Shouting At A Camera (Pilot): On the subject of love
In the Comment and Features debut video feature “Shouting At A Camera”, Andy Peck gives his two cents on the subject of love.
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Category archives for:
Comment
Ten things to do in a 24 hour library
With the best will in the world, most students looking to spend the early hours of the morning working inevitably find there are more enticing activities they could be doing, such as sleeping. As such, between two and six in the morning the place is blissfully quiet, deserted but for the forlorn looking individuals who Read More →
Gay rights: At home and abroad
In the past week, I’ve been struck hard by news I’ve read about treatment of homosexual individuals in both middle-Eastern country Egypt and in my own back garden. Maybe I’m missing something vital, having been brought up 15 miles or so outside of the ‘gay capital’ Brighton, but I’m struggling to understand how, in a Read More →
Opinion Matrix
This week, Redbrick Comment and Features present an eclectic Opinion Matrix discussing last week’s Grand National, the first filmed sentencing on UK soil, the closure of a notorious illicit website, a lively Prime Minister’s Questions and the death throes of KONY 2012. Social Media Kony 2012 falls flat As this piece goes online it’s entirely Read More →
America’s racial divisions remain in 2012
There are racist undertones and radical fringes in every society, no matter how egalitarian its overall outlook may be. However the last month proved how deeply entrenched America’s race problem is. The most serious, and widely reported recent case is that of Trayvon Martin, a black seventeen year old killed by an overzealous, self appointed, Read More →
Opinion Matrix
Redbrick Comment and Features present their take on this week’s key stories. Once again, they are centred around the misadventures of the Coalition but also include newfound revelations from the Leveson inquiry and on the demographic of last summer’s rioters, as well as the beginnings of a dangerous new trend in tabloid journalism. Hacking Murdoch Read More →
Labour’s ineptitude means Tory errors go unpunished
It has been an incredibly catastrophic time for David Cameron and interestingly, one that wasn’t wholly Nick Clegg’s fault. A poll for the Independent On Sunday showed that seventy-two per cent of people think the government is out-of-touch with voters. Pasty puns, ever-emerging details about cash for access, an unpopular budget that was known almost Read More →
Galloway’s appropriation of the Arab Spring only highlights his hypocrisy
After 22 months in the political wilderness, cat-man George Galloway has surprised political pundits and confounded an already unbalanced Labour by getting himself elected as the MP for Bradford-West.The Respect Party politician, who won the by-election by 10,140 votes, opined that his victory reflected the desire for an alternative to the salient issues of our Read More →
Opinion Matrix
After a busy week in the news, Redbrick Comment and Features present their take on the major stories of the week, which stem largely from the activities of the coalition. Politics Party Donation Scandal Peter Crudass’ swift resignation in the wake of the Tory party donation scandal was a shrewd move, minimising the impact of Read More →
Feature – Cadbury Lecture: Academic first, Archbishop second
The Edward Cadbury lectures concluded on March 16th after this year’s series of talks around the subject of ‘Seeing and Believing in Modern Christianity’. The main speaker this year has been Professor David Morgan of Duke University, but the final lecture – ‘Idols, Icons and Images’ – was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, Read More →
Interfaith Relations on Campus and Beyond
Birmingham University last week witnessed an inter-faith event beyond anything seen before in which many of the University’s faith societies pulled together to successfully organise a hospitality event which catered for almost 1,300 students. Through 4 months of planning and hard work, ‘Around the World in Eight Faiths’ successfully laid the foundations for years of Read More →
The Sunday Edition (18th March 2012)
Owen Earwicker and Freddie Herzog host the Sunday Edition, a Guild Television and Redbrick collaboration. Joining the show this week are Redbrick News Editors, Kerrina Gray and Patrick McGhee to discuss this week’s Guild Council and the Guild Elections. The Guild of Students President (Elect) for 2012 – 2013, David Franklin, also joins the show. Read More →
Mar 18 2012 | Posted in Campus,Comment,Key Stories,News,Politics,The Sunday Edition,The Sunday Edition | Read More »
Guild Council (Live Blog) – 15th March 2012
Redbrick is covering the fourth Guild Council of the year via live blog tonight held in the Guild Council Chambers. Tonight’s coverage is being run by Kerrina Gray, Rhiannon Doyle-Maw, Patrick McGhee and Freddie Herzog for news and Owen Earwicker, Oscar French and Sam Jones for Comment. For all the live coverage of tonight’s Guild Read More →
Kony 2012 contrives the issue
In this age of the internet, campaigns must make up for the short attention spans of viewers by appealing to their attraction to loud, catchy images. ‘Kony 2012’ has done a fabulous job at this, creating a campaign of sensationalist melodrama and emotional demagogy unparalleled in recent years. For those of us who have, for Read More →
Return of the 80s!
A while ago I wrote an article expressing hope that this decade would be the one where the 21st century could truly get off on the right foot. Two months down the line one might be forgiven, just by glancing at the situation, for thinking that the decade was now simply trying to do its Read More →
Sleaze on a Sunday: Murdoch’s Last Stand?
There seems to be no means of stopping Rupert Murdoch, who is proving to be almost as resilient as Louis Walsh as an X Factor judge, yet this is where the similarities end. When Louis made us chortle with his hilarious pronunciation of ‘Wagner’, Murdoch gave us such headlines as ‘Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster’ Read More →
Mar 13 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Featured Interview: Rhian Jones, the journo-apprentice
Rhian Jones was the candidate selected in September 2011 to be Janet Murray’s first journalist apprentice. At 21 and with a bit of life experience under her belt already, Rhian told me she ‘felt like she was ready to start her career and couldn’t imagine staying at University for the next two years’. Surviving the Read More →
Featured Interview: Janet Murray on breaking into journalism
Journalism is a career that consistently features in surveys of the jobs graduates most aspire to. It is no secret, however, that this industry has become increasingly difficult to enter. As all the passionate writers at Redbrick know, with a plethora of journalism degrees available, both undergraduate and postgraduate, it is not enough anymore to Read More →
Two weeks of tedium…
As a final-year student, the Guild is something I chose to be a part of. It is a vehicle for extra-curricular activities: hobbies or just frantic attempts to enhance one’s CV, and a place that hosts a variety of corporate, over-priced food vendors. Despite what it claims to be, I have never felt that I Read More →
Mar 9 2012 | Posted in Campus Comment,Comment,Comment,Guild Elections 2012,Key Stories,Online Exclusives | Read More »
Guild Elections: we’re all adults
With voting closing today, Andy Peck reflects on limp campaigning and calls for something more real. There is much to remark on the Guild elections, and even some things to lament. The cliquishness of it all, the idea it’s so much harder to run if you’re not a Big Name On Campus, or at least Read More →
Mar 9 2012 | Posted in Campus Comment,Comment,Comment,Feature,Guild Elections 2012,Key Stories | Read More »
Can a man run for Women’s Officer?
Vote match has proved to be an interesting addition to this year’s Guild elections, but surprisingly enough it was not so much the results which caught my attention as one of the questions. Under the heading of welfare, students were asked whether or not they agreed that ‘only a disabled student should be able to Read More →
Apple sweatshops
In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve all had a very narrow escape. Remember that issue that was around in the 90s, about sweatshops in foreign countries being used to make all those cheap things we like? Well no one thought there was any need to remember – it was ages ago! People didn’t talk about Read More →
Mar 6 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Customer service – ‘American style’
Customers, those from Britain in particular, have a long standing love affair with moaning about their all-important customer service. We are subject to this phenomenon in our everyday lives; from being served in a shop, a restaurant, to asking where Aldi’s damaged food stock is kept because this term’s student loan isn’t stretching as far Read More →
Mar 6 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
The Quota Predicament
The appointment of Les Ebdon as head of the university fair access body (OFFA) by Vince Cable sets dangerous precedents for the equality and fairness of university applications as well as the continued international competitiveness of Britain. Ebdon’s selection comes against significant opposition from conservative MP’s, the advice of the commons business select committee and Read More →
Is Turkey the answer to the EU crisis?
Despite massive turmoil in the EU, Turkey is still keen to be a member. The decline of states such as Greece mean there is a need to re-vitalize the European economy – an emerging market like Turkey could be the necessary catalyst. From a strategic perspective, if the EU is considered a peace making organization, Read More →
European Nation
As recent scenes in Athens attest, social unrest follows hot on the heels of economic dysfunction. The Greek public debt crisis has been brewing for several years – a welfare state unsupported by tax receipts, compounded by the massive outlay on an unprofitable Olympic games and thrown into sharp relief by the recent worldwide financial Read More →
Is it worth continuing to punish Greece?
It was discovered by EU debt inspectors recently there was a further ‘black hole’ in Greek finances, to the tune of €15 billion that needed to be covered with further loans. This will inevitably involve more debt and greater austerity until further holes are found as debt creates more debt and austerity creates greater resentment. Read More →
Pennies End: Andy Peck’s solution
As the 21st century gets underway, it is time to remove from circulation one and two pence coins. The Oxford English Dictionary defines currency as ‘money in actual use in a country or other commodity used as a medium of exchange’ and I would argue pennies no longer perform this function. Nothing costs one or Read More →
Mar 6 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Football and Finance
James Dolton explores the increasing number of parallels between Premiership Football and the global economic crisis. The perception and subsequent criticism of Premiership Football as a joyless, soulless exercise in capitalism has become all too prominent in recent years. Since Sky TV invented the beautiful game as we know it in 1991, wages and transfer Read More →
The Sunday Edition (4th March 2012)
In a very special Sunday Edition, Owen Earwicker and Freddie Herzog quiz the Guild presidential hopefuls. Jack Kearns, Areeq Chowdhury, Tom DeFraine, David Franklin and Alex Lane have one minute per question to prove why they should be voted for in the Guild elections. Voting in the elections is now open for all roles and Read More →
Mar 4 2012 | Posted in Comment,Featured,Guild Elections 2012,Key Stories,News,News,Online Exclusives,President,The Sunday Edition,The Sunday Edition | Read More »
The C&F Vidcast, March 2nd
In the first ever Comment & Features Vidcast, editors Owen Earwicker and Elisha Owen are joined by James Dolton and Andy Peck, to discuss the financial crisis in football as a representation of the global chaos, and the US presidential elections. James’ article on football can be found in print and online. To see Andy’s Read More →
Why do we care what Moody’s think?
The credit rating agency Moody’s caused a stir in the financial world last week as it arbitrarily decided on Valentine’s Day to put the UK, France and Austria on a negative outlook on their Triple-A credit ratings, and cut the ratings of Italy, Spain and Portugal outright. 122 European banks were later threatened with downgrades, Read More →
Militant atheism and the privatisation of religion
As a society, we seem to be stuck in a weird state of limbo, and are currently asserting a passive relationship towards Christianity and other religions. After the recent banning of prayers before council meetings, much rhetoric has developed about the fact that we must respect other religions and must understand that we live in Read More →
The common cause: a fresher’s first perspective
I still to this day remember watching the vivid images on television, as a fire extinguisher was thrown and other disorder broke out. Anger absolutely infused me, as I watched some members of the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ and other members of my own generation breaking out into collective anarchy. All recollection and meaning of what Read More →
Meme Madness
Redbrick gets UoB Meme’s creator Simon Langley’s take on the social phenomenon After venereal diseases themselves memes are possibly the most viral craze amongst the student demographic. Ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but the UoB Meme Facebook page is currently the most popular of its kind in the country with over 5,600 ‘likes’ Read More →
The heart of a nation
Alexander Ross explores the link between Scotland’s bid for independence and the latest turmoil in the Falklands Britain’s claims to sovereignty over the Falklands are being challenged by Argentina, who believes that the islands they call Las Malvinas belong to them. The dispute can be juxtaposed against arguments closer to home that rage over independence Read More →
A fresh take on feminism
In the spirit of International Women’s Week, Women’s Officer Kelly Rogers talks to Redbrick’s Caroline Mortimer about what it means to be a modern feminist When people think of the ‘average feminist’ their minds usually go to a crude and misjudged stereotype of anger, lesbianism and leg hair. However, under the surface the reality is Read More →
The Sunday Edition, February 26
Joining Owen Earwicker and Freddie Herzog this week are Samuel Lear, Vice President of Law for Non-Law Society and Kelly Rogers, Women’s Officer of the Guild of Students.
Feb 26 2012 | Posted in Campus Comment,Comment,Key Stories,News,The Sunday Edition,The Sunday Edition | Read More »
PMQs Reviewed 22nd February 2012
For the first time in HD, Freddie Herzog and Owen Earwicker review Prime Minister’s Questions from 22nd February 2012. In a noisy house, the topics discussed include the Somalia Conference, elected mayors and Scottish Devolution. The main debate this week focussed on the NHS reforms. What were your views on PMQs this week? Tweet us Read More →
Marie Colvin: An Obituary
The journalism industry has lost a true icon today following the death of The Sunday Times’ foreign correspondent Marie Colvin. The war reporter was killed in Homs, Syria, after a rocket attack was launched on the makeshift media centre where she was working. She was the only journalist from a British publication to be covering Read More →
The Sunday Edition – 19th February 2012
Owen Earwicker and Freddie Herzog host the Sunday Edition, a Guild Television and Redbrick collaboration. Joining the show this week are Elisha Owen, Redbrick’s Comment and Features Editor, to discuss Scottish independence, the recent ‘The Sun’ controversy and the protest that took place on campus on Wednesday February 15th against the injunction on occupational protests. Read More →
Feb 19 2012 | Posted in Comment,Key Stories,News,The Sunday Edition,The Sunday Edition | Read More »
40 days, 40 nights, 65 executions
With the Arab Spring being the spotlight of international concern in the Middle East, Laura Megatli explores the high execution rates in the West’s former focus, Iraq. With the world focussed on the Arab Spring, it has been easy for commentators to forget the previous concerns in the Middle East. In the New Year, we Read More →
The Lost Art of Letter Writing
Post is something that is rarely heard of nowadays, and unfortunately, when we do have post it is usually something very unexciting like the next gas and electricity bill, or the latest Indian take away restaurant that is trying to find its market in a student area. However, when a letter is addressed to you Read More →
Feb 18 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Hopeful Sabbatical Officers should avoid generic promises
In all elections, whether on a national level, or in our small microcosm of the world, attention-grabbing taglines are key tools in securing the support of potential voters. It is my hope in the Guild elections that candidates will avoid the generic promises of their forefathers. While they do sound inspiring and exciting, more often Read More →
‘Love’ has become a viral institution
The whole world revolves around the internet and social networking nowadays. Politics, religion, music, everything. Most of all, relationships. If you want evidence for this, just type ‘Why doesn’t…’ into Google, and the top suggestion is ‘Why doesn’t he like me?’. People are actually Googling for relationship advice. I was hoping for something with more Read More →
Feb 18 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
UniLad under scrutiny
UniLad magazine has become a symbol and doctrine of Lad culture, which in recent years has erupted on British campuses. Up until the comments about rape were made on their website, I knew nothing of this magazine. However, it wasn’t any surprise that something like this existed, exemplifying university lifestyle in the way that it Read More →
Feb 17 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
How do you solve a problem like… Socialites
Before I begin, it must be said that the title of this piece is misleading. I do not intend to ‘solve’ the concept of socialites. Sitting to ponder exactly what it is a socialite does, how they came to grasp this position and why we let them get away with it is the mental equivalent Read More →
The Measure of a Man
Giles Longey-Cook asks if our fixation with scandal obscures deeper issues in the world of politics… The ignoble state of John F Kennedy’s private life has never been much of a secret. Whether jealously contemplating his affair with Marilyn Monroe, or questioning if his fling with a mafia bosses’ girlfriend led to his assassination, the Read More →
Feb 17 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Watch out! Policies can be just as silly as gimmicks
Quite often, gimmicks are the focus of attack from annoyed comment writers. So much complaint comes out at this time of year on the elections being fought on gimmicks and popularity, not policy. But policies should be the focus of debate for the election. A gimmick won’t change the Guild for the next year. It’s Read More →
Opinion Matrix
Greece Austerity deepens The time for Greece to admit defeat is nigh. At the moment, the Greek government is desperately scrabbling around to find €325m (about one per cent that the UK spends on the department of energy), in further cuts so that the IMF will bail it out to the tune of €130bn. The Read More →
Feb 17 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
The World of Tomorrow
Andrew Peck explores how the advancement of modern Science is transforming society as we know it. The past is a different country, and so too is the future; a land shrouded in mystery, a terra incognita, unknown, but not incalculable. So, with the credentials of internet access, knowledge of some popular science books, a pub Read More →
Feb 17 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Is Obama quietly militant?
Xander Ross questions Obama’s use of drone attacks and suggests they show a militant side of the nobel peace prize winning President Nobel Peace Prize winner, Barack Obama, is regarded by many as one of the less militant presidents of the United States. With the American elections coming up perhaps it is apt to ask Read More →
God save the Queen!
In a climate of anti-monarchist feeling, Andy Peck offers a defence of her Majesty as she reached her Diamond Jubilee last week. “There is an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth” said Thomas Jefferson, who inherited his Monticello estate and it’s 20-40 slaves from his father, to John Adams, who’s power, influence and wealth Read More →
The Guild can be reclaimed, so long as apathy is overcome
Officially launched on the 26th January, ‘Reclaim the Guild’ is perhaps the boldest and most substantial attempt at democratic reform in recent guild history. The campaign aims to call a general meeting of the Guild, and in doing so enact a number of vital democratic alterations to the way the guild is run. A group Read More →
Feb 12 2012 | Posted in Campus Comment,Comment,Feature,Guild Council,Online Exclusives,Politics | Read More »
The Sunday Edition – 12th February 2012
Owen Earwicker and Freddie Herzog host the Sunday Edition, a Guild Television and Redbrick collaboration. Joining the show this week are Oscar French (Redbrick Comment and Features Editor) and Raphael Sheridan (Redbrick Sports Editor), discussing Syria, NHS Reform and the Falklands. Tim Lucas is also interviewed to discuss the Reclaim the Guild Campaign. What are Read More →
Feb 12 2012 | Posted in Comment,Featured,Key Stories,News,Politics,The Sunday Edition,The Sunday Edition | Read More »
Vocational Courses are not GCSEs
Results day can be one of mixed emotions. Many people who dare open their results on the BBC News often enlighten the rest of the population, with tremendous hand shaking, how nerve racking the day can be. I was one of the lucky ones, someone who could walk away with decent results and be proud Read More →
Feb 11 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Supermarket deals under scrutiny
As students, money seems to override many decisions, especially concerning the supermarket shop. When faced with a decision between two items; one cheap, meaning you can buy other items for the same price as one more expensive option, most students are likely to opt for the cheaper one in order to save money. However, could Read More →
Feb 11 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
A Fresher’s Take on Guild Council
Was I expecting an enthralling evening of reasoned debate leaving me exhilarated and inspired by democracy in action? No, of course not, but I didn’t expect Guild Council to be that bad. I’m in my first year and this was my first time, so you’ll have to excuse my naivety. I knew student politics, even Read More →
Opinion Matrix: View on the News
DEFENCE Tension in the Falklands As the thirty year anniversary of the Falklands War nears, we are approaching a déjà vu moment. Tensions in the Atlantic are brewing after Argentina made the decision to ban all ships bearing the Falkland flag, prompting Britain to send HMS Dauntless in defence of its sovereign isles. This is Read More →
Antibiotic Action: The growing threat of bacteria
Antibiotic Action aims to speed up present licensing processes and encourage the introduction of new antibiotics. We’ve all taken antibiotics at some point in our lives, however they aren’t just used to treat the throat infection you caught following a brief encounter at Fab ‘n’ Fresh. Advances in medicine have led to the dependence on Read More →
Editorial – Honour has become an archaic term
In his recent article in The Independent, Paul Vallely raised the interesting question, ‘must honour really be a thing of the past?’ While a plethora of scandal and corruption continues to dominate the news, the division between principle and politics/ambition is becoming increasingly irreparable. The optimist in me had hoped that this would be the Read More →
The Spirit of Republicanism
Alexander Blanchard questions the validity of supporting the British Monarchy in today’s socio-economic climate. Amongst the correspondence of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the second and third President of the United States respectively, there is to be found a letter from Jefferson in which he remarks on a Greek couplet sent to him by Adams: Read More →
Feb 10 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Guild Council In Focus
Motion 10y: Liberation Rooms Of all the Motions debated at Guild Council last week, one of the most hotly debated was Motion 10y. Proposed primarily by Women’s Officer Kelly Rogers, its summary stated its intentions as ‘Providing all Liberation Associations with respective rooms… until they express permission to remove them and belief in a wider Read More →
PMQs Reviewed 8th February 2012
This week Prime Minister’s Questions focussed almost entirely on the NHS reforms. Other areas discussed included Abu Qatada, police procurement and the defence industry. Freddie Herzog and Oscar French present. What did you think to this week’s PMQs? Tweet us @redbricknews or @redbrickfeature or email us at news@redbrickonline.co.uk or features@redbrickonline.co.uk. You can watch the full Read More →
Strange and dangerous bedfellows
The political world has been holding its breath over Russia’s actions regarding the sanctioning of Syria. As the silence became more and more awkward it became increasingly clear that Russia was not going to give up on this one, and they didn’t disappoint. Russia has claimed that the proposed UN resolution is wrong as it Read More →
The Sunday Edition 5th February 2012
A new collaboration between Guild Television and Redbrick. Owen Earwicker and Freddie Herzog hosts Sunday Edition, a new programme focusing on current affairs affecting the Guild, the university, the UK and the world. Joining the show this week is Mark Harrop, President of the Guild of Students, discussing Guild Council amongst other topical issues. What Read More →
Feb 5 2012 | Posted in Featured,Key Stories,News,The Sunday Edition,The Sunday Edition | Read More »
Guild Council in Review
Online News Editor Freddie Herzog, and Online Comment & Features Editor Owen Earwicker, explore the starred motions from Guild Council on February 2nd. Starred Motions 10d Change to Election Running : PASSED 10i Non-Sabbs and Other Roles : REJECTED 10k Tweaking the President’s Role : PASSED 10q Steering Reform : PASSED 10r Support Campaign for Read More →
How do you solve a problem like…Ed Miliband, ‘Milibland’
Whew, I’ve set myself quite a task here. Where to begin? Ah, charisma. Charisma’s quite useful when you’re a politician. In fact, charisma is universally quite helpful. Thankfully, good old Ed has bucketloads of the stuff. Unthankfully, when Miliband-the-younger was out on his bucket-buying spree, he accidentally bought sieves instead of buckets. Consequently (and you Read More →
A reader’s response
The recent article on the continuing ascent of non-Western economies and the consequences it should have for Britain raised some important issues, but in doing so reached some worrying conclusions. Whilst the author was certainly correct in identifying the ongoing changes in the international economic hierarchy as a challenge that we need to face, his Read More →
Feb 4 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Terrorist States: An American naughty list?
The late Christopher Hitchens once observed that without irony, history would not be worth studying. This both highlights the more humorous aspects of the past and the tragic actions of the present. The recent assassinations of several Iranian nuclear scientists was, whether one agrees with its aims or not, a blatant act of state terrorism. Read More →
A fresh approach to Alzheimer’s care
With Western societies facing an ageing population, it is no surprise that more attention is being given to the serious illnesses which we may develop later in life. With films such as The Notebook and The Iron Lady giving Dementia and more specifically Alzheimer’s Disease a wider scope of public consciousness, and figures of those Read More →
Feb 4 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Democracy: An Officer’s Perspective
Of late, democracy in our Guild has come under greater scrutiny than ever before. The level of debate and engagement with certain sections of the student body has been fantastic, and as your students’ union it’s our duty to respond to what you, our members, have to say. However, it’s fair to say that as Read More →
Opinion Matrix: Views on the News
Business: RBS Bosses stripped of privileges This week has not been a great one for Stephen Hester, Chief of RBS, who finally cowed to intense public and political pressure to wave off his one million bonuses. Hester’s former boss Frank Goodwin, has been stripped of his knighthood by the forfeiture committee. Support for big-shot bankers is Read More →
Feb 4 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
The future for UK’s universities
The future of government plans to open up the UK’s tertiary sector to private providers is in question. It is not yet entirely clear whether the White Paper entitled ‘Students at the Heart of the System’ has been dropped, or merely delayed. The Daily Telegraph reported that the Higher Education bill, due to be introduced in Read More →
Feb 3 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Britain’s satirical saturation
James Dolton asks if our national thirst for mockery is safeguarding the establishments it aims to critique… In modern Britain, particularly when describing creative output, ‘Satirical’ is an overused adjective. Any sort of edgy television show, and especially any that contain either of the vast topics of ‘News’ or ‘Comedy’, is an example of ‘satire’. Read More →
Feb 3 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
PMQs Review 1st February 2012
The weekly review of PMQs this week looks at welfare reform, the NHS reorganisation and banker’s pay. These were the main topics that David Cameron and Ed Miliband discussed but the PM also faced questions on Indian trade relations, winter fuel payments, enterprise zones, the cold weather, benefits for disabled children and drink driving. Freddie Read More →
Refusing to allow our children to fail will do them no favours
It has never been unheard of to see parents desperately trying to motivate their children to achieve their best at the crucial stages in their lives, perhaps even pushing their own regrets and academic, sporting or musical disappointments onto their children. However parents vicariously living through their children and protecting them from every one of Read More →
Jan 28 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
The Importance of Credibility
Nominations are now open for the Guild Officer Elections, signalling that a new campaigning season is round the corner. Undoubtedly students will be bombarded by the witty, catchy and clichéd candidate names along with the traditional fancy dress outfits, cardboard placards and a variety of sweets (Costco must make a fortune from the amount of Read More →
A secret double life for young, British Asians?
Areeq Chowdhury explores the difficulties encountered by some students with strict parents as they balance their culture and heritage with modern life… The secret double lives of young, British Asians. Sounds like a Channel Four documentary, right? Or possibly one showing on BBC Three. But no, this is just a simple way of labelling a very Read More →
Jan 27 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Editorial – May you live in interesting times
Avid comment aficionados were horrified to discover a timeline of Edd Bauer’s life in the place of last issue’s editorial. The Redbrick office was soon a river of tears, people are still mopping up around me as I write this. So, it’s 2012. The year we’ve all been waiting for. Humanity has a climatic twelve Read More →
Jan 27 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
‘Assassination’ is just another word for murder
Iran’s attempt to acquire nuclear weapons is currently one of the greatest issues in international relations and looks likely to become only more pressing as we delve into 2012. It’s an issue that has the potential to radically unsettle the current order both in the Middle East and beyond. Looking further into the future, as Read More →
Meet the candidates: Barack Obama
Most media coverage and public interest in the election is following the Republican candidates squabbling amongst themselves to become the Republican nominee. It can be difficult to remember that Barack Obama is still the President of the United States, and presumptive Democratic nominee for re-election, at least it was until he reminded the world of Read More →
Facts are Sacred: The Guardian’s greatest mistake?
During the Christmas break there was an intriguing and important development in the Milly Dowler phone hacking case. It pertained to reporting by The Guardian and it has, to a degree, slipped under the radar. The Metropolitan police found that News of the World reporters weren’t responsible for some voicemail deletions; specifically, those that had Read More →
Guild Officers: A Recipe for Success
There are many key ingredients that go into a successful Guild Officer. However before anything can be prepared the candidate must reach the conclusion that all politics, whether student, local or national, has very little to do with policy and a lot more to do with the pretty package it comes in. Bearing this in Read More →
PMQs Reviewed 25/01/2012
In their second review of PMQs, Freddie Herzog and Owen Earwicker look at the debates surrounding the NHS Health Bill, benefit changes and Scottish independence. This is a regular Redbrick feature so come back each week for political comment and summary. What did you think to this week’s PMQs? Tweet us @redbricknews or @redbrickfeature or Read More →
Meet the candidates: Rick Santorum
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum is to 2012 what Mike Huckabee was to 2008. A social conservative with incredibly extreme stances on abortion, gay marriage, homosexuality in general and evolution in schools. Like Huckabee, he was a surprise success in socially conservative Iowa, but will probably falter as the primaries continue. Despite being practically ignored Read More →
Meet the candidates: Ron Paul
Texan Ron came a close third in Iowa, with 21% of the vote and is currently second overall with 10 pledged delegates to Romney’s 14. Paul has maintained support throughout this campaign despite being shunned by the mainstream media, especially Fox News, who go out of their way to avoid mentioning him. On the other Read More →
Meet the candidates: Mitt Romney
Possibly the sanest of the line-up Willard Mitt Romney occupies the middle ground of the party, having corporate interests to ensure that he satisfies the fiscal conservatives in his party while maintaining acceptable stances on abortion, gun control, torture in Guantanamo Bay and gay marriage – though these has fluctuated wildly in the past according Read More →
Meet the candidates: Newt Gingrich
Former Speaker of the House during the Clinton years, Newton Leroy Gingrich neè McPhearson has held the highest office of the potential candidates and the only one to have been on the cover of Time magazine. The tenacity of Newt Gingrich can be found is still in the race despite his campaign having completely imploded Read More →
Meet the candidates: Rick Perry
Made himself popular as governor of Texas in early 2011 by flirting with the possibility of secession from the United States, Rick Perry has now decided to try to lead the “upper 49” if he can’t secede from them. Like Ron Paul he wishes to abolish the federal reserve and add a ‘balanced budget’ amendment Read More →
New Year’s Resolutions: Don’t kid yourself!
When I was around 6, I distinctly recall solemnly trooping down the stairs on New Year’s Morning and informing my mother that for my New Year’s Resolution, it was my intention to ‘quit smoking’, ‘walk the dog more often’ and ‘stop driving everywhere’. It should be noted that my family has never owned a canine, Read More →
Jan 21 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Time to address the absence of computer science in the curriculum?
It’s not uncommon to hear someone remark on how easily young people today learn how to use new technology.When your boss or lecturer’s Powerpoint presentations suddenly begin to feature some entirely tasteful animations, there’s a high chance that they learnt it from their teenage son or daughter. Clearly, today’s young people are unlikely to have Read More →
Jan 21 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
BBC ‘impartiality’ is under scrutiny
Essentially we all own a small share of the British Broadcasting Channel; the funding for which is spent to entertain, inform and generally baffle us. The BBC spends an average of £2,350 million a year. This is funded by the television licence fee which is paid by every legal television owner in the country. The Read More →
Jan 20 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
The terrible legacy left behind by Kim Jong Il
When the news of Kim Jong Il’s death was made public on December 19th, the usually silent North Korea exploded with the wails of millions of malnourished, stunted people. Viewing this hysterical, disturbing display made many people question the validity of the grief, it seemed far too forced, dramatic and orchestrated. The similarities with the Read More →
Jan 20 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
As the BRIC economies steam ahead, our alliances need reassessment
Last year saw Brazil become the sixth largest economy in the world, overtaking the UK in the process. This is the first South American country to do so and is a sign of how things are changing. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) forecasts that by 2020, Germany (currently the largest western Read More →
Jan 20 2012 | Posted in Comment | Read More »
Edd Bauer: Back in Power
For nearly four months, Redbrick’s Comment and Features have had to avoid publishing articles about Bauer’s suspension and the ongoing investigation. Now, Matthew Hewson speaks to the reinstated Vice President for Education to discuss his future in The Guild. There are few, if any, figures at the Guild that divide opinion quite like Edd Bauer. Read More →
PMQs Reviewed 18/01/2012
In their first review of PMQs, Freddie Herzog (Online News Editor) and Owen Earwicker (Online Comment and Features Editor) look at the latest unemployment figures, the ensuing Falklands debate and the Leveson Inquiry. This will be a regular Redbrick feature so come back each week for political comment and summary. What did you think to Read More →
A thoroughly Russian paradox: the bourgeois revolutionaries
Assma Youssef calls for a new Russian personality to challenge Putin The crowds of demonstrators streamed into the streets of Moscow emblazoned with the words ‘Russia will be free’, ‘Russia without Putin’ and ‘Goodbye Putin’. However, why has it taken so long for the Muscovites to stand up against Putin and what are their aims? Read More →
#Pandagate shows feminists are attacking the wrong target
Caroline Mortimer argues that #pandagate showed outdated feminism and did nothing for the modern feminist cause The seemingly endless cycle of reviews, lists and evaluations of the year that occurs every December created a minor scandal this time around as the BBC drew criticism for including a panda given to Edinburgh zoo by the Chinese Read More →
Snog Marry Avoid: predicting 2012
Following an exciting 2011, our very own pod Matthew Hewson predicts the possibilities that might await us in 2012, from what might be nice or wonderful, to those events best avoided Events to Snog: Welcome back Silvio? Everyone’s favourite morally bankrupt politician, Berlusconi carries with him the weight of more than 2500 court hearings, a Read More →
