Issue 49 - University of Surrey Students` Union

Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey
Check out our Fresher’s
Fayre photo spread in
Societies, pg. 37
Issue 49 – Tuesday 16th October 2012
Here come the girls! Enter our
competition on pg. 15 to win a
£50 voucher for Boux Avenue!
NEWS
Registration rules have
changed, check you’re up
to date... Page 3
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Find out about the
invisible women... Page 8
FEATURES
Is your love life dry?
Find out why.... Page 10
SCIENCE & TECH
Are your testicles killing
you? Find out.... Page 17
FILM
Candice Ritchie reviews
Taken 2... Page 33
DANCE & THEATRE
Science meets Theatre
in The Ethics of Progress...
Page 22
SPORT
Adam Lodowski’s first
basketball
match...
Page 38
MIND MAINTENANCE WEEK
By Alexandra Wilks, Editor
M
ind Maintenance Week is a new initiative
brought to you by your Vice President Welfare,
Bakita Kasadha and her team of Welfare Warriors.
From 22nd October to the 26th October Surrey, for
the first time, will be running a mental wellbeing
awareness project. The aims of Mind Maintenance
Week are to make the student body aware of
mental illnesses, whilst also combating the stigma
surrounding them through encouraging students
to talk about their experiences. Bakita says, “Mind
Maintenance Week is a chance for students to
learn more about mental health, and the aim of the
project is to encourage people to talk about their
mind, as these are issues that can affect anyone.”
25% of people are likely to have a mental
health problem in one year. However, statistics
from British Association for Counselling and
Psychotherapy revealed that young people are
much more likely to suffer from depression.
Talking about mental health can help
remove the stigma surrounding it. Time to
Change, a charity dedicated to challenging the
stereotypes around mental illness, reported
that four out of five people with mental
health problems experience discrimination
Continued on page 3...
EDITORIAL
The Stag |
Editor | Alexandra Wilks
[email protected]
Editor-in-Chief | Abbie Stone
[email protected]
Deputy Editor (Design) | Hannah Roberts-Owen
[email protected]
Design Team | Paul Richmond, Ankur Banerjee, Tina Morman
Deputy Editor (Marketing) | Becky Richmond
[email protected]
Marketing Team | Emily Gill, Natasha Cruz-Millheim and Georgie Wood
News Editor | Jyoti Rambhai
[email protected]
News Team | Jack White, Melissa Raske, Chris Sibthorpe, Kathryn Braid,
Hattie Elkins, Brth Goss, Hannah Craig, Denise Juvane
Opinion & Analysis Editor | Justine Crossan
Opinion & Analysis Team | Alex Wilks, Jack White, Ian Kugler, Joseph
Lopez
Features Editor | Ellis Taylor
[email protected]
Features Team | Sophie Vickery, Pippa Tollow, Lasika Jayamaha, Katy
Sawyer, Veronica Hastings, Thomas Greenaway,
Science and Technology Editor | Alex Smith
[email protected]
Science and Technology Team | Siobhan H
Societies Editor | Shalini Thondrayen
[email protected]
Dance and Theatre Editor | Tiffany Stoneman
[email protected]
Dance and Theatre Team |
Film Editor | Candice Ritchie
[email protected]
Film Team |
Music Editor | Becky Worley
[email protected]
Music Team |
Literature Editor | Emily Smart
[email protected]
Literature Team |
Sport Editor | Anna Giles
[email protected]
Sport Team |
Copy Editors | Sophie Vickery, Emma Fleming, Hannah Wann, Tina
Morman, Tessa Morgan
[email protected]
Webmaster | Andrew Smith
[email protected]
Webeditor | Samantha Murray
[email protected]
Photo Editor | Tessa Morgan
[email protected]
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Former student jailed for
Millennium House stabbing
By Hattie Elkins, News Team
A
n ex-Surrey student has been
jailed for 18 months after
an on-campus fight resulted in a
stabbing.
Belarus-born
Aliaksndr
Mazalkou, 19, was sentenced
in Guildford Crown Court on
September 27 after pleading guilty
to unlawfully wounding another
student, Meriton Rexha, 21.
Mazalkou claimed he acted in
self-defence after the fight outside
Millennium
House
escalated,
resulting in Mazalkou inflicting
multiple wounds to the face and
arms of Rexha. The victim was
taken to the Royal Surrey County
Hospital and it is thought that
he will be left with permanent
scarring.
Mazalkou’s defence claimed he
had recently come off prescribed
antidepressants due to recent
improvement in his behaviour and
that he retrieved the knives in the
hope of getting other students to
leave the scene.
The attack commenced when
they tried to disarm him, resulting
in the injury of Rexha.
When sentencing Mazalkou,
Judge Christopher Critchlow stated
that whilst he acknowledged that
the act was out of character, there
was no excuse for getting the
knives.
Mazalkou has been credited for
his guilty plea and is expected to
serve approximately half of his 18
month sentence.
Surrey student wins a
Sports Guildford Award
By Denise Juvane, News Team
T
he ‘Sports Guildford Awards’
are an opportunity to recognise
local talent and commemorate
outstanding achievements by local
clubs and athletes.
On 27th September at Christ’s
College, Guildford, the 2012 awards
applauded Surrey’s extraordinary
coaches and volunteers involved
in the London 2012 Olympic games
and acknowledged Surrey students
and their sporting achievements.
The University of Surrey had
shortlisted interests in three of
the award categories: Phil Hall
(one of Surrey Sports Park’s Squash
coaches) for the Senior Coach
category; Surrey Spartans Hockey
Club (a student/alumni hockey club
based at the SSP) for the Community
Award category; and Lowell Lewis
(University of Surrey’s student and
chair of the Spartans Hockey Club)
in the Senior Volunteer Category.
Phil Hall won the award for
his category and Surrey Spartans
Hockey Club just missed the top
spot in the category, beaten by
Alexandra Wilks – Editor
[email protected]
Y
Trinity Mirror (South)
8 Tessa Road, Reading
RG1 8NS
The Stag reserves the right to edit all submissions and the right to
decide which articles are published.
Guildford Park Run. Lowell Lewis,
a student at the University, picked
up an award for his commitment
to developing hockey in Guildford
and engaging hundreds of young
people and adults throughout the
past 12 months.
Following the triumphant
outcome of Phil Hall and Lowell
Lewis, they are now up for
consideration for the wider Surrey
Sports Awards which are due to
take place later on in the year.
Letter from the Editor
Campus Marketing | Charlie Taylor
The Stag is a newspaper editorially dependent on and published by
the University of Surrey Students’ Union.
The views expressed in the paper are those of the individual
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the educational
team, the whole Students’ Union or the University of Surrey.
©Kyorita
2
ou
might
be
wondering
why
your Stag is blue. It’s
not a printing error or
indeed just one of my
many mistakes. Your
Stag is blue to promote Mind Maintenance Week, a
new initiative brought to you by your VP Welfare,
Bakita Kasadha. As you may have noticed I’ve written
extensively about this on the front page. As I said last
issue, I’m no stranger to mental illness and that’s
why I am 120% behind this campaign. Hopefully by
focusing on mental wellbeing here at Surrey, we can
start to remove the stigma that surrounds it.
Mental illness can make you feel like you can’t
achieve anything or that you’re endlessly being
judged. But that’s simply not true. At some point in
life there’s always going to be someone who tells you
that you can’t do this, or that, or can’t be the person
you want to be. It would be easy for me to say just
don’t listen to them, but it’s those comments that we
carry around with us and that ultimately come back
to haunt us. For years I was told I was stupid, that I
would never amount to much. A teacher once told me
I’d be ‘working on the checkout for the rest of my life’.
It may not seem like a massive deal that I’m at
University and doing this here paper, but to me it’s
beyond incredible. I can’t put a price on chasing my
dream, which is to become a journalist, and the sense
of pride I feel when I see my name at the top of this
column. Sorry to make you cringe, but I really am
that happy. And you can be too.
News Editor: Rachael Thomason | Copy Editor: Tina Mormon
Continued from page 1...
and over half of those said it
happened every day, every week
or every month. Most shocking of
all, 35% of respondents said stigma
had “made them give up on their
ambitions, hopes and dreams”.
Throughout the week Bakita
and her team will be running
a variety of events to raise
awareness surrounding mental
disorders. The slogan for the
campaign is Open Your Mind: Talk,
Rethink, Understand. Monday and
Tuesday of the week will focus on
understanding and rethinking
mental health problems, The
Centre for Welbeing will be running
a forum in which people can have
any questions they may have about
mental health addressed. Watch
out for exact times and place on the
Union Facebook. From Wednesday
onwards the focus of the week will
shift to finding solutions, such as
joining a society, talking to your
personal tutor or attending a
The Stag |
sports club.
After Mind Maintenance Week
a series of testimonials from
Surrey students will be run. These
testimonials will take the form of
a video and aim to provide solace
and encouragement to students in
similar positions.
Bakita says, “It’s really
important that students know the
Union is there to help them with
any mental wellbeing problems
they may have.”
If you are interested in taking part in a testimonial video, please
contact Bakita at [email protected]
Welcome from the
Vice-Chancellor
Professor Sir Christopher Snowden,
President and Vice-Chancellor
W
e hope you had a
relaxing and enjoyable
summer break and are
feeling refreshed for the
new academic year ahead.
For those of you who have
been away on placements, we
hope you found these to be a
valuable experience.
From 22nd September
a new cohort of students
arrived on Surrey’s campus in
what is one of the busiest and
most exciting weeks of our
academic calendar. To those
of you who are new to Surrey,
I’d like to offer a very warm
welcome and to congratulate
you on achieving your place in
higher education.
This year, we have
witnessed a summer of
incredible triumphs as Britain
hosted the London 2012
Olympics, and before the new
term gets properly underway,
it
seems
an
excellent
opportunity to look back on
the University’s successes
over the past year.
Like the Team GB athletes,
Surrey has put in a strong
performance
resulting
in a number of record
achievements and awards.
Our meteoric rise up the
League Tables, especially in
the Guardian where we now
rank 12th in the UK, is one
of the year’s major success
stories and acknowledges the
continuing improvements to
the student experience and
our academic offering.
We take your input and
feedback very seriously and
the results of the 2011/12
National Student Survey
(NSS), where we climbed an
impressive 32 places, and our
short listing to third place in
the Sunday Times University
of the Year Award 2011, further
reflects
our
exceptional
progress in delivering the
best
possible
university
experience, focusing on what
is most important to you. We
have built on this in 2012 with
an impressive further leap of
17 places to 15th in the NSS
thanks to the dedication of
our staff and enthusiasm and
strong relationship with our
student community.
As a result of this progress,
we are attracting more highly
talented applicants than ever
before and since 2006 we have
seen a significant increase in
our undergraduate entrance
standards.
Our
average
A-Level grades on entry in
2011/12 were AAB, meeting the
government’s new threshold
for unlimited recruitment. In
spite of the challenge of the
new fees environment and
unlike many other leading
universities, we met our
recruitment targets this year
with a further increase in
average entrance standards;
a testament to the calibre of
what Surrey has to offer.
Surrey is now positioned
above the majority of the
Russell Group in many
national league tables and
we can all be proud of our
growing reputation.
To help us to continue
to provide you with the best
possible facilities and learning
environment, I encourage you
to take an active role in all
aspects of your course and life
here at the University. And
we do listen to your requests.
Last year, for example, you
suggested that we could
further improve the popular
library facilities and you will
see that we have started a
major refurbishment of the
George Edwards building.
You will also find that we
have launched the new
web-based virtual learning
environment, SurreyLearn,
which incorporates ideas
that many of you provided
in 2011/12. A new restaurant
and reception building has
been built on Manor Park in
response to earlier requests,
which opened this summer.
Providing access to worldclass sporting facilities is
another example of how we
are meeting your needs and
16th October 2012
Comment...
NEWS
3
By Kathryn Braid, News Team
What is your reaction to the university starting
to record lecture attendance?
“I think it’s really patronising because if you’re not going to
turn up, you’re not going to turn up and having a register
shouldn’t be the reason that you do turn up.”
- Isabella Williams, Sociology, Culture and Media
“We are aware that our grades depend on our attendance and
the work we do, so it should be our decision to turn up or not.”
- Natasha Ward, Psychology
“I don’t care. But I don’t think they should take your
attendance in lectures because it should be your own business
by now.”
- Agne Markeviciute, Sociology, Culture and Media
this summer our students
had the exciting opportunity
to train alongside Olympic
athletes. Surrey Sports Park
hosted over 250 Olympians
and their coaching teams
including the US triathletes,
Chinese
synchronised
swimmers, and the Team GB
basketball team as they made
their final preparations for
the London 2012 games.
Much like the Olympic
promise, here at Surrey we
are inspiring a generation
through our groundbreaking
research which is addressing
this century’s most pressing
challenges and receiving
international recognition. We
were honoured to be awarded
the
prestigious
Queen’s
Anniversary Prize for Higher
Education for our research
into safe water and sanitation
which is helping to safeguard
many lives and communities
worldwide. This is the third
time Surrey has received this
accolade putting us in a select
group of only 12 universities
to share this distinction.
The
effects
of
the
Government’s reforms to
university
funding
and
student number controls have
continued to dominate the
Higher Education headlines.
Surrey, along with all UK
universities, will be entering a
very different and much more
competitive environment this
academic year.
In this critical period
we will not be complacent.
Taking a leaf from Team GB’s
training book, we have set
very clear goals to maximise
our success and ensure
we prosper as a thriving
university of excellence. With
the continuing and much
appreciated support of our
student community, I am
confident of even greater
achievements in the academic
year ahead.
University to take
attendance registers
By Jack White, News Team
C
ontroversially, the University is to start taking
registers of students’ attendance.
The new regime, which will begin this week,
will see students’ attendance recorded at one
core subject lecture per week. Those failing to
attend three consecutive registered lectures per
half-semester will be summoned to account for
themselves.
Initially targeted students will be seen by
student support staff with a view to helping them
with any personal problems that may be causing
them to miss lectures. The University declined to
comment further, but a source at the Union said
that offenders could ultimately be removed from
their course. This extreme measure has however
always been an option for the University.
Hitherto the University has been keen to
imbue students with a high degree of personal
responsibility and autonomy. The decision to start
the registers contradicts this prevailing attitude.
The move to registration follows the UK
Border Agency’s (UKBA) removal in July of London
Metropolitan University’s ability to sponsor
immigration visas to students from outside the EU.
London Met was unable to prove that international
students were attending (a condition for being able
to sponsor visas). As a result, many universities
are now clamping down on the attendance of
international students, fearing that their trusted
status with UKBA will be confiscated.
Other universities are taking a hard line on the
issue. Coventry University has made the decision to
register non-EU students in person every weekday,
even when a student has no classes.
A source at NUS told The Stag that UKBA
guidelines do not require such strong action.
UKBA set out a soft guideline of 10 possible points
of contact with international students. If none of
the points of contact are made, that is considered
a cause for concern. However these points include
many non-academic contacts, such as going to see
a campus doctor. Following the difficulty at London
Met, the NUS source believes that universities
are overreacting, wary of having their lucrative
international student incomes removed.
It is thought that Surrey Vice Chancellor Sir
Christopher Snowden stepped into the debate,
saying that it would be unfair to target just
international students as every student is here to
study and get their degree.
4
NEWS
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
By Melissa Raske, News Team
F
reshers’ Week 2012 continued
with
a
Monday
night
performance by the grime artist
Wiley, but many students were
disappointed after his performance
was less than expected.
The events timetable for
Fresher’s Week posted on the
University of Surrey Students
Union website gave a glowing
review of Wiley’s musical career
and encouraged students to attend
the event stating: “The Godfather
of Grime has shot back into the UK
Charts and is currently sitting at
#1 for the second week running (at
time of print).”
After the event, which cost £10
per ticket, many students felt that
the performance wasn’t worth that
sum.
Prior to arriving at Rubix,
Wiley had been stopped by the
police, he then turned up late.
The artist was hired to perform
a 20 minute set but he was only
on stage for about 15 minutes,
although he claimed otherwise.
The
performance
was
considered ‘unprofessional’ and of
a ‘low quality’ causing the crowd to
chant “Wiley, you’re sh*t!”
He responded with a stream
of tweets after the performance
calling those at the university
“reptile students” and claiming
that the university “had too many
internet gangsters”, vowing never
Freshers’ Fayre 2012
By Chris Sibthorpe, News Team
F
reshers’ Fayre 2012 finished
off a very successful Freshers’
week for Surrey students, as
clubs and societies from across
the university gathered together
on the PATS field in search of new
members.
With Surrey being well known
for having a large variety of clubs
and societies to join, more than
13,000 returning students and
2,500 freshers were given the
chance to look around to see
what they’d like to sign up to for
this year.
Clubs and societies ranging
from the Law Society to The Stag
were present and companies
including Lucozade and Domino’s
handed out free offers and
goodies.
Stag TV treated visitors to
broadcasts from the centre of the
tent, whilst the Students’ Union
team were available to answer
questions.
Hannah Carpenter, studying
adult nursing, said: “I’ve signed
up to the Nursing Society and
rugby. I’m very busy but properly
excited.”
The Active Freshers’ Fayre
was also a success as over 1,000
students took part in taster
sessions to try out sports at
Surrey Sports Park, including
lacrosse and fencing.
Kandarp Amin, an aerospace
engineering student, praised the
Fayre: “The variety of sports and
the turnout was amazing.”
to return.
He also blamed the poor
performance on the university
sound system, microphone and the
monitors.
Lily Cheetham, second year
student, commented: “I didn’t
think he was great, what with
being late, barely engaging with the
audience and not really rapping.
“It’s a shame because I used to
like Wiley beforehand, but after
that I’m not so keen!”
Wiley was due to perform at
Warwick Student Union on the 11th
October, however he cancelled last
minute. He has since cancelled all
University Student’s Union gigs
claiming on Twitter that he is “Dun
[sic] with the uni’s”.
Surrey jumps by 17 places
in National Student Survey
By Jack White, News Team
T
he 2012 National Student
Survey (NSS) has seen the
University of Surrey rising 17
places from 32nd to 15th.
Results are announced by
course. This year’s big winner
was Psychology, which rose by a
staggering 62 places to 6th, however
other courses also did well, with
Accounting up 37 to 19th, Law up 35
to 40th and Electronic Engineering
eradicating last year’s fall to make
A
©USSU
8th place.
Politics, Aerospace Engineering
and Music all polled 1st on student
satisfaction across the country.
The news was not all good,
with several courses coming in the
bottom quartile nationally in some
areas. Drama did particularly badly,
failing in assessment, academic
support, course management and
availability of learning resources.
The course only dropped three
places
however,
indicating
nationwide dissatisfaction with
much university drama.
The NSS is organised by the
Higher Education Funding Council
for England (HEFCE), the National
Union of Students (NUS) and
the market research firm Ipsos
Mori. The survey has repeatedly
come under attack from some
commentators, since they perceive
that it is in a student’s best interests
to make sure their university is as
highly rated as possible.
Spectrum revamp planned
after hygiene complaints
By Hannah Craig, News Team
Union staff pose for a photo by their centralised stand at Freshers’ Fayre, giving
away all sorts of ‘free stuff’
Wiley has been openly mocked by Surrey students since his poor performance
©Ryan Burke
“Reptile students”
£100,000 revamp has been
planned for the Guildford
Spectrum swimming pool, run by
Freedom Leisure.
Frequent users of the Spectrum
made a stand via the social
network site Facebook. These were
comments posted on the Guildford
Borough
Council
Facebook
page complaining of the lack of
cleanliness.
Penny Roling, regular visitor
to Spectrum, told GetSurrey that
she is now taking her children to
swimming classes at Surrey Sports
Park. Although she praised the
staff, she felt the changing areas
were in too much of a poor state to
continue going there.
Toby Jenkins posted one of
many critical comments on the
Council’s Facebook page with
“please clean the spectrum. It’s a
disgrace.” Photos which confirm
such issues were posted on
Facebook.
Complaints included the smell
of urine in changing areas and
drains being blocked with hair and
flies. There were also vast amounts
of dust on the ceiling which
accumulated on the floor.
Freedom Leisure took over the
Guildford Spectrum last November
from the council, stating that they
would bring an improvement in
service and value for money.
The Guildford area manager
for Freedom Leisure, Steve May,
assured the concerns are being
taken extremely seriously.
The refurbishment plan will
be executed within the next few
months and the improvements
will start with an immediate deep
clean of the venue taking place
every night. There will be further
recruitment of extra housekeeping
staff as well as an improvement in
the drainage system, new flooring
and lights.
News Editor: Rachael Thomason | Copy Editor: Tina Mormon
The Stag |
Union calls referendum
on membership of NUS
• Union to hold open forum on the issue TONIGHT
• NUS President, Liam Burns will address students
By Jack White, News Team
U
niversity of Surrey Students’ Union has called a
referendum on its membership of the National
Union of Students (NUS) in which all students are
eligible to vote.
Voting will take place online on Thursday 18th
and Friday 19th October.
An open student forum on the issue will be held
tonight (Tuesday 16th) at 6pm in Lecture Theatre E
and will feature NUS President Liam Burns speaking
on why USSU should remain a member of NUS. USSU
President Dave Halls said, “This isn’t a push in either
direction, but by my reckoning it’s been four years
since the last referendum. That’s an entire generation
of students who haven’t been given the choice.”
Mr Halls reported during a recent Union Executive
meeting that the Union would be significantly worse
off financially if the students vote to withdraw from
NUS.
NUS has come under pressure in recent years
over its high membership fees (£42,000 for USSU last
year), and for a perceived lack of engagement with
both member unions and ordinary students.
Proponents of NUS have drawn attention to its
lobbying power and recent successes. The November
2010 demonstration in London raised student finance
into public attention, and following the recent
debacle over international students at London Met,
16th October 2012
NUS President Liam Burns
5
Shadow Minister joins
students demanding a
Living Wage for staff
By Alex Wilks, News Team
NUS has stepped in and helped secure freedom for
their international students to continue study until
the end of the year.
The closeness of the referendum, which was
announced on 3rd October, has left little time for
students to become acquainted with the issues. The
open forum itself was only called on the 8th October.
Mr Halls said, “The reason is that Liam Burns only
just confirmed.”
NEWS
D
ozens of staff and students
joined the Surrey Labour
Students society on Friday 28th
September as they re-launched
their campaign for the university
to become an accredited Living
Wage employer.
Shadow Minister for Higher
Education Shabana Mahmood
MP spoke to the assembled crowd
about the importance of paying
staff at the university- who live in
one of the most expensive areas
outside of London- enough to cover
the basic costs of living (currently
£7.20 per hour).
She went on to congratulate
the students on their work so far
in gaining support from over 600
staff and students on campus
and emphasised the importance
of student-led social action. The
event was also attended by Donald
Hirsch, director of the group which
formulates the Living Wage, who
shared the history and process
behind the movement.
University Director James
Newby assured the assembled
crowd that the university has
been paying a Living Wage to all
its employees for nearly a year;
but with the rate expected to rise
before Christmas, the campaigners
are keen to see the university
become accredited and ensure that
wages increase as well.
A testimony from one of
the cleaners at the university
emphasised the problem that, even
at the current pay rates, many lowpaid staff have to juggle two or
more jobs to feed their families.
After half an hour of action,
the crowd took the campaign to
Freshers’ Fayre, singing a rousingly
cheesy rendition of Satisfaction
across campus and onto PATS field
where they staged a short protest
with mops, buckets and brooms.
With
similar
campaigns
having already gained success at
universities across the country
such as Manchester, Kent and LSE,
supporters have made it clear that
the university has little reason not
to apply for accreditation and set a
precedent for other establishments
to follow whilst giving its own
employees a firm commitment on
fair pay for the future.
HEAR changes degree classification
By James Brown, News Team
raduates could soon have more than a simple 2:1
degree classification on their university records.
With the final details of the Higher Education
Achievement Report (HEAR) being unveiled last week,
this new classification of degree will demonstrate a
much broader view of students’ achievements.
This new system has been led by Professor Sir
Robert Burgess, vice-chancellor of the University of
Leicester, for Universities UK and Guild HE. For four
years he has chaired the Burgess Implementation
Steering Group for the HEAR to push this more
sophisticated approach towards gaining a degree.
It will provide information ranging from
involvement in student societies, to a record of
volunteering. Provided in an electronic format, it is
hoped that the HEAR ‘report card’ will allow more
informed choices for employers than a traditional
academic transcript.
It is designed in such a way that students will also
be able to see their HEAR not only after graduating
but during their academic time at university. It will
act as a useful summary of their on-going progress.
Detailed breakdowns of module marks will also be
cited allowing greater clarification of the end degree
mark. This is to be shown as a grade point average of
a student’s degree.
A number of universities have started to
implement the scheme already and the aim is that
students starting university from this year, will leave
with the HEAR, in addition to a degree certificate.
©The Leicestershire Magazine
G
Professor Sir Robert Burgess, chair of the Burgess
Implementation Steering Group for the HEAR
Caroline Johnson, Academic Registrar for the
University of Surrey has commented: “The University
is working on the HEAR and is planning to launch it
as a retrospective record of students’ achievement in
2012/13 next summer.”
The university is currently undergoing a process
to clarify this with ULTC (University Learning and
Teaching Committee) and Senate.
Surrey Labour society are joined by staff and students to campaign for the
university to become a Living Wage employer
Long delays around SSP
By Rachel Thomason, News Editor
R
oadworks around Surrey Sports
Park and Royal Surrey Hospital
are causing severe traffic delays.
The £4.5million scheme is to
install traffic lights and a new
roundabout at Egerton Road and
Gill Avenue.
The improvements are being
funded by Surrey County Council
and the University of Surrey to help
ease the flow of traffic through
this area which is an important
point of access onto the A3.
Steve wrote on Twitter about
the traffic on 8th October: “Stuck
in the office. Traffic jam from hell
outside the window.”
Those needing to get to an
appointment at the hospital have
been urged to leave early and allow
plenty of time to travel.
6
NEWS
The Stag |
American politics gains momentum
as Election Day rapidly approaches
By Sophie Vickery, News Team
T
he
election
campaign
in America is becoming
increasingly heated as Americans
prepare
to
visit
polling
stations on the 6th November.
Democrat, Barack Obama, is
battling to defend his position
in The White House against
Republican
Mitt
Romney
who is 15 years his elder.
Obama has been accused of
failing America with issues such
as the gloomy economic progress,
unemployment remaining above
8% and the international tension
with Afghanistan, Israel and Iran.
The situation became even
bleaker when rockets fired
by Islamist militants killed
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Christopher Stevens; the USA’s
ambassador, and three other
A m e r i c a n embassy
staff.
However, many Americans
s t r u g g l e d to
relate
to
Romney, often regarding him
as a pampered and dull elitist.
Nevertheless, with the imminent
election, the pair’s campaigns
continue to gain momentum
with live televised debates.
The first of these was held
on Wednesday 3rd October and
Romney displayed a surprisingly
energetic challenge, gaining
him a clear victory over Obama.
He stressed that he would
restore vitality to get America
working again and criticised
Obama for proposing larger
expenditure and higher taxes.
Obama
responded
with
support of the middle class and
highlighted the danger that
Romney’s leadership would give
the highest earners tax breaks.
A CNN poll found that
Romney’s increased enthusiasm
was favoured by 67% of registered
voters. The second debate was
held on 16th October and also aired
on live television. It delivered
challenges to domestic and
foreign policy, significant topics
in the minds of American voters.
Nevertheless, America’s future
presidency remains uncertain;
there are several swing states
including Florida, Pennsylvania
and Ohio, whose decision could
affect the overall outcome.
Wave of
taxi thefts
By Beth Goss, News Team
A
range of thefts starting on
the 24th September has seen
thousands of pounds worth of
damage and loss of goods from
several taxi cars in the Guildford
area.
The first reported case was of
a white people carrier on Monday
24th September that was broken
into sometime between 0.01am
and 7am in the Park Barn area. One
thousand pounds worth of damage
was caused to the vehicle and saw
the perpetrator(s) escape with £100
in cash, two mobile phones and a
sat nav.
On the 26th a black cab was
targeted in the same area at
around 5.30am. This time a cash
box containing £130 was stolen and
£100 worth of damage was caused
during the raid.
Thefts also have taken place in
Bellfields, with taxis being targeted
on both the 25th and 26th September.
Detective Inspector Mark Parry
investigating the thefts said: “It is
never a good idea for anything to be
left on show when cars are parked
up overnight and as these vehicles
seem to have been specifically
targeted, drivers should be on the
alert.”
Union Contact: [email protected]
The Stag |
16th October 2012
UNION
7
Sabbaticals Say...
Yes or No to NUS?
Have your say!
Dave Halls
Union President
T
his week, from the 17th-19th
October, Surrey students will
have the chance to vote on whether
the University of Surrey Students’
Union (your students’ union)
should continue to be affiliated to
the National Union of Students.
In short, a referendum
is a decision that elected
representatives
feel
they
cannot make without giving
fair consideration to those they
represent. In this instance, it is
felt that a decision on continued
membership of the NUS cannot
be fairly made without giving all
Surrey students the right to choose.
This is because of both the financial
and democratic implications of
either outcome.
Understandably, holding a
referendum could be seen as
contentious. Why even bother
voting on membership, when
maintaining the status quo is by far
the easier option?
The last referendum on NUS
membership held at Surrey was
in 2008; that means that an entire
generation of Surrey students
could have passed through without
ever getting the right to decide
whether or not we are members of
the NUS. Yes, chances are nothing
will change, but the essence of
a democratic organisation is
that members have that right to
scrutinise and decide the direction
of those that represent them.
Of course, there are implications
of either outcome. There are
debates to be held about the value
recieved from NUS membership and
the true representative element
of the organisation receieved in
exchange for our annual affiliation
fee. Similarly, were we to leave,
we would also be forced to leave
the NUS’s trading arm, which
enables us to purchase supplies
for Rubix/Chancellors/Young’s at
exceptionally-low rates. This isn’t
to say we couldn’t strike deals with
other suppliers, or indeed that
the cost saving in not forking out
on affiliation wouldn’t cover this
difference. Another implication
for individual students would
be the loss of availability of NUS
Extra cards and the discounts they
bring with them; but in Guildford
especially, retailers accept ‘student
cards’ and not ‘NUS cards’ as proof
of student status.
There are pros and cons of
both outcomes; so it’s now down
to you, the Surrey students, to
decide what you feel is best for your
Union, University, and your fellow
students. More information can be
found on the Union website (www.
ussu.co.uk), to enable you to make
an informed decision.
To vote, go to vote.ussu.co.uk,
using your Surrey login details to
access the vote.
To vote in the Referendum please visit vote.ussu.co.uk and use your
Surrey log-in details to cast your vote. Voting is very important as this
decision directly affects you and your University experience.
No more hunting for
a free computer
I
hope you have settled into your
studies this year! I just want to
tell you about a couple of exciting Sam Ratzer
innovations that have come into Union VP Education
place for this academic year.
SurreyLearn
(previously SurreyLearn, and telling them
ULearn) is the new Virtual the sort of content that should be
Learning Environment (VLE) appearing.
Additionally, a website has
for the University, it has been
developed to help better the come become active that lets you
student experience of technology know the availability of open
in teaching, the improved access computers in the Library
reliability of the system will or Austin Pearce building. Much
make it a less frustrating like a car park screen in town
experience for everyone. The centres, signalling which car
newly-formed department of parks have spaces, the site which
Technology Enhanced Learning is also accessible from smart
(TEL) will be working over phones, is designed to limit the
the forthcoming years to look frustration of heading to places
how SurreyLearn can further short on space. Search for Open
develop, incorporating the latest Access PC Availability in Google
advances in technology. Students or view the screens on the first
will invited to contribute to the floor of the LRC.
I hope to bring you some more
process, but in the meantime
start encouraging your lecturers exciting developments over the
to increase their presence on course of the year.
Societies grading and
photos
Make friends now,
find housemates later W
Em Bollon
Bakita Kasadha
Union VP Welfare
M
onday 22nd to Friday 26th
October is Mind Maintenance
Week. The week is all about the
promoting the importance of
mental wellbeing, achieving it and
maintaining it. So look out for the
workshops, tea and coffee talks and
top tips to look after your mental
wellbeing.
There have been some signs
around
campus
encouraging
Union VP Societies &
Individual Development
students to find housemates for
next year, which have not been
endorsed by the University or
the Students’ Union. Remember
that the University’s Housing
Awareness Week is in February,
so don’t feel that you have to look
or worry about finding a house or
housemates before then. Study
now, make friends now, find a
house later.
The next Welfare Walk-in will
be taking place on Wednesday
31st October. This month’s theme
is alcohol and we’ll be holding
a cheeky competition. So if you
think you know your alcohol,
head to Chancellors between 3:30
and 5pm to see if you can win the
competition for two free tickets to
the Halloween Rubix night.
hat an amazing week it’s
been for societies! With
hundreds upon thousands signing
up for societies at Freshers’ Fayre
last Friday, this year is looking to
be a thriving success.
For all of those who may have
missed out on Freshers’ Fayre, it’s
not too late! You’re able to join
societies throughout the year. Do
look out for Re-Freshers’ Fayre in
February – a second chance at all
the fun.
This year, societies are going
to be having their own annual
photos, as well as each society
being graded and awarded with a
“working towards accreditation”,
bronze, silver or gold.
Look out for joint events this
year. Our first is the Arts Show
being held by all the arts societies,
including Musical Theatre and
Gospel Choir.
I’ve been working on lots
so far, and will very soon be
launching some exciting, multimedia projects, so watch this
space.
8
OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Opinion & Analysis
Outside the West:
The emergence of
invisible
women
One Nation Labour? I
Ian Kugler
N
ow that the Labour conference
2012 from Manchester is over,
what can we derive from it that
could shape future elections?
Well it is clear to see that the
Labour Party is attempting to show
its uniqueness in contrast to the
government of the day. One thing
which will appease Labour voters
is the sight of some clear policies
ideas to contend with those of the
current governments’. Many voters
will also be watching conference
season closely so that they can get a
better understanding of what each
party’s ideas are for the country
over the future years.
Ed Miliband will have done no
wrong in his key note address to the
party by the way he showed he can
lead after all. He seems to have now
fallen into place at last, as a true
contender to be Prime Minister at
the General Election. The speech
itself was full of personal remarks,
beliefs and a fair share of humour.
Which all played its part in putting
the message across that he is not
just a leader for the fortunate, but
a leader for the nation.
It was not just a conference
which got everyone talking about
Ed’s speech, but a conference
which highlighted some ambitious
plans from the shadow cabinet.
Practically every point raised was
presented as an ‘alternative’ to the
government’s policies which have
already been called into question
on numerous occasions.
Overall, the Labour conference
was a raving success. If Labour can
carry through as much enthusiasm
to the General Election campaign,
then it is safe to say that they will
make a substantial number of
gains and have a realistic potential
to hurt the Conservatives where it
hurts. As for the Liberals, it seems
hardly worth contemplating their
chances of maintaining 57MPs.
Love Hearts, not
Love Heart sweets
Joseph Lopez
T
oday (5th of October) cuts were
announced by the new NHS
board to replace the 28 cancer
networks and 28 combined heart
and stroke networks with only
12 of each. The 700 staff working
hard to save lives will have to
work harder since they shall be cut
down to a mere 100. Bit of statistics
now; in England and Wales 158,084
people die in 2010 from heart and
stroke related conditions. Cancer
killed a further 141,446. In total
that was about 60% of the 493,242
people who died that year. It is
important to remember that not
everyone who had these diseases
died; some people were saved from
dying, whilst many others were
made much more comfortable in
their lengthened final moments,
all due to the specialist care from
these NHS networks.
The board has said that “more
patients would benefit because
the new bodies would focus on a
greater number of conditions”, but
it is clear that these severe cuts
will obviously impact a massive
proportion of people affected.
Now I completely understand that
it is not an easy task making the
necessary cuts; I would fare much
worse, spending all the money on
better hospital food. An extreme
NHS cut would be to simply let
people die; thus reducing costs of
treating those pesky ill people.
Strangely enough people draw the
line at such a concept; but cutting
such vital front line services seems
to be doing a tiny bit of that.
Maybe we should replace all
the drugs we prescribe with wet
sugar pills and other placebos
and see how well that does. Oh
wait, the health minister Jeremy
Hunt (MP of South West Surrey)
is a known outspoken supporter
of homeopathy; after all he
raised a bill to build Homeopathic
Hospitals (also known as sweet
shops). We currently spend over 4
million pounds on homeopathic
specific nonsense, with plans
for more. Despite all the advice
of the scientific community and
zero evidence to support it, the
Hunt is still in favour of it. This is
the same Hunting Hunt that was
in charge of the BskyB take over
bid in an impartial manner. The
guy who lied to parliament about
having personal contact with the
News Corp lobbyist. This is the guy
we are going to have oversee the
partial privatisation of the NHS. Oh
and avoided £100,000 in taxes; but
that’s all in the past.
Jeremy Hunt; tax dodging, NHS
cutting, under-the-table dealing,
expenses abusing, attempt to
exclude scenes celebrating the
work of NHS nurses in the olympics
ceremony -ing, net neutrality
hating, sugar pill popping, and last
but not least, politician.
This guy is in charge of your
health. In my opinion, it’s funny
that his name rhymes with a
certain obscenity.
sometimes feel like being a
woman who doesn’t care that
my thighs touch together at top is
a political statement. I sometimes
don’t shave my arm pits and wear
a tank top and I feel, in my anglophone world, I am some sort of
revolutionary.
Except, women in Saudi
Arabia aren’t allowed to vote.
Or drive a car. Feminism is
brilliant, but so often, we look
at feminism in a European or
American context, ignoring all
our sisters across the world.
What about the forgotten girls?
The IoS (Independent on Sunday)
recently published statistics
suggesting that by 2020 there will
be 50 million child brides. Child
brides are girls under the age of
15 who are forced into marriage.
These girls are invisible in our
euro-centric view of feminism.
Being married at 15 (or even
as young as 9) effectively means
the end of education. Daily Mailesque columnists claim that
‘women have never had it so
good’, yet child marriage is on
the rise. Across the developing
world around one third of girls
get married before 18, according
to Unicef. Around 10 per cent
are married before they’re even
15. Married children are often
isolated, separated from their
friends and family. Often they
are abused. Bangladesh has one
of the world’s highest rates of
child marriage- with nearly one
in three girls married before they
turn 15. Shockingly, in 2010, more
than 700 girls under the age of 10
were married. This trend is on
the increase.
Young marriage often leads
to giving birth very young.
Alexandra
Wilks
Pregnancy is the biggest killer of
teenage girls in the developing
world. It is estimated that
pregnancy causes 50,000 deaths
in the 15-19 age group each year.
Although more than 100
countries have established 18
as the minimum age for girls
to marry without consent, long
term and good education is the
one of the best ways to keep
children from becoming child
brides. Freida Pinto, actress
and face of Plan International’s
Because I am a Girl campaign,
says, “I want people to feel
empowered enough to stand up
for themselves.” This is all very
well, but it is going to take more
than just educating young girls,
who are often powerless in their
own life. A girl may want to stay
in school but if she voices these
concerns she may be beaten and
then forced into a marriage.
Education needs to start with
young men and young women.
We need to educate everyone
that child marriage is completely
unacceptable.
I feel lucky to be a woman
whose primary concern is my
body image. I feel lucky that
I have not been forced into a
loveless marriage at an age where
I need a Mother, not to be a
Mother. As Western feminists, we
need to reach out to the invisible
girls in the developing world, and
not ignore their plight.
NUS EXTRA PICK UP
AT RUBIX CLOAKROOM
(till end of October)
Monday
11.30am - 2.00pm
Tuesday
11.30am - 1.30pm
Wednesday
1.30pm - 3.30pm
Thursday
11.00am - 2.00pm
Friday
11.00am - 2.00pm
Opinion & Analysis Editor: Justine Crossan | Copy Editor: Emma Fleming
The Stag |
16th October 2012
OPINION & ANALYSIS
9
The first proper US Registers are brilliant –
election for decades we all need more buy-in
H
I
f you’re not following the U.S. Election, now
is probably the most interesting time to
do so. Why? Simples, this is the first time in
the States that the two parties have visibly
separated on policy matters.
Leaders are not simply exchanging witty
and clever remarks about their opponents,
or producing ‘cornfields of Iowa’ styled
speeches in expectance of them producing
masses amounts of votes. In recent elections
there have certainly been debated on policy,
most notably the various wars in the Middle
East and the economic crisis.
However, the speeches and campaigns
have been very colourful and emotional
videos that realistically haven’t had that
much policy analysis in them. This could be
due to the fact that in the recent elections, not
a lot of policy difference has been found. Al
Gore and George Bush can possible lay claim
to the biggest policy divide of recent times
on the decisions faced on the environment.
This kind of political display leads to similar
policies designed to attract the middle
(largest) share of votes. This in turn leads to
political apathy as the attitude of ‘they are
all the same’ comes into play again.
However, now in the Presidential
election there is real policy difference on
pretty much everything. The only similarity
the candidates have seems to be on security
where they both still portray the post 9/11
attitude that will dominate American
politics for at least the foreseeable future.
Despite this, on everything else domestic
there is real political debate occurring and
it seems to be that Americans will actually
have to judge the election based on what
policies they are describing as opposed
to the colour tie they are wearing. For
example, Mitt Romney in his old school
Republican way has described his desire to
make Medicare and Medicaid a completely
state-led procedure. Federalism is a very old
principle of the American political system
and here Romney is advocating it on quite
London Metropolitan is
ruining it for all of us
O
n the 3rd October the Times Higher
Education released the 2012 world
university rankings with a headline news
story proclaiming “Asia's high-flyers
challenge Western supremacy”. China,
according to the article is committed to
spending 4% of GDP on education and as
we all know 4% of a huge amount is lots.
So compare this with the reputation of UK
universities, are we still world class? Yes
of course! The country that gave the world
the laws of gravity, the computer and DNA
is still producing the goods. This week’s
announcement that 5G will be developed here
at Surrey is testament to that. The problem
to an international student however, is one
news story that hangs over us like a shroud
– study in the UK and you might be sent
Joseph Lopez
a far reaching level. He claims that states
know how to take care of their own residents
and that he will maintain the same level of
funding (I call Bulls**t).
Obama would however prefer to keep
central government in control of the
medical procedures, after all any reduce in
bureaucracy works well for the principle
of medical care, as then you’re not getting
differences in policy that would only work
to confuse the recipients of healthcare and
provide even more statewide divisions.
Similar differences can be seen in their
approach to the management of the economy.
In the debate, Obama was singing the
praises of the Clinton-Gore administration
in bringing about economic growth and
jobs into the American world. In a similar
fashion, Romney is completely discrediting
this approach citing evidence from Obama’s
last 4 years in power, and saying that the
Bush-Cheney period is what is needed to kick
start the economy and to produce jobs.
Is this what is needed to give some
credibility back into American politics?
Despite the complete and utter farce that is
Mitt Romney, perhaps the complete policy
divide is what is needed to bring about a
higher political participation in American
politics. Recently American politics has been
too focused on image. For now the American
election seems to be focused on policy, this
man says yes the other man says no. Simple.
While we don’t seem to care much in the
UK (despite the effect it will have on us) it
is a very interesting time to be involved in
American politics.
back home for no apparent reason. You can
blame the government or the border agency
– however this is yet one more example of
London Met incompetence, which this time
has affected all others in the sector.
In 2009 London Met produced inaccurate
data about active students which resulted in
an ‘overpayment’ of £36m pounds from the
funding council. In February of this year
they were fined a record £5.9m for overrecruiting students, and as their coup de
grace they had their trusted sponsor status
removed this year. Even when the institution
was the North London Polytechnic there was
still trouble. One of the only pieces of case
law relating to Student Unions comes from
the government taking the NLP Union to
court over them passing money directly to
the National Union of Mineworkers.
London Metropolitan University has had
a short and underwhelming history, it is time
someone took this problem in hand.
opefully all readers will now be aware
of the incoming registers that the
University is taking of undergraduate
attendance. If you haven’t been sent the
Registrar’s letter yet, you can certainly
read my article in the News section…
…And in my mind’s ear I can hear the
hundreds of groans of all those students
who regularly fail to attend lectures – this
most basic of academic tasks. But fear
not! This is an opportunity for all Surrey’s
students – an opportunity to cease sitting
on a sofa, playing computer games,
smoking blunts and getting up at 5pm.
Don’t even start weighing up the
consequences of not attending these
registered lectures. The point is that these
registers are giving you buy-in. By forcing
you to do something that is actually small
and simple, the University is giving you
the kick up the backside that might just
get you interested in your subject again.
Back in the first year of my own
degree, I was studying at Queen Mary,
University of London. My Maths lecturer
there created the same buy-in by giving
everyone a bit of coursework every single
week. It followed the same format each
time, with a couple of multiple-choice
questions, then the rest of the side of
Jack White
paper densely filled with increasingly
difficult long questions.
Sometimes that coursework was as
onerous as it sounds, but you kept on
doing it week-in, week-out because you
had to. Each one was worth about 1% of
your grade, but if that was the 1% that took
you from a 1st to a 2:1, you’d top yourself
with remorse and self-loathing at the end.
The key point was that after you had done
the first three sheets, the rest weren’t so
difficult because you were in the habit of
doing your work.
Anyone can be a lazy bum, and that
same anyone can also be a hard-working
super-achiever – it’s all about the culture
you live in. The University is really doing
every undergraduate an enormous favour
by actually requiring you to live up to
your end of the bargain. Be thankful!
What price, Freedom
of Speech?
Alex Wilks
T
he freedom of thought, speech and
expression is considered a tent-pole
of our modern democracy. And yet as
proficient as we are in proudly waving
the flag of verbal freedom against the
supposed censorships of China and North
Korea, Britain seems to have found its own
palate for persecuting those who express
thoughts incompatible with our national
sensibilities.
It has almost become a weekly ritual
to read of someone being sentenced for
making ‘grossly offensive communications’
through Facebook or the like. Just in the
past few days, Matthew Jones and Azhar
Ahmed have both been found guilty
of trespassing on the sensitivity of the
British public who, apparently, feel that
banning these men from using a website
as a forum for their myopic musings does
not go far enough. Judge Jane Goodwin
stated that “with freedom of speech comes
responsibility”, forgetting the simple fact
that there is no freedom of speech when
you remove peoples’ right to practice it.
As grim as it is to defend the rights of
people who joke about dead children or
quip about the sanctity of our soldiers,
it is a far grosser abuse of our power to
deem these views too offensive to ever
be expressed. We seem to have become
accustomed to letting these stories slip
under the radar because antagonists are
viewed as more of a public nuisance than
an opposition for debate, but how far are we
now from imprisoning Holocaust deniers,
banning Rushdie’s books or prohibiting the
criticism of religion?
Rather than serve as a threat,
abnormal ideas can in fact function as a
utility to question and strengthen our own
arguments; Thomas Jefferson perhaps put
it most succinctly in his 1801 inaugural
address when he professed that “Error of
opinion may be tolerated where reason is left
free to combat it”, so maybe it’s time our skin
grew thicker and we remembered how to
win over dissenters with logic, not threat.
10 FEATURES
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Features
Surrey: the learning’s good,
Beware of the “abyss”
but what about your sex life?
© ambernambroseflickr
By Pippa Tollow, Features Team
By Sophie Vickery, Features Team
T
he University of Surrey has
impressively advanced to 12th
place in The Guardian’s league
table, with 14 of 22 subjects listed
in the top 20. Meanwhile, Surrey
has seven subjects boasting a
top ten place in the Times Good
University Guide 2013. Professor
Sir Christopher Snowden, ViceChancellor of the University
of Surrey, acknowledged the
university’s dedication to meet
students’ needs and deliver an
outstanding student experience.
But, while the prominent focus
on education and student welfare
certainly deserve credit for the
university’s recent success, a
study of other university leagues
offers additional explanation for
its advancements.
101 universities are listed in
the 2012 University Sex League,
measuring the average number
of sexual partners since starting
university. Surrey comes 92nd
with a low average of 2.29 partners,
while Bangor University tops
the tables with 8.31. The study,
constructed by studentbeans.
com, even explores which subjects
have the most sex. Economics
have the highest average of 4.88
partners, closely followed by
Social work, Marketing, Leisure
and
Hospitality,
agriculture
and electrical engineering. The
university of Surrey has many
students studying these subjects,
yet the sexual average remains
low. Looking down the table,
subjects include environmental
sciences, theology, earth sciences,
education and IT, with averages
below 3. Yet it seems students
across various universities are
closely tied with sexual statistics.
12% have had a threesome, 35%
use handcuffs and 26% have used
a housemate’s bed to have sex!
Despite 23% of 18-24 year
olds believing that they would
be ridiculed for drinking a
non-alcoholic drink on a night
out, it seems Surrey University
has a lower dependence and
concentration on alcohol, coming
53rd out of 68 universities
included in the Student Drinking
League Table. While Leeds takes
first position with an average
of 26.7 units consumed by each
student per week, Surrey students
consume an average of just 14.3.
The university’s staff and
students
should
certainly
be admired for their fervent
contribution to advancing the
university’s position with their
hard work, dedication and
financial input. While these
aspects will continue to receive
attention as the university looks
to advance even further, it seems
other factors, such as alcohol and
sex consumption, can also play a
role in aiding university success.
I
was sitting in a tutorial in my
first year of university, when I
heard the single best bit of advice
I would be given in my university
career. My tutor said to the class
– “Be aware of the Abyss”. ‘The
Abyss’, she explained, is a point
in your first year at university
where many factors collide at
once, with potentially disastrous
consequences.
The point will come when all
the clothes you own are dirty, you
can’t find a clean pair of pants
anywhere, and you didn’t know it
was possible to sleep as little as you
have recently and still function (if
barely!). It is a time when you have
hangovers on top of hangovers,
no food in your cupboards, and
suddenly you have five bits of
coursework due and no idea how
to start them. You find yourself
spiralling into depression and
reaching for the phone to call your
parents begging them to come
collect you – you’ve made a mistake,
university isn’t for you. BUT WAIT!
Could this be ‘The Abyss’?
Everyone will experience this
at some point, my tutor told us; it
could be in your first week (mine
hit me with the force of a tsunami
on the Tuesday of fresher’s week),
it could be a few weeks into your
first term, or it might take until
the second term when you’ve been
lulled into a false sense of security.
If you manage to escape ‘The Abyss’
then you’re lucky, but rare.
Fortunately, there’s an antidote
to this demon – awareness! Now
you know about the Abyss you can
fight it. You knew it was coming
and you know that it will pass. You
know that everyone around you
will go through the same thing,
and if they’re aware of it too then
you only need to say four simple
words for them to understand what
you’re going through – ‘I’m in The
Abyss’.
Of course if you want further
support, there are various Student
Services on campus that can help
you. The Centre of Wellbeing is
located opposite Millennium House
on the main campus, or if you’re in
university accommodation then
your Court Life Mentor is there to
listen and should be able to signpost
you to appropriate services. There
is also a plethora of tutors and
academic staff around who have
been students themselves and in
my experience are always willing
to listen and advise you on the
people who can help you.
So, just as this advice was
passed onto me, I wish to pass it
onto you. Spread the word about
‘The Abyss’, remove the stigma,
and let everyone know that they’re
in the same boat. This could be
a small hiccup in an otherwise
fantastic year of university, so take
this knowledge and defeat ‘The
Abyss’.
By Lasika Jayamaha, Features Team
T
hree, two, one, go! And I
ran into position, it was the
night of the London 2012 Olympic
Opening Ceremony and I was on
the stadium together with 1400
other volunteers to perform
‘Thanks Tim’. The months of
rehearsals and preparation came
down to this one performance.
The music started and we all had
the time of our lives, performing
our routine to the 60’s tunes.
Volunteering for the games
was a most rewarding experience.
Auditions and rehearsals were
the best part with lots of eating,
making friends and walking
through the Olympic park 14 times!
Rehearsing in sun or rain with
professional dancers and director
Danny Boyle was an unforgettable
experience. The organisation
and the workforce involved were
incredible and most of them
were volunteers from all walks of
life. Despite media efforts to get
details of the show, we managed
to keep the important sections
of the ceremony a secret. Our
commitment and enthusiasm as
one big family was infectious and
this contributed to the success of
one of the biggest shows on earth.
During the games I also got
the opportunity to volunteer as a
London Ambassador, engineered
by the Mayor of London. Helping
the many visitors both local and
foreign at Liverpool Street station
was quite rewarding and was
made even special when we met
quite a few athletes looking for
the shop giving away free ‘beats’
headphones!
The biggest excitement came
when I learnt that we were given
two passes for the final dress
rehearsal. It was a once in a life
time experience for my family in
Sri Lanka to make a special trip to
see me – and they loved it.
Let the spirit of the London
2012 games continue to inspire a
generation.
© shimelleflickr
An Olympic experience
Features Editor: Ellis Taylor | Copy Editor: Tessa Morgan
By John Watkins, Director of Careers Service
4
50 students completed the
Careers Service employability
questionnaire at Freshers’ Fayre
which was based on the CBI
definition. The detailed results
show a fair level of self-confidence
amongst Surrey students and time
will tell how well placed it is!
The highest scoring category
proved to be ‘positive attitude’
whilst the lowest was business
and customer awareness, which
comes as no surprise to me as a
former employer of graduates. It
should be reassuring to know that
the Careers Service is offering a
number of employer led workshops
in this area and that the weekly
Join John sessions will be laden
with advice and insight on this key
topic.
And don’t think that these
offerings are only for those who
recognise that their employability
skills are in need of development.
It is, of course, easy to claim to be
good at things and believe that you
are in good shape. The challenge
is to prove it. Interviews and
assessment centres are very adept
at finding the real level of strength
by putting people under pressure
in an unfamiliar environment.
It is better that your relative
shortcomings are exposed (and
developed) in this safe university
environment than discovering
that you have a great deal more to
learn as you embark on the start
of your career. And if your positive
assessment does indeed prove to be
well founded, at least other people
can learn from your excellence!
For a full list of events please
go to the What’s On page of the
Careers website which will take
you to the calendar and online
booking.
The Careers Service can be
found in the Philip Marchant
Building and at:
www.surrey.ac.uk/careers
www.uniofsurreycareers.
wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/
surreycareers
Our Editor is a Tit!
Last issue, we printed this lovely picture of our elegant Editor,
Alexandra, and asked you to submit your captions to us. You did, and they
were fab, so fab that we have three winners! Well done to:
16th October 2012
FEATURES
11
Are there truths in urban myths?
contributes to healthy eyes, it is
unlikely that your vision would
actually improve.
Do sandwich crusts give you
curly hair?
No matter how many
sandwich crusts I have eaten in
my life they have not given me
curly hair! Curly hair grows from
curly follicles, and straight hair
from straight follicles. However
crusts do have melanoidins and
these produce ‘good’ bacteria
needed for healthy guts. It is also
thought that melanoidins can
protect against cancer.
Will the TV make your eyes
go square?
When I was younger I was
constantly told off for sitting too
close to the television. I was told
that my eye sight would decline
as a result, despite having glasses
television hasn’t damaged my
By Katy Sawyer, Features Team
A
n apple a day may keep the
doctor away with many
health benefits but unfortunately
not the dentist. It seems that there
are so many of these sayings, but
is there really any truth behind
them?
Knuckle Cracking
Since I was little, whenever
I crack my knuckles (bad habit,
I know) my Mum always says
to me: “if you carry on doing
that you’ll get arthritis.” After
much research it is clear that
cracking your knuckles will not
cause arthritis, (I never believed
my Mum anyway.) While it may
be true that it can reduce the
strength of your grip and cause
swelling it does not lead to
arthritis.
Can carrots help you see in
the dark?
After investigating this myth
(this would be so helpful when
walking home after a night
out!) I can confirm that it is
false. It seems that this tale first
developed during World War II
due to allied propaganda; there
were rumours that the British air
force had amazing night vision
due to eating carrots. This was to
hide the use of radar. Although
carrots contain vitamin A which
eyes at all and they are definitely
not square!
Does the wind actually
freeze your face?!
Finally, as mentioned in the
title, a well-known wives tale
most commonly used by mothers
or grandmothers is: “if the wind
changes, you will stay like that.”
This probably originated from
bygone times when humans were
closer to nature. Adults have
always despised children pulling
‘funny’ faces and the threat that
the alteration would become
permanent was a good deterrent!
These superstitious wives
tales I can definitely confirm to
be false. Being a non-believer
after walking over 3 drains in a
row; breaking many mirrors and
walking under ladders I should
have very bad luck by now!
© HarlanHflickr
CAREERS
The Stag |
“Y’know what reallly grinds
my gears..?” ...That ‘friend’
“Wait... this isn’t the bathroom?!” - Deb Aitken
“The new student media newsroom was a bit of a disapointment” - Ian Lipp
“The BBC needs to replace the cameras at Alexandra Palace”- Paul A Richmond
What will Alexandra be up to next time?!
By Bakita Kasadha
M
any have that one person
who calls themselves your
‘friend’ who is actually a ‘frenemy’
(learnt that word from the film
Mean Girls), or they’re a mere
acquaintance but have found a
way of stealing the more nobel
title of ‘friend’.
‘Friend’ 1: You may even
call her/him your ‘friend’ but
you know full well that some of
your personal issues shouldn’t
Being VP Welfare and moaning about people is probably
harming my welfare image
so it’s time to pass on the
column to find out what
really grinds your gears.
be shared with them and none
of your secrets are any of their
concern.
Honestly, both you and they
grind my gears. I understand the
purpose of networking, getting a
better job because of associates
and all that, but if that one ‘friend’
is more of a detriment and you’re
still keeping them around...
“But for why?!”
Don’t complain about them
if you know they’re a shockingly
sorrowful excuse for a ‘friend’.
‘Friend’ 2: Likewise, have you
ever found yourself talking about
your problems/concerns/personal
issues and that one ‘friend’ finds a
way of pointing out that they’ve
gone through the same thing but
on a greater and more traumatic
scale? They then become the
subject of the conversation with
If you think you can write
a GMGs better than me
then send an original*
GMGs to [email protected] and we’ll
get Surrey students to
their past experience, and your
current issue is never talked
through.
Now, to understand a situation,
I can appreciate that empathy is
sometimes required, but please
do not constantly monopolise
the conversation with your own
experiences, dear ‘friend’.
Here’s what to do: make sure
that you can identify them, that
‘friend’, if you can’t identify them
then said self-absorbed ‘friend’
may infact be you. Fix up please.
Why can’t we just banish this
type of ‘friend’ to a secret island
so that they can have a ‘friend’
just like them?
I swear I’m not a moany mare
all the time; it’s just that ‘friend’
just really grinds my gears!
vote on the two best GMGs
T&C: No more than 400
words (no 10% margin);
start with “Y’know what
really grinds my gears...”
and
enjoy
whinging.
12 FEATURES
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Are you part of the hidden army?
By Veronica Hastings, Features Team
Y
eah, I know, the headline is a
bit vague, but I needed to catch
your attention. This is important.
So listen up.
You will have probably heard
about carers on the news recently.
But have you ever thought “am I
a carer?” No? Well you might be
surprised. Let’s just be clear, I’m
not talking about people who are
paid to carry out care work, I’m
talking about the UK’s hidden army
of carers.
Who is this ‘Hidden Army’?
Carers are people who care for
someone else, unpaid, on a regular
basis. They could be looking after
a family member, partner or
close friend who might need care
because of a disability, on-going
physical illness, mental health
problems or addiction. The care
they provide could be physical
help, emotional support or both,
and they often don’t realise that
they are a carer, seeing it as their
duty to help loved ones when they
are sick and that it’s a normal thing
to do. Obviously, it is important
to support those that we love, but
sometimes, when that care is longterm, we need support ourselves,
we need something or someone to
lean on.
In Surrey there are estimated
to be approximately 12,000 ‘young
carers’, Surrey Young Carers aims
to reach as many of these young
people as possible, and they have
been very successful so far.
It is often professionals at school
or work who notice that someone is
a carer, questions raised by these
professionals can prompt a referral
to a carers organisation. But when
you are at uni it is easy for people
to think that the stress you are
feeling is attributed solely to your
workload, or that a missed lecture
is bound to be down to too many
drinks in Rubix! I won’t say that
these are not justifiable reasons for
a lot of students, but maybe they
are not the only reasons.
Be aware that you can get
support so that your caring role is
less tiring and so, if you want to,
have your lecturers alerted to the
fact that things are hard at home,
with a guarantee that they will
be understanding as you have the
backing of professionals willing to
fight your corner.
Maybe you have caring
responsibilities back at home which
affect you while you are here, or
perhaps you live at home nearby so
that you can carry out your caring
role while you study. The pressures
of having someone back home
can make uni life quite tough,
especially as a fresher having other
challenges of settling in to a new
environment. If you live at home
with someone who is dependant
on you on a regular basis, this can
have obvious implications and
effects on your studies, as well as
your social life.
Whatever it is, whatever the
combination, the severity, or the
impact on your life, if you have
some regular duty of care for
someone other than yourself (and
its not your paid job to carry out
this care) then Action for Carers
Surrey (ACS) can help.
ACS is an independent charity
led by carers aiming to raise
awareness of carers’ needs and
concerns on a local and national
No longer a Rubix virgin
T
he booming sound of hits
from
yesteryear,
scantily
clad females, pre-drinking to an
unacceptable level of intoxication,
it can only be one thing, my
initiation to the SU bar. The green
lighting caught me particularly
off guard and gave me an almost
nauseous feeling (nothing to do
with the booze I can assure you).
So I walk in expecting a pretty
standard night out, good not great,
and I turn to my left and what do I
see, a girl wetting herself, yes you
read that correctly, a girl wetting
herself. Now most of you would
think ‘how disgusting’ but in my
twisted logic I thought ‘it’s 11:30pm
and this girl has just wet herself, I’m
in for a good night!’ Seeing all these
freshers drink to hide their nerves
at not really knowing anyone and
losing all airs and graces, makes for
great people watching, especially
with the large sofas overlooking
the main dance floor. As the night
wares on my memory becomes
increasingly patchier but one thing
I do remember is the rambunctious
and almost aggressive nature of the
‘lads’ in the boy’s toilets. Constantly
shouting, swearing, knocking
stuff everywhere, just generally
trying to assert their masculinity
and hide their sexual frustration
(Surrey was ranked 58th out of
61 on sexually active university
students); but they’re harmless
really and I just chuckle a little to
myself. Overall the experience was
a pleasant one, with the newbie’s
keeping me entertained along with
the crowd I went with; because
let’s be honest, it’s all about the
crowd you go with. The recipe for a
successful night out has two main
ingredients, the crowd of people
and cheap drinks. The SU bar had
both of these things in abundance
so it was bound to be a success.
© USSUfacebookpage
By Thomas Greenaway, Features Team
level. Working in partnership
with other organisations and GP
practices, they offer free impartial
advice and support to the carers
themselves.
Their Surrey Young Carers
service helps to minimise the
impact of their caring role on their
lives, providing workshops, forums,
activities and youth groups to give
the young people timeout from
their caring role. As well as this
they offer training to health, social
care and educational professionals.
Remember that you are not
alone and that your studies, job,
relationships, and your own health
can all be things which suffer if
you are a young adult carer. I urge
you, if you are caring for someone,
to seek advice from ACS. It’s free,
and we all know that students love
a freebie.
Here are those
important
contact details:
• If you are under 18
and need advice then
contact Action For
Carers- ‘Surrey Young
Carers’ directly on
01483568269,
email them at
[email protected]
or visit
www.surrey-youngcarers.
org.uk
• If you are 18 or over
then contact Action
For Carers on
01483 302748, email
[email protected]
or find out more at
www.actionforcarers.org.uk.
Features Editor: Ellis Taylor | Copy Editor: Tessa Morgan
The Stag |
16th October 2012
FEATURES
13
What happened to me
does not define me
T
he man who raped me was nice. He was
good looking. He said I had a nice dress on.
He was a good kisser. He was doing a degree,
like me. He was funny. He was a rapist. Lots of
people probably love him and think he’s a good
guy. I liked him. He kissed me at a party and
then we went into a bedroom. I didn’t want to
have sex with him. He hit me across the face,
pinned me down on the bed and pulled my up
‘nice dress’. And then he raped me. I said no, I
shouted, I tried to push him off. I did all the
things you’re told you’re supposed to do, and
it didn’t work. He just put his hand over my
mouth and carried on. He then left the party
and I lay in the bed trying to sleep. I wasn’t
going to sleep much for the next few months,
but I didn’t know it then. I went home and ran
the hottest bath I could and sat in it sobbing.
I never went to the police because I refused
to accept what happened to me. I carried
on with my life, but I withdrew completely.
I stopped seeing my friends and I started
wearing the ugliest baggiest clothes. I tried
my hardest to fade away. I began to suffer
from panic attacks. One day I took as many
painkillers as I could find in my bedroom, put
the radio on, and lay down on my bed. minutes
later I realised I was making a mistake. I stuck
my fingers down my throat and threw up until
I cried. I then called an ambulance.
I’ve never spoken about this publicly. Only
my closest friends know. I’ve suffered from
anxiety and depression related problems
ever since. But recently my life has got a lot
brighter. I’m no longer scared to leave my
house or wear revealing clothes. I don’t hate
myself anymore. I’ve realised that what one
person did can only define me as much as I let
it. I was raped, yes, but I am not the girl who
was raped. I am so much more than that.
Lessons from failure
W
Nothing prepares you
T
his summer I received the phone call
that everyone dreads. The one where
you are told someone you love and care
for deeply has suddenly died. My Mum was
crying down the phone and I could barely
understand what she was saying. Then my
heart sank. My younger brother had been
found dead at home, with no apparent
cause. He had only just turned 20.
Bereavement or grief is not something
that we often talk about. Death is a sensitive
issue to talk about anyway, let alone the
emotions that accompany dealing with
loss. Admittedly I have struggled with
many emotions over the last couple of
months, but the thing that affects me
most is exhaustion. It is a struggle to get
up in the morning as a student any way, let
alone when you feel like you have been hit
by a bus. Those that are close to the family
also have been quite emotional, and I have
found myself supporting their emotions
as well as my own (which doesn’t help
the exhaustion). Alongside exhaustion I
have found myself bursting into tears at
inappropriate times and at the smallest
of things. (Although I found that crying in
the queue at the bank gets you seen to a lot
quicker!)
There are still all the ‘first times’ to
face; the first Christmas without them,
their first birthday after their death, the
first year anniversary of their death. The
prospect of all these fill me with anxiety.
On top of all this, two months on we still
do not know the cause of death for my
brother. We have been told it could be up
to four more months before we get any
answers. The lack of closure means that I
am preparing myself to feel this way for a
while.
Like other mental health issues, grief is
not always obvious to the observer. I have
been putting on a brave face since coming
back to University, but below the surface I
am hurting a lot and struggling with the
most simple of things. All I can hope is that
I can become stronger and start living my
life for the both of us, because his was cut
so short.
hen I was younger I was excruciatingly
shy and withdrawn. It was nearly
impossible for me to make friends and the
bravado that young teenagers show with their
close friends was totally alien to me. For most
of my time in school I felt totally alone and
I would fake illness to my parents because
being alone in my room was easier to manage
than being alone in the classroom.
When I left school and first went to
university, that situation changed quite
literally overnight. My stifled social need
suddenly found space for expression among a
host of complete strangers. That might sound
ideal, but the sudden change let out very
destructive aspects of my personality.
My slide into depression happened so
slowly that while things were getting worse, I
didn’t even realise that they were.
I had spent so long in a tightly-locked
shell and the new friends I encountered at
university suddenly became the total focus
of my life. Within a few months I had all but
stopped attending university, spending my
time instead with my friends smoking weed.
As my second year drew to a close, I began
to get very black feelings. I knew that I was
failing in my work. I didn’t bother to turn up
to five of my six exams and instead I spent my
days getting stoned alone in my room for 16
hours straight, again and again.
My third year of university was my final and
incomplete year. I became very paranoid that
my friends hated me and almost completely
stopped leaving my room; I wouldn’t wash for
days on end; I would sometimes spend several
days in bed, getting up just to make coffee or
to change video.
In March of that year I finally realised
what had happened to me. That was the most
crushing single event through the whole
saga. There was so much detail that gets lost
in an article like this, but my introspective
tendencies were overloaded with my failures.
I was totally unable to cope with basic day-today tasks and I was negative about everything.
My remaining presence of mind was used to
inform the university that was leaving and my
parents that I needed to come home.
That was in 2004 and looking back on the
years since, it is only in the last 18 months
that I can really be certain that I have put that
period behind me. It was the year after I left
my first university when I actually reached
my lowest point and gave serious thought
to killing myself. When I initially admitted
to myself that I had a problem, I had no way
of dealing with it and the struggle upwards
sometimes seemed so futile.
After spending nine months at home I
moved back to my university town to try
and prove that I was up to it. But depression
doesn’t just disappear, and I struggled to
maintain a job without bursting into a rage
at my manager. I was in poverty for two full
years, eating nothing but bread and cheese. I
had no cooker and no washing machine and
these things in themselves stopped me from
keeping up with my more stable friends.
When you hit rock bottom, getting up
again is a slow and painful process, but it
manifestly can be done. Looking back, I was
such an insular individual and failure to look
after my basic needs was too much for me to
cope with. But admitting my own weaknesses
and failures has left me with the most solid of
foundations for rebuilding myself.
I still occasionally see my insecurities
emerging from whatever hole they now live
in, but another part of me is in command
now and I am a stronger person than ever I
thought I could be. I have learned to keep my
darker feelings at bay, to recognise them as
soon as they emerge and most importantly to
take immediate and concrete action to change
my situation when they do. There is no room
when recovering from depression to be picky
about those actions, or to do things the way
you think they ought to be done. You must do
what is necessary and worry about extracting
yourself from lesser difficulties later on. You
must change the way you think about yourself
and other people too. If this is you too, get
started today, and don’t ever, ever give up.
14 FEATURES
The Stag |
Second year sourness
By Laura Colledge, Features Team
I
f you, like me, are reading this
wearing three jumpers and
two pairs of socks, nursing feet
that have reluctantly had to
walk further than 100 metres to
lectures, and wondering if you’ll
experience the luxury of hot water
again before Christmas, you may
have just made the surreal return
to university as a second year. Feel
the full wrath of my bitterness if
you are in fact a fresher! Now that
the novelty of moving into our own
house has well and truly worn off
and the realisation that we can’t
answer the question “You going
out tonight?” with a simple “Why
not? First year doesn’t even count!”
anymore, the presence of a sofa
(even though a little tatty, its pure
comfort) in our lives doesn’t quite
seem to make up for not being able
to afford heating and having to
remember which day to put our
bins out.
Whilst the majority of first years
will be fighting off the dreaded
‘Freshers Flu’ (by the way, adding
more alcohol to the mix doesn’t
actually help), many second years
are experiencing what I’m calling
‘post-freshers blues’. Somehow
consuming large amounts of
caffeine because you have been on
the phone all day to your landlord/
internet provider/British Gas isn’t
quite as exhilarating as when you
did such things in order to survive
going out on last night’s hangover.
Nights out even lose some of their
fun when you have to keep the
volume down for your 90-yearold neighbours and embrace the
sobering, and seemingly endless,
trek to Rubix.
In spite of all my moaning,
there are certain aspects of living
in halls we can celebrate leaving
behind. We no longer have put up
with filthy dishes piling up in the
food blocked sinks; the mould that
we found growing on my flatmate’s
spoon is now an amusing anecdote,
rather than the cause of flat
fallouts! As for sleep, things have
never been better. Trying to sleep
through our flatmate’s parties/
other unidentifiable noises is no
longer the biggest problem in our
lives (instead we actually have work
to worry about). So although we are
grieving the gradual disappearance
of Citrus Wednesdays from our
lives, at least we aren’t standing
in our pyjamas in the cold every
other night because our fire alarm
has been set off at three in the
morning.
It could be worse, we’re not
final years yet, right?
Street Style - Out and about on Campus
By Lily Pearson, Features Team
BEN GRADWELL:
Ben has engaged with the inky
and sober blues popularised by
Paul Smith this season. His Zara
shoes enliven the muted pallette of
his outfit, the subtle buckle an ontrend footwear fixture right now.
AMY MCGIVERN:
Mesh panels add a little heat
to Amy’s wintery knit, while her
Urban Outfitters shoes are a perfect
(and not to mention affordable)
homage to Charlotte Olympia’s
much sought-after cat flats. Her
mish-mashed accessories perfect
this seasonal day-time look.
[email protected]
16th October 2012
© _M_flickr_
An accurate representation of a second year, no matter the weather outside
Get your coat,
its time to shop
By Ellis Taylor, Features Editor
Y
BUMMIE:
Bold is best, as Bummie’s pillar
box red skinny jeans only add to
the extravagance of her patent
Russell & Bromley loafers. The
perfect faux fur is a staple to any
lover of fashion’s wardrobe. Like
Bummie, scrutinise charity shop
rails for your ideal number!
ay! It’s getting chilly! Why
is this so exciting? Because
we can wear coats, therefore go
coat shopping, and shopping is
always good (unless it’s for food,
cereal is way overpriced). But
coat shopping is no easy task my
friends, it’s like a battle ground
out there, and this dramatically
changing weather does not help
the situation. Honestly, I cannot
deal with this whole jumper
in the morning, t-shirt in the
afternoon business.
But back to coats, here is a
mini-guide to the best styles
of outerwear. And if one thing
comes out of this article, our
editor Alexandra will finally
know the difference between a
pea coat and a trench coat!
The Pea Coat – for when it’s
pretty nippy
This coat is an absolute classic
that will never go out of style and
is super easy to wear. Falling at
the hips, or sometimes slightly
below, the cut is simple with two
columns of buttons keeping it
from being plain. Pea coats are
generally made of more snug
materials such as wool, so they’re
best for particularly cold days.
The Trench Coat – for when
there’s a drizzle and you want to
swish
The simplest definition of this
coat is simply “Audrey Hepburn’s
coat in Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. A
belt at the waist gives this coat
a great (and flattering) shape,
whilst a longer length gives
opportunity for swishing about.
This coat is most commonly
found in a beige/cream colour, but
don’t be scared to try something
bolder! I saw a girl on campus
(gosh, this sounds creepy) who
had a black trench with sheer
sleeves and it was wonderful…
whoever you are, well done.
The Parker – for icky rain
Straight down, longer length
and typically a khaki colour. Great
for pulling off the military look,
and it goes with most outfits. My
favourites are the ones with the
fluffy bit around the hood, not
only is it cosy, but it also doubles
up as a tool to pretend that you
are a lion.
The Duffle Coat – for when it’s
super nippy
The name of this alone is
brilliant. Duffle. Just say it to
yourself a few times and enjoy
it. This coat has it all; warmth,
toggles and style. It’s quite
similar to the pea coat, with a
similar length and material…but
this has a hood! How practical.
Plus, wooden toggles add some
fab detail, even if they do take a
while to do up.
So there you go, a basic guide
to four of the most popular style
coats that will never betray your
wardrobe, or let you freeze.
Features Editor: Ellis Taylor | Copy Editor: Tessa Morgan
The Stag |
16th October 2012
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16 FEATURES
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16th October 2012
Games
Answers in the next edition of The Stag. Send correct answers to [email protected] to get a mention in the paper.
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Sci/Tech Editor: Alex Smith | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery
The Stag |
16th October 2012
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
17
Science & Technology
Women still have an integral role to play - despite the lack of female physics students
By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Editor
A
t some point in their lives,
every physics student will have
noticed the lack of women in the
classroom, and perhaps even taken
a moment to watch an episode or
two of The Big Bang Theory and
realised that actually this universal
stereotype isn’t far from the truth.
Sadly, this observation is in
fact a reality. The Institute of
Physics (IOP) found that 46% of
UK secondary schools had no girls
studying A-level physics in 2011.
They also found that a female
student from an all-girls school
was 2.5 times more likely to study
A-level physics than one from a
mixed institution.
For the last 20 years the number
of girls taking physics at A-level has
stagnated around the 20% mark; a
figure specific to physics while
the other sciences have higher
percentages of female students.
As a physicist, I too found that
there were no girls in my A-level
physics class and here at university
the boy/girl ratio is still incredibly
unbalanced. President of the
physics society (PhySoc), Sarah
Lonsdale, revealed that she has
also noticed the gender gap. She
said, “my experiences pretty much
follow what they’ve discovered;
that girls who are in single sex
education are more likely to study
physics at a higher level, than
those from mixed schools.” She
acknowledged her own struggle
as she went from high school to
a mixed college, finding that she
was vastly in the minority. She
continued, saying that “despite my
enjoyment in the subject, it’s very
easy to fall into the stereotypes
and stick with what you know.”
Ultimately the problem is not
about ability as both the sexes
perform equally well at GCSE level.
Instead, the IOP found that the
strongest influences of student
attitude towards physics were their
experience of the subject at school,
how the student sees themselves
in relation to physics and how
supportive the teacher is.
The report goes on to give
recommendations to parents,
teachers and governments to
reduce the stereotypical limitation
for girls looking to pursue study
in physics, such as encouraging
schools to address participation
issues before they can receive
outstanding status from Ofsted.
Actively challenging gender
stereotyping in and out of the
classroom has quite rightly been
highlighted as something which
all head-teachers need to look
at. It is also something which the
government needs to enforce,
especially when there is a shortage
of people trained in science,
technology,
engineering
and
mathematics (STEM).
The integration of women
would be a successful milestone
for science and technology, yet it
demands a new mindset for such a
breakthrough to be achieved.
A society which restricts
half of the available minds by
discouraging women to take up
physics is a very backwards and
archaic one, and one which needs
to change its ways if it truly wants
to embrace science and technology.
By Siobhan Harris, Science & Tech Team
W
hat could possibly be better
than a cross between
a bird, porcupine and (wait
for it) a vampire? That’s how
Palaeontologist, Professor Paul
Sereno, described the animal in
his research paper. The peculiar
creature was about 2 feet long,
weighed less than a house cat (15
pounds) and only able to stand
a foot off the ground. In true
dinosaur style, the creature is said
to have walked on its hind legs,
though not quite towering over
prey due to its tiny size. Instead,
it probably would have scampered
among the toes of giants like
T-Rex (Tyrannosaurus) and the
terrifying Allosaurus.
Discovered
by
scientists
working on fossils in South
Africa, this new find is a type of
heterodontosaur which they have
called Pegomastax Africanus,
meaning “thick jaw from Africa”.
This is because it had a protruding
jaw, shaped like a parrot’s beak,
containing two canine teeth
(fangs, if you like) at the front and
tall teeth tucked behind; hence
‘Vampire’. Although its vicious
teeth were for slicing plants,
Sereno believes they were more
likely to be used in self-defence
and competitive sparring. Weirder
yet are the bristles covering its
body; almost like a porcupine’s
spiky quills. Although harmless,
they would have warned off
potential predators.
The species are thought to be
around 200 million years old and
would have lived when the ancient
super-continent of Pangaea was
dividing into two land masses,
meaning this particular type of
heterodontosaur evolved at the
dawn of the last age of dinosaurs.
The significance of this fossil
find is not to be undermined; it
is a great discovery in the field
of palaeontology as the study
has revealed that Pegomastax
Africanus’ sophisticated jaw
structure was ahead of its time.
These structures were only seen
again in mammals that had
evolved millions of years later.
To think such a creature did
NOT fly, sink its teeth into animal
flesh or use its spikes as a weapon
is perplexing. The fact that it
actually used its fang-like teeth
to slice plants and chew them is
even more remarkable. Really,
we are talking about a harmless
prehistoric creature and perhaps,
as Sereno said: “It would be a nice
pet; if you could train it not to nip
you.”
Are your testicles killing you?
By Ruth Smithers, Science & Tech Team
B
efore you go ahead and get
your knickers in a twist, don’t
worry there isn’t a new strain of
super STD, capable of rendering
you infertile without the need
to even take your clothes off.
However, some recent evidence
truly does suggest that cutting
your nads off has the potential to
extend your life; by up to nineteen
years.
It has been a long-held view
which supports the argument
to neuter pets; animals live
longer, happier lives as a result
of castration, as the likelihood of
developing cancers and infections
of the genitals is removed. It is
only now that this evidence has
been extended to humans, with
the release of a report in the
journal Current Biology.
The report documents the
study of life spans of eunuchs
who served under Korea’s Chosun
Dynasty, which ran from 1392 to
1910. These servants were selected
as boys to work in the royal palace
and were castrated, although, in
contrast to other Asian dynasties,
they were allowed to marry and
adopt children if they so wished.
The study showed that the
average age of eunuchs born
between 1556 and 1861 was 70
years, whereas that of men of
equivalent social standing, who
©2011 Vantage Point Counscelling
Credit: Pheonix College STEM
Physics ongoing
gender divide
Prehistoric earth fossils reveal vampire dinosaur
A tough descision? Living the life of a eunuch could extend your lifespan.
had not been castrated, was
only 51 years. When combined
with evidence of females having
a longer average lifespan than
that of men, some scientists are
beginning to question whether
testosterone;
the
hormone
secreted primarily within the
testes, is a factor which limits
life expectancy. Dr Min, from
Inha University, South Korea,
has commented on the findings,
saying “It is quite possible that
testosterone reduction therapy
extends male lifespan, however,
we may need to consider the side
effects of it, mainly reduction of
sex drive in males.”
This evidence has been shown
previously in animal studies, with
some researchers concluding that
testosterone increases the risk
of cardiovascular diseases and
may also undermine the immune
system.
However, the study may have
discounted the differences in
lifestyle of the subjects. A lecturer
from the University of Lancaster,
Dr David Clancy, has suggested
that these contrasts may have
had a significant contribution
to the overall life expectancies.
“Castrato versus non-castrato
singers are probably a better
comparison, and showed no
difference in lifespan. Noncastrato lived an average of 65
years and both groups lived fairly
cosseted lives.”
The results are in no way
conclusive, but may pave the
way to discovering exactly why
women live that little bit longer
than men.
18 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Revolutionary gun printing plan runs out of ammo
By Mike Colling, Science & Tech Team
A
US company hoping to
distribute plans for printable
firearms over the internet has
suffered a major setback following
the seizure of its 3D printer.
The Wiki Weapon project,
launched by Defence Distributed,
stated its main aims were to
“create a 100% printable design”
and to “become the web’s
printable gun wiki redoubt”.
Although it is legal in the
United States to manufacture
firearms without a license
(provided they are not shared,
traded or sold), the company
supplying Defence Distributed
with the 3D printer, Stratasys, was
unhappy with their intentions.
In a letter to Defence
Distributed published on the
Wiki Weapon blog, Stratasys said
“It is the policy of Stratasys not
to knowingly allow its printers
to be used for illegal purposes.
Therefore please be advised that
your lease of the Stratasys uPrint
SE is cancelled at this time.” The
printer was collected shortly after.
3D printing is a relatively
new technology, with the first
examples occurring in the 1980’s.
It is a process by which solid,
three dimensional objects can
be produced from a computer
model. The majority of 3D
printers work using an additive
manufacturing technique, which
involves splitting the digital
model in to very thin horizontal
cross-sections, and then building
the physical model from the
base up by depositing layer after
layer of material. These layers
are fused together during the
process to give a finished product.
Materials used vary, although the
most common are acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS) plastics.
Controversy over the 3D
printing of firearms comes just
months after the mass shooting
at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado
which left twelve people dead. The
incident sparked political debate
on gun control, and in particular
the ease with which suspect James
Eagan Holmes obtained the assault
rifles used in his attack.
If the Wiki Weapon project
ever resumes, and if the price of
3D printers continues to fall, then
there is the potential for many
more people gaining access to
firearms. And it will only be as
difficult as pressing “print”.
Are the days of broadband numbered?
By Nick Bates, Science & Tech Team
or anybody interested with
technology, one of the big
things this autumn has been the
new iPhone 5, released by Apple.
Although opinion on the new
phone remains varied, people
can’t help but become intrigued
by the inclusion of 4G. Previously
we’ve had to deal with up to
7.2Mbps download speeds using
3G, whereas 4G could max out
at 300Mbps; around three times
greater than the fastest fibre-optic
connections in peoples’ homes.
Now, although this sounds
amazing and could get many
people jumping out their seats at
the prospect of buying the new
iPhone, as of yet there is only one
network introducing 4G in 2012:
EE; the company who own both
T-Mobile and Orange. They have
stated that it will launch its UK
Photo: Everything Everywhere
F
London Mayor, Boris Johnson, attending the EE 4G press conference in September.
service of 4G LTE on October 30th,
providing it for 16 cities this year,
with targets to make it available to
98% of the population by 2014.
Nobel Prize:
The winners
By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Editor
I
t’s that time of year again where
the winners of, arguably, the
most prestigious awards in the
world are announced . The full lineup is available online, but without
further ado, here is a summary of
this year’s science superstars:
The Nobel Prize for Physics
went to Serge Haroche (Collège
de France and Ecole Normale
Supérieure, Paris) and David J.
Wineland
(National
Institute
of Standards and Technology
(NIST) and University of Colorado
Boulder) for “for ground-breaking
experimental methods that enable
measuring and manipulation of
individual quantum systems.”
The Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine 2012 was awarded
jointly to John Gurdon (Professor
of Cell Biology and Master of
Magdalene College) and Shinya
Yamanaka (Kyoto University) for
“the discovery that mature cells
can be reprogrammed to become
pluripotent.”
And the Nobel Prize in
Chemistry was given to Robert
Lefkowitz
(Howard
Hughes
Medical Institute and Duke
University Medical Center) and
Brian Kobilka (Stanford University
School of Medicine) for “studies of
G-protein–coupled receptors.”
But if you’re on another
network there is no need to
fear as Vodafone and O2 have
also promised to implement 4G
networks by next spring.
For anyone who doesn’t want
to get the iPhone 5, there are
many other options quickly being
developed and soon to be released.
Samsung have released an LTE
version of the top rated Galaxy
SIII, and Nokia have a range of
Lumia phones running Windows
Phone 8 which will be released in
the near future. But what’s more
note-worthy than all of these new
phones is the possible handsets
that these companies will produce
in the future.
Newly enabled ‘superfast’
download speeds could make the
phones superior entertainment
hubs to current models. However,
designers could also completely
re-invision the style of phones,
allowing people to replace their
broadband lines in favour of their
smartphones, thus ending the era
of broadband internet.
Cultured computers
By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Editor
A
rt has long been depicted as
something which separates
computers from humans. The
capacity for self-expression and
the sense of culture and style of
a painting have been something
which makes mankind unique.
However, computer
scientists
at
Lawrence
Technological University have
found a way of using computer
algorithms and visual analysis
to categorise a random selection
of paintings and identify the
picture.
The WND-CHARM
method, primarily created for
biological image analysis, looks
for key features such as shapes,
textures and distribution of
colour to correctly identify
the artist, the school of art
(e.g. renaissance), and identify
similar styles.
When given the task to
analyse 994 paintings from 34
different artists, the computer
program managed to sort and
classify the paintings, while
separating classical and modern
painters (all in agreement with
art historians).
Even when limiting the
input to just oil or landscape
paintings (to lower the
computer’s statistical chance of
a correct ‘guess’) the machine
came up trumps. In fact the only
way of ‘tricking’ the computer
was to give the computer tiny
input images of 25 pixels.
Technology
round-up
By Fahmid Chowdhury, Science & Tech Team
Facebook’s 1 billion users
I
t’s been only 8 years since Mark
Zuckerberg launched this social
networking site as a project in his
Harvard dorm room but today it
is being used by 1 billion people
around the world. Other facts and
figures include users having run
up 1.13 trillion “likes”, 140.3 billion
friend connections and 219 billion
shared photos since its launch on
February 2004.
Larry Ellison’s Hawaiian
“laboratory”
O
racle CEO Larry Ellison
mentioned that he intends to
turn his Hawaiian island into an
area for experimenting with more
environmentally friendly ways of
living. He says he wishes to convert
sea water into fresh water to supply
the 141-square-mile island of Lanai,
place electric cars on the island
and increase fruit exports to Japan
and other markets.
Driverless Cars now street legal
in California
C
alifornia is now the third state
in the U.S.A. to pass a bill that
allows driverless vehicles to travel
on its roads. Currently, Google
has been experimenting with
autonomous vehicles by using
a number of sensors, radar and
computer navigation to help it
travel safely on the road. The team
in charge of this have recently
claimed to have completed 300,000
miles accident free showing that
this is a safe method of transport.
Scientists hope to put Bee brain
in robots
A
group of scientists in the UK
are attempting to create an
artificial model of a bee’s brain to
be placed in a robot. The robot is
then expected to behave like a real
bee. It is hoped that this will allow
these bionic bees to undertake
certain lifesaving missions in the
future, such as search and rescue
missions or gas leak detection.
22 DANCE & THEATRE
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Dance & Theatre
Stratford’s lasting legacy
By Rebecca Tubridy, Dance & Theatre Team
T
he phrase ‘lasting legacy’ was used continuously,
from the moment we won the bid for the 2012
Olympic and Paralympic games until the closing
ceremony. It seemed that Stratford, labelled by the
Daily Mail as “one of the capital’s poorest areas”, would
be regenerated and never forgotten. But, the Games
finished less than a month ago, and Stratford seems to
be almost forgotten. However, I believe Stratford had
its own ‘lasting legacy’ before the games even began.
Stratford is home to the Theatre Royal Stratford
East; a beautiful theatre built in 1884 by actor-manager
Charles Dillon and architect James George Buckle. The
theatre remained open throughout World War I and
in 1953 was taken over by Joan Littlewood’s theatre
company, ‘Theatre Workshop’. In 1979 Littlewood’s
previous assistant, Philip Hedley, became the theatre’s
new artistic director. Under Hedley, the theatre
engaged with leading black and Asian companies and
the productions reflected the variety of cultures in
London. In 1990, ‘Five Guys Named Moe’ debuted at
Stratford’s Theatre Royal, which became a worldwide
success as it was transferred to the West End and
Broadway. Hedley also started the theatre’s ‘Musical
Theatre Initiative’, which aimed to develop and produce
new musicals. The current artistic director, Kerry
Michael, has continued the Musical Theatre Initiative
and brought further success to the theatre by directing
‘The Harder They Come’, a coming-of-age musical set
in Jamaica. The theatre has been working alongside
novelist Martina Cole adapting some of her novels for
the stage (‘Dangerous Lady’ runs from October 19th),
and also offers workshops and opportunities and
advises young people who are hoping for a career in
the theatre industry.
Taking the history of the theatre into consideration,
along with its hopes for the future, I think it is fair to
say that Theatre Royal Stratford East has already given
Stratford a ‘lasting legacy’.
Visit www.stratfordeast.com
for further info and tickets
© Ed Collier
The Ethics of Progress science meets theatre
By Tiffany Stoneman, Dance & Theatre Editor
Q
uantum physics and theatre – two things
you’d never expect to see together,
or necessarily link in any way. And yet
creative director of Unlimited Theatre, Jon
Spooner, has created ‘The Ethics of Progress’,
a 50minute theatrical storytelling which
breaks down some of the most extraordinary
yet ‘every day’ parts of science, with the
help of Professor Vlatko Vedral, Professor of
Quantum Information at Oxford University.
Discussing things that barely register as
possible, Spooner engages with you, makes
you laugh and then astounds you by making
you understand some bizarre and intricate
concepts. The weird and wonderful (almost
proved) theory that one particle can be in
two places at once. ‘Entanglement’ suggests
that you can take two particles and entangle
them together, so that no matter how far away
from one another they are they will act in
exactly the same way. I created the metaphor
of twins feeling the same pain regardless of
their locality to each other (although this is
the incredibly condensed, dumbed-down,
thinking-out-loud explanation). This all built
up to the somewhat alarming ‘truth’ about
‘Teleportation’: the possibility of scanning
a being, reproducing it elsewhere and
destroying the original - something being
studied at this very moment.
So, that’s the science part. Now for the
theatre. If you’re expecting a show with
lights, set-changes, and flashy costumes,
this isn’t that kind of performance. It is the
most honest form of theatre, in my opinion;
one man on stage, no gimmicks, telling a
story. And Jon Spooner is a phenomenal
story teller. Visual aids provided not only a
simplified explanation for the theories, but
also a mildly comical break to make this
Bits O’ the Bard
show more than just a physics lecture. That,
along with Spooner’s personal anecdotes,
insights, thoughts, and confusions bring the
two worlds of performance and science right
on top of each other.
Following the ‘main event’ there was a
Q&A session, which I greatly appreciated.
Allowing us to probe further after settling
our minds a little, it gave the opportunity to
clarify and dispute what had been presented
– a risk you seldom see in traditional theatre.
Whilst it included recorded FAQ answers
by Professor Vlatko, the audience turned
in a more philosophical direction, opening
up the floor to the concepts of reality, the
arts vs. science, and what we can consider
‘truth’. Breaking the barriers between these
two ‘artificially separated’ disciplines and
bringing very different groups of people
together makes ‘The Ethics of Progress’
not just entertainment, but an important
forum to debate, discover, and devour some
incredible knowledge.
“there was a star danced, and under that I was born.” –
Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2 Scene 1
Dance/Theatre Editor: Tiffany Stoneman | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann
The Stag |
16th October 2012
DANCE & THEATRE
23
An extra-ordinary world
hen I think about being an extra, I
recall the hilarious Ricky Gervais
TV sit-com ‘Extras’ and it’s numerous
scenes sitting in a grubby, converted
coach, eating beans and drinking
from plastic cups, with actors telling
obnoxious stories of shoots with other
celebrities. Is this a stereotypical view
on the life of an extra? Or does it really
ring true? I spoke to George Pearce, a
final year Theatre studies student, to
find out more about the day in the life
of being an extra, or as I have just been
corrected, a ‘supporting artist’!
Jessica: Tell me about your typical
day as a ‘supporting artist’.
George Pearce: The days start early
like 6am, or very late depending on the
type of shoot. If you are on an early
shoot, like I was for ‘Anna Karenina’,
you will get your breakfast, then get
into costume but it could be 10am
before you do anything. However,
when I was working on ‘Hummingbird’
with Jason Statham, that was a late
call of 10pm, I got there and they said
now you can have breakfast as we were
filming in the English National Opera
House on a Sunday evening. Shooting
“...anyone can now be part of the film making process.”
we will take you back to camp”. You
end up sitting in the food trailer for a
few hours.
J: Is it literally like Extras, where
you would have your cup of tea in a
small plastic cup and the food would
be anything edible?
GP: It is almost exactly like Extras!
Having watched it before, then going
back to watch the show again, you
start having a new appreciation for
it. I mean yeah, you get your cups of
coffee, but there is only so much coffee
you can drink and free biscuits you
can eat before you get fed up with it.
Adapted novels: Gatz
I
n my experience of watching plays
- and as a theatre student you can
imagine I’ve seen a fair few - I’ve never
come across a great novel that has been
adapted into a great play. However, over
summer, I have seen two very different
adaptations, both brilliantly done in
their own right.
‘Gatz’ was adapted by John Collins
from the classic novel ‘The Great
Gatsby’, which I saw at the Noel Coward
Theatre in London on the 15th July. The
most unusual thing about this play was
the fact that it lasted for eight hours in
total. You may think this to be excessive
or self-indulgent (and let’s face it,
it is slightly) but the reason for this
was because the company performed
every single word of the book. It was
completely uncut. In fact, the actor
playing ‘Jim’ (Scott Shepherd), the
narrator in the book, started the play as
a lowly office worker whose computer
wasn’t working, and stumbled across
the novel ‘The Great Gatsby’. This
humble beginning involved a great deal
of physical humour, as the first spoken
word comes from the book about ten
minutes in. It grew into an amazing
spectacle as the ‘staff’ in the office
stepped into the roles of the various
characters, with the ‘boss’ becoming
Gatsby himself.
The office transformed from the
typical hum drum furniture, hemming
the characters in with files, to the
sheets of paper being thrown around to
create the party scene and the beaten
down sofa was suddenly Gatsby’s car or
deathbed.
The storytelling element where the
events took form from the words was
something to be seen, and the humour
of an action, followed by narration, was
spot on throughout. The star though
would have to be Shepherd, who for the
last
chapter
(or scene) put
down the novel
and continued
narrating
completely off
text, changing
the tone to
sombre.
It
was a perfect
response to the
tragedy that
was the end of
Gatsby.
© Alastair Muir
By Holly McCulloch, Dance & Theatre Team
But on the other side, you’re sat there
in your costume, whether modern or
period, thinking “I can’t spill anything
on this!”
J: How did you get into being
supporting artist?
GP:
Through
family
recommendations of a company, really!
I want to be an actor but it’s hard to
get into acting so mainly I wanted to
learn set etiquette. A lot of extras get
bad press and are seen as ‘out of work
actors’ waiting for their next big break.
But being an extra is open to the public
now so anyone can now be part of the
film making process. This does have
its bad points, as you will find people
would harass the lead actors or not
turn up, things also go missing from
set, that’s why on the set of Harry
Potter you had to sign in and sign out
the wands!
J: What was your favourite
biscuit?
GP: The custard creams, they
always go first and are the best to go
with your tea!
© Titus Powell
W
all through the night till 8am when
they call ‘that’s a wrap’, I just wanted
to go to sleep but realised I had to be in
work in 2 hours!
J: You mentioned there is a lot of
waiting around, what do you do to
preoccupy yourself in that time?
GP: Generally you meet so many
interesting people... and crazy people.
But usually when you’re shooting;
[after] about half an hour you will be
told, “Right everyone back on the bus,
George’s 5 Top Tips
1. If you say yes to a job, commit to it, you don’t
want to get black listed.
2. Always say yes! By being enthusiastic new
opportunities may come your way on set!
3. Expect the unexpected; things will change all
the time.
4. In costume, don’t pick messy food! There’s
nothing worse than going back to the costume
department after lunch telling them you have
spilt something on yourself! It also mucks up the
continuity of the scene.
5. Always do the role they ask you and do what
they tell you to do - you’re more likely to be
called back.
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
second transaction. They had
to be completely in sync with
each other reflecting the
young boy’s mind.
The performance of Luke
Treadaway as Christopher
was superb, both from
his comedic timing to his
recurring groan of distress
when someone touched him,
tugging hard at the heart
strings in the exchanges
between him and his father.
However, I must say that the
details and intricacies of the set (designed by
Bunny Christie) were equally as impressive as his
performance and quite bowled me over.
When we entered, my seat was covered in
white material with my seat number on it, as
were a few of the others dotted around the
theatre. Why was this? The boy in the book loves
to recite the prime numbers as they are his
favourite things (along with trains) and I was
in a prime number seat. There was a pocket in
the white seat cover with an envelope and inside
there was a game to see if my name added up
to a prime number when matching the letters
to numbers and if it was I could claim a special
prize. Unfortunately, my name didn’t add up,
but the thought behind this, even before the play
had started, made me excited for it to begin. The
other surprise was just before the interval - when
Christopher decides he is going to get the train
to see his mother - a tiny train sounds and starts
moving around the balcony where the audience
were sitting (myself included). This again made
me love the energy and detail that had been put
into the set. It was exactly how I would have
wanted the boy’s world to have looked like.
© Manuel Harlan
By Jessica Smith, Dance & Theatre Team
By Holly McCulloch, Dance & Theatre Team
I
returned to London, this time to the National
Theatre, in the hopes of seeing another one of
my favourite novels being performed beautifully
as a play, and I was not disappointed. On the
8th August I saw ‘The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-time’ in the Cottlesloe ‘black
box’ theatre, adapted by Simon Stephens and
directed by Marianne Elliott. For those who are
not familiar with the book, it is told from the
point of view of an autistic boy, Christopher
Boone, who lives with his father and is trying to
solve the mystery of who killed the neighbour’s
dog. As Christopher is extremely bright and has
an aptitude for facts and figures, the stage is
actually a grid so the actor can strategically map
out all his actions and exchanges with complete
precision.
The props were kept just before the wings,
again mapped out with labels next to each item.
The physical aspect of the storytelling was slick
and accurate; the ‘chorus’ mime sitting on one
person, whilst another supports his back and a
third takes off his shoes, became one smooth two
24 DANCE & THEATRE
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
By Lucy Smith, Dance & Theatre Team
s a current second year Theatre Studies student, this
time last year I found myself very much thrown in at the
deep end. You may think this was due to the big transition,
moving away from home and making new friends, but it was
in fact because I had my first glimpse of what it’s like to be a
performer in the “real world”.
I came from a pretty small sixth form college in
Bournemouth, where the Drama department consisted of laid
back teachers, too chilled to be concerned with mainstream
theatre, and wacky students (myself included) whose main
interests included rolling around on the floor pretending to
be a metaphorical representation of oppression. Having come
from such a relaxed atmosphere, I was beyond shocked when
I discovered that in professional theatre there are so many
rules! I was genuinely blown away by all the Health and Safety
procedures and protocols one needs to follow to merely set up
a performance, let alone actually act in one.
I can understand how rules are important for issues
such as working at height or heavy machinery, but did you
know that most things on stage need to be fireproofed? If you
A
can hold a flame to an item and it catches fire in less than
thirty seconds, it has to be spray protected. Maybe this seems
reasonable to you, and it did to me at first too, but then you
think about it; this would include newspapers, upholstered
furniture, signs… it goes on.
I personally view some Health and Safety rules as
completely hindering the essence of performance. It should
be about spontaneity and impulsiveness, fuelling heartbeats
with adrenaline for both actors and audience. Whatever
happened to a little danger?
For my final A-level devised piece one scene required me
to fall down the stairs. I didn’t have any training or safety
equipment; I just threw myself down them. In another, my
friend had to violently throw me across the stage and in the
first performance I hit my head on the floor. But you know
what? I loved it.
From an actor’s point of view, when Health & Safety and
Risk Assessments which wrap you up in cotton wool take a
step back, it allows for a much more real portrayal of life,
requiring dedication and almost an audacity that I frankly
believe should come in the package of wanting to be an actor
in the first place.
If you’re not willing to take the risk, do you really have
the passion?
Theatre for £15 or less!
By Emily Bourne, Dance & Theatre Team
ith the introduction of higher university fees this year, alongside job opportunities being at an
all time low, money is tight for everybody at the moment and so activities such as going to the
theatre can seem even more expensive than usual, especially when you have to include things such
as food and travel on top of that. In light of this, I’ve been searching around for some shows priced
at a more student-friendly amount to prove that going to see a good production need not break the
bank. Here’s my list of five great shows to see this autumn, all for £15 or less!
1) The Effect – The National Theatre – from £12 (£5 with Entry Pass Membership)
This new play by Lucy Prebble is a romantic story which questions the limits of science and
medicine in a humorous and engaging way.
W
2) Twelfth Night – Yvonne Arnaud - £15
After a great success in touring Henry V last year, the all male Shakespeare company Propeller
return to Guildford to present their version of one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies.
3) State of Emergency – Ivy Arts Centre - £5
Dance company State of Emergency are coming to the University of Surrey for a special
performance for Black History Month, performing excerpts from previous internationally
acclaimed productions.
4) Canterbury Tales – Electric Theatre - £10.50 concessions
The Merrow Dramatic Society will be performing Chaucer’s famous work in a modernised and
funny style, while still maintaining the essence of the medieval poetry.
5) NSFW – Royal Court Theatre – from £12 (all tickets £10 on Mondays)
In Lucy Kirkwood’s debut at the Royal Court, NSFW is a production which explores the ideas of
money, sex and power within the workplace.
Watch This Space:
Arts at Surrey
“A cross-cultural collaboration between the
UK based State of Emergency¸ South African
choreographer Gregory Maqoma and composer
Steve Marshall, Desert Crossings depicts the entire
history of the Earth and of humanity in 59 minutes.”
What: State of Emergency
Where: Ivy Arts Centre
When: 24th October
Cost: £10 (£12 full)
Do you like hiking?
Interested in performance
outside the theatre?
New Surrey-based theatre
company, Ad Meliora, are
looking for 10 participants for
their upcoming project.
For more information visit
www.admelioratheatre.com
or contact Abigail at
[email protected]
© Compliance and Safety 2012
Health and Safety hinders actors
26 MUSIC
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Music
K-Pop makes
waves across
the world
By Becky Worley, Music Editor
©www.bbc.co.uk/radio1
I
Moyles passes on the breakfast show legacy to younger model
Moyles hands over
the torch to Grimmy
By Tanya Noronha, Music Team
A
fter 8 years on-air, Chris Moyles
has finally said goodbye to
Radio One, leaving his morning slot
to the arguably more popular Nick
Grimshaw. Certain newspapers
and critics rejoiced, while others
(mainly Chris himself) mourned.
Love him or hate him – and Moyles
is not the kind of DJ who people
tend to be neutral about – he had a
point, when during his final show,
he mused “It’s a hard act to follow.”
The Guardian leapt on his
grand finale and ripped it to pieces,
with Zoe Williams stating “I don’t
wish to cause undue distress to his
bereft fans, but this was the most
mawkish,
self-congratulatory,
portentous broadcast I’ve ever
heard emit from the BBC.” The
Daily Mail were, for once, slightly
more balanced, with Sarah
Fitzmaurice’s article reading more
like a chronological description of
his career – although mention was
also made of the small incident
where he launched into a rant
about having not been paid onair, enraging those who earn
considerably less than his reported
£630,000 (and that was in 2007). Not
to mention, there were a couple of
jokes about Auschwitz which didn’t
go down too well with the public.
Perhaps this is precisely why
his act is a ‘hard one to follow’, and
why a wild card of a presenter was
kept in a starring role for eight long
years working for a corporation he
has previously openly complained
about. I can’t pretend to be sad that
my ears are no longer assaulted by
Chris Moyles talking over half his
songs and pretending to be funny
at 6:30am every day, but there are
now a reported 11 million or more
listening to BBC Radio One, where
there were 6.6 million listening to
his predecessor, Sarah Cox.
According
to
the
Guardian, there were only seven
people waiting outside BBC
Radio One HQ who were not
photographers or security, and
three of them actively hated him.
However, the amount of press
coverage following his departure
means that he did his job well. He
got people listening to his show,
even if just to slate it.
So far listeners and critics seem
impressed with Grimshaw, but
only time will tell if he can create
a following to rival Moyles. In the
meantime, Moyles steps into his
new role as King Herod in a West
End production of Jesus Christ
Superstar. Personally, I feel that
the stage may be the best place for
him – he can be as dramatic and
over-the-top as he likes, and I can
start the morning without wincing
every time I turn the radio on.
t’s the song on everybody’s lips.
It’s the song making waves in
the world’s music scene. It’s the
catchiest song I’ve heard since
Party Rock. It can only be… Oh,
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oppan Gangnam
Style! And if you didn’t sing along
with that in your head then you
have no soul.
Released on the 15th of
July 2012, it debuted at number
one in the Korean singles
chart. Becoming an incredibly
addictive, pop-culture hit was
made possible by YouTube. With
359,713,166 views when I last
watched, it has quickly seeped
into the worlds music scene –
hitting number one in the UK’s
official singles chart. The video
was recognised by the Guinness
World Records as having the most
“likes” of any video on YouTube.
And it’s not hard to see why. The
video features the South Korean
rapper Psy in his snazzy suit and
sunglasses combo, performing
his comical horse-riding dance
around areas of the Gangnam
district in Seoul. Even though I
have no clue about most of the
lyrics, it is just one of those songs
that gets everybody dancing
around like idiots. Idiots who are
having a damn good time.
“Gangnam style” actually
refers to the lifestyle attributed
to the Gangnam district in
Seoul, which was likened to
Beverly Hills, USA by Psy. “Oppan
Gangnam style” translates to
the rapper himself being cool
and high class, as oppan means
older male friend or brother in
Korean. He said he intended a
certain sense of humour when
claiming to be “Gangnam style”
when himself, the song and the
video is poking fun at a high class
and pretentious lifestyle with his
mocking dance moves. The song
is perhaps easy to disregard as
trashy, but I can’t help feeling it
should just be taken as a bit of
fun.
The song has been shared on
social media by some celebrities
including T-Pain, Britney Spears
and Katy Perry, undoubtedly
fuelling people’s appetite for the
song and giving it the platform to
be successful worldwide. It’s now
played in clubs up and down the
country and acts as the catalyst
to get everyone up and dancing.
In my eyes, popularising comical
dance moves can never be a bad
thing, and next time you hear
this I hope you get your Gangnam
style on and dance like a wally.
Music Editor: Becky Worley | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann
The Stag |
16th October 2012
MUSIC
27
Album review: Tempest - Bob Dylan
By Alan Hughes, Music Team
W
ith songs including a jaunty,
pre-rock opener crammed
with innuendo, a Shakespearean
murder-suicide tale, a fourteenminute
Titanic-based
epic
(complete with Leonardo DiCaprio
reference) and a moving tribute
to John Lennon, Bob Dylan’s 35th
studio album Tempest never
ceases to surprise, amuse, alarm or
provoke.
Like the man himself, the
album is full of mystery, and
demonstrates that the legendary
songwriter is still at the top of his
game. Dylan has been confounding
critics and expectations since 1997,
when, assumed to be a spent force,
he released the seminal ‘Time Out
of Mind’. Which is widely regarded
as one of his greatest albums,
and his first major work since the
mid-70s pairing of ‘Blood On The
Tracks’ and ‘Desire’. Since ‘Time’
he has released four more albums
to critical acclaim, becoming the
oldest living artist to register a UK
number one album.
As with the majority of his
work, the music takes a back seat
to the album’s true strength Dylan’s storytelling and lyrical
ability, which is at its darkest in
Tempest. It is filled to the brim
with the kind of lyrical gems that
are rare in the records of 2012.
We pass from the simple, teasing,
playful opener ‘Duquesne Whistle’,
through long-lost love in ‘Long
and Wasted Years’. Next comes
purgatory in ‘Scarlet Town’ and a
scathing critique of greed in ‘Early
Roman Kings’ in the album’s first
30 minutes. It is the second halfhour, spread over just three songs,
that showcases Dylan’s staggering,
and occasionally over-reaching
ambition. ‘Tin Angel’ and ‘Tempest’,
the aforementioned Titanic ballad,
are beautiful, fascinating stories,
but at a combined 23 minutes they
take a great deal of dedication and
have split opinion. The album’s
closer, the relatively brief 7-minute
‘Roll On John’, is a tribute to
Dylan’s friend and fellow icon John
Lennon. It combines Lennon lyrics,
extended slavery metaphors and
direct quotes from William Blake
to create a true tear-jerker.
The album is unlikely to win
Dylan too many new fans as his
voice, always polarising, becomes
more hoarse and guttural with each
new release. Dylan’s existing fans,
however, who are both numerous
and passionate, see Dylan as the
greatest poet since Shakespeare.
They will treat Tempest as further
proof that he’s “still got it”.
For me, this album is among Dylan’s
greatest achievements of his later
career, and the fact that he’s still
going at 71 is a testament to his
unique character and spirit. Roll
on, Bob!
Review: In Case Of Fire –
Align the Planets
The Disraeli Gears:
debut single Skeleton
By Jason Hough, Music Team
E
volve or die is a statement that
seems quite fitting with today’s
music scene, particularly in rock
and metal circa 2007. With the
growing influence of emo, it was
apparent that the metaphysical
state of the genre was reaching a
transition and many bands have
suffered because they refused to
adapt to this change. One such
casualty is In Case Of Fire, recently
deceased, leaving the unfulfilled
promise of a second album.
However, their lifespan was not
completely in vain.
From
the
thundering,
opening drum barrage of ‘This
Time We Stand’ to the ending,
frenzied, impaling riffs of ‘Second
Revelation,’ Align The Planets
aims to take its passengers on
a monumental sonic journey,
befitting of its grandiose title. The
first three tracks, ‘This Time We
Stand’, ‘The Cleansing’ and ‘Do
What I Say’ all combust into your
ears like short-fuse powder kegs.
The energetic fusion of crunching
guitar roars, bellowing bass, drum
assaults and the well-crafted quietloud dynamic wails of vocalist
Steven Robinson, ensnare its
listener into dancing to the band’s
intense and jagged rhythms. The
throttle invariably changes gears
from here on out, sometimes
jarring the fluidity of the journey.
It switches from the incendiary,
By Alexandra Wilks, Editor
T
breakneck eruptions of ‘Violence
and Pictures’ and ‘Enemies’ to the
calming, synth-tainted mountain
climbs of ‘Parallels’ and ‘And
Sorrow’. The latter ‘And Sorrow’
provides the album’s softest, most
purposeful moment. The analogy
of climbing a mountain reflects
the empowerment that the song
provides you to chase goals and do
the impossible. Songs overflow with
unbridled passion and emotion;
‘Plan A’, a revolutionary speech
to defy the masses, ‘Align The
Planets’, a scream to the universe
about the problems of humanity
and ‘Landslides,’ the mourning
of a lover, incensed enough to
pursue their killer. Overall, this
is an explosive album, with a
tapestry of gargantuan guitar riffs,
epidemically anthem-y choruses
and lovingly crafted atmosphere
to make the journey a memorable
rocket through time and space.
Rest in peace In Case of Fire you
provided one hell of a gift to the
rock community.
he Disraeli Gears are a four
piece band from London.
Their debut single Skeleton is
currently the only thing I play on
YouTube.
They describe themselves as
‘lo-fi, alternative’ and although
on the long side, however, it feels
more like two minutes. That’s
how exhilarating it is. Guitarist,
Tom Kitson, blows the lid off the
song half way through, whilst
Alex Moorse, drummer, and Sam
Delves, bass, accompany the wall
of noise. Currently unsigned, I’m
sure a record label will soon snap
“They describe themselves as lo-fi, alternative”
“Fregona’s voice is akin to a female Thom Yorke”
they are without a doubt both
these things, they’re also
incredibly exciting. Skeleton is
an incredibly impressive debut.
Lead Singer, Teia Fregona’s voice
sends shivers up my spine, as
she eerily begs a lover to, ‘let
me in, to your skeleton’. At 6
minutes, 13 seconds Skeleton is
them up. Fregona’s voice is akin
to a female Thom Yorke, and one
forgets how young the band are
(in their early 20s) because their
talent is so great. Fantastic.
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Skyfall: The new Bond soundtrack
Fun with fun
By Alexandra Wilks, Editor
J
ust to clarify I only knew one
fun. song before attending
this concert, and that’s the one
that goes ‘tonniiiiiigggght’ and I
didn’t even like it that much.
The tickets were free, I don’t
have a weird interest in going
to gigs just to rubbish them.
But fun. totally won me round;
their music was lively, upbeat
and enjoyable. Lead singer, Nate
Ruess, has a powerful voice
and fun.’s lyrics are simple and
catchy. fun. are a perfect pop
band; their performance was
By Thea Spalding, Music Team
F
ollowing Adele’s staggering
success over the past year, it’s
no surprise that she was chosen
to be the vocalist for the theme
tune of the 23rd James Bond Film
“Skyfall” that hit’s the cinemas on
the 26th October.
With Adele being undoubtedly
the most successful UK female
artist of recent decades, winning
six Grammy Awards in 2012, high
expectations were set when it was
announced last week that Adele
would be writing and recording the
theme tune.
Adele stated that “recording
Skyfall was one of the proudest
moments of my life”, as she became
slick and they had the whole
audience singing along. It may
not be my normal choice of music,
but it was hard not to be won by
the band’s effort and talent. Plus,
the audience (a real range from
young to old, male and female)
were absolutely loving it. Half
way through the accomplished
set Ruess announced that this
was the ‘largest audience [they’d]
ever played to’ but I think they’re
destined to much bigger venues.
fun. really lived up to their name
and I’d recommend their live
shows to anyone who wants to
have a laugh and a sing a long.
Adele is positively smouldering as the voice for the new 007 theme.
part of the star-studded A-list
including Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones
and Madonna who have previously
been granted the honour of
recording a 007 soundtrack.
Adele co-wrote the track with
Paul Epworth, who also helped
produce her massive hit “Rolling in
the Deep.”
The powerful ballad, also
entitled
“Skyfall”
is
very
stereotypically “Bond” with a 77
piece orchestra backing Adele’s
sultry, soulful voice. From the
second you press play, the song
holds all the elements of a James
Bond classic, with the song starting
quietly featuring only Adele’s voice
and a piano, before eventually
reaching a heart-racing crescendo
with an ensemble of string
instruments.
“Skyfall” was appropriately
released at 0.07am on the 4th
October, and has already entered the
charts at Number 4. Many critiques
have declared that the song will
be set for next week’s number one,
as the hype increases around the
release of the long-awaited film.
Could Adele’s “Skyfall” become
another “Diamonds Are Forever”,
or will it simply become another
forgettable composition as the sky
quite literally falls around Adele’s
hopes for the soundtrack.
©Tylertello
28 MUSIC
30 LITERATURE
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Literature
Morag Morris Poetry Lecture Rowling says goodbye to
O
n the 4th October 2012, the
University of Surrey played
host to the 38th annual Morag
Morris Poetry Lecture. Staged in
our very own Griffiths Theatre,
students, staff and members of the
public were treated to an evening
of culture with poet Bernard
O’Donoghue.
The lecture, which was first
established in 1974 by Morag
Morris herself, has included many
successful poets from both the
20th and 21st century. However,
this year’s speaker is no stranger
to the annual event. O’Donoghue
first attended fifteen years ago as
a judge and returned in 2002 to
deliver a lecture on the love poetry
by William Butler Yeats.
He revisited Yeats again this
year to talk about the impact
of rhyme within the poet’s
scope of writings, and delivered
an interesting and engaging
lecture which kept his audience
enraptured for the full hour.
O’Donoghue stressed that the
sound of poetry is pre-eminent,
especially
when
studying
the poetry of Yeats, a writer
“who’s control of sound is very
extraordinary”. He suggested that
Yeats’ “incomparable metrical
skill” transforms his poetry, and
thus the rhyming has as much
impact as the meaning of the
poem itself.
Selected poems of Yeats were
also performed by four students
from the Guildford School of
Acting to accompany O’Donoghue
in his explanation of the pieces.
Shannon Palmer gave a rendition
of Who goes with Fergus?, Steven
Flynn performed September 1913,
Matthew Serafini executed The
Wild Swans at Coole and Liv Austen
presented Yeats’ well known poem
Sailing to Byzantium. Each student
provided an original reading
of the poems and succeeded in
enhancing the enjoyment for both
the audience and O’Donoghue
himself. He offered his applause
at the unique interpretations that
each of the students presented.
The evening concluded with
one of O’Donoghue’s own poems
Ascent of Ben Bulben being read
out to the audience by Surrey’s
current
poet-in-residence,
Stephen Mooney. It was a fitting
end to the lecture and Surrey’s way
of thanking Bernard O’Donoghue
for his time and expertise.
Shining bright for the 8th
time: National Poetry Day
By Annika Gonnermann, Literature Team
rom the classic works of Yeats
to the colloquial tones of the
poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy,
poetry remains a quintessential
part of literature. Over the last
decade, poetry has often struggled
to maintain an important status,
however it has certainly never
vanished from literary attention.
The introduction of the
“National Poetry Day” in 1994
helped to bring back a sense of
celebration surrounding poets and
their work. The event takes place
on the 4th of October, encouraging
many to embrace new and old
poetry through a range of events
such as competitions, exhibitions,
commissions
and
web-based
activities.
Each year is celebrated with
a specific theme and this year
focused on “STARS”. The topic was
F
picked following the opportunity
for poets to explore its various
connotations; from the scientific
art of astrology, to wishing on a
star or even to honour famous
figures in the media.
Throughout the day many
poetry
societies
announced
the winners of their poetry
competitions. This year’s winner of
the Stanza Poetry Competition was
John Siddique; bestselling author
of Full Blood and co-author of Four
Fathers. Siddique was referred to
as “a stellar British poet” by The
Spectator, adding him to the list of
stars talked about on the day.
To
mark
the
day,
#NationalPoetryDay became a
widespread trend on Twitter. Here
are a few of the poems that stood
out using 140 characters.
Hogwarts in latest novel
J.K Rowling with her new novel The Casual Vacancy
By Annika Gonnermann, Literature Team
2
@SaskJan “Bright star, would
I were steadfast as thou art —
Not in lone splendour hung
aloft the night...”
@rozaosman “Fill the empty
spaces of your heart The vacant crevices of your soul With
that which completes you”
@luv_vigilante “The sun cut
the trees like a guillotine.
Splintered the light. Threw
sparks against the sky.”
@EllieRobertss “Our deepest
fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is
that we are powerful beyond
measure.”
007 was a significant year
in literature history. Across
the country, teenagers queued
outside bookstores until dawn,
while the nation discussed if their
favourite hero would survive the
very last battle. On July 21st,
2007, J.K.Rowling released The
Deathly Hallows; the final book
in the Harry Potter series. The
novel, eagerly anticipated by
millions, had received protection
fit for Gringotts to ensure its
contents remained a magical
mystery and to the relief of
many, Harry remained the boy
who lived. Five years later, and
Rowling has written another
book. Admittedly, it was received
with an anticipation lacking the
overwhelming Potter fever, yet
promised a world very different
to that of cauldrons, spells and
broomsticks. Instead, Rowling
delivers a novel abundant
in aspects more commonly
associated with the muggle world
© Calamity Meg
By Rachel Burgess, Literature Team
to target much older readers; from
alcohol and drug abuse, to suicide
and sex. The Casual Vacancy is
set in a town of much conflict
among different classes, rich and
poor and even between families.
Following the sudden death of
the local parish councillor, the
imminent election promises even
more social tension.
Critics seem unsure of
Rowling’s
latest
literature
with The Guardian sceptically
criticising the book as ‘solid,
traditional and determinedly
unadventurous’, while the editor
of The Telegraph referred to it
as ‘an uneven and harrowing
book.’ Despite mixed reviews, it
has sold 125 000 copies to date;
a huge success for an unknown
author, but a disappointment for
the world’s favourite children’s
author. Unfortunately, it seems
Rowling’s novel has left readers
in disappointment as they return
to the cupboard under the stairs,
seeking the magical world that
cast its spell over a nation.
Lit Editor: Emily Smart | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery
The Stag |
Experience Guildford’s Book Festival
By Emily Smart, Literature Editor
G
uildford’s annual book festival
is ready and waiting for avid
literary and art fans to step
through its doors. The festival
begins on the 18th October and
is packed with events for the
following ten days.
This year’s line-up treats
festival goers with some of Britain’s
finest writers and household
names, who will be hosting events
and activities discussing a range
of topics such as fiction, history
and current affairs.
Crime fiction is playing a big
role in this year’s festival, with the
likes of the hugely popular crime
writer, Peter James making an
appearance alongside Ann Cleeves,
Tania Carver, Nicci French, Sophie
Hannah and R J Ellory.
Judy Finnigan, well known as a
British television presenter, author
and columnist will also be present
to promote her first fiction novel,
Eloise. The festival’s organisers
relay the story’s compulsive and
haunting theme as it follows the
life of a woman who is “drawn ever
deeper into a friend’s secret past”.
For lovers of art, the BBC Arts
Editor, Will Gompertz (who was
recently voted one of the world’s
top 50 creative thinkers by New
Yorks Creative Magazine) will
be providing an insight into the
world of Modern art. He will be
introducing his book What are you
looking at? 150 years of Modern
Art in a Nutshell which is a great
event to attend if you feel fresher’s
week has destroyed your cultural
interest.
If you wish to find out more
about the Book Festival visit www.
guildfordbookfestival.co.uk
for
full programme details. Events
will be staged in locations across
Guildford, ranging from The
Electric Theatre to WHSmith
and even on university campus.
This will be a great experience,
certainly one not to miss out on.
Events are selling out quickly
so purchase your ticket while
you can. Tickets are subject to
availability.
16th October 2012
LITERATURE
31
Sophie Vickery
asks “What do
we really like to
read?”
Hallowe’en Creative Writing Competition
E
ver dreamed of having your
work in the paper? Interested
in having your work read by a
published novelist? Enjoy writing
chilling tales? This competition is
for you!
A story must be no longer than
500 words and can be complete
or an extract, poetry must be
between 14 and 20 lines.
Entries will be judged by
published novelist and Surrey’s
own Programme Director for
Creative Writing the much
acclaimed Paul Vlitos! The winner
and two runners up will receive
personal criticism from Paul
himself, a rare chance to gain
feedback from a top author.
The winner will also receive a
£15 gift voucher for Waterstone’s
and have their story published in
the next issue of The Stag.
Please send your scary stories and poetry toliterature@thestagsurrey.
co.uk to enter. All entries must be sent by Wednesday 31st October
One Day by David Nicholls top selling novel of 2011
A
quick glance at 2011’s top
selling books reveals the
nation’s tastes in literature;
from the obvious holiday
reads, to traditional Christmas
gifts. Nielsen Bookscan is the
world’s largest book tracking
service and collects data from
90% of retail book purchases
in the UK. The most popular
genre is entitled ‘General and
Literary Fiction’, to include
classics, political fiction and
semi-autobiographical novels.
Meanwhile, other popular
genres include crime, thrillers
and children’s fiction, each
capable of making £87.6 million.
Last year, One Day was the
top selling novel, highlighting
the nation’s love for the
romantic genre. Yet, Jamie’s
30 minute Meals took second
place and the Guinness
World Records scored sixth,
highlighting the keen interest
in non-fiction literature. The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and
subsequent novels also boasted
places in the top ten, thanks to
gripping audiences of all ages.
This
year’s
books
demonstrate
the
nation’s
love for an erotic read with
50 shades of grey taking the
bookshelves by storm. Despite
non-fiction books remaining
valuable sources of profit for
publishers, especially following
21st century obsession with
celebrity
autobiographies
(Kate Mccann’s and Tony Blair’s
memoirs flew off the shelves),
Amazon’s Kindle top 20 of the
year is entirely fiction so far. It
seems readers look to books as
a way to fantasise, imagine and
escape to other worlds, distant
from everyday hardships.
Film Editor: Candice Ritchie | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery
The Stag |
22nd May 2012
FILM
33
Film
Taken 2
By Candice Ritchie, Film Editor
W
hen it was announced that the
sequel to Taken was being produced,
I could hardly contain my excitement.
Thanks to the action-packed fiasco that
made Liam Neeson one of my favourite
actors, it has become my favourite film.
Since its release in 2008 I have watched
it so many times that I can quote almost
half of it. The best line is the most quoted
of them all; “I will look for you, I will find
you, and I will kill you.”
The film carries on from the first, with
the families of Neeson’s Albanian victims
searching for revenge. As soon as Bryan
(Neeson) invites Kim (Maggie Grace) and
Lenore (Famke Janssen) for a holiday
in Istanbul the action begins, but there
is soon a twist when Bryan and Lenore
are kidnapped together. Then comes the
famous phone call line “your mother is
going to be taken, and people are going
to come for you too.” When the two are
‘taken’, it is down to Kim to take action;
armed with two explosives, a gun and
map she sets out to find their location
(of course, following the instructions
from her father throughout). When
Bryan escapes and Lenore is left with the
Albanians, Kim and Bryan team-up to
save her and there-on ensues the epic carchase that is mandatory to an action film.
It is then down to Bryan to put an end to
the feud altogether.
Taken 2 was without a doubt the best
action film I’ve seen in years. It does its
prequel more than proud, and fulfils the
hype rapidly anticipated by fans. Having
Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace and Famke
Janssen continue their existing roles
proves an excellent choice as they create
an extraordinary level of believability.
I found myself constantly on the edge of
my seat, rooting for Neeson to yet again
demonstrate his legendary ninja-esque
skills. It was satisfying to see such a
change to the storyline since most were
probably expecting it to be predictable
and almost identical to the first. Although
it does contain many similar features
(which was compulsory in order for the
film to be a follow-up), it adopts so many
alterations at the same time, that it shocks
the system.
What was refreshing and extremely
successful in director Pierre Morel’s
second instalment was the more handson role into which Maggie Grace was
adopted. While in the first film she
appears a much more reserved and naïve
character (an expected trait since she
is the one ‘taken’), the second sees her
demand her father to “tell her what to do”
as she attempts to save her parents from
the Albanians. Despite having starred in
films prior to Taken, it wasn’t until the
film’s release that I truly noticed Maggie
Grace. She has since become ‘the girl
from Taken’ but it doesn’t appear to be a
negative association; she later starred in
the hit films Knight and Day and Lockout,
and will appear in ‘Breaking Dawn: Part 2’,
proving to be a huge boost for Miss Grace’s
acting career.
Famke Janssen also takes on a more
involved role. Unlike her character in
Taken, who has limited dialogue and
few scenes, she steps up with a firm
involvement in the storyline, and becomes
one of the film’s key characters. It was
also charming to see Neeson and Janssen’s
characters become romantically-engaged
again. Since the first film, and my deep
dislike for Kim’s stepdad, I was rooting
for Lenore and Bryan to get back together;
undoubtedly, so was Kim, who attempts to
play cupid throughout.
Overall, Taken 2 is absolutely brilliant,
and if you enjoyed the first one, you’ll
more than enjoy the second. My favourite
film now has a counterpart.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
By Alexandra Wilks, Editor
S
tephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of
those books I almost wish I didn’t love. Banned in various
libraries in America (although I’m not entirely sure why) it
has an almost cult like teenage following. It contains all the
components of the coming of age novel: drugs, a bit of sex and
a few shocking revelations. The thing that makes it special is
that it’s very, very well written.
I’d been eagerly awaiting the film for some time. For
starters I wanted to see what the film industry would make
of this slim and lovely volume. Secondly, I was curious to see
what Emma Watson would be like when she’s not playing the
nation’s favourite geek. Well, the film is good. It’s very true
to the book; probably because it was written by Chbosky, the
book’s author. It’s funny, sometimes really funny. And the
soundtrack is great. There are a few slightly cringey moments,
which aren’t quite as ‘indie cool’ as they want to be. Emma
Watson is, annoyingly, really rather good.
It’s pretty hard not to enjoy this film, but there’s almost
too much going on and some of the ‘emotional’ moments fall a
little flat. Definately worth watching though.
34 FILM
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Small Town Folk (2007)
By Beth Goss, Film Team
W
hen I first saw this movie, on
what I have solely designated the
B-rated Horror Movie Channel, I was
pleasantly surprised!
Being the connoisseur of B movies
that I feel I am, when I saw that Small
Town Folk was an independent British
modern horror movie, I was expecting
the worst. They always have ridiculously
small budgets and range from being
extremely cliché to being so out there
that it is impossible to understand what
is going on. Unfortunately with its plot
of murdering sexually charged teens in
several gruesome ways, Small Town Folk
lends itself towards the former.
What I was not expecting was
the tongue-in-cheek humour that
accompanied
these
‘terrifying’
murders. A man with a carrot nose
attacking a teenager with a rake is not
exactly blood freezing by any form of
the imagination. The mask the attacker
wears distorts his voice so much that
his mumbled ‘bloody hell’ even has to
be subtitled. Add this to the over-thetop green-screened background, and
you have yourself the recipe for a 90
minute laugh fest.
I understand that the entire
world does not share my, somewhat
disturbing at times, dark humour, but
how could anyone watch the line “If it’s
a boy we’ll call him Rupert, and if it’s
a girl we’ll call him Rupert” delivered
by a homicidal maniac without the
faintest smile? Just me then? Oh dear.
The sneaky appearance of Warrick
Davis hanging around the back of
another actor also helped to cement
the mix-match of comedy and cliché
violence to make Small Town Folk a
surprisingly good B Horror. I fully
understand that is a back-handed
comment, but if you want to waste
away time and are not easily disgusted,
then I readily recommend this film.
Review: Looper
By Daniel Brown, Film Team
I
t can be difficult not to view a film like this in 2012 without
considering the history of time travel in film, particularly when
Bruce Willis’ previous outing in the genre was so momentous.
Even without trying, one finds themselves making irrelevant
comparisons to other time travel films (“It’s Twelve Monkeys meets
Source Code!”). However, Looper finds its own balance of drama and
action; deeply engaging, but not revolutionary.
Joseph-Gordon Levitt stars as Joe; an assassin (Looper) in
Kansas working for crime lords thirty years in the future. Time
travel has been invented and very quickly outlawed, now only
used illegally by criminal organisations to dispose of their
enemies via the past. However, when Joe comes face to face with
his own, unmasked future-self (Bruce Willis), he “let’s his loop
run” (explained as allowing your future-self to get away) and
must find him before his employers do.
In 2042, Joe is a junkie; misguided and naive. Hardly a class
assassin (‘Loopers’ are equipped with infallible, close-range
weapons), he is desensitised to his violent job by its quickness and
anonymity as bags cover the faces of his victims. He is apathetic
towards his future-self who is on a war path to avenge his wife’s
death.
Escaping the opening exposition, the film shifts focus
to a central narrative surrounding tough, single mum Sara
(Emily Blunt) and her intelligent, yet enigmatic, young son Cid
(played astoundingly by child actor Pierce Gagnon) on their
farm, on which the young Joe finds himself as he flees from
former employers. The tumultuous mother/son relationship
reflects the conflict between the two Joes. When Joe’s former
employers question Sara, they describe the young Joe and old Joe
as “father and son” and their struggles resonate with Sara and
Cid’s own relationship. As the old Joe proceeds on his vengeful
warpath (Willis performs a cameo-like sequence of Die Hard-style
destruction), young Joe must change his own future in order to
save others; finally learning from his past mistakes.
Though it may not intend to dwell on the logic and science
of time travel (Willis disregards conversation about “how” this
all works as he meets with Gordon-Levitt in the present), this
is smart science fiction entertainment at worst. However, at its
best, it’s an emotionally engaging drama about the struggles of
familial relationships and overcoming one’s past.
Interested in films?
Whether you prefer Cannes, Hollywood or just your local Odeon, we are looking for
you! Get involved and become part of The Stag, just by reviewing releases new, old or
obscure. Get in touch through [email protected].
My Favourite Actor
Christoph Waltz
By Annika Gonnermann, Film Team
2
009 was a good year for the team of rather
masculine actors in Hollywood. Right in
the middle of the Dream-Factory’s paradigm
of demanding young and pretty actors like
Robert Pattinson or Ben Barnes, turned up a
man, who did not fulfil even one criterion: 54year old Austrian actor Christoph Waltz. No
baby-face, no screaming teenage fans but yet
successful. Having portrayed one of the most
disgusting villains in Quentin Tarantino’s
Inglourious Basterds, Christoph Waltz rose
into the Mount Olympus of Hollywood’s male
actors – not just with good looks but with
talent and charm.
Born in 1954, in Austria, more precisely
Vienna, Waltz was raised in a family of actors.
It is only logical that he decided to become one
himself. But although he was widely known
as a professional actor in Europe, it took quite
some time to make him known beyond the
big pond as well. And, moreover, a famous
director who wanted to work with him:
Quentin Tarantino saw in Waltz the ultimate
actor for his film-villain Hans Landa, a cruel
and reckless Nazi-Official. This role was
certainly not easy going. But somehow Waltz
managed to pass with flying colours. His
extraordinary performance was exceptional
for one thing. While watching the some of us
may have noticed that they started to wish
that Landa may get away with his mixture
of blackmail and betrayal. That is exactly the
reason why Waltz won the Academy Award
in 2010: he made the audience sympathize
with the evil character and showed us how
professional acting works.
A new opportunity to prove just this will
be his new film Django Unchained, coming
up in December 2012. Starring well knowns
like Jamie Foxx und Leonardo DiCaprio, this
movie will give Waltz to opportunity to
prove once more his acting potential: again
as a character you would not want to meet at
night – a bounty hunter.
Societies Editor: Shalini Thondrayen | Copy Editor:
The Stag |
16th October 2012
SOCIETIES
35
Societies
Burma: finally finding its voice
By Alexandra Dawson, PenSoc
W
hat comes to your mind when
you think of Burma? To me, I
think of a nation silenced, but also,
a nation full of hope. In a country
that has one of the worst human
rights records in the world; the
fight for freedom of speech is an ongoing battle, and one that is slowly
starting to change for the better.
Burma’s censorship has nearly
always been a subject of question,
especially within the last 25 years,
as freedom of speech and the press
are issues that are not guaranteed
by law.
As recently as 2000, the Internet
Law was established, identifying
the prevention of posting writings
that are harmful to state interests.
Foreign news has also been censored
by the government, leaving the
country unable to safely express
opinions due to the fear of control
that seems to surround them. The
ban on private ownership of daily
newspapers still remains, leaving
many journalists and media outlets
wary over reporting on and within
Burma due to fear of imprisonment.
In January 2012, more than 600
political prisoners were set free
with pardons granted; showing
a sign of positive progression
within a country that for the last
25 years has been damaged by its
human rights issues. Whilst the
news has come to many as a sign
of positive development, some are
still skeptical that the change will
not make any form of difference,
whilst many critics are saying
the damage that has already
been done is irreversible. On his
official visit to Burma in January,
William Hague, British Foreign
Secretary also seemed skeptical of
Burma’s progression stating, “We
believe now that you are sincere
about it, so now get ahead quickly
and complete it by releasing the
remaining political prisoners and
by showing that the upcoming
elections are free and fair.”
Mr Hague is the first British
Foreign Secretary to have visited
the country since 1955, indicating
that relations between Burma
and Britain are moving forward.
However, it is thought that
between 600 and 1,000 journalists,
protesters and monks who led antigovernment protests in 2007 still
remain behind bars, demonstrating
that there are still on-going issues
with sanctions regarding freedom
of expression.
The leading figure in the fight
for Burma’s right to freedom of
speech, Aung San Suu Kyi, has
helped to recognize Burma as a
country fighting for a voice that
deserves to be heard. In May 2012,
Suu Kyi became a parliamentarian
within the Burmese Government.
Her agreement to work alongside
Myanmar’s new reform-minded
government, has helped to form an
alliance between her party and the
administration of President Thein
Sein, which came to power last year
after the nation’s long-ruling army
junta stepped down.
On the 20 September, Suu Kyi
Cooking? It’s a brie-ze!
By Fiona Buckland, Culinary Society
A
re you new to the
University of Surrey or
perhaps the summer has
sparked a culinary flame
inside you? Are you a budding
baker ready to rise to the
occasion? Well, simmer down,
because Surrey’s Culinary
Society is here to keep you
from bubbling over with all
your cooking knowledge!
The Culinary Society
is a platform for students
and teachers alike to learn,
exchange and explore new
recipes, as well as to make
new friends. To achieve this,
we use taster sessions, baking
classes, demonstrations and
cooking classes from our
own students and renowned
celebrity chefs to serve you
the perfect opportunity to
turn mealtimes from being a
‘whiskey business’ to a ‘grate
occasion’.
After our launch last year,
the Culinary Society has been
reinvented and we are turning
up the heat with our new plan
of action. So if you think you
can hack it in our ‘American
Style Eating Competition’, if
you want to win prizes for
your literary prowess in our
‘Local Restaurant Review
Competition’ or you simply
have a pot full of ideas and
a heap of odd-bits in your
cupboards and not a clue
what to do with them, join the
University of Surrey Culinary
Society today!
Fennelly
enough,
we
accept students from all
woks of life, even if there is
mushroom for improvement
or you think you are a chef
with the skillet requires to
whip up something tasty.
Spice up your life and visit our pages or email us for
more bite-sized information:
www.ussu.co.uk/ClubsSocieties/societies/
culinary-society/SitePages/Home
www.facebook.com/pages/
University-of-Surrey-Culinary-Society
[email protected]
was presented US Congress’ highest
civilian honour at a ceremony in
Washington DC. Suu Kyi said that
the award helped to make the day
““one of the most moving [days] of
my life.” Whilst under her 15-year
house arrest for protesting against
military rule, she was awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal in 2008,
but only two weeks ago was able
to receive the award in person.
This achievement in itself has
helped to display Burma’s positive
advancement in becoming widely
known as a county on the brink of
optimistic and encouraging change
regarding expression and free
speech.
Whether the newly formed
government will work is a question
still waiting to be answered, but
the move has certainly given many
individuals hope for Burma to have
a better and more liberated future.
This new direction for an alliance
government has finally given hope
to Burma’s voice, a voice that has
been silenced for far too long.
As part of the Guildford Book
Festival, Surrey PEN presents an
event celebrating the launch of
Bones Will Crow, the first anthology
of contemporary Burmese poetry
to be published in the west. The
evening will feature readings and
films taken from the turbulent
recent history of Burma, offering
an insightful look into a country
with one of the worst human rights
records in the world.
Tickets must be reserved at:
http://www.guildfordbook
festival.co.uk/english-pen
For more information or if
you would like to join the
University of Surrey PEN
society: www.surreypen.org/
Freedom of speech is a gift
that should not be abused: use
yours.
36 SOCIETIES
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
You’ve been tagged! Find out how!
By Laurence Williams
C
oming soon from a
MADSoc near you: new
political satire, ‘You’ve
Been Tagged’, that offers
controversy, hilarity and
sexuality. This play is not
only written by a 3rd year
English student, Laurence
William but is directed by
2nd year English and Math
students Emily Clegg and
Chris Evans and produced
by 3rd year Aerospace
Chris Dighton. ‘You've
Been Tagged’ is a comedic
political drama focusing
on an anonymous online
protester's
relationship
with an ex-Army officer
and the effects this
has on their respective
social circles. Switching
between
online
and
real life, we see those
involved becoming swept
up in an international
political feud sparked by
an anonymous protest
that threatens the life of
a Government Official.
Brimming with laughs,
powerful characters and
ridiculous innuendo, this
promises to be an explosive
ride. Inspired by real
events and proving that
whilst history may not
repeat itself, it certainly
does
rhyme,
‘You’ve
Been Tagged’ will give
every audience member
something to laugh and
talk about. Watch as
explosions shake both the
stage and the lives of those
involved in this comic,
dramatic piece of student
theatre, bursting into life
in:
Wates House Stage on
the 26th, 27th and 28th
November.
Watch
out
for
more
information appearing on
campus soon and do not miss
out!
Interested in Charitable Fundraising? Want to be part of
one of the most active student groups on campus? Join RAG!
By Lee Tolentino
S
urrey RAG is the official
fundraising arm of
the University of Surrey
Students’ Union. It exists
to oversee all charitable
fundraising and is the only
student group that can
donate to charity. It is also in
charge of the organisation
of
Union
fundraising
activities for local, national
and international charities.
For the 2012/13 year, our
supported charities are
Breast Cancer Research UK,
Shooting Star CHASE and
Barn Youth Project.
Become part of the RAG
Committee
Want to get fully
involved in what RAG
does and gain more of
a leadership role? Then
you may want to stand
for a position in the RAG
committee either as Vice
President or Treasurer. For
more details on how to do
this and be provided with a
role description for one or
both positions please email
Jake at ussu.ragchair@
surrey.ac.uk
Want to get involved in
RAG? Apply to be a RAG Rep
RAG Reps are the heart
and soul of RAG, as a RAG
Rep you will have the role
of helping to spread the
word of RAG across Campus
and the wider community.
There are many ways to
become a RAG Rep-whether
it is as Team Leader,
Publicity Rep or a Team
Member.
There are so many
advantages in becoming
a RAG Rep, here are some
great reasons why you
should get involved;
• By becoming a RAG
Rep, you will have the
opportunity
to
raise
thousands of pounds for
charity.
• You will get specific RAG
Rep training delivered by
the Students Union which
will enable you to gain
confidence and the required
skills to get stuck straight
into the role
• You will have the freedom
to organise and manage your
RAG Events:
-15th-18th Oct: Save the Children week ‘UNI CHALLENGE’
- 28th Oct: RAG REP Training Day
- 5th-11th Nov: RAG WEEK
‘LIKE’ us on Facebook for more info on our events.
Students in free enterprise
By Lewis Hobday, Vice-President of SIFE
Surrey
s with any club or
society, the start of the
academic year is always a
very busy time of year and
no more so with the SIFE
society this year.
After lots of potential
new members signing up at
A
Freshers’ Fayre, we held a
series of three introductory
talks throughout the first
weeks of term. These talks
detailed what SIFE do and
why students should get
involved. The talks also
included sub-talks from
Student Union Sabbaticals,
former
SIFE
members
own charitable fundraising
events for our supported
charities or propose new
events for other charities to
the RAG Committee.
• You will develop skills
that will look great to future
employers.
RAG Rep applications
are now open and can be
found on the RAG page on
the University of Surrey
Student’s Union Website.
If you have any
questions or queries in
regards to becoming a
RAG Rep please email Jade
Foley on ussu.ragrep@
surrey.ac.uk
who have graduated or
just returned from their
placement year, and one of
our local charity contacts.
After a good turnout at
these talks we held the first
of our two project Fayres at
the Studio - a new dedicated
student retail space on
campus. Here, students
got the chance to find out
more about our local and
international projects that
help change the lives of
people in need. They then
got the opportunity to
sign up to the projects that
interested them the most.
For more information:
[email protected]
visit our Facebook
www.sifesurrey.org.uk
Litsoc: Fresher’s Fayre
By Clowance Lawton, Societies Team
A
gain this year the
Fresher’s Fayre was a
huge success, and Lit Soc
was no exception. This year
the number of students
who signed up was at an
all-time high; although we
are hoping this has nothing
to do with the delicious
cookies we were giving
away! For those who are
not aware of the society,
it is directly linked to the
English Literature degree
but is open to students
from other courses. Various
events are put on during
the year including theatre
excursions, opportunities
to talk to established poets
and authors, competitions
and not to be missed the
bar crawls! The first was last
Wednesday (10th October)
with the Litsoc Does School
Disco Annual Quote Crawl:
which began at Chancellors
at and finished at Rubix.
The night was a brilliant
opportunity for everyone to
get to know the new freshers,
members of the committee,
and socialise with others
from the society. The night
was full of new friendly
faces who shared a good
laugh over a few (or more)
drinks. We hope to see you
all again for future events!
For all updates keep an eye
on the LitSoc Facebook page
where all information on
upcoming events is posted.
Furthermore it is not too
late to join via the student
union website.
Go on and CoppaFeel!
By Jess Blake, CoppaFeel President
S
o, have you spotted any
giant boobs walking
through campus yet? I’m
sure by the end of the
year you will have become
completely oblivious to them
wondering around, in and
out of Starbucks, coming
out of the library after a
hard-core revision session…
but more importantly, I also
hope that by the end of the
year, it will have become
a habit to regularly check
your boobs/pecks (delete as
appropriate!). If that is the
case, my job here is done.
Well, at least until the next
lot of freshers arrive…
It’s been a great start
to the year already for
the CoppaFeel! UniS Boob
Team, spreading boob love
at the Welfare Walk-In,
Freshers Fayre, and the
Do>More Volunteer Fayre.
We are off to take part in
the CoppaFeel! Flashmob
tomorrow (October 18th) in
London – a big thank you to
everyone who has signed up!
And make sure to look out
for more boobie shenanigans
on Friday (October 26th) for
the official CoppaFeel! Day!
Check out all the latest news,
events, blogs and photos on
www.coppafeel.org/sites/
Surrey.
If you would like to
become a member of the UniS
Boob Team or find out more
about what we are getting up
to, please like our facebook
page for regular updates
(w w w. f a c e b o ok . c om /
CoppaFeelUniS) or send me
an email (jb00200@surrey.
ac.uk). In the meantime, for a
free monthly SMS reminder
to get coppin’, text ‘SURREY’
to 70500, and get to know
your boobs – it could save
your life.
Boob out.
Fresher’s Fayre 2012
Fresher’s Fayre took place on Friday 28th September and we fitted 229
Societies, start up Societies and Sports Clubs into the marquee! Go Surrey!
Jacqui, the biggest legend at Surrey
Mazin and Steve
Nurse Soc
Steve the Stag
Canoe Club
Cycling club
StagTV
The people who make it all happen!
GU2 Radio
To see all the photos, check out the union facebook page!
For a full list of Societies, visit:
http://www.ussu.co.uk/clubsocieties
The Stag
Sri Lankan Society
Malaysian Society
New society: Coppa Feel
Keep calm and join BakeSoc
Cheerleaders show off their skills
Raising and Giving
A big thanks to Jade Roberts and Imogen
Jones for taking these photos!
38 SPORT
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
Sport
A geek watches... basketball Record interest in
Surrey Dodgeball
I
hate football. There, I said it, perhaps not the best
opening line from a sports columnist, but my mum
did always say honesty is the best policy! There’s
nothing that appeals to me less than running around a
muddy field in shorts kicking a ball around. Actually, I
tell a lie. The only thing worse is watching other people
do it while you sit around in the cold, damp stands
cheering or booing on demand, early on a Sunday
morning dreaming of a nice warm bed.
To be honest I hate all sport in general, it only
makes you sweaty and hot. So there was nobody more
surprised than me when my friend invited me along
to the first Surrey Heat game of the season and I not
only said yes but really enjoyed it! OK. I admit my main
reason for going was that I thought it might make me
look like Zac Efron in High School Musical, but alas,
nobody stood up and screamed “TROOOYYY!”
For anybody that doesn’t know, Surrey Heat is
the new name for Guildford Heat, the only premier
league basketball team in the county, and they play
right on our doorstep at Surrey Sports Park. I suppose
basketball does have a few advantages over football…
for a start it’s played indoors! There’s no mud or
rain, so you don’t have to do your best train-spotter
impression with 6 coats and a thermos flask!
Unsurprisingly, I know nothing about basketball.
There are quarters and tip-offs and people randomly
calling time-out, but it didn’t matter. The atmosphere
was so incredible, I whooped whenever we scored, I
cheered when we won, I cried when the Mersey Tigers
scored- well no I didn’t quite go that far but look I’ve
even started saying “when WE scored” as though I’m
actually a part of the team or had any impact on the
result at all.
The only flaw is that basketball has a lot of breaks.
The sporting action is fast paced but at any time the
coaches can call for a time-out. Not the chocolate bar
unfortunately, it’s a chance for the coach to talk to the
players. I’m pretty sure these would be dull, however,
in true American style they have the mascot Scorcher
and the incredible street dance troop, Heat Street 13
keeping the crowd entertained throughout.
In the end I saw history in the making for the
club, with Surrey Heat defeating the Mersey Tigers
in a record breaking 106-45 win. Truly an amazing
start to the season, but the crucial question is would
I go again? Yeah, I surprise myself by saying this but I
definitely would! Surrey Heat have a home-game two
or three times a month right through until April and
it’s only £6 for students. When the Surrey Sports Park
is only five minutes down the road it seems rude not to!
By The Surrey Dodgeball Club Committee
D
© Andy Bowler
By Adam Lodowski, Sports Team
University of Surrey Volleyball Club
By Rita Silva, Volleyball Club
I
n 2009, a group of eager players
decided to put together Surrey
University’s Volleyball Club and
the club has experienced a great
amount of success ever since.
This is especially the case for the
Men’s Team who took the BUCS
league completely by storm in 2010,
topping division 2 in their first
competitive year. Since then the
Men’s Team has shown great skill
by successfully finishing in third
place in BUCS division 1 last year.
2012-13 is promising to be
another successful season for
Volleyball throughout the UK, as
students inspired by the London
Olympics are looking to get more
involved in this very dynamic
sport.
With a newly formed Ladies’
Team, and a mixture of experienced
and new players in the Men’s team,
the club is looking to really make
a difference in the Volleyball
community within the university.
We are an extremely friendly
club that is open to all players.
Whatever your standard, the
University of Surrey Volleyball Club
is always looking for new eager and
committed members that share a
love for the sport.
If you are interested in joining
us, find us on facebook under
“University of Surrey Volleyball
Club”.
Visit our website for more
information: www.ussu.co.uk/
ClubsSocieties/Sport/volleyball.
odgeball? What’s Dodgeball I
hear you ask? Well, in short
you have two teams of six on
two sides of a court, separated
by a “no man’s land”, both
trying to get the opposing team
out by hitting them with a ball.
This may sound dangerous and
painful, but it’s not. Dodgeballs
are padded and never fully
inflated so they don’t really hurt
to be hit with. Dodgeball is in fact
a wonderfully social and friendly
game, and with almost 300 sign
ups at freshers fayre and over 200
people turning up for the taster
session at active freshers fayre,
it’s not unreasonable to say that
there is a lot of interest around.
We are a club with no upper
limits in regards to membership
size and potential. Our Monday
night club sessions promise to be
a warm and inviting place to meet
new people over a beer, then work
off the stresses of the week with a
few Dodgeball games. For the real
thrillseekers, we will be creating
a team from the most efficient
and eager dodgeballers to enter
into national tournaments and
games and hopefully even a high
stakes match against our rivals at
Kingston University.
Finally, we aspire to hold
some of the best social nights
around so we hope to see lots of
you sign up on our USSU page. It’s
a mere £20 to join and we promise
you won’t regret it!
Sport Editor: Anna Giles | Copy Editor:
The Stag |
16th October 2012
SPORT
39
The loneliness of individual sport
T
he perception of individual sport can
sometimes be that of personal glory
and celebrity status. A sportsman that
wins a golfing or Formula One tournament
is recognised as the unequivocal best of
the competition. Winning guarantees
recognition. Successful sports teams will
often have a few star players that earn
personal accolades and are painted as
the face of the team, casting the lesser
teammates in the shadows somewhat.
However, despite the apparent uneven
appreciation of players in a team, each
player has a role to fulfill. They work as part
of a unit, allowing camaraderie to form,
enabling them to cope with defeat together,
as well as basking in glory. Individual
sportsmen, regardless of the result, go
through experiences with no one to share
them with.
When considering the coaching team
that goes through months of training
alongside the sportsman, it is possible
to disagree with the above argument.
However, the issue here is that when
it comes to match day, the field of play
becomes a battlefield, a battlefield that only
the competitors are allowed to enter.
If you are part of a team you have
the support of your teammates, but
as an individual sportsman, the result
depends almost entirely on your personal
performance versus your opponent’s.
An incredible amount of pressure to
be placed on just one individual. In the
2007 fight between Ricky Hatton and
Floyd Mayweather Jr, Hatton’s coach
Billy Graham could do no more than
offer futile encouragement in the final
rounds as Hatton suffered at the hands of
Mayweather Jr. In contrast, as time began
to run out for a losing Chelsea side in the
Champions League Final against Bayern
Munich this year, talisman Didier Drogba
rose to head home a thunderous equaliser.
It was a crucial moment that turned the
match on its head and led the London club
to eventual victory.
There can be no one to rescue you but
yourself in an individual sport. The road
to match-day is one of isolation, requiring
extreme mental strength. To go so far and
then lose at the final hurdle can lead to
self-depreciation and doubting of one’s
ability. As part of a collective unit, team
spirit can often work wonders, helping the
individuals to rally back.
Golf offers an interesting opportunity to
compare the two types of competition. Ian
Poulter, despite never winning a Major, has
had multiple successes in Europe’s Ryder
Cup team. This contrasts Tiger Woods, a
legend of the sport who has never been
able to replicate his form from individual
tournaments when placed in the U.S. team.
The two different forms of sport bring out
the best and worst in different competitors,
while some crumble under the pressure
and solitude of the one-man sport, others
thrive on the chance to focus on one’s own
performance. To draw from Alan Sillitoe’s
short story, “The Loneliness of the Long
Distance Runner”, the reliance on one’s
self can sometimes bring out the best in an
individual.
Football roundup
Do you do Judo?
By Alex Edge, Judo Club
J
By Rohan Bansal, Sports Team
© Laurence Griffiths/Bongarts/Getty Images
T
he second week of Europe’s
premier club tournament took
place this Wednesday with there
being few surprises regarding
the scoreline. The only minor
surprise took place at the Etihad
stadium where Manchester City
failed to beat Germany’s Borrusia
Dortmund with the scoreline
being 1-1.
In a game that saw both
goalkeepers called into action
on a frequent basis, the current
German champions would feel
unlucky to not have come away
with all three points. City keeper
Joe Hart was labeled the world’s
finest keeper following the game,
not only by his manager, but also
by English compatriot Wayne
Rooney. Both goals were scored in
the second half, the first one being
from Marco Reus and the second
one converted from a penalty by
Mario Balotelli in stoppage time.
The draw gives Man City their first
points in group D. Meanwhile,
Real Madrid have seized control
of the group, gaining six points
out of the maximum of six points.
This leaves Amsterdam with a
4-1 over Ajax, and saw Cristiano
Ronaldo score his first hat-trick in
the Champions League.
Elsewhere, Arsenal managed a
comfortable win at home against
the Greek champions Olympiakos,
with a score of 3-1. All three goals
were scored by a different set of
players, with Gervinho starting
the scoring following a shot
Manchester city goalkeeper Joe Hart praised following his performance in match
against Germany’s Burrusia Dortmund.
from outside the box. Arsenal
kept this lead for only 3 minutes
before conceding a header from
Konstantinos “Kostas” Mitroglou,
just before the end of the first
half. Arsenal came out into the
second half with a much more
demanding attitude, resulting in
Podolski getting Arsenal ahead
in the 56th minute. The win was
glossed over by a delightful chip
scored by Aaron Ramsey in the
94th minute. Manchester United
also recorded a win over minnows
FC Cluj with a nervy 2-1 win,
Van Persie scored both goals but
Manchester United were made to
work, falling behind following a
goal scored by another typically
hard to write greek name, Pantelis
Kapetanos. Van Persie equalised
with a rather lucky goal as the ball
bounced off his shoulder and went
© David Cannon/Getty Images North America
By S Sandhu, Sports Team
past a slightly hapless goalkeeper.
However, in true clinical fashion
he put United ahead in the 49th
minute following a floated pass
from Rooney.
Chelsea also won their game
against Danish opposition FC
Nordsjaelland with a comfortable
scoreline of 4-0, the last three
goals were scored in the last 11
minutes of the game. Juan Mata
managed a brace and defender
David Luiz and Ramires also
added to the scoreline. Milan
won a thriller against Russian
opposition Zenit St Petersburg 3-2
with the final goal being an own
goal scored by one of the Russian
players. Bayern Munich were
upset by the Belarusian team
BATE Borisov who won 3-1 and
claimed the biggest scalp of the
week.
udo is a progressive, competitive
martial art and Olympic sport, in
which the objective is to throw an
opponent cleanly onto their back
or otherwise dominate them on
the ground. Techniques are taught
in a way that emphasises the use
of one’s momentum and breaking
of balance in order to execute a
successful throw. Therefore, it is a
highly efficient self-defence system
as well as a sport.
The University of Surrey Judo
Club was founded in December 2010
and has since gone from strength
to strength. I joined the club in
October 2011 and it has proven to be
an incredibly positive experience.
Having participated in various
martial arts beforehand, I found
the competitive edge encompassed
within judo adds an extra element
of motivation and fun to the study
of martial arts. Furthermore, I
find the skill and agility of the
senior judoka astounding, as they
impressively throw an opponent
over their shoulder.
So why join judo? As a
progressive martial art, the belt
system provides one with a great
sense of achievement as they rise up
through the ranks. Furthermore,
participation is a fun way of
improving your fitness, strength
and self-discipline. Finally, we
are a social and friendly club that
welcomes anyone and everyone,
from beginners to black belts. In
addition, we hold regular socials,
providing a great opportunity to
make friends both on and off the
mat. Why not join?
We train at Surrey Sports Park
on Thursdays in Studio A, from
8-10pm. Feel free to email us for
more information at ussu.judo@
surrey.ac.uk.
Try Uni’ Cycling
By Hamish Hore, Cycle Club
W
e all watched the Olympics
over the summer and heard
about the success of Bradley
Wiggins in the Tour de France.
Now, the University of Surrey’s
cycling club will be riding on the
same roads that were seen in the
Olympics, ridden by Wiggins,
the Tour de France winner and
multiple gold medalist. Taking on
the famous Box Hill near Dorking,
averaging 5% (incline), but with
ramps of up to 14.6%. However,
much more challenging hills will
be taken on by the University’s
cyclists, such as Barhatch Lane,
seen in this years Tour of Britain
which averages 9.6% with ramps up
to 21%!
With cycling going through a
boom in participation this summer,
it is an honour for the University’s
Cycling Club members to be able to
ride the same challenging roads as
the best riders in the world. Find us
on Facebook for more information.
40 SPORT
The Stag |
[email protected]
16th October 2012
© Neil R Smith Photography
Sport outside the university
By Connor Mcloughlin
W
hile taking part in sport is
something not everyone
is interested in, watching
sport live and in the flesh is
something that can appeal
to a lot of people. It is a great
social occasion and can be great
value for money. In Surrey,
there are multiple places
nearby to see great sport, both
at the professional and semiprofessional level. Here are
some of the great opportunities
available to you in Surrey:
Epsom
Race
Course:
Starting
with
something
completely
different,
the
horseracing course is only a 30
minute drive away, or can be
accessed by the train to London
Waterloo
from
Guildford,
followed by a short bus journey.
If you and a group of friends
fancy
seeing
something
you’ve probably not had the
opportunity to see before, it’s a
great way to spend an afternoon
in the spring and summer
months. They also offer a 50%
discount for students with a
valid NUS card on
the door, definitely worth a
look.
Surrey Heat: This is one of
the more obvious choices, due
to the fact that they play their
matches at Surrey Sports Park.
The team have recently changed
their name to Surrey Heat from
Guildford Heat, and they take
part in the British Basketball
League, the top division in
the country. They play every
weekend and occasionally on
weeknights, with tickets costing
anywhere between £6 and
£15, a great price considering
this is the highest standard of
basketball in the country. See
the previous article “A geek
watches... Basketball” for more
information and a different
perspective on this exciting
game.
The Guildford Flames:
The Guildford Flames are the
counties local Ice Hockey
team and they play in the
English Premier Ice Hockey
League. They are the current
champions of the division; the
league is the second tier of Ice
Hockey in Britain, after the
Elite Ice Hockey League. They
play at the Guildford Spectrum
Centre, only 25 minutes on
public transport from the main
University Campus. Prices for
students are less than £7 each.
Ice hockey is a dangerous and
electrifying sport, no doubt
worth the small fee.
Surrey Storm: Another
great option due to the home
arena being Surrey Sports
Park – only a quick walk from
campus and even closer if you
live at Manor Park. They play in
the Netball Superleauge, with
their games being regularly
broadcasted on Sky Sports
during the season. The games
are a great occasion when seen
live, and the arena is able to
hold up to 1000 people. Tickets
cost less than £10 a match; the
season is from January to May.
Esher RFC: Esher are the
counties most premier Rugby
Union side, they play in the
National League 1. This is the
third tier of Rugby Union in
England. Tickets are £5 a game
if bought in advance, or only
£7 on the day for students.
The ground is in Walton-onThames, a 30-minute drive or
45 minutes on public transport
from campus. The team
includes many of the academy
and up and coming players
from the Harlequins – the Aviva
Premiership champions whose
training base is Surrey Sports
Park.
There is also Woking FC,
the best local football team.
They play in the Conference
National League, the fifth tier
of football in England. Surrey
County Cricket Club also play
at the Woodbridge Road ground
in Guildford in the summer
months, as they do not have the
Oval available to them due to
international matches.
Undoubtedly there is a lot
of sport viewing on offer from
around the country, especially
considering the great prices on
offer to students. These events
provide great, entertaining
days and evenings out, there
are a number of fantastic
opportunities out there for
everyone,
from
die-hard
sports fans to those who just
fancy experiencing something
different.
Murray crashes and burns
By Rohan Bansal, Sports Team
W
orld Number three and the top
British seed crashed out of the
Tokyo open this Saturday following
defeat against the Canadian youngster,
Milos Raonic, losing 6-3 6-7 7-6 in the
semi final. In a match where Murray
wasted two match points and gave
up a 4-1 lead in the final set, he also
ended up trashing his racquet for the
second consecutive match. Murray’s
temperament was once again called
into question as concerns were raised
en route to his first loss since his US
open victory. Kei Nishikori went on to
win the final on Sunday against Milos
Raonic.
Serbian international and current
world number two won the Beijing title
in straight sets over French compatriot
Jo Wilfred Tsonga. The scoreline of 7-6
6-2 did not reflect the tough nature
of the match, with Djokovic having to
dig deep to win the first set. Victoria
Azarenka beat Maria Sharapova to
win the women’s title in Beijing in a
clash of the top seeds. Sharapova had a
below par performance losing out 6-3
6-1, handing Azarenka her first title in
six months.
Meanwhile Rafael Nadal’s coach
has said that Rafa should resume
training in the next 15 days and
stands a chance of playing in the
season ending ATP tournament held
in London. Nadal who has been injured
due an inflamed left knee has not
played since his surprise Wimbledon
loss to Lukas Rosol, but his return to
the circuit will inevitably put Murray
under additional strain in the future.