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The official magazine of Northumbria Students' Union. Keep up to date with all the key goings on in YOUR Union...
Citation preview
nu:lifeIsuue No.5 May 2009 - BUMPER END OF YEAR FINAL EDITION FREE TO A GOOD HOME
ww
w.m
ynsu
.co
.uk
REGULAR FEATUREs: EntErtainmEnt, nEws, your union,
food, sports, horoscopEs, spottEd plus loads morE
In this edition...
Double page spotteD
even moreteam northumbrIa news
top tIps to banIsh exam stress
brIllIantbraIn FooD
the official voice of northumbria students’ union
IT’s sUMMER TIMEAND IT’s TIME TO PARTY – THAI FULL MOON sTYLE
*****
special
bumper
edition!
*****
01ConCept design & produCtion
ContributorsFeatures - Editor - carmel lawless
contributors - danni mustarde • cheryl corner and hayley hindmarsh • samantha pym • mark coffey • adam willert
Light relief - mickey devereux • carmel lawless • lucille Valentine
Fashion - Josie Bramhall
Food - tek harrington
Entertainments - Editors - simon England contributors - James maughan • mark coffey • sJ Bowie • peter hawkins
sports - simon rushworth • paul cooksley • stuart wade • andy spoors • dave chalton • adam houston
nu:lifeIsuue No.5 May 2009 - BUMPER END OF YEAR FINAL EDITION FREE TO A GOOD HOME
the official voice of northumbria students’ union
Editors words:summer is practically upon us and we have a fantastic edition to end the academic year before you all go off on your hols.
Feeling stressed about exams?don’t panic because we have it sorted; turn to page 7 for some top tips, and to pages 22 and 23 for some essential brain foods to help get you through these tough tough times. But it’s not all doom and gloom... We also find out what some of you guys are getting up to over the next few months, celebrate the union achieving investors in people status, and catch up with all the latest team northumbria news.
this is also my final edition as editor, but don’t worry because your next Vice president of Communications and involvement, the newly elected Alison Jones, will be taking over and making sure you still have a fantastic magazine to read next year. i have absolutely loved producing nu:life, so i hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as i have!
And the end of term means one thing… party time! on the 5th June we have the ultimate thai Full Moon party taking place right here at your students’ union. it’s going to be huge, and i promise you, is definitely not one to be missed. Hope to see you all there.
love Debbie xx
Contents...02 - 03 NsU NEws
Are you ready for Welcome Week ‘09?nsu achieves investors in people.
04 - 09 FEATUREsWhat are you up to this summer?
Feeling stressed?students travel to Auschwitz.
10 - 12 GET INvOLvED AT THE sUstudents’ union Awards evening.
Want to become a future Community rep/student trustee?Find out how here.
14 - 17 LIGHT RELIEFAsk Alexa - everyone’s favourite Agony Aunt.
‘You what, you what’ - students overheard.Horoscopes.
spotted - double page special.
18 - 19 ARE YOU A BUDDING jOURNALIsT?show off your skills.
21 FAsHIONnu:Life reporter checks out a Vintage Fashion Fair.
22 - 23 FOODeat your way to exam success.
25 - 28 ENTERTAINMENTsFilm reviews, music and local bands.
30 - 41 TEAM NORTHUMBRIA NEwsspecial extended section.
ALL the news from your favourite sports teams.
NsU achieves Investors in Peoplenorthumbria students’ union has formally been recognised as an investors in people organisation.
this is a great achievement for
the students’ union and shows its
commitment to training, development,
performance management and having
a clear, focused business plan.
nsu president, dave Wright says “it is a great achievement to be awarded Investors in People status and proves our commitment to being a great employer.We employ 140 staff, including roughly 100 students and will be recruiting more staff after Easter. A lot of hard work has gone into reaching the IIP standard and we’re very proud of the award.”
If you are interested in working for
northumbria students’ union please
email [email protected]
Get ready for welcome week 2009
becky warburtonVice president Activities and development
alison JonesVice president Communications and involvement
pete woodwardVice president Welfare and equality
And your elected Lay student Councillors are:paul blair
ramesh Kolluri
holly marsh
naushad Khadun
paul phillips
Congratulations to everyone who was successful.
Tell us whatYOU think!do you want the chance to win £500?fancy a free coffee?want to make the students’ union more able to provide for your needs?the make sure you log on to mynsu.
co.uk to fill out “Your union Your say”.
the students’ union is a run entirely for
its members, which means we’re here for
every single one of you! But to be able
to provide what you want, we need to
know what that is! For just a few minutes
of your time you could have your say
and potentially win £500 in the process.
Don’t delay, fill out“Your Union Your say”.
nEws nEws
New Community strategystudent council said yEs to making a difference in the community by passing the new northumbria students’ union’s community strategy 2009-2012.the strategy is a 3 year working plan
that sets out the current and future
ambitions of the students’ union to have
a positive and long lasting impact upon
our local communities. it details how the
union aims to engage with the local
community.
through student societies, nsCA
and rAg, the students’ union has
developed lots of creative working
links with many local organisations
which have enabled us to extend the
positive work of the union out into the
wider community. student Council
voted yes to extending this work over
5 strands - Housing, Volunteering,
Community impact, students as
employees and safety and security.
vice president rachael brannan
explains:
“This strategy highlights our commitment to consider ways in which we work and also, sets out to evaluate our success in this area and to identify ways in which we can improve and develop our future community participation”
“I’m really excited for where this could lead us and how students can further get involved”.
what’s really going on...
02
a member of the welcome team.if the idea of making friends, helping
new students settle in, and getting the
chance to attend all the amazing night
time entertainment appeals to you, then
why not apply? Applications close on
May 27th and places will be allocated
on a first come first served basis. Contact
Lewis still ([email protected])
for more details.
ElectionsThe Results
you can’t have failed to notice the elections which took place at the start of march, with all the candidates and their campaigns teams running around trying to get your vote. well the winners were announced and you chose your representatives for the next academic year.
Next year’s sabbatical officers will be:Dave wrightpresident
adam whiteVice president Academic Affairs
most people remember their first week at university with fantastic memories, and you have the chance to get involved again by becoming
For everyone out there who wants to be kept up to date with recent and upcoming sU events, events on around Newcastle and general banter, this feature is for you.
EvOLOUTIONFEsTIvAL 2009as every north-East based student should know, this years favourite “overdraft friendly” music event, Evolution festival (previously 3voloution festival) will be taking place on bank holiday sunday and monday on the 24th and 25th of may.
this Weekender event, takes place every
year on newcastle’s iconic Quayside
with acts performing simultaneously
to suit everyone’s tastes at both Baltic
square and spillers Wharf and this years
is going to be a BeLter.
With headlining acts including dizzee
rascal, Human League, the Wombats,
the View, the Macabees and Chase and
status, to name a few, the evoloution
Weekend is set to be top stuff and can be
all yours for the mere price of £15 for the
entire weekend. good, eh? unfortunately
though, the weekend tickets have
News... NEws... News...
wHAT’sEvERYONE TALKINGABOOT? already sold out, but don’t get those
music-hungry knickers in a twist because
last time i checked there were still
individual day tickets left for both days at
£9.50 each per day.
so, with no excuses, get yourself to
either HMV in town which were selling
tickets for the event or go online to
www.evoloutionfestival.co.uk for more
information on line-ups, the event and
ticket sales.
Don’t miss this year’s biggest North East festival right on your doorstep!
ALsO...EAsTER BUNNY BLOwOUTalong with the awaited end of term last semester, came the “Easter Bunny Blowout”, which was purely eggcellent. thanks to the load of you who turned up, t-shirts at the ready, waiting for the chocolate mayhem inside - the Easter eggs and bunny girls went down a treat.
Keep a look out on the su website for
news on the summer event, the much
anticipated thai Full Moon party!
For more “what’s On” Listings, Check out http://mynsu.northumbria.ac.uk/
Danni mustarde
03
Left to Right:
Pete, Becky, Dave, Alison and Adam
The welcome Team in Training
currently my plan is to spend the summer sitting in the sun singing along to power Ballads Vol. 3 until i’m overheard by a talent scout and snapped up for a whirlwind romance with mtV, crazed stalkers and duets with everyone from alphabeat to Jay-Z.Fortunately a quick poll revealed most
of you have been a little more organised
and have lots of interesting things lined
up for the summer. this season everyone
seems to be ditching Blighty to camp it
up in America and europe. i spoke to
these northumbria students to find out
what on earth could possibly compete
with a summer of soggy camping and
fish and chips....
I’ll be working as a courier for Holiday
Break for 8 weeks, cleaning and looking after the guests etc.i don’t know where yet which is quite
exciting, could be in a number of places
across europe, though i requested
italy. i think doing this will improve my
confidence and social skills and i’ll get
to meet loads of people. i want to travel
after uni so this’ll be a nice
start!
RACHEL ROONEYthree dimensional design
I’m going to work as a prep chef in a
traditional American summer camp.it’s basically just chopping up food,
which is good because i’m not the best
cook! the camp is on orcas island in
Washington state, i’ll be there for 11
weeks then i get to travel for 30 days
During a rare and well-earned break from our intense dedication to NU:Life, Debbie and I embraced the recent heat wave and went for a leisurely stroll in Heaton Park.as the sun beat down and we tasted our first ice-creams of the season it felt like summer was finally on its way.
fEaturEs
after -
yay! i could’ve done the same
job here but thought it would be more
fun to be in a different country, plus
there’s the travelling aspect. My friend
worked in a summer camp last year
and said it was amazing - i
can’t wait!
ROsIE BRAssCommunication and public relations
I’m working at an American summer camp called Camp Modin in Maine.i’ll be a general Councillor/Archery
specialist as they call it which means
i’ll be living with the kids and generally
looking after them but for 3 hours a day
i’ll be teaching Archery.
i’ve been doing Archery with my
stepdad, who’s a qualified instructor, for
about 10 years and started helping him
to teach children about 3 years ago and
so thought it would be a good excuse to
go and see America as i’ll be travelling
for two weeks after camp.
CRAIG vOLLERBusiness information technology with entrepreneurship
I’ll be teaching tennis for 8 weeks at a
camp in New Hampshire in America.i went last year and really enjoyed it, i
made loads of friends there and quite
a few are going back so it’ll be good to
see them. i’m going travelling
afterwards too.
jOANNE MIDDLETONsports development and Coaching
carmel lawless
Feeling Camp?
the event will be held in london where the finalists will battle it out for a truly incredible prize which includes a holiday for two to Europe, a 12 month tV and modelling contract and a rather tasty £10,000 cash.
“My dream is to work as a nurse in Australia” says nicola, who is currently in
her first year studying Adult nursing,
“The money from this competition would go towards paying for my placement over there in my second year of training. Nothing satisfies me more than making people smile and cheering them up, which is why I’m studying to become a nurse. Working 14 hour shifts is a killer but I keep going because I know I’m making an impact on other people’s lives every single day.”
Miss student UK is a modern day beauty contest with a twist: they’re looking for someone who is ‘more than just a pretty face’ and one girl who certainly fits that description is Northumbria’s very own Nicola Elliott who has made it through to the grand final in june!
fEaturEs
so what exactly did the contest involve? strutting around in a bikini dreaming of world peace? “Not at all!” laughs nicola,
“The judges take into account loads of things like what subject you’re studying at uni, dedication and talent. We’ve also had mentoring sessions focused on self-confidence and development, they really try and promote the attitude that if you think you can - you can”
You can show off your poly pride by
adding nicola as a friend or leaving a
comment online atwww.missstudentuk.com/student.asp?s=3446.
want to support Nicola even more and think you’ve got what it takes to take part next year?enter online for
Miss student uk
2009/10 now!
don’t forget to quote “nicola 3446”
when it asks how you heard about the
competition. Let’s show everyone once
and for all that northumbria really does
have the hottest girls and yes, we are
more than just a pretty face.
carmel lawless05
Here comethe girls...
04
“
““”
”
”
of Facebook but at least when you
succumb you can benefit from
some subliminal messaging.
3. resist the urge to get ratted. after a long day revising/Googling your own name you may find yourself gagging for that first pint refreshment but keep it tame. going on a massive bender will
mean your body will spend the next
day (or two) attempting to cope with
sleep deprivation, depleted sugar
levels, dehydration and quite
possibly a very dodgy kebab. As
lovely as hangovers are, they’re
not the best revision aide. Better to
save them for after the exams.
4. stretch. When you start to feel the tension
build in your shoulders get up
and walk around, stretching your
back muscles by pushing your
palms to the ceiling for ten seconds
and touching your toes for another
ten. Best done in private to avoid
looking like you’re on day release.
5. speak to your guidance tutor. each course has one and their role
is to help with any academic
problems you may encounter -
including revision stress. don’t
be afraid to admit if you haven’t
started your work or you totally
don’t get one of your modules, the
sooner you ask for help the sooner
you can get on top of it all and
relax.
The end of term may be on the horizon but before we can escape there’s a little matter of exams and assignments to deal with. Here are my top tips for survival...
1. hopefully the subject you’ve chosen to dedicate three (or more) years of your life to does actually interest you and secretly you’d quite like to show off what an expert you are - so do it! round up some chums and head
to somewhere like Habita or the
library basement for a more
informal revision session. try
starting a debate or quizzing each
other. Loser buys the next round.
2. cover your laptop in post-it notes with key revision points. no-one can resist the seduction
fEaturEs
6. tap into the skills plus service via the e-learning portal for tips on essay and report writing, it skills and more. there’s even a skills Check tool
to help identify what skills you need
to develop, so even if you think
you’re perfect you can take the quiz
to make sure.
7. have faith. in yourself i mean, but don’t be
shy to turn to religion either, even if
it’s not usually your thing.
northumbria’s chaplaincy service
has multi-faith staff on hand to
offer independent and confidential
advice and absolutely everyone
is welcome. they’re based at 6
College Lane, opposite the car park
on st Mary’s place/sandyford rd and
in the student services department
in northumberland Building.
Contact gavin Wort at
[email protected] for more info.
8. feed your brain. Make each meal act as a break
from studying and eat something
substantial and nutritious to
maximise concentration levels. stuck
for ideas? see this month’s food
pages for tek’s top 5 brain foods.
carmel lawless
07
Exam stress:TOP TIPs!
experience helped us gain a common understanding of the atrocities and unimaginable conditions which were placed upon over fifteen million people worldwide in the camps of auschwitz.
during our trip to poland we visited two
camps, Auschwitz and Birkenau which
can also be known as Auschwitz i and
Auschwitz ii. Auschwitz i was run by ss
officers during the reign of Adolph Hitler.
this camp was built as a work camp
for the prisoners but became the place
of the malicious killing of thousands of
people. the camp was also the base
for the treacherous work of an officer
within the ss called Joseph Mengele.
Joseph Mengele was in charge of the
selection process of people who came
into the camps, his role was to separate
the “healthy from the sick” or the “useful”
from the “un-useful”. From these he
would choose those able to work and
those to be used for experimentation.
one of his main interests was children
and in particular twins. A range of tests
were placed upon young prisoners,
one of which involved placing them
into cold water, watching and waiting
to se how long it took for their heart to
cease. this was just one of many terrible
experiments inflicted upon prisoners in
the Auschwitz camps.
during our visit to Auschwitz, we
entered one of the buildings where
thousands of possessions taken from
the prisoners were stacked up to view.
these possessions included shoes,
clothes, suitcases, seven tons of human
hair shaved from prisoners’ heads, 460
artificial limbs, hundreds of prayer
shawls, combs and even baby clothes.
During the january inter semester break we travelled with many students and staff from Northumbria University to Poland.the purpose of the trip was to gain understanding of the holocaust.
we visited the camps of auschwitz for the 64th memorial. the group travelled by coach through Europe which enabled us to bond in a unique way and this shared
fEaturEs
08
seeing such items
brought the scale of the
atrocity to life, it made
a huge impact on the
group. in other buildings
hundreds of photographs
of the prisoners hung
bleakly on the walls - the
sight was haunting. We
viewed areas where the
prisoners were housed and
witnessed first hand the
rooms and areas designed
to torture
thousands of
people such as
the standing
cells and the
horrific gas
chambers.
seeing such
sights first hand
is unexplainable
it was so
overwhelming.
the second
day we visited
another of
the Auschwitz
camps, Birkenau
also known as
Auschwitz ii.
the feeling of
Birkenau was
very different;
the sheer scale
of the area is
soul destroying.
this part of the
camp was built for
one purpose, which
was extermination.
it seems like a huge
machine designed
for the most ruthless
to be standing strongly with those who
survived.
Later that day we held our own
memorial whereby many members of
the group read out poems, readings,
and prayers and we stood in silence to
reflect on the life changing experience.
Candles were lit in remembrance of
those who suffered and as darkness fell
we made the haunting walk from the
memorial site to entrance/exit which is
best known as the “gate of death”, this
allowed us to reflect on those who did
not make it out of the camps and who
were left to perish in such inhumane
ways.
the trip itself was both physically and
emotionally tiring but together we found
unity and came to some understanding
of the inhumanities that took place.
during our journey we had the chance
to reflect personally on ourselves, as a
group we learnt to question our own
decision making, the impact we have
on others and what we offer, do and
could do for others in society. the trip
showed us a glimpse of the suffering
that went on and stirred up varied
feelings in all. Witnessing artefacts, the
places where so many people perished
and suffered was very moving. the
learning from the trip was not related
solely to the Holocaust but also relevant
in today’s societies regarding suffering,
personal responsibility, human strength,
surviving and ensuring that happenings
during the Holocaust are not forgotten or
able to be repeated again in the future.
everyone undoubtedly experiences
different reactions and feelings when
visiting Auschwitz. those emotions
cannot be recreated by hearing the
stories on tV, nor by seeing the images
on the internet or in books. of course
process of murdering
people which when
thinking of this is so
upsetting. the day
at Birkenau was
particularly poignant
because we visited
on the 64th Memorial.
As we walked
through the camp
many survivors
were arriving to
commemorate this
day. some
members of
the group
expressed
that they
could not
understand
why these
survivors
would want
to return
to such a
place. it
was not
until the
guide explained that
Birkenau and the
area around it is seen
as a resting place
for many survivors
family and friends,
and they do not have
the benefit of visiting a
graveside or place of
rest elsewhere. Many
of us felt so humbled
to witness such
an event. it was a
highly emotional
experience to
be part of the
remembrance
of so many who
perished and
we have read and seen a lot about the
place, but actually being there is very
much different. We would like to reiterate
that this is not a trip or tourist destination,
but the site of dehumanising and
barbaric acts. We don’t think it is possible
to put down in words the impact of such
an experience, we hope that through
gaining such first hand experiences we
can broaden others understanding on
the issues surrounding the Holocaust and
their relevance today such as valuing
and celebrating diversity, and spreading
the word of our commitment to ensuring
nothing of this nature is ever allowed to
happen again.
May peace and love be with all those
who suffered.
Cheryl Corner and hayley hindmarsh
09
fEaturEs
The journey of Understanding.
mEmBErship sErVicEs
Each year over a thousand Northumbria students dedicate their time to volunteering. These good causes have included projects which benefit the local community, running societies, and enhancing your student experience as a school Rep plus many more.
we believe these people deserve recognition so to reward their efforts and say a massive thank you on behalf of the su we hold the annual awards evening every may.
Thursday14th May 2009sEEs THE 5TH ANNIvERsARY OF THE sTUDENTs’ UNION ANNUAL AwARDs EvENING.
this event is a massive
celebration of all the
volunteering that students
at northumbria undertake to
improve student life here at
university.
NOMINATE YOURsELF OR A FRIEND FOR ONE OF OUR PREsTIGIOUs AwARDs:• BestNewsociety
• societyoftheyear
• raggieoftheyear
• welcometeammemBer oftheyear
• DiversitychampioN, commuNityvoluNteer
• commuNicatioNs&meDia voluNteeroftheyear
• schoolrep
• courserep
• pgrrep
• NsuvoluNteeroftheyear
• NsulifetimeachievemeNt awarD
nomination forms are available from the activities Centre or by downloading below. Closing date for nominations: 1st may 2009
the Awards evening is also a chance
for any students who have completed a
northumbria plus+ Logbook detailing
their continuous voluntary work, to collect
their northumbria plus+ certificate.
the night itself is all glitz and glam with
a wine and canapes reception and free
entertainment but on top of all that we
give out awards to the most outstanding
volunteers as nominated by you the
students. You can nominate someone
who you know, or you can choose to
nominate yourself - there’s no shame in
knowing that you’ve done a good job!
THE EvENT Is FREE AND ANYONE Is wELCOME TO ATTEND.
mEmBErship sErVicEs
to work for a year in the area in which they live to build relationships between the students’ Union and the local community.
the reps will gain fantastic experience in representing the university, receive £100 per term for their work and be fully trained and supported in the role. the Community reps will work together on projects which affect all students and individually on those more specific to the area.
they will have the opportunity to work with key members of the community such as councillors and the police
as well as sourcing the views of other students to create a voice in the community and a catalyst for positive change.
For more information and information on how to apply seewww.mynsu.co.uk
Bridge the gap!
Your Union is currently recruiting 5 “Community Representatives”
are you looking for an outstanding development opportunity?if so, pick an application pack now for the position of:
student Trustee - VoluntaryNorthumbria students’ Union is a busy, active and thriving democratic organisation and we are seeking four student Trustees to drive the future development of the organisation. You will ensure that the students’ Union has a clear strategic direction, ensure that it is well-run and you will effectively scrutinise it as a charity.
you will have an empathy with the work of the students’ union; possess the skills to be effective in decision-making and a commitment to the principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. this is a tremendous, genuine development opportunity for four northumbria students and one that will enhance any cV.
Pick up an application pack / submit your Cv by Monday 11th May 2009:
t: 0191 2274288 e: [email protected] www.mynsu.co.ukjobs
AnnualAwards Evening
10
££Do you Need
a Job?
The Students' Union is recruiting around 60 staff in the following areas:
Bars / CateringMarketing and Promotions
Graphic Design / Web Development The Welcome Desk
The Student Activities CentreThe Advice & Representation Centre
NUS Extra Assistants
If you submit an application you will automatically be invited to an assessment day on Saturday 16th May at 10am - please ensure that you reserve this date.
Closing date for applications is 4pm on Monday 11th May 2009Northumbria Students' Union, 2 Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8SB I 0191 2274757 I [email protected]
Pick up an application pack from:The Students' Union Welcome Desk
Coach Lane ShopCareers and Employment Service
or www.mynsu.co.uk/jobs
We offer good rates of pay (currently £5.76 p/h), flexibility and lots of fun! We also have an extensive rewards package (includes free access to regular events
and some concerts), which is included in full in the application pack.
Will you be a Northumbria student in 2009 / 2010?Will you be a Northumbria student in 2009 / 2010?
StudentS unionA positive impact on the lives of all o
ur stu
dent
sSU
northumbria
horoscopEs
15
Aquarius20 January to 18 FebruaryFinally you find time for
something that you wished you
had had more time for. You revisit stuff
that you have been dealing with since
october; but with more humour and
wisdom.
Pisces18 February to 20 marchin the merry month of
May you work with women or
with beauty and it is easy and fortuitous.
don’t second guess your luck because
then you take you eye off the ball.
Aries20 march to 19 aprilYou launch a new project
and your relationships
flourish. Are you ready or did
you overdo it last month? this is a lucky
month but since it is very physically
demanding you must stay healthy.
Taurus19 april to 20 may
You are in a mad dash
and when bulls run the
earth shakes which can be
rather scary looking. so reassure people
close to you: wear a metaphorical sign
that reads “don’t panic, i am just in a
hurry”.
Gemini20 may to 21 Juneplans are slowed down
but rather than get frustrated
you should appreciate the beauty of
your slower creativity. You will complete
your projects and that is deeply restful
and satisfying.
Cancer21 June to 22 JulyWhat you need is someone
to talk to and there is just
such a person, someone stable
and steady; look around. it is your
choice whether you make use of the
chance; it will be good for you both.
Leo22 July to 23 augustYou are good at
maintaining your own
natural balance and right now
you want sensory input, to be in touch
with your body to get the whole picture.
nothing else will do and remember to
take notes.
virgo23 august to 22
september
Be sure that you know what is
really happening before you are too
hard on yourself. do a reality check.
You do need the rest, to catch your
breath. review your methods and the
new routine.
Libra22 september to 23 october
the transaction that you
almost finished back in March can
be concluded at the end of May, if you
are ready for it. revise and trust that this
will be the last time; really just do it.
scorpio23 october to 22
novemberYou get things done and
people follow you. Your energy is
high. You find yourself in the right place
at the right time and as a result you may
travel or win in an ongoing legal battle.
sagittarius22 november to 21 DecemberYou are drawn to
meditation, vision questing, art
and you will use technology to bring
these to the greatest number of fellow
humans. You flourish in creative groups.
Capricorn21 December to 20 JanuaryCommit to a routine of
daily right action: start yoga or
running with full attention. As you are
released from issues that have slowed
you down you gain certainty and that is
a relief.
lucille Valentine
May
ALERT: Mercury retrograde this month means...
MAKE BACKUPs NOw!
Horoscopes...
liGht rEliEf
14
dear Alexa
I’ve been living with a friend in a house in Heaton since September, and throughout the year they have become increasingly more clingy towards me. I feel like I can’t even go to the library without them having to come with me. My own friends aren’t my own anymore and neither is any of my property. I do really value them as a friend and don’t want to hurt them but it’s beginning to get too much and I feel I may snap and say something I’ll regret forever, What can I do?smothered in sandyford
Dear smotheredthe first thing you need to do is meet
with your housemate in a neutral area
and talk to them on a one to one level.
perhaps they are having a hard time
and feel that you are the only person
they can relate to in the house or on
their course. By speaking to them you
may be able to resolve issues that they
themselves may not even be aware
of. Let them know how much you
value them but also make it clear that
sometimes you just need some time to
yourself.
Alexa
dear Alexa
At the beginning of the year I made friends with a really good group of people and have stuck close to them throughout the year. We decided we should live together pretty early on but now I’m worried that I’m drifting away from them because of my course commitments. I really don’t want them to think I’m neglecting them in any way but my course is really important to me. How can I make them understand where I’m coming from?studious in shieldfield
Dear studious Be honest with them is the best advice i
can really give. Yeah it’s great being at
uni but at the end of the day you’re all
here to get the same thing. A degree.
sit them down and explain that you’re
not ignoring them intentionally and that
you still care for them a great deal and
enjoy their company but that you do feel
like your course needs to be a priority. i
guarantee things will be easier for you
when you’re all living under the same
roof next year, because then you’ll see
each other on a daily basis and will be
more in tune to how everyone is feeling.
i hope this helps.
Alexa
Everyone’s favourite agony auntis here to answer YOUR problems.
Ask Alexa...
sUD
OK
U7 9 9
7 9 2
8 7 6 1
2 5 3
3 1 4
7 6 4 9
1 5 8 3
9 4 8
6 2 8
see anyone you know?
spottEd If you’re the lucky person we’ve spotted this issue then email [email protected] to find out
what you’ve won!make sure you turn up to events in the students’ union to see if
you get “spotted” next month!
”“
spotted spotted spotted spotted
16
You what You what?!youguysreallydocomeout with some stupid commentssometimes,here’s what I’ve overheard this month...
•GordonBrown?YeahI’veheardofhimbutIdon’treallygetwhathedoes,well,he doesn’ttakeaninterestinmylifedoeshe?
•GoodFriday....IsthatEaster?•Iusedtofundraiseforacharityforthedeafbutitwasreallyhardcosno-onehad heardofthem.
•Ilikeguessingwhichteamsareplayingbylookingattheirstrips.IsitBurnleyV Sunderland?Noit’sSheffUtd.Oops,IthinkIsupportthem.
•[flicking through a dictionary] where’stheindex?
17
short story
18
You might remember a short story featured in a previous edition of NU:life in which we invited all you budding writers to write the next chapter? well talented Adam willert wrote the successful winning entry, congratulations to him.Can’t take the suspense? then read on for the next instalment…
His face was the only one which
glistened when I entered. This
crowded hotel’s inhabitants had
no knowledge of what I had
casually strolled into the building
with. They were unaware that
the door had even opened. They
would know I had been there
when I left. As I strode toward
him, my mind found a peace
which it had not known in the
last seventy-two hours. Actually,
it had been seventy-four long,
gruelling and terrifying hours.
Black as night was the suit he
wore, which increased in suave
appeal at every step I took
closer to him. Partly due to the
tracksuit bottom and trench coat
combination I had opted for, but
also because of the fact that the
suit cost an amount which could
have paid for my flat. Now as I
approached his personal space,
I noticed the fine complexion
of the man before me. His hair
was dark but not black. It was
a shade most men imagined
that they possessed but few did.
Accompanying this, the man had
a smooth face but with an off
balance nose; despite this being
a conventionally unattractive
feature, it actually added a
pleasant amount of character to
his appearance. As I continued
considering the exterior of
the man, I almost forgot my
reasoning for my being there.
This was ironic considering my
delivery of the package to this
man would be the final step of
my current treacherous journey
and the first step in my new one.
Only for a moment were we face
to face because his straight jaw
dropped to view my rucksack,
before he questioned me with his
eyes. I nodded casually. Without
words, he turned smoothly and
walked towards the lifts along
the left side of the hallway which
sparkled brightly but lacked any
original style. Deadly silent in the
lift we stood. Peering to my side I
saw a strange mark on his hand.
I knew what it meant. We rose
quickly but then halted. My mind
considered what was ahead
for me after this delivery. The
glimmering silver doors opened.
I blinked and before me stood the
man.
think you can carry on the story? then
send your entry (max 350 words) to
mark.coffey@northumbria .ac.uk
gooD luCK
saying this, it’s by no means easy and everyone involved would be stuck if there weren’t others around to help. this working environment not only gives an insight into how a radio station would work but is also amazing fun and provides an outlet for the journalistic talents within the student community.
When first given the chance to involve
myself in iradio i was daunted. i wasn’t
sure i would be able to produce work
to a high enough standard. But as soon
as the first show was over it became
apparent how silly i had been; yes the
shows and broadcasting we do has to
be checked and edited, but the way
we are allowed to produce our own
work is amazing, the support network
that has appeared really made me
feel comfortable with the workload.
not once did i feel out of my depth,
something that is all down to the amount
of dedication and perseverance each
team member contributed throughout
the show.
The birth of iRadio, the brand new radio station from the school of Arts and social sciences, created a fantastic opportunity for budding student journalists.the station is run by students, and is a great example of how students can get valuable work experience without even having to venture outside of the university. for the volunteers, the deadlines can be tough and there are times when you really don’t feel the show will be finished in time (strEss), but somehow working as a team demolishes all sense of apprehension and by the day before the deadline (wednesday evening the night before a broadcast) the show is done and dusted.
iradio
i only contributed to a handful of
shows but it’s given me the desire
to continue the experience and
hopefully help with next year’s
shows... all students who want to
get involved with such things really
shouldn’t feel shy about having
their say and input, all types of
work experience in a chosen field
can be of great benefit especially
when combined with a genuine
passion for the subject. i love
radio and this opportunity has let
me explore this interest, build on
my strengths and try my best to
better my weaknesses, whichever way
you look at it, whether or not your interest
is in radio or magazines or something
completely different, the experience
is fun and i’ve met some amazing
characters along the way. it’s something
i’ll always be proud of.
Even if getting involved isn’t your thing make sure you listen to the show. The previous episodes are online and the show will start up again in October.For more information and to listen to the show go towww.northumbria.ac.uk/iradio
samantha pym
19
iRadioGot a flare for writing? Continued
21
fashion
vintageFasion Fair.
i did however find a gorgeous dress
at one stall with a lovely fairy-tale
twist to it and a black, ruffled bottom
accompanied by a silk, cream bow tied
round the waist. it would have set me
back £45 and for the dress it was a good
bargain. However, being a student, and
not a good one with money, i stepped
back and continued my exploration.
while I was there, I chatted to the organiser to find out more:
how long have you been running the vintage fair and been interested in this type of the fashion industry?i’ve been running the fair for 4 years and
have been interested in vintage fashion
since i was 16.
where do the products come from? are they independent retailers or part of one large company?All independents. some of our stall
holders are wholesalers and supply
small shops around the country, some
are vintage addicts who sell off their
surplus, some are small vintage shops
who need a day in a new city and the
rest are antique dealers who have
moved over to the dark side of vintage
fashion!
are there products available for both male and female consumers?Yes, though we sell more ladies clothing
then menswear.
do you have any other fairs lined up? are they mainly at universities?Yes, nearly every weekend. We’re
heading over to northampton then
London, and then back to Lincoln and
nottingham. We stick to universities
and art galleries as they make for more
interesting customers.
what advice can you give to students who are interested in entering the vintage fashion industry?You’re never going to get rich from it,
but it will teach you about fabrics and
construction. it’s a passion that you can’t
put down, but its long hours and hard
work.
what’s the best way of going about wearing vintage fashions?Anyway you like! Mix it up with high
street or customize it to add a personal
twist.
Josie Bramhall
Northumbria recently played host to a fantastic array of colours, garments, materials, and jewellery all dating back to the era most of our parents grew up in.the Vintage fashion fair, which travels the country visiting different universities, came to our uni on sunday 1st march. a variety of stalls had been set up and it only cost a mere £2 to explore the wonderful items.as you entered, the smell we all associate with “vintage” hit you. where to begin was definitely the first thought that crossed my mind as i was met with so many different eye catching things. i must admit the clothes were a little daunting. when shopping, i do like things to be a little more organised but as it was a vintage fair i wasn’t exactly expecting order...it just wouldn’t be authentic.
food
23
this is the last recipe I’ll be bringing you this year so make the most of it yeah? It combines most of the above foods and is a great dish to welcome the summer with.Tek’s super Nutritious Couscous and smoked Mackerel saladFor 2 braniacs you will need:
•2smallcupsofwholewheat couscous•2filletsofsmokedmackerel•1wholeavocado•100gbabyspinach•Smallbagofmixednutsand seeds•100gjarredroastedpeppers•1tbspGratedParmesancheese•Oliveoil•Lemon•Saltandpepper
method:Cook the couscous according to the
instructions on the pack and add a
small pinch of salt and pepper. drain
the roasted peppers of their oil and
cut into small strips. rinse and dry the
spinach and roughly chop through it. in
a dry pan, roast the nuts and seeds until
slightly brown. Cut the avocado in half
and remove the stone, spoon out the flesh
and cut into small strips. grab a mixing
bowl and put in the couscous, roasted
peppers, spinach, avocado and nuts
and flake the smoked mackerel through
it. give the whole thing a good mix and
dress with olive oil, the juice of half a
lemon and a dash of salt and pepper to
taste.
this dish spells summer for me and
it requires hardly any cooking. With
everything ready at hand, it should take
no longer than 10 minutes to knock up,
even for a novice. You can even keep it in
a lunch box and nibble at it throughout
the day.
if fish turns you off then replace the
mackerel with chicken. it works well
with the salad and contains high
levels of B6, which is important for the
neurotransmitters that send information
to your brain. As well as feeding your
brain, chicken is good for your guns too
(or buns if you’re a lady reader).
one more word from the (not so) wise,
two of the top three neurotransmitters
that are important in releasing your
brain’s potential are dopamine and
serotonin, both of which are released
during orgasm. so if you’re going to walk
into an exam with an empty stomach
then make sure you swing by the toilet
a good 5 minutes before hand (pun very
intended).
if only it was as easy to banish hunger by
rubbing the belly as it is to masturbate...
tek harrington
Couscous and smoked Mackerel
...some may beg to differ but you certainly can’t deny that it at least feeds the mind and with deadlines and exams around the corner there’s no better time to be feeding your brain with the essential nutrients it needs to work at its best. so here are my top 5 foods for thought to give you a head start during these bad, bad, bad times.
1. oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines.they are rich in omega
3 and docosahexaenoic
acid, which is
a major component of the
brain. Arm your larder with
any of the above fish in tinned form
and have them as a quick and
nutritious snack. Just make sure you
don’t go out face-raping afterwards,
no-one likes fish breath.
2. wholegrain foods such ascereals, wheat bran, wheat germ and whole wheat pasta will help make
you feel full for longer and improve your memory. swap normal pasta for whole
wheat as they taste practically the
same.
3. Blueberries are great for keeping us looking young (not that we have
to worry about it yet). they are also so good for the brain
that they have the potential to
4. nuts and seeds are rich in protein which provides building
blocks for most of the body’s tissues including the brain. Just like oily fish, they are a great
source of omega 3. they make a
good snack on their own, but try
adding them into your salads,
pastas and (yet again) whole grain
cereal for an extra mental boost.
5. dark leafy Greens such as Broccoli, spinach andcurly Kale are high in several minerals such
as calcium, potassium, sodium and iron which all help the brain transmit information. did you not know that pop-eye had
a phd in Quantum physics?
no health-related article is complete
without a mention of the old fail safe -
drinK plEnty of watEr!
there... done. ok, preaching over
and done with. i do feel like a bit of
a hypocritical fake writing this in the
vicinity of an empty Mcdonald’s take
away bag, a milky way bar and a bottle
of cherry coke (not even diet).
The Belly rules the mind...
food
22
reverse memory loss, pretty useful
after a night out. they can be frozen
and will still keep a lot of their
nutrients. Add these to your whole
grain cereal in the morning and
you’ll be on your way to a First.
Angels& Demons 12A
released: may 15 2009
this is the second film adaptation of
a dan Brown book and is the prequel
to the da Vinci Code (2006). tom
Hanks makes another appearance as
symbolist robert Langdon, who this time
is trying to prevent a secret organisation
called the illuminati from destroying the
Vatican. if you’ve read the book, you’ll
know how good the story is, so fingers
crossed it translates as well on the big
screen. ewan Mcgregor co stars.
other releases this summer: Catch shia
LaBeouf and Megan Fox battle more
robots in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (june 24)... more superhero
shenanigans in The First Avenger: Captain America (july 22) and
death seeks its revenge again in Final Destination: Death Trip3D (August 28).
EntErtainmEnt
25
★ ★ ★Dir. Frank miller
POPCORN TIMEmark coffey
summer is traditionally the season for big blockbusters, and this year’s selection certainly doesn’t disappoint. here are a few of the movies making their way to your local cinema very shortly.
X Men Origins: wolverine 12A
released: may 1
Hugh Jackman is back in this prequel
to the X Men trilogy, set roughly twenty
years before the original movies. it
focuses on the title character’s shady
past, relationship with half-brother
sabretooth and dealings with team X.
early indications suggest this will be a
hit, with talk of a possible sequel set in
Japan.
star Trek 12A
released: may 8
Creator of Lost, JJ
Abrams, is at the helm
of this reimagining
Movieswatchmen stays true to graphic novelBy James maughan
“7/10- a Breath of fresh air”
the watchmen was one of the biggest selling graphic novels of all time and so it was a big gamble for director Zack snyder to attempt to bring it to life on the silver screen.of course we must not forget that it was
snyder who successfully directed the
adaptation of graphic novel “300” but
with “the Watchmen” it seemed a much
greater task.
in terms of the film itself, it was
everything you would expect of a snyder
piece, with excellent visual effects
and dark themes. it far surpassed
my expectations of a standard heroic
storyline and even raised several deep
and dark questions about mankind
and how society treats those who are
different. Avid fans of the Watchmen
graphic novels needn’t worry as i feel
this adaptation indeed stays true to the
deep meanings of the novel and a great
deal of the film does stay true to Alan
Moore’s ideas. For those who were not
followers of the original graphic novels
(myself included) this film still stands out
as great cinematic piece and something
you will enjoy immensely if you choose
to see it.
the acting is also very good with Jackie
earle Haley being the most entertaining
as rorschach. the character he portrays
entertains you throughout and leaves
wanting to know more about him.
overall “the Watchmen” is a very good
adaptation of the graphic novels and
Zack snyder can again be pleased with
his work and although it doesn’t hit the
heights of “300” it still provides a very
entertaining couple of hours. For me, it
was a great new dark and mysterious
method of portraying this genre of film
and is definitely worth a watch.
of the original sci-Fi series. it follows
the background stories of original
characters spock and James t. Kirk, and
their voyage aboard the uss enterprise
to battle nero. eric Bana and Chris pine
lead the new cast.
EntErtainmEnt
Remember Hundred Reasons? well they’re not exactly back as they never really left but they are touring again and are taking their own orders now, ready to embrace their next phase of music making.i was lucky enough to catch up with lead singer colin doran at newcastle academy, during their new tour promoting the re-release of their album “Quick the word, sharp the action.” i found out that no matter what has happened to this band in the past they know who they are and just want to make music.
the re-release is being produced by
the band since their record label was
bought out and left them without a
label for the second time in their career.
self-producing is not an issue
for Hundred reasons; their
2006 album “Kill Your own”,
which Colin say is their best
record, was produced by
band member Larry Hibbitt.
i asked Colin how he feels about
all this new musical freedom and
promoting the re-release:
“It’s cool; it’s a good thing to do. The album didn’t get promoted enough first time around. We’re happy about it coming out again, it gives us a chance to get out on the road. I think after this we’re going to write some more material. We’re not rushing anything because we don’t have to, so we’re not going to. Now that the pressure from the label is off, there are no time restraints on this record so we are going to take our time.”
the band’s single “silver” reached
number 15 in the uK singles chart and
their first album reached number
6. Colin recalls how much hype
surrounded them: “We’re not going to say we weren’t happy when it happened. We didn’t expect to be that successful that quickly.”
seven years on from the release of their
first album “ideas Above Your station”
they still have a following of die-hard
fans. “We know that as a band we are not as big as we used to be but we make music for our fans and hopefully that’s what they see. We’ve always been about the fans.”
one thing the fans love about this band
is their live shows. Having seen this band
HundredReasons Interview
26
several
times now, i know they never
disappoint with their energy, passion
for the music and talent on stage. With
this tour their set list is an eclectic mix of
all their albums and even their eps. “It’s kind of a silly thing really, going out and promoting a new album when there is nothing wrong with the older stuff. We wanted to come on tour with songs that we all really wanted to play, and that is what we are doing. It’s been almost a selfish set list. But I think the crowd will enjoy it more too. I really like playing ‘Soapbox Rally’ again because we haven’t played that for a long time.”
You can catch Hundred reasons as a
few festivals this year including slam
dunk in Leeds, where the headliners are
mainstream favourites You Me at six. the
line up features both established bands
and coming talent.
on this note i had to wrap up my chat with him, pack up my journo note pad and go to the concert. they didn’t disappoint one little bit.
s.J. bowie
Bat For Lashesnorthumbria unversity
with the likes of little Boots and la roux being among 2009’s big tips it seems to be the year of the electro girl but natasha Khan, aka Bat for lashes, is ahead of the game.Following her debut Fur and gold, which
was shortlisted for the 2007 Mercury
prize, she has released two suns which
could be nominated again even with its
more modern accessible feel. the stage
features strange figurines and what
appears to be a standard lamp until it
flashes on and off in time with the music
to become part of the light show. the
majority of the second album is played
with most of it sounding upbeat, almost
sci-fi in places. the lead single daniel
sounds even better live and is played
towards the start of the set. Aside from
the idiots in front of me that continued to
talk throughout even during the quieter
songs it was a thoroughly enjoyable gig
that shows she is way above the next big
thing and should be seen in the same
light as other treasures such as Kate Bush
and Bjork.
simon england
EntErtainmEnt
27
★ ★ ★Dir. Frank miller
Kid Britishnewcastle academy
not surprisingly, only a few hundred people ventured to the venue early to catch this band of rude boyz who were playing third on the bill to the Enemy and manchester’s “next big thing” twisted wheel.Kid British easily held their own on
the big stage and after a few quieter
numbers got the crowd dancing and
clapping along to their indie-tinged
ska. rather than sounding like music
bores the dead 60’s, their take on ska
was more reminiscent of the lighter
side of the Clash. theirs is a sound that
will work perfectly on festival stages in
the afternoons. the whole band were
in good spirits throughout and the
singer let rip with a wideboy “niiice
one” after every song. standout tracks
were elizabeth and Lost in London and
current single “sunny days”.
simon england
Boxer Rebellionnewcastle academy
i seem to vaguely remember the Boxer rebellion when they first surfaced around 5 years ago; they were eventually
dropped from their record label and
disappeared off the musical radar.
unsigned, they recently grabbed
headlines by storming the itunes charts
in both the uK and the us with an
appearance in the top 5. their album
“union” also broke into the top 100 of
the Billboard album chart. in terms of
stage presence, i wasn’t expecting much
from them as on record some of their
stuff sounds slightly run of the mill indie.
However, i was pleasantly surprised
by their live show. their sound was
expansive, almost post-rock, recalling
the luscious melodies of the likes of sigur
ros combined with a more traditional
rock sound such as on recent single
“evacuate”. there were clearly some
hardcore followers of the band as older
tracks such as “Watermelon” received
perhaps more appreciation than recent
material showing that people still
remember them fondly.
simon england
Live Reviews
28
backing band,
including
a surprise
appearance
by Blur
guitarist
graham
Coxon.
As a result, he
delivered a
surprisingly
polished
performance.
playing
through most
of his new
solo album,
tracks such
as “Arcady”
and “1939
returning”
were delivered with
passion and coherence; thrilling
the riotous crowd. A selection of
Babyshambles tracks were also
strummed out, including a subdued
version of “Killamangiro” which was met
with a euphoric response.
Judging by his impressive performance,
pete definitely has the talent to live up to
his hedonistic reputation, and may be
able to convert even his biggest critics if
he can continue performing in the vein
of tonight.
peter hawkins
EntErtainmEnt
Maximo Park ahead of the release of new album “Quicken the heart”, maximo park played an exclusive free gig in the newcastle college performing academy, all in aid of cancer charity no surrender.
excitement levels rapidly escalated
as the doors finally opened at 7pm,
providing relief for the eager fans who
had braved the blistering wind and rain
all day for the rare opportunity to see the
geordie five-piece in an intimate setting.
Luckily the band were on top form,
rattling through a plethora of new tracks
which unveiled a tight, layered new
sound, with the creeping taut groove
of “Wraithlike” proving to be an early
highlight. similarly, new single “the Kids
Are sick Again” also went down a storm,
transforming an initially subdued crowd
into a blazing mass of energy.
Wrapping up the set with fan favourite
“Apply some pressure” proves a thrilling
conclusion, leaving fans in no doubt that
the park are going to continue going
from strength to strength over the next
year.
peter hawkins
Peter Doherty no stranger to controversy, tabloid favourite peter doherty’s show at the o2 academy was always going to be met with apprehension, with his tainted track record of not showing up to his own gigs. in support of his new solo album “Grace/wasteland”, this was one of the final dates in his extensive uK tour, which has gained a slew of mixed reviews.
tonight’s sell out crowd were somewhat
bewildered when the trilby-clad star
actually hits the stage on time at
9pm, looking relatively healthy and
enthusiastic. Accompanied only by an
acoustic guitar, after playing a brief
opening pete was then joined by a full
Live Reviews
Modzelewski. “But here at Team Northumbria we aim to prepare players for that next step up, which is why we run a schedule tougher than most professional teams here in the UK.
“Saying that, I am really impressed with the way some of the guys have developed this season.”
With the culmination of a crammed
season ending in the biggest grudge
match since stan Calvert (an easy win!) a
determined team northumbria slammed
their way to silverware winning the final
84-64. Always the leader, skipper Chris
pearce bagged the MVp title but the high
flyer still had some choice words about
the team’s performance this season.
“You could say we’ve been prone to collapses this season and I think that’s fair comment,” said captain Pearce. “We’ve often been in control at the half only to let things slip in the third quarter and leave ourselves a mountain to climb after that.
We should be celebrating a double this season as we should have won the Patron’s Cup. But we let that one slip and we were determined not to make the same mistake twice.”
so with the award for the playoffs going
to team northumbria and the credits
rolling on the 08/09 season, everyone
associated with northumbria university
will be hoping for a sequel coming next
year.
andy spoors
sustained in team northumbria’s 5-1
victory away at Whickham.
“He (Lee Johnson) recovered in about two weeks after his last injury, although with only three games left it looks like his season’s over.”
team northumbria looked to be
closing out the season on a high,
scoring goals at every opportunity
of late. regrettably, it was a case of too
little-too late as far as the current goal
frenzy is concerned.
paul Johnson believes confidence to be
a key issue: “I think they maybe lacked confidence earlier in the season, not scoring many despite numerous chances on goal. Although at the end we got some big scores and that can’t help but boost the lads’ confidence.”
upon looking at the league standings
and team northumbria’s mid table
finish, it would be all too
easy to write off this season.
However, with a team so
young, many of the players
coming straight out of
academy football and into
senior non-league games,
the future certainly looks
bright.
After all, some of the
teams higher up in the
league have spent large
sums of money on player
transfers - a luxury team
northumbria have been without. When
you consider that the lads have been
The 2008/09 Northern League football season proved to be a season full of ‘ups and downs’ for Team Northumbria. TN’s inconsistency ultimately proved to be their downfall, as for the most part they had to settle for score draws in games they should’ve won.“Had we won half the games we drew, we would’ve been in the top four,” said
Head coach paul Johnson.
despite what the statistics show, upon
reflection the side have performed
well, especially considering some of
the players are as young as 16: “Andy Jennison has done extremely well for a 16 year old, as has Ben Christensen - our captain - and Lee Johnson. All the scholars in the team have played well.”
Lee Johnson’s season looked, at the time
of writing, to be ending on a sour note,
being sidelined with ligament damage
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30 31
competitive
with these teams for most of the season,
it makes you wonder how good the
players can be when they have matured
as a team over a couple of seasons.
“If we can keep these players together, we’ve got the makings of a very strong team,” said paul Johnson. the
future certainly looks bright for team
northumbria football, bring on next
season!
stuart wade
Footy starsset for kickoff in 2009
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Everyone has seen at least one sports movie. The underdogs upsetting the odds, injured star players and last gasp three-pointers. But fans of Team Northumbria’s own hoop stars have been treated to their
very own drama this season.although there was heartbreak along the way there was to be no denying Greg modzelewski and his men their fairytale ending, winning the EBl division two playoff title.
Finishing 12 points behind bitter
rivals Leeds Carnegie in the regular
season, the lads never looked
likely to threaten the big boys of
the league. Losing out to Carnegie
twice in the eBL and again in the patrons
Cup Final was a significant setback -
and then there was a tough start to their
long BuCs weekend in sheffield.
Crashing out of contention for the BuCs
championships at the first attempt,
greg’s boys picked themselves up and
never looked back. Winning the next
two matches against solent and oxford
meant the hoopsters posted a record
fifth place finish.
But that was to be the start of bigger
and better things for greg and his stars,
finishing with an undefeated streak until
the end of the season.
With a gruelling fixture list over the
season, no one can begrudge the team
a well deserved rest before a new
season that is bound to throw up new
twists.
“For some of these guys, playing 20-plus minutes in 40 games has been a huge shock to the system,” said coach
BrilliantBasketball
the spring competitors fight one-on-one
in two separate types of competition.
team northumbria’s Jitsu club has a
reputation for welcoming members of all
ages and abilities; the team entering the
nationals contained students, staff, and
alumni with ages ranging from 19 to 42.
But the competitions got off to a rocky
start, with 1st year social Work student
Bryce doherty being drawn against
fellow team northumbria member rid
Kinkhabwala in the first round.
it was unfortunate that one of them had
to go out in the first round but doherty
beat Kinkhabwala and took three
more fights on his way to the final. He
fought a gruelling but controlled fight to
dominate his opponent 2-0 and secure a
win to become the national Champion
in his division.
third year Architecture student Alex
Macaulay fought the opening rounds
and final of stand-up competition in
quick succession, totally dominating
his opponents without conceding even
a point.
Winning with style, panache and
aggression, he claimed gold and
another national Championship
title for team northumbria. But there
was no time for celebrations as Alex
had to focus his mind on the rare
feat of becoming a double national
Champion in the same year.
His ne Waza final was a tough
Northumbria jitsu Club returned victorious from the TjF Randori Nationals at the Telford International Centre. Bringing back a fabulous four gold medals, northumbria outperformed local rivals newcastle university for the first time, as well as finishing ahead of the newcastle college club.
Jitsu clubs from all over the world come
together twice every year to train and
compete together under the supervision
of the leading practitioners of the art of
jiu jitsu.
And while the competition in november
focuses on self-defence techniques, in
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32
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Olympic silver medallist steve Cram was the star of the show at the inaugural sport Universities North East England (sUNEE) conference.But team northumbria journalist James henderson was among a clutch of students playing a big role behind the scenes at an event highlighting the value of university sport.
sunee is a groundbreaking scheme
bringing together all five of the
north east’s universities with a view
to improving participation and
performance across the board.
And their 2009 conference - staged
across the road at newcastle university
- featured keynote speeches from Cram
and former sports Minister richard
Caborn.
James - a northumbria Journalism
undergraduate - was part of an
afternoon workshop showcasing the
student experience through sport.
the budding hack joined fellow students
from newcastle, sunderland, teesside
fight that Alex once again thoroughly
dominated, demonstrating his superior
skill to all who were watching. Alex
becomes team northumbria’s second
double national champion following
in the footsteps of Law student Adam
slawson, not competing due to injury
this time.
northumbria sports science graduate
Kayleigh Jackson (pictured) fought a
local derby in her nage Waza final,
as her opponent was a newcastle
university graduate, and the spirit of
stan Calvert hung in the air.
despite the friendship between the
two fighters, total focus remained
on winning gold. After a gripping
fight, Kayleigh secured the win and
yet another national title for team
northumbria - and a 1-2 result for the
north east.
tn Jitsu returned to the region,
our heads high, with four national
Championship golds - bringing the total
to 11 golds in the past five years.
dave chalton
success?jit’s a given!
and durham universities in
delivering a tailor-made press
conference.
And James and his colleagues
quizzed a panel of staff and
students involved in the sunee
programme.
“It was a great experience and proved the value of sport to students whether or not they actually play to a high level,” he said.
“I was involved in the planning which goes into a press conference and was then able to hone my interview technique in a room full of people.
It gave me an excellent insight into what is required to be a sports journalist ñ the career I want to pursue.”
Central to the panel was
team northumbria chief ian
elvin - one of the driving
forces behind sunee.
And he said: “Overall the event was a huge success right from the main sessions through to the afternoon workshops.
“But I particularly enjoyed taking part in the student experience workshop as it proved how sport can bring together students from across the university community.
“SUNEE offers volunteers the chance to do a variety of work which could prove invaluable in terms of future employment.
And those students interested in the media certainly impressed me on the day.”
33Kayleigh
Northumbria cram in sports expertise
And it is hoped those schooled in gaelic
games will soon be joined by complete
beginners looking to try a taste of the
irish.
“It’s great to see the facility open because the sports have been growing in the UK and I hope people can take pride in the field that you have here,” said McConnell.
“The North East is very lucky to boast these facilities. We wish the very best to Northumbria and I’m sure we will be back soon!”
Following the ribbon-cutting, the final
of the men’s gaelic Football got under
way with team northumbria taking on
regional side Cu Chulainn.
With puzzled looks aplenty from
spectators, the game was explained as
northumbria kicked the ball over twice
in quick succession to find themselves
2-0 up.
With three points awarded after a goal,
northumbria raced to a 5-1 lead before
being cut back at half-time to 5-4.
Irish eyes are smiling on the North East’s Emerald Isle ex-pats after the region’s first ever Gaelic sports pitch was launched on Tyneside. all ireland Gaelic football champions pascal mcconnell and angela walsh flew into newcastle to officially open the multi-sports facility.
And with this year’s st patrick’s day
celebrations still in full swing a bemused
crowd was treated to gaelic Football and
Camogie (women’s hurling).
the pitch, developed on northumbria
university’s Bullocksteads site next door to
newcastle Falcons’ Kingston park home,
will be used throughout the year.
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34 35
With the wind swirling - but now firmly
with the hosts - there was no surprise
that the final outcome favoured
northumbria.
some quick math revealed the home
side had won 15-7 and the team
northumbria players were awarded
the inaugural northumbria trophy from
deputy Vice-Chancellor Craig Mahoney.
“We recruit a lot of Irish students so we have opened the pitch and are going to support them and their aspirations to play the sports,” said Mahoney.
“There are national competitions and we have entered in them before so this first Trophy is an example of what can happen. Now the players can train and play on this pitch I have no doubt that in the future more trophies will be coming our way!”
And with the luck of the irish showing
no signs of running out after their six
nations rugby grand slam win there
won’t be too many who will argue with
that.
andy spoors
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Look of the Irish
side.
Both teams fell at the first hurdle in the
BuCs knockouts, losing at the hands
of Leeds Met seconds and university
of Cumbria respectively, and suffering
disappointing defeats in the stan Calvert
Cup.
Coach Adam Houston said: “I can’t fault the commitment and hard work the boys have shown this year. They’ve done themselves proud and we’ve a great future ahead retaining the majority of this year’s squad to push on in 2009.”
adam houston
2008 saw the introduction of Rugby League into Team Northumbria’s family of Focus sports.with the men’s first team joining the nation’s elite in the newly-formed Gillette super six and the second team competing in the Bucs north division, hopes of success were high.
the season couldn’t have got off to a
better start with the “A” team in action
at inter-City rivals newcastle “A” - team
northumbria coming out on top and
preventing the “posh” from scoring,
taking the spoils 18-0. With the first team
playing an evening kick off against
visitors st Mary’s at percy park, the
crowds turned up hopeful of seeing
another win - only to see the home
side suffer a narrow 16-26 defeat.
With the firsts suffering heavy
defeats away at the hands of
Loughborough & Leeds Met, as
well as Hull at Home which saw
them with four defeats out of four,
the seconds enjoyed a better run
of form winning three out of their
first four games losing out only to
York st John by a narrow six-point
margin.
Wednesday 12th november 2008 saw
history made with both of northumbria
rugby League teams recording victories
on the same day for the first time, the
firsts overcoming a strong Birmingham
side 18-12 at home and the seconds
beating Hull 46-14.
the success was not to last though,
with the firsts having to wait until the
end of January for their only other
victory, again over rivals Birmingham,
condemning the Midlands side to
bottom spot in the inaugural super
six competition. However the seconds
maintained their winning form to take
the BuCs north division, where they had
finished rock bottom in the previous
year.
When the seconds defeated Leeds uni
firsts to reach the promotion Final playoff,
a win would have seen them compete
in premier north division next year. this
was not to be the case and they were
defeated by a strong Bangor university
In a leagueof it’s own
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36
cheerleader Carolyn simpson
said: “After a lot of hard work and dedication it was clear that the girls put their all into this dance. It definitely paid off on the day and I’m very proud of us all.”
the results came in and it was fingers
crossed for team northumbria.
“senior dance Medium runners-up
goes to” you could see every squad
wishing and hoping “...the north stars”
announced the commentator.
teate added: “I am so proud of all of the North Stars. To come second out of all the Universities entered is amazing.” the girls will definitely be celebrating
their success with a couple of VK’s in tn
sponsored Mood when they return from
an easter break!
remember northumbria - Keep it ’north’.
Keep it ‘stars’.
37
representing england, the girls
enjoyed success in all three of their
matches, leaving scotland, Wales and
northern ireland in their wake.
A very modest Montgomery was on
hand to talk to team northumbria after
her week in the national spotlight.
“It’s fantastic to represent Team Northumbria while playing for England,” she said. “We all played well over all three matches and it’s great to win the tournament.”
in a crammed schedule the girls
endured three matches in three days
leading to trials for the British university
side.
Kicking off proceedings last Monday the
girls saw off a plucky Welsh side 49-34
before thrashing scotland 74-11.
With northern ireland coming out on top
in their first two fixtures, there really was
everything to play for in the final match.
in a tightly contested tie, england
prevailed
54-42 emerging with the first trophy of
its kind.
And to top off a fantastic week for
team northumbria’s hotshot netballers,
Burton and Montgomery both received
call ups for the British university side.
representing Britain the girls will take
on singapore, northern ireland and
scotland’s under 21 side.
even with this year’s super League
finished and no time to rest in the
summer, Montgomery is already
thinking ahead to team northumbria’s
next campaign.
“I think we should be aiming for the top four again,” she added. “The squad was quite new at the beginning of the season so we really started to gel towards the end.
We are going to have a new coach but I think whoever it is we should still fit quite well as a squad.”
andy spoors
Tessa Burton (pictured) and jenny Montgomery will be flying the flag for UK Universities this summer after starring in the inaugural British Universities Home Nations tournament. team northumbria’s netball programme received national recognition as three of the university’s students represented the England side.
And talei Bari joined Montgomery and
Burton in bringing home the big wins
for the hosts.
Netball NewsThrow together 13 girls, six cans of hairspray, five hotel rooms, two seven-seat hire cars and one united passion and what do you get? the event of the year for team northumbria’s north stars cheerleading squad - held at telford international centre.
the BCA (British Cheerleading
Association) Championships is what the
north stars work hard to prepare for all
year so that they can create a fantastic
routine to show all the other universities
what they can do.
“The girls worked so hard for this year’s competition and put in so much effort that regardless of the result we knew we’d all feel like winners when we stepped out on the floor to perform,” said captain rachel teate.
there are 21 different categories to enter
from stunting squads to tumbling. But the
senior dance medium section is where
the north stars want to “Bring it on!”
this year’s routine, choreographed by
Coach danielle Looker, was a mixture
of strong contemporary dance, typical
cheerleading cheese and hip-hop/street
dance.
“It’s been a lot of sacrifice and hard
work but I couldn’t be more proud of myself or the team who gave their best performance this year at the competition,” she said.
the competition is exactly what you
see on films like ‘Bring it on’ with huge
squads, including male cheerleaders,
who bring supporters from all over the
country to watch them shine.
team northumbria’s squad is the
smallest - at just 13 - and is the only team
to enter just one event. teate added:
“Because we only enter one category
it means we can concentrate all of our
rehearsals on this dance.
“But it’s a very long day for us as you have to register at 8.30am then find seats, so when you’re not performing till 6.05pm it becomes a very, very long day!”
After the performance there is a screen
where you can watch how well or how
badly your routine went but team
northumbria decided not to watch
and let the results do the talking! the
north stars only saw a couple of their
competitors perform and had no idea
where their routine sat in the rankings.
team northumbria reporter and
Give us a cheer
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38
• Academic and Sport mentor support
students are expected to show recent
achievements and a commitment
to developing their performance.
potential scholars should have achieved
senior, u21, or u18 representation from
their national governing Body but
applications will be considered from
athletes in performance/development
squads at junior or senior level.
to apply for a 2009/10 scholarship contact Gareth mcKenna by email at [email protected]
“As a Team Northumbria Sports Scholar I can achieve sporting success and my academic goals”Ben Thorntonteam northumbria fencer
“Thanks to the TN Scholarship scheme I
know I’m getting the support I need on an off
the pitch”Abi Mowbray
team northumbriawomen’s rugby skipper
• Specialised fitness assessments and training such as saQ • Privileged access to university sports facilities
And while we’re searching high and low
for potential candidates we can’t catch
all the top performers all of the time.
Which is where you come in. if you play
any sport to a high standard and you
feel we can help then get in touch now.
Across the northumbria university
community sports-mad students like you
benefit from financial assistance and
targeted personal development.
Whether you need to raise a few pounds
to pay for a training weekend away or
need to shed the excess pounds which
could make the difference between
winning and losing - we’re here to help.
We provide practical solutions and
services to students who have the talent
and commitment to fulfill their potential
within their chosen sport.
And we ensure that your academic
goals remain attainable - even at the
height of sporting competition.
Team Northumbria is committed to unearthing the best sporting talent from within the University and we’d hate you to slip through the net.Every year we offer talented athletes scholarships designed to support the needs of performance athletes during their time studying on tyneside.
But we’re always looking to invest more
of our time and money into northumbria
university’s stars of the future.
so check out team northumbria’s
scholarship scheme now and take the
next step towards sporting glory.
scholarship support services include:
• Sporting Equipment • Personal Development • Sports physiotherapy and sports massage • Specialised nutritional assessments and follow ups • Access to accredited sports psychologists
39
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Are you a rising star?
39
northumbria’s
rugby League seconds, the pirates,
qualified in second place to make
it through gaining five points for the
overall tally. in the football both men’s
teams made progress and avoided each
other in the semis. Both netball and
hockey progressed.
in the men’s rugby newcastle were the
dominant force with all three of their
teams making the semis and once the
final whistle blew they came out with
a first, second and equal third with
northumbria. the women also won their
competition meaning newcastle scored
28 points from just one sport.
in the netball team northumbria had
to play durham in the final, who they
had lost to earlier in the day, and a nail
biting finish saw our side beaten by just
one goal.
in mixed hockey it was a very similar
story with the team going down 1-0 in
the final - again against durham.
there was better news in the men’s
football as both pink Mafia and FC
Jesmond made it through to the final.
FC Jesmond getting there via a penalty
shoot-out in the semis in which their goal
keeper saved three penalties! in the final
it once
again
went to
penalties, with pink Mafia coming out
on top.
Overall Results: 1 newcastle 2 durham northumbria (joint 2nd)
Football: 1 northumbria, 2 northumbria
netball: 1 durham 2 northumbria
men’s rugby: 1 newcastle 2 newcastle 3 newcastle 3 northumbria
women’s rugby: 1 newcastle 2 teesside
women’s football: 1 teesside
mixed hockey: 1 durham 2 northumbria
paul cooksley
Northumbria played a full part in the annual sUNEE intra-mural tournament as hundreds of students from across the region battled it out for sporting glory.Eight team northumbria sides hit durham’s maiden castle, all guns blazing as the north East’s five universities locked horns across four sports.
the weather could not have been better
and it meant all sports - men’s 11-a-side
football, women’s five-a-side football,
men’s and women’s 7’s rugby, mixed 7’s
hockey and netball - were played in
cool, sunny conditions.
the day began well with men’s football
gaining early wins, closely followed by
the netball and mixed hockey.
As the round robin matches drew to a
close, all of northumbria’s teams were
well set to qualify for the semis. the men’s
rugby league team needed a win in their
final match to go through and only just
missed out - losing by just one score.
Maidenwins for Team Northumbria
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the end of the season nudging them into
the lead on try difference.
But an injury-cursed season finally took
its toll on the national league team as
they were forced to travel to Barnard
Castle with only 12 players and no front
row cover - bringing their winning streak
to a heartbreaking end and forfeiting the
title in the process.
nevertheless, the durham &
northumberland first division awaits as
Arnie’s army secured a promotion spot
for the second year running.
“It’s been a lot tougher this year in all aspects,” he said. “There’s been much stronger competition and we need more depth in the squads.
Next year is only going to get harder still as there are some great teams in the Premiership and in the D&N top flight. But we are going to aim at promotion in the latter again for sure.”
mark Kelly
40
It’s been another successful year for rugby and head coach Rich Arnold who has built upon an impressive first term at the helm of Team Northumbria’s most popular focus sport.after almost taking the women’s Bucs crown at the end of last season (his charges narrowly losing to uwic at the dramatic twickenham final), the squad took their campaign to a higher level in the Guinness premiership this year.
in what looked to be an impossible
challenge for them at the beginning of
the season - after suffering a string of
defeats - team northumbria managed
to hold their own and stay in the top
flight. survival was a highly understated
achievement in the presence of the best
women’s rugby clubs in the country.
But after narrowly missing out on
silverware on so many occasions last
year, Arnie finally had something to
accompany his Falcons’ medals as the
men took the durham & northumberland
plate final against ponteland.
A hard fought game was dominated
by team northumbria who won 51-10 -
some scalp for a squad which has only
been playing in the national arena for
two seasons but is slowly working its way
up the ranks.
the d&n side also came agonisingly
close to taking the division two
crown from long time league leaders
Hartlepool with a flurry of wins towards
scrumon feelthe noise
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