Cardiff Edition October 2015

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October 2015

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THE MACCABEES: A DECADE AND WE’RE STILL A BIT HIT AND HOPE.............. PAGE 15

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VC only on campus for half the year MARY-ANNE FARAH CARDIFF University’s vicechancellor’s commitment to his students has been called into question after it was revealed he spent just one day in two on campus over the past two years.

Prof Colin Riordan was at the university for 98 days during the 2013/14 academic year and 126 days in 2012/13, figures released under Freedom Of Information laws show.

It means he spent just 224 working days out of a possible 434 on campus in two years.

Holly Duhig, who studies English at Cardiff, said: ‘How can he have a proper, invested relationship with the university if he isn’t here half the time?’

But fellow third year Sarah Hazelwood said: ‘We don’t know what he has been doing while he is away, so can we really say he has been slacking?’

It comes after the vicechancellor faced criticism in

Other commitments: Prof Colin Riordan PICTURE: FLICKR

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February for claiming £1,000 in expenses – including a £6 taxi fare – in a year when he earned more than £250,000.

Prof Riordan was paid a salary of £238,000 in 2013/14, plus pension contributions of around £31,000 and other benefits, according to a Times Higher Education report in April.

It makes him the highestpaid uni boss in Wales who took part in the survey.

University of Wales Trinity St David’s vice-chancellor Prof Medwin Hughes was second in the country, earning £251,000, while Nottingham Trent’s Neil Gorman was the nation’s highest-paid VC, at £623,000.

Third-year English student Hannah Green said: ‘When lecturers have to go on strike to get decent pay, it is disgusting that he is paid so well.’

A Cardiff University spokeswoman said: ‘As head

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Putting a new spin on the life of stars...

GEORGIE CRESPI GALAXIES can shape-shift – and scientists at Cardiff University have become the first to find proof.

Using the space-based Herschel telescope, they worked with astronomers across the world to examine 10,000 stars.

They discovered that 83 per cent of stars started off as part of spiral galaxies, like our Milky Way. But only 49 per cent of stars in the universe today are part of these disc-shaped structures, the rest forming part of larger, round galaxies.

This suggests the larger galaxies started life as flat, spiral structures.

Prof Steve Eales, who led the Cardiff team, said: ‘People have speculated for a long time that disc galaxies like our own might be converted into spheroidal galaxies – essentially big piles of stars.

‘We have been able for the first time to measure this effect, showing that a large fraction of disc galaxies must undergo this metamorphosis.

‘Cardiff led the team that built the main camera for Herschel and it’s been fun to use this camera.

‘Galaxies are the basic building blocks of the universe, so this metamorphosis really does represent one of the most significant changes in its appearance and properties in the last eight billion years.’

SEEDS ARE SOWN FOR GREEN CITIES

October 2015

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Climbing the ranks towards a top spot CARDIFF University has come one step closer to its aim of being named as one of the world’s top 100 institutions.

It was ranked 122nd in the QS World University Rankings – one place up on last year.

However, it still has a fair way to go before it reaches its all-time high of 99th, where it was placed in 2007.

Vice-chancellor Prof Colin Riordan said the higher ranking was ‘pleasing’ but added that he wanted to secure a top 100 place by 2017.

‘A major part of this progress will be the university’s continuing investment in worldclass facilities,’ he said.

Capital living is low cost...

STUDENTS at Cardiff University can get the rounds in – they are at the nation’s third most affordable uni, according to research.

First years can expect to spend an average of £225.85 a week while studying there.

Expenses include £92.75 on weekly essentials, £88 for a week’s self-catering rent, £16.10 for five pints of beer and £14 for two bottles of wine, the HSBC figures show.

CARDIFF Millenium Centre and The Hayes could one day look as leafy as this if ideas put forward during a green cities forum become a reality. Adding trees to city centres and covering walls and roofs with plants are among ideas that experts from the school of geography and planning at Cardiff Universty and the Welsh School of Architecture will discuss with their counterparts in Florida and Indonesia over the next two years. The project will receive a grant of between £64,000 and £128,000 from the UK and US governments.

Marium Ladha. Images by Jess Jenkins

contactUS EDITOR: REBECCA CORNISH Email her at cardiffeditor@unipaper.co.uk

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October 2015

The ‘rents are what we miss the most JAKE CLOTHIER and ANTONIA CUNDY IF YOU miss having your mum and dad around – or even just the full fridge they provide – you are not alone.

Just over half of students say their parents are what they miss most when they move to a new city to study, according to a survey.

Two in five yearn for home-cooked food, while one in three wishes they had learned to prepare it themselves before they arrived at university, research

by The Student Housing Company found.

But, fear not – a separate study found more than one in three of those who have completed their degree say living independently was almost as useful as earning their qualification.

Nearly one in four says going to university helped them to develop their people skills.

But fewer than one in ten said they were better at managing their money after their time studying, the University of Surrey poll

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Being dyslexic, I was told by classmates and even English teachers that I would never be able to deal with academic work in university – that it was a fact of life and I shouldn’t even consider going. With the help of my family, I applied to Swansea, was accepted and I am starting second year with a just above-average grade, so it gives me a lot of pride studying and living at university knowing I proved so many wrong. Cameron Fitzgerald, second-year ancient history and Egyptology student, Swansea University

My biggest achievement at university is probably being elected part-time women’s officer – it’s a huge privilege. What I probably missed the most being away from home at first was the familiarity of it. It was strange coming to university where everything was so new.

Heather Wood, second-year English student, Swansea University I miss my mummy. My biggest achievement would be still being here, considering.

Amelia Webb, third-year philosophy and theology student, University of Oxford

of more than 1,000 of the nation’s graduates found.

Vice-president and registrar Dr David Ashton said: ‘For many new students, this is the first time they have ever lived away from home and it is a big achievement to be able to live independently.’

Many current students could identify with the

EXPERIENCE A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

what they say I really miss having a full fridge.

My biggest achievements have been writing a play and finding a boyfriend.

Lamorna Ash, third-year English student, University of Oxford

My biggest achievement is probably being able to pass second year after being very ill for a long time. The thing I most miss about home is just that I don’t get to see my school friends a lot, since I get to go home all the time.

Ryan Bamsey, third-year psychology student, Swansea University

I miss my local coffee shop. Matilda Armstrong, second-year English student, University of Bristol

findings. Molly Dowrick, a second-year English student at Swansea University, said: ‘My biggest achievement is learning to be independent.

‘When I’m away, I miss my family.’

Saad Satti, a second-year Swansea law student from Pakistan, said: ‘One of the things I’ve missed about

home has been the homecooked food.

‘I guess my biggest achievement at uni has been becoming the only Asian to get a spot in the university cricket team, which is usually dominated by local students.’

Flora Hadaway, a secondyear French and Spanish student at the University of

Edinburgh, said: ‘I miss my cats. My biggest achievement has been joining lacrosse.’

But for some, just facing the elements in their university cities has proved enough of a challenge.

Third year Alice da Costa said: ‘My biggest achievement is surviving the Edinburgh winters.’

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Osborne... Stop taking our wealth for granted SASKIA BAMBER

RETURNING students have hit out at the government’s plans to scrap the maintenance grant and replace it with a loan.

Their opposition comes after chancellor George Osborne announced grants awarded to students from families with an annual household income of £25,000 or less would be cut from the 2016-17 academic year.

Caitlin Bailey, 19, a secondyear economics student at Bristol who receives the maintenance grant, said: ‘Obviously, it sucks for me – but I understand the reasoning behind it.

‘But, in order to compensate, they should reduce the interest on student loans, so that students from poor families don’t have any barriers to come to university.

‘I think the fact that loans accrue a three per cent interest rate plus inflation is completely unfair – and coupled with the scrapped grants is an absolute joke.’

Second-year Bristol maths student Tom Webster, 19, added: ‘It won’t actually affect students in the short term due to the way the payback is structured, so it isn’t really a big issue for me.

‘But I would rather the grant amount be based on the usefulness of the degree – David Beckham studies won’t be as useful to society as medicine.’

Those eligible for the maintenance loan will be able to apply for up to £8,009 per year depending on their living situation.

SNEAK PEEK INSIDE NEW £9.8M UNION

Dan ‘was a friend to everyone he met’ was always available for a chat after a game and was loved by members of all three teams and those on the side-lines. His presence will be deeply missed around the club each and every Saturday but he will never be forgotten.

‘In such a short time, Dan made a positive impression on all he knew.

‘Words cannot express the deep sorrow that we all feel but we can take comfort that we were lucky enough to have known Dan on the field, in the bar and in everyday life.

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inBRIEF

Lawyers pounding the DWP A TEAM of aspiring lawyers have won £1million for sick and disabled clients in welfare benefits spread across 200 claimants.

The volunteers examined Department of Work and Pensions decisions, dating back to 2013, about whether or not people were fit to work. Their efforts, which saw them make a case for their clients at appeals before a judge and a doctor, were successful, with 190 out of 200 cases overturned in the space of two years.

UWE Bristol volunteer Kinga Burzynska said: ‘The project has improved my legal knowledge, hands-on legal experience and given me invaluable time with clients.

‘It reminds me of what difficulties people have to go through to get their rights.

‘Making a difference to them is highly rewarding.’ Tom Gellatly

Teenage goths ‘more likely to be depressed’

AS THIS picture shows, UWE Bristol students are taking full advantage of their sleek new students’ union.

The new £9.8million building on the Frenchay Campus is providing new spaces for student reps, volunteers and societies.

Vice-chancellor Prof Steve West said: ‘It’s a wonderful start to the new term, that we’re able to offer these fantastic new facilities to our students.’

TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular rugby player who was killed in a suspected hit-and-run near the University of Bristol students’ union.

Friends praised University of Leicester graduate Dan Hickey, 25, following the accident, which took place on Gordon Road.

In a message released on behalf of Bristol Saracens RFC, where Mr Hickey was a player, John Howell said: ‘Dan made a friend out of everyone he met.

‘Never one to go home early, Dan

October 2015

We will remember you Dan, always and forever.’

A Bristol spokesperson said: ‘We were very sorry to hear about this tragic incident near our students’ union building.

‘Our security team worked with police officers over the weekend and have supplied CCTV footage to help with their investigation.’

Tayo Jones, 22, from Southville, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and will appear at Bristol Crown Court on October 1.

‘Deeply missed’: Dan Hickey

TEENAGE goths are three times more likely to be clinically depressed than other people, according to a University of Bristol study.

Adolescents who identified as goths at age 15 were also five times more likely to self-harm at 18 than those who did not identify with the subculture, researchers say.

Co-author Dr Rebecca Pearson, from the school of social and community medicine, said: ‘Teenagers who are susceptible to depression or with a tendency to self-harm might be attracted to the goth subculture, which is known to embrace marginalised individuals from all backgrounds, including those with mental health problems.’

The study looked at 3,694 teenagers, with other subcultures including ‘sporty’, ‘popular’ and ‘bimbo’.

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October 2015

focusPOINT

7

Our monthly in-depth look at the issues on campuses across the country

Fighting to party on Club and bar bosses in battle to keep the night alive

NANCY BAUGHURST and GEORGIA GREENHALGH TRY to imagine freshers’ week – or any night of the university year – without clubs, bars, pubs or gigs.

Long-lasting friendships, music that will stay with you forever and people you will do your best to avoid for the next three years can all be found under the cover of darkness in whichever student union or dingy basement floats your boat.

But revellers face having their nights out cut short by authorities anxious to reduce the noise and violence associated with clubs and bars.

A recent casualty was The Arches, in Glasgow, a cultural hub that comprised an arts centre, theatre and live music venue alongside a bar and club.

It saw its closing time brought forward from 3am to midnight in April following more than 200 drugrelated incidents and several ambulance call-outs.

Without the revenue from the club to prop it up, the rest of the centre – including the arts venue – was no longer financially viable and bosses were forced to close, despite a petition attracting 40,000 signatures.

The Night Time Industries Association, which represents clubs and bars, says it is time to recognise the value of nightlife, which is worth £66billion to the UK. It also wants

Fair play: Alan Miller, of the NTIA, says councils should stop blaming venues for punters who get drunk or violent

Clubbing casualty: The Arches, in Glasgow, was shut after a clampdown on late-night opening hours earlier this year to stop authorities blaming venues when individual party-goers get violent, drunk or rowdy.

Director Alan Miller, whose London bar The Vibe closed last year after a late licence clampdown, said events held at night were treated differently.

‘If someone is at a daytime event like an F1 race and they drink a lot of pints and keel over, they’re just called stupid,’ he said.

‘Interestingly, the night-time economy is held accountable when individuals behave irresponsibly.’

Now, the association is pushing for the benefits of the night-time industry – which includes theatres, restaurants and live music venues, as well

as clubs and bars – to be taken into consideration by decision-makers.

A report the NTIA published earlier this year, Forward Into The Night, concluded that crime should be seen as being committed against venues, not by them, and called for an end to ‘knee-jerk reactions’ to disruption at nightspots.

Mr Miller said the night had become more peaceful with 24-hour drinking and the trend for consuming less, better-quality alcohol.

‘You talk to the police and they talk about night fights on Saturdays in the old days,’ he said.

‘Now everyone is tweeting about their gazpacho-infused cocktails.’

I don’t think the issue is the time clubs close – I think rowdiness and violence are caused by people who are too drunk.

Controlling how much alcohol people are served will improve behaviour when leaving clubs. Florence Clarke, 19, international business student, Sheffield Hallam University

I understand that it would be hard to live in a city – particularly a student city – as there’s something going on seven days a week. But if my favourite club closed at 2am, I would be a bit disappointed. It’s never really the club music that causes a problem – it’s the drunk people.

Heidi Harrington, 19, events management student, Coventry University

Amarjit Kullar, co-owner of popular student club Kasbah, in Coventry, said: ‘Our view generally is if people don’t like the noise that bars or nightclubs generate, then don’t live near one.’

But he added: ‘We have never been affected by complaints from residents as we have always been mindful that they live quite close, so have measures in place to keep any noise pollution to an absolute minimum.’

Ian Leete, an expert on licensing for the Local Government Association, agreed bars and clubs had a lot to offer – but added councils still had to balance different people’s needs.

‘Councils are governed by the

People choose to live in a particular area at their own risk, so it’s selfish to take business away. People are used to staying out late, so even if they closed clubs earlier, they would still be out being noisy on streets and causing more problems.

Katie Lonsdale, 19, English language and sociology student, University of Sheffield

PICTURE: FLICKR

Licensing Act,’ he said. ‘It covers public nuisance, which will include noise; the protection of children and young people from harm; crime and disorder; and public safety. If you get a lot of door slamming, for example, it creates issues for neighbours.’

But he insisted that shutting down clubs was a last resort for councils.

‘It’s at the extreme end of things,’ he said. ‘If there are ways of doing things informally, they will do that first. A lot of councils help premises to join up to best-practice schemes.

‘There’s the Purple Flag scheme, which is designed to make areas more attractive at night time and get a balance.’

what they say

In student towns, money is being ploughed into the city by students’ patronage – money that the cities may not otherwise have.

Sarah Tarran, 19, psychology student, University of Warwick Shutting clubs earlier would fuel the rowdiness. There is security and rules in a club to keep residents and customers safe, whereas if they shut early, then people would go back to someone’s house, where there are no regulations.

Dave Bissett, 19, journalism student, Sheffield Hallam University

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October 2015

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Stop playing the blame game...

REBECCA CORNISH GAMING has always occupied a bizarre place in society.

The media has often used video games – particularly violent ones, such as Call Of Duty – to prop up its lazy stereotypes.

But no studies have proven that video games cause long-term psychological issues or encourage violence.

In fact, some research suggests those who play video games are more perceptive and better at making decisions.

The website Prescription Pixel, which provides a positive environment for gamers who struggle with mental

Escape: Games can be good PICTURE: ARISTOTELES SANDOVAL health issues, found that of 873 people surveyed, 80 per cent were helped through difficult periods by video games.

I play games to block out the stress of reality – to save the universe, make friends and escape a world in which

I don’t have any. Nothing is as exhilarating for someone like me as playing a game for the first time and experiencing not anger and aggression, but joy, sadness – or whatever else the writers of these masterpieces will me to feel.

It is up to parents and guardians to decide what their children access instead of mindlessly blaming the industry.

Perhaps providing accessible aid for any underlying mental health conditions and lifting the stigma that demonises gamers for enjoying a hobby might go further towards tackling the alleged monster in the machine.

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talkingPOINTS ROT RAGE: I’m angry at the house. My housemates decided to sub-let despite suggestions that it might be a bad idea. I spent two days trying to claw the place back to a state just above one resembling nuclear fallout. The girl we had in managed to get grime and grot into every possible corner. I tidied it up after she left, then came back the other day and the boys had left it in a state again.

There are bins outside that have been rotting for about three months. It’s a jungle of filth-loving creatures, ranging from slugs to maggots and worms.

I’m up to my elbows in rain-sodden pizza boxes, half-empty hummus pots and other things that no longer resemble food. We have mice Jordan Watkins

LIBERAL LOGIC: Liberals. Weed-smoking liberals, Greenpeace liberals, counterculture liberals, Miliband’s-too-left liberals. Reality liberals, liberals on a page, liberals with rage, against-the-machine liberals, student liberals, hand-up-inclass liberals, that’s not fair – be liberal, deserving-more liberals, ‘I have talent’ liberals, Lidl’s-doing-my-head-in liberals. Fight-the-right liberals, anti-Tory liberals, liberal Tories and liberal welfare is a scare for liberals. Me, you, we are liberal in the liberal beehive bubble of the classroom, taught by liberals, learning liberality in society. Losing meaning is liberal, back to class a liberal Morgan Hinton

PICTURE: MINTO

TRAIL BLAZERS: Did you know cannabis is legal?

It’s far more legal here than in The Netherlands and Portugal, where highly publicised legalisation attempts have been made. Of course, on paper, possession, consumption and distribution is a criminal offence and can lead to 14 years in prison – but this is far from the case for so many offenders. The Misuse Of Drugs Act categorised the way police and the courts deal with such offences, leading to the term ‘soft drug’ being used extensively. This is a dangerous misrepresentation, making people think this hazardous substance is perfectly safe. I’m baffled as to how the pro-drug lobbies can claim there is a war on drugs Christopher Cunliffe

PERFECT PERK: Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross may not have been singing about the free coffee a MyWaitrose card entitles you to each day in their hit The Best Things In Life Are Free – but the sentiment certainly applies to the perk well enough. Because, honestly, when you’re running late for a morning lecture with the rain pouring down, there’s nothing quite like a free, laetificant latte or comforting cappuccino to make it feel as if life is still worth living in those most desperate of moments Tom Gellatly

NORDIC DISCOVERY: I found a Norwegian family in my kitchen this morning.

When they tried to engage me in conversation in Norwegian, I had to break it to them that I only spoke English. So, in halting English, my flatmate’s father (it turned out) told me he’d been to Scotland once and he’d loved it. ‘Which part did you visit?’ I asked him. ‘Newcastle,’ he responded. And that sums up life as an exchange student in Oslo so far. In Norway, it’s typical to see a man roller-skiing, whereas in Glasgow, it’s typical to see a man stumbling round drunk before midday. Little things like this are what’s special when you’re living abroad. Finding beauty in the mundane and everyday is so much easier when you’re in an unfamiliar place Marie-Louise Patton

PICTURE: INTEL FREE PRESS

LET THERE BE NOISE: Sitting in a restaurant the other day, there was a family across the room with two young children. The food had been cleared and the kids got bored, but mum and dad still had a glass of wine and a natter to finish, so they handed their children an iPad each. After a few taps, the kids were silent, happily engrossed in separate games. It made me feel old and nostalgic. What happened to the days of colouring pencils and paper? Parents are giving children these devices to entertain them, rather than encouraging them to entertain themselves. If the kids were drawing in electronic format rather than on paper, for example, then OK. But when mindless video games are chosen over siblings jabbering at each other, it’s a great shame Antonia Cundy

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talkingPOINTS

October 2015

9

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

Clamp down on real scroungers SOPHIE MCNAUGHTON

Hand-out: There are claims more people are relying on food banks because of government cuts

A POLITICIAN calling someone else a scrounger – oh, the irony.

Looking at the headlines about MPs claiming for their £100,000 cars, luxury holidays and houses for their mothers on expenses, and then having the nerve to put their taxpayer-funded wages into offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes themselves, it’s astounding that they can still point the finger at those depending on food banks and tell those living on the breadline that they are the scroungers.

Secretary of state for work and pensions Iain Duncan Smith, who seems to have a bit of a personal vendetta against

the poor (did I mention he’s a Tory?), absolutely loves using the word ‘scrounger’.

Yet he refuses to utilise the term in a more appropriate context – by directing it at himself, for example.

On the BBC’s Question Time in June 2014, former Respect Party leader Salma Yaqoob ripped him apart on austerity.

She said: ‘One million people in one of the richest countries in the world face the indignity of relying on food banks.

‘Yet I’m sitting next to Iain Duncan Smith, who quite happily labels the poor people as scroungers.’

She added: ‘You claim £39 just for a breakfast – like you can’t afford your own breakfast when you live on your wife’s estate and have taken £1.5million of taxpay-

Labels: MP Iain Duncan Smith PICTURE: NI EXECUTIVE/FLICKR ers’ money. That’s what I call scroungers.’

With Mr Duncan Smith’s villainous plans to force the ill and disabled into work, tweets of Yaqoob’s argument have been circulating as we ask: how does this heartless, sponging MP have any right to call someone else a scrounger?

It’s an unrealistic argument that politicians should try

living on the minimum wage but just imagine how quickly their views would change if they had to scrimp by without their precious expenses on £6.50 – or even less – an hour.

Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn also spoke out against Mr Duncan Smith’s medieval policies.

After it was revealed that thousands of disabled people had died after being declared fit to work under his disability benefit tests, Mr Corbyn said: ‘He should resign because these figures are so frightening and so disgusting.’

We can always count on public uproar over people dying at the hands of politicians.

But we can also count on the likes of Mr Duncan Smith not to care in the slightest.

the lowdown

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October 2015

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The Maccabees: We’re still a bit hit and hope Where’s your head at?

Cocktails for under a fiver – and the best cures for the morning after P26

Lotions and potions Sophie Powell decodes the science behind your

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Gadget girl

We chat to Holly Brockwell, the brains behind women’s tech website Gadgette P33

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PLUS Hurts – Peace – Andy C – Shura – Kiwi – Victoria – Will Clarke – The Revenge

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October 2015

theLOWDOWN

We fill you in on everything that’s been going on at The University Paper – the good, the bad and the downright stupid

It’s good to be back

I

T’S all over: the sun, the festivals, the boozy picnics.

We’ve packed away our sunnies, ditched our beach towels and replaced them with umbrellas and raincoats.

But while it’s true the summer is now behind us, the memories – although many of them slightly blurred – remain.

While everyone was off, forgetting everything they learned at uni the previous year, the TUP team were out and about, bringing you updates from the biggest student parties around (and also forgetting what we’d learned the previous year).

We got down and dirty at Secret Garden Party, braving the mud to skank to Gentleman’s Dub Club.

We nearly got wee’d on at Parklife while watching Ella Eyre and we took a (very rowdy) trip down memory lane at Reading Festival to see The Libertines.

It wasn’t all partying, though – we also mastered the art of making a burrito, joined an early-morning rock choir (singing Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer) and drove a car with a drunk suit on.

But although festival season

is over, fret not – we’re keeping the party alive at TUP. In this edition, our first of the new academic year, we’ve got fashion advice for freshers, tips on how to make cheap cocktails and the facts on what goes into your beauty products.

We’ve also been chatting to some of the nation’s biggest bands and DJs. Chart-toppers The Maccabees spill the beans on their latest tour, d’n’b legend Andy C shares his thoughts on commercialisation and Hurts talk about gunshots in America.

Indie rockers Peace reveal all about clubbing in Ibiza while electropop singer Shura passes on her advice for first years.

And for those who just can’t hack another night out, we’ve got something for you as well.

We’ve put together our pick of the best flatshare sitcoms, warned you of halls decorating clichés and got the lowdown on ladies in tech – while our agony aunt Alice is on hand to dish out her unique brand of sarcastic advice.

Yes, the past few months have been nothing if not eventful – but if you haven’t been following our exploits,

Parklife

I expect a good portion of my student loan to be spent on £1 Domino’s

– University of Manchester Freshers’ week – meeting hundreds of people and remembering about two names

– University of Manchester

TUP stars: Indie duo Hurts you can make up for it by visiting www.unipaper.co.uk, where you’ll also find all the latest news from your city.

And, don’t forget – if you fancy joining our team, drop us a line at editor@unipaper.co.uk.

Big love – The TUP team

Stupid stuff we’ve be en talking about this mo nth

n whether to hyphenate the phrase ‘d**k pic’ n how to pronounce Adidas n the best way to kill someone (the sales team win on violence, editorial on cunning) n how to convert centilitres to litres (duh) n pesky apostrophes (we must be the only people who can’t wait for freshers’ week to be over) n how brilliant a d’n’b/Sing-A-LongA-Sound Of Music mash-up would be (if only because we could call it Nun ‘N’ Bass)

I’d never been to Secret Garden Party before, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Somehow, somewhere, I’d got the idea into my head it was just a bunch of hippies off their t**s on acid, dancing around woodland fires, possibly while wearing kigus.

Turns out there’s music, too.

Oh, and mud. Lots of mud.

The highlight had to be Gentleman’s Dub Club.

Setting aside the fact they’re all gorgeous – it’s difficult to know which one you’d pounce on first – they’re truly talented musicians.

It may only have lasted

‘Love travelling so much, such an eye-opening experience!’ Calm down girl, you’ve only spent the week in Magaluf

– University of Nottingham

Bristol uni problems: not being able to go to your friend’s yacht in Greece because your passport has expired

– University of Bristol

Freshers’ tip – leave passive-aggressive notes EVERYWHERE. Your flatmates will respect you for it and do as they’re told

– University of Nottingham Wizards don’t have halfterms either

– Cardiff University

Do American cool kids wear ‘Coventry Poly’ sweatshirts?

– University of Nottingham Third big spider in two days. My house is officially uninhabitable

– University of Manchester Highlights: Secret Garden Party; inset, The Libertines 20 minutes, but their dub/ reggae set was a high-energy performance with a healthy injection of silliness (it’s difficult not to crack a smile when you’re being serenaded by a brass section who, resplendent in tuxedos, are dancing with all the energy of a group of hyperactive toddlers

who’ve snorted sherbet).

Waiting at the train station to have our wellies hosed down the following Monday, I reflected that it’s this theatrical element that makes SGP special. It’s fun, it’s silly... and it certainly ain’t gonna stop for the rain.

Kirstin Knight

Reading Festival Ten years ago, I pleaded with my mum to buy me a Reading Festival ticket. No, I wouldn’t do drugs, and yes, I would behave myself.

After much to-ing and fro-ing, she relented and I got a pass to Little John’s Farm to experience my first festival. There, I found thousands of GCSE-aged youngsters chanting and getting up to no good – I loved it.

The silliest things students have been saying this month

– University of Leeds

Secret Garden Party

techno, drum ‘n’ bass and house to charted pop, it was no different this time.

Ella Eyre, the lioness that oozes sex appeal, bounded onstage dressed in a fitted purple all-inone jumpsuit, which had the boys hypnotised and the girls green with envy.

Opening with Comeback, she went on to wow with hits including If I Go and new single Together. What, I ask, has Eyre not got going for her right now?

But a quick message to the guy standing next to me – relieving yourself in a large crowd will see people kick off. ‘Let’s go f*****g mental, Parklife!’

Eyre shouted – but you went too far, my friend.

Nathan Salt

overheard on campus Have recently lost weight due to the arrival of my overdraft limit! I call this the poverty diet!

It was the best of times...

The sun was shining; the bucket hats (criminal) and wellies were out. It meant one thing – the wait for Parklife 2015 was over.

At any two-day festival, the issue always lies in acts clashing; it’s inevitable.

More annoying was the fact that the set times inside the programme lanyards set you back £7 (which, bizarrely, my sister was happy to pay). But, with set times in the bag and a wealth of talent on display, the big decision rested with who to see and, with a mainstream sister in tow, my thirst for DJ talent was unlikely to be quenched.

Parklife has always been known to cater to every musical taste and with everything from grime,

13

A decade later and not much has changed. Over those years, I like to think I have grown up – and, to keep up with the competition, Reading probably has to as well. The food stalls could be better, there could be more things to do outside the music and they could allow alcohol into the main music area... but I’m being picky. It’s still the hedonistic weekend that made me fall in love with festivals all that time ago. Sam Murray

I was stalking my uni crush’s dad’s Facebook and, without realising, liked a post!!!!

– University of Leicester

Goodbye second year, hello second year

– University of Nottingham

STAR YAK

Sometimes I just wish I could text my cat and tell him that I love him and I’m thinking about him

– University of Edinburgh

n Student comments are courtesy of anonymous social media app Yik Yak, available on iOS and Android.

14

October 2015

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theBEAT

Uni does get better, take it from me Rising electro r’n’b star Shura speaks to JOHN SHAW about writing from the heart, life in the limelight and the stresses of being a fresher...

‘E

VERYONE tells you university is going to be the best three years of your life,’ Shura tells me, looking at back at her time at University College London.

‘But what they don’t tell you is that the first six months of it are f*****g difficult and you question everything: “Why am I here? What am I doing?”.’

It’s a feeling most freshers go through and one the former English student can definitely relate to.

She advises: ‘If you’re having a weird f*****g time and feel really

depressed that’s totally normal – they still will be the best three years of your life.’

Now out of uni, Shura, 28, is producing a mix of electronica and r‘n’b, combined with lyrics from the heart.

‘I would find it very difficult to write songs that weren’t personal to me,’ she says.

‘It’s the way that I’ve always written, so it’s very natural.

‘When you’ve finished writing a song, even if it came from an emotional place it ceases to be your experience, because you’ve

given it to other people to carry on their shoulders – it’s like a problem shared is a problem halved.

‘In this case, it’s a problem way more than halved.’

As she prepares to head out on her first headline tour, she admits she’s still getting used to living in the limelight.

‘I enjoy that people care when I put out a new song – that’s really nice,’ she says. ‘I find having my photograph taken or press shots a bit weird because it is a bit weird – it doesn’t happen to anyone else.

I don’t love that side of it.’

‘I love being in the studio, making music – I love having people enjoy my music... but that’s as far as it goes.’

Sept 17, London, Electric Ballroom; Sept 23, Nottingham , Rescue Rooms; Sept 25, Manchester, Gorilla; Sept 26, Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut; Sept

tourDATES 28, Leeds, Brudenell Social Club; Sept 29, Birmingham, The Oobleck; Oct 2, Bristo l, Marble Factory

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NOW IN STORE www.mancaveinc.co.uk

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October 2015

theINTERVIEW: The Maccabees

Return of the Macc Together for a decade, the cheeky chaps with the charm of rising stars

Busy as bees: (l-r) Orlando Weeks, Felix White, Sam Doyle, Rupert Jarvis and Hugo White

I

N A world of flash-in-thepans and Twitter spats, The Maccabees have quietly gone about their business for more than a decade – no negative headlines, no nonsense.

As I stand and chat to singer Orlando Weeks and guitarist Felix White, it feels as if I’m speaking to an up-and-coming band keen to charm – not a group who have just claimed a No.1 album.

The pair, who keep flashing smiles at each other like schoolchildren up to no good, admit Marks To Prove It was a tough record to make.

‘Part of the reason for that was we rushed into it,’ says Orlando.

‘The head space that you need for a record and the head space you need for a tour is very different.’

I ask whether they were

The Maccabees’ Orlando Weeks and Felix White chat to JOHN SHAW about their No.1 album and controlling your destiny... thinking about their next album at all – they catch each other’s eye and let out a laugh. That’s a no.

Felix explains: ‘When you’re writing records, it gets to the point where you’re doing it because someone is telling you you have to, so it’s nice to be able to play for ourselves – and slowly it comes together.’

And although it feels like a long time coming, Felix tells me the band – which also consists of guitarist Hugo White, bassist Sam Doyle and drummer Rupert Jarvis – haven’t had a chance to reflect on their No.1 spot.

‘We were flying to Romania when we heard,’ he says.

‘But the nice thing about it is

Nov 18, Nottingham, Rock City; Nov 19, Newcastle, O2 Academy; Nov 20, Norwich, University of East Anglia; Nov 22, Cambridge, Cambridge Corn Exchange; Nov 23, Brighton,

your grandma or someone the other side of the world is like: “Woah, your album is No.1 – that sounds like it is pretty successful.”

So that was the nice thing.’

The record’s success marked the pinnacle of a triumphant summer packed with festivals – but now the south London-based band have announced they are going back on tour.

Felix says: ‘It’s going to be nice to get into an enclosed Maccabees environment.

‘Whether they’re big shows or small shows, the spirit always seems to be quite consistent and there’s a context to do slightly different things.’

Orlando adds: ‘It’s a treat doing

Brighton Dome; Nov 24, Southampton, O2 Guildhall; Nov 27, Reading, The Hexagon; Nov 28, Bristol, Colston Hall; Jan 15, Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom; Jan 18, Manchester,

festivals because it means you get to go see things you wouldn’t otherwise, and to see some old friends who, because of touring, you don’t get to see very often.

‘However, I think you have a little bit more of a chance to see how the songs matter to the people they matter to.’

The people they ‘matter to’ are The Maccabees’ fans, who will undoubtedly be out in force – but what changes will they have noticed since the band released debut single X-Ray in 2005?

Orlando says: ‘We are still a little bit ramshackle in our approach to all things. We have a fantastic crew with us now and the atmosphere is really good.

‘I hope we know how to make our set work better – it is still a little bit hit and hope.’

Ramshackle they may be but the pair agree unity is the driving force behind the band’s longevity.

Orlando says: ‘I think we all want to look after each other really – it can be very claustrophobic some of the time and that’s no-one’s fault.

‘I don’t think we’ve ever had a disagreement that wasn’t because everyone was trying to get the best result out of something – whether that be the recording or when we are on tour, wanting to make things work a bit better.’

He adds: ‘I’ve seen other people who are so tied into one moment in their music career or the sound of their band that, suddenly, that starts controlling them rather than them controlling their destiny. That sounds a bit grand but in a sense it is true.’

Albert Hall; Jan 21, London, O2 Academy Brixton; Jan 22, London, O2 Academy Brixton n For the full list of dates, visit www.themaccabees.com.

tourDATES

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October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

what’sON pick of the month MUSIC LUCY ROSE had a bloomin’ awesome summer (see what we did there?).

Not only did the Warwickshire-born singer– songwriter release latest album Work It Out – she also played some of the biggest festivals around, including Reading and Leeds and Kendal Calling.

What’s more, she is on a mammoth tour that will see her take in the delights of Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

For someone who claims she wasn’t the musical one in her family, that’s not too bad.

Catch her when she plays Tramshed on October 21.

John Shaw

COMEDY RAPPER-turned-comedian Doc Brown has nearly come to the end of his The Weird Way Round tour, which he started nearly a year ago.

The multi-talented man,

and had more than one million views on YouTube.

So, for a night out that will enhance your brain cells rather than damage them, see Festival Of The Spoken Nerd perform Just For Graphs at The Gate Arts Centre on Friday, October 23.

who has appeared in some of Britain’s biggest sitcoms, including Derek and The Inbetweeners, talks love, life and lyricism in the set, which he has taken the length and breadth of Britain.

Brown – real name Ben Bailey Smith – has real rapping pedigree, having appeared in London-based battles in his younger years and even performing on stage with Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse and Daniel Merriweather.

Catch him at the Glee Club on October 7.

MUSIC

COMEDY YOU’RE at university now and (hopefully) expanding your spirit and mind.

Yes, the Chuckle Brothers are hilarious – but they really shouldn’t be the closest you get to cutting-edge comedy.

What you should be watching is Festival Of The Spoken Nerd.

They provide lots of laughs and plenty of science.

The troupe is made up of

Chipping off: Cheeky scamp Rat Boy is heading out on tour to cause mischief across the UK stand-up mathematician Matt Parker, geek songstress Helen Arney and experiments maestro Steve Mould. The terrific

trio could turn your least favourite GCSE subject into something hilarious — you might even wish you hadn’t ditched it at

the first chance possible.

Since their last tour, Full Frontal Nerdity, the comedy group have recorded their first DVD

We make bills this easy

Student bills from £9.99 pppw www.dividabill.co.uk!

RAT BOY is a tearaway teenager from Essex who has been known to play raucous flat gigs like fellow ragamuffin Pete Doherty.

The singer–songwriter’s indie-pop sound has more than a hint of Jamie T in it, while his lyrics are reminiscent of the early Arctic Monkeys’ kitchen-sink dramas.

The guitarist, real name Jordan Cardy, also has the dress sense of a late-1990s rudeboy, with trackie bottoms, Adidas tops and a Burberry scarf (we can’t tell if it’s fake or not).

Whether that puts you off or makes you want to know more, check out his show at Clwb Ifor Bach on Sunday, September 27.

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

what’sON

Our comprehensive guide to entertainment in Cardiff. If you have an event you would like included, please email editor@unipaper.co.uk

17

I’ve done some dumb s**t US rapper B. Dolan chats to CLARE HARDY about police brutality, rap clichés and setting his microwave on fire...

‘T

URN up the gas, put the metal in the microwave,’ B. Dolan raps on Alright, the first track from latest LP Kill The Wolf.

He admits to accidentally setting his microwave on fire in this way in the past, telling me: ‘I do dumb s**t like that all the time because my head is elsewhere.

But he adds: ‘I have never turned the gas up before I did it, as the song suggests. Spoiler alert: Doing as I say will blow your f*****g house up.’

With its high-energy drums and confrontational lyrics, the track feels like a call to arms – and this is no surprise when you consider the rapper’s activist background.

He co-founded consumer ethics website www. knowmore.org and put out Film The Police – a reworking of NWA’s 1988 classic video F**k Tha Police – with Toki Wright, Jasiri X, Buddy Peace and Sage Francis.

The track, which calls for people to capture arrests and police brutality on camera, was inspired by the death of Oscar Grant, whose shooting by California

police in 2009 was captured on video by witnesses with mobile phones.

The response from passers-by brings to mind footage of police and security guards at student protests across the UK. ‘I think people all over the world are seeing what seems like a rash of police violence – but, in reality, none of it is new,’ Dolan says.

So, with all this political activism, does he think too much rap is about how much money the artist has made?

‘I think it’s boring and two-dimensional if that’s all a rapper can rap about,’ he says.

‘However, I also think people dismiss rappers who rap about money as having nothing to say, when the opposite is often true.

‘Jay Z raps about how much money he has – but has also made some incredible rap songs people should know about.

‘I think there’s easily as much cliché political rap as there is cliché money rap, so I don’t attach as much meaning to the topics themselves.’

So, how did he get into rap?

‘I bought two tapes at the

Speaking his mind: Rapper B. Dolan is bringing his political rhymes to Britain same time,’ Dolan says. ‘One was He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The other was Guns N’ Roses’ album Appetite For Destruction.

‘It was 1988 and I was seven. Twenty-seven years later, Britain’s about to deal with the consequences.’ n B. Dolan plays The Globe on Tuesday, September 22.

Folk anthems with a family feel IF THERE’S a band who can claim a closer bond than Flight Brigade then, frankly, we don’t want to know about it.

Lead vocalist Oliver Baines and fellow singer Miriam have known each other since birth – and now they’re married.

I know what you’re thinking: ‘That’s pretty close... but not exactly the Von Trapp family.’

Well, add in the fact that Miriam’s sister, Dorry Hughes, also plays in the band, while the remaining members – Thomas Pink, Neil Blandford, Tom Clay and Jonny Barker – went to school together, and you have the tightest band in folk rock.

Miriam says: ‘I travel around with family and close friends and that’s the best thing in

Taking to the skies: Flight Brigade are touring the nation the world.’ Oliver adds: ‘I’ve been in bands before where it’s very tense, so even though there’s seven of us, we get on incredibly well – which is a huge thing, because otherwise it’s a nightmare.’

It also provides a never-ending source of emotions for writer Oliver to draw upon

but, perhaps sensibly, he steers clear of that.

He says: ‘I tend to write stories about other people I find interesting.

Every song should have a self-contained identity of its own. If you write about how you feel about your girlfriend all the time, it gets a bit boring.’ n Flight Brigade play the Full Moon on October 23.

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October 2015

19

theBEAT

The two sides of Hurts Theo Hutchinson, lead singer of Hurts, chats to JOHN SHAW about the dark side of travelling, the band’s new positive outlook and escaping Manchester’s Curry Mile...

S

YNTH-POP duo Hurts fancied a change of scene to write upcoming album Surrender, their previous two records having been written in the bustling student hub of Manchester’s Curry Mile.

So singer Theo Hutchinson and synthesist Adam Anderson left the neon lights, cheap curries and shisha smoke of Wilmslow Road to hop from one stunning location to another: the Swiss Alps, Ibiza, Montreux, Sweden, New York...

Then, on their first morning in an isolated house in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills, they were reminded about the dark side of travelling.

‘There was police helicopters circling the house,’ Theo tells me. ‘Someone had been shot three doors down. So we were sat there and it was a boiling hot summer’s day and then all of a sudden it was like: “This is more interesting than we thought it was going to be.”

‘It was very useful and indicative – police helicopters and the baking sunshine.’

Were they scared?

‘No! We lived in the suburbs of Manchester – that sort of stuff doesn’t frighten us,’ he jokes.

‘LA and New York: they’ve got two sides to them which appeals to us.

‘They are like paradise but they’ve got very dark

undertones. There’s lots of tragic people and lots of strange things going on.

‘At first we were like: “Oh, it’s really nice – how’s it going to fit us?”

‘As soon as we saw the darker side, it made perfect sense.’

The album that resulted, Surrender, perhaps unsurprisingly is one that combines LA’s bright sunshine with the city’s sordid underbelly.

‘We’ve injected a different energy into the album,’ Theo explains. ‘The last one was dark, intense, introspective – I think it was an album we really wanted to make.

‘There’s a lot of light on this album but it retains a lot of what people know and like us for. It’s got moments where we try to express different sides of ourselves – it’s not all doom and gloom.’

The yin and yang of Surrender is best highlighted in the first two tracks released by the Manchester-based duo.

Their first, Some Kind Of Heaven, is a pop-dance love track reminiscent of their Under Control hit with Calvin Harris, while their second, Rolling Stone, is a morbid anthemic ballad that ends with the repeated line: ‘They’ll never take her alive if they take her home.’

‘I think we’re drawn towards darker themes and chord

patterns; that’s why this album still has lots of that on it – we can’t escape it,’ Theo adds.

‘What we always try to do is be honest with the music and our emotion. If we tried to make an album darker than the last one, it would have been false. It would

have been a bit weird because we weren’t in that space.’

So, is this a change to a more positive, happy-go-lucky Hurts?

Theo says: ‘What we always try to do is make the boundaries of the band quite wide. It sort of frees you up. Three albums

in, you need to make sure you can still move forward, so we shift the goalposts each time.

‘For there not to be a blueprint for a Hurts song is very exciting for us. We are now not tethered to anything – it’s very liberating.’ n Surrender is out on October 9.

Rockers’ reign is about to begin Review: Victoria at The Barfly, Camden

VICTORIA were tipped to rule the British music scene at the start of 2015 and their show at Camden’s Barfly proved why.

But the riotous indie pop group – made up of Alex Thomas, Harry Johnson, Charlie Martin, Joe Housley and Chris Moore – seem oblivious to their success, shrugging and saying they ‘just hope we’ll still be around’.

They were on fire for their second gig at the London venue, playing a catalogue of highly infectious tunes, including Summertime, which recently received the Made In Chelsea seal of approval.

Speaking to TUP backstage, they revealed they were ‘buzzing’ when they heard the track featured on the

hit TV programme, an experience they described as ‘surreal’.

It’s an exciting start for the Londonbased band, who have promised many more releases in the months to come.

When asked what they thought was special about their bandmates, the guys singled out guitarist and vocalist Alex for his impressions.

Embarrassed at first, he proceeded – egged on by the rest of the group – to do a Gollum impression, followed by Elvis Presley. He later joked: ‘That’s the only reason I’m here, really.’

Whether it’s for the impressions or for the feel-good anthems, Victoria are worth checking out before they become the kings of Britain’s pop scene.

Andy Gorman

In line for the throne: Victoria wowed the crowds at The Barfly with catchy pop anthems PICTURE: JASMIN OJALAINEN

20

October 2015

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theBEAT

The DJ that never sleeps A

DEFINING moment of my ravehood was very nearly giving myself a urine infection after refusing to leave one of Andy C’s epic five-hour sets to use the toilet; the tunes were just too f***ing good. There’s a reason he’s nicknamed The Executioner – his ability to destroy the dancefloor.

Miraculously, however, I manage to stop myself volunteering this information when I speak to him. After a hectic summer playing sets everywhere from Seoul to Salt Lake City, he’s back at home in Hornchurch, reworking the dozens of tracks he receives each week.

‘Yeah, I’ve just been working non-stop on tunes,’ he tells me. ‘There’s no time to procrastinate – they keep me out of trouble...’

‘They’ refers to the 20-plus band of artists signed to his label, RAM Records, which he manages with the help of business partner Scott Bourne (aka Red One) and eight full-time staff.

Established in 1992 (‘Don’t remind me!’ he laughs), it is possibly the world’s most successful d’n’b imprint, winning multiple awards and running residencies at

KIRSTIN KNIGHT meets d’n’b pioneer Andy C to talk epic sets, commercialisation and ripping up the dancefloor...

London superclubs Matter and, later, Fabric. But which other venues does he rate?

‘Obviously Fabric has been incredible – so beautiful for its support of d’n’b,’ he says.

‘Then, on a personal level, playing the All Night show at Brixton O2 Academy was a massive highlight.

‘As for Manchester...’ He laughs. ‘I don’t know what they put in the water up there! The All Night gig at the Albert Hall just took my breath away.’

The All Night tour (quite different from the Up All Night tour – sorry to disappoint any 1D fans who managed to get this far) saw Andy dominate the decks for, er, the whole night (OK, six to seven hours) in a series of gigs at some of the nation’s best-loved venues.

He enjoyed it so much, he’s doing it again this autumn.

‘The tour surpassed expectations, to be honest,’ he says. ‘It was so good just to be able to let the night flow without having to check your watch...

‘And to enjoy it with all of the people on the dancefloor, to all be there together – that

was phenomenal.’ It is his preoccupation with this togetherness, perhaps, that has ensured his ongoing success as a stalwart of the genre. But the surge in popularity that d’n’b has enjoyed in recent years, with artists like DJ Fresh and Sigma getting to No.1, has received a mixed reaction.

Andy himself has been accused of selling out, particularly after he signed to Atlantic – the label behind chart-toppers Rudimental – last year. He’s also one of the first – and few – d’n’b artists to have forged a following in the US, while in 2012, his was the most-watched performance at Radio 1’s Big Weekend – more popular than either Jay Z or Rihanna.

And it’s true popularity does seem to bring a sort of sanitising process: the sounds of his 1992 EP Sour Mash, with its clear hardcore and acid influences, are a far cry from the melodic keys and vocals on last year’s Heartbeat Loud, featuring Fiora, which was named Zane Lowe’s ‘hottest record’ on Radio 1. But is that selling out – or just growing

Wide awake: Andy C will hit the decks for six hours

tourDATES

y; Oct 30, London, Brixton Academ Nov 20, Bristol, Motion; Nov 21, Birmingham, Rainbow Warehouse; Nov 27, Cardiff, Y-Plas; Dec 4, Newcastle, Digital; Dec 10, Manchester, Warehouse Project

up? ‘I think people can be grumpy about it,’ he says.

‘But if you feel like that, I’d say – just don’t listen to it!

‘There’s plenty of d’n’b out there... That’s the beauty of it – it talks to so many people on so many different levels. For me,

it’s exciting, it’s beautiful.

Ultimately, I don’t want to be some DJ playing in his bedroom to his mates, do I? ‘And if people have made commercial success out of it, good luck to them – it’s better for all of us.’ Lastly, I have to ask. He’s usually the

one behind the decks – but if forced on to the dancefloor, what’s his signature move?

‘My signature move?’ he laughs. ‘Well, if you’ve seen me behind the decks, you’ll have a pretty good idea.’

He pauses. ‘I can jump around with the best of ‘em.’

House move has borne fruit for electric Kiwi HE’S gone from being an indie-loving youngster to a heavyweight of house.

Now producer and DJ Kiwi, aka Alex Warren, tells TUP reporter BRODY ANDREWS about how he first got into the scene, his musical guilty pleasures and his secret hobby...

away from the concept. But then the main focus is just to make music as quickly as possible.

Is the sound of your last record, Animals EP, your future direction?

I try not to think about trying to build a style too much. It’s boring to set yourself boundaries – just do what feels good. I understand DJs who want to have and play a specific sound – then, that way, they’re going to get specific bookings and play at the clubs they want to play. That does make sense to me but it’s too contrived for me.

What nights did you go to when you first started clubbing?

When I first started I was going to indie clubs in Birmingham, and also pop clubs – it was pretty awful but pretty fun.

So, when did you first develop a love for dance music?

I was at school and a friend of mine was a DJ on quite a low level. He liked electronic music and gave me the Mylo album, Destroy Rock & Roll, before it took off. I really liked that and Super Discount 2 by Etienne de Crécy.

I wasn’t a massive fan until I was 19 to 20 and I was at university, when I was properly clubbing. I was always an indie kid before that.

What is your songwriting process?

I tend to have an idea when I go into the studio. We usually set about trying to get to that point as quickly as we can, and then it always goes completely differently and ends up going

Which project was the most fun to work on?

Probably one of the first records I ever made that is out there for people to hear. It was with my friends Joe and Will Ask – we did an edit of Moloko – The Time Is Now. It’s a really silly record but because it was all so new to me then, I had the most fun. It’s a throwback to the past, a summer jam!

Music maestro: Alex Warren aka Kiwi

Where would you say is your favourite club to perform?

Probably London’s XOYO – because I play there so often, it’s kind of a home to me. I know the crowd, I’m very comfortable playing there and I know what I can get away with and what I

can’t. There’s a little club in Lithuania called Opium Club which is absolutely amazing. Last time I played there I ended up playing for seven hours – it was mental. It was never meant to happen and I nearly missed my flight home.

Outside of house and dance music, who’s your guilty pleasure?

My girlfriend has recently got me into Taylor Swift. I don’t think I actually like it but I think I like it for her. I have quite a lot of guilty pleasures – I’m really into that song Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen, it’s a big tune.

What do you do in your spare time?

I cook a lot – I want to go on MasterChef.

I want to get good enough so I can just win it before I go on it.

tourDATES

Sep 18, Glasgow, O2 Academy; Sep 19, Leeds, Mint Festival; Sep 22, New castle, Cosmic Ballroom; Sep 24, Edinburgh, Potterrow; Sep 26, Birmingham, Rainbow Ware house; Oct 2, Manchester, Warehouse Proje ct; Oct 16, London, XOYO; Oct 30, London, The Nest

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theBEAT

October 2015

21

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

I’ve learned how to stay sane...

Harry Koisser, lead singer of Peace, speaks to JOHN SHAW about techno, clubbing in Ibiza and functioning as a person...

tourDATES Sep 24, Liverpool, O2 Academy; Sep 26, Glasgow, QMU; Oct 1, Manchester, Academy; Oct 2, Nottingham, Rock City; Oct 3, Cardiff, Great Hall; Oct 6, Leicester, O2 Academy; Oct 9, Brixton, O2 Academy n For the full list of dates, visit www.peaceforeverever.co.uk

Y

OU’RE a darling of the music media, lead singer of the hottest indie band around and about to head out on another headline tour. So stick to the triedand-tested formula – right?

Not if you’re Harry Koisser, lead singer of Peace.

‘I want there to be some sort of rhythmical connection with techno – I want to get that in,’ he tells me.

‘I used to work in a techno club and I went to see Ricardo Villalobos play – he is mental.

‘He’s flying in all this different stuff I want to bring to band music – I’m still trying to.’

He adds: ‘I really wanted to cover Paul Kalkbrenner – we did do it once in London.’

Did it go down well?

‘Well... I don’t think so... there were around 30 people there.’

Techno is a passion that seems at odds with his band’s catchy pop riffs and their long scruffy hair – the

Peace and love: (l-r) Doug Castle, Harry Kossier, Dom Boyce and Sam Koisser latter being closer to another of Koisser’s heroes, Kurt Cobain, than the top-knot style seen in Ibiza, where he recently went on holiday.

‘I went for three days and reconnected with that,’ he says.

‘I haven’t been clubbing for three

years but I went to DC10 and I was like, oh god, back in the room.

‘I had absolutely no idea what was going on but I was loving it.

‘It was good – I really enjoyed it.

I had three days off and I was like: “I’m just going to go out and do it.”

PICTURE: JONNIE CRAIG

I was considering staying and being a d**k but I ended up making the flight – I had to go.

‘Maybe I’ll go back out this year...’

For now, however, Peace – completed by Harry’s brother, Sam, along with Dom Boyce and Doug

HAVE YOU FINISHED WRITING YOUR THESIS

Castle – are heading out on tour, playing cities across the nation.

‘We’ve been doing this for a while now, just the four of us and we all get along – it’s strange,’ Harry says.

‘I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to but we do.

‘We just kind of hang out and have a laugh. I know a lot of bands play cards or make cocktails or roll dice or watch films but we just hang out and talk – it’s strange.’

And what has he learnt from previous tours?

‘How to get along with people and how to not go insane,’ he laughs.

‘How to function as a person in the strangest of places.’

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23

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October 2015

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theBEAT Forget about genres... music should bring people together, not keep us apart

Revenge of the free spirit

W

E’RE all human beings, we all come from Africa – dance music is just the beat of the drum.’

Graeme Clark, the Glasgowbased DJ and producer behind The Revenge, is expressing his distaste for over-hyping genres and labelling artists.

There is a humanistic element to his outlook, a love for the unification of people and music.

‘Because of the internet, we get constant exposure to what’s going on in other cultures and we see how people respond to it,’ he says.

As he has grown on the electronic scene, building up to this year’s album release of Love That Will Not Die on his own label, Roar Groove, The Revenge has been squeezed by many into house and disco genres – something he is critical of.

‘I’ve never split stuff into camps or genres,’ he says.

‘When I was into hip-hop and rap, all the West and East Coast stuff, then going into George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, I realised that nothing is really new – it’s a product of something that has already existed.

‘We shouldn’t look at stuff because something’s hyped or something’s not hyped, or because certain people say that it’s cool.

‘When I was growing up, it

DJ and producer Graeme Clark, better known as The Revenge, tells MORGAN HINTON why he wants us all to forget about the hype and let music do the talking was magazines like DJMag and NME, and they’d say what the hottest new thing or genre was – post-rock, emo, whatever – and it was a new genre to sell more records.

‘Like dubstep – for me, it was a mix of reggae and soundsystem culture with jungle or something – then that becomes dubstep and it’s easier to market.’

Clark condenses his outlook by declaring: ‘If I hear something and I like it, then I’ll play it.’

But his career in music did not have such a fluid start.

‘In terms of dance music, there wasn’t a hell of a lot going on where I was growing up in east Scotland,’ he says. ‘That was part of the attraction in moving away to a bigger city, to somewhere with a lot more going on.’

But even before the move, his production ambition still existed in embryonic form.

‘It was all hardcore, gabba, happy hardcore,’ he says.

‘I was making that kind of music when I was like 14, 15 – I had my first record out when I was at high school.

‘It was a hardcore record.

That was just something the parents couldn’t understand, a rebellion in its own way.

‘A lot of hard stuff, then industrial, ridiculous tempos where we couldn’t really

Own label only: The Revenge is critical of genres

go any further. I sat on my computer for a good year of my life.’

He has broadened his tastes since the early days and worked with 1970s disco superstars Sister Sledge on the track Stay A While.

At the same time, he cites dubstep pioneer Skream as an influence, especially in terms of his love for music without boundaries.

‘I’ve only met him once this summer – he’s totally down to earth,’ Clark says. ‘Yet he’s quick to get tagged with a genre or something.

‘He’s just a guy that loves music who goes out to play whatever the f**k he wants.

‘He doesn’t give a s**t about what the next big bandwagon is, he’s into all sorts of stuff.

Music’s music.’

His new record, with its disco beats and nostalgic samples of a 16-bit childhood, sounds as if it has been plucked from a Super Nintendo cartridge.

‘I grew up in the ’80s, having those computers and playing those games,’ Clark says. ‘I kind of forget that it is a part of my music – I’m sure it’s a fusion of a lot of different things.

‘It just goes in without me even thinking about it.’

All this is waiting to be found for audiences who are

willing to let go. ‘That can get harder and harder – people are so caught up in trying to look cool,’ Clark says.

‘Though there are places on this planet, in Glasgow even, that you can go to on a

WILL CLARKE has been a grafter from an early age.

The bearded Bristolian house DJ and producer got his first gig in his home town at just 13.

He was playing in Ibiza four years later, when he gained his residency at pre-party bar The Orange Corner, before moving to Kanya when he was 19.

These early experiences proved a big influence and he has now found his place among the DIRTYBIRD crew, releasing his debut Badness and four other tracks with the label, while his latest single Spandex – a catchy homage to

superheroes’ costumes featuring Rhea – has just been released under Defected Records.

But it has not been the easiest of journeys.

‘I got a bit fed up with music,’ he says. ‘I was like, “F**k this”. I’ve been hounded. I took a break and I went to New York.’

This hiatus is probably the reason Clarke is so appreciative of his recent success and his humility is refreshing.

‘It’s always a label I’ve wanted to be a part of since day one,’ he says of DIRTYBIRD. ‘I’ve been really lucky.

Friday or Saturday night and just let loose, there’s others where that’s not the case and people are caught up in their own thing.

‘Maybe drugs help, I don’t know. The art of DJ-ing is

to give people a chance to release themselves.’ n The Revenge plays Tribal Sessions at Fire in London on October 23. Love That Will Not Die is available for streaming via Soundcloud.

Want to be a DJ? Expect rubbish pay and be willing to work

Clean-cut guy: It’s all about hard graft for DJ Will Clarke

I’m extremely grateful.’

Clarke comes across as a down-to-earth guy who doesn’t show any interest in the money, drugs or alcohol that can come with the DJ lifestyle. ‘I do it because I love it,’ he says.

‘If you work hard enough, benefits will come.’

And the best bit about DJ-ing? ‘All of it. It’s going to be nice to travel round and perform. What’s best is I’m a clean cut guy and it’s nice to see everyone enjoying my track.’

So, what advice would he give to aspiring DJs and producers? ‘Work hard.

Don’t expect you’re going

to earn – don’t do it for the money. Do it because you love it. Move on if you don’t love it.’

This attitude is clearly working for Clarke given the success of his EP Drop It and the track Big Booty, which has been played

by Jamie Jones of Hot Creations on BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix. Reflecting on his US tour, TomorrowWorld set and DIRTYBIRD Campout performance coming up soon, Clarke is typically focused, saying: ‘this is just the beginning of where I want to be’.

Georgia Greenhalgh

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let’sTALK

October 2015

25

Our agony aunt makes the mistakes so you don’t have to...

ask

Alice

I

’M worried about my friends.

Since we finished A-levels, they’ve all really got into class As – especially ketamine. Now we’re off to uni but all anyone seems to care about is getting messy. They tell me it’s normal and I’ll need a truckload of highs to see me through freshers’ week. I’m scared the first term will be all about getting on it and I’ll feel left out.

Jess, Leeds

Ah, the fresher f**khead myth. Take it from me – as someone who turned up to uni with a 20 bag and some dodgylooking pills, only to be ostracised by my far more sensible peers – it is simply not the case that students are constantly off their faces on illicit substances. (Sadly, my failure to grasp this saw me try to consume my stash in its entirety, resulting in a tedious evening where I accused my flatmates of not ‘getting my vibe’ – ugh – thus ruining any friendships before they’d even begun. But that’s another story.)

Ask yourself – what is it you’re really

scared of? It sounds like fitting in is your main concern. Your friends may be moving in a direction you don’t want to go in – don’t just follow them out of fear. Part of the beautiful thing about uni is the breadth of experience you’ll have and the range of people you’ll meet. This is the perfect chance to carve out your own path and be whoever you want to be.

Plus, if you’ve ever witnessed a kethead chat someone up, you’ll know their inability to remember the sentence they uttered mere seconds ago, much less their target’s name, doesn’t make for the fiercest chirpsing.

Even if you do manage to secure the deal, the drug’s effect on your motor functions means the sex act itself is more likely to resemble a pair of elderly tortoises mating than anything you’ve seen in porn.

At any rate, you’re unlikely to be invited back for more. Take it from Alice. Just don’t.

M

Y boyfriend and I met in first year and have spent every minute together since – but we split up in the summer when he told me he’d met someone else.

Now the idea of starting third year with barely any friends

is killing me – and, to make matters worse, the girl he’s seeing is my coursemate. I feel like dropping out.

Vicky, Bristol

Not all they’re cracked up to be: Drugs PICTURE: MARCOBELTRAMETTI

First, let me make a measured assessment: What. A. D**k. Not only has he stolen two years of serious shagging off you – he’s making up for his own lost time right on your doorstep. I can understand if things seem hopeless right now.

But don’t quit your course because of some bloke – I promise you’ll regret it. What you need is a plan. My strategy would be to pickle my brain in tonic wine before going out and accosting strangers with aggressively friendly banter – but I’m not sure I

should be recommending that to a vulnerable individual such as yourself.

Step one: find some sympathisers.

You say you haven’t many friends but, chances are, if you’ve had your head buried in your boyfriend’s, ahem, armpit for two years, you haven’t noticed all the potentials.

Why not join a society? Third year is the perfect time, as people start feeling that perhaps they could be doing something more fruitful than p*****g their lives away down the local and sign up to anything going in an attempt to allay their guilt.

Then, the coursemate question. This is tricky. Try not to vilify the poor girl – it’s not her fault your ex is a first-class knobber (and, to be fair, she’s the one stuck with him, so count yourself lucky). Can you avoid her, or do you share seminars? Your tutor may be sympathetic if you ask to swap.

Lastly, be kind to yourself. A breakup is horrible whatever age you’re at – and the pressure of uni supposedly being the best time of your life can make you feel guilty for not enjoying every second. Don’t. You will get over this – but it’ll take time.

And, if all else fails, there’s always that tonic wine.* Good luck and Godspeed, sista!

* Always drink responsibly. Alice’s definition of ‘responsibly’ is stopping before you pass out or vomit on your own shoes. (Other people’s shoes are fair game, obvs.)

I

HATE my new tutor. He’s condescending, rude and talks to his students like we’re dirt. I know it doesn’t sound like big deal but he specialises in the area I’m writing my dissertation on and I’m dreading being stuck with him for the rest of the year.

What do I do?

Liam, Glasgow Dear me. You’re right, it may not sound like a huge deal to some – but, as a hugely intolerant individual myself, I quite understand your predicament.

If he is the specialist you say he is, then it would be short-sighted to seek out another tutor to oversee your dissertation – but are you sure there aren’t any alternatives? Have an investigate – you may be surprised to find some less well-known names who are interested in the subject.

If he really is the only option, then my only advice is to suck it up, give a grin and take it on the chin. It’s good preparation for the world of work, where you’ll regularly have to tolerate – nay, be actively pleasant to – people you think are utter bellends.

Sadly, it’s par for the course and not a totally useless life lesson to learn. Dig deep, my friend, dig deep.

In need of some sarcastic advice? Email our agony aunt at askalice@unipaper.co.uk

Download the GBK app to unlock your 30% Student Discount gbkapp.co.uk/uni

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26

October 2015

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foodBREAK

Stir it up at pre-drinks...

Ever fancied a Cosmopolitan on a night out but been put off by the price? RICHARD GODWIN shows you don’t have to spend a fortune to appreciate cocktails...

T

HERE’S a simple reason why British students do not drink as many cocktails as their labours deserve.

When a bar menu presents the choice of commercial lager for £3.50 or a Sazerac for £13.50, the prudent reveller will opt for the former – no matter how curious they might be about the latter.

The gifts of our heritage remain untasted. Imagine if the same were true of burritos or dubstep.

There’s no point blaming the bartenders for this generational tragedy. Their profits are marginal and the mark-up on cocktails

cheapest spirit there is and helps to pay the wages of is reliably decent, even at honest people, many of them the supermarket own-brand students. end. Vermouth is dirt cheap However, there is also a lot – even if you go for a decent of pretence and nonsense that goes into justifying these bottle of the French stuff like Noilly Prat, it’s still only £12 prices – a sort of conspiracy for 750ml. that would have you believe You will discover that you ‘mixology’ is a sacred rite can make a serviceable with which the people are Martini in your own home for not to be trusted, a bit like about 95p – less than a can of pre-Reformation Bibles.

Red Stripe.

Let’s take When you the Martini, consider, too, a crucial part that you can of the cocktail pick up vintage gospel. For all glassware for pennies the mystique in charity shops, stir that surrounds its cocktails that need construction, a Martini stirring in pint glasses is, quite simply, 50ml purloined from pubs, gin mixed with 10ml dry and shake cocktails that vermouth, diluted with a need shaking in jam jars, little water and chilled to the price of entry drops a very low temperature. still further.

It’s not so hard. Or So there really is expensive, if you no excuse. Have you make it in your seen the price of own kitchen. beer these days?

Gin is the PICTURE: CHRISTOPH KAFFEE

Negroni THE most voguish of drinks is also the most economical.

The initial investment is steep – but since you need equal parts from each bottle of alcohol, your supplies will run down without wastage. After arduous experimentation with fancy brands, I’ve found the combination of Beefeater, Martini Rosso and Campari to contain the most magic.

Ingredients: 25ml gin, 25ml Italian vermouth, 25ml Campari Method: Stir together over lumps of ice in a large tumbler. Garnish with a lemon slice. Price per drink: about £1.40 Whisky Mac A SIMPLE after-dinner drink, the Whisky Mac tastes much more expensive than it actually

Sh

£5

T

hhTUDEN

- M E N U-

is. Stone’s Original Green Ginger Wine is a favourite of English grandfathers, and rarely costs more than a few quid.

Teacher’s is an uncool but reliable blended Scotch whisky – infinitely superior to the sort that retired footballers lend their names to. A dash of bitters sets it off a treat.

Ingredients: 50ml Scotch, 25ml ginger wine, a dash of Angostura bitters Method: Stir all the ingredients in a glass over ice. An orange or lemon zest garnish would be appropriate, or leave it plain. Price per drink: about £1.25 Gin Sour IF YOU learn one cocktail recipe off by heart, let it be this. Once you’ve mastered the art of balancing its sweet, strong and sour elements, you’ll be well on your way

to making everything from the Margarita to the Last Word.

Ingredients: 50ml gin, 15ml lemon juice, 10ml golden sugar syrup Method: For the syrup, combine two cups of golden caster sugar with one cup of water in a saucepan. Gently heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the stove and allow to cool. For the cocktail, shake up everything with plenty of ice and fine-strain into an ice-cold cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lemon zest twist. Price per drink: 85p

n The Spirits, by Richard Godwin, is out now, published

by Vintage.

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Cardiff High Street, CF1 2AW 02920 399 466 Cardiff Bay, Atlantic Wharf Leisure Park, CF10 5JY 02920 472 009 To find out more, visit bellaitalia.co.uk Valid Sunday – Thursday. Available to students only with a valid NUS or student card. Bella Italia reserves the right to remove this promotion at any time without notice. Not accepted in conjunction with any other offer, voucher, set menu, specials and Tesco Clubcard Deal Tokens.

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October 2015

foodBREAK

27

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

Then eat away the pain So you’ve mastered cocktails but now need to shake off the after-effects of one too many. MILTON CRAWFORD, author of The Hungover Cookbook, tells you how...

A

HANGOVER is an opportunity.

Feeble-minded people will often tell you that all they want to do when they have a hangover is to sit on the sofa watching trash TV and eating junk food.

I admit, this may apply even to me very occasionally. But in general, I resist it.

I wrote The Hungover Cookbook

because I have always had many of my best ideas when I have had a hangover.

There is actually something rather liberating about it; it removes the straitjacket of everyday routine, makes you think differently.

Perhaps the main premise that lies behind this

Hang in there: Eggs bhurji ingredients PICTURES: KATIE MORGAN Shakshuka

A

POPULAR dish in North Africa, Israel and other parts of the Middle East, shakshuka combines a spicy tomato sauce with baked eggs.

Ingredients: Four eggs; two large pitta breads, cut in half; one 400g tin of chopped tomatoes; a pinch of sugar; half an onion, diced; two cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped; half a sweet red bell pepper, chopped; two bay leaves; one jalapeno pepper, finely sliced; one tsp of ground cumin; one tsp of smoked hot paprika; a good slug of olive oil (about two tbsp); flat-leaf parsley to garnish Method: 1. Heat the oil in Melon, feta, mint and ham salad

W

HEN hungover, it is sometimes more important for our palates to be refreshed than for our stomachs to be replete.

Sometimes, especially if you have that most feared of all hangovers – the kind PG Wodehouse christened the

a frying pan on a medium heat and add the onion 2. Cook the onion for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has softened and taken on a slightly golden colour 3. Add the bay leaves, jalapeno pepper

and garlic and stir. Cook for a further minute, then add the cumin and paprika 4. Continue stirring for a further minute before adding the tomatoes and Gremlin Boogie – a gentle salad is about as much as you will be able to handle.

This is best served outdoors with lashings of sunshine – as good a natural cure for a hangover as anything else.

Ingredients: One small ripe honeydew melon, flesh cut into cubes; one tbsp

unusual celebration of a much-maligned state is that there is as much truth to be found in pain as there is in joy, as much to be savoured the morning after as the night before.

That may sound a little masochistic – but if you want to be more than an air-headed hedonist, try seeing a different side to your hangover.

When it comes to cooking this means that you can discard any lazy notions you may have had that a bacon sandwich and a bottle of Lucozade will do.

Why not try something new? What about a majestic climb in the hills, rather than a stagger to the corner shop?

Make the most of half a teaspoon of sugar 5. Stir the tomatoes in, with a pinch of sugar to balance the chilli. Season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to simmer on a low heat for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally 6. When the sauce has thickened, make four

small craters in the tomato mixture and break the eggs into each of them 7. Leave the mixture on a low heat for two minutes, until the egg of good-quality balsamic vinegar; a small handful of fresh mint, finely chopped; salt and pepper;

half a small red onion, very finely diced; 100g of feta cheese, cut into cubes;

your hangover rather than simply trying to survive it.

My cookbook includes a diagnosis section to work out which of PG Wodehouse’s six different types of hangover you may be suffering from – the Broken Compass, the Sewing Machine, the Comet, the Atomic, the Cement Mixer or the greatly feared Gremlin Boogie.

But let’s keep it simple.

You might want to try one – or all – of these three quick-to-prepare recipes – an Indian take on scrambled eggs (eggs burji), a melon, feta, mint and ham salad or North African baked eggs in a tomato sauce (shakshuka).

All recipes are for two: you and your hungover comrade-inarms.

whites begin to set; then, place the frying pan under a medium grill for three to four minutes, keeping careful watch to make sure the egg yolks don’t fully set – runny yolks are essential 8. Take the frying pan from under the grill, season your eggs to taste with salt and pepper and set aside 9. Toast the pitta breads under the grill 10. Place two eggs on each plate and spoon the sauce alongside. Garnish with a little parsley. Add the pitta breads to the side of the plate and make sure you use them to dip into the delicious spicy sauce and the egg yolk

four thin slices of Parma or serrano ham; two sprigs of fresh mint (optional) Method: 1. Put the melon, feta cheese, onion, mint, balsamic vinegar and seasoning into a bowl and gently mix the

Eggs bhurji

T

HIS is a pepped-up, spicy version of classic scrambled eggs and is popular as a breakfast dish in India.

It is best served to combat the type of hangover where you feel lacking in direction and purpose in life (described

by PG Wodehouse as the Broken Compass) and contains just enough spice to cut through your woolliness and general lack of vigour post-cocktail experimentation.

It is one of my favourite things to eat with a hangover.

Ingredients: Two tbsp of unsalted butter; one tsp of mustard seeds; a few small curry leaves; two spring onions, finely chopped; half a tsp of grated fresh ginger; half a hot green chilli, de-seeded and very thinly sliced; a quarter of a tsp of turmeric; half a tsp of cumin; one medium tomato, skinned and diced; four large free-range eggs; beaten and seasoned with salt to taste

Lost: The Broken Compass PICTURE: MATT BAXTER

ingredients 2. Serve the mixture on plates in a tasteful mound and artfully tear the ham over the top of the salad.

If your hangover is mild enough that you still have any kind of aesthetic sense, you may want, à la Jamie,

Method: 1. Melt the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat; then, add the mustard seeds, stir once and add the curry leaves and the spring onion 2. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion is soft, before adding the ginger, chilli, turmeric, cumin and tomato 3. Gently fry for a couple of minutes before adding the eggs 4. Cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally until the eggs are set, as you would when making scrambled eggs 5. Serve immediately on fried bread or hot buttered toast to drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the top and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Et voilà!

n The Hungover Cookbook,

by Milton Crawford is out now, published

by Vintage.

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

inSTYLE

Want to look great and stay up-to-date with the latest trends... all on a sensible budget? Check out our monthly guide to the best buys for students

Get set for party season F

ROM freshers’ week benders to sports socials and Christmas balls, this term is going to be party central.

Make sure you’re ready by choosing some classic but glamorous staples and keeping it fresh with inexpensive accessories as

the nights draw in.

Bear in mind a few golden rules for effortless elegance.

Go for luxurious fabrics such as satin and fake fur, stick to one sequinned item at a time – and find shoes that won’t pinch your feet all night.

Club snug: Fake fur scarf, £18, Dorothy Perkins

Grey to night: Waffle shirt, £15, Farrell

‘80s vibe: Sequin jacket, £25, Primark Disco boots: Stilettos, £15, Primark

Suited: Chelsea boots, £16, Primark

Net this: Mesh insert tassel dress, £75, Miss Selfridge

FRESHEN UP! SOPHIE POWELL uncovers some freshers’ week heroes...

YOUR alarm is shouting at you. You have a 9am lecture and you should have been on the bus ten minutes ago but you’ve only had three hours of sleep – again.

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there.

Freshers’ week is great fun but alcohol and late nights can leave you feeling less than perky the morning after.

When every precious minute in bed counts, this trio make for a great quick-fix and will leave you looking bright-eyed and ready to take on university life – even if you don’t feel it... n Not content with studying for a PhD in protein biochemistry at the University of Manchester, Sophie Powell, 24, is on a mission to decode the jargon used by the beauty industry to explain the science behind cosmetics.

Check out her blog at www. thescientificbeauty.com.

Ruff night: Pug necklace, £20, Finest Imaginary

Heart this: Clutch, £7, Primark

Rehydrate skin and even out complexion with L’Oreal Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Perk-Up Cream. This product contains a host of moisturising agents to replace moisture lost from the skin. Lentil seed extract, one of the key ingredients, has been shown to control oil production by reducing the size of pores, which should help keep shine at bay during a full day of lectures. It also has an SPF of 20 – handy if you encounter some late summer sunshine in your first weeks on campus. It moisturises thanks to specially designed micropearls: as you apply the product, they take on a skincoloured tone, giving a healthy glow.

L’Oreal Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Cream, £7.99, www.superdrug.com

Shimmy shimmer: Gold jeans, £13, Primark

Banish dark circles and eye bags with Benefit Puff Off! Eye Gel. It will leave you feeling ready to absorb knowledge, attend socials and make friends on your new course. It comes in a clever applicator with a metal iron-shaped tip, which you glide under your tired eyes as you squeeze out the gel – the coolness of the metal feels amazing. The high content of moisturising ingredients keeps undereye skin soft and hydrated but the ingredient you’ll be most thankful for is menthoxypropanediol – a derivative of mint – which has a wonderful cooling sensation. All that’s left to do is add a slick of your favourite lipstick on the bus, grab a coffee-to-go and get ready to rock.

Benefit Puff Off! Eye Gel, £22.50, www.boots.com

Remove all traces of the night before with Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Pads. Glycolic acid is the substance used in a chemical peel as it removes the very top layer of skin. Although it is used at a much lower concentration in these pads, the effect of exfoliating this top layer is the same. Skin cells at the surface are older, dryer and more dull in appearance, owing to increased UV exposure and water loss. By removing these, you will reveal cells underneath that are newer, plumper and lighter in appearance. The pads are also great at unclogging pores, so no-one will guess you spent the previous evening in Smurf fancy dress. Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Pads, £13.00, www.asos.com

29

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Call 0844 998 0844 and quote “tEAMUNI”* *Student discount is not valid on Saturdays or Sundays, and booking is subject to availability during school holidays; quote TeamUni and get a free 500ml soft drink. Please also note the student discount is not available to book online so please call us to book your racing. Calls cost 5p a minute plus your telephone network standard service charge. A valid student ID must be presented upon arrival.

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October 2015

onSCREEN

31

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

You can’t live with ’em...

Housemates. Love them or hate them, you’re stuck with them for the year. To celebrate (commiserate?), JOHN SHAW has picked out five of the best flatshare sitcoms...

Y

OUR flatmates are going to be a big part of your life this year.

And if you haven’t lived with friends before, here’s a secret: they are going to drive you crazy.

To bring some harmony, sit down together and watch these five box sets about groups even more dysfunctional than yours...

New Girl

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Jess answers an ad and becomes the new girl in an apartment full of boys.

As it’s a US sitcom, there has to be a love interest – and Jess and Nick’s will-they-won’t-they is one of the best on TV. The pair face a difficult battle against their own immaturity and outside forces, including other potential suitors. But the laughs really come from not-so-smooth talking Schmidt who falls for fashion model Cede.

WATCH IF: Your new housemate is a bit, er, quirky.

Fresh Meat

This bunch of misfits, thrown together after missing out on a place in halls, go through the full spectrum of life in a shared house. There’s bed-hopping, rubbish parties,

Suffragette, October 7 THE Suffragettes’ tale is perplexingly undertold in the cinema world. It has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster: suffering, violence, death and heartbreak. Meryl Streep plays leader of the British movement Emmeline Pankhurst, while Carey Mulligan plays Maud, a soldier against the state. Helena Bonham Carter also stars as Edith New in what promises to be one of the most powerful films of the year.

bust-ups and, of course, bantz as they make their way to graduation at the fictional Manchester Medlock University.

WATCH IF: You’ve just spent a drunken night snogging your flatmate.

Peep Show

The pinnacle of awkward British comedy, Peep Show follows the lives of neurotic nerd Mark Corrigan and laidback wannabe musician Jez Usborne.

After meeting at university, the pair end up living together in Croydon, where they struggle to get on – and to make a living.

Thankfully, we haven’t finished the story yet, with series nine on its way later on in the year.

WATCH IF: You’re feeling like life couldn’t get much worse.

Spaced

What a long way Simon Pegg has come. These days, you’re just as likely to see him in Hollywood’s biggest franchises as anything else.

But it all began with a show called Spaced, which he co-wrote with Jessica Hynes (back when she was Stevenson). This cult classic sees Tim and Daisy pose as a couple to secure a cheap flat

Steve Jobs, November 13 IN ALL lecture theatres, someone will be on their iPhone – whether the lecturer is talking or not.

But there was a time when the mobile was just a twinkle in Jobs’ i.

Michael Fassbender plays Apple’s co-founder in the film, which is set backstage at three product launches. Seth Rogen plays Steve Wozniak, the other co-founder, and Kate Winslet plays Joanna Hoffman, ex-marketing chief of Macintosh.

Best buds: The oddball New Girl crew and, inset, Simon Pegg of Spaced and follows the pair as their relationship develops.

WATCH IF: You find yourself with an unexpected housemate.

The Young Ones

The original and, some would say, still the best.

The Young Ones is anarchic, surreal and constantly named as one of the funniest British sitcoms ever.

The mismatched students spend their time in grubby digs while studying at Scumbag College and causing havoc.

WATCH IF: You want to go back to a time when there were no student fees.

out soon SPECTRE, October 26 THE build-up to the 24th Bond movie has been as gripping as the film should be. Hackers got their hands on an early version of the screenplay by infiltrating Sony’s computer system.

The script was leaked but that hasn’t quelled – the anticipation for Daniel Craig’s fourth outing. This time, a message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to reveal the truth behind the secretive group SPECTRE.

PICTURES: CHANNEL 4/WIKICOMMONS/DUDEK1337

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hiTECH

October 2015 The latest in everything gadgets and gaming

Stalkers, sexism, cyberbullies: A woman’s guide to the web

W

HY do some men send d**k pics? How do people really meet the loves of their lives?

What were the pranks that got Google Map Maker taken offline?

Holly Brockwell set out to answer these questions and many more when she launched tech news website Gadgette.com, which also covers new apps, products and style with a focus on women, while taking a feminist stance on issues such as cyberbullying.

‘I decided it was about time we had a female-focused tech publication for women,’ she said.

‘A lot of the mainstream tech sites – that aren’t necessarily meaning to, and they are getting better – are male-focused.

‘We wanted to say, “It’s cool to be a woman who likes tech”.’

She has worked on another tech site, ShinyShiny, and wanted Gadgette to be more openly aimed at women.

But she came up against criticism after launching the site in the summer.

‘One of the points was that rather than making their own stuff, women should go and

33

work for mainstream tech companies,’ Holly said.

‘I couldn’t disagree more.

‘No-one would ever say that to a man. When Shortlist was launched, no-one said, “Why do you need a magazine for men?”

‘If you come out for women, you get abuse. It’s pretty sad.’

As a site covering tech and the internet from a female perspective, it is perhaps unsurprising that Gadgette has already run articles on creepy Tinder stalkers, Twitter sexism apologists and online bullying.

Its agenda has been lost on some, however.

Despite making a point of not covering parenting, motherhood or marriage – ‘we’re not trying to be Cosmo’ – Holly said companies pushing products for children and parents had already started asking her team for coverage.

‘That really vexes me,’ she said. ‘They don’t go, “Well, men are required for the process of making babies, so we’ll send them kids’ stuff”.’

So far, the site’s preferred method for fighting stereotypes has been to take the mick out of them. It

Rock Band 4 (Oct 6) LIKE all good rockers do at one point in their career, the Rock Band series took a long break – probably to rediscover its love of the music.

Now it is back with the fourth big installment and new tracks.

Play along to classics such as The Cure’s Friday I’m In Love and modern hits like Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk.

There is also a new freestyle guitar solo feature which will have you feeling like Slash in your living room.

Available on PS4 and Xbox One Guitar Hero Live (Oct 20)

Gadget girl: Some of the stories on the site and, inset, founder Holly Brockwell published a satirical guide on how to use headphones without messing up your hair after Holly overheard someone at a conference say women were only worried about style, not sound quality.

‘That article was so much fun and it got a really good response,’ she said. ‘It was a

satirical way of saying “this is not OK”.

‘The company has offered me an interview with the man who made the comments, which I will probably take them up on.’

She said a ‘psychology of the d**k pic’ piece – which unearthed opinions of penis

portraits ranging from ‘nice’ to ‘that’s like something the cat dragged in’ and examined the motivation behind sending them – was another favourite.

‘The writer did offer to send me some of the d**k pics in question,’ she said, adding: ‘I declined.’

A seeing computer: It’s the future of fashion COMPUTER genius and fashion guru Jenny Griffiths has created technology that helps computers to ‘see’ – setting up Snap Fashion, the first visual search engine for clothes and accessories.

The University of Bristol computer science graduate was awarded an MBE aged just 27 for services to digital innovation in the fashion industry, after developing an idea she first worked on as an undergraduate.

Her honour will be considered well-deserved by any man or woman who has ever seen someone wearing something amazing in the street, on a night out or in a film and struggled to find something similar.

‘Visual search comes naturally to humans but to computers it’s just a bunch of pixels, so we’ve managed to program a computer to see colours, shapes and even textures,’ she said.

out soon

Drop it in: Take a snap and upload This is how it works: 1. Take a picture of the piece of clothing or accessory you want to find and upload it.

You can also drag and drop the picture into a box on the Snap Fashion website, paste a link of the image or download the app for Android or iPhone.

If inspiration comes while sitting on the bus or walking through the park, ask the person for permission or be very discreet when snapping them.

2. Cut around the item you want the search engine to see.

To help find what you want, click around the edges of the item you are interested in, including the sleeves (if it has any). You don’t have to be a pro with Photoshop – a rough outline is fine.

On iPhone, you can also find things in similar or clashing tones, while a separate Android app lets you search for exact colour matches.

Cut it out: Highlight the clothing

Click to buy: View your results 3. Get your results and start shopping.

The site will display suggestions and you can filter the results by price, or choose only to view items of the same colour or shape, for example.

Click on the item you fancy to add it to your wishlist, share with friends or re-snap for similar results. You can also click ‘buy’ to be connected to the retailer.

Head to www.snapfashion.co.uk to try it for yourself.

ANOTHER plastic guitar rocker – so what’s different?

There’s the obvious – different tracks, such as Wolf Alice’s Moaning Lisa Smile and Tenacious D’s Tribute.

But gone are the classic five colourful buttons to be replaced with a stylish six-button challenge.

The game also offers the chance to play in front of a real crowd.

Available on PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U Halo 5: Guardians (Oct 27) RECORD-breaking franchise Halo returns for its fifth major outing.

This time an unstoppable force threatens the galaxy – but the Master Chief has gone missing and Spartan Locke has to hunt him down.

On top of that, there are two new multiplayer modes to continue the series’ development. But who cares about all of that? If you’re a gamer, you’re going to get it.

Available on Xbox One WWE 2K16 (Oct 27) IF UNIVERSITY deadlines or untidy housemates are stressing you out, then relieve some tension with the comeback of the WWE 2K series.

There will be new superstars, divas and legends, plus ladder tag team, handicap tag team and tornado tag matches – all of which were taken away in the previous year’s WWE 2K15.

You’ve even got the chance to play as Hall Of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator – now, who wouldn’t want that?

Available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

34

October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

researchROUND-UP

Our flick through the most fascinating findings from universities across the nation

Hero for the poor?

He’s Robin a living...

R

OBIN HOOD – the epitome of a good guy: the fearless outlaw who risked his life to steal from the rich and give to the poor.

However, it appears the forest-dweller had a long-forgotten dark side, revealed in an 18th-century text uncovered by a Leeds Trinity University student.

It claims Hood was pardoned by King John and became one of the monarch’s ministers of state.

The archer then ditched his philanthropic nature and went on to become one of the country’s most corrupt officials under the king.

The story was discovered

by postgrad Stephen Basdeo, who was researching Hood for his thesis.

The PhD student, who found the text at the University of Leeds’ Brotherton Library, said: ‘The discovery is significant because, combined with my other research into 18th-century Robin Hood texts, it nuances our understanding of how the legend developed over time, and illustrates that the famous outlaw was not as popular with people as he is today.’

Stephen has been asked to produce an edited version of the text for a peer-reviewed journal launching next spring. Corrupt: Robin Hood turned evil in a recently found tale, left

PICTURE: WIKICOMMONS/ANDSCENE

Star Wars twins are ages away

IT’S a twist worthy of George Lucas himself – Star Wars twins Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are actually different ages.

The revelation comes from a team at the University of Leicester who worked out that, owing to the effects of Einstein’s theory of relativity, Luke and Leia do not remain the same age in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.

Physics students Duleep Vasudevan, Tom Griffiths, Mark Phillips and Katie Herlingshaw calculated that when the twins travelled to the Cloud City, Leia travelled 25 times farther than Luke in a spaceship that went much faster.

This would have resulted in her being 1.75 years older than her twin brother.

And we thought their relationship was already too complicated...

Think you have what it takes to turn pro?

It’s all swell for centurians

More time in bed is better for your head

Feel queasy?

Take it easy

AS THIS graphic probably shows, you aren’t quite as close to being a professional athlete as you might think – although you might feel a better about that bad back.

The image, produced by Leeds Beckett University, is the result of comprehensive testing by a team of sports science researchers on 12 of Yorkshire CCC’s fast bowlers.

It reflects the data collected by a dual-energy X-ray

SEXUALLY active older people have better social and psychological well-being, according to a Heriot-Watt University study.

Those aged 65 and over who have more sexual contact rate their social relationships as being of higher quality, while people who think sexual activity is important have higher scores for psychological quality of life, it shows. Researcher Alan

absorptiometry scanner, which measures and records a range of body composition information including fat mass, lean mass and bone mineral content.

The study, which was conducted to find out what makes the pros special, was the first of its type in the UK. If you do measure up, what are you waiting for? Get down the nets and practise!

Gow, associate professor of psychology, said: ‘What we hope is that our findings encourage other researchers interested in the determinants of health and well-being in older adults to also consider sexual behaviours.’

Co-author Taylor-Jane Flynn, who conducted the study as part of her undergraduate dissertation, became interested in the topic after working as a healthcare assistant.

KEEPING inflammation in the body down is the key to living an independent life over the age of 100, according to a study by Newcastle University.

Severe inflammation plays a part in many diseases common among older people.

Keeping levels low gives people a better chance of maintaining cognition and independence, meaning the live longer, researchers found.

IT SOUNDS obvious – turning up sick to work will affect your job satisfaction.

But if you head into work while feeling ill, it could also influence your level of engagement – and may mean you’re addicted to your job, researchers from Nottingham Trent University claim.

Ill employees disengage from tasks, unable to perform at full capacity, the school of social sciences team added.

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October 2015

competitionCORNER

37

Your chance to win fantastic tickets, trips and treats

Snow, ski and songs WIN F

ANCY conquering the slopes by day, before partying all night with one of your best buds?

Well, TUP are offering a festival package worth £1,000 to RISE Festival 2015 in Les Deux Alpes, France.

We are giving one lucky reader and their plus-one a six-day ski pass, full festival access, accommodation, ski hire and return travel from the UK. Music this year comes from Skream, High Contrast and many more.

To be in with a chance, email win@unipaper.co.uk with your name, university and year of study.

For more information on the festival, which runs from December 12 to 19, head to www.risefestival.co.uk.

On Fire: Tribal Sessions is coming to the capital

Residency will be hot, hot, hot Après-ski: Brave the cold of RISE Festival 2015

THE legendary Tribal Sessions is making a new home in London with a residency at Fire in Vauxhall.

The house and techno party, which launches weekly from Friday, October 9, will feature sets from Booka Shade (live), Juan Atkins, DJ Pierre, The Revenge and many more.

If you want to be at every show then here’s your chance... TUP are giving away a pair of season tickets to one lucky reader.

To enter, email your name, university and year of study to win@unipaper.co.uk.

For more info on the night, check out www.firelondon.net.

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38

October 2015

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yourSPACE

Steer clear of the student look...

U

NIVERSITY draws people from all sorts of different backgrounds.

But, look around most student digs, and you are likely to find the same tired decorations.

To make your room unique and somewhere you (and others) might actually want to stay, avoid these five clichéd clangers...

1. Dreamcatchers – University can be stressful but you won’t be able to get rid of those night terrors with one of these. The best way forward is to do some breathing exercises and lay off the booze for a couple of weeks.

2. Empty alcohol bottles – If you’re using a JD bottle as a candle holder or lining your windowsill with dead Stellas, get a bin bag and chuck them away. It looks cluttered and gives away too much to the parents when they come and visit.

3. Wacky cushions – Let’s face it – no-one has ever laughed at a cushion. No-one has ever said: ‘That person has an amusing pillow, let’s be friends.’ Just get rid of it before anyone sees.

4. Guitar – If you have a guitar hanging on your wall, you’d better be able to play it like Jimi Hendrix. No-one wants to invite guitar douche on a night out.

5. Posters – Some can look good but unless you actually know what Che Guevara did, don’t put a picture of him on your wall. The same goes for Albert Einstein, Audrey Hepburn and that tennis player scratching her bottom.

1

2

3

5 4 Ditch ‘em: Be original at university PICTURES: WIKICOMMONS/RAMA

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40

October 2015

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yourSPACE

Split before you quit...

E

VER had to chase your housemates for their portion of the electricity bill or had the sneaking feeling you might be the only person in the house who has ever bought toilet roll?

The co-founder of a new app wants to make these problems history by helping sharers sort out their finances.

Nick Katz set up Splittable after an argument over bills when he moved out of a shared flat.

‘I was living with my best buddy in a two-bedroom apartment in Dalston, in east London,’ he said.

‘My now-fiancée, who was then my girlfriend, lived there too.

‘When it came to settling everything, my buddy put a bunch of things we didn’t know about on a spreadsheet.

‘He said I owed him a couple of hundred pounds and my girlfriend owed about £900. This

blew our friendship apart – it took it over the edge.’

Nick, who had worked in real estate since graduating from uni in the USA a year earlier, decided to put his knowledge of housing to good use.

‘I know how to write a lease – but when you’re a student, you’re a bit coddled, maybe having lived with your parents or in student accommodation,’ he said.

‘You suddenly have to negotiate a short-hold tenancy and find housemates.

‘You also have to work out how to live with people and not claw each other’s eyes out.

‘We want to remove the conflict points in the home, such as money.’

The app works by plotting whether each housemate is in credit or debt on a graph, which adjusts itself each time they buy something.

So, if one person buys cleaning

Divide and rule: Splittable founder Nick Katz wants to stop housemate disputes products, for example, you could pay them back by buying the food next time you have takeaway, which will be shown on the graph.

You can also request payment in cash through the app, which will send an email reminder to whoever owes you.

There are sections that record monthly costs such as rent and bills,

and the deposit for the house or flat.

Costs and payments are displayed on a timeline, so everyone can see who has paid what – and you can choose to get real-time updates or a weekly round-up.

It may not sound like the most exciting invention ever but it has to be better than sorting out finances through face-to-face confrontations

or passive-aggressive sticky notes on the fridge.

Nick also has some good housemate credentials, having shared nine rented homes in London. ‘I’m in a house-share right now with six people and I’m using Splittable,’ he said. ‘Sharing should be a brilliant thing.’

Henry Edwards

We make bills this easy

Student bills from £9.99 pppw www.dividabill.co.uk!

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42

October 2015

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sportNEWS

Medal table

Triumphant trio: Medal winners in the 200m breaststroke (l-r) Kazuki Kohinata, for Japan; Josh Prenot, for the USA; and Team GBR’s Craig Benson PICTURES: BUCS

1 2 3 4 5

Korea Russia China Japan USA

47 34 34 25 20

32 39 22 25 15

29 49 16 35 19

All 108 122 72 85 54

Team GB athletes...

Archery Ashe Morgan – University of Birmingham Alex Smith – University of Oxford Tom Hall – University of Warwick Sally Gilder – Chipping Camden Academy Jordan Mitchell – Ulster University Matthew Dale – Warwick Phillip Tucknott – University of Edinburgh Stephanie Clason – Edinburgh Hope Greenwood – Edinburgh Georgie Brown – Birmingham City University Badminton Matthew Carder – University of Glasgow Kerri Scott – Loughborough University Victoria Williams – Loughborough Chloe Birch – Loughborough Patrick Machugh – University of Strathclyde Angus Pedersen – University of Bath Martin Campbell – The Open University Rebekka Findlay – University of the West of Scotland Caitlin Pringle – Strathclyde Diving Rhea Gayle – University of St Mark and St John Robyn Birch – St Mark and St John Clare Cryan – Sheffield Hallam University Jack Haslam – University of Sheffield

Fencing Alex Tofalides – University College London Amol Rattan – London School of Economics Kristjan Archer – University of Notre Dame

Cameron Brodie – Stirling Kathryn Johnstone – Heriot-Watt Jay Lelliott – Bath Max Litchfield – Sheffield Hallam Calum Tait – Edinburgh Olivia White – Edinburgh James Wilby – Loughborough

Gymnastics Kelly Simm – Southampton Solent University William Trood – Loughborough Gabriel Hannah – Loughborough Thomas Gibbs – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Lynne Hutchison – Open University Stephani Sherlock – The Lesgaft National State University

Table Tennis Evangeline Collier – Nottingham Trent University Sean Doherty – Edinburgh

Golf Michael Howard – Edinburgh Craig Chalmers – Strathclyde Katie Bradbury – University of Exeter Hannah Mccook – University of Stirling Gemma Batty – Stirling Henry Tomlinson – Stirling Shooting Kristian Callaghan – Bath Coral Kennerley – Cardiff University Holly Lay – University of Reading Seonaid McIntosh – Heriot-Watt University Finbar Ryley – Newcastle University Swimming Joe Patching – Auburn University Craig Benson – Stirling

Taekwondo Jordan Gayle – Manchester College Christian McNeish – Connell College Lutalo Muhammed – Middlesex University Harriett Akeroyd – Leeds Beckett University Jade Slavin – Northumbria Bianca Walkden – Manchester College Tennis Darren Walsh – Southern Methodist University Joe Salisbury – University of Memphis Mark Whitehouse – Imperial College London Alex Walker – Bath Daneika Borthwick – The Florida State University Olivia Nicholls – Loughborough

Taking the plunge: Team GBR diver Jack Haslam

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October October2015 2015

Tetraplegic student completes punishing 12-mile challenge sportNEWS All the highs and lows from the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea

Mudder shows Stars of Rob the future us he’s toughboost stuff get a Korea TOM GELLATLY

433

Focus on students, Golden not cash

from p1 summer for hosts of WUG pointing to its 89 per cent satisfaction rate in this area.

Prof Judith Squires, pro vice-chancellor for education, said investments as the SOUTH Koreasuch proved new study andwith learning to be the hosts hubmost being planned the after coming forof Beacon House, the top the World former Habitat building University Summer in Clifton, showed Games medal table. student satisfaction was They claimed 47 golds, being taken 32 silvers andseriously.

29 She added: ‘The off bronzes, holding university is committed second-placed Russia. to providing highChina finisheda off the quality and positive top three, while Japan experience all and the USA for finished students.’ fourth and fifth Recent Bristol graduate respectively.

Harriet D’Souza, 21, About 10,000 said: ‘The teaching competitors from staff were always more than 150 professional, countries tooksupportive part and in theknowledgeable. contest, which she added: isBut recognised as ‘If the the university had second-largest multicared more sports gamesabout after the students and Olympics.

Theless nextabout revenue, then I feel will be held in Chinese students like myself Taipei in 2017. would have had more positive feedback.’

UWE fared slightly better than Bristol, hitting the 85 mark to put it in the top 100, along with Leeds Trinity, the University of Liverpool and Manchester Metropolitan.

UWE’s vice-chancellor Steve West said its onepoint increase ‘shows we are moving in the right direction’.

SHAW A JOHN WHEELCHAIR-bound student has become the world’s first TEAM Great Britain recorded tetraplegic to complete a Tough their most successful World Mudder challenge.

University Games in more Rob Camm, from the University than a decade this summer. of Bristol, finished the gruelling The 66 British students 12-mile course in a wheelchair he secured three golds, four silcontrols with his chin. vers and four bronzes on their The politics and philosophy way to a 17th-place finish in student, 21, who was left paralysed Gwangju, South Korea. from the neck down after a car crash They were inspired by rising two years ago, said: ‘I wanted to do star of British gymnastics and a Tough Mudder before the accident Team GBR flagbearer Kelly and still want to do it now.

Simm who won gold in the ‘I’ve got a wheelchair that’s all-around, silver in the capable of doing it, so I thought: vault and bronze in the floor “Why not?” exercise.

‘I’m happy that I’ve done it but The Southampton Solent a bit tired now – but probably not student rated the Games as as tired as all these guys who have her best yet and is now lookbeen round with me.’ ing towards securing a place Rob was raising money for on the full Team GB 2016 Rio technology company SpecialEffect, Olympics squad. which provided him with the Speaking to BUCS, the wheelchair robust enough to take 20-year-old said: ‘It’s the first on the trials – dubbed probably the time I’ve won three medals at toughest event on the planet. a competition.

Tough Mudder vice-president ‘To see the look on my coach gold: (l-r) Joe Salisbury and Darren Walsh celebrate their gold medal and, below, Christian McNeish John Fidoe, who accompanied Netting Rob and parents’ faces was such a around the course, described him as Jones, were also great – beat Korea’s Hyeon doubles, losing to Belarusians 18-year-old, who only took Chris special feeling. inspirational.

Chung and Jisung Nam Lidziya Marozava and Andrei up the sport two years ago.

‘The World University towards me.’

‘We were thrilled to have Rob join Elsewhere, Heriot-Watt 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 to secure Vasilevski in straight sets in Lelliott’s teammate, StirGames has helped me masus at Tough Mudder South West University’s Seonaid McInthe final. the title. sively and I’m really proud ling University’s Craig and watch him become the Benson, first tosh set a personal best and Walsh PICTURES: said: ‘We’ve Speaking to fellow BUCS Mudders secured with the way it has gone.’

Allalso done: Rob Camm, inset, celebrates with FACEBOOKhad a tetraplegic in the world to complete after the perfor- really good tournament but Scottish national record In the pool, the University of bronze in the 200m a Tough Mudder course,’ he said.

SpecialEffect, provided Robgoing in in the 50m rifle prone. and cousin,and Simon, were with him we didn’t quite get mance, Salisbury which Bath’s Jay Lelliott took gold in breaststroke ‘His strength, determination 100m and throughout with an eye gaze computer throughout the event – a gruelling trek n British Universisaid: ‘This rep- that first set, which put us on – where he the 400m freestyle, silver in courage have inspired all of us comprising tunnels to crawl through, hismy 96-day stay in Frenchay Hospital’s ties and Colleges Sport the back foot. resents biggest the 800m freestyle and came was edged out by at Tough Mudder and Mudders intensive care unit.

To were donate, visit walls to scale, and yes, lots of mud. victory ‘They good today and (BUCS) is the governing ever and second-placed James fourth in the 1,500m free. around the world.’ Rob’s father, Wilby, Ian, of They www.justgiving.com/Rob-Camm. are hoping to give back to it is probably not made very few errors – but it body for higher educaLoughborough He said: ‘The games were far off for Darren as is still a fantastic achievement tion sport in the UK, repextremely exciting and were University. well, so we are both to get this far and walk away resenting 170 institutions Not to be outdone, also a great stepping-stone EDITOR: TOM GELLATLY bristoleditor@unipaper.co.uk For advertising enquiries, please call: 020 7580 6419 and all facilitating 52 sport with a silver medal.’ absolutely delighted.

Team GBR’s tennis team Email him at meet.

The final medal came programmes.

‘We will be return‘The team at the pool was beat hosts Korea to win BUCS sent a delegation Connell College’s ing to the UK with a from incredible and helped me out gold in the men’s douhuge amount of con- Christian McNeish, who of Great Britain’s next genbles final. big time. fidence and our heads secured bronze in the 68kg eration of elite athletes The pair – Joe Salis‘I can’t thank my coach Mark to the World University taekwondo. held high.’

Skimming enough for getting bury, from the University The medal represents Games, including 66 athWalsh also netted a of Memphis, and Darren me to this point. silver with Bath’s Alex an astounding rise for the letes in 12 sports.

‘The other coaches out Walsh, from Southern Walker in the mixed there, Dave Hemming and Methodist University

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