issue 35

Issue 35 | Tuesday 28th Oct 2014 | Email: [email protected] Facebook: facebook.com/GalleonNews Twitter: @GalleonNews

“He was a man destined to break ground and move mountains.” Tributes flood in for late student, Shane Janik

Danielle ButlerEditor

The university community was left in shock last week at the death of third year Journalism and English Literature student Shane Janik.

The tragic news was officially announced via email on Monday

13th October. Emails were sent to students both from Journal-ism Course Leader Mary Williams and the President of the Stu-dents’ Union Grant Clarke.

Since then there has been an outpouring of tributes from friends and tutors across the university who knew and loved

Shane, with many praising his unique and creative personality.

Gill Wray, Senior University Tu-tor and Shane’s shorthand lectur-er, said: “Shane was an extremely talented shorthand practitioner and a gifted artist. His homework always ended with a drawing of some mythical creature, often a

dragon, and I was always fas-cinated to see what the end of each homework would bring. In many ways a diffident, rather shy character, his personal style was more flamboyant.

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The psychopath who came to tea

Feel good food: mental health

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Depression in sport

‘Bake Off’ series 5 - The verdict!

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The GalleonTuesday 28th October 20142

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Union Mental Health Awareness Adam BassingthwaighteNews Editor

The University of Portsmouth is taking measures to ensure that all students are aware of the support offered to those suffering with mental health issues during their time here.

This comes after a recent study showed that 20 percent of students identified themselves as struggling with some form of mental health problem, while 13 percent of these people admitted to having suicidal thoughts. Nationwide, these statis-tics rise to one in four suffering with a mental problem over the year.

Mental health has often been a category of disorders that people have tried to sweep under the rug but now people are becoming more aware of the isolation and debilita-tion it can cause. People suffering should not feel alone however.

“ People suffering

should not feel alone”

VP for Welfare and Community, Mario Oliveros, told The Galleon: “Mental health problems can affect anyone regardless of age or back-

ground. In the next few weeks, the union will be partnering with the University Mental Health Team and Chaplaincy to visit students living in halls and make them aware of the support that there is available at the university.”

The university offers a support-ive network for those who need it and professional care to help stu-dents thrive in their studies. Outside of this, there are many facilities in Portsmouth that can offer counsel-ling and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) for free to anyone that may be suffering with a mental health is-

sue.We were approached by a third

year student, who wished to remain anonymous, willing to discuss his own battle with mental health. He said: “At its worst, I’d go days with-out leaving my bed. I wanted to but I couldn’t find the motivation to do anything at all. I’m starting to do much better now though. I still have those days but, with my weekly ses-sions and the medicine I’m taking, they’re becoming much less regu-lar.”

The union has joined the coun-try in its effort to spread awareness

for mental health this month. Often, as mentioned, mental health prob-lems cause isolation and therefore people suffering are not necessarily aware of the help available to them. It is important not just for sufferers therefore but for everyone to be vig-ilant on noticing people that may be struggling and helping them to find

the help they need.Signs that somebody may have

mental health problems vary but can include increased tiredness, trouble sleeping, irritability, a lack of interest or enthusiasm in activities they usually enjoy and increased reclusiveness. People may also lose/gain weight, show a decrease in their personal hygiene and fail to attend work/lectures. This is par-ticularly concerning if it becomes a persistent problem.

If you or anybody you know needs to find help in treating a mental health problem there are many things you can do. Your doctor’s surgery can offer medici-nal help and cognitive referrals to specialists. If you’re a student, a mental health nurse is avail-able two and a half days a week for personal sessions or you can contact Portsmouth Mind on their website for further help at: http://www.portsmouthmind.org.uk.

University Round-Up: News from universities around the UKJohn King

London School of Economics

A men’s rugby club has been disbanded for the entire academic year after a leaflet containing mi-sogynist slurs was given out during Fresher’s Fair.

The leaflet referred to women as ‘slags’ and ‘mingers’ and said that ‘outright homosexual debauchery’ would not be tolerated.

Nora Buckley-Irvine, LSE Stu-dent Union said: “The booklets distributed by the rugby club are clearly sexist, and demonstrate a culture within a club that is unable to challenge misogyny, sexism and homophobia.

“This culture, and how leaders within in the club have allowed it to prevail, has brought shame onto the wider student community.”

University of Cambridge

A talk hosted by UKIP leader Nigel Farage this month has been cancelled after protests from stu-dents.

Farage was due to speak at the Mill Lane Lecture Rooms after he was invited by Professor Jonathon Haslam as part of the Department of Politics and International Stud-ies.

A protest campaign was created by Cambridge residents and also by Cambridge University Students’ Union Women’s Campaign entitled “Tell Nigel Farage (UKIP) that he is NOT welcome in Cambridge!”

Following the cancellation of the event the protest is still set to go ahead due to the response that was received.

Loughborough University

The University of Loughborough has topped a poll which ranks eve-ry university based on its quality of life.

The annual poll conducted by Lloyds Bank, in its second year , takes into account course satis-faction, employment and salary on graduation, accommodation costs, sport facilities, crime in the area and the quality of student social life.

The university scored particularly high in student satisfaction, em-ployment rates as well as social life. In last year’s poll, Loughborough came second in the rankings be-hind the University of Durham.

University of Strathclyde

Students at Strathclyde Univer-sity in Glasgow have all been sent emails warning them of the signs and symptoms of meningitis after two students were diagnosed with the condition.

An email sent by Veena O’Halloran, Director of student ex-perience and enhancement at the university said that: “The two cas-es are not connected but as a pre-caution we are circulating informa-tion about the signs and symptoms to the whole university community.

“Please not that the affected students’ close contacts have al-ready been identified and given medical advice. As you do not fall into this close contact category, you are not considered at risk.”

University wins Athena Swan award for gender equality workAdam BassingthwaighteNews Editor

The University of Portsmouth has received the Athena Swan bronze award for its work at promoting women in STEM fields.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathemat-ics) present themselves to be some of the most challenging and under-represented areas for women to pursue a career in. The award hopes to act as a platform to spread awareness and help women to pursue the roles they desire.

To achieve the award, the university had to pledge and

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In memory of Uni student, Shane JanikDanielle ButlerEditor

Continued from front page.

Shane was an intriguing and complex person who brought a great deal to each class he at-tended and to the course in gen-eral. He will be greatly missed and remembered fondly by both staff and students.”

Jennifer Le Roux, former editor of Pugwash magazine recalled the launch of her new magazine ALT-MU in January 2013 as one of her favourite memories of Shane : “He was reviewing it and really made the effort with the fancy dress theme despite no-one else bothering. He looked so shy and towards

the end I dragged him onto the dance floor. I just remember the lift of energy at that point and seeing a really confident and outgoing soul hiding underneath.”

Shane took over from Jennifer as editor of Pugwash magazine in

September 2013 and was continu-ing in the role after spending his first year as Marketing and Dis-tribution Manager. Jennifer said: “When he first started on the mag-azine he was shy but really came into his own towards the end. I saw his confidence grow and really looked forward to bumping into him one day as a big personality in the creative industries.”

“My favourite thing about Shane is that he was totally adverse to conforming and following anyone. He would be as he wanted to be without fear of judgement or care as to how people would perceive him. He was a man destined to break ground and move moun-tains.”

Here at The Galleon we are deeply shocked and saddened by

Shane’s passing and echo the sen-timents of so many others across the university. We would like to take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family. Students are reminded that if you have been affected by

the news in any way then you can get in touch with the university’s counselling services or the Chap-laincy at www.port.ac.uk/students/student-wellbeing-service and

www.port.ac.uk/students/chap-laincy.

Brtiain’s got talent hits Portsmouth Paisley Tedder

One of Britain’s most famous television talent series, Britain’s Got Talent, came to Portsmouth on Sunday 12th October.

The event happened on at the Guildhall between 11am and 6pm with acts of all kinds turning up from the weird to the wonderful, ready to star in next year’s up-coming series.

Boy band Collabro, the winners of this year’s series have gone on to amazing success and even se-cured a number one hit with their debut album, Stars.

They will also be touring next year with fellow finalist, Lucy Kay, who is releasing her debut album this week.

This year’s series has produced several other success stories in-cluding musical duo Bars & Mel-ody whose song, ‘Hopeful’, made

it to number five in July and swing band Jack Pack who recently signed a deal to release an album together in 2015.

“ This year’s series has produced

several other success stories”

Auditions are continuing be-tween October and December this year and, for anyone who missed out, there are other opportunities as open auditions will be held in more cities than ever before with 11 locations across the UK and Ireland hosting. These include London, Bristol and Dublin.

Stay tuned to find out if the next big star is a Portsmouth local.

University wins Athena Swan award for gender equality workAdam BassingthwaighteNews Editor

The University of Portsmouth has received the Athena Swan bronze award for its work at promoting women in STEM fields.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathemat-ics) present themselves to be some of the most challenging and under-represented areas for women to pursue a career in. The award hopes to act as a platform to spread awareness and help women to pursue the roles they desire.

To achieve the award, the university had to pledge and

fulfil six different charters. This included increasing the number of women employed to senior positions in STEM areas.

“ This is a significant

achievement which

confirms our dedication to identify

and remove gender bias”

Claire Lamb, a third year Bi-ology student and STEM am-bassador, said: “Although more

women are entering science on a under-graduate level, they’re still struggling to find equal rep-resentation in academia and high-end roles.”

“We have seen changes in recent years. Things are getting better, but there is still a long way to go before women can really feel represented.”

The university now looks not only to maintain its standard for the bronze award but to work towards the more prestigious silver award. This comes as part of a continued effort by the university to stamp out gender inequality.

Vice Chancellor Graham Galbraith told the Portsmouth News: “This is a significant achievement for the university which confirms our dedication to identify and remove gender bias and ensure we have an inclusive culture that values all staff.”

The award comes just weeks after lecturer Karen Masters received a short-listing for the ‘woman of the future’ science award. The university wel-comes these acknowledge-ments and now looks forward to future improvements for a fairer, more efficient institution.

PETE SCATHE


NEWS @GalleonNews

News

Unofficial EDL march by Muslim schoolAidan WilliamsDeputy Editor

An unofficial English Defence League (EDL) march took place on 11th October to protest the building of a new primary school, funded by the Muslim community, on Lake Road in Buckland.

Around 20 members turned up initially to protest the opening of the Madani Academy which was given the go-ahead back in March 2013.

The marching group, holding lots of Eng-land flags with EDL written on them, began the initial protest at Lake Road before march-ing down to the mosque on Victoria Road South and then onto Guildhall Square. After Lake Road, the protest splintered as a sec-tion went directly to Guildhall Square whilst the rest continued onto the mosque on Vic-

toria Road South.There was a brief violent clash after a

member of the splinter group managed to slip through and attempt to attack a mem-ber of the counter protest on Station Road. The member was swiftly arrested and the police managed to keep the separation for the rest of the protest. The protest then spent about an hour on the main steps of Guildhall Square with the counter protest on the other side, with the police forming a corridor of passage for the public.

After an hour the main protest moved

over to the exit in front of the city library as the EDL contingent from the mosque ar-rived to join up with them. Following this, the group moved onto the walkway above the square outside the council offices where some members spat and threw coins at the counter group below. The protest died down following this as both groups gradually dis-persed and the police presence gradually dissipated.

The day of the protest coincided with an official English Defence League protest that occurred in Birmingham, where hundreds marched which was also countered by the

Unite Against Fascism group.Speaking to the Portsmouth News one

protester, Lawrence Collemy, 36, from Buck-land said: “We have got a Muslim school that is Muslim only. The fact of the matter is, if others use mainstream schools, why can’t they?”

“Why is their education different? I know some people might see this as an extreme view but it is not.”

“With everything going on in Syria, and all the stuff with Isis, it is just a concern because

it is a Muslim school.” In the admissions policy of the Madani

Academy, the subject of the protest, it does say that Islam in the home is requested but stresses ”We are an inclusive school that welcomes children from all backgrounds and abilities.”

“There was a brief violent clash

after a member of the splinter

group managed to slip through and attempt

to attack a member of the counter protest”

The group have made similar protests in the past with the group launching a smaller protest on December 4th last year. This too was met with a counter protest and was re-ported in The Galleon.

Stephen Pollard, a first year Journal-ism student who was at the protest said: “I was there because I have left wing political views, but the EDL’s anti Irish policy really pushed me towards it because I’m Irish.”

“I found the anti-fascist protest to be organised with a stable leader and pre-decided chants with meaning. I would urge anyone who has similar views or are just anti EDL to get together and involved as soon as possible in making sure they never taker over the streets of Portsmouth.”

Innovation Space is launchedJohn King

A non-profit start-up project has launched at the University of Portsmouth with over 100 people attending a charity coffee morn-ing.

The Innovation Space, opened in March 2014, was created for Entre-preneurs and small style business-es that are looking to take off. Busi-nesses rent desks inside the space each month.

A large benefit of using the space

is that fellow businesses can work together and share ideas.

Peter Hooley, Strategic Direc-tor at Innovation Space, said: “The community at Innovation Space raised over £100 for Macmillan to-day. Around 120 people passed through our doors buying cakes as well as going on tours. We even had one new member signing up on the spot.

“It was great to see some of our companies relating their products to the general public. Innovation Space is architect designed to fos-ter business creativity and its com-munity nurtures entrepreneurs and start-ups in the crucial first phase of their business.”

The Innovation Space is spread over four floors. Situated in the area are hi-tech meeting rooms, a chill out space and desk spaces. Open 24 hours a day, the Innova-tion Space also has access to the

University Library.Lizz Clarke, managing director

of marketing company LCM and Innovation Space tenant, said: “At Innovation Space our company is exposed to new businesses and ideas every day. It is an exciting, positive nurturing environment that opens doors to new opportunities.”

“ It is an exciting, positive

nurturing environment”

Marketing company LCM and Friendshake, a social networking tool, are two of the start-up busi-nesses that use the Innovation Space.

The project aims to build a bridge between education and professional success with students and academics also using the fa-cilities.

To find out more visit: www.in-novationspace.org.uk

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I don’t much like the EDLStephen Pollard

On Saturday 11th October, a march took place in Portsmouth, organised by the EDL. For those of you who do not know, that stands for the English Defence League; an ultra racist, anti-immi-gration, idealist group of fascists who for years have threatened to attack mosques amongst other places not associated with tra-ditional British society from the 1800‘s.

Being on the antifascist pro-test at Guildhall was my first in-teraction with the EDL. I am Irish and needless to say they don’t like me much because of the ac-tions of the IRA during the late 20th century. I felt a responsibility to go and confront them.

The Portsmouth Antifascists are an incredibly well organised group. Having found out about the EDL’s march just two days prior to the event, they managed to garner up the support of more than 100 peo-ple, which more than outnumbered the EDL. The chants they had were simple and subtly humorous, which is exactly what is needed so that EDL members can vaguely under-stand what is being said beyond their beer goggles.

The EDL are exactly what you would assume them to be, a group of drunken alley dwellers, there to try and source out a scrap rather than spout their nonsensical politi-cal mantra upon the masses while stood a top the steps at Guildhall. While standing in the crowd of an-tifascist protesters, the EDL decided it best to pack it in an return to their sewers. As they left though, some got brave and decided to go up the steps of the building directly fac-ing Guildhall, to gain leverage from which to throw coins and spit at us. Needless to say, throwing coins is not easy when you’re pissed.

A big shout out to the amount of University of Portsmouth students who came out to show their soli-darity. It is somewhat of a cliche to talk about protesting students but standing up for what you believe in certainly is not. If you have left wing views like this, or you just de-spise fascists, get involved. The EDL are not intimidating; actually, to the contrary, it was truly comical to see inebriated teens in balaclavas take five minutes to get a flag the right way round.

The quest of the nerdsLucy Rusz

“Luke, I am your father”, “you shall not pass” and “beam me up, Scot-ty” are all friendly faces in the world of the geek. They’re a hug from an old friend, a mug of hot choco-late on a winter’s day, or that ratty jumper you just can’t bin.

Whether they’re a guilty pleas-ure or a badge of pride, grinning like the Joker when you hear these phrases automatically demotes you from ‘ultra-cool’ to ‘that-per-son-we-only-call-if-the-internet-breaks’. But what is it that makes the world of fantasy and science fiction so undesirable to mere mor-tals?

Every day someone is judged for their ability to speak Tolkien Elfish, distinguish a Storm Trooper from a Clone or being able to name over three Pokémon. Certain things make a person a nerd. Fact. Exam-ple: I know that Han shot first, I can name all 13 Hobbits and, out of the ten types of people in the world, I understand binary.

It appears the world disapproves of nerds and yet Peter Jackson won over 30 awards for his pro-duction of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Dr Suess invented the word

nerd and he’s pretty cool. So why are only some nerds ‘cool’?

Maybe it is only cool if we em-brace it and are not ashamed. If you wear something with confi-dence, people are less likely to jibe than if you are insecure, so maybe the same applies here. Perhaps wearing your geek-dom with pride means it is cooler, because less people are likely to attack a difficult target.

“ Even nerds look down on nerds”

The obvious suggestion is jeal-ousy. Intellectuals have achieved so many great things, explained so many wonders of the universe, cured diseases, made so many de-vices to make life easier and have made the world a more advanced place. They have achieved great-ness. So maybe, just maybe, more people want in on this ‘so-called greatness’ and, when unable, choose to mock instead.

But if intellect is so great, then why is it not celebrated more? Why is this ‘branch of nerd’ seen as

strange? Wikipedia defines nerds as “overly intellectual, obsessive or socially impaired.” Since when did intelligence have a limit? I would have thought being ‘overly intelligent’ is to be celebrated, not classed as ‘uncool’ and ridiculed.

University is said to be the best years of your life but isn’t all the al-cohol and drinking based around an education, however fine the link is? Granted, after so many snake-bites and Jäger-bombs you might not remember what course you’re studying but it’s essentially a cel-ebration of intelligence. Or that’s what we tell ourselves as we drink the pains of differential equations away.

And other traits of nerds are their ‘obsessions’, such as sci-fi films or books or a love of computers and mathematics. Why do some films and books bear a badge of ‘dis-honour’, while those with similar feats are celebrated en masse?

Take Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. The latter bears obvi-ous similarities to the former, both in a fantasy world (a key feature of many things ‘nerd’), with a ‘dark lord’, a giant spider and, of course, a greying wizard with long hair and a superb beard. Only one of the

two, however, is considered to be cool. No prize for guessing cor-rectly.

Why is The Lord of the Rings considered so much ‘nerdier’ when they are so similar? Tolkien cre-ated a whole language and wrote four novels as a history, while J.K. Rowling merely wrote books with an original audience of children. Why is one so wrong when the other is so apparently right? Why is Harry Potter celebrated while The Lord of the Rings is ‘shun-worthy’ and geeky?

As much as I wish I could tell you the answer, I’m not really sure why certain things are ‘nerd’. It ap-pears that some things will never be truly accepted, no matter how important or clever they are. Even nerds look down on nerds. No mat-ter how often you speak Elfish or polish your lightsaber, we will al-ways find it necessary to seek out someone who outdoes us on the ‘nerd-o-metre’.

So the quest of the nerds ap-pears to have many episodes, many trilogies, but, unlike most fantasies, it appears it cannot be solved with one final battle to the victory. But just in case it does oc-cur, whose side are you on?

Black Bond and Lady Who?Dan Reast

I recently had a discussion with my friends regarding who the next James Bond should be. Rumours have been circulating in the dress-ing rooms of theatres and film sets that Colin Salmon and Idris Elba had both been considered to star as the next James Bond. Unbe-knownst to me, this suggestion was not a pleasant one, as James Bond has previously been played by a white man. This had me think-ing about many things, but mostly whether the concept of not wanting a black Bond is racist, or a female Doctor Who sexist. Why should tradition dictate us to ensure that a recurring character remains the same template?

There was controversy sur-rounding the casting of George Lazenby as James Bond in the 1969 On Her Majesty’s Secret Ser-vice, due to the fact that there were perceptions that an Australian ac-tor could not portray the gruff, yet suave nature of the classically Brit-ish secret agent. These perceptions could not have been more wrong,

as Lazenby portrayed the role with class and elegance; yet he is still considered to be a bad Bond due to him being Australian and to not have the ‘Connery factor’ (a factor which I believe the Bond producers have still yet to replicate).

After I accosted my friends with this, I suggested the concept of a female Doctor Who. This did not necessarily correspond with the reaction to a black Bond, but it still drew criticism. This criticism dwelled on the past, stating that there should be a male Doctor, and a female companion. Sounds similar to ‘one man, one woman’ issue in marriage that still collects dust on the minds of traditional-ists. For the record, a woman was considered to play Doctor Who be-fore they settled on Peter Capaldi to swear all over the TARDIS like a time-travelling drunken uncle. In pre-audition talks, Helen Mirren and Olivia Coleman were consid-ered for the role of Doctor Who and regardless of their acting ability, the suggestion that Doctor Who could be a woman was cancerous to conservative minds.

I reject the idea that characters in popular fiction, the media and public figures cannot be different to our traditional assumptions of their roles. This issue poses a fur-ther question: how far a traditional assumption of society and its per-ception of something affects how we live our lives. I am an outspoken critic of tradition and how it can be pasted onto society, as it cor-rupts the concept of progress and clouds the judgement of the people who are living in the present, not those who lived in the past. It is a case of progress that these auto-matic cultural assumptions should be changed; they have no place in our forward-looking society. This issue is a cultural one; it marks how far we have come through history, through the inequality of the past and the so-called ‘natural’ expec-tations that have been placed on these roles.

Ultimately, this heated discus-sion ended with me feeling like a fish in a field of corn; the limited support I received prompted me to write this article. I considered whether these assumptions were

only an issue because James Bond and Doctor Who are British figures of popular culture. However, if you look at American superhero films, the protagonists are rarely ever different. They’re male, white, and attractive. These perceptions are worldwide traditional barriers that can only be broken down through a defining moment. An example of such a defining moment can be seen in the 1967 Stanley Kramer film Guess Who’s Coming To Din-ner, which openly addressed the issue of interracial marriage in a recently segregated nation. It set a precedent for future films to pre-sent social messages, and to prove that normalcy in life does not have to be traditional.

The barriers of social hegemony, undertaken by the concept of tra-ditional characters, can be broken down by this defining moment. The step needed is to simply cast, or announce a difference in the way we see the media, and therefore politics and society. These charac-ters are role models, heroes, and beacons of social freedom and should not be cast aside.

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Meaning within the tentJudith LangridgeOnline Reaction Editor

One thing that I found to be para-doxically helpful while reading a dozen letters of advice to take with me in life is that ‘there are no ex-perts on life’. I’ve read that we’re all stories and sometimes, when we choose to speak about our stories, there’s something stitched within the lining of the words which we want people to unpick at, or rather, there is something about us which we feel makes our char-acter noteworthy. Therefore, I’ve come to think it’s important for our own state of mind to explore who we are, through whichever means creatively achievable.

So, while I am no expert on life, I give forth my most humble anecdotes and encounters of mental well-being, beginning with: the buggery feeling of feeling minute!

“All my world’s a stage, and,

oh… Oh wait, I can’t see the stage director! Am I just… stuck here…indefinitely?”

Not even my voyage into artifi-cial space could help me with this one. In fact, I was left feeling twice as disconcerted at my position within the universe after witnessing the vast and arbitrary collection of Google’s images of space. How-ever, I am not one person floating in space, surrounded by cold rocks and eery radio transmissions. I am however, a person surrounded by others.

“the buggery feeling of feeling minute!

My other anecdote includes stopping to look at the colours around me every now and then.

It was while looking at the col-ours that I started to see how the absurd had been interpreted. Art, literature and science had all come come together to share these inter-pretations and, while I can’t quite

understand all, if not most, of these interpretations, I would like to re-flect on the tent.

Introducing: the construction of the tent out of literal, and very tan-gible materials, such as blankets and pillows. Inside the tent I found to be my own interpretation of the absurd; my own world. In my world, time had the possibility of becom-ing as meaningless as marbles multiplying in marzipan or as won-derfully wistful as wandering water. I think one of the biggest uses of the tent world is to have a friend to see it with, to be able to stop and listen to the world that creatively came to be, and share in the same creativity that allowed Pandora’s box to be filled with a tiny moth metaphorical of hope, and use that metaphor as a symbol of our own agile glitter of hope, that has not yet failed to find a way of thriving in the nonsense of red buses and 25ft tall street lamps.

Pope Francis - just what the Catholic Church needsDan Reast

Religion and religious subscription is on the decline in the UK. Ap-proximately 25% of Britons would describe themselves as having no religious belief. This is a decline that has been slowly taking place since the 1950s and seemingly shows no signs of stopping. Or-ganised religion has taken a beat-ing over the years and needs an injection of modernity into its rigid, dogmatic structure. Curtain call, encore, and bravo to Pope Francis who has risen the Catholic Church to heights that I never thought could be reached.

I will state for the record that I am an atheist but not one of those militant atheists who will debate you at every turn whether a big guy with a white beard created us all. I respect, and even envy, those with religious belief; it is an honest and positive energy that encompasses a person’s life with meaning. That doesn’t mean to say that those who live without religion are destitute, but religion provides higher mean-ing to everything. Enough hippy, bongo-drumming, soul-patch-tot-ing lefty muchness for now. How-ever, even the Holy Father has spo-ken on this issue by stating: “The mercy of God has no limits” and “the Christian God forgives those that obey their conscience.” If that doesn’t represent an all-embracing faith that welcomes all I don’t know

what does.The biggest surprise to the pub-

lic, minus the ‘Pope-selfies’, has been the Holy Father’s attitudes to homosexuality. He called on the Church to love gays and lesbians, and that they: “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.” To many, this meant a stiff move away from the conserva-

tive beliefs of the previous Pontiffs; John Paul II, and Benedict XVI had famously disdainful principles on homosexuality. It is obvious to a liberal society that these beliefs of Pope Francis are just common practice in modern life but to an organised religion that has expe-rienced serious change since its establishment it’s a breakthrough.

It’s not just the views on homo-sexuality that the Pope has liber-alised. After many a scandal with Catholic priests, he has launched full legal enquiries into such events, bringing justice for many who had been abused. He argues for an end to celibacy in religious service so that priests can marry and have children; to create an outstanding

example of the power of God on Earth through children. Even more remarkable is his attitude towards women in the Catholic faith. Could you imagine a female Pope? The Pontiff could. It would be amazing to see such an occurrence and one which I hope we shall see in our lifetimes but for now this Pope can continue to adopt change.

“ Curtain call, encore, and

bravo to Pope Francis

who has risen the Catholic Church

to heights that I never thought

could be reached.”What does this mean for us, I

hear the layperson cry? Not much; probably very little if you aren’t Catholic. However, if you follow that faith, and are accepting of such monumental doctrinal change then this is the biggest break-through in religious history since Martin Luther posted onto the door of a church in Wittenberg, Saxony. Plus, the Pope wears awesome hats and poses gracefully in many a selfie. What more could you want from the world’s biggest religious leader?


REACTION @GalleonReaction


REACTION

The psychopath who came to teaLucy Rusz

I know what fear feels like. I know how it feels to be overruled by fear so much it prevents you from do-ing something, taking a chance, and opening up to others. Suffer-ing from General Anxiety Disorder means I live much of my life based on fear. So imagine the allure of a life without remorse, without guilt, without regret.

Yet does anyone wantonly dream of being a psychopath? Maybe a better question is would you invite a psychopath to tea?

The perception of a psychopath is that they are someone to be feared, something bad, something we pretend doesn’t really exist so we can shut it out of our minds. A Grimm Fairytale, if you please. But what if I told you it could get you to the top? What if I told you that one in 25 executives could be con-sidered as a psychopath or have psychopathic tendencies? Now the allure kicks in.

Due to their ability to strive for success no matter what the cost, and a lack of remorse in doing so, many people at the top of the lad-der are described with psycho-pathic tendencies, or even as a psychopath. The top profession is, of course, bankers, with their ability

risk money, jobs and income to gain a profit, all due to greed and a grandiose sense of importance.

In the top five professions, you also find surgeons. If someone told you that you would go under the knife of a psychopath, quite literally, even the brave amongst us would flee for the hills. But their ability to keep their cool under pressure and rise to the top, no matter what, makes them a perfect candidate. Though the thought may fill you with terror, would you rather have a nervous, self-doubting remorse-

ful surgeon with your life in their hands, or a psychopath?

I know which one I’d rather choose.

In the words of Scouting for Girls: “I wish I was James Bond, kissing all the girls and blowing the bad guys away.” And if you don’t wish to be James Bond, I can guar-antee at some point you’ve wanted to be with him. So at some point, you have wanted to be or be with, yes, you guessed it, a psychopath.

Although an unpopular opinion, leading experts admit that Bond

shows many traits of a psycho-path. From his remorseless killings, which he sees as just ‘employ-ment’ in Skyfall, to his grandiose sense of self-worth, believing he is above the orders he is given, he is purely psychotic. And ladies, I hate to burst the bubble, but all that charm and charisma is another trait, hiding the manipulative, de-ceitful personality.

Honestly though, even that’s not going to put you off the dashing gentleman that is Mr Bond.

The top on-screen psychopath is, without a doubt, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight. It has even been agreed by top experts, and used by FBI profil-ers, to explain to agents how a psy-chopath behaves. In short, Ledger plays a pure psychopath. And in detail, well, it’s quite spectacular.

From the first scene, we see pure callousness, as the Joker kills accomplices, bystanders, and anyone in his way without a hint of regret, remorse or empathy. The takeover displays a sense of heightened self worth, with a des-perate need to be the centre of attention, much like when he gate-crashes Harvey Dent’s fund-raiser. No one likes a party pooper but he definitely provides a show. And when Batman questions him, we

see a whole new level of control, as he taunts him, manipulating his emotions and showing his lack of remorse, later revelling in the last moments of his victims.

And yet what would you do with-out him? Without a villain, there’s no plot. No one really wants the Joker to lose. Deep down, no mat-ter how much we all love Batman, and believe in the power of good, we’re secretly hoping to see the Joker rise again in style.

So while we’d lock our doors in terror if we were told a psychopath is coming to tea, it’s quite possible they already have. And is that such a bad thing? If no one told you, it wouldn’t matter. If no one knew otherwise, we’d be perfectly hap-py. Why does a label of a mental state change everything?

Wouldn’t it be nice to live with-out regret? While we all frown upon them, secretly, do we not want to be a little more alike? I know I do. And if my back were against a wall, I can guarantee I’d rather have them help me out of a sticky spot. So maybe we need to look a little more deeply before we start to judge others. Because with one in 100 of us high on the scale, it is more common than you think. So, maybe it’s time to invite a psy-chopath to tea?

Mental heath is not cuteEleanor Scott-AllenDeputy Reaction Editor

Let me be clear before we start that I fully encourage the use of men-tal illness and health in the media. Film, TV and books are meant to be vignettes of our society and re-ality and mental health is a part that cannot be ignored. The rise of well rounded, real characters with men-tal health issues is helping spread awareness throughout the world. The more the general population knows about the symptoms and treatment of psychological disor-ders, the more people can be diag-

nosed and treated successfully.But there is a downside to the

media latching its teeth into such a delicate issue, and it’s potentially more hindering than helpful when it comes to the case of mental health awareness. Everywhere we look, mental health issues are being romanticised, fluffed up and por-trayed as desirable. Not only in the media, but by us. A mental health

problem is now seen as more of a quirky or cute trait than a serious medical condition that affects peo-ple’s lives deeply.

“ In the end, the only

people we can

blame for the way we’ve made

mental health cute or trivial is ourselves”

Let me share a story to demon-strate: I was in my first year study-ing AS psychology when a friend came to me and told me that she thought she was bipolar. I asked her why she thought that; after all, that was pretty serious. Her re-sponse was that this morning she had been really sad that morning and now she was really happy. I stared at her with complete disbe-lief that she was labelling herself with bipolar disorder because of

a few mood swings and no other clear symptoms.

And she wasn’t the only one: de-pression, OCD and even paranoid schizophrenia were cited as pos-sible conditions my friends were all suffering from. What they were actually suffering from was nothing but society’s tricking us into think-ing that an issue in mental health is cute and something to be sought after. As a psychology student, it’s maddening to hear all these self-diagnoses’ floating around with the help of Google and Wikipedia.

And it’s not just the youth pop-ulation; even an adult relation of mine once exclaimed that she must have OCD because she liked to keep the house tidy. Whilst it is true that most of the population has OCD traits, there is a difference be-tween having a trait or compulsion and diagnosable OCD which can seriously affect people’s quality of life. I myself have all my books and DVDs catalogued on my computer, colour coded by whether they’ve been read/watched or not and or-ganised perfectly on my shelves,

but I do not have OCD.Who’s to blame for this reduc-

tion of psychological problems to a new trend that everyone seems to want in order to make themselves a more interesting human being? The media? Probably. The inaccu-rate information that floats around regarding the conditions and psy-chology as a whole? Possibly. The way mental health is stigmatised as something that defines you? Most definitely.

In the end, the only people we can blame for the way we’ve made mental health cute or trivial is our-selves. A lack of education on the topic and the mishandling of the information available to the public has led to a generation that finds mental illness a quirk rather than a medical condition. From depres-sion to personality disorders, to self diagnoses and misrepresenta-tion, we are creating a new stigma for mental health issues just as tox-ic as the idea that those with such issues should be ashamed to the point that they can’t talk about it with their own children or families.

I would like to stress that if you genuinely do think you’re experi-encing the symptoms of a mental health disorder, my advice would be this: go to your GP or medi-cal professional or reach out to a charity such as Student Mind. Do not Google your symptoms or be ashamed to get yourself help be-cause of the stigma that our socie-ty is imposing on those that should be trying to help.

One in six of British adults will experience a mental health prob-lem at a given time; some will be temporary and symptoms will eventually reduce with or without treatment but others will be some-thing that a person will struggle with their whole lives. We owe it to those affected to treat this issue seriously and realistically, not ex-aggerated, comedically or as a new trend. These misconceptions are damaging the way we can handle and treat mental health problems in real people and they need to be undone quickly before anymore se-rious damage can be done.

YOTAMBIENTENGOSUPERPODERES

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Travel

Shocktober’s best Halloween hauntsGemma DsouzaTravel Editor

Another year has gone past and another Halloween approaches. Although Portsmouth is sometimes home to many spooks — mice, rats and Kens — there are hundreds of nights out around the country that offer freakishly good deals (pun in-tended) and a memorable night.

Thorpe Park — Fright Night£25.99 per ticket, 3pm — 10pm.Open until late, Fright Night

takes over Thorpe Park for select-ed dates in October and Novem-ber. Not only can you go on the rides late into the night, you can walk round mazes based on icon-ic horror films — The Blair Witch Project, My Bloody Valentine, The Cabin in the Woods, Studio 13 and SAW. With actors jumping out at you through the night, it isn’t for the faint hearted. Dates for Fright Nights are 17th — 19th October and 24th October — 2nd Novem-ber.

London — Egg£15.00 per ticket, 11pm on-

wards.Egg on a normal night is exhila-

rating, but this Halloween, it’s of-fering even more. In King’s Cross, London, Egg is a venue like no oth-er — with great music and a stylish venue combining a variety of spac-es indoors and outdoors with a 24 hour licence. Halloween rave time at Egg has a gleaming house and techno line-up. The club is trans-formed into a freaky environment and people normally dress up, get-ting stuck in with the Hollywood

forever theme.

“ What better venue for

Halloween than a

spooky, old church?”

Portsmouth — Ghost Tour£5 per ticket, 10pm — 11pm.Groundlings Theatre are, this

year, hosting a number of tours around Portsmouth’s most haunt-

ed buildings, with twists and turns at every corner. With a variety of “screamer levels”, the tours offer something a little different and at-mospheric for Halloween evening.

Brighton — Dirty Blonde Mas-querade Ball

£10 per ticket, 10pm — 3am.Although a sequined mask isn’t

the scariest outfit for Halloween, a masquerade ball is something many of us would love to go to at one point. Throughout the night, a selection of cocktails and drinks are available, served to you by masked bar and waiting staff. For £8 extra, a three course meal is served to you before the night begins.

Bournemouth — Halo£15 per ticket, 10pm — 6amOpen until 6am, the prestigious

dance record label Hot Creations are taking over Halo for Hallow-een, providing a night of terrifying grooves and haunted beats. Based inside a former church, Halo has successfully fused the old with the new and brought a unique concept to Bournemouth- and what better

venue for Halloween than a spooky, old church?

“ Although a sequined

mask isn’t the

scariest outfit for Halloween, a masquerade ball

is something many of us would love to go to at one point”

Portsmouth — Big Night OutHeld every year, the Big Night

Out offers a bar crawl through Guildhall Walk and ending up at a bigger club. Not something for eve-ryone but seems to sell out pretty well.

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@GalleonFeatures

Features Travel | Sex & Relationships | Fashion | Food

Food

One ingredient, three meals: pumpkin Alice Hughes Food Editor

With Halloween upon us it’s only apt to mention pumpkins in this is-sue! We know it’s that time of year when all the coffee shops start pro-moting pumpkin flavoured drinks… Up until last year I thought that was a really strange combination - pumpkin and coffee! - but a pump-kin latte is so tasty and warming, it has autumn written all over it.

It’s the perfect time to experi-ment with pumpkin themed reci-pes, the supermarkets are full of them for only around £1.50 each. Before cooking with a pumpkin, scoop out all the seeds! But don’t waste them, pumpkin seeds make for a great healthy snack, so boil them for 10 minutes and then bake with a little bit of oil on a baking tray for 45 minutes. Here’s how buy-ing one pumpkin can create three dishes to get you in the Halloween spirit.

Pumpkin RisottoFor a warming dinner full of fla-

vour, that makes a change from soup!

This makes two portions, per-fect for freezing and keeping for another meal when you fancy it. For this you will need 200g of your pumpkin. Chop it into small cubes and bake with a drizzle of oil and roast for 30 minutes. Whilst the pumpkin is baking you can pre-pare the risotto. In a pan heat 10g of butter and four chopped spring onions with one crushed garlic clove. Once the onions are soft add 100g of risotto rice and stir well for a minute. For the next 20 minutes gradually add in one litre of vegetable stock. Continue cooking until the rice is soft enough to eat. When the pumpkin is ready, stir into the pan mix along with 25g of grated cheese. This dish makes for a nourishing meal with a twist on the normal flavour.

Pumpkin pasta bakePasta bake is always a favourite

with students and it can be adapt-ed to fit every season. Eat with a fresh salad in summer, with chips

for comfort food and add pumpkin for a taste of Halloween!

Pumpkin can be added to any type of pasta dish for an extra sweet, autumn flavour; this recipe combines pesto and pumpkin which really complement each other. You will need 400g of your pumpkin, again cut into small chunks. To begin with, bake this in the oven on a baking tray with one red onion also chopped up, for 20 minutes. Whilst this is baking, you can boil the 180g of pasta. Note that this recipe serves three to four small portions, so if needed add slightly more or less ingredients! Also, if you love adding meat to a dish then this is the time to do it, simply cook in a pan before add-ing the other ingredients. If you’re not adding meat, then simply add to the pan of drained pasta - the baked pumpkin and onion, 25g of spinach and 50g of grated cheese. Stir together and pour into a bak-ing dish, top with more cheese and bake for 30 minutes until you have a flavour filled, crisp pasta bake!

Pumpkin cheesecakePumpkin can complement eve-

ry course, for dessert, create this unique cheesecake, ideal for any sweet lover.

For this you will need 340g of pumpkin, cubed and roast-ed. Cheesecake can usually be whipped up and eaten straight away with no waiting about. But this one needs to be baked before eating, so instead of being sponta-neous it will have to be made a day before you plan to eat it! Start the way you would start any cheese-cake - 60g of melted butter and

225g of crushed digestives mixed together and moulded into a cake tin. Then mix together 450g of cream cheese, the ready roasted pumpkin, 225g of caster sugar and the optional flavours of cinnamon (one tsp) and nutmeg (one/two tsp).

When the mixture is smooth, beat in four eggs. Pour this on top of the crumbs in the cake tin and bake for 90 minute at 170C/Gas mark three. Once cooked, leave the cheesecake to cool and chill it overnight. The next day you will need 90ml of natural yoghurt and 90ml of double cream. Whip the cream until thick and then fold in the yoghurt, this will make you cheesecake topping and it is then ready to serve at room tempera-ture!

Besides these hearty meals and dessert, small amounts of pumpkin can be added to baking simply for a twist in flavour. For example, flap-jacks, cookies and brownies can take on the sweet flavour of pump-kin by adding small cut up pieces to the normal mixture.

INFERNO INSANE

EMILY CARLIN


FEATURES @GalleonFeatures

Fashion

Fearful fashion on HalloweenClaire Stapley Deputy Features Editor

Halloween is the only time of year it is socially acceptable to dress in (almost) anything outrageous and of course scary. Year in, year out we see the return of ghosts, dead schoolgirls and small pumpkin chil-dren on the 31st October.

It seems that us Brits have taken this American holiday under our wing and, in true British style, we have somehow managed to be the ones sporting the most offensive and undesirable costumes. Here are the absolute don’ts of Hallow-een fashion:

DON’T: Come dressed as an eating disorder. Last year this cos-tume caused particular uproar as a few fancy dress sites stocked the outfit named ‘Anna-Rexia’ which came with a measuring tape to glo-rify the mental illness even more. What makes it worse is that it has no relevance to Halloween at all!

DON’T: Come dressed as a criminal — excluding the stripy black and white robber costumes,

coming as a terrorist, rapist or mur-derer will not win you any points. Another outfit being sported by Brits was the ‘foxy knoxy’ T-Shirt with a cartoon Amanda Knox on the front with bloody lettering spell-ing ‘Amanda Who?’ For those who don’t remember her, she was the woman who allegedly murdered Meridith Kercher in 2009 with the help of her ex-boyfriend. Not a great look.

These are just a couple of the worst Halloween costumes of all time, which (somehow) still creep their way into events and clubs un-scathed.

Halloween is most definitely a time for creativity, from stage makeup to contact lenses it seems that Halloween becomes bigger and better with each year. Here are some of the DO’S for this year:

DO: Think outside the box —

zombies and bloody nurses are number one on the creativity scale, some of the best Halloween cos-tumes are taken from films, such as Edward Scissorhands, Hanni-bal Lector and Hellboy. A personal favourite is going as the character from ‘Creep’, though you would need a LOT of makeup to achieve this look!

DO: Splash the cash — this, like Christmas, happens once a year. A pair of contact lenses and some skin wax will be just shy of £20 and, if you’re the best dressed there, who cares about the hole in your pocket?

DO: Carve pumpkins — if you haven’t done it before, pump-kin carving is one of the most fun things you can do to get yourself and your friends in the mood for Halloween.

DO: Stick to the scary theme — don’t be that one guy dressed as a superhero with one blob of fake blood on your face. Halloween is a scary holiday, so the more fake blood, guts and black eyeliner, the better!

Sex and Relationships

Singled out in second year Bex Edwards

They say that the winter season is the perfect time to become loved up and time for the sorrowful sin-gletons to hibernate and, sadly, this appears to be true.

Since returning to university, the summer flames have sizzled out and now it seems that every per-son on the planet has or is settling down; leaving just myself and what can feel like a small minority to em-brace the single lifestyle. You may find yourself in the position where you are the only single person in your friendship group but is it worth getting hung up over it? No. Not re-ally.

I mean, who doesn’t revel in hearing about how much your friends’ love their other halves, or not being able to compete in their best boyfriend competition or even compare bedroom escapades at every living moment. It’s not like there’s anything else to talk about right? What is better than being known as ‘the single one’ who gets nominated to talk all night to

the visiting friend of a friend; be-ing bought a small ‘grow your own boyfriend’ to keep you company and best of all — being the wheel. The third, the fourth, or even some-times the fifth wheel.

“ It is easy to get caught up on your

relationship status, especially

when you feel like you are

missing out”Strangely, those in relationships

will say that you have the best deal, you can go out and relish the real university experience (kindly sug-gesting that you go around look-ing for an STD). They will tell you to make the most of not being tied down, to have fun and let your hair down. But what if a one-night thing really isn’t your thing? Then what?

You still go and enjoy yourself. Surprisingly, being single isn’t the

end of the world — it is actually just a small part of your life. Some-times it is easy to get caught up on your relationship status, especially when you feel like you are missing out even though, really, you aren’t missing out at all.

Having no strings attached means you can quite literally do what you want. No ‘why were you talking to him?’, ‘I haven’t seen you for like four hours’, ‘why haven’t you text me back???’ Take the chance to meet new people and if you want a one off cuddle at night — why not? After all you only have yourself to think about.

Every once in a while you may want to shoot your friend for go-ing on and on, and you may get annoyed when you are ditched for date night but that’s when you turn to your two best boyfriends — Ben & Jerry.

There’s a plus and a minus to everything. Relationships can bring jealousy and feelings of insecurity into your life when being single al-lows you to focus on yourself and can bring just as much happiness.

Cheesy I know, but true.My advice is to go out and ex-

perience new things, grow in con-fidence and if it does bother you, learn to laugh about it. When asked to write this article, I joked I would write ‘Larry Loner: What life is like being left on the shelf’, yet despite the jokes and frequent digs, who actually cares?

Being single is like a bad hair day; you either let it bother you or you don’t. Luckily there is no such thing as a ‘singleton sticker’ that people will make you wear and, really, university is one of the best times and places to embrace being single.

Features

Societies in the spotlight: Political Union Kinnan ZaloomReaction Editor

Disney princesses and the extent of online privacy. Human travel to Mars and the sovereignty of Ukraine. Capitalism and the ra-tionality of religion. What do all these topics have in common? It’s the range of the debates Po-litical Union have. A forum for all manner of debates to be dis-cussed and exhausted, and best of all, it’s all for free. We even ac-commodate for those who are just looking to have a laugh.

Whether you’re a pinko scumbag or a secret Tory, the floor is open to everyone. Even better if you can go it all alone, it’s a battle royale for those with a sharp tongue. Some-times all for one, sometimes one for all. Whatever your opinions and ideas, you’re welcome at Political Union.

Held on Fridays on a fortnightly basis, the chance to be on the pan-el or take the part of chair is up for everyone. If appearing on the main stage isn’t what you prefer, you’re more than free to sit back and spec-tate and interject as you feel. Make alliances or play devils advocate; it’s up to you how to shape the debate. Whether it’s a student issue or a cultural one, we welcome all other societies to take part.

With the year coming being an election year, you can bet things are going to heat up. We might even see the reemergence of some Liberal Democrat supporters.

Our next debate, ‘Is it rational to believe in God’ is on Friday, 7th November. If you are inter-ested in taking part or for any other information, contact us at [email protected] or join our group and like our page, on Facebook at Political Union.

SCOTT HILL

PEDRO RIBEIRO SIMÕES

THE POLITICAL UNION’S NEXT DEBATE IS ON FRIDAY 7TH NO-VEMBER

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Fashion

Millie Mackintosh launches clothing lineAntonia Brown

We all want to look like London’s ultimate glam girl and it’s good news for fans as Millie Mackin-tosh has launched her first and much anticipated clothing line.

The collection has been a long time coming for the 25 year old fashion fanatic. Ever since her days on Made in Chelsea, Millie has been a style icon. Many try to emulate her look, with numerous blogs and instructions on how to get the look.

Quickly becoming a fashion and beauty icon, she’s no longer just a reality star and she sure knows how to put together a killer outfit.

The collection includes 40 key pieces so you can create the ‘Millie Mackintosh’ look and it is oh so very Millie, with studded jackets and tops, blouses, leather shorts, shift dresses and sleek jumpsuits.

The collection is clearly a repre-sentation of Millie’s everyday style and features a lot of embellish-ment. The pieces are young and fun, with a boho and vintage twist.

A 60‘s and 70‘s look is reflected in the collection, particularly in the patterned shift dresses.

Naturally the line is modelled by Millie herself and, if you visit the website each week, Millie shows how to style one piece

from the collection in several dif-ferent ways, obviously keen to show that the pieces are versa-tile and with a few quick changes you can be dance floor ready.

All looks are of course finished off with a wide brimmed hat and some Millie’s lashes!

It’s the collection everyone’s talking about and it’s about time you indulged your inner Chelsea girl.

The collection is available to browse and shop at www.millie-mackintosh.com

Food

Feel good food: mental health Alice Hughes Food Editor

Whenever we’re feeling down, most of us seem to think a big chocolate bar is the answer. It’s a worldwide known theme! Unfortunately, this is likely to be a myth originated from a chocoholic … However, it turns out there are actually some foods that will improve your mood. Al-though having a down day doesn’t diagnose you with depression, some mood related disorders can be alleviated by changing our life-style habits. In awareness of World Mental Health Day, which was on October 10th, here’s how food and mood relate.

The role of nutrition is often an under recognised factor in relation to mental health. Studies show that what you eat does have an impact on both short and long term men-tal health. According to the Men-tal Health Foundation, those who report some level of mental health problems eat fewer fruit, vegeta-bles and meals made from scratch. Instead they consumed more take-

aways, chocolate and crisps.Ultimately this is sounding like

any other healthy eating promo-tion, but there are valid reasons to eat healthily linking to your mood, such as sugary foods

being absorbed into the blood-stream quickly. Foods that are high in sugar cause an instant surge of energy that wears off quickly and therefore leaves you tired and low. So it’s better to have a snack full of oats and fruit compared to choco-late biscuits. They will still give you energy but it’s released slower and therefore lasts longer!

Also, remember to have break-fast. A lot of people skip the most important meal of the day if they’re in a rush to get out in the morning but this leads to low blood sugar meaning a low mood, irritability and fatigue. But remember, when having breakfast, sugary cereals will only keep you full for a short amount of time. Try oat filled grano-la or granary toast for a morning boost.

“ There seems to be a link

between the rise in

mental health problems over the last 50 years and the way our diets

have changed”The vitamin B1 is associated

with control of mood. This can be found in fish, pork, nuts, wheat bread and sunflower seeds. These foods are also high in zinc which helps with depression, lack of mo-tivation and poor appetite.

You’ll be glad to know that it isn’t a complete myth that choco-late improves your mood, however it is only dark chocolate and only in small quantities. According to a research centre in Switzerland, eat-ing dark chocolate (precisely 1.4 ounces) everyday for two weeks reduces stress hormones.

There seems to be a link be-tween the rise in mental health problems over the last 50 years and the way our diets and the way food is produced has changed. The increase in processed food means we are consuming more saturated

fats and sugars and less fruit and vegetables.

Different mental illnesses are af-fected by different diets. Depres-sion is linked with lack of omega 3, which is provided by oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. A diet high in sugar and saturated fat links to the cause of schizophrenia. Studies into alzheimer’s show that lots of vegetables can help prevent development of the illness. ADHD is higher in children that have a diet low in fatty acids and iron.

It’s safe to say that this works both ways — food affects mood because how we eat influences how we feel, and mood affects food because how we feel influ-ences what we choose to eat!

Shopping list for feel good food: Cereal / Oat based bars for a

healthy and energizing snack.Stock up on tins of tuna, for a

sandwich, pizza topping, pasta sal-ad, jacket potato topping…

Green vegetables, add to meals for a healthy boost.

Seeds for a guilt free snack.Potatoes as a carbohydrate

source; try sweet potatoes for more flavour and better for your health.

Berries - any type from straw-berries, blackberries and raspber-ries; they are all high in vitamin C which combats stress.

GG

Travel

Where to go when you’re feeling low Paisley Tedder Features Editor

We’ve all had those times when we’re anxious, hurt or worrying madly about something. Here I’ve made a list of places in the area where we can go when we feel like that, to help us feel better or at least calmer about our problems.The beach

We are all so lucky to be able to go to university somewhere that had all the benefits of both a bus-tling city, as well as the calming sense a seaside resort brings. For me personally, growing up by the sea made me want to make sure I stayed by it when I went to uni-versity and so whenever I feel like deadlines are getting me down, or I’m missing home, I go to the beach and the familiarity of the crashing waves seems to calm me. Even if

you haven’t grown up by the sea, I’m sure you can still appreciate the relaxing feeling that sitting by the sea can bring you — and the tide can wash your worries away.

University Chaplaincy If you feel like your problems

need to be let out to someone, why not pay a visit to the University Chaplaincy? Having been trained to listen and be of support to peo-ple in need, the chaplaincy will lis-ten to you and support you for as long as you need. Often operating on a walk-in basis, it is open be-tween 9-5 on weekdays (except Fridays when they close at 4pm) and also having an out of hours on-call service. The Chaplaincy is always there to help you if you are struggling with anything.

Beauty salonIf you’re feeling stressed or up-

set, often it helps to de-stress by having a massage or getting your nails done — helping yourself feel better by having a bit of me-time and relaxing. There are plenty of these places to choose from in Portsmouth, with Pebble on Faw-cett Road offering several student priced beauty and a new spa open-ing on Castle Road — there are plenty of options for you to enjoy a relaxing hour or two!

Portsdown HillSituated north of Ports Creek,

which separates the mainland from Portsea Island, Portsdown Hill is the perfect place to go when you need some time alone or for a thinking time if you need to make a decision. With beautiful views of Portsmouth, the Solent, Hayling Is-land and Gosport, Portsdown Hill

is perfect for a chilled afternoon — and you’ll get some amazing pic-tures too!

Playzone PortsmouthThis might seem like a curveball

when compared to the other places in this list, but sometimes you don’t want to be alone or quiet when you’re feeling low — you want to be active, in a loud, crazy environment with your friends enjoying yourself! And that is really what Playzone is all about. Hosting adult parties on Tuesday and Saturday nights, Playzone Portsmouth enables you to behave like a child again, making you at least forget your worries, if not vanquishing them all together.

Singled out in second year

Cheesy I know, but true.My advice is to go out and ex-

perience new things, grow in con-fidence and if it does bother you, learn to laugh about it. When asked to write this article, I joked I would write ‘Larry Loner: What life is like being left on the shelf’, yet despite the jokes and frequent digs, who actually cares?

Being single is like a bad hair day; you either let it bother you or you don’t. Luckily there is no such thing as a ‘singleton sticker’ that people will make you wear and, really, university is one of the best times and places to embrace being single.




Mental health issues and relationships Nicola Slade Sex and Relationships Editor

Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of; one in four people will experience some sort of mental health issue at some stage in their life. However, a lot of people with mental illness may cower away from becoming intimate with an-other half, but how is this fair? Men-tal illness is not something people can overcome; in the majority of cases, it is part of their life that they need to live with. So why should this stop them from leading a nor-mal life? It shouldn’t. Being with someone who has a mental illness is not going to always be easy and breezy but, then again, no relation-ship is. If you have found someone who could be the one, then it will always be worth it.

Mental illness can take a mas-sive toll on the person and the peo-ple surrounding them; this includes their romantic partner if they’re in-volved. Normally, the person they

are involved with gets the greatest impact as they are the closest to them and spend the most time with them.

For starters, when a romance is blossoming, the majority of cou-ples go through the so-called ‘hon-eymoon period’ where you can’t keep your hands off each other, you want to spend all your time together and you start to really get to know the other person. How-ever, mental illness can change all of these ‘honeymoon period’ occurrences because being in a

relationship with someone with de-pression, bi polar etc. can speed the relationship up into a more seri-ous mode. This is due to the de-pendency of someone with mental health issues sometimes becoming attached and dependent quicker than others who are in good mental health.

Severe mood swings are another factor that can affect relationships. The partner must learn fast to not take the other person’s moods per-sonally which can be difficult to handle. Once the other person is

happy again, it will always be hard not to be angry at how quickly they switched back but it will get easier over time. They must also learn the best way to act around their other half when they are down in order to not worsen the situation.

“ Being with someone

with a mental illness can

sometimes feel like an emotional rollercoaster with

a blindfold on because you never

know whether it’ll be an up or

down day”

Being with someone with a men-tal illness can sometimes feel like an emotional rollercoaster with a blindfold on because you never

know whether it’ll be an up or down day. Partner’s emotions will always affect the other person in every re-lationship; it just means there will be a few more dips. This again is something that the other half will learn not to take personally. They just have to remember that no mat-ter how bad they’re feeling, their-partner will probably be feeling ten times worse because of the guilt on top of their down day.

I’ve witnessed how mental health can affect the two separate individuals in a relationship as well as the relationship itself. It can be hard from time to time but, just like any other relationship, with time you get to know the other in-side out and how you can improve their life with your presence. Love is something that everyone should be able to experience and enjoy. At the end of the day, no relationship is perfect but when two people find each other that are ‘meant to be’ nothing should stop them being to-gether.

Fashion

Mental health: magazines and body imageAlex BeeFashion Editor

“You will never look like the girl in the magazine. The girl in the maga-zine doesn’t even look like the girl in the magazine.”

No one really seems to know who said these wise words but it would be nice to think that, deep down, we all know they are true. Why then do these unrepresenta-tive images of women appear on millions of the glossy pages read by millions of people every day? Fashion can be incredibly positive in so many ways, yet incredibly negative in so many more. Maga-zines are used to sell clothes but the subliminal body image expec-tations come free of charge.

Photo editing tools have been a double edged sword for fashion editorials. While they can create other worldly scenes and effects to enhance garments and accesso-ries, they also manipulate models into otherworldly human beings. Tiny waists are grasped by sinewy arms, with sharp elbows perturb-ing from them. Collar bones and pelvises that could cut glass jut out

above stick-like legs sporting the infamous thigh gap. At what point does aspirational become danger-ous?

“ Models with public drug

problems and celebrities

with eating disorders are seen

on front covers”.

On one of his Channel Four pro-grammes, The Naked Truth, Gok Wan stated that after 15 years of working in the fashion industry, he could categorically say that it is a physical impossibility for a woman to cross her legs and still have a gap between her thighs. Yet these morphed photographs remain on the internet and on the pages of mainstream publications. Editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, told the Telegraph in March 2014: “People always say, ‘Why do you

have thin models? That’s not what real people look like.’ But nobody really wants to see a real person looking like a real person on the cover of Vogue. I think Vogue is a magazine that’s about fantasy to some extent and dreams and an escape from real life.”

An escape from real life could be one way to describe the images in fashion magazines, another could be a warped and twisted expecta-tion of what we should see when we look in the mirror. Models 1 is the UK’s leading model agency. Their minimum height requirement is 5’8, when the average height of women in the UK, according to the BBC, is 5’3. At the same agency, the models that are classified as ‘curvey,’ are a minimum of dress size 14, when the average UK women’s dress size (as of January 2014) is a size 16.

The women may not be repre-sentative but it isn’t as if they are promoting an ideal lifestyle either. It is understandable that a person held up in veneration and used to sell a product should be healthy yet models with public drug prob-lems and celebrities with eating

disorders are seen on front covers. Some brands, like H&M, use plus sized models. Lingerie company, Aerie, have committed to keeping their advertisements free from pho-toshop. Spokeswomen for fuller figures like Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton promote a better image but, more importantly, a better atti-tude, dedicating less time to worry-ing about what they look like and more time on their careers. Other famous faces like Millie Mack-intosh Instagram their workout routines and write about being #strongnotskinny.

Major fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld caused outrage when he said: “These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly. The world of fashion is all to do with dreams and illustrations.” Whether the fashion world changes its per-ceptions or not, we can change ours. By putting the way that mod-els are presented in magazines into perspective we can change the only this that really matters: our mindsets.

EMILY ASTRID

GUSTAVO MEDDE

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Features

Hidden gems of Portsmouth: PebblePaisley Tedder Features Editor

It’s getting to that time in the first semester when deadlines are hit-ting us, the first years are needing a much-longed for trip home as the reality of university life sets in (noodles and beans just don’t com-pare with mum’s roast dinners) and we’re all getting sick with the sec-

ond coming of freshers flu.

“ Pebble offers deals

dedicated solely to

us students, including 50%

off all treatments on a Tuesday”

This is where Pebble comes in; opening just four months ago on the student fortress that is Fawcett Road, Pebble is a health and beau-

ty salon aimed at helping the stu-dents of Portsmouth de-stress and enjoy a relaxing hour or so away from our coursework, hangovers and the miserable British weather.

I write this having visited Pebble earlier today for a full Dermalogica facial, back massage, scalp mas-sage as well as the luxury of heated

mitts with a hand and arm mas-sage. The experience was blissful with soothing, therapeutic music to deepen the sense of calm I was

given.Pebble’s owner, Kerry Denny

who has been a beautician for eight years told me: “We value the quality

we offer, however we would rather it be at a good deal so more people benefit from being pampered more often instead of just the occasional treat.”

Pebble also offer deals dedicat-ed solely to us students, including 50% off all treatments on a Tues-day as well as 20% off for students Wednesday to Saturday. They also run monthly offers which involve a group of treatments at a discount price, particularly handy for birth-days as they also do gift vouchers.

Their most popular treatments include their waxing which is bet-ter priced than many similar estab-lishments in the Portsmouth area

and both their massage and facial treatments (which are amazing by the way!)

“ We value the quality

we offer, however we

would rather it be at a good deal

so more people benefit from

being pampered more often

instead of just the occasional treat”

If you are looking for more than a treatment to help relax yourself, Pebble also sells Dermalogica products, handmade cards and will soon be stocking Eve Taylor aromatherapy products which are used in some of their facials.

PAISLEY TEDDER


Online dating: Grindr app for dummies Ryan Smith

Many would say that the gay social networking app Grindr is very simi-lar to the online dating app Tinder. They are both used as a means to meet new people both for dates and for friendship and both use GPS to find available single peo-ple swinging for your team in your

area. However the similarities end there.

Although Grindr is advertised as a ‘social networking app’ the line between dating and cruising seems fuzzy. It appears at face val-

ue to be a dating app but, with op-tions such as ‘discreet’ and ‘right now’, it’s hard to believe it could be used for anything other than one-time casual hookups.

Essentially, Grindr is an app that lists other users in your area based on their proximity to you. The app allows you to describe yourself and what you are looking for using sev-

eral tools.Firstly there’s the more riskless

sections such as the ‘about me’ in which you write a short bio, an eth-nicity option, a height option, and an age option.

More assertive users can adhere to a ‘Grindr Tribe’. These are

“ Although Grindr is

advertised as a ‘social networking

app’ the line between dating

and cruising seems fuzzy”

essentially cringeworthy gay ste-reotypes such as ‘bear’, ‘discreet’, ‘jock’ and ‘twink’, which sound as though they have been plucked straight out of a bad porn movie.

Users can also state their ‘body type’ (options include slim, stocky, muscular, toned and average).

Finally, users can even state what they are looking for on the app, these include ‘friends’, ‘dates’, and the infamous ‘right now’ option which, if listed on a user’s profile is essentially code that the person you have found yourself talking to at four in the morning is most likely just looking for casual sex.

However Grindr isn’t all bad; there is always the chance you could forge genuine friendships. After all, it is a way to connect with others in the gay community even if it isn’t sexually. Also Grindr does cut out the question of whether the guy you are attracted to is gay or not, which can be a real dilemma in the gay community.

The app also arouses the issue

of hate crime and how extremist homophobes can use Grindr to meet gay people as a means to hurt them or even kill them. I would simply urge users to be careful not to be too trusting while using the

app.Grindr can be a fun app but it

is important to remember that it is no substitute for meeting people in person and to not be too heav-ily swayed by the image of whole-some dating that it appears to be on the surface.

“ However Grindr isn’t

all bad; there is always the

chance you could forge genuine

friendships. After all, it is a way

to connect with others in the gay

community even if it isn’t sexually”

DANIELLE SMITH



Fashion

Key fashion accessories for autumn Antonia Brown

There is a definite chill in the air, leaves are falling and the nights are getting darker.

An autumn fashion fix is in order, so here are five style additions that will jumpstart your look this sea-son.

“It’s all about the 1990’s

revival. We’ve seen

the return of crop tops, mirrored

sunglasses and even the

scrunchy.”

Chokers It’s all about the 1990’s revival.

We’ve seen the return of crop tops, mirrored sunglasses and even the scrunchy. Now the choker is stag-ing its ultimate 90’s comeback and they are sure to shake up your jew-ellery box. Nail the grungy but girly look with their delicate chains, retro charm pendants, tattoo like de-signs and statement velvet collars.

Rucksack It’s time to hang up that hand-

bag. The humble rucksack is back in fashion. The perfect combination of style and practicality, they’ve found their way on to the catwalk and on to the backs of celebrities such as Lily Allen and Lana Del Rey. Not only will your bag feel a lot lighter than when it’s carried on one shoulder but you also have free

hands to use your phone and go shopping with ease. No longer just for the geeky kids, there are plenty of fashionable backpacks out there for the grown up fashionista.

CapesThe coat has been overtaken.

It’s time to wrap up in a cosy cape, relaxed and practical, and great for

layering up. From dressy versions to casual looks, they are definitely an autumn winner being the cool-est way to update your wardrobe. We’ve all seen ‘it’ girls Cara Delev-ingne and Rosie Huntington-White-ley sporting their customised Burb-erry ponchos. There is a definitely a cape for any occasion, so start experimenting!

A statement hatA statement hat is a necessity

to dress up any autumn look. Mil-lie Mackintosh is never without her signature wide brim hat. There are plenty to choose from; whether it’s a fedora or chic beanie, it’s defi-nitely a must have accessory this season!

ScarfCashmere to faux fur, you need

to invest in some autumn neck wear. A scarf can be a versa-tile and creative piece which can freshen up your outfit. Scarves are in a variety of designs and shapes this autumn. Try and elongated fur scarves which will keep you warm and looking good at the same time.

BEARLOLLYKNIT

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Arts & Entertainment Music | Screen | Culture | Gaming & Technology

Album Review

Weezer take things back to the shackCalifornia’s most unpredictable hipsters offer up a boisterous yet measured return to form

WeezerEverything Will Be Alright In The End

7/10

Fred StonehouseMusic Editor

In their epochal twentieth year, Weezer are a band that contin-ues to garner large amounts of musical curiosity. Never a band to conform to the parameters set for them, they have consistently shown more variety in their mu-sic than Kardashians have sex tapes.

It is therefore strange that frontman Rivers Cuomo and Co. should choose to make their ninth studio album, Everything

Will Be Alright In The End, as a ro-mantic tribute to the band’s bygone era. Perhaps affected by previous criticisms, Weezer have with this album chosen to re-examine their origins in order to refine their di-verse sound.

With the help of producer Ric Ocasek, the band have created an LP that, for the most part, works very well. The album starts with a sound bite introducing the album title and then proceeds to crash, bang and wallop its way into the opening track ‘Ain’t Got Nobody’. People familiar with the bands ear-lier work will recognise the con-trolled structure of build-up that leads to a bouncy chorus, some-thing that is now synonymous with Weezer.

Their first single from the album, ‘Back To The Shack’ will most cer-tainly leave smiles on the faces of nostalgic fans, with lines such as “Take me back, back to the shack / Back to the Strat with the lightning strap”. It’s a completely brilliant (albeit familiar) Weezer song.

Whilst the speedy tempos of the tracks remain throughout, not all will capture the imagination of the listener. The biggest problem is that whilst the musical quality is

there in abundance, the structure dissipates far too often. Tracks such as ‘The British Are Coming’ or ‘Da Vinci’ try too hard to be clever by over-lyricising the choruses.

The best example of this can be given to the track ‘Foolish Father’ which starts at meteoric pace but ultimately gets let down by an ut-terly wet chorus, completely damp-ening its rhythm.

Thankfully those tracks are in the minority and the album makes up for it by producing some belting numbers which are bound to live on in Weezer’s folklore for years

to come. The anthem ‘Cleopatra’ is a raging tour de force that could easily sit alongside classics like ‘Say It Ain’t So’ or ‘Crab’ (from the self-titled Blue and Green albums respectively.

“ Weezer have chosen to

re-examine their origins

in order to refine their

diverse sound”

Weezer’s ninth effort is a posi-tive and fun album from our be-loved Californian hipsters. How they evolve after “going back to the shack” will be intriguing, but undoubtedly, everything will be al-right in the end.

TOP TRACKS: ‘Back To The Shack’; ‘Cleopatra’; ‘II. Anony-mous’

FOR FANS OF: Jimmy Eat World; Green Day; The Offspring

Album Review

Embracing solitude in a worthy returnJamie TCarry On The Grudge

8/10

Peter JacksonDeputy Arts and Entertainment Editor

Jamie T’s comeback third re-cord, Carry On The Grudge picks up where his preceding record Kings And Queens didn’t: it’s deeply personal, reflective and filled with the angry voice of a twenty-something man stuck in a sense of hopeless content.

Witty and sharp as a tack but never irritating, Jamie T’s sound

has been touted as a one-man Arc-tic Monkeys. Whilst upholding his own strong sense of individuality, his latest release doesn’t disap-point in that respect.

‘Zombie’ snarls and bites at you,

forever thinking about not liking it, thanks to its Rubber Soul-meets-London Calling sounds of happy-go-lucky power chords and social-ly reflective lyrics. The best tracks from the album, ‘They Told Me It Rained’ and ‘The Prophet’ reflect on Jamie T’s life in the musical wil-derness and lack of voice through the whole ordeal.

‘Murder Of Crows’ hypnotically draws you in with its glistening chords and simplistic percussion. It just hangs in the air as the lyrics take you on a roller coaster through a sense of honesty, that hits home like nothing before from the song-writer. ‘Peter‘ unapologetically hits you square between the eyes and

gives you a ‘f**k you very much’ for your troubles. It’s a heart-wrench-ing honesty from the voice in the back of everyone’s head when they’ve had enough with the mun-dane.

Musically, it’s a bit all over the place but not in a bad way. Never afraid to flirt with minimalism or an-themic big hitters, Jamie T’s sound is rich in all manner of influences and musical dialects. Similar to King Krule, every song sounds like it’s been written by one man and a mac but with the velocity of a gang of no-holds-barred musicians.

One downfall may be the lack of variety and it’s perhaps another case of ‘you’ll love the album if you

love the artist’, rather than ran-domly picking it up and falling head over heels for it. Ultimately it’s fun, energetic and everything disgust-ing about the 21st century, but de-livered beautifully.

TOP TRACKS: ‘Peter’; ‘They Told Me It Rained’; ’The Prophet’

FOR FANS OF: King Krule; Arc-tic Monkeys; Courtney Barnett

“ It’s a heart-wrenching

honesty from the voice

in the back of everyone’s head”


ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT @GalleonArtsEnts

Television Review

Bake Off: Star Bakers and soggy bottomsInnovative bakes and innuendos galore in the nation’s most beloved culinary conquest...

The Great British Bake Off (Series 5)BBC One

9/10

Danny RandonArts and Entertainment Editor

Who knew that a bakery contest would have millions of viewers glued to the telly? Isn’t such bilge consigned to fill time on daytime TV schedules? Clearly not in the case of The Great British Bake Off. Therein lies thrills, spills, tears and the occasional soggy bottom. And cake. Lots of cake.

Among the dozen of hopeful bakers at the start of the series was Enwezor Nzegwu, a University of Portsmouth staff member. Nzegwu ‘couldn’t really believe it’ when he was plucked from the thousands of applicants: “It was such a long process, I think there were seven rounds you had to get through be-fore you got to the last 12. By the time we all met up for the first time, we were all like ‘oh my god, that was so hard!’ It was a weird experi-ence from my perspective.”

As a business consultant for the Information Services department of the university, Nzegwu describes the support shown by his col-leagues as amazing: “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get onto a show that’s so mainstream with so many people watching and they loved it; they were so excited.


ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTAlbum Review

London producer gets by with a little help from his friendsSBTRKTWonder Where We Land

7/10

Ermis Madikopoulos

SBTRKT is the stage name for Lon-don producer Aaron Jerome and although he released a successful eponymous album featuring the likes Little Dragon and Jessie Ware, he wears a tribal mask to remain anonymous in the hope that his music is judged on its own merits. The debut album proved popular and his alternative take on dub-

step was playlisted on both BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music. His highly anticipated second album, Won-der Where We Land, was released earlier this month amidst interest to see whether some new elements to his sound were added.

The album opens with ’Day 1‘: a swirling synthesizer with a combi-nation of delay and reverb that’s reminiscent of a church organ. It drifts into the spacey title track, featuring Sampha’s unmistak-able vocals, which are interestingly chopped up towards the end. The next track is ‘Lantern’, a techno melody with a dreamy piano. The repetitiveness is infectious as it takes the listener into a trance.

The production on Wonder Where We Land is strong, espe-cially with the bass being brought up in the mix with some interesting effects. This is showcased aptly on ‘Look Away’, featuring Caroline Polachek’s (from the band Chair-lift) breathy vocals. While it’s an interesting choice of singer, the overdubbed vocals seem overpro-duced and slightly grating.

‘Temporary View’ features a me-lodic drum pattern and ambient piano chords, which pan from one speaker to the other nicely. Vam-pire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig guests on ‘NEW DORP. NEW YORK’, a

track that would be suitable for a late night drive along a motorway. ‘Everybody Knows’ contains ele-ments of dubstep fused with beau-tiful chords and soaring female vo-cals.

The final track, ‘Voices In My Head’ sounds as if it is influenced by Kid-A-era Radiohead, and the rapping from A$AP Ferg brings an atmospheric end to the album.

Wonder Where We Land is a dis-tinctive record, offering with it a va-riety of guests and sounds to keep the listener interested right until the end.

TOP TRACKS: ‘NEW DORP. NEW YORK’; ‘Everybody Knows’; ‘Lantern’

FOR FANS OF: Massive Attack; Zero 7; Jungle

LOVE IT! Ben Howard - ‘I Forgot Where We Were’ (Heard on BBC Radio 1)

Thank goodness Mr Howard didn’t forget where he was, oth-erwise we could be listening to a very different track. I was always semi-on board with Ben Howard; I enjoyed his first album immensely but had an impending sense of doom that like many artists before him, his second outing would be an unmitigated disaster.

Whilst the new album remains to be heard, this superb first single is a hopeful sign of more musical genius to come. It’s brooding and dark; it has more angst in it than a teenager, more edge than a Stewart Lee gig and more soul than a pair of Doc Martins (‘sole’, geddit?!). It’s a solid return, and a welcome relief for those who have

been deprived of male artists with an acoustic guitar this year. Oh, wait…

HATE IT! David Bowie - ‘Sue’ (Heard on BBC 6 Music)

It’s ironic that the day I tune into 6 Music for the first time in months, I should hear the northern twang of pompous presenter Guy Garvey (also lead singer of Elbow). Why is it ironic you ask incredulously? He regularly hosts an evening show on R6 (*Fists waved furiously in the air*).

Well, because I loathe Guy Garvey and his soppy band Elbow, he’s now gone and ruined one of my favourite artists of all time: David Bowie.

Garvey had the first play of Bowie’s new single ‘Sue’ from his upcoming

new album and it’s unfortunately pos-sibly the most pretentious piece of music you’ll listen to this year. Classi-fied as ‘jazz noir’ style music, it sounds like an old man has found himself lost, singing over the top of an experimen-tal Louis Armstrong-cum-Chemical Brothers mash-up. I know it’s not Garvey’s fault, but talk about rubbing salt in the wound. Bring back Ziggy, please!

FRED STONEHOUSE

Did you hear a track on the radio that

you loved? Or one you loathed? Email

[email protected]

Album Review

Fast-rising Irishman keeps the blues at heart with a respectable debut album

HozierHozier

6/10

Rachel Allman

Andrew Hozier-Byrne (simply known as Hozier) hit the charts with his debut single ‘Take Me To Church’, the first track on his self-titled album. With an indie-rock tone, he has brought some-thing new to the music world that has been missing for the past few years.

Hozier brings intensity through his lyrical genius and injection of a blues rock edge, whilst taking influ-ence from the likes of Leonard Co-hen and John Lee Hooker.

Being the son of a local blues musician has had some notable influence in his creativity for this unique album. Having released two

EPs previously, anticipation for the release of this debut was high and fans haven’t turned it off since.

The album starts with some in-credible, haunting songs, with the sounds of a gospel choir packed in. ‘Take Me To Church’ itself has an evocative harmony, almost like it had been recorded in its own spir-itual sanctuary. It then falls against the traditional image of the church by hurling itself into today’s society, with the downfall of a relationship (“I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies / I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife.”)

‘Jackie And Wilson’ then offers a bluesy vibe again, using insightful lyrics juxtaposed with some out-standing and different uses of clas-sic instruments. This song itself is a tribute to one of Hozier’s greatest influences, Jackie Wilson, explain-ing the rhythm and blues edge.

However, while the music con-trasts a range of creativity, linguis-tic dynamics and soulful blues, the album dissipates after a while, and the predictability of both the lyrics and the music disappointingly sets in.

As a result, the album slows down and sadly doesn’t quite keep up with the blues and rock-tinged pace that it sets itself at the be-ginning. Nevertheless this album is something special, and with Hozier’s vocal range and ability, he should be set to make big waves in the future.

TOP TRACKS: ‘Take Me To Church’; ‘From Eden’; ‘Jackie And Wilson’

FOR FANS OF: Damien Rice; Ed Sheeran; Mumford & Sons

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Television Review

Bake Off: Star Bakers and soggy bottomsInnovative bakes and innuendos galore in the nation’s most beloved culinary conquest...

The Great British Bake Off (Series 5)BBC One

9/10

Danny RandonArts and Entertainment Editor

Who knew that a bakery contest would have millions of viewers glued to the telly? Isn’t such bilge consigned to fill time on daytime TV schedules? Clearly not in the case of The Great British Bake Off. Therein lies thrills, spills, tears and the occasional soggy bottom. And cake. Lots of cake.

Among the dozen of hopeful bakers at the start of the series was Enwezor Nzegwu, a University of Portsmouth staff member. Nzegwu ‘couldn’t really believe it’ when he was plucked from the thousands of applicants: “It was such a long process, I think there were seven rounds you had to get through be-fore you got to the last 12. By the time we all met up for the first time, we were all like ‘oh my god, that was so hard!’ It was a weird experi-ence from my perspective.”

As a business consultant for the Information Services department of the university, Nzegwu describes the support shown by his col-leagues as amazing: “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get onto a show that’s so mainstream with so many people watching and they loved it; they were so excited.

Some of my colleagues were work-ing over the weekend once and one of the managers asked if I could bake them some bread and one of them said to me ‘that’s great, ce-lebrity bread!’”

Over the course of the show’s fifth series, we see the contestants frustrated over florentines, miffed over mini pear pies, stressed over schichttorte and don’t you dare mention ‘Bingate’: the front-page news scandal involving the alleged sabotage of a baked alaska, which received hundreds (yes, hundreds) of complaints.

Enwezor was unfortunately elim-inated from the competition in the second week which is when things began to get dramatic. Enwezor told us: “I was absolutely gutted and I was really disappointed but I’ve got to say that that it is one tough competition; that’s absolute-ly no joke.”

On the flip side, we see some truly mouth-watering bakes; from eclair stairs to mojito doughnuts, Bake Off is quite literally the last thing you want to watch on an empty stomach. There’s much less animosity between the competitors than in other televised tournaments but that doesn’t prevent the heat being turned up in the Bake Off tent.

“ Bake Off has become a national

institution, evoking the quaint

community spirit of a local tea room”

Much like Come Dine With Me, The Hairy Bikers and other fantastic British cuisine-based tel-evision, Bake Off would be nothing

without its hosts. While Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are swan-ning around on Strictly in an al-most dead-behind-the-eyes man-ner, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc are a presenting duo whose chem-istry is adorable. They bounce off each other’s well-executed word-play and consistently keep the bak-ers in high spirits but it’s probably best to look beyond their farcical European accents on European cake week.

Then there’s the judges: Paul Hollywood (who I’ve heard lovingly referred to as a ‘laser-eyed barn owl’) is a polarising personality; you either love and highly respect his brutal approach to bakery or you loathe his pompous pickiness. Mary Berry, on the other hand, is the prime definition of ‘the world’s Nan’; you want her to bake you cakes all day and she goes nuts at the mere mention of booze.

Enwezor told us about how the judges were on set saying: “Paul and Mary kept themselves a bit separate but that’s probably a good thing because they have to say some really harsh things some-times. Mel and Sue, however, are totally on your side and they’re there to make you laugh. They are just nuts and had us in stitches all the time!”

The finale did spark some con-troversy, considering the result was arguably decided purely from the final and not from the whole series: 60-year-old retiree Nancy Birtwhis-tle ended up as victor, with Luis Troyano and Richard Burr following close behind. Twitter consequently exploded in a flurry of ‘WTF?!’s and ‘OMG!’s, but it ultimately could’ve gone to a less deserving contender.

Enwezor admits: “I was on Team Richard; I got on really well with him — we’re both a bit geeky! Nancy’s brilliant, she’s a lovely per-son, really funny with a dry wit and not scared of anything. I’m over the moon for Nancy to win but I think I gave Richard a hug first!”

Even though it has only run for five series, The Great British Bake Off has become a national institu-tion, shooing the backstabbing and bitchiness (bar that incident) from the equation and evoking the quaint community spirit of a local tea room. It is one of the few things left in this country that can make us proud to be British.

David Lynch reawakens his magnum opusRichard WarburtonScreen Editor

Many of you will not be familiar with David Lynch’s seminal TV series that aired in 1991. Ask those who have seen it and they will soon be extolling the virtues of “damn good coffee”, “cherry pie” and a dwarf who talks backwards. So the news that Lynch is shooting new footage has got the fans into a lather.Twin Peaks operated on one wick-edly curved hook: who killed Laura Palmer? The murder of the home-

coming queen sparks an investiga-tion headed by FBI, Agent Cooper, who slowly peels back the layers on the eponymous town to reveal the seedy reality beneath the back-water winsomeness.

A TV series with only one real question can outstay its wel-come; by the end of Lost most of us had forgotten the question anyway. Twin Peaks, with its eerie charm, sustained the mystery - un-til midway through series two.

David Lynch has since spoken of his regret at bowing to network

pressure and revealing the killer’s identity. The series petered out and was cancelled after audiences de-serted. Nevertheless, what remains is some of the most sensuous and hypnotic television ever made.

This is Lynch’s noirish take on a police procedural that has eaten a naughty mushroom. If you enjoyed being baffled by Mulholland Drive or loved the gothic-influenced Blue Velvet, then download Twin Peaks and see what all the fuss was about. It is anything but a standard police procedural…

GO TO WWW.GALLEONNEWS.COM NOW FOR AN EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH ENWEZOR!

SOME OF THIS YEAR’S CONTESTANTS ENJOY A BRITISH CUPPA

UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH’S ENWEZOR HELEN YATES




ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Television Review

Lord Sugar returns for Round 10The Apprentice (Series 10 premiere)BBC One

8/10

Fred StonehouseMusic Editor

After ten years, it’s hard to believe that Prokofiev’s sombre ‘Romeo And Juliet’ is still blasting out of our screens on BBC One. Cocky busi-nessmen and women still stride to-ward us, proclaiming the greatest brilliance the earth has ever seen.

Welcome back to the most ob-noxious programme in Britain: The Apprentice. This is a show where 20 candidates, filled with enough venom to kill a herd of rhinos, vie for the chance to win an investment of £250,000 from business tycoon Lord Alan Sugar.

As normal, the show begins with initial interviews, showcasing each of the competitors’ own manifestos. Confident young go-getter Ella Bit-ton triumphantly proclaims that: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” draw-ing comparisons to an inspirational Christmas cracker designed by Katie Price.

Not to be outdone, Essex boy Daniel Lassman produces the brass nerve to claim: “I am an alpha male. I can make women do what I want in the business world” - clas-sic Apprentice chauvinism, check.

Once the show gets past the ceremonial peacocking, it moves at a terrific rate of knots. The pan-tomime villain for the series is es-tablished early on, with the project manager of Team Decadence, Sa-rah Dales, single-handedly manag-ing to tick every box on the sexist cliché chart.

Subsequently the guys (Team Summit), led by chinless wonder Felipe, managed to flop around aimlessly for the vast proportion of the task. Between the avocado hummus, hot dogs and the unused t-shirts, their whole campaign was a mess.

The inevitable boardroom show-down saw stitch ups and back-stabbing from both sides, notably the terrible scapegoating of social worker Steven Ugoalah. Lord Sug-ar, who’s beginning to look more and more like a Thunderbirds pup-pet, fidgeted impatiently on his re-volving chair trying to understand what happened.

The boys lost by £50 and Felipe, Chiles and Robert remained in the boardroom. Blame correctly fell at the door of anonymous sub-team leader Chiles Cartwright, who be-came the first candidate to receive the aggressive pointy finger, pro-

ceeded by everyone’s favourite catchphrase: “You’re fired!”. One down, 19 to go…

‘Sons Of Anarchy’… For dummiesRichard WarburtonScreen Editor

Sons Of Anarchy plays out against the roar of a Harley’s engine and the stench of petrol fumes, not to mention the whiff of treachery and deceit. The boys in leather are back for a seventh season of mayhem yet the series has probably not been the most talked about in the UK. Perhaps, like Breaking Bad, it is something of a hard sell.

The outlaw motorcycle gang operate on a similar basis to the mafia. There is a strict code of loyalty: prospects become members, rather like becoming a ‘made man’ in The Sopranos. They are very proud of their de-mocracy in which important deci-sions (such as ‘who needs shoot-ing?’) are made at the gavel. The gang meets around an engraved wooden table like a bunch of hairy, oily knights at King Arthur’s court. Arthur is represented by Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) who, like Hamlet’s uncle Claudius, has murdered his best friend and married the widow.

Second in command is Jax Teller, son of the aforesaid victim and potential heir to the throne. Jax is played by Charlie Hunnam, the grinning himbo from Pacific Rim, although in Sons… he has a magnetic screen presence. The rest of the gang are a rag-tag bunch of aggressive nutcases who hug each other a lot, espe-cially after a bar fight or a shoot-out.

The violence is at times very nas-ty yet the plots, often involving gun running and the IRA, are complex and rewarding. The female char-acters are formidable and the en-emies sufficiently vicious and bru-tal to give the boys a run for their illicit money. This series is a genu-ine heavyweight and deserves a lot more attention than it has received thus far.

The last of the action heroesNeeson, Washington, Brosnan: Tired old action stars are running out of puff...

Richard WarburtonScreen Editor

Taken 3 opens next year and will be sponsored by Just For Men. Actu-ally it won’t but, with Hollywood’s most bankable action stars enter-ing their seventh decade, when will they be allowed to put away the Glock and let some young punks start righting wrongs?

Liam Neeson is 62 and cannot be expected to be killing Eastern Europeans for much longer. Den-zel Washington (59) recently dis-patched dozens of Russians in The Equalizer and Pierce Brosnan (61) is soon to be seen doing the same thing in The November Man. Mis-sion Impossible 5 and Top Gun 2

are in the works but 52-year-old Tom Cruise’s star has faded con-siderably, unlike the lacquer on his teeth.

Part of the problem is the formu-la that these films adhere to. The hero has to be an ex: ex-marine, ex-special ops, ex-CIA or ex-cop, throw in the ex-wife and make him an ex-drinker, et voilà! To become world-weary, grizzled and cyni-cal takes time, hence the maturity of the stars. Recent attempts to freshen up the genre have been unsuccessful and, after Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, we know that the answer is not Chris Pine, nor for obvious reasons Paul Walker.

A generation younger reveals the likes of Tom Hardy and Idris

Elba who, though mature, are a long way off bus pass application forms. If there are any brains left in Hollywood, Idris Elba (42) will be the next James Bond while Tom Hardy (37), currently knock-ing heads together in the excellent Peaky Blinders, is Mad Max in the forthcoming remake. Mel Gibson was 25 when he starred in The Road Warrior which highlights the dearth of talent for, despite his later ‘issues’, he was a lethally charming Max who is of course an ex-cop.

Doubts remain over Charlie Hunnam, Armie Hammer, Chan-ning Tatum and Sam Worthington who have all appeared in duds and seem to lack the grit and gravitas required. Chris Hemsworth is cur-

rently in vogue but he looks more like a He-Man figure than an action one. It is unlikely that Cumberbatch or Radcliffe will be playing cynical ex-SAS types anytime soon so Mr Neeson and co. will have to keep blasting away at foreigners for the foreseeable future.

“ To become world-weary,

grizzled and cynical

takes time, hence the maturity of the stars”

Follow us onTwitter:

@GalleonArtsEnts

DANIELLE SMITH

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Book Review

Man Booker winner: an admirable and reflective contribution to historical fictionThe Narrow Road To The Deep NorthRichard Flanagan

9/10

Beth GiddingsCulture Editor

“In this world we walk on the roof of hell, gazing at flowers.” — Kob-ayashi Issa.

There could not be a more resonant epigraph for Richard Flanagan’s latest contribution to war fiction, a startling yet poign-ant reflection of the building of the Burma ‘Death’ Railway in the early 1940‘s. The Narrow Road To The Deep North, like most novels of its kind, is quintessentially a love story

intertwined with the bleakness of the war-time era, documenting the struggles of internal conflict alongside the catastrophic events of the novel’s context. Flanagan’s employment of beautifully haunting discourse to portray such a maca-

bre incident echoes the sentiments of Issa, profoundly highlighting his adept at writing.

Flanagan offers a memoir to the past through the narrative of cel-ebrated war hero Dorrigo Evans, an Australian surgeon who, over the course of the novel, recounts his harrowing past to the reader. We come to learn that Dorrigo is plagued with thoughts over an old love affair, and his dissatisfaction with both himself and his experi-ences at the Burma Railway set up Flanagan’s thorough representa-tion of such a tragic period in his-tory and its psychological reper-cussions.

Flanagan’s intrigue in this spe-cific event is credited to his fa-ther Archie, who had served as a

POW during the construction of the Burma railway enforced by the Japanese, surviving through crip-pling conditions and reprehensible brutality. Flanagan, who earlier this week received the prestigious Man Booker Prize for his contempla-tive piece, wished to allude to the forgotten voices of the incident, as well as produce a worthy dedica-tion for his father who unfortunately died on the day Flanagan finally completed the manuscript.

The construction, a rather un-known element of World War Two history, resulted in many deaths simply as the result of the poor working conditions, where diseas-es such as cholera and dysentery remained abundant. Flanagan goes to great effort in conveying the dis-

parity of the event through his cov-erage of not only the grotesque lifestyle of a POW, but also the hei-nous treatment of the prisoners by their captors. Flanagan’s pictorial language and relentless pursuit of telling a historically accurate story leaves this year’s Man Booker Prize in deserving hands.

“ This is

quintessentially a love story

intertwined with the bleakness of

the war-time era”

Book Review

‘Gone Girl’: is it a better experience through written word or motion picture?Gone GirlGillian Flynn

7/10

Beth GiddingsCulture Editor

Often goes the saying: “the book was better”. When Gone Girl was released in US cinemas last month, it went on to receive a multitude of felicitous reviews. Based upon Gil-lian Flynn’s bestselling 2012 novel, the film gave an opportunity to ex-plore and further develop themes Flynn had already touched upon and allowed for a wider audience spectrum to engage with a very convoluted, modern mystery.

Having acquired critical success through both media platforms, the question that remains is which ver-sion is more able to adequately por-tray the story Flynn has concocted in terms of both entertainment value and story-telling conventions.

The first section of the novel acquaints us with Nick and Amy Flynn, a couple living in Missouri

after five years of marriage. While all may seem quaint on the outside, in reality the marriage has become strained through the loss of their New York careers and their conse-quently affluent lifestyle.

The tension that arises from this situation sets forth the event THAT the title suggests, with Amy disappearing mysteriously on the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary. With foul play suspected, Nick is thrust into the public eye as the evi-dence continues to mount against him.

The film, notably directed by Da-

vid Fincher, is able to exquisitely convey the outside perspective of the disappearance, and the intri-cate workings of the law and me-dia. Despite this, the book is given slight leverage due to its first-per-son narration. Through being able to fully immerse ourselves in the sociopathic minds of Nick and Amy, we can ultimately develop a deeper understanding of their psy-che, an advantage which written word often seems to have over film.

The dual-narrative form of the novel effectively creates a sense of suspicion toward each character, with their most imminent, personal thoughts being shared to the read-er rather than to each other. It is through this we discover that both Nick and Amy’s narrations don’t match up, which in turn causes a rather frustrating read as the truth becomes indistinguishable from the lies.

However, this subjectivity is a vital motif in Gone Girl and is the feature that sets it apart from other novels of its genre, allowing for the plot to develop at a steady pace as more information is brought to

light. Flynn exceptionally utilises the common literary convention of the unreliable narrator and threads it into the backbone of the story, resulting in a periodically entertain-ing, however fundamentally tedi-ous, search for the truth.

Unfortunately, the hindrances that arise from inconsistencies and

the arguably odious personalities of Nick and Amy leave Flynn’s work in the shadow of Fincher’s, purely in cause of his ability to pique the audience’s interest from beginning to end.

DAVID FINCHER’S ADAPTATION OF ‘GONE GIRL’

KATY STODDARD

KATY STODDARD




ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Sherlock’s subconscious selfTasmin BygraveSecretary

Mental illness permeates every aspect of our culture. You don’t have to delve very deep to begin to distinguish TV personalities, musicians and fictional charac-ters that all exhibit certain fea-tures of ‘mental illness’. Stephen Fry, Robbie Williams, Carrie Fish-er, the list goes on…

With this in mind, it is important to understand what ‘mental illness’ actually means and how this has become such a huge part of our culture. The Oxford English Diction-ary goes as far to define it as “seri-ous abnormality in a person’s think-ing or behaviour.”

The casual reader may just de-duce that Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation, Sherlock Holmes, is quick-witted and extremely observant but look deeper into his psyche and you could argue that he too dis-plays signs of serious psychological abnormalities.

As Conan Doyle’s first Sher-lock novel, A Study In Scarlet, was considered a flop, the reader falls deeper into the consulting detec-tive’s world in the sequel, The Sign Of Four, getting a deeper view of some of his autistic traits.

Sherlock’s bumptious style of conversation goes some way to exemplify a common symptom of autistic behaviour - being unable to adapt the tone and content of their speech to different social situ-ations.

Conan Doyle also imparts other autistic qualities into his character, demonstrating the highly specific interests taken on by those with autism. Sherlock’s amassed out-of-the-way knowledge further en-forces the belief that ‘mental illness’ is commonplace, even in fictional characters.

While the official diagnosis of autism is comparatively new, Sher-lock’s subconscious self just goes to prove that ‘mental illness’ has and will always be prevalent within our culture.

“ ‘The Sign Of Four’

provides a deeper view

of Sherlock’s autistic traits”

Game Review

The ultimate showdown rehashed for the 3D gaming generationMario, Sonic and Link try to brutally destroy each other. Sounds like a winner.

Super Smash Bros.3DS, Wii U

9/10

Charlie Davis

If, for some strange reason, the headline has not already sold you on the game then allow me to state that, outside of Pokémon, the new Smash Bros. is the reason to buy a 3DS.

For the uninitiated, Super Smash Bros. is a fighting game that draws on over 30 years of video game history. Its impressive roster boasts over 40 fighters, from old Ninten-do mainstays such as Mario and Donkey Kong, to Nintendo’s more obscure characters like F-Zero’s Captain Falcon. Rounding out the roster are three third-party charac-ters from the golden age of video

gaming: Sonic The Hedgehog, Mega Man and Pac-Man.

The rules of Super Smash Bros. are simple: up to four video game icons are put on a stage and must battle to the death. Only death in Super Smash Bros. is unlike any other fighting game in that to get a

KO you have to knock (or smash) the opponent off of the stage.

Each character uses four spe-cial moves and regular attacks to try and evict their opponent. Also, unlike other fighting games, Smash Bros. does not require you learn complex combo strings with all of

its controls being based on how you tilt the thumbstick.

Super Smash Bros. For 3DS‘s biggest strength compared to its predecessors is in its balance. Every single fighter feels like a contender and considerable effort has been made to make all fight-ers balanced and to prevent one from being overpowered (looking at you, Super Smash Bros. Brawl Meta Knight).

“ The new Smash Bros. is the

reason to buy a Nintendo 3DS”

The bottom line is that, if you own a 3DS, then you owe it to yourself to pick up this game even if fighters are not your thing. Now to get back to training my Sonic…

Lenovo’s projector tablet: a bright idea?Charles Makemson

For Lenovo, 2014 is the year of the ‘Yoga’. Of course, I’m not re-ferring to the employees of Le-novo practising spiritual discipline. Rather, I’m talking about their line of hybrid laptop-tablets; with three new Yoga products out this year, it seems the company really is keen to push its seemingly original line out in to the world.

The latest reveal is the Yoga Tab-let 2 Pro which is indeed quite the mouthful, running on a quad core Intel Atom processor. It also packs a 13 inch UHD display which actu-ally has a decent amount of power ticking it along. Sitting atop this is Google’s latest iteration of their Android operating system, Kitkat (4.4). This ensures that software performance will be snappy and of course provides access to Goog-le’s app store.

The real clincher here though is that while the eight and ten inch models simply feature HD displays and the usual feature set, the 13-inch model features a built-in Pico projector. My initial thoughts are

that this could be a real multime-dia powerhouse, what with the built in JBL subwoofer and eight watt speakers.

With the projector capable of a clear image up to 50 inches in size, the specs here are really adding up. Except for one, nagging, problem: the resolution is limited to native WGA. This means that, while thor-oughly usable, in terms of movie watching and future proofing, this

projector is limited in scope.Having said that, Lenovo will no

doubt iterate further should this prove to be at all popular with con-sumers. Business users might also perk up at the possibility of a thor-oughly portable and neat all-in-one presentation solution.

Generic as that sounds, I can see office laptops being replaced by a product similar to this in years to come, as it offers a competitive

price point and a feature set con-stantly expandable through the use of the app store.

Coming at a price point begin-ning at $499.99 over in the US, giv-en the feature set and frankly gra-tuitous screen it seems like it may actually hold a place in the market, regardless of its (potentially gim-micky) projector feature.

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National Sport

The price of football Sam Meaghan

The 2014 Price of Football Sur-vey results were released this week and it was the price of Eng-lish football itself which came un-der the most scrutiny.

What was most alarming about the figures was that a ticket to a game at the Bernabeu in Madrid is roughly the same price (£18.50) as that of a ticket to a game at league one sides Walsall, Swindon Town and Crawley Town (£18.50/ £18.00).

With only two teams out of league one coming just under this price, it has to be questioned, why is English football becoming more and more expensive?

The answer is believed to be in TV rights to see the games and, al-though German and Spanish foot-ball is a lot cheaper than English football, it could be believed that it is mostly due to football being cre-ated in England.

“ It has to be questioned,

why is English football

becoming more and more

expensive?”On the other side of it, the

rights of all English Leagues are owned by large corporations such as Barclays for the Premier-ship and Sky Bet for the Cham-pionship, league one and league two being the main examples.

The solution to the excessive ticket prices, as heavily suggested, would be the idea of fan owned clubs and leagues. As exemplified in Germany, fan owned clubs and leagues would bring the price of tickets down drastically and make the games a lot more accessible. An almost free game would be all the more enjoyable.

JON KIME

National Sport

Bianchi’s Suzuka crash brings F1 safety to the forefront Charles Makemson

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamil-ton battled it out once again on the Japanese Formula 1 track. Rain beat down and conditions worsened as, after 44 laps, Jules Bianchi lost control of his car and crashed directly into a recovery vehicle. At the time of writing, his condition remains critical.

“ Whilst it’s mundane to

discuss safety measures

and restrictions, without excellent drivers like Jules

Bianchi, we simply do not have a

sport to follow”In the wake of Aryton Senna’s

crash that claimed his life in 1994,

Formula 1 safety was overhauled on a scale not seen since the days of Niki Lauda’s 1976 crash.

Measures restricting the en-try and exit to pit lanes were in-troduced in the following race, amongst other enforced limitations on pit stops and refuelling and in subsequent years the entire sport was overhauled in line with better and more robust safety precau-tions. Can we expect the same from Bianchi’s crash?

The current stance from drivers remains one of solidarity with Jules.

Talk of safety measures is thin from the drivers themselves but Bernie Ecclestone, head of the sport, has called for an inquiry into the crash.

This is, of course, to be expect-ed of such a high profile accident but does this necessarily make the point that safety measures must be changed?

A key argument here could be that had the safety car been on the

track already, the speed that Bi-anchi was driving at in such ques-tionable conditions would have been negated.

Furthermore, the positioning of the recovery vehicle was merely by chance due to fellow driver Adrian Sutil’s crash in the Sauber.

These kind of high speed (160 MPH in this case) accidents are actually fairly rare these days in the sport and one could easily argue that safety is beginning to burgeon on the very heart of racing.

Given Bianchi’s direct head inju-ries one suggestion that has been making the rounds for some time now (more recently through the Williams Team) is a closed cockpit solution; once again, however, this betrays the notion of open wheeled racing.

The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has since an-nounced that safety changes will be made but exactly what they are and how they will be implemented

is so far unknown. A speed limit solution in place of a safety car is another potential sanction.

At the end of day, however, the danger, technicality and thrill of high speed motor racing is what lies at the centre of the sport for many fans and whilst it’s mundane to discuss safety measures and re-strictions, without excellent drivers like Jules Bianchi, we simply do not have a sport to follow.

National Sport

Kevin Pietersen runs himself out with new autobiographyJames StrudwickGaming and Technology Editor

If you were to say to a cricket fan “Kevin Pietersen” many things would spring to that person’s mind; talented, creative and winner may be some of the things they might say.

Kevin Pietersen has released his first autobiography, ‘KP’. The book has caused lots of controversy as he has expressed his dislike on almost eve-rything which surrounds the England set up.

When I first started to follow crick-et, Pietersen was a player that every-one would be excited to see play. He burst onto the scene in England as a young, talented batsman and, when paired with the likes of Andrew Flint-off, had the ability to take teams apart.

A standout innings for me would have to be in the last test in

the 2005 Ashes at the Oval. Eng-land only needed a draw to regain the Ashes for the first time in 18 years. In the last test, Pietersen scored his maiden test century and helped England regain the famous urn in style. Pietersen’s exciting play style also lent itself to limited over’s cricket, making him an inte-gral part of the squad that won the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.

However, Pietersen’s central contract with England expired in February. He ended his interna-

tional career with 8,181 runs and a batting average of 47 over his 104 tests. Unfortunately though, I doubt that this is what he will be remem-bered for after the release of this book. Pietersen has made some scathing comments about several things to do with the England set up in his autobiography.

Instead of speaking about his development as a player, his book is focuses on his unhappi-ness and is chocked full of accu-sations. One of these accusations is aimed at former England coach Andy Flower. During Flower’s time with England, they won the Ashes in 2009 and the Twenty20 World Cup in 2010. In 2011, Flower also led England to number one in the world rankings, winning the coach of the year award at BBC Sports Personality of the year in the pro-cess, as well as being decorated

with an OBE.However, despite this success,

Pietersen has criticised Flower in his book, saying: “He built a re-gime; he didn’t build a team. I’ve told him this before. I told him dur-ing his coaching reign.”

Whether this accusation is right or not, Flower still brought the Eng-land team success while he was in charge.

It’s always disappointing when a player does this. It is fine to ex-press your feelings that you were not happy in a team. However, the way Pieterson has attacked certain people, I believe, is wrong.

It’s a shame that Pietersen may well not be remembered for his cricketing ability and the way he played the game, all because of his comments in this book and the stir his views have caused.

FORMULA UNO

CORMAC70


SPORT @GalleonSport

National SportHow exercise can help to combat depression Paisley Tedder Features Editor

According to the Mental Health Organisation, one in four of us will experience some kind of mental health problem over the course of a year, with mixed anxiety and depression being the most common mental health ill-ness in Britain.

One of our strongest tools to combat this, believe it or not, is physical exercise. As the NHS website shows, not only can ex-ercise help us beat physical ill-ness such as cancer and heart disease but it can also boost our mental health so that we are un-likely to suffer from depression in the first place.

Second year Psychology stu-dent, Ross Nedoma, said: “Sport can help us beat depression as the immediate effects include a release of endorphins and sero-tonin into the brain which makes us feel happier. It can also im-prove our confidence and self esteem, which naturally helps us cope better with mental illnesses like depression.”

“ Sport can help us beat depression

as the immediate effects include a release

of endorphins and serotonin into the brain

which makes us feel happier”

Exercise doesn’t have to be a solo activity either. Just going to the gym with a friend or joining a sport society and playing in a team can help. Spending time with others whilst doing exercise helps us feel better itself and also makes the exercise seem less less daunting and can stop it feeling like a chore.

Portsmouth FC

Pompey held by stubborn Stags PORTSMOUTH 1

MANSFIELD TOWN 1

Stephen Pollard

Second-half goals from Simon Heslop and Paul Robinson ensured that the spoils were shared be-tween Portsmouth and Mansfield Town at Fratton Park.

Pompey started with the clear mind set of attacking Mansfield with balls kicked in behind the wing-backs for Michael Drennan and Ryan Taylor to run onto.

It was the flame haired front man who almost stunned Mansfield Town; his header from a Shorey free kick with less than a minute gone was hacked clear by Richie Sutton.

The easy going was not all one way traffic though. From a Blues corner, the ball found its way to Rakish Bingham, the speedy strik-er’s eventual effort parried away by Jones.

Mansfield had briefly pushed

Pompey back into a 5-3-2 but, as the opening half wore on, the Blues began to assert genuine territorial dominance on their 16th place op-ponents.

First Ryan Taylor, then James Dunne and finally a brace of efforts from Drennan failed to bring a re-action out of Sascha Studer in the Mansfield goal but the signs were bright for the Blues.

In truth, the visitors only threat in the opening half came by way of Rakish Bingham. The 20-year-old striker, who has three goals in six games so far for the Stags, tested Jones on several occasions. Each time, though, the former Crawley keeper was readily available to deny Bingham.

The talking point of the first half arrived seven minutes from the end of it. Blues skipper Ertl was watching the ball out of play for a goal kick, when Matt Rhead came through the back of the Aus-trian. He should have been off but referee Stuart Atwell surprisingly

let the big striker away with just a booking.

Just a minute after the break, the visitors took an undeserved lead. Sloppy play at the edge of the box allowed the ball to fall to Simon Heslop and his low curling drive found its way past Jones to send the travelling fans into hysteria.

Bingham’s pace and power was a constant threat against a less than rocket heeled Pompey back three. After breaking away from Robinson, his stinging effort was batted away by Jones. His next go at goal trickled inches wide of a helpless Jones’s post.

It just was not Drennan’s day in front of goal. He did not look 100% fit (having pulled out of the Ireland Under 21’s squad on Monday), so when he blazed over from 15 yards, he could blame it on the hamstring.

Andy Awford made a double change 20 minutes from time and within two minutes it paid divi-dends. Shorey’s original corner was cleared but the ball eventually

found its way back to the former Reading man at the edge of the box on the right hand side.

He slipped sub Nigel Atangana a well weighted ball into the area, the Frenchman centred it for Robinson and the Milwall loanee leathered the ball with stunning force past an unsighted Studer.

The change in formation had also allowed Danny Hollands to push further up the pitch and the ex-Bournemouth man was a fin-gertip away from giving the Blues a winner. His looping effort stun-ningly tipped behind by the Swiss stopper.

That was the best either side could muster in the closing stages, with Mansfield elated with a well battled point on their part. The Blues will be disappointed with the lack of cutting edge, which ul-timately cost them all three points. Awford’s men have now gone five games without a win.

National Sport

Mental health issues in sport Josh SearleSport Editor

World Mental Health Day on Octo-ber 10th has been and gone but it is important to remember that the issues highlighted by the day are still present.

The macho world of sport, a phrase which I detest but which seems sadly fitting here, sometimes struggles to deal with sensitive issues such as mental health. Instead the sporting world puts up a barrier for fear the problems would be seen as weakness.

The culture surrounding sport, which has made this view a com-mon one, must be the first thing to change. Particularly when dealing with something as serious as depres-sion. Depression in sport is becoming worryingly prevalent or refreshingly spoken about depending on how you view it. Sadly, this has come too late for many sports-men and women, who now provide a warning to those doubting whether or not to seek help.

Gary Speed: accomplished foot-baller and successful national team manager was respected and loved across Wales and British football in general. Yet on the morning of 27th

November 2011 it was announced that Speed had been found hanged at his home in Huntington, Chester.

The police announced that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. Needless to say it sent shock-waves around the country and stunned everyone who knew Gary.

The contrast between how they viewed Gary and what he felt com-pelled to do was striking. Speed’s obvious reluctance to speak about the problems affecting him no doubt played a part in influencing

his actions.He’s not the only one for whom

everything became too much though.

In 2009 Robert Enke, the Ger-man national goalkeeper, com-mitted suicide, stepping in front of a moving train near his home in Hannover. Enke had been suffer-ing from depression for six years after the death of his two-year-old daughter.

His widow, Teresa Enke, also said he had trouble coping with the intense scrutiny of being a pro-fessional footballer and she made clear the importance of seeking support: “We don’t want sports people to go public and say we have depression. There’s no need to communicate it publicly. The help should be given internally. The coaches and the teams should help and support the player and let them know they can come back from it. Sport will always be im-portant but you should always see the human being behind the sports person.”

It is not only footballers who suf-fer.

Five-time Olympic champion Ian

Thorpe has said he dealt with “crip-pling depression” throughout his career. The swimmer, who retired in 2006, said that at some points in his career he found the only way to deal with his problems was through drink.

“There were numerous occa-sions, particularly between 2002 and 2004 as I trained to defend my Olympic titles in Athens, that I abused myself this way — al-ways alone and in a mist of dis-grace.” The Australian even went as far as to contemplate suicide: “I even considered specific places or a specific way to kill myself — but then always baulked, realising how ridiculous it was.”

Thorpe kept his struggles secret from his family and that is some-thing he has since come to regret, acknowledging the importance of speaking about his problems: “Not even my family is aware that I’ve spent a lot of my life battling what I can only describe as crippling de-pression. Now I realise it’s time to be open and I need to talk to them about it.”

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University Sport

Men’s Football 2nd team grab first winPORTSMOUTH 2ND 4

READING UNIVERSITY 2ND 2

Sam Winter

The University of Portsmouth Men’s Football 2nd team opened up their BUCS campaign with a deserved 4-2 victory over Reading University 2nd team.

The opening exchanges were largely uneventful, perhaps due to both sides getting used to the influx of new players that have joined for the new season.

The game sparked to life in the 19th minute, however, when some good passing play down the right continued into the box and Jack O’Sullivan was found open in the box curling a shot into the Reading goal.

It took just four minutes for O’Sullivan to double his season tally. When he was played in behind the Reading defence he continued into the box before rolling the ball to the right of Reading’s onrushing goal-keeper.

This seemed to settle the nerves of the home side who started play-ing some commendable passing

football along the floor.It was Reading, however, who

were to score next when a free kick from just inside Pompey’s half was pumped into the box; Portsmouth’s keeper came rushing out to punch but unfortunately he could only di-vert it straight at Reading’s captain and the ball trickled into the net.

The second half began with somewhat of lull but soon sparked back into action ten minutes from time when Jack Cannell respond-ed to a bad challenge with what looked like a punch into the back

of his opponent, sparking a mass brawl between the two sets of players. Both players escaped with only a yellow card.

This seemed to spur Portsmouth on and Josh Noyes could have extended their lead when his free kick from the edge of the area was tipped over by a magnificent flying save from Reading’s keeper.

Portsmouth did extend their lead on 84 minutes when James Ashton played in Jack O’Sullivan who completed his hat-trick as he once again rolled the ball to the

past the helpless keeper.Ashton then added gloss to the

score line himself a minute later. He was found on the edge of the area and coolly slotted a shot into the far left of Reading’s goal.

Reading had enough time to add a consolation from the penalty spot in the dying moments of the game stroking the ball straight down the middle of the goal.

After the game a proud James Clarke said: “I think we played quite well, though some might say we took the lead against the run of

play. Second half we tried to con-trol the game. We did invite pres-sure onto ourselves at times but we dealt with it ok. We took our chances well and our link up play was good.”

“I think we are in a league

we shouldn’t be in; we

had a couple of relegations on the bounce so

our main target is to go up.”

He further added that this sea-sons aim is promotion: “Promotion is what we’re going for, obviously we would like to win the league but our main target is promotion. I think we are in a league we shouldn’t be in; we had a couple of relegations on the bounce so our main target is to go up.”

DANIELLE SMITH

University Sport

Portsmouth hammer Brunel in Kick-Off PORTSMOUTH 1ST 16

BRUNEL UNIVERSITY 1ST 5

Aidan WilliamsDeputy Editor

A superb University of Portsmouth team breezed past Brunel with considerable ease in the first Wom-en’s Lacrosse game of the season on the Langstone pitches.

From the off it was clear which di-rection the game would go after Hol-lie Dawes and Loren Hiller scored to put the hosts 2-0 up. Brunel swiftly re-sponded to narrow it to 2-1 with their number five proving a threat.

At this point the game threatened to be underwhelming with a slight scoring drought that did not do the home team’s dominance justice.

Fortunately, the scoreless spell did not last long. Dawes and Hiller each claimed their first hat-trick with four quick fire strikes towards the end of the first quar-ter, stunning Brunel as the quarter

ended 6-1.The duo of Hiller and Dawes

provided a wonderful spectacle as both continued to score. The pick of the bunch being Hiller’s noncha-lant twisting and turning run, eas-ing past the defence, before scor-ing with an effortless strike.

Shortly after the resumption of play Hiller and Dawes put the game

to rest with a Dawes double and a single for Hiller in the first minutes of the restart.

Dawes was then forced off through injury and this represented the start of a slight lull as Brunel fought their way back to 12 — 4; Hiller disrupting their progress by gaining her seventh strike of the match.

Brunel, despite a spirited display and possessing a very good player in their number five, could not really mount any opposition and failed to deal with Hiller and Dawes who were ruthless and rarely missed as the home side won 16-5.

An easy start to the new season for the women’s 1st team, particu-larly with the scoring ability avail-

able to the home team; Hiller alone scoring 10.

A good win, which is difficult to fault despite leaking five (which is more a compliment to the opposi-tion’s number five as opposed to a criticism of the home defence).

Speaking after the match cap-tain Lauren Jean-Jacques said: “I was glad all of the girls came out, it was a great first match, we gave 100% and we’ve come up with an excellent win.”

“ I was glad all of the

girls came out, it was

a great first match, we gave

100% and we’ve come up with an

excellent win”

DANIELLE SMITH

SportUop Football 4-2 against Reading

P 23

In this issue...

Pompey v Mansfield

p 22

Price of Football results revealedp 21

University Sport

Promotion party continues for Men’s Rugby 1st team

PORTSMOUTH 1ST 22

BRUNEL UNIVERSITY 1ST 17

Stephen Pollard

The University of Portsmouth’s Men’s Rugby 1st team battled their way to a narrow 22-17 vic-tory against Brunel in their opening game of the new campaign.

After absorbing a raft of early pressure from the well established visitors, the men in grey found a breakthrough. A series of phases ended with team captain Harry O’Brien splitting the posts from a penalty won at the breakdown.

Despite being in front on the scoreboard, Portsmouth struggled to get a foothold in the game and Brunel almost burst over for a try soon after O’Brien’s penalty, only to be denied by a strong tackle from

scrum half Charlie Cutle. From the resulting scrum, Pompey fumbled and the ball found its way across the try line. It was pounced on by a Brunel back, who put his side 7-3 in front.

The home team seemed to take inspiration from falling behind, gaining a renewed sense of belief on the ball. Going to what they did best all game, the pick and go game was in full force as they drove into the Brunel 22. A penalty was eventually pinged against the hosts but it set the stall for the re-mainder of the afternoon.

Just moments later, the home side were rewarded. After winning a penalty midway inside the Brunel half, Sam Cooksley used speed of thought and took it quickly. He set up Lloyd Williams, who drove for the line but was held up short.

Williams set the ball up well for scrum half Cutle though. His pass

found Ollie O’Gorman, who, bas-ketball style, lobbed the ball over the despairing Brunel winger, into the hands of O’Brien. The centre made no mistake, crossing right in the corner, to put Portsmouth back in front.

Pompey showed supreme domi-nance in the scrum throughout this encounter and their second try of the afternoon arrived after a free kick acquired at scrum time.

Cutle was once again at the heart of things, his tap and go be-ginning a fluid move across the field, ending with O’Brien’s way-ward pass being tipped into the grasp of full back Matt Rhodes. He bustled his way across the white-wash to extend his side’s lead to 15-7, with O’Brien narrowly miss-ing the conversion.

As the half-time team talks ap-proached, Brunel offered them-selves a way back into the match. A lovely mix of forward and backs play opened up a gap in the home defence for the visitors to slide over in the corner. They too missed the extras and Pompey went into the half leading 15-12.

“ We slept a bit at the

end, which is down to our

own fitness, which is something we

can take from today but I think we are building

and this was a good win”

The second half was an altogeth-er much more smash mouth affair, with fluid back play at a premium. It was good enough though to ex-tend the Portsmouth lead when man of the match Ollie O’Gorman rampaged his way over the Brunel rearguard before touching down beside the posts. O’Brien added the conversion and the home team led 22-12.

Lloyd Williams had what was the highlight of the second half. His 50 yard run in hope of an over kicked punt was inches from paying divi-dends. He beat the Brunel full back to the ball and touched down, only to be adjudged to have been over the endline by the referee.

Portsmouth’s brick wall style of defensive line, with not a big rush but lots of gainline presence, stood rigid until ten minutes from time, as Brunel’s scrum half took advantage of a long kick won by his flanker to touch down right in the cor-ner. Their placekicker missed the conversion and that proved costly as Pompey rucked and mauled their way to a 22-17 victory to seal an opening day triumph after last year’s promotion.

After the game, club captain and man of the match Ollie O’Gorman explained just how big a victory this was for his side: “We knew Brunel were a good side, they performed well in this league last year and we’ve just come up, so we always knew it was going to be a battle. They are fit boys but we played well. “We slept a bit at the end, which is down to our own fit-ness, which is something we can take from today but I think we are building and this was a good win.”UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH RUGBY CLUB

issue 35

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