The University Paper February 2015: Sheffield by The University Paper

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SIMON AMSTELL: HOW I DEALT WITH PROBLEMS OF BEING A HUMAN BEING

‘UNFAIR’ EXAM...WE DEMAND ANSWERS

Students’ petition over ‘impossible’ questions MOLLIE CARBERRY

ED BOY: Labour leader Ed Miliband talks to Sheffield Hallam University students as the battle to unseat deputy prime minister Nick Clegg hots up. His visit came as Ukip parachuted in one of its brightest young stars full story p5 to fight for the constituency

ECONOMICS students are fighting to overturn an exam they say contained ‘impossible’ questions. The final-year University of Sheffield undergraduates launched an online petition after sitting an economics of cities test – which allegedly included questions on topics for which they had not been taught or prepared. One student, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It was ridiculous. When I sat down and opened the paper, I just assumed I had revised the wrong things – but everyone looked equally as clueless. ‘The uni can’t ignore the fact that

we’re all saying the same thing – this isn’t just a case of the boy who cried wolf.’ The angry students are demanding the university re-evaluates the weighting of the syllabus, with 90 per cent of those who sat the exam putting their name to the petition. They say the questions were too mathematical, when they had been told it would not be a maths-based exam, and that there were compulsory questions on topics that had not been taught in lectures or put on reading lists. Concerns were also raised for dual-honours students, who sat the paper without the same level of

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mental mathematic preparation as the economics students. Matthew Lau, another student who sat the exam, said: ‘I feel very misled and frustrated. We were told that if we’ve done the tutorial questions, we would have no problems with the exam – but it turns out that the questions in the exam were very different from the tutorial questions.’ Prof Andy Dickerson, head of Sheffield’s economics department, told BBC News: ‘All questions were based on topics taught in the course and for which further reading was provided. ‘One question used a term that they

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February 2015

Code breakers flock to take on couple’s challenge to save mankind Real River of praise for Paula AN English department’s writerin-residence is in line for a £30,000 prize. Paula Morris, who is based at the University of Sheffield, has had her short story, False River, placed on the long-list for the The Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award. The New Zealander has been teaching creative writing since 2003 and her 2011 novel Rangatira won two awards. She is in line for the latest gong along with 18 other writers from across the world. She will find out if she is on the shortlist for the prize on March 1 during a ceremony at the Stationers’ Hall in London. Mollie Carberry

Time is ticking: A team commiserates after failing to beat the Crystal Maze-style game, solving puzzles against the clock

Stuck in pair’s lair HENRY EDWARDS MAD scientists are forging a plan to wipe out mankind and you and your mates are the only people standing between them and their goal. Can you stop them in time? This is the challenge couple Hannah Duraid and Peter Lacole set for teams trying to complete their hands-on game the Great Escape. They created the game at

the Avec Building in Sidney Street after encountering similar challenges – all fictional – on their travels across Asia. Hannah, a teacher training student at Sheffield Hallam University, said: ‘I used to wake up in the middle of the night and write ideas down. ‘Once the course was built, we made the props and it just happened. ‘We had a few guinea pigs at first, because there’s so

much that can go wrong.’ The game features devilish brain teasers and team challenges similar to those on 1990s TV series Crystal Maze – and, so far, only half of the teams who have entered have escaped the mad scientists in the allotted 45 minutes. ‘It’s 100 per cent a team thing,’ said Hannah. ‘You can’t escape without everyone on your team working together. ‘We had a group of scout

leaders in last week. Their boss brought his team because they weren’t getting on very well – but they had to pull together for this. ‘They didn’t escape – they were minutes off.’ The business has only been running for a month, but has already had a good reception from visitors and on the Trip Advisor website. ‘Everyone has been so kind,’ said Hannah. ‘We’ve had stag

and hen parties, team-building sessions, students and couples on double dates – they almost had fights.’ The 24-year-old has expanded her love of brain teasers to the classroom while on placements for her PGCE course. ‘I’ve done a few code-breaking sessions in maths,’ she added. ‘The kids loved it – it’s very different from normal lessons.’

Backstage brains given doctorates THE psychologist in touch with the inner chimpanzees of top sports players and the TV producer behind the Teletubbies have received honorary doctorates from the University of Sheffield. Prof Steve Peters, who pioneered the ‘chimp model’ to help sportsmen such as Steven Gerrard, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy improve their game, was awarded the degree in January, along with Anne Wood, who also introduced the classic character Roland Rat to ITV. David Gregg

February 2015

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Exposed: Clause for concern in unfair contracts MOLLIE CARBERRY STUDENTS in Sheffield are being caught out after signing unfair contracts for their £9,000-a-year degree courses. They are unwittingly agreeing to small-print clauses that allow the city’s universities to modify elements of their course without warning. Both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam were singled out by Which? researchers, who examined documents students at 131 universities were expected to sign and concluded both were guilty of bad practice. Sheffield student Emily Flint told TUP: ‘My flatmate, who was coming towards the end of her second year, was indi-

rectly forced to leave Sheffield University due to the lack of range of courses they offer. ‘She was finding her initial course difficult and decided she wanted to do a more practical degree as she knew she wanted to become a teacher. ‘However, due to Sheffield University only really offering the more ‘‘traditional’’ degrees, she had to leave nd go elsewhere.’ A Sheffield Hallam University spokesperson said: ‘All universities vary terms and conditions from time to time to enhance courses for students – for example, to introduce a module which reflects new research expertise. ‘We regularly review our terms and conditions to ensure

they are fit and make every effort to make applicants and students aware of them.’ In some universities, Which? found terms and conditions, unearthed via Freedom Of Information requests, so stringent they could be unlawful and would not stand up to a court challenge. Which? also showed six in ten students nationwide had experienced a change to their course and one in ten had seen an increase in fees either part-way through the year or between years. It has contacted the Competition and Markets Authority to check which universities are complying with its new guidance on how consumer law applies to the sector.

SO PROUD: Human rights campaigner Baroness Helena Kennedy has spoken of her pride at opening a new centre for justice bearing her name. ‘The rights of women are human rights issues and too often that is forgotten,’ she said at Sheffield Hallam University. ‘I am thrilled the centre will bear my name. I can think of no greater honour.’ The baroness also opened the Thomas Van Haaren Moot Court, named after a Hallam student who died of cancer, aged 23

contactLIST Email us at sheffieldeditor@unipaper.co.uk Editor: Mollie Carberry News editor (UoS): Lucy Holt News editor (Hallam): Liam O’Neill Comment editor: Lindsey Coombs

Photography editor: Wemmy Ogunyankin Accommodation editor: Emily Flint Sports editor (Hallam): Tom Hitchenor Sports editor (UoS): Raif Howley

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Miliband aims to Nick Lib Dem leader’s seat LIAM O’NEILL ED MILIBAND promised students he would not ‘do a Nick Clegg’ and ‘betray’ them as he gave a rousing speech in a bid to win their vote. The Labour leader made repeated references to the Liberal Democrats’ broken promise to ditch tuition fees in his address to about 250 people at Sheffield Hallam University. He said: ‘This government has betrayed young people. We want to do more for students heading to university, who leave at the end burdened down with debt. ‘The future of the country depends on young people and the outcome of this election will determine what kind of future they have.’ The leader of the opposition also announced his policies to help young adults. These including raising the minimum wage, supporting a living wage and giving the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds. Mr Miliband was reported in The Daily Telegraph as saying: ‘I am insistent that whatever we do is credible and possible, because I do not want to do a Nick Clegg. ‘I am not going betray another whole generation of young people.’ Mr Miliband also gave his backing to Labour’s

Uk-nipper wants payback for ‘lies’ A YOUNG Ukip candidate is looking to exact revenge on deputy prime minister Nick Clegg by ousting him from his seat at the general election. University of Dundee student Joe Jenkins, 21, is an ex-Liberal Democrat and is now going up against the party leader for his Sheffield Hallam spot. He said: ‘I wanted to stand to expose the outright betrayal of students by the other political parties – and especially Nick

Clegg. I was a Lib Dem member but left the party due to the lies and betrayal from MPs like him. ‘Ukip is the clear and only choice for students. It is offering real, attainable goals for easing students’ financial burden. ‘We will do this through the scrapping of tuition fees for STEM subjects, which shows our clear dedication to creating opportunities for young people.’ Liam O’Neill

Sheffield Hallam candidate Oliver Coppard, who was also in the audience. Mr Coppard said he had only seen Mr Clegg once in Sheffield, adding that he believed the deputy PM found it difficult to engage with people on his doorstep. He also accused Mr Clegg of failing to connect with the people of Sheffield and spending most of his time in his west London home. A

spokesman for Mr Clegg told The Daily Telegraph: ‘Other than Tom Watson ostentatiously knocking on a couple of doors in Crookes one afternoon, we haven’t seen much evidence of Labour making progress in Sheffield Hallam.’ Labour sits three points behind the Lib Dems for the Sheffield Hallam seat, which Mr Clegg has held since 2005.

some people who will see me as inexperienced – but hopefully not too many will. I don’t expect to win it but what I am expecting is to be able to raise the profile of the ‘none of the above’ cause and the debate on the issue.’ He added: ‘Sheffield is the most student-

heavy constituency, so a lot of people will be able to relate to me and the cause. ‘We are also trying to set up a society in the university, which will hopefully help to get the students on board. So far, the reaction has been very positive, as they don’t seem to really like any of the other parties.’ Thom (pictured) will go up against the current Sheffield Central MP, Labour’s Paul Blomfield, in the general election in May, as well as Liberal Democrat and local councillor Joe Otten and Green Party candidate and local councillor Jillian Creasy.

Vote for ‘none of the above’ with Thom... A STUDENT candidate for Sheffield will be one of the youngest in the nation at this year’s general election. Sheffield Central hopeful Thom Brown, 20, is standing for the Above And Beyond party – which is campaigning solely for a ‘none of the above’ option to be added to ballot papers. The politics and philosophy student, from the University of Sheffield, said: ‘Obviously, there will be

Say no to the rest: Thom Brown

In training: Joe Jenkins works out his strategy

February 2015

‘Too tricky’ exam fight from p1 may not have encountered previously – but to avoid any misunderstanding, the term was defined precisely in the question in terms of concepts used in the module.’ The petition has drawn derision from some suspicious students on other courses, however. English undergraduate Iona Johnson said: ‘I’m sceptical, to be honest. When I was younger and I hadn’t revised properly, I used to tell my parents that we hadn’t been taught anything on the test. I think this is exactly the same but on a grand scale. There shouldn’t be any excuses.’

VC set to retire Sheffield Hallam’s vice chancellor, Prof Philip Jones, has announced his retirement. He will step down in spring 2016, having been in the job since 2007. Liam O’Neill

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February 2015

220 postgrads to benefit from scholarship pot SCHOLARSHIPS worth £2.2million are to given out by the University of Sheffield. They will be offered to 220 postgrads who may have been priced out of continuing their studies. The number of scholarships on offer represents the fifth-highest in the nation. ‘Ensuring talented students from all backgrounds have access to postgraduate education is not only lifechanging for those individuals – it is vitally important for the UK,’ said vice-chancellor Prof Sir Keith Burnett.

‘Postgraduate study is often the gateway to professions such as medicine, teaching and law. ‘It would be a very poor society which had people in such key positions of care and influence from only one background.’ Alexander Hanmore, who studied an MA in public policy and governance through the 2014 scheme, said: ‘I worked in the public sector for two years but even with my savings I would have been unable to afford my masters. The PSS scheme gave me the opportunity to pursue further education.’

www.unipaper.co.uk On show: Exhibits at Made North and, inset, Bank Street Arts

£22,500 degree bonus

Where art and industry meet

GRADUATES of the University of Sheffield typically earn £49,000 – making them some of the best paid in the country. The university ranks seventh in the nation for graduate earning power – well above the national wage average of £26,500, a study by Emolument Alumni shows. ‘It shows the full experience offered at Sheffield helps achieve success in the Annabel Twist future,’ said student Sharan Bassi.

SHEFFIELD Hallam art students have tapped into the city’s rich industrial heritage to put on two exhibitions. In one, at the Made North gallery, some 30 students have curated a display of everything from screen-printed fabrics and clothing to a pestle and

mortar made from cast iron. The second show, at Bank Street Arts, saw students work with industry experts to create 12 three-dimensional installations reflecting social media and technology, charities, the heritage and cultural industries and literature.

Student hub at heart of £100m Chinatown plan IAN LIGHT STUDENT life will be at the heart of a new Chinatown district to be built in Sheffield. A £100million high-rise building will feature a mix of commercial, residential and leisure facilities. The brainchild of a former mechanical engineering graduate, the New Era Square project will be built on the site of the city’s largest Chinese supermarket near Bramall Lane and will have almost 700 student rooms. Jerry Cheung, managing director of New Era, said he wanted the development to be the Times Square of Sheffield. ‘The vision for Sheffield’s Chinatown began in 2005. The aim is to integrate the Chinese community rather than keeping the two

n PLANS are being drawn up for an innovation district as Sheffield’s answer to Silicon Valley. It would be home to shops, cafes, public squares and transport links. The Advanced Manufacturing Park and Sheffield University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at Catcliffe would aid the district’s growth. Peter Hopton, Sheffield Uni graduate and inventor of computer server cooling technology, Iceotope, is based at the AMP. He said: ‘I hope this district would work closely with graduates.’

separate,’ said Mr Cheung, who came to the city as a Chinese graduate with British Steel in the mid-1970s. The

look and feel would reflect ‘the new era and future’, he added, rather than a ‘tired and dated’ historic Chinatown look familiar to other British cities. Phase one could be built by the end of next year with the whole scheme completed by 2018, Mr Cheung said. Meanwhile, two new major student accommodation projects have also been approved. The Grade II St Silas Church, on Hanover Square, Broomhall, will be converted into four ‘cluster’ flats with 27 bedrooms . And a deal has been struck for a £40million venture to create 366 student studio flats at Telephone House in the city centre, on behalf of specialist university accommodation brand Vita Student. It should be open by September.

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£344m telescope ‘will save the world’ THE world’s biggest and most revolutionary solar telescope is being built with the help of researchers from the University of Sheffield. Led by Queen’s University Belfast, the Sheffield team is building cameras for the £344million super telescope on Maui, Hawaii. With a 4m diameter primary mirror, the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope will be able to pick up unprecedented detail on the surface of the Sun – the equivalent of being able to examine a £1 coin from 100km away. ‘This telescope provides great potential for us to make earlier forecasts of space weather hazards, such as identifying solar winds, which can cause huge disruption to life on Earth,’ said Prof Michail Balikhin from the University of Sheffield.

Winds: The telescope

Diamond is yet to dazzle all WORK on the controversial £81million Diamond Building for the University of Sheffield is nearing completion. The building, which has been under construction since 2013, will be the university’s largestever investment in teaching and learning. Prof Mike Hounslow, pro vice-chancellor for the faculty of engineering, was joined by Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield to perform a special topping out ceremony. However, it has had a mixed reception on social media, with one critic saying: ‘Load of scumbags demolishing a beautiful listed building for rubbish.’ Mollie Carberry

February 2015

Gay community focus of photography show Selfie-assured: UoS student and athlete Connor with his photo for the exhibition

Korea-bound Alicia to talk leadership SPORTS development student Alicia Johnson is heading off on a trip of a lifetime with the United Nations. Alicia, who is a member of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA Youth Council, will be taking part in the UN’s 12th youth leadership programme in Gwangju, South Korea. ‘We will be delivering a Changing Lives football leader course for two days on the programme,’ she

said. ‘I am thrilled to have been chosen to be part of the team that is going from England across to Korea.’ The goal of the two-week camp is to bring together outstanding young people who are involved with organisations that use sport for development and peace. They will build friendships, share best practices and develop leadership skills, which they can use to inspire and invoke change. The camp pulls together senior figures from the world’s major sporting bodies.

Delighted: Alicia Johnson (right) receives a polo shirt for the trip from the S&HCFA’s Eva Egginton

OLIVIA CLARK and EMILIE FRANCE THE life and times of Sheffield’s gay and lesbian communities are to come under the spotlight as part of a month-long series of special events. An exhibition of photographs taken by members of the LGBT community will form the centrepiece of a display in Sheffield University’s Jessop West exhibition space. Called Hidden Perspectives, it aims to showcase LGBT lives in the city as well as promote diversity and equality at the university. Many of the exhibitors were encouraged to take selfies. Organiser Dr Minna Shkul said: ‘It’s very exciting that the university is celebrating LGBT life in Sheffield with this exhibition. Not only will it feature images from the LGBT community at the university but also from Sheffield’s own LGBT

residents. I urge Sheffield’s own LGBT community to submit their pictures and visualise their community.’ Artists – both amateur and professional – have been invited to share some of their thoughts on life as a gay person in the city through poems, letters or essays to accompany their images. The exhibition runs from February 23 to 27. Meanwhile, gay rights organisation Stonewall has recognised the work Sheffield University is doing to promote inclusivity. The university was ranked 43rd in the top 100 workplaces in the nation for how it supports and nurtures LGBT staff and students. Andrew Dodman, director of human resources, said: ‘To have improved so much is testimony to our ongoing and sustained commitment to equality and diversity. We are always striving to create a remarkable place to work.’

February 2015

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talkingPOINTS

Comment, opinion and the occasional wild rant from our student writers across the country

Top dog Farage will get my vote MANDY FULLER ‘WHO are you going to vote for?’ is one of the most-asked questions at the moment. With the general election in May, the major parties don’t have long to win us round. Personally, I’d rather have a tea party than the Labour Party... but I can’t see the Great British public voting for that. However, I am genuinely tempted to vote Ukip. No, I haven’t lost my mind. I believe every dog has his day and, let’s face it, Nigel Farage is a bit of a dog – in that bloodhound, jowly cheek look he wears so well. As a student, I

Future PM?: Ukip leader Nigel Farage PICTURE: TWITTER often have to work long hours for s*** money, so any man that promises I don’t have to pay tax because I’m on the minimum wage is the man for me. I don’t

care if he’s branded a racist misogynist – and, as a black girl, that should really bother me. I want to keep more of my hard-earned cash. The main reason I’m going to vote Ukip is because of their pledge to remove tuition fees for university students on certain courses, based on academic performance. Let’s face it, the political party that allows me to take home more of my wages and cuts tuition fees – allowing me to spend more on my alcoholic, party-animal lifestyle – is definitely the political party for me. Nigel Farage for prime minister!

If you spot an error, we are committed to putting it right. Contact us at corrections@unipaper.co.uk. If you do not wish to receive a copy, then email us with your address at nothanks@unipaper.co.uk. We print 200,000 copies in 16 university cities. The University Paper is published by The UniPaper Ltd, in association with Simian Publishing, 23-24 Margaret Street, London W1W 8RU. Printed by Newsquest, Oxford.

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PARTY POOPER: The words ‘house party’ and ‘danger’ go hand in hand. Waking up in a bleary-eyed haze to find someone has scrawled rude drawings in permanent marker on the kitchen walls or to discover vomit that hasn’t quite made the toilet bowl has to be among every host’s worst nightmare. So, is that ‘small gathering’ that you were about to publish on Facebook (accidentally without the ‘invite-only’ setting) worth it? Michael Quinn

PICTURE: WIKICOMMONS/KF

EXAM STRESS: We are constantly being told that today’s youth has it far too easy when it comes to education, so there is now a demand for exambased learning. Surely it is counterproductive to only be tested on less than ten per cent of what you have learnt in the space of a couple of hours while under intense pressure? Students should be encouraged to exercise their skills about the subject thoroughly and this is best achieved through coursework. It also allows a student to choose their own question, encouraging them to pursue and expand their own ideas which they are passionate about Natalie Wellings

I HEART VALENTINE’S: Whatever complaints the anti-Valentine’s brigade has, no-one can resist the excitement of knowing someone out there holds a special place for you in their heart. Regardless of the tacky merchandise of February 14 and the 11million additional texts sent on the day of love, the simplistic act of giving an anonymous card will undoubtedly bring a smile to anyone’s face Lucy Kehoe

PICTURE: WIKICOMMONS/ FLICKRLICKR

LOVE SICK: Whether you’re single or taken, Valentine’s is utter tripe. I just don’t think a heart-shaped box filled with cheap chocolates picked up from Card Factory for 99p, or an over-sized teddy bear that will ultimately be abandoned once the endorphin-filled day loses all its glory, class as romance. Watching couples flap about confessing their undying love for one another because they are compelled to do so really does have me contemplating shooting a fat little Cupid’s arrow through my own head Ema Brewer

COST OF EDUCATION: Students shouldn’t get a free ride – but getting a degree surely isn’t a free ride? The truth is – as if you hadn’t noticed – the economy is on the fritz and paying for higher education seems to be a knee-jerk reaction. Instead of genuine economic pragmatism, paying for education is yet more evidence that austerity is ruining people’s outlook. Saddling ambitious, forward-thinking students with debt – or, worse, making further education unavailable to some – is regressive in the most devastating way. Student Loans has already lost a load of tuition fees, the rest won’t ever get paid back – why not just scrap them altogether, George? Joe Evans

DIS-MAY: I agree with chancellor at the University of Birmingham Lord Bilimoria, who has attacked Theresa May’s plan to clear out non-EU international students from the UK. Closing Britain off to foreign students would damage its reputation as a nation that attracts talent from all over the world and cut off important cultural ties. Every international student pays thousands of pounds more than any British student each year and they do not get a loan like home students. It seems like Theresa May’s plan doesn’t have either economic reasoning or support behind it Natalia Alyukova

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February 2015

theINTERVIEW: Simon Amstell

The journey to a comedy awakening S

IMON AMSTELL is delving into his psyche. Describing his �irst taste of the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca during a trip to Peru – the inspiration for his latest stand-up tour, To Be Free – he says it failed to transform his thoughts in the way locals and gap year truth-seekers had claimed. ‘I imagined afterwards I’d have the feeling of total peace and serenity and I’d no longer feel stuck or limited,’ he says. ‘But despite this life-changing, profound, unexplainable experience, I’m still imprisoned by my own various insecurities.’ These stubborn doubts seem to be almost an asset for the 35-year-old, who does not shy away from letting his �laws take centre-stage. ‘My last tours were both quite… sad,’ he laughs. ‘Loneliness and the feeling of disconnection were big themes. However, this one is about me trying to �ind total freedom in my life. ‘I no longer feel as broken or troubled, so I think there’s generally more joy in this show. Although I’m still dealing with all the various problems of being a human being, they’re not quite as tragic as they were in previous shows. ‘I think I’m now closer to a fully functioning

TV presenter-turned-comedian Simon Amstell talks to CASSIE DONEY about psychadelics, clowning, Buddhism and the struggle to become a functioning human being human being than I’ve ever been.’ But the trope of the troubled comic has endured, partly through 2012 sitcom Grandma’s House, where his drifting ex-TV presenter character’s situation seemed to mirror his own life following Never Mind The Buzzcocks. He sees his ability to turn pain into humour as a survival skill. ‘If I didn’t have comedy as a career, I’d be desperately trying to �ind some other way to cope,’ he says. ‘I’d probably be in therapy full time.’ Although his stand-up show touches on the politics of the meat industry and the ‘absurdity’ of having a royal family, Amstell is not mounting a Russell Brand-style call for revolution quite yet. ‘I think the best thing for me to be doing is to retain the mask of the clown, where the clown is cheekily questioning things around him,’ he says. ‘I think the moment you become the politician, you lose the clown. And I feel like the clown is freer than the politician.’ The role of clown is one Amstell takes seriously. He

studied at Philippe Gaulier’s prestigious clown school in Paris – an experience he likens to an aspect of Zen Buddhism, where young monks are given puzzles to solve. ‘The reason they’re so tricky is that the mind can’t solve these puzzles,’ Amstell says. ‘The solution was to throw away rational thought – to be instinctive and childlike. And I wasn’t good at any of those things.’ Not all clowning around has been worth it, though. ‘I learnt to juggle as a kid,’ he says. ‘It doesn’t get you sex. It gets people to look at you for about 30 seconds, and then they go and look at something else.’ Watching acts at the Edinburgh Fringe, things �inally clicked, however. ‘The performers I found funny were the ones who had a sense of childlike wonder,’ he says. ‘Because everything is essentially ridiculous – and, through comedy, you can express that ridiculousness of everything we experience being an absurd illusion created by our ego monkey minds.’ He pauses. ‘There’s a quote for you.’

SIMON AMSTELL plays Liverpool on February 12, Bristol on February 26, Coventry on March 5 and Glasgow on March 18 and 19

Long trip: A Peruvian drug inspired Simon Amstell’s tour

INSIDE: Toddla T looks to lose his mind, The Wombats go wonky and Sigma make a racket

February 2015

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clubbingCALENDAR monday, feb 16 Shag, Leadmill, £4 Tank, Sunken, £3 Pandemonium, Viper Rooms, £2.50

tuesday, feb 24 Risque, Viper Room, £4 (with NUS) After Hours, Fez Club (2,30am-6am) £2, The Tuesday Club Garage Special - Wookie, DJ Barely Legal & Andy H, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £5.50 (advance) Spanked, Plug, £4

tuesday, feb 17 Risque, Viper Room, £4 (with NUS) After Hours, Fez Club (2.30am-6am) £2 Spanked, Plug, £4

wednesday, feb 25 Corporation, School Disco £1 (in Skool Uniform, before 10,30pm) Roar vs Mischief, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only) Killa Disko, Viper Rooms, free before 11pm, £2 before midnight

wednesday, mar 4 Roar vs Mischief, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only) Corporation, School Disco £1 (in Skool Uniform, before 10.30pm) Killa Disko, Viper Rooms, free before 11pm, £2 before midnight

thursday, mar 5

Corporation, School Disco £1 (in Skool Uniform, before 10,30pm) Roar vs Mischief, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only) Killa Disko, Viper Rooms, free before 11pm, £2 before midnight

thursday, feb 26 Carver Street Block Party, Carver street, £4 Bad Habit, Leadmill, £3 Jump Around, Plug, £4 Bounce, Walkabout, 2-for-£5 drinks, free Cocktail Party, Reflex, 2-for-1 cocktails, free

thursday, feb 19 Carver Street Block Party, Carver street, £4 Bad Habit, Leadmill, £3 Jump Around, Plug, £4 Bounce, Walkabout, 2-for-£5 drinks, free Cocktail Party, Reflex, 2-for-1 cocktails, free

friday, feb 27 Gaga, Leadmill, £5, Cubana; Viva Salsa, free; EyUp, Big Octagon Special, £4.40 (NUS only); Lavish, Viper Rooms, 2-for-1 cocktails, free before midnight; Propaganda, Plug, £5; Pop World, free; Baby Got Back, Paris, £4; Peverlist (Punch Drunk/Livity Sound), The Harley, early bird £3 (+1 booking fee); Feel Good Fridays, Walkabout, free

friday, mar 6

saturday, mar 7

Gaga, Leadmill, £5; Cubana, Viva Salsa, free Lavish, Viper Rooms, 2-for-1 cocktails, free before midnight; Propaganda, Plug, £5 Pop World, free; Baby Got Back, Paris, £4 EyUp, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £4.40 (NUS) Feel Good Fridays, Walkabout, free.

Cubana, Brasilica, free; Replica, Student Saturday’s, £4 (guest list) Pop Tarts, Foundry, studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only); Pop World, 2-for-1 cocktails, free Sonic, Leadmill, £4; Creation, Tank, £4 Student Saturdays, Code, £5

friday, mar 13

saturday, mar 14

sunday, mar 15

Sante, Fez Club, £8 (+ £1 booking fee) Gaga, Leadmill, £5; Cubana, Viva Salsa, free Lavish, Viper Rooms, 2-for-1 cocktails, free before midnight; Propaganda, Plug, £5 Pop World, free; Baby Got Back, Paris, £4 EyUp, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £4.40 (NUS) Feel Good Fridays, Walkabout, free

Donuts, DQ, free before midnight Cubana, Brasilica, free; Replica, Student Saturdays, £4 (guest list) Pop Tarts, Foundry, studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only); Pop World, 2-for-1 cocktails, free Sonic, Leadmill, £4; Creation, Tank, £4 Student Saturdays, Code, £5

Carver Street Block Party, Carver street, £4 Bad Habit, Leadmill, £3 Jump Around, Plug, £4 Bounce, Walkabout 2-for £5 drinks, free Cocktail Party, Reflex, 2-for-1 cocktails, free

thursday, mar 12 Carver Street Block Party, Carver street, £4 Bad Habit, Leadmill, £3 Jump Around, Plug, £4 Bounce, Walkabout, 2-for-£5 drinks, free Cocktail Party, Reflex, 2-for-1 cocktails, free

wednesday, feb 18

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The Sunday Club, Viper Rooms, free

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February 2015

clubbingCALENDAR friday, feb 20 Gaga, Leadmill, £5; Cubana, Viva Salsa, free; Hospitality Sheffield, The Octagon, £14.30; Lavish, Viper Rooms, 2-for-1 cocktails, free (before midnight); Propaganda, Plug, £5; T Williams, Maribou State, Squarehead & Pedram, Plug, £8 (+ £1 booking fee); Baby Got Back, Paris, £4

saturday, feb 28 Donuts, DQ, free before midnight Cubana, Brasilica, free; Pop Tarts, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only) Sonic, Leadmill, £4; Creation, Tank, £4 Student Saturdays, Code, £5; #Selfie Saturdays, Pop World, 2-for-1 cocktails, free

sunday, mar 8 The Sunday Club, Viper Rooms, free

monday, mar 16 Shag, Leadmill, £4 Tank, Sunken, £3 Pandemonium, Viper Rooms, £2.50

saturday, feb 21 Donuts, DQ, free before midnight Cubana, Brasilica, free; Pop Tarts, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only) Sonic, Leadmill, £4; Creation, Tank, £4 Student Saturdays, Code, £5; #Selfie Saturdays, Pop World, 2-for-1 cocktails, free

sunday, mar 1 The Sunday Club, Viper Rooms, free

monday, mar 9 Shag, Leadmill, £4 Tank, Sunken, £3 Pandemonium, Viper Rooms, £2.50

tuesday, mar 17 Risque, Viper Room, £4 (with NUS) After Hours, Fez Club (2.30am-6am) £2 Spanked, Plug, £4

sunday, feb 22 The Sunday Club, Viper Rooms, free

monday, mar 2

Shag, Leadmill, £4, (£ with NUS) Tank, Sunken, £3 Pandemonium, Viper Rooms, £2.50

tuesday, mar 10 Risque, Viper Room, £4 (with NUS) After Hours, Fez Club (2.30am-6am) £2 Spanked, Plug, £4

wednesday, mar 18 Roar vs Mischief, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only) Corporation, School Disco £1 (in Skool Uniform before 10.30pm) Killa Disko, Viper Rooms, free before 11pm, £2 before midnight

monday, feb 23 Shag, Leadmill, £4 (£3 with NUS) Tank, Sunken, £3 Pandemonium, Viper Rooms, £2.50

tuesday, mar 3 Risque, Viper Room, £4 (with NUS) After Hours, Fez Club (2.30am-6am) £2 Spanked, Plug, £4

wednesday, mar 11 Roar vs Mischief, Foundry, Studio and Fusion, £5 (NUS only) Corporation, School Disco £1 (in Skool Uniform before 10.30pm) Killa Disko, Viper Rooms, free before 11pm, £2 before midnight

thursday, mar 19 Carver Street Block Party, Carver Street, £4 Skream and Jasper James, Foundry, £11 Bad Habit, Leadmill, £3 Jump Around, Plug, £4 Bounce, Walkabout, 2-for-£5 drinks, free Cocktail Party, Reflex, 2-for-1 cocktails, free

February 2015

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what’sON pick of the month DANCE IF you think Simon Cowell has a lot to answer for, then Itchy Feet is the antidote to today’s treadmill of manufactured pop dirge. The travelling vintage music club invites you to dress up in your baggy suit and braces or dig out a tea dress for an evening of classic rock ’n’ roll, rhythm and blues, swing, reggae and ska. Specialist DJs will spin timeless soul vinyls and bands play old-time favourites as Itchy Feet takes over The Leadmill on February 18. The club photographer will capture you dressed to the nines, using a blackand-white filter, for a lasting token of the night. Olivia Clark

ART BIT short of funds after Christmas? At a loss to what to do while in the city? Then a visit to the The Great Outdoors exhibition in Graves

supporting Neil Young in Hyde Park and playing the second stage at Glastonbury in 2013. The Independent’s review of her Glastonbury show singled her out as ‘the stand-out female vocalist of the weekend’. Catch Lucy at The Plug, Sheffield.

Gallery is a must. Not only is it free but you’ll also leave feeling like you know a little more about the city you’re living in. The Stanley Royle collection consists of stunning paintings of Sheffield scenery, including iconic works such as Morning On The Derbyshire Moors and Sheffield From Crookes. Immersing yourself in the 20th-century Sheffield countryside might even inspire you to take a trip out to the Peaks for yourself. The exhibition is on until May 30. Mollie Carberry

COMEDY

MUSIC FOLK songstress Lucy Rose is back on the road. Ahead of an eagerly anticipated second album slated for release in the summer, Rose is playing a countrywide tour, stopping off in Sheffield on March 20. She will be supported by The Half Earth, aka singer–songwriter Conor Stephenson. Tickets are selling fast. Rose tweeted

Making a return: Lucy Rose is on tour again and is set to play Sheffield next month in mid-January: ‘Jeeeezz, looks like the second London show in march is also sold out, can’t tell you

how excited I am to be playing live music again x.’ Her follow-up to her 2012 debut album Like I Used To

has been a long time coming. She has stepped out of the studio for rare live shows, including

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER NEEDS YOUR HELP! If you’re in the know about student life, outgoing and keen to work with a fantastic team of people, we’re on the lookout for new recruits to help with Distribution, street teams, promotions and more. Fantastic rates of pay. If you’re up to the challenge, please contact: editor@unipaper.co.uk

ARE you and your flatmates getting stuck in a bit of a rut with your Friday and Saturday night routines? For an evening out that’s slightly different but equally entertaining (and finishes early enough so that you can still go out afterwards), why not book yourself a table at the Last Laugh Comedy Club. Tickets are only £16 (with a limited number of student tickets for just a tenner if you get in quick). It will be an evening of guaranteed hilarity, so what’s not to love? Catch the Last Laugh Comedy Club, at Sheffield City Hall, on February 27 and 28. Mollie Carberry

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February 2015

what’sON

Our comprehensive guide to entertainment in Sheffield. If you have an event which you would like included please email us at whatson@unipaper.co.uk

Olden... but still Golden Punk’s ‘old farts’ hit the road again The Stranglers are back in Glastonbury’s good books and still bringing the house down with Golden Brown. Now, they are happily hitting the road again after 41 years together, as frontman Baz Warne tells SHANICE ABBOTT

OW does it feel to go back on tour together? It always feels special. We feel proud of what we’ve achieved and that we’re still able to go out there. Did you ever think you would be so successful in the business for so long? No – I don’t think any of us thought we’d be in it for 40 minutes, never mind 40 years! How important is it that your fans have stayed loyal to you? It’s a cliché but I mean it – we would not exist without the fans coming to see us and buying our music. Now, because we’re such old farts, they bring their children – and sometimes their children’s children. It’s been 41 years since the band formed. What’s been your highlight? One was when we played Glastonbury in 2010 because they said that ‘over their dead bodies’ would they ever have The Stranglers on. There was some trouble back in the

early days when we were less than complimentary to the people. But 80,000 people came out to see us anyway – it was fantastic. Can we expect a new album this year? That’s an interesting question. We have been knocking ideas around and emailing each other snippets of music. But these days we live spread out across the UK from each other. I wouldn’t totally say there will be an album this year – but there could be one next year. What inspired you to get back together for your 40th anniversary last year? We’d never really broken up. We were just on a break. We all have our own lives now but it doesn’t matter how old you get or how successful you are – you always want to go back. What’s the one song that gets the crowd going? I would have thought the obvious – Golden Brown. Our audience is built with some very die-hard fans, so they’re probably sick to death of hearing that

Back in black: (l-r) Baz Warne, Jet Black, JJ Burnel and Dave Greenfield

song. But that’s the one we perform and the place just blows up. Where has been your favourite place to tour and why? We did a pretty memorable tour in Australia with Blondie and David Bowie. I mean, we’ve toured with them lots of times over the years, so we know them quite well. But these big tours we always look forward to. n The Stranglers play the O2 Academy in Sheffield on March 7.

Two men with eerie sound MAN Without Country. The name carries an instant intrigue. The band themselves, a south Wales-based duo, say it derives from ‘a sense of not belonging’. This sense lies at the root of their atmospheric, sometimes uneasy sonic palette. Glacial guitar ripples are spliced with an eerie synth pulse, yet with the ability to morph into an anthem when you least expect it. The pair describe their sound as electronic and shoegaze but their live shows are also packed with fullbodied electronic pop and hauntingly melodic

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Anthems: Man Without Country are hauntingly melodic tunes, with intense, urgent beats. Support act Blossomer are an electronic pop collective based in Sheffield. After sneaking out their first tracks To The Sea

and To Adore in 2014, they are ready to come out of the shadows. Man Without Country/ Blossomer play The Plug, Sheffield on February 21. Tickets cost £6.50.

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We need a scene where we lose our minds On the verge of dropping a new mixtape, Toddla T chats to MORGAN HINTON about DJing at the age of ten, promotional politics and being proper s**t at school

hen did you discover your love for music? I got heavily into music aged about nine or ten. When I was ten I had turntables but they were unusable – all you could do was select tracks. Anything else and the needle would snap. What moment did you commit to being a DJ? I’ve got a bit of a weird mind in that I can’t concentrate on things I’m not into. At

school I was proper s**t – not because I’m thick, I just didn’t give a f**k. Music was one of the only things I could really focus on. With raves now promoting unknown line-ups, would you play at an event that wouldn’t advertise your name on the bill? One hundred per cent – I think that’s a really good idea. If you can sell tickets with the night being the

FO F F O RSITY PAPER E UNIV EADERS R

In the mix: Toddla T has been in the studio with singer Protoje focus over the DJs, that’s the ultimate winner. How do you feel about the underground scene in Britain? Dance music has got so popular over the last few

years, with so much money in the industry, you get all the bulls**t that comes with it. It’s necessary to have underground nights, now more than ever. Dance music has become new and shiny,

whereas the underground scene should be somewhere you go to lose your mind. What are your aspirations for this year? I’m doing a mixtape with a Jamaican artist called

Protoje. We’re blending his instrumentals and trying to merge the Jamaican sound with the UK sound. Toddla T and Protoje’s mixtape is due for release this month.

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We use the highest quality fabrics to create soft dresses and separates; with the use of delicate velvets, vegan leathers, silks and georgette overlays. Attention to detail is what makes this brand so charming. This is carried throughout all designs, giving a feeling of femininity with an urban edge keeping Little White Lies in touch with premium fashion trends. The brand is stocked across the UK, Europe and the USA making a name for itself as Drapers Young Fashion Brand finalist. To celebrate the growing success, Little White Lies would like to offer University readers 25% off their next shop online at www.littlewhitelies.com

Go to www.littlewhitelieslondon.com and enter code LWLU25 to claim your discount Can be used on full price items only, cannot be used in conjunction with other coupons.

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February 2015 Love your music? So do we! Tune in here for all the latest interviews, previews and reviews

It all got kind of moody Record pushed us to edge of reason

They’re back: (l-r) Tord, Murph and Dan have been working on their third album

The Wombats frontman Matthew ‘Murph’ Murphy tells PORTIA FAHEY about pouring his soul into the new album, what it’s like having LA as your fantasy girlfriend and his new-found fondness for dogs

HE Wombats have ‘pushed themselves to the edge of the human soul’ to create their latest album, Glitterbug. ‘The back end of the recording process was nuts for me,’ according to the band’s lead singer Matthew Murphy, aka Murph. ‘I was back and forth between London and LA. It was very exhausting and it all got kind of moody towards the end. All I know is that I’m incredibly proud of the album.’ And so he should be. The new record, due out in April, has taken four years to complete and Murph – along with bandmates Dan Haggis and Tord Øverland Knudsen – is about to embark on a 26-date European tour in March to promote it. ‘We’re all perfectionists and a lot of the songs have been through heavy critiquing by myself before the others get to them, or they’ll send me a backing track and I’ll work on it and rewrite and rewrite and then it goes back to them,’ he says. ‘We are all definitely guilty of over-analysing things.’ ‘I’m not saying we’ve had

to go down the mines every morning. I’ve certainly put a lot of myself into this album emotionally, psychologically. ‘It’s hilarious – I’m only starting to realise now that when I was in it, I actually had no idea what was going on.’ Thankfully, the band had Bastille’s producer, Mark Crew, on hand to guide them through some of the darker moments. Murph, 30, says: ‘Mark was unbelievable and would take the p*** out of us so much, which is something no one’s ever done before – well, not to our faces, anyway!’ The Liverpool-born singer has also found three new loves in his life: LA, his girlfriend and her dog, Daisy. ‘Daisy’s awesome and I’m completely obsessed with her,’ he laughs. ‘I spent the majority of yesterday just staring at pictures of her.’ And his obsession with LA has become so strong, the city is the main focus of the new album. ‘I’d stay over in LA and I fell more and more in love with the city,’ he explains. ‘I got to know it a lot more

Rising star: Laura Welsh

LAURA WELSH entered the mainstream last year when she featured on Gorgon City’s top ten hit, Here For You. Now, the singer is looking to cement her place there. She spoke to TUP ahead of the release of her debut album, Soft Control, in March. What was it like working with Gorgon City? Musically, it’s completely different to what I do but it was an amazing experience – and to play festivals with them gave

Catch The Wombats on tour during April in Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle. Visit thewombats.co.uk

and then, suddenly, it was this person that I’d written the songs about. I’d created this non-existent person in my head and thought about what it would be like having a long-distance relationship and dealing with jealousy and things like that.’ But most of all, his love is for the fans. ‘It means f*** all if you don’t have some fans that care about you and we’ve always been very lucky in that our fan base is strong but they’re also obsessed with us,’ he says. ‘Everything else is just background noise.’

Singer without compromise me the opportunity to play in front of much bigger audiences. How was the recording process for the album? It was incredible to have it finished and mixed for me. The most important thing was that I’d made the record that I wanted to, without compromise. What do you like to do in your down time? I love photography. I’ve got a Canon film camera so I like shooting on that. Edward Jones

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tourDATES

KNOW THE INSIDE

DO YOU

T R AC K O N

CAMPUS?

IF SO THE UNIVERSITY PAPER WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. We are scouring the UK for student journalists, so whether you are looking for work experience or simply spending too much time in the SU, get in touch today. We are on the look out for opinion leaders and change makers who can write engaging copy. Your pieces will be printed in The University Paper which is read by thousands of students across the UK and you will get that all important byline - perfect if you are looking to build a portfolio. Not to mention that age old adage, it will look great on the CV. So if you would like to be an influential voice for the student community or just have a strong front page tell us what is going on - pitch your ideas to The University Paper, email: editor@unipaper.co.uk

February 2015

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Together... because we loved to make a big old racket

Passion: Cameron Edwards (left) and Joe Lenzie scored No.1s with Changing and Nobody To Love

ISTENING to drum ’n’ bass duo Sigma chat about getting soaked in champagne and downing trebles, you would think life was just one big booze-fest. But Joe Lenzie and Cameron Edwards have been working hard, releasing four EPs and �ive singles since 2010, two of which – Changing and Nobody To Love – made it to No.1 in the charts. They have also collaborated with the likes of Paloma Faith and Labrinth, who features on their forthcoming single. Catching up with them on their way to the studio as they take a break from live shows to work on debut album Life, due out later this year, I ask how they felt about Kanye West’s track Bound 2, which they reworked for Nobody To Love. ‘Overall, it sounded like someone was having a musical heart attack but we really liked the d’n’b part, so gave it a mix,’ says Edwards. Kanye’s management contacted the duo about playing at Wireless Festival last summer but they declined, preferring to ‘do our own thing’. The pair met at the

They have gone from two mates who fuelled their passion for drum ‘n’ bass with nights out to professionals with two UK No.1s under their belts and a single with Labrinth soon to be released. HENRIETTA PAINTER speaks to Sigma about champagne, doves and staying healthy University of Leeds, where going out three or four nights a week together fuelled their passion for drum ’n’ bass. Those nights were ‘without a doubt the best places to go’, claims Edwards, a former events student. They formed Sigma out of ‘a mutual love for making a racket together’ and were originally going to be called Lesbian Doves. Can I ask why? ‘One night a pair of lesbian doves �lew down from Joe’s shed,’ Edwards explains. ‘So we wanted to call ourselves that – but it sounded too r’n’b for us.’ Twelve years on, and do they still feel Leeds has a healthy d’n’b scene? ‘It’s changed a lot now, but then again all scenes have,’ says Lenzie. ‘We love to go back to Leeds whenever we play there. The d’n’b scene has become really healthy.’ It is clear the duo are not shy of a party or four. ‘I can’t remember my best memory from uni – it all seems like a constant haze,’ says

Edwards. So, what are their other favourite places for a night out? ‘We played at HAU5 festival in Newcastle last year and ended up at an afterparty in Tup Tup,’ says Lenzie. ‘I can’t tell you all the details but we were covered in a lot of champagne that night.’ He confesses he’s never had a treble, though – at which point, Edwards proudly announces that he has. ‘Cam’s still a student deep down,’ says Lenzie. Making music has always been on the cards for them, although Edwards once had a yearning for the army. ‘It’s weird,’ muses Lenzie. ‘When you’re growing up, you don’t realise that music is this whole massive industry.’ It is one they’re getting stuck into and life at the moment is a mixture of touring and studios, fuelled by beer, their PlayStation and vitamins. ‘On tour it’s great to have each other,’ says Lenzie. ‘And the vitamins keep us healthy.’

Sigma will perform at Future Music Festivals across Australia on February 28 and March 1, 7, 8 and 9, and Germany’s Sputnik Springbreak Festival from May 22 to 24. Higher, featuring Labrinth, is released by 3beat records on March 22.

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February 2015

onSCREEN

Love a good night at the movies? Or perhaps you need a quiet night in front of the TV? Read on to find out what’s on...

out soon

Just mates: Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan in What If?

Predestination (Feb 20) A TIME-travelling agent (Ethan Hawke) working for the ‘temporal bureau’ is sent on his final assignment to stop an infamous terrorist who has eluded him. He is forced to hop between the years to prevent a major crime, picking up a new recruit in John Doe (Sarah Snook) along the way. Jakub Szweda Kill The Messenger (Mar 6) REPORTER Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) exposes the shocking truth of the CIA’s role in importing cocaine into America and using the profits to arm Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Despite threats from drug lords and CIA operatives, Webb keeps on digging – endangering his career, life and family. Antoniya Gerimpapazi Chappie

(Mar 6)

UNNATURALLY clever robot Chappie (Sharlto Copley) is kidnapped at ‘birth’ and later adopted and raised by a dysfunctional family. Director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) is known for addressing big issues such as race, discrimination and freedom – and this latest outing looks set to do the same. Aaron Lembo X+Y

(Mar 13)

NATHAN ELLIS (Asa Butterfield) is no normal child. While others play, he hides away and solves problems. When his teacher Martin Humphreys (Rafe Spall) finds his rare gift, he sends him to the International Mathematics Olympiad, where Nate realises there is more to life than maths. Antoniya Gerimpapazi

In the friend zone? DANIEL RADCLIFFE, star of What If?, out on Blu-ray and DVD this month, tells TUP about friends he doesn’t want to sleep with, correcting pronunciation and banter

OES sex always get in the way of a good friendship? Daniel Radcliffe explores the thin line between friends and lovers in What If? What were your first conversations with director Michael Dowse? He was referencing movies like It Happened One Night and When Harry Met Sally. They were big touchstones for us, because it’s all about how relationships are built through banter and taking the p***. When the script came to you, what shape was it in? It was pretty much as it is now. The moment I knew I was going to do the script was on

n TINA FEY’S latest comedy offering, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, sees Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) escaping to New York after spending 13 years in a doomsday cult. She is determined to start her life again, finding work as a nanny for a wealthy Manhattanite (Jane Krakowski) and friendship with Titus (Tituss Burgess), a larger-

page two, when Wallace is correcting Chantry on her pronunciation of a word, and I was just like, ‘Ah, I’m that guy.’ The film seems clear men and women can be friends. How does it strike that balance? I’m friends with lots of women who I have no intentions to sleep with. There is also the question of whether men and women who are incredibly sexually attracted to each other can just be friends. That’s the issue that is present in the film. What’s Toronto like to work in? I had a great time there. I ate really badly – lots of poutine, which is chips in gravy, cheese and bacon. It was a really fun.

tvPICK

than-life singer who works as a robot in Times Square. Created by Tina Fey, the show has signed up to two seasons on Netflix, with the first coming out on March 6. Rebecca Thomas

February 2015

hiTECH

www.unipaper.co.uk The latest in everything gadgets and gaming

Ambitious street car racer is bit of a drag The Crew (Xbox 360) Rating 3/5

LUNGING gamers into the heart of Detroit’s illegal street racing scene, The Crew is looking to redefine the open-world racing genre. Players will attempt to infiltrate and take down the 510 gang that pulls all the strings in motor city. But the action isn’t limited to Detroit, as the massive game offers coast-to-coast, online-only action from LA all the way to New York. The best thrills emerge in the vast, inter-city stretches that perfectly capture the experience of the great American road trip. Unfortunately, that ambition leaves the gameplay

Resident Evil Revelations 2 ONE of the great horror series returns with some familiar faces. Fan favourite Claire Redfield stars with Moira Burton, the daughter of the legendary Barry Burton. The two women, who are working for antibioterrorism organisation TerraSave, are captured at the start of the game. What follows is a gory quest for survival and answers. Fans can expect better gameplay from the previous outing, while features such as raid mode allow players to fight through a map without following the main storyline. Out on March 2. Aaron Lembo Project CARS

On the road: The Crew takes you on a high-octane journey into Detroit’s illegal racing scene feeling stretched. The immense landscape gives a poor frame rate, causing lagging, dubious graphics and sketchy audio. The AI isn’t

quite right either, veering from erratic decisions to outright cheating in a bid to ramp up the tension in what is a flat driving experience.

Added to this, online matchmaking is a work in progress – a serious issue for the online-only campaign. Josh Mcloughlin

THIS is the racing simulator that gamers have been waiting for. The highly ambitious racer, which has been in production since October 2011, lets players take control of a huge variety of motors, from karts to supercars. They can also take on real-life race tracks, such as

out soon Donnington, Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Everything from the nuts and bolts up has been wonderfully recreated to replicate their real-world counterparts, with the game also boasting fully dynamic weather systems and a competitive online feature. Released on March 20. Umar Hassan Battlefield: Hardline ARE you going to be a cop or a criminal? Choose your side in this highspeed multiplayer mode. There are seven online games to choose from, including rescue, a tense five-on-five match in which the police have to save hostages before time runs out, while the perps do everything they can to stop them. In the single-player campaign, gamers can now use nonlethal force takedowns to gather intel on criminals. There are also a number of new weapons, cars and bikes to keep seasoned fans entertained. It’s out on March 20. Matt Bullin

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theTRIP

February 2015

Every journey begins with a single step... take the first one here, with our look at great places to go abroad

Foster far-flung friends Get travel ideas off pals from overseas

So, where should you go? Our favourite getaways

ESPITE tough talk from the government about international students, our campuses hold a wealth of people who have come from overseas to study. The diversity of the university population is an indication of how enlightening travelling can be, with the melting pot giving undergrads an insight into a host of different cultures – so why not get inspiration on where to travel from global friends? The cost of a trip abroad can put many off but if you stay with an international friend, you can reduce the cost considerably, as well as get off the tourist trail and find out what living in the country is really like. Study leave and the Easter holidays provide a perfect opportunity to get away for a few nights. If you’re looking for something more than a quick break, most universities offer the chance of studying at campuses across the world at summer schools and as part of the Erasmus scheme. This allows you to study abroad for between three months and one academic year, with no extra tuition fees. You can also apply for a grant under the programme to cover any extra costs of studying abroad. Andrew Griffiths

ISTANBUL: East meets west in this city, where the Galata Bridge offers views over both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean and you can find Christian art in the Hagia Sophia mosque, which was once a church. The Blue Mosque (pictured), with its awe-inspiring dome, is also worth a visit. As a

student on holiday with friends, I found it affordable – our student discount cards were taken at the huge imperial Dolmabahçe Palace and we filled our backpacks with beautiful food – in terms of taste and colour – at the spice market while sticking to a tight budget. Anupama Subramaniyam PICTURE: AS

NEW YORK: The Big Apple, the ‘city that never sleeps’ – New York City has many affectionate nicknames. And for good reason. It is home to some of the most famous landmarks in the world – the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and glittering Times Square, pictured. If you usually prefer beach resorts or countryside estates to

city breaks, make an exception for New York. Aside from feeling as if you have stumbled on to the set of a film or TV series, the city has something to suit everyone, whether you want to sample some culture at its museums and galleries, catch a musical in Broadway or wander through Central Park. Adiba Khatoon PICTURE: FRANCISCO DIEZ

FINLAND: When people ask me about my favourite holiday destination, they don’t expect me to say Finland – the Nordic country can sometimes fall off the getaway radar. But in Helsinki, you can sip an espresso in an ultramodern coffee shop surrounded by hippies, while being haunted by

the city’s Soviet past and inspired by its neo-classical cathedral (pictured). The street food festival, in March, involves talks and parties as well as delicious meals – while a traditional Finnish sauna followed by a run through the snow is not to be missed. Mane Grigoryan PICTURE: TAZRIAN KHAN/FLICKR

KEFALONIA: Nicknamed ‘the jewel in the Ionian crown’, this western Greek island is home to the soft white sands and the turquoise waters of Myrtos, widely thought to be one of the best beaches in the world. You may recognise the island from the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which was set and filmed there and took much of

its mood from the surroundings. You can take a yacht from Argostoli, the island’s main working port, which has a natural sheltered harbour, to explore the coastline. If you want a break from the beach, there are plenty of villages and medieval castles to explore. And keep a look-out for the island’s famous turtles. Charlotte Seddon PICTURE: CS

Signs of trouble: Yellow flowers, feet and thumbs SNOG someone outside a chicken shop on the way home from a night out in the UK and you could find a compromising picture posted on Facebook of you and your ‘friend’. But in the Middle East or India, it could land you in serious trouble. A smooch between a British couple in Dubai in 2010 led to a prison sentence – and, while PDAs between your housemate and their

‘significant other’ sometimes put you off your beans on toast, you probably don’t want anyone to end up behind bars. Here are some other faux pas to avoid while on your travels. 1. Learn your left from your right. In many cultures, including the Middle East and parts of Africa, people eat with their right hand and find using the left disgusting –

it is reserved for more, er, intimate acts in the bathroom. 2. Avoid pointing the bottom of your feet at anyone if you are in a Muslim country, as they are considered the lowest and most unclean part of the body. 3. If you think about getting a bouquet of flowers for a Ukrainian friend, never bring an even number – and avoid yellow. This

may appear to be odd but the colour is considered impolite, while even numbers of blooms are associated with funerals. 4. A thumbs-up is interpreted by most Brits as a sign of approval or thanks but if you are travelling around Afghanistan, Iran or parts of Italy, it takes on a whole other meaning – think middle finger. 5. In Japan, when you are out

with your drinking buddies, it is traditional to pour beer for one another as a gesture of companionship and respect. 6. In Nepal, it is thought to be ill-mannered to open a gift in the presence of the giver, to avoid offence – so don’t take it personally if your hosts leave your offerings unopened on the side. Joe Taylor

yourNIGHT

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February 2015

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foodBREAK

Save dough with these budget eats

A fast �illing �ix for a night out... Chilli, artichoke and cheese dip

A GOOD host knows that food should be on offer if guests are coming – especially if you are about to head off together on a big night out. But, with limited amounts of time and cash, what’s the best way of feeding your friends without breaking the bank? For ease and speed, it doesn’t get much better than a chilli, artichoke and cheese dip. For just under £15 you can create a taste sensation that will have your friends praising your culinary skills for years to come. All you need is 250g of grated mozzarella, 50g of grated parmesan, three cans of artichoke hearts, two to three chillies (a combination of red and

green for colour) and 325g of mayonnaise. Finely chop the chillies and either half or quarter the artichoke hearts (depending on how chunky you like it). Next, combine the ingredients together and stir until well mixed. Pop your concoction into an oven-safe dish, about an inch-and-a-half to two inches deep, and stick it in the oven at 200C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve with tortilla chips and voilà... your guests will think you put a lot of effort into making a tasty treat, while you will have time to get ready and a bit of dosh left in your pocket. Aria Dixon

Cheap treats: Baked beans and Dolmio sauce

TUDENTS are masters of scrimping – especially when it comes to food. But what should every undergraduate’s cupboard contain? Check out TUP’s top ten bargain bites. 1. Garlic bread – This family favourite will cost you less than a quid and it couldn’t be easier to cook. Stick it in an oven and come back ten minutes later. 2. Rice – There is barely a country in the world that

 HUNTING for a student-friendly shop? Look no further than Aldi. If you can keep up with the lightning speed of the cashiers then this is where you should head for a bargain. Pick up frozen tuna steaks at a decent size and price (400g, £2.99) or take advantage of their weekly ‘super six’ deal, where all the fruit and veggies are just 59p Cheryl Culliford-Whyte

doesn’t have a rice dish. From Spanish paella to Jamaica’s rice and peas, it can be added to most meals and doesn’t cost the earth. 3. Noodles – A packet of

simple noodles can cost pennies but are perfect for adding bulk to stir fries. Mix them with a spicy sauce and a load of your favourite vegetables for a healthy,

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February 2015

foodBREAK

We’ve all got to eat. So whether you fancy preparing something at home or popping out for dinner, we have the recipe for a great meal

Economic edibles: Filling up on noodles, garlic bread, cereal or rice is a tasty way to save some cash PICTURES: ZOE MACNAUGHTON PHRAWR/HAT M/ MAMMA MIA/FLICKR

quick and, most importantly, cheap meal. 4. Ready-made tomato sauce – While making your own is undoubtedly better, there’s no reason why a ready-made tomato sauce can’t be used when time is short. Throw it together with some pasta or even in

a ratatouille to add a bit of �lavour. 5. Cereal – Start the day with a delicious and quick snack. Add your fruit of choice for some much needed vitamins, or try some yoghurt and honey. 6. Baked beans – Although they taste great on a baked

potato or over toast, why not use them in a stew? They make a great addition to a sausage casserole – and, let’s not forget, they are a vital component for a Sunday morning fry-up. 7. Crisps – Not healthy – but everyone deserves a treat every now and then. They

can be eaten as a snack but also used for a quick-�ix meal, such as nachos. 8. Potatoes – They can be roasted, baked, mashed, fried or boiled. In fact, the ’tater is an extremely versatile ingredient. If you are feeling adventurous, you could even cook a gratin

dauphinois to add sparkle to the humble spud. 9. Bread – Obviously useful for simple sandwiches or toast in the morning. Add butter, raisins and an eggand-milk mixture to make a marvellous bread-and-butter pudding. 10. Rolled oats – During

the cold of the winter months, there aren’t many other dishes that warm you up better. A bit bland on their own – but add some milk and jam, and you have a wonderfully �illing way to begin the day. Antoniya Gerimpapazi and Zoe Macnaughton

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February 2015

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brainTEASE an you match the quote to the well-known person?

A: ‘I love the smell of diapers; I even like when they’re wet and you smell them all warm like a baked good’

B:‘At the end of the day, I just know I’ll probably have the worst, spoiled little kid ever’

C: ‘I’m not that good-looking. I think I’m a pretty weird-looking guy’

D: ‘In an action film you act in the action. If it’s a dramatic film you act in the drama’

E: ‘Being a Scientologist when you drive past an accident… you know you have to do something about it because you know you’re the only one that can really help’

Who said what? 1 Tom Cruise, 2 Lindsay Lohan, 3 Kristen Stewart, 4 Sarah Jessica Parker, 5 Eminem, 6 Jay Z, 7 Ryan Gosling, 8 Dennis Rodman, 9 Jean Claude Van Damme

F: ‘How come when Kanye acts like an idiot he gets a gold record but when I act like an idiot, I get a police record?’

G: ‘Don’t be an asshole. That’s my relationship advice.’

ANSWERS

H: ‘Chemistry is a class you take in high school or college, where you figure out two plus two is ten or something’

I: ‘I’m stupid, I’m ugly, I’m dumb, I smell. Did I mention I’m stupid?’

Can you unscramble these singers’ names…

1. MR SOON RANK 2. ROHANN MAIGRET 3. THIN L BAR 4. RENE HONDA SELL 5. SIR THIN MARC 6. NEW HO BEAN

in a

muddle

7. KIN P 8. GLAZES ME ONE ANSWERS

1 Mark Ronson, 2 Meghan Trainor, 3 Labrinth, 4 Ella Henderson, 5 Chris Martin, 6 Ben Haenow, 7 Pink, 8 Selena Gomez

Take a break and put your grey cells to work with our selection of puzzles

A4 B6 C7 D9 E1 F2 G3 H8 I5

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February 2015

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NO cash? Don’t let that take away your right to a proper coffee. Win one of eight Breville Coffeexpress machines and �ilter your morning �ix straight into a takeaway bottle on your way to a lecture, or just make a cuppa at home. It’s easy to use – just add water and your favourite ground coffee, �lick the switch and go.

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Non-stop party: Explore Mallorca’s clubs and chill at the beach on this ﬁve-night holiday

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February 2015

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

Horoscope 

What’s written in the stars for you this month

ARIES: MARCH 21APRIL 19 Your social life might seem scrambled, Aries. However, this is a blessing in disguise, as you will be able to see people’s secret agendas. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind

TAURUS: APRIL 20MAY 20 Take control, Taurus. Your workload has signi�icantly increased since the new year but this shouldn’t be a challenge. If you do not have enough time, simply say so GEMINI: MAY 21JUNE 20 Don’t lose track of your �inances, Gemini. A matter will arise early on in the

month. You are more than equipped to deal with it; just do so swiftly, or you will be in a vulnerable situation CANCER: JUNE 21JULY 22 Now is not a time to shy away from the world, Cancer. Stand tall and you will surprise yourself. Someone may even catch your eye who will inspire and improve your world

LEO: JULY 23AUGUST 22 You need to make some changes, Leo. Rediscover some of your sparkle that for some reason has fallen by the wayside recently. This month, you can be the life and soul of the party

VIRGO: AUGUST 23SEPTEMBER 22 Take this time to take a long hard look in the mirror, Virgo. You have been doing more than enough for everyone but yourself. Take some well-needed time out or you will burn out

LIBRA: SEPTEMBER 23OCTOBER 22 This month is full of temptation, Libra. Don’t get carried away. You need to put someone at home �irst – but that doesn’t mean you should put your social life on hold SCORPIO: OCTOBER 23NOVEMBER 21 You have been yearning for something out of the

ordinary, Scorpio – and now is the time to realise it. Right now, it seems as though anything is possible – and, if you focus, it is SAGITTARIUS: NOVEMBER 22DECEMBER 21 Respect yourself, Sagittarius. Someone in particular might be calling in favours left, right and centre – but what you don’t realise just yet is that they do not need the help as much as you think

CAPRICORN: DECEMBER 22JANUARY 19 This month is all about patience, Capricorn. You are about to hit the jackpot but

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

if you rush the decisions along the way, all you will be left with is fool’s gold AQUARIUS: JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18 Stay focused, Aquarius. There is an important opportunity coming your way but you will miss it if your eyes aren’t wide open to everything that is happening around you

PISCES: FEBRUARY 19MARCH 20 You have immense in�luence, Pisces. Use it your advantage and you might just break through the solemn secrecy surrounding a certain situation. Take action to regain the reins

Be careful which pal you ditch OUR �irst semester ended in a blaze of glory. Surrounded by new friends, you drank your way into the holidays, safe in the knowledge that a month separated you from deadlines and exams. This is where the gloves come off. You return after Christmas, brimming with con�idence after a month with your adoring ‘home friends’, and decide to trim the fat in terms of misguided friendships. But tread with care: ditch the wrong acquaintance and you could �ind the hands of friendship withdrawn left, right and centre. While it’s unlikely every pal you made was a wise choice, considering you were drunk half the time, it’s worth remembering you

let’sTALK

came to uni to get a degree (well, that’s one reason). The coolest friends may not be the ones who will stick around when you’re knee-deep in 17th-century politics – and they may not be the kind of people you want to live with next year. So use your common sense and judge kindly. Moving away from home and being doused with cheap alcohol doesn’t bring out the best in many people – second semester could be the time for second chances. That homesick girl who invited you round for a cup of tea every �ive minutes? She could be a mate for life. The dubious conquest who kept in touch via occasional creepy Facebook messages? Not so much. Lindsey Coombs

Equality: Gay marriage PICTURE: PARGON/WIKICOMMONS

Let’s focus on people, not the masses

THE new year is a time to look back at our achievements – and 2014 was a big milestone for the LGBT liberation campaign. Yes, I am talking about marriage equality. The fact it was passed in the UK gives an example to many other countries. And, of course, anyone can now get married – we are all equal. You may wonder what else there is to do. LGBT activists could give you a list: trans* equality and health services, integration in workplaces, tackling homophobia… all important things. Yet I think something is missing. Something very important. And that is people themselves. Activists tend to look at problems as applying to groups. But what if we made a new year resolution to focus on individuals, rather than the masses? What if we started to listen to what minorities need and want, as opposed to ignoring the details of the mosaic we are a part of? Let’s listen to those who struggle with their sexuality – because unless we do, nothing can be changed. Filip Bigos

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February 2015

let’sTALK

Relationship trouble? Sex worries? Feeling low? We’ve got wise words to set you right

Alice ask

Tough time: Cancer can devastate families PICTURE: ANNETTE/FLICKR

Y mum was diagnosed with breast cancer at new year. I’m devastated. We are at opposite ends of the country and the train fare alone is more than £100. I feel so guilty for not being there. Sophie, Edinburgh

I’m so sorry to hear that, Sophie, but try not to feel guilty. Find other ways to be around her. Right now, she needs you to bring her some light and joy – and even if that’s just a phone call every night, she’ll know you are there for her. And don’t suffer in silence. As much as your mother needs support, so do you. Request a pastoral tutorial. You can apply for extenuating circumstances for your coursework and, if you decide to, you could also apply for a leave of absence. This is an authorised break from your studies that would allow you to go home and return to university next academic year.

WAS doing drugs in digs and I’ve been issued with a 28-day notice to quit. I didn’t go to the disciplinary meeting and now I don’t know what to do. Aaron, Warwick

If you have broken your tenancy agreement, it is unlikely that you will be able to argue your case successfully. However, just because you have been given a notice to quit doesn’t mean the university won’t

Separate but together... is it possible?

ONG-distance relationships are always controversial. While some believe that absence makes the heart grow fonder, others think it can only lead to break-ups. Of course, every couple is different – but there will always be ups and downs when your other half is living in a different city. But doesn’t every relationship have good and bad moments? Being a student who has experienced a long-distance relationship throughout university, I can say – it is not easy. A lot of people think that students can’t hold down relationships at the best of times, so one with the added pressure of distance – no chance, right?

Miss you: Time apart is hard PICTURE: ANGELA MARY BUTLER/FLICKR

Wrong. While it is tough to spend long periods away from your partner, seeing each other after a busy few months can be more than rewarding. Spending time getting to know each other at a steady, slow pace can work

wonders. On top of this, when you’re in the middle of a hectic semester and all you have time for is research and essay-writing, it’s probably a good thing your other half isn’t around. If they were, you would want to spend every waking hour with them – and that’s time when you should probably be doing work. At the end of the day, it’s simple: distance alone can’t destroy a relationship. In some cases, in fact, it can even help to strengthen it. If they’re ‘the one’, they’ll wait for you. And if they’re not, they won’t. Semesters aren’t that long – and you can always visit home in your reading week or at the weekend to see them. Kelly Smith

continue to support you. Go in person to your hall residence manager or accommodation services team. Although you might not be able to stay in halls, they will be able

Submit us your questions and get the answer in next month’s issue

to help you find private sector accommodation or extend your notice until you have found alternative digs.

FLUNKED January exams and now there is a real possibility I might have to re-take first year. I like my course but I haven’t been keeping up with reading or essays, which makes it even easier to skip class. James, Manchester You will be entitled to funding for the duration of your course, plus one extra year, in case you have to repeat – and repeating a year isn’t the end of the world. But, first of all, you need to identify why you haven’t been keeping up with your coursework. Whether it’s time management or you need someone to do your reading with, head to academic support for some advice – otherwise, this time next year, you will be saying exactly the same thing. Struggling with your studies, wrestling with a relationship or is your social life at a standstill? Contact our agony aunt on alice@unipaper.co.uk

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February 2015

beyondUNI

Need a job? Considering a gap year? Graduating and struggling for inspiration? Then read on...

What jobs work for you? Don’t just RETAIL? YOU’RE TWIXT A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE wait for right role

VERYONE knows someone with the worst part-time job in the world, be it dodging �lying plates in a pub kitchen or serving screaming children from an ice cream van. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some ideas for jobs to suit all schedules and personalities. 1. Cafés and restaurants – waiting staff have the option of working during the day or evening. You can add tips to your wages if you’re good with customers and maybe even pick up free food. 2. Fast food chains – places such as McDonalds or Burger King may sound less than glamorous but many big companies offer training opportunities and good terms for part-time staff. 3. Pubs and clubs – if you have no time to work during the day or you are simply a night owl, you might consider applying for a job at a bar or club. Bar and door staff alike have a great social life together after work. 4. Supermarkets – you can apply online for a wide

Breaking point: A Twix-related customer complaint added drama to one worker’s shiftPICTURE: SCOTT EHARDT I WAS funding my way through a media and communications degree at Birmingham City University with a job at a well-known supermarket chain. During one evening shift, a man came in threatening to sue the store because of the price of a Twix. He

range of roles at superstores. The applications will take you through a couple of tests, including on your numeracy and literacy skills, as well as a behavioural test – but don’t worry, they’re not too tough. 5. Universities – from bar-tending at the union to designing a website, a job at your university can offer some of the best opportunities to develop your skills. 6. Newsagents – if you

then proceeded to state his interpretation of consumer rights law at me. I said: ‘For 60p, you’re kicking up a fuss?’ He then unwrapped the Twix and ate it in front of me, saying between chews: ‘Consumer rights my a**e.’ Greg Edwards

like cycling and are good with directions, you could become a paper boy or girl. The job is not the best paid but at least you get to be the �irst to read the papers. 7. Manual note-taking – many universities get temporary workers to take notes for students who need support with their work. You will need to be able to write clearly and quickly and be understanding of the people you help. Antoniya Gerimpapazi

Good, bad and the messy BUSKER

THE grind of long shifts or having to get up for work while suffering with a hangover can make that part-time job an extra drag. If, like Glasgow Caledonian University student Stephen Mars, you can sing or play an instrument, being your own boss and taking up busking could be the answer. Stephen, who can make up to £100 a day busking on the city’s streets, says: ‘It’s doing what I love, when I want. What could be better?’

Aynsleigh Hollywood

CHUGGER

I ONCE spent a long summer working as a professional fundraiser – otherwise known as a charity mugger, or chugger – to help me through my studies at the University of Central Lancashire. I went from door to door asking people to support charities like the British Red Cross. My colleagues were fantastic but this did not make up for the commission-only pay or the abuse, which was so harsh you would think I was the one causing the humanitarian crisis. Luis Sanchez

SHOT GIRL

SHE patrols the club selling dubious-looking spirits from a belt to boozed-up, over-excited punters until the wee small hours, wearing less to sell more. The job of shot girl is not enviable. One past owner of this title is Raisa Begum, who once worked the sticky ﬂoors of Liverpool’s clubs. She says: ‘They were awful shifts. Bosses would often ask workers to stay past their ﬁnishing time.’ Sophie Sear

WHEN it comes to jobs, I have the best of both worlds. I work as a part-time sales assistant at Debenhams while studying at Swansea University. While it means being on my feet for ten hours during a shift on a Saturday, it brings with it the beneﬁt of the ‘travel transfer’. During term time, I can ﬁt work around my lectures in Swansea – then, when I go home for the holidays, I can move seamlessly to a branch in my hometown of Cardiff. My student loan covers my tuition fees and rent but for nights out, food and textbooks, I’ll use my wages. It means I’ve never had to touch my

overdraft – and, if I did, I would be back in the black as soon as my pay came through. Working on a shop ﬂoor may seem pretty simple but you will be gaining essential life skills – such as customer service – that your university course will not teach you. These can really make you stand out on a job application form and you never know who you’re going to meet – one of your colleagues could end up helping you get a job in your chosen career after graduation. So, even something as seemingly simple as retail work could really make an impact on your future. Rebecca Thomas

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February 2015

beyondUNI

Need a job? Considering a gap year? Graduating and struggling for inspiration? Then read on...

Big nights out are off the cards for aspiring teacher and mum

When story time meets deadlines

HILE many students would only be up at 6.30am if they were crawling into bed after a night out, Gabby Rea is already up and about, getting her son ready for nursery. The 20-year-old juggles the duties of being a mum to twoyear-old Teddy with studying English at Birmingham City University. She has just over an hour in the morning to get them both ready and fed, before leaving the house to drop Teddy off at nursery and heading to lectures herself. ‘It’s all about balance and organisation,’ she says. ‘I try to make sure I have a routine that sticks, for Teddy’s best interests as well as mine.’ Fitting Teddy around student life is tricky, however. His dad, from whom Gabby has separated but remains on good terms with, is in the army, based in Chester and can only see his son every other weekend. Nursery charges are £150 a week and, although Student Finance England pays 85 per cent of Teddy’s fees, it all adds

When English student Gabby Rea has an essay due in, first she has to think about caring for her toddler, Teddy. MEGNA FARMAHA finds out if you can still have a social life while mixing tantrums and tutorials up. With limited choices for childcare, Gabby admits there can be a conflict between studying and spending time with Teddy. ‘It’s hard to distinguish between the important tasks,’ she explains. ‘It’s a constant battle knowing whether a bedtime story is more urgent than the assignments I have due soon. ‘Sometimes I may miss out on a field trip because Teddy needs new shoes. But he is my priority and I’m totally willing to give things up so he has the best.’ She aims to become an English teacher after she graduates, to try and build a better life for her and her son. ‘It’s all about the bigger picture,’ she says. ‘I may feel guilty sometimes but there need to be sacrifices for the future and, one day, my boy will understand I did it all for him.’ Being a single parent

means Gabby has to forgo the wild nights and drinking sessions many associate with student social life. ‘I do miss out to a certain extent,’ she admits. ‘I want to be involved but having a child means this is put on a kind of back burner.’ But it’s not all work. ‘I do get to socialise,’ she adds. ‘Just not in the stereotypical student way. My social life is much more relaxed, rather than alcohol-fuelled.’ She has support from family at home, as well as the university’s student parents and carers’ association, which organises social lunches and coffee mornings. She says the responsibilities of motherhod have taught her a lot. ‘It’s quite clear, to me more than anyone, that I’ve matured since being a mum,’ she says. ‘I feel like I have an older perspective on

Tiny housemate: Gabby Rea with her two-year-old son, Teddy things compared to my peers because I’ve experienced a lot more. ‘To be honest, it can make me feel slightly alienated – my peers don’t understand

my situation, which can be a little frustrating. I live in a whole other world to them.’ So, does she have any advice for others in the same situation? ‘Balance all your

PICTURE: MEGNA FARMAHA

responsibilities,’ she says. ‘It’ll make things ten times easier. ‘And never forget to leave time for yourself, to unwind and de-stress, before it all gets too much.’

Tarot cards showed me the way to ease cash woes AS A journalism student at De Montfort University in Leicester, I wanted to avoid struggling for money but I didn’t fancy facing angry or drunk customers at a takeaway. So I decided to work from home doing something that I am passionate about – tarot card reading. Most of my work is done online. I passed some initial tests and have been working for two websites over the past few years.

The first benefit is being able to work from home and sit, warm and toasty, in front of a laptop. Having said that, however, it’s a difficult profession. You are revealing information to someone that could seriously challenge their

emotional well-being. Learning the strict boundaries needed took me a while. I always used to get too connected to clients and you can’t always afford to do that. I have had negative experiences, such as trolls coming into my chatroom, and that

can be horrible. I have had to learn to brush it off. It has also taken a lot of time to build up clients, meaning I’ve had to spend vast amounts of time online just to make sure I’m earning enough money. I get irritated by many of the popular psychics. Many are said to be fake and use psychology as the basis for reading people. They tell the clients what they want to hear, just to keep their likeable image. Life isn’t always

going to be OK and, sometimes, these psychics give us honest clairvoyants a bad name. While you must be careful not to get ripped off working online, if you find a reputable company, it can solve many of the problems of having a part-time job, such as spending money on travel and having to deal with people face-to-face if this isn’t your thing. And it doesn’t hurt to earn some extra – life is expensive. Emma Thompson

February 2015

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When they’re sharing the love a bit too much

HETHER they are gazing longingly into each others’ eyes or in the middle of a blazing row, couples can be a nightmare. There are ways to make your life easier, however, without trying to break them up. 1. Invest in ear plugs: Whether it’s love-making or shouting, ear plugs will help you get on with work. 2. Establish boundaries: The last thing you want is for the person who doesn’t pay rent to be drinking your milk, so draw the line. 3. Make friends: Getting to know your flatmate’s partner will make you feel more comfortable around them and it won’t be awkward when you’re left alone. 4. Remain respectful: Remember what it’s like to be

yourSPACE I LIVED with a guy in second year who had his girlfriend over all the time – to the point where she had practically moved in. The worst part, besides the baby talk, was how selfish they were. Her laundry was everywhere and they’d take over the living room for days, leave the heating on for hours – even in warm weather – and basically disregard the rest of us. We eventually confronted them and the short story is that it got ugly. He didn’t even say goodbye when we moved out. James King, University of Birmingham

LIVING with others is difficult enough at uni – and then some of them couple up, making life a special type of hell. Sleep is almost impossible because 4am is obviously the ideal time for the world to hear their bedroom activities… normally bickering over trivial matters. Natassia Tang, UCLan

Get a room: Living with a coupley couple can be awkward PICTURE: FLICKR

head-over-heels for someone. Sometimes it’s better to keep your cool and just have a laugh with them.

5. Communicate: If their relationship is making you uncomfortable or they’re distracting you from your

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work, make sure you talk to them or to someone you can trust, such as a residential mentor. Olivia Clark

I LIVED with a girl whose boyfriend visited so frequently he should really have paid rent (or at least offered us some beer). Instead of cosying up on the sofa, they insisted on spending every minute together... cooking. I’m talking MasterCheflevel cooking, with huge carving knives and meat mallets. They took up the entire kitchen, chose really awkward times to cook and left heaps of washing up for us while they indulged in their Michelin-standard cuisine. And we didn’t even get a nice meal out of it. Mollie Carberry, University of Sheffield

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February 2015

yourSPACE

How to find the right place to live, the right people to live with and how to keep your place right

We uncover the spookiest student homes in the nation... with terrifying results

Homes with the wooooo factor

Spine-chilling: Students have reported ghostly sightings and strange sounds in their homes

oooo

BUMP in the night, a creaking floorboard, a tap that drips no matter how many times you turn it off... Surely there is a logical explanation for what you just heard – or is there? I am convinced a ghost haunts my house in Leicester. I have called her Harriet, in the hope that will stop her from harming me. I think she lives in my attic – but, unfortunately, I don’t have a ladder to get in and reveal the truth. Sam Rose, a games WHEN viewing the house, we never asked what was in the room – we were only told not to go in there. On the top floor of our six-bedroom property is a battered doorframe, chipped and cracked, with thick, rusted double locks. It was through collective fear that, on hearing a shrieking female voice, we did the unthinkable. With a little manual labour, we managed to wrench the door open. Among the rubbish that filled the room, there were some interesting photos, along with letters from a past generation. We fixed the door – but every now and then we hear that same blood-curdling shriek and can’t explain why. Tom Bean, Bath

programming student at De Montfort University, has also had an unwelcome guest. He says: ‘The front door was being knocked on but no-one was ever there. We stood by the door and waited for the noise and found no-one. It freaked the s*** out of one of my housemates.’ He says he

was so scared some nights, he would play movies constantly with the lights on until he could get to sleep. Unbelievers will say there is an explanation – but what if there isn’t? Hannah Louise Wilson, creative writing and journalism student, De Montfort University

‘MY FRIEND was talking and joking that there might be a ghost in our house,’ says one University of Strathclyde student who lives in a spooky 200-year-old property. ‘Then the lightbulbs in the chandelier above her popped and all the lights in the house went out.’ Things got even creepier in the haunted house after the friend went home, as the doors were opening and closing all night long. Zahra Faqir, Glasgow A HOUSE near Swansea’s city centre had a ghostly woman who stalked one room. She did no harm – but in this house there was a room that was never opened. It had always been locked and gave the students living there a weird vibe. Even more surprising is that, when the room was opened by the landlord, it was spotlessly clean. Another house nearby has experienced something similar. The housemates heard footsteps coming from above. One went outside, looked up and saw an unknown woman peeping through the bedroom window. Anupama Subramaniyam JAMES ARMSTON, 21, a Liverpool John Moores University student, rented a house that came with a rocking chair in the corner. He thought no more of it until, dead in the middle of the night, the residents of the Cretan Road house walked into the room to find the chair rocking back and forth as if someone had just stood up from it. Sophie Sear

I STARTED worrying about ghosts in Constantine Court after following a shadow into my bathroom. I’ve also seen lights flickering around my room. I didn’t believe it at first, so I recorded it on my phone. You can shrug it off but one thing’s for sure – these happenings seem to be a bit more than just a coincidence… Abigail Gillibrand, Manchester I BEGAN to notice things move places. We would also hear noises coming from rooms that were empty and locked. Then we were told that students had reported seeing a young girl. Apparently, a children’s hospital used to be where the accommodation is now. Emma Brooks, third-year media and communication student, BCU As told to Jakub Szweda

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yourSPACE

February 2015

How to find the right place to live, the right people to live with and how to keep your place right

Avoid a flap over a fill-in Box clever to brighten your room

IF YOUR bedroom looks like a bomb site, you will probably find it difficult to get on with that important coursework. Keep it clutter-free with these top tips. Beautiful boxes: Pick up some quirky, patterned boxes that fit with your decor. They will also act as a good footrest when you’re studying. Out of sight: You’ve bought the new season’s fashion trends, only to realise your Neat solution: Stash junk in boxes to keep it tidy PICTURE: CHARLOTTE SEDDON wardrobe is ready to burst. Store clothes in a suitcase and slide it under your bed. you to wear accessories you any footwear for space. Hang it up: Dangle jewellery have forgotten about. Look high: Take advantage of from hangers. Not only will Rack ‘em up: Get a shoe rack dust-filled spaces by hiding this add a bit of colour to that hangs from a door and junk on top of your wardrobe. your room but it will remind you won’t have to sacrifice Charlotte Seddon HOME ACCOMADATION ADVERT 16/12/14 11:31 Page 1

Hunt down a housemate before it costs you dearly

OU’VE sorted who you’re living with, found a house and paid your deposit – then, out of nowhere, someone drops out, leaving you with a room to fill and bills looming. You need to get someone in as soon as possible but how are you going to do it? Here are a few steps you can take to make sure the house – and, more importantly, your bills – are shared by the right number of people. 1. Out and about: There’s no point hoping someone will come to you. Be proactive and ask people on your course. Sometimes students who live at home might want to move out in second or third year. 2. Spread the word: You could try advertising the room on your university’s noticeboards or website. Sometimes they have a

page where fellow students can advertise spare rooms. International students or people who start later in the year may be looking for a room for six months or under. It’s worth bearing this in mind if you want to get that room filled. 3. Get web smart: Websites such as student.spareroom.co.uk allow you to advertise your room, flat or house to potential tenants all over the country. It is designed specifically for students and allows you to advertise spare rooms based on your location or university campus. 4. Post it: Get on social media and post statuses and tweets with photos of the bedroom you need to fill. Get help from your friends by asking them to share your work. Gemma Sargent

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February 2015

wellFIT

Advice for a healthy lifestyle and staying in shape

Go online to get in shape

IKE CHANG, CT Fletcher, Furious Pete and the Hodgetwins may sound like obscure DJs – but they are part of a fast-growing breed of internet fitness gurus with a combined YouTube following of more than 6million. Health, fitness and workout channels have gained mass popularity as people turn to social media personalities for advice and motivation on training, diet and even the best gym apparel. Mike Chang, owner of the Six Pack Shortcuts YouTube channel, currently has more than 3million subscribers to his high-energy workout and weightlifting guide, which is thought to be one of the biggest workout channels. Online fitness coaches have the benefit of being accessible anywhere, thanks to smartphones. And, while apps and videos offer something magazines cannot, Men’s Health still boasts more than 13million readers worldwide. Anthony Gilmour

our pick of the YouTube work-outs

chosen by Samantha Coles

Blogilates

Subscribers: 1,894,736

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THE detail that sprightly host Cassey goes in to makes these pilates videos perfect for beginners. Along with working the abs, legs and arms, she also explains the principles of lateral breathing, posture and form, ensuring you get your technique right. The clips are 15 to 30 minutes long and vary in difficulty, so you can increase intensity as your confidence builds, while the energetic tracks will keep you moving. Cassey also offers sound advice on ‘cheap, clean eats’.

FitnessBlender

Subscribers: 1,712,910

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-5VTmZYDko

MOST of these workouts, created by friendly husband and wife duo Daniel and Kelli, need no equipment. If weights are required, they will suggest a household alternative – and even perform one routine lifting their puppy. With more than 300 videos ranging from four minutes to half-an-hour and more uploaded every week, you can mix it up and find something to fit every schedule and ability level. The pair also offer meal plans and nutrition advice, and post FAQ videos.

BodyRock

Subscribers: 851,909

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjU6NVAyvs0

IF YOU’RE a fan of high-intensity impact training or have a hectic schedule, BodyRock is ideal. Offering a wide range of vids featuring some of the more unusual moves, instructor Lisa-Marie will have you sweating in less than 15 minutes. If her impressive physique isn’t motivation enough, the channel has a great community, with ‘BodyRockers’ sharing their before and after pictures. The real-time daily workouts make you feel like you’re all in it together.

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February 2015

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sportNEWS

City steeled for battle of the 6,000 THOUSANDS of student athletes will be in Sheffield this month for the largest sporting event in the university year. Up to 6,000 will be here for two days of intense competition for the BUCS National Finals, taking place at venues across the city. Among those taking part will be top-flight competitors with national and international experience. It comes a week after the city hosted the British Indoor Athletics Championships, featuring some of the leading lights of the sport, in another coup for the city and its sporting facilities. One of the elite athletes targeting success at the nationals is sprinter Mica

Moore. The Cardiff Met student, 22, said: ‘Getting silver last year was probably my biggest achievement at BUCS – it was literally a fraction of a second off the gold, so it was a big surprise. ‘It will be tough this year because there are some really good sprinters there but training has been going well, so I have to aim big.’ But it’s not just athletics on offer – students will be competing in everything from swimming to judo, badminton to short-range rifle shooting. For University of Manchester swimmer Danny Mills, this year’s BUCS championships will be an emotional time – it will be his tenth and last. ‘I want to go out there and give one last big swim under

Top sport: Sprint action from the BUCS athletics nationals in Sheffield in 2013 PICTURE: JAMES POOLE/FLICKR the Manchester name,’ said the 24-year-old junior doctor. It will also be the last hurrah for badminton star Fontaine Chapman. She will be

competing in her third and final BUCS. ‘Last year at BUCS I was going to the European Championships for England and I was just exhausted,’

said the 25-year-old Leeds Beckett journalism student. ‘I was playing a girl from Leeds University. We trained together so I was like, it’s fine,

you can have this one – but I want to win this time around.’ Events will staged across the city between February 20 and 22.

Futsal men fall at final hurdle chasing glory RAIF HOWLEY THE University of Sheffield’s men’s futsal team saw their league season end in glorious failure. Needing to win their last three games on the final match day for an outside chance of taking the title, they went down all guns blazing – losing a thrilling opening encounter, bouncing back in the second and ultimately missing out chasing goals and glory in the third. The results mean the team finished third in the league and now face the prospect of a tricky tie in the knockout stages that follow. The first game of the day saw Sheffield up against third-placed York. After edging in front early on through Joe Ellard’s low strike, Shef-

Huddle: The futsal team down but not disgraced field were then outplayed and went in 3-1 down at half-time. But Sheffield stormed back after the break to bring the scores level. With the clock ticking down, York replaced their keeper with an outfield player to go in search of a winner. And the gamble paid off, with York snatching victory with seconds to spare. In game two, Sheffield dismissed the challenge of bottom-placed Bangor by

5-3 to set up a grandstand finish against champions Northumbria. Needing to win by five clear goals, Sheffield went all out for glory. But their open play ultimately cost them dear, as they went three goals down in the opening period. A hat-trick from club captain Jordan Slater gave Sheffield some hope but they were eventually beaten 7-3 to finish third in the regular season.

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February 2015

sportNEWS

Varsity clock running Fixtures are out in race to glory

RUGBY BATTLES COULD HOLD KEY TO CONTEST

HENRY EDWARDS IT is just weeks to the most eagerly anticipated student clash, the Sheffield varsity, and the full set of fixtures has just been confirmed. The action kicks off with the Sheffield varsity 10k on Sunday, March 15. The event attracts hundreds of runners and this year has a new route, starting and finishing at the University of Sheffield’s 21-storey arts tower. The three-lap route will take competitors through two of Sheffield’s most scenic parks, Western Park and Crookes Valley Park. Runners then tackle the short but steep Harcourt Road hill before looping around back to the Arts Tower. Also new for this year is a three-person relay race, where competitors each run one lap of the course and complete the 10k as a team. The third runner will run a slightly shorter lap. The action continues two days later, with a cross-coun-

Victory: UoS rugby celebrate last year’s varsity win try cycle race in Greno Woods. There is a hiatus for a month before 11 days of intense action resumes, with Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam going head to head in sports including rugby (see our preview above), basketball, sailing, futsal, American football, cricket, tennis and even korfball and ultimate frisbee. The event climaxes on April 22 with a no-holdsbarred ice hockey match at the Motorpoint Arena. In fact, the first points

Rinked in: iceSheffield was used by Team GB Winter Olympic athletes sports teams and elite athletes including Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, and the GB Boxing squad. iceSheffield is home to some of the nation’s top skaters

likely the men in black and gold will continue their recent success in this fixture, captained by no-nonsense lock Matt Baldwin. The side look hard to beat under new coach Thiu Barnard but home field advantage should not be underestimated. Sheffield’s second XV are currently second from bottom in BUCS Northern 2B – one league above their opponents. The campaign has been rather stop-start, with one win and five defeats, but the cup form has been more impressive, including a nail-biting 15-14 win against Hallam II, on their way to a spot in the quarter-finals. Nonetheless, the Hallam seconds are clearly

a decent side, with potential to improve on a 44-17 drubbing in last year’s varsity. In the thirds, Sheffield haven’t had the greatest league campaign so far, with six defeats in six games. However, their solitary win came against Hallam III, 19-5 at home in the cup, which could be a pointer to the varsity clash. Their opponents in the league below have registered three wins from three games in BUCS and are a side improving with every game. This one looks set to be a tight game, similar to last year which saw the sides play out a 5-5 stalemate. Simon Watters

are already in the bag for Sheffield, who completed a whitewash on the slopes of the Alps in January. However, there are still about 70 points to be won, so the competition is far from over. Both universities will be hoping they can bring home the varsity trophy, with Hallam looking to win it for the first time in three years after previously holding a nineyear unbeaten run. It is shaping up to be a memorable contest.

Games legacy continues to grow at Olympic park TWO world-class sports venues have been announced as the latest high-profile additions to the Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield. The English Institute of Sport Sheffield and iceSheffield have been incorporated into the multimillion-pound project. EIS Sheffield is the largest multi-sport venue in the country covering five acres. It provides a state-of-theart indoor sporting and fitness facility for the local community, professional

SOME of the key clashes at this year’s Sheffield varsity will be contested on the rugby field. With three teams each in action, the hits promise to be massive, the skill sets tested to the max and the commitment unquestioned. Sheffield University’s first XV look to have the upper hand against Hallam going into the varsity head-to-head. They completed a 38-10 victory away to Hallam in November on their way to an unbeaten 2014, including nine wins from nine in BUCS Northern 1A. Hallam are currently second from bottom in the same league with one win, one draw and six defeats. It seems

and winter Olympic athletes. The OLP is a joint venture between Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and the city council.

PART OF A SPORTS TEAM? Get a write-up in this month’s paper.

Contact: editor@unipaper.co.uk

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