If you want to stand out from the crowd you could try wearing a pastel coloured suit (much like that of Napoleon Dynamite.) Or even accessorising! Yes, this is a term thrown around by women all the time, and for a good reason. You can really personalise your look by adding a couple of little things to it. For example: Wearing a watch, getting a hat, cufflinks, a pocket watch, or even something as pimpin’ as a walking stick! These are only little things but they can completely transform the way you look to give you a really unique style.

There are so many places you can find suits, ties, shirts and so forth. Maybe too many. There’s high street shops that can be found in the various shopping centres around Hull – TopMan, H&M, Next, Burtons etc. However, Hull is also home to smaller vintage shops – check out Chinese Laundry or Beasley’s for something really distinctive. There are also hundreds of online shops that can be found with a quick search on the internet.

Finally, one thing that many guys often overlook is a corsage. A corsage is basically a flower that you give to your date. You can get them made from flower shops, but make sure you know what colour dress they will be wearing before you go! This is my top tip for the Ball. I guarantee if you give your date a corsage she will feel like the most special girl out on the night.

Jonno Witts & Sam Langan

1. Only wear a dress (or shoes) that you feel comfortable in; sounds obvious but in the fitting room it is possible to be blinded by beauty and persuade yourself that you can hold your breath for twelve hours. Put it back on the rail.
2. Classic styles work well but if you want to experiment with a trend, have a flick through some magazines to get some ideas then try them on with an honest friend.
3. If you’re petite, try a shorter style as a maxi may swamp your frame.
4. Consider a second layer – after all this is Hull! Pashminas and delicate cardigans look romantic, elegant and timeless whilst denim and leather jackets can toughen up girly dresses.
5. What do you like most about your body? Find a dress that showcases this!

If your purse strings are a little too tight for you to fork out for a completely new dress, it does not mean that you also have to do without a completely new outfit. Taking an element of your favourite red-carpet look can bring a little bit of Hollywood glamour, simply by pinning something to, sewing something on, or draping something over a dress. The SS10 trends are still spilling over with textured, sparkly, lacy and sheer fabrics, which are all a DIY dressmaker’s dream. Not only are these materials easy to get hold of from fabric and craft stores, but they are versatile in how they can be used – lace trimming, ruffles over a shoulder or sewn-on plastic jewels can transform a plain bodycon dress in a few hours of tacking and stitching.
But if this haberdashery thing sounds too involved, you could buy a hair fascinator or clip to do the trick. A good quality, large flower or feather clip might cost up to £10, but works out cheaper when you compare it against the price of a brand new dress. And the (almost) guaranteed bonus to being thrifty and creative is that you are far less likely to go through one of those embarrassing moments when you find yourself standing next to a girl in the same dress. Now where did we leave that pincushion?

Charlotte Fletcher & Zofia Skrakowski

2 cans of plum tomatoes (not chopped)
Half an onion
A generous knob of butter

Again, I’d like to reiterate I’m not joking. Whack the tomatoes in a pan with the onion and butter, bring to the boil then simmer for a good half an hour. And the genius is – you can add pretty much whatever you want. A clove or two of garlic works wonders, as do capers, anchovies and chilli for those of us more inclined to spicy food (and poncy tinned fish). Mushrooms and bacon work well but even on its own it’s pretty special. The beauty lies in the butter and the onion – instead of cream (which usually thickens sauces up) the butter does the job and the onion leaves behind a lovely authenticity that tastes infinitely better than the stuff you buy in a jar. Buen appetito!

Callum Smith

1)Exercise
Exercise can decrease the hormone cortisol that causes stress and can increase your endorphin levels. These are the natural ‘happy pill’ chemicals your body makes to keep you smiling. Early morning jog? Why not!

2)Get outdoors
Research has shown that the outdoors is great for reducing your stress levels. The average office worker can spend 8 hours indoors when at work. When people say they are going for ‘fresh air’, it is when they want some pensive time to themselves. Go for a walk and use this time to get lost in your thoughts.

3)Read
It can be so hard to enjoy a book at university when there are so many core texts that you have to read. Pick your favourite or an old classic and recapture your imagination.

4)Listen to music
Music is used in many types of therapy as a tool for relaxation. A study showed that music can stimulate brain activity so it corresponds with the rhythm. Choose something to your taste that you can relax with.

5)Sex
A UK study found that frequent orgasms in life can demonstrate a healthier way of living. It showed that oxytocin and DHEA (hormones released in arousal and orgasm) may have an effect against cancer and heart disease. So what are you waiting for?

Thank you for reading my section this year. Have a great Summer!

L. Barr

Skin types are graded from 1 to 5; 1 being very fair skinned with blue eyes and blonde or red hair, and 5 being very dark or black skin, with brown eyes and hair. If you’re (un)lucky enough to be nearer the pale end of the scale, you will be well aware of the sun’s devastating decision never to grant you a tan. But is a tan a fashion accessory or a warning sign of the sun’s damaging effects?

The sun’s rays are made up of two types of ultra violet (UV) light, UVA and UVB, both of which can cause damage. Our skin reacts to UV light by producing melanin, a dark pigment that helps absorb the harmful rays of light. It is the melanin that causes our skin to darken and produce the widely desired tanned skin. It is our bodies’ way of protecting the skin from sun burn. With excessive sun exposure you increase your chances of achieving an unattractive sun burn, premature ageing, and even your risk of skin cancer.

There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and the dreaded melanoma. All of them are due to too much sun exposure. Basal cell carcinoma is very common on the head and shoulders; it does not spread, but erodes down through the skin. In comparison, a squamous cell carcinoma can spread to other parts of the body. Then you have the big daddy that is a melanoma, which is very serious and potentially fatal. Rates are increasing, especially in those of university age and people who chase the sun.

Sunburnt skin is red, sore and warm to the touch, but the effects aren’t immediate; it takes between 6 and 48 hours for it to show. After a few days, the skin will peel and you’re left with either a tan or the same pale skin you had originally. Dark skin can also burn and become damaged if exposed to enough UV light. However, because it contains more pigment, it can tolerate sunlight without burning for longer than paler skin.
Having said that, they are still at risk of skin cancer!

Protecting yourself in the sun is easy: sunscreen and more sunscreen, plus common sense. Staying out of the sun between the mid-day hours of 10am-3pm, when the sun’s rays are at their strongest is the general advice. If you find yourself without a watch don’t worry, a tip is to avoid the sun when your shadow is shorter than your height. Sunscreen comes in all shapes and sizes, but all of them will display a sun protection factor (SPF) number. This is how much protection it will provide you against UV light. Aim for one that protects against UVA and UVB light and has a SPF of 15 or more. Apply a thick layer and 30 minutes before going out in the sun to allow it to soak into your skin. Don’t be fooled by a cooling breeze, a cloudy sky or the false sense of security from being underwater. These all help to play down the fact that the sun is out there and sneakily damaging your skin.

So if you don’t want to end up looking like your granny at 40, or play skin cancer roulette, then enjoy the sun in moderation and apply a healthy amount of sun cream this summer.
Oh, and reapply it too!

Adam Jakes
4th year HYMS

Andrew Talbot

David James. Tough choice for Capello, ‘Calamity James’ has had a mixed career including both gaffes and glory. But over the past few seasons, especially under Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, James had exceeded himself and had cut out the mistakes from his game. However, errors have crept back as his club sit rock bottom of the Premier League. He is, however, reliable at international level and a likely candidate for the number 1 jersey.

Glen Johnson. No contest. Well, providing he can retain the form he found before the injury he sustained earlier this season. Once again a regular in a struggling Liverpool side, Johnson is a great attacking full back who I believe will have no problem in convincing Capello of his return to form. That, and there is no realistic challenger to Johnson for the right-back slot.

Rio Ferdinand. He’s had a shaky season at United, including an injury hidden from Sir Alex Ferguson where he struggled to walk the day after a game. But now he seems to have recovered and he looks forward to a decent run-in up to the World Cup. And now the England captain, an absolute certainty to start in central defence.

John Terry. Oh boy does he have a point to prove. It’s unfortunate for Terry that his publicised misdemeanours and dip in form has surfaced in a World Cup year. Like Rio, Terry has got his bad game out of the way and looks to help Chelsea win the Premier League this season. Knowing JT’s character, he will prove all the doubters wrong and stand tall in South Africa.

Ashley Cole. Needs to take a leaf out of Terry’s book and bounce back. He is set to return from injury very soon and is expected to retain his place in the Chelsea side, ahead of Yuri Zhirkov. ‘Cashley’ is very lucky that he is on the same books as former England Skipper Terry. JT will more than likely take Cole under his wing and convince him to make amends for his off-the-field antics. I’m really hopeful he can prove his fitness, and the next best English left-back won’t be the class act that Ashley Cole can be.

Theo Walcott. Interesting. This is without a doubt the problem area for England at the moment. There are a few names being thrown about for this position, including Wright-Phillips, Lennon and Milner. But following a pearler of a performance away at Croatia back in September, hat-trick hero Theo is held in high regard by Capello; he recently turned Arsenal’s home game against Barcelona on its head and he is starting to justify his £12million price tag. He’s by no means a certainty for a start, but he will make the squad if he is fit.

Frank Lampard. Not for me this one. Lampard is a world-class player with ability in abundance. However, he is the type of player that can play out of his skin for his club, but can’t take the high levels of his game up to the international stage. If he is fit, he’ll start – no question. But for me he is a big name that doesn’t exceed expectations for his country. A reliable penalty taker though, if ever there was a team that needed one.

Gareth Barry. Has gone from strength to strength in recent seasons. Now an England regular, Barry is an integral part of the England setup. Not only does he play as the holding midfielder that England requires, but he also plays the role of the well-behaved kid at school who is moved to sit between two trouble makers; Lampard and Gerrard. It is well-documented that Lamps and Gerrard can’t play together in the same team. But Barry has been drafted in and provides a fantastic balance to England’s play, allowing Lampard and Gerrard to push forward. With a masterful eye for a killer pass, England’s Mr. Reliable is almost guaranteed to be in Capello’s starting XI.

Steven Gerrard. Not your conventional left winger but he plays the part as good as anyone else. For Liverpool, he is a match-winning playmaker. But he falls into the same bracket as Lampard in that his international performances don’t compare to club football. Liverpool have struggled throughout the 2009/10 season, but Gerrard has still remained the talisman that he always has been. For England, his positional play with the overlapping Ashley Cole is extremely effective and his link up with Rooney in qualifying has been superb. Another big name, another guaranteed starting place.

Emile Heskey. I don’t see it, I really don’t. I don’t buy into the whole ‘he makes Rooney play well’ rubbish. Heskey is not of international standard and never will be. In my opinion, it is a waste of a place if Capello gives it to someone who can make another player play well. Rooney has scored over 30 goals this season for United, without Heskey. Rooney doesn’t need him. However, Capello seems to have taken a shine to the stocky frontman, meaning Emile Heskey is likely to start in England’s strongest XI.

Wayne Rooney. Hasn’t had a bad season, has he? Goals galore and consistent team performances for Manchester United. Currently second only to the God that is Lionel Messi, Rooney will be England’s focal point for the World Cup. Will the pressure be too much? Time will tell. All that we do know is that he is 100% certain to start.

Obviously, no-one knows what goes through Capello’s mind, and it is impossible to predict injuries and form for the remainder of the season. So here are some players that have an outside chance of creeping into Fabio’s best XI:
Joe Hart. Burst onto the international scene a while back but never looked solid enough to hold down a regular place. But this season he has kept his head down and a loan move to high-flying Birmingham has been a masterstroke. He has aided the tipped relegation candidates up to the lofty heights of the Premier League. Don’t be surprised if he nudges Robert Green off the bench.

James Milner. Massive chance. Milner has been in superlative form for Villa and has shown great maturity and footballing knowledge despite his young age. His doomy, gloomy Newcastle days are over and he is a starlet of an attacking Villa side. England have many options on the right-hand side of midfield and Milner would be my choice every time.

Aaron Lennon. When fit – dangerous. Fitness is Lennon’s Achilles Heel – he’s constantly in and out of the Tottenham side. But when he’s in, he is IN! Feet as quick as Ronaldo, with as much pace as Walcott. His final ball has been criticised many a time but his assist record is incredible. Will be a fantastic weapon if he can prove his fitness.

Joe Cole. It seems a long time since Joe Cole was a regular in the England side. He played, and scored, in the early games of World Cup qualification but has been ravaged by injury this season. Joe is a gifted technical player who brings something different to the table. He looked top, top class with a sweet strike against Sweden at the last World Cup in Germany. He’s back from injury and faces a race against time to prove to Fabio that he deserves to be in the team. Watch this space.

Jermain Defoe. Had a cracking start to the campaign but has faded away into mediocrity. On his day he is as unplayable as Rooney himself, but his days are too few and too far between. He is such a better quality player than Heskey but he hasn’t hit the ground running at international level yet. He has goals to his name and that will put him in a great position when it comes to selection. But to earn a start? He’ll need to pick his season up sharpish.

Peter Crouch. Prolific England scoring record. He has always been a scoring threat in an England shirt. But there are two drawbacks. Firstly, Crouchy is constantly victimised by referees when defenders cannot out-jump him and it interrupts the flow of play. As well as giving defenders the option to fall over and claim they have been fouled. Secondly, he hasn’t really done it against the big boys (no pun intended). His goals have come against lesser sides, including a hat-trick against Jamaica. Could he dislodge Heskey? I wouldn’t rule it out.

The first choice England back four is pretty much set in stone, but there is some discrepancy as to who should play on each wing and who should partner Rooney up top. There are places up for grabs for England in South Africa. If you were Fabio, who would you pick?

-Andy Woolston

Brazil vs. Ivory Coast is set to be a mouth-watering tie in which the likes of Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure, Kaka and Robinho, to name but a few, will be going head to head to display their dominance. This fixture will match flair with sheer strength and brute force in which the team that comes out on top could possibly book their tickets to the next round, and be a strong contender for the finals. Make no bones about it, the Ivory Coast will not be taken lightly and Brazil, with all their historic records and superstars, will have a tough task at hand if they want to overcome this rising nation.

The Netherlands vs. Cameroon appears one-sided if qualifications are anything to go by. The Dutch team won all 8 games, scoring a mammoth 17 goals in the process, whilst only conceding a mere 2 goals. They have actually drawn the last 3/4 games post-qualification, perhaps bringing a little complacency into their game, suggesting over-confidence or lacking nerve. However, a team with the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, and Robin van Persie is not short of big names that can reproduce its qualification form. In contrast, Cameroon qualified through lucky results from the competing fixtures but have star players in Samuel Eto’o, André Bikey and Benoît Assou-Ekotto who are more than capable of turning up with their ‘A’ game to strive for a shock.

Also a fixture that may produce a thriller could undoubtedly be Germany vs. Australia. With Germany winning 8/10 qualification games, scoring 26 goals, and only conceding 5, they have plenty of scoring ability. With players like Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Ballack experience is certainly on their side. On the other hand Australia have star shot stopper Mark Schwarzer, Brett Emerton and free-scoring Tim Cahill who all, on their day, can churn out an infallible result.

You can be sure to expect a close encounter between Germany vs. Serbia, whose formation in 2008 after the 2004 split with Serbia and Montenegro, and prior to that the 2000 split from FR Yugoslavi, has meant that the nation is writing history of late. Having lost only 1 game in the last 11 appearances, their form is right up in the sharp end. This will undoubtedly test Germany’s strength to the limits, and adding the countries histories to the mix, this will be a game with more than just qualification on the respective nation’s minds.

Another game that will undoubtedly have more than ‘just football’ on the cards, will be USA vs. Algeria. Though based on recent achievements it may appear one-sided, Algeria cannot be underestimated, with many players firmly established in European teams, and plenty of caps to prove their experience. USA, on the other hand, reached new heights by being ranked 4th best in the world in 2006, and have enough talented players to field a strong team that can grind out results where necessary. Comprehensively out-qualifying their competitors in the pre-World Cup games could mean that strong form, once again, may prove to be the edge in enduring days of arduous opposition. With the likes of Jozy Altidore from Hull City representing the USA, and many more from the Premiership, craft will certainly not be absent, nor will pride or hostility. A game to watch for the football, and the added twist of politics!

Ketan Patel

In their World Cup bid the South African Football Association made a series of promises to FIFA upon condition of being awarded the tournament. As soon as the winner was announced, work began on fulfilling these promises and preparing the country for when supporters of the 32 participating nations would swarm upon it. The stadiums which have either been built or dramatically refurbished are already being described as amongst the most beautiful in the world, with the jewel in the crown being the 95,000 capacity ‘Soccer City’. The only issue surrounding them is that the roads, car parks and the rail transport system in the areas around the ground are far from finished. Reports suggest that it will be a real push to get them ready in time. Meanwhile, President Zuma recently opened a stunning new international terminal in Johannesburg’s principal airport and, with an entirely new airport in Durban, the country looks pretty much set to fulfil its guarantees to FIFA.

FIFA, on the other hand, have not been able to deliver on their guarantees to South Africa which could mean that the country might not receive quite the economic boost it would hope for. Initial estimates of one million fans travelling to the country now seem very farfetched and now that the country has prepared for such great numbers, FIFA has re-estimated a much more modest 150,000 visitors. Businesses such as hotels that have expanded based on the original predictions could be severely hit in the summer.

Also due to suffer are many of the poorest people in the country; those who have been relocated due to the building of the stadiums and the homeless who have been evicted from cities for artificial reasons. Some of these people will be able to gain jobs selling caps, badges and anything vaguely football related, although anything that is not official FIFA merchandise, which has been manufactured and shipped in from China, has been seized and the common street vendor bullied out of the market. This will mean that a significant amount of the profit from the World Cup will not stay in South Africa. It will instead fly out of the country, from the newly-built airports, as fast as FIFA officials leaving after the final whistle.

The long term effects, however, could be powerful. Up until 1994 the country was divided by race with black nationals treated as second class citizens. Although apartheid is thankfully dead and buried, its legacy is a largely unspoken racial divide across the country. Football is predominantly seen as a black past-time with only one white player featuring in the South African squad for the Confederations Cup, Cricket and Rugby are the more traditionally white sports with just two black players in the national Cricket team. Although a small minority of white, right-wing, Afrikaners are predicting and hoping for the failure of a project run largely by black Africans, the early signs indicate that the World Cup is uniting the races. A concerted effort is being made so that South Africans together can show the world what their country has plenty to offer.

A friend of mine who regularly travels to South Africa told me of a tangible difference due to the World Cup. When he and a friend first travelled out two years ago they attended an Amazulu FC match in the South African Premier League. There were just 3000 fans and these two were the only white faces in the entire stadium! A year later they went back and things were getting slightly better with about 20 white fans attending. Just six weeks ago they went for a third time to watch their now adopted team in their new stadium, one built for the World Cup. There were 13,000 fans there, but most impressive of all was the mixture of supporters from black, white and the strong Indian community, united by their love of sport.

Football is a powerful tool and hopefully the legacy of World Cup 2010 will be inspiration, empowerment and unity in South Africa.
Paul James

Thailand is so often synonymous with beaches and wild parties, that its paradoxical mix of citylife, dense jungles, and cultural North are often overlooked. However, both warm in its people and weather, Thailand’s charm goes much deeper than the buckets of SangSom whisky sold in the bars, and even in a country often considered as tourist-territory, there’s still a chance to get off the beaten track.

Keen to find out why so many people are drawn to Thailand, I asked Ewan Clarke, the Leeds branch manager for STA Travel, a popular student travel company, why he thought so many students are choosing to visit Thailand.

“The cheapness, and also the welcome – the people are very friendly,” says Ewan. “The weather is a bonus if you’re coming from the UK! Also the beautiful beaches and islands down South, which is the main draw for a lot of people.”

But in a country infamous for sex tourism and drug-fuelled beach raves, can you escape the tourists and experience some real Thai culture? Or is Thailand inevitably becoming Westernised, losing its own unique identity?

Nick Towers, a law graduate who now lives and works in Northern Thailand says: “I don’t think tourists have ruined Thailand. They may have taken over a few roads in Bangkok, sleeper trains and some beaches down south, but it would be colonial arrogance to say we had the ability to ruin the country. If you asked the tens of millions of Thais who do not live in tourist-heavy areas, they’d probably laugh at the suggestion that their country had been ruined by tourists.”

But certainly years of heavy tourism have done some damage to Thailand. Islands such as Koh Phi Phi, where The Beach was filmed, are increasingly becoming filled with hotels and guesthouses. Koh Phangan, which was once famed for its simple island lifestyle, and traditional, basic accommodation, has now turned into a regular package holiday destination, with thousands of people arriving at the island for the Full-Moon Party each month.

Nick agrees that some tourism has had an adverse effect on Thailand. He says: “what has been ruined by tourists is the general Thai perception of foreigners, who due to the behaviour of many tourists, are stereotyped as unclean, alcoholic and ignorant ATMs.”

Ewan, of STA Travel, comments on the flipside of this Westernisation. He says: “It is a good place for first time travellers as people do speak English and there’s a whole traveller’s infrastructure.”

Thailand seems split between the culture of the North, and the beaches of the South, but what are most people looking for when they visit Thailand?

“The majority of tourists would initially come to us thinking they were going to the South,” Ewan explains, “but if anyone has more than ten days, we encourage people to do both. The North is very different to the South. You need to do both to get a balanced impression of Thailand.”

Despite this culture/beach split, there are still opportunities to find the seemingly elusive rural island paradises in Thailand.

“There are lots of islands in Thailand.” Says Ewan, “There’s all the popular ones like Koh Tao, Koh Samui, and Koh Phangnan, but then there’s islands like Koh Chang which is nearer Cambodia, and is still very undeveloped. Also on the West Coast of Thailand towards Malaysia, there’s an awful lot of unexplored islands. In a place like Thailand you have to try a little harder to get off the beaten track, but it is still possible. The area is your oyster.”

Thailand’s reputation tends to precede it: seasoned travellers are usually reluctant to visit, whereas inexperienced travellers often only visit the islands. As one of the only Southeast Asian countries to have avoided colonisation, Thailand has a rich cultural history that seems to get overlooked. This diverse country has an exciting mixture of things to offer, from cooking courses, to dive training, to Buddhist retreats. It boasts breathtaking scenery, including dense jungle, rice plains, white beaches, and mountainous terrain. Its proximity to other countries, such as Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos make it an unparalleled traveller’s Mecca. Even Bangkok, with its vibrant mix of street-vendors, market-stalls, and high-rise hotels paradoxically contrasted with slums and red-light districts, makes for an interesting slice of Asian culture. And the tangy, flavoursome street food that can be bought for less than 50p is something that everyone should have the opportunity to try.

Forget any preconceptions of Westernisation, prostitution, and binge drinking, and find out how worthwhile it can be to hunt out the lesser-known spots in Thailand. An up-to-date guidebook and sense of adventure will help you go a long way, and actively searching out your own personal experience in a country like Thailand can be a lot more exciting than just following the route most-travelled in a less-touristy country.

“It’s a huge country. There will always be new places to explore,” says Ewan.

STA travel offer return flights to Bangkok from £375, as well as organised trips and projects throughout Thailand. Visit their website to find out more: www.statravel.co.uk

Natalie Lyall-Grant