New world-leading Uni project confirmed

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New world-leading Uni project confirmed
Crime wave
Recyclebling!
Baring all
The big one
Countdown
STUDENTS in the Osborne
Avenue area of Jesmond are
picking up the pieces after a spate
of car robberies last Sunday.
At least three cars were targeted,
although it appears that the robbers
were a little flustered after leaving
behind a number of valuable items in
each of the targeted cars.
RECYCLING could win you £1,000
after the launch of a new initiative
in the city.
Every time that you put your black
recycling box out for collection it will
be scanned and your address entered
into a prize draw.
So it seems that you could get
yourself a cash boost simply by
recycling!
MEDICAL students have stripped
to raise money for charity.
The fourteen third year females
have posed for an arty nude
calendar.
All proceeds will be donated to the
girls chosen charity, Breast Cancer
Awareness.
The calendar will be on sale soon
around campus, so watch out!
THE ANNUAL clash
between
Newcastle and Northumbria, the
Stan Calvert Cup, draws ever
nearer.
The two universities locked horns
last week across a number of sports
as the rivalry begins to crank up.
Check out this week's Sport section
for full coverage of the latest Poly
clashes.
Full Story - Page 4
Full Story - Page 4
Full Story - Page 3
WHO should prevail - bookworms
or film buffs?
That's the subject of this week's big
debate.
Jen Gundill argues that a wellstocked bookshelf is preferable to a
large DVD collection, and that
greater pleasure is undoubtedly
gained from reading a good book,
whilst Ben Atkinson swears that
celluloid is the way forward.
Full Story - Page 11
Full Story - Back Page
4-
+
2 thecourier
News
courier.newsQncl.ac.uk
Monday 14th November 2005
thecourier
0191 2393940
Editor
Stu Vose
News
Edward Sawyer
Rachel Murray
Features
Freddie Darbyshire
Jen Gundill
Sports
Nick Meakin
Gemma Davies
Design
Karl Saunt
Proof Reader
Rob Bell
Photo Editor
Andrew Forrest
Film
Ben Atkinson
Music
Matt Marlow
Roger Mackin
Ents
Kirsty McNaught
Arts
Joss Rankin
Design
Tom Gorman
Big thanks to Erik Abel
The Courier & Pulp are printed by:
Newcastle Chronicle & Jounal Ltd
Groat Market, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
NE11ED
Tel: 0191 232750
Established in 1948, The Courier is the
fully
independent
Student
Newspaper of the Union Society at the
University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
Pulp, established in 2003, exists as The
Courier's entertainments pullout The
Courier is published weekly during
term time, and is free of charge.
The design, text, photgraphs and
graphics are copyright of The Courier
and its individual contributors. No
parts of this newspaper may be
reproduced without the prior
permission of the Editor, Stuart Vose.
Any views expressed in this
newspaper's opinion pieces are those
of the individual writing, and not of
The Courier, the Union Society or the
University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Uni expansion in city centre
BY TOM CALVELEY_______
Science City, Newcastle
University's new multimillion pound campus for
2008, is one step closer to
completion
after
the
purchase of the former
Newcastle
Brown
Ale
brewery site.
As reported in The Courier
last week, large scale
expansions are planned for
the University.
With it comes the potential
for both the city and the
university to reap huge
benefits, not least a vastly
enhanced commercial and
academic standing within the
international community.
As part of the initial
implementation of these
plans,
a
partnership
comprising
Newcastle
University, Newcastle City
Council
and
regional
development agency, One
North East, last week
purchased
the
former
Scottish and Newcastle
brewery site near St. James'
Park, for £33 million.
The cost of this prime
development site has been
met equally between the
three partners who each own
a third of the 14.4 acre site.
The
University's
Vice
Chancellor,
Professor
Christopher Edwards said,
"Very
rarely
does
a
development site of this size
become available in a city
centre and I am delighted
that we have seized the
opportunity to acquire it."
This sentiment was shared
by One North East Chair
Margaret Fay,
"The brewery site is a once
in a lifetime development
opportunity for a once in a
lifetime project that will
reinforce the North East's
standing internationally as a
major force in science and
technology."
This is the first key stage in
the partnership's 'Science
City' plan, a joint response to
the
government's
announcement last year to
create six 'science cities'
nationwide.
By providing increased
support for science and
technological facilities, the
initiative,^,
demonstrates
a 11
long-term plan to IS
a c c e l e r a t e !
scientific activity g j
in order to grow m
sustainable
companies
and S|
jobs. It is estimated ■
that up to 100 new
technology based companies
could be created or attracted
to the North East by 2010.
The 100,000 sq metre site
will form the centrepiece for
Newcastle's Science City
developments. The site will
see new developments with
the working title 'Science
Central',
accommodating
new world-class scientific
research,
teaching
and
business facilities.
Durham University has also
pledged support to the
project. A spokesperson from
Durham University said,
"Science City is clearly a
landmark
development
which we welcome. We look
forward to playing a full part
in the multi-disciplinary
research initiatives that will
lie at the heart of Science City.
We have a very high quality
range of science expertise and
are engaged in collaborative
projects with the university
and other bodies in the
region."
Durham Students' Union
were against initial plans
which included closing
Durham's
science.
departments in favour of the
new development, but since
the removal of this proposal
the Union's support for
Science City has been
enthusiastic.
Durham
Students' Union President
Nick Pickles told The Courier,
"If these departments had
been closed then a large part
of our University would have
been removed. Without the
closures, however, these
plans are exciting and
interesting. Science City will
offer greater possibilities and
how can that be a bad thing?"
Newcastle
University,
which consistently excels in
the field of science, plans to
establish world-class research
teams on the brewery site to
work with companies and
other partner organisations
such as the NHS.
Research
teams
will
specialise
in
Nanotechnology, Bioscience
and Molecular Engineering,
which are tipped to be the
boom industries of the future.
This dose partnership with
the business sector will
ensure that research is
constantly relevant and
marketable - something that
the University has come
under fire over previously.
This
intended
close
proximity of the business
sector and its capacity to be of
significant influence on the
workings
within
the
University has raised fears
within
the
student
community.
Tom Gorman, a fourth year
medical student, has been
following the developments
very closely,
"The developments are
* - - potentially
the
l|| biggest thing for
0 the - University
! since we split from
|Durham in 1968,
i but it's going to be
! hard for the Uni to
;g§ find a healthy
M balance between
the academic and commercial
interests, who are potentially
so heavily influenced by
business. There is a real
danger this could lead to the
academic side of things being
neglected."
One of the leading men
behind the project, Newcastle
University Deputy ViceChancellor John Goddard,
understands the concerns but
is quick to clarify that the
project is beneficial to all
parties involved.
"We envisage a cutting edge
open learning environment
that is mutually beneficial for
both our students and the
community as a whole," he
told The Courier in an
interview this week.
"We want other real
developments such as hotels
and cafes to complement the
academic ventures we have
planned. Science City will
allow our students to transfer
the latest knowledge to
business, whilst the input of j
business will create new
challenges for science and act
as a catalyst to ensure we
provide relevant academic
outputs and teaching for our
students. This will ultimately
benefit them in the world of
work. Newcastle is an
applied university and this
constant interaction between
theory and practice will allow
for us to build on what we do f t
best, which is science'and
communication. We shall be
engaging with business to
help the region, not just to
our own ends."
Durham can take further
comfort that their science
departments
are
safe
according to Mr. Goddard.
"Durham is a flagship
university in the fields of
science, namely with regards
to stem cell research. There
will
of
course
be
restructuring in Durham but
certainly no downsizing although there may be
further reorganisation down
the pipeline."
"If
the
government
approves the partial funding
of the project, then we will be
able to improve the facilities
of the whole University, as
well
as
these
new
developments; something we
hold as fundamental to these
plans," said Goddard.
The next step in the
development of Science City
will be a master plan
commissioned
by
the
partners to be completed in
2006.
Do students get a fair deal from letting agents?
This week’s question put to students by SAM FOX
jp!A [V
u
Karim Kassam, 3rd year Economics
Mark Robinson, 3rd year Pharmacology
"Not always. It is up to students to do their
research rather than allowing agencies to
push them into signing. If you don't panic
and look around, you can end up paying a
much lower agency fee and deposit."
"Not really. I found my privately rented
property
through
the
university
accommodation office. This might have cut
out the agency fee and reduced the deposit,
but our landlord is slow to sort out our
problems."
Lisa Etherington, 2nd
Language and Literature
year
English
"Yes, my landlord is nice; he's sorted out all
our problems, like fixing the toilet, quickly. I
found him on the Internet so cut out any
agent's fees; I think it's the best way to find
private accommodation"
Mark Linnard,
Engineering
3rd year
Mechanical
"Yes, my landlord was recommended by a
friend, which means I avoided agency fees.
He's always been efficient at sorting out any
problems we've had."
ammm
Sadie Pattison, 3rd year English Language
"I have had varied experience with agencies
and landlords.
However, my current
Landlord was helpful and let me defer my
rent payments, because I was having trouble
with my loan."
Teemu Kangas, 3rd year Mechanical
Engineering
No, I think agencies and landlords always
find an excuse to keep bond money and rip
students off.
t
News
courier.newsOncl.ac.uk
thecourier 3
Monday 21st November 2005
NEW S
IN BRIEF
Your chance to fight
NEWCASTLE City Council now has the
planning policy on the student housing
contained in a draft supplementary
document.
The council are keen to hear from local
residents about their views on the
proposed housing restraint, something that
The Courier informed students about two
weeks ago.
An informed drop in session has been
arranged for Monday 21st November at the
Banqueting Hall in the Civic Centre from 79pm.
Comments on the draft are requested by
14th December.
Strange module
NORTHUMBRIA University has revealed
a new, exciting module for their students,
'sociology of the strange', writes Claire
Purcell.
The course explores the reasons why people
believe myths and conspiracy theory over
scientific fact.
For those who have pondered over why
'Most Haunted' is so addictive, the course
offers a critical view of. the show, and also
explores famous myths such Loch Ness. The
Sociology module has already had twice the
sign-up numbers expected and it is clear that
the eccentricity of the module has drawn in
much interest from local media. Dr. Lee
Barron is the creator of the course, and
boasts that recently he has conducted
research into topics such as the rise of
boy/girl bands and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Medical mistake
AFTER initially being refused access,
student Hamad Alshawoosh has finally
been allowed to register at Gosforth
Memorial Medical Surgery, writes Ross
Fox.
The postgraduate's troubles began when he
attempted to register himself, his wife and
his child at the surgery located just minutes
away from his home in South Gosforth.
However, on producing his passport and
visa documentation however, Alshawoosh
was told he would not be able to register.
International students are advised by the
university website that "soon after arriving
in Newcastle it is essential for you to register
with a local doctor". Thus, the surgery's
initial refusal left Alshawoosh "outraged at
being denied one of his basic rights as a
university student," and "very angry at the
surgery".
The mix-up came after the medical centre
has been mis-informed by their immigration
department.
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thecourier
News
Monday 21 st November 2005
courier.newstilncl.ac.uk
DO W N B U T N O T OUT...the Jazzman is back flyering
Jazz banned!
BY S TE P H A N IE G R A N T
NEWCASTLE'S
revered
Jazzman was left stunned last
week
when
he
was
unceremoniously booted out of
Northumbria University's Art
Department.
The Jazzman, real name Keith
Crombie, who is a regular fixture
outside Campus Coffee on Kings
Walk, was putting up posters for
the Jazz Cafe in the building
when he was intercepted by
security staff and asked to leave.
B Y R A C H E L M URRAY
NEWCASTLE City Council are offering students
the chance to win £1000 each time they recycle.
A Iottery-style recycling prize draw is being
introduced in the city to encourage people to be
more eco-friendly with their rubbish.
"Don't bin it - win it!" is a joint scheme set up by
Newcastle Council and Defra and is being run by
the award-winning recycling community group
BAN Waste.
The scheme will work by scanning each
recycling box once it has been emptied. These
barcodes will be unique to each household and
will be entered into a prize draw each time they
are scanned.
Prizes include bikes, membership of sports clubs
and alcohol, as well as £1000 cash.
Liz Crocker from BAN Waste explains how to
get your barcode.
"If you live in a house that has a wheelie bin then
you should also have a black box for recycling.
Look out for a leaflet that will be dropping
through your door at the start of December. Each
leaflet contains an address label sticker that you
must stick on your black box so we can scan the
boxes of everyone who has recycled and identify
the lucky winners!
With over 30,000 students living in Newcastle,
students have the power to really boost the city's
recycling rates and have a good chance of
scooping one of the many prizes on offer too!"
If you haven't got a black recycling box yet, and
would like to take part in the prize draw, then
order your box through the Home Recycling
Hotline 0845 600 2836.
"They said 'You're not allowed to
do this here'," Crombie told The
Courier. "I don't know on whose
authority they told me to stop,
but other people have their
posters up, so I'm only doing it to
compete
with
other
establishments."
This is the latest in a string of
problems between the Jazz Cafe
and
Newcastle's
other
university;
according
to
Crombie: "Their Union got an
extension on their licence in spite
of severe objections from the
local community, and they've
also got the council to stop me
from giving out leaflets on
Northumberland Road.
But
what is the biggest nuisance to
the community - drunken
students from that university
coming out at three in the
morning, or a few dozen
leaflets?"
To add insult to injury, the Jazz
Cafe, on Pink Lane, was recently
the location for a fundraiser held
by Northumbria students to raise
money for a project in their Art
degree.
According to the
Jazzman, they raised "about
£600" from the event staged on
his premises.
"It's a funny
situation," he commented about
the lack of cooperation from
Northumbria, even going so far
as to suggest that their Student
Union is "paranoid about
competition", as they are
unwilling to tell people targeting
their students who to contact to
gain permission to put up
posters on the campus.
Northumbria
University's
security department were unable
to comment on the incident at the *j
time of going to print.
Thrifty
Thieves
Jesmond car robbers
leave behind expensive
possessions and make,
off with petty c h a n g « F
BY JO N N Y FRANK
STUDENTS were left amazed
after realising their pricey
possessions were left in cars
that were broken into.
The spate of car robberies
occurred last Sunday around the
Osborne Avenue area of
Jesmond. Northumbria police
confirmed that the attackers
gained access to the cars by
smashing the back windows
with a screwdriver.
Student Stuart Dow was one of
the victims. He told The Courier
that
although
the
glove
compartment was emptied and
the car rummaged through, the
thieves failed to help themselves
to a new audio system.
Another qar was also let off
lightly with a wallet containing
forty pounds and a pair of
Oakley sunglasses left. Reports I
confirm that the only thingl
stolen from this car was petty I
change amounting to around I
sixty-five pence.
Police have urged all students I
to take extra care with their I
possessions, especially with the I
dark winter nights approaching.
The Forensic Officer at the scene I
suspected that the thief was after I
ipods, mobile phones, and I
money coincidently enough. It I
would appear that this car thief I
operates in coin as opposed to I
paper money.
Although the break-ins have I
caused obvious hassle for I
owners
with
insurance I
difficulties, Stuart Dow sees the|
amusing side, concluding,
"It seems a waste of time for|
65p if you ask me."
thecouriers
Interview
courier.newsiancl.ac.uk
Monday 21st November 2005
A Fresh Approach
They promise to make Freshers’ Week 2006 the biggest and best that Newcastle
has ever seen. TOM ARMITAGE catches up with Iona Owen, Ben ‘Harry’ Potter,
James Storey and Kara Willys AKA reFRESH to get the lowdown on next year’s
frolic-filled funfest
Tom: Firstly, how do you feel about
being in charge of the country's
finest Freshers' Week — it must be
quite a daunting task!?
Iona: Nervous. Excited. Excitedly
nervous! We've got a lot to live up
to!
T: Your campaign name, reFRESH,
suggests that Freshers' Week is in
need of a facelift — some people
have even gone so far as to say that
this year's event was a bit of a flop.
Do you agree?
I: I think it's very unfair to say that.
The crew and everyone else
involved with this year's Freshers'
Week gave up a lot of their time to
make it a success and I think it
develops each year.
people who don't want to drink —
this year's ice hockey match, for
example, which was very well
attended.
K: We're also going to try and get
University sports societies involved
a lot more during next year's
Freshers' Week, to provide even
more alternative daytime activities
and events.
T: The University has been accused
of trying to kill off Freshers' Week
by strangling it with red tape. Do
you think this is true and what do
you envisage your working
relationship to be like
over the coming
months?
I: Even though
they
are
T: So are there any specific things s e p a r a t e
entities, the
that you would improve?
Ben: The main problem with this ' links th a t.
year's Freshers' Week was that e x i s t
people were starting their first week
at University and didn't want to miss
their lectures.
We'll be having
discussions with both the University
and the Union to try and get
Freshers' Week back to where it was
previously scheduled — before
lectures and registration start.
Kara: We definitely want to
communicate more with the
Freshers' Week crew and get them to
feel more involved and excited,
particularly during the run-up to
Freshers'Week itself. We're not the
only ones running the show —there
are over three hundred other people
involved too!
B: We're also going to try and
communicate a bit more through the
supervisors, rather than turning the
crew meetings into a big rant. After between the University and the
all, the crew are the life and soul of Union are strong and we want to
Freshers' Week and they give their keep that going. If people are
services voluntarily!
impressed by the Union and its
activities, including Freshers' Week,
T: It's been suggested that there's then it's going to reflect well on the
been a noticeable decrease in the University.
drinking
culture,
which
is B: It's also important to remember
stereotypically associated with that we're offering the University a
Freshers' Week. Some of the locals valuable service by introducing
even commented that first year 3,500-4,500 people to the city, as well
students are getting tamer each as trying to get first years ingrained
year! Surely this can't be true!?
into University life.
K: There will always be people who
drink and want to get hammered, T: For the first time in several years,
but there are also a lot of people who candidates for Freshers'. Week
don't. It's our job to cater for organisers stood unopposed at this
everyone, but that doesn't mean the
year's Union elections — what do
pub crawls will have to stop!
you make of it all and do you think
I: There have always been quite a lot
you've been given an easy ride?
of alternative events provided for
K Well obviously it was easier for
us, although perhaps not as
satisfying as it could have been and
the campaign week didn't have the
same atmosphere as in previous
years.
I: We've fought campaigns before for
previous Freshers' Week organisers
and so we knew that if there was
going to be any competition, we
would put our hearts and souls into
proving that we really, really would
be the best team to run Freshers'
Week in 2006. The fact that we still
managed to win over 350 votes,
unopposed, says something!
message boards. This could help
prevent some of the issues that came
up this year, such as freshers'
cheques and application forms being
lost in the post.
T: Have you any idea how much a
Freshers' Week 2006 wristband will
cost?
B: I think that that's something we're
going to have to discuss with the
Union. It also depends on whether
we take into account inflation and
what sort of budget we get. All
those things still have to be decided.
I: With the budget that was provided
last year and with all the
entertainment and facilities that
Freshers' Week provided, it matched
quite well with what people were
expecting.
T:
During this year's
Freshers' Week, students
were turned away from
the Union because it
became too full,
too
quickly.
Do you think
N e w c a s tle
U n iv ersity
needs
a
bigger live
entertainment
v e n u e ?
Overspill at the
Poly, perhaps!?
I: Overspill at the
Poly?
Get lost!
Who
wrote
that
T: How do you plan on avoiding a
repeat of this year's wristband
catastrophe?
K: We're going to make more of an
effort to communicate with those
people who have gone through
clearing and those that don't know
what Freshers' Week is all about.
Loads of people turn up without any
information at all and so it would be
great to try and get through to them
sooner.
I: We're also looking at the
possibility of allowing first years to
pay for Freshers' Week on the web
and
developing
an
online
application form, as well making
greater use of the Union's online
question!?
B: The Union can't cope with the
demand for Freshers' Week — you
simply can't fit 3,500 people in it and
there's always going to be a need for
another overspill venue, which is a
shame.
K: The main problem is that if the
overspill venue is more attractive
than the Union, it's really, really
hard to get people to stay in the
Union. We're hoping to arrange
special Union drinks promotions
during next year's Freshers' Week
and if we can make it a real
competitor with other venues, then
we'll be in with a chance.
T: Northern Stage is scheduled to
open just before the start of next
year's Freshers' Week, leaving no
space for the legendary late night
tea tent and reduced space for
daytime activity registration - how
are you planning on getting around
this?
I: Finding another place to put a
marquee will be difficult. Not only
is
it important for crew meetings, but it
also allows us to communicate with
freshers about some of the events
that go on during Freshers' Week.
The Union welfare service and the
Christian Union both provide a
really important service during
Freshers' Week and so we'd really
like to find a way of negotiating a
space near the Union, rather than
spreading things out.
B: We're also looking at the
possibility of using the car park
behind the Union, or the space next
to the new Bistro on King's Road.
We'll obviously have to discuss that
with the University first though.
T: Already people have been
speaking about bands night. Can
you confirm whether Goldie
Looking Chain will be making a
comeback appearance?
I:We're not ruling them out,
although I have to say that they were
the highlight of my Freshers' Week.
They were fantastic and we'd like to
keep moving forward with new and
exciting live acts.
T:And what about Bez?
I: No comment, thank you!
T: Finally, the question on
everyone's lips: Boxers or Y-fronts?
I: Definitely boxers.
K: Boxers.
J: Boxers.
B: Personally, I prefer the thong!
Your views count!
What do you want in next
year’s Freshers' Week?
■What activities do you want
to keep?
Tell us and we’ll pass your
views on!
Tel: 0191 2393940
E-mail:
ourier.news@ncl.ac.uk
+
6
thecourier ,
National & International News Round-up
Compiled by Lia Gormsen & Helen Fitzpatrick
Monday 21st November"2005
Expanding EU may affect graduate jobs
B Y R A N D O LP H M A N D ER STA M
As negotiations over a further EU
expansion push forward, its effects
on the employment prospects of
first time graduates and the
European labour movement remain
uncertain.
With 20 million people out of work
on the European continent, many
students are nervous about the
effects enlargement could have on an
already saturated job market.
Moving ahead last month with
existing
commitments
on
enlargement Bulgaria, Romania,
Turkey and Croatia are all in various
stages of the EU accession process.
After concluding talks with Bulgaria
and Romania late last year, they look
set to join the EU in January 2007.
While negotiations with Croatia
seem to be running smoothly,
accession negotiations with Turkey
are among the most controversial
and are expected to last at least a
decade. Whereas some countries
with booming economies like the UK
support enlargement as a means of
ensuring increased prosperity and a
strong GDP other countries in
economic stagnation like France and
Germany have expressed their
reservations.
With the accession of 10 new
member states into the 'old Europe'
of 15 in 2004, many European
politicians are already taking
measures to protect their national
labour markets from an influx of job­
seekers from the East.
As Silvana Bolocan, a Romanian
PhD researcher at the University of
Newcastle
points
out,
EU
enlargement will most impact the
middle to low-income population of
Europe to which migrant workers
represent more of a threat. She
argues that these workers represent a
"layer of society that is less in a
position to take advantage of the
opportunities enlargement offers usually settling for lower incomes."
Asked if given the chance whether
she would like to stay and work
elsewhere in Europe she replied "I
would prefer to work in Romania,
not only because there is much scope
for working in building up
institutions but also because living
abroad is not always a positive
experience, especially when you are
Romanian."
The recent social unrest in France
certainly proves that the life of
minorities and immigrants in Europe
is complicated and not always
appealing.
Speaking to the Courier, a professor
of the politics and policy of the EU at
Newcastle University, Dr Jocelyn
Mawdsley reminds us that "It is easy
to overestimate the figures. People
don't move around as much as one
would think."
However she does warn students
that graduates from new member
244iour dri
states have the advantage of both a
degree and a second, third or even
fourth language. She believes that
British students should make the
most of the opportunities ERAMUS
exchanges have to offer, "The EU is
something that, if you are willing to
take advantage of it, it could work
very much in your favour."
One could therefore argue that at a
graduate level, whereas many
Eastern European students move
across Europe to take advantage of
the good education that the UK and
other more established Western
European universities have to offer,
they do not necessarily want to make
Western Europe their home.
Cansuhan Pasabeyoglu, a Turkish
student in her first year at the
Newcastle University Law School,
agrees saying: "The main reason I
chose to study in the UK is because
the education level is better than
Turkey. After my graduation, I
would like to go back to my home
is here
AS OF November 24, bars across
England and Wales will have the
option of staying open 24 hours
under the 2003 Licensing Act.
Tony Blair and the Labour Tarty
defeated a Conservative motion
last week that would have
delayed the onset of the
Licensing Act, which has allowed
bars to apply to loeal councils for
extended opening hours, by ?
months.
While only 700 bars have applied
for the 24-hour licence, over
200,000 have requested to remain
open tor an extra one or two
hours.
Proponents of the act believe the
11:00pm closing time of most
pubs encourages people to rush
their drinks, and that louder pub
hours would in lacf lead to more
cautious drinking habits in tlic
long run.
Home Secretary
Charles Clarke said: "This is a
committed and coherent effort to
promote responsible drinking in
this country."
Other backers ot the bill point to
Curru Cosy Curry
Capital
lunchtime and evenings
Eat in or take away.
Choice o f curry served with pilau rice
or chips & choice o f naan bread or
poppadum
Only £3.75
Restaurant and Takeaway
6 Bigg Market, Newcastle
Tel: 01912328629
www. curryhell. com
www.studentcurry.com
country to be a lawyer."
Another Turkish student, Hasan.
Ata, currently on an ERASMUS 1
exchange studying Marine Science]
and Technology at the University of I
Newcastle, explains how "In the last
five years citizens in Turkey have]
been experiencing better standards :
of life due to the Turkish j
government's improvements on the i
law, health and education systems i
needed for EU integration."
An enlarged Europe could help;
improve the education of millions of;
foreign students in new member
states, give Europe a louder voice in
the world and with the right policies
perhaps even encourage a more;
active labour market. Rather than:
take away British, German and j
French jobs enlargement could create j
more
innovative
working *
arrangements that would create new °
jobs and encourage study abroad j
opportunities that British students i
should be careful not to miss.
World’s Hottest Curry Challenge
Birthday party: receive complimentary
balloon, party hat, cake and picture
taken with robe and a turban!
the drinking cultures in countries
like France and Spain as models
for the type of casual drinking
atmosphere they hope the
extended bar hours will promote
in Britain.
Conservatives
and
Liberal
Democrats,, who voted to delay
the Bill, say longer hours will
only increase the country's
growing problem of anti-social
behaviour, leading to an increase
in alcohol related violence and
binge-drinking.
Opponents raise questions about
the extra cost of policing streets
with late-closing bars as well as
the lack of public transportation
options in the wee hours of the
nie.ht, especially for Residents ot
smaller towns.
So. whether the act will lead to a
culture ot 'responsible drinking',
oi just give yobs an added excuse
to binge-drink and cause trouble
is uncertain, but regardless, the
party scene across Biitain is about
to heat up...look out Ibi/a!
Sayako says ‘I do’
BREAKING centuries of
tradition
last
week,
Japanese Princess Sayako,
the youngest child of
current Emperor Akihito,
marries
a
commoner,
effectively giving up the
annual Royal Stipend, her
title of princess, and the
chance of ever becoming
empress.
The 36 year-old princess
wed Yoshiki Kuroda, an
urban planner, in a modern
Shinto ceremony held at a
prestigious Tokyo hotel.
Sayako follows in the
footsteps of an aunt, who
relinquished her royal
status in 1960 by also
choosing to marry a
commoner.
Sayako's
decision, though, comes at a
difficult time for the
Japanese royal family who
are facing a succession crisis
at the current lack of male
heirs to the throne.
Under current succession
laws, females are not
allowed to become head of
the Japanese state, and must
forfeit all rights to bearf
future heirs when they!
marry 'out'.
Sayako'sJ
marriage
is
drawing!
attention to these ancient!
laws, as debate heats upL
about
possible a
modernization
of
theZ
obviously
gender-biasH
constraints.
Any future changes would
come too late for Sayako,
who is preparing for her*
new role as Mrs. Kuroda by |
taking cooking lessons and
learning to drive.
J ftc Mttiona Societies ’
Christmas Ball
The Union Christmas Ball, held on
Monday 12th December at The Holiday Inn, Newcastle
Full traditional Christmas menu with veggie option
Wine on the table and cocktail on arrival
Happy Hours before and after the meal and promotions all night
Enjoy complimentary skating at the LIFE Centre in the afternoon
Tickets £30 from the Union Society - on sale Monday 21st Nov.
Ball starts 6.30 till late Black Tie
a iDcufof &&stiaeSunand&%a£ic$
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thecourier
Monday 21st November 2005
Comment
courier.newsfancl.ac.uk
Binge drinking
drone
tneoourjer
let loose,
New City Campus
Isn't it great that the University is expanding further into
such an exciting and vibrant place?
Science City will transform the West End of Newcastle. Not
only will it provide another research outlet for the
University, but will also provide a learning space and a
wealth of University accommodation.
With all the hype over the past couple of weeks about the
future of students in popular places such as Jesmond, some
students were understandably feeling a little put out - after
all, this is our city too.
What Science City will do is to pave the way for a new
Jesmond, Sandyford or Heaton. With University
accommodation on the doorstep of the city, many first
years may find it difficult to leave the convenient location.
The student popularity of Arthurs Hill and Fenham could
soar, and that could only be a good thing for the city.
The Courier would like to take the opportunity to
congratulate the University on the Science Citv project.
All at the paper believe that the University can only go
from stregth to strength once it opens in 2008.
Last Saturday I woke up
feeling a little worse for wear.
Actually, scrap that, I woke up
feeling a lot worse for wear,
and after drinking much
orange juice and taking the
prescribed dose of painkillers I
crawled back to bed and vowed
never to drink again. How
many of us have experienced
that same scenario? Suffice to
say, I was out drinking again
the following Monday.
As much as we profess never
to drink again following an
over-indulgent night on the
town, it never comes to
fruition. Drinking is waay too
much fun. Many a good night
has been had after a couple of
glasses of wine, with dancing
and debauchery to follow.
Providing that you don't drink
so much that you lose
fragments of time (not that this
hasn't happened to me before)
partying hard on the sauce
every now and then is just fine
by me, and seemingly fine by a
lot of other people too, judging
by the scenes in every town
centre across the countay, come
Friday night.
Fine by everyone it seems,
apart from the government,
who are currently giving us a
major ear-bashing about our
drinking habits. Now, I
consider myself a sensible
drinker.
I might go out
drinking three times a week,
hardly ever drink at home and
I am quite happy to party
sober. Particularly as a student,
I assumed that this would be
seen as moderate approach, but
no, it seems that I am actually
classed as a binge drinker.
The government are quite
happy to condone, even
advocate a glass of red wine a
day, replacing the apple in the
cliche to keep the doctor away,
but faint with shock at the idea
that we might want to enjoy
another glass, or even another!
Binge drinking is variably
defined but it basically equates
to the idea that if you have
more than a couple of drinks,
you are binge drinking. I
challenge you to find anyone in
the Union on a Friday night
who isn't!
We all understand the risks of
imbibing a little too much. We
know that in the short term it
will leave you feeling sick and
tired and achy, and it has been
drilled into us that in the long
term, it can do serious damage
to your liver. I mentioned to my
parents just once how much I
drink when I go out and now
they call me at least once a
week to check my liver's still
functioning, and to berate me
on the perils of alcohol.
But I for one am sick of feeling
guilty for enjoying myself. I
think most students would find
it nigh on impossible to go out
over a period of six hours and
not drink more than two
glasses of wine. Furthermore, I
think the members of the BMA
who formulate the guidelines
would find it pretty impossible
too. In a message to the
government and their BMA
cronies, give us some credit; we
love our livers, we don't want
to hurt them, we know when to
stop. Just leave off for a while,
ok?
Election Results
Elections and
General Meetings...
Sign of the crimes?
Everyone seems to know someone who has been a victim
of crime.
The article on car robberies in this weeks' edition only goes
to highlight this further. It seems that we live in an age
dominated by crime, whether it be car break-ins, burglary
or muggings, it always seems to be prominent in
conversation.
Just yesterday another spate of break-ins in Jesmond was
brought to The Courier's attention.
After three reports in five issues on robberies in student
areas, it is necessary to take a stand and try to avoid any
more of these incidents. Students may have expensive
possessions, but equally we should be paying the highest
level of attention to security in our houses.
We are not a newspaper that is trying to make people
worried about living in student areas. What we have to
remember is that unfortunately this type of crime occurs
in student areas of many university cities, not just
Newcastle.
New uni elect
Congratulations to our new officers!
Well done on your new positions and we hope that you
have a very enjoyable and productive year.
The elections have however raised the question of the
popularity of running for positions.
In this week's interview, The Courier grills the Freshers'
Week Organisers for 2006 on their take on last year's first
week shenanigans, and their plans for the new intake next
September.
Running unopposed is a difficult position to be in and we
wanted to make sure they were definitely up to the job.
The voice of the students has spoken and with over 300
votes. reFRESH obviously have the support. We only
want the best for students, and finding the truth about all
aspects of university life is our service to you.
IT DOESN'T seem
two
minutes since the last Union
elections back in March, but
the November Union Officer
elections took place recently.
Three positions were up for
grabs.
The first was the
Freshers' Week Organisers. A
job shared between four
students, they are paid full­
time over the summer to
organise the biggest and best
Freshers' Week in the country.
A proud job indeed Newcastle is renowned for
having the best Freshers'
Week in the country.
However, only one team ran
for the position this year, that
team being Refresh. This is a
big contrast to previous years,
when competition for the
position has been fierce,
resulting in some particularly
bitchy elections.
Congratulations to Refresh,
aka Ben (Harry) Potter, Kara
Willys, Iona Owen and James
Storey. I'm sure they'll do a
great job - welcome to the
Officer team!
Refresh easily saw off the
challenge of RON (Re-Open
Nominations), the option
students can choose to re-run
the elections if they don't like
any of the candidates. Thus, if
RON wins, the nomination
process begins again.
Meanwhile, the job share of
Julia Moore and Alice
Wainwright managed to beat
Michael Quinn to land the
Executive
Officer
with
responsibility for Societies
position.
They will be looking to
improve the Union's service
to its societies, and consider
ways to forge an even closer
relationship between societies
and the Union. They will
complement the Finance &
Administration Officer in
catering for societies.
The third and final position
was Postgraduate and Mature
Students'
(PGMS) Officer.
The incumbent officer, Julian
Dockery, ran again and once
more claimed the position.
He's hoping to take further
steps forward during his
second term in office.
There's a few positives was
can
drawout
of
these
elections. One - the quality of
the candidates was high, and
two - all Union Officer
positions are now filled for
the first time in quite a few
years. With Unions often
struggling to fill all their parttime officer positions, we're in
a fortunate position here in
Newcastle.
On the other hand, we could
also
do
with
more
participation in elections.
This is exemplified by the fact
that only one team ran for
Freshers' Week Organiser.
It's an attractive job- surely
there are other suitable
potential candidates out there.
That's not to take anything
away from Refresh - they are
personal friends and I am sure
they will do the Union and
University proud. It7s just a
shame they didn't have the
chance to test their mettle
against others during Election
Week. Plus it would have
made my job on Elections
Committee a lot more
exciting!
The essential premise of a
Students' Union is that every
single member has the right to
have their say, whether that
be through The Courier or
through Union Committees.
So how do you get involved in
the Union's ethos of freedom
of expression and democracy?
Well, j/ou could write in to
me, or get involved in things
like Union Council. Council
can
always
use
more
members, and it makes all the
big decisions concerning the
Union. For more details about
being ^ Union Councillor, see
the Education Officer, David
Bulmer.
Any student can also bring a
motion to Council if there's
something that7s getting their
goat - in fact you are actively
encouraged to do so. Any
Officer can help you with
writing a motion - so give it a
go and make a real difference
to your Union!
Also,
something
quite
special is happening on
Thursday 1st December. The
Union's first General Meeting
for a couple of years is taking
place in the Bassment at 5pm.
The General Meeting is the
highest body of the Union
Society, and students have
called it to discuss the
situation
of
Courage
Idiagbonya, the Nigerian
student who is under threat of
being deported.
Students have the right to
bring other motions to be
discussed at the meeting, so
get scribbling and get
involved! The meeting must
have 100 attendees to be
quorate, so get involved!
The deadline for motions for
the General Meeting is this
Thursday at 12 noon.
Then there's the March
elections.
I'd encourage
anyone who's even remotely
interested
to
consider
running, after all I did it
myself and it's great fun, a
good way to get to know
people and it looks good on
your CV. So do it!
I
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the courier 9
Features
freddie.darbyshireOncl.ac.uk
Monday 21st November 2005
Speed, Bonnie Boat!
MADDY TAYLOR and HENRIETTA WATCHORN celebrate a Newcastle institution: The Boat
NCE upon a Tyne, a ship
by the name of the
Caledonian Princess sailed
the treacherous North seas.
With her gleaming exterior and
sweet smelling interior, she was the
envy of all other cruise liners. Those
who travelled aboard that noble ship
were proud to be associated with
O
her, but others believed her to be a
myth - a boat too good to be true. But
one terrible day, the gallant vessel
came to a standstill and was
relegated to the banks of the Tyne;
the once admired cruise liner was
never to sail on the ocean again...
Today the Caledonian Princess is
docked at the quayside, a mere
shadow of her former, glorious self.
Instead of weathering the high seas
she now finds herself flooded with
alcohol plied party-goers, most of the
Monday night variety. Armed with
the new name of the Tuxedo
Princess, she has become firmly
entrenched within the student
community and is now known
O NOT under any
circumstances enter
the boat sober...
Watching drunken fools
sing into their VK Apple can
never be fully appreciated if
you've abstained from the
triples at pre-Boat stop
Dobsons, and the stench that
everyone talks about will hit
you directly upon entering the
boat, rather than a drunken
three hours later.
D
Try to ensure you don't lose
everyone you originally came
with... When you've had a
couple of drinks the boat turns
into something of a maze, best
negotiated in groups rather
than solo. Not forgetting that
going solo, you'll look like a
loser.
Take FULL advantage of the
cheap drinks on offer... You
may have to queue for
hours to get them, but
they're serious value for
money, even if you do wake up
feeling like a lobotomy-gone-
With the opening of several new
clubs, and revamping of previous
nights, there is heavy competition on
for the Monday student-night of
choice, and anyone who has visited
the boat in the past few weeks will
have noticed a considerable decline
in numbers. When questioned, the
manager Derek Graham assured us
this is perfectly normal for this time
-of year, and when the student loans
arrive again in January, the students
will return with renewed vigour.
We're not convinced.
After the first year, the novelty of
the boat for most people has worn
off, although there are those older
students who still frequent the boat.
Is this simply an attempt to re­
capture those glorious first-year
nights out? Or is it that on some
occasions you've managed to get so
wrong with a multi-coloured
tongue.
Avoid dancing till dizzy on
the revolving dance floor... If
it's working, that is! From a
bystanders point of view it
seems a sweaty mass, on which
no-one is able to move, but
looking at those drunkards
dancing like they're having the
times of their lives is always an
interesting spectacle. Just what
is the appeal of a revolving
dance floor anyway?!
Take care not to slip over
when drunk... But let's face it
- we've all been there. If you
merely trip, the trick is to
incorporate this into a unique,
avant-garde dance move.
Slightly more problematic is
the full on forward dive... just
go home, Fresher.
Use The
Boat as an
opportunity to go all out on
fancy dress... Cross dressing
included!
drunk, you just seemed to 'end up
there' (well, that's your excuse
anyway...)?
Whichever you are, whether you go
to the Boat or not will decide where it
is in twenty years time. A scrap yard,
perhaps? Or will it be restored to its
former glory (as rumours suggest)
and the much loved Tuxedo princess
take to the seas once more, headed
for the Irish coast? As one avid Boat
simply as The Boat.
The Boat needs no more
introduction. Most, if not all students
have experienced a night there at
some point. And whether you loved
it or hated it, it was bound to be
memorable. The putrid smelling
interior, the way that your feet stick
to the floor, those tacky strung up
lights and the precarious tilting
floors are, to some, all part of the
boat's charm. But you might,
understandably,
wonder
why
anyone goes at all.
So, for the uninitiated amongst you,
we have compiled the ultimate
survival guide to ensure you enjoy
The Boat to the full:
Do not attempt to blag your
way into VIP... Wait until later
in the evening and sneak
up the back staircases...
always works a treat!
Don't fall overboard... \
Pretty straightforward really. \
Don't indulge in the burger
van... No matter how hungry
you are, refrain from the
tempting choices of sweaty hot
dog and BSE burger. You'll be
glad you did in the morning.
Avoid The Boat at all costs on
a Saturday night... No, really unless you're of a masochistic
bent.
NEVER deny your love for
The Boat... many of you find it
necessary to slate The Boat
(with some good reason), but a
Newcastle without The Boat
is like a Rah without the f
pashmina.
lover remarked: 'if the boat goes to
Ireland, I go to Ireland.'
But whilst the boat remains in
Newcastle, it will always have a
place in the students' hearts. It
would be nice to think that once
we've left, the Boat will go on
providing entertainment for future
generations, and maintain its now
legendary status. Despite its faults
(the sweat, the sweltering heat, and
the smells to name but a few), the
Boat is still a big attraction, and there
are only, two other cities in the
country which can lay claim to
having a floating club.
So whether you view the Boat as a
Quayside eyesore or an iconic
symbol of Newcastle (sorry,
Gateshead), it's safe to say we'd all
miss her if she went... even if only
slightly.
4
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io thecourier
Features
Monday 21st November 2005
Freddie.Darbyshireiancl.ac.uk
Men Behaving Beautifully
CAT BAILEY and ELLE BRUNTON have no problem
with men looking good, but not TOO good...
OR years, women have been now proudly displayed by high
accustomed to aspiring to a profile sports stars such as David
physical ideal - then going to Beckham and Gavin Henson; men's
great lengths to achieve it.
men who have brought male
We have spent countless hours grooming to the playing field.
plucking, waxing and applying
These are guys idolised for their
cosmetics, used lotions and potions sporting achievements, making it
(which don't deliver on their safer for other men to emulate them
promises) and then headed out into both on and off the pitch. It is far
the world with the
easier for a man to respect a rugby
'natural' look that
player, like Henson, than a balladevery woman knows
. singing pretty-boy, and not question
takes at least two
his masculinity; it is much more
hours. And, after
acceptable to have a sun-bed tan or
burning ourselves
bleach your hair if David
for the millionth
Beckham has done it first.
time on the hot wax,
Rugby
players
we have cursed the ease
once used to
of the hassle-free grooming
b
e
habits of men.
Until recently, a shower, a
shave and a fresh t -shirt seemed to
be the only male grooming
essentials. But times are changing;
the fashion mullet is on the rise,
tangoed-tans abound, and for men
aged between 16 -25, pink was this
summer's colour of choice. Yes, men
are becoming increasingly interested associated
in their appearance, and men's w i t h
fashions have been veering in a cauliflower ears
distinctly more feminine direction. and a lack of teeth,
The pastel colours seen last season but not anymore. In a recent
were, for want of a better adjective, interview in Cosmopolitan, Gavin
'pretty' shades usually favoured by Henson admitted that it takes him
the fairer sex. Which brings us to our two hours to get ready for a night
point are men getting more girly? Or oufc"First I shave my legs and then
are the boundaries between the sexes shave my. face. Next I apply fake tan,
becoming blurred?
which works pretty instantly, and
You can't have failed to notice the then I do my hair, which can take
abundance of male skincare products quite a while."
now available. Ten years ago, any
Two hours? That's a long time,
man
who
cleansed,
toned, even for a girl! Gavin Henson is a
moisturised and then used a self­ good looking lad (apart from those
tanning product would have done so distinctly feminine eyebrows), but
in secret. Now it is perfectly do women really want a boyfriend
acceptable for men to spend hours on that will hog all of their bathroom
their appearance. Hair highlights time?
and make up, previously the
We aren't against male grooming
exclusive domain of boy band on principle; we're just starting to
members and Baywatch actors, are despair at the levels of vanity it has
F
spawned. But fear not ladies: there
are still a few cavemen left in the
world! And we are definitely happy
about it. We can't speak for the entire
female population, but it*s pretty offputting speaking to a guy that knows
more about hair care than you do!
And after speaking to male friends,
we are confident that there are a few
men finding this trend as difficult to
deal with as we are - we've had some
pretty violent reactions to fashion
mullets: 'We don't really think
there's a rise in pressure to look good
but men are becoming more
feminine in my opinion; all those
mullets and f***ing pretty boys!' says
Phil, a student at Edinburgh
University.
Tom, studying in Sheffield, has a
different opinion, saying that
although he only spends 15 minutes
getting ready, he feels that if his
friends spend ages getting ready
there will be more pressure for him
to look good too.
However, peer pressure isn't the
only catalyst for this trend. The
media has had a huge part to play.
We know the effect that seeing
Freddie Ljungberg in a pair of Calvin
Klein's has on us, but what about its
effect on men? Steve King, Editor of
Men's Health Magazine lays the blame
at women's door:
'I hate to say it but women are
putting pressure on men, they want
us to look like the guy from the
Calvin Klein advert.'
This, in part, is true but these
airbrushed images of physical
perfection are just fantasy: in reality
we'd prefer a man that isn't always
in the gym. But the media have made
the Adonis image a fantasy for men
themselves, a goal for them to aspire
to.
The rise in cosmetic surgery in men
has proved that both sexes are
equally susceptible to the media's
influence. According to the British
Association of
Aesthetic
Plastic Surgery
(BAAPS), the
number
of
men that had J
cosmetic ^
surgery last
year doubled.
Men
are
resorting to
d r a s t i c
measures to
keep up with
what they feel
women want.
It used to be
common (in
adverts aimed
at women) to
see the reaction
8, St Mary's Place. H aym arket Newcastle.
0191 2811101 team@9pectruniimaging.cauk
of a man to the
woman's look
PHOTOcopyBINDprintDIGITALimageT-SHIRTSkiosksDISERTATIONSphotocopyPOSTERSbadges
at the end of the
1 0 % Student D iscount for >£5 spend excludes self-serve
ad. But this is
no longer the
OH D A V ID ... Is the star footballer you r m odem day Adonis?
case; brands such as L'Oreal are now
encouraging us to primp up simply
because 'we're worth it', not because
it will get us a man.
This is not the case for men,
however. Just look at adverts for
shaving products: the real test of a
razor is whether
the scantily clad
woman (that
you
have
clearly just
spent the
night with)
ectfum
+
touches your face and says 'oh wow,
your skin is so soft that we should go
back to bed', or words to that effect.
Here the motivation is still to
impress the woman. Or is it that the
media are not confident that a man
advertising skin care products can
still look masculine and therefore
have to make their heterosexuality
explicit?
This effect has spread to films, too.
The hero is no longer of the ubermasculine variety (think Bruce
Willis in Die Hard) with tom vest
and five o' clock shadow, all sweaty
and filthy. In Alfie, Jude Law is the
epitome of the 'metrosexual' male
who manages to sleep his way
around New York. In the opening
scene he addresses the audience,
anticipating their reaction to his
flamboyant wardrobe: "I know
what you're thinking, but if
you ooze masculinity, as some
of us do, you have no reason
to fear pink.'
Leaving aside whether or
not Jude Law actually does
'ooze
masculinity',
the
message is clear; pink is no
longer just for girls and
anyone should feel free to
moisturise. But lets not get
carried away - when your
boyfriend looks at your top
admiringly and says 'my,
aren't you a riot of colour
today7 you may start to long
for the good old days when
men just didn't care. So next
time you're getting ready
and cursing your boyfriend
for not feeling your pain,
remember: be careful what
you wish for.
Freddie.Darbyshire@ncl.ac.uk
J.L.G undill@ ncl.ac.uk
thecourier n
Features
Monday 21st November2005
J.L.GundHMancl.ac.uk
JENNIE
BEN ATKINSON
her bookmark at
VifLiJ ~
EFORE I start, let me make it clear
that I love film; going to the cinema is
one of my favorite leisure pursuits,
and many films have emotional ties
for me, from first dates to the time I cried so
much at the pictures that I was physically sick
on the way home (Titanic - how embarrassing).
But if film was still just a figment of an
engineer's imagination, I think I would still be
in exactly the same place as I am today. Books
are the foundation of education. Having been
read to from a baby I developed a natural
curiosity for fiction and found myself
immersed in novels ranging from Enid
Blyton's Famous Five to Melvin Burgess's Junk.
My passion for reading continued to the extent
that I decided to embark on an English
Literature degree.
Literature is integral to everyday life, in a
way that we are often not aware of; the concept
of Big Brother comes from Orwell's 1984, and
many of our everyday sayings have their
origins in Shakespeare's plays; for example,
"it's all Greek to me" comes from Julius Caesar.
It is not that films do not have an impact on our
lives, but I feel that it is more important to be
well-read, than well-schooled in the world of
film. If I should be lucky enough to have
children I think a well stocked bookshelf in
their bedroom is more imperative than an
extensive DVD library.
B
'A well-stocked bookshelf is
more imperative than an
extensive DVD library'
Film allows us to escape the stress of
everyday life for a few hours, which is
fantastic, but I prefer to be able to dip in and
out of a story, drawing out the suspense. When
revising for my GCSEs I found myself gripped
by Harry Potter, providing a welcome relief and
a reward: one past paper to one chapter!
Reading a novel may be harder work than
watching a film, but I think the comparative
rewards reflect this. You may not be able to see
the characters, but this enables you to
visualize them in your own way; a way
which allows you to empathize with
them more and live vicariously
through them.
When a novel is adapted into a
film, someone who has already
read the novel will always be
disappointed by the portrayal
of the protagonist; a director
cannot cater for everyone's
individual vision. It is also not possiETe in film
to recreate every little nuance of a written
narrative. The Harry Potter films for example,
are visually enchanting, but if you have read
'Reading a novel may be
harder work than watching a
film, but the comparative
rewards reflect this'
the novels you may find yourself
disheartened as you realize the
small things which make
Harry Potter Harry
Potter, have
b e e n
missed
out, and
t h a t
there are V
little things V
that niggle
at you - Mrs
D u r s 1e y
should
have
blonde hair not
dark hair!
I am not a big fan
of film adaptations. I
am scared that I will
be frustrated by the
auteur's vision, as in the
case of The Beach or The
Virgin Suicides. I actually
refused
to
see
The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy for this very reason!
However, the large amount of
adaptations indicates the importance of
literature, even in the cinematic domain; if the
film's producer had not read the novel in the
first place, there would be no film! Two of this
week's major releases are adaptations; The
Constant Gardener and In Her Shoes.
Finally, if you were to be stranded on
a desert island, you would (hopefully)
be more likely to take a book
than a DVD; it fits in your bag,
does not need electricity, and
would occupy much more of
your time than a film! In this
sense,
although
HEN it comes to superior
storytelling,
cinema
is
undoubtedly
the
ultimate
medium. From the outset of a
good film, your senses are assaulted as the
director visually and aurally manipulates the
viewer, whilst touching upon your soul in a way
that the written word can only dream of.
I will admit that it may very well be my job to
take such a stance. However, as an English
Literature student, I have been in a perfect
situation to look at both sides of the spectrum,
and have readily come to my conclusion.
There is no denying that the novel is an
effective and enjoyable means of
communicating ideas, but the sheer
•
amount of dramatic instruments
and devices on offer to a
J Q 09,'3 q
f i l m- maker
W
him
n*
Vi
just to
cover my
f back) to
f present
material in a
unique,
exciting and
im m ediate
manner that surpasses
mere print on paper.
The true strength of a film is in
reaching an emotional catharsis within the
viewer, inducing a thrill like nothing else. Who
could not be affected by the final escape in The
Shawshank Redemption, the eye-juggling tension
of Michael Corleone's restaurant meeting in The
Godfather, or the spine-tingling night-vision
,
'Cinema touches your soul
in a way that the written
word can only dream of'
climax of The Silence o f the Lambs? All three of
these, it may be added, were originally novels,
yet have been transformed into superior movies,
cutting out the drab and making a more focused
narrative.
While the novel leaves room for inconstancies
in the pace of reading, the film-maker
novels are definitely the way
takes control of the temporal element of
forward.
the story, choosing his moments to
perfection in developing plot and
heightening tension. The control that the film
has over your 'reading' of the storyline is
invaluable in creating an unequalled dramatic
sensation, as well as being the sign of a truly
brilliant director. I reject the idea of 'not being
'A compelling film grabs
you by the throat no
matter what your reading
ability is, and does not let
go until the credits roll'
able to put a book down' simply because it takes
too long; even the fastest of readers cannot come
to a satisfying conclusion without locking
themselves in a room for a week. A compelling
film, however, grabs you by the throat no matter
what your reading ability is and does not let go
until the credits roll.
A simple way in which the film will always
reign supreme is in its accessibility. We simply
don't talk in the language of literature; our usual
way of communicating is through speech and it
is in this manner that the film can resonate
deeper. Personally, I can relate more to a
walking, talking character than one that is
restricted to the confines of one's own mind.
Sometimes it is easier for a film-maker to show
you what you cannot envision yourself, leaving
the viewer to interpret what he/ she sees in front
of them. Anyone who has seen such genredefiant movies as Donnie Darko or Pi will agree
that film gives equal, if not more, scope for
imagination. Moreover, you could write a thesis
on the complex characters of directors like
Lynch and Cronenberg.
A film can often leave you speechless. Films
have a breathtaking ability to make the
impossible possible and the unbelievable
believable, whilst legitimising something that
would look frankly ridiculous written down
materialising before your very eyes. I doubt that
Neo's dodging of bullets in 77k Matrix or the
TIOOO's metamorphosis in Terminator 2 would
have looked quite as good if ifd been left on
paper.
Put simply: actions speak louder than words.
A director's tool box of colour, music, dialogue,
sound effects, lighting, CGI, editing, camera
trickery, I could go on forever, can collectively
create a world of suspense, drama, comedy,
horror or sci-fi, all in the more convenient two
hour time slot. My work here is done!
+
12 thecourier
Monday 21st November 2005
Travel
J.L.Gundill@ncl.ac.uk
RAVEL
Nordic Never Neverland
9 St Mary's Place. Newcastle NE1 7PG
0191 233 2111
newcastle @statravel .c o .u k
www. statravel. co.uk
NINA HART explores Oslo, the cultured capital of Norway, and finds peace and tranquility
T
he capital city of Norway,
'Oslo' takes its name from
the Nordic As meaning
God and Lo meaning
field.
After spending 4 days there this
reading week, it appears that this
translation isn't far from the truth.
Drawn to Norway because of the
peace, tranquillity and cleanliness it
has to offer, I wasn't sure how much
opportunity I was going to have to
see everything in such a short time. I
shouldn't have worried. It appears
that no matter how long you have or
what time of year you choose to
spend in Oslo, the capital will
accommodate you.
The city started to grow in
popularity around 1905, the same
time
that
Norway
gained
independence from Sweden. It was
only in the 1950's however that Oslo
became the city of commercial
hubbub that we now recognise. At
every glance, technological &
cultural influences are
visible, though this
does little to
distract
from the unique identity that Oslo
has created for itself. It purports to be
one of the most serene cities in
Scandinavia, which is perhaps why it
was chosen to be the home of the
renowned Nobel Peace Centre.
Although not the official reason, the
city's ability to assume peace and
create serenity in a cultured and
intellectual
manner
certainly
influences the opinion one takes
away from Oslo.
As a tourist, one of the first things I
noticed when investigating the city,
is the amount of museums it boasts.
Every district has at least one and
most of them would justify a visit.
This is especially true for the Munch
Museum and the Vigelandsparken
(the sculpture park). They both offer
an insight into the world of two of
Norway's most influential but
opposing artists. Munch died in 1944,
and at his death it was revealed that
he had donated all of his work to his
birthplace, Oslo. The museum that
currently holds his work was built
purely for this purpose. The
collection is exceptional, punctuated
by self-portraits which reflect the
progression of Munch's life and
career.
The sculpture park, a massive
outdoor
space
designed by
Gustav
Vi gel and,
is always
open and
free
to
enter.
It
contains many
weird
&
wonderful
scul ptures,
some
of
which are so
randomly
ugly
you
can't help
but
T H E C O A S T IS A L W A Y S C H A N G IN G ...O s lo looks out on the N o rth Sea
laugh at them! Even if you aren't
convinced or interested by Vigiland's
artwork, the park is worth visiting
just to benefit from Oslo's cool, crisp
air. Both of these museums are easily
accessible and although I think you
can manage it on foot, the T-Bane is
very regular and conveniently drops
you off outside of both locations.
Another unique selling point for
Oslo is its vast selection of outdoor
activities. During summer the
harbour is bustling and awash with
street side cafes. Most of them have
patio heaters - it may be brighter
during the summer months but in
comparison to other European cities
Oslo remains quite cool! This makes
it a favourable destination to sit and
chat or simply watch the world go
by. For the more active amongst you,
if you fancy taking a day trip, north
of the centre is Nordmarka. Here
there are lots of hiking opportunities
and the forested hills and tranquil
lakes offer a glimpse of what the rest
of Norway has in store.
A winter visit to Oslo is also
packed with opportunity. Cross
country skiing originated in
Norway,
ensuring
that Norwegians are
major skiers!
Tryvain
W inter
Park is the capital's largest ski centre.
It is easy to get there on the T-Bane
and equipment rental is around £30 a
day. Holmenkollen is also 25 minutes
outside of central Oslo where the
infamous Holmenkollen ski-jump is
situated: this is the biggest and
scariest ski-jump I've ever seen!
Winter also offers the possibility of a
horse drawn sleigh ride or, if you are
around in late November, a chance to
see the Festival of Light, when Oslo
converts into a twinkling paradise.
Eating or drinking out in Oslo can
be a bit complicated but finding a
nice place is definitely worth the
effort.
Essentially,
Norwegian
officials have decided that in order to
control the drinking habits of the
population they will put 'strict'
regulations on purchase hours. This
means that buying wine or spirits
anywhere but a 'winery' or a bar
after 6pm is impossible and beer can
only be bought up until 8pm, apart
from in bars where it becomes rather
expensive. I spoke to two Norwegian
students who thought that £5 was
cheap for a pint! Fortunately, there
aren't any restrictions accompanying
dining out and although prices might
bum your fingers, you can eat at
whatever time you choose.
One of the most economic areas is
Griinerlokka. There are restaurants
havcina frm £425
m exico frm £445
sau paulo frm £453
aplenty here and it is especially
popular with students and artists.
Also the location of a few cool bars,
there is the occasion to have a
nightcap or two. If you have enough
in your budget there are some
'exotic' dishes to be tried in Norway,
including seal and reindeer, but I'm
not entirely sure how ethical this is as
the seal population is rapidly
diminishing, and I am convinced
Santa would have something to say
about eating reindeer...
Transport to Oslo from Newcastle
is remarkably cheap. Ryanair is
currently offering flights from as low
as lp working out at about £25 return
with tax. Flights leave from
Newcastle Airport and arrive at Oslo,
Torp. This airport is about 1 houri
outside of the city centre; for a*
student return it is approximately
£20. Alternatively, if anyone is
planning to InterRail this summer,
Norway is part of Zone B, along with
Sweden & Finland.
On the whole, Oslo rocks. It is the
capital of one of the most peaceful
countries in Europe (though not yet
part of the EU), the people are
amongst the friendliest that I've ever
met, and it offers something for
everybody in every season. So, GO! It
might set you back a few pennies but
it is worth it.
buenos aires frm £584
lima frm £665
THIS WEEK...
Prodigy
Martha Wainwright
Turner Prize
Bingo
Pulp.Music
v.
Remember, remember these
gigs in November...
prodigy«
k .
Metro Arena
22nd November
Roger Mackin & Matt Marlow Neil Buchanan (of Art Attack fame) drew these
pictures. At least that’s who she said she
was...
Through th eir fifteen years of
highs and lows in the music
scene, live sets are undoubtedly
where Prodigy constantly excel.
The
rap tu ro u s
sounds
o f1
'S m a c k
M y Bitch
U p ’ or]
‘C harly’ in a live environm ent*
always set the h eart racing,
w hether pilled up to the nines
or
rid in g
on
pure
hard
adrenaline.
Their Newcastle visit promises
to be an incendiary opening to
th eir ‘Singles’ tour, providing
m o re a n th e m ic tu nes and
rousing beats than you can
shake a glow stick at. Moreover,
this will give Prodigy an excuse
to
a ir th e ir s u p e rio r old
m a te ria l fro m th e archives.
Now, all together: .‘ I’ve gone
sent to O uter Space, to find
another ra c e ...’
Ben A tkinson
As Autumn becomes W inter and we all start
abusing our gas bills with dirty central heating,
the music world is in a state of semi-limbo. Trips
to record stores become less frequent as new
albums dry up and music lovers prepare to go
into hibernation, wrapping up in w arm sum m er
hits and reminiscing of days gone by when we’d
never even heard of the Arcade Fire... but w hat’s
this come to warm our cockles? (And what the
hell are ‘cockles’ anyway!?) Why it’s November
gigs! There are some reet good ‘uns this week •
two Arena spectaculars to shake the frost from
your hips, and one home-turf night out from the
cold at the Global Cafe.
Calm us down with lovely ideas:
pulp.music@ncl.ac.uk
Familiar Faces
A weekly look at the leading lights of Newcastle’s
cultural life. This week: The ‘Steel Wheels' man!
Name: Keith Manon
Age: 32
Occupation: 'Steel Wheels' sign holder-for four
and a half years. Keep tryin to leave coz its crap
but they ask me back.
How much do you get paid? £5 p/h
Best and Worst part of job: Money is good. Wind
is bad.
What did you want to be when you were younger?
Nothing man! Just wanted to be a lay about!
Favourite part of Toon: Eldon Square
Worst part of town: Standing here
Favourite Venue: No where. I don't drink. Just
coffee. This is only bad habit (rolls up a cigarette).
What is your favourite song/artist? I don't like
music.
Have you ever brought a cd? Nah. Don't buy
anything. Just spend money on me house and
dog.
Do you ever go to steel wheels? Nah, it's a load a
crap.
Mmm...ok... I tell everybody not to go man!
Franz Ferdinand @Metro Arena
27th November
Arab Strap @Newcastle Uni
23rd November
With support in the form of upcoming indie sensations The
Rakes and the 'dark and enigmatic* Editors, Franz's first visit to
Newcastle in over a year looks set to be a ball-bouncingly cool
event. The game plan is likely to consist of a healthy mixture of
hits from debut album 'Franz Ferdinand,' with a pleasant
smattering of new songs from that tricky follow-up album, 'You
Could Have It So Much Better.'
If their much-publicised
Edinburgh performance some weeks ago is anything to go by,
Kapranos & chums will not disappoint. Be there.
Come November 23rd Aiden Moffat and Malcolm Middleton will i
be providing some of the saddest, heart aching music to hit I
Newcastle since the England vs. Portugal end credits. Often
blithely written off as drunken Scottish misers with lyrics such
as ‘It was the biggest cock she'd ever seen / But she had no
idea, where that cock had been’, Arab Strap are not your typical
axe heroes ■no groin thrusts here - but if you want unflinchingly
honest music that will captivate and enthral, then these boys
truly are a rarity in the shallowness of today's pop wasteland.
Theo Johnson
Jofa/vt.k ,
»,
„
,
,
,,
„
,,
Tom Wilson .
*
Various Artists
A ll Tomorrow’s Parties
20 03
Released as a companion to the ATP
Festival 2003, Groening has attempted
to draw a line from the Veivet
Underground to Sonic Youth through
the best of the American alternative
scene. There's a distinct lack of the VU
but this is a fantastic collection - Sonic
Youth's cover of the Simpsons theme is
quality. The only lame duck is Daniel
Johnstone's drippy track, but those by
Electrelane and Jackie-0 Motherfucker
more than make up for it. The highlight
is definitely the Analog Set's beautifully
understated ‘Come home baby Julie,
come home’. Definitely worth a listen.
★
1
-
I
|ajj|n
c
<75
|q J|d
Rammstein
Rockin' The
Joint (Live in
Las Vegas)
Rosenrot
Ah, Jim Noir...Music to skip
merrily down a sunny street to
after eating too many enumbers.
Tower of Love’ is a collection
of an individual’s private
musings on subjects such as
the
artist's
tortured
relationship with his computer
in ‘My Computer’ ( ‘ I tried
control delete...I hate having
to restart your mind...’) and
the trauma of losing balls over
fences in ‘Eeny Meenie’. This
album
is
intriguingly
individual, mixing electronic
effects with upbeat folky
melodies.
If
I had one
criticism it would be that this
music sounds destined to
feature on some car advert or
other. But never mind, Jim Noir
is definitely worth checking
out.
Anna Coatman
Aerosmith. Legends. All in
favour?
But
this
live
compilation
taken
from
2002's ‘Just Push Play’ tour
doesn't contain enough of
their best moments to satisfy.
Highlights are the seldomplayed album track ‘Seasons
of Wither’ and the none-moreballadesque ‘Don't Want to
Miss A Thing’.
I've heard
better versions of the (still
cool though) ‘Walk This Way’.
My overall impression is one
of contractual obligation on
the band's part - there are
more worthy Aerosmith live
albums out there, and this is
for fans only.
Scott Nixon
Deutsch industrial favourites
Rammstein show their rockier
side on this, their 5th studio
album. Moving away from the
pounding beats of earlier
albums, ‘Rosenrot’ features
slower-paced singing and less
abrasive basslines, but makes
up for it with lots and lots of
trademark riffage. I dislike the
emphasis put on the vocals as
I think that has never been
Rammstein’s strong point in
the first place, and the
anthemic tracks on ‘Rosenrot’
tend to sag if you don't
understand
the
lyrics.
Furthermore, ‘Te Quiero Puta’
is the ultimate of throwaway
tracks, and that's why this gets
only 2 stars. ‘Rosenrot’ ist
nicht amazing, but listenable
enough.
Romain Chenet
if if if if ir
if if if
Last time Martha played in Newcastle, she was sick. On
the audience. Or so she says half way through the set,
following a slightly sarcastic ‘it's great to be back’. This
nauseous legacy she left behind in Newcastle has been
unquestioningly replaced by the performance she put on
last week, which was nothing short of spectacular.
Armed with an acoustic guitar and some killer stilettos,
Martha filled every corner of the stupidly high-ceilinged
Academy with her voice, personality and musical skill.
She also showed herself to be very able to cross genres;
covers of songs by Cole Porter and Leonard Cohen,
husky jazz club stylings and Texan bar duets. However,
the highlights were always going to be just Martha and
her guitar, when she sings with such raw intensity that
your knees feel a bit weak and you'd have to sit down if
you weren't already. A gig that will truly be remembered,
this time for all the right reasons.
Sea Harbour
if if if if if
Blue lighting and spasmodic puffs of stage smoke set
the scene for this showcase of Newcastle's young
musical talent. Kicking off the proceedings is BMused,
an all-female folk quintet whose emotive harmonising
couldn't fail to impress. They were swiftly followed by
Elliot Rush and Band, a piano-led 5 piece who's potent
jazzy blues created the perfect backdrop for Elliot's
soulful, occasionally anguished voice. Third act Flu
wedded menacing prog-metal to haunting Radioheadstyle introspection, to excellent effect. Good riffs too.
The Art Of Kissing combined blissful vocal
arrangements with quirky and heartfelt lyrics to create
a heady brew of acoustic-folk emotion. The evening
climaxed with crowd favourites Myrtle Tyrtle, a 7-piece
jazz/funk/rock/psychedelic barn dance band that
swung harder with every song. Proof that the Newcastle
music scene has been underrated for far too long.
Scott Nixon
Devendra Banhart
Pharrell
Calla
System
Possibly the most laid-back,
melodic song on the 'loud' side of
their smash-hit double album, 'In
Your Honour', the anthemic
'Resolve' is therefore a safe bet for
single release. Grohl lives up to
his 'nicest man in Rock' persona
by refraining from his usual
throat-shredding vocals meaning
your Mum may even approve!
Heard Somebody Say
The most normal and
accessible release to
date - no ‘horse-headed
flesh wizard’ here - this
single may well be the
one that gives Devendra
the recognition he truly
deserves.
The three
tracks show off his
talents nicely; warm,
beautiful
melodies,
banjos and an ode to
chickens. Just so we
don't
forget
how
wonderfully odd he is.
It Dawned On Me
This offering from New
York is very easy on the
ear. With the husky
vocals, it sounds like
early B.R.M.C. that's
been subjected to some
new government anti­
excitement measures.
The riff's nice enough,
but,
you
know...
bleuurgh.
Could
be
better to come from the
album, as long as
they're more rebellious
against those damn
imaginary laws.
Hypnotize
Standard SOAD. A nice
arpeggio then a spot of
distortion,
combined
with
lyrics
about
Tiananmen Square and
what-not. You know what
to expect. If you liked
their old stuff, you'll like
this but maybe not as
much
as you were
hoping.
It's
pretty
formulaic but a welcome
distraction from the X
Factor.
Chris Johnstone
Bea Harbour
Angel
A far cry from the
grinding urban fare of
'Can I have it like that?',
here Pharrell leaves his
celebrity friends alone to
display his tender side;
opening lyric ‘She got
ass like loaf o' bread’
showing the depths to
which
this
extends!
Essentially this is a
harmless,
uplifting
affair, demanding only
the occasional tapped
foot/drunken writhings
in a nightclub of your
choice.
Luke Symonds
Foo Fighters
O)
Aerosmith
Tower of Love
David Littlefair
‘We are Motorhead, and we play Rock 'n' Fucking Roll’,
declares Lemmy and bloody hell they do! Firstly
Girlschool, cult girl rockers, play at a ridiculously early
time, so most miss them. In Flames play pounding
metal with expert guitar work, pointing out the
awkwardness of the entirely seated City Hall. The lights
dim, and Motorhead swagger onstage, opening with the
driving 'Dr Rock' as the noise engulfs the crowd. It's
when Phil Campbell (guitarist) and Lemmy ask the
crowd if it is loud enough (then upping it as a result) you
know it's a good show! The newer material 'Killers' and
the acoustic 'Whorehouse Blues' ride with ease with the
classics such as 'Metropolis', 'Ace of Spades' and the
climaxing 'Overkill'. This, the 30th anniversary tour,
shows no relent of what is a class act - even if Lemmie
thinks they’re getting on. A mesmerising and eardamaging experience - there is no finer!
Chris Kay
Resolve
©
Jim Noir
I once travelled down to
Manchester to watch Bright
Eyes, it was a bit of a let­
down.
What
began
as
anticipation trickled away bit
by bit as I found myself
surrounded by chunky sixteen
year old girls with 'I heart
Conor' signs in their hands,
and an audience so static it
could have given the Louvre a
run for its money in the
statues-per-square-foot
stakes.
A collection of tour tit bits,
this album doesn't really
encapsulate
that
hushed
reverence that constitutes the
Bright Eyes live experience, but
has some nice live b-sides and
jazzed-up rarities for the
completist.
if ★ ★ ★
Single Of The
Week
to
Bright Eyes
Motion
Sickness (Live
20 05 )
if if ir if if
if if if if if
if if if if if
Tim Smith
if if if if if
Of
A
Down
Tom Little
it if if if if
The Mystery Jets
Alas Agnes
Sick
to
death
of
saccharine love ballads?
Then let me prescribe
you a dose of ‘Alas
Agnes’.
The
fourth
single from Mystery Jets
details
the
eternal
dilemma of falling in
love with a transvestite
in such a harmonic,
frenzied
and
fantastically
eclectic
manner it's hard not to
fall for the lovable
rouges
themselves.
Utter genius.
Holly Poynton
w ir ★ ★ ★
+
Pulp.Music
Why Does No One Ever Talk About Sufjan Stevens?
Charlotte Otter puts the spotlight on the best multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter ever, ever...
If there are two things you should know
about Sufjan Stevens, they are that firstly
he's making a series of albums to represent
each state in America- an undertaking which
is impressively ambitious and will most
likely last the whole of his recording career.
The second thing is that he's a Born Again
Christian, but please, please don't let that
put you off I
This man in amazing; truly the best singer
have seen and heard in ages. No
exaggeration. Honest! His gentle voice
delicately sings about topics such as
divorce, alcoholism, murder and adultery,
and these songs are backed by intricate,
multi-layered melodies. As some of his
subject matter is so un-christian like, he
doesn't win the support of the CCM
(Contemporary
Christian
Music) media; in fact hardly any
of the rare - and dare I say it,
beautiful - breed of people who
listen to Sufjan's music are
Christian, or even that way
inclined.
His latest album, 'Illinois'
celebrates the State's culture of
mythology and oral traditions
with
songs
about
UFO
sightings, zombies, the Black
Hawk War and John Wayne Gacy Jr. The
latter being a heart-wrenchingly beautiful
tune about a mass murderer who killed lots
of little boys- disturbing to think about, yes,
but an absolute treat to listen
to.
On 'Michigan' he turns to
more traditional sounds, with
banjos, wood flutes and
oboes- playing the majority
of the instruments himself.
Each song on the album
takes a location in the state
and tells a story about it,
resulting in a vivid soundscape of sounds and images
being painted into your mind; a cinematic
blur of scenery moving swiftly by.
‘Wonderful
records of
poetic
genius...he can
appeal and
speak to
everyone”
Three other albums exist by Sufjan
Stevens, his self titled debut, 'Enjoy Your
Rabbit' and the legendary 'Seven Swans’ EP,
all wonderful records of poetic genius - but
maybe I’m gushing too much. The fact that
Stevens is signed to, and distributed by, the
supreme Rough Trade Records in the UK
shows that he is a singer who can appeal
and.speak to everyone- it's just a shame that
more people don't know about him.
His most recent album is also his most
accomplished; ‘Illinois' is an epic, twenty-1
two song appraisal of the minutiae of ^
modern American life.
Check it out.
Northern Spotlights
The Dead Beatniks
Band Biog:
Live Review
The Dead Beatniks are 5 males, armed with a
solid repertoire of funk, R'n'B and melodious
art-rock to prove to the world that they're not
just posh boys from Durham University.
After rigorously touring the North East's
little haunts for a year, they now intend to
perform at bigger venues, beyond the
region. Last week they recorded a live 3track ER
Cum berland Arm s 05/11
Demo Review:
In the recorded version of San Fran Disco
the band's two singers restrain the growling
bravado present in their live performance.
But this still doesn't change the fact this
song's combination of L.A. psychedelic-funk
and ironically rubbish rhymes sounds like
the Stereophonies conceiving No Wave.
‘The Games We Play’ is better- a convincing
take on Libertinian revelry.
Upcoming Gigs:
The D ead Beatniks will be playing:
11th November @ St John College Ball,
Durham.
24th November @ The Star Inn,
Newcastle.
The Dead Beatniks were the last act of Home
Cooking - an evening of sour ballads, lowly
poetry and bawdy comedy performed, by
portly men and greasy hippy-goths.
Such an introduction offset the sprightly
ambience and contemporariness of the
band's set. However, while there was verve in
the bands performance, there wasn't in the
music, which was really just a half-hearted
melange of today's cool bands and genres,
so there were glittering guitar-soars a la
Interpol, ragged bluegrass in the form of
B.R.M.C, and ska-tinged Landan punk.
These models meant the performance was
very now, but also insipid in its lack of
daring to inject anything new into the
musical landscape. And no matter how
much the guitarist stamped-danced, how
much the singers howled or how much the
bassist tilted his dapper straw hat- The Dead
Beatniks could not detach themselves from
this charge.
For
more
info
check
www.thedeadbeatniks.co.uk
Lauren Mulvee
out:
TheConstant
Gardener
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny
Huston, Bill Nighy
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Th e Orange blues
m et the release of Fernando
M eirelles'
latest film
w ith
great
anticipation, as The Constant G ardener
is set to be an immediate success.
Pulp
Right, tim e for
ladies and gents.
a g ru m b le ,
Adverts at the cinema are frankly
turning into a piss-take. I am not by
any means referring to film trailers,
as I consider them as possibly the
best bit of a cinema experience.
No, I’m talking about those
completely pointless and selfabsorbed commercials that have
sweet FA to do with film.
Personally, I don’t pay a fiver to be
bombarded
with what
latest
formula Persil have, or how much
bloody time Ikea can save you.
They’ve probably just wasted more
than said time saved watching their
inane, pretentious advert!
Taking a trip to the Odeon the other
day, I was greeted with a quite
ridiculous
twenty-minute-long
session, which meant that after the
trailer stint I was finally greeted
with what I’d paid to see in the first
place 40 minutes after I’d sat down.
Maybe cinemas should pay more
attention to ttie actual film part of
selling films, instead of trying to
sell a car or some bloody nachos.
Fancy a bite? Bite my arse.
Anyway, that out of my system, The
Constant Gardener is set to be a
major
Oscar
nominee
and
deservedly so, easily one of the
best films of the past few years. Be
there be square.
Following the sensational City of God,
Meireiles creates a haunting and intimate
portrayal of a British diplomat and his wife, a
civil rights activist, with the immaculate
casting of Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz.
The story is based on John Le Carre's novel
and the Brazilian director absorbs you into
their relationship and chemistry, deeply
entangled with politics, deceit and corruption.
The film is often reminiscent of The English
Patient, and immerses the audience in much
the same way, echoing the crucial element of
the locations. However, The Constant Gardener
far surpasses it in its use and diversity of
settings, switching between the pivotal
locations of London, Kenya and The Sudan.
Such evocative scenes ,are matched by the
growing suspicions
of diplomat, Justin
Quayle (Fiennes),
who
takes
the
audience on an
emot i onal l y
charged journey to
uncover the truth.
The energy and
pace of the film is a
credit
to
the
cinematography,
and the reality of
the
plot
is
intensified
by
scenes
shot
in
Africa using the
local inhabitants.
The film is packed
with colour and
vibrancy, and with the use of traditional,
African music, an incredible atmosphere
forms.
Superb performances by supporting actors
Pete Postlethwaite, Bill Nighy and Danny
Huston help enrich the plot with their
involvement in the political conspiracies,
which brings forth the question of humanity
and whether a price can be placed on human
life.
The audience encounters constant
revelations as the story unfolds and the plot
follows
complex
betrayals
and
misconceptions,
exposing
government
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Michelle Monaghan,
Val Kilmer
Director: Shane Black
Slick, fast paced and above all Cokeactually-cam e-out-of-Pulp's-nose funny,
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang tells the story of
Harry (Robert Downey J r ), a small time
crook who accidentally auditions for the
part of a private detective in a film . 'Gay
Perry' (Val K ilm er), a real private eye,
takes him in hand.
Director Shane Black's darkly comic
screenplay glows and is made the most of by
his charismatic leads, who manage to keep
the tone light despite the impressive body
count.
Black makes use of a narrative from Harry's
perspective, allowing him to comment on the
action as it occurs, and even skip back and
Email in your Ultimate Student
Movie to:
courierfilms@yahoo. co. uk
if if it if if
ODEON
NEWCASTLE
0871 22 44 007
| w m to ctw gfc/acfayg
up to be and, consequently, they brutally kill
their masters and then commit suicide (or
as the film decides after a good 'ol'
philosophical debate, 'self-terminate'). Our
hero, Batou the half-human, half-robot cop,
investigates...
This really is a film that will split
audiences right down the middle. If you're a
fan of anything related to Japanese anime
this film is a must. If you're a philosophy
student, same applies. If you can't stand
films that leave you with a rather unsettled
feeling of 'something is happening here, but
you don't know what it is', stay well clear.
Michael Stott
forth as he 'remembers' things. The voiceover
is highly amusing, but eventually its use as a
comic device is outweighed by its distracting
nature.
Michelle Monaghan deserves a mention as
Harmony, the girl of Harry's dreams. She is
not, as is so often the case, merely eye-candy
for the chiefly male audience this film may
draw, but also a foil to, and mediator between,
the other two lead actors. She also manages
to pull off a convincing shoot-out scene
dressed only in a skimpy Mrs Santa outfit,
which surely merits applause.
Taking the form of a contemporary,'light­
hearted LA Confidential, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is
certain to become a well loved classic, and
deservedly so.
Caroline Wood
Sophie Schoi
Ghost in the Shell 2
The latest offering from cult Japanese
director Mamoru Oshii will dazzle audiences
with its immense visuals, but its convoluted
musings on the relentless advance of
technology will leave the vast majority
scratching their heads in bewilderment.
The first Ghost In the Shell brought Japanese
anime to Western audiences in spectacular
fashion; featuring 2-D
hand
drawn
characters in a 3-D CGI background, a slick
Blade
Runner-e sque
narrative
and
philosophical dialogue on the rapidly
blurring line between the 'real' and 'virtual'
worlds. The sequel contains more of the
same, but this time the plot ostensibly
focuses on defective, sex-slave robots, a.k.a
'Gynoids,' who start to manifest human
qualities (hence defective).
One of these qualities is a realisation that
life as a sex-slave robot is not all its cracked
Sarah Crowe
KissKissBcng Bang
Ben Atkinson
Film Editor & full-time moaner
Voices: Akio 'Otsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Koichi
Yamadera
Director: Mamoru Oshii
atrocities and the horrors of the nation's
contemporary situation.
The
Constant
Gardener
voices
the
repercussions of turning a blind eye and
leaves you with a lot to think about, but this is
undoubtedly one of the best films of the year.
Its fantastic cast and direction pull you
through, leaving you satisfied that it was most
definitely money well spent. Pulp can't wait to
see it again.
Tyneside
Cinema
Starring: Julia Jentsch, Fabian Hinrichs, Gerald
Alexander Held
Director: Marc Rothemund
Sophie Scholl made Pulp want to yell ‘Girl
Power’ in way that has nothing to do with the
Spice Girls. How many of us would ever do
what Sophie did, and would not play up the
helpless female card if you knew it would
prevent you from being killed?
Sophie Scholl and her brother, Hans, were
leaders of the White Rose resistance party.
The film portrays what happened when they
are discovered in their fight to get students
to revolt against the Nazi party. It starts off
at quite a slow pace, showing the events that
lead to their arrest.
This background
information to Sophie's 'last days' are a bit
dragged out but never so much so that you
want to nod off, and once the arrests have
been made the pace just keeps picking up.
Pulp defies anyone not to have tears in their
eyes by the end.
Julia Jentsch's portrayal of Sophie has you
on the edge of your seat hoping something
will happen to prevent the inevitable. It's the
very real human element to this film that
makes it so interesting, so if you are sick of
the endless chick flicks and candyfloss
Sophie Scholl is definitely worth a watch.
Just remember that it gets loads better in
the second half.
Alexa Duff
if if if if
Tyneside
Cinema
Pulp.Film
mm, | n
Starring:
Marcos
Herdandez,
Mushkadiz, Bertha Ruiz
Director: Carlos Reygadas
Anapola
“ Enjoy your porno!” I was told by Grace,
“ But it's not a porno!” I challenged back • I
don't want to be thought of as the kinda guy
who hangs round playgrounds in a dirty old
mac, or as someone who regularly stars in
his very own Viz column!
m ■
.
,
_ 41 k
1
dvdreviews
Whispering
Conidcxs<1998)
Out Now: RRP £1 9.99
'What?!' is the question you'll be asking
yourself
after watching this Korean
schoolgirl horror directed by Park Ki-Hyung.
Whispering Corridors is the first in the 'Ghost
School Trilogy’ in which Lee Mi-Yeon stars as
an ex-pupil returning to her old school as a
teacher only to find ghosts of the past
running riot.
Beautifully shot with chilling scenes and
more eerie sound effects than you can shake
a stick at, this film will leave you quaking in
your boots (if you can work out what's going
on). It does prove that maybe it's not a good
idea taking pity on the class weirdo - they
might be a murdering psycho.
No, Grace was wrong. This was going to be
a good, arty film; long, panoramic shots,
lots of gazing over hillsides, a skew-iff plot,
and so on. And a bar! Yes, a gottle o geer
while you watch your film. Hats off to the
Tyheside!
Anyway, arriving in stylish art-house film
noir mode, with cravat nicely tucked under
jacket, 1 sat down and watched.............
And an hour or so later it was ail over.
Basically, sex, followed by unveiling a forty
foot Mexican flag ( I'll leave that part to your
imagination), young pretty girl looking
pretty, followed by fat people sex (no offence
to fat people but these are F A T), crying,
panoramic view, death, la fin. Arty? Yes, but
The Iraq war has presented the ideal
moment
to
re-release
this
1974
documentary about U.S. involvement in
Vietnam, which still seems relevant 30 years
after it was originally screened.
Footage from the war-zone as well as
interviews with both American soldiers and
Vietnamese survivors presents the impact of
the conflict on both sides. Comparisons
with Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9 / 11 are
inevitable here, but this anti-war film takes a
much subtler approach; the absence of a
narrator or clear structure leaves the
powerful visuals and interviewees' moving
stories to get the message across.
A
thought provoking film that speaks candidly
about war through its shocking and
memorable images but gives us no easy
answers to the difficult questions it poses.
The DVD, available for the first time in the
U.K., includes a commentary and interview
with the director.
Out Now: RRP £17.99
The geniuses from Aardman Animation
return to the small screen this month with a
new series of Creature Comforts. The
incredible thing about the series is that the
voices are all provided by everyday members
of the British public, to which the animators
apply an animal alter-ego.
The results are frequently hilarious, from
the extremely 'Rah'-ish horse, through to the
hard-of-hearing bats. A wonderful display of
British animation at its best, the only down
side being that the actual features
themselves only total a running time of an
hour.
That said, the extras are brilliant. From an
extremely detailed look at the creation of
one particular sketch, through to the
process behind capturing the voices, there is
easily enough here to satisfy anyone
interested in the production of such a TV
programme.
Film:
Extras:
it it it it
it it'i* #
The Key Players:
Katsuhiro Otomo • Otomo is clearly the
leading writer in anime. his films, ■
Metropolis, Memories and of course Akira,
are some of the most successful and wel.l*
crafted plots in the Retire.
Hayao Miyazaki ■The big dog of anime at
Film:
*
Extras: M 1
Also consider^ -($r$yp Of jjie fireflies,
Metropolis, Perfect Blua, N ifrfi Scroll.
,the moment is Miyazaki, chances are that
you'll know ot either Spirited Away or-J-Jowls m
Awards: (Like the Oscars lor ■jnlt/ie, just ,
Moving Castld, but his earlier work, like My
slightly mote-, random)
Neighbour Totoro, is easily equal to his
• Most Disturbing Use of a Scarecrow
bigger budget epics
award- Howls Moving Castle
• “I Swe^/. l Used to Have a Matching Set of
Essential/Vlr* mg
Limb?; Ofrtt^eOther Side.,." award Berserk
Akira ■Ah, Akim, the story of a psychic boy
• More Sugary Than an Iced Slush Puppy
who's also a member o f a post-apocalyptic
award • Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar
bike gang, Like most anime storylines,
• Only Classed As Anime Bebausp No-One
attempting to explain Akira to the
Else Wants It award: Final Famasy'- The
uninitiated tends to leave you looking, like
Spirits W ithin
an arse. Whatever, for the majority of
anirnc fans Akira was where it all began,
and the combination of explosive armon
and enveloping storyline continues to make
it a breathtaking spectacle today.
Ghost in the Shell • Qhohtquestions the
true nature of hum-mity by placing the
viewer in a future where'tium ans and
robots are intertwined. Whilst occasionally.,being a bit pretentious, G/?os/ remains ;;
fantastically animated and deeply involving,
Especially since it's regularly punctuated by
random bouts of full-frontal nudity to keep
you alert.
This quirky film has
been
described
as
Shallow Grave through
the eyes of children.
Two young brothers
acquire a bag filled
with money and the
story
follows
their
contrasting decisions
on what should be done
with it. They're under pressure as the
currency must be spent before the
impending change to the Euro.
The film is packed with comic moments
and captures the youngest child's colourful
imagination and naivity, as the reality of the
situation soon catches up with him.
M illions is another of Danny Boyle’s
achievements that provides a refreshing feel­
good film, with a helping of serious!
elements.
Recommended.
David Carr
Princess li/lononoke ■The finest movie by
the greatest anime direct Of, Mononoke is
two hours of sheer brilliance. Miyazaki's
a b i 111y Lp»never i of a Ily demonise his villains
,i*fc;glorify his fw.-rnes leaves a gripping story,
typically amusing characters and fantastic
animation to do the talking.
Crash Course...
Anime
U m m ...Is n ’t a n im e ju s t ca rto o n s? Truly,
gra ssh o p p e r, you have m u ch to le a rn . ,,
II we're going to compare anime arid
cartoons let's look at a few examples wfts
Mickey Mouse hacked to death by a lunatic
samurai? No. Was Snow WJnile vapourised
in a beam of energy? Not exactly. Vy^s
Gambi cut down in a hail o r gunfire?..,well,,
bad example.
Anime can get away with much more than
live-action; just look at the most successful
anime of the last ten years, Pvkamon. In
real life Ash has the RSPCA after him faster
than a Pikachu quick attack, but in the aSjfs
world of anime everything goes. So if
you’re if) the mood for some mindless
violence (or animal cruelty), then sit back
and relax, anime's got you covered./.
W ft w W '7
Sarah Crowe
Rob Bell
if
Cartoons for perverts? Not
so, explains Tom Marling...
Ed McCabe
Hearts and Mrids (1974) Creature Comforts:
Mffions (2004)
Series2 Volume 1(2005) Out Now: RRP £17.99
Out Now: RRP £19.99
Andrea Rangecroft
Film: i f i t
Extras: -ft*
slightly farty also.
So, did I enjoy my porno? Yes and no. But
more yes than no. If only for scene where
the main characters are selling jelly, cakes j
and alarm clocks next to a Mexico City |
underground station. Random as hell, but in
a good way.
• • • •
Battle ri Heaven
Film:
Extras: ^
•
Mflons of M K o n s to win
(weB, three)...
If you’d like to win a brand spanking
new copy of M illio n s, answer this tres
tres easy question.
Q: W hich Danny Boyle film is based on an
Irvine Welsh novel?
Email your answer to:
cou rie rfilm s@ yah oo .co .uk
M ILLIO N S is available to buy on DVD
fro m Pathe Distribution Ltd. on
Novem ber 2 1 s t 2 0 0 5
© 2 0 0 5 Pathe Distribution Ltd. All
Rights Reserved
+
“ T H IS week we need som eone to
review the Blue Reef Aquarium in
Tynem outh, anyone want to do it?” YES!
Like a kid in a candy shop I snapped up
the offer in about two m illiseconds, and
on arrival I was glad that I had done.
KIrsty’s Column
Hey there lovelies,
Hope you’re all well and
not struck down by
mumps!
On Sunday I came over
all domesticated and
decided
to
cook
a
Sunday roast. I peeled
and chopped and roasted
and stuffed and invited.
And do you know what? It
was brilliant! Not a
Bridget Jones moment in
sight (If you know me
you will understand this
is v. rare!)
So if you’re looking for
a
heartwarming
experience, invite some
friends over, pop open a
bottle of wine and have a
good old fashioned meal
round the table - just like
the Bisto advert!
Ever wondered what’s under the sea? Reporter, Ed
McCabe took the plunge at this week’s boredom buster
and here’s what he found...
It's great. I saw so many different types of
fish, sharks, octopi, seahorses and generally
amazing things in there, you can't help but
be fascinated by the diversity of life that you
can see while wandering around.
There are all colours and hues of ray,
shark, frog and beast to discover, and even
Nemo himself can be found if you look hard
enough (quite a coup to get him on a new
five year contract!).
Brilliantly there are also two otters living in
a man-made badger habitat, which had just
given birth to several baby otters which, I
was informed, you will be able to see in
around four weeks, when they are old
enough to come out of their nest.
The staff were very friendly, and really
caught your interest by doing intriguing
things like feeding whole boxes of live
crickets to poison dart frogs (obviously not a
typical event in and around uni... well not for
me anyway.) What is there not to like? If I
could, I'd give this six stars, it's that good.
And all this is only ten miles or so away, and
really easy to reach via metro.
So go, I heartily recommend it. Live the
dream and be that kid in the candy shop!
Kirsty xxx
Lunch Hotspot
Base Eleven Cafe issohcxxfy ft'scJmostpcvt
of Uni R4> sent CharioHeOHerto check out
what's on offerat ttusunderground retreat.
FORM ALLY known as ‘Hot Box' this
sm all, trendy and welcoming cate is
situated on Sandyford Road between
Munchies and Northum bria Uni.
It's easy to see why Base Eleven is a
popular student place, with cheerful and
friendly staff, a liberal smoking policy (it
has a smoking section!) and a vast range of
food at affordable prices.
Open from 8 in the morning till roughly
8 .30 in the evening. It is a tad difficult to get
a seat here between 12 • 2, so it's best to
arrive for a late (or early) lunch, for a
chance to sit down, relax and digest the
scrumptious food.
Bacon and Brie square clubs, fresh fruit
smoothies, vodka milkshakes (Base Eleven
has a full bar licence) and Malteaser slices
are firm favourites on the menu, so I
decided to opt for something slightly
different and after hours of deliberation
chose a chicken and Mediterranean
vegetable sandwich. It was HUGE! Literally
the size of my head, but. I made it my
mission to eat it all - and a pudding (waffles
with ice cream and cream ■ stuff the diet!)
as well.
Everything was delicious and I left with a
huge smile and my belly making a bid for
freedom - vowing to return.
*
* * *
^
Halal Meat Served Here
your budget of
Chicken Cottage
with a mega
Open 7 days a week 11.30am -12.00 midnight
All Halal products. Meal Deals available
43 Gallowgate (Tyneside Irish Club)
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG, 0191 232 0611
* Offer applies to meal deals only. One voucher per student. Present this advert
to the cashier. Offer may end at any time. Redeemable value 0.01 p
Pulp.Ents
Alternative Entertainment
They say variety is the spice of life, so why not try something new? This week p
the age-old sport of Bingo goes head-to-head with sexy salsa dancing
Ed McCabe lives the
salsa dream
RIGHT... I have two dance
modes; awful and super
awful. Think of that ad, I
think it's for Bacardi or
something similar, which
says “there is no bad
dancing” ...how wrong they
can be!
I guess the idea is that I start
now, rather like a late Billy Elliot
(late in terms of time, not dead
or anything!), dance with my
magic feet and end up as some
kind of world-beating Michael
Flatley
world-beating
phenomenon. At least that was
the theory!
Located at uber-hip enormodome venue Tiger Tiger, this was
my chance.
A chance, to break out of the
Westside ghetto that is Fenham.
To live my life through dance and
passion, and so on and so forth!
Give a man a fish and he'll feed
himself for a day. But give him
dance lessons and he can, erm,
feed him self (through dance,
presumably) for a lifetime. No
joking people, that's the hot-
damn truth.
And it's top. Yes, you will look
like a silly billy, but everyone has
to start somewhere, right?
It's not like anyone minds either,
it's all very friendly and supersupportive (no-one's going to
point and
laugh,
basically.
Instead they will coo and gasp at
your flowing moves!).
And, as Kirsty rightly said, girls
do like guys who can dance.
Which rules out 99% of guys in
Newcastle anyway! But hopefully
more people will see the light and
give it a try. Verdict, go and give
it a go!
Just remember, there is no bad
dancing!
* * * *
OBLIGATORY dabbers in hand
we took our seats at one of the
booths, arms full of bingo
cards for the main and early
sessions, priced at £7.99.
The interior of the Bingo Hall in
Heaton Social Club should apply
for heritage status. Its mirrored
walls and ceilings, green and red
striped wall paper and golden
booth for the bingo caller were
straight out of the nineteen
eighties.
A group of lovely old ladies
calmed our nerves, and talked us
through
the
rules,
in
an
atmosphere that was surprisingly
tense!
Our reddened, sweaty
cheeks were cooled off with frothy
pints for £1 .60, and I resisted the
urge to buy a pack of Lambert and
Butlers, which was what it seemed
like everyone was puffing on.
For the cash-strapped student a
night at the Bingo is a good option,
with
prizes
from
£ 1 0 -£ 5 0 0
available on the night not to
mention the "National" (with an
even tenser atmosphere) with up
to £ 5 0 ,0 0 0 up for grabs!
Luck was definitely on my side on
Monday night, as I dabbed my way
to a full house and walked home
with an envelope containing £250.
For a real Newcastle experience
this cannot be missed!
Freaky Dancing Comedy spot
Romain Chenet shares his pearls of wisdom on
Autumn Freaky Dancing featuring Phil Kieran
and Radioactive Man
THE union was decked out in full
bohemian regalia for this Autumn
Ball edition of Freaky Dancing, with
a brilliant diversity of lineup
gracing the stage and DJ booths.
That's where, of course, the
pleasant stylings of Phil Kiernan
were very much appreciated by we
humble punters.
It should have stayed that way but the
annoying helium-pitch of Radioactive
Man broke up the crowd somewhat, and
his tune selection proved uninspired and
somewhat disappointing.
Furthering th at sensation was the
malfunction of Ceephax Acid Crew's
equipment, which cast an abysmal cloud
over the Influence room. Thankfully, the
eclectic gyrations of The Baghdaddies
proved a big hit and a pleasant
alternative to the throbbing beats of the
main act when the exodus of bored
revellers hit the live band room.
Not on a par with the brilliant Valentine
Ball earlier this year, I still enjoyed this
edition of Freaky Dancing, but that may
have had more to do with the drinks
bought for me by a very drunk Czech
than the music on offer.
FUNNY BONES
H Corriedvj Clwbs
T
This week Adam HaHs takes a
look at the laughs on offer in our
very own Union
FUNNY BONES has been
running in the Global
Cate for a while now but it
seems that not many
students know about it.
Let’s set that straight shall
we.
Funny Bones uses a simple
formula, two rising comics
compared by another able
talent all set in the relaxed
setting of the Global, a great
venue for comedy due to the
intimacy with the performer.
The
info
at
www.unionsociety.co.uk
advises you to steer clear of
wearing anything silly if you
don't want to be laughed at;
steer clear of the jester hats
then!
They're
big
on
participation so get ready to
get involved!
The next session is on Nov
21st (tonight) featuring Bill
Wooland, who has a repu­
tation as a friendly and able
compere, Sarah Millican a
dry
ironic
observational
comic and Nik Coppin a
storyteller with a focus on his
mixed race upbringing and
an easy conversational style.
After that you'll have to wait
until Dec 5th for your comedy
fill. Tickets are £ 3 for NUS
holders (that's students!) so
what are you waiting for?
+
Art
Rom Shock Tadics To Boredom
TH E Turner Prize - the one event
in the art calendar guaranteed to
get the public, and the tabloids,
talking about art, whether it’s to
praise the nominees or, more
commonly, to criticise and rant
about ‘the state of the art world’
- or is that all a bit 90s?
The choice for this year's
shortlist - Jim Lambie, Darren
Almond, Gillian Carnegie and
Simon Starling, seems to be
following a startling pattern that
has developed in the past few
years, that is to pick artists that
are guaranteed not to shock or
cause controversy. And what is the
critic’s reaction to this after
complaining so loud for so long
about shock tactics? That it’s all a
bit too boring. There’s just no
pleasing some people is there?
I can kind of understand where
they’re coming from though.
Where there once stood unmade
beds complete with condoms and
sheep in formaldehyde we now
have a video of a granny in
Blackpool (Darren Almond), a bike
and a shed (Simon Starling), and
paintings of bums (Gill Carnegie);
well frankly guys, I’ve seen more
shocking things down the town on
a Friday night. But is everyone
missing the point a bit?
Surely we should be glad that the
judging panel seem to be
concentrating on serious art
rather that what might end up on
the front of The Sun? With
Starling’s work concentrating on
issues of globalisation, ecology
and mass production; Carnegie's
apparently traditional oil painting
‘with a twist’; and Almond’s focus
on themes of remembrance and
the effect of time; we can’t deny
that these guys take serious
subjects for their work.
The exception to this is Lambie,
who admits to wanting to create
an art of ‘pure pleasure’, similar
to the effects of listening to
music, by overwhelming the
senses with colour, pattern and, in
this case, huge ornamental birds.
Sounds great, but somehow it
manages
to
look
a
bit
computerised and detached to
me.
But is it boring? Well, that’s a
matter of opinion. But there’s one
thing I am sure of - that nothing
sparks public discussion like a bit
of artistic controversy, and with no
controversy, well, will anyone pay
any attention?
Helen Bradbury
Rocks In My Bed?
Whafs Your Havou?
ROCKS IN MY BED: PETER
RANDALL-PAGE
ONE TRINITY GARDENS,
QUAYSIDE
YORK ART GALLERY
Exhibition Square, York, Y O l 7EW
http://www.york.art.museum
24th September 2005 - 8th
January 2006
Free
THIS show has been set up in One
Trinity Gardens to mark RandallPage’s permanent installation,
Give and Take, in the centre of the
new development, a hefty rock
sculpture in the centre of a mini­
amphitheatre.
Rocks in my Bed itself is
composed of four Granite stones
set against strips of canvas, all of
which are covered in a complex,
random maze of brown and black.
The maze disguises the rocks
against
the
background,
mimicking the use of camouflage
in nature.
Although Rocks in my Bed has
been advertised as a show it is
more like a single exhibit in the
foyer of an office block, so not
really worth taking a trip to the
Quayside especially for it. But you
may want to wander in after
visiting the Baltic, if only to annoy
the surly security guard on the
door.
Cat Bailey
Theatre
W ry Interesting...
PULP’S Rosie Cole was lucky
enough to get up close and
personal with Chris Magill, who
will be starring as the Fairy in the
Theatre Royal’s ‘A Midsummer
Night’s Dream’. So what exactly is
it like talking to a bloke in tights?
Pulp - This is your first production
with the RSC. Were you nervous?
C.M. - Completely! I’d only just
graduated from drama school
when I got the part, to work with
the RSC is every actor's dream,
but now it’s great, the cast have
been together now since January
and everyone gets along like a big
family. It’s a real ensemble cast.
Pulp - So how did you get into
theatre?
C.M. - It’s a family business really,
my parents are both directors and
my sisters are actors too; we’ve
grown up in the profession. I had
to make a decision between being
a musician and being an actor, I
was scared I’d made the wrong
decision, but I’ve fallen in love with
the profession, I think I made the
right choice.
Pulp - The RSC is offering £5
tickets to young people, why do
you think it’s important to get
young people into theatre?
C.M. - Whilst we were in Stratford,
the majority of the audience were
TH E York Art Gallery is well worth
a visit - my favourite painting was
by Ben Nicholson (1894-1982),
called ‘Still life: Birdie’, Oil and
Graphite on canvas,
1934.
Nicholson was heavily influenced
by the European modern art at the
beginning of the twentieth
century, which can be seen in this
abstract still life.
The artist was part of an avantgarde. group (including Henry
Moore and his wife, Barbara
Hepworth), who were concerned
with international modernism.
This painting caught my eye
because of the way the paint is
roughly applied. Earthy colours,
greys and whites, merge together
and the oil and graphite make a
tourists, but as time went on it
was clear that we had a much
older audience. We need to attract
a much younger audience or
theatres won’t function.
Pulp - And what will attract
younger audiences to this version
of Midsummer Night's Dream?
C.M. - This is one of the most
visually stunning pieces around at
the moment; Greg Doran has put
together a spectacle full of magic
and puppetry. The great thing
about this play is it is accessible to
everybody, Doran has managed to
make Shakespeare magical, and
that was the original purpose of
this play, to be completely
fantastical.
Pulp - And finally, is this your first
time in Newcastle, and if so, what
have you heard about it?
M W ,'--.---
rough texture, creating a sense of
the elements that the viewer
naturally connects to. Within the
shapes that the line of the paint
creates, is a red dot that grabbed
my attention, being so bold and
dramatic amongst the more subtle
colours.
There is lots of work to see at the
Gallery, from the traditional to the
more contemporary. There is also
an exhibition on at the moment
that anyone who has a special
interest in ceramics should go and
see. It’s not far from Newcastle,
and it’s free; if you have the
chance, do not miss it!
Holly Willats
C.M. - I have never performed in
Newcastle before but I have heard
it’s a beautiful city. The audience,
according to several of the cast,
have been really responsive in
recent years and the Theatre Royal
is an amazing space. I can’t wait
to visit the Tyne and check it out
for myself!
Pulp - Thanks a lot for talking to
Pulp,
enjoy your
Newcastle
experience!
Rosie Cole
Competition
THIS week’s competition is colossal in brilliance. To celebrate the
opening of the Spencer Tunick exhibition at BALTIC on 21st January,
one of you lucky, lucky individuals will become the proud owner of a
LIMITED EDITION BALTIC GOODY BAG, exclusive only to Pulp Art
Readers.
To be in with a chance of winning simply email the answer to the
following question to pulp.arts@ncl.ac.uk before Monday 28th
November 2005!
What is the name of the artist who recently got 1700 volunteers to pose
naked for an installation on Newcastle Gateshead Quayside?
I _
M M
4
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*■
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+ '
Pulp.Arts
I Predct A Riot
Riot: South Sheilds 1930
The Customs House
South Shields
28th October 2005
RIOT is a play set in the 1930s in
South Shields, showing the
struggle Arab immigrants had in
trying to find work and integrate
with the local community.
As relations between the two
gradually worsen, the Yemeni
Seamen riot leading to bloodshed
and deportation. Whilst this play is
obviously politically, it also shows
the struggle of an inter-racial
relationship of that time; a Yemen
boy falls for a local girl, causing
outrage among both communities.
What is most interesting about
this play is from the perspective of
local history; this story was true
and we were sitting a few yards
away from where the rioting took
place seventy years ago. It was
therefore disappointing that the
script and direction were weak. I
found the production lacked
energy and passion and did not
have the ‘controversial’ effect the
director Darren Palmer had hoped
for.
KLM Finer
Literature
Jane Hirshfield
creamy halo under the white
lighting.
Hatton Gallery, Univeristy of
Newcastle upon Tyne
26th October 2005
JANE Hirshfield stands in the
porcelain confines of the Hatton
gallery; roses and water on a
white table; her mother-earth
beauty almost glowing in a
Tonight she read from her latest
anthology The Lives of the Heart.
The Mills-and-Boon-esque title
belies what are actually gorgeously
sensuous poems about genocide,
human consciousness and decay.
The reading was rounded up with a
Q and A session: the sound of the
prolific
poet
and
essayist,
imparting her thoughts on the artform set many eyes a-twinkling
among the would-be writers in the
room.
But the poems themselves were
the stars. Arranged in wandering
rhyme, luscious images grow into
each other and outwards, like
blood-drops on water. And thank-
99
goodness that this selfm
proclaimed introvert was willing
to read her poems this evening,
for what a voice: deep, American,
softly monotonous. Everything she
said lingered, beyond its
utterance, in a weird glittering
radiance.
he was looking at.
Finding the museum is fairly easy
with the aid of a map. I got lost but
anyone who possesses a sense of
direction should be fine! So, if you
have nothing better to do, or are
deeply interested in eighteenth
century fashions, give it a go. If
this exhibition isn’t your thing, the
museum is still worth a visit. You
can wander in off the street,
amble
around
the
winding
corridors and maybe even learn
something. There’s a cafe and a
gift shop and best of all it’s free!
What more could you ask?
S
Lauren Mulvee
The Alternative
ARE you increasingly finding yourself knowing the ins and outs of the lives of Ramsay Street’s finest? Do you
sit, alone and unfulfilled picking your nose, waiting for your flatmates to return from their exciting lives? Maybe
that's just me then... What you need is to get yourself involved! Get out into the wonderful world of the
alternative pastimes of our fine city. Elise Brunton and Sophie Islip weren’t afraid to try something new... Are
you?
Fashion Worics
AS I set off with my flatmate to
the Discovery Museum to check
out the Fashion Works exhibition,
my expectations were fairly low. I
had been warned that the
exhibition in question was fairly
old and therefore in the words of
Susie the press officer, “a little
out-dated” . She was right.
The exhibition ranges from
eighteenth century garments to
1980s
get-up
and
features
‘fascinating’ facts such as “Prince
Charles (not ours!) Popularised
creases down trousers because
they disguised his bandy legs",
which I’m sure we will all breathe
easier knowing!
The clothes themselves are
displayed in glass cases and if you
have a passion for clothing from
different eras, there is good
selection provided.
However the draw of these types
of museums are the interactive
learning sections, and in this case
we found many of them either ‘out
of order’ or in a severely
dilapidated state.
And whilst the majority of the
museum is clean and bright, the
‘resources room’ of the Fashion
Works exhibition is dirty and in
need of repair; hardly a sight
which will invite children to learn!
On this subject, the small boy I
did see wandering around with his
parents liked pressing the buttons
but was largely unaware of what
Elise Brunton
Homecooking
BORED of the usual? Looking for
something slightly different? Then
head down to Byker. Don’t be
mislead by the name.
The ‘Homecooking’ event at the
Cumberland Arms isn’t your
everyday fare... Don’t be deceived
by
the
slightly
traditional
surroundings of the pub, as
huddled away on the second floor
Joss’
Juice
GOLLY fritting gosh, what a week!
Doing jazz hands all day has
knackered me out good and proper.
Oh the complete and utter joys of
“reading” week!
After my pervious week of a
completely vodka induced stupor,
I’m much more on top of things and
looking for work with scrabbling
paws and beady eyes; a lot like a
hamster.
A question for my readers, I’m
starting a new column open to all,
called What’s Your Flavour? Tell me
what’s your flavour? Homage to the
man, the legend, Craig David of
course. It’ll consist of little snippets
of your everyday lives. Have you ever
been somewhere so utterly beautiful
that you want to tell the world,
scream it from the top of the Union
Building? Have you ever read a book
that has moved continents for you?
Have you ever heard an orchestral
manoeuvre in the dark that touched
you somewhere you’ve never been
touched before...? If so I'd like to
hear about it and bloody publish it!
is the setting for the unexpected.
A raw mixture of ingredients of
comedy, poetry and music result in
a raw, eclectic and charged poetic
screwball.
Bands such as Indie locals ‘The
Dead Beatniks’ headline whilst
supporting acts such as local
poets and acoustic sets keep the
assorted
audience
equally
I’ll be starting proceedings off by
offering the first What's Your Flavour
writer a super surprise not even
Craig David could equal. So get
scribbling boys and girls. You know
you want to.
I’d just like to take this moment to
thank my beautiful writers of the
year so far. You’ve been superstars
and extremely tolerant of my erratic
moments of enthusiasm. I thank
you.
l i f i i r i r i f
engaged. Undoubtedly a Saturday
night you won’t forget in a hurry.
8
For
more
information
visit:
http://www.thecumberlandarms.c
o.uk/
Sophie Islip
Smokers For President, Prime
Minister, King and Taoiseach.
i m u+ ;
thecourier 25
Letters
editor.union@ncl.ac.uk
Dear Editor,
Hello! What's this?
Whilst reading my weekly Courier
this evening, and having exhausted
the
fun
of
circling
attractive/unattractive ladies on the
Solution pages, I turned to an article
entitled: "How to...starve off
boredom when it's nasty outside"
Said article seemed, at first glance,
worth further investigation; we all
know the days of sober reflection
caused by the onset of the fall and
the distance to any Guinness outlet
being hampered by poor weather.
However, on further reading I
came to a line I did not fully
understand: "turn off Diagnosis
Murder". Well, here I had to stop
and reflect, was this a joke? some
kind of game? I read on. No joke it
seems as actual alternatives to DM
were suggested. Alternatives! To
Diagnosis! I exclaimed.
There are no alternatives available
at 2.35pm weekdays. Any other
activity you may plan to do is clearly
to be scheduled around this
hallowed 50min period of the day.
The Spanish have the correct idea,
they close shops/pubs/schools/
hospitals every afternoon in the heat
of the sim for the Diagnosis (or siesta
as its known there). Rest for the body
is exercise for the mind they say and
what could tax the mind more than
the complex plot lines and Van Dyke
(father/son) action. "Edutainment",
a phrase coined in parallel with the
DM.
Monday 21st November 2005
Letters
to the Editor
Got something to say? Drop me a line at editor.union@nci.ac.uk
Speed dating is suggested as a socalled 'alternative', but why would
anyone ’ chose to ignore the fine
nuances of dating eloquence as
portrayed by Barry Van Dyke (Steve
Sloane)? Only today he had the
victim's sister in his arms and used
his charms to attract his female
partner at the police station. Living
on the edge, and only for the brave,
but Steve's example is there to be
leamt from. Why look for Mr Right
when he can be seen in your homes
daily courtesy of this fine
medical/ detective/ drama/ comedy?
epic?
Culture! Yes, culture is suggested
as an alternative but this begs the
question; why is the inherent culture
in DM being so callously ignored?
Only last week I leamt about the
inner beauty of mankind and the
shameful tendency towards shallow,
appearance based opinions we all
harbour. The episode in question
was based on the modelling industry
and the dangerous steps some
producers take to ensure thin
models, by pure coincidence Steve's
latest conquest was of a more stocky
mould than Hollywood tells us is
attractive.
By this woman's
personal confessions to Lt. Sloane
and his own honest reaction to her
beautiful personality I was able to
take a step back and reflect on my
own shallow existence. Medicine
for the soul is a phrase never more
appropriate than here.
Now, I'm not deriding any of the
ideas posted by the article, I'm
simply questioning their relevance
when following a statement so rash
that it suggests missing the DM.
There are 24 hours every day and
DM does not even take up one of
them (sadly). If some are too
frightened by the concept of selfimprovement, too foolish to
comprehend the complex plotlines
or ignorant of the subtle humour
applied at the end of each episode
(usually skilfully underlining a
running jape) that is their own fault.
I'm not here to criticise anyone's
upbringing (we all wish for the same
kind of family based medical
detective
bonding?)
but,
in
suggesting we "turn off Diagnosis
Murder" you have gone too far.
A final note, could not the photo
have been more effectively used by
archive pictures of the DM team?
Perhaps an article with the
programmes main murder solving
unit, Dick Van Dyke would be
appropriate? There's an interview
that would stock the courier trophy
cabinet. Especially as (no doubt you
are aware) he turns 80 on 13/12/05!
Regards,
Luke McGrath
Dear Luke,
An interesting viewpoint indeed.
Any other hardcore DM fans out
there? We want to hear of your
outrage!
Regards,
Stu Vose
Editor
SCAN News
All the latest in
student volunteering...
Student volunteers were out and
about again on Wednesday 16th
November braving the cold to help
make a difference to one of the
North East's favourite landmarks.
Student
Community
Action
Newcastle (SCAN) and VANU
(Voluntary Action Northumbria
University) took part in the National
Trust organised Volunteer Mega
Bash at Penshaw Monument near
Sunderland. SCAN joined nine other
teams from businesses, the voluntary
sector and even a European team to
help restore and re-surface the
pathways and steps that lead up to
the monument.
SCAN VRF Project Worker Gez
Straker, who co-ordinated the
recruitment of volunteers for the
SCAN team said "It was knackering
work but totally worth it when you
could see the difference we had
made to make the area more
accessible to visitors".
To find out how you could get
involved in the local community in
loads of different ways come to
SCAN on the first floor in the
Students Union (open 10am-4pm
Mon-Thurs & Fri lOam-lpm) or visit
SCAN's
website
at
www.scan.ncl.ac.uk.
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IGF 2006
starts here!
jobwatch
More stuff from the Job Shop...
L
THE BIGGEST International Student event
of the year is back for another year, and
YOUR help is needed to plan it.
The International Grand Festival (IGF) is an
annual event organised by students for the
students and for the people of Newcastle.
The idea is to promote understanding,
diversity and tolerance of all cultures and to
raise money for good causes. Events planned
include a show at the City Hall, sports
tournaments, a fashion show, open lectures
and an arts and crafts exhibition. All this and
more will happen during the second week of
March 2006.
Everyone in. the region is invited to get
involved. The International Students Officer
is working hard to organise the IGF
2006.. .but he can't do it alone!
So, if you believe that we should celebrate
our multiculturalism and learn from each
other, then come along to our first public
meeting on Wednesday the 23rd of
November in Commitee Room A, 1st floor,
Students' Union, and find out how you can
get involved. You don't have to be
international, it doesn't matter, if you are first
year or final year, undergrad or postgrad, if
you have loads of spare time or only a little to
give, there is something for everyone to get
involved! Plus, it looks great on that allimportant CV!
Ice Hockey ticket for
EVERY reader
The Courier has teamed up
with the Newcastle Vipers
to offer every reader a
FREE ticket for the Vipers'
home game with the
Edinburgh Capitals this
Wednesday (23rd Nov).
It gets better - your
voucher also gets you halfprice entry to the Cardiff
Devils fixture on Saturday
(26th).
Both games are at the
MetroRadio Arena. Faceoff on Wednesday is at
7.15pm, and 6.30pm on
Saturday.
For those of you who
haven't experienced ice
hockey before, it's a fast
and furious contact sport
with a great atmosphere,
and it's a really good
evening out, so get
yourself down there and
cheer on the Vipers!
vipersvoucher the
This voucher entitles
one person to FREE
entry to the Vipers'
home game against the
Edinburgh Capitals on
Wednesday Nov. 23rd/
plus half-price entry to
the game versus Cardiff
Devils on Saturday
Nov. 26th. Enjoy!
NAME:
EMAIL:
International
experience
If you don't w ant the Newcastle Vipers to get in touch for marketing purposes, please tick this box
i
Postgrad boost
+
□
• • • • t i t
THE HUGELY successful International
Student Work Experience scheme, run by
the Careers Service, continues apace.
Each year the Careers Service offers a limited
number of voluntary work experience
opportunities to bright and enterprising
international students. We have various
unpaid placement opportunities in local
companies who will provide travel expenses.
Current projects on the scheme include
working for the Specials Laboratory,
Executive Training Solutions, the World
English Agency, CollatelT, and many more.
However, many of the deadlines are this
week, so hurry over to the Careers Service for
details of how to take advantage of these
excellent opportunities.
All ISWE projects are advertised on
www.careers.ncl.ac.uk/ vacancies, simply
search for 'Work Experience Vacancies' in the
'North Easf
For
further
information,
contact
emma.pattison@ncl.ac.uk, or call into the
Careers Service and speak to a member of
staff.
POSTGRADUATE students now have
access to an extra service, thanks to the
Union Society.
The Union's Postgraduate and Mature
Students Officer, Julian Dockery, has
established a mailing-list-based information
service for students.
Dockery, who was re-elected as PGMS
Officer in the recent Union Officer elections,
is inviting all students to sign up to the list.
To add yourself, email Julian and
pgms.union@ncl.ac.uk.
T's & 0's: Vouchers admit
ONE person only and are not
transferable.
Offers only
available for the games stated.
Produce cut-out voucher at
Box Office to claim your
free/discounted tickets.
«■ ■■■■ gV* * f * * ‘
f/ jp
- f P 5 24th-27th
NOVEMBER 2005 a. 8.00pm
^
HIS
^
at the CASTLEGATE CENTRE, MELBOURNE STREET_ _ _ __ _
T K rm : f
A r v iM f t U M E M K SS)
AVAI LABLE FROM THE UNION SHOP
M 3RHE1
Vacancy Number 4225
Nature o f business: Rehabilitation centre
Job description: Main duties including
serving customers, using a cash register,
general cleaning, assisting in the preparation,
presentation and sale of vegetarian dishes
and working alongside mental health service
users on placement within the restaurant.
Person specification: Previous experience
would be preferred but is not essential, as full
training will be given. You must hold or be
willing to gain a basic food hygiene
certificate. A criminal records bureau check
will need to be obtained before the successful
applicant can start work.
Hours of work: 15hrs per week.
Hourly rate: £6.09 - £7.37 p/hr.
Closing date: 28/11/05..
To apply: Come in to the Job Shop for more
information.
Vacancy Number 4224
Nature o f business: Children's Unit
Job description: Main duties will include the
preparing and regeneration of food for the
unit's residents. Other duties include cleaning
offices, activity rooms, toilets and other
general duties.
Person specification: You must hold or be
willing to gain a basic food hygiene
certificate. The successful applicant will have
to undergo a police check before commencing
duties.
Hours of work: 17.5hrs per week (Mon to Fri,
3.30pm - 7pm).
Hourly rate: £6.09 - £7.37 p/hr.
Closing date: 28/11/05.
Vacancy number 4138
Nature o f business: Event catering/ online ;
purchasing
Job Description: Various positions available
for bartenders, bar backs, waiting staff,
promotional staff and a student marketing
executive. Bartenders - experienced & trainee
cocktail bartenders required to work at a
range of events throughout the North of ,
England. Bar backs - responsible for stock ;
control/replenishment, set-up & clean down
at events. Waiting staff - working in the event
catering team, you must be a good
communicator.
Person Specification: Promotional staff responsible for promoting the Cocktail Box
brand, working closely with the marketing
manager as well as a student marketing 1
1executive. This will involve the development j
& implementation of direct mail and flyer
campaigns. Student marketing exec- you
should ideally be a marketing student or have
some marketing exp. You should be
outgoing, confident & an excellent
communicator, experience in the drinks
industry an advantage.
Hours of work: As & when required at
various events.
Pay: Bartenders £5.50/hr, bar backs £5.50/hr,
waiting staff £5.50-£7/hr, promotions £5.50£7/hr, marketing £5.50/hr basic +
commission
Closing date: Urgent - apply as soon as j
possible.
Contract Casual, ongoing contract
Location: Transport provided to/from events
in North of England.
To apply: Come into the Job Shop
M/Tu/Th/Fr 11-3, or Wed 2-6 for more
information.
„
Sponsored by:
eloitte.
www.deloitte.co.uk
+
thecourief27
Agony Aunt
courier.lettersOncl.ac.uk
Monday 21st November 2005
Dear Dan,
courier.lefters@nd.ac.uk
It’s more than an
accent, if s a way of
life...
Episode Four - Top Stotty
On Disembarking The Boat I was blinded
by a ray of golden light.
Not since I was last in Cartier was I drawn
to such bullion. As I stumbled down the
gangplank in search of the source, I
knocked a lady flying. In my drunken
stupor my first thought was to call Jeremy
and flee but at a second glance, I realised
the gold was radiating from the girl's ear.
At a third and rather alarming take, I
noticed she was wearing a pair of gold
earrings that touched her shoulders,
entwined in platinum.
She spoke, and I did not understand. Her
skin had an orange hue and thus I inferred
she must naturally be foreign; "Ca va?" She
was clearly Spanish; "comment te yamas?".
Well I only had a spattering of Israeli and it
was a long shot, "he buba, mamataf?"
She spoke, and I was enchanted. She was
trying to speak English, bless her. She
didn't seem all that impressed until I
offered to pay for the. obviously ripped
dress. She grabbed my hand, and hailed a
taxi. On reaching Henderson Hall, with
my heart pounding we approached
Reception and she asked me if I fancied-a
stotte.
Thinking it was my lucky night I nodded
and turning in the direction of my room, I
expected her to follow and get my full dose
of foreign stotte.
I looked back and to my surprise, not only
was she not in tow, but engaged in full
conversation with the porter. I did not
realise that speaking foreign languages
was a pre-requisite of being an employee of
Henderson. After a few minutes of
dialogue she turned to me holding two
sandwiches. What a thoughtful girl. I took
her up to my room and the rest of the night
was a blur.
In the morning I awoke, to my door
swinging shut. Naked, I leapt to the
banister and she stopped on the stairs. I
immediately realised the extent of the
damage I had caused to her skirt the night
before. I gestured for her to wait, dashing
into my room I retrieved the nearest
sweater. It was only after motioning for her
to put it on and save her dignity that I
realised it was my favourite cashmere. I
gave her my phone number and pointed to
the jumper. She shrugged and spoke what
I can only presume to have been a word of
eternal thanks, or a compliment on the
quality of the cashmere. I returned to my
room content My eyes scanned the room,
fixing on a solitary gold earring lying on
the floor. A memento. I could see the
hallmarks on the inside of the larger hoop,
and intrigued at the carat I had a closer
inspection.. /Made in China'...
With Charlie (Von) Heller
I'm not overly keen
on parsnips. Are you?
Dear Dan
Yours,
'Prejudicial
Parsnips'
Dan says:
The voice of parsnip liberation
Errrr... Actually, no.
Why my opinion on
the merits of parsnips
is of value I'm not
entirely sure.
Personally I think they
are a bit sweet and
yucky, but hey, that's
not to say all parsnips
are vile.
Of course, I believe in
equal opportunities for
all
parsnips,
and
couldn't bear to think
of parsnips being
discriminated against
wholesale. And nor
should wholesalers of
parsnips
be
discriminated against.
That too would be
wrong. •
Why I am even writing
this reply I'm not
entirely
sure.
I
suppose it's because I
love my readers, even
if they are only
interested
in
the
downfall
of
the
common parsnip in
print.
Next week
dears: pomegranates.
What’s the score?
Dear Dan,
I have heard that there's a mumps
problem on campus. Just wanted to
confirm or deny a rumour - that's all.
You seem to know most things about
campus life! Should we be scared?
Yours,
'Het-up in Heaton'
Dan says:
First off, no - don't be scared. That
Dear Dan,
I'm not sure, but I think a friend of
mine is developing Tourette's
syndrome. Either that, or his language
has got so foul since we started
University for no apparent reason.
What can I do to figure out if he has
got it? If so, what do I do?
Yours,
'Exasperated about Expletives'
would be silly. Local monitoring of
disease is still showing rises in levels of
infection in students at Newcastle
University though, after last year's
spate.
As a consequence, all undergraduates
who have not had two doses of MMR
vaccine are advised to consider being
immunised. MMR was introduced in
1988 for young children and most
students will not have been previously
immunised.
Even if you think you have had
mumps, you should still consider
being
immunised.
A
free
immunisation session is being
organised for Monday 14 November,
1000 - 1600, in the Kings Hall,
Armstrong Building.
More info is available from the
University Student Welfare Office o n
0191 2228957. I had to ring Mummy
and find out if I'd had the vaccine.
Fortunately, after she got out the baby
book and cooed a bit, I found I had. No
more nasty pricks for me.
Wash yer mouth out!
Dan says:
Well, we're all guilty of using foul
language occasionally - some of us
more than others. It must be really bad
that you felt the need to drop me a line
about it. Tourette's syndrome is
portrayed as one of those comedy
diseases of urban lore, but wrongly so.
One of the things you didn't describe
about your mate is nervous twitches or tics, to use the medical terminology.
Repetitive foul language can be a
symptom, but isn't always. Tourette's
can be treated with drugs, and
sometimes doesn't need treating at all.
So, it sounds like all your friend needs
is a good slapping for being a foulmouthed son of a... (enough Dan, Ed.)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
I. Excessively sentimental (7)
5. Gold coin (5)
8. Sacred choral composition (5)
9. Daydream (7)
10. Insubstantial - other-worldly (8)
II. To border on (4)
13. Good hand in a game of 16 down
Competition changes..
Everyone's favourite crossword is
changing.
The lucky winners of the crossword
competition each week will still
receive a prize, but the winner will
be determined in a different way.
Acting upon student feedback. I've
decided that there will be a deadline
of 5pm on the Tuesday after the
paper's publication (the 22nd Nov in
this case), to allow those who have
Monday afternoon lectures to be in
with a chance of the prize!
So whilst the competition's gonna be
tougher, the prizes are still excellent!
(ahem)
SV
about
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
I. How soppy: a short kiss on the
mouth in front of hospital (7)
5. Currency active in middle of
channel (5)
8. Spot of time for church music (5)
9. Vicar in a trance on the shores of
Great Lake (7)
10. Two English in a sublime lather
(8,5)
16. Sheltered bay (4)
(8)
II. Neighbour a backwards
17. Canvasser of public opinion (8)
20. Pasta dish (7)
instrument (4)
21. To rejoice in (5)
13. Honest before made rich by 16
22. Work out (5)
down (8/5)
23. Out of place, eg embryo (7)
16. Building society under
construction in inlet (4)
17. Short girl, saint of American
DOWN
casualty department, compiles
1. Those belonging to a group (7)
2. Woman with supernatural powers statistics (8)
20. Italian plays air viol at meal! (7)
(5)
21. Joy at union of previous
3. Suspend (8)
4. Trans-gendered person (13)
girlfriend and lieutenant (5)
22. Puzzle out confused loves (5)
5. Plunge - undesirable venue (4)
23. Saga about Commonwealth
6. Antlered creature (7)
7. Deal with - take care of - source of Telecommunications Organisation
pleasure (5)
is out of place (7)
12. Liquid waste (8)
DOWN
14. Resurgence (7)
1. Associates male with dying fire
15. Dissenter from the Catholic (7)
Church (7)
2. Old crone cut short stick used for
16. Rectangles of thickened paper or whipping (5)
plastic (5)
3. Pause to rearrange tin mitre (8)
18. Get the better of (in 16 down?) (5) 4. Queen and goddess of love make
19. Blood and guts (4)
up third gender (13)
5. Roll a five to take a dip (4)
6. Vehicle I almost purchased
As ever, thanks to Megan turned out to be a reindeer (7)
7. No trick to entertainment (5)
Darby for compiling the 12. Curse flowing sewage! (8)
crossword!
14. Vicar mixes up vial for
evangelist mission meeting (7)
15. Religious rebel is present with a
Check back next week for jerk (7)
more crossword action, 16. Game played right amongst
and in the 5th Dec edition knaves (5)
there will be a special 18. Tea and steak - beat that! (5)
19. Pierce ogre with horn (4)
Christmas prize!
+
■■Hk
28thecourier
50 uses
Monday 21st November 2005
+
couriersf3veryversatile.com
50 uses for a courier
The Courier is a versatile beast. Editor STU ^
VOSE gives you, the student at large, tips on
how to make the very most of your newspaper...
Replacem ent for Y ellow Pages For all you short people out there.
Ladders are SO last year.
S tu ffin g your bra - Cosmetic
surgery is for wimps
13.
W allpaper your house - Sod B&Q
and the rest - go for stylish and
informative interior decoration.
Linda Barker would be proud
S tu ffin g your crotch Essential for those less-endowed
individuals. Be sure to change
’ stuffing in time with the release
of each new issue to maintain
hygiene levels
W rap up v alu ab les - Every
student moves house every so often,
take The Courier with you and
protect Mummy's best china.
Use it as toilet roll - Recreate that
'I've just used the loo in a Halls of
Use as a megaphone - Construct a
voice enhancer to get yourself heard,
and make yourself the biggest twat
on campus
1 5 . Play fo otb all - See if you
can do better than the Toon
(not hard) during an impromptu
game of footy outside the Union
1 9 . read the table if you don't find
them interesting
Give to tramps - well why not?
Line
a snow -hole - It's
handy to carry a few
copies with you in case of a
21. freak avalanche. If this
happens, create an air pocket
and then insulate with Couriers
20. always
2 2 . C u rtains - When your
landlord refuses to give you
any
3 6 . Paper cuts - Be a hard man by
dishing out devastating paper
cuts to all and sundry
23.
Fancy dress - Stand out at house
parties by saving up multiple copies
and going as The Courier
Saving your modesty
Introduce modesty to drunken
2 5 streaking before the law gets
you
Fish and chips - Go old school by
eating your food out of it
U m brella - Get hold of some
2 6 . umbrella spokes and hey presto
- an ad-hoc precipitation
protector!
Smoke it - Put Rizla out of business
by insisting on king-size for all your
smoking needs
27
Lecture entertainment - Deface it
during especially boring lectures.
Don't forget comedy 'tache and
glasses for the pictures
Massive paper planes - Your
lecturer will think it's a 747 heading
towards him
4 2 . S e ll it - Take on the
ultimate
entrepreneurial
challenge, seeing as it's free. Then
donate a cut of your millions to
your fave student paper
35. F1yer
M ake a m ask - Protect your
identity. Works best with no. 10
Cover your fo ld er - And
prove you really are too cool for
2 4 . school.
See below!
and post-N eighbours
entertainm ent - Fill the vast
hours
between
showings
of
Australia's
finest
soap.
Alternatively, explore the vast
potential of cable television for
further nuggets of crap afternoon
television glory
people - Give those
bloody flyer people outside
Campus Coffee a taste of their own
medicine by blanket-flyering them
with Couriers.
Hamster bedding - Give you pet a
comfy bed - and ink poisoning - by
lining its cage with Couriers
Headwear - You'll look oh-so-wacky
with a Courier-based hat
34. Pre_
>1/- Residence' feeling by rubbing
* your arse raw with Couriers
Reference for essays - Secure that
first by quoting the ultimate
1 — reference
on
absolutely
* everything
Mop up spillages - Safety for all
•jo T a b le clo th - Having a
* romantic meal with that special
someone? You can always
D rying insid e o f shoes Death to wet feet!
28
Paper M ache - Simply add
water for old-school Blue Peterstyle fun.
Here's one I made
earlier...
3 7 . Becom e a fact m achine Leam useless facts from The
Courier and use them to impress
your mates and become a pub quiz
uber-god
3 Q W in n in g q u ality stu ff Dammit, there's some great
competitions inside this very rag, so
get entering them and win some free
stuff! Just ask the lucky bugger who
won free Skittles for a term last week
3 9 . R escu in g
m oney
from
under vending m achines Get rich quick. A rolled-up Courier
offers surprisingly good angle and
coverage
40.
Send it home to parents Cut down on phone bills and
maximise valuable drinking time
by sending your parents a copy to
keep them up to date with what7s
going on in Newcastle
2 9 Back scratcher - The Courier
reaches all the places other
papers can't
jQ
Beating o ff stalkers - Protect
*
your personal space from
weirdos with a well-folded copy of
your favourite red-top. Beats any
restraining order
R ep lacin g hall food Sustain a balance diet by
replacing nasty hall food with
Couriers. It works! Note - statement
may not be true
- If you get really
desperate and Wilko's isn't
open. Watch out for ink stains
though
T ie - You can tell we're getting
near the end of the list
46.
D issertation - Solve that vital
coursework versus pub debate
by handing assorted Couriers in for
your dissertation. When your tutor
complains about the spelling
mistakes, tell them you're being
postmodern
47
B ait the Poly w ith it - &
Apparently
'Newcastle's
biggest and best free student
newspaper.' Bollocks. They still like
taking the piss out of us though
48. Teach Poly students to read
4 ^ Anonymous letters - Cut out
various letters from Couriers
and send them to the enemies in your I
life
32
3 3
44. Flannel
Couriers provide a useful
learning tool for Northumbria
students. Unfortunately, the library
won't stock them as they don't float
in the bath.
Finding out w hat's going
on - The paper is actually
really useful for something. Only the
most recently-hatched news eggs
make it into our pages
m
Looking at Solution pics Laugh at your mates' drunken
posturing or simply savour the
pissed-up misfortune of others - it's
all good!
4 3 . C lean in g m irrors - Cut j
through the crap with a " 1
Courier. Informative and useful!
50. Last
41.
Self-defence down the Bigg
M arket - If you're brave
enough to go out on a Saturday
night, keep a Courier by your side
while you're watching the people get
lairy. It's not vey pretty, I tell thee
one - We've done all the
work, send us your ideas!
Email in your best Courier-based
activities to editor.union@ncl.ac.uk,
and the best one will win a very
special prize (which has yet to be
decided, but will probably be quite
good):
thecourief29
North-East
courier.sportfancl.ac.uk
thecourier
sport
IN COURIER
SPORT THIS
WEEK...
Monday 21st November 2005
- OUT AND ABOUT AT THE FALCONS
- INTRA-MURAL ROUND-UP
- RUGBY SPECIAL
- BUSA RESULTS
Friday Night Fever
GEMMA DAVIES went OUT AND ABOUT at the Newcastle Falcons to see what
happens when you mix Premiership rugby action with fire-eating cheerleaders, a
hot tub and a Friday night party atmosphere
ANY SPORTS mad student in
Newcastle can't have failed to notice
that the city is host to one of the
country's premier rugby sides, who
just happen to boast one of the
country's premier rugby players. But
how many of these students regularly
turn out to Kingston Park to witness
King Jonny and his Falcons in action?
I went along to see Rob Andrew's
Newcastle Falcons in action against
London Irish in what was billed as
'Friday Night Live'; the Falcons' chance
to compete with the big boys in terms of
their entertainment extras.
The match was screened live on Sky
Sports and although this is usually a
factor in influencing a reduced match
attendance, the switch to a Friday night
had the opposite affect, with Kingston
Park declared a 10,200 sell out on
Friday afternoon, the last remaining
tickets sold on Friday morning.
Friday's event was a show-stopper
with the off the field marketing ploys.
Fireworks, a hot tub and cheerleaders
galore had the atmosphere buzzing,
which was in stark contrast to the usual
Sunday afternoons Falcons fans are
used to.
In addition to the amusement
elements of the game, a new PA system
and countdown clock were in use to
bring the Falcons in line with the
majority of Premiership clubs.
Crowd participation was high on the
wish list of the Falcons' Marketing
Team, with half-time and post-game
competitions, including a try-time
contest to win free pints of Guinness
t courtesy of the Premiership sponsors if
the number on your flyer matched that
of the last try scorer of the game.
Bars were open from 5.30pm, over
two hours before kick-off and remained
open until midnight, with special
drinks offers to please us students in
IOT AND STEAMY... Fans
make the most of the hot-tub
particular, such as a bottle of Fosters for
£1.50, or three for £4.
Aside from the off-pitch antics, there
was a Premiership showdown to be
contested and unfortunately the
organisation of the evening couldn't be
matched with a much-needed victory
for a Newcastle side who are struggling
this season with just one league win to
their name so far.
At 16-8 down at half-time, the Falcons
fought back through the boot of a
certain Mr. Wilkinson including a
couple of his trademark mammoth
long-distance efforts.
With the scores at 23-20 to Irish with
the clock counting down fast, the stage
was set for another Wilko drop-goal,
but the visitors were far wiser than to
give the fly-half space within drop-goal
distance and in the end the Falcons
attack was beaten only by the clock.
Despite the demoralising and yet
again disappointing defeat, the Falcons
have hailed Friday Night Live as 'the
biggest ever match-day commercial
success the Club has ever seen.'
This statement is backed by recordbreaking sales figures in bar takings,
ticket sales, corporate attendance,
merchandise and food sales.
However, although Friday Night Live
What a Falcons Student Season Ticket gets you.
Free Metro travel to
and from the
Free entry
to Sea or Blu
Bambu on
match night
Discounted drinks
at Bar Bacca and
the Hancock
was a sell-out and a remarkable
success, the number of students getting I
to Kingston Park is surprisingly low.
Some of the promotions on offer last I
week were trial endorsements and for
regular Falcons followers, one-offs. Us
students, however, have bargains at
our disposal all the time from those I
lovely Falcons marketing people.
The Falcons 2005/06 Student Season I
Tickets are available for a full or half I
season and at this stage of the year, the I
half season ticket is probably the best I
bet for your Christmas wish list!
A half season ticket will cost you just I
£45 for five matches after Christmas I
including Premiership showdowns
against Saracens, Gloucester, Leicester,
Northampton and Leeds, with games
over our Easter holidays excluded from
the package, meaning you get the best
value for money!
The cost works out at just £9 a game, I
but also includes free metro travel to I
and from the game, discounted drinks
in Bar Bacca and the Hancock and a free
pass to Sea or Blu Bambu nightclubs on
the night of the match.
The shenanigans from Friday Night I
Live may not be on offer for the next
few matches, but staff at the Club are
currently in the process of receiving
feedback from fans as to whether they I
want to see more Kingston Park Friday
night shows.
Judging by the success of last week, 11
doubt it'll be too long before we see
another, but even if Friday was to be a
one-off, I'll still be there to cheer on the
new breed of young Falcons against
high-flying London Wasps on the 27th.
Forthcoming Home Fixtures:
27th November: London Wasps
18th Dec: L'Aquila
1st Jan: Worcester
15th Jan: The Borders
Premiership
rugby action
To purchase your Student Season Ticket I
call the Ticket Hotline: 0871 226 6060 or \
visit urww.newcastle-falcons.co.uk.
Every newspaper in the country has been preoccupied with
Michael Owen over the past week; whether to comment on
his goals against the Argies or on his overall scoring record
and so you would expect this column's focus to be no
different as we harp on about the fact that he will always get
you goals no matter how well he plays. But you'd be wrong.
It wasn't the lethal finishing of Newcastle's favourite son
that caught the observant eye of Toonwatch this week, but
the shocking state of our favourite Grandad Alan Shearer.
Thousands of fans in pubs around the Toon must have had
their celebrations cut short on Saturday as the BBC cameras
flicked back to a studio which more closely resembled an
old people's home.
Although some would argue that Shearer often looks like
he's been given a heavy dose of morphine before an
interview, it was unmistakeable that Big A1 was suffering
from the after effects of his recent hernia operation. The
injury, which may have been picked up during the filming
of GOAL!, in which Shearer made his sizzling acting debut,
left him struggling to sit upright during the commentary
and to many it seemed that he would be more comfortable
on a hospital bed than under the spotlight. Well-wishers
will be hoping that he regains the use of his legs soon and
that this unfortunate event hasn't cut short his budding TV
|Ten Wennekf for Taylor
Defensive frailties have long been a worry for Magpies
manager Graeme Souness and the latest addition' to his
casualty list is yet another blow to his season's plan. Steven
Taylor, the England U21 who has impressed the Gallowgate
faithful over the past two years and has gained 16 starts this
season, unfortunately picked up a shoulder, injury in
training and has consigned himself to almost ten weeks on
the sidelines. The shoulder strain to Taylor now paves the
way for Titus Bramble's return to the fold as he partners
Jean Alain Boumsong in the centre of defence. Well, look on
the bright side, at least the Newcastle board won't need to
pay out any clean sheet bonuses over the next couple of
months.
I [Friday Night Fun
Despite languishing in the bottom half of the table, the
Newcastle Falcons have been happily raking in the money
this season' as a party atmosphere grows around the
Premiership club. A new approach to last Friday's match
against London Irish saw the first full house of the season
and even without England international Jamie Noon, 10,200
people squeezed into Kingston Park to see their side face the
Exiles. Unfortunately, the home team couldn't do justice to
the attendance figures as they went down 23-20 in an
encounter that left Director of Rugby Rob Andrew steaming
more than the hot tub that sat by the North stand. Yes, I did
say hot tub and yes, there were lots of semi-naked people sat
in it under the influence of alcohol.
This sends a clear message out to the rest of the
opposition...when the going gets tough, draw attention
away from the action on the pitch. So next time you plan a
night out just think where you can get sport, drink and
bikinis all in one place and you might want to take your
hard earned cash down to see the Falcons.
+
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J/Hirnir
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• Frozen Ready Meals * 830068 •
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thecourier31
Intra-Mural
courier.sportfancl.ac.uk
Intra Mural Rugby Round-Up
BY WILL DAVIES
MOTHER NATURE, as is
her wont at this time of
year, has been playing
havoc with pitches and
competitors alike, thus
rendering the Intra Mural
competition of the last
fortnight somewhat akin to
the Law Blacks title charge:
full
of
hope
and
anticipation, but never
quite managing to get off
the ground.
Last week, only two fixtures
went ahead, with Law Blacks
going down to Titans and
Agrics II finding some form
to put diesel in the unleaded
Engines, winning 17-5.
Novos R.F.C decided their
turf was not available for
Intra-Mural use this week,
which left Cheeky Ladies
and Larrikins kicking their
heels. Neutral eyes turned to
the
heavyweight
clash
between Agrics I and Titans.
A win for Titans would have
put them in a strong position
at the top of the pile, while
Agrics I had to overcome
their rivals in order to
maintain their championship
aspirations. As it turned out,
the game followed the usual
Agrics pattern, with one of
their forwards sin-binned for
throwing a haymaker, but
the
Ploughmen
still
managed to dominate at the
breakdown, allowing time
and space for their fly-half to
pull the strings. Titans
managed a try through Dom
Hebberd, but were outdone
in most areas to finally go
down 27-5.
The maelstrom of sound
and fury that is Armstrong
on their day was always
going to be a tall order for
Law Blacks, who have yet to
taste victory this season. In
the event, 54 points with no
reply was a fair result, Ozzy
Osbourne scoring his usual
hat-trick of tries, and Adam
Kenard creating havoc by
exploiting the space around
the fringes.
However, with Cheeky
Ladies having two games in
hand, and having lost to
Titans already, Armstrong
are not in as dominant a
position as they were this
time last year.
Crayola continued their
purple
patch,
the
geographers managing to
plot a course past Gorilla
Tactics, who have been
rather unpredictable this
season. Tries from '8-ball
Pat' and Tom Jail put
Crayola in charge of the ball
game, and a score line of 155 tells its own story. For
sheer entertainment, Medics
v. Engines was the one to
watch. A fast-paced game
with action at both ends
made for plenty of tries, with
Medics being slightly more
clinical than Engines. This
was a game to revel in, with
Monday 21st November 2005
no acrimony and full of spirit
and invention, epitomising
all that is good about Intra
Mural rugby.
The final
reading of 31-21 to the
Medics
was
almost
academic, although this
result now elevates Medics
to joint fourth.
The only remaining contest
was between Southern
Fairies and Agrics II. The
term 'contest' is rather
flattering to Agrics n, as a 547 final score cannot be
termed anything other than
a
somewhat
brutal
hammering. Griffin scored
five tries, and must surely be
eligible for an elevation from
'Fairy' to 'Wizard' for that
effort.
So. Armstrong take on
Cheeky Ladies next week in
what could decide the title an Armstrong defeat would
leave Cheeky Ladies top
with two games in hand. It
would be a bold man who
would predict that the
eventual winners would be
anyone other than Cheeky
Ladies, Armstrong
or
Titans. Here's hoping next
week's game lives up to its
billing.
Intra Mural: A True Reflection
In response last week's
Courier article on the
failings of Intra-Mural
sport, I would like to take
this opportunity to respond
with a more balanced view
on the role and position of
recreational sport here at
Newcastle University.
The aforementioned article
was full of inaccurate
comments and statements
and did not portray the real
ethos behind Intra-Mural
sport.
Intra-Mural
sport
at
Newcastle University is one
of the largest and strongest
in
the
county
being
recognised as an example of
good practice by UCS
(University
&
College
Sport). The programme has
successfully been developed
and improved over the last
five years and our aim is to
continue to invest, expand
and improve Intra-Mural
sport every year.
The appointment of a
Recreation Service Manager
deeding solely with Intra Mural and Recreation sport
at Newcastle University
demonstrates our desire and
commitment to develop and
run a successful Intra- Mural
Programme.
The twelve Intra-Mural
rugby teams together with
New Recreation Service Manager Denis Murphy responds to
Courier Sport's criticisms of the Intra-Mural set-up last week
the seven representative
teams combine to make
Newcastle University the
largest rugby club in the
North-East.
However, due to the
University's BUSA rugby
fixtures we do not have
sufficient
number
of
University pitches to host all
BUSA and Intra-Mural
fixtures, meaning that the
Sports Centre must hire in
external
venues
to
accommodate this pitch
shortage.
If the University was not
committed to Intra-Mural
sport, as The Courier
suggested, then surely they
would reduce the number of
teams in the league to avoid
hiring in external pitches?
We are also committed to
providing Intra-Mural teams
with training by making
available a two hour training
session every Monday night
at the Benfield Centre for
Sport. In addition links are
being made with external
rugby clubs to secure
improved training facilities
for the future. All Intra Mural teams can access any
training facility, provided
the facility is available and
all their players are Sports
Centre members.
The financial expenditure
for any student participating
in sport at Newcastle
University, is exactly the
same whether it be BUSA
players, Intra-Mural players
or Recreation users. They all
must pay a basic sports
centre membership of £45
and then the registration fee
for the league /dub. The fee
of £385 for Intra-Mural
hockey quoted in The Courier
was total fiction.
In return for Intra-Mural
hockey team's investment,
all pitches are booked, all
fixtures are organised and
referees are assigned to each
fixture.
The Sports Centre are
totally
committed
to
achieving the centre's aims
of 'facility provision' and
'quality of service' as stated
in our mission statement.
The question of first aid
cover is an important one
and we are currently
reviewing this policy and
looking at ways to improve
first aid provision for all
Intra-Mural
sports.
Compared
with
other
Universities, the level of first
aid provision and support
for
the
Intra-Mural
programme is far superior.
The Director of Rugby at
Newcastle University, John
Fenn, is also willing to help
all Intra-Mural rugby teams
out in the technical and
potentially
dangerous
aspects of the game i.e.
scrum and line-outs. This is
another example of the
commitment to providing
safe sport for our students.
I would also like to take
this opportunity to discuss
the refereeing situation for
Intra-Mural fixtures.
In
football
the
current
refereeing structure works
very well and the majority of
Intra-Mural football teams
are pleased with their
performances. Due to the
large number of football
referees available to cover
Intra-Mural football fixtures
the task of supplying
referees for these fixtures is
considerably easier. The
same cannot be said for
Intra-Mural rugby.
The quantity of referees
available in the North-East
at the present is causing
concern
to
the
Northumberland
RFU.
Therefore, the task of
securing
fully-qualified
referees for Intra-Mural
rugby is extremely difficult.
Currently we send two
representatives from each
Intra-Mural team on a RFU
rugby referees course so
they can officiate their own
fixtures.
The only other option is to
withdraw Intra-Mural rugby
from the programme, but we
do not want to go down this
road. Due to our sporting
commitment at Newcastle
University we now have the
most comprehensive Intra Mural Rugby league in the
country. We will however
continue in our attempts to
find qualified rugby referees
for the Intra-Mural rugby
league.
I hope that this article will
show all students that the
University is committed to
Intra-Mural sport.
We
firmly believe that without
the current programme,
sport
at
Newcastle
University on a whole
would not be as successful.
We will, however continue
to invest in the Intra-Mural
programme and as always
look at ways of expanding
and improving.
Intra Mural
Football
©Close House
By David Greaves
A DREAM TEAM-style storyline,
involving a bus with a door that just
wouldn't shut properly, meant that
Fluffy Wilson FC arrived at Close
House just seconds before kick-off for
their crunch six-pointer with Celta
Nemo.
However, when lesser teams would
have floundered under such dramatic
circumstances,
Fluffy
showed
composure and true character, and
deservedly finished the game 4-1
winners courtesy of a spectacular
Andy Carrick hat-trick and a scrappy
Celta Nemo own goal.
Premier Division side Dyslexic
Untied finished comfortable 6-1
victors
against
Garnett
B;
maintaining their unbeaten start to
the season in the Wednesday League
Dyslexics' ever-modest playermanager, Philios Jenkinos, described
the victory as a "lesson in total
football", and despite having only
played half the match, called himself
"the best player on the pitch by a
mile". Eddie Blount also stood out for
Dyslexic, scoring four of their six
goals, and 'The Chief' was as always a
man of steel in defence, before he was
subbed off after thirty minutes,
claiming that he was "cold".
On Pitch 7 second placed Pro-Evo
Panthers took on third placed
Jesmond Globe Trotters in what was
a very tight Division 4 clash. The
Panthers hit the woodwork three
times before the break but failed to
breach the Globe Trotters' defence
until early in the second half, when
Neil Denver bagged a header that
proved to be the match winner,
Despite being on the receiving end of
a 1-0 defeat, the mein of the match was
undoubtedly the Globetrotter's
midfield maestro David Molley, who
was described by one onlooker as
"better than Gerrard and Lampard
rolled into one".
In Division 3 an Ian Fraser goal was
the difference between Deportivo La
Costainia and The Parade, in what
was a true six-pointer between
second and first place, as Deportivo's
victory means that they leapfrog the
Parade and go top of the league.
Moving up to Division 2, a lastminute goal for Inter Minan saw
them run out 5-4 victors against
relegation-zone
stragglers
The
Hurricanes, in a spectator-friendly
end-to-end game. Finally, Fenham
Bache finished 3-0 losers against
Crayola FC, concluding the day's
roundup.
YOUR SHOUT:
E-mail your opinions and
comments to:
counersportS^xiacjjk
+
32theoourier
busa sport
Monday 21st November 2005
+
courier.sportOncLac.uk
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Sporting Profiles...
No. 5: Hapkido
This week, WILL RICHENS
speaks to Hapkido captain
KELVIN GARDINER
What is Hapkido? What is its
philosophy?
Hapkido is a Korean martial
art, which focuses on the use
of your opponent's energy
through circular motions in
order to overcome
differences in size,
strength and sex.
How does it therefore
differ from other betterknown martial arts?
All martial arts have
some similarities; we
are similar to Tae
Kwon Doe with our
kicking
element.
Aikido in our self-defence
element, and Judo with the
throwing element. But we are
■quite broad compared to other
martial arts, as we have a lot of
releases and strangles, with
kicking elements and also the use
of sticks and weapons.
In what ways is Hapkido better
than these other martial arts?
Different martial arts suit
different people, but most people
who come along to our classes do
enjoy the broadness and variety
in the way that we teach.
What are the benefits of
learning Hapkido?
Hapkido has several benefits, it
has a fitness benefit from doing
general practice, and it also has
benefits in that you can defend
yourself - so it is very practical.
Also,
there
are
mental
development and self-discipline
benefits, too.
Is it an offensive or defensive
art?
It is more of a defensive art in
that you don't spar as maybe you
would in some other martial arts,
but you do need control over
your opponent all the time.
But can it hurt?
It does hurt. The main thing
with Hapkido is that if you
implement the techniques all the
way through, you will break
joints or pull muscles and put
people
in
uncomfortable
situations.
However, if you
control a move you will just
restrain them and be in control of
them, so you don't have to go all
the way and cause a serious
injury.
Are you allowed to use the
moves outside of classes and
competitions?
If you do need to defend
yourself, then yes you can, but of
course you do. need to learn
control.
What should
people know about the sport
that most don't?
That we exist!
The club at Newcastle is very
young, is it managing to
establish itself?
Yes, we've had a regular
attendance this year, and we are
finding that more people are
joining each week.
Hockey girls downed
WOMEN’S H O CKEY
By NICK MEAKIN
SPORTS EDITOR
Newcastle 1 Manchester 4
"THERE WAS lots of hard work and
effort from the girls, which is good
to see. But we just weren't
good enough on the day."
Those were the words of
Newcastle
hockey
coach
Caroline Luck, after witnessing
her side being embarrassed by a
clinical Manchester team 4-1 in a
forgettable match at Longbenton
last week.
The scoreline may have flattered
the away side, yet the result was on
the cards as early as the 13th minute
when Manchester's Cat Savage was
quickest to react to Hannah Williams'
sprawling save to drive home from
two yards out.
Newcastle didn't possess the quality
to control this scrappy spectacle and
there was a plethora of errors from
either side. If the men's game is played
with
the
gung-ho tempo
of
Premiership football, ladies' hockey
seems to have adopted a more
continental approach. It was slower,
more measured, some would argue
more tactical, but ultimately it lacked
the swift movement and speed that
makes hockey such a thrilling sport.
However, don't let me condemn the
ladies' game so swiftly. Passion, power
and fitness still exist as standards of
the women's game, and Elite Athlete
and captain Lesley Cairns embodied
these qualities. One particular incident
midway through the first half saw
Cairns drive a ball straight into a
Manchester shin, the thud of which
echoed around the pitch and left the
player with a pronounced limp and no
doubt a heavy bruise.
The match started slowly and both
teams meandered gently through the
first half almost apologetically.
Newcastle were backed on the
touchline by a contingent of supporters
but their cries weren't enough to stir
the team into action. There was a great
deal of effort but the team were
wasteful with passes and chances in
the final third, which cost them dearly.
They did manage an equaliser two
minutes before the break when elegant
right forward Lucy Partington slotted
home after a period of
sustained home pressure,
yet that was their sole
contribution to a
drab half.
Going into the
second
half,
Newcastle failed
to build on their
ascendancy
and
within eight minutes
Manchester regained
their lead after Vicky
Speed bundled home
after a goal mouth
scramble. Worse was yet
to come. First, a slick
home move unlocked the
Manchester defence and Sophie Patton
shot wide when it seemed easier to
score, and then four minutes later with
only fifteen minutes of second half
played, Williams' inexplicably failed to
clear and left Manchester to score an
easy third goal.
The game was now as good as over,
yet the home side battled on, only to go
further behind with fifteen minutes to
go when captain Mieke Craigtyler
finished a superb, flowing move that
made Newcastle look embarrassingly
pedestrian. A few minutes later AU
Officer, Naomi Allum, had a goal
disallowed when she fell foul of the 18inch rule (the height which the ball has
to stay below in the penalty area). But
the score line remained and Newcastle
are now struggling in fourth place in
the BUSA league nine points adrift of
league leaders Leeds Met
by two afternoons of intense
competitions. Competitors take part in
two sets of testing events; in the first
part, the competitors demonstrate their
technical skill by walking a gauntlet in
which they face a variety of
unarmed/armed attackers. The second
part involves the competitor facing a
barrage of attackers at pace and the
aim of the game here is to demonstrate
efficiency and effectiveness of
technique, under a more intense,
realistic situation.
Newcastle University took a small
team of around 15 people down to the
competitions, with great success.
Points were awarded for the top four
in each belt category, a large number of
Newcastle students managed to get all
the way into the finals held on the
second day; Novices Claire Deegan,
Stephen Lindsay and Mark Holroyd
fought off competition from around
300 novices to score points for
Newcastle, and Orange belts Adam
Walton and Chris Beale also managed
to get through to the finals and score
points.
Andreas Stylianou managed a highly
contested 3rd place in the Dark Blue
belt finals, again scoring points for
Newcastle. These individual successes
of Newcastle students, led to a
fantastic team result of finishing
second in the BUSA national
Championships, from a national
competition with around 1000 Jitsuka
being present.
Jitsu is a relative newcomer to BUSA,as Jitsu National hampsionships only
became BUSA recognised events this
year, so previous successes have
largely gone unnoticed by Newcastle
University and the AU. Having
finished 1st or 2nd in all national
competitions in the past year and a
half, as well as getting national
recognition for our senior instructor, as
well as our Club instructor, and being
rewarded as the National Club Of The
Year 2005. It can only be a foundation
on which to continue building on our
previous successes in the now BUSArecognised events.
How does the club compete
with other universities?
Competing in Hapkido isn't a big
element as it is more about selfcontrol and self-development
rather than competitions. We
have had competitions; the
academy that our instructor runs
has organised the first National
Championship, and the first and
second
European
championships, but we don't
compete in a league like BUSA.
Can anyone take up Hapkido, or
do you have to be built like
Superman, and possess more
inner strength than Uri Geller?
The whole point of Hapkido is
that
anybody
using
the
techniques in the right way
should be able to use them on
anybody. There are a broad
variety of techniques, so that
depending on if someone is
taller, heavier or stronger than
you, you'll have a technique that
can work - so it's great for
beginners.
I f you are interested in joining,
the H apkido club runs training
sessions every Wednesday from
5-7 pm, and every Saturday from
10 am-12 noon - and the first
session is free!
For more
inform ation
visit
http-y/www.societies.ncl.ac.uk/h
a p k id o /
or
em ail
hapkido@ncLac.uk.
JFTSU
By DAVID CHARLTON
THE UNIVERSITY of Newcastle's
Jitsu Club gave an outstanding
performance in this years Jitsu
Foundation Atemi Nationals where it
punched, kicked, locked and threw
against over 80 teams to take second
place in this prestigious competition.
This performance rounds off an
amazing year for the club in which it
received the award for club of year,
instructor of the year and technique of
the year.
It confirms the clubs position at being
one of the top clubs in the country and
builds on the recent success at the
Randori Nationals in March this year
where the club again took second place
against fierce opposition from much
larger clubs.
The BUSA Atemi Nationals, held in
Birmingham at the Aston Villa Leisure
Centre, consist of a series of training
sessions taken by the country's
highest-ranking instructors, followed
+
33
BUSA Sport
r
courier.sportOncl.ac.ul
Monday 21st November 200!
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BUSA
Briefs
NETBALL
Sheffield Hallam 39 Newcastle 36
Newcastle's netballers suffered their
first defeat of the season away to league
leaders Sheffield Hallam in a close
match.
A disappointing first two
quarters left Newcastle playing catch­
up. Newcastle did win the final two
quarters, inspired by player of the match
Julia Barnett, who led a superb defence.
They in turn linked well with the
shooters, but this was simply not enough
and the university were left to rue their
mistakes from a fast and aggressive
game.
Despite the loss, however,
Newcastle still have the potential to win
their division.
iMeanwhile, the second string were also
'defeated; at home to York lsts. .The final
score of 42-41 emphasises the game's
excitement and its nail-biting finale
which brought four goals in three
minutes. Special mentions go to goal
attack Katherine Andrews and goal
defence Fiona Davison.
The third team, however, were the only
:side to come away with a victory,
defeating York St. John 39-36 in another
.tight game. Unlike their second team
counterparts, this time Newcastle hung
.on through a painful final quarter to take
[the points, inspired by impressive plays
from goal attack Lois Kettlewell and
wing defence Luci Dawson.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Newcastle 32 Northumbria 37
The Women's Basketball suffered their
fourth defeat in a row against local rivals
Northumbria last week. Despite a
strong start and a lead going into the
third quarter, a number of near misses
and dubious refereeing decisions put the
Dragons in the wrong state of mind for
victory.
As each Newcastle shot reverberated on
the rim without scoring, Northumbria
seemed to have all the luck. A team the
Dragons would have ordinarily beaten,
Northumbria's seconds
cut off
Newcastle's offensive play, intercepting
pivotal passes and leaving little option
for structured attack. Defensively,
Newcastle were sound as they
prevented the opposition scoring for an
enormous seven-minute period, but
their fate at the basket denied them the
game by a mere two baskets.
WOMEN’S RUGBY
Manchester 12 Newcastle 17
Newcastle Women's Rugby overcame
their
Manchester
counterparts,
producing impressive form and
avoiding a potential banana skin in an
exciting encounter. Manchester are
newly-promoted and have produced a
few scares, notably beating Birmingham.
The game started with good pressure
from Manchester in the Newcastle half,
but the visitors soon fought back.
Newcastle's tackling was hard and fast,
especially from Mimi Akhigir and
Bonike Erinle, and their hard work paid
off when Zoe Williams crashed over for
the first Newcastle try on half-time.
In the second half, the University
dominated in the scrums and line-outs
and gained reward for this pressure with
a try from Bonike Erinle which was the
result of a fifteen-man effort, taking the
score to 10-0.
Manchester fought back with a try from
their fly-half and forced Newcastle into a
period of defence that resulted in
Manchester taking the lead through
another try. The University were forced
to fight frantically and came up with the
goods at . the death with a try from
captain Gemma Smith.
SWIMMING
In the annual meet of the BUSA
swimming
teams,
Newcastle
unfortunately suffered the fate of an
overall ranking of eleventh, resulting in
relegation from the First Division.
However, there were some impressive
races, including the women's 4 x 50m
medley team who took second place.
The men's medley team faced incredibly
tough competition, and although there
were brilliant swims by Matt Platts,
Richard Russell, Michael Cowdy and
Martin Webster, they could only secure
sixth place.
In terms of personal achievements,
Andrew Omand gained personal best
times in both the 50metres and
lOOmetres Freestyle events; in her debut,
Libby Waller secured a personal best
time in the 50 metres Freestyle event,
gaining third place. In all, the team
consisted of four debutants, each one
eloquently displaying their swimming
talents.
Holly Davis' powerful Breaststroke
swims resulted in her securing third in
both the 50 metres and 100 metres
Breaststroke. Michael Cowdy's 50
metres Butterfly earned him a credible
fifth, and Martin Webster's 200 Freestyle
earned him second.
Richard Russell's 50 metres and 100
metres Breaststroke earned him sixth
and fourth respectively, and Louise
Gilmer secured Newcastle valuable
points with third in the 100 metres
Individual Medley, and second in the
100 metres Butterfly. Jeff Marshall swam
well in the 100 metres Butterfly, gaining
fifth place.
Emily Robotham's 100 metres Freestyle
gained her fifth place, whilst Linda
Strettle showed great dedication to swim
two events back to back, starting with
200 metres Freestyle where she came
fourth, followed by the 50 metres
Butterfly in which she took fifth place.
Particular credit should go to Mark
Dunford who came a credible third in
the 100 metres IM.
Basketball emerge
victorious from nail-biter
MEN’S BASKETBALL
By TOM MARLING
Newcastle 61 Leeds 58
NEWCASTLE headed into their
toughest game of the season so
far all prepared for a dogfight,
but
ultimately
only
had
themselves to blame for allowing
Leeds to keep it so close.
Leeds strode in unbeaten and top
of the BUSA league, but
apparently someone forgot to tell
them that, as they proceeded to
look utterly disorganised against
an off-colour home side.
Newcastle's play throughout the
first quarter was marred by
mental lapses as turnovers gave
Leeds easy transition baskets,
whilst the home side's missed free
throws at the other end were
characteristic of a side without its
head in the game. Only captain
Helio Cumbie's deep threepointer kept the scoreline
respectable at 21-17 for Newcastle.
Despite an utter lambasting from
their coach, the second quarter
continued to see the team force
reckless passes and show
absolutely abysmal transition
defense. Star centre Zaci Ibrahim
failed to get into the flow of the
offense all night, but when he was
off the court the inside defense
proceeded to collapse without his
intimidating presence in the paint.
Luckily for Newcastle, Dave
Baggley got to the free-throw line
consistently,
keeping
the
scoreboard ticking over, before
another clutch three-pointer by
Cumbie lifted the team to a 32-24
lead at the half.
The third quarter quickly
became the 'El-Nahil show', as the
Leeds captain stormed off the
bench a changed man in the
second half, showing off lighting
quick cuts and pinpoint shooting
that gave the Newcastle defense
fits. Suddenly on the back foot for
the first time, mental lapses again
crept into Newcastle's game,
allowing Leeds to erase an eightpoint deficit to level the score at
48-48.
Leeds would ultimately never
lead in the game though, as this
uplifting moment was followed
by the spectacular ejection of their
captain after he picked up his fifth
foul. His theatrical storm-out, that
included the upending of a
selection of sideline equipment,
unsurprisingly broke the Leeds
momentum.
Despite keeping the game close
through the dying minutes Leeds
were a changed team, and when
their last-gasp three-pointer drew
iron, no-one was really surprised.
Captain Helio Cumbie admitted
after the game that his team was
lucky to come away with a win,
"We started terribly tonight but
we were able to overcome that
and show our true Newcastle
colours."
If Wednesday night is any
evidence, Newcastle will need to
work hard on tightening up their
fundamentals over the coming
weeks, because the talent is there
for the team to be a force in the
league.
MVP - Dave Baggley - Played with
tenacity on defense and was willing to
give up his body to get to the line at
the other end, paced the team with a
quiet, but vital, 21-point night.
Tennis thrashed
WOMEN’S TENNIS
By TOM MARLING
Newcastle 1 Leeds 9
NEWCASTLE locked horns with
an underdog Leeds side in
merciless
conditions
on
Wednesday afternoon, only to
come away tasting bitter defeat.
Only one point behind Leeds in
the BUSA league and with a game
in hand, Newcastle saw a chance a
second place in the table cruelly
slip by.
Nonetheless, Newcastle gave
themselves reason for optimism
from the outset, the doubles
pairing of Ruth Walker and
Amelia Wicks proving an inspired
choice by
captain
Gillian
Pordham.
Walker's
laser
groundstrokes and Wick's cat-like
reflexes at the net complimented
each other perfectly, driving them
to a convincing 8-3 win, and a 1-0
lead for Newcastle.
The marquee match saw two
highly-touted number one seeds
square off, Newcastle's top seed
Lucy
Wright
and
Dutch
International
sensation
Iris
Berends.
The opening set was a fantastic
spectacle, as both players
produced a veritable maelstrom
of crunching forehands and
lightning serves. However despite
a promising first set, Wright just
couldn't match the sheer quality
of the Dutch superstar, eventually
falling in straight sets 6-3 6-1.
Suddenly down 2-1, Newcastle
were in need of a confidenceboosting win from second-seed
Gina Liverton. Her opponent,
Louise Berdet was clearly in no
mood to play along, producing a
near-flawless performance that
edged her side closer to victory.
As night drew in on a marathon
afternoon
of
tennis,
the
floodlights only served to
illuminate
Newcastle's
unenviable position. Singles and
doubles losses in quick succession
concluded the inevitable defeat,
leaving all eyes on Ruth Walker's
match with Oily Lloyd to provide
some faded solace. Neither player
disappointed, taking the three-set
match deep into the evening and
producing a lasting memory of a
valiant team that refused to accept
defeat.
Captain Gillian Pordham was
reflective following the loss,
saying,
"Everyone
played
fantastically on both sides, and
we'd like to think that the score
wasn't entirely representative of
our play today."
Newcastle may well question
what might have been if star
player Laura Bailey had been
available, or if the weather had
been less cruel. But ultimately this
has
to be considered
a
disappointing start to the season
for a group that was voted 'Sports
Team Of The Year" less than 12
months ago.
+
+
34 thecourigr
BUSA Sport
Monday 21st November 2005
courier.sportl3ncl.ac.uk
M ENS FOOTBALL ?NDS
| By DAVID BROACH
Newcastle 0 Northumbria 0
I THIS TOP-OF-THE-TABLE local
I derby had the potential to be an
I explosive encounter with plenty
I of goals. Unfortunately, this was
Ianything but the case. At a bitterly
Icold Cochrane Park both sides
I cancelled each other out, with
I some solid defending making
(chances few and far between.
The game did start brightly
Ihowever,
with
Northumbria
Ialmost taking the lead in the first
Iminute. A ball over the top from
Imidfield found striker Tiller in
I space, but the Newcastle 'keeper
I was quick off his line and managed
I to clear.
Despite
early
Northumbria
pressure, the Newcastle defence
dealt comfortably, with centrebacks Hodgson and Bowden
limiting Northumbria to a series
speculative long range efforts.
However, Newcastle gradually
got back into the game and could
have taken the lead on thirty-five
minutes with their best chance of
the half. From a comer, the ball fell
back to Josh Hinton on the comer
of the penalty box, who took a
touch and fired a blistering right
foot shot just over the bar.
The game was still fairly open
towards the end of the first half
and on forty minutes Northumbria
should have opened the scoring. A
smart one-two in midfield gave
Richards some space, who fired his
shot past the Newcastle keeper
only to see his effort cleared off the
line by Bowden at the far post.
The second half saw resurgence
from Newcastle and a good spell of
pressure early on, with strikers
Woolman and Hutchinson both
having good chances. Newcastle
had a great chance to take the lead
on sixty-one minutes. A counter
attack down the left hand side sent
Beattie away, who from twelve
yards out forced a fine save from
the Northumbria keeper down to
his near post.
The last fifteen minutes saw the
introduction of Houlahan, back
from a five-match ban, in an
attempt by Newcastle to break the
deadlock. However, it was now
Northumbria who were applying
pressure. On seventy-two minutes
a free kick from the left hand side
__
caused chaos in the Newcastle
penalty area with a foul on the
goalkeeper preventing an almost
certain
breakthrough
for
Northumbria.
Despite this late surge in pressure
the Newcastle defence continued
to hold firm with some fine tackles
and blocks from Andy Thomas, a
late second half substitute for
Bowden. The final whistle put an
end to this disappointing derby
game - certainly from a neutral
perspective - although both sides
were seemingly happy with the
point.
"It was a well-earned point" said
the Newcastle coach after the
game. "We are now hopeful we can
go on to win the league".
Man o f the Match - Tom Bowden
BUSA Results
SPORT
OPPONENTS
H/A
mm
NEWCASTLE OPPONENT RESULT
Men's Badminton I
Manchester
A
4
4
D
Men's Badminton II
Hull 2 '
A
8
0
W
Women's Badminton I Sheffield
A
2
6
L
Men's Basketball I
Leeds
H
61
58
W
Women's Basketball I
Northumbria 2
A
32
37
L
Women's Fencing I
Nottingham
A
132
104
W
Men's Football I
Bradford
A
4
1
W
?
!
j
i
I\ k
Northumbria 2
H
0
0
D
Men's Football III
Leeds 4
H
0
2
L
Women's Football I
Sheff Hallam 2
H
7
2
W
'P H O T O * M u V iK tf
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
By ROSS FOX
Leeds Met 2
A
0
15
L
Golf
Leeds
A
3
3
D
Men's Hockey I
Sheff Hallam
A
3
5
L
Men's Hockey II
York SJ
A
0
1
L
Men's Hockey III
Huddersfield
H
WALKOVER
Women's Hockey I
Manchester
H
1
Women's Hockey III
York 2
H
WALKOVER
Women's Hockey IV
Sheffield 4
A
2
1
W
Lacrosse
York
A
0
32
L
Netball I
Sheff Hallam
A
36
39
L
L
W
4
L
W
Netball II
York 1
H
41
42
Netball III
York SJ
H
39
36
W
Men's Rugby Union I
Sheff Hallam
H
62
5
W
Men's Rugby Union II Northumbria 2
H
17
31
L
Men's Rugby Union III Bradford 1
H
52
5
W
Women's Rugby I
Manchester
A
17
12
W
Rugby League
Sheff Hallam
A
6
36
L
Women's Squash
Huddersfield
H
3
0
w
H
9
0
w
D
Women's Table Tennis Sunderland
Men's Tennis
Liverpool
H
3
3
Women's Tennis
Leeds
A
1
9
L
Men's Volleyball
Leeds
A
3
0
W
Women's Volleyball
Manchester
A
0
3
L
-
IS
»
Men's Football II
Women's Football II
'
si®
*
Newcastle 7 Sheffield Hallam 2nds 2
A BITTER cold and windy Wednesday at
Cochrane Park was the venue for a
commanding display from Newcastle's
Women's Football, as they extended their
lead at the top of the BUSA table.
From a match predicted to be tight between
the joint league leaders, Newcastle's Yorkshire
visitors were fortunate to return home with a
two-goal consolation.
For all her enraged, Tarzan-esque roars it
was Hallam's goalkeeper who embarrassingly
allowed Newcastle to take a deserved lead. By
attempting to come for an in-swinging comer
legs first, she managed to miss and allow the
ball into a gaping net.
Further Newcastle pressure ensued before a
rare Hallam attack caused momentary panic,
but Newcastle goalkeeper Abi Haigh's
brilliant reflex save kept Sheffield at bay.
The home side doubled their lead when
Haigh's long clearance was neatly headed
down between Hallam's central defence, and
from the outside of the penalty area Laura
Ford lobbed a hapless goalkeeper.
After half-time Hallam converted a penalty
against the run of play to halve the deficit, but
just moments later a Newcastle comer was
If
missed by two Hallam defenders and half­
volleyed into the roof of the net by captain
Heather Staff.
Newcastle stretched the lead to three as Staff
again turned in a comer, this time a calm side­
footed finish. Soon after, the captain beat two
defenders to slip the ball to Leanne Bell who
neatly slotted the ball into the far comer.
Laura Ford's curling cross then caught in the
wind and found the far post to double her tally
and gave Newcastle a 6-1 lead.
With five minutes left Sheffield's impressive
no.7 curled in a free kick from 25 yards, only to
be cancelled out by their left back's wellplaced own goal moments later.
Head coach Lindsay Robinson was clearly
pleased with the effort shown by her players.
She added:
"We work on the principle that attack is the
best form of defence, and perhaps today's
score line reflected that. They all worked hard
and showed great energy, we deserved this."j
Captain Staff was nominated player of the
match for a tireless display in which she
scored two, assisted two, and ran rings around
the Sheffield defence.
In wanting not to curse the rest of their
games, let it suffice to say that after half the
season now gone, and having won five out of
six games to be sitting pretty at the top of
table, so far so good.
thecourigr 35
busa sport
courier.sportranct.ac.uk
RUGBY 1STS
B y G EM M A DAVIES
SPORTS EDITOR
Newcastle 62 Sheffield Hallam 5
ANOTHER
show-stopping
performance from Newcastle's
leading rugby side continued their
superb unbeaten run in the new
BUSA season and well and truly
proved
their
promotion
credentials, should anyone have
possibly doubted them.
A ten-try romp, including a hattrick from winger Alex Wiscombe,
meant that the visitors from
Sheffield Hallam were left defeated
and embarrassed; having been
outplayed and outclassed for the
full eighty minutes.
It was clear from the outset that
Newcastle were likely to emerge
victorious from the fixture, as the
little errors were all falling to
Hallam. However, the visitors
looked well-prepared for their task
that they could foresee was going to
be a tough one.
It took just less them ten minutes
for Newcastle's rout to begin, as
winger Luke Clogher evaded a
string of Sheffield tackles to finish
under the sticks to provide a simple
conversion for full-back Melellieu
and a 7-0 lead for the home side.
Despite Hallam gaining a quick
succession of scrums and line-outs
in their favour, they did little with
this possession and whilst it was
obvious that the visitors were
determined to shock Newcastle
with their attack, the only purpose
this served was to expose their
weak defence as the Royals kept
catching Sheffield dozing off.
The University doubled their lead
with a try created by pure trickery
and wizardry from fly-half
Hadden,
who
once
again
capitalised on Sheffield's appalling
final tackles to dodge his way over
the line.
By
the half-time interval,
Newcastle had racked up a lead of
26-0, through tries from hooker
James Bunde, who rounded off a
spell of excellent pressure from the
forwards, and from back-row
forward Paulo who, quite unlike
the usual stereotype of a forward,
intercepted a juggle of the ball from
one of his Hallam counterparts in
his own half and outran the
Sheffield winger to score a true
rapid winger's try.
These scores were produced with
scrum-half Kyle in the sin-bin, just
emphasising
Newcastle's
dominance if they can still manage
to rack up points with just fourteen
men on the pitch.
Hallam started the second-half
with an air of determination and
actually managed to gain a
Poly Push On
period.
The first half began ominously,
with Newcastle sending the ball
I Newcastle 17 Northumbria 31
out on the full from the kick-off.
This
set
an
unfortunate
NEWCASTLE RUGBY 2NDS precedent for the first half, which
suffered a disappointing defeat was strewn with errors from
at the hands of table-toppers, Newcastle's backs. It only took
and local rivals Northumbria.
ten minutes for Northumbria to
With both teams previously score their first of four tries.
unbeaten, Director of Rugby
The Poly controlled the match
John Fertn saw this game as with most of the possession and
crucial, predicting "whoever through the help of a missed
wins this game will probably tackle, managed to score under
win the league".
the posts. The second came soon
Sadly for Newcastle, it would after, thanks to more poor
appear that Fenn's early forecast tackling.
may turn out to be accurate.
Newcastle's problem came
Throughout the first half from a failure to establish
Northumbria dominated, and themselves and not scoring
Newcastle only managed to get points. Their forwards were able
into the game late in the second to win the ball, and occasionally
turned their
opponents
over, but the
number
of
phases
was
frequently
limited to one
or two. Errors
from the backs
meant
they
could
not
r e t a i n
ULY FLIVVER...The
po s s e s s i o n ,
forthumbria forwards
and thus go
ile on the pressure
on to score.
I RUGBY2NDS
[B y WILL RICHENS
Monday 21st November 2005
consolation try, although at the
time the visitors interpreted it as
the start of their comeback.
This, of course, was never going to
be the case, as mistakes only seem
to spur on this rejuvenated
Newcastle side and they bounced
back with a shower of their own
tries.
Once Newcastle got their first try
of the second forty through winger
Wiscombe, the floodgates opened
without doubt and Sheffield heads
dropped dramatically.
Tries followed from captain Ollie
Louard, two more from Wiscombe
to complete his hat-trick, one for the
hard-working front row from
Harrity and finally from substitute
Anthony Peck.
Melellieu added a further three
second-half conversions to take his
personal tally up to twelve points,
leaving Hallam utterly thumped.
Days like these are becoming like
just another day at the office for
Newcastle's rugby squad and are a
far cry from the dreary defeats that
were all too familiar last year. Long
may this form continue, as last
season's relegation is forgotten and
the new era of Newcastle rugby
emerges.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCR Ludford,
as selected by coach Steve Combe,
although as the scoreline reflects,
this w as clearly an all-round team
performance.
Spirits were lifted right on halftime
when
fly-half
Rich
McCartney converted a penalty
to put the scores at 14-3.
Newcastle started the second
half badly with Northumbria
running over the line within two
minutes of the restart. Once
again the try was a result of
Newcastle's failure to stop the
man with the ball. This time the
missed tackle count was three.
From then on Newcastle began
to assert themselves, and were
unlucky to concede another try
with ten minutes remaining.
Captain Pete Nichols inspired
the team to come back at
Northumbria and finally took
Newcastle over the line with a
try created through immense
forward pressure.
Only once Northumbria added
a further three points to their
tally were the Newcastle backs
finally spurred into action gaining
precious
territory
through great running and use of
space. The result was a wellworked try scored by Clark, set
up by the deft running of centre
Gabe.
Unfortunately for
Newcastle, this came in the last
minute of the game.
Captain Nichols acknowledged
that it was too little too late and
recognised that "they let two
tries in which could have been
scored in the first half - we just
got bullied out of the game".
Thirds on Fire
RUGBY3RDS
By KATIE WRIGHT
Newcastle 52 Bradford lsts 5
NEWCASTLE'S RUGBY 3RDS defied
the biting cold to scorch through a
shambolic Bradford team, daiming an
easy win with a rampant attacking
display. A strong Newcastle team were
expected to beat a Bradford side
considered the whipping boys of the
league with no victories and no points,
and they did so in style.
Newcastle started the match confidently,
setting their stall out early on with
aggressive play forcing Bradford into
mistakes.
Newcastle's supremacy in the scrum
resulted in their first penalty, which Jamie
Eveleigh struck firmly through the posts.
This prompted a period of total
superiority for Newcastle, running in six
tries in the first half compared to
Bradford's one. With Bradford struggling
to get out of their own half, Alex Keith
showed some great skills on the right
wing, opening up space for Sam Bower to
power over the line for Newcastle's first
try.
The right wing was proving fruitful for
Newcastle and the majority of their tries
were scored on this side of the pitch,
taking advantage of an obvious Bradford
weakness.
This was epitomised by
Newcastle's third try, as the ball was
booted down the line and a Bradford
player kept it in and then fell over,
allowing Harry Fildes to kick it ahead of
himself and pounce for a poacher's try that
should never have been on.
With twenty-eight unanswered points
Newcastle could afford to take their foot
off their pedal, and subsequently allowed
Bradford a period of attacking possession,
Geoff Sykes eventually scoring Bradford's
only try.
Newcastle could seemingly attack at will,
and responded to their defence being
breached with a try of their own, Keith
finishing off good work by Patrick
O'Malley.
Bradford appeared demoralised by the
home side's commanding half-time lead,
their handling errors and lack of
aggression still evident after the break;
they appeared to be merely making up the
numbers.
The focus of the match switched to
Evdeigh's running battle with the boot,
having failed to convert any of
Newcastle's six tries with his wayward
kicking. Rob Jackson broke free from the
pack to score a try for Newcastle, ensuring
he ran as close to the posts as possible so
Eveleigh couldn't miss, and he didn't.
Another two tries completed the rout for
Newcastle, finishing off a display which
had seen the Uni put a dispirited Bradford
to the sword in emphatic fashion.
IN
COURIER
SPORT
THIS
WEEK...
FRIDAY NIGHT L.
LIVE AT THE
FALCONS m
PAGE 30
MEN’S
RUGBY
SPECIAL
PAGE 35
; j. m m m m
WOMEN’S
SQUASH
PROMOTION
PUSH
CONTINUES
WOMEN’S SQUASH
By ALEX KID D
Newcastle 3 Huddersfield 0
mm
PHOTOS: Shi Vose
As the countdown to the Stan Calvert Cud begins. Northumbria set
their stall out in warm-up games in ruabv. football and basketball
By GEMMA DAVIES
SPORTS EDITOR
WITH JUST three weeks until the
infamous Stan Calvert Cup, Northumbria
took an early advantage, emerging the
stronger from three pre-tournament
match-ups in the BUSA leagues.
In what was potentially a promotion
decider, the Poly's second string rugby
side gained the upper hand, emerging as
31-17 winners.
Meanwhile, both sets of second team
footballers played out a dreary 0-0 draw,
Northumbria having the best of the
chances.
In the final Uni v Poly fixture of the day,
the Women's Basketball were defeated at
home 32-37.
If Newcastle are to regain the coveted
prize after last year's controversial
Northumbria victory, results like these
should be forgotten and the tempo stepped
up.
There is no doubting that on the day
emotions will be high as the two local
rivals square up in all sporting events.
However, the Poly proved last week that
they are as determined as ever when it
comes to a fixture against their old enemies
and are prepared to win at any cost. Bring
on December 14th.
WITH THE Women's Squash club playing
only two matches in the BUSA league thus
far, a match against Huddersfield
University, indeed any match at all on a
Wednesday afternoon, was eagerly
anticipated.
The Newcastle girls do in fact field three
teams in the Northumberland league, a
much needed source of competition given
that the lacklustre Northern Conference
consists only of four universities. Even in
this tiny pool of teams, it was quickly
apparent that Huddersfield were out of their
depth.
Number one seed Jasmin Shahid made
mincemeat of her hapless opponent Gemma
Pack, winning 9-1, 9-0, 9-0. So poor was this
player that her top seed status had to be
brought into question. It would not have
been the first time that tactical seeding has
taken place. However, Newcastle's Libby
Mackinson defeated an even more inept
player, Tabatha Capel in the second match
just as convincingly 9-1,9-1,9-0. The captain
displayed a wide range of drop shots and
boasts (playing a shot off two walls) to
embarrass her ham-fisted opponent. The
match was effectively over and with it any
hint of a conspiracy theory.
The hard-hitting third seed, Luci Blissett
was equally unflustered during the last
match of the tie, losing just two points
during the whole contest.
And well... that was it - only five points
lost in nine sets. Despite, the poor standard
of opposition, Newcastle should be given
credit for they could only play what was in
front of them. Shahid, Mackinson and
Blissett, as well as the loyal squad members
including Club Secretary and stalwart,
Susannah Smith know they will have sterner
tests to come.
Newcastle now look forward to the
playoffs and promotion. The season for
Huddersfield was over, and in the aftermath
of their trouncing they asked Newcastle for a
rematch, but sadly for them Newcastle have
bigger fish to fry. It seems as if Newcastle
Squash club will look once more to the
Northumbrian league for competition.
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