Huddersfield Student January Issue by Huddersfield Students' Union

Huddersfield Student - January:Huddersfield Student 06/01/2010 14:59 Page 1

huddersﬁeldstudent The University of Huddersfield’s best, and only, monthly student newspaper January 2010 || FREE || hslive.co.uk

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sir Patrick Stewart The Chancellor made a rare week-long visit to Queensgate campus in November and spoke to Huddersﬁeld Student FEATURES » 12

RadioHudd’s plans to rewrite rule book

VP Education & Welfare Haneef Rashid leads the vote against changes

Union votes against Uni’s changes to class times

Ben Hall EDITOR

Members of the University of Huddersfield Students' Union (UHSU) voted to oppose the University's proposed changes to the timetable at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 8 December. The EGM, a re-run of the inquorate Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in October 2009

became quorate and was completed within 17 minutes of opening its doors to students. Led by Union Chair, Andy Blunt, Haneef Rashid, VP Education & Welfare addressed the

assembled students with a proposal to reject the University's plans. Sorcha Johnson, a second-year Transport and Logistics student, told members of the Union Continued » 5

News »4 making and breaking, online www.hslive.co.uk

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News

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Contact

17 minutes that changed how the Union is run

Huddersﬁeld Student University of Huddersﬁeld Students’ Union Queensgate HD1 3DH 01484 473430

Editorial Staff

Jenny Bull COPY EDITOR

Editor Ben Hall editor@hslive.co.uk Copy Editor Jenny Bull proofer@hslive.co.uk Political Editor Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt politics@hslive.co.uk Features Editor Richard Wood features@hslive.co.uk Music Editor Ash Martin music@hslive.co.uk Film Editor Gary Young film@hslive.co.uk

Union Chair Andy Blunt with Deputy Chair Saiqa Ahmed

Games & Tech Editor Carly Street games@hslive.co.uk

RadioHudd scraps internet log-ins

Fashion Editor Ellen McIntyre fashion@hslive.co.uk

Ben Hall EDITOR

Sports Editor James Cooper sport@hslive.co.uk Media and press releases newswire@hslive.co.uk VP Communications Zeshan Iqbal su-comms@hud.ac.uk Content Views represented in this newspaper are those of the writer and do not reflect those of Huddersfield Student or University of Huddersfield Students’ Union

RadioHudd, the Students' Union internet-based radio station, is getting rid of the login pages that stop anyone without a University username and password from listening in. Matt Christie, Head of Programming at the station, told a meeting of its DJs in December "That log-in page...we're going to get rid of that." The move follows calls from listeners to make the process simpler, and DJs to increase potential listeners. As a result of the log-in

system, some RadioHudd DJs had made their details readily available on Facebook and by request. At a Union Council meeting in December, VP Communications Zeshan Iqbal said: "There are plans to change it but I don't know." "I don't want to say how far they are along yet." Kris Lockhart, Head of RadioHudd, told Huddersfield Student that, although the details are not yet finalised, students will have to click the same button on huddersfieldstudent.com but the following process will be simpler and more accessible.

It took minutes for the EGM, which was held in Coffee Bean on 8 December 2009, to become quorate. It only took several more minutes before the new constitution was passed, with a majority vote. Containing 70 pages, to the previous constitution’s 55, the aim of this constitution is to bring the existing one in line with the 2006 Charities Act as the Union seeks charity status. By 1 July, although most of it will be coming into effect early March, we will have a new constitution - the rule book by which the SU is run. This may all sound all very 'legalese' and scary, however, fear not, everything will be explained. What’s changing? “Everything, but nothing” said Andy Blunt, Union Chair. “The constitution used to be 55 pages, everything’s been changed." "the only real differences that will affect most students are the make up of the Union Council and the Sabb system.” The changes won’t particularly affect daily student life. What is changing, however, are the systems that help make student life better on a day-to-day basis, making sure those who are elected to help student life do the jobs they are supposed to. In short, the roles of the

Sabbatical officers have been re-written and renamed; for example, the VP Education and Welfare officer will no longer exist, and instead the role will be split into two, becoming VP Education and VP Welfare and Equalities. VP Communications will become VP Communications and Democracy and will oversee the newspaper, radio station and, as per the new constitution, Union Council and elections. One role has been dropped completely (VP Internal Affairs) and the number of Union Councillors will increase, taking in some first years and someone from every academic school. These are but a few of the changes taking place come the end of the academic year, and as you can see, it's all geared towards to making sure student life is as good as it can be. You can cast your eye over the new constitution on the Huddersfield Student Union website under 'Your SU' in the 'Document Library'. If you’re interested in a] getting involved with the decision making, or just wanting to see how it all works, the Union Council are having their first meeting of 2010 on 1 February at 6.30pm. The iZone, on the first floor of the Students' Union has more information.

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CAB seating, covered in snow, will not see full use until summer says Uni. Photo: Andy Blunt

CAB stone seating not in full swing until summer Ben Hall EDITOR The University have announced that they are aware that the new stone seating outside the Creative Arts building will not be able to be fully utilised until the summer months. The seating, an investment the University have said cost £65,000, has been met with largely negative student opinion. "It's hard to navigate," said one passerby. "And I've nearly fallen over it on my way to lectures." But the University have defended the furniture,

stating that it will become more useful to students during the summer months. "We sought to find the most innovative and effective solution, at the most cost effective price," said a spokesperson for the University's Estates and Facilities department. "Unfortunately we cannot control the weather conditions so it may be some time before it is used to its full advantage." Amongst several other options, the Estates and Facilities department revealed it had considered buying wooden furniture but said the cost of treating

it would make the seating less cost effective than that currently in place. "Our investment...will provide a capacity of 120 seats when they are all in position, and we estimate these will last for the next 20 years." But some students have accused the University of not listening to them or seeking their opinion before spending. The seating is said to be part of wider redevelopment plans including enclosure of the library entrance and canalside and the new business school presented to the Duke of Gloucester.

University funds face huge cuts Ben Hall EDITOR Business Secretary Lord Mandleson announced, days before Christmas, that Universities will have to make huge cuts in a plan to save a further £135 million. It is expected that universities, already tasked with finding £180m in savings over the next 18 months, will have to cut some degree courses to bridge the gap. The Times suggest that the current review of tuition fees, started in November, will recommend fees are raised

considerably from the current £3,225 a year. Lord Mandleson said: "My predecessor repeatedly made clear the risks of student overrecruitment putting unmanageable pressures on our student support budgets." The funding cut has unnerved many as, during recession, applications to attend universities have been at a record high. Shadow Universities Secretary, David Willetts said: "Universities are being fined for meeting targets set by this government.”

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News

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Huddersfield Student impression of what the Students’ Union car park would look like if it was grassed over.

Union starts push RadioHudd’s plans to for ‘Garden of rewrite two-month-old Anton’ plan Union rule book Ben Hall EDITOR

Plans to grass over the Students' Union car park proposed by former Huddersfield Student Editor Anton Jidkov have taken a further step towards becoming reality. A motion put to Union Council in October, proposed by Jidkov and backed by the newspaper, was debated and discussed and finally passed unanimously into SU policy. The policy, altered by current Disabilities officer Michael Mattinson, states that the Union believes the area should be made into a 'grassy quad' while preserving disabled parking facilities and safety bus parking space.

It resolves to lobby the University to change the car park into a more student-friendly grassy area. A campaign is to take place on 2-3 February to encourage the University to hold a trial period of the plan during summer 2010. The camapaign, headed by VP Internal Affaris, Sohail Afsar, is the third for 2010. Environment and Ethics officer, Adam Ingram, elected in the October byelections, has expressed interest in assisting the organisation and running of the campaign. The car park area, owned by the University's Estates and Facilities department is used exclusively by staff and, Jidkov's policy states, is unattractive and difficult to navigate.

Ben Hall EDITOR Students working on newly-formed Students' Union radio station RadioHudd are said to be unhappy with recent constitutional changes that would see the manager of the radio station being elected rather than appointed. The station, less than a year old, is currently run by the group of students who fought to establish it in their second year and who are now in the final year of their degrees. Under the new constitution, passed unanimously in an Extraordinary General Meeting at the end of last term, a

radio station co-ordinator would be elected from the greater student body - a move criticised by some members of the current team. "The radio is less than a year old and needs someone who really knows what they're doing to be in charge," said one member of the RadioHudd team. "It's not just about being a DJ, it's about being able to manage the team, schedules and a budget." Plans to call an emergency Union Council through a petition of 100 students were ruled out early in the process. Suggestions to create a media forum that would allow the radio station to

elect a leader from a group of students who join have so far been met with wider agreement by RadioHudd representatives but change to the newly-passed constitution will need to be made. "We are not saying there shouldn't be a democratic process," said the source. "But the thought of the project being hampered by inexperience is unnerving after all the work that's been put in." The impact of the constitutional changes on the Huddersfield Student newspaper are unclear. A student media steering group is to meet during the current term. Dates for SU elections are yet to be confirmed.

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Union says no to ‘on the hour’ class time changes

« Continued from front attending the meeting of the inconvenience it would cause to commuting and parent students. "And that's why," she told members, "I am here representing my course to say no to the changes." Saiqa Ahmed, Union Councillor and Deputy Union Chair spoke to remind members that, while the proposed changes would inconvenience many students, they may have benefits to others. The plans, she told the EGM, meant that some students, whose trains and busses meant they arrived at

Huddersfield just before the hour, could be beneficial. At the EGM, with over 100 students in attendance, a vote was taken on the stance the Union should take on the proposed changes. With two votes against or abstaining, the decision to oppose the changes and lobby against the University was taken. "The plan now is to ensure that we keep the pressure on the University," said Rashid. "We have a campaign next semester and the plan is for a petition to be signed by students." "We showed today that

this will effect students. We had the most students I've ever seen turn up to a general meeting since I've been in office." "It's definitely a step in the right direction." Rashid's campaign, titled 'If it's not broken, don't fix it' will run at University Campus (UC) Barnsley on 19 and 20 January, UC Oldham on 21 and 22 January and on the Queensgate campus 25-29 January. "There are plans in place if the University decide not to listen," said Rashid. "But our institution prides itself on being very prostudent so I know we can win."

Fears of over-stretching as Exec team mount three campaigns Patrick Wilson After the ‘winterval break’, that we all know and love as Christmas, the Exec team have a total of nine campaigns scheduled in the second term. The first, the Housing campaign, will begin on 11 January and will last for the entirety of January - with the help of the Advice centre, with what is reported to be a big push during the last week. This timeframe, however, is also set aside by VP Education and

Welfare Haneef Rashid, who will be taking the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” campaign about class times across all three campuses between 19 and 29 January. To make matters worse, the team have scheduled their first green event of the year for 2 February, which is aiming to show students, and the faculty of the University, what could be done with the parking spaces outside the Students’ Union, rather than just concrete parking space. This seems pretty

cramped in and of itself, but when you take into account that the general election registration drive will be beginning at UCO on the same day, lasting for two days before having a ‘Question Time’ debate with the local MP candidates at Oldham, the question is whether the Exec will have enough time in the day to get everything done without letting something slip. The answer will inevitably be in the next publication, so watch this space.

“I am sure we can win this battle” Haneef Rashid VP EDUC. & WELFARE The issue of the timetable change was first raised at the University's Teaching and Learning Committee in November and it took me by surprise that the University decided to consult with students whether they could change the proposed class times from quarter past the hour to on the hour. So I let the word out to the Course reps (Soldiers as I call them) and Ben Hall, the Newspaper Editor, set up a poll on the newspaper website (hslive.co.uk). The response was phenomenal, with over 300 students responding to the poll on the website. Over 90 course reps got back to me within ten days. The majority of our members do not want the class times to change as we have many students that are parents and also 59% of our students are commuters from Huddersfield and surrounding areas. From there onwards the word spread quickly through the University and even before I started training potential student reps it was something that was being discussed. It was then I decided a motion against the University proposal was needed. The attendance at the general meeting was outstanding as more than the required 100 students turned up to the meeting - whilst the

meeting was in full swing more students were making their way to the Students' Union to ensure they get to vote on the motion. Many student representatives apologised for not attending the general meeting due to lectures and personal commitments but this shows that students can unite and make themselves heard. As a result of the meeting and the passing of my motion, we are to commence campaigning against the University's proposal during the second semester. The campaign will involve students signing a petition and holding a pledge which will state that they are against the proposed class times by the University. I request all students to get involved in the campaign as this will send a message to the University that students will not fall for anything. The campaign will run for 10 days starting 19 January - hitting Barnsley on 19 and 20 January and moving to Oldham on 21 and 22. The campaign will see its final days on the Queensgate campus between 25-29 January. There are plans if the University do decide to not listen to its students, but I believe they will our institution is one that prides itself on being pro-student - I am sure we can win this battle against the Senior Management Team of the University. It's all about representation.

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Politics

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Politics

Televised leader debates: Why bother? Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR

ver the Christmas break, the BBC were positively abuzz with the news that we will have televised political debates between the leaders of the ‘three main parties’. Firstly, the Liberal Democrats haven’t even been close to power since before WWII when they were just the Liberals and catastrophically messed up the economy. But more importantly, why bother? When you vote in general elections in the UK, do you vote for the head of the party, or your

local MP? This is a pivotal question in contemporary politics as, in this country, we do not have what is known as a ‘presidential system’, i.e. we do not vote for the Prime Minister. Even in a general election, your vote only affects your local constituency - voting for Labour in Huddersfield is not a vote for Brown per se, but it is a vote for local MP, Barry Sheerman. Some of you will be saying “well yeah, derrrr”. For others, I imagine, this will be news to you. The system works simply in that whichever party has a workable majority, the party leader then becomes the Prime Minister. You elect your local MP who in

turn, technically, elects the PM.

his is somewhat more complicated than the simplified version that has just been put to you, and people will inevitably ignore me and vote for the party whose leader they dislike the least, but what I’m trying to get across to the bulk of you in time for the elections is that the elections matter at a local level more than at a national one. The parties of government will always push that you should vote Labour because

you get Brown, or Conservative because you get Cameron, but at the end of the day in some areas, it would be ludicrous to vote for the party that nationally you might back. Take the example of Huddersfield, you have a seasoned veteran MP, Barry Sheerman, whose competition have no experience in the field the likes of which Sheerman has, and in

reality are probably not the best choice. Say what you will about Sheerman, but at the end of the day he understands the system and has been a part of it for so long that he knows how to manoeuvre within it and make the local life of Huddersfield work. Would I vote Labour? Yes. Do I want Brown to lead the country? No. But at the end of the day I don’t want Cameron to lead the country either so I’m knackered either way.

National news in a nutshell: A Decade of British politics Jordan Walmsley takes a look at the last 10 years of good old British politics 2000 - The Millenium Dome Disaster was soon to fail completely, Epic Fail. The Millennium Dome, the project that was and not because of the millennium bug. Luckily, it Tony Blair’s mark for the new Millennium, opened is now one of the best with chaos as visitors has to places to be for watching queue for ages just to get live stage shows under its new name, the O2 Arena. inside the building which

2000

2000 - The failed Millenium Dome project

2001

September 2001 - 9/11 changed everything The political landscape of the world changes after suicide bombers fly planes into the World Trade Centre. Although some conspiracy theorists argues that it wasn’t

foreign terrorists, this event that killed more than 2900 people had a big impact of western foreign policy and national politics alike.

2002

June 2001 - The Quiet Landslide The date was the 7th June 2001 and Tony Blair won his second landslide victory in a general election dubbed ‘the quiet landslide’ with a majority of 167 but with only 59% of the electorate voting, the

lowest general election turnout since 1918. Was this because people knew Tony would win and were quite content, or was it ever more proof of disengagement from formal politics in Britain?

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March 2003 - Iraq May 2005 - Post-Iraq Election After a decline in popularity due to the invasion of Iraq, Tony Blair won a third consecutive general election but with a depleted majority of 66.

2003 2004

2005 2006

2007

After intelligence was recieved arguing that Saddam Hussain could deploy and launch WMDs within 45 minutes, the US, UK and to a lesser extent Australia, Denmark, Poland and Spain, declared war and invaded

Iraq. What started as a invasion of national defence has turned into a disaster, the implications of which will effect western politics for some time to come. The Inquiry into this war continues...

June 2007 - The Granita Pact The date was 7 June 2001 and Tony Blair won his second landslide victory in a general election dubbed ‘the quiet landslide’ with a majority of 167 but with only 59% of the electorate voting, the

lowest general election turnout since 1918. Was this because people knew Tony would win and were quite content, or was it ever more proof of disengagement from formal politics in Britain?

2007 - Northern Rock needed govt. bailout

September 2007 - Northern Rock On 14 September 2007, Northern Rock begged the Bank of England to save its skin as it was on the edge of bankruptcy

2009 - Unemployment hits record highs After intelligence was Iraq. What started as a recieved arguing that invasion of national Saddam Hussain could defence has turned into a deploy and launch disaster, the implications WMDs within 45 of which will effect minutes, the US, UK and western politics for some to a lesser extent time to come. The Australia, Denmark, Inquiry into this war Poland and Spain, continues... declared war and invaded

2008 2007 - Blair and Brown Granita Pact

2009 - MPs and Duck Houses

2009

2010

2009 - unemployment hits record high

The political landscape of the world changes after suicide bombers fly planes into the World Trade Centre. Although some conspiracy theorists argues that it wasn’t

2010 - General Election Who knows what could happen? Conservative landslide, Labour victory, hung parliament, coallition government?

foreign terrorists, this event that killed more than 2900 people had a big impact of western foreign policy and national politics alike.

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Politics

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Welcome to 2010: the year of your first general election Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR It’s the start of a new decade, and in the political realm it is the year where we are going to have the first general election that the majority of you reading this will be able to vote in. So what are the choices? Well, we’ve got the choice of voting Labour and keeping in a party who saw us go through the recession worse off than the majority of the other countries of our economic calibre, whilst being constantly told that we would be better off than said countries. Or, we can vote Conservative, who are promising that

they will be reducing the size of government – and therefore reducing the number of people employed by the government when we have unemployment already at a ludicrously high level – as well as budget cuts to the fundamentals of our modern welfare state. What to do, what to do… well I suppose we will always have the abstention vote that is the Liberal Democrats, but is that enough? The party elected in the election will be in power during our first few years of being in the real world; this will massively affect each and every single one of the current students studying

right now. Obiously, each of you have to make up your own mind at some point, but right now I can honestly say that with all of the facts in front of me, I am actually scared of what a Conservative government would do to this country – to us as students and to us as future members of the job-market. Yes, Labour have absolutely messed up in various areas, but the Conservatives are intending to reduce the safety nets that allow me to sleep somewhat safe at night. Should our degrees lead to nothing job-wise, in an economy which is watching graduates join the unemployment lines en masse, the safety nets

Brown or Cameron, who will you vote for?

are all that make me think “it might be ok” after I graduate. Do I want to be on the dole? Do I hell, but I’d like to know that I’m definitely going to be covered should everything go completely wrong. Granted, my opinion may well change before the election is called and I could well be chanting “go Tories” at some point

– anything could happen – but right now, I’m afraid it’s time to steal the American chant of “four more years! four more years!” and pray that the party sacks off Brown before he has a stroke from the stress of being hated by the public as much as he is, and just get down to business and save all of our sorry behinds.

The RATM campaign starting a shift in political capital? Patrick Wilson I realise how much of an essay this sounds like, but bare with me. The campaign led by Tracy and Jon Morter, on the social networking website facebook, accrued just under 960,000 members prior to the announcement of the Christmas number one on radio one’s top forty show. Granted this says something about the public who are possibly beginning to get sick and tired of the same old x-factor tripe that gets given to us on a yearly basis (can you tell that I’m not a fan), but this also has somewhat serious

consequences, in my opinion, for the future of politics in the UK. Whilst studying for my masters I came across a horribly slow burning journal that discussed how social networking websites have the capacity to influence politics. At the time I looked at it somewhat sceptically, but after this campaign came to fruition, I believe that this is finally coming to the forefront of modern politics. So the question ponders: could the next elections be won, or in fact lost, off the back of social networking website campaigns? Only the future can tell, but more importantly, if

Rage Against the Machine win the bid for Christmas #1 2009

people get politically active and choose to push a party on these websites, could we see a substantial change to British politics? Despite the current real choices only being Labour or Conservative, the British system is supposedly a multi-party system, rather

than a two party system such as the US. Arguably, with 960,000 voters, members of the public could give any party a substantial presence in parliament, depending on how far spread the voters are, but the point remains clear – facebook could well

be the deciding factor for who has a say in the ruling of this country in the next general election… personally, I fancy backing the Green party to get MPs really thinking Green, but what would you back? More in Music »21

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Who holds the power in the SU? Neil Mitchell talks to Union Chair and Politics Editor, Andy Blunt to learn a little more about the decisionmaking processes of the Students’ Union

What is the purpose of the Union Council? The Union Council makes all of the big decisions with regards to any policy that the Students’ Union takes. Recently we passed something about class time changes, the university wanted to change it to on the hour and we basically passed a motion to say that we are going to fight to keep it at quarter past. Also there is the ‘Garden of Anton’; we’ve actually put a motion through that we are going to try and put some grass in the SU car park for students to enjoy, because it’s a little bit too paved over, we are the people who can make that decision. You know, it’s not a case of two guys just thinking ‘oh maybe we should do this’, it’s a case of nineteen people that debate about an issue and then make a decision in the best interest of the student body. So what are your responsibilities as Chair? As Union Chair I do all the organisational side of the council - so I help put the agenda together, people bring motions to me – policies that they

want the Union Council to push or debate. It doesn’t always have to be a motion, sometimes they just want us to talk about something and from there we can come up with an action of some description. In general in the actual meetings - I make sure that it doesn’t get out of hand, we don’t start trying to stab each other, we stay nice and calm and get a proper debate not just a bitching competition – you can quote me on that. And what made you decide to run for the post? I've been involved in Students’ Union politics now for three years. I started in my second year – I’m a fourth year now and I ran for election for a Vice President spot in the last [SU] general election, and didn’t get it obviously. I was staying here for another year anyway so I thought I might as well get involved. I was going to run for Union Councillor, which is just someone who has a vote, but as the Union Chair quit and as I have been around so long and understand how everything works – I know the constitution back to front…ish – and I

thought it would be a good idea to get somebody in who knows what they are doing rather than someone who just thought Union Chair that sounds fun. I thought it would be more beneficial for the Students’ Union. Why should students care about the Union and the politics of the Uni in general? Irrelevant of whether you’re a full time, part time, international, mature student, post grad student, undergrad student - basically any form of student - the Students’ Union will affect you in some way. International students don’t really see it as involving them but if we can change class times then, to some extent, we can campaign to lower prices of stuff. We could say that the university is charging too much for printer credit. Haneef [Rashid, VP Education and Welfare] is trying to get a motion through to give final year students £5 printer credit at the beginning of the year, so we can affect you in every way shape or form. We need students to come in with ideas. If they come in they can have a say.

Union Council sessions can be attended and addressed by all students of the University of Huddersfield Students’ Union. The next meeting is on 1 February at 6.30pm in the SU. The iZone will have more information. Students are permitted to speak but only elected officers may vote.

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Accommodation

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

It’s a crime not to protect your deposit...really Charlotte Allington

Halls again? Ashenhurst is fine for the lazy...unless you’re walking James Cooper Ben Hall DIGS are good people. Providing us first year students with the housing necessary to live in Huddersfield, to go to uni. But the accommodation isn't without its ups and downs. In fact, some of them are quite annoying. Enrolling in the University in September was a proud moment, realising I needed somewhere to live, however, was not. Having received emails from Digs via the University, it was a quick

decision. Looking upon the website, I found Ashenhurst, the closest and best-suited accommodation that I could find. It's close to the University, a short walk into town and nearby shops to fulfill your inappropriately expensive snacking and alcoholism needs. It's within a tight community of other students too, so house parties are very sociable you get to meet half the site pretty much straight away. The one real drawback to Ashenhurst though,

and it's one that really rings my bell, is the massive hill you have to walk up to get to the place. Of course, there is always the advantage of a bus service that regularly passes by, but if you can't get the bus, and can't drive, the only way is to walk. Walking away isn't so bad, walking back really is. So if you're looking for student accommodation close to the uni, town and everything else, by all means choose Ashenhurst, but don't choose it if you have no intentions of walking.

First year is for Halls. After that, it’s time to get out Staying in halls, much like attending 'Prom' and being beaten up for the first time, is one of those 'rite of passage' things that needs to be done. I've done it once. I wouldn't do it again if I could help it but I'm glad I did. There's something, especially in first year, about being in a community of students. Granted, a lot of my time in Storthes was spent silently hating the flat above me for playing such terrible music so

loudly and wondering why a handful of the staff appeared to be closet misanthropes, but on the whole it was an experience I wouldn't particularly want to have missed. In the grand scheme of things, most halls don't really represent good value for money. They're one of the few places in life you don't have to pay electric, water, gas and internet bills separately but between £80-130 per week isn't a price I'm

overly willing to pay for one room and a shared kitchen outside a city. The one added-extra halls comes with, however, is that aforementioned sense of community. Never in life will you ever again be that close to all of your friends. My advice to first-time students is to do the halls thing while you have the opportunity. For continuing students, however, I'd say the story is an entirely different one.

There have been some significant additions to legislation affecting rented accommodation over the last few years. Responsible, reliable landlords have taken this on board and complied with the new regulations. Other landlords plead ignorance and don’t comply, often to the detriment of their tenants. The Tenancy Deposit Protection legislation was introduced in April 2006. All deposits, also referred to as bonds, taken after that date must be protected by a Government approved protection scheme. If your Landlord doesn’t protect your deposit he or she is breaking the law and your deposit is not protected, which could mean that you don’t get it back at the end of your tenancy. All Landlords who advertise properties on huddersﬁeldstudent pad.co.uk must indicate

which protection scheme they are using if they take a deposit. Since April 2006 all houses of three or more storeys with five or more occupants must have, or have applied for, a HMO Licence from the local council. The licensing process involves checks by the local council on a number of health and safety issues and the property must meet prescribed standards to be awarded a HMO

Licence. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 impose a legal obligation on Landlords to ensure that all pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition. They must have an annual safety check carried out on each appliance by a registered installer. A copy of the safety check must be provided to any new tenant before they move in. All Landlords who advertise properties on huddersﬁeldstudent pad.co.uk must provide a copy of a current gas safety inspection for each property they advertise. The Students’ Union Advice and Information Centre can help you search for properties. There will also be a Housing Event from 25 January to 19 February during which the Advisers will be available to give you all the information you need about how to find the right property for you and information about what checks you should be making before you commit to a tenancy. They will also be running a contract checking service to explain all the terms and conditions in your contract before you sign up to it. Once you have signed and paid a deposit it will be too late to change your mind so it's always a good idea to pop in beforehand.

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Money

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Student Finance still not playing fair?

Christmas is over but the feud with Student Finance England still rages on. Richard Wood speaks to two students in need.

his year hasn’t been a good one for students, money is an even bigger issue than usual for students in universities around the country. With part time jobs becoming less available, at least student loans are there to keep us warm and fed, right? Sadly, even student loans are letting us down. With hundreds of students around the country not receiving them for up to two months into their academic year; some poor souls are still yet to receive that financial lifeboat. One has to think, what is the Student Finance England (SFE) doing?

hristmas has quickly come and gone and yet, second year student John still hasn’t received his student loan. “I’ve had no money through," he tells me. “I wouldn’t have enough

money to buy food if it wasn’t for my disability payments.” The disability allowance is not there to take the place of the student loan but John admits that he doesn’t know how he would survive at university without this extra source of finance. “I’m getting taken to court by my landlord too; he's saying he doesn’t believe I don’t have my student loan through yet.” While John can prove he doesn’t have the money to pay his rent, the SFE are causing extra problems he shouldn’t be having.

nother student who has been struggling is a final year journalism student who didn’t get her student loan until the end of November. Jane explains how her lack of money stopped her from even traveling to university. “I had no transport to make the journey. My car

insurance got cancelled and I couldn’t afford the bus, I missed about two weeks of uni.” Jane was utilising lifts from sympathetic friends and handouts from her parents until her loan eventually came through. “I would have either been evicted or starved to death if it hadn’t been for them,” she said.

alking with Jane, some potentially disturbing possibilities came to light. After calling SFE several times, she was told that it would take up to 10 weeks for her to receive her loan. It was only after her mother placed a call to the company that they chopped the time down to only two weeks. Are the Student Finance companies toying with us students? It's quite easy to assume they see us as a group of half-witted youngsters, ripe for the ripping off.

If you’re having trouble with student loans and student finance or your landlord is threatening legal advce, the Student Advice and Information Centre in the Students’ Union should be your first point of call. Advisors will be onhand to help you with problems regarding accomodation, especially during Housing Month which runs from 25 January - 19 February

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Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

When Sir Patrick came to stay

November. Sir Patrick Stewart came to meet staff, open twoyear-old departments and talk with lowly students. One of whom was Richard Wood, Features Editor

What made you decide to spend an entire week at the University? I’m here at the University every year, two or three times in fact, but I’ve never before had the opportunity to spend a consecutive number of days here, that I can take out of my working schedule. In the summer, when I had to pull out of the July degree ceremonies, I decided I would make up for that by telling the University I would commit myself to an entire week, if they can fit me in with the day-to-day life at the University, and they did and I’m having the most tremendous week. What have you been doing so far? I’m at the fourth day and, along with ceremonies I’ve conducted six this week - I am visiting departments, talking with the people who run them, the Deans and the staff and meeting students. I am also finding out what this University does, and I am immensely

impressed by the range and quality of the students. I’m sure everyone has been queuing up to meet you? Well, yes there is a bit of a handicap to me being the Chancellor. Because I’m also an actor and associated with some rather iconic bits of populist entertainment, a kind of reputation precedes me, which I think, can at times be a little intimidating to some students meaning they may not be as relaxed or as confident in my company as they otherwise may be. That’s why I wanted to spend some time in the Union. So that I can just hang out. Really meet them. Have you met any other students today? Well, there were four international students, and two of them were on the Patrick Stewart scholarship. We talked about what had brought them here and how they were benefitting from the

facilities, and it was all very positive. Last year you took on a second term as chancellor. I’m guessing you are enjoying it? Immensely, yes. I’m getting so much out of it myself and I wasn’t even aware my first term was coming to an end - I didn’t have to think long about taking a second term. So, in another five years, do you think you may take a third term? I would certainly be immensely flattered, but I would think about it if only because I don’t want to lose this connection - I find it very valuable. I also have to monitor my energies and balance what I do here with my acting. I would like to be able to take a third term as chancellor though. Last year you became a professor of Performing Arts at the University. What has it been like teaching here? It’s not entirely accurate

to say I’ve been teaching. I’ve been sitting in some master classes and conducting some lectures. But because of my availability I can’t be a day by day member of the department, developing certain strands of work. But I’m hoping to spend more time teaching, I really, really want to. And it’s just a case of scheduling. Do you enjoy teaching? I do, yes, especially here where I have an identity among the students. Since you became chancellor, there have been many changes to the University... I think the changes are very exciting and are creating a marvellous environment for the students here. They’re modern and elegant; creative. The University has transformed from what it was when I first came here. I’ve been hearing today more plans for development and renovations - its fantastic.

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Health

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

New year’s revolution

It’s always the same story: make resolution, break resolution. Emma Arnold and Aisling Creedon are two ladies who, this year, are bucking the trend

McTears of a clown Aisling Creedon

New year equals new you, right? Emma Arnold

e all do it. We think that miraculou sly on that dreary, hungover, first day of January you will become the ‘new you’. Why do we wait until that date to decide to change our diet, or quit smoking? Surely if we really wanted to make these changes we would do it right now, and save waiting until after all the fun Christmas stuff and excess food. Even if your New Year’s resolution starts swimmingly - you avoid the remains of the Christmas chocolates, you sign up to the gym, you buy the nicorette

patches - chances are it’ll have dwindled back to normality by around Valentine’s Day. The fact is we have to be realistic with our goals.

he healthy living experts say it takes about 21 days for your New Year’s resolution to become a new habit. So, if you actually want to do it, you have to stick to it. Let’s be honest, the resolutions we make have to be reasonable. We can’t all turn into Megan Fox or Brad Pitt by the time we reach February. I suppose we wait until the New Year to become the ‘new you’ as it’s a fresh slate, a clean palette. But who, reading this, actually knows

anyone who has made a New Year’s resolution and kept it? Even little things like “I promise to take more photos of the people I love” or “I should really stop wearing this outfit”, they still end up being just something in the back of your mind which you think you should do, but never get round to.

aybe I’m just being pessimistic towards the whole New Year’s resolution thing, having never really kept, or even tried to keep, one myself. If you have something you really want to change; then try. But if it’s just a resolution for the sake of it, I say, don’t bother.

here are three kinds of people that the month of January makes it easy to hate, and they are as follows: Firstly, those who proclaim, when they are asked about their New Year’s resolutions, that their resolution is to not make resolutions any more. They smugly deliver this line in complete confidence that no other human could have come up with such wit. The only way to deal with these people is to smile and silently make your own resolution to hide when you next see them in the street. Secondly, there are those who make ridiculously ambitious resolutions, usually involving shifting muffin tops that have hung over their waistbands since the mid-80s. They join the gym at £34.95 a month, which they attend a grand total of once (though continue to pay for it until the following November). They are usually found, in early February, sitting on a bench in town crying softly into the empty

wrapper of a McMuffin and wiping processed cheese from the corners of their mouth. This type you must pat on the back and say gently, “Maybe next year ay?” Last and most definitely worst of the three are those smug tossers who actually stick to their resolutions. These are they that look like Kate Moss minus the coke by March and can’t remember what carbohydrates or wheatbased alcohol taste like. They probably have a new job, got a first in their dissertation which they wrote whilst running on the treadmill or helping at a soup kitchen, or are dating someone who six weeks ago would have drawn them a league table to explain just why there was no way they were ever going to work. These are the people who turn us regular folk into one of the first two types, who irritate us (read: me) of no will power to the extent that we will be signing up to that gym come January. Well, not me this year. I’m not making a single resolution. I have a date with a McMuffin and I won’t be missing it for the world.

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Comment&Debate

HuddersďŹ eld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Formality is what holds back the necessary Ben Hall EDITOR

GOAT and GOAL strategies are hampered by their own formaility. Illustration: Kelliann Smith

By their own admission, the executive team see that this is not something that has been particularly successful

ost people at this University would be forgiven for not knowing the meaning behind the acronyms GOAT and GOAL. They are, after all, two of those strategies that are apparently needed but best not to be seen, and so it would be surprising if anyone not involved in the Union knew of their existence.

t their purest level - a place where these strategies should stay GOAT and GOAL stand for 'Go out and talk' and 'Go out and listen', respectively. This means the sabbatical team, since September, have been aiming to engage the

student body in a twoway flow of communication to highlight the importance of their positions and draw attention to the issues we face. By their own admission, the executive team see that this is not something that has been particularly successful. VP Internal Affairs Sohail Afsar told the Union Council that the team were still working on a formal strategy. But perhaps it is this striving for a strategy that becomes the selfdefeating reason that GOAT and GOAL have never taken off. At its most fundamental level, the idea of the sabbatical team talking to the students who elected them is one which needs to be whole-heartedly

supported and embraced by all concerned. These sabbatical officers are remunerated to the tune of ÂŁ16k each a year, so it only makes sense to put them to some good use. What is baffling, however, is that the art of conversation, presumably for the purposes of monitoring, is being reduced to a science, in which some officers seem more concerned about what to ask than to just ask. The team is working on an issue calendar that will see them approach students on a different, pre-defined issue every fortnight. While there is no questioning the logic of organisation, there is room to question its necessity in this setting. As VP Sports and

Societies Haydn 'Tank' Stead converses with hundreds of students daily, in the iZone, and as VP Education and Welfare Haneef Rashid keeps in near-constant contact with his team of course and school representatives, are the aims of these strategies not already being fulfilled?

hat's more, as the team embark upon around four new campaigns this term from September 2009 we have seen just one hit the campus - will the team be more concerned with telling us what the issues are and how they intend to fight them rather than asking us what's going on?

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Discussing, debating, decision-making

Students have the power to decide how the Union is run, and what it says to the University on key student issues. These decisions are made on your behalf in Union Council. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it time you were there?

Meeting: Monday, 1 February 2010 6.30pm in the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union Meeting Room (ask in iZone for information)

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Comment&Debate

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

They may take our lives, but they will never take our Freddos Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR

Last year, American company Kraft tried a hostile take-over of Cadbury’s. Richard Wood argues it shouldn’t fall on-demand.

While Cadbury’s isn’t really the equivalent to an old couple running a shop, it is small potatoes compared to some of the companies out there

e all love chocolate don’t we, and what’s the best chocolate around? That, of course, would be anything made by Cadbury’s. Other than the chocolate they produce, the other great thing about the Cadbury’s is that it is British. But for how much longer? About half way through last year the evil overarching company from America, Kraft, lumbered over to our little island and again tried to close its greedy fist around yet another company they did nothing to make a success. It’s a sad state of affairs

when companies can’t even be successful without fear of a bigger boy coming and stealing their lunch money. Being a six-foot-tall 12-year-old amongst your four-foot classmates is all well and good until the new boy shows up and he just so happens to be a 30-yearold with paranoid schizophrenia and a large machete for an arm. America, by the way, is the 30-year-old in this metaphor. In July Kraft came over and made a multimillion dollar bid for the chocolate company, which was deftly rejected. Now they are at it again, determined to get the company ‘on the

cheap’. Now, I don’t know how much Kraft’s buying of Cadbury’s would affect the industry, or the product itself. For all I know, not a single little thing would change. But that’s not the point. The point is that the super powers moving in and trying to dip their fingers in as many honey pots as they possibly can isn’t fair.

magine if you will, the elderly couple down the street. They open a little sweet shop where the shelves are lined with jars of sweets and piles of chocolate; they do it not for the money but to see the smiling faces on the little

children who come in every day after school. They become so popular, in fact, that they gain the notice of a mainstream confectionary distributor who immediately buys them out with their millions of pounds and replaces them with a brand-name moneyspinner. While Cadbury’s isn’t really the equivalent to an old couple running a shop, it is small potatoes compared to some of the companies out there, and we should try our hardest to reject the forced bids of American multimillion dollar companies who are just trying to squeeze some more money out of us.

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Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Cowell’s ‘Democracy Factor’ is all well and good but, for minorities, it’s deadly Neil Mitchell

Direct democracy, like that to be displayed in Simon Cowell’s proposed political show, is dangerous not desirable

ecently Simon Cowell, in an interview on Newsnight, outlined plans for “some kind of referendum type TV show, where you can speak on both sides and then open it up to the public, to get an instant poll as to how they feel on the hot topics”. These ‘hot topics’ would include the war in Afghanistan, knife crime and immigration. It is certainly not democratic; not everyone has access to a TV or a phone in order to vote and not everyone would be able to watch it live

t first sight this seems to be a wonderful idea finally the people could have a chance to directly voice their opinions and hold our (slightly) corrupt politicians to account what could be more democratic than that? However, I would suggest that this idea is actually

rather dangerous. For a start - and on purely pragmatic grounds - it is certainly not democratic; not everyone has access to a TV or a phone in order to vote and not everyone would be able to watch it live. Therefore, the poll results would not actually be a reflection of the opinions of the country. This is important as the government would have to take a programme like this - with the massive exposure it would be bound to receive – very seriously and possibly be forced to act on what the programme decides. Obviously, if decisions were to be made in this way, directly by the public, then the polls should be inclusive and open to everyone – a television format does not

really allow for this. I concede that this could easily be solved – for example the vote on the programme could be simply to put the issue to a referendum, thus allowing the entire population to then vote. But I have not yet addressed the real danger that can be found here. The direct democracy (that is to say government decisions based on a majority vote by the public) that is assumed to be desirable by Cowell’s format is flawed, as it can lead to minority groups being ignored or even persecuted. To take two recent examples; firstly, we have the ban on the construction of minarets in Switzerland – spearheaded by the SPP who are a

racist party (just look at their posters for evidence) – which was passed in a direct referendum. Second is the example of Proposition 8, passed in November 2008 again by a direct vote, meaning that California would no longer recognise same-sex marriage. Both of these examples were passed by slim majorities who, for various reasons, chose to ignore the rights of others.

t must be better to have representatives in parliament, who we select to pass laws which take into account the wishes and rights of minority groups, rather than governance based solely on the wishes of the majority - at the minority’s expense.

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Entertainment

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Decades apart 2000-nine 20-10 Rob Evans So, 2009 was a pretty good year, and I hope you don’t mind reading me go on about it even though it’s already finished. Last year was stuffed full of great gigs and, joined by various friends, I hopped all over Yorkshire to see as much as I could. We danced to The Aquabats and watched MC Lars get beaten in a rap battle by a really drunk guy backstage. We yelled at Dave House until he got fed up and played unplugged songs to us after his set. We got jumped on by former WWE superstars and got mauled by aggressive Johnny Depp fetishists in gay-themed hardcore bands. We got stranded in Manchester and Leeds for insanely long nights and journeys home just to catch touring bands with poor organisational skills. We discovered the Brudenell Social Club, with its insanely cheap bar, and experienced the community of house shows, with a packed basement singing along to Jackson Five songs. 12-year-old me finally realised his dream of seeing Hundred Reasons, whilst nineteen-year-old me enjoyed an abandoned bar and slow danced with his girlfriend in the mosh pit to Los Campesinos!. I

was dragged into bizarre subcultures to lose my Jesu virginity, spent a curious day at a jazz festival, burnt out on too many ska shows only to have Sonic Boom Six force me to fall in love with the genre again, and spent far too many nights with my ears ringing. So how can I top that? Well, Leeds Cockpit will once again be my saviour this year. Right around the corner from the train station, it’s the most convenient place in the world. I’ve already got tickets to the Thrice show there in January, and am eagerly eyeing up tickets for Polar Bear Club, Fake Problems, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Japandroids, Blood Red Shoes and maybe even

Zebrahead, for a little immature fun. The Brudenell, too, will see some awesome gigs with indie-hip-hop legend 'Why?' playing there in March, along with gigs from Fionn Regan, God Is An Astronaut for the postrock fans, Vivian Girls, for people who like hipster girls playing noisy punk, Shearwater and The Automatic. And, of course, right here in Huddersfield, The Parish will continue to host nights of alternative-music themed debauchery, and 1:22s amazing open mic night will soldier on in to the new year. 2010 is gonna be amazing, and I hope to see you around.

J.N. Nengomasha

With the U.K’s underground scene becoming mainstream, we have seen a lot of new artists and new genres revealed to the masses. Dizzee Rascal, Chipmunk, Tinchy Stryder, N-Dubz; in Huddersfield we have grown accustomed to Funky House, R’n’B, Bashment and some Indie Rock - although the latter did not bring big stars out for us to see. With all this excitement we have to ask the question; what is music going to be in 2010? Many of you think funky house and Indie rock is going to stay strong in the new year, and feel that we are going to see a lot more saturation in the market with new artists and contemporary bands coming out. Nevertheless, a majority of you feel that dance music is going to make a huge comeback, even bigger than when auto tune came out. With so many collaborations with the new dance king, David Guetta, we have seen accredited music stars lend their talents to

him. Kelly Rowland, Estelle, Akon, Cozi, Black Eyed Peas, Kid Cudi and Claude Kelly to name but a few. To many 2009 was only the beginning of 'dubstep'. A genre that sees a lot of remixes is not going to be a hard act to follow, as most of the songs are widely familiar. And it feels like Dubstep is the Grimey of the North. It is music hugely influential in our clubs and party scenes, so yes, it is going to make its memorable mark in 2010, for sure. It seems many of you are into peace and love and can’t be bothered with the hassle of making a statement with music. Most of you even watch the X-Factor comments reserved. With the current economic climate, however, music with a message is what is most likely going to be more popular in 2010. With looming elections and most of us socially and politically aware, Indie, Metal and Pop rock is making a slow and steady move into the mainstream. We have bands like Muse, that are now being recognised as innovative music makers; Blur has just reunited; Coldplay, new bands like Florence and the Machine, The Noisettes, making huge marks on our music scene, and they have more to offer us in the new year.

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Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

2010: The Good, the Bad and the Fugly

‘Rage...’ are part of the machine

Ash Martin MUSIC EDITOR

ood lord, the year 2010 you say? Where's my hoverboard and why hasn't someone pulled me out of the Matrix? It appears that yet another decade has slipped by prematurely, leaving us anxious to discover what the future holds. As our toes gently test the postnoughties tide, music aficionados and industry bigwigs alike are crawling over each other to tell us who's going to be storming our waters like a ravenous great white in the coming year.

he problem with some of these 'hot for 2010' lists, however, is that they tend to stick in a few guppies just for good measure. Several of the artists on the BBC's 'Sound of 2010' roster reflect this, including the bore-folk maestros Stornaway, the bratty, unintelligible Daisy Dares You and the 'oh god not another indierock-meets-electro-pop' hipsters Two Door Cinema Club. Whilst all three of these examples might enjoy a brief flirt with fame, it's hard to anticipate bands that are essentially repackaging the same shit you've been listening to for years. Daisy Coburn of Daisy Dares You sounds as if she wants to be Lily Allen's techno savvy little sis, in that she forces her (probably false) London accent over souless electro bleeps and blips.

Similarly, Stornaway have been described as 'this year's Mumford and Sons'. Hang on a minute, what if we don't want this year's anything? How about something new for a change?

t's not all doom and gloom though, Marina and the Diamonds and Ellie Goulding will no doubt release some interesting stuff this year, both of which seem to draw influences like kids at a pic 'n' mix. Marina Diamandis (Marina and the Diamonds) has been canned as sort of young Liza Minelli bashing out Tori Amos-inspired dramatic pop, whilst Ellie Goulding has been branded a Stevie Nicks, Bjork and Kate Bush hybrid. La Roux and Lady GaGa may have appeared a little out there in 2009, but once you got past the hair wax and strange attire there was nothing that obscure about their music. 2010 could well be the year of the weird, with all manner of quirkiness crawling out of the woodwork. If you happen to be adverse to change and terrified at the thought of all this new stuff, don't fret as Spoon (OMG), Gorillaz (OMFG) and Massive Attack (OMFG SPOILERS!) will all be churning out big fat LPs for your listening pleasure before the year is up. Hallelujah.

RATM frontman Zac de la Rocha

James Bentley

he main issue I had with the 'Rage for Christmas number one' campaign was that it reeked of hypocrisy. RATM may write their own songs and might have worked hard to get to the top for nearly 20 years, but they are still part of the machine they were trying so desperately to rebel against. Signed to a major label (the same label as their runner-up, Joe McElderry, if you’re interested) the role of underdog would be much better for a young upand-coming band who don’t already have multiplatinum selling albums or millions in the bank.

The songs closing refrain of “fuck you I won’t do what you tell me” is meant to be a symbol of individuality and rebellion. Instead it got turned into a message of mass conformity. One can argue mass conformity is needed to tear down an existing conformity, but that is a piece for another time. I do feel quite bad for Joe in a weird way - the Rage single was being sold for as little as 29p compared to the 79p for a downloaded copy of The Climb, and almost five pounds for a physical copy - Joe fans no doubt spent more that week than Rage Against The Machine fans. Another reason I feel some sympathy for the guy is that many Rage fans purchased the single

from a multitude of websites. On the “get RATM to number 1” Facebook group people were bragging about how many times they downloaded it and listing the websites that count towards the charts. Joe’s fans are, on the whole, less bothered by the battle, so this apathy coupled with the higher price meant average Joe fans purchased only one copy - ironically selling to more individual customers. But he still didn’t get to number one, in the past mass-buying of singles from a shop was frowned upon. Now, in a digital age, has it suddenly become acceptable? It screams double standards to me, but hey if we’re fighting the power it’s fine to break the rules.

Fyfe Dangerfield: Fly Yellow Moon (album) Rosie Marsh

espite the fact that I adore Fyfe Dangerfield, his eccentricity and of course his charming name, I had to wonder that maybe he endured the fate of being a one-trick pony? His new album, Fly Yellow Moon, is reminiscent of previous

work; then again, the Guillemots were in essence the Fyfe-Show. Still, with a strong fan base it’s no wonder his UK tour dates for 2010 are selling faster than free food given out at the Students' Union (I dare to dream).

particular favourite track of mine on the album is Livewire, a

considerably underproduced acoustic offering, showcasing Dangerfield’s raw voice, and echoing the likes of Nick Drake, Damian Rice and, to a degree, Bon Iver. Faster Than The Setting Sun takes a more melodic and mature stroll through your ears, and flaunts Fyfe’s imaginative orange juice-wholesomeness song-writing style.

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Entertainment

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

At home with the Twins Music Editor, Ash Martin, caught up with Twin Atlantic, just before their 2010 UK tour

his Glaswegian four-piece have been making waves on the rock scene since the release of their 2009 mini-album Vivarium, which received a lot of good press and is, to put it bluntly, pretty bloody good. Your debut mini-album is called Vivarium what’s the idea behind the title? S: The glass case on the front is a metaphor for the point where we were trying to pick and write songs for the record. We felt stuck in one place, looking a little too inwardly all the time - the lyrics were all pretty selfish on my part. On the front cover there’s an image of this big solid, imposing structure and on

the back cover it’s smashed. The vivarium is supposed to be a whole metaphor for stepping out of your comfort zone. Even though we are a really new band we wanted to start afresh and to keep pushing ourselves. How long before we see a full-length album? S: This year. B: Yeah probably around the same time that Vivarium came out last year. S: December? It’s in the process of writing right now. We’re touring again this month and the start of February, hopefully we’re gonna play a new song on that tour, from the next record. We’ve got a month off to finish the writing on it. Are you recording this in LA again? S: I believe so, I think we are. We’ve not decided on who we’re going in with to record yet, it’s up in the air. I guess because we’ve not done the demos yet, no one has decided if they are a yes or a no. Yeah so, we don’t know man - maybe LA, maybe New York, maybe a fucking village in France. We simply don’t know yet.

Would you ever go back to the DIY approach? C: What doing it ourselves, on our own label or something? I dunno we’re kinda trapped now. S: We’re stuck. I guess that’s what happens when you sign on the dotted line. That’s why we’re going to be doing all our own demos and stuff, because we’re a pretty fucking hardworking band in that sense. [Ross enters]. There’s a big part of our band that still favours the whole DIY ethic - we drive ourselves around, buy all our gear ourselves. It’s not like everything is handed to us on a platter just because we got signed. It’s more like the start of our band. And your ultimateguitar.com videos? S: Oh shit... have you seen it? Is that something you’d make a habit out of? S: Ross probably knows about this the best because he runs our Twitter. R: Runs? I just write rubbish on it all day. [Maybe] not rubbish. People are always saying ‘oh the music industry is

changing’ and it is true. In the 1960s, 70s, 80s – we always talk about this - there was a kind of aloofness to the rockstar. They were always behind a curtain. No matter if they played to 20 people or 50,000 people, you didn’t really know a lot about them. S: Doing an interview was a big deal. R: Yeah because there wasn’t as much media, there wasn’t as much press. But now because there are so many more avenues, I think people demand to know more about you. In order for them to really immerse themselves in your band and become a fan of your band, because other bands provide that information, if you don’t then you will probably fall by the wayside. Do have any tips for aspiring musicians yourselves? S: I don’t know if we’re in that position. Hopefully some people have tips for us. C: I think for us our main tip is just practice as much as you can and if you want to take it seriously you have to make sacrifices. We kind of found that out pretty quickly after we started

this band. Within a month we were practising 5/6 times a week and you realise you can’t hold down jobs or go to uni at the same time really, or you’d do pretty badly. So we found if you want to take it seriously you have to make sacrifices along the way. Can you sum up Vivarium in three words? Sam: Really fucking good (I see a pattern emerging here folks). Sam McTrusty – Lead Vocals & Guitar Ross McNae – Bass, Piano & Vocals Barry McKenna – Guitar, Cello & Vocals Craig Kneale – Drums & Vocals Twin Atlantic will play the following UK dates: Jan 26 Joiners Arms, Southampton Jan 27 Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiﬀ Jan 28 Borderline, London Jan 29 Rock City, Nottingham Jan 30 O2 Academy 3, Birmingham Feb 01 O2 Academy 2, Sheﬃeld Feb 02 Cockpit, Leeds Feb 03 Night & Day, Manchester Feb 04 Digital, Newcastle Feb 06 ABC, Glasgow

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Entertainment

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Burn After Watching? In his quest to find modern cult classics, Brogan Morris stops off in the weird and witty world of the Coen brothers flick, Burn After Reading

f it came from the pen of the Coen Brothers, chances are that it will have a cult following. Their oddball films have led to concerts dedicated to the soundtrack (‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’) and even annual festivals (‘The Big Lebowski’).

owever, one of their most recent offerings, comedy thriller ‘Burn After Reading’, is perhaps their weirdest and most cult film yet. To describe the plot would be futile; there’s hardly anything resembling a story here. Needless to say, it involves retired CIA operative Osborne Cox

(John Malkovich), serial womaniser Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) and the problems that arise when Cox’s memoirs are stolen for ransom by airhead gym employees Linda Litzke and Chad Feldheimer (Francis McDormand and Brad Pitt). Not only is there the feeling that you’ve not quite seen anything like this before (especially not with such high profile stars) but the freewheeling, essentially plotless nature of ‘Reading’ frees up space for some wonderfully strange comic moments. Pfarrer’s mounting, unfounded paranoia is hilarious to watch (especially in a park

scene where he mistakes everyday people as spies), as is Cox’s foulmouthed ranting on his increasing frustration. The star turn here, though, is Pitt. His Chad Feldheimer is such a laugh-out-loud idiot you wonder why he doesn’t do comedy more. He gives lines like “Give us the money, dickwad!” such empty-headed pathos that he nearly steals the show. There is blackmailing (a great scene sees the much smarter Cox confuse attempted blackmailer Feldheimer into constantly repeating “appearances…can be deceptive…”), burglary, murder and then…it just ends. As though the

Coens got bored halfway through writing it, they simply wrap up the film by having two CIA operatives explain the rest of the story to us. It’s a genius touch to one of Hollywood’s most aimless and rambling movies.

itty, odd, at times frustrating… and endlessly watchable. The film rewards repeated viewings, and only reveals its strengths after a few watches, but such is the nature of this intentionally difficult piece. A hilarious cult movie. That is about nothing whatsoever.

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Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Travelling home for Christmas...or rather not

Gary Young FILM EDITOR

s I sit here, four days before Christmas, I am stuck. The half-inch of snow that has fallen over Huddersfield means that I can no longer be certain of making it home in time for turkey and sprouts. Instead, I am faced with the worrying prospect of a microwave meal for one on 25 December. As a result, and as a means to maintain my calm in the

face of a potentially miserable Christmas, I have decided to focus on the films that I am looking forward to in 2010.

op of the list has to be Iron Man 2, Jon Favreau’s superhero franchise has all the hallmarks of a potential classic, in particular, Downey Jr’s Tony Stark is one of Hollywood’s most charismatic creations

since Jack Sparrow. Combined with a stellar supporting cast, including franchise-newcomers Scarlet Johanssen and Mickey Rourke, this could be the summer’s must see blockbuster.

f you’ve got something a little deeper than the usual Hollywood fare in mind, The Road might be more up your street. Based on Cormack McCarthy’s acclaimed bestseller, it

tells the story of a man and his son as they travel a post-apocalyptic America desperately trying to survive. The book itself is a remarkable story of loss, fear and fatherly love. With director John Hillcoat (The Proposition) at the helm and Viggo Mortensen in the lead role the film has fantastic potential and has already generated significant Oscar buzz.

Another cheesy disaster movie bites the dust...or, in reality, makes it big Brogan Morris

scar season is fast approaching. We’ve almost reached that time of year where awards-worthy cinema hits our screens in abundance, and some of the best films of the year come to the fore. Unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet, and it’s still a month or so to go before top-flight, Academy Awardcontenders begin hitting our screens week after week.

ut don’t worry, because Roland Emmerich is back this month. Yes, Hollywood’s FX King (with Michael Bay as his Queen) has returned to gift us with yet another slice of mind-numbingly cheesy wonderment in the form of ‘2012’. Emmerich, who can somehow make a silly disaster movie dull like some kind of fun-

vacuum, presents us with another human disaster story as he follows one dysfunctional family’s attempt to survive a host of natural disasters ravaging the Earth. However, not content with just filling up his movie with endless CGI or taking up the time of quality actors such as John Cusack and Woody Harrelson (who, let’s face it, isn’t going to be around forever), the director appears to have wholly copied the look and concept of ‘The Day After Tomorrow’. It’s a new low because he made ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, so he’s essentially ripping himself off. Fortunately, Emmerich has cleverly navigated around this by inserting the Mayan prophecy of the coming apocalypse into the plot, so it’s fine really. And in all fairness, Emmerich must be some kind of master magician, because how else would he repeatedly lure

millions of people into the cinema to see his movies (as he cackles like an escaped lunatic on his way to the nearest bank)? I don’t want to put anyone off (obviously), but out of a back catalogue that includes ‘Godzilla’ and ‘10,000 BC’, ‘Independence Day’ is by a country mile his best film, which doesn’t bode very well for ‘2012’, which will be released on DVD in March. Emmerich has cleverly navigated around this...so it’s fine really.

t seems this has been exactly the way critics have gone for Spike Jonze’s upcoming ‘Where The Wild Things Are’. Based on the eponymous children’s book about a young boy who escapes his bleak life for a dream world inhabited by big furry monsters, director Jonze

has apparently darkened the material significantly for adults, even leading small children to cry their eyes out at test screenings.

lthough it has stormed the American box office, ‘Wild Things’ has also polarised US critics. Some think it’s a modern classic, while others find it a poor adaptation, which could have something to do with the fact that kids across the country are crapping themselves at the sight of loveable, cuddly creatures planning to eat an eight-year-old boy. The cast, including Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo and the voices of James Gandolfini and Forrest Whitaker as the Wild Things, is exceptional. At least Oscar season’s just around the corner. If it’s the masterpiece some say it is, then, well, we all enjoy a good film don’t we? Everybody wins.

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Entertainment

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Good game... A A Taking a break from his radio show, Leon Somi questions why game-to-film adaptations are just, so...bad

nyone remember the Super Mario Bros film of 1993? Thought not. One would think that a film based on gaming's most recognisable hero would have a film that remains distinctly familiar. So what is wrong with the game/film genre? Why isn't there a film that truly epitomises a game’s character? As a director/producer, the fundamental backbone with such a concept is choosing the right one, as with every game no matter how hard you try it cannot be transferred onto the big screen. Most games are far beyond any form of realism; that translating them ends up looking more like a parody rather than a re-imagining. On many occasions film conglomerates have ignored this pivotal notion, with Super Mario Bros being the grand example. Super Mario Bros the game is full of colour, magic and imagination, and when a film effectively scratches

that away, it inevitably and unintentionally develops its own identity, causing rage amongst its many fans.

any directors seem adamant that the film has to incorporate the same story that the game holds, in order for it to appeal to its fan base; this is unattainable, as like with books, a games length has to be taken into consideration with the average game lasting around the twelve hour mark. It is impossible to recreate a game in roughly 120 minutes without damaging the source’s material. A film must retain the persona of the game whilst creating its own identity in order for it to succeed, as many have rightly been unsuccessful because of this. Films such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Hitman have failed to create the dynamics of their respective games, instead filling them with generic storylines that don't replicate any of the

key aesthetics portrayed in the games.

nother damning aspect to the game/film industry is when a film attempts to branch out in the market. Directors and producers seem to believe that creating a film solely intended for its fans will alienate the casual film goer; this may hold some truth, however you cannot ignore that there is a niche in the market for the perfect video game movie and most importantly every gamer is screaming out for one. For such a concept to ever work the film has to work very closely with the people that first imagined the game. Hitman, Max Payne and Tomb Raider are examples of when directors suggest they hold enough knowledge to create a film that truly resembles the game, often ignoring the game creators believing they are of a separate industry. In order for one to succeed you have to

have as much knowledge as you can about your project. There are people out in the world that live and breathe their games and these are the people that should be directing: the people that show compassion, determination and most importantly listen to their audience. Directors such as Christopher Gans, Corey Yuen and Paul Anderson should stick to their films and let the original creators direct their games, as not only will this give the genre well deserved respectability, but it will also appease many raging fans. Whether this will happen or not I sincerely doubt it, as not only is it a tried and tested formulae to rip off the game industry, but it’s also a lot easier to piece together a generic storyline that will appeal to both the standard man and the general gamer. Leon Somi is the host of RadioHudd's ButtonBashers every Wednesday fortnightly, from 1-2pm

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Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

It took me long enough...but I got it Carly Street GAMES & TECH EDITOR

was “umming and arring” about whether to buy Borderlands when it first came out; my boss said it was good, but he also said it was an awful lot like Fallout 3 (my favourite game) which put me off a little, as it would never be able to live up to Fallout. Then I went to EuroGamer in Leeds to have a look at all the new games that were coming out and Borderlands was one of them. There were eight Xbox 360s together, four on either side of a makeshift wall, and there were queues for each one. I used my small frame and my feminine wiles to get to the front sharpish and commenced play. Two weeks later, GAME were still sold out of Borderlands and I was desperate. Then, out of nowhere, someone traded a mint copy in, as it was a duplicated present with no receipt, and I pounced.

he game starts off with a bit of an explanation about the world you are to explore and what your goal is; you are to find the mythical vault and plunder its treasures. Then cuts the awesome opening sequence with music by Cage the Elephant, and the four characters that you choose from are introduced: Mordecai with his snipers and revolvers, Lilith with her SMGs and elemental

Welcome to Gen 8. How much farther can we go?

weapons, Roland with his shotguns and combat rifles and Brick who is built like a “Brick” shit house. See what I did there? The control system is smooth and feels comfortable, with no straining for buttons. The music is similar to that of Firefly, the TV show, if you’ve ever watched it and changes when you are in the middle of a battle to a fast-paced American Indian tune.

he thing that caught my eye the most about the game was the graphics. I want to say cell-shaded, but they just don’t have that ‘Zelda: The Wind Waker’ look, as the details are picked out with pencil, so it looks like the concept artist has literally drawn on to the in-game characters and the levels. Looking at the sand dunes shows that they have been shaded by hand. You can play the game on your own, two-player split-screen or with up to four players on-line. The more players, the harder the monsters, the bigger the loot.

astly, the pure amount of guns and missions that this game has will give you hours, if not days, of game play. Now good students of Huddersfield, go, with my blessing, to purchase this, the most wondrous of games: Borderlands by George it’s ruddy good.

Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR

icrosoft’s Xbox360, Sony’s Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. These are the three games consoles that make up the current generation of video games. We are currently living in the age of the 7th generation of gaming, believe it or not.

hat is the first gen, then?' I hear you ask. The Nintendo Entertainment System? The Sega Mega Drive? Nope, wrong. If the current gen is the pipe smoking, matured man of gaming, then those two are the punk-ass teenagers, being members of the 4th and 5th gens respectively. No, first gen consoles are made up of bricks, like the Mangnavox Odyssey and Coleco Telstar - I’ve never heard

of them either. ut wait, I’m not going to take you back to the past, oh no. I’m here to talk about the present and why I think the current generation is the pinnacle of gaming technology. Gaming is the best it's ever been, it’s popularity soaring; the world’s population is no longer solely made up of sweaty unwashed outcasts like when I was young, now it's cool to have an Xbox or PS3 in your front room - a fact I am only slightly bitter about. With the three machines making more money than Hollywood, the return has been growing by leaps and bounds every year since the consoles were released a few short years ago. Titles like Bioshock pushed the bounties on artistic, atmospheric gaming. Wii Sports introduced casual gaming to the masses and LittleBigPlanet let you run around in a world

made of cocks and balls, showing innovation in so many fields of gaming that pretty much anyone can find a game they will be interested in. My main point here is that, with the amazing power and creativity of these new consoles, I honestly can’t see them getting much better than they are. Beautiful games like Fallout 3 prove that visual improvements can only go so far. I am of the belief that, after seven generations of tweaking and improving, the current gen is the pinnacle of gaming and, if there is to be an 8th generation, its not going to be for another 10 years, although that’s what Sony are claiming.

ll that being said, in all likelihood I’m probably totally wrong and we will be jacking into our video games in a method akin to the Matrix before we know it.

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Arts

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Fashion fades, only style remains the same Ellen McIntyre FASHION EDITOR

elcome to the new decade; an opportunity for a whole bunch of new fashion mistakes. This month's section focuses on the worst offenders of the last ten years and presents you with an opportunity to rummage through your wardrobe and throw out (donate/ recycle) what we’ve called “The Burn List”.

Of course if these become fashionable again and you’ve thrown out the original retro version, don’t blame me. Hey, it could happen. Look at the popularity of vintage in the last few years – which, by the way, will be the focus of next month's issue. Anyone interested in contributing please contact me. This month I’ve also

reviewed, eternally stylish, Gabrielle Chanel’s biopic film, “Coco before Chanel”, which is being re-shown at the Lawrence Batley theatre. This month I’ll leave you with a quote from the legendary lady herself: “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” All the best for the New Year.

Coco Before Chanel Fashion Editor, Ellen McIntyre finally got to see last year’s fashion biopic which will soon be showing at Lawrence Batley Theatre

or those who missed it first time around (myself included), July film release “Coco Before Chanel” is being re-shown at the Laurence Batley theatre.

or fans of the French couturier, the biopic chronicles the designers’ early life as a struggling orphan, failed singer and deals with her love affairs with rich suitors. However, the film leaves the audience at the dawn of Gabrielle Chanel’s, undeniably impressive career, and is thus a highly selective account of her life. It remains

silent on its heroine’s amiable relations with the Third Reich, accused homophobia and antiSemitic views. Nonetheless, these moral failings shouldn’t distract from Audrey Tautou’s star turn as the legendary fashion designer, who shows how a single actor’s screen presence can go a long way to redeeming an average film. She said in an interview with The Telegraph that, “It was more interesting to get as deep as possible in [Chanel’s] sensitivity and creation, rather than just giving the main cliché of her life.” Her Coco is a thin, boyish creature, preferring to dress in

male clothing which shockingly juxtaposed the flowery hats and corseted finery of her age. Yet her attraction is offset by determination, a sulky demeanour and will of iron.

nother upcoming film at the Lawrence Batley that you may be interested in is Bright Star. In 1818, a secret love affair begins between 23 year-old English poet, John Keats (Ben Whishaw), and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), an out-spoken student of high fashion. Showing 28 February.

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Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Noughties fashion burn list The noughties gave rise to many good things, but Ellen McIntyre will be happy to leave some of it confined to the pages of history...or on fire

scar Wilde once said fashion was "a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months". Had the playwright been alive today he would have probably been able to whittle the time down to six minutes. At the end of each decade we like to think that maybe this time we'll look back at what we've been wearing and say "Ok guys, I know we've had some absolute shockers in the past. But this time, I think we’ve got it". Unfortunately as a species, we are habitual offenders and not, I repeat not, to be trusted. And when it comes to sartorial shockers, the noughties have been no different from the perms of the eighties and the overalls of the nineties. A new decade means a new start, so, go home, rummage through your wardrobes and bin - in fact, burn - any of these noughties rejects, in preparation for the new rubbish we’ll replace it with.

et’s begin with Crocs. I think that’s enough said really. Nobody actually likes these and think they look good right?

egend has it that “Ugg” is short for ugly which certainly explains Ugg boots. Now I realise that by putting this one down it’s going to be controversial but they really are hideous. Especially worn with short skirts (at least jeans hide them a little bit), the contrast of the seasons is too much for my little brain to handle. In several years time you’ll look back on them and say, “What was I thinking?” I know they’re warm but they kind of collapse in on themselves so they look like the wearer is walking on the insides of their feet, which obviously isn’t a great look. Perhaps replace these with this year’s hot fashion shoe, the lace up boot, worn with the messy laces and the tongue pulled down a bit.

ow about 2009 festival favourite, shutter shades? I’m blaming Kanye “I’ll

let you finish in a second” West for this one. I just don’t get them, there’s no lens, that’s not a pair of glasses. Seriously, I think Topshop conned you when they got you to pay for those bits of plastic that resembled glasses except with bars across the part you need to see out of.

n 2000 we saw the return of the popped collar; unfortunately I’ve seen a resurgence of it again recently. Turn your collars down, it’s not cool, you’re not from the nineteenth century.

ext on the burn list is Juicy Couture tracksuits. Velour is quite possibly the most tragic material known to fashion, it’s just not flattering. Also, it’s the range of colours I’ve seen them in which actually scares me, I’m pretty sure even Kate Moss couldn’t pull off orange velour from head to toe. And remember, just because it’s what the WAGs are wearing doesn’t make it fashionable. If you like comfortable clothing perhaps you should consider buying some

harems, which are more versatile too.

nd finally the hipster jean, made popular in 2001 (primarily due to Britney Spears and, well, we’ve all seen what’s happened to her). To be honest, I haven’t seen a pair of really low cut hipster jeans for years, none like my unfortunate pair anyway. I just can’t imagine what people liked about them; bums and muffin tops spilling over the top of jeans can’t ever have been a good look. Anyone who’s tempted to buy a pair (I have no idea where you’d even get them from), I ask you to stop and reconsider a nice pair of skinny’s, or boyfriend jeans or even jeggings, anything but the hipster.

ow that the decade is over we have another ten years ahead of us to make the same mistakes again. The items above will probably become fashionable and you’ll own the original retro version. I told you we don’t learn.

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Sport

Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Get involved in your SU this New Year James Cooper SPORTS EDITOR You might feel that in 2009, you should have exercised more or took part in something new. I certainly do. My health has probably dropped substantially since I have been at University. As the New Year rolls in, it's time to start thinking about that thing they call the "New Year’s Resolution." Sounds scary doesn't it? But not really when you can see what help is on hand at the Students' Union to help you through it. The iZone starts another year by offering a whole host of sports and societies to get involved with. With three types of Football (American, Gaelic and the old

fashioned Soccer), some odd ones like Board riding, Archery and Volleyball, and many more, there is plenty on offer to keep you fit and active. And for whatever you’re into, the amount of societies you can join is extensive, ranging from the Anime and Asian Film Society, to the Medieval Re-enactment Society. So whatever your New Year’s Resolution, there is plenty for you to do within your Uni life. For anyone wanting to either take up a new sport, or start a new team or society, your first port of call should be the iZone on the first floor of the SU. The staff there, alongside VP Sports & Societies Haydn ‘Tank’ Stead will be able to help you join a team or start your own.

Return of the King

Retired Schumacher returns to F1

James Cooper SPORTS EDITOR

o, it's not a movie reference, the King really is back, and it's going to be a season to remember. Michael Schumacher is Formula One's best known and most successful driver, having 91 wins and 7 world championships under his belt after his retirement at the end of the tumultuous

2006 season, everyone thought he was done with racing for good. Having flown the Scuderia's banner for years he stayed with the team as a technical consultant, in 2009 things changed.

ollowing Schumacher's failed attempt to return to the sport in the summer, a new opportunity arised with the new world champions Brawn GP, and having being bought over my

German car manufacturer's Mercedes, the door was open for the King to step back into the cockpit having received the offer from the person he won 5 world championships with, Ross Brawn.

ichael Schumache r will race along side compatriot Nico Rosberg in March 2010.

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Huddersﬁeld Student | January 2010 www.hslive.co.uk

Happy new year and welcome to a new look Sport section James Cooper SPORTS EDITOR

appy New Year everybody. I'm hoping you all had an excellent Christmas. I certainly did.

he three-week break has refreshed us all, willing and waiting for the new term to get back into full swing and the New Year is showing some great

change for the paper. Some of that involves me as your new Sports Editor.

s I see it, Sport is a pretty important part of University life, especially within the Students' Union, with all those sports and societies you can get involved with. Over the next couple of issues I'll be giving you a run down of what you can

get yourself involved in, and how you can dive right into the action University sport comes before, and above, all other sport here. Well, it is a University paper so why wouldn't it?

feel pretty proud to be writing to you all as Sports Editor, and I hope you enjoy this month's issue.

Stars of the next ten years Tom Scargill

Jack Rodwell

The past decade has seen the emergence of a glittering array of English talent burst into the Premier League. By the turn of the Millennium, football fans across the country were unaware of the bright young things that were just around the corner. The likes of Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Theo Walcott have all shone in an England shirt in the past ten years, but who will be donning the Three Lions with pride in the next ten? If anyone is building a reputation in England as a star of the future, then it is Everton’s Jack Rodwell. The 18-year-old seems to have all the attributes required to make it to the very top. His composure belies his tender age while his passing, tackling and

sheer presence on the field are to be greatly admired. A move to Manchester United has already been strongly suggested and a place in England’s midfield is practically a certainty within the next couple of years if his rapid progress continues. Alongside him in the England midfield of the future could be Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. New Year’s Day saw him turn 18 and could be the start of a memorable decade for the attacking midfielder. He couldn’t have a better tutor than Arsene Wenger, who will ensure Wilshere gets the best possible chance to fulfill his undoubted potential. If his starring roles in some of Arsenal’s Carling Cup games are anything to go by, then the Gunners and England have a very exciting prospect on their hands. Wilshere's Emirates

team-mate Kieran Gibbs may complete the leftside of England’s team in a few years. He has naturally drawn comparisons with Ashley Cole, with his lightning pace and attacking prowess. After being thrust into the limelight during Arsenal’s Champions League semifinal defeat to Manchester United, Gibbs has suffered with injuries but is set for a future as Arsenal’s first choice left-back despite competition from Gael Clichy. Perhaps the most highprofile starlet is Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck. He is highly thought of by Sir Alex Ferguson who considers him as an outsider for inclusion in Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad. The 19-yearold striker burst onto the scene with a debut goal from 25-yards against

Stoke at Old Trafford last season and featured prominently in United’s successful Carling Cup campaign. He is bound to improve under the influence of Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov and is already a fans’ favourite in Manchester. England’s current goalkeeping problems may not be solved any time soon, but perhaps the next few years may see the Huddersfield Town stopper Alex Smithies emerge as the long-term solution. The 19-year-old is yet to play in either of the top two divisions in England but is almost guaranteed to secure a move to a big club in the near future. Blessed with superb shotstopping ability and excellent reactions, he has the potential to become a future England number one if he continues his development.

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