Issue 38 - University of Surrey Students` Union

Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey
Issue 38 – Tuesday 22nd November 2011
Fed up with short hours, bad canteen hygiene
or expensive food? Nothing is too big or too
small for: [email protected]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Students debate the number
of contact hours within
different departments and
what they want from a
degree... Page 10
FEATURES
Surrey attempts to break a
World Record on 28th November
– find out more on page 12...
SCIENCE AND TECH
WORLD AIDS
DAY
2011
Centrefold Feature
ELABORATE CON TRICK?
NUS says new replacement for bursary scheme: “would benefit only the highest earning graduates”
By Jyoti Rambhai, News Editor
T
he National Union of Students (NUS) has
backed the statement from the Business,
Innovation and Skills Select Committee that
bursaries are a ‘more effective’ means of student
support than fee waivers and said bursaries
“would be more consistent with the message that
students should not be dissuaded from applying
to university because of the cost.”
The University of Surrey has put together
a package consisting of a £1,000 bursary and a
£2,000 fee waiver. In the new University fair
access agreement (a regulatory requirement), no
mention is made of the current doubling of the
award for high performers.
This move follows as the Government
pressures universities to renegotiate their fair
access agreement and to remove bursaries from
students, in favour of partial fee waivers, which
are believed by some commentators to only
benefit the highest earning graduates.
Continued on page 3...
7 billion people in the world
and rising... more on page 20
World Aids Day 2011
Paint The Stag Red includes
a double page centrefold on
raising HIV/AIDS awareness on
1st December – Pages 18-19
DANCE & THEATRE
Reviews:
All the latest
theatrical
reviews
from
Guildford including the MTSoc
prodction – page 22...
LITERATURE
In Conversation With returns
with an interview with the
founder of Happy Child
International – page 24...
SPORT
USSU Boat club on the record
results at Four Heads rowing
race – page 35...
Students take to the streets once again in fees protest (Page 3)
EDITORIAL
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
Editor | Jack White
[email protected]
Editor-in-Chief | Bakita Kasadha
[email protected]
Deputy Editor (Design) | Hollie Rowe-Roberts
[email protected]
Design Team | Ellie Brodie, Paul A Richmond, Hannah Roberts-Owen,
Christina Morman
Deputy Editor (Marketing) | Tom Goulding
[email protected]
Marketing Team | Shervin Hejazi, Imogen Jones and Eleanor Pearson
News
News Editor | Jyoti Rambhai
[email protected]
News Team | Sophie Howard, John Kavanaugh, Rachel Thomason,
Sophie Smith and David Williams
Features
Features Editor | Nicole Vassell
[email protected]
Features Team | Ellie Brodie, Declan Cooney, Clowance Lawton, Chris
Thomas, Sophie Vickery and Lousia White
Science and Technology
Science and Technology Editor | Nathanael Roome
[email protected] | Twitter @SamuraiNath
Science and Technology Team | Neville Boon, Lawrence Finn, Dave
Holcombe, Shourya Khanna, Kate McAtamney, Melissa Raske, Alex
Smith, Ruth Smithers and Emma Thomas.
Societies
Societies Editor | Vacant
[email protected]
Societies Team | Vacant
Arts
Dance and Theatre Editor | Hannah Jelliman
[email protected]
Dance and Theatre Team | Emily Bourne, Sarah McDowell, Beth
Hedges, Lucy Jarvis, Tiffany Stoneman and Lexi Sutton
Film Editor | Tiffany Tucker
[email protected]
Film Team | Laura Howard, Caroline James, Kristie Marchant and
Christina Maria Webb
Music Editor | Sophia Field
[email protected]
Music Team | James Campbell, Liam Conroy, Dan Davidson, Dimitri
Levantis, Amy McGivern, Tanya Noronha and Elliot Tyres
Literature Editor | Alexandra Wilks
[email protected]
Literature Team | Rachel Burgess, Tom Goulding, Candice Ritchie,
Emily Smart, Rachel Thomason and Sophie Vickery
Sports
Sports Editor | Jordan Vine
[email protected]
Sports Team | Douglas Elder, Arabella Gilby
and Sam Limbert
Copy Editors | Megan Barnacle, Michaela Fulton, Emma Giles, Candice
Ritchie and Louisa White
[email protected]
[email protected]
Surrey students should support
th
striking staff on 30 November
The biggest strike in a generation, quite possibly the biggest since 1926, is
going to occur on 30th November. Staff at the University of Surrey have voted
to join this industrial action and here they tell us why.
Rob Fidler
UCU Trade Union,
Surrey Branch Co-Chair
S
o what’s it all about? The immediate
cause of the dispute is public sector
pensions. University employers wish
to impose a two-tier pension scheme
whereby new staff are put on a far
worse scheme than existing staff. The
Government and the employers forced
their proposals through; the unions
have been trying to negotiate without
success. It is estimated that current
lecturers will lose £100,000+ over their
careers and new staff placed on a worse
pension scheme are estimated to lose
£355 000 over their lifetime career.
How does it link to the financial
crisis? The attack on pensions by this
government and university employers
should be seen in the context of the
wider economic recession, cuts in
services and the bailout of the banks.
In 2008, the government bailed out city
institutions that had mismanaged the
economy; the total cost to the taxpayer
is estimated at £1 trillion. Now the
Government is hell-bent on making
ordinary people pay for this. Attempts
to reduce pensions in the public sector,
including education, are part of this;
so are the cuts currently being made
across the welfare state, including the
massive increases in student fees.
But surely everyone has to make
cuts at the moment? The argument is
made by David Cameron and by many
employers, that the whole country
(indeed the whole world) is in crisis
and so we must all make sacrifices. This
argument rings a little hollow, however,
when those at the top continue to reap
huge rewards. Bankers in the City of
London will receive £7bn worth of
bonuses this year. Meanwhile large
corporations get tax written off (for
instance Vodafone has had £6bn of
tax written off by this government)
or avoid paying UK tax by setting up
headquarters abroad in tax-havens like
the Channel Isles (like Tesco, Boots and
Kraft Foods do). Tax avoidance by the
rich costs the rest of us an estimated
£25bn annually. Isn’t this where savings
should be found, not in salaries, cuts to
pensions or hikes to student fees?
Why strike? Won’t students
suffer? As an employee the only power
that my colleagues and I have when
faced with massive cuts to our pensions,
increasing
workloads,
worsening
pressures and cuts in standards of living
is to withdraw our labour. Sometimes
the only way to make the employer sit
up and listen is to take industrial action.
Everyone participating in action on 30th
November will lose pay we can ill-afford
to lose. But we have been pushed into
a corner and we will be taking action
T
he article entitled Surrey hard rocked as Brighton rain supreme (sic) in Issue 37 was incorrectly attributed. Apologies to Douglas
Elder, who was the true author of that article. Apologies also for the double printing of Trampolining was the one for me!
Letter from the Editor
Webmaster | Andrew Smith
[email protected]
Jack White – Editor
Photo Editor | Raisa Joseph
[email protected]
T
The Stag is a editorially independent newspaper 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.
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.
with hundreds of thousands of people
around the country, experiencing
similar pressures and strains.
Why should I care what a trade
union thinks? A trade union is simply a
collective organisation of workers. UCU,
which represents lecturers, researchers
and academic-related staff and Unison,
which represents administrative and
manual staff, are both taking action.
Historically, the trade union movement
has led the fight for people’s democratic
rights in this country and across the
world. Even today, only organised
grassroots movements, such as trade
unions, consistently stand up for
ordinary people.
When ordinary people get together
collectively, in trade unions, but also
as students in the students union or in
other organisations, then change can
occur from the grassroots upwards.
If you think that the rich in society
are not paying their share and that
the burden of debt is focused too
much on ordinary people then you
should be supporting the strike on
30th November.
Courtesy of Alistair Davidson
2
[email protected]
his week the economy
staggers on amidst
a
rapidly
increasing
number of alarms on
youth employment. With
unemployment for under25s running at around 25% and the same again for those
under-25s who are underemployed – less than full-time
hours and pay – the situation is grim indeed for a full half
of young people. Still worse is the long-term prospect
as older workers retire later and later. This means fewer
jobs for the young, especially during recession, when
experienced older workers are seen as assets and riskier
young workers are liabilities.
Still, it’s good to know that the Establishment has our
backs. Or perhaps not: on the day of writing Mervyn
King, Governor of the Bank of England made the truly
terrifying comment, “In the last three years, we have seen
extraordinary events. Who knows what’s going to happen
tomorrow, let alone next month?”
It should be clear to everyone by now that while there
is no better time to be in the sheltered environment of
Higher Education, there is also no better time to realise
that you won’t be here forever (probably) and that you
should really knuckle down and ensure delivery of that 1st
you know you’re capable of, but are not yet on the path to
actually attaining.
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
NUS says new fee waivers
are an “elaborate con trick”
...Continued from front page
As many people are aware,
cash bursaries or adiscount on
living expenses whilst at university
provide students support whilst
they are studying, whereas fee
waivers, will reduce the amount of
debt a student will have when they
graduate.
The NUS has agreed with the
Select Committee, which stated
that the Government had failed
to produce a coherent package of
reform and as a result, has caused
chaos, confusion and unfairness for
prospective students.
Director of Planning for the
University of Surrey and Trustee
of the Students’ Union, Harri Ap
Rees said: “The University has
decided to invest more in targeting
bursaries for students from low
income backgrounds by developing
a package of bursaries and fee
waivers that will continue to
encourage applications.
“All new first year entrants
to all full-time undergraduate
programmes in 2012-13 who have
a household income of £25,000
or less will receive an award
commensurate with the National
Scholarship Programme (NSP)
award of £3,000. Students living
in University accommodation
will have the choice of receiving
either a £3,000 discount on the
cost of accommodation or receive
a £1,000 cash bursary and a £2,000
fee waiver. Students living at home
or in rented accommodation will
receive a £1,000 cash bursary and a
£2,000 fee waiver.”
NUS President, Liam Burns
denied this argument: “As students
come under sustained financial
pressure and struggle to make
ends meet, we are pleased that the
Select Committee have recognised
that the need to prioritise upfront
financial support.
“The government has used
fees, cuts and student number
controls to bully universities into
removing vital financial support
from student’s pockets in favours of
partial fee waivers. These waivers
look attractive until the small print
reveals that they are an elaborate
con trick that would benefit only
the highest earning graduates.”
While the debate continues on
whether universities across England
choose to offer student support via
bursaries or fee waivers, the NUS
has also urged the Government to
rethink their education plans.
Mr Burns further commented:
“We continue to oppose the
Government’s
assault
on
NEWS
3
higher education. Rather than
unleashing more ill-though out and
controversial reforms and plunging
universities and students into
fresh chaos, ministers must now
pause and reflect amid widespread
concern.”
Why don’t fee waivers benefit poor students?
O
n paper, the idea of a fee
waiver seems like a brilliant
idea. After all, students from
across Britain have gone to great
lengths over the last year to
express displeasure at the idea of
the much increased tuition fees
next year’s students will face.
The admitted fact of the new
student finance regime however,
is that most students will never
actually pay back the entire
£27,000 total of their fee bill. It
is only the students who go on
to earn the highest amounts of
money who will pay it all back to
the Government.
Those students therefore,
who receive a fee waiver, will
not only never see the money,
but they won’t receive the full
benefit anyway.
Furthermore, many students
rely on the bursaries and
associated scholarships to get
them through the year. The
NUS also fears that because of
this, more students will leave
university before completing
their degrees, unable to cope
with the crippling stress of living
close to the breadline.
By Jyoti Rambhai, News Editor
O
n Wednesday 9th November
thousands of students gathered
on the streets of London in a protest
against tuition fees and cuts.
The march began at midday
outside the University College of
London Union on Malet Street and
headed through Charing Cross,
Strand and Fleet Street, before
bypassing St. Paul’s Cathedral and
ending at Moorgate.
One student from Central
Performing Arts School in London
said: “As we go to a drama school,
all of our funding has been cut and
as result it will become privatised,
which is something we don’t want.”
President at the University
of Edinburgh, Mark McFarthten
commented: “We have EMA in
Scotland, but they don’t have
it in England anymore. EMA is
absolutely crucial and I think the
Education Secretary should start
thinking about reinstating it.
“Many of our students in
Edinburgh come from a variety of
different backgrounds, including
being from different parts of the
UK, and there’s got to be a wider
strategy that makes Education
accessible to everybody”
The demonstration comes year
after students protested against
the government plans for Higher
Education.
Scotland Yard launched one of
its largest public order operations,
and had over 4000 police officers
lining the streets, all in a bid to
avoid a repetition of last year’s
incident that took place at the
Conservative Party HQ in Millbank.
Police had also sought authority
to use rubber bullets, however, as
there was very little violence this
was not needed.
Although a few arrests were
made during the march, most
of students were there to march
peacefully and get their voices
heard.
Part of the Executive Body for
NUS, Mark Bergfeld stated after
the march: “This can be a real
launch pad for a campaign against
the higher education white paper.
We have seen thousands of people
out today and it was not solely
a student demonstration, it was
actually a demonstration, I think,
for a different system, one beyond
cuts; one beyond job losses; and
people are asking for a system that
has the interest of the 99% not
the 1%.”
© OFFA
Student protest peaceful on streets of London
Director of Fair Access, Sir Martin Harris is also Chair of the Universities
Superannuation Scheme, at the centre of the staff pensions war.
‘UK institutions to lower fees in
response to government quota’
By John Kavanagh, News Team
O
Above: a heavy police
presence was evident
in response to the
dangerous protest last
year.
Far Left: A police
counter-terrorist unit,
the Territorial Support
Group was monitoring
the march.
Left: Protesters marched
through the streets of
London peacefully if
boisterously this year.
n 7th November, the Office for
Fair Access (Offa) announced
that 27 Higher Education
institutions in the UK are
poised for a reduction in annual
tuition fees from those they
announced earlier this year. This
is in response to a government
commitment to allocate 20,000
places to institutions charging at
or less than £7,500 per year.
The announcement has come
under criticism from some who
believe that a reduction in annual
tuition fees may be being financed
by cuts to the financial support
currently granted to poorer
students at these institutions.
Gill Wyness from the think tank:
CenteForum commented:
“Offa has told us only the
number of universities and
colleges that have lowered fees,
but not which ones, or by how
much. It is not clear whether
these institutions are financing
the cut in headline fees by
reducing waivers and bursaries
for the poorest students. Paying
for the change by cutting
support to students from poorer
backgrounds is highly regressive.”
NUS President, Liam Burns
said: “The Government’s botched
changes to Higher Education
are continuing to cause great
uncertainty for students, with
many looking to apply to
university still in the dark about
the fees and support they can
expect.”
The academic community
awaits further details from
Offa of how the announced fee
reductions are to be financed.
4
NEWS
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
Artificial light disrupts sleep
By Melissa Raske, News Team
R
esearch carried out by the
Surrey Sleep Research Centre
at the University of Surrey and
Royal Philips Electronics has shed
light on the effects an indoor
environment can have on our
biological clock and the quality of
sleep we have.
The data, published in the
Journal of Pineal Research, shows
how artificial light exposure in
the evening reduces the release
of melatonin, the hormone
responsible for sleep. This causes
us to feel less like sleeping and
therefore may delay bed time.
If the time one is supposed to
wake up is unchanged the amount
of sleep will be insufficient
leading to sleep deprivation
and increasing the health risks
associated with it.
The research looked at light
[email protected]
The 2050 Energy Targets
exposure at home during the day
and then at how that light affected
biological rhythms and sleep.
The quality of the light,
in terms of its colour was also
considered and tested to see if
different compositions minimised
the affects. It was found that
yellow light with minimum blue
and lower intensity had less effect
on sleep patterns.
The senior investigator of the
project, Professor Derk-Jan Dijk
said: “A better understanding of
the mechanisms by which light
affects our sleep and biological
rhythms may lead to new ways to
minimise some of the unwanted
effects of artificial light.”
The research also showed
that not all people react similarly
to artificial light and that there
are significant differences in the
degree of melatonin suppression
between individuals.
An address by
Charles Hendry MP
Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change
The importance of science
and
engineering in the future energy
supply and explanation of how the
Government is pushing the renewable
energy agenda.
Monday 28th November
Lecture Theatre G
13:00 – 14:00
Should tax-payers
subsidise holidays?
By Sophie Howard, News Team
T
© NotFromUtrecht
his week, a grant has been
awarded to two doctors from
the School of Hospitality and
Tourism Management at the
University of Surrey.
Their research will focus on
whether or not the tax-payer
should subsidise holidays for
those with a lower income, that
otherwise could not afford to go
on holiday.
Dr Miller said: “It will probably
come as little news to anyone
that holidays are good for us.
They help us to recover from the
structure of work and home life,
and to reconnect with ourselves
and families. Holidays can also
have a positive economic effect
on destinations and countries.”
With this in mind, Dr Miller
and Dr Minnaert are using the
grant to investigate the potential
of the concept of ‘Social Tourism’.
It is known that holidays can
improve overall family life, but
it can also improve skills such
as better budgeting. Moreover,
there is evidence that suggests
there are not only health benefits,
but positive economic benefits
from people taking a holiday.
Mr Miller continued to
explain: “While many businesses
can be outsourced to cheaper
parts of the world, tourism is an
export industry that has to be
based in the home country and so
much of the economic benefit can
be retained.”
In the future their research
may go on to inform wider social
policy, and be implemented in
government policy reform.
While the heyday of British beaches was in 1950s, towns like Weston-super-Mare
still attract tourists on hot weekends and offer a cheap alternative to Europe.
Surrey Rugby Team and Do>More collaborate in a nationwide volunteering event to help local communities
Make a Difference Day
By Do>More and the Rugby Team
R
unning between the 22nd
October and 6th November,
with Make a Difference Day in the
middle, the CVS Make a Difference
Day campaign is an opportunity
to try out volunteering and make
a difference to the lives of people
living in your community.
Clem Mulcahey Banks, Surrey
Students’
Union
Volunteer
Coordinator
explains:
“On
29th October, students from the
University of Surrey were once
again actively involved in making
a difference in their community. As
part of CSV Make a Difference Day
2011, 10 students from the Rugby
Club transformed the gardens of
two properties on Woodside Road.”
In conjunction with the
University of Surrey Students’
Union and Community Safety
Wardens for the Westborough and
Park Barn wards, Tracy James and
Richard Musgrove, the team ably
demonstrated the good work that
student volunteers can achieve.
With
support
from
the
Students’ Union Volunteering staff
and from Do>More, the on-campus
volunteering society, the rugby
team could not have been better
ambassadors for this nationwide
volunteering event, having also
been involved for the past two
years.
The day was a great success
with local residents expressing
their thanks and gratitude to the
students for their hard work and
generosity.
Moreover, during this period,
members of Do>More also found
time to run a bake sale in order to
raise funds for Age UK. They took
to heart the aims of this year’s
Make a Difference Day campaign:
‘to combat loneliness and isolation
within local communities’.
On top of this, the committee
organised an afternoon crafts
session on 2nd November at
Guildford Action Drop-In Centre for
the homeless, where the volunteers
who attended were greeted by
the warm and friendly staff and
members and a great time was had
by all.
After the massive success of our
projects this year, we should all be
excited for next year’s campaign
and the great difference that Surrey
students can make.’
If you are interested in getting
involved in volunteering at Surrey,
contact Clem Mulcahey Banks at
[email protected] or
visit the Volunteering and Training
section of the Union website at
www.ussu.co.uk/volunteering
NEWS
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
5
Drunken fight starts at
Casino over a cigarette
By Rachel Thomason, News Team
X Factor acts in Guildford to
shoot video for charity single
By Jyoti Rambhai, News Editor
T
he X Factor has announced that
it will be raising money for ACT
& Children’s Hospices UK with a
cover of Rose Royce’s Wishing on a
Star. Joining them on the single will
be two former X Factor bands, JLS
and One Direction.
The sixteen acts performing
on the single are the boys: Frankie
Cocozza, Craig Colton, Marcus
Collins and James Michael; the girls:
Janet Devlin, Sophie Habibis, Amelia
Lily and Misha Bryan; the groups:
The Risk, Little Mix, Nu Vide and
2 Shoes; and the over-25s: Kitty
Brucknell, Sami Brookes, Johnny
Robinson and Jonjo Kerr.
The X Factor finalists spent
the morning meeting children and
teenagers cared for by Shooting Star
CHASE. Kitty Brucknell spoke about
her time here: “It’s an amazing
opportunity to come here and see
the kids. It really puts everything
in perspective.”
Janet Devlin said: “Today’s been
really exciting; everyone’s really
upbeat and positive. When you
hear the word hospice you want to
think it’s really positive but I never
really expected it to be as bright
and colourful as when we arrived
here with everyone so happy – it’s
great.”
Marcus Collins added: “I didn’t
know what to expect but it’s been
so good. We’ve been doing glitter
glue with the kids, making things,
been on a little train with them all
and pushing them on the rides. I’ve
had a real laugh with them. It’s fun
to lift their spirits a bit and it means
a lot to us to be asked.”
Charlie Healy from The Risk
also commented: “We’re just four
normal guys, so to be able to come
down and make people smile and
happy is an honour.”
The video for the single will
be debuted live on The X Factor
on Sunday 27th November and will
be available to download straight
away.
Christopher’s Children Hospice,
owned by the charity Shooting Star
CHASE, cares for over 500 families
with a child or teenager who is
not expected to reach their 19th
birthday in Surrey, West London
and West Sussex.
The charity offers free support,
365 days a year. They are there
every step of the children’s journey,
sharing the good times and helping
them through the tough times with
practical and emotional support.
With
no
guaranteed
Government funding, Shooting Star
CHASE must raise £23,000 a day to
continue providing the services
they do and need all the support
they can get. For more information
visit: www.shootingstarchase.org.uk
A
court hearing on Friday 28th
October has fined three men
for a fight that took place outside
Casino Nightclub in Guildford, on
22 May. The fight started as an
argument over a cigarette.
The
incident
involved
Nicholas Tenconi, 27, Matthew
Conran, 33 and Aiden Davis, 28,
who repeatedly punched and
kicked the victim.
Although a friend helped
him up and both walked away,
the group went after them and
Tenconi punched the victim
again who fell down outside Tesco
in Bridge Street. Whilst on the
ground, the men brutally kicked
him.
Originally all three denied the
allegations but, after viewing the
CCTV footage, pleaded guilty to
the charges.
Conran’s defence, Rebecca
Helliwell, claimed he deeply
regretted what had happened. It
was apparently out of character
for all three men and although
it was also admitted during the
court hearing that all three men
had been drinking, they accept
that there was no excuse for the
violence they inflicted on the
victim.
The accused must complete
240 hours of unpaid work and
keep in contact with a probation
officer for 12 months as well
as each having to pay £300
compensation and an additional
£560 in court fees.
Students’ Union Executive answer to students’ questions.
University versus union at
year’s first Students’ Forum
By Jack White, Editor
U
X factor contestants spend time with children and teenagers who benefit from charity CHASE
Royalty visits Guildford Cathedral
By Bethany Goss, News Team
T
he Queen and Duke of Edinburgh
visted Guildford Cathedral and
East Surrey College in Redhill on
the 18th November to celebrate the
Cathedral’s 50th anniversary Service
of Thanksgiving.
The event was a recreation of
the visit the Queen made upon the
cathedral’s consecration on Stag Hill
in 1961.
The Very Revd Victor Stock,
Dean of Guildford, said it was
“splendid” that the royal couple
attended the celebrations.
The royal couple met with
various community groups upon
their visit including 150 singers
made up from local primary schools
and the cathedral’s choristers. Our
own Student’s Union president was
among these.
The Queen and Prince Philip
also met with groups of staff and
students at East Surrey College
whereupon they were taken on a
tour of the facility before ending
their royal visit with the unveiling
of a plaque to celebrate the event.
During their visit, the royal
couple paid trips to the Adult
Education Room, Media Studio
and Training Salon, as well as the
Technology, Brick and Vehicle
workshops.
The Queen leaves in an untaxed Bentley.
niversity went head-to-head
with the UCU trade union at
Students’ Forum last week as the
question was asked, “Should the
students’ union support the 30th
November strike?”
The Co-Chairs of the Surrey
branch of the UCU academics’
union told the assembly that new
pension arrangements turned a
reasonable but not fantastic deal
into a bad deal and said, “Staff
have been bullied and harassed –
the only thing left to us is to go
on strike.”
University HR tzar Paul
Stephenson retaliated, pointing
out the the regulations on
pension consultations had been
followed and insisting that the
offer made to lecturers was a
good one and better than Private
Sector workers could hope for.
The UCU strike this month
is part of a wider strike, which
may see as many as three million
employees stop work.
New student
voting system
With the Students’ Forum
comes a new pillar of student
democracy as motions put to the
Forum are available online and
can be voted on at the Students’
Union website.
A motion was brought
mandating the Union to make
cheaper living for Surrey students
a priority this year and calling on
the National Union of Students
to campaign for a geographical
weighting for student loans.
One international student
called for an addition to the
motion in support of better
financial
arrangements
for
international students.
Log in at www.ussu.co.uk
to have your vote all year
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
UNION
7
Sabbaticals Say...
Stay safe: get
tested for free
Dave Halls
USSU VP Welfare
S
In a notoriously rare moment, the Queen smiles as she briefly waves to adoring fans before leaving Guildford Cathedral.
Union President gets to know
trustees and meets the Queen
Osama Salih
Union President
W
ell reflecting back on the last two weeks, there
has been a lot going on. For some reason it
has been the busiest time since taking up my role
as President. The weeks covered a wide range of
meetings and university committees. A meeting to
address the accommodation issues that might face
Surrey students in future years working with the
VP Welfare and University staff, to Senate meeting,
Finance Committee, Safe Surrey Group.
On Thursday 10th November the University
Of Surrey Students’ Union had its second Trustee
meeting, as well as all the student trustees. The
Students’ Union for the first time has a group
of trustees to help guide the elected sabbaticals
throughout their time on the post and also to ensure
continuity. Our trustees are:
• David Hill – Chief Executive of Guildford Borough
Council
• Marian Lynch – Partner at Pitmans Solicitors
• Barry Hitchcock – Ex Director of UniSport
(retired)
• Harri Ap Rees – Director of Strategic Planning at
the University of Surrey
• Hashim Alsaidi – Category Manager for Gú
puddings
The trustees will be looking after different areas
of our strategy and helping the sabbaticals when help
is needed to fulfil these aims for the year. The areas
looked at are Democracy, Community, Legacy and
Satisfaction. It is great working with these people and
a sign of greatness to come.
Last Monday the results from last year’s
I-graduate survey were presented to University staff
and the results were very good to see. The University
of Surrey Students’ Union satisfaction rate was in the
high 80%. We are really proud of that and hope to
continue our improvements in the years to come.
Thursday 17th November was the day of the
official opening of the University of Surrey Library
and Learning Centre. The building was officially
opened by Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of
Higher Education Funding Council for England.
The atmosphere of the building was amazing with
students flooding the building seeking for knowledge
and wisdom, what a beautiful sight.
Finally Friday 18th November marked the
50th (Golden) Jubilee of Guildford Cathedral. The
anniversary included a visit from Her Majesty
the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. I was
introduced to Her Majesty and talked about what my
role is and the projects that we are working on at the
University of Surrey. I gave a brief introduction about
the Multi-Faith Centre and explained the importance
it has for our community. The reaction was of interest
and certainly for it being the only building or project
in the United Kingdom that will house the different
faiths and religions under the same roof, creating a
peaceful environment for our students to practise
their prayers.
So over all I would say a successful couple of weeks
with meeting Her Majesty being the cherry on top of
the icing.
exual health remains something
of a taboo subject amongst many
of us. Sex is part of student life, and
is something to be celebrated, not
discouraged; however, staying safe
is essential.
Do not fear, dear reader, this
isn’t some rant harking back to
Year 9, and putting condoms on
bananas; but a highlight as to why
you should take full advantage of
the opportunity presented next
Monday, and get a free chlamydia
test.
The test is self-administered
(gents, you’re just peeing in a pot,
girls, you’re taking a swab), and
can be completely anonymous, by
giving a fake name if you want it to
be; you just need to give a genuine
mobile number to be texted either
“you are fine”, or “call this number
[for free] for more details”. From
getting a pack, finding a toilet,
doing the test, and giving it back to
someone you can be done in under
five minutes, and hopefully be just a
few weeks away from confirmation
that you’re all clean and good to go!
Chlamydia is particularly rife
in Surrey amongst 18-25 year olds;
it is generally symptomless in both
men and women, yet can cause
infertility in as little as six weeks
if left untreated. A short course of
antibiotics is all it takes to clear
it up.
Tests will be available from
across campus on Monday 28th
November; it really is worth your
while getting tested!
New-Learn: the ULearn
system meets its match
Sam Ratzer
USSU VP Education
T
he excuse of academics not
embracing virtual learning due
to ULearn’s clunky interface will
by August 2012 be a thing of the
past. The University has appointed
Desire2Learn to develop a new
Virtual Learning Environment
(VLE) to replace the current
ULearn system in time for the
next academic year. The contract
is signed and now starts a rapid
and thorough process, involving
all areas of the University, to make
sure the system is ready to go.
The new VLE is the flagship
project of a series of IT upgrades
made by the University over the
last couple of years, and marks a
step-forward in the promotion of
computer based learning. There
will be plenty of opportunities
over the next year for students to
be involved in “user-acceptance”
testing the VLE to make sure it
looks and feels like Surrey students
want it to.
Lecturers will be equally
involved in this process, as the
success of this project hangs on the
level of lecturers’ engagement with
the new technology. Encouraging all
academics to embrace the new VLE
will require somewhat of a cultural
change in some departments and
faculties, which will include your
help in ensuring that they are
aware of your expectations.
The VLE remains nameless
and a competition to name it will
be launched soon, so be prepared
to get involved, get creative and
potentially leave your mark on
a piece of history in the making
as Surrey engages in a six year
partnership of innovation and
cutting edge technology, to
enhance your learning experience.
8
OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Opinion & Analysis
Don’t let the Forces
fade from thought
Daniel Stevens
I
Even large media outlets tout the sickening line that women are responsible for their own rape – but you might as well blame a
pedestrian run over by a drunk driver for their own death – after all, they were in the way.
Blame where
blame is due
Ellie Brodie
T
here is an overwhelming
amount of the population
who are intolerant of victims
of rape and sexual abuse. Views
such as “it happened because her
skirt was too short” or “she was
easy because she was drunk” are
unacceptable. Is it okay to assume
someone’s intentions by their
clothing; is a person in a football
shirt a hooligan looking for a fight?
If people are asserting “wear high
cut tops, don’t get drunk and take
taxis home; otherwise it is your
own fault if you get attacked,” how
can we successfully condemn the
persecutors?
A few weeks ago Eammon
Holmes interviewed a 20-yearold rape victim on This Morning.
She had obviously undergone
great trauma when raped at 18
but displayed huge courage and
strength to forgo her anonymity, to
insure her rapist was caught. As the
interview drew to a close Holmes
remarked ‘I hope you take a taxi
now’. This remark, rightly, caused a
huge uproar on the Twittersphere.
Some believed that Holmes was
suggesting, perhaps unknowingly,
that if she had changed her actions,
not dared to go outside where
rapists are, she would not have
been raped. Holmes is just one
example of the attitudes that are
unfortunately common for a lot of
people. What if the taxi driver had
raped her? Would the statement
have been “I hope you walk home in
the dark alone from now on”? Apart
from the reality that students do
not have the funds to get a £10 taxi
every time they head home after a
night out – this concept of people
having, to change their actions to
avoid being attacked by others is
revolting. When people with similar
views to Holmes suggest that each
rape victim could have done more
to prevent their attack, it is really
painful for that individual. How
careful can we realistically be, and
still enjoy life?
Here’s an idea – blame the
rapist. Avoid confusion – get a
yes, don’t wait for a no. Respect
people as their existence is not
for your sexual pleasure! To quote
an excellent blog on the subject:
“If you’re doing something that
is more likely to make rapists
feel comfortable and/or rape
survivors feel uncomfortable, then
don’t do it!”
www.rapecrisis.org.uk – supporting victims of rape
t’s clear that Remembrance
Day has become a bigger event
in recent years as a result of the
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
that have claimed over 560 lives
and caused thousands of lifechanging injuries. For a fortnight
we wear poppies to signify our
solidarity, and to show our regret
that so many lives have been lost
or fundamentally changed in the
conflicts of modern history.
The creation of an Armed
Forces Day demonstrates a
growing consciousness of the role
of the military, and it is a step in
the right direction in allowing
us to honour their dedication.
However, the notion that sacrifice
somehow matters more when
we’re at war is an uncomfortable
one.
Support for our Armed
Forces should be unconditional,
and the prospect of the military
fading from our thoughts once
we withdraw from Afghanistan
is unsettling. Our support should
not falter regardless of whether
we’re at war or at peace.
My brother has served twice
in Afghanistan and I feel lucky
that he is still with us. However,
you don’t have to have a family
connection to the military to
appreciate the nature of the job.
The nature of war has changed
over time; servicemen and
women may no longer face the
terror of going ‘over the top’, but
instead there is a constant threat
of being ambushed, kidnapped,
or blown up by IEDs. Recruits
may no longer have to lie about
their age to protect their country,
but they do have to leave their
families behind.
Remembrance Day may now
have passed, but every day the
families of the fallen have to deal
with their loss. Every day those
who have lost limbs or suffered
mental scars have to battle on and
try to make the most of their lives.
We should support our Armed
Forces and our military charities
all year round, just as those in the
military have supported us for
our entire lives.
The new fees aren’t half bad
George Potter
S
ome might find this surprising,
but I’d much rather be going to
university under the new tuition
fee system than the old one.
You see, under the current
system, when we graduate we’ll
start paying back our fees as soon
as we earn over £15,000. Students
going in under the new system
won’t pay anything back until
they’re earning over £21,000 and
they’ll pay £540 a year less than
they would currently.
Meanwhile there will be
more bursaries for students from
poorer backgrounds, no one will
have to pay fees upfront (unlike
part-time students under the
current system), all unpaid debt
is written off after 30 years and
the percentage of your income
you pay won’t change whether
your uni charges £6,000 a year or
£9,000 a year. In short, it works
exactly like a graduate tax.
In the last edition of The
Stag, Dan Stevens wrote an
article support Labour’s new
policy of capping fees at £6,000.
Incidentally, Dan Stevens is a
Labour Councillor, something he
didn’t mention – hardly surprising
he’s supporting the party line.
Now, hands up, I’m a Lib Dem
so I can’t claim that I’m not biased
either. I think Nick Clegg was
wrong to break his promise on
fees, but I don’t want students to
be misled by Labour either.
What Dan failed to mention
it was Labour who introduced
fees after promising not to, who
tripled fees after promising not
to, who commissioned the fees
review which the government
implemented, who then did a
U-turn to oppose the findings of
review they’d started and Labour
who now, just six months after
calling for a graduate tax, have
broken yet another policy and are
saying that fees should only be
doubled rather than tripled.
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
OPINION & ANALYSIS
9
BUSINESS
© Gonçalo Valverde
Letters to the Editor
Investment and the
anti-degree brigade
Peter Bailey
A
n interesting time to choose
to be a student. A second
round of London protests has
again prompted examination of
the motivations and rewards for
this particular career move. Those
who are set on attending a Higher
Education establishment may be
battling with their own demons
(financial or otherwise), but it is
another sentiment which I have
been examining recently.
I came from a predominantly
University-going sixth form
college, where two camps
quickly formed in my 18 yearold peer group of the time. Those
cultivating
their
University
options positioned themselves
knee-deep in prospectuses and
submitted to the mercy of UCAS.
After a few months of shuffling
by those who were unsure, this
only left those set against going to
University as a remainder. What
amazed me was the virile and
stalwart defensive against those
going to University adopted by
those pursuing jobs or vocational
courses instead of University.
Interestingly I have clocked
this distinctive thread throughout
society and business ever since.
There are a fired-up contingent
of individuals going straight into
industry from school at either 16
or 18, who likely accrue at least
three years experience by the
time most graduates even don a
suit for their first job interview.
The net result of the two-camp
predication in our offices and
workplaces sometimes seems to
be a simmering resentment of
students by those who never had
the (relative) pleasure.
Hard to say whether the
outsiders view is one of envy,
animosity, indifference or indeed
ignorance in this case. Perhaps
it is more singularly related to
the fact that there is a working
generation who were not offered
the same opportunities as the
kids of the 80’s and 90’s. Of course
this has been the topic of much
fervent debate in recent months
where it is claimed an increase in
tuition fees and cuts to education
services are strangling the very
opportunities which are hailed as
golden by our elders.
We need a mix of skill sets and
education levels in our national
industry. We need diversity in
business in order for ideas to thrive
and be properly implemented.
There is a real need to try and
understand our working peers
with a compassion and sense of
team spirit that perhaps could
have been neglected before the
labouring Global Financial Crisis,
in favour of chasing commission
or “just being out for oneself”. I
believe that the businesses which
will be successful in coming years
are those which are beginning to
discard predispositions towards
class and educational stature,
instead
favouring
relevant
practical skills and the right kind
of attitude.
It is a time of opportunities.
Regardless of whether you
are a university graduate the
employment market is being
forced through a die into a new
shape. Really the only question is
whether you took the right level
of education for what you think
you would like to do, and the rest
rapidly becomes history once you
start work. I hope for our sake
that any animosity between the
‘uni’ and ‘non-uni’ camps can be
abated in an era where schoolleaving entrepreneurs can create
millions, and equally graduates
can still find jobs which provide
them a solid return on their
tuition fee investment.
Send your correspondence to [email protected]. Letters
maybe abbreviated out of consideration of space on the page.
Dear Editor,
I wish to give students
reassurance following the article
that appeared in The Stag on
25th October regarding Erasmus
schemes.
The article was based on the
outcomes of a report that was
carried out by the Erasmus Student
Network, and gives the impression
that there was a significant UK
problem. However, the Erasmus
National Agency has confirmed
that the study was based on the
whole European Higher Education
Area. Within the survey there were
9,000 respondents, and it is worth
pointing out here that only 100
related to credit recognition issues
in the UK.
Students sometimes go abroad
without fully understanding the
way the period abroad will be
treated and the facts are important.
Please be assured that for any
student taking part in Erasmus here
at Surrey, their period overseas
is treated like the Professional
Training Year (PTY) and is therefore
credit-bearing.
We are not aware of any student
who has satisfactorily completed
being told that his or her credits
abroad are not recognised. There
are, however, students who fail to
meet the pass thresholds abroad
and resits or repeats are then
required. This would be the case
here anyway.
As a founder member of the
University Global Partnership
Network (UGPN), we would like to
continue to strongly encourage
our students to embark on such
overseas programmes that provide
numerous
opportunities
for
intellectual and personal growth.
The value of study abroad is
highlighted in the article below:
www.topuniversities.com/
wur-comment/employersvalue-international-studentexperience?dotmailer=email&dm_
i=76R,LBBD,1952XP,1Q9TD,1
Professor Colin Grant
Pro Vice Chancellor
University of Surrey
Chair, Executive Committee,
University Global Partnership
Network (www.ugpn.org)
Professor,
Thank you for your letter. As you
point out, the report that our article
(Erasmus scheme could harm
degrees, The Stag #36, p4) cited, was
based on figures from across Europe and
was not solely with regard to Surrey or
even the UK.
We are very willing to acknowledge
that students’ experiences may differ
radically from institution to institution.
I would like to point out however,
that as a coordinated international
programme,
the
institutions
participating in Erasmus all have a
responsibility for the upkeep of the
programme’s image.
Furthermore, if 100 out of 9,000
responses to this international survey
were about UK credit recognition issues,
it could be said that the figure is rather
high.
I look forward to seeing a report in
future from one of our writers about
how well Erasmus students perform at
the University of Surrey.
Yours, the Editor
The Stag is looking for your opinions, analyses and letters. Currently
all should be submitted to [email protected] at the latest by
Friday 25th November for the last edition of the Autumn Term. Updates
on post-Christmas editions will be available on the Stag’s Facebook
page: www.facebook.com/TheStagSurrey.
The Great Debate
In the next issue we ask students:
“Christmas has its basis in Christianity, but with its
medieval fusion with pagan ritual and the modern,
secular commercialism of the festival, is the
meaning of Christmas lost and does society care?
Is it time to replace it or time to revive it? What
about those from a non-Christian background?”
Send responses by Wednesday 30th November to:
[email protected]
10 OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
From photos by Steven Trooster, Chapendra, Gareth Saunders, English106
The Great Debate
Students often complain about limited contact hours at Surrey, with many
receiving fewer than 10 hours per week. With the introduction of £9,000 tuition
fees next year, is the University offering too little for too much?
Do contact hours and
high fees correspond?
S
tudent contact hours are seen as
vital in order to achieve results
of excellence. However, with the
recent reduction of contact between
students and module leaders to ten
hours at the University of Surrey,
are future students going in for less
than they are entitled?
Following the increase in
tuition fees to £9000 a year,
students will undoubtedly want
to get the most out of its cost.
Although independent learning is
encouraged as well as study groups,
the necessity of contact hours with
module tutors remains.
Students strive for excellence,
and that can only be achieved
through direct contact with
the lecturers. Yes, it is worth
highlighting that the advancement
of technology means students can
present their ideas and concerns
through e-mails, however, should
that be the reason for restricting
contact time to just ten hours or
less?
A Level 1 Politics student
comments that although the
reduction in contact hours may not
be beneficial to many, university
is in essence not just about the
contact hours. Thus, although there
Facebook Poll
•
•
•
•
•
•
is an increase in tuition fees and a
reduction in contact hours, more
ways of achieving excellence can be
sought.
Moreover, she argues that
although education is something
that a price cannot be put on, the
reduction in contact hours may not
go down very well. She comments
that various courses require
different interaction, and if the
latter is being reduced to the bare
minimum, it could be problematic.
Consequently, in terms of the
increase in fees, she argues that
measuring from the course which
she is studying, having only eight
contact hours a week does not
correspond to the current fee she is
paying – the argument being that in
hindsight she pays a steep price.
The unhappiness of the
students is justifiable since module
leaders’ help towards achieving the
best results. With the reduction of
contact hours, and the increase
of fees, has the possibility of
reduction in overall performance
been considered? Since they are
being reduced to merely ten hours,
the necessity of clearing out topics
will increase. So is the university
essentially going in for a catch 22?
Do you get enough teaching
University of Surrey?
I don't have enough hours and want significantly more teaching time
I would like a bit more teaching time
I don’t have many hours, but that’s okay, because I have a lot of reading to do
I wouldn’t want any more – it’s just right
I would like a little less teaching time
It’s too much now! I’m drowning in information hours at the
22.6%
29.0%
37.1%
8.1%
1.6%
1.6%
Staff response: ‘I am not sure students
really utilise the time they are offered’
I
have taught at Surrey, in FAHS, for two years,
and offer a personal response only. I do not speak
for the University, any department, and have no
understanding of matters outside FAHS.
I write only to offer some advice. I note the concern
about ‘limited contact hours’. As an undergraduate, in
the 1990s, I received fewer contact hours than what my
students currently receive at Surrey. However, I had
the benefit of a grant and I appreciate your concern.
Nevertheless, I am not sure that many students really
utilise the time they are offered with academic staff. I
am thinking, in particular, of staff office hours.
I think perhaps there is a misconception that
staff office hours are to be used only when absolutely
necessary, when a student is panicking with an
imminent essay deadline and is on the point of a
breakdown. This is not the case. I set aside two hours
each week when any student, in my department, is
welcome to come and talk to me about any academic
matters. So far, this term, only one student has done
this. I would be delighted, during these assigned hours,
to talk with students about their essays, their reading,
or anything else as long as it is roughly connected to
their course of study, but my office remains silent,
save for the turning of the pages as I read and wait to
see if any students will come and see me this week!
no contact
Cheated of my £3,500 Virtually
time is ‘disgraceful’
I
’m in my first year at the uni, and my course
currently has only 8 1/2 contact hours a week, and
this is reduced each year. Speaking to some third
years, they are only required in lectures for 3 hours
a week. Understandably, university isn’t about being
spoon fed but rather investing your own time and
effort into independent study. However, the structure
of your own study is linked to the way in which you
have understood and connected with work from
lectures. I find myself surrounded by text books but
with no sense of where to start as they appear to have
no relevance to my current studies – if there was more
than one class per week per module, I would have a
greater understanding of where the course was going
and could study accordingly. Though I’m not paying
the higher fees, I still feel somewhat cheated that my
£3,500 a year is going towards more time outside of
class than in.
T
he fact some courses have virtually no
contact time with lecturers at this University
is disgraceful. We pay hefty fees (increasing
substantially next year) – what are we really
getting for our money if we receive barely any
contact time..?
I could understand people arguing for the idea
that some courses do need that extra time to read
and research; but, really ‘30-40’ hours? Surely we
could have more useful support such as tutorials
specifically designed to support our writing /
studies etc. Yes, they do have people at Splash to
assist us but they do not have the same knowledge
base as the lecturers themselves or people heavily
involved in the subject. I think we are being shortchanged in our education by receiving so little
input from the people employed to teach us.
12 FEATURES
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Features
Kriss Akabusi: World Record holder in athletics and champion of record breakers
Sexual health test World
Record attempt at Surrey
By Dave Halls, VP Welfare
H
ave you ever wanted to be a
Guinness World Record holder,
looking longingly at Kris Akabusi
wishing it was your record he was
talking about?
From midday on Monday 28th
November until midday on Tuesday
29th, University of Surrey students
will be taking part in an attempt
to break the record for most sexual
health screening tests administered
in 24 hours. This might sound like
something quite daunting and
complicated to be involved in, but
in actual fact it couldn’t be simpler.
From midday on the 28th, come
to one of the base points on campus
and collect a free screening test
from one of our team (they’ll be the
ones in brightly-coloured t-shirts
talking far too much about STIs).
Find yourself a toilet or somewhere
private where you feel comfortable,
take the test, and then bring it back
to one of the base points. You never
have to give any more information
than your mobile number, for your
result to be texted back to you subtly
a few weeks’ later (either “you’re all
clear” or “call this number for free
for more details”, if you’re not). You
can even give a fake name if you’d
rather not use your own.
The test itself couldn’t be
easier; ladies, for you it is a simple
swab test; gents, yours is urinating
in a pot – both methods can be
done wherever you feel most
comfortable, be that at home, or
public toilets. The whole process
could take as little as a few minutes.
Chlamydia is the most common
sexually transmitted infection
amongst students, particularly
those aged 16-25, and is especially
rife in Surrey and the Home
Counties. Whilst maintaining good
sexual health may seem like a
chore, and a bit of a boring subject,
it is so important to get yourself
checked, and make sure that you
are healthy and that you’re also
not at risk of passing an infection
on to someone you care about. In
both men and women, chlamydia
can be symptomless, and can cause
infertility in as little as six weeks if
left untreated. Testing is so easy,
and if you do happen to test positive
for chlamydia, a short course of
antibiotics will clear you right up.
Ideally, you should get yourself
tested for chlamydia every time
you have a new sexual partner; but
having now settled right into the
new academic year, and the new
DNA bike
security
By Dave Halls, VP Welfare and
Trung, VP Sports
O
Humour aside, it is easy to improve protection for your bike, just by getting it tagged under the new police DNA scheme.
n Thursday 24th November,
Trung & Dave (your VP Sport &
VP Welfare) are teaming up, along
with Surrey Police, to offer you the
opportunity to protect your bike, and
indeed any other belongings in a new
and unique way. This is a security
tag like none before- a tiny layer of
liquid is brushed onto your bike; and
within this liquid is artificial DNA.
Once dry, the liquid is only visible
under ultraviolet light, and the
DNA sample can be tested. The DNA
used is unique to the University of
Surrey. This means that should your
bike ever be stolen, the chances of
it being recovered and returned to
you increase massively. When you
have your bike DNA-tagged, you give
your contact details, meaning once
‘acquaintances’ that come with it,
there won’t be a better opportunity
to get tested!
And as if ‘not becoming infertile’
wasn’t a big enough incentive,
everyone who returns a completed
test will get reduced price entry to
RAG’s Safer Sex Ball, and can also
choose to be entered into a draw
to win a pair of tickets to Mexican
Night on the 2nd December! Now
you can’t say fairer than that!
The current Guinness
World Record is 500 tests
in 24 hours, set by the
University of Hull in 2009.
the recovered bike is returned to the
university, Security will know who it
belongs to!
Of course, bikes aren’t the only
belongings you can have DNA tagged;
phones, laptops, MP3 players are
all suitable for tagging, and doing
so increases the chance that should
you ever be unlucky enough to have
them stolen, that they’ll be returned
to you once the Police catch the
culprits.Getting tagged will cost just
£1 per item, which covers the cost
of the DNA product, so for less than
the price of a pint, you could have the
additional peace of mind that your
most treasured items are tagged and
traceable to the University. So come
to the Students’ Union from 8am to
2pm on Thursday 24th November,
outside the fruit & vegetable market.”
8AM-2PM
Thursday 24th
November GET TAGGED!
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
Remember...
orld War veterans can hold their heads high as
even though the Wars may be considered to be
memories of the past to the majority of us, victories
have been won in the name of these brave men;
this weekend, Muslims Against Crusades, a group
planning an anti-Armistice Day protest were banned
with the penalty of facing up to ten years in prison.
The organisation had planned to repeat last year’s
demonstration, where members had burned poppies
near London’s Albert Hall.
Remembrance Day was been brought to the
forefront of our news last week after FIFA were
castigated for their decision to ban the England football
team from wearing an embroidered or printed emblem
of a poppy on their kits for a friendly match against
Spain. Their justification was that it represented a
“political statement”. After much criticism, including
the help of Prince William, that conclusion was turned
around as FIFA had not recognised this emblem as a
symbol of national pride, in parallel with the England
football shirt.
This recent bit of news has served as reminder that
Remembrance Day is still relevant to our generation
and those that will follow. The brave men who gave the
ultimate sacrifice for the protection of their country
and its people should never be forgotten; the extent
of their courage and bravery are qualities we can only
hope to achieve in our lifetime but must always strive
to aspire to.
We may never have to fight for our country or face
possible invasion; but to remember their extraordinary
feat makes me proud to be British.
Still struggling to settle?
By Dave Halls, VP Welfare
S
ometimes, despite the best
intentions of those around you
who care about you, and hopes
that you will feel more comfortable
in your new surroundings,
homesickness doesn’t go away.
Perhaps the yearning to be away
from your new university life makes
you even question your decision to
come here.
If you feel you have reached this
point there are a number of steps
you can take.
Firstly, it is well worth booking
an appointment to speak with
the Centre for Wellbeing (at the
bottom of University Court, or
call 01483 689498, or just 9498
from any campus phone). The free
By Declan Cooney, Features Team
©samatt
W
counselling service the Wellbeing
team offer is excellent, and they
will be able to talk with you about
how you’re feeling to help you get
a clearer picture of what is best for
you. They won’t try to convince
you either way in terms of leaving
or staying, but will certainly be
able to help you come to a rational
conclusion that is best for you.
It is also worth discussing how
you’re feeling with your personal
tutor; again they won’t put any
pressure on you to stay or leave, but
will be able to help you approach
your position from a different angle
to the Centre of Wellbeing’s team.
It is worth bearing in mind that
whilst you might be feeling isolated
and missing home, that you’ve made
it halfway through term already; in
13
Till Death Do Us Part?
©Anetta
By Clowance Lawton, Features Team
FEATURES
less than six weeks time, you’ll be
heading back home for Christmas.
This little break from university to
see your friends and family from
home could be the perfect chance
to realise how much you’ve settled
into University life.
University isn’t necessarily for
everyone, but you took the giant
step to decide to come here in the
first place, so don’t be too rash in
wanting away. Try to explore your
options, and keep an open mind; but
ultimately, you do have to do what’s
best for you – and only you can
decide that. Everyone suffers from
homesickness in some capacity, but
keeping a positive mental attitude
can help anyone beat it – otherwise
all adults would still be living with
their parents!
A
s somewhat of a closet Reality
TV fan, I was shocked to hear
that Kim Kardashian (of Keeping
Up with the Kardashians fame) is
divorcing after just 72 days of
marriage. Most difficult to digest
about this news, however, is
not Kim’s fickleness – although
such flightiness by a prominent
and emulated public figure is
somewhat worrying considering
young peoples’ evaporating
belief in sticking power – but the
trivialisation of marriage at large.
Of
course,
Kardashian’s
actions cannot be used to estimate
the value Western society
places on marriage, but they do
represent a change in attitude to
“till death do us part”. Putting
Kim aside, I nonetheless find
myself asking: what is the place
of marriage in society today, in
which marriage rates have hit an
all-time low? Have modern living
arrangements, notions of love
and family dynamics outpaced it?
Clearly, Western society
still affords marriage a certain
traditional significance; anything
in the UK’s general airspace
ground to a halt to watch the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge marry
earlier this year. It is estimated
that two billion people considered
the wedding worth their viewing
time, and snapshots of the day
linger among our generation’s
most memorable. What was clear
in April and remains clear today,
however, is that attention was not
held mostly, or even significantly,
by the ceremony itself. All eyes
were instead on the dress, the
guests, the ring and the kiss. The
emphasis was not on the marriage
or the service that created it, but
on the wedding and the 24 hours
that it dominated. Yes, we love
marriage, but would love it less
if it lost its theatrics and retained
only its institutional importance.
I say this, inevitably, at the
risk of angering those who do still
value marriage for its religious
significance. To those people I
apologise, but maintain that they
are the minority. Indeed, I find
“it’s a religious thing” a mostly
inadequate defense of marriage:
many who wed in church and
espouse its religious implications
haven’t set foot in the place
before without a wedding planner
at their side, diligently rechecking
the amount of fairy lights they
can graffiti the tapestries with,
or how many petals they can
get away with tossing down the
aisle. And there are countless
other ways to practice religion.
Take the vast majority of today’s
brides and grooms and tell them
that the Bible encourages them
not just to marry, but to assist the
needy, care for the environment
and turn the other cheek: they’d
scarper from the church quicker
than you can say “I do”.
Marriage doesn’t even remain
the pillar of the happy family.
According to the Office of National
Statistics, only 53% of births in
2010 were to married parents, or
those joined by civil partnership,
compared to 88% in 1980. It seems
that the very meaning of the
word “family” has undergone
an expansion, and what it
encompasses nowadays relies less
and less on the expectation of two
married parents. Is this a change
we should lament? Of course
not: with marriage rates falling
speedily it is actually one we
seem to be embracing. Adults no
longer punish themselves for not
achieving the nuclear family, and
anything that reduces the amount
of anxiety and self-criticism in
our ever-more overstressed and
high-paced lifestyles can only be
a positive.
Only time will tell if marriage
is really destined to fall off its ageold pedestal and be left instead to
the pursuit of the extravagant and
shallow. Judging by the picture in
2011? Society and marriage are
headed to the divorce courts.
14 FEATURES
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
By Bakita Kasadha, Editor-in-Chief
Y
es - I did feel like I was betraying my own, but then I
realised that most of what I’m going to write is true.
Seeing as I have a slightly male way of thinking
(I’m dirty minded – I had to get in a dig about males
somewhere.) I think I am best placed to step out of the
situation and objectively judge our faults.
Number one: our ability to completely overreact
and misinterpret a situation. As one male sabbatical
said, ‘If we don’t want to go out for a drink, it doesn’t
necessarily mean that we don’t want meet up with you,
it may just mean that we don’t want to go for a drink.’
It’s true - why do we see everything as a personal attack?
Even the toughest of girls become pathetic when
they like a guy (or girl – no judgements here) and it
doesn’t help if all this time you’ve been trying to act
like ‘a strong independent black woman’, Beyoncé has
taught us that there’s one inside all of us. STOP asking
them what they’re thinking!
Moving away from guys, we need to cut out the
bitchiness. Without sounding like a motivational writer,
2011 is year for ‘women being the agents of change’ (Her
Majesty said so). The Bitch Factor (Her Majesty didn’t
talk about this) is something that we need to get rid of.
Why moan to your mum (who’s not in this county) and
the fellow train passenger sitting opposite you? Why
complain in your diary if you’re never going to tell the
instigator of your bad mood that you hate them? In the
same way that you don’t know what he’s thinking, your
friends/frenemies can’t read your mind and discover
that you don’t like it when they leave their socks inbetween the cushions.
In addition: girls that pretend that they’re part of
the fairer sex club but have the crudest mouth; girls
that cry at any given situation to get what they want;
girls that think every relationship will end in a fairytale
wedding.
If I can turn against my own sex, imagine what
I’m going to write about the other. Boys, I’m going to
destroy you (but not in a sexual way).
Has Christmas
come too early?
By Sophie Vickery, Features Team
N
ovember has arrived and
despite being 55 days away,
the presence of Christmas can
certainly be felt on campus,
in Guildford and just about
everywhere. 55 days is a long time;
15% of the year and the same gap
between the end of August and
November. Yet the High Street
and media have already begun
to convince us that Christmas is
just around the corner. Television
adverts have become abundant in
red glitter, gift ideas and cartoon
Santas, whilst Starbucks have
launched their infamous red cups
and Costa have introduced yule
logs and mince pies among their
usual cake selection.
Oxford Street’s Christmas
light switch-on was held on the
1st November – the earliest it has
ever been – following the High
Street’s motive to encourage
Christmas shoppers to begin their
shopping early to boost sales and
enhance economic success.
The utilisation of Christmas
to increase profits frustrates
many citizens who simply wish
to enjoy the traditional Christmas
spirit of spending time with loved
ones over a warming Christmas
dinner, corny crackers and a
sleepy afternoon film. Yet, instead
we put ourselves in the Tesco
©pshab
Girls!
© Stacey Hunter
Y’know what really
grinds my gears?
battlefield fighting for the last
packet of Brussels sprouts and
spend money on useless gifts for
relatives we haven’t seen in years,
knowing that they will be put in a
box under the bed and passed on
as gifts for others during the year.
There are still many families
who want to share the excitement
of Father Christmas’s arrival
with their children, yet Argos
and John Lewis have already
begun to influence the younger
generation’s wish lists by showing
the latest toys during commercial
breaks of cartoons.
Whilst the cooks of the house
and parents feel the stress of
Christmas, students still eagerly
anticipate it – Surrey students
are no exception. Christmas
dinners and Secret Santa with
housemates have been planned
and Chancellors has already
begun promoting its addition of
a tasty Christmas dinner to the
menu.
It seems that overall, the
nation shares a widespread feeling
that Christmas gets earlier every
year, and January is impatiently
awaited as a time when the stress
is over and we can really put
our feet up. Meanwhile students
readily embrace the food, carols
and spirit and plan to thoroughly
enjoy ‘the most wonderful time
of year’.
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
Faking it
By Chris Thomas, Features Team
T
15
When alcohol turns to death...
By Student Health Care
that the work they received missed
deadlines, was of lower quality
than they requested and was even
copied material. It has now been
revealed by a former essay writer
and university lecturer known as
‘Mikey’, that the website used by
students is in fact owned and edited
by Polishtranslation LLC, a company
closely related to customessays.
com. It is thought that this site is
used as a means of encouraging
students to think that plagiarism is
acceptable, whilst criticising rival
essay companies.
While the material written
by these companies could, in
theory, be a useful academic tool
when completing challenging
coursework, many would argue it
is that challenge itself that helps
develop the essential professional
skills a degree provides. The
presence of this industry is
undoubtedly
leading
many
employers to question the value of
a degree, which will seem unfair to
the majority who wouldn’t dream of
using these sites. It is also clear that
these sites are a strong contribution
to the 10,000 students investigated
for plagiarism in the UK each year.
I feel I speak for the majority when
I say a successful education should
not be something that can be
bought on a website.
© StarBucksGuy
oo
many
assignments?
Deadlines approaching fast?
This is no reason for paying online
essay writers to do your work for
you! Last week, individuals were
spotted
distributing
business
cards outside University of Surrey
campus. Their business? Writing
“custom,
100%
confidential,
plagiarism-free” academic work
ranging from 200-word essays to
200-page theses. “Is this legal?”
some might ask – and the shocking
answer is “yes”!
Companies
legalise
this
behaviour by simply stating that
the essays they provide are to be
used for educational purposes
rather than be submitted as their
clients’ own work. However, if these
companies truly believed their
essays would never be submitted,
why would they offer a plagiarismfree guarantee? Not only this but
companies claim to be able to write
an essay of any standard between
a 1st and a 2:2 depending on the
amount you pay them. This can
range up to £5,000 in some cases.
Many students in an online
forum (essayscam.org) admit to
attempting to pass off the work
of these companies as their own.
A great deal, however, complain
FEATURES
A
lcohol poisoning is all too common on Campus,
and is often associated with drinking games,
buying shots and cheap booze from supermarkets!
If you know someone who has had their stomach
pumped, or been violently ill after drinking, then you
know someone who has been alcohol poisoned. This
condition is all too easy, and can be FATAL.
There were 157 preventable deaths from alcohol
poisoning in England in 2007, and many more from
alcohol related accidents.
High alcohol concentration in the blood can stop
you breathing, can stop your heart beating, or, most
1. Check that the person is breathing, has a pulse,
and is not bleeding severely
2. Make every effort to avoid leaving the injured
person alone. If you must leave the scene - for
example, to find others to assist you - carry out
the following steps.
3. Roll the person onto his or her side, being careful
not to move the head or neck or to twist the spine.
4. Straighten out the arm that is closer to the ground,
commonly, cause you to choke on your own vomit.
This is because vomiting is a way that your body gets
rid of alcohol when blood levels get too high.
Recently, in this area, an 18 year old student
tragically died. This was because he was asleep on his
back, and when he vomited it went straight down into
his lungs.
This may have been PREVENTED if he had been
placed on his side.
Don’t let this happen to you or your friends!
PLEASE remember to put your friends on their side
when they are drunk – it could SAVE THEIR LIFE.
This is called the recovery position, and here’s
how to do it:-
as if the person were pointing directly upwards.
5. Place the injured person’s head on this arm, with
the mouth angled downward. This ensures that he
or she won’t choke on any vomit.
6. Bend the knee of the leg that is further from the
ground and place the knee against the ground.
This helps to stabilize the person.
7. Return to the scene as soon as possible
For further information on alcohol awareness and
how to recognise and treat alcohol poisoning visit
drinksense.org or sadas.org.uk or contact Student
Health Care on Campus.
DON’T TAKE A CHANCE WHEN A LIFE IS AT STAKE!
DON’T LET YOUR NIGHT OUT TURN TRAGIC
By Louisa White, Features Team
W
alking through Guildford town centre
recently, the more observant among
us will have noticed that the Christmas
lights and decorations are already up in
place just waiting to be turned on. The big
switch-on takes place along the High Street
on Thursday 24th November and should not
be missed.
Last year’s switch-on saw Boyzone star
turned pantomime star, Shane Lynch join
the town’s major, Cllr Marsha Moseley and
Eagle Radio host, Peter Gordon up on the
Guildhall balcony. The atmosphere was just
lovely and I was right there in the heart of it,
and will be again in a few short weeks!
This year Peter Gordon returns and is
joined by the current mayor, Cllr Terence
Patrick and yet another pantomime star,
Bonnie Langford. The event offers something
for everyone with the event kicking off at 3pm
with activities such as face painting for the
children (and those big kids too!), and music
and entertainment galore! Being held on a
Thursday also means the public can benefit
from the shops’ late-night opening hours and
get in some Christmas shopping completely
surrounded by plenty of Christmas spirit.
Plus, as if the University fireworks of a few
weeks ago were not enough, there will be
more of those loud, sparkly wonders to close
the ceremony.
Surrey students, make sure you attend;
it’s free and it’s sure to launch you right into
the festive mood the season requires of you!
©xrrr
Guildford Christmas lights switched on
16 FEATURES
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Games
Answers in the next edition of The Stag. Send correct answers to [email protected] to get a mention in the paper.
Sudoku
4
6
8
Wordsearch
8
3
1
9
9
2
2
5
6
6
7
8
4
7
8
4
3
3
3
1
8
6
9
4
9
5
2
S
M
A
R
R
I
A
G
E
G
E
G
A
K
H
L
J
G
M M
V
P
O
O
K
F
R
U
L
E
E
G
M
G
R
A
C
I
T
Q
G
E
I
E
D
C
G
E
Q
P
S
R
C
U
D
H
R
J
G
I
L
O
A
N
T
A
A
V
C
S
R
T
A
S
N
R
X
K
B
D
E
The words to find are:
• lights
• Homesick
• girls
• DNA
• marriage
• rape
• record
• veteran
• graduate
Last issue’s answers
Sudoku
Wordsearch
5
6
2
3
7
1
9
4
8
P
O
T
L
A
T
C
H
I
3
8
9
4
5
6
7
1
2
E
J
A
L
Z
L
D
Y
V
4
7
1
8
2
9
6
5
3
A
P
A
N
A
C
A
R
I
7
2
5
1
9
3
4
8
6
G
M
O
D
R
U
G
O
F
1
4
3
7
6
8
2
9
5
B
K
N
P
Q
K
E
B
Y
8
9
6
2
4
5
3
7
1
T
A
U
W
P
B
N
O
D
6
1
8
9
3
4
5
2
7
V
D
E
M
L
Y
H
T
R
9
5
7
6
8
2
1
3
4
S
N
D
P
X
Q
A
P
I
2
3
4
5
1
7
8
6
9
Z
O
N
E
S
U
M
R
B
The words to find are:
• Birdy
•potlatch
• robot
•newquay
•poppy
•dagenham
• zone
•vandal
•lamb
Name
E-mail
Show this page in the Guildford
store to receive a 10% discount*
*Terms and conditions are available in-store.
Surrey World Aids Day 2011
Citrus, 30th November – don’t forget to wear red to kick off the awareness
On Thursday 1st Dec head over to the Lecture Theatre Concourse:
•
•
•
Find out more about how the effects of the HIV virus.
Check out the time line through history; a poster highlighting HIV
awareness campaigns and the prejudices and fears over the last 30
years starring the likes of Alicia Keys and Elijah Wood.
Freebies available. Help to raise HIV awareness and money for the
children’s HIV charity!
It can affect anyone...
W
hen I was almost two years old, my brother was born.
But no one knew that a blood transfusion would mean
he wouldn’t live to see his second birthday. I’m not sure
when exactly, but he began getting really sick, there were
tests and after some time, the doctors discovered that he
was HIV positive. Some people can go years living with HIV
without medicine, but he couldn’t survive two years with
them.
Over the years, I’ve managed to hide my brother’s
death behind pneumonia, because no one generally dies of
HIV; their death is caused by HIV related illnesses that are
brought on by the virus’ weakening of the immune system.
I hid the fact that his pneumonia was caused by the HIV
virus because of the ignorance and stigma that surrounds
HIV. I didn’t want to be associated with it or connected
to it because of the prejudice one can face. Nowadays it is
often described as a mental/emotional virus – so long as
the person living with HIV has access to the right medicine,
it is often societies’ prejudices that make living with HIV
difficult, not medically fighting the virus.
The aim of this article isn’t to provoke an emotional
response when it comes to my brother, but convey how
closely one can know/has known someone with HIV. It may
explain why I have been championing HIV awareness whilst
at Surrey and it’s a kind of ownership that I myself shouldn’t
have denied the extent of my knowledge for so long. More
importantly, the aim of this article is to convince you that
there is still a need for HIV awareness.
I have been involved with the Children’s HIV Association
(CHIVA) for just over three years now, working in the
communications department, and last summer I volunteered
at the charity’s camp where 79 HIV positive young people
aged 13 to 17 had the ‘Freedom To Be’. This inspired me to
project manage the event Paint Campus Red a World AIDS
Day event at Surrey campus promoting World AIDS Day
and HIV awareness. The summer camp acted as a haven
for young people living with HIV, a place where they could
freely talk about the difficulties of living with and managing
the virus. The main issue was generally that of stigma and
how this has resulted in a sort of “double life” one where
they freely acknowledge their status, in situations like the
camp and at medical appointments, and one without this
acknowledgement, in general life, amongst friends and at
school. Sometimes, and not uncommonly, even their GPs
don’t know about their status because the doctor’s lack of
knowledge! There are many warped ideas about how HIV
is transmitted and managed and this has resulted in many
people living with HIV not being able to trust even their
best friends with the secret. So my theory was (and still is)
why not champion HIV awareness and try to dampen some
of the stigma in the people that I come across day to day?
Without the support of the University of Surrey
Student’s Union, last year, the Paint Campus Red event
wouldn’t have happened. The event came to life with
dancers around campus, a red special issue of The Stag;
Anne Milton (Guildford MP) visiting our campus; Citrus
being dedicated to the cause and going red even the snow
didn’t stop us! The event didn’t change the world, it just
gave Surrey students the platform to support a great cause,
one that they were already willing to back and gave other,
less informed students an opportunity to learn more about
this mysterious virus.
This year saw the return of an even bigger CHIVA
summer camp but this time it was opened up to more
positive young people. Once again I have been inspired.
This year I’m teaming up with fantastic people in RAG and
students that aren’t affiliated with any society and I suppose
my role as Communications Officer will come in handy for
what I hope
will be another
successful Paint
Campus Red event,
which will span over
two days starting on
Wednesday 30th Nov
at Citrus and leads onto
World AIDs Day itself on
1st December 2011. If you
haven’t already looked
down to find out the
writer of this article then
it may come as a surprise
to discover the reality of
how close you’ve come to or
how close you are to someone
that has been affected by HIV
(I don’t take up all my time with
things that ‘grind my gears’).
Around 100,000 people living in Britain are HIV positive
and about 25% of them don’t even know it. Those who are
knowingly living with HIV want to be seen as them not as
a virus and they are really longing for people’s awareness
to increase. So I guess I’ve written this to show how HIV
affected me and to highlight that it really can affect anyone.
By Bakita Kasadha
Summer camp CHIVA makes
stirring impact on teenage lives
A summer camp for teenagers living with HIV has been making an
encouraging impact in the heart of the Derbyshire countryside.
By Tom Goulding, Deputy Editor
T
he summer camp offers a safe environment in
which teenagers aged 13 to 17 can share their
experiences, and openly discuss what it is like to
grow up with the condition. Organised by The
Children’s HIV Association (CHIVA), this year the
programme took place in the Peak District, and
has also sought to include young people living in
isolated areas, who do not have access to support
groups found in cities.
CHIVA is an organisation that provides
health care and emotional support for children
living with HIV. First launched in 2002, CHIVA
achieved charity status three years ago, and has
since expanded its project to include a summer
camp for HIV-positive teenagers, which has been
a huge success.
“Although there have been summer camps
for young people living with HIV for many years
now, this is the largest one in the UK,” explains
Bakita Kasadha, one of 30 volunteers who went
to the camp this year. “We had 102 participants
this
year,
compared to 79 when the
project was launched
in 2010.”
She adds: “The
great difference between this and last year’s
camp is that the conversations were not confided
to the workshops, which meant a difficult subject
could be openly discussed among the very
supportive youth hostel staff. They also helped
organise extra activities, such as climbing, caving
and abseiling.”
In the UK, many young people born with HIV
live in silence, in fear of the social stigma attached
to the disease. The taboo placed on the subject
means that children are unlikely to disclose their
condition to the outside world, or have access to
peer support. CHIVA founded the summer camp
in order to finally break the silence and bring
together HIV–positive teenagers from around
the country.
“It was a fantastic experience to be involved in
this project as a volunteer, and to see friendships
form that will probably last forever,” says Bakita.
“Many of these young people had so much
enthusiasm, and the experience has made them
mature beyond their years. The bonds that they
made in those five days were extraordinary.”
CHIVA believes that the camp is an important
step towards raising awareness of HIV, with 6,136
new cases diagnosed in the UK last year. Above all
though, Bakita insists that it is the psychological
aspect of the
illness
that
goes
under
discussed, and
spends a lot
of her time making sure the emotional needs of
those living with the virus are addressed.
“Working with CHIVA, I often have to talk
directly with MPs to ensure that emotional, as
well as medical requirements are being met. In the
Western world particularly, the discrimination
towards the illness means that HIV is a mental
burden.”
This year, the summer camp has been an
incredible achievement, with an enthusiastic
response from everyone involved. One attendee
stated: “'Until now, I've only talked about my
status to nurses, now I've been surrounded by
people who are just like me. I felt safe there and
I know that some of those people will be friends
for life. We share something.”
“These circumstances have created positive
mature young people,” said a volunteer. “Many
adults do not have the sense of direction and
the 'go getter attitude' that they have! Their
positivity is truly inspirational.”
Around 100,000 people in the UK are living
with HIV and about 25% of them don’t
know it. HIV can affect anyone.
20 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Science & Technology
7 Billion and you!
By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Team
© paparutzi
T
Birth of the 7 billionth person on the planet
he number of people on the
planet has passed the seven
billion mark for the first time
according to the UN, but what does
seven billion mean for us?
Well the world isn’t getting
overcrowded just yet – that’s for
sure. In theory everyone in the
world could live in an area the size
of France and it would seem no
busier than relaxing in the grandeur
of Monaco. In fact, if you were to
exclude Antarctica, then the world
right now is five times less densely
populated on average than the UK.
So the world isn’t that small just yet.
The concept of an optimum
population, which is the number of
people Earth can sustain indefinitely
(given the resources available),
was on the agenda in 1994, and
researchers put the optimum
population at two billion people. So
do we have enough resources to go
round? A widely used measure of
food production is grain production
which supplies half of humanity’s
calories. Humans need about 200kg
of grain a year to survive. If the
population and food production
grow at the same rates, then by 2020
we would produce 247kg of grain per
person. So do we need to take action
to prevent pandemic starvation?
Seven hundred million people are
malnourished even today.
The One Child Policy in China
is said to have prevented about 400
million births, which has lowered
the global population by about
5%. However this has created an
imbalance of men and women in the
country, as families wanting sons
have opted for a termination if the
unborn child is a girl. There would
also be problems in implementing
this in liberal, western countries,
where infringements in human
rights are usually rejected.
UN estimates do have some
uncertainties however - for all we
know we could still be below (or
equally, above) seven billion. And
although the world population is
set to rise; the peak is now in sight,
as a diminishing global fertility rate
means developed and developing
populations are reliably predicted
to fall by the turn of the century.
By Emma Thomas Science & Tech Team
T
he scientific theories we
know today have deep
roots in history. Take evolution
for a start. While Darwin is a
household name I doubt many of
you have heard of Anaximander,
a Greek who learned under
Thales and later went on to teach
Pythagoras.
In searching for the element
which forms all things, and what
we know today to be atoms,
Thales believed that water
constituted all life. Anaximander
contradicted his teacher with
how water cannot contain all the
opposites of nature i.e. it can only
be wet and never dry.
However, the idea of water
being the origin point for life was
retained. From the existence of
fossils, Anaximander claimed that
animals came from the sea long
ago and it is now widely accepted
that the first non-plant species to
venture out onto land came from
the oceans. These are thought to
have been invertebrates capable
of tolerating high oxygen levels.
The 3rd century Roman,
Censorinus,
wrote
that
Anaximander suggested that
“either fish or entirely fishlike
animals” emerged from the
waters first. However, he also
theorised
that
embryonic
men, were trapped inside until
puberty when they were deemed
able to feed themselves. As if the
hormonal teenagers didn’t have
enough on their plate without
realising there was a world
outside of fish and they now
had to take care of themselves,
make their own homes and have
responsibility.
Anaximander
also
put
forward the idea that humans had
to spend part of this transition
inside the mouths of big fish to
protect themselves from the
Earth’s climate until they could
come out in open air and lose
their scales! But the idea of scaled
humans isn’t strange to us. While
they may now be more associated
with Disney and Hans Christian
Anderson, mermaids may or may
not be an echo of these Greek
theories used to explain how
creatures first emerged from
water onto a world dominated by
plants.
Jawbone discovered in Kent over 40,000 years old
A
bone discovered in Kent’s Cavern in 1927 has
recently been dated and found to be between
41,000 and 44,000 years old, making it the earliest
known modern human being in North-western
Europe.
The bone is part of the upper jaw called the
Maxilla and was previously thought to be 35,000
years old but with the use of Bayesian analysis,
researchers were able to use the age of bones found
near to the depth of the fragment to get a more
accurate date.
This discovery is particularly significant
as it increases the overlap in time in which
modern humans and their evolutionary relatives,
Neanderthals, co-existed, something which many
scientists have doubts about. It also indicates that
modern humans used a number of different routes
to enter Europe during the last Ice Age.
Two baby teeth unearthed in Italy have also been
dated to the same period as the Maxilla providing
further evidence for these conclusions.
© Curious Expeditions
By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team
© thebeatifulface
Evolution and Anaximander
This car is similar to Formula 1 cars in terms of construction and gear technology.
Surrey speed
By Dave Holcombe, Science & Tech Team
F
ormula Student’s James Johnstone
(President) and Adam Hoskin
(Technical Director) have given some
details on the car they are planning to
enter into this year’s Formula Student
competition, which sees universities
worldwide compete against each
other.
The car uses a carbon fibre
monocoque chassis, the designer
of which now works for McLaren.
This construction is comparable to
that of Formula 1 cars. More F1 style
technology is used within the gear
changes. The car will have a push
button gear change which will be
integrated with the ECU so that gear
changes are seamless. The engine has
been taken from a Honda CBR 600
motorcycle, it had to be restricted
from 110hp to between 80-85hp, in a
car that weighs 193kg. So it still has
between 250-300hp/tonne when the
weight of the driver is considered. As
the engine was from a motorcycle,
it was not designed to cope with
large lateral g-forces. This meant
that the team designed and built a
new dry sump for the car to prevent
oil surging in the engine and being
mixed with air.
The team haven’t been able to do
much testing on the car as it is still
under development but if the 2009
car is anything to go by, it should be
good. That car boasted a 0-60mph
time of 3.9 seconds and was able pull
1.4G in the corners in cold conditions.
These figures are comparable to
modern supercars. The 2009 car is
currently on display in the entrance
to AB03 by the stairwell between AB
and AA.
The team has high hopes for the
2012 competition with a target of a
top three finish. They hope to achieve
this by increasing the cars reliability
as last year’s car had to retire with a
broken driveshaft.
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
21
By Ruth Smithers, Science & Tech Team
T
hey’re far from Star Trek’s
vision of a bright green,
attractive beam able to restrict
an enemy spaceship’s movement;
they also cannot be used as
weapons in space-based warfare.
However, tractor beams are now
close to becoming a reality, as
three scientists working at NASA’s
Goddard Space Flight Center in
Maryland have been granted
$100,000 to begin developments
into the technology.
The technology – formally
known as optical trapping – is
intended to be used to gather
sample material from planetary
surfaces. The three options which
are to be explored include the
use of solenoid or Bessel beams.
A typical laser has an intensity
peak at its centre, whereas the two
alternatives feature peaks which
vary, allowing them to produce a
force which could potentially be
used to attract particles. Solenoid
beams have already proven to have
such qualities, whilst Bessel beams
are yet to be tested experimentally.
The alternative option is an
adaptation of “optical tweezers”:
using a laser beam, focused through
a microscope objective, to trap an
object using a force in the order of
piconewtons. The narrowest part of
the beam exhibits a strong electric
field, which can be used to attract
dielectric particles.
These three ideas will be
explored by the scientists at NASA,
and could contribute significantly
to our understanding of other
planets.
Stem cells: coming on
in leaps and bounds…
F
or the first time scientists have
managed to create artificial
blood cells from embryonic stem
cells, which could revolutionise
transfusion science!
It’s all
thanks to the collaborative efforts
of scientists at Advanced Cell
Technology, Massachusetts and the
University of Illinois.
A successful blood cell is one
that can carry large amounts of
oxygen, while withstanding the
rise in acidity experienced during
physical activity. Tests show the
artificial cells can do just that!
Able to eject their nuclei during
maturation in the same way as
normal blood cells, they can store
just as much haemoglobin -and
just as much oxygen. They are also
remarkably resilient to changes in
pH.
Currently, transfusion science
faces many hurdles, including
supply, the risk of transmitting
blood-borne diseases from donors,
and immune rejection. Yet all this
could soon be a thing of the past.
So far the team have managed to
produce up to 100 billion blood cells
in the lab. We’ll need to grow a lot
more than that to treat patients,
but doing so would eliminate the
risk of cross-infection and open
up the possibility of making Onegative blood cells. Incredibly
rare, these cells are also incredibly
versatile – capable of being given to
any patient.
The use of embryonic stem cells
has not gone un-questioned. To
remove the stem cells the embryo
must be sacrificed in the processand a potential life along with
it. Yet with the recent success in
creating embryonic stem cells from
skin cells, we might soon be able to
bypass the issue entirely. The prize:
‘better science coinciding with
better ethics,’ according to ethicist
Josephine Quintavalle. Today blood
cells, tomorrow…who knows!
©rpongsaj
By Lawrence Finn, Science & Tech Team
S
© Undertow851
‘Trekkie’ tractor beams
could become a reality
By Neville Boon, Science & Tech Team
o
neutrinos
can
travel
faster than light. One of the
foundations of modern physics
has come toppling down on our
heads. Or has it?
Thursday 22nd of September.
I’m sitting outside a busy CERN
cafeteria and munching down on
a delicious Swiss roast dinner and
I want to catch some hint as to
what some of the best scientists
in the world are working on. I fail
miserably, but at least the food is
tasty. Unknown to me, someone
in one of the nearby buildings
was probably finalising a paper
for submission. One that would
present the world with evidence
that neutrino particles can travel
faster than the speed of light.
Special
Relativity
(that
thing that Einstein did) has one
important rule: the universe has
a speed limit – the speed of light.
Without this rule, cause and effect
break down. Current physics
would then claim it was possible
for you to send a message back in
time to tell Hitler’s parents to use
a condom. But if he never existed,
how would you know to send the
message? The speed limit of light
is important for our physics to
make sense.
Scientists at CERN are very
interested in weird particles
known as neutrinos. To learn
Kaleidoscope at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)
more, they create neutrinos and
fire them through the Earth’s
crust towards Italy where large
machines record their arrival and
measure their odd properties.
In doing these experiments they
noticed these particles arrived
earlier than expected. More than
that. About 60 nanoseconds earlier
than light should take.
Arguably the most important
aspects of science are discussion.
And rightly so, the supposedly
relativity-defying
group
publish their findings. In the
resulting article (http://arxiv.
org/abs/1109.4897)
‘possible
unknown systematic effects’
were acknowledged for having
caused the result and readers
are beseeched to help solve the
problem. But let’s just ignore
this shall we? Particles can travel
faster than light. Physics is wrong.
Cue media circus.
Since the release of this
first publication there has been
much wild speculation as to the
implications of particles travelling
faster than the speed of light.
Time travel is possible. Physics
has to be rewritten. Journey to the
stars with ease? Yet very few seem
willing to acknowledge a very
boring alternative. The results
might just be wrong.
I just finished an interesting
article
(http://arxiv.org/
abs/1110.2685) about how the
relative motion of the observing
satellites could cause around a
60ns error in the CERN results.
But why write about this when
you can mention time travel and
interstellar spaceships?
My point is this: don’t believe
everything you hear just because
someone says ‘scientists done
it’. Think about it, do some
research and come to your own
conclusions. The quiet town of
measured scientific debate is a
long way from the bustling city of
media frenzy.
New surveillance system could be
used for indiscriminate monitoring
By Kate McAtamney, Science & Tech Team
T
he Met police have acquired
a new piece of technology
to monitor mobile phone
communications, which also has
the potential to track individual’s
movements in real time. This
surveillance system emits a
signal across roughly ten square
kilometres and creates a false
network that mobile phones try
to connect to. This allows the Met
police to do three things. Firstly, it
allows the police to monitor calls
and SMS messages more easily
than they can at present. Secondly,
the internet is taken down by an
‘intelligent denial of service’.
During the July riots, the
use of social networking sites
and Blackberry messenger were
cited as ways of individuals
communicating and organising
very quickly; the use of this
technology by the Met police
means that any communication
via the internet would not be
possible. And finally, connecting
to the false networks sends out
the IMSI and IMEI security codes
of the phone, and these are used to
track an individual’s movements
in real time. This technology has
clear applications in riot situations
where key protagonists can be
singled out, and the intelligent
denial of service is designed to
prevent mobile phones being used
to remotely detonate bombs.
However, there are also
very concerning ethical issues
that lawyers and privacy groups
have raised. Due to the distance
covered by the signal, there is
indiscriminate monitoring of
all people within ten square
kilometres, nothing is known
about where the data is stored or
who has access to it, and a body of
people is cut off from information
on the internet that may help
them avoid potentially violent
areas.
The
creators
of
this
surveillance system, Datong Plc
are a Leeds-based company that
have the US Secret Service and the
Ministry of Defence as customers.
In 2009, Datong Plc were denied an
export license to ship technology
to an unnamed Asia Pacific
country as the software was seen
as having the potential to be used
to commit human rights offences.
© VampzX_23
© adurdin
Speedy
neutrinos or
hasty pens?
22 DANCE & THEATRE
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Dance & Theatre
By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor
A
spotlight rises on a solitary female sat with
her arms above her head as if hanging from
invisible strings, and the audience is unsure what
to expect from emerging choreographer James
Wilton. Making his first appearance at Surrey,
Wilton presented an exciting triple bill loaded
with acrobatics, daring lifts and breath-taking
movement. Recently graduated from London
Contemporary Dance School, Wilton is becoming
rapidly established in the contemporary dance
world, and has just been awarded the BBC
Performing Arts Fellowship Award.
Throughout the evening, Wilton’s incredible
talents as both a choreographer and performer
wowed the audience. The first piece, ‘Cave’, was
an explosive quintet which displayed intense
physicality: the dancers threw themselves at
each other and across the blank, black stage with
a fearless quality that both shocked and amazed.
The use of manipulation was a key feature, with
several duets and trios involving interchanging
active and passive roles. Adam Gain particularly
stood out, becoming doll–like as he was moved and
lifted around the stage. The piece showed great
contrast of being grounded with flight, displaying
acrobatic lifts followed by drops and melts into
the floor and fast, intricate floor sequences.
The next piece was ‘Falling Unknown’, a duet
between Sarah Jane Taylor and James Wilton
himself. The piece started off with a sense of
uncertainty, almost feeling like the audience were
observers of a rehearsal. The dancers wore casual
clothes, trainers and had a relaxed approach to
the choreography, smiling and almost laughing
at each other. However, as the piece progressed,
some clear choreographic concepts became
apparent which were both simple yet effective.
The most memorable section of the piece was
arguably the final one, in which Taylor removed
her shoes, yet her feet never touch the floor.
Wilton assisted her in complicated lifts, moving
her around his body and providing ‘stepping
stones’ with his body parts for her to walk on.
The final piece, ‘The Shortest Day’, was the
winner of the 2010 Sadler’s Wells Global Dance
Contest. The work pushed the four dancers to
their absolute limits, with Wilton’s choreographic
aim to do as much as physically possible in just 15
minutes. Despite having similar movement ideas
to the previous pieces, ‘The Shortest Day’ had a
darker quality, displaying power, desperation and
franticness.
James Wilton proved himself as a
choreographer who will undoubtedly be
inspirational in the contemporary dance world,
with a long, exciting career ahead of him. I can’t
wait to see what he has in store for the future!
©James Wilton
James Wilton: Triple Bill Physicality at its finest
James Wilton contemporary dance choreographraphy
Death and the Maiden –
Harold Pinter Theatre
By Tiffany Stoneman, Dance & Theatre Team
The Musical Theatre Society 2011 Showcase
Review: Musical Theatre
Society Showcase 2011
By Emily Bourne, Dance & Theatre team
O
n Monday 14th November, I went to see the Musical Theatre
Society’s autumn showcase, and as always I was so impressed with
the vocal talent that all the members displayed. It was an informal
and fun evening to raise money for charity, with a mix of group and
solo numbers from well–known musicals. My particular favourites
were ‘Who will buy’ from Oliver, ‘The movie in my mind’ from Miss
Saigon and ‘Skid Row’ from The little shop of horrors. In March, they
will be putting on a production of Guys and Dolls, and after last year’s
excellent production of Rent, and being awarded Society of the Year at
last year’s student awards, I have no doubts that the standard will be
even higher this year. If you’re a fan of musicals, or even if you’re not, I
definitely urge you to go and checkout this society’s great work!
T
he play by Ariel Dorfman, first performed in 1991,
focuses on Paulina Salas in an unnamed Latin
American country. A young woman abused by members
of the previous dictatorship becomes convinced that a
man who helped her husband on the roadside is actually
the sadistic doctor who supervised the most atrocious
tortures in her past.
Thandie Newton plays the role of Paulina with
striking ferocity and passion, switching between loving
wife and avenging victim with startling intensity.
Unsure whether she has gone mad with anger or
whether Dr. Miranda is in fact the man who left her to
die all those years ago, the audience is captivated.
Paulina’s husband, Gerardo, is a surprisingly passive
character who seems unable to stop his wife’s actions.
Though at times slightly uncertain, Tom Goodman–
Hill plays him with an unending devotion, finding the
balance between shock and support as Gerardo too
suffered as a political prisoner.
Dr. Miranda (Anthony Calf) leaves the audience
feeling a mixture of pity and defiance as we see him
presented in this instance as the victim, whilst never
wholly denying nor confirming Paulina’s story. A very
difficult and complex character who Calf tackles with
ease.
Death and the Maiden is an intense play that looks
at politics, madness, abuse and deceit, and with no
interval, it mustn’t be approached lightly. However, it is
a piece of political drama that highlights the importance
of justice and the things that go unseen - possibly just as
important today as when it was first produced twenty
years ago.
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
DANCE & THEATRE
The Madness of King George III
Your fortnightly guide to the
Arts at Surrey
T
S
By Lexi Sutton, Dance & Theatre Team
David Haig plays the part of King George III
the attention of the King
during his severe mental
breakdowns.
Although the start
of the play was hilarious
and
understandable,
the ‘madness’ set into
the
performance
very
quickly, much quicker than
anticipated. Sadness was
the effect of the illness on
the audience, a desperate
loss of a) a great character
but b) of the understanding
of the character. Haig was
incredible, but it would
have been satisfying to see
more of the original King.
This play, although
aimed at an older audience,
would have been suitable
for any age. Though there
were minor details which
could have been polished,
I thoroughly enjoyed it,
and the audience truly
connected with the Mad
King and his family. Another
brilliant production for the
Yvonne Arnaud.
Review: Hatched Mamela Nyamza
pellbinding stories from the world’s
saltiest stage! In November 2009, eight
performers from award winning theatre
company New International Encounter (NIE)
embarked on a 3500mile voyage across the
Atlantic Ocean, from France to Guadeloupe,
aboard a cargo ship.
With the help of Icelandic novelist, poet
and Björk lyricist Sjón, NIE create a lyrical
and funny show combining their trademark
mix of storytelling, physical theatre, live
music, multiple languages and European
ensemble.
Sail alongside a Second World War naval
officer in the Indian Ocean, and discover
the story of Ella, the first ever Norwegian
female trawler woman. These tales and
more intertwine with NIE’s own experiences
on their voyage.
Don’t miss your chance to see this
European company when they come to the
University’s PATS Studio. Find out more
about the NIE at: www.nie-theatre.com.
This fortnight’s Dance and Theatre
Highlight:
What: Tales from a Sea Journey
When: Wednesday 30th November, 7:30
pm
Where: PATS Dance Studio
How Much: £12 (£10 Senior Citizens; £7
Students)
By Lucy Jarvis, Dance & Theatre Team
A
©Photographer- Val Anderson
his production has had a
lot of hype surrounding
it, so I was especially looking
forward to watching it. I
know quite a bit about King
George the 3rd and the
illness surrounding him,
so this production really
interested me.
The play started off
wonderfully: David Haig
captured every essence I
had imagined of the King
before his severe mental
breakdown. Not only did
Haig fulfil my expectations,
but he was captivating
to watch, and a likeable
portrayal of the King. The
scenes between him and
his wife, Beatie Edney, who
plays Queen Charlotte,
the plump and artistic
daughter of the Duke, were
unbelievably comic. The
Lady Pembroke, played
by Charlotte Asprey, also
deserves a mention due
to her likeable, reserved
character
that
caught
stage flooded with red cloth. The bare back of a body
assaults us. Washing is hung out and the body places a
bucket upon its bald head. Cautiously, the body rises up onto
pointe shoes previously concealed.
Is this a body of Western or African origin? Is this body
male or female? Finally the body turns…
Identity is the key theme in Mamela Nyamza’s Hatched,
which closed the penultimate evening of this year’s Dance
Umbrella. An autobiographical work, Hatched tells the story
of a woman faced with a life of dualism: she is a South African
performing in the UK, but also a dancer who is a mother.
Nyamza is a woman battling with anxieties about
domesticity. She flits and falters about the stage, intermittently
scrubbing the floor and rearranging clothes. Her son lounges
under a desk, initially covered by a giant red cloth, as if still
enclosed within the safety of her womb. He barely notices
her. But, as she potters about, her movement is peppered with
moments of miniaturised ballet, performed with frantic, joyful
release. Nyamza is battling with her new identity as a mother,
while still clinging on to her life as a performer.
However, Nyamza faces another conflict, as a South
African performing in the West. Nyamza addresses this by
juxtaposing movement vocabulary and accompaniment from
both cultures, referencing both classical Western music and
dance, and also traditional African vocal scores and grounded
movement.
Hatched is a sequel to Nyamza’s previous work Hatch, where
she explored the changes in her life with the birth of her son.
Moving on, Nyamza has created a poignant story that speaks
to anyone who has ever felt a conflict with their own identity
and questioned where they belong in the world.
23
Jelliman’s Gems:
“I regard the theatre as the
greatest of all art forms, the
most immediate way in which
a human being can share with
another the sense of what it is
to be a human being.”
Oscar Wilde
24 FILM
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Film
Wuthering Heights (2011)
By Christina Maria Webb, Film Team
T
he particularly teasing trailer
to the most recent adaptation
of Emily Bronte’s novel, Wuthering
Heights, mixed with the controversy
and innovative stylistic choices
of director Andrea Arnold, had
me excited and eager to see the
cinematic release on the day it came
out, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The sense of place is established
effectively in both the visual and
the auditory. Winning the 2011
Cannes Osella Award for Best
Cinematography, one of the film’s
most experimental qualities is
stunning, yet dizzying – as both
a positive and negative remark.
Sometimes the abundance of
extreme close-ups and the constant
playing around with focus distracts,
but the cinematography adds
realism and detail – from the
tapping trees at Cathy’s bedroom
window, to many establishing
shots not of the houses but of, for
example, a single flower instead.
We are put into the eyes of the
characters,
which
effectively
highlights the physical senses,
rather than just the mental and
emotional, from Heathcliff smelling
Cathy’s hair and gripping her wrist
to Cathy pulling his hair out. Here,
both the gentle and the violent
convey their frustration, intrigue
and closeness without speech.
Until the end of the film, there is
no non-diegetic music. Along with
the amplified sounds of wind and
rain, the bleakness, isolation and
cold of the environment that is so
central to the novel’s atmosphere is
heightened.
In the risk of new and relatively
unknown actors, the film’s casting
is successful, especially with this
lack of music and in a narrative
that focuses so much so on the
acting to draw compassion for the
characters. The younger Heathcliff
and Cathy were particularly apt in
their roles, with Solomon Glave and
Shannon Beer receiving the 2011
International Award to the Young
Actors.
Controversial in casting the
first black Heathcliff, a background
of slavery was added in instead of
the usual expectations of the ‘darkskinned gypsy.’ Racially provoked
slurs and violence erupt. This
alteration could disrupt interest in
fans, but I wouldn’t dismiss it, as the
idea is carried well and fits with the
experimental use of sharp language
– one wouldn’t usually expect the
‘C’ word to have sprung from Emily
Bronte’s novel, but in the anguish
we feel for the characters, it works.
To many fans of the novel, like
the 1939 adaptation, the latter half
of the novel was forgotten. But
this doesn’t disappoint hugely,
as it gives Heathcliff and Cathy’s
relationship more attention.
In its harshness, the film does
not lack heart. Primarily a romance,
Wuthering Heights’ minimalistic
approach, seen in the little dialogue,
cutting the plot and abstaining
from theatricality creates a striking
and cruel realism which brought
more tears to my eyes than it would
have done if sensationalised or
exaggerated.
It felt longer than it should
have done, it is extremely brutal
and sometimes the establishing
extreme close-ups became too
repetitive, but it stands as an
example of capturing feeling in
the picture rather than in words,
in stark contrast to the novel, but
expressing its same intentions.
Being the 27th film adaptation of
the novel, the film needed to be as
contemporary and controversial
as it is. This Wuthering Heights is
not a typical costume drama, but
it succeeds even more so than if it
had been, as a fresh, moving and
visionary accomplishment.
Definitely one of the most
poignant, interesting and inventive
films of 2011. A must see.
Verdict:
Wuthering Heights
is successfully moving and
disturbing in the most subtle sense.
Controversial and innovative in
language, casting and style, it is
beautifully filmed and depicts
a great sense of place. It is slow
paced, but strongly performed in
an adaptation that relies so much
on empathy for the relationships
of its characters, and a visual
masterpiece.
I Don’t Know How She Does It
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Team
T
his film seems to somewhat prepare
me for what’s in store in a few years
time. Most women conform to the ideal
lifestyle: a great job, lovely family,
supportive husband. However, for main
character Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica
Parker), keeping these parts of her life in
check are much harder than they seem.
What makes I Don’t Know How She Does It
different is the style in which it is directed.
There are various monologues which
come from different characters, each
talking about Kate’s dilemmas. Whether
praising or criticising her efforts,
they are all executed in a humorously
quirky way.
While the film allowed me to realise
just how stressful a woman’s life can
be, that is all it seemed to do. It was
entertaining and made me smile at times,
but there seemed to be no identifiable,
gripping plot. It followed on as it began,
and by the end there is no real sense
that anything significant ever occurred.
Kate does come to the realisation that
her family is more important than the
job in which she loves, but we know that
she is aware of this from the beginning,
anyway. The ending is far too predictable,
and familiar to what we are accustomed
to, in these types of comedy- dramas. The
one redeeming aspect is the character
of Momo Hahn, played by Olivia Munn,
whose sense of pessimism is the funniest
part of the film.
Overall, it’s a film to watch, but
not if you want to come away learning
something valuable: all of the life lessons
that I Don’t Know How She Does It provides
are those that we already know.
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
25
The Change Up (2011)
Cool World
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Team
D
By Caroline James, Film Team
B
efore I begin, I must confess that I take an
occasional guilty pleasure in watching a film
that I find absolutely awful. This is usually to
remind myself of what makes a film bad, or to
make myself appreciate the films I truly love even
more, or even to find something so, so bad that
I can use it as the ruler for all terrible movies to
be measured. Cool World (1992) is certainly one of
them.
Cool World was directed by Ralph Bakshi, who
made a name for himself in the 1970’s with his
controversial adult-orientated animated films,
such as Fritz the Cat (1972) and Coonskin (1975). Cool
World however, died at cinemas, and was criticized
by the majority of reviewers.
The film concerns Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne),
a cartoonist who is transported into the animated
world he has created by Holli Would (voiced by
Kim Basinger), his seductive, voluptuous cartoon
fantasy. The only other human in Cool World is
Frank (Brad Pitt), the world’s police officer, who
enforces the only rule: that ‘noids’ (humans) cannot
have sex with ‘doodles’ (cartoons). However, we
quickly learn that Holli has intentions of seducing
Jack, because having sex with a noid would make
her become one too. From the plot alone I couldn’t
help but perceive it as some kind of weird selfindulgent sexual fantasy on the part of Bakshi and
FILM
the animators.
However, I’d say the only redeeming factor is
the animated world’s set designs, which are like an
M.C Escher/H.R Giger hybrid. Unfortunately, this
does not outdo all the chaotic animation that takes
up each frame, or the film’s disorienting fast pace
and incomprehensible conclusion.
In summary, Cool World is just one of those films
I love to hate. It’s full of plot-holes and leaves me
with a slight headache each time. On the other
hand, if you feel like watching something obscure,
amazingly bad or even just to see that creepy,
awkward sex scene between a human and a cartoon
(you pervert), then I’d suggest you give it a watch.
The choice is yours.
irected by David Dobkin, the man
responsible for the success of The
Wedding Crashers, The Change Up puts a
modern spin on the classic ‘switching
bodies’ scenario.
The film focuses on two old friends
who lead two very different lives. Dave
Lockwood, played by Jason Bateman,
is the over-achieving family man,
stuck in a world of nappies and baby
bottles. Mitch Planko (Ryan Reynolds),
on the other hand, spends his single
days getting high and getting in with
the ladies. After a night of drinking,
both men comment on the unfulfilling
aspects of their lives, stating that they
would much rather have one another’s.
After urinating into a fountain, their
wishes are granted, and they wake up
the next morning horrified and dazed
by the events which have occurred.
The rest of the film follows in true
body-swapping fashion. After the
initial instance of dismay at having
to conform to a new way of living
and complete new identities, they fall
into their roles with both good and
bad consequences: Dave enjoys the
liberated freedom from his stifling
marriage, whilst Mitch is able to learn
responsibility.
Though it appears very predictable,
the film is filled with hilarious
moments which add to its originality.
The writers also manage to hit on
points of sentimentality and love, with
the realisation that ‘you don’t know
what you’ve got until it’s gone’. Dobkin
proves that the switching-bodies film
can never run out of fashion if carried
out in the correct way. However, by
employing Reynolds and Bateman as
the core characters, the film was sure
to be a comedic success.
Monte Carlo (2011)
By Laura Howard, Film Team
I
n this slightly cheesy rom-com, American
teenager Grace Bennett (played by former
Disney Channel starlet Selena Gomez) travels
to Paris for a holiday with her best friend and
stubborn stepsister. It all seems to be going
disastrously wrong, until she is mistaken for a
wealthy English aristocrat, and whisked away
to have the time of her life in Monte Carlo. So far,
completely unoriginal, right?
To be honest, this was never going to be a film
that pushed boundaries. That said, it’s a reasonable,
commercial effort and the cast do well in bringing
the slightly two-dimensional characters to life.
Leighton Meester brings a sense of realism to the
role of Grace’s misunderstood stepsister Meg, and
Catherine Tate is great at embodying the rather
grand Aunt Alicia. Glee’s Cory Monteith also
impresses, despite having an underdeveloped role
as Owen, who serves primarily as a love interest to
Katie Cassidy’s character, Emma.
On the whole, this movie is predictable and
clichéd, and contains some strange American ideas
about Europe (no matter what they seem to think,
Majorca will never be seen as a posh aristocratic
retreat!). However, it’s a light-hearted film that
doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you don’t either,
you might just enjoy it.
Quarantine
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Team
B
efore watching this film, I was curious
about the nature of its genre. It is, of
course, undoubtedly a horror film, but
once you’re engulfed in the core of the
plot it’s evident it borrows elements from
science fiction: the sub-plot is focused
on the contagious rabies which captures
each of the characters in a tragic bid to
survive the turbulent night of death and
devastation.
The film is shot by hand-held camera
and follows news reporter Angela Vidal
(Jennifer Carpenter) and her camera man
Scott Percival (Steve Harris) filming at
a Los Angeles fire station, following the
antics and regular routine of the firemen
who work there. Angela is excited to
accompany the firemen on one of their
rescues, when they receive a 911 call
leading them to an apartment building
to investigate the loud screams coming
from a woman. With the police already
on the scene, the firemen and Angela
come to realise that the woman has
been struck by an unknown infection.
After some of the residents are brutally
attacked, they make an attempt to flee
the scene, only to realise that the CDC
has quarantined the building and any
attempt to escape has been removed.
Here, begins the fight for survival. With
no Internet access, television or phone
coverage they are terrified of their lack
of control or knowledge of what they are
up against. They all come to accept their
inevitable fate, and fireman Jake, played
by the handsome Jay Hernandez, helps
to protect those who have not yet been
infected.
The film is a remake of the Spanish
film Rec, however, it is adapted into a far
more thrilling and cinematic Hollywood
blockbuster. The questions which run
through your mind, provided that
you don’t already know the mysteries
of their situation, keep you enticed
throughout, and by the last scene you’ll
be truly terrified. The use of darkness and
unsteady camera work, works excellently
to provide a gripping watch. If you haven’t
been scared by a horror film in a while,
Quarantine will at least have you jumping
with fright at more than one moment.
26 LITERATURE
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Literature
In Conversation with... Sarah de Carvalho
By Alexandra Wilks, Literature Editor
S
arah de Carvalho founded Happy Child
International in 1993 in Belo Horizonte,
Brazil. The charity focuses on the rescue of
Street Children and has since directly helped
eight and a half thousand. Sarah has written
three books: The Street Children of Brazil, a
Survival Guide to Frontline Living and Solomon’s
Song. Solomon’s Song is her first novel and
has been indicated for the COSTA 2011 book
of the year. It tells the story of Solomon, a
Brazilian boy and Kiera, an American girl as
they grow up miles apart, both looking for a
love which will overcome their suffering. The
novel has received critical acclaim, described
by Chris Rogers from the BBC as ‘Worthy of a
film on the big screen. Beautifully written and
gripping’. The Stag was lucky enough to meet
with Sarah and interview her.
The Stag: First of all, can you tell me more
about Solomon’s Song?
Sarah de Carvalho: Solomon’s Song is the
story of Solomon, a boy who lives in the
beautiful mountains of the Serra des Orgaos,
in Brazil. Solomon is a talented musician with
a scholarship to a music school. Due to tragic
events, Solomon’s life is shattered when his
family have to move to the slums of Rio de
Janeiro. The novel also follows the story of
Keira, growing up on a privileged ranch in
Montana. Kiera is searching for the key to
the song of life, a love that will transcend
everything…
TS: It sounds fascinating! You used to work
for Sky, what inspired the change of career
path
SC: When my contract ended with Sky, I
decided to go to Brazil and lived in Rio de
Janeiro for a year. I then spent a further ten
years in Brazil. I was so shocked by what I
saw: children who run away from home, due
to abuse or lack of food, and create homes for
themselves in abandoned places. I found a
gang of children living under a viaduct. What
I saw made me realise I needed to help these
people.
TS: So, can you tell me a bit more about
what Happy Child International does?
SC: We place a large emphasis on rescuing
children from the streets. We aim to
rehabilitate them, and re-unite them with
their family if possible. This involves working
with the family as well. We also educate these
children. We have ten homes in Brazil which
children can stay in for up to two years, in
which we work with them and their family.
Our ultimate aim is to break the poverty cycle.
TS: What does the future hold for Happy
Child International?
Rodrigo, 13, on the streets of Recife, N.E.Brazil, with Sarah de Carvalho, CEO of Happy Child, March 2001
SC: Our next step for Happy Child
International is to set up a project for girls in
North East Brazil. We also plan to do similar
work in Angola and Mozambique.
TS: Finally, you are on the committee
board of 180° Alliance. Can you tell me
more about that?
SC: 180° Alliance was formed in 2005 and is
made up of six organisations that work with
Street Children. We have come together,
unified by our belief that no child should have
to sleep on the streets. The Alliance is a place
where we can share information and present
models of best practise.
To donate to Happy Child International, go to www.happychild.org/waystodonate/
© umpc portal
Death of the paperback?
By Sophie Vickery, Literature Team
N
ovember 2007 was the beginning of a new era for the
literary world, as Amazon released the Kindle First
Generation. It sold out in five and a half hours, foreshadowing
big changes in the world’s reading to come. The last four years
has seen the release of additional models and their eager
demand across the globe. September of this year celebrated
the arrival of a touchscreen Kindle, available with Wi–Fi and
3G connectivity.
But as Kindles crept into holiday hand luggage, boarded
trains and became part of the coffee shop’s furniture, did any
of us notice the traditional paperback crying out for help?
There’s no doubt that bookstores have suffered during the
past decade, and many look to package up the paperback
and push it into a dusty corner of the attic, ready for future
auctions when they may be ‘worth something’ in a manner
very similar to the LP record. However, there are still those
who wish to cling to the paperback, fearing its death and
raising the question: is the future of the paperback a bleak one
or can it successfully battle technologies’ ambition to alter our
methods of reading?
The rise of the Kindle can be explained with a study of
its advantages over the book. As men and women of all ages
and literary interests remove a Kindle from their bag, they
are free to read whatever they wish without judgement from
onlookers. An important business man can freely read Pride and
Prejudice without embarrassment from his fellow commuters
and Sally can fantasise with an erotic Lawrence novel whilst
innocently waiting for her son Jack to finish his swimming
lesson. Another advantage of the Kindle is its ability to contain
an abundance of literature within a small tablet, whilst novels
clutter bookshelves, reduce space in the study and weigh
down bags. Plus, the Kindle often offers texts cheaply, with
many classics available for free, and one can simply enter the
vast world of literature at a touch of a button whilst sat on the
sofa, rather than venturing out in the rain to the bookstore to
find that they’ve already sold out of One Day.
With these benefits, it’s hard to understand why some
resent the rise of the Kindle, yet there are still those who
lament the paperback’s death and strive to keep a hold
on the book: but why? Many argue that the paperback is
more fulfilling, as all the senses are involved in the reading
experience. One can touch the pages, listening to their crisp
flick as they are turned. Paperback enthusiasts prefer to read
fonts on the page rather than electronic text on a screen –
that which is associated with the stresses of the office. Fans
of the book also enjoy having physical copies of their reading
lining their bookshelves and simply favour holding actual
copies of a writer’s work. Of course, one could not mention
that renowned smell that everyone readily anticipates as they
open a new (or old) book.
Yet the perseverance to save the paperback from death
seems trivial to technology’s progression, and the reader’s
desire to save money, time and space, ultimately making the
death of the paperback more likely, despite its valiant battle.
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
LITERATURE
27
Twilight: up
to the hype?
By Rachel Thomason, Literature Team
The bard works hard: Shakespeare is still a curriculum favourite.
To study or not to study:
that is the question
By Rachel Burgress, Literature Team
A
s an English Literature
student,
my
immediate
reaction was:
of course!
Shakespeare is the greatest
playwright of English history,
how could anyone not want to
study his works? However, I
will admit that my opinion may
be a little biased. The work of
Shakespeare has been embedded
in the national curriculum for
years, even my parents remember
learning Hamlet and Macbeth, but
why are we still studying the
works of a man who was writing
over 400 years ago? Literature is so
vast and is expanding all the time;
surely there are others writers
who deserve praise for their work
without being overshadowed by
the familiarity of Shakespeare.
Having said that, there
are
timeless
qualities
to
Shakespeare’s writing which
makes it relevant even in the light
of modern ideas and concepts. It
could be said that the foundation
of modern literature stems from
the initial plots and storylines of
Shakespeare’s plays: for example,
the story of Romeo and Juliet, which
has been re-told many times.
Indeed, forbidden love is still one
of literature’s most prevalent
themes.
Shakespeare
not
only
provides
unique
literary
expression
through
his
language and poetic style, but
also through his tendency to
draw from other authors in
order for his works to be more
historically accurate. Anthony
and Cleopatra was dramatised
by Shakespeare using Plutarch
as a source; the documented
facts were transformed into a
story which is interesting and
engaging to its audience. In this
sense, Shakespeare is not only a
great storyteller, but also a great
historian.
However, there is great
controversy
surrounding
Shakespeare in whether or not he
was the true author of all of those
plays and sonnets. The recently
released film Anonymous asks
the question “Was Shakespeare
a fraud?” and suggests that the
works of Shakespeare were
actually written by Edward de
Vere, an Elizabethan aristocrat.
This is just one of many theories
in the vast scope that questions if
Shakespeare really was the great
writer he is respected as being.
Whatever the case and
however intense the argument,
my view is that we should still
study Shakespeare because he
still has a lot to offer: emotional
language, exciting storylines,
passionate tragedies, engaging
comedies and heartfelt sonnets.
ith the recent release of the penultimate Twilight
film, Breaking dawn: Part 1, on the 18th November, it
seemed apt to return to the very books that started the
‘Twihard’ phenomenon. Stephenie Meyer has sold over
one hundred million copies of her novels worldwide,
but that doesn’t mean that The Twilight Saga has a
flawless reputation.
Whilst the hype over Twilight mounts, the criticism
of the quality of Meyer’s novels has also increased.
American horror writer Stephen King has stated that
“[she] can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.”
“Meyer has also been accused of creating an anti-feminist heroine”
And to be completely brutal, if we strip Twilight down
to what it really is – a book about a rather miserable
teenage girl who falls in love with a sparkly vegetarian
vampire – how has it become the centre of every girl’s
fantasies around the world?
Although it could be argued that it’s the threat of
Edward’s vampirism which makes him attractive, and
his ‘bad boy’ character, Edward is actually a bit soft. He
avoids trouble at all costs, refuses to take Bella’s virtue
before their marriage and refuses on several occasions
to bite her.
So why do millions still devote themselves to ‘Team
Edward’? It seems to be because, when reading the novel,
the first person narration causes women (in particular)
to picture themselves as the beautiful Bella with the
amazingly handsome Edward, who is completely
besotted with her. Furthermore, his ‘vegetarianism’
on Edward, not only in this book but throughout the
saga, prompts many to suggest that she is unable to
make independent decisions, and could not live her life
without his guidance and moral perfection.
Meyer defends her heroine’s choices on her website,
stating that “she is a character in a story… this is not
even realistic fiction… so no one could ever make her
exact choices”. This is a reasonable argument to make.
Amongst all the disapproval of Twilight, people have
almost forgotten that it is fiction.
Though I have highlighted some of the negative
aspects of this saga, I am a Twilight addict – there is
definitely something to like about these novels. So
allow yourself to join the global hype, to suspend your
disbelief and indulge in the forbidden romance, danger
and seduction that we all secretly crave, something that
The Twilight Saga brings to life.
© Larkyn
© Huntingdon Theartre Company
W
provides a safe barrier against the harm which could
come to Bella, whilst still maintaining his lust for her
blood. This, in conjunction with his fierce desire to
protect her, does make the attraction to Edward a whole
lot more obvious: his character combines the romance
and danger of many girls’ dreams.
However, Meyer has also been accused of creating
an anti-feminist heroine because of Bella’s complete
dependence on Edward. In The Twilight Saga: New
Moon, after Edward leaves, Bella determines that her
“Love, life, meaning… [is] over” and she even goes on
to put herself in grave danger just so she can imagine
Edward’s voice again. Her almost sickening reliance
28 MUSIC
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Music
REVIEW: Florence + The Machine - ‘Ceremonials’
By James Campbell, Music Team
E
merging like stellar beings
evoked from fairy tales, the
chanteuse Florence Welsh and her
band of musical myrmidons billow
onto English shores once more;
but are we ready to absorb these
revenants and their mystifying
melodies?
Upon the debut release of ‘Lungs’
in 2009, Florence + The Machine
were quickly etched into the social
conscious of the pop world with a
robust and iconoclastic sounding
record, establishing musician and
singer Welsh as a big personality,
with an even bigger diaphragm.
Two years down the line and
‘Ceremonials’ is a fitting embodiment
for this group’s on-going musical
crusade; a stylised and grandiose
recording adorned with melodies
comparable to Gaelic folk tales of
old. Nevertheless, ‘Ceremonials’ does
not only present the perspective
listener with a set of rites and
rituals embodied in its sound; this
most recent record is a means of
forging Welsh’s musical stance,
her own rite of passage, and so
lead at the helm by this eccentric
navigator, we are launched into
uncharted seas, swept along as this
musical odyssey sets sail.
‘Ceremonials’ is like an ocean
current; it ebbs and flows,
transporting listeners through
the churn and swirl of a seething
musical tide, as enigmatic as the
deep. Principal track, ‘Only if for a
night’ sets the tone; powered by the
majesty of quivering harp, punchy
piano chords and clamorous chants,
it is a great opening for this musical
procession to march to. ‘Seven
devils’ exudes a hypnotic battering
of toms, accompanied by haunting
incantations, reminiscent of spell
casting witches around cauldrons.
Simultaneously, ‘What the water
gave me’ is a song with guts; bathed in
mournful vocals, foreboding chords
and melodic twists and turns, it
envelops our eardrums as if we are
drifting in this interminable ocean
of mystifying sound. In the same
vein, ‘Bedroom Hymns’ and ‘Remain
nameless’ are dynamic
pieces,
lying dormant before erupting into
powerful torrents of vocals and
harmonies from a roaring banshee,
followed in hot pursuit by energetic
percussion. ‘Leave my body’, ‘All
things and Heaven too’, and ‘No light,
no light’, give rise to a pounding of
drums, the palpitating plucking of
the harp, peals of clamorous vocal
lines, intensified by the steady pit
pat of flowing piano chords that
rush, swell and surge perpetually
throughout; there is plenty
contained within this musical
deluge that lets the imagination
run wild.
‘Ceremonials’ has pace and
"Music is a world within itself, with a language we
all understand" - Stevie Wonder (Sir Duke)
HEAR ME OUT!
S
o this is the part of the
issue where we go out into
the wild world, find a willing
participant and discover
exactly what they like to
hear. So if you see someone
walking around, armed with a
voice recorder and a camera,
do not fear… although saying
that, we may be coming for
you.
Name: Hannah Smith
Age: 19
Studying: Maths – Level 2
Favourite Genre: Rock/Alternative
Top 3 Artists: Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars, Queen
Guilty Pleasure: Katy Perry
Ultimate song: Such Great Heights – The Postal Service
charisma, but although songs are
fit to burst with climatic build-ups
and dynamical shifts, there is a bit
too much comedown that curtails
this record’s overall delivery.
‘Ceremonials’ may be a little over
done for some, whereby tracks
do seem to merge from one to the
next without any real distinction
between opening bars, and
promising intros lack the vigour
that they should have in order to
keep listeners hanging on every
note. Despite her vocal range,
occasionally Welsh’s performance
lacks the necessary lustre that
gave the band it’s notorious humph
when they took the music scene by
storm with Lungs; the once raging
cyclone dwindles away to a light,
mild breeze in places.
Nevertheless,
‘Ceremonials’
will appeal to both the already
converted and the curious; the
music is eccentric as are the
conjurers behind this musical
concoction, and if bizarre pagan
pop is your thing, then look no
further!
Ceremonials is on sale at ITunes
at £7.99, (a deluxe version at
£12.99 includes acoustic versions
and remixes of selected titles
from the album; worth checking
out to savour a bit more of the
flavour on offer from Welch &
Co).
Florence + he Machine’s new album really is something to shout about.
Lyrical ‘Genius’ – 10 of the best one-liners
A
good lyric has a real sense of power.
They can be as simple as "You've
lost that loving feeling" (The Righteous
Brothers) or as complex as "Ain't it
just like the night to play tricks when
you're trying to be so quiet" (Bob Dylan,
Visions of Johanna), but whatever it is,
a good lyric can stay with you forever,
and it seems that the lyricists of today
still have that magic touch with words,
to create lyrics that attract the same
attention as the classics of popular
music. Here are just a few ‘attention
grabbing’ lyrics from the Bob Dylan's
and Leonard Cohen's of today:
Did you know . . .
. . . the double bass played by
Paul McCartney on 'The Song We
Were Singing' (1997) is the same
one played by Bill Black on several
Elvis Presley recordings, including
'Heartbreak Hotel' (1956)?
1) “I mean, my my my my, you’re like pelican fly”
Nicki Minaj - Super Bass
2) “I’m starting to feel just a little abused, like a coffee machine in an
office”
Shakira – She Wolf
3) “I’m surrounded by some bunnies, and it ain’t f*cking Easter”
Swedish House Mafia & Tinie Tempah – Miami 2 Ibiza
4) “Let’s have some fun, this beat is sick,
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick”
Lady Gaga – Love Game
5) “You can tell your boyfriend if he says he’s got beef,
That I’m a vegetarian and I ain’t f*cking scared of him”
30H!3 – Don’t Trust Me
6) “They say I’m up and coming like I’m f*cking in an elevator”
Ed Sheeran – You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
7) “The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed”
One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
8) “Me not working hard? Yeah right, picture that with a Kodak,
or better yet, go to Times Square,
take a picture of me with a Kodak”
Pitbull, Afrojack, Ne-Yo, Nayer - Give Me Everything
9) “I’ll be lounging on the couch just chilling in my Snuggie,
Switch to MTV so they can teach me how to dougie”
Bruno Mars – The Lazy Song
10) “Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle yeah”
LMFAO – Sexy And I Know It
30 MUSIC
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
By Ellliot Tyers, Music Team
T
Noel Gallagher’s career has reached new heights with the high flying birds.
he natural life of the band can
be observed in three stages –
there is the rise from small gigs to
festival headlining – next comes the
inevitable break up and the just as
inevitable attempts at solo work –
and finally somewhere down the
line when they need the money/
fame/forget how much they hate
each other comes the reunion. Noel
Gallagher has, by making his first
solo effort, pushed himself into
phase two.
Inevitably he is going to face
comparisons to Oasis, and to
complicate things further he’s
going to be compared to his brother
Liam’s effort with Beady Eye. Before
listening to this album I already had
a lot of thoughts and expectations
– would he run the route of going
away from a tested formula to
‘shock’ critics? Or maybe stay too
close to the path already tread in his
Oasis days and risk being thought of
as an old man clinging to his past too
tightly. With all this in mind I gave
it a listen for an hour or so. I believe
that my exact thoughts were along
the lines of “Oh, I suppose it’s quite
good.”
The first thing that strikes you
is that it sounds a lot like Oasis, and
I don’t mean that in the sense that
it seems like it could have slapped
‘Oasis’ on the cover and people
wouldn’t know the difference. I
mean in the sense that it’s Noel
producing the same melodic song
writing that yielded ‘Live Forever’,
‘Some Might Say’ or ‘Wonderwall’.
The Oasis that wasn’t about two
brothers arguing; it was about
making great music – it’s that same
sound that was so perfect fifteen
years ago.
It’s worth noting that at no
point do we ever miss Liam’s voice.
Wanna Live in a Dream’ which could
fit into any Oasis album in the last
ten years as the obligatory that–
sounds–a–hell–of–a–lot–like–the–
Beatles track, but for the most part
it’s a strong album with moments of
true brilliance.
These moments come every
now and then for example the
sax solo in the album’s strongest
track ‘Death of You and Me’ or the
driving disco beat of ‘AKA… What A
Life’ – these are little flashes that
Noel was always the more essential
of the two – it was his song writing
that was lacking in Beady Eye’s
‘Different Gear, Still Speeding’. We’ve
known ever since ‘Don’t Look Back In
Anger’ that Noel had a good voice but
especially on tracks like ‘Soldier Boys
And Jesus Freaks’ he evokes a swingyKinks vibe that makes you wonder
why he ever needed Liam’s ability
to drag on the word ‘sunshine’ for
five seconds.
So what, this is a pretty good
album that might push back the
reunion tour for a few years?
I don’t think so. For all at times
Noel seems to be pushing into newer
territory. Yes, it sounds like Oasis,
but replaces the laddish swagger
with a maturing charm. Admittedly
there are weak points such as ‘I
stretch beyond what we’d expect,
they’re little glitters of originality
that enhance the album and they
promise that whatever comes next
from Noel is going to be something
different and fresh.
As a solo effort it isn’t anything
too much out of the ordinary but
I don’t think Noel wanted it to
be – I see this as him drawing a
line in the sand and proving that
he’s still growing as a songwriter,
that Oasis is behind him, that he
doesn’t need Liam, that he doesn’t
want a reunion, that he wants to go
forwards musically and ultimately
it made me feel two things, firstly I
can’t wait for what comes next and
it makes me wish that Oasis split up
ten years ago…
Old Oasis or new Noel?
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
Old Dogs, New Tricks: Blondie - 'Panic of Girls'
By Dan Davison, Music Team
I
must confess that when I heard
Blondie were finally set to
release a new album, I was equally
overjoyed and disconcerted. On
the one hand, Blondie are one of
my favourite bands of the late 70s
and early 80s; on the other, their
last LP was ‘The Curse of Blondie’ in
2003. Whilst that album and 1999's
‘No Exit’ were sufficient to establish
Blondie's comeback, they were
hardly on par with ‘Parallel Lines’
(1978) or ‘Eat to the Beat’ (1979).
With the long wait over, what
is there to say about 2011's
‘Panic of Girls?’
Although
the
ultimate absence of
keyboardist Jimmy
Destri has whittled
the classic line-up
down to lead singer
Debbie
Harry,
guitarist
Chris
Stein and drummer
Clem Burke, ‘Panic
of Girls’ still manages
to succeed in several
important
respects.
With Harry and Stein still
vitally contributing to the
band's songwriting, Blondie's
hallmark ability to produce
catchy melodies remains intact.
Such tracks as 'D-Day', 'Mother' and
'Words in My Mouth' are perfect
examples of what ‘Panic of Girls’
seeks to achieve: a sound that
hearkens back to 70s New Wave
without seeming overly retro.
Having had the fortune of
seeing the band live this year,
I can also assure readers that
Debbie still packs her vocal punch.
Another manner in which the
Blondie essence remains is in their
eclectic musical influences. One
unorthodox cover choice arising
from this is 'Girlie Girlie', an 80s
reggae hit first recorded by Sophia
George. I predict that fans will be
completely divided as to whether
the band's take on the song is
amusingly tongue-in-cheek or
simply irritating; I personally fall
into the former category.
However, there are also
several manners in which Panic
of Girls falls somewhat flat. The
first problem is lyric-writing;
whilst such tracks as 'What I
Heard' are irresistibly tuneful;
their potential impact becomes
limited by predictable rhyming
couplets. Another concern lies in
the aforementioned eclecticism,
which can cause the LP to
meander, especially in the second
half. For example, the entirely
French 'Le Bleu' (complete with
accordion!) lasts for four and a
half minutes; long enough for the
novelty to wear tediously thin.
Meanwhile, 'Wipe Off My Sweat' is
an up-tempo Latin number with
verses in English and Spanish
that, whilst easy enough to move
to, ultimately fails to capture
the energy of authentic South
American dance music.
As frustrating as ‘Panic
of Girls' faults are, I
ultimately do not count
it as a failure; rather
it's a general success
that could have
benefited from a
more streamlined
track
listing.
Where the album
is weakest is where
it
unnecessarily
attempts to widen
its stylistic scope.
This
results
in
what I like to term
'Dissociative
Musical
Identity Disorder' (DMID).
Contrastingly, such elements
as Harry's longing vocals on 'China
Shoes' evidence that the band
ultimately still has star quality.
In short, ‘Panic of Girls’ shouldn't
drive one to run for joy screaming
“Blondie's back!”, but it offers a
healthy dose of New Wave fun for
fans and newcomers alike.
The Vikings Have Invaded Again!
By Demitri Levantis, Music Team
M
any historians say the Vikings were a savage
bunch of bearded warriors – yet it was more
than just beards and horns that invaded the London
Heavy Metal scene on October 23rd when Swedish
Viking Metallers, Amon Amarth, headlined at the
HMV Forum in Kentish Town.
Back in the UK for the first time since supporting
fellow Swedish Metal heads Children of Bodom on
their world tour back in April, Amon Amarth took once
again to the stage delivering another mind–blowing
assault of Melodic Viking Metal to the hordes upon
hordes of long haired, bearded and mead swigging
fans, all of whom as hyped for front man Johan Hegg’s
death growled charisma as I was. Tracks included the
brutal ‘Guardians of Asgard,’ and the infamous, ‘Pursuit
of the Vikings.’
Supporting the Vikings were Greek Death
Metallers Septic Flesh, whose morose, occult themed
blasts ignited the fire and flames of the crowd setting
us all up for a splendid evening of Metal heavier than
a blacksmith’s anvil. Second on the set list, and more
favoured by the crowd than myself, were American
band As I Lay Dying, whose melodic breakdowns and
chugging guitars had the gravely mosh pits in sync as
soon as they leapt into their first number.
MUSIC
31
What’s On… November / December
W
ith less than a month to go until the Christmas holidays, there is still
plenty of time to check out Surrey’s diverse Arts Programme. This
month we have a great selection of professional and student shows that are
well worth seeing! All tickets can be bought online from www.surrey.
ac.uk/arts, by phone (01483 686876) or by person Mon-Fri- 10-6.
Zoe Martlew Revue Z
Thursday 24th November, 7:30 pm
Ivy Arts Centre
£12; £10 senior citizens, University staff; £7 students, concessions
Unhinged, uncensored, underwired, a blonde, a cello, a mattress and
alot of digital playback….. Uproarious, moving, sexy, hilarious and utterly
original entertainment by virtuoso cellist and former judge on BBC2 TV’s
“Maestro” Zoë Martlew, featuring her original music for cello, voice and
digital playback combined with zany theatre and comedy.
www.zoemartlew.com
Live at the Ivy
Sunday 27th November, 19:30 pm
Ivy Arts Centre
£5
An informal and fun evening that showcases the enormous range of
musical styles and the huge talents of the various bands and performers
within Music and Sound Recording. One of the most popular student
concerts in the calendar, in its short history this concert has outgrown PATS
and Wates House, and has moved again, this time to the wonderful new
performance space in the Ivy Centre. We can’t describe an evening which
might include folk music, rock and pop, cover versions and new works,
experimental jazz, electronic improvisation, solo singer/songwriters…All
that is certain is that it will be spectacular and eclectic.
Please visit our Facebook page to view footage from last concert and get
a taster of what to expect: www.facebook.com/universityofsurreyarts
Big Band in Studio One
Friday 2nd December, 8:00 pm
PATS Studio One
£8, £6 concessions, £5 students
Big tunes – big sound – the University of Surrey’s award winning and
talented Big Band returns to Studio One with another lively and fun-filled
programme of Big Band standards through Latin jazz to modern funk.
Irresistible rhythms, toe–tapping tunes and exciting performances make
every Big Band concert an event, not just a performance!
Notes Inégales: Brew…. The Miles Davis Project
Saturday 10th December, 7:30 pm
PATS Studio One
£10; £8 senior citizens, University staff; £5 students, concessions
Notes Inégales are one of the most innovative new ensembles in London;
described as ‘post fusion’ they draw on contemporary, free and jazz music.
...brew is influenced by Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. They have invited
leading composers (including University of Surrey composers Tom
Armstrong, Stephen Goss, Milton Mermikides and Matthew Sansom), to
send them ‘postcards’ from Miles Davis and from these starting points they
work a ‘brew’ of rhythm and sound into their own dark magic.
The results are spellbinding.
www.notesinegales.co.uk
Book online: www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/music or by phone: 01483 686876
Overall, it was a night of savagery, beer and beards
put to the most Extreme Metal conceivable. This was
the second time I’d seen Amon Amarth and their skin
tight performance merely cemented them further
into my list of all time Metal bands. History has
shown us that tactics of battle change over time, and
this surely for me meant that for Vikings to invade,
you don’t need swords and horned battle helmets,
but a down tuned guitar and some machine gun style
drumming to win the glory of the battle.
The School of Arts Christmas Show
Friday 16th December 7:30 Saturday 17th December 2:00, 7:30 pm
Ivy Arts Centre
£8; £6 senior citizens, University staff; £5 students, concessions
Please join us for an extra special Christmas Show to celebrate the new
School of Arts, featuring students from Dance, Film, Theatre, Music and
Sound Recording, and the Guildford School of Acting.
The show will feature commissioned performances by Jennifer Jackson,
Luke Birch, Lost Banditos Theatre Company and Milton Mermikides as well
as exciting new works from Dance, Film and Theatre, and GSA. Come and
celebrate our new School with us and enjoy a glass of mulled wine with a
mince pie.
32 SOCIETIES
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Societies
Formula Racing Society
By James Johnstone, Formula Student Society President
…2
…1… GO! The Formula Student Society held its
first Go-Karting event at the TeamSport Karting
Track in Camberley Wednesday 9th November. The
track itself is 375m in length and contains a sequence
of tight hairpins and a challenging 450° banked corner.
Due to the recently polished wood flooring, conditions
were relatively slippery and grip out on the circuit was
hard to come by. Bragging rights go to Nicolas Gonelle
who achieved an outstanding time of 26.01 seconds, an
amazing 3/10 quicker than anybody else in that session.
Overall it was a really good event; there was even time to
grab some good old fashioned fish ‘n’ chips afterwards!
So if you fancy yourself as the next Lewis Hamilton then
please get in touch, as we will be holding many more
Go-Karting events in the future.
The Formula Student Society built its first car in
2008 for the Formula Student competition. This car
never took part in the event but it spurred on the
creation of the 2009 car which did take part in the
competition. Since then the society has been going
well, getting cars to both the 2010 and 2011 events.
Weekly meetings are held in the Formula Student lab
(opposite 02AC01) at 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon.
Dinner With Industry
By Bright Futures Surrey
B
right Futures Surrey is now preparing for its biggest
event this year: Dinner With Industry. For those of
you who are not familiar with this type of event, this
is your chance to dine and network with some of the
world’s top employers and understand what they are
looking for when recruiting students. You can gain
inside information about internships, placements and
graduate jobs in an informal atmosphere, so we hope to
see as many of you there as possible.
We have contacted companies from various
disciplines such as ACCA, Deloitte, Npower and PWC –
so far, IBM and Bibby Financial Services confirmed their
attendance and we’re expecting that more will follow.
If we’ve managed to make you curious, join us on
the 30th of November, at 6pm, at Lakeside Restaurant.
The ticket price is £15 and includes a two-course meal.
We hope you are as excited as we are about the
event and we can’t wait to see you there! If you have
any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at:
[email protected]
If you’re free at this time and fancy popping down, you
are more than welcome. There have been a couple of
projects running on the car recently one of which was
to re-design the push bar used for manoeuvring the car
around while it’s not being driven. The other project
was that the battery needed to be re-located. To get any
more information on the society or on the car itself,
don’t hesitate to e-mail.
GU2 Radio
G
U2 Radio members have
had the chance to sit in on
a BBC Radio 1 show. On Friday
4th November four lucky GU2
members travelled up to Radio 1
headquarters in central London to
be involved in Greg James’ radio
show. The trip was part of Greg
James’ weekly ‘Feet Up Friday’,
where a select group of people are
invited to be a part of the national
radio show.
The group were live on
national radio, had the chance to
Are you...
take part in the show’s features,
got to be interviewed on their
cheese hatred, and were even
complimented on their fashion.
Trips to national radio stations
such as Radio 1 are just some of
the amazing opportunities you
can have at the University of
Surrey’s student radio station.
To be involved in GU2, come
along to the weekly meetings at
7.15 in Wates House. Go to www.
gu2.co.uk for more information.
RELIABLE?
The Stag needs a new Societies Editor. Get great
experience as a journalist and meet hundreds of
interesting people across the whole range of Surrey’s
student societies.
Email [email protected]
34 SPORT
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
BUCS Sports Results
Basketball
Badminton
H Surrey Men’s 1st
A Reading Men’s 2nd
H Surrey Women’s 1st
vs
vs
vs
3
5
8
Portsmouth Men’s 1st
Surrey Men’s 2nd
Reading Women’s 1st
5
3
0
A West London Men’s 1st
54
vs
69 Surrey Men’s 1st
51
36
42
vs
vs
vs
53 Brunel 3rd
37 Surrey 2nd
44 Sussex 2nd
64
32
vs
vs
0
0
Imperial Medics 2nd
Surrey Men’s 2nd
0
3
1
vs
vs
vs
5
0
3
Reading 2nd
Royal Holloway Men’s 2nd
Surrey Women’s 1st
2
2
1
0
vs
vs
vs
vs
3
1
0
2
Kings Men’s 1st
Reading Men’s 2nd
Sussex Men’s 3rd
Surrey Women’s 1st
Netball
Football
H
A
H
H
Surrey Men’s 1st
Reading Men’s 2nd
Surrey Men’s 5th
Surrey Women’s 1st
3
2
1
2
vs
vs
vs
vs
1
1
3
4
H Surrey 1st
A St Mary’s 1st
H Surrey 3rd
Sussex Men’s 2nd
Surrey Men’s 3rd
Roehampton (Froedel) Men’s
Reading Women’s 1st
Rugby Union
H Surrey Men’s 1st
A SOAS Men’s 2nd
Fencing
H Surrey Men’s 2nd
A UCL Women’s 1st
91
110
vs
vs
135
118
Portsmouth Men’s 1st
Surrey Women’s 1st
Squash
H Surrey Men’s 1st
H Surrey Men’s 2nd
A Kent Women’s 1st
Golf
A Kingston 1st
5
vs
1
Surrey 1st
Tennis
Hockey
A Kingston Men’s 1st
H Surrey Men’s 3rd
A Reading Women’s 2nd
3
0
0
vs
vs
vs
1
0
7
H
H
H
A
Suurey Men’s 1st
Portsmouth Men’s 4th
Surrey Women’s 1st
Non-BUCS Sports Results
The Surrey Scorpions won 15 - 4 against Royal Holloway in
the Ultimate Frisbee London Ultimate League
Andrew Wishart & Joe Stansfield came 3rd in the Sailing
National Fleet Championships
Loughborough Trampolining Competition
Higher Synchronised
Lower Synchronised
Lower Synchronised
Lower Synchronised
Novice Ladies
Intermediate Men
Elite Ladies
Zoe Pounce & Hannah Birthwistle-Gorden
Becky Craddock & Becca Shipperly
Emily James & Luke Pierce
Nicole Holbrook & Emma Robinson
Becca Shipperly
Andy Sluman
Zoe Pounce
5th
7th
8th
9th
6th
5th
4th
Surrey Men’s 1st
Surrey Men’s 2nd
Surrey Men’s 3rd
Portsmouth Women’s 1st
Surrey’s fencers
show cutting edge
By Douglas Elder, Sport Team
F
encing is often a misunderstood sport
and is certainly not at the forefront of
our national sporting focus. In this country,
sports like football, rugby and cricket
dominate the scene, taking all the inches of
column space, while sports such as fencing
get neglected – possibly due to the lack of
good quality fencing puns – well not any
more!
Surrey women’s 1st Team fencers have
made a stunning start to the season, winning
all three matches in their first ever season in
the BUCS (British Universities and College
Sports) league. The team has contributed
more than most to ensure that fencing is the
University’s best performing sport so far. So
what’s the secret? Well, there are many...and
I may be about to expose them, so I’ll have to
be “on-guard” for the next few weeks.
Captain Rebecca Smethurst has cited
many factors as contributors to the success,
including “excellent coaching from Andy
Reynolds and assistant coach Alex Bela”
as well as thanking a “very dedicated and
strong team.” Smethurst, typically humble
throughout our ‘interview’ – essentially a
fragmented exchange of emails – says that
the team aims to “stay focused and to try to
retain our 100% record and get more ladies
involved with the team” before stating her
pride and happiness in the team’s progress.
Members Liz Ng, Grace Edmund, Flora Da,
Minna Wilke and Smethurst will be aiming to
put their next opponents – UCL and fellow
unbeaten team, University of Sussex – to the
sword.
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
SPORT
35
Surrey Boat Club
Spot of bother: Amir left, Asif centre and captain Butt right
It’s just
not cricket
By Douglas Elder, Sport Team
L
ast week, at the end of a
landmark trial for both cricket
and sport in general, Pakistan
cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad
Asif and Mohammad Amir were
sentenced in relation to claims of
match-fixing at the Lord’s Test
against England last August.
The trial centred on the claims
that bowlers Asif and Amir were
ordered by captain Butt to bowl
three deliberate “no-balls” in
order to obtain corrupt payments.
At first glance, the crime may
not appear to be too serious; noball costs the bowling side one
run and means the ball must be
delivered again. However, it is the
implications behind the action
which pose as a major threat to the
integrity and credibility of cricket,
the most pertinent being whether
this corruption is commonplace
within in the sport and is simply
going undetected, as players earn a
fortune to destroy the game.
Butt has been sentenced to
thirty months in jail for his part,
notably for abusing his position of
captain to encourage and spread
corruption. Asif has been sentenced
to one year and Amir to six months.
The former two were found guilty
at the case at Southwark Crown
Court – Amir had pleaded guilty
prior to the trial. Agent Mazhar
Majeed has been sentenced to two
years and eight months for his role
in the scandal, in which he acted as
the medium between the players
and the issuers of the dirty money.
It is somewhat ironic that the
drama occurred at Lord’s, the most
quintessentially British sporting
venue, and the keeper and founder
of all the traditions of a sport which
prides itself on fair-play.
Sally Walsh, of the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS), said
the players had “brought shame
on the cricket world” through
their actions and “jeopardised the
faith and admiration of cricket
fans the world over”. As a result,
world cricket’s governing body the
ICC has a major job on its hands
in ensuring that these sad events
are rare occurrences and do not
become part-and-parcel of a game
that is ordered the world over.
Sadly, it seems the institution lacks
the funds and the expertise to
stamp out the corruption.
Perhaps more sadly, the case
only came to light after a journalist
from the now defunct News of the
World was able to launch a sting
operation, in which agent Majeed
told him that “big money could
be made” and gave details of the
practice known as “spot-fixing”,
before revealing when the no-balls
would be bowled, demonstrating
the power he had over the players.
Many say that the scandal may
never have been covered had it
not been for the investigative
journalism of the reporter. Former
England captain Michael Vaughan
also claimed that “the ICC do a
decent job but they could do a lot
more”.
Because of this lack of resources
and because of this ultimate lack
of information, the judge and the
ICC have come down very hard on
the players in question. Without
adequate plans in place to prevent
match-fixing, the only deterrent
available to the ICC was to ensure
that the strictest punishment
possible was enforced upon the
players.
The problem now facing the
authorities is not just keeping
corruption out of the game, but in
convincing potentially disillusioned
fans that the game remains clear of
such greed and that the spectacle,
the drama, the controversy that
unfolds before their eyes is real,
is competitive, but most of all, is
clean.
Record result for Boat Club
By Tom Mee & Jonathan Rains, Sport Team
O
n Saturday 5th November the Boat Club entered
Fours Head, the biggest rowing race in the country
for fours that included most of the current GB Rowing
team and recent Olympians. The Quad, consisting of
Phil Elton, Tom Mee, Ashley Epps and Nick Bright
(see picture) gave the race of their lives and came in
the top 15% of the country. In their category (which
included ex-Olympians) the only universities to beat
them were Imperial, London, Leeds, Reading and Bath
(all of whom have GB U23 athletes in their teams). This
is the highest result ever achieved by Team Surrey in
any of the major national head races.
Henry Pelly, a University of Surrey Student who
was rowing in a Molesey boat for this event, came
second in the Elite coxed fours (the highest category
for fours available). This placed him 14th overall in the
whole event. The only crew to beat him in the Elite
coxed fours had four world champions in the boat and
three of those also have Olympic medals.
Surrey Hockey
Surrey thump Medway
to progress in cup
By Douglas Elder, Sport Team
A
fter losing their first three league games, the
University of Surrey’s 1ST XI hockey team finally
found the winning formula this week.
League duties were swept aside as Surrey proved
they were up for the cup with a 4-0 victory against
Universities at Medway at the Surrey Sports Park.
Despite the opposition being several leagues below
the hosts, Surrey could be forgiven for feeling nervous
before the game, given the start they had made to the
season. However, Surrey dominated from the off and
constantly posed a threat to the Medway goal. The
threat was particularly apparent down the right hand
side, with Russ Odendaal and Chris Fox consistently
wreaking havoc. However, despite their control of the
game, Surrey was guilty of squandering numerous
chances and it looked as if half-time would bring
a stalemate.
However, Surrey turned up the style in the last
five minutes of the first half with a devastating display
of attacking hockey. First, Fox capped a fine first half
display with an impressive individual goal to break
the deadlock. Fox then doubled his and Surrey’s tally
with a cool finish after a mad scramble in the Medway
area two minutes later. Surrey even had time to have
a further goal from Matt Brunt disallowed after he
illegally lifted his stick up shoulder height.
The second half brought no respite for the
beleaguered visitors, with Surrey continuing to knock
on the door and scoring the third goal their team
display merited, when Lowell Lewis tapped in after
another wonderful team move. Despite being in total
control, Surrey refused to step off the gas and could
have added to their tally on numerous occasions
before finally scoring a fourth fifteen minutes from
the end when Jonny Stockbridge got himself on the
score-sheet.
So Surrey was able to put their poor early-season
form behind them with a win in the cup this week.
Captain Harry Hole said that “this performance is the
best we’ve had all season, we’re a very new squad and
we’re getting better and better every week.” Surrey
returns to action with away matches at Kingston
University and Royal Free and University College
Medical School in the next few weeks. The hope will
be that this fine performance will act as a catalyst for
further success this year.
36 SPORT
The Stag | 22nd November 2011
[email protected]
Sport
The Climbing Club
By Chris Thomas, Sport Team
“W
WHHAAYYY”!!
jeer
Climbing Society members
upon crashing through the door of
a quiet Wetherspoons on the first
social event of the year. Having
retained the title of being the
University’s largest society two
years running, the Climbing Club
currently consists of over seventy
enthusiastic members. Former
president Dave West, who has done
everything from traversing along a
cliff face above crashing waves to
downing eight pitchers in a row,
feels it is important to emphasize
there is so much more to the club
than just learning to climb. The
atmosphere of the club’s latest trip
certainly embodies this.
Described by current club
president ‘Windle’ as “the greatest
trip yet!”, sixty-five excited
students embarked on a four hour
bus journey to the Peak District. The
euphoric high remained despite
emerging from tents the next
morning to showering rain. The day
was spent at “The Works”, the UK’s
largest international bouldering
centre, followed by socialising at the
Hathersage pub. Later that evening
the banter continued as students
congregated in the ‘Uber tent’ as
president ‘Windle’ attempted to
play Bob Marley’s “don’t worry – be
happy” on the ukulele.
The
following
morning,
despite heavy doubt of ‘Windle’s’
uncompromising belief that the
weather would improve, students
awoke to the warm, tranquil,
fresh air of a good day to come.
Fantastic sun escalated the trip to
its peak with an action packed day
full of climbing on outdoor rock
and experience of breathtaking
views, followed by the clubs
‘official’ topless photo! Winner
of the fresher’s male bouldering
competition
Bryan
Calderon
(studying mechanical-engineering)
described the outdoor climbing
as a “challenging experience”
compared to indoors, but appeared
satisfied by the trip - “it’s really
good because they mixed us up
with some of the more experienced
climbers so we were able to pick up
quite a lot”.
Whereas many members would
argue climbing to be an extreme
and dangerous sport, it is worth
pointing out how safe it actually
is, in that all members must pass
a safety assessment before being
allowed to belay solo. Female
fresher’s bouldering competition
winner Bethany Askem (studying
nutrition and dietetics) shared
her impressions of the club: “love
every minute of it! It’s the people
that make it what it is. It doesn’t
matter if you feel you’ve missed the
beginning, come along at any point
because you can join all year”.
Latest developments to the
club involve training officer Tom
Foschini putting together a training
program to help new climbers
develop their technique, which
will begin 15th November. The club
agrees it is excellent to have new
members and would like to invite
anyone who is interested to either
come on down to the Sports Park or
get involved with the next two trips.
The club will next be travelling to
the Roaches and Swanage where
members will be lodging in a scout
hut (for those of you keen on staying
dry). These trips are rumoured to
involve the infamous “sling-game”
and are a great chance to have fun
and meet new people.
Surrey Running & Athletics Club
New Year, New You
By Dave Holcombe, Sport Team
A
re you looking to get active
but not interested in playing
a team sport? The University of
Surrey’s Running and Athletics club
are going ahead with plans to make
an entirely beginners orientated
session. There is no pressure on how
quick you can run 5km or 10km, in
fact, you don’t even have to want
to get to a level to compete if you
don’t want to. It is purely a social
run for people who are looking to
get into shape, or maintain fitness
after maybe one too many mince
pies this Christmas. The course will
be taken by an existing member of
the Running society who will have
attended a coaching course. To
participate, you don’t even have to
be a part of the society. There will
be more information on the days
and times of these runs as it comes.
The club have recently been
taking part in the London Colleges
League (LCL). This is a cross country
series of six races between all of
the London based colleges as well
as surrounding institutions, such
as the University of Surrey. The
first race was on Wednesday 20th
October at Parliament Hill. Three
members went along to the race
(Stacey Eyers, Will Bodkin and Chris
West). Stacey performed well in
her event with a finish time of 18
minutes 2 seconds to complete the
2.5 mile circuit. This earned her an
impressive 22nd out of eighty seven
runners. Chris and Will were also
impressive by coming 31st and 53rd
respectively out of one hundred
and thirty in the men’s event.
The BUCS Outdoor Athletics
Championships will be held at the
Olympic Stadium from Friday 4th to
Monday 7th May next year. It is the
official London 2012 Athletics test
event. This means that all of the
facilities and procedures that will
be used for Athletics in the Olympic
Games will be tested by participants
of the BUCS event. The Running and
Athletics Society are hoping that
they can put a strong team forward
to enter this event, so if you’re a
keen runner looking to perform on
the biggest stage of them all, get in
touch. As part of the BUCS entry
process, all institutions will get one
entry to each event, regardless of
ability.
The Running and Athletics
society caters for runners of all
abilities. Whether you’re a keen
athlete looking to compete against
other runners or you’re just looking
for a social jog with some nice
people, there is something for you.
www.facebook.com/groups/
188351574534287/
E-mail:
[email protected]