Spaghetti Junction September 2008

Your Free Union Magazine October 2008 Freshers’ Issue

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Hi everyone and welcome to the first Spaghetti Junction this academic year! If you are a returning student, welcome back. I hope you had a great summer and that your results for this year were good. If you are someone who is just joining us, welcome to Birmingham City University! I hope you are settling in and that you have a great time while you are here. Welcomes over and done with, this is an extra special issue! Not only do we have a brand new look, this is also the Freshers edition! This month, we have coverage of Freshers week, some great articles for all the new students, as well as some old favourites like Cookery Corner and, of course, all the latest film, album and DVD reviews. We also have some new features this issue, check out ‘Student of the Month’ where a student who has made remarkable achievements is celebrated. As ever, I hope you enjoy this issue (which I’m sure you will) and remember, the magazine is now completely student run so if you want to get involved, get in touch! See you next month! Roxanne Carmen Hawker Editor-in-Chief: Roxanne Carmen Hawker [email protected] Deputy Editor:Natalie Marchant [email protected] News, Current Affairs, Features & Student Groups Editor: Georgie Campbell [email protected] Design & Graphics Co-Editor: Jak Flash [email protected] Design & Graphics Co-Editor: Poppy French [email protected] Communications Officer: Jennifer James [email protected] With thanks to all those who contributed to this issue, and to Paul Muller for the Freshers’ events access.

UP FRONT

Meet the Team 4 Safety Tips 6 Union News 8 Recycling 10 Mature Students 12 LGBT 13 Gay Out Much? 14 Gosta Green 16

FEATURES

What’s on in the City? 18 Freshers’ Week 21

STUDENT CULTURE Health & Fitness 27 Natalie’s Cookery Corner 28 Fashion on Campus 30 Student of the Month 32

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Bridging the Gap 34 Bands in University 35 Reviews 36 Horoscopes 42

SPAGHETTI junction Illustration: Jak Flash

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UP front meet the team

Spaghetti Building Blocks The roads that cross to bring you the Junction Hi everyone! I hope that you have had a great summer and welcome back or, a big hearty welcome if you’re a Fresher and are just joining us at Birmingham City University. I am now starting my second year at Birmingham City on the Visual Communications course, specialising in Photography. In this edition of Spaghetti Junction - the very first of the year, you can find plenty about what to do in Birmingham, as well as university focused events and issues – we hope you find them useful and interesting! I urge you to especially check out the Cookery Corner where I’ve thought up some quick, cheap and tasty recipes for you! Like I did last year, you too can get involved with Spaghetti Junction. Just contact us via email if you want to write gig reviews, get your writing published and even if you’re an aspiring photographer. We are always on the lookout for fresh talent, especially as the magazine is now completely student run! I wish you a happy and successful year ahead! Natalie Marchant Deputy Editor

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Picture:Poppy French & Jak Flash

Moved out when I was 16, left the Shire to come to the city. Came to university on a whim (probably the best whim of my life), decided to change my name, met some pretty decent people, and moved in with my mates, leaving me in my current position. Although I’ve slacked towards the end of the year I love to go out, get wasted, have a dance, find myself in unknown places, general responsible behaviour. You can’t go wrong with a gig at the Barfly followed by some homosexual based fun at DV8 fuelled by free alcohol. When I’m at university you can probably find me milling about BIAD, as I too am studying Viscom. I’m specialising in Graphic but I have no real idea what I want to do with myself (do any of us really? Live fast, die young and all that jazz). Me and Pops have re-designed the magazine giving it (what we hope is) a fresh new look. I’ll see you about sometime. Jak Flash Design and Graphics Co-Editor

UP front meet the team

Welcome students! Old or new it’s good to see you! Please do come round for tea, Jak is always baking. I too am doing Vis Comm and we are certainly a hard working bunch. If you are a hard worker too, why not join us? We are always looking for people to join the design team. So a little about me? I have big dreams and I’m hoping that university will help me to fulfil them, but then I guess success and happiness is everyone’s dream right?! 2008/2009 will be the year of change. You should be aware the student magazine has had a total refit, not just a new lick of paint but a wonderful redesign which we are all really proud of! So I want you, yes you to tell me what you think about Spaghetti Junction. Like it? I want to know about your student life, where you like to go out, what makes you happy and angry. 2008 shall be the year of your opinions because what’s a student magazine for if it’s not all about us? Poppy French Design and Graphics Co-editor.

Woo! We are finally back. This year already looks hot to trot with our fortnight of Freshers, new students and our ever expanding University - so what else are you waiting for? To find out about all the mischievous events of the forthcoming year, make sure you watch this space. But you all still need to keep in touch to make sure this magazine is exactly what YOU guys want. Moving into the second year is a somewhat scary step – as now the real work begins. But, no, that doesn’t mean I’ll forget about all our readers – far from it. I hope this issue proves helpful to our newcomers with handy safety and fitness tips. Oh, and make sure you all check out the cookery corner when you’re scratching your head for an idea for dinner. I can’t emphasise enough how much we all want your involvement in the magazine. After taking control last semester, it really has given us students a platform to discuss pressing issues and get things done. Working with the Students’ Union, we can really make some changes around here. We’ll keep you updated with all the dirt behind the scenes but, we need your help... It’s our University – so pipe up and have your say! Georgie Campbell News, Current Affairs, Features and Student Groups Editor

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UP front safety tips

Safety

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It’s a scary world out there! So Georgie Campbell has very kindly taken the time to give you a few handy hints on how to keep your stuff safe and those thieves at bay. Some of them may seem a bit ridiculous, some may be stating the obvious, but believe me when I say you will thank her one day.

So Freshers, you’ve made it... your parents have finally stopped fussing and left you alone to get on with it! But do you really know what you should be looking out for? Who’s lurking round the corner, in the bathroom or even the kitchen?

The one killer characteristic of the young gun Fresher is, of course, going to be naivety. Being at university is probably the first time you’ve lived away from home, probably the first time in a few years you have had to make new friends and the first time you’ve entered an unknown city on your own. All this means you have to take extra care. So get wiser.

Now to the tricky stuff... as your bank account swells with your first loan instalment, the one thing Freshers must NOT do: flash their cash. It may very well be the most money that your account has seen in a long time after partying through the summer, but it is not something to boast about. Buying the first round may very well entice your new friends, but you can’t buy friendship and your so-called mates will remember that first night with Mr Moneybucks. Tactic – be conservative, that money does have to see you through until Christmas.

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Getting right down to business... numero uno from my list of advice. This may be the most obvious but, amazingly it does happen. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT leave your purse, wallet, keys or MP3 player unattended. In the past, students have shown genuine surprise when they come back to the canteen to discover their treasured possessions are no longer there. The security guards will not be impressed when you tell them you “just popped to the toilet!”

UP front safety tips

Living in halls throughout your first year will seem like fun, but you still need to remember you don’t actually know these people as well as you think you do. When the first slice of bread goes missing from your fridge, alarm bells should start ringing. As term continues, you will become more comfortable, but don’t leave your food open to others. Buying only what you need ensures that your food doesn’t go astray and that it doesn’t go mouldy before you’ve had a chance to eat it.

Your first year should be full of fun memories, drunken nights out and, of course, a wee bit of studying – so make sure it is. Just remember that whatever you are fearful of, it’s almost guaranteed that someone you know is thinking the same. Everyone has had to go through the same process, we’re all in the same boat – so look out for each other.

Of course you’re going to hit the town with your new crew in tow, but ensure that you stay with someone. Walking aimlessly through Birmingham, whilst under the influence of alcohol in the early hours of the morning is not clever. Being unfamiliar with the area or even the route home almost spells trouble before it hits, so avoid it at all costs. If these few words of wisdom do not enlighten you and lead you down the safe path to second year – what will? But just in case, make sure you check out your security office in both your academic and residential campuses. Knowing where to go if you do end up in trouble will take the pinch out of an awful situation, so get exploring. Now you’re fully loaded with advice – go out and enjoy yourself.

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UP front union news

“Hello and welcome to both the new bods and the returnees! I hope that you have all had a good Summer (which has lasted a lot longer than I thought it would), both through work and raising money for local and national charities. However, the Exec team have been pressing on in preparation for your arrival and we await with eager grins as you return, hopefully refreshed. There is so much to offer and so much that is little known about the Students’ Union and this year we hope to change that! In order to find out a little more about our work and how we represent and cater for your needs, check out www.birminghamcitysu.com. I know that I can’t wait to meet you all and I’m sure the other Execs feel the same so make sure you say hello if you see any of us! This is my second and final year as President and I wish you all the best of luck with your studies and promise to listen and act on your voices.” Oz Hetherington Union President

What is Student Council? If you want to have a say into how your Union is being run, and be part of one of the highest decision making bodies in your Union, then all you need to do is become a member of the Student Council. Council is of the utmost importance for the university as it is the official forum to get results, have your voice heard and most importantly, be there while decisions are being made.

Who is on council? Council Faculty Representatives (CFR) get elected by the student body before the first council takes place. There are 37 positions all up for grabs.

How to get involved Simply visit our website and fill out the from provided or email Communications Officer Jen James at union. [email protected]. Ethical and Environmental Officer Last academic year, a motion was passed at AGM calling for the introduction of a 7th part time Officer ‘Ethical and Environmental Officer’ and we need you!

To find out what the post is all about visit our website www.birminghamcitysu.com or email the Comms officer.

With each New Year comes a new and improved Students’ Union! We have a brand new website, giving you all the information you are likely to need for the year ahead like up to date news, events, sports & society info and much more. With its Facebook like features (Profiling and picture tagging), the website is better than ever!

Also, we have extended our Exec team from five to eleven, giving you more representation and support throughout the year. The five usual suspects are still on hand but they have now been teamed up with six part-time Executive Officers; a Black & Minority Ethnic Student Officer, a Mature Student Officer, an Edgbaston Campus Officer, a Gosta Green Campus Officer, a Millennium Point Campus Officer and a Conservatoire Campus Officer. For more information on the Exec team, visit the website where full profiles are available.

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UP front recycling

Recycling was a BIG issue for the Union this year, with a HUGE campaign launched earlier in the year. However, a few months down the line, has anything really changed? Is Birmingham City University any closer to helping save the planet? Or was all the ‘action’ from the Union just a load of old rubbish? Georgie Campbell investigates. 10

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UP front recycling

Your Union’s new environmental campaign involves discontinuing carrier bags in all Union outlets. Instead, we provide cool, environmentally friendly bags for life; costing just £1.25.

After the enthusiastic launch of Birmingham City Students’ Union recycling campaign earlier in the year, should we expect to see an increase of facilities on campus? Unfortunately – not just yet. But progress is being made. Newly elected Representations and Campaigns Officer, Hannah Newland has shown her strong commitment to the issue and promises some changes in the near future. We already know that there is strong support from the University’s students from last year’s online petition set up by the Students’ Union, but now is the time to see something being done about it. R & C Officer, Hannah said: “The University is currently recycling around 4% of their waste, so in two years time we are aiming for an increase to 25% - if not more!” So kids, it looks like plans are on track for a greener Uni. So – do we now sit back and give a “thumbs up” to our Student Union? After all, they’ve shone through and proved once again that they really are listening to student concerns. But... NO! That doesn’t mean our involvement in this campaign is done and dusted, far from it... Although we are powerless to enforce more facilities around our campuses, there are still things that we can do in the mean time. Carrying on our carbon footprint battle, here’s a re-cap of handy tips to help you on your way: Remember rule number one – avoid the “evil villain”... the PLASTIC BAG! Supermarkets are phasing out the treacherous carriers, but we can still cut down the number we use. Most bags are 100% degradable – but why use them in the first place? Take your own bags to Asda, saving the environment whilst avoiding the embarrassment as your bag splits when getting on the bus... it will happen! Now I’m sure you won’t all be eating takeaway pizza and Chinese with all the cookery tips in this mag... but if you do surrender (to the detriment of your waist line remember!) make sure you do your bit. Recycling that cardboard pizza box and chow mein plastic container is easily done. The plastic tub can be washed out and reused as a lunch box for your money saving lunch time needs, whilst most residential areas provide small black boxes for cardboard collections... so use them!

Plastic bottles – they’re everywhere. Look around, they’re on the shelves, in the bins, on the streets, in the bushes and why? Because we need to drink of course... but did you know they are tricky to recycle? Believe it or not – most city councils ask for the bottles and lids to be separated before entering the recycling process. As the two parts are made from different plastics, they need treating differently, so prove more challenging than other items. So, whilst we’re waiting for more machinery to be invented to deal with this problem what can we do? Well, it’s obvious... no brain wave here. Re-use bottles as often as you can. Carrying around a bottle of water not only saves your pennies but keeps your mind active and can even avoid tiredness. That bottle will seem like your best friend as you sit through your midmorning lectures after a heavy night out on the pop. But that’s not all we can do. While we sit and wait for our greener Uni to emerge, what can we recycle on campus? THINK! It’s simple. Why did you need to print that six page essay to proof read it? Printing only when you ABSOLUTELY need to will not only save your printer credits but will also reduce the amount of waste paper we’re using. With your recycling tips in check you can carry on the battle against global warming, whilst reeping in the benefits from saving those extra pennies. But why are we all so passionate about recycling? There are the obvious reasons of saving the world, blah blah blah, but that’s not all. It will affect each and everyone one of us individually. Ridding the streets of rubbish will not only help to improve the image of our Uni and city, but will ensure a safer environment for our community. Proving a passionate issue that is increasingly becoming a topic of debate in many households, it really does proving a passionate issue that is increasingly becoming a topic of debate in many households, it really does emphasise its own importance within our student lives. R&C Officer, Hannah said: “I’m really going to push recycling this year as it’s a global problem already and it’s what students want.” So with the full support of our SU – make sure you keep recycling those pizza boxes!!

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UP front mature students

It’s not all chalk and cheese

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mature student: someone who is at least 21 years old at the start of their course and has usually been out of the education system for at least two years. Can also include students who have been out of the education system for decades, or students with no secondary education. source: wikipedia

Mature students are the forgotten breed who are now increasingly entering education at university level. During 07/08, 46% of degree level students at Birmingham City University were classified as mature students. Our university is following the nationwide consensus of having mature students form the vast majority of part-time students, and an ever increasing proportion of the full-time student population. UCAS (2008) states:

“[that] one of the encouraging developments in recent years has been the growth of lifelong learning. Increasingly, students are taking up courses at every stage of life. What was once seen as the preserve of the young is now rightfully an area for all.”

As a mature student myself (I am about to embark on the second year of my course), I believe that us mature students should be greatly valued; whether we have joined the ranks to improve our job prospects, to make a fresh start in life or purely down to being

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interested in a particular subject. We should also be valued for what we can bring to a course. Things like our enthusiasm, the fact that we add diversity to the course and also for our life experience and previously gained skills. Remember, we are not ‘old’, we are simply experienced! We have bravely decided that it is not too late to improve our prospects; this being hurdle one. We have been accepted onto a university course. That is hurdle two. Now we begin to panic! Although all students have to deal with the stress of university life, mature students experience a whole different range of pressures and stress. That is why I have put together my top five tips for mature students: 1) THROW OFF THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME! Many mature students feel they are at university under false pretences and that someone will eventually discover them and throw them out. Remember that you have earned your place through hard work, determination and commitment. This should give you a boost; others have already seen the potential in you and have the confidence that you can cope with the work level. Make the most of this experience and ENJOY IT! 2) NON-MATURE STUDENTS ARE OK! University is a great opportunity to mix with a wide range of people. Try to make friends with all age groups and other nationalities. Remember, first impressions are not always right. People cannot be categorised using stereotypes so ensure that you take everyone for what they are: individuals. 3) GET READY… To have the feeling that you aren’t doing enough and of never being finished!

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It will be hard work and there will be lots of it! If you set up a weekly study timetable and don’t leave things to the last minute, you should be able to cope with this. If you feel that you aren’t coping, don’t be afraid to ask for help! 4) DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE SKILLS YOU ALREADY HAVE! Since leaving school and joining university, there has been a gap and whether you have been a full time parent or been in a working environment, you have gained life skills. Remember that these skills will be advantageous to you whilst on your course. 5) DON’T FORGET YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! For some, the decision to return to the education system will be an entirely selfish one. For others, the decision will be based around an entirely selfless act of improving the prospects of your family. Whichever it is, remember that you will be required to adapt to a new way of life. Any student that spends their university life living at home has a completely different university experience than those who live in university accommodation. As your year progresses, you will adapt to the university way of life. It is highly likely that your social timetable will be affected and, although dedication and sacrifice is required, ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES ANY MATURE STUDENT A VERY DEPRESSED PERSON! My final words of wisdom come from my own personal experience. You may not always find your course easy and life as a mature student will have its challenges but just remember that you are not alone! Hundreds of students are in the same boat and are encountering the same problems, HONEST! Written by Suzanne Rule

UP front LGBT

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LG BT

hat does LGBT mean? Well, for those of you not familiar with the term, it’s quite simply an abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender/transsexual people. It is used as a replacement for the phrase gay community, as many people felt this was not an accurate representation of all those to which the term referred. Here at Birmingham City University, we have a healthy and active LGBT community who get together at the beginning of every month. We offer students support and advice on a variety of issues from sexual health and coming out, to places to party and campaigning for any issues that students may have. We talk about Birmingham as a city and offer an insight to its attractions that may interest people, or we may discuss recent LGBT issues such as the gay blood ban and think of any ideas that can help raise awareness about these issues. The topics vary from meeting to meeting depending on what members want to discuss. As well as monthly meetings, we have regular events throughout the year. Recently, we had our popular ‘Hurst Street Hussle’ bar crawl that trails its way through the heart of the gay scene. A record number of people attended and we enjoyed great exclusive drink promotions! Other outing highlights include bowling at Star City, the Thursday night of fun which sees us attending Dv8 and Nightingales for cheap drinks and great music, and we will soon be attending the High School Musical 3 premiere! The group is not exclusively for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Trans, it is for everyone and people who are heterosexual are encouraged to join. In the past, LGBT groups have faced criticisms, with some people believing that grouping together people with non-heterosexual orientations perpetuates the myth that being gay/ lesbian/bisexual makes a person deficiently different from everyone else. Here at Birmingham City University, the LGBT society celebrates its sexuality but most importantly we celebrate pride, diversity and individuality. These are the reasons we encourage people from all walks of life to join our group, in recognition of their support for the political rights and social dignity of the LGBT community. Some groups differ on what LGBT stands for; some groups argue that the transgender and transsexual causes are not the same as those of LGB people and therefore shouldn’t be included. This argument centres on the idea that transgender and transsexuality have to do with gender identity, while LGB issues may be seen as a matter of sexual orientation. Others see the LGBT as people that are supposed to fight on issues that the LGBT community face, examples being same-sex marriages and the gay blood ban. Here at Birmingham City’s LGBT, we believe in a mixture of discussion and tackling the issues facing LGBT members. Most importantly though, we exist as another form of social networking within the university, to give people the chance to meet other people, regardless of their sexual orientation. Written by Lee Lawrence

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Picture: Jak Flash

UP front gay out much

GAY OUT MUCH?

Here at Spaghetti Junction, we want to make sure that we have something for everyone, especially as we are welcoming loads of new students! With that in mind, Lee Lawrence has taken a look at the Birmingham gay scene. 14

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UP front gay out much As with any large town or city, an exciting and active night-life plays an important role in the commerce and culture of a city. Luckily for us, Birmingham boasts Broad Street and The Mailbox (both in the City Centre) among its key attractions for people seeking a great night out. However, Birmingham also has a very healthy and active gay community. The area around Hurst Street is affectionately known as “the gay village” and whilst it might not be as big or as busy as the scene in Manchester or London, it’s certainly on the cusp of greatness, boasting an impressive twelve bars to its name. Here is a brief round up of what key bars the gay scene in Birmingham has to offer. Glamorous is the first bar people are most likely to see; it’s a cabaret bar that is famous for its nightly themes that range from vocalists to strippers, and its specialty of drag queens and you will regularly find drag shows being performed. Then, on to Nightingales which is Birmingham’s biggest club with three floors and a restaurant. The entertainment here tends to be the best of anywhere in the Midlands! Saturday nights feature famous acts with appearances in the past including Kelly Rowland and Booty Luv. DV8 isn’t too far away and is definitely the best for drinks offers. Every Thursday, they hold their ‘Skint’ night where entry is £7 and all drinks are free! It has become the busiest student night in Birmingham, easily establishing itself as a firm favourite with all students. Finally, there’s The Fox, located on Lower Essex Street which is Birmingham’s only lesbian bar. The staff there are some of the friendliest about and there are lots of nooks and crannies, with

the pool room tucked away behind the bar. Now on to events; described by its organisers as ‘the largest gay and lesbian event in the UK’, Birmingham Pride is a weekend long gay and lesbian festival held annually in the Gay Village. This year’s flamboyant Birmingham Pride took place over the May Bank Holiday weekend and, whatever you’re looking for at a gay and lesbian festival, you’re likely to find it at Birmingham Pride, which is definitely an event with a great heart and a friendly atmosphere. There are dance and musical events, funfair rides, street stalls and entertainments to name a few of the occurrences at this three day extravaganza! Birmingham Pride usually features a carnival parade through the City Centre on the Sunday but the ‘08 parade was cancelled this year causing controversy within the gay community. An alternate march was held by campaigners, led by the University of Birmingham LGBTQ association who followed the same route as the original parade but with a protest march. The protest attracted between 350 and 400 people and aimed to combat political apathy within the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) community. The placards carried a variety of messages, targeting many issues including the commercialization of LGBT spaces, homo, bi and trans phobias and the gay blood ban. The campaign was seen as a success, and generated nationwide press interest and made the front page of a number of local publications as well being featured on BBC news. While plans for Pride 2009 are on the go, upcoming events

include the annual Pride Ball which is a fundraising event, usually held two months before Birmingham’s Pride festival. The fundraising event boasts ‘over 750 diners, [and] has to be undoubtedly the biggest gay ball in the UK’. It is also said that it is ‘one of the best and most prestigious gay events in the UK’. Next year’s ball has a theme of Gold and Silver and features a three course meal, as well as entertainment that includes performances from X-Factor finalist Niki Evans and a disco. The event raises money for charity whilst doubling up as a presentation night for the Midland Zone Magazine Readers’ Awards. The Oscar-style Awards ceremony is presented by David Nash and the ball supports lesbian and gay charities. Everyone that wants to have fun and indulge in an elegant evening is more than welcome to buy a ticket. Some people claim the gay scene in Birmingham does not equal the importance of Old Compton Street or Canal Street. However, the number of gay bars and clubs on the scene is both significant and impressive. It is true to say Birmingham’s Gay scene, on and mainly around Hurst Street (with Subway being a notable exception) is considerably smaller than London and Manchester but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in character! With Birmingham City Council recently announcing plans to put £1 million towards environmental improvements that are much needed to the city’s Gay Village, (which should hopefully be implemented by Pride 2009), it seems that Birmingham’s Gay Village is going from strength to strength, and can only get better!

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Picture: Jak Flash

UP front gosta green

The grass is always Greener at Gosta

Gosta Green is one of five campuses that make up one of the biggest faculties of Art and Design in the UK. It can be found in the midst of the Aston University Campus, as they’re located right next to each other. This is a campus budding with creativity, bursting with energy and thriving with students who have great potential. Here, you can study a wide variety of courses from Animation to Visual Communication (which I study, it’s amazing!). There is so much available for the students to use as well, we really are well kitted out. There’s a dark room for developing all your negatives and a studio with a white cornerless cove for all your photography needs. It doesn’t stop there though… oh no! There are suites full of Macs, there’s a chroma key room (painted like something Slimmer from Ghostbusters got hold of) and even a stop frame animation studio, complete with light boxes (which were crafted by one of Gosta Green’s own members of staff). When the students want a break (after all the strenuous work they have been subjected to), they can relax and grab a coffee and some food (including chippez!) from the canteen. All the Freshers’ are in for a treat as all the chairs have just been replaced with some super sexy green

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ones. Don’t spend all your pennies in the canteen though, because there is a Union art shop where all the things you want to aid your creative desires are available for a worthy price. The Union office can also be found in its lovely circular cubical, keeping you up to date on all that is student. On the way out of Gosta Green, there’s a display on the right (one of four to be found on campus) that, in the past has featured some great work including a vinyl display from Lunartik A.K.A. Matt Jones (Lunartik.com). In the Visual Communication reception, you can often find great works around the walls. A notable exhibition from last year was Rob Gibb’s (Photography Lecturer) photography pieces. He displayed various black and white works from his personal collection, demonstrating an interesting form and approach to photography. The most recent exhibition to be put on was the MA show where works were displayed thoughout the campus. It was great to see such talent on show, and the ambition of the current students keeps on growing so come down and look at the future exhibitions. Jak Flash

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Picture: Poppy French

Features what’s on in the city

What’s on in the city? As many of you are new to Birmingham, we know you will be wanting to find out about all things you can do in our city. Poppy French has created her guide on the best of Brum. Enjoy! As a student you will be bombarded with leaflets. They are absolutely everywhere! As a student in Birmingham, many of the leaflets thrown at you will be advertising Broad Street. For those of you new to the city (and for those who just didn’t know), Broad Street holds many of Birmingham’s clubs and bars. These include Lloyds bar (part of the Wetherspoons chain so it’s cheap), the Walkabout Inn (good for the following: watching sport on big screens, good deals on drinks and some

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hilarious live music acts; remember East 17? They played here last Christmas!), Reflex; where every night is 80s night and Flares (which is the same as Reflex only it’s stuck in the 70s…). If after all that decade jumping you feel like a laugh, why not check out the comedy club Jongleurs? It has a special student night and when the comedy is over, the club turns into the 90s music room for the club Risa (more decade jumping…). If you love alcohol and variety (who doesn’t?), check out vodka bar Revolution, which boasts many different vodka flavours (including chilli for those of you who like hot stuff…). One of the latest additions to the Broad Street family is the world famous Gatecrasher club which aims to be ‘the UK’s most glamorous destination and luxury nightclub.’ We’ll see. Just a word of warning about Broad Street though; is best to avoid it at the weekends as it tends to be filled with sleazy office types and entrance and drink prices are usually raised. Beyond Broad

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St, you’ll find the Broadway Plaza which, in my opinion holds the best cinema in Birmingham, we’re talking huge screens and refillable popcorn. Woohoo! Fancy a spot of bowling? There is a bowling complex in the Plaza too and you’ll find offers for both the cinema and bowling on the Student Beans website (www.studentbeans.com). From Broad Street, there’s a canal network that leads to the Sealife Centre (two for one available on student beans) and the Mailbox shopping centre. The Mailbox has many of Birmingham’s more expensive shops like Harvey Nichols and it’s also possible to get a canal boat down to it if that’s your sort of thing! Now for a bit of culture; if you find yourself in a blues orientated mood, check out the Yard Bird Jazz club. From there, it’s just a short walk through Paradise Forum to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which has the UK’s biggest public collection of Renaissance art. Then, opposite Birmingham City University’s Margaret St campus are the open gallery spaces. Recent exhibitions include the Stitch exhibition (Birmingham was the only city in the country to have the show). When you’re done with all the art, why not go

Features what’s on in the city shopping and put a dent in that student loan? Birmingham City Centre was recently name dropped by Channel 4’s Gok Wan as one of the best high street shopping destinations. There is a brilliant selection of shops, ranging from high street to small boutiques, as well as a great selection of vintage shops and charity shops. For a more interesting range, it’s worth travelling out of the city centre to areas such as Moseley and Harborne which are all on the Birmingham bus routes. Slightly out of town (but still within walking distance), you will find the glorious Jewellery Quarter which has many lovely restaurants (perfect for dates and when your parents visit), sleek bars and of course our university’s famous Jewellery school. The Jewellery Quarter is also home to the club Concrete (just below the Big Peg building). The club follows the stylish feel of the Jewellery Quarter and hosts fabulous eclectic live nights, with a £50k KV2 sound system it is the first of its kind in the Midlands, with the opening night featuring a DJ set from none other than Bloc Party. Also check out St. Paul’s Square, where you will find the Jam House which is Jools Holland’s famous pub. Again there are live nights as well as excellent beer but make sure you arrive early to avoid disappointment. Nearby, you will find Subway City. This club hosts many excellent club nights with Hardcore, Funk and Electro at the weekends. Tuesday is a popular student night with a 90s feel and every alternate Tuesday is all you can drink. Heading back into town, you will

find the Birmingham Academy (situated at Dale End). This is a great place for live events and the acts range from the super famous to the undiscovered! The Academy also hosts two club nights, with Ramshackle on Friday (generic indie pop tunes with a fabulous electro room) and Subculture on Saturday (Birmingham’s biggest rock and metal night). Both nights are well priced but do expect to get filthy shoes! Heading down from the centre of Birmingham you come to Digbeth. The first clubs you come to are The Sanctuary and Barfly. The Sanctuary hosts the Panic! club night every other Saturday. This massive stately ex-mental asylum is a brilliant back drop for any night out. There are loads of rooms, from Drum N Bass to Nineties cheese and a brilliant Electro room! Barfly plays host to many up and coming acts. It also has club nights on many nights of the week so it’s worth checking their website or their free magazine The Fly for more information about what’s on. Also in Digbeth, you will find the Custard Factory, which is truly awesome. During the day, it has many interesting stores, vintage clothes shops, an urban vinyl shop and a folk instrument shop. On Sundays it has a flea market with many stalls, including a regular spot from BIAD students so pop down and show your support. At night, the Custard factory is transformed. One of the most popular events at the Custard Factory is the Eclectricity night. Last year, Pendulum made their Birmingham debut at this event and it also hosts other top

DJs including Erol Alkon, LCD Soundsystem, Annie Mac, MYLO, Simian Mobile Disco, DJ Yoda and Hot Chip DJs to name but a few! These nights can be pricey but are definitely worth saving those loans for. Another brilliant Birmingham venue is The Rainbow, which has its own warehouse. Coincidentally, it is the very same warehouse that plays host to the Birmingham City Students’ Union Warehouse Party. The Rainbow also often hosts the famous Drop Beats Not Bombs, which involves the street being closed so the party can continue under the railway arches. Definitely one of the coolest venues in Brum! Heading back towards town, there is the Arcadian (situated in Birmingham’s Chinatown). This area is also theatre land and the outskirts of Birmingham’s gay Quarter. There are many restaurants and cool bars, as well as Oceana, Barracuda and another Reflex bar. Some bars in the Arcadian are more reasonable than others, so it’s worth moving around to get the best drinks prices. This area is also home to the Hippodrome theatre and The Glee club which hosts folk, acoustic music and comedy events. Just opposite the Glee Club is a fabulous old fashioned sweet shop which sells all the favourites. Great for reliving childhood! So that’s my guide on some of the best of Brum! Go out and enjoy yourselves, and let Spaghetti Junction know what you get up to!

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Feature

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Features freshers’ week

Warehouse Party 23.09.08

Speculation was rife, Facebook was buzzing with rumours: “I’ve heard EVERYONE’S going. Will we get in?” This is always a good sign for a Warehouse party. So we strolled up at around half-past ten, press passes in hand. The queue was hu-uge with everyone dressed up to the nines in their best rave attire. The Rainbow was its usual beautiful self with the graffiti adorned walls setting the scene for the fabulous party. The DJ’s were blaring out their best mixes, the dance floor was filling up and things were certainly hotting up. Before long, the stages were filled with our most talented ravers. The more chilled out Freshers had headed to the beach, not Skegness, oh no! The Rainbow was kitted out with its own beach! With a thick taste of glow sticks in the back of their throats and sleepy dancing feet, the revellers headed home, to be tucked up in bed by new friends ready to dream of the next Warehouse Party.

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Features freshers’ week

After the Warehouse Party there was a lot to live up too. And let me tell you that Saturday night’s silent disco at Bar 42 was certainly a fabulous experience. When Spaghetti Junction arrived dressed up in our favourite mime outfits the place was looking a bit empty with only a couple of bravest fresher’s throwing shapes around on the dance floor. Soon with the finest disco tunes blaring out on the two channel head phones everyone was out singing at the top of their voices and care freely waving their limbs about. Eventually some one realised that the wireless headphones worked outside and everyone spilled out into the night air. With everyone dancing to different tunes it was absolutely hilarious to watch. As the night drew to a close and without to many injuries we all wandered home still dancing and prancing. My verdict? If you’ve never been to a silent disco, go, NOW!

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Features freshers’ week

S i l e n t

D i s c o

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Features freshers’ week

Main Event So this is what we had all been waiting for and everybody was certainly ready. This event was truly classy, with everyone looking especially beautiful in preparation for the evening’s events. In the main room, anticipation for Lil’ Chris, Booty Luv and Platnum was building and you Freshers simply burst when they came on stage! When the bands had finished, everyone settled down to what you lot seem to do best, dancing your asses off! The evening certainly was brillant, definitely a main event to be remembered.

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Features freshers’ week

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Student Culture health & fitness

Health & Fitness It’s a well known rumour that students pile on the weight within their first year of Uni. So, to save you going home at Christmas looking like a stuffed turkey, here’s a few handy fitness tips from Georgie Campbell. Cooking for yourself for the first time may seem daunting – but that does not mean you should always go for the easy option. A year’s worth of Pot Noodle and toast will get boring, and what about your health? A healthy diet creates a healthy mind, so we really do need to avoid all those E numbered foods. Attempting to eat your five a day fruit and veg will make you feel healthier, but it’s not all about food. Next tip – take the stairs. Elevators are the easy option, but you’ll benefit from climbing those two flights of stairs. It really isn’t that hard and will get easier as term goes on. When you have mastered walking up the stairs, try taking them two at a time which is even better exercise! With our new Sports Centre under development in the City North Campus, the opportunities for exercise are increasing, just extremely slowly. But in the mean time, Alexander Stadium has a cheap(ish) gym for students in the Perry Barr area. Students based in the centre of Birmingham may find alternative gyms, clubs or facilities but we need to make sure that the ever increasing obesity levels of England are not contributed to by Birmingham City University’s students.

Regular exercise is important to keep trim and on the ball. I know you’re thinking the gym sounds like such hard work – but there are other ways. Walking is a wonderful form of exercise which will not only keep those love handles at bay, but will keep that purse bulging. Saving £3 a day on the bus will add up so it’s worth it. Walking to Uni with friends not only keeps you active but gives you the chance to have a good old gossip before sitting through those three hour lectures. The fresh air will keep you awake for longer too so you will be able to concentrate while even the most boring lecturer is talking!

There are, of course, more hard core types of exercise. A kick around after Uni will keep those young bodies buff, or even a light jog around the field will do wonders. The sports societies are normally thriving at Birmingham City University, so why not tryout for them? As well as getting regular exercise, you will also meet a lot of great people, and you may even get to compete in tournaments so it’s worth thinking about.

If you can’t face the gym, why not invest in an exercise DVD? There are some great ones out there, for all fitness levels and that way, you can work out in the privacy of your own home, which is great for those who don’t like the constant staring from personal trainer types at the gym! Whatever you decide to do, have fun and enjoy the benefits of a healthier you.

Freshers, in fact all students dump the junk and get active.

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Student Culture Natalie’s cookery corner

Natalies Cookery Corner Here is our first Cookery Corner of the year and I hope that you enjoy the recipes that we have created especially for you! We decided that in keeping with our name, from here onwards each edition of the Cookery Corner will have a spaghetti themed recipe.

Cheesy Vegetable Bake (25 minutes) This is a really delicious way to get a whole variety of vegetables in your diet and makes a change to a pizza or pot noodle! It can also change depending on what seasonal veggies are available. If you want some meat in it, it is also very good with chicken in there too. All you need to make it is: 1 A medium sized sweet potato 2 A red/white onion 3 A bunch of broccoli 4 A small courgette 5 Cheese 6 Garlic salt or other herbs or chilli sauce for seasoning 7 Breadcrumbs 8 Tomato sauce Here’s how you do it: Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees or 180 degrees for a fan assisted oven. Peel and cut up the potato and boil it for 5-10 minutes until it is soft when you stick a fork in it. You can also cook the broccoli in the same pot for less washing up. At the same time as they’re cooking, cut up the onion and courgette and lightly fry them. Once they’re done, place ½ the amount in the bottom of an oven proof dish. Then add ½ the tomato sauce on top. Then combine the other half with the potato and broccoli and put that in the dish too. Here’s your chance to add some garlic and herbs if you want to. Place the breadcrumbs over the top and finally grate some cheese over the top. Pop it in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted which should be about 10 minutes!

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Student Culture Natalie’s cookery corner

Spaghetti and Sausage Special (15-20 minutes) This is a really simple yet hearty dish that is also really cheap to make as it uses very few ingredients. All you need is: 1 A packet of sausages (meat or veggie) 2 An onion 3 Any tomato based pasta sauce or drained chopped tomatoes 4 Cooking oil 5 Spaghetti 6 Herbs to taste/ Chilli sauce for a bit of a kick!

Here’s how you do it: Cut up the onion into small pieces and fry in a frying pan. Once slightly browned, add the sausages and cook them according to the instructions on the packet. Once they have cooked, just cut up into small discs. Add the sauce to this and let it simmer. At the same time, in another saucepan cook the spaghetti. Add chilli sauce or herbs to the sauce for a bit of extra taste. Once the spaghetti has cooked, drain it and mix the sauce in. Serve and enjoy!

Apple Crumble (25-30 minutes including cooking time) A real favourite of mine that is straightforward and simply uses cupboard ingredients! Anyone can put this one together for an impressive home-style dessert. Here’s all you need: 1 One red apple 2 One green apple 3 A tin of chopped apples 4 A tablespoon of water 5 Ground cinnamon 6 White sugar 7 Flaked almonds – adds a bit of a twist to it! 8 McDougalls crumble topping

We'll see you next time for moreCookery Corner

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees or 180 for a fan assisted oven. Peel and chop up the two apples into chunks. Place them and the tinned apple into an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over and then add the water, as this will stop it drying out in the oven. Sprinkle over a few almonds if desired. Cover in a generous layer of crumble topping and sprinkle some sugar over that. Just pop it into the oven and bake for 15-20 mins until the crumble just begins to go golden. Serve with a nice big dollop of hot or cold custard!

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Student Culture fashion on campus

Well you’ve all come from far and wide; you’ve scoured the country for somewhere to be educated and have arrived dressed for such an occasion, ready to show all your friends what’s hot (that’s you) and what’s happening (that’s you too). So us lot at Spaghetti Junction couldn’t let you run off without snapping you with our cameras! Here are 10 lucky candidates we found trundling round the Freshers’ Fayre in search of some freebies. So, lucky readers, cast your eyes upon these beauties.

Claudette James Fashion Design Hat- Primark Dress- Primark Belt- Vintage Cardigan- Topshop Bag- Primark

Fashion Design Jacket- Topshop Top- Primark Bag- Cyprus Bangles- Oasis

Claudette’s supple limbs allow her still to do the splits!

Kaz likes to chow down on Oreos and Peanut butter in her spare time!

Natalie Chan

Sophie Benson

Fashion Design Jacket- Bench Cardigan- All Saints T-shirt- Topshop Leggings- Hong Kong Bag- Primark Natalie loves to whistle a tune... through her throat!

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Kaz

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Coat- Ebay Shirt- Ebay Skirt- Ebay Bag- Charity Shop Belt- H&M Necklace- Vintage Cardigan - Primark Sophie won’t accept your last Rolo, she only eats things in pairs!

Student Culture fashion on campus Sam Forbes-Walker History Jacket- H&M T-Shirt- Blue Rinse Need your fish gutting? Well, Sam is a qualified fishmonger no less!

Jakaria Law Jacket- H&M T-shirt- Selfridges Belt- Levis Jeans- Topman Ladies we’ve found you a shopping partner because Jakaria will shop till he drops!

Natasha Wallace Accounting and Finance Jacket- Babyfat T-shirt- New Look Jeans- G-star Bag- New York Milk with your cereal? No? Natasha likes salad cream with everything!

Adam Moffatt Visual Communication Jacket- Ebay T-shirt- Flip Just like Poppy French Adam loves a bit of the good ol’ Arrested Development!

Antoine Turner Multimedia Technology Jacket- Fred Perry T-shirt- JD Sport Antoine is hoping for a white Christmas this year, because he sure does love to snowboard!

Evdokia Papadopoulou MarketingAdvertising and PR Jacket- Primark Jumper- H&M NecklaceAccessorise Bag- Primark Don’t judge this book by its cover, the dumb blonde routine is just an act!

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Student Culture student of the month

STUDENT OF THE MONTH Welcome Wonchop, one hell of a cheeky monkey!

Having completed his first year at BIAD studying Visual Communication Ben Smallman has continued to achieve great things in the world of animation including his first television debut on the Kevin Bishop Show. Spaghetti Junction brings you a little insight into the workings that are the mind behind Wonchop, Hypocrite and Demise of a Match.

So what made you want to come to Birmingham City University? Basically, I wanted to go to some animation course, and like most of the schools I’ve been to up to this point, this one was the closest to wear I live XD How did you find the first year? A bit mixed. Some parts were better than others. I was mostly unprepared about how little actual teaching there was in universities. But stuff like animating traditionally and using stop motion were pretty fun. So did you find it difficult, i mean you’ve done a lot of animation before haven’t you? Well my only real experience in animation involved Flash, and a small bit of 3D. Prior experiments to that were the general Flicker Book experimentation and making animated GIFs over webcam footage. Ah, the good old days when I’d take my eyes out and eat them. Good times.

Ah , the good old days when I’d take my eyes out and eat them

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What’s your favorite piece of animation that you’ve created? Hard to say really. If we’re going on the basis of animation skill, I’d probably say one of the commissions I’ve done that I can’t really talk about. For plain lulz, a short cartoon I did a while back called Demise of a Match provides a few giggles. So you’re already getting work, have you got plans for future productions or work? I’m not really one of those people who plans too far into the future. After all you can never tell when something’s gonna happen midway that screws it all up. I do have some ideas of what I want to do, but I need to have a bit more courage in my drawing and animation skills before I can make a start on them, so in the meantime I’m just doing whatever gets shoved under my nose or whatever pops into my head. Well getting your animation on Channel 4 is a good start, how did that feel? It’s pretty neat. Sitting there watching it show on air with a grin beaming on my face and oohs coming from my parents. Working for Weebl has really helped in getting my foot into the industry, something I probably wouldn’t have been able to do easily prior to that in fear of getting my tootsies crushed. You can find Ben’s work at www.wonchop.net http://wonchop.newgrounds.com http://weebls-stuff.com junction http://www.youtube.com/user/wonchopmonkeyman

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Arts & Entertainment bridging the gap

Bridging the Gap (Chapter II)… Is Hip-Hop dead? Have MC’s become clichés? Has grime become grimy? Roxanne Hawker gives you her opinion on the decline of UK urban talent and those who can help us to rise again. For the past two years, in the first Spaghetti Junction of the academic year I have written articles promoting urban talent from the UK as I felt that our home grown talent was just as good as, if not better than that from across the Atlantic. This year though, although I still think that the UK is home to some very talented individuals, in the past year I have noticed that urban music is losing its roots. No more are lyrics the product of a gritty urban survivor who fought back against the system and made something of themselves! The UK seems to have been taken over by those who have no respect for music and what it represents. Basically the ‘reppers’ are out in force! For those who don’t know, ‘reppers’ are those who think that the only thing that matters is their postcode and they walk around acting like no one can touch them, while blasting weak tunes from their phones that they have made themselves as they think all you have to do to be a gifted rapper is simply to spit… Trust me, the only things that these people can and should be spitting is salvia! It was a sad day for Hip-Hop/Grime/ whatever you want to call it the day all these pretenders started trying to claim the keys to the kingdom! Luckily for all the true urban music lovers out there, the best of the best had the sense to change the locks! So, rant over, and back to doing what I love-supporting those who have talent! Could the latter part of 2008 be the UK’s year? Instead of the US cracking us like some mouldy nut, will someone urban UK break the US? Admittedly, the UK has had some recent success in America, most notably from Leona Lewis and Amy Winehouse. If the pop/soul divas can do it, then there’s no reason another UK talent can’t do the same! I think we have some serious contenders for the Hip-Hop heavyweight title, the UK has some gifted spitters. Look at UK rapper Akala, who is, (in his words but I completely agree) the reincarnation of Shakespeare. We have the bard himself producing bars and beats! Let’s show the world what we’ve got! We can show the US that Hip-Hop ain’t dead, it has just relocated!

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Words & Picture: :Jak Flash

Arts & Entertainment bands in university

ACRES OF OCEAN TO THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN

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They come on stage each their own person, and they are who they are until they start playing. That is when they become Acres of Ocean.

he transformation of Sam Berrington from Birmingham City University to Sam Berrington as the front man of Acres of Ocean is incredible. The transition from student to performer is almost mesmerising. The music takes hold and he is lost in a sea of performance. It’s not just Sam though. There’s Sean on Bass, Ad on Guitar and Adam on Drums and, together they form a tempest of progressive rock. Their music contains such an intense build up, as the band seems to lose any sense of being human. For the moment they’re on stage, they really are living the music. This isn’t just some violent clamour of instruments though; it’s a beautiful combination that creates something powerful. The moment you hear the haunting melody that is the start of Oceanic, you know you’re in for something special. It’s soft, strong,

subtle and it’s something else. These guys really are trying hard and they are dedicated to all aspects of the band. They’re studying music business, music production, music technology and visual communication; all with focus on a different aspect of the band. Adam’s also in promotion (he works for Obscure Tour Promotions). With the thrill of performing still circulating around their systems, the guys start to pack up all their equipment. “Mum, you getting a taxi home tonight?” Adam asks his mother. Although they perform heavy progressive rock, these guys all still have homes to go to at the end of the night. “If your mum’s not gonna turn up then who the f**k is?” jokes Ad. The name Acres of Ocean reflects how their music is much like that of the big blue; whether it be calm and breezy or the ferocious destroyer of cities, as the tsunami of sounds engulfs the unsuspecting audience. They’re setting sail too, with the release of their EP on its way, this group of guys have hopes for getting out of Birmingham, getting on a tour, reaching out, travelling Europe and seeing where this adventure takes them. www.myspace.com/acresofocean

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Arts & Entertainment live review

60 SECOND INTERVIEW

The Main Event:

This issue, we caught up with local singer, Crystal Melody. Chinese or Indian? Chinese TV or Radio? Radio Sweet or Savoury? Sweet If you found a tenner on the street what would you do with it? Same thing I did on my 17th bday (Claim it as my own) Clubbing or staying in? Staying in Facebook or Myspace? Myspace Hot or cold? Hot Countryside or city? City (I don’t like it when it’s too quiet) Book or film? Film Christina or Britney? Both Beer or cider? Neither Tattoos or piercings? Piercings Rock or rave? Rave Call or SMS? Call, I can’t stand texting Comedy or horror? Comedy, my memory is too graphic for me to watch a horror If you want to find out more about Crystal Melody, check out her Myspace page at www.myspace.com/

crystalmelodyonline

Live Review The line up promised to provide three bands who provide some of uni’s most loved and played dance floor fillers. The night’s musical entertainment began with Lil’ Chris. You may remember him as the pre pubescent boy who stormed the charts and stole our hearts back in 2006. Not normally my kind of thing but he (and more importantly the band) were excellent and not purely for their comedy value. He rolled his way through all the “classics” and finshed with the student favourite Checkin’ it out. By this time the Freshers were going insane, there was quite a lot of inappropriate touching of Lil’ Chris from female members of the audience! We’ve checked though, despite appearances he is over 18! With a whistle and a wave he left the stage for us to wait in anticipation for Booty Luv. Now to be honest, I was quite excited about the lovely ladies from the original line-up of the successful hip-hop/ pop group Big Brovaz. I think we can all remember a time when (maybe slightly drunkenly) we’ve strutted our stuff to Boogie 2nite, and tonight was certainly no exception; with the ladies (and I must add the gents) singing along to all the well known tunes such as Shine, Don’t Mess With My Man, and Some Kinda Rush. Directly after all that Booty Luv, Platnum came on. Before tonight I was unaware of who they were, but it quickly became clear they were the singers from that fabulous song of the summer What’s it Gonna Be. I was certainly pleasantly surprised, by this stage the crowd was really hyped and everyone was raving like maniacs. With only two songs played, their set was a little short but everyone seemed pleased to get back to the matter in hand which was some serious dancing. From the lovely atmosphere left by these three bands, I think the Birmingham City Students’ Union Fresher organisers made wonderful choices in their picking of fun cheesy bands for the main event 2008.

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Arts & Entertainment live review

GYM CLASS HEROES LIVE @ THE CARLING ACADEMY

Do you remember being at school and having to work really hard in gym class? I’m talking like a proper workout, at the end of which you were dripping with sweat and had pulled a few muscles. Well, going to see Gym Class Heroes is a lot like that, except that there is no crazy teacher yelling at you to do another star jump. The venue for my second GCH experience was the Carling Academy 2, which is part of the Birmingham Academy. I arrived, only to be greeted with a queue, the majority of which was made up of fourteen year olds. I didn’t let this get to me. Well, not once I had got over the shock of feeling like an OAP at 20 years of age. Anyway, one glass of warm water and a bit of background music later, the first support act sauntered onto the stage. Like I said, this was the second time I had been to a GCH gig and the first time, the support was some rock/metal type people which, I’ll be honest scared the s**t out of me. No joke. Luckily for me, the first support act was a man called Cosmic Jarvis. I’m not quite sure how to describe him and his music…think sort of indie but not. He sang/shouted his way through a few of his songs, I didn’t like any of them but I think he is an

acquired taste. Someone who, to paraphrase sings: ‘Britney Spears would say hit me one more time/ Then I would say no because domestic violence is a crime’ is definitely an acquired taste. Also, his performance was hindered by the fourteen year old girl in front of me who kept screaming that the guitarist accompanying him was fit. Luckily for me, (and everyone else in the building), my friend told her to shut up. Cosmic Jarvis was followed by a man who introduced himself as Professor Green. He then introduced fellow MC Cores and their DJ. Now, back to the Professor…one of the most talented MC’s that I have ever seen. The crowd was going crazy for this guy. There is nothing like a good bit of Hip-Hop to get you feeling hyper, a feeling which increased when the Professor brought his guest Haydon onto the stage. I’ll sum this talented singer up in one word (aside from those I just used to describe him): HOT! I was actually disappointed when the Professor and his people left the stage, they are gifted guys. From one set of talented guys to the next… of course I mean GCH! This alternative Hip-Hop group just gets better. Lead by the genius that is Travis McCoy, or Travi as

he is better known, the heroes are just that. They started with the smash Clothes Off and, at this point the room was so hot I was wishing I could take some of mine off! Some people went that little bit further though as half way through the song Travi had two bras thrown at him…Anyway, the hits just kept coming, including The Queen and I, On My Own Time, Viva La White Girl and the song that launched them in the UK, Cupid’s Chokehold. They also performed tracks from their latest album The Quilt, including the current single Cookie Jar. We were also treated to a cover of the Prince track When Doves Cry, which was amazing! Although their set was legendary, I was slightly disappointed that it only lasted about an hour…still, I guess the fact I wanted more says it all. If you are yet to have a Gym Class Heroes experience, then what are you doing still reading this? Buy their albums, have a rave in your bedroom and go to see them when they come back to the UK next year. Even if it’s just to hear Travi start singing the Usher track Love in this Club, stop and say f**k this s**t! Roxanne Hawker

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Arts & Entertainment album review

ALBUM REVIEW

Shakespeare said that music was the food of love…here at Spaghetti Junction, we say that music is the reason why Shakespeare said that. Clever, I know. Anyway, this issue ( as ever), we have reviews of some of the latest album releases. Enjoy, and if you fancy having a go at writing an album review, get in touch!

NE-YOyear of the gentleman

So, one of the brightest stars of the R&B world is back with his third album… but is Ne-Yo still shining? Thankfully, the answer to that is yes…Ne-Yo has once again proved that he is a talented man. Lead single Closer showed us that he wasn’t afraid of doing something different, and the rest of the album follows suit. Ne-Yo combines flawless vocals with soulful lyrics and beautiful beats, a combination that is increasingly rare in the world of R&B these days…Watch out for slow jam Part of the List, where Ne-Yo shows us his vulnerable side as well as second single Miss Independent which, trust me, you will be humming for a while! Another highlight is Single, the other version of which is doing big things in the US, as a collaboration with New Kids on the Block. All in all, this album is one of the best things someone in the R&B world has produced for a while, Ne-Yo definitely won’t Fade Into the Background anytime soon… 4/5 Roxanne Hawker

BLOC PARTYintimacy

Intimacy doesn’t just take over from where A Weekend In the City left off as some fans may expect. Intimacy is a logical musical progression for a band who pushed the boundaries of music from their conception. Those familiar with Bloc Party’s soundscape will instantly notice the jittery guitar tracks such as Halo and One Month Off, which are reminiscent of early Bloc Party material Little Thoughts and Banquet, and putting those tracks into perspective are ethereal ballads Signs and Zephyrus. Putting it retrospectively, if Bloc Party had released Intimacy as their debut album, nobody would have ‘got it’. But that’s good, nobody ‘got’ Pink Floyd, nobody ‘got’ Bjork and people still don’t ‘get’ Radiohead! Does that make them bad artists? No…it makes them world class! Bloc Party have once again pulled 10 indie anthems out of the bag and only 18 months after their not so difficult second album Intimacy is a success. 4/5 Kneale Brown

PUSSYCAT DOLLSdoll domination

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After a failed attempt at becoming a solo artist, Nicole decided to rejoin her four backup dancers and become a Pussycat Doll once again. There’s no denying that the Dolls have hit upon a winning formula - their debut album shifted an astonishing seven million copies! Although, I wonder how much of that success was due to the fact that they are basically singing strippers… Anyway, have they recreated that success on their second album? No. Although lead single When I Grow Up is definitely a scorcher, there is nothing that comes within sniffing distance of first ever single Don’t Cha. Still, the Dolls’ formula occasionally works, with highlights including I Hate this Part, a break-up number on which Nicole is allowed to emote fully, and future single Whatcha Think About That. For the most part though, the Dolls offer nothing definitive. It’s definitely not the time for Doll Domination… 2/5 Lee Lawrence

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Arts & Entertainment DVD review

DVD REVIEW

A veritable smorgasbord of DVD reviews here by Joel Harley, who, in his own words ‘deserves a medal for watching the Sex and the City movie all the way through - without having to resort to Clockwork Orange style torture methods.’

SEX AND THE CITY

At last comes the movie that boyfriends everywhere were dreading (nearly as much as the ABBA thing). Set four years after the end of the TV series, we find Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker, murdering my word count with her stupid triple barrelled name) getting married to Mr. Big (so called because of his burgeoning belly) whilst her friends suffer various crises and dramas. None of this matters however, since it’s all an excuse to show lots of shoes and dresses and earn Prada a few thousand dollars in advertising. Yes, it’s Shoes: The Motion Picture! Is it any good? Let’s be honest, that’s a moot point. Its target audience will watch nevertheless. But it’s a shame, because this is a shallow, cynical and lazy exercise. The TV show’s fans deserved better. 1/5

WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS If there’s one actor today that continues to astound and amaze by his ability to continually get work, it’s Rob Schneider. And then there’s Martin Lawrence. The poor man’s Eddie Murphy, he hasn’t made a decent movie since Bad Boys, but keeps bringing them out anyway. The plot of this execrable film stars Lawrence as the title character – a big shot talk show guru who returns home after years of absence. Despite initially arguing with his old friends and family, Roscoe realises the values of life (money does not equal happiness etc) and things end in a boringly predictable manner. Cedric the Entertainer (an ironic moniker, given his choice of movie roles) and Michael Clarke Duncan offer little support, whilst Lawrence is his usual gurning, annoying self. Avoid, unless you hate your own eyes. There are no extras. Which isn’t really a bad thing – because 114 minutes of Martin Lawrence is already too much. 0/5

TIMBER FALLS

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: beautiful Americans venture into Southern backwoods and get hacked up by (usually inbred) locals. Its derivative nature aside, Timber Falls is a mostly entertaining shlock-em up with a nutty religious twist. A horror movie for atheists, this follows a bickering couple as they are kidnapped by crazy Christians and forced to make babies (yes, really). The usual torture and bondage guff is present and accounted for, as is a bucketload of gore, and one of the aunts from Sabrina the Teenage Witch! There’s a decent amount of extras on the disc, including commentaries, some trailers and a documentary. Check it out if you’re a fan of backwoods horror. Not recommended for the faint-hearted or easily offended Christian types. 3/5

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Arts & Entertainment film review

FILM REVIEW THE WOMEN

Mary (Meg Ryan) has it all – a beautiful country home, a rich husband, an adorable daughter and a part-time career designing clothes for her father’s company. Her best friend Sylvie (Annette Bening) is the happily single Editor of a fashion magazine. Other friends include mega mummy Edie (Debra Messing) and author Alex (Jada Pinkett-Smith) However, all hell breaks loose when Mary discovers that her husband is having an affair with Crystal (Eva Mendes), a sultry ‘spritzer girl’ from the Saks Fifth Avenue perfume counter. Naturally, chaos ensues, as everyone tries to help Mary in their own way, which leads to further problems. Then, as if Mary wasn’t having a tough enough time, she is betrayed by Sylvie. Bad times. Ultimately, Mary uses all of these events as the means to reinvent herself and everything that she stands for (to sum up she bonds with her daughter, straightens her hair and becomes a better fashion designer). The rest of the women also make some changes in their own lives, and everyone learns something about themselves that they didn’t know before. Good times. The gimmick of the film is that

no men appear anywhere in it at all; it’s all about the women. This might sound empowering and feminist, except that the women are all quite shallow and their primary topic of conversation is, (you guessed it) men. This aside, the film shows that the 1939 version was the original Sex and the City. With a supporting cast including Candice Bergen and Bette Midler, The Women is a sharply-scripted comic treat. If you aren’t normally a fan of ‘girly’ films, then this could be the one that converts you. It’s definitely this year’s must see. 4/5 Lee Lawrence

EDEN LAKE

If the tabloids were to review this, the debut piece by James Watkins, they’d probably wheel out the hyperbole. They’d talk about holding mirrors up to things and mention Broken Britain a lot (note the capitals! Normally, it’d be like listening to a slightly racist grandparent whinge about “the youth of today” and make with the populist ill-informed garbage. But in the case of Eden Lake, they’d be mostly right. The plot (cribbed from a similarly themed French chiller) follows a pretty young couple as they holiday to the rural, titular lake. A heartstringstugging marriage proposal is in the air, and they’re so gosh-darn lovely that the forthcoming nastiness is practically signposted. Their romantic weekend is rudely interrupted by a gaggle of noisy, recognisably horrible yobs. Soon enough, petty arguments escalate into brutal violence, and it’s adult VS youth – to the death! The past few paragraphs fail to convey just how horrible Eden Lake is. This isn’t a film you watch – this is something you experience. It’s all humourlessly done, with a sadistic streak so wide you could park a landrover on it. Forget the creepy blonde kids of Village of the Damned – these prepubescent psychopaths are achingly plausible and terrifyingly realised by the script and the child actors themselves. Kudos must go out to Jack O’ Connell, who plays Brett, the gang leader. He’s far scarier than any Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees. And

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worst of all, you can half expect to see him loitering outside your local chippy. That’s not to say it’s perfect. Too much of the tension relies on horror clichés, and the final twist – whilst deliciously vicious – is perhaps a bit too predictable. The movie’s particular brand of terror won’t be for everyone, that’s for sure. Its deliberate humourlessness and cruelty will put off the squeamish, whilst it’s probably a little too dismal to make for a good date movie. All in all however, Eden Lake is an assured debut from a director who has already proven himself as a face to watch in the future of Brit-horror. This is a white-knuckle rollercoaster ride from start to finish - provocative, relevant, scary and gruesome in equal measures. Eden Lake will make you fear children… Hug these hoodies, Cameron. 4/5 Joel Harley

Arts & Entertainment theatre & book review

HAMLET

‘Which dreams indeed are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.’ Act II, Scene II

King Hamlet, Prince Hamlet’s (David Tennant) father is dead by the time the play starts and this has clearly affected him. That’s not all though. To add to his problems, his mother Queen Gertrude (Penny Downie) has married Prince Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius (King Hamlet’s brother), played by Patrick Stewart. Prince Hamlet is not very impressed and believes this to be an incestuous relationship. Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse; Prince Hamlet is visited by King Hamlet’s ghost (also Patrick Stewart) who reveals that he was murdered by Claudius. And you thought Shakespeare was dull! So when you take a classic text, add a talented group of actors, a great director and some brilliant designers, what do you get? An absolutely fabulous play! It was evident that a lot of hard work had gone into this adaptation. The modern costumes and set designs work well and do not take away from the undeniable beauty of Shakespeare’s language. Risks were clearly taken making this production. I mean, if I was staging Hamlet, I probably wouldn’t have the majority of the stage consist of mirrors. However, that is because I am not as brave as the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company). The mirror stage was amazing and stripping the set like that really made you think about the language the characters are using and the figure types they are reflecting. Quoting from the programme, Jan Kott said: ‘Hamlet cannot be performed in its entirety. One has to select, curtail and cut. One can only perform one of several Hamlets potentially existing in this arch-play. It will always be poorer than Shakespeare’s is; but it may also be enriched by being a Hamlet of our time.’ The actors and backstage staff had clearly taken this quote to heart. The performance was fluent and relevant and although a few changes in text and order had occurred, that only served to enhance the RSC’s interpretation of the piece, rather than taking anything away. Patrick Stewart and David Tennant both put in faultless performances and are supported excellently by the RSC ensemble. If there are still tickets available in London, GO! Louise Wood

DEVIL MAY CARE sebastian faulks Taking the reins from the spectacular Ian Fleming, Sebastian Faulks has revived the action-packed life of British legend James Bond. Bringing Bond back from the dead in the Devil May Care split the nation, with critics claiming Faulks would never be able to recreate Fleming’s style. However, Faulks’ tale of a heartbroken 007 did not try to mirror the film character, but instead presented a mature, wiser Bond who no longer seeks a “shaken not stirred” lifestyle. Faulks not only captured the life-threatening atmosphere, beautiful accomplices and loathed villain criteria of previous Bond tales, but added the occasional tug on the heart strings to make his novel stand out. The tale places Bond in Persia, with a mission to obtain secret information from Soviet-supported drug-lord Dr Julius Gorner and evil henchman, Chagrin. With help from a beautiful brunette and several British allies, Bond saves the day yet again. Drinking Bourbon and complaining of back pains, the new 007 seems somehow more desirable. Georgie Campbell

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Arts & Entertainment horoscopes

HOROSCOPES

by joel hardy

LIBRA September 24 - October 23rd Eating three bags of Haribo in one sitting lends itself to some really strange dreams this month, so I’d only advise it if you’re after a Voodooesque epiphany trip. In other news, did you see what Virgo has taken to wearing?? What an idiot!

ARIES March 21st - April 20th Yikes. For some reason, I’m drawing a blank on your destiny this month. Literally, I don’t see anything in your immediate future! So it’s time to get out of bed and go and do something constructive!!!

SCORPIO October 24th - November 22nd Single? Hanging round on a street corner, wearing a signpost that says as much could change that. By scratching my crystal balls, I can see a tall, dark, handsome stranger in your immediate future. Oh wait… sorry, that’s just my reflection in the glass…

TAURUS April 21st - May 21st I foresee a difficult month ahead for you as Big Brother withdrawal syndrome begins to set in. But worry not, X Factor is back on now and you’ll soon find yourself hypnotised by the brilliant white teeth of Simon Cowell…

SAGITTARIUS November 23rd –December 21 Okay, you may be free and single but, trust me – dating a Cancer isn’t the way to go. I’m not one to point fingers – but their star sign is a crab for a reason. Capish? CAPRICORN December 22nd - January 20th Ridiculing others is a bad habit to fall into, and it’s very unbecoming of you Capricorn! Besides, those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones - what is a Sea Goat anyway?

GEMINI May 22nd - June 21st So, I was having tea with Derren Brown earlier and I got in a bad mood after he tricked me into electrocuting a kitten. This bears no relevance to your horoscope readings, but I wanted to do some namedropping. How come that showoff gets his own TV show while I’m stuck writing for a student magazine? Humph. CANCER June 22nd - July 23rd A difficult month as you feel people are being deliberately obscure with you. I’d recommend fustigating the gaberlunzies before they can hornswoggle you any further. That should stop their ishkabibble.

AQUARIUS January 21st - February 19th Boy, are the stars shining on you this month! LEO The moon is in the seventh house and July 24th - August 23rd Your Galaxy is alive with movement this month. Jupiter aligns with Mars. This is the dawning Whilst that would normally be a good thing, of the Age of Aquarius! Yes, I steal my I’m sure the Sun’s not meant to be that colour. horoscope predictions from old ‘5th Dimension’ albums. Knock Knock. Who’s there? Armageddon. Armageddon-who? Armageddon out of here! And so should you, if you know what’s good for you. PISCES February 20th - March 20th Not reposting that chain e-mail will VIRGO have dire consequences. I don’t know August 24th - September 23rd You tend to be very suspicious of others, and what you’re being so sceptical about. if you’re not careful, it’ll prove detrimental to You’re reading Horoscopes! Is that really easier future relationships. Really, people aren’t to believe than the notion of a little ghost child talking about you behind your back… with no eyeballs? Repost or be single forever. Birmingham City Students’ Union Full Time Officers:

Oz Hetherington Union President

Nicky Hedley Activities & Sports Officer

Jen James Communications Officer

Hannah Newland Representation & Campaign Officer

Stray Dave Commercial & Finance officer

Please visit the website for details

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Although we try our hardest, not all the pictures in this magazine are originally sourced from us. If we haven’t directly referenced them in the magazine you’ll be sure to find out where they come from on the Spaghetti Junction Student Magazine Facebook fan site.

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