The School of English has caused panic among students by stating that bibliographies should be included in the word-counts of essays. This guidance was given via email on January 6, just three days before a deadline.  This information is not contained in the rubric of essay questions. One second year student said: “The school has failed its students utterly.”

BY BEN FINCH AND ROMANO MULLIN

Following an outcry from students, a second email was sent on January 9 which states: “Students will NOT be penalised should their essays be over length on account of the bibliography.”

Prior to the first email, students received conflicting advice about whether bibliographies were to be included in word-counts.  The general consensus was that bibliographies were not included.  Some students’ bibliographies now took up a quarter of their essay, requiring a substantial portion to be cut in order to make their argument.

The email, dated January 6, reads: “As stated in the School’s assessment policy: ‘each assessment will have a specified word length which is intended to include all the components of the assessment: main text, notes, bibliography etc.’” It has not been possible to verify this policy.

The guidelines attached to questions say: “For further details, please refer to the document entitled ‘Guidelines for Submission and Presentation of Summative Work’ also available on Queen’s Online Website (QOL).”  It is assumed this document contains the statement quoted.  It is not available on QOL, the School of English website, the Queen’s website or Google.  There are no results for ‘QUB School of English assessment and feedback policy’.

The last document found which includes bibliographies in the word-count is the 2008/09 Stage One Handbook.  This says: “It should not exceed 2000 words in length including bibliography.”  Other than repeating students, undergraduates in the School have only been studying since 2009/10.

It also appears the School expected SSCC Representatives to provide students with this information regarding the inclusion of bibliographies.

The student said: “It seems the school wants to blame students for [the school’s] incompetence, judging by the tone of the first email. Philip [McGowan, School of English Examinations Liaison Officer] commented [on FaceBook] that reps should have told students about the changes. Firstly, it’s unclear if they were actually changed and secondly, it is not the job of the rep to communicate policy changes, but rather to voice what students want to say to staff.

“The main problem is that the school didn’t state clearly whether or not a bibliography counted as part of an essay word count. It seems to contradict the general academic encouragement to read widely.

“In my most recent essays my bibliography ran to 500 words, which could be so valuable in expanding an argument. The temptation will be to limit reading so that an argument could be expanded. However, without wide reading, surely an argument will suffer. I can’t believe the school waited until the day of the deadlines to clarify their position on this. It’s a total disgrace.”

Another said: “To be honest, I think our tutors and lecturers weren’t aware of all the rules and that’s why we’ve been told different things by different people. It seems to encourage using a smaller bibliography and, obviously, the less sources you’re citing the more limited your points are going to be, or you’ll get done for plagiarism because you haven’t put in all your articles. It’s ridiculous.

“I know people who have made themselves sick over it. If you’re going to impose a new rule, or an old one no-one knew about, tell us before one of the most stressful periods of the year.”

A third year student agreed, saying: “I first found out about this new, and quite frankly, ridiculous rule amidst a general discussion about bibliographies on FaceBook. All of us had received conflicting information from our tutors but most assured us, after we enquired, was that bibliographies did not and never have been included in the word-count.

“However, as a couple of tutors had advocated that they should be, a few of my peers decided they would email Philip McGowan and their individual subject tutors, to receive clarification. Of course, Philip replied, quoting from the school’s new assessment policy, and confirmed that this new rule had come in to effect and it was mandatory that we now include our bibliographies in the word-count. This conflicted with many of the tutors’ responses. Some even quite forcefully asserted this rule did not exist. From that, I can only speculate that this new information wasn’t disseminated across the school and tutors were just as ignorant to it all.

“Basically, I think this whole debacle reflects poorly on the School of English. There is obviously a lack of communication within the staff and they are highly disorganised. Much unnecessary stress and worry was caused and, if I speak on behalf of my peers, I think all of us are still trying to catch up from those two days which were spent re-reading essay guidelines, emailing tutors and getting distressed over an issue imposed on us by the people who are supposed to help.”

Nuala McAdams, VP Education, said: “This issue has been brought to my attention and after speaking with the School of English I can confirm that for this examination period (January 2012) students will not be penalised for not including the bibliography in the word count. The School’s policy is that bibliographies will be counted in the word limit. Due to this information not reaching all students within an appropriate timeframe, the School have made an exception for the January examination period. Following this, the bibliography will be counted in the word limit. The School have also contacted all students informing them of this.”

Dr McGowan said: “The School realises this is an issue of concern for all of its students, has emailed all students to reassure them that there will be NO penalisation on account of over length due to bibliographies in this assessment period and is grateful to The Gown for helping clarify this situation.”

Dr McGowan was unable to comment on how information regarding the inclusion of bibliographies in the word-count was not provided to students as this was discovered after office hours.

None of the students quoted in this article wished to be named because of any possible effect there may be on the quality of teaching received in the future.

2011 can be considered a good year in film, if you take a view that makes a few glaring omissions. While Hollywood stumbles on with its incessant remakes, reboots, re-imaginings, sequels, prequels, threequels and adaptations vibrant and vital filmmaking continues to come from other avenues.

BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN

While the extremely successful Harry Potter franchise ended in July and November saw the beginning of the end of The Twilight Saga, Hollywood looks like it might be losing its key tent pole films. Though a brief scan of the film’s due for a 2012 release makes it clear that the blockbuster format has not yet been exhausted.

Yet there was some indication of blockbuster fatigue in the UK box office. Palme D’Or winner The Tree of Life managed to hold a place in the Top 10 for three weeks, despite competition from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Being a rather difficult art film and certainly a hard sell, despite the presence of Brad Pitt, the film’s success at the box office was telling.

Similarly, The Guard did good business, retaining a place in the UK box office for five weeks despite only being released in Northern Ireland. A hit domestically, the film also travelled well with good reviews across the UK and the US. A good sign for a domestic Irish cinema and proof that there is an international market for homegrown cinema.

2011 saw yet another comeback for Woody Allen with Midnight in Paris. Neither the critics nor the box office takings have been kind to Woody Allen recently, despite his work being of a fairly consistent quality since the Seventies. Midnight in Paris has proven to be a success with the critics and became Woody Allen’s high-grossing film so far.

It was an interesting year in censorship. Following on from last year’s Last House on the Left remake, this year saw the release of yet another remake of a Video Nasty. This time it was I Spit On Your Grave. For those who don’t know, the Video Nasties were a collection of 60 horror and thriller films banned seemingly at random by the BBFC due to pressure from an outraged tabloid press. While the original I Spit On Your Grave was banned outright, the remake was passed with cuts made, while the similar Straw Dogs remake was passed uncut. On top of this, the notorious Cannibal Holocaust was given a wide DVD re-release with many of the cut sequences reinstated. It seemed as if censorship guidelines had slipped until the arrival of The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence, which was banned outright by the BBFC. It was eventually released cut by two and a half minutes. This banning was a controversial reminder that films still can go too far.

Sadly, 2011 also saw the deaths of many significant people from the older generations of cinema. Amongst them were Elizabeth Taylor, Edward Hardwicke, Ken Russell, Sidney Lumet, Anna Massey, Peter Falk, John Neville, Michael Gough, Jane Russell, Maria Schneider, John Barry, Susannah York, Peter Yates and Pete Postlewaith.

BY JIRHE OKUGHENI

To summarise the plot (warning: spoilers aplenty), some bloodthirsty idiot called Hyperion (played by Mickey Rourke) and his army are killing innocents across Greece, just because they can. They’re trying to search for a Bow which’ll mean Hyperion will overthrow the Gods and therefore rule the world. Okay so far so good. They continue destroying stuff, until they reach a village were a man called Theseus gets pissed because his mother was killed at the hands of Hyperion, in a rather anticlimactic fashion. This is after some soldier (who never really gets much focus) decides to betray the village army due to numerous anger management issues. Obviously after the death of his mother Theseus goes out of his way to avenge her.

Meanwhile Hyperion tries to and eventually these semi- naked women who are led by the Oracle. The Oracle can see visions because of her ‘purity’ Hyperion wants here to find the Bow. Okay, so this is when things start to get really weird and stupid and this will be quite brief.

Somehow Theseus is captured, but both, the Oracle and some random Scottish sounding guy escape at the expense of the Oracle’ female support group. Then a lot of random stuff happens, the Oracle sleeps with Thesus, because she wants to be ‘normal’ or some crap like that. Spitting in the face of the sacrifices her women helpers made. After this, the Oracle is pretty useless and is just there for show. She doesn’t even find the Bow. Theseus ‘stumbles’ across it in some cave accidently, and thus rendering the first half of the movie absolutely pointless. Unfortunately, he loses the bow to Hyperion, who then proceeds to unleash some weird monsters who the Gods (i.e. Zeus) could have killed, but decided to lock in a big box for no apparent reason. The Gods then aid Theasus in fighting these beasts, while Theasus fights Hyperion and his sidekick fights a horde of Hyperion army. One landslide later they win. The End.

If you like pointless action with no real substance or story, give Immortal a shot. Everyone else stay very much away.

Noticing the increase of leopard prints and spandex around the Ulster Hall on 4 December you’d have been forgiven for thinking that the Louie Spence fan club had rolled into town. Hair spray, eye liner and tight pants were in abundance. And then there was the girls. But no, Brit glam-rockers The Darkness were here for the final date of their UK reunion tour, the “Every Inch of UK (and Ireland) Tour.”

BY CONOR KERR

Supporting them were our very own Million $ Reload. Playing songs from critically acclaimed debut “Anthems of a Degeneration,” the band came out swinging and even threatened to cast their own shadow over the headliners following them. The sound engineer had given them a great sound which helped their cause, but it was the force of the music and their presence on stage which made it all the more exciting to watch them. Lead singer Phil’s voice filled the venue and I can only give him the greatest compliment I can, and compare him to the late, great Bon Scott. The band itself had a swagger and sound reminiscent of Mötley Crüe or Guns N’ Roses as a listen to songs like “Living In The City” or “Tattoos and Dirty Girls” will surely show. This band should be huge and we’ll hopefully see them headlining their own show at the Ulster Hall sometime in the future.

But as the dust settled from that set, it was time for the newly reformed, kings of glam-rock. Opening their set with album opener “Black Shuck,” we were in for a treat. The band seemed re-energised with the line-up back to its original form. The hits followed one after another, going straight into “Growing On Me” and “One Way Ticket, before reaching the compulsory ballads in the middle of the set, first with lead singer Justin Hawkins performing “Holding My Own” solo on acoustic guitar, and then “Love is Only A Feeling.” In the midst of this we are treated to two costume changes from Justin, as he emerges in some tight one-piece catsuits that Freddie Mercury would have been proud of. There is a bit of a sing along, and a “Who’s the loudest” competition as Hawkins tells of how loud the Dublin and Cork audiences were, the very mention of which received some well-meant boos. The more upbeat sing-along tunes followed with “Friday Night,” “Is It Just Me” and the insanely catchy “Givin’ Up” before ending the first part of the set with a pleasant surprise performance of arguably the best Christmas song EVER, “Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End).” Coupled with the fact it had begun to snow earlier in the evening, it was the perfect setting to hear that song. The encore began, initially some Olé Olé’s from the crowd, (and a new catsuit) with jam-piece “Bareback”, which then moved swiftly on to mega-hit “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” which really got the crowd moving and the ground shaking. The gig ended with seriously rocking slab of hard rock in the form of “Love On The Rocks With No Ice,” including a highlight of the show – Hawkins riding the shoulders of a bouncer/roadie through the middle of the crowd playing a guitar solo.

Overall it was a return to form for a refreshed line up. They seem to, or at least try, to give off a more serious vibe, but the catsuits, the handstands, and of course the music mean that nothing is ever taken too seriously. The band play together as tightly as ever and Hawkins has lost none of his infamous vocal range. Our ears ringing, voices strained from attempting far too many high notes, it was more than worth it. The Ulster Hall hasn’t rocked that hard for a long time, and with a promise from Hawkins of more shows in the future, we’ll do it all over again.

One Direction’s Up All Night is the best comedy album of 2011, hands down. It is full of wonderful irony, word-play and satire. For a start, the band name is clearly a pun on ‘One Dimension’, which is exactly how many dimensions there are to their music. Clever boys.

BY PETER MCLOUGHLIN

 
The album title is obviously ironically referring to how long they’ll be keeping the ladies up; even though from the look of the album cover the only thing keeping the boys up all night is re-runs of America’s Next Top Model and Justin Bieber documentaries – but that’s just another facet of the hilarious mocku-musical image these young comedians are aiming for.

 
The satire really comes to the fore once you hit play, and they, with some skill, produce songs which sound like the stolen demos of real people, like: Moby, Maroon 5, Taio Cruz, LMFAO, Adele, Lady GaGa. They subtly but hilariously name-drop Katy Perry in one song, where they imply that because Katy Perry is ‘on replay’, the “DJ got the floor to shake”! Classic lampoon – and not only that, they try to sing the words ‘to shake’ so that they rhyme with ‘replay’, which they just plainly do not, but it’s witty nonetheless. They also sound similar to Bruno Mars, LilWayne, and, of course, their idolised real-life singular counter-part, Justin Bieber; tit that he is. I’m sure there are many other artists that they shamelessly rip off on that list, but I have only listened to the album a handful of times, and what is evident already is that I have only scratched the surface of this multi-layered, deep and intelligent record.

 
And that’s the ultimate point; this is a record that benefits from repeated listening. What at first sounds like poor attempts at latching onto the most used sounds currently pervading the popular music scene is really a masterful piss take, and though within thirty seconds of the opening track you may be laughing, it is not until the fifth listen or so that the humour in the piece as a whole becomes clear. Best of all is the verse in the afore-mentioned Katy Perry referencing song, sung by a boy who gave himself the wonderfully stupid pseudonym ‘Zayn’, which goes like this: “Don’t even care about the table breaking/ We only wanna have a laugh/I’m only thinking ’bout this girl I’m seeing/ I hope she’ll wanna kiss me back”. The contradiction to this verse compared to the young boys making a ‘mess’ of a girls ‘innocence’ is striking, and this is their best attempt at replicating the often twee, normally simply stupid things that most pop stars sing about, and it works a treat; when you hear them sing that, you will cringe awfully.

 
One more point worth noting is that though there are five boys, there is only one actual vocal pitch, and whoever owns the voice has pitched it perfectly to sound like a robot going through an auto-tuning device set at ‘pre-pubescent whine’. It can only be assumed then, that the rest of the boys are there as part of the wider creative process.

 
I only hope they don’t gain too much popularity on the release of this album, to the point of them actually touring or some such thing, because if this kind of stuff is played to young school girls, it could easily corrupt them, much like Westlife did in the ’90s, and this One Dimensional band might be taken seriously.

The fifth annual OUTBURST Queer Arts Festival was hosted in Belfast this year, from November 11- 20. This is Belfast’s celebration of all the goodness in local and international lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Arts and Culture.

BY PRIYA BIRING

OUTBURST Queer Arts Festival is a Registered Charity and not-for-profit initiative, dedicated to exploring and celebrating LGBT stories and experiences through the Arts in Northern Ireland. “Our programme aims to support, encourage and inspire local LGBT creativity, in addition to bringing the best in international Queer Arts to the city of Belfast.” In a recent interview, Ruth McCarthy, director of OUTBURST Queer Arts Festival stated that the word Queer was used because they felt the word gay was an overused term fixed onto a lot of events, implying that everything is to do with sexuality.

The festival was bursting with new and exciting events and this year OUTBURST gained funding from the Northern Ireland Arts Council. The festival is getting bigger every year and now with more funding it can only become bigger and better. The ten days of the festival were filled with theatre, film, music, literature, visual art, discussion and debate from both local and international LGBT artists and performers.

Highlights included; The London Gay Men’s Chorus Little Shop of Homos, Joe Mercer’s dance–theatre piece Cruising, Shopping, F*cking, The Transgender community storytelling at the Black Box, a Retro lesbian poker tournament held on the Lagan barge and to end the festival, a comedic play called The Year of Magical Wanking, performed at the Lyric Theatre.

The Year of Magical Wanking was a one man show, written and performed by Neil Watkins. Watkins plays a 33-year-old with an age-appropriate messiah complex. He’s also Irish, gay and masturbates more than is good for him. But as any Irish male who’s survived a Catholic upbringing will testify: “once is too much, but a thousand times is never enough.”

Great strides in gay rights may have been made inNorthern Irelandof late, with civil partnerships and the Pride march, which is now only raising some convulsion of public bigotry. However, issues still remain and with Northern Ireland supposedly being set back fifty years economically and industrially, so too are many ingrained cultural and social values. Thinking optimistically, we can hope that Northern Ireland is moving forward and events like the Queer Arts Festival can begin to dispel certain stereotypes of religion versus homosexuality.

Remember back in the day when CDs were a new concept and cassette tapes were not classed as museum artefacts? Remember the general excitement surrounding the release of a new edition to the ‘Now’ series?

BY RACHAEL O’REILLY

The 80th edition of the Now That’s What I Call Music! series arrived with more of a fizzle than a bang. It seems that in the era of ‘Spotify’, ‘YouTube’ and even, to a lesser extent, ‘iTunes’, though it’s not free and therefore less appealing to impoverished students, this compilation is becoming less and less current with each release.

Admittedly, the track listing is not bad, filled with pop tunes like ‘Moves Like Jagger’ by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera and ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ by One Direction with the occasional dance number thrown into the mix (including the Freshers’ Week 2011 anthem that was ‘Loca People’ by Sak Noel!) and several R&B hits like ‘Got 2 Luv U’ by Sean Paul.

The problem is not necessarily in the CD itself but in the current fast pace of the music industry today. Most of the ‘top hits’ on Now 80 are already a fading memory after being listened to on a loop via radio, the internet or even in the Union on Monday night. It doesn’t seem like good value to buy this CD (or the MP3 download) when the artists already have new singles out.

Overall, Now That’s What I Call Music! 80 is a good attempt at compiling all the big hits from the past four months; just don’t depend on it to keep your music library up to date.

Old habits die hard here in Northern Ireland. Some of the more dangerous habits have been kicked, but deep rooted attitudes are proving a lot harder to shift.

BY COLIN WILLIAMSON
There is no doubt that we live in a far more peaceful and stable state, but it would seem that the main protagonists in our political pantomime just can’t help themselves when the opportunity arises to indulge in a bit of good old fashioned tribalism.
An examination of the actions and words of those who sit up on the hill at Stormont reveals a host of contradictions. In political terms, talk is cheap and change is expensive: Northern Ireland’s leaders seem unwilling to pay the price of true reconciliation.
The recent DUP conference was a snapshot that revealed so much. Peter Robinson took to the stage and spoke grandly of “all of us” together, a bold statement of intent for a future where the unthinkable prospect of Catholics voting for the party founded by the self-styled scourge of Rome, Ian Paisley, could become a reality. Contrast this with the performance of his right hand man, Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, who kept the party faithful happy by reverting to low brow jokes at the expense of Republican hunger strikers. Clearly money doesn’t buy taste.
Robinson himself is not averse to falling back behind party lines. The recent arguments surrounding the proposed reforms to the prison service produced his extraordinary threat to resign if royal symbols were discarded.
Sinn Fein like to play the game as well. Niall O’Donnaghaile was swept into office as the youngest ever Mayor of Belfast. The fresh faced First Citizen promised to represent all the people of the city. Clearly this didn’t extend to a young female army cadet whom he snubbed at a Duke of Edinburgh awards presentation.
Sinn Fein speak of ‘The North’ or ‘the six counties.’ Unionists have claimed the title of ‘Ulster,’ ignoring its three southern counties. The city of Derry/Londonderry looks destined to remain ever thus whilst the naming arguments continue. Debates rage about the use of the Irish Language and Ulster-Scots. The Union Flag v The Tri-colour, St Patrick’s Day v The Twelfth, Lily v Poppy: symbolism and language are the new weapons of combat and our politicians are all too keen to wield them on the front line.
All the while we are experiencing the worst economic downturn in a generation. People have taken to the streets to voice their concern about those things which really affect our lives: jobs, pensions, health and education. The paraphernalia of sectarianism may still influence the politics of those in office, but they need to realise what really matters to us.
We live in a culture of fear, perhaps no longer of guns and bombs, but of change. The retreat behind out-dated values is the safety zone for our big political parties. To talk of change is one thing, to act on it is to risk losing the loyal core.
The leap of faith needs to come from voters. We too can fear change, resorting at election time to addressing ‘the constitutional question’ rather than real world problems. It will take a leap of faith, but it’s ours to make. In one of the great paradoxes of life: where we lead, our leaders will follow.

Queen’s Hurlers Take Title

Dan Gordon wrote and starred in The Boat Factory, a moving play about workers in the shipyards in East Belfast. Michael Condron delivered a fantastic array of accents, and the chemistry between the two actors was fizzing. A play  starring only two people can get slightly dull and drag, but The Boat Factory was fast-paced, funny, and left you knowing an awful lot more about Belfast’s history.

BY EMMA GALLEN

The play was part of Belfast Festival and has been promoted by the Ulster Scots Agency.

This is perhaps why it was allowed to be performed in The Barnett Room in Belfast Harbour Office. The building itself was worth going to see; it was like a mini-museum with all the paintings and statues, and as it is usually closed to the public, it made the ticket price seem even smaller.

The play started as a way of educating Key Stage Two primary school children, but this isn’t a child’s play. With complicated relationships and the examples of corruption throughout the shipyard, the play has been reworked for an adult audience.

Gordon’s character is based on his father and this really adds to the emotional drama of the play. When he tells anecdotes of what it was like for his dad, there is genuine warmth and affection shown, and more than one tissue was needed.

A new exhibition at the Ulster Museum shows Queen Elizabeth II in a series of portraits.  This display is to mark her Diamond Jubilee as the Queen of England on the throne.  In collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, the touring collection is an eclectic mix that ranges from rare, intimate photographs to world famous art pieces. 

BY LAURA SHEARER

What seems like a small gallery space is thronged with images, bold and minimalist, powerful and delighting. Divided into sections of her reign, starting in the 1950s and ranging to the present day, each portrait offers a stunning and often very personal interpretation of the famous lady.

In photography, the formality of her life is met with jarringly simple posed family group shots.  Shining examples of rare photos include the unseen moments caught on camera as she takes shelter from the rain, unknown to the public on the balcony above her.

Full of heart are the interpretations of her iconic image, from the set of four Warhol prints to the poster art of the Sex Pistols album cover God Save the Queen.  Modern masterpieces featured incorporate an odd 3D image that watches you walk by, a multi-media figure bust and the oil on canvas image made up of hundreds of miniature portraits of Princess Diana.  Humility is explored with delicate painting skills, and where new media art offers styles that will divide opinions, rest assured there is something to suit every palate.

These images are familiar all over the world, but are presented in a way that is original and extremely pleasurable. The young at heart meet with the old to marvel at the presence of an iconic woman.  This is not an appreciation of her achievements, nor does any political diversion arrest the vision; this is the life of a queen through images.

The Queen: Art & Image is free and on show to the public in the Ulster Museum until 15 January 2012.

If you can read the words written on these pages then there’s a good chance you could read the subtitles of a Swedish vampire film if they were displayed in English, on screen, in time with the dialogue.  If you can understand the words then you could probably understand a film’s story without needing an Americanised context, setting, or Hollywood schmaltzing.  

BY PETER MCLOUGHLIN

Does Hollywood think they are assisting our cultural development when remaking foreign films?  The effort, ability and inimitability apparent in original and fantastic films like Let the Right One In so thoroughly impresses the deep-pocketed producers that they clearly feel obliged to extend the audience further by paying decent homage. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Almost every film now seems based on a book or a remake of a foreign film but screenwriters and new ideas have hardly disappeared. The simple reason is the big, sleazy, easy buck.

Let the Right One In was changed to Let Me In – and instantly there is a problem.  Let the Right One In is not only a Morrissey lyric, but it’s a poignant title that matches the films content.  Let Me In almost changes the whole relationship between the two characters – it implies desperation instead of satisfaction, patience.  Suffice to say, the film is like the antithesis of Twilight, in almost every regard, and it too is accessible.  There was no need to schmaltz it.  But it made an easy buck.

Some of the best films you may ever see will be set in a country you’ve never been to, spoken in a language that doesn’t even share your alphabet, and probably feature actors and actresses you’ve never seen before and never will again.  You will learn things about the world and you won’t even realise it’s happening.  Pan’s Labyrinth, Sin Nombre, La Vita è Bella, Poetry all bring to life stories from other cultural climates you may never have witnessed before.

Many people only go to the cinema to be whisked away by impossible romances that leave hollow holes in hearts everywhere, and to get lost in some action film starring big strong men who snack on whey protein shakes, explosions and cleavage.  War, rom-coms, and superhero/sci-fi flicks,  along with the occasional rom-com disguised as rude-comedy does meet what most people want, so it makes sense to pander to.

Hollywood, in remaking foreign films they stifle the original by ensuring their schmaltzed, American version soaks up a share of the profit.  But try something different, and in doing so you can do the budding film industries across the globe a favour by letting the right one in.

So you love football, but you’ve decided that rather than just spend a few weeks drinking in pubs and watching Euro 2012 on big TVs, you’d rather go to Poland and/or Ukraine and drink in pubs and watch games on big TVs. Fair enough. But do you know anything about either country? Crime rates? No, neither do I, and to be honest I’m not about to scare anyone out of taking a trip that could be one of the best in their life. But if you are planning to nip over for the tournament, you might need to know a thing or two, and soon, as flights etc. will only jump drastically the closer we come to May 2012.

BY PETER MCLOUGHLIN
Think about the scale of these two countries that together span Eastern Europe, and the cultural smorgasbord on show when citizens from every rich city in Europe land in to party all night every night. Well, they’ll party at least until their country’s national team are knocked out in what will probably be a case of a bust-up/boring-game-decided-by-penalties/ Spain-passing-them-to-sleep. But anyway, you know about the football. Instead, I will give you a little run down, taken from the official UEFA website, of all the towns and cities involved; concluding by which seems the most ideal place for the greatest amount of fun.

Firstly, the city Napoleon said was ‘key to everything’; Gdansk, positioned in the north of Poland, built around the coast of the Baltic Sea. The history of the place in fascinating, but if you are planning on flying in what you’ll want to know is what you can do aside from wander around admiring the Flemish architecture and signs of old devastating struggles. Well, to be honest, there isn’t a lot else; but again, the place will be busy, sweaty, and full of young drunk people, so really there is no reason why you wouldn’t have fun. The city is on the coast, so should be a place with enough fresh air and variation from the urban sprawl to make it one of the favourite destinations; the only arguable downside being that it is literally on one side of the map; to travel to the Ukrainian cities involved will take a considerable amount of time.

Next up is Pozan, a city in the heart of Poland with ‘Eastern Energy, (but) Western Style’. The first bit of that statement sounds promising, but the latter, which is backed-up by the photographs of some of the city’s landmarks, is really a negative if you are searching for something different. Better transport services abound from here though, and the economically strong city should have plenty to see. But for me, stuck in the middle of a place thriving on industry rather than culture or artistry, it’d dull quickly.

Warsaw, the city which will host the opening match of the Euros, has a great deal to offer, but again, most of this is in the cultural and historical sense, aside from the fact that the place will be swamped with people. The bars here are apparently top quality.

Each city will have its own ‘fan zone’, consisting of a large cordoned area with massive screens and entertainment every night, but Warsaw’s sounds the most impressive of the lot: it will accommodate 100,000 people, open on the eve of the tournament and, like the fan zones in each of the other Polish cities, stay open every night to 1 a.m. until July 2nd. It is free and will broadcast every match live, and will also have live concerts and five-a-side football matches.
The final Polish town is Wroclaw, a city built in and around over 15 islands and rivers, all connected by 112 bridges. Here the biggest attraction is the Racławicka Panorama; a magnificent 114m long rotunda depicting an old battle in which Polish peasants defeated the Russian army. Aside from that, the fan zone has the exact same description as the others, so all in all not a great variation in activity from one to the next: D.J.s, five-a-side tournaments etc. But to be fair, none of that sounds at all bad.

All in all, I’d aim for Gdansk or Warsaw. Although Gdansk is probably the most culturally diverse, as it is a coastal city close to a Russian and Lithuanian border, the fact that Warsaw is the largest city in Poland, with the most going on and the better transport options to move on from, if you’re forced to choose I’d go for the capital. Otherwise, of course, hit them all. Inter-rail passes are the way to go.

Now Poland is big, but Ukraine is huge; in fact it is the largest country contained completely within the Euro-zone, and the cities used for the tournament are well spread out, so if you want to travel to more than one city then prepare to travel long and with fair expense.

Lviv is the first city on the list, and being closest to the Polish border is the most likely travel hub of the tournament. Again the vagueness of the entertainment on offer here is apparent, but then most official acts are probably yet to be confirmed. Same fan zone style as in Poland, only these close at 12.a.m, rather than 1, so they’ll probably be the slightest bit less mental. The motto of this city is ‘open to the world’, and one of historic significance, and also less populated that most of the cities, so one for the quieter times.

Kyiv, 540km from Lviv, houses roughly one million more people than Warsaw in its limits, so you can well imagine the extra atmosphere, but the lack of a larger fan zone here could cause trouble – or at the very least over-crowding, so I’d think twice about using this place as your footballing mainstay, but the city itself of course is a special place, and you could spend a good week only scratching the surface of all there is on offer. No trip to the Euro’s would be complete without exploring the wealth of this city; which includes city beaches for all those lazy or hung-over people who need a place to have their bodies lapped back to normal.

Kharkiv follows, and it has a neat monument to football already inset, so you can expect there to be plenty of die-hard fanatics trawling these streets and squares. One such square – The Freedom Square – is the world’s 9th largest, and has the majority of the university and government building all circumventing it. This is also where the fan zone will be situated, and it’ll be big enough for 50,000 people. Aside from that, it is a place of excellent and various educational institutes, so the second largest city in Ukraine could also be the best student hotspot, and therefore probably the most fun. Oh, and they have a football team called the Metalist’s. If Gdansk offers something different in Poland, Kharkiv is the equivalent in Ukraine.

Donetsk in the last city on the list, and it is incidentally 1,810km from Gdansk (how’s that for a road trip?), and yet both are built close to a boarder of Russia! (good luck for 2018…). Founded by a Welshman in the 1800’s, it has been recognised as the cleanest industrial city in the world, which is a credit to the place, and aside from looking fairly swanky in style, the Sea of Azov is only an hour away, which is the world’s most shallow sea (in that it is less deep, not, you know, concerned with material things…). The fan zone is not quite as big as Warsaw’s, but it should still be mightily impressive, and as the city is closer to the middle-east than to central Europe, the temperatures should be higher and the culture a little less familiar. Throw in a quarter and a semi-final and this city should be one of the tournament hotspots.

Overall each city has its merits. If you’re not travelling on a large budget, I’d either travel only the one country of go for the cities, Warsaw and Lviv, closest to the borders and jump between countries for a better cultural contrast, or, for my money, I’d take Ukraine, and I’d hop between Kharkiv and Donetsk, as they seem like the most modern and youth-full places to be. But wherever you are, it’s up to you to make the most of it, of course.

When you’re there for the football, it’s going to be very hard to pull yourself away from the cities fan zones; but if you do, you’ll find architecture of various cultural and religious times scattered all over each of these cities, aside from Donetsk, which should, as a newer city, be at least consistent, if not a little dull as a result. Do try and veer away from the fan zones; dive into the pokey bars (just look for a flag that resembles your own during match day), taste the corner food, dodgy meat colourations be dammed, dance in the streets until dawn, avoid binging to the point of drunken idiocy every night, and try to take in the countryside, particularly Ukraine’s, which is remarkable varied from one side to the next.

You know you can’t always rely on the football. Sometimes it’s boring. Sometimes it’s clumsy. Sometimes it’s sickeningly unfair. But it brings people together – and you can rely on people to entertain you, to excite you, if you just keep plunging into the ocean of new experience Euro 2012 will offer. And remember, for the next decade or more, all the major tournaments in the world are going to be played in places that cost a fortune to travel to or are set in unimaginably volatile climates, so this might be your last great excuse for a long time to piss off to another country and drink yourself silly for a few weeks while gorging on football. Or, alternatively, this could be your next great heart-achingly beautiful experience. I’d recommend you try straddling the two options the best you can.

It’s that time of year again; the Christmas decorations go up and the Continental market comes to Belfast. It’s one of the many examples of German-themed Christmas markets that are replicated all over the UK, but how authentic is it, and why are we are we so obsessed with the old-style version of Christmas?

BY KATHLEEN PEDERSEN

As we all know the market consists of many exotic stalls that sell everything from Native American themed dream catchers, to kangaroo burgers. With such a wide variety of items on sale, you might start to wonder if this is just another form of commercialism attached to the festive season.

Genuine “authentic” German Christmas market in places such as Cologne are actually pretty similar to the version we have right here in Belfast; the combination of a distinctive merry theme, complete with over-priced goods.

However, it is clear how the Belfast market has been adapted to suit Irish tastes. In Germany the only alcoholic beverage they traditionally sell at the markets is glühwein (mulled wine), whereas in Belfast the main attraction appears to be the huge beer tent.

With each successive year the variety of goods expand to yet another far-flung country, perhaps why this market is described as “Continental” and not German. Nevertheless the emergence of these markets all over the UK has had positive effect for the German tourist board, as after people have had a taste for a traditional Christmas they flock to cities such as Frankfurt and Aachen.

The fact that a German Christmas is supposed to be much more traditional than we experience in Britain and Ireland has perhaps been exploited in order for us to simply spend even more money during Christmas. Some families are so desperate to make their Christmas less commercialised that they are willing to fork out more money on the German ideal. Should we not just be content with our own traditions even if they have become modernised and the focus has been moved away from religion? Whether this is actually the case, it cannot be denied that the Continental market is a good Christmassy day out, even if you can’t afford to buy anything there other than an over-priced pint of beer and a crêpe.

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers scorched the O2 Arena with a fiery set-list that included a few tunes off their new album, I’m With You, as well as some old school favourites. On  4 November, Dublin was treated to a top-notch performance from Anthony Keidis, Flea, Chad Smith and new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who were opened by up-and-coming Californian collective Fool’s Gold. As an opening act they delivered a strong performance of neo-African-rhythmic-pop-rock that left the crowd grooving and ready for seduction from Flea’s funkilicious bass. 

BY MATTHEW GILLEN

The arena dimmed and then exploded into an array of coloured lights as the Chilli’s unleashed new tune ‘Monarchy of Roses’. 14,500 people jumped and cheered at such an adrenaline pumping start, which seamlessly transitioned into ‘Dani California’. To pinpoint a single definitive moment of the night wouldn’t do justice to the concert or the band. There were so many highlights ranging from the music, the audience and the venue itself. The visual displays were stunning as the light show moved in perfect sync with the tempo and tone of the songs. This was accompanied by an impressive wall of rotating screens broadcasting an entertaining montage of the band playing, the crowd, pre-recorded clips and mugshots of fans.

The Chilli’s followed a new/old formula including; ‘Look Around’/ ‘Scar Tissue’ and ‘Factory of Faith’/ ‘Under the Bridge’. Towards the end of the night the newer songs became rarer as they belted out classics such as ‘Californication’ and ‘By the Way’. During a short break for Anthony’s vocal cords, Chad began a thumping drum solo with Flea and Klinghoffer gradually joining in to do an instrumental cover of U2’s ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’.  It was pleasing to see such great chemistry between the band members, including Klinghoffer who is evidently warming up nicely to his new friends, as he comfortably stood facing Flea while they jammed with one another.

Much to everyone’s delight, the set ended with ‘Give It Away’. It’s safe to say that this gig wasn’t just a ploy to promote new material. It was a genuinely entertaining night and as the lights illuminated the arena, the band walked off stage, while Chad, wearing the Tricolour, threw his drumsticks into the audience.

It has become hackneyed to point out that MTV (which stands for ‘Music Television’, in case you weren’t aware) no longer plays music videos. And it’s a justified cliché too, one that makes up the bulk of why MTV has apparently lost its relevancy, but sadly it appears the company’s greatest crime is the inability to live up to its legacy.

BY LEE BRADY

MTV was first aired in 1981 and became an almost-instant success in the USA. The innovation of a channel devoted to music and the public introduction to the music video, brought great support from both viewers and the music industry alike. Its introduction to the world acted as a booster pack for what was a three-year decline of sales within the music industry. Music videos let people connect with their music in a far more accessible form than going to see a concert. This wide appeal brought record sales through the roof, which in turn allowed record companies to invest in more musicians and so expand the industry’s appeal. By 1984, MTV was on top of the world.

Today, MTV is a mixed bag. It still benefits the music industry. Their award ceremonies often celebrate the biggest vogue acts and encourage the masses to support music as a whole. Their removal of music in order to show more profitable reality shows is as corporate as it is embarrassing. Forgoing their old image and attitudes, reality shows such as Jersey Shore and A Day in the Life of [Insert Little Known Attractive D-List Celebrity], as well as semi-reality shows like Plain Jane, in which they take girls who are supposedly middling-attractive, tell them they’re unattractive and process them so they can impress a stereotypical American boy. MTV stands tall as it delivers the message: integrity does not a dollar make.

The sad truth seems to suggest exactly that. MTV still rake in huge sums of money every year through advertising and show-coverage, while the music industry suffers blow after blow. The internet came and stole MTV’s stick by offering more accessible music, and rather than rise to the occasion, they backed out and kept as much money as they could. It seems like a shame too because if anything was to bring music back to people and help the industry evolve out of its current rut, there’s no doubt MTV would have the best shot at it.

BY SHANE MELAUGH

Striking out on your own and managing your own expenses is a difficult task that everyone has to deal with, and at university you’re getting your first taste of life without your family to fall back on. By the end of October, you’re all patting yourselves on the back and congratulating each other on a well-made curry, finally learning how that strange white contraption in the corner people call a washing machine works. Yet, you will soon be feeling the strain on your wallet due to the oversight many of us make when we first strike out on our own: the energy bill.

We’ve all experienced that horrifying moment when we realise that tomorrow we might not have power or fuel to heat a shower because it’s our housemate’s turn to pay their share. And with this year seeing rocketing electricity costs, leaving many households spending an extra £90 on electricity alone, and the volatile pricing in oil and gas fluctuating more than Kim Kardashian’s marital status, it’s time we took charge of our energy usage and ensure we’re warm this winter.

Ensure that your radiators are bled properly, if you don’t know how to do it you can ask a friend or your landlord to help. Airlocked radiators waste energy and never heat a house properly, so why pay for heat you aren’t getting?

The timer for your heater should be your  new best friend. You know what its like to get out of bed in the morning, your room is freezing, so you run down stairs turn the heating on and prepare for class. By the time the house has warmed up you’re about to walk out the door and no-one gets the benefit of the heat. The best thing to do is use the heating timer and set it for about half an hour before you wake up. The downside is you might find it harder to get up and go to a crowded lecture hall when the other option is to stay in a nice warm bed.

Why work in your house and waste all that precious energy when you could go to the library? Make use of the free internet, array of helpful books and it’s always heated – sorted. Always charge your phone in the library.

A good way to ensure that you have your housemates involved is to have regular house meetings well in advance of the bills coming out and ensure money is paid upfront and in full. This works best if someone is placed in charge to keep on top of management.  And if all else fails, steal your neighbours’ internet and live in the library.

Given that the first official gig of Belfast Music Week fell on Halloween, the abundance of superheroes, witches and tiger onesies was assumed. The first band of the night, Colly Strings, unsuccessfully attempted to emulate the gothic cool of A Clockwork Orange’s Alex DeLarge. Instead, they resembled a quartet of immaculately turned out butlers. Dubious costume choices aside, the band won over the crowd with a splendid set, but still paled in comparison to the next twenty minutes from Rainy Boy Sleep.

BY TARA MCEVOY

The solo artist from Derry was doubtlessly the revelation of the evening, a troubadour for our times whose poignant tales of shopping centres to detentions came alive, aided by a simple loop pedal backing. Straddling the divide between Owen Pallett and Ed Sheeran, and reviving the concept of geek chic while he’s at it, Rainy Boy Sleep marks himself as a prospect to keep your eye on. Unfortunately, things from here on in took a turn for the worst, as the next band to take to the stage, Silhouette, offered a lacklustre performance. Those hoping surprise guests General Fiasco would provide a reprieve were also disappointed, as the Bellaghy four piece only had enough time to power through three (albeit rollicking) tunes, finishing up with the anthemic ‘Ever So Shy’.

Closing the night were A Plastic Rose, a group whose brand of in-your-face raucousness wasn’t to everyone’s taste.  Vocalist Ian McHugh bounced on stage  dressed as everybody’s favourite fried chicken vendor, Colonel Sanders, and their guitarist sported a mask of Marvin from JLS’ face. It was all a bit too Tenacious D to be taken seriously and a bit too uninventive to be considered funny. Suffocating under a maelstrom of guitars, A Plastic Rose left the stage, drawing to a close what had certainly been, to use an old sporting cliché, a night of two halves.

Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board contributed £870,000 to bring the EMAs to Belfast on 5 November. An event like this has a lot of power behind it and with 1.2 billion viewers tuning in all over the world, all eyes were on Belfast.

BY PRIYA BIRING

Benefits to the economy and tourism were a given. The award show accounted for more than 8,000 hotel room nights at forty hotels providing accommodation for crew, artists and VIP guests – a much needed boost for the struggling sector. More than ninety local businesses got work from the awards show, more local suppliers than have worked on any other EMA event. As well as recruiting all of its show runners and backstage coordinators from Belfast, the EMAs worked with businesses, ranging from internet and ISDN providers, photocopier hire companies, taxi and chauffeur businesses, production managers, event staff, security, catering, audio visual, venue branding, food concessions, furniture, riggers, restaurant and fencing companies.

Estimates suggest that the EMAs bring in around £10 million for the host city, directly and indirectly, and there is a lot of competition to stage the annual showbiz bash.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, said to expect announcements of major events coming to the city in the weeks ahead. He stated: “MTV are already coming back next year for a major concert on the slipways near to the iconic new Titanic Belfast building and they said to me they want to maintain the links with Belfast and build on the success of the past few days – it was their most successful EMAs ever.”

With Belfast attracting attention from international filmmakers and our own home-grown talent getting attention from overseas, Belfast is turning into a hub of arts and culture.  Then next year, we have the opening of Titanic Belfast and the accompanying series of major events throughout 2012, including the Olympic flame coming to Belfast on the 3rd and 6th June – the only city it will visit twice outside of London.

The people of Belfast are pushing their city toward being an advancing and developing place that has a stake in Europe and the world. Belfast has used the EMAs as a stage to showcase their capabilities.  We have seized the opportunity and can now bask in the success and glory of our achievement, in our city.

The MTV EMAs were incredible. Whether you liked the music, layout or even the show itself, it’s obvious there was a lot of effort to make Belfast look as great as possible.  But what would the average tourist be met with, stumbling into some bar offering live music? Well, if it’s anything like the music  heard at Belfast Calling, there would be no doubt that they would be blown away.

BY LEE BRADY 

The night before the EMAs, The Limelight Complex opened their doors and hosted Belfast Calling, a showcase of Northern Irish talent. With over thirty bands crammed into the night over the three interlinked bars, one would expect disaster with timing. Luckily, each bar had multiple stages that allowed one band to set up while another continued playing. Once their time was up, the band on the other stage would start playing and the audience’s attention would simply be grabbed again. Not once did this seem tiring or chore-like.  So, if there was any one performer who didn’t suit your tastes, you could move along.

Each act represented the very best of what we had to offer. A big task, with the impending EMAs, but the diversity and talent of each performance made a big impression. A renewed sense of passion was felt for our own music scene, rekindled by acts such as Intermission, Colly Springs, Ram’s Pocket Radio, Katie & The Carnival and Aaron Shanley to name a few. From acoustic solo artists, to rock bands, to metal bands, to upbeat folk and pop, there was something for everyone. The talent on offer was exceptional.

Overall, it was an inspiring night for our music scene. Here’s hoping for a repeat.

BY BEN FINCH

The event was considered a “success” by the team, even after some set backs.  Derek Crosby, Raggie, said: “It was a success. We raised a couple of hundred pounds despite an annoying move at the last minute.”

According toCrosbythe party saw “all sorts of arsing about” including a number of drinking challenges, one of which included attempting to down a pint of vodka jelly.

The amount raised has not yet been counted.

When you look back on your childhood and early adolescence, there’s a big chance that many of your brightest memories will contain the hypnotic tinge of the television set. Most of us will remember those Saturday mornings, sneaking downstairs before everyone else, to sample a dose of Live and Kicking, SM:TV Live or Den TV. Even now we can’t shake off the influence of Dustin the Turkey or the Animaniacs, as someone on those nights out takes it upon themselves to be the comedian extraordinaire, playing their well-worn repertoire of impersonations and recycled jokes garnered from the shows that made them giggle all those years ago.

BY ROMANO MULLIN

But what about the assortment of television shows available for today’s hordes of youngsters? According to a recent report by Ofcom, it may be a bit redundant for anxious parents to censor their children’s viewing habits. Apparently, most young teenagers would rather lose their television than their mobile phone. Many in the group surveyed said they would prefer watching their favourite shows on iPlayer or YouTube instead of when they are broadcast – when they’re clearly busy texting on the latest smart phone anyway.

But the truth is that the quality of home-grown children’s television is improving. Most students know this because we spend a large chunk of our hangovers listlessly wasting away in front of Horrible Histories or Peppa Pig. The addictive Horrible Histories won a British Comedy Award and has now made the transition to ‘grown up’ TV, with narration by Stephen Fry: a seal of approval if ever there was one. And if you haven’t caught Young Dracula, you’ve now got the chance to see the newly commissioned third series of Vlad and his wacky breather friends.

However, for the youngest viewers, things are a tad crazier. Most of us will recall Rosie and Jim, Postman Pat and if we’re not too ashamed to admit we watched it at the ripe old age of eight or nine, the Teletubbies. It was probably the Teletubbies that spawned a generation of exasperating, mind-numbingly weird shows that are required by some arcane televisual law to be brightly coloured, and unable to speak coherent English. Or any other language, for that matter.

Those who’ve spent their time babysitting will know the seventh circle of hell that is Waybuloo or In The Night Garden. The Morbegs may have seemed wacky, but at least they didn’t look like products of a bad acid trip.

In fairness, the Waybuloos are pretty laid back creatures, spending their days singing harmless ditties and doing exercises known as “yogo”, which parents are encouraged to emulate with their children. If nothing else, a few episodes will tire the little devils out and give frazzled parents an hour or two of peace and quiet.

In this complex age of digital innovation and singing Hannah Montana lunchboxes, it’s only natural for the nineties kids among us to wish for a simpler time. Boxsets of Sooty and Sweep are readily available for those clinging to their youth in these times of pending adulthood.

Conducting a little experiment in the run-up to the MTV EMAs in Belfast, I asked five people if they were aware it was Belfast Music Week – not the greatest survey in the world, but the results may still be relevant nonetheless. Of the five, only one had actually heard of the event. The remaining four gave responses ranging from, “Well, that’s not very original,” to an enthusiastic, “Well, that’s good! Maybe some good bands will play.”

BY LEE BRADY

For the uninformed, the week starting 30 October marked the beginning of Belfast Music Week,  which coincided with the impending MTV award ceremony. There was a series of gigs, which showcased Northern Ireland’s home-grown talent.  Brochures and schedules were posted all over the city, banners were hung, posters were placed; and yet, apparently, only one in five had heard of the event – if we are to take a straw poll as fact.

This raises a question: were the gigs not publicised enough? Perhaps greater effort was required on behalf of radio and television? Cool FM, the official EMA radio station, only occasionally admitted to the existence of the event, preferring to draw more attention towards the already all-consuming EMAs. According to the press release, over 170 events occurred during the week, so more attention could have been raised. Perhaps there just isn’t any great appeal in the Belfast music scene these days except among a dedicated few.

Belfast Music Week did not receive the recognition it deserved. If Belfast is to re-establish itself as a significant musical landmark, attention to music will need to evolve beyond a single week and remain a consistent part of what makes Belfast a great place to see.

Standing at 37.5 metres high and 30 metres wide, ‘RISE’ is the largest public artwork piece ever commissioned in Northern Ireland. Construction was completed in September 2011 and the mega-structure can be found on the Broadway Roundabout.

BY MATT GILLEN

Nottingham-based artist, Wolfgang Buttress, created the winning design for an international competition that provided more than forty artists with the chance to build a social space artwork in Belfast. Its two geodesic spheres represent the rising of the sun and new hope for Belfast’s future.  The structural supports are fashioned in the shape of reeds, reflecting the area’s natural heritage of the neighbouring Bog Meadows. It symbolises the heralding of a new dawn for Belfast, all the while jettisoning its troubled history in favour of a brighter future.

Despite the good intentions, the piece has been subject to divided public opinion. Some view the art as a great addition to the city’s culture and tourist attractions, others believe it to be a waste of money. In total the structure cost £486,000 to build, which was provided by three parties. The bulk of the money, £330,000, was donated from Department for Social Development, £100,000 from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and £56,000 from Belfast City Council.

Residents of the Falls area have claimed that the money could have been better invested, particularly in housing regeneration. Belfast City Council have countered this by stating that the project has helped to sustain 140 jobs and 85 per cent of the budget has been spent in Northern Ireland on materials for the galvanised wires, which were from local steel company M. Hasson and Sons Ltd. in Rasharkin . They have also stated that if it weren’t for ‘RISE’, the £100,000 from the Arts Council would have been lost, as that money could only have been invested in art and nothing else.

Belfast City Council states that: “It aims to help revitalise Belfast, bringing a new focus to the area and projecting a vibrant, confident image of the city.” In other words: more tourism, more money and hopefully a better economic future for Belfast.  As much as we all wish for the benefit of our city, the outcome of this aim is questionable. It only takes a shift of the eye to recognise that Belfast is already a culturally, religiously and ethnically diverse city and that our tourist levels are stable.

The addition of this new piece may, in the end, have an opposite effect of its intentions. It has already been dubbed ‘The Balls on the Falls’ and ‘The Westicles’. Though the witty puns in these nicknames can be appreciated, as ambassadors of our city do we wish to be known in foreign countries for such humour?

This is especially the case in such a time of financial crisis, in that Belfast needs to take a road in a profitable direction if it ever wishes to reach the new dawn that it desires. Sensible financial investment in the city is required, especially when it comes from tax payers’ money, many of whom have noticed the shiny new streetlights being erected right beside the perfectly functioning old ones, which haven’t been removed for that matter.

If there is a single fault that can be defined with ‘RISE’, then it is certainly its design. Social art provides a fantastic face lift for any city, but the piece itself seems to fall short of its potential.  Instead of complementing the city, it seems to overwhelmingly dominate our relatively open skyline. Perhaps a tall, subtle and less robust design would have made the perfect landmark.

Portstewart three piece, Axis Of were described in 2010 by ‘Rock Sound Magazine’ as being “the most exciting band to come out of Northern Ireland, possibly ever.”  No wonder the Speakeasy was rammed with raucous, die-hard fans before they played.

BY PRIYA BIRING

When the band first formed in 2008 their sound and brand of music was very different to their current style.  Axis Of were very fast and punky, writing songs about the environment. Their first album, The Echo Conspiracy, was down tempo, even sludgy in places. Ewen Friers, bass and vocals, stated that their influences and song writing techniques had changed vastly. The genre of music they listen to had also changed, they are inspired by different bands now, ranging from the heavy metal thrashes of Mastodon to the indie rock of Fang Island. They are no longer just influenced by sludgy modes of music; in some sense they have evolved to embrace a whole host of bands.

With a different taste in music comes a new style of song writing. With old influences including the unique lyrics from bands such as The Locust: “get off the cross we need the wood”; new versions of song writing have become simpler. Friers said: “We work from the ground up. We try to incorporate simplicities with a really heavy guitar underneath them.”

Although Axis Of weren’t nominated for a Northern Irish Music Award (NIMA) they were not in the least bit disillusioned or scathed by the choice. Supporting a lot of bands from Northern Ireland, including some at the NIMAs, they stated that LaFaro, Visceral Attack, Gascan Ruckus, The Hornets, And So I Watch You From Afar and Team Fresh were all great bands that they supported and enjoyed listening to. Axis Of even said that bands that have become internationally famous, such as Two Door Cinema Club and General Fiasco, were beacons of success to enjoy and encourage. In fact they insisted that there was no-one they did not support on the Northern Irish music scene.

Axis Of have had great touring success. Unconventionally, they claimed their favourite place to gig was in the Alps. “The people were just great,” said Friers. “It’s such a beautiful setting, it was inspiring.” Of course, they still found the North Coast and the South to be some of the most rewarding places to gig. Rock Sound Magazine were not wrong about this band, they are definitely a force to be reckoned with.

BY EMMA GALLEN

The event due to be held on 29 November received a number of emails from students involved in the Belfast Feminism Network, accusing the Business Club of sexism.

The cancellation was not the first course of action taken, the Business Club initially decided to change the name to “CEO’s and Secretaries”, but this still caused offense and more complaints were issued.

James McKevitt, Event Organiser for the Business Club, said: “To date no student or non-student has made any contact with the Business Club or myself outlining any contention they may have had with the event or event title. Had they done so, I am sure we would have acted just as swiftly with the Students’ Union ‘Best Practice’ in such incidences.

“Also, as the Event Organiser I was continuously discussing event theme and event titles with numerous students from across the student body, and at no time was there any indication of contention in ration to the event title. Had we been aware, the Business Club and I would have never used the title of numerous popular university and college parties knowing it might offend any student, particularly as one of the core goals of the Clubs & Societies Fundraising Event was to bring together all of Queen’s students.”

Treasa Harkin, VP Equality said of the issue: “When the planned staging of an event entitled “CEO’s and Ho’s” was brought to my attention, I took immediate action to resolve the situation.  As an inclusive Students Union that promotes Equality and has been recognised for this on a national level, such a proposed title was not acceptable and was contrary to our Equality and Diversity Policy.

“I spoke to the Business Club who immediately realised their misjudgement – the event committee swiftly moved to prevent any further offence.  It was the sole decision of the Business Club to cancel the event and I commend them for such a mature and immediate response.

The Students Union now views this matter as resolved and therefore closed.”

Sarah Wright, President of Polysoc, asked at Student Council on 21 November why the Students’ Union had approved the event. She said that her experience with booking an event in Mandela Hall involved getting the theme approved by a board which included Sabbaticals.  Treasa Harkin has said otherwise: “As it stands, there is no formal approval process for those Clubs and Societies that wish to stage events – this situation will be reviewed in due course.”

BY EMMA GALLEN

A PSNI report from June 2011 says that in the last year 525 rapes were reported, over ten a week.

The website rightsni.org quoted a survey taken by Amnesty International in 2008 that said 46 per cent of students thought that women who had been raped was partially or totally to blame if she had been acting flirtatiously.

VP Welfare Adam McGibbon said on the matter: “I hope that we’ve moved on since then, but they are appalling statistics. Since those statistics came out we’ve worked with NUS-USI, Belfast City Council, and Amnesty International on ‘Get Home Safe’ campaigns.

“While we obviously work to disseminate campus safety measures the whole year round (Cab Now Pay Later, provision of free personal alarms, etc), it must be clear that the no blame for any incidents rests with the victim. We’ve worked with the PSNI on a campaign targeting the attitudes that lead to sexual assault – the campaign emphasises that sex without consent is a crime, that rape convictions last forever, and to take no for an answer, etc.”

VP Equality and Diversity, Treasa Harkin said: “The fact that such an inexcusable attitude still exists, especially from Students, is not only worrying but dangerous and upsets justice at its very core. Such an attitude needs to be tackled and addressed.  However, we as a Students’ Union can only do so much, it is a pressing wider societal issue which needs addressed by both judiciary and government.”

I write in relation to the planned Public Sector strikes on Wednesday 30^th November. I am the son of a hard-working and diligent public servant who also happens to be a shop steward.

During this time of economic torpor, it is repugnant that unions would consider striking whilst the economy is in such a delicate and fragile state. This strike will not only hinder economic growth but also disrupt many in the private sector who rely on public services in order to keep their businesses afloat. Their argument omits a most pertinent consideration; the whole world faces economic challenges, it is deeply irresponsible of unions to strike at this time, especially when the government has been consistently proactive in seeking a deal that is good for both public sector workers and tax payers.  Changes must be made in all areas of public finances and it is quite distasteful that they would call a strike on this scale, mid-negotiation, when the government is trying to finalise future policy. The Union bosses must wake up to the simple fact that the current arrangements are unsustainable, unrealistic and unless we want to end up like Italy, Spain or Greece they must agree a financially viable package. 

Put simply and plainly, many, but not all, in the public sector have had it too good for far too long. Public Sector workers must bare their fair share of the burden, as the private sector has been doing for some time. Defined benefit pensions are a rare luxury in the private sector and as they dissipate out, so should follow in the public sector. Change is both necessary and highly likely in these tough economic times. People are living longer and as a result it is not unfair to ask us all to furnish our own pension pots accordingly, bearing in mind many in the private sector don’t receive any employer contributions at all.  Many public sector employees have the option to retire at or before 60, UK life expectancy has risen to 78 for males and 82 for females, whilst this is to be welcomed, we must also be prepared to subsidise our ever extending latter years. Combined with a grossly inflated rise in the standard of living, people in all areas of life have become too comfortable and such meteoric rises simply cannot be sustained and at some time or another, it had to come to an end. Society must take the rough with the smooth.

Whilst I commend much of the progress the unions have made with regard to worker-rights, I condemn them for striking when it is incumbent upon the entire nation to work to aid recovery; it makes no sense to bring the country to a standstill when much still needs to be done in order to bring about long-overdue reform.  Thirteen sorry years of a Labour government saw a gross inflation of the public sector, a cavalier attitude towards creating pointless jobs in order to reduce unemployment and an attempt to bring many up to the ‘middle-class’ mark, as Tony Blair once said ‘we are all now middle-class.’ The public sector faired exceptionally well under Labour, this was one of their many mistakes. Labour did try to reform teaching pensions in 2004, but were scared away by the unions. Maybe if they had adopted a stronger position then, such vast changes would not be required now and the unions would be less militant in their attitude to change. Similarly, if the unions had acquiesced to engagement previously, dialogue at this stage may have been more constructive. As a result of this inaction, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government is once again left to tidy up the mess of the Blair-Brown-Balls era.

There is no logic in classroom teachers going on strike. Over the last 11 years, teachers have seen a massive 50% increase in their salary. A qualified classroom teacher of ten years experience can now receive an annual salary of up to £39,000. I would be the first to say, and rightly so. Education is the pinnacle of a successful, prosperous and dynamic workforce, many of our teachers are a credit to us all and do a fantastic job, I would not be where I am today if it were not for the first rate grammar school education I received. However, teachers cannot see such a rise in pay and not be expected to contribute more to their pensions. Although teachers deny it, even if you take marking, planning, training days and after-school activities into account, teachers still accumulate at least 2 months of holiday per annum, just about all of them enjoy job security and many enjoy flexible working conditions, great pensions and career prospects. I am yet to meet a teacher who is not a Head of Department, Head of Year, Music Coordinator, Timetable Coordinator, Head of Pastoral Care or member of the Senior or Middle Management Team. Teachers need to realise that they cannot have it all their own way.

Many in the private sector and indeed those against the strike in the public sector, would have a different opinion, if the taxpayer actually received a high standard of service for the taxes they pay. Although a high standard can be found in some areas such as HMRC, the Police, music tuition, certain schools and certain areas of the healthcare system, unfortunately this is not universal. If services received in the private sector were to as low a standard, as is often found in many agencies within the public sector, customers would simply not return and the business would fold. There is no such threat on many of the agencies in the public sector. Despite the outrageous number of managers present within the sector, standards are not universally high.

Ronald Regan had the right idea in the 1980s, when the air traffic control unions began making unreasonable demands and went on strike, he fired 11,000 of those workers and used the military to replace them until new workers could be found, hired and retrained. There are many people, recently unemployed, who would cut off their right arm for some of the terms, conditions and benefits of employment enjoyed by many in public sector agencies.  

I would make two final points in relation to the unions.

1. When do officials conduct their organisational activity in relation to these strikes? A recent freedom of information request revealed that, in 152 of the councils that responded (there are 468 councils in the UK), more than 800 people were carrying out union work during working hours. Ministers are now rightly calling for a change in the law. They allude to that fact that taxpayers’ money is bankrolling the union officials orchestrating these strikes. Mrs. Thatcher rightly strengthened the legislation in relation in unions and ballots in the workplace, it is now time for the government to examine the extent to which government time is being used aid the organisation of these strikes.

2.  I have to question the democratic nature of this strike given the low formal ballot support it has received. To take an example Unison, the biggest of the public sector unions saw less than 1 in 3 vote in favour of this strike. Over all only 30% of government workers actually voted in the ballot and less than 25% of health workers voted. The government should legislate to ensure that strike action can only go ahead if over 50% of the entire work force supports the strike, democracy should not be abandoned to advance a point of principle.

The Unions and many in the public sector have a grievance, I accept that, but wouldn’t it be more palatable, more widely supported and respected, if all those against the changes got together on a Saturday outside Westminster and protested on their own time? Three or four million people using their free time to protest against the changes proposed to their pensions would be quite a sight and although I support the changes being made, those striking might just grow somewhat in my estimation.  

Joel James Lowry

Post-Graduate Student IPLS

BY EMMA GALLEN

McShane stated he did not see an issue with his use of the page, saying: “Some people might be of the opinion that these were wrong. I created the page so I own it, it is my page not the Union’s.

“I don’t see there being a direct link between my campaign and the Union.  I honestly don’t see how these posts affect my reputation.  The page was set up by me so I can use it in the way I feel.”

Fiona Kidd, VP Campaigns and Communications, said that she would begin a review into the use of Facebook by the Union.

Following the meeting a number of councillors where dissatisfied with McShane’s answer.  One said: “It wasn’t satisfactory.  He should have just apologised and said ‘I won’t do it again’.

“I struggle to see how he can’t see the link between the Union and the page, it’s called ‘QUB VP Clubs Societies.”

SU President Jason O’Neill simply said on the matter: “I would like to wish Niall McShane’s brother and his fiancée the best of luck.”

McShane was also questioned about whether any Clubs and Societies bank accounts had been frozen. Cllr Niall Bole asked whether this was happening in accordance with procedure if a club or society has not handed in their annual reports. McShane said there had been and will have a list of them for the next council meeting.

Other council proceedings included VP Campaigns and Communications, Fiona Kidd, being asked to condemn USI for the action stewards took against those who sat down during a recent protest. Kidd said she could not and would not condemn them.

Jason O’Neill said that the £40 million shortfall has been made up and that “we have had a success for keeping the fees down.” Cllr Tiarnan Ó Muilleoir questioned O’Neill, saying: “The shortfall has been made up by cuts. Fees are going up for GB students.”

O’Neill responded by saying: “Ideally everyone gets charged the same, and everyone gets charged nothing.”

BY THE HOOD

Whatever anyone else thinks Ewok McShane just wanted all those pretty girls who give him all those hickies to help make his brother’s wedding cheaper. What else should he be doing on a VP Clubs and Socs Facebook? Posting results or training times? If he did then least then somebody would be doing it.

Jedi Jim finally appeared in person. Wow. Starstruck ‘R’ Us. Presenting an award at the SU is definitely better than getting to host Countdown, definitely.

I discovered by the library that a degree is worthless. If you want to meet girls be a fireman. That road safety display taught me a lot; get fit and get a uniform. That’s the way to a girl’s heart.

If you fancy a gander at our esteemed VP Campaigns and Communications looking suitably horrified in close up have a wee search for the UTV footage of the car crash.  Sixteen seconds in, there she is.  I’ve never seen someone look more concerned for the welfare of actors.

CEO’s and Ho’s was always going to get complaints. What’s surprising is how it was only the feminists that went after them, grammar Nazis are usually at the forefront with their giant red pen. But then that wouldn’t have matched the pink of the word “Ho’s”.

Some people seemed to enjoy the idea of CEO’s and Ho’s anyway.  When it was raised at council Nigel Macauley guffawed with laughter along with the rest of his cohort.  Either it was at the name, at the fact there’s a feminist society or at the political correctness brigade.  Whatever it was, it didn’t stand him in good stead, I overheard one councillor commenting: “He’s as sexist as fuck!”  At least we know the UUP is in good hands in the future, its decline is assured.

Tyler McNally, everyone’s favourite Trot, was overheard saying: “The most important thing to me, after fighting the cuts, is KFC.”  I can only hope that there’s a different KFC to the one I think of; you know the one that happens to be a massive multinational corporation, falls foul of tonnes of regulations in terms of animal welfare and pays its workers a pittance. I wonder how much they pay in tax? Keep on fighting the power Tyler.

The SU’s Weekend Takeover now takes over Thursdays too. No one ever went home on a Thursday really, they stayed up for the ride. And not on thon mechanical bull.

BY EMMA GALLEN

A member of the University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) made it an official society as the same time as members of the “Troops off Campus” campaign failed to pass a motion requiring the Students’ Union to say they were opposed to British Army recruitment at Queen’s.

The “Troops off Campus” motion was quickly forced to a vote using technicalities, stopping any debate.

The UOTC society was passed with ease, but Cllr Fionntán Hargey was met with disdain from council when he asked: “Do you support the murder committed by the British Government?”

The campaign’s motion to get the SU to openly oppose the British Army appeared to irritate other members of council. Cllr Niall Bole, last year’s VP Clubs and Societies, asked that proceedings were moved along because the society had already been approved earlier in the evening.

The approach of council to Cllr Hargey’s motion was later questioned by Jason O’Neill, SU President. He said: “I would like to have seen the matter being debated properly, I was disappointed in some members’ attitude.”

Speaking for the motion, Cllr Claire Heaney said: “This would be a very public demonstration in support of peace.  The British Army are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, for extraordinary renditions.

“The UOTC are deliberately duplicitous, they claim they’re not a recruiting organisation.”

Speaking against the motion, Cllr Bole compared the UOTC to “Scouts that play with guns.”

The hype had been building for weeks in the lead up to the biggest event that Belfast has ever hosted; the MTV EMAs.  A special show featuring Snow Patrol, Jason Derulo and Boyce Avenue outside City Hall took place at the same time as the award ceremony hosted in the Odyssey.

BY CONOR KERR

The event began with a one song set from Cork band The Voodoos which was warmly received by the quickly growing crowd in front of them.  Soon after, American R&B star Jason Derulo took to the stage. This was Derulo’s first performance in Belfast, and was one of the most hotly anticipated performances of the evening.  He didn’t disappoint, performing a sleek, well performed set, belting out hits such as ‘Whatcha Say’ and ‘Ridin’ Solo,’ accompanied by fantastic dance routines, throwing in a handstand, splits, and a front flip for good measure.

Next were American acoustic rock band Boyce Avenue, receiving a great cheer of approval as they took to the stage. Probably more commonly known for their unique cover songs, the band played an excellent set. While they played one or two original compositions, their covers of Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ had the crowd singing along to every word at the top of their voices.

After a short interval, it was time for headliners Snow Patrol to take their place in front of the 15,000 strong crowd that had packed itself in front of City Hall and down Donegall Place. With no loudspeaker introduction, you wouldn’t have realised that the band had walked onstage, if it weren’t for the roar of the audience. Opening with ‘Open Your Eyes’, the audience singing every word, was an early sign of what was to come, and that tonight was going to be something special.

With television cameras floating overhead and against the stunning backdrop of City Hall, lead singer Gary Lightbody told the crowd: “Belfast, city of our hearts, the world is watching. Let’s show it what we’re made of.” And with that they launched into a song written especially for Belfast, ‘Take Back The City’, with the masses singing and dancing in unison. As if there was any need to remind anyone of why the event was even taking place, Lightbody announced that it was “time to go live to the MTV EMAs” for a performance of new single ‘Called Out In The Dark’. There was a little bit of drama towards the end of the song when Lightbody’s mic fell, but the crowd pulled through and finished for him.

The band continued to treat the audience for the rest of their set, including singing “Belfast” in place of “New York”, in their track ‘New York’ and a beautiful duet with Shauna Tohill (of Ram’s Pocket Radio), singing ‘Set Fire To The Third Bar’. No-one would have been disappointed if the set ended there, but Snow Patrol, not content with ending so soon, came on for an encore of ‘Chocolate’ and a stomping rendition of ‘Just Say Yes’. To say the band left the stage on a high note would be an understatement. It was homecoming gig for the boys from Bangor, but this was no ordinary homecoming gig.

BY EMMA GALLENRules are there for a reason, and in council this is so everybody gets the chance to speak, regardless of whether it is viewed as redundant by most the people there. Council attendance was poor enough at the last meeting, so everything should be done to encourage people to attend and to speak. What someone says may be repetitive, but unfortunately that’s how most meetings are. And although a lot of what was said by “Troops off Campus” campaigners received mutters of “propaganda” and “republican” they spoke articulately and concisely. That is something that should be encouraged, not greeted with disdain.

Everybody that attended at least knew whether they disagreed with what “Troops off Campus” were saying because it was said well, and when it came to a vote, there weren’t multiple attempts to explain what a vote for or against meant. The changes proposed regarding School Representatives was too convoluted for most of the third level students, and the amendment about the Campaigns and Equality board was confusing even after the typo was rectified. Perhaps the Sabbaticals should get the “Troops off Campus” speech writers to look over their “amendments” so the rest can understand.

BY BEN FINCH

This is a fallacy; if the government and UK Universities try to pull their deals from the table they will only get themselves in hotter water.  Workers will be made even angrier and more likely to take more action. By doing so our elected representatives and employers will only be showing how distant they are from public opinion.

Even if the strikes do cost the economy £500 million this could quite easily be recouped by taxing the highest earners a little, teeny, tiny bit more. Barclay’s profits were more than £5 billion for the first nine months of this year, it paid £113 million in tax last year. And in terms of the economy, £500 million’s a drop in the ocean – UK GDP was £1.45 trillion in 2010; a loss like that is like dropping a penny, it won’t affect the economy.

Taking the decision to strike is not an easy one; the loss of a day’s pay is significant, especially with the current “economic climate” and with Christmas so close, there are presents to buy, a turkey to put on the table.  The millions that have the guts to take a stand for what they believe in, to tell the government and their employers that they are not acting in our interests should be supported, and at the very least respected.

The Students’ Union has called for students not to break the pickets and why should we? The University and Colleges Union supported our fight to freeze fees, we should support theirs to maintain decent pensions.  Who would want to live a retirement with no money?  But this is about more than pensions; this is about proclaiming that our values are being eroded, that an esteemed few are able to make as much money as they want while the rest of us scrimp and save.  If we are all in this together, we need to show that on Wednesday.

BY JAMES PATTERSON 

Not since Bowie have so many musicians publicly accredited so much influence to just the one person.Well maybe not. To make a grand statement like that would be to ignore the countless musicians who’ve been name dropped by other musicians over the years to lend a little bit of secondhand credit to a fledgling record: Thom Yorke, Kevin Shields, Kurt Cobain, Joe Strummer, Elliott Smith, Tupac Shakur, Steve Malkmus, Thurston Moore, Damon Albarn, Francis Black, Beth Gibbons, and 3-D from Massive Attack. Heck, in more recent times you’d even be hard pressed to get through five pages of an NME copy without reading the names of Peter Doherty, Julian Casablancas or James Murphy at least twice. But forget about all that.

The point is that everything about this new record seems to exude “ambition” in big dreamy swathes. Everything from the cover-art (designed by Mick Rock, who did the covers for Raw Power, Transformer and Syd Barrett’s The Madcap Laughs), to the pointed singularity of the title -a term used to describe the perspective of a single object from two different points of view. This is an album very much intended to further the scope of the “Bradford canon” and cull from its listenership a warmth towards the man who,if the lyrics are to be believed, has never enjoyed total intimacy with anyone.

Case in point, the opening track, ‘The Shakes’. Cox never reveals completely the intention of his buried vocals or the meaning of the title; he hides behind ambiguity (much, indeed, like the parallax of an object seen from multiple points of view). What do “the shakes” refer to? Delirium Tremens? Sex? Anxiety? This question is never satisfied but, as a listener, the point is not to care. It could be all of these things. Soundwise however, this is more Microcastle era Deerhunter than Atlas Sound. For him, comfortable. Think of something that sounds like a cross between Animal Collective and Eddie Cochran.

‘Amplifiers’ is itchy and repetitive, intentionally so, of course. The soundtrack to the recall of a bad trip not helped by the catcalling of “strange, strange” throughout: Bradford Cox bouncing off the walls of a ponderous Murakami well. One has to wonder, again, the meaning of all of this?

The record doesn’t really come into its own until it bears its soul i.e. during its more tender moments. Bradford always sounds like the lost child in a supermarket who no-one will pay any attention to. Listening to his heartbearing loneliness is gutwrenchingly sad. It’s reminiscent of NME’s review of Radiohead’s Amnesiac back in 2001, which said that Thom Yorke sounded every bit “the lost android waif adrift in a world he does not understand”. The same thing applies here to Bradford Cox. He is the perpetual outsider completely unmotivated by hate – someone who loves too much.

Take ‘Te Amo’, a song where the vocals are uncharacteristically prominent for Cox, as if to reinforce the intensity of its subject. Musically settling into a beautiful rainforest segue – a tribal and spacious soundscape set against the lyrical backdrop of Cox’s traditional concerns: half recalled memories; outsider love.

‘Modern Aquatic Nightsongs’ is nothing short of beautiful. Comical even, in it’s way, Bradford sounds like a lounge lizard on a lost life-raft at midnight. In fact, the temptation to imagine Cox being coaxed into the ocean by a groupie siren is a little overwhelming.

Yet, the record’s real highlights for me though were the tracks ‘Doldrums’ and ‘Terra Incognita’: backwards ballads only a tortured lonelyheart like Bradford Cox could’ve written.

Imbued with all the weirdness of Brian Wilson, Cox is nevertheless carving out his own little nook within the canon of mindfuck Americana. Not to expand anyone’s consciousness or

creep on some twitchy acid flashback, but to give us the sense that love is an internal sensation. Not external. At this rate of going, not even Animal Collective will be able to touch Cox after a few more albums (Panda Bear and Avey Tare’s solo ones included). He’s always got something new and interesting to say, and God bless his lonely little heart for all that.

BY EMMA GALLEN

QUB email is meant to be protected, meaning that spam like this is not meant to be as common. The email was sent to students from different banks including Ulster Bank, First Trust and Santander. Graduates from Summer 2010 also received the spam email. Students without Visa cards were also targeted.

According to a recent QUB graduate of Computer Science, who also received the spam: “The email addresses were obtained either by negligence, or by a security breach of the QUB network. In other words, hacked. If it’s only email and not personal details, the biggest threat is that hackers can use the information to better target their ‘phishing’ – attempts to fool people into giving up passwords or account numbers with bogus but official looking emails. Which is exactly what has happened. If they have personal details, then there is the potential threat of fraud.”

A current Queen’s student, who studied Electronics and Software engineering said: “Even if victims don’t have the cards or banks targeted, many users are not aware enough of the danger and may try to log in with their ‘usual’ username and password, which they may use across many services. Such spamming organisations often run the credentials they acquire across the databases of many services, exposing everything from personal email, travel accounts, social network services, internet forum systems, and many other internet-based services.”

The Queen’s IT Help Desk said on the matter: “spam just comes in, it’s just a common hazard.”

An Advisory email from Queen’s IT Systems and Security, sent on the afternoon of 26 November, said: “Anyone who has followed the link and entered any information on the resulting page should take action to safe guard their account.

“The advice is always, never to open, follow or provide details as a result of an unsolicited email.  Simply delete the email.

“When concerned always take action by going directly to the web site of your financial institution or their phone contact centres.  Never follow links from unsolicited emails.

“We will continue to filter out as many of these phishing type emails as possible but we will never be 100% successful.  It is your responsibility to manage carefully all online activity.”

Queen’s University is set to be rocked by strikes over changes to the staff pension plan that have been described as “high-handed” and could see members of staff losing £400,000 for their retirement. 

BY BEN FINCH

The proposals are also thought to make it easier for universities to sack staff.

This will be part of the largest day of industrial action in theUKin 85 years as millions of workers withhold their labour from employers.

It is expected that over 400 staff will join the picket lines on 30 November, with many others not turning up for work.  It will be the first time many staff will have taken direct action. More than two hundred students are planning to join the pickets in solidarity with staff.

Staff have been asked by the University and Colleges Union (UCU) to inform students if they are taking action but are under no obligation to inform their line managers.  The Students’ Union is working with staff to ensure there is as little disruption to students as possible.

The direct action is being supported by the Students’ Union following a motion passed at council on 21 November.  This called for students not to break picket lines by attending classes run by UCU members.  TheUnionis also supporting the wider action happening across the country.

UCU are hoping to protest outside every building that is part of the university.  Following the pickets there will be a rally for staff and students in the Mandela Hall at eleven o’clock.  This will be attended by members of the National Union of Students and Union of Students inIreland(NUS-USI), UCU and the Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance (NIPSA).  Members of Unite, the largest union inBritainandIreland, had still to confirm if they were attending.

Following the rally there will be a march toCityHospitalto join the feeder march on City Hall.

The day before, 29 November, will see a teach-in to explain how the changes to pension plans will affect staff and students. This will be held in clubrooms three and four on the top floor of the Students’ Union at one o’clock.

The action is being taken over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the staff pension plan.  Unlike public sector pension plans this is a private scheme.  It currently considered to be one of the most stable final salary schemes in theUKas contributions are higher than payments.  More than eighty per cent of those eligible to join the scheme are members.

The changes that UK Universities (UKU), the representative body for universities in theUK, is implementing could see new members of staff lose almost £400,000 from their pension.  A lecturer who is already a member of the USS would lose £130,000.

Current members of staff will have to increase their payments by one per cent to 7.5 per cent, a move seen as a pay cut.  New members of staff will be required to join a career average revalued earnings (CARE) scheme.  This is based on the average earnings throughout a career, rather than on the final salary paid.

UCU has attempted to avoid strike action through negotiations with UKU. The union asked the arbitration service, ACAS, to help settle the dispute.  This move has not been recognised by UKU.

Dr Renee Prendergast, the UCU representative at Queen’s, said: “The changes are even more draconian than those seen in the public sector.  This action has been going for some time, the negotiations with the employers have seen nothing to indicate that they will back down.

“The university are playing it softer than usual, I think there’s a lot of public support for the action.  There’ll be a lot of people out who’ve never been on strike before.  After this work to rule will continue.”

Dr Mark Gardiner, a member of Queen’s UCU committee, said: “The USS isn’t in any difficulties, this is part of a wider assault on pensions.

“Pensions are part of the whole employment package, it’s deferred salary.  It’s going to make a very significant difference, not just to me but to the new staff who’ll bear the brunt.

“It’s important to students, it’ll go on to affect them.  Universities must stay competitive in terms of salary and benefits so they attract the best teachers and lecturers.  If students don’t want to be taught by the best then why are they paying fees?  We’ve got to make sure universities stay as good as they can be.  We see this as part of a wider struggle for education.”

Adam McGibbon, VP Welfare, said: “[The Union support] is about standing with our hard-working lecturers and staff, who deliver our education, in their time of need.

“Changes to the University Superannuation Scheme propose an increase in employee contributions. It also proposes creating a two-tier system where newer staff will receive much less over the course of their careers than older staff.

“This is despite the fact that the University Superannuation Scheme is in good health, according to the scheme’s own managers. Last year it grew by £4bn. It is an ‘immature’ scheme, meaning that it takes in more than it gives out. Quite simply, this is a political move to make it easier to remove staff. This is about education cuts, which we oppose as a union, and it’s about the quality of teaching at the University. Both are central to the student experience, and if the changes to the pension scheme go ahead, students will suffer.

“But obviously recent events have meant that this just isn’t about the University, millions of public sector workers will be striking on November 30th; we should be supporting doctors, nurses, teachers and other public sector workers who will be out on strike that day.

“The staff stood by us against increased tuition fees when we needed them, now they need us to stand by them.”

BY LEE BRADY

Disregarding the comments, it is clear Clarkson knows what it takes to make good pop rock. Whether she was intending it to turn out that way or not is not really any concern, the album speaks for itself. Sure, “Mr. Know It All” and  track “What Doesn’t Kill You” are much ‘dancier’ than ‘Since U Been Gone’, but they still embody that hearty American Teen Rock (ATR) that Kelly does so well.

It would have been more appropriate to give examples of Alanis Morissette, Beyoncé and Katy Perry for inspiration, the ability to make bitter or emotional songs while maintaining an air of satisfaction and enjoyment in doing so being instrumental to setting Kelly apart from the crowd. Throughout, the production is great, the lyrics can range from insightful to bitter and pop music as a whole could really use with more songs written in the third person, like country-themed outro “Breaking Your Own Heart”. Quality does occasionally slip on some songs, such as “Einstein” and “Let Me Down”, where lyrics and music don’t quite meld as well as they could, but pop-rock gems like “The War is Over” and “You Can’t Win” are just two of several high points in what is an overall enjoyable production. A great effort and an easy recommendation.

Wuthering Heights is Andrea Arnold’s (and co-writer Olivia Hetreed’s) pseudo-radical re-imagining of Emily Brontë’s novel about passion and unrequited love. By transposing her trademark documentary style and mix of unprofessional and seasoned actors from Fish Tank to this adaptation, Arnold creates a version of the book that may divide fans of the book despite making perfect sense.

BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN

A poor young Heathcliff (played as a young boy by Solomon Glave, as a man by James Howson) is brought into the Earnshaw household by the charitable Mr. Earnshaw (Paul Hilton), where he soon falls for the young Catherine (played as a young girl by Shannon Beer, as a woman by Kaya Scodelario) and comes into bother with her brother Hindley (Lee Shaw). The romance between Heathcliff and Catherine grows despite the best efforts of everyone around them. However, the romance fails to blossom when Catherine begins to favour Mr. Linton (played as a young boy by Jonny Powell, as a man by Oliver Milburn). Heathcliff goes into exile, only to return years later a troubled and vengeful man.

Much has been made of Andrea Arnold’s treatment of this respected source material, which refuses to overlook the elements of sadomasochism and necrophilia in the story. However, as the film plays out, it becomes increasingly clear that making the film course and violent was something of an obvious choice. It is, in fact, a wonder that no one has ever thought to do it before. The book was shocking when it came out, so why wouldn’t there be a shocking film version for today. And, far from being radical, Arnold’s aesthetics and harsher telling seem to fit the story better than the classical and soppy Laurence Olivier-starring 1939 version, a good though uninspiring entertainment.

Ultimately, Arnold’s Wuthering Heights success lies not for its treatment but in its beautifully lyrical imagery and in the performances of many of its actors. The film’s first half is slow and involving with a Malickian attention of nature and dialogue-free plot progression (the only hiccough here is an awkward line given to Amy Wren’s Frances Earnshaw). The surroundings becomes a character in themselves and the permanence of nature in contrast to that of the characters is brilliantly suggested by a branch that constantly taps a window despite, or in spite of, the passing of the years. Although by the second half of the film,Arnold’s aesthetics are easy to take for granted and Heathcliff, as embodied by James Howson, is less sympathetic, the film retains some moving repetitions and contrasts. The carefree and spontaneous nature of Heathcliff and Catherine’s walks along the moors is, in the film’s second half, stiflingly regimented and unfulfilling. These juxtapositions go some way in creating the sense of loss that should pervade this second half, though it is less successfully portrayed than the vitality of the first half.

Though it is a lot less shocking than it may think it is, Wuthering Heights as done by Andrea Arnold still displays a lot of the talent that was so evident in Fish Tank. Though it is a flawed film, it remains a moving film anchored by some great performances, especially from Glave and Beer, and some magnificent visuals.

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

McMeel won the final task, the results of which were based on the profits of bottled water that they had designed, marketed, created adverts for and sold.  The overall winner was decided through a round of interviews.

Following the event McMeel said: “It’s fantastic, obviously fantastic for my CV and the experience we gained throughout the whole process is super. Congratulations to Nicole as well who was fantastic.

“I’m looking forward to the experience with Deloitte and I’d just like to say the amazing job Enterprise SU and VP Community Aidan Hughes have done in planning and carrying out the whole process.”

Hosted by VP Community Aiden Hughes, the evening began with a round-up of the events of QUB Apprentice with the final seven candidates returning. Speaking to McMeel and McShane beforehand, they both stressed how much they had enjoyed the process and that no matter what the outcome it had been a brilliant experience.

Jim Eastwood, aka “Jedi Jim”, who came third on the BBC Apprentice, took on the role of Lord Sugar as he hosted the final boardroom which saw Owen and Nicole battle it out to prove they had what it took to become the first QUB Apprentice. Eastwood, one of the only contestants to date to be able to argue himself out of being brought back to the boardroom, took to the microphone to tell some insights and anecdotes from the world of The Apprentice. He shared with the captive audience his four keys to success: belief, focus, positivity and persistence, although there were a few clichés here and there, notably: “Aim for the moon that way if you miss you’ll still be amongst the stars”.

Wasting no time in getting down to business Eastwood quizzed McShane and McMeel on their worthiness and asked for their thirty second “elevator pitch”. Both started with niceties but these were quickly replaced with fighting talk as McMeel slipped in “I didn’t cheat” but McShane soon retaliated by saying that in the audition clips: “Owen’s pitch was 49 seconds when it should have been 30”. However, Eastwood had the final say as he stated: “I’m not one to talk about over talking”. Whilst Eastwood and his two aides went out to deliberate, best bit videos were played of both candidates

The panel returned and Eastwood, with Lord Sugar’s signature point of the finger, told McMeel that he was hired. A gracious winner, McMeel thanked everyone that was involved and started a round of applause for McShane and the other candidates, finishing with asking representatives from Deloitte: “All that’s left to say is when is the first day?”

Aiden Hughes said: “Congratulations to Owen, he definitely showed so much business acumen and played the competition so well.  Commiserations to Nicole and the other seven, but by taking part in the process they’ll all have learnt so much that they can take forward in their careers.

“The response we received was overwhelming, there was nearly 20,000 views on YouTube.  The candidates themselves have been top quality, it’s been such a celebration of enterprise initiatives at the Union and the University.

“It’s so important at a time when employment is one of the biggest issues facing students.”

Claire Williamson

Bon Iver called goosebumps up to invigorate the nerve-endings sleeping my body over; Bon Iver often formed salt-water at my eyes; beat exultation into my tenderised heart; copulated in some mystifyingly personal way with my ears.

BY PETER MCLOUGHLIN

Bon Iver vindicated sensibilities and alleviated personal anxiety. Bon Iver sincerely took the transfiguration of their art for stage seriously. Bon Iver had the whole audience on their feet, lit the stage for an hour and a half with impeccable and effervescent lighting, earned rapturous applause after each glorious rendition of already gently excellent musical compositions, Bon Iver was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced in a theatre.

To many, the Canadian swooner Michael Buble has become recognised as the man capable of melting a million hearts with just his voice. His latest venture follows this trend as through his latest Christmas album.

BY SARAH NELSON

Buble successfully adds a contemporary and soulful twist to our traditional festive tunes. Michael’s versatile vocals and dreamy tone brings the Christmas spirit to life, becoming the ideal stocking filler for old and young alike. A favourite to flick to would be his rendition of ‘All I Want For Christmas’ as despite this song having been repeatedly covered, Michael makes it his own with a dose of his modern and jazzy edge. Fell free, however, to skip past ‘Jingle Bells’ as although he attempts to transform this Christmas classic, it’s rather difficult to take his cover seriously. I doubt many would willingly have it on repeat on their playlists. A further downside of the album is that it isn’t suitable for all year round, making it difficult to fully get your money’s worth. Ultimately, although I’d rather wake up to Michael Buble himself under my Christmas tree, his recent album would be both an acceptable and appealing alternative.

Finally Disney made the wise decision to return this lovable classic to the distribution lists. Available to all, re-master

BY LAURA SHEARER

The story of Simba the lion cub has been remarked upon as one of the greatest Disney narratives of all time. Likened to that of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and widely discussed the world over for its ease of appeal, The Lion King is unlike the average Disney where the Princess gets her well deserved prince and they all live happily ever after. Family betrayal, a plot to overthrow the king, murder, and revenge are unlikely central themes for a children’s tale, but in 1994 The Lion King made history with its first and only animation to date that involves absolutely no human characters.

In Disney’s peak of fine tuned animation that adapted culturally anywhere, The Lion King broke the rule book with its conceptually strange characters from the Serengeti. Culturally specific and universally applicable, how they managed that will always be part of the magic. Mind boggling as it is trying to condemn Disney for flaws, few critics at the time could find any fault, so this time round it’s equally as difficult to seek out anything unfavourable. The Lion King is one of Disney’s most untouchable gems.

Toe tapping musical numbers by Elton John and Tim Rice, accompanied by a score from none other than Hans Zimmer, won the feature two Oscars and two Grammys. The award winning music is matched mirrored by an unforgettable voice cast that power their way through the impeccable timing and characterisation. The visuals are something to marvel at, but all of these elements combined equate to a filmic wonder that will bring tears to your eyes and warmth to your heart.

Take advantage of this re-release, as often as they come with Disney, this is a film particularly worthy of the status and hype. Seeing it on the big screen again, as I did as a child years ago, I was again overwhelmed by just how extraordinary The Lion King is. Truth to be told, The Lion King rightfully deserves the wide eyed wonder, excitement and enjoyment of audiences in line for a second chance delight.

BY COLIN WILLIAMSON

Another feature of our sporting elite is that their tributes and obituaries rarely make mention of the indiscretions that were all too keenly covered in their sporting prime.

The sad death of Gary Speed will buck the trend on both counts. Scandal was not a feature of his life and there are no unsavoury episodes to brush under the carpet of fond remembrance.

Speed epitomised the industrious stereotype of the modern English game: powerful, passionate and committed. Although perhaps he would object to the term ‘English’: this proud Welshman represented his country 85 times as a player, before taking the reigns as manager last year in a period in which he has overseen a mini revival of fortunes, aided by the exciting young talents of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.

The list of clubs Speed represented is a reflection of the man himself. Leeds Utd, Everton, Bolton, Newcastle and Sheffield Utd: no nonsense northern clubs who have generally resisted the celebrity circus that has engulfed the country’s elite football establishments, clubs at the heart of their communities, and Speed was at the heart of them. The fans appreciated his work ethic and rejection of the flash celebrity lifestyle. Perhaps they saw in Speed a reflection of themselves, a working man made good and staying true to his roots.

His death comes as such a shock in both its timing and manner. Speed, just 42, was reportedly found hanged in his Chester home early on Sunday 27 November morning.
What can possess a successful man, financially secure and revered in his profession, to take his own life?

Perhaps his death will highlight that depression is an illness which can strike us all. Whatever the public persona that Speed presented, it is clear he had problems within that drew him to such a tragic end.   Football has lost something that it can ill afford to: an honourable man.

Whoever said Detroit was the city to be for arts and creativity has clearly never been to Belfast. In the wake of the EMA Awards, the unveiling of the new Titanic museum, and a number of art venues popping up all over the city, it’s clear that Belfast is well-known for more than just its turbulent past. Australian-born and Belfast-based artist Teelah George recently launched a collection of her latest artwork at the Lawrence Street Workshops, located just off-campus from Queen’s University.

BY JANETTE LOUGHLIN

George started out teaching in the Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, where she had the opportunity to create her own beginner’s drawing course as part of the centre’s curriculum. From there, George received an artist’s residency in one of Cushendall’s art galleries, before moving to Belfast where she has lived for the past two years.

Her recent exhibition at the Lawrence Street Workshops gave individuals a taste for her unique work. Focusing her art around handmade, original designs, George emphasises the way in which her art is not overly conceptual; it gives the observer complete freedom to interpret each piece differently.

Many of the techniques George uses involve using recycled, economic materials; from watercolour paper to linens, to everyday domestic materials, the range of mediums used highlight a keen eye for detail and awareness of wider global issues, both in form and content. As George says: “Art has that ability to change, it makes you notice reality more.”

Using a variety of materials and techniques such as felt, cloth and crochet, George’s experiences in using tactile materials to create still life representations of art have created an overall motif for her work. In developing a material language, and by relating the anatomical with the botanical, George’s visions come together to represent something meaningful and relate ideas to the wider world. She says: “Art has this reciprocal relationship that creates a narrative.”

Speaking about the cultural changes between her life in Perth and Belfast, George explained the differences in funding for the arts. “With more money invested in the arts in Australia compared to the UK,” she says, “it sometimes feels like there was more of an artists’ community in Australia.” But given the recent emergence of the arts in the past ten years especially, it’s clear that Northern Ireland is well on its way to establishing itself alongside other contemporary creative cities.

BY ROMANO MULLIN

What the appeal behind Frankie may be, I don’t know. Perhaps girls like a man who looks like he smells vaguely of urine and unwashed bed sheets. Perhaps being immortalised on his bottom is enough to make any woman swoon, but it certainly doesn’t make up for Frankie’s serious lack of talent. His bottom wasn’t enough to save him from the wrath of the X Factor producers either, even if his bum notes went past an apparently tone-deaf public without too much concern.

However, talk about Frankie’s train wreck vocals, his faintly sinister grin and his Titanic-esque lifestyle is well-worn and has been banged out on typewriters and keyboards in every newspaper office in the country. Gossip columns have relished in his boozy antics, the morally upright brigade have roared that he’s a sign of the anti-Christ, and he’s even been declared a walking STI. Men, lock up your daughters, wives and grandmothers.

What our eminent media industry seems to have missed is one important fact: Frankie Cocozza, loath as I am to admit it, is a victim. A victim of a celebrity obsessed culture gone too far, sure, but who isn’t? A victim of excruciatingly tight jeans, of course, but he’s also a victim of bullying, and perhaps worse, a victim of fascination.

You would think we’ve learnt something from the appalling waste of talent that was Amy Winehouse, but a few moments perusal over the tabloids and even the inner pages of broadsheets, shows that we’re no wiser now than when poor beleaguered Amy was spilling onto the street in blood stained ballet pumps. We’re still in love with watching a life go down the chute. No doubt someone will tell us there’s a deep seated, evolutionary explanation to this kind of compulsion, but we’re also compelled deep down to smash the brains in of the nearest predator, but most of us have outgrown that.

You can argue that Frankie put himself forward knowingly into the spotlight, and there’s no denying that. No-one forced him to sing, and certainly no-one forced him to tell us about the sixty four women he’s (allegedly) slept with. But what do you expect from a teenager? Frankie Cocozza is a mouthy, swaggering, and slightly creepy eighteen year old, but even he doesn’t deserve to be publicly crucified on the front pages. What eighteen year old boy doesn’t exaggerate his sexual experience, or crow about his apparently “edgy” lifestyle?

It’s easy for the public to jeer at the expense of the participants in shows like the X Factor or the seemingly indestructible Big Brother. They live in the most glittery of goldfish bowls, surrounded by a swarm of ravenous paparazzi and screeching fans. But once the curtain of publicity falls away, what’s left for people like Frankie Cocozza? Newspaper headlines are harder to erase than fifteen minutes of fame, and the scars they leave may outweigh those few moments in the sunshine. It’s clearly time for Frankie to grow up and take some classes in etiquette, but it’s also time for the tabloid press to grow up and stop taking cheap shots at easy targets. Isn’t spending a few weeks with Louis Walsh enough punishment for Frankie’s vocal sins?

A recent UU Graduate in Business Finance and Marketing, has set up a scheme for students to win up to £3370. 

By EMMA GALLEN

Barry Kemp said the idea came from his own experience as a student, saying : “there’s not much out there to help student debt.”

The idea is to bring businesses closer to students in a way that will hopefully benefit both parties. The competition is open to all Northern Ireland college and university students, and those who graduated in the last five years.

At the time of print, the paper has been live for six weeks, with numbers constantly growing.

Kemp said: “So far we have had an amazing response from the student and graduate populous and although it is only very early days we are determined to give the students of NI a service that gives more than the chance to reduce their student debt.

“As recent graduates, we know students are faced with an unfair burden of debt and decided to do something about it. A lot of firms we talked to said that they wanted to help and the idea developed as a way for them to support local students and communicate better with key audiences.”

The website is yet to officially advertise with Queen’s but so far over twenty per cent of their database is current QUB students.

FreeStudentFees.co.uk is the only company in the UK and Ireland offering students a monthly chance to claim paid tuition fees for one year.  The prize money goes straight to whichever financial institution has provided the loan for students.

The first winner was Catherine Barr, a second year Psychology student at University of Ulster Magee Campus.  The Derry woman said: “Like most students I’m nervous about racking up huge debts during my studies, but this will help lessen that burden. It’s no secret that students are feeling the pinch more now than ever and every penny has to go further.”

Professor Robert Hutchinson, Provost and Dean of Campus Development at the University of Ulster at Coleraine has praised the giveaway. He said: “ Clever ideas like this are good news for students, universities and colleges. Increasing financial pressures mean that gaining a qualification is now more challenging. It’s encouraging to see businesses working proactively and in partnership with students to help remove barriers and reduce debt levels.”

An exchange programme for the last 4 years has been running at Queen’s university called the PMI-2: Strategic Alliances and Partnerships scheme. Its aim is to take a group of students to either India or China for academic and cultural exchange, and in the process take part in university life and complete some research. I’m a 24 year old student from Wales just waiting to graduate from a full-time Masters in Social and Community Development, and over the summer I spent a month, along with four other students and a member of Queen’s academic staff, in the Indian southern state of Andhra Pradesh and the city of Hyderabad.

BY JONATHAN EVANS  

India is a country of over 1.2 billion people and a whole world of contradictions. Greeting us on arrival from the plane in Mumbai in early August was the sight of corrugated iron roofs on a hillside next to the runway of Mumbai. It was in fact the slum of Dharavi, famous for being one of Asia’s largest slums. The size of the slum is over half the population of Northern Ireland.

However, I was off to the comfort of a university campus another flight away in Hyderabad along with my colleagues. My research involved going out into local poor communities, some at a slum level, and speaking to everyday people.

On meeting young slum children growing up in an environment devoid of opportunity, the big smile adorning their faces really makes you take stock. Having the privilege of being an honoured guest on visiting a group of village women who, through saving what little money they had, pool this together and create opportunities for themselves makes you appreciate what you have in your own life. Invitations to family homes for dinner, and being asked about your life, is an entirely humbling experience.

More than anything else, I thought I knew a bit about poverty living as a student, and the confidence shedding effect it potentially has. Relatively I am struggling, but there is always that safety net there for me: my family home and my parents. If I was really in trouble I would be just fine. For the communities I spent time observing and interacting with in India, they do not have the same options and fall-backs as we do.

There are times in life when you have to take a step back and try to take it all in. For the last month and a half I have battled with the fact that I am not still in India, and will not be for a while. The sights, smells, differences and kindness of the people I have missed more than almost anything else I can recall. My defining image of the trip is this picture of slum-kids in the city. What I won’t forget is the smiles on those faces and the spirit of India: it is something that has changed me forever. My advice to all students is: you only live once, get out and take these opportunities.