and watch either this or Cabin in the Woods. Avengers Assemble has the Hulk punching a space-whale in the face, so I’d go with this, given a choice.

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movie and even with the inclusion of modern songs the music stands up strong and really reinforces a ‘reunion’ feel.

Whilst Tara Reid may have melted slightly, everyone still looks the same an even Stiffler’s Mom appears preserved in her secret-hideaway room when Jim’s dad stumbles in - it’s even funnier than you could possibly imagine!

Plenty of laughs, cringe-worthy moments as well as hints of maturity and tenderness, this film is a winner.

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FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - with a script already written, Universal Studios are in talks to start production on Kick Ass 2 as soon as possible - about time too!

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

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FILM&TV 11

The Lucky One: another beautiful Nicholas Sparks adaptation Directed by: Scott Hicks Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling and Blythe Danner Running Time: 101 Mins Genre: Drama/ Romance

lives of the whole of Beth’s family, Logan also makes Keith a better person, therefore proving to himself, his worth, giving him an inner peace that was not present at the beginning of the film.

I was pleasantly astonished by the calibre of the acting within this film, particularly from Efron who has definitely thrown off his High School Musical image, to become the believably troubled marine.

Charlotte Coster

Having absolutely loved The Notebook, but hating Dear John equally as much, I was unsure as to how I was going to feel about this latest Nicholas Sparks adaption. Of course, it is not hard predict what is going to happen throughout most of the film, but it is enjoyable none the less and the kind of romantic fantasy that every girl needs.

the kind of romantic fantasy that every girl needs Despite being a light romance the film is very relevant to all the soldiers who are still out in Iraq fighting and does present some real issues that many veterans face, namely the guilt of surviving when so many of their friends did not make it.

Despite being a light romance the film is very relevant to all the soldiers who are still out in Iraq Private Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) believes he has found his guardian angel when a picture of a girl, who we later find out is called Beth, (Taylor Schilling) saves him from several life-threatening events during his time in the Middle East. So obviously, on his return to America, he embarks on a mission to find her; he succeeds

and obviously they fall in love despite some obstacles that are put in their way. But despite this foreseeable plot, there are enough twists and turns along the way, to keep it interesting.

Throughout the film, Logan is the epitome of a perfect man. Not only is he insanely good looking in a muscly, brooding kind of way but he is also good with dogs, good

with children and can play the piano, on top of which he is unfailingly respectful and polite. How much more perfect can he get?

Logan [Efron] is the epitome of a perfect man

All that I was surprised about, and thought was frankly a bit unrealistic, was how long it took for Beth to realise this. Especially as she is depicted as a sweet but quite vulnerable single Mum who is bullied consistently by her ex-husband Keith (played by Jay R. Ferguson), using their son as blackmail to continue to control her life. But, similar to how he enriches the

Marley: the man behind the magical music own sense of being an outsider because he was mixed race, the son of a British soldier who never acknowledged him.

Directed by Kevin MacDonald Starring: Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Jimmy Cliff Running Time: 144 mins Genre: Documentary/ Biography

Watching him perform is magical

Emma Dawson

Marley is an insight into the life of Bob Marley, one that celebrates his spirit, his creativity, his genius and his influence. If it errs on the side of hagiography, well, at least it gives us glimpses of previously unseen (and unheard) Marley performances, and as much interview footage as filmmaker Kevin Macdonald could collect.

Why, then, even after almost two and a half hours, does Marley feel incomplete? Make no mistake: I enjoyed the film and found the interviews intriguing - with everyone from Chris Blackwell (who signed Marley to his record label) to Bunny Wailer (one of Marley's original bandmates) to his wife Rita, his girlfriend Cindy Breakspeare and a couple of his children. They tell a story of

young Bob who, as a kid, always wanted to make music and began recording at a young age. He also had a highly developed sense of social justice, which sprang from his poverty-stricken youth and his

But there is apparently very little archival material of Marley himself being interviewed on camera or radio either in a serious manner or by someone with a depth of knowledge about the man and his music. So much of Marley is secondhand -- primary sources, to be sure, eyewitnesses and participants. Yet no one seems to have a great depth of understanding about Marley, at least that comes through that way. The only one who comes close is his daughter Cedella, who talks frankly about her lifelong inability to capture her father's attention in a meaningful way. He was, by her account, an inattentive father (and a prolific one, fathering almost a dozen children with more than a half-dozen women), who let his children compete for his focus. The women in his life seemed to understand his

allergy to monogamy; his children faced similar expectations.

But Macdonald can't seem to find anyone who has anything more negative to say about Marley than that he was all too human. He's hailed as a courageous and politically astute musician who helped calm political violence (after an attack on his compound left him with bullet wounds) during a testy election season. And the footage doesn't lie: there he is with political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga, both candidates for prime minister, making them clasp hands on his stage in front of a massive crowd at one of his so-called ‘peace concerts’.

I was pleasantly astonished However, as the story shows, everything does happen for a reason and no matter how bleak everything looks, if you try to stay positive, things do have a way of working themselves out.

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ling more than 30 years after its release.

Still, as you listen to the people who knew him talk about Bob Marley in Marley, you get the impression that he left the people in his life (not to mention his fans around the world) wanting more. Which can also be said of Kevin Macdonald's Marley.

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there is apparently very little archival material of Marley himself Watching him perform is magical; he achieves an almost trancelike abandon, his dreadlocks creating curtains of hair as he spins around.

The music - from the earliest anthems to such later hits as Exodus and Punky Reggae Party - stands up, still intoxicating and compel-

FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - Marvel signed Mark Ruffalo (Avengers Assemble’s Hulk) to appear in a further five movies - is a new Hulk movie on the cards?

12 FILM&TV

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film&TV

Silent House: more unsettling than scary Director: Chris Kentis, Laura Lau Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Adam Trese, Eric Sheffer Stevens Running Time: 85 Mins Genre: Horror Jonathan Edney

Haunted houses usually look gothic and are on top of a hill or in the middle of an eerie valley. This haunted house is decidedly more modern, although still isolated from the civilised world and with it comes the innovative idea to shoot the film so that it appears as one shot (even though it isn’t).

The innovation of filming to appear as one take gives the film a realistic appearance, similarly to the Paranormal Activity films, and any cuts are cleverly disguised to maintain the continuity of the sequence. Some sequences are disorientating but this is undoubtedly deliberate so that audiences can get a sense of Sarah’s terror.

The house is falling into disrepair and there are plenty of dark rooms

that need illumination from a torch to reveal their secrets.

The film seems to be building to a generic climax but events become even more disturbing

some of the predictable scares leave you only faintly scared The events unfold in real time as Sarah, who is staying at a lakeside house with her father and her uncle to help fix it up, endures a terrifying ordeal within its walls.

There are many horror cliches (communications cut off, camera showing shadowy figure in the distance unseen by the protagonist), which are used as effectively as they can be, but for the most part, the fear factor is unsettling rather than outright terrifying.

Elizabeth Olsen (recently seen to great acclaim in Martha Marcy May Marlene) is the ‘scream queen’ through whom the audience feels the fear and she rises to the challenge, able to vocalise her terror or merely show it in her face as she grabs her lamp and climbs the stairs to investigate whatever noises are happening at the time.

The film seems to be building to a generic climax but events become even more disturbing and baffling and the final moments are a surprise, if not particularly effective in that they reduce the impact of what has happened throughout the film. Still, this is a temporarily effective haunted house movie with a rising star that will hold your attention even if some of the predictable scares leave you only faintly scared.

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Safe: typically violent but gripping Directed By: Boaz Yakin Starring: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Chris Sarandon Running Time: 94 min Genre: Crime Thriller Michelle Wandy Badipe

From the director of the heartwarming inspirational American football movie Remember the Titans, comes a tale of crime and intrigue, a thriller that makes you jump, grip your seat, and coo at the sweetness of Mei (Catherine

Chan), an eleven year old Chinese girl with an extraordinary mind.

The movie follows the story of ex-agent Luke Wright (Jason Statham) a man with a past who wrecks havoc in New York City as he takes down the Chinese Triads, the Russian Mafia, and the corrupt police force, in order to atone his past and save young Mei.

Zoë Annabel Richardson

10. Tiger Lily - Peter Pan

She is brave and defiant, even with an anchor tied to her she doesn’t sell out Peter Pan and the Lost Boys to Hook!

9. Maid Marian - Robin Hood

She’s out helping her citizens, practically a mother to the children of Nottingham. She aides Robin Hood and the Merry Men, even getting involved in a few fights.

8. Megera - Hercules

Meg’s not waiting for her prince to come but she ends up helping Hercules to restore his godly status only for him to give it up to be with her.

7. Giselle - Enchanted

She has that dream we’ve all had about life since we were little kids: to find our prince and live happily ever after. However, she ends up slaying her own dragon and rescuing her man.

6. Aurora - Sleeping Beauty

Aurora was hidden from her royal heritage and got raised by a trio of fairies, so it’s not all bad for her.

She’s only stupid because she gets cursed, not because she’s a drip.

5. Tiana - The Princess and the Frog

Tiana takes no nonsense and shows all the hardworking people that sometimes it’s worth staying in and putting your all into your work to get what you want out of life.

4. Jasmine - Alladin

Jasmine is defiant and feisty and doesn’t go along with what society expects of her. She helps to save herself and her land, and she has a tiger for a best friend.

If you’re into movies with a lot of blood and a lot of bullets, Safe is for you The film grips you instantly with its effective sound mixing and creative editing, although it also uses the hand held camera technique that has become popular in Hollywood. It was effective in some ways, but overall should have been left with unique movies like Chronicle and The Hunger Games.

However, Mei’s story, her mind and how it’s used as a weapon between warring gangstas in New York City adds an interesting and fresh element to this crime thriller.

The Top 10 Disney Princesses

3. Rapunzel - Tangled

Rapunzel is innocent and wideeyed and uses her amazing hair to get her out of trouble.

2. Mulan - Mulan

The violence is a bit too much, but it serves its purpose, and the acting doesn’t take away from the movie, even though you can’t help but ‘aww’ at Mei’s genuine innocence (maybe that’s just me) and gawk at Jason Statham’s portrayal of badass killing machine Luke.

The story grips you instantly

If you’re into movies with a lot of blood, a lot of bullets, interesting plots and one-liners then Safe is for you. Personally I thought the movie was well edited and directed, but if there was better character development it could have reached the level of crime thrillers like Scorsese’s The Departed.

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She saves the whole of China! She also has a wise-crackin’ dragon side-kick and, whilst she’s not officially royalty, the emperor gives her honours, which is just as good!

1. Belle - Beauty and the Beast

Belle sacrifices her own happiness to save her family and tames the Beast. Not to mention she lives in an enchanted castle and gets to wear that lovely big gold dress.

She’s a good role model for all the little girls (and maybe some of the big girls to) to look up to.

FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - Ridley Scott’s new sci-fi/horror Prometheus will have a 15 certificate in the UK without cuts or edits - a huge relief for eager fans!

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FILM&TV 13

Gone: a good psychological thriller with a tense end Director: Heitor Dhalia Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Daniel Sunjata, Jennifer Carpenter Running Time: 94 Minutes Genre: Thriller/ Drama

parks of Western America, which Jill scours regularly for sign of the murder site.

Without revealing too much, the resolute ending provides a very tense, though ultimately bizarre sequence of events which leaves you with more questions than answers. Why has the killer been so hard to find all this time? And why has Dhalia chosen to add an ominous character in the new addition to the police force who suspiciously tries to help Jill too much? If as a red herring then, forgive me but it is through loose association that we could fully suspect him with only a couple of ominous looks as evidence (that and the fact that he, Wes Bentley, plays the antagonistic Crane in Hunger Games ).

Hayley Garwood

Meet Jill (Amanda Seyfried), an over-cautious and paranoid waitress living a sheltered, mundane life two years after claiming to have been abducted. After encountering a slightly strange customer in her late night café, Jill’s house-mate and sister Molly goes missing the night before her exam and Jill is convinced that she has been kidnapped by the same untraceable man that took her from her bed.

The resolute ending provides a very tense, though ultimately bizarre sequence of events Through flash backs we see that she had in fact been left in a hole in the woods with the remains of other missing women, something the police are willing to ignore on

account of being unable to find said hole or the man responsible her almost-murder. The police and Molly’s boyfriend treat her as a mental patient, giving her their time but no serious consideration until she takes the case into her own hands and embarks on some vigilante mission to find the man responsible for her trauma and her sister’s disappearance.

The film leaves many logical gaps With the revelation that Molly is only living with her sister as a babysitter after being discharged

from a mental ward, the film explores the audience’s trust in a character who may simply be overreacting.

film explores the audience’s trust This may be a personal association, but when seeing a Summit film production, one initially thinks of Twilight or the same director’s Red Riding Hood (also starring Seyfried). The only noticeable trait of this company’s influence on the film making lies in the setting, the sense of detachment and isolation of the forested national

TV Review: Community Zoe Annabel Richardson

There are many shows that are heaped with praise and often seem undeserving, but Community is definitely not one of them.

Broadcast on NBC in America but sadly hidden away on obscure channels like Viva and Sony TV here in the UK, it’s found second life with the release of the first season on dvd, and broadcast of the second season, finally, on British television.

Set in a community college in America, Community sees a former lawyer with a fake degree forced to go back to get a real one.

At the college, he forms a fake study group in order to get with a member of his Spanish class but the situation, as all shows go, is that the group consists of a bunch of lovable and hilarious characters.

Now bear with the show, the first five or so episodes of this 25 episode first season take a little time to get going, but it just means that each character is being nicely fleshed out and established so that we connect with them. They’re not just two dimensional stereotypes

with catchphrases. Character wise, there is the brilliant Ken Jeong (The Hangover’s Mr Chow) as their Spanish teacher whose performance should be worth the price of the DVD alone, as well as the fantastic bromance of Troy and Abed. The show is incredibly aware of being a television show, sending up regular TV show clichés whilst homaging many. One character especially lives in his

own meta world, acknowledging the world that he is whilst being a massive film and TV geek, like many of its viewers.

Especially as we are university students, there’s a lot we can relate to, like crazy module professors, watching terrible, terrible movies and things we wish we could do.

For example, a last-man standing paintball fight throughout campus (hands down the best episode of the season) or building blanket forts around their halls. Now who hasn’t wanted to do that?

As university students, there’s a lot we can relate to Each episode is about 22 minutes, so something nice to watch as a break from essays or revising, though be warned, it can get pretty addictive!

Season one is on sale in most DVD shops. The second season has just began broadcast on the Sony TV channel, Tuesday nights at 10:30pm and repeated on Sundays. It is definitely worth a watch.

Just as we are never sure if Jill is really crazy, one cannot be sure if this is an attempt at a modern film noir is entirely convincing.

The film leaves many logical gaps and the final scenes leaves the film difficult to picture in it’s entirety.

Gone is at times very gripping and consistently watch-able in its telling of the beautiful Seyfried’s struggle to avenge herself and her sister through extra-legal means.

However, like Molly, there are parts of the story missing and the question is not if we trust in Jill, but in the work as a whole.

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Gone is at times very gripping and consistently watchable Seyfried is great in such a difficult role; presenting a character who is at once disassociated and worsens her situation through panicked anxiety, but still conducts an intelligent and pretty bad-ass investigation of her own concerns.

a bizarre sequence of events

This month at the RFT...

This month the RFT is showing War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg, adapted from Morpurgo’s novel and the famed National Theatre version. Strong direction, impeccable craft, and great perfomances result in a moving and exciting film.

Tuesday 22 May (19:45):

War Horse (12A) Thursday 24 May (20:00):

Carancho (The Vulture) 15) Tuesday 29 May (20:00):

Young Adult(15) Thursday 7 June (20:00):

Salmon Fishing in The Yemen (12A) Tuesday 12 June (20:00):

Carnage (15)

Prices: Members £4.00 Non-members £5.50 Annual Membership £9.00

FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - Warner Bros. have decided to make our dreams come true by announcing a sequel to The Avengers!

14 MUSIC

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

music.spark@reading.ac.uk

music

FEATURE Spark* looks at who you should back for Baku in Eurovision 2012 wistful ballad about following your heart “cause love comes once if you’re lucky enough” and Bert has decades of experience singing live so he should perform it with aplomb.

Soluna Samay – Should’ve Known Better Denmark This downbeat entry, about feeling lost in a relationship, should stand out amidst the bangers and ballads as there’s an interesting, rough quality to Samay’s voice and it uses ‘real instruments’ without being dull. If this translates in the live performance then it deserves to do well.

Tooji – Stay – Norway Nia Thomas

On May 26 an estimated one billion people will watch 26 countries compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, this year held in Azerbaijan. Here is a quick look at eight potential winners. More important than the Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Ball combined, the Eurovision Song Contest is the perfect way to begin post-exam celebrations.

Jedward – Waterline - Ireland A somewhat subdued effort by their usual hyperactive standard, even their hair is flat in the video,

Waterline is part-upbeat Westlife, part-Busted at their most nasal.

They will have to do something spectacular for this to stand out in the finals. Maybe Calvin Harris could run on stage with a pineapple on his head again.

Engelbert Humperdinck – Love Will Set You Free - U.K. The first to perform in the final, historically it means Dincky is at a disadvantage as it may get forgotten. This is the best British entry for years, which may not sound like the biggest compliment when remembering the past few years’ dreadful entries. It is a subtle,

INTERVIEW

With most upbeat songs at Eurovision the melody is overwhelmed by dance elements but this is a strong pop song with a super-catchy chorus. It has squelchy bleeps, siren noises, Eastern-European elements with the strings and drums and it sounds a little like Blow

by Ke$ha. There aren’t any male singers around at the moment that are willing to incorporate all these elements which makes this song refreshing.

Loreen – Euphoria - Sweden The current bookies’ favourite, this is a classic eurobanger with quiet verses that crash in to an, unsurprisingly, euphoric cho-

Willy Moon is a potential icon of cool, with a fetish for smart suits and fashion shoots. One of those shoots shows him looking particularly dapper, old-fashioned telephone in hand, sitting on a wooden chair surrounded by attractive

ode to social networking. If you’re into cringing at Rebecca Blackstyle music videos, then the video is worth watching, mostly for the thought bubbles and Monetta’s creepy unblinking stare.

Roman Lob – Standing Still - Germany

The Russian entry is a bunch of partying grannies with a combined age of 403. Between The Zimmers on Britain’s Got Talent and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel isn’t watching old people doing things that people wouldn’t ‘stereotypically’ expect them to do (i.e. watch Deal or No Deal until the Grim Reaper knocks) entertaining? No. This on the one hand, at least has its charms as the group themselves seem a bit more unassuming than the aforementioned OAProjects.

On the other hand it really is just a load of noise.

Written by Jamie Cullum with Wayne Hector and Steve Robson, a songwriting partnership responsible for a billion hits, this song sounds like The Script or The Fray’s biggest singles. Therefore it has the potential to tug at the heartstrings of the millions of people who love these kinds of songs even though they are not the usual Eurovision fare.

Valentina Monetta – The Social Network Song (oh ohuhoh oh) - San Marino “Do you wanna play cyber sex again? If you wanna come to my house, then click me with your mouse”. With that tempting offer and a whole heap of “oh oh uh oh oh”s autotuned to oblivion you should quickly get the gist of this

Buranovskiye Babushki – Party For Everybody – Russia

Things To Look Out For: - Spark* Music Editor Jamie’s BFF, Emin, is the Azerbaijani version of alledged cake-addict Michael Buble. And he will be performing at the half-time slot. So look out for that!

- Trackshittaz are the Austrian entry (cited as the country’s equivalent of LMFAO). Expect Graham Norton to enjoy pronouncing their name.

- If you are a fan of any of the aforementioned songs make sure to vote for them in the semi-finals held on May 22 and 24 shown on BBCThree

We talk to 50s revivalist popstar Willy Moon Moon comes across like a visual star, just as much as a musical one.

Sporting a love for Naomi Campbell and “seeing people who look incredible,” his fans are marvelling just as much at his striking appearance as they are with his music. “I grew up in the MTV generation... A good video adds something, it brings it into stereo.”

“I get bored quickly. I like to move about.”

Jamie Milton

rus which Loreen, more or less, screams about wanting a moment to last forever. Already charted in the Top 10 in four countries except for Sweden it should do very well indeed and it is certainly above average within the eurobanger genre.

women and extravagant pleasures.

Spark* can’t help but ask whether that’s a routine he indulges in for all phone interviews, like this one.

He cheekily replies; “That’s what I’m doing right now, sitting next to a blonde girl, holding a glass of champagne as we speak.”

Said fans of Willy Moon’s early work however are in danger of being sent to a rehabilitation clinic due to clicking the “repeat” button so many times, such is the immediacy and above all else, addictiveness of his tracks, all of which seem to span no more than 120 seconds. “They felt like punk

songs to me,” says Moon, “I don’t want to sit there and go, ‘Okay, how am I going to tease this out for four minutes,’ you know?”

So far, these punk songs have taken shape as odes to 50s pop, Buddy Holly and the like. But while much of his appeal stems from a unique take on a classic sound, Moon doesn’t seem cosy with the idea of sticking to the same nostalgic feel; “If you extricate yourself from genre boundaries, it gives you a lot of freedom to move about. I like to create collisions between retro music and more modern hip-hop inspired production. But I get bored quickly. I like to move about.” I Wanna Be Your Man and more recently, Yeah Yeah (you might have heard this one crop up in the backdrop for a Hollyoaks advert - yeah, that one) border on the very brink of being overly

repetitive. You can’t quite decide whether what he’s producing is genius or nigh on moronic, so you simply go along with it.

A self-confessed “escapist,” Moon has been moving about for most of his adult life. His dream consists of purchasing a bus with a built-in studio; “so I can just go anywhere.”

He’s certainly unlikely to stick to one place: “I like to escape from reality,” he tells us, “I like things to be fresh.”

For Moon to be able to continue recording one song a day - as he achieved for a few months - and remain prolific and fresh, it would do wonders for pop. Already, he seems to be bringing something refreshingly new. And for a guy who describes his songwriting approach as “scattergun,” long may that continue.

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

music.spark@reading.ac.uk

ALBUMS

Saint Etienne Words And Music By Saint Etienne Commercial Marketing

Laurence Green

“I didn’t go to church, I didn’t need to”. The reason isn’t given or made explicit, but it doesn’t need to be. Because on Words And Music By Saint Etienne, the answer is obvious, so deeply a part of the psyche of the ‘music fan’, that to imagine an alternative would be like starving a flame of oxygen.

Music is our church, our chapel, our religion. And right down to the gloriously longwinded title and accompanying record sleeve (a

Sigur Rós Valtari XL

Jamie Milton

It’s become a running joke of sorts, that with every touching shot of a polar bear raising her infants, trudging across miles of newlylanded snow, or for every dramatic visual landscape that graces our HD television sets, there’s room for a Sigur Rós song. Nature programmes and their kinship with Hoppípolla; it’s a norm of wildlife footage and heart-stopping montage; a standardised accompaniment for all things beautiful. In a way, it’s also sapped away at the appeal of Sigur Rós - we’ve almost forgotten just how capable these Icelandic giants are of creating great works of art in the shape of their albums.

A running battle remains among fans of the band; one embittered

MUSIC

15

St Etienne reveal their love of London whilst Sigur Ros avoid Planet Earth soundtracks

patchwork of musical road names), Saint Etienne’s eighth studio effort feels suffused with the nostalgia and magic wrapped up in the collective memories of a generation of popular song and its consumers.

Opener Over The Border is sublime in its own right, so indulgent in its sense of a specific time and place it feels like it might shimmer out of present existence altogether; “In 1974 I bought my first single, from Woolies in Redhill...

Kevin drove us to parties in his Morris Minor”. There’s something in its blissed-out, quaint Englishness that leaps out like a battered old photograph, frayed at the edges but still offering a window back in time, an elixir of ambrosial wonderfulness, all born from “the strange and important sound of synthesiser”.

One of Words And Music’s greatest pleasures is that for a group of Saint Etienne’s experience, it manages to sound thrillingly youthful. Lead single Tonight plants itself firmly in the mind of the incessantly eager teenager: “check my make-up then, check my watch again, I can hardly wait”, caught up in that irresistible urge to hit the town, to give yourself away to the night and the camp suggesting that 2008’s Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, alongside Jónsi Birgisson’s own full-length, were equal convicts to the nature programmes in terms of undermining everything Sigur Rós had put their name to previously. ( ) and to a greater extent, Ágætis byrjun, were masterful works of unbelievable detail. The group’s most recent album, however, leaned more towards immediacy, with lead track Gobbledigook’s tribal percussions and sheer lack of length spelling out an entirely fresh, at times unconvincing approach.

Valtari basks in the very essence of prettiness It’s as if we’re witnessing a return to methods of old with Valtari.

Don’t label it a retreat: It still remains starkly different to Takk... and its predecessors. But in come the seven minute-long songs, the sparse arrangements, the breathtaking strings. There’s great synergy to these songs - something that was entirely lacking from the previous record - and while the likes of Varúð and Varðeldur can’t disguise their accessibility, each song is desperate to showcase beauty, the unique kind of beauty that sets Sigur Rós apart from virtually every other band on this special little planet.

chance of unknown pleasures. And all soundtracked by the hits of the day – years later, we’ll recall them with awe-filled accuracy – what precisely was playing as all other cares faded into the background, where only the music and the friends around you mattered.

For a group of their experience, it manages to sound thrillingly youthful.

Is Words And Music a ‘concept’ piece? Perhaps, but if so, it’s a concept manifested in a far more cohesive, subtler way than the concrete obviousness of 2002’s Finisterre and its spoken-word interludes. Here, that core ethos; the love of music, emerges in the songs more as a thematic undercurrent than an overly-dominating sonic stamp across the LP – the tracks exist profoundly as individual entities, crucial considering the album’s centrality on the joys of the pop song. But equally, placed together, they serve to buoy each-other up in a kind of audiobased camaraderie that accentuates all the soft prettiness inherent Bar the driving crescendo of Varúð, this record is almost completely stripped of percussion. Thumping drums and grand orchestras helped to produce Hoppípolla and friends, but said components are nowhere to be seen, here. From the outset, sleepy, lullaby-like pieces flow into one another, creating a grand body of work that rarely breaks out of its comfy shell. Lead single Ekki múkk is an undoubted centrepiece; a goosebump-inducing composition of great subtlety - it constantly flirts with the possibility of breaking into a clamorous surge, but the steady musicianship instead opts for a vow of peace.

Ekki múkk is an undoubted centrepiece While previous records are steeped in triumphant ascensions and hair-raising climaxes, Valtari merely basks in the very essence of prettiness. Not since the dreamy opening half of ( ) will you feel so close to Jónsi’s alien commands. This is perhaps Sigur Rós’ most human-sounding album to date, too. Prepped for intimate nights with loved ones and exhausting journeys back home; it’s an album that ditches the dramatic and brings in the calm. Beautiful landscapes will have to wait for another Hoppípolla.

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in the production. Sarah Cracknell’s feather-delicate vocals treat the music with the awe it deserves.

Hushed, almost whispering at times, the devotion towards what this album seeks to represent is self-evident.

With Xenomania’s Tim Powell on board for Tonight, the sound of the production house behind so many of the greatest pop delicacies of the past decade finds itself worming its way across the entire record. The sparkling effervescence of DJ and I’ve Got Your Music are the real dance stormers of the album – transcendent power-packed anthems of such sheer magnificence that any chart act would be honoured call them their own.

But in the hands of Saint Etienne, they come into their own; artistry and melody combining with the most brilliant slippage. It’s there in the glowing sensual energy of Popular too, hanging on to a hazy disco slipstream by the fingertips; a snapshot of glistening starlight dancefloors and the beauty of the moment.

The album hits upon one of its finest moments in Heading for the Fair; with its rhythmic, sliding piano building blocks it’s reminiscent of Moby’s Extreme Ways, but blessed with a twinkling, lullaby-

like celestial exquisiteness. Here, once again, Saint Etienne prove themselves as intuitively keyed into the flow and pulse of music interacting with the human body; the mechanical workings of dance and the electrical tempos that drive us.

Allo Darlin’ Europe

tionally brilliant standout track: Capricornia). The strumming of Elizabeth’s ukulele is given melody and harmony with Paul Rains’ glistening 12 string guitar arpeggios and Bill Botting (whose name legally obliges him to play bass in a rocking band) keeps the bass down low. Michael Collin’s drumming propels the songs forward and they slide gloriously from verses into sweet choruses. If you enjoy indie pop bands such as Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian or REM then these songs will capture your heart.

The standout element of the album is Elizabeth’s voice. She has a very pure, uncontrived style and the hints of her Australian accent simply add fleeting moments of interest. Her tone, in combination with the lovelorn lyrics, creates poignant moments throughout the record, especially on Tallulah where she is accompanied only by her ukulele.

One tiny criticism is the lack of dynamics, the majority of the songs bounce along with a similar jaunty feel to lead single Capricornia. Having said this, the songs all bring a smile to your face and work fantastically well together.

Europe is a great second album that will turn many more people onto this self-proclaimed ‘fan’s band’.

Fortuna POP!

Doug Broadbent-Yale

It has been around two years since Allo Darlin’ released their self-titled debut LP (exceptionally brilliant standout track: If Loneliness Was Art) and they have been doing lots of touring ever since.

Europe seems to be based, to some degree, on their experiences on the road, letters written on the back of coupons from Berlin and icy Swedish lakes gazed at from the bus window, but instead of being a derivative album about being on tour, these small references give the record a continental, cosmopolitan feel. There are also quite a few anti-folk style pop culture references; famous pop stars dying, beaches in Australia and a post card of a fat man with sausages, but again, these do not feel forced and just lend the songs humour and a sense of time and place, perhaps enabling nostalgia for the album in the future. This might be something songwriter Elizabeth Morris intended, she frequently sings about the importance that certain songs have for her, and wonders if she will ever have those feelings again; this album will certainly give those feelings to some people.

As well as interesting lyrics Europe also has great songs (excep-

There’s something in its blissed-out, quaint Englishness There’s sadness too, caught in the spooksome reedy synth lines in 25 Years; breathing out a lament of the indomitable passage of time, changing communities, changing trends, so unrecognisable and so removed from the world of our youth. Words And Music isn’t just a celebration of popular music, but a hymnal ode to a loss of innocence, an end to the passions of our childhood. Returning to Over The Border provides the crux of the record’s manifesto, made real in the wistful longing of one line; “I used Top of the Pops as my world atlas’. And in that summation, the true epiphany of what Saint Etienne have crafted into being on this album is found.

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16 MUSIC

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

music.spark@reading.ac.uk

B.O.B Strange Clouds Atlantic

Siobhan Maguire

B.O.B releases his second studio album this week, Strange Clouds and it does not disappoint. To an extent in this album, B.O.B rejects the upbeat and somewhat jokey sound he is most known for, and he presents darker lyrics and deeper beats in the majority of the songs.

Collaborating with various artists, some more mainstream like Chris Brown, Taylor Swift and Nicky Minaj and showcasing the

less well-known like Ryan Tedder for example, B.O.B manages to cover a wide spectrum of genre and music styles with something for every taste.

It was refreshing to hear a different sound from B.O.B in comparison to his previous album, which featured the chart topping singles Aeroplanes and Nothin’ on You, where the tone more upbeat and inevitably catchy. Though such a sound is still present in the album, with songs like Castles and his current single So Good, you will be pleasantly surprised to hear B.O.B displaying songs with harsher lyrics and more intense bass lines.

Said to be a somewhat autobiographical album, B.O.B takes you on a journey of his rise to fame and how he feels about it, which could be why the tone has changed.

Though structurally the songs carry the conventional format, with rap verses and more vocally weighted choruses, B.O.B breaks through with a spectrum of genres in the album. Some more chilled, like Both Of Us, where Taylor Swift’s smooth vocals are successfully layered with a deep bass.

Whereas others are less for the

SINGLES

faint hearted, like Out Of My Mind featuring Nicky Minaj, where the mood is most certainly more aggressive.

All in all, the tracks on the album complement each other beautifully and it is one where each song was different and the interest can be firmly held throughout.

B.O.B firmly makes his mark on the industry with Strange Clouds, producing an album which could easily rival his contemporaries, and I am sure success will be maintained for the rapper.

HHHH Marina and the Diamonds Electra Heart 679 Recordings

Nia Thomas

Electra Heart is an album about façade within a rubbish relationship and dissatisfaction with life generally. At the centre of it is Electra Heart, Marina’s indulgent, melodramatic alter-ego that expresses her darkest thoughts. Thankfully most of the melodrama is tongue

in cheek and most of the lyrics feel like a real reflection of a relationship where one person is more in love than the other.

most of the melodrama is tongue in cheek The album kicks off with a feisty one-two of Bubblegum Bitch and Primadonna. Bubblegum Bitch, as its ridiculous title suggests, is all nonsensical lyrics and bouncy, screechy guitars while lead single Primadonna shows her trying to be boastful but really feeling “sad to the core core core”.

“I don’t want to admit that we’re not going to fit, no I’m not the type that you like, why don’t we just pretend” she bellows on Lies, a depiction of desperation as she’d rather pretend to be someone else than end the relationship. In fact this theme continues on the cold and twinkling Starring Role, where she’d rather “get drunk, forget we don’t get on” than deal with the consequences of a break-up and the Viva La Vida-esque The State of Dreaming.

Teen Idle where Marina moans about “the wasted years, the wasted youth” sounds like a continuation of the last three songs on her debut, The Family Jewels, but much better. Living Dead is a shoutalong about having never experiencing life and love properly “just a bird’s eye view from the sky above”.

The last song on the album Fear and Loathing is six minutes long and it’s where the tongue in cheek melodrama tips over in to ‘being serious for a moment’ and the song is immediately insufferable.

“There is no crime in being kind”?

– bleurgh.

Some of the song titles are a bit cringey and there are some clunky lines about making lemonade out of lemons. The fact that Radioactive is only on the deluxe version seems a bit silly, even if it doesn’t quite fit in with the overall tone of the album. Despite those things Electra Heart is a great album, full of self-deprecating lyrics and a balance of upbeat and slower songs that both work in Marina’s favour.

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Regina Spektor impresses with her returning effort Rita Ora R.I.P (feat. Tinie Tempah) Roc Nation

Nia Thomas

Regina Spektor All The Rowboats Sire Records

George Reed

It’s been nearly three years since any new material was released from American/Russian SingerSongwriter Regina Spektor. And although reportedly penned back in 2005, it’s taken till now for Regina to release All The Rowboats, her latest single taken from upcoming album, What We Saw From The Cheap Seats.

Don’t be fooled by the electronic opening segment, as after 20 seconds the song descends quickly into the fast paced piano led piece that it is. Chords spiral up and down the scale in an erratic and somewhat creepy manor, setting an overall dark edge to the song.

More and more sounds are added on top, with swelling melodies and exploding percussions joining the mix. In fact, the song reaches a point when it’s close to becoming just noise, encompassing and covering Regina’s vocals more and more, louder and louder until she is finally drowned out by the orchestral sounds. It’s a dangerous point for a song to be, balancing between brilliance and bewilderment. Yet, Regina keeps the track beautifully held at this point with her voice acting as the centre piece, orchestrating the dark and quirky undertones around her.

Admittedly due to its fast paced verses, it did take several listens to fully capture every lyric, word and note. But once this is done, true appreciation for Regina’s poetic style of writing can be taken. The quirky lyrics describe museums and their artefacts as

“Just public mausoleums/The living dead fill every room”. Regina truly showcases her talent for song-writing, creating interesting and intelligent lyrics with dark yet enlightening edge.

In the overcrowded world of the female music scene, Regina is somewhat of an anomaly. She doesn’t have the force or power of Florence And The Machine, or smooth subtleness of Lana Del Rey. But what she does have is a certain sense of character and skill seen in only a handful of artists. Vocally she is strong, pronouncing every word perfectly, drifting from chorus to verse and back again with the slightest of ease. With everything together, this makes for a great ‘comeback’ track.

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Featuring on one of this year’s biggest songs, DJ Fresh’ Hot Right Now, was an impressive introduction to Rita Ora. After setting the standards high, she delivers R.I.P. Originally written by Drake for Rihanna, this explains the whiff of Rita Ora being positioned as her British counterpart, something that didn’t come across on the DJ Fresh single. There are parts of the song, like when Ora drawls “I’m ready for ya” or “no cameras please” that sound like they belong to Rihanna. Otherwise Ora does a good job of bringing the song to life, belting the sinister hook of “R.I.P. to the girl you used to see, her days are over” and cementing it as a singalong line for radio listeners everywhere.

Ora does a good job of bringing the song to life Elsewhere Tinie Tempah features and the drum and bass tinge to it can be attributed to Chase and Status’ production. It’s a catchy song and dropping the Rihanna-isms on the next single will make Rita Ora a more memorable and original pop star.

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Icona Pop I Love It TBA

Nia Thomas

It seemed like Swedish duo Icona Pop would have a difficult time topping their terrific first single Manners, an icy warning to a guy that if they leave they “will never do better”. I Love It has done this effortlessly. This carefree burst of electropop carves its place in the summer anthem canon.

It’s exhilarating, bouncy and impossible not to shout along “You’re from the 70s but I’m a 90s bitch” or “I don’t care! I love it” while trying to feign a Swedish accent so that “love” sounds like “loave”.

It’s a thousand times more amazing than hitting the play button for the first time on previous single Manners. Let the summer begin.

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Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

marketing@rusu.co.uk

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18 ARTS&BOOKS

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

arts.spark@reading.ac.uk

Arts&BOOKS

Stand-up comedy: beyond a joke?

Lights, camera...cringe!

Lucy Snow

As a nation we can’t get enough of the comedy scene: it dominates our TV screens, monopolises DVD sales and our prized comedians are becoming something of a national treasure. But are these prime-time piss-takers just going that little bit too far? Perhaps this so- called funniness, should be forbidden fruit?

It’s controversial, but… comedy!

Classic comedy themes infuse our culture: mother-in-laws, fatness, baldness, hen-pecked husbands…. to name a few, are common in stand-up performances according to linguist, Max Beerbohm. But what about political correctness, and just why are we laughing?

Do we really want to be mocking the unfortunate and unhappy?

What happened to the notion that comedy removes our troubles, and is ultimately funny? Beerbohm himself, in his essay ‘The Public Humour’, remarks how topics and terms can be offensive in comedy. But it seems that these taboo themes continue to colour humour and the devious comedians are daring us to laugh and collaborate with them. Beerbohm concludes

we laugh at other’s misery because we gain a thrill in their suffering or enjoy unfamiliar situations.

Does the feel-good factor come at too high a price- sniggering at other’s sadness? Are comedians the new bullies in the school playground, with us laughing along?

Perhaps the joke has gone too far?

So, stand-up comedy is the bad guy at the moment. Tasteless, evil… rude! But, we must consider just how popular this whole fiasco is, with everyone seemingly wanting a slice of the tasty comedy pie!

Right? So all this talk about ‘taboo not for you’ and ‘cringe comedy’ seems a little O.T.T. Can we not agree that the area of disagreement lies in what we find funny?

Comedy won’t always please everyone. Columnist, Alice Thomas Ellis, considers how things can make people cry, but at the same time, make others happy. The issue here is the ‘difference’ in the way we think, what the joke gives you.

Whether it’s funny or cruel, maybe we should get off our high-horse and embrace comedy, it’s there to be enjoyed- not destroyed.

Depressingly, it seems Mr Taboo appears to be getting away with this, but what about when the tables are turned?

The increasing popularity of comedy shows, clearly proves that taboo is ultimately entertaining us!

Guardian writer, Libby Brooks suggests “censorship can kill comedy. But not all jokes need telling.” Perhaps we need our morality spectacles on, to understand the truth behind taboo. Comedy is painful.

The boundaries of humour have always been an issue. Let’s face it; we’re not going to be in fits of laughter over an ordinary situation in our regular repetitive lives. Unless you’re a bit strange. Anyway,

The boundaries of humour have always been an issue So there you have it. Taboo is dark and devious, it’s prejudiced and capable of being cruel. Difference in opinion will always collide with the question of ‘what is appropriate?’

But as Libby Brooks says, it’s the job of the comedian to tell jokes “fiercely, confrontationally and, on occasion, tastelessly as possible.”

So, stand-up comedy is the bad guy at the moment. Tasteless, evil… rude!

However, taboo jokes still feel uncomfortable. Maybe, the jawaching, awkward experiences are not the comedy cup of tea you were hoping for, but there are many reasons why we laugh. In linguist, Liz Lockwood’s ‘Theories of laughter’ she answers the burning question. Reasons why we laugh vary from “high spirits and fun, through laughter with embarrassment, to laughing with an element of cruelty, aggression and superiority over others.” Holy moly, quite a few reason there! So the types of laughter have been fitted into nifty categories created

by Lockwood. Therefore when we are laughing with cruelty at a ‘fat joke’ or a ‘mother-in-law joke’ this is put into the “unpleasant overtones” of why we laugh. So, can taboo really make us feel better about ourselves? It’s a sharp and sensitive double edged sword that we need to face. Perhaps we laugh at a ‘fat joke’ because it makes us superior to the victim, the “butt” of the joke. Wow. Stand-up comedy is a sneaky assassin and this theory explains why it works. We laugh at others to make ourselves feel better. Ruthless, but true.

Not the comedy cup of tea you were hoping for?

openly talk about issues; sex, abortion, drugs and violence. If we mask taboo, and make it forbidden, how can we deal with these problems? ‘Comedians’ writer Trevor Griffiths suggests “most comics feed prejudice and fear… but the best ones illuminate them, make them clearer to see, easier to deal with.” Maybe taboo is about opening our eyes and seeing the good in a bad situation. A breath of fresh air?

Difference in opinion will always collide with the question of ‘what is appropriate?’

The increasing popularity of comedy shows, clearly proves that taboo is ultimately entertaining us!

It’s controversial, but… comedy!

We all need laughter, it’s the best medicine perhaps for whatever reason, taboo or not. Charlie Chaplin once said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Maybe he has a point.

The hurt. The pain… The victim.

Should the joke be allowed to go so far that it causes offence and touches on issues such as sexism, racism and disability? Should the comedian’s beaming spotlight be highlighting and ridiculing hurt?

We can all have a cheeky tease and ‘pull someone’s leg’, but to tear it off, stab and burn it? This seems wrong and insensitive.

Libby Brooks continues, it’s the role of the comic to tell the audience something negative about themselves, or the world they live in.

Maybe taboo jokes are a good way to release tension and face the facts- life isn’t perfect and neither is comedy.

Chuckling at ‘chavvy’ and vulgar youths allows us, as a society to

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

arts.spark@reading.ac.uk

ARTS&BOOKS 19

Creative crafts: mask making Creative Masquerade Mask Hui Chow

This is a simple masquerade mask I made several years ago for a friend to attend a party. Since I didn’t have fancy materials like wires or plaster, and I needed to make it quick anyway, I printed a mask template off on paper, backed it with some light cardboard and painted it.

The flower attachments were made from thin floral wire twisted together, flower punches and flower embellishments that can be bought in craft stores. The butterfly is an origami pattern that I folded after trawling through numerous internet resources - I thought it was a pretty one.

Finally, the whole mask was put together using a hot glue gun, and a long, sturdy skewer attached after the sharp end was cut off.

Hello potential writer!

Yes, I mean you!

Do you: • Enjoy arts and books?

• Have a creative streak?

• Want to see your name in print?

If you are interested in writing reviews of: • Books

• Theatre performance

• Comedy Gigs • Galleries

or if you would like to submit your own creative work, please contact Lucy Snow. arts.spark@reading.ac.uk

Poetry and photography

Life Lines Jessica Platt

Look every day in the face and kiss it.

Mold the clay that comes to your hands.

Face the wind, and open your palms.

Feel the warmth, and live in the light.

Take life’s hand and you will see, Where you’re really going, where you’re meant to be...

Window Sill Lizzie Stow

An empty place no one could fill, I sit there on my window sill.

Looking out onto the open, Please speak out no one has spoken.

Feeling cold and also blue, I want to be held, held by you.

Acting brave your face afraid.

They don’t understand the mess they’ve made.

20 FASHION

fashion.spark@reading.ac.uk

FASHION

The ‘Kate effect’ erin harding

Since the engagement of Wills and Kate in November 2010 it seems that most of the British public has fallen in love with the Duchess of Cambridge. Being a loveable royal is not her only appeal however.

There is no doubt that Kate has become a huge fashion icon, both here and overseas, as she never fails to please the public with her demure and elegant dress sense.

Kate is particularly famous for sporting high street brands, which is great news for us! The Duchess’ huge influence on highstreet purchases has been named ‘The Kate Effect’, and indeed, it seems that every time she turns to affordable brands there is an aftermath of crazy spending.

It all began when Kate wore a Topshop dress for her birthday

in 2007, which at one stage was selling at a rate of one per minute.

Unsurprisingly, the dress had completely sold out in 24 hours.

Since then she has worn the likes of Reiss, Whistles and Zara, all of which women around the country were eager to get their hands on.

After wearing a Zara tulip dress last December it had soon sold out online on the UK, US and Canadian sites. It seems that we simply cannot get enough of Kate’s classy look. To achieve the look yourself, the first step would be to purchase a little navy or cobalt blue blazer or tailored jacket – Kate has worn several over the years and was even spotted buying one in Kensington Topshop last year. Team this with a pleated skirt, a white blouse or some cropped skinny jeans and you are good to go!

Trend: animal prints Francesca farrow

Unless you have been living in a cave the last few months you will have noticed that the fashion world has been inundated with animal prints. There are dresses galore, skirts, tops, shoes, bags and funky accessories out there on the high street, so there is plenty of choice if you want to update your Spring/Summer wardrobe in time for summer. You don’t need to go overboard though as wearing everything top to toe in animal print may be a bit excessive!

I gave in to this trend a few weeks ago when I purchased a

Mela brown zebra print dress from New Look, priced at £25. Thinking that I would not pull this look off I was pleasantly surprised at how flattering these bold prints can be!

New Look offers a variety of animal prints dresses at very reasonable prices; ranging from short print dresses, body cons and maxi dresses, which are perfect for that lovely summer beach look.

Top Shop has an array of animal prints, providing bags, belts, purses, scarves, sunglasses and even underwear!

Zara has a delightful animal print jogging blazer, priced at

£49.99 that will certainly brighten up your outfit. Dressed with denim, a plain top and heels would provide a very nice evening look.

If you’re not feeling brave enough to go for a brightly coloured bold dress initially perhaps begin with an accessory or two such as a scarf or belt. You’ll soon be venturing back for more!

Watch this space: Bambi and Manson Katey watkins

On Friday 4 May the fashion editing team ventured out to London to check out the up and coming new clothing label Bambi and Manson at their Soho party.

Bambi and Manson was set up by young couple, Polly O’Conell and her boyfriend, Jim Cubitt.

Their collections feature a variety of hand-made shorts, with the cute, girly products by Polly (Bambi) and the edgier products by Jim (Manson). Customised shorts are also available on request, giving you the opportunity to make your own individual look!

Upon arrival at the party we were inundated with champagne, sweets and miniature cupcakes, all served to us by gorgeous models

showing off the Bambi and Manson designs. The evening kicked off with a speech from the designers thanking their loyal customers for their fast-paced success. We were then treated to a performance by Made in Chelsea star, Caggie Dunlop, which was followed by a performance from J Marie who auditioned for The Voice.

The label is set to be a huge success, and we aren’t the only ones to think it! Bambi and Manson have recently been featured in Grazia and Cosmopolitan, as well as being spotted on celebrity customers such as Millie Mcintosh and Amy Childs.

Check out their collection at www.bambiandmanson.co.uk

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

Menswear trends Luke bevan

This spring, it’s all about the line, cut and tailored look. Combine these with bold colours and you are sure to make that statement on campus. Oranges, greens and mustard are big this season, and have transformed from the hues on the Fashion Week catwalks last year, to more bright and daring this year.

Pastels are all over the catwalk this season. The popular palette is perfect for the approaching summer, whether it’s from head to toe or just a simple accessory.

Prints are also bang on trend, accentuated through accessories, such as casual scarvess or ties.

SS12 is a time for less is more and the patterned pocket square, headwear, or socks can add that individualised and up-to-date look.

Festival fashion hannah wynne

When the fashion world begins to pivot from the heavy fabrics of winter on to colourful and comfy festival trends it can only mean one thing: the festival season is upon us and the summer has officially begun. Whether you’re off to a festival this summer or just chilling at home, festival-inspired fashion seems to have that laid back and fun edge that everyone wants to try.

Comfy shorts, floaty sun dresses, mud-proof hoodies and wellies are a must! The key to nailing festival fashion is to look effortless and cool. First grab some denim shorts: Topshop is a good choice at the moment with colourful cut offs and even tiny hot pants for those feeling brave. Team them with a

quirky t-shirt and some sunnies for the full effect. Alternatively a floaty print dress can look great with a long necklace and some slouchy leather boots. These essentials will last throughout the festival season and can be customised with different accessories to create other looks.

Accessories are a good way to make a festival outfit more personal. There is no need to be minimalistic with them: take tips from the stars at the Coachella festival and go crazy with headpieces, necklaces and bracelets to glam up a casual outfit. Arkclothing.com has a good range of fabric bracelets which can be layered on for a bohemian effect. Even if you aren’t hitting the festival scene jewellery is perfect for SS12.

Do you have all the usual festival gear? A quirky jacket like this Asos parka will keep you dry and add something a little bit extra to your look. It has deep pockets and a hood so it will come in handy after the festival is over too.

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

fashion.spark@reading.ac.uk

FASHION 21

I love your dress... can I borrow it?

Katey watkins

There is nothing better than having friends who are willing to share their beautiful clothes and the odd accessory or two. And the great news is, things are about to get a whole lot easier!

Pink Mothballs is a brand new clothes-borrowing concept about to hit the SmartPhone world.

Meet Amanda. A girl with a big dream and two big-ish wardrobes!

What is Pink Mothballs all about?

What do you do when you have nothing to wear and you’re skint?

Borrow something from a friend, right? That’s what Pink Mothballs is all about. A mobile app for borrowing and lending clothes with mates. It’s like swapping, but not – because you get your dress/top/ skirt/necklace/bag etc back.

What made you think of the concept?

My wardrobe and my friends. I’m always borrowing their dresses, tops, bags and necklaces and they always borrow my stuff. I love looking at their Facebook pics to see what they’ve recently worn. I’ll call them and be like, “You know that orange dress you wore out in town last week… can I borrow it?” Most of the time they say yeah. As long as they’ve worn it once. No girl wants to be seen/ tagged in photos wearing the same thing more than once (it’s a girl thing!). But not all girls have the money to buy something new all the time. Borrowing clothes from friends is the perfect solution when you’ve got nothing to wear. I like to call it wardrobe shopping!

How have you funded the making of the app?

I’ve been working for Volume, a digital innovation agency in Berkshire for over two years. One day, out of nowhere, I grew a pair and approached the CEO, Chris Sykes, with my idea. He loved it and put me through business boot camp

where I had to write a business plan and present the idea, on a big projector screen, to the senior management team. After about five presentations and a fifty-fourpage business plan, Chris agreed to invest. Here I am.

How is the app going to work?

First you sign up. Then you build your wardrobe by uploading photos of clothes you’re happy to lend to friends. You can do this by either taking a new photo of the item or by connecting to Facebook to access existing photos of you wearing the item.

Once you’ve chosen your photo, you’ll have the option to crop it, then you tag it. Instead of tagging your friends (like you would on Facebook) you’ll tag the type of item (such as a dress), then the brand, colour and size. The photo will then be placed into your wardrobe for your friends to have a nose through and borrow. When a friend touches the ‘Borrow’ button, a notification will be sent

Matalan SS12

Sabina rouse

Matalan: the go-to quintessential British clothing retailer that is any fashionistas first stop for a bargain, yet stylish, buy. Surprised? So was I. For a while I had arrogantly over looked Matalan in favour for more pricey and outwardly popular stores, such as the world renowned Topshop and H&M. Cast aside, I had ignorantly assumed it to be the place of cheap and friendly kitchen ware and overpriced duvets and sheets.

Until now that is. This season, Matalan has made a splash in the fashion industry by updating their clothing line with all this season’s trends bang on form, and so far they haven’t put a foot wrong.

One of their most noticeable and attractive trends that is at the heart of this season is one that en-

compasses all that is feminine and oh-so-girly. We’re talking dresses, skirts and light airy blouses, the height of chic summer sophistication. All of these looks were inspired from the SS12 catwalk shows yet, still manage to retain the British summertime look, and whilst they suit rainy England down to the ground, they certainly wouldn’t look out of place abroad.

Cute summertime dresses in ditsy floral prints (and even bolder prints for those willing to go down the Prada route) are at the heart of their collection and could easily look they could have come straight from Topshop. Indeed, Matalan is on route to becoming one of the most on trend stores for SS12, supplying us with all that we could need for summer and more. All I can say is, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

On Tuesday 1st May, many of Reading’s students flocked to The Oracle for the highly anticipated student night.

A multitude of retailers took part with many offering discounts of up to 20% off, even on some sale items! Stores with this discount include Republic, New Look and Oasis. Some of the restaurants on the Riverside also took part, offering an enticing 30% of their menus for the hungry shoppers.

As well as these amazing discounts there were free giveaways,

food sampling and even the chance to be entered into a prize draw to win £100! Providing a good back drop of tunes to get us in the mood for shopping was DJ Michelle Jordan from Heart Breakfast who played many club classics throughout the night.

One of the more unusual events happening on the night was the opportunity to be given £50 if you danced in front of the radio podium, not for the faint hearted!

Although I have to admit that I was very tempted myself and I did see a few brave souls dancing to

I could go on a bit more but I won’t as I’m keeping some of the features a surprise. It’s gonna be epic!

Where and when can our readers get the app?

Well, you can sign up to be a BETA tester now. But will only be available on iPhone to start with. www.pinkmothballs.com The BETA (test version) will be out in July.

The official launch is in September.

The Oracle Fashion Week Poppy Nowicka

The Oracle student night Isobel curwin

to you to ask if you’re happy with lending them the item. You can then respond either ‘Yeah sure’ or ‘No soz’. Simple. If you accept the borrow request, the item will be booked out to that person so you can keep track of who you lent it to. If the item isn’t returned, you can send a reminder through the application to the borrower to get it back.

the best of the season’s club tunes in order to gain their rightful £50.

I purchased many bargains; favourites include a pair of high waisted denim shorts from New Look and a lace top from Oasis, ensuring that I will be bang on trend this season! Prints and pastels were very popular, as students try to inject some colour into their wardrobe for what appears to be the wettest Spring/Summer yet. Overall the event was a roaring success, albeit if a few of us gasped at the dramatic reduction in our bank accounts the next morning!

After receiving VIP invites the Fashion and Beauty Editors attended The Oracle Fashion Show on Friday 27 May as a part of their week of fashion, beauty and style.

After receiving a champagne brunch, courtesy of Browns, we sat down to watch the catwalk show which presented key trends using a mixture of high-street and designer brands available from shops in The Oracle. French Connection, Zara, Reiss and GANT were just some of the big brands to feature in trends on the catwalk.

Some of the trends showcased were Pastels, Bold Prints, Urban Cool, Global Traveller, 50’s Remix and Festival Fix. Current trends were interpreted very successfully and the use of very delicious

male models was definitely an added bonus if a little distracting!

As well as the catwalk shows, there were also themed displays; “Under the Sea” and “Garden Party” on show in the mall. There were free consultations available from expert advisors, including mini makeovers, skincare advice, perfume sampling and colour consultations to help shoppers get completely ready for the upcoming summer season.

After dominating the catwalks, the trend for pastel shades is now all over the high street too. Soft hues of lilac, lemon, blush pink and baby blue combine for the perfect feminine look for sunny spring and summer days. The pastel bag below is a key piece, as seen in the catwalk show, which will immediately update your wardrobe for this summer season.

22 BEAUTY

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

beauty.spark@reading.ac.uk

BEAUTY The Oracle FashionWeek in Reading

L’Oreal’s call to the summer SABINA ROUSE

With particular emphasis on the complexion and eyes this season, the lips have gone somewhat ignored. Nevertheless, L’Oreal have answered this seasons question of what to do with the lips this summer, whether we were debating for a full lip of lipstick, a quick slick of coloured gloss, or even just moisturising Vaseline, L’Oreal have just celebrated the release of their newest product, the Rouge Caresse Lipstick, which provides a the lips with ‘A flutter of kissably soft light-weight feeling colour’, that will instantly become your must have product for the summer.

The Rouge Caresse range is available in a diverse selection of ten shades, ranging from a peachy nude to a blood red to a pretty lilac, and will undoubtedly have you debating over which shade to buy. I purchased the ‘Aphrodite Scarlet’ – 06, which is a strong raspberry shade, close to the lips own natural colour. The colour of the product was well pigmented and bright which reminded me of Revlon’s Lip Butters, which are a cross between a lipstick and a lip balm. The Rouge Caresse range is exactly like this – it delivers a sheer, light coat of colour to your lips, which can easily be built up.

However, unlike other lipsticks, after application it didn’t dry my lips out at all, and left them feeling moisturised and slick all day, which reassured me that he colour was still on.

The range of colours that the Rouge Caresse range offers is undeniably girly and feminine, which not only compliments this seasons pastel and fifties trends, but will also brighten up your face for the summer and hopefully help to coax the summer sun out.

ELLE TURNER

Last week saw the launch of Oracle Fashion Week here in Reading, giving us a chance to see the latest and best buys available for the spring season. Featuring a fastpaced catwalk show as well as the opportunity to seek fashion and beauty advice from professionals in the know, The Oracle succeeded in showcasing the high street must-haves hot off the runway.

Sporting statement crimped hair, combined with simple understated

makeup, the key trend this season seems to be a fresh faced look for spring/summer, featuring subtle feline eyes and a nude lip, whilst the guys kept it cool with oliveylooking complexions and simply styled hair.

On arrival, we were greeted with V.I.P goodie bags that boasted some lovely choccies from Hotel Chocolat and Thorntons as well as numerous scents, testers and vouchers, from big brands such as L’Occitane, The Body Shop and Burberry. It was a perfect

opportunity to be introduced to some new products that maybe I wouldn’t have thought to try (expect plenty of product reviews coming soon!)

After the show, we were treated to one-on-one advice with makeup and skincare professionals, providing us with lots of tips and tricks. To beat seasonal blemishes, for instance, I was encouraged to switch to a lighter moisturiser and foundation to avoid anything too heavy on my face, and dodge any sweaty-summer moments.

We were also provided with makeup tutorial appointments from brands such as Bare Minerals and my absolute favourite – Urban Decay, to create a personalised make-up look, crafted to enhance our individual features and aimed at sculpting the face, as well as a lesson in which brushes to use and brush technique.

Overall, it was an incredible experience. The Oracle went all out in hosting the most beautiful week Reading has seen this year, they truly saw to every detail!

Try a new scent this spring! Electric Hair’s 50/50 Challenge ELLE TURNER

I recently tried out five different fragrances from a range of brands to find out which scents would see you through spring and summer.

Tipping the pricey end is Burberry’s fragrance Body, which comes in at an eye-watering £68.60 for 80ml. True, it smells seductive and womanly, distancing itself from girlier fruity fragrances by combing feminine floral notes of peach and freesia with muskier base notes such as vanilla and cashmerean and it does smell luxuriously expensive, but at £68.60 a pop we’re thinking this may not be such a hot choice for our stretched student budgets.

Lovestruck provides a tropical fragrance that screams SUMMER! Coming in next at £55.50 for 100ml is Calvin Klein’s Forbidden Euphoria, an undeniably sweet scent, it combines mandarin, raspberry and peach blossom with middle and base notes of jasmine, peony and patchouli. But be warned, you only need a light spritz to avoid an overpowering sickly sweet scent.

Possibly my favourite fragrance of the five, was Fuel for Life Unlimited by Diesel, which is beautifully

seasonal with spring notes such as white flowers and summery scents like lemon and zesty bergamot combined with a spicy base coat of star anise and the slightly unconventional licorice (which I’ll be honest, I didn’t pick up upon when smelling it). Perfect for the day time, this would make a lovely addition to a spring/summer afternoon, although it is fairly pricey at £28.50 for 50ml.

For a muskier, more sophisticated summer scent, Roberto Cavalli offers a cheaper alternative to the Burberry fragrance, with the same vanilla base note as well as additional scents of tonka bean and African orange flower combined with a pink pepper top note.

This fragrance is perhaps sweeter than the Burberry scent but the rich undertones help to balance out the floral scent, providing a perfect evening perfume at a more respectable £33.95 for 100ml.

Finally, finishing off the list with a fruity, flirty summer scent, Vera Wang’s Lovestruck is sure to be sweetening up the season. Smelling like a collision between a fruit bowl and a bag of parma violets, Lovestruck provides a tropical fragrance that screams sumer.

Made up of mandarin, guava, angelica, lotus flower and tuberose with subtle musk and woodsy base notes, Lovestuck will undoubtedly be a signature summer scent!

ERIN HARDING

On Monday 24 March to celebrate the release of ‘50/50’ on DVD, the Reading salon Electric Hair took over HMV in Oxford Circus to put on a charity event which was not for the faint hearted. They paired up with the Teenage Cancer Trust to challenge only the most daring shoppers and volunteers to say goodbye to their treasured tresses and shave their heads for charity, much like Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character does in the hit comedy ‘50/50’. HMV invited those along who had raised £50 for the charity, and passersby could also join in after making a donation to this worthy cause. Shaving heads in the front window of the shop drew

in hundreds of people, many there for some much needed support and also a few brave men and women who willingly lost their locks in the event hosted by Electric Hair owner Mark Wooley and his talented team.

The challenge was definitely for a worthwhile cause – the Teenage Cancer Trust is the only charity who solely raises money for those diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 13 and 24 and Electric Hair were all to happy to help.

Overall the event raised a staggering £3,500 for Teenage Cancer Trust. A huge well done to Electric Hair and all the volunteers who had the guts to take on a challenge for a good cause, we take our hats off to you!

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

health.spark@reading.ac.uk

HEALTH&FOOD 23

Food Most useless kitchen gadgets Sarah lienard

There may be an app for everything, but as it turns out, there’s a kitchen gadget for everything, too.

Here’s our pick of the most useless kitchen gadgets ever.

Pickle picker If you’re anything like me, you know the anguish that comes with trying to get a pickle out of the jar without getting vinegary fingers, particularly if washing your hands afterwards requires walking a whole metre across the kitchen.

Thank God for the pickle picker.

They come in two types, one that spears the pickle before extracting it, like a fork, or one that grabs it, like a hand. Revolutionary. I’d be lost without mine.

The electric spaghetti fork

Apparently people these days are too lazy and impatient to twirl the fork themselves as they shove pasta into their mouths. The 0.2 seconds that it would waste, plus the dangers of wrist overstraining, means that this is one risk best avoided. Plus, the electric spaghetti fork is a great portable size to pop in your handbag or pocket, so if you’re eating out, you never have to fear.

terer has a handy, curved shape, allowing you to ‘minimise wasted butter’. One Amazon buyer says, ‘I wouldn’t go a summer without it.’

And neither would I.

How no-one’s noticed that the humble knife, with which we’ve been spreading butter for centuries, is completely inadequate is beyond me. But don’t panic. The corn but-

Does pouring liquids out of bottles cause you anxiety? If so, we’ve found the gadget for you. As the website assures, ‘the Roll ‘n Pour takes the worry out of pouring liquids’. Now all you have to worry about are your flatmates choking as they cry with laughter at the ridiculous sight of you pouring your morning glass of orange juice. But at least you won’t have any drips or spills to clean up, provided that you can be bothered to hold the glass underneath it.

Fajita omelette Sarah lienard

Around exam time, no one wants to be in the kitchen for ages, but eating well might actually help you study. Quick and easy meals can get boring soon though, to try this Mexican twist on a plain omelette to keep things interesting. This recipe makes one omelette, in one pan - so barely any washing up!

Ingredients 2 eggs a handful of mushrooms 1 red or yellow pepper a clove of garlic olive oil 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 tsp ground cumin (or more to taste) salt and pepper tomato salsa, to serve

Method Slice the red or yellow pepper into strips about 1cm thick, and slice the mushrooms thinly. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms and pepper and saute

until the vegetables are soft and the garlic is fragrant. Sprinkle over the paprika, cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir well to coat the mixture. P ut this mixture into a bowl and keep warm. Beat up the eggs in a bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Add some more olive oil if needed, then pour the egg mixture into the frying pan, until the omelette starts to set. When it is cooked to your liking, fill with the mush-

For only £29, this ingenious little piece of metal is shaped much like a spoon, but is specifically designed to be used for kiwis. For those times when a spoon simply won’t do.

Garlic peeler

The roll n’ pour

Corn butterer

Kiwi scoop

rooms and pepper, and squeeze over some tomato salsa if wanted.

Fold in half and serve!

Other ideas - Oriental flavours (soy sauce, ginger and garlic) - Italian (basil, parsley, tomato passata) - Spicy (fresh chopped chili, turmeric, ground cumin)

It’s never taken me more than about 30 seconds to peel a clove of garlic, but apparently I’ve been doing it all wrong. See, whereas I’ve been using a knife to pull off the outer layers, I should have been inserting the clove into this little silicone sausage device and rolling it in between my hands. Because that makes a lot more sense.

Tuna strainer This little piece of plastic is ingeniously shaped to be the exact same size as the lid of a tuna can, because we all know how tricky it is to find things that are exactly the same size as the lid of a tuna can. Except the lid of the tuna can.

DIY noodles Sarah lienard

DIY Version - £1.67

Ready meals are quick and easy, but convinience can really cost.

Here’s how to almost halve the cost of a ready made chicken chow mein with minimal effort.

Noodles, 17p (1/6 pack of Sainsbury’s Medium Egg Noodles)

Sainsbury’s Ready Made Chicken Chow Mein - £3.50

Chicken Breast, £1 (1/3 sainsburys British Cicken Breast Pieces, £1)

Not bad, but you’ll get a lot more chicken and veggies if you DIY.

Veggies, 25p (1/4 Sainsbury’s Basics Stir Fry)

Sauce, 25p (1/4 jar Blue Dragon Chow Mein Sauce, 25p)

24 HEALTH&FOOD

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

health.spark@reading.ac.uk

HEALTH

How to survive the festival season Sarah lienard

Practice safe sex

Stay hydrated

The tickets are booked, your bag is packed, and you’re ready to have the best weekend ever.

But even if the festival spirit has you feeling invincible, you’re not.

Keep these tips in mind so you don’t end up spending the weekend in the first aid tent, hospital, or stuck in the (horrifying) toilets.

To make sure that you don’t come home with more than a phone number, carry condoms with you.

If you have unprotected sex, ask at the first aid tent where the nearest pharmacy is for the morning after pill, and contact your GP when you get home to get checked out. This stuff is important.

Drinking alcohol and coffee increase your risk of dehydration, which can cause dizziness, headaches and fatigue, which is not what you want when your favourite bands are on. Water at festivals can be expensive, so if you can, buy a large bottle to keep in your tent and refill smaller plas-

Find the first aid tent You might think you won’t need it, but you’ll wish you knew where it was if you do. It only takes a second to ask someone at the entrance where it’s located, and could save you time later on, when your favourite bands are playing.

tic ones to carry around with you.

You never know when you’ll want to wash mud off yourself, either, and queuing for the toilets can be a nightmare!

you don’t want to have to spend any more time in the toilets than necessary!

Avoid a dodgy tummy The toilets at festivals are pretty horrific, but to make sure that your bad memories are kept to a minimum (ignoring the emotional scarring), make sure to take enough anti-bacterial gel to last you the weekend. Use it after going to the toilet and before eating to avoid an upset stomach - you don’t want to have to spend any more time in the toilets than necessary!

Use SPF No one wants to end up looking like a tomato, so pack a sunscreen and remember to use it. At least SPF 30 with give you good protection, but remember to reapply it often throughout the day, particularly if you’re sweating. Let’s face it, being sunburned just won’t look good with your festival look.

Don’t get your drink spiked At a festival, it’s tempting to

accept drinks from everyone that you meet without a second thought, but it doesn’t take much to avoid situations that could leave you vulnerable. Remember that some drugs have no colour, taste or smell, so only accept drinks that are sealed or have been poured in front of you at the bar. If you or a friend feels strange or unwell, stick together and make your way to the first aid tent as soon as possible, where the medics will be able to treat you quickly and safely.

avoid situations that could leave you vulnerable Finally, pack your pills (the legal variety) This one’s pretty self explanatory - remember to take any regular medication with you, as it’ll be pretty much impossible to get hold of specific medicine while you’re there. Take care and have fun!

Health swap Drink up this summer Sarah Lienard

Or this...

Simple tweaks can help keep you healthy, and you don’t have to give up the foods you love! This week, we looked at a Dominos pizza to find the best picks, and the one to avoid. These statistics are based on regular crust pizzas, but for a healthier alternative, go for a super thin Italian base.

Dominos Chicken Feast Pizza, half a medium pizza, regular crust - 732 calories, 20.4g fat

Eat this...

Dominos Vegi Lite Pizza, half a medium pizza, regular crust - 640 calories, 8.4g fat Packed with veggies and flavour, this is one of the best choices.

Not this!

Dominos Meateor Pizza, half a medium pizza, regular crust - 1020 calories, 40.8g fat

For full nutritional information check out the Dominos website.

Sarah Lienard

Two thirds of our bodies are made up of water, but with clean water available at the switch of a tap, it’s easy to underestimate how important it is to health.

Every system in our body relies on water to function properly – it regulates body temperature, flushes out toxins, protects your organs, and helps to maintain a healthy weight – and these functions can be impaired if the body becomes dehydrated. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated, and in the hot weather this is likely to happen a lot sooner than you’d think.

One problem is that the symptoms of dehydration are easily confused with other causes. Fatigue and poor concentration can be caused by a lack of fluid, so if you’re sleeping well but you’re still tired, you might need to step up your intake.

If you suffer from headaches, try a big glass of water rather than popping a painkiller. Muscle weakness and dizziness is another symptom to look out for, especially on hot summer days. If you’re really not sure if you’re drinking enough water, check your urine

- sounds gross, but it’s one of the best indicators. If it’s clear or a pale straw colour, your water intake is adequate, anything darker means you need to drink more.

symptoms of dehydration are easily confused with other causes On a normal day the average person should aim for 1.5-2 liters of water, spaced throughout the day. In the warm weather, we

sweat more to compensate for an increase in body temperature, and if we are physically active this is increased even more. This means that in summer, those who are physically active need to drink about half a litre more than they would normally to stay adequately hydrated.

Our tip - Keep a bottle of water next to you whilst you are studying, on the computer or working. You’ll find you hit the target of two litres of water really easily.

marketing@rusu.co.uk

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

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26 SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY scitech.spark@reading.ac.uk

Spark*

Friday 11 May 2012

Powering the future In other What if we could actually build Iron Man’s arc reactor? be limited by cloud cover and the cycle of day and night.

While solar energy is clearly cleaner and better for the environment than the burning of fossil fuels, the production of solar panels and later their disposal may themselves pose an electronic waste problem. Solar cells are semiconductor devices and so they are manufactured in a similar way to silicon chips used in electronics. This means they contain some of the same potentially dangerous materials such as silicon tetrachloride, cadmium, selenium and sulphur hexafluoride, a potent greenhouse gas.

Solar panels may themselves pose an electronic waste problem Image Source: http://photoshop-illustration.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/ tony-starks-arc-reactor-tutorial.html David Thai

In fiction there exists a wide array of exotic and amazing power sources.

Recently, Robert Downey, Jr. returned to our screens in The Avengers reprising the role of Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man, and with him, that remarkable feat of science and engineering that is the arc reactor. The roughly fist-sized device is purportedly capable of providing 3 gigajoules-per-second of power (i.e. 3,000,000,000 watts or 3 gigawatts). Meanwhile the Drax power station in North Yorkshire, the second largest coal-fired power station in Europe with the highest generating capacity of any power station in the UK and Western Europe, is able to output just under four gigawatts.

solar energy is clearly cleaner and better for the environment It could be speculated that the fictional arc reactor is some kind of miniaturised nuclear reactor but beyond that, the films don’t particularly elaborate as to its construction and nor do they say much about how it might work. If it were actually possible to build it, something like an arc reactor might be exactly what we’re looking for: an efficient, clean and affordable power source. All the devices and technology that make mod-

ern life possible need a power source. Traditionally that power has come from the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. However, fossil fuels are non-renewable resources so they cannot be relied on as a fuel source indefinitely. Alternatives are needed.

Also, with our increased awareness of the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels - and not to mention the rising costs of fuel - it has become ever more important for us to find new, alternative fuel sources that will hopefully be cheaper and cleaner.

An arc reactor might be exactly what we’re looking for: an efficient, clean and affordable power source In this article we look at a few of the possibilities on the horizon, starting with renewable energy.

Solar power is often talked about when it comes to renewable energy sources and no article discussing future energy sources would be complete without mentioning it. In the future, solar energy could be more effectively harnessed via spacebased solar power (SBSP) where the solar panels used to collect energy reside not on Earth but on satellites in orbit, where the intensity of solar energy is greater - and where we would not

Wind power is another option that is often talked about. The overall cost per unit of energy from wind power is comparable to that from coal or gas. In the future, we may be able to benefit from cheap and plentiful energy generated by offshore wind farms. Offshore wind farms generate more power than land based ones due to stronger winds compared to on land. They currently cost at least three times that of onshore wind farms but costs are expected to fall as the industry matures.

Solar and wind are power sources we have already begun exploiting but there are also other promising solutions which could be practical in future if certains hurdles can be overcome.

Hydrogen fuel cells need only pure hydrogen gas and oxygen to generate electricity.

They are portable, power efficient and produce only water as a waste product. While this may sound perfect, the one big problem is that we currently lack a reliable source of hydrogen gas. At the moment, our only way of getting hydrogen is through the electrolysis of water.

Unfortunately this expensive process requires more energy than what the fuel cell would then supply. In future, it could be possible to harvest hydrogen from Jupiter or the sun and hydrogen fuel cells could become a reliable power source.

Perhaps the most promising is nuclear fusion- if we can get it to work. It creates large amounts of energy, it’s safer than nuclear fission and it generates less radioactive waste. Fusion

reactors would be far safer than fission reactors because nuclear fusion can only happen at precisely controlled conditions so in the event of any sort of malfunction the reaction would simply stop. However, fusion power is still in the early stages of development and the process currently requires more energy than it produces.

we might already be part way there As yet, we have nothing of such compact size that can match the power output of Tony Stark’s arc reactor. Having said that though, conceptually speaking we might already be part way there.

Nuclear batteries have been possible since the 1950s. They are “nuclear” in the sense that they generate electricity from atomic energy like nuclear reactors do.

Unlike nuclear reactors however, they do not rely on nuclear chain reactions as in nuclear fission and so there is absolutely no risk of runaway nuclear reactions or meltdown. They work by using the emissions from decay of radioactive isotopes to generate electricity.

Nuclear batteries can last between 10 and 20 years but over time will provide less and less power. The rate of this decrease is dependent on the half-life of the isotope used.

While they may not deliver anywhere near the power output of an arc reactor, they do last a long time and can be made small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. In theory, a device like a mobile phone fitted with a nuclear battery would never need charging for the whole of its life. Perhaps a powerful enough nuclear battery could power an entire home and every household would have its own. Nuclear batteries have long been used in spacecraft but have also been used to power pacemakers. Currently the main barrier to commercial viability is their high cost but it’s likely that further developments will bring costs down. As they become more practical, we may then see nuclear batteries become common place.

We have already begun exploiting solar and wind power It is unlikely that our energy needs will be met by any one of these solutions alone.

news

UK ISPs told to block Pirate Bay

The court order will mean that the site will be inaccessible (in theory) to those in the UK. All the major ISPs have said they will respect the order, with the exception of BT who have asked for some time to evaluate their position. The slopes are becoming slippery.

China adds to the Beidou System

With the launch of another satellite, China is closer to having its own global positioning system.

Driven by the desire to shift reliance off the US maintained GPS, it is aiming to have complete global coverage by 2020. Russia has recently rejuvenated their Glonass network and Europe hopes to soon be the fourth entity with its Galileo network due to be completed in 2015.

Ubuntu 12.04 launches!

The new LTS (long term support) version of Ubuntu has launched.

Ubuntu is a free open source OS, and directly challenges against MS and Apple. The new LTS is more of a refined version of the big changes made with 11.04 and those doing the six-monthly upgrades won’t find significant differences. Those still on the old LTS (10.04) will be greeted with the Unity desktop, bigger changes and better hardware support. 2012, the year of the desktop anyone? Expect a full review in a future issue.

Spark*

scitech.spark@reading.ac.uk

Friday 11 May 2012

SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY 27

SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY

Opinion: Planetary Resources Inc. Trying to cater for the most awkward dinner party in the universe This condescending, but effective, method of motivation will also reap untold financial gain, more than justifying the effort, but that poses a problem in itself. Whoever succeeds first will take control of the only new resource for a planet with rapidly dwindling supplies, and can quite literally hold the world to ransom like a cartoon supervillian. I can’t think of a single nation on the planet that I’d feel comfortable about having that much influence. Well, maybe Norway.

Mat Greenfield

If our Solar System were a dinner party, we’d be the glutton who boorishly inhales his food then impatiently eyes up everyone else’s meals for the first sign of a hesitant appetite leaving a window to purloin their plates.

The metaphor breaks down, of course, when you remember that we’ve long-since scared off any guests to our dinner parties, and invitations are met with either deathly silence or vague murmurings that may just be cosmic background radiation, answermachine to the universe.

Since we can’t assume that some galactic guest is going to show up fashionably late, preferably with dessert, we’re eventually going to have to start snacking on Ferrero Rocher for sustenance.

Jesus didn’t have enough foresight to use his powers on anything more than pastry and cod

we’d be the glutton who impatiently eyes up everyone else’s meals Such is the ambition of Planetary Resources Inc., who want to try ensnaring passing asteroids and mine them for natural resources like water and metals in a bid to “expand Earth’s natural resource base”, going up against the government’s current lowcost but somewhat less effective strategy of doing sod all. It’s attracted the financial backing of various bigwigs including film director James Cameron, a man who’s directed so many spacefaring disaster movies involving aliens they might as well call the first manned ship the ‘SS Human Sacrifice’. Not surprisingly, the concept has attracted pessimists sneering at the prohibitive technical and cost barriers of this venture; some have called them overly-cynical, but I don’t think they’re being cynical enough.

The biggest problem that Planetary Resources faces is not the technical difficulty or the cost, at least those can potentially be overcome.

Their biggest challenge will be in trying to get any, let alone every, country on the planet to stop thinking about their own financial, political and military interests long enough to see the bigger picture.

They might as well call the first manned ship the ‘SS Human Sacrifice’ Getting together representatives from all four corners to realise this strategy would quickly become the most awkward dinner party in the Universe, and Planetary Resources wants to do the catering! I can’t imagine the already strained atmosphere will be made any more tranquil when the guests are told that dinner will only be served once they can learn to co-operate; and, if they can’t, they’ll never eat again.

Social convention must necessarily be broken by bringing the topic of conversation to politics.

It’ll start out amicable but, as the wine flows, one misjudged comment and next thing you know you’re tentatively briefing your defence secretary in case your tipsy faux pas pissed off anyone powerful, we’ve all been there.

It’d be incredible if anyone came out of it with the same number of limbs, let alone a cohesive plan to save the planet. Even Dave Lamb wouldn’t be able to diffuse it.

it would be a Herculean feat Hell, it’d be a Herculean feat in itself to get the theocracies and otherwise religiously devout nations to admit there’s a problem, given they all have something in scripture that amounts to their deities saying “Don’t worry, I’ve got this” which usually forms the basis of climate change denial.

Since Jesus didn’t have enough foresight to use his magic dupli-

cation powers on anything a little more scarce than pastry and cod, it looks like we’re on our own.

Whoever succeeds first will take control of the only new resource Maybe the answer is in the evening’s entertainment. Turn it into a game and use the selfimportance of each country against itself. It would’ve taken the Americans far longer to get to the Moon if their hubris hadn’t made them so keen to beat the USSR up there. The only thing at stake then was being the first to jab an oversized cocktail stick into a barren lump of rock that is so keen for attention it circles us like a fly. Surely the detection, capture and harvesting the gooey innards of meteoricallypassing asteroids en masse represents a huge ego boost in the international d***-swinging contest.

So how do we solve the myriad challenges that Planetary Resources will face? Beats me.

I’m not here to propose solutions, I’m just here to p*** in your cornflakes by finding fault.

Turn it into a game and use the self-importance of each country against itself At the very least we should try and obtain the merchandise before we worry too much about who it belongs to. That way, even if we end up blowing each other to kingdom come over this, we’ll at least have helped lay out a good spread for whichever nation emerges victorious to dine on. Bon appétit, don’t have nightmares.

What do you think?

Get involved and contact Science and Technology.

Want to write for Spark* Science & Technology?

We’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch: scitech.spark@reading.ac.uk

28 TRAVEL

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

travel.spark@reading.ac.uk

trAvel Cornish destinations: Truro and beyond MARTHA THOmas

As a Cornish student coming to Reading, I tend to get the same sort of reaction whenever I tell people where I’m from. Most say how lovely it must be to live there or ask if I’m a farmer (I’m not by the way) then go on to tell me about how they went on holiday there (or, from the more wealthy lot, own a second home there). To me this is not a problem at all.

Although most locals complain about the horrific traffic and crowds of people in the summer months, the truth is it wouldn’t be the amazing county we know and love without the revenue they bring every year. The issue I do have however is the apparent lack of diversity when it comes to the ‘perfect’ holiday destinations in Cornwall. Everyone I have spoken to so far has been to one of three places. Newquay, Padstow and St Ives. With such a beautifully diverse county, this shocks me somewhat.

When I mention the city of Truro, I am normally faced with a look of confusion I could go on and on about all the amazing things that the beautiful county has to offer but there is one place in particular that I feel is particularly understated.

When I mention the city of Truro, I am normally faced with a look of confusion even though it is the county’s capitol and full of interesting things to see and do. Only known as a city due to its stunning cathedral, Truro is small enough not to feel threatening yet big enough not to be boring.

Ales such as the ‘Ginger Tosser’ and ‘Cornish Knocker’ are definitely worth a try The city boasts a friendly atmosphere and some of the best local pubs and bars around, most of which stock a variety of some of the best real ales and cyders in the country, all brewed locally. The ales from the Skinner’s brewery such as ‘Ginger Tosser’ and ‘Cornish Knocker’ are definitely worth a try and if cider is more your thing, a trip to the Cornish Cider Farm just outside of the city is a must as you can’t leave the county without having tried some proper scrumpy or a bottle of ‘Cornish Rattler’.

Truro also prides itself on its range of shopping destinations and quirky independent retailers. For a day’s borwsing there are few places to beat it. Remember, this is Cornwall and so the scale I’m talking is probably a bit smaller than you might expect!

Alcohol aside, I truly believe Cornwall is one of the most fantastic places in the UK to come and visit with friends or family and though Truro is a great starting point, there is a whole wealth of other places to see and explore, from the ragged coastline steeped in mythology, to the up and coming student town of Falmouth.

University College Falmouth specialises in art, design and other creative courses, so it’s no surprise that the majority of the town’s buzz is generated from music events like the Spring Festival, and from art exhibitions.

That said, each year brings at least three sailing competitions such as the J-class regatta, bringing in £28m and thousands of tourists into the economy too.

Falmouth’s buzz is generated mostly by students, music and art Falmouth offers not only great art galleries and cafes but also as many as nine separate gardens open to the public in the surrounding area, including The Lost Gardens of Heligan, ‘discovered’ in an overgrown state in 1992 and covering 200 acres.

There really is something for everyone. I’ve compiled a must-see list of attractions that you might not otherwise have thought of.

Our top 5:

1. Marazion Beach

4. Looe at new year

Marizion Beach is located opposite

We’ve spent a number of new year

the famous St. Michaels Mount

celebrations on the riverside at

and only at low tide does the stone

Looe as it’s one of the biggest par-

causeway become useable. The beach is popular with surfers, and the nearby town is thought to be one of the oldest in the country.

2. Skinner’s brewery

Beer tasting tours offered daily.

Enough said?

a bridge connecting its two halves, each on opposing sides of the Looe river.

Absolutely not just for car nuts,

VANGO BAG COVER

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Capable of filtering your water through its straw so that impurities are removed this bottle promises a ‘standard’ taste. That said, we still wouldn’t recommend filling up from certain dodgy taps - it still pays to be cautious despite the available technology.

Planning a getaway to a tranquil spot of your own? In the middle of nowhere? This handy and relatively affordable solar charger from Freeloader enables you to use your MP3 player or electric toothbrush - wherever you happen to be.

£25

right any other time of year, with

Another ancient fishing village, the

this VW festival draws on the

picturesque Megavissey boasts a

respect and admiration that the

large number of fish and seafood

traditional camper brings, and fits

eateries as well as being a mecca

in well with the Cornish style - lots

for arts and crafts lovers. Watch

of surfing and loud music. End-

are very winding and quite narrow.

nomadtravel.co.uk,

whilst the town is pretty in its own

3. Megavissey

out though, the streets and alleys

£10

for the light shows and fireworks,

5. ‘RUN TO THE SUN’

Gear

outdoorkit.co.uk,

ties in the area. P eople flock here

safariquip.co.uk, around

£30

ing in Newquay each year, there are plnty of food stalls as well as comedians.

Get involved!

We’re always on the look out for contributors, whether you’ve written much before or not. If you have a story to tell about your ‘gap yah’ or family holiday, or a quirky trip within the UK, contact us at:

travel.spark@reading.ac.uk

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

editor.spark@reading.ac.uk

LETTERS 29

Letters & Events

Reading society wins National Enterprise Award SStartup Press Release

SStartup, Reading University Entrepreneurs, has been named best new society at the NACUE National Enterprise Awards 2012.

SStartup aims to inspire, educate and support Reading students in business and enterprise.

Launched in October 2011 they have run series of high quality events, which teach basic business skills and encourage business thinking. SStartup has also brought together a vast network of enterprise supporters and influencers from both the university and business to debate how the university can better educate its students to meet the demands of employers.

SStartup was honoured at the star-studded NACUE Society Awards from Gibson Hall, London on Saturday, April 5, 2012. The highest awards for UK enterprise societies, the NACUE Society Awards are an annual celebration, which bring together the most val-

ued student enterprise supporters to celebrate and reward the very best achievements of enterprise societies and individual presidents within the national NACUE network. The best new society award is presented to a society that has developed and executed a successful series of events, developed an engaging brand and a clear strategy for growth. SStartup was also praised for it’s strategy for university and corporate engagement.

“For a society that is a year old, SStartup have excelled rapidly and demonstrated a fantastic understanding of what it takes to support student enterprise. The amount that they have achieved is inspiring from securing interest from key stakeholders to putting on well-run events such as their Apprentice Challenge and end of year networking event. I truly believe that SStartup are examples for other societies in the network to follow and sincerely hope they continue to build on successes of

this year,” said Richard Kuti, Head of Network at NACUE. “To win such a prestigious award, particularly with so many other amazing enterprise societies across the country, is a huge honour” said Oli Gibson, Founder of SStartup. “The team at SStartup have done a fantastic job this year and winning this award really highlights the importance of their work along with the need for increased university support.”

SStartup is committed to continue this growth, encouraging enterprise among students, improving graduate employability, developing links between students and business and ultimately making a basic business education available to all students no mater what their course.

For press and media enquiries, please contact Oli Gibson, SStartup’s founder, via email: oli@sstartup.com or Sophie Dott, SStartup’s President, via email: president@sstartup.com.

American history & literature book sale Commencing Monday 21 May from 9am-7pm University Library (ground floor).

200 books : Excellent condition covering American history, Social history, Gender & Sexuality, Race & Slavery, Latin influences.

50 books : Excellent condition covering American literature.

Book donation : mainly duplicates.

All money raised goes directly to our Library funds.

All enquiries to : Barbara Mathers (organiser) Email : b.h.mathers@reading.ac.uk 0118 378 8778

P.O. Box 230, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AZ Vol 60. Issue 2

Editorial Staff

Editor:

Sophie Elliott editor.spark@reading.ac.uk

Deputy Editor:

Calum Rogers deped.spark@reading.ac.uk

News Editor:

Chayya Syal news.spark@reading.ac.uk

News Sub-Editor:

Zoe Crook news.spark@reading.ac.uk

Comment Editors:

Jess Croppper and Sophie Harrison

comment.spark@reading.ac.uk

Political Comment

Adam Roberts

Editor:

politics.spark@reading.ac.uk

Interview Editor:

Ellis Wheatley interview.spark@reading.ac.uk

Film, DVD & TV

Ellie Holland and Jack Marshall

Editors:

film.spark@reading.ac.uk

Letter from the Alumni Communications Office

Music Editor:

Jamie Milton music.spark@reading.ac.uk

Music Sub-Editor:

Nia Thomas music.spark@reading.ac.uk

Did you know that you can now apply for an Annual Fund grant of up to £10,000 to support a studentfocussed project on campus?

Perhaps you are a member of a sports club or society who wishes they had new equipment to help improve your team performance?

Or maybe you have a great idea for a project which will transform employment prospects for current students? Or do you have a plan for a new initiative which will benefit both students and members of the local community? If these kind of scenarios sound familiar, and you are lacking the funds needed to make your ideas a reality, then applying for an Annual Fund grant could be the answer. But first, let me give you a bit of background.

Run by our team – the Develop-

Science & Tech

David Thai and Vinay Chauhan

ment and Alumni Relations Office - the aim of the Annual Fund is to make an immediate impact on the lives of the current and future generations of Reading students, through funding projects that help to make Reading an even better place to live and study. Since 2004, the Annual Fund has raised £3.1 million to enhance the student experience.

So far this year generous graduates, staff and friends have pledged £500,000 to support the work of the Annual Fund. In June, a committee will meet to decide how this money should be spent.

Projects that have made successful bids for Annual Fund grants in the past include: new, safer helmets for the American Football team; training for the Circus Arts

Society so they could develop their expertise and expand their portfolio of outreach work with charities in the local community; and new equipment for RU:ON to develop the potential of the student TV channel. These are just three of the many projects that have been funded in the last eight years.

If you are interested in applying for an Annual Fund grant, then contact me and I will send you the information and link to apply. But be quick – the deadline is June 1 2012. Email: l.l.garman@reading. ac.uk I look forward to hearing from you.

Laura Garman

Alumni Communications Officer

Does Spark* talk to you? If not, talk to us!

Email: editor.spark@reading.ac.uk

Any praise, comments, or suggestions are always welcome

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:

Katey Watkins and Poppy Nowicka

fashion.spark@reading.ac.uk

Travel Editor:

Simon Truscott travel.spark@reading.ac.uk

Health Editor:

Sarah Lienard health.spark@reading.ac.uk

Fun&Games Editors: Chris Ryder and Paroma Guha

fun.spark@reading.ac.uk

Sport Editor:

Cameron Humphries

sports.spark@reading.ac.uk

Head of PR:

Charlie Allenby pr.spark@reading.ac.uk

Proofreaders:

Calum Rogers, Rosi Hirst and Sophie Elliott

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.

30 FUN&GAMES

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

fun.spark@reading.ac.uk

fun&games Crossword 038 16. Mess up a pillow? Quite the opposite (5,2) 17. Scraped bit? (6) 19. Sound horn to attract old boy, as well (2,4) 20. Arriving after time, having had to go back for others (2,2)

Straight Clues ACROSS 1. Living room (6) 5. Discover in the act of a crime (5) 9. Not broken (6) 10. Subject of much discussion (3,5) 12. Concern for the health and care of all creatures (6,7) 14. Container immune from customs checks (10,3) 18. Inner ear problem causing difficulties with balancing (13) 21. Acting like a male parent (8) 22. Pair (6) 23. Person who flies an aeroplane (5) 24. Eastern-European string instrument (6)

Cryptic Clues ACROSS 1. Lie about glue-on transfers (6) 5. Attractive bust? (5) 9. Squint actors pick up as one (6) 10. Eight in Italian hospital photograph (exterior) – it’s getting talked about (3,5) 12. Financial aid following wild concern for living things (6,7) 14. Official case of opinionated, no-good old woman taking record single back (10,3) 18. Balancing problem ruins British litany (13) 21. Prefer to start off when introduced to old coach like dad (8) 22. Two of the French after revolution (6) 23. Greek character cut from Top Gun? (5)

24. Nazi thereafter hangs on to instrument (6)

DOWN 2. At risk of Open University giving weight to one from 11? (3,2,1,4) 3. Oddly churn up by flowers’ centres (6) 4. Two-timing queen, one desperate to go home? (5-7) 5. Religious type with terminal disease ends killing little insects (8) 6. Kind face (4) 7. Spotted father running for house, so called out (7) 8. Bachelor to begin vaguely to ring a bell? (3,3) 11. Anagram-laden cryptic, but at what cost? (2,3,3,1,3) 13. Mad appeals distressing, causing a lump in one’s throat (5,5) 15. Most obese burglar dies thieving exhibits (8)

Answers to last edition’s puzzles (27 April)

Bye.

Having Fun-&-Games-edited for Spark* for almost three years, at long last I’m hanging up my crossword grids and handing over the truly enormous burden of responsibility for another to take up.

I’ve really enjoyed it, largely because I could pretty much stick whatever rubbish I wanted on the page without too much worry. And I did. Put rubbish on the page, I mean, not worry. Although I worried a lot as well.

Thank you to everyone for bear-

Chris

Folk music wordsearch H K V M O Y N O A H A N D T H E W H A L E P

DOWN 2. Taking a chance (3,2,1,4) 3. Protons and neutrons collected at the centres of atoms (6) 4. One who constantly keeps an eye on the time at work (5-7) 5. Belonging to a denomination of Christianity (8) 6. Write using a keyboard (4) 7. Annoyed during a performance (7) 8. Famous London landmark (3,3) 11. Extremely high cost (2,3,3,1,3) 13. Laryngeal prominence (5,5) 15. Fattest (8) 16. Beat a pillow to make it more comfortable (5,2) 17. Fed on grass (6) 19. Also; in addition (2,4) 20. Latin abbreviation meaning “and others” (2,2)

ing with me during the weirder bits and for humouring me by promising that you really did look at the cryptic clues, honest.

So, after three years, thiry-eight crosswords and two thousand one hundred and seventy-eight clues, I am delighted to hand over to the marvellous Paroma Guha. I wish her all the very best, and hope she enjoys it as much as I have done.

S B Q S V U H A G J N U K M C G J N I J C T

E S F U Y E F O N R N N Y L F Y N N H O J R

V E L F K B I I R A I R O N A N D W I N E A

E H E J J J N O S L E N E I L L I W V F F H

T C E A R W L C B O B D Y L A N L I M Z F N

S A T N K S I X D M U B D A I R P A B R R A

K E F S I J I I U U R G Z K E N N P V B E B

C P O T Q H W A E M R E V I N O B Z U I Y A

I Y X E C W Q T M F S X D A I N L D E R L R

Angus and Julia Stone Beirut Bob Dylan Bon Iver Davendra Banhart Dry the River Fionn Regan Fleet Foxes Iron and Wine Jefrey Lewis

S D E V E R V T G O M Q H C X D E E E Z E D

Dear Aunt Adelaide...

In her last piece of advice before essentially being fired, Adelaide Featherstonehaugh responds to a reader who is interested in taking on the role of Agony Aunt for a newspaper in her home town.

Here at Spark* we wish Adelaide a fond farewell and all the best in any future jobs she is mind-bogglingly lucky to get.

all this time. I wish you all the best.

Recently I’ve been thinking of following in your footsteps and writing my own Agony Aunt column for a newspaper in my home town of Ridley Snockett, Wiltshire, and I was wondering if you could give me any useful tips on what to expect. Your advice would be, as ever, invaluable!

Dear Aunt Adelaide,

A L S E M I X C E R J V B M X J B K O G W N

E O A N G U S A N D J U L I A S T O N E I E

S M N S B V Z Y O A F K F O O C S T I Y S V

U U O B H R Z L B N W M P V X R G M Z J H A

H N I I E P M Y M S V P N G S L U K G R D O

F C S R Y O C I M O J E O E N X U T N I R B

D J L U Q J D B F N P J W S Y E W Y S A I E

J M U T V Q C S K S V H F I O N N R E G A N

S P A K X G N I L R A M A R U A L Y A I D B

N T P L L L L E O N A R D C O H E N L P I J

Johnny Flynn Laura Marling Leonard Cohen Moldy Peaches Mumford and Sons Noah and the Whale Paul Simon Seasick Steve Sufjan Stevens Willie Nelson

Dear Pauline, I’m flattered that you have come to me for advice about your new job. It can be very hard work, let me tell you, so it really was a very good idea of yours to come to me for advice. Really very good.

I just can’t stress enough what a good idea that was. Yes, definitely you were right to come to me for advice. Best move ever.

Yours sincerely, I’m a really big fan of your column in Spark* and I have to say I’m very sorry to see you leave after

A I M E X F U C T D J R E V I R E H T Y R D

Regards, Pauline Adelaide.

Spark* Friday 11 May 2012

sports.spark@reading.ac.uk

SPORT 31

Mancini’s masterclass

Why the Italian deserves credit for City’s success Matt Davies

It is easy to say that footballing success can be bought in the transfer market; that by splashing the cash to assemble a montage of talent, trophies are an inevitability more than an achievement.

It is easy to say that footballing success can be bought in the transfer market However, were football simply down to the quality of players on the pitch then Manchester United would be battling it out for fourth place, Aston Villa wouldn’t be fighting relegation, and turn around in seasons such as that of Sunderland wouldn’t be possible.

They have predominantly the same set of players now as they did when Steve Bruce was in charge, yet they are now a formidable Premier League side, as opposed to the relegation threatened team they were under Bruce.

In fact, whilst Roberto Mancini has been fortunate enough to acquire the money to gather a host of phenomenally talented players, he has also displayed a tactical awareness that has played no small part in City’s domestic success thus far.

His mind games have coincided with Manchester United choking in the period of the season where their experience was predicted to see them seal a 20th league title, but the Italian manager’s insistence that his team have conceded the league, seem to have done the trick, whether by evoking pressure or complacency.

Mancini’s decision to engage Ferguson in these battles initially came across as inexperience, but has since proven a masterstroke, and whilst there is more to United’s destabilisation than Mancini’s post match comments, the occurrence of both at the same time should not be overlooked as coincidence.

Since stating that his side had forfeited the title, United have lost to Wigan, and dropped a two goal lead to draw with Everton.

Mancini has also proved quite the pragmatist Mancini has also proved quite the pragmatist; after a very public dispute with striker Carlos Tevez, Mancini chose to welcome the Argentine back in to the pack, a decision that has been rewarded tenfold; a hatrick against Norwhich, and a vital assist to clinch the win as City hosted Chelsea are but two examples of this.

It is also true that Mancini has evolved as a manager.

Similarly, persisting with his in selection of Mario Balotelli has bore fruit; Mancini rode out the general condemnation of the controversial striker whose performances, notably against Tottenham at a time when the North London side held title ambitions of their own, turned the match in City’s favour.

It is also true that Mancini has evolved as a manager. Last season he adopted a typically Italian approach; setting out to draw the

Thumbs up: Mancini has not always been applauded as Manchester City manager yet looks set to lead the ‘noisy neighbours’ to a first league title in 44 years games with his title rivals, and win the league by beating the rest of the teams.

However, the difference this season is that Yaya Toure has grown into a more advanced role, which has proven crucial at times this season.

The man at City’s helm has changed this approach, and his decision to attack Manchester United on both occasions may prove to be the factor that has won them the league; winning both encounters, it is the 10 goal swing in goal dif-

ference achieved at Old Trafford that sees Mancini’s side sitting top, with just one game remaining.

He must be applauded for the progress his side have made The victory over Newcastle saw Mancini prove he has the managerial prowess during the 90 minutes where football is really decided, not just outside of them.

Bringing Nigel De Jong on for Samir Nasri allowed Yaya Toure to push higher up the pitch, with the Ivory Coast international proceeding to score the first double of his career, and win the match.

It is not the case that Mancini alone has brought the title to City, should they win next week, but he must be applauded for the progress his side have made since he took the reins, having done fantastically to mould a group of individuals into a team of winners.

Spark* round up: all the sport news in brief Cameron Humphries

Football Atletico see off Athletico A stunning performance and brace from Radamel Falcao helped Atletico Madrid see off Athletico Bilbao 3-0 in Wednesday’s Europa League final.

A late goal from Diego sealed the win against a Bilbao side who had thrilled many onlookers in their run to the final, most notably in a 3-2 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in March.

West Ham and Blackpool set to contend play-off final

West Ham comfortably saw off Cardiff 5-0 over two legs as Sam Allardyce’s side look for an immediate return to the Premier League.

In the other semi final Blackpool beat Birmingham 3-2 on aggregate, like West Ham Ian Holloway’s men were relegated last season and will be seeking an immediate return on May 19th

England Squad announcement nears New England manager Roy Hodgson is set to name his squad for this summer’s European Championships this coming Wednesday.

Competition for places has been rife although the main dilemma

Hodgson faces is whether or not to take John Terry.

The former England captain awaits trial for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, the brother of fellow centre back Rio Ferdinand.

Boxing Khan-Peterson rematch off Amir Khan’s rematch versus Lamont Peterson has been cancelled.

The fight, which had been set to go ahead in Las Vegas next Saturday, has been called off after WBA and IBF champion Peterson failed a routine pre-fight drugs test.

It is as yet unknown as to whether Peterson will be stripped of his titles.

Haye-Chisora set for July 14

David Haye and Dereck Chisora are to face each other at Upton Park on July 14th, in a fight sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation.

The two fighters originally brawled in February following Dereck Chisora’s defeat to Vitali Klitschko.

Neither man holds a British licence and while the fight has been condemned by British Boxing chiefs, their looks to be a large demand for the fight from the public.

Golf Mcllroy returns to World Ranking summit once more

Rory Mcllroy has returned to World Number One following a dramtic second place finish at the Wells Fargo Championship.

The Irishman lost a sudden death play-off to American Rickie Fowler who won his first PGA title.

Yet the result was still enough to leapfrog Luke Donald at the top of the rankings.

Athletics Olympic flame lit in Greece With less than 80 days to go until the opening night of the London 2012 games, the Olympic flame has been lit in Olympia, Greece.

It will arrive in the UK in time for the torch relay across the country.

32 SPORT

Friday 11 May 2012 Spark*

sports.spark@reading.ac.uk

SPORT City on the brink of the title Inside...

Why Mancini deserves credit for City success

Mancini’s men on verge of being Champions as Rovers are relegated in disarray Cameron Humphries

Haye Chisora date set

Manchester City head into this Sunday’s final game of the season on the verge of claiming their first league title in 44 years.

The Citizens host QPR who will be fighting for safety and need a point to secure their top flight status for another season.

City are level at the top of the table on points with Manchester United, yet their superior goal difference means that a home win for Roberti Mancini’s men will all but guarantee the Premier League title.

City are on the verge

Yaya Toure struck a crucial brace at Newcastle last weekend

of claiming their first

bounce including a 1-0 victory over United 11 days ago.

At the bottom Blackburn Rovers were relegated on Monday after an eleven year stay in the top flight.

It has been a disastrous season for Steve Kean’s side and a 1-0 home defeat to Wigan sent the Lancashire side down.

That victory ensured Roberto Martinez’s Wigan will stay in the top flight for another season following a superb run of results.

As well as the title, two issues remained unresolved, who will

league title in 44 years

Plus a round up of all the big sporting stories

Manchester United travel to Sunderland knowing that any slip up for their rivals would leave the door ajar in what has been the most extraordinary of Premier League seasons.

Last month following City’s defeat at Arsenal United looked set for a 20th top flight crown.

City have responded superbly however, winning five on the

qualify for the Champions League and who will fill the last relegation spot.

Arsenal travel to West Brom on the final day knowing a victory will see them finish third.

Tottenham host Fulham knowing a win would see them finish at least fourth while Newcastle travel to Everton knowing that if they win and either of the sides above them slip up they would finish in the top four.

Chelsea’s involvement in the Champions League final means

Premiership Table GP Pts 1. Manchester C 37 86 2. Manchester U 37 86 3. Arsenal 37 67 4. Spurs 37 66 5. Newcastle 37 65 6. Chelsea 37 61 7. Everton 37 53 8. Liverpool 37 52 9. Fulham 37 52 10.West Brom 37 47 11. Sunderland 37 45 12. Swansea 37 44 13. Norwich 37 44 14. Stoke 37 44 15. Wigan 37 40 16. Aston Villa 37 38 17. QPR 37 37 18. Bolton 37 35 19. Blackburn 37 31 20. Wolves 37 25

fourth place will not carry a Champions league place if Chelsea are victorious in Munich.

Bolton know that a victory at Stoke on the final day will keep them up as long QPR lose at Manchester City.

Round 5 preview Spanish Grand Prix

Formula One now heads to Europe following testing Cameron Humphries

Following four pulsating races Formula One returns to Europe this weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.

Following four pulsating races Formula One returns to Europe this weekend It marks a crucial weekend for Ferrari following an early period in the season which has been all about limiting the damage caused by their relative lack of competitiveness so far.

The Italian team have been bailed out by the superb performances of Fernando Alonso so far, however the Spanish driver will need a vast improvement in the car if he is to challenge for the title this season In contrast neither Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton attended the mid season testing at Mugello with McLaren said to be confident heading into this weekend.

It marks a crucial weekend for Ferrari As the season hots up McLaren and Red Bull will both be confident of continuing to challenge at the

Championship Standings before Spanish Grand Prix 1. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) 53 2. Lewis Hamilton (Eng) 49 3. Mark Webber (Aus) 48 4. Jenson Button (Eng) 43 5. Fernando Alonso (Spa) 43 6. Nico Rosberg (Ger) 35 7. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) 34 8. Roman Grosjean (Fra) 23 9. Sergio Perez (Mex) 22 10. Paul Di Resta (Sco) 15

top while Lotus have shown significant pace so far.

In what has been the most open Formula One season in decades, this looks to be an exciting race.

Dominant: Sebastian Vettel dominated to win here last year