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NERVE
OCTOBER14
WHO’S ON BOARD? Editor Wil Oxford editor@nervemedia.org.uk
Design Editor Zennen Thomas design@nervemedia.org.uk
Features Editor Kassia-Hope Wordley Molly Mileham-Chappell Astrid Wood features@nervemedia.org.uk
Fashion Editor Scarlett Dixon Sofie Boyland Rebecca Burgess fashion@nervemedia.org.uk
Sport Editor Will Kent Chris Marshall-Bell sport@nervemedia.org.uk
Entertainment Editor Laura Geall Charlie Souter-Phillips ents@nervemedia.org.uk
Got it COVERED P13
Check what we’ve got for you this month...
ALT J
Nerve chats to the trio about their musical maturing and humble origins, as well as how the band have progressed and adapted following on from the loss of one of their founding members.
Comment Editor Casey Farr Aliyah Allen comment@nervemedia.org.uk
Chief Sub-Editor Madeleine Supple sub@nervemedia.org.uk
Online Editor Claire Creagh online@nervemedia.org.uk
Advertising Andy Elsey susales@bournemouth.ac.uk 01202 961461
P42
TRAVELLING
Got the travelling bug? Nerve gives you the essential guide to venturing overseas with an account from student volunteer Justina Daraciute and our top five travelling tips.
P26 LFW
Catch our snaps of the best dressed at London Fashion week, as well as some of the highlights and rundowns of the shows we went to see
Media Coordinator Joe Tattersall sunerve@bournemouth.ac.uk 01202 961681
Wanna Join?
For opportunities to get involved, whether it be writing, design, illustration, photography or even a spot of photobombing, email editor@nervemedia.org.uk for details.
P34
CHILDLESSNESS
Lacking that broody feeling? Nerve comments on why it’s ok for women to want to focus their lives on things other than having a child and motherhood.
P58
FORMULA 1
With only a few races remaining on the horizon, we look back at a fantastic year for Formula 1 as the season reaches its exciting climax.
NERVE | 3
NERVE
OCTOBER14
Contributors Writers Joe Hopkins Catherine Bolton Hannah Dix Lauren Chassebi Chantelle Argent Laura Rogers Katrina Quick Olivia Osmond Bethany Connor Robert Cain Jodie Boyce Justina Daracuite Naomi Tukker Tom Beasley Matt Joy Design Team Zennen Thomas Jack Mullen Illustrators Nathan Hackett Meg James
Word From Your Editor
The weather is getting colder and the first term is well underway, with the first batch of assignment deadlines looming. But if you need to take a break from all the studying the second issue of Nerve Magazine is here for all your procrastination needs! We’ve got tonnes to keep you entertained this issue. We caught up with Alt J following on from transitioning to a threesome after losing one of their founding members. As well as this, for all you travelling fiends and wannabes we’ve got the essential Travelling Guide to seeing the world, with accounts and tips from students on the best way to venture overseas. Always keeping you up to date with the latest
Keep Up facebook.com/nervemagazine twitter.com/nervemagazine www.nervemedia.org.uk
Important Stuff Here at SUBU, when we print Nerve Magazine, we print on 100% recycled paper using vegetable - based inks by Indigo Press Limited. You’ve got to start somewhere. Nerve Magazine is produced by SUBU (the Students Union @ Bournemouth University). Information correct at time of publication (October 2014). The views expressed are not necessarily those of Nerve Media, SUBU or the Editor. Nerve Magazine is usually printed on 200 gsm silk cover and 115gsm body provided by Indigo Printing Press.
trends, Nerve went to London Fashion Week where we snapped the most stylish and gave you the rundown of the shows we went to see. In sport, we also look back at a brilliant year of racing in our Formula 1 review and look ahead to what might be in store for the Champions League. The hot topic on everyone’s lips, Nerve looks at the Scottish Referendum and whether our neighbours were right to vote to stay, and of course you can still find all your favourite regulars with the Mixtape of our favourite tracks, our Top 5 uni winter essentials in addition to our Winners and Losers of the past month - so get stuck in, put your feet up, and have a read. Wil Oxford
The Full Line Up
REGULARS
SPORT
06 Mix Tape
51 Poole town
08 Heads Up
52 Champions League
09 Winners/Losers
55 Ryder Cup
30 Through the Lens
56 AFC Bournemouth
63 Top 5
58 Formula 1
60 Old Fire Station Highlights
FASHION
ENTERTAINMENT
10 Fashion Debate
13 Alt J
21 Beauty Bits
19 UB40
24 Models of Beverly Hills
25 Eliza and the Bear
26 London Fashion week
26 Coffee House Sessions
37 Fashion on Instagram
44 Reviewed
38 Fashion Blogging
49 Jay Brown
46 Mens A/W trends
FEATURES
COMMENT
16 Young Adult Fiction
34 Childlessness
18 Trampolining Society
53 Male domestic violence
22 BFX 32 Scottish Independence 42 Travelling
NERVE | 5
Essential TRACKS we’ve been listening to this MONTH
MEGHAN TRAINOR ALL ABOUT THAT BASS Making its way overseas and undoutedly the song everyone can’t stop talking about is Meghan Trainor’s debut single ‘All About That Bass’. Whether you agree with its body acceptance message or not, it’s hard to deny how catchy this song is and its constant ‘doo-wops’ and Meghan’s continual vocals mean you can’t help but clap, sing and dance along.
JOHN LEGEND YOU & I (NOBODY IN THE WORLD)
5 SECONDS OF SUMMER AMNESIA Taken from their debut album, ‘Amnesia’ strips back the previous fun-loving image portrayed in ‘She Looks So Perfect’ to reveal a sensitive side. The melodious guitar strings accompany the boys’ lucid crooning, proving the band is not restricted to up-tempo songs.
There are some big expectations for smooth talker John Legend, who follows up last year’s successful romance ballad ‘All Of Me’ with another potential big hit ‘You & I’. Legend’s iconic soulful vocals carry the song alone, with a very gentle guitar featuring throughout as he appreciatively serenades his significant other in this promising track.
BASTILLE OBLIVION This is a slow one from the usually upbeat and fast-paced Bastille, featuring the softer side of Dan Smith’s vocals. The video is intriguing, featuring Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, who appears miming Bastille’s song throughout. The song is said to represent one of the short stories in a series that links all of the songs from the Bad Blood album. As well as a good track to listen to, it’s well worth going online to check out the track’s video as well.
ROOM 94 DIRTY DANCING You may not have heard of London-based Room 94, but the group are currently making waves on the unsigned scene. Their latest track, ‘Dirty Dancing’, sees them mix an R’n’B opener with a guitar-driven chorus. If that’s your thing, the band is at The Old Fire Station next March.
GEORGE EZRA BLAME IT ON ME
JAMIE T ZOMBIE Jamie T has come back from a four year break with his new album, Carry on the Grudge. Releasing his latest single, Zombie, Jamie has gone back to the ‘catchyness’ that was heard in Chaka Damus. The track has a real 80’s sound, with a magnificent guitar rift and those vocals that every fan will recognise. The video is also worth a watch with excellent zombie cosmetics.
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George Ezra has released his new song Blame it on Me, following on from the huge success of record Budapest, which was a pretty hard act to follow. With the uplifting chorus and resonating lyrics in his new song he has certainly not disappointed. Showcasing his unique vocals, this will definitely help continue his success as an artist.
ONE REPUBLIC LOVE RUNS OUT The fast-paced and engaging introduction bodes well for the rest of the song. It is a different sound to the usual songs from One Republic, but the strong vocals give it a tougher edge. It is hard to listen to the chorus without tapping your foot. In fact, it is difficult to listen to the whole song without singing along.
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3 rooms of gore
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HEADS UP!
YOUR MONTH IN BOURNEMOUTH
THE KOOKS @O2 Academy 19 November
CLUBBING
GIGS
EVENTS
Get Satisfied Skream
UB40
Get your Bake on with Paul Hollywood
Old Fire Station 1 November
The Block Party Old Fire Station 8 November
Halo Sessions 14: Jaguar Skills
O2 Academy 7 November
Robert Plant O2 Academy 10 November
Passenger
O2 Academy 12 November
Halo 14 November
DJ Roast Beatz
Old Fire Station 15 November
The Kooks
Old Fire Station 29 November
Kasabian
Fusion
Enter - Drumfunk
60MPC 14 November
O2 Academy 19 November BIC 25 November
Poole Lighthouse 6 November
Jimmy Carr
Poole Lighthouse 7 November
Dawn French
Beware of soggy bottoms. Paul Hollywood @
Bournemouth Pavilion Poole Lighthouse, 6 November 19, 20, 21 November
Comedy Nation
The Old Fire Station 25 November
Noel Fielding BIC 28 November
James Blunt BIC 27 October
NERVE | 8
8 out of 10 cats comes to Bournemouth. Jimmy Carr @ Poole Lighthouse, 7 November
Jennifer Lawrence
EMma Watson
The tables have seemingly turned for Miss Lawrence after being one of our losers in the previous issue. Our favourite actress of the moment has managed to turn her leaked nude selfies to her advantage by speaking out and stating that they were a sex crime and that the only people who should be ashamed are the people viewing them. You go, girl.
The Harry Potter actress has redefined herself as a feminist icon after an empowering speech at the UN promoting the HeforShe campaign and advocating the important role of men in the fight for equality. Predictably the internet responded in its usual dissapointing manner with the actress receiving online rape threats - which only further reinforce the very concept behind the campaign.
Bank of England The Bank of England has announced that interest rates are being held at a record low of 0.5%. Additionally it is expected that the UK market is likely to experience a small rise early next year. Is the UK’s economic future finally looking prosperous?
UKIP Unfortunately it seems that UKIP’s success at the European elections was not short lived. After former Tory MP Douglas Carswell defected to UKIP he was successful in becoming the party’s first MP for Clacton on Sea. With UKIP looking towards the general election next year with glee, we don’t think Nigel and the rest of UKIP should be counting their chickens just yet.
WINNERS
TH ON M S R E S LO OF THIS
Amanda Bynes Oh Amanda, what went wrong? The disgraced actress has hit an even further low after a twitter outburst declaring that her Dad sexually abused her and later tweeting that it wasn’t in fact her saying that, but the microchip in her brain. Thankfully she’s now recieving psyciatric help and support from family.
Top Gear Where there’s controversy you’re more than likely to find BBC motoring show Top Gear. They once again landed in hot water during the filming of its upcoming show in Argentina, with one of the cars carrying a number plate referring to the Falklands war. Maybe being made to flee for their lives will teach the boys a lesson.
The king of social media websites may have finally met its match in the form of Ello - an ad free, simple and beautiful social network according to its founder Paul Budnitz. You may roll your eyes at the thought of any new social media start-up attempting to topple Facebook off the podium, but at one point the site was reportedly seeing 35,000 users sign up every hour not something to shrug off.
NERVE | 9
The Great Fashion Debate Every month, we tackle a fashion issue
T
he term ‘plus size’ seems to have always had a social stigma surrounding it. People see those two words written in a magazine, or on an advertisement for a store, and instantly give the phrase negative connotations. This is something we as a society have been conditioned into doing unconsciously, and is something we need to stop. In reality, the term ‘plus size’ is just an industry term. It does not simply translate to the words ‘fat’ or ‘overweight’, so why is that what we associate it with? In the modelling industry, there are two types of models. Most models average at around a US size 0 to size 2, and this category are usually referred to in the industry as ‘straight models’. These models are in no way an accurate representation of what the average woman looks like but are primarily used by brands and designers simply as hangers for their clothing. They are used because psychologically, a woman will look at a thin girl who looks good in the dress she is modelling, and aspire to be like her, causing her to like the clothing the model is wearing. When it comes down to it, unfortunately - skinny does sell. Plus size is the industry term for anyone who is above the average size
YES
NERVE | 10
of a model. Not above the average size of women in society in general. The two do not correlate. The average plus sized model is a UK size 12-14 - a completely healthy and normal
“
Plus size is only an industry term for anyone above the average size of a model
“
Q
Should we accept – and learn to celebrate – the term ‘plus size’?
weight. It is easy for anyone to see that there is a difference in the sizes between straight and plus size models, and this doesn’t need to be a negative thing. If anything, this simply reinforces the idea that women come in all different shapes and sizes, and all of these sizes are okay and more importantly - normal. Australian plus size model Jennie Runk, who recently caused a media storm when photographs of her size 12 body in a bikini were labelled ‘plus size’ across the web and in in tabloids around the world, has made comment on the topic in the
past. She suggests that although it may seem stigmatising to separate women into size categories, it is done to aid customers, and allow people of all different shapes and sizes to find the clothing that will suit their shape which in turn is beneficial to all of us. The fact that there is so much anger around the plus sized model debate is almost unnecessary. These women are not ‘fat’, and society knows that. They are women who have not allowed their body shape to define them, and who are doing the same job as slimmer models in the industry just as successfully. If anything, we should be embracing this - not shaming and attempting to get rid of a term that celebrates the diversity of the many types of women’s bodies. Plus size models are promoting body confidence and the idea that we should love the skin we’re in. There is no point in ignoring the fact that these women have curves. Because they do. In industry terms, they are plus size, but there’s nothing negative about it.
Words Lauren Chassebi Illustration Meg James Design Jack Mullen
FASHION
I
t’s one of life’s most defeating moments; you’re eagerly flicking through that catalogue or clicking on that retail website to find a perfect outfit, then suddenly you’re hit hard across the face by the word ‘Plus’, or the incredibly patronising alternative ‘Curve’, stamped across a picture of an averagely proportioned woman. Straight away self-confidence plummets to zero! Let’s face it, to most women, the phrase ‘plussize’ loosely translates to bigger, larger or fatter, but these women are not large at all. On the contrary, they often pose a more realistic representation of the female body. Let’s look for a moment at the further absurdity that is plus size’s counterpart, straight size. Straight size models tend to range from UK sizes 4-8. Most models are between 5 ft. 8 inches and 6 ft. in height. For women of this height, to be below a size 8 is simply unhealthy. This shift toward thinness influences women to adopt unrealistic expectations about their own bodies. Not all women want to be skinny, many of us are more than happy to just be real, but amongst today’s body-shaming culture and in an age of such vanity,
“
little and perfectly natural imperfections that we all must deal with; these women don’t seem to have any! Many brands will even simply apply the magic of Photoshop to pad up and fill out the bodies of smaller models, hence why many ‘plus-size models’ do not appear to have plussize faces. It’s no wonder why girls all over the country look in the mirror every morning and are unhappy with what stares back at them; we don’t see real women.
“
NO
being tarnished with the plus-sized brush is something that many women are fearful of. Therefore, using regularly proportioned women and labelling them plus-size only makes women further dissatisfied with themselves, driving them towards fasting and fad diets in order to flee the fat bracket. Model Robyn Lawly, for example, has an admirable size 12 figure yet she is marketed as plussize. With her slender yet womanly physique, Robyn is a healthy inspira-
it is an empty concept that has evolved into a mere stigma
tion. Nonetheless, she is a contemporary exemplification of what society now considers plus-size. If it were not so insulting, it would be almost funny. In addition to using women who inaccurately represent the plus-size margin, brands also airbrush and Photoshop their models in order to improve their appearance. Sure the models may be curvier, they may even be bigger than a size 12, but they are still perfectly toned and carved into a flawless hourglass silhouette. Where are their lumps and bumps and wobbly bits, their cellulite or their stretch marks? All these
As a result of the lie that is the plus size market, we are caught in a distorted reality. Plus-size has lost all meaning; it is an empty concept that has evolved into a mere stigma. Size 12 to 24 women have all been thrown into the same dishevelled, meaningless category. The nation is losing sight of what real women are and what plus-size actually means. These models are not plus-size; they are slightly shapelier versions of artificially constructed beauty.
Words Chantelle Argent
What do you think? Should the term plus sized be banished or should we embrace and learn to love it?
Tweet us: @NerveMagazine
NERVE | 11
ADVERT
ENTS
ALT J
Four have become three but Alt J is still soildering on. Nerve’s Laura Geall caught up with band member Thom Green to chat about their upcoming tour as well as the band’s humble origins
NERVE | 13
T
hom seemed tired when he picked up the phone to chat. The whole band had been busy at the time, doing interviews and preparing for their upcoming tour. As the interview progressed however, he became more lively and animated - music is clearly his passion, and you can tell this just by talking to him. "I will always be making music. I never get bored of it, I never run out of ideas." As an Alt-J fan myself, this was nice to hear. Having had such widespread success with their debut album, An Awesome Wave, Alt-J headed on tour again with their second album, This is All Yours. This time however, it was without their fourth member, Gwil Sainsbury who founded the band. "I think now that it’s been a few months we’ve kind of got used to it being the three of us. It’s going to be new anyway. We’ve got new crew members as well," Thom explains. Their first album was written when the boys were studying at Leeds University, writing and recording many of their songs during their time in halls and in between studies. Post-education with just their music to focus on, their second album didn’t take as long to write, though Thom confirms that it still took well over a year. "We had stuff written and formed some ideas from touring, even before the first album. There are tracks from the first album which didn’t go on, which we have now put onto this album." But not to fear, this doesn’t mean that their music has veered too far from their origins. "To me it sounds more refined. We’ve established what we like to do. The production on the album is clearer and it’s well produced. I think you can hear how we’ve matured as people and songwriters on the album." This album seems to have a reoccurring theme throughout, as three song titles include the word Nara – a place in Japan where the deer are sacred so they are allowed to run free. The band’s vocalist, Joe Newman, read an article about the deer and wanted to use this theme of freedom throughout the album. Joe also came up with the concept of the video for Hunger of the Pine, but the story behind the
NERVE | 14
excellent video for Breezeblocks is an interesting one. "There’s a website where you put up your track and video directors pitch their ideas for the video and then you choose which one you like the most." Explains Thom. They found the director Ellis Bar on there because they liked his concept the most. "He’s a young director, he directed really well." This year’s tour offers an exciting list of places to visit for Thom, with Leeds, London, Glasgow, LA, New York and Amsterdam all featuring in his breakdown of where he is looking forward to playing the most. "LA is always a lot of fun, there’s a lot of energy, and New York purely because it’s New York." Thom says. "But in amsterdam the
“
I think you can hear how we’ve matured as people and songwriters
”
fans are really attentive. They’re there for the music. Which is kind of weird because they’re quite quiet but it’s a nice experience because you feel more like you’re performing for a reason, not just showing off." The story behind the band’s name is an interesting one. They had two names originally. The first was Daljit Dhaliwal and the second was Films. "Alt-J was something we agreed on, it was Gwil’s idea. We liked it and it grew on us. It’s hard to say now because I think a lot of people like the name. The whole Delta triangle thing, the fans really took that on and it became its own marketing success without us even trying to use it." Yet, the fact that he finished by saying, "To me, a name is just a name" shows he is only in it for the music.
NERVE | 15
FEATURES
Don’t Judge a Book by its Genre As the popularity and readership of young adult fiction grows, Laura Rogers investigates just what the genre has to offer and what it is that makes us love it NERVE | 16
N
ew York City, June 2nd 2014 – it’s been almost a full twenty four hours since the most devoted and enthusiastic fans first gathered by The Fault in Our Stars red carpet outside the Ziegfeld Theatre. They wave posters crammed full of the book’s most memorable quotes and cardboard cut-outs of blue and white clouds, waiting patiently and with tense excitement. The stars finally arrive. Ansel Elgort, who plays one of the lead characters, makes his appearance. He praises the audience for their dedication. "It shows how many people care about this story and care about this book" he declares. The book in question ultimately being John Green’s young adult fiction best-seller, The Fault in Our Stars. Selling over 10 million copies worldwide since its release in 2012, the book tells the story of two teenagers who meet at a cancer support group, fall in love, and learn the hard way that some infinities are bigger than other infinities. The film adaptation of the book grossed over £300 million worldwide and additionally offered the perfect platform for several young actors to launch their careers. Ultimately these kinds of figures would not be possible if the novel hadn’t pushed the boundaries of its own genre and reached a much wider ranging market. The young adult fiction novel is soaring to the forefront of the literary world, but you should never judge a book by its genre. The young adult fiction novel has escaped the confines of teen classification yet hasn’t quite matured to adult status. But it is not the label of this new genre, so much as the content, that has attracted readers of all ages. In 2012, 55 per cent of young adult fiction sales were purchased by those outside its intended demographic. Talking about the Fault in Our Stars, the film’s actress Shailene Woodley explains that this kind of material is "nostalgic, for every single person." Everyone either was young or is young, everyone can relate in some way –
young adult fiction is the genre that in many ways transcends age. So, what are adult readers getting out of these novels? Novels about youth can either be directly relatable or distantly sentimental for readers, depending on age, and the accessible easy-to-read style appeals to all. Whilst everyone has been busy comparing the difference between young adult fiction and adult fiction, a completely new sub-genre has emerged. A bunch of novels deemed as new adult fiction have now emerged, encompassing elements from across the spectrum.
“ ”
Young adult FICTION is the genre that in many ways transcends age
These types of novels focus on hard-hitting material however they usually focus on the most optimistic outcome. When dealing with the theme of terminal illness through the eyes of these fresh, young characters they see the beauty of life in its quality not its quantity. On the other hand, adult novels, with adult characters, would be less likely to focus on these particular aspects of resolve. Audiences can experience the same, if not more, emotion with the bonus of seeing these narrative situations through the eyes of young characters. The most common opinion that young adult fiction is less cynical and more optimistic is because it is aimed at an age group who look and need to be inspired. An online article from slate.com back in June claimed that adults should be "embarrassed about reading literature written for children." The piece was shared by more than 83,000 people on Facebook and
inspired a continued discussion on the subject. Some agreed that young ddult fiction is targeted at young people for a reason, whereas others argued that the concept of ‘young adult’ is simply a marketing trend and that the coming-of-age novel has always existed for all audiences. Ultimately Green is not alone in the young adult fiction category. The Divergent series, by Veronica Roth is an action adventure set in a future where society has been divided into five factions based on key human traits. Roth’s work has packed into the Young Adult spotlight alongside Green’s, gaining yet more popularity since the first film adaptation was released back in April. Leading the way through the bleak remains of a once hustle-bustle city are Tris, played by Shailene Woodley, adding another highly anticipated role to her repertoire, and Four, played by Theo James. Young adult novels set in the future often offer up some kind of moral discussion of human nature and whether the world will eventually be corrupted by it. Obviously, we cannot forget to mention The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the final two film instalments of which are looking set to break records. Katniss Everdeen must navigate the morally twisted world she lives in, trying to keep herself and her family alive. It must also be obvious that there is a never ending list of novels which would be mentioned, and their authors, who create wonderful young adult characters and throw them together under any number of circumstances. Those who have suffered from the absence of – or perhaps slightly grown out of – the likes of Harry Potter and Twilight will certainly be getting involved in these new fictional worlds.
Design Zennen Thomas Illustration Nathan Hackett
NERVE | 17
FEATURES
MAKING THE
J UM P
Chances are we’ve all indulged in the occasional jump on a trampoline – but there’s much more to explore when it comes to the sport. Katrina Quick spoke to BU’s Trampolining society to find out more. "I’ve been in 4 national finals at the British championships. It’s a huge part of my life-all my friends know me as the guy who can do a front flip. If I couldn’t do trampolining I’d be so heartbroken". Hannah laughs, adding: "Once he had an injury for two weeks and wouldn’t stop moping around!" When asked about their most impressive moves to date, Hannah remembers her first light bulb
“
I’ve never seen anyone get on a trampoline of any age and not smile
“
Ever since the first trampoline was built in 1936 – we’ve pretty much been addicted to jumping on our favourite garden accessory. Becoming an Olympic sport in 2000, the sport has gained kudos around the world and surpassed stereotypes of it being just an act indulged in by those just looking to have some fun – with Bournemouth’s very own Trampolining Society evidence of that. The society’s president Jack Durham has his grandfather to thank for his success as an international trampolining champion. "I’ve been in competition training for three and a half years. I used to do gymnastics/ tumbling as a child then stopped at around ten. My granddad was really supportive, and when I was 17 I started attending a trampolining club at Southampton College." He explains. "My granddad is the reason I’m an international champion. "Cosociety member Hannah Dixon only started trampolining last year but soon found she was a bit of a natural. "She was doing front somersaults in a month" boasted Jack. "I joined the club in January last year after I met Jack at a house party. He asked me to come and I just thought ‘come on you can do this, man up’ and so I went", says Hannah grinning widely. No regrets here since then. Trampolining is undoubtedly lots of fun – and something that drives BU’s society is the capacity it has as an enjoyable pastime – but it shouldn’t be dismissed as just that. Jack got in to university on a full scholarship and regularly competes at a serious level.
moment, "I managed to land a front flip. I remember when it clicked the first time, everyone clapped. If someone’s struggling with a move and then they get it, everyone claps." The best thing about trampolining is the community that has built up around it, much like any sport. This is no different for the BU society. "I was so scared to go at first but then everyone was so reassuring, and made me feel comfortable." Hannah says. "I’ve definitely made a lot of friends, at least three life long friends – definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!"
Design NERVE | 18
Jack Mullen
Sport is well known for its stress relieving properties, and trampolining is no exception. As well as the sport burning 100 calories in just 20 minutes, it also improves your balance, strengthens your heart and unlike other ways of keeping fit such as jogging, takes up to 80 per cent of stress off weight bearing joints – so people of all shapes, sizes are able to get involved. It even has specific university benefits for students, as Jack explains. "It’s a good distraction when you’re stressed, which happens pretty often at uni." When asked what advice they would give to people who want to try out but are perhaps a bit afraid, they both reply in unison "YOLO". It’s true, you do only live once. Hannah’s best advice is to ‘man up’ and points out that you might as well try it out while you can. Jack recommends a fresh look at the sport: "Whatever expectations you have of trampolining, throw it out the door. I’ve never seen anyone get on a trampoline of any age and not smile. I dare you to bounce without smiling. You will smile." The fear of falling and embarrassing yourself is unnecessary, according to these two. "No one laughs. Or if they do they try to pretend they’re not," Hannah grins wickedly, "or we all just laugh along with you," adds Jack. "We have someone in first aid on the premises at all times and a compulsory health and safety briefing, so you’re in safe hands". Thoughts of broken necks are squashed slightly at this reassurance.
ENTS
UB40
"D
evastatingly handsome, incredible musicianship, tighter than a duck’s ass - that’s water tight - and really passionate about the music we play," were the words Brian Travers chose to describe his world famous band UB40. The reggae pop band has been on the scene for over 35 years, selling more than 100 million records. Brian Travers explains what it’s like being in the business for so long. "It’s changed in many, many ways. We are lucky in that we come from a time when the record sales counted and mattered and the charts were real and we built an audience." The six men grew up in central Birmingham, where listening to reggae was a daily occurrence. To bring it to the charts in the 1970s turned out to be a huge success for them as well as the genre. "We weren’t following a trend, we were the trend. We started it, all we heard was reggae and we emulated that and became a reggae band." Having toured the world for years it is nice to hear that Brian is still playing gigs for the music, rather
Design
Ahead of their visit to Bournemouth, Charlie Souter-Phillips caught up with the band to chat about their long career and changing times than the money. "I don’t count huge arenas as real gigs anymore. It’s quite a soulless experience to play night after night in arenas with 25 layers of security. We like to be in the mist of it so you get a chance to really say something to these strangers" It’s fundamentalists that make music popular and I love that, you can’t tell them what they like and that suits me. "
“
We weren’t following a trend - we were the trend
”
UB40 is named after an unemployment card that many people had at the time when they were founded, showing the band’s political interest. "We were taking the piss because there was more chance of us getting a hit record then a job which was absurd. 30
years ago we wrote a song called ‘One in Ten’ which was about one in ten people having a job. Now it’s nearly one in ten people again and young people just do not stand a chance." The band has achieved so much in their career. They were invited to play in South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s release, as well as Live 8 in Hyde Park. However, Brian is still excited for the smaller gigs closer to home. "I’m looking forward to Bournemouth, I will get the opportunity to give them 100% of myself and to those notes. If you’re into live music you will love our gig. We are really sincere; there is no messing around, no dirty tricks going on. It’s all about the music. " It’s clear that UB40 have something special as they have stayed in the industry for so long. Whether it’s their humbleness, appreciation of fans or passion for music, they are doing it right, and still loving what they do. The reggae pop band knows one thing for sure, "It’s all about the music."
Jack Mullen
NERVE | 19
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FASHION Glo & Ray Velvet Powder, £19 With sleek white on black packaging and a luxuriously velvety texture, Glo & Ray is the student version of NARS, without compromising on the quality. This powder glides on effortlessly, smoothing over creases and setting your foundation, giving it a lasting hold, all day long. Glo-ray.co.uk
Urban Beauty United, £5 This hot pink multi-purpose ‘Berry Blush’ brush is ideal for applying blusher, bronzer and powder, in addition to contouring, highlighting and prepping skin. The angular bristles help to define cheekbones and create a dramatic evening look. Tesco.com
Beauty
: s t Bi
Buying beauty on a budget is often a mammoth task especially when trying to contend with your favourite brands, preferences and skincare needs. Scarlett Dixon brings you the very best luxury dupes, skincare saviours and cheap creams.
Illustration Nathan Hackett Help: Clear Skin, £22 Late night study sessions, hangovers and one too many take-aways can take their toll on your skin, so a little ‘pick me up’ that’s easy to fit in with your daily routine is a welcome addition. Simply dissolve the sachets in water for a boost of zinc, lactoferrin and aloe vera. Workswithwater.com
Green People Intensive Repair, £8 Various nights out (especially consecutively) spell bad news for your hair, especially if you have a tendency to use heat treatment regularly. Green People offer a very cheap and effective shampoo and conditioner duo, which not only hydrate hair for ease of styling, but also repair the cuticles and split ends. Greenpeople.co.uk Zoella Fizz Bar, £5 Starting out as a beauty blogger in 2009, Zoe Sugg – aka Zoella, has brought out her very own pamper range with Superdrug. Accessible and affordable to her 6 million young subscribers, the fizz bar is my favourite from the collection. Shaped like a chocolate bar, you can break off pieces and pop them into your bath for much needed wind down time. Superdrug.com NERVE | 21
[BFX]
Bournemouth’s Visual Effects & Animation Festival
This September, animation students from Bournemouth university together with industry professionals celebrated the BFX festival for the second year running. Kassia-Hope Wordley met the creator of the event and some of the teams who took part in the competition.
"W
e wanted to create an event with four themes, each one with its own unique identity. The four themes sought to aline academic and industry practises; celebrate the excellent work by NCCA’s (National Centre for Computer Animation) graduates and promote the creative industry internationally, nationally and within the South West region." - Sofronis (Saf) Efstathiou, Postgraduate Framework Leader and BFX Competition & Festival Director And so was born the BFX festival. The competition took place over a 7 week period in the summer where students from universities around the UK worked to a real world brief whilst being mentored by some of the best artists in the VFX industry. Their goal was to create a 30 second film. With access to fantastic facilities and the opportunity to work along side professionals who have worked on VFX master pieces such as Gravity and Godzilla, this experience was a unique chance for students and post grads to showcase their talents and get their foot in the industry’s
NERVE | 22
proverbial door. Hailing from universities all over the country – from South Wales to Lincoln – a total of 48 talented competitors settled in sunny Bournemouth for the summer. Having already competed to partake in the competition, pitching ideas based on screenplays written by script writing students, the chosen few formed 8 teams who worked
tirelessly to create 30 second shorts. There were energy drink fuelled sleepless nights and countless stressful days, but at the award ceremony that marked the end of the competition, students reaped the rewards of their hard work in front of an audience of 300, including senior artists and supervisors from Dreamworks. Sofronis adds: "In fact, the awards were presented by Oscar and BAFTA winner Paul Franklin, as well as award winning characters from AvenueQ. It was amazing."
Bournemouth’s very own competing teams walked away with a number of placards confirming their achievements that night. 22 year old Shane Simms, BU Computer Visualisation and Animation student and proud director of team ‘Four People and a Beard’ talks passionately about the experience. "After seeing the great work that was produced last year I got very excited about what would be possible. It seemed like a fantastic opportunity to work on a project that I was personally passionate about. The first film I ever went to see in the cinema was Toy Story, and since then I’ve had an obsession with computer graphics and animation in general. Although now, after 2 years of university and this competition, the people working in the industry themselves have become a real motivation for me getting into it. Being surrounded by such talented and motivated people is a great feeling, and makes you really want to better yourself at what you do. This industry is full of them!" Team Four People and a Beard walked away with awards for ‘Best Rendering’ and ‘Best Surfacing’ for their film, based on the script ‘Frankenstein, Alive!’. The script was then realised as a full CG character animation piece that follows a "mentalist DIY type scientist" who is seen bringing his dumb, squidgy Frankenstein to life in the rickety cottage-come-experimentallaboratory. Unfortunately, Frankenstein isn’t quite the monster he’d hoped for and the film ends with this ‘monster’ embracing the
FEATURES
scientist in such a way he cuddles him to death. It’s Of Mice and Men meets Frankenstein. For Shane, the experience was invaluable and he’s looking forward to translating newly acquired and refined skills into the real world. "I’m hoping that those in the industry see how passionate I am about what I do and give me an opportunity to get my dream job." The industry judges were particularly impressed by the work produced this year, suggesting that the quality of the work produced was equal to, and in some cases, surpassed that of last years competition. Sofronis said he thought the work was excellent, adding: "Personally, I believe we have two years of excellent work which reinforces the idea of team work and the use of a rigid brief, all of which needs to be completed in a commercial environment." This was evident for both team ‘Four People and a Beard’ and the second of Bournemouth’s competing
teams, ‘Team Beard’ (notice the recurring theme here?’) Directed by 21 year old BU Animation student, Alex Tavener, their 30 second short based on script ‘Crimson Island’ saw them celebrate the end of the competition with awards for Concept Art and Editing. In their film, we see Sinbad running through a moonlit treetop canopy, desperately trying to escape a sinister looming shadow. On his journey, Sinbad encounters a giant golden egg entangled in the jungle vines, only to discover the giant creature that laid the egg moments later. Alex is another example of a passionate student using the competition to build a pathway into the industry in which he endeavours to build a career. He said: "BFX is related to something I feel strongly about; animation. It’s an excellent way to make contacts with the industry professionals and students from other universities. It gave me a snippet of what the industry may be like to work in and proved to be one of the biggest learning curves of my education." So what does the future hold for BFX? Sofronis is keen that the competition will return in 2015.
"It’s the only one of its kind at the moment. We are looking to invite european universities to take part; allowing each region to have teams take part supported by its local creative industries. A bit like the European Cup of Visual Effects and Animation. It’s early days though; we are just happy to have such tremendous support from the universities and our industry partners." As for anyone who would like to be involved next year, Sofronis explains that competitors must be dedicated and able to work in a team. "Students also need to be focussed and able to take feedback during a long period of pressure. Everyone has to bring their artistic and technical skills to the event and deliver a high standard of work after just 7 weeks." And what do the competitors say? When asked what they’d do differently should the experience repeat itself, the general consensus seemed to be: "sleep more" and when the long hours and emotional challenges become too much, "just remember why you’re there."
For more information and to watch the shorts created this year, visit www.bfxfestival.com
Design Zennen Thomas NERVE | 23
FASHION
The Real Models of
Beverly Hills
If you haven’t seen them - you’ve almost certainly heard of them. Olivia Osmond investigates the new glamourous crop of models to hit the runway this fashion season and asks; just how did they get there?
T
hey’re from famous families, are best friends and come in pairs; dominating the catwalks in New York, London, Paris and Milan this generation of modeling sisters are making waves, but are they talented or just well connected? These celebrity heiresses are hard to miss. Gigi Hadid, daughter of ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ star and model, Yolanda Foster, and luxury real estate developer, Mohammed Hadid, started out modeling for Guess as a toddler before becoming a fully fledged Guess Girl and Sports Illustrated Rookie. Whilst Kendall Jenner, star of the infamous ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ and sister of Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and Kylie is too modeling internationally, gracing the runways of fashion powerhouses Donna Karen and Dolce and Gabana, to name a few. And don’t go forgetting their younger siblings Bella Hadid signed to IMG Models, whilst the Kardashian Klan’s youngest member, Kylie Jenner, has recently modeled commercially for Brydie. To the outside world there appears to be a celebrityfuelled boot camp in Beverly Hills churning out young, stunning and statuesque girls ready to become the next big thing in the modeling game. Yet, critics question how much of these youngsters success is down to hard work and how much is attributed to status and the size of mummy and daddy’s rolodex. Some argue that there are hundreds of wannabe models desperate to catch their big break, and with this being said many deem it unfair that a lucky few have a head start in the race to be noticed. There is no denying that these girls have the basic formula for modeling success, tall, skinny and pretty, but do they have that
NERVE | 24
extra something that would have made them global stars without their celebrity name tag? You might argue that Kendall Jenner is only adopted as a way for designers to latch on to the Kardashian media storm without getting sucked in too deep and overshadowed by scandal. I’m sure there’s some truth to these allegations. Yet, if they have fought for their place in the fashion hierarchy and persevered to make an independent name for themselves, then isn’t it insulting that we are even having this debate? We are questioning the talent and integrity of an 18-yearold who, self admittedly, is still learning the ropes. After all, Kendall Jenner is making a name for herself, dropping her last name and going by simply “Kendall” arguably an attempt to gain some anonymity. You can’t help who your family is, and maybe to Kendall hers is as much of a benefit as a hindrance to her future plans. Ultimately, this scenario boils down to the same, age-old question: ‘is it what you know or who you know?’ Whether you’re a hopeful model, a recent graduate or a successful business owner the generic age-old lesson should apply, make the most of your network. It’s common sense, and everyone is doing it. If you don’t have any contacts or wealthy, famous parents, like the majority of us, then you build professional relationships and impress with you talent and skills, but you can’t condemn those that have an easier option available to them, would you really turn down the opportunities available to them if you were in their shoes?
Fact File:
Cara Delevingne originates from one of the most well connected society families in the UK. Her grandmother was even lady-in-waiting to the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret
Seen in campaigns by Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren and Armani, Patrick Schwarzenegger is the son of famed actor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Georgia May Jagger is the daughter of legendary Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and 70’s supermodel Jerry Hall Picture (top): courtesy of Crizeel Ong on Flickr
ENTS
Eliza and the Bear Nerve’s Charlie Souter-Phillips caught up with band member James Kellegher to chat about their love of touring, being on TV and just where their name originates
T
he London quintet Eliza and the Bear began as a group of friends writing music for fun, but after receiving so much attention on the Internet they began a career. Touring the country with their combination of indie pop and euphoric folk, they’ve already had their music played on TV adverts and at the Sochi winter Olympics. The name may be misleading as there is no Eliza and there certainly is no bear, instead they named themselves after Eleanor Rose’s poetry book. James explains, "Callie found the book in San Francisco and straight away we all thought it was a nice name, so we read the book and realised that the stuff we were writing at the time was a lot like the poems. So we asked her if we could use her name and the rest is history."
The band is always listening to other artists for inspiration. James says: "Going around festivals we have seen Farewell J.R and other bands like that who influence us. But I don’t hide the fact that I think Coldplay are one of the greatest bands on the planet right now." Having their music chosen for a Bulmers television advert was a great platform for the band. "It’s a great way of getting people to listen to our stuff." Although James hasn’t quite adapted to seeing himself on TV just yet, "It’s still very weird, I don’t know how to act when it comes on, do I just act normal because I’ve seen it so many times, or can I be excited? It’s amazing and it’s a great
“
output for our band, but I don’t think I will ever get used to it." The band is always switching between writing songs, recording in the studio and touring. James explains: "I think touring is one of the best things I’ve done in my entire life. Getting to play shows in front of people who want to hear your music is a crazy experience. But if you spend 30 days on the road, by the end we couldn’t wait to get back in the studio and start writing. Then, after 30 days of writing we were like, ‘I can’t wait to get back out on tour’, so they are both great in their own way."
I don’t hide the fact that I think Coldplay are one of the greatest bands on the planet
”
Eliza and The Bear’s new EP Light Up was released in August. It is about turning a bad situation into a good one. James explains the thought behind it, "I was having a really hard time coming up with songs for the album. I think I was having writer’s block, in a hole that I couldn’t get out of, and then it came as a light bulb moment. It really changed my outlook on the way things were going on, and it pushed us forward." In five years’ time James hopes to be in the same position, "Still playing in a band for a living, because it’s the greatest thing I could have ever asked for." Eliza and the Bear have only been on the scene for a little over a year and have already achieved so much. Their "uplifting indie pop" has attracted so many fans, but it’s nice to see that they are still very humble. NERVE | 25
Street Style:
FASHION
London Fashion Week Somerset House plays host to the most fashionable event in the calendar: London Fashion Week. And while the upcoming trends might shine on the catwalk – often the most accessible of looks for the following season are seen on the surrounding streets. Bethany Connor took her camera along to capture the plethora of beautiful outfits on offer.
“Mix up a monochrome look with a bold print”
Sam J Groves
Jennifer Agwunobi + Oghoda Ouierrioba
Ruth Longmore
Claudia Saadeh
Joseph Parox
“Faux fur is back in. Try adding a small dose into your outfit – such as a purse, gilet or scarf” NERVE | 26
Words Scarlett Dixon
Design Zennen Thomas
Photography Bethany Connor
Mulberry
Showcasing their Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Mulberry stayed true to it’s feminine feel with a sun-soaked display of luxurious florals. Silk dresses were scattered with soft blue cornflowers and white delphiniums, while white lace dresses with sheer panel cut-outs gave the collection a slightly more edgy evening look. Tailoring, which has featured heavily the last few seasons, is taking a more modern approach with dropped hems and cut-out hexagons.
Copy the look for less:
Look out for chic feminine prints on the high street, while sticking to the pastel colour scheme that many celebrity fashion icons coveted over the summer season. Faux leather with cut-out panels are on trend for a more sophisticated evening look.
Edeline Lee
Edeline Lee created a ‘wonderland’ style presentation, with pastel pink backdrops and rose covered ceilings. Seafoam grey coats (a modern take on the traditional mac jacket) and sleek silk dresses were among the highlights, with neutral make-up and nude lips.
Copy the look for less:
Aim for classic tailoring with a unique colour palette. Pastel hues and gentle bows give this look a very feminine, almost girl-like feel but the key is to aim for very formal, traditional cuts.
NERVE | 27
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The Shires
C
ountry Duo who formed in 2013, The Shires, is one of the first acts from the UK to be signed with a record label from Nashville, a state in America that is renowned for its links with country music. "We’re still pinching ourselves now and the fact that we got to go out there, make the album and meet so many amazing people, it was just a massive dream come true." Ben explains. Nevertheless, country music is growing in popularity in the UK – of which The Shires have cottoned on to and rode the trend. "We’ve met Bob Harris quite a few
ENTS As the country-pop duo dropped into The Loft as part of the Coffee House Sessions Tour, Nerve Caught up with the pair to chat about the growing popularity of country music and how Facebook brought them together
times and he feels that there is a massive tipping point and we’re at it right now with country. I do feel we are at the point where it will crossover into the mainstream. You look at Radio 2 for example and they have quite a few country artists on the playlist now." He also talked about the Country 2 Country Festival that takes place outside the 02 arena, showing that country music is becoming more popular. "I think in a couple of years you might see a country album in the Top Ten." Ben and Chrissie did not form in the conventional way and actually met through Facebook. Despite their unconventional meeting they have great chemistry. On stage they were continually smiling at each other and singing together. They almost reassure each other, which was humbling to see. They both have lovely, soft vocals which harmonise well together. "I think our chemistry comes from having the same ambition and love for country music
– and that’s important." I managed to catch the second half of their set, so I got to see them perform their song ‘Brave’, a cover of Ella Eyre and ‘Drunk on a Friday Night’, which was the first time they played this live. They came up to me after their set, recognising the lone reviewer with a notepad, and introduced themselves. They even chatted to the table in front of me, who they named ‘The Pizza Table’ and took a selfie with them for their twitter page. Despite the fact that they are clearly on their way to excellent things in the music industry, the fact that they are so in touch with their fans is humbling to see. They were heading off to two more universities that day, visiting twenty five overall on the tour, so it was nice that they made time to stop and chat with the audience. Catch the Coffee House Sessions every Monday at 12:15 in The Loft
Words Laura Geall Design Jack Mullen NERVE | 29
THROUGH THE LENS
SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO photo@nervemedia.org.uk NERVE | 30
Out of the shadows Howard Budsynski Freelance Photographer
"The shoot known as ‘Pulp’ was a personal project underpinned by cinematography of Taratino, the two way lighting pulling the model; charlotte Williams out of the shadows, the brilliant work and styling of Milly Hailstone, Annabel Lucey and makeup by Sophie Reeve."
http:// howardbudzynski.co.uk NERVE | 31
The Future of a
NATION Scotland may have voted no to independence – but questions around the country’s future still remain very much unanswered. Robert Cain investigates the impact of the vote that shook Britain and asks; should Scotland have gone it alone?
O
n the 18th of September 2014, 84.59% of the Scottish population went to the polls to decide the future of their country; at the final count, as we’ve seen "No" won over "Yes" by 55%. The No campaign won out for several reasons, most notably how it and its supporters worked to stem the vote count for Yes. Whenever there was a surge in votes for Yes, the No campaign quickly worked to counteract this, creating surges of their own to keep themselves ahead of the opposing side (in this case, the party leaders journeyed up to Scotland). Many Scottish citizens felt that going independent was too much of a risk economically and were more inclined by the offerings of the Better Together campaign. Daniel Weissman of the BU Politics society raised the question as to whether independence would have been a reasonable choice for Scotland. "Because it was impossible to tell how the country would have coped in the future, the vote could have been considered a potentially costly gamble at best." He explains. "Scotland’s economy will consistently grow with England’s and the vote also put shares up for the pound once results came through. In addition, the Royal Bank of Scotland will not relocate to London, allowing their operations to
“
continue without any interruption." Of course a vote as large as this wasn’t without controversy; there have been accusations of bias and swayed votes floating around both the media and those who campaigned for the No vote. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has been especially vocal on this, stating that the British party leaders misled voters with their campaigns. The oil supplies from the North Sea were an important part of debate as officials were apparently misled over amounts of the substance which forms a large part of Scotland’s economy. There was also an incident involving Andy Murray receiving abuse on Twitter after his decision to support the Yes campaign hours before the referendum began. But what could have happened had Scotland actually made history by voting yes? Many economists argue that Scotland may have struggled without the pound, a drawback which George Osborne enforced and was then supported by Labour leader Ed Miliband. BU’s Daniel Weissman agrees. "By staying with England, six hundred thousand jobs can be created through trading which benefits both nations and above all, Scotland won’t lose its power and presence as a nation by staying with England."
Scotland won’t lose its power and prescence by staying with England
NERVE | 32
”
Going independent would have also had an effect on Britain’s military – a topic not hugely discussed in the media or considered by the Scottish people and the rest of the UK alike. A member of the Navy based in HMNB Clyde, the force’s headquarters in Scotland, said that the base would either have to be declared sovereign territory or relocated south of the border had Scotland chosen to vote yes. But on the other hand it was also argued that on its own, Scotland could have better tackled financial inequality amongst its citizens; a problem which Scottish members of Parliament feel was brought on and exacerbated by Westminster policies. In addition, being independent would have also allowed Scotland to fully shape itself as a nation; some of the primary areas up for consideration included the Scottish NHS, which some feel could have been freed from the privatisation that plagues the English organisation and branched out on its own. Now we know that the people don’t want independence, how does Scotland proceed in the future? The answer lies in continued devolution (the giving away of powers) to Scottish Parliament, which will be carried out by either the Labour or Conservative parties. Most recently Ed Miliband and David Cameron had a row over what was the best way to proceed with this tactic. Labour would give Scotland the power to vary income tax by 15p out of every pound as well as complete control over their own elections, meaning that they cannot be dissolved by Westminster. The Conservative party wants to be more lenient in this regard, giving Scotland complete control over its income tax. But with devolution comes another issue; the West Lothian question remains difficult to solve; is it fair that English MPs have no say on Scottish issues whereas Scottish MPs can participate in both based on devolution? Some analysts have suggested that giving more and more powers to Scotland could result in a greater level of political inequality between Westminster and Scotland. Change will undoubtedly come to Scottish Parliament over the coming months; Alex Salmond has already announced he will be stepping down as First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party and Scottish MPs are pointing to his deputy Nicola Sturgeon to replace him. Would a vote for independence ever happen again? Salmond has promised that the dream will never die but as Alistair Darling put it, this has been a once in a lifetime vote. Despite this argument Salmond has claimed that Scotland could still become independent; the process of gradual devolution to the country could end up making the country independent in all but name, meaning Scotland would be able to declare its independence without even needing a referendum at all. After all the voting and political blowback there’s no real way of knowing whether Scotland would have been better or worse off on their own, but for now the country will remain joined to Britain.
Design
Jack Mullen
THE FEATURES REFERENDUM IN NUMBERS
YES 45%
55% NO
84.59% TURNOUT TOTALLING
3,619,915 VOTES JUST
4
OUT OF
32 AREAS
VOTED FOR YES TOP NO VOTERS Orkney - 67.2% SCOT. BORDERS - 66.5%
TOP YES VOTERS Dundee - 57.4% W. Dunbarton - 53.9% NERVE | 33
COMMENT
Worth more than the womb The sum of a woman’s worth should not just be based on her decision to have children
A
gain and again, women have been considered nothing more than the worth of their wombs. The ability to spawn a miniature human being is considered by society to be the unwavering aim of every woman’s life. But childlessness is growing, so why should choosing not to bear children lead to being looked down upon? Committing to raising another human being may not be a perfect plan for every woman. A childless man at 40 is considered a bachelor, a catch. A childless woman at 40 is a disappointment, devalued, denounced. And in 20 years time, I will be one of the woman putting up a middle finger to the patriarchal regulations of childbirth - rather than perplexing over the array of baby mush in the supermarkets. Women are more than a human embodiment of maternal instinct, and sometimes we say screw you to the idea of maternity. Especially when paternity is a hardly discussed entity. How often are men asked the question ‘when will you have children’? Men aren’t domesticated. They aren’t told they will get broody, they don’t fall under this prevalent need for reproduction – so why should women? Having a womb doesn’t mean we
ought to, it means we can. And some lives just do not take that direction, as Stevie Nicks told InStyle, "It’s like, do you want to be an artist and a writer, or a wife and a lover? With kids, your focus changes. I don’t want to go to PTA meetings." Choosing to follow ‘otherhood’ rather than ‘motherhood’, does not remove any femininity or lower women as human beings. Choosing to live with childlessness is taking control of your own life. Whether it’s a career-woman or an unlucky in love clutz, we all need to accept that it is normal, even natural, to not want kids. Childlessness leads to a life of freedom – for parents and any potential unwanted children. Oprah famously clarified her decision not to have children by saying "they would have ended up on a show like mine talking about me; because something in my life would have had to suffer, and it probably would’ve been them." Therefore deciding not to have children isn’t selfish, it’s actually the kindest act you could do for children that may end up unwanted and unhappy. By no means should you be discouraged from having children, but remember: your life can be as interpreted as you like.
Words: Jodie Boyce Illustration: Nathan Hackett AUCB Illustration Graduate
“
Having a womb doesn’t mean we ought to it just means that we can
”
Something
to say?
Get your opinions published by sending your thoughts to comment@ nervemedia.org.uk
NERVE | 35
ADVERT
Nerve looks at some of the hottest fashion news trending on instagram this month
#Nervefashion
Most of us would have been lucky to see the end of Toy Story by 8pm on a Sunday evening at 15 months old - but not little Nori West. 'Mademoiselle North West' had her own spot on the front row of the Givenchy show at Paris fashion week. She also rocked a Givenchy black lace number matching with mummy Kardashian!
Be the first to keep up to date with Alexander Wang’s campaign with H&M by following @ hm and @alexanderwangny. Launching 6th November, Wang has treated us to snippets of his sporty collection via Instagram which is not one to miss!
@anna_dello_russo has recently been spotted on Instagram for her snazzy sneakers. Does this current trend mean we can swap killer heels for a pair of comfy trainers? Get the look by grabbing yourself a pair of everyday sneaks.
Jourdan Dunn paid tribute to her fellow fashion friends by wearing this boyfriend slogan tee out in London recently – shortly before Miss Campbell herself posted this on Instagram. Well Naomi, (and students) you can get this ‘Jourdan Supermodel Boyfriend T Shirt’ from Missguided.co.uk for only £9.99 – bargain!
You can forget about old school blonde Barbie - it’s all about the limited edition Karl Lagerfeld Barbie (wearing all black – obviously!) Also a top hit on Instagram this month, the doll was sold out on net-a-porter.com in under an hour, for £135 each!
NERVE | 37
Fashion Blogging &
Tips Tricks
The fashion blogging market is a notoriously saturated one, with over 170 million blogs live and online as we speak. I set up my blog scarlettlondon.com three years ago – and in that short time, I’ve managed to spiral it into a fully fledged business venture.
W
hen I initially started my fashion blog, scarlettlondon.com, I was a 17-year-old aspiring journalist eager to get my writing online and my opinions heard. I was frustrated by the lack of internships and work experience available for those under 18 and I desperately wanted to create something that I could showcase on my personal statement for university. I knew I wanted to apply for MultiMedia Journalism at Bournemouth and did my utmost to make sure I would stand out from other applicants. Never for a moment did I imagine that setting up a blog would go any further than myself and perhaps my mum reading my articles. In fact, I didn’t even really know what a blog was when I started.
Think About Why You Are Doing It If you set up a blog to gain fame and stardom, the chances are you will be disappointed. Very few of NERVE | 38
the millions of bloggers out there actually make a living from it and if you set up a blog purely to make profit, you’re probably looking at the wrong career path. You need to be realistic and accept that you won’t build a readership overnight - unless you’re Harper Beckham of course. Even if you don’t monetise your blog, you will at the very least gain lots of useful experience by maintaining it – particularly if you are looking for a career in journalism or fashion. Running a blog enables you to develop so many transferable skills! Of course, that isn’t to say you can’t make any money from blogging – I am lucky that I am able to supplement my degree with my earnings. It’s probably nothing on the scale you’d imagine, but if writing is what you love doing then the opportunity to earn a little bit of money from blogging can be immensely rewarding. After all, anyone who can earn money from doing what they love is ultimately living the dream right? So don’t be afraid to go for it.
Just go for it! I think the main apprehension people have initially when they set up a blog is that it seems so difficult and complicated. I regularly receive emails from readers who are interested in setting up a blog and are eager for advice. I think it’s flattering that people consider me an expert, but I’m still very much on a learning curve. Although you can enrol yourself on a course or ask for advice, the best way to set up a blog and have it working the way you want it to is to just go for it and play around with things yourself. Take my path, for example. WordPress and Blogger are the most popular platforms, but I chose blog. com when I started my blog. At the time, it seemed like an accessible platform which offered cheap domain costs however eventually the company went bust and my site was almost lost in the process. It took me months of phone calls, panic and a huge sum of money to move away from it – but I couldn’t
bear to lose what I had worked so hard on. I think making mistakes is an important part of blogging – you’ll also learn what works best for you.
Get Social Used in the correct way, social media can really ‘make’ your blog. You can connect with other writers, bloggers and readers in real time and attract their attention to your work by posting interesting articles, questions and facts. However, used in the wrong way it can have disastrous results. I’ve seen some users literally bombard people
with pleas to read their latest post – and although it may work initially, you’re probably not going to engage loyal readers that way. Interacting with people, hosting giveaways and interviewing bigger bloggers (who may retweet your interview with them) are more subtle, yet effective ways of using social media. And if you find yourself unhealthily glued to the screen (which can happen when you start blogging as you expect things to happen instantly), then using a tool like HootSuite to monitor, track and schedule your tweets in advance can free up time for other things.
Your blog needs you! One thing I would say is that it is really important to just be yourself and let your personality shine through. What makes blogs different from magazines and newspapers is that you are essentially able to update your opinion regularly, in real time. This means you have a wider scope to explore and you are able
to really let your own experiences dictate each piece of writing. The uniqueness of a blog no longer comes from what it is about, but WHO is writing it. So make sure your readers are able to get to know what you’re like. Early on in my blogging career I remember noticing my page views start to increase considerably after I wrote about how pretentious I thought the first series of E4’s Made In Chelsea was. Before I knew it, the cast and crew themselves started firing their comments back at me. They eventually invited me down so I could
interview the cast and have a little behind the scenes access. This was a great experience that came from me using my blog to voice my opinions.
Work Hard I think what many people don’t realise (both readers and PR) is that my blog isn’t currently a full time job – yet it demands my attention 24/7. Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love what I do and I’d never give it up, but I do find striking the right balance very difficult. Trying to meet assignment deadlines and make sure there is engaging content on the site can be tough. You have to remember, however that this is all part of the learning curve and will help you develop for the future. Successful journalists need to be good at meeting deadlines and multi-tasking whilst still creating exciting, well researched and accurate pieces – so by maintaining a blog you’ll be developing relevant skills that can transfer to a full-time career of your dreams as well.
The Perks
FASHION
Blogging has presented me with so many fantastic opportunities that, prior to starting, I could have only dreamed of. I have met so many wonderful people, made incredible friends and (without sounding too shallow) the freebies I get are amazing. I love being able to treat my mum with a little weekend break abroad, or my friend to a fancy dinner in London. Probably one of the best experiences was a first class trip to Paris (with fellow blogger Em Sheldon) where we were able to
stay in a gorgeous, luxury hotel – so upmarket in fact that it also happened to be hosting Justin Bieber at the same time (we only found out once home though – we’d certainly been a little confused by the queues of screaming girls outside the foyer each morning!) As you can see, blogging is hard work but can be a hugely rewarding process. If there are any aspiring writers out there who would like a platform to showcase their writing, please get in touch with me – as we always have intern vacancies available and we’re always looking for talented writers. You don’t have to have any prior experience, just a willingness to learn and a passion for the written word!
Words Scarlett Dixon Design Zennen Thomas NERVE | 39
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FEATURES
Around
The World Many of us long to travel and see the world but don’t quite know how to go about doing it. Nerve brings you the essential guide
NERVE | 41
S
outh Africa in most of our minds is inseparable from poverty, extremely high crime rates and HIV and plenty of other deadly diseases that wait for you on every corner. Yet besides the image of starving children, South Africa has so much more to offer. I wanted to break the stereotypes I had about the country that formed when I was a kid. So this summer I went to explore Oudtshoorn, Western Cape. My aim and purpose this summer was to volunteer for a month and get experience and more insight into conservation. Cango Wildlife Ranch, which specifies in cheetah preservation, seemed like a good place to start. For those who are afraid of hard work in places like this, don’t be. Of course, there are some tasks you will not enjoy doing - but they provide an opportunity to interact with animals like Bengal tigers or cheetahs that don’t land in front of your nose every day. On my first day at the ranch, I had to squeeze into a tiny porcupine’s cave while hoping to survive a porcupine’s attack in case they broke past the guards the who kept them away from me! It wasn’t a pleasant job and needless to say raised my adrenalin levels - but seeing those cute spiky creatures getting into their freshly cleaned house afterwards made my day. As an animal lover and wildlife enthusiast, hearing a cheetah purr for the first time can literally bring you to tears. Besides big cats the park had a big
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variety of other animals so I would spend my free time just wandering around the park, bonding with lemurs, goats, birds and reptiles and even a monkey marmoset.
“
hearing a cheetah purr for the very first time can literally bring you to tears
”
Unfortunately there’s also a very dark side that everyone should know before throwing yourself on to another continent to work for the good of endangered wild animals.
South Africa is an extremely corrupted country and unfortunately hunting laws are non-existent when it comes to big cats, especially lionesses – providing the perfect environment for plenty of questionable volunteering programs to be set up and fool naive Europeans who just want to help. Sadly, helping at breeding projects is often actually just preparing to shift grown up lionesses to hunting farms. The best bit of advice to anyone planning to take a part in volunteering projects connected with wildlife conservation? Do your research. Ask the management team why this breeding is necessary, where grown animals are being sent and who is funding the project. If people who work in your targeted
One of the best ways to see the world is volunteering abroad. Justina Daračiūtė spoke to Nerve about her experiences working at a wildlife ranch in Western Cape, South Africa. Design Zennen Thomas
place are passionate professionals and animal lovers, they will know why you ask these questions and will comfortably answer them all. If not, you’re likely to end up spending your summer in a place surrounded by people who are in reality pretending to protect animals yet behind the scenes be systematically contributing to their extinction. The most awful part being that the animals you’ve bonded with will be sent away to be killed by someone senselessly rich with the aim of doing nothing but collecting trophies. But don’t be put off – South Africa is an amazing country, and I would love to explore this country more and for longer, maybe even settle down. This may be the place where I could never get bored.
Nerve’s Top 5 travelling tips Whilst travelling Oz for a number of months, Naomi Tukker gives her tactical tips on going down under 1 - You DO have time
Before you start to think ‘is travelling even an option?’ Take a step back to evaluate how much free time you actually have whilst at university. This is the best time in your life to travel! You have no real obligations yet, so make the most of it.
2 – You don’t necessarily need to plan it
As per the laid back attitude in Oz, there is no need for you to organize anything. Just survive the 24hrs of travelling and make your way out of the airport. Australia’s tourism sector covers every backpacker’s need. Travel agents and lodges specialize in sorting out every aspect of your trip; from travelling into the Northern Territory to getting your tax return, guidance can be found everywhere.
3 – Vis-à-vis that pesky visa
Australia’s strict visa policy makes us spoiled EU citizens think twice about staying for a longer period of time. But it’s worth knowing that when travelling on a working holiday visa, you can stay one year and apply for a second once you’ve worked for three months. Prior to this, be sure to have had a medical check as a part of your visa application.
4 – When you get that ‘no place like home’ feeling..
Being a 24-hour flight away may well bring with it that inevitable feeling of homesickness or helplessness - but before you pick up the phone and worry mum, here’s your first port of call: Take a couple of minutes to just sit down and think about where you are. Home will still be there when you get back, so will all of your friends. Most importantly - realize that you are not alone. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you and that is enough. Plus, you’re never really alone - everyone over here is keen to make new friends.
5 – Realise it’s not what you see on the big screen
Do not, ever, think Australia comes close to the country represented in the ‘Inbetweeners II’ movie. Stereotypes are there to be made fun of, let’s leave them in that department. Just go and see for yourself!
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R E V I E W E D Pride
In Cinemas 12/09/14 By Tom Beasley
A little-known aspect of British history is given the cinematic treatment in Pride – which is certainly the most joyous film of the year so far. Ben Schnetzer is remarkable as the leader of a group of gay men and lesbians who decide to raise money for a Welsh mining village in the 1980s. Paddy Considine, Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton lead the miners who receive the money, despite resistance from some more intolerant residents. The film has a masterful control of tone, balancing some gloriously written one-liners and feel-good moments with times of darkness that reflect the struggles of the era. Russell Tovey steals the show with a brief cameo as an AIDs-riddled hedonist experiencing what he darkly refers to as a ‘farewell tour’. With all of that said, Pride is an uplifting ride. It’s a classic tale of triumph over adversity, sprinkled with quality gags and ageing women brandishing dildos.
Credit: Harry Hitch
Will and the People
Jon Richardson
Will and the People’s new album Whistleblower is as infectious as ever, combining melodic pop, with indie and ska to create a truly unique sound. This latest album contains songs that have been inspired by their worldly travels with wholesome lyrics to match. The song Shakey Ground mirrors that of the great Madness, with a catchyness that is hard to resist. While lead single Trustworthy Rock is an alternative song with an English current running throughout. The quirky music video also complements the song. The album slows and becomes more soulful with the song Penny Eyes. This changes again to a more rock sounding melody as the band delves into their indie side with Plasters. The album ends with MNK which sums up the band as it incorporates good-hearted lyrics.
After a long-term stint as a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats as well as the release of his debut DVD Funny Magnet in 2012, Jon Richardson is riding high at the summit of British stand-up comedy. His latest touring show, Nidiot, is an uneven journey through the Northern comic’s trademark obsessive observations. Taking in a number of topics as diverse as stag dos, snooker and dating, it’s a show that feels noticeably less polished than Richardson’s earlier work, although it’s certainly no less funny when it hits its high points. There are digressions aplenty, however, with some routines meandering to a close rather than hitting a big punchline. Nidiot isn’t Jon Richardson at his best, but it’s still a very entertaining few hours of comedy not to be missed with a final punchline that justifies the admission price on its own.
Whistleblower 15/09/14, By Charlie Souter-Phillips
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Bournemouth Pavilion 29/9/14 By Tom Beasley
ENTS
The Boxtrolls
Alt J
American animation company, Laika have wisely channelled the British effect for their latest feature. The Boxtrolls is a charming film that combines the best parts of Wallace & Gromit with the humour of Monty Python. Bolstered by a cast of British comedians, The Boxtrolls transcends its American roots to feel like a delightfully parochial film. With jokes to spare, gorgeous visuals and oodles of charm, it might well be the best film Laika has made so far. Richard Ayoade and Nick Frost are absolutely perfect as a pair of oddly existential henchmen, with Ben Kingsley not so much chewing the scenery, but devouring it in his role as main antagonist Archibald Snatcher. It takes a while to get to its central story, but simply spending time in this universe is magic.
A day after the release of their second album Alt-J played at the Brighton Centre, humbly saying it was one of the biggest venues that they have played at yet. The stage manager must be commended as the light show was absolutely fantastic and added depth to the performance. The backlights were so bright that the band was only in silhouettes throughout the entire show, making it easier to appreciate their music and talent. The most memorable part was when Joe Newman and Gus Unger-Hamilton sang Ripe and Ruin together simultaneously, illuminated by their own individual spotlights. Their harmonies as a band are perfect and seeing them live showed just how powerful Joe Newman’s vocals really are. For the atmosphere alone - they are definitely ones to see live .
In Cinemas 26/09/14 By Tom Beasley
Brighton Centre, Brighton 23/9/14 By Laura Geall
The Guest
Before I Go to Sleep
Better known from the hoity-toity environs of Downton Abbey, British actor Dan Stevens puts on his best American accent for the title role in this thriller from director Adam Wingard, who also brought us You’re Next. Stevens’ performance is fantastically layered and nuanced, retaining a veneer of welcoming charm, with a palpably sinister core lurking just beneath the surface. The film itself, in a similar fashion to You’re Next, is a loving homage to the horror and thriller movies of the 1980s. The soundtrack is synth-infused, the credit feels retro and the Halloween-based climax plays as an affectionate pastiche of the work of John Carpenter. It does suffer a little from skirting over the eventual explanation of who everyone is, but The Guest is a film that could really do without an enormous dump of exposition. It’s lean, mean and all the more thrilling for it.
Nicole Kidman stars as a woman with amnesia in this thriller that is based on bestselling novel by S.J. Watson. Waking up every morning with no memory of the previous day, Kidman does not know whether to trust Colin Firth, who claims to be her husband, or Mark Strong, playing a doctor with knowledge of her past. Strong performances are enough to carry the film through, despite a paper-thin script and a handful of twists that quickly veer from the sublime to the ridiculous. The three actors do a great job of conveying the confusion and deception at the heart of the narrative, with Kidman especially showcasing real range. The film ties itself up in knots in the third act with onetoo-many twists, but it is hugely entertaining throughout and completely unpredictable. The final scene feels unnecessary, but getting there is an awful lot of fun.
In Cinemas 17/09/14 By Tom Beasley
In Cinemas 15/09/14 By Tom Beasley
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mens a/w 2014 trends I
t’s that time again where a new season is quickly approaching. The shops are getting in new stock and the style capitals of the world are hosting weeklong fashion events persuading us all to revamp our wardrobes. Thankfully in men’s fashion, the forecast for autumn/winter 2014 predicts comebacks for the trusty Chelsea boot and staple autumn colours of navy, greys and browns. This autumn, the fashion elite is teaching you to think green, and not in the environmental/ecofriendly way that may seem. Multiple shades of green like khaki, olive, and teal have been taken off the runway and been made prominent on the high street’s A/W colour spectrum. Other potentially popular pieces are the quilted bomber jacket, polo neck jumpers and reverse slogan t-shirts. To give you a head start, we gather the high-street’s best A/W pieces that’ll see you right through the season.
1.
£75 2. Black Chelsea Boots- Next £60 3. Navy Cable Knit Jumper- Next £38 4. White Slogan T-shirt- Topman £16 5. Navy Slogan T-Shirt- Wood Wood at ASOS £45 6. Green Skinny Chinos- Topman £28 7. Teal Suit Trousers- Topman £40 8. Suede Chelsea Boots- ASOS £38 9. Quilted Bomber Jacket- ASOS £45 10. Khaki Parka- H&M £34.9 11. Grey Shirt- H&M £24.99 12. Green Polo Neck Jumper- ASOS £45
3.
2.
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1. Black Bomber Jacket- River Island
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JAY BROWN
ENTS
s.
Following on from her performance at Glastonbury this year, Katrina Quick caught up with the singer to chat about BBC introducing and why her family have been so key to her success
W
earing blue doc martins and sporting a David Lynch Tee, Jay Brown has the kind of effortless cool that turns heads. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that the hardworking Northampton singer/songwriter is rapidly becoming recognised as a bright new talent. Jay’s creative lyrics and raw vocals in her indie-electronic track ‘Video’ won her a place on the BBC introducing slot at Glastonbury. Jay previously supported Bastille on tour last year. Encouraged by her musical family to perform, Jay has music in her blood: "I’m one of six siblings, all of whom sing and play music. I come from a loud Jamaican family who always encouraged us to follow our dreams we were told we could do anything we wanted to do. I started writing poetry at around 14 then I got a guitar and started writing songs. I love song writing, if
I wasn’t performing, I think I would still write songs for other people." One of the most entrancing things about Jay’s music is her hauntingly beautiful, bluesy vocals, and despite being labeled as ‘alternative pop’ Jay confesses that although her sound has been influenced by multiple musicians, she finds it difficult to place herself into a genre. "Sometimes I’m unsure where I fit. I was a massive emo kid when I was younger - I was into American rock like papa roach, Incubus. My influences include American singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten, British singer songwriter George Ezra, and of course my all time favourites, Nirvana." With her raw and emotional lyrics, Jay’s debut ‘We are the people’ perfectly showcased her ability to transfer emotion to the listener. The message of the single is clear- though life can
be at times unbearably cruel, there will always be moments in which humanity rises up to overcome these obstacles and thrive. After gigging in London, Jay disappeared for a few months with best friend and cello player for the band Valerie Balligand in order to concentrate on songwriting: "Valerie helped me make the transition into taking it really seriously- my parents had this empty house in London- almost like a squat, and we stayed there for three months together just writing songs." When asked if there is anything Jay would like to add, she enthusiastically talks about how wonderful her band members are and how grateful she is to her parents. "My dad was like the cool dad; my mum could silence any room she walked into. They taught us that no dream was too big - the sky’s the limit"
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POOLE TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB Nerve speaks to two of Poole Town’s players about their storming start to season so far Words Design
A
Will Kent Jack Mullen
fter an outstanding start to the season which has seen Poole Town concede just four goals in their first 10 league games, winning nine and drawing the other, two first team regulars have told Nerve about their romping start to the season which has seen them cement themselves at the top of the Southern League Premier Division. Nick Hutching’s, first choice goalkeeper for the Dorset-based side, put their successful season so far down to the team spirit in the dressing room, but urges his fellow players not to get ahead of themselves. He said: "We have a lot of experienced heads in the changing room and we know that it’s only a good start and the important thing is to not get carried away and get ahead of ourselves. If we can keep winning it puts pressure on the teams trying to catch us". One of these closest challengers are Dunstable Town, with their eagerly awaited fixture scheduled in for the 15th November. Fellow team-mate, Jamie Whisken, is confident they can keep up the good form but only if they can keep their defensive record to the high standard which they’ve already shown this season. "We’re all confident we can maintain our good form and we want to go unbeaten for as long as we can. Defensively we have been very strong and that has helped us to maintain our good start. We’ve conceded very few goals which needs to carry on if we’re to be successful this season." Along with
Hutching’s, Whisken has been involved in every game so far this season and both have to take credit for managing to keep the opposition’s goalscoring chances very limited – a clear improvement on last season which saw the ball in the back of the Poole net on 48 occassions. Last year’s FA cup disappointment will undoubtedly motivate the Poole players to try and make that one step further not just in the cup competitions but also the league as well. "Losing in the 4th Qualifying Round replay last year to Staines still hurts everyone who was involved in that game. We were the better team over the two games and deserved to have gone through. That hurt will drive us on this year to try and go one step further and make the first round proper. That is the aim and although it’s going to be tough, especially with the draw we have been given, there is a real belief amongst the players that this could be our year." Hutchings said. After a disappointing replay against Bath during the second round qualifying stage of the FA Cup - which saw Poole Town beaten 2-0 - the players will be more motivated to try and soothe this cup competition pain by achieving promotion and potentially winning the league. It’s guaranteed to be a fascinating season.
SPORT
POOLE PIRATES
I
n typical Poole Town FC style, the local Poole speedway side is sat pretty at the top of Elite League standings. Since 2001, the club has won eleven major trophies, including the Elite League Championship in 2003, 2004, 2008, 2011 and 2013. The Wimborne Road outfit have had an up-and-down type year, managing to acquire top spot despite having issues with main rider Darcy Ward being suspended for parts along with second-stringer Josh Grajczonek also having been absent for periods with a broken collarbone. Other notable riders include the Polish duo of Maciej Janowski and Przemyslaw Pawlicki. Pirates boss, Neil Middleditch, admits they’re outsiders for this year’s Elite League title race despite topping the table. He said: "It will be a tough task to defend our title this time." Despite the home advantage in the semi-final playoff, Poole won’t have talisman Ward along with Grajczonek, making their push for the title this campaign much harder. Whatever happens this time round – victory or not - a trip down to the Poole Stadium is definitely worth a go - £17 per adult!
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SPORT Design Jack Mullen
Will it be an English victory or will an overseas club lift this season’s biggest trophy? Matt Joy offers his opinion.
A
nother year, and 32 teams will start out on an adventure to glory in which only one will succeed. Representing England will be Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and for the first time since 2010, and almost a decade since their victory in Istanbul, Liverpool. Although none of these are the bookies favourites, none will believe they are there to make up the numbers. Manchester City seem to have been picking up a habit in recent years of being the unfortunate English team to be drawn in the suitably nicknamed ‘Group of Death.’ Pellegrini’s men will have to overcome competition from one of the pre-tournament favourites Bayern Munich, who have strengthened over the summer with the signing of one of the hottest properties in the game, Polish frontman Robert Lewandowski. It certainly isn’t a two horse race however. Most people would see City as second favourites of the group, however progression won’t be easy with tough away trips to Russian champions CSKA Moscow and Italian runners up Roma. Personally, I believe Manchester City will indeed finish second, their strength in depth will be enough to overcome the challenge of a regenerated Roma side and a tricky challenge from CSKA. If and when Manchester City do get out of the group, Pellegrini will hope to be handed a kinder draw in the last 16 compared with last year, which saw an early exit against Catalan giants Barcelona. Realistically, a semi final appearance would be a good achievement this season for the Sky Blues. Arsenal have been drawn against Borussia Dortmund for the third time in four seasons, in a group also shared by Galatasaray and AnderNERVE | 52
lecht. Wengers’ 17th consecutive season pitting his wits against Europe’s elite definitely will not start with effortless qualification from the group stages. Their main opponents for the top spot will be Die Schwarzgelben themselves, however the Dortmund side will be considerably different than the one who finished the group above Arsenal last year. The loss of Lewandowski will be a big miss, and Marco Reus’ recent ankle injury will mean he will be unavailable for the game against Arsenal. There is still quality throughout the side however, with players such as Immobile, Gundogan, Hummels and Blaszykowski to name a few. Galatasaray will be no pushovers either, with proven European quality epitomised in their star man Sneijder. Anderlecht should not prove much of a challenge in comparison however, with an average age of 23 in the squad their chances are minimal at best. Arsenal should qualify, however a lack of high quality out and out striking options may limit progress in the latter stages. Brendan Rodgers will be taking a step into the unknown in his first Champions League adventure and Liverpool’s first in 4 years. The loss of their enigmatic, irreplaceable talisman Luis Suarez will be massive for Liverpool, however in Balotelli, Sterling, Sturridge and Coutinho the red men have plenty of attacking prowess. Real Madrid will come into the competition as one of the favourites, and it is easy to see why. Kroos and Rodriguez have come in during the window, adding to a squad already containing some of the world’s best. Liverpool certainly will not be disappointed should they finish runners up to the Spanish outfit, which would
be most people’s prediction for the outcome of the group. The lack of real competition aside from Real Madrid may give offer unrealistic optimism for the Liverpool support, as the side may have even struggled in a group such as Manchester City’s. In all likelihood, Liverpool will see a respectable campaign followed by qualification for next season’s competition as the real aim for this season, with further investment and strengthening a necessity in order to challenge domestically and in Europe. Chelsea have undoubtedly been given the kindest group of the English sides this year, and Mourinho’s men will be firm favourites to top the group. Schalke do possess quality, wonderkids Draxler and Meyer will be ones to watch, alongside proven targetman Klaas Jan-Huntelaar. However, Chelsea have only got stronger since last years semi final exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid, with the signings of Costa, Fabregas and Filipe Luis only enhancing Chelsea’s capabilities. They should progress top with Schalke coming second, given the gulf in class between these two and other group rivals Sporting and Maribor. Chelsea should be aiming for at least a semi final appearance, and the experience throughout the team in this competition masterminded by Mourinho means Chelsea will be a team most will be hoping to avoid. Elsewhere, the real favourites will be Bayern, Real Madrid and Barcelona, who have all strengthened, grown and developed over the summer. Atletico Madrid, Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea and City will be a lot of peoples’ dark horses, with the competition set to be as exciting, dynamic and unpredictable as ever.
COMMENT
Men can be victims of domestic violence too The idea that only women can suffer at the hand of violence is damaging to millions of abused men
M
odel Kelly Brook has admitted in her recent autobiography Close Up that she punched two of her exes, actor Jason Statham and rugby player Danny Cipriani, in the face during bust ups. Whilst incidents of domestic violence are usually treated as criminal offences, in this case the backlash has been noticeably absent, and the episodes trivialised. Why? Because Ms. Brook is a woman, and it’s only domestic violence if a man hits a woman, right? Wrong. Domestic violence towards men is becoming an increasingly significant problem. According to the National Domestic Victim Centre charity (NDVC) approximately four million men are affected by domestic violence every year in the UK, and one in six men will experience violence in a relationship. Domestic violence is never acceptable, regardless of gender. Instead of admitting her mistake and publicly apologising, the model has used the incidents to bolster her fiery reputation. The vivacious Brook told TV show ‘This Morning’ that she didn’t feel it was a ‘big deal’ because her ex-lovers were ‘big, burly men’ and she doesn’t think she could’ve hurt them. While she may not leave any physi-
cal bruises, her violent outbursts will have undoubtedly left emotional scars. Gender stereotyping allows Brook to play the victim, labelling her ex-lovers as ‘pigs’, and implying they deserve to be punched. By playing up to the gender role of being a helpless female, Kelly is able to keep favour with the public, despite being the perpetrator of violence, whilst in the process perpetuating the idea it is ok for women to assault men. With the Nigella Lawson assault scandal by then husband Charles Saatchi, the story was given major news coverage and the world was outraged at the sight of this picture perfect housewife suffering domestic abuse splashed over the front pages of every tabloid. Kelly Brook has served to perpetuate the stigma attached to domestic violence that men cannot be victims. Regardless of who hits whom, violence is wrong. Justice does not differ because you happen to have a vagina. Your genitalia should not dictate whether or not you deserve help, because at the end of the day we are all human beings, and we all deserve safety in our own homes and in our relationships.
Words: Katrina Quick Illustration: Nathan Hackett AUCB Illustration Graduate
“
your genitalia should not dictate whether or not you deserve help
”
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SPORT
REVIEW
2014
Yet another glorious tournament of golf for the Europeans. Will Kent casts back and reviews a fascinating Ryder Cup
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hree days of enthralling sport, one historic venue and 24 of the world’s best golfers; the Ryder Cup lived up to it’s reputation and delivered one of the finest sporting weekends of the year. Europe’s 12-man golf side, lead by their captain Paul McGinley, won the third consecutive Ryder Cup in impressive style at Gleneagles towards the back end of September, chipping the defeated Americans back over the Atlantic ocean with a resounding 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 point victory. The three day event, which started on the Friday with the morning fourballs, saw the USA side take a one point lead with rookies Patrick Reed and Jordan Speith raising everyone’s eyebrows instantly, knocking away the European pairing of Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter after just 14 holes. However, the other half of the tournament’s pairing events involved the fourballs, an event of which the Europeans dominated this time around and is arguably the stage where the Ryder Cup was won. Paul McGinley’s 12-man squad from Europe took seven points from a possible eight, leaving the Americans with just one. Traditionally in previous tournaments this trend is the other way round, with the foursomes usually being the stumbling block for Europe. As the sun set and then rose again on the Sunday morning, the singles matches were intriguing from the getgo. USA needed to come out fighting straight away to have a legitimate
chance of overturning their four point deficit which they acquired through the past two days of play, and come out posing a challenge is exactly what they did. Graeme McDowell and Jordan Speith were the first out, with the latter continuing his impressive weekend form to begin with by going 3-UP against the Northern Irishman, However, McDowell miraculously turned the tie on its head and eventually secured the point for Europe. Fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy – who was participating in his fifth round of golf of the weekend - took on the in-form Rickie Fowler who struggled against the world number one. Another point for Europe. Justin Rose completed his fantastic weekend by taking half a point from his tie with Hunter Mahan despite going four down but it took for Welshman Jamie Donaldson before the Europeans could confirm their place as champions for at least another two years. Donaldson played the wedge shot of his life, placing the ball just a foot from the hole, with his opponent Keegan Bradley having no other option but to concede his point and ultimately the entire competition. Paul McGinley was faultless in his preparations and pairings whilst his opposing number, Tom Watson, struggled. American powerhouses Matt Kuchar and Masters champion Bubba Watson really stumbled and it was the American rookies in Speith and Reed who seemed the most threatening. Phil Mickelson, who was seen by many as the country’s strongest golfer
besides an on-form Tiger Woods, won two of his potential three points, but Tom Watson’s decision to play the 44 year old twice on Friday and not once on the Saturday was bizarre. He was the oldest golfer out of the entire 24 at Gleneagles and 36 holes in one day surprised many. Nevertheless, he still put in a good shift and was the fourth highest scoring American. Individual golfers aside, reflecting on the American’s Ryder Cup as a whole it wasn’t one to look back fondly upon. It was always going to be a challenge for the USA side to win on Scottish soil at Gleneagles, especially without previous talisman Tiger Woods, whilst the Europeans themselves have been in fantastic form this year. German star Martin Kaymer won the US Open whilst fellow European McIlroy picked up two of the three remaining majors this year – it’s been an encouraging year of golf for the continent and this Ryder Cup was timed nicely with these golfers in peak form. With the season coming to a close, we look forward to next year’s majors and more importantly, the next Ryder Cup in 2016. Can Europe make it four wins on the trot? Until then, let us savour yet another glorious European win.
Words Will Kent Design Jack Mullen
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AFC BOURMOUTH NERVE
AFC Bournemouth: Kick Off to the season With the football season now well underway, Nerve assesses the positives and negatives of the Cherrie’s performance so far and looks at the prospects of the club for the duration
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he football season is now well under way and the Cherries have started their 2014/2015 campaign in somewhat rocky style. Casting back to August when Eddie Howe’s side arrived in Huddersfield for their first game of this year’s footballing calendar, it looked as if the south coast club were in for an enjoyable season after new signing Callum Wilson netted twice on his debut, contributing to Bournemouth’s emphatic 4-0 win. As August progressed, the initial first day win continued with back-to-back victories against Exeter and then Brentford. Three games, seven goals and none conceded – impressive. However, a 3-2 loss at Blackburn which was then immediately followed with yet another loss to the dominant Nottingham Forest 2-1 at home cast a shadow over what was looking like fantastic a August and promising start to the season. However, Bournemouth fans can’t be too disappointed with a loss to league leaders Forest and the Cherries rounded off the summer month with a 1-1 draw away at Norwich – a good result considering the Canarie’s blistering start to the season. Furthering talk of good starts, new summer signing - Dan Gosling - has been one of the main successes individually so far this season having a major role in the League Cup success – scoring four goals in three appearances. These goals proved vital in dispatching Cardiff, Exeter and Northampton, reaping the rewards of a last sixteen place for the first time in 51 years. They’ll face a struggling West Bromwich Albion side on the 28th October at the Goldsands stadium and the momentum is definitely with the Cherries - if I was Eddie Howe, I’d be quietly confident with this particular fixture with the prospect of reaching a League Cup quarter final becoming more and more realistic. Nevertheless, avoiding relegation is a much bigger priority than a fancy cup run. NERVE | 56
As the season’s progressed into September, we’ve started to discover where the downfall could be this year for Howe’s side – structuring a solid, reliable back four. Conceding three goals to Leeds – a club having managerial issues already this season – isn’t particularly encouraging with the only clean sheet of the month coming against a managerless Cardiff side in the League Cup. Bournemouth are clearly capable of scoring enough goals but they’re still yet to win a game in which they’ve also conceded in, too. Granted, it’s still early days, but this fact initially suggests the side has a mental fragility when it comes to getting a winning result after a set back. It hints that Eddie Howe’s squad struggles when it comes to higher pressure situations. Can they overcome this problem during the remainder of the campaign? I’d expect so, but only time will tell.
SPORT
It’s still early days with a lot of the division’s bigger sides still yet to wake up; Cardiff, Wigan and Fulham are all struggling towards the lower end of the table, despite the majority considering all three sides as potential play-off candidates. The lesser sides – such as recently promoted Wolves – seem to be having a greater say than people initially predicted. However, the Cherrie’s league start has been a rocky but not awful one, and combining this with a nice little League Cup run, whilst watching new signings Wilson and Gosling kick into gear straight away, Bournemouth fans should definitely have a small smile on their faces. As these fans found out last year, the Championship is one of those leagues where a string of three or so victories can completely change a teams league position, and like last season, the south coast club could quite easily go from drifting around the relegation zone to a realistic and potential play-off side in a very short space of time.
Overall, the Cherries defensive play will be a big decider when it comes to having a successful league campaign. The building blocks are definitely in place with some encouraging early signs hinting that the season will be an enjoyable one on the south coast, but with only three clean sheets in the league so far – all of which have come at home - Howe needs to improve his side’s defensive record to push on for a play-off spot. Elliot Ward’s two month injury is a hindrance for this cause but these sorts of problems are just part and parcel of football. Injuries aside, offensive output so far has been impressive, but as we saw last year with Liverpool’s title ambitions – you can score as many as you want but if you can’t defend, there is a limit to how far a side can go. Words Will Kent
Design Jack Mullen NERVE | 57
SPORT
THE FINALE E
ngine alterations, point scoring adjustments and the ‘ugly’ new appearance of the cars – Formula 1 this year has been a total different kettle of fish. The front nose was lowered to just 1.35cm above the floor of the car – a 4.15cm difference to last year – while engines were switched from 2.4 litre V8’s to 1.6 litre V6 turbos. Straight away these alterations suggested a huge change and we definitely got one. As manufacturers initially struggled to get to grips with the vast differences between 2013 and 2014 – evidently displayed with seven retirements in the first race in Australia and then again during the second race in Malaysia – we’ve still been spoilt with entertainment, surprises and an all round brilliant year of racing. The European leg of this year’s calendar finished filled with controversy with the Mercedes driving duo winning six of these eight races. The Williams pair posed a threat throughout this northern hemisphere stint, with Valtteri Bottas knocking up four podiums, however, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg still dominated. Besides the Spa incident dictating all the discussion, their were some other stand out moments such as watching Hamilton cross the finish line in first place in front of a British crowd at Silverstone back in July. Other highlights include the Bahrain battle between Lewis and Nico, and also Redbull’s Ricciardo won back-to-back races in Hungary and then Spa, leaving himself still in the race for the driver’s title albeit with a very slim chance. Ferrari have struggled again this season, with Kimi Raikkonen even struggling to make the top 10 in the driver’s standings. Once all has been decided at the final race in Abu Dhabi later this year, there’s no doubt that this Belgian Spa incident has dramatically affected the race for the driver’s title. Points aside, it has obviously destabilised the Mercedes team despite team boss - Toto Wolff – play-
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ing down that it’s actually had a serious impact on the team and relationship between both drivers in the long run. Not in 25 years have two team-mates been headto-head in an extremely tense battle like this; back then it was a driving war which featured the pair of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. It’s a neutrals dream; watching two great racers fight to the very death for the title, but from a manufactures point of view – it’s a headache. The dilemma of trying to win races whilst not compromising their reputation and own manufacturer’s title by allowing their drivers to be reckless for their own personal aspirations. These decisions come with the lucrative position of being the manager of a sport’s team, this isn’t something that’s only present in Formula 1. Once everything’s settled and the team has had the winter to reflect on, Wolff will look back and know he had a large role in who won this year’s driver’s championship. Do Mercedes really care who wins? Arguably not, but they do care about maximising their points and winning the manufacturer’s title – something of which is all but theirs already. Reversing back to this particular Spa race incident itself, it occurred when Hamilton went in the Les Combes chicane on lap two almost side-by-side with his Germany team mate and both took slightly alternate lines. Rosberg’s front wing hit Hamilton’s rear left tyre causing it to puncture which seriously limited his chances of maximum points due to him having to pit. A similar incident also happened on the very first lap in fact, between Romain Grosjean and Jules Bianchi. But, if an incident like this occurs again for Mercedes – as they’ve even previously said – the question must be asked whether or not it’s actually sustainable to have both driving for the same manufacturer. The remaining races could determine if we’ll see both drivers in a Mercedes car for much longer.
With the Formula 1 season approaching its climax, Will Kent reflects upon a fantastic year of racing, preparing all fans for an undoubtedly classic final few races.
Driving pairings have been an interesting topic of talk all season. Red Bull’s reigning World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, has struggled at times with a recent second place finish in Singapore his highest finish this year. Some would say he’s almost been made to look like a novice by a novice in Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian’s debut year in a Red Bull car has been an impressive one, sitting third in the driver’s standings behind the two Mercedes drivers who’re in a superior vehicle. Christain Horner, team principal of Red Bull, recently commented on the driver’s title after the Singapore race: "Both of them (Ricciardo and Vettel) are still in it and both have taken chunks out of Nico in Singapore." Albeit, admitting their chances of winning is reliant on Mercedes being able to keep their cars on the track until the end of each race. However, the double points which are now awarded for the last race of the season make things a whole lot more interesting and proves Horner has a valid point. Leaving the past to one side, we still have three races left totalling a maximum of 100 points up for grabs. Can Ricciardo, or even Vettel, seriously challenges the two Mercedes? Who’ll dominate between Hamilton or Rosberg? It’s been a fascinating year of racing and I’d recommend everyone fastens their seatbelts as it not over yet; we’re in for tense ride to the final finish line in Abu Dhabi come the 23rd November. Lewis and Nico will undoubtedly be grabbing the headlines whether they win or not, and hopefully it won’t be down to the reliability of their cars, with even Christian Horner leaving his garage to come out and call it ‘shocking’. But, can Horner’s colleague Ricciardo seriously challenge these two? He definitely has an outside chance and the charismatic Australian is not only proving himself as a impressive racer this season but someone that’ll be there or there abouts for a long time to come in the sport. As the Williams duo of
Massa and Bottas have also proved this year, they too have the potential to cause a twist in the tale. Nevertheless, sit back, try to relax and enjoy what is destined to be the most mouth-watering end to the Formula 1 season for quite some time.
Words Will Kent
Design Jack Mullen
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The cold weather is settling in whether you like it or not and winter is on its way check out our top university winter tips
ESSENTIALS TO GET THROUGH WINTER AT UNI
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Soup
Besides Mum’s roast dinner, a bowl of piping hot soup certainly doesn’t go a miss during the wintery season. And as students we are always looking for the cheaper alternative. 50p for a lunch, how can you question it? Even for those amongst us that really cannot cook, soup is the answer to all the troubles that winter brings. There is no excuse for not being able to warm up some soup! What’s more, at the other end of the scale, let your creative juices flow and attempt to make your own soup. Left over veg, chicken or pretty much anything you can find. Homemade soup on a cold day, delicious!
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Condensation - prevent it!
However cold it may be, make sure you keep your house ventilated. It’s a landlord’s favourite part of the
Words: Katie Mallalieu
that you have to pay for heating yourself. Use your layers, wrap yourself up in a hoodie and slippers and you’ll retain your body heat perfectly sufficiently. I’m sure you’ve queued for a club in the freezing more than once before, so if you can hack that without a jacket or a jumper, I’m sure you can manage just a little bit longer without the heating on. Be practical and use your clothes. Don’t turn on the heating unless you need to, it costs!
1 Invest in a winter coat
If you can afford nothing else with your student loan then make sure you have yourself a winter coat that will do the job during the frosty mornings. Those 9am starts are tough enough, without the extra stress of being freezing before you’ve even sat in a lecture and become brain dead. You can pretty much pick yourself up a bargain in most stores on your local high street, so pick wisely and you won’t regret it.
Layering
The winter months can be fairly unpredictable when it comes to knowing what to wear. Often you’ll get dressed in the morning for the frosty conditions that you can see out of your window, and by lunchtime you’re on the verge of a heat stroke. But the key to dressing in winter is layers. Layer yourself up with tops, jumpers, coats and scarves that are easily removable for when the sun finally decides to show its face! Obviously if we’re presented with snow it becomes a slightly less difficult selection with clothes, but nevertheless, layering up is the answer to all of your chills.
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year when they can get you for condensation and mould on the walls. As much as your mum has reminded you of it before you went away, open the windows after the shower and whilst you’re busy burning down the kitchen as you cook dinner, try to open the window or even the back
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door to make room for the smoke and steam to slowly vacate the room. Avoid charges where you can, and condensation is an easy one to evade if you get it right. By all means have a hot shower, but don’t forget to free the steam otherwise you will be forever drawing pictures in the steamed up mirror!
2 Heat costs money
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As difficult as it may be, and as much as you might be used to a nice warm, cosy home, unfortunately living independently means NERVE | 63
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