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Issue No. 2 2015 Winter Edition

By Megan Staunton

That One time at

Base Camp...

Over the summer twenty five students from Brookes and four students from SOAS (The School of Oriental and Afri-can Studies) decided that they needed a challenge, so they jumped on a flight to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and then cautiously boarded a plane to Lukla, and began an eleven day hike to Base Camp Everest and back. Not only did every member make it, but in total they raised a crazy amount of money: £82, 374.39 to be exact, all for a great charity - Childreach International. So how did I get involved? Well, to start off there were two fantastic team leaders who persistently plastered Brookes in posters. There was also a great member of Childreach Inter-national who visited our campus asking people if they were up for the challenge of clambering to Base Camp. So it was promoted and advertised very well. There was then a meet-ing which told us why we should go (amazing experience, looks great on that CV), why we want to go (to say to our friends we climbed to base camp, and to overuse the phrase

‘that one time on base camp...’) and why we have to go (excluding the money for our flights, the rest of the mon-ey goes to a great charity). So, who are Childreach International? This is a really important question, because once you sign up to an event, everyone asks you this, mainly because they want to know where their money is going to if they decide to sponsor you, and also because Childreach is not as well known as a lot of other charities. I admit that I hadn’t heard of the charity before doing the trip, so I went home and researched them.

I found that they are a children’s charity who give hope and prospect to some of the world’s most marginalised children. Amongst many other projects, Childreach help by providing food and farming resources, by building education and early childhood development centres and by supporting working mothers by offering childcare and safe environments for their children. Childreach also work with schools in the UK, educating and encouraging children to understand their rights and the rights of oth-ers in a bid to challenge discrimination and celebrate cul-tural diversity. It is through the people who sign up for these trips that fundraise a large proportion of their dona-tions and make these projects possible. To run you through the entire 22 day trip in a paragraph is challenging for me as I could probably write a book on it. There are so many great highs and a few lows that make the trip a truly once in a lifetime experience. To name a few highlights though, we had someone helicop-ter rescued, another assisted down the mountain on horseback, a lovely dog that kept us company for a day...

Editor in Chief

Marianne Seymour Deputy Editor Franki Berry

Digital Marketing Anna Shannon

Marketing Sabrina Gutierrez

Production Editor Megan Morris Advertising Helen Reid

Copy Editors Charlie Crisp

Jordan Reynolds Kirsten Cozens

Nico Cotrell Writers

Megan Staunton Steve Lawson

Harriet Conington Alice Southby

Emma Corr Francis Kerins John Baldwin

George Skane-Davis Pavandeep Gill

Rob Byford Jasmine Peen Hugh Allen

Regina George

The Underdog Winter edition 2

Dear Readers, After a long first term, I am pleased to announce that your Winter Edition of The Underdog is here! Our winter themed articles include: ‘How to make your student homes a winter wonderland’, a culture article about ‘Winter wonders in Oxford’, a fashion article by the one and only Regina George from Mean Girls covering ‘Winter fashion faux pas’ and final-ly a travel article about the Brookes Ski Trip- hosted by the Snow Sports Society. Looking forward into 2015, we have a Brookes News article about what we can expect to see for the future of Oxford Brookes University in the coming year. As for your loyal companion, The Underdog and its team had an exciting term. In October we got invited to a wonderful cocktail bar, press-release launch at Jo Perks & Co (at the bottom of Headington Hill). If you haven’t checked it out already, make sure you get down there; they have some unique and delicious cocktails and their hotdogs (the ‘Big Dog’ espe-cially) are to die for. We also decided to join the Brookes Union, and are now featured on their website with de-tails about how to get involved. Joining with the Union has provided many great benefits for the newspaper, including being able to hire out spaces for promotional and fundraising events for the newspaper, and they have generously given us additional funding for printing so that our newspaper can be enjoyed by more of our students.

During second term, we hope to create an even better third edition, host some fundraising events for non-members to get involved in and get the student body involved with some marketing activities. The Underdog has a unique bark, and we want as many people as pos-sible to hear it. Also I will be looking for a new Editor-in-chief to take fill some big paws! If you think you’re up to snuff, have a think about what you could bring to the team and how you can make the newspaper bigger and better. I will be sending out job requirement forms with information about interview dates and times in due course.

I hope you enjoy reading our first Winter Edition, and if you didn’t manage to fetch your own copy, all the articles are available on our website: www.theunderdognewspaper.com . Also make sure you follow us on Facebook, for your daily updates about what’s happening in Oxford and on campus.

Marianne Seymour

Editor-in-chief

… and various leeches that came into contact with our unwashed bodies in an attempt to taste the obligatory Ev-erest beers running through our blood-streams. We had buckets of garlic soup, coconut biscuits and lemon tea to last a lifetime and the most incredi-ble group of Sherpa’s supporting us the entire way. We were also lucky enough that the trip enabled us to have some holiday days at the end. We had to pay for this ourselves but when a room costs you £3 a night you really don’t mind. Time was spent bathing with elephants at Chitwan National Park, wandering through the hustle-bustle of the street markets in Kathmandu, and visiting the tranquil city of Pokhara; where you could do anything from paraglid-ing over Phewa Lake at sunrise, to relax and reflect upon your trip at the World Peace Pagoda. The friendships you make are un-doubtedly the best part of it though. I signed up not knowing one single per-son, but I’m so glad I did. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone has

allowed me to truly see the world and I don’t have a single regret about signing up. But back to the actual trip and all of the hiking, walking and climbing… because there was a lot. Thankfully the hours of trekking re-warded you with the most breathtak-ing scenery you can imagine (and a slightly perkier bum). From seeing the summit of Mount Everest through hazy clouds, watching waterfalls over 2000ft suspension bridges, and seeing smiling Nepalese children in their pristine white school uniforms walk-ing to school in some of the world’s most deprived areas was just one typi-cal day. I could go on and on. But I want everyone to experience this for themselves. So if you’re wish-ing you signed up for this trip or feel inspired to do something like this, then this article already contains your answer. Childreach International are running TWO trips this year at Brookes; Mount Kilimanjaro and The Big Build Nepal. Both are amazing opportunities for students to get in-volved in, to do something incredible

and to make a huge difference to a charity. Both trips will be running this coming summer - June 12th for Big Build Nepal and August 24th for Kilimanjaro. To find out more about the trips simply search Facebook for ‘Oxford Brookes Climb Kilimanjaro for Childreach International 2015’ and ‘Oxford Brookes Big Build Ne-pal 2015’. Thanks to Childreach International, Oxford Brookes and everyone who signed up to the trip, I have an amaz-ing experience behind me, and I think I can speak on everyone’s behalf to say that they have too. And most of us haven’t even graduated yet. De-spite the tragedies Nepal has faced this year it is truly a wonderful coun-try with gentle-hearted people. The sad fact is that Nepal relies on tour-ists and travellers to bring money into the country as it is so poor, so please do not be discouraged. It is a country that has so much to offer you if you let it, but you can also bring so much to Nepal, now more than ever. An unforgettable trip.

Exciting Events and

News for 2015!

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By Emma Corr

You may be wondering what there is to look forward to at Brookes as we embrace the second term? With memo-ries of Christmas and the holiday still lingering thoughts turn to the New Year and the challenges and opportuni-ties ahead. We are fortunate that the new term at Brookes provides many new and exciting opportunities to ex-plore! The entry into 2015 will mean the continuation of Brookes’ celebrations for the 150th anniversary, along with many new interesting events. If you have always wondering about trying something different but didn’t achieve it last term, give it a go!

The Brookes Students Un-ion, the main hub of activity on campus, has an array of events lined up for 2015! They will be hosting five comedy events, two with recognisable comedians from television, details of which will be announced in the New Year. Also, due to popular demand, the union will be doing another laser tag session in the Brookes union hall. Planning is also underway for a ‘Take Me

Out’ game show evening in March! The final big event to watch out for is the annual Summer Ball that in the past has had headlining bands play such as Scouting for Girls and Bastille. This event is often held in the last week of term and is always a sell-out and is the perfect way to end a year at Brookes! More information surrounding these events will be posted on the Brookes Union homepage, Facebook and Twitter pages so keep your eye out! For those of you who love theatre, an annual perfor-mance by the Drama society will take place in March and this year its Bram Stoker’s Dracula! According to the president of the society, James Firminger, it involves ‘several gender-reversed roles that oppose the tradi-tional male empowerment over women and offer a dif-ferent perspective on the original story’. This unique production includes a great cast and therefore is defi-nitely a must see! If you’re

more of a musical fan, Brookes very own ‘Fortune Players’, the renowned musi-cal society are performing its own rendition of the 80’s classic Footloose! The presi-dent of the society, Tayler

Spruce has said the show is ‘set to showcase the finest talent at Brookes, through vocally and physically de-manding roles’. This produc-tion will include many of the classic songs from the 1984

film and plenty of dancing! Footloose will be on at The Old Fire Station, Oxford City Centre, from the 19th to the 21st of February. Ticket prices will be announced on the ‘Fortune Tellers’ Facebook page. If you are interested in widening your academic knowledge, or exploring a specific career path, or just enjoy listening to what people have to say, then I recom-mend you participate in the open lecture series and at-tend one of the various talks held by here at Brookes! We host numerous exciting talks throughout the year, which focus on all sorts of issues we face in our society. This term is no exception. We can look forward to a talk on body image and the influence of magazine culture in March, and for those sportsmen and women out there, a lecture delivered by former Brookes student and Olym-pian Ben Hunt on winning Olympic Gold is definitely one to consider. These talks are most often held in the new JHBB in the lecture theatre, although you must sign up online via the Brookes website, as these talks are very popular and can often be fully booked! In other important news, it is has recently been an-nounced that Dr Katherine Grainger, who I am sure many of you remember for winning gold in the women’s double sculls in London 2012, is to succeed our current chancellor, Shami Chakrabarti in 2015! Grainger will be officially introduced as Chancellor in the talk ‘The Three Chancellors’ on the 20th March 2015 in the JHB lecture theatre. The previous chancellors, for those of you who do not know are: Baroness Helena Kennedy, TV present-er and journalist Jon Snow and current chancellor and human rights activist Shami Chakrabarti. They shall be discussing ‘Liberty, Magna Carter and our future’ which will be extremely interesting! Grainger has stated she is looking forward to the role, especially as the university celebrates 150th anniversary. The new term presents plenty of exciting opportunities so go on, get involved!

The Underdog Brookes News

Pavandeep Gill

Winter wonders in Oxford

The Underdog Culture 4

After a very hectic semester, I am sure you are all look-ing forward to this winter break and let me say it is defi-nitely well deserved! So I am certain you are wondering what is there to do around the beautiful town that is Ox-ford and its neighbouring cities? Well worry not! I am here to fill you in on the things you just cannot miss this winter! This winter, one that has been a bit chilly to say the least, I've been spending a lot of my time around the multi-cultural hub of Oxford, Cowley Road, and in do-ing so, I think I may have found the one of the best hot chocolates around! The place you must all check out is Rick's Cafe. Just towards the end of Cowley road lies a small coffee shop with a make-shift sign, with the most indulgent hot chocolate I have ever had! With a range of flavours from mint, caramel, and the classic chocolate, you will never get bored. Rick's has a bohemian look about it with a New York ambiance. They even sell the photos and paintings they have hanging on the walls. So if you are searching for your next hipster hangout, Rick's really should be your next port of call!

So when you aren't busy filling up on hot chocolate, what we all know as Ox-ford's best kept se-cret is the next place you must go to! Mulled wine is back at the wondrous Turf Tavern! The place that is well known as being Bill Clintons local serves the best mulled wine in Oxford! It even has all the fresh fruit in it! Definitely something you need to try out when taking a break from all of your winter shopping.

So far this winter, my favourite fashion trend has to be that of the woolly headband! As can be seen by the model in the picture. The Brookes Law student, Ni-loufar Safari puts together a chic ensemble, a cable knit jumper, with a plain skirt, ankle boots and a state-ment scarf and headband. Definitely the best way to keep snug this winter, remember you mustn't forget the power of accessorising!

By Regina George

“On Wednesdays we wear pink...”

The Underdog Fashion

Fashion Faux-Pas 1) The Christmas Jumper OK, so it may be fun to get into the Christmassy sprit and all but . . . seriously? Is some naff, pom-pom adorned, brightly coloured sweater the answer? No. Don’t be fooled into thinking that they're cute and iron-ic. Put simply, the Christmas jumper is fugly (as Regina George would say). Burn it. There are plenty of alternatives out there without the garish greens, appliquéd carrot noses and glittery snow-flakes (I mean, ew), so there really should be no excus-es. For your own sake in society, avoid these jumpers like Ebola.

2) Bare-Legs Syndrome ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’ - ---̶ know that song? -- ---̶ Well Frank Henry Loesser and Tom Jones know what I’m chattin’, it’s bloody freezing out! So why the hell go outside in bare legs? It’s winter, no one is that hot

blooded, thick skinned or worse, heaven forbid, un-shaven (too far people), to be warm in this season. Since when did tights become unnecessary? They're a few quid in Primark, so please, go treat yourself to a pair, and if you see someone victim to this (they’ll have legs an unhealthy shade of blue), buy them a pair whilst you're at it. It is Christmas after all and what else would you buy from Primark, a Christmas jumper? I think not.

5

3) Death by Floral Fumes There is a major, MAJOR problem to be had with people taking perfume overdoses. This is so not necessary, you can be smelt a mile off and too much of a good thing does not make it nicer, oh no. What’s worse is being smothered in cheap perfume which inevitably does not have the desired effect of enticing anyone, instead is has quite the opposite. The Links advert is just that, an advert, not a sign for it to be acceptable to be drowned in Miss Dior or that ‘bargain’ priced Pure Touch from New Look, (it’s under a tenner for a reason honey). Do not fear, this is easily avoidable: simply buy a nice perfume and stick to a couple of sprays. Job done. 4) Onesies Everywhere

Why has everyone taken to owning a onesie? Espe-cially an all-in-one crocodile onesie, complete with feet, hood and tail - ---̶ how old are you? Four? Grow up kid. Luckily we are past the initial surge of onesie wearing, when apparently it was cool to be seen in your Spider-man onesie buying milk at midday in Tesco’s, and then again that same night at a fancy dress party (do those people even shower?). OK I grant that they may be comfy, particularly when hanging, but stay inside people! Why embarrass your-self so publicly?

Also, there is nothing hipster or cute about them, they are sooo mainstream and ugly. So ditch the baby grows and stay in your PJs (which is much more ac-ceptable), and if you leave the house then swap your bottoms for jeans. Is that so very hard?

The Underdog Fashion 6

What's Christopher Nolan's favourite beer? ...I hear he's really "into Stella"! No? Alright, bad jokes aside, Nolan's brand new venture into sci-fi may just be his best film yet. The director manages to break the boundaries of normal visual story-telling, from the extreme non-linear nature of Memento to the mind-blowing concept of Inception, he is a master of the thought-provoking blockbuster. If I could give a piece of advice it would be to go out and see it without read-ing reviews first. It is the first film in years that I praise the trailer for giving zero plot points away. The trailer shows Matthew McConaughey in a cornfield, some space and the film title. It was the lack of information that made the film so believable and fantastic for me scene after scene. I, in fact, implore you to go watch the film first before reading the rest of this review as I found that with how little I knew, I appreciated every-thing Nolan gave me. If you are to read on, the film itself is a homage to all things space. There are countless motifs that can be traced back to classics such as Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The visuals are glorious and, unlike last year's Gravity, are well researched with Nolan bringing in astrophysicist Kipp Thorne as a consultant. I personally have a fascination for space-time theories but without a scientific mind found this film to be pure brain fodder.

Interstellar Review

Tod Browning's 'Freaks' - We Accept You

By Rob Byford

By Jasmine Peen

With its many twists and turns, and that one moment where everything comes together, it will truly turn the cogs in your mind. The human side of the story is also beautifully written with familial relationships being the main focus. It is the continuation of the 'wow-Matthew-McConaughey-can-actually-act' streak that started last year when he bagged himself an Oscar for Best Actor and his performance definitely shines once more. His co-stars include a consistently brilliant Michael Caine, and a very driven Anne Hathaway, both of whom have starred in Nolan's previous works. The young Mackenzie Foy stars as the young daughter Murph to McConaughey's ex-engineer and at her young age of fourteen will probably be able to boast a shining acting career in several years' time. Jessica Chastain, who plays the older Murph, is captivating. She captures both the smarts and the heart-break of young Murph and it is entirely believable that she plays the older, aged version of Foy's character. I am sure that Interstellar is a film that will eventually be dubbed a 'Classic Nolan', as he has firmly imprinted himself in cinematic history. I guarantee that, even if you are one of those people who did not enjoy it for some other-worldly reason, you will have a lot to discuss with someone else who has also watched it. This is truly a film that will entice both sci-fi fans and just fans of pure, well-made cinema alike.

Whether a whisper behind a closed door or embraced and flaunted candidly, our relationship with the curiosity to explore and experience difference has intrigued hu-mankind. This relationship with the unusual has stood the test of time in an age where everyone from the elder-ly lady next door to the brashly outspoken television host is rife with fear - the fear of being assassinated by the politically correct mobs who are rendering freedom of speech and expression into nothing more than a few mur-mured words about "heritage". This is why Tod Brown-ing's film Freaks is as important today as it was when initially released. Freaks was first released in 1932 to the disgust, shock and horror of an American audience. The film was re-fused a British certificate upon this release and again in 1952 for what was described as "exploitation of human deformity for commercial gain". It was not until 1963 that the film was finally granted an X-rating certificate, a title held only by the most explicit films and was yet again able to shock and appal audiences with its contro-versial content. The film is only 64 minutes in length because 26 minutes of footage was cut for being too outrageous (it is claimed the original cut has been lost). Freaks (an adap-tion of Tod Robbins’ short story Spurs) tells the story of Hans (Harry Earles), a man inflicted with a form of pro-portionate dwarfism, and his troop of sideshow perform-ers who suffer from a range of physical and mental hand-

icaps such as ‘The Living Torso’, ‘Half Boy’, ‘Armless Girl’, ‘Human Skeleton’ and ‘Bird Girl’. Trouble arises when Hans falls for a beautiful trapeze artist called Cleo-patra (Olga Baclanova) who, unlike her colleagues, has no unusual attributes. Learning of Hans' large inher-itance, Cleopatra marries the besotted Hans at the dis-pleasure of Frieda (Daisy Earles) his previous lover who fears Cleopatra has a nefarious ulterior motive. Of course Frieda is right in this assumption, and along with the strongman Hercules (Henry Victor), Cleopatra plots to kill Hans with poison and inherit his fortune. Thankfully the plot is discovered by Hans and the 'freaks' decide to get their own revenge of Cleopatra. It is from this mo-ment on that the film proves itself to be a cult classic. The grainy black and white footage, the ominous storm overhead, and the question we all want answered: what (or who) is in the pit? Despite the financial loss the film made when first re-leased, and the controversy which will always follow it, the film is a masterpiece of shock-cinema that continues to challenge how we see beauty and difference. In the eyes of many, Freaks remains a progressive, important piece of filmmaking, but I fear this jewel of baroque cin-ema will lose the place it struggled to achieve. I hope this fear of recognising difference ceases, and the song of "Gooba-gobble, gooba-gobble. One of us" will stand as testament to acceptance and humanity forevermore.

The Underdog FILM 7

By Steve Lawson

Rats vs Bin People; or, the mad

divide between Clive and Cheney

Historically, there is a great rivalry between Cheney Stu-dent Village and Clive Booth. Yet, having been at Brookes a whole semester, this is something I have scarcely experienced in any serious manner. At least, not yet. What ensues whenever the two halls are brought up in discussion is a combination of envy (largely over triv-ial matters), hilarity and rats. Always rats. So, I thought I might compare the two halls in a less conventional man-ner in a brief exploration of this ‘divide’. Firstly, Cheney, which is where I’m located. Now you’ve all heard the infamous incident of the game-shooting, whereby a group of tweed-clad students decid-ed to hang their spoils in the kitchen, around the cup-boards and even out the window. The wardens were quite displeased about this and had their say, adding this sort of event to the list of things that are banned, which also includes kayaks and ceremonial swords (?). With this in mind, one would be forgiven for thinking that the motto at Cheney is “Anything goes!” Another odd phenomenon that developed last semester was that of the ‘bin people’, an elusive flock, nocturnal in nature, whom would occasionally emerge upon the scent of Smirnoff, descending on the bins of Cheney for absolutely no good reason at all. But just who are these bin people? The bin people are a nameless group of indi-viduals who consider it a hilarious idea to climb into the bins and take pictures of each other. It doesn’t matter whether the bin is empty or full, dirty or really rather filthy. They’re getting in that bin and everyone they know on Snapchat is going to see, as are unsuspecting students watching - baffled - in their kitchens, waiting for the kettle to boil. They’re probably well acquainted with the ‘exploding tree people’, a small group who set fireworks off in the centre of Cheney’s grounds, narrowly missing the trees and rooftops. The question is, will this madness cross the bridge to Clive Booth? Is it already there? Perhaps. More topical than general madness in the first semester for Clive Booth residents, if unpleasant and distinctly medieval,

The Underdog Gossip 8

may have been the madness of the great rat problem of 2014 and the year before that. And the year before that; you see where this is going. According to most Students I’ve spoken to, this is a problem that has been around for quit some time and doesn’t look like it will never truly go away. This year, however, seems to be one of signifi-cance. In fact, though in a somewhat hyperbolic fashion, one of my friends (who wished to remain anonymous) told me, “it was disgusting, I was in my kitchen and, like, forty rats ran out from under the bins outside…” Alarm-ingly, that probably isn’t far off the actual number, as large groups were sighted under bins and bushes, scurry-ing over the paths at night, perhaps startled by half-conscious students cradling dodgy kebabs. The problem was also said to be spreading to Cheney, but has since been stopped.

Throughout November, the situation was addressed by pest control, who dealt with the problem in a humane manner. That is, except for when one unlucky rodent made it into someone’s kitchen; the poor creature then met its demise when a member of pest control dropped a hammer on its head. Nice. Of course, Clive Booth has its good bits too. It’s closer to the Headington Hill build-ings, they have a lovely bike shelter and their kitchens are bigger than ours are in Cheney. As are their bed-rooms, although these aren’t all en-suite, but their show-ers do have magnetic doors. (Oooh!) So, all trivial matters? Clive Booth students do have the notorious Pullens Lane to contend with, which we all know is not a place to find yourself late at night. Cheney benefits from that handy bridge over the main road, or if you’re coming from the other side, the terribly lit and probably still a bit dodgy Cheney Lane. That said, a taxi (when booked in advance!) will get you back, with little waiting around, wherever you live. Clive also has its bi-zarre inhabitants just as Cheney does. For example, while one girl in Cheney arrived home to her flat to find her path blocked by four-hundred cups of water, there were people in Clive Booth producing elaborate plans for the zombie apocalypse, complete with the belief that they may one day soon come in handy. They still haven’t fin-ished planning. Good work guys. Keep it up.

University exposes us to many new experiences and opportunities. However, these experiences can also be very daunting, such as strict deadlines, presentations and even ridiculous social events which require you to dress up as something you’re not all that comfortable with. And yes gents, I’m talking about you on that night where you wore nothing but a pair of Speedos. In fact, I am aiming this article at men to try and communicate that even though it may not be considered ‘manly’ to suffer from stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, we all get stressed out and anxious sometimes, even if it is over a girl. Stress is not a medical diagnosis, but severe stress that continues for a long time may lead to a diagnosis of anxiety. You can reduce the effects of stress by being more conscious of the things that cause it, and learning how to handle them better, using relaxation techniques as well as other lifestyle changes. Exercise is a great way to deal with stress and we all know that you lads are up for making some ‘gains’ at the gym, so why not take some of that stress out on the bench press. Stress can have a positive side. A certain level of stress may be necessary and enjoyable in order to help keep yourself in check for that history essay you haven’t done yet – it will be stressful even if you enjoy it, and the stress itself will keep you alert and focused. Men often struggle with performance anxiety and spe-cific issues that relate to shyness and masculinity. In some cases, anxiety in men can actually be worse than it is with women, as women are more likely to seek out support in others in a way that men aren't. Men may be a bit less likely to develop anxiety, but they are far more prone to several anxiety mistakes. Men tend to cope with their anxiety by drinking too much alcohol and hitting Monday Night Bridge, Fuzzy Ducks, We Love Lola Lo and Kandy, week in week out. With all that partying not much sleep will be on the cards, which certainly contributes to an irritable and anxious self as well. You want to keep yourself in a good and healthy place, as you will then feel more in control of yourself. Men also put a great deal of value into their pride, suc-cess, and ability to be ‘manly’. Unfortunately, this cre-ates a lot of unrealistic expectations, as anything that isn't a complete success causes a lot of negative self-talk that can increase anxiety in the future. Combine that with symptoms that may damage pride, such as confi-dence with the opposite sex, and it is easy to see why anxiety affects us.

Dealing with Stress and Anxiety

for Men

By George Skane-Davis

The Underdog MEN’S 9

However, some of us may get a little more stressed than others. Stress often causes us to feel anxious, whether it be for something happening at that moment, or an event in the future which you know you have coming up. Nerves you get before going on stage or before going on a date is often short-term anxiety, which everybody gets sometimes. However, some people suffer from long-term anxiety where the body begins to freak out at multiple things at once. If this gets really bad, anxiety escalates into a panic attack where the body goes into ‘fight or flight’ because it thinks something is happening to you. A good way to calm yourself down is to listen to mu-sic, especially those cheesy tunes that bring back memories of your friend falling over a bin when he’d had a little too much to drink in Magaluf. Laughter is of course also a great way to release some of that stress and anxiety. Go down to the pub with the boys and have a good time, just don’t take it over board. Some people say they smoke to relax, but studies show that nicotine suppresses the stress fighting hor-mone serotonin. Another good reason to quit. So remember boys, it doesn’t make you any less of a man to get a little stressed out, you just have to learn to control it.

By Alice Southby

How to Make your Student Homes a

Winter Wonderland!

Six Ways to Create Your Own Warm Wintery Hideaway Winter is well and truly here and, although you don’t need any more reasons to stay in, it can’t hurt to jazz up your room with a couple more cosy-fying additions. So without further ado here are 6 easy changes you can do to your bedroom which will leave you snug as a bug in a rug. #1 Winter Proof Your Bedding I’m going to guess that your bed takes up quite a large chunk of your room, which means changing your bedding can have a massive impact on the whole atmosphere. Warm, dark-coloured bedding will make your bed feel cosier and make it even harder to get out of bed in the morning. Another great thing to do, which involves effort, is to make your bed in the morning so when you come home it’s all wrapped up, snug and good to go. #2 Cushions. Lots and lots of cushions Adding masses of cushions to your room will make it seem snugger. To contrast the dark-coloured bed-ding suggested in #1, choosing lighter colours for the cushions will give the room an attractive glow. Volume is key here and you’ll know you’ve got it right when you find yourself getting lost in them. Adding a huge throw of thick quilt to dress your bed up will also make it even easier to curl up and get snuggled. #3 Bunting Adding a splash of colour around the top of your room through bunting will make your room feel taller and add a bit more texture. Again, dark col-ours will make the room feel more intimate and warm, while lighter bunting would make a smaller room seem bigger so choose wisely! Etsy.com has plenty of variety in the bunting department but for an even more personal feel you could make your own. #4 Warm Memories Photos add a homely element to any room, be it framed, stuck on the walls or hanging from fairy-lights. As it’s likely that you aren’t able to choose the colour of your room, covering an area in photos allows it to have a more personal feel and will help cheer-up any wet or gloomy afternoons. Snap-fish.co.uk has amazing deals for photo prints which can be delivered straight to your door.

#5 Cosy Lighting Generally speaking room celling lighting is pretty harsh and can give rooms quite a cold feel. By using lots of smaller lights dotted around your room or, my personal favourite, fairy lights they radiate a softer, warmer light. However if this is too much of a faff for you it is possible to achieve a similar re-sult by adding a softer lampshade or by changing your light-bulbs to a warmer toned colour too. Also, keeping your curtain open during the few hours of daylight we get allows you to take advantage of whatever sun there is, and closing them at night will then keep the heat in when it’s really cold. #6 Candles If you’re lucky enough to be in a home where you are allowed candles they can brighten up any room and make it super toasty. Warm fragrances, such as pine, cinnamon, winter berries or vanilla either burning on their own or all together creates a peace-ful atmosphere whilst also adding a bit more heat on those colder days and nights. John Lewis do a fabu-lous range of candles which do not lose their scent and last for what seems like forever.

The Underdog Women’s Health 10

By Hugh Allen

Stage fright and Stella: Oxford’s Open mic Nights

There is little to do on a wintery Thursday night in Oxford, and as the rain falls hard on a humdrum town, it can be a struggle to drag yourself out of a mildly comatose state of boredom and out into the real world. Of course, Camera beck-ons to you with a smirk of self-entitled snobbery, but you quickly remember that you don’t partic-ularly enjoy watching inherited wealth being thrown around amongst a sea of vomit stained chinos.

Equally unnapealing is that impending deadline which looms over you, and even though it counts for fifteen per-cent, you feel life is too short to spend eight hours staring at a wall in the JHB building because you’re too weak to fight procrastination. But that’s when you see it. The acoustic guitar gathering dust in the corner of your room. You recall enjoying playing in your friend’s band that one time and you’re pretty sure you still know the opening chords to wonderwall. Perhaps it’s not even a guitar, it could be those four lines of mediocre poetry that lie un-touched in your bottom draw, scribbled out over four months of romantic fury when he/she stopped calling you back. Whatever your artistic vice, weekdays were invented for Open Mic nights. Well for adults weekdays are more about financial reports, coffee breaks and self-loathing, but for students and the unemployed, they’re for Open Mic nights. An evening where an entire creative commu-nity congregates in a tiny, often poorly lit, room and showcases all of its untapped potential, perpetuated by a repeated cycle of stage fright drowned in Stella. For the budding musician, comedian or poet, these nights are the first port of call for demonstrating your self-perceived brilliance to a host of critics and contemporaries. The Open Mic night is, in a way, a networking event for arts students; whereas our business counterparts attend confer-ences with free sandwiches and pens, we sit in a room, get pissed and watch a guy in a questionable floral shirt at-tempt to convey his experience of India through the sole medium of vuvuzela. Thankfully Oxford has a plethora of these nights and, due to the vast cultural heritage of the city, they are more sub-stantial than a collection of hipsters merely reciting sixth form poetry. Kicking off the week, with appropriate bohe-mian buzz is the Open Mic hosted by the Library pub on

the Cowley road. Every Tuesday, a variety of perform-ers including musicians, poets and even the occasional stand up, cram themselves into what appears to be a renovated flat for an intimate series of live sets. But what better way to accompany a tremendous overdose of acoustic guitar, than with a selection of homemade pizzas from the Library’s own wood burning oven, drawing in accommodating crowds that are hungry for blatant expressionism and margarita alike. Sure, it is a Tuesday, and Dominoes offers a pretty good deal, but what aspiring member of the oxford avant-garde could refuse a free pizza and drink just for performing? It is a free meal after all. But the true performers pilgrimage happens every Thursday in the east oxford social club on the quietest corner of the Cowley Road. A weekly event that has been running since 1994 and over the course of its lifespan has collected accolades from the Guardian, The Times and its own documentary on BBC radio 4. There is a reason that the celebrated Catweazle club is rated number one on Tripadvisor. Never has a sense of community and quality been combined to create the most relaxed, comfortable atmosphere ever to grace Oxford’s artistic community. There is an astounding togetherness about the whole affair, as a collection of the finest minds Oxford has to offer, assemble in the dim light of a bizarrely open space, to listen attentively to the efforts of their peers, the alumni of which in-cludes shortlisted poet laureates and underground musi-cians. For any student who wishes to demonstrate their creative abilities while discovering a multitude of gen-erationally diverse, local performers, Catweazle offers the perfect, non-threatening platform, to begin your envisioned ascent to reputable artistic immortality. Of course, there is a scattering of other, less heralded, open mic events happening in Oxford. The Fir Tree pub offers a low-key evening in a cozy setting on the Iffley road every Wednesday. In reality though, where is not important. For the musician or performer, the ability to present a body of work, without fear of criticism or abuse, is the principal draw of these nights. Even for those who lack a musical or poetical medium, open mic nights can be the most enjoyable of spectator sports. There is an irrefutable drama in assessing acts, varying in quality and content, amongst a host of like-minded people wishing to unearth that hidden gem, which so often presents itself in such a backdrop. So next time you are presented with a lonely weeknight, ignore the temptations of the soulless club scene, refuse the joint which would render you unmovable. Pick up that dusty guitar or scrap of poetry resting in the shadows of your room, and occupy a pub for several hours of unsaturat-ed, artistic expression. Though in the words of bohe-mian authority Scroobius Pip, ‘Thou shalt not attend an Open Mic and leave as soon as you’ve done your shitty little poem or song you self righteous prick.” Seriously though. It’s just rude.

The Underdog MUSIC 11

The year 2014-15 is already looking exceptionally prom-ising for sport at Oxford Brookes, with a number of BUCS teams making winning starts to the year. Brookes’ dominance in a number of sports has been es-tablished by the number of great performances put in by our students and by the number of flawless records cur-rently held by a number of teams. Beginning with football, all three men’s teams and the women’s first team remain unbeaten five weeks into the season, including an impressive 8-1 win for the men’s first eleven over Aston University and an equally com-prehensive 6-0 victory for the women’s first team over Oxford University. Also starting the year with perfect records are both of Brookes’ basketball teams, who have both triumphed in their first four games this year, with the men’s team recently notching up their twentieth con-secutive success. Adding to the list of unbeaten teams are both the men’s and women’s tennis teams, the men’s badminton team, whose winning streak continued with an 8-0 win over Coventry, and the Brookes Bulls Rugby League first team, whose start to the year included an outstanding 106-4 demolition of Nottingham University at home. As for Rugby Union, the women’s team continued their own great run with a 65-10 win over Loughborough and alt-hough the men’s team first team failed to build on a good start, the men’s second team recorded an extraordi-nary 173-0 win over Staffordshire back in October. Unfortunately, not all of the sports teams have managed to start the year with a bang. In American Football, the Oxford Brookes Panthers tasted defeat in their season

By John Baldwin

The Underdog SPORTs 13

opener, narrowly losing 12-6 to Kent University Fal-cons. There have also been slow starts for both the men and women’s hockey teams; however the Uni-versity has still climbed thirteen places in the overall BUCS sports rankings thanks to amazing results across the board. In terms of more casual sport, the University has launched its new project aiming to ‘Brookes Active’, after having received £170,000 worth of funding from Sport England in June. This will involve a num-ber of new events located all around campus, includ-ing ‘pop-up’ and more regular sessions. There are already a wide range of weekly sessions available at the moment, offering something for everyone, from established sports like canoeing, climbing, cycling and tennis as well as activities such as Ultimate Fris-bee, Hula Hooping and fencing and even more week-ly activities will be up and running by next semester. Outside of this, the table tennis society continues to run its ‘pongathon’ sessions every Friday at the Brookes SU Bar. Finally, at the Student Union’s Annual General Meeting, students voted in favour of calling on the University to keep Wednesday afternoons free for extracurricular activities, by making sure no compul-sory classes are scheduled after noon. They have also launched a petition to support this, which can be found online at ipetitions.com, if you want to sign up.

By Francis Kerins

The Underdog Sports

‘KP: The Autobiography’

The recent autobiography titled KP: The Autobiog-raphy has caused quite a stir and ruffled more than a few feathers in the media. The book charts the former England batsman, Kevin Pietersen, and his career on the England cricket team, and looks in detail at the controversial events that transpired shortly after their disastrous tour of Australia where they were white-washed, surrendering the ashes in the process. Pie-tersen was sacked from the team. The sacking is on a similar level to Manchester United sacking Wayne Rooney, or Liverpool deciding to tell Steven Gerrard to find employment elsewhere. It came as a shock, leaving fans with plenty of questions to ask. In this autobiography Pietersen attempts to answer the backlog of unanswered questions. Only now has Pietersen been able to tell his story. A confidentially clause put in place by his former em-ployees ensured that he kept his mouth shut until Oc-tober. Anticipation grew and now his story is being told, and the reaction has been somewhat mixed. Some love his story, lapping up every last sentence Pietersen spouts in his book. They agree with his claims that the team, despite ongoing success, had begun to be associated with a ‘bullying culture’, to which Pietersen states he was at the centre off. It makes a great story and therefore will inevitably be embraced by some. Others however, feel that the de-mise of Pietersen was just a matter of time. A combi-nation of his uncontrollable ego, South African herit-age, and lack of self-control was always just a recipe for disaster. The book tries to nudge people towards this initial side of the fence, but if anything it does the exact op-posite. The book is brilliantly written and really does encapsulate Pietersen’s voice as you end up hearing his South African tone throughout, but the content does not have such a positive effect. I personally found Pietersen to be repeating himself, it felt as if he was making the same point over and over again. To me, this suggests that his claims do not bear any real substance. Too often he comes across as playing the victim, yet refuses to blame anyone else for his undo-ing. For Pietersen to be suggested as a victim is laughable and completely contradicts the way he played the game as England’s leading player. Despite all this the book is a must read, even for read-ers who don’t necessarily appreciate cricket. The in-sight in the book is unrivalled. It’s very rare that all the tales of the dressing room are published and

known to the public. That alone was enough for me to read through the moments when Pietersen tends to ramble, moan and repeat himself. The story may not be true, but it’s definitely worth reading.

14

January is that time of year when Brookes tear up the slopes of Val d’Isere, for a week of drinking, skiing, oh, and more drinking! It’s too late for the 2015 ski trip now, but make sure you book it for next January and prepare to have one of the best weeks of your life. And while you may have already been skiing with your friends or family, trust me, the Brookes ski trip is a whole new ball game. Firstly, drinking begins the minute you hit the road. With the port-to-port challenge on the ferry there, you know that you are in for one crazy week. If you’re una-ware of what port-to-port, it is where you have to down a bottle of port before the ferry reaches its destination. Last year we managed this, although some could not take it, throwing up for the entirety of the coach trip (you know who you are). For those of us who succeeded with the port challenge, the effects of the alcohol made the 22-hour journey became much more bearable. Talking of the coach trip, girls, be sure to stock up on dry shampoo and keep makeup in your handbags as the long travel does not do good things to your beauty. There is nothing worse than bumping into your crush with greasy locks and mascara down your cheeks. Also remember to keep deodorant close to hand as you won’t see a shower for a long while… However, the journey isn’t all that bad I promise! You get to meet others who will undoubtedly become great friends, especially after the 22-hour coach trip! I met a majority of the people I live with now from this trip so I am proof that this is true.

Now don’t fret when you first see the size of the room you will be sharing. Somehow it is entirely possible to squeeze ten people into a room which is really only made for four or five people. Although you will be liv-ing on top of each other for the duration of the week, this will bring you much closer - you will be sure to wit-ness their naughty night-time antics!

Brookes Hits the Slopes!

The Underdog TRAVEL 15

The first night hitting the town is always the one you won’t remember. The combination of the altitude and French alcohol is enough to get anyone paralytic. No matter how keen a skier you are with an attitude to not go too big in order to take advantage of the slopes in the morning , in all likelihood you will probably be the one to end up on the floor! It is important to note if you haven’t been on the trip before that NO-ONE, I repeat no-one dresses up for the clubs! You can forget your heels and miniskirts as on this trip it’s all about the sexy combination of jeans and snow boots. Now you are probably aware of the infamous Vally Rally which everyone takes part in every year on the trip. This is a chance to show off your skiing ability, get drunk and get naked. Last year my flatmate, along with others, ended up getting completely starkers at La Folie! The aim is to end up at the same après ski bar after completing a series of challenges and tasks as you go down the mountain. Some of the tasks include body shots, drinking games, switching clothes and simply getting naked. After last year’s antics, I can tell you that everyone takes this rally very seriously and it can get very com-petitive. If you thought this was crazy, the night gets even wilder, with 3-way kisses, and other things that are best left to the imagination! By this point on the trip, you will have forgotten what it’s like to be sober. You will be tipsy on the slopes most days which will give you the necessary confidence needed for those gnarly jumps. In my opinion, no university experience is complete without the university ski trip! If you are joining Brookes or are already a student here and enjoy skiing/snowboarding or you’re interested in trying it out, I can say the hangovers that will follow will be totally worth it! Just remember, what happens on the trip stays on the ski trip. We’re not here to judge!

By Harriet Conington