Seven deadly housemate sins

Refusing to wash the dishes, blasting dubstep at 4am, never replacing the butter? Sound familiar? We selected the most often committed, and worst, of multiple occupancy crimes. Don’t think they’re a big deal? See if your flatmate agrees…

by Indiana Murphy, Matt Aspin, Luiza Stefanova, Emily Rae, Maria Loupa,Lauren Windas, andColette Hunter

Playing the sexaphone

There is a massive difference between knowing it happens and hearing it happen through your wall at 2am. For example, I knew of a girl in halls that would have such loud, shall we say, ‘sessions’ with her boyfriend every time that he came to visit, that the poor girls living next to her resorted to pinning a note to her door saying ‘Please keep the sex noises to a minimum during anti-social hours.’ It instantly made her business common knowledge to anyone who walked passed her door. Well, until the girl hastily took it down. Sure it must have been really embarrassing for the girl but if it made her more considerate from then on I would say it was well worth it. Not only is it very disruptive  (a woman was once given an ASBO after a particularly loud lovemaking session!) but also it’s just common courtesy to be considerate of the people you live with, just like you wouldn’t leave the loo without flushing. If the tables were turned I bet you wouldn’t want to hear your neighbours going at it, particularly in the early hours of the morning.

Being a ham-burglar  

There is nothing worse than waking up in the morning only to discover that the family-sized carton of fruit juice you had bought in preparation for the next day’s hangover, or that eight pack of sausages which you were going to devour for breakfast, have been stolen. What’s worse is when you realise that those who have taken it are, in most cases, people who are your friends and who know full well how much it annoys you! Of course, there is almost certainly never any malicious intent behind such an act, but knowing that at the time the culprit was highly intoxicated or that they ‘were going to replace it’ when they next ventured to a supermarket is hardly a comfort at 8am after a night of trebles. What’s more frustrating is that the perpetrator in question is often not subtle or discrete. They don’t take some juice, but rather the whole carton and they don’t have a few biscuits, but instead the whole packet, leaving the empty packet and crumbs scattered across the entire kitchen. If you find yourself reading this and have no idea what I’m talking about, the chances are, you are the one committing the sin!

Not such a goody-too-shoes

On your way back home you find cash in your pocket that your mum secretly gave you before coming back to uni. Some retail therapy is in serious need as some nice spring promotions are, like, begging for your attention! Can’t resist, can you? While walking for hours and hunting for the perfect prey in shop windows, those impatiently anticipated heels that you adore now have a precious red ‘SALE’ label. Your mind is already living the dream of the long-awaited celebration, as these beautiful shoes, that had always belonged to you, become yours. The battle is won. You even imagine how you are going to match your make-up for the night with the colour nuances of your newly-bought treasures…

Guilty or not, in the moment that your flatmate decides your heels would work well for a Sinners’ Friday night out they have taken an important decision. It’s a sin, isn’t it? But what can you do? Maybe the shoes didn’t have your name tied on their fancy spirituality after all. You can do it. Move on!

Tasteless tunes

This housemate is easily recognisable by their bleary eyed stare and multiple ear infections due to prolonged headphone usage. Music, like clothes, is a very personal choice. Both are considered forms in which you can express yourself. However, with music, unlike clothes, sometimes you do not get to choose the type you want. Hearing your international housemate belt out their best Adele impression in the shower can be quite endearing, a constant dubstep beat accompanying your breakfast cereal, not so. This is one occasion when the bass dropping is faced with despair that the song is continuing rather than frenzy on the dance floor. The only way this housemate can be deterred is to start a song battle (think School of Rock). Select a song, preferably something genre-clashing and let the battle commence. They get louder, you get louder. You may lose the friendship of other housemates in the process but it’s a small price to pay for your eardrums intact. Whoever loses has to endure solely the other housemate’s choice of ‘chooooons’ for a week. Just be grateful they haven’t formed a classical violin quartet.

Moment murderer

If it is bad enough listening to your roommate going at it like a possessed cheetah shouting “Geronimo”, imagine how much worse catching the live show could be. Trust me when I say that some things cannot be unseen… Unless you have a kinky and perverted side in you, you will not enjoy running into your roommates caressing their loved one, or while they are releasing their tension in the toilet. Once you’ve seen their ‘happy ending’ faces, things will never be the same again! Just try to knock every single time before you enter a room, and you are guaranteed a scarred-free place in flatmate heaven.

Selfish squatters

Whether it be outstaying their welcome or disappearing loo roll, an extra body in an already busy house can cause tension. Weekend stays are perfectly acceptable, but when it’s every weekend or a long haul visit, an ‘adopted’ housemate may not be appreciated.

With danger of all the other sins being committed by your loved one combined, this sin could be considered the worst of all. Perhaps one of the easier sins to commit – if your relationship is good then it’s sometimes hard to notice when you’re spending too much time together.In a student house, the line between guest and household member can easily become blurred. So at what point do you hint for him or her to start contributing to the weekly Tesco run? It may be a difficult topic to discuss and there is potential for friction and awkward confrontations but just remember: love is blind, but your housemates aren’t!

Chunder blunder

This is probably the messiest (and most disgusting) sin to commit as a housemate at university. With Newcastle’s renowned nightlife, many of us are bound to stroll in at early hours of the morning pissed off our faces. Those unfortunate students may have already experienced the unpleasantness of waking up to a flat covered in vomit, and those offenders are likely to have lied in a bed full of the mess too. Getting drunk and throwing up everywhere will definitely not make you popular with your flatmates and it is more than likely that you have to clean up the mess. This sin is clearly not one to repeat, so you may want to rethink that last shot of tequila next time before you end up in this unfortunate and unhygienic circumstance.

All illustrations: Daisy Billowes

*As published in http://thecourieronline.co.uk/2012/04/seven-deadly-housemate-sins/

Guess which one is mine..!

ML

Region’s media debate their future

Leading figures within the industry, including Chris Jackson of BBC’s Inside Out, Gerry Foley of ITV News, the Editors of Sky News, Johnston Press, the Journal and The Northern Echo, gathered at the David Puttnam Media Centre in Sunderland on the 9th of March to discuss the future of media, with Labour’s Shadow Media Minister Helen Goodman MP being one of the keynote speakers.

Due to the gradual change from one medium to another, regional and local media are facing vast changes and challenges, like the falling circulation of papers and the constant competition for advertising revenues. In order to ensure survival, the regional press must find new ways of engaging with consumers by embracing digital media. They have to be more creative on how to capitalise on the power of their brands online: everything is still on the table, from pay walls to the free distribution model. We shouldn’t hang on terms and labels such as ‘newspapers’ anymore.

The ‘newspapermen at heart’, as they admitted, editors from the first panel agreed that they don’t know where media are going, but they are positive and it’s good fun. Northern Echo admitted that they haven’t addressed yet the issue of how to make money online. No-one has cracked the business model to take the industry forward – maybe only Google knows where the money is. Had they moved faster though, they could have made a big mistake – and MySpace was used as an example to back-up their argument. They refused that the industry is at panic stations, which left the audience wondering how can’t they possibly ignore the pink elephant in the room.

Although a lot of readers are traditional with reduced or no interest in online, local newspapers must evolve to accommodate to every audience’s needs. Everything should be used alongside papers by enhancing it with multimedia elements. We heard that people’s sphere of interest in news is within a 16-mile radius of where they live, making local media indispensable part of the community. Who else can take up local causes like regional titles can?

Sky News launched recently Sky Tyne and Wear, as a way of getting away from conventional TV, Simon Bucks told the audience. His defensive behaviour when asked about figures on money or users, lead to an obvious overall disappointment. Their move of going from ads to subscription raised many issues. Even if it doesn’t make any money though, that is not the point; I guess that is a sign of the future. Those who can afford to produce more online outlets for their brand will survive; because either if the pilot is successful or not, Sky will be considered as a brand much contemporary with a strong online presence.

The issue of PCC electrified the atmosphere; Helen Goodman considered it “failed and utterly discredited” when for Bob Satchwell “it worked just fine for regional and local press”. The Shadow Minister stressed how current rules allow enormous monopolies but don’t support the independency of local businesses. “News is not just a commodity to be bought and sold, local media are not a shop front for international businesses. They are vital for our democracy, as they hold local authorities to account and support local identity and culture. The public want and are entitled to local news.”

Overall, the taste left from the media conference is bittersweet. On one hand, digital enhances opportunities for publishers, increasing appetite for news and information. But on the other hand, a lot of hard work needs to be done. The focus should be put on the content instead of the advertising, which some local newspapers seem to forget. Newspapers must invest in quality, perhaps in a smaller pool of specialist journalists who will add value in the new age. Analysis is what separates print from online media, and if we keep delivering products of an exquisite quality, eventually “the money will follow the eye-balls”, in Satchwell’s words. ‘We might live in a global media world, but life is still local”, so I guess there is still light at the end of the tunnel for local media.

http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/north-east/news-and-views/107735/maria-petroula-loupa

ML

JesmondLocal presents Musical Flash Mob

As community festival approaches, local choirs take to the streets. Watch this video report by Alexandra Carr, Maria Loupa and Nelly Stavropoulou

Jesmond shoppers were greeted with an unexpected musical treat on Saturday morning (21st April) when a “flash mob” choir serenaded passers-by outside Oxfam, Waitrose and Pizza Express.

The purpose of this performance was to raise awareness for the upcoming Jesmond Community Festival, providing a taste of the various events running from 27th April to 14th May.

Chris Clarke, treasurer of Jesmond Community Forum and company secretary of Jesmond Community Leisure, told JesmondLocal: “Many people know about the concerts that are going on inside buildings, like inside a church hall, but unless you actually get out on the streets, a lot of other people don’t really know what’s going on. So the idea is to attract the attention of the people who don’t go to churches or schools.”

Those who participated in Saturday’s musical performance, organised by conductor Jonathan Scott, came from a number of different choirs in the north east, including the Jesmond Choral Group and the Tynemouth Priory Singers. Festival attendees can expect to hear more from these choirs during a performance of Dvorak’s Requiem on 3th0 April, which will also be conducted by Scott.

This is the first year a musical “flash mob” has been performed before the community festival.

For more information on the festival, please visit www.jesmondfestival.org.uk or have a look on our own festival page here.

ML

Hitting the Headlines – Media Trust Spring Conference

Sometimes a summary of a conference leads to the loss of its immediacy. Therefore, Storify can tell the story of Media Trust’s Spring Conference better than I do, so I will let it do the talking. Follow the narration through tweets and pictures taken on the day and get a taste of what took place at the Museum of London on the 29th of March.

[View the story "Hitting the Headlines - Media Trust Spring Conference" on Storify]

PRINT ISN’T DEAD YET

Photograph by Carol Guillaume under Creative Commons license

The revolution in the media industry has shaken the tectonic plates of print media to their very core, leading in perpetual alterations and adjustments in order to comply with the new world order. The web’s impact on the field is unprecedented, and more challenging than ever.

Some suggest that much like the paper photographs, written press will disappear. However, humanity has seen similar vast technologic leaps over time and opted for Mp3 players over CDs, cars over carriages. The more efficient achievements of our kind were cherished and guess what? Books and newspapers are still around.

For some, including myself, print still serves its purpose, and we aren’t quite ready to let go yet; the shift from print to online will definitely take some time. Real life interaction can be experienced through print; it is more physical and tangible. It engages memories and sentiments; it is text that lives outside a screen. Take a minute and breathe in the distinctive smell of the magazine in your hands; would you change that feeling for the online alternative? The beauty and portability of a glossy magazine is indescribable; the ideal companion to curl up in bed with, or even when in the loo.On the other hand, I hate to admit, online is a very powerful channel of communication. In the “glocal” (global and local) communities that we currently live in, it is impossible to gather all the news required unless using web tools. Sound, still and moving image, are now used to enhance the media experience and expand the reach of the written word. It is essential that you see what you hear and vise versa; the possibilities are endless.

The minute a story is released online, the transparency of sources is constructive at the very least. The author can instantly react with the readership, be judged, get feedback, exchange opinions. He can be inspired and motivated by the comments, form a better idea of the public’s needs and eventually satisfy them.

Moreover, the upcoming trend of community journalism and citizen journalists gives voice to more people. The online database allows easy and fast access, leading to the emergence of the “prosumer”, the new kind of consumer who is accustomed to the social media and both produces and consumes all the messages he/she wants. However, this unlimited freedom in expressing one’s opinion on every possible subject raises the question of whether or not we are turning into a human centipede. Do we just consume and reproduce each other’s crap, instead of relying on accurate and verified information?

Online media are constantly reinvented, giving the opportunity to its users to customize their news. They can use filters to learn what they want, when they want it; a gradually more demanding audience that won’t be able to settle for less.

Thankfully, at least for the time being, the online doesn’t have as much credibility. Due to the bulk of information circulating online, “sloppy” news stories are regularly published and unfortunately, can be easily forgotten. The emergence of “churnalism” (when journalists reproduce information released by PR agencies/Press Association without checking, as a result of time and cost shortage) is increasingly prominent, while serving specific interests. Therefore, online lacks quality and in-depth analysis, as stories are updated by the minute. Quality is sacrificed for the sake of quantity, leading the readers to information overload.

Apart from bursting generalities, a few dare to predict the future of the profession with certainty. According to Center for the Digital Future of USC, in five years most US newspapers will close down. I am not going to bother with any more statistics; figures may differ from country to country, depending on the accessibility to digital resources-only two billion people reached, not the largest part of the world yet-, the content and size of publications.

Bottom line is that most newspapers will become obsolete in the near future; whether that is in five or in ten years. There will be unexpected merges and vast changes in the landscape of the field. The biggest and smallest firms will survive, the ones in the middle won’t. Strong brand will keep functioning as a status emblem, and combined with solid, experienced reporting it will keep bringing readership. Local will survive, due to the loyal and very specific target readership groups; it was never the youngsters who kept these papers going.

The proof of print’s survival lies in real life examples, and there is a perfect one I would like to share. A couple of months ago, Jemondlocal (a hyper-local online newspaper for the Jesmond area), Novel and a team of ambitious and eager journalists, editors, illustrators and photographers, gathered up at the Baltic to execute a delusional plan: create a 48 h pop-up magazine about Turner prize, in an effort to bring art back to normal people. The task was successfully met; the most invaluable lesson this experience taught us was that print is not at all dead, at least on a local level. Advertisers where more interested to participate in the project than they were for any other online template we have produced in the past. Print might not be the primary or most profitable means of media, but it will still be around, in the form of Sunday papers mostly, tabloids, magazines and books.

This is not the first and possibly not the last recession to be dealt with; hence print media is not the only sector facing a crisis. Realistically speaking, jobs lost are not coming back; prices and profitability will be dramatically reduced, advertising rates are already dropping.

“Our new economy is shrinking because technology leads to efficiency over growth” as Jeff Jarvis, journalist and new media guru, puts it. The only possibilities for new job openings will be counted in the fingers of one hand and will be created by entrepreneurs.

Profit is what makes the business world go around. Myriads of people in the industry are worried sick, trying to follow new profitable routes. Everything from “pay walls”, micropayments, restructuring their websites. Online almost eliminates the cost of production and distribution. So how can print compete with free anymore?  Gradually both professionals and audience are getting used to that pattern of free circulation, which at this point seems irreversible. Online subscriptions-much like in NY Times case- have strongly failed; when a service previously free goes private, the percentage of digital ads and traffic revenue go downhill. The truth is, news organizations never entirely relied on subscriptions for profit. The big money came from advertising and stocks.

For online media, there is no direct payment. Indirect funding services are the future, like ad integration features and value-add services. Banner advertising is no longer a successful option; there are already applications out there, which can successfully remove all ads from a page. Nowadays-even customers can function as ads agencies through word of mouth on the web. In author’s Elbert Hubbard words “The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done, is generally interrupted by someone doing it”. No potential predictions can be finalized, being innovative and keep an open mind is the way to be part of the change.

The essence of media doesn’t modify, only the platform. We are facing a movement of content from one medium to another. The means of distribution might be different, but the focus should remain on the information. Of course, print will suffer a slow death. Few parts of it will eventually survive, but will shift shape many times, evolve, and adapt to new markets.

The only way to keep print around a little longer is by giving it an edge; investigative journalism could even stand out online. People use RSS feed mostly for the headlines, but most would definitely take the time with a well-written, accurate piece, providing a hint of hope.

Our effort though should not focus on the resuscitation of print media. The Golden Age of print journalism monopoly is long gone. Unfortunately, the relation between print an online media is a zero-sum game; one has to fail for the other one to prosper. And this modification in dynamics is not a sign of our times; it is simply a matter of years.

With the digital era being finally upon us, the more open people are with their ideas, thoughts and information, the better human contact and general progress are promoted and accomplished. Jeff Jarvis’s advice to turn our private parts into public is not only encouraged, but also mandated.

Money will be earned through variant venues and life-long learning will be imposed; harder times will come. Journalists will follow alternative paths to make a living like consulting, blogging, teaching or writing books. They will experiment with the profitable possibilities of new and creative business models. Waiting for our moment of sheer serendipity is pointless; we should constantly struggle to acquire new skills and keep up with the pace in order to survive an ever-changing world.

 ML

*Parts of the article published in “The Print is Dead” issue of Novel magazine, March-April.

Entries now open for photography exhibition

Jesmond Methodist Church seeking illustrations of community life, report Maria Loupa and Nelly Stavropoulou

As part of this year’s Jesmond Community Festival, Jesmond Methodist Church will be organising a photography exhibition, which will be launched shortly after the beginning of the festival on 27^th April and run until 5^th May.

The exhibition organisers are calling for entries regardless of photographic skills and level of expertise, as long as the photographs are taken in Jesmond throughout the year. Chris Coleman of the Jesmond Methodist Church told Jesmondlocal: “We hope it will illustrate the various events that take place here and give an impression of what life in this community is like. Jesmond Methodist Church feels very much a part of the community and we want to celebrate with it throughout the Festival”.

The photographs can be either colour or black and white and must be printed on A5 size photographic paper. Participants can submit a maximum of six photographs and provide titles and the name of the photographer. The photographs that best depict Jesmond’s identity will be selected by a committee and presented at the exhibition.

Chris Clarke, member of the festival organising group said: “When we heard about this idea, we thought that it would add a great extra ingredient to this year’s festival. I very much hope that as many people as possible will respond to the request for photographs”.

Entries must be submitted by 15^th April to Christopher Coleman at 16 Churchill Gardens, Jesmond, Newcastle, NE2 1HB.

For more information contact Chris Coleman at: mrctcoleman@gmail.com

*As published in http://jesmondlocal.com/2012/03/entries-open-photography-exhibition/.

ML

Friends of St George’s organises vintage clothing event

Fashion enthusiasts gather in Jesmond next weekend in support of church, reports Maria Loupa

The Friends of St George’s will host a vintage clothing event at 2pm on Saturday 10th March in St George’s Church Hall that will include an illustrated talk by Judith Liddell, an experienced collector of and expert on vintage clothes and accessories. The topic will be “The development of fashion over the past 100 years” and Liddell will be using photographs and live models to display selected items from her own collection.

The venue is a good match for the vintage atmosphere of the event. St George’s, built in the late 1880s, is a local architectural landmark, listed as grade one by English Heritage and containing examples of Arts & Craft style: mosaics, stained glass and woodwork.

There will be an entrance fee of £5 on the door, which will include refreshments - tea or coffee and cakes. A raffle will also take place, with a prize donated by Liddell. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in their own vintage clothing and bring along any vintage items to show and share with others interested in all things vintage. Organisers say the event will offer the opportunity to network and find out about vintage shop and outlets, in and around the area of Newcastle.

The Friends of St George’s organises a range of events such as concerts, musical events, family events, social events, talks and lectures which are open to the public. It is a charity set up to expand the role of St George’s in the wider community and to support the maintenance and improvement of the church building, and ancillary buildings used by the church congregation and the wider public.

For those interested in supporting their cause and joining the Friends team, there is a £10 subscription fee and in return members are granted a reduction on the entry costs of most events.

*As published in http://jesmondlocal.com/2012/03/friends-st-georges-organises-vintage-clothing-event/.

ML