The Phoenix - Hills Road Sixth Form College

2 Local News 34th April 2014 | The Phoenix The Phoenix | 4th April 2014Local NewsMeet the New Student Council ContinuedAlice French: “Initially, my decisionto run for Student Councilwas a bit of an impulse one,and I almost didn’t hand in mynomination form. In the end I decidedthat I might as well go forit, because I do strongly believethat student participation in therunning of College is vital to ensurethat everyone gets the maximumpossible out of their timehere. As Vice Chair, my main jobwill be to support Stephen andhelp out with the running of theCouncil, but I’d also like to workwith the Chair to carry out someof my own policies. We hope tostart recording lunchtime lecturesto upload to Sharepoint assoon as possible, because lots ofstudents would benefit from havingimproved access to the majortalks. I would also like to followthrough my plans for some kindof Annual Speakers’ Week, wherefor five consecutive lunchtimesthe Council would organise talksAlex Moor: “Hi everyone! A few ofmy main aims for next year are towiden representation of the NUSat college, and make sure everyoneknows who they are and whatthey do - plus what you can dowith an NUS card! In addition tothis I would also like to increasepolitical awareness surroundingthe issues relating to us, andwhat we can do to change them.”from interesting and unusualspeakers, for example a pilot orchildcare specialist. I look forwardto working with Ram, thenew Charities Officer, to increasethe number of fundraising eventsin College and organise biggerevents to mark special occasionssuch as Children in Need. I willof course also keep my promiseto address the issue of the brokenlock in the girls’ toilets!”Ellie Raine: “My name is Ellie,and I am your new welfare officer.My aim this year is to fill thisposition with as much enthusiasmand commitment as I possiblycan, and to make sure thatall students enjoy their time hereat Hills Road. My role mainly involvesmaking sure students areall okay, and dealing with anyissues that come up related towelfare, equality and diversity.”Jola Maczkiewicz: “As treasurer,I will strive to carefully andsensibly manage the StudentCouncil’s finances in order tomake the money that we raisemoney go further. I will strive toensure that the Council’s fundsare allocated fairly, representthe wants of a wide studentbody and that the policies thatwe implement will be significantin making your time at Hillsmore enjoyable. I also hope toseek new opportunities for additionalfunding and sponsorshipso that we have a larger budgetLucy Williams: “My role involveslooking after our social areasand making the college moreenvironmentally sustainable.My future policies involve:1. Making sure there is a recyclingbin in every classroom andstudy space for waste paper.2. Introducing energy-savinglight bulbs to each room.3. Increasing the amount of renewableenergy sources we useat school by purchasing more solarpanels.4. Raising the awareness of onlineeditions of The PhoenixNewspaper in order to reducepaper waste and usage of ink.”to work with when organisingstudent events- this will meanthat we will be able to affordbetter acts and larger venues!”Claudia Colding: “I’m Claudiaand I’m the new CommunicationsOfficer. My main aim forthis year is to make sure thatstudents are regularly kept upto date with everything thathappens in and around the college,especially information regardingsocial events, college activities,societies and lectures.”Dong Zheng: “Although it’s notthe secretary’s role to come upwith policies , I do have a fewthat I would like to put forward.1. Live sports on TV around thecollege during major events suchas the World Cup and Wimbeldon2. More bikesheds - so bikes arenot damaged in bad weather.George Smith: “My job is to organisekey social events for thestudents at Hills Road, makingthem fun for all, with good musicand entertaining line-ups.My main aim is to organise bigger,louder and messier events.”to cut the costs of teaching, unavoidablyaffecting their desirabilityto potential students.Research carried out bythe Sixth Form Colleges Associationrevealed that FreeSchools, which can be set up byany parent or local body andare not required to have qualisuethat will not only directlyimpact teachers, but alsostudents, as Dr o’Donnell explains“the government cuts oftenlead to staff cuts in schools,which means that there are lessteachers to give students the individualattention that they need.Because each teacher will haveto do more marking, they areless likely to give regular testswhich isn’t fair on the students.”“The particular issue withHills Road is that we are teachingmore and more students inone classroom, now some classeshave up to 24 kids and this hasan impact on the workload ofteachers.” Sixth form collegessuch as Hills and Long Roadhave been particularly impactedby recent cuts, receiving lessfunding than sixth-forms withinsecondary schools. The extent ofthe damage that proposed cutswill have on the future of HillsRoad is unclear, however, KateSolomon, of the English departmentand a member of the NUT,predicts that the effects maybe severe. “Since 2010 we havegone from an annual fundingper student of almost £6000 peryear, to the £4,000 currently beingoffered, which means puttingmore students in each class andteaching more sets.” Kate believesthat this will have a detrimentaleffect on the quality of3. Cafeteria or the Costa opentill 4:30 pm , so the studentscan socialise or buy snacks.I will also try to improve communicationbetween the studentsand the school , as thiswill enhance the hills roadexperience for the students.”“This student council will bemaking huge changes to the waysocieties function in the college,and as societies officer I shall beheavily involved in these changes.I hope to introduce a moreunified collection of societieshere in the college, the currentlist location at the myhrsfc webpageincludes many now-defunctsocieties and I hope to eventuallyrectify this with a clear, definitivelist of all the student-runsocieties here at hills road, theirleaders, their respective meetingTeachers on Strike Continuedteaching. “The joy of this job is inthe daily experience of personalengagement and intellectual debatewith enthusiastic and intelligentstudents. And I doubtthis experience is sustainablein the current funding climate.”Funding for ‘fundedguided learning hours’, suchas enrichment or tutorial programmes,has been cut by 75%,which has had a serious impacton the activities and facilitiesthat sixth-form colleges canprovide. “Our students enjoy aremarkably wide range of subjectchoices, and extracurricularactivities” explains Kate, “wewant to keep offering all thesethings, but I don’t see how therooms and times for anyone whowishes to become a part of them.I look forward to working withthe other members of the councilover the next year, and creatingthe best Hills Road possible!””maths can work.” Following thechanges from the current government,almost 50% of sixthform colleges have already hadto cut courses due to a lack offunding, whilst the large majority,78%, have had to reducestaffing levels, consequentiallyincreasing class sizes. Sixthform colleges are being forcedinto making significant changesRamganesh Lakshman: “I hopeto do a wide variety of thingsnext year but I’d say my mainaim overall is to get more people(ideally everyone) in the schoolinvolved in fundraising in someway or another. I am hoping tofocus mostly on the big charityevents such as Comic/Sport reliefand Children in Need and gettingstudents involved in these.fied teachers, can receive up to£39,000 of government fundingper student, a staggering numberin comparison to the £4,000budget per student that sixthform colleges receive. For Kate,this is an extremely importantissue that she believes studentsand parents need to be awareof. “I suspect that most parentsand students don’t know aboutthe scale of funding cuts thathave taken place in the last fouryears in our sector, or its absurdities.I think few people wouldfind these figures logical or fair –but then few people know aboutthem. I’m hoping the strike willhelp to redress this.” These figurescan be put further into perspectivewhen it is consideredthat £62million has been spentcreating nine free schools, whicheducate just 1,577 pupils betweenthem, less than the numberof pupils at Hills Road alone.The general motionamongst the striking teachersis that they seek communicationand answers from the government,to prevent the welfare ofteachers and students at schoolsand colleges across the countryfrom spiralling into decline.As Dr o’Donnell summarises,“our dispute with Michael Goveis that he won’t listen to us, ortalk to us, and treats us withcontempt and indifference.”

4 The Phoenix |4th April 2014LifestyleLifestyle10 Fashion Trends Men HateBy Laura PietrzykUnfortunately, articles of thistitle, and similar titles, are acommonly seen phenomenononline and in magazines. Theyfeature seemingly endless listsof clothing items that men aresaid to hate women wearing, includingitems like high wastedshorts, trainers and hats. Somearticles go so far as to generalisewhat men look for in a partner,including specific physical andpersonality traits, often titled‘What Men Look for in Women’.Similar articles can sometimesbe found aimed at men. Why dothese articles exist? They claimto have been created in orderto help people learn what theirpotential partners want. Howeverthis apparently reasonablepurpose raises many issues.These articles help peopleto learn what they need tochange about themselves in orderto be liked and accepted bythe opposite gender. Except, enforcinginsecurities and makingpeople think that they are notgood enough is no ‘help’ at all. Itsuggests that you are only goodenough if you look, behave, anddress a certain way. Such articlesspread the message: ‘Don’twear what you want to wear orwhat makes you happy! Wearwhat someone else wants youto wear!’ They make men readingthem feel like their clothesneed to be just the right balancebetween smart and relaxed. Youneed to have masculine goodlooks, be tall and have perfectlytousled hair. Women need tolook perfect and youthful butremain natural by not wearingmakeup or very high heels butalso by not wearing trainers.Take, for instance, an articleaimed at women listingwhat men like them to look like.It is not enough that they are offensivetowards the gender theyare aimed at, they also enforcethe incorrect perception that allmen look for the same thing inwomen, that they are all onlysearching for one unachievableideal partner, and that they expectanyone who does not fitthese ideals to change. In today’ssociety should we still bestereotyping people in this way?These continuing, unrealisticlists of expectations havespread onto a new platform –youtube. Not only are there degradingarticles online and inmagazines, people are now makingvideos talking about thesethings to their viewers; most ofwhom are young. Whilst it is acceptableto talk about your personalpreferences so long as itis made clear this is what theyare, internet stars with largeaudiences need to be able to doso sensitively. Otherwise, a listof preferences becomes a list ofthings people feel pressured todo to be accepted. You must fitthese criteria! “Shave! When youhave a little peach fuzz? No. No!Or arm hair – just wax, shave!It’s the worst when there’s hair,it’s terrible.” as stated by popularinternet personality Nash Grierin his, now deleted, video ‘WhatGuys Look for in Girls’. This createsa desire for young viewersto change their appearance inorder to impress others, and createsinsecurities in an impressionable,young audience, simplybecause someone did not considershowing sensitivity and sensibilitywhen making statements.In fact, viewers and readers donot need to change themselves tofit an idea someone else has inventedof a perfect person at all.Fortunately, many peopleare standing up against the mediaputting pressure on peopleto look or behave a certain way.We still have a long way to goin eradicating this pressure butprogress has begun, and we, asa generation, should continue it.ProcrastinationBy Cammie KingHow many different excuses canyou concoct to account for yourprocrastination? 3? 4? 10? 50?Building on that, how much timedo you spend on average puttingoff doing your assignments? Iwon’t ask for details but I assumeit’s a lot, after-all just askingthese questions to myself setback this article by 20 minutes.I am in absolutely no positionto judge other people’s studyinghabits and a team of psychologistscouldn’t decipher mine, yetevery time I catch myself wastingvaluable time simply staringinto space I cannot help butwonder why I can’t just force myselfto get on with it. Did someonejust forget to tick “Sense ofself-control” when setting up mypersonality? If so is there anyway to get a refund… I’m sureI’ve got my receipt somewhere…Most people shy awayfrom the word procrastinator,it’s too hard, too judgemental,it makes us sound dirty, andin general we avoid admittingthat procrastination is a regularoccurrence rather than anoccasional lapse. To that end, astudy in 2007 by Dr Piers Steel(Author of The ProcrastinationEquation) found only 26% ofparticipants to be “Chronic procrastinators”however, estimationsof how many people actuallyprocrastinate, regularly ifnot chronically, range from 70-100%. The very stigma attachedto procrastination that tells usit is wrong is contributing toour denial, and denial reinforcesour actions in a vicious cycle.Procrastination is a selffeedingmonster, every minuteyou spend thinking about howyou are not spending your timeproperly is a minute that youhave not spent properly, whichultimately causes even morestress. There are thought to bemany reasons for procrastination,ranging from the biological(lack of development in thefrontal cortex leading to moreimpulsiveness), to the psychological(low self-esteem leadingto a perverse need to sabotageourselves), to the technological(because let’s face it Flappybirds is a gateway drug likeno other). However, I thinkthere may be a simpler root.Do you remember thatquestion I asked you a few minutesago (How many excuses doyou have?). I don’t necessarilythink that the amount of excusesyou have is the answer, but thefact that you realise they are excuses,because every minute thatyou procrastinate you are deludingyourself, believing they arereal. We’ve all been hooked inthe loop of “Just one more…” andwe’ve all scribbled essays at 3amscreaming “I work better underpressure anyway!”, but lookingback these aren’t moments totake pride from. We’re all clawingout our eyes to avoid the factthat we can see a time in ourfutures when the sun sets andwe are trapped, lost and alone,in the holes we mindlessly dug.Sure you might be the exception,but you might not. So, in thisnew state of enlightenment letus put our hands to our heartsand vow to convert into welloiled,self-controlled machines…next time…until then we canjust play Flappy birds, right?5The Phoenix | 4th April 2014 LifestyleSpring / Summer FashionPhotographs by Alexandra Farzad Photography

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10The Phoenix |4th April 2014LifestyleThe Phoenix |4th April 2014 Lifestyle11The 4 Best Places to Eat and Drink in CambridgeClaudia Codling and Lucy WIlliams share their favouritesHOT NUMBERSHot Numbers Coffee just 5 minutes from Cambridge RailStation, Hot Numbers is an independent coffee bar androastery serving high quality beverages as well as a rangeof options for breakfast & lunch. Collaborating with WilliamsArt, the art gallery next-door, the two places havemerged to create an environment where both coffee andart can be enjoyed in a comfortable environment. As wellas this, the café offers coffee tasting workshops and baristatraining classes, perfect for those wanting to try somethingnew. Gigs are also held at weekends which showcaselocal bands and songwriters. Open until 10pm on Thursdays,Fridays and Sundays, Hot Numbers is the perfectplace to go for a late night drink and catch up with friends.STICKYBEAKSStickybeaks is an independent café located on HobsonStreet, popular for breakfast and brunch, as well as abeautiful selection of freshly made cakes and pastries. Wellknown for its lively but cosy atmosphere, it comes at the topin our list of favourite cafes in Cambridge. The main sellingpoint is the very reasonable prices, and with the generousportion sizes you know you are getting your money’s worth.THE FOUNTAINFound on Regent Street, The Fountain Bar has been describedas ‘Cambridge’s most contemporary venue’. Openfrom 11am to 3am every day, this is the place to come for coffeein the morning, a quick deli bite for lunch and then an alcoholicbeverage in the evening. This 3-story venue also offersan eclectic programme of events, from art exhibitions andpop-up restaurants to ‘Off The Record’ club nights. In termsof discounts, they hold a 2-for-1 cocktail evening each Mondayand we thoroughly recommend their Raspberry Mojitos.WILDWOODLocated on Bridge Street, this modern restaurant offeringboth Italian and American cuisine is the new go-toplace for all students on a budget. Whatever you choose,whether it’s the Wild mushroom & truffle oil pizza or theWildboar & Chorizo burger, there’s something to suit everyone’stastes. Another major perk of Wildwood is theirconstant stream of promotions throughout the year,with students getting 50% off all meals from Monday toFriday, making a trip here memorable yet affordable.

12The Phoenix | 4th April 2014Lifestyle“That’s what she said” – 5 idioms that have been aroundlonger than you thinkBy Sue ZhaoThe English language constantlymetamorphoses. In recentyears, phrases such as“YOLO” and “Your mum” haveprevailed with thanks to socialmedia and a generation ratherfond of innuendo and abbreviations.But did you know that‘maternal insults’ predate the21st century and euphemismwitticisms have existed for aslong as man has been eloquentand droll enough to discuss sex?Which of these haveyou been saying?1. “Your mum”These days, the two word insult“your mum” frequents the conversationsof youth. Whetheras a witty retort during playfulconversation or as an ineloquentslur to deter furthercommunication, we’ve all experiencedsome insult of the ‘maternal’nature. Who knew, then,that Shakespeare would bethe king of “your mum” jokes?Timon of Athens:Painter: "Y'are a dog."Apemantus: "Thy mother's ofmy generation. What's she, if Ibe a dog?"Titus Andronicus:Demetrius: "Villain, what hastthou done?"Aaron: "That which thou canstnot undo."Chiron: "Thou hast undone ourmother."Aaron: "Villain, I have done thymother."2.“YOLO” – You only live onceThe phrase YOLO is one oftenused when a person has decidedto do something unspeakably ridiculousand requires a reasonto form an explanation. Similarto “carpe diem” – seize the day,the phrase itself has existedfor approximately 100 years, ifnot longer. The first evidence ofthese such words are in JohannWolfgang von Goethe’s 1774play Clavigo, where the Germanequivalent: “one lives butonce in the world” are spoken.Apparently, humans have longbeen aware of this need to livetheir lives to the fullest.3. “No pain, no gain”Though this phrase isn’t associatedwith “youth culture”but more with “fitness”, youmight be surprised to find thatthe earliest examples of themotivational motto have beenaround since 1650 in the bookThe Ethics of the Fathers 5:21.Rabbi Ben Hei says, "Accordingto me, the pain is the gain."— Pirkei Avot 5:214. “I’m in a pickle”This phrase is common enoughso that even if you’re not one touse it yourself, it won’t be unheardof (probably). It’s ratheradorable (if you’re one to characterisesayings that is) andseems modern enough. But outof the five idioms in this list,this is in fact the oldest, occurringfirst in John Heywood’s1562 Proverbs and Epigrams:Time is tickellChaunce is fickellMan is brickellFreilties pickellPoudreth mickellSeasonyng lickellAnd in Shakespeare’sThe Tempest:Alonso: “And Trinculo is reelingripe: where should theyFind this grand liquor that hathgilded ‘em?–How camest thou in this pickle?”Trinculo: “I have been in such apickle, since I saw you last, that,I fear me, will never out of mybones: I shall not fear fly-blowing.”5. “That’s what she said”The punch line ending to manya sexual innuendo pun, “that’swhat she said” has been a commonconcluding phrase to doubleentendres since the 1930s;the first record of it in 1928in the novel Meet the tiger.And though its presence hasgraced us for almost a century,this line has changed almostbeyond recognition from, "Saidthe actress to the bishop” and insome cases, “Said the buttressto the baker"; expressions thatare considerably more subtle.The theory here is that afterthe American TV show “The Office”with Steve Carell becamewidely popular, the catchphrasealtered and became “that’swhat she said”, soon takingits well-earned place in societyamong other idioms such as“that awkward moment when”and “it’s raining cats and dogs”.The Phoenix | 4th April 2014 LifestyleLessons in Getting FiredBy Sue Zhao"We will not be requiring yourservices any longer" the textsaid, briefly thanking me andcutting the small talk shortwith a "kind regards". Of coursethe reality was more along thelines of "we don't feel your skillis set to a high enough degree,but thank you for trying". Ouch.At age 16, I began totutor students in maths, Englishand the sciences. Havingachieved A*s in the vast majorityof my GCSE subjects, Itrusted I was both qualifiedand able to be a teacher of thefinest calibre. This, and I waswoefully short of money andin need of funds. Tiredness of'leeching' off my poor mothercoupled with a steely determinationled me to my first everstudent.Lauren was a nice girl;smart, sweet and in troublewith her school work. Hermother seemed concernedabout her grades and lookedat me as though she expectedme to perform a miracle; touse my 'incredible academia'and transform her Cs intoA*s. Being both naive and, toa degree, avaricious, I smiled,nodded politely and told myselfwith a sunny optimismthat nothing was impossible.Though of course, asMurphy's Law dictates: everythingthat can go wrong, inevitablywill go wrong. And it did.After the friendly introductions,we began to work.Lauren asked about circuitsand I explained resistance toher, feeling confident. But asshe began asking questionsabout Coulombs and Amps, andhow current related to either,confusion set in and left mereeling from shock. Where hadall my physics knowledge gone?I wasn't sure, but it didn't lookgood. As the hour long sessionprogressed, time seemed to slowdown and as events went frombad to worse, I began resortingto looking things up on myiPad and looking at my pupil forconfirmation of the answers.As I reminisce, I'm surprisedI didn't anticipate whathappened next.Little more than twohours after lovely Lauren leftthe house, I received a text:"Thank you for your time,but we will no longer be requiringyour services.Kind regards"The "kind regards" feltlike I had been stabbed andleft to slowly die. It was dreamcrushingand heart-breakingand I was troubled. I had beenso excited about the prospect ofwork that I had shouted it fromthe rooftops, proclaimed it to themountains, done a little Irishjig and felt elated. I had told myparents, and they were delighted,joking that I should buy myown apples from now on (I havea bizarre obsession with apples).Thus, I felt like a disappointment.The truth is, I overestimatedmy ability by a long shot.I remember complaining thatmy physics teacher (trainedand qualified in teaching GC-SEs) was confusing and lackingin knowledge, so how could I,someone who quite honestly wasnot cut out to go anywhere nearphysics again, who threw 99% ofher formulae (QIT and PIV wereall that remained) knowledgeout of the window, who believedshe was waving goodbye to thatblasted subject for the last time,hope to tutor another in it?One laughs now at howimprudent it seemed, but forme, the disillusionment hithome. Hard.If you've ever had a momentof pure excitement taintedby the realisation that nothingwas what it really seemed, you'llunderstand what I mean.So what exactly was Ito do? I had been offered littleclosure; though I can't say Idesired it, and there was themore pressing matter of what totell my dear parents. My poor,proud, parents who had investedevery ounce of belief into me,who had looked so pleased whenI told them I could afford to getmy own lemons from the grocerystore across the street (yes, Ialso have a thing for lemonsthey'redeliciously citrus flavouredand oddly good for you).Call me melodramatic,but it felt like the world wasending. To put it bluntly, I hadbeen fired, and it wasn't a nicefeeling.Rejection. Nope, not niceat all.It took me a couple ofdays to recover and admit defeat,but when I eventuallyruffled my feathers and pluckedup the courage to tell my parentsof what had happened, theyseemed to smile knowingly andleave it at that."I guess I'll have to carryon buying fruit for you" were theonly words spoken by my comedienneof a mother as she teaseda smile back onto my face.Looking back on it, Irealise this rejection helped melearn something; there's no suchthing as a free dinner (or lemonin my case).I couldn't have expectedto keep a job where my skillset was inadequate. If indeedLauren had not realised it bythe end of the first lesson, shesurely would have done by thesecond, or the third, whichwould, arguably, have beenmuch worse since I'd have hadto wonder harder what I haddone wrong.So the first, and only timeI should add, I was fired wasprobably one of the worst daysof my life. Psychologically, therejection was awful and bursta newly formed bubble ofmagical happiness - which isnever nice, but was especiallydifficult to deal with given thecircumstances. Realistically, Ialso lost a potential source ofincome; leaving me dejectedand comparable to a lost puppy,drenched from a thunderstormand quite frankly, a little hurt.But what I gained fromthis experience that I had neveryet witnessed before was arising sense of responsibility.Whereas before I was used togetting the benefit of the doubt,a second chance, I was fastrealising that in the real world,not the cushy world of childrenwhere unicorns and pixies live,benefits of the doubt are rare,and second chances rarer.Currently, I'm teachingpiano, a skill acquired throughmany hours of hard dedication.I've realised there's a differencebetween being ambitiousand unrealistic; a lesson learntthrough the most unpleasant ofexperiences.

14 Fawkes 4th April 2014 | The PhoenixFawkesThe GreatBritish SewingBeeCammie King questionsthe reality show.Take a mix of ten eclecticpeople more used to the hum oftheir Berninas than general socialinteraction. Insert celebrityhosts and a dash of fashion history.Oh and don’t forget a pinch ofendearing yet imposing judges.Let it simmer down and what doyou get? Why a jolly showcasingof a traditional British pastimetranslated to the modern world,of course! Serve this lightheartedjape with a sprinkling of camaraderieand the joy of kindredspirits and you’ve got a primeexample of good, clean fun. Except,wait, didn’t I hear the rollingof cameras and the snick offreshly sharpened shears. Thisisn’t the catty world of realitycompetitions as we know it, weare watching the subtle devolutionof a group of people as theybegin to realise that what theydo in the seclusion of their ownsewing rooms may not be appropriatefor national broadcast.Red CarpetSexismEllie Jones discusses.On any red carpet, thereis a tremendous amount of attentionfocused on what theladies look like and althoughmen are now frequently beingasked the mundane questionof “who are you wearing?”, thisis nothing compared to whatactresses have to deal with.Only recently at the SAGAward Show, did Australianactress, Cate Blanchett, call acameraman up on his casualyet predictable act towards her.The evolution of the sewertakes a different course, but onething remains the same: we allstarted out selfishly. We see fabricand we want it on our clothes.We see clothes and we wantthem in a different fabric, or,frankly, not at that price. As weexpand our wardrobes we beginto realise our capabilities andfind the equilibrium point on thediagram where our own personalstyle meets our constructionabilities. We realise our favouritefabrics, techniques and silhouettes,and we have a fairly accurateidea of how long the entireprocess will take. Many peoplereach this stage and set up shop,happy to churn out piece afterpiece that fits seamlessly (punintended) into their wardrobes.However, there is a secondDespite being nominated acrossthe board for ‘Best Actress’ in thenew Woody Allen film Blue Jasmine,she was not against interruptingthe slow, uncomfortable,full-length shot that attemptedto capture her outfit. Crouchingdown to the camera’s level witha pointing finger, she asked “Doyou do that to the guys?” It istrue, however, that actors seemto be approached with questionsdirected towards their performancerather than their appearanceand have far less attentioncentred on their look. We’re sureBradley Cooper was asked whatit was like to work with the director,David O. Russell, againon American Hustle rather thanwhere his shoes came from.half: boredom. Sticking to whatyou know becomes mundaneand it’s human nature to wantchange and improvement so thesewers stretch themselves. Materialsbecome more expensiveand harder to use, seam finishingbecomes paramount and tiny detailsbecome overwhelmingly important.We fight tooth and tailwith our own shortcomings untileven that doesn’t gratify our needfor progression. Enter The GreatBritish Sewing Bee, where sewersbattle each other once they’redone fighting with themselves.Everyone who enters aTV competition has an innateself-confidence, an arrogance: ultimatelyyou don’t enter a competitionif you don’t think youcan win. For this reason I wassurprised to see that in the firstIt was also at the GoldenGlobes where Mad Men actressElisabeth Moss was only just preventedfrom a producing a rudehand gesture on “Mani Cam”, afeature designed to show off actressesnails. Since then, bothincidents have been created asGIFs around social media, Catetwo episodes contestants wereflaunting the brief. In Episode 1Julie omitted to under-stich herblouse neckline and in Episode2 she inserted the wrong typeof zipper and didn’t machineher wasitband. Possibly not ahanging offence, but in a challengewhere everyone is judgedequally on their completion ofthe same techniques it certainlyputs you at a disadvantage.Why if you have put yourselfinto a competition to see if,on an even playing field, you areactually the best would you disregardyour instructions? If you aretold there are only three thingsyou have to do to succeed wouldyou not do two of them? On onehand it makes sense, we are allon some level stuck in the “comfortperiod” and it’s all too easyto rail against tight constraintsof being set a task and a timelimit. Moreover, in a competitiveenvironment it’s logical torevert to something we know weare good at rather than the unknown.Nevertheless, The GreatBritish Sewing Bee is a competition.The problem isn’t that it’swrong; the problem is you’re actingabsurdly and setting yourselfup for failure. A national broadcastis the worst time to start outyour career as a self-sabateur.Blanchett praised especially forshowing off the fact women inHollywood are still worshippedin the media for their bodiesand style rather than for theirachievements: the real reasonas to why they are there. It ismore a fashion parade thana celebration of their talent.The Phoenix | 4th April 2014 |The FiverfestEleanor Richards reviewsthe night of the17th January.The Junction regularlyhosts its ‘Fiverfest’ nights; agreat opportunity for unknowntalent to showcase what theyhave to offer. When you go toa local talent contest, its guaranteedthere is going to be alot of scope for improvementwithin the acts, that’s inevitable.This was the case on Friday17th January as anotherfiver night took place with theline-up consisting of: Soft LikeCamel, Motor Tapes, From TheSticks, 28 Boulevard and Goldstar.The saying ‘worst first,second best’ springs to mindas the acts got progressivelybetter as the night went on.First to take to the competitionwas Soft Like Camel,from Bury St Edmunds. Theirstage presence was not somethingto envy, they tried toadopt rock’n’roll egos whichdidn’t come naturally at all.If that wasn’t enough for thebaby-faced Bury boys, theirfirst song Cinnamon started offwith extremely wobbly vocals.It took until the 3rd song forany strength in their talent tobecome apparent. Vocally, theydid progress to become strongerwhilst maintaining theirmediocre guitar abilities. However,that does not mean theyweren’t enjoyable, their musicwas great – if only it was performeda little better! By their5th song in, Dancy Missy theyhad seemed to overcome whatwas hopefully just the nervesof being first on and having towarm up a stubborn crowd oflocals. Its solemn tone and melancholytouch quite soothingfor the soul, once it got going!They did manage to go off witha ‘bang’. Their last song, Dedicated,was extremely catchyand by far their best song of thenight incorporating repetitivevocals and a funky bass line.Motor Tapes followed SoftLike Camel, providing a breathof fresh air to The Junction.From the very start Motor Tapeswere vocally strong, not faultlessbut nonetheless of a high standardcompared to the usual talentthat attends the Fiverfest.In addition to this, their compositionof both the band and theirmusic really did compliment thevocals from their charming andreserved lead singer. One secondinto their first song Motor Tapeshad engaged the crowd well,something rare at these kind ofevents and it was an audiencewho weren’t there to solely seethem. If the guys in Motor Tapeswere dubious or apprehensiveabout performing their new singlefor the first time, they didn’tlet it affect their talent and confidencepulsed from their set.It really isn’t hard to tell thatthese guys are not only passionateabout what they do but alsodevoted, they also have a greatstandard of song writing, and anespecially talented lead guitarist.In the wake of Motor Tapeswas From The Sticks, but thatwas no match for the guys fromPeterborough who walked onwith definite intentions and deliveredcatchy, strong music fromstart to finish. Several of FromThe Sticks’ songs changed tempojust as the crowd were gettingacclimatised to it, yet this strokeof genius in their song writingtransfers perfectly live; showcasingtheir lead singer Rick’s abilityto rap. There is a naïve andrustic charm about the vocals,coming from the slight huskinessof the lyrics, which whenput before and after phenomenalguitar solos makes the bandstand out.. Like Motor Tapes,their new single Telefonica waspresented with no wobbles, justpure confidence. It was evidentto see that they’re comfortablewith their music and rightly so.4th up was Hills Road’svery own 28 Boulevard who hitthe stage with no waver in confidenceand a good bass vs leadguitar composition. Thankfullyas their set progressed so did thevocals to match the standardsset by the rest of the band. Whenthe guys slowed it down forLet’s Get Uninspired, as clichéas it sounds, they let their talentsshine through. There was amelancholic energy emanatingfrom each member that seemedto draw everyone into a silenthypnotism and it seemed thatfrom there on in they excelledtheir previous efforts of theirset. The song to follow Let’s GetUninspired lifted the beat withits fast rhythm and came in aspunchy as ever. Surprisingly,the vocals performed by theirdrummer were incredibly strongand gave them something thatenabled them to stand out fromthe other bands on the night.28 Boulevard are definitely theones to watch from Hills Road.Last but not least wereGoldstar. Goldstar had refreshinglysoulful vocals from theirfemale singer that lent itselfwell to their R n B sound withan undertone of rock from theelectric guitar. Goldstar seemedto pull the whole crowd in, theirFawkes15fans and friends out in force,even if they were of an older generationcompared to the bandspreceding them. The strongpoint for Goldstar was without adoubt the pitch range that theirsinger could reach, the highs,the lows and everything in between.However, it must be notedthat it felt like their singerhad outgrown the band. She hadundeniable talent and it seemedthat she was with the band becauseshe needed one and thatwas who she had. Separate fromher, the rest of the band hadgreat talent and potential, justas she does; just not together.All in all, this Fiverfestwas a mishmash of bands,genres and styles but they createdan overview of what’s to offerfrom small scale bands. No matterwhat your preference, you’dhave found it if you were there.

16Katy B’s Little RedFawkes 4th April 2014| The PhoenixReviewed by Abbey Maclure.After the unexpected chartsuccess of her authentic debut album,Katy On A Mission, it mayhave been presumed that singersongwriterKathleen Brien, aliasKaty B, would produce a comfortable,chart-friendly followupalbum to continue to establishherself in the pop industry.Far from this; Little Red,released in February, carriesthrough the raw, urban theme ofher previous material, clearly influencedby the experiences andsounds that surrounded her growingup in Peckham, South London.Katy B continued to workwith underground sensationGeeneus, head of the former pirateradio giant Rinse FM, whoproduced the bulk of Katy On AMission and continues to injectthe sound of the London dancescene into Katy B’s music in LittleRed. This is best embodied in theclassic garage vibe of Blue Eyes, anostalgic track that looks back tothe garage scene that has heavilyinfluenced Katy B’s work to date.Katy B’s second album remainsas true to her individualsound as her first, yet Little Redholds a more sophisticated edgeand an air of elegance. With thebeautiful track Emotions showcasingher vocal range and ability.There is more lyrical significanceto many of the tracks,including a fascinating updateon Dolly Parton’s Jolene, titledAaliyah, in which Katy takeson the role of a DJ’s girlfriend,constantly challenged by competitionfrom other women.Compared to the non-stopparty vibe of Katy on a Mission,Katy B now appears a little moresubdued – just 17 when she beganto produce her first material,and now 24, this is unsurprising.Little Red embodiesthe more refined nature of theLondon dance scene in 2014.Whilst Katy B may havelost the most hardcore partyanimals of her previous audiencewith the release of LittleRed, the album is a dancemasterpiece with clever producingand it is clear why thealbum has received critical acclaimfrom prestigious publicationssuch as the Telegraph, theGuardian and the Rolling Stone.The NME AwardsEleanor Harrison discusses the music awardnight.It’s that time of year again:the red carpet’s been dusted offand the stars are out to claimtheir prizes. The NME awardsare in many ways the runt of thelitter, with its jokey categories(naming Harry Styles ‘Villain ofthe Year’ two years running) andits raised middle finger trophies,as well as being rarely televised.However, this year they havebeen surprisingly similar to themore mainstream BRIT awards:one band has dominated both.As if Arctic Monkeys neededany more recognition for theirgenius, they have flattened thecompetition across various awardceremonies in 2014. Their successhas now warranted a Wikipediapage just for the awardsthey have won - for the recordthat’s 29 awards and 61 nominations.In the 2014 NME awardsthey took home Best BritishBand, Best Live Band, Best Album,Best Fan Community andHero of the Year for Alex Turner.They weren’t the only successstories. Godlike Genius wentto Blondie, Sir Paul McCartneywas given a special songwritersaward, Lily Allen beat favouritesLorde and Jake Bugg for BestSolo Artist and Haim walkedaway with Best InternationalBand after facing down competitionfrom the likes of QueensOf The Stone Age and VampireWeekend. Alana Haim also heldonto her title of Best Twitter. Despitefacing much competitionincluding Robin Thicke, MileyCyrus and Vladimir Putin, HarryStyles was labelled Villain ofthe Year... Again. The 1975 preventedOne Direction from morehumiliation as they ‘won’ theaward for Worst Band this year.What is surprising is that,so far, the 2014 NME awardshave not been televised. In recentyears the ceremony has beenshown, even if not widely publicised.They honour a much widerrange of music, especially fromsome artists that may not get alook in at awards like the BRITs.Equally, with the exception ofOne Direction, artists from themore mainstream awards are notexcluded or given less respect.With high flyers like Arctic Monkeysbridging the gap betweenthe two, will the future beginto get brighter for these kindsof awards? Only time will tell.The Phoenix 4th April 2014Graffiti is a ‘genuine attempt atart’.Jake Tristram exploreshow ‘hooligans’ havegiven graffiti a badname.Graffiti is a taboo that almosteveryone has an opinion on.Some view it as an art form forthe lower classes, a mediumthrough which people can rebeland express themselves, whileothers see it as nothing morethan mindless vandalism. ThisEagulls LPNick Swanson reviewsthe Leeds band’s selftitledLP.Eagulls, a group of20-something year olds currentlybased in Leeds, are a bandwho perfectly encapsulate theair of despair and misery madefamous by legendary post-punkfour piece Joy Division, whilemaintaining the jittery beatsand hazy atmosphere of modernalternative rock. The wonderfulblend of these two aspects ofmusic gives for an interestinglisten, and recreates the soundsof 80s analogue recorded guitarmusic in a way that is all toorare in a world dominated bycomputer produced tunes.The band entered thescene in 2010 with their angstydébut track “Council Flatis a controversial subject and anissue that may not be resolved.But, perhaps that is because weare examining it in the wrongway. When we look at otherart forms, such as paintings,we are not offended by a threeyear old’s piece or think that itde-values the works of PabloPicasso because it is of poorquality. Yet critics of graffiti willoften group together efforts ofdrunken hooligans with no artistictalents with renowned artistssuch as Banksy or Blek le Rat.In a world where we areconstantly bombarded by advertisementson billboards or inmagazines, it is both surprisingand stupefying that people areconsistently offended by genuineattempts at art. Of course, thatis not to say that graffiti is thework of patron saints and thelikelihood is that the majority ofit is pretty rubbish - but can’t wesay the same about many otherthings? For every Oscar winningfilm there are probably hundredsof shoddy student filmswhich would make the Catwomanmovie look like an art-housemasterpiece.One of the biggest problemswith graffiti is its capabilityto be used to further racist,homophobic or other offensiveviews. We’ve all seen a swastikapainted on a wall somewherebut I think the majority of artistswould agree that they haveno relation or association withoffensive works. How manyNazi films were made? Hundreds,many of them showingthe most brutal of crimes; yetthere are no arguments to banall film because of this.The point of graffiti isBlues”, and quickly garneredpositive reviews from the likesof NME, The Guardian and Vicemagazine. Their self titled EPwas released in 2012 on Londonbased record label Sexbeat, andtheir long time promises of a fulllength album were fulfilled onMarch 4th 2014.The LP follows on fromtheir previous releases, packedto the brim with restless, fidgetyyelps from frontman GeorgeMitchell, and atmospheric, irritatinglycatchy guitar rhythms.The opening track, Nerve Endings,represents a spiral intodespair, surrounded by downcastguitar shimmers, while thefollowing track Hollow Visionsportrays a bitter, anxious medleyof anxiety and nervoustension, carried by splashesof distorted guitar and yelpy,pained vocals. In contrast to thepanic-attack themed start of thealbum, the track Tough Luck deceptivelyoffers a much neededbreak from the heavy listeningwith a smooth, evocative vibesimilar to that of The Smiths,Until we reach the chorus – it isat this point that Mitchell tellsa thoroughly harrowing tale ofbirth defects caused by thalidomide.At this point in the tracklist, listeners will start to realisethat the nature of the albumties in with the band's attitudetowards reality – a reality whichoffers no rest stops from theharsh grittiness of every daylife. Similarly agonising storiescan be found in the songsOpaque and Amber Veins, wheretopics such as sexual abuse andheroin addiction are covered in adepressing, all-too-real manner.This cynical view on life is somewhatrelatable, which, whencombined with the undoubtabletalent of Eagulls may be whatmakes the album so impressive.Fawkes17that it’seasy; anyone can make a stenciland go out and express themselvesartistically. If everyonewas more open-minded andexperimental then we could seeour city streets become muchbrighter, interesting places. I’llput it like this: how many boringlyfamiliar brick walls haveyou seen in your lifetime? It’simpossible to come up with anaccurate number, but my estimatesare that you’re as boredof them as I am. I’m bored ofadverts and unoriginality andplagiarism, and I for one wouldlike to enjoy more art.This LP is in no way easy listening,and the album in itsentirety could be considered achallenge, but the result is oddlyrewarding. I thoroughly recommendthis album to fans of TheClash, Joy Division, and MyBloody Valentine.

18Fawkes 4th April 2014| The PhoenixHarmony vs Romione: OTP or NOTPKaitlin Thornton reportsJ.K. Rowling’srecent character controversy.A dungbomb has been droppedby the queen of the Potterverseherself, J.K. Rowling. In February,Wizards and Muggles alikeexploded into a raucous riot overher shocking revelation, in aninterview with magazine Wonderland,that Hermione shouldhave married Harry, not Ron.She described Hermione andRon’s relationship as “a form ofwish fulfilment” and said that“For reasons that have verylittle to do with literature andfar more to do with me clingingto the plot as I first imaginedit, Hermione ended up withRon.” Many devoted fans weredisarmed to find out that Rowlingwasn’t confident in thisrelationship, and were stunnedwhen she said that “in someways Hermione and Harry are abetter fit”. This sparked debateamong fans and intellectuals;the fans arguing over which wasbetter, Romione or Harmony;the academics debating Rowling’sright to continue to interferewith the story and charactersof Harry Potter.Many had much to sayon whether they agreed withRowling or not. The fans flockedto sites such as MuggleNet toprovide their opinions on therevelation. One fan wrote, “Iam shocked beyond belief thatJo would feel that Harry/Hermionewould be a better match”.However, many supported herdecision to reveal this informationon the characters, whetherthey agreed with it or not. Onthe other hand, Pamela Ingleton(an academic who has writtenabout Rowling’s habit of revealingmore information about herstories after their publication),said that Rowling is “still constantlyintervening in the processof understanding and readingthese characters and thesestories” and that “In some waysshe is speaking for the books insteadof letting the books speakfor themselves”. She continuedon to make the cynical commentthat Rowling “wants to exerther control. She wants to be theone we depend on for informationso that readers becomereliant on her authority”. This isquite a pessimistic view to takeon Rowling, and many woulddisagree, arguing instead thatshe knows the characters morethan anybody else as she createdthem. She also has a lot ofbackground information on allof her characters, as well as agreat deal of story that didn’tmake it into the novels for reasonsof length. She is thereforeproviding readers with eithermore information or her opinionon what would have happenedas she knows best, what withbeing the author and creator ofthis entire world.One fan wrote on MuggleNet,perhaps in response toPamela Ingleton, “I’m on boardwith an author being entitled tochange their mind about whatthey’ve written in the past; J.K.Rowling wouldn’t be the firstauthor, nor the last, to feel thatthings could have gone differently.All stories can go differently”.J.K. Rowling certainlyisn’t the first author to wantto fine-tune her novel. CharlesDickens famously revised theending of Great Expectations.However, does Pamela Ingletonhave a point as to whetherRowling should be able to makethese comments instead of lettingthe books speak for themselves?Does it really matter?The reader, at the end of theday, is the one who invests inthese characters. It’s up to themto decide how the story goes forthem; they may be influenced byRowling, or they may disagreewith her opinion and ignore it,so does it truly have that greatan impact?It’s Kind of a Funny StoryBy Laura PietzrykThe film ‘It’s Kind of a FunnyStory’ is based on a novel of thesame name by Ned Vizzini. Unfortunately,Vizzini committedsuicide, aged 32, on the 19th ofDecember 2013 having sufferedwith depression. The novel waswritten when Vizzini was in hisearly 20s, after he spent fivedays in a psychiatric ward andit is based on his own experiences.The film begins with akey moment in the storyline. Wesee Craig, 15, struggling withsuicidal thoughts and admittinghimself to a psychiatrichospital in fear of acting uponthem. Starting from the mostimportant moment the film thenfills in the blanks of the storyusing well-placed, thought-outflashbacks giving us a viewinto Craig’s mind and the wayit works, which makes us trulyconnect with the character.Craig is very relatable; his characterportrays how the smallstresses of teenage life can addup to one seemingly uncontrollablemess. Knowing where tostart to put this mess in order isthe real struggle for Craig – thefilm displays this perfectly byshowing how Craig’s mind spinsout of control in a visual, quirkywayIt's kind of a funny storyis a light-hearted film whichIn the interview, Rowlingwent on to apologise for herdenunciation of Romione, saying,“I’m sorry… Am I breakingpeople’s hearts by saying this? Ihope not”. There may have beena few broken hearts to beginwith, but Rowling describingwhat she was saying as “Potterheresy”, and backtrackingher previous statements, sayingthat Ron and Hermione “willbe alright with a bit of counselling”,may have mended them.Therefore, overall, Rowling introducedthe possibility of Harryand Hermione being a “betterfit”, but she also essentiallysaid that she wanted Ron andHermione together, hence themending up together in the novel,and that she believes that theymay have been able to work itout. Thus, whatever your view,be it a supporter of Harmonyor Romione, there’s evidenceof Rowling supporting both, soin the end it really is up to thereader to decide.does not stray from the messageNed Vizzini intended to beshown. The message was thatyou don’t simply need a relationshipto make you happier, but acombination of changes in yourlife. Changes which are possibleto achieve. The film managed toconvey that Craig develops hopeduring his time in hospital. Wesee him become closer to Noelle,played by Emma Roberts, as aresult of him starting to acceptthe possibility of happiness.Keir Gilchrist, who plays Craig,does a very good job of showinghim as the slightly awkward butoverall well-meaning characterthat he is when interacting withthe people around him. The actordid not over-dramatize thecharacter, which is perfectly inkeeping with Craig’s humorousbut reserved nature. Ontop of that, he voices Craig’sinner dialogue in a way whicheffectively conveys his emotionsand worries about the future.Emma Roberts’ performance asCraig’s romantic interest andZach Galifianakis’ performanceas someone that Craig developsa friendship with in hospital,are complementary to the film’shumour and subtlety in tacklingsensitive issues.‘It’s Kind of a FunnyStory’ is an unconventional yetenjoyable story and I wouldstrongly recommend both thebook and the film.The Phoenix |4th April 2014This is no time for a cunning plan Mr GoveBeth Cadwalladr looksinto Michael Gove’scriticism of Blackadder.Melchett: Field Marshal Haighas formulated a brilliant newtactical plan to ensure final victoryin the field.Blackadder: Ah. Would this brilliantplan involve us climbingout of our trenches and walkingvery slowly towards the enemy?Captain Darling: How could youpossibly know that, Blackadder?It's classified information!Blackadder: It's the same planthat we used last time. And theseventeen times before that.This quote is fairly typicalof the attitude of Blackadder,in the historical sitcom‘Blackadder Goes Forth’, towardsthe generals who led theBritish army in the First WorldWar. The actual Commander inChief, Douglas Haig, and thefictional General Melchett aredepicted as incompetent and uncaring,happy to sacrifice countlesssoldiers in order to ‘movehis drinks cabinet six inchescloser to Berlin’. The show bothdrew from and contributed tothe general perception that thearmy in the war consisted of‘lions led by donkeys’, and itis this ‘prevailing myth’ whichEducation Secretary MichaelGove wanted to challenge in hiseditorial for the Daily Mail.Gove claimed that theFirst World War was a ‘justwar’, and that to claim otherwiseis ‘belittling true Britishheroes’. He denounced not onlyBlackadder, but also ‘Left-wingacademics’ who ‘denigrate patriotism’,and Oh! What a LovelyWar, a play which was recentlystaged at Hills Road. Nevermind that Alan Clark, whose1961 book The Donkeys is oneof the most scathing historicalcriticisms of the British leadership,was a ConservativeMP. Never mind that the finalepisode of Blackadder is widelyregarded as a poignant masterpiece,praised by critics andveterans alike as it cuts throughthe comedic idiosyncrasies toreveal something rather morevulnerable and moving thanGove's casual dismissal wouldhave you believe. But MichaelGove has declared it 'belittling',so clearly it must be.The Blackadder criticismhas been the focus of attentionboth from those who agree andthose who disagree with Gove.But there is a far more importantquestion behind the attention-grabbingheadlines. 100years on from the outset of theFirst World War, how should wecommemorate and remember it?Were the deaths of hundreds ofthousands of soldiers in northernFrance or Turkey justifiedas a reaction to an 'aggressivelyexpansionist' Germany, as Govewould have us believe? Werethey an unforgivable crime committedby arrogant generals,who didn't care about the livesof the ordinary soldiers and refusedto change tack even whenthe outcomes were disastrous?Or is there a far more nuancedpicture, one of leaders who wereflawed human beings who mademistakes and sometimes failedto learn from them, of brandnew styles of warfare that neitherside knew how to fight successfully,of different criteria bywhich you can measure success?Ultimately, whether thesoldiers and civilians who werelost died in vain or not, they diddie. So we have an obligation toremember them solemnly, withdignity and respect, and notturn this tragic period of worldhistory into petty political pointscoringor jingoistic flag-waving.At the going down of the sun,and in the morning,We will remember them.PeroxideReviewed by EleanorHarrisonNina Nesbitt has come along way in the last few years:from first being discovered byfellow singer-songwriter EdSheeran up until the releaseof her debut album Peroxide,released on 17th February. Hercareer kicked off when she appearedin Ed Sheeran’s video for‘Drunk’ and then supported bothhim and Disclosure on tour.Since then the half Swedish,half Scottish singer recordeda number of EPs before gainingmore mainstream attentionwhen her cover of FleetwoodMac’s ‘Don’t Stop’ featured in aJohn Lewis advert in September2013. Over this time shehas built a huge fan-base (the“Nesbians”) as well as gaining alot of experience performing liveand she has been a big hit at anumber of festivals.Her music has beendescribed as a much neededbreath of fresh air for the currentpop music scene (partlybecause she manages to keepall her clothes on in her musicvideos with no twerking insight) but her tracks also covera fairly wide spectrum of musicalstyles. ‘The Outcome’ hasmore of a rock feel while ’18 candles’is reminiscent of KT Tunstall’searlier sound. Along withthese the album is packed withcatchy tunes, clever hooks andbouncy melodies but also moremelodic and emotional pieces aswell. Her song with Kodaline,“Hold On” is a different soundFawkes19again with a simple piano accompaniment.The last song onthe album ‘The Hardest Part’is perhaps the song that showsoff her talent best with all theadded extras stripped away togive a serving of poignant vocalsand understated, delicate acoustics.After listening to the albumas a whole for the first time, thistrack leaves you wanting more.It is not just her soundwhich is more sophisticatedthan many people would expect.She is a real DIY artistwho has had to put in the workto get to the top and, while shehas learned a lot since she firstpicked up a guitar aged 15, hervoice is still very much one ofa normal teenager. She tacklestopics that many people our agecan relate to but in a more matureway than other artists whoattempt to do the same thing.Her first charting single ‘StayOut’ comments on the oftenmeaningless trends we feel theneed to conform to in an attemptto fit in, while her lead single ofthe album ‘Selfies’ says a littlemockingly, “I’ll post it up inblack and white, with a depressingquote on my life” referringto how people will take picturesof themselves looking happy orshowing them enjoying their lifeto help get over things hurtingthem. While both these songsare incredibly catchy they showa subtle wit that is often lackingin the current chart hits.‘Peroxide’ is a mixed bagand it has been met with bothcritical and encouraging reviews.There are many songswhich do show off her talentbut others feel a bit too safe andforgettable or sugary enoughto rot your teeth. She has beencriticised for trying to be toomuch like country singer TaylorSwift, or just producing tracksthat will get sales rather thanmaking a musical statement.However, from what I have seen,a majority of the tracks are solidand have been put together withconviction. Nina Nesbitt may bethe new marmite but it is safe tosay she has a promising futureahead of her that doesn’t needbleaching to make it brighter.

20Fawkes 4th April 2014 | The PhoenixZenFlorence Holt reviewsthe Hills Road Januaryevent.Zen, this year’s New Year event,was awash with a strange phenomenon:blue people.Labelling themselves ‘Smurfs’,most of these individualssported very little clothing andwhite caps, of which the majoritymanaged to lose by the endof the night. In fact, blue peopleseemed to make up a large proportionof the numbers at theevent. It is currently unclear asto what caused this blue colouringor whether the conditionwas contagious, although therewas much speculation about thedisease being spread throughsaliva exchange as a numberof people seemed to sport bluenoses once interacting in such away. Although somewhat disturbingto the eyes, the generalconsensus is that these ‘Smurfs’were not a threat to individualswho were sensible enough tokeep their distance.Despite the alarming presenceof such visually bizarre characters,music from Karma Kid waswidely enjoyed despite reservationsfrom large numbers of studentsthat the event would notlive up to expectations. Althoughticket sales were fairly poor andthe organisers were forced tohand out free tickets in orderto boost numbers, the overallatmosphere was not too lackingand most students managed tohave a fairly good night. Attendeesdid not even seem too put offGlitz and glamour at this year’sOscarsReported by EllieJones, Lucy Williams,Eleanor Richards andClaudia Codling.The Oscars is always atime for judging celebrity fashionchoices, whether it’s a stunningball gown or a tailor made authenticsuit. This year, the predominantstyle seemed to be plaincolours – nude and black beingvery popular, with the additionof sparkles and embellishment toadd to the glamour of the night.Anne Hathaway rocked up ina Gucci figure-hugging blackdress, studded at the chest withdiscoball-esque diamonds. Withno other accessories being worn,minus a plain black clutch, thedress was in the spotlight. Annedefinitely looked sophisticated,the style of the dress perfectlysuiting her tall, elegant frameand short hairstyle. Winning anOscar for the best performanceby an actress in a supportingrole, Anne definitely wasn’t disappointinganyone on the night.Our rating: 7/10Lupita Nyong’o, a new face onby the prospect of turning blue.In fact, one twitter user wentas far as to tweet “shout out tomy smurfs xxoxxoxox” and thehashtag #gotsmurfed suggestingthat the presence of the bluepeople actually enhanced herZen experience. Nonetheless,college students are advised toremain vigilant and to avoidsaliva exchange with these individualswhere possible in orderto prevent the contagion fromreaching epidemic levels.the red carpet, looked classicbut chic with a baby blue Pradadress. Lupita is known for herbold fashion choices, and so somewere critical about her choiceof dress for one of the biggestevents of the year. But no onecan argue that the dress fits perfectly.The long and flowing fabricin a Cinderella-style colour,swept the floor as Lupita sauntereddown the red carpet notlong before winning the awardfor best supporting actress.Our rating: 8/10Cate Blanchett, the big winnerof Best Actress for her role inBlue Jasmine, wowed everyonewith her Swarvoski crystal embellishedArmani Prive dress.It’s no surprise she was namedthe best dressed, after reportedlyspending a whopping £11million on her outfit. The nudedress could have been a disaster,but it’s the generous studdingof crystals that make thegown jaw dropping. Teamedwith Chopard jewellery, includinglong dangling earrings anda brown diamond bracelet, theoverall outfit worked perfectly.Our rating: 9/10The Oscars is Hollywood’sbiggest event of the year.Ellen DeGenerous announcedher desire to break the internetby taking a selfie with MerylStreep, which promptly turnedinto a star-studded group photoincluding some of showbiz’s finest,ranging from Angelina Jolieto Channing Tatum. Unfortunatelyfor Jared Leto, only athird of his face made the shot,but the rest succeeded in beingpart of the most retweetedpost in the history of time.The Academy Awards, notoriousfor its prestige, was altered thisyear by a simple pizza deliveryguy who was tipped $1000 forserving the celebrities in themidst of the show. While the2014 Oscars were brimming withglamourous outfits, celebrity ancticsand lots of golden awards,this year’s winners sadly do notinclude Leonardo DiCaprio afterhis FOURTH unsuccessfulnomination, who still remainsfor the time being Oscar-less.The Winner’s List:Best Picture; 12 Years A SlaveBest Actor (lead) – Matthew McConaughey(Dallas Buyers Club)Best Actress (lead) – Cate Blanchet(Blue Jasmine)Best Actor (supporting) – Jared Leto(Dallas Buyers Club)Best Actress (supporting) – LupitaNyong’o (12 years a slave)Animated Feature Film – FrozenCostume Design – The Great Gatsby(Catherine Martin)Directing – Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)Documentary Short Subject – TheLady In Number 6; Music Saved MyLifeFilm Editing- Gravity (Alfonso Cuaronand Mark Sanger)Make Up and Hair Styling – DallasBuyers Club (Adruitha Lee and RobinMatthews)Music – Gravity (Steven Price)Writing (adapted screenplay) – 12years a slave (by John Ridley)Writing (Original Screenplay) – Her(by Spike Jonze)The Phoenix |4th April 2014FrozenReviewed by Kit Turner.Every year my family goesto see a movie on Christmas eve,partly out of tradition, partlybecause an hereditary fear ofall pantomimes (Just kidding...Only Cinderella!), and this yearwe decided upon Disney’s attemptat a Christmas movie,Frozen. Whilst I didn’t see manyadverts for it, I did see a ratherannoying one involving a singingsnowman. In short, I was ratherdreading it. I shuffled throughthe lobby, dejectedly handed myticket to the usher, trudged to myseat, and watched with a pessimisticexpectation, a movie thatwasn’t as bad as I expected. Thestory was decent, the charactersfelt original and most of all itwas enjoyable! Whilst I definitelyenjoyed the movie, I can’t helpbut have an ominous feeling thatthe story and characters mayhave some problems. The plot ismade up of 2 princesses, one ofwhich (Elsa) has magical powerswho is trying to hide from thekingdom, and one who was givenamnesia to protect her from amisfired spell (it’s complicated),and when the magical one runsoff in a hissy fit while freezinghalf the world in a never endingwinter, the latter (Anna) goesoff to bring her back. This maynot sound like a good story, butit’s because I described as littleas possible to avoid any spoilersand there are more plot holesthan a script in a shooting gallery-AHA! Found it! As I mentionedbefore, the first sister hasmagical powers, but the writersseem to skip over where the powersoriginated from. It’s said atthe start that she was born withthem, but it doesn’t say how orwhy the powers work. Maybethe family bloodline could havebeen cursed…that could explainmy family’s fear of pantomimes.Maybe a caveman ancestor sawtheir father get killed by a bearthat looked like Widow Twanky.However, considering this is amovie made for kids, I thinkI’ll let it go since most 6 yearolds aren’t exactly Tom Brook.We’ll move onto the nextaspect: the characters, most ofDallas Buyer’sClubReviewed by AndrewBeckett.Jean-Marc Vallée’s DallasBuyers club follows the truestory of rodeo cowboy and electricianRon Woodroof (MatthewMcConaughey) whose care-freelife is shattered upon being diagnosedwith AIDS, with an estimated30 days to live. Almost instantlywe witness the negativesocial reaction to Ron’s illnessamongst those around him, andthe extent of this stigma whichenveloped AIDS in the 1980s;although this victimisation isbalanced by Woodroof’s own bigotedviews. Ron finds an unlikelycompanion in fellow HIV positiveRayon (Jared Leto), who’strans woman status instantlydisgusts, yet fascinates him. Wefollow these characters’ grittyfight simply for survival, andeventual setting up of the ‘DallasBuyers Club’, where paidmemberships are exchanged forpotentially life-saving drugs.Dallas Buyers Club is story ofgrowth and the realisation ofthe value of life; and unique inhow the concept of simply ‘goodand bad’ characters isn’t spoonfed to audiences, but instead youhave to interpret and evaluateyour own opinions on these complexcharacters, opinions whichconstantly alter throughout thefilm. It’s an overall captivating,original, emotional and thoughtprovokingpiece of cinema, greatlyaided by the strength of Letoand McConaughey’s portrayl.which were lovable. Each onehad a little spark about them, areason to remember them. Thesnowman (Olaf) was humorous,if a little lacking in the instinctof self-preservation due to hisobsession of experiencing summer.Anna was a little bland, andactually a pretty good character(doesn’t make sense). Right atthe start she falls for a visitingprince and decides to marry him,something that 99% of the charactersmock her for. Then thereis the magical character both inability and in role, Elsa. A deepcharacter, with a desire for freedomfrom ostracization despiteher uncontrollable powers, oftenspurred further by deep resentmentand anger. Just like Elphaba…I knew that somethinglike that was kicking around.Watching the movie, I couldn’thelp equate the character Elsawith the main character in theFawkes21musical Wicked!, Elphaba, alsoknown as the wicked witch ofthe west. In fact, a lot of themovie can be compared to Wicked.They’re both musicals, theyboth involve a character hatedfor their natural powers, a personclose to them tries to getthem to stay (Glinda and Anna)and both Wicked and Frozen’sbest song involves them declaringtheir defiance for the rules(Defying gravity and Let it go). Iwill admit that films and moviesthat actually have a strong independentfemale character as thelead instead of prince Charmingare bound to cross paths atsome point, but it feels a littlebit too similar to ignore. Frozenis a brilliant movie with lovablecharacters, a plot twist at theend that will make children’smouths drop in shock and actuallythrows out the whole knightin shining armour gimmick.In fact, even once the knightin shining armour has beenthrown out onto the hard concrete,breaking his arm in theprocess, they keep guffawing athim and continue to do so whenthe ambulance he called runsover his face. Disney, keep thisup and I think new animationmight grow on me. Who knows,maybe one day I can forgiveyou for giving people like MileyCyrus the ability to get famous.

22 The Phoenix | 4th April 2014 COMMENT & DEBATE The Phoenix | 4th April 2014COMMENT & DEBATE23COMMENT & DEBATEComment & Debate8th Generation; which is the ?By Henry SandersonIt seems that only 8 years agothat the 7th generation hadgraced the gaming industry withits presence, maybe because itwas. Released on November 22,2005, the Xbox 360, colloquiallyknown as the ‘360’, brokenew ground with the coming ofa new generation. It also brokepeople’s hearts as one by oneeach console contracted the “RedRing of Death”, sealing the fateof the console, without sendinga hefty revival fee and the consoleaway to Microsoft. Almosta year later on November 17th2006, the PS3 hit the scene, beingridiculed for being both expensiveat $599 (almost £370)and coming out extremely late inthe UK, 5 months later in March2007. It was also made fun of forits extreme lack of an exclusivegames library, causing peopleto migrate to the Xbox scene,regardless of its glaring issues.Oh and there was somethingcalled the Wii, butI’m sure that was fictional.Sony, learning from theirmistakes, made an effort tomake the PS4 the choice of thegamer; and they didn’t evenneed to do anything, as Microsoftabsolutely failed to appease tothe gaming crowd and almost insultedthem. Sony were not firstto deliver their speech at the E3expo in the summer, and for thisthey were able to derive greatpraise and humour from theirrival Microsoft. Upon announcingthat the PS4 would actuallyuse circular, shiny, spinning datacontainers known as “disks”, theworld came together in one bigcrowd and pointed at Microsoftand laughed together in unison.Sony dropped bombshellafter bombshell for things thatwould be considered a mandatorybaseline feature, such as notrequiring a Skyne- I mean Kinectperipheral to function, andnot requiring an internet connectionto turn on the console.Sony definitely came out on topout of the 8th generation startinggates. As a side note: “XboxOne” is a terrible name. Youcan no longer refer to the originalXbox as the “Xbox 1”; ratheryou must now call it the “OriginalXbox”. Thanks Microsoft.Apparently there is somethingcalled the “Wii U”, whichsounds like an ambulance whenrepeated out loud. But I neversaw any commercials for it; Nintendo’smarketing campaign wasnon-existent, as I know peoplewho still think that the Wii U isan add-on to the Wii, or don’t eventhink it’s real. Don’t believe me?Believe the figures – the PS4 hadsold 1 million consoles a day afterrelease in the US. It took a weekfor the Wii U to sell 440,000 units.So which console is goingto suit you? The Xbox One madehistory in that it was the firstconsole in recent gaming historyto have undergone a change fromcolossal amounts of backlashfrom critics and gamers alike.The Kinect 2.0 is no longer required(but still ships with theconsole), no internet connectionlimitations remain, and diskswere not made extinct after all.However, if you are one of thoseperfectionists that thinks that720p resolution in your gamesis horrible and must be purgedin fire, then the PS4 may serveyou better at its 1080p and withits far more powerful innards.The PS4 also has some free-toplaygames that the Xbox Onedoes not own, like the massiveshooter Planetside 2, and theninja gunner focussed Warframe.The PS4 also costs £80less than the Xbox One, but maynot offer you as much multipurposeactivities. The Xbox One, astouted by Microsoft, is “the allin-oneentertainment system”,which explains the terrible namingrubric. However, you cannotargue that having the ability towatch TV, and have the internetand Skype in the backgroundwhile having the luxury of playinggames is can definitely makeup for the extra £80; but onlyif you are interested in thosefeatures. If you don’t care forthese extras then you are probablygoing to default to the PS4.Generally, if you don’thave your eyes on at least fivegames that you would definitelywant to own and you cannot playby any other means, you shouldhold on forking over the cash tobuy a console. Things like launchissues and flat launch line-upsof games can really put a seriousdowner on your experience.The 7th generation is over, but itdoesn’t mean that people aren’tstill playing on those consoles;neither does it mean that it is asymbol of shame to be “last-gen”.There are people that boughtthe console solely for the nextCall of Duty, which was releasedfirst on the 360 and PS3. Othershopped on for Battlefield, Assassin’sCreed, even for the luxuryfeatures the Xbox offers. If youwant the definitive, cutting edgenext-gen gaming experience,then aim for the PS4. If youwant a slightly less refined gamingexperience but want a bloatof luxury features to complementit, aim for the Xbox One. And ifyou just feel that you are “casual”,or prefer a family-friendlyconsole, go for the Wii U (but ifyou still enjoy Gamecube games,I wouldn’t trade in your Wii).Urban Outfitters: Glamorising Mental IllnessBy Kaitlin ThorntonUrban Outfitters, the popularhigh street shop that we all lovefor its cool and quirky clothinghas taken to extremes in orderto gain publicity and propagatetheir ‘edginess’. Their offenseis releasing a crop top adornedrepeatedly with the word ‘depression’.And we all know depressionboosts confidence andmakes people want to show offtheir torso, right? Almost one infive people in the UK suffer fromdepression, so this controversial,attention-seeking act by UrbanOutfitters is rather insensitive.This is not their only item ofclothing highlighting a mentalillness though. In 2010, theysold a t-shirt emblazoned with‘eat less’: what a great messagefor the teenage girls they’re sellingto. If this wasn’t bad enough,in the years between then andnow they’ve shown off theirsupport and respect for equality.In 2012 they sold a noveltycard about a ‘closet tranny’ andin 2013 they were selling sockswhich depicted the Hindu Deity,Ganesh. Respectful, no?On the subject of the‘eat less’ t-shirt, actress SophiaBush, who is an advocate forpromoting healthy body imagesfor women, wrote an open letterto Urban Outfitters on herblog addressing the t-shirt. “Youshould issue a public apology,and make a hefty donation to awomen’s organization that supportsthose stricken with eatingdisorders. I am sickened thatanyone, on any board, in your giganticcompany would have votedyes on such a thing, let aloneenough of you to manufacturean item with such a hurtful message”adding that “it’s like handinga suicidal person a loadedgun. You should know better”.To some people, this maynot seem all that extreme. Butimagine how a person with depressionwould feel. Labelled?Definitely. Mocked? Probably.Mental illness isn’t a trend, andshouldn’t be portrayed as one,whether it’s by the media or inmusic or fashion. It’s a seriousillness which affects many andisn’t something to be encouraged.This isn’t the kind of examplewe should be setting toyoung people. We should be encouragingthem to be healthy,telling them that curvy is justas good as any other body shapeand making them believe thatthey can overcome anything.Since their customers complainedabout the ‘depression’top, Urban Outfitters announcedon Twitter that it would no longerbe sold on their site, but thedamage is already done. They’vealready told girls that theyshould ‘eat less’ and that depressionis trendy, and received thefree publicity they wanted fromit. Before I found out about thisI was a fan of Urban Outfitters.They’re a cool shop. However, isit worth spending your money ina shop that tells young girls thatthey’re not skinny enough andthat depression is fashionable?When digging a little deeper,it’s not difficult to find otheroutrageous examples of UrbanOutfitter’s insensitive, harmfulitems. To begin with racism, UrbanOutfitters have managed toA Veil over Justice?By Ramganesh LakshmanWe live in an increasingly multiculturalsociety, but where do wedraw the line between toleranceof different cultures and keepingpeople safe? One area where thisissue has become increasinglysignificant is in the courtroom.A recent case that is particularlyrelevant occurred in Blackfriarscrown court, where Judge PeterMurphy ordered a woman to removeher niqab- a Muslim veilthat covers the whole face exceptthe eyes- whilst giving evidence.This is the first case to do this,but was it the right decision?And how will this ruling affectour courtrooms in the future?Judge Peter Murphy gavea 36 page ruling to back up hisdecision, focused on the key ideathat the courts duty to open andfair law trumps the right of peopleto express their religion. Certainly,this argument has merit-offend the Irish, Mexicans, theJewish and black people withtops containing writing suchas ‘Kiss me I’m drunk, or Irish,or whatever’ and ‘New Mexico,cleaner than regular Mexico’.Perhaps the worst, though, istheir knock-off Monopoly game‘Ghettopoly’ which had propertiessuch as the ‘crack house’ and‘cheap trick avenue’. As a finalexample, but certainly not thelast of Urban Outfitter’s offenses,is a t-shirt, released in 2008,displaying a blatant anti-Israelmessage as it depicted an armedPalestinian youth with the word‘Victimized’ splashed across it.it is important for people of allfaiths that the system of law andorder is fair and infallible. Moreover,if women are to be allowedto wear the niqab in court, whatis to stop other defendants demandingthe right to cover theface in the interests of fairness?Juries rely a lot on facial expressionin terms of deciding whetheror not a witness is lying, andso the covering of the face couldbe said to infringe the workingsof law and order. But does it?Recent psychology studiesshow that using facial expressionto decide on whether a witness islying is notoriously ineffective.On deciding whether people werelying or not, participants had asuccess rate of 48%- barely betterthan chance. A practiced liarcan easily fool a jury, and in themodern age many defendantsreceive coaching on how to appearconvincing and trustable.A bombardment of complaintsfollowed, with claims that theshirt glorified child abuse andexploitation, as well as terrorism.Almost all of these itemswere retracted by the company.Conditions like depression andanorexia are not fashion statements,and shouldn’t be glamorisedby corporations like UrbanOutfitters. Racism certainly isn’tfashionable. But maybe you disagree.So while I can’t dictateyour opinion on Urban Outfitters,and I wouldn’t try, but I will askyou this: do you think it is rightthat these are the messages theyare sending to young people?Moreover, the scary environmentof the courtroom can often makewitnesses nervous- making themseem unsure of themselves anduntrustworthy even if they aretelling the truth. In the case ofa woman who has been placedin a position of discomfort dueto having been forced to removeher niqab, this effect could beamplified. Perhaps then, allowingwomen to wear the niqab incourt could help the course ofjustice, rather than hinderingit. Indeed, perhaps witnessesshould give all evidence as transcript,so that juries make a decisionbased on the evidence,rather than false facial cues.However this would requirea dramatic change inthe legal system as we knowit, and such a change is likelyto come up against massiveresistance. It seems thatthe debate is here to stay.

25 The Phoenix | 4th April 2014 COMMENT & DEBATE The Phoenix | 4th April 2014COMMENT & DEBATE24Has Benefits Street Demonised the Poor?By Subha KamurI have never really liked realitytelevision. I mean not even thestuff we all accepted as popularSaturday night entertainmentlike X-Factor. I always felt badfor the people who stumbledacross that stage genuinely believingthey have a god-gifted talentonly to sound like a cat beingrun over by a lawnmower. I feltuneasy laughing at their realisationthat they weren’t the nextWhitney Houston and angry asSimon Cowell ripped them apart,despite his lack of vocal ability.However, now I wonder whetherI should have stuck to my gunsand not sunk into this weekendindulgence. This is because thesuccess of Channel 4’s ‘‘BenefitsStreet’’ makes it pretty clear wemight have lost sight of wherethe boundaries are in television.It became Channel 4’s mostsuccessful show this year withits peak viewing figures hitting6.48 million viewers. It was alsoa show that brought about disgustand accusations of “povertyporn”, Ofcom receiving recordcomplaints. But was ‘BenefitsStreet’ a picture of actual povertyor was it justa sick stretching ofthe reality TV phenomenon,where weenjoy people’s actualexistence as binableentertainment?For thosewho weren’t part ofthe 14.4% share ofviewers tuning in,‘Benefits Street’ followedthose on thebreadline on JamesTurner Street, inthe Winston Greenarea of Birmingham.The show followedthe lives ofthose with seemingly no motivation,drug dealers, petty criminalsbut also those trying to liftthemselves out of their miserylike ‘White Dee’, shown to bethe mother of the street, offeringadvice to fellow mothers like‘Black Dee’ to local druggies suchas ‘Fungi’. The show claimedit sought to humanise those inpoverty and show their spiritand sense of togetherness. However,with 20,000 signing a petitionfor the show to be scrapped,clearly many were not convincedLegislating E-CigarettesBy Jake TristramRecently, Health Minister MarkDrakeford claimed that electroniccigarettes are re-normalisingsmoking. Legislation is goingthrough parliament to ban theirsale to under-18s in England.A comprehensive study of children’swell-being in 30 industrialisednations showed that Britainwas the third worst countryfor “risky behaviours” for under18s. Since the age required topurchase tobacco in Britain wasraised from 16 to 18, underagesmoking rates have dropped from24% of 16-17 year olds before theban to 17% after. The problem is,no matter what laws are put inplace it will never be impossiblefor teenagers to obtain tobacco.E-cigarettes contain notobacco, which means no cancercausingchemicals, no industrialsolvents, and no nitrogenoxides or carbon monoxide. Inother words, e-cigarettes whilstas addictive as normal fags arenowhere near as harmful to thehuman body. Of course no onewants their child to be smokinganything but if someone’s alreadyaddicted; e-cigarettes area more effective alternative tonicotine patches for giving up.E-cigarettes, if used responsiblyallow you to smoke when desperatewithout any of the harmfulside effects and if you are committedto giving up, provide agood bridge between smokingand going completely cold turkey.In terms of underagesmoking, the government needsto start looking at e-cigarettesas the lesser of two evils oreven as the helpful contributorto giving up smoking ratherthan as an independent problemwhich needs to be solved.that Channel 4 simply wantedto portray a sense of community.I did find the stories I sawmoving but past the veneer ofhumour and hoodies they werealso grim and upsetting. I neverfelt like Channel 4 had produceda piece of film that was there toinform, it was merely entertainment.The problems addressedin this program are real problemswhich have now been madea mockery of and sensationalisedbeyond recognition. I want toknow the people who are strugglingbut I don’t want to knowthem under the harsh labelsof being junkies and chavs. It’sclear that for the majority of usthat’s all they were: characters tolaugh and point at but not understandor help. It’s that attitudethat has led to some even takingphotos on the now infamousstreet. They are being treatedlike animals hoarded up at a zoo.On one level, it’s importantto find those exploiting thesystem. On another level, it isimportant for the mainstreampublic to see what life is like inthese extreme circumstancesto find where they stand on theomnipresent welfare debate. Butwhat irked me was the lack oftransparency from the makersof the show. ‘Benefits Street’ wasneither drama nor a real documentary.As the local MP ShabanaMahmood told Channel 4:“If you were interested in makinga programme about whatlife is really like for people whoare on the breadline, then I canpromise you two things: it won’tbe entertaining and it won’t befunny”. No, it’s pretty obviousthat this show was never meantto realistically inform but insteadit was meant to spark controversyin a petty attempt togain ratings. Good journalismmeans looking outside of the boxand trying to find a nuanced pictureof certain communities. If itwas legitimate journalism thisshow wouldn’t have just pickedout those characters that fit ourextreme stereotypes and madethose individuals seem like boththe root of our problems as wellas the ignorant clown who willnever understand our problems.I never really liked realitytelevision and that’s all thisis. A reality show that may havestarted out as a genuine attemptat being a fly on the walldocumentary but instead it hasbecome a guilty pleasure, somethingto chuckle at or be shockedby. The welfare debate is divisiveenough without the addition ofa TV show clearly exploiting acontroversial topic. The showhas given us a colourful pictureof some characters which has ifanything made me feel a connectionto this community. However,this show never sought tohumanise nor even demonise althoughthat was the unfortunateresult. Regardless, with anotherseries exploring a similar themein the line up and even talk of aseries 2 in the works this kindof television doesn’t seem to begoing anywhere anytime soon.Twitch. Definition: A websitewhere one can streamgameplay to a live audience,populated by only the mostproven of internet trolls whoyearn for nothing more thanto cause chaos, and generallymake things go wrong.Pokémon. Definition: Asimple game that is easyto learn and play, and easyto grasp, which involvesthe handling and trainingof different kinds ofanimals to use as part ofyour six-man strike teamNow combine these two thingsand what do you get? A social experimentthat has finally givenpower to those who dwell within‘Twitch chat’ to derail the effortsof others. You, or rather 60,000of you, control a ten year old boywho just left his mother’s housein order to become the very best,like no one ever was. You controlhis six captive beasts to defeatothers, traversing the world byland, sea, and air, in the efforts ofcatching them all. Now imaginethere is a lone tree blocking yourpath. You try to get one of yourPokémon to cut down this tree.TPPBy Henry SandersonYou have an item that can teachone of your Pokémon this move.But it resides in your bag. Oh no.The manner of control lieswithin Twitch chat, where youtype your chosen button, or votefor the system of control by typing‘anarchy’ or ‘democracy’ (as ironicas it sounds). It has proven Twitchto be impatient since entering ademocratic state leads to an influxof people spamming ‘start9’,which makes the game open themenu nine times, as an act of rebellion.The twenty second delayintroduced by Twitch’s servers inorder to support so many streamersat once has made the aim‘press whatever since in twentyseconds you could be anywhere’.60,000 people have proven cumbersomeat trying to navigateeven the most basic of tasks, suchas moving in a straight line inorder to traverse “The Ledge”, avery long straight platform witha one-way step that forces you togo back to the start if you wishto cross again, or retrieve itemsthat are crucial to the plot withoutselecting the ‘dig’ command,sending you back to a town. Theworst case of behaviour camewhen the chat managed to catcha legendary Pokémon, (withoutever selecting ‘run’ in battle) itthen being sent to the PC, whichof course, involves coordinatedbutton presses to function. In theprocess of withdrawing this creature,they managed to releasetwelve Pokémon, which effectivelyremoved them from the game.This included fan favourites suchas ‘x(araggbaj’, ‘AAJST(????’,‘AAEWWW’, and ‘DUX’, the onecreature that knew how to cutdown trees, and was affectionatelynamed the ‘Slayer of Trees’.This was apparently a sabotageattempt by 2,000 trolls, who wereattempting to release ‘aaabaaajss’,who has been nicknamed‘Bird Jesus’, for once being theonly useful Pokémon in theteam. This is a stunning displayof strife and ludicrousness, neverbefore seen on the internet. Thisexperiment is a key to truly understandingthe ulterior motiveof the elusive ‘troll’, peering deepinto the true form of the internet.Those who are actuallytrying to play the game have lostso much of their sanity that theyare beginning to form completelynew angles to view this literalchild’s game. The ten year oldboy has been sent walking intowalls, spinning on the spot, consultingthe same sign in the towna thousand times, or opening hisbag to consult the Helix Fossil foradvice, in which it tells him “thisisn’t the time to do that”. The HelixFossil has been idolised as agod among Twitch, being reveredas ‘Lord Helix’ upon his revival.A bad evolution led to the releasingof two creatures, named‘ABBBBBBK(‘, known as AbbyK, and ‘JLVWNNOOOO’, knownas Jay Leno, in the attempts torelease the badly evolved demon.This creature was nicknamedthe ‘False Prophet’.Twitch Plays Pokémon is muchlike the typical train wreck. Itis such a tragic thing, but is onsuch a large scale and is so gloriousthat it cannot be ignored. It isan experiment that has revealedthe power of communal storytellingand the disaster that wouldhappen if everyone in the worldwere given the equivalent of thehistory eraser button. It has alsoexacerbated the amount of contentthere is for, let’s say, ‘internetartists’. This ten year old boyhas been depicted as mentallyunstable, and as tormented. Thereverse has been illustrated,from the views of plot criticalcharacters, who watch this childattempt to walk into the nearestwall to no avail. Pictures that oncedepicted religious figures havebeen edited to fit the unfoldingstory. No event has drawn moreof the pure essence of the internetthan this, and goes to showhow a simple idea can bring outthe best, and worst, in people.

26 News and Politics 4th April 2014 | The PhoenixNews and PoliticsWhy is There Turmoil in Ukraine?Emily Thomas discusses therecent crisis in UkraineIn recent months the revolutionin Ukraine has seen huge politicalupheaval, bloodshed anduncertainty for its future. However,it is the relationship betweenRussia and Ukraine thathas caused countries aroundthe world to turn their gaze towardsthe situation, as it teeterson the edge of potential war.Russia and Ukraineshare not just a border,but a history. A historythat involved Ukraine beinga member of the SovietUnion from 1922 to 1991, aperiod which left the countryat the mercy of Stalin’sruthless policy of collectivisation,that left millionsdead in a horrific famine.Many Ukrainians despisedthe dominance of Russia somuch that during the SecondWorld War, men in thecountry flocked to supportthe Nazis in the hope ofridding themselves of thetight grip of the USSR.However, after gaining independencein 1991, newtensions began to form.Native Russians remainedliving in the country, particularlyin Crimea and the easternregions. In Crimea, 58% ofthe population is Russian, comparedwith 24% being Ukrainian;consequently there weredisputes over how this could bejustified- what needs to be justified?REPHRASE MAYBE. In1992, Crimea became an autonomous,parliamentary republicwithin Ukraine; however, thissolution was far from perfect.Since a pro-Russian, Crimeanseparatist was voted as presidentwith a large majority in1995, Crimea has not had itsown president. Instead, Ukrainereplaced the elected presidentwith a Ukrainian appointmentand this has continued to thisday. Furthermore, tensions haveincreased as a result of Ukraine’srecent attempts to join the EUand NATO, actions deemed toopro-Western for Russia’s liking.During the 2009 oil conflict, theRussian media, much of whichis controlled by the state, portrayedUkraine as a greedycountry as it tried to side withWest and exploit cheap Russiangas simultaneously. Evidently,Russia-Ukraine relations havegreatly deteriorated since its‘union’ during the Soviet period,and with their disputes notablyinvolving the West as well, howmuch further can it be pushed?Political pressure inUkraine had been mounting wellbefore revolutionary protestsbegan in November last year.In 2004, the Orange Revolutionwas triggered by rigged electionsin which the pro-Russiancandidate, Viktor Yanukovych,the now recently ousted president,had won. After mass streetprotests, the election result wasoverrun. Yanukovych returnedto power in 2010 after ‘free andfair’ elections. Despite this, theunderlying dark side of Ukrainianpolitics persisted, as hisrival Yulia Tymoshenko was arrestedand jailed for ‘abuse ofpowers’, in what many suspectas a politically motivated case.Additional tensions can be attributedto Ukraine’s complexdemographic divisions. Thereare strong differences betweenEast and West Ukraine; withthe majority in the East speakingRussian as a first language,in contrast with the majority inthe West who speak Ukrainianas their first language. The heavilyindustrialised East whollydepends on Russia for cheap energyand exports. However, theseeconomic and geographic ties toRussia do not mean a disregardfor Ukrainian identity in the region,the overwhelming majority,92.3%, voted for Ukrainianindependence in 1991 acrossthe country. To this day, beliefin Ukrainian unity is still upheldby the majority. Rather, theprinciple division and the onewhich sparked the first protests,is whether Ukraine’s future isEuropean or Russian reliant.This leads us to 21st November2013, when PresidentYanukovych announced that hewas abandoning the EU associationagreement, which wouldhave strengthened trade tieswith the rest of Europe, a tantalizingeconomic opportunity tomany pro-Western Ukrainians.Instead the decision wasmade to accept a Russianbailout, suggesting a futurethat leant more towardsclose co-operationwith Ukraine’s neighbour.Equally provoking to thosewho oppose Yanukovychwas the rejection of a billthat could have enabled hisrival, Yulia Tymoshenko,who had been jailed since2010, to leave the country.By 24th November, protestshad reached a threateninglevel, a demonstration inKiev saw 100 000 peopleattending. As time movedon, the protests evolvedfrom much more than thedispute over Ukraine’s futurewith the EU. The brutalitywith which policedealt with protesters andthe new draconian lawsbrought in to curb the democraticrights of the protesters highlightedthe deep corruption of theUkrainian government and itsPresident, Viktor Yanukovych.The crisis escalated inFebruary, the violence worsenedleading to further deaths andlater in the month Yanukovychwas ousted as President. A newcoalition government formed tounite all the opposition partiesand Olexander Turchynov wasnamed as the standing president.Disturbingly, the Russianpresence in not only Crimeabut reportedly in mainlandUkraine, suggests a worryingand bloody future for the country.The Phoenix |4th April 2014The Mystery of MH370By Henry SandersonThe disappearance of the MH370plane has, understandably,made some people confused asto how such a thing can happen.On March 8th 2014, theMalaysia Airlines plane disappearedfrom radar operators justoff the coast of Malaysia. Fromhere it began to change course, accordingto military radars, beforedisappearing completely over theAndaman Sea. 239 people wereon board, including 153 Chinesepassengers, and a search effortled the Malaysian authoritiesspanned about 7.7 million squarekilometres with countries joiningin, such as the US and Japan,and even self-proclaimed “internetdetectives” have taken to satelliteimagery to scour the landand sea for any signs of a plane.Conspiracy theories haverisen in all sorts of degrees ofoddness, ranging from the basic“they’re in this country” to “it wasshot down over this country” and“they flew up high on purposeto kill everyone on board”. (Theplane was operating at 45,000feet, which is exceeds the operationalheight of the Boeing 777).Terrorism theories have croppedup due to there being two Iranianpassengers found to have hadstolen passports. However thismay have just been the kneejerkreaction to any situation resemblinga vanishing plane or planecrash. People seem to be graspingat straws, slowly drifting awayfrom the most likely outcomeof a simple mechanical fault.The two pilots have beenput under the magnifying glass.The pilot, 53 year old ZaharieAhmad Shah, had 18,000 flighthours behind him, and a flightsimulator in his house mimickingthe Boeing 777 model thathe apparently piloted into thenether on March 8th, which hassparked doubts as to whether ornot this may have been a premeditatedevent. However, he isa self-confessed aviation fanatic,and relatives and friends of thepilot have dismissed the presenceof the, stating that he ownedthe simulator to share the flyingity, frost, radiation, air pressure,lightning, and stray birdsall while moving at high speeds.Combine that with the immeasurableparanoia instilled from9/11, every re-run of United 93,and every single time you’ve seenthe words “Plane crashes in…”on a news site, then you havesomething that can really scarepeople. I hold the same feelingsabout lightning, which can onlybe expressed the anti-lottery; peoplehave to get unlucky enoughCloudy skies for UKIPBy Bethan CadwallarNigel Farage may have seen excellentresults in recent by-elections, but hisstruggle to establish UKIP as a fullyreasonable, mainstream political partyis far from over. It seems that theparty’s worst enemy may be its ownmembers. Godfrey Bloom has mercifullydropped from public view after amemorable summer in which he talkedabout aid going to ‘Bongo Bongoland’, called a room full of women‘sluts’ and accused a reporter of beingracist because he pointed out thelack of ethnic minorities in UKIP’sconference book. But it appears thatanother embarrassing media honeypothas emerged. Step forward DavidSilvester, a UKIP councillor fromHenley-on-Thames, who claimedthat the legalisation of same-sexmarriage caused the terrible floodswhich have struck much of the UK.He wrote in a letter to theHenley Standard: “The scripturesmake it abundantly clear that a Christiannation that abandons its faith andacts contrary to the Gospel (and in nakedbreach of a coronation oath) willbe beset by natural disasters such asstorms, disease, pestilence and war...It is [David Cameron’s] fault thatlarge swathes of the nation have beenafflicted by storms and floods.” Cameronis surely relieved to have dodgedthe bullet of having the commentsmade by a member of his own party;Silvester defected from the Conservativesto UKIP in protest at his formerleader’s support for the Marriage(Same Sex Couples) Act of 2013.News and Politics27experience withothers. The copilot,27 year oldFariq Abdul Hamid,had 2,700flight hours behindhim, butwas accused in2011 of lettingtwo passengersinto the cockpitduring a flight.In an eeriechain of events,the last wordssent from theplane, “all right,good night”,were said byFariq just after the plane haddisabled primary communicationsystems, shortly before thesecondary communication systemswere shut off which severedall contact. Quite understandablythis is a cause for concern.Whatever the outcomemay be, it has not improved myfeelings towards flying at all.I have never understood how alarge heavy tube with wings isable to resist the effects of gravtohave their organs sizzled.As the event has reachedmaturity, conflict has risen overthe publicity of information of theplane’s whereabouts, and exactlyhow the plane disappeared. Hungerstrikes were proposed in hopesthat the Malaysian governmentwere hiding information. Searchparties have a lot of ground tocover, and it’s unreasonable tothink that any person can pinpointthe location of a lost planein such a short amount of time.Among those quick to mockSilvester’s comments was the creatorof the @UkipWeather Twitterfeed, with choice tweets including:“A lingering look between2 men at a gym in Yorkhas sparked concerns from residentsliving near the River Ouse”“Council gritters are onhigh alert after a man in Peterboroughwent into a pub and ordereda glass of white wine”“Dark clouds are formingover the Midlands followingvoluntary sexual intercourse betweentwo unmarried persons”“An area of low intelligencecentred around the Daily Mail willcause severe outbreaks of capitalletters and exclamation marks”Silvester has been expelledfrom the party for defying an instructionto not do further media interviews,but this whole affair will be one amongmany hanging around the neck ofUKIP as they prepare for the EuropeanParliament elections later this year.

28 News and Politics 4th April 2014 | The PhoenixRussia’s Human Rights and SochiBy Emily ThomasRussia, the host of the 2014Winter Olympics, has recentlybeen subjected to internationalscrutiny of its human rightsabuses. Protected by the shroudof supposed democracy, manyassumed that the use of repressionand brutality remainedsolely attached to the SovietUnion. However, the Sochi WinterOlympics has provoked anincrease in media coverage ofRussia’s neglect of basic humanrights, resulting in pressure beingplaced on the country andits President, Vladimir Putin.Following the heavilycriticised 2013 elections Putinreturned as President of Russia.The resulting popular protests,demanding greater civiland political freedoms and actionagainst electoral fraud, werecountered with overwhelming repressiveforce from the state. Theday before Putin’s inauguration,a protest was staged along thepermitted route, only to be haltedby the police. Despite this, 19protestors faced criminal chargesand over the following days hundredsof people wearing whiteribbons, a symbol of protest, werearrested in Moscow. Not only thisbut despite public criticism, newlaws were introduced to enableharsh penalties againstlegitimate protests anddemonstrations. Amendmentsto the law introducednew restrictionswhen governing publicevents. In contrast,gatherings of pro-governmentactivists wereenabled even withoutbeing authorised. Thisdemonstrates a clearbreach of the freedom ofassembly that AmnestyInternational believesall humans should beequally entitled too.Freedom of expressionin Russia hasbeen similarly restricted,as seen in the infamousincident in March2013 involving the punkgroup, Pussy Riot. Thethree members made a peaceful,but provocative, performance ina cathedral in Moscow and weresubsequently convicted of ‘hooliganismmotivated by religioushatred’ and sentenced to twoyears in prison. The video footageof the group’s protest wasmade unlawful for publication onthe internet in Russia, as decidedby a Moscow court. This alsosheds light at the inadequacy ofthe justice system in the country,as the Pussy Riot convictionsappeared politically motivatedwhich has recently been a growingtrend. The citizens’ inabilityto speak out against their owndemocratic government is an infringementof their human rights.The most publicised of thehuman rights abuses in Russiahas been the recent discriminatorylegislation targeting homosexuals.This much talkedaboutlegislation was a law thatbanned ‘propaganda of sodomy,lesbianism, bisexualism andtransgenderness among minors’in several regions across Russiaincluding Moscow and St. Petersburg.At face value, the wordingof the legislation does not suggestmuch ‘legal’ discriminationcould be carried out by the state.However, the connotations of thewords can be widely interpretedand consequently many LGBTIevents have been forbidden, andprotests have been dispersedby police. Furthermore, attacksagainst LGBTI individuals andother minority groups have notbeen dealt with seriously by theauthorities; the attackers havebeen left unidentified and thevictims neglected. This combinationof repressive legislation anda purposeful lack of diligence indealing with hate crimes is incrediblydangerous. Therefore, thedemands for a boycott of the WinterOlympics were endeavouringto force the legislation and evidenthomophobia to be stopped.For a host of an internationallyrevered sporting competitionto infringe on the basichuman rights of its citizens isarguably reprehensible. The authoritiesare showing a sinisterlevel of repression and an unguardedexpression of homophobia,therefore, calling into questionthe willingness of Britainand numerous other countriesto participate in the games. Asseen with the talks over Syria,the delicacy of international relationshas played a part in preventingcountries taking a standagainst evil. This inhumanityhas featured countless times inthe past and, without a changein approach, will undoubtedly occurcountless times in the future.The NewPound CoinBy Nick SwansonIt has been revealed by ChancellorGeorge Osborne that thereare plans for a new pound coin,based on the country’s threepenny,to be introduced into circulationby 2017. The new coin willbe composed of two separate colours,much like the current £2coin, and will have twelve sides.This unique design is being imposedin an attempt to crackdown on fake currency currentlyin circulation. It is estimated thatfraudulent money in the Englisheconomy equates to around £45million – almost 3% of the totalamount of cash in the country.Armed with a new IntegratedSecure IdentificationSystem (ISIS), the Royal Mint,who have been producing England’scurrency for over 1,100years, have promised that thisnew coin will be “the most securecoin in the world”. ISIS hasthree tiers of bank note strengthsecurity – overt, covert, and forensic.The system can be “authenticatedvia high-speed automateddetection at industryleading levels”, and is harder tocounterfeit than any previouscoin. The twelve sided shape isvery reminiscent of the old threepennybit, while the dual colourway holds similarities to the twopound piece. The iconic sidewaysimage of the Queen’s head willremain on one face of the coin.However every mechanismoperated by one pound coins willhave to be modified or replacedin order to accept the differentshape. It has been estimated thatthe cost to the economy of adaptingthese systems will be around£15 to £20 million. In 2012, followingthe introduction of thethicker 5 and 10 p coins, manylocal councils complained thatthe cost of making these changeswas left up to them, but thistime around, Mr Mills has promisedto make sure that “we lookat the impact to industry, andmake sure that we do everythingthat we can to make the changeoveras smooth as possible”.The Phoenix | 4th April 2014A Retrospective on theIraq WarBy Chris MurphyIraq has been a place of conflictfor many decades but the mostnotorious was the harsh rule ofSaddam Hussein and the aftermathof his death. In January2003 George W. Bush and TonyBlair declared that invadingIraq would be a coalition effort ofover 35 countries to ‘disarm’ anderadicate all ‘weapons of massdestruction’. Also, with rumoursthat Saddam was supportingand funding terrorism, the mediahad all the ammunition theyneeded to turn the invasion intoa genuine heroic effort on behalfof the Western World. However,we are all too quick to forget theinnocent Iraqi civilians who hadtheir lives ended far too soon bythe actions of the coalition. Onthe 31st of March, eleven Iraqiswere caught up in US gunfireand unfortunately lost theirlives. Following this on the 1st ofApril 33 civilians were killed byArial Bombardment in Hilla andon the 10th of April 2003 3 boyswere killed in a cluster bombin Al-Tadhiya slum, Nasiriya.In fact since January 2003 thekill count of civilians due to violencein Iraq is over 130,000.The real question after theman hunt finished was Saddamwho was publically hanged himon the 30th of December 2006in a village called Kazimain,north of Bagdad. After US andUK troops pulled out in December2011, Iraq has been left totheir own devices and is plungingdeeper into ethnic violencebetween the Sunni minority andthe Shia community. Last yearwas the most dangerous yearsince 2008. It was a year of carnage,with car bombs, suicidebombers and roadside massacres.We’re left with the imposingquestion; would all of this havehappened if it wasn’t for the interventionby the US? Would Iraqbe left in total rack and ruin?It is clear now that Iraqnever had any WMD’s nor was itharbouring any of Al-Qaeda suspects.It’s impossible to say whywe really intervened but theremust have been some error inwhat had occurred as Tony Blairhas been facing war crime chargesin Geneva over the abomination.Conspiracy theories rangefrom the insane to the damn rightoutrageous, but one theory thathas some backing is the possibilitythat Saddam was placing anembargo on all oil exports out ofthe country. That is a rather bigdeal, as being the fifth biggest reservein the world having an estimated140 billion barrels. Thisbeing said, much of the WesternWorld would have to pay far moreand that wouldn’t be very popularback home among the public.So whatever happenedeleven years ago, it won’t bethat clear until evidence is releasedfrom archives, but thatwon’t be for another 30 years.I just hope justice is swiftlybrought upon the war hungrymen that brought a country toits knees, lied to the world andstill believe they’re in the right.By Mariam AliabadiIn a 1998 interview, a formerUS military analyst who leakedtop-secret Pentagon papers disclosingthe US government’s decisionsduring the Vietnam War.Daniel Ellsberg said “the publicis lied to every day by the President,by his spokespeople, byhis officers. If you can’t handlethe thought that the Presidentlies to the public for all kindsof reasons, you couldn’t stay inthe government at that level”.Edward Snowden is one ofthose people. At the end of January,Snowden was nominated forthe 2015 Nobel Peace Prize onthe basis that his whistleblowinghad “contributed to a more stableand peaceful world order” andhis remarkable revelations of thevast American surveillance stateoperating secretly without theconsent of the public, throughthousands of leaked secret documentsto newspapers, has createdwidespread debate surroundingthe delicate balance betweensecurity and privacy. Snowdenclaims that the NSA collects, filters,analyses and stores everyone’scommunications - that isour text messages, phone calls,emails and even internet searches;all of which are in violationto the 4th amendment to theUS constitution. He believes theNSA has overstepped its legal authority:“The NSA violated theirown rules thousands of times ina year. They intercepted all thecalls in Washington DC by accident.And it turns out the chairmanof the Senate intelligencecommittee had no idea untilthe Washington Post contactedher for comment.What does that say aboutthe state of oversight inAmerican intelligence?”Charged with violatingthe Espionage Act,many brand him a traitorsaying he put agents’lives at risk and damagedoperations. The USgovernment accuses itsex-agent of stealing up to1.7million top secret documentsand former Presi-News and Politics29Snowden: Whistle-Blower?dent of the USA George Bushsaid “he damaged the security ofthe country”. President Obamadefended the NSA spying comparingit to collecting books andstoring them in a library – thegovernment doesn’t read themall but only targets files of interest.Obama stated “intelligenceagencies cannot function withoutsecrecy, which makes their workless subject to public debate”. Ofcourse every country has secretswhich are vital for the functioningof government but Snowden’srevelations raise questionsabout exactly how extensivethe power if the US state is.Snowden says “telling thetruth is not a crime”. Regardlessof any moral interpretationsof what he did; the braveact of challenging the seeminglyall-powerful US state is in itselfhugely important. Just like howschools, banks, hospitals andfirms are regulated; in an establisheddemocracy so too shouldthe government. Only with repeatedexposure by whistle blowerslike Edward Snowden can wehope to bring about the kind oftransparency necessary to enableus to make our government accountable,as indeed it should be.In a TED talk on 19thMarch 2014, he warned “someof the most important reportingto be done is yet to come.”Snowden’s greatest fear is thatnothing changes. But in manyways the scale of public outcryand debate is change enoughfrom the days when peoples’fears about the insecurity ofemails and mobile phones wasno more than speculative.

30 News and Politics4th April 2014 | The PhoenixSpecial Report: The Harrowing Truth of TraffickingBy Abbey MaclureWhat memories do you have ofbeing 12 years old? Starting secondaryschool or perhaps joininga new sports team? For themillions of victims of humantrafficking, their memories fromtheir early teens are truly haunting.The average age of victims isjust 12 years old and only an estimated1-2% of all victims willbe rescued. Behind these statisticsare the untold stories of millionsof young girls across theworld, forced into the sex tradefrom as young as nine. The vastmajority are trapped in this darkunderworld, with the few whomanage to escape often shamedand outcast by their families.The true horrors of sextrafficking rarely receive a significantamount of publicity;it is an issue often ignored byWestern nations due to its sensitivenature. The authorities ofmany developing countries havebeen accused of actively turninga blind eye to the trafficking, orworse, taking part in the crimeitself. A controversial yet grip-The A21 CampaginBy Darren D’SouzaThe A21 Campaign is an organisationcommitted to “abolishinginjustice in the 21st Century”.It works to fight humantrafficking, the sex trade andforced slave labour. They aim to:• Prevent traffickingthrough awareness and education,equipping young peoplewith strategies to avoidbecoming a victim, throughpresentations in schools, orphanagesand universities.• Protect those who havebeen trafficked by building sheltersand transition homes. Theseping documentary released thisJanuary, part of Ross Kemp’sExtreme World series, uncoveredthe extent of sex traffickingin India and revealed thefailure of the police to take anyinterest in individual cases.The documentary includthestory of the disappearanceof a 10-month old baby fromher rural home; one of many infantssuspected to be victims ofmale and female traffickers whotransport young children to citiesand force them into the multi-millionpound sex industry. Villagesin the rural area of West Bengalare most under threat from thetraffickers as the state is one ofthe poorest in India, making iteasy for traffickers to lure thegirls with the prospect of work.The villagers in one area thatKemp visited claimed that theyknew who the local traffickerwas, but were too afraid to revealdetails to the cameras, or to thepolice. The few who were braveenough to report their missingchildren to the authorities weregiven empty promises that actionwould be taken, or evenaim to help victims live in freedom;free of fear of being soldand used, and helping with thefuture, after they leave care.• Prosecute traffickersand strengthen the legal responseto the issue. They providelegal counsel to every victimin their care, representingthem in criminal proceedings.So what can we do? Thecampaign lists 21 ways to getinvolved, such as writing lettersto survivors or simply raisingawareness of the issue in thepublic eye through social media,sending care packages As one supporterputs it “We can’t do everything,but everyone can do something,”from becoming a voiceand raising the issue publiclythrough social media, volunteering,interning or even requestingspeakers from the A21 campaign.You can also become a member,donate or put on charity events.In South Africa, one of theshunned andturned away.Controversially,thedocumentaryincluded aninterview witha renownedtrafficker, whoclaimed thathe had traffickedthousandsof girlsand lived a lavishlifestyle as a result. In a startlingmoment he revealed thatif suspicion arose, and he couldnot bribe the police, he would killthe girls. An early death is thereality for most victims – if notkilled by the traffickers, or themen who pay to exploit them, thegirls often contract HIV and areabandoned on the street wherethey eventually die of AIDS.Although the scale of sextrafficking in India is staggering,it is not the only one. Countrieswith rising use of social media,such as Indonesia, are experiencinga new pandemic – traffickersare beginning to use networksThe FactsThere are 27 million slavesworldwide.The average age of a traffickingvictim is 12 years old.Only 1-2% of victims are everrescued.1 in 100,000 European traffickersare ever convicted.top ten worst African countriesfor trafficking, the A21 Campaignopened its official office inCape Town in March 2013, raisingawareness in schools andmedia amongst other things.President Jacob Zuma, enactedthe Prevention and Combatingof Trafficking in Persons Bill inJuly, carrying life imprisonmentpenalties and fines taking intoaccount the victims’ ordeals. Fittingfor South Africa, inspiredby the words of the great NelsonMandela: “For to be free is notmerely to cast off one’s chains, butto live in a way that respects andenhances the freedom of others.”Find out more athttp://www.thea21campaign.org/such as Facebook to captureand traffic young girls into thesex industry. As social networkingis new to Indonesia, there isa significant lack of awarenessand education on internet safety,making girls vulnerable online.Indonesia is a largely Islamic nationand, much like India, thereis stigma and shame attachedto the victims. Politicians themselvesare reluctant to addressthe issue, with education ministerMohammad Nuh quotedas claiming “they do it for fun,and then the girl alleges rape.”Whilst this closed attitudefrom politicians is alien to Britain2,255 victims of sex traffickingwere uncovered in the UKin 2013 and 540 of those werechildren. There are numerous organisationsworking to eradicateUK sex trafficking, yet these figuresshow that it is far from anissue of the past. Early this year,4 Hungarian men and 1 Britishwoman were imprisoned fortrafficking 44 women from EasternEurope into the UK, withthe majority forced into becomingsex workers. Although traffickersdo receive lengthy prisonsentences, charities suggestthat other traffickers remainfree and continue to exploit Europeanwomen living in poverty.The full extent and scaleof the dark industry of sex traffickingmay never be uncovered,with each country requiringspecific and individual action totackle the problem. What is clearis that attitudes surrounding theissue, particularly those of governmentsand police, need to beadjusted, radically in many nations,to allow change to happen.SPORTSSportsNo gold postbox for Lizzie Yarnold: are thewinter Olympics underrated?By Eleanor HarrisonDespite the controversy surroundingthem, the 2014 WinterOlympics in Sochi have beena surprisingly good success forTeam GB. With bronze medalsfor snowboarder Jenny Jonesand the women’s curling team,silver for the men’s curling teamand gold for skeleton bob athleteLizzie Yarnold, the teamhave equalled the largest numberof medals achieved by Britainin a winter games. The fourmedal record was previouslyheld only by the 1924 Olympicswhere only 16 countries wererepresented compared to the88 that competed in Sochi. Anotherrecord breaker was JennyJones who won Britain’s firstmedal on snow with her bronzein the slopestyle snowboarding.However, this successdoes not seem to be recognisedas much as it should. After LizzieYarnold won her gold, RoyalMail announced that, unlike thegold medallists of the 2012 summerOlympics, she would not bereceiving a gold post box in herhometown of West Kingsdownnear Sevenoaks, Kent. On top ofher victory in Sochi, Lizzie, alongwith her sled “Mervyn”, won theWorld Cup Championships earlierin the year. At only 25 andhaving only been competingsince 2010, this is an especiallybig achievement. Royal Mail,however, argued that the goldboxes were to commemorate aone off event where Britain wasthe host country and refused todiscuss the matter further, despitea petition started in a Sevenoaksnewspaper receiving over20,000 signatures in 24 hours.Since this was announced, a localpost box was painted with acoat of gold overnight and eventhough red can easily be seenthrough, the statement is clearenough. Furthermore, a localcarpenter has made a woodengold post box which people are encouragedto put messages in forLizzie when the box is presentedto her on her return from Sochi.While the communityseem to have found a solution,even if it is a less than satisfactoryone, it does show how theWinter Olympics seem to beless valued in this country thanthe summer games. Athletesdeserve recognition whatevertheir discipline is, don’t they?Yes, the Winter Olympics aren’tsuch a big source of success forthis country (perhaps because ofour lack of year round snow) butwe have had more athletes thanever finish in the top 10 and hadtop medal chances simply havea bad games despite performingwell elsewhere. By this I am, ofcourse, referring to Elise Christiewho came away from thegames with a grand total of threedisqualifications at least one ofwhich, in my totally unbiasedopinion, was completely unfair.It has also been said thatpeople in Britain simply aren’tinterested in many of the sportsfeatured in the Winter Olympics.Not only do I completely disagreewith this statement, afterspending too many hours watchingthe curling, speed skating4th April 2014| The Phoenix31and snowboarding events inparticular, but the same couldalso be said for many disciplinesin the summer games. Just becausewe might not know a lotabout a sport, doesn’t mean wewon’t enjoy watching it! Did weever think we would be standingon the sofa cheering whenBen Ainslie won his sailing gold?Or when Charlotte Dujardin followedgold in the team Dressagewith another in the individual?It didn’t matter if we are fansof these less televised sports oreven if we understood any ofthe jargon that came along withthem, we found ourselves watchingfor hours and hours just becausewell…it was the Olympics!Admittedly the (for once) fantasticweather and the fact it wasa home games definitely helpedbut it also banished the attitudethat Britain would probablynot do well because, for example,China and the USA seemto win everything. From whatI have seen, people are givingthe Winter Olympics the samechance and with the London2012 buzz still lingering, surelynow is the best time to “inspirea generation” without discriminatingagainst certain events.Maybe now is time to start theball rolling for these games too?So yes, the Winter Olympicsare underrated. People athome have enjoyed watching avariety of sports that we mightnot normally have access to andcheering for the British athletescoming through a crowd of Russiansand Canadians to win. Wemay not have had the mass successof the 2012 Olympics butthat should not de-value thesuccess of our athletes that didmake the medals. And at theend of the day, is it too much toask to paint one postbox goldin recognition of success afteryears of hard work? No, it isn’t.

32 The Phoenix | 4th April 2014SportsSachin Tendulkar: The little master’s milestones.By Darren D’SouzaHumble beginningsIn February 1988 in the Harris Shield, an inter-school competition,Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli brought themselves to nationalattention by putting on a record 664 unbeaten stand playing forShardashram Vidya Mandir against St. Xavier’s High School, whichstood for 18 years (lost to an unbroken 721 stand). In the quarter final,Tendulkar had made a double century and by the time the semifinalwas over, he had made 326* and Kambli 349* as their schooldeclared – not without a fight, their coach wanted them to declareearlier but the two batsmen avoided eye contact with him; the nextday he was not present and phoned Tendulkar to ask why they hadnot yet done so, and after the two batsmen were finished explainingthemselves, the innings was declared on 748-2, and they won thematch comfortably – of all the bowlers St Xavier’s could have faced inan impossible chase, it was Kambli who undid them, taking 6 wickets.Domestic debuts120 not out vs Gujarat, Ranji Trophy, December 10-12 1988Sachin Tendulkar scored a hundred on his Ranji debut against Gujaratin 1988 aged just 15 years and 230 days. For the 1987-88 season,Tendulkar was part of the Mumbai squad yet only used as a substitutefielder, until the following season, when then captain DilipVengsarkar saw him negotiate Kapil Dev - the Indian World Cup winningcaptain– with ease in a nets session, and handed him his debut.Tendulkar seized the opportunity and hit 120* at his home stadium,the Wankhede, which made him the youngest player Indiancricket history to hit a hundred on Ranji Trophy debut.103 not out vs Delhi, Irani Trophy, November 3-7 1989One of the biggest domestic competitions in India, a 16 year old Sachinagain showed glimpses of the future, scoring 103* against Delhi.159 vs East Zone, Duleep Trophy, January 11-15 1991After smashing 159 for West Zone against East Zone, Tendulkar becamethe only Indian cricketer to have achieved the feat of making a centuryon debut in each of India’s three biggest domestic competitions: RanjiTrophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup – he also hit a hundred on his DeodharTrophy debut, adding to the exceptionality of his achievements.International debutsOn the 15th November 1989, Tendulkar made his Test debut in Karachi,against Pakistan – a match which also saw the debut of TheSultan of Swing, Waqar Younis, who dismissed him when he hadmade just 15 runs; and was the legendary Kapil Dev’s 100th test.Remarkably, his first One Day Internationals were far from great – on18th December 1989, his ODI debut, he was dismissed for 0 at Gurjunwalaby none other than Waqar Younis, and he also registered a duckin his second ODI innings – both times he was out second ball to Younis.World Cup winAn illustrious career perhaps without comparison, one thing hadeluded Tendulkar throughout: a World Cup win. He held numerousrecords – he played 6 editions of the tournament, becomingits highest run scorer with 2278 runs, 15 scores of 50+ (of those,6 were centuries), most runs in an edition (673, 11 innings,2003)appearing 45 times overall. There was a sense of inevitabilityabout it being Tendulkar’s last campaign, and he himself sparkedinto life, scoring 482 runs (2 half centuries, 2 centuries), his secondcentury against South Africa on 12th March 2011 proved tobe his last for over a year, and penultimate overall. After a pulsatingfinal, in which Indian captain MS Dhoni thumped a 6 to winin style, Tendulkar’s long unfilled ambition had finally come good.He was hoisted upon the shoulders of his teammates and takenaround the Wankhede Stadium, after young Indian superstar ViratKohli proclaimed “He [Sachin] has carried the burden of thenation for 21 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders.”100th ODI & TestIn his 100th ODI, India faced a New Zealand side at Pune on the 24thNovember 1995 and having been set a target of 236 by the visitors,thanks in part to his bowling figures of 2/49, Tendulkar opened thebatting, making 7 off 11, as India won by 5 wickets and eventuallytook the 5 match series 3-1 (the second ODI having been abandoned).Tendulkar won his 100th Test cap on 5th September 2002 (havingalready appeared for India 295 times at One Day level) at the Ovalagainst England. He made 54 before being dismissed by Andy Caddick,who took 4/114, but the match belonged to another Indian legend, RahulDravid who hit a sublime 217 as India drew with England. In theprevious match however, Sachin scored 193 as three of India’s goldengeneration (Dravid, Tendulkar & Sourav Ganguly, playing alongsideVVS Laxman and Anil Kumble, the other two of the Fabulous Five)made centuries as India thumped the hosts by an innings and 66 runs.200th Test & RetirementOn 10th October 2013, Tendulkar announced his intention to retireafter the two match Test series arranged hastily by the BCCIagainst the West Indies in November. In the first test at Eden Gardens,Kolkata, his 199th, he made 10 in India’s first and only inningsas India won by an innings and 58 runs, with Rohit Sharma,the man touted to take his place at number 4, scoring 177 on debut.Felicitations of the great man were organised: 199 balloons withhis face on were released, masks of him were distributed aroundthe ground, and there was even an arrangement to drop 199 kilogramsof rose petals over the Eden Gardens, such is the godlikestatus afforded to him by Indians and cricket lovers everywhere.His 200th test was arranged at his home ground, the WankhedeStadium – his mother was present, a very rare occurrence, to seeher son finally bow out from the game which had been his life forthe past 24 years, which cannot be mentioned without the factthat this test was also West Indian legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s150th. Sachin was felicitated once more, special ticketswere printed, and in a classy show of respect, the West Indianteam formed a guard of honour as he came out to bat. After hepassed the fifty mark, the whole nation waited, however the momentnever came, he was dismissed for 74 c: Sammy b: Deonarineamidst a stunned silence from the crowd, due to the realisationthat this was the last time they would ever see the great man stepon the field for Team India. He addressed the fans for more than20 minutes, saying “It's hard to believe that wonderful journey iscoming to end… Each generation gets this opportunity to merelytake care of the sport and to serve it to the best of our ability.”His career ended as it had started: with the number 664.From the unbeaten 664 run stand alongside Vinod Kamblias a schoolboy, he ended his career having played664 international matches (200 tests, 463 ODIs, 1 T20I).The Phoenix |4th April 2014Vidić’s Old Trafford DepartureBy Andrew BeckettSerbian defender Nemanja Vidićis a long standing favourite withManchester United fans for hisruthless and unorthodox style ofdefending, so the news that hewas departing Old Trafford after8 seasons with the Red Devilssurprised many. The 32 yearold joined the club for £7 millionin 2006 and has achieved an impressive204 league caps sincesigning on. He won 5 premierleagues, 1 champions’ leagueand 2 league cups. Vidić has alsoachieved success in internationalcompetitions; the centre-backwas part of the ‘Famous Four’backline of Serbia who concededjust 1 goal in the 2006 World Cupqualification campaign. Thereforeexplaining (amid the issueof his age) Inter Milan’s desireto sign the Serb whose contractruns out at the end of the season,making him a free agent. On the7th February Vidić explained:"I have decided that I will moveon at the end of this season. Iwant to challenge myself againand try to make the best of myselfin the coming years.” PatriceEvra may also be headingto the San Siro along with 31year old Bacary Sagna of Arsenalin the summer transfer window;which would create an aged, butformidably skilled and experiencedbackline for Inter Milan.Although some United fansmay feel betrayed and questionVidić’s loyalty regarding themove, there is no doubting it isthe most beneficial decision forhim. With Moyes expected tospend big in the summer aftera disappointing debut seasonmanaging Manchester United,one can imagine the aging Vidićwould most likely have lost hisplace by next season anyway.However it is undoubtedly notthe way the Serb would havedreamt of leaving the club, as it’sbeen a record breaking seasonfor the Red Devils…in a negativeway; including United’s first everloss to Greek opposition and theirfirst ever defeat to Swansea.The last time United took so fewpoints from the start of a PremierLeague season was 21 years ago,so Vidić certainly isn’t departinga successful Man United team,based on the 2012/13 season.Reviw: KingBy Abigail Maclure‘King’, an aptly titled autobiographyfrom a man who commandedthe respect and admirationof a generation of footballfans. With his classic values anda footballing career free of controversy,Ledley King’s storyco-written with Mat Snow ofFourFourTwo, was never set tobe a scandalous piece. It is captivatingin its own right; herelies the story of a breed of footballerthat is a rarity in the moderngame, the one-club player.A true East End boy, Kingwas born in Mile End Hospitalon 12 October 1980 and spentthe entirety of his childhood livingin Bow. We learn of the hardshipsthat King faced as a youngboy growing up in a deprivedurban area, and of how the supportfrom his mother shaped hislife and footballing career. A rawpassion for the game is evidentfrom a very young age. This isa man who has always had hiseyes firmly fixed on football.As King recalls his careerat Tottenham, which began atthe age of sixteen, he gives usan insight into the club behindclosed doors. Many faces, playersand managers, had been andgone during his time at the club,a number bringing controversyor causing conflict amongst thestaff. King distanced himselffrom all conflict and speculation,Sports33always choosing to focus on hisown game. It is clear that he isan intelligent player with a vastknowledge of football. Never distractedby the fame that beinga Premier League footballer inevitablybrings, there was justone issue that separated Kingand his beloved game, and it wasan issue that was to haunt himthroughout his career – injuries.The book regularly revertsback to his injury issues,perhaps becoming repetitive attimes. Nonetheless, this reflectsthe agonising frustration thatKing was faced with throughouthis career, suffering from one injuryafter another. Regardlessof the pain he was feeling, Kingwould push his body as far as ahe could to continue to play thegame he so loved. In the end therepeated injuries were to taketheir toll and King was forcedinto early retirement aged 33.An autobiography writtensimply, with a simple story, forthose looking for an enthrallingread, this is not for you. But forthe football fan the book inspiresa new level of respect for the oneclubplayer, who clung onto hisvalues and remained solely focusedon the pitch for the entiretyof his career. An uncomplicatedquote from the book sums up thepassion and desire of the man behindit – “I love playing football.”

The Phoenix | 4th April 2014Racism in SportBy Darren D’SouzaRacism has been prevalentthroughout the history of sport,marring contests and symbolisingmuch more than winninga game – about fighting for therights of all those who have seentheir dreams shattered simplybecause of the colour of their skin.The 1936 Berlin Olympicswere an opportunity for NaziGermany to showcase the superiorityof the so-called masterrace, or Aryans, and this wasembodied in their blonde, blueeyedlong jumper Luz Long: however,he eventually placed silverto none other than the USA’sAfrican-American Jesse Owens,who won four gold medals at theGames – the long jump, 100 metres,200 metres and 4 x 100 metresrelay, in the process breakingnumerous Olympic recordsand embarrassing the Nazi ideology– Hitler refused to place thegold medal around Owens’ neck– however this was not directedat Owens personally, rather theOlympic committee told Hitlerto maintain neutrality andeither congratulate all the victorsor none. He chose the latter.In an unprecedented actof solidarity, the first person tocongratulate Jesse Owens onhis long jump victory was noneother than the German silvermedallist Luz Long, and the twoposed together for photos beforewalking arm-in-arm towards thedressing room, prompting Owensto say “It took a lot of courage forhim to befriend me in front ofHitler... You can melt down allthe medals and cups I have andthey wouldn't be a plating on thetwenty-four karat friendship thatI felt for Luz Long at that moment".Remarkably, Owens neverwould have made the final if itwere not for Long; he had faultedhis first two jumps (by oversteppingthe board) and would havebeen disqualified if he done soa third time. Long introducedhimself to Owens and advisedhim to make a mark well beforethe board to ensure he qualified– the sportsmanship shown wasunparalleled not only because ofthe racial differences, but alsobecause Long was consideredOwens’ most serious contenderwith a chance of beating him.Life for Owens when hereturned to his homeland wasthe same as before – to the extentthat at a dinner at New York’sWaldorf-Astoria hotel, recognisingand celebrating his achievements,he could not enter via thefront door, but had to use the servicelift instead, only serving tohighlight the deeply ingrainedracial prejudice in the UnitedStates throughout its history.In 1968, two more blackAmerican athletes made historyand gained worldwide attentionby winning gold (TommieSmith) and bronze (John Carlos)in the 200 metres; raisingthe black gloved fist to performthe Black Power salute on thepodium, whilst wearing blacksocks to symbolise black poverty.Silver medallist Peter Normanwore a civil rights badge tosupport them: however, the IOCbanned Smith & Carlos fromthe Games for life, and Normanwas dropped from the 1972 Australianteam despite actuallyhaving qualified 13 times over;as the Games were supposed tobe a politically neutral internationalforum for sport. Nazi salutesin 1936 were not seen aspolitical, but rather a “nationalsalute” (of Germany) that in aSports34competition of nations were permissible.When they returned,Smith and Carlos were subjectto abuse and even death threats,and Norman was criticised bythe Australian media too. Thetwo Americans were pallbearersat Norman’s funeral in 2006.The 1968 Games were alsonotable for South Africa’s omissionas, due to the Apartheidregime, other African as well asEastern Bloc countries threatenedto boycott if they took part.1968 also saw South Africa embroiledin another race-relatedissue: the Basil D’Oliveira affair.Basil Lewis D’Oliveira (knownaffectionately as “Dolly”) was acricketer who was classified as“coloured” under the Apartheidregime and was therefore barredfrom playing first class cricketin the country. He emigrated toEngland in 1960 and became acitizen in 1964, making his debutfor the England national team in1966 against the West Indies.Through injury to Warwickshire’sTom Cartwright, D’Oliveira wascalled up to the England squadto tour his country of birth,South Africa but South Africa’sPrime Minister John Vorster,who had previously warned thathe would not be admitted – didjust that in September, saying“The MCC (England) team is notthe team of the MCC but of theanti-apartheid movement.” Savefor a select few, the South Africanpress criticised Vorster’s actionsas endangering the alreadyprecarious state of South Africansport. The MCC call off the tourbut in 1969, invite South Africato tour in the following year.Events such as theseserve to highlight the injusticesuffered by athletes – at thehands of national governments– through institutional policiesthat resulted in the suppressionof those whose lives outsidesport were deeply affected bydeep-rooted prejudices withintheir societies, and they faced astruggle to maintain their dignityand pride of who they werebecause of unchanging attitudes.Today, recent affairs suchas those involving Luis Suárez &Patrice Evra, John Terry & AntonFerdinand (football), show thatthe problem has not gone away.Former Tottenham Hotspur &Arsenal player, Sol Campbellstated that had he been white, he“would have been England captainfor over 10 years” stirringup further controversy regardingthe grassroots to top level transitionfor black players in football.Ghanaian international Kevin-Prince Boateng famously walkedoff the pitch midway through afriendly against Pro Patria (as anAC Milan player at the time) inJanuary 2013 with the full backingof his teammates and clubpresident Silvio Berlusconi, latertweeting “Stop Racism Forever”.As sport continues to inspirepeople from all walks of lifeworldwide, offering hope throughthe legacy of the Olympic andParalympic Games and the forthcomingWorld Cup, it is quiteclear that prejudice of any form –including that of racism, has absolutelyno place in sport, and thementality of those who continueto shout it from the terraces orthe stands needs to be challengedand eradicated, and in its placefans and athletes alike mustshow tolerance and compassiontowards one another, as in theimmortal words of the late SouthAfrican hero Nelson Mandela:“Sport has the power to changethe world.It has the power to inspire, it hasthe power to unite people in away that little else does.It speaks to youth in a languagethey understand.Sport can create hope, whereonce there was only despair.It is more powerful than governmentsin breaking down racialbarriers.It laughs in the face of all typesof discrimination.”35 The Phoenix |4th April 2014SportsThe Volatile Vincent TanBy Andrew BeckettIt’s fair to say a large share ofCardiff City’s media coverage inrecent months has been due toa certain Malaysian businessman.Vincent Tan with an estimatedworth of £1.3 billion, hasdominated the headlines withhis bizarre antics as Chairman ofthe club who returned to the topflight in 2013 after 51 years out.Most recently in January2014 the owner of Malaysia’sMcDonald’s franchise hit the papersafter expressing his disappointmentin ex-manager MalkyMackay’s spending. Mackaybrought the Danish striker AndreasCornelius to the team fora club record fee of around £7.6million. However in his thirdgame for the Bluebirds againstAccrington Stanley the 20 yearold was stretchered off after sustainingand ankle injury, whichresulted in the Dane missing thenext 3 months of fixtures. Evenafter coming back from injuryCornelius was still yet to scorefor the club, presumably explainingTan’s opinion of the purchaserevealed by a close source of his,“Mackay was instructed to go outand buy a Bentley. He got thefunds to get some top quality internationalplayers but Mr Tanfeels Mackay bought a Toyotainstead.”. One could argue Tan’soutspoken judgment of Mackay’spurchase is fairly misguided,due to Cornelius’s time out of thegame and the fact that he hasonly ever been brought on as asubstitute. Both of these factorscontribute to the striker arguablybeing unable to prove his worth.Also there were numerous signsto suggest Cornelius was easily aplayer worth the £7.6 million anda player of ‘Bentley’ standard:in the 2012/13 season Corneliuscontributed 20 goals to title winningCopenhagen’s campaign.On the 28th DecemberCardiff’s 26,896 seater stadiumwas the venue for anotherof Tan’s surprising stunts. In ahighly anticipated game againstSunderland: after just 6 minutesCardiff netted with a deflectedshot from Jordan Mutch, thenFraizer Campbell struck in thesecond from 12 yards out, leavingCardiff up 2-0 and in cruisecontrol with just 32 minutes leftto play. However to Cardiff’s dismayStephen Fletcher and JackColback each scored in the last10 minutes; allowing the BlackCats to return to the North-Eastwith a valuable point, leavingthe Bluebirds dumbfounded andbooed off by their fans. Complyingwith his unpredictability,boss Vincent Tan also was seenbooing, which stirred up muchmedia controversy and debate.As an outsider I find myselfconsistently finding Tan’santics amusing and interesting.However I do sympathise withthe individuals who actuallyhave to work with this unusualchairman, like Mackay and newCardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær,as one can imagine it beingrather frustrating to workwith such an unpredictable man.Concussion in sport – what areBy Abbey Maclurethe risks?On the 10th November, Tottenhamkeeper Hugo Lloris was knockedunconscious after a collision withRomelu Lukaku during the premierleague fixture against Everton. Afteran examination from the Tottenhammedical staff, Lloris madethe decision to continue to play therest of the match. Sparking angryreaction from brain injury charities,with the Tottenham medical staffand coaches coming under scrutinyfor allowing Lloris to continueto play the match. It has added fuelto the already ongoing debate onthe rules surrounding concussionwithin football and other sports.Concussion has becomean important issue following thechanges to the rules of rugby. In theRugby Union, players who have receiveda head injury can now returnto the game after just five minutes,following a simple concussion testof walking in a straight line and answeringquestions on the date, theirlocation and the score of the match.In the past the laws on head injurieswere far more cautious – players withsuspected concussion were takenoff the pitch immediately and wereprevented from playing again for aminimum of five days. In the RugbyLeague, however, concussion testsare more rigorous - players cannotreturn to play rugby without passinga test, involving a pack of cards, regardlessof whether they pass it immediately,or after a week of recovery.The debate on the issue ofconcussion has been centred on thequestion: how serious are the risks?The expression ‘getting your bellrung’ is used casually to describethe injury which, in medical terms,takes on a far more serious name -‘minor traumatic brain injury.’ Braininjury charities have urged sportsmenand women to take the injuryseriously, as while some may take aknock and suffer no further consequences,for others concussion canhave a devastating impact on theirhealth. A tragic example is the deathof schoolboy Ben Robinson, 14,who died two years ago after sufferingmultiple concussions during aschool rugby match in Northern Ireland.Ben was knocked unconsciousafter several collisions during thegame and yet rather than being substituted,he was allowed to continuethe match. He collapsed at the endof the game and died later in hospital.His father, Peter Robinson,has urged to government to introducecompulsory lessons in schoolsthat focus on teaching childrenabout the dangers of concussion.Whilst the government havenot acted on this plea, Labour MPChris Bryant has called for an ‘urgentdebate’ on the dangers of concussionin sport, following the Lloriscontroversy. There is also a callfor more education for the public onthese dangers. Neuropathologist DrWillie Stewart believes that there isa strong link between concussionand the onset of early dementia,and this risk is increased for manysportsmen. Whilst the world of boxinghas been aware of the dangersof head injuries for many decades,for other sports not closely linkedto head injuries, such as football,the issue is often brushed aside. FAlaws state that after suffering a headinjury, a player must be examinedby a doctor, who can then makethe decision on the pitch to let theplayer continue. In a post-match interview,Tottenham manager AndreVillas Boas said he “stood by” thedecision of club doctor, ShabaazMughal, to allow Lloris to continueplaying, claiming his medical staffhad been “poorly treated, badly respected”by the media. Head injurycharity Headway have described theclubs actions as “dangerous and irresponsible”implying that the rulessurrounding concussion and braininjuries need to be re-assessed.The debate on concussionwill continue for a time to come,with conflicting views on howeach sport should handle the issue.It’s widely agreed that educationis key - Peter Robinson’s pleafor concussion awareness lessonsmay have a life-saving impact ifintroduced. “[Ben] spoke to fourpeople that day and none of themwere overly concerned - becauseof a lack of awareness” says MrRobinson. He claims that had Benand his team-mates been awareof the dangers and the signs andsymptoms, he would still be alive.

The Phoenix | 4th April 2014More than Just a ClubBy Darren D’SouzaSports36As Catalunya continues to cryfor independence from Spain,in today’s world, is FC Barcelonajust a football team,or really “Més que un club”?In 1714, Catalan troops were defeatedby the troops of the Kingof Spain, Phillip V, and so beganthe oppression of regional cultureand traditions; under GeneralFrancisco Franco throughoutthe 20th Century, theCatalan language was bannedand Castilian was the only languageto be used nationwide, regionalcultural traditions wereoppressed – and ones such asbullfighting and flamenco wereseen as symbolic of the nationand promoted (even though flamencois a regional Andalusiandance) to the increasing uneaseof the Catalan people - formerBarcelona club president JosepSunyol was executed in 1936 atthe hands of Franco’s forces -yet FC Barcelona was an outletwhich brought fans together, enablingthem to speak their languagefreely to one another andunite against the Francoist regimeand their archrivals, RealMadrid. Ahead of the October2012 El Clásico (Barcelona vsReal Madrid), Barça supportersplanned chants starting 17minutes and 14 seconds into thematch and Joan Laporta (formerclub president) fuelled the fire,saying that “independence is ourright…It’s obvious that Catalanpeople want independence.You just have to see how manypeople went out on the streets”–referring to the parade heldon September 11th, the region’snational day La Diada, whereover a million people protestedin the streets for secession.On match days, intensifiedthe Clásico when comes around,stadium-wide mosaics of theSenyera (the Catalan flag) areproduced, saying “Som i Serem”(we are and will be), large bannershang from the tiers “Cataloniais not Spain” and the Cantdel Barça (FC Barcelona’s officialanthem) is sung with unrivalledpassion by fans, the lyrics “Togetherwe are strong, and aftermany years of struggle,” highlightingthe plight of the region– it is almost a second anthem forCatalunya. In the 2013/14 season,the club’s Catalan identityhas been further enhanced: theaway kit bears the colours of theSenyera, red and yellow; Barcelona’splayers literally flyingthe flag for the region on theiraway travels to the rest of Spain.Right wing separatistgroups, passionate about Catalunya,such as the infamous“Boixos Nois” became prominentbehind the scenes at Barça, especiallyin the early 2000s whosehighest profile act to date camein El Partido de la Vergüenza(The Game of Shame), wherePortuguese legend Luís Figo,who played for Barcelona from1995-2000, returned to the CampNou in 2002, three seasons afterhis transfer to archrivals RealMadrid. Figo received a heatedreception, culminating to membersof the Boixos throwing apig’s head at him when he wentto take a corner. The referee hadto suspend play for 13 minutes,fearing for the players’ safety.Els Nois also threatened to kidnapclub president at the time(2003), Joan Laporta after hiswell-publicised failed attemptto sign David Beckham, who insteadjoined Real Madrid – howeverthey signed Ronaldinho,and he pleaded with the fansto give him time to build a newteam around the Brazilian superstar.Laporta was club presidentfrom 2003-2010, after whichhe entered the Catalan Parliamentas a member of the partyDemocràcia Catalana (CatalanDemocracy); he joined the IndependenceParty in 1996, leavingthe political platform in 2011.Espanyol, Barcelona’sCatalan neighbours, were seenas a more Pro-Spanish club –their name was the CastilianEspañol until 1994, when theychanged it to the Catalan equivalentthat is in use currently. IfCatalunya were to gain independence,this would have initial repercussionsfootball-wise: theywould be ineligible to participatein La Liga, because only teamsthat form part of the SpanishFootball Federation (RFEF) areallowed to compete in domesticcompetitions; they would need toeither apply for membership of anearby Federation (such as Aragonor Valencia), or come to a specialagreement with the RFEF toplay in the country’s footballingsystem. Gerard Piqué, Barça’scentre back believes that “to beginwith, it would make Catalunyaand Spain weaker” – howeverthis diplomacy may be a resultof not wanting to offend theSpanish national team selectorsand diminish his own chances.One thing is evidentthough, FC Barcelona is synonymouswith the region of Catalunya,and will long continue tobe very near the centre of anydebate about the its future, havingan utterly devoted fan basewho hold club statements andstances on the matter in thehighest regard, because it impactson all aspects of their lives- extending beyond sport, showingthat it is, more than a club.