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

“Man, am I starving!” is a common utterance in households worldwide, a gross exaggeration for most people, but not for children in Somalia.

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

The worst drought in more than half a century has forced the country in to a state of crisis, leaving over 10.7 million people in the need of urgent help.

A famine occurring in the same world as ipads, 3DTV and million pound salaries is absurd. The country has not seen a famine in 19 years despite been plagued by war and conflict for as long as can be remembered. Even in these desperate times violence and threats are preventing aid from getting to certain areas due to the high risk of attacks.

The figures and statistics are simply horrifying:

• Four out of every 10,000 children are dying daily;
• $300million is required for the next two months;
• Children as young as eight are being recruited to join militant forces.

Families are travelling for up to 22 days at a time with no food to reach aid teams. However, the younger members cannot cope with this strain on the body and are dying en route, leaving the rest of the family no choice but to bury their relative in the wilderness. Some are even too weak to dig a grave and have to leave them at the roadside. Aid workers have described the children as, “Tiny, emaciated children with wrinkled skin hanging off their bones, rib cages jutting out, bulbous eyes gazing out forlornly, flies covering their faces – the all-too-familiar images of African hunger.”

Fact: Famine should not in the year of 2011 be claiming the life of anyone.
The rest of the world needs to take note and act fast.

To donate to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s emergency appeal, please visit http://www.dec.org.uk/item/506?gclid=CJvGy42hlaoCFUQKfAod8QPfwQ

A new phenomenon is affecting our generation and it has the potential of going viral.

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

Social events and gatherings happening in every corner of the world are at risk of having people suffering from this attending.  It is known commonly as FOMO and formally as Fear Of Missing Out disorder.

I would bet that it would be hard to find someone who hasn’t been affected by this in one way or another. It is defined as anxiety or worry that someone gets when they cannot attend a specific event. There are a large variety of scenarios that this can apply to. It is a clever socially binding virus which takes many forms-here follows some you might recognise and some you should look out for.

Firstly there is the three request rule. Those who have recognised their FOMO and are therefore attending said event or gathering, approach those who are in denial. Those in denial will refuse the invitation a total of three times, after the third they know that they can know longer keep up the façade and FOMO kicks in.

Secondly and perhaps the most dangerous type are those who try to trick their FOMO in to thinking that by either joining said event later or staying only a short time will satisfy their FOMO. However it is a well known fact that this only intensifies it. As the whole point of having the Fear Of Missing Out is that if you join later or if you leave early you will be patently aware of what you are missing either prior to or after your joining.

Lastly there are those lucky few out there who do not appear to suffer from FOMO at all. These people are very strong willed and it never occurs to them the memories or the ‘in jokes’ that occur when their friends meet when they are not present. However, it is most likely that these are the people that never have any doubt in their mind about the initial prospect of meeting up or socialising, therefore they know they never will miss out as they are all already there.

A cure for FOMO is yet to be found.

BY EMMA GALLEN AND BEN FINCH

It is as follows:

Editors – Emma Gallen and Ben Finch 

News – Sean Ashford

Arts and Entertainment – Priya Biring

Features – Janette Loughlin

Sport – Colin Williamson

Lifestyle – Claire Williamson and Megan Liddy

Opinions – Alex Redpath

Business Manager – Sarah Arnold

Promotions Manager – Niall Crozier

Design – Andrew Mulholland

Congratulations to all who got positions, we’re confident we have a strong team.  Commiserations to those who didn’t, everyone interviewed did very well and left us with some hard decisions.  We hope you will still contribute.

“Rebecca Black, we don’t hate you because you’re famous. You’re famous because we hate you.” Charlie Sheen said this last week about Rebecca Black, the teeny bopper with the epic fail disguised as a pop track entitled ‘Friday’, which leads us to think about how many ‘celebrities’ have been created off the back of negative feedback?

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

Rebecca Black is the obvious example at the moment, at the time of writing this her music video for ‘Friday’ on YouTube has over 86 million hits, granted most comments are not exactly praising her but compare that video with the number of hits on Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. This is arguably the best song of all time yet it has a significantly lower number of views at 46 million hits.

A similar example is what comes of the hopefuls – or hopeless – contestants of shows like the X Factor. A notable example of this is John and Edward, or Jedward as they are now affectionately called. The Dublin twins are now a household name who started off their career being slated by the entire country because they had even made it through the auditions to begin with. Had they done anything wrong? No, they simply entered the competition like everyone else and it was the public, the same public that hated and slated them, that voted to keep them in. Naturally, some of the top producers saw the controversy and went along with it and this generated lots of publicity for the show. People were soon tuning in to see the latest outrageous instalment of John and Edward. Their latest endeavour is representing Ireland in the Eurovision song contest. Perhaps Europe will be as taken by them as their loyal fans, a group large enough to fill the Waterfront Hall.

Perhaps the most annoying contributors to this group of ‘celebrities’ are Kerry Katona, Paris Hilton and co, who don’t appear to do very much yet always manage to appear in the headlines whether it be for good or bad. Therefore if they are always a story and people are talking about them then the repercussions are that there will be business opportunities, magazine interviews to set the story straight.

Ironically, we can also look at Charlie Sheen, who, despite making the comment about Rebecca Black, is not completely innocent with regard to profiting from negative publicity. The difference here of course is that he has had a creditable career, is a genuine comedic talent and the son of Hollywood royalty, but in saying that he has created a lot of bad publicity for himself lately due to wacky interviews. However, this has resulted in Sheen’s tour ‘My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option’ being completely sold out as everyone wants to see him in real life.

The old phrase ‘all publicity is good publicity’ is clearly resonating true with the multitudes of ‘celebrities’ that are reaping the benefits of anything that is written about them. If this is the case then even this article will have proven Charlie Sheen’s comment even further.

It is not hard to imagine a breaking story that takes the world by storm. Every news channel, newspaper and their online contingencies are covering it. Everywhere you look people are talking about the current ‘hot topic’ but then, almost as quickly as it enters our lives it disappears again. Is today’s news becoming tomorrow’s fish and chip paper?

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

We live in an age where we are governed by trend and phenomena, an era where our attention span is trained to look for the next exciting instalment of news. Nothing is shocking any more and as long as the news is not affecting us personally it is quite easy to move on from it and look for the next ‘terrible’ thing to happen.

A recent example of this is the humanitarian disaster in the Ivory Coast with more than 400 people dead and 500,000 fleeing the ongoing violence since the presidential incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down after losing the elections in November. This was breaking news and the devastation was on the lips of everyone worldwide, but after the recent disasters in Japan, the Ivory Coast took a back seat in terms of media coverage and government attention and support.

To put this in to perspective it is necessary to quote the facts in terms of figures. Less than £3 million has been pledged to a £10 million appeal for Ivory Coast, and, likewise, in a call for help from neighbouring Liberia it has only been funded by half. However the £10 million appeal for Japan’s Tsunami has been filled “almost instantly”, spokesperson Caroline Hurford said.

Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said when speaking to the BBC how it is vital that the same efforts are made in both Japan and continued support is given to the Ivory Coast. Therefore it is also essential that both are continued to be reported about and enough attention is given to them.

It is not a case of comparing and contrasting disasters like they are on some type of scale of importance. What is asked is that when a story is deemed newsworthy that it be followed out till the end rather than pushed to the side when something new comes in to focus. It is only by media coverage that the country’s can appeal and call for help from neighbouring countries; it is not only a means of relaying the information to the world.

Naturally, breaking news takes priority and that is what will make the headlines but it is vital that especially in such humanitarian stories there is a thorough follow up. When real people are involved can we really afford to let today’s news become tomorrow’s chip paper?

The Odyssey Arena will host this year’s MTV Europe Music awards. This is the first time the awards have been held in Northern Ireland and will see pop, rock and hip hop royalty grace the stage to perform, present and pick up awards.

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

Last year’s event was held in Madrid and, hosted by Eva Longoria Parker, witnessed acts like Lady Gaga, Kesha, Justin Bieber, Thirty Seconds to Mars and Katy Perry all win awards. The awards also seen performances from artists like, Shakira, Rihanna and B.O.B feat Hayley Williams. Details of who will be hosting the this year’s awards and scheduled performances are yet to be disclosed.

It is a huge honour to host these awards and it will generate brilliant publicity for Belfast with a number of warm up gigs and events. The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Pat Convery said that, “The decision to host such a world class event in our city is an endorsement of what we have been saying for some time now. Belfast is a happening place.”

MTV have said that, “The home of such renowned artists as Snow Patrol and Van Morrison, Belfast has never been a stranger to a red-hot music scene and a vibrant nightlife. We think it’s the perfect backdrop for one of the world’s biggest nights in music and we can’t wait to take over the town!”

MTV, I think the feeling is mutual!

Barack Obama has finally triumphed as he has signed his landmark healthcare bill into law in a ceremony at the White House. Obama has been scrutinised since his inauguration, and the American public has been wondering when all the change that Obama proclaimed will come about for definite. However it appears he has won the battle, as this new law is aimed at insuring the millions of Americans who currently have no health insurance, and is one of the policies that Obama was determined to implement.

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

Obama was joined by supporters of the health reform including Democrats from both Houses of Congress. However, like everything in politics there are always those who don’t want the change, and this is very evident in the divided America.

Obama’s plan looked like it had come to a halt in January, when the Republicans seemed to prevent the bill coming to a final vote in the Senate. However, the Democrats came up with a plan that ended up with Obama signing it into law.

President Obama will now have to try to sell the reforms to the American public before the November mid-term elections.

House of Representatives voted 219-212 late on Sunday to send the 10-year, $938bn bill to Obama. He said, “The bill I’m signing will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have fought for and marched for and hungered to see.”

However, if we look at the pros and cons of this plan, it helps us understand what effects this will have on the American public.

According to World Correspondents, here are the supposed pros and cons:

The pros:

1. Discrimination of health insurance companies will be eliminated. No more pre-existing conditions clauses in health insurance contracts.

2. Given the fact that millions of Americans will be insured by this new health care bill, the US Government can negotiate among health insurance firms to lower the premiums of their health insurance. This would mean less health insurance costs for a lot of Americans.

3. Tax credit will be given to those Americans who still cannot afford to avail of health insurance to help them to have one.

4. Stiff competition among health insurance firms will possibly result in much lower insurance costs and more quality health insurance products and services.

5. Aside from the elimination of pre-existing conditions stated above, the coverage amount or sum insured will also be waived by health insurers.

The cons:

1. Given the huge amount of expenses pegged at $940 billion in a spread of about 10 years, it might slow down the growth of the heavily burdened US economy.

2. Insurance Availment Mandate. You have no choice but to get a health insurance. Otherwise, you will be subjected to a 2% tax increase which will be used to subsidize the insurance costs of other Americans. Healthy people who take care of themselves will have to pay for the burden of those who smoke, are obese, etc.

3. There will be a tax increase on people with very high income. If you are making more than half a million per annum, you will have about a 1% tax increase.

4. The US Government will have more control in the health insurance industry causing patients’ confidentiality to be more likely compromised since centralized health information will likely be maintained by the government.

5. Chances of bribery may possibly increase as health care equipment, drugs, and services may end up being rationed by the government.

As expected, the American public’s views are divided, with one saying, “The bill signed today is a travesty against the American Nation,” and another saying,“Heath Care Change is needed.”

It is fair to say that President Obama may have won the battle by signing his bill in to law, but judging by the responses of the American public, he still has a lot of convincing to do.

 BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

This can be a very stressful process, but it really doesn’t have to be, and if you approach it in a systematic manner you will realise that it is a trial and error process. No-one is an expert in this and it is a learning curve for everyone, that is why it is essential to ask the right questions.

The panic begins when you think that there are not enough houses available and you convince yourself you are working against the clock. This is not true. There are always enough houses, but the sooner you get looking the sooner everything will be sorted out and you can relax. Not to mention that fact that the quicker you start the hunt, the more likely you are to get a house you are happy with.

 As there is such a wide range available,  it is important not to settle for the first house you see, have a look around and find out which houses fit your criteria and price range.

Based on my experience of house hunting, here are my top 5 tips to finding a house that is right for you:

1. Make sure everyone is completely certain that they are moving in, and that they are all available to view the houses.
2. Have a list of questions ready to ask the estate agent or landlord who shows you around the house (for example, how the house is heated).
3. Don’t give a deposit or sign anything until you are certain that this is the house you want. Not only whether it suits your price range, but if it fits all your needs.
4. Look out for problem areas such as the smell of damp or poor heating. Find out why the people before are leaving, and if the house has not been inhabited for a while. There may be important reasons for either of these.
5. Finally, enjoy this process, find a fantastic house that you will have fu living in for the years ahead. Don’t forget: once the contract is signed, there is no going back.

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

The staging was simple but effective, with nothing but a simple black backdrop, and basic props, with the main focus being the action on the stage. The characters were divided into two camps: The church goers and the evil devils. Not only did they have contrasting dialogue and dialect, there were subtle hints with regards to costumes. The ‘evil’ characters were dressed with rich red and black, colours which denotes the devil and hell, and the metaphorical aspect of the fiery flames. The ‘church goers’ were dressed with traditional English war time dress, which convincingly contrasted with the ‘evil’ characters. The use of expression through colour was very effective, and viewed against the black backdrop highlighted all of the above aspects.

The lack of scenery changes kept the production running smoothly, with no delay, apart from perhaps the moving of a table or sofa. This was effective, as I feel that if the play been interrupted by scene changes it would have lost the flow and the energy that it carried throughout. However, with such a simplistic set, the correct use of lighting was crucial. This was handled well, with different parts of the stage being lit at different times to draw the audience’s attention, and the use of red lighting at the end when Screwtape delivers her final monologue. Lastly, the eerie music that permeated the play was the old hymn, ‘Immortal, Invisible,’ which was filled with dissonance, creating a real feeling of unease and as it was recurring it remained in our heads as we left.

‘The Screwtape Letters’ is a wickedly fun ride which captured enthralled and haunted all at the same time.

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

‘Brother’ is a nostalgic, bittersweet sound which generates genuine emotion and rawness that has not been heard before in their music. This is emphasised with the fact that Stephen Gately’s voice appears on the record, where in the hit single, ‘Gave it all away’ he hauntingly sings the line, “I will learn to live before I die”. Although there are quite a few songs in which the lyrics relate to Stephen, there are some more uplifting typically Boyzone sounding songs, for example ‘Love Is A hurricane’ and ‘Too Late for Hallelujah’. Noticeably, there is a definite shift in style, as the song ‘Ruby’ has a certain ‘Take That’ feel to it, keeping them in line with the other bands who have reformed in the last couple of years.

This album is a tribute to Stephen and it is a touching collection with many songs depicting how much he meant to his band mates. It demonstrates growth in their music and an inescapable maturity all emphasising, that whilst Stephen may be gone, he is definitely not forgotten.