Issue 4

est. 1957

TheUniversityofLeicester’sfreestudentnewspaper

www.the-ripple.co.uk ripple@le.ac.uk @uolripple www.facebook.com/therippleleicester Issue Four

Semester One

10th November - 23rd November

Autumn Elections: Voter Turnout Shrinks by 35.3% Voter turnout down from last year, but results show increased diversity ** Headline - figures based on 3 Union zones and Union Speaker

by Joseph Stanley The Students’ Union Autumn Elections results were announced on the 27th October, bringing with it much to celebrate. However, the results were not all positive, with voter turnout shrinking yet again.

The numbers turning out to vote shrank from by 35.3% from last year (based on the 3 union zones and union speaker, the areas being elected in both 2013 and 2014). This is compared to last year, which found that the student body were more active at the ballot box, raising the total number of ballots cast by 13%.

Across the board, the number of votes was low, ranging from 329 votes for Union Speaker to 440 for the Union Zone. Comparatively, these posts drew in 479 votes and 603 votes last year respectively. However the results were not all bad news for the Student Council, as the Union’s report states, “Several key demographics were better represented in the elections than last year, including women, disabled students, LGBT+ students, and students of different nationalities”. For example, whereas only seven women put themselves forward for a post in the Education Zone, three of which were elected, this year saw eleven women nominated with all but

one not being elected. Clearly this is a huge step in the right direction for the Students’ Union as a whole; a more diverse council means that it is more representative of the student body and can better enable the university to act more favourably in student’s collective interests. This is an example of democracy in action, and should be a proud moment for not just the Students’ Union, but also the University as a whole. Nevertheless, a democracy is only as strong as the electorate, and with a diminishing student voting demographic, the Council is facing the same issues as is the entirety of our nation’s political system.

A Sky News Report in September, as part of their ‘Stand Up and Be Counted’ campaign found that, “Almost half of young people in Britain are not engaged in politics, feel their voices are not heard and do not believe that politicians are addressing their needs”.

With voter turnout as a nation down to 34.19%, one has to wonder if this same sentiment is relevant to student politics.

This all comes at a time when the Students’ Union is running a #myvotecounts campaign, designed as voter registration drive to make sure that students do not miss out on the worthwhile opportunity to decide who gets into power in the next general election, scheduled for

May 2015. After last February’s backlash over the Students’ Union closing the Percy Gee building to demonstrate the effects of not voting, and subsequently being accused of blackmail and potentially threatening student’s grades – it is wondered what the Union can do to successfully boost numbers at the ballot box.

This was not seen as a functioning democracy.

are enthusiastic people that put themselves forward… that can represent [for example] distance learners.”

When I interviewed the Student Union’s Engagement Officer, he commented “The Student Voice department here rely heavily on the candidates pushing turnouts. We push on social

media, we advertise it... we do whatever we can in the respective. Unfortunately that hasn’t happened. But then again I’d personally much rather have a more diverse group of candidates to represent the student body. Having said that there were a few problems on our end, we had staff shortages in our Student Voice department, so we had to deal with quite a few constraints. Unfortunately... this meant we couldn’t put as much energy into that as we would have liked.” Furthermore he added, that although he was disappointed with the turnout, he says “What you want

There were definitely some victories in this election, and we have seen the most diverse council in recent years. However, one can argue that more has to be done to get more of the student body voting on matters that concern them. Although free in the democratic system to withhold their vote, it can be seen to be a poor turnout indeed. Steps need to be taken and are being taken.

Kelly-Walsh did elaborate that

a review is underway. When I asked some of those polled if they felt that the party politics of a general election helped them to decide their voting intention, most agreed. Perhaps this is a problem the Students’ Union Council needs to confront in order to boost voter turnout at the next election. Perhaps more can be done by every aspect of student media (The Ripple, LUST, LUSH etc.) to help boost turnout in future. Whatever the case maybe, one can only hope that the only way is up for voter turnout.

What’s On

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Lifestyle

Sport

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In this issue...

Opinion

Features

NEWS

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Edited by Ross Brown

Do the Union Council Elections Need a Safeguard?

by Will Hunt

This year’s annual Union Council elections looked like a success with, according to the Union itself, ‘some of the most diverse candidates in the Student Union’s History’. However with a closer look into one of the candidates elected, it seems like questions need to be asked of the process of the elections.

While this year was a resounding success in terms of increasing diversity on the council, more women were elected to the council than ever before, there was an issue with one of the candidates. She was elected to the union speaker role, one that requires confident public speaking and a willingness to engage on a multitude of topics. However as it transpired, the newly-elected union speaker didn’t want the role and was elected purely on the fact that others had campaigned for her.

According to the union, any stu-

dent that registers as a candidate for the union council is given lots of emails and information as to what their role will be and is required to do some training.

The speaker herself declined to comment when I reached out to her and has since stepped down from her role. The Students’ Union has announced it will run a by-election to elect her successor in November.

the Students’ Union’s effectiveness. However while the Union’s ideals about an open and student friendly election process means that they have no control over the candidates that stand for election, beyond the fact that they must be a registered student, they do have the ability to ensure that council members are delivering through their new scrutiny body.

of the council, ‘if a member doesn’t fulfil their role they won’t be in their position anymore’, and also ensuring that the Union Council remains ‘as student friendly, open as possible’.

So clearly while the elections are open to potential unsuitable candidates, the scrutiny body is in place to make sure they don’t affect the effectiveness of the Union Council in the long term.

But questions on how to ensure the candidates have the right qualtiies and are serious about the role still remain.

Introduced this year, the scrutiny body is a separate entity that focuses on checking that all of the members of the council are doing their job. For example if a council member misses a meeting without an adequate response they get a black mark and after three black marks the council member is asked to resign their position. The Students’ Union’s Engagement Officer described the scrutiny body as a ‘fantastic thing to make sure everyone is doing their job’ and that it is important to ensure the integrity

In the short term however, this could be seen as unhelpful.

There are also questions within Union Council as to whether such an important role as the union speaker, should be open to election to those lacking in experience. Sean Kelly-Walsh described an ideal candidate for the role as ‘a second or third year with experience and is comfortable with public speaking’. As the figurehead of the discussions within the Union Council itself, surely it makes sense that it is an experienced council member that takes the

The Union remains committed to the idea that anyone can run in these elections. This means measures such as interviewing the candidates before they are allowed to run is impossible.

While this is a commendable stance, it does leave a loophole whereby an unsuitable candidate could get elected. The danger of having an unsuitable candidate is that it could damage

role. The Union clearly doesn’t agree because a motion to have the Union Speaker elected from the council members at one of the first meetings, to ensure that the candidate has both experience and the skills to do the role successfully, was voted down last year.

So while the elections were a success in terms of diverse candidates with increases in LBGT+, different nationalities, women and disabled students getting involved as candidates, a closer look shows that po-

I <3 Clarendon Park Campaign

by Lauren Swain

The Students’ Union’s latest campaign is being championed by the Engagement Officer, Sean Kelly-Walsh. The I <3 Clarendon Park Campaign has been in the works for a while, and all started with a community meeting involving city councillors, the university and the Students’ Union as well as many residents and the concerns of many residents were discussed. Students tend to have a poor reputation, with the most common complaints being either noise or

vomit in gardens. The community meeting suggested the implementation of this scheme and the University of Leicester and Union Council decided to share the cost, with the Union, and in particular Sean Kelly-Walsh, running the scheme.

The first stage of this plan is one that most students in Clarendon should have noticed already, with the arrival of a teabag stapled to a card arriving through the letterbox. This first idea was to encourage students and residents to talk to each other, with

the teabag as a starting point.

Students have been encouraged to talk to their neighbours, and residents have been able to see that the Union and the University are being proactive in the area.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The next stage of the project, which has already begun, involves sending out students to knock on every door in Clarendon Park over a series of weekends, to determine how happy students and other residents are living there. This type

of research has never been undertaken before, and the result should be a meeting with the university, police, and council representatives to develop an action plan. Whilst Sean had no idea what this action plan might be, he thought one of the ultimate goals may be a way to encourage more students to attend residents meetings, or stopping night-time activities in certain areas, such as the new rules that are in place prohibiting bar crawls from walking down New Walk after 11pm.

The tea-bags are just a tool to start conversations and further study, but the project is still being referred to as the ‘The Tea Bag Project’ by local media, although ‘The Tea Bag Man’ moniker has not been adopted

by Sean as of yet. According to Sean, the results of the survey should be out by the end of November and should ‘put student complaint in perspective’. This pilot study is just being rolled out in the Clarendon Park area; however, Sean did suggest that it might be rolled out to other areas such as Evington if successful.

Sean also described the problems that are perceived to be caused by students, saying that the council received lots of complaints, but nobody can ever be sure if it is students or just drunk young adults. He also emphasised that ‘student’s aren’t guilty of something’ and went on to emphasise the great community role that students had taken on in the past and present, such as Keep Clarendon Independent, and the work that Sexpression and the Green Project do in the community.

We leave you with Sean’s final advice, to give neighbours your number if you’re having a party, to allow them to text you in the event of a problem, and to ‘try to be as good a neighbour as possible’.

tential issues still remain. How to ensure the candidate geuniely wants the role? How to ensure the candidates have the right qualities for role? Should such an important role like the Union speaker be open to candidates without proven skills and experience? These are all serious questions that hopefully the Union will address in order to ensure that Union Council remains with members that are both willing and capable.

Image from University of Leicester Students’ Union website

This Issue’s Team: President: Lauren Swain (lfls1) Operations Manager: Anuj Yadav (ay59) Editor-in-chief: Jess Buckley (jbb6) Deputy Editor: Karina Maduro (akm38) News Editor: Ross Brown (rb372) Opinion Editor: Alex Mitchell (amm68) Features Editor: Fjollë Bunjaku (fb115) What’s On Editor: Jessica Ramsdale (jr239) Culture Editor: Dan Jordan (dj82) Lifestyle Editor: Emily Bird (erb15) Sport Editor: Matthew Allen (ma581) Legal Officer: Levin Lalan (ll201) Treasurer: Jess Stonestreet (js19) Secretary: Megan Wright (mw277) Head of Marketing: Sarah Emmins (se102)

OPINION

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Edited by Alex Mitchell

of the Academic Bribery to Vote? Stucture Year to Change?

by Will Towler

The University of Leicester is considering making changes to the structure of the academic year in a bid to improve the student educational experience.

This has been decided based on feedback that was received as part of the NSS survey.

With students currently receiving 20-22 weeks of formal tuition out of a potential 30, alternatives are being proposed in an effort to make better use of this time, with the emphasis on, as it should well be, the betterment of the students education.

Whilst changes are being con-

The University of Leicester falls in the election boundaries of Leicester South, which has an electorate of 78,443, as of Dec 2010 (Boundary Commission for England). With a student population of 20,000 and the majority of those living here, the University of Leicester contains a significant portion of potential voters. If every student voted, they could easily choose the next MP for Leicester South, and in a close national race, such as the 2010 elections, could influence who runs the country.

It is important then that students are encouraged to vote, and the Union’s new #myvotecounts campaign is doing just that. But at what cost?

In my opinion, this campaign is essentially bribing students to vote. By registering, you get a free shabang t-shirt, discounted entry to Lets Disko, and free entry to Lets Disko later on in November. If you aren’t the going out type though you may have to miss out on those events and wait for the other rewards.

The Union has also promised many other ‘treats’ including ‘special offers at Starbucks and the Union Diner, free snacks and treats, and even inflatables!’. And whilst I love wearing a wristband that slowly gets tighter and cuts off circulation for 3 weeks as much as the next person, I do have some doubts about this voter registration drive.

Students who would not have normally even considered voting are now going to register and a large proportion of them will even go on to vote. And if we ignore the fact that it is basically bribery to vote, then it’s a great idea. I mean who doesn’t want a snazzy wristband and free stuff. So now we’re being encouraged to vote, the Union

are going to inform us about all our options right? Well I certainly hope so.

In the press release about this initiative given to media groups there was a clear bias towards the Labour Party. The Ripple had to heavily edit it to make it neutral, as we are so often encouraged to be. The press release, written by the President of the Students’ Union stated that ‘Last time, in 2010, politicians, from all parties, signed up to NUS’ ‘Vote for Students’ pledge and promised not to increase tuition fees. Nick Clegg most famously. Hundreds of thousands of students went out to vote, thinking they were voting to make things better, but the opposite happened. Once in government, MPs who had signed that pledge decided to break it and trebled tuition fees rather than abolishing them. They did this because they thought they could get away with it and that we wouldn’t care. They were wrong. This time, we need to show politicians that the student voice is too loud to be ignored and that the issues that matter to us, should matter to them too.’

So the MP’s in government have failed students everywhere. I agree. They definitely have. However this press release comes from a union where 3 out of 4 Executive Officers are Labour supporters and have made that clear on numerous occasions.

The press release can be seen as embodying political bias towards the Labour Party, as the only major political party who didn’t vote for tuition fee increases.

Frankly, to make a dramatically generalised but essentially true statement, students tend to vote

structure leaves a relatively uncluttered system in place. Semester one, including exams, are wrapped up before Christmas (pun!) leaving the holiday to prepare for semester 2.

The advantages continue, our students are among the last to finish their academic year and this has a potential impact on their availability for the employment market once they graduate. The new plan allows students to finish their academic year earlier allowing them to enter the employment market at the same time as their peers and thus compete for jobs.

In a further bud to bolster cre-

depth, whilst also giving their degree greater breadth. Students will also be able to choose their own subject combinations.

This will mean that students will not only be able to do joint degrees which go relatively well with each other such as Politics-History, Politics-Economics and Politics-Law, but will be able to do something absolutely balmy! This can include degrees which include Politics-Biology, Politics-Museum Studies, and Politics-Engineering. The weighting of such degrees is shown in the diagram, how much would you prefer your unrelated minor part of your

dentials, the 3 weeks following summer exams, usually the time when most students leave, is actually still part of the academic year. This time could be better utilised for personal development in areas of career planning, skills preparation or in other areas like teaching, placements and exams.

More advantages are listed below: • Reduces timetabling issues and increases the core teaching time to 24 weeks per year.

• Gives a much earlier end to the core teaching year, reducing the time pressure on marking and ensuring students receive their results on time.

• Enables re-sits and any appeals to be held earlier, allowing students whose appeals were successful to return to study at the start of term, rather than two weeks later as is currently the case.

Future students will have the option of doing a degree in which they choose two different subjects, one of which will make up the larger part of their degree (the Major), and one the smaller part (the Minor). This will allow students to study one subject in

degree to make up the whole thing?

We spoke to our Education Officer to see what progress he was making on this survey that so many students have now taken part in, he stated, “I’ve done the preliminary analysis of the survey and the results are going to Senate, I think it’s good for students to know what’s happening with their opinions and that they’re heard at an official forum of the University.” This highlights how seriously this issue is being taken by our Union and how listening to students needs concerning their degrees is one of the most important areas that our executive officers are elected for.

If you have yet to take part in this survey it is so simple. Go to www.leicesterunion.com and it’s on one of the scrolling tabs that you see on the home page.

Be sure to take part as your degree is the sole reason why you are here at university and you have people that are prepared to listen to your needs in this matter. Plus, you could have the chance to win a £50 book voucher to further your studying experience.

Labour. It’s just a fact. Indeed, Labour Students is the biggest political group on campus. This campaign is potentially going to drive more Labour voters to the polls than any other political group.

I have raised the problems with political bias in the union before (admittedly on twitter), but I think the point still stands, that if members of the exec have strong political ties, they should not allow this to affect their roles in any way. However, with one member of the exec running to represent Labour as an MP and 2 others some of their most enthusiastic supporters I’ve seen, it is reasonable to assume that the political bias was going to be towards Labour. I personally feel it’s really a shame, that students are being sold out to political parties by the people elected to help them. Many see the sabb positions as stepping stones in political careers, with many students assuming that people only run to enhance their CVs and help them seek higher political office after their time in the Students’ Union.

I have no problem with people being political. In fact, I strongly encourage being involved in politics. However those in charge should be very careful that they don’t promote their political beliefs from their position of power. It makes a mockery of our democracy when those in power seek to unduly influence others, without giving them the opportunity to decide for themselves. Students are smart enough to choose who to vote for based on what the parties say. They are potentially being robbed of that choice by the Union Exec. Sabbs must not let their political beliefs affect their work. However, I imagine it will be a long time coming.

sidered around the Christmas break, much of the restructuring centres on the second semester. The patchy sequence of teaching, Easter, back to teaching to exams is a confused mess of fragmented and distorted ‘toings’ and ‘froings’ that invariably leads to confusion for the average student. A clearer, more streamlined schedule where dates and terms are grouped together would not only be a whole lot easier to understand but also would lead to more effective learning. The structure of the 2nd semester makes it difficult to deliver the whole content of a module before exams start (9 teaching weeks followed by a 5 week Easter break and then 2 more teaching weeks before exams ending with 3 post exam weeks) Instead of this clumsy mash of term time, holiday, exam time and post exam time, have in place a sequence where one event naturally follows the other.

The following image shows the current and proposed structures for the academic year.

As illustrated, the proposed

FEATURES

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Edited by Fjollë Bunjaku

Let’s Talk About Depression: Why Are Many of Us So Down?

by Ana Zadel

Everyone feels down from time to time. It’s impossible to go through life without being sad and it could perhaps be rather boring to live in a static, unemotional state. But sadness is different from depression, though nowadays linguistic ignorance is responsible for misuse of the latter term.

It seems that nowadays emotions can only be expressed as extremes, thus specifically younger people will too frequently say they are depressed or if someone isn’t as lively as usual, they will be facing questions such as ‘Why are you so depressed?’. The notion of depression has long had a stigma attached to it. Today it is still not taken as seriously and not considered a serious health issue as much as it should be.

Depression is not easily characterised. It is not only feeling sad, it is feeling worthless, anxious, empty yet full of misery. There is a choir of voices inside your head telling you that you are ‘unworthy’ and that ‘you cannot be helped’ until they become so loud the mind accepts these statements as facts. Then the body starts to react with pain, fatigue, insomnia.

It differs from one person to the other. It makes people unable to function adequately and prevents them from living a normal day to day life. It makes simple tasks impossibly difficult, and the strength and motivation required to them become unimaginable.

During the early stages, the individual may try to pretend everything is all right, to avoid having to explain how it feels when everything inside you is

crumbling without an obvious reason. And when it becomes too exhausting to pretend, it is easier to abandon everything than to explain what is wrong.

People with depression then become invisible. They withdraw from the activities they used to love, from the people they used to love. This is why it is not always easy to notice that someone is depressed.

The statistics The statistics for depression are vague and not as accurate as for the majority of other illnesses, mostly because most cases are not reported. People with depression do not always seek help and treatment. Some are too proud to admit it, some are too desperate, entirely convinced nothing and no one can help them. Roughly 1 out of 6 people will at least once in their

lifetime suffer from depression, mild or severe and about 1 in 20 are depressed at present.

The World Health Organisations’ (WHO) recently published a study on causes of death which revealed that self-harm is amongst the top 20 causes of death on every continent apart from Africa, and highest in South-East Asia where it is predicted to be the 9th most common cause of death in 2030.

In several countries it is the primary cause of death in adolescents. Suicide is not only a consequence of depression, but talking about all the disorders and all the possible causes in one article could be too much.

It is important to increase awareness of depression, not just because the statistics suggest that it is an increasing problem everywhere in the world, but mostly in the devel-

oped countries, also because 90% of the patients report discrimination and stigmatization and most importantly because depression is a treatable illness.

We don’t yet know the exact cause of it, there are only speculations, and we know little about the chemical and psychological processes occurring in the body of a person with a mental illness. Diagnosis and treatment need to be improved to increase the availability of treatment to the general public, regardless of their financial status.

Depression is not a sign of weakness, or whatever you want to label it. Even if there is no clear cause of it, this does not diminish the importance and right to treatment for all. Help people who imply that they might need help, listen, don’t mock, pity or judge, those are greater signs of weakness than depression.

Receiving help at university

University of Leicester offers support separate from the NHS. The service offers support for all current undergraduate and postgraduate students and is free of charge.

Sometimes it is beneficial to talk to someone that is not close to you, a stranger not related to anything troubling you, trained to help or simply listen. Just one session might increase personal wellbeing as well as academic performance.t is now easier to contact the service. Appointments can be made by an online booking form on the Leicester Student Counselling Service website.

Telephone: 0116 223 1780 Email: counselling@le.ac.uk

Make Up Your Mind: Do You Need Mascara to Survive?

by Lauren Sheridan From ‘get the London look’ to ‘because you’re worth it’, the chances are that you are familiar with the catchy slogans associated with popular beauty brands.

Make-up and beauty products have hence become a major part of the media and even everyday modern life; according to Cosmopolitan in 2011, women spend an average of £100,000 a lifetime on cosmetics- equating to a massive £40 a week! Furthermore, a 2011 study in the Daily Mail found that a third of women asked admitted to wearing make-up every time they left the house, and almost 50% of women said they preferred to wear cosmetics rather than brave the au naturel look.

You may wonder how make-up has become such a prominent aspect of the contemporary world. Archaeologists have found that cosmetics could perhaps date back to 4000BC in ancient Egyptian times, with more regular evidence being found from 1500BC onwards. The ancient Egyptians are said to have used ceremonial palettes; The black ‘kohl’ used as eyeliner offers similarities to modern Cleopatra inspired flicks, yet this was instead motivated by protection from diseases, bacteria and infections rather than just beauty. However, malachite made from minerals was also used as eye shadow for colour

and definition, which does suggest that it was also used for vanity. However, can the long established existence of cosmetics alone be held responsible for today’s immense market?

Throughout time, the occurrence of make-up has been apparent in all cultures and has increased within the majority of them. In 3000BC China, people stained their fingernails with gum - the colour used depended on their social class, providing a new physical distinction between hierarchal statuses. This relationship between image and prestige continued long after BC times with Queen Elizabeth I of England acting as an ambassador of white lead to create ‘the mask of youth’ to maintain the appearance of her famously pale complexion. Whilst this draws comparisons to modern objectives to look younger, it can be argued that make-up is now affordable and readily available to all women regardless of class.

Rather than being a statement of social status or spurred by ceremonial and cultural reasoning, it can be claimed that wearing make-up (in the western world at least) is now somewhat of a ‘norm’. This could potentially be blamed on market expansionism, specifically the inevitable growth and innovation of new products. It could be blamed on celebrities including models, many of whom endorse

brands and recommend specific make-up to fit trends. Or, more likely, it could be argued that the growing markets and celebrity influences have developed only to meet pre-existing demands of an audience that developed gradually and naturally through not only one factor.

The problem with make-up becoming so socially accepted, however, is that it may have instead become socially expected.

You only have to look at the recent ‘no make-up selfie’ trend where women posted bare faced photos of themselves on social media for cancer charities to realise that a bare face is a big deal.

According to the Guardian, the trend raised £8m within 6 days demonstrating the mass scale of participants.

In 2013 the Daily Mail found that two thirds of British bosses said they would be less likely to employ female staff if she did not wear make-up at the interview, which shows how professionalism is now directly associated with appearances. Similarly, the Guardian investigated upmarket department store, Harrods’ ladies dress code in 2011 which stated: ‘Full make-up at all time: base, blusher, full eyes (not too heavy), lipstick, lip liner and gloss are worn at all time and maintained discreetly.’ It is this discrimination based purely on appearances and removing freewill that forced workers such as

Melanie Stark from the Harrods Knightsbridge store out of her job on principle.

“Whilst in certain professions, wearing make-up is unfortunately an expectation, it can also be noted that it is somewhat of a personal choice in everyday life.

The surveys conducted around make-up use demonstrated that there is a strong psychological element surrounding the issue which enables women to feel more confident. This year, Maycie Thornton wrote an article for Buzzfeed about what she learnt when she tried wearing makeup for a week; she describes day 5 as ‘the day I realised wearing make-up makes me feel more confident, i.e., the day my boyfriend called me bossy.”

Despite this comparative confidence being inevitably linked to the new social ‘norms’ stated, this positive and empowering trait should be achievable by means women are comfortable with, be it make-up, or something else.

The fact that 50% of women asked said they preferred wearing make-up also means that a considerable population prefer not wearing it. If social pressures were so extreme, then the proportion of women who wore it would surely be higher. Thornton stated in her article that ‘people get used to you looking a certain way, and they’ll notice any variance from that - whether it’s make-up or something else’, which means that despite the popularity of cosmetics, non-make-up wearers are mostly not judged negatively on a day-to-day basis.

Therefore, the modern make-up ‘obsession’ is ultimately down to a natural development and growth of make-up industry through time - not one specific influence. The common use of cosmetics means that this has transitioned into a social ‘norm’ where women often feel more confident through wearing it.

There are negative consequences of increased make-up usage, such as the use of cosmetics being a requirement or an ex-

Image by Flikr user Maria Morri

pectation in certain professions.

Furthermore, the manufactured social ‘norms’ have led to a degree of sexism; firstly, men are not required to wear make-up in the workplace, but instead asked to present a polished appearance. The vagueness of this compared to the many specifics outlined for women reveals considerable discrimination.

And what of the men that chose to wear make-up? Do they not face different types of discrimination for not complying with accepted social custom? This opens questions about how fair the expectation for women to wear make-up really is.

However, despite the problem of social norms, modern makeup remains, on the whole, a personal choice which offers wearers potential for expression, creativity and confidence.

Whether wearers take inspiration from Indian tradition such as henna, Egyptian ideas like eyeliner flicks, or the 1920’s ‘flapper’ era smoky eyes trend, make-up can be fun and experimental, but it should not matter if you choose to wear it or not.

WHAT’S ON

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Edited by Jessica Ramsdale

Society Says Example

by Rebecca Alcock This time of year is always a strange one where the fun of Halloween and Bonfire Night is behind us, but Christmas is not yet in full swing! Luckily there is a lot on campus to fill in the gap!

After last year’s success, the Leicester relays are returning for the second year. Taking place on the 15th November in Victoria Park, there will be a Men’s race, a Women’s race and a mixed race to take part in. Registration will be held on the day upstairs in The Arc. If you’re not keen to race but want to soak up the atmosphere, the society is looking for volunteers to direct competitors and mark out the route – contact the Running and Athletics society for more details. There is also a social taking place after the event which both competitors and volunteers can join.

If you’re a drama lover you

might be interested in the LU Theatre’s production of The Curious Tragedy of Rubashov the Gambler. The performance is based on the novel “Documents concerning Rubashov the Gambler” by the popular author Carl Johan Vallgren. From the 19th to 21st November at 7:30 in Queen’s Hall you will be able to witness a tragic story containing heartbreak and risk which will be sure to give you the chills.

On the 19th of November UNICEF on campus and the Band and Gig society are once again teaming up for a fundraiser. It’ll be taking place at Firebug and will be £3 for a ticket, with a reduced price for Band and Gig society members. Keep checking the Leicester Union event page for more information on who will be playing.

If you’d rather just get to know a little bit about the causes UNICEF try to help then you can attend their free screening

of the Half the Sky documentary (part one). This documentary should give you an idea of the types of problems UNICEF wish to address. The screening will be taking place in Ken Edwards Lecture Theatre 3 at 6 on Thursday 13th and is completely free to attend. You can look forward to the next part in semester two.

Also taking place at Firebug on the 21st November is the Leicester Vixens first show of the year, The Femme Fatale Burlesque Show. It should be a fantastic night of entertainment with Firebug also offering discounted cocktails. Tickets are £5 on the door and £1 of every ticket sold will help to raise money for the Coppafeel charity. For a little extra fun there will also be a prize for the best dressed, so make sure to come in your best burlesque outfit!

Image by Flikr User: Elena Gatti

by Aaron Ramsbottom There will be a whole host of big names hitting the O2 Academy, including Example and The Courteeners, huge acts which are destined to entertain in November.

Example will bring some of the best known club sounds of recent years when he plays at the o2 Academy on the 10th November. The ‘Changed the Way You Kissed Me’ singer, who hails from Fulham, has two number one singles to his name. He is currently working on new material for his sixth studio album, as yet unnamed but with a release date anticipated to be the end of next year. He has been collaborating with Netsky and 2014 breakout stars Sigma.

Following the successful release of Love Life Living earlier this year, the star has been on a full tour of the UK, with demand forcing new dates to be added.

Tickets are still available and are moderately priced at £30.

On a more alternative note, Manchester band The Courteeners are bringing indie music back to Saturday nights at Leicester on 15th November.

The old Propaganda favourites will be storming the O2 with a selection of huge hits, not least Not Nineteen Forever and 2014 festival hit Are You In Love With A Notion, which the band performed during their headline set on the NME/Radio 1 Stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals this year.

Beyond Campus

by Lucy Bardhoshi and Alice Baille-Johnson If you want a night of fine dining with five star service that doesn’t break the bank, Everest Dine, 61 Belgrave Gate, is the place to go! It won restaurant of the year in 2012 and 2013 and is a regular haunt of celebs such as Joanna Lumley. You can also experience their fantastic food in the comfort of your own home with their free home delivery service. Their student discount is an added bonus, which makes this Indian and Nepalese restaurant even more unmissable.

This year’s Literary Leicester Festival, running from the 12th to 15th November, is a fantastic opportunity to experience some of the literary world’s finest novelists at our very own university and at New Walk Museum. Featuring sessions with award-win-

ning novelists and historians, this event is too good to miss for any fiction aficionados.

Time to dig out those Christmas jumpers! We know it’s only November but it’s never too soon to get in the Christmas spirit! The official lights switch on will take place on 16th November in the city centre with various activities taking place throughout the day.

Do you want to build a snowman? Until the snow starts to fall, head over to the Curve theatre to check out the production of The Snowman which is running from the 12th to 16th November. This enchanting play will surely get you in the Christmas spirit.

The comedy duo Cardinal Burns hit the road this year, with their unpredictable and hilarious comedy show which

has already sold out across the country. If you want to see this BAFTA award-winning pair in action, head to The Curve on the 15th November.

If you’re looking for some post-Halloween thrills, come dressed to impress to the Phoenix Cinema for a zombie-themed extravaganza, Day of the Undead Zombie Festival, on 15th November.

Featuring 13 hours of zombie films, retro zombie games, guest stars, goodie bags and even make-up artists, this spooktacular event is the perfect way to get your gore on!

Image by Flikr User: Ash Brown

Those lucky enough to get hold

of a ticket for the sold-out gig also guarantee themselves free entry into The Courteeners After Show Club Night in O2 Academy 3 (St. George’s Hall for you and I). If you didn’t manage to pick up a ticket for the gig itself, tickets for the aftershow are available from the O2 Academy website free of charge.

Also this fortnight, Beardyman’s beatboxing will be a memorable night for the audience at the o2 Academy. After spending two years working on his album, which is due for release on 10th November, the drum, bass and beatbox performer will entertain Leicester on 18th November.

Image by Flikr User: music like dirt

Tickets available for only £13.

Finally, Alabama 3, a band credited with making it this far without the help of reality TV show competitions arrive in town on 14th November, whilst 70’s glam rock tribute TOO Rex bring glits and glamour to Leicester on the 21st November and seasoned veterans Wishborne Ash celebrate 40 years in the music business with their performance at the O2 Academy on 22nd November.

All ble the

tickets are availafrom The Point and O2 Academy Website.

International Office

Study Abroad & Erasmus Fair Tuesday 18 November 2014, 10.00am - 3.00pm O2 Academy, Percy Gee Building

Your passport to a trip of a lifetime!

Study abroad as part of your Leicester degree

www.le.ac.uk/overseas-exchanges

CULTURE

7

Edited by Dan Jordan

Bjork: Biophilia Live Theatre: Abigail’s Party

by Roseanna Kettle

seamessly.

In the intimate setting of the Phoenix cinema, one hears the familiar voice of David Attenborough in the darkness, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve accidentally walked into a wildlife documentary.

And in a way, you have - expect no crowdpleasers or greatest hits from Björk tonight. Her artistic vision is clear, and in this surreal yet sublime production, her aim is to use music and technology to achieve closeness with nature.

Just as broad as her subject matter are her musical influences, her instrumental setup makes for one of the most unusual and spellbinding - live shows imaginable. Gigantic wooden pendulums swing in time to music which sounds as if it has been mathematically calculated into perfect patterns, the vocals of the Icelandic Graduale Nobili choir soaring into the stratosphere, marimbas, harpsichords... the list goes on. Most dramatic of all is the tesla coil, taking centre-stage for dramatic opening number ‘Thunderbolt’ and quite literally electrifying older hits such as ‘Possibly Maybe’ by creating real lightning bolts onstage with every pulsating buzz. Björk has always been one for pushing boundaries, and it certainly isn’t every day that you see a popstar harness a raw force of nature onstage. With her astounding instrumental range, she unites both the most organic and most artificial ways in which humans produce music, very much in line with her artistic concept.

And if her outfit’s anything to go by, she’s achieved that rather well - with huge hair the colour of a coral reef and a dress that could be hewn from bone or seashells. The concert footage is constantly interspersed with psychedelic imagery ranging from the microscopic to the astrological, vivid footage of swarming sea creatures, brewing thunderstorms and, with a proud nod to her Icelandic heritage, tectonic plates shifting - she even goes so far as to dedicate her encore to the infamous volcano Eyjafjallajökull. Brimming with colour and movement, her vivacious stage show adapts to the cinema medium

or madness, but her stage show is nothing short of jaw-dropping. She retains her talent for finding inspiration in the most surprising places, which she has exhibited since Debut (1993), exemplified best by ‘Virus’ - which sounds like a rather stomach-turning subject, but is transformed into a sweet if rather co-dependent love song, ‘like a virus needs a body’, which has to be one of the most touching moments of the show. Taking the audience by surprise in a sea of chaos, it’s almost like a lullaby, and is a prime example of Björk’s enduring ability to find beauty in the bizarre.

by Megan Brown

Awkwardness is an art form. Or at least it is in the capable hands of playwright Mike Leigh.

The Curve’s production of his 1977 hit Abigail’s Party is gleefully voyeuristic and works perfectly as their first piece of theatre in the round. Drawn into the braying Beverley’s Walthamstow living room, the audience is just as trapped as the hapless party guests - long-suffering husband Lawrence, young newlyweds Tony and Angela, and divorcée Sue. Eager to impress her neighbours, Beverley single-handedly commandeers an evening of social faux pas, embarrassing revelations and husband bashing, all mixed in with hefty measures of gin.

If you’re familiar with the C4 series Made in Chelsea, you will understand the nature of the prolonged silence. Of how first you become a little twitchy, then develop the intense urge to look away but resist because there’s something strangely pleasurable in watching a group of people not talk to each other. Abigail’s Party gives MIC a run for its money, with excruciatingly long silences and disastrous conver-

In turns jarring and beautiful, Björk remains resolutely uncompromising. Call it genius

sation starters. Other than frantic offers of snacks or cigarettes, those gaps are filled with the guests marvelously telling facial expressions. Inbetweeners star Emily Head is ideal for the role of the gormless but well-meaning Angela and paired with Natalie Thomas as Beverley, they forge scenes of perfect comic (or perhaps tragicomic) timing, most of which poor Sue bears the brunt. The success of Abigail’s Party as a theatre piece hinges on timing and the Curve’s superb cast more than do it justice, in particular Cary Cranston as the bewildered Tony.

Leigh’s comments on class are hard to pick apart, but it is not meant to be a comment on society. He creates a slice of real life, and the humour comes not from jokes as such, rather from moments we have all experienced, in rooms of mismatched party guests, when the only way to get through is finish another drink. It is easy to see how this portrait of Seventies suburbia inspired the writers of both The Office and The Royle Family; in illustrating the subtleties of the English reserve (or lack thereof) and conjuring some truly memorable characters (my mother

can still quote a few of Beverley’s lines from the 1977 BBC television adaptation.)

Set designer David Woodhead’s attention to detail is impressive, everything from the golden pineapple ice cooler to the fibre optic light add to the nouveau riche absurdity of the living room. The unpredictably tragic ending is made more so by the ridiculous fluffy pillows and lurid shag pile. Staging the play in the round was a stroke of genius from director Suba Das, and when not engrossed in the carcrash, I was glancing at the rest of the audience’s faces. ‘It’s a love or hate it play, I suppose,’ I heard one audience member say in the interval. But judging from the faces I saw, this member was very much in the minority.

This effervescent adaptation of Abigail’s Party is British awkwardness at its finest – ideal entertainment for the Gogglebox generation.

Frantic Assembly’s Othello: A Review

by Zoe Wolstenholme The auditorium reverberates with Hybrid’s thumping soundtrack as the audience waits watching the fruit machine on stage flash its random pattern of luminescent cherries and pound signs. The lights drop and the small cast, swigging generously from green beer bottles, weave through the pub set in a physical piece of choreography translating the hierarchy of the group dynamic.

We watch the men fight for their position and see the romance of Desdemona and Othello unfold.

Then they open their mouths and we hear strong Northern intonations: this is not Shakespeare as you remember it from GCSE. This powerful adaptation takes Shakespeare’s classic story of envy and domination adds raw emotional resonance when poured into the tracksuit wearing pub regulars.

Frantic Assembly’s focus on characterization gave the play its power and every aspect of the multimedia production fed back into those dynamics.

That is, before the dialogue had even begun Iago’s dominant and watchfulness picked him out of the crowd. The audience watched enthralled as he used his charisma to manipu-

late those around him, ruining innocents in his destructively envious wake while Othello becomes weakened by the revelation of his insecurities. This is a world where the hierarchy is determined by strength and violence, and reputation defines identity. In the end, Frantic Assembly expertly show how this brutal competition for status undoes every character.

This intense psychological drama is developed through the use of highly physical dance pieces.

In particular, Iago’s plot to sabotage Casio is expertly choreographed comedy. As Casio becomes more and more drunk, through the efforts of Iago and others, his body slumps over and he is thrown from man to man mimicking how they are toying with his reputation.

Choreography is also used by the company as foreshadowing where Desdemona and Othello’s romantic embraces in earlier scenes mirror Desdemona’s death where Othello holds her helpless twitching body above his, strangling her by the neck.

The set is as fluid as the choreography. It adapts and changes to suit the story - corners being created within the walls for Iago to lurk in, and at times opening up entirely to expose a misty

street scene outside. The most powerful instance of set change was after Desdemona’s brutal murder at the hands of Othello. Othello steps away from the pool table and leans against the pub wall which then expands away from the scene like a concertina. The set helps to communicate Othello’s realisation about the enormity of what he has just committed. He looks, at a distance, at Desdemona’s lifeless body, and realises his own condemnation.

This highly physical adaptation of the classic tale of jealousy and manipulation communicates Shakespeare’s relevance to modern day. These plays should not be the preserve of English Literature departments, but explored in new contexts, as Frantic Assembly has done, to make their stories speak to all levels of society. By doing so, Frantic Assembly have created a whole new audience for Shakespeare.

I’ve read a few criticisms of the adaptation, like that the accent butchers the verse, but I feel like that’s missing the point.

This may be my Northern Pride talking but I think the accent, costume, and staging all helped to make you reconsider Shakespeare and to think about what he would write about if he were

living today. The amazing thing about the production is it’s still Shakespeare’s original words;

he is speaking to us across all this time. To me, this proves his universality. Frantic Assembly’s

Othello truly transcends Shakespeare into the 21st century. ​

LIFESTYLE

8

Edited by Emily Bird

The Death Of Conversation

by Emily Bird

Our lives in the 21st Century are inundated with technology.

As Generation Y, who grew up with the development of computers, mobile phones and the internet, technology is now an everyday, arguably every hour, occurrence for us.

The atypical student, bar an infinitesimal few, would not be found without their mobile phone. In fact 82%, according to of the UK student population own a smartphone and use it throughout their day to stay in contact with their friends, update their social media outlets, listen to music or do just about anything through the plethora of apps now available to the large platforms of smartphone providers.

Would you be able to count how many times a day you looked at your phone?

The thing is, the internet is causing the quick and unyielding death of common conversation.

Walking into and around university campus, the majority of people I see are glued to a screen of some form – and you have no idea how often consequential collisions occur!

Instead of engaging in conversation with those waiting with you outside your seminar, or someone sat next to you in the SU, everyone is far more comfortable scrolling through the inane

Facebook updates of acquaintances birthdays, countless selfies and that one attention seeking ‘friend’ who no one wants to delete, for the pure value of entertainment.

Even when with friends, many are more aware of interacting with those on Snapchat or Twitter rather than the human in physical form in front of them.

The worst, and this is my ultimate pet hate, are those who go out for dinner and constantly check their phones. Food was designed to be shared and how is one to be properly invested in that experience if their significant other is debating over which filter would best suit their ‘#igfoodporndaily’?

It’s even made mealtimes competitive; every person at dinner puts their phone face down next to them and the first to cave and check their device pays for dinner.

It concerns me greatly that eventually, if faced with meeting new people, many would simply be inept due to their lack of engagement. Conversation is inherent to us as humans and is the best way of sustaining relationships of any kind.

This was highlighted by photographer Babycakes Romero recently published a series of photographs of current society absorbed in their smartphones.

Primarily a street photographer,

he was drawn to capturing ‘people in company on their phones’ for their symmetrical visual level. However, after taking multiple shots of people ignoring the real for the cyber, an element of tragedy became apparent.

Romero says, “I have nothing against technology at all,”,but I feel like it’s starting to affect social cohesion and we need to know when to switch it off — or else we will become permanently switched off from each other.”

The post millennium society has come to depend on the social prop of the smartphone, and by doing so, is diminishing itself of interactive skills.

Going back to how much people rely, or check, on their phones is the UNICEF campaign phenomenon of earlier this year.

A re-launch of their earlier Tap Project campaign, it capitalised on the habits of smartphone users and challenged people to not touch their phones for as long as they could.

By going onto the Tap Project website or App, I realise the irony, users were enabled to donate through UNICEF’s sponsors the monetary equivalent of one day of water for every ten minutes that they left their phone alone.

Therefore, many were encouraged to give up their item of indulgence for something obviously of more worth. However, when removed from charity,

people are less willing to do so!

Before you do, let me make you aware that I’m not a student from the Stone Age who refuses to indulge in the consumeristic lifestyle – I tweet and snap with the best of them. Yet I strive to leave my phone alone when in actual conversation with someone else and appreciate it when they do too.

Further, when I’m walking wherever, I prefer to engage with my surroundings –which on one hand is a matter of safety but also it’s a break from staring at a screen all day.

The world of the internet and smartphones is undoubtedly necessary for the society that we have become, for the new string of bloggers and business’ that solely exist and function online.

Also, the value of technology cannot be underestimated for connecting those far from each other. A long distance relationship of any sense becomes a whole lot more tangible due to the instant connection of services such as FaceTime and Skype, giving instant communication!

In summary though, people should be prepared to live a life outside of their phone. Want to know the best way to conserve that fickle iPhone battery? Put your phone down and go outside.

Try and resist the temptation of

being caught up in the world of the virtual and, instead, engage with your immediate. The death of conversation is a real threat and it is artwork such as that of Babycakes Romero that is arguably required for us to realise just how much we have come to rely on technology.

Photos by Babycakes Romero

So, the next time you’re headed out, for a walk, for dinner, or for uni, put your phone away and look up. You’ll probably bump into that friend that you’ve been meaning to catch up with for an age – and that definitely wouldn’t have happened had you been obsessing over Kimmy K’s latest look.

How To Eat Your Way Through 5 Countries

by Lauren Swain

Red Hot World Buffet has only been around in Leicester for a couple of months but is already establishing itself as the best buffet in Leicester.

At a two minute walk from Highcross on the High Street, it is ideally situated for a post shopping binge, and their lunchtime prices are very reasonable, starting at £8.99. Whilst the evening service has a slightly larger food selection it is slightly more expensive at £13.99, and frankly your options at lunchtime are overwhelming enough.

Upon arrival we were seated immediately in the slightly nicer, quieter area downstairs, and embarked upon the quest of the buffet. If you take food as seriously as me, you will know that the buffet is the ultimate test of endurance. With every major food type represented at Red Hot World Buffet it was a major challenge. This is the definitive guide on how to survive.

First of all, water is your friend,

remember this. A lot of the foods at Red Hot are on the spicier side, and having a constant stream of water on hand is essential.

choose from than the Italian, and as Leicester is renowned for its Indian restaurants, I had high expectations. I was not disappointed.

The most obvious tip however is to go for small portion sizes.

There is so much on offer that to waste your experience on only one type of food would be unthinkable.

They had a vast range of curries, rice, and sides, the highlight of which was one of the best vegetable samosas I’ve tasted in a while. The chicken tikka masala was creamy and spicy, with huge chunks of chicken in it, and a butter naan complemented it well.

At Red Hot, the food is divided into ‘sections’ with one for each country and flags to help you discern which is which. The flags are most definitely your friends too.

Round 1: Italian. I started off with a dish from the ‘live station’ where the chefs make a dish before you to your exact preferences. Out of the huge variety of pasta and risotto I settled on a mushroom risotto which was cooked in minutes, yet retained that classic creamy texture and was perfectly balanced in flavours.

Round 2: Indian. The Indian section had much more to

At this stage, it is advised to take a short break, to allow your brain to tell your body that you are in fact at a buffet and can definitely eat more food than is normally possible. 10 minutes is normally enough.

Round 3: Chinese and Japanese.

In an otherwise flawless performance by Red Hot, the Chinese was slightly disappointing.

Whilst still residing above your average takeaway, they fell just short on the mix of flavourings in the noodles and accompanying sauces.

The side dishes for the Chinese section were on par with the rest of the offerings though, with the vegetable spring roll being one of my favourites of the day.

The Japanese section was very limited, to vegetarian sushi, but it was delicious and flawlessly made.

Round 4: American. This is the hardest part of the buffet. You’ve had 3 plates, you’ve sampled some amazing food and exhaustion is starting to kick in.

But then you see it; the Grill Station. Chicken kebabs, three types of burger, and hotdogs, completed with peri-peri chicken, corn on the cob, wedges and some wonderful salad choices.

(That’s if you’re into salad at a buffet, I personally think it’s heresy but whatever.)

So, you struggle through, take your pick and it’s oh so worth it. Cooked fresh right in front of you this is definitely one of the better stations.

Now that you’ve attempted the majority of the main courses,

it’s time to revaluate your life.

You’re full but then the waitress reminds you of the dessert section. After an incredibly long break (we took at least half an hour) we embarked upon the hardest part yet: dessert.

Round 5: Cakes. With heavy hearts we ascended to the dessert table, and immediately landed upon the apple crumble and custard, which was absolutely wonderful. It was actually better than my mums (although that isn’t saying much).

I tried pumpkin for the first time in my life, in the form of pumpkin and caramel cheesecake, and instantly fell in love with it.

The cakes on offer were small in size, which under any other circumstances would be underwhelming, but in the context of this food marathon, was a welcome change.

Round 6: Ice cream. At this point I know a lot of you will be starting to judge me. How can I possibly manage anymore food?

Isn’t 5 plates enough?

Well, yes, you’re right. But the ice cream here is homemade, delicious and also palate cleanser. We actually felt better and less full after eating it. It was a tactical move that also happened to be delicious. The toppings sprinkled on top were just for my own enjoyment.

Alas, there was a chocolate fountain that defeated me, as I just couldn’t eat another bite.

And it looked beautiful too. But still, there’s always a next time.

Our waitress was extremely friendly and attentive and all the staff seemed really happy to help.

Whilst we had to endure the long walk home incredibly full, we have no regrets. I will definitely be returning to Red Hot World Buffet, and can’t wait to try the foods that managed to elude me this time.

9

Eager To DIY Cocktails Exercise?

by Jemma Smith

Your degree, sleep and your social life… at university it’s only possible to pick two of the above. As a large part of university is about socialising, be it through parties or societies, we’ve provided you with a way to change up a standard evening with our delicious cocktails!

Whether you’re switching up pre-drinks or want to have a quieter evening in, cocktails are a fun alternative to the normal student’s combo of spirit and mixer. Even if you don’t drink, these recipes can be altered to non-alcoholic versions! Just opt out the alcohol and replace it with a sugar syrup or cordial.

So head to your cupboards, take advantage of your and your roommates probably diverse alcohol supply and get mixing.

Cheaper than visiting the many bars Leicester has to offer, cocktail inspiration can be found on the internet, in magazine and through random chance when mixing ingredients…

Fortunately, one of my housemates has a tea-towel with many different cocktails on it and how to make them with a step-bystep guide. So we went for some classics, and also some adapted editions, that with a few tweaks ended up fairly fabulous!

First of all, we started with the Cosmopolitan: 2 parts citrus vodka, ½ part of Cointreau, 1 part cranberry juice, and 1 part lime juice. So, we didn’t have citrus vodka, but we did have lemon juice, and Asda’s finest litre-and-a-half of vodka.

And lastly, my personal favourite of them all, was the Amaretto Sour. For this we used Amaretto, and a pre-mixed Disaronno sour, costing £6, which if you split amongst your friends is not too bad!

This one did turn out a little bit strong and tangy, so we just added a bit more cranberry juice and voila!

Next, was the Peach Daiquiri: 2 parts white rum, 1 part lime juice and ½ measure of sugar syrup. It would probably be a useful time to say that we used shot glasses to measure everything out... a student must-have in any kitchen!

Most daiquiris come flavoured, be it strawberry, passionfruit, apple... whatever you want, you can pretty much do.

I normally go for the passionfruit but come on, I am a student, and passionfruit is a luxury, so we squeezed out peaches to get a flavoursome Daiquiri. I won’t lie to you, getting the juices out of the peaches is harder than you would think, so if you happen to find a better method than trying to squish it in your hand like the Incredible Hulk, do let me know!

For many of you out there, owning a sports membership is the necessary requirement to play sport for the university. For others, owning one may be the motivation to get fit or embrace a new lifestyle.

Another classic cocktail you must try is the Margarita, a favourite amongst all. However, we still didn’t have tequila, so we made a vodka adaptation instead, and it worked just as well.

So we put in 2 parts vodka, 1 Cointreau and ½ lime juice.

With the lime juice in all of these cocktails, we just squeezed the juice out of a fresh lime using our hands.

Serve all of the above on ice, better with crushed ice, but it doesn’t really matter what form of ice you use, the cocktails are still going to taste great!

It was so much fun making all of these with my housemates, and we had just as much fun drinking them! So if you’re bored, fancy a change or you have a strong craving for cocktails, maybe try some of these out!

This cocktail looked great and was definitely a hit with a lot of my housemates. Although that being said, all of the glasses were drained of their contents by somebody in the house.

If you can’t get hold of measures, or a cocktail shaker, a good alternative is an egg cup for shots and any sort of bottle or container with a lid to shake it up. Also, measuring out in ‘parts’ will either refer to the ratio of your glass, or if you’re making more than one, your cocktail shaker.

Photos by Jemma Smith

Warm Up With Stew

by Jemma Malone

Are those dark evenings bringing you down? Settle in at your home away from home with Jemma’s flavoursome Aubergine Stew.

This hearty stew is the ideal comfort food for the health conscious. Low in carbohydrates and high in protein, each portion easily contributes 3 out of your 5 a day. Even better, this recipe comes to less than £4 per batch and could easily feed you for a week!

Unusually, this recipe is vegan, meaning that no animal ingredients are included, only plant based foods! It must be said though that adding a dash of cream creates a smooth, richer taste.

My recipe is best served on top of a baked jacket potato for a

quick lunch or alternatively on a bed of steamed rice for a more substantial meal.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, 1 tbsp 1 Onion, (red or white), diced 1 Aubergine, diced 2 sticks of Celery, chopped 2 Carrots, chopped 1 Pepper, of any colour, medium/large, sliced or diced Chopped tomatoes, 400g (a standard tin) Tomato Puree, 1 generous tbsp Dried brown lentils or dried yellow split peas, 230g Method: 1) Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on a low heat.

2) Peel and coarsely chop your onions and transfer them to pan once the oil is hot enough.

Cook for 10 minutes, occasion-

ally stirring.

3) Whilst the onions are cooking, boil water in the kettle and add it to your lentils until it just covers them. Leave to stand.

4) Add all of the chopped vegetables - aubergine, carrots, celery, pepper - to your onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and coating them with the oil in the pan.

5) Add tinned tomatoes and stir thoroughly. Keep the tin aside.

6) Drain the lentils through a sieve into a jug, keeping the water.

7) Then transfer the lentils into the pan and pour the water into the tomato tin; swirl it around to get the extra bits of juice then pour that liquid into the pan also.

8) Once thoroughly stirred, cook your stew on a medium-low heat for just over an hour, stirring frequently so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep topping the pan

Daniella Marsh gives her verdict on the fitness classes available at the gym

up with a little boiled water until you achieve your desired consistency, as the lentils need ample liquid to cook properly.

If you’re not eating it now, allow the stew to cool before transferring it into an airtight Tupperware container. Your stew can now be stored in the fridge for up to one week. This meal is suitable for freezing too.

Tweet in your versions to @ UoLRipple and @JemmaJaneMalone, or upload them to Facebook and tag our page!

Photos by Jemma Malone

The University of Leicester student sports card allows you to access two gyms – The Danielle Browne Sports Centre which is situated on University campus, and the Roger Bettles Sports Centre situated in Oadby, a five minute walk from first year Halls of Residence.

Both gyms have a wide range of classes for students to attend and this year, the sports centre on campus has recently added more. Each class is on nearly every day at each gym, making it easier to fit around your schedule.

In terms of value for money, the fitness classes are excellent as they provide trained instructors who are happy to help you get to grips with the class routine.

Suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels, there is often a range of both – as I witnessed in a recent Body Step class.

It’s up to you to make the classes as easy or as challenging as you wish because the instructors won’t push you beyond your limit! Therefore there’s no feeling embarrassed if you can’t keep up with the pace or grasp the class routines.

I mentioned Body Step before but one of the most popular classes, and on nearly every day at both gyms, is Body Pump, an endurance and toning class.

There are two instructors who take alternate classes, one male and one female, who are both amazing at motivating you to push yourself.

The class consists of lifting weights to dance music and there are a huge amount of squats involved, giving your whole body a brilliant workout.

You can also make it as hard as you want to as you select the heaviness of the weights you use. There are both males and females who attend this class.

Another class that loved by men and women is Spin, aimed at primarily working out your legs and bum. As a cardio-based

class you ‘sit’ (there is next to none sitting involved!) on a bike for an hour and pedal as fast as you can.

The music is brilliant and upbeat and the bikes are set out in a circle so you are facing other people doing the class which motivates you to keep going.

The only downside would be at the gym on university campus, the Spin classes are held in the upstairs part of the Gym next to the Weights section. However because you are facing away from them you feel completely separated.

It is a great one to try if you want to tone your legs and get a great cardio work out, but no doubt you’ll have wobbly legs for a few days after the class!

The Gold gym membership is £210 for the year and that covers everything in both gyms, including swimming, classes, use of courts/pitches and general gym use.

You can get a cheaper Silver membership for £105 but this doesn’t cover all of the classes available. If you want to attend 2-3 classes a week then it is well worth buying the membership as purchasing classes on their own would amount to around £10 per week.

The great thing about classes is that you are motivated to keep going by your instructor and the environment around you. In the gym it’s much easier to give up and head home early as there is no one to consistently push you to keep you going! That’s unless you want to purchase personal trainer sessions…

If you’ve got a sports membership, or even if you haven’t, get down to one of the university gyms with your friends and try out the huge variety of classes.

From Metafit to Chi Yoga, Body Balance to Total Abs, all of the classes guarantee you with a challenging but overall rewarding workout that will only take an hour maximum out of your day. If you struggle with self-motivation, the fitness classes are for you!

Sir Thomas White Loan Charity

OUR LOANS CREATE GROWTH

9 YeARS INTeReST FRee

BUSINESS & EDUCATION LOANS We are a charitable organisation providing loans to people under 35 for new business ideas and young businesses needing investment.

We also provide loans for postgraduate education.

Eligible candidates can borrow up to £15,000 for business and up to £6,000 for education.

For more information on who can apply and how the loans work visit www.stwcharity.co.uk

facebook.com/stwlc Sir Thomas White Loan Charity Registered charity no: 218061

@STWLCharity

“Sir Thomas White”

SPORT

11

Edited by Matthew Allen

Women’s Rugby Victorious...

by Alex Bugg

Leicester Women’s Rugby won 26-0 with tries from Jess Wells, Lauren Sawdon and Ofure Ugiagbe (2). Ofure scored 3 out of 4 conversions. This means we get a bonus point in our league.

The game was well spectated as with any pre-Varsity clash against DMU, with fans cheering both sides. Leicester’s noise helped us come out of the blocks flying, with a couple of quick tries. The game was very physical and slowed down into the second half, with DMU having the ball in our half, but they rarely looked like scoring. Our defence was solid and reflected the workrate of every player on the pitch.

Rebecca Harvey, Emily Hughes, Nicola Davis and Martha Perkins made their club debut today.

Rebecca Harvey at prop won forward of the match on her debut. Back of the match went to captain Jess Wells.

Georgia Newman at fly half won DMUs MOTM choice.

MOTM went to Emily Hughes,

...But A Mixed Bag For The Men

by Edward Kaye

Another week, another three home games for the biggest club in the University. Whilst the 1st team matched up against Birmingham 2’s, the 2nd and 3rd team faced two sides from Nottingham Trent. These games brought a mixed bag of results.

The first dominated their game throughout, showing the team cohesion that they had been working on throughout the early season, plus an extra bit of flair that the players had clearly been practising during

games of touch. Tries from Jack Arundell, Alex Wilson and…

Tom Jefferies among others capped of a very one sided affair.

Leicester 1st 58-3 Birmingham 2nd

The second team went into their match knowing that a win would put them on top of the league, and they came out with a point to prove. An early try from fresher Dario along with a solid defensive effort left the boys in maroon and white with the lead at half time.

They could have been lead-

ing by more if not for fresher Kay squandering a perfectly weighted grubber kick from Edward Kaye. The second half saw the team drop off, leading to sloppy tries being conceded.

Despite a late surge from the boys it was all too little too late.

Leicester 2nd 20-24 Nottingham Trent Leicester 3rd 19-22 Nottingham Trent

ULNC Fourths Net A Victory

by Grace Brady and Georgia Everett Both the Netball 3rd and 4th teams were involved in fixtures this week, with the 3rds taking on University of Nottingham 2nds and the 4ths taking on Modern Languages in an intermural fixture. In the case of the 3rds their tie ended in a loss, whilst the 4ths came out victorious in their tie.

The thirds were defeated by the Nottingham seconds 61-14. Despite the score the team gave it their all with high defensive pressure throughout the game making the score for Nottingham a lot lower than expect-

ed, despite them being three leagues above both teams played similarly. Leicester really making the flow of Nottingham’s play hard with them having to rest the ball numerous times.

There were a few notable high points in the game, in particular scoring 3 goals consecutively, including two turn over goals. Hollie Coupar picked up the woman of the match award in this one.

For the fourths it was an positive affair in a 26-13 victory against Modern Languages in the intramural league. ULNC played really well, and it was nice to see a relatively new team

really coming together and working well as a team. Everyone listened to advice and obviously, it all worked out well!

A player of the match was chosen from both teams by the opposition, with Modern Languages selecting Georgia Everett as ULNC’s player of the match, and ULNC deciding that Molly Teece was Modern Languages’ player of the match.

We feel this was a brilliantly played match for ULNC and we very much look forward to the next fixture! And also, good luck to the other 4ths team who will be playing next week!

also making her debut today.

She has settled into her role in the second row and is our very own Alun Wyn Jones. The Welsh player had never played rugby before university but you couldn’t tell. She has no fear and made loads of crunching tackles on the DMU side, as well as some great carries.

Leicester’s Team: 1. Cara Wells, 2. Alex Bugg, 3. Rebecca Harvey, 4. Emily Hughes, 5. Rebecca Collins, 6. Philippa Stroud, 7. Daphne Fromes, 8. Ofure Ugiagbe (Vice), 9. Emily Varnals, 10.

Georgia Newman, 11. Catherine Salmon, 12. Anna Stephenson, 13. Jess Wells (Captain), 14. Rebecca Fry, 15. Lauren Swindon.

Replacements: 16. Nicola Davis, 17. Ellen Sutherland, 18. Lucy Hassall, 19. Candice Grayson, 20. Karen Shedden, 21. Martha Perkins, 22. Zoe Firth

For all the latest match reports, fixtures and results, and for more expert analysis from our seasoned Sports team, visit www.the-ripple.co.uk/sports

Can Co-ed Turn Potential Into Production?

by Matthew Allen

On Saturday evening in Queen’s Hall a strange sight would have befallen you had you peered your curious head inside: four lads (including one in pyjama bottoms and shoeless, and another in extremely fitted shorts) throwing a young lady into the air, with questionable form and even more questionable rhythmic ability. Peter Andre blasting in the background through an iPhone. The Leicester Panthers are forming a co-ed stunting group, and they’ve drafted in four of the Leicester Longhorns to help them achieve this. I’m completely unashamed to say that I am one of them.

Cheerleading is actually very rewarding. In the more relaxed environment that we have to train in we’re afforded a lot more laughs and opportunities for much-needed rest. We’re only absolute beginners, but already serious progress is being made. As the self-appointed Men’s Captain of Cheer (hoodie pending) I feel I’m well-placed to assert this. Despite constant enquiries towards the rearrangement of practice, we are always there, and through hard work and concentration we’ve managed to all but nail preps,

baskets and cradles in the first couple of weeks. A couple of failed attempts at a lib are the only blot on an otherwise pristine first couple of tries.

The benefits of having boys involved in cheer are clear. For one, as bases we are simply able to chuck the flyer higher. The boys’ expectations of truly outrageous stunts may be far off now, but they’re anything but a pipedream in the long-term.

Of course we have a long way to go, but our lofty goal of Varsity 2015 competition is very much within our sights. Katy Lee, the flyer in question, is in good spirits about the team as a whole. “I’m surprised at how quickly they’re actually picking things up; they’ve got a lot of potential”. Aww. Cheers. (No pun intended).

It isn’t just about the competition though; us lads are actually, believe it or not, having a lot of fun. “It’s fun and new man”, says Phil Sadgrove, one of the two bases along with myself, and that’s the key; American Football, whilst obviously our first passion, involves an awful lot of what we’ve already done before. Running, catching, smacking people right in the bones. Football is obvious-

ly technical, but cheer takes technique to a whole new level. Good technique can be the difference between nailing a stunt and a nasty injury. The fact that it’s so clearly different from Football, but at the same time requires a few of the same components such as strength and positioning puts a whole new spin on what we’ve picked up over the last couple of years.

Between us two bases, the back, Joe McDougall, and the devilishly handsome front Patrick Burt, we’ve more than got the technical potential to come up trumps.

Of course, we’re a long way from coming up with a routine, or even having all of the stunts refined to a state where we could present them in public, but we’re hopeful that by March we can turn up at Varsity and turn the DMU victory of last year into a win for Leicester. Of course, if we achieve this it won’t all be because of us, but there can be a guarantee that we’ll express a certain smugness that will take a while to wash off our ruddy faces. Until then, we’ll just have to keep working hard.

We’re more than up to the task.

The Longhorns Lose... But Not In Vain

by Henry Strevens A rookie heavy Leicester Longhorns team made the short trip to Nottingham last Sunday to face the Nottingham Outlaws in a game, which for the majority of the team, was their first proper taste of American Football in a competitive setting. This proved itself as the more experienced Nottingham team dominated the opening sections of the game. Yet as the game progressed the Longhorns became more assured of themselves, the rookies finding their feet, growing in confidence.

This new tenacity challenged Nottingham making them work hard for every yard they gained, showing the never say die attitude which was present throughout the whole game, even when the scoreboard was not in the Longhorns favour.

This Leicester Longhorns team looked much improved from the team from last season and even the one that faced Oxford a couple of weeks ago. The offence looked a much better team, especially with the passing game, which made Nottingham’s defense work. The passing game gained them 121 yards in total, a respectable amount for a team known for its run heavy offence which only managed 26 yards;

with the pass game succeeding well, could this show a change in the nature of Leicester offensive focus? Star rookie wide receiver Callum Phillips hopes it will as he continued his rich vein of form with 5 receptions totaling 78 yards and also a touchdown.

His touchdown was the visual incarnation of the Longhorns attitude as he powered through numerous tackles, never giving up on reaching the end zone and securing the team some vital points and helping him earn the title of Offensive MVP. QB Joe McDougall also had an excellent game throwing for 12 passes with 9 completions, totaling 98 yards and touchdown.

He also wasn’t afraid to stretch his legs, gaining 8 rushing yards on two attempts, which allowed Leicester to move up the pitch and gain vital field position. He also put a shift in playing defence racking up 3 tackles and 2 sacks, which helped contribute to him gaining Team MVP. The offence totaled 174 yards with 1 Touchdown with the final whistle, a respectable amount.

The defence also performed decently; the inexperience of the players showed at times yet with such a rookie heavy team that would be expected to happen. They gave a solid account of themselves, racking up a to-

tal of 34 tackles, with standout players being Bryn Thomas, Dom Bareford, Ted Roberts and Nick Harry. However, the rookie Bryn stole the limelight

by making two sacks on his first competitive debut, winning him the title of Defensive MVP. With more game time and training sessions this Leices-

ter defence will become an outfit that can be relied upon.

The Leicester Longhorns may have lost this game yet it high-

lighted the talent that the team has at its availability and as the rookies grow, this team will become a force to be reckoned with.