Queens` fights for Freshers` Week

Transcription

Gathering foliage for
British Sea Power pages 18-19
The
CambridgeStudent
Thursday, 11th November 2010
Queens’ fights for
Freshers’ Week
Saranyah Sukumaran
Deputy News Editor
Queens’ College students have petitioned against an attempt by authorities to cancel their Freshers’ Week.
Senior Tutor, Dr James Kelly, set
out his proposals for the alternative
‘Academic Alignment Week’ in a JCR
open meeting on Monday. However,
student outrage and the tactful mediation of the JCR committee have led
to a partial reversal.
The Senior Tutor claimed that it
was essential that “priorities were
balanced”, as “at the end of the day
Queens’ is an academic institution.”
Kelly had already reshuffled this
year’s programme to make it more
academically focused. The proposed
2011 timetable proposed five-and-ahalf hours of lectures on study skills,
and additional academic activities
scheduled for the evenings. Following
negotiations with the JCR, a modified timetable sees the same intensity
of academic lectures; however, some
of the evenings have been given back
to the JCR.
Kelly’s original proposal for ‘Academic Alignment Week’ also removed many social events. The boat
club squash, international evening,
pub and club nights (with alternative
options) were all removed. Even the
traditional parents’ dinner was reduced to ‘JCR discretionary time’.
Helen Brannigan, a second-year
Queens’ student, told The Cambridge
Student (TCS): “There is a great feeling of shock amongst students here
that the College proposed such stressful, intimidating and illogical changes. Queens’ is known for its friendly,
relaxed and social atmosphere and
that’s why we chose it. Such changes
threaten to ruin this atmosphere and
Queens’ reputation.”
Queens’ dropped five places in
this year’s Tompkins’ Table of colleges, to 17th position. It has been
suggested that this is the key reason
for these changes. The last night of
Freshers’ Week’ has been allocated
for ‘preparation for first lectures’. Yet
Emmanuel College, top of the table,
hold an ‘Emma Ent’ in their bar that
same night.
Max Foreman, Freshers’ Rep at
Emma, told TCS: “Every evening
and some daytimes had a social activity within College, and was often
followed by most freshers going out
to one of the clubs in town. There is
no academic emphasis on Freshers’
week at all.”
A petition letter signed by over 150
students was presented to Queens’
Governing Body. It cites concerns
about the “mental pressures” of the
originally proposed week. Arguing that, “happy students are good
students,” the letter recommends
“dispersed talks that review progress
throughout the term, rather than a
four day intensive course”. The letter
states: “Sitting in a hall full of nameless individuals, after reading a timetable detailing day after day of lectures, the imagination of the typical
neurotic student will go haywire.”
The governing body met yesterday
and concluded that the name ‘Freshers’ Week’ could be kept and some
nights reclaimed by the JCR.
Ed Lucas, a second-year Queens’
student, told TCS: “Although the
changes are positive, original proposals were so ridiculous that further
amendments are eminently necessary. There is still too much time allocated to pointless lecturing even
before lectures begin. You can put a
dress on a pig but it’s still a pig.”
Queens’ JCR President, Charlie
Bell, told TCS: “I am grateful to the
Senior Tutor for the constructive discussion we have had – and am sure
this will continue in the Teaching
Committee. We are all working in
the same direction, to improve the
student experience at Queens’.”
Michaelmas Issue Seven
Anarchy reigns as students strike back
Chaos ensued as student protestors stormed Tory offices in Millbank Tower yesterday, after
52,000 students converged in London to protest cuts to higher education and increased tuition fees. Our reporters were granted exclusive access to the Met police, and witnessed the
descent of peaceful protests into chaos.
Photo: ess ouschek
J T
Feature on ages 4-5
p
IN THE NEWS
Vodafone tax avoidance
protests in Grand Arcade
Ex-Caius worker
involved in benefit fraud
Cambridgeshire Police
in dodgy behaviour scandal
Speaker storms
out of Union debate
Student victory in
City Council election
Cambridge Action Network members staged a protest last Saturday
over an alleged £6 billion owed by
Vodafone in unpaid taxes.
Page 3
A former employee was convicted
of unlawfully claiming over £37,000.
Accusations have been made about
the involvement of a Caius don.
Page 8
A Channel 4 documentary, entitled
Coppers, has questioned the personal motives of policemen in carrying
out arrests.
Page 8
Speaker and former head of Stop the
Islamification of Europe stormed
out of the debate after alleged personal attacks.
Page 8
Graduate student George Owers
won last week’s by-election for Labour, removing the last Conservative from the City Council.
Page 9
The
02|News
CambridgeStudent
Thursday, November 11, 2010
THE CAMBRIDGE STUDENT
THE TEAM
Editors in Chief: Jen Mills & Jess Touschek - [email protected]; Associate Editor: James Burton - [email protected]; Design Editor: Alastair Cliff - [email protected]; Magazine
Editors: Alice Baghdjian & Julia Rampen - [email protected]; Photo Editor: Adrienne Li - [email protected]; News Editor: Andrew Georgiou - [email protected]; Deputy News
Editors: Phil Brook, Zoah Hedges-Stocks, Nat Rudarakanchana & Saranyah Sukumaran; International Editor: Elspeth Carruthers - [email protected]; Deputy International Editor: Jen
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Sub-Editor: Mostafa Al-Mossallami; Sub-Editors: Catherine Barker, Bryony Clarke, Eleanor Dickinson, Junko Takata, Nicholas Tufnell & Judith Welikala; Illustrator: Clémentine Beauvais; Board of
Directors: James Burton (Chair). Mark Curtis (Business), Rahul Mansigani, Dan Green, Fay Rolfe, Alex Wood, Jen Mills, Jess Touschek & Jo Ashbridge [email protected] jhkjhgkj
bulk of the media coverage, let’s remember the 99% of the 52,000 protesters who attended and did not
dream of flinging Molotov cocktails
at the Old Bill.
The massive figure dispels the
myth that ours is a lost generation of
Facebook addicts, unable to muster
the enthusiasm to walk to the polling station. Although The Cambridge
Student is reliably informed that
several students just used the CUSU
buses as free lifts for a London shopping spree, the range of protesters
who made the expedition to London
from across the country shows that
this demo was not just the territory
of the seasoned activist, out to protest
for protest’s sake.
Two issues ago we voiced our concerns that the government would,
as usual, ignore the shouts of those
they claim to serve. That the cuts are
coming under public scrutiny as a
result of student mobilisation should
be welcomed, and protests on such a
level may even prove us wrong and
prompt action in parliament.
Polly Toynbee suggested in The
Guardian last week that students
should recognise their (low) place
in the “pain pecking order”, arguing
that our slogans should instead be
against the axing of the Education
Maintenance Allowance . Thanks for
the advice, Polly, but actually many of
us do feel that the EMA chop is unjustifiable. Far from being selfish, the
students protesting are not the teenagers on the bottom rung who may
face both a cut in EMA and a mammoth invoice for the same service by
the time they reach our step on the
ladder. Nope, yesterday’s protesters
will be graduates and comfortably
unemployed by then.
Whether Cameron et al choose to
ignore us again or not, don’t let the
reprehensible actions of a few obscure the very real reasons students
protested yesterday.
Prof makes ass of Pompeii find
Rockstar lands honorary degree
Scientists research giant testicles
Deer drama at Ohio University
Scientists at Pompeii celebrated
after thinking that they had discovered the remains of a very rare
breed of Roman horse in the volcanic ruins of the town. Differing
greatly from modern horse DNA,
it was assumed to have come from
some unusual kind of Roman
horse that was now extinct. However, after a careful examination,
a Cambridge professor has finally
solved the mystery . Unfortunately,
the solution is a little more mundane: horse and ass DNA had been
mixed up at the site.
Alex James, bassist of Blur, has
been given an honorary degree by
Bournemouth University. James
grew up in Bournemouth but studied French at Goldsmiths, London.
He never completed his bachelor’s
degree after meeting Graham Coxon and forming Blur, the 1990s Britpop sensation who scored two UK
number ones. Although the artist
is best-known for his involvement
in the band, he is also the “Artist in
Residence” for Oxford’s Astrophysics department. The artist now enjoys spends his time making awardwinning cheese.
Scientists from Cambridge and
Derby Universities announced this
week that they had found the animal with the largest testes-to-body
mass ratio. The delicate study was
carried out as part of an investigation into the evolutionary development of sexual habits of the bush
cricket. Male bush crickets have developed abnormally large testicles
because female crickets require a
lots of attention, mating with multiple partners. Weighing in at a
staggering 14% of the insect’s body
weight, these are proportionally the
largest testicles of any creature.
A violent deer broke into the Student Union building at Denison
University, Ohio in a terrifying attack last week. The large buck, with
scary ten-point antlers, charged
through a window-pane, probably
after mistaking its reflection for a
rival male. The deer then ran towards the snack-bar. Staff members
fended off the deer with chairs before locking it in an office until help
arrived. It was eventually killed by
two bow hunters and the meat was
kindly donated to a hungry local
family. Residents were reassured
that this was an isolated incident.
NEWS BULLETIN News in brief
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Picture of the Week:
‘Networking’ by Marek Tyl
NEWS FEATURE
Image: Chris Brown
EDITORIAL
People are angry. Justifiably so: after
grinning for the camera while promising to abolish tuition fees, the Liberal Democrats have failed to resist a
threefold increase in fees, along with
massive cuts to higher education.
However, anger doesn’t justify
the violence that marred yesterday’s
protests. Such scenes will only be
condemned by a national audience,
and although many of the protesters
torching police helmets and flinging
broken glass may just have been anarchists along for the ride, it is inevitable that students will be blamed.
Despite the fact that the tiny minority of protesters will attract the
THIS WEEK
We shadow the Met police
at yesterday’s protests
p.5
INTERNATIONAL
The tragedy of Haiti’s
women
p.10
SPORT
Cambridge kick off
Varsity season with an
Athletics win p.29
MAGAZINE
The Bridge over the
troubled waters of Week 5
p.15
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The
CambridgeStudent
Vodafone protest rocks Grand Arcade
Hattie Peachey
News Reporter
The flyers handed out by the protesters suggested that they intended
to “make the corporations pay for
their crisis”.
CAN argue that “while we face
massive public service cuts, big companies are looking forward to cuts of
a different kind – tax cuts”.
They also argue that £6 billion
could cover all spending cuts being
made in higher education.
One protester, Kim Ashton, a Cambridge music graduate, told The Cambridge Student (TCS) that “Vodafone
was just the start” in the battle against
the “tax dodgers”.
Protesters: “Vodafone
was just the start” of
the campaign
The protesters entered the Vodafone store at 2.15pm to the bemusement of employees and customers.
They then produced a large number of flyers and pickets and attempted to start a sit-in protest.
Within five minutes, the police had
been called to the scene, as well as the
Grand Arcade’s security guards.
The protest attracted a large crowd
of Saturday shoppers that had to be
held back by security.
At 2.37pm, the protest came to a
close with the final protesters chant-
Image: Miriam Sherwood
Twenty members of the Cambridge
Action Network (CAN) protested
against alleged tax avoidance by
Vodafone last Saturday.
The protest in the Vodafone store
in the Grand Arcade led to the arrest
of three people for public order offences.
A 30-year-old man, a 51-year-old
woman and a 21-year-old-womanwere arrested. All three have since
been released on police bail to return
on 13 December. Two community
support officers called seven police
officers to the scene.
CAN allege that Vodafone owe up
to £6 billion in unpaid taxes. However, this is denied by both Vodafone
and HM Revenue and Customs.
On their website, Vodafone state:
“We do not know how this number
was arrived at. HM Revenue and
Customs has said that it is an ‘urban
myth’.
“Vodafone takes corporate responsibility very seriously and in that regard does meet its tax obligations in
the countries in which it operates.
“It is incorrect to suggest that there
was an outstanding tax bill of £6 billion, as this was never the case.”
The figure of £6 billion was first
reported in an article in Private Eye
in September.
News|03
Called In: Police moved in to remove protesters from the shop
ing “Pay your taxes, Vodafone!” while that have occurred in cities across
the police dragged them away.
the UK, and a comparatively peaceThe deputy manager of Vodafone ful one.
Cambridge refused to comment, sayFour shops in London closed
ing it was not company policy.
due to the protests, as did others
This protest was just one of many in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool,
Manchester, Hastings, York, Oxford,
Brighton and Bristol.
The nationwide protest movement was co-ordinated using social
media including Twitter and Facebook groups.
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The
CambridgeStudent
Behind the scenes
TCS was given exclusive access to Police Operations at yesterday’s student protests. James Burton
and Jess Touschek track the descent of what was intended to be a peaceful day of student activism to
an unexpected display of gratuitous violence.
Shaking the shards of glass from our
hair as we picked our way through
the smoking debris outside the Conservative party headquarters, it was
difficult to pinpoint exactly when
and how the careful plans of police
and NUS organisers had come so
dramatically unstuck.
The mood in the room
was one of overriding
optimism
Arriving at New Scotland Yard in
the early hours of Wednesday morning, there was nothing in the air to
suggest that the day would end in
violent confrontation. The Metropolitan police had invited two jour-
ally large protests, they begin with a
‘Gold’ breakfast. As PC Watson explained, police command at events
of this size consists of three levels:
Gold officers, who organise strategy in advance; Silver officers, who
deal with tactical issues on the day;
and a Bronze team, who command
police from the ground. The ‘Gold’
breakfast is not only an opportunity
to take on essential calories, but also
for these officers to deliver their final
briefings in a relaxed setting.
The mood in the room was one of
overriding optimism. Sky News had
earlier claimed that 25,000 would be
attending the protest, but the figures
provided by the NUS (based on coach
bookings) were closer to 15,000. As it
turned out, both were serious underestimates, but at that point the police
be full of life, and not violent.” With
more militant groups, she said, “we
can’t take such a relaxed approach –
we have to keep the peace.” She added that she was expecting “a lot more
protests. I hate to use the journalistic
vernacular, but it will be Middle England turning out for these events.”
At 11.00am, we moved on to the
protest itself. For PC Watson, this
marked the climax of months of
planning and organisation. Put simply, his role had been to assist the
NUS wherever possible, from picking a route, to closing roads and
supporting their stewards who, he
admits, have made the police’s life a
lot easier: “We used to do a lot of the
health and safety stuff, but now we
say to the stewards ‘look. Your event.’
We will only step in if there’s a serious incident. Because some people, if
they see a police officer, will say I’m
not doing that,’ whereas if it’s a steward telling them where to go, they’ll
be fine. We don’t want to be seen to
be running their event.”
For all this planning, however, it
was already clear even 90 minutes before the start of the march that events
were not entirely proceeding as ex-
‘Silver’ Officer, Andy McKechnie in the Met Central Control Room
ers was, he said, somewhere between
40 and 50,000 – almost three times
the figure upon which the police had
based their initial strategy.
Despite this, the march proceeded
peacefully enough past Downing
Street and Parliament, the only slight
stir being the sudden appearance of
David Lammy, ex-Labour Minister
for Higher Education, who joined
the demonstrators as they passed the
House of Commons. He called the
Met officer: “I expect a lot more protests. I hate
to use the journalistic vernacular, but it will be
Middle England turning out for these events.”
NUS President Aaron Porter rallies the troops
were optimistic. According to the
Gold officer, Acting Chief Superintendent Roger Gomm, “a successful
day would be a peaceful march – I
don’t mind them sitting down, I don’t
mind them running down the road,
as long as the event is peaceful.”
To pass the time whilst confidential intelligence updates were delivered we headed across the road to the
Buckingham Gate building, where
the rank and file were enjoying a
distinctly less sophisticated breakfast
in a large canteen. The police are expected to work for eight hours at protests and rallies, and the trade-off for
this is free food, and lots of it. As PC
Sam Lockwood explained: “When
we were a force [before the Met was
rebranded as a service], it used to be
called force feeding, which I thought
was appropriate.”
Lockwood was friendly and laidback, and actively looking forward
to policing the rally: “I really like student protests, because they tend to
cuts “a huge mistake that must be
stopped,” telling TCS that “for Cambridge, which has struggled in the
past to attract people from more than
300 independent schools, and still
struggles to get more than a minority
of black and ethnic students – I think
[the cuts] will be a step back for Cambridge. I was lucky enough to go to
Harvard as well as SOAS, and it con-
Reporting: James Burton. Photography: Jess Touschek
nalists from The Cambridge Student
(TCS) to shadow them for the duration of the Fund our Future protest.
Good for us, because it meant exclusive access to the inner workings of
the largest police force in Britain at a
moment of unparalleled significance
to students; good for them, because
it would allow them to put out the
word on how such demonstrations
are safely policed.
PC Richard Watson, the demonstration’s Event Liaison Officer, met
us in the room occupied by the Met’s
Public Order Operational Command
Unit (CO11), at 8.30am. PC Watson
described his position as “the best job
in the world,” and it was easy to see
why: charged with the coordination
and front-line management of events
as diverse as the Red Bull air race and
Princess Diana’s wedding, PC Watson gets a front seat at Britain’s greatest spectacles.
Protest days for the Met begin
with breakfast. In the case of unusu-
pected. Numbers were so high that
the front marchers were twice moved
forward to make room for those joining at the back and the march began
five minutes early to prevent unwanted congestion. It was only at the demonstration’s end, though, that NUS
President Aaron Porter revealed just
how wildly inaccurate initial figures
had been: the total number of protest-
cerns me that access to these other
institutions still remains better than
Cambridge.”
Finally, around 1.30 pm, the marchers reached their destination. They
were greeted with the usual fanfare
of speeches: NUS President Aaron
Porter, Sally Hunt, General Secretary
of University College Union, and
Frances O’Grady, Deputy General
Secretary of Trade Union Congress,
all urging solidarity and direct action.
Those over, the vast majority of the
audience headed back to their coaches while we took our leave of PC Watson and our press office chaperone.
It was at this point that events began to unravel. Perhaps people took
the speakers’ enthusiastic rhetoric of
resistance and retribution a bit too literally. Perhaps they were just drunk,
or over-excited, or overcome with
enthusiasm for the largest UK student rally in a generation. Whatever
the reason, smoke was rising outside
the Conservative party headquarters
by 2.00pm.
No doubt many alternative narratives will be offered in the coming
The
CambridgeStudent
|05
as millbank burns
days, but as far as these journalists can ascertain, what happened
was this. At around 1.30 pm, as the
speeches began 2 to 300m further up
the line, a group of protestors managed to enter the Millbank building,
and made their way to the roof. It is
impossible to be sure who they were
– one source claimed it was a group
from Leeds. Another - school pupil
Arnie Joahill - said he was one of the
first 20 to climb up as part of a demonstration by the Socialist Workers’
Party’s Right to Work campaign. Neither claim could be substantiated at
the time of going to print.
As the crowd outside grew in size
and ferocity, missiles were thrown at
the glass panels of the Tower’s lobby.
They broke, and, outnumbered, the
police abandoned the site. By the
time we arrived, the small, stonepaved court in the complex’s centre
was filled with at least 1,500 angry
protesters. A pyre of NUS banners
blazed in the middle of the courtyard.
Crowds chanting “Tory scum” set fire
to a police hat and hurled stones, furniture, and their own bodies at the
remaining glass in the reception area
until it gave out and shattered, showering nearby protesters with splin-
Crowds hurled stones,
furniture and their
bodies at the glass
ters. Windows were broken as high as
the fourth storey, and banners hung
from the building’s roof. According
to the Evening Standard, the remaining Tory staff were evacuated under
heavy police guard from the rear of
the building at 3.00pm
At least one Cambridge student
made it onto the roof. Mark Riley,
whose real name has been concealed,
told TCS that “there were no police
on the stairs because they were trying
to keep the people outside. We talked
to some employees inside, and made
it clear we had no problem with them
and wanted to show solidarity. We
just oppose the Con-Dem government and their policies.”
As the chanting rose, and music
blared from an impromptu speaker
system, a police presence re-emerged
in the form of 50 officers wearing full
riot gear. At 4.15 pm, after a stand-off
of no more than ten minutes, the first
sticks – bamboo supports from discarded banners – were thrown. Moments later, cobblestones were being
prised up from the court itself. One
bounced off an officer’s helmet. A
glass bottle shattered over another’s
head. As more riot police surged forward, the crowd pushed back. Batons
were raised, and at least one officer
sustained a cut to the head. As one
protester shouted, “the police don’t
like being kettled!”
Above, officers entered the building itself to arrest demonstrators still
on the roof. A flare was let off, and
the chant became “who are you protecting?” The police pushed forward
again, surrounding the demonstrators on three sides, forcing them back
towards the front gate. Within an
hour of the policemen returning to
the scene, it was all over. The remaining protestors pushed and shouted,
then gave up, leaving the wreckage of
the past few hours behind them.
The NUS is already claiming that
the violence was solely due to the
efforts of a few radicals, or “rogue
elements” according to a representative quoted in the Evening Standard.
However, almost every demonstrator
who spoke to TCS had two things in
common. They were all in education
– sixth form, further or higher – and
they were all extremely angry.
As the dust settles, it is likely the
police will be blamed for poor handling of the event; indeed, speaking
to The Guardian yesterday, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir
Paul Stephenson declared the police
response “an embarrassment to London.” Since then, an official enquiry
has also been announced. However,
whilst the police were perhaps naïve in assuming that student rallies
are naturally peaceful, the officers
we met yesterday were far from incompetent. Tasked with managing
the biggest student protest in decades, and forced to adapt to much
higher numbers than expected,
they planned carefully for what they
thought was coming, and remained
resolutely professional even when
events turned against them. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough.
PC Lockwood’s earlier words now
seem remarkably prophetic. “We will
see, and we are starting to see, a lot
more protests.” If the Unions have
their way, this will be just the first of
many such rallies over public spending cuts. And, if what we heard today
truly was the voice of middle England, it snarls.
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06|News
The
CambridgeStudent
Cambridge students storm streets locally and in London
Cambridge
Nat Rudarakanchana
TCS Deputy News Editor
Image: Nat Rudarakcnahana
Last Friday Cambridge University
students protested against increased
tuition fees and government cuts to
higher education by marching in
Cambridge city centre.
Students circled the city centre
in an hour-long march, eventually converging in front of Great St
Mary’s Church.
Cambridgeshire police estimated
that around 300 to 400 students attended the event.
CUSU President Rahul Mansigani called the event “tremendously
encouraging. Over 400 people attended, despite the weather, making
this a really good indication of how
passionately Cambridge students
believe in this issue.”
Although a similar protest at
Oxford reportedly drew over 600
students, Rahul insisted that “the
turnout was definitely high for a
Cambridge protest”.
Besides Rahul Mansigani, speakers at the rally included Cambridge
MP Julian Huppert, Labour Party
candidate Daniel Zeichner and
Anglia Ruskin University Students’
Union President Matt East.
On the day, CUSU submitted
a petition addressed to the ViceChancellor, calling for him to publicly oppose cuts and the raised
tuition fee cap of £9,000. The letter
bore over 700 signatures, including signatures of both students and
dozens of lecturers.
The Vice-Chancellor has acknowledged receipt of the petition.
He has also said that he will properly respond to it at the next meeting
of the University Council.
Cambridgeshire police said that
no problems were reported at the
protest and that no police action
was taken. It is believed, however,
that one banner reading “Fuck
Fees” had been censored before the
protest began.
Jamie Pinto, a third-year theologian at King’s College, said: “The
majority of Cambridge students
may be somewhat apathetic about
political issues. Lots of them prefer
to talk about these issues, but fewer
might actually take direct action.
One onlooker found
the protest very much
“over the top”
“It would be sad if Cambridge
students became renowned for not
caring about these issues.”
In contrast, Jonathan Rogers, a
third-year medic at Gonville and
Caius College and an onlooker to
the protest, said that he found the
protest very much “over the top.”
He said: “If you look at the problems pragmatically, and take a wider view of the current economic and
governmental situation, fees really
do need to be increased.
“This action seems like a gut reaction, and not properly thought out.”
One student came in a purple
morph suit, representing King’s
College, while another student created a two-faced effigy stuffed with
newspapers, which combined both
Nick Clegg and David Cameron.
A large group from King’s College
attended, with one King’s student
estimating that the college alone accounted for 60 to 70 students at the
rally.
Chants and slogans heard at the
event included: ‘No ifs, no buts, no
education cuts!’ and ‘Cut, cut, cut
back, fight, fight, fight back!’
London
Image: Nat Rudarakcnahana
Cambridge students travel miles to occupy the roof of a London bus stop cessfully, with speeches especially
others did not.”
well-received.”
“The atmosphere, especially with
Commenting on the violence, he
all the musicians, is just great.”
added: “I think that protest should be
Yesterday a contingent of around
Speaking at the scene, Labour Party restricted to peaceful exercise of the
350 Cambridge students travelled to candidate Daniel Zeichner told The right to protest. I do not believe what
London to participate in the national Cambridge Student (TCS) that he felt happened is an appropriate way to
demonstration against fees and cuts he was witnessing an “unprecedented conduct yourself if you’re protesting.
organized by the National Union of student demonstration”.
Some Cambridge
Students (NUS) and the University
“This is way beyond involving just
and College Union (UCU).
dedicated political activists; plenty
students were present at
CUSU organized seven coaches to of mainstream students are here too.
the Millbank incident
transport students from Cambridge The scale of it all has surprised me.”
to London and back 48 hours before
Some Cambridge students were
the event, a fundraising drive raised also present at the incident at Mill“I also congratulate Cambridge
at least £500 for the seventh coach, bank Road. They were eating inside students for carrying out the protest
requested due to popular demand.
the Pizza Express restaurant at the peacefully.”
It is estimated that around 50,000 site of the incident.
He firmly reiterated that CUSU
people particpated, far surpassing the
One of these students, first-year does not condone violent protest.
NUS’s initial expectations of 25,000.
historian Sophie Hermanns from
While he has not received any ofGirton College, said: “It was strange ficial news or information relating
“While some staff
that it was really quiet inside the to Cambridge students involved at
restaurant, while all hell was break- Millbank, he notes that it is possible
postponed lectures,
ing loose outside only metres away. that some Cambridge students were
others did not do so”
When flares were let off and riot po- active there.
lice arrived, some diners looked up,
In the afternoon, vandalism and but only for a minute or so.”
violence struck the Conservative
She remarked: “Though the actions
Party headquarters at 30 Millbank some students took weren’t legal and
Road. The rest of the demonstration, were probably taken purely for the
however, proceeded peacefully.
joy of vandalism, these actions might
Sorcha Bacon, a first-year geogra- make more people take notice of the
pher at King’s College, remarked that basic message.
she was especially proud of her Col“From a utilitarian point of view
lege for sending about “66 students, one broken window may be better
almost a fifth of the total”.
and more effective than a thousand
She added: “The government students protesting.”
should be investing in the future, inTim Hartung, a first-year philosostead of, quite frankly, fucking it up.
pher at Girton College, also pres“I do find that the turnout from ent, said: “Arguably there was a mob
Cambridge is a bit disappointing, as mentality at the front of the crowd,
I heard from my friend at the Uni- bust mostly there just seemed to be
versity of Sussex that almost 3,000 of normal students there watching, fastheir students came.
cinated by the unfolding events.”
Pascal Wenz, a second-year Asian
He added that while perhaps much
and Middle Eastern Studies student of what happened was more for “enat Trinity College, added: “It’s a shame tertainment than any good cause”, the
that only around eight students came group “certainly wasn’t a bloodthirsty
from Trinity, the largest college.”
mob”.
“I do think that this is partly the
Speaking on behalf of CUSU, Rafault of our academic system, which hul Mansigani said: “We were really
is just so stressful, and the fact that pleased with the event, as the main
while some staff postponed lectures, parts took place peacefully and suc- University students march at market square, led by CUSU sabbatical officers and a student in a purple suit
The
08|News
CambridgeStudent
Cam Police Speaker storms out during Union debate
Exposed
Hattie Induni
News Reporter
Certain aspects of the behaviour of
Cambridgeshire Police Service have
been called into question following a
Channel Four documentary.
The programme, ‘Coppers’, was
broadcast on Monday night and featured unrestricted access to the work
of Cambridge traffic police.
Over the course of filming, several
officers discussed how it felt to deal
with or arrest suspected traffic criminals, remarking that it was often an
enjoyable experience. “I love nicking
people – I’d just lock everybody up all
day, every day, if I could,” commented PC Leigh Fenton. “It gives you a
glow,” said PC Darren Osker.
The documentary shows police
employees discussing potential criminals, using abusive language on several occasions.
The policemen described more
personal incentives. PC Stewart Appleton said: “All traffic policemen are
probably a little bit of a petrolhead,
so it’s what we enjoy doing – the fast
cars, the motorbikes – and to get paid
to do that of course is a bonus.”
Those involved frequently commented that using ‘gallows humour’
was a way of coping with the frequently difficult aspects of dealing
with traffic incidents.
Tessa Evans
News Reporter
A speaker at the Cambridge Union
walked out during the final speech of
the debate this week.
Stephen Gash, former head of the
pressure group Stop the Islamification of Europe, was speaking for the
proposition in the debate ‘This House
believes that Islam is a threat to the
West’. Gash walked out due to alleged
personal attacks in which opposition
speaker Abdullah Al-Andalusi compared Gash’s views to those of the
BNP.
Gash told The Cambridge Student
(TCS): “The person remarking upon
me was the only one of the six speakers to resort to personal comments.
Gash: ‘I considered the
jibe at my name to be
infantile’
“It is particularly irksome to be
falsely linked to the BNP when we
have consistently spoken up for oppressed minorities in Muslim countries. As I was unable to make a suitable riposte to what I considered a
slur on my character, I felt compelled
to leave.”
Al-Andalusi responded: “He claims
that I was associating him with the
BNP, but I never did, although, ideo-
Former Caius employee in
£37,000 benefit fraud
Zoah Hedges-Stocks
Deputy News Editor
Patrick Power, 54, an ex-employee
at Gonville and Caius College, was
convicted last week of claiming more
than £37,000 in unlawful benefits
over a decade.
Power retired from the College in
1996 and signed on for housing and
council tax benefit that he was, at that
point, entitled to. The College then
began paying Mr Power a monthly
incapacity pension of £780. It was
at this point that Mr Power alleges a
senior member of Caius staff encouraged him not to disclose this income
to the benefit office so that he could
keep claiming over £3,000 a year
from Cambridge City Council.
“He was on a treadmill,
wanted to get off, but
knew he’d be punished.”
Speaking to Cambridge News, Mr
Power’s lawyer, Tony Pedro, said: “After the initial non-disclosure, he was
on a treadmill and wanted to get off,
but he knew he would be punished if
he did. He was not someone starting
out to deceive – there was nothing
suspicious at the beginning.”
However, Mr Power’s allegation
that a Caius don encouraged him to
not report his incapacity pension has
not been confirmed. Mr Alan Jermy,
the Domestic Bursar at Gonville and
Caius, told The Cambridge Student
(TCS): “When Mr Power’s impending court case was announced in the
local press, I carried out an internal
investigation at the request of the
Master. There was not a huge amount
of evidence available to me after such
a long time but that which existed
suggested that the behaviour of the
College, its staff and officers in dealing with Mr Power was at all times
entirely proper.”
Mr Power refused to name the
mystery official whom he accuses
of endorsing his fraud. Mr Jermy
continued: “I am not in a position
to comment on Mr Power’s allegation without more information or
evidence to support it. However,
his reluctance to give further details
tends to suggest that the allegation
would not stand up to investigation;
a view clearly held by the court that
convicted him.”
Mr Power was spared a prison
sentence on account of his age and
health. He did, however, receive a
suspended eight-month prison sentence and a fine of £250 towards the
Council’s costs. When imposing the
verdict, Recorder Martin Oldham
told Mr Power “you ought to be
ashamed of yourself.”
Getting personal: More trouble at the Union
logically there exists a similarity in
their ideas about Muslims.”
Alex Küng, Union Head of Press,
explained: “Any speaker may exercise
his right to free speech within the
boundary of UK law during the time
allotted to him, and has the right to
do so uninterrupted by points of contention should he so wish.”
Mr Gash, who was referred to as
“unfortunately named” by one Union
member during the debate, also objected to the audience’s attitude.
Gash said: “I have commented on
the jibe at my name, which I considered to be infantile. It did not add to
the debate, but nevertheless titillated
some of ‘Britain’s finest brains’.”
Rebecca Usden, a second-year who
attended the debate, told TCS about
the heckling of Mr Gash: “People
called him a racist and told him to sit
down.
“It seemed like it was because they
found his views abhorrent.”
Küng commented: “Members, dur-
ing the period of floor speeches, have
scope to attack statements should
they believe them to be unsubstantiated.”
Al-Andalusi has criticised the
Union in its choice of motion, commenting to TCS: “I know that if another religion, like Judaism, was debated under the same title, it would
cause an outrage.”
Gash, however, supported the
Union in its choice of motion: “I do
not regard it as inflammatory.”
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The
CambridgeStudent
News|09
Graduate student elected to Cambridge City Council
Rebecca Meredith
News Reporter
“I am hugely glad to be
the person who made
Cambridge Tory-free”
He added: “I am hugely glad to be
the person who made Cambridge a
Tory-free zone”.
Cambridge University Conservative Association (CUCA) Chairman
“Any letters on the subject to Cambridge News, from myself and my
colleagues made use of such publicly-available resources and were, incidentally, all submitted with name
and college supplied. Still, I continue
to wish Mr Owers all the best in his
CUCA Chairman: “I
haven’t heard of George
Owers before”
new position!
“I can only hope that, with this
matter satisfactorily resolved, he may
allow us to be Facebook friends once
more!”
Despite the achievement of becoming Cambridge’s youngest ever
councillor, Owers admits there is a
tough road ahead and described the
content of his first council meeting,
which examined the implications of
the Comprehensive Spending Review on Cambridge Council’s financial strategy, as “grim”.
The Conservatives were not the
only party to suffer at the polls. The
Liberal Democrats, represented by
Sarah Barnes, only managed to gain
11% of the vote.
Cambridge Universities Labour
Image: Cambridge Labour
Cambridge University graduate student George Owers emerged victorious from last week’s by-election in
Coleridge in which the Labour Party
gained 44% of the vote and removed
the last remaining Conservative from
Cambridge City Council.
Owers, 21, who graduated from
Jesus College in Social and Political
Sciences last year and is now studying an MPhil in historical research,
said of his victory: “I think that this
election signals a real discontent with
the actions of the Lib Dem-Tory coalition government, who are cutting
services and benefits for the poorest
and most vulnerable while letting the
rich financiers who created this mess
off the hook.”
Fergus McGhee told The Cambridge
Student (TCS): “I’m afraid I haven’t
heard of George Owers before, but I
wish him all the best. It really doesn’t
make any difference to CUCA what
goes on in local politics.”
CUCA Campaigns Officer Rachael
Harrison offered congratulations to
Owers, but commented that “the loss
of this one council seat will definitely
make no difference to our campaigning efforts in any future elections”.
Owers alleges that foul play was
involved in the campaign. He claims
that CUCA “wrote snotty and illinformed letters to the Cambridge
News about me without revealing
who they were” and “used college intranets to look up personal details to
be used in leaflets against me”.
This was denied by Harrison who
told TCS: “I find it surprising that the
Labour campaign team have felt the
need to claim that CUCA has been
occupied in furtively tracking down
the residential addresses of their candidate, George Owers.
“As I commented to Mr Owers
himself, when he conveyed his feelings on the subject via Facebook,
Cambridge City Council’s website
freely publishes details of candidates’
addresses in the Declaration of Poll
which precedes each election.
Labour candidate and Cambridge student George Owers
Club Chair Ashley Walsh commented: “This result shows that the
positive message being developed by
Labour’s new generation is starting to
resonate with voters.
“With Ed Miliband as our new
leader, Labour is improving and
changing its policies.”
Cancer breakthrough Huppert calls on Cambridge
John Fox
News Reporter
Recent research conducted by Cambridge University scientists has made
a step towards the creation of a cancer vaccine.
Previous attempts to create such a
vaccine have failed to have any effect
on tumour growth. Following the recent breakthough, however, the team
believe that they have discovered why
this is the case.
The lung cancer in
test mice was rapidly
destroyed
Possibility of cancer
treatment not involving
chemotherapy
Professor Fearon was tight-lipped
about the overarching significance of
the research finds: “Time will tell.”
Fearon was keen to add: “It should
be noted, however, that the FAPexpressing stromal cell was actually
first found in human cancer by Lloyd
Old and his colleagues twenty years
ago.”
Sarah Weidenmuller
News Reporter
Cambridge MP Julian Huppert
stressed his belief last week that
Cambridge has both the ability and
the responsibility to take a leadership
role in fighting climate change, given
its technical expertise.
Huppert was answering the concerns of Cambridge students and
residents about environmental issues
at an event at the Law Faculty last Saturday.
The lobby was part of the Stop
Climate Change Chaos ‘Big Climate
Connection’ campaign.
Huppert has previously contributed to the Liberal Democrat Environmental Policy.
Huppert optimistically asserted
that this government has the “rhetoric” to be the “greenest government
ever”, hoping that in four years’ time,
this will have been achieved. When
questioned by Martin Harper, Chair
of Stop Climate Chaos, how the rhetoric would be met in two years, part
of Huppert’s reply was the carbon dioxide emissions per head of population.
Representatives from societies
such as the Cambridge Zero Carbon
Society and Cambridge Friends of
the Earth, were eager to contribute
their concerns.
A representative from the Close
the Door Campaign highlighted that
research conducted by the University
of Cambridge engineering department had shown how much heat is
lost through open doors.
Shops, she believed, should be included in the campaign to reduce
energy waste. Huppert agreed that
many easy measures could be taken.
A representative from The Hub
raised the issue of aid for insulating
Cambridge colleges as historic buildings, to which Huppert jokingly replied that it would not be “quite right
to double glaze” King’s stained glass
windows.
Looking ahead to the upcoming
UN Climate Change Conference in
Cancún, Mexico, Tom Bragg of the
Cambridge Carbon Footprint pointed out the need to build momentum
in order to get a fair, fast, firm deal.
He questioned Huppert as to what
the UK government would do to
make the agreements happen.
In response, Huppert stressed that
it was “important” to have China “on
board”. He also noted that the USA
and Australia could pose problems,
the former having recently lost good
environmentalists from Congress,
and the latter having fought the last
election over climate change to Labor’s detriment.
Huppert was presented at the end
of the session with a ribbon comprised of comments written by attendees.
Image: edbrambley
Prior vaccine attempts have focused on trying to use the body’s
immune system to attack cancer
cells. The team, directed by Professor Douglas Fearon and Sheila Joan
Smith, Professor of Immunology,
have discovered that stromal cells,
a connective tissue within tumours,
express fibroblast activation protein
(FAP) alpha. Found in many kinds
of cancer, including breast and colon
cancer, this protein is usually associated with healing, but the team have
discovered that tumours ‘coerce’ it
into suppressing the immune system
thus ensuring their survival.
The scientists destroyed these protein-expressing cells in mice with lung
cancer and subsequently watched the
cancer ‘rapidly die’. The next step is to
study the effects of destroying these
cells in tumours that are closer to human forms of cancer.
Professor Fearon said: “The longterm outcome that we hope for is that
we will be able to control the immune
suppressive functions of these FAB
stromal cells to improve immunological therapy of cancer.’” That is, these
stromal cells could possibly be used
in the future to produce vaccines that
could prevent tumours developing in
the body.
Although Professor Fearon remained reserved in his reaction to
the finds – “So far, positive” - the immunologist has hinted at future possibilities of cancer treatment without
the emotionally and physically draining costs of chemotherapy.
Fearon added: “We must understand how these cells mediate immune suppression, and how they
accumulate in tumours. If we could
interrupt either, we could perhaps
allow the immune system to control
the tumour.”
King’s College Chapel: Huppert joked that it would not be “quite right
to double glaze” King’s windows
10|International
The
CambridgeStudent
Haiti: Earthquake Leaves Women Vulnerable
Rachel Kean
TCS Reporter
2010 has devastated Haiti perhaps
more than any other year in its history. The January earthquake is considered as the worst in the region in
the past 200 years, with catastrophic
structural damage reducing a poor
infrastructure to a skeletal one. With
over a million internally displaced
persons remaining in camps and
shantytowns, Haiti is still in a state of
emergency.
Late this October a cholera outbreak began in the rural Artibonite
region; over the past three weeks
alone 442 have died and over 7000
have been infected with the disease.
With the outbreak hitting the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince, poor
sanitation and densely populated
quarters risk spreading the illness
rapidly.
Hurricane Tomas has exacerbated
these conditions, and the severe delay
in billions of pounds in reconstruction funds has intensified the situation even more.
However, before the most recent
events a particular issue emerged at
the heart of the distress in post-earthquake Haiti. This is the catastrophic
situation of internally displaced
women and girls. Sexual violence was
a problem in Haiti before the earthquake, rape was only recognized as a
crime in 2005, but incidents of such
violence have risen dramatically in
the post-earthquake era. With the
destruction of thousands of homes,
vast numbers of Haitian women are
residing in the tent camps that lack
privacy, basic lighting, and adequate
police protection.
Women are exposed to a dramatically increased risk of sexual violence,
and after such attacks face numerous
obstacles in attaining medical assistance and justice. A recent report
by Refugees International claims that
incidents of rape and abortions have
tripled in the post-earthquake en-
Fond Rouge women in Jeremie, Grand ‘Anse, Haiti
vironment. This does not count the
numerous counts of assault that go
unreported due to the fear of stigma
and future harm by the perpetrators,
and the unresponsiveness and corruption of the police.
“Incidents of rape and
abortions have tripled...
post-earthquake”
It is common for sexual violence
to rise in emergencies; normal structures that were already weak then
break down completely and women
struggle to meet their basic needs
for food, water and shelter. However,
both national and international responses in Haiti have exacerbated the
situation in many ways.
The UN World Food Program dis-
continued general food distribution
in April, and with 2.4 million fewer
Haitians accessing this food there has
been an alarming rise in women resorting to trading sex for sustenance.
The United Nations has launched
a campaign to combat this sexual
violence. UN Peacekeepers are being trained on how to handle sexual
violence, and ensure adequate medical care for the victims. In a few large
camps security has improved; UNPOL has set up an IDP unit that currently has around 200 officers who
are now providing a 24-hour security presence in six camps. In three
camps, 100 Bangladeshi policewomen arrived to help tackle the prevalent violence. However, with approximately 1,300 camps and shantytowns
the majority of women are still left to
their own defences.
Despite these obstacles the case
Image: Ken Bosma
is not hopeless; many actions can
be taken, both immediately and
throughout future reconstruction
efforts, to improve women’s safety.
Measures include: improved lighting
and security in the camps, safe food
distribution, private washing facilities and latrines, and access to health
services for women who are assaulted
and raped. Further, it is essential to
re-build and support local women’s
organisations to champion the fight
against sexual violence.
It is clear that despite the dangers
the women of Haiti are facing, there
is a strong resistance emerging movement within the camps. These local
organizations are setting up committees to address the needs of women,
standing in where pre-existing services have been destroyed, and training women in non-traditional jobs
to help lift themselves out of poverty.
Ayiti SMS SOS allows victims or witnesses of abuse to send an SMS to
a free number to map the crime or
help request. KOFAVIV live alongside women in the camps and, in the
absence of a centralized system for
recording cases of sexual violence,
they provide invaluable monitoring
on the ground.
U.S Ambassador Susan Rice says
that the protection efforts for women and girls in the post-earthquake
camps must be part of a wider effort
to empower women throughout the
reconstruction process in Haiti.
With Mrs. Miyrlande Manigat
leading the polls in the upcoming
general election this November, the
aspiration for greater empowerment
and protection for Haitian women
may have a champion to push implementation sooner than many anticipated.
Analysis: Obama Down, But Not Out
How far away 2008 must now seem
for the Democratic Party, writes
Alice Lilly. President-elect Obama
was the man of the moment: cool,
seemingly unflappable, and ready
to change America for the better.
Yet two years and one rather painful night of midterm election results
later, he has had to concede that his
party has been dealt a ‘shellacking’ by
the US electorate. Media descriptions
of the Democrats’ recent fortunes
have tended towards words such as
‘pummelled’ and ‘savaged’, but the
results are hardly surprising; the midterms have merely exposed long-term
trends.
It is not unusual for the party of the
incumbent President to fare poorly.
Harry Truman and Bill Clinton both
lost 54 House seats, and even Republican darling Ronald Reagan suffered
in his first midterms. Certainly, these
losses are all smaller than those of the
Democrats this year, who lost sixty
seats in the House and six in the Senate, losing control of the House of
Representatives. What had happened
to Obama is bad, but should be placed
in its historical context.
The success of some Tea Party candidates in the midterms, such as Rand
Paul in Kentucky, demonstrates the
perennial dilemma of the Republican
Party: whether to energise their base
with economic and values-based conservatism and risk losing independent
voters, or to be moderate and risk losing their base.
The movement has certainly galvanized conservative support, but
its more extreme candidates, including Sharron Angle and Christine
O’Donnell sustained losses in states
which a moderate Republican could
and should have won.
Both Angle and O’Donnell were
‘mama grizzlies’: Sarah Palin’s term
for Republican women. One of the
notable characteristics of these midterms has been the visibility and key
role of women; traditionally seen as
Democrat voters, poll data shows
that they are beginning to go Republican. As a major voting bloc, it will
be hard for any candidate to win in
2012 without their support, possibly
making Hillary Clinton an attractive
choice for the Democratic ticket. As
for Sarah Palin - well, who knows
with Palin?
Hispanic-Americans, another key
voter group, are beginning to shift towards the Republicans. The senatorial
victory of Cuban-American Republican Marco Rubio in Florida is seen
as significant for this reason; as the
handsome son of Cuban exiles in a
swing state significant for its number
of electoral college votes, he could be
just the sort of candidate that the Republicans are looking for.
Key now will be whether Obama
decides to work with the newly-Republican House and compromise, or
to fight and lead more than he has
been doing. Many feel that he has
not done as much as he could have,
despite control of the executive and
both parts of the legislative branch.
Some are frustrated at progress on the
environment, or feel that healthcare
reform should have gone further.
Yet a significant proportion does
not share these views- as shown by
the rise of the Tea Party- and this is
a problem that he has not been able
to overturn. In this sense, the fact that
he managed to pass a healthcare law
was no mean feat in a country averse
to federal intervention. In terms of
legislative victories, Obama might not
have been a Roosevelt or a Johnson,
but he has not been inactive either.
Perhaps the real problem has been
communicating his achievements to
the American people.
On this, he will have to improve, as
there will almost certainly be a challenge made to ‘Obamacare’, as well as
a stubborn and resistant Republican
leadership in the House.
Because the very ideas which the
Tea Party and the Republicans are articulating are so traditionally ‘American’, they will be hard to counter. Yet
the president may also be able to capitalize on the tensions between conservatives and moderates. In this way,
Obama is down, but not yet out.
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CambridgeStudent
COMMENT
Is the threat from terrorism exaggerated?
Yes
It is the fear
of terrorism
which is the
greatest threat, argues
Tuba Omer
In 2004, Bin Laden mockingly stated
in a videotaped message, it is “easy
for us to provoke and bait... All that
we have to do is to send two mujahidin... to raise a piece of cloth on
which is written al-Qaeda in order to
make American generals race there
to suffer human, economic, and political losses.”
Why do we believe that
terrorist organizations
can overthrow
governments by force?
The threat of terrorism has become a phobia, the fear that arises
because of it has harmed us more
than the actual threat itself. Author
Mark Bowden states that the average housewife in Iowa watches TV
afraid that al-Qaeda’s going to charge
in through her front door. But what
is it about terrorism that scares us so
much?
Is it the number of people who
have been victim to terrorist attacks?
Studies show that more Americans
have drowned in their bathtubs than
have been killed by terrorists.
Is it the fear of your life being violated by someone else? Serial killings
and rape attacks affect more than
300,000 people every year. Contrast
this with 2000, the greatest number
of people in a year that have been victimized by terrorist activities.
The threat of terrorism has resulted
in this paranoia; eliminate terrorists
before they terminate you.
This assumes that terrorists will
somehow manage to gain access to
weapons of mass destruction and
then launch a nuclear strike that
could wipe out nations. To believe
this requires an embarrassing stretch
of human imagination that ignores
Letters
how unlikely countries are to hand
over their nuclear capabilities to a
terrorist organization. Why do we
believe that terrorist organizations
can overthrow governments and acquire nuclear weapons by force?
There is no single terrorist organization that operates globally alone.
Instead these groups are widely dispersed and unique to each country,
where they exist as pockets, launching an attack and then going into
hiding.
This makes it difficult for governments to root them out but it doesn’t
mean that in the event of war, the size
and military capability of a country’s
army will not supersede that of a terrorist organization.
But how are we reacting to this
threat and fuelling this paranoia?
2,976 people were killed on September 11. Consequently two wars
- in Afghanistan and Iraq - were declared. Till now reported deaths include 5000 U.S troops and 1 million
total casualties.
America launched drone attacks
in Northwest Pakistan to eliminate
terrorist suspects. In 2009 alone, 700
civilians were killed. Two Al-Qaeda
members were found dead.
These numbers do not add up. It
seems we are responsible for more
deaths in collateral damage than the
terrorists are for the numbers killed
in their “jihad”.
Yet the War on Terror is being
fought to preserve justice. When you
hear about the creation of Guantanamo Bay as a ‘ legal black hole ’ for
the indiscriminate torture of suspects
and you see the millions of people
trying to survive amidst war-torn
zones, you question the price we are
paying for justice. More importantly,
you question the numbers who have
died all over the world because we are
so terrified of this threat.
As the author John Mueller points
out, if only we did not see terrorism as
something to “conquer” or a war we
must be victorious in but instead like
crime, one can at best seek to reduce
its frequency and destructiveness so
that people feel reasonably, but never
perfectly, safe from it. Perhaps then
we might be able to stop the hysteria,
the paranoia, and the terror.
Want
Van Le wrote last week about the
“insufficiency” of moral objections
tobanker bailouts. The public is “appling a simple morality to a complex
financial world”, and consequently
failing to derive sound strategies for
reform of the financial system. While
he is right that moralising about the
inequalities of capitalism isn’t going
No
Complacency
about terrorism
is dangerous,
counters
Sophie Allweis
Students of Cambridge, please don’t
panic. I’m not trying to assert that the
world is coming to an end. Please do
enjoy life as normal. I’m afraid you’re
going to need a better excuse for your
supervisor than that you couldn’t
possibly do your essay since mummy
and daddy won’t let you go to famous
Cambridge sites and likely terror targets, such as your college library.
Complacency, however, is as great
a danger as panic. The Sunday Times
reported that last week the Government’s Joint Terrorism Analysis
Centre raised the threat level for the
city of London from “moderate” to
“substantial” fearing a Mumbai style
attack by terrorists. This comes after
David Cameron revealed that the
bomb-scare package found in the
East Midlands airport, addressed to a
Synagogue in Chicago, would probably have gone off in mid-air. It was
thanks to a tip-off from Saudi Arabia
that alerted the CIA and MI6 to the
plot originating in Yemen, and the
international cooperation of security
services, that the plot was foiled. Let’s
count our blessings that the powers that be understand the ongoing
threat of terrorism and are constantly
on the alert to respond.
This plane scare was sadly not an
isolated incident. Cleric Anwar alAwlaki, who US officials suspect of
masterminding this plane bomb plot,
has been linked to several other terrorist attacks. He is thought to been
an inspiration to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the former President
of UCL’s Islamic Society, who attempted on Christmas Day last year
to explode an underwear bomb on a
flight to Detroit. Awlaki is believed to
have lived in London for 18 months
and a Yemeni official confirmed that
Abdulmutallab had gone to Awlaki’s
home during a trip to Yemen late in
2009. There are too many examples of
British-linked, coordinated terror attacks to list here, too many examples
for us to play the threat down. Scary?
Yes. Real? Yes. Such terrorists do not
discriminate between lives. They
don’t care about our gender, age, political views or religion. They have an
agenda and will tragically further it at
any cost.
I’m not trying to
assert that the world is
coming to an end
Remember the fatalities and destruction of the 7/7 London attacks.
Remember the Madrid station in
2004 and multiple targets in Mumbai in 2008. Remember 9/11 with its
death toll of over 3000 innocent civilians. During recent years here in the
UK we’ve faced terrorist attacks in
London, Glasgow, and Manchester,
yet even when we live in a city that
has been targeted, as soon as it’s off
the news, the threat always feels far
away. But it’s precisely when we drop
our guard that we become that little
bit more vulnerable. On this issue,
while there’s no need to go crazy suspecting everyone you meet, please do
be aware of anything suspicious. Let
the work and partying, the endless
cycles of caffeine and alcohol, carry
on as normal, but bear in mind that a
whole world exists outside our beautiful Cambridge bubble.
Know too that terrorism is not
always on a large scale. Roshonara
Choudhry was convicted this week
for the attempted murder of her local
MP Stephen Timms. She tried to stab
him, radicalized by the internet, having watched hate videos on YouTube
of radical preachers inciting viewers
to commit acts of terrorism and violence against Britain and the West.
In all its forms, the threat of terrorism does exist and it’s closer to home
than we would like to believe. I wish
this were an exaggeration. Wouldn’t
it be lovely to hide in a soft cottonwool cloud and convince ourselves to
answer ‘yes’ to this comment debate!
But dear readers, let’s face the facts:
ignorance may be bliss but it won’t
make the threat of terrorism disappear.
to get involved? For letters, articles and comment, email [email protected]
to fix it, he should not dismiss the
moral perspective outright.
The resentment he describes could
be considered petty or jealous, but
a response that just handwaves it as
ignorant nonsense won’t regain their
trust. The principle of tax-payer bailouts is that it is more important that
banks have money than you do, and
one concludes that banks are considered more important than you. This
feeds naturally into the usual rage
of the downtrodden and disenfranchised: you’re dealing not with considered criticism of the free market,
but with the bitter belief that the entire episode is another firm message
that the government has priorities,
and they’re not you.
So Van Le is right to say that a moral
response will not solve an economic
problem. But conversely, an economic response will not solve a moral
problem, and bad feeling between
banks and their customers should be
taken seriously.
Ben Millwood, Downing College
Kenichi Udagawa
explodes the
Academy
consensus
It seems wrong to be so surprised
by Andy Burnham’s announcement last week that the principles
behind comprehensive schools
need to be rehabilitated. After all,
half the reason they need to be rehabilitated is because New Labour
tried so hard to discredit them (remember Alastair Campbell’s ‘bogstandard comprehensives’?).
Burnham’s argument is that the
coalition is creating a new generation of schools with an ‘elitist echo’
of the Tripartite system. He seems
to be forgetting, however, that Tory
education policy is explicitly a continuation of New Labour policies,
which were a continuation of Tory
policies before that. The most obvious example of this is the Academies scheme. This has its roots
in the ashes of the failed Tory City
Technology College (CTC) scheme,
where sponsors were asked to provide £8 million of funding for new
schools, with the state covering the
rest. Unfortunately, the government did not seem to realise that
few potential sponsors were willing
to part with that much cash, even
though it was a one-off investment
that resulted in effective ownership
of the school, and the project died a
slow death.
New Labour’s City Academies
might have had a shiny new name,
but they are fundamentally the
same idea: remove local authority
oversight of schools, get a sponsor
involved and hope that the extra
freedoms granted work league
table magic. In fact, Labour’s principle innovation with City Academies was the realisation that asking
sponsors for £8 million was unrealistic, eventually making it ‘up to’
£2 million.
Now the Tories are back. Academies are still ‘the big idea’, with the
coalition deciding that the schools
most in need of conversion are
those already performing the best,
which presumably aren’t broke, and
therefore don’t need fixing. Burnham has a point here - Labour at
least prioritised the worst schools,
whereas the Tories’ priority is at the
top. However, the evidence suggests that in many academies the
number of deprived students has
decreased. This has tended to cancel out any improvements in exam
results, suggesting that for all the
money, academies drive segregation but little real improvement. So
whilst Burnham is right to criticise
coalition policies for having an
‘elitist echo’, this is just as much an
echo from the preceding Labour
government as it is the Tripartite
system. Rehabilitating comprehensive school principles of fairness
is welcome, but he could do with
rehabilitating his sense of memory
first.
The
CambridgeStudent
|13
Insanitabridgians
Clémentine Beauvais
Why prisoners deserve the vote
Tom
Belger
Britain’s blanket ban on prisoners
voting is set to be lifted by the government. This comes a whole five
years after it was ruled in Strasbourg
that the ban contravened the right to
free elections under the European
Convention on Human Rights, en-
shrined in British law since 1998. The
Coalition’s immediate concerns are in
fact not legal but financial: they have
recently been warned of the risk of
prisoners seeking compensation for
the government’s patent failure to acknowledge their rights. However, this
should not detract from the fact that
morally, the decision marks a significant step forward, and is perhaps a
good example of European thinking
on such matters already being more
advanced than our own.
As the Prison Reform Trust points
out, in a democratic society, ‘voting
should not be seen as a privilege, but
a positive civic duty’. All citizens who
are affected by a society’s laws deserve
the right to a say in choosing the government that determines those laws.
People do not cease to be members
of society merely because they are in
prison. The vast majority will be returning to society once their sentence
is served. The ban, a relic dating back
to the 1870 Forfeiture Act, demon-
strates a profound lack of respect for
prisoners as fellow human beings.
Prison is intended to deprive people
of their liberty, not their humanity.
The three main functions of prison
are punishment, deterrence, and rehabilitation. None of these functions is
undermined if prisoners can vote. Indeed, the rehabilitative function may
Voting should not be
seen as a privilege, but
a positive civic duty
even be enhanced. In the first place,
a prison sentence is clearly sufficient
punishment enough, without the superfluous demand of ‘civic death’. The
grim reality of jail is prolonged separation from family, friends and the
wider world; perpetual surveillance;
an utter lack of privacy; little freedom
of association; vastly reduced employment opportunities; restrictions
on travel, and myriad other difficulties. Secondly, in terms of deterrence,
the findings of the European Court of
Human Rights speak for themselves:
there is no evidence whatsoever to
suggest the threat of losing the right
to vote helps to prevent crime.
Lastly, there is a sound argument
that allowing prisoners to vote could
help to rehabilitate them. It will not
miraculously transform them into
perfect citizens, but it will at least
enhance their self-perception as
citizens, with a real stake in society.
This is absolutely crucial if they are to
be successfully returned to normal,
crime-free lives. The sense of social
exclusion felt by many after release
partly explains why approximately
three in four re-offend within nine
years, a deplorable figure that underlines the failure of current attempts at
rehabilitation. Any measure that can
form part of a strategy to prevent reoffending by promoting responsible,
law-abiding citizenship is surely to
be welcomed. After all, it is not as
though granting prisoners the vote is
either costly or dangerous; the onset
of postal voting means expense and
public safety are no longer the issues
they may have been in 1870.
We must not forget that in practice, the ban means the welfare of
some 70,000 incarcerated British
citizens often falls off the political radar. This tragic ‘mute’ button on the
condemned means politicians can
quite easily get away with ignoring
inmates’ needs, safe in the knowledge
that their neglect will not cost them a
single vote at the ballot box. Allowing
prisoners this simple but fundamental right means their concerns can be
as adequately represented as those of
the rest of society. They can be taken
into account in the formulation of
prison-related policy, rather than left
on the sidelines, voiceless and impotent, as politicians pander to the often
hysterical and vindictive demands of
the tabloids.
It is easy to fall in to the trap of assuming the ban must be ‘reasonable’
because of its longevity. In reality it is
anything but. In Europe at least, we
lag behind our contemporaries: all
prisoners are free to vote in 18 European countries, including Germany,
Holland and Denmark. Moreover,
for any who genuinely believe in democracy, each citizen’s right to vote,
Perhaps politicians
fear tabloid headlines
screeching that burglars
vote Lib Dem
instead of a passive acceptance of
the status quo, should form the reasonable starting point from which
all derogations must be well justified. Support for the ban should only
come after recognizing that it is in itself a serious sanction. It also requires
thinking long and hard about what it
really is that we imagine it achieves.
In truth, other than satisfying our
vengeful impulses, the answer is ‘very
little’. Perhaps politicians simply fear
tabloid headlines screeching that
burglars are voting Lib Dem, wifebeaters Conservative, rapists Labour
and paedophiles are evenly split between UKIP and the Greens.
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The
CambridgeStudent
THEATRE . FOOD . MUSIC . TRAVEL . LITERATURE . FILM . ART
You are what you eat:
get the inside guide to formal
PG 25
ruling the (Air) waves
british sea power tells us all
PG 18
Plus: what you really need to take on that backpacking trip in Europe
The
CONTENTS
CambridgeStudent
Then...
which you learnt while you were at
Cambridge?
I enjoyed making a three-wheeled
tandem out of two bicycles; the rear
cyclist faced backwards and pedalled
backwards.
P 17
P 20-21
P 22-23
P 24
David MacKay (1985-88) read Natural Sciences at Trinity, specialising
in Physics. He pursued a career in
academic research before joining the
Department of Energy and Climate
Change, Whitehall, as their Chief Scientific Advisor.
bridge in 1992 after my PhD, and
worked here first as a research fellow
then as a faculty member.
Do you ever return to Cambridge?
If not why not? If so, how did you
find it?
I did a lot of punting and cycling.
Rather than go out to cafes
I often had friends round for tea.
Yes, I came straight back to Cam-
What was the most unlikely skill
Hanno Svoboda is a 4th year Neuroscience PhD student at Gonville &
Caius College. He is President of the
Cambridge University Energy Network, which helps research and raise
awareness of sustainable energy.
How good is Cambridge at scientific and environmental societies?
What are your favourite places to
visit at Cambridge (pubs, cafés,
other attractions)?
Cover Image:
Adrienne Li
Illustration: Julia Rampen
What is the most unlikely skill
which you have learnt while at
Cambridge?
I have learned that black/white tie is
not about colours, that a Cambridge
ball is not about dancing and how to
tie a bow tie.
What were your favourite places
to visit at Cambridge (pubs, cafés,
other attractions)?
Students have founded many societies in the past, some of which have
been very successful for years. Cambridge offers an ideal ecosystem for
an interdisciplinary society focused
on technology, policy and financing
of sustainable energy.
I think he remembers me, as his office is just 5 doors from mine :-)
Did you already plan to become a
software designer when you were
an undergraduate? Did you have
any different career aspirations?
I arrived at age 18 passionate about
science and engineering, with
side-passions for music, sport, and
mountains. I was imagining becoming a research scientist and that’s what
I did. I didn’t have any other career
aspirations - in particular, I never
imagined being a civil servant.
How hard did you work at Cambridge?
What advice would you give someone starting a career in scientific
research or Physics?
I really enjoyed the Natural Sciences
course - especially the first two years
- so I worked hard. But I still had time
for recreation.
1) Whatever you do, make sure you
are having fun. Maintain multiple
interests, and keep teaching yourself
new things.
Did you ever have to be disciplined
while you were at Cambridge, if so,
can you give us the details?
2) After a spell in the ivory towers,
consider becoming a civil servant it’s surprisingly interesting.
...& Now
Were you interested in scientific
and environmental issues before
you arrived at Cambridge?
I had always a strong interest in
sustainable energy before I came to
Cambridge, but I pursued it more
in an EU political context. Europe
is dependent on energy imports,
which has wide implications on foreign policy. E.g. one exciting topic is
the utilisation of renewable energy
sources from North Africa, which
has the potential for economic development and for a redefinition of the
EU-Africa partnership. Exactly this
versatility of the energy issue makes
it so interesting and also worthwhile
for non-engineers like me.
Does your academic work ever
conflict with your extra-curricular
commitments?
16|
Would your Director of Studies remember you? Why/Why not?
Did Cambridge change you?
I think I was already familiar with
what Cambridge would be like, so
I didn’t have any major shocks.
Additional commitments can sometimes conflict with academic work,
but most issues can be avoided by
Image: Hanno Svoboda
My favourite place is the boathouses
during race days. I have rowed for
Caius’ 1st and grad VIII and I enjoy
the competitiveness between colleges
on the river.
P 25-26
Image: David MacKay
David MacKay
Chief Scientific Advisor,
Department of Energy and Climate Change
What were the greatest advantages
and disadvantages of a Cambridge
education for you?
The flexibility and richness of the
NatSci course was fantastic. I can’t
think of any obvious disadvantages.
It would be nice to do it all over again
so as to be able to try all the other
courses I didn’t get to take.
No, I never got caught doing anything.
Hanno Svoboda
President of CU Energy Network
time-management and delegating
the work to a capable team. In return,
many of the skills I have learned during extra-curricular work have directly facilitated my research project.
In your opinion, is Cambridge supportive enough of students having
non-academic interests in their
lives?
Cambridge is supportive of
student societies, but I don’t
think that extra support for individuals is provided or required.
What are your plans after graduation?
I am currently looking for jobs in
consulting and industry.
Thursday, Novenber 11th, 2010
Top Tips
The
CambridgeStudent
Euro-Tripping
Want to Interrail, but too lazy to think about the
details? Rosie Gillett does the hard work for you
What to
take
Don’t worry if conductors take
your passport and InterRail pass
on night trains. They will be
returned in the morning.
Duct tape: the magic stuff will
fix your shoes,. waterproof your
bags, prevent your feet from getting blisters, and so much more
besides
Protect your valuables by putting
them in the bottom of your
sleeping bag at night.
Save money on hostels by taking
night trains.
”
Order calzone rather than ordinary pizza- trial and error reveals
you get more for your money with
the folded variety.
Watch out for swans at Lake Bled.
Slovenia. They eat Mars Bars.
Experience a city’s prime nightlife
by hitting it at the weekend. Then
sleep it off on a long night train to
your next destination.
W
ith its power to bestow
freedom on wander-lusting students, the InterRail
pass is up there with the great documents of the world. Choose your pass
in accordance with your duration of
travel and days you want to use trains
and with this precious piece of paper,
Europe is your (albeit probably low
budget) oyster.
In a mid-A levels stress two friends
and I bought the £249 ‘22 days continuous’ InterRail pass. I haven’t
looked back - except at hundreds of
mostly embarrassing photos which
record three and a half weeks of our
best attempts at being chilled-out
and cultured travellers. Little did we
know then, Interrailing is not just a
journey or an experience. It’s a recipe
for randomness, a social experiment,
a crash course in European drink. It’s
like doing the trip the guidebook recommends but not doing anything it
advises you to do.
Get a book like Europe on A Shoestring (Lonely Planet) or, the slightly
lighter, Europe by
Image:s (top)Prathibha Dissanayake (bottom left) Kalleboo
“Most of the time
an
interrailer feels like they are in
a Samuel Beckett play”
Sarong: what at first seems a humble piece of beach wear becomes a
picnic blanket, emergency towel,
toga, bed, bandage, tablecloth…
Disposable cameras, to capture
those precious (and pernicious)
nights out when you don’t want
to take your valuables
Notebooks for profound prose/
poems inevitably inspired by the
whimsy of train travel
USB stick - in case you want to
swap photos with friends along
the way
No ifs, no butts: get interrailing like these Cambridge students at Zell am See, Austria.
Rail (Thomas Cook) and do some
active daydreaming. Exploit Google
maps and Deutsche Bahn to check
the person with whom you will be
sharing a ‘cosy’ compartment asks if
you need a doctor because you are
how the geography stacks up with
your ideas. Be ambitious with your
places and time limit, but also be
logical; rail routes, especially night
trains, transect major cities. Pace
yourself. After our trio of initial cities, Copenhagen, Berlin and Vienna,
we had a holiday within a holiday at
the postcard beautiful Lake Bled. We
chanced upon a hidden gem seaside
town on the Tyrrhenian Coast after a
culture-loaded Venice and Florence,
resting up before travelling through
France.
Don’t fear the night trains - unless
you’re claustrophobic, that is. Once
you are lying down in your couchette
(bunk bed in a train compartment)
you tend to stay there until your train
arrives. Do arrive to your night train
early. It’s not the best icebreaker when
panting and buckling under 60 kilos
of rucksack. That said, we had fun
times sharing doritoes with a twelve
year old aspiring actor who was ‘on
his way to Mozart camp’ and could
sing last year’s Eurovision song contest entry from every country. Most
of the time an interrailer feels like
they are in a Samuel Beckett play. You
are asked the same set of questions
starting with where are you from,
where are you going. Then you spend
the next day either trying to escape
them or wishing they were your best
mates. In Berlin we were with three
really cool Danish girls, a thirty
year old Ital-
“
Most of the time an interrailler feels
like they are in a Samuel Beckett play
Avoid the ultimate embarassment:
If you don’t want to get kicked oﬀ the train,
keeping track of your rail ticket and passport is essential,
so think about investing in a money pouch for valuables.
”
ian English teacher, a Californian
hippie, a Greek film maker and a guy
who worked for the Azerbaijani embassy, and we ended up in a salsa club
then a park at 6am watching a thunder storm. “Running through these
giant fountains in Munich after an
all-nighter with some people we had
only just met,” is one of second year
English student Eleanor Dickinson’s,
similarly bizarre interrail experiences, “Beer was a very strong factor in
that,” she adds. It’s not only the cheap
continental drink that founds the basis of what is a very sociable style of
travel, but the hostels. Not least when
in Copenhagen the only dorm left
was one containing 66 beds. Check
out the reviews when booking hostels online for the friendly places with
quirky character.
If you pace yourself with gelato
and coffee it’s possible to
do very intense sightseeing and really replenish your culturemeter.
General
ambience soaking,
people watching, architecture admiring,
graffiti interpreting
and menu-decoding also falls under
the cultural remit.
Randomness will
ensue. You will
see things you
never knew existed, like Charles
Darwin sitting
on a Galapagos
tortoise in the
Vienna Natural History
Museum,
and be all the
more enlightened, and
entertained, for having seen them.
What you
can really
do without
Phrase book: everyone speaks
English anyway.*
20 changes of clothes - most
hostels will do laundry, and if
no,t what the hell, you’re on
holiday!
Pots and pans. Let’s be honest,
you’re going to be surviving
on bread and Milka
College stash: when you lose
your debit card and need to
beg for food, it won’t do you
any favours
Board games: no-one wants
to play magnetic Monopoly
Lots of books. The whole of
Europe will talk to you/ask you
where you are going/want to
know why you have 60 kilos on
your back and are walking like
a sweaty teenage mutant ninja
turtle
*Just kidding.. TCS does not
endorse English snobbery
and laziness - and there are
some places where the locals
speak very little English at all.
So get practising: “une bière,
s’il vous plaît!”
|17
The
CambridgeStudent
Welcome to the Third Battalion
Laura Marshall and Daniel Janes go on a foliage-filled adventure with British Sea Power,, Britain’s
favourite history and wildlife-loving rock band
T
hree margaritas in, and Laura
loves Noble. His forceful
cocktails have been pouring
steadily since the band, charmingly dishevelled and rejuvenated after quick
expedition to The Eagle, arrived at the
Corn Exchange. Like an alchemist in
his forge, Noble manages to transform some ostensibly unassuming
base metals – in this case Tesco’s Basic
Salt, plastic glasses, tequila and lime
cut with pliers – into cocktail gold.
“
energy.
The crowd, says singer Scott “Yan”
Wilkinson, is a bit of a change to their
usual branch-wielding infantry.
“There’s a bit more leopard skin in
the audience,” he observes, which was
evident from the prostrate Manics
devotees already camping out when
we arrived.
“Still,” says guitarist [Martin]
Noble, “it’s very nice. We can eat from
their catering.”
British Sea
Power had not
been to Cambridge
for a long time, but
in the past they
have played Sidney
Sussex, Clare and
Caius May Balls.
At the Caius event
in 2008, the band had a memorable
experience that many Cambridge
undergraduates have not been lucky
enough to have: a Stephen Hawking
sighting.
“While we were packing up the
equipment, he came past with some
girl, who seemed to be younger,” says
Yan.
“Phil [Sumner, the band’s keyboardist] was packing up and said,
‘Hey Steve!’” Noble adds.
The band’s white-hot new EP, Zeus,
hints at various intriguing new directions. ‘Can We Do It?’ is a 3-minute
Mark E. Smith-style wallop, while the
vocoder-driven ‘k-Wh’ hints at early
Daft Punk – or, suggests Yan, possibly
even Cher.
Birdwatching’s getting a bit
popular. I think we should
move into something more
eccentric
This very nearly didn’t happen. The
band’s tour in support of the Manic
Street Preachers had, over the last
week, been plagued by uncertainty,
with James Dean Bradfield being told
to rest his voice due to acute laryngitis. After an afternoon of panicked
phone calls from the UL trying to establish whether the concert was going
to happen in the first place, the manager phones us back and tells us it’s
on. Meet outside Corn Exchange at
3.30pm. There by 3.28, upstairs and
drinking by 3.36.
While we’ve been avid fans of their
expansive bird-rock since their monumental 2003 debut The Decline of
British Sea Power, you, dear music ingénue, have either only got into them
since their Mercury-prize-nominated
effort Do You Like Rock Music?, or,
heaven forfend, have not even heard
of them at all. Over the past month,
the Cumbrian ensemble, often singled out for their fondness for nature,
Betjeman and the Czech Republic,
have for the last month been quietly
outshining the Manic
Street Preachers
with their unique
mix of filmic,
glacial reverb
and feverish,
Stoogeslike
”
‘The[upcomng] album [Valhalla
Dancehall, released January 11] is a
bit Cher-based.’
“She’s looking for a new song, actually,” chimes in Noble. “Sony got in
touch with us and said she was looking for a new song.”
The long-awaited album, says Yan,
“is a bit in between Man of Aran [their
2009 soundtrack to a 1934 silent documentary about a remote Irish island
community] and the one we did before that [Do You Like Rock Music?].
We’ve got some very expansive, cinematic ones on there and a few funky
ones as well.’”
Rough Trade boss Geoff Travis,
called the album “our most diverse
record yet,” adds Noble. “It’s maybe
not quite as crackers as the EP”.
Longstanding fans of the band are,
says Yan, are very excited.
“Simon Price from The Independent,
who’s been a fan for a while, almost
seemed happiest with it out of anything he’s heard”.
Noble chips in, “He said it was genius, didn’t he?”
Unusual recording experiences
have been a recurring theme in the
band’s career. In the past they have
recorded in a disused water tower, a
Cornish fort and at the edge of a forest
in the Czech Republic.
However, this time has not been
quite as grand.
“We just got a farmhouse with a
couple of studios at the end,” adds
Yan. “I lived there and there were no
neighbours or anything... I didn’t see
another human being for three weeks
at one point. I did start talking
to myself and the radio.”
If ever there were a ‘Radio
4’ kind of band, then British
Sea Power are it. Their
fascination with the
natural world, their
love of Betjeman
and their fondness
for castles and history all reflect
the station’s
traditional
remit.
Last
year
Noble even co-presented a docu-
“
young Liam Gallagher was enrolled in
the youth branch of the RSPB.
The band call their hardcore fanbase The
Third Battalion. By the end of the evening,
we had risen to the First
mentary for Radio 4 called In Search of
the Holy Quail. However, Yan’s tastes
in radio have changed.
“I used to be into Radio 4 quite a lot
but I’ve switched over to the World
Service. I’m quite fed up with the
news.”
Similarly, his love for the Shipping
Forecast - reflected in a past British
Sea Power B-side, ‘Gales Warnings In
Viking North’ - is not as ardent as it
once was.
“I used to really like it, but I don’t
like it as much as I used to. It’s quite
samey. I’m waiting for the day when
something mental happens. Still, I like
to get to Dogger and have a chuckle.”
When the band were recording Do
You Like Rock Music? at Fort Tregantle
in Cornwall, they found themselves
surrounded by helicopters and witnessing night-time manouevres
being carried out by the army. This
time, however, “the biggest thing that
happened was that birds would come
down the chimney and sometimes
there’d be gang warfare between the
crows and the pigeons.”
The very mention of birds pulls
Noble away from his Brian Flanaganstyle cocktail making and into an animated discussion of all things avian.
We are not shocked to discover that he
was listed by The Observer
Observer, alongside
Elbow’s Guy Garvey, among Britain’s
top 10 celebrity bird-watchers; he was
ranked 8th, coming
ahead of none other
than the Duke of
Edinburgh. Other
rock star birdwatchers include Mick
Jagger and Jarvis
Cocker,
and the
”
“It’s sort of getting a bit popular,”
comments Yan, who describes himself
as an ‘animaller’ or ‘animal watcher’
who’d be “just as happy watching a
fox”.
“Jay Kay was in the Daily Star today,
he said he’s a birdwatcher. I think we
should get out of it and move into
something more eccentric. You’re a
bug man, really, aren’t you?” he says,
turning to Noble, whose studies at
the University of Reading included
entomology.
Although the band did not mark
Feed the Birds weekend, their dedication to British birdlife should not be
doubted.
“One year we did the RSPB In Your
Garden thing. We did the live blog.
It was last year and there was practically nothing because it was raining. We’ve got Dave Long from Birds
International coming down to the gig
tonight. He was just at a massive convention in Hong Kong about how all
the countries should work together to
protect the migratory flyways.’”
Yan, however, shies away from the
responsibility of feeding birds. He describes having to go out in the middle
in the winter to get more food for dependent birds. “I had cycle eight miles
in the snow to get some bloody nuts.’
From left to right: band members
Hamilton
(Neil Hamilton
Wilkinson,
guitar/vocals), Noble
(Martin
Noble, guitar),
Abi Fry (violin),
Phil Sumner
(cornet/keyboards),
Yan (Scott
Wilkinson,
vocals/
guitar),
and Wood
(Mathew
Wood,
drums).
Image: British Sea Power
18|
CambridgeStudent
Image: Laura Marshall
Having not only collected their
foliage and imbibed Noble’s concoctions, we also hung around their
dressing room where we found out
things about BSP that few fans have
been lucky enough to discover.
We had a fascinating glimpse into
their dressing room playlists (ABBA,
Ian Hunter and Kraftwerk, if you were
wondering). We found out about their
fondness for Orwell’s Down and Out
in Paris and London. And, of course,
we drank those cocktails.
The band’s awesome performance
at the Corn Exchange included spirited performances of old classics such
as ‘Carrion’ and ‘Remember Me’ as
well as new material, such as EP highlight ‘Bear’, which they performed
with heartfelt serenity. They played
with all the dynamism and vitality
of a band that had just been formed,
as if the future was theirs for the taking. Expressing all of the reasons why
we liked the band in the first place, it
dawned on us just how fortunate we
were to have spent the evening in their
company and we swelled with pride
that that was our foliage (see picture
above).
When leaving the interview for our
leafy expedition, we spied Manic Street
Preachers performing ‘Motorcycle
Emptiness’ in a sound-check. While
for the leopard-skin-clad disciples
outside this would have been one of
the most memorable moments of
their lives, this paled in comparison
to the very knowledge that British Sea
Power still have Laura’s cake tin and a
copy of Daniel’s ‘800 Years’ CD.
British Sea Power have a name for
their hardcore fanbase: ‘The Third
Battalion’. Before the interview, Laura
was doubting her Third Battalion credentials, but it’s clear that by the time
the night was finished we were not
merely in The Third Battalion, but
had ascended to The First.
British Sea Power’s EP Zeus is currently out, while new album Valhalla
Dancehall is released on January 11.
BRITISH
SEA POWER
Image: Laura Marshall
Just as Yan shies away from birdfeeding, he also shies away from political activity. Describing a planned
concert at Sealand – which “was in
the pipeline, but didn’t come out of
the pipe” – he speaks of his sense of
relief.
“Part of the deal was that the band
had to become Ministers of Culture
for the Monster Raving Loony Party
[who had invited the band there] but,
tempting as it was, we’re not ready to
go political”.
However, this political apathy does
not extend to actual British sea power.
Asked by Laura whether Trident was
a costly and outdated form of global
maritime power projection, Yan says:
“I think they should think of something cheaper with much more devastation. They should scrap it and get
some plague missiles. Go biological.
It’s too clean and quick, you want to
kill them slowly.”
The band do not mind being described as ‘quintessentially British’,
but they take issue with the term
‘nostalgic’.
“I can understand why people
might think we’re like that, but we’re
not even slightly nostalgic. I’m interested in things that have happened,
that’s all. I think it’s hard to write
about music, so people just latch on
to things.’”
Many music writers less discerning
than ourselves speak of the band as if
they want to live in a bygone age, but
in fact the band welcome the modern world with open arms, not least
in their 2008 single ‘Waving Flags’, a
call to arms welcoming Polish immigrants to Britain.
“I’d like to [reclaim Britishness
from the Daily Mail],” comments
Yan, “but I don’t know if it’s within
my powers. Perhaps I should become
Lord of Sealand and invade. [People]
think we’re Daily Mail-reading kinds
of people. The French especially are
turned off by the name. It’s kind of a
knee-jerk reaction.”
As the last dregs of salty water leave
our Tesco tumblers, the evening takes
an odd turn.
For much of their career the band
had been known for adorning the
stage with foliage, and fans would traditionally come to their concerts bearing leaves and branches. They seemed
to move away from this after Do You
Like Rock Music?, when wielding flags
rather than vegeation seemed to become the order of the day. However,
it became clear that the band’s attachment to foliage was back with a vengeance , and they wanted us to go around
Cambridge collecting it. Armed with
scissors and pliers, and both living in
the leafy environs near Castle Mound,
we rise to this challenge.
Two hours later, thorn-encrusted,
tanked up on greenery and having
managed to evade the porters, we return via Gardies with a veritable hoard
of Cambridge’s finest vegetation. Yan
is impressed that we included a lot of
yellow leaves – which he expressly requested – and the band eagerly start,
as go the lyrics of their song ‘North
Ranging Rock’, ‘draping themselves
in greenery’ and ‘becoming part of
the scenery’.
The
Formed:
2000
From:
Cumbria,
but
based in
Brighton
Influences: Pixies; Echo
and the Bunnymen; David
Bowie; Joy Division;
the British countryside;
Jonathan Richman; John
Betjeman; the Czech
Republic
Albums: The Decline of
British Sea Power (2003);
Open Season (2005); Do
You Like Rock Music?
(2008); Man of Aran (2009);
Valhalla Dancehall (2011)
Where to start: Open
Season (2005) is their
most accessible album and
should ease you in. Once
you’ve acclimatised yourself
to their idiosyncratic
world, delve into their
debut, which remains their
most accomplished and
impressive effort.
Words of praise: ‘The more
pop plunges into the hell
of Pop Idol, the more we
need bands like British Sea
Power’ (Jeremy Vine); ‘Out
of place, out of time, quite
possibly out of their minds
- but also out of this world’
(NME)
TCS’s Top 5 BSP songs
1. Carrion
Uplifting and instantly captivating.
Lose yourself in its maritime
brilliance!
2. Lately
Fourteen euphoric minutes that you
wish could go on for even longer.
3. Oh Larsen B
If you can name a better paean to a
collapsing ice shelf, I’d like to hear it.
4. No Lucifer
Sing along now: Easy! Easy!
5. A Lovely Day Tomorrow
Only 1,942 copies of this sunny single
about the assassination of Reinhard
Heydrich were made available - and
only in the Czech Republic.
Vacancies for
2011 Lent/Easter Editor-In-Chief
and Lent/Easter Section Editors
For Editor-In-Chief Applications:
Please send a us a personal statement of around 400 words detailing your
vision for the newspaper, including details of any relevant experience.
Editor application deadline: 18 November 2010
For Section Editor Applications:
Please confirm the Section of the newspaper you wish to work on (News, Sport,
Music etc) and send a us a personal statement of around 400 words detailing
your vision for the newspaper, including details of any relevant experience.
Section Editor application deadline: 25 November 2010
All editorial appointments will require you to commit to working on the
Easter/May Week editions of the newspaper.
To apply email: [email protected]
|19
The
CambridgeStudent
One More Time for Tron: Legacy
Dominic Preston on one of the most anticipated releases of the year
I’m afraid I must admit that I have a
slight bias when it comes to recommending Tron: Legacy. This is not
because it’s the sequel to a really quite
brilliant 80s classic. Nor is it because
it’s bringing Jeff Bridges back to our
screens in not one, but two parts. It
isn’t even the fact that Pixar stepped
Ignoring the recent trend towards reboots and
remakes, Disney have instead opted for a genuine
sequel a full 28 years after the original
in to help as consultants to the film.
No, the reason I am ridiculously
hyped about seeing the new Tron
film is that, thanks to what was probably a very large cheque and a bit of
divine intervention, Daft Punk have
composed the film’s whole score. The
thought of a whole new album of Daft
Punk music, attached to a massive
sci-fi film, makes me happier than
I’d care to admit. If you remain unconvinced, I strongly encourage you
to search for ‘Daft Punk derezzed’ on
YouTube. You won’t regret it.
Setting aside my massive geek-out
over the soundtrack, this film really
does look like it could be something
”
out on it, is one of the finest examples
of 80s screenwriters completely misunderstanding how computers work.
It follows a hacker (Bridges) who gets
‘digitized’ and finds himself inside
a virtual world, battling computer
programs in his attempt to escape.
The film is perhaps best known for
masterfully demonstrating the everything-is-better-in-neon ethos, and for
creating the ‘light-cycle’, undoubtedly
one of cinema’s more extravagant vehicular inventions. Of course, this being the 80s, cheesiness abounds. The
trailer tells me that inside the world
of Tron, “love, and escape, do not
compute.” I don’t know about you,
but that’s the kind of marketing that
leaves me scouring Amazon for some
sort of many-disced Anniversary
Edition DVD.
Of course, you will have all noticed
that the film I just described could
only ever have been made in the early
80s. So, you may ask, how are they going to update it for the modern age?
Thankfully, everything we’ve seen so
far indicates that they are taking it
seriously, and not merely as a chance
to make fun of the original. The film
stars Garrett Hedlund as the son of
the Bridges character, who goes looking for his father and finds himself
within the virtual world, eventually
meeting his romantic interest, Olivia
Wilde (of House fame). Bringing back
Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner shows
that they have a firm appreciation
of the talent represented in the first
film. Plus, the screenplay is credited
to two of Lost’s former writers and
producers, who have clearly shown, if
nothing else, a reverential attitude towards retro pop culture. Regardless,
the film will have to overcome the
severe challenge of suspending our
disbelief about the aforementioned
»In cinemas this week
★★☆☆☆
20|
LET ME IN
Dominic Preston
★★★★☆
116 mins
15
Cinemas: Vue Cambridge
Image:www.picselect.com
129 mins
12A
Cinemas: Arts Picturehouse
If the Jason Statham oeuvre occupies
the place of ‘guilty pleasure’ in my
cinema-going tendencies, the films
of Mike Leigh could be called my
guilty non-pleasure. Dour-faced
Leigh is the grumpy giant of British
filmmaking and darling of critics
around the world. I, however, have
always struggled to get on with his
work. Another Year is no exception.
Despite being meticulously crafted
it left me discomforted and restless.
The film spans a year in the lives of
Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth
Sheen) as they attend to the needs of
friends and relatives who have failed
to find the happiness that they have
realised through their own marriage
and careers. One such sorry case is
Mary (played to cringe-inducing
perfection by Lesley Manville)
who dresses in too little, drinks
too much and flirts with everyone
from her friends’ grown up son to
Tom’s recently bereaved brother.
This is the kind of film that gets
critics dribbling lyrically with
phrases like ‘gently melancholic’ and
‘quietly resigned’ that seem better
ANOTHER YEAR
Gerard Corvin
suited to describing a tasteful funeral
than a piece of entertainment. One
has to admit, however, that Leigh
is able to tap into the dynamics of
social relations. Many of his scenes
have over 15 minutes of continuous
conversation, and the camera, often
beautifully static, is always poised to
capture the subtle facial and tonal
changes that are the emotional
pressure points of the drama.
It would be wrong to look for a
‘message’ in Another Year. However,
there is the suggestion that Leigh’s
desperate characters have become
stuck in a miserable mould that, like
the seasons of the year, is inescapable.
As much as I applaud the integrity of
his stripped down execution, I cannot
help feeling uncomfortable with
Leigh’s tendency towards emotional
voyeurism. Give me Crank any day
over this claustrophobic trauerspiel.
If the title of Let Me In seems eerily
familiar to you, then you’re probably thinking of Let the Right One
In, the 2008 Swedish film based on
a novel of the same name. Let Me
In is an American adaptation of the
same novel, this time helmed by Matt
Reeves (Cloverfield). Billed by some
as Twilight for grown-ups, it could
perhaps best be described as the
story of an unconventional romance
between a young boy and a permanently young vampire, though this
really doesn’t do the film justice.
The two leads, Abby and Owen,
are played admirably by Chloe
Moretz (Kick-Ass) and the astonishingly named Kodi Smit-McPhee
(The Road). Both give strong performances, particularly Smit-McPhee,
who is captivating throughout.
Reeves crucially maintains the sexual
and moral ambiguity of both their
relationship, and the film as a whole,
particularly through the contrast of
Abby’s violent ways with the backdrop of Reagan-era USA (complete
with a televised speech on evil).
Let Me In was always going to
Image: www.image.net
“
special. Ignoring the recent trend towards reboots and remakes, Disney
have instead opted for a genuine sequel a full 28 years after the original.
That might make this the first time
I can justifiably praise Hollywood’s
originality in commissioning a sequel.
The original, in case you’ve missed
‘digitization’. Audiences in 2010 are a
lot more tech savvy than they used to
be, so the guys behind Tron: Legacy
will have to work bloody hard to convince people not to simply burst out
laughing at some of the goofier plot
requirements.
In case you haven’t guessed already,
I am pretty damn keen to see this film.
Maybe it’s just my inner (and outer)
nerd, but the prospect of more Tron
can really only be a good thing. The
original is an absolute classic, and is
required watching for any sci-fi devotees. If the sequel can bring more of
the same, complete with shiny effects
and a willingness not to take itself too
seriously, then it could be the biggest upcoming release not to feature
a certain boy wizard. And if nothing
else, I’ll always have the soundtrack
to comfort myself with. On loop.
Tron: Legacy opens in cinemas nationwide on 17th December.
struggle with comparisons to its
Swedish counterpart. Fortunately for
Reeves, he has kept the strongest elements of the novel, and original film,
to create a film that matches the tone
of Let the Right One In, while remaining distinctive enough to warrant the
remake. The central relationship remains as intense and effective as ever,
as does Abby’s relationship with her
“father”, the man who has up until
now taken care of her blood supply.
The film even has some improvements over the original, particularly
the removal of an infamous scene involving a gang of violent cats.
Where the film struggles is when
Reeves plays up the horror – his
vampire effects are decidedly unsubtle, and the less said about the score,
the better. However, this does not detract from what is a very strong film.
Watch the original as well if you can,
but this remake is not to be missed.
Stephen King has already proclaimed
it the best American horror film in
20 years, and I’d be hard pressed to
disagree.
(and the audience) round the bend
and creating the road trip from hell.
In Due Date, the writers opted for
a shiny, modern Subaru Impreza to
transport Peter (Robert Downey Jr.)
and Ethan (Galifianakis) across to
California. But whilst the car is slicker than the banged-up Merc in The
Hangover, the film lacks any of this
polish.
The plot is a wholly unoriginal one.
Uptight architect Peter and deadbeat
wannabe actor Ethan are forced to
share a rental car to get across the
American South after both ending
up on the ‘no-fly’ list. Peter needs
to be in LA in 5 days for the birth of
his child, and Ethan manages to do
everything to (almost) stop them
getting there in time. Cue various antics which make Peter’s journey ever
more unbearable.
It’s well-known that comedy films
don’t need a great plot so long as
they’re funny - the stag-do-in-Vegas
in The Hangover wasn’t exactly inspired, but it didn’t matter. Due Date
still has it’s laugh-out-loud moments
- Peter and Darryl (Jamie Foxx) conspiring to throw Ethan off the back
of a pickup truck was the highlight.
But jokes about Ethan’s masturbating
dog Sonny just didn’t cut it.
Downey Jr. and Galifianakis both
played their roles well, but they had
little to work with. The idea that Peter would start to forgive Ethan’s generally annoying manner led to a nice
soppy ending. But by this time the
audience just wanted Ethan to fall flat
on his face. That was why the pickup
truck moment was a rare funny one.
DUE DATE
Gavin Rutter
★★☆☆☆
95 mins
15
Cinemas: Vue Cambridge
Director Todd Phillips yet again sets
off on a road trip for his latest movie, Due Date. It’s impossible not to
compare it to Phillips’ 2009 smashhit, The Hangover. Zach Galifianakis reprises his role as the irritating
goofball, driving the other characters
The
CambridgeStudent
The Big Bang Theory
”
less. Penny could have easily become
the show’s weakness, but her character has gradually evolved from the
object of Leonard’s affections in the
first few episodes to someone who
can hold her own with a group of
scientists while still remaining inherently different to them.
Leonard, meanwhile, serves as a
good middle ground between Sheldon and Penny, clearly wanting more
My friend soon explained to me that this was
a show I should definitely watch because it was
supposedly “very Cambridge”
Sheldon is a walking bag of neuroses
who thinks of himself as generally
superior to most people and has little
or no desire for social interactions
of any kind, yet somehow manages
to be instantly lovable and incredibly funny. Part of this is down to
the writers, but they are undoubtedly greatly helped by the freedom of
knowing that Parsons can work with
pretty much anything they give him,
and does particularly well in scenes
where Sheldon is placed outside his
comfort zone.
In that respect, the character of
Penny serves as the best possible foil
for Sheldon, and their interactions
ultimately leading up to a strange
kind of friendship are always price-
”
of a social life than he has. The group
is rounded off nicely by Caltech colleagues Howard Wolowitz (Simon
Helberg) and Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), and one of the
strengths of the show is the chemistry between the different characters,
particularly evident when all five of
them end up in a scene together.
As far as I’m concerned, however, The Big Bang Theory stands out
amongst other sitcoms for one simple reason, and I suspect it’s the same
reason why my friend once called it
“very Cambridge”: it’s smart. Don’t
get me wrong, there are plenty of intelligently written shows coming in
from across the Atlantic, but shows
about intelligent people seem to be
Image: Channel 4/CBS
Two years ago, back when I was a
somewhat nervous NatSci fresher,
a friend of mine turned to me after
one of our lectures and mentioned
that our lecturer looked like a lot like
Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. At the time, I had no clue what
a Sheldon was, but my friend soon
explained to me that The Big Bang
Theory was a show I should definitely
watch because it was supposedly
“very Cambridge.”
I took her advice not long afterwards and tuned in to an episode,
only to fall in love almost instantly.
For anyone who hasn’t seen it, the story of The Big Bang Theory very generally revolves around two Caltech
physicists, Leonard (Johnny Galecki)
and Sheldon (Jim Parsons), and their
somewhat unlikely friendship with
waitress and aspiring actress Penny
(Kaley Cuoco), who lives across the
hall. It’s a reasonably straightforward
premise, and pitching the intellect
and social awkwardness of two geniuses against Penny’s common sense
and confidence probably would have
made for a decent show regardless of
who had been cast in the individual
roles, but over the course of four series the acting has become the key ingredient which has elevated The Big
Bang Theory from a good sitcom to
a great one.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the
success of the show relies largely
(though not entirely) on Jim Parsons’s
Emmy-winning performance in the
role of Sheldon Cooper, a character
who could be and perhaps should
be thought of as very unlikeable, but
who most fans of the show will probably agree is one of the greatest comedic creations on television in years.
Rebecca Pearce explains why watching this show is
the smart thing to do
quite rare. Back when The West Wing
was on television and Martin Sheen
was a fictional Nobel Prize-winning
US president, it was often pointed out
on the show that in America, intelligence has a tendency to be branded
as elitism. Yet, interestingly, if The Big
Bang Theory’s ratings in the US are
any indication, the geniuses in this
particular show are adored by the
American public. The show succeeds
in celebrating and normalising intelligence at the same time, giving us
scientists who are much more human
those found in most sci-fi movies. Admittedly, if I were to recommend The
Big Bang Theory to someone, I would
probably say in the first instance that
it’s not to be missed because it’s entertaining, funny and well-acted, not
because its characters are smart. But
it does make a nice change.
Series 4 of The Big Bang Theory
airs Thursdays at 9 PM on E4 and is
also available on 4oD.
The
CambridgeStudent
RENT
Giulia Galastro enjoys a guilty pleasure in a flamboyant yet fun production
ADC Theatre Mainshow
7.30pm Tuesday 9th November
★★★★☆
Image: ADC Theatre
“
in sparkly 70s wizard capes pounding on synthesizers. Here, though, it
is nothing to be feared. The show is
overflowing with great tunes, from
the genuinely moving ‘Seasons of
Love’, to the smoky ‘Tango: Maureen’,
by way of the frolicsome ‘La Vie Bohème’, a nod to the Puccini opera on
which this musical is loosely based.
All of the leads are endowed with
such breath-taking singing voices
that it seems a little unfair to single
anyone out for special praise. Walton’s worthy notes are noteworthy,
and her duets with Roger (Guy
Woolf) blend the glam-punk energy
of the New York Dolls with dazzling
operatic top notes providing, both
literally and figuratively, the musical
high points of the night.
Under Sarah Ward and Laurie Stevens’ direction the cast move around
the stage with the assured precision
of a magnetic travel Monopoly set.
Not once does anyone look awkward
or British.
Rory Stallibrass is dynamic as
disaffected film-maker Mark, and
Woolf is endearing as his struggling
songwriter flatmate. Drag queen
“
S
everal attractive young New
Yorkers whose lives and loves
intertwine around one bohemian apartment: RENT could be
a Friends episode called ‘The One
With The Drugs And The AIDS’. And
like Friends, RENT is a hugely entertaining, (Central) perky production
which is not especially edgy or challenging – something of a feat given
the serious subject matter.
Many may only have heard of the
musical via the parody Lease and
its song ‘Everyone Has AIDS’; Team
America were not entirely fair – in
fact, a full three of the characters in
RENT show no signs of AIDS at all.
Regardless of HIV status, however,
everyone does have some form of
‘baggage’, those imaginary valises
that Americans seem to enjoy packing with concepts like ‘fear of failure’,
‘inability to commit’, and, in the case
of exotic dancer Mimi (Emma Walton), an ‘unfortunate fondness for
smack’.
All of this collective baggage handling is done through song, for
RENT is a ‘rock opera’, that slightly
dubious term that might suggest men
Though RENT does not truly engage with Angel (Nkoko Sekete) is a fabulous
urry of drum-sticks, wig-flicks and
its weighty themes, it would probably be in- flhigh-kicks.
Victoria Rigby is simfinitely less fun to watch if it did
ply superb as bisexual performance
artiste Maureen, tossing her titian
Betrayal
tresses and treating us to what is
surely the most alluring and (ahem)
amooooosing cow impression ever
to grace the ADC stage. This energetic bunch scale pale piles of tyres
and scamper up fire-escapes against
the back-drop of a monumental
mural, spray-painted figures possibly engaged in some sort of pop-art
orgy. Brittany Wellner’s evocative set
design achieves that rare hat-trick
of looking cool, actually assisting its
performers, and having an interesting concept, inspired as it is by the
work the late artist and AIDS activist
Keith Haring created on the walls of
New York.
The Lease spoof does have some
foundation in reality; this is a ridiculously romanticised and sanitised
snapshot of a community of impoverished artists – more Alphabetti
Spaghetti than Alphabet City – but
it is no less enjoyable for it. Sure,
those homeless people lurking about
at the back, with only immaculate
Gap jumpers to protect them from
the biting cold of a New York winter,
would have frozen to death before
the opening number was finished if
this were real life.
But then if it’s gritty realism you
were after, why have you gone to see
a musical? Why not watch an Andrea Arnold film? Or hunker down
beside a wheelie skip at the back of
Sainsbury’s?
Though RENT does not truly
engage with its weighty themes, it
would probably be infinitely less fun
to watch if it did.
Musical comfort food it may be,
but it is so beautifully prepared and
enthusiastically served that it’ll make
you want to step up to the counter of
the ‘Life Café’ and order yourself a
second plate.
Kate Abnett praises a well-directed production with a small cast of strong actors
9.15pm Tuesday 9th November
★★★★☆
Mundane settings and the most
naturalistic of dialogues are the key
to Pinter’s appeal. They are also a director’s nightmare - if put on with a
less than excellent cast, not much else
remains. Tonight’s performance of
Betrayal was lifted far above this fear
by its small cast of extremely strong
leading actors.
The opening scene was initially
carried by Theo Chester, whose endearing, slightly bumbling Woody
Allen-esque portrayal of ‘Jerry’ saw
him administering Pinter’s characteristic pauses with brilliant timing.
Deli Segal played ‘Emma’ (‘Jerry’s’
lover) with a stern edge, juxtaposing
22|
“
Chester’s earnest appeal with style
and bringing a convincingly subtle impenitence
to the role. Apart from
an unconvincingly awkward exchange of keys
that briefly broke the
constancy of the play’s naturalism,
these two actors’ performances created scenes of poignant intimacy that
really shaped the performance’s overall success.
Chester and Segal also administered their characters’ interaction
with sophistication - moving from
awkward silences into confrontational dialogue without sacrificing the
The Playroom’s curious division of
its audience was dealt with superbly .
Although no real hindrance to a play
that has the audience looking in on
characters through walls, the director’s bold positioning of a main character facing away from the audience
really took hold of the play’s natural
Very slick, surreal scene changes also
added a surprising flair.
Also worth mentioning is the
fourth cast member, Will Ghosh,
who had a small role as a waiter. Despite delivering a convincing accent,
his performance became comic, and
Chester and Drew had to work to reestablish the sincerity of tone between Ghosh’s interludes.
The naturalistic set served its
purpose, but the collages on the
walls seemed obscure (and unnecessary, especially as one fell off
in a particularly emotional scene),
and didn’t assist in making changes
in setting believable.
However, this was no real obstacle
to a performance driven by such
great acting, and it was a welcome
surprise to be constantly engaged by
a work that really challenges a company to find fascination in its routine
subject matter.
“
Corpus Playroom, Lateshow
script’s emotion through overstatement. Adam Drew, playing Emma’s
husband and Jeremy’s “close friend”,
began with a slightly embarrassed
presence, but appeared to relax into
the role quickly, perhaps helped by
the strength of Chester’s easy deliverance during their dialogues. The
The Director’s bold positioning of a main character
facing away from the audience really took hold of the
play’s natural style, cleverly adding to the artistic edge
later scenes between the two male
actors became thick with atmosphere - no mean feat with a style
as bare as Pinter’s. Adam Drew also
demonstrated impressive skill in his
control of the tone of the scenes he
was in, particularly when emphasising the play’s focus on the unsaid and
the undercurrent of bitterness in his
scenes with ‘Jerry’.
style. It cleverly added an artistic
edge without compromising the true
to life style of the performance.
Further credit is due to both the director, Oli O’Shea, and the aforementioned trio of main actors for their
confident administering of the play’s
reverse chronology - the ‘backwards
development’ of characters was acted
well and without needless emphasis.
CambridgeStudent
Hattie Peachey is reinvigorated by an unusually unpretentious play
Corpus Playroom, Mainshow
7pm Tuesday 9th November
★★★★☆
“
slightly worrying to see or pre-empt,
but here it worked well. From Katy
Perry to Flo Rida, the songs updated
the play, as well as the script revisions, to speak to a modern audience
in a skilful and unnoticeable manner.
Stephen Bailey, the play’s director,
must be credited for bringing what
he calls something “different from
the standard material” to the Cambridge stage. Not only was it refresh-
“
The great thing about Cambridge
is that it never fails to surprise you.
It also teaches you to keep an open
mind, and appreciate all kinds of talent. ‘Bouncers’ is a prime example of
caution in judging a book by its cover,
or indeed by its programme’s recurring grammatical errors, as this play
was far from amateur. It displayed
four strong and versatile actors who
seemed confident and comfortable
From Katy Perry to Flo Rida, the songs
updated the play, as well as the script revisions, to speak to a modern audience in a
skilful and unnoticable manner
in a challenging play.
There could have been no better
venue than the Corpus Playrooms
for this play, as the size of the venue
made the presence of the four boys
extend beyond the stage and out
into the audience. The fact that the
play was so well produced added to
the strength of the piece, especially
at times where the production relied
on its lights and sounds to convey
meaning.
The play proudly proclaims to be
‘the remix’, something that’s always
ing to see this something “different”,
but also to see the amount of work
and thought that must have gone
into the production.
The play was refreshing too for its
acting talents, especially the way in
which the four actors could change
between characters with almost worrying ease. Judd (Will Karani), Ralph
(Jamie Hansen) and Les (Alex Gomar) were sheer comic gold throughout and seemed much more accomplished than expected.
The star of the show was Lucky
Eric (Jimmy Murray) who seemed
to have no end to his abilities, from
rapping to grinding, but still being
believable in moments of poignancy
(no mean feat).
It was easy to see how well they all
worked together, either as a result
of months of practice or just a natural bond formed between them as
friends.
The play does have some interesting insights into society and Lucky
Eric’s speeches are the crux of this.
Announced by the characters as
“Lucky Eric’s First Speech” (a friend
of mine turned to me and said “of 65”
but don’t worry – there are only 4),
the speeches balanced the play’s humour with a note of sadness, a look
perhaps towards Cameron’s ‘broken
Britain’...or not.
Unlike other so-called ‘society’
plays, this had no notes of pretension
or self-absorption, nor did it alienate
those of us who just came to have a
good time.
All that’s left to say is that the play
is worth seeing for hundreds of reasons – if you want a laugh, or reasons
to feel disparaging towards society,
or to see Murray, Gomar, Karani
and Hansen like you’ve NEVER seen
them before, or even just to hear
some good music (the Thriller dance
being the highlight).
It is after this bizarre dance that
Lucky Eric says “What the f**k are
we doing?” – For this cast, however,
there was never any confusion.
William Fergus Stuart
Brendan Gillott is strangely impressed by a masterclass in madness
Judith E. Wilson Studio, English Faculty
9pm Friday 5th November
★★★★☆
“
Things became much less cogent
from there on in. Convinced that his
calling is to protect women and children, Will joins the army and goes to
war (after meeting a bizarre goddess-
“
There is not enough original drama written or acted in Cambridge.
We aren’t short of renditions of
Shakespeare and Brecht, Pinter and
Jonson. Not that there’s anything
wrong with
productions
of the greats;
far from it. But
every now and
then I pine for
something new, something experimental, something a bit deranged.
William Fergus Stuart undoubtedly
fell into this latter category.
Written by none other than William Fergus Stuart himself, and
starring James MacNamara as the
protagonist, a troubled individual
named William Fergus Stuart (Will
for short). William Fergus Stuart began in a bathroom, with the eponymous hero waxing lyrical on life, love
and being, whilst his friend stretched
obscenely on the floor and claims to
have taken “all the laxatives”.
make sense of this lunatic miscellany.
There was little in the way of causal
narrative or of character development. This sounds like a criticism. It
isn’t.
In addition to being incomprehensible, William Fergus Stuart was
funny. Again, I shy from saying it was
a comedy per se, but it was funny.
The sight of the leading role prancing about a lightbulb-headed scarecrow cradling a doll with
the director’s face pasted
onto it is one which
merits no other response
but confused hilarity.
Similarly, the same protagonist captaining a wheelbarrow to
the sound of upbeat pop music and
shouting “Rose! Roses! Open your
heart! Roses!” whilst wielding the offending flora is one which is hard to
replicate.
Nor was the experience lacking
in emotion. The scene in which the
protagonist laments his recently inflicted disabilities was genuinely affecting. So (in a weird way) were the
later passages, in which well-chosen
songs and well-executed dance interludes depicted what was (presumably) the trauma eating away at his
Will joins the army to go to war...only to
return in the third scene minus an eye, a
leg, two arms and a penis
figure who claims to be the transfigured edition of the recently laxativedetonated friend), only to return in
the third scene minus an eye, a leg,
two arms and a penis. He apparently
dies halfway through the play, and
his history of psychotic illness is subsequently alluded to via a series of
spuriously-related songs and dances.
The play then ends.
To be quite frank, I didn’t understand William Fergus Stuart. I shy
from saying that no-one did, but I
imagine it would take an intellect
much more capacious than mine to
Sex @ Oxbridge
In May, the Sunday Times Magazine
named the “Oxbridge sex” blogger as
one one of “40 bloggers who really
count”. This term, she’s writing for
The Cambridge Student...
There are all kinds of humps.
Wednesday. Half-term. Fergie’s.
Then, there’s my favourite - the kind
which happens between the sheets.
As the work load gets harder and the
days get shorter, it’s important to remember the importance of the latter
kind of hump. While academic motivation wanes and all you want to do
is hide under your duvet all day, why
go at it alone? Now is not the time
to get yourself into a sexual slump,
readers. We’re coming into a period
of temptation with mince pies and
mulled wine at every corner. Preemptively start burning off those
holiday calories with some horizontal workouts.
“
There’s nothing
wrong with a bit of
‘Let’s Stay Broken
Up’ sex
With whom to have these hump
fests is the next dilemma. I’ve given
you the dos and don’ts of dating and
hooking up, which people are inevitably going to ignore. So, if you are
going to do the don’ts, here are the
rules to break:
Breakable Rule #1: No collegecest.
The most breakable of the rules. Yes,
you may see them around the canteen or in the JCR, and everyone will
probably know about the two of you
hooking up, but damn if it isn’t the
most convenient option in town. The
walk home is also conveniently short,
and you’re less likely to get lost.
Breakable Rule #2: No exes. The
most excusable of the rules. As long
as neither of you are under the pretence that it could lead to getting
back together, there’s nothing wrong
with a bit of “Let’s Stay Broken Up”
psyche.
William Francis Stuart was not
perfect. Sometimes the lack of coherence was too extreme, sometimes the
“
sex. You know each other so it takes
away from the hassle of getting to
know someone, and the mystery of
whether or not the sex will be bad.
Presumably the only reason you
would sleep with an ex is because
they’re good in bed, and if they’re
not - well then that becomes possibly
the most inexcusable of the rules.
Breakable Rule #3: No tutors or
supervisors. The most risky of the
rules. In general, it’s a bad idea. However, I have had some very attractive
postgrads for tutors and am only
human in my attraction to them. If
there is no chance that you will have
to meet with them in an academic
setting again (aside from a cheeky
shag in their office) then why not?
Aside from the potential academic
consequences.
*Note: Professors, Directors of
Studies, Deans and Presidents of colleges are strictly prohibited. Fellow
students who have been given a bit
of power, sure. Higher Beings who
could be fired, no.
Those rules generally cover all
spectrums of people I would otherwise not sleep with, but am too lazy
not to. It comes down to a convenience thing. I can honestly say I’ve
never slept with a Tutor, but I have
thought about it. There is, however,
a member of my college and an ex
which are posing as suitable prospects at the moment. Save the ambition for the new year, go with the
reliable for the holiday humps.
And that’s how SAO sees it xx
Sex@Oxbridge
also posts
online
think new thoughts it stood out, a
beacon of the unrestrained and unreasonable. It made mistakes, but it
made them with bravery, and that is
In addition to being incomprensible,
William Fergus Stuart was funny...I shy
away from saying it was a comedy per se,
but it was funny.
jokes didn’t come off. But it should
still be respected for its audacity, its
sheer creative insanity.
In a theatre scene which is often
deeply conservative and scared to
“
Bouncers - The Remix
“
The
something to be admired.
It is a shame that most student
theatre isn’t so courageous.
|23
The
“
CambridgeStudent
”
The last seven tracks are all royalty-free traditional songs, on which the profit
margin is effectively 100%. Sir Alan must look at this with great approval.
British Sea Power
Bear
Listen to this cinematic highlight
from the new EP to get you in the
mood for our feature on the band
(pp.16-17)!
» on repeat
Theo Zhang on Susan Boyle
Pepe Kalle
Foster The People
The Dead Kennedys
Pon Moun Pa Ka Bougé
A larger-than-life presence, Pepe
Kalle’s energetic music provided a
ray of hope for oppressed citizens
during the authoritarian regime of
Mobutu.
Kill The Poor
An appropriate song for a government dead set on destroying
livelihoods and communities in the
name of market fundamentalism.
We’re all in this together indeed.
Pumped Up Kicks
Hot off the press, Foster The People
have dropped their promising first
single. Compressed, reverberating
vocals, compact bass and drums plus
a whistled chorus make this a winner.
Listen to the 4th
TCS BIG MIXTAPE
@http://bit.ly/bWfwL0
Cee Lo Green
It’s OK
Straight off the back of the unstoppable ‘Fuck You!’ (ahem... ‘Forget
You!’) Cee Lo Green hits us with
another up-beat soul number. The
man’s vocal talent is incredible.
album reviews «
Cee Lo Green
Susan Boyle
Maddslinky
Lady Killer
The Gift
Make A Change
(Elektra, 2010)
(Columbia, 2010)
(Tru Thoughts, 2010)
Remember the time that ‘Crazy’ held the title for longest time
spent at the top of the UK singles chart? Gnarls Barkley (the
collaboration project between Cee Lo Green and producer
Danger Mouse) even had to pull it, ensuring that the song
would be fondly remembered rather than hated. Unbelievably they were toppled from their position just a year later by
Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’. Unfortunate. As if it wasn’t enough that
their title was cruelly stolen away, it turned out that Gnarls Barkley was to be little more than a one hit wonder. Apart from
a fairly unsuccessful second Gnarls album, Cee Lo Green remained quiet following the fervour over ‘Crazy’... until now!
Cee Lo Green’s ability to record a mainstream album without production from Danger Mouse may have been a concern;
however, it appears that Cee Lo has well and truly established
the pop Midas touch. Lady Killer is packed to the brim with brilliantly crafted pop numbers. Lead single ‘Forget You!’ has already
gained some of the momentum we saw in ‘Crazy’, enjoying heavy
national play and (closer to home) bop rotation, while the album
shows off Green’s excellent rhythmic and melodic sensibilities,
ranging from sunshine-pop like ‘It’s OK’ to infectious soul numbers such as ‘Wildflower’. The most striking element of this album, and one which simply cannot go without comment, is Cee
Lo Green’s vocal performance. Each track is a showcase for his
incredible range, strength and individual character. Lady Killer
is worth owning for this alone, but give it a listen and you’ll also
find it full of quality compositions and surprises to be enjoyed.
Rhys Cater
»»introducing
live review
Something exciting is emerging from the
world of goth, and it takes the form of
21-year-old Zola Jesus (a.k.a. Nika Roza
Danilova). Halfway into her European
tour she is soon to captivate the world, as
well as the Cambridge bubble, with her
piercing, brooding voice. It’s the second
gothic coming, and the indie queens such
as Florence and the Machine and La Roux
had better watch their backs as Zola takes
to the stage.
I suppose my Zola Jesus girl-crush began when I saw her at Brixton Academy
supporting Fever Ray last month. Draped
in a black hooded cloak, pacing up and
down the stage with her eyes fixed to the
★★★☆☆
★☆☆☆☆
★★★★☆
Susan Boyle’s debut album was the biggest selling album in the
world in 2009, beating off stiff competition from Taylor Swift. This
year she may do a double over her young contemporary. Many
would consider this a victorious outcome for poor Susan, who
has not had the easiest of lives (something I would not wish to
demean), but the cynic in me can’t help but think that this is part
of the continued commoditisation of the music industry. Indeed,
the production costs of her CDs are almost nil, as nine of the ten
songs on the album are covers. Of these songs the last seven are
all traditional royalty-free songs, on which the profit margin is
(effectively) 100%. Sir Alan must look at this with great approval.
Her voice itself is admittedly pleasant. It has quite a consistent
tone with the same slightly tinny quivering vibrato on each note.
The production also helps to numb some of the imperfection,
the choir kicking in at every appropriate moment. It also corrects her biggest problem, which is her habit of singing ahead
of the track in her live performances. Of course, this slackness is
part of the charm of Susan: the fact that she is a genuinely undiscovered and untrained talent. There’s a reason why an album of
covers she puts out will sell 100 times more than a comparable
album performed by the truly great vocalists of this generation.
The album, however, is a difficult listening experience. It’s not
so much that she murders classics; it’s more that her flaccid style
sucks the life out of them. Interesting songs like ‘Perfect Day’ and
‘Hallelujah’ become meaningless and all seem to merge into one.
Still, who am I to judge the biggest selling artist in the world?
Theo Zhang
Zola Jesus
floor, the audience was mesmerised by her
presence. And this small girl crush has
inevitably developed into an obsession
since her recently released album Stridulum II. Despite the debut album being
well received - even applauded - by critics,
one cannot help but feel she goes underappreciated…or perhaps the better word is
underestimated, which can only be a good
thing.
For me, Stridulum II has been one of
the highlights of 2010. The album begins
with the ghoulish ‘Night’ accompanied by
demonic whisperings and distorted industrial electronica. ‘Run Me Out’ sees Zola
beautifully yowling over the tense lo-fi
Maddslinky is not a knotted metal spring. He is Mancunian
2-step godfather Zed Bias, a.k.a Dave Jones, half of duo Phuturistix and early enricher of proto-dubstep. His latest offering is characteristically neat and skilful. With a reputation for
boundary-pushing, Zed’s appropriately titled it Make A Change.
It is gorgeously tangled. Spanning as many genres as he
has aliases, Jones carefully teeters between dubstep and UK
funk in this album to produce wild, spiralling beats that rapidly intoxicate. Contributions from a number of genre bigwigs add to its chaos and calibre. The masterful Skream lends
an introspective playfulness to ‘50 Shades of Peng’, a neurotic
shuffle squeezed between deep chunks of bass and gloaming
orchestra. Opening political poem ‘Lionheart’ begins with a
splash of angsty Worcester sauce while the sizzling ‘Ruled By
Your Motions’ warms the soul better than a logfire. ‘Lost On
Tenori Street’ may even rekindle repressed SNES nostalgia.
However, several tracks don’t satiate. Mr Scruff ’s lusty squelches fail to improve the tedious ‘Dub Is For Real’ and, despite some
lush vocalists, the funkier tracks lack soul. Maddslinky’s archived his aspirations for the incipient dubstep scene here; the
album’s like a museum exhibition of meteorites. Don’t get me
wrong, listening to Make a Change is a fantastic expedition into
never-before-heard soundscapes. However, too many tracks are
aloof and distant, competent but unmoving. Maddslinky gives
us an enthralling peek into a bright musical future. It’s just a
shame the sparkling gems are hidden amid cold hard stones.
Akshay Phakey
eerie, eldritch electro-goth
synths and reverbs, with dashes of ghostly
soprano samples in the cold background.
The penultimate track ‘Sea Talk’ is arguably
the best track, her distinctive vocals gliding
over atmospheric synths. Simply magical.
Check out the accompanying music video,
an endearing homage to horror film ‘Poltergeist’.
Zola Jesus will undoubtedly grow in
popularity, but until then, be sure to check
her out on Spotify. An upcoming strong
female artist needs your support; so join
the Zola Jesus cause.
Jenna Corderoy
Image: Four Paws Media
24|
The
CambridgeStudent
Behind the Scenes at Formal Hall
Suzanne Burlton finds out how it all happens at Murray Edwards
Menu
Marinated Goats Cheese, Olive, Tomato and Basil
Salad with Rustic French Bread
*
Marmalade and Sesame Roasted Fillet of Salmon
OR
Sesame-Topped Falafel
*
Crushed Potatoes with Scallions and a selection of
Seasonal Vegetables
*
Pears Poached in Red Wine and Rosemary with
Pistachio Creme Fraiche
(It’s delicious, honest - I tried it all myself!)
Image: Murray Edwards
6.30pm
I arrive in the kitchen and am introduced to the other two chefs, Pete
and Ed. They chat happily as they
potter around, checking things. Bill
warns them to “keep the swearing
down to a minimum”. I laugh but am
slightly afraid this is going to turn
into Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.
Thankfully all seems calm for now.
6.45pm
There is a Front of House briefing
in the Dome. They discuss special
diets, which tables to serve first and
how they hope the evening will pan
out. It is done with military precision
for an operation which must go impeccably as the Vice President is dining tonight.The starters are laid out
in the servery, waiting to be picked
up by the waiting staff, some of them
from an agency, and all wearing darling white gloves.
I meet Head Chef Bill Proudfoot in
a terrifying kitchen, full of demoniclooking machines which whirr and
clank and hiss steam. Amidst all this
is his small office, which he describes
as “bijou”. Hmm. We have a chat before he shows me round the kitchen,
still talking. Bill has been in the college kitchen for twenty five years, and
has been Head Chef for fifteen. He is
clearly a man who is dedicated to his
job.
Bill prepares the menu about a
week in advance, to take advantage
of the special deals his forty suppliers
give him and use seasonal food. This
is often a necessity as, of the £8.15
we pay for formal, the food budget
is £3.60 so margins are tight. He is,
however, very proud that so much of
his food is sourced organically and locally. “We recycle all our cardboard,”
he says, showing me the bins outside,
“and someone takes away our used
oil and makes biofuel.” So far so eco.
The best thing about formals, he
says, are “high numbers, I love it
when we get high numbers”. The
worst? “The special diets... there’s a
fine line between a special diet and
being particular”. He doesn’t
mind vegetarians, allergies and so
on, but it’s the people who are really
picky that get him - and understandably. On the same subject, Robert
Clarke, catering manager, says, “The
only time we have an issue is Kosher”.
I had forgotten the very strict rules
some Jews have above cutlery and
other implements which have been
used for both meat and milk. O what
a tangled web the formal team have
to navigate.
I ask if the high numbers are a challenges, but Bill rubbishes the idea. It’s
the same meal for everyone, not “Gordon Ramasy doing a few plates here,
a few plates there” and I see his point.
It’s the preparation which seems to be
key, so that all the food really needs
are a few last minute touches before
it goes to table.
Now. To formal.
Morning
The starters are prepared and put
in large stacks, about six foot high,
and kept in a walk-in freezer.
Afternoon
Vegetables are prepared,
blanched and put on racks.
S
T
C
A
F
Formal days: Every
L
A
Tuesday
two Fridays during
M full term Dress code:andGowns
R
O
Cost: £8.15
F
/ £9.30 Dietary requirements catered for: All, though
please give reasonable notice for complex requirements Maximum
groups bookings per formal: 2 groups of 20 Average number of
people per formal: 150-160
Number of staff required: Six
Number of chefs in the kitchen: Six Time it takes to lay one place
setting, including polishing glasses and cutlery: 4.4 minutes
“
nally, the last one goes out and we all
breathe a sigh of relief.
8.10pm
The chefs lay out the cold puddings, adding the finishing touches:
a blob of cream , some coulis and a
sprig of rosemary. I ask if I can help
and get to do the rosemary, sticking
the little trees upright into the stiff
cream. I am terribly excited and perhaps get a bit carried away, working
almost faster than they can distribute
the cream. It’s my youthful eagerness,
you see, whereas they are hardened,
measured professionals.
8.20pm
Dessert is served and coffee is prepared. The chefs relax - their part
in this is over. The waiting staff, of
course, will spend forty minutes
clearing up after the last person has
left, so their night is not over yet. Pete
smashes a glass and Ed laughs, citing
It was a Superhall about two years ago: there was actually a student physically sick at the table. I won’t mention the lady’s name!
7pm
A test piece of salmon comes out
of the enormous Rational ovens and
is pronounced fit to eat by the Head
Chef. There are four ovens in the
kitchen and they are all bleeping as
they heat up to the required temperature, They will do the vegetables
in nine minutes and the salmon in
about twenty. I am so impressed by
the technology and even Ed admits
that it’s pretty good. “This equipment
is a pleasure to work with - a privilege, really,” he says seriously. The raw
salmon goes into the oven.
7.20pm
I am up in the servery again now,
watching the waiters whisk out the
starters to the waiting masses. They
work quickly and quietly. Downstairs,
the chefs put the vegetables in.
7.45pm
The clean starter plates come back
in and the vegetables, all plated up
in the afternoon, come up with the
salmon. The chefs delicately drop
a fillet of salmon onto each waiting plate, splash some sauce on and
they go out immediately to table.
This is the only time that I really see
any tension developing as they work
faster and faster to get everything out
piping hot and as fast as possible. Fi-
”
some in-joke. What I really like about
the kitchen is that even when things
are going out almost as fast as they
can plate them up (I picked up plenty
of the lingo, as you can see) there’s
always plenty of banter and they all
seem to get on really well.
This all seems to have gone very
smoothly, and they admit that it
doesn’t always go that well. When
asked about problems with drunkenness, Robert Clarke said ‘The incidents we had here were very mild
and I think that - I wouldn’t say kneejerk reactions - but people were very
wary, saying “Look at the problems
other colleges have had, let’s stamp
on it”.’ He, however, insists that he just
wants people to have fun in a nice
environment, although “some people just don’t know when enough’s
enough”.
I chat to Jacqueline Yates, Front of
House manager afterwards, and she
says that she just wants to see “her
students” enjoying themselves. How
does she do it? “It’s all about communication.”
As I leave, the washing up is just
starting. Industrial dishwashers
which heat to 85 degrees and take
one minute. The geek in me is just
too happy.
Survival
Guide
6
It can be easy to forget that Cambridge is home to ‘real people’ as
well as students. You know, those
people that run the businesses,
and own the houses, and pay the
taxes. People who have moved
on to doing something constructive for society, rather than just
keeping the local pizza companies afloat. These people make
me uneasy in clubs on a Friday
night. Not because I believe that
as a student, they must hate me
and be itching to start a fight over
my silly outfit/name/hair, but because one day I will have to assume responsibilities too.
However, it has to be said in
Cambridge that any town/gown
divide pales into comparison with
the line between people who live
here and visitors. Tourists, mercifully, aren’t too much of a problem
in Michaelmas, but just you wait
until exam term. They flock to
our glorious city like lushes to the
Union’s bar clearance. As soon as
the sun comes out, King’s Parade
becomes a battleground between
cyclists and camera-wielding holiday-makers.
One of the indirect consequences of this summer invasion
is that modern phenomenon,
hipster racism. I avoid this bu
just hating all tourists, whether
Japanese families, American pensioners or Spanish teenagers, on
a sliding scale depending on how
long it takes for them to get the
hell out of my way. The time one
decided to photograph me kissing my boyfriend was particularly weird. Next time you go for
a PDA, imagine it in a stranger’s
holiday album halfway across the
world. Creepy, isn’t it?
The irritation must be greatest, though, for those of us who
live at King’s. Only the Queen
and Barack Obama have their
home photographed as much.
And spare a thought for all the
ginger girls who have spent the
last three years being pestered for
autographs. As Lily Cole.
Other baffling tourist habits
include wearing ‘I love London’
hoodies in Cambridge - although
perhaps we shouldn’t confuse
them by selling them here in the
first place. Almost as odd is the
buying of a University hoodie. last
Christmas vacation, I met a girl
wearing one in royal purple. ‘Oh
cool, are you at King’s?,’ I asked
her. She replied ‘no, UEA’, looked
at me as if I were braindead, and
walked off. Some people...
Think of the locals. When
we’ve finished treating the place
like our own personal themepark in May Week, along comes
another bunch of people to do
exactly the same....
Zoah Hedges-Stocks
The
Pasta
CambridgeStudent
By Suzanne Burlton
Spaghetti, radiatore, penne, fusilli...
~PASTA VERDE~
Pesto with steamed green
vegetables - try broccoli or
asaparagus
pomme. It may deprive the
plate of colour, but it makes
By James Sharpe
the fish the star. (It’s also
cheaper – an important concompanions and you are never cern for students without expense acblinded by sparkling jewellery. I just counts – at £13; prices are £10-17.) If
wish other proprietors took the same you fancy something spicier, try one
care.
of the chicken dishes; there’s Cajun
But better than all this is the food. and Moroccan. Chicken is hard done
(Gosh, I had no idea I’d be gushing by. It can make such a wonderful dish
like this. I can assure you absolutely as long as it’s loved. Chickens at La
that I wasn’t bribed. I’ve always exited Galleria are loved.
Puddings range from £4-6. I particularly recommend the chocolate
box with a cream caramel centre.
Not only is its rich gooiness a delight,
it’s also the best looking dish on the
menu. There’s also the pink grapefruit and grape iced yoghurt parfait
for those not blessed with a sweet
tooth. (Its bitterness reflects the bitter
soul of the man without sweetness in
his heart.)
Finally, a word on wine: the Santa
cannelloni can, however, be easily
bought in shops and restaurants. If
you are feeling extravagant, I particu-
La Galleria
» Review
Food
★★★★☆
Service
★★★☆☆
Atmosphere ★★★☆☆
26|
Image: Suzanne Burlton
Am I mad? Actually, don’t answer
that. There must be something wrong
with me. Why else would I agree to
review for a newspaper without an
expense account!? You offer your
services on a platter, your God-given
abilities with a pen/computer keyboard in exchange for some lunch
and a spot of supper – it’s about time
God paid his way – and then you find
yourself picking up the tab yourself.
It’s totally un-Christian. I blame selfserving politicians. Their greed has
robbed us journalists of our expense
accounts. It’s just another example
of their contempt for the common
white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant male
and I won’t stand for it anymore.
Or at least I wouldn’t stand for it if
La Galleria wasn’t such a fine restaurant. (Deciding to write this review
before anyone agreed to publish it
also fundamentally weakened my
case.)
You know you’re in good hands as
soon as you enter. Someone is always
ready to greet you within the first
few seconds of entering. No standing
awkwardly next to a couple speaking
sweet nothings to each other in La
Galleria. One thing that I particularly
like is the fact that a couple more tables could easily be squeezed in, but
the powers that be have had the good
sense to privilege space between parties to avoid the potential for eavesdropping and clashing chairs. The attention that has also been paid to the
lighting also means that you never
have to strain to see your
Sauces and Accompaniments
larly recommend the Waitrose roasted vegetable ravioli. If not, the Sainsbury’s garlic and herb one is divine.
My favourite way of eating pasta is
to make sure there are almost more
accompanying sauces and foodstuffs
than pasta. I don’t like to get to the
bottom of my bowl to find that I have
run out of sauce and am eating plain
pasta. It seems so austere. Be generous, then, because you do need to
make it a balanced meal and a tablespoon of sauce just won’t cut it. Furthermore, don’t trap yourself into just
bunging on some Sainsbury’s basics
tomato sauce. Add steamed vegetables or olives or slices of pancetta. It’s
OK to have non-sauce items. In fact,
it makes the pasta even better as it is
so much more interesting texturally.
Lastly, if you need a spoon to eat
it, you disgust me. The spoon is performing the same function as the
plate does for the rest of us. Grow up.
are roughly the same size.
Filled pasta is even more exciting
but so difficult to do oneself that I
must confess that every attempt of
mine has been a disaster. Ravioli and
Image: Nevertime
If I had to eat one meal for the rest of
my life, it would be based on pasta.
Pasta is easy and delicious and so versatile that you could probably have a
different pasta dish every day of the
year. It goes perfectly with stews,
sauces, meat, vegetables... In fact, I’ve
even found a recipe for blueberry
ravioli!
First, please cook it al dente like
the Italians do. Soggy pasta is just
wrong.
Because I have the intellect of a
small child, I also love the different shapes it comes in. When I was
little, I used to have Thomas the Tank
Engine pasta, but now I have graduated to classifying the fine differences
between linguine and spaghetti. The
shapes are important – not because
of taste, but because of texture. Something smooth and creamy goes best
with a long pasta, whereas chunks of
vegetables sit well with penne as they
La Galleria slightly tipsy with a moronic smile on my face, but that just
shows you how conducive the place
is to enjoyment.)
The best starter is certainly the
smoked chicken, wild mushroom and
Brie tartlet. It’s a great combination
of flavours and an inoffensive way
to start your meal, and the creaminess of the tartlet is complimented
with the kick of the paprika salad. If
you’re more adventurous, the Bantry
bay mussels in a Thai green curry is
“
You know you’re in
good hands as soon as you
enter
”
worth a shot; and for the less adventurous, the smoked salmon mousse.
Prices range from £5-6.
When it comes to the second
course, please navigate away from the
steak. I know it’s a classic, but it would
be a crime not to give the lemon sole
a chance. It’s worth it just to taste the
leek, spinach and dill velouté. It is also
perfectly right to serve pureed chive
~DECONSTRUCTED
LASAGNA~
Two cooked lasagna sheets
with vegetables in the mid~ SIMPLE SPAGHETTI
dle and tomato and beCARBONARA ~
chamel sauces on the side
Bits of pancetta or bacon - easy to cook and quite a
with a dash of cream to
conceptual party piece.
moisten.
~ DELI PASTA ~
Sundried tomato paste,
olives, mozarella and artichoke hearts.
~ BOLOGNESE~
The standard. Spice it up
with chorizo, minced pork
or diced carrots.
~HERB TOMATO SAUCE~
Tinned tomatoes with thyme and oregano, or
cumin seeds, or even just a lot of fresh basil.
Puerta Cabernet Sauvignon (Maule
Valley, £16.95) is good; the Emblème
d’Argent Chardonnay (De Pays D’Oc,
£13.50) is drinkable. (It’s also the
cheapest bottle, so it’s win-win.)
Next week:
Risotto, a very useful dish
but sometimes hard to get
right, and Jamie’s Italian.
The
CambridgeStudent
Editors’ pick
MUSIC
THEATRE
THE BINEWSKI MURDER:
A six piece band with an interestComedy about the Israeli-Pales- ing mix of raucous gypsy folk/
tinian conflict and a drama about rock. Free Entry, Lucy Cavendish
College, 20:00.
war journalism. £10, Anglia
Ruskin Drama Studio, 19:30.
THE STYLISTICS:
With instantly recognisable hits
The Stylistics are one of the most
iconic groups in soul history.
£27.50, Corn Exchange, 19:30.
The cream of the crop in standup Comedy. £10, Golden Hind,
19:00. All of the proceeds go to
Cancer Research.
LOW:
Slowcore indie band reminiscent
of Joy Division in their utter soulfulness. £15, The Junction, 19:00.
The Chronic-Ills Of Narnia: Take
a fantasmic trip to GP land where
patients are cured by the power
of loveliness. £10, Mumford
Theatre, 19:30.
Scottish 3-piece inspired by the
psychedelic sixties. Think Crosby,
Stills Nash & Young, the Mamas
& Papas, the soundtrack to Easy
Rider. £5, Portland Arms, 19:30.
ADDENBROOKE’S PANTO: HAIGHT-ASHBURY:
Special Instructions:
Come to 2127 26 9 2011: The 4!
ACROSS
7. Mate after lady becomes lover.
(10)
9. Cry noisily about testicle? (4)
10. For example, spots return after
having heavy food. (6)
11. It is said, you receive an
Ordinary in the slum. (6)
13. A person who gives away their
organs to make what sounds like a
great kebab. (5)
14. After Jesus, dicks abandoned
the king in favour of starting
totalitarianism and becoming
fanatics. (7)
17. Hunger for emissary after she
gets rid of her ring. (4)
18. Spirit loses it at first, achieving
extreme level of anger! (5)
KLAXONS:
Neo-rave meets indie-rock, who
merge guitars with synthesized
sound to create their unique
acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk sound.
£16, The Junction, 19:00.
Unlikely friendship between an
almost illiterate man and an elderly woman. Arts Picturehouse,
13:00 - 16:00 - 20:00.
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED
WITH FIRE:
Based on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling novels about a hacker called
Lisbeth. New Court Theatre,
Christ’s College, 19:30 - 22:00.
WE ARE WHAT WE ARE:
Spanish horror about an improvished family with cannibalistic
tendencies. Arts Picturehouse,
13:00 - 17:00 - 21:15.
INTO ETERNITY:
Documentary following
the journey of high-level radioactive waste into the wrorld’s first
permanent repository in Finland.
Arts Picturehouse, 19:00.
PAJU:
Korean film telling the
story of a man who flees to a
small developing town after a
tragic accident. Arts Picturehouse, 18:30.
19. Mad slut has extreme sexual
yearning. (4)
20. Mawkishness Schmawkishness
– Schulz’s external perspective? (7)
22. Appropriate for American to
belch without top on? (5)
25. Shock tore anus - moan
regularly! (6)
26. Skip three months of the year?
(6)
28. Cadabra starts to really care
about fancy car. (4)
29. Plentifully supplied with
helpers who’re lovely, but lacking a
leader. (10)
DOWN
1. The end of French film is a bit
insubstantial, says Cockney. (3)
2. Award presented after huge
amount of overeating. (8)
3. Self-respect purged in gym
class. (5)
TAKE THAT: LOOK BACK,
DON’T STARE:
Documentary following a year
in the life of the reunited band
members. ITV1, 21:30.
GARROW’S LAW:
Gripping period drama about
18th-century law returns for a
second series. BBC1, 21:00.
ACCUSED:
First of six stand-alone dramas
about how different individuals came to be in the dock of a
courtroom. BBC1, 21:00.
THE FAMILY:
Fly-on the wall documentary
following the day-to-day lives of
a British-Nigerian family. Channel 4, 21:00.
WALLACE & GROMIT’S
WORLD OF INVENTION:
The famous duo take a look at
domestic novelties. BBC1, 19:30.
HIDDEN GLORY:
A one woman show that brings
to life Britain’s only female Nobel
prize winner in science, whose
centenary falls this year. £6,
Newnham College, 19:00.
STAMP STREET
Exhibition of imaginary landscapes composed entirely from
postage stamps, by illustrator
Jonny Spry. Free, The Shop, Jesus
Lane, 12.00-19.00.
PROMENADE CONCERTS :
Enjoy free music recitals in the
beautiful surroundings of the
museum’s galleries. Free, Fitzwilliam Museum, 13:15.
RICHARD TAYLOR
The former MP will be speaking
on being an honest man in the
cut-throat world of Westminster.
Thirkill Room, Clare College,
8.45pm. With wine and cheese.
STRAWBERRY FAIR
PUBLIC MEETING
Committee members will be
holding an open meeting at the
USSC. Mill Lane, 18:00. (cheap
bar!)
PICKWICK AND NICKLEBY:
One actor plays twenty characters to bring his best-loved works
to life. £6, ADC, 20:00.
Wednesday
THE GARDEN PARTY:
absurdist comedy that will have
you laughing, crying, pondering
and all other things besides. £6,
Corpus Playroom, 21:15.
MY AFTERNOONS WITH
MARGUERITTE:
THE WALKING DEAD:
Tuesday
Cambridge Operatic Society
present a brand new adaptation
of Gilbert and Sullivan’s immortal classic. £15, Cambridge Arts
Theatre, 19:45.
Hit new American drama following a group of survivors in the
aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. FX, 22:00.
SKYLINE:
Early Modern Europe’s Encounters with Islam, by Dr. Noel
Malcolm. Free, Mill Lane Lecture
Rooms, 17:00.
Monday
THE MIKADO:
One man, lots of 80s style Casio
keyboards and many intriguing
possibilities. £8, The Haymakers,
19:30.
Humanity is threatened by an
alien invasion as strange lights
descend on Los Angeles. Vue
Cambridge, 12:30 - 14:50 - 17:05
- 19:25 - 21:50.
TREVELYAN LECTURE
SERIES:
Sunday
CAMBRIDGE COMEDY
CASIOTONE FOR THE
PROJECT CHARITY SHOW: PAINFULLY ALONE:
MISFITS:
Second series of the BAFTAwinning comedy drama about a
group of young offenders with
supernatural powers. E4, 22:00.
Saturday
THE CARETAKER:
Harold Pinter’s first significant
commercial success: a study of
the unexpected strength of family ties against an intruder. £11,
Mumford Theatre, 19:30.
THE LOSERS:
Comic-book adaptation about a
U.S. Special Forces unit sent into
the Bolivian jungle on a searchand-destroy mission. Fisher
Building, St. John’s College, 21:00.
FUN STUFF
Friday
PEACEMAKERS - DRAMA
DOUBLE BILL:
SON OF DAVE:
Benjamin Darvill makes a formidable racket dragging the blues
kicking and screaming into the
21st century. £10, The Junction,
19:00.
TV
Thusday
RENT:
CUMTS are pleased to present
Rent, the rock opera by Jonathan
Larson, as their 2010 Michaelmas
Musical! £12, ADC, 19:45.
FILM
4. 2, 23, 6, 19, 3, 17, and 18. (5,6,4)
5. Initially Easy Jet and British
Airways go up, with commercial
trains starting to become
worthless. (6)
6. Place heart cushion under
inactive beast. (5)
8. God turns up to do battle
through daring aerial combat. (35)
12. Teletubby is right now
endlessly producing filth. (5)
15. Swashbuckling speaker has
roots in North America? (5,3)
16. American A&Es have 14. (5)
19. Final call for Smith, perhaps?
(4,4)
21. Dispatch urchins inside house
of worship. (6)
23. Accepted without first bit of
selfishness. (5)
24. Stemmed from a pretty plant?
(5)
27. One will look unwell. (3)
Set by Cadabra
Last week’s answers:
Across: 7. Jane Austen 9. Earn 10. Outsider 11. Navajo 12. Decrepitude 15. Panache 16. Mr
Darcy 18. Sensibility 21. Stereo 22. Neoprene 23. Emma 24. Down-and-out
Down: 1. Gamut 2. Sense 3. Curdle the blood 4. Stir fry 5. Velvet cap 6. Prejudice 8. Nonoperational 13. Vasectomy 14. Caesarean 17. Old news 19. Pride 20. Annul
|27
The
28|Sport
CambridgeStudent
FIFA scandal highlights deeper problems
Michael Alhadeff
Football Comment
FIFA now tends to appear more a political
than a football organ
Even before the recent allegations
hit the press, some were critical of
the World Cup bidding. In the case
of the English, the cost of merely
providing a bid was £15 million. At
the same time, the bid suffered from
Image: Marcello Casal Jr
In the bubble that exists around
FIFA headquarters in Zurich, recent
allegations concerning bribery and
collusion in the World Cup bidding
process have caused a shock.
Nonetheless, they were part of
the combination of events that has
seen FIFA grow into an inflated political organisation while literally
taking its eye off the ball.
FIFA now often appears a political organ, with Sepp Blatter at the
helm, rather than a football one.
It should take this chance to seek
reorientation for the good of the
game.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has come in for some strong criticism
political infighting and saw several
changes to the board’s make-up.
The Russian attempt, meanwhile,
proposes to spend $10billion on
hosting the tournament due to the
need to dramatically update its infrastructure. Despite the money at
stake, England and Russia have effectively exchanged a war of words.
Other bids include individual
ones from Japan and South Korea
- which may perplex many as they
were host only recently. Possibly
the most refreshing proposal comes
from Qatar. Each bid is sophisticat-
ed and expensive.
Considering the current economic climate, this willingness to
promote the spending of huge sums
of money on a sporting event, albeit
the largest one there is, may seem a
little odd. Admittedly, hosts receive
an economic boost, but the process
now seems out of touch with current conditions.
Nonetheless, this could be said of
most sporting bids. So what is important is what the new allegations
reveal about the politics within
FIFA, and the extent to which they
have become diverted from the issue at hand - football.
Firstly, it has been claimed that
the Spanish/Portuguese and Qatar
bids colluded to trade votes, a process made possible by running consecutive tournament bids together.
Secondly, two men on the
24-strong Executive Committee
- the body that decides successful
bids - have been suspended after
allegations they accepted money
for votes. It is interesting that both
men claim the money they were to
receive would have been channelled
back into sport development.
Whether or not this is the case
is unknown but it does reveal the
problem at the heart of FIFA: it has
allowed itself to become too consumed by its own politics rather
than focusing on issues affecting
the game.
Unsurprisingly, Sepp Blatter
hailed this year’s World Cup as
a great success. It is undeniable
that taking it to Africa was a great
achievement. However, the tournament also revealed current problems with football.
Few English fans will forget Lampard’s ‘goal’ – and no one will forget
the dire final. It is clear that changes need to be made if the game
is to continue to thrive. Some of
this may involve the introduction
of technology, but FIFA remains
characteristically slow on the discussion of implementation.
FIFA has become too
consumed by its own
politics
The solutions aren’t just hightech; directives may need to be issued concerning refereeing and
FIFA could also look into how to
create a more free-flowing game.
Instead, though, FIFA’s primary
focus currently seems to be on the
body itself and how it can extend its
influence across the world. Hopefully, the recent issues surrounding
the bidding process will encourage
FIFA to change.
It should simplify and streamline the bidding process so that it
doesn’t dominate headlines. This
would free officials to discuss what
really matters: the beautiful game.
Born and bred? The problem of nationality
Michael Alhadeff
Sport Comment
Image: nedrichards
Has the dynamic for
supporters completely
changed?
sial, particularly when he toured
South Africa, but it can be said
that he has a right to represent his
mother’s country, a passion which
surely drives him.
However, if one takes ancestry
out of the equation, has the dynamic for supporters completely
changed? In recent years, England’s
rugby union selection has highlighted this question.
This year’s autumn international
series has already pitted a New Zealander against the All Blacks. Not
only did centre Shontayne Hape
play in an England shirt last Saturday but he has also featured for
New Zealand in the rugby league.
He has also followed in the footsteps of compatriots Rikki Flutey
and Lesley Vainikolo. All three
were able to earn the England shirt
by having lived in the United Kingdom for a certain number of years.
It could be argued that for a player, shirt colour is irrelevant. Sportsmen and women compete at 100%.
They give their all when they enter
the field of battle, as no matter who
dd Balls
Balls of Steel ...
Linconshire plumber Colin Furze
made his first forray into the world
of sport earlier this month. The man
who brought us the motorbike with
a flamethrower tacked on the end
has now achieved a Guiness World
Record after reaching 69mph on
- wait for it - a mobility scooter.
Unfortunately his contraption is
not road legal, but give it a few
years and I’m sure we’ll be seeing his inventions tearing up the
streets of Britain. He says that his
next challenge will be “to conquer
the water’.” I think I speak for everyone when I say that I cannot
wait to see what he comes up with.
ing.
In this field, international football has remained surprisingly
rigid with regard to players switching countries. For example, Mikel
Arteta was prevented from playing
for England because of his involvement in the U16’s Spanish setup.
Nevertheless, football might be
about to throw up the most intriguing case yet with Enzo Zidane, son
of the illustrious Zinedine Zidane,
eligible to play for both Spain and
France. The case serves to highlight
the complexity of allegiances and
sporting bonds.
Athletics is another sport where
nationality switching is prevalent,
notably East Africans switching
to the lucrative Gulf States as did
Stephen Cherono.
Although more of an individual
sport, questions may still exist
about supporter connection especially if athletes have competed for
two countries.
All this serves to highlight the
fact that nationality is an important, though ambiguous, concept,
and one that in the sporting world
is becoming increasingly challenged.
A whole new ball of game ...
I dare anyone on the Cambridge
University Polo Team to take up
the Afhgan sport of Buzkashi.
The sports are fairly similar, except that in Afghanistan you use
a dismembered goat or calf filled
with sand. The object of the game
is to carry the carcass of the animal into the other team’s goal.
A load of balls ...
“I felt a lump in my mouth as the
ball went in” - Terry Venables
forgets that post match reports
aren’t necessary in the bedroom.
There are two teams of up to 80
men on horseback and each rider
carries a whip in his teeth to hit his
opponents in the face with when
they try to take the goat off him.
The Taliban outlawed this practice
- so maybe once the coalition sorts
them out, Jack Wills and Abercrombie & Fitch can move in and
sponsor a Varsity Match over there.
“Rugby is a good occassion for
keeping thirty bullies as far away
a possible from the centre of the
city” - Oscar Wilde, before he
saw the Hawks queue jump the
line at Cindies on a Wednesay.
“Achievements
on the golf
course are not
what matters,
decency
and
honesty
are
what matter” Tiger Woods;
‘nuff said.
Image: www.freewallpaper4.me
In the globalised multi-million
pound world of the Premiership we
have become accustomed to teams
consisting of many different nationalities.
These days the top teams contain no more than a sprinkling of
home-grown talent, yet supporters
still identify with a particular club.
This may seem justifiable as supporting a club could be seen as part
of an exclusive agreement by the
supporter.
The picture changes when considering national teams or events
where the relationship with supporters is more inclusive.
In other words, club sport is
always going to have
territorial division
but national sport
allows the whole
country to unite.
However, it is arguable that these
lines have become
more
blurred
in recent years.
First and foremost, most people’s
ancestry
tends to be mixed
with most having
links to a number
of different lands.
This is evident in the
cricket Eng-
land team where Trott and Pietersen, despite being South
African, are eligible to play for
England through English ancestry.
Pietersen’s switch was controver-
they are fighting for, they do not
want to lose.
For supporters it may be different
when it comes to the international
level. A national team stepping
onto the playing field is one of its
few chances to unite the nation.
The players are seen to represent
us, so if there is a player in the starting line-up that has previously represented another country, does it
diminish the sense of a full-blooded battle between two nations?
This is not an attack on individual players but a sense that national
sports have to retain their mean-
The
CambridgeStudent
Sport|29
RUGBY: AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS
Alex Cocks
Rugby Comment
Elements of the
England performance
need addressing
Looking ahead to the Australia
game, there are certainly elements of
the England performance that need
addressing.
In the first half against New Zealand in particular, England defended too narrowly and too many times
the ball was allowed to be passed out
wide, into the grateful hands of the
All Blacks’ deadly outside runners.
England’s line out also misfired on
a number of occasions, disappointing considering that they were expected to dominate in this area.
However, both of these areas
were improved during course of the
game, and a performance full of passion and verve gives England a great
platform to build on for the rest of
the series.
The other game I was able to catch
this weekend was the rather more
attritional clash between Ireland and
South Africa. The game finished 2321 to the Boks, with both sides putting in listless, error-strewn performances.
The dominance of the South African forwards starved Ireland of
possession, a problem made worse
by a series of Irish handling errors
and poor decisions, meaning that an
injury-hit and inexperienced South
African side faced little real pressure.
The exception to this was an electric ten-minute spell as the game
drew to a close, when Ireland scored
twice in quick succession.
The first came from a pinpoint
chip from substitute fly half Ronan
O’Gara, finished off by a grateful
Tommy Bowe, and then Ireland
were rewarded for their ambition in
taking two quick taps off penalties,
with Rob Kearney crossing in the
corner.
Unfortunately for Ireland O’Gara
was unable to draw the scores level,
with his conversion coming off the
post, and South Africa were able to
run down the clock to secure a narrow victory.
In the weekend’s third game, Australia beat Wales 25-16 ahead of
their clash with England this coming weekend.
Ireland face Samoa, while Scotland kick off their autumn campaign
against New Zealand, and Wales
take on South Africa.
So we can look forward to another
weekend of great matches, and hope
that the Northern Hemisphere can
build on their strong performances
to start levelling the scores.
Image: Patrick Khachfe
So after the first weekend of November rugby, the score stands at
Southern Hemisphere: 3, Northern
Hemisphere: 0.
Yet behind these disheartening figures, there lies much for the
Home Nations to be positive about,
as both individuals and teams put in
promising performances hinting at
better things to come.
Nowhere was this clearer than in
England’s 26-16 loss to New Zealand. The All Blacks’ victory was
well-deserved, and despite an immense effort by England the result
was a fair one.
But Martin Johnson’s players can
be proud that they were able push
the number one team in the world
all the way.
Ultimately, the difference between
the two teams was New Zealand’s
ability to take their chances. England probably created more potential scoring situations, yet proved
unable to get the right players into
the right positions to take advantage
of them.
On one occasion, a good scoring situation was sadly lost when
the ball should have gone wide but
instead found its way to prop Andrew Sheridan, and the overlap was
butchered.
In the first half, New Zealand’s
Hosea Gear was able to take advantage of inches of space to squeak
over for a try, while later in the
match, England rushed the ball wide
to Shontayne Hape, who was unable
to touch it down in exactly the same
corner where Gear had scored. By
such small margins are games won
and lost.
Yet despite New Zealand’s greater
scoring ability, it’s just great to be
able to write about an England side
actually creating opportunities.
The try scored by that low-flying
missile of flab, Dylan Hartley, was
superbly taken by the replacement
hooker and came off the back of impressive speed of mind and foot by
his teammates.
At the heart of England’s performance was a fine effort from the
forwards, in particular the front row
that demolished the All Blacks in the
scrum.
This provided a valuable platform
for the second half resurgence, and
with Australia looking vulnerable in
the scrum against Wales, England’s
pack need to build on this dominant
performance in order to starve the
mercurial Wallaby backs of the ball.
England manager Martin Johnson weighing up his team’s prospects
Light Blues retain Freshers’ Varsity athletics crown
Declan Murray
Athletics Reporter
The men’s and women’s
teams had two trophies
to defend
And donning the light blue vest
for the first time, it was Rhys Hodnett and Helen Broadbridge who
kicked off the day’s proceedings
with convincing victories in the
men’s and women’s Hammer events
Matt Clark into the ground.
Despite an unfortunate disqualification in the 100m flat, Helena
Wace was able to pick herself up
and win the 100m hurdles race by
a convincing margin.
It was a performance that served
to confirm her status as one of the
brightest new talents in Cambridge
athletics after her chance discovery
in Cuppers last month.
The men’s side were thankful to
have landed a Hungarian junior
international in the shape of David
Szabo, whose experience shone
through taking victories in the Javelin, Long Jump and Triple Jump.
Szabo’s technical prowess was
matched by decathlete Matthew
Houlden who scored valuable
points in the 110m Hurdles, 100m
and Triple Jump.
By the final events of the day – the
relays - both titles were secured and
the Cambridge quartets could enter the 4x100m and 4x400m events
with smiles on their faces and the
joy of their first victory over the
Other Place to spur them on.
And that they did, taking victories
in them all with notable legs from
Wace in the ladies 4x100m and a
Image: Kate Laidlow
Every fresher has lectures, most end
up in Cindies and some of them
catch the dreaded flu. Yet very few
have the chance, just five weeks into
their first term, to represent the
University in a Varsity Match.
It was an honour, then, for the
30 athletes who travelled to Oxford
last weekend for the 66th annual
Athletics Freshers’ Varsity Match.
The men’s and women’s teams had
two trophies to defend and a clean
sweep of victories in 2010 to protect. Cambridge were led by men’s
captain Mark Dyble and women’s
captain Emma Perkins.
,to take the Cambridge University
Athletics Club (CUAC) into an early lead in both matches.
Broadbridge’s throw of 43.60m
was also a match record, and resulted in her being awarded the Freshmen’s medal for best performance
of the day from either university.
These morale-boosting openers were followed up by notable
performances in the 400m Hurdles from James Griffith, taking
first place in a personal best time
of 59.9s, and Nyma Sharifi, to take
CUAC’s first clean sweep of the
day.
But with the two sides sharing the
lead in both matches it was clear the
day was going to be a lot closer than
last year’s Light Blue exhibition.
Cambridge did not have it all
their way, then, with Oxford dominating in the middle and long distance events. Noeila’s 2:29.4s win
in the women’s 800m was outshone
by Ella Waldman’s efforts in the
3000m for the Dark Blues.
Meanwhile, the home side’s Fraser Scott looked truly magnificent
in both the 1500m and 3km race
in the men’s match, running threetime Blues cross-country runner
Tim Campion-Smith.
So it’s one Varsity, one victory for
the University Athletics Club so far
this year. The final overall results
were 101-89 to Cambridge in the
men’s competition, and 100-88 in
the women’s.
Although a closer affair than last
year, the inclusion of the victorious new intake in the well-retained
Blues squads of last year means the
athletes look set for another suc-
cessful season.
Perhaps most remarkable of the
weekend’s competition were the
comments of both recent and older
alumni from both universities at
the impressive noise, support and
encouragement generated by the
visiting side.
It is this team spirit and mature
attitude as much as the fresh talent
that won CUAC its first fixture of
the new academic year.
The
30|University Sport
CambridgeStudent
TABLE TENNIS
Cambridge women play tight games at BUCS
Trying a new sport
each week - so you
don’t have to...
Ed Bentsi-Enchill
Deputy Sport Editor
all 3-2 win.
The game against Oxford was exceptional in all of the matches, with
numerous unfortunate 9-11 losses,
ending with an overall score of 1-4 to
Oxford. On the whole, it was a promising start to the season with all three
players winning at least one match
each and a final team performance of
1 win and 2 losses.
Novice W1
Novice Individuals
1. Jesus
Jesus – Ivan Zovich (M)
2. Johns
Christ’s – Elodie Broad (W)
3. Homerton
Senior Invitation
1. Queens’
2. Caius
3. Clare
Jesus did particularly well at Queens’ Ergs on Tuesday, claiming four top three spots across the categories: Novice M1, M2, W1, W2, Novice Individuals and Senior Invitation. The latter was a new
introduction to the erg time-trial competition held every year at Queens’; colleges were invited to
enter mixed teams drawn from their senior squads, to complete an 8x500m relay like the novices.
Wildcats tamed Tale of two teams
Sam Spurrell
Lacrosse Reporter
Cambridge
19
Reading
Wildcat 2nds
2
Blues captain Duncan Barrigan in action
Image: Greg Caterer
The Blues Lacrosse team travelled
two hours to Reading and came away
with the most emphatic win of the
season so far. As the scoreline suggests, it was an entirely one-sided affair, with Cambridge outplaying their
opponents in every position.
The Light Blues moved the ball
confidently in attack and the first
goal, scored within the first two minutes, hinted at the type of game that
was to follow. The first half saw some
great team goals, created through offball movement and accurate feeds.
In particular Josh Findlay had a brilliant game, his solid stick skills shown
off throughout. The vast majority of
goals were assisted; even goalie Sam
Spurrell found himself in the attacking half to notch up two assists by the
end. However, Cambridge were not
afraid to take on their defenders, Carl
Tilbury and Duncan Barrigan especially dodging explosively to beat
their men and finish well.
On the few occasions when Reading managed to pressure the Cambridge goal, a turnover soon resulted
as the Light Blue defence were more
than able to cope with the attack.
Cambridge finished the first half 10-0
up, and looked hungry for more.
The third quarter saw Cambridge
take their foot off the gas, and some
newcomers were rotated in t o
get some match experience. As a
result, Reading were able to get two
quick goals; a number of avoidable fouls gave Reading a man up
advantage and they punished the
Blues for their complacency. In the
final quarter Cambridge got their
heads back in gear to finish strong.
Captain Duncan Barrigan finished
top scorer with an 11 goals and 2
assists, though to focus on any one
player does not reflect the top quality
team play at the heart of Light Blue
success.
Image: Benjamin Baker
*Alex Addisson-Scott
Novice M1
1. Churchill
2. Jesus
3. Queens’
Image: thetorpedodog
The dictionary has three definitions of ‘amateur’. The first is ‘a
devotee or admirer’, the second
is ‘one who engages in a pursuit,
study, science, or sport as a pastime
rather than as a profession’, and the
third is ‘one lacking in experience
and competence in an art or science’. When it comes to Lacrosse, I
am amateur in all of these senses.
I’ve always admired the sport
because, as a dedicated feminist, I
love any sport where women can
embarrass men. In the second
sense, it’s now in my top ten pastimes. And in an odd mix of definitions one and three, I don’t think
anyone with my experience and
competence (i.e. zero) has ever admired themselves so much.
This week’s attempt at ‘lax’ was
the biggest baptism of fire yet,
mainly because I was forced to play
in a match by my college captain, a
self-proclaimed ‘Caledonian Princess’ who will remain nameless*.
It would have been fine if I’d ever
played Lacrosse before, or if someone had told me the rules.
I learned a little bit from the prematch drills. I was shown how to
catch a ball. I found out that there
are no keepers but it’s still really
hard to score goals. But the biggest
surprise was that in mixed lacrosse
all the rules of gentlemanly decorum go out of the window when a
girl with a stick is trying to hit you
in the face with said stick.
It would have been good to
know that college lacrosse is noncontact before putting my body on
the line. But I soon made up for
my early errors. After passes crisscrossing Jesus Green, I got on the
end of a through pass that split the
opposition defence.
As the ball sped towards me I
remembered the immortal words
uttered by myself before many a
swap – ‘Always go for flair’. I caught
the ball as I began my ascent. At
the apex of this gargantuan leap, I
drew my stick back and lashed the
ball into the top corner like (insert
famous Lacrosse player).
I can’t be sure, but I don’t think
my life will get better than that. I
can die happy knowing I’ve played
lax with more flair than a Catherine wheel and more stealth than
a ninja.
Three players from the Cambridge
University Table Tennis Club (CUTTC) Women’s team, N. Nguyen, V.
Ho and G. Chen, enjoyed a challenging weekend at the BUCS league
tournament on Saturday 6 November
in Nottingham.
Despite Nottingham Trent Univer-
sity’s superior experience (England
5th and 18th ranked players), Nguyen and Ho put up a tough fight in the
doubles, losing 16-18 in the third set.
One of the highlights of the weekend resulted from a combined team
effort when Ho and Chen, with
coaching from Nguyen, secured a
win in the fifth set of the psychologically challenging double against
Loughborough, resulting in an over-
Image: Nga B Q Nguyen
Gengshi Chen
Table Tennis Reporter
From left to right:
Kirill Zavodov, Rob Legg, Nick Jenkins, Cam Johnston
Nick Jenkins
Tennis Reporter
The Men’s 1st tennis team were haplessly beaten by Loughborough Men’s
1sts and are yet to get any points
on the board in a very tough BUCS
Premier North Division. Kirill Zavodov and Nick Jenkins played their
best doubles of the year, but some
atypically indecisive shots at the net
proved too costly.
Rob Legg did almost get the best of
his singles opponent in a true battle at
#4, but the hero of the day was Cameron Johnston. With a classic display
of the one-two punch (big first serve;
big first forehand) he toppled the
more highly rated Loughborough
#1 in three tight sets, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4. A
critical bottom of the table clash away
against Loughborough 2nds next
week awaits the team.
In a tale of opposite fortunes, the
Men’s 2nd team sit pretty, unbeaten
atop of the BUCS Midlands 2A table.
After a 12-0 demolition of Leicester
2nds last week, they snapped up an
8-4 victory against a strong University of East Anglia 2nds side, awash
with first team players.
Josh Phillips and Michael Sharp
wrapped up comfortable victories in
both singles and doubles playing at
#1 and #2, while Henry Delacave and
James Baudains dug deep in their
third doubles set to take the crucial
rubber.
The Men’s 2nds face Oxford away
next week, when another win would
set the team up for promotion and
lay the flag for Varsity in May.
THE 129TH
VARSITY MATCH
SPONSORED BY
WHAT SHADE OF
BLUE ARE YOU?
TWICKENHAM STADIUM,
9TH DECEMBER 2010, KICK OFF 2PM
TICKETS WWW.TICKETMASTER.CO.UK OR CALL 0844 847 2492
PRICES: ADULTS FROM £20.00. JUNIORS FROM £10.00. (BOOKING FEES APPLY)
The
AUTUMN
INTERNATIONALS
CambridgeStudent
Cambridge
All the round one clashes
MEN’S
LACROSSE
Victory away in Reading
Thursday, 11th November 2010
Brilliant Blues batter Bedford
Classy performance brings football Blues victory against defending league champions
Michael Alhadeff
Football Reporter
Cambridge
3
University
of Bedford
0
In only the second game of the season, the Blues faced their toughest
test yet, coming up against last year’s
league champions.
Nevertheless, an accomplished display meant the Blues ran out comfortable winners against the University of
Bedford. This delighted the team as it
suggested that they can mount a serious challenge in the league.
The win means they
can mount a serious
challenge in the league
Image: Caroline Raths
The conditions at Fenner’s this
week provided the perfect contrast
for the Blues this year. The bright
sunshine highlighted the sense of
flair the Blues have in their team,
particularly up front, while the cold
realities of winter were indicative of
their steel in defence.
Perhaps no players embodied this
more than two of the most experienced players on the pitch, Baxter and
Rutt. Both gave great performances,
in attack and defence, proving their
value to the Blues team.
Nonetheless, this was an all-team
performance, with the new players
again showing that they are bedding
themselves in. This was evident early
in the first half as the Blues got on the
score sheet first.
A series of neat flick-ons from a
long ball enabled Rutt to produce a
good finish from the edge of the penalty box.
As Bedford were defending champions, it was key that the Blues got
them on the back foot, and this was
the perfect way to do it. It clearly
stopped the visitors gaining control
and this was reflected in their disjointed play.
However, this was also a result of
the Blues’ playing style. They clearly
looked comfortable in their 4-4-2
formation, with an emphasis on trying to play the game on the floor.
Nevertheless, in the final third they
had a tendency to shift it out wide for
the ball to be crossed in.
One cannot criticise the quality of
the crosses, some of which were absolutely delicious, but they do seem
to limit one of their other assets. In
Sherriff, they have an ideal target
man who is either able to hold the
ball up or bring it under control and
drive forward.
Consequently, a greater emphasis
on playing up the middle may be
more fruitful for the Blues, especially
if they sometimes fail to get enough
men in the box.
A greater emphasis on
playing up the middle
may be more fruitful
Nevertheless, the home side’s perseverance paid off, with one particular cross targeted by a crowd of Blues
being headed in at the back post by
Baxter. It was hardly surprising that it
was Rutt who had supplied the cross.
Scoring so close to half-time
seemed perfect. However, this was
nearly undone when a mix-up at
the back allowed Bedford to stab it
towards the line, only for Peacock to
clear acrobatically off of it.
This was the one serious lapse in
what was by then a third consecutive
clean sheet, with Ferguson providing
two strong saves.
The Blues’ defence was still tested
at the beginning of the second half,
though, as Bedford looked to show
more attacking threat. They were
able to gain more possession in the
Blues’ half and their runners caused
more trouble for the back four. The
Blues did well to limit them to long
shots and a powerful header from a
corner.
In the face of this increased threat
the Blues displayed resolution, but
still showed their inclination for attack. This was proven by a third goal,
which was tucked away nicely by McCrickerd. A sweetly-timed volley by
the Bedford full-back which struck
the cross-bar provided entertainment, but by that time the game was
already over.
Speaking to The Cambridge Student
after the game, Captain Day was very
happy with the performance, adding
that “it was a more impressive score
line than two weeks ago”.
Certainly, if the Blues keep playing
the way they are, they can look forward to an equally impressive campaign.
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:
FIFA:
COMMENT:
FRESHERS’ VARSITY:
BLUES TENNIS:
AGE OF THE AMATEUR:
Why FIFA should focus on football
Page 28
Switching nationality - an increasing phenomenon
Page 28
Cambridge come out on top in
athletics against Oxford
Page 29
Hopes now lie on the Men’s 2nd
team
Page 30
What will our man make of
college lacrosse?
Page 30

Queens` fights for Freshers` Week

Transcription

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