Spark 2015.05.29 - Vol.71, Issue 2

friday 29th may 2015

spark volume 71, Issue 2

NEWS

LIFESTYLE

ELECTION RESULTS

SUMMER BALL OUTFITS

What a Conservative government will mean for students

Read Hannah Crofts outfit guide for this years Summer Ball!.

ENTERTAINMENT THE BOOK OF MORMON

SPORT MAYWEATHER V PACQUIAO

Check out what Christian Even South Park can’t prepare Alexander had to say about the you for this funny yet 'Fight of the Century' reflexive musical.

What does a Conservative government mean for students?

Photographed by Ben Fisher/GAVI Alliance

PENNY LOMAX

2nd Year Mathematics and Statistics

The results of the general election on the 8 May saw a win for the Conservatives.

This overall majority was unexpected for many as the opinion polls and other surveys indicated that another coalition government would be in power. But how does this win affect universities and more importantly, students?

Along with promising a referendum on EU membership

to take place by the end of 2017, the Conservatives are planning an ambitious task of reducing annual net migration.

International students, included in these figures, will surely be affected.

The Conservative manifesto states that: "We will reform the student visa system with new measures to tackle abuse and reduce the number of students overstaying once their visas expire."

Also, according to the manifesto, a loan system for Masters and PhD courses is

planned to be introduced, however there is a lack of detail about this plan.

The Conservatives have promised to eliminate the cap on higher education student numbers and claim this will "remove an arbitrary ceiling on ambition".

The Conservatives pledge to "introduce a framework to recognise universities offering the highest teaching quality, encourage universities to offer more two-year courses, and require more data to be openly available to potential students

so that they can make decisions informed by the career paths of past graduates".

This will be beneficial to prospective students as they can gain full knowledge of the courses offered and the opportunity to undertake a two-year course could be appealing to many students who wish to reduce costs for education.

Under the new government the threshold for paying income tax will rise from minimum wage (£10,600 per year) to £12,500 per year.

A staggering 200,000 new starter homes are expected to be built for first-time buyers. In the next five years under the newly elected government, all current students will have graduated and will be thinking about where their next stage of life will take them.

Therefore having these homes already built and other schemes such as Right to Buy and Help to Buy, the possibility of owning a house will not seem impossible.

NEWS|EDITORIAL

EDITOR.SPARK@READING.AC.UK

Editors Blame the system Exam mode: Reformat your brain and download files Picks NATHALIE SIAH The Editor

Chews for tunes?

If there's a song that you can't seem to get out of your head, try swapping it for something sticky according to the University's findings

I was once told by someone that there exists a time in a student’s life where your emotions take a dramatic 180º in an incredibly short span of time. It starts the moment you walk into an exam, and ends the moment you walk out. It feels like you’ve spent too much time reading and yet too little time reading, only to find that most of it is useless once you put down a pen anyway. Exams are stupid.

Comparing my time here in England with the university system in Canada has always been confusing to me. I guess on the other side of the world there’s always a time where you could say, “In <insert country here> we do <this>”. However, there’s one

thing that boggles my mind while studying here that just doesn’t exist back home—the 100% exam.

I hope that I am not the first to say this, but isn’t it kind of obvious?

Just break down the workload; it’s better for everyone.

Here’s my perspective. It’s not my first time taking exams, but I find the system fundamentally flawed. As a Law student, (I’m not sure about the other programs here at the University) the outcome of courses are mainly built on a mere 2, sometimes 3 hour period where our whole career is put on the line.

If you don’t do well on this brief encounter, your dreams and hopes of a clean cut CV burst into flames like a villain from The Avengers.

Can you think of a good reason to spend a few thousand pounds per year reading incredibly difficult material only to showcase your skills at cramming in less time

than you spent watching Pirates of the Caribbean? It just doesn’t make sense.

The notion of the 100% exam fosters terrible habits as well. The mentality is this: I have one exam that matters. That means I can do whatever I want until I have to prepare for that one thing. It’s lazy.

If you really think about it, has there been anything in life that is of worth that should be completed with one task? Do you really think your University degree should be one of those things? It’s a mockery of education! I’d like to think that my marks say something about how I study, but they just don’t. It’s merely luck, human health, the time limit on the exam, health, Latin terms and a bunch of numbers. There’s nothing else to it. In the end we just reformat the capacity in our brain and fill it up as quickly as we can.

It’s not difficult to make a change! It is well known that everyone has different strengths and skills which will most likely not be measured efficiently by an exam. Instead, there are so many other ways in which students can lighten the weight of exams, showcase their abilities and stay focused during the year.

By allowing other assignments to work their way into the curriculum, by the time exams roll around, there will be less of the module to prepare for and less pressure to succeed or die trying.

I’d like to encourage everyone, to take this to heart. If you don’t have top marks, it’s not your fault, it’s the system! Your skills and creativity are not measured effectively this way and you are worth so much more than your university transcript.

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Save the World!

The Avengers are back and biting as ever - but is this movie really all talk and no action? Read Wing Lam Kar's review here

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Pointed Toes?

Image Credit: Flickr

How to get the most out of procrastination

They're more than pink JENNIFER DANIEL tutus and tights - this Deputy Editor society knows how to put on a proper show

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Slay those dragons!

UoR Reading Knights are about to have their Old Boys Game in June against alumni Dragons - find out more here!

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We’ve all been down the timeconsuming, yet simultaneously timeless, road of procrastinating.

You write a few flashcards and quickly check a message on your phone; the next thing you know, three hours have passed and you’ve ordered five potential outfits for the Summer Ball, stalked all of your flatmates’ exes on Facebook and discovered your food preferences at a restaurant are similar to those of a fortyyear-old (FYI Buzzfeed Quizzes, young people like cheese plates, too). Basically, it’s all too easy to get carried away, particularly during exam time. But, fear not,

as we’ve found a few ways for procrastination to be productive.

Here’s what you can try: Write lists.

As an avid list-writer myself, I find that when revision gets overwhelming and nothing goes in, a great way to get back on track is to note down what you need to do rather than keep it racing around your head. Write down any tasks you need to do, as small as they may be, because the ticking off after you’ve completed them brings a feeling much like seeing your food arrive at a restaurant.

Have a chat.

Revising can be a very monotonous, dull way to spend a day, and you may often find you end up going hours without uttering a single word (other than to yourself, when it gets to that

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stage). A conversation can really help to break the boring cycle, even if it’s just a quick exchange with the librarian about a book you need.

Leave the library.

Many of us will have spent a depressing amount of time in the library recently. And, as fun as it is to have eye contact with that hot guy in the corner, it’s not good to be sitting in the same place for hours on end. Take a walk around campus, buy a bagel, even lie on the grass for a few minutes if it happens to be on one of the few sunny days we have during summer.

Eat. We’re always being told we need to eat healthily during exam period to get our brains working properly.

But I’m simply suggesting you eat

full stop. Because there’s nothing worse than trying to concentrate with an empty stomach. Don’t be that guy whose stomach sounds like a storm is about to hit the library.

Exercise.

I’m not saying you have to do a full on session in the gym, but just move around a bit. Stand up and sit down a few times, do some stretches – any kind of movement feels good after six hours of sitting on a hard library chair, staring at your notes.

So there you go. Some may be fairly obvious, and they’re not going to stop you from doing pointless procrastination, but they might come in handy when you’re starting to feel boredom ebbing away at your brain.

GENERAL NEWS

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Society Spotlight: Ballet Society EMILY COLE

universities’ ballet societies in competitions. We also organise workshops with professionals, and next year we hope to have a workshop from Pineapple Dance Studios.

2nd Year Zoology

The Ballet Society may be one of Reading’s smaller and less wellknown societies, but the new committee of 2015 has some great plans to change this.

We would love to increase the size of our society and we will be pulling out all the stops at Freshers’ Fayre trying to get newbies involved. What would be great for us would be to get more boys involved in the society.

This past year we have had three male members in our society but two will sadly be leaving us this summer. We would love to be able to overcome the stigma surrounding boys doing ballet and the fact that we have a male president for this upcoming year will be a great help!

As a society, we hold classes once a week and teach people of all standards - from beginners who have never danced before to people who have danced almost their entire lives. Held at Sports Park, classes run from 2-6pm in

|NEWS

"Ballet is a great way to keep fit and improve your stamina and flexibility..."

Image Credit: Matthew Cook Photography

the dance studio every Wednesday.

Exciting news for the upcoming academic year is that we’ve hired a new teacher to run the classes.

She has had extensive experience working for ballet companies abroad and in the UK, and now uses her experience to teach us, which is great.

If you are looking either to improve your dancing or just a fun way to exercise, ballet is a great society to join. It costs £20 to become a member and classes are currently priced at £1.50 an hour.

However, the new committee is looking to reduce this fee to even less. We are also looking into

getting some funding to get some new equipment, like a barre, and more storage space in which to keep all our costumes from the shows and competitions.

In joining the ballet society, you have the chance to get involved by performing in shows each term and to competing against other

The ballet society is also extremely friendly and social, and we organise lots of casual socials throughout the year. Our socials are held both as a society and through joining up with the other dance societies such as Break Dance and RUTAM, and at the end of autumn term and summer term, we hold formal dinners.

Ballet is a great way to keep fit and improve your stamina and flexibility. Even if you are not looking to do these things, by joining our society you will have great fun, meet awesome people and take part in some fantastic opportunities. Make ballet your ‘something new’ for 2015.

Maintenance loans prove to be insufficient for 74% of students Students are struggling to afford life at university, new survey shows SARAH ROBERTSON 2nd Year English Language

A recent survey by Student Money Saver has revealed that almost three quarters of students believe that their maintenance loan is not enough to get by on alone.

The survey also found that 41% of students have gone without food and 28.9% cannot afford to heat their houses. 33.3% of students have even resorted to selling their possessions for rent, bills or food, and 21.1% claimed they took other desperate legal measures to make extra money, whilst 3.6% said they had done something illegal for money.

"28.7% of students have considered dropping out of university because they cannot afford it..."

Although this trend is worrying, 46.5% of students do not have a job. However, 3% of those who do work, have full time jobs of 35+ hours a week, alongside their studies.

with university commitments, as many as 50.2% of students simply rely on their parents for support.

Nevertheless, it was noted that a lot of students are reluctant to admit to their parents just how

Image Credit: Chris Potter (Stock

The amount of students having a part time job is higher than it has been before. It is easy to expect students to get a job, but with the lack of opportunities and the stress of juggling a job

much they are struggling, and 7.7% of students have taken out a payday loan in order to get extra money without the ‘shame’ of telling them.

28.7% of students have

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considered dropping out of university because they cannot afford it, yet most students do not want to waste the time they have already spent there because they have already accumulated debt. This is not surprising when 74% of students either agree or strongly agree with the statement ‘I am worried about money’.

Only 15.3% agree or strongly agree that they are financially secure.

Charlotte Burns, the Editor of Student Money Saver, claimed that this survey shows: “the level of poverty is much worse than initially thought” as well as adding that it is “completely unacceptable” that students are living like this.

It is the new government’s responsibility to ensure that students can comfortably live away from home without making the sacrifices most are currently making.

James Felton, the Content Editor of Student Money Saver,

states: “The government claims that students have not been put off by debts of up to £9,000 a year for their tuition fee loans. "...it was noted that a lot of students are reluctant to admit to their parents just how much they are struggling, and 7.7% of students have taken out a payday loan in order to get extra money..."

If this is the case, then students may not be put off by taking on more debt in order to have their maintenance loans raised so that they can afford to live on them.

If this doesn't happen, more students will go hungry, more students will drop out and more students will risk the debt-spiral of taking out payday loans.”

Loans are not enough 74% of students say that maintenance loans are insufficient for university life

Using your phone in lectures

Reading rises in latest league tables

Student parking issues

Find out how this could actually impact your ability to concentrate and learn

The University has improved its reputation for teaching and research

Residents of Melrose Avenue blame students for parking in their area?

NEWS

CONTENTS

29|05|15 NEWS According to the Times Higher Education Student Experience survey 2015, university accommodation is unsatisfactory for most students. With prices as high as £175.75 per week in Reading, exactly what are students paying for?

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LiFESTYLE We all strive to look after ourselves better in Summer, so take a look atAndrzej Lenartowicz’s article, weighing up the pros and cons of different sports and learn which exercise suits you best.

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ENTERTAINMENT Ollie Weeden sits down to have an exclusive chat with the co-director and lead of the play, RUMBSA Night, Angela Hii and Akma Khan

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Knights v Dragons Sam Bonstow looks ahead to when the Reading Knights square off to the Old Boys

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WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO...

Designer- Paula Whetstone

Reading rises in latest league table results HANNAH CROFTS 2nd Year English Literature

The University has risen in two league tables, published in April.

The Complete University Guide 2016 has ranked Reading in the Top 30 UK universities - an amazing increase in eight places from last year. While in the QS World University Rankings

by Subject, Reading has also maintained their position as a topranked UK university in one or

more subject areas.

Now 29th in The Complete University Guide, Reading is ranked higher than some Russell Group universities, including Glasgow, Liverpool, and Queen Mary’s. This impressive ranking is one of the largest improvements among the UK’s top universities, and reflects how Reading is one of the UK's leading researchintensive universities.

In individual subject areas, Reading's reputation for Agriculture continues to flourish, rising from 6th to 2nd place in

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the Complete University Guide.

The University also continues to be ranked highly across the categories of Business and Management studies, Education, Food Science and Art and Design.

The QS World University Rankings once again ranks the university highly for Agriculture, too. It lists Reading’s Agriculture course as the best in the whole of the country for the third year running, and the 19th best in the world. As well as this, Geography and Environmental Studies are two subject areas also in their top

100 worldwide.

This is fantastic news for the university and the students who study here. Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell said: "Reading is a university with international reach, so I am encouraged by our continuing strong global reputation in the latest subject rankings. I am also pleased that our strong REF 2014 results, which reflect our worldclass research, have helped to boost our profile in these new national rankings."

GENERAL NEWS

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

|NEWS

Student Accommodation is unsatisfactory for most students

With the price of student halls in Reading reaching as high as £175.75 per week, just where are universities going wrong?

SOPHIE CLINTON 2nd Year English Literature

For their first year of university, most students opt to live in halls, on the campus of their university.

It is here that students make their first friends, and slowly begin to find their feet away from home. It is a huge part of the learning curve and journey students make at university, so why is it now being branded as unsatisfactory?

According to The Times Higher Education Student Experience survey in 2015, the University of Reading are currently ranked in joint seventh place for good accommodation, showing that Reading is by no means receiving negative feedback for their halls experience, however this does imply that there are still improvements that can be made to make their accommodation better.

At the University of Reading, the prices for a self-catered room in halls currently range from £159.60 per week for what is

labelled as a premium self-catered ensuite room, to £99.89 per week for a more traditional styled room including a wash basin, and a shared bathroom.

2nd Year English Literature student Harriet says: “I paid £157 per week to live in Dunsden Crescent last year, and for this I expected a luxury that I did not experience. Dunsden Crescent now costs £175 per week and I have not heard of any improvements made to the rooms, so how can the accommodation office justify this?’

The prices of rooms in halls do increase annually, and as Harriet rightly says, students are given no explanation for this inflation.

At the University of Reading, there is certainly no shortage in variety in terms of different room options: from self-catered to catered rooms, en-suite to shared bathrooms - but these options still do not justify these prices when other universities, not far from the town of Reading, are not facing these same charges.

As Harriet continues: “these extortionate prices completely put me off returning to halls because it seems that my money is being taken advantage of.” There may well be an explanation for the increase, but it can be said that the university has not dealt with this situation very well. Perhaps this stems from the fact that the university does not own its own accommodation, and so there is a lack of communication between parties, which means students are not receiving the level of satisfaction that they expect.

Therefore, perhaps these high prices are not the only reason for labelling this accommodation as unsatisfactory. Other universities, such as the University of Nottingham have been criticised for only offering a catered option in their halls. As the university have recognised this but are yet to act on this matter, it suggests a lack of communication between the university and its students, or that the universities are failing to listen.

Beaman from the University's School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, found that people who chewed gum after hearing catchy songs thought about the song less often than those in a control condition.

Within the study, a total of ninety-eight volunteers listened to catchy songs such as Payphone by Maroon 5, and were then asked to try not to think of the songs they had just heard over the next three minutes, but to hit a key each time they did. In the chewing gum condition, volunteers reported thinking of and ‘hearing' the song

less often than in no-activity and finger-tapping control conditions.

Additionally, Dr Beaman suggests that chewing gum could reduce intrusive thoughts associated with disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.

However, he acknowledged that more research is required in this field to support whether or not this is the case.

The study, named: "Want to block earworms from conscious awareness? B(u)y gum!" was published in Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.

Research reveals that chewing gum could help to remove songs from your head DANIELLE NICOLE PAGLIONICO 2nd Year English Language

Do you ever just sit there with a random (and usually irritating) song lingering in your mind for what seems like forever, wondering how it got there and wishing that you had some sort of magical spell to banish it from your thoughts? Well, new findings from a study conducted by the University of Reading suggest that chewing gum could help with that!

The study, led by Dr Phil

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The president of University College London recently spoke about the matter of unsatisfactory accommodation, and explained that perhaps the disappointment surfaces from the fact that many universities (including the University of Reading) have recently invested a lot of money on new halls. The president even went as far as to describe the current accommodation situation (in London) as “a complete nightmare”, admitting that this is a problem that needs urgent attention.

Additionally, there are issues that lie in the fact that not all halls are the same, and so some students have become disappointed when arriving at halls that do not resemble the newly advertised ones they have seen online, for example the University of Reading has recently invested a lot of money in building the new Bridges Halls and demolishing the old Bulmersh site. Bridges Halls have therefore been given great status at the university, but

it is not clear that not all halls at the University are fashioned and furnished with the same premium quality.

So, is a miscommunication in advertising perhaps to blame here for this dissatisfaction?

It is true that Reading’s own halls are not all similar in the slightest, and there is a certain division between the halls situated in the Park group and those further away, such as the Northcourt group.

Many students presume that halls will become a new home, and for many, they do, but ultimately, many also fail to realise or to understand that these halls will not substitute the home they have left behind, and therefore perhaps the real dissatisfaction with university halls does in fact lie with unrealistic expectations the new students have when they arrive.

REBECCA REILLY

weather and slightly below average temperatures reaching to around 16 °C across the university campus and the rest of the UK. Looking forward into a time where exams come to an end, early June is forecasted to remain unsettled as low pressure systems bring damp and windy conditions. As June progresses there is a chance we could see high pressure developing which would lead to drier and warmer conditions—,perhaps even in time for Ssummer Bball! Seasonal outlooks are still hinting at the potential for a warm summer but this still remains uncertain

Mayweather remains... unsettled 3rd Year Meteorology

Whilst April proved to be warmer than average, with little rainfall and 140% more sunshine hours than previous years, May however brought quite the opposite. So far we have seen less sunshine hours, and over twice as much precipitation as the preceding month. Being halfway through May,we have already received the average rainfall, making it a pretty wet month. As the month draws to an end, May looks to continue this trend with unsettled

NEWS| COMMENT

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Why the Tories won CHARLIE RUTTER 4th Year MA International Security Studies

What many people do not seem to understand about elections is that they are very similar to sporting races or matches. The motto medals are won in the winter and collected in the summer is equally true to the general election we have just experienced. To see why the Tories won we have to go back a long way. Let’s start with the evidence from this last election on the 7 May. The youth turnout was the biggest since 1964 (when legalizing marijuana was on the agenda) at nearly three quarters of the 6.8 million registered voters under 25. Whilst this is a real triumph for democracy we need to ask why more people cared this time. The answer can be seen in the growth social media. This technology has the potential to have a larger impact on liberal democracy than the emergence of television. Bearing in mind that 98% of under 25s are on social media in the UK and election regulations don’t really exist for this platform, it is true anarchy from a campaigning perspective.

This is not specific to the youth either. Almost every age bracket has a majority using social media according to Ofcom. Most people will now look on Facebook and Twitter for their information rather than television broadcasts.

Similar to how Kennedy learnt the importance of television for his campaign to beat Nixon, the Tories learnt faster than the other parties. This has been a long running trend in politics, that if you can control your image presented to the electorate there is little you need to worry about on election day. Enter the election wizard that is Jim Messina—the

man aided Obama in getting reelected through his manipulation of social media.

One big problem of social media is that you can’t really guarantee control of your image but you can shove policies down people’s throats, a trait that Messina is the best at doing. He was recruited in 2013 by the Tories who at this point had no idea what social media even was. Cameron in 2009 went on the radio to say that he deplored Twitter as it changed politics too much needless to say the opinion polls reflected the public’s disagreement that year.

In any case, Messina completely changed the Tory campaign’s focus on social media, and at the same time Milliband was trying the same thing (and for a time he was pretty successful). But the big problem was that Labour didn’t have Messina. They had recruited another ex-Obama campaigner, David Axelrod who preferred less of a hands on approach to Messina (who spent pretty much every day at Tory HQ on the run up to the election).

The bottom line is this: elections are not about the issues or the policies, it’s all about image. Just a brutal truth that Nick Clegg refused to accept, and as a result his party was massacred.

Kennedy was elected because he was younger and better looking than Nixon, Obama was elected because he went on talk shows more than Romney or McCain, and David Cameron won because he tweeted more than the others.

There is the aspect of money as well which helps with the image.

If you have the time, just have a look at the UK or US campaign spending and you’ll find 9 times out of 10 you get what you pay for. Social media, the next platform for politics, was simply better exploited by the Tories.

Hasn’t anyone wondered why

people on Facebook and Twitter are now asking themselves, “wait a minute, we actually voted for Tories?” It’s because the campaign jargon has stopped, and the nationwide hangover is setting in where we realize we voted for the guy we saw more of on our Facebook newsfeed.

Unfortunately this is simply how it is.

"Bearing in mind that 98% of under 25s are on social media in the UK and election regulations don’t really exist for this platform, it is true anarchy from a campaigning perspective."

I could also talk about how much people fear ISIS, Al Qaeda and Putin (and how this has also swayed the election) but the fact is, it would never have changed the result. Al Qaeda is all but defeated and Putin only sees the west as a threat as much as we see him as a threat (it’s an oddly complicated relationship we have with the Russians). Immigration?

You just have to look at the figures in the rest of Europe to see that we’re no exception, the only extra thing we’re doing is creating xenophobia. Staying in Europe? Yes we’ll still be part of the EEC if we leave but we’ll lose more than we’ll gain on the long run. NHS? Great, it needs as much money as possible You get that money not from austerity (which just makes the poor poorer and the rich staying rich) but from acknowledging Britain’s underlying dependency, economically, on others and our lack of investor confidence that need to change. The bottom line is still that most people decided who to vote for on the day, and that was based on who they had seen most of rather than looking closely at the policies I’ve just summarized.

Image Credit: Flickr

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Can Austerity Work?

Why Fight It? BEN AUTON

4th Year Enivronmental Pollution

As the Conservative party won a majority parliament on May 8th, we face five more years of cuts to public services. This has left many wondering: will it ever work?

On May 9th, protesters marched down Whitehall against further austerity. On June 20th, more anti-austerity protests are planned by the People’s Assembly, where thousands more activists will take to London’s streets again.

People are protesting this economic measure - billed as an effort to encourage responsible government spending to pay off the country's deficit - because it translates into cuts to public spending or increases in taxation.

Programmes like Benefits Street have perpetuated the image of welfare recipients as scroungers, which is far from the truth; the majority of the welfare budget is state pensions paid to public servants. Less than half of all JSA claimants have never paid for their national insurance, and only 1% are still claiming, despite there being work available. Unilateral cuts and depressing targets for DWP employees means the welfare state is no longer the standard by which a nation sets a base level for quality of living.

Decreased spending has devastated local governments and the services they offer, resulting in impossible choices for councils, who must choose between libraries and adult healthcare. Proposed solutions are ineffective and cause declines in care, such as the recent ‘state of emergency’ in A&E last winter, caused by NHS budget cuts.

Despite the education budget being "ring-fenced", many universities have had to raise their fees to £9000 per year. Increasing numbers of university applicants suggest people are fine with this, however education is seen as one of the few ways into decent employment, and so young

people are forced to pay these prices. Reduced job prospects and fewer benefits allowing them to search for school-leaver jobs has given rise to today’s youth taking on huge loans for degrees, even though the annual graduate income is around £25,000 per year. Austerity has not worked in other European nations, either.

In smaller countries attempting this policy, like Ireland, Portugal and Greece, their economies have been devastated by public cuts, deepening the crisis for their working classes.

The coalition government faced decreasing GDP and an increasing deficit when they came into office in 2010. Their ability to pay off national debt was harmed by the economic crash in 2008 - the outgoing government spent taxes to prop up the financial industry, (Northern Rock, Lloyds, RBS group), leaving huge debts for the coalition. The situation in the financial market led to recession worldwide, with large retailers like Woolworths going into administration, ruined by rising interest rates which decreased their chances of working their way out of trouble. The austerity measures of recent years look like a top-down economy, where the richest in society are protected by government bail-outs (such as banking groups RBS and Lloyds) in order to protect growth; yet vital public services are being cut.

The failure of previous governments to regulate the financial market is widely regarded as the cause of the crash, but the coalition has done very little to regulate banking. The government is now committed - it cannot see how to improve living standards among the working and middle classes and achieve economic growth.

The cost of austerity will be felt most profoundly among the poor, who will be left behind as working conditions stagnate. That’s why people are demonstrating against this failing policy of austerity on June 20th.

GENERAL NEWS

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|NEWS

STA Travel’s Sizzling Summer Raffle!

Win an Ibiza Island hopping trip and kickstart your summer EMILY BARNES

get to discover the island, go shopping and chill out poolside.

From dancing the night away to sipping cocktails on a beautiful Summer’s just around the corner roof terrace, you’ll experience and STA Travel are offering everything the island has to offer. students the chance to win an epic island hopping adventure in their Sizzling Summer Raffle. Fancy "Music blaring, cocktails hitting the hottest clubs around, galore and beach bliss." indulging in cocktails and exploring some spectacular sites Now here’s where it gets even in Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca? more exciting (if that’s possible): Plus, doing all of this with three The Pukka Up Party Boat Cruise of your best mates? Listen up…

Stop 1: The Party Island. The sees you basking in the sunshine trip begins in Ibiza, not just the a-top a boat with dancers, DJs home of the “lads’ hol”. Meet and, yes, you guessed it, drinks. your guide and get booked onto The next morning, you’re off to some of the best boat trips and an all-day beach party at Bora club nights in the world. You’ll Bora. Music blaring, cocktails 2nd Year English Literature

galore and beach bliss. You’ll end your last night watching the sun set on the aptly named Sunset Strip, then it’s time to start a new adventure…

Stop 2: The Sight-Seeing Island. You’ll get free reign in Mallorca where the sights are indescribable. Look skyward at the awe-inspiring Tramuntana Mountain Range, before delving down into one of the world’s largest underground lakes and the Caves of Drach, with stalactites suspended from the ceiling and spectacular boat trips along the lake.

How does a trip to Mallorca’s capital city Palma sound? There’s beautiful architecture, palmlined promenades and quirky

boutiques and cafes. You’ll also cool off at one of Europe’s largest waterparks. Race down water slides or lounge in the lazy river - you really won’t want to leave.

Stop 3: The Beach Island. Take the ferry to Menorca and explore the historic town Ciutadella and the capital Mahon. "...find your STA Travel Ambassador on campus, enter the raffle and you could soon be jetting off for the best week of your life."

You’ll have a beach day as well as the opportunity for a sunset

kayaking trip. It’s the stop in Cova D’en Xoroi, though, which will be the night to remember (or unintentionally forget). A clifftop night club with sensational views – a welcome change from the average nightclubs here…

“What do I have to do to get on this super sizzling summer holiday?!” I hear you cry. It’s simple, all you need to do is find your STA Travel Ambassador on campus, enter the raffle and you could soon be jetting off for the best week of your life. For those that don’t win, you can also check out STA Travel’s website for European inspiration and great offers: http://www.statravel. co.uk/travel-europe.htm

10 Fun Facts 1. More cans of baked beans are consumed in the UK than the rest of the world combined.

2. The town of Reading is home to the Dyslexia Research Centre.

3. If the pressure is high enough, diamonds can be made from peanut butter.

4. Women blink double the amount that men blink.

5. Cows moo in regional accents.

6. Michael Jackson had a meeting on September 11th 2001 at the World Trade Centre, but missed it due to oversleeping.

7. Studies suggest that the higher your IQ, the more you dream at night.

8. Not only is a tiger’s fur stripy, but its skin, too.

9. If you shouted continuously for a period of eight years, seven months and six days, enough energy would be produced to heat a cup of coffee.

10. One third of the population of the world has never made a phone call.

App Designers Wanted For infomation contact

EDITOR.SPARK@READING.AC.UK

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NEWS|GENERAL NEWS

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Could this be the end of First Past the Post?

RACHAEL HOPLEY 2nd Year Classics

In the wake of the 2015 general election, amid groans of five more years of a Tory government, Scotland taking things into their hands, and the losing political parties in turmoil, there is perhaps a slower revolution brewing.

On Monday 18th May, leaders of the Green party, UKIP and Plaid Cymru, as well as representatives from the Liberal Democrats and the SNP, signed a petition at Westminster’s Old Palace Yard calling for proportional representation. This was handed into 10 Downing Street by the British Youth Council on behalf of Owen Winter, a GCSE student who received 220,000 signatures on his petition on change.org.

Since the unexpected results of the 2015 election, there have been many calls for the end of First Past the Post. Described by UKIP leader Nigel Farage as ‘bankrupt’, the chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, Katie Ghose, said, “This election is the nail in the coffin for our voting system. First Past the Post was designed for a time when nearly everyone voted for one of the two biggest parties.

But people have changed and our system cannot cope.”

Despite these comments, in Reading itself the election did herald a two horse race between the Conservatives and Labour. It was striking to see the University’s constituency remained in the hands of the Conservatives, but as we do

Image Credit: The Independent

not use either a majoritarian or proportional system, they were able to retain power with only 46% of the vote. Under a proportional system we may have seen Labour taking a few more seats nationally with 33% of the vote in Reading East.

The Electoral Reform Society have also published figures showing that this has been one of the worst elections for First Past the Post system in the UK as a whole, with a total of 24.2% of seats in Parliament now held by MPs who would not otherwise be there under a proportional representation electoral system.

This surpasses any records, beating the 1983 election where the figure was 23%.

The nature of the problem presented by First Past the Post is most dramatically represented by graphs created by the Independent.

These show what our Parliament would look like now if we had used the proportional representation system in the 2015 election, as opposed to the results we did get.

Advocates for First Past the Post have argued in the past that our system prevents extremist parties from gaining any power, but following an election where, of the 31 million people who voted, 19 million (63%) of them voted for losing candidates, it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify this.

With a referendum on the UK’s membership in the European Union imminent, could we also see another referendum on our electoral system

Students blamed for parking in Melrose Avenue HARRIET LYNDS News Editor

A recent article on GetReading stated how “the opening of a new hall of residence at the University of Reading has made life a misery for people living nearby” due to student parking. However rather than blaming the students, I believe that the residents of Melrose Avenue should be blaming the university’s parking system.

First of all, parking on campus is only possible with a permit, and, even then, it is extortionately

priced. In her first year at the university, Emma Adams was denied a permit because it was after the start of the term.

“I applied for a permit due to a knee injury which meant I couldn’t cycle to the University’s Rowing club anymore. But even with a Doctor’s note, a message from my captain and ample space in the car-park, I was denied one numerous times.”

Furthermore, the recent increase in train prices has led to more students preferring to drive to university. For me, it works out the same cost to drive home to south Devon as it does to buy a train fare with student discount

(a third off) - not to mention the practicality of travelling to and from University with all your belongings easily packed away in a car.

Third year student, Abbie Weaving, commented: “You’d think that paying £9,000 a year in course fees with little change to the course itself would warrant free parking at the very least.

“Not only would this make me more inclined to rank the University’s facilities much higher, but it would also solve the problem that locals have with student parking on residential streets and local congestion when students have no choice but to

8

park on main roads.”

The Halls tenancy agreement states that students are not allowed to park within a mile radius of the campus, yet surely this just pushes the problem out further. Fundamentally, there will always be a parking issue while the university’s system remains as it is.

Abbie also said: “It is much safer letting students park on campus; spending long nights in the library and then driving home is much safer than walking back in the dark.”

Up until earlier this year, the empty space adjacent to the SportsPark was used by

students for parking. Abbie continues: “It wasn’t until the University realised that students were beginning to use this space that they decided to make it permit-holders only. This is just another example of how student money is being sucked up by the university.”

While the Getreading article implies the solution is to ban students from parking in residential areas, I believe that a better solution would be to create more (affordable) parking on campus specifically for them there is certainly sufficient space for another car-park.

Ellie

Economics Student from Reading

- Loves to ride her bicycle

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13/05/2015 14:07:05

NEWS|CAREERS

The Royal Baby is here: it's a girl

NEWS@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

The fourth heir to the throne has made her entrance, just a week late!

SOPHIE CLINTON 2nd Year English Literature

The Duchess of Cambridge was ushered to the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital at 6am on Saturday 2nd May, in the early stages of labour. However, only two hours later, it was announced that a royal baby girl had been born, weighing 8lbs 3oz. The expected date for the birth was 25th April, making the baby just a week late, although this date was only ever speculated and, keeping to tradition, the true due date was never announced publicly. The birth was much quicker than her brother’s, which took place almost two years earlier at the same famous hospital.

The medical team that helped with the delivery was very similar to that which helped to deliver Prince George. The same consultant was present: Mr Thorpe-Beeston, who has been a consultant for almost 20 years, specialising in high-risk pregnancies and miscarriages.

Assisting him was a team including Alan Farthing, who was recently appointed royal Surgeon-Gynaecologist.

The Duke emerged a few hours later and informed the press he was going to pick up Prince George, to meet his new little sister. And, true to his word, HRH Prince William arrived later with the young Prince by his side, sweetly recreating a scene 30 years previous, in which Prince Charles brought a young William to meet his new brother.

George waved shyly to the crowd as they entered the hospital.

released two days after her birth, as was with Prince George. Her full name is Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana Windsor of Cambridge. It is thought that the Princess’ first name is Charlotte, both to honour her Aunt, the Duchess’ sister, Pippa Middleton, and as a feminine version of her grandfather’s name, Prince

Charles. The second name is an obvious tribute to HRH Queen Elizabeth II herself. The final name is an emotional tie to her late grandmother Diana, who tragically died in a car accident when Prince William was just a boy. The name altogether holds great significance and is hugely symbolic. It is an important

name for an important royal baby, who is now fourth in line to the throne, thanks to the royal decree released last year, which enabled a female successor to lie before any male siblings that may be born after her. Therefore, even if the Duke and Duchess were to have another son after this Princess, Charlotte would succeed before them.

"There was a long list of name possibilities for the little Princess - the most popular choice being Alice, followed

by Elizabeth and then Charlotte."

What was most remarkable about the day was that the Duchess herself materialised just hours after the birth, looking as beautiful as ever, dressed in a yellow dress by Jenny Packham - the same designer to have made the dress she wore when first stepping out of the hospital with Prince George.

There was a long list of name possibilities for the little Princess - the most popular choice being Alice, followed by Elizabeth and then Charlotte. The official name for the Royal baby was

Using your phone during lectures does impact your studying LAUREN READ

4th Year German and History

In lectures, it is a common sight to see students scrolling through their phones, on Facebook, Twitter, or texting: a harmless pastime of the modern era, but lecturers are now warning students that using your phone during lectures will affect your grade. One such lecturer, Duncan Jones, from the University of Northampton, believes that, in actual fact, using your phone during lectures severely impacts a student’s ability to concentrate and learn.

He has stated that the impact on

a student’s studies is shown when their assignments don’t meet the criteria or that the skills taught are not used. On answering a question about whether phones should be banned in lectures and seminars, he replied that while a university-wide ban of phones in classes would show a rise in the levels of concentration among students, there would still be some that would find something else to distract them. For these students, the problem does not lie with the phone but rather with their levels of concentration. Yet, for usually well-focused students, being on a phone during class can have a detrimental effect on how much a student learns in that time.

It has been shown that it is not only the student using their phone that is affected, but also others around them too. When another student sees someone focusing fully on Facebook, it acts as a distraction and makes the urge to check your own phone even greater.

It may seem obvious for a lot of people that phone usage will be detrimental to learning, but there are some who may not realise the impact. So, for your next class, make sure your phone is on silent and keep it in your pocket or bag for the one-hour or two-hour long class. Even the students who are most addicted to their phones should be able to manage this.

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Yik Yak: On Exams When students have been stuck indoors studying they get weird thoughts…

“Shoutout to everyone in a pod feeling like they are in a glass cage of emotion.”

“I’m exhausted from all this studying I haven’t done.”

“Stuck in the awkward place of wanting exams to be over but wanting more time to revise.”

“That overwhelming [sensation] at the realization of just how little you know.”

“The man who invested the windowsill—what a ledge.”

“I could probably die in my bedroom and my housemates would never even realize.”

“I can’t tell if I’m horny or just bored with revision…”

“I am getting far too old for these all nighters.”

When students are done exams… …they don’t know what to do “Finished exams, all my friends have gone home for the week…dunno what to do with myself!”

“I wake up really early and stay in bed all day to compensate for it…”

“I still have revision notes all over my desk and floor and I finished exams 4 days ago.”

“Got so used to revision life, feels surreal now exams are over! What do I do with myself?” …they go home “I would do anything to be home right now.”

“Home. The land of trustworthy teatowels and branded toilet roll.”

“May as well give my mum 9k a year with all the lectures she gives me.”

…they also think about their bodies “This summer I want the body of a God. Buddha.”

“I’m actually looking forward to going back to the gym after exams.”

“Why have abs when you can have kebabs.”

11

Careers

LinkedIn: A Student’s Perspective KATE JONES

Student Careers Assistant

Many students have a similar background – a 2:1 and the odd internship. You’re probably sick of hearing it by now, but the cold hard truth is that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for recruiters to differentiate between candidates.

Unfortunately, many students know this and it seems that the most popular reaction is to ignore it.

“It’s a problem for future me,” I told myself. Only occasionally did the thought really pop up, usually when struggling with an essay and simultaneously having a mild existentialist crisis. The chocolate or other stereotypical student coping mechanisms then ensued.

Just kidding. Sort of.

Anyway, on the extended metaphor of sugary snacks – what can you do to put that icing on the cake, the cream on the strawberries, the milk on the Coco-Pops? Well, there’s lots of things, but you can probably guess from the title of this article what I’ve picked!

LinkedIn is a professional networking tool that you’ve probably heard of but, statistically speaking, don’t use, or at least not very well. The basic premise is that it’s a social platform to advertise your employability and seek vacancies. Fundamentally, your “profile” page is like your CV, and the skills you’ve described can be

endorsed by your contacts.

When you really start to explore, you discover that LinkedIn goes much further than this. Businesses are increasingly utilising LinkedIn to promote themselves and provide application information.

Often, articles almost spell out what they’re looking for.

Being pro-active, there are lots of ways you can use LinkedIn to your advantage. For example, connecting with an employer prior to, say, a careers fair allows them to put a name to your face, and mutual connections allow them to see if you are recommended instantly. Developing an excellent LinkedIn profile implicitly says something about your attitude and, ultimately, how you would benefit the company.

As a Pharmacy student, I found LinkedIn extremely useful in understanding what Boots were looking for, which helped me secure my pre-registration training. It’s allowed me to go into much more depth about my experience than I would on my C.V, and is a good reference tool to then base my individual, tailored C.Vs on.

To find out more about other ways to utilise the site, or for help in brushing up your own profile, the Careers Centre now offers LinkedIn workshops.

Alternatively, you can book an appointment and have a one-toone chat.

Careers Events

My Jobs Online

Every term, the Careers team runs a programme of events designed to aid your career development.

The programme includes skills workshops, information sessions and employer presentations.

When the exams are over and the stress has dissipated, dust yourself down and come along to one of our events!

My Jobs Online (MJO) is a onestop shop for all things careers – it’s more than just jobs! MJO offers: • A jobs board that covers parttime work, placements and graduate roles • An event management system where you can explore the events we offer and book a place • A system for managing appointments with Careers Advisers and Placement officers (for some Henley Business School and ICMA students, these appointments can be booked online) • An e-guidance system that allows you to send queries to a Careers Adviser or Placement Officer

Here’s a taster of some the sessions we’re running this term: • How to access the Careers Centre after graduation – 26 May, 1 to 2pm • Which Career? – 28 May, 1 to 2.30 pm • Recruitment Bootcamp – 29 May, 11am to 1 pm • MBTI – Understanding your personality – 3 June, 1 to 2 pm • Effective interviewing skills – 5 June, 1 to 2 pm • Making your CV work for you – 9 June, 1 to 2 pm

My Jobs Online is designed specifically for Reading students and graduates – all the employers advertising jobs and placements are targeting you! MJO also allows you to set email preferences to receive targeted information about jobs and events that interest you.

To find out more, log in using your University username and password at: https://reading. targetconnect.net/student/login. html

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SCHOOLS OUT, SUMMER’S IN Read Elizabeth Andrew’s quick tasty recipes for the best Summer BBQ food!

WATERWORKS! Are you still undecided on what to wear? Take inspiration from Hannah Croft and look the part.

STRESSED? Inside is a break down on how to recognise your stress, distress and finish your dreaded exams. .

OVERNIGHT IN BRIGHTON Experience staying in Brighton and what it has to offer for students!

LIFESTYLE

Overnight in Brighton CAITLIN MCCLINCHY

2nd Year German and Economics

If you haven’t yet got something exciting to look forward to after exams, don’t discount areas of the UK when looking for a fun weekend. With one of its constituencies securing the only seat for the Green Party in the recent general election, Brighton is often thought of as freethinking, where anything goes.

It’s easy to relax and enjoy the liberal community atmosphere

and be kept busy during your stay with the variety of things to do.

The eclecticism of the area is not something new; it can be experienced through a visit to The Royal Pavillion. This was most famously owned as a holiday home by George IV, who was drawn to the growing flair of the area during the 18th century.

The mixing of different cultures reflected in the interior is visually stunning – the decadent rooms in the centre of the building are inspired by Chinese and Indian cultures, whereas more muted

décor is used in outer rooms; this was done for visitor enjoyment.

The history of the building and its various owners and uses is very interesting, for example, it was used as a hospital for the Indian army during the First World War. Visiting here highlights the vibrancy of Brighton, and the gardens are lovely if the weather is in your favour. It is also easily accessible as it is located centrally.

Having enjoyed the magnificence of the Royal Pavillion, there will still be time in your day for some shopping; the

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Photography by Caitlin McClinchy

North Laine area has an extensive mix of independent shops and cafes. There are also great antique shops that are suited to a wide price bracket and are fun to peruse even when you aren’t looking to buy anything. From ‘junk’ shops to more expensive furniture shops, there is something for everyone – even these vintage hair salon chairs and dryers.

As a seaside town, the pebbled beach is also a lovely place to relax at the end of the day and swim if you’re feeling brave.

During the evening,

experiencing some live music is a must and there are plenty of free gigs if you’re looking for something last minute. We went to a pub which had a jazz band playing and there was even a swing dance group. With its predominantly young population, Brighton boasts a busy nightlife with a wide range of bars and clubs in the seafront area.

Whether you want to spend just a day or longer, you won’t run out of things to do and there are plenty of reasonably priced places to stay.

LIFESTYLE| TRAVEL

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

What to take on holiday guide

Credit to W ikimedia

BASIL AL-ALI

3rd Year Business and Management

some essentials that you should bring:

The first and most important thing you need to make sure you’ve packed is your travel documents and your passport. Without these, you are not going anywhere.

So, to make sure you remember everything and bring everything back with you, you should make a list. I will list down things that people may forget to pack and

Liquids There’s always confusion when you go through airport security and need to get rid of your liquids.

European baggage restrictions state that all liquids carried in hand luggage must be no more than 100ml per item, and must fit into transparent bags. If you’re carrying anything larger like bottles of sun cream, stow it away

Campus Crushes

Is your love life limited to the library?

Are you raring for a Reading romance?

If so get in touch with Campus Crushes!

To submit your campus crush, email deputyeditor@sparknewspaper.co.uk .

in your checked-in suitcase.

Toys Bring a Frisbee, a camera to remember these moments forever, a phone in the case of an emergency and a few books so you can chill and relax by the pool for hours.

First aid kit Bring a small bag with the most necessary pills and medicine you might need. Things like headache, fever and allergy tablets are a

must. These safeguard you from the worst-case scenario and can keep you going until you get back home.

Adapters Remember to bring them otherwise all electronics are useless. Also, remember the chargers in case you run out of battery.

Swimwear Bring trunks, goggles, a towel and your sunglasses.

To the guy in the library I’ve seen every day for the past three weeks I know we’ve never spoken, but I’ll miss you when our exams finish.

To the girl who almost walked into a lamppost while taking a selfie by Park Bar you made me laugh and you’re gorgeous. I wish I’d got your number.

Because he always brightens my day the legendary bagel man is my campus crush. WE LOVE YOU!!!!

To the lad listening to Tom Jones with Beats headphones in Eat At the Square.

It's not unusual how much I want to date you.

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Shoes Shoes can be frustrating as they take up the most space and can’t be packed as easily. Depending on where you’re going will dictate how many you should take. If it is a typical seaside holiday, one should suffice or maybe two if you want covered shoes for the evening, otherwise just keep to sandals or flip-flops. If you are going on a sightseeing holiday, then sturdier shoes need to be brought.

CULTURE

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

|LIFESTYLE

Instagram to Follow An interview with Klappar the Shark, rising Instagram star HEATHER EVANS 2nd Year English Literature

@KlapparTheShark: sealife celebrity and self-acclaimed ‘most cuddled shark in all the land’ - or should that be ‘sea’?

If #SharksOfInstagram is a hashtag which has thus far not graced your smartphone screen, I assure you, you’re missing out. Klappar Haj will bring you watery, whimsical and often wacky updates from his fin-tastic life.

With a current Insta-following of 495, Klappar keeps his sharkfin-fans to a local level. But he assured me in our interview that there is much more in shore… I mean, in store.

So, Klappar, tell us about your rise to fame. We know you’re a big name in the ocean. What inspired you to bring your style and charisma to dry land?

“Thanks Heather. Well, in my shoal I’m always the shark to turn to when things get fishy or my friends need a fin to cry on.

I wanted to share my life with humans, too, and it seems you guys spend a lot of time on social media, so using Facebook and Instagram seemed like the best way to make people smile.”

We’re excited to have you!

Were you nervous about the transition?

“I was worried that I would feel like a fish out of water. But the Instagram community has been really supportive, even when I was ill earlier this year - I thought I had shark flu! But after posting a few snaps, the wave of comments I received made me feel much better.”

That’s great to hear. Tell us a bit about your Instagram account, for those who haven’t had a look yet.

“Well, I try to keep up with current events (ha-ha) such as the recent election - like I said online, I was concerned that none

of the major parties seemed to care about shark welfare, fish duty or the increasing fin fees! And I don’t feel gill-ty about sharing my krilliant life, like adventures to the cinema with my lovely friend Gill, or playing guitar. I’m just trying to change the perception of sharks one picture at a time - we’re not all scary! I’m a very active shark, but I don’t take life too sea-riously.”

Well, we love sea-ing what you’re up to! As a celebrity active on social media, what do you think of other famous figures editing their photos?

“I was shell-shocked when I heard about other celebrities editing themselves to look thinner.

Everyone should be happy in their own skin, and famous people should definitely stop fishing for compliments. They should be leading by example - a healthy life is a happy life.”

That’s great advice. So tell us, what are your plans for the future?

“Thank you. Well, I’ve been thinking about branching out to

I went Vegetarian for Lent

JOSEFF REES 4th Year History

Life has many challenges.

Attempting to give up something for a significant period of time is a challenge. After watching Should I eat Meat? (BBC, 2014), which explained the possible side-effects of continuously eating meat, I decided to give myself a challenge and go vegetarian for Lent. There is no better time to challenge yourself in the calendar. Beginning on Ash Wednesday (the day after Pancake day) and concluding on Maundy Thursday (the day before Good Friday), Lent lasts for 40

days - excluding Sundays, as you aren’t meant to fast on holy days, although I went all out and stayed vegetarian on Sundays, too. Why 40 days? According to the Gospels, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, in which time, he was given three temptations by Satan. Therefore, Lent is indeed a time of testing and temptation.

Yet, many non-Christians also participate in some form of Lent, seeing it as an opportunity to test themselves regardless of the religious dimension.

I was somebody who ate meat, more often than not, in two of my three daily meals; a meal was not a meal if there was no meat product included. I often referred to vegetarian and vegan options as ‘rabbit food’. Evidently, I was in for a ride.

During Lent, I wanted to discover what it is to be a ‘veggie’ in modern-day Britain, whether it be cooking my own dinner, getting sandwiches from the library, a veggie-burger from Mojo’s or eating out. My first ‘veggie’ meal was a vegetarian

Calzone pizza at Bella Italia courtesy of my parents – neither of whom are veggies. Had it not been for Lent, I would not even have looked at the veggie options.

To be fair, it was decent, and since then, I’ve had several veggie pizzas! In terms of eating out, I discovered chain restaurants, such as those at the Riverside, provide plenty of choice, as their budgets are big enough to store so many vegetarian options – the falafel burger I had at Giraffe was on a par with the nicest chicken burgers I’ve ever had! Unfortunately, the exact opposite proved correct in regards to independent restaurants. When having food back home in a local restaurant, there was only one veggie option on the menu. I realised, at times, it can be difficult being a veggie.

Often such one-choice meals were cheese and tomato on some form of bread or with some sort of pasta. At these times, I did feel the odd one out and questioned ‘why was I bothering?’, but I was determined to see my challenge through.

15

Credit to @KlapparTheShark

Snapchat or Twitter, or using my platform as a star of international waters to start a movement encouraging the introduction of a shark emoji! It’s a disgrace that there isn’t one already.”

I agree! Thank you so much for talking with us, Klappar. Do you have any advice for other ambitious sea life creatures?

“Although my career seems to

be going pretty swimmingly, it’s often a struggle to keep up with social media. Just keep swimming, be yourself and if you need a little inspiration or something to cheer you up on a rainy day, take a look at my account, @KlapparTheShark I’ll have you grinning like a shark in no time!”

Making my own vegetarian meals was easier and more fun than I had once thought and, at times, cheaper as I was not buying any meat products, which are often the most expensive items on my shopping list. Yet, a veggie diet can be a very carb-heavy one, so I tried not resort to pasta or pizza in times of sparse supplies in my cupboard or fridge – I realised this as one my housemates is a vegetarian and eats a lot of pizza and pasta. Nevertheless, I looked forward to making new meals and eating food I normally never would have thought of. Quorn and other soya products proved just as nice as meat, and apparently are healthy and virtually fat-free.

The most difficult period was the last 3 days, as they were spent in Prague with the History Society. Veggie-options were scarce and often non-existent. I’ve never had so much cheese in such a condensed period of time. Quite frankly, had I not been prepared to eat cheese for breakfast, lunch and supper, I was not eating. I came to the conclusion that it is impossible to be a veggie - let alone a vegan - in Prague, yet I managed to stay on track.

Arriving back home in Wales, I had successfully managed to

complete my Lent challenge and I felt a great sense of achievement – to celebrate we had fish for supper and the following Saturday I could have my traditional game-day breakfast of lava bread and cockles on toast. Although I have not turned veggie, I eat a lot less meat and actually consider ordering salad and veggie options when eating out now. After working a Union shift behind the bar, I will even eat a slice of vegetarian pizza – food I once thought acceptable only for rabbits. My respect for vegetarians and vegans, for whatever reasons they choose their diet, has significantly increased, and I admire the strength of their conviction to remain meatfree when, at times, it may be the difficult thing to do. I felt a sense of achievement and pride, and for the first time could I say I had kept my Lent promise. So, all you meat lovers, as I did, give yourself a challenge, go veggie for a day, week or month and see how you feel. Having completed a challenge I had set myself, I felt a lot healthier and better, not only on the outside, but inside too – who knows, next year I might go wheat-free, or even dare to go vegan!

LIFESTYLE |HEALTH

Taking up a Sport ANDRZEJ LENARTOWICZ

3rd YearInternational Relations and Economics

For most of us, exam period is over. If not, it will finish soon.

Over summer, apart from enjoying more free time, we will hopefully have better weather to enjoy each day. So, why not take up a sport?

There are many reasons to get into a sport. Some people want to look better, some want to improve their endurance or strength, while the dream of others is to change their lifestyle for a healthier one. Not surprisingly, running, swimming and cycling are the most popular sports when it comes to taking up a new one. Let’s have a look at these sports and decide which of them could be an ideal choice for someone looking to start something new.

Our ancestors had to run huge distances every day in order to find food for them and their families. From this perspective, running appears to be the most natural activity for human beings.

Although nowadays we don’t need to run huge distances in order to survive, the increasing popularity of running isn’t surprising. Running enables us to burn off more calories than any other sport. One hour of running enables an average person to burn off around 800 calories, while one hour of cycling and swimming would not be more than 500.

Moreover, we can do without specialist equipment; all we need are a tracksuit and some trainers.

Moneywise, it is difficult to find another equally cheap option.

Finally, for people who practise such sports as rugby, football or hockey, additional running sessions will help to improve their endurance, which in turn will lead to better results in their focus sport.

However, running has one significant disadvantage. It can be very harmful for our joints, particularly for heavier people and those whose running form is poor.

In short, running is a great sport in terms of dealing with problems with weight and endurance, but if your knees or shin bones hurt you after each running session, you’d better go for a different discipline.

Swimming is also a very advantageous sport. It enables us to develop practically all muscles.

If we think about athletes who have a powerful, muscular body shape, runners and cyclists

may not be the first to cross our minds. By contrast, professional swimmers have strong and proportionally developed muscles.

What’s more, swimming is a great sport for people prone to injuries.

Not only does it do no harm to most types of injuries, but also it can occasionally help to dispose of the pain. Another advantage of swimming is that our willingness to practise this sport regularly does not depend on weather. When it rains or temperature is low, running or cycling isn’t especially pleasant, whilst swimming is not affected. As a result, in the long run, swimming might be the best option for choosing a new hobby.

Unfortunately, swimming has its drawbacks as well. Although it’s a great sport for those who want to gain muscle, it is not a perfect choice for those who want to lose a few pounds. Not only can we run or cycle for longer than we can swim, thus burning off more calories, but also we tend to be less hungry after cycling or running sessions than after spending some time in a swimming pool.

Cycling has some very strong points as well. Even beginners are able to cycle a fair distance in comparison to running and swimming. It usually takes some time to become fit enough to run or swim for half an hour without a break, whereas it is not as challenging for the vast majority of us when it comes to cycling. Furthermore, cycling could be seen as a bit less boring than running or swimming.

Cyclists have almost unrestricted opportunities to discover new routes and it’s quite popular to train in large groups.

However, cyclists face some problems too. One problem is traffic. Cars are no doubt the main enemies of cyclists. The second problem is related to unequal development of muscles. Cycling strongly engages the leg muscles, but arms and core muscles do much less work. As a result, cycling is not the best choice for those focused on building a very proportional body.

No matter whether you choose to take up running, swimming, cycling, or something completely different, you can be sure that it is a good choice. All of these disciplines can lower cholesterol, prevent high blood pressure, strengthen your muscles and enable you to burn off many calories. However, if you have

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Combatting Your Stress

HANNAH FRANKLIN

Credit to Hannah Franklin

2nd Year English Literature

During the exam period, stress can become even harder to manage and even more likely to take over your thoughts. Stress can become hard to deal with, so these tips are designed to help you combat your stress and keep a cool head, not just during exams but also in any demanding period in your life.

1) Recognise your stress signals: Or, in other words, the symptoms of and reactions to stress that you experience. For some people, this may involve becoming unusually snappy to those around you, while for others it might be isolating yourself and avoiding your friends or housemates.

Whatever your reaction might be, if you can begin to see how you respond to stressful situations, then you will be able to recognise these symptoms as they occur and combat them faster.

2) Determine what is causing your stress: For most of us during the exam period, stress is likely to stem from revision and worrying about exams. Beyond just that, however, it’s worth pin-pointing exactly what it is that’s causing your stress. There are likely to be particular exams or tasks that are causing more stress than others and so whatever it is, finding out specifically what’s worrying you will enable you face it head on rather than running away from it or feeling too absorbed by overall pressure.

3) Planning: It might sound boring, but in terms of combatting stress, planning and sorting through each issue and task will allow you to easily isolate individual problems in your mind and find a way to address them. In terms of revision, plan out what you need to revise in order of priority; the

some specific aims, it is a good idea to think more about your choice. For those who are focused on losing some pounds, running seems to be the best option.

Swimming is recommended to those prone to injuries and to those who want to build strong upper body muscles. Finally, if you hate boredom or prefer low intensity workouts, cycling is something for you.

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same goes for any other tasks you need to complete. Avoid shying away from the tasks that you least want to do simply because of the stress attached to them. Once they’re completed, you’ll not only feel a sense of accomplishment, you’ll also know that you’ve addressed something you could have otherwise avoided and prevented further stress from building up. This is going to be really key in avoiding last minute, mind-melting cramming before a deadline rolls around. Make sure, however, that you avoid over-planning; organising your time is important as it prevents it from slipping away from you, but don’t force yourself to schedule too much or too far in advance as it’s likely to give you too much to keep track of. Simply plan your day as it comes and do your very best to complete each task as well as you can.

4) Give yourself breaks: As important as it is to dedicate yourself to your work it’s equally important to give yourself breaks to let off steam and let your mind rest. Exercise is a great way to get yourself outside of your room - or wherever you’ve been holed up working - for some fresh air and to get your endorphins pumping. This will help to boost your mood as well. Yoga is also an effective way to let your mind detach from working and focus on your breathing, allowing you to relax and clear your head. Even just taking the time to stretch out tight muscles is beneficial and, if meditation is a bit too much for you, then just try taking a few, long, deep breaths, picturing your breath moving in and out of your body, to help to clear your mind and let you re-focus. Whatever it is that works for you, make the time to include it in your day to prevent an exhaustingly endless cycle of work and keep your stress levels at bay.

5) Reward yourself: This is a perfect way to motivate yourself in your work during any

dips in your focus, as well as reminding yourself that hard work deserves a reward. Something as simple as listening to music, planning film nights, taking a tea break, treating yourself to your favourite food or just catching up with friends is all you need.

The temptation with any stressful period of work is to let yourself feel guilty for any time away from it, but it’s important to remember that constant work is much more likely to wear you down and cause more damage. Let your mind detach completely when you take these breaks and you’ll feel much more at ease when you return. Similarly, getting enough sleep is crucial to helping you to de-stress. Avoid the temptation to stay up late by planning your day’s work and giving yourself a full night’s sleep to recuperate and feel invigorated for the next day.

6) Talk to people: The worst thing that you could do for yourself if you’re struggling during periods of stress is to try and deal with it alone. Simply talking to someone about what is bothering you will help so much more than attempting to bottle up any fears and worries you may have, and talking through your concerns can make things clearer in your own mind as well. Don’t ever feel ashamed to seek support from your friends, family or university councillors – everyone can relate to feelings of stress and creating a support network for yourself is a hugely beneficial way to prevent it from getting out of control.

Finally, in terms of exams, remember that it’s likely you know much more than you think and you’ll surprise yourself with how much you can remember once you’re actually sitting them, so have some faith in your abilities. No matter how stressful what you’re going through may seem, nothing lasts forever, even if it it might feel that way in the midst of it, so follow these tips, stay calm and trust yourself – you

FOOD

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

|LIFESTYLE

Snacks – titbits and treats!

ELIZABETH ANDREWS

4th Year Food Technology with BioProcessing

We all have our own ways of coping with stress and making it through long days of lectures.

Experts have predicted that the UK Snack Food Market will be worth £3.8bn by 2016, with crisps and chocolate/cereal bars rapidly becoming the nation’s favourites.

With an average fat content of 30%, crisps have been identified as one of the major dietary contributing factors to the current obesity crisis, with potato-based crisps making up around 3% of adults’ daily intake of fat.

However, although we often choose snacks for convenience, this doesn’t mean they have to be unhealthy. Foods can be indulgent without being full of fat, sugar and salt; all of which are detrimental to our health, especially when consumed regularly over a long period of time.

If you’re at home and fancy some comfort food during a revision break, why not make some Bruschetta? Typically served as a starter in Italy and Italian restaurants, it is a small dish, served to satisfy the taste buds prior to the main course. However, it works just as well when served as a mid-afternoon snack. While

toasting two slices of bread (a sliced baguette works very well here), chop some tomatoes, garlic and any herbs you may have. Mix with a drizzle of olive oil and roughly mash to a soft consistency, but so it still retains some texture.

Spoon the tomato mix on to the toasted bread and enjoy! This is a very nutritious, versatile dish which can be adapted to suit your preference, including using cured meats or other vegetables.

If you prefer a sweeter, more indulgent treat between study sessions, snacks such as waffles can be very satisfying. If you have a waffle iron, preheat this before beating in two eggs until light and fluffy. Add in some flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder and vanilla and beat until throughly mixed before pouring on to the waffle iron.

However, if you do not own a waffle iron, you can buy premade waffles in most supermarkets, or you could make pancakes as a suitable replacement. For these, mix together flour, eggs, milk and sugar and beat in to a batter. Preheat a frying pan over a medium heat (you don’t want it to be too hot) and pour some of the batter into the pan until evenly distributed. Flip to the other side after two-three minutes, and ensure it is thoroughly cooked before removing from the pan.

Both waffles and pancakes can be served with fresh fruit for nutition,

and maple syrup or golden syrup for a bit of sweetness.

My third suggestion for a good snack, which takes the least preparation, is a Parfait – portions of natural yoghurt and fresh fruit layered up in a glass/pot to create a pudding-type dish. The beauty of this snack is that it takes just 5 minutes to prepare, with the ability to use whichever fruits you have available. It can also be topped with seeds or cacao nibs for added flavour and texture.

So, when you next want to reach for a snack, think of these new ideas, and see if any of them take your fancy. It will always be easier to reach for the Mars Bar, but in the long term, this will not be beneficial – choose healthier foods for guilt-free snacking!

You always need something to accompany your burgers and hot dogs, so why not try potato wedges? With a chunky texture and seasoning for flavour, you can’t go wrong!

Method: Chop up all the ingredients and gently mix them together. Then whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together and drizzle over.

Piri, Garlic & Herb, Fajita Spice to name a few. Obviously, the stronger you want the flavour, the more seasoning you should add.

Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until goldenbrown and tender.

Credit to Elizabeth Andrews

Simple Student Suppers - School’s Out, Summer’s In! HANNAH CROFTS 2rd Year English Literature

Good Old Guacamole! .

Ingredients: 6 ripe avocados 3 limes, juiced 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, smashed then minced 2 fresh, green chillies, finely chopped (add less if you don’t like heat) 1 big handful of fresh coriander with stems, finely chopped Olive oil Salt & Pepper Method Halve and pit the avocados, then scoop out the flesh and mash in to a bowl, leaving some chunks if you like them. Add the rest of the pre-prepared ingredients and mix everything together thoroughly.

Drizzle with a little olive oil, and season to taste.

Perfect Potato Wedges Ingredients: ● 1 large potato, cut into wedges 2 tbsp. olive oil Salt & Pepper Seasoning of your choice Method: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Boil a generous amount of water in a pan, then carefully add the pre-cut wedges. Boil for approximately 5 minutes, then drain. Transfer the wedges to a small bowl and add a seasoning of your choice – Piri

Tasty Tomato Salsa Ingredients: 250g fresh tomatoes, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped (red onions work very well in this recipe) 3 red chillies, finely chopped (add less if you don’t like the heat) Handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped (Alternative herbs could include basil or parsley) Salt & Pepper 1 tbsp. water Method: To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve immediately.

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Of course, what’s a BBQ without the meat? Here are some simple marinades to make your meat even tastier!

Chilli Marinade (good on ribs) Method: – mix together 5 tbsp. dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp. honey, 5 tsp. Chinese Five Spice, 4 tbsp.

Hoisin Sauce, 2 tsp. oil. Mix all together thoroughly and brush over meat. Leave to rest for 10-15 minutes before cooking.

Sweet & Spicy Asian Marinade Method: – 3 tbsp. Chinese fivespice, 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. rice vinegar, 2 tbsp. Hoisin Sauce, 3 tbsp. ketchup or tomato puree, 2 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. dark muscovado sugar, 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger, 2 tsp chilli sauce, or very finely chopped fresh chillies.

Mix all together very well and brush over meat. Leave for up to 2

hours to marinate before cooking These can be amended to your personal preference of spice level, sweetness level and even flavour using different ingredients.

It’s very easy to chuck a few ingredients together to make the flavour you want on your meat.

So go ahead and give it a go! Just remember to include the following ingredients; -An acidic ingredient (such as vinegar) – this breaks down the muscle fibres in the meat, allowing the flavour of the marinade to penetrate the meat, as well as tenderising the meat.

-Flavour components – these can be whatever you like.

-Sugar Components (such as dark brown sugar or honey) – sugar caramelises with the application of heat, so during cooking this will produce a sweet and sticky marinade. If that’s how you like it, add sugar!

LIFESTYLE|MR MAGNETIC & MISS ADVISED

Miss Advised Miss Advised,

I’m in third year and I’ve still got a few exams left, but they finish next week.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself after; it’s not that I’m worried about jobs and things just yet, it’s more that I don’t know what I will do with life post-uni. I feel like I built such an amazing life here with amazing friends and I don’t know how I’m going to cope when I leave. I’m even getting emotional writing this! Help!

From Depressed Finalist

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK Dear Depressed Finalist, As a third year myself, I can completely understand where you’re coming from! University is such a big part of your life and it’s hard to think of life beyond. You’ve got to think that, firstly, you’re not going to suddenly lose contact with everyone that you’ve met! People won’t go back home and forget all about life in Reading. What you can do is be proactive - book some trains and weekends away with your uni friends for during the summer, and then you’ll have something to look forward to and a definite time when you’ll see them again. If you have a close friendship group, you could always organise a holiday together or a weekend somewhere in Europe! It’s always better to have fun things to look forward to. As far as leaving general university life goes, it’s always daunting thinking of going into the real world. However, just think how you felt leaving school, then leaving sixth form or college, and how hard it was to adjust to the independence of daunting university life.

This will be a similar thing - you’re officially flying the nest from the support of education and now you’re facing the big, wide world. Think of all the exciting things that could happen, and amazing journeys you have ahead of you. You may not know what they are yet, but you’re only young and you have an abundance of time. Now, just embrace your last month or two of complete independent freedom after exams! (And, of course, good luck!)

From Miss Advised

Mr Magnetic

Dear Mr Magnetic, I’ve just finished first year and I have had a great time. I got on really well with my flat and most of us are living together next year – my problem is that all my friends from home at different unis have had great first years too, but they talk about all the sports and societies they’ve joined. I love my uni mates but have I limited myself by not joining anything? I’m worried because I know these things look great on a C.V. and I won’t have as much spare time in second year as the work load increases. What do I do?

Please help Mr M, Fresher with regrets.

FOMO Fresher

Credit to Kate Bowen

Dear FOMO Fresher Societies and sports are a great way to meet people and expand friendship groups. I’m sure your housemates are great, but trust me they will drive you insane at times – having people you can get away from them with means you can blow off steam and avoid snapping at them. If you are doing a sport or are part of a society that you enjoy, then don’t worry about time constraints. When it’s something important, you find the time, and it doesn’t have to come at the expense of academic excellence. That extra hour in bed, the third night out of the week - they’re all things you should be willing to give up to pursue a passion, and something that won’t feel like missing out because you will be doing it with new friends. I will soon be leaving university, and although in general I don’t regret, I learn; the one thing I will never forgive myself for is not joining the societies I have in third year earlier. I had a great circle of friends at uni, and have enjoyed every year, but doing things I’m passionate about whilst making new friends (and keeping the old ones!) really is the brass ring.

Also, my top tip is to find people on your course smarter than you and befriend them – they’ll remind you of essay deadlines, where your exams are, and all those lectures you miss because you’ve been too busy the night before on a social, they - if they are as nice as mine - will let you borrow your notes.

Best, Mr Magnetic

Summer Ball Fashion HANNAH CROFTS 2nd Year English Literature

Firstly, don’t be deceived by the word ‘ball’; this is going to be half inside and half outside the union, so there will be grass and possibly mud to contend with.

RUSU asks you to ‘join in the festival atmosphere that is the Summer Ball 2015’, so essentially think more ‘posh festival’, and less ‘ball’.

The question still remains though: what to wear?

If you’re struggling with the answer, don’t worry, as I’ve compiled an edit of my top ten dresses to help you out.

River Island, Cut Out Pencil Dress, £45 Florals are everywhere this summer, and the floral pattern on this is just gorgeous. This fitted dress will accentuate your curves, while the cut-out waist section

gives a flirty flash of midriff.

Complete the look with some chunky, platform heels.

Missguided, Satin Plunge Structured Skater Dress, £45 You’re certain to stand out in this fiery red dress, and look insanely fierce, too. The skater dress fit will flatter most body types, making it a great choice.

For a chic finish, this pairs well with some neutral toned strappy heels.

Your Eyes Lie, Highneck Bodycon Dress with All Over Cat Face Flower Print, £35.00 The combination of cat faces and flowers may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this quirky dress will definitely have you standing out. Plus the cut is perfect, as while it’s a bodycon it’s still so comfortable as the fabric is so smooth, soft, and stretchy. Order this from ASOS for 10% student discount.

Pretty Little Thing, Orion Baby

Pink Cowl Neck Dress, £25

This comes in a variety of colours - my favourite being the baby pink. It features cross-back straps, which is great for giving you a sultry feel, and also for showing off your summer tan.

This dress gives off a slightly Kim K-vibe, with the cowl-neck adding a sort of sophisticated cuteness. Pair this with pastel heels - I’d go with baby blue, for a slight contrast and pop of colour - and minimal accessories.

Topshop Floral Print Bardot Dress £55 This 70’s-esque dress is much bolder and stands out more than other floral dresses on the highstreet, but in a very subtle way.

The yellow flower print gives a cheery, casual look. It feels like a very high-quality fabric, too. This would be perfect with gladiator sandals, which are ideal if you’re not wanting to risk heels in the grass and mud.

Lipsy, Jungle Print Cami Dress, £60 A beautiful cami dress with

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braided straps and a zip-back fastening. The tropical print gives off an exotic summery vibe that will look great contrasted against a tan. As it’s a bold look, combine with neutral accessories.

New Look, Pink African Print Strappy Mini Dress, £14.99 This is the lowest priced dress in my top picks, yet it doesn’t compromise on quality.

The African print is vibrant and creates a boho style, while the material itself is cotton, which adds the perfect amount of comfort. A beautiful and affordable dress, wear with strappy sandals or wedges, and complement with gold accessories for a glam look.

ASOS CURVE, Bandeau Peplum Dress with Printed Bodice, £48.00 Who says plus-size can’t be sexy? With a wrap peplum waist, this dress really flatters your figure and is very elegant, too. As it’s strapless, it also accentuates your bust, making you look ultra

sultry and sexy. A standout style and flawless fit, pair with strappy black heels.

Abercrombie & Fitch, Floral High Neck Skater Dress, £40 This has more of a casual feel than the other dresses, but skater dresses are a fashion faithful with their fit and flare design. A simple floral style, this can be dressed up with wedges or keep it casual in sandals.

Warehouse, Feather Print Maxi Dress, £80 Make a statement in this sensational maxi dress. Floaty, breathable fabric that’s nipped in at the waist, this flattering dress has a glamourous green and blue feather pattern. It’s a splurge at £80 (although you do get student discount), but as it’s a timeless summer piece you can wear again, it’s definitely worth the money, and there’s no doubt how stunning you’re going to look.

Show off the dress with some heels and simple accessories.

FASHION

LIFESTYLE@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

|LIFESTYLE

Name: Alex Course: Law Wearing: Leather jacket, white shirt, tartan trousers, loafers: mostly bought from charity shops in places like Camden Influence: I just go with what I like, maybe if it’s a bit unusual or random.

Name: Ursula Course: Maths Wearing: Topshop white shirt, Topshop paisley print leggings, black Vans Influence: “I have a serious dedication to Topshop. I walk in there and have to come out with something; my friends ridicule me for it!”

Campus Style: Style spotted on campus this month CAITLIN MCCLINCHY 2nd Year German and Economics

Name: Pam Course: Law Wearing:Waistcoat from Bulgaria, Hollister dress, black knee-high socks, Converse Influence:Usually magazines, and I also really like Hollister

Name: Ryan Course:Film and Theatre Wearing: H&M red blazer, yellow trousers, black brogues, Primark white shirt Influence: This will probably sound odd but I really like a chap-dandy old-fashioned kind of style.

Name: Jay Course: Finance and Business Wearing: Patterned cardigan, white shirt, rolled up jeans, trainers: all bought in China Influence: I am inspired by different suits

Name: Kat Course: Film and Theatre Wearing: : Pink Primark coat, Topshop top, skirt, and boots Influence: I really like Alexa Chung’s style.

Credit to Rika Soeharjono

Festival Fashion: What to wear to Waterworks HANNAH CROFTS 2nd Year English Literature

Campus is buzzin’ with excitement for the Entourage Project’s first ever 24 hour lakeside festival, Waterworks. With a 24 acre lake (featuring your typical water park activities), 6 DJs and numerous bars, it’s going to be huge! When it comes to what to wear, though, it’s not as straightforward as the Summer Ball. I mean, you can’t exactly hop on a banana boat in wedges and a maxi dress can you!? So, I’ve scoured the shops to help you choose something that’s both practical and pretty.

dye effect. As it’s quite light, it will look perfect against a tan, and is also sure to keep you cool during what will hopefully be a hot summer’s day. Pair this with a cropped denim jacket and go from day to night in style.

Monsoon, Coral Bandeau Dress, £25 This pretty, coral dress is both comfortable and colourful.

Made of 100% cotton it’s a soft breathable fabric, so you won’t feel sweaty and gross in it partying from day to night. Finely detailed with a scalloped edge hem, this is a beautifully designed, feminine dress that is perfect for wearing Topshop, Lace Top Sundress, over a bikini. £32 This floaty, shift-style sundress ASOS, Lace Trim Halter Neck has a simple apple green dip- Crop Top, £16 The lace trim adds a stylish twist

to this simple crop top, while the halter neck creates a lovely shape and overall fit. This goes with everything, from shorts to skater skirts.

ASOS, Floral Shorts with Lace Hem, £25 Floral patterns are everywhere this summer, and these cute floral shorts are great for an all-day festival as they’re both comfy and stylish. Wear with a cute crop top and a pair of gladiator sandals to complete the look.

ASOS, Seersucker Check Longline Bikini, £38 This is also part of the ASOS Fuller Range, which is fab if you’re a DD-G cup size, as finding nice bikini sets can often be a struggle when you’re bigger busted. Removable straps and

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moulded contour cups make it both practical and flattering, while the gingham print gives this bikini set a classic style. With changing rooms onsite you can either wear this underneath your clothes, or bring it along and change at the park.

New Look, Leather Twist Caged Sandals, £17.99

These real leather sandals come in a choice of 3 different colours: gold, silver, or tan. All of them would complement a variety of outfits, as they’re very contemporary and minimalistic, with the decorative twist detail giving an overall chic style.

LETHAL BIZZLE CAN LEAVE IT Nicholas Haigh argues that amongst the Grime Revival, Dench must die

WANT TO JOIN THE JUNCTION 11 COMMITTEE? Nicholas Sexton informs you how, and why, you should apply.

MAY HOROSCOPES Find out what the stars have in store for you this month!

DO MOBILE GAMES SAVE OR DESTROY GAMES? A light discussion regarding mobile games and the gaming industry

ENTERTAINMENT Brandon Flowers - The Desired Effect A review of the new Brandon Flowers album OLLIE WEEDEN Sports Editor

One may be forgiven for dismissing the new Brandon Flowers album as an obvious stop-gap between new records from The Killers and thinking of it as unlikely to be worthy of note due to the mixed reception his first solo effort Flamingo received back in 2010. However, these fears should be quickly put to shame as The Desired Effect, with its catchy hooks, inspired lyrics and overall 1980s synthpop vibe, truly bring out the best in Mr. Flowers and leave us all wanting more. This has not only been proven by a second consecutive week at the top of the album charts, but also a sell-out nationwide UK tour propelling him firmly back into the limelight. His sell-out show at the O2 Brixton Academy proved that the showmanship he provides, which defined so many Killers concerts, is still there in abundance, and he is not afraid to flaunt it. So how has the album prompted such a quick return to stardom?

The opening track Dreams Come True hits the ground running, with the trumpets almost seeming to signal his triumphant return. Lyrics such as 'a decade in the making, just a loser on two tender feet' and a clever metaphor in 'don't go shooting all the dogs down just 'cos one of 'em's got fleas' set the tone for the rest of the album. This is supported by

Credit to amazingradio.com

a catchy chorus and an anthemic outro sure to leave you singing along. Up next we have the album's first single in Can't Deny My Love, a more mellow sound, and perhaps an example of how Flowers is clearly experimenting within his own genre, encapsulating elements of

both gospel and new wave music.

This pre-empts the next track I Can Change, which marks the third single to be released prior to the album. Expertly sampling the beat and synth from Bronski Beat's classic Smalltown Boy, I Can Change drifts between the dynamics and goes hand in

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hand with Can't Deny Love in Flowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; similar declaration of 'I can shift I can shake...blaze a trail through the driving rain, girl I can change for you.' This sentiment continued with Still Want You seeing unconditional declarations of love despite 'hurricanes and floods', 'crime on the rise' and

'nuclear distress'.

Prior to the album's release, Flowers was quoted in saying that he wanted this album to speak to the under-addressed issue of the pressures men face in the modern world. Between Me and You, a future single in Continues on next page...

MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

|ENTERTAINMENT

All About Cast of Light and their new secret single NATHALIE SIAH

Cast of Light at BBC Introducing Credit to Martin Sandford

The Editor

If you’re wondering what a successful university created band looks like, search no further—it’s Cast of Light. These five charming fellows banded together on campus in 2012 and has played headline shows all across London and played for a special show of BBC Introducing at The Oakford Social Club here in Reading. They’ve even sold out at O2 Academy Islington.

These musicians have taken influences from Rae Morris, Hudson Taylor, Noah & The Whale and Bastille but also have a unique flavour of their own.

They’re live set has a continual theme which allows them to experiment with different Folk covers of the most unlikely songs. These include Eminem's “Lose Yourself”, a mash-up of Daft Punk's “Get Lucky” and Drake's “Hold On, We're Going Home”' and the most recently, a mash-up of Imagine Dragon's “Radioactive” and the Django Unchained soundtrack, which includes James Brown and 2-Pac. The band as well as their music has been well received at BBC Introducing but also have a firm base at home in Reading with over 1,800 likes on Facebook and

...the making, is surely the most obvious example of this. With lyrics such as 'these hours ain't working nearly enough, chasin' every dollar girl is this what I was born to do, but I'm doing my best not to let it get between me and you' and beautiful piano playing

by John Haim, it echoes the work of producer Ariel Rechtstaid.

"The lyrical content will amuse those most familiar with the music of The Killers"

their familiar faces are known all over campus. Even our newly elected President of RUSU is the lead singer of the band, known to kick back sometimes on karaoke nights at Mojo’s.

Cast of Light is set to release their latest single “It's Time” in the

run up to their eventual release of their second E.P. This piece definitely gives the band an edge with its harmonies and intricate blend of rhythms. It starts off quietly with serene voices, but is then followed by instrumentals leading up to an eventual high

point. The energy is one that pushes you forward but also pauses for a moment to reflect on yourself. It is bold, defiant and packed full of violin riffs.

You can catch the band in action on 11 June, at their highly anticipated show in Reading at The Bowery

District. They will be playing alongside Oliver Steadman from the band Stornoway marking the end of exams and the start of the summer. You can catch them there at 7:30-10 pm on the Thursday so head on out to support them!

If Flamingo was intended to portray the twisted romance of Las Vegas, The Desired Effect looks at its seedier underbelly, with Lonely Town also telling the story of a murderous stalker breaking into an ex lover's home, knife in hand, all reason abandoned. The second half of the album makes this clear, with Diggin' up the Heart seeing a housebreaker returning from prison, unable to change his criminal ways. Followed by a depiction of a prostitute from a broken home ('born lost, and dirt blonde') in Never Get You Right, it wouldn't be absurd to think that the story of this record could be

made into a very successful miniseries.

If this album proved to be a departure from his debut solo album, his performance at the Brixton O2 was certainly more of the same. A more intimate venue than Flowers may be used to (having headlined with The Killers at stadiums across the world), the show proved that the swagger, charm and charisma, typical of his personality, was still very much there. With a set list comprising of the old and the new, re-worked Killers songs, and a surprise guest appearance from Chrissie Hynde of The Pretender's

in their cover of Don't get me Wrong, it seemed no wonder that tickets sold out in less than a minute. Flowers also took the time to address the crowd, explaining the rationale behind the writing of many of his songs, his influences, and how humbled he felt by such a presence in the crowd. It was fitting how, with the obvious presence of so many dedicated Killers fans in the audience, he chose to end the night with a re-configured rendition of one of the most famous songs of the past decade Mr Brightside.

Nobody seemed to be going home disappointed that night.

The Desired Effect is probably Flower's strongest work since 2006's Sam's Town. The lyrical content will amuse those most familiar with the music of The Killers, often resembling so much the story of Jenny was a Friend of Mine (a man being questioned over a woman's murder). Overall, this is a record which will appeal both to fans of the mainstream and also those who may take pleasure in the likes of U2, Bruce Springsteen and The Cure. Even if his first effort may have fallen short, Mr Flowers’ second coming truly delivers.

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Besides, a return to a classic CHRISTOPHER J. LIN 2nd Year Law

With music being released almost every day, I’ve pretty much given up on trying to follow any new trends and have decided to join the bandwagon much later in time. Meanwhile, I’ve returned to some old classics. Now enter Shad K and his 2011 mixtape, Besides.

Besides is a 26 minute compilation of guest verses by the Canadian based rapper, meshed together by DJ T-Lo. It serves as a nice primer on Shad K and his approach to hip hop. Case in point, can be seen by introducing himself in the song “Stereotypes” where he states, “If you don’t fit the role, you’ve got to flip the script/I had to give it soul, I had to spit with skill since I didn’t fit the bill/I never been the hardest, had to be

the smartest, had to be retarded/ hard to spit it ill, had to spit it real on the TV screen/conscious and nonsense, this is just me being me.”

These verses are a welcome balance to hip hop, where intellectual verses meet instrumentals of both old and new. That is what Shad’s been all about: a clever pop-culture junkie, thoughtful and a spiritual social observer. You can expect these characteristics to be displayed in full throughout the whole of the mixtape. The instrumentals and samples used also give great diversity to Shad’s tracks, proving flexibility in his work and the ability to rap to just about anything. But what is most impressive is his wordplay and lyrical technique that feels so effortless and at the same time, powerful and fun. It’s hard to rap about Natalie Portman’s lips, and urge people to try and listen more deeply to understand music in the same album, but Shad does. It’s

a wild approach, and thankfully, it pays off.

A sour note though is its conceptual incompleteness.

Because it’s a guest verse compilation, Shad only does one verse per instrumental before he moves on. It’s a given that the content feels like a wild range of colours than a finished masterpiece still, the instrumentals do not sound smooth when a transition happens. So if you’re looking for coherence in a mixtape, you’re going to have to accept that it won’t be happening on Besides.

Thanks to a lack of promotion, this album has mostly been hidden, and some of the actual tunes on the mixtape can’t even be found with the power of Google—a rare gem.

While giving it a listen requies some brainwork, if you are interested in dissecting lyrics, this is still a jam, and I would be happy to put down my work for a few minutes to dance to.

Credit to: Shad K

Lethal Bizzle can leave it NICHOLAS HAIGH History MA

Amongst the Grime Revival, Dench must die Let’s face it, Lethal Bizzle isn’t evil. From a biblical sense, anyway, he’s certainly not responsible for any widespread crop-failure or a plague of locusts. What Lethal Bizzle is, however, is rubbish. And like a ravenous plague, we have to act to stop him.

But to simply label Lethal Bizzle as ‘rubbish’ without addressing some of his successes would be unjust. Certainly, I was once a fan. At the time, I found his YouTube videos pretty funny, particularly during his feud with N-Dubz. And who can’t commend him for the clothing brand he’s built out of his ‘Dench’ catchphrase, which he made up with footballer

cousin Emmanuel Frimpong?

‘Dench’, and other sayings ‘Two-Twos Nah’ and ‘Leave it Yeah’ have somehow built him a clothing range, his own app and appearances on panel shows and celebrity Mastermind.

What’s more impressive is Lethal Bizzle’s use of social media in maintaining his popularity. His Snapchat, unsurprisingly called ‘Denchchat’, gives viewers regular updates of new track releases or promotional offers for his clothing range. New products, such as snapback hats, sell out in minutes, or so he tells us. The man clearly has a brain on him, or, at the very least, a good team around him. And what’s more, he’s certainly doing well for himself as a result.

Moreover his brand of grime, although making references to Fazer’s bankruptcy here and there, isn’t the knife crime inciting brand of evil which sometimes receives scorn from the media. He seems to be genuinely likeable.

The problem is, however, that his distinctive brand of grime is god awful. The bedrock of the ‘Stay Dench’ empire is rotten.

Let’s take his latest single, ‘Fester Skank’, as an example.

Beneath a whiny pop beat, Bizzle raps: ‘You might see me in a Lambo, Camo snapback, Rambo, 500 horses, Django, 2 2 chicken, Nando’. It really is just so contrived, so meaningless and manufactured, and screams of someone who’s putting anything out in order to just keep selling T-shirts.

Other recent contributions such as ‘The Drop’, where we’re whacked with the almost Wordsworthian lines of: ‘You like the drum, uh huh, You like the bass, uh huh, When it drops do you pull a funny face, uh huh’; ‘Rari Workout’ and his remix of ‘Flutes’ are equally as bad.

Grating, in fact.

But to suggest that Lethal Bizzle is the only grime artist who’s released overly

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commercialised nonsense would also be unjust. They’ve all done it.

Dizzee Rascal was once hailed as a prodigy, capturing mainstream attention by rapping about the hardships of living on the streets of Bow. Then, he ended up singing about his holidays with Calvin Harris. Who can forget some of Skepta’s singles that were so bad, they were shameful?

‘Bad Boy’ or ‘All Over the House’ spring to mind. The latter had a pornographic music video, something which was neither well received nor original, with Rammstein having already beat him to it. And Wiley, the so-called ‘godfather of grime’ has at times stooped so low - I refer to Roll Deep’s ‘Green Light’ amongst others - that it would take a small submarine to plunge the depths to find his dignity.

But beneath this, we’re now in a period of hope. Skepta has implemented a sense of amnesia against former songs, where he once boasted his ‘garments cost

an arm and a leg’, to the present day, where he ‘used to wear Gucci, Put in the bin though cos that’s not me’. Now, appearing in all black or white tracksuits, Skepta, with new singles such as ‘That’s not me’ and ‘Shutdown’, seems to be on the verge of doing something great for Grime. He notably appeared with Kanye West in a secret show, and regularly puts on free gigs in car parks all across Europe, as well as earning a spot on Jool’s Holland.

Similarly, Stormzy seems to be racking up awards here and there, while others such as Giggs also seem to be making a slow return.

All the while, Lethal Bizzle continues to squeeze out his generic brand of nothingness, debasing grime all over again.

Then he snapchats you pictures from the holiday he’s on, which presumably you funded. No thanks, Mr. Bizzle, you can ‘leave it’.

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Avengers: Age of Ultron review

WING LAM KAR

Image Credit to Marvel

2nd Year Law

There is no question that Marvel Studios has mastered the skill of making humorous superhero action movies with explosions and CGI. When a Marvel film is released, you know it’s always worth the price just for all the special effects, Chris Evans (Captain America), or Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), depending on your taste.

Therefore it is meaningless to criticise its ability to entertain.

Marvel Studios is pretty clever in striking the balance between respecting the original plot and modernising it to suit the knownothing-of-marvel general public.

Particularly in outfit design, if anyone has seen Captain America in comics, they will find two little wings sticking out of his helmet accompanying his scale texturelike bright blue, red and white top. Such exaggerated clothing may be suitable in comics but it will never work in the real world (same for Superman and Batman, surely no one will appreciate their way of putting on underwear).

Carefully reinterpreted characters allow the chance to transform something cool from your childhood, and be reborn, all to fall in love with them once again as an adult. This is something that the Japanese still don’t get right in their films adapted from comics.

Writer-director Joss Whedon has definitely burnt his brain trying to forge every single line of the script to help newcomers to understand the contemporary Marvel Universe while trying to please stubborn fans at the same time. This is particularly difficult for the Avengers series compared to others under the franchise, due to the fact that you’re dealing with a whole group of superheroes.

Any one of them has a story worth having five of their own seasons, just as Agent Coulson did in The Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Putting all of them in one film is like cooking with several strong herbs. Surely one needs to have the solid skill of balancing the flavours without one taking over another.

Hawkeye is especially desperate

Image Credit to Marvel

in trying to find his place among his fellow peers—a charming blonde American soldier, a Norse god wielding a hammer, a genius philosophy billionaire in an iron can, a ginormous radioactive green monster with an exceptionally high intelligence and a sexy Russian woman in black spandex. I guess it’s fair that only he gets to enjoy a proper family life.

Romance between the Black Widow and the Hulk is pretty odd that it becomes artificial. It gives the feeling that it exists

simply because the film needs some romance scenes. In the first Avengers movie, there was potential love interest between Hawkeye and Black Widow, in Captain America 2 we thought it was almost settled for Cap and Widow, thus seeing her finally being paired with Hulk is seriously uncomfortable, conducting their own version of Beauty and the Beast in a superhero film. In a film that is two hours and a half that actually could go on for another five hours, it feels unnecessary to squeeze romance into a huge

23

pile of content. Personally, I believe this decision does not add to Black Widow’s character building either—a woman trained in the Redroom to become an emotionless killer and then suddenly falls in love without suffering? The audience needs more than the pair breathing on each other’s face and a single kiss.

Avengers 2 as a whole is certainly above average.

It has all the elements we love—superheroes banters, explosions, new characters and childhood fantasy. It is however

overwhelmed by its own talent in a way that it becomes overstuffed with all-star comedy. The audience can hardly digest all the hidden messages and take the film seriously with such a cheesy boss (why didn’t Ultron upload himself on the internet and hack army forces in the world, as with Stark’s androids?). With the Marvel Universe planned ahead, it can only be progressively difficult to handle audience expectations.

Still, all I can say on this film is “I love Marvel!”

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The best for last – Perk at its finest NATHALIE SIAH The Editor

Kick down the doors, grab a pint and raise those fists! The last Perk of the year was a raging hit on the 22nd May, where students gathered for what was one of the best of the concerts of the year put on by Wicked Boy Productions.

These monthly live music events at the Union have been home to many who just enjoy performing or need a place to start playing.

The night was filled with performances by University of Reading’s own bands: Towers, Sorella and Red Tape. It was a fantastic line-up in which the groups knew each other well, playing together and supporting each other throughout their time here. The love in the room could be felt for miles around and the sentiment of some of the bands’ last performances before graduation made the musicians play their hardest. This energy was easily transferred to the crowd, with cheers emanating on the floor.

Towers started off the night feeling sentimental with a few of their originals and the crowd favourite cover of “Toxic”. All in all a good performance from the band, especially that of Lorenzo Pagano the bassist who swayed with ease. Sam Cahalin, the lead singer of the band was exceptionally talkative on the night; being particularly friendly with the crowd.

Sorella, a newly formed all girl band is sexy, smoky and smoldering. Rachel Price’s voice carries through with depth and attitude while Joanna McCarthy adds a sweet touch with her back-up vocals. I was a bit taken back by drummer Mariam O’b’s serious stare however it added to the group’s character. Their covers sounded a bit rough however the covers of “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads and “Say You’ll Be There” by the Spice Girls were fun, electric and flirty.

What stole the night however was the headlining band Red Tape, sure to bring in a crowd.

These rock and roll super stars ended their time as a band with

Red Tape pleased after their last ever performance ended with an encore Credit to Nathalie Siah

a spectacular bang. The group blew the crowd away, with several students running into each other with a newfound punk aggression, flying pink underwear at Chris Sewell, lead guitarist, broken drum sticks and hints at playing “Wonderwall”

by Oasis. Their hits “Jimmy’s

Being a part of Junction 11 NICK SEXTON 2nd Year Graphic Design

For the first time in its history, this year has seen Junction11 go beyond the norms of radio to produce a truly immersive and established media outlet. We’ve introduced live video streaming of most of our events so people can watch as well as listen, given our volunteers a far greater variety of ways to get involved, such as our regular DJing opportunities on union nights, and increased the diversity of our schedule massively throughout the day.

Once again this year we will be hosting Mojo’s at the Summer Ball, although, unlike previous years, we have worked really hard

at increasing the range of music being played, as well as letting complete newcomers have a go.

It’s all part of our commitment to allowing our members to have fun and be part of an ever-growing community of talented, creative and extremely hard-working individuals.

Our annual AGM is just around the corner (date and venue to be confirmed), where you can hear a full overview of the super year we’ve had, as well as hearing some of our big announcements for the year ahead. Everyone is welcome, so do come along!

Details will be announced on our Facebook page as soon as they have been confirmed.

We handled applications for our executive committee a little

differently this year, with them all working on an application and interview process. Before, the majority of roles were elected in the AGM after a short presentation from each candidate, but we felt a lot of merits an individual may be able to offer could go unnoticed.

Roles have largely been taken up apart from two, so if you’re interested in being our Treasurer or Head of News for the year ahead do send an email to manager@ junction11radio.co.uk - we’d love to have you on board!

We have some big plans in the next academic year that we’re really excited about, and we can’t wait to share them with you and get you involved. Our door is always open, with ways to get involved almost limitless.

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Breakdown”, “DBD” and “Ghost Train” ringed true to fans as well as their covers of “Little Monster” by Royal Blood and “R U Mine” by the Arctic Monkeys.

Their energy spread like wildfire latching onto the crowd hoping for more. The band closed with an encore performance of “Mr

Brightside” by The Killers.

A fantastic way to an end an evening and to cross the finish line—Perk was the place to be for all music lovers around.

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Is it too late for the Millennial Youth?

IMOGEN GIBBS

3rd year Film, Theatre and Television

Do you remember the good old days when you would have to cycle round to your friend’s houses to see if they were ‘playing out’, only to be rejected by their mum at the door because they’re having dinner, then you had to make that long bike ride back home? If only there was some sort of device that meant you could instantly know exactly what all your friends are doing and when…. Oh wait, there is. It’s called the iPhone and it’s slowly ruining the childhoods of the Millennial Youth.

Long gone are the days where an MSN chat with your newest crush had to be halted because your mum wanted to use the house phone… and obviously you couldn’t do both at once. We

had to live with the communal gigantic PC that took up one corner of the room, taking turns with your siblings, who were playing Club Penguin relentlessly for hours. This taught us patience if nothing else, although the passive aggressive nudge button on an MSN conversation came in handy in the most desperate of times. Our lives had internet in them - it just didn’t shape who we were, and what we did day-to-day. Right now, I cannot think what it used to feel like waking up and not checking Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on my iPhone every morning.

I mean… how did I know what everyone was doing? Now, I’m no hypocrite; technology is a huge part of my life, and we can’t really avoid smartphones and tablets in this modern society, where so much of our communication

(and even education) relies on these technologies. If anything, I just feel sorry for the millennial youth. They are forced into this technologically savvy world where social media and begging for likes on selfies is more important than the bigger picture in life. I was lucky to get a ‘love’ on Bebo.

Some primary school children now have iPhones and iPads to play with. Imagine giving a 10 year old something worth over £500? Back when we were younger, the biggest responsibilities were making sure you cleaned up after your Tamagotchi and switching your Furby off at night so the batteries didn’t run out. My problem with the technological takeover isn’t the fact that it’s turning people into vain, Facebook-stalking keyboard warriors; it’s that it’s shaping people’s childhoods in the

most anti-social way possible.

People no longer buy their children Barbies, Ken Dolls and Sylvanian Families. Parents are insistent on giving their children iPads and laptops to keep them entertained, but aren’t thinking about the consequences this can have on the way this shapes their social standing in life. Think back to your primary school days… break and lunch times were for playing with the skipping rope, playing Curby, running around and seeing who was better at British Bulldog between the girls and the boys. Imagine today’s youth - hundreds of school kids all stood in the playground on iPads, too busy looking at their screens to pick up a book, or interact with other children.

Albeit an extreme example, the millennial youth have it so different to what we experienced

as children. We weren’t afraid to fall and scrape our knees, to go on outside adventures and to experience things for ourselves without Googling reviews first. I worry that one day, some children will grow up to be anti-social, too scared to talk to others and to approach new people, all due to being too comfortable looking down at their screens. I pray that all the positives about technology outweigh the negative sides - and it’s unavoidable in this day and age - it is the 21st century after all.

But if you are also a victim to the addiction to the smart phone, take a second to think about your childhood, and how you grew up perfectly fine without an iPhone glued to your hands. Bring back the days of Snake on the Nokia 3310 and 10p Freddos!

Mobile games—saver or destroyer of games?

WING LAM KAR 2nd Year Law

Mobile games have no doubt become a significant part in the game industry. After the invention of smart phones, the app store has now become a brand new rapidly developing platform and new

companies have set up just for the purpose of app development.

Its convenience not only attracts ‘heavy gamers’, but also ‘light gamers’. Not surprisingly, apps have quickly replaced the once trending social media games market where ‘light gamers’ gathered and have subsequently wilted. One of the greatest victims in this transition period I reckon

is the game developer Zynga.

You may be familiar with their games such as FarmVille. The combination of social interaction with games in a proper social platform is combusting and in 2009, FarmVille reached 10 million daily active users within six weeks. There seems to be no factor other than racing with your friends that would motivate you to open Facebook, click on your corns and replant them every day.

Nevertheless this could only be a temporary spike as the game itself heavily suffered from lack of content. The same features can be found on other contemporary social media platform games, however many developers cannot resist the short term profit thus these light games have started to grow as consumable products, popping up like grasses in spring.

Companies have learned from Facebook games and copied the business model to the mobile game market. Its mobile and real time notification features have scientifically proved to strengthen numbers significantly and gamers do not need to squat in front of their computers anymore. The great potential for profit attracts

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not only new comers but also some ‘bosses’ in the game industry.

Many single players games now companied by their subsidiary mobile version (Ubisoft with Assassin’s Creed, for example), are provided with interaction with the original game serving as a minor advertisement. Most of them unfortunately, end up in an awarding position where both ‘heavy gamers’ and ‘light gamers’ have no interest in this version due to the fact that they are made mainly for fans, but not as a game on its own.

Nonetheless, mobile games are not all bad. They provide a platform for individuals and small group developers to showcase their work. Its convenience and userfriendly control also encourages the general public to get in touch of new products, which is harder to achieve in other platforms like PCs. Some old-school style mini games therefore return and remind people of their goods, like Flappy Bird or Angry Birds.

Some people say mobile game will replace console games in the future. This statement may be true, but it will not be occurring in the near future.

Mobile games are still restrained by its hardware performance and touch screen-based control, which render it highly difficult to satisfy ‘heavy gamers’ requirement, its performance and game genres, and also the adverse effect of some ‘consumable games’, a mobile game generally can hardly survive in the app store for more than two years. In my view, it is very unlikely that mobile games will replace that of consoles, especially with the new invention of the virtual reality headset, the gaming experience is just incomparable. Mobile games, instead of replacing the consoles’ market portion, are actually expanding among those potential ‘light gamers’. Some companies may however change their focus on mobile games from the abundant console ones due to mobile’s lower entrance fee.

Konami is a typical example, with Hideo Kojima, the director of Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill getting fired (also, with the news that Silent Hill P.T. was scrapped), we can only mourn for the unborn and hope no more good games will be sacrificed in this tsunami.

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FTT- Behind the Curtain.

IMOGEN GIBBS

3rd year Film, Theatre and Television

Third year has certainly been a dramatic one for the Film, Theatre and Television finalists.

Those who opted for theatre as their specialism have worked incredibly hard to produce performances which are both critically and visually engaging.

Being a film student, I had the pleasure of being able to wholly enjoy these performances during festival week whilst also taking part in one. Seven students of the 31-large FTT family chose theatre and they did not disappoint.

Jack Lovegrove, who directed two short plays by Bertolt Brecht He Who Says Yes and He Who Says No, explains the excitement of seeing his piece come alive, “Although the process was stressful it’s fantastic to see it all coming together. My play was heavily reliant on audience participation and I was apprehensive as I had only rehearsed with the cast!”.

Lovegrove also discusses the development, from researching, deciding on a script, auditions and rehearsals, to four months down the line where the piece has come alive, “Although we had assistance from FTT tutors and technicians (who were incredible throughout) part of the assessment was to ensure that we made all

the decisions, including lights, sounds, staging, costume and more!.”

Rachel McMillan explored The Events by David Greig, which is a fictional play written in response to the Anders Breivik attacks in Norway, 2011. The Events explores the social, political and religious factors contributing to the creation of a killer. I questioned why Rachel choose to tackle something so resonant, “I wanted to choose a piece that was culturally still relevant, after the outbreaks in Woolwich and more recently the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Such events keep repeating themselves and I wanted to explore and begin to understand factors that could lead someone to commit a massacre of this magnitude in contemporary society.” Rachel worked with two main cast members and a choir of 11 members, solely creating soundscape through voice which underpinned the narrative.

“Conducting a choir was a challenge. I have never worked in that way before. It was very important to have this nostalgic group sound in a piece about community identity. It really helped working with a group of such talented and supportive people.”

Other productions included two devised pieces: Burn Britain Burn

by Lottie Gilbourne, which was

an immersive piece exploring the London riots of 2011 and Nuclear

by Kadisha Williams. Nuclear explored postnatal depression, not only in women, but also in fathers.

“Devising meant that there was a long research and development process, even before constructing a script for my actors. It was challenging as we created our own performances from scratch and for the first time doing this, it can be quite rigorous. I chose the smallest of the three theatre spaces as I felt that the intimate setting would allow the audience to feel more connected to the performance.”

The Theatre festival was highly varied with other interesting works by Philip Ridley, Sarah Kane and Anthony Nielson, directed by Sam Cahalin, Sam Moore and Jasmine Pastakia respectively. What was amazing about our festival was the sense of community that came from everyone producing something so creative together. The directors did an incredible amount of work to create these projects, alongside them were student actors who rehearsed religiously and students from the department who assisted in teching. It may sound cliché (but so true) FTT truly is one big family, and what a talented family it is.

The FTT film finalists’ festival took place Monday March 16th Thursday 19th.

Photographed by Ellie Dearing

Mr Tusk Review

AMY BANDA

E2nd Year English Language

Last Monday, like most evenings, I settled down with the girls to watch a film. For those of you that aren’t aware, I’m a keen lover of horror films, hence why I began searching the internet for suitable ones. Eventually, my friend Jo came across a film that looked… well, interesting, to say the least. It was called Mr Tusk and it had been released in 2014. According to the review we found, Mr Tusk was a comedy horror, however it had also been described as disturbing. Without further ado, we selected it as our film, not knowing what to expect.

Mr Tusk stars Justin Long as Wallace Bryton, a podcaster who goes missing after interviewing a mysterious seafarer Howard Howe, played by Michael Parks.

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Throughout the first half of the film, Wallace appears to be a pretty cool guy, however it soon becomes clear that he is actually not as nice as he seems. Nevertheless, I still don’t think he deserves his fate, but more about that to follow.

Wallace is also incredibly naïve. I say naïve, because he puts himself in immediate danger. He visits a bar in Manitoba and uses the toilet (this isn’t the dangerous part, don’t worry). Whilst in there doing his business, he comes across a note written by Howe. In the note, Howe says he is willing to exchange his seafaring stories for some company. As a podcaster, Wallace sees this as a golden opportunity, so he leaves the bar in search of Howe’s house. In this day and age, it’s never a good idea to visit a stranger’s house, kids.

Whilst there, he is drugged. And that’s where the film gets weird.

The film is funny as it’s littered with one liners throughout, but it soon becomes dark, as Howe turns Wallace into a walrus. Yes, that’s right. A walrus. A large, flippered marine animal. To summarise, Howe was saved by a walrus whilst out at sea. In order to survive he had to kill his new friend for food. And he’s clearly never forgiven himself for it because he takes it upon himself to avenge his walrus companion.

Bad luck, Wallace.

Luckily, Wallace’s girlfriend and best friend team up with Johnny Depp - I mean an ex-cop - in order to find him. And they do, however, you will have to watch the film yourself to find out whether or not Wallace remains a walrus for life. I commend the film for its originality, although I found it rather fragmented overall. Some parts were really funny, whereas other parts were just plain disturbing. Still, I don’t regret watching it because it was an interesting find!

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WATTSUP? Do you put the ‘ha’ in laug-ha-ble?

Prove it and try doing WattsUp on for size.

1.

6.

David Cameron is our new Prime Minister! Any thoughts?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: ...................................

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Not particularly.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: I think he's the best leader of all the politicians, but he didn't achieve what he set out to in his last time as Prime Minister.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: He's done well so far...!

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Congrats...?

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: You again. Congratulations.

Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea’s song ‘Pretty Girls’ was leaked recently before the premiere date. What do you think of the two collaborating?

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Ok. Beth C, 1st year Psychology: I like that an old and new pop star are collaborating Katy C, 1st year Psychology: Could be interesting!

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: The end of the world should be soon. It was good knowing you all, readers...

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: They…look nice.

2.

7.

The UK election map allegedly looks like Maggie Simpson from The Simpsons.

Random internet fail or cool revelation? If you’re not sure about what I mean check this out: http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/u-k-election-map-looks-like-maggiesimpson-says-the-internet-1.3066973 TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Cool revelation of course!

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Cool.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: Random internet fail.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: Ahaha! Cool revelation.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Maggie Simpson should change her outfit to add red polka dots...On that note, how have the Simpsons survived without ANY change of clothes??

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: I always believed Simpsons reveal the truth.

3.

A British sports fan had successfully sneaked into back stage at the Mayweather-Pacquiao match considered ‘fight of the century’ by pretending to be part of Leonardo DiCaprio’s entourage and took photos with celebrities such as Christian Bale. What would you do if you were backstage at the fight?

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Hang out with famous people.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: Challenge Mayweather to an arm wrestle.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: Find the free food and booze!

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Trying to suppress my inner fangirl while inside Pacman's dressing room. #teampacman.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Try to collect celebrities' cups and sell them later.

4.

A New York City rapper named Hi-Rez went to McDonald’s and rapped his order. What your rap on your favourite sandwich be?

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Ham and cheese.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: Cheese and crisps.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: I cannot rap please hand me that bap.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Yo. Any burger. Supersize it.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Yo~give me one of those, fillet o' fishy old fish.

5.

Ed Sheeran has recently been locking lips with Brent Morin on NBC’s sitcom Undateable. Heartbreaker or just plain awesome?

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Awesome.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: What! Incredibly jealous of Brent Morin!

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: It's Ed Sheeran. I shouldn't really be too surprised.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: Awesome.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Fantastic!

8.

In Japan, a zoo was rethinking the name of a baby monkey named Charlotte after complaints that it was disrespectful to the new princess. Who is better suited to the name?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: The Princess of course! Why can't you give the baby monkey a Japanese name instead?

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Princess.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: The baby.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: Who names a monkey Charlotte? Definitely the baby.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Dude. Princess Charlotte should be honoured. I would be if any animal was named after me. A lion named Christopher would be epic stuff.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Names do not have patent...so everyone including a little monkey should be able to be named Charlotte.

9.

The newest Avengers has a dream team to save the world. If you were to join the fighting force, what would your hero name be?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Hermione Granger :P Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Flower power.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: Catwoman.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: Queen B. Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Kakashi Hatake. Naruto rules all day every day.

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: I have been thinking about it in my whole life, but since I am Asian, I am going to assume it will have something to do with Kung Fu

10.

Pitch Perfect 2 is coming out in theatres is an aca-sensation. If you were to start an all-girl/boy singing and dancing group, what would it be called?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Music Makers!

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: The Sunshines.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: Sparkalicious.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: Soul sisters.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: <Insert any K-pop group name here>...Because idol groups like these tend to have really lame names to start off with. (Now K-pop fans will have me on their wanted list...)

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Two Direction? Oh I am really bad at naming things…

At Exeter University, the student union has invited micropigs to help students with stress. What animal would you like to cuddle this revision period?

TJ Hiew, 2nd year Law: Puppy!

Freya C, 1st year Zoology: Puppies.

Beth C, 1st year Psychology: Cats.

Katy C, 1st year Psychology: Pygmy goats.

Christopher J L, 2nd year Law: Husky. Who doesn't want a majestic animal like a Husky?

Wing Lam K., 2nd year Law: Any animals with nice fur!

30

HOROSCOPE

ENTERTAINMENT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

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horoscope KIRSTY SAGGERS

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

Horoscopes Writer 2nd Year History

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

ARIES MARCH 21st-APRIL 20th

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 24th- OCTOBER 23rd

Some good news will find you this month in regards to a member of your family, and this will set up the month ahead. It seems that you are set to have a good month all round, and this will present itself most when you are with family and good friends. Try not to get lost in the crowd or your lucky month may turn sour - stay original and true to yourself.

Something exciting will happen to you this month which could change your view on the future. It could be the beginning of a whole new you.

Freeing yourself of othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations of you will help you to feel liberated and free your mind of meaningless concerns. If you're struggling to find answers, look to places other than the obvious and pay attention to the letter 'T'.

libra

TAURUS APRIL 21st-MAY21st

SCORPIO OCTOBER 24th-NOVEMBER 22nd

You may not have been interested in starting a new relationship recently, but things could change this month. Don't pass up the chance to meet new people and potential partners. Even if nothing romantic comes from these encounters, you may still end up with lifelong friends. However, old friends should not be forgotten about and you should make time to catch up with them.

Time to face your fears and make a start on the list of things you've been too scared to do. This month will be the perfect opportunity to be brave. Whilst you're making lists, it might also be good to tick off a few things that you are excited to do, as you may not get the chance once new pressures start to appear and new tasks need to be completed.

Scorpio

GEMINI MAY 22nd-JUNE 21st

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23rd-DECEMBER 21st

Not everything goes according to plan, and this will happen in your life a few times over the next few weeks. This isn't necessarily a negative sometimes spontaneous decisions can turn out to be the best ones. Don't be afraid when the lack of a plan leaves you feeling unorganised, just go with it. The number 22 will bring you good luck in the upcoming month.

It could be time to put the past behind you and make up with someone who has done you wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, but if they are prepared to make amends then you should perhaps consider it too. You may also get an opportunity to bond with a current friend, take it even if you don't feel your relationship needs to change - there is always room for improvement.

Sagittarius

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22nd- JANUARY 20th

CANCER JUNE 22nd-JULY 23rd Cancer

This month you will be able to focus on doing things for yourself rather than for others, something you may not have felt free to do in a while.

Time spent alone will cause you to rethink your life and time spent with others will help you cast aside concerns about the future. Balance the two well and you will come to meaningful conclusions as the month ends.

With summer just around the corner, things may start heating up between you and a love interest, but you should be prepared to make the first move.

Capricorn For Capricorns in a relationship, spontaneous trips will bring you closer together and may lead to the relationship progressing to something better.

You may have to take the lead. Being bold like this will get you noticed for all the right reasons this month.

LEO JULY 24th-AUGUST 23rd leo

virgo

AQUARIUS JANUARY 21st -FEBUARY 19th

They say that time is money, and this is certainly the case for Leo this month. The more time and effort that you put in, the more rewards you will receive - not just financially but in other ways as well. However, your good fortune in the upcoming month could make you attractive to people for the wrong reasons, so be weary of others.

Although you may have had doubts about yourself lately, you will receive some news which will make you feel more confident. Something you may have been dreading will finally come around this month, but it will prove Aquarius to be a more positive experience than you could have imagined and boost your confidence even more. Pay attention to the number 13. It may be unlucky for some but this isn't the case for Aquarius this month.

VIRGO AUGUST 24th- SEPTEMBER 23rd

PISCES FEBUARY 20th-MARCH 20th

It might go against your nature, but really make an effort this month to say 'yes'. Avoiding opportunities because you fear the worst will be sure to end in regret, and this month plenty of opportunities will make themselves known to you - so be optimistic and agree to some of them. You should also make time for a friend in need, you will be in a good place to offer advice and provide a shoulder to cry on.

All of your hard work will finally begin to pay off, and a hectic few months will start to wind down allowing you to finally breathe again. This doesn't mean that you can stop trying - putting in no effort means gaining no reward - and there is definitely the chance of reward this month. If you are a betting person, the number 2 might prove a useful trick to have up your sleeve.

31

Pisces

ENTERTAINMENT|CREATIVE CORNER

ENTERTAINMENT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Creative Corner RAYMOND RUFUS FERLINGHETTI CHAN

LOUISE INGHAM

My Philosohigh

Discarded

They talk a lot about leadership They say 'man needs to respect the orders' "Of what?" I arsed these cultured street Mandems.

'The laws, Man! Respect the game!'

"The game?” I poised with stupid eyes, "What game you talkin’ about?”

The day is so sleepy, so quiet As thick, white clouds coat the sky And trees dare to shake their arms free Of clinging leaves.

2nd Year Law

I try not to take for granted, the weeds That are so frowned upon, though They are too, each to their own, a Part of the countryside.

'Man, you dumb bro? The game, The huntBros, hoes and mofos, y'kno; yolo, Life!

Man I thought we were playing the same game.

Aight let me break the rules for you, cos it seems you ain’t been instructed right.

‘Aight son, what games do you know? Monopoly, Charades?! Man that’s dumb; Whatchu mean Pokémon… Man, aight, whatever; what about CoD, LoL and Fifa?

You do know that these other games exist right? You do know that they do too exist, right?

‘K then you see these games be bare different init, but there’s always things in common.

There’s rules to the games and that’s set by the Man. And you either finish the game fast or You take your sweet time, but there’s always a point where you're done.

Cos either you win or you lose or you ditch the game; there's always a point when you're done.'

Now I look at him with grey eyes, and posed another purple question: "Fam. You callin’ me a dumb fat plumber?! That my life I'll just eat shrooms and jump goons, And for what? Some dumb lass whose only job in the world is to get caught cheating?"

(*tch*) I kissed my teeth then tut.

And this brethren breathes in and expels some puffs and with red eyes, fixed face and apathy passed:

The birds sing melodies, calling And chirping their solitary songs, but I hear the rustle of wildlife, diving in And out of hedgerows.

The snowdrops shoot up, boasting their Vibrant white beauty, no attention for the Tiny leaves of trees just beginning, new life Replacing the old.

Acorn tops lie unnoticed, obscured In amongst the grass and leaves.

Obsolete, discarded, but so many times As a child I picked them off the ground And thought of fairy hats.

'Nahhhh. I'm saying, be the guy who hacks the system. Learn the names of the games you play, Find the rules of the Man who set them. Arse them questions, inquisite and interrogate them.

Learn the laws to break them rightly, break the laws dumb and get left in the trash.

Life ain't got no re-spawn nah restarts. Ain't no one gonna patch your sh*t-ups.

Yeah there be NPCs and Famdems too. But at the end of the day it’s Your game, Your life, You play.

You always have the choice to switch off.

‘So then why respect the orders? Man respect the rules so you can rearrange the patterns.

F*ck being a leader, Ain't no one got that right. Man be a Hero, be something aspirational.

A Hero knows his games, his rules, but his goal is to beat himself, not others.

Lead yourself and achieve your ends, and other Mans will support you.’

And I'm like: “Man, you're dope. You drunk or high? Man this some next sh*t level philosohigh.

Get your sh*t straight son, I don't play no games.

I'm grown, I'm a man and real men don't child.

You're bare blazed man. Too damn lit and crazed, man…"

And I walked away pissed, but a more sobered soul.

Man, what does this Nerd know about the game of Life.

Credit to Flickr Images

32

COMICS & GAMES

ENTERTAINMENT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

|ENTERTAINMENT

PUZZLE POINT

Ballet Boxing Elections Exams Farm Formula 1 Lent

Blackboard Drawn by Harry Richardson, 1st Year Archaeology

Mobile Games Old Boys Phone Royal Baby Stress Summer Ball

RED AWARD Need hours for your RED Award? Helping The Spark may help you ultimately gain the experience you’re looking for filling up the core activities on your RED Award sheet!

If you’re writing an article for the Lifestyle, Entertainment or Sports section, you will be awarded with 1 ½ hours per article. News articles on the

33

other hand are awarded 30 minutes per article. If you’re artist or photographer, you can gain up to 3 hours depending how long you work!

If you’ve already written, drawn or photographed for The Spark, the Editor Nathalie Siah can sign off your sheet for you. Contact her at editor. spark@reading.ac.uk for more information.

34

Mayweather v Pacquiao Check out what Christian Alexander had to say about the 'Fight of the Century'

Knights v Dragons Sam Bonstow looks ahead to when the Reading Knights square off to the Old Boys

Formula 1 See what Basil Al-Ali thinks about the season so far

Club v Country How long will it be until one can respect the other

SPORT

Credit to Andy Marsh

Reading Knights hope to slay The Dragons SAM BONSTOW

2nd Year Consumer Behaviour and Marketing

The official season has finished for the Reading Knights American football team; however they need to go to battle one more time. The 6th June sees the Reading Knights square up against The Dragons over on the fields opposite Sportspark.

The Dragons are a team made up members of The Old Boys Society. The society was

created for former players of the Reading Knights once they have graduated to be able to keep in contact with teammates as well as other players. It is populated with members of the team from the previous few years up to over 20 years ago and beyond. The society keeps close links to the current team throughout the years by raising funds, coming to spectate games and also coming back after the season league ends to play the current team.

The game is played in

competition for the Amit Gohil Trophy; a trophy which has been named in honour of a former Knights player who passed away.

Since the game began â&#x20AC;&#x201C; having started since 2000 - The Dragons have claimed victory 10 times with 2015 marking the 15th time the two teams have faced each other, and with the current team finishing third in the league this year, the match is shaping up to be a close one.

The Old Boys Game is also significant for two reasons: firstly

35

because it gives a chance for new players who joined the team this year to mix with former players, and become a part the Knights family. And secondly, because it is the final game for graduating Knights to don the Knights jersey and play for the team before they return as a Dragon next year.

This year the Knights have 11 players who will be making their last appearance for the team, some of whom have been a Knight for the last 5 years. They will all be missed and we wish them the best

in their future endeavours!

So come down and soak up the 15 year history, as well as the weather, as we witness Old Boys XV! As mentioned above, the game will take place on the 6th June 2015 with Kick Off being between 12pm-1pm. The match will be held on the pitches opposite Sportspark. Off the pitch, the Reading Knights Cheerleaders will be making an appearance at the game in addition to a barbecue and refreshments made available, Continue over next page...

SPORTS |CAMPUS SPORTS

SPORT@SPARKNEWSPAPER.CO.UK

Life After Luis CONNOR WRAY

4th Year Modern and Contemporary Writing

At the start of this Premier League season, Liverpool fans were all asking the same question: how would they fare without Suarez?

The short answer, now painfully clear to all, is terribly. There isn’t much left for Kopites to get excited about, Gerrard is leaving, Sterling is doing his best impression of a ‘money grabbing 20 year old’, and Kolo ‘Yolo’ Touré has just signed a contract extension. Their final day thrashing at Stoke was their worst loss since 1963, and served as a painful indicator of just how much work will have to

be done next season in order to start closing the 25 point gap on Chelsea.

Brendan Rodgers is faced with a divided fan base, and is running out of time to get the club back to winning ways. It’s a big summer for the Irishman, he still has to find the right replacement for Luis Suarez, and after failing last time around with a multitude of transfer flops, now faces the even tougher challenge of recruiting quality without the lure of the Champion’s League. The club needs to see players out of the door as well, as deadwood like Joe Allen, Fabio Borini and Iago Aspas continue to eat up a portion of the wage bill. The Raheem Sterling debacle will need concluding quickly by Rodgers and his transfer team, before it becomes damaging to the

BUCS Cricket 2014-2015 - South Eastern 2A

BUCS Lacrosse 2014-2015 - South Eastern 2A P W D L GD Pts 1 Reading 1st

9 8 0 1 55 24 2 Portsmouth 1st

10 5 0 5 4 14 3 Brighton 1st

9 5 0 4 54 12 4 Brunel 1st

9 5 0 4 49 12 5 Chichester 1st

10 4 0 6 -41 11 6 Royal Holloway 2nd

9 1 0 8 -121 3

last season, Liverpool conceded less goals this campaign, keeping considerably more clean sheets too. Unfortunately however, three wins out of their last eleven games, including an utterly gutless FA cup semi-final performance, means that these slight improvements hold little merit for the fans, and place Rodgers under huge pressure to succeed. Especially as he is now the first Liverpool manager in 50 years to reign for three seasons and not win a trophy.

The last trophy-less manager the club had was Roy Hodgson, and the less said about that period the better.

Despite all of the negatives, there is one thing that Liverpool fans can get excited about. Amidst the media hype surrounding Gerrard’s departure, there was another

England international who was seeing out his final games for the club, albeit from the bench. Glen Johnson’s contract expires at the end of June, the club will not be offering him a new deal, and that’s at least one step forward for a club that has been going backwards all season.

BUCS Golf 2014-2015 - South Eastern 2A P W D L GD Pts 1 Brighton 1st

5 5 0 0 18 15 2 Chichester 1st

5 3 0 2 2 9 3 Reading 1st

5 3 0 2 1 9 4 Royal Holloway 1st

5 3 0 2 2 9 5 Imperial 1st

5 0 1 4 -16 16 6 Brunel 1st

5 0 1 4 -7

BUCS Fencing 2014-2015 - South Eastern 1A P W D L GD Pts 1 Surrey 1st

10 9 - 1 155 27 2 Reading 1st 10 6 - 4 40 18 3 Sussex 1st

10 5 - 5 115 15 4 Kent 1st

10 4 - 6 -125 12 5 UCL 2nd 10 5 - 5 44 12 6 Queen Mary 1st

10 1 - 9 -229 -3

36

League Tables

P W D L RR Pts1 1 St Mary's 1st

4 4 0 0 11.19 12 2 Imperial 1st

3 2 0 1 1.2 6 3 Reading 1st

4 2 0 2 -6.801 6 4 Portsmouth 2nd

3 1 0 2 1.318 3 5 Surrey 2nd

2 0 0 2 -0.614 0 6 Brunel 1st

2 0 0 2 -6.298 0

rest of their summer dealings.

Not all of the blame lies with the manager, however. It is easy to forget the impressive run of form, including ten games unbeaten, which Liverpool went on after Christmas, especially when it was sandwiched between losses to Manchester United. It is even easier to forget that it was a radical tactical alteration from Rodgers that sparked the change in fortune. Abandoning his 4-2-3-1 come 4-3-3 formation focussed on overwhelming attack and exhaustive pressing, Rodgers adopted a riskier 3-4-3, utilising midfielders as wing backs to tighten up a leaky defence, while still offering the chance to play a possession-based game. The stats don’t lie, and after much was made of the team’s defensive frailties

37

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38

NATIONAL SPORTS

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| SPORTS

Fight of the Century CHRISTIAN MUELLER 4th Year German Studies

Five years in the making and the two top pound-for-pound fighters finally touched gloves in the same square circle on May 2nd. Never before has the anticipation for a fight been so great, and it will perhaps never be so again.

Controversy filled the post-fight reaction as Floyd Mayweather was criticised for ‘running’, Manny Pacquiao was condemned for not performing and the sport was accused of having the worst value for entertainment to date.

...so what more of an excuse do you need to come down watch what has been predicted to be an intense game?

1st Picture: Caption – The seniors who are leaving the Knights this year. Top row left to right: Liam white, Jonny Sisson,

The fight did, however, fulfil its promise of breaking just about every record in boxing. The bout was distributed in 175 countries - breaking the international distribution record - and with the help of 44 million pay-per-view buys, the fight generated over $500 million in revenue. The numbers then, seem to suggest that this was indeed the ‘Fight of the Century’, but the battle itself told a different story.

The magnitude of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was colossal and the pressure on the fighters was evident as the two men came out of their corners at the starting

Henry “Hoover” Jacob, Sam “Smithy” Smith, Abbas Versi, Ben “Liz” Hatton. Bottom row left to right, Alex “DC” Roberts, Chris “Daggers” James, Toby “Goose” Elliot, Jason “Shirley” Jacobson and Luke “Sugar” Storer.

bell. The typical ‘feeling out’ process practiced by boxers was more cagey than usual, with Pacquiao jabbing cautiously, while Mayweather danced and countered. The notoriously slowstarting Mayweather cruised through the first three rounds in that exact fashion, as the furious pressure fighter Pacquiao sat back and threw single shots. Gone was the rope-a-dope Mayweather we have become so accustomed to seeing, as Floyd took control of the centre of the ring and fired hard straight right hands at the reluctant Pacquiao. Only in the 4th round did we see a flash of the aggressive Pacquiao of old as he landed an awkward left hand and pinned Floyd on the ropes with a sustained barrage. This is the sort of fight the fans expected to see, but the flurry was over within seconds as Pacquiao backed off.

Mayweather’s critics expected the old champion to show his age in this fight, but it was Pacquiao’s legs who looked weaker as the fight moved on. A confident Mayweather grabbed hold as Pacquiao came too close and then systematically picked Pacquiao apart from mid-range.

Pacquiao made his name boxing with his lightning fast foot-work and furious torrents of power punches from all angles.

Neither of these character-defining traits were apparent in this fight as the men carried on fighting at Mayweather’s tempo. Pacquiao did manage to land a few clean punches, but the majority of his shots landed on elbows, shoulders and the empty space were Mayweather had been. In the end, such was Floyd’s confidence that he danced with his hands down landing an outrageous left-hook in the 11th. The judges scored the bout 116-112 twice and 118-110 unanimously to the still unbeaten Floyd Mayweather.

The pro-Pacquiao crowd booed as the unbeaten and now uncontested pound-for-pound champion climbed the ropes to bask in the animosity. It is of course no surprise that controversy followed the fight, but, to everyone’s surprise, Pacquiao announced he had injured his shoulder prior to the night and cited it as one of the reasons he did not perform.

Unsurprisingly Floyd accused Manny of being ‘embarrassed’ and making ‘excuses’ while Pacquiao

demanded a rematch. This of course pressed the question: could Pacquiao have caught the everelusive Mayweather at full fitness?

Hypotheticals and whether it was an excuse or not aside, it was an awful career choice on Pacquiao’s part. He may have received criticism for delaying the fight, but not to the magnitude he is receiving denunciation for now. The facts of the night remain irrefutable: Mayweather made one of the best fighters in the last twenty years look clumsy and slow; he took a deserved, albeit controversial, victory.

For now, boxing’s future lies in limbo once more as the ‘Fight of Century’ failed to enthuse the socalled ‘couch’ boxing fans. The fight was unarguably a show of supreme boxing skill, but the lack of drama and boxing’s notoriously unsociable broadcasting hours mean the sport remains far from the main-stream entertainment it thrives to be. Floyd Mayweather may not have gained any fans from his record-breaking appearance, but it appears we may soon be forced to adopt his selfproclaimed title ‘The Best Ever’.

The Formula One season so far BASIL AL-ALI

3rd Year Business and Management

Mercedes are again leading the pack this year, but it is not the same dominance of last year. Lewis Hamilton’s pace has been almost unrivaled and he has improved on his qualifying from last year.

Lewis Hamilton dominated the Australian Grand Prix, which got his world title defense off to the best start. Sebastian Vettel then took his first victory for Ferrari in Malaysia as he beat Hamilton to the line. The next in Shanghai saw Lewis Hamilton take a controlled victory for Mercedes.

Hamilton, in the previous race in Bahrain, led from start to finish and comfortably disposed of any possible threat with ease.

39

Hamilton has been linked with Ferarri after the lack of new contract talks, but Team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has said Ferrari do not need world champion Lewis Hamilton in their team when they already have Sebastian Vettel, suggesting he would rather sign a "young, talented driver".

Jenson Button failed to qualify for the Bahrain Grand Prix due to issues with his car. He has finished a race twice this season and came within a single position of scoring a point in Australia. His season up until this point has been terrible for a former Formula One world champion with such experience.

He has claimed that he has seen an improvement in the car and will hope to succeed in earning his first points of the campaign in

Barcelona.

The Scuderia are now finally emerging as a force to rival Mercedes this season. Raikkonen has returned to his best form as he claimed his first podium. Vettel, a 4-time world champion, has also been on the podium this season.

The more time Ferrari have to adapt to all the changes that were made in the offseason, the stronger their challenge will be.

Arrivabene has done a very good job running Ferrari this season, which has helped both of his drivers to perform strongly.

Some say the Formula One season only truly starts when the races come to Europe and with the next race this weekend, look for the competition to heat up.

Club v Country OLLIE WEEDEN Sports Editor

Editor Nathalie Siah Deputy Editor Jess O'Donnell, Jen Daniel News Editor Harriet Lynds Lifestyle Editor Annabel Horsley Entertainment Editor Amy Banda Sport Editor Ollie Weeden Design Editor Elliot Spain, Jessie Webb Head of Photography Beatrice Ridge Marketing and Distribution Natalie Pavelin Secretary Emma Campbell

It was revealed recently that Luke Shaw had been omitted from the England U21's squad due to fitness concerns that Manchester United had communicated to manager Gareth Southgate. It has since been clarified that the nature of said injury, by order of Manchester United, was not to be revealed ahead of next month's European Championship. What this says about the power dynamic between club and country has worrying undertones when it comes to squad selections.

Managers, both over domestic clubs and international sides should, by definition, be able to select the strongest squad available to them (injury permitting).

However, recent times have proved that this seems to no longer be the case as players are continually 'withdrawn' (either by themselves or their club) or seem to have mysteriously developed an injury which means they couldn't possibly compete in the upcoming EURO/World Cup/qualifier yet magically recover the moment the tournament comes to a close.

Would it be unfair to suggest that players are deliberately 'dodging' international duty in order to pursue their personal ambitions with their respective clubs? Or perhaps it is more the fault of the managers who do not want their prized possessions risked over a perceived 'pointless' international game? Whatever the case, mutual respect and a balance struck must be maintained between the both valid demands of the domestic game and the international scene.

This never-ending issue seemed to again manifest itself in Gareth Southgate's recent squad selection for next U21 European

Championships. Although we are told that Roy Hodgson (England's Senior Team manager) was quoted in saying that “you can take who you like”, this looks far from the case. A recent shift towards the development of younger players in the senior squad (after two consecutive world cup failures) has meant that managers of the youth squads are occasionally unable to call up certain players as their duty with the senior squad takes priority. Prolific Tottenham striker Harry Kane was one of few England senior squad members to be included in the 27-man squad for the tournament. Southgate would also have been in his rights to also call up the likes of Raheem Sterling, Phil Jones, Ross Barkley, Luke Shaw, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

However, none of these players have been selected. It seems obvious that this is because they are set to be included in the senior squad for the upcoming friendly against The Republic of Ireland and a European Championship qualifier against Slovenia.

However, every one of these players would have merited their place in Southgate's squad (as they also do in the Seniors) which begs the question, are managers simply 'sharing' players between the two age groups? Harry Kane, after the fantastic breakthrough season he has had would have been a shoe-in. The result?

Being the 'pin up boy' of our U21 European Championship team this summer. Regarding these various omissions, Southgate stated: "We've [him and Hodgson] talked - across the two years every time about what's the right thing for each player, what's the right experience. We sat down yesterday and finalised what we want to do.

"Roy has been really supportive as clearly there are a

couple of players here in an ideal world that he could have taken with the seniors in June. But he's wanting to look longer-term, at what's better for the youngsters to come into his squad with the best experience possible.”

This seems all well and good, but the reality is that, despite the dialogue between both managers who seem to be on the same wavelength, clubs retain their discretion upon whether a national side can call up their player or not and many footballers still do not seem to be above creating an injury to abstain from international duty. Diego Costa, for example, was plagued by a serious thigh injury throughout last season for Chelsea. However, when it came to representing his adopted Spain, he appeared to make a decision alongside his manager Jose Mourinho to avoid being called up for fear of exacerbating his injury.

Mourinho, however, seemed to

have no problem playing him the following weekend. It therefore seemed that Costa was taking the 'break' in international break to heart and treating it as a resting period with which he could ensure his fitness for Chelsea.

Is this problem limited to just football? It is difficult to say, with their appearing to be a more effective dialogue between club and country when it comes to rugby, and a less demanding cricket season facilitating the continued fitness of players and therefore availability for international duty making it clear that football has a lot to learn. If England truly wants to become competitive on the international stage, then this, along with numerous other reforms must be acted upon if we are to maintain the quality of the Premier League whilst also allowing international managers to enjoy the freedom they deserve.

The Spark Newspaper is designed and typeset by students at the University of Reading. Printed at Newbury News Limited, Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG12 2DW. Published and funded

by Reading University Students’ Union, contact: studentengagemtn@rusu.co.uk. Our students strive for accuracy but on occasion can make mistakes. Errors can be corrected/acknowledged by contacting the Editor.

Complaints should be made to the Editor in the first instance, and thereafter to RUSU. All complaints should be made in writing. All articles, letters etc. must include a name, address, and contact number/email address. These may be withheld from publication at specific request. The Spark Newspaper or RUSU can take no responsibility for products or services advertised herein. The Spark Newspaper reserves the right to reject or edit any submissions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Editor. The views expressed in The Spark Newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or RUSU, particularly those expressed in the comments pages, which are often opinions of the specific authors. Photographs in The Spark Newspaper are copyright, and you will need permission from the photographer to re-use. Contact the Editor at: editor.spark@reading.ac.uk.

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