Manchester Metros announce team

Unanswered questions: Manchester Metros A season begins in disarray after losing one of its top players from last season to injury in exhibition game this past Friday night.

Manchester A retained their place in BUHIA's north division and will be facing the likes of Edinburgh Eagles, Hull Ice Hogs, Northumbria Kings, Nottingham Mavericks, and Sheffield Bears. Edinburgh were champions of the north division in 2013/14. Northumbria Kings are the only newcomers to the division.

Seven players return from last season's team that miracuously finished middle of the pack -- Max Drakely, Tom Wilson, Mike Di Paoli, Matt Lowry, Allen Gunn, Callum Notman, and goalie Phil Pearson. It has lost Tyler Schock, Topi Jylha, and Patrick Thomson to graduation and has further lost Shayne Langlois and Gino Poulin who are on indefinite leave from the sport.

Additions from last year's B team include defensemen Matt Crouch and Dean Smith and forwards Jamie Bower, Ste Chorlton, and Jack Walker. Matt Crouch and Jamie Bower played Division 1 Nationals last year, while Jack Walker saw action in a few A team Cup games.

The team holds onto its top scorers from last year, Gunn and Lowry, but the pair lose their centre, Wilson. The centre from Glossop will be sidelined for a considerable amount of time after suffering a broken wrist in an exhibition game against Widnes Wildcats a week and a day before the team was set to Nottingham for the first Cup game.

The loss of several quality players over the last few years will require new additions to Metros A to fall into gigantic roles from the get-go or the team could suffer the drop. The year-to-year changing of personnel in university ice hockey means no one can predict the strength of other teams until after a few games, but it is expected that Edinburgh, Nottingham, and Sheffield will simply retool and not skip a beat. Northumbria proved last year that they were a tough opponent, gaining Div 1 North status through promotion. 

Metros home games will continue to be played on Friday nights at Deeside Leisure Centre with face-offs at 2230. For all Manchester Metros information and to be kept up to date about the North West Varsity versus LJMU Leopards follow @MancMetros on Twitter.

Manchester Metros 2014/15 Roster: Jamie Bower, Ste Chorlton, Matt Crouch, Mike Di Paoli, Bryce Dorin, Max Drakeley, Allen Gunn, Matt Lowry, Callum Notman, Phil Pearson (G), Max Phillips, Lee Pollit, Dean Smith, Brad Valentine, Jack Walker, Tom Wilson (inj.), Mike Zyczkowski.

Division 1 North Schedule:

1 Nov - @ Nottingham

7 Nov - vs. Edinburgh

15 Nov - @ Northumbria

21 Nov - vs. Sheffield

5 Dec - vs. Hull

24 Jan - @ Sheffield

6 Feb - vs. Nottingham

19 Feb - @ Hull

22 Feb - @ Edinburgh

27 Feb - vs. Northumbria

For full BUIHA information,  updates, and schedules check their website at www.buiha.org.uk.

Within the Ruins return to Europe

Within the Ruins announce European Winter Tour for 2015 with Seattle deathcore band I DECLARE WAR and Aussies AVERSIONS CROWN, presented by Avocado Booking and Impericon.com.

The 2015 Euro Tour will be Within the Ruins second time to continent. The last time they were here was in 2012 on the Bonecrusher Fest with CARNIFEX, BENEATH THE MASSACRE, MOLOTOV SOLUTION, and  BETRAYING YOUR MARTYRS.

The boys from Westfield, MA will make stops in Germany, Belgium, and France beginning on 16 January before making their way to the United Kingdom for four shows in London, Glasgow, Leeds, and Cardiff. They will then return to mainland Europe and visit the likes of Poland, Hungry, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, and Belarus. The final show is in Kiev on 11 February.

Within the Ruins will be out in support of their most recent release "Phenomena", which includes titles like Gods Amongst Men, Calling Card, Clockwork, and another instrumental in the Ataxia series, Ataxia III. All songs are related to comic books in one way or another, as stated by vocalist Tim Goergen.

2006's "Driven by Fear" will always be my favourite WTR release, but "Phenomena" is the perfect workout album to get swole with.

MA Journalism

I have been at the MA grind for a full two weeks now and needless to say, it is tiring and I do believe I am still alive... barely, but it's been everything I hoped it would be and everything I expected. The MediaCity UK campus is absolutely stunning, as it were on the tour I was given this past summer, and even more so now that it is fully populated by students, alongside the neighbours at the BBC, Granda, and ITV. They say you never know who you are going to ruin into, and, well, I've run into no one of note so far.

Apparently, all the "in-crowd" like Costa and lifts.

To be fair, I've not exactly been "people spotting" on my breaks. I've been too busy trying to find a reliable source of food that keeps me going.

I have made friends across all pathways -- broadcast, news, and sport -- and our pastime is playing curling or four-person air hockey on the touch screen tables during breaks.

Shorthand takes up the most time in and away from the classroom as it is schedule for three times a week (everyday MAs are required to be in). It's like relearning how to write all over again. The module itself is taught through Teeline's Gold Standard for Journalists, which is accepted by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) -- the secondary qualification I will hopefully receive following the completion of this programme. Remembering a new word each day or something small from the previous day is a victory for me. The goal is to be at 100 words per minute, or close to it by March/April.

I am also learning essential UK government and media law, which is an absolute sludge, but a total requirement. The course is designed to make us the qualified and well-rounded candidates, so modules like government and law will certainly do this. These modules also prepare the group for NCTJ exams. As an American, it is interesting to learn a completely different governmental system. The two units are separated into two two-hour blocks with break in between.

I do feel like I'm back in high school though, where I dreaded going to U.S. Government.

Tuesday's only other class aside from shorthand is News Writing, or writing and gathering news. In News Writing, we learn and put into practice where news comes from, how we find it, and what makes something news worthy.

Wednesday starts with shorthand, of course, and is then followed by a group lesson where professionals come in to discuss topics related to the industry. Designated as News and Ethics, or ethics and professional practice, the hour module gives us that extra insight on why we do what we do, the power we have, and how we can work within our limits yet still do our job.

Directly following that we split into two groups, as we do for News Writing, and learn various Online and Broadcast skills -- putting content online, using photos, the mobile journalists, etc..

Overall, the standard and quality of the course is as billed -- semester one's schedule that is.
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Note: Pole dancing got much harder. I spend most of my time upside down.