nu:lifeIsuue No.5 May 2009 - BUMPER END OF YEAR FINAL EDITION FREE TO A GOOD HOME

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REGULAR FEATUREs: EntErtainmEnt, nEws, your union,

food, sports, horoscopEs, spottEd plus loads morE

In this edition...

Double page spotteD

even moreteam northumbrIa news

top tIps to banIsh exam stress

brIllIantbraIn FooD

the official voice of northumbria students’ union

IT’s sUMMER TIMEAND IT’s TIME TO PARTY – THAI FULL MOON sTYLE

*****

special

bumper

edition!

*****

01ConCept design & produCtion

ContributorsFeatures - Editor - carmel lawless

contributors - danni mustarde • cheryl corner and hayley hindmarsh • samantha pym • mark coffey • adam willert

Light relief - mickey devereux • carmel lawless • lucille Valentine

Fashion - Josie Bramhall

Food - tek harrington

Entertainments - Editors - simon England contributors - James maughan • mark coffey • sJ Bowie • peter hawkins

sports - simon rushworth • paul cooksley • stuart wade • andy spoors • dave chalton • adam houston

nu:lifeIsuue No.5 May 2009 - BUMPER END OF YEAR FINAL EDITION FREE TO A GOOD HOME

the official voice of northumbria students’ union

Editors words:summer is practically upon us and we have a fantastic edition to end the academic year before you all go off on your hols.

Feeling stressed about exams?don’t panic because we have it sorted; turn to page 7 for some top tips, and to pages 22 and 23 for some essential brain foods to help get you through these tough tough times. But it’s not all doom and gloom... We also find out what some of you guys are getting up to over the next few months, celebrate the union achieving investors in people status, and catch up with all the latest team northumbria news.

this is also my final edition as editor, but don’t worry because your next Vice president of Communications and involvement, the newly elected Alison Jones, will be taking over and making sure you still have a fantastic magazine to read next year. i have absolutely loved producing nu:life, so i hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as i have!

And the end of term means one thing… party time! on the 5th June we have the ultimate thai Full Moon party taking place right here at your students’ union. it’s going to be huge, and i promise you, is definitely not one to be missed. Hope to see you all there.

love Debbie xx

Contents...02 - 03 NsU NEws

Are you ready for Welcome Week ‘09?nsu achieves investors in people.

04 - 09 FEATUREsWhat are you up to this summer?

Feeling stressed?students travel to Auschwitz.

10 - 12 GET INvOLvED AT THE sUstudents’ union Awards evening.

Want to become a future Community rep/student trustee?Find out how here.

14 - 17 LIGHT RELIEFAsk Alexa - everyone’s favourite Agony Aunt.

‘You what, you what’ - students overheard.Horoscopes.

spotted - double page special.

18 - 19 ARE YOU A BUDDING jOURNALIsT?show off your skills.

21 FAsHIONnu:Life reporter checks out a Vintage Fashion Fair.

22 - 23 FOODeat your way to exam success.

25 - 28 ENTERTAINMENTsFilm reviews, music and local bands.

30 - 41 TEAM NORTHUMBRIA NEwsspecial extended section.

ALL the news from your favourite sports teams.

NsU achieves Investors in Peoplenorthumbria students’ union has formally been recognised as an investors in people organisation.

this is a great achievement for

the students’ union and shows its

commitment to training, development,

performance management and having

a clear, focused business plan.

nsu president, dave Wright says “it is a great achievement to be awarded Investors in People status and proves our commitment to being a great employer.We employ 140 staff, including roughly 100 students and will be recruiting more staff after Easter. A lot of hard work has gone into reaching the IIP standard and we’re very proud of the award.”

If you are interested in working for

northumbria students’ union please

email su.enquiries@northumbria.ac.ukwww.investorsinpeople.co.uk

Get ready for welcome week 2009

becky warburtonVice president Activities and development

alison JonesVice president Communications and involvement

pete woodwardVice president Welfare and equality

And your elected Lay student Councillors are:paul blair

ramesh Kolluri

holly marsh

naushad Khadun

paul phillips

Congratulations to everyone who was successful.

Tell us whatYOU think!do you want the chance to win £500?fancy a free coffee?want to make the students’ union more able to provide for your needs?the make sure you log on to mynsu.

co.uk to fill out “Your union Your say”.

the students’ union is a run entirely for

its members, which means we’re here for

every single one of you! But to be able

to provide what you want, we need to

know what that is! For just a few minutes

of your time you could have your say

and potentially win £500 in the process.

Don’t delay, fill out“Your Union Your say”.

nEws nEws

New Community strategystudent council said yEs to making a difference in the community by passing the new northumbria students’ union’s community strategy 2009-2012.the strategy is a 3 year working plan

that sets out the current and future

ambitions of the students’ union to have

a positive and long lasting impact upon

our local communities. it details how the

union aims to engage with the local

community.

through student societies, nsCA

and rAg, the students’ union has

developed lots of creative working

links with many local organisations

which have enabled us to extend the

positive work of the union out into the

wider community. student Council

voted yes to extending this work over

5 strands - Housing, Volunteering,

Community impact, students as

employees and safety and security.

vice president rachael brannan

explains:

“This strategy highlights our commitment to consider ways in which we work and also, sets out to evaluate our success in this area and to identify ways in which we can improve and develop our future community participation”

“I’m really excited for where this could lead us and how students can further get involved”.

what’s really going on...

02

a member of the welcome team.if the idea of making friends, helping

new students settle in, and getting the

chance to attend all the amazing night

time entertainment appeals to you, then

why not apply? Applications close on

May 27th and places will be allocated

on a first come first served basis. Contact

Lewis still (lewis.still@northumbria.ac.uk)

for more details.

ElectionsThe Results

you can’t have failed to notice the elections which took place at the start of march, with all the candidates and their campaigns teams running around trying to get your vote. well the winners were announced and you chose your representatives for the next academic year.

Next year’s sabbatical officers will be:Dave wrightpresident

adam whiteVice president Academic Affairs

most people remember their first week at university with fantastic memories, and you have the chance to get involved again by becoming

For everyone out there who wants to be kept up to date with recent and upcoming sU events, events on around Newcastle and general banter, this feature is for you.

EvOLOUTIONFEsTIvAL 2009as every north-East based student should know, this years favourite “overdraft friendly” music event, Evolution festival (previously 3voloution festival) will be taking place on bank holiday sunday and monday on the 24th and 25th of may.

this Weekender event, takes place every

year on newcastle’s iconic Quayside

with acts performing simultaneously

to suit everyone’s tastes at both Baltic

square and spillers Wharf and this years

is going to be a BeLter.

With headlining acts including dizzee

rascal, Human League, the Wombats,

the View, the Macabees and Chase and

status, to name a few, the evoloution

Weekend is set to be top stuff and can be

all yours for the mere price of £15 for the

entire weekend. good, eh? unfortunately

though, the weekend tickets have

News... NEws... News...

wHAT’sEvERYONE TALKINGABOOT? already sold out, but don’t get those

music-hungry knickers in a twist because

last time i checked there were still

individual day tickets left for both days at

£9.50 each per day.

so, with no excuses, get yourself to

either HMV in town which were selling

tickets for the event or go online to

www.evoloutionfestival.co.uk for more

information on line-ups, the event and

ticket sales.

Don’t miss this year’s biggest North East festival right on your doorstep!

ALsO...EAsTER BUNNY BLOwOUTalong with the awaited end of term last semester, came the “Easter Bunny Blowout”, which was purely eggcellent. thanks to the load of you who turned up, t-shirts at the ready, waiting for the chocolate mayhem inside - the Easter eggs and bunny girls went down a treat.

Keep a look out on the su website for

news on the summer event, the much

anticipated thai Full Moon party!

For more “what’s On” Listings, Check out http://mynsu.northumbria.ac.uk/

Danni mustarde

03

Left to Right:

Pete, Becky, Dave, Alison and Adam

The welcome Team in Training

currently my plan is to spend the summer sitting in the sun singing along to power Ballads Vol. 3 until i’m overheard by a talent scout and snapped up for a whirlwind romance with mtV, crazed stalkers and duets with everyone from alphabeat to Jay-Z.Fortunately a quick poll revealed most

of you have been a little more organised

and have lots of interesting things lined

up for the summer. this season everyone

seems to be ditching Blighty to camp it

up in America and europe. i spoke to

these northumbria students to find out

what on earth could possibly compete

with a summer of soggy camping and

fish and chips....

I’ll be working as a courier for Holiday

Break for 8 weeks, cleaning and looking after the guests etc.i don’t know where yet which is quite

exciting, could be in a number of places

across europe, though i requested

italy. i think doing this will improve my

confidence and social skills and i’ll get

to meet loads of people. i want to travel

after uni so this’ll be a nice

start!

RACHEL ROONEYthree dimensional design

I’m going to work as a prep chef in a

traditional American summer camp.it’s basically just chopping up food,

which is good because i’m not the best

cook! the camp is on orcas island in

Washington state, i’ll be there for 11

weeks then i get to travel for 30 days

During a rare and well-earned break from our intense dedication to NU:Life, Debbie and I embraced the recent heat wave and went for a leisurely stroll in Heaton Park.as the sun beat down and we tasted our first ice-creams of the season it felt like summer was finally on its way.

fEaturEs

after -

yay! i could’ve done the same

job here but thought it would be more

fun to be in a different country, plus

there’s the travelling aspect. My friend

worked in a summer camp last year

and said it was amazing - i

can’t wait!

ROsIE BRAssCommunication and public relations

I’m working at an American summer camp called Camp Modin in Maine.i’ll be a general Councillor/Archery

specialist as they call it which means

i’ll be living with the kids and generally

looking after them but for 3 hours a day

i’ll be teaching Archery.

i’ve been doing Archery with my

stepdad, who’s a qualified instructor, for

about 10 years and started helping him

to teach children about 3 years ago and

so thought it would be a good excuse to

go and see America as i’ll be travelling

for two weeks after camp.

CRAIG vOLLERBusiness information technology with entrepreneurship

I’ll be teaching tennis for 8 weeks at a

camp in New Hampshire in America.i went last year and really enjoyed it, i

made loads of friends there and quite

a few are going back so it’ll be good to

see them. i’m going travelling

afterwards too.

jOANNE MIDDLETONsports development and Coaching

carmel lawless

Feeling Camp?

the event will be held in london where the finalists will battle it out for a truly incredible prize which includes a holiday for two to Europe, a 12 month tV and modelling contract and a rather tasty £10,000 cash.

“My dream is to work as a nurse in Australia” says nicola, who is currently in

her first year studying Adult nursing,

“The money from this competition would go towards paying for my placement over there in my second year of training. Nothing satisfies me more than making people smile and cheering them up, which is why I’m studying to become a nurse. Working 14 hour shifts is a killer but I keep going because I know I’m making an impact on other people’s lives every single day.”

Miss student UK is a modern day beauty contest with a twist: they’re looking for someone who is ‘more than just a pretty face’ and one girl who certainly fits that description is Northumbria’s very own Nicola Elliott who has made it through to the grand final in june!

fEaturEs

so what exactly did the contest involve? strutting around in a bikini dreaming of world peace? “Not at all!” laughs nicola,

“The judges take into account loads of things like what subject you’re studying at uni, dedication and talent. We’ve also had mentoring sessions focused on self-confidence and development, they really try and promote the attitude that if you think you can - you can”

You can show off your poly pride by

adding nicola as a friend or leaving a

comment online atwww.missstudentuk.com/student.asp?s=3446.

want to support Nicola even more and think you’ve got what it takes to take part next year?enter online for

Miss student uk

2009/10 now!

don’t forget to quote “nicola 3446”

when it asks how you heard about the

competition. Let’s show everyone once

and for all that northumbria really does

have the hottest girls and yes, we are

more than just a pretty face.

carmel lawless05

Here comethe girls...

04

“

““”

”

”

of Facebook but at least when you

succumb you can benefit from

some subliminal messaging.

3. resist the urge to get ratted. after a long day revising/Googling your own name you may find yourself gagging for that first pint refreshment but keep it tame. going on a massive bender will

mean your body will spend the next

day (or two) attempting to cope with

sleep deprivation, depleted sugar

levels, dehydration and quite

possibly a very dodgy kebab. As

lovely as hangovers are, they’re

not the best revision aide. Better to

save them for after the exams.

4. stretch. When you start to feel the tension

build in your shoulders get up

and walk around, stretching your

back muscles by pushing your

palms to the ceiling for ten seconds

and touching your toes for another

ten. Best done in private to avoid

looking like you’re on day release.

5. speak to your guidance tutor. each course has one and their role

is to help with any academic

problems you may encounter -

including revision stress. don’t

be afraid to admit if you haven’t

started your work or you totally

don’t get one of your modules, the

sooner you ask for help the sooner

you can get on top of it all and

relax.

The end of term may be on the horizon but before we can escape there’s a little matter of exams and assignments to deal with. Here are my top tips for survival...

1. hopefully the subject you’ve chosen to dedicate three (or more) years of your life to does actually interest you and secretly you’d quite like to show off what an expert you are - so do it! round up some chums and head

to somewhere like Habita or the

library basement for a more

informal revision session. try

starting a debate or quizzing each

other. Loser buys the next round.

2. cover your laptop in post-it notes with key revision points. no-one can resist the seduction

fEaturEs

6. tap into the skills plus service via the e-learning portal for tips on essay and report writing, it skills and more. there’s even a skills Check tool

to help identify what skills you need

to develop, so even if you think

you’re perfect you can take the quiz

to make sure.

7. have faith. in yourself i mean, but don’t be

shy to turn to religion either, even if

it’s not usually your thing.

northumbria’s chaplaincy service

has multi-faith staff on hand to

offer independent and confidential

advice and absolutely everyone

is welcome. they’re based at 6

College Lane, opposite the car park

on st Mary’s place/sandyford rd and

in the student services department

in northumberland Building.

Contact gavin Wort at

gavin.wort@unn.ac.uk for more info.

8. feed your brain. Make each meal act as a break

from studying and eat something

substantial and nutritious to

maximise concentration levels. stuck

for ideas? see this month’s food

pages for tek’s top 5 brain foods.

carmel lawless

07

Exam stress:TOP TIPs!

experience helped us gain a common understanding of the atrocities and unimaginable conditions which were placed upon over fifteen million people worldwide in the camps of auschwitz.

during our trip to poland we visited two

camps, Auschwitz and Birkenau which

can also be known as Auschwitz i and

Auschwitz ii. Auschwitz i was run by ss

officers during the reign of Adolph Hitler.

this camp was built as a work camp

for the prisoners but became the place

of the malicious killing of thousands of

people. the camp was also the base

for the treacherous work of an officer

within the ss called Joseph Mengele.

Joseph Mengele was in charge of the

selection process of people who came

into the camps, his role was to separate

the “healthy from the sick” or the “useful”

from the “un-useful”. From these he

would choose those able to work and

those to be used for experimentation.

one of his main interests was children

and in particular twins. A range of tests

were placed upon young prisoners,

one of which involved placing them

into cold water, watching and waiting

to se how long it took for their heart to

cease. this was just one of many terrible

experiments inflicted upon prisoners in

the Auschwitz camps.

during our visit to Auschwitz, we

entered one of the buildings where

thousands of possessions taken from

the prisoners were stacked up to view.

these possessions included shoes,

clothes, suitcases, seven tons of human

hair shaved from prisoners’ heads, 460

artificial limbs, hundreds of prayer

shawls, combs and even baby clothes.

During the january inter semester break we travelled with many students and staff from Northumbria University to Poland.the purpose of the trip was to gain understanding of the holocaust.

we visited the camps of auschwitz for the 64th memorial. the group travelled by coach through Europe which enabled us to bond in a unique way and this shared

fEaturEs

08

seeing such items

brought the scale of the

atrocity to life, it made

a huge impact on the

group. in other buildings

hundreds of photographs

of the prisoners hung

bleakly on the walls - the

sight was haunting. We

viewed areas where the

prisoners were housed and

witnessed first hand the

rooms and areas designed

to torture

thousands of

people such as

the standing

cells and the

horrific gas

chambers.

seeing such

sights first hand

is unexplainable

it was so

overwhelming.

the second

day we visited

another of

the Auschwitz

camps, Birkenau

also known as

Auschwitz ii.

the feeling of

Birkenau was

very different;

the sheer scale

of the area is

soul destroying.

this part of the

camp was built for

one purpose, which

was extermination.

it seems like a huge

machine designed

for the most ruthless

to be standing strongly with those who

survived.

Later that day we held our own

memorial whereby many members of

the group read out poems, readings,

and prayers and we stood in silence to

reflect on the life changing experience.

Candles were lit in remembrance of

those who suffered and as darkness fell

we made the haunting walk from the

memorial site to entrance/exit which is

best known as the “gate of death”, this

allowed us to reflect on those who did

not make it out of the camps and who

were left to perish in such inhumane

ways.

the trip itself was both physically and

emotionally tiring but together we found

unity and came to some understanding

of the inhumanities that took place.

during our journey we had the chance

to reflect personally on ourselves, as a

group we learnt to question our own

decision making, the impact we have

on others and what we offer, do and

could do for others in society. the trip

showed us a glimpse of the suffering

that went on and stirred up varied

feelings in all. Witnessing artefacts, the

places where so many people perished

and suffered was very moving. the

learning from the trip was not related

solely to the Holocaust but also relevant

in today’s societies regarding suffering,

personal responsibility, human strength,

surviving and ensuring that happenings

during the Holocaust are not forgotten or

able to be repeated again in the future.

everyone undoubtedly experiences

different reactions and feelings when

visiting Auschwitz. those emotions

cannot be recreated by hearing the

stories on tV, nor by seeing the images

on the internet or in books. of course

process of murdering

people which when

thinking of this is so

upsetting. the day

at Birkenau was

particularly poignant

because we visited

on the 64th Memorial.

As we walked

through the camp

many survivors

were arriving to

commemorate this

day. some

members of

the group

expressed

that they

could not

understand

why these

survivors

would want

to return

to such a

place. it

was not

until the

guide explained that

Birkenau and the

area around it is seen

as a resting place

for many survivors

family and friends,

and they do not have

the benefit of visiting a

graveside or place of

rest elsewhere. Many

of us felt so humbled

to witness such

an event. it was a

highly emotional

experience to

be part of the

remembrance

of so many who

perished and

we have read and seen a lot about the

place, but actually being there is very

much different. We would like to reiterate

that this is not a trip or tourist destination,

but the site of dehumanising and

barbaric acts. We don’t think it is possible

to put down in words the impact of such

an experience, we hope that through

gaining such first hand experiences we

can broaden others understanding on

the issues surrounding the Holocaust and

their relevance today such as valuing

and celebrating diversity, and spreading

the word of our commitment to ensuring

nothing of this nature is ever allowed to

happen again.

May peace and love be with all those

who suffered.

Cheryl Corner and hayley hindmarsh

09

fEaturEs

The journey of Understanding.

mEmBErship sErVicEs

Each year over a thousand Northumbria students dedicate their time to volunteering. These good causes have included projects which benefit the local community, running societies, and enhancing your student experience as a school Rep plus many more.

we believe these people deserve recognition so to reward their efforts and say a massive thank you on behalf of the su we hold the annual awards evening every may.

Thursday14th May 2009sEEs THE 5TH ANNIvERsARY OF THE sTUDENTs’ UNION ANNUAL AwARDs EvENING.

this event is a massive

celebration of all the

volunteering that students

at northumbria undertake to

improve student life here at

university.

NOMINATE YOURsELF OR A FRIEND FOR ONE OF OUR PREsTIGIOUs AwARDs:• BestNewsociety

• societyoftheyear

• raggieoftheyear

• welcometeammemBer oftheyear

• DiversitychampioN, commuNityvoluNteer

• commuNicatioNs&meDia voluNteeroftheyear

• schoolrep

• courserep

• pgrrep

• NsuvoluNteeroftheyear

• NsulifetimeachievemeNt awarD

nomination forms are available from the activities Centre or by downloading below. Closing date for nominations: 1st may 2009

the Awards evening is also a chance

for any students who have completed a

northumbria plus+ Logbook detailing

their continuous voluntary work, to collect

their northumbria plus+ certificate.

the night itself is all glitz and glam with

a wine and canapes reception and free

entertainment but on top of all that we

give out awards to the most outstanding

volunteers as nominated by you the

students. You can nominate someone

who you know, or you can choose to

nominate yourself - there’s no shame in

knowing that you’ve done a good job!

THE EvENT Is FREE AND ANYONE Is wELCOME TO ATTEND.

mEmBErship sErVicEs

to work for a year in the area in which they live to build relationships between the students’ Union and the local community.

the reps will gain fantastic experience in representing the university, receive £100 per term for their work and be fully trained and supported in the role. the Community reps will work together on projects which affect all students and individually on those more specific to the area.

they will have the opportunity to work with key members of the community such as councillors and the police

as well as sourcing the views of other students to create a voice in the community and a catalyst for positive change.

For more information and information on how to apply seewww.mynsu.co.uk

Bridge the gap!

Your Union is currently recruiting 5 “Community Representatives”

are you looking for an outstanding development opportunity?if so, pick an application pack now for the position of:

student Trustee - VoluntaryNorthumbria students’ Union is a busy, active and thriving democratic organisation and we are seeking four student Trustees to drive the future development of the organisation. You will ensure that the students’ Union has a clear strategic direction, ensure that it is well-run and you will effectively scrutinise it as a charity.

you will have an empathy with the work of the students’ union; possess the skills to be effective in decision-making and a commitment to the principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. this is a tremendous, genuine development opportunity for four northumbria students and one that will enhance any cV.

Pick up an application pack / submit your Cv by Monday 11th May 2009:

t: 0191 2274288 e: graham2.atkinson@unn.ac.uk www.mynsu.co.ukjobs

AnnualAwards Evening

10

££Do you Need

a Job?

The Students' Union is recruiting around 60 staff in the following areas:

Bars / CateringMarketing and Promotions

Graphic Design / Web Development The Welcome Desk

The Student Activities CentreThe Advice & Representation Centre

NUS Extra Assistants

If you submit an application you will automatically be invited to an assessment day on Saturday 16th May at 10am - please ensure that you reserve this date.

Closing date for applications is 4pm on Monday 11th May 2009Northumbria Students' Union, 2 Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8SB I 0191 2274757 I su.enquiries@northumbria.ac.uk

Pick up an application pack from:The Students' Union Welcome Desk

Coach Lane ShopCareers and Employment Service

or www.mynsu.co.uk/jobs

We offer good rates of pay (currently £5.76 p/h), flexibility and lots of fun! We also have an extensive rewards package (includes free access to regular events

and some concerts), which is included in full in the application pack.

Will you be a Northumbria student in 2009 / 2010?Will you be a Northumbria student in 2009 / 2010?

StudentS unionA positive impact on the lives of all o

ur stu

dent

sSU

northumbria

horoscopEs

15

Aquarius20 January to 18 FebruaryFinally you find time for

something that you wished you

had had more time for. You revisit stuff

that you have been dealing with since

october; but with more humour and

wisdom.

Pisces18 February to 20 marchin the merry month of

May you work with women or

with beauty and it is easy and fortuitous.

don’t second guess your luck because

then you take you eye off the ball.

Aries20 march to 19 aprilYou launch a new project

and your relationships

flourish. Are you ready or did

you overdo it last month? this is a lucky

month but since it is very physically

demanding you must stay healthy.

Taurus19 april to 20 may

You are in a mad dash

and when bulls run the

earth shakes which can be

rather scary looking. so reassure people

close to you: wear a metaphorical sign

that reads “don’t panic, i am just in a

hurry”.

Gemini20 may to 21 Juneplans are slowed down

but rather than get frustrated

you should appreciate the beauty of

your slower creativity. You will complete

your projects and that is deeply restful

and satisfying.

Cancer21 June to 22 JulyWhat you need is someone

to talk to and there is just

such a person, someone stable

and steady; look around. it is your

choice whether you make use of the

chance; it will be good for you both.

Leo22 July to 23 augustYou are good at

maintaining your own

natural balance and right now

you want sensory input, to be in touch

with your body to get the whole picture.

nothing else will do and remember to

take notes.

virgo23 august to 22

september

Be sure that you know what is

really happening before you are too

hard on yourself. do a reality check.

You do need the rest, to catch your

breath. review your methods and the

new routine.

Libra22 september to 23 october

the transaction that you

almost finished back in March can

be concluded at the end of May, if you

are ready for it. revise and trust that this

will be the last time; really just do it.

scorpio23 october to 22

novemberYou get things done and

people follow you. Your energy is

high. You find yourself in the right place

at the right time and as a result you may

travel or win in an ongoing legal battle.

sagittarius22 november to 21 DecemberYou are drawn to

meditation, vision questing, art

and you will use technology to bring

these to the greatest number of fellow

humans. You flourish in creative groups.

Capricorn21 December to 20 JanuaryCommit to a routine of

daily right action: start yoga or

running with full attention. As you are

released from issues that have slowed

you down you gain certainty and that is

a relief.

lucille Valentine

May

ALERT: Mercury retrograde this month means...

MAKE BACKUPs NOw!

Horoscopes...

liGht rEliEf

14

dear Alexa

I’ve been living with a friend in a house in Heaton since September, and throughout the year they have become increasingly more clingy towards me. I feel like I can’t even go to the library without them having to come with me. My own friends aren’t my own anymore and neither is any of my property. I do really value them as a friend and don’t want to hurt them but it’s beginning to get too much and I feel I may snap and say something I’ll regret forever, What can I do?smothered in sandyford

Dear smotheredthe first thing you need to do is meet

with your housemate in a neutral area

and talk to them on a one to one level.

perhaps they are having a hard time

and feel that you are the only person

they can relate to in the house or on

their course. By speaking to them you

may be able to resolve issues that they

themselves may not even be aware

of. Let them know how much you

value them but also make it clear that

sometimes you just need some time to

yourself.

Alexa

dear Alexa

At the beginning of the year I made friends with a really good group of people and have stuck close to them throughout the year. We decided we should live together pretty early on but now I’m worried that I’m drifting away from them because of my course commitments. I really don’t want them to think I’m neglecting them in any way but my course is really important to me. How can I make them understand where I’m coming from?studious in shieldfield

Dear studious Be honest with them is the best advice i

can really give. Yeah it’s great being at

uni but at the end of the day you’re all

here to get the same thing. A degree.

sit them down and explain that you’re

not ignoring them intentionally and that

you still care for them a great deal and

enjoy their company but that you do feel

like your course needs to be a priority. i

guarantee things will be easier for you

when you’re all living under the same

roof next year, because then you’ll see

each other on a daily basis and will be

more in tune to how everyone is feeling.

i hope this helps.

Alexa

Everyone’s favourite agony auntis here to answer YOUR problems.

Ask Alexa...

sUD

OK

U7 9 9

7 9 2

8 7 6 1

2 5 3

3 1 4

7 6 4 9

1 5 8 3

9 4 8

6 2 8

see anyone you know?

spottEd If you’re the lucky person we’ve spotted this issue then email d.hunt@unn.ac.uk to find out

what you’ve won!make sure you turn up to events in the students’ union to see if

you get “spotted” next month!

”“

spotted spotted spotted spotted

16

You what You what?!youguysreallydocomeout with some stupid commentssometimes,here’s what I’ve overheard this month...

•GordonBrown?YeahI’veheardofhimbutIdon’treallygetwhathedoes,well,he doesn’ttakeaninterestinmylifedoeshe?

•GoodFriday....IsthatEaster?•Iusedtofundraiseforacharityforthedeafbutitwasreallyhardcosno-onehad heardofthem.

•Ilikeguessingwhichteamsareplayingbylookingattheirstrips.IsitBurnleyV Sunderland?Noit’sSheffUtd.Oops,IthinkIsupportthem.

•[flicking through a dictionary] where’stheindex?

17

short story

18

You might remember a short story featured in a previous edition of NU:life in which we invited all you budding writers to write the next chapter? well talented Adam willert wrote the successful winning entry, congratulations to him.Can’t take the suspense? then read on for the next instalment…

His face was the only one which

glistened when I entered. This

crowded hotel’s inhabitants had

no knowledge of what I had

casually strolled into the building

with. They were unaware that

the door had even opened. They

would know I had been there

when I left. As I strode toward

him, my mind found a peace

which it had not known in the

last seventy-two hours. Actually,

it had been seventy-four long,

gruelling and terrifying hours.

Black as night was the suit he

wore, which increased in suave

appeal at every step I took

closer to him. Partly due to the

tracksuit bottom and trench coat

combination I had opted for, but

also because of the fact that the

suit cost an amount which could

have paid for my flat. Now as I

approached his personal space,

I noticed the fine complexion

of the man before me. His hair

was dark but not black. It was

a shade most men imagined

that they possessed but few did.

Accompanying this, the man had

a smooth face but with an off

balance nose; despite this being

a conventionally unattractive

feature, it actually added a

pleasant amount of character to

his appearance. As I continued

considering the exterior of

the man, I almost forgot my

reasoning for my being there.

This was ironic considering my

delivery of the package to this

man would be the final step of

my current treacherous journey

and the first step in my new one.

Only for a moment were we face

to face because his straight jaw

dropped to view my rucksack,

before he questioned me with his

eyes. I nodded casually. Without

words, he turned smoothly and

walked towards the lifts along

the left side of the hallway which

sparkled brightly but lacked any

original style. Deadly silent in the

lift we stood. Peering to my side I

saw a strange mark on his hand.

I knew what it meant. We rose

quickly but then halted. My mind

considered what was ahead

for me after this delivery. The

glimmering silver doors opened.

I blinked and before me stood the

man.

think you can carry on the story? then

send your entry (max 350 words) to

mark.coffey@northumbria .ac.uk

gooD luCK

saying this, it’s by no means easy and everyone involved would be stuck if there weren’t others around to help. this working environment not only gives an insight into how a radio station would work but is also amazing fun and provides an outlet for the journalistic talents within the student community.

When first given the chance to involve

myself in iradio i was daunted. i wasn’t

sure i would be able to produce work

to a high enough standard. But as soon

as the first show was over it became

apparent how silly i had been; yes the

shows and broadcasting we do has to

be checked and edited, but the way

we are allowed to produce our own

work is amazing, the support network

that has appeared really made me

feel comfortable with the workload.

not once did i feel out of my depth,

something that is all down to the amount

of dedication and perseverance each

team member contributed throughout

the show.

The birth of iRadio, the brand new radio station from the school of Arts and social sciences, created a fantastic opportunity for budding student journalists.the station is run by students, and is a great example of how students can get valuable work experience without even having to venture outside of the university. for the volunteers, the deadlines can be tough and there are times when you really don’t feel the show will be finished in time (strEss), but somehow working as a team demolishes all sense of apprehension and by the day before the deadline (wednesday evening the night before a broadcast) the show is done and dusted.

iradio

i only contributed to a handful of

shows but it’s given me the desire

to continue the experience and

hopefully help with next year’s

shows... all students who want to

get involved with such things really

shouldn’t feel shy about having

their say and input, all types of

work experience in a chosen field

can be of great benefit especially

when combined with a genuine

passion for the subject. i love

radio and this opportunity has let

me explore this interest, build on

my strengths and try my best to

better my weaknesses, whichever way

you look at it, whether or not your interest

is in radio or magazines or something

completely different, the experience

is fun and i’ve met some amazing

characters along the way. it’s something

i’ll always be proud of.

Even if getting involved isn’t your thing make sure you listen to the show. The previous episodes are online and the show will start up again in October.For more information and to listen to the show go towww.northumbria.ac.uk/iradio

samantha pym

19

iRadioGot a flare for writing? Continued

21

fashion

vintageFasion Fair.

i did however find a gorgeous dress

at one stall with a lovely fairy-tale

twist to it and a black, ruffled bottom

accompanied by a silk, cream bow tied

round the waist. it would have set me

back £45 and for the dress it was a good

bargain. However, being a student, and

not a good one with money, i stepped

back and continued my exploration.

while I was there, I chatted to the organiser to find out more:

how long have you been running the vintage fair and been interested in this type of the fashion industry?i’ve been running the fair for 4 years and

have been interested in vintage fashion

since i was 16.

where do the products come from? are they independent retailers or part of one large company?All independents. some of our stall

holders are wholesalers and supply

small shops around the country, some

are vintage addicts who sell off their

surplus, some are small vintage shops

who need a day in a new city and the

rest are antique dealers who have

moved over to the dark side of vintage

fashion!

are there products available for both male and female consumers?Yes, though we sell more ladies clothing

then menswear.

do you have any other fairs lined up? are they mainly at universities?Yes, nearly every weekend. We’re

heading over to northampton then

London, and then back to Lincoln and

nottingham. We stick to universities

and art galleries as they make for more

interesting customers.

what advice can you give to students who are interested in entering the vintage fashion industry?You’re never going to get rich from it,

but it will teach you about fabrics and

construction. it’s a passion that you can’t

put down, but its long hours and hard

work.

what’s the best way of going about wearing vintage fashions?Anyway you like! Mix it up with high

street or customize it to add a personal

twist.

Josie Bramhall

Northumbria recently played host to a fantastic array of colours, garments, materials, and jewellery all dating back to the era most of our parents grew up in.the Vintage fashion fair, which travels the country visiting different universities, came to our uni on sunday 1st march. a variety of stalls had been set up and it only cost a mere £2 to explore the wonderful items.as you entered, the smell we all associate with “vintage” hit you. where to begin was definitely the first thought that crossed my mind as i was met with so many different eye catching things. i must admit the clothes were a little daunting. when shopping, i do like things to be a little more organised but as it was a vintage fair i wasn’t exactly expecting order...it just wouldn’t be authentic.

food

23

this is the last recipe I’ll be bringing you this year so make the most of it yeah? It combines most of the above foods and is a great dish to welcome the summer with.Tek’s super Nutritious Couscous and smoked Mackerel saladFor 2 braniacs you will need:

•2smallcupsofwholewheat couscous•2filletsofsmokedmackerel•1wholeavocado•100gbabyspinach•Smallbagofmixednutsand seeds•100gjarredroastedpeppers•1tbspGratedParmesancheese•Oliveoil•Lemon•Saltandpepper

method:Cook the couscous according to the

instructions on the pack and add a

small pinch of salt and pepper. drain

the roasted peppers of their oil and

cut into small strips. rinse and dry the

spinach and roughly chop through it. in

a dry pan, roast the nuts and seeds until

slightly brown. Cut the avocado in half

and remove the stone, spoon out the flesh

and cut into small strips. grab a mixing

bowl and put in the couscous, roasted

peppers, spinach, avocado and nuts

and flake the smoked mackerel through

it. give the whole thing a good mix and

dress with olive oil, the juice of half a

lemon and a dash of salt and pepper to

taste.

this dish spells summer for me and

it requires hardly any cooking. With

everything ready at hand, it should take

no longer than 10 minutes to knock up,

even for a novice. You can even keep it in

a lunch box and nibble at it throughout

the day.

if fish turns you off then replace the

mackerel with chicken. it works well

with the salad and contains high

levels of B6, which is important for the

neurotransmitters that send information

to your brain. As well as feeding your

brain, chicken is good for your guns too

(or buns if you’re a lady reader).

one more word from the (not so) wise,

two of the top three neurotransmitters

that are important in releasing your

brain’s potential are dopamine and

serotonin, both of which are released

during orgasm. so if you’re going to walk

into an exam with an empty stomach

then make sure you swing by the toilet

a good 5 minutes before hand (pun very

intended).

if only it was as easy to banish hunger by

rubbing the belly as it is to masturbate...

tek harrington

Couscous and smoked Mackerel

...some may beg to differ but you certainly can’t deny that it at least feeds the mind and with deadlines and exams around the corner there’s no better time to be feeding your brain with the essential nutrients it needs to work at its best. so here are my top 5 foods for thought to give you a head start during these bad, bad, bad times.

1. oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines.they are rich in omega

3 and docosahexaenoic

acid, which is

a major component of the

brain. Arm your larder with

any of the above fish in tinned form

and have them as a quick and

nutritious snack. Just make sure you

don’t go out face-raping afterwards,

no-one likes fish breath.

2. wholegrain foods such ascereals, wheat bran, wheat germ and whole wheat pasta will help make

you feel full for longer and improve your memory. swap normal pasta for whole

wheat as they taste practically the

same.

3. Blueberries are great for keeping us looking young (not that we have

to worry about it yet). they are also so good for the brain

that they have the potential to

4. nuts and seeds are rich in protein which provides building

blocks for most of the body’s tissues including the brain. Just like oily fish, they are a great

source of omega 3. they make a

good snack on their own, but try

adding them into your salads,

pastas and (yet again) whole grain

cereal for an extra mental boost.

5. dark leafy Greens such as Broccoli, spinach andcurly Kale are high in several minerals such

as calcium, potassium, sodium and iron which all help the brain transmit information. did you not know that pop-eye had

a phd in Quantum physics?

no health-related article is complete

without a mention of the old fail safe -

drinK plEnty of watEr!

there... done. ok, preaching over

and done with. i do feel like a bit of

a hypocritical fake writing this in the

vicinity of an empty Mcdonald’s take

away bag, a milky way bar and a bottle

of cherry coke (not even diet).

The Belly rules the mind...

food

22

reverse memory loss, pretty useful

after a night out. they can be frozen

and will still keep a lot of their

nutrients. Add these to your whole

grain cereal in the morning and

you’ll be on your way to a First.

Angels& Demons 12A

released: may 15 2009

this is the second film adaptation of

a dan Brown book and is the prequel

to the da Vinci Code (2006). tom

Hanks makes another appearance as

symbolist robert Langdon, who this time

is trying to prevent a secret organisation

called the illuminati from destroying the

Vatican. if you’ve read the book, you’ll

know how good the story is, so fingers

crossed it translates as well on the big

screen. ewan Mcgregor co stars.

other releases this summer: Catch shia

LaBeouf and Megan Fox battle more

robots in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (june 24)... more superhero

shenanigans in The First Avenger: Captain America (july 22) and

death seeks its revenge again in Final Destination: Death Trip3D (August 28).

EntErtainmEnt

25

★ ★ ★Dir. Frank miller

POPCORN TIMEmark coffey

summer is traditionally the season for big blockbusters, and this year’s selection certainly doesn’t disappoint. here are a few of the movies making their way to your local cinema very shortly.

X Men Origins: wolverine 12A

released: may 1

Hugh Jackman is back in this prequel

to the X Men trilogy, set roughly twenty

years before the original movies. it

focuses on the title character’s shady

past, relationship with half-brother

sabretooth and dealings with team X.

early indications suggest this will be a

hit, with talk of a possible sequel set in

Japan.

star Trek 12A

released: may 8

Creator of Lost, JJ

Abrams, is at the helm

of this reimagining

Movieswatchmen stays true to graphic novelBy James maughan

“7/10- a Breath of fresh air”

the watchmen was one of the biggest selling graphic novels of all time and so it was a big gamble for director Zack snyder to attempt to bring it to life on the silver screen.of course we must not forget that it was

snyder who successfully directed the

adaptation of graphic novel “300” but

with “the Watchmen” it seemed a much

greater task.

in terms of the film itself, it was

everything you would expect of a snyder

piece, with excellent visual effects

and dark themes. it far surpassed

my expectations of a standard heroic

storyline and even raised several deep

and dark questions about mankind

and how society treats those who are

different. Avid fans of the Watchmen

graphic novels needn’t worry as i feel

this adaptation indeed stays true to the

deep meanings of the novel and a great

deal of the film does stay true to Alan

Moore’s ideas. For those who were not

followers of the original graphic novels

(myself included) this film still stands out

as great cinematic piece and something

you will enjoy immensely if you choose

to see it.

the acting is also very good with Jackie

earle Haley being the most entertaining

as rorschach. the character he portrays

entertains you throughout and leaves

wanting to know more about him.

overall “the Watchmen” is a very good

adaptation of the graphic novels and

Zack snyder can again be pleased with

his work and although it doesn’t hit the

heights of “300” it still provides a very

entertaining couple of hours. For me, it

was a great new dark and mysterious

method of portraying this genre of film

and is definitely worth a watch.

of the original sci-Fi series. it follows

the background stories of original

characters spock and James t. Kirk, and

their voyage aboard the uss enterprise

to battle nero. eric Bana and Chris pine

lead the new cast.

EntErtainmEnt

Remember Hundred Reasons? well they’re not exactly back as they never really left but they are touring again and are taking their own orders now, ready to embrace their next phase of music making.i was lucky enough to catch up with lead singer colin doran at newcastle academy, during their new tour promoting the re-release of their album “Quick the word, sharp the action.” i found out that no matter what has happened to this band in the past they know who they are and just want to make music.

the re-release is being produced by

the band since their record label was

bought out and left them without a

label for the second time in their career.

self-producing is not an issue

for Hundred reasons; their

2006 album “Kill Your own”,

which Colin say is their best

record, was produced by

band member Larry Hibbitt.

i asked Colin how he feels about

all this new musical freedom and

promoting the re-release:

“It’s cool; it’s a good thing to do. The album didn’t get promoted enough first time around. We’re happy about it coming out again, it gives us a chance to get out on the road. I think after this we’re going to write some more material. We’re not rushing anything because we don’t have to, so we’re not going to. Now that the pressure from the label is off, there are no time restraints on this record so we are going to take our time.”

the band’s single “silver” reached

number 15 in the uK singles chart and

their first album reached number

6. Colin recalls how much hype

surrounded them: “We’re not going to say we weren’t happy when it happened. We didn’t expect to be that successful that quickly.”

seven years on from the release of their

first album “ideas Above Your station”

they still have a following of die-hard

fans. “We know that as a band we are not as big as we used to be but we make music for our fans and hopefully that’s what they see. We’ve always been about the fans.”

one thing the fans love about this band

is their live shows. Having seen this band

HundredReasons Interview

26

several

times now, i know they never

disappoint with their energy, passion

for the music and talent on stage. With

this tour their set list is an eclectic mix of

all their albums and even their eps. “It’s kind of a silly thing really, going out and promoting a new album when there is nothing wrong with the older stuff. We wanted to come on tour with songs that we all really wanted to play, and that is what we are doing. It’s been almost a selfish set list. But I think the crowd will enjoy it more too. I really like playing ‘Soapbox Rally’ again because we haven’t played that for a long time.”

You can catch Hundred reasons as a

few festivals this year including slam

dunk in Leeds, where the headliners are

mainstream favourites You Me at six. the

line up features both established bands

and coming talent.

on this note i had to wrap up my chat with him, pack up my journo note pad and go to the concert. they didn’t disappoint one little bit.

s.J. bowie

Bat For Lashesnorthumbria unversity

with the likes of little Boots and la roux being among 2009’s big tips it seems to be the year of the electro girl but natasha Khan, aka Bat for lashes, is ahead of the game.Following her debut Fur and gold, which

was shortlisted for the 2007 Mercury

prize, she has released two suns which

could be nominated again even with its

more modern accessible feel. the stage

features strange figurines and what

appears to be a standard lamp until it

flashes on and off in time with the music

to become part of the light show. the

majority of the second album is played

with most of it sounding upbeat, almost

sci-fi in places. the lead single daniel

sounds even better live and is played

towards the start of the set. Aside from

the idiots in front of me that continued to

talk throughout even during the quieter

songs it was a thoroughly enjoyable gig

that shows she is way above the next big

thing and should be seen in the same

light as other treasures such as Kate Bush

and Bjork.

simon england

EntErtainmEnt

27

★ ★ ★Dir. Frank miller

Kid Britishnewcastle academy

not surprisingly, only a few hundred people ventured to the venue early to catch this band of rude boyz who were playing third on the bill to the Enemy and manchester’s “next big thing” twisted wheel.Kid British easily held their own on

the big stage and after a few quieter

numbers got the crowd dancing and

clapping along to their indie-tinged

ska. rather than sounding like music

bores the dead 60’s, their take on ska

was more reminiscent of the lighter

side of the Clash. theirs is a sound that

will work perfectly on festival stages in

the afternoons. the whole band were

in good spirits throughout and the

singer let rip with a wideboy “niiice

one” after every song. standout tracks

were elizabeth and Lost in London and

current single “sunny days”.

simon england

Boxer Rebellionnewcastle academy

i seem to vaguely remember the Boxer rebellion when they first surfaced around 5 years ago; they were eventually

dropped from their record label and

disappeared off the musical radar.

unsigned, they recently grabbed

headlines by storming the itunes charts

in both the uK and the us with an

appearance in the top 5. their album

“union” also broke into the top 100 of

the Billboard album chart. in terms of

stage presence, i wasn’t expecting much

from them as on record some of their

stuff sounds slightly run of the mill indie.

However, i was pleasantly surprised

by their live show. their sound was

expansive, almost post-rock, recalling

the luscious melodies of the likes of sigur

ros combined with a more traditional

rock sound such as on recent single

“evacuate”. there were clearly some

hardcore followers of the band as older

tracks such as “Watermelon” received

perhaps more appreciation than recent

material showing that people still

remember them fondly.

simon england

Live Reviews

28

backing band,

including

a surprise

appearance

by Blur

guitarist

graham

Coxon.

As a result, he

delivered a

surprisingly

polished

performance.

playing

through most

of his new

solo album,

tracks such

as “Arcady”

and “1939

returning”

were delivered with

passion and coherence; thrilling

the riotous crowd. A selection of

Babyshambles tracks were also

strummed out, including a subdued

version of “Killamangiro” which was met

with a euphoric response.

Judging by his impressive performance,

pete definitely has the talent to live up to

his hedonistic reputation, and may be

able to convert even his biggest critics if

he can continue performing in the vein

of tonight.

peter hawkins

EntErtainmEnt

Maximo Park ahead of the release of new album “Quicken the heart”, maximo park played an exclusive free gig in the newcastle college performing academy, all in aid of cancer charity no surrender.

excitement levels rapidly escalated

as the doors finally opened at 7pm,

providing relief for the eager fans who

had braved the blistering wind and rain

all day for the rare opportunity to see the

geordie five-piece in an intimate setting.

Luckily the band were on top form,

rattling through a plethora of new tracks

which unveiled a tight, layered new

sound, with the creeping taut groove

of “Wraithlike” proving to be an early

highlight. similarly, new single “the Kids

Are sick Again” also went down a storm,

transforming an initially subdued crowd

into a blazing mass of energy.

Wrapping up the set with fan favourite

“Apply some pressure” proves a thrilling

conclusion, leaving fans in no doubt that

the park are going to continue going

from strength to strength over the next

year.

peter hawkins

Peter Doherty no stranger to controversy, tabloid favourite peter doherty’s show at the o2 academy was always going to be met with apprehension, with his tainted track record of not showing up to his own gigs. in support of his new solo album “Grace/wasteland”, this was one of the final dates in his extensive uK tour, which has gained a slew of mixed reviews.

tonight’s sell out crowd were somewhat

bewildered when the trilby-clad star

actually hits the stage on time at

9pm, looking relatively healthy and

enthusiastic. Accompanied only by an

acoustic guitar, after playing a brief

opening pete was then joined by a full

Live Reviews

Modzelewski. “But here at Team Northumbria we aim to prepare players for that next step up, which is why we run a schedule tougher than most professional teams here in the UK.

“Saying that, I am really impressed with the way some of the guys have developed this season.”

With the culmination of a crammed

season ending in the biggest grudge

match since stan Calvert (an easy win!) a

determined team northumbria slammed

their way to silverware winning the final

84-64. Always the leader, skipper Chris

pearce bagged the MVp title but the high

flyer still had some choice words about

the team’s performance this season.

“You could say we’ve been prone to collapses this season and I think that’s fair comment,” said captain Pearce. “We’ve often been in control at the half only to let things slip in the third quarter and leave ourselves a mountain to climb after that.

We should be celebrating a double this season as we should have won the Patron’s Cup. But we let that one slip and we were determined not to make the same mistake twice.”

so with the award for the playoffs going

to team northumbria and the credits

rolling on the 08/09 season, everyone

associated with northumbria university

will be hoping for a sequel coming next

year.

andy spoors

sustained in team northumbria’s 5-1

victory away at Whickham.

“He (Lee Johnson) recovered in about two weeks after his last injury, although with only three games left it looks like his season’s over.”

team northumbria looked to be

closing out the season on a high,

scoring goals at every opportunity

of late. regrettably, it was a case of too

little-too late as far as the current goal

frenzy is concerned.

paul Johnson believes confidence to be

a key issue: “I think they maybe lacked confidence earlier in the season, not scoring many despite numerous chances on goal. Although at the end we got some big scores and that can’t help but boost the lads’ confidence.”

upon looking at the league standings

and team northumbria’s mid table

finish, it would be all too

easy to write off this season.

However, with a team so

young, many of the players

coming straight out of

academy football and into

senior non-league games,

the future certainly looks

bright.

After all, some of the

teams higher up in the

league have spent large

sums of money on player

transfers - a luxury team

northumbria have been without. When

you consider that the lads have been

The 2008/09 Northern League football season proved to be a season full of ‘ups and downs’ for Team Northumbria. TN’s inconsistency ultimately proved to be their downfall, as for the most part they had to settle for score draws in games they should’ve won.“Had we won half the games we drew, we would’ve been in the top four,” said

Head coach paul Johnson.

despite what the statistics show, upon

reflection the side have performed

well, especially considering some of

the players are as young as 16: “Andy Jennison has done extremely well for a 16 year old, as has Ben Christensen - our captain - and Lee Johnson. All the scholars in the team have played well.”

Lee Johnson’s season looked, at the time

of writing, to be ending on a sour note,

being sidelined with ligament damage

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30 31

competitive

with these teams for most of the season,

it makes you wonder how good the

players can be when they have matured

as a team over a couple of seasons.

“If we can keep these players together, we’ve got the makings of a very strong team,” said paul Johnson. the

future certainly looks bright for team

northumbria football, bring on next

season!

stuart wade

Footy starsset for kickoff in 2009

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Everyone has seen at least one sports movie. The underdogs upsetting the odds, injured star players and last gasp three-pointers. But fans of Team Northumbria’s own hoop stars have been treated to their

very own drama this season.although there was heartbreak along the way there was to be no denying Greg modzelewski and his men their fairytale ending, winning the EBl division two playoff title.

Finishing 12 points behind bitter

rivals Leeds Carnegie in the regular

season, the lads never looked

likely to threaten the big boys of

the league. Losing out to Carnegie

twice in the eBL and again in the patrons

Cup Final was a significant setback -

and then there was a tough start to their

long BuCs weekend in sheffield.

Crashing out of contention for the BuCs

championships at the first attempt,

greg’s boys picked themselves up and

never looked back. Winning the next

two matches against solent and oxford

meant the hoopsters posted a record

fifth place finish.

But that was to be the start of bigger

and better things for greg and his stars,

finishing with an undefeated streak until

the end of the season.

With a gruelling fixture list over the

season, no one can begrudge the team

a well deserved rest before a new

season that is bound to throw up new

twists.

“For some of these guys, playing 20-plus minutes in 40 games has been a huge shock to the system,” said coach

BrilliantBasketball

the spring competitors fight one-on-one

in two separate types of competition.

team northumbria’s Jitsu club has a

reputation for welcoming members of all

ages and abilities; the team entering the

nationals contained students, staff, and

alumni with ages ranging from 19 to 42.

But the competitions got off to a rocky

start, with 1st year social Work student

Bryce doherty being drawn against

fellow team northumbria member rid

Kinkhabwala in the first round.

it was unfortunate that one of them had

to go out in the first round but doherty

beat Kinkhabwala and took three

more fights on his way to the final. He

fought a gruelling but controlled fight to

dominate his opponent 2-0 and secure a

win to become the national Champion

in his division.

third year Architecture student Alex

Macaulay fought the opening rounds

and final of stand-up competition in

quick succession, totally dominating

his opponents without conceding even

a point.

Winning with style, panache and

aggression, he claimed gold and

another national Championship

title for team northumbria. But there

was no time for celebrations as Alex

had to focus his mind on the rare

feat of becoming a double national

Champion in the same year.

His ne Waza final was a tough

Northumbria jitsu Club returned victorious from the TjF Randori Nationals at the Telford International Centre. Bringing back a fabulous four gold medals, northumbria outperformed local rivals newcastle university for the first time, as well as finishing ahead of the newcastle college club.

Jitsu clubs from all over the world come

together twice every year to train and

compete together under the supervision

of the leading practitioners of the art of

jiu jitsu.

And while the competition in november

focuses on self-defence techniques, in

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32

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Olympic silver medallist steve Cram was the star of the show at the inaugural sport Universities North East England (sUNEE) conference.But team northumbria journalist James henderson was among a clutch of students playing a big role behind the scenes at an event highlighting the value of university sport.

sunee is a groundbreaking scheme

bringing together all five of the

north east’s universities with a view

to improving participation and

performance across the board.

And their 2009 conference - staged

across the road at newcastle university

- featured keynote speeches from Cram

and former sports Minister richard

Caborn.

James - a northumbria Journalism

undergraduate - was part of an

afternoon workshop showcasing the

student experience through sport.

the budding hack joined fellow students

from newcastle, sunderland, teesside

fight that Alex once again thoroughly

dominated, demonstrating his superior

skill to all who were watching. Alex

becomes team northumbria’s second

double national champion following

in the footsteps of Law student Adam

slawson, not competing due to injury

this time.

northumbria sports science graduate

Kayleigh Jackson (pictured) fought a

local derby in her nage Waza final,

as her opponent was a newcastle

university graduate, and the spirit of

stan Calvert hung in the air.

despite the friendship between the

two fighters, total focus remained

on winning gold. After a gripping

fight, Kayleigh secured the win and

yet another national title for team

northumbria - and a 1-2 result for the

north east.

tn Jitsu returned to the region,

our heads high, with four national

Championship golds - bringing the total

to 11 golds in the past five years.

dave chalton

success?jit’s a given!

and durham universities in

delivering a tailor-made press

conference.

And James and his colleagues

quizzed a panel of staff and

students involved in the sunee

programme.

“It was a great experience and proved the value of sport to students whether or not they actually play to a high level,” he said.

“I was involved in the planning which goes into a press conference and was then able to hone my interview technique in a room full of people.

It gave me an excellent insight into what is required to be a sports journalist ñ the career I want to pursue.”

Central to the panel was

team northumbria chief ian

elvin - one of the driving

forces behind sunee.

And he said: “Overall the event was a huge success right from the main sessions through to the afternoon workshops.

“But I particularly enjoyed taking part in the student experience workshop as it proved how sport can bring together students from across the university community.

“SUNEE offers volunteers the chance to do a variety of work which could prove invaluable in terms of future employment.

And those students interested in the media certainly impressed me on the day.”

33Kayleigh

Northumbria cram in sports expertise

And it is hoped those schooled in gaelic

games will soon be joined by complete

beginners looking to try a taste of the

irish.

“It’s great to see the facility open because the sports have been growing in the UK and I hope people can take pride in the field that you have here,” said McConnell.

“The North East is very lucky to boast these facilities. We wish the very best to Northumbria and I’m sure we will be back soon!”

Following the ribbon-cutting, the final

of the men’s gaelic Football got under

way with team northumbria taking on

regional side Cu Chulainn.

With puzzled looks aplenty from

spectators, the game was explained as

northumbria kicked the ball over twice

in quick succession to find themselves

2-0 up.

With three points awarded after a goal,

northumbria raced to a 5-1 lead before

being cut back at half-time to 5-4.

Irish eyes are smiling on the North East’s Emerald Isle ex-pats after the region’s first ever Gaelic sports pitch was launched on Tyneside. all ireland Gaelic football champions pascal mcconnell and angela walsh flew into newcastle to officially open the multi-sports facility.

And with this year’s st patrick’s day

celebrations still in full swing a bemused

crowd was treated to gaelic Football and

Camogie (women’s hurling).

the pitch, developed on northumbria

university’s Bullocksteads site next door to

newcastle Falcons’ Kingston park home,

will be used throughout the year.

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34 35

With the wind swirling - but now firmly

with the hosts - there was no surprise

that the final outcome favoured

northumbria.

some quick math revealed the home

side had won 15-7 and the team

northumbria players were awarded

the inaugural northumbria trophy from

deputy Vice-Chancellor Craig Mahoney.

“We recruit a lot of Irish students so we have opened the pitch and are going to support them and their aspirations to play the sports,” said Mahoney.

“There are national competitions and we have entered in them before so this first Trophy is an example of what can happen. Now the players can train and play on this pitch I have no doubt that in the future more trophies will be coming our way!”

And with the luck of the irish showing

no signs of running out after their six

nations rugby grand slam win there

won’t be too many who will argue with

that.

andy spoors

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Look of the Irish

side.

Both teams fell at the first hurdle in the

BuCs knockouts, losing at the hands

of Leeds Met seconds and university

of Cumbria respectively, and suffering

disappointing defeats in the stan Calvert

Cup.

Coach Adam Houston said: “I can’t fault the commitment and hard work the boys have shown this year. They’ve done themselves proud and we’ve a great future ahead retaining the majority of this year’s squad to push on in 2009.”

adam houston

2008 saw the introduction of Rugby League into Team Northumbria’s family of Focus sports.with the men’s first team joining the nation’s elite in the newly-formed Gillette super six and the second team competing in the Bucs north division, hopes of success were high.

the season couldn’t have got off to a

better start with the “A” team in action

at inter-City rivals newcastle “A” - team

northumbria coming out on top and

preventing the “posh” from scoring,

taking the spoils 18-0. With the first team

playing an evening kick off against

visitors st Mary’s at percy park, the

crowds turned up hopeful of seeing

another win - only to see the home

side suffer a narrow 16-26 defeat.

With the firsts suffering heavy

defeats away at the hands of

Loughborough & Leeds Met, as

well as Hull at Home which saw

them with four defeats out of four,

the seconds enjoyed a better run

of form winning three out of their

first four games losing out only to

York st John by a narrow six-point

margin.

Wednesday 12th november 2008 saw

history made with both of northumbria

rugby League teams recording victories

on the same day for the first time, the

firsts overcoming a strong Birmingham

side 18-12 at home and the seconds

beating Hull 46-14.

the success was not to last though,

with the firsts having to wait until the

end of January for their only other

victory, again over rivals Birmingham,

condemning the Midlands side to

bottom spot in the inaugural super

six competition. However the seconds

maintained their winning form to take

the BuCs north division, where they had

finished rock bottom in the previous

year.

When the seconds defeated Leeds uni

firsts to reach the promotion Final playoff,

a win would have seen them compete

in premier north division next year. this

was not to be the case and they were

defeated by a strong Bangor university

In a leagueof it’s own

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36

cheerleader Carolyn simpson

said: “After a lot of hard work and dedication it was clear that the girls put their all into this dance. It definitely paid off on the day and I’m very proud of us all.”

the results came in and it was fingers

crossed for team northumbria.

“senior dance Medium runners-up

goes to” you could see every squad

wishing and hoping “...the north stars”

announced the commentator.

teate added: “I am so proud of all of the North Stars. To come second out of all the Universities entered is amazing.” the girls will definitely be celebrating

their success with a couple of VK’s in tn

sponsored Mood when they return from

an easter break!

remember northumbria - Keep it ’north’.

Keep it ‘stars’.

37

representing england, the girls

enjoyed success in all three of their

matches, leaving scotland, Wales and

northern ireland in their wake.

A very modest Montgomery was on

hand to talk to team northumbria after

her week in the national spotlight.

“It’s fantastic to represent Team Northumbria while playing for England,” she said. “We all played well over all three matches and it’s great to win the tournament.”

in a crammed schedule the girls

endured three matches in three days

leading to trials for the British university

side.

Kicking off proceedings last Monday the

girls saw off a plucky Welsh side 49-34

before thrashing scotland 74-11.

With northern ireland coming out on top

in their first two fixtures, there really was

everything to play for in the final match.

in a tightly contested tie, england

prevailed

54-42 emerging with the first trophy of

its kind.

And to top off a fantastic week for

team northumbria’s hotshot netballers,

Burton and Montgomery both received

call ups for the British university side.

representing Britain the girls will take

on singapore, northern ireland and

scotland’s under 21 side.

even with this year’s super League

finished and no time to rest in the

summer, Montgomery is already

thinking ahead to team northumbria’s

next campaign.

“I think we should be aiming for the top four again,” she added. “The squad was quite new at the beginning of the season so we really started to gel towards the end.

We are going to have a new coach but I think whoever it is we should still fit quite well as a squad.”

andy spoors

Tessa Burton (pictured) and jenny Montgomery will be flying the flag for UK Universities this summer after starring in the inaugural British Universities Home Nations tournament. team northumbria’s netball programme received national recognition as three of the university’s students represented the England side.

And talei Bari joined Montgomery and

Burton in bringing home the big wins

for the hosts.

Netball NewsThrow together 13 girls, six cans of hairspray, five hotel rooms, two seven-seat hire cars and one united passion and what do you get? the event of the year for team northumbria’s north stars cheerleading squad - held at telford international centre.

the BCA (British Cheerleading

Association) Championships is what the

north stars work hard to prepare for all

year so that they can create a fantastic

routine to show all the other universities

what they can do.

“The girls worked so hard for this year’s competition and put in so much effort that regardless of the result we knew we’d all feel like winners when we stepped out on the floor to perform,” said captain rachel teate.

there are 21 different categories to enter

from stunting squads to tumbling. But the

senior dance medium section is where

the north stars want to “Bring it on!”

this year’s routine, choreographed by

Coach danielle Looker, was a mixture

of strong contemporary dance, typical

cheerleading cheese and hip-hop/street

dance.

“It’s been a lot of sacrifice and hard

work but I couldn’t be more proud of myself or the team who gave their best performance this year at the competition,” she said.

the competition is exactly what you

see on films like ‘Bring it on’ with huge

squads, including male cheerleaders,

who bring supporters from all over the

country to watch them shine.

team northumbria’s squad is the

smallest - at just 13 - and is the only team

to enter just one event. teate added:

“Because we only enter one category

it means we can concentrate all of our

rehearsals on this dance.

“But it’s a very long day for us as you have to register at 8.30am then find seats, so when you’re not performing till 6.05pm it becomes a very, very long day!”

After the performance there is a screen

where you can watch how well or how

badly your routine went but team

northumbria decided not to watch

and let the results do the talking! the

north stars only saw a couple of their

competitors perform and had no idea

where their routine sat in the rankings.

team northumbria reporter and

Give us a cheer

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38

• Academic and Sport mentor support

students are expected to show recent

achievements and a commitment

to developing their performance.

potential scholars should have achieved

senior, u21, or u18 representation from

their national governing Body but

applications will be considered from

athletes in performance/development

squads at junior or senior level.

to apply for a 2009/10 scholarship contact Gareth mcKenna by email at performancesport@northumbria.ac.uk

“As a Team Northumbria Sports Scholar I can achieve sporting success and my academic goals”Ben Thorntonteam northumbria fencer

“Thanks to the TN Scholarship scheme I

know I’m getting the support I need on an off

the pitch”Abi Mowbray

team northumbriawomen’s rugby skipper

• Specialised fitness assessments and training such as saQ • Privileged access to university sports facilities

And while we’re searching high and low

for potential candidates we can’t catch

all the top performers all of the time.

Which is where you come in. if you play

any sport to a high standard and you

feel we can help then get in touch now.

Across the northumbria university

community sports-mad students like you

benefit from financial assistance and

targeted personal development.

Whether you need to raise a few pounds

to pay for a training weekend away or

need to shed the excess pounds which

could make the difference between

winning and losing - we’re here to help.

We provide practical solutions and

services to students who have the talent

and commitment to fulfill their potential

within their chosen sport.

And we ensure that your academic

goals remain attainable - even at the

height of sporting competition.

Team Northumbria is committed to unearthing the best sporting talent from within the University and we’d hate you to slip through the net.Every year we offer talented athletes scholarships designed to support the needs of performance athletes during their time studying on tyneside.

But we’re always looking to invest more

of our time and money into northumbria

university’s stars of the future.

so check out team northumbria’s

scholarship scheme now and take the

next step towards sporting glory.

scholarship support services include:

• Sporting Equipment • Personal Development • Sports physiotherapy and sports massage • Specialised nutritional assessments and follow ups • Access to accredited sports psychologists

39

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Are you a rising star?

39

northumbria’s

rugby League seconds, the pirates,

qualified in second place to make

it through gaining five points for the

overall tally. in the football both men’s

teams made progress and avoided each

other in the semis. Both netball and

hockey progressed.

in the men’s rugby newcastle were the

dominant force with all three of their

teams making the semis and once the

final whistle blew they came out with

a first, second and equal third with

northumbria. the women also won their

competition meaning newcastle scored

28 points from just one sport.

in the netball team northumbria had

to play durham in the final, who they

had lost to earlier in the day, and a nail

biting finish saw our side beaten by just

one goal.

in mixed hockey it was a very similar

story with the team going down 1-0 in

the final - again against durham.

there was better news in the men’s

football as both pink Mafia and FC

Jesmond made it through to the final.

FC Jesmond getting there via a penalty

shoot-out in the semis in which their goal

keeper saved three penalties! in the final

it once

again

went to

penalties, with pink Mafia coming out

on top.

Overall Results: 1 newcastle 2 durham northumbria (joint 2nd)

Football: 1 northumbria, 2 northumbria

netball: 1 durham 2 northumbria

men’s rugby: 1 newcastle 2 newcastle 3 newcastle 3 northumbria

women’s rugby: 1 newcastle 2 teesside

women’s football: 1 teesside

mixed hockey: 1 durham 2 northumbria

paul cooksley

Northumbria played a full part in the annual sUNEE intra-mural tournament as hundreds of students from across the region battled it out for sporting glory.Eight team northumbria sides hit durham’s maiden castle, all guns blazing as the north East’s five universities locked horns across four sports.

the weather could not have been better

and it meant all sports - men’s 11-a-side

football, women’s five-a-side football,

men’s and women’s 7’s rugby, mixed 7’s

hockey and netball - were played in

cool, sunny conditions.

the day began well with men’s football

gaining early wins, closely followed by

the netball and mixed hockey.

As the round robin matches drew to a

close, all of northumbria’s teams were

well set to qualify for the semis. the men’s

rugby league team needed a win in their

final match to go through and only just

missed out - losing by just one score.

Maidenwins for Team Northumbria

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the end of the season nudging them into

the lead on try difference.

But an injury-cursed season finally took

its toll on the national league team as

they were forced to travel to Barnard

Castle with only 12 players and no front

row cover - bringing their winning streak

to a heartbreaking end and forfeiting the

title in the process.

nevertheless, the durham &

northumberland first division awaits as

Arnie’s army secured a promotion spot

for the second year running.

“It’s been a lot tougher this year in all aspects,” he said. “There’s been much stronger competition and we need more depth in the squads.

Next year is only going to get harder still as there are some great teams in the Premiership and in the D&N top flight. But we are going to aim at promotion in the latter again for sure.”

mark Kelly

40

It’s been another successful year for rugby and head coach Rich Arnold who has built upon an impressive first term at the helm of Team Northumbria’s most popular focus sport.after almost taking the women’s Bucs crown at the end of last season (his charges narrowly losing to uwic at the dramatic twickenham final), the squad took their campaign to a higher level in the Guinness premiership this year.

in what looked to be an impossible

challenge for them at the beginning of

the season - after suffering a string of

defeats - team northumbria managed

to hold their own and stay in the top

flight. survival was a highly understated

achievement in the presence of the best

women’s rugby clubs in the country.

But after narrowly missing out on

silverware on so many occasions last

year, Arnie finally had something to

accompany his Falcons’ medals as the

men took the durham & northumberland

plate final against ponteland.

A hard fought game was dominated

by team northumbria who won 51-10 -

some scalp for a squad which has only

been playing in the national arena for

two seasons but is slowly working its way

up the ranks.

the d&n side also came agonisingly

close to taking the division two

crown from long time league leaders

Hartlepool with a flurry of wins towards

scrumon feelthe noise

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