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EDITORIAL
Our January issue is always a bit of an
odd one, for its writers are always in a
completely different state of mind to its
readers. Far from the mixture of festivity
and fatigue from the hectic Autumn
semester during which we made this
issue, you are now experiencing the fresh
faced optimism and fear which comprises
the January exam season.
So hello there in 2011, you may consider
[OL^VYKZ^P[OPU[OLZLWHNLZ[VILHÄUHS
send off from last year. Apparently the
United Nations has designated this year as the International
Year of Forests, Chemistry and People of African Descent. Ours
is not to reason how or why we can have a year dedicated to
three such disparate causes, but I’m sure at some point we’ll be
informed of how they all link up. I’m excited already.
While we wait for Ban Ki-Moon’s guidance, then, perhaps this
could be a year of getting involved. It’s really easy to come and
]VS\U[LLY MVY 0TWHJ[ Q\Z[ ÅPW V]LY [V 7HNL HUK JOLJR [OL
THE
information there. If you’re unsure of what you might want to
do with Impact but you’re still feeling the urge to join us, just
contact me on the email address at the end of this editorial.
Remember, it’s never too late to get started!
Nor is it too late to participate in some of the numerous other
MHYL VMMLYLK I` [OL <UPVU 0 ^LU[ VU T` ÄYZ[ 5\Z\YM [YPW SHZ[
term and my only regret is that I didn’t pluck up the courage/
motivation to go on a trip with those awesome lads and lasses
earlier in my time at university. So don’t be like me, go and try
something new - for many of us there might not be a better
opportunity.
And while you’re pushing the boat out, be sure to keep track
of Impact’s coverage of some of the biggest events of the
calendar - in addition to our usual work, this term sees us follow
the Varsity series and the Students Union elections. I can’t wait.
Remember, if you have any queries, comments or letters for
publication, I can be contacted at chief@impactnottingham.
com.
Thanks, and enjoy.
Dave Jackson
TEAM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dave Jackson
}
WEB
}
DESIGN
}
EDITORIAL
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MANAGEMENT
Associate Managing
Editor
Rachel Taylor
Associate Editors
Stephen Lovejoy
Angus Drummond
Chloe Painter
Associate Design Editor
Matt Turner
Tristan Bejawn
Associate Web Editor
Ollie Small
Vanessa Brown
Managing Editor
James Sanderson
PR and Distribution
Managers:
Sam Tully
Alice Hajek
Design Editor
Andrew Speer
Web Editor
Ben Wadsworth
Image Editors
Bruno Albutt
Tara Wallace
Matt Turner
SECTIONS
}
Advertising Manager
Jack Shields
Editor
Gabriella DeMatteis
News Editors
Ben McCabe
Emily Sargent
Natasha Smith
Sports Editors
Lowri Wyn Morgan
Joseph Lobo
Tim Edwards
02
ISSUE 208 | JANUARY 2011
Travel Editors
Ruth Edwards
Eleanor Simpson
Film Editors
Hannah Coleman
Lucy Kenderdine
Style Editors
Charlotte Gelipter
Jasmin Watts
Music Editors
Rosie Kynman
Sarah Dawood
Arts Editors
Michael de Vletter
Victoria Urquhart
Nights Editors
Adam Dawes
Lucinda Richardson
Rachel Boyle
Science and Technology
Editors
Eric John
Philip Bowyer
CONTENTS
/ 208
- January 2011
02
Editorial
04
Get Involved
05
News
Campus Number Seven?
11
Sport
Varsity Returns for 2011
11
FEATURES
16
How Middle Class is Your Uni?
Are We C****?
19
Asexuality
20
Peacocking
Dressing Up to Get Down
22
Why Not to Detox
A look at an alternative money-saving diet
23
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Is Your Depression SAD?
24
STIs
A New Year’s Gift you don’t want!
26
The Royal Family
Useful or Useless?
27
Metrosexuality
The harsh truth or an outdated stereotype?
30
Wave Your Rave and
Vent Your Spleen
REGULARS
23
50
30
Students’ Union
32
Exposure
35
Style
40
Film
46
Travel
50
Arts & Culture
54
Music
57
Science
60
Nights
62
Spare Parts
63
Gratis
IMPACT NOT T INGHAM.COM
03
Involved
WIT H
Any student at The University of Nottingham/member of the Students’ Union can
contribute to the magazine and website. We have a wide range of sections and roles, so
whatever you’re interested in, you can work with us.
No previous experience is needed, so even if you haven’t done anything like this before,
you can get involved.
Working for Impact has plenty of benefits and we won’t expect you to show up to
meetings every week unless you’re elected to be an editor. Remember, we’re students
too, so we know what it’s like when deadlines approach!
So come along to our stall at Refreshers’ Fayre for more details, or pop in to our new
office on the first floor of the Portland Building. Our office is just across from the East
Concourse Lounge and next to the hairdressers. We are signposted from the main
entrance.
For more information visit www.impactnottingham.com/get-involved
NEWS
SU PLANS FOR REFERENDUM
REFORM GIVEN THE ALL CLEAR
The Students’ Union Council has agreed to plans lowering
quoracy levels in referenda, with the aim of making it
easier for students to decide directly on certain areas of
policy. This came despite a vote on the same issue failing
to pass just a few weeks before at the previous Council.
The SU Council heard that the last referendum held was in 2003,
when there was a petition to boycott Nestlé products. Democracy
HUK *VTT\UPJH[PVUZ 6MÄJLY .LVYNL >YPNO[ JSHPTLK [OH[ [OPZ
was due to the current level of quoracy being “unattainably high”
at 20%. He added that “Quoracy should not be a target but a
number with which we are comfortable to base decisions on.
By lowering quoracy we would be able to run more referenda.”
The initial motion in November suggested that the referenda
quorum should be reduced from 20% down to 6% of
students, and the percentage of students required to sign
a petition for referenda should be reduced from the current
5% down to 2%. However, many of those present at the
Council meeting and those watching the proceedings on
the NUTS live stream met the proposals with some concern.
Opposing the motion was Dave Jackson, who asserted that
referenda had no protection for minorities and “risked being
populist”. He believed that current quoracy levels ensured
that referenda were “only used when an issue really mobilises
the student body”. Wright responded that all petitions would
have a £200 fee and would not be allowed to break the SU
,X\HS 6WWVY[\UP[PLZ WVSPJ` /V^L]LY HM[LY [OL ÄYZ[ TV[PVU
MHPSLK [V YLHJO [OL MV\YÄM[OZ Z\WWVY[ YLX\PYLK MVY P[ [V WHZZ
he did compromise on the level of quoracy, with the revised
proposal stating that quorum should stand at 10% of students.
Wright explained that their motivation behind the plan was based
on a student desire for referendum found in the Big Review 2010
Z\Y]L` 0U [OPZ Z\Y]L` Z[\KLU[Z ^LYL HZRLK [V JOVVZL
[OLPY ÄYZ[ ZLJVUK HUK [OPYK WYLMLYYLK TL[OVK VM KLJPZPVU
making, and these choices were given 3 points, 2 points or 1
point respectively. Under this method, 27% of the total scores
voted for ‘referendum’, making it the most popular choice.
Some believed that this didn’t form enough of a basis for
the changes proposed, and it was pointed out that 73%
of scores preferred alternative options. However, the SU
maintained that the survey showed that students had
“made a shout for referenda”. Wright argued: “Students
have expressed clearly that they want more referenda. As
student leaders we should react to this and make it happen.”
the percentage of students that certain top UK universities require
for petition and quorum in referenda. Amongst these universities,
Nottingham had the highest percentage needed for quorum
at 20%, compared to an average of 7.5%. It was argued that
Nottingham needed to be brought in line with other universities.
SU President Will Vickers again drew Council’s attention to the
fact that referendum was the most popular method of decision
making, and insisted that this was the reason why change was
needed, saying, “If we don’t pass it, we will fail our students”.
The motion passed with only one abstention, none against,
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[OL TV[PVU ^PSS OH]L [V IL YH[PÄLK H[ [OL UL_[ ZLZZPVU
Fiona Crosby
YES
NO
Jackson disputed that there was clear enough support for
a referendum and said that until there was, the SU should
MVJ\Z VU Ä_PUN L_PZ[PUN WYVISLTZ PU *V\UJPS /L HZRLK!
“What are referenda for - to allow greater student involvement
or to bypass Council?” An online viewer also added “If
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why should it be less to change the Union completely?”
(M[LY[OLÄYZ[TV[PVU^HZKLMLH[LK[OL:<,_LJ\[P]LYLZLHYJOLK
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/NEWS
05
NEWS
CAMPUS NUMBER SEVEN?
NOT T INGHAM UNIVERSITY IN TALKS TO OPEN NEW CAMPUS IN SHANGHAI
The University of Nottingham already has a reputation as
an international university, perhaps as a result of having six
campuses worldwide (with four in the UK, one in Malaysia
HUKVULPU*OPUH;OPZÄN\YLJV\SKUVÎLVU[OLYPZLHM[LY
the University announced that it is entering talks with the
government in Shanghai to develop a second campus in
China, around 140 miles from where the current Ningbo
campus is situated. It is possible that, providing the decision
PZÄUHSPZLK[OL<UP]LYZP[`^PSSVWLU[OLJHTW\ZPU
;OL UL^ WYVWVZHSZ JLU[YL VU [OL ÄUHUJPHSS` Z\JJLZZM\S JP[`
of Shanghai - a city whose need for education is increasing
exponentially. The purpose of building a new campus is to
provide “the opportunity to offer different subjects to a new
group of students” by offering courses based on life sciences.
Ningbo cannot provide these courses simply because there is
no more space for development there; the university does not
wish to ruin the natural aesthetics by building on the parkland
setting that the campus currently enjoys. It was the government
VM :OHUNOHP PU MHJ[ ÔV HWWYVHJOLK [OL <UP]LYZP[` ÄYZ[ 0M
the University had turned down this opportunity, there may
well have been another internationally acclaimed university
developing there, which would almost certainly compete with
Ningbo. As it is, Nottingham University asserts that it is against
its interests to provide any courses Ningbo already provides.
Professor Christine Ennew, Pro Vice Chancellor, argues that this
will have a very positive effect on UK students. There will be
opportunities for exchange in new subjects (since Shanghai will
offer all-new courses), as well as new international programmes
for “shared learning”. Some students based in Nottingham
may have concerns over the increase in young graduates in
China earning themselves University of Nottingham degrees;
how desirable is each individual University of Nottingham
graduate if collectively the numbers are increasing? In terms of
‘employability’, Professor Ennew believes the contrary - rather
than detracting from the appeal of a Nottingham graduate, a
Shanghai campus will attract better teachers and therefore build
upon Nottingham’s reputation, by “enhancing the international
dimension to our teaching”.
Rebecca Wilson
HOPES FOR BREAKTHROUGH WITH
NEW CANCER PATIENT STUDY
Cancer Research UK is funding a three-year study into
deaths caused by venous thromboembolism (VTE or blood
clotting) in cancer patients at the University of Nottingham.
The study is being conducted by the University’s Division
of Epidemiology and Public Health, with lead researcher
Dr Matthew Grainge saying, “This detailed analysis will
show us more precisely when people with cancer are at
greatest risk of venous thromboembolism compared with
[OL NLULYHS WVW\SH[PVU ^P[OPU WLYPVKZ KLÄULK I` JHUJLY
treatment, time since diagnosis and hospitalisation.” It is
hoped that approximately 3,000 deaths from VTE in cancer
patients could be saved with early, preventative treatment.
The risk of VTE appears to be higher in cancer patients, with
the risk factor increasing with treatment such as surgery and
chemotherapy. The research project will analyse data from
500,000 patients to be better able to assess the risk posed by
VTE in approximately twenty different types of cancer.
Joe West, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department
06
of Community Health Sciences, also professes the need to
develop preventative cures in order to increase the risk of
survival in cancer patients with VTE - “Epidemiological studies
SPRL[OPZHYL]P[HSPU[OLÄNO[[VJ\[[OLU\TILYVMWYL]LU[HISL
deaths in this group of patients who are already suffering from
cancer and enduring the effects of its treatment.”
Information will be analysed from the General Practice Research
Database, the Hospital Episode Statistics database and
Cancer Registries, and these 100,000 cases will be compared
to samples from 500,000 patients. Meanwhile at Nottingham
Trent University, the John and Lucille van Geest Foundation
have funded a £7.65m cancer research centre based at the
University’s Clifton campus. Scientists at Nottingham Trent
will work in conjunction with scientists from the University of
Nottingham to harness new technology that will increase the
speed of diagnosis of cancer and develop new treatments.
Settit Beyene
NEWS
SUMMER PARTY LOSES ‘STUDENT
RUN SERVICE’ STATUS
This year it has been
decided by the Nottingham
University Trustee Board
that the Student Summer
Party will no longer be a
Student Run Service (SRS).
This decision was made in
the aftermath of the £70,000
loss incurred by last year’s
Summer Party.
The decision has dismayed
many students involved with
the Summer Party Exec, with
Ben Ingram, Former Summer
Party Coordinator, saying,
“I, and my predecessors,
do have issues with the
way in which this has been
approached,
which
has
been quite closed. We need
to make sure it carries on
with as much involvement
from students as possible”.
Although the decision had
HSYLHK` ILLU VMÄJPHSS` THKL
the Student Council voted on
the motion as a formality. 58
members voted in favour of
the removal of the Summer
Party as a student run service,
and only one vote was placed
against the motion.
The majority argued that after
[OLÄHZJVVMSHZ[`LHY»ZWHY[`
when only half those expected
turned up, it would be
common sense to hand over
the power and responsibility of
organising the Summer Party
to a non-student, professional
organisation. However there
is still room for dispute.
Student involvement should
be integral for any student
event, not only to encourage
student participation and limit
student apathy but also to
ensure the event is aimed at
student ideals and desires.
Thankfully
student
involvement has not been
entirely cut off - although
students will have no control
V]LY ÄUHUJL [OL` ^PSS Z[PSS IL
able to contribute through
their choice of bands at the
event as well as designs and
marketing.
Hannah Pupkewitz
WHAT IS AN SRS?
An SRS, also known as a Student Run Service, is essentially
HU VYNHUPZH[PVU [OH[ WYV]PKLZ H ZLY]PJL MVY [OL ILULÄ[ VM [OL
student body as a whole. These organisations are run by
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are spent, though these are set through consultation with the
-PUHUJL HUK :LY]PJLZ 6MÄJLY VM [OL :< ,_LJ\[P]L :[\KLU[
Run Services are currently split into three branches. Week One,
Karnival, The New Theatre, TEC and the Record and CD Library
HYLHSSV]LYZLLUI`[OL(J[P]P[PLZ6MÄJLYÔVHSZVZ\WLY]PZLZ
societies. The Media SRSs, namely NUTS, Impact and URN,
HYLZ\WWVY[LKI`[OL+LTVJYHJ`HUK*VTT\UPJH[PVUZ6MÄJLY
in their aims to both inform and entertain the student body.
Nightline, which works in conjunction with the Welfare and
,X\HS 6WWVY[\UP[PLZ 6MÄJLY WYV]PKLZ H JVUÄKLU[PHS SPZ[LUPUN
and information service from 7pm-8am during term time.
Student Run Services are expected to assist in the aims of
the Students’ Union, which include the representation of the
interests of students at all levels, providing a wide variety of
services to enhance student life, developing students’ personal
skills through training and participation, and empowering
TLTILYZ VM [OL <UPVU [V WHY[PJPWH[L HUK ILULÄ[ MYVT [OL
activities provided. On top of this, they are expected to evolve
and respond to changing student needs.
Student Run Services differ from societies and AU clubs in that
they communicate directly with the SU Executive as opposed
to a committee. They also take on far more responsibilities
in terms of both providing a service that is relevant to a wide
variety of students and providing opportunities for its members
[VKL]LSVWHUKNHPUZRPSSZ[OH[^PSSILULÄ[[OLTPU[OLM\[\YL
Ben McCabe
07
COMMENT
HAITI
ONE YEAR ON
Last year a 7.0MW earthquake hit Haiti, the least
economically developed country in the Western
Hemisphere. In the weeks which followed it was reported
[OH[OHKILLURPSSLKOHKILLUSLM[PUQ\YLK
HUK H M\Y[OLY OVTLSLZZ ;OL [O 1HU\HY` THYRZ
[OLÄYZ[HUUP]LYZHY`VM[OLJH[HZ[YVWOLHUKÔPSLV]LY[OL
past year the international community and a multitude of
NGOs have sought to aid the Caribbean nation, the Haitians
have lurched from one tragedy to another in what must
surely be one of the unluckiest corners of the earth.
This time last year, the world was confronted by a series of
harrowing images in our newspapers and on our television
screens, particularly of Haiti’s capital Port au Prince - lying just
sixteen miles from the epicentre of the earthquake and home
to 2,000,000 - summarily destroyed. One image in particular
became synonymous with the desperate plight of the Haitian
people - their dilapidated Presidential Palace, a shattered
symbol of Haiti’s independence, keeping vigil over a broken
city of dispossessed inhabitants. The rubble of Haiti’s former
political centre has still not been removed - another image which
may come to have resonance beyond the earthquake alone and 1.5 million refugees remain in overcrowded displacement
camps.
The international community sprang into action - the EU as
H ÔVSL KVUH[LK ÁT ÔPSL V\Y NV]LYUTLU[ ZLU[ H 9V`HS
Navy ship full of aid along with $22 million. The British public
raised £101 million through the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal,
and our sentiments and feelings of compassion were made
commercially manifest in a cover of R.E.M’s Everybody Hurts
sung by Susan Boyle, Leona Lewis, Rod Stewart and Mariah
Carrey. Hollywood also got in on the act, generating high levels
of publicity comparable to events like Live Aid in the 1980s. If
1VOU;YH]VS[HWLYZVUHSS`Å`PUNH)VLPUN[V/HP[PVUILOHSM
of the Church of Scientology felt like a stunt it didn’t matter,
because everyone was pulling together to help a stricken
people. But after this period of impressive and energetic action,
slowly, and as so often happens, Haiti faded from our screens
and was largely forgotten.
Since then the humanitarian effort has become paralyzed.
Refugee International has condemned Haiti’s UN camps
commenting: “living in squalid, overcrowded camps for a
08
prolonged period has led to aggravated levels of violence and
appalling standards of living”. Gang rape and forced prostitution
are common occurrences in these camps.
More recently, a series of tragic coincidences have befallen
Haiti - a series of events which seem more like a passage from
the Old Testament than anything which could happen in our
modern reality. In October, reports started to emerge from Haiti
of outbreaks of cholera. Fears were voiced that if drinking water
was contaminated in Port au Prince’s displacement camps, this
could have a devastating effect. On the 9th of November these
MLHYZ ^LYL YLHSPaLK HM[LY KLHKS` ÅVVKZ JH\ZLK I` /\YYPJHUL
Tomas helped the epidemic on its way. In one month, the
cholera epidemic spread throughout the country, leaving 91,000
people infected and 2,000 dead.
This cruel conspiracy of events, however, became more poignant
when it was discovered that cholera emerged in Haiti not from
within, but was brought to the country by Nepalese troops
acting on behalf of the UN. In mid-November anti-UN and antiforeign demonstrations broke out in Haiti’s second city of CapHaïtien, as 200 protesters threw stones at hospitals and foreign
doctors. Rioters exchanged shots with UN peacekeepers,
leaving two Haitians killed and further hampering efforts to stem
the tide of cholera.
Conditions in Haiti show little signs of abating. In fact, stasis in
[OLYLSPLMLMMVY[OHZJVTL[VILYLÅLJ[LKPUHZ[HNUH[PVUVM/HP[P»Z
political process, as presidential election results announced
on the 7th of December have been met with accusations of
widespread fraud. The elections used an electoral register which
predated the earthquake, meaning it bore little resemblance to
the now decimated population, and was easily manipulated by
the deeply unpopular incumbent, the American-backed Préval.
([ [OL [PTL VM ^YP[PUN [OL WVSP[PJZ YLZ\S[PUN MYVT /HP[P»Z coup play out on the nation’s streets - an eventuality the UN
peace keeping force was supposed to prevent.
Perhaps the only light on Haiti’s horizon is the still-to-arrive $1.5
billion in aid promised by the U.S. What effect this will have
upon a nation with such prevalent and entrenched problems
remains to be seen - if indeed it arrives at all.
Callum Paton
COMMENT
GIVING IRELAND A HELPING HAND
To say that Ireland is in deep
ÄUHUJPHSWVSP[PJHSHUKZVJPL[HS[YV\ISL
would be an understatement. Two
years of depression and austerity
measures look set to become even
more excruciating after the budget
announcement on the 7th December.
The €85 billion bailout agreed by the
European Union and the International
4VUL[HY`-\UKVU[OL[O5V]LTILY
MHPSLK [V PUQLJ[ JVUÄKLUJL PU[V
Eurozone markets as the cost of
borrowing continues to rise. Once
described as an economic posterchild of the EU, this is a riches to rags
story like no other.
Without needing to understand the
economic technicalities of the crisis,
both in terms of Ireland and the euro,
the mess that Ireland is in is abundantly
clear.
Angry protests, increasing
homelessness, thousands of empty
apartments and a mass emigration of
Ireland’s youth are all synonymous with
[OL ÄUHUJPHS JVSSHWZL /V^L]LY MYVT
a British perspective, many people
question George Osborne’s decision to
help fund the bailout when we are facing
our own cuts here. A sombre editorial in
the Irish Times a few weeks ago declared,
“is this what the men of 1916 died for:
a bailout from the German chancellor
with a few shillings of sympathy from
the British chancellor on the side? There
is the shame of it all.” For all the Irish
complaints, it seems that the British are
hardly enthused by it either.
Britain’s total contribution will be
approximately £7 billion, which includes
the direct loan of €3.8 billion. This is the
largest direct loan from any other country
in the EU. According to BBC Business
Editor Robert Peston’s analysis, “the UK
is doing more than the basic minimum
to help Ireland out of its predicament”.
Not only are people asking where this
extra money is going to come from, they
are wondering if Britain, given the cuts
at home, can really afford it. Some may
even be led to consider whether cuts here
are out of regretful necessity or, more
sinisterly, whether there are ideological
connotations attached to them.
Should Britain be paying this money,
or as The Sun eloquently puts it, “bung
Direland a €7.5 billion bailout”? The
simple answer is ‘Yes’. On this occasion,
Osborne has made the wisest decision.
For all of his sentimental neighbourly
?
rhetoric, it has nothing to do with
goodwill. The purely practical reasons
behind this decision are motivated by
British self-interest.
British banks have the biggest single
share in Ireland’s banks with an
investment of over €130 billion, followed
closely by Germany. The Conservatives
argue that it is necessary for Britain to
contribute to prevent the complete failure
of Ireland’s banking sector. By agreeing
to a bailout fund, Osborne is aiming to
protect UK banks from full exposure to
the crisis in Ireland. Moreover, Britain
exports more to Ireland than to China
and India combined, so it is essential
that these trading links are retained,
especially considering the shared border
and history between the two countries.
Ireland isn’t out of the woods yet, and
with Fine Gael, the main opposition
party, against the Government’s plans,
the future is very unpredictable. Unlike
other unstable countries such as Greece,
Portugal and Spain, Britain’s economic
interests in Ireland run a lot deeper.
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ignored.
Mea Goodall
09
NEWS
GOOD NEWS
FOR…
THE POUND
Following riots in Greece, mass unemployment in Spain and
£150 billion worth of cuts in Ireland, it is safe to say it’s been
a bad year for the EU and the Euro. Barely six months after
Greece was saved by a huge bailout, the same cheque is once
again being passed around the EU.
With economic troubles in most of the euro-zone countries
HSYLHK` [OL KLÄJP[Z VM .YLLJL HUK 0YLSHUK OH]L WYV]PKLK HU
extra strain on the Euro currency at a time when it least needs
it. Meanwhile, we survey the wreckage across the Irish Sea
and breathe a sigh of relief that we had the foresight to keep
our proud currency.
Saying this, the pound itself hasn’t done all that well. Thanks
to our membership in the EU we have also had to contribute to
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H[[LTW[Z[VKLHS^P[O[OLKLÄJP[5VTH[[LY¶P[PZZ[PSSIL[[LY[OHU
having the Euro.
Daniel Fine
BAD NEWS
FOR...
POLITICIANS’ WIVES
It’s been a bad year for wives of political leaders this year,
after both the new Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
conducted a much publicised ‘display of courtship’ for the
country to see. Whether it was Nick Clegg’s dogged loyalty
to Cameron’s tuition fee rise, which has caused an enormous
rift within the Lib Dems and destroyed any chance of young
voters choosing them at the next election, or David Cameron’s
surprising U-turn over holding a referendum over Alternative
Vote, it is obvious that a very unlikely bond has been forged
between the two parties.
This has evidently left the two men with little time for their families
¶*SLNN[VVRHÔVSLKH`VMMMYVT[OLLSLJ[PVUZJHTWHPNUHM[LY
his wife and sons, who had been stranded for three weeks by
the volcanic ash clouds, returned home from Spain. Meanwhile
Cameron’s attempt to spend time with his family resulted in
his child being middle-named, rather unappealingly, Endellion,
HM[LY[OL*VYUPZO[VÛ¶HMLLISLLMMVY[ÔLUMHJLK^P[OHSS[OL
wonderful, traditional Cornish names that there are. Perhaps he
was in a pub there when Nick called.
AND IN OTHER NEWS…
Ben McCabe
DEFENCE SPENDING CUTS LEAVE FLEET ALL AT SEA
As part of the Government’s Spending Review, the decision
was taken to scrap the 80-strong Harrier force and the aircraft
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Britain’s second carrier, HMS Illustrious, will be used as a
OLSPJVW[LYWSH[MVYTI\[L]LU[OH[PZK\L[VILYL[PYLKPU
The Lib-Con coalition is claiming the shake-up is the result of
a £38 billion military over-commitment that they inherited from
Labour.
;OL J\[Z TLHU UV <2 WSHULZ ^PSS IL HISL [V Å` MYVT )YP[PZO
aircraft carriers until 2019. Instead, French and US aircraft may
IL[OLÄYZ[[VVWLYH[LVMM[OL[^VUL^)YP[PZOHPYJYHM[JHYYPLYZ
being built at a cost of £6 billion. Liam Fox, the Secretary of
State for Defence, insisted it was not unprecedented for Britain
to have aircraft carriers without jets, and insisted that Tornado
and Typhoon jets would allow Britain to project “air power”.
The Prime Minister maintained that Britain would remain a
10
¸MYVU[YHURTPSP[HY`WV^LY¹KLZWP[L[OLZL¸KPMÄJ\S[¹KLJPZPVUZ
Military leaders have decried the cuts, emphasising the
importance of the Navy Harrier in ensuring success in the
Falkands. In a letter to the Times, a group of former Royal Navy
admirals (including two former heads of the Royal Navy) said
defence cuts will leave the “newly valuable” Falkland Islands
VWLU [V H[[HJR HUK JHSSLK [OL WSHUZ [V H_L [OL /HYYPLY ÅLL[
¸ÄUHUJPHSS`WLY]LYZL¹/V^L]LY[OL-HSRSHUKZNV]LYUTLU[PZ
ZHPK[VILZH[PZÄLK^P[O[OLWYV[LJ[PVUP[^PSSILHMMVYKLK
;OLKLJPZPVU[VOH]LUVÅPNO[JHWHIPSP[`VUHPYJYHM[JHYYPLYZMVY
up to 10 years could lead to loss of the relevant skill set, and
there could be a struggle to man them in the future. In the
meantime there is serious concern as to the military capability
that the UK will be left with.
Louis George Hemsley
SPORT
WILL ANYBODY DEFEAT THE
ALMIGHTY ALL BLACKS?
The World Cup: the most eagerly anticipated event in the
rugby union calendar takes place this summer in New
Zealand and it seems that the hosts will, once again, be the
favourites. But what are the prospects for our own Home
Nations following the Autumn Internationals?
from their backline. In possessing a powerful scrum and more
creativity from their half-backs, there is certainly potential for
England. Luckily, they have one of the more straightforward
routes to the next round in the World Cup, with their biggest
threats being Argentina and Scotland.
It was a disappointing tournament overall, with New Zealand
proving that they are a class above the rest, emerging as the
only team to win all of their matches. They also showed that
they possess one of the greatest players in the history of the
game with Dan Carter becoming the leading points scorer in
Test history with a phenomenal 1,188 points in 79 matches.
Ireland too won half of their four matches. But again, they
showed that they aren’t quite at the standard of the Southern
Hemisphere, failing to capitalise on their chances against
South Africa losing 23-21, and also losing to the All Blacks.
They will seek to reproduce their form of two years ago, where
they claimed the Six Nations trophy in Grand Slam style. With
the exception of the Wallabies, they also have a relatively
straightforward route to the next round of the World Cup, facing
the likes of Russia and USA in the group stages.
However, there were a few good performances showing some
glimmer of hope for each of the home teams.
Scotland pulled out the most impressive win of the tournament,
beating the reigning World Champions South Africa 21-17.
Despite this, they struggled to a disappointing victory against a
physical Samoan side and were brushed aside by New Zealand
+LZWP[L PTWYV]LTLU[ [OL Z[VY` ZLLTZ [V IL VUL VM
inconsistency for Scotland and they will hope to demonstrate
that they can produce regular good performances during the
:P_ 5H[PVUZ UL_[ TVU[O ¶ PU ÔPJO [OL` JV\SK IL H Z\YWYPZL
package. In particular, they will want to improve on their lack of
tries which has proved their great weakness. They will want to
challenge England this year and prove that they are a force to
be reckoned with, ahead of facing them in the group stages of
the World Cup.
England’s story seems to be similar to that of the Scots. Despite
impressing against Australia, thrashing them 35-18 with a
thoroughly impressive display by their backs, and struggling
to victory against Samoa, they also failed to show consistency
losing the other half of their matches to South Africa and New
Zealand. Although they proved more of a challenge for their
Southern Hemisphere rivals than the Scots, if they want to be
in with a chance of regaining their 2003 title, they are going
to show greater consistency across the board, particularly
Wales were the most disappointing team in the Autumn
Internationals, coming out as the only team not to win any of
their matches. They came close to beating South Africa, but
MHPSLK[V[HRL[OLPYVWWVY[\UP[PLZPU[OLÄUHSTPU\[LZSVZPUN
29-25. Their most shocking display came against Fiji, against
whom a comfortable victory was assumed, but which ended
in a thoroughly disappointing draw. There were some rays
VM OVWL PU [OLPY ÄUHS TH[JO VM [OL [V\YUHTLU[ HNHPUZ[ 5L^
ALHSHUKÔLYL[OLÙHYYV^S`SVZ[HM[LYHÅVVKVM[YPLZMYVT[OL
(SS)SHJRZPU[OLÄUHSML^TPU\[LZVM[OLNHTL/H]PUNVULVM
[OLILZ[ZJY\TZPU[OL>VYSK^PSSILVMNYLH[ILULÄ[[V[OLTPU
the summer against the likes of South Africa, Fiji and Samoa,
all of whom they face in the group stages and all of whom are
incredibly physical sides.
The story therefore seems to be one of promise, but with
KLÄUP[L YVVT MVY PTWYV]LTLU[ 0M [OL /VTL 5H[PVUZ ^HU[ [V
be in with any chance of challenging the Southern Hemisphere
teams in the summer, namely New Zealand, then they are going
to have to use next month’s Six Nations to iron out any faults
in their game.
Lowri Wyn Morgan
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/SPORT
11
SPORT
GREAT SPORTING RIVALRIES:
NOTTINGHAM VARSITY SERIES
Take your everyday Nottingham
student. Let’s call him Dan for the sake
VM JVU]LUPLUJL +HU»Z Z[PSS PU OPZ ÄYZ[
year, he’s living in a hall on campus
and returning after Christmas fresh
V\[VMOPZÄYZ[[LYT+\YPUN[OPZ[PTL
unbending loyalty to his university
and place of residence for the rest of
the year has been drilled into him by
his Week One and Karni reps, so far
into his brain in fact that a CT scan
would probably show up his fresher’s
wristband. Dan’s also a lover of sport,
but though he’s passionate enough to
UPW\W[V[OL1*9[VJH[JO4H[JOVM[OL
Day, he’s also not inclined to join any
of the seventy-six clubs represented
by the Athletic Union. Next month Dan
^PSS ÄUK OPTZLSM NYHJPUN ]LU\LZ Z\JO
as the Trent FM Arena and Meadow
Lane, watching Nottingham University
[HRLVU;YLU[PUOPZÄYZ[=HYZP[`ZLYPLZ
Now ask Dan this question: Would
he sooner Nottingham beat say,
Loughborough in BUCS and became the
country’s leading sporting university?
Or would he prefer Nottingham to beat
the country’s twenty seventh-placed
sporting university and so their position
remained unchanged? The twentyseventh is Nottingham Trent, so it’s a nobrainer.
It’s always Trent, only Trent. After a UniTrent Varsity series, all other university
sport is black and white to so many
students of the students who will be
watching. Come one of the showpiece
events such as ice-hockey in February,
L]LY`VUL ^PSS IL ÄaaPUN ^P[O P[ [HSRPUN
about it. It’s truly overwhelming.
Nottingham University are battling
Nottingham Trent for the Varsity series what else in university sport could rival
that?
Well, maybe the Oxford and Cambridge
boat race if we’re placing stock in such
humdrum things as sporting excellence.
But we’re not, and that’s the point. True,
Nottingham conquering a university such
as Loughborough or Bath is a hell of a
harder achievement, but it’s just not the
same. This is the one everyone wants.
The moment the long-clichéd chants
directed at our formerly-polytechnic rivals
ILNPU[OH[Z[YHUNLOH[YLKKLÄULKSV`HS[`
will start to overcome so many previously
indifferent students. It is a strange thing,
[V KLÄUL ZWVY[ ZVTL[OPUN `V\ SV]L I`
something you hate. It must be part of
that human need for polarity. If we love
something, we must hate its antithesis and Trent is just that antithesis.
But sport is a conveyor belt of rivalries,
a conduit for deep and bitter hatreds.
Varsity has become a traditional aspect
of life as a Nottingham student, as once a
year two parts of a city come together to
celebrate their loathing for one another.
In order to be one kind of student, you
T\Z[ ÄYZ[ OH[L HUV[OLY RPUK ;OPZ PZ UV[
to say hatred is essential - all that is
required is a marrow-deep intensity, a
true desire not only to win a match but
to beat this particular opponent above
all others. We don’t necessarily need any
bad blood, just red blood.
But perhaps this question is worth
asking: how healthy could the obsession
be? Has it enabled the participating
clubs to improve, or has it possibly
obscured our vision of the bigger picture,
of higher goals than the Varsity series?
Last year the swim team dominated
their Varsity, winning every one of their
twenty-four races. Their then-President,
Tom Beach, was indifferent when pointed
out the crowd, who were by then both
dumbstruck and ecstatic at such a
dominant victory. The previous week they
OHKÄUPZOLK[OPU[OLPY)<*:^P[O;YLU[
left a considerable number of places
behind. Upon hearing this, you could tell
for them the hard work was already over
before Varsity had started.
But this is not to say there was no
passion in their victory. They know
Varsity offers something different; it
offers a spotlight, an adulation few of the
athletes competing could get anywhere
else. Just ask the footballers or icehockey players from last year - who
both had to overcome nerve-wracking
penalty-shootouts to lay claim to their
Varsity cups for the year - how much
it mattered to win on such a massive
stage. Ask Mervyn Tasker, who made a
string of saves to give Uni an ice-hockey
Image by Matt Turner
12
SPORT
victory in a Trent FM Arena packed to
the rafters with over six thousand fans,
why that Varsity game was so important
to him and to his team and he would not
have to think for very long.
Tasker was given man of the match in
[OH[Ä_[\YL/LYVZL[V[OLVJJHZPVUHUK
pushed himself to meet the challenges it
brought him. Fine individual performances
such as this, along with the likes of Izzy
Joris, Pat Simpson and Tom Cliffe, show
why this city’s Varsity is shaping up to
be a fair old rivalry, and shows that for
all talk of hatred, for both the crowd and
competitors, rivalries ignite sport.
And make no mistake, with the Varsity
series still growing in sports this is a
rivalry still very much ignited. For rivalries
HÅHTLP[PZUV[VUS`[OLJVU[LZ[HU[ZI\[
also the contest that matters - the value
of the whole thing is doubled. One might
hope for their own loyalties that both
Manchester United and City fail to win
when facing each other, but if you care
for the sport you will nonetheless watch
this doubly-charged match, just as all of
America will stand still to watch the Red
Sox take on the Yankees.
in the extraordinary performances from
the likes of Tasker that are brought out by
the sheer intensity of the occasion; small
but special things to savour. Last year
Uni wasted a resounding lead halfway
through the series to lose overall 8-6.
Along the way we were treated to tense
thrillers, thrashings, and cheerleaders even in defeat, we were left us so many of
those small things to savour. It would be
very greedy to expect the same this time
around, wouldn’t it? But who knows?
We’ll ask our man Dan when it’s over.
At the end of the day, a real rivalry will
need no hyping. It is there to be witnessed
Tim Edwards
IMPACT will be bringing you all coverage you could need from the 2011 Charity
Varsity Series over the web. Be sure to check out www.impactnottingham.com in
the coming weeks for all the Varsity reports, news, and previews.
13
SPORT
IMPACT INTERVIEWS
JOLYON PALMER
This month Impact Sport interviewed professional racing
KYP]LYHUKZLJVUK`LHY5V[[PUNOHTI\ZPULZZZ[\KLU[1VS`VU
7HSTLY3HZ[`LHYOL^HZ[OLY\UULY\WPU-VYT\SHPUVUS`
his second year driving in the series. When we spoke to
OPT1VS`VU^HZV\[PU(I\+OHIP[LZ[PUNMVY.7UL_[`LHY
Pretty good on the whole. I was running around 10th place, so
I was one of the quickest rookies out there!
+LÄUP[LS`(`Y[VU:LUUH:PTWSÌLJH\ZLOL»ZHYHJPUNSLNLUK
He died when I was 3 (in a crash whilst leading the San Marino
.YHUK7YP_PU ZV0KPKU»[NL[[VZLLOPTJVTWL[LSP]LI\[
having seen clips of his racing, it’s pretty incredible. Other than
that (laughs) I quite like Fernando Alonso! (A controversial view
if you ask Impact Sport!) I just really admire his attitude and
determination.
>HZ.7HSV[TVYLJOHSSLUNPUNJVTWHYLK[V-VYT\SH&
What did you think about the F1 season this year?
([ÄYZ[P[^HZHSP[[SLIP[0OHKHMHZ[LYJHYI\[0NV[\ZLK[VP[
quickly and wasn’t far off the pace. So overall, yeah it was a
good week. The car was different but not too challenging in
the end.
0[OV\NO[P[^HZWYL[[`LWPJ0KLÄUP[LS`[OPUR=L[[LSKLZLY]LK[V
win; he had some bad luck earlier in the season but ultimately
he was the fastest driver.
/P1VS`VU/V^KPK[OL[LZ[PU(I\+OHIPNV&
How hard is it to balance being a professional racing driver
with studying for a university degree?
It’s not too bad. Overall I get my work done but I do need to
take a lot of time off for the racing. It’s quite demanding on
JVTTP[TLU[HUKZ[\MMI\[0»SSWYVIHIS`ÄUKV\[[OPZ`LHYOV^
hard it is! Last year was alright, hopefully this one will be the
same.
Do you ever want to just focus on one or the other?
Obviously I’d rather focus on the racing but it’s good to have
academics to fall back on if it doesn’t work. For the moment, I’ll
just keep going with both.
3HZ[`LHY`V\JHTLZ[PU[OL-JOHTWPVUZOPW"[OPZ`LHY
`V\ YLHSS` \WWLK `V\Y NHTL HUK JHTL UK V]LYHSS >OH[
helped make this year so much more successful?
My driving has improved greatly compared to 2009. In my
rookie year I was one of the youngest racers in Formula 2, so
the extra year’s experience under my belt helped a great deal.
>OH[HYL[OLILULÄ[ZVMNVPUN[OYV\NOHMLLKLYZLYPLZSPRL
-VYT\SH&
Formula 2 is really good because everybody has the same
engine. You can tell who is the fastest driver based on ability
alone, so it’s one of the best formulas for actually improving
as a driver. It also helped having such a great team behind me!
Hopefully I’ll be moving on to GP2 next year, so I’ll just have to
see if I can get some sponsorship for it. But overall, this season’s
been really good and allowed me to develop as a driver.
Does having such a successful father (former F1 driver
HUKL_))*JVTTLU[H[VY1VUH[OHU7HSTLYHKKHU`L_[YH
pressure?
I’m used to the pressure by now. In my early years I found
his experience really helpful as he was able to give me a few
pointers in the right direction. I don’t really think about it, I just
focus on winning each race - it doesn’t really affect me.
14
Other than your dad, who were your racing heroes growing
up?
Looking forward, is Formula 1 your ultimate ambition?
+LÄUP[LS`0M0»TPU.7UL_[`LHYP[»SSIL[V\NOI\[OVWLM\SS`0
can have a really strong season. If that works out and with a bit
of luck, you could see me in F1 in 2012 or 2013!
Fiona Crosby and Joe Lobo
SPORT
BUCS BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS
UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, 19-21 NOVEMBER 2010
The University of Nottingham’s sports hall had the honour of
playing host to the immensely competitive BUCS Badminton
Championships at the end of last term. There was a tense
and energetic atmosphere in the air as supporters from all
universities surrounded the courts. The importance of the
tournament was evident, with over 400 players participating
and representing 60 universities in the event.
LHJOV[OLY»ZNHTLZZV^LSS[OLÄUHSJV\SKOH]LILLUKLJPKLK
by which player could exploit the other’s weaknesses best.
The game started off at great pace and Kaur roared into an
\UHZZHPSHISL ÄYZ[ ZL[ SLHK L]LU[\HSS` ^PUUPUN 0U [OL
second, Milne hit back with some superb shots but, ultimately,
2H\Y»ZNYLH[LYWV^LYHUKÄULZZLWYL]HPSLKHZZOLJHTL[OYV\NO
to win the second set and the match 21-7, 21-8.
The tournament played out to form as the number 1 and 2
seeds, Leeds Met’s Lim Kenn and Manchester’s Jamie Bonsels,
TL[ PU [OL ÄUHSZ )V[O WSH`LYZ OHK KPZWSH`LK NYLH[ SL]LSZ VM
composure in clinically dispatching their opponents on route
[V[OLÄUHS2LUU»ZWYV^LZZHUKPU[LSSPNLU[ZOV[ZLSLJ[PVU^HZ
L]PKLU[ HZ OL [VVR [OL ÄYZ[ ZL[ ( ZPTPSHY Z[HY[ [V [OL
second set meant Kenn took an early lead, and, despite a late
rally from Bonsels, the Leeds Met representative took the set
21-17 to retain his title for the second time.
The competition was a huge success for both the organisers
and players from Nottingham University, with many of them
achieving above expectations in reaching the third round in what
is a notoriously tough tournament. Nottingham’s Kate Strong
^HZHZ[HUKV\[WLYMVYTLYHZZOLV\[JSHZZLKOLYÄYZ[JV\WSL
of opponents and appeared to be on course to cause a huge
tournament upset. However, she was unfortunate in coming up
against Sarah Milne in the third round in a hard-fought game.
Milne was victorious, but in the post-match interview Strong
stated “I gave her a good game”.
(M[LY[OLÄUHSZ0JH\NO[\W^P[O[OL4LU»Z^PUULYMVYÔVT[OL
result had clearly not sunk in yet. A graceful Kenn admitted he
JV\SKOH]LWSH`LKIL[[LYHUKL_WLJ[LK[OLÄUHSZ[VIL[V\NO
as each round presented different tests along the way. Having
trained regularly, this performance was well deserved and he
responded by saying he was “happy to win”.
Much like Kinn, 1st seed Anita Kaur was the reigning champion
in the Women’s Singles and was up against the number 3 and
Leeds Met teammate Sarah Milne. With both athletes knowing
WHY NOT TRY
RUGBY LEAGUE
Fast paced, hard hitting, physically demanding, but extremely
rewarding. Rugby league is not an alternative to rugby union,
but a separate entity in itself. Playing does not only produce
NYLH[LYÄ[ULZZHUKZRPSSI\[HSZVJYLH[LZHUHS[LYUH[P]LHZWLJ[
to university life. The enjoyment of winning is unparalleled, and
the bond between teammates is unbreakable.
Congratulations should be given to Leeds Met Carnegie who
Z^LW[[OLIVHYKPU^PUUPUNHSSÄ]LWVZZPISLTH[JOLZHUKWYV]LK
once again, why they are the best University in the country
for badminton. Despite this, the reputations of Nottingham’s
players and organisers can only have been enhanced by what
was truly a successful weekend for all involved.
Ketan Patel
Most importantly nothing is more satisfying than beating your
opponent, making that try saving tackle, or looking at your
team mate and knowing that you left everything on the pitch.
Grab your boots and a hand full of fearlessness and give rugby
league a go.
Training:
Monday and Tuesday 5-6pm, 3G pitch
Friday 5-6pm, Astroturf
Mike Lazenby
The University’s rugby league club has been going from
strength to strength in recent years, gaining numbers and
L_WLYPLUJL ;OL ÄYZ[ [LHT WSH`Z PU [OL ZLJVUK OPNOLZ[ [PLY VM
student competition available, and the club was awarded ‘Team
of the Week’ on three consecutive occasions this season.
Whilst places in the squad are competitive, everyone is
welcome at training. A basic knowledge and skill of rugby will
ILTV\SKLKPU[VWYLJPZLY\NI`SLHN\LWYVÄJPLUJ`^P[O[OLOLSW
VMX\HSPÄLKJVHJOLZHUKHOPNO^VYRL[OPJH[[YHPUPUN
Yes the game is hard hitting and yes the training is tiring, but
those that play hard, well, play hard. Socials bring the club
together and allow players to wind down, relax and generally
chill out after a hard game. Whether home or away, the club’s
socials are unmissable and unforgettable.
Image by Aniec Liu
Image by Aniec Liu
15
I
f you’ve ever been to a Varsity
ice hockey match in Nottingham,
you’ll have heard it: to the tune of
“If you’re happy and you know it clap
your hands”, the words “I’d rather be
a poly than a c**t” resounding across
an arena from the lungs of the Trent
faithful. What exactly is the motivation
behind this chant? Why are we c**ts?
Well, as with most things in Britain it’s
probably to do with class. It’s not that
we’re stereotypically and institutionally
classier than them, it’s that we’re…
well… more middle-classier than them
[OL [O TVZ[ TPKKSLJSHZZ \UP]LYZP[`
in the country, in fact, according to the
Sunday Times University Guide. 82.2%
of us come from the top three social
classes, which is just over 7% behind
leaders Oxford, putting us miles above
Trent, though perhaps also showing that
we’re not quite as good at picking up the
crumbs from the Oxbridge table as we’re
supposed to be.
16
So how middle-class is Nottingham?
Let’s start with the statistics. In 2009, the
University admitted 22.9% of its students
from households with incomes in the
lowest bracket of under £23,660 year,
ÔPJO PZ ILSV^ P[Z VÛ [HYNL[ VM In 2008, only 19.1% of entrants came
from the bottom four social classes,
placing Nottingham below the Russell
Group average. There’s a similar story to
be found in some other categories too,
such as the proportion of its entrants who
come from state schools and those from
‘low participation neighbourhoods’, or
areas from where very few school leavers
tend to go into higher education.
What does this mean? Not a lot according
to Nottingham’s Head of Widening
7HY[PJPWH[PVU +Y 7LULSVWL .YPMÄU >OPSZ[
admitting that the university must
improve, she also argues that these
ÄN\YLZ HYL ÔH[ `V\»K L_WLJ[ MYVT H
competitive, top-20 institution with high
entry standards and a bias towards “Arts
and ‘pure’ subjects, which tend to be
less attractive to [poorer] students than
applied & professional courses.”
From a student perspective, however,
things can seem different. Taking a
ZSPNO[S`SLZZVIQLJ[P]LHWWYVHJO[VÄUKPUN
out how middle class we are, a friend of
mine recently carried out an experiment
whereby she counted the number of Mini
Coopers she saw during her walk from
Lenton to campus. It came to 21. In that
spirit, I decided to tot-up the number of
<NNIVV[Z¶YLHSVULZQ\Z[[VILJSLHY¶0
could see in the course of a few hours
around uni. I counted 32 pairs. That’s over
£6,000 worth of furry footwear, in just a
few hours! On one internet forum offering
advice to budding undergraduates,
Nottingham students were pretty uniform
in their opinions: the nightlife’s great, halls
are a rip-off and the people are a bit…
samey: “Too many rugger buggers and
ice queens”, “a lot of ra’s” and “middleclass, middle-brow, middle-England” are
among the site’s best comments. The
BMW garage of parental motors which
opens outside most halls of residence
come every holiday, and the legions of
blond, back-combed locks and their
wheeled suitcases rushing across
campus to get the train back to North
London each weekend reveal that there
is something to these small summative
statements.
Class may be one amongst many
KP]PKPUNSPULZH[5V[[PUNOHT¶ZJPLUJL
subjects vs. arts, freshers vs. fourth
years, sporty vs. not-so-sporty,
Hallward catwalk vs. George Green
ZJPÄJVU]LU[PVU4LKPJZ]ZL]LY`VUL
LSZL¶I\[P[PZ\UKV\I[LKS`ZPNUPÄJHU[
Even the club nights are particular ,
for whilst Ocean, Oceana and Crisis
are your classless, free-for-all cattle
markets, High Spirits, Market Bar and
Coco Tang all self-consciously cater to
the more upwardly mobile.
In truth, this sort of thing happens
all across British life; it’s not really
Nottingham’s responsibility to be an
engine of social mobility, but to take the
best candidates it can and - more often
than not - that means the better-heeled
ones with the grades, the nous and
[OL ZLSMJVUÄKLUJL [V LMMLJ[P]LS` WSH`
the admissions game. Elite universities
are not comfortable participating in
[OLI\ZPULZZVMZVJPHSLUNPULLYPUN¶HZ
[OL KPMÄJ\S[PLZ MHJLK I` 5V[[PUNOHT»Z
>PKLUPUN 7HY[PJPWH[PVU \UP[ H[[LZ[ ¶
but are asked to engage in it by a
government which inherited ambitious
Labour’s target of getting 50% of
young people into higher education.
This is not a problem that is going to go
away. As Deputy Prime Minister Nick
Clegg argued in August, Britain is rife
with “social segregation” and a key to
explaining this lack of social mobility
is the “educational apartheid that
currently exists between vocational
and academic learning in general, and
between further and higher education
in particular.” However, this does
come from a member of the staunchly
white-collar House of Commons, a
man educated round the corner at
Westminster and then at Oxford, and
who has now famously reneged on his
pre-election promise not to vote for a
rise in tuition fees.
The arguments are well rehearsed by
now. The prospective lifting of the cap
on top-up fees will make universities
SPRL V\YZ UV[OPUN TVYL [OHU ÄUPZOPUN
schools for the middle classes by
further putting-off poorer youngsters
from applying. Less well-off families not
only lack the means to pay these fees,
but are more debt-averse than their
wealthier counterparts, and are also
less likely to encourage their children
to apply to the best universities in the
ÄYZ[WSHJL
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM
17
‘Not so!’ cry the Lib Dems, ‘It’s all progressive!’ They point to a
number of measures to illustrate their point, such as the raising of the income threshold at which graduates will have to
start paying back their fees from £15,000 to £21,000, the offering of £3,250 grants to students from families earning under
£25,000, and the provision of a national bursary fund of £150
million. These will supposedly make the proposed system fairer
than the current one by ensuring that 25% of students pay less
than they currently do, and will bring more poorer youngsters
into higher education than ever before. The massive expansion
of the sector that began under previous governments will, in
[OLVY`ÄUHSSÌLULÄ[[OVZLÔVTP[^HZZ\WWVZLK[VPU[OLÄYZ[
place.
3LZZ^LHS[O`Z[\KLU[Z^PSS\UKV\I[LKSÌLULÄ[MYVT[OLZLTLHZ\YLZ¶[OV\NOÔL[OLY[OL`^PSSLU[LYOPNOLYLK\JH[PVUPUHU`
NYLH[LYU\TILYZYLTHPUZ[VILZLLU¶ÔPSZ[^LHS[OPLYNYHK\ates, possibly with help from their parents, will pay-off their
loans quickly. This of course means that they won’t end up paying anything like as much interest as a middle earner who may
take 30 years to get rid of their debt.
Thus we tiptoe inexorably back to us, the middle classes, who
18 ISSUE 208 | JANUARY 2011
will to an extent be paying for all of this by both subsidising
poorer students, and plugging the gap left by all that interest
which the wealthy don’t have to pay. Of course there’s nothing
surprising here, as any system of progressive taxation tends to
squeeze those in the middle by setting rates which are negligible for the very poor, and avoidable for the very rich. What
is drastic is the extent to which the government’s 80% cut in
university funding will shift the burden of paying for higher education from the taxpayer to the individual student.
So where does all this leave Nottingham? Well, if I carried out
[OVZL ZHTL L_WLYPTLU[Z PU Ä]L `LHYZ [PTL WLYOHWZ ZVTL VM
the Uggs would be Fuggs (ie. fake) and the Minis would be Renaults, but the pretensions would be the same. We’re pretty
bourgeois as we are and this is unlikely to change much in the
ULHYM\[\YL;OPZPZU»[ILJH\ZL^L»SSLUK\WHÄUPZOPUNZJOVVS
as a result of the fee rises, but because until brighter but poorer
students are better able to compete with less able but wealthier
ones at an earlier stage of their academic careers, then Nottingham students will remain far from salt-of-the-earth. That said,
we’re hardly a bunch of Little Lord Fauntleroys either and, regardless, we’ll all be singing together come Varsity: all together
now, “Your Dad works for my Dad…!”
WHO
WANTS A
A
BY
SHAUN REEVE
s you sit in your seminar, bored of one grand
theory or another, it’s all too easy to slip
into a fantasy about having a special ‘grand
theory’ of your own with the person next to
you. How the mind wanders so quickly to sex. Not only
is it in our minds, but it’s constantly on our screens and
in our media too - living in this sexualised culture, it’s
no wonder that sex is often on the brain. For most, that
is, except for one particular group.
Asexuality is a sexual orientation describing a person
that doesn’t experience any sexual attraction. Not to be
confused with priests, who take a vow of celibacy (only
later to break it with a mousy haired boy from Sunday
school, but that’s a sexuality this article doesn’t have
time to cover), or the Jonas brothers, who, let’s face it,
no one legal wants anyway. Asexual people have no
sexual desire. It’s no small group either: New Scientist
PU MV\UK [OH[ VM HSS WLVWSL HYL HZL_\HS
>OLUÄYZ[LUJV\U[LYPUNHUHZL_\HSP[»ZLHZ`[VQ\TW[V
the thought that there is something wrong with them. This
is the most damaging viewpoint we could take on the
subject, unless we want to go back to a time where people
were put in institutions and had their testicles messed
with, which is a world I just don’t want to live in. Asexual
people have normal hormone levels and their orientation
is not born out of trauma. Much like heterosexuality and
so on, asexuality is another orientation that, although
no one knows how it came about, cannot be changed.
Emma Lightwing, a current student at Nottingham
Trent University, gives her account of being asexual:
“I have no sexual desire but I still have romantic
attraction (with guys and girls), so I don’t mind physical
contact but many asexual people like no contact
ÔH[ZVL]LY 0»T HSZV H UVU¶SPIPKVPZ[ ÔPJO TLHUZ
no masturbation or solo satisfaction desire either.
“I‘ve told my family; they’re surprised and may not
believe it’s real. They seemed ok with it but expressed
concerns as I still want children, which would be hard,
being asexual. I’ve only told close friends who seem
ok with it; they can normally accept it but not fully
understand it. I haven’t dated properly, but I imagine it
would be easier with another asexual, or at least with
someone who understands it and could do without sex.
I think most people couldn’t, which obviously makes
P[ OHYK [V ÄUK ZVTLVUL HZ [OLYL PZU»[ T\JO JOVPJL¹
For asexual people who don’t want a romantic relationship,
it’s hard to be within a society that values romantic and
sexual relationships above everything else. Anyone
who has been single for a long time might understand
this feeling. This gets further complicated when we
ANYWAY?
consider that many asexual people want long term companionship
without any romantic attachments, similar to a twin or a best friend.
Most asexual people would not ever want to have sex, and when dating,
it all too commonly becomes an issue. Looking at the forum on the
Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), it’s unfortunately
ÄSSLK^P[OHZL_\HSWLVWSLÔVOH]LKPMÄJ\S[`^P[O[OLJVUZLX\LUJLZ
after telling the objects of their affection that they are asexual. From
a sexual point of view, it is all too easy to imagine the horror of being
told that someone liked you but in a completely non-sexual way.
Alternatively, asexual people go out with other asexuals. Fortunately,
asexual dating websites such as platonicpartners.co.uk are
places where members thrive knowing they won’t be rejected
HM[LY YL]LHSPUN [OL` KVU»[ ^HU[ ºWO`ZPJHS» YLSH[PVUZOPWZ 4HU` ÄUK
their happily-ever after, perfectly understanding partner this way.
Although not thinking about sex may be a blessing in some eyes,
[OL HZL_\HS JVTT\UP[` Z[PSS ÄUKZ P[ZLSM MHJPUN WYVISLTZ [OL IPNNLZ[
perhaps being that of obscurity. Hopefully this article has in some
small way helped people begin to understand the reality of having an
asexual orientation and some empathy with the asexual community.
19
P
Dressing for attention. Just
like peacocks use their
feathers to get a mate.
eacocking
(Urban Dictionary)
images by Bruno Albutt
Made infamous by Neil Strauss, author of pulling guide The
Game, and Ned Gold, the massive geek sidekick from EfronMLZ[JOPJRÅPJR17 Again, peacocking is display behaviour at it’s
]LY`ÄULZ[6ULT\Z[KYLZZNHYPZOS`VY^HJRPS`X\P[LZPTWS`[V
attract as much attention as possible - “Just like peacocks use
their feathers to get a mate” as Urban Dictionary states. Unusual
props and eye-catching paraphernalia are also permitted as
part of the get up. Predominately and traditionally utilised by
guys to chat-up otherwise uninterested girls, it’s now becoming
more common for ladies to peacock as well. Perhaps these
WLHJVJRL[[LZZLLP[HZH^HYTLYHS[LYUH[P]L[VÅHZOPUNHSV[VM
ÅLZO7LYOHWZP[»ZQ\Z[H^LSJVTLJOHSSLUNL[V[OVZLÔVÄUKP[
far too easy to pull in killer heels and a bodycon skirt.
Because we love a cheeky prop (ahem) as much as the
next attention-seeking sad act, we at Impact decided to try
“Have you had your Weetabix?”
20
WLHJVJRPUNV\[MVYV\YZLS]LZ>LHYPUNV\[Ä[Z[OH[ILSVUNÄYTS`
back in the 80s and an array of eye-assaulting hats that even
Jay Kay would be proud of, we ventured out in the fancy dress
get up to end all fancy dress get ups. Our wacky ensembles designed to stand out from the crowd, break ice and encourage
scintillating conversation - included leopard print in excess,
[OL VJJHZPVUHS YOPULZ[VUL /H^HPPHU ÅV^LY NHYSHUKZ HUK H
questionable wig. Prop-wise we carried a teapot, harmonica,
cabbage, a box of Weetabix (full) and a pack of cards.
With several shots of Dutch courage and the promise of some
impromptu chitchat spurring us on, we were on our way. All in the
name of investigative journalism, of course. Hitting bars around
Nottingham city centre such as The Approach, Wetherspoon’s,
Yates’ and Tantra, we received plenty of quizzical looks and
raised a fair few local eyebrows. Some people were clearly
Peacocks - Becca Bell, Ellie Blanchette, Aimee Creasey,
Timothy MacFarlan & Stephen Lovejoy
“Would you like to sip from my teapot?”
familiar with the peacocking seduction technique, rumbling
our romantic ruse straight off the bat. Others were completely
IHMÅLKI\[V\YH[[LU[PVUNYHIIPUNNHYIUL]LYMHPSLK[VNLULYH[L
comments. With witty one-liners such as (to a good-looking
man) “Have you had your Weetabix?” “Are you ogling me in
my goggles?” and “Would you like to take a bite out of my
JHIIHNL&¹JVU]LYZH[PVUTVZ[S`ÅV^LKHZLHZ`HZILLYV\[VM
our teapot.
Props worked absolute wonders for the boys, who even
managed to get a phone number or two from girls drawn in
by the allure of a realistic pube-esque wig. However, the very
same wig did bewilder several bouncers; perhaps this is a
prop best smuggled into a club under the radar. Undoubtedly
our surreptitious photographer altered the dynamics of our
attempts to pull on occasion, and several people questioned
his paparazzi-like presence. Minus the media, we all agreed that
casual peacocking wouldn’t draw quite the same response, but
^V\SK^P[OV\[HKV\I[Z[PSSY\MÅLHML^ÅPY[`MLH[OLYZ
21
why
In attempt to make small talk at
New Year’s parties nationwide, one
question was always bound to crop
up: “So have you got a New Year’s
resolution this year?” - to which the
answer all too often is something
along the lines of ‘to get healthier’
or ‘to detox’. Good luck with that! I
doubt that many of these faux-promise
makers have woken up on New Year’s
Day and tucked into a tasty bowl of
low fat yoghurt with muesli, followed
up with celery sticks for lunch, instead
of opting for that glorious, hangovercuring fry up.
Aside from eating only the healthiest
and most nutritious food that you can
SH` `V\Y KL[V_PÄLK OHUKZ VU KL[V_PUN
also involves exercise - lots of it. But
lets be honest, chances are you won’t
stick to this either. Each January sees
22
Anyway, what student is honestly going
to successfully detox? As students we’re
known for our love of pizza, garlic bread
HUKJOLHWIVVaL/V^PZZ[\KLU[ÄUHUJL
going to stretch to a £36.95 ‘BioCare
9 Day Detox Pack’ by Patrick Holford
for the student who could otherwise be
buying Sainsbury’s Basics £8 Vodka?
Instead of detoxing, maybe we could all
adopt one of other nation’s favourite New
Year’s resolutions and spend more time
with those we love. Whilst we’ll be slightly
MH[[LY ^L»SS IL TVYL LTV[PVUHSS` M\SÄSSLK
and possibly feel a much better person
inside. Aw. Yet chances are we won’t
stick to this either, and end up feeling
disappointed in our lack of commitment,
alongside failing health, whilst probably
hung-over and certainly not emotionally
M\SÄSSLK/HWW`5L^@LHY
to
by Alex Binley
Detoxing doesn’t just involve a healthy
diet and more exercise - it also entails a
number of moral quandaries. So assuming
that by some miracle you did manage to
keep up the detox past exams, you are
now faced with the dilemma of what to
do regarding the end of exams parties.
Do you now allow yourself just the one
cheeky drink as a reward, knowing that
this will be the beginning of the end of
everything you’ve just worked for? Or will
you just drink water, as even the orange
juice they serve isn’t organic/freshly
squeezed?
Whilst we probably all could do with
the occasional detox, it has become a
massive market throughout the retail year.
For example, from the ‘Revital’ website,
one can buy the lemon detox diet for just
YLK\JLK MYVT JVUZPZ[PUN
of ‘Lemon Detox Tree Syrup’, Cayenne
pepper tincture, and a book which
presumably tells you how to mix the two
together. For this detox the following are
the only things you eat: lemon juice and
maple syrup. How these cost the reduced
price of £30 I fail to understand. And how
this constitutes a balanced diet is equally
unclear. Whilst you may be ridding your
body of toxins, you’re also solely drinking
sugared water. Surely that can’t be a
good thing.
not
detox
No one ever keeps up their New Year’s
resolutions. They’re easy to make and
easy to break, and that is all too often
ÔH[ OHWWLUZ >P[OPU [OL ÄYZ[ ^LLR
of detoxing you bore all of your friends
with chat of how healthy you now feel
whilst your stomach grumbles because
JHYYV[ Z[PJRZ YLHSS` HYLU»[ [OH[ ÄSSPUN
Furthermore, January, a freezing cold
month with about 8 hours of daylight per
day, heralds the arrival of the dreaded
January exams. Let’s not depress
ourselves further with the added strain of
KL[V_PUN(U`^H`0ÄUKIPZJ\P[ZOLSWTL
^VYR >OVL]LY ZHPK ÄZO ^HZ IYHPU MVVK
had clearly never experienced a caramel
Hobnob.
a sharp increase in gym memberships,
yet according to numerous consumer
surveys, the dropout rate during the
ÄYZ[ LPNO[ ^LLRZ VM N`T TLTILYZOPW
PZ >OLU P[ JVZ[Z [V W\YJOHZL
a basic membership of the University
:WVY[Z *LU[YL ^P[O H JOHYNL L]LY`
time you use the gym at peak times),
[OPZ PZ H ZPNUPÄJHU[ HTV\U[ VM TVUL`
that you could be spending on one of
the numerous iffy detox packages that
retailers have come up with.
Every year two million people in the
UK suffer from Seasonal Affective
Disorder, a form of depression that
relates to the onset of winter. It
is particularly prevalent amongst
younger
generations,
with
the
main age of onset ranging from
between 18-30. Whilst the concept
can often have a cynical response
from those who underestimate the
extent to which SAD can affect
everyday life, the disorder affects a
surprisingly large number of people.
The most common symptoms include
a loss of energy, concentration and
creativity, and can often lead to social
withdrawal and a drastic change in
diet. As a student, suffering from these
symptoms, everyday becomes a struggle.
Having to force yourself out of bed to go
to lectures, making yourself dinner or even
just socialising with your housemates everything can become quite daunting.
The Winter Blues can often lead to long
periods of loneliness and can eventually
turn you into something of a social recluse.
( SV[ VM [OLZL Z`TW[VTZ JHU IL KPMÄJ\S[
to identify among the student population
given the lazy student stereotype. Would
you immediately be worried if one of your
housemates had stayed in bed, missed a
few lectures, and stuffed their face with
high carb products all day? Given that a
whopping 7% of the population suffer with
some form of depression every winter,
it is important that people are aware of
what these simple signs can suggest.
Seasonal
Affective
Disorder
SAD, unlike other forms of depression,
doesn’t
necessarily
bring
about
feelings of despair - this often means
people don’t automatically make the
connection between the symptoms
and the cause. It is common also that
students who will have already been
diagnosed with SAD will keep it to themselves because its
association with depression embarrasses them. This can
IL L]LU TVYL KPMÄJ\S[ MVY [OVZL PU [OLPY ÄYZ[ `LHY ÔV HYL
H^H` MYVT MHTPSPHY OVTL JVTMVY[Z MVY [OL ÄYZ[ [PTL HUK TH`
not have had the chance to build strong friendships yet.
by Samantha Owen and Priyal Dadhania
image by Andrew Mehigan
Impact spoke to a sufferer of SAD who explained, “Everything
^HZKPMÄJ\S[¯P[^HZOVYYPISL0MLS[SPRL0OHKSVZ[PU[LYLZ[PUSPML
itself.” For those suffering from this disorder, every day presents
its own challenge and life can come to a halt. She continued, “I
ended up having to take a gap year - I couldn’t concentrate on
my work and had to focus on getting better. I had to move back
home, I needed something familiar.” She went on, “support
provided by friends and most of all my family proved essential
in my getting better, even if it meant them forcing me out of bed,
convincing me to take walks to get some fresh air, and making me
go out and buy new clothes so I could feel good about myself.’’
Whilst SAD can affect a lot of people, some naturally suffer
greater than others and there are several treatments available
depending on the severity. A popular non-medicinal treatment
is the use of light therapy, which involves sitting near a lightbox or wearing a light visor for up to an hour a day. This
TPTPJRPUN VM KH`SPNO[ JHU OH]L KYHTH[PJ WVZP[P]L ILULÄ[Z
for those susceptible to SAD. Other treatments include St
John’s Wort, an extract available without prescription and
5-Hydroxy-tryptophan (5-HTP), a chemical compound that
helps produce Serotonin, often prescribed by doctors.
Ritul Shah, of the Pharmacy at Mayfair in London warns
[OH[ ¸[OLZL YLTLKPLZ TH` UV[ ILULÄ[ HSS Z\MMLYLYZ HUK
some individuals will require treatments prescribed by
their physicians.” He continues, “Even simple lifestyle
changes like participating in daily exercise and eating a
balanced diet can help reduce the symptoms of SAD.”
23
Hepat
Chla
STI
The
:
A New Year’s Gift
you don’t want!
T
here is an enormous stigma
attached to having a sexually
transmitted infection (STI). For
some, burying their head in the sand
may seem a preferable alternative to
seeking advice or treatment. There
has been a marked increase in STIs in
England over the last ten years, with
the most common conditions being
chlamydia and wart virus infections,
but almost all sexually transmitted
infections are becoming more common. The pattern and trend in STIs in
Nottingham city mirrors the situation
nationally, with almost a doubling in
[OLWHZ[Ä]L`LHYZVM:;0ZZ\JOHZ
chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis.
;OLWVW\SH[PVUYH[LVMWLY
(persons aged 15-59) puts Nottingham city just within the rate at which
acute hospital and HIV screening has
now been recommended. However
there are still a considerable number
of students silently suffering amongst
the walls of our very own university,
who just don’t know how to go about
getting tested, or even admitting that
they might have an STI.
By Rachel Boyle
Image By Matt Turner
become a victim”. Although rates of STIs
have decreased dramatically - possibly due to the Easy Tiger Campaign,
launched in 2000, possibly through other
factors - there are still a minority of students left who don’t know how to handle
the situation and get the help they need.
So, what does the university do to help
these students? The Students’ Union
,X\HS6WWVY[\UP[PLZHUK>LSMHYL6MÄJLY
2H[PL4J2H`ÄYTSÌLSPL]LZ[OH[[OL\UPversity is doing all it can to stop the rise
of STIs. She informed me of the ‘Healthy
U’ roadshow - ‘Healthy U’ is promoted
by students, who go into various halls of
residence, offering those there a full STI
screening. This approach can sometimes
act as something of a bonding session
for students, as groups of individuals
go together and can use the excuse of
wanting a free cinema ticket as a way of
hiding why they really want a screening.
One fresher, who remained anonymous,
remarked that “Healthy U can be good
because at dinner we joke about it, but
actually you know people are serious
about getting one done. The cinema
ticket just gives us an excuse to do it.”
actually employs students at clubs such
as Gatecrasher, Rock City and Oceana
to do STI testing in a discreet area of the
club.
Alongside Cripps Medical Centre, the
Terrence Higgins Trust - a British charity
that campaigns on various issues related
to AIDS and HIV - now works with the
university to provide help and support
for students who are suffering from an
STI. The Trust is based in Nottingham
and provides counselling and complementary therapies. Katie believes that it
is “these specialist individuals who are
the most successful in reaching out and
helping students.” Working in partnership with these groups also helps the
university become a part of the larger
Nottingham community. The Trust,
amongst other things, works alongside
the university doing sexual health testing, presentations and providing free
condoms in freshers’ week.
Gon
Recently I had the opportunity to talk
to a few students who were too embarrassed or shy about the fact that they
may have chlamydia or herpes. One
student in particular confessed, “I didn’t
know what to do, or how to handle the
situation. I felt so alone, and had no
one to turn to - I felt like people would
automatically judge me for having one,
thinking I have slept around, but it only
takes one person who has it for you to
Katie further stated that “We still have
lots of government funding to do things
like this, and what with the NHSs target
[V[LZ[VMWLVWSLHNLKÔV
are sexually active, we are really pushing the campaign this year.” There’s also
a C Card scheme for under-25s in the
university to get free condoms with, and
ever newer is the ‘Moo Moo’ company,
commissioned by the NHS and which
Having spoken to Katie, it would appear
that the majority of the STI programs
the university is currently working with
HYLKPYLJ[LKH[ÄYZ[`LHYZMVYL_HTWSL
every hall of residence has an elected
committee of people that includes a
JCR welfare rep, who is nominated in
part because of their approachability
and friendly countenance, making them
HNVVKÄYZ[WVPU[VMJVU[HJ[MVYWLVWSL
to come to if they have any worries.
“Sometimes the topic is just too sensitive for students - and if someone
doesn’t want to help themselves, you
can’t help them”, says Katie.
titis
amydi
There are still plans for STI
tests to be made available in
Lenton, with Katie suggesting
the Bag o’ Nails as a prime
location for students to get
tested at. It begs the question:
would students actually go
there and get tested? Effectively, announcing the fact
that they may have a STI to all
and sundry in Lenton’s bestSV]LKIHY&0[KLÄUP[LS`ZLLTZ
unlikely. Still, it feels to me as
though the university are really
pulling out all the stops this
year in reducing the numbers
of STIs among students.
Katie is now working closely
with Cripps Medical Centre
in setting up student-led
organisations, such as ‘Beat’
¶HJSPUPJMVYZ[\KLU[Z^P[O
eating disorders. However the
concern and issue remains
that, once they are no longer
a fresher, a student will revert
IHJR[VILPUNHSP[[SLÄZOPUH
very big pond. Reading notice
boards in hall of residence
JVYYPKVYZVULÄUKZOLSWMVY
all sorts of conditions, yet for
the newly turned second year
who is now leaving the homely
comforts of hall life, it can
seem very daunting.
started antibiotics for it.”
More serious sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV
and AIDS are obviously less
prevalent amongst students
than chlamydia. The GUM
clinic (Genitourinary Medicine)
at City Hospital is currently
[OLVUS`Ä_LKWVY[VMJHSSMVY
people suffering from these
far more serious diseases.
However, as Katie informs me,
there are “various projects
outside of the university to
help those suffering”. In our
city, these include the Nottingham Hardship Fund, the
Prostitute Outreach Workers
Project (POW) and The Nottingham Positive Care Team,
not to mention Health and Well
Being Day and World Aids
Day.
I ended my discussion with
Katie by asking if the university can do more to help
students suffering from sexually transmitted diseases. She
answers, “In order to improve
our standards, students need
to be asked how they want
their needs to be met and
what they’d feel most comfortHISL^P[OÔL[OLYP[ZI`ÄSSPUN
out feedback forms every time
A third year, suffering from an an STI test is done, or giving
STI, tells me “There are no
out more incentives.” Ulticharities and no one really to
mately, it’s up to the sufferee
talk to about it. Yeah, there is to access these many services
help out there, but really, if I
that have been provided, and
wasn’t as outspoken as I am, I making sure that honest feedwould have ignored the infec- back is given to people like
tion. Luckily I knew I had to
Katie who have the ability to
deal with it myself, so booked change things for the better.
an appointment at Cripps and
S
tephanie
oh
Impact Columnist
Universally Challenged
My idea of student life used to be rather...pristine. The
TVZ[PUÅ\LU[PHSJVUJLW[VM\UP]LYZP[ÒHKHS^H`ZILLU
[OH[VM6_IYPKNL¶HUKHNSVYPÄLK]LYZPVUVM6_IYPKNLH[
[OH[¶[OYV\NOYLHKPUNIVVRZZ\JOHZº/PZ+HYR4H[LYPHSZ»
and ‘Brideshead Revisited’. University was where you rode
HYV\UKVUH ZIPJ`JSL^P[O`V\YJVSSLNLZJHYMÅHWWPUN
in the wind, guffawing away with your best friend Stephen
-Y`>OLYLºUPNO[SPML»TLHU[ÄLYJLPU[LSSLJ[\HSKLIH[LZPU
MYVU[VMÄYLWSHJLZÔPJO^V\SKOH]L[VLUKVUJL`V\»K
fallen asleep with your pipe hanging out of your mouth,
having spilt port all over your copy of ‘The Republic’.
One TV programme that continues to project the rather
old skool ideal of student life, is none other than the dearly
ILSV]LK<UP]LYZP[`*OHSSLUNL@LZ[OH[UV[VYPV\ZS`KPMÄJ\S[
quiz show in which students appear to spend their days
reading Chaucer and Wittgenstein, rather than watching Jeremy Kyle on iTV2. University Challenge is certainly
a British cultural institution, ushering forward the bright
HUKIYPSSPHU[IYHPUZVMZVJPL[`¶HUHJOYVUPZ[PJOHPYJ\[ZHUK
HSS¶[VILJLSLIYH[LKPUHSS[OLPYIVMÄU`NSVY`0[PZYH[OLY
reassuring as it appears to prove that, actually, the country
isn’t going to the dogs. How can it, when these young
people know all about continental drifts and Manet?
norrhe
But after having to endure all those Starter For 10’s and
derisive snorts from Paxman, what prize could possibly
pay tribute to the academic prowess of the winning team?
Only the University Challenge trophy. Oh, and the glory of
RUV^PUNTVYLMHJ[Z[OHUHU`VULLSZLH[\UP¶HUHJJVSHKL
which clearly transcends the value of insipid quiz show
prizes, such as... a million pounds... Yet one cannot undermine the esteem attached to winning this most scholarly
of quiz shows. After all, this is no mere Blankety Blank.
To be honest, I’m generally happy when I get a couple of
X\LZ[PVUZYPNO[L]LUÔLU[OL`»YLZVTL[PTLZÅ\RLZ¶[OL
result of shouting such things as ‘Copper! Titanium! Aluminium!’ at the TV as soon as Paxman starts any question
with: ‘Which chemical element...?’
And Paxman is so smart that he makes average people
look like the chimp ancestors of Kerry Katona, gawping
vacantly into the middle distance whilst trying to get off
with a tree stump. He knows about politics, he knows
about medieval Persian poetry, and he even knows about
Atomic Kitten. Maybe. It is that sneer he gives when contestants get an ‘obvious’ question wrong that makes me
want to hurtle towards my bookcase, frantically groping for
HU(3L]LSTH[OZ[L_[IVVR[VÄUKV\[Ô`[OLJHSJ\S\Z
process that is the reverse of differentiation is integration. Since I didn’t know the answer to this, I’m probably
not going to make a name for myself as the modern day
Isaac Newton. Screw it, I’ll just switch over to ‘I’m A Binge
Drinker And A Drug Dealer, But I’ll Be A Great Dad!’ with
good old J Kizzle.
25
l
a
y
o
R mily?
a
F
e
h
t
e
ar
l
u
f
e
us
w
o
H
institution
ene
y
generates
over
e
B
t
i
£500
million
in
tourism
and
many
t
t
T h e argue that the impending wedding could
by Se role the Royal
provide a massive boost to the economy,
The
British Royal
Family is one of the more
idiosyncratic aspects of Britishness.
Some see them as a national icon to be
cherished, whilst others acknowledge
them as no more than a drain on the
[H_WH`LY1\UPVYTLTILYZVM[OL9V`HS
Family appear to incur luxuries that
many think the country should not
OH]L[VHMMVYK0U :JV[SHUK@HYK
estimated that it cost over £50 million
to provide round-the-clock police
protection for the junior Royals, the
most notable of these being Prince
Andrew’s
daughters
Princesses
Beatrice and Eugenie. Debate was
sparked over whether Princess
)LH[YPJL H SV^ ZLJ\YP[` YPZR Q\Z[PÄLK
[OL WLY `LHY MLL MVY OLY
protection with many seeing this as
a gross misuse of taxpayers’ money.
Contrast this with Princess Anne’s
children, Zara and Peter Phillips, who
LZJOL^[OLULLKMVYWYV[LJ[PVUPU
favour of a more normal lifestyle. Zara
and Peter do not bear the Royal titles
and are thus relieved from carrying out
VMÄJPHSK\[PLZ
26
Family plays in British
life was reviewed with the announced
engagement of Prince William of Wales to
Kate Middleton, with many arguing that
the taxpayer should not have to foot the
bill for their wedding. Due to the less than
prosperous economic climate, concerns
have been raised over whether the
Z\WLYÅ\V\ZJVZ[VMH9V`HS^LKKPUNJHU
ILQ\Z[PÄLKÔLUZWLUKPUNJ\[ZHYLILPUN
made across the board. Prince Charles
and Diana’s wedding was estimated to
have cost over £30 million, so it’s clear as
to why the Taxpayers Alliance is lobbying
against a ‘lavish’ wedding. The Windsors
and the Middletons will cover the cost of
the wedding, with the taxpayer covering
the cost of additional security. St James’
Palace stated that they, in conjunction
with the happy couple, would continue
to be “mindful of the economic situation”
as they plan the nuptials. Boris Johnson,
Mayor of London, has even offered City
Hall as a venue for the wedding reinforcing
the need for the Royals to have a “costeffective wedding in keeping with our
JVZ[LMMLJ[P]L [PTLZ¹ ¶ \UZ\YWYPZPUNS`
they’ve opted for Westminster Abbey as
their venue instead.
6U [OL ÅPW ZPKL º=PZP[)YP[HPU» LZ[PTH[LZ
that the Royal family as a national
providing a two-year surge in tourism
what with the Olympic games taking
place the year after their wedding. The
wedding takes place on Friday 29th April
2011 and is estimated to bring in £120
million more that year in tourism.
,_WLUZP]L HUK Z\WLYÅ\V\Z [OV\NO [OL
9V`HSMHTPS`TH`ZLLTVYYH[OLYZWLJPÄJ
high-maintenance members of the Royal
family, they are something of a national
treasure and generate more for the
country than what they cost to keep up.
The cost of the Royal family last year is
said to have been £38.2 million or 62p
per person excluding security costs. The
reason that most tourists were said to
have visited Britain in 1981 was because
of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s
wedding, and many are predicting that in
2011 it will be no different. A fundamental
facet of British identity, the Royal family
will do much to boost Britain’s global
WYVÄSL ;OPZ PU JVUQ\UJ[PVU ^P[O [OL
2012 Olympic and Paralympic games,
will mean only good things for Britain’s
future. Emma Boon, campaign director of
the Taxpayers Alliance urges moderation,
summing up that “Of course it should be
an event for the whole nation to celebrate,
but ordinary taxpayers should not be left
^P[OHIPSSÄ[MVYHRPUN¹
ETRO
SEXUA
LITY
M
BY PRIYAL DADHANIA
The last couple of decades has seen
a shift in attitudes regarding men and
fashion. If we ask our fathers, I don’t
suppose they would say that their
generation were particularly interested
in appearance and beauty - maybe
when they were going on a date they
would throw on an ironed shirt, but on
an ordinary basis, jeans and an ordinary
shirt did the job. Now, the ‘masculine
SVVR»PZU»[ULJLZZHYPS`Z[YPJ[S`JVUÄULK
to baggy clothes and short haircuts –
it’s fashionable to be fashionable, with
ZRPUU` QLHUZ HUK Ä[[LK [ZOPY[Z [HRPUN
up more and more space on the high
street. Not only is it men’s clothing
which is changing: styles in hair are
shifting and the cosmetic industry is
booming. Adverts for hair products
are featuring an increasing percentage
of styling products for men, and let
us not forget the latest collection of
Z[YHPNO[LULYZ[VOP[Z[VYLZ"./+ZTHKL
especially for the boys.
Obviously, concepts of beauty change
over time, and metrosexuality seems to
have become fashionable for the moment.
Male icons are being airbrushed more and
more in advert campaigns, giving them a
feel of aesthetic perfection that perhaps
was before considered unnecessary in
media aimed at men. It is not just the
females who have to anticipate what to
wear, what to shave, or what the right
look is for that night anymore; men are
under increasing pressure too.
Perhaps the most iconic metrosexual
male of our time is David Beckham:
according to the Guardian, he’s “the
ZVJJLY Z[HY ÔV WHPU[Z OPZ ÄUNLYUHPSZ
braids his hair, and poses for gay
magazines, all while maintaining a manly
WYVÄSL VU [OL WP[JO¹ ;OL OPNO PU[LYLZ[
in his appearance is not surprising,
considering the fact that Beckham is
good-looking enough to moonlight as
an Armani underwear model. However,
even unlikely candidates are seemingly
becoming more interested in their
appearance: rough and ready alpha male
Gordon Ramsey had cosmetic surgery
[V ÄSS [OL ^YPURSLZ VU OPZ JOLLRZ HM[LY
taking advice from Simon Cowell. More
recently, David Cameron had his preelection campaign posters airbrushed to
JYLH[L H ÅH^SLZZ SVVR ^P[O PTTHJ\SH[L
skin aglow, hair super-slick, and a saucy
open-neck shirt to boot.
We tend to picture the metrosexual as
someone who rolls out of bed to switch
his straighteners on and douses his hair
with hairspray to maintain that perfect
messy look, then having to douse himself
in aftershave to maintain a husky, manly
smell. What about the male who empties
his bottle of hair gel to maintain the
perfect head of spikes, primed to withhold
hard-hitting rain in the winter? Whilst he
isn’t conventionally metro, he would be
upset if I ruined his hair, even though
it is short and typically ‘boyish’. This
IYPUNZ\Z[V[OLX\LZ[PVUVMÔH[KLÄULZ
someone as ‘metro’ - is it down to the
number of beauty products used? Face
wash, tinted body moisturiser, scented
lip balm... there’s nothing wrong with a
man who takes care of this appearance.
In fact, most people would consider a
male using these almost ‘cute’. But the
latest products on cosmetic stands for
men are manscara and guyliner. Have
these innovations taken metrosexuality
to a whole new level? If your boyfriend
jumped out of bed and asked for eyeliner
and mascara before heading to campus
to touch up his look, would you really
hand it over willingly without a second
thought?
Clearly, there is a continuously
progressing aesthetic movement at the
heart of what’s happening here. Are
we as a society ready to embrace the
metrosexual man who takes so much
care of their appearance? Have we been
programmed to believe that women must
appear perfect by whatever means of
fakery necessary, but that men have to
present themselves as nature dictates,
hypothetical warts and all? We should
probably be embracing these changes
and gladly herald the arrival of the new
21st century man. After all, who really
wants to see Cameron’s true complexion
on a billboard in all its ruddy, blemishy
glory? No one. All hail the mighty
metrosexual.
27
Emma Harwood
VENTS WAVE
JANUARY SALE
SHOPPING
Going ‘sale shopping’, or in other words, visiting a junkyard
of other people’s rejects, is exhausting, frustrating and
ultimately soul destroying. All the goodwill of the festive
season is discarded as the steely determination of the New
Year kicks in. My faith in human nature hits an all-time
low while our consumerist appetites grow to frightening
proportions. Humans turn into scavenging animals and
defend their territory with a ruthless menace.
Nowadays there doesn’t seem to be a time of year when there
isn’t a sale, so why do people insist on putting themselves
through this ordeal? Maybe to get that Christmas present
for the friend you (luckily) haven’t seen yet. Or maybe to
squeeze into something new that your, so far, two day long
diet decrees is physically possible.
Entering the glowing doors of H&M is like stepping through
the back of the wardrobe into Narnia (except with awful warm,
YLJ`JSLKHPYISHZ[PUNPU[V`V\YMHJL¶HZ[OLYLHS^VYSKZLLZHU
hour pass by in real time, it feels like you can spend a lifetime
of tactfully telling your friend to get the next size up.
And why do no major stores have seats? Where is the sofa on
which to rest a weary body in these trying times? We have to
make do with awkwardly perching next to a mannequin, until
a shop assistant - usually about as friendly as leprosy - asks
you not to sit on the display.
January sales are a phenomenon where everyone seems to
forget that bagging a bargain only counts if you would have
^HU[LK[VI\`[OLP[LTPU[OLÄYZ[WSHJLH[M\SSWYPJL0UZ[LHK
of ending up with one piece to be treasured for years to come,
we inevitably waste precious Christmas money on multiple
buys that we do not truly want or need.
Saying this, I hardly ever buy full priced clothes. But I still
avoid the high-pressure environment of peak-time sale
shopping that operates like a nightmare version of Santa’s
Grotto. Whatever sale it is from the myriad on offer throughout
the year, work the system - don’t be a sales statistic.
28
RAVE
YOUR
HER
SPLEEN
ON
Jennifer Chattaway on
HARRY
POTTER
I know for a fact that almost every child who reaches
the age of eleven begins to listen out for the postman
L]LY` TVYUPUN 1\Z[ ^H[JOPUN ^HP[PUN ^VUKLYPUN
for that letter from Hogwarts. Oh Harry… why must
you be so brave and mysterious? Oh Ron… why
must you be so witty and full of bumbling charm?
Oh Hermione… why must you be so extraordinarily
clever and at times a little grouchy? You make me so
OHWW`-PM[`WVPU[Z[V.Y`MÄUKVY
The sensation that is J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series
forces me to remain on the sofa reading for days on end
until I know the tiniest of details, the most important of
HP facts. I am not alone in my obsession. The seven
Harry Potter books have so far been translated into 67
SHUN\HNLZ WHZZPUN [OL TPSSPVU ZLSSPUN WVPU[ ZPUJL
[OL W\ISPJH[PVU VM [OL ÄYZ[ IVVR PU [OL ZLYPLZ /HYY`
Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, in 1997 when many
VM\Z^LYLVUS`Ä]LZP_VYZL]LU`LHYZVSK
Harry, Ron and Hermione are my brothers and sisters.
My kin, if you will. I would be happy for Hagrid, that
beautiful half-giant with a height of 8.5 feet and as wide
HZ[OYLLTLU[VWPJRTL\WÅPUNTLV]LYOPZZOV\SKLY
and carry me around a forest of some description. I
crave to sit on Dumbledore’s knee whilst he reads to me
from ‘Hogwarts: A History’. My point is that the fantasy
that is Harry Potter has grown up with us. Harry and I
have shared a lifetime of worrying about those GCSE’s
or OWLS, and then moving on to A levels or NEWTS.
We’ve been through it all together, even those tough
battles with Voldemort/the bouncers at Ocean. I’ve got
the scars to prove it… not lightning-shaped, but still.
-PSTZ IVVRZ HJ[PVU ÄN\YLZ ¶ JHSS TL ZHK I\[ 0 OH]L
it all. I know, deep down in my heart, that this magical
wizarding world exists. I refuse to be a petty muggle. I
will one day get that letter of acceptance to Hogwarts
HUK ÄUK V\[ [OH[ 0 HT º;OL .PYS >OV 3P]LK» º;OL
Chosen One’!
Premier Student Letting agents in Nottingham,
with over 350 student properties available.
For further information please
contact Shields Student Homes:
Tel: 0115 941 1177
www.shieldsstudenthomes.co.uk
info@shieldsstudenthomes.co.uk
Students’ Union
TELL US WHY YOU ARE PROUD TO BE NOTTINGHAM
Nottingham is a great University for so many reasons. We are ranked 7th in the country for research,
7th in the country for competitive sport, and came in the top 75 universities in the world according to the
latest QS World rankings. We have campuses across three countries, and links with universities in many
more countries, allowing you the opportunity to study abroad and experience new cultures. We have an
award winning careers service in the Centre for Career Development. The list goes on…
You should be proud of being part of such a highly regarded institution. That’s why this year the University
and the Students’ Union are launching ‘Proud to be Nottingham’. This new initiative wants to highlight the
positive effect students feel that their University experience is having on their lives, and to emphasise the
positive changes the University is making to enhance your time here.
Visit the website www.nottingham.ac.uk/proudtobe, and look out for the ‘Proud to be Nottingham’ logo
on the portal and around our campuses to find out about the latest achievements of the university and its
students.
We also want to hear from you to find
out what you like about studying, living
and socialising at the University.
Tell us why you are Proud to be
Nottingham at:
studentcommsoffice@nottingham.ac.uk
Email oliver.kasper@nottingham.ac.uk to find out more and to shadow an officer
su.nottingham.ac.uk
Pantone 3
MAKE YOUR MARK ON THE UNIVERSITY!
No, we don’t want you to go out and graffiti some
The survey is really important as it highlights the
university buildings. What we want you to do is
areas in which different Schools at the University
tell us exactly what you think of your university
are doing a great job, and allows them to extend
experience…in a survey. “Yet another survey!” I hear
this good practice into other Schools. It also makes
you cry - but this is no normal survey. In a ‘normal’
it clear where Schools need to do better and where
survey you fill it out and never hear anything back or
the Students’ Union can work with the University to
see anything changed. This survey is different…
make this happen. So, for instance, the survey last
year computers in the libraries came up as an area
The National Student Survey (NSS) is a chance
which needed improvement, and so over the summer
for final-year students to tell the University how you
the University put in over 500 new plug sockets
rate your time here; from how good you feel your
across the main libraries, and installed ‘PC finder’
lecturers have been, to whether the library was
screens to help you find a free computer.
everything you wanted to be.
Students also said that they weren’t happy with the
length some Schools took to return coursework, and
so the Students’ Union worked with the University
to implement a compulsory 28 day coursework
turnaround limit.
The NSS is a great way for you to make your mark
and leave behind a better University for new students
coming in.
So - to all final-year students - when the survey goes
live this February, please take time to fill it out. Think
back about your University experience, about the
good points, and about the bad points, and let us
know your thoughts. It takes less than 10 minutes to
fill out, and by doing so you really will be making
your mark on the University.
su.nottingham.ac.uk
Exposure
Showcasing the best of University of Nottingham student photography
32 Image
ISSUE
| NOVEMBER 2010
by206
Tom Watkinson
Matt Turner A late afternoon outing on lake Montriond near Morzine, France
33
Tom Parker ;HRLUH[[OLMHTV\Z2PTIVS[VUÄYL^VYRZKPZWSH`VU.\`-H^RLZUPNO[
‘‘THE STAGE
BELONGS TO
THE RISING
GENERATIONS’’
André Maurois
Previous page:
Corset - Burlesque in Digital Printed Silk with Original
Artwork
Necklace - Accessorize
This page:
Dress - Delilah Corset in cork fabric with spiral wrap over
skirt also in cork - made to order.
:OVLZ¶:HT,KLSTHU
‘Nottingham council house’ digital print corset
with full skirt. Blossom and digital print silk
train showing the Nottingham Goose Fair in
Old Market Square - made to order.
Eternal Spirits - available at the Davenport
Shop of Originality, Flying Horse Walk.
Photography & Editing: Matt Turner
Styled and Directed by: Jasmin Watts and Charlotte Gelipter
Hair and Makeup: Charlotte Gelipter
Assistant Styling: Charlotte Rottenburg and Dipika Chauhan
Model: Louise Carmen Ford
‘Talkin’ ‘bout my
generation
by Jasmin Watts
F
rom 1960’s hippies to 1990’s grungers, every
generation has had their fashion emblem. Open a
family photo album and you’ll easily locate the dodgy
perms and stonewashed denim à la Bananarama
circa 1984. Iconic fashion moments make an era instantly
YLJVNUPZHISLPUOPZ[VYÌ\[HZILNPUZHUK[OLUV\NO[PLZ
are becoming an increasingly distant memory, the style that
KLÄULKV\Y[LLUHNL`LHYZPZOHYK[VWPUWVPU[>OH[L_HJ[S`
is our legacy?
As Catherine Nieto notes (in this issue’s interview) ‘WAG’ culture
sky-rocketed in the last decade and propelled these women into
[OL MHZOPVU ZWV[SPNO[ ;OL MHZOPVU H[YVJP[PLZ [OH[ ZPNUPÄLK [OL
early years of the WAG phenomenon - Juicy Couture tracksuits,
KVKNÒHPYL_[LUZPVUZHUKJYLVZV[LZRPUPUÄS[YH[LKTHZZJ\S[\YL
H[HUHSHYTPUNYH[LKLÄUPUN[OLZ[`SLVM^HUUHIL>(.:HUK
misguided teens alike. Then in the latter noughties came the
WAG makeover led by (now designer and WAG royalty) Victoria
Beckham. Ex-WAG Cheryl Cole underwent a similar style
overhaul, and her transition from chavvy girl band member to
blossoming style queen became a national fascination. Cheryl’s
stint on the X Factor brought a whole new dimension to styleZ[HSRPUN¶Z\KKLUS`ÔH[[OLQ\KNLZ^VYLLHJO^LLRZLJ\YLK
more column inches than the contestants on the show. The rise
of the WAG was complete, and we began to covet the likes of
a newly polished Coleen Rooney, Abby Clancy and Alex Curran
for all the right reasons.
*SLHYS`JLSLIYP[`Z[H[\ZOHZOLSK[OLRL`[VPUÅ\LUJPUNMHZOPVU
for some time, but where has this left us? Does our era have a
signature style? When celebrities embraced the ‘it’ bag, so did
we. The Chloe Paddington and Hermes Birkin spring to mind as
the designs that spawned countless high street copies, but every
fashion house in the world got in on the ‘it’ bag phenomenon.
They even went so far as to explicitly acknowledge the power
VMJLSLIYP[`LUKVYZLTLU[¶[OPUR4\SILYY`»Z(SL_HJVPULKHM[LY
everyone’s favourite muse Alexa Chung. Then came the ‘it’
shoe, namely anything by Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo or
Manolo Blahnik thanks to the Holy Grail of style that was SATC.
Not forgetting the most unfortunate ‘it’ footwear of the 21st
Century - the Ugg Boot - the cruel joke that celebrities seemed
to be in on, and thousands of women (and men) fell foul of.
Clothing trends though, were suffering from something of an
identity crisis. Was anything truly new? Save for quirky icons
like Lady Gaga and Agyness Deyn, every major trend of our
teenage and young adult life was a re-hash of something we
had already seen: skinny jeans, Ray-Bans, body-con, tassels,
studded leather, shoulder pads... our parents beat us to it. Save
for hipster jeans, the noughties failed to innovate in the way
previous decades had, and not surprisingly, vintage fashion
became something of a norm.
However, our approach to fashion has seen something of a
revolution. The rise of the internet has given us limitless choice
at the touch of a button. Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Apps and
style websites have changed the face of fashion forever. This
previously mysterious world is becoming increasingly interactive
and accessible via the internet, giving the individual the power
[VPUÅ\LUJL[YLUKZPUH^H`[OH[^HZUL]LYILMVYLWVZZPISL;OL
pace of fashion has sky-rocketed thanks to the instantaneous
nature of the internet and the insatiable interest of its users. This
PZ[OLLYHÔLU[OLWLVWSLOHKH]VPJL¶HUKP[PZU»[V]LY`L[
Trend Profile: Reclaimed Jewellery by Charlotte Gelipter
IMP[HPU»[IYVRLKVU»[Ä_P[»YLJSHPTP[;OLWHZ[KLJHKLOHZ
seen something of a vintage fashion storm and jewellery
has not escaped the trend, bringing with it an individual,
retro make-over. Step into many of Nottingham’s vintage
shops and you will note the presence of unique, statement
pieces enjoying a second wind as something else. The
reclaimed jewellery trend is not just about creating modern
from vintage or new from old – it’s a resourceful way of
creating uniqueness in a mass produced consumer society.
With tutorials on YouTube and Google
showing you how to achieve these individual
compositions, it is clear that the reclaimed
look has mass appeal for those who don’t have
that extra cash. These designs stand out from
the crowd - that’s the beauty of reclaiming,
you make it your own. Whether it’s a stray
Lego man masquerading as an earring drop,
a Scrabble piece pendant (a favourite of Pixie
Lott) or a broken watch shedding its strap and
acquiring a shiny new chain. The possibilities
are limited only by your imagination.
Be careful not to over do it, be bold with a statement piece but
don’t let it weigh you down or you’ll end up looking like MC
Hammer…
Don’t just limit yourself to jewellery - reclaimed fascinators and
bows are the perfect accessory for a bad hair day, and if you
shrink that woolly jumper why not get handy with the scissors
and turn it into a skirt.
An Interview with
CATHERINE
NIETO
by Jasmin Watts and
Emma-Jane Steele
I` YLK MVY [OL ÄYZ[ [PTL PU HIV\[
ten seasons.
And what hairstyle should we
all be embracing for the New
Year?
2011 is all about the wet look as
seen on the catwalks for S/S ‘11.
‘Shipwrecked’ hair - mermaid
style locks is the new blow-dry.
A
Which rising talents in fashion
design are set to be the faces
of the future?
Looking back at the noughties and up
to today, what fashion trend do you
think most sums up the era?
And who in your opinion most
deserves the crown of style
icon, both male and female in
our generation?
s University life prepares us
for the big wide world, our
personal style is honed and
tweaked as we discover who
we are as adults. Through the last decade
and our teenage years, mistakes have
been made and fashion icons created.
This New Year, helping us to look back
in nostalgia and ahead to the future of
style is Grazia Magazine’s Junior Fashion
Editor, Catherine Nieto. We’ve caught up
with her for a chat about fashion’s most
memorable moments.
The noughties have been a very
interesting and unusual era in that the
saw the boom and then demise of the
economy worldwide. For this reason,
two trends stand out - the opulence
and ‘bling’ that captivated the middle of
the decade (allowing ‘it’ bags and WAG
culture to consume fashion) and the
uprising of Minimalism - the backlash
against all things extravagant and ‘showy‘
which saw major fashion houses looking
back into their archives at a quieter, more
understated aesthetic.
And what has been the biggest faux
pas?
Cowboy boots!
The
increasing
involvement
of
technology in beauty treatments is
showing no sign of slowing. What
beauty innovation have you been most
impressed by and why?
2010’s biggest innovation in skincare has
been the introduction of electromagnetic
pulses, which have been harnessed in
products to energise skin cells deep
within.
Which new makeup product do you
[OPURPZZL[[VILJVTLHZ[HWSLPU&
Red lipstick! Bright pink has been pipped
London Fashion Week, more
so than New York, Milan and
Paris is a hot-bed of up-andcoming
designers
destined
to shape fashion in seasons
to come. During the S/S ‘11
shows the industry was buzzing
about Christopher Kane, Mary
Katrantzou and hot newcomer,
Felicity Brown.
Looking back over the last decade, Kate
4VZZ» PTTLUZL PUÅ\LUJL PZ \UKLUPHISL
The noughties saw celebrity fascination
soar like never before but as 2010 drew
to a close celebrities were no longer the
only people in the running for style icon
status. The popularity of street-style is
putting the general public back on the
noticed list, and as the world’s interest
in the behind-the-scenes workings of
the fashion industry deepens, fashion
editors, stylists and insiders such as Ana
De la Russo, Kate Lanpear and Carine
Roitfeld are becoming the icons of this
generation. This is also true with men,
where the likes of Karl Lagerfeld are
attributed the same attention as David
Beckham.
/PNO Z[YLL[KLZPNULY JVSSHIVYH[PVUZ
have become a huge phenomenon in
recent years, which pairing has proven
the most interesting?
In recent years high street/designer
collaborations have become less about
names and more about the concept of
bringing luxury to the high street through
a fashion house’s signature aesthetic
and expertise. H&M have brought some
incredible designers to the masses, my
particular favourites being the Stella
McCartney and Lanvin collaborations.
Topshop’s collections with Christopher
Kane and Jonathan Saunders were also
brilliant as was Whistles’ pairing with
Roksanda Ilincic and Gap’s partnership
with Valentino.
Not forgetting THE most revolutionary
way we now shop – the internet –
which online store has most changed
the face of fashion and why?
Two websites stand out for me, Net-aporter.com- the most incredible fashion
website alive at the moment, which allows
you to buy runway looks and commercial
collections from an international pedigree
of designers and fashion houses - and
ASOS.com which continues to outsmart the competition with innovative
inventions such as ‘Market Place’.
Finally, if you had to choose the one
‘it’ accessory that most symbolises
[OLZ[*LU[\Y`ÔPJOP[LTZ[LHSZ[OL
crown?
The ‘it’ accessory of the 21st century is
undoubtedly the ‘it’ bag! You could argue
for the Hermes ‘Kelly’ (its resurrection
helped by Victoria Beckham having one
in every colour), the Chloe ‘Paddington’,
Mulberry ‘Alexa’, Fendi ‘Spy’, Balenciaga
‘Lariat’… every luxury fashion house
produced one and each had its moment
in the fashion spot light.
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/STYLE
39
AND NOW, A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS…
- Tom Grater
“Product placement, to put it very
simply, is a practice that turns movies
into outright commercials.” (Mark
Crispin Miller) This viewpoint may
seem extreme, but exactly how far
from the truth is he? It’s a feature of
commercialism we’re all aware of, but
how tuned into the actual workings of
HK]LY[PZPUNPUÄSTHYL^L&>L[\YUV\Y
noses up when we spot it, claiming that
^L»KUL]LYILZVLHZPS`PUÅ\LUJLKI\[
can we be so sure?
Advertising in movies has existed in
]HYPV\Z MVYTZ ZPUJL [OL IPY[O VM [OL ÄST
industry as a mainstream commercial
vehicle. In the 1930s, the actress Olivia
de Havilland was paid large sums of
money to endorse various products, one
example being Lux Soap, the biggest
exponent of “Hollywood Beauty Care”.
However, it took until 1971 for product
placement to really take off and for people
to recognise its potential. The movie
that bridged the gap was ‘Dirty Harry’,
ZWLJPÄJHSS`*SPU[,HZ[^VVKHUKOPZ\ZLVM
[OL4HNU\T0U[OLHM[LYTH[OVM[OL
ÄST»Z YLSLHZL :TP[O HUK >LZZVU UV[LK
that sales of that particular weapon rose
dramatically, in some cases the handgun
was selling at three times retail prices.
;OPZ ^HZ [OL ÄYZ[ ZWHYR VM ÔH[ ^HZ [V
IL HU LUKSLZZ YVHYPUN ÄYL VM TVUL`
spinning commercialism. Advertisers
now noticed the largely untapped market,
and deciding to milk for all it was worth
was the next logical step.
There are several types of product
placement, though the golden egg for
HK]LY[PZLYZ PZ MVY H ÄST JOHYHJ[LY [V
perform what is known in the industry
as ‘The Plug Deluxe’. This is a shot of
said character directly interacting with
“
When I become
aware of it in a film
I particularly enjoy,
it takes away a good
percentage of the
magic.
”
the featured product, and then often
KPZWSH`PUN H SVVR VM NLU\PUL M\SÄSTLU[
Witnessing a Plug Deluxe is akin to
^H[JOPUN HU HK]LY[ ^P[OPU H ÄST HZ PM
there’s a sudden short intermission; “And
now, a word from our sponsor...” To fully
understand what I mean, I’ll point you to
several examples. ‘The Thomas Crown
Affair’ (1999) featured an excellent plug
for Pepsi, with Rene Russo’s character
vending a can of the drink and promptly
[\YUPUNWYVÄSL[VJHTLYHJVUZ\TPUN[OL
beverage in the classic advertisement
style. There was the Dr. Pepper moment
PUº-VYYLZ[.\TW»)LU(MÅLJRHUK4H[[
Damon’s constant need for Dunkin’
Donuts in ‘Good Will Hunting’. Not
forgetting the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles’ dependence on Dominos pizza.
This leads me to a mention of the ‘Cola
Wars’ - for those who don’t know, the
battle for supremacy between Pepsi
and Coca Cola that peaked during the
1980s but is still raging today. This was
UV TVYL L]PKLU[ [OHU PU [OL ÄST
º4PZZPUN» ÔPJO KLWPJ[LK H JVUÅPJ[
between Americans and the Pinochet
Regime - respectively the good guys
and the bad guys of the piece. However,
throughout the movie we see constant
references to Coca Cola alongside the
Americans, and the rival product Pepsi
being associated with the Pinochet
regime. A very subversive ploy by Coca
Cola you may think, and you may wonder
OV^L_HJ[S`[OL`NV[[OLÄST»ZWYVK\JLYZ
onboard with doing this. Delve a little into
[OL ÄST»Z WYVK\J[PVU SPUL HUK `V\»SS ÄUK
the simple answer, Coca Cola were the
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company behind the movie, were owned
by Coca Cola for a seven-year period in
the 1980s, and as such had free reign
over the amount of advertising in the
ÄSTZWYVK\JLK
0[PZZ\YWYPZPUNS`KPMÄJ\S[[VZV\YJLPUZPNO[M\S
quotes regarding opinions on this subject,
PU WHY[PJ\SHY MYVT WYVTPULU[ ÄSTTHRLYZ
It seems that product placement is
J\YYLU[S` [OL SHYNLZ[ LSLWOHU[ PU [OL ÄST
industry’s room of ivory. Thankfully, the
one man you can always rely on to be
outspoken in his musings has blessed us
with another gem of a statement. David
Lynch, director of mind-trippers such
as ‘Mulholland Drive’ and ‘Eraserhead’,
was once quizzed on where he stood on
the growing trend of product placement
in Hollywood. His response was quite
simply, “Bullshit. That’s how I feel. Total
fucking bullshit.” This quote goes beyond
40
f
film
representing Lynch’s attitude and, in
fact, displays to us a deeper frustration
within the industry. Auteurs like Lynch are
in the business to make movies, not to
make themselves rich. It is unfortunate
then, that the use of advertising in
ÄST PZ H TLHUZ [V HU LUK YH[OLY [OHU H
commercial choice. This fact is displayed
in Lynch’s own work - I wonder how he
would react if you quizzed him on the
rather overblown use of the ‘Heineken’
brand in his movie ‘Blue Velvet’. It is
blatant product placement - there’s just
no denying it. I refuse to buy into the
idea that Lynch was trying to be topical
and further the realism of his characters.
There has to have been some money
exchanged here. In all, would we rather
[OLÄSTZVMKPYLJ[VYZZ\JOHZ3ÙJO^LYL
made with advertising or not made at all?
Despite my determination to avoid
James Bond, as it is frankly too obvious
an example, I’ve come to terms with
the fact that my defences will be
breached as I reach the topic of movie
‘cross-promotion’.
Cross-promotion
PZ HU HYYHUNLTLU[ IL[^LLU ÄSTZ HUK
advertising agencies that leads to
promotional to campaigns that feature
both commodities. It is a mutually
ILULÄJPHS YLSH[PVUZOPW ;OLZL OH]L
been particularly successful in recent
years, with ‘Casino Royale’ being
a standout example. A deal was
brokered between MGM and
watch manufacturer Omega
that went beyond the product
placement of Omega in the
ÄST HUK PUJS\KLK H WVZ[LY
campaign
that
stated
IV[O ¸5V ÄST YLSLHZL PZ
more eagerly anticipated
than a new
instalment in the James Bond series,” and,
“[James Bond] will be wearing an Omega
Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m Co-Axial
Chronometer”. The poster is endorsing
IV[O [OL ÄST HUK [OL ^H[JO [OV\NO [OL
description makes it sound like the latest
advancement in rocket technology) thus
killing two advertisement-shaped birds
with one stone. The success of cross-
promotion such as the Omega/Bond
love affair is likely to lead to an increased
trend in this kind of relationship. Expect
more movie protagonists to get directly
brand-associated in the near future.
( TL[OVK ÄSTTHRLYZ OH]L JVUQ\YLK
to counter the ever-growing trend of
product placement is to use it in an
ironic way, satirically critiquing the use
of advertising in movies. Mike Myers has
been a particular exponent of this, and
two of the most prominent examples can
IL MV\UK PU OPZ ÄSTZ º>HÙL»Z >VYSK»
the cult tale of two 80s starlets trying
to conquer public-access television,
dedicated an entire scene to mocking
product placement. “Well that’s where I
see things just a little differently, contract
or no, I will not bow to any sponsor,” Myers
states as he grabs a slice of pizza from a
box clearly labelled ‘Pizza Hut’. Another
Myers venture to follow the same lines of
mockery was ‘Austin Powers’ sequel ‘The
:W`>OV:OHNNLK4L»;OLÄSTKLWPJ[LK
the headquarters of arch villain Dr. Evil
as also being the HQ of coffee-chain
Starbucks. This was a deliberate swipe
at the global conglomerate, inferring a
direct comparison between them and
[OLÄSTZH_PZVML]PS5V[[OH[:[HYI\JRZ
cared in the slightest - bad connotations
or no, they were still being featured in a
O\NLS` Z\JJLZZM\S JVTLK` ÄST HUK [V
the average viewer it almost looks like
they’re in on the joke.
The real problem I have with product
placement is that when I become aware
VMP[PUHÄST0WHY[PJ\SHYS`LUQV`P[[HRLZ
away a good percentage of the magic.
‘Serpico’, Sidney Lumet’s fantastic
depiction of corruption in the New York
police force, is a personal favourite of
mine. However, during a recent re-watch
I noticed Pacino turns up to one scene
wearing a Coca Cola t-shirt, inexplicably
breaking away from his characters
^HYKYVILPU[OLYLZ[VM[OLÄST0[^V\SK
ILKPMÄJ\S[[VWYV]L[OH[7HJPUV»ZJSV[OPUN
^HZ PUÅ\LUJLK I` HK]LY[PZPUN I\[ [OL
fact that it affects my enjoyment of
[OL ÄST KPZWSH`Z T` ZLUZP[P]P[` [V [OL
subject on the whole. Product placement
certainly isn’t without its merits, but the
real question is what difference does it
make, i.e. does it affect artistic merit?
Personally, I believe it does. Product
placement is a compromise and we have
to ask ourselves how many great movies
have been made by compromising.
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/FILM
41
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film
MUSIC TO MOVIES
- Isabelle Parkin
When another bright new hope in directing surfaces in the
ÄST PUK\Z[Y` P[ PZ VM[LU [OL JHZL [OH[ KLZWP[L ZLLTPUN [V
appear out of nowhere, they manage to produce remarkably
accomplished pictures. In reality, many have a decent
RICHARD AYOADE
amount of smaller scale work already under their belt, many
having started out in directing music videos. Different from
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Martin Scorsese’s 16 minute West Side Story-esque video
MVY4PJOHLS1HJRZVU»Zº)HK»¶[OLYLHYLU\TLYV\ZKPYLJ[VYZ
whose cinematic career has come off the back of their
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Z\JJLZZZ[VYPLZKLÄUP[LS`^VY[OSVVRPUNV\[MVY
MARK ROMANEK
Probably most widely recognised as Moss from ‘The IT Crowd’,
Ayoade has in fact directed a respectable set of sometimes
surreal, often humorous music videos for bands including the
Arctic Monkeys and Vampire Weekend, citing Godard and Fellini
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of comedy writing (such as Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace), his
MLH[\YLÄSTKLI\[PZ[OLOPNOS`HU[PJPWH[LKº:\ITHYPUL»HKHYRS`
comic coming of age picture follows precocious adolescent
Oliver in his quest to lose his virginity and prevent his mother
from running off with her dance teacher. From the few clips that
have surfaced we can glimpse what immediately appears to
be an innovative and visually striking piece of cinema boasting
some impeccable young acting talent
More established, but with only a few more cinematic titles to his
name, is Mark Romanek. Having directed numerous acclaimed
videos for singers, including Madonna, he cites them as being
more like ‘miniature assignments’ and an opportunity to learn
[OL JYHM[ VM ÄST THRPUN YH[OLY [OHU L_HTWSLZ VM OPZ WLYZVUHS
vision. He moved from directing the controversial video for Nine
Inch Nails’ ‘Closer’ into similarly unsettling territory in ‘One Hour
Photo’, which featured Robin Williams playing brilliantly against
type as a department store photo processor who becomes
obsessed with a family whose pictures he develops. His latest
project is ‘Never Let Me Go’, an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s
L_[YHVYKPUHY`K`Z[VWPHUUV]LS0[OHZILLUNLULYH[PUNZPNUPÄJHU[
awards buzz for a number of months, with its widespread
YLSLHZLPU1HU\HY`¶Q\Z[PU[PTLMVY[OL6ZJHYZ
MUSICALS: THE GREATEST
ACTION HERO OF ALL TIME?
- Adam Dawes
The next time a cliché-laden piece of
cinematic musical pap lands at your
feet, please do not write off it off as a
genre. With the current state of things,
it seems hard to believe that if it was
not for the musical, Hollywood almost
KLÄUP[LS`^V\SKU»[ILHU`[OPUNSPRLHZ
big as it is today.
42
Unlike today, when many independent
production companies can hold their
VÛH[[OLIV_VMÄJLIHJRPU[OL Z
and 30s, Hollywood was controlled by
a small number of major studios. These
WSHJLZ ^LYL Y\U SPRL ÄSTPJ MHJ[VYPLZ
\ZPUN PUÅ\LUJLZ MYVT [OL -VYKPZ[ TVKLS
of production to churn out release after
release for the new, ravenous cinema
goer. Because of this, like in a regular
business, it was vital to generate
consistent revenue. Luckily a genre
developed, mostly from familiarity with
stage shows, which allowed budgets
to be controlled, audiences to be
entertained, production to move quickly,
and - most importantly - a consistent
stream of revenue to be developed.
Musicals facilitated Hollywood’s early
growth.
Some
remarkable
technological
innovations are associated with the
T\ZPJHS ;OL 1Haa :PUNLY [OL ÄYZ[ ÄST
to ever use sound, is a musical. If you
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)\ZI` )LYRLSL` Z\JO HZ UK :[YLL[
you will see camera movements and set
design that were brand new at the time,
and are still being used today. If you ever
ZLLHU`[OPUNRHSLPKVZJVWPJPUHÄSTVYPU
HT\ZPJ]PKLV[OL`HYLILPUNPUÅ\LUJLK
by musicals.
Not only did musicals allow Hollywood
to grow and, eventually, take risks due
[V OH]PUN H ZVSPK ÄUHUJPHS IHZL I\[ PM P[
weren’t for musicals, Frank Sinatra would
never have become a household name.
In addition to that, MTV and music videos
as a whole grew from the ‘soundies’ of
[OL Z
Next time you despair about the rubbish,
teeny-bopper musical trash around,
[HRLHILH[HUKYLTLTILY[OH[HU`ÄST
that you have ever enjoyed in your life
might only have been made because the
musical saved Hollywood in its infancy.
f
AUTEURS OF TELEVISION
film
- James McAndrew
If you gaze across your DVD collection, I’ll wager there are
more than a couple of TV box sets in there. The likes of
‘The Sopranos’, ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Band of Brothers’
are just some of the ones I most often notice on the shelves
of fellow box set bingers. And if you check out the credits
VU[OLIHJR`V\^PSSSPRLS`ÄUK[OLZHTLUHTLZJYVWWPUN\W
after the ‘written by’ and ‘directed by’ credits.
Over the last 20 years some of the best directors of TV drama
make their mark on popular series and subsequently make the
move into feature direction. In the UK a prime example is that of
Joe Wright. Beginning his career as a director of TV mini-series,
he seamlessly transferred his skills to celluloid with ‘Pride
and Prejudice’ and ‘Atonement’, both of which bagged Oscar
nominations. But for the people that don’t move into movies it is
much harder to get the name check that they deserve.
So to begin with, there’s one man who I think needs to be
recognised, and his name is Tim Van Patten. If HBO were a
Hollywood studio then he would be the premiere go-to creative
talent. He is essentially the Spielberg of television. His name
pops up in the credits of nearly all of HBO’s major shows of the
SHZ[ML^`LHYZ!º;OL>PYL»º+LHK^VVK»º;OL7HJPÄJ»[VUHTL
but a few. However his status as a true auteur of television is
most evident in his episodes of ‘The Sopranos’ (of which he
directed more than anyone). With the show’s strength coming
from the power of its writing, his directing style is wonderfully
understated, allowing the acting and the dialogue to prevail
over any kind of cinematic stylisation. This kind of artistic
choice is one of ‘The Sopranos’ most distinguishing features.
Van Patten can also claim the plaudits for having written ‘Pine
)HYYLUZ»ÔPJO:VWYHUVZHÄJPVUHKVZTVZ[VM[LUJP[LHZILPUN
[OL NYLH[LZ[ LWPZVKL (UK HU` HÄJPVUHKVZ YLHKPUN ^PSS RUV^
what I mean when I ask: what ever happened to the Russian?).
Now before I lose non-Sopranos fans completely let me just
ZH`[OH[=HU7H[[LUHSZVKPYLJ[LK[OL[^VWHY[ÄUHSLVMº:L_HUK
the City’ which, I am reliably informed by a female housemate,
brought the much loved series to a satisfying end (with the
Z\IZLX\LU[\UULJLZZHY`ÄSTZJVTWSL[LS`Y\PUPUNP[
During the early 2000s ‘The Sopranos’ became something of a
breeding ground for major creative talent in US television. Two
VM [OL ZOV^Z TVZ[ WYVSPÄJ Z[HMM ^YP[LYZ ;LYYLUJL >PU[LY HUK
Matthew Weiner, are now the head writers and show runners
for ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and ‘Mad Men’ respectively.
Over here in Blighty, a similar trend can be seen in terms of
there being a small pool of heavyweight creative talent bringing
us popular and original television. Russell T Davies is someone
ÔV OHZ JVUZPZ[LU[S` JYLH[LK [LYYPÄJ ;= KYHTH YLHJOPUN OPZ
peak with the BBC’s jewel in the crown ‘Doctor Who’. Through
this show he rejuvenated a previously lagging genre with
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I’d urge anyone who enjoys good drama to seek out box
sets of his earlier work, particularly ‘Queer As Folk’ and ‘The
Second Coming’. But it is his apprentice and current Doctor
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auteur of British television. His superlative, modern take on
Sherlock Holmes (‘Sherlock’) was, despite only having three
episodes, undoubtedly the runaway TV hit of 2010. His work is
characterised by decidedly dark themes and plots but, taking a
leaf out of Davies’ book, is always sprinkled with smart humour
and delightful characters. Case in point is his Doctor Who
episode ‘Blink’ (which is to Doctor Who what ‘Pine Barrens’
is to The Sopranos), famous for featuring hardly any of The
Doctor, lots of Carey Mulligan and some absolutely terrifying
angel statues.
TV auteurs are in some ways superior in talent to their cinematic
contemporaries; because despite having to work with major
restrictions on the time, the content of the work they consistently
produce is unique, entertaining and distinctive television. And
seriously, is there anything better than watching some really
good TV?
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/FILM
43
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THE EVOLUTION OF DAVID CRONENBERG
- Benjamin James
Eccentric
67-year-old
Canadian
director David Cronenberg is as
LUPNTH[PJ HZ OL PZ IYPSSPHU[" OL»Z HU
uncompromising auteur whose bizarre
beginnings have lead to an amazing
artistic approach.
For those who are unfamiliar with
Cronenberg, as I fear a good deal are, he
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‘History of Violence’ (2005) and ‘Eastern
7YVTPZLZ» [^V ÄSTZ ÔPJO OH]L
cemented Cronenberg as a yardstick in
alternative cinema. By far these movies
HYL[OL[^VÄSTZTVZ[]PL^LYZ^PSSOH]L
seen, and quite rightly so - they are
*YVULUILYN»Z TVZ[ YLÄULK HUK TVZ[
expressed pieces of work to date. Both
star Viggo Mortenson, an actor who too
has had a late blossoming and as such,
the pairing of the two lends neatly to
the comparisons of Scorcese and De
5PYV >P[OPU [OLPY YLZWLJ[P]L ÄLSKZ [OL`
HYL [^V ÄSTTHRLYZ ÔV \UKLYZ[HUK
and experiment with the form and are
unafraid to grapple with new ideas, whilst
at the same time maintaining a persistent
level of interest and intrigue.
Cronenberg’s early career with the Body
Horror genre established his fascination
with the frailty of society. He then
developed into a director who blurred
the lines between reality and fantasy,
which led to the individual and their
idiosyncratic perception of reality. With
OPZ SH[LZ[ ÄSTZ º( /PZ[VY` VM =PVSLUJL»
and ‘Eastern Promises’, Cronenberg has
proven his ambitious undertaking as a
director willing to confront the audience
with disturbing subject matter. His
\WJVTPUN ÄST º( +HUNLYV\Z 4L[OVK»
stars once again Mortenson as Sigmund
Freud and Michael Fassbender as Carl
Jung - their close relationship is torn apart
by their love for Sabina Spielrein, played
by Keira Knightly. Given that this movie
Z[HYZ [OL [OYLL TVZ[ PUÅ\LU[PHS [OPURLYZ
of psychiatry, it promises to be fraught
with psychological depth and looks to
be one of the most interesting movies
of the New Year. Cronenberg deservedly
has earned the title of auteur, and is
among David Lynch, Akira Kurosawa
and Stanley Kubrick as one of the most
groundbreaking and distinct directors of
his generation.
CINEMAT IC CLAUSTROPHOBIA
- David Bruce
While mainstream cinema in the
modern age might involve huge
set pieces and giant robots hitting
each other, the experiment of
claustrophobic cinema has repeatedly
`PLSKLKLMÄJPLU[HUKLMMLJ[P]LTV]PLZ
The technique works by putting too
many people in a limited space, and
is more often than not a recipe for
Y\PUHZTHUULYZJY\TISLHUKJVUÅPJ[
arises.
This is not to be confused with
JSH\Z[YVWOVIPHPUÄSTILP[)Y\JL>PSSPZ
crawling through the Nakatomi Towers’
ventilation system, or cave-divers in
‘The Descent’. These instances where
PUKP]PK\HSZHYLW\[PU[VHJVUÄULKZWHJL
are often still classed as claustrophobic
ÄSTTHRPUN I\[ PU [OL [YHKP[PVUHS ZLUZL
cinematic claustrophobia is more due to
a singular location.
44
One of the greatest exponents of this is ‘12
Angry Men’, Sidney Lumet’s courtroom
drama, 99% of which takes place inside
a jury room, where each of the respective
jurors’ prejudices and preconceptions
are laid bare. Henry Fonda plays the one
impartial voice, slowly turning opinion
towards that of justice and against hastily
condemning a potentially innocent man.
The lack of space around the table and
the small adjoining washroom force the
jury (all male) into an unusually tight
surrounding, with a selection of classes
and personalities on show. In addition,
\U[PS[OLÄUHSZJLULUVUHTLZHYL\ZLK
for any of the jury or the defendant or
witnesses.
A further implementer of this technique
was Alfred Hitchcock, whose famous
work ‘Rear Window’ places Jimmy
:[L^HY[ PU OPZ ÅH[ ^P[O H IYVRLU SLN
naturally unable to leave, with only
spying on his neighbours as exposure
to the outside world. There is also
‘Rope’, which wholly takes place at a
dinner party in the aftermath of a murder
committed by the hosts, with the body
hidden underneath the buffet table.
But a recent example, ‘Buried’, directed
by Rodrigo Cortes, combines both
KLÄUP[PVUZ VM TV]PL JSH\Z[YVWOVIPH
Its entire hour and a half running time
takes place in one location, that of
7H\S *VUYV`»Z JVMÄU 0U H YPKPJ\SV\ZS`
tense showcase of the brilliance of
claustrophobic cinema, with only
a lighter, a mobile phone, a slowly
decreasing level of oxygen and a slowly
PUJYLHZPUNPUÅ\_VMZHUK9`HU9LÙVSKZ»
character must somehow escape being
buried alive. Miss it at your peril.
Coming Soon
SUMMER AND EASTER
INTERNSHIPS
Starting in June 2011 our summer internships
offer valuable real experience and could
help you secure a place on our graduate
programme. After a one-week orientation,
when you will learn market basics and meet
your new colleagues, you will spend the
remaining nine weeks learning from leading
banking professionals and gaining hands-on
experience. Throughout, you will have the
chance to attend a number of high-profile
networking events.
to your
Students’ Union Shop
Ground Floor, Portland Building, University Park.
A brand new
Salad Bar
We have a number of different
programmes which are open to students
in their penultimate year from all academic
disciplines who can demonstrate an interest
in banking and finance.
For students in their first year, we also have
an Easter Insight week. This programme
offers you the chance to gain valuable work
experience, technical training and attend
networking events. Do well on this programme
and you’ll be offered a summer internship for
the following year.
Self Service
To apply, please visit
www.makeitrbs.com/internships
Closing date 31 January 2011.
The place is here. The time is now.
RIGHT PLACE.
RIGHT TIME.
Purple frog was set up by
former students to help you
find the best properties and
the best landlords.
We’ve got full details and
photos of all our properties
on our website:
purplefrogproperty.com
Pop in and see us or give us
a call and we’ll help you
find what you’re looking for.
And the best bit…
no fees for students!
7ɪɸɖWɛʝʦɠʓʢȲʑQɮʙɨɀHʋəʋQɍȵHɢ
Xɡȱɰʙɞ\ʝɤՌQɍ\ʝʦɠȸʑ[ɢKʝȷɏ Pop in and see us:
363 Derby Road
Call us for a chat:
0115 822 4388
Drop us a line:
Nottingham@
purplefrogproperty.com
www.purplefrogproperty.com
t
travel
IMPACT’S TOP FESTIVALS FOR 2011
- Priyal Dadhania and Richard Collett
JANUARY
The ‘Festival au Desert’
Where: Essakane, Mali
When: 6th-8th January
The most remote festival in the world is
only accessible after a three day camel
ride through the Sahara Desert or by
[HRPUN H _ [OYV\NO [OL ZHUK K\ULZ
0[ JLSLIYH[LZ [OL LUK VM [OL JVUÅPJ[
between two tribes in the Sahara which
saw 3000 guns burned in a celebration
now known as the ‘Flame of Peace’. It
showcases local music of the Tuareg tribe
and famous international acts - in 2010,
they played host to Paul Oakenfold. The
festival also allows visitors to soak up the
SVJHS J\S[\YL ^P[O YP[\HS Z^VYK ÄNO[PUN
song, dance, and poetry.
APRIL
Songkran
Where: all across Thailand
When: 13th-15th April
46
For three days in April the streets of
Thailand become wet and wild during
the ‘Songkran’ or New Year’s festivities.
Known as the ‘Water Festival’, people
traditionally sprinkle water on one
another’s heads as a sign of respect and
good luck for the coming year. These
days with more drink, more tourists and
more super soakers, the street parties
involve the ritual drenching of vehicles
and passersby with water guns, buckets
of ice cold water and hose pipes. Be
prepared to be soaked day and night
for the duration of the festival. The best
spot to catch the action is Chiang Mai,
where elephants line the streets, spraying
people with water while the Thai whiskey
Q\Z[KVLZU»[Z[VWÅV^PUN
FEBRUARY
‘Hadaka Matsuri’
Where: Japan
When: all month
The most famous of Japan’s many naked
festivals. All the participants are dressed
in only simple loincloths while they race
through the streets desperately trying to
touch the ‘holy’ naked man, who must
ÄYZ[ILW\YPÄLKI`HYP[\HSZOH]PUNVMOPZ
body. Running through the streets the
men are splashed with freezing water
in an attempt to purify themselves. The
naked man is believed to absorb all the
bad luck when touched leaving the rest
of the community cleansed for the rest of
the year.
MARCH
Carnival de Binche
Where: Binche, Belgium
When: 6th-8th March
A colourful costume is a must at Binche
and with men (known as Gilles) wearing
ostrich-feather headdresses, wax masks
and wooden shoes parading through the
streets this one-of-a-kind carnival is sure
to grab your attention. Dancing to the
sound of drums is said to rid the town
of evil spirits and the day ends with the
Gilles launching oranges at the crowd, so
prepare for it to get messy!
MAY
Land Diving
Where: Pentecost Island, Vanuatu
When: all month
This is one of the most dangerous tests
of faith in the world and might take some
preparation. For those not accustomed to
such dare-devil antics, watch your heart
pounding as you wait in anticipation for
the man to hit the ground safely. Young
TLU HUK IV`Z ZVTL HZ `V\UN HZ Ä]L
`LHYZ VSK SH\UJO [OLTZLS]LZ OLHKÄYZ[
off wooden towers of up to 25 metres
high, attached by two fragile vines. The
tradition goes back to the 15th Century
and is considered a precursor to modern
day bungee jumping. The dives are meant
to secure a bountiful harvest for the local
islanders, who believe the higher the
jump and the closer the jumper gets to
the ground, the better the harvest will be.
JUNE
El Colacho (Baby Jumping Festival)
Where: Spain
When: 23rd June
A contender for the title of Spain’s
most dangerous and strange festival,
‘El Colacho’ as it is locally known sees
families placing their new born children in
lines in the street and allowing grown men
dressed as the devil to perform running
jumps over them, the idea being to
banish sin. This has been going on since
the 1620s and takes place alongside the
Catholic Festival of Corpus Christi. Watch
on if you dare!
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travel
JULY
Boryeong Mud Festival
Where: Seoul, South Korea
When: all month
If you fancy being a mud wrestling
champion, competing in mud sliding
competitions or earning the ultimate title
of ‘Mud King’ then this is the festival for
you. Chill out with a dip in the ‘Mud Mega
Tub’, or relax in the mud massage zone
after a messy day’s fun before joining
the other festival goers for an evening of
ILHJOWHY[PLZT\ZPJHUKÄYL^VYRZ
AUGUST
Notting Hill Carnival
SEPTEMBER
Burning Man Festival
Where: London,UK
When: 29th/30th August
Where: Nevada,USA
When! [O(\N\Z[¶[O:LW[LTILY
As the biggest carnival outside of Brazil,
Notting Hill Carnival brings the Caribbean
to the streets of London. West London
JVTLZ HSP]L HZ WHYHKLZ VM ÅHTIV`HU[S`
costumed dancers party down the roads.
:[H[PJ ZV\UK Z`Z[LTZ ÄSS [OL HPY ^P[O
music and the street with dancers. If you
are looking for an easy time however, you
can forget it! Be prepared for it to take
you ages to get where you want to go as
it can get a bit busy with over a million
revellers turning up to experience it every
year.
Anything is acceptable at the Burning
Man Festival. Held in the Black Rock
Desert in Nevada, thousands gather to
smash down the doors of perception and
express themselves in as many eccentric
and bizarre ways as is humanly possible
before torching the extravagantly huge
HUK LX\HSS` \UJVU]LU[PVUHS LMÄN` VM H
‘Man’, in a dramatic and sacramental
display. It has been described as ‘a
temporary metropolis dedicated to
community, art, self-expression, and selfreliance’. People gather for a week and
depart without leaving a single sign of
their appearance.
OCTOBER
Oktoberfest
NOVEMBER
Pushkar Camel Festival
Where: Munich, Germany
When:[O:LW[LTILY¶YK6J[VILY
Where: Pushkar, India
When: 2nd-10th November
This beer festival is the biggest of its kind,
L]LY``LHYH[[YHJ[PUNTVYL[OHUÄ]LTPSSPVU
people. With fourteen tents to choose
from in the main square, people are spoilt
for choice! In 2010, 310,000 litres of beer
IYL^LK ZWLJPÄJHSS` MVY [OPZ L]LU[ ^LYL
consumed. In addition to the beer there
are classic German foods on offer, from
Hendl (chicken), Schweinsbraten (roast
pork) and Schweinshaxe (grilled ham
hock).
This festival is held on the banks of the
Pushkar Lake, which is renowned across
India for being a sacred and blessed
spot. Whilst best known for the hundreds
of camels on sale, the festival also
houses other general livestock. In recent
years it has turned into more of a tourist
attraction and is full of entertainment
from competitions including the longest
moustache, camel race and camel dance
competition. Men buy and sell livestock
whilst women man stalls selling beautiful
bracelets and fabrics.
DECEMBER
Santa Run
Where: Newtown, Wales
When: Selected dates in December
For a charitable cause in the spirit of the
season, every December in Wales people
participate in a world famous Santa Run.
It is a four and half mile run which is
organised by Newtown and District DialA-Ride. Whilst registration may be slightly
costly (£10 for an adult) it does include a
free Santa suit!
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/TRAVEL
47
t
travel
Image by Rob Barham
THE NORTH KOREAN
EXPERIENCE
- Dan Adams
:P[[PUN PU V\Y ÅH[ PU :LV\S ^L ^LYL IVYLK >L»K OPRLK
the mountains, waddled along the beaches and drunk
ourselves stupid on too many occasions. “We could go to
North Korea?”, someone suggested. I paused, mulling over
whether to give my money to such a government. Still, I felt
I needed to see it.
Koryo Travel, run from Beijing by two English guys, has been
running tailored tours for twenty years. If you have ever seen a
ÄSTHIV\[[OL4HZZ.HTLZ[OL5VY[O2VYLHUMVV[IHSS[LHTPU
1966 or the four US soldiers who went AWOL, they made them
too. I wasn’t comfortable taking a tour, but turn up, as a solo
backpacker, expecting to tramp around and you’ll get ten years
inside.
( TP_LKUH[PVUHSP[` NYV\W VM ZL]LU[LLU ÅL^ MYVT )LPQPUN [V
Pyongyang. The plane was so old it barely got off the runway.
Next to me was a North Korean school girl vomiting into her
sick bag. I gave her mine as well. She took it, acknowledged
P[^P[OH[OHURM\SUVKI\[UL]LYSVVRLKH[TL:OLHSZVÄSSLKP[
Once in Pyongyang, the true surreal experience began.
([ ÄYZ[ ^L ^VUKLYLK PM ^L ^LYL TLHU[ [V [HRL [OL SVJHSZ»
stories seriously. Soon we simply gave smiling nods to all the
wondrous news we were told. The hotel was unfortunately not
[OLTHNUPÄJLU[HUKZ[PSS\UJVTWSL[LK9`\N`VUN/V[LSI\[VUL
built by the French on an island in the river - a hotel the North
Korean government subsequently refused to pay for and then
threw the French out.
If you ever wondered where North Korea gets its money from,
then the list is notorious. They’re the biggest producers of
amphetamines and fake US dollars in Asia, they helped train
Zimbabwe’s Special Forces and they regularly threaten to build
more nuclear bombs unless they get help. It’s a simple game of
brinkmanship, but with the tacit backing of China and reluctance
of South Korea and the US, it has consistently worked. So far.
We visited a farm with a radio you can turn down but not off.
It looked a very orderly farm, if rather deserted of people and
crops. The State Circus was fun, but the Children’s Theatre was
two hours of traditional Korean music (think Team America), and
48
Image by Rob Barham
[OLSPIYHY`Z\WLYTHYRL[HUK+4AIVYKLY^LYLTVYLKPMÄJ\S[[V
cover up. They were shell-like buildings; cold and vacant.
A trip to a school was the most surreal experience of all. In
the computer room, the kids were busy doing various different
tasks. I watched one child from a distance. He was inputting
[LUVYZVU\TILYZPU[VHU,_JLSZWYLHKZOLL[HUKVUJLÄUPZOLK
he simply deleted the numbers and started again. This school
was a sham, prepared on Wednesday afternoon for the tourists.
We bowed at various monuments and murals dedicated to Kim
Il Sun (The Great Leader) and his playboy son Kim Jong Il (The
Dear Leader). Our guides pointed out that one huge statue of
The Great Leader used to be all gold. When the North Koreans
tried to play-off the Soviet and Chinese government for aid,
the Soviets took a different tact. Pointing at the glimmering
statute, they merely suggested North Korea melt it down. It’s
now copper!
Once you get out of Pyongyang, the true picture emerges. The
country is desolate, brown and worn. The soldiers are not the
impressive 6-footers you see at the DMZ border with South
Korea. Rather they are boys with country tans and sleeves that
cover their hands. You could lie down and sleep in the middle
VM[OLOPNO^H`[OLYL»ZZUV[YHMÄJHZMHYHZ[OLL`LJHUZLL
The most sinister thing we experienced (apart from eating
dog one night!) occurred in the East coast town of Wonsan.
The park we visited was full of locals enjoying soju, the local
2VYLHUÄYL^H[LYHUKKHUJPUNPUHJPYJSL>LQVPULK[OLTVUS`
for the party to be quickly broken up by state agents. Later,
we witnessed a small car accident and the state security came
to our hotel to check our digital cameras. In North Korea, bad
news isn’t to get out.
On the last evening before the train ride back to Beijing, there
was a large dance in honour of Kim Il Sung’s birthday. We
observed for a while before being dragged in to join the party.
Later, we sang karaoke and drank whiskey with the guides. I
asked the male guide if he really believed the stories he told us.
“Yes”, he replied. “So Kim Jong Il is so good at golf he once
scored 36?” “Of course”, he smiled, but with a smile that said
all I really needed to know.
t
THE BACKPACKER’S
NEW YEAR’S
RESOLUTIONS!
- Ruth Edwards & Ellie Simpson
Every year lists of empty resolutions end up in the bin
as our brief optimistic streak ends and reality sets in.
This year we’ve changed our lists, looking at them
from a distinctly travelling perspective. Well, how else
are we going to have the resolve to actually do them?
I will not blow my student loan (again!)
Instead of jetting off to some far off country, this year I
am going to make an effort to explore closer to home. I
haven’t properly been to Wales or Scotland let alone the
majority of Europe. Let’s not forget that the UK has some
magical places waiting to be discovered. A cosy youth
hostel in the nearby Peak District might be a perfect
winter weekend.
travel
CITY REVIEW:
MARRAKECH
- Katie Cook
WHERE
Marrakech in Morocco, just 3 and a half hours
away from the UK, is the perfect destination for
a short break easily done on a student budget.
Situated near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains,
Marrakech is truly a world away from our own.
WHEN
The best time to go is between November and
March, as it is less busy, cheaper and temperatures
average 20oC instead of the sweltering summer
UVYTZVMV*
COST
The exchange rate is 13 dirham to the pound
HUK HZ HU L_HTWSL (YHIPJ ÅH[IYLHK JVZ[Z Q\Z[
1 dirham, meaning that eating out is cheap. Also
a good and authentic tagine in the restaurants
located in the main square, Djeema el-Fna, can be
had for as little as £5. Street food, such as calamari,
cous cous, barbequed meat and sweet pastries, is
L]LU JOLHWLY HUK ZOV\SK KLÄUP[LS` IL ZHTWSLK
Staying in a beautiful riad, a traditional Moroccan
town-house often complete with plunge pool and
rooftop terrace, won’t set you back either. Prices
per person per night are around £15 with breakfast
included. Cheaper accommodation can be found
at basic hostels from £3 a night but these are not
as comfortable. Excluding souk shopping, which
can mount up, you can easily get by on £15-25
per day.
WHY
Quite simply, visiting Marrakech is an experience
like no other. The atmosphere, people, culture,
history, sights and smells make for a heady
experience that you will fondly remember and
heartily recommend.
STAY
We stayed at the friendly Riad Balkisse in the
height of summer, just 2 minutes from the
main
square, without a reservation. Balkisse
is the perfect place to stay and provides a great
continental breakfast (www.riad-balkisse.com).
TOP
TIPS

I will get healthy
In trips that I make this year I am going to treat my body
better. If you are in the area try getting detoxed in one of
India’s holy towns. Pushkar has alcohol, meat and eggfree regulations to help detox your body and mind. For
a less spiritual (and closer to home) experience why not
[Y``V\YOHUKH[Z\YÄUNH[5L^X\H`»Z-PZ[YHSILHJOMVYH
full-on work out.
I will make a difference
Travelling gives me the opportunity to help change the
situations that many people suffer in the poorer parts of
the world. Overseas volunteering, though a contested
PZZ\LJHU IL O\NLS` ILULÄJPHS [V V[OLYZ HUK H JOHUJL
to experience local life and culture. However, I’ll make
sure the work I choose doesn’t compromise the locals’
independence and that I’m properly trained and prepared.
Also by always supporting local charities wherever I go I
can really make a big difference.
I will decrease my carbon footprint
A single roundtrip to Asia causes as much pollution as
my car does for a whole year so maybe this year I am
going to compensate for the travelling I’ve done in the
WHZ[0M`V\YLHSS`^HU[[VÅ`OV^L]LYTHRLHTLUKZMVY
your air miles by staying in an eco-lodge (now in over 60
countries) or earning your keep by working on an organic
farm (check out World Wide Opportunities on Organic
Farms).
I will learn something new
I want to get the most from everywhere I travel to. From
cookery courses in Tuscany to scuba diving in Spain and
creative writing courses in San Francisco, the world of
knowledge is our oyster. A language course is an amazing
way to immerse yourself in local life and also means you
come away with more knowledge of where you lived than
simply what the main tourist attractions are.

Barter, barter, barter! I walked away with a
beautiful hand-woven rug for less than half its
original price.
Spend the evenings sampling the street food,
dancing and snake charming before relaxing
at a roof-top bar or café.
Get lost in the veritable Aladdin’s cave that is
the souk. You’ll see the backstreets and for a
2 dirham tip you can ask a local to show you
the way out.
Visit ‘Les Jardins Majorelles’, a true oasis in
the middle of a warm and often chaotic city.
Owned by the late Yves Saint Laurent, the
gardens are a must-see.
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/TRAVEL
49
BRITISH ART SHOW 7:
IN THE DAYS OF THE COMET
Over the last few months, Nottingham played host to the seventh incarnation of the British Art Show, an exhibition that
^PSS[YH]LS[V[OYLLV[OLYJP[PLZ<2PU[OLUL_[`LHY)(:PZ[OLIYPUNPUN[VNL[OLYVMJ\YYLU[)YP[PZOHY[MYVT[OLSHZ[Ä]L
years, and it showcased 39 artists at three different venues across Nottingham this winter: Nottingham Castle, Nottingham
Contemporary and the New Art Exchange.
Image by Alexander Newton
THE NEW ART
EXCHANGE
- Isabel Roth
Hyson Green’s New Art Exchange was
perhaps the most manageable of the
British Art Show venues, featuring the
work of just four artists.
The centrepiece of the exhibition was
Christian Marclay’s ‘The Clock’. With a
running time of twenty-four hours, this
painstaking project is stitched together
from thousands of visual fragments that
refer to particular times of day. Expect
the unexpected as short clips from a
]HZ[ ]HYPL[` VM ÄSTZ HWWLHY PU YHWPK
succession, expertly edited so that the
references on screen match the actual
[PTL VM KH` ;OL LII HUK ÅV^ VM [OL
piece is captivating, thanks perhaps to
the use of overlapping music. For me half
an hour slipped away unnoticed, but any
more than this and I might have started
to get overwhelmed.
Next
was
Duncan
Campbell’s
‘Bernadette’ - another visual collage that
knits together 1960s archive footage
of Bernadette Devlin, the young Irish
political-activist-turned-MP, something
which perhaps lost poignancy without
some prior knowledge.
50
Image byAlexander Newton
THE CASTLE
- Sasha Morgan Manley
Nottingham’s 17th century castle was
the perfect oxymoronic location for
this display of modern art. As I entered,
[OL SPNO[ Ä[[PUNZ OHUNPUN MYVT [OL
roof and Cullinan Richards’ art trash
(a collection of trampled canvases
and open paint pots) gave a sense of
incompletion.
6ULU[LYPUN[OLÄYZ[YVVT0OHKUVJS\L
as to what to expect, but was met by
an indecipherable video on a projector
screen. After ten minutes of watching
it become clear to me - aided by a title
WHNL HZ [OL ÄST Z[HY[LK HNHPU [OH[ 0
had been watching a walnut being burnt.
Although bizarre, more shocking was
that ten minutes had passed without my
realising.
Around the corner I was met with Michael
Fullerton’s masterful oil portraits and
Sarah Lucas’ Nud Cycladic sculptures
[OH[SVVRLKSPRLÅHII`SPTIZ4ÒPNOSPNO[
of the gallery took centre stage in this
energetic room: David Noonan’s untitled
tapestry, a stunning piece of work with
such intricate detail that should be
impossible to achieve by textile. It was
breathtaking.
Despite there being many installations
that I simply didn’t understand, ultimately
I thought it was wonderful and well-worth
a visit - even if only to test your abstract
comprehension abilities!
a
NOTTINGHAM
CONTEMPORARY
- Melanie Solomon
arts&culture
Despite setting aside my doubts about
contemporary art, there were some
things that worked and some that really
didn’t at this gallery. Maaike Schoorel’s
beautifully simple oil paintings gave me
hope that the medium which dominated
the art world for centuries might be
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Wolfgang Tillmans’ ‘Truth Study Centre’,
full of cultural noise in a museum style
WYLZLU[H[PVU ^HZ KLÄUP[LS` [OV\NO[
provoking, whilst his other piece, worlds
apart, ‘Freichswimmer’ was simply
stunning.
Haroon Mirza’s ‘Regaining a Degree of
Control’ which focussed on Ian Curtis of
Joy Division frustrated many as everyone
seemed to struggle as to how they should
go about viewing it, to understandably
comic effect.
This I can say about BAS7 at Nottingham
Contemporary: there were certainly some
pieces which had the ability to stand
alone, whereas some needed BAS7 as
a crutch to validate their existence. And
though these pieces do not bring down
the integrity of the show, I can’t help but
wonder: do the public stream into this
L_OPIP[PVU MVY P[Z OPNO WYVÄSL W\ISPJP[` VY
for its quality?
)YP[PZO(Y[:OV^YHUH[[OLZL[OYLL5V[[PUNOHT]LU\LZMYVT6J[1HU\HY` [O-VYHUL_[LUKLKYL]PL^SVN
VU[V^^^PTWHJ[UV[[PUNOHTJVTHY[Z
EDITOR’S COMMENT:
PUBLIC RECEPTION TO PUBLIC ART
With funding being such a hot topic for British art at the
moment, Impact asked members of the public for their
impressions of the exhibition, to determine whether it
really did achieve Art Council UK’s mission statement of
‘achieving great art for everyone’.
Whilst some pieces of art were repeatedly praised, particularly
‘Freichschwimmer’ by Wolfgang Tillmans at Nottingham
Contemporary, one recurring comment that was stressed was
how it was essential to have the interpretive guide to hand when
observing the art. Indeed, without it, some projects could not
be fully appreciated, and others could not be understood at all.
What is worth noting, however, is that this is an opportunity
to see iconic, world-renowned art free of charge. So if you do
manage to track down this show in future, be sure to pick up a
guide book on entry!
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/ARTS
51
a
arts&culture
BRITISH ART SHOW 7:
THE RISE OF REGIONAL ART
- Victoria Urquhart
The decision for Nottingham to host the launch of British
(Y[:OV^THYRZ[OLJ\STPUH[PVUVM[OYLL`LHYZVMÄUHUJPHS
and ideological investment in the Nottingham art scene.
This time has seen the opening of two major new galleries,
Nottingham Contemporary and the New Art Exchange, but
equally the rapid development of smaller, multifunctional
art spaces such as One Thoresby Street and the Surface
.HSSLY` HZ ^LSS HZ [OL PUÄS[YH[PVU VM IYVHKLY J\S[\YHS
events into Nottingham society: the Mela, Light Night, and
Splendour music festival.
Still, Nottingham is just one of many cities that have recently
been placed on the cultural map through arts investment. In
his now infamous ‘Blitzkrieg on Arts’ article in The Guardian
in October, Nicholas Serota, director of Tate, cited the Lowry
in Salford and the Sage at Gateshead, alongside our own
Nottingham Contemporary as examples of the transformative
power of art in regional communities.
Although I would never berate any investment in the arts, and
I agree that cities are better for wider cultural initiatives, there
is an underlying arrogance in the assumption that we should all
be desperately proud of these recent investments. Considering
that most galleries and museums are funded in some way by
the Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport
(DCMS), which in turn is funded by taxpayers countrywide, why
should there be so much fuss about having great art outside of
London? Sadly, Serota’s article acts alongside the many reviews
of British Art Show 7 that seem to treat the exhibition like some
kind of cultural colonialism: new galleries in the regions are
presumed to have a civilizing effect on us poor provincial oiks,
and we in turn are expected to be grateful we were thought of
at all.
52
However, the older sibling attitude of London galleries has
since come under scrutiny following the revelation that the cuts
Z\MMLYLKI`+*4:¶H[V[HSVM^PSSIHYLSÌLMLS[I`;H[L
the British Museum, and the National Gallery. Indeed, cuts to
the budgets of these huge London institutions will be limited
[V V]LY Ä]L `LHYZ HUK L_[LUZPVU ^VYR VU [OL ;H[L HUK
British Museum will continue as planned. This leaves the brunt
of the cuts to be taken by the Arts Council, one of the leading
providers of funding for arts institutions outside of London. All
three galleries playing host to BAS7 in Nottingham list the Arts
Council as a main source of funding, which combined with local
council cuts suggests that there could end up being an even
NYLH[LYÄUHUJPHSKP]PKLIL[^LLUHY[ZPU3VUKVUHUK[OLYLZ[VM
the country.
Despite these reservations about the manner in which the
Nottingham art scene has developed and concerns over its
future, there can be no question that it has been successful.
5V[[PUNOHT*VU[LTWVYHY`YLJLU[S`YLSLHZLK]PZP[VYÄN\YLZMVY
P[ZÄYZ[`LHYZOV^PUNHTHZZP]LPUJYLHZLVU[OLWYLKPJ[LK
ÄN\YLZHUK0JHUVUSÒVWL[OH[[OLUH[PVUHSH[[LU[PVUIYV\NO[
by BAS7 will ensure that this continues. The three institutions
that we now have represent diversity that even the strictest
funding assessor must respect: The Castle with its respect for
decorative arts, Contemporary with its sheer amount of space,
and the New Art Exchange in Hyson Green, dedicated to Black
and Asian art. Of course all of these things could be found in
the capital, but what truly makes Nottingham, and by extension
regional art, special is that they work together within a far
smaller geography. Whereas the presence of London galleries
threatens to be diluted in the sprawling metropolis, these three
institutions act as cultural beacons, uniting different areas of the
city. Elephant and Castle couldn’t be linked with Bloomsbury
in the same way that Hyson Green is now linked to the Lace
Market, and it is the transformative power of these links which
London is yet to learn.
a
arts&culture
iART
- Anne Moore
Once upon a time the use of
technology within the art world was
a certain formula for controversy. In
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Cybernetic Serendipity, an exhibition
of computer-aided art. In response
Robert Melville, art critic for the new
statesmen, labelled this as ‘the end
of abstract art’, arguing that ‘when
machines can do it, it will not be worth
doing’. Indeed, critics used to believe
that technology would kill creativity,
but today this fear belongs to the
past. Technology has assimilated itself
within the art world, becoming the
new medium for artistic expression.
Each one of us uses a computer or a
phone to enhance our work life and
communication on a daily basis. So
why would this be any different for an
artist?
David Hockney is an example of an
artist who has fully embraced the digital
age. Visitors to Hockney’s new Paris
exhibition ‘Fleurs Fraîches’ can see his
work, presented not on a traditional
canvas, but upon a series of iPads set
into the wall. Hockney’s aim as an artist
remains the same; his pictures attempt
[VJHW[\YLHZWLJPÄJTVTLU[PU[PTL@L[
this technology brings a new immediacy
to his work, allowing him to share his
pictures with friends moments after their
completion. The speed of this distribution
is mimicked within the exhibition itself.
Each screen is constantly refreshed,
changing to a different picture and a
different moment. For Hockney the iPad
offers a whole new way of creating and
viewing art.
These products make sharing digital
art simple, a fact that attracts artists
like Hockney. Online communities also
appeal to advocates of this new medium.
Websites like deviantART let artists selfpublish their own work, just as writers
often self-publish through online blogs.
Members of this particular website
commonly share images with each
other: an artist may use someone else’s
photograph as a backdrop, placing their
own creation within the setting. These
communities encourage and promote
the generation of new work. A quick
browse on the internet will offer a world
of free tutorials, giving software help and
tips for beginners.
Closer to home lies Nottingham
University’s own art society where one
member, David Kingaby, uses a drawing
tablet during life drawing sessions. He
attributes the popularity of this art form to
technical advances in the last few years.
New computers have a higher amount of
pixels, meaning that artists can achieve
a greater level of detail. David currently
^VYRZ ^P[O H >HJVT 0U[\VZ [OL
newest line of tablets available from this
Japanese company.
I spoke to David in order to learn more
about this creative process. “It was
surprisingly easy to get used to,” he
said, “but the advanced options really
take some learning. It’s just like regular
paintings, the time I spend drawing
depends on the piece. The difference is
that with digital there’s no drying time and
you can undo any mistakes, so there’s no
need to be so careful”.
Perhaps for some artists the tactile
process of painting can never be replaced
by a computer screen. I wondered if David
was still drawn to use these traditional
materials. “This September I bought my
ÄYZ[ZRL[JOIVVRPU[OYLL`LHYZ¹OLZHPK
“I like it, but I can’t imagine going back.
It’s like writing a 3,000 word essay, you’d
use a computer. Paper art is all but a
thing of the past. In the videogame and
movie production worlds; it’s just not fast
enough.”
Blagger’s Guide to…
ULYSSES
-Emma Prescott
Ulysses. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher,
isn’t it? Well, fear not, help is at hand!
Firstly, the whole novel (yes, all
VKK WHNLZ ^YP[[LU I` 1HTLZ
1V`JL VUS` VJJ\YZ V]LY OV\YZ
concerning an average day. It is
broken into eighteen chapters,
each one directly corresponding to
a chapter from Homer’s ‘Odyssey’.
Furthermore, each chapter uses
a different narrative technique hence why it seems easy to read at
ÄYZ[HUK[OLUÅPLZVMMPU[VYLHTZVM
unpunctuated prose.
Mirroring Homer’s classic tome,
Ulysses portrays the modern-day
Odysseus in all his ordinariness and
faults, but is given the name Leopold
Bloom. In response to Homer, Joyce
Z\NNLZ[Z[OH[[OL.YLLRZ^LYLÅH^LK
and weak. Bloom’s Spanish wife, Molly
is unfaithful to her husband, mirroring
Odysseus’ Penelope. Stephen Dedalus
PZHºZVU»ÄN\YL[V)SVVTHUKPU[\YU
mirrors Telemachus.
Fundamentally, Ulysses pioneers the
‘stream-of-consciousness’ technique,
where sentences are written as if
as thoughts, devoid of traditional
punctuation. However, if you’d like
to break into the iconic works of
Joyce slowly, A Portrait of the Artist
as a Young Man is an excellent place
[V Z[HY[ HUK HSZV PUJS\KLZ V\Y ÄYZ[
introduction to Stephen Dedalus.
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/ARTS
53
WORST
ALBUM
BEST ALBUM
WINNER
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM –
THIS IS HAPPENING
RUNNERS UP
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
The National – High Violet
Eminem - Recovery
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
WINNER
JUSTIN BIEBER –
MY WORLD 2.0
RUNNERS UP
BEST ARTIST
Scouting for Girls - Everybody Wants to be on TV
Susan Boyle – The Gift
Miley Cyrus – Can’t be Tamed
Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
WORST
ARTIST
IMPACT MUSIC
This month, Impact scoured the corridors of Portland to
hunt out you budding music enthusiasts. We needed to
ÄUKV\[ÔV`V\[OV\NO[THKL\W[OLILZ[HUK^VYZ[
VM[OLT\ZPJHSZWLJ[Y\TVM(S[OV\NO^LTH`
have received a few set-backs along the way
and a few unwelcome responses to our prying
(“Excuse me, are you interested in music?”
“No”), we’ve managed to put together
a pretty diverse selection of award
winners. Coming straight from the
mouths of Nottingham University
students, here are the winners
and a shortlist of runnersup for the Impact
Music Awards
¯
WINNER
JUSTIN BIEBER
RUNNERS UP
Hadouken!
Chipmunk
Brandon Flowers
Guns n’ Roses
WINNER
ARCADE FIRE
RUNNERS UP
Tinie Tempah
Vampire Weekend
The XX
LCD Soundsystem
music
WINNER
BOMBAY BICYCLE
CLUB
RUNNERS UP
The XX
Ellie Goulding
Plan B
The Drums
KATY PERRY
RUNNERS UP
Florence and the Machine
Lady Gaga
M.I.A.
Brandon Flowers
WINNER
LADY GAGA
RUNNERS UP
Florence and the Machine
1\Z[PU)PLILY
Beth Ditto
Darwin Deez
BIGGEST
DOUCHE
WORST
DRESSED
WINNER
WINNER
LOUIS WALSH
RUNNERS UP
1LK^HYK
Dappy from N-Dubz
Kanye West
Axl Rose
AWARDS 2010
BEST
DRESSED
BREAKTHROUGH
ARTIST
m
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/MUSIC
55
m
music
MUSICAL PREDICTIONS FOR 2011
As we turn over into a new year, what’s in store? Will we ditch the dubstep for a pop-punk revival? Is indie on its way out in
favour of psychedelic post-hardcore, or “Psych-core”, if you will? Our interesting suggestions aside, here’s what our contributors thought…
THE ELECTRONIC
SONG-WRITER
My tips for new year are two
THSLZPUNLYZVUN^YP[LYZ¶VU
the surface hardly reinventing the wheel, but there’s a
key difference: the utilization of electronics. Jamie
Woon has been lurking for
a few years but looks ready
to break, having seen heavy
Radio 1 support for his recent
single ‘Night Air’. Other tracks
such as ‘Wayfaring Stranger’
demonstrate a keen use of
multi-layering and looping,
being paradoxically both
warm and chilling at the same
time. James Blake has been
far more versatile in 2010,
having branched into ambient,
jazz and electronic sounds
throughout three EP releases.
Blake’s reworking of Feist’s
‘Limit To Your Love’ was
phenomenal during his recent
appearance at Stealth and
is being touted as one of the
standout tracks of the year.
Blake’s album sees release
in February whilst Woon is
W\[[PUN[OLÄUPZOPUN[V\JOLZ
to his debut LP, and both look
set to leave an indelible mark
on 2011.
56
ALBUM PREVIEW
2011 is truly shaping up to be
a brilliant year for music. We
have already been promised
new material from reformed
bands like No Doubt and
Blink-182, hotly anticipated
second albums from Fleet
Foxes and Lykke Li, and
the long awaited return of
Aphex Twin. Speaking of long
awaited returns, we mustn’t
forget Dr Dre’s ‘Detox’, which
has taken almost 10 years
to complete. And if the hype
surrounding his latest album
wasn’t colossal enough,
Kanye West is due to release
an album with Jay Z entitled
‘Watch The Throne’. However for me, the music event
of 2011 will belong to the
unavoidable Lady Gaga with
the release of her next album
‘Born This Way’. Other releases that deserve a mention include Cut Copy’s ‘Zonoscope’
which should build upon the
synth-pop master class that
was ‘In Ghost Colours’, Panda
Bear’s ‘Tomboy’, and the
currently untitled new release
from The Strokes.
Gabriel Szatan
James Smyllie
MANCHESTER’S NEW
SCENE
THE RETURN OF THE
GUITAR
Manchester has always had
a strong sense of musical
heritage; home to Factory
Records, the Hacienda and
‘Madchester’, the city has
certainly left its stamp upon
modern music. The Radchester or Post-Parka scene is
continuing the line left by Joy
Division, The Fall and The
Smiths, an addition that has
been anticipated ever since
Oasis’ peak in the late-nineties. This scene has produced
such bands as Delphic,
Everything Everything and
Hurts; however, in my opinion
the more interesting bands
are yet to break through and
are poised to take 2011 by
storm. Firstly, Egyptian Hip
Hop; their fusing of post-punk
and new-rave echoes and
merges the sounds of Late of
the Pier, Foals and the Cure.
Also we have WU LYF; they
are as enigmatic as they are
brilliant, melding the sounds
of Nick Cave with Afrobeat.
Once again it would seem that
Manchester is on the brink of
a new generation and genre of
music.
The Vaccines and Mona lead a
guitar-laden backlash against
»ZÄ_H[VU^P[OZÙ[OHUK
automated drum beats. The
Vaccines will be coming to
Nottingham soon, playing the
prestigious opening slot of
the NME Awards tour that has
previously been inhabited by
bands such as Coldplay and
Mystery Jets. They have been
compared to The Ramones
for their frenetic energy - their
ÄYZ[ZPUNSLº>YLJRPU»)HY
(Ra Ra Ra)’ is two minutes
of unbridled emotion and
catchy as hell. Mona provide
a throwback to classic rock,
with catchy riffs and heartfelt
lyrics; the band’s front man,
Nick Brown, proudly claims
“if it lacks passion, it’s not
real.” The two bands take their
stand against modern day music with The Vaccines refusing
to accept cyber-space until
becoming signed (by Marshal
Teller Records) and Mona
creating hype and intrigue by
limiting their music’s publicity.
In 2011, look no further than
these two bands for epic rock
n’ roll.
Ben James
Nicholas Batty
zz
s
science
ARE DREAMS
DEFUNCT?
- Settit Beyene
zz
In this day and age, we are no closer
to ascertaining whether dreams are
advantageous to the longevity of
the human race, or indeed whether
they serve any function at all. This is
reinforced by the fact that few are able
to recall their dreams after waking,
leading us to believe that they may
UV[ L]LU IL ILULÄJPHS /V^L]LY Q\Z[
because dreams appear to serve
no biological purpose now does not
TLHU [OH[ [OL` UL]LY KPK ILMVYL" [OL
appendix, the sinuses and wisdom
teeth are all body parts which via
evolution have become obsolete but
were once upon a time integral to the
prolongation of our race.
One possible use of dreams propagated
by cultural lore is that dreams aid us
in problem solving and, having no
immediate access to our subconscious,
we are provided with the solutions
through the metaphor and symbolism
within our dreams. Dreams are never
straightforward representations of our
issues, but could be considered symbolic
and furtively encoded with the answers to
our problems. This ties in with the fact that
we experience more negative emotions
than positive ones in our dreams, the
most common emotion experienced
being anxiety. Freud believed that the
purpose of dreams was to ward off sleep
deprivation; when we dream we are
purposefully made oblivious to external
and internal stimuli in the form of noise
or light (external) and strong negative
feelings like fear, anger and resentment
(internal), which may disrupt our sleep.
In spite of what Freud believed,
dreams may not be the product of the
manifestation of repressed wishes or
emotions. However, we are still uncertain
HZ [V [OLPY ZPNUPÄJHUJL PU KHPS` SPML
especially when considering different
dream states and the content of dreams.
zz
z
Most dreams are nonsensical, lending
no clue as to their importance within the
grand scheme of things, especially when
comparing two or more people’s dreams.
As dream symbols have no universal
meaning, the same symbol may appear
to two different people, but would have
totally disparate meanings due to the fact
that no two brains are genetically alike
and each has had a unique experience of
the world.
So, whilst we still have yet to determine
the role dreams play within our lives, the
fact that everyone dreams indicates that,
in some way perhaps, dreams may have
been or still are conducive to our lives.
Conversely, the function of dreams would
be more telling if only a select group of
people experience them. Blind people
are still capable of dreaming and if they
were born blind, then their dreams rely
more on the senses of touch, taste, smell
and sound. Furthermore, a vast array
of known and unknown characters are
shown to populate our dreams, all of
whom we have actually met in real life
at some point. A man from whom you
bought ice cream last summer could
HJ[\HSS` VJJ\W` H ZWLJPÄJ YVSL PU `V\Y
dream; the attributes which we delegate
unto these characters are supposedly
different aspects of ourselves projected
onto others.
We experience Rapid Eye Movement
(REM) sleep approximately 80 minutes
after we fall asleep, in which time our
bodies are paralysed to prevent us
from physically enacting our dreams,
lest we cause ourselves harm. A study
carried out by the British Cheese Board
discovered that cheese, rather than
inducing nightmares, gives us a good
night’s sleep due to the presence of
a stress-reducing amino acid called
tryptophan. Volunteers who participated
in this study also reported that eating
certain types of cheeses before bedtime
NH]L [OLT ZWLJPÄJ KYLHTZ" Z[PS[VU
cheese apparently gave the most
outlandish dreams whilst British Brie is a
more appropriate snack if one is looking
to experience relaxing dreams.
Dreams are wonderfully complex and
beautifully pointless at the present.
Few are able to deduce the objective of
dreams in humans and animals. Though
many theories have been pushed forward
thus far, we should not dismiss dreams
as being obsolete just yet.
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/SCIENCE
57
s
science
WHAT WOMEN DON’T KNOW
ABOUT THEIR WOMB
- Bethany Moos
National chlamydia rates are currently
between two and six percent. Everyone
has heard of chlamydia despite a
relatively low prevalence rate. One in
MV\Y^VTLUOH]LÄIYVPKZI\[ÔLU0
HZRLK Z[\KLU[Z ÔL[OLY [OL` OHK
OLHYK VM [OLT ILMVYL VUS` Ä]L OHK
Although they sound like something
MYVT H ZJPÄ ÄST ÄIYVPKZ HYL ]LY`
T\JOMHJ[HUKUV[ÄJ[PVU
What are Fibroids?
Fibroids are benign, or non-cancerous,
tumours that grow in the womb lining
and may also be called myomas or
leiomyomas. Leiomyoma comes from
the Greek word ‘leios’ meaning smooth,
ºT`Z» TLHUPUN T\ZJSL HUK [OL WYLÄ_
‘oma’ meaning a swelling; hence the
KLÄUP[PVUVMHZTVV[OT\ZJSL[\TV\Y
There are three main types, which are
JSHZZPÄLK HJJVYKPUN [V [OLPY SVJH[PVU PU
the lining of the womb; they can either
grow from the inside wall of the womb
and project inwards, grow from the
outside wall into the abdomen, or grow
within the wall itself. They vary in size,
but can grow to the width of a melon.
The vast majority of other mammals
KVU»[KL]LSVWÄIYVPKZI\[PU[LYLZ[PUNS`H
high prevalence has been noted in Baltic
Gray seals.
Approximately 25% of women of
JOPSKILHYPUNHNLOH]LÄIYVPKZHUK[OL`
are 2-3 times more common in women
of African-Caribbean descent. There
are two hormones called oestrogen and
progesterone that occur at higher levels
in women of a reproductive age, and it
is thought that these could be stimulants
for the growth of these uterine tumours.
Fibroids tend to shrink naturally after the
menopause as the hormone levels drop.
There are many other factors that can
predispose a woman to the development
VM ÄIYVPKZ PUJS\KPUN ILPUN V]LY^LPNO[
taking the oral contraceptive pill and a
degree of genetic involvement.
58
What to look out for
;OL THQVYP[` VM ÄIYVPKZ KVU»[ OH]L H
detrimental effect on daily life, hence
THU` ^VTLU TH` OH]L ÄIYVPKZ HUK IL
unaware of it. They can be associated
with a variety of symptoms including,
Heavy or painful periods
Bloating or swelling
Passing urine more often than usual
Constipation
Pain during sex
Problems conceiving and a risk of
miscarriage
0UYHYLJHZLZSHYNLÄIYVPKZJHUHMMLJ[H
woman’s ability to conceive. It is believed
[OH[ P[ PZ THPUS` [OL ÄIYVPKZ [OH[ HMMLJ[
the environment of the womb that are
associated with infertility.
0U [OL JV\YZL VM H WYLNUHUJ` ÄIYVPKZ
can cause a series of damaging events
to both the mother and the foetus. They
can induce an early labour, cause the
baby to be incorrectly positioned in
the womb and also warrant a birth by
caesarean section, as well other serious
complications.
(YL[OL`YLHSS`ÄIYVPKZ&
If a woman experiences the symptoms
above, it is advisable to visit the GP.
( KPHNUVZPZ JHU IL JVUÄYTLK I` H
transvaginal scan, which involves using
a laparoscope to inspect the outside of
the womb or a hysteroscope to examine
the womb from the inside. A sample may
be taken for analysis in a laboratory.
How are Fibroids treated?
Fibroids can be managed with drugs
to reduce their size and if these fail
to alleviate the symptoms, a range of
other options are available. The surgical
YLTV]HSVMÄIYVPKZPZJHSSLKT`VTLJ[VT`
and is a procedure that has been carried
out for over 150 years.
Although there are many treatments
H]HPSHISL MVY ÄIYVPKZ P[ PZ JVTTVU MVY
them to recur, hence the only effective
cure is to completely remove the womb.
Whilst this eradicates all the symptoms,
this option doesn’t suit women who wish
to have children.
:[\KLU[Z [OH[ HYL H^HYL VM ÄIYVPKZ
probably think that they are not of any
real relevance to them. Indeed, it is
\UJVTTVU MVY ÄIYVPKZ [V IL WYLZLU[
in women in their twenties, but not
unheard of, and there have been
HJJV\U[Z VM ÄIYVPKZ PU HKVSLZJLU[Z 0M
women experience any of the symptoms
above, they shouldn’t be afraid to seek
assistance from their GP.
s
VOLCANOES OR WHAT
LIES BENEATH...
science
- Arnd Korn
If you haven’t lived under a
YVJRMVY[OLWHZ[TVU[OZ`V\
would have heard of the eruption
of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic
system in Iceland (a.k.a. Eyjafjöll
]VSJHUVPU(WYPS;OLTLKPH
covered the event mainly due to
the considerable disruption of
JP]PS HUK TPSP[HY` HPY [YHMÄJ ;OL
grounding of the better part of
,\YVWL»Z ÅLL[ MVY ZL]LYHS KH`Z
led some to speculations about
that volcanic eruption being the
]LY`ÄYZ[JHYIVUUL\[YHSVUL
What you probably haven’t heard
about is the 60 different volcanoes
that erupt over the course of a
year. At any moment, some 20
eruptions can be detected, of
which 17 are expected from the
track records of the past 20 years.
These semi-permanently erupting
‘old faithfuls’ are complemented
by three ‘surprise eruptions’
like Eyjafjöll, who was dormant
since the 19th century. In midNovember, scientists reported on
WVZZPISL THNTH ÅV^Z SLHKPUN
[V ÅHUR 4HYJO HUK Z\TTP[
LY\W[PVUZ (WYPS )\[ OV^ JHU
you be expected to get a grasp
of the processes that are beneath
the Earth’s crust when mines only
explore up to 3 km, and holes can
only drill 12 km deep? Contrast
that with our planet’s radius
Q\Z[ MHSSPUN ZOVY[ VM RT HUK
YLTLTILY [OH[ * OV[
magma comes from a zone 100200 km below the surface!
The key lies in using a number
of
different
measurement
methods exploring, for example,
the propagation of earthquake
waves with seismic stations
and surface deformation with
satellite radar. The data collected
with these methods proved to
be amenable to mathematical
modelling. As a result of that,
one can gain understanding of
phenomena which are physically
inaccessible and hence prevented
from direct observation. Such
multidisciplinary efforts can not
only bring a better understanding
of the Earth itself but also highlight
differences to other planets.
WEIRD but
TRUE FACTS
wtf!
1kg of honey is made from bees visiting more than four million flowers
There are 4 sunken nuclear submarines at the bottom of the Atlantic
Ocean
Coca-Cola is the biggest consumer of sugar in the world
More than 80% of the earth’s surface is volcanic in origin
Two thirds of the world population have never seen snow
The Eiffel Tower shrinks up to 15cm in extreme cold weather
At -800c your breath solidifies and falls to the ground
Carrots were originally purple but have been bred to be orange
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/SCIENCE
59
n
nights
MIRAGE RE-OPENING
-Caitlin Jones
GOING
OUT
4VUKH`5V]LTILYUKZH^[OLYLSH\UJOVM4PYHNLPU[OL
venue that was once home to one of Nottingham’s favourite
student nightclubs - Isis. Having attended on Wednesdays
YLSPNPV\ZS`K\YPUNT`ÄYZ[`LHY[OLJSHZZPSÙHTLK4PYHNL
had an awful lot to live up to.
Aesthetics & Atmosphere
Built in a car park, Mirage has room for improvement. However,
[OLJPYJ\SHYSH`V\[PUZPKLTHKLP[NYLH[MVYÄUKPUN`V\YMYPLUKZ
VU [OL KHUJL ÅVVY ;OL T\ZPJ JVU[YPI\[LK [V [OL MYPLUKS`
atmosphere as it is provided by DJ Vimto, who we all know and
love from cheesy Ocean Friday nights.
Drinks
Event organiser Andy Smith informed Impact that “the only
criticism people had was about the price of Jaeger bombs,
which will now be lowered.”
Promos and prices
Andy intends to provide the same drinks deals as Cr-Isis on a
Wednesday - and who can complain with a double vodka being
a mere £2? In addition, AU, Karni and Week One card holders
YLJLP]LK MYLL LU[Y` KLZWP[L P[ ILPUN HU º\UVMÄJPHS» <UP]LYZP[`
night.
All in all, Monday night did not disappoint. The whiplashPUK\JPUN^HS[aLYZHUK[OL[VWSLZZTLYTHPKÄN\YPULYLTPUKLK\Z
why we loved this place. Mirage’s slight downfall was the taxis
H[ [OL LUK VM [OL UPNO[ 4PYHNL»Z Å`LYZ WYVTPZLK [OL` ^V\SK
arrange set prices back to Lenton, however, some people were
being charged up to £10 for the 5 minute journey. Despite this, a
great night was had by all, whether reliving the Isis days of their
ÄYZ[`LHYVY[Y`PUNV\[4PYHNLMVY[OL]LY`ÄYZ[[PTL
Similar to generic nightclubs, the drinks on offer ranged from
spirits and mixers to bottled drinks such as VKs and beers.
DINING
OUT
HART’S HOTEL RESTAURANT
-Lucinda Richardson
Walking through the glass doors of Harts
from the snowy streets of Nottingham
you transgress an unseen boundary into
a world of plush velvet sofas and serenity.
Certainly, the children in The Lion, The
Witch and The Wardrobe jumped at the
chance to magic themselves to a snowenveloped world from their luxurious
home, but Lenton, sadly, is no Narnia.
The prospect of escaping an icy Derby
Road for a couple of hours in what has
twice been voted Nottingham’s best
restaurant consequently offers fantastic
potential.
Staff at Harts are impeccably dressed
in pastel blue shirts with golden ties - a
particularly appropriate colour choice
considering the menu’s prices. A small
NSHZZVMOV\ZLYLKJVZ[ZHJVJH
cola £2. A three course set menu Sunday
lunch sets you back by £22. There is
also the 12% service charge that doesn’t
even bother to disguise itself in the small
print - why would it when the smell of
money is just as strong throughout the
restaurant as the rich gravy reduction
accompanying the roasts? Not that the
service doesn’t merit it. A large front-ofhouse team ensures that everyone feels
they receive individual attention.
60
Freshly baked bread was served to us
as we sat calculating the average age
of diners (about sixty) and analysing the
seasonally-inspired menu. The choices
are not extensive but there was enough
]HYPL[`PU[OLKPZOLZVUVMMLY[VYLÅLJ[VU
the innovation of Claridge’s-trained head
chef, Tom Earl. The starters appeared
almost instantly, my smoked salmon with
beetroot purée looking profoundly more
appetising than my companion’s chicken
terrine with pineapple chutney (the latter
appearing a little like lumpy Whiskas).
The roast beef served in a giant Yorkshire
pudding on a bed of caramelised
cabbage and horseradish hollandaise
was an entirely different affair. I ordered
rare, my companion well-done and Harts
delivered on both. Dessert options were
KPZHWWVPU[PUN ¶ JOLZ[U\[ TV\ZZL VY
espresso parfait? Perhaps they suited
the aged palettes of our co-diners, but
sadly I fail to get excited by descriptions
omitting the terms ‘chocolate’ or ‘sticky’.
When your parents come to visit, turn the
heating off, move your food to a friend’s
cupboard, plead starvation then perhaps
bring up this restaurant. If you love a
SP[[SLÄULKPUPUNHUKHYLWYLWHYLKMVY[OL
prices there’s no reason at all why you
too wouldn’t heart Harts.
n
nights
OUT
A NIGHT IN IS THE
NEW NIGHT OUT
-Rachel Boyle
NOT GOING
0[»Z[OH[[PTLVM`LHYHNHPU1HU\HY`[OLJVSKZOVY[Z\USP[
days, when the memories of Christmas have now almost
MHKLK PU[V H KPZ[HU[ TLTVY` -VY \Z Z[\KLU[Z 1HU\HY` PZ
also the beginning of a month of stress, deadlines, revision,
and hearing that dreaded exam chat in Hallward. Don’t let
[OL1HU\HYÌS\LZNL[`V\KVÛ5VKV\I[[OLTHQVYP[`VM
us students will be promising to replace nights out with
nights in this month in the hope of getting more work done.
From past experiences, we know that these attempts are
ultimately doomed to fail.
But staying in really is the new going out. Yes, what I am
proposing may seem a crazy suggestion, but never fear keeping you sane by keeping you sociable is my mantra. Exam
time doesn’t mean you should stop living; there are plenty
of ways to take your mind off the doom and gloom of those
impending exams. Staying in can be great fun, and it doesn’t
come complete with an obligatory hangover.
Food provides an excellent excuse to chill out with friends. Why
not spice things up a bit and add a competitive edge to cooking
with a Ready, Steady, Cook style challenge? Be as creative
HZ`V\JHU^P[OQ\Z[Ä]LPUNYLKPLU[Z0M[OLJVTWL[P[P]LULZZVM
cooking doesn’t take your fancy, a more relaxed Come Dine
With Me evening could be for you. The ingredients needed here
include a few friends, good food and lots of laughter. Make your
competition last throughout the January period - you might
even save yourself a few pennies.
Old school games are always a winner; get out board games
like Monopoly or, for the more agile, Twister. Alternatively, make
\W`V\YVÛNHTLZ¶NYHIZVTLWVZ[P[UV[LZHUKW\[UHTLZ
on them, putting one on each of your housemate’s heads. The
^PUULYPZ[OLVULÔVN\LZZLZÔV[OLÒH]LVU[OLPYOLHKÄYZ[
naturally with some good prompting from those involved ... oh,
and a fair bit of wine! Or how about playing virtual games whilst
getting rid of that excess Christmas weight? Have a ‘sporty’
night in with a Wii Fit or dance mat.
If you’re feeling guilty for going out shopping at this all important
time, how about doing it in the comfort of your own home? No,
I’m not talking about online shopping… I’m talking about a night
in, swapping clothes. Gather some garments you wouldn’t mind
giving away, meet at someone’s house with friends, and swap
them. It’s a great way of getting new clothes without the guilt of
spending money. A bargain night in if ever there was one.
Don’t let the dark, gloomy winter days of January and the
anxiety of exams get you down. Staying could be your secret to
a saner existence!
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM/NIGHTS
61
61
Winter Warmers Menu
by Angus Drummond
r
e
t
r
a
st
LEEK AND BUTTERNUT
SQUASH SOUP
main
SHEPHERD’S PIE
t
r
e
s
des
CHOCOLATE BANANAS
AND CUSTARD
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS

200g butternut squash, peeled and
chopped
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[HISLZWVVUZ WHYZSL` ÄULS`
chopped
[HISLZWVVUZJOP]LZÄULS`JOVWWLK
2 teaspoons sugar
800ml vegetable stock
Large knob of butter
200ml double cream
Salt and pepper to taste

500g lamb mince
1 tin chopped tomatoes
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Knob of butter
1 large red onion
Generous splash Worcester sauce
1 tablespoon tomato puree (or tomato
ketchup!)
1 teaspoon mustard
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6 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
DIRECTIONS
1.
1.
Slowly melt the butter in a large pan
on a low heat. Once melted, gently
fry the butternut squash and leeks
until golden. Add in the sugar, onion
parsley, chives and salt and pepper.
Put the lid on the pan and allow
it to cook on a low heat for about
twenty minutes. This will allow the
vegetables to sweat and release
their juices.
2. Add the vegetable stock and allow
the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Pour the soup into a liquidiser to
make it smooth! You may need
to do this in a couple of batches,
depending on how big your liquidiser
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lumps left!
Now return the soup to the pan,
reheat over a low heat and add the
double cream.
5. Serve in warmed bowls with a sprig
of fresh parsley and some warm
crusty bread.
Approx price = £5
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quantities and freeze the extra for a rainy
day.
62
Melt the butter in a frying pan and add
the onions. Once browned, add the
mince and fry for 5 mins or until the
mince is browned and cooked.
2. Add the Worcester sauce, stir, and
add the carrots, mustard and tomato
puree. Fry for 5 minutes and then add
the chopped tomatoes. Cover the pan
and leave to cook on a low heat for 25
minutes.
3. Whilst it is cooking put the potatoes in
a pan and pour over boiling water until
all the potatoes are submerged. Add
some salt and a splash of oil and leave
to cook for twenty minutes. Once soft,
pour in the milk and add a large knob
of butter. Now mash!
Once mashed, take the mince etc and
put into a large ovenproof dish. Evenly
spread the mash potato over the top
and press with a fork. If you’re feeling
extra hungry, generously sprinkle the
top with cheddar cheese. Now place
the dish in a preheated oven (180C/
MHU * NHZ HUK IHRL MVY minutes. Serve with whatever takes
your fancy, but I often use peas, baked
beans or bread and salad.
Approx price= £10
INGREDIENTS

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2 packets of Cadburys chocolate
buttons
800g custard
Golden syrup
DIRECTIONS
1.
2.
3.
Slice the bananas down the middle
but do not cut to each end. Place
half a pack of chocolate buttons into
the banana, drizzle over with golden
syrup and wrap it in silver foil. Place
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and cook for 5 minutes or until the
chocolate has melted.
Heat the custard in a pan, be careful
not to bring to the boil.
Take the bananas out of the oven
and remove from their skin. Place
each into a bowl and generously
pour over the custard!
Approx price= £4
1
208
GRATIS
ISSUE
CONTRIBUTORS
Fiona Crosby, Rebecca Wilson, Settit
Beyene, Hannah Pupkewitz, Callum Paton,
Mea Goodall, Daniel Fine, Louis George
Hemsley, Ketan Patel, Mike Lazenby, Timothy
MacFarlan, Shaun Reeve, Becca Bell, Ellie
Blanchette, Aimee Creasey, Alex Binley,
Samantha Owen, Priyal Dadhania, Emma
Harwood, Jennifer Chattaway, Stephanie
Soh, Charlotte Rottenburg, Dipika Chauhan,
Emma-Jane Steele, Tom Grater, Isabelle
Parkin, James McAndrew, Bejamin James,
David Bruce, Richard Collett, Dan Adams,
Katie Cook, Isabel Roth, Sasha Morgan
Manley, Melanie Solomon, Anne Moore,
Emma Prescott, Gabriel Szatan, James,
Smyllie, Ben James, Nicholas Batty, Bethany
Moos, Arnd Korn, Caitlin Jones
THANKS
To Dave Jackson, Gabby DeMatteis, Matt
Turner, Jack Shields and Bruno Albutt for
^VYRPUNPU[OLPY*OYPZ[THZOVSPKH`Z[VÄUPZO
this issue on time.
To Mamar, Betsy and Peter for helping with
critical design decisions in this issue.
APOLOGIES
COVER IMAGE
To Dammy Ikeola and Laura Curtis for getting
their articles mixed up
Photographer: Bruno Albutt
Illustration: Matt Turner
Art Direction: Andrew Speer
CONTACT
The best way to contact us is via email, on
magazine@impactnottingham.com Failing
[OH[`V\JHUÄUK\Z\ZPUNÔPJOL]LYVM[OL
following details takes your fancy:
Impact Magazine, Portland Building,
University Park, University of Nottingham,
Nottingham,
NG7 2RD
;LS!
6\YVMÄJLPZPUYVVT*PU[OL7VY[SHUK
)\PSKPUNVWWVZP[L[OL,HZ[*VUJV\YZL3V\UNL
question
we ask
everyone
by Gabriella De Matteis
University: three years of your life during which the promise of a month’s Christmas holiday
doesn’t necessarily equate to a schedule full of frolicsome festivities. Oh no. For many an
HMÅPJ[LK Z[\KLU[ P[ TLHUZ ^LLR \WVU ^LLR VM TLYJPSLZZS` PU[LUZL YL]PZPVU VY V\[YHNLV\Z
amounts of coursework, depending on your discipline. Too often this page is used for mere
MVSS` ¶ JOPSKPZO X\LZ[PVUZ VM SHZO HUK IHU[LY HUK V[OLY ^VYKZ [OH[ THRL `V\ ^HU[ [V Z^LHY
an oath to cut out your eyes if you ever see them in Impact again. But no more. As the great
philosopher Spiderman’s Uncle Ben once said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
;OPZTVU[O0^PSSW\[T`WHNL[VNVVK\ZLHUKWYV]PKL[OLÄULZ[[PWZVUOV^[VMVJ\ZVU^VYR
that this University has ever seen. This one’s for you, people who sat opening your presents
on Christmas morning with the phrase ‘SEVEN THOUSAND WORDS STILL TO BE WRITTEN’
ricocheting around the inside of your poor, exhausted student skulls. This is for you, young men
HUK^VTLUÔVJHTLIHJR[V5V[[PUNOHTLHYS`[VÔPSLH^H`[OLÄYZ[WYVTPZPUNKH`ZVM
ZH[HSVULHUKPUZPSLUJLVU/HSS^HYK»ZPJ`\WWLYÅVVYZ^P[OUH\NO[I\[HK\Z[`[VTL[OLZPaL
of your head, a 60p coffee and the rattling cough of approaching pneumonia for company. This
is for the student who thinks that, for all the nights spent vomiting into the gutter somewhere
around the city centre, for all those library sessions wasted playing ‘Spot the International
Student’, for every episode of Come Dine With Me languidly consumed and for every single
mention of the words ‘Gin-induced narcolepsy’, the hope of a 2:1 is still aglow. This is for the
student who dares to believe that there is still hope for every single last wastrel among us, given
enough Relentless. This is for the student who dares to dream.
“Listen to music with no
words, anything with words
and you’re going to get
distracted. Or you’ll start
singing along, just for
something to do”
Matthew, 2nd year Biochem
“Go to the library with people
you don’t like, so you won’t
sit and talk to them all day”
Angus, 3 year English Studies
“Work for 25 minutes on, and
TPU\[LZVMM¶P[YLZL[Z`V\Y
attention span or something”
Nick, 2nd year Archaeology
“Have snacks to hand, or
you’ll just keep getting up for
food. Can’t go wrong with
Basics tortilla chips”
“Never sit on the ground
ÅVVYPU/HSS^HYK`V\»SSQ\Z[
have people coming over to
say hi all the time. Unless
you’re very unpopular”
Phil, 3rd year Maths
“Photocopy stuff, it makes
you feel really studious”
Chris, 2nd year Biochem
Ashley, 2nd year Economics
“Disconnect the internet
unless you need it. You’ll sit
refreshing Facebook if you
don’t”
“Get someone to sit with
you and make sure you’re
working, if you’re on your
own you’ll just mess
around… actually that makes
me sound weird”
Polly, 1st year History
Tim, 3rd year Management
“Keep thinking about how
disappointed you parents will
be if you fail!”
Rebecca, 3rd year English
Studies
“Buy loads of nice stationary,
post-it notes - that sort of
thing. You’ll want to use it
more”
Published by The University of
Nottingham Students’ Union
“Pro Plus is a bit cliché, so I’ll
say Ritalin”
Anna, 3rd year Politics
“If your house is cold, go to
the library or somewhere with
OLH[PUN¶ILPUNJVSK^PSSW\[
you off and make you feel
sorry for yourself”
Luissa, 1rd year History
“Find people who like you
and get them to make you tea
all day”
Samantha, 2nd year Politics
Nazia, 3rd year Politics
¸@V\»YLZ\WWVZLK[VLH[ÄZO
HYLU»[`V\&@LHO,H[ÄZO¹
Joshua, 1st year
Management
63