Approval for UWE stadium confirmed Page 23
Black History Month Page 10
Bristol Boutiques Page 13
Interview with the cast of Geordie Shore Page 18
WesternEye w w w. we s te r n eye . n e t
UWE’s Student Voice - Issue No. 2 - October 2012
GABRIEL SCALLY...
NEW UNION DELAYED UNTIL 2014
WHO?
Zoe Hatziantoniou
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> UWE is spending £8.8 million on the development > South Gloucestershire Planning Department have growing concerns over the visual impact of the the new building Rebecca Day news@westerneye.net
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he new Students’ Union - set to be constructed by September 2013 - has encountered delays in clearing the building’s planning application, resulting in an additional £400,000 being spent on design and other fees. With delays predicted to be up to 12 months, the new building will not be ready for use until 2014. The University has already agreed to spend £8.8 million on the build, which includes
taxes, fees and infrastructures. The South Gloucestershire Planning Department have growing concerns over the visual impact of the new SU building, after the local council highlighted a Grade II listed building - the UWE Farmhouse in close proximity to the plot. The UWE Farmhouse is home to the Vice Chancellor’s Executive Team. UWESU’s Project Co-ordinator, Alex
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The University were aware of the implications of building near a grade II listed building
Bright states: “The University were aware of the implications of building near a grade II listed building, but not to the extent it’s ended up being.” “The project is now picking up again, and next week we should have some visuals of the building’s new location and shape - slightly east of the original plot.” UWESU are to publish rendered drawings of the building to give a ‘realistic impression of the building’s actual impact on the Farmhouse’. The announcement on the Students’ Union website Continues on page 2
he origins of town planning can be traced back to one of its primary aims of improving public health and in doing so, acknowledging the need to reach out to many sectors. Some of these include transport, community safety and the general capacity to form the physical environment that surrounds us and plays its role in our lives. However, this should not be perceived as the ending point, but rather as a starting one for the creation of ambitious aims and for the delivery of successful, healthy urban environments. These ambitious aims are best captured and promoted by Professor Gabriel Scally who, with a very impressive number of interests in this area, has been selected as the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments at UWE, Bristol. He best provides solutions to the diversity of problems with which town planning is faced, and need to be faced. He has also been the Regional Director of public health for the South West region since the early 1990s. Professor Scally has also promoted the development of courses at UWE relating to the conjunction of the fields of health, the profession of place making and sustainability. The WHO Collaborating Centre does not only have close relationships with the planning system at the local level, but also with a wide range of stakeholders at the national one. The overarching objective that has Continues on page 4
A message from the team > > Page 2
Inside Western Eye
Doctors applaud program developed at UWE to help GPs learn about the early stages of cancer News >> 3
An Evening with two of the UK’s most accomplished and exciting climbers Sport >> 24
The price we paid for our Olympic success. Two students share their opinion towards London 2012 Comment >> 6
Mercury Prize 2012: The 12 nominated acts have been announced Arts & Entertainment >> 19
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Western Eye October 2012
Continued from page 1 states: “Much work is going into overcoming the Council’s concerns, including minor changes to its visual appearance and exact proximity.” Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UWE, John Rushforth, has confirmed that a revised design has been developed that accommodates the Council’s concerns. “We were disappointed that the Council did not identify any significant concerns regarding our approach to heritage when we were discussing concepts with them,” states Rushforth. “It did not arise at all in any of the public consultations events that we held. It was only when we had made a commitment and developed a detailed design that they raised the issue. Unfortunately it has meant we have lost a year and we will have to spend an additional £400,000.” The new Students’ Union building is a part of UWE’s “masterplan”, which also contains the development of the controversial UWE stadium, a transport hub and the Faculty of Environment and Technology. The aim of the construction is to have the UWE Students’ Union at the ‘heart’ of the new campus, instead of at its current location in F Block on Frenchay Campus. Whilst UWE were ‘convinced that the original design would have provided very effective links to the campus’, Rushforth states: “We are taking advantage of the delay to integrate more closely these works into [the] developments to the heart of the campus, and it may be possible to recoup some of that additional cost. The main
Plans for the new Students’ Union building were released in 2011 thing to realise is however, that at no time have we been prepared to compromise on our desire for a first class building that meets the needs of the students’ union. “ When Western Eye spoke with Nick Loughlin - UWE’s Travel Smart Project Manager - earlier on in the year, he disclosed that he wasn’t entirely sure when the transport hub would be built, but he confirmed that it would not be in time for when the new Students’ Union building was to be built in 2013.
“It looks likely that more of the campus redevelopment will happen alongside our new building now. [Therefore] we won’t sit in a building site for a year, but [instead we will] be surrounded by new landscape and areas,” says Alex Bright. Former UWESU’s President, Colin Offler, stated in May’s edition of the Western Eye that he was ‘confident [the SU] could meet the challenge’, although the projected dates were tight. It would appear that if the Students’ Union building
was to be contructed by September 2012, there would not have been anything surrounding the build to support its development. Some may argue that the new Students’ Union could have been a lost cause for a year - why would students want to venture to an under-developed part of the University that resembles something of a building site? With UWE’s history of keeping to projected dates being less than satisfactory - the move from St Matthias to Frenchay is a prime
example - the new Students’ Union building appears to be no exception. Can UWE really afford to keep compensating for these expensive mistakes, when staff redundancies are being made across the university? Students are still able to submit their ideas about what they would like to see in the new building. Visit www. uwesu.org/representation/ask-uwe/ lets-build/ideas to have your say.
Westworld is Western Eye’s primary supplement. We operate as a platform for creative arts students at UWE to showcase their work in print, or via audio and video on the Western Eye website or on our weekly radio show, Western Eye Radio. If you would like us to feature your work in our November issue, please email the Westworld team at westworld@westerneye.net. For all enquires regarding online content, contact Liam Corcoran at headofonline@westerneye.net. Art. Craft. Comedy. Creative Writing. Dance. Digital Media. Graphic Design. Film. Music. Performance. Photography. Theatre.
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Western Eye is published by University of the West of England Students’ Union, 4th Floor F Block, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol. BS16 1QY. Some elements of this newspaper are distributed under a Creative Commons License; please get in contact for more details. WesternEye is printed by Mortons Ltd, Lincolnshire. We believe in making WesternEye as accessible as possible. You can access this publication in PDF format at www.westerneye.net. If you require a different format please get in touch with the Editor (below). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent that of UWESU. We are all human, and sometimes we make mistakes; any problems please contact the Editor at editor@westerneye.net.
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Western Eye October 2012
Mental Health Roadshow AvonRider > UWESU take to the road to encourage students to be more open minded towards mental health > Vice President for Community and Welfare, Louise Goux-Wirth explains how students can get involved
Louise Goux-Wirth news@westerneye.net
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WE Students’ Union started the conversation to end mental health discrimination last October 2011, when we took part in Mental Health Awareness Day, and then later in February signed the Time To Change pledge. As a charitable organisation, pledging to support Time to Change was a public display of our commitment to tackling mental health discrimination. We have put together a Mental Health Awareness Road Show to visit all 5 campuses of UWE, from the Monday 8th- 12th October, to encourage individuals to be more open about mental health. UWE is a diverse community of 30,000 students. If 1in4 will have a mental health problem within their lifetime, that make 7,500 students approximately will be experiencing mental health. It is crucial that as a Students’ Union we campaign on issues that affect students here at UWE.
“You wouldn’t say man up if someone had cancer. You wouldn’t say man up if someone had broken their leg. So I don’t think that we should say man up when someone has a mental health issue.” Holly Ridson, UWE 1st Year student UWE Bristol Wellbeing Services has provided substantial support in making this campaign successful. It is essential that the commitment to end mental health discrimination here at UWE has support from the top, and help inspire a culture in the organisation where discrimination has no place, and work to actively challenge stigma can flourish. The Wellbeing Service provide support for students with a variety of personal development and mental health needs, and as part of their services, they provide mental health support, and counselling. NUS National Union of Students of Scotland recently carried out a survey into mental wellbeing Silently
Stressed, and some of the results showed that 54% of participants sought support from family or friends, when only 17.3% sought support from institutional counselling. This is why its’ essential that students know where they can get help and support, to ensure that their whole student experience is the best that it can be. A good mental Wellbeing impacts on so many aspects of students lives; from their satisfaction on their course, to their ability to settle into university life. At a time of profound change in the higher education sector, student retention is a key concern for universities today. It essential that the services that are on offer, are visible, effective, and at a high quality, to ensure that students have a good student experience. The Mental Health Awareness Road Show aims to take the message to each UWE campus, through an interactive and engaging campaign. University life can be challenging, if you don’t know where to ask for help. We hope to build bridges for students, and create a culture where of positive wellbeing. We hope you’ll join us in the conversation to end stigma mental health.
> New travel card aims to provide students with unlimited travel across multiple services Liam Corcoran news@westerneye.net
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us companies in South West have joined together to provide a travelcard which spans nearly all of the bus networks in the region. Known as the “AvonRider”, the card will allow you to jump on nearly all the operators throughout the South West, with more able to join whenever they choose. So far, Abus, Bath Bus Company, Bakers-Dolphin, CT Coaches, Crosville Motor Services, Faresaver, First, North Somerset Coaches, Severnside Transport, Somerbus, Webber Bus and Wessex are all part of the scheme and you can travel to WestonSuper-Mare, Norton Radstock, Bath, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Avonmouth, Clevedon and Portishead. The ticket is designed to allow people travelling long distances save money, costing £7.50 where ever you go. It is aimed at people who live in the more rural areas, or areas which only one bus service caters, allowing them to use one ticket for the entire day. It will help save money as it removes the cost of having to buy a new single or return ticket when getting on to a different operator. Talking about the launch of the new travelcard, John Burch, 5 days. 5 campuses. 1 message. spokesman for the West of England Let’s end mental health discrimination Bus Operators Association, the organisation behind the roll out of the Monday 8th October – Frenchay new ticket, says: “The development Tuesday 9th October – Bower Ashton of this multi operator travelcard is Wednesday 10th October – St Matts significant. It is something that the Thursday 11th October – Glenside operators have worked on together Friday 12th October – Hartpury for the benefit of customers. “It will mean that a customer can
travel throughout the entire West of England region, using multiple different operators’ services for one set price. The travelcard can be bought on any of the operators’ services making the process of getting
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It will mean that a customer can travel throughout the entire West of England region, using multiple different opeartors’ services
one really simple for the customer. This will ultimately save customers time and money and make travelling by bus much easier for everyone.” The “AvonRider” should also make day trips a lot cheaper if you are thinking about going to Bath or Western-Super-Mare for the day. Before this new ticket, you would have to hop between buses and the cost soon added up. Now, one ticket will get you away for the day.
UWE develops GP Sim > New program developed at UWE to help gps learn more about the early signs of cancer is applauded by doctors at trial stage
Lucie Behn news@westerneye.net “I’d like to ask some screening questions for possible causes of this lump. Have you ever had sex with a prostitute or another man, or injected drugs?” What an opener to the new GP SIM, developed by Simon Messer and his team in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at UWE. Cancer is something which affects so many of us and the main objective of this online simulation is to aid GPs in learning more about the early signs of cancer. In 2009, Cancer Research UK announced that late diagnosis of cancer was definitely a major contributor to the poor survival in England of patients with cancer. Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director said: “These delays in patients presenting with symptoms and cancer being diagnosed at a late stage inevitably costs lives.” Not something you really like to hear.
Something seriously needed to be done to address this issue but this simulation might just be the answer. The program which has been created by the HLS team at UWE has been developed in collaboration with Avon Somerset and Wiltshire Cancer Services. GP Sim features virtual patients that simulate a series of consultations, giving the partaker decisions to make enabling them to make a final diagnosis. The patients history and medical records, such as X-rays, medication and past diagnosis, are all available to view for each particular patient. Being a science undergraduate myself I thought I would have a go, to see what all the fuss was about. There are currently three different consultations available online to trial. Although I am a Biological Sciences student, I am a novice in this area and found the simulations really interesting. I found it quite endearing
that as you begin the simulation you are informed that, “You are still in morning surgery and you are currently running 20 minutes behind schedule!” The three simulations each have their own patient who interacts with you. You are also given plenty of background medical information for your patient. At each step of the simulation there are several options of which you can chose from. There is no right or wrong answer, and whatever you chose it leads on to many other steps of the consultation. I thought this was quite a nice touch, as at the end of consultation you are given guidance as to where you had gone wrong, with a thorough explanation. I thought each of the explanations I received, once completing the simulation, were really clear. The information was displayed in a good format so you didn’t have heaps of waffle to sift through, as well as html links provided for further reading. You were even given an option to run that particular simulation again. I myself tend to learn best by physically undertaking a
Patient number three, Sarah Hodges. Picture: UChoose task, to cement that information into my brain. So in that respect I think this program is a great idea. Each of the three simulations were completely different to the next, allowing you to improve your knowledge over a wide subject area, with each of the patients having completely different symptoms and medical history. The simulation was very easy to use and wasn’t too time consuming either, each simulation
took between 5-10 minutes. I really enjoyed how interactive the program was and also how easily accessible it would be. From a young person’s point of view, I think it is great for things like this to be easily available online. Although this is a really simple idea, I really believe it has the potential to make the difference. So the GP SIM gets two big thumbs up from me!
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Continued from page 1 been set is to fill the gap between the profession of place making and health. Professor Scally’s professional work commenced in the 1990s as an NHS public health director. His aim has been to promote the well being in leading healthier lifestyles, not only with individuals, but also with their communities. More specifically, he emphasizes the importance of the creation of high quality inner city areas. This can work towards tackling the many problems faced by today’s urban population, with which Professor Scally is concerned. These include primarily obesity and heart disease, mainly resulting from the lack of exercise. However, it does not end here: the leadership of Professor Scally can be seen through the many healthrelated causes that he has taken part in. One of the best examples includes the Smokefree South West: this initiative aims “to reduce smoking rates in the South West” and to further establish the negative
Western Eye October 2012 impacts that tobacco can have on individuals and their surroundings. Professor Scally has also contributed chapters in books and has written numerous academic articles. When asked about the areas of town planning and health, a fourth year student in this field at UWE has stated that planning plays a crucial role in public health and in so many more areas in peoples’ lives. There needs to be substantial consideration in the way that we can create healthy environments. This is directly related to the need to encourage individuals to lead healthier lifestyles, by reducing the reliance on cars and public transport and to promote walking and cycling. Professor Scally will be granted with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by UWE, to honor his success in raising awareness and creating strong networks between the fields of planning and health.
Gabriel Scally has been appointed as Director of the WHO Centre at UWE. Picture: BrookCharity
The Department of Health release new Suicide Prevention Strategy > What support is available for young people who are bereaved or affected by suicide? > What is being done to prevent it? Tom Renhard news@westerneye.net
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Recently, there has been an increased focus on tackling mental health stigmas and raising awareness. However, there is another area that often goes unchecked when it comes to open and honest discussions – the issue of suicide and what is being done to prevent it. Therefore, barriers need to be broken down and discussions on ‘tough subjects’ should be normalized.
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There is a lack of ‘sufficient information about numbers of suicides or about what interventions might be helpful
On 10 September 2012 the new suicide prevention strategy was released by the Department of Health, entitled Preventing suicide
in England: A cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives. It sought to achieve ‘a reduction in the suicide rate in the general population in England; and better support for those bereaved or affected by suicide’, with six key areas for action. 1. Reduce the risk of suicide in key high-risk groups 2. Tailor approaches to improve mental health in specific groups 3. Reduce access to the means of suicide 4. Provide better information and support to those bereaved or affected by suicide 5. Support the media in delivering sensitive approaches to suicide and suicidal behaviour 6. Support research, data collection and monitoring. Many of these areas are similar to the suicide prevention strategy of 2002, but with an increased focus on provisions of support services available for the bereaved. The strategy will be targeting specific groups with a much more tactful approach, this includes members of the LGBT community; people living with long-term physical health conditions; Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and asylum seekers; people with untreated depression; people misusing drugs or alcohol; and also those vulnerable due to economic and social circumstances, but to name a few. One issue that has been identified regarding the strategy is that there is a lack of ‘sufficient information about numbers of suicides or about
Picture: Alternakive what interventions might be helpful’ for a number of these groups. It would suggest more work needs to be done in the area of community engagement to ensure liberation groups are able to contribute to a strategy that works for all. For this strategy to move forward effectively, it must be taken seriously by the media as well as pro-actively recognising a need for mental health care on the same par as physical health care. When an individual feels they are unable to talk about their troubles it can often lead to a manifestation of negative feelings. For some people, it can be taken as ‘feeling weak’
by asking for help. Questions are being raised over how this plays out across the genders, as suicide rates for males are three times higher than for females. Is this because we still live in the era of the ‘strong and silent type’ or because there aren’t the same avenues for men to discuss their well-being? For a number of people mental health issues build up over years. Therefore, an effort to tackle the discussion as early as possible is vitally important. From raising awareness at secondary school level, it will better prepare individuals through the transitional period of
their teenage years and beyond. It is during these earlier stages of adulthood when it can be best addressed, from challenging stigmas and tackling cyber-bullying, to having an honest discussion about suicide. With the economic climate as it currently is, now is a time for people to come together within communities, ensuring no one is left behind in the search for greener pastures ahead. The complete strategy is available to download from the Department of Health’s website. http://www.dh.gov.uk/
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Western Eye October 2012
Comment
The price we paid for our Olympic success > For six weeks, coverage of London 2012 dominated the mainstream media. > Chloe Dixon asks how much is too much? > Were there other opportunities that were perhaps missed? Chloe Dixon comment@westerneye.net
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ondon 2012 took the world by storm, being the most reported and talked about event of the year. It dominated our headlines throughout the entire world, with NBC’s coverage of London 2012 as the “most watched event in US history”. Great Britain’s TV ratings sky-rocketed to a whopping 27 million viewers, this being at the opening ceremony, the biggest TV ratings recorded in almost 50 years. For an event with this much hype and anticipation throughout the world, this event came at a phenomenal price; £9bn was invested in the games, and the words on the tips of everyone’s’ tongues is- was it worth it? When looking at the figures in black and white, it is easy to say that no, too much money and time was put into Team GB’s performance during the games. However when we look back at the success and performance our country produced, it is clear to see that yes, it was extremely worth it. From the results of the Olympics in Athens, it was clear that we needed to increase our funding to be able to excel in our strongest areas. Funding was increased from £70,000,000 to £264,000,000 and due to this, Great Britain has given its best performance in over 100 years, with a whopping 29 gold medals, and 65 medals overall. Statistics show that the money spent was spent wisely- 85% of our Olympic funding was spent on sports in which we won gold, silver or bronze medals, and a miniscule 15% of our costs were spent where no medals were won, yet our Olympians still managed to place high in the score boards. For example, Athletics were given a huge 9.52% of the funding for the Olympics, producing dazzling performances and gold medals from champions Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah to name but a few. Hosting the Olympic Games has made our country proud and patriotic- Great Britain has seen a rise in sports and activities being taken up by the younger generations especially, and the games acquired a ‘Feel Good Factor’ since they got underway leading to the motto of the games being “inspire a generation”. Even though such positivity occurred during the games, there was also a backlash of negativity due to the cuts being made in other sports. It appeared to members of the public that the majority of funding was being thrown at the sports where we knew we would excel, which left sports such as handball and volleyball with limited funding, unable to excel further. For example, the disappointment of the medal tables in swimming
Picture: Ian Duffy led to a punishment of budget cuts, which led to extreme uproar. One gentleman stated in reaction to this “Swimming should have its funding increased rather than cut. Not only is it a major Olympic sport
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Britain has given its best performance in over 100 years, with a whopping 29 gold medals, and 65 medals overall
but it’s also a sport that practically everyone in the country has access to. If we want to improve, we need to invest more.” However, this negativity is not shared amongst the majority of the public. If funding to the less
successful sports were maintained, then there is no way that we would have achieved the same amount of medals in sports such as rowing/ cycling and we would not have excelled and been as successful as we were. These criticisms are quibbles set against a backdrop of purely incredible success, with Great Britain being estimated by UK Sport in coming at least fourth place, we shot forward to third, securing our place successfully in Olympic history. London 2012 was dominated and drowned by the media throughout, sponsored and supported by many worldwide brands such as McDonalds, Cadbury, Coca-Cola and Adidas, to name but a few. The Olympic hype spread like a fever throughout the media, creating a storm of chaos, plastering the front page of newspapers and broadsheets, dominating the headlines daily. Everywhere you turned, the Olympics were there in full throttle. Billboards, adverts, newspapers, magazines and radio stations covered the games 24/7. The BBC dominated the coverage of the games, and they reportedly paid £60 million for the rights to cover the games. The opening ceremony reportedly took in 27 million viewers in the UK alone, setting a record of the most watched television in over 50 years. They believe that their
coverage is their most ambitious strategy yet, extending their usual evening hours of broadcasting during the games which cost £4 million in order to enable daytime sports coverage. A new radio station
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The opening ceremony reportedly took in 27 million viewers in the UK alone, setting a record for the most watched television in 50 years was even created costing a further £200,000 named ‘Five Live Olympics Extra’ to run alongside Five Live and Five Live Sports Extra’s coverage of the games. Athletes such as Usain Bolt featured in adverts in the run up
to the games, transforming him into a role model for many members of the public. One of the most memorable moments of the games also, came not in sporting triumph but also came from taking part. When double amputee Oscar Pistorius broke new ground by just competing in the games- the first Paralympian to do so ever on the track, was a moment in which we as a nation were proud and made the history books. The media capitalised on making athletes such as him one of the many ‘faces’ of the games. However at the time, the BBC did also cater for those who weren’t drawn in by the Olympic fever, by publishing 1000 hours of video content online via the BBC website. The media coverage of the games has been seen by some critics as ‘too much ’, however how can we say that a moment and a legacy like this, which will go down in history and be remembered for years, even centuries, have too much coverage? David Bond, BBC Sports Editor supports this, stating that this is “A celebration of sporting achievement, of the country’s passion, heritage, and a rarely witnessed can-do culture.” This is one of biggest and best moments in British Olympic history, a time in which we as a nation are definitely proud to be British, with Great Britain showing more unity and patriotism than ever before.
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Western Eye October 2012
Patriotism and a packet of biscuits
> Drawn in by the opening ceremony, Tiffany Francis explores how the Olympics managed to bring the country together in more ways than one
Tiffany Francis comment@westerneye.net
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or those that missed it, London hosted the Olympic and Paralympic games this year. It was a fairly low-key affair, a couple of fireworks here and there, but altogether it was rather exciting. In all honesty, this is the first year I have been gripped by Olympic fever. Aside from horse-riding and a nice Sunday walk, I have little interest in sport. I was on the netball team at school, but I can now happily admit it was mostly for the free cake they give you after the match. But this year I became rather interested. Perhaps it was the pleasant sense of patriotism I felt, or perhaps the opening ceremony drew me in. Perhaps I just enjoyed being able to watch television all day and feel ‘productive’. After all, those athletes certainly wouldn’t win their races without the silent support of a 20-year-old student in Hampshire eating biscuits all day. I was, however, highly impressed with the levels of dedication from the BBC during the Olympics. In total, they broadcast 25,000 hours of footage across 24 different streams, on television and online. This meant that viewers could watch any sport they so wished, without having to settle for the ‘highlights’ at the end of each day. We all wanted to see Tom Daley and his golden muscles live in action, but what about the archery or canoeing? The Robin Hoods and Pocahontas of the realm were able to enjoy live footage of these excellent and lesser-celebrated sports, and
Picture: Nick J Webb
I congratulate the BBC for such an effort. A few grouchy people declared that Olympic events were taking up too much daytime television space. Perhaps they were, but perhaps these people should find something better to do in the daytime. I think most will agree that the Paralympics were slightly harder to get excited about, simply because of their blatant separation from the Olympics. I spent countless, biscuit-filled hours watching the Olympics, but when it came to the Paralympics, the guilt from watching television all day had become too great and I moved onto other more summery things, like eating icecream. I can’t quite understand why the two events cannot be combined into one longer event. Yes, the Paralympics were marketed as the race of ‘superhumans’, but they are still just humans: in my opinion, a longer event combining the Olympics and Paralympics would have made far more interesting viewing. Furthermore, Channel 4s poor broadcasting did not help rouse much excitement, using only 1 of their 5 available channels. The highlight for me had to be the Opening Ceremony. Danny Boyle created something that simultaneously showed the lightest and darkest moments of our nation’s past, whilst highlighting Britain’s rich, fascinating and multi-cultural heritage to a record-breaking 26.9m viewers. With live horses, the Arctic Monkeys and a performance from
the Royal Ballet, it was a beautiful ceremony, and the Olympic torch at the end was an artistic masterpiece. Paul McCartney was simply awful, as his rendition of ‘Hey Jude’ was weak and rather flat. But the ceremony as a whole seemed to be a success: a few people commented on it with disdain, suggesting that other nations may not understand the references, such as the rising towers of the Industrial Revolution. I heartily disagree: if they don’t know certain details, it only serves as encouragement for others to investigate further into our fascinating history. It’s always good to have a spot of humour in these sort of events, and nobody apparently understands that better than the negotiation team for London 2012 sponsorship deals. The Olympics are a symbol of health, happiness and exercise, they thought. We must demonstrate this through our sponsors, but who could we choose? Ah, but of course. McDonalds are a committed, active company that strive for health and fitness with their ‘fries’ and chicken nuggets. And who else but CocaCola to promote the benefits of natural ingredients in their drinks? The addition then of Heineken beer and Cadbury’s chocolate really rounded off the ultimate package of longevity. The most preposterous element of this corporate nonsense was the news that vendors around the Olympic stadium were banned from selling chips, because McDonalds had exclusivity. How fair. Besides this, however, London 2012 has provided an excellent springboard for the younger generations of Britain, particularly
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Danny Boyle created something that simultaneously showed the lightest and darkest movements of our nation’s past whilst highlight Britain’s rich fascinating and multicultural heritage
with the riots of 2011 still fresh in our minds. The ‘Inspire a Generation’ scheme has created 2,700 individual projects across the UK, including Bicycle Ballet, Wheelchair Fencing and a Hip Hop Shakespeare competition. The athletes themselves have proven to be excellent role models for hard-work, ambition and a healthy lifestyle, and the atmosphere of patriotism and success can only be positive for young people. Aside from sport, the Tate Movie Inspire project also engaged children in creating the film ‘Itch of the Golden Nit’, which went on to win a BAFTA award. And if you prefer animals to people, you’ll be delighted to hear that London Zoo have installed an Inspire mark diving board for their rookery of penguins, as part of their Animal Athletes programme. You’d have to be rather miserable to completely detest London 2012, as even we biscuit-loving, sluggish types enjoy a good race or two. One of my highlights was perving after the gymnast Louis Smith and his beautiful man-muscles - does that demonstrate a love of sport? I think not. But it was a product of the cheerful and patriotic haziness that floated over London for two weeks, as we welcomed exotic visitors from every country in the spirit of the Olympics. Perhaps it did drown the television schedule, or daze us with Olympic propaganda, but it also brought the nation together for a few weeks to witness and enjoy the fruits of hard-work, good health and determination.
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Comment
Western Eye October 2012
Is UWE really a better place now? > UWE progresses up the league table but is the NSS survey an accurate measure of course satisfaction and teaching quality? Tiffany Francis comment@westerneye.net
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or most students, choosing a university is like online shopping: you view photos and read reviews, but the quality can only really be measured when you’ve already paid. Obviously, browsing a university website will give you a fair idea of the place, but it’s hardly going to tell you about the drunken physics teacher, or the glorious plague of rats in the gym. Hence, we welcome the magnificent university league tables. Based upon an annual National Student Survey (NSS), it lists each university in order of student satisfaction. It seems an excellent idea, and with regard to highlighting the best and worst groups, it probably works. But if you’re not applying to Oxford, Cambridge, or as of 2012, the University of Bolton, is it really worth basing your decision on a few points? When I was applying, I had an excellent system for choosing my place of education. Firstly, I pondered upon which of Britain’s towns and cities looked most appealing to my 17-year-old self. Secondly, I thought it would be best to look at the course specifications. To my delight, Bristol had an 80s bar, and I would be studying Alice in Wonderland: my target was set for UWE. But something obstructed my path! I decided to check the NSS league table to confirm my decision, and to my horror, the University of Birmingham was ranked higher than UWE. I felt I had no choice but to
select Birmingham as my first choice, despite the fact that the course specifications looked terribly bland, and there was no sign of an 80s bar.
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ViceChancellor Steve West recently praised UWE for its strong progress in the league tables
Luckily, I had lots of frolics in my second year of college and consequently, I didn’t quite meet the grades for Birmingham. UWE has been wonderful to me and, more importantly, I have often visited the 80s bar. But is it wise that I
University gripes Milenka Stevens
comment@westerneye.net
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or many new students, university life seems like a breeze – roll out of bed for a lecture, cook some noodles for dinner and spend the evening drinking at the SU bar. However, as the year goes on, you start to notice all the little irritable things that you wouldn’t have even thought of before. And that’s when the complaining starts. Accommodation has to be the biggest area for complaints, with poor heating being voted the number one gripe according to the latest poll by specialists VitaStudent . com. Location is another big factor linked to accommodation satisfaction and it comes to no surprise that many complaints are about poorly located halls of residence. For some reason, many universities decide to place non-campus accommodation in the less-appealing areas of town, with London universities being the biggest culprits of this. Having lived in university accommodation that was located between a brothel where Pete
Doherty once worked in and a homeless shelter for women (which ironically looked better than our halls of residence), I can say that when it comes to locating accommodation for students, universities don’t always choose what’s best for us. Yet we are still charged ludicrous fees for a box-room that will actually only be lived in for half its tenancy anyway – let’s face it, not that not many first year students spend the majority of their time in their rooms. But the list of university gripes
Picture: UWE Bristol should have made my final decision based on a few points in a table? Vice-Chancellor Steve West recently praised UWE for its strong progress in the league tables: entry requirements were raised, and over the last two years it has climbed ten places in the overall ranking. But what exactly has caused this positive change? Individuals rated the IT and Library facilities as outstanding, together with the shopping and social life of Bristol
itself. But can a university really be judged on numbers and statistics? The most damaging factor in these tables seems to be those students who do not embrace university life fully. Those who drop out before completing their degree make an unpleasant dent in the score, yet is it fair for those who do not fully experience the university to have the final say? Blaming it on teaching standards alone is difficult, as large
numbers of students simultaneously flourish in the same conditions. For UWE, it seems the NSS league tables are only working positively for its reputation. Is it just lucky that the survey was completed by happier students this year? Or is it foolish to ignore the voices of former students? For many, the NSS is simply an unbiased way of making a difficult choice. If you ask me, always check for 80s bars before applying.
> Poorly heated accommodation has been voted the number one university gripe according to the latest poll by specialists VitaStudent does not end there. Some of the smaller issues include no Wi-Fi and slow internet connections, which may not seem like the biggest problem but in reality is actually quite annoying – a laptop that has to constantly be connected to a network point in your room slightly defeats the purpose of having a laptop. Another thing that seems to irritate a lot of students is the fact we have to pay to do washing. The combination of no money and dirty laundry does not equal a very clean student! It’s a real shame that paying £5,500 a year does not include a washing machine in our communal living area. Instead, we are required to haul our wash baskets to the laundry room and pay £2 for a cycle. This may not be as much of an issue to those who are not concerned about separating whites from colours and delicate from jeans, but for those who are, the cost of laundry can really add up. A dishwasher is another thing that would really come in handy but, like a washing machine, is not present in our kitchens. Walk into any kitchen occupied by students and you will find a pile of dirty plates and cutlery, all waiting to somehow
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We must ask though, are students simply complaining too much?
magically clean themselves. As annoying as those things may be, nothing compares to the dreaded TV licence – as if students don’t already pay ridiculous amounts of money to the government to learn, we also have to pay to watch TV! You would think that a licence at home would cover a student who is living away from home during term time, but no, that would simply be too easy. £145.50 is a lot to ask from a student who is living off baked beans and paying up to
£9,000 to study. But the £1000 fine is probably enough to scare most of us into purchasing the licence. We must ask though, are students simply complaining too much? Are we expecting too much from university life? It doesn’t seem like it, as almost every student you come across will have at least one thing to complain about, the amount depending on the comfort of the accommodation itself. Recently, there has been a surge in a new class of student accommodation being opened, with luxury facilities like double beds and a free gym or games room (to name a few). But with the luxury comes a very high price tag, with some premium rooms costing up to £10,000 for a 48 week occupancy period. Some may argue that a price like that is simply too much to pay but is it enough to stop those lucky students from complaining at all? University nitpicks will always exist, regardless of where a student lives or how much they are spending; it is just something that comes with university life and we must get used to it. You can read the complete survey at www.vitastudent.com
Comment 9
Western Eye October 2012
Democracy 2015
Picture: William Gottelier
> Joshua Plume discusses Democracy 2015 and it’s aim to reclaim politics for the voters Joshua Plume comment@westerneye.net
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’ve now experienced being a university student for a whole year studying Politics and International Relations. The first lesson I learnt? Never introduce yourself saying you study politics, not unless you like eyerolls, sighs and being told that you’re crazy. I’ve put this knee-jerk reaction down to two reasons: Firstly people fear what they don’t understand and that’s due to no fault of their own. Secondly faith in politics has completely broken down so much in recent years. Allow me to elaborate. The first point runs along the lines of this: how many people know much about our political system? How it works, who to vote for, how to find out what they really are voting for and so on? I’d like to say that even university students would be better educated in such matters, but in a survey I conducted last year on 50 random students in E block it transpired that 66% of them had never received any level of formal political education, and for those who had done, This, for the most part, took the form of a module in PSHE. To make it even worse, despite students having a reputation for voicing their opinions whenever they’re not happy about something only 54% of the people I asked admitting to voting in the last general election: a couple citing reasons such as, and I quote, “Politicians talk rubbish, my vote won’t change anything.” The second point runs in parallel to the first one in many ways: if you don’t know how the system runs and all you hear from the media is negative connotations, why would you have faith? I know it’s a clichéd example, but I draw attention to the expenses scandal that should still be lurking around in people’s memories. A more recent example can be seen
with Theresa May’s 14 dodged Abu Qatada questions. Briefly put: the current home secretary refused to answer 14 direct questions about the deportation of the radical Muslim preacher who is believed to have ties with the 7/7 bombings following his failed deportation due to a last minute plea to the European Courts. Turns out the government had the dates of appeal wrong. Honesty from a leading politician right there folks. Now some people feel like this is inevitable: give people power and they corrupt. A politician is surely only going to care as far as getting enough votes in the next general election. After all, up to five years of job security with a good salary and free travel expenses, who would say no? As long as a politician tows the party line they seem to do just fine. An example is the ex-Labour MP for my hometown Chris Mole: a Labour whip who changed his stance for the Iraq war from being against THE WAR to voting for it. When my class (we were 6th formers at the time) asked him why he changed his mind, he resorted to what all politicians seem apt to do. Be grey. Generalisations hiding behind “the party” rather than looking out for the interests of the people; and not being able to explain his own actions. That’s an MP who couldn’t answer a question given to him by teenagers at A school. Another example would come from back home again, the MP. Dr. Therese Coffey who suffered backlash after proposing plans to introduce National Insurance to older workers and giving the money directly to younger people. What’s wrong with that I hear you cry? Well, considering the fact that over a quarter of her constituents are of the older generation, that’s hardly looking out
for the best interests of your people. Now I’m ranting and raving but some people would think that this could never change. I’ve always liked the idea of changing it, but how could I? That was until a friend introduced me to the brand new “democracy 2015” movement, which is still very much in the development stage: clay putty, if you will. After watching their YouTube video one can see that, from the off, they have two clear goals: transparency and honesty. Politicians become so engrossed in the “bigger picture” that they forget how the little people live: they become disassociated to the extent that they vote against the people they should be protecting. They even use largescale events that distract the public to introduce dubious laws which should require further public scrutiny. For example; during the Olympics they made squatting a criminal offence, punishable by a custodial sentence or fine. Regardless of individual feelings on the matter, public opinion would have been torn, but it was smuggled through, and now we’re stuck with it regardless of whether it’s right or wrong. Politics is an ugly business, and decisions have to be made that cannot and will not please everyone. Is that any reason to withhold knowledge of them though? We should be treated like adults. Why can’t we be told all of the policies which the government plans, and know the reasoning behind them? Surely only then, can open, honest scrutiny take place. Then, should a reasonable counter-argument be made, policies can be adapted. These are aims which Democracy 2015 hopes to achieve. I know it sounds idealistic, but through educating people about the system can change happen. Is it better to hope for too much or be content with not enough? I’m tired of promises being backtracked upon because of “economic uncertainty during this difficult time”; promises are made which don’t get fulfilled for the simple reason that there was never the intention to. Not to say this occurs all of the time, but it can and
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Politics is an ugly business, and decisions have to be made that cannot and will not please everyone
does happen. Although I sympathise with the Liberal Democrats being a minority part of the government; their complete failure with their student promises and more recently having the House of Lords reform blocked, whilst giving the Conservatives the easy street on the constituency boundaries changes, is nothing less than disgraceful. The alternative: Labour, who are quite content sitting on their hands, twiddling their thumbs and criticising both coalition parties on anything they do. The same party who in 2010 bashed the Tories economic plans to great depths without actually having a plan of their own. What great choices we currently have. There could be a third way. Democracy 2015 is neither a political party nor a pressure group, but a movement. The bigger this wave gets, the larger the splash. They’re currently accepting emails from the people asking what their biggest concerns are: deciding on the key principles to which they will hold themselves. Regardless of what the end result will be, their methods are already established: be completely transparent, honest and accountable. I have no doubt it’ll be a difficult and eye-opening journey, but I for one have faith that something can change. Yes, people are going to be sceptical. Yes, I understand I’m optimistic and hopeful that this can work, it’s in such early days that it will either going to sink or swim. But isn’t it a fantastic chance to have a part in something which could change this system for the better? A flaw has been glaring at us in the face for so long we’ve gotten used to it, why not change it? Hell, if we can pull this off maybe they’ll finally introduce video refs in football. But that’s probably being too hopeful.
If you would like to get involved check out http://www.independent. co.uk/voices/democracy2015/ for more information.
10 Feature
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Aminah Jagne
feature@westerneye.net
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ctober marks Black History Month within the UK a tradition that has spanned more than two decades; But how did it come about, what does it signify, is it necessary and how can you get involved? BHM originated as ‘Negro History Week’ and was established in the US by the African-American scholar, Dr Carter G Woodson in 1926. Having conducted extensive historical research, Woodson came to realise that African-American contributors “Were overlooked, ignored and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and of the teachers who use them”. In order to counter this, Woodson devised an event that would educate both Americans and African-Americans about Black history, culture and heritage, as well as raising awareness on the positive contributions Black people have had in society. Over time the event was extended to become what is known today as Black History Month. Although he had the help of others, Akyaaba Addai Sebbo is generally regarded as responsible for setting up and developing BHM within the UK. As the coordinator of Special Projects within the Greater London Council, Sebbo worked alongside former London mayor Ken Livingstone who declared that “In order to enrich the cultural diversity of the Greater London area, it is imperative that Londoners know more about African influences on medieval and renaissance European music so that accepted ideas about European music is changed. Despite the significant role that Africa and its Diaspora have played in the world civilization since the beginning of time, Africa’s contribution has been omitted or distorted in most history books.” Together they organised and held the first BHM event on 1st October 1987 when the Greater London Council played host to Dr Maulana Karenga, a professor of African-American studies and prominent activist within America, in order to commemorate significant contributions by black people throughout history. Sebbo then worked to ensure that the contributions of African, Asian and Caribbean people to the economic, cultural and political life within London and the UK were recognised and as part of the African Jubilee Year of 1987, BHM began to be established within other districts. A decade later, by 1997, BHM had gained a national profile in the UK and has continued to develop to over 6000 events being held nationwide every year. Although there are clearly advantages to be gained from the widespread education regarding black culture that is a prominent part of BHM, the event itself is often surrounded by controversy. When questioned concerning BHM, Morgan Freeman; a prominent black actor, responded by saying “You’re gonna relegate my history to a month?”…“I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history. [In order to get rid of racism] stop talking about it. I’m going to stop calling you a white man and I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.” Scour the internet for an explanation of what Black History Month is or why it is necessary, or perhaps even reread many of the quotes within this article and you will be met with similar answers over and over again: To encourage the knowledge of Black History, Culture and Heritage; to circulate information on positive black contributions to British society and to increase the confidence and awareness of Black people to their cultural heritage. The website ‘www.black-history-month.co.uk’ even goes so
Western Eye October 2012
Feature
far as to explain without censor that “In an ideal world, the month would not be necessary, because educational establishments and the national curriculum would fully recognise and appreciate the contribution of Black people throughout history. Sadly, that is not the case.” Perhaps the true solution would be that rather than, as Morgan Freeman described it “relegat[ing Black] history to a month”, it as well as the history of a number of other cultures should be integrated and represented within the national curriculum? 3rd year English Literature student Steven Bassi believes this to be the case, stating that “I think a progressive society like ours should be able to redress the way history is taught and depicted as a whole. That would negate the need for Black History Month; everyone would have a more fair, representative and complete view of history.” Whilst 3rd year Business student, Alexander Walls believes that “For me, it’s about recognising the achievements of great individuals, regardless of race” For many however, until changes are implemented within the education system, the needs for a BHM remain valid…So let the festivities begin! BHM celebrations take place all over the UK and Bristol is certainly no exception, with a number of events that (according to this year’s event guide) “aim to inspire a generation to be proud of their heritage and help turn this pride into achievement”. The theme across several of Bristol’s events this year is liberation, as 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and Jamaica’s independence. Celebrations around Bristol will include dance and theatre, music, exhibitions, talks and workshops as well as walks. Look out for Breathing Fire at St Werburghs Centre on 13 October from 2.30-4pm, an interactive theatre piece that will recreate stories from audience members using movement, dance, voice, music and song (£6/£3 concs). On Friday 26 September at 7.30pm, Circomedia will be hosting ‘Tavazia Dance-Sensual Africa’. Inspired by a trip to Malawi, Tavazia dance will be exploring the rituals that boys and girls go through to become men and women
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I’m going to stop calling you a white man and I’m going ask you to stop calling me a black man - Morgan Freeman
within the Tumbuka and Chewa tribes (£13/£9 concs). When it comes to music, Dj Derek, a Bristol-born DJ who is widely acknowledged for his reggae mixes, will be performing at The Plantation Caribbean Bar and Restaurant on 27 October from 9.30pm (Free before 9pm £3 after). UWE’s very own Associate Professor of History Madge Dresser will be giving a talk at the M shed on 18 October entitled ‘Samuel Gist and the Gist Slaves: Bristol and Virginia History’ which will explore the links between Bristol and colonial Virginia in relation to slave economy. The talk begins at 6pm and entry is free. If you’d like to try something closer to campus, UWE itself will be holding a number of events throughout October. The Scene-IT cinema on Frenchay will be presenting a BHM film festival during the month, with each screening starting at 6.15pm, all with free entry. Additionally, the street corridor in S block, also on
Frenchay Campus will be featuring an exhibition of Black Bristolians who have made a difference within a number of areas. The exhibition is free to view. Furthermore, Louise Goux-Wirth, UWESU’s Vice President Community and Welfare has put together the Love Music Hate Racism gig which will be held in Red Bar on 24 October. The gig will feature a variety of multicultural Bristol musical talent such as Bashema Hall, Dub Mafia, Crinkle Cuts and Baila La Cumbia. The gig is open to everyone and entry costs £8 with an 8.00pm start. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the principles behind BHM, the wide variety of events this year will allow for any interest and may well either sustain or test your views. Black History Month 2012 - Film Festival Date: 01 October - 31 October 2012 Venue: Scene-IT cinema, Frenchay Campus Time: 18:15 UWE is proud to present throughout the month of October a series of films celebrating the film making contributions of black writers, directors and actors/actresses. October kicks off with a celebration of one of the most prolific directors of modern times – Mr Spike Lee. Throughout the month UWE is screening the acclaimed MARLEY documentary and two films by one of the British film makers rising stars and screen writer Noel Clarke, Kidulthood and Adulthood. Black Bristolians: People Who Make a Difference Exhibition Date: 01 October - 31 October 2012 Venue: S block, Frenchay Campus Time: 09:00 - 17:00 As part of Black History Month, this exhibition focuses on the significant contributions made by black Bristolians in the fields of politics, sports, culture and education. The exhibition is open to students and staff in the Street Corridor in S Block, throughout the month of October. Love Music Hate Racism Gig Date: 24 October 2012 Venue: Red Bar, Frenchay Campus Time: 20:00 - Late UWE Students’ Union is committed to improving our work within equality and diversity. We recognise that students at UWE come from diverse backgrounds, different faiths, and different cultures. Every year, we welcome students from over 140 countries worldwide, making UWE very unique for its international and intercultural community. Our music is living testimony to the fact that cultures can and do mix. It unites us and gives us strength, and offers a vibrant celebration of our multicultural and multiracial society. Join us for the evening, and enjoy Bristol music talent: Bashema Hall, Dub Mafia, Crinkle Cuts, C-Froo - and loudly say that racism that no place in our city. Jamaica and the Caribbean: Beyond the Boundary Date: 02 November - 04 November 2012 Venue: Watershed, Bristol This three day celebration of 50 years of independence for Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago kicks off with a oneday public conference featuring guests including Brian Meeks (University of the West Indies) and Gavin Nicholas (High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago). Over the weekend, there will be talks by Colin Grant and Andrea Stuart, poetry, and screenings including Blood and Fire, a history of Jamaica’s struggle for independence and Omnibus: Beyond a Boundary, a reflection by the great Trinidadian intellectual CLR James on the influence of cricket on Caribbean society. UWE in partnership with Festival of Ideas and Afrika Eye. For a full listing of events taking place at UWE and a full list of films being shown as part of the BHM film festival, visit: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/whatson/blackhistorymonth
Feature 11
Western Eye October 2012
Interview with Adedara S. Oduguwa > UWE graduate Adedara was inspired to write his book Chief Obafemi Awolowo: The Political Moses in 2004 after discovering that most physical developments in Nigeria were as a result of Awo’s efforts. Chief Kofoworola Oduguwa: A miniature biography in 2010 and Chief Obafemi Awolowo: The political Moses in 2012. Adedara is today an Associate member of Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) and his major believe is premise on the dictum that ‘what excellence cannot achieve in a century, determination can, in a day.’ Like many other humanists, Adedara’s political ideology is based on equity, justice, equal rights and happiness for all in every society. Summarize your book in one to three sentences. This is a book on Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s many struggles in life. It highlights his path through the fight for independence, his spoken thoughts and aspirations for a better Nigeria. The political Moses is an inspirational material for anyone with an aspiration to be great. What is the overall theme of your book? Service, leadership, denial and betrayal. A need for change. The two party system for Nigeria and the act of self determination Where does this book take place? Nigeria, West Africa Who are the main characters and why are they important to the story? Chief Obafemi Awolowo - The main subject of the book. Awo dedicated the entirety of his existence to serve humanity. His party called for Self government in Nigeria in 1953 and he suggested federalism for Nigeria being a multi-ethnic society. Chief Anthony Enahoro- Member of Action Group Political party, moved the motion for self government in 1953. Adedara with a copy of his book. Picture: Trafford Publishing
Luke Caddel feature@westerneye.net
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hief Obafemi, was an activist who fought rigorously alongside others to gain independence for his people. The fact that his ambition to be president of Nigeria was foiled is in itself a matter of discussion still in political debate now. Adedara says that his accomplishment demonstrates how the time he spent at UWE contributed towards making him a “great man”. “Today, I can say it repeatedly that I am a bona fide ambassador of the University of the West of England”. Adedara was born into the family of high Chief Kofoworola Oduguwa of Sagamu, Ogun State Nigeria in the 1980s. He attended Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Crawford University, Igbesa, and University of the West of England , Bristol, Gaining School Leaving Certificate, University Diploma, Bachelor of Science Degree and Masters of Science in Business and Management respectively. Having had a natural flair for putting ink on paper as a child, Adedara’s real writing career started in 2004 when he first published his first poem titled “The Great Servant”, in the Western Post Newspaper, Sagamu, he later moved to the State and National papers ( Gateway Mirror and Punch Newspaper ) In 2004/2005 respectively. In 2005, Adedara wrote an article requesting for a library for his local government. The article was titled Urgent need for a Befitting Library for Sagamu. His altruism pushed him on to meet with the local government authorities, secretaries, clergies, captain of industries to discuss the need for a library about that time until sometime in 2007 when the request was made. At Crawford University, Adedara pioneered and established the National Association of Business Administration and Marketing Students (NABAMS) under two weeks, a feat which took his equal to achieve in six months. He also headed the then defunct Student Constitution Drafting Committee. Other published works of Adedara include Love’s Nest, in 2005,
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Readers should learn the making of a great man, service to humanity, patriotism, a need for the change of mind set and the accompany reward in this selfless service to humanity
Dr. Oladipupo Maja- He was the prime witness against Chief Awolowo in the treasonable trial of 1962/63. Justice Sodeinde Sowemimo- The judge that sentenced Awo to 10 years imprisonment at the end of his trial in 1963. General Yakubu Gowon: He released Awo from prison, some few days (He) got to power in 1966. Why do you think that this book will appeal to readers? This book is a multi-facet material that covers Nigeria politics, party system, case hearings of 1962 treasonable felony charged against Chief Awolowo Obafemi, and the making of a great man . These areas are of interest to students, researchers, politicians, legal practitioners among others How is your book relevant in today’s society? The relevance of this book cannot be overemphasized. It is a book that comes in this time of building a new mind set to all meaning Nigeria as a result of the endemic disease of corruption ,insecurity, unemployment etc. that has eaten deep into the garment of our great Nation. The book greatly emphasizes the need for change and abolition of the conventional reliance on the demagogue of ‘what my country can do for me but what I can do for my country’ What makes your book different from other books like it? This is a critical analysis of a great man’s profile and the most recent material written about Chief Obafemi Awolowo after 25 years of his death. The book also investigated the 1962/63 treasonable felony trial with the case hearings documented in this fine book. What do you want readers to take away from your writing? Readers should learn the making of a great man, service to humanity , patriotism, a need for the change of mindset and the accompany reward in this selfless service to humanity. The official launch of his book took place in R-Block on Frenchay campus on Monday, 1st October.
12 Life & Style
Western Eye October 2012
Make a house a home
Life & Style horrible bland walls, grab a computer and visit www.supernice.co.uk. Here you can find a wall sticker that will cost you around thirty pounds. It takes just a couple of minutes to put up, and leaves behind no marks. This is one of the easiest
place to start, is to try and make the room look bigger. A large mirror is perfect for this. Mirrors however can be expensive. Your best shot is to pay a visit to one of Bristol’s many tips and reclaimer yards. In the case of very small rooms
Jessica Lowndes
lifeandstyle@westerneye.net
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ll to often when moving into new accommodation, students are faced with a room that resembles little more than a bare brown box. Why should we have to conform to these bland, characterless spaces with an abundance of bare walls? With a little bit of TLC you can covert any room into your own personal haven, and it really doesn’t have to cost a fortune!
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With a little bit of TLC you can convert any room into your own personal haven
There are a huge array of charity shops and boutiques lining the streets of Bristol, where you can pick up just a few items that will
not only brighten up your room but will help to make it your ‘own’. Looking for a retro feel? Try RePsycho on Gloucester Road. Here you will find a treasure chest of 1950s, 60s and 70s memorabilia, including vintage lamps, furniture and general knick-knacks that will be sure to set your room apart from any peers. Just a few doors up from RePsycho, Shanti sells handmade Indian wall hangings, rag rugs, and lanterns that will put you back no more than fifteen pounds, and add a touch of the orient to your living space. Why not draw out your inner domestic god/goddess, pick up some material from the Scrap Store in St Werburgh’s, and make your own colourful bunting or custom made cushion covers - a perfect activity for those sleepy winter afternoons. You could also have a look around your local charity shops to see what further gems you can locate? During my second year I found a fantastic retro 60s lamp for a mere four pounds that looks great on any bed stand, and creates a cosy atmosphere. If you’re looking for a quick solution to cover up those
Picture: Luke Caddel way to put your stamp on a place. If you pulled the short straw when moving into your new house, you’re most likely in the presence of a pigeonhole bedroom, under the stairs or in the attic. Don’t threat though, here are a few handy tips for making the most of what you’ve got! A good
this is the one time that white walls can be a blessing. Pale, neutral colours help again to make a room look larger, so try your best not to clutter the room too much. If you decide to keep your walls neutral, then make the most of dressing your bed and funk the
room up with colourful bed spreads, cushions and throws. You could always try and be ambitious and recreate your own quilt using scrap material. If you’re blessed with a healthier budget, or are just looking to splash out, then Urban Outfitters at Cabot Circus stocks beautiful boutique style throws. I suppose we shouldn’t forget the small matter of studying. A desk is an integral part of any students bedroom. Whether there is a desk already in place, or you have to source your own; make it an environment in which you will enjoy getting your head into a book and where writing will be made easier. A vintage school desk can be currently found in Allsorts antique shop on Cheltenham road, perfect for any creative arts student. If you have a simple desk, try decorating it with a ‘statement lamp’ to illuminate your work, and your mind! No one needs any additional distractions, so most importantly, keep your work area clean! When it comes to studying, a messy desk will only lead to a messy mind. There’s no denying that a certain Swedish superstore in Eastville will help solve all your storage needs for a fraction of the price. Feng shui expert, Rodika Tchi states that a bedroom should promote a harmonious life style that calms you and directs your flow of energy. All of which can be nothing but a positive input when trying to study and get through the hassles of University! So, roll up your Laurence Llewelyn Bowen sleeves and get stuck into some interior design!
Fatal Distraction
> Decisions open doors. Some close them altogether... > Avon Fire & Rescue create Hollywood inspired movie trailer to alert students to the dangers Louisa Roger
Louisa.Roger@avonfire.gov.uk
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staggering two thirds of second, third and fourth year university students recently surveyed said they, or somebody they knew, had experience of a fire or of setting off a smoke alarm while at university. More than half of all house fires start in the kitchen, and historically students have been proven to be at high risk of becoming victims of fire. There are many reasons for this; late night cooking after a night out (often when the students have been drinking, which affects their reactions and decision-making), smoking, burning candles, or simply becoming distracted and forgetting that something has been left on the stove or under the grill. However, additional research has revealed a complacency among students, an over-riding feeling that disastrous events are what happens to other people; it’s a complacent, invulnerable, “it will never happen to me” mentality. So the challenge facing Avon Fire & Rescue Service was one of how
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More than half of all house fires start in the kitchen, and historically students have been proven to be at high risk of becoming victims of fire.
to reach students in an innovative, engaging way that they will take notice of, so that they might just heed some of the simple safety messages which, ultimately, could save their lives. On the basis that a picture paints a thousand words, the fire service turned to the pictures, and sought inspiration from Hollywood. Fatal Distraction is a Hollywoodstyle movie trailer which tries to alert students to the dangers of getting distracted while cooking, and to show just how easy – or tempting – it might be to get distracted. The concept was based on choices and doors – how some decisions can open doors, and lead to a bright future, whilst the wrong decisions could close them forever. The image of a door features heavily in the film, as you draw nearer and nearer to a door, wondering what might be waiting on the other side. Several different ‘distraction’ scenarios were created, which will be used to create three different versions of the trailer. Sadly, the trailer IS inspired by events that actually happen, for real, to ordinary people. But it does not have to end in disaster;
ultimately the choice is yours, whether you choose to give in to temptation or to deny distraction. There is more background information and details on a dedicated
website, www.fataldistraction.co.uk, as well as more safety messages and tips on how you can make sure that YOU do not become a victim of a Fatal Distraction.
Life & Style 13
Western Eye October 2012
Bristol boutiques Rosa Sherwood
lifeandstyle@westerneye.net
> Individuality is a strong presence within the city of Bristol, whether this is showcased through its music, people, or buildings. However fashion too is a strong competitor to be something you associate Bristol with. Bristol is bursting with fashionistas putting their own stamp on things, and providing us with unique collections across the city Cox and Baloney - Cheltenham Road, Bristol
Shop Dutty - Cheltenham Road, Bristol
Located on the Bohemian Cheltenham Road, Cox and Baloney is a unique shop full to the brim of vintage treasures. Starting off from a market stall, the two owners have quickly established themselves as a reputable quality vintage shop, stocking hand picked gems. You can enjoy the full vintage experience whilst shopping in this little boutique with Richard Barker a local bookman setting up his own book space where customers can enjoy old fashioned cream tea, served from vintage cups and plates of course. All items in this gorgeous boutique are either original vintage, designer or limited edition, so you will be sure to find unique pieces here. Cox and Baloney have a special interest in recycling and eco-design; old pieces of clothes and furniture are reworked to create unique collections. From ladies and gents clothing to home ware, furniture and books, not to mention a dress maker this Bristol Boutique has everything you could possibly need to create a vintage lifestyle. Focusing on individuality and style, Cox and Baloney aim to sustain indulgence for vintage lovers. This unique boutique has truly embraced the vintage lifestyle and has helped rekindle our love for the past; live music and fashion shows are a regular at this shop not to mention their providable hen dos and private parties. Although I am yet to try any, their regular facebook posts of the most scrumptious looking cakes should be enough to tempt you into this Bristol boutique.
Situated in Bristol’s cultural quarters of Stokes Croft, Shop Dutty opened in 2008. Offering an alternative to the high street this shop represents individuality at its best. Showcasing designs from Bristol’s own independent designers as well as in-house labels of the two owners; “Butchi & Gosmos” and “Dutty Girl” you’ll be sure to find a one off item here. Supporting local artists, graffiti writers, illustrators and local designers this boutique is a cultural treasure in the heart of Bristol. Inspired by hip-hop culture the shop mixes art, music and fashion, collaborating to bring a non mainstream vintage shop. Although stocking both men and women’s clothing the shop is steered heavily towards women. However there are bold mens tees and jumpers on sale which offer an alternative to your standard high street brands. The collections are well priced; considering their unique design origins, and in particular their vintage collections are very reasonable. The shop itself is decorated with exhibitions of artwork from Bristol’s artist which compliment the street influences throughout the brand. With an ethos to ‘fuse up-to-the-minute fashion, street wear, vintage and customized clothing’ this isn’t your average boutique, but one with a firm stamp to be different and unique; something which is embraced through Bristol as an upcoming city.
Clifton Rocks - Queens Road, Clifton
Clifton Vintage Boutique - Clifton Arcade
Despite plenty of vintage clothing shops, Bristol is also bursting with other alternative boutiques such as jewellers. If you are looking for the finishing touches to an outfit, or want to add that little something different to your look then Clifton Rocks is your place to go. Featuring a unique contemporary collection that includes work by talented national and local designers as well as pieces by the shops owner, Clare Chandler. The jewellers also features an on-site workshop where alterations, repairs and one off commissions can be made at clients request. Clifton Rocks features a number of designers whose collections are constantly changed to ensure pieces are up to date. Owner Clare Chandler has been designing and making jewellery for over ten years; with an open workshop out the back you can watch Clare produce her own range which includes wearable, organic forms featuring semi-precious stones. Located off the top of park street, the shop is stylish and inviting; providing a relaxing shopping experience to help take in all the gorgeous pieces. As well as contemporary jewellery, Clifton Rocks stocks a selection of hand picked vintage costumer jewellery.
What better setting for all things vintage than Clifton. From organic delis, to retro furniture shops, Clifton village is without a doubt one of the best places to shop if you are looking for something individual and unique. Set in the heart of Clifton lies a serious vintage boutique. This no messing store is situated in Clifton Arcade, a location already well known for independent shops and cafes. It always adds to your vintage shopping experience when you can be told the background or story behind an item, or even just to be told what era, material and style the piece is, and this boutique can offer you that in depth knowledge. The owner knows everything about each and every one of her items and takes great pleasure in passing this on to you. Stocking accessories as well as clothes this shop spills out onto Clifton arcade, displaying specially chosen items of the highest quality. Continues on page 14
14 Life & Style
Western Eye October 2012
Bristol boutiques continued... 71 - Queens Rd, Clifton
Elisie Riley - Bond Street
It’s always nice when you find a little gem in a boutique, but when it’s designer then your shop is all the more worth while. 71 Queens on Park Street has an amazing selection of designer vintage ranging from Karen Milan to Diane Von Furstenberg! The interior of the shop compliments its content, with bags and wallets spilling from old trunks to add to the vintage feel. The contrast between their urban looks combined with the rare glitzy glam or fur vintage is a match made in heaven to provide an all you could wish for boutique. Located on the Clifton Triangle this boutique isn’t your average; promoting ethical brands Fair trade labels such as Pants to Poverty, Komodo and Kuyichi are all featured in the shop. Items are reasonably priced allowing you to find something to suit whatever your budget. Some of my favourite items in this shop are their quirky graphic tees with prints assorting from Alfred Hitchcock to Audrey Hepburn. Its always rare to find decent independent shops which are just as kind to the males as they are to the females, but you need not worry here as the shop is filled with alternative clothing, bags and shoes for both genders. Open seven days a week, you have no excuse not to fit this treasured boutique into your student schedule!
Following the success of Bristol boutique Elsie Riley the vintage treasure has now expanded under the website name of ‘I need you in my life’ which now features gifts and treats for men and children as well as their previous stock. The shop is positioned just a few minutes from The Galleries, located near to St Nics market – another well known area in Bristol for everything unique. This shop really has boutique boudoir splashed all over the interiors. A visit will release your inner little girl. Full of quirky gifts, and pretty clothing – I’m talking frilly french knickers, petticoats and silk dressing gowns... ooo la la! It features gorgeous shabby chic accessories for the home as well. My favourite purchase from here was a cute Rose coat hook – a perfect accessory to display that silk dressing gown! A pretty shop displaying glitter, butterflies, shine and sparkles at every corner you could spend hours in here browsing, and not want to leave.
Autumn Trends
> As autumn approaches, so does the need to vamp up wardrobes for the cold months ahead. Rosa Sherwood is here to help
Picture: The Clothes Whisperer
Rosa Sherwood lifeandstyle@westerneye.net As September has been and gone, and the nights are already getting colder, we say goodbye to the summer along with our summer wardrobe and welcome the Autumn and Winter (AW) collections. As much as we love the autumnal shades on the trees and the crisp mornings, autumn can be a
tricky one in terms of our wardrobes. The classic question every morning – ‘Should I wear a coat today?’. It’s important that you build up a autumn wardrobe that is practical and interchangeable which can be suited to whatever the weather, whatever the occasion.
This years trends, which are taking over the catwalks, are diversified in every design to bring something that we can all enjoy to wear. From structured A line skirts, to baggy comic jumpers, there are new pieces to suit whatever look you love to pull off. Undoubtedly your priority AW piece should be your coat. We saw a return of the fur coats last season, and this season the fluffy fur coat is still at its peak. Length in the fur coats is varied from the mid-calf to mid-thigh with the down to the knee length being
most popular. The style of coats this year has hit boundaries bringing edgy designs. A coat without a collar or a V neck is popular amongst designers and although it’s not always practical in our cold British weather, it flaunts a cool and fresh design. Coats this year are big and beautiful. The over sized over coat is also a popular contender to be your perfect winter warmer this season. For women, we love to borrow features used in menswear all the time, and sometimes we can even pull it off just as well, if not better!
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The style of coats this year has hit boundaries bringing edgy designs
The oversized coat has inherited many masculine features to make the coat a bit more daring. If you want to of for this trend, look for double breasted, masculine, and with strong shoulders or take the more subtle approach enveloping yourself in soft dressing gown-esque curves. As Downtown Abbey takes over our
televisions, a similar era is taking over the catwalks. An AW look which I just cannot wait to wear this year is the classic British Heritage. Ruffled neck blouses are everywhere at the moment, being paired with structured tweed skirts, and a solid pair of tights accompanied by a pair of Brogues. This will complete your old fashioned autumn look. For boys it’s all about getting yourself a Heritage jacket this AW, whether this be a Barbour, or a tweed jacket, if you look like you should be on Made In Chelsea, then buy it! Camel, Taupe, and Chestnut are the autumnal tones that complete this trend. To follow this look from head to toe, vintage hair is proving to be big this Autumn winter. War time rolls are the perfect finishing touch to execute the Heritage to its best. Ralph Lauren a designer who normally epitomises laid back Americana has embraced this trend this AW, where we can see both men and women collections including tweed, quilted jackets and checked suits. Historically the colour purple was only for the elites, but this AW it is for everybody. For the boys, it’s all down to the colour that is going to look hot on them. Purple tones took over the catwalks this year with Christopher Kane showcasing his collection on a lavender carpet, whilst Gucci and Prada gave us purple seats. In all collections purple is included from head to toe. A shade that will work across your whole wardrobe, subtle tones for your daytime outfits, and the more darker rich purples for your late nights out. Collaborating with the colour grey this season, its going to be a big hit!
GO ON OUR WEBSITE. NOW. IT’S REALLY GOOD.
www.westerneye.net honest. it’s got pictures and everything.
16 Life & Style
Western Eye October 2012
Ready, steady, bake!
Tiffany’s Chocolate and Ginger Cookies
> Western Eye’s very own News Editor, Tiffany Francis is cooking up a storm. Tiffany Francis lifeandstyle@westerneye.
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h, student living. Our parents and the media all seem to think we thrive on pot-noodle-encrusted cans of Relentless with a side order of mould, and they may be right. I’ve seen my share of student hovels, in which it may be safer to eat off the floor rather than open the fridge or use the cooking appliances. It can be difficult moving away from home and into halls: away from the bubbling hotpots, soft Yorkshire puddings and weekly roast dinners, into the heartless world of late-night chicken meal deals and supernoodles. Obviously, many students are perfectly skilled in the kitchen and half-way to being a real adult already. But for those who are unsure about how to make a cheese sauce or a victoria sponge, now is the time to act! Culinary interest has recently risen in Britain, owing perhaps to the third series of the BBC show The Great British Bake Off, featuring food judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. High street store Debenhams has reported a surge in baking accessories, claiming they are selling like ‘hot cakes’. The everpresent icon of the celebrity chef is still at large, with figures like Gok Wan leading the country down fascinating and delicious journeys of taste. Last year, Kirstie Allsopp’s successful series Kirstie’s Homemade Britain made a splash with her crafty creations and sumptuous homemade jams, cordials and pork pâté recipes. Cooking and baking should not be a monotonous chore, and it can be so much more than the ping of the microwave or the piercing of a packet. The easiest way to start is with baking. Whether you’re hungover, heartbroken or drowning
Ingredients:
Picture: Nathan Searles in deadlines, there is no solution more effective than hot tea and lovely cake. Similarly, if you broke the tap in the bathroom or used up all the milk, nothing says happy house mates than a plate of warm cookies. It’s always good to start with a new recipe book, although you could just have a browse online. It’s best not to begin with anything too adventurous if you are completely new to the kitchen, but there are several tricks you can use to make simple things look magnificent. My personal favourite is to use different shaped cookie cutters: nobody can resist Ninjabread Men. Or perhaps you could demonstrate your artistic skills with a tube of
Sarah Bambridge Sarah.Bambridge@uwe.ac.uk
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or several years UWE have proudly hosted an annual Meet the Employer fair enabling students and graduates to meet with employers from a variety of sectors and industries. These events are extremely popular attracting a wide range of exhibitors from large multi-nationals to local SME’s and over 4000 students. The Meet the Employer fair is an excellent way for students and graduates to discuss placement and graduate opportunities, work experiences and internships. The events are open to all students and it is a great way to meet organisations, enabling you to start thinking right at the beginning of your university career where your degree may take you or where you may look to work in your placement year or after graduation. It is never to early to start and this is just one way in which you can start to realise your graduate potential. The statistics are clear, those students who engage pro actively in gaining work experiences during their university careers go
on to better graduate destinations. These events can help facilitate this, by offering you the opportunity to engage and network with relevant employers. The time to set yourself apart from the competition is now! Each year we strive to create events that respond to our student and graduate needs and this year in response to feedback from employers, students and graduates UWE Careers are proud to host three sector specific events enabling students and graduates the opportunity to attend a series of events highlighting a huge range of careers, with a wide range of employers... There will also be the opportunity to have your CV checked, discuss student enterprise opportunities and engage with volunteering activities, all of which will increase your future attractiveness to employers....
writing icing? The Tate would love it. To get you started, I have included my own recipe for Chocolate and Ginger cookies. A week ago, some sort of pipe broke in our bathroom, and consequently the ceiling started raining and our living room is still very damp. My house mates and I despaired - we managed to save the PS1, but our cosy little room was temporarily ruined! To save us from suicide, I made a batch of these cookies, and a cup of tea later we felt fully restored and happy. It’s been a week, and our sensationally efficient letting agency have done nothing, but if ever I am facing a catastrophe or apocalypse, I know these cookies will temporarily save the day.
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Cooking and baing should not be a monotonous chore, and it can be so much more than the ping of the microwave or the piercing of a packet
350g plain flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp salt 225g butter 350g brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 175g milk chocolate 175g dark chocolate Fresh ginger
Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F 2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. 3. In another bowl, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in the eggs, and then gradually beat in the flour mixture. 4. Break up the chocolate into small chunks, and stir into the mix. 5. Grate a small amount of fresh ginger into the mix, and increase to taste. 6. Roll the dough into a large square, about ½ inch thick. 7. Cut out cookie shapes, and place onto a greased baking tray. 8. Bake for 9-11 minutes. 9. Eat!
Life & Style 17
Western Eye October 2012
What’s the worst that could happen? > Tom Smith invesigates why such a large majority of students suffer from a poor diet, and reveals what measures can be taken to cure a hangover lifeandstyle@westerneye.
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izza deals, ready meals and oven chips. These are easy alternatives to home cooking and are a common mainstay of the student diet. Combined with fast food, weekly binges and caffeine powered study marathons, it’s not surprising several studies have concluded undergrads are ‘not as healthy as they think they are.’ Factors in our western diet are contributing to a global deterioration in health. Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity and cardiovascular disease are becoming more and more prevalent, but 95% of these cases
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It’s not surprising that several studies have concluded that undergrads are not as healthy as they think they are
are ‘completely preventable’. So when studies reveal a staggering 60% of male students between the ages of 18 and 24 have high blood pressure, or that over 60% of female students are undernourished on key nutrients such as folate, iron or calcium, then we have to ask if we as a student population are taking our health seriously enough when choosing our food. High throughput manufactured foods don’t have the composition of a more natural diet. Our food is high in saturated fats and sugar and our physiology does not cope well with this. A recent study documented student’s weight for 3 months during the first semester at university. A quarter of those studied had a weight gain of greater than 2.3 kg. Weight gains like this correlate with a high fat/sugar diet, and these types of diet cause increases in the student’s cholesterol. Cholesterol lines your blood vessels and is a factor in arterial plaque formation which raises your blood pressure. Having high cholesterol increases your chances of having a heart attack or a stroke. Over time increased cholesterol blocks the blood vessels which supply the heart, leading to coronary heart disease which can be fatal.
As well as developing cardiovascular problems, students may also be on the path to diabetes, according to a 2009 study published in The Lancet that found fatty food eaters developed insulin resistance, a precursor to type II diabetes at a significantly greater rate than those who avoided fatty foods. Research on the risks of meat consumption abundant. Some studies have stated that frequently eating skinless chicken increases your risk of developing bladder cancer by 52%, and others claimed a 40% increase in bladder cancer risk when fried meat is regularly eaten. Bacon is particularly pathological. Foods that contain saturated fats include red meat, poultry, dairy products and some cooking oils. Leading nutritionists recommend we cut down on the meat, and eat more wholemeal cereal crops, fruit and vegetables. When drunk responsibly, many enjoy alcohol as a fun part of the university experience. However, in 2001, the Centre for Disease Control stated that 4554 people under the age of 21 died in America as a direct result of excessive drinking, Alcohol overconsumption is ‘the third leading preventable cause of death.’ The number of conditions that arise from overconsumption of alcohol is shocking. To name a few alongside liver disease, multiple cancers and cardiovascular disease, conditions include infertility, impotence, anaemia, and leukopenia (a reduced ability to fight infections.) Studies with rats have shown that alcohol consumed after learning inhibited information recall once the rats were sober again. Alongside the risk of developing serious diseases, overconsumption alcohol may also limit what you are academically capable of when you are sober. There have been studies that suggest light to moderate consumption protects you from Coronary Heart Disease. While this has been supported experimentally, other studies show how most of the 18% protection you get from such drinking is lost due to the 17% increased risk of CHD caused by the rising in systolic blood pressure associated with routine drinking. Increased blood pressure is a risk factor for other chronic diseases, therefore avoidance of CHD is not a good excuse to have a drink! We are avoiding amazing foods, that aren’t just healthier. They are tasty, easy, and some have unbelievable medicinal properties. If you are craving caffeine fix drink green tea as an alternative to standard tea or coffee. Drugs made from green tea have been shown to make 40% of skin cancer tumours disappear, and may also protect against neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Cook with garlic. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition describes
A message from UWESU Hi Everyone, your presidents here!
Photo: Jim Moran (CC)
Tom Smith
Picture: Lisa Shoreland
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When eaten daily, garlic has been reported to lower cholesterol and protect against colon cancer
how garlic endows your food with a ‘broad antibiotic spectrum’ which kills different superfamilies of bacteria, even those that have developed resistance to synthetic antibiotics such as the notorious MRSA superbug. When eaten daily, garlic has been reported to lower cholesterol, and also protects against colon cancer. Blending citrus fruits into smoothies tops up your daily fibre and vitamin C intake. John Hopkins hospital in the USA has shown that the antioxidants in these fruits help mop up free radicals that are implicated in cancer development and tissue aging. After a heavy night on the town, adding ginger to smoothies calms the stomach and reduces vomiting, while also imparting anti-inflammatory properties. Have your wholemeal cereals for breakfast. Musli is loaded with dietary fibre and other essential nutrients. Chick peas are also high in fibre, lower blood pressure, ‘bad’ cholesterol and the insoluble fibre found in chickpeas make them excellent support for your digestive system. Look up a falafel recipe, it’s easy as anything and with a bit of salad and some hummus you’ll wonder why you ever settled for a takeout kebab. Meat alternatives, like Quorn are packed with protein and have lower concentrations of saturated fat, and are easily combined with your existing meals in place of beef, chicken and other meats.
We hope you have enjoyed all the fun-filled freshers’ events and are geared up ready for all the excitement ahead. Whilst you have been making the most of the ‘glorious’ English weather this summer, we have been hard at work making sure that this year is bigger and better than ever. We have many campaigns on the books, from Mental Health to the National Demo, details of which can be found on our website. It was great to see so many of you at the Freshers’ Fair. We would like to invite you to register your membership and come and get involved with the SU… it’s the best way to make the most out of your student experience! Best wishes for a happy and successful year ahead, Your SU Presidents.
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Arts & Entertainment
Interview with the cast of MTV’s Geordie Shore
> Jess and Liam chat to Gary, Sophie and Jay from MTV’s Geordie Shore at the UWE Freshers’ Fair Jessica Lowndes & Liam Corcoran entertainment@westerneye.net Western Eye: So, UWE Freshers, why UWE?
Gary: Well, we had a fax through inviting us to come down so we thought we’d come and give it a go.
WE: You’re gonna fight at the end?! Have you done any of that before? Jay: Years ago I used to do it, I’ve got a blue belt in kickboxing. WE: But you two are still set on the trail… Sophie: Oh Gary will be there until the end Gary, there’s no getting rid of Gary! WE: So what can we expect from the next series? Sophie: Oh, proper safe as shit! Gary: There’ll be lots of new people.
WE: So you don’t do a lot of this kind of thing?
WE: What’s it like being at home now?
Gary: No, no I’m doing a student night later, every night we’ve been doing a freshers night and now we’re doing Freshers fairs as well.
Sophie: No no no, like me home town is fine ‘cos I know everyone and I’ve been brought up there, but as soon as you go into the city centre, then it’s just mad. Like, imagine with all the other freshers as well, like we went out the other night and it was mad.
WE: What do you think of it? Sophie: It’s mad this! I would’ve loved to come to uni, but since I left college I’ve sort of got into this, do you know what I mean? WE: Do you wish you’d gone to uni or are you happy you went to Geordie Shore?
WE: Have you enjoyed visiting Bristol? Sophie: Well we haven’t really been anywhere, but definitely we’re going to Oceana tonight. Gary: I’ve been here before…
Gary: No, no, no I’m happy I went to Geordie Shore. I was working 9-5. To be fair, one of the brainiest kids in my school went to uni and he’s fucking manager of a cinema… (all burst into laughter). When I was in Thailand, you’re making 6, 7, 8,900 quid a week, every week and you work mint hours and its wicked. Everyone goes to uni for different reasons, but I think some people got to uni to have fun and get pissed for three years.
Sophie: Last time I came, I went to the zoo!
Jay: I think with uni as well, you get in debt and then you come out and there’s no jobs.
Jay: Oh, I’d be on the football team.
Sophie: (laughing) We’re on Geordie Shore, why would we wanna go to uni?
WE: Have you had a walk around the freshers fair? Gary: No, we might do in a bit WE: Might be a society that takes your fancy, if you were to join a society, what would you do?
Sophie: I would do the girly things, cheerleading and that. Gary: You’re not fit enough to do cheerleading.
Jay: We’ve got the best job in the world!
Sophie: I am! (All laugh)
WE: Jay you’ve left haven’t you? So what’s next for you, do you regret leaving the show or have you got bigger things planned?
WE: So we all know that you’re really bubbly, through the show and stuff but like all women you might have some kind of confidence issues, have you got any advice?
Jay: No, not really I mean I’m in a relationship and stuff like that now and I’m looking to do my own show.
Sophie: Ahhh loads, where do I start. I’m just like every other girl, every girl’s got insecurities, but when you’re on TV, you need to hide them a lot more ‘cos you don’t wanna look like you’re down about your body ‘cos you just come across as miserable. All of us girls have got insecurities. You’ve just got to be yourself like, you’ve gotta understand that if you are skinny, you’re skinny if you are a bit bigger, you’re bigger you’ve got to live with it. I’ll never be a size 6, I know that sooo eat a pizza, why not, ‘cos I’m not gonna be skinny. Do you
WE: Where are you doing your own show and what is it going to be about? Jay: Erm, at the minute its 90% complete and will either be filmed in London or in Liverpool. It’s going to be doing like MMA [Mixed Martial Arts] and at the end of it I’m gonna fight.
know what I mean? So just enjoy it like, as long as you look good and you keep right on top of your hair and your make up and you look the part then, who gives a shit? WE: Any advice from the guys? For picking up girls? Gary: I reckon freshers events will be easy! Just say to girls ‘Do you wanna bang?’ ask 10 girls. You ask 10 girls at freshers ‘Do you wanna bang?’ and one will say yes. That’s the great thing about these days, you don’t need chat-up lines and all that. Everyone just wants to get smashed and bang each other. Geordie Shore is so popular because we are doing what everyone is doing. It’s just confidence. Sophie: Yea, if you see a lad standing held up high, then a lad with his head hanging down, you’re just thinking like, go for it! WE: You’re very open about sex and relationships and stuff on the show, do think more of society should be more open? Sophie: Yeah, definitely. Jay: That’s why Geordie Shore has hit the nail on the head because in that programme we are just doing what everyone else is doing. I’ve been doing this since I was 18 years old, but ‘cos it’s on TV now I’m a fucking hero. Every lad is like, you’re my idol and I’m like, I’ve been doing this for the last 5 years! Sophie: You’ve got families watching it now as well, like people watch it with their kids, do you know what I mean? About sex -well there you go its open! Couple of years ago, people were scared to talk about sex. Now you’re watching our show, you say ‘Mam, that’s what I do, wanna keep an eye on us go to the club where I’m going’. WE: Do you feel that compared to the guys you get…because there’s that thing in society that if a guy goes out and has loads of sex, they’re a player. Jay: If a lad sleeps with ten girls, he’s a hero if she sleeps with two, she’s a slag. That is the life of a girl. Sophie: Like in the first series, I slept with a random and all I got called was a slag and I only slept with one person, when in reality in the space of what, 6 weeks? It’s normal to sleep with one person anyways, but because I was doing it on TV, I got called a slag, I was disgusting, all this shit. People got a fright because nothing like that had ever happened on TV, but yea I do get stick. They’re shagging, kissing, whatever, but then when we do it, we’re bloody slags! WE: Well thanks very much guys, good luck with the new show Gary: Nice one, cheers mate.
The fourth series of Geordie Shore starts this November on MTV.
Arts & Entertainment 19
Western Eye October 2012
The Mercury Prize Nominations 2012 > The 12 acts nonimated for the prestigious Mercury Prize have been announced > Sara Majhutiak discusses the nominees and explains who she believes are the strongest contenders Sara Majhutiak entertainment@western-
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he Mercury Prize is arguably one of the trickiest music competitions to call. Each year a broad spectrum of albums are handpicked by a panel of music industry insiders and put forward to win the lucrative £20,000 prize and gain greater media exposure. The line up for this year’s nominees is an exciting one, as we see once again a great mix of talent and style representing the British music scene. First on the list is Alt J with their debut album An Awesome Wave. This Cambridgeshire quartet have received limited airplay but this has not hindered them in the slightest if the crowd at Reading Festival was anything to go by. Critics have struggled to define the genre of the music but they are creating something new and exciting with their mixture of folk, dubstep beats and faultless harmonies. One track can feel like a combination of three, yet it flows effortlessly just like all the tracks on the album and this experimentation and bravery to think outside the box creates a winning formula. The songwriting is refreshing and genius, these guys thoroughly deserve the nomination and could be the dark horse of the competition. Singer-songwriter Ben Howard debuts his album Every Kingdom and, while it is safe to say the music industry is flooded with this genre, Howard himself is a step above the rest. Already his stand out hits “Wolves” and “Only Love” have triumphed in placing in the mainstream charts, and there is something mesmerising about his unique playing style and soothingly rich voice. A talented performer, there has been much hype about his live performances of this album as well, standing a good chance in this competition. Django Django’s self titled album is next on the list offering a playful and unpredictable track list. The band combines African drum beats with 60’s psychedelic guitar riffs whilst still maintaining their own modernised twist on the songs. From the slower paced “Hand of Man”, which explores the start of humanity, there is no order just adventure on this album and the chilled out vibes of Django Django leave you in a dream like trance. With their catchy beats and uplifting lyrics it’s no wonder this band are creating a buzz in the London music scene. Field Music have been around for a few more years than most on the Mercury Nominations list, first breaking out in 2004, Plumb is their fourth full length album embracing their pop-rock music that has already won them many fans. Touching on a combination of themes; politics, identity, culture and community, the album released in early February this year has already been creating waves in the music industry circles. Critics have praised the band’s album for its ambitious and exciting combination of rock, pop and seventies nostalgia. Starting out as a guest vocalist for
Nominee Jessie Ware started her career singing backing vocals for musician and friend Jack Penate. Picture: The Fat Club the likes of SBTRKT, Jessie Ware’s debut album Devotion has generated a lot of noise thanks to her title track “Wildest Moments”. There is something for everyone on the album from the emotional but universal
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The band [Django Django] combines African drum beats with 60s psychedelic guitar riffs
ballad “Wildest Moments” to the upbeat and punchier “110%”. Her voice is effortless and understated, letting the music speak for itself rather than trying to fit into a particular niche, making her a strong contender. Is Your Love Big Enough? is soul singer Lianne La Havas’s first album and at twenty-two years old, this London born performer offers more creativity than your average, acoustic singer songwriter. There are bursts of jazz chords mixed in with folk ballads and she isn’t afraid to add punchier beats and lyrics to her songs. The rich tone of her voice is
reminiscent of smooth R&B jams but there are hints of Bon Iver’s Indie style about her. She has received support from BBC Radio 6 this year and even just being nominated will help her talent gain more recognition. The Maccabees are really coming into their stride with their third studio album Given to the Wild. Already their first two albums have generated them an army of loyal fans and this third album has allowed them the freedom and creativity to try new techniques. In particular the last song “Grew up at Midnight” is particularly striking with its harmonies and the album is well structured as they move towards experimenting with a more electronic sound. “Pelican” already a big hit is the stand out from this faultless album. Perhaps one of the lesser known artists to make the list is 24-year old Michael Kiwanuka whose soulful tones has already landed him the BBC Sound of 2012 award. Kiwanuka released his debut album Home Again in March this year and with his mix of folk, blues and jazz it’s not hard to see why he has already been compared to Bill Withers. Handpicked to tour with Adele last year, Kiwanuka is already becoming a hit with the big names in music. Released as the soundtrack to Plan B/ Ben Drew’s film of the same name, Ill Manors is already being hailed as a “hip-hop musical for the 21st Century”. Drew has already displayed his early talents of soulful singing and rapping in “Praying” and his latest album could serve as a masterclass in songwriting. “I am the Narrator” sets the tone for the gritty realism Drew describes, his lyrical depth branching further in this darker, third album and he is a superb storyteller. The production as well is to
such a high standard with the layers of harmonies, piano and short bursts of dialogues all serving to heighten his grisly image of Broken Britain. Along with Plan B, Richard Hawley is also favourite to scoop the award
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Bookies’ early favourites are Plan B and Richard Hawley but there is fierce competition from the lesser known artists this year although the two could not be further apart in musical style. Standing at the Sky’s Edge sees Hawley move away from the softer instruments fans are used to, he has traded the acoustic guitars and saws for a more psychedelic, rock sound. Hawley proves he is so much more than an one trick pony in the release of his seventh album and this could divide his loyal fans. One of the big surprises and the least well known to the nominees list are Roller Trio who are certainly one of a kind. They are an instrumental band combining funk, jazz and
electronic sounds to create a fresh new sound, on paper it shouldn’t work but the trio have great chemistry and timing. With the release of their debut album Roller Trio in August this year they have been modernising jazz and bringing it into the 21st century by fusing it with more contemporary genres. Keep an eye on this band they are certainly making a big impact on the jazz scene. Reinventing the tradition of folk stories into modern songs is Sam Lee and his debut album Ground of Its Own. So much research has gone into the songwriting and retelling of these stories which Lee himself has heard from Gypsy and Traveller communities shown in the intimate delivery of “Goodbye My Darling”. There are more uplifting tracks such as “One Yonder Hill” and Lee uses a range of instruments from sleigh bells to steel drums and even trumpets on the same song. This all compliments his medieval style of lyrics and although not everyone will be a fan, Lee brings a real freshness to the genre of folk music. Bookies’ early favourites are Plan B and Richard Hawley but there is fierce competition from the lesser known artists who are creating just as bigger impact on the internet and through word of mouth. The £20,000 Mercury Prize will be announced on 1 November
20 Arts & Entertainment
Western Eye October 2012
Encounters Film Festival review
Picture: Watershed
> Entertainment correspondent Alex Firth reports on the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival Alex Firth
news@westerneye.net
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enowned not only on a local level as Bristol’s best cultural event, the ‘Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival’ is widely acknowledged within the realms of cinema as one of the worlds leading competitive short film festivals to date. Integrated throughout Bristol, the festival’s venues varied from the likes of the Watershed and Arnolfini, Europe’s leading centres for the contemporary arts. Right down to the gritty independent venues such as The Cube or the lofty Solar powered travelling cinema, which was enjoyed across the parks of Bristol under a backdrop of the stars. Spanning from the 18th to the 23rd of September, ‘Encounters’ has run every year since 1995 and every year has managed to capture the hearts of South Westerners and visiting internationals alike. It is within these captured hearts that the festival comes alive. The idea, common to many similar events, that the people are as important as the art, rang true at this years ‘Encounters’ as the wide range of age and racial groups all joined together under the common passion of film. This attitude and atmosphere was of course mirrored from the films being showcased, which seemed to cover all aspects of life leaving people spoilt for choice. From the children’s uplifting animation shorts steeped in morals and colour, to the quietly intense and subtle European dramas where the pauses between the dialogues spoke louder than the words, there certainly was something for everyone. Within their respective competitive categories some shorts stood out
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A particular outstanding piece was the German short entitled ‘Ice Flowers’, which followed a carer and his friendship to a bitter old woman
from others as art in its true form. The ‘British’ and ‘Best of South West’ categories for example showcased the amazing home grown talent of this year with concepts ranging from the basic sense of place felt by people and how their surroundings shape who they are, to the ranging limits of power we hold in our everyday lives. Standing out amongst this category was the British short ‘Cutting Loose’, which documented Scottish hairdressers in a prison and picked up the award for ‘Best Documentary’. This rapid glimpse into a seemingly different world exposed the blinding reality and gravity of the situation that people can be faced with and how human resilience is often the only defence we have against darker times. The next category of ‘International shorts’ followed with an even wider range of ideas, with the added element of diversity. Films spanning from Brazil to Finland swept the screens leaving an abundance of fluctuating emotions in their wake. With ideas of colliding human paths and the resonance this has on life to deep emotional insights into the freedom and captivity of humanity, the international section truly shone in all its glory. A particular outstanding piece was the German short entitled ‘Ice Flowers’, which followed a carer and his friendship with a bitter old woman. Although not the winner of the category, this particular work of art touched deep on many emotional chords and with seemingly perfect cinematic timing, managed to convey themes of human despair and loneliness through
alternate means of communication other than simply dialogue. The animation section of the festival presented a refreshing outlook, not just of cinema but of life in general with a whole range of joy filled, happy animation impressively created over countless painstaking hours. However a warning was advised as this could perhaps be labelled the most deceptive area of the festival. In a dreary Eastern European drama the idea’s of death and loss of hope are expected to feature, however when secretly embedded amongst animation the false sense of security is suddenly shattered without warning. This was particularly evident with the section ‘All Things Decay’, which stood out as a particularly enthralling collection of shorts exploring theories of life centered around the medium of time and what effect this plays on the ebb and flow of existence. Solidly proving itself as on par with the other sections of the festival, the animations stormed the awards with a piece picking up such awards as ‘Best of South West’, with the short, ‘Klovesteinen’ winning. Finally the ‘Features’ section of the festival held its place atop of all others as the very best independent films crowned the event with their magnitude. This included such pieces as ‘Grabbers’ and the breath taking, ‘Flying Blind’. However easily above these was Frances Lea’s ‘Strawberry Fields’, which was an intense tale of sibling rivalry, psychological damage and pure human behaviour. Set over a hot English summer in a strawberry field, the characters of Lea’s masterpiece toyed with the
deep emotional issues entrenched in one another, contrasting starkly with the light breaks of humour spotted throughout. With striking visuals and innovative camera work, ‘Strawberry Fields’ stood firmly above the others as a true work of art. Paramount in this classification as art is the all too important factor that it was not created for mass distribution to a wide audience, but instead purely to be created. Coming to a close the festival not only held a sense of hope for the rising talent that had been presented but also a strange lulling euphoria with many of the artworks, be it a short, animation piece or feature still sinking slowly into the viewers minds, there to be embedded in their memories forever.
Would you like to write a review? The team at Western Eye are always looking for enthusiastic and self motivated individuals to help contribute towards the running of the newspaper and it’s online counterpart. If you have an idea, please forward it to our entertainment editor at entertainment@westerneye.net
Arts & Entertainment 21
Western Eye October 2012
Autumn Movie preview > Jon Williams takes a look at what’s movies are coming to the cinema throughout October and early November Jon Williams entertainment@westerneye.net
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fter a blockbuster summer of colossal budgets, led by the finale of the Dark Knight trilogy and the birth of The Avengers franchise, the autumn looks to make cinema a little more earnest in anticipation of the awards season. That isn’t to say the new season will be completely devoid of action, with the recent release of the excellent and brutal
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This will be Daneil Craig’s third outing as the most famous spy in the world
Lawless reminding moviegoers that not everything has to be edited down to a 12A just to please the masses. Before the end of September Looper will get its theatre release here in the UK, a film that I have been looking forward to for a long time. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis as two versions of the same
man, one sent back in time by the mob to be killed by his earlier self. A mind bending concept, the film also stars Emily Blunt and Paul Dano and reports from America so far are extremely favourable. Another film that promises action alongside well drawn characters is the upcoming Bond vehicle Skyfall. In the works for several years after movie studio MGM got into financial difficulty, this will be Daniel Craig’s third outing as the most famous spy in the world. Sam Mendes takes on direction duties while the antagonist will be played by Javier Bardem, and for those of you who have seen No Country for Old Men will know he can play evil and dangerous very well indeed. This adventure will see 007 pursue Raoul Silva, a villain claiming a personal connection to Bond’s superior M. The theatrical trailer recently appeared in cinemas and it looks phenomenal. Taken 2 will undoubtedly do well in the box office, given the near universal popularity of the first Taken, although I remain sceptical of how good this film really can be. Liam Neeson is now a sixty year old man, old enough to be part of The Expendables squad, and much of the action sequences have been softened up. I just hope that the producers of Taken have the foresight to quit while they are ahead, something the Die Hard producers have not concept of. Inevitably, October will
Lawless review
Nathan Moss
entertainment@western-
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he appropriately named ‘Lawless’ was released last week and upon viewing the trailer – that contained Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Guy Pierce – I couldn’t help but throw a little chunk of my university budget down the metaphorical toilet and go and see it. The cast is what originally drew me to spend my hard borrowed money to go watch this film and they delivered in abundance. The sheer quality of the performances was outstanding; even Shia LaBeouf who I had thought would be the weak link surprised me and gave what I would call the best performance of his career. Tom Hardy was captivating and Guy Pierce’s portrayal of the antagonist was so excellent that it actually made me hate him a little. Other good performances came from Jason Clarke, Dane DeHaan and Mia Wasikowska who was very good at presenting a typical women of 1930s depression America: dealing with the plethora of hardships thrown your way with quiet suffering but whilst
also keeping a strong outer shell. The time in which this film is set – during the prohibition era but after the Wall Street crash and two years into The Great Depression – is reflected in the direction that this film takes. It is brutal, hard and cruelly unfair. Nowhere seems safe and the sheer unrestrained violence that it presents is akin to the harsh reality that many people had to face back then: life was harsh, that was just how it was.
Picture: Artrix host a raft of horror films just in time for Halloween. V/H/S, Sinister, Paranormal Activity 4 and Silent Hill: Revelation 3D will no doubt be as awful as each other, except for Silent Hill which will be even worse as the 3D will give you a headache as well. Around this time a couple of Halloween themed films for the kids will be released, including Fun Size and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, which does not star Johnny Depp somehow. In a similar vein the Twilight saga finally comes to an end with the release of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part II which has an enormous fanatical following. I know this after
working with a woman who saw the first Twilight film in the cinema eleven times. Fortunately this will allow Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart to pursue other roles, as they are both decent actors in their own right. Pattinson was recently lauded by critics in David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis and Stewart will star in the eagerly anticipated On the Road, the adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s novel of the same name. On the Road has an excellent cast, but early reviews from Cannes film festival have been mostly negative. If far out and unusual fantasy films are your kind of thing,
then Cloud Atlas and The Life of Pi should make you happy. The former is billed as an ‘exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future’, and as it comes from the creators of The Matrix it will be utterly incomprehensible. The latter is the story of an Indian boy set adrift in the Pacific Ocean in the company of a hyena, zebra, orang-utan and a Bengal tiger, and will hopefully make more sense than Cloud Atlas. In the run up to awards season there are films definitely looking for critical and academy acclamation. Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln is a biopic of the great president during the time he looks to abolish slavery. With a subject and style that is reminiscent of Schindler’s List it appears Spielberg is attempting to win a third Best Director Oscar, but he is not the only director to have a stab at portraying a famous historical figure. Sir Anthony Hopkins will be stepping into Alfred Hitchcock’s shoes in Hitchcock, set during his time directing his most famous picture Psycho. People magazine’s ‘sexiest man alive’ Bradley Cooper will star alongside my future wife Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook, which addresses the mental health issues of a former teacher. The political thriller Argo will see Ben Affleck as both director and lead actor, and given the success of his previous two films it would not be unlikely for this film to be a contender during awards season. Finally the comedy and crime mash up that is Seven Psychopaths and the hard boiled thriller Killing Them Softly have some of the best ensemble cast members I have seen in years (and Ray Liotta). It should be an excellent few months for cinema, with some great original projects after a lazy summer populated entirely by sequels, prequels and reboots.
> Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by authorities who want a cut of their profits. That’s one thing that really makes this film stand out – it’s unrelenting violence. At first glance the phrase ‘unrelenting violence’ seems more of a term to denote that a film is conforming to the precedent set by every action blockbuster movie released in the history of man; but this film does it differently to most, and it does it well. It shows it for what it is: brutal, ugly and quick. The fight scenes aren’t epic struggles with cool action music playing in the background; they are quick confrontations that play out silently except for the dull thud of fist hitting flesh or gunfire or a knife penetrating skin. They are survivors, not insatiable action heroes with an unquenchable thirst for beating up baddies, they are simply doing what they deem is necessary. That is the difference between this and every other movie that contains violence being shown in the cinema most of the time: it shows it for what it really is, and it’s great to see. This film isn’t just a fiery fist filled fight marathon however; be prepared to have your emotional capacity tested. The strong themes of family loyalty and the family dynamic of
the Bondurant brothers are truly moving at times. The younger brother – Jack, played by Shia LaBeouf – is constantly testing the audience in his unrelenting attempt at gaining favour from his two older siblings. He yearns for their affection and approval on a level that will make you really think about the characters. One question I found myself asking was whether or not it was right of Forrest Bondurant (Tom Hardy) to try to change the timid Jack into a brute like him. There are a couple things that I could see dampening the experience for some people when I watched the film. They are small gripes that didn’t ruin the film for me but I feel compelled to mention to present an objective view of what the film was really like. I’m going to be careful when mentioning these but even so if you do not wish any part of the film to be even partially hinted at then I would advise you to skip the next couple of paragraphs. One criticism I have of the film is that the act of revenge was never fully fulfilled to a standard that I really wanted. When the people who I wanted to get their comeuppance finally did I was little underwhelmed
and it made me want more. I was hoping that it would be a bigger moment and that it would feel like it meant something, like something had been accomplished, but it didn’t. The conclusion of the film is also like that. I never really felt like I had seen the whole movie and I thought that there could have been a better way to wrap things up. The whole film is a brusque portrayal of the violence infused lives that these people endured but the ending doesn’t reflect that at all. It ends with a whimper. However, both of these things most likely come down to one thing: the loyalty of the director, writer and producer to the true story that this is based on. I can’t really get too angry at them for having integrity. Overall I would strongly recommend anyone who is reading this article to stop, right now, and go watch the film. It’s not a perfect package of entertainment but it is an exceptional well-made and wellacted film. It’s well worth a watch, so if you’re thinking of going out tonight to exchange saliva with strangers you meet in the bathroom, think about watching this great film instead.
22 Arts & Entertainment
Western Eye October 2012
UWE... Quidditch?
The Vaccines > Come of Age - Album Review Philip Mansell entertainment@westerneye.net
Christopher Holgate entertainment@westerneye.net
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n a particularly warm Saturday morning on the 8th of September, a large public gathering took place down in Castle Park in Bristol city centre. It was that of igfest, which stands for ‘interesting games festival’; an event that has been running for about 5 years now where fun and interesting ‘street’ games take place that includes, but by no means limited to, zombie tag, rainbow rain, binocular football and for the first time ever Quidditch. Quidditch is a magical wizarding game played on broomsticks involving 4 balls and 6 goals. Now this would be difficult to play for us mere muggles, and so an adaptation was developed in the states, that of ‘muggle Quidditch’ which has quickly swept colleges, universities and educational institutions alike having even set up their own International Quidditch Association (the IQA) outling specific rules on everything from goal heights to referee arm signals. There are already over 200
registered teams and 700 official players in the US! With hundreds more popping up all over the globe. Make no mistake, Quidditch is a mean sport, involving full contact furious struggles for balls and players alike. Did you know UWE has a Quidditch team? Albeit somewhat rag-tag and unofficial. Suggested one day as simply a joke in the SU office by then Sports VP Ariana Sefre, the reins was soon taken up by then Socs & Comms Officer Chris Holgate (yours truly) to go ahead and go with it (what with being President of the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Society, Psi-Phi, it only made sense as the closest relevant society). Under the ‘wing’ of Psi-Phi, it was trialed as a fundraising opportunity during RAG week, which although failed in making and profit for charity itself, it succeeded in raising awareness, despite pitches for volunteers from both societies and sports councils, advertising it as a “non-conventional sport to increase participation in physical activity from
those who would otherwise be avert to such strenuous exercise”. It was even pitched to the vice-chancellor! Quidditch alas just had too much geeky stigma attached to it. I was, however, interviewed by the Quibbler, Quidditch’s forefront magazine on everything Quidditch with my comments representing the entire UK section! Which went very well I thought. It gave people a chance to live out their own fantasy of being a flying witch or wizard for the day. In the meantime, UWE Quidditch is going all-out this year with hopes for it to become an officially ratified society (what with being unable to be a sport – no official governing body), with the reins being handed over to this year’s Sports Officer Miki Parr. So don’t be surprised to start hearing the odd rumours of people running around on broomsticks on campus, or students mysteriously dressed in yellow jumping over tables with the discernible sound of a Bludger whizzing passed, and narrowly missing, your head! Quidditch has arrived at UWE!
As the album title suggests, the band return with a more mature sound but their endearing song writing remains. In little over two years, The Vaccines have managed to forge themselves a large following, and a regular place high up UK festival line ups. Given that they did this on the basis of one album, this achievement is highly impressive. That one album was hotly anticipated, and did not disappoint when it arrived in March of last year. It displayed a high level of confidence, and clearly showed just how good this young band had already become. The two songs released before the album, No Hope and Teenage Icon, would not have sounded out of place on The Vaccines first album, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? Perhaps they had intended to lull us into a false expectation that this would be an album which replicated their debut, rather than built upon its success. Whilst still very much a Vaccines record, the songs are more nuanced and subtle, in particular I Always Knew and I Wish I Was A Girl. There are a couple of frenetic numbers, built from a similar mould as that of the indie-punk frenzies of Norgaard and Wrecking Bar (Ra Ra Ra) from last year’s release. Ghost Town is a standout. A joyous two and half minute romp, it climaxes with an uncharacteristically heavy riff and lead singer Justin Young wailing the title at the top of his voice. It is simple and direct, just what The Vaccines do best. The lyrics of Teenage Icon are a good summation of the tone of the album. Young exclaims that he is ‘No teenage icon, no Frankie Avalon’ but ‘Preserved and shy, your average
guy’. It is as if Young is battling the expectation that he, as the lead singer of a new, fledgling British rock band, should be someone special. With the quality of the songs produced, there is no need for any of the band to be extroverted or anything other than ‘your average guy’. As I have previously touched upon,
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There are a couple of frantic numbers, building from a similar mould as that of the indie -punk frenzies of Norgaard
the strength of this record is that it has moved on from what they have already released. It builds upon it, but is not unrecognizable from it. Too often too many young bands either take a leap to distance themselves from their debuts or to simply copy it. That The Vaccines have managed to successfully create their own path is something which should be applauded. They have confirmed they are not just a flash in the pan (this was never a particularly likely outcome anyway, given their immense support) and will be a leading part of the British indie-rock scene for years to come.
Goodbye Chris Moyles Hello Nick Grimshaw Liam Corcoran
entertainment@westerneye.net
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BC Radio one. The home station, or should be, for young listeners throughout the country. On September 24th, its breakfast show saw a massive change as it tries to reclaim these young listeners, something it has to do in order to justify its budget from the licence fee. It was announced by Ben Cooper, the controller of Radio 1, that Chris Moyles was to be replaced by Nick Grimhaw in order to make this a reality. This came after a report in 2009 that said the show had lost its way and its 15 to 29-year-old target audience. The announcement came as quite a surprise due to the fact that in 2011 the BBC claimed that Moyles would remain with the station until 2014, ending speculation about him moving to a rival station. However, even though Moyles was the longest running breakfast host in the station history, holding on to him became unrealistic.
As the announcement came that he would go, speculation began on who would replace him. Fearne Cotton was a favourite. But on the same day, it was announced that the relatively unheard of Nick Grimshaw, or Grimmy, as his nickname goes, would take over he early morning slot. Grimmy has a strong connection with the younger audience. He is known as much for his party lifestyle as he is television and radio work. However, the new host has had a long history in TV and radio, hosting shows such as Freshly Squeezed, Sound and T4. On Radio 1 he has had a variety of new music and youth shows, and also hosted the weekend breakfast show for a period. So how has the new host done so far? Well, it looks, or should I say, sounds good. Nick is a natural host, who’s laid back and chatty style should work with the audience. He
has already upped the song rate from 5 to 8 and hour. That was a big complaint about Moyles; too much talking and not enough music. Grimmy has lots of connections with the celebrity world too, so bringing in the big guests should not be a problem. For his first week he had a member of One Direction every day, and on his first ever show he added Matt Smith, who currently plays The Doctor in Doctor Who, and Justin Bieber to that list. He also has a much better relationship with his listeners. Moyles always tended to be harsh and sarcastic, even nasty at times, but Grimmy embraces his fans and has a good chat to them, something that should entice more people to ring in and participate. It was not all plain sailing though. On his very first morning he did press a few wrong buttons and talk through the news, but nothing major. The worst hit to his confidence would have been from Twitter when #teammoyles started trending.
Picture: BBC Radio 1 His very first morning, and he gets that? People are too quick to judge. This is a very big gamble by Radio 1 but one that should pay off. The target audience know Grimmy from his Channel 4 shows and because he features often in gossip columns. He is laid back,
friendly, young and actually takes an interest in the music he plays. The coming months should see a drastic change in the audience but one that is much needed. Hopefully Nick will be just the host needed to put Radio 1 back where it belongs.
Western Eye October 2012
Sport
Sport 23
New stadium will inspire a generation > On 19 July 2012, South Gloucestershire Council finally approved planning permission to build the stadium. > Huseyin Hamilton reports on the development Huseyin Hamilton sport@westerneye.net
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he long-awaited approval for the 21,700-seater stadium to be built has finally been confirmed. A land-side vote was undertaken by South Gloucestershire councillors in which they voted 12-1 for the development of the stadium to go ahead, as long as local transport infrastructure and prevention of uncontrolled onstreet car parking were addressed and solutions were found. The stadium will not just be used for football. It will also host rugby matches as well as events, facilitate internships to appropriate candidates and provide teaching spaces for university purposes. A range of social spaces are also included such as the gym, club shop, bar and offices. It is also proposed that during the construction of the stadium, students undertaking relevant degrees will be able to monitor the progress and processes of the assembly of the stadium in addition to marketing and business students given the opportunity to assist with the promotion of the stadium to the public. Unfortunately, even though
people believe it will be able to host major concert events, South Gloucestershire Council have demanded that a restriction on open air music concerts be put in place; the specifics of which are undisclosed to the public at this point. Craig Rawlinson, a Bristol Rovers spokesman, said he was happy with the location of the proposed stadium however objector Lesley Cox voiced that it was the “silliest place to put a stadium”. Residents of neighbouring Cheswick Village and nearby Stoke Park are the main source of the objections to the scheme claiming that their respective residential areas will be used for parking during matchdays. Barbara Pearce, a nearby resident, sided with Lesley Cox saying “I don’t see why we should put up with massive parking problems.” While another, Derek Parsons, believed that Bristol Rovers’ would require 800 fans finding residential matchday-parking. Ed Ware, a Bristol Rovers director, announced that he wanted to make it clear that Bristol Rovers understand the voiced concerns
and are making an effort to reduce to negative impacts on residents. “I think it’s absolutely clear we understand what the issues are and residential amenity and transportation are probably top of the list.” “The scheme is a design where 22,000 seats are below ground and were put forward as a way of minimising the visual impact of the stadium.” “It’s fully enclosed which will deal with light and noise pollution.” Mr Rawlinson furthered Rovers’ argument: “The pedestrian and cycle routes and the road infrastructure here is really good for a stadium.” “The key issue is the parking and making sure we have enough parking to suit our own needs.” He ensured that the football club would contribute towards a warden scheme and could use extra parking in neighbouring UWE, the 30,000+ student university, to boost on-site spaces to 2,500. More than 1,100 letters of support have been sent to South Gloucestershire Council since the planning application for the stadium was lodged, whilst only about 100 objections have been received. Bristol Rovers currently play their home games at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield which it is
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I think it’s absolutely clear we understand what the issues are and residential amenity and transportation are probably top of the list
planned to be given to Sainsbury’s. With UWE already being well represented on the National and International scene with athletes such as Andrew Pozzi (110 metre Hurdles), Larry Godfrey (Archery – Individual & Team), Craig Figes (Water Polo) and Pete Reed (Rowing Pairs), who has won 6 medals in the last 7 years, many people believe the stadium partnership will only project Britain’s new young talent even further. UWE’s ambitions received numerous positive remarks and praises from around the country, including five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave who visited the site last year meeting Professor Steve West, Bristol Rovers chairman Nick Higgs and student representatives of UWE. The project will make UWE the first and only University campus in the UK with a 20,000-seater stadium, an accomplishment that Steve Redgrave described being ‘extremely positive and may help encourage the next generation of British sports stars.’ “It is fantastic that, by pooling their resources, UWE & Bristol Rovers will allow students at the university to have access to the same stateof-the-art facilities as professional sportsmen and women.”
24 Sport
Western Eye October 2012
An evening with Neil Gresham
> One of the UK’s most accomplished and exciting climbers gives lecture at St. George’s Luke Caddel sport@westerneye.net I’m sat, drenched in rain at St. George’s concert hall, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Neil Gresham. “We’re just going to wait a little while longer. The weather is like hell tonight folks.” I’m still unsure if the announcer was regarding the remaining audience who had yet to show or our speakers - stuck in a traffic jam perhaps? The weather really was “hell”. Ten minutes later and finally an enthusiast Neil Gresham
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A huge chunk of ice broke away narrowly missing his head
cannonballs on stage to a rounded applause. Gresham is young, gaunt but athletic and carries himself in a calm and consolable manner. Gresham and the interviewer are friends, this is clear from the onset. The two begin to reminisce. The interviewer speaks about the “Rise and Shine” climb in Switzerland, where the two played a game of rockpaper-scissors to decide who would be first to ascend a precarious 50ft ice wall. The interviewer, or “fat boy” as Gresham jokes, lost and whilst scaling the wall, a “huge chunk of ice broke away” narrowly missing his head. Gresham speaks of his upbringing in London where he started climbing from a young age. There were limited facilities in his area but he found the sport enjoyable and his Dad (also an avid climber) helped endorse this by taking him on trips out to rock walls in the countryside. His Dad stopped climbing when he slipped on a “jaw stone” in South Devon and unfortunately, lost all his confidence. This left Gresham grounded in London until a friend,
Picture: David Pickford Hamish, who owned a car registered an interest in climbing. The two tried to get time off from school, but failed. “Care to discuss the tower incident then Neil?” Gresham laughs cautiously. “I really, really wanted to climb it.” Gresham asked the bursar at Hamilton School where he studied if he could climb the South West tower. The bursar replied “over my dead body”. Gresham however took this in his stride and with the help of his aforementioned friend, broke through the fire escape and onto the roof, setting the fire alarm off in the process. The whole school was evacuated. The principal shouted from the ground “Gresham come down”, which he did; just not as intended. “I abseiled”. It may seem a bit cliche, but Gresham was clearly a troublemaker in his youth. His seemingly endless
supply of anecdotes are as bewildering as they are enjoyable to listen too, and his stage presence enhances this. We delve further into his past as he speaks of his time at Sheffield University where he studied Geography, and met his friend and former mentor Matthew Smith. Smith set up a campus board in the basement in their student house. “It was made out of grubby boards of wood”. The board comprised of horizontal rails of wood attached to an included board, and every night Smith and Gresham would “plunge” between the wooden runs to build up their strength. Smith seems like an eclectic character. Gresham speaks of his training regime, which he found printed on a piece of paper one night. Listed was an activity called “testosterone rest”. “It was
supposedly part of some intense soviet regime Matt had researched online”. Gresham pauses. “Later we discovered it was more along the lines of being intimate to yourself”. The audience roars with laughter. Gresham starts to drift away from his personal life after he hear the sad story of his talented girlfriend Rachael who slipped and fell to her death on a climb out in Southern France. “She was studying medicine at Sheffield at the time and had a bright future ahead of her”. He found the whole experience incredulous, and it had a dramatic impact on his general wellbeing. He stopped climbing for almost a year and moved to North Wales where he secured a job at an outdoor clothing and equipment store. Neil Gresham is also one of the original pioneers of Deep Water Solo.