February Issue 2 Spring 2016

monday 29th february 2016

spark volume 73, Issue 2

NEWS

LIFESTYLE

MAINTENANCE GRANTS!

DO YOU USE TINDER?

Zoe Osman discusses the government’s decision to cut student grants

Jackie Tan talks about the pros and cons of using tinder for dating.

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORT

‘THE DANISH GIRL’: REVIEW

THESE GIRLS ARE ON FIRE!

Jack Champion reviews the latest Box Office hit

Manon Jones recounts the Knights smashing victory over

The Run for RUSU Elections 2016 NATHALIE SIAH Editor

After a rigorous week of campaigning by students over the course of February 22nd – 26th, the RUSU Election results night on the Friday was an emotional experience for all involved. There were so many well qualified persons who were expected to take up office in the Students Union this year however the numbers from those who voted rang true in 3sixty.

Overall, about 4,280 students voted this year topping the record from the ever increasing record from the two years past; correctly in line with the increase of students admitted into the University. This percentage is just about a quarter of students voting about who was going to represent them in the year coming.

Oli Ratcliffe, RUSU President was abroad in Malaysia for the opening of the University of Reading’s new campus followed the election results night live, streamed

by RU:ON TV successfully this year.

The night began 45 minutes in, but once the ball dropped, the results came rolling in. Beginning with School Reps, following the Part-time Officers the winners are listed as follows.

LGBT+ Students’ Part-Time Officer:

Nikki Ray

International Students’ Officer:

Abongile-Brue Buthelezi

Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) Officer:

Aileen Waitaaga Kimuhu

Disabled Students’ Officer:

Sarah O’Brien

Mature Students’ Part-Time Officer:

Kathleen Burns

Environment and Ethics Officer:

Jacob Field

London Road Students’ Officer:

Emily Pearce

Women’s Officer:

Justine Taylors

Student Trustees:

The two Student Trustees, a crucial position to be within the Union after 2,385 votes were Juliana Suess and Holly Cottingham. The two looked absolutely delighted on stage after the announcement.

The Full-Time Officers were the last of the pot and what everybody was waiting for in the night.

Welfare Officer:

The first to be announced with very strong rivalries between them. With 3,102 votes cast Pip Oppenheimer was announced as the next Welfare officer following Nina Hager. Francesca Heser however lead a strong campaign decked out in orange and felt strongly about in improving student accommodation.

Peter Miles, an incredibly well-spoken candidate for Welfare Officer was in good spirits however speaking on his experience, “I would say to anyone thinking of running next year, do it, go for it” and spoke warmly about Pip’s victory, “I think Pip will do a fantastic job.” continued on page 7

Ben Cooper making his final speech

NEWS|EDITORIAL

Editors Picks

EDITOR.SPARK@READING.AC.UK Image Credit: Take That Photo

Finding the Good in Goodbye NATHALIE SIAH Editor

Valentines in France?

Morgane Glain describes the beautiful French city of Nice, which could be perfect for you and your other half to visit for a special valentines day

Swoon Lake Hui Yee Kee explores the romance of dance

Beautiful Bowie’s A month after David Bowie’s death we commemorate his loss with a full page dedication.

Gareth Thomaslooks at Blackstar and Jake Hawkes delves into his success.

The Danish Girl Jack Champion reviews the latest Box Office hit

People often ask me what being Editor of The Spark Newspaper is like. I’ll tell you a secret, there is strength in finding out what you love and finding out what you hate at the same time. I wanted to tell you first hand what I’ve learned spending two years immersed in a world of syntax editing, student politics and unclear meetings. It is the last time that my name will be enshrined in ink and so how fitting it is to make my memories’ mark with an amazing experience, but not all of it was good.

It was my first year when I started off my journey at the newspaper. I was (and still am) a workaholic, confused, introverted little girl finding myself reading a LOT of case law and something a little more fun on the toilet in Sherfield Hall. Spark* it was called then, a copy was rolled up on the little side shelf, and it was very different two years ago. It had an awful blue and pink logo just begging to be changed and a little bit of character. I hadn’t joined any societies or sports, which was strange for someone adventuring off to another country, but I had decided to join the newspaper. A few months later, I was working on some articles on my own time and with a swift and spontaneous application, interview and a huge shock later, there I was, reading an e-mail that I was soon to be The Editor after applying to be anything but that role.

And here is a confession: I didn’t know what to do.

Thrown into a room full of unfamiliar faces with RUSU breathing down my neck, the system was broken. Articles floated around via Facebook, there was no communication between anybody, I stood out as the strange Asian girl with a Canadian accent, and there wasn’t even Microsoft Word in the office. We threw together an awful issue in June in a little room, with sparse pages and errors everywhere but it was one of the greatest feats that we had accomplished because everyone knows, the first hurdle is the hardest.

I flew back to Canada in the summer excited to make a real difference. The Committee was everywhere around the world, and we had to pull together a newspaper in September. I fought for everything. With no one to teach me how to start, I looked into every crack for information, asked too many questions, read years-worth of unread e-mails, excessively googled and pushed for change. We moved towards technology for a shift; on-line spreadsheets, Dropbox, templates, structure and deadlines. A new design, communication between members and above all else, hope. Finding something that worked was a beautiful thing, and a group of people that operates smoothly is beauty and rare in its mechanics.

A year went by, and it went fast.

We increased on-line readership

by 200%, boosted our website, on-line presence and identity. We introduced Agony Aunts, regular columnists, student art and funk.

People knew who we were, and people knew who I was—an incredibly scary prospect. I could no longer remain invisible whilst in visibility. Still, it was amazing how much I changed to stay sane. Suffering from anxiety and stress, I took up running throwing my concerns into the wind while morphing into someone I didn’t recognize. The girl who used to wake up in a hazy mess at noon to instant noodles now appreciates sweet silence, a flurry of e-mail writing and watching BBC News before the sun rises. And by the end of it all, we took home the Media Stream of the Year.

Immensely proud of being part of The Spark’s transformation and wanting to do more I decided to give it another go, and to my surprise they let me. I was back in the game, and I finally knew what I was doing.

But then it got harder. The last year can be described as a heartfelt challenge and battle— making something out of nothing comes greatness, but building upon greatness is an obstacle in of itself. There is nothing worse than reaching your peak and being criticized to grow further.

And such growth was not what you imagined to be. I opened my eyes.

Leading a team of new faces (except for the dazzling Elliot) I came to my senses. Vague notions of censorship, restrictions

Image Credit: Nathalie Siah

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of content and reductions in print were whispered about. Finances were numbers and sometimes that was all I felt that those above me cared about. It was no longer about what we were able to offer but how much they could save in their accounts. They wanted page numbers, advertisements, boosting their image and forgot about the people who made the paper fantastic along the way—what about quality and journalistic integrity? I felt jaded and bitter, with each issue moving towards my last, I stayed due to my driven personality, loyalty to my fellow committee members and pure professionalism. There was instance I sat arguing about photo rights that were so grossly misunderstood, I almost stepped down in the moment fighting the urge the say, “well then, good luck without me.”

Still, I stayed because I will always remember: politics are everywhere, but love is forever.

Rewind to: trying to start a bake sale and keeping mouldy cookies in the office, moaning about why we haven’t had hoodies in six months and wondering what ever happened to The New Frontier.

I put my soul into The Spark, laughing and striving for new goals week by week, so now I can safely say I don’t ever have to look back.

So here’s a throwback to my first editorial, look it up?—time’s up, whatcha gonna do about it?

Ciao.

Image Credit:Paula Whetstone

EDITORIAL

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

|NEWS

V Day = D Day?

A very adult discussion about the pros and cons of the most controversial holiday, Valentine’s Day. JEN DANIEL & JESS O'DONNELL Deputy Editors

As The Spark’s very own Deputy Editors, we like to work as a team. However, we have different thoughts on the annual love/vomfest that is Valentine’s Day. Here, we offer you an insight into what it’s like for single pringle Jen versus how loved-up Jess sees the day…

Jen: For me, Valentine’s Day (or ‘Palentine’s Day’, as I prefer to call it) is a great excuse to go out and dance the night away with my closest friends. This helps me to forget about the abundance of cringeworthy hashtags (#luckygirl, #boydidgood, and #wifey, to name a few) flooding my social media streams. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice that we dedicate one day a year to showing our love for that special someone, but the tidal wave of cliché gifts is not what I want to see on my otherwise food-, pet-, and drunk student-filled Instagram feed. As well as this, if a singleton decides they want to eat out for dinner or pop to the shops on February 14th, they may as well not bother. Restaurants are packed full of smooching couples, and will not have space for little old you; shops are overflowing with desperate attempts to sell their remaining Valentine’s stock. It’s really not a fun experience.

So, basically, if you avoid the restaurants, every social media app on your phone, and the shops, then Valentine’s Day could just be another regular day for you…

Looking on the bright side, though, the post-Valentine’s Day sales which follow are gold. Yes, thank you Tesco, I would like to devour this heart-shaped piece of chocolate for half the price it was yesterday. Very kind of you to offer me 40% off, Missguided; you’re so right, who needs boys when you can buy clothes? As long as I’m not throwing away money on trying to impress a Valentine, I’m quite happy to treat myself in the days following the 14th, and you should, too.

Image Credit: Jess O'Donnell

Jess: Not to sound like Ross from Friends, but I love love. There’s nothing quite like waking up to the person you love, or at least a notification from them, and knowing that this is a day you could legitimately just stay in pyjamas and eat ice cream together. That would be socially acceptable, and that is incredible.

I wouldn’t say I’m materialistic, but it is nice to have a day outside of birthday, Christmas and anniversary that you receive presents. For those of us with super late summer birthdays, this can be a delight.

Additionally, Valentine’s gifts do not have to cost an arm and a leg,

which most gifts do for the above celebrations. A single rose can cost a downwards of £5, including some fancy wrapping, and chocolate?

Well that’s what Poundland is for.

I am not disagreeing that being single on Valentine’s is fun, because it can be, if you add friends, alcohol, pizza or dancing into the mix. Heck, my mum gets me a valentine’s gift every year which I love, and I’m not ashamed to admit it, she outdid herself this year with some gorgeous Topshop jeans.

I’ve felt Valentine’s Day as a content single girl and as one of a pair, and both are great. I choose to do my thing with my boo just as much as single me chose to do

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my thing with Ben & Jerry’s, and there’s no shame in choosing to just be content, whichever position that finds you in. As the once great Kanye West said, “You do you. I’ll do me.”

There are some downsides to the holiday, I can admit that. Flower overload for anyone working in a post room (sorry guys), awkward PDA to an insane degree on social media and the overall feeling that you desperately need something on Valentine’s day; be that a card, a rose, a Cadbury’s, it can be slightly maddening. Just for the record, I don’t think anyone should ever use the shameful phrases: #spoilt, #wifey or #trainedhimwell. You

know who you are and they stopped being funny about 2 years ago, approx.

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating the strange fact that I’m in love with an amazing boy, and being in love is one of the genuinely nicest feelings in the world. It’s a day of self-realisation that somehow, I got really lucky (no pun intended) almost 2 years ago and I never want to take that for granted. And taking a day out to recognise that, with or without unnecessary presents, is a beautiful idea. Long live Valentine’s Day!

Learn about PHAB Projects aims to host fundraising and awareness events on campus

Kit Kats Krazy Student demands a lifetime supply from Nestle after purchasing Kit Kats with no wafer inside

Fighting it out Employment for graduates is at an all-time high at the moment with employers .are fight for the candidates

English Language Are we ‘losing knowledge’ due to the growing dominance of the English Language

NEWS

CONTENTS

29|02|16 NEWS US Ambassador visits UoR! Jack Mahoney reports on the Matthew Barzun’s talk in Henley Business School on the 4th February in which he discussed the relationship between UK and the US

P3 Lifestyle

Valentines day in France?

Morgane Glain describes the beautiful French city of Nice, which could be perfect for you and your other half to visit for a special valentines day

P12

ENTERTAINMENT A month after David Bowie’s death we commemorate his loss with a full page dedication.

Gareth Thomaslooks at Blackstar and Jake Hawkes delves into his success.

P23

Sport Luck of the Irish? - The Exiles pick themselves up from rock bottom to stun Worcester Warriors

P6

Employers "fight it out" for top graduates

Image Credit: Nathalie Siah

ANNABEL HORSLEY Lifestyle Editor

The thought of leaving university and having to find a job seems terrifying. Students are constantly battling it out to be the most employable. However, it seems that employment for graduates is at an all-time high at the moment, with some graduates being offered five or six positions. This gives them the ultimate opportunity to pick the position they want the most.

High Filers market research found that 1,000 graduates turned down job offers, this left employers looking for even more top graduates to employ. Research by High Filers suggested that 2015 would be the highest year for recruitment, yet 2016 seems to have topped that.

With more employment rates than ever, graduates are becoming pickier. The growing competition for these graduates from employers have led to better offers. The type of positions that are being offered are becoming even better, appearing

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to be better paid as well as offering more exciting opportunities, in able to entice graduates.

Investment banks claimed the spot for the highest salaries for graduates in 2016, being set at £47,000. Including 90% of students being offered paid placements at top firms. Graduates can therefore expect to not only receive better jobs but possibly a variety of different roles from a lot more employers.

However, this doesn’t mean getting offers will be easy.

Employers are still looking for the

most skilled graduates and those who have gone out to develop their skills during their time at university. They are looking for confidence, problem solving skills and experience. It is graduates who present these type of skills are the ones being offered the top positions. Schemes such as the Red Award help to present such skills to potential employers and these type of schemes are becoming more and more valued.

|NEWS

GENERAL NEWS

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Government set to officially scrap maintenance grants

George Osborne’s plan to officially cut maintenance grants has recently been confirmed by a ninety minute debate held in the House of Commons.

ZOE OSMAN

1st Year English Literature

Last July, the all-new conservative budget was publicised for the first time, with George Osborne laying out plans to cut maintenance grants for students starting university from September 2016 onwards. The decision was met with much criticism, with critics fearing that these new measures could put off people from poorer backgrounds getting a university education. However, Osborne’s response to said backlash claimed that the grants had become “unaffordable”.

Maintenance grants are nonrepayable grants which help students cover the cost of living expenses, which incidentally are becoming vastly unaffordable. The amount received largely depends on the family’s annual income, but can be anything up to £3387.

Therefore, the debate around these cuts largely stems from their benefits and the support that they give to students from middle to lower class backgrounds. Instead of being a grant, the current sum of £3387 will be converted into a loan, adding to the already-existing debt that students have. By deciding to cut them altogether gives the impression that once again, the poorest students are being the most harshly affected.

According to The Independent,

the decision to officially cut maintenance grants was completed in ninety minutes, with around 18 MPs present. Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North, was one of the politicians present at the debate who urged ministers not to cut maintenance grants.

However, the results of the vote which followed saw ten Ayes and eight Noes.

Prior to the vote, Streeting said: “Only 18 members can vote in the committee, yet this issue will affect students in every constituency across the country. It is therefore even more surprising that we find ourselves here on a committee most of our constituents have never heard of, away from the eyes of the public.”

The small size of this debate seems to reflect how this issue is being attempted to be kept quiet, away from the eyes of the public. It is nothing less than the penalisation of the poorest students, and what is worse, the ongoing silence from the House of Commons allows the Conservative government to continue to dismantle what should be stable and established parts of essential services.

When MPs are given a 10% pay rise and students have a small means of support taken away, the question of whether money is being spent in the right places should be brought to the forefront of every political debates.

Protestors march against university fees in Parliament Square last November Image Credit: Getty Images

Weather to warm up throughout March HARRIET LYNDS News Editor

Wintry conditions have been cast upon the UK over the past month, with scarves, hats and gloves becoming necessities. Risks of snow, freezing temperatures and extreme winds have been issued, but some sunny spells prove that it’s not all bad!

Earlier this month, Storm

Imogen brought some incredibly strong winds across South-west England, with a wave height of 19.1m (63ft) recorded off the coast of St Ives in Cornwall, and an average of 70-80mph winds felt in many areas.

However, the forecast for March is looking up, and the beginning of the spring season should see an improvement in the weather.

The average temperature is due to increase, with daily highs rising

from 10°C at the beginning of the month to 13°C by the end, going above 17°C or falling below 8°C very rarely.

The length of the day will expand by 1 hour and 58 minutes in total.

The shortest day will fall on March 1st with 10 hours and 57 minutes of daylight, and the longest day will fall on March 31st, with 12 hours and 55 minutes of daylight.

Image Credit: Jessie Webb

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NEWS| GENERAL NEWS

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

The Future of our Library To 2020 and beyond…

WILLIAM COLE

2nd Year Politics and International Relations

I presume that if you’re reading this, then you’ve been inside the University’s most important building. Not Park Bar, but the main Library. Originally built in the 1960s, it holds 1.2 million copies of books, journals, papers, and a large number of students, both day and night. Campaigning for a 24-hour library began in 2012, spearheaded by the Conservative society, and brought in for the next year. In 2013, a £4.4m interior and workspace re-design took place to get us to where we are now.

This time the news is the biggest announcement in the library’s development since the 1980s extension. Following approval by the University’s Council, a £44m (yes forty-four) refurbishment project will begin this June.

Key elements of this work include a completely restructured Ground and First floor, creating a larger café, more personal computer workstations, and a new set of 3

16-person lifts. In addition, a new re-clad façade of the main study areas with new windows will reduce sun-glare and improve insulation.

On the technical side, roof insulation and recladding will reduce the library’s energy usage by 40%, and decrease its Carbon emissions by 30%. Along with these efficiencies, the library’s workspace capacity will increase to 1,682. The library is launching a blog where you can access all the information regarding the development, as well as artist’s impressions.

In a statement, Vice Chancellor Sir David Bell expressed his enthusiasm for the project: “The Library has always played a central role in our life and work, with its location at the very heart of the University's Whiteknights campus.

Our Library has never been a static, sepulchral space. It has continued to evolve over its 50-year history and as these excellent new facilities become available to students and staff.”

RUSU Education Officer, Niall Hamilton comments on

An artist’s impression of a completed façade of Reading University’s Library

the announcement: “RUSU was involved with the entire decision making. We made sure the library was never shut completely and that the majority of the work will be done outside of term times and on a floorby-floor approach, allowing the least distraction for students. RUSU will continue to work very closely with this project, making sure student input is continual.”

There was a bold claim by local news outlet getreading. com in November last year of a 9-floor extension, and covering the

Affordability of Reading Accommodation Report BEN COOPER

Community & Development Officer

There are many great halls of residences at the University, and a majority of students enjoy their stay in them. However, it has become apparent that the increasing price and amount of ‘premium’ rooms, combined with the lack of affordable rooms is creating an issue that students and RUSU find troubling.

I would also like to highlight that affordability must be a key concept with any new development, such as St Patricks Hall. There are 2,221 rooms in the premium bracket (£145+ per week) whilst there are only 1,038 in the budget below (£128 or below per week.) With this number ever decreasing There are many great halls of residences at the University, and a majority of students enjoy

their stay in them. However, it has become apparent that the increasing price and amount of ‘premium’ rooms, combined with the lack of affordable rooms is creating an issue that students and RUSU find troubling.

I would also like to highlight that affordability must be a key concept with any new development, such as St Patricks Hall. There are 2,221 rooms in the premium bracket (£145+ per week) whilst there are only 1,038 in the budget below (£128 or below per week.)

With this number ever decreasing it is important that we think about students who cannot afford to live in the expensive en-suite, double bed Park Group rooms. Any new halls that are built, RUSU will work hard to ensure affordability is firmly on the agenda.

Further to this hall prices have increased each year. In terms of

increasing utility bills, catering and inflation, this is understandable, however, any more than this is simply unjustified. Students are concerned that they are paying more for the same service year on year.

This is why I have written a report on affordability of accommodation at the university. The report shows how students often struggle to pay the rents, eat and cover all the other costs that are associated with higher education. In the report there are breakdowns of how much each hall costs, versus student income from loans, part time work and parental contribution. However it is important to remember that every student is in a different circumstance.

Some parents can contribute a lot more than others and the amount a student receives in loans can greatly affect their day to day monetary availability. An example of this

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‘entire building’ in metal screens.

Thankfully the Spark brings the official version of plans, released publically on the 27th January.

As the largest refurbishment project in 30 years, this undertaking will take time. The schedule provided by the University looks to 2020 as a final completion date, although some areas will be finished long before that time. Users of the IT area and café are set to benefit first, while work on the 2nd floor will take place in 2019.

The large majority of us will not see this project finished during our time

here. There has also been concern by students as to in what ways this refurbishment will affect their ability to study, however, library staff assure that plans will be in place to alleviate loss of study space, access to books and noise levels.

What is clear already is that these plans will go ahead, having been given approval by Reading Borough Council in 2015, and by the University’s own council in January 2016. There will be a public display for students and staff (Yet to be announced).

as explained in the report is: If a student’s parental income is £62,143 or above then the government expected parental contribution is £2009. Students in this bracket without any personal income thus have £5740 after the £3731 they receive as a loan is added. This means that after catering and other costs are added in no hall option in Reading is straight off affordable.

However if student’s have a part time job and earn £3392 over 40 weeks this adds up to £9,132.

Only St Patricks, Wantage, Windsor and almost Wessex are affordable at this level of loan and parental contribution. This issue is these are the halls with the least amount of rooms in comparison to the upper (premium) numbers. Without more parental support, which is not often possible as parents have other siblings, debt and commitments to pay for, all other halls are not affordable.

Further to this, in a recent round of Change It! (Our democratic platform from which students can vote and propose ideas that matter to them) the winning idea was ‘Stop increasing the Price of Halls’. This

idea received 392 votes in a five day long voting period. This shows the significant depth of student feeling that is present.

Students are not just figures on a page, with an unlimited ability to rack up debt. The loans do not cover the costs and the ever increasing need for students to find work in order to pay for accommodation is a concern. Furthermore as this report highlights hall prices need to reflect the facts; a wide range of prices to suit all budgets. The new development is a chance to ensure Reading can offer this.

It is often assumed that the market demand is for Ensuite, high quality rooms. There is demand for them, but at Reading the student demand is for affordable accommodation as we already have large amounts of ensuite, high quality rooms.

There is a real opportunity to make Reading even more attractive to wider groups of prospective students from various backgrounds and make our wonderful university more affordable for the general student populous, plus fill the gaps in the accommodation portfolio.

This report will be available on the RUSU website soon.

RUSU RESULTS

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

continued from front page Student Activities:

Next with the heaviest amount of competition. With 7 competing for the job, it was the most intense for the candidates. Molly Philpott, in a flowery romper, came first in the many rounds with Tristan Spencer as a close second. Philpott’s main concerns was that of Sports which pushed for discounted gym membership, integrating sports clubs with RAG and the improved promotion of Non-Sport Societies.

Those who campaigned for post graduate involvement and an integration between the likes of student media and other societies lagged behind with the likes of Ollie Weeden, Dom Simmons and Gov Tiwari, an unfortunate loss for those wanting to push forward in greater publicity for all.

Diversity Officer:

With three strong candidates namely Belynda Mabirizi, Hui Yee Kee and Sed Joshi all were of talent and grace. Belynda, advocating for increased communication via a forum lost out in the first round leaving Hui Yee Kee and Sed Joshi.

Favoured to win was Hui Yee Kee, in 3rd Year Law and new to the University this year after winning the prestigious position of NUS Delegate while putting up a fierce fight in Candidates Question Time in the previous week disagreeing outright with a question on diversifying staff and supporting merit instead.

The Diversity Officer with 2,902 votes cast however ended with Sed Joshi who pushed to fix the attainment gap and dropout rates of all students. His famous slogan: Use Your Head, Vote for Sed, proved to be incredibly successful.

Education Officer:

Next with three difficult rounds.

The fight was not close however in this campaign with 3,231 votes altogether and the numbers being quite sparse for the candidates in the final round. Emma McGuckian with 501 votes, Dina Ghanma with 906 and Niall Hamilton with an overwhelming number of 1,667.

Niall’s campaign: Revote Niall, gave him an edge to the competition however was a centre of debate for students on campus as his re-running gave him a far greater advantage. Still his knowledge of RUSU was in high demand after holding the position previously for a year. Richard Hydes, who was first to be knocked out was

|NEWS

favoured at the Candidates Question Time for his knowledge of NUS and Politics in the UK. RUSU President:

Last to be announced was President. With six candidates of the night, the run for president was a tough decision. Alex Powell, fighting for no more card minimums proved to be popular earlier in the campaign popping up on social media and YikYak was first to tail off in the race, a shocking realization. Vice president of the LGBT+ society and self-proclaimed workaholic, it was difficult to see why students voted Powell off so quickly.

Next was Daniel Shaw, a well versed candidate studying Business and Management, his involvement as JCR President at Childs Hall gave him a strong sense of community throughout the University. His campaign slogan was: If you want more, vote for Shaw—a friendly face in the crowd.

Tarran Sanders, starting late in his campaign came in fourth however, a surprising position despite posters only being put up midway in the week. Tarran’s main focus was affordable living for engaging students—a popular financial incentive which rung amongst students. His video, showcasing himself as a Wolf-onWall-Street type persona made him appear rather corporate.

Jon Gilbert then followed closely, who was a popular choice, working at the bars in RUSU itself as well as currently being the Environment and Ethics Part-Time Officer at the Union. Despite his unfortunate experience during Question Time, where the alarm rang within his speech, his managed to pull in a considerable amount of votes.

Finally, the winner for this year’s RUSU President was seen to be Ben Cooper followed closely by Lauren Moses, president of Swing Dance Society. Cooper, currently this year’s Community & Development Officer worked incredibly hard in his campaign which combined several slogans: ‘Vote Ben Again’ as well as ‘Be Super Vote Cooper’ in purple.

Cooper was known for his incredibly terrible yet popular campaign videos which combined covers of songs such as “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift with questionable singing/rapping changing the lyrics to “Vote for Ben, Ben Again” as well as “What Do You Mean” by Justin Bieber with lyrics of “Vote Ben Again, it’s common sense”. The most popular of the music videos however was the first released with the cover of “Uptown Funk” where “Ben

Pip Oppenheimer wins Welfare Officer stating she could not talk about anything else for the week at her house

Molly Philpott thanking her house-mates and those who voted on winning Student Activities

Niall Hamilton accepting his win and looking very formal stating “this was the best year of his life.

Sed Joshi thanking his housemates for cooking for him every night taking home the Diversity Officer role

Announcing the winner of RUSU President, L-R: Jon Gilbert, Tarran Sanders, Alex Powell, Lauren Moses, Ben Cooper

Cooper’s gonna give it to ya…All I need is your vote!”

His determination and hard work topped his opponents with 3,525 votes.

As James Hart announced the final decision, friends stormed the stage in the moment in the moment.

In Cooper’s speech was brief but emotional opening with, “Hi guys, I’m going to sing for you” he joked, “no no no I’m not” laughing. “I’d

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like to say a massive thank you to Millie Hudson and Ben Cummings where my awful singing would have been more awful it wasn’t for Ben Cummings making those videos.”

He ended his speech with, “I don’t know what to say, I really haven’t prepared anything but I’ll continue making the Union super!”

Cooper made a respectful exit and was congratulated throughout the evening.

The candidates all seemed exhausted at the end of the night, relieved and but some were more miserable than others. It was noted that there were some tears, amongst the flowers, teddy bears and sunshine. Still with the posters taken down swiftly at the Union and on campus, and the elections had an amazing impact on the students who voted and those who ran this year. .

NEWS|GENERAL NEWS

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Teach First: A journey worth taking?

I’ve started my leadership journey with Teach First. Could you?

JAMES CULLEY 2nd Year Business & Management

I first became engaged with Teach First after I met their team at a careers event in my first year. As a cautious student, wondering where university would take me, I was overwhelmed by the opportunities surrounding methat is, until I started speaking to an organisation who described how I could change the lives of other people – and not just my

own.

A year on, and that sentiment still rings true today. Whilst you may know Teach First as a graduate employer - and you’d have reason to, considering that it’s the largest in the UK- Teach First is also an education charity dedicated to ending educational inequality. I immediately resonated with their ethos –that a young person’s success in life shouldn’t be dictated by their parent’s income, which is sadly the case in the UK today.

In fact, the work that Teach First

does, inspired me so much, that I’m now a paid Brand Manager on Reading campus, speaking to students about how we can help to end this. Considering that I was one of the first students to take part in the first year Taster programme - a day at Teach First’s London offices, filled with skills workshops and networking sessions - and that I’m now speaking about Teach First to Reading students, I’m definitely happy with my journey so far. But could you take it too?

Teach First are currently

accepting applications from Reading students for a number of schemes, including the aforementioned Taster and Brand Manager opportunities.

These are great opportunities, which run alongside our awardwinning Insight summer internship programme and our prestigious Leadership Development Programme for graduates. There is something for everyone, and I know that my journey will not be ending with Teach First now – I have so much more to look forward to!

I hope that you’ve enjoyed

reading about my journey so far - maybe it is time that you started yours?

Why not have a look on the Teach First website? (graduates. teachfirst.org.uk).

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with our Reading representative, Katherine, on KBond@teachfirst.org.uk.

I hope that you will join me on a journey to a successful leadership career, and one where you can change lives – with Teach First.

Image Credit:Lancaster University

LGBT+ Religion & Culture Panel 2016

Does the culture of LGBT+ BAME people restrict freedom of sexuality and gender?

OLLIE WEEDEN Sports Editor

In the evening of the 2nd February 2016 the LGBT+ Religion and Culture Panel met to discuss whether the culture of LGBT+/BAME people restricts freedom of sexuality and gender.

Such an intriguing discussion drew in the crowds, and marked the beginning of what has thus far been a very successful celebration of LGBT+ History month at the union.

All present felt proud to have such a reputable speaker in Bisi Alimi to host the event, a TEDx speaker and self-described 'Angelic

Troublemaker Incarnate'. The discussion, moderated by RUSU's BAME Part Time Officer Rhia Patel, quickly turned to Alimi's recollection of his experiences of people confusing Islam as a race rather than a religion, with Alimi stressing the 'broad line between cultures and systems of belief'. This began a very interesting segment in which Alimi drew upon his experiences as a gay man in Nigeria and how that impacted his early life.

This conveniently led the discussion on to the question of whether today it is still difficult for young people to express their sexuality.

Whilst many will recognise that the stigma surrounding homosexuality and transsexuality

is breaking, suicide and dropout rates within the LGBT+ community are still disproportionately high, something which student unions across the country are beginning to pay attention to. Alimi however emphasised that the duty sometimes can only rest with the individual, and although it requires a great amount of bravery to come out for many, more young people need to recognise that they no longer have to feel like anything is 'wrong' with them, and they should be aware of the support networks available to them.

This still however left the issue of whether cultural background can make things more difficult unaddressed. Alimi explained how he had experienced that African,

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Caribbean and Asian communities in the UK, now being of a 3rd or 4th generation still feel as if they cannot come out to their families for fear of repercussions. Often parents fear that if their child came out as gay, it would damage their reputation in the community.

Drawing on his own experiences, Alimi told of how when he came out to his practising Muslim parents, it was very traumatic for all involved.

Having been brought up in a very strict culture and sent to an all boy’s school, it wasn't long before he realised that he had no interest in making friends with girls. When his mother noticed, he was told that 'whatever he was doing, God was not happy and he should stop.'

Upon revealing his sexuality, he was cast out of the house and removed from his father's will. It was only 2 years ago when they made contact again. This however still means that Alimi lost many years of a relationship he should have been enjoying with his parents. Despite this, it is clear that Alimi does not want to think of this issue as being limited to a BAME situation. In his words, it is a 'human challenge', one which must be engaged with by people from all social and cultural backgrounds.

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Majority of Students in the UK say YES to Staying in the EU

Shocking new figures show that nearly 100% of students agree that the UK should stay SOPHIE CLINTON 3rd Year English Literature

The ‘i’ paper recently conducted a survey which saw just two people out of a selection of three hundred opt for the UK to leave the union, which the country has now been a part of for 43 years.

The debate took place in Leeds, and was led by Steve Richards who is the Independent’s head political columnist. The panel included MPs from all over the country representing the Labour party, the Green party, SNP, and the Conservative party, creating a critical debate with all major current political parties in the United Kingdom.

The event, which was free, saw representatives discuss how much

political decisions of the current day affect or benefit young people.

It was conducted primarily to challenge the statement that ‘British politics does nothing for young people’.

Several of the MP electives appeared to have positive ideas on students entering the political world, with SNP representative Stuart Donaldson saying: “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough, so get involved.”

Donaldson also spoke about his own experience of becoming an MP in the House of Commons at the young age of 23 last year, explaining he felt it would have been “utterly irresponsible” of him not to take the opportunity of representing Scotland.

Ms Bennett, representative of the Green party, was another favourite amongst the students, who said:

“Don’t blame students for not voting, blame politicians for not speaking to students”, addressing her desire for more students to become evolved in the political sphere. This was only helped by her party’s call to abolish tuition fees, which are a pressuring problem amongst students.

One student, who only chose to reveal her first name as Lauren to the audience, spoke to these politicians, explaining that she thought it “disparaging and patronising” that at her age (16 years old) she could not vote in the EU referendum.

She asked: “is it exclusively something to be proud of? Because it is exclusive and it’s not fair.”

Mr Hollinrake replied to Lauren’s question: “It’s the wrong time to change the rules on voting.”

However, he did continue to admit

that age limits are inconsistent and poorly judged: “I think the age of consent is all over the place: you can go to war at 16, you can’t drink until you’re 18, and you can’t vote until you’re 18. We need to have a common position on it, but the status quo – where we are at the moment – is that it’s 18 to vote.”

Ms Bennett then added to this, and received applause for her comment as she argued: “a general election lasts for, at most, five years. The referendum and EU decision is potentially irrevocable, and that’s exactly where it would be a great place to start with votes at 16.”

She was also met with much encouragement when expressing her opinion that what is most to blame for almost preventing young people from having a political understanding is the

media itself, which has become a heavily right-winged. However she took the argument further to debate: “whether it’s giving utterly unreasonable access to people who are climate change deniers, whether it’s focusing on politics as being about how Ed Miliband eats a bacon sandwich, or how deeply Corbyn bows at the Cenotaph, the mainstream media is doing massive damage to politics.”

She was essentially arguing that politics in the world of social media has digressed to centre upon trivial and unnecessary events.

The final decision made by students present at the event was that the initial statement which spurred this debate was incorrect, and therefore British politics do help the younger generations of today.

U.S Ambassador visits University of Reading Mathew Barzun gave a talk in Henley Business School JACK MAHONEY 1st Year French & International Relations

The U.S Ambassador visited Reading University for a Question and Answer Session on 4th February. Mathew Barzun has worked previously for CNET Networks, an Internet news company that has been in business since the mid-90s. He also had an interest in politics, as he worked briefly for the now Secretary of State John Kerry (then Senator Kerry of Massachusetts) before attending Harvard University, where he graduated in 1993.

Mr Barzun met President Obama back when he was a Senator in 2007, and soon was an important volunteer on his 2008 Presidential Campaign. It could be suggested that this volunteer work paid

off because in 2009 the newly inaugurated President Obama appointed Barzun as Ambassador to Sweden, where he served until 2011. Barzun was back in the US, however, for Obama’s re-election, serving as National Finance Chair for his re-election campaign. After Obama’s victory, Barzun was appointed as Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2013.

The Ambassador arrived in his armored car with his security at Henley Business School to a packed room. During his talk (he left little room for actual questions) the Ambassador struck a strong and friendly tone with the crowd - as a good diplomat should. The Vice-Chancellor had introduced him by reminding those present that the Ambassador was a friend to the university and he hoped we would act accordingly and be a friend to him. Barzun introduced himself by saying that if someone

wanted to say something that they should say it, although he did make a point of reminding us that the US had “no greater ally than the UK”. He also highlighted Churchill’s often-coined phrase, that the UK and US share a “special relationship”.

This may well be the case, but is that changing? And could it change in the future? While David Cameron looks to secure a deal for the United Kingdom to remain in the EU, he has not ruled out leaving. This is most likely a threat to push the Germans to work with him on a negation, but at home, the EU Exit campaign is starting to pick up speed, with Boris Johnson rumored to be a possible sympathizer. If the UK were to the leave the EU then America would not have their “closest ally” at the heart of EU politics.

There is more. Before the election, Britain barely met it’s 2% NATO

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target for defense spending. There is a growing feeling in America that Europe does not pull it’s weight on defense, and Britain is not leading in this area. A shock decision on the EU or a stumble on defense could see the so-called special relationship change. The

question is, if the Ambassador was to visit this time in 2017, would he still be espousing the special relationship? Or would he perhaps be alluding to a looming referendum that might see the United States reconsider how close it really is to the UK.

Ambassador Barzun at Henley Business School

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Domestic Violence victims forced to face abusers in court SAM NORTH 3rd Year Construction Management

Domestic violence is a crime that the justice system is all too aware of. With one in four women and one in six men experiencing domestic abuse in their lifetime, domestic violence accounts for around 16% of all violent crime in the UK, however it is still the violent crime least likely to be reported to the police. Legal aid has been challenged recently in the court of appeal regarding civil proceedings involving victims of domestic violence.

The court of appeal has been hearing recently from campaign group Rights of Women

(ROW) that Ministry of Justice restrictions on funding courtroom support are leading to vulnerable women having to appear in the family courts without being legally represented. The Ministry of Justice insists that domestic violence victims ‘who genuinely require assistance in court proceedings’ are able to obtain legal aid.

However, Nathalie Lieven QC representing ROW said: “our evidence shows beyond any possible doubt that that intention is not being met.”

ROW is seeking a ruling that the regulations rely on flawed criteria which narrow the definition of domestic violence too far and wrongly impose a strict 24-month

time limit on the evidence a person can use to show they were victims entitled to aid. Rights of Women lost the initial challenge in the High Court in its attempt to make it easier for victims of domestic violence to obtain legal aid.

Whilst family courts are not criminal courts and therefore do not burden the victim with proving guilt beyond all reasonable doubt but by a balance of probabilities, facing someone in court that has abused the victim can be very challenging and can lead to unfair outcomes for the victim and, in some instances, lead to psychological trauma.

Image Credit: Manon Jones

Facebook updates the Like button

More Gluten Free Food in RUSU

ELIOT SMITH

BEN COOPER

1st Year Computer Science

Student Officer

You likely press many times a day, the “like” button has become a part of many people’s lives through the social media site Facebook. It is internationally recognised and has been central to the site for over a decade.

Currently the only way you can interact with a post on Facebook is to “like” it. This is fine for a post of a night out or a photo of an animal, but what if someone posts something which isn’t “likeworthy”, someone announcing their divorce or an illness for example? Or simply something which you want to express yourself more with. Of course you could comment, but, in a world of fast moving social streams do we really have time for that?

Facebook seems to think we do not.

The social media giant has recognised the lack of complexity it allows its users to show on the site and in response is going to upgrade the existing “like” button by adding a pop-up feature where users are able to choose

Press image

an emoticon reaction in response to a post. The emoticons labelled “love”, “haha”, “wow”, “sad” and “angry” as well as the original “like” are being rolled out firstly in Ireland and Spain, but will be shown globally “pretty soon”.

Facebook founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg said “We want people to share all the things that are meaningful to them, not just the things that are happy and that people are going to ‘Like’.”

There have been mixed reactions by advertising companies to the news. Currently they can only gauge the popularity of posts by likes and comments. Simon Calvert, head of strategy and marketing agency Lida said “Emotions travel five times faster than rational thought. It could be really interesting if what users select, actually represents the

emotion they are feeling.” Others have noted that it will now be harder to advertise as users will be able to see if a product has made a lot of people “angry” for example.

Some people such as Nick Oliver of people.io have pointed out that “From the consumer point of view they are now giving up their emotional data for advertisers to use and manipulate.” Facebook currently collects a lot of data about users, ranging from their browsing habits, to their interests, many people are saying collecting emotions as well, is going a step to far.

Whether you are happy with the current “like” button or want to express yourself to friends using more detailed emotions, the update will be coming soon, so you better start deciding if you want to react with a “like” or a “haha” to those cat photos in the future!

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Here at RUSU we have been widening our range of gluten free and vegetarian/ vegan foods available in our outlets.

Everything from wraps and salads in Campus central, right the way through to cake in Mondial.

We are especially proud of the meals in Mojos, we now provide a broader service to suit more dietary needs.

We are also encouraging the university to do the same with its outlets such as Eat At the Square which now provides a gluten free and vegan option. Also in some of their cafes they have some gluten free foods.

Although it won’t stop here, we want to encourage more diversity in foods offered on campus across the different outlets.

Any ideas on what you would like to see or any problems you have with eating on campus please let me know by emailing communityanddeveloopment@ rusu.co.uk

Image Credit: Sarah R

Science Park gets £36 million Funding

Image Credit: UoR

RACHEL WYATT

1st Year Art and Psychology

The Thames Valley Science Park’s first phase has officially been approved, and the £36 million project will begin.

Director of Thames Valley Science Park, David Gillam, has said that the University Council’s recent decision: “represents a significant milestone in what has been a long term ambition for the University. Our ambition is to create a science park with international

structure and reputation.”

The £36 million spent on the first phase will be going towards the ‘landmark’ Gateway Building; the first building of four of what will eventually be one of the largest dedicated science business parks in the South East, after building begins before this Easter, contracted by GRAHAM Construction.

The Gateway will provide its tenants with top class office and laboratory spaces, conference facilities, and even a café. Planning Committee Chairman Councilor, Simon Weeks, describes the

Gateway Building as: “a landmark building with the high standard of design, setting a good precedent for the rest of the Thames Valley Science Park.”

Also included in the first phase will be all major site infrastructure for the huge 42 acre site, including road and network links, landscaping, and a £3m contribution towards the Eastern Relief Road, (under construction by HOCHTIEF UK Construction on behalf of the University of Reading).

The Thames Valley Science Park will take up to 25 years to be

fully developed, and is a critical part of the South of M4 Strategic Development Location, which will also include 2,500 new market and affordable homes, schools, retail units, and improved public transport, including to London and Heathrow.

UoR Vice-Chancellor David Bell says: “We are proud to be investing in the region…The Thames Valley Science Park will generate jobs, promote innovation and stimulate growth - nurturing start-up business and helping small firms grow rapidly.”

The Thames Valley Science centre reportedly has the potential to employ up to 5,000 people, starting with its opening in spring 2017.

Tenant high-technology firms, which will be announced from this autumn, will begin moving in later in 2016, and will include many firms relocating from the existing Science & Technology Centre on campus.

Introducing… Phab!

HARRIET LYNDS News Editor

Phab is a national charity that is dedicated to the complete integration of people with disabilities into the wider community. They inspire people of all abilities to come together on equal terms and make more of life together.

Phab stands for “Physically Handicapped and Able Bodied”.

The University of Reading’s Phab project aims to host fundraising and awareness events on campus as well as running campaigns on disability.

They also work closely with local Phab clubs and many students currently volunteer at

Phab Berkshire’s Saturday morning children sessions which run from 10am until 1pm. These clubs encourage children and teenagers with disabilities to grow and express themselves in a stimulating and safe environment.

The project here in Reading was set up by third year student, Tristan Spencer, who has been involved with the charity for five years with the help of first year student, Ellie Grimes, who has been involved for two years.

Tristan says: “I think my experience with Phab has definitely enriched me as a person. I mean, it’s fun, you meet great people and add to your skillset; but more than anything it is worthwhile making a positive impact on people’s lives

and seeing them happy.

“It develops a sense of maturity and an appreciation for life. I would recommend getting involved with Phab to anyone.”

Why join Phab?

Volunteers can choose between volunteering with local Phab clubs or help with the organisation and running of on campus events and campaigns. Both are great ways to develop key skills and boost your CV, with all hours contributing to the RED Award.

The weekly sessions with the Phab Berkshire club are fun, engaging, rewarding and provide experiences that no other society can provide.

There is a strong sense of community with all Phab clubs and

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the social side of the University Phab project will be lively, proving to be a great way to get to know new people while doing something different and incredibly worthwhile.

How to join: If you are interested in joining the committee or simply volunteering for Phab, message Tristan Spencer or Ellie Grimes.

Email: uorphab@outlook.com

Facebook: UoR Phab Upcoming events Volunteering sessions happen every Saturday morning, but events such as the “Phab Revue” are happening at end of this term, and next term they are holding a Disability Sports Day. Do not hesitate to get in touch with the committee if you are keen to volunteer!

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Careers

Applications for the Vice-Chancellor’s China Scholarship Scheme are now open!

Reading Internship Scheme

The Vice-Chancellor's China Scholarship Scheme – a scheme in which a number of students are provided with full funding for a place at one of two summer schools in Beijing, China – is now open for applications.

During a trip to China in November 2013, the ViceChancellor visited some of the University of Reading's key partners and learnt that they provide Summer Programmes that allow international students to visit and learn more about China and Chinese culture. The scheme was launched in summer 2014 and provides a maximum of £3,000 per student which covers flights, accommodation and visas (organised and booked by the University) and a daily stipend for food and drink.

Currently, there are two partner universities that offer the opportunity to visit and these are Peking University and Renmin University both of which are top ranked universities in Beijing, China.

Both offer summer schools that last approximately 28 days and offer the chance to take modules such as: Chinese culture, Chinese language, the politics of China, the Economy of China and Chinese literature.

The Reading Internship Scheme is back and bigger than ever!

Offering paid summer internships between 6 and 12 weeks working with start-ups, small to medium size enterprises and small enterprises exclusively for UoR students.

This is a great opportunity to try out an industry or career, refine your transferable skills, and gain valuable experience.

Last summer interns worked in organisations as diverse as the Henley River and Rowing Museum and a production company based in Pinewood Studios. The roles on offer are vast including Donor Relations, Marketing, Secondary School liaison, Social Media, and many more!

Last year one of our students went to work as a Marketing Intern for BakedIn, during her time with them she developed and pitched her product to senior managers successfully, and it is now on sale across the UK in Lakeland stores.

The Reading Internship Scheme is generously supported by the Earley Charity, Santander and the University’s Access Fund who make the internships possible.

The scheme is open to students from any year of study and any degree discipline; the positions will be advertised from early March. For more information visit reading.ac.uk/ careers/placements/ris

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme launches placements for 2016 The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) is about to launch its summer research placements for 2016.

UROP provides exciting opportunities for undergraduates to work with staff on research projects across the University, contributing directly to the creation of knowledge, building new skills and strengthening the link between teaching and research.

UROP placements are paid a bursary of £1,320 and last six weeks over the summer break, or can be part-time over a longer period. The scheme is only open to University of Reading students in their middle years of study (i.e. not first or final year students).

The University of Reading is one of a select number of UK universities to run its own UROP scheme and there have been over 400 placements funded across the university since 2006. As a student, a UROP placement can make a significant contribution

to your transferable skills, employability and understanding of the research environment.

UROP placements and training can be used towards the RED award and further information on the elements of the UROP programme can be found here.

Each individual project will have information on start dates and how to apply and can be found on the placements section of the UROP website. These will be published during mid-February.

ONLINE ONLY For students wishing to find out more about the scheme, what it can offer and to hear experiences of previous students, the Careers Centre will be running UROP Information sessions on the following dates (please register via My Jobs Online): Friday 12th February 1pm-2pm Palmer 103 Monday 22nd February 5pm-6pm Palmer 106 Wednesday 2nd March 1pm-2pm Palmer 103

The scheme is only open to UK and other nationals (who don't hold a Republic of China passport, and are able to secure a visa); and participants must return to the University of Reading for a minimum of 12 months further study following completion of the Scholarship programme.

Students who are interested in the scheme can attend the ‘Opportunities in China: Internships and the ViceChancellor's China Scholarship Scheme’ session, which is running as part of the Reading Culture Day. The session will take place on Wednesday 17th February, 4-5pm in Palmer G02 and will provide an opportunity to find out all about the scholarship scheme, as well as having the chance to hear from the 2015 China scholars about their experiences.

To apply for the scheme, please fill out an online application form.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 25th March and interviews will take place at the beginning of the summer term. If you have any further questions, please contact Daniel Mitchell or visit the Vice-Chancellor’s China Scholarships website.

Undergraduate Professional Work Experience Bursary New £500 bursary available to help with professional work experience Have you secured unpaid or low paid professional work experience? Careers can help!

They have 90 bursaries of £500 available to undergraduate students from any degree discipline. Perhaps you are planning on volunteering abroad with Oxfam or Rayleigh International, or maybe you have got that coveted unpaid internship with a PR or Marketing company. The bursary is designed to help contribute to the cost of your

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travel, accommodation (whether here in Reading or elsewhere) and your food.

The work experience must be 6 weeks or over but can be here in the UK or abroad. Helpfully the bursary isn’t means tested, which means you don’t need to show your bank statement or have received any other bursaries to be eligible. There are two applications deadlines Friday 26th February or Friday 27th May, for more information visit student.reading.ac.uk/ e s s e n t i a l s /c a r e e r s / w e x bursaries

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Student demands a free supply of chocolate from Nestle SOPHIE CLINTON 3rd Year English Lit

A student has threatened to take legal action against top chocolate company Nestlé, after purchasing one of their Kit Kat bars with no wafer inside. 20 year old Samia Ahmad purchased a multipack of the favourite snack, priced at £2 last month.

She found herself unsatisfied with the product and has therefore chosen to write to the manufacturers arguing that a duty of care to customers has been neglected. Samia is a student at Kings College London, and has put much effort into producing her legal case, including details of a legal precedent set in the 1930s.

She argues that if the company were to provide her with a lifetime supply of the snack she can act as a form of ‘quality control’ for Nestlé.

Samia spoke to the Daily Mail, saying: “Nestlé have a huge following and I don’t think these

mistakes are acceptable. I have researched this problem and I found that it wasn’t just a one off and it has happened quite a few times.”

The student continues to say that other people have written complaints online after experiencing the same problem as herself, but none had contacted the company.

She also appears happy to say that the CEO of the company was the one to respond to her complaint, and she things this is because “it’s an extremely important issue.”

She continues her argument to say: “the loss I have suffered is of monetary and emotional significance” and writes that she would like a full refund, and that she has “lost [her] faith in Nestlé.”

Samia has made it very clear that if Nestlé do not cooperate with her and work towards meeting her demands she will take legal action upon the company. No further comment has been made as to whether Nestlé have responded to her.

Reading and Henley shortlisted for NUE Award

The University of Reading and Henley Business School have been shortlisted for a total of 4 awards at this year's National Undergraduate Employability Awards (NUE).

Both the University and Henley Business School have been nominated for awards that reflect institution-wide performance and individual student participation in work placement schemes.

The nominations are as follows: Best University Careers / Employability Service: Central Careers, University of Reading.

Outstanding Contribution to Work Experience: Harriet Kirk, Careers Consultant, Henley Business School.

Best Student Contribution

to a Small to Medium-Sized Employer: Lewis Sargent, Henley Business School, and Rachel Pitman, University of Reading.

Now in its seventh year, NUE Awards are presented to employers, universities and students who have demonstrated exceptional support and engagement with the undergraduate employment market. The awards ceremony took place on Friday 12th February in London, hosted by the king of reggae sauce himself, Levi Roots. Despite not winning all four awards Rachel Pitman, one of our students picked up the 'Highly Commended' award in her category as a result of her outstanding contribution during her 1 year placement.

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Are we ‘losing knowledge’ due to the growing dominance of the English language?

SOPHIE WHYTE 3rd Year English Lit

It is widely acknowledged that English has become the predominant language of higher education, knowledge exchange and research.

International academic conferences and research exchange are likely to be conducted in English.

While this widespread use of English facilitates collaboration between different languages, scientists are questioning whether this process eliminates non-English based research? If the major international journals are published in English, does this mean we are inadvertently rejecting non-English publications?

The German linguist Rainer Enrique Hamel in his Lecture series ‘The Power of Language’ claims: “even prominent academics from outside the Anglo-Saxon language realm are usually not taken into account, especially if they dare to write in languages other than English”.

Hamel noticed that in 1880, 36% of scientific publications were written in English and that this had risen to 64% by 1980.

This increase demonstrates that information being published in English had almost doubled in quantity over one hundred years.

This trend continued from 1980 to 2000 as Journal Citation Reports recognises that 96% of journals published were in English. Due to the high production of English publications, there is an incentive for Universities to encourage their scholars to publish in English. The major international journals are published in English and if a scholar can be published in one, this can influence the University’s rankings and affect their funding and recruitment.

Courses spanning Europe and Asia are increasingly taught in English. In the Netherlands there are Universities that have more courses in English than Dutch and also ones that use English as its main teaching language.

Academics claim that the overuse and dependence on English prevents the growth of knowledge because many fields of science have developed in the past from the different approaches that academics can take by using their native languages.

There is a German campaign led by academics called ADAWIS, which wants German preserved as a scientific language. The chair of ADAWIS, Professor Ralph Mocikat, says that individual languages are important in scientific development because they use different patterns of ‘argumentation’ and form conclusions from differing manners of debate and evidence examination. This argues that we are ignoring the potential within other languages and losing a spectrum of knowledge. Mocikat believes that using different languages opens up possibilities because where “argumentation is more linear in English-language papers” he states that: “the German grammar facilitates cross and back references”.

Research suggests that to be published in an English journal, academics need to subscribe to Anglo-American theories and terminology. The current examination of English in these publications is raising an awareness of the limitations created by such a mono-linguistic dependence in knowledge advancement.

Image Credit: Ivan Savochenko

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Image Credit: Doni A. Filipov

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Image Credit: Farah Shaqhirah

This Month in Photos Image Credit: Hui Yee

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Mojo’s, to boat parties on the Thames.

Bowie and Rickman take their final bows

Events

YASMIN WILD

Society Spotlight: Junction 11 HATTY JEFFREY

2nd Year Biological Sciences

About us Junction11 Radio is the student radio station at the University of Reading, broadcasting live, from the heart of Whiteknights Campus.

We have a wide variety of shows on-air, including ‘WakeUp!’, our daily Breakfast Show, ‘UniPlay’the perfect soundtrack to your Union pre-drinks (every Wednesday and Saturday night), as well as specialist music slots, playing everything from rock to country, 90s, 00s, and top chart hits!

Our recently upgraded studio features fantastic industry standard equipment, Jazler playout software, Adobe Audition and Audacity audio editing software, and the facilities to plug in decks, for live on-air DJ sets.

Why join?

Junction11 Radio is a great society to be part of, with a wide variety of roles available, offering training in radio and the opportunity to attend Student Radio Association events, such as the annual conference.

Junction11 has also seen some great socials in the past; from the classic night out at Union with plenty of Snake Bites, meals at

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Annually, at the UoR Summer Ball, the Junction11 team perform live DJ sets at Mojo’s, which also feature throughout the year at Union nights, when we take over Mojo’s with ‘Junction11 Live’.

With the RUSU Student Officer Elections fast approaching, Junction11 will be bringing you live coverage of results on Elections night, broadcasting live interviews with the winners.

How to join Our team is made of up a diverse range of creative individuals, working together to produce fantastic, student-orientated content. If you fancy taking up a new hobby, or are interested in a career in media, Junction11 Radio is a great place to start.

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Image Credit: Hatty Jeffery

3rd Year History of Art & English Lit

In January this year the world stopped and mourned the tragic passing of two of Britain’s incredibly talented artists due to cancer. Beloved Actor Alan Rickman and musical legend David Bowie passed away on the 10th and 14th January both at the ages of 69. These simultaneous tragic losses have left the worlds of music and film devastated, as these two titans of their fields were truly one of a kind.

Alan Rickman (1946-2016) who has a phenomenal 68 films credited to his name throughout his career, is most well-known for his grounding breaking roles of the terrorizing Hans Gruber in Die Hard, the infamous Professor Snape in Harry Potter, and the malicious Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, for which he won a BAFTA. Famous for his irreplaceable and uniquely silky voice, Rickman has been honoured with 16 awards; including an Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards, and yet he was not restricted to the screen.

Rickman also directed plays and has taken part in productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

The support and tributes from fans and co-stars of Rickman has been overwhelming, with social media flooded with messages of gratitude and remembrance. Dear friend and co-star Emma Thompson has stated the heart felt loss of such an incredible man, saying: “he was above all things a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again”.

Harry Potter co-star Sir Michael Gambon commented on Rickman’s immense talent: “He was intelligent, he wrote plays and he directed a play. So he was a real man of the theatre and the stage and that’s how I think of Alan”.

Only 4 short days before the passing of everyone’s favourite potions Professor, the music world was rocked by the death of starman David Bowie (1947-2016). One of the most influential musical talents of his era, Bowie produced an

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Image Credit: Marc Wathieu

immense twenty-five albums and one hundred and eleven singles; with renowned hits such as Let’s Dance, Under Pressure and Space Oddity resounding far above the moon.

Bowie’s illustrious career spanned 51 years and was prevalent not only in music but in film as well, with movies such as Labyrinth. In music his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust transformed music and inspired both fans and musicians alike with his constant reinvention, not only of his sounds but of his persona too.

Friend and producer Tony

Visconti saw in Bowie’s death another reflection of his friend as: “his death was no different from his life – a work of art”.

The world of music greatly mourns his loss, with Beatles Paul McCartney commenting: “his music played a very strong part in British musical history and I’m proud to think of the huge influence he has had on people all around the world”.

The profound effect both these remarkable men have had on the world is astounding, and it is needless to say that they will be missed and always remembered.

SINGLE ON VALENTINES? Find out what’s the turmoil of being single on Valentines day.

IS IT BREAKFAST TIME? Hannah Franklin creates some healthy, cheap and easy options for a student breakfast.

DID YOU ENJOY PANCAKE DAY? The perfect reciepe to create fabulous vegan pancakes for our friends.

VISITING LONDON? Stephanie lists loads of fun and cheap places to visit in London.

LIFESTYLE Credit to Still Burning

Top 6 Ways to Procrastinate JEN DANIEL & GEORGE ROBERTS 3rd Year English Language and 2nd Year English Literature

1. Buzzfeed The website that was basically invented for procrastinating.

Nothing on there is especially useful, interesting or even that fun, but we can still spend hours upon hours on it. I want to see who my future spouse will be, I want to see more funny pictures of Donald Trump, and I want to see all the memes!!!

2. Youtube You’re doing a super important assignment that’s due tomorrow, you find a video of Youtube that looks really relevant. As you go to click on it your eyes move to

the right hand side of the screen to your suggested videos. What is that cat doing on that motorbike!?

Morgan Freeman on helium??

Hell yeah! 4 hours later, and you realise the gravity of the mistake you have just made.

3. Online Shopping Going on blackboard to find the slides from that lecture you missed because Making a Murderer was too important. You type in ‘b’ in your search bar: boohoo. com flashes across the screen. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to see if there are any good sales on. 2 hours and 20 items in your basket

later, those lecture slides feel like a distant memory.

4. Netflix One… More… Episode. Those cursed words that can transform the most motivated student into a popcorn guzzling binge-watching animal.

The ‘are you still watching’ screen wakes you up from your trance 2 hours later and you realise what a terrible person Netflix has made you 5. Making Food Buzzfeed Food and Proper Tasty has turned us all from microwave maestros to gourmet chefs.

Cookie dough Oreo

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brownies, deep fried garlic cheese twists. Every video you watch you’re thinking less about doing that assignment and more about going to the co-op so you can buy all the cheese and avocados they have.

6. The Bagel Man 3 hours and only 100 words into a stint at the library and your stomach is starting to growl.

There is only one solution – the Bagel Man. You time your exit perfectly at ten to 1 so that you can guarantee at least 30 minutes in the queue, and when you get to the front proceed to tell him your

entire life story. He’s so nice, you feel like he’s the only on who cares about your problems, he’s genuinely interested about what you got up to at the weekend.

One hour later and the guy behind you is fuming, but you feel much, much better about everything in your life.

At the university of Reading it’s a miracle that anyone gets any work done. In the 21st century there are distractions everywhere, so sometimes you have to learn to just embrace it .

ROMANCE

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A little bit of sun in Sonning JACKIE TAN

2nd Year Business and Management

Sonning, a beautiful village just outside of Reading, is a gem and must-see for those who just want to get away for a day. Only 25 minutes by bus or a 50-minute walk away, it’s the perfect place to escape urban life and live rurally. Packed into this small parish are great sights to see such as: The Mill, which is a combined theatre, bar and restaurant; The Bull Inn for classic food; or The Great House which has a newly built bar; they all surround a view of the River Thames and bright coloured boats ready for a sail away.

If you’re keen to walk far and wide, get your wellies out because this can be pretty muddy if walking down the path following the

Thames to Shiplake Village, which is about an extra 50 minutes’ walk further from Sonning. Sonning is clustered in mansions, with a lot of them maintaining their 17001800 original architecture. So, for those artsy people needing a new scene to capture, Sonning is a local delight.

For those who like sports, Sonning also caters multiple sports clubs including squash, hockey, tennis and cricket. But the savviest attraction for Sonning is that George Clooney and his wife Amal bought their first marital home in Sonning, a grade II listed mansion, for an estimated £10 million. So, don’t be surprised if you find Bentleys, Porsches and custom-made cars dotted around the village. It is an affluent area with little hustle and bustle and more like a village of millionaires who like peace and quiet.

You walk around and there are lots of runners in Sonning. You

pass them and they actually say ‘hello’ and ‘good morning’; they treat you like a local even if you’re not one and that is probably why the area has remained so exclusive. Maybe Sonning’s charm on the Clooneys is its movie-like setting; all houses are attached or completely detached and are placed on the sides of the tightest roads, expected of a country village. With grandeur gates and driveways that hold more than three cars, it’s no doubt that Sonning is underrated and very private, the village itself would not be people’s first choice to visit, but if you’re looking for a place to live in the future, Sonning should be considered (that is, if you make a six figure salary).

So, whenever you feel like you need a break to get away from your studies, friends, family or even the inner city-like surrounding, Sonning will help refresh your mind and get you going!

Handy guide to first dates.

ANNABEL HORSLEY Lifestyle Editor

Dress to impress.

You only get one chance to make a first impression, so why not try and make it a good one?

Girls, get glammed up! Boys, put on a nice shirt. Looking and feeling good can never be a bad thing.

Be attentive.

Politeness and good manners are really important in a first date situation. As well as opening doors, pulling chairs out and offering to split the bill or pay for it all, you can simply show an interest in the other person and what they have to say. Ask questions and be genuine.

Don’t panic.

Try not to worry about it being awkward - one awkward silence doesn’t mean the date is a disaster. It’s totally normal, but just try and think of questions you can ask each other beforehand to avoid too many. Making a simple observation about what is around you can start a whole new conversation.

Do something different.

Although meals out are nice, sitting opposite someone you’ve never met before in such an intense situation can be scary, so try to think of options for your date. Try going to the zoo, a museum, a bar or bowling. There are so many different things you can do. If you’re struggling for money, just a picnic in a park or going for a coffee can be a cheap but fun day.

Avoid a situation, such as the

Credit to Jackie Tan

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|LIFESTYLE

cinema, where you might not be able to chat much.

Be yourself.

It sounds silly, but there’s no point going on a date and acting like someone you’re not. You don’t want the other person to start liking things about you that aren’t honest, then four dates down the line, they find out the truth and things get mega-awkward. Try to be confident enough to be yourself and let them learn about the real you.

Don’t talk about your ex.

Just don’t. The last thing you need is a potential new relationship to start on conversations of an old one. You don’t want the other person thinking you are still hung up on your ex or are using them to get over them. Stay clear of the topic.

Be confident.

Confidence is one of the most attractive traits. Laugh a lot and try not to be shy; you are on this date because they are interested in you, so try your best to feel at ease.

Perfect your greeting.

A kiss on the cheek and a hug seems simple but people can be very awkward; perfecting the greeting can help get the date started on a good foot.

Keep drinking to a minimum.

Being sloppy on the first date can be unattractive and you may end up giving away more than you intended. Feel free to have a drink or two to loosen up but try and stay composed!

Credit to Manon Jones

LIFESTYLE| CULTURE

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

The best and worst places on campus GARETH THOMAS 1st Year Philosophy

SOPHIE CLINTON 3rd Year English Lit

TOP THREE Harris Gardens Saturday night Union Ice House HARRIS GARDENS This 12 acre botanical garden was established by the University in 1972, when the Department of Botany moved to Whiteknights. It is set within the grounds of what was originally a Victorian house but has since been demolished.

Take some time to explore the University’s hidden gem on the edge of campus.

UNION (ON A SATURDAY NIGHT) As of this year, the student union now boasts four separate rooms, with music expanding over more than one decade. It is now

one of the largest clubs in Reading and is known for its awesome atmosphere on a Saturday night.

Enjoy a snake-bite while getting down to the best playlists in Reading.

campus, mainly because of its bizarre architecture and outdated design. Considering it only consists of two lecture theatres, it does almost seem like a waste of space.

ICE HOUSE Situated in Wessex Hall, Ice House is open everyday. With a slightly more relaxed atmosphere than Park Bar, it offers a cinema night as well as cocktails superior to elsewhere on campus, and multiple other drinks. Two for one is available every day so there are no excuses!

HumSS Van Emden Theatre Cold and uninviting, the Van Emden Theatre is found on the first floor of the HumSS building.

Its lack of up-to-date technology makes lectures run less smoothly compared to Henley’s plush G11, which is situated just next door.

WORST THREE URS HumSS – Van Emden Lecture Theatre The toilets on a Union night URS The complicated structure and endless corridors make this building a mission to navigate around. Its ugly exterior ruins the aesthetic of the surrounding

THE TOILETS ON A UNION NIGHT Because of its unmanageable queues on busy union nights, the condition of the SU toilets are dissatisfactory to say the least.

Throughout the night they are completely unkempt and left in a poor state, after drunken student after drunken student tramples through them, drinks flying everywhere.

Credit to UoR

What to buy someone who has everything REBECCA WHITE 1st Year English Language

Credit to Annabel Horsley

Chocolate, DVDs, books, clothes - you name it, they've got it.

Trying to buy for someone who seems to have everything can be stressful and often takes up a lot of time. There are, however, many options which may not come to mind at first, but are brilliant ideas for that one person who is difficult to buy for.

Personalised gifts are not only unique and thoughtful, but also a cheaper option and are perfect for someone who owns everything from high-street shops. Mason jars have recently become a popular personalised gift. You can buy these from most homeware stores, and are then ready to be decorated however you wish.

You can put anything inside from DIY biscuits, cake and hot chocolate mixes with a recipe tag, to mixed sweets, or even a scented candle. Pinterest is a great place to look for further inspiration.

For something a little more meaningful, photo albums or

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memory boxes are great presents to make and are certainly worth more than anything you can buy in store. If it's someone you have known for a while, collect all the things that remind you of times you've spent together and put them in a decorated box, along with photos that represent special memories. Alternatively, you could collect some of your favourite photos of you both together and put them in a personalised photo album.

For those who are slightly less creative or don't have as much time, online websites such as notonthehighstreet. com have some brilliant, unique gifts, ranging from personalised jewellery to quirky home-ware and personalised clothing. The Urban Outfitters website also features some good gifts, ranging from memory boxes to vintage Polaroid cameras.

If the person you’re buying for has a love for hot drinks, why not buy them a self-stirring mug?

This has recently become fairly popular, and can be bought from

Amazon for £5. Who wouldn’t want their tea or coffee stirred for them at the click of a button?

Or, perhaps you know someone who loves to snack - you can buy popcorn makers for less than £20 on Amazon.

If you’re really stuck, you could consider buying a voucher.

You can't go wrong with these give someone a voucher for their favourite store and they can buy whatever they like, and the best part is, you know they will love it. Tickets are also a great idea - a concert ticket to see their favourite band/singer or a ticket to see a show or football match will go down a treat.

The key to buying a great gift for someone who has everything is to think about what they love the most, and be creative with it. Thoughtful gifts are always accepted with gratitude, even though they are not always easy to think of!

WIN a month’s rent for you and your housemates* Whether you’re searching for a property, renting a room in a house with other students or graduates or buying a new home, Move Me In gives you a customised set of tasks tailored to your search or move. You can add photos of the potential property, share tasks with housemates and create your own list of jobs to complete.

Sign up to Move Me In today for your chance to WIN a month’s rent for you and your housemates.* Visit www.move-me.in *Terms and conditions apply Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This can be checked on the Financial Services Register by visiting their website at www.fca.org.uk/register Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited. Company No. 856706 registered in England at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire GL51 4UE.

277mm x 346mm Housing ad JW.indd 1

07/01/2016 14:29:38

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LIFESTYLE| ROMANCE

Tinder JACKIE TAN

2nd Year Business and Management

Admit it, you’ve either: got it, tried it on a friend’s phone, had it and deleted it, or been curious about it. That’s not even including whether you found a relationship through it, yet somehow Tinder seems to seep into everyone’s pocket.

First of all, what’s so bad about it? Personally, I don’t see it as a dating app, nor do I see it as a hookup app, it’s just a great way for people to meet new people and

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

actually start conversations - it’s a tool for people to connect and socialise, not always sexually. Of course it crosses lines in terms of vanity in all users but that is actually a really important part when it comes to attraction, whether someone seems genuine or not. When you match, then you can see if there is a mental attraction, but that’s quite tricky if you never end up meeting the person on the other side, guy or girl.

You might be using it for a hookup, a date for a specific occasion, or even just someone to talk to; Tinder allows you to do all of that. There are parts that can be PG and those that are a little bit more risqué, and depending on how you message, that will determine what you receive.

For some of my friends, it’s worked a charm. There have been really wonderful success stories; some of my friends met their partners through it, and have been together for two and four years, so Tinder isn’t all pointless. Tinder helps create opportunity, after all; it uses your location and allows you the chance to meet someone new within your area and being proximate is a whole lot better than meeting in a city you don’t know and have never been to.

It will be typical for users to feel nervous because there have been some ‘horror stories’. Worst case scenario is that the guy or girl has a dubious past, but you can clear that up over small talk in person, or if you find that out before meeting, then you can simply forget about them.

nunnery.” Why is this the case?

Why is it this day that makes us particularly panicked about love and so incredibly envious of the romantic couples that flaunt their adoration towards each other? I, for one, have never been fussed about Valentine’s Day. Whether I’ve been single or in a relationship, I’ve never seen the appeal. I guess it all started when I was in secondary school and people would get anonymous carnations for each other with cute love notes in them. And so, who do you think was the lonely, darkhaired, chunky school girl who would sit by herself at lunch time with no carnations whatsoever year after year? You guessed it, moi! Here’s something that I found depressing – apparently, in America, they refer to Valentine’s Day, for people who aren’t in a relationship, as ‘Single Awareness Day’ (S.A.D). How lovely! Because we’re single on one day in February, we’re suddenly seen as sad and pathetic individuals.

But let us not forget that there are so many positives for the singletons on Valentine’s Day… The half-priced Ferrero Rochers throughout every supermarket The fact that a bottle of wine and a pizza is much cheaper than an expensive date night You don’t need to impress anyone and can literally stay in your onesie watching Netflix all night No obligations to buy any

heart-shaped crap from Tesco!

I have experienced Valentine’s in a relationship and, I won’t lie, it’s a lovely day. We never did the typical things that a couple would do, though. Instead of the romantic, expensive restaurants, or - God forbid - awkwardly watching Mr. Grey get his ‘whip’ out on the big screen, we would go to an arcade or just order a pizza and watch cartoons. I’m not, in any way, shaming what other couples would like to do on this day because whatever you do, it will be special. But, singletons, I do have some words of warning for Valentine’s Day that I’m sure you are well aware of…

Be prepared to see beautiful Instagram photos and Snapchat stories of blooming flowers, champagne, smooching selfies and captions like “I’m so lucky!

Been so spoilt today! I love you so much baby, thank you for being mine. #valentines #lookatme #i’mhavingsuchagoodday #sorryifyou’resingle #justjokingimnotsorry!” It will be tough to witness but I can assure you, they will only be like this for just one day and then afterwards you’ll question if they’re even with their partner anymore!

For those who are in a relationship, I also have a little bit of advice…

If you have a friend who is single or going through a breakup, try and be there for them and their various needs. Most of the time, they will just need you to listen to them, eat food with

That’s not to say you shouldn’t take precautions when meeting someone offline. The choice to continue is in your hands, literally, and if you’re that paranoid then you can escape - you can unmatch in as quickly as one touch on your device and they’re gone, deleted from all your files and will never show up in your discovery again.

See: safe. Also, don’t sucker into peer pressure, just because your friend found someone through a friend and that sounds like a real wholesome relationship, doesn’t mean that your tinder date isn’t; it just means you had to use another channel to find someone of interest and that is perfectly acceptable.

Two thirds of relationships are now the result of online dating or dating apps anyway, so you’re just joining the bunch!

Credit to Jackie Tan

Valentine’s Day Singleton

ZOE DEIGHTONSMYTHE 2nd Year English Lit

It’s February and we all know what that means…The dreaded Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us and to those who are looking forward to the adorable teddy bears, chocolates and pretty much anything from Sainsbury’s with a heart on it, I wish you a wonderful day. I’m sure you and your significant other will gaze into each other’s eyes as you frolic amongst roses and dance into the sunset. But for those who have spent the past few February 14ths snuggled up on your own watching a rom-com and getting off with a pizza, I applaud you.

You are doing what any normal person would do on this certain romantic day and there is no obligation to do anything or go anywhere. February 14th is seen as a day where any singleton out there NEEDS to find someone to spend it with. But isn’t it funny that being single on the 13th or the 15th is perfectly acceptable to society? Yet, the very thought of being single on the 14th of February seems to send shivers down our spines as well as the certainty of one day dying alone in a weird old house, surrounded by thousands of cats. A friend of mine recently said, “If I don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day this year, I swear I’m going to a

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Credit to Zoe Deighton-Smyth

them and do a LOT of drinking with them. Doesn’t sound too bad to be honest! Have a wonderful date night with your partner, but remember to keep your friends close, they will, inevitably, be with you in the long run.

If you truly are depressed on this day because you don’t have a date, partner, or, like me, are just trying to move on from someone, simply remember this: Valentine’s Day is a day for restaurants and supermarkets to exploit gullible lovers into buying anything! It’s really a day like any other, except Nando’s is fully booked all night (which is truly what makes my blood boil!). However, if you really consider this to be a ‘day of

love’ then simply love yourself.

You’re all you need. Treat yourself in whatever way you want.

Celebrate the fact that you have survived the depressing month of January! Have that piece of chocolate, order that whole pizza for yourself, drink that bottle of wine and watch all that Netflix has to offer. If you’re in a relationship, have a lovely day but if you’re single, then let’s celebrate the fact that we don’t have to celebrate Valentine’s. I will leave you with a poem that should hopefully fill your heart with pure joy… ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, but Smirnoff is cheaper than a dinner for two.’

CULTURE

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February 14th

Plan your day, the London way

STEPHANIE PYLARINOS 1st Year English Lit

Credit to Jackie Tan

JACKIE TAN

2nd Year Business and Management

I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there, right? Being single and not having that “special” person with you by your side, yeah I guess it sucks….for what? A day that is essentially another day of the year?! Realise that you are not alone, there are probably another couple billion people out there in the world who are just like you, don’t celebrate Valentine’s or don’t even know what it is! It’s okay to not be with someone, heck you can go out and have some fun with a bunch of your other single friends, you never know, you just might end up with one by the end of the night. You know, that corny stuff, right place, right time.

Valentine’s is a tricky one.

It’s full of red roses, chocolates, cards and special dinners for two signs hanging everywhere but despite the tradition being corny for some, its origins are pretty sweet. A Christian Saint account, Saint Valentine of Rome claimed he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. As the legend states, during his time in prison, he healed the daughter of his jailor and, before his execution, he wrote a letter to her with the words “Your Valentine” as a farewell.

With this legend carrying through centuries, it evolved into an occasion where lovers expressed their love and affection for one another by adorning each other with gifts, flowers for the ladies and greetings cards, symbolic of giving each other the key to opening the heart of their lovers.

Therefore, now, in the 21st Century, it’s not surprising that those who love to blow cash on their significant other spoil them with extravagance, from weekend getaways to Paris or exclusively private booked restaurants. It’s no doubt a day where new couples can spend more “quality time” together and create amazing memories that last.

Singledom is not the end of the world, and on this occasion it’s probably the best! Why? Well, you SAVE LOTS OF MONEY, you save yourself from the likelihood of increased heart disease, and you don’t have to deal with comparing your Valentine’s Day with another couple. One-upping each other is really unhealthy, why does there always have to be one standard of a good relationship? I think that’s shallow and VERY dated, especially for our generation. So, don’t feel worried if you don’t have a Valentine this year because I bet a lot of people didn’t have one last year and ended up watching 50 Shades of Grey, so that should make you feel a little better. Use the day to treat yourself, buy yourself a rose, tell yourself you’re beautiful and, yes, eat that whole box of chocolates if you want to but don’t let yourself think you are “sad” because you’re not; there might be a couple out there who are having a really hard time speaking to each other without wanting to rip each other’s face off because one of them didn’t like their gift. Live a little and move on, it’s just another day and all that hype will be gone as soon as you wake up from having the best night ever with your best friends.

Valentine’s Day is not everyone’s favourite occasion but it’s definitely one where couples can rekindle their lost spark or ignite even further - it’s a day to relish in each other’s romantic side and I think for anyone, taken or single, that’s a great way to burn off some steam and actually think about something else other than deadlines and lectures. So, go have yourself a great Valentine’s, and if you’re not one for the tradition, then go play some dodgeball or go go-karting; either way, have fun, remember it’s just one of 365 days a year and it doesn’t have to be important if you don’t want it to be. You decide, don’t let others make you think you’re left out because, honestly, you are one of many.

|LIFESTYLE

Places to See: We all know that having a fun day out in London can be difficult when you are on a tight budget, but it is possible! London is full of amazing places to see with something completely new and different on every street corner.

If you’re struggling to work out a plan for the day, here are some suggestions on where you could go…

Somerset House Somerset House is absolutely beautiful and is certainly one of those sights that you cannot miss out on! There are many events that take place here throughout the year, such as London Fashion Week, Film4 Summer Screen, and Skate at Somerset House as well as various types of showcases.

Simply walking around the fountains and taking some cool shots of the area will make for a pleasant day out, too.

British Museum Museum lovers will certainly enjoy the British Museum and the best thing about it is that it’s free! There are exhibitions about Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt so take yourself back in time and experience the various cultures and lifestyles. It’s open every single day from 10am to 5:30pm and until 8:30pm on Fridays!

The Tower of London This is definitely a spooky place to visit but is perfect if you love anything historical and are willing to learn a thing or two about the goings on at the Tower

are so many weird and wacky stalls in the markets and plenty of culture to feast your eyes upon!

There are also a vast number of music venues such as The Roundhouse, Koko and the Jazz Café, where you can spend your night listening to new bands and trying out some of the bars’ latest Trip up the River Thames/Bus drinks.

Tours These have got to be one of West End Tickets the best ways to see all the When in London, a visit to the sights in London - Big Ben, the theatre is key! Thankfully, there London Eye and the Houses of are a handful of websites that Parliament, the list is endless! will offer you last minute deals You can find some cheap tickets on tickets that are more than half on River Thames cruises on a site the price! Some box offices even called Groupon as well as various offer same day deals so you can other offers to make the best of grab some seats either before or after dinner, then sit back and your day in the city. enjoy the drama!

Speakers’ Corner If you’re looking to have a heated Places to Eat: discussion or simply want to Speaking of food, there are plenty hear others’ opinions then the of places to grab a bite to eat, Speakers’ Corner is the place for whatever your budget: you! This north-eastern area of Pizza Hut has an unlimited Hyde Park is a very traditional lunchtime buffet for just £6.99, site and is perfect for those so be prepared to make the most individuals that are not only of the deal and get as much food strong-willed, but passionate as you can! about free speech too. Give it a Restaurants like Pizza Express try, you might be surprised! and Prezzo can be a little expensive but sign up to their Covent Garden Market The market stalls in Covent newsletters or use your NUS Garden are a lot of fun to peruse card, and you’ll be sure to get and you can often find some very some pretty good deals that will interesting products to get your take some money off your bill. hands on. The street entertainers are amazing and are certainly Carnaby Street, as well as being crowd-pleasers. There are plenty famous in its own right, is also of places to eat, and the Royal full of many cheap restaurants Opera House is nearby if you feel that will offer you various cultural dishes. like splashing out. of London. Even if you’re not interested in learning about the history of Britain, just being able to see the view from the Tower is pretty spectacular with many of London’s main attractions proudly on show…Tower Bridge anyone?

Have fun planning out your day Camden Camden is a definite must for and do it the London way, enjoy! those individuals that have never been to London before. There

Credit to Stephanie Pylarinos

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LIFESTYLE| FOOD & FASHION

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Kanye or Nay? SUKPREET KAUR 2nd Year English Language

We all know Mr West has quite a way with words, but did you know he has a way with style, too? Kanye West was crowned GQ’s Most Stylish man of 2015 back in December in a reader poll against model Lucky Blue Smith.

The poll almost got one million votes, with help from his famous wife Kim Kardashian and her family after they rallied for him on social media.

There is no doubt Kanye’s style is influential because I’m sure you’ve all seen (or worn) ‘shutter shades’, made fashionable after he wore them in his music video for

‘Stronger’ and, since then, became a pinned accessory for him. Sure, they’ve now become part of fancy dress outfits, but that just shows how edgy and out there he is willing to go for fashion.

Nowadays, Kanye’s everyday attire is usual baggy (possibly ripped) jeans and longline t-shirts accompanied with a bomber jacket or a sweatshirt on top, finished off with either a high-topped boot or a trainer. This urban look has become very popular amongst younger generations. Being one to go against the rules, for evening wear at the Grammy’s in 2015, Mr West donned a velvet suit, which he later changed for a velvet track suit for the prestigious night.

He doesn’t only style himself:

Mrs West, better known as Kim Kardashian, has confessed her husband has strong opinions on her clothes and has suggested what she should wear, but also little North, his daughter, is quite the style icon herself as there are many articles published about what she is wearing (usually something similar to her father’s dress sense).

Kanye’s passion for fashion has been evident since 2005 when he announced he would create a collection, however, plans fell through. Then, in 2009, he launched ‘Air Yeezy’, a collaborative trainer with Nike which had a second edition released in 2012 and 2014. These limited edition, high-top trainers,

which feature laces and a strap, were highly anticipated and were an instant sell-out. They were so in demand as they had been seen on celebrities such as Jay Z, they were being resold for thousands of pounds. However, with Kanye being Kanye, he had a dispute with Nike and agreed a deal with Nike’s main competitors, Adidas.

As a result of this deal, in 2015, Yeezy Boost 750 was released which wasn’t too dissimilar from the trainer design he released with Nike. Later that year, Yeezy Boost 350 was released which look like Nike Roshe but with a more elaborate print.

If that wasn’t enough, the Grammy award-winning rapper also designs clothes, too. Yeezy

Season One was launched in 2015, again in collaboration with Adidas, which consisted of pieces for both men and women. The collection oozed comfort vibes with muted colours, baggy fits, and ripped finishes. Later that year, Season Two was released, which featured a nude colour scheme and skin-tight fittings but kept to the theme of the first collection.

It can be said Kanye’s out-there style can coincide with his latest music, as he has experimented outside of the sounds we’d normally associate with the selfproclaimed god, but if he doesn’t push the boundaries, then who will?

Healthy Student Breakfasts HANNAH FRANKLIN

2nd Year English Lit & film

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” How many times did you hear your mum tell you that on all those early mornings before school, while struggling to prop your eyes open, let alone prepare a healthy breakfast?

As in most cases though, your mum was right. According to the textbooks: ‘breakfast provides your body with key nutrients and energy after your overnight fast, restoring glucose levels in the brain to aid your cognitive performance which is especially important before a day of lectures or studying.’

As students, however, it’s probably a bit too easy for us to reach for last night’s pizza, a bowl of sugar-loaded cereal or to simply end up having nothing at all after rolling out of bed five minutes before your first lecture begins. Luckily, there are plenty of healthy, filling and wallet-friendly options for you to try.

Porridge An old reliable that has a plethora of health benefits: this grain can help lower blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol, as well as having slow-release wholegrain goodness that’s perfect for fuelling you for a long day on campus. Its

slow energy release ensures that blood sugar levels remain stable preventing spikes and lows, which also makes it a good choice before exercising.

Cheap to buy and simple to prepare, it’s the student’s best friend. Simply put half a cup of oats and one cup of liquid (either all milk/dairy-alternative, all water, or a mix of both) in a bowl and microwave for two to three minutes.

While the humble oat is perfect alone, it’s also easy to spice it up with various toppings and flavourings. Topping with peanut butter and banana adds a delicious source of protein and sweetness; you can even mash half of the banana in to the oats to create a stronger flavour. If you like cinnamon, then stir one teaspoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon through your cooked porridge or simply sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.

Adding nuts like sliced almonds or chopped walnuts gives an added kick of protein and healthy fats and you can swirl over a teaspoon of honey for an extra boost. If you fancy something more indulgent, stir in two teaspoons of cocoa powder in to the milk and cook for a chocolate-y treat.

Adding fruit to your breakfast is a great way to get ahead with your five-a-day and needn’t cost the earth. Try buying fruit from local markets, such as the two on

Hosier Street and St Mary’s Butts near Broadstreet Mall, or the fruit and vegetable market on campus every Thursday in 360. Buying frozen fruit is also a great way to pick it up cheaply and avoid wastage, with 500g of frozen fruit, such as berries, mango and pineapple, usually costing around £2.00 in most supermarkets.

Overnight Oats If you don’t fancy your oats hot in the morning, then try making overnight oats, the same mixture of oats and milk simply soaked overnight. Stir together half a cup of oats and three-quarters to one cup of milk (depending on how thick you want it) in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. By morning the oats will have swelled and soaked up the liquid to create a creamy, smooth texture.

To develop that basic recipe, try adding one teaspoon of vanilla essence for vanilla overnight oats, to which you can also add chopped berries. Stir through one to two teaspoons of honey for some natural sweetness or try stirring one tablespoon of peanut butter in to the milk, then adding the oats and half a mashed banana.

You can also try using half milk and half yogurt, experimenting with different yogurt flavours.

In the morning, top your oats with any extra fruit, nuts o continues on next page>>>

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Credit to Hannah Franklin

FOOD

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

<<<continued from last pager seeds that you’d like and a little sprinkling of granola for extra crunch.

Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls While some health food websites and Instagram posts might make smoothies seem extravagant due to using various expensive health-food ingredients, a basic smoothie needn’t be costly.

Blenders can be picked up fairly cheaply and, while there are many top-of-the-range brands available, you don’t need to spend a lot to get a good quality one.

For a basic smoothie, blend together a banana, one cup of fruit and one to two cups of liquid depending on how thick you want it. Your liquid can either be milk, water, yogurt, fruit juice or coconut water and you can experiment with the ratios of each.

As mentioned earlier, using frozen fruit can reduce the cost and the fruit can be used straight from the freezer. Here are a few recipe ideas to get you started: Berry Blast – blend one banana, a cup of mixed summer fruits and one to two cups of liquid.

Refreshing Mango – blend one banana, a cup of chopped mango, half a cup of orange juice and half a cup of water; you can also substitute the banana for a cup of chopped pineapple or peaches.

Green Smoothie – don’t be put off by the leafy green addition, it doesn’t alter the fruity flavour, but does give you a healthy burst of morning vegetables. Blend together one banana, a cup of chopped mango or pineapple and one cup of fresh spinach.

For a smoothie bowl, a much thicker smoothie that’s eaten in a bowl and topped with extra fruit, granola or muesli, simply blend together one banana, one cup of frozen fruit (which helps it to thicken) and a quarter of a cup of liquid.

Vegetable Breakfast If you’re interested in getting some vegetables into your morning meal, try fried or scrambled eggs on toast with a generous serving of spinach, cooked with a little oil in a frying pan. Mashing some avocado on to your morning toast provides an abundance of nutrients and healthy fats and can also be paired with a poached egg.

Whip up a breakfast omelette with plenty of mushrooms and kale or spinach, or make a breakfast Panini with sautéed vegetables and wholegrain bread.

|LIFESTYLE

Vegan pancakes?

HEATHER EVANS 3rd Year English Lit

No animals were hurt in the making of this breakfast.

Maybe you went clubbing and woke up with an Animal Science student in your bed, or want to take a friends-with-benefits situation to the next level. Maybe you just really appreciate your housemates and all that washing up they did when you were suffering from Freshers Flu. How can you continue to impress them without sacrificing the lives of little hens in tiny cages? How can you casually express your love and gratitude while reaping some seriously good karma? Vegan pancakes – that’s how.

You will need: * 150g plain flour (or selfraising if that’s all you have, you heathen). * 2 tablespoons caster sugar (or similar). * 2 teaspoons baking powder (right – I only had bicarb, but if you add two whole tablespoons, the pancakes have a distinctive

paracetamol-like undertone. I recommend a ‘pinch’ of bicarb if your cupboard is baking-powerfree. Otherwise don’t panic, they’ll just be a tad less fluffy. It’s not all about the fluff. Ask your local naked mole rat). * Generous pinch of salt. * 300ml almond milk/soy milk/ even cow’s milk if you’re not feeling particularly vegan this morning (you’ve had a hard week, I forgive you. The cows, however, do not). * 1 tablespoon oil/knob of butter per pancake (vegan butter is actually delish and comes with free, good karma). * Lemon juice, caster sugar, strawberries, chocolate sauce, yoghurt, cocoa powder, sprinkles, or the tears of your enemies to decorate.

1. Mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl (sieve if you’re feeling especially fancy).

2. Add your liquid slowly and whisk with a fork until fully combined. If you prefer chunky American-style pancakes, you won’t need all your milk, but if you like them British, go ahead with the full 300ml.

3. Heat a small saucepan with

Credit to Heather Evans

the knob of butter/tablespoon of oil, and pop in about a third of the mixture. Make sure you’ve got a plate ready with your toppings and cutlery – the worst part of eating in a student house is being unable to find a knife and fork at the crucial moment.

4. Underside looking cooked?

Flip that baby over.

5. When it begins to resemble an edible pancake, slide it onto your plate, slather with chocolate sauce and sprinkles, and voila! You are

a breakfast masterchef! Present to your loved one with pride, or eat entirely yourself, because you’re a part-time vegan chef now and you deserve pancakes.

6. Repeat until you run out of batter – first pancake (like first child, as my mum annually tells me on my younger brother’s birthday) is never as good, but second pancake is a dream come true.

Happy Pancake Day!

Can Ellie help you Burn those calories?

ELLEN BING 3rd Year History

Credit to Chris Boland

Unless you’re some kind of superhuman running enthusiast, getting up the motivation to go out into the world and exercise can be difficult, even on the sunniest of days. However, as a third year Humanities student who is partial to the occasional (daily) brownie and rarely leaves the house except to sit in the library for hours on end, running has become fundamentally important to me. It makes a welcome break from wasting away in front of my laptop, staring aimlessly at dissertation draft after dissertation draft.

Getting the playlist right for running is key to keep motivation up throughout. You need a quick but not frantic beat you can move to, something with energy which

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really pumps you up to the point you could run a marathon…or at least to that next lamp post.

Now, I’m not Ellie Goulding’s number one fan; I liked her older music, but I accept that she is entitled to change and develop her sound into one that’s dancier and possibly good to run to. So, once I heard she’d done a running playlist, I just had to try it out – she’s always in the magazines and on Instagram sharing her health hacks and undeniably perfect training programme. But what’s her secret?

I’m not convinced it’s her playlist. Most of the songs on there do have a great tempo that’s easy to run to. I particularly liked Ocean Drive by Duke Dumont and Take Shelter by Years & Years.

But some of it just wasn’t quick enough – for instance Rihanna’s American Oxygen didn’t have a consistent energy to keep me going. Aside from the lack of

energy to some, a lot of it consisted of music that I just don’t like. As I don’t have Spotify Premium, I couldn’t even skip any of them, making some three minute blasts way more painful that they could have been. If you’re into Dance music and basically anything that’s not indie pop/rock, it’s probably great, but as I have the music taste of a sixteen-year-old hipster, it really wasn’t for me.

Listening to music you enjoy on a run can really boost motivation and maybe even create a kind of positive association with running.

If you aren’t convinced by Ellie’s playlist, make your own or maybe use Spotify’s ‘Recommended for you’ option. Running to music you like will make you feel good about your amazingly healthy life choices every time you reach for those trainers, rather than a sickening sense of dread.

LIFESTYLE| TRAVEL

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

A Weekend in Nice MORGANE GLAIN 2nd Year English Lit and Film

With Valentine’s Day coming up, present ideas are everywhere, but what if this time you want to offer your partner a trip away? I’m sure you’ve all thought of Paris as a romantic escapade, but there are other places in France that are just as good and dreamy as the city of love. Nice, for example, is a city in the South of France, located between Cannes and Monaco on the French Riviera.

The weather is lovely at this time of the year and you are right next to the sea. You can get a return to Nice for £70 from Gatwick. To make the most of your travel, I would advise you book a hotel in the centre of Nice, as it is easier to visit the sights.

Once you’ve arrived, you should check out the ‘Promenade des Anglais’ where you can see the Mediterranean Sea and simply admire the landscape. It really is worth the walk, especially when you arrive near the port; you can sit on a stone bench and all you can see is the sea - the view is breath-taking. You can also do this walk at night to see the city lights create a brilliant atmosphere. A priority, though, should stop at ‘Fenocchio’ the

Credit to Morgane Glain

best ice cream makers in Nice (the lavender ice cream is my favourite).

One thing I love doing is getting lost in the old parts of Nice; the streets are narrow and the buildings so colourful than you could almost believe you were in Italy, but this is no surprise as Nice has only been French for 160 years, and used to belong to Italy. The Italian influence and background is everywhere in the Nissart culture, from the architecture to the food.

“Le Cour Saleya” is ranked

by France's National Council for the Culinary Arts as being one of the country's special markets.

You stroll by harmonious floral displays, whilst also browsing a food market. It is hard to resist the multi-coloured geraniums, intense mauve fuchsias, dahlias with their anemone-shaped flowers, bright red roses, and tulips. All flowers are from the artisans in the countryside. The market is held every day, from 6am to 5.30pm except Mondays, Sunday afternoons and public holidays. A flea market takes over on Mondays in the Old Town.

If you have the chance, you have to taste a ‘Socca’, a speciality made mainly from chickpea flour, and a ‘Pissaladière’, which is

basically an onion pie. In the same area, you could also visit Cathédrale Ste-Réparate which is an architectural gem and honours the city’s patron saint. You could also explore the exuberant Chapelle de la Miséricorde built in 1740, the 17th-century Palais Lascaris, gloomy religious paintings and 18th-century pharmacy. If, after all of this, you want to have a typical coffee at a French café, ‘La Place Garibaldi’ is the best place to go.

Culture-wise, you have tons of museums to visit, such as the Matisse museum, he spent a big part of his life on the French Riviera. It is located on the hill of Cimiez, a very pretty and historical neighbourhood. It used to be a Roman settlement of Cemenelum, before becoming in the late 19th century one of the favourite spots for rich and famous people, especially British aristocrats. Queen Victoria was a regular at the Regina Palace Hotel, which still dominates the hill, even though it is no longer a hotel, hence her statue at the entrance of the neighbourhood. You can visit the Roman amphitheatre and archaeology museum, a neoPalatine Monastery and an olivefilled park.

For the modern part of Nice,

from one dodgy hostel to another.

Having mentioned a desire to one day interrail, a friend asked if I wanted to join her and her friends along the tracks from Mid to Eastern Europe. Travel-thirsty, I decided to take the plunge of joining these strangers with whom I would suffer and master the trials and tribulations of interrailing. I set off with one mate and came home with 12 best friends.

We landed in Amsterdam with heavy rucksacks which would slowly lighten as towels and clothing were lost or left behind along the way. Unnecessary beauty products were thrown out along our travels as we quickly learned vanity had no place. We spent a shortened spell in the home of the Ann Frank, and the Heineken and Vincent Van Gough museums. Our original plan of four days turned into three and

that’s the beauty of interrailing: flexibility.

In replacement of another day in the ’Dam, we opted for an earlier train to Berlin. This beautiful city, saturated in art work from galleries, markets and graffiti, still has remains of the famous Wall standing, representing the swell of history this city has. Walking tours are an excellent way to see the main tourist spots and get a vivid history lesson. However, with rented bikes, a Geography student travelling with us used his map skills to guide us through the vibrant city while having the freedom to stop off wherever we wanted.

From here, we braved our first night train to Prague. Once we got over the fluctuating heat, dingy carriages, questionable

La Place Massena is very pretty and colourful, and if you keep walking straight after the naked statue in the fountain, you end up on the Jean Medecin Avenue where you can do most of your shopping. La Coulée Verte is a big square in the centre of Nice, and with its big green parks, fountains and wooden benches, is lovely to walk in. If you want to have cocktails in a romantic place, I would recommend the rooftop of La Place at night, you can view

the whole area whilst sipping drinks with your other half. Of course, if you need your beer at the pub at night, Nice has a lot of English people living there, so there are a few British pubs - my favourite is The Wayne’s in the old town.

If, after all of this, you still have time to spare, you could take the train and visit Cannes, Monaco or even go to San Remo in Italy which is only 30 minutes away!

Introducing Interrailing and Exploring Europe CATHERINE HOLLAND

3rd Year Human Nutrition

Europe has some of the most beautiful cities renowned for architecture, culture and buzzing nightlife. InterRail has made traveling this spectacular continent easier than ever, offering two, three and four week packages. Multiple routes are possible, so once you buy your one-way ticket to destination number one, the world (or Europe) is your oyster! Mapping out spontaneous routes suits the true adventurer but below is the route which captured my heart.

During my four weeks, I travelled 100+ hours via train and bus, I had some of the most amazing pub crawls, met weird and wonderful people and lugged my backpack

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Credit to Catherine Holland

MR MAGNETIC & MISS ADVISED

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

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Mr Magnetic & Miss Advised

<<<continued from last page rroommates, the “toilets” and the triple bunk beds, the journey could be called nothing less than “an Experience”. But our reward was sweet; the scenery and architecture in Prague is nothing short of breath-taking. The pub crawls aren’t too bad either and home to the five story nightclub, Karlovy Lazne, it’s definitely a student must-see.

Krakow brought the experience of visiting the most famous and largest Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Our tour guide brought us through the grounds depicting a heartbreaking era with stories and sights one could never imagine.

Budapest.

Oh, Budapest.

Sparty bath parties, beer bikes, open mic nights and that damn humidity. This Hungarian treasure is where one friend broke her ankle, another got scammed by the taxi mafia, the language barrier got us in a spot (a lot) of trouble and where, by far, we had the most fun. Do yourself a favour and take advantage of the nightlife in this dirt cheap city.

Slovenia is a country I never thought I would put down on my travel bucket list, however after a quick google search of “Lake Bled”, I understood the hype.

Swimming out to the island with a few friends rowing a paddle boat alongside is one of my fondest memories of interrailing. The tough swim was worth it to see a couple tying the knot in the tiny island’s church, capturing the ideal romantic’s dream. But to make sure we didn’t get too relaxed, we let loose canyoning and white water rafting in the Slovenian mountains. Take me back!

My experience of interrailing had its highlights and unforgettable nights; it fuelled friendships and brought a new found desire for history, culture and travel.

The four weeks I spent trekking around Europe gave me much more than a holiday resort ever could. Ironically, even though I returned home half dead after it all, it gave me a new lease of life, a yearning for travel, adventure and knowledge. Traveling is like the gift that keeps on giving, every country I went to taught me something new, educational or not. My advice? Give it a go. You never know where you’ll end up.

Dear Mr Magnetic,

Dear Miss Advised,

This is my first year at university and it will also be the first year that I’ve had a date on Valentine’s Day. I managed to find myself a girlfriend in early January by some miracle, and she’s treated me well, so I want to do something special in return. I know this all sounds incredibly corny but the day is a particularly big deal for me because my experience with the opposite sex is what some might call ‘limited’.

I’d really appreciate some advice on what I should do on the day, because I’m stuck between a list of things to do, and what I could give that’s appropriate at this stage in our relationship!

I’ve got myself into a bit of a conundrum.

There is this girl on my course who I fancy; she is as bright as a button and as sweet as a rose. We’ve known each other for a while now but unfortunately our encounters are still limited to pleasantries and the occasional anecdote about a dead pet. There are some days when it feels like we are really hitting it off, but most days I find myself wondering if she remembers my name. I do have a track record of not taking chances and then beating myself up for it later.

So, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to make an unambiguous move and see if we can become more than just friends. And I have!

My plan was to sweep her off her feet with some insightful general knowledge facts, and a topical joke or two. However, what I ended up doing was confessing my love for this show I know she is a big fan of. I basically claimed to be the biggest fan of a show, which, needless to say, I do not watch. Now we have a date for next week (which is really great), in which she said she can’t wait to talk all about how that show changed our lives. I have tried watching the show but I can’t seem to get past the first episode; the story line is convoluted and the characters very one-dimensional.

What should I do? I really like this girl but don’t want her to catch me out on a lie on our first date. Furthermore, I’m worried she only wanted to go out with me because of that lie. Should I just cancel the date and move on?

From Reading with love Dear Reading with love et me start of by saying: do not put an inordinate amount of pressure on yourself or on your expectations of the day; keep calm, relaxed and everyone will have a fun time. Let’s be honest this, is just another ‘Hallmark Holiday’ invented to get people to buy more useless junk for each other, meaning if the day isn’t exactly Hollywood perfect, don’t freak out. Personal jaded opinions aside, I recommend playing it safe and sticking to the well known classics and eventually get a bit more daring when you know more about each other… I’d also like to save you from looking like too much of a desperado. My simple suggestion would be go out for a movie, the cinemas have got you covered with a plethora of romantic comedies and helps to set a precedent for the day.

This also assists the situation by giving you a point of conversation, especially if you’re the type that gets nervous easily and goes quiet. A good location to have this discussion would possibly be at one of the nicer restaurants in town. Now, I can already hear you say “stop right there, Magnetic. I’m a student, I don’t have that kind of cash”. But fear not, you can also create the same type of atmosphere at home on a budget. It doesn’t have to be too fancy as I feel you would actually be putting yourself in better stead if you were able to demonstrate some culinary skill and cook a presentable meal at home. That being said, you might need to practise for this option and I must emphasise that a Pot Noodle does not qualify as a meal.

As for gifts, keep the standards low and spend more at the subjectively more important times, such as on a birthday. I’ve found that a handcrafted gift goes a long way and shows that you have put more time and thought into a gesture - it could even be something as simple as a drawing. But I understand that some people aren’t the most creative or artistic, so if you’re not one of these talented people and you’re truly at a loss, then turn to the three cornerstones of Valentine’s Day gifts: jewellery, chocolate and flowers, but not necessarily all of these at once. Good luck with your progress, Mr Magnetic.

Drawn by Kate Bowen

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Please help, A Distressed Anon.

Dear Distressed Anon.

Firstly, allow me to assure you that we’ve all done stupid things in the name of love. Facing a crush usually results in a tied tongue, sweaty palms, and a waterfall of gibberish coming out of your mouth, which you swear sounded like words in your head. So, in the name of nervous people everywhere, I commend you on your bravery.

It sounds to me like you really like this girl, so I wouldn't give up on her just because of one moment of poor judgment.

Now, it seems like you have three possible choices available to you this week: 1. Becoming a social recluse, locking yourself in your room and forcing yourself to watch that show until you hate it so much you start liking it.

2. Missing the date, learning the girl’s schedule and making sure you never cross paths with her again.

3. Showing up to the date owning up to the lie and seeing if you can both move past this.

You did say you wanted to take more chances in your life, and owning up to the lie and going on that date is a great way to start. It might pay off, and wouldn't that be wonderful?

It’s very possible that she will appreciate your honesty and might even find it a little flattering that you went out your way to become well versed in something that she is so passionate about. Worry not, I’m sure she has other interests! Trying asking her about those, tell her about yours, and before you know it you’ll have a conversation going! And who knows? Maybe in a couple of months you’ll both laugh about this incident.

An important thing to remember when going on this date is not to let your nerves get the better of you, there is no reason for you to be nervous. A date should be a pleasant experience.

And, finally, remember that if you don't hit it off, it’s not the end of the world, you still might gain a friend (and a great story to tell at dinner parties).

Much luck Miss Advised

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Top 3 Romance Novels Amy Buckle tells us which books we should be reading this Valentine’s Day.

Sir Terry Wogan , Remembered When such a great man dies we must remember .all he achieved

The True Assassin Wing Lam Kar explains what’s hot and what’s not .about this new game

ENTERTAINMENT Alan Rickman, Gone but Always Remembered VICTORIA BRUSH

1st Year Philosophy and English Lit

When my friend and I were talking about the recent death of Alan Rickman, all she could say was: ‘I genuinely think the apocalypse is happening’. Seeing as this is not the first shocking showbiz death that has occurred within the New Year, it is hard to comprehend just how quickly death can occur. With singers such as David Bowie, Motörhead singer Lemmy, and now Sir Terry Wogan all passing within a short space of time, it is heart-breaking to see such influential, talented people leave us.

This year however, has left many of our generation in mourning after the death of beloved actor, Alan Rickman.

There will always be this unforgettable attachment for the actor as he made roles such as Professor Severus Snape from the

‘Harry Potter’ saga, Harry from ‘Love Actually’ and Hans Gruber from ‘Die Hard’ come alive. With his noticeable voice and amazing gaze, it is quite strange to actually imagine him gone. Not only was he a brilliant actor, Rickman supported and raised money for charities like Save the Children, Peace One Day and Amnesty International. He was seen as one of the heroes in our time with his contributions to theatre and film, and a gentleman in the truest sense.

In August 2015, Alan Rickman had suffered a minor stroke which led to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The actor did not tell anyone of the termly-ill diagnosis apart from his close friends, and still contributed to his films: ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’ voicing the character of Absolem the caterpillar, and ‘Eye in the Sky’ portraying the role of Lieutenant General Frank Benson. His final role, however, was a short film of a tortoise eating a strawberry for Save the Children. Recorded

in November from his home, the film generates money for Save the Children and Refugee Council every time a person watches it, so you should definitely look it up.

He then passed away on the 14th of January due to his pancreatic cancer, surrounded by friends, and just four days after the death of David Bowie.

Celebrities and fans alike have mourned and celebrated Rickman’s life and achievements with loving statements and dedications. Emma Thompson, his fictional wife in ‘Love Actually’, devoted her Award for Comedy at the Evening Standard British Film Awards to her ‘dearest friend’.

Colin Firth stated that Rickman had been a mentor to him and Sir Ian McKellen described him as a ‘super-active spirit, questing and achieving, a super-hero, unassuming but deadly effective’.

Even Ruby Wax, an old friend of Rickman’s, wrote a touching piece on their friendship in the Huffington Post: “No matter who he played,

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in real life, no one was more generous. I don't know how many people he supported emotionally and to all his friends who asked for it, he advised advised advised and was always right”.

It is not hard to see how many people he influenced and helped through with wise and kind words.

However, it was the Harry Potter fanbase who were hit hard after the death of Rickman, who played one of the most horrifying yet beautifully complex characters in young-adult literature. His portrayal of Professor Snape enchanted every viewer and I am still given goose bumps when watching the death of Snape in the final film. Soon after hearing of his death, platform 9 ¾ in Kings Cross Station was made into a memorial in his honour with flowers, signs and pictures of the character and actor. Even the Harry Potter Society held an Alan Rickman Memorial Social, dressing only in black or green, to signify both Slytherin and Lily Potter’s eyes. When talking to a

Photographed by Les Pounder

committee member, she explained that the evening was ‘a club night, but with lots of toasting to Alan Rickman on every round. We just figured as Harry Potter society, we ought to do something’. The community that has arisen and joined together to mourn such an amazing actor is touching.

Author of the Harry Potter novels, J. K. Rowling, tweeted on the day of his death: “There are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death.

He was a magnificent actor & a wonderful man”.

2016 has already taken some of the best celebrities who have contributed to their own certain professions with justice.

Whether this is Alan Rickman, David Bowie, Sir Terry Wogan or Maurice White from Earth, Wind and Fire, they can never be forgotten and will be respected for everything that they have achieved.

Always.

ENTERTAINMENT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

MUSIC

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"Not a Prophet or a Stone Aged Man”: In Memory of David Bowie JAKE HAWKES

Post Grad Modern History

David Bowie, singer, songwriter, actor and full-time extraterrestrial-posing-as-human, sadly left us on the 10th of January, leaving the world a decidedly less colourful place. Whilst I’m sure you’ve all seen tributes from the likes of Kanye West all the way to Prime Minister David Cameron, I think Bowie may be one person who can never be written about too much, and who deserves every note of over-the-top praise he receives. With that in mind, what follows is a memorial to the man who was born David Jones in South London and proceeded to change the landscape of both music and culture forever, written by a self-confessed and entirely biased fan of the man and his music.

The musical landscape of England in the last 50 or so years is a hell of a ride, from Rockers to Punks, Skinheads, New Romantics, Ravers, Indie and everything in between, but through it all Bowie managed to stay relevant (save a few years in the 90’s, but we won’t talk about that) and even managed to release a bizarrely cutting edge album on his 69th birthday, an age at which I’ll probably be worrying about whether or not BBC Four will have a documentary on steam trains that night. I won’t go into a full run-through of his Number 1 hits in the UK because there probably isn’t enough space in this whole paper for that, let alone in this one piece, but asking people their favourite Bowie song merits such a variation of answers that it’s amazing that we’re all talking about the same artist, and even more amazing that he was so consistently not just good, but great. Add into this Bowie’s varied film career

(Labyrinth and The Man Who Fell to Earth spring to mind, not to mention a brilliant cameo in Zoolander) and you’re looking at somebody that could be called the most influential pop culture icon of the last 50 years without much competition. His sheer sense of style and persona throughout his career were varied to the extent that he gained the nickname “The Musical Chameleon”; the entire theme of a fancy dress party could be “come as David Bowie” and, aside from ten or so lightning boltclad Aladdin Sanes, you’d be hard pressed to find two people that look alike.

I guess what I’m trying to say in this article is that David Bowie’s death is a cataclysmic event in the landscape of popular culture, but rather than mourn the fact that he isn’t here anymore, we should celebrate, safe in the knowledge that at least he was here in the first place. In the words of the man himself “I’m happy, hope you’re happy too”.

David Bowie’s Blackstar GARETH THOMAS 1st Year Philosophy

On the 8th January, on his 69th birthday, David Bowie released his new album titled Blackstar.

On first impressions, ‘surreal’ may be a good word to use to describe many of the tracks of this album.

The title track opens with echoed, slow vocals against a much quicker, hip-hop-like drum beat.

This apparent mismatch between Bowie’s somewhat pained and wavering vocals and drums is seen to be repeated in the album, namely in Sue (Or In a Season of Crime), where Bowie’s sustained vocals are accompanied by a frantic drum track, not entirely unlike that of drum and bass.

The modulation to the major in Blackstar, however, may seem familiar, sounding slightly more like some older Bowie songs in style, accompanied by a simple drum beat, synths and a string section.

One of the most interesting things about Blackstar is David Bowie’s choice in choosing jazz artists to accompany on the album. Bowie is joined by saxophonist Donny McCaslin, guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Mark Guiliana.

Bowie’s pianist Jason Lindner and bassist Tim Lefebrve have previously played with Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) and Jamie Cullum, and were part of the house band for Saturday Night Live. Bowie’s producer, Tony Visconti, explained that “Having jazz guys play rock music turns it upside down” and stopped Bowie

from falling back on Rock clichés.

The use of jazz musicians can be noted throughout, especially in tracks such as Blackstar and in a complex saxophone solo in I Can’t Give Everything Away.

It was sadly announced on the 11th January that David Bowie had died after an 18-month battle with cancer. Listening to Blackstar after hearing such news perhaps casts a different light on the album and gives new meaning to the lyrics, “Something happened on the day he died. Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside”, and the final track I Can’t Give Everything Away seems as though it was almost foreshadowing. Blackstar, despite perhaps needing several listens to get a good grasp of it, definitely holds up, even more so as Bowie’s final album.

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Credit to Ron Frazier

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ENTERTAINMENT|FILM & TV

Sir Terry Wogan Remembered BETH BARNETTSANDERS 1st Year English Lit

January was not a good month.

The news seemed intent on robbing us of our favourite cultural icons, from David Bowie to Alan Rickman. Just when it seemed that we were about to escape this month of misery, yet another treasured celebrity was taken all too soon.

Sir Michael Terence "Terry" Wogan sadly died on the 31st January 2016 after a short battle with cancer. Born on the 3rd August 1938 in Limerick, Wogan did not fit the standard pattern for those entering the media. He did not initially set out to become a broadcaster and worked for a number of years at the Royal Bank of Ireland. In his late twenties, he applied to become a newsreader and announcer for RTÉ. By 1969, he had begun working at the BBC and soon became one of their most highly rated presenters.

The esteemed radio presenter and broadcaster seemed to transcend the generations, with people of all ages marking his loss. I remember being very small and waking up to his voice on BBC Radio 2 as my parents attempted to coax me out of bed.

For me, Terry Wogan invokes strong feelings of nostalgia; he marked my mornings with his hearty chuckle and irreverent wit.

His work in radio was renowned, and, in 2007, he was voted as Radio 2’s Ultimate Icon.

His work extended far beyond

the Radio, and soon Wogan became one of the BBC’s most recognisable and treasured presenters. From 1979, he had a four year stint presenting the game show Blankety Blank, where he drew an incredible 20 million viewers. The show was a massive success and something that my parents still associate with their teenage years.

However, to myself and many others, Terry Wogan will always be known as the face of Children in Need. Wogan presented the show from its inception in 1980 through to 2014, becoming a true ambassador for the charity and encouraging millions of people to donate each November. He is credited with being a major part of the success of the programme and I am personally grateful for all of the mufti days and cake sales he inspired.

Terry Wogan is also credited as the voice of another annual television event, The Eurovision Song Contest. Love it or hate it, it is hard to deny that it would have been nothing without Terry’s feisty, sardonic and cynical commentary. He presented the show for years and treated us to acerbic descriptions such as “Doctor Death and the Tooth Fairy” when referring to the 2001 hosts of the contest.

Terry Wogan’s list of achievements are far too numerous to mention in such a small space. He became a true British icon, and will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife Helen, whom he married in 1965, and three children.

Photographed by Fiona Hanson

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‘The Danish Girl’: Review

Press release

JACK CHAMPION 1st Year English Lit

For this review, female pronouns will be used to refer to Lili/Einar, because that is her true gender identity, though, originally, she believed she was male.

The Danish Girl is a greatly pivotal film in twenty-first century cinema, telling the poignant story of one of the first people to ever undergo sex reassignment surgery, Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne). Lili was born biologically male and assigned the male gender at birth, and, named Einar Wegner, she became an acclaimed landscape painter – but that isn’t who she is.

When her wife, a portraitist named Gerda (Alicia Vikander), asks Einar to step in for a model and don a dress and pair of stockings, Einar realises who she has truly been all along – she is a woman disguised in a male body.

Gerda sees this as a game: Einar can dress up as a woman for her paintings and for parties – but for Einar, Lili is far more than that.

Einar is an identity she must be rid of, and Lili is who she must become – on the inside and out.

Gradually, we are becoming more accepting of all identities, and those who fall under the LGBT+ spectrum. Seldom are LGBT+ characters portrayed – or portrayed well – in cinema or television, and The Danish Girl is a big step forward in the quality of their representation. For the most part, Tom Hooper’s latest work is a relatively unprecedented and pioneering film in telling the struggles of transsexuality – but it had a few problems, too.

Structurally, the film was very fragmented: the plot jumped around frequently, leaving many of the sub-plots – and in the end, the overall plot – feeling somewhat incomplete. But one of the biggest problems with the script, as Kyle Buchanan comments, is that The Danish Girl is part of a trend of “queer and trans films that are actually about straight people,” and I wholeheartedly agree.

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What had the potential to be striking and emotionally compelling, Hooper twisted into being aesthetically pleasing and focusing on the effect of Lili’s transformation on Gerda rather than on Lili herself, thus distancing the audience from the traumatic and extraordinary emotional narrative than should have been at the heart of the plot. In fact, the only reference to a “Danish girl” in the film was referencing Gerda – a clear indication that this movie is more focused on Gerda’s story than Lili’s.

The acting in the film, however, is one of its saving graces. Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne once again pulls off a beautifully intricate performance, complete with graceful head tilts, hand curls, and bright smiles, and Alicia Vikander gives one of the more emotional and very natural performances, which is surprisingly compelling.

Whilst the film’s portrayal of transsexuality is a great step forward, that in itself had a few issues. Though the cinematography is breathtakingly gorgeous, it is representative one of the film’s major issues: that its focus on appearances and beauty eclipses the characters’ emotions and the severity of Lili’s surgery and transition.

The details of sex reassignment surgery and Lili’s true acceptance of herself are glossed over

with the film’s obsession with appearance; instead of showing the deep emotional struggles of transitioning, Lili spends most of the film emulating the actions of other women, as if one can only be a woman by acting feminine.

Lili’s progression is also problematic in that once she begins to embrace her true gender identity, not only does her personality change entirely, but so does her sexuality – or so it’s portrayed. There is no link between gender and sexuality, but as soon as Lili (or at this stage, Einar) truly realises that she is a woman, she seems to cease feeling attraction towards her wife, Gerda, and instead is exclusively attracted to men.

Overall, The Danish Girl is a well-acted and beautifullydirected film that is a positive and inspiring step towards true equality and representation in today’s society, but the film’s structure, dialogue, and representation of transsexuality may leave you feeling slightly underwhelmed. The Danish Girl, despite its obsession with labels and traditional ideas of femininity, is still worth a watch.

One of its greatest selling points is the film’s thought-provoking nature, which will hopefully spark some change in the taboo around transsexuality; but as far as accurate and emotionallycaptivating narratives of this nature are concerned, we still have a long way to go.

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Grease: Live!

ELLEN BING 3rd Year History

As I am a lover of musical theatre and guys in leather jackets, there was no way I was going to miss the live performance of Grease aired on ITV on 3rd February. The production was originally filmed and aired live in the US on January 31st and incorporated elements of the original stage production, the 1978 film version and other songs which were not in either, giving it a uniqueness which can often be hard to achieve in productions of the well-known show.

Two sound stages and the backstage were used for the set, and live audiences were incorporated into the scenes. This unusual staging of the show threw the viewers into the experience

and excitement of live musical theatre from the comfort of their sofas.

One of my favourite performances was by Keke Palmer as Marty Maraschino. She proved herself capable of channelling the sassy class of the Pink Lady, something I aspire to every day.

The leading performances by Julianne Hough as Sandy and Aaron Tveit as Danny Zuko were brilliant and truly lived up to my expectations. Even if Tveit didn’t exactly imitate the insane vocal rage John Travolta accomplished in the film, he portrayed the slick T Bird with swoon-worthy style.

Each actor made the characters they were performing their own and none fell victim to copying previous performers or were hindered by their reputations; despite my initial apprehension, I really wasn’t fazed by the fact

Photographed by Dave Wilson

Carley Rae Jepsen was Frenchie.

The show really pulled on the heart strings of dedicated Grease lovers when Didi Conn, who played Frenchie in the 1978 film, appeared as Vi, the diner waitress.

There was a beautiful sense that

she was looking out for the future generation, not only in fiction but passing on the metaphorical baton in reality too.

The truly show-stopping performance was by Vanessa Hudgens as the fabulously cynical

Rizzo. Despite announcing via Twitter hours before Grease was aired that her father had died of cancer the night before, she powered through the show with energy and frantic smiles worthy of her Disney Channel beginnings. She dedicated her performance to the memory of her father and poured this emotion into her performance, particularly in “There are Worse Things I could do”.

Once I got past the fact that Sandy didn’t have an Australian accent, this version of the show really did not disappoint. After half a day in the library and the second half spent at work, the energy and enjoyment of Grease was just what I needed to lift my spirits. What more could you ask for on a rainy Wednesday evening apart from singing “You’re the One that I want” way too loudly?

Halftime Super (Bowl) Showdown SUKPREET KAUR 2nd Year English Language

It was announced back in December that Coldplay would be headlining the highly anticipated halftime show at the 50th Super Bowl, and since then, I could not have been more excited.

Having seen them at a stadium concert, I knew there would be a lot of flashing colour, crowd participation and a plethora of hits, and I was not wrong.

The show started out with lead singer, Chris Martin, walking up to the stage singing ‘Yellow’ followed by ‘Viva La Vida’ with a group of young musicians, which then transitioned into ‘Paradise’, and then the group’s most recent hit, ‘Adventures of a Lifetime’.

Chris gave his usual energetic performance, jumping around on stage, somehow staying in key, and singing to the lucky audience members allowed right by the stage. Whilst this went on, the rest of the pitch was put into use as a bright marching band entered along with people carrying massive colourful objects, which gave me closing Olympic

ceremony flashbacks.

The stadium was illuminated, with the audience playing their part to help by holding colourful pieces of paper. Then, the rhythm switched up and the camera panned to DJ Mark Ronson, who mixed his hit ‘Uptown Funk’ for singer Bruno Mars to perform to. Never before had I realised what a performer he is! He and his backup singers were completely in sync whilst delivering a compact dance routine to the number one track.

The time came for the highly anticipated Beyoncé (aka ‘Queen Bey’) to perform, who debuted her track ‘Formation’. It seems Sasha Fierce is back and she brought along lots of fire and her army of female backup dancers.

The choreography reflected the title of the song as there were many creative positions, including an arrow towards the stage. Whilst making her way up, Beyoncé started singing a mash up of ‘Uptown Funk’, and Bruno reappeared. I’d love to say her performance up until that point was flawless, but there was a very slight stumble.

In true diva style, though, she saved herself by disguising it as

Photographed by Sukpreet Kaur

a dance move. There was then a dance off between the two guest performers to each other’s hits in an entertaining West Side Story fashion. Chris Martin then joined in on the action as they collectively sang Bruno’s hit to finish that medley. Returning to his piano, Coldplay started to

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play another hit, ‘Clocks’, over a clip of previous halftime show performances. Bruno and Bey re-joined the stage once again to sing with Chris, bringing the Super Bowl’s 50th halftime show to a close.

Some might think the two special guests overshadowed

Coldplay’s performance, but the trio of world-class artists undeniably entertained us all.

Overall, Coldplay should be thrilled with their halftime show and this is one that will be definitely remembered.

MUSIC & ART

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Is every Wetherspoon's Carpet an Individual Work of Art? JASMINE DAMEN 2nd Year English Lit & Language

You may have been distracted by the cheapness of The Monk’s Retreat to notice something extraordinary, something out of this world that we just can’t believe we haven’t noticed before.

One man did. One man populated Wetherspoon’s enough to notice something simple: the carpet. Tumblr User and writer Kit Caress began a blog (conveniently titled wetherspoonscarpets.tumblr. com) in a quest to discover the

truth: whether two Wetherspoon’s carpets are the same.

Speaking to the Press Association, Kit said “I read this book by a friend of mine, Will Wiles, called The Way Inn; in that novel, the main character visits the same hotel chain everywhere he goes.”

“In each hotel, there’s a piece of art outside the lift, and he finally figures out that the art all matches up into one big, massive art piece.

“I was reading that book while I was in a Wetherspoon pub in Canterbury, and I finished it and I just looked down at the carpet and it was really complicated.

I wondered whether the carpet

matched another Wetherspoon one.

And it all spiralled from there. When you’re next in a Wetherspoon’s, take a moment to glance down at the carpet (you won’t be able to resist now). You can tweet @KitCaless if you find a carpet he hasn’t already blogged about!

It’s a nice thought that each one is an individual work of art constantly soaking up sloshes of beer and cheap pitchers.

It’s even nicer to think that in Wetherspoons up and down the country, there are people slyly taking photos of the carpet under the table.

Declan McKenna at The Purple Turtle EMER SCULLY Entertainment Edotor

A young, emerging new artist who goes by the name of Declan McKenna will be playing at The Purple Turtle in Reading on the 24th February. This is a show that is not to be missed. At just 16 years old, Declan has already been awarded the Glastonbury ‘emerging artist’ slot, signed a record deal with Columbia Records, released his new track

‘Paracetamol’ and announced a headline show at The Barful in London as part of the NME shows.

Not only is this an event you need to attend, but it’s so easy to go! Free entry and just a bus ride away, this is a show you have no reason to miss.

Reviews of his new track ‘Paracetamol’ were all so positive.

NME said, “Tom Vek keys drilling away in the background and a vocal that’s bruised and vulnerable” and Breaking More

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Adrenalin BabyJohnny Marr Live JAKE HAWKES Post Grad Modern History

Johnny Marr, best and most fondly remembered as the guitarist and co-writer for The Smiths, has mounted somewhat of a comeback over the last few years, with two solo albums both well received by critics and fans alike. Adrenalin Baby is a little different, being a live album recorded from Marr’s tour and including hits from The Smiths’ back catalogue as well as his own, and even featuring a cover of The Clash’s famous song I Fought The Law, but the real question is: how well does it hold up?

The answer is: surprisingly well, as a confusingly long barrage of noise at the start of Playland soon gives way to a punchy sound that blends Marr’s considerable talent on the guitar with unexpectedly slick vocals reminiscent of a pumped up and slightly more in tune Noel Gallagher, although that could be just be due to the Mancunian connection between the two.

Between songs, the crowd are enthusiastic and the man himself offers a few choice phrases, but this crowd noise is only present between numbers and is not allowed to interfere with the songs themselves, meaning you never feel like you have to fight through the cheers to get at the music, an annoyance that many live albums suffer from.

Marr’s performance on Smiths classics like Bigmouth Strikes Again and There is a Light That Never Goes Out is equally good, with Marr’s guitar being as inimitable and brilliant as ever, and his vocals doing a surprisingly good job of fitting the song without devolving into a poor man’s Morrissey karaoke set, something that is easily done (it’s also nice to be able to hear the lyrics that often get lost in Morrissey’s trademark warble).

The Post-Smiths offerings are in places just as good, and Adrenalin Baby plays like something of a greatest hits for a man that has been active in the industry for so long and has often been unfairly overlooked. Whilst waiting for the first song by The Smiths you realise that Johnny Marr’s made some damned good songs (listen to New Town Velocity and you’ll see what I mean) and many of them may have passed you by - I know they did me.

Overall Adrenalin Baby is a great introduction to Johnny Marr’s solo career and just goes to show that even if he doesn’t make the headlines as much as Morrissey and may not have the same rabid fan base, he’s still a hell of a musician and a pleasure to listen to. From somebody that has seen Marr live, I can also attest to the fact that the crowd reaction in this album isn’t at all staged, he really is that good live and I’d recommend both his live set and this live album to anyone.

Waves commented that “He’s scarily good, and original with it too.” If that doesn’t entice you, then I don’t know what will.

Declan McKenna is a new and up-and-coming artist; don’t miss out on the opportunity to see him in such an intimate venue. Take this chance before he becomes more successful and rather than The Purple Turtle, he’s playing Wembley.

Press release

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ENTERTAINMENT|GAMES & BOOKS

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Three Best Romance Novels AMY BUCKLE

2nd Year English Lit & Language

Where Rainbows End (otherwise known as Love, Rosie) - Celia Ahern “You deserve someone who loves you with every single beat of his heart, someone who spends every minute of every day just wondering what you’re doing, where you are, who you’re with, and if you’re OK.” This novel is the peak of romantic slush…but I still loved every word. The story follows Alex and Rosie, two childhood friends who grow up together; it begins with them aged seven and ends when they are fifty. If this sounds familiar, this book

has been released as a film called Love, Rosie. However, as ever, the book is very different to the film and I would strongly recommend to everyone to go ahead and read it. The novel is written in a series of letters, emails and instant messages mainly from Alex and Rosie. Every page is a very frustrating read because you just want to scream at both characters for wasting their lives not falling in love with each other. Ahern doesn’t leave out anything; it’s funny, painfully awkward and completely veracious throughout.

While the ending may be inevitable, you spend every page just waiting for it to happen. Just.

Read. It. Statistical Probability of Falling in Love at First Sight -

Jennifer E. Smith “Is it better to have had a good thing and lose it, or never to have had it?”

After reading some heavy books for my course, I decided to relax with something lighter and came across this. Hadley is on the way to her father’s second wedding at JFK airport, but she misses her flight. While sitting waiting for the next available one, she meets Oliver; British, charismatic and charming, Hadley might actually be glad that she was too late for her flight.

They get to know each other in the airport and on the plane, but just as their chemistry blossoms, they are separated. Smith brilliantly explores the likelihood of love bringing people back together.

Set over a 24-hour period, this book explores the possibility of finding love when you least expect it. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down.

The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion “You consider the situation with Rosie to be the result of genetic compatibility?

‘You have such a way with words,’ Gene said. ‘If you want to be a bit more romantic about it, I’d say you were in love.’”

If slushy romance is not your thing, then this is the book for you. Dom Tillman is an extremely intelligent geneticist and scientist who lectures at a university in Australia. He has

Asperger’s Syndrome and, while being able to spot this in others, is incapable of realising he has it himself. Don is competent in many academic areas, yet struggles in the game of love. He has so far been unlucky when it comes to dating and so devises a plan - “The Wife Project” - to find the most compatible suitor. Cue Rosie - eccentric, subversive and contentious, she ticks every box that Don does not. Don would usually never go for a girl like Rosie, but it might turn out to be the best decision he’s ever made.

Simsion creates an environment where being idiosyncratic (like Don) or unorthodox (like Rosie) is not only OK but may prove to be the perfect combination.

Assassin’s creed Chronicles: India— The true assassin SUKPREET KAUR 2nd Year English Language

I would say I am one of the unyielding fans of the Assassin’s Creed series that still looks forward to the next one, even after Ubisoft gave us ‘Unity’. I enjoy the double storylines composed

by Abstergo industries and the ancestors’ memories. I may be one of the only few that did not give up searching for all collectables in ‘real life’ inside the game. After all, despite uncountable glitches and annoying platform-bounded access, Ubisoft still have one of the best art and historian teams among the game industries.

The Chronicles served as a sider for the main AC franchise, is a 2.5D side scrolling game featuring most of the Prince of Persia elements—parkour, patient for countless fails and difficulties with unfriendly control. In this game, players acted as the protagonist Arbaaz Mir in 1841 India, the time when Sikh Empire was at war with the East India Company. Living in this chaotic war time, the first mission aimed

to sneak into the Royal Palace and have a good time with the Princess. Eventually, Arbaaz realised his powerful artifact: the Koh-I-Noor diamond was snatched by the Templars, hence the story.

The first impression is, as usual, astonishingly beautiful art, with Arbaaz leaping into the exotic, painterly India. If you have experienced Chronicles: China, then the controls should be familiar and you will soon realise game testers are yet to test this game on a PC thoroughly enough.

Compared to the main franchise’s one-click parkour, the Chronicles is certainly not that convenient.

Climbing, sliding and rolling over obstacles are all manual works. This is not that disturbing until you notice that performing a slide requires your little finger on ‘Ctrl’ and ring finger on ‘Shift’ which messed up normal finger positions on WASD. The game was described as being a true Assassin game because the Chronicles reminds us how fragile humans can be; almost all enemies have guns, and it only takes a few shots to

Press release

kill you. Stealth and assassination is the priority because once discovered, Arbaaz is almost the equivalent of dead. The combat system is not user-friendly; any battle beyond level one will take your life in an instance. To prevent open combat, players need excessive patience and intense staring at vision cones for the right time to strike. Success

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means immense satisfaction, whilst failure can destroy your controller. This problem could be minimalised if face-to-face boss fights, which are also criticised in China, stop being mandatory.

Nevertheless, improvements can be seen compared to China.

There are better boss fights, original sniper puzzle scenes and more cinematic cameras. This

is a game that could have been much better if they had fixed the fundamental flaws and stopped heart-attacking players with excessive time-limited missions.

If you are an AC franchise fan who wants to experience a true assassin, then this game is recommended.

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WATTSUP?

Do you put the ‘ha’ in laug-ha-ble?

Prove it and try doing WattsUp on for size.

1.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: I'm a guy, you have two chances to find the right answer. No prizes.

Ian S., 2nd year Law: You can find much worse stuff elsewhere on the internet why censor it?

Zayn Malik has stated that he was leaving One Direction. Directioners, what do you have to say about making the legendary fivesome to just a mere four?

Farah S., 2nd year Law: They will survive.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: I am...not a Directioner...

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Four Directions? Can we now?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Shouldn't have named their album "Four", it was a bad omen.

Julie, English Studies: It's a shame that Zayn has to leave the group but I do understand him. Having to face groupies, critics and all that must be terrible.

Lora J., 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: It has become clear to me that there is only one direction and that direction is toward the destruction of capitalism and the establishment of a communist society.

6.

2.

A Star Wars enthusiast spent four years creating an animated film on YouTube which have been watched by millions. Pathetic or awesome?

Farah S., 2nd year Law: Let the guy do what he wants, it’s awesome.

Julie, English Studies: I've never watched Star Wars (shame on me!) but I guess it's awesome to spend so much time on a project.

Lora J., 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: She/he seems like a coolie to me. Good on ‘em!

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Awesome to spend time on something you love.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: It's Star Wars. It's automatically awesome. Whoever doesn't like Star Wars...you're not human.

3.

Michelle Obama appears to be close to bald after appearing on television to give a talk on nutrition. Who rocks bald the best?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Winston Churchill.

Julie, English Studies: Michelle Obama?

Lora J, 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Natalie Portman.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Agent 47.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Michelle Obama and bald are two things I would least expect to be put in the same sentence. And by the way, Terry Crew is king of bald. End of story.

Ian S., 2nd year Law: It's got to be Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson. Bald men on a mission! Unstoppable duo.

4.

Easter symbolizes rebirth. If you were reborn again as an Easter bunny, what is the first thing that you would do?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Embrace the freedom I will have.

Julie, English Studies: Eat carrots.

Lora J, 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: Steal Kit Kats and kiss kittens.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Escape from human beings.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Question myself on that decision. I mean, why be reborn as an Easter bunny? The thing's not manly enough.

Ian S., 2nd year Law: What rabbits do best ;)

5.

Instagram has censored photographs by an artist who is fully clothed woman on her period. She argues that it is somehow appropriate for society however to show a woman who is almost naked. Should these photos stay up or should they be kept off the lens?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Stay. Let it be.

Julie, English Studies: Up, freedom of speech.

Lora J, 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: Certainly not. People need to stop being squeamish about normal human functions. The female body is only publicly accepted when it's overtly sexualized. Time to reclaim that and put an end to this bullshit.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: I don't understand what the problem is with periods. Do men feel uncomfortable looking at blood?

The eclipse that took place recently was quite a letdown in Reading. What did you do instead of looking out for the natural beauty?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Stayed in my room, rumbling about the English weather that prevented me from watching the eclipse.

Julie, English Studies: My Literature essay: deadlines.

Lora J, 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: Dissertation work in HumSS :'( Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Search for eclipse photos online and look at them.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Slept, woke up, and made bacons and eggs.

Ian S., 2nd year Law: I was asleep in my bed....

7.

News host Natarsha Belling has been made a laughing stock by having a penisshaped neckline on her top. Are people just being nasty or childish?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Definitely childish.

Julie, English Studies: Childish but funny!

Lora J, 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: Perhaps it was her intention to gain notoriety with this ode to penis. Evidently more people know her now and her profile has been significantly raised.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: We all know these kind of jokes never get old and people are generally nasty all the time.

Farah S., 2nd year Law: Neither, its 'fashion' people!

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Childish. Then again, we all laugh when some video makes an artistic reference to a penis.

Ian S., 2nd year Law: LOL

8.

Captain America: Civil War teams up Captain America and Iron Man. Do you think these two will make a good team? Or are they two leaders that have too different of opinions?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Hottest team in the world definitely.

Julie, English Studies: Different is good.

Lora J, 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: To be fair Iron man is a bad ass and he doesn't need a side man like Captain America. Capt. A is too vanilla and it seems like he might be too upset dealing with 1D breaking up to lead anyone. Sure they'll make a good team but Iron Man will always be the baws.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Good team: Captain leads, Iron man pays.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Might as well have a uni-wide debate on that topic.

Surely this is more meaningful than the election debate we just hosted.

Ian S., 2nd year Law: Let's be honest, Batman would wreck them both...

9.

It has been attempted by students to make cookies in a cup. Is this a true bakers’ delight or the easy way out?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: I call it innovation.

Julie, English Studies: Easy way out! But it's good though.

Lora J, 4th year English Literature and Italian Studies: Seems legit to me.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: I heard it can be disastrous, but if it turns out good it definitely can be bakers' delight.

Farah S., 2nd year Law: Does it even work?

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Well it wouldn't be a cookie anymore...

Ian S., 2nd year Law: Don't students have better things to do?

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ENTERTAINMENT|CREATIVE CORNER

ENTERTAINMENT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Drawn by Manon Jones

Drawn by Harry Richardson

Creative Corner

Drawn by Manon Jones

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PUZZEL POINT

ENTERTAINMENT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

|ENTERTAINMENT

Australia Library Bowie Nestle Danish Science Ellie Tinder Gluten

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Across Down 1 February 14th (10,3) 1 Unpaid (work, e.g.) (9) 8 Handle (5) 2 Admirer (5) 9 Fire (an employee, e.g.) (7) 3 Usually (8) 10 Storyteller (8) 4 Within a building (6) 11 Revise (an essay, e.g.) (4) 5 Gentle (4) 14 Cultivable (land) - ale bar 6 Become smaller - wild den

(anagram) (6)

(anagram) (7) 16 Equipment for taking snaps?

7 Positive response (to a proposal?)

(6) (3) 18 Abominable snowman (4) 12 Change (in shape) (9) 19 Notorious - I am so fun 13 Slender tubes of pasta - on MIA car

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(anagram) (8) 22 Woo (a 2, e.g.) (7) 15 Test aim (anagram) - occasionally 23 Surpass (5) (2,5) 24 Follower of the latest trends 17 Student (doctor, e.g.) (6)

(informal) - in IMF's IT havoc 20 Group of eight (5)

(anagram) (7,6) 21 Opponent - I tan (anagram) (4)

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ENTERTAINMENT|HOROSCOPE

ENTERTAINMENT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

horoscope Find out what the stars are saying about you this month...

MYSTIC MICHAEL

Aries

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 24th- OCTOBER 23rd

ARIES MARCH 21st-APRIL 20th You always knew you had the potential to be a great leader, Aries, and this month the stars are presenting you with an opportunity to prove yourself.

This might seem intimidating, but in virtue of belonging to the first sign of the zodiac, you always prevail with confidence and independence. So, throw caution to the wind, Aries, and show them what a great leader you can be. Be on the look out for even numbers this month Aries, for they will be your guide to success..

libra

SCORPIO OCTOBER 24th-NOVEMBER 22nd

TAURUS APRIL 21st-MAY21st Taurus

If the word ‘lethargy’ became a permanent addition to your vocabulary last month, Taurus, worry not. This month will bring new possibilities that will reawaken a sense of excitement and interest within you, especially an excitement for old hobbies and passions. This in turn will spark a hunger for knowledge within you, which will drive you to succeed in the academic sphere. Your lucky number this month is 43.

Scorpio

GEMINI MAY 22nd-JUNE 21st Gemini

If you’ve noticed a skip in your step this month, Gemini, it’s because Valentine's Day is almost upon us: and love is in the air. If you’re lefthanded, a new love prospect might be found where you least expect, and a chance meeting might turn into something more. If you are righthanded, an old love interest may return, unearthing some long forgotten feelings. Either way, this month promises to be an exciting one for you, Gemini.

Sagittarius

virgo

The stars tell me that the coming weeks are going to be filled with new opportunities arising within the professional sphere. This may mean either a new job, a promotion, or simply new work experience. Your natural aptitude for working with others is sure to help you thrive, so if I were you I’d be very excited for what the next month brings. Your lucky number this week is 15.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22nd- JANUARY 20th

Assignments and other such commitments will seem like a long forgotten nightmare this month, as the stars are endowing you with enough social spirit to keep a party going for a week. Put on your dance shoes and make sure you have at least one clean shirt, because soon, the social invitations will start pouring in. Just make sure you stay hydrated, and have the number of your preferred take-away on speed-dial.

You often find yourself putting the needs and wants of others before your own. While this is admirable, you have to remember to treat yourself Capricorn every once in a while. The stars say that the coming weeks shall bring significant personal developments for you, and that you will learn to appreciate yourself as much as you have been appreciating those around you. Your lucky number this month, rather appropriately, is the number 1.

LEO JULY 24th-AUGUST 23rd leo

You know the old saying, ‘strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet’? Well, the stars are telling me that over the next few weeks, you’ll be meeting a lot of new people and starting a lot of new friendships. Your charming nature will liken you to many people very quickly, Scorpio, and the coming weeks are sure to be filled with lots of laughter with your new pals. Keep an eye out for the lucky colour orange.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23rd-DECEMBER 21st

CANCER JUNE 22nd-JULY 23rd Cancer

A person whose name you might previously have used as a synonym for the words ‘evil’, ‘pretentious’, or ‘Donald Trump’, will surprise you this month, and a great friendship will begin to flourish. Your peaceful and diplomatic nature will come in handy, as some of your other friends may be reluctant at first. But after some deft persuasion and a good cup of tea, they will come around, and you can be like the cast of that one sitcom

AQUARIUS JANUARY 21st -FEBUARY 19th

Are you paying attention, Leo? Good! Patience and alertness will be key this month, as a great financial opportunity will come and go within a very brief window of time. Seize it, Leo! The stars are telling me great things will come of it. Although the opportunity might seem like a real headache at first, upon second glance you will find that it suits your ambitious nature. Just make sure it’s not a pyramid scheme, the stars predict legitimacy above all else. Look out for lucky number 12.

Your to-do list is starting to get out-of-hand, and it always seems as if there’s not quite enough time to do everything that you’d like to. Well, breathe easy, Aquarius. The stars predict a peaceful month ahead, giving Aquarius you the free time you’re been craving. You can use this time to get working on some of your long-term projects, or kick-back and relax as you watch the frost slowly thaw into spring. It’s your call. Your lucky number this month is 32.

VIRGO AUGUST 24th- SEPTEMBER 23rd

PISCES FEBUARY 20th-MARCH 20th

Great news, Virgo! When your parents call you this month, asking if you’re on top of your uni work, you will finally be able to answer that you are. It won’t be a lie, either. This month you’ll find a genuine interest in your coursework that will motivate you to not leave things to last minute. Handing things in before the deadline might feel weird, but it’s a feeling every student ought to experiencefeel at least once. Keep an eye out for the lucky number 11.

You know from being both sensitive to the emotions of others and yet driven to do good, that it can be hard to please everyone. This month, however, you will find that your ability to negotiate shall be more acute than usual. This will be especially great if you find yourself in a debate during the next few weeks! Use this power for good. Your number to look out for is 40.

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Pisces

SPORTS| NATIONAL NEWS Novak down under Djokovic claims another title at this year's Australian Open

SPORT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

SPORT

Leicester go top Nathaniel Littler contemplates the Foxes' title hopes

London Irish off rock bottom with 2013 win over Worcester

Photo by Mark Hillary

GEORGE ROBERTS Sports Reporter

London Irish: 20 Tries: Hearn, Fenby Cons: Geraghty 2 Pens: Geraghty 2 Worcester Warriors: 13 Tries: Heem, Rapava-Ruskin Pens: Mills Worcester Warriors battled hard but were unable to come back from a poor first half as London Irish claimed their third win of 2016. The Exiles lead 10-3 at half time after centre Ciaran Hairn chipped the ball over the Warrior’s defence and followed it up to snatch a try. Fly Half Shane Geraghty, who was in accurate form, followed it up with the conversion, as well as a penalty later in the half.

Ryan Mills’ first half penalty was all Worcester had to show for themselves at half time, and Irish will have been disappointed not to have had more points on the board after a half where they totally dominated, giving Worcester only moments of attacking opportunity and rarely saw the ball pass their 22 meter line.

The second half was a more closely contested affair, and Irish fans were left frustrated when Worcester were allowed back into the game through a Bryce Heem try that came just a matter of seconds after the Exiles had had a try disallowed at the other end of the pitch. The frustration continued for Irish fans as Topsy Ojo - on for his 250 appearance for London Irish - had another try

disallowed. He celebrated what looked like a try to remember as he raced clear of the Worcester defence on the far right hand side of the pitch, only for the referee to pull play back for a block earlier in the build-up.

Disappointment quickly turned into joy however, as full back Andy Fenby’s converted try made it 17-8 and put Irish firmly in control of the game. Despite a Rapava-Ruskin try ten minutes from time giving them a lifeline, poor kicking left Worcester with too much ground to make up, and a late penalty from Geraghty ensured the outcome of the match and the score remained 20-13 with Irish defending resolutely until full time.

With their under 18 squad winning their seventh game out

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of seven this week to reach the Academy cup final, London Irish may have felt some pressure to emulate the success of their juniors before the game.

Fortunately for the fans, pressure did not get the better of them as, bar a few shaky moments, Irish were in control. They will be disappointed to have missed out on a bonus point, as well as allowing one of their closest rivals at the bottom of the table a bonus point of their own, but will be happy to see their good for at home continue - with this being their 3rd league win in a row at the Madejski stadium.

This run of good form has not gone unrewarded either, with the victory against Warriors lifting them up from the bottom of the table and only two points from

tenth place - something the players and manager will certainly be targeting. The game was a mustwin for London Irish, as defeat would have left them trailing in the wake of rivals Newcastle and Worcester - the two other teams looking most likely to be involved in what may turn into a relegation battle come the end of the season.

Irish have cause to be optimistic, however, as their recent string of good results means momentum is on their side as they approach some tough fixtures against Northampton and then Exeter.

SPORTS| NATIONAL NEWS

Australia falls in love with Konta while Djokovic continues a long affair

SPORT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Credit to Marianne Bevis

GEORGE ROBERTS Sports Reporter

Now that the Australian Open has drawn to a close, and we can come out from behind the sofa an increasingly natural viewing position for British tennis fans - we can start to pick apart what has been a fantastic tournament.

Overall, the Australian Open has been a great success for Great Britain; with Gordon Reid winning in the men's wheelchair final, Jamie Murray with his Brazillian partner Bruno Soares, winning the men's doubles, and the tournament’s surprise package, Jo Konta, who has become the first British woman to reach the semi-final since 1983.

It ended with disappointment, however, as Andy Murray was outclassed by Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final - a sight that has become all too familiar

for Murray fans.

After losing the first set 6-1, Murray fought hard but could not overcome the world no.1, who defeated him in straight sets 6-1 7-5 7-6 (7-3). Despite this being his fifth loss in the final of the Australian Open, Murray should not be too disappointed.

The world no. 2 played well particularly in the second and third sets, but the phenomenal Djokovic was always in control of the match, and it is testimony to his quality that, even when Murray was playing well, he didn’t stand a chance.

The Australian Open seems to be Djokovic’s favourite grand slam, with the reigning champion earning an impressive six titles there - more than any other player in history. It also brings his grand slam title count to an impressive 11, and he will certainly have his sights set on Roger Federer’s record of 18.

The legendary Swiss is not the same player of old, and while he is still one of the world’s best, it is becoming clearer that Djokovic is alone at the top of the game.

Never has this seemed more apparent than the Oz final, when he dispatched of his closest rival with ease. At 28 years old he is still well in his prime, so if his form continues then he will win many more titles.

Although there were no surprises in the men's singles, the same can’t be said for the women’s. The final provided a big shock, with no.7 seed Angelique Kerber defeating the reigning champion and no.1 seed Serena Williams. An even bigger surprise, however, was Britain’s Konta, who, ranked only no. 47 at the beginning of the tournament, made it into the semi final, where she was pipped by Kerber. The self proclaimed ‘Jason Bourne’ of tennis (on account on her

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Credit to Carine06

holding several passports) was an instant crowd favourite thanks to her underdog status, as well as her Australian heritage. She was cheered on throughout as she became the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Jo Durie in 1983.

Konta didn’t just make history when she reached the semi final, she also made a lot of money.

Attaining £370,000 in prize money - almost as much as she had earned in her entire career so far. The money provides her access to better coaching, equipment, and will help provide her with financial security in a sport that is not always profitable for lower-profile players.

It has also helped to raise her reputation; not only through the media, but also in the sport. Her historical tournament has raised her world ranking from 48 to 28, guaranteeing that she will be seeded in the next grand slam -

Roland Garros - and means she won’t have to go any qualifying rounds.

At 24 years old, Konta is not new on the scene. Unlike Laura Robson, who has been in the limelight since she was a teenager, Konta’s success has come mostly since 2015. In 2011 she was ranked 305 in the world. However, she still has her best years ahead of her, and will be hoping that her new found success will provide momentum and help her to achieve more success.

Now the new British no.1, British tennis fans will hope she can continue her rich vein of form and go on to make even more history.

NATIONAL NEWS

SPORT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Are Leicester Title Contenders?

NATHANIEL LITTLER 1st Year Law

This has been a very strange season indeed! Chelsea are losing, United are struggling, and most of all: Leicester are top of the league! After beating Manchester City, they moved 5 points clear of the chasing pack.

Not only did they beat City, they thrashed them 3-0. It is starting to look like Leicester are potentially the biggest shock winners of the Premier League to date, and I think they can pull it off.

The general consensus is that Leicester will finish in the top 4, and this is a pretty big achievement in itself. They barely fought off relegation last year, and many suggested that they deserved to go down. But somehow, The Foxes have turned it all around, and are now rubbing shoulders with the biggest teams in the league. Led by Jamie Vardy, who is the top scorer in the league, they have brushed aside teams such as Liverpool. What is most interesting about Vardy is that he is not just scoring his typical blue-collar goals, where he would pressure the defence and force an error, leading to goals.

He is pulling out amazing goals, such as the one against Liverpool, where he had watched Mignolet for the entire game, and seeing that he was off his line, he decided to strike one and see what

Giselle HUI YEE KEE 3rd Year Law

It’s the ‘v’ month again!

Romance and love are the essential elements for arts and dance. Interestingly, ballet often portrays heartbreaking love stories including Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet and Giselle, which we are going to discuss today.

Giselle was a peasant girl who fell in love with Duke Albrecht of Silesia without knowing his true identity. She was heart-broken when she discovered Albrecht was to marry the daughter of Duke of Courtland. Dejected by the fact

happens. Vardy is showing that he is capable of performing at the highest level, and with Lukaku not scoring at the same pace as before, it is looking very likely that Vardy will be crowned the league’s highest scorer. This is a league including Aguero, Rooney, Diego Costa. What is even more shocking is that Mahrez is only 4 goals back. Mahrez was bought

by Leicester for £500,000.

Compare this to Aguero, who was bought for around £27 million.

What Leicester have been able to do with limited funds is amazing.

Can they win the league though? Well, they are certainly looking confident. They are outplaying good teams, such as City and Spurs. There are 13 games left in the season, and they have a 5 point lead on the league.

If they beat Arsenal on March 14th, then I would consider them legitimate title contenders.

They have to make sure that they are enforcing their game plan effectively. That is to grind down opponents, and then get them on the counter attack with the pace of Okazaki, Mahrez and Vardy.

They are a typical blue-collar team. By that, I mean that there are few egos on the team, and they work hard and grind out results. They may be becoming trend setters, and they may be finally proving that you don't need money to win a title. You need hard working players who are willing to stick to a game plan. Their game plan works

well against opponents because it means that they have to step up their game to compete with Leicester, and many teams are unable to do this.

It remains to be seen whether they will be able to hold out for

that she could never be together with her lover, Giselle eventually succumbed to her heart break.

She died in Albrecht’s arms.

The Wilis was a group of women spirits who were abandoned by their lovers. Led by the ruthless Queen Myrtha, the Wilis haunted the forest at night to seek revenge on men. They forced their victims to dance until they died.

Myrtha and other spirits summoned Giselle’s spirit from her grave. They vanished into the forest when Albrecht came to mourn at Giselle’s headstone.

Albrecht guiltily begged for Giselle’s forgiveness. Deeply

in love with him, Giselle gently forgave him and joined the rest of the Wilis.

Myrtha sentenced Albrecht to death and used black magic to force him to dance until sunrise.

However, Giselle’s power of love broke the magic and spared Albrecht’s life. The Wilis returned to their grave at daybreak while Giselle had been released from the Wilis’s control when she let go her hatred and vengeance.

She bade and emotional farewell to Albrecht and returned to her grave in peace.

The moral of the story is hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

| SPORTS

Photo by Paul Conneallly

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the title. In my opinion, they indeed. I think they can do it, but definitely have done enough to it will not be easy. get to the Champions League, but winning the title will be hard.

If Spurs keep their run of form going, then the margin for error for the Foxes will be very slim

Credit to Patricia Zhou

SPORTS |COMMENT

SPORT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Comment: Tyson Fury: Homophobia in Sport

Credit to Marco Fieber

LUKE KENNEDY 3rd Year Law

Floyd Mayweather has backed World Boxing Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to defeat Wladimir Klitschko, should the pair rematch in the near future. Fury has hinted on his Twitter page that 'big news' is on the way, prompting speculation that he will indeed be returning to the ring to face the Ukranian.

The Manchester born boxer sparked controversy around Christmas after he was reported to Manchester Police (GMP) for statements made on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire program.

The alleged homophobic comments were reported as a 'hate incident' rather than a 'hate crime'.

In the aftermath of his win over Klitschko in Dusseldorf, Fury had defended himself

claiming that: "I'm not sexist. I believe a woman's best place is in the kitchen and on her back.

That's my personal belief.

Making me a good cup of tea, that's what I believe." The world champion also claimed that it would only take the legalisation of paedophilia in addition to the decriminalisation of homosexuality and abortion to see "the devil come home".

After a short investigation, and numerous calls for him to be struck from the shortlist of the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, GMP released the statement: "Officers spoke with the man that made the report and he provided a statement to police. This matter has been investigated in line with national hate crime policy and has been recorded as a hate incident. The circumstances in which these comments were made suggest that no criminal

offence has taken place and this matter will not be investigated any further."

The 27 year old has now claimed that he belongs to 'most-hated race of people on earth' and despite his success heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll only ever be known as a 'dirty gyppo'.

But should we have any sympathy for Mr. Fury?

His comments were clearly misinformed, and completely archaic, but the level of hate directed at him both by the mainstream media and the general public has seemed harsh. It is this same mob mentality, intent on naming and shaming anyone or anything which does not abide within their very specific set of criteria denoting what is/is not socially acceptable which seems to have permeated from the world of politics into sport.

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As a general rule, sportsman like behaviour should always be followed by anyone who's image rests firmly in the public eye, making them a role model for young people. Whilst this is fair enough, it does also mean that comments such as Fury's should be treated as detached from his achievements as a sportsman, which should not suffer as a result.

Football, astonishingly, does this rather well. Wayne Rooney, for all his talents, was embroiled in a sex scandal a few years ago, just after the 2010 World Cup. The infamous British tabloid press had a field day, but Rooney and by extension Manchester United remained silent on the issue.

In simple terms, it just wasn't their business. Yes this seems to work much more conveniently in team sports,

when a player is attached to a club, but then again many might say that surely the risks to reputation are higher in that situation due to the danger to the club as well as the individual?

I am not saying that players should be allowed to act without limitation, Sunderland are quite right to sack Adam Johnson, someone's who has just plead guilty to charges of child grooming. However, dramatic action such as this should only be reserved for the most extreme cases. In Fury's case, his comments were rightfully condemned by virtue of the 'hate incident' charge but thankfully also correctly not equated with a hate crime.

SPORT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

NATIONAL NEWS

| SPORTS

Guardiology: What can we expect from the Spaniard at the Etihad?

OLLIE WEEDEN Sports Editor

On what was an unusually quiet transfer deadline day, the announcement that Pep Guardiola was to take over as manager of Manchester City at the end of the season made Steven Fletcher's loan move to Marseille rightfully seem a bit boring. It was the world's worst kept secret that Guardiola was to leave Bayern sooner rather than later, prompting speculation that the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and City and even Spain were all vying for his signature.

So when it became apparent that Guardiola was to join old club compatriot Txiki Begitistain, a close friend and Director of Football at the Etihad, all of a sudden the press was rife with rumours as to who the Spaniard would be looking to bring in, who can expect to face the axe and what sort of tactical philosophy the 45 year old will be employing. Pablo Zabaleta has already admitted that his arrival

as manager in the summer has left players 'unsure of their future' with squad changes expected from the Spaniard.

“We suspect changes but it’s normal. Now is not the right time to talk about the future because there’s a lot of time for this. We just need to be 100% focused on the next games. We need to deal with it. The club decided to announce this now; after so many rumours we really understand this. Now it’s just time to finish in the best way we can do this season. We are all behind Manuel Pellegrini.

He’s been great for this football club, so he’s to continue in the way he has done for the last few years. Nothing changes for him and then we’ll see at the end of the season with the new manager coming in.”

Sergio Busquets has already flirted with the possibility of relocation to East Manchester.

The 27 year old midfielder has made over 300 competitive appearances for Barcelona after Guardiola gave him his breakthrough at the club. The fact

that his contract currently lasts until 2019 is posing a problem however. “I have always said there are just two people who could make me change my decision to stay at Barcelona,” the Spain international told ESPN. “One of those two people is my wife. The other person is Guardiola. It’s clear that I owe Pep a lot and I would be honoured to work with him again.”

Another target surely in contention is Thiago Alacantara, the 24 year old is the kind of deep lying playmaker Guardiola sees as a must-have in his teams.

Never was this made clearer than when he was bought from Barcelona in the summer of 2013.

Paul Pogba is another who would improve just about any midfield.

City have continuously targeted the Frenchman and would be well placed to use Guardiola's image as a means to attract the 22 year old to the club.

On the other side of things, there are certain few players who will be cautiously looking over their shoulders during the

43

next few months, hoping they can prove that they don't deserve to be the first one out the door.

Yaya Toure is the most obvious example, having been sold

by Guardiola and noticeably slower this season, at 32 he may playing his last six months for the Citizens. Jesus Navas as well, a player who thinks and runs in straight lines (the polar opposite to what every Guardiola team is built on) seems to have his days numbered.

What should be encouraging for the neutrals out there is that Guardiola's pedigree and reputation for bringing the best out of young players will surely mean positive futures for the likes of Raheem Sterling at the club. Since the winger's drawn out £49 million transfer to Manchester City was concluded last summer, Liverpool fans have had to reluctantly admit that he hasn't done badly over in Manchester. With a total of 10 goals and 3 assists to his name so far this season, his place in Roy Hodgson's England squad and

Credit to Thomas Roden Bucher

long term future at the Etihad looks all but assured. Guardiola will be aware that he holds the potential to become one of the elite, and who better to coax it out of the young Englishman?

If it was the promise of a place among the European elite which brought the Spaniard to the Etihad, then he has every chance of fulfilling it. With a rumoured £150 million transfer budget to play with and the guaranteed respect of the dressing room, there is little which seems out of reach.

Fans are salivating at the prospect of Jose Mourinho taking over at Manchester United, seemingly just to set up a battle between the Special One and Guardiola twice every season, reminiscent of their many managerial duels at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. For the time being, what's certain is that the noisy neighbours just got a lot louder.

SPORT ON CAMPUS

SPORT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

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| SPORTS

SPORT ON CAMPUS

SPORT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

BUCS Match Day:

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| SPORTS

SPORTS |SPORT ON CAMPUS Fencing - South Eastern 2A

P W D L GD Pts

Football - South Eastern 3A

P W D L GD Pts 1 Reading 1st

8 6 2 0 29 20 2 St Mary's 2nd

7 5 1 1 37 15 3 Arts 1st

6 2 0 4 -18 6 4 Westminster 1st

5 2 0 3 17 5 5 UCL 2nd (RUMS)

8 6 0 3 -7 4 6. West London 1st

4 1 0 3 -9 3

Golf - South Eastern 2A P W D L GD Pts 1 Reading 1st

6 6 0 0 17 18 2 Chichester 1st

7 6 0 1 16 18 3 Royal Holloway 1st

4 3 0 1 14 9 4 Reading 2nd

6 2 0 4 -10 6 5 Brunel 1st

6 0 1 5 -22 1 6. Imperial 1st

7 0 1 6 -15 -5

American Football - South 1A P W D L GD Pts 1 Surrey 1st

5 5 0 0 104 10 2 Royal Holloway 1st

5 5 0 0 89 10 3 Southampton Solent 1st

6 2 0 4 -44 4 4 Reading 1st

6 2 0 4 -51 4 5 King's College 1st

6 0 0 6 -98 0

League Tables

1 City 1st

6 4 0 2 173 12 2 Surrey 2nd

5 4 0 1 1 12 3 Reading 1st

6 4 0 2 46 9 4 Sussex 2nd

5 0 0 5 -148 0 5 King's College 2nd

6 2 0 4 -72 0

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All photos by Sam Nowell

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Captain's Corner: University of Reading Fencing Club

Credit to UoR Fencing Club

OLLIE WEEDEN Sports Editor

In the midst of what has been a very successful year so far for the club, Sports Editor Ollie Weeden interviewed Men's and Women's Team Captains James and Francesca to learn about one of our most interesting and unique sports on campus.

Q: Hi guys, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. First of all, how has the year been for the club so far?

F: It has been very successful we have more members than last year and have developed very solid mens and womens teams.

We also had a bigger influx of experienced fencers as well, most of who are staying on at the club for the next academic year.

Furthermore we have also been working on achieving a Gold Level Club status with RUSU. J: Pretty good in general. The club has taken on more members than I can ever remember, and we’ve had several newcomers who have decent fencing experience, giving a decent boost to the teams. A lot of our beginners have come a long way too, and were hoping to get them playing in a couple of friendly competitions soon. There’s definitely more of a club atmosphere too. In past years there’s been a divide between the new comers and those from previous years, but this year it hasn’t happened, probably because we always end up in the pub together after training Q: Did you have any success during re-refreshers last month?

J: Re-freshers went reasonably well for us. We’ve had a few more

members join off of the back of it, and they’ve really dived into the sport. Most of them are at a pretty similar standard to those who joined in September.

F: Yes. We participated in ‘Give it a Go’ week and had a article in the Spark as well so we managed to gain a few extra members.

Q: How are the beginners in the club faring? Is Fencing something you can learn quickly?

J: Most of the beginners are doing very well, with a few looking as though they may be in a position to fence for the university next year. Fencing isn’t something like football or badminton where you can learn the basics within a couple of sessions. Often it takes at least a year before someone will be at a position where they might be considered to play in a BUCS match. But like with all sports, it really depends on how dedicated you are. Some take to it very quickly and can be fencing at a relatively high level within a year or so F:They are coming along rather well. We have 2 excellent coaches and the experienced fencers also help out in teaching the beginners as well. I would say that it is difficult to begin with as there is a lot of skill behind it. And you have to learn how to stand how to move but, it’s like with any sport once you have the basics, and you keep practicing the rest will fall into place. I think the main thing that makes it difficult is the initial fear that it’s going to hurt when you get hit- it doesn’t at all.

Q: How have you both coped with the responsibilities of being captain this year?

J:I think the hardest part of the job for me is driving the minibus to matches. We’ve nearly ended up going to Wales whilst on our way to Kent before. Other than that though it’s been fine. It teaches you how to organise people, as well as support a team on good and bad days, but it doesn’t feel as though there’s any real pressure. It mostly just feels like spending a Wednesday with your mates F:Well I am both Women’s Team Captain and President so I have been very busy this year.

However I’d say that my coping strategy is down having such a solid team and committee behind me that everything has been a breeze.

Q: With the club sitting 3 points clear at the top of the table after your most recent win against Kings, where do you see yourselves ending up in the table come the end of the season?

J:The women have been having a good year, but it’s been a little rocky for the men this season. Much of this is due to the loss of many of our star players last year, along with a higher standard of play in our league this year. Having said that, we’ve got a good, strong team, and we may yet avoid relegation F: We (the women’s team) are SO incredibly proud of that because we haven’t won a match since 2004 and we have come together this year and come top of the table. It’s incredible. I don’t want to jinx it but we have 2 more matches left and I really hope we finish at the top of the table.

Q: Who would you say have been your standout performers so far this year? Why?

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J: It’s hard to pick out any individual players. Coming from a team of two guys to a group of seven over the course of freshers has been a real saving grace this year. Going on points alone, our top scorer is Ray Rizaoglu, who has been our anchor in the sabre throughout this year. I should probably give a special mention to Sam Gibbs, who, after a cumulative nine years at the club, has been the back-bone of the team throughout his time.

F: I’d have to say the team as a whole, there is no one person as we have all worked incredibly hard to get to the top of the table.

We all have supported each other and have played to the best of our ability in each weapon.

Q: When and where is the club's next fixture? Are there any special events which the club will be hosting in the near future?

J: The next men’s fixture is looking like it will be at home to UCL 2nds. After a disappointing loss with a couple of players missing, were looking to come back with a win. Other than Varsity we have no concrete plans to host any events here in Reading, but we are hoping to take a small group to compete in the Malta Open in June F: The women’s team are playing away next week at the Leon Paul Centre in the next round of the Conference Cup against UCL second. The following week is a match against Surrey University as part of the BUCS League. Our next home match that anyone can come and watch and support is Varsity on the 12th

of March, we will be playing in Mondial.

Q: How did you see the sport continuing to develop in the UK J: It’s difficult to say. The cost of kit can often put a lot of new people off. Schools quite often cannot afford to buy the equipment, or hire a proper coach, meaning that a lot of kids don’t have the opportunity to play unless they go to a private school, or really take an interest in it from somewhere else. Having said that, there are still plenty of newcomers to the sport, and fencing classes at places like Centerparcs has really help boost the profile of the sport.

University clubs also offer a great way in, as the costs of kit and coaching are generally subsidised.

Whether it will get bigger in the UK is hard to say, and there is a real problem to do with access to sport for kids, but I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon.

F: It is becoming a more popular sport in the UK but this change is gradual, it is bigger in Europe in places like Italy and Turkey. There aren’t many women taking part in the sport but it is growing. Quite often people that have joined fencing over the years here at the university have said that they originally wouldn’t have thought to do it. Perhaps this is because there isn’t as much exposure to it when you compare it to a sport like football. Also fencing is an incredibly expensive sport so many people may not be able to afford it, therefore it is great that at university you have the opportunity to try new sports at a discounted price

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En Garde Fencing Club James and Francesca explain the success behind their season

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These Girls are on Fire Manon Jones recounts the Knights smashing victory ?over Imperial

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Credit to Manon Jones

These Girls are on Fire Reading Knights Run Rings Around Imperial Collage London MANON JONES Head of Photography

Last Wednesday saw the women’s rugby girls at their best with an astonishing win against Imperial College London of 65 – 10, the highest score so far. The match was definitely a rollercoaster of a game to watch as the action was fast paced from the very start. Imperial had no idea what was about to be unleashed.

Our lovely girls in red cranked up the pressure and clearly proved that a lot has changed since Christmas. The girls improve with every match they play and the game gave them the chance to put

their new moves into practice both for the forwards and the backs. It is great to see them progress as a team as seen particularly through new-comers such as Rhian Taylor and Betty West who pushed themselves in their new pod techniques along with the other forwards in order to draw the opposition in and create space for the backs to attack.

Backs in particular were the stars of the show in the game, especially the amazing tries scored by Elinor Thomas and Rosie Dennis who earned the title of Forward of the Match for a stunning number of tries made.

This pair not only outwitted

the opposition with some fancy footwork being practiced in training , such as switches, loops and not forgetting boshing but tore up the pitch at lighting speed leaving Imperial quite perplexed.

Special mentions from the girls’ Captain Sammy Cooper go to Grace Potter, Melissa Gargaro, Jessica Warren who stepped in at the last moment and Romy Barton for their excellent performance in game and creating space for their teammates to dominate the pitch. The girls managed to play more effectively as a team, in comparison to previous matches where the ball had been kept mainly in the middle of the pitch.

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These ladies are not afraid to try something new, even when told last minute by your coach that you’re going on as Flanker, which myself and Amber Edwards experienced. It was an honour to pay homage to my father’s position when he played for London Irish and hope that we did it justice by scoring the final try of the match earning title of Back of the Match.

People tend to turn their nose up when girls say they do a contact sport, deeming it to be unladylike.

Well, they definitely are fierce on the pitch but the team has some of the kindest people I have met this year. Yes we may be noisy, as seen

on team photo day where the girls all did the haka for their humorous image which may have terrified some, but we always have a whale of time and make memories to last.

The friendships between these players are still at the forefront of this team, with the match ending with pats on the back, hugs as well as our famous war cry being belted at the top of our lungs in celebration after what will always be the most amazing game of our lives.