bathimpact Issue 3 Volume 13 by bathimpact

Starbucks A-Level?

Hypocrisy in Libya

News page 5

International page 16

Zombie-nation with bite pages 8 & 9

bathimpact The University of Bath Students’ Union Newspaper

Monday 31st October 2011

www.bathimpact.com

Ross Turmel

Volume 13 Issue 3

In this week’s bathimpact Occupying Bath? The ‘Occupy’ movement is no doubt growing in strength and size. The Bristol chapter of this story is already well underway (as pictured) and the Bath effort started with various activities this past weekend. Organiser of the Bath movement Michel Loubet-Jambert tells bathimpact how he hopes the local occupation will move forth. See page 4 of News for more

Hope in Africa Scientists have been working towards a malaria vaccine for decades and, finally, a new breakthrough is raising hope in the most stricken continent. Dramatic reductions results have been seen in test cases and it is thought the vaccine may be on the market in just a few years. Turn to page 19 of Science

The Class Ceiling A global movement localised. Will this scene from Bristol spread, as the ‘occupy’ movement starts up in our own city?

Cash for honours answers Clodagh McGuire bathimpact Contributor arlier this month the BBC uncovered a student visa scam at the University of Wales (UoW) in which overseas students were offered a chance to cheat their way to UoW-validated degrees and a UK visa. The scam was uncovered at colleges offering UoW-validated degrees. Overseas students were sold diploma exam answers so that they could gain entry onto UoW MBA degrees, allowing them to apply for UK visas. One central figure in the scandal has been Irvin Harris, the now former registrar at Rayat College London, which offers UoW courses in business, also ran Pro-

fessional Qualifications Management, an exam board that offers diplomas getting students two thirds of the way toward an MBA. Those who complete the diploma are exempted from the majority of the work as they have already covered it; or at least they should have. The diploma should take 18 months but for a price it could be done in a week. Harris was recorded saying “we give them all the questions and answers”. One lecturer was also filmed by the BBC giving students advice on how to cheat in their exams and evade the UK Border Agency, who have raided premises in response to the scandal. Rayat London College will no longer be allowed to

recruit overseas students. This is not the first time UoW has been involved in a scandal, however. It has previously been found to not carry out proper checks into its foreign affiliated colleges and last year it emerged that UoW had links to a Malayasian pop star (director at a partner college) with bogus degrees and a Bangkok college that was operating and handing out degrees illegally. Cardiff and Aberystwyth are two of several universities that have withdrawn from UoW-validated degrees in recent years and now issue their own. They were also among five Welsh universities who called for UoW to be abolished following this latest

scandal. UoW was the awarding body for 5 universities in Wales (UWIC, Trinity St. David, Glyndwr University, Swansea Metropolitan and Newport) and validated degrees for institutions in 30 countries; over 70,000 students were on UoW courses worldwide. UoW was the second largest university in the UK but following this latest scandal the UoW brand is to be scrapped. Trinity St. David and Swansea Metropolitan will be merging to become the new University of Wales. Trinity St. David will now be responsible for validating degrees at UoW’s remaining partner colleges to avoid similar instances occurring in the future.

After smashing the glass ceiling, Polly Toynbee has taken up a new cause. It is argued by many that as inequality still runs rife in Britain, whilst the acknowledgement of class cleavages has dramatically dropped. Waves of protests, riots and occupancies show something isn’t right: does the UK still has strong bipolarity of class? Read page 9 of Comment for more

Film horrors... bite gets down and dark this issue with an investigation as to why supposed ‘horror’ films just aren’t horrific anymore! Has the industry exhausted all the elements that create scare-ability or does technical wizardry take priority over the good plot line that is guaranteed to provide the desired repugnant response? Read more in bite’s Halloween special

Monday 31st October 2011

Editorials

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The University of Bath Students’ Union Newspaper

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Holly Narey bite Editor

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Magali Calabressi Treasurer

impact-money@bath.ac.uk

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Nick Hill Secretary

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bathimpact Students’ Union University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY 01225 38 6151 The opinions expressed in bathimpact are not necessarily those of the bathimpact editors nor of the University of Bath Students’ Union. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct and accurate at the time of going to print, the publisher cannot accept any liability for information which is later altered or incorrect. bathimpact as a publication adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Conduct. Please contact them for any information.

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The Article 4 Direction is moving

onsultation on the Article 4 Direction which would change the way students live in Bath continues. The discussions cover whether the use of planning laws to restrict the conversion of homes into ‘Houses in Multiple Occupation’ (HMOs) would Students make up a large portion of the Bath population and this direction would seriously affect the living situation of the majority of them. Conversions will have to be approved and it is likely that a number of these applications would be refused after a certain percentage has been reached. This would make it much harder for

the city, live in smaller groups and perhaps force the University to build more accommodation on campus leading to halls like living for second years and maybe even third or fourth years in time. This may be an appeala daunting prospect for many. This direction is bad news for students, and subsequently bad news for the city. Students when in the city centre fuel businesses with their purchasing power, part time working prerogative, and pub culture. The city centre without students would be a much less vibrant place, and businesses would no doubt be suffering more in the current economic climate in their absence

as the university would be pushed (with a higher capacity on campus) to build more amenities. Part of the appeal of moving to university is the opportunity to plunge yourself into the real world of rent and bills, learning how to deal with the banalities of living away from home in preparation for later life. This is all a ‘what-if’, but it is all possible. It is important to experience this side of adulthood with your peers, to experience and learn together step by step rather than jumping into the deep end alone. University halls are a good start, but then moving into privately rented accommodation is an important next step that we all need to take.

We have time to act against this. There will be a series of stakeholder workshops, consultations and meetings held by BANES which gives the students a chance to make their voice heard in the run up to the decision being made on January 12th. As it is parliament week this week there is no better time to get involved. One of the reasons this is being discussed is an increased concern over noise pollution and littering in well known student artion to attending meetings, to protect their own interests, students should show more respect for the neighbourhoods in which they live… So keep it down and pick it up.

Occupancy movement ‘gLOCALised’

here is a wave of ‘occupancies’ taking over the globe, a generation of people standing up to the priorities that govern the world. The capitalist agenda allows economic factors to trump morality and ethical practice leading to new levels of inequality and exploitation not only in the developing world but in westernised, supposedly ‘developed’ states too. This movement began as far as the global media and senior governmental tion of Wall Street on September 17th this year which took place in the aptly named Liberty Square. This stand against the ruling agenda in capitalism’s capital, and more precisely at the centre of the global stock market, encouraged a wave of copy-cat movements across 1500 cities worldwide. Movements have been started in Bath and Bristol, although still in their in-

fancy in comparison, every city that unites puts further pressure on those in power to re-access the situation. The Occupy Wall Street organisaemploying the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to restore democracy in America.’ About time too. American tionally identity than any of its western counterparts; this blind allegiance to research show the levels of inequality in America are among the worst in the world, with poor welfare provisions, a business approach to healthcare and a stronger consumerist identity than anywhere else in the world. The peostand. The levels of inequality and the spe-

sations in other countries are rising up against obviously vary. The theme however remains the same. In a globalised world, countries can no longer work to advance themselves; the wider picture must be taken into account. We need to exercise democratic practices globally, in approach to our own the world. Capitalism inherently promotes inequality, therefore facilitating the creation of a new class hierarchy, whereby the majority suffer for the for this movement; bankers, for the globe; popular western culture and the ethnocentric practices that drive it. As point seven of the London movement’s manifesto states: ‘The world’s resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, As previously stated, the global me-

only just started. When in fact initiatives such as The Zeitgeist Movement who promote the switch to a resource based economy and a new global mindset have been active and growing support for over 4 years. It is now that becoming visible to the masses and more importantly, to those whom the change would affect adversely. The bottom line is it would take three whole planets for everyone to live to the standards of the US. White, middle class, middle aged men are in fact not superior to the rest of the people on this planet, and it’s about time their thinking became as sharp as the suits they dress in and their actions as revolutionary as their entrepreneurial nature. Something needs to change, and that is the capitalist culture of egoism.

Can a death really signify freedom?

here is no doubt that the

has been a positive thing for the people of Libya. An oppressive rule of over 40 years coming to an end has been cause for celebration for countless people across the world. This strikes a similar chord to the death of Adolf Hitler - a celebration of the end of oppression - and can quickly and reasonably be condoned. What seems unfathomable human being. World media seems to agree with this; there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of articles showing disgust at the way he -

turbing.

death, LeMonde posted three unbearably graphic videos of the moments. There are two amateur videos of an apparent corpse on top of a truck, revellers crowding

feet, being dragged around and, allegedly, horribly abused. This seems an odd thing to publish when the world is celebrating the recent freedom of a country. The encouragement to relish in the blood and gore instead of the positive aspects is worrying, which message do we take in? We could be disgusted at the treatment or we could

be taken in by our latent voyeuristic habits. Admittedly, this is a wellused method of sale, as people are more likely to indulge themselves than not, but that doesn’t make it a good thing. manity that we would treat anyone like that; global media seemed to have agreed with this stance. The Guardian, however, published a picpage. Putting a dead body on the front of a national newspaper does not seem like acceptable practice; in our society we don t need visual proof that a person is dead. More importantly, we do not need such a picture juxtaposed with multiple articles about how awful it is that

people would do such a thing. The damning of the actions should be accompanied either by images of the deceased while they were alive or no ine an obituary accompanied by a photograph of the person’s funeral. of liberation for millions of people. The portrayal of the event, however, leaves much to be desired from our media outlets. There is no need for an embrace of violence and bloodlust in a society where we are constantly being told that we, the younger generation especially, are being subject to far too much of it. Newspapers cannot legitimately condemn actions when they also encourage us to revel in them.

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

News

www.bathimpact.com

University named as Secure Environment Christiana Langma bathimpact Contributor he University of Bath has be-

in case something happens and hold

from thieves – and if someone attacks

be re-accredited for the po-

award this October. 2008, aims to ‘help organisations any vehicles in a well lit area. Lock are as follows; a commitment to crestand the problem, and to develop,

ence in the police force is certainly well-versed when it comes to safety

deterrent – criminals have to make a special effort to come here. In a

we have cameras in the car park, 24/7 -

practices. In the past there have been the right thing, heading in the right di-

marker pens, and even fridge mag-

can see for themselves on the website,

staff interviewed by bathimpact stat-

access control to all residences. So we have pretty strong defences with regards to crime prevention.” -

spaces is also very important. We

important to them. for bathimpact -

break-ins, something which barely

Robbers target student homes Anthony Masters bathimpact Contributor

contrasting with nearby Bristol,

Bath, with many crimes taking place in the Oldfield Park and Twerton areas of the city.

the same time period. The latest

welcome mats or flowerpots.

per year. to lock their doors and windows

may still be inside. mends going somewhere safe,

been broken into so far, with the ple to take steps to protect their

999 from there.

items that can be easily removed and carried. The local police service are also

on show, make a note of the serial -

call the police force on their non-

A total of six properties have so far been broken into

windows open. According to the

police officer has arrived, they will

Scene Investigator arrives. More information on how to

this size. Bath was considered to

It is also recommended that ance for their possessions, not to

nity Safety”.

Sam Short

cember 2010

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

News

www.bathimpact.com

Bath rent crisis continues News Nuggets bathimpact Contributor, Alice Oakley invesHowdy there neighbour Aileas Pringle bathimpact Contributor

tigates further housing problems in our city

munity. The guide is to be sent to

Students this year will be able to benefit from the wisdom of oth-

Neighbour’ has been issued by the council’s Student Commuto support positive relations between students and the local community. It covers many issues from courtesy

regarding

problems

ways to play a part in the com-

from the Student Unions are also to be distributing them door-to-door to welcome students to the area and encourage them to introduce themselves to their neighbours. Will Sandry of the Partnership spoke of the need to steer clear of tensions that can arise between students and permaMackrill (VP Community and Diversity) hoped that students would pay special attention to the sections regarding getting involved in the community.

esearch undertaken by the housing and homelessness

rents in 55 per cent of local authorities in England. The most expensive hous-

this week that Bath is one of the least affordable places in the country to live for families in terms of rent prices. The shocking report has revealed that the average rent for a two bed-

where the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom home stands at a stag-

Sam Short

time take home pay. This results in houses in Bath being classed as ‘unaffordable’ and ‘beyond the means’ of -

Neighbours in Combe Down having a friendly chat over the fence.

that rents should fall within a third of the average full-time take home pay. Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said: “We have become depress-

Battling shark attacks

being priced out of the housing mar-

people into an endless spiral of

rents is more dramatic.” Bath is not alone in this crisis. The

Anthony Masters bathimpact Contributor Bath and North East Somerset Council is acting in partnership with the England Illegal Money Lending Team to raise awareness monly called ‘loan sharks’. This new offensive against illegal money-lending was launched at an event in Twerton Park on Wednesday 26 October. The aim of the event was to provide a support network for those affected by loan sharking and to encourage people to report such practices. households are borrowing from unlicensed lenders. The England which is backed by the Governlenders. said: “illegal money lenders will charge the most exorbitant rates

many will resort to bully tactics to

team we make it clear that this will urging people to come forward and speak to us.” for those affected by loan sharks is available on 0300 555 2222. The team may also be emailed at reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov. uk or contacted by texting a message starting with the words “loan shark” to 60003.

stressed that ordinary working families are facing unaffordable private

increased at one and a half times the rate of incomes. The report also draws attention to the fact that over 35 per cent of families with children have had to reduce their spending on basic necessities in order to pay their rent. Campbell Robb went on to highlight the shocking reality that: “With ple are forced to cut their spending

schools and the extended family.” This provides further evidence of the housing crisis facing the nation and supporting Labour’s claim that the Tory-led coalition has failed to provide enough new housing. The Shadow Communities Secretary Hilary Benn claimed: “…there is a housing -

ment’s reckless economic policy is making it worse.” Shelter is calling on the government to take urgent action and develop policies that will bring rents into line with average wages in an attempt to stabilise the rental market. The government claims that they are working to improve this situation. Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: “This Government recognises the importance of the private rented sector in providing accessible and affordable accommodation. We have stopped the imposition of excessive new red which would have pushed up rents and reduced choice for tenants.” The coalition’s housing initiatives include freeing up neglected public land to build more homes and rewarding councils for helping build more homes through a New Homes included new stamp duty measures hope of making large-scale private investment in the rental market more appealing.

Ed-ucation: Graduate tax Bethan Rees bathimpact Contributor Speaking at the recent Labour Party Balls expressed his desire for a system of graduate taxation as an alternative to one of the current government’s most controversial decisions to raise

cially disadvantaged students from the country’s best institutions. Making no promises so far ahead Mr Balls admitted that Labour has ‘got -

In a statement on his website in -

further than their leader Ed Miliband’s previous proposal to simply cut fees to

as a: “fairer system which meant no upfront costs and no assumed debt for students and their families.” He

fall in the number of university appli-

to contribute to their university education in line with their salary once they

welcome news to disgruntled students tion’s crippling increase of tuition fees.

Micheal Pembrey

in becoming considerate neighbours and participative members of the local community.

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

News

www.bathimpact.com

Filthy students Protests reach Bath Charlotte Lightowler bathimpact Contributor ccording to a recent study, an astounding 81 per cent of students claimed they lived

The study, conducted by cleaning giant Vileda, questioned some 3000 students in total; a third of whom admitted to leaving home having never done housework. Undomesticated Freshers seem to be the main culprits, with 34%

he didn’t have to wash up.” By the same token, one third admit to buying take-away meals to avoid facing the dreaded washing up. On a more serious note, however, your health could be at risk as a result of the ‘relaxed’ student lifestyle. A spokesperson for Vileda described the chances of contracting an illness from unhygienic surroundings as a ’lottery’. So get your rubber gloves on and keep that mountain of washing up to a minimum.

without even knowing how to wipe do housework properly at this age is not only an important life lesson, but it’s easy if kept on top of regularly.” For further comment on this issue please turn to page 8.

Sam Short

But is plain laziness to blame? Laura, a second year student at Cardiff, tells of a particularly crafty per plates and plastic cutlery so

Is this a site your familiar with? Apparently you are not alone.

Starbucks University Grace Shepherd looks at the latest scheme causing a ‘latte’ controversy

levels. Naming their new project ‘Starbucks University’, and with aspirations to join the City and Guilds scheme alongside such companies as Tesco and London Underground, Starbucks are hoping to

provide a new motive to potential employees to join their company. Starbucks are already notorious for their scrupulous training schemes and thick employee manuals, all of which must be read and tested before the new recruit is allowed behind the till. Yet, despite being an unusual step for the coffee house, Starbucks have reported great interest in their new scheme, with Jan Smallhouse, Head of Talent, reporting a “phenomenal” number of enquiries.

Sam Short

tarbucks are the latest company to implement their own ‘university’ for employees. Alongside a recruitment drive to hire over 1,000 students, the company is also offering them training for a level

bathimpact contributor Jenna Logeais gets up close and personal with the ‘Occupy Bath’ movement

he ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement is spreading. Currently it has spread to over 2000 cities in the world; mostly in the US, but also London, Manchester, the nearby city of Bristol and now - Bath. bathimpact has been contacting protestors on Wall Street, interviewing Students on Campus, and speaking to the organizers of the ‘Occupy Bath’ movement to provide our readers with a roundup of the recent international, and soon to be local, events. The, claimed-to-be 99 per cent, advocators of peaceful, non-violent demonstrations of democracy, are planning to occupy our City on Sunday, 30 October. Over a hundred Facebook users have already promised to attend the event after only a few days of its creation. Michel Loubet-Jambert, organiser, and Second Year Politics with Spanish student here at the University of Bath, told bathimpact that the aim is to get people from all backgrounds, with a variety of political views, left-wing as well as right-wing, capitalists, noncapitalists, to express and discuss their concerns about the current global situation. Andrew Murano, 24 year old English teacher from New York City, has been going to the camp on Wall Street and has also par-

ticipated in a couple of the marches. He told bathimpact tired of a system that caters to the rich while ignoring the majority. What do I want? The message to spread and global reform.” He explains his reasons for getting the suffering and inequality in the world.” Andrew says he does not identify with any particular group or ideology. Despite this movement openly describing itself as being nonviolent, the question of violence seems to be regularly raised. Having seen the footage of violence between the protesters and the police in New York City, we asked Mr

“The police are there to uphold civil obedience, not for our protection. A lot of them are down there working forced overtime and are irritable. Others would be marching if it wouldn’t cost them their jobs. The white collared (higher ranked) officers are usually the ones involved with the violence.” Both Michel Loubet-Jambert and Aryan Ashoori, a University of Bath civil engineering student, took the time to explain the difficulty of organising such an event. Although often viewed as a ‘hippy gathering’, organisers are eager to shake this image and become an all-inclusive movement. They are planning the event in the best possible way to make sure it’s led in a pacifist manner. Aryan told bathimpact annoy the community. We need dialogue. We need them on our side.” As well as the local community, ‘Occupy Bath’ are hoping to get lecturers and intellectuals involved. It will not simply be occupying, but brainstorming, having lectures, making a community and working together to find alternatives. In other words getting everyone involved to think, dis“gathering every piece of the puzzle to get a new puzzle.”

UoB Student in Dyson running Cayla Pattinson bathimpact Contributor avid Hutton graduated just last year from the University of Bath with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and is already on the road to international reclaim ists for the James Dyson Award. The James Dyson Award, set up by the James Dyson Foundation, is an international student design award running in 18 countries. Its mission is to encourage the next generation of design engineers to challenge, invent and be creative. The criterion for entrants is to “design something that solves a problem.” David Hutton did just that with his innovative Flexi-Pipe pump; a simple, reliable, low-cost water pump which could be a breakthrough for the developing world. In order to pump water, the FlexiPipe pump chamber is submerged underwater, and the user then starts operating the bicycle pump. With no

I have been looking for funding to

priming required, water is brought to the surface through the hose pipe. It can be used as a domestic water pump in remote areas as well as a temporary pump in emergency disaster zones. David started to design the pump as part of his Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Bath. Upon the pump to bring it to a stage where veloping world, and in January 2012, David plans to travel to Zambia in orent situations. “I’m thrilled to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious design award.

win then I’d be absolutely thrilled as the prize money would allow me to progress my invention.” When asked about the pump’s utility, David explained that it is a “very simple, usable solution to a real problem…it can easily be made from different materials, which keeps the cost low. Compared to other pumps, it is small and lightweight and can be easily transported, installed and maintained by one person. It can also pump water to an elevated tank for storage and to provide a gravity-fed water system.” This year 501 projects were submitted but only one winner will be chosen to receive £10,000 to fund their project and another £10,000 for their university department. The judges are currently reviewing the top 15 projects and will announce the International winner and two runners-up on the 8th of November.

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

News

www.bathimpact.com

British Universities among world’s best Sophie Sachrajda reports on Britain’s higher education standing in a global context

hree British universities were recently ranked within the top ten institutions in the world. The Times Higher Education’s world university rankings have developed into a key annual event in the international higher education calendar as they are used by students, research teams and university managers, and are often utilised by governments as a means to set national policy. The 2011-2012 results rank Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London as 4th, 6th and 8th respectively. The table also revealed that the UK remains the country with the second best education system worldwide as the other seven universities ranked in the top ten are located in the USA, with California Institute for Technology leading the way. These findings differ from last year where Oxbridge was joint

Oxford is 4th, making it the highest rated British university in this year’s league table sixth;the fact that Oxford has jumped up two spots is partly due

“This year’s league table is much more accurate and comprehensive” to changes in the way the universities were evaluated this time around. Having worked on methodolog-

Off the deep end Amy Bradshaw bathimpact Contributor

Sam Short

fter more than forty years of being open for public use, the University of Bath has decided to demolish the 25-metre swimming pool. The controversial decision was made earlier this year after reports that the pool was ‘unsafe’, and that it was not ‘financially viable’ to carry out all the necessary repairs. It is now pushing forward with plans to demolish the entire building, having already submitted an application to do so to Bath and North East Somerset Council. Although the closure of the swimming pool is to prevent any health and safety risks to the public, many people have expressed regret that nothing could have been done to save the facilities. The pool was used for community swimming lessons, and it is estimated that about 700 children have now had to find an alternative place to swim.

One perturbed mother commented that the 25-metre pool had been ‘a policy of minimum maintenance and neglect’ ever since the 50-metre pool was built in 1992. She went on to say that the 50-metre pool was ‘vast, noisy, very daunting, and busy with competitive athletes’ – certainly not a comfortable environment for beginners to learn how to swim. The current plans for the site of the swimming pool are not overly inspiring. The pool will be filled in and grassed over, although it is said that the university’s master plan is being revised to include the area in potential future development. At a time when tuition fees are about to be raised to an all time high, it may be argued that the university could have spared the expense. As well as this, many now hope that the university’s ‘master plan’ will restore to the community something even better than the much-loved pool.

ical refinements to the system, Phil Baty from Times Higher Education explains that even though the results were based on the same fundamentals of teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook , changes to the scheme were also introduced. These include a standardisation of the research statistics and the introduction of an indicator which looks at the proportion of research

Murder trial continues

Imogen Grace Ware bathimpact Contributor he murder trial of Joanna Yeates continues as Vincent Tabak denies intentionally killing his Bristol neighbour with intent, stating “I still can’t understand what happened.” Joanna’s family and boyfriend, Greg Reardon, listened intently to Tabak’s account of that fateful Friday night as he explained that Miss Yeates waved to him from her kitch-

shared with her boyfriend. utes before he decided to “make a pass at her.” He told the court that he “got the impression she wanted to kiss me”, however insisted his intentions were not sexual. Joanna reportedly then screamed loudly, resulting in Tabak putting a hand over his mouth and around her neck as he “panicked” and “wanted to calm her down.” Prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC told Tabak he could not bring himself to admit he had sexually attacked Joanna; his response was that it was

rest of his life. He went on to describe the events after her death, which included mov-

putting her in a bicycle cover and then in the boot of his girlfriends car. Despite carrying out a cold blooded killing the architect then made a trip to Asda where he texted his girlfriend a message including the word “crisis.” Mr Lickley told him “you are calculating, you are manipulative and you are dishonest.” Tabak dumped Joanna’s body on a roadside on his way to Bristol Airport, he himself called this act “horrendous.”

There are many inconsistencies in Tabak’s story and many unanswered questions such as why he began to construct an alibi by going to Asda, why he did not come forward sooner and why his internet searches after Joanna’s death included manslaughter and murder. His response to this was that he could not remember doing so. The defendant was also unable to reveal the reasons behind Yates’ 43 injuries to her head, torso and limbs. Tabak stated “I didn’t want to hurt her, I didn’t want her to die and I didn’t want to cause her any harm.” The trial continues.

The court sat in silence as Mr Lickley counted 20 seconds, the amount of time the Dutchman stated it took before “she went limp” and “fell to right arm to demonstrate the grip he used which killed her. Tabak wept as he said he would be haunted for the

The site where the pool once stood is currently cordoned off

papers each institution publishes with at least one international coauthor. The tweaks have meant that this year’s league table is much more accurate and comprehensive to understand. With seven UK universities ranked in the top 50 and 12 in the top 100 overall, Ann Mroz, editor of the The Times Higher Education says that Britain is ‘blessed with some truly brilliant universities.’

However, Ms Mroz, as well as the authors of the league table, have expressed concerns that recent funding cuts and the future steep increase of tuitions fees introduced by the current UK government could negatively impact the country’s international standing. Calling the higher education reforms ‘hastily concocted’, the editor echoes the view of the large majority who find it unacceptable that even though the UK’s academic performance on a global scale is astounding, so little is spent on our institutions compared to rival nations that we do not even reach the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average. To what extent the cuts and increased tuition fees will adversely affect our education system is unclear and so many students, journalists and academics alike are eagerly awaiting the release of the world university rankings 2012-13.

Tabak breaks down after demonstrating his ‘grip of death’

Monday 31st October 2011

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Comment

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Not alone: Straight talking about depression

say or write down. It’s the name of my illness, but to me it’s such an ugly ment and shame. Depression is very common and the causes are many. My symptoms

to concentrate on even simple tasks such as reading a newspaper, watching TV or having a conversation with friends. Now that I am on my placement year, I have had time to concentrate on my health and getting better without the stress of university life. I wish I could go back to the time when

ingly); the stress and effort of continuous study for the past few months

I could get help from the beginning which I feel would have made my recovery a lot easier and less painful.

empty feeling of ‘what happens now’. I dreaded the start of the second semester knowing that the work would pile back on and I didn’t know how I would cope. Come April/May time different to any other student. For students suffering from depression however, it is not only the emotional aspects such as tearfulness and self-bullying that can be so distracting from studies, but also the physical symptoms. Depression can bring a change in appetite, fatigue and loss of energy to the point where you cannot even lift a glass. Sleeping patterns can also be severely affected with either trouble falling and staying asleep or oversleeping. In my case, I overslept which led to self-blame and loathing. I felt that I was lazy and that this was not a real illness, but I was using it

I dreaded the second semester, knowing that the work would pile back on My advice to students that are depressed... First, believe that there is no shame in what you are feeling and understand that what you have is a something that I am trying to accept after being told it many times. Secondly, having a wide support network including friends and family is a great way to release the burden of what you are feeling. Being able to talk to someone you trust and to have them listen to you in a time of great distress is what I have found to be the most comforting. I could not have got through the last year without my two best friends who have

been my greatest support. It may be hard to admit to yourself that you have this illness, let alone to others. However, allowing people to support you can only do you good and will get you one step closer to recovery. Finally, there is only so much your friends and family can do, they can be a shoulder to cry on, but they

overcome depression it is important to seek professional help. There are many options available; contrary to popular belief, doctors will not force you to take anti-depressants. In fact, this was the last option that was ofwhat my treatment option would be. Self-help resources including the website moodgym.org and the book Overcoming Depression by Paul Gilbert are a good starting point if you don’t feel comfortable talking to a counsellor or taking medication. Counselling can also be very useproblems in your life. Even when you feel your depression is under control or has passed, dealing with the underlying issues can make you better equipped to deal with similar situations that may arise later in life. Then we come to anti-depressants... they really are not as scary Sam Short

ven though the word depression or depressing is thrown about in everyday language as a word to describe any sad event,

proper medical advice and don’t abuse them.Remember that you are not alone and that you will overcome this illness.

Now is the time to clean up your act

Is this a regular site in your student kitchen? Join the club.

I’m not surprised. The idea of using paper plates is one I had not thought of before Vileda’s report was published but now I am now genuinely considering it because it would be a lot easier! I acknowledge that this is a bad attitude to have and is probably bad for the environment and that trees will be felled quite unnecessarily, but I have no intention of taking charge of the washing up. Crucially, my outlook is by no means a unique one; I think ‘Fresh’ may sell out of paper plates and plastic cutlery when this issue goes to print. In my opinion, the main reason for the mess is because cleaning is not a priority. Students have 3 tasks while at sible) attend lectures. Taking the time to vigorously clean your kitchen and corridor results in a lost opportunity;

you miss out on one of the 3 tasks listed above. I have yet to meet any student that would swap sleep for sweeping or drinking for dishes! Vileda’s report suggests that students do not know how to clean but I disagree because everyone knows how to switch on a hover or push a mop

to have a small amount of common sense. It is not the knowledge or ability that student’s lack, it’s the motivation! Even if there is someone who longs for clean communal spaces and an empty sink, it is a collective responsibility and therefore requires coopera-

Tell us about it

Madeline Winn bathimpact Contributor he recently published Vileda titude students have to housework and cleanliness. I suppose as a student I should be livid at the thought

certain) will not be forthcoming! If people hold differing views about cleaning, I guarantee those that do not care about housework will triumph and the place will look like any other if this is not acceptable to those people who have OCD tendencies, they either need to suck it up or sort out other people’s mess for them. I am not encouraging students to live in unclean conditions, just recognising that it happens, and will continue to happen, despite what Vileda’s report says. Would it be nicer to live in a blissunteering to clean it.

Something you’d like to get off your chest? A burning issue which you think the student body at the University of Bath ought to know about? Then bathimpact’s News and Comment sections need you! bathimpact News and Comment Editor involved: For Comment: impact-comment@bath. ac. uk For News: impact-news@bath.ac.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/144920302259699/

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Comment

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Atirek Dhir bathimpact Contributor

particularly simple sentence has been bothering me for a

this actually happening and, in an ideal scenario, it should be the other way around; good people should alis not the case in today’s world where

the worth of a person is judged by how much money they earn or which position of power they hold. In my belief, good people always neither does society. A good human being will always be remembered for the things they did for society or for a particular person. Let me ask you a simple question: Would you remember a person who did something that made

Maybe that nice guy in your life deserves a second look?

you happy, or would you remember the millionaire CEO of the company you worked for? A simple gesture like opening the door for someone or helping someone cross the road makes us feel better and it stays in our memory for a long time. The person we helped will probably remember us for a while as well and smile whenever they think of that particular moment. Human beings who devote their entire lives to helping others might not always earn fame and money but they will always hold a special place in the hearts of the people they helped. They will be remembered and cherished for the happiness they distributed unlike the people who sit in the comfort of their sprawling mansions and donate money, feeling that they have done their bit for society. I am not condemning giving money to charity or using authority and power to sort out issues that need to be addressed in any way. Money and power both are essential parts for any cause to move in the right direction and cannot be neglected. People who wish to help a cause involving many citizens require a lot of support especially from

rich businessmen and politicians. What I am simply trying to convey is that the person who actually spent hours delivering the food or clothes bought with the money of the donors

It is my belief that good they just don’t realise it and neither does society is likely to be remembered more by the people helped but ironically the hero here according to society would be the rich donor who parted away with a small percentage of his wealth in order to buy the food or clothes. The society we live in strangely judges success by which car we drive or which area we live in. Money or fame doesn’t necessarily mean happiness and that is where I personally feel society is wrong. Happiness can be drawn from the simplest of things and if society actually measures the wealth of a person by how happy they are, good people will always be at the pinnacle. To be successful, rich or famous we have to part with something of ourselves; be it our

self respect, our integrity, our morals or our ideals. We are ready to spend more money rather than spending time with our family. We are ready cise to get more work done, without realizing that a healthy body is of utmost importance. Neglecting such important areas and focusing on other trivial things makes us feel we are happy, whereas we actually are not, we are just fooled into believing in terms of money and power and we blindly believe it, sadly refusing to ever question it. There still are good people out there. That thought gives me the strength to wake up every morning and it gives me hope for a better world where a person will be judged by what they are rather than the amount of money they have in their bank account.

the very top, not in terms of fame or wealth, but in terms of personal happiness and peace.

Toynbee’s broken class ceiling Anthony Masters bathimpact Contributor ith nine out of every ten Members of Parliament holding a degree, issues of class and social mobility have bubbled to the surface of political discussion. To add to this debate, Polly Toynbee, political commentator at The Guardian, made a two-part documentary for BBC Radio 4 entitled ‘The Class Ceiling’. Toynbee’s central thesis is that social mobility in Britain has declined and that this decline is due to class-based barriers, whilst the current “convenient myth” is that Britain is a classless society. The main problem is that class is such a nebulous concept, with columnist Peter York stating “knowledge of class has declined whilst inequality has increased”. Toynbee has to glide between various proxies, including occupation, wealth and income, even though the fact that Toynbee herself recognises that “class is not money”, demonstrates this point. However, it cannot be that income is an adequate substitute for class, as individuals are transient between income brackets. As American economist Thomas Sowell points out in Economic Facts and Fallacies, “[a] study in Britain of some thousand numbers of people in the bottom 10 percent of incomes in a given year, two thirds of them had raised

out of that income bracket a short six years later”. the ability of children from low-income families, broadly “working class”, to rise above the economic condition of their parents. These statistics do not differentiate between external barriers and internal impediments to success. Lee Elliot Major, Research Director at the Sutton Trust, states “education inequality and income inequality feed off each other”, as parents use their economic position to ensure their child does well at school. This may all be in vain though, as sociologist Peter Saunders declares that “ability is still the biggest factor” determining the economic success of an individual child. Toynbee moves onto higher education, with the mass expansion of recent years not increasing social mobility as many thought it would. This is due to the devaluation of degrees that follows moving from a system of 10 percent participation to one nearing 50 percent of all young people going to university, leading to what David Davis MP terms “creeping credentialism”, with jobs requiring degrees where they previously had not. As David Willets MP, now “well-intentioned policies don’t always have the desired effect”. To support her central claim, she states that from 2003 to 2008, even

though Britain’s GDP grew by 11 percent, the “bottom 50 per cent of earners stagnated” over the same period, and that “wealth has been sucked up class system. The bottom 50 percent of earners in 2003, however, will not be the same people as the bottom 50 per cent in 2008, as there were 1.3 million more people in employment in 2008. Toynbee is quoting the Resolution Foundation, which has claimed that real median income has not grown between 2003 and 2008, using the RPI -

years, a nominal increase of 17.1 per cent. The extent to which they overestiderestimate real growth in incomes, and this problem is compounded when looking at macroeconomic data over many years. It is true that the distribution of wealth has moved towards the rich over the past three decades, but that is not equivalent to claiming that wealth has been moved from the poor to the rich. It is simply that newly created wealth is not being distributed amongst all people evenly. This trend can be observed in every developed nation, suggesting that it has a global cause, rather than being a unique product of the British class system.

Lastly, Toynbee says that to have “true social mobility, for every person that goes up, another must come down”. Though I sincerely doubt that the citadels of wealth operate like a nightclub, this claim actually contradicts the opening statement of the documentary, namely that “blue-collar middle class jobs” increased in the post-war period, whilst manual labour jobs decreased from two-thirds to onethird of the workforce. This shows that can change in their composition of society. Social mobility is the underpinning

of a meritocratic society, where your your achievements do. In this documentary, Polly Toynbee sets out to our society, but ends up showing how important education is to social mobility. Toynbee concludes that income inequality is the real problem, going so far as to support a maximum wage in The Guardian’s Q&A session on this subject. This is highly illiberal, and Toynbee should remember that our society is liberal, even if she no longer believes that it is meritocratic.

Polly Toynbee has sparked controversy over her latest documentary

Monday 31st October 2011

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Sabbs Corner

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Making your CV leap out THE TOP TEN Chris Clements VP Sport susport@bath.ac.uk

All of a sudden a routine exercise is actually turned into a great skill set builder.The shame is that many people gaining these skills are clueless to it. They go into an interview and are asked where they showed commercial awareness and give an example of when they ran a sweet stall at school four years ago. This is why the Bath Award is such

hen people think of sport they tend to think of either recreational pursuits or competitive endeavours. In reality, it is far more than that. For many people, sport is not just a hobby or a passion, but it gives them something special. Our 47 Sports Clubs are all run by highly dedicated committees, who put hours of their spare time into the organisation of their clubs. From managing accounts to coaching sessions, their hard work and dedication is what makes sport at this University so special. Often this effort is not rewarded. They receive no pay and sometimes not even thanks, so why do they go through it all? The truth is they get something more from sport. They get a sense of camaraderie and teamwork that you simply can not source elsewhere. They get the reward of seeing their best made plans and effort rewarded in fellow students enjoying themselves and hopefully winning matches. They get that feel good factor.From my point of view they also receive something which often goes unrecognised; the skill sets that you can establish from getting involved in sport. Not just as a player, but as a captain, coach or organiser. This is something which can really set you

apart from other students. I know this from experience. Through my involvement in sport I can come up with copious examples of the vital core competencies employers are looking for in interviews. Some of the questions posed to me I would have absolutely no idea of how to answer if it was not for the great experience I have gained through sport. There are the obvious skills, leadership, team work and communication, but also other aspects you wouldn’t think mattered, but they do. For instance, I am sure you were all collared by many people during Freshers’ Week trying to get you to sign up to their club. When it happens at the time you think nothing more of it than mild interest or distain. Think about it a little more though That person bugging 200 people a day to get members for their club has had to cial awareness to put together a marketing plan and then use sales skills to try and get you to join their club.

your experiences and thus eradicate your weaknesses is something which job, but also for the rest of your life. There are thousands of students out there who will graduate with a 2.1 and be going for the same jobs. What will set you apart? Involvement in sport and the Bath Award will. That is not the only thing sport can offer. One of the major problems is making people realise this. The NUS has made signals that they will be willing to support the use of sport not just for employability, but also for attracting students from low income backgrounds to university and then engaging with them so that they stay there. Making people aware of the skills that they can gain from sport which will serve them beyond university is something I am incredibly passionate about and will push as much as possible. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worthwhile. After all it is about more than just the playing of sport!

A day in the life of the President David Howells SU President supresident@bath.ac.uk

erhaps unsurprisingly, I get asked what being the President actually entails quite a lot. For someone who spends every day doing it, I’m not very good at answering. It’s a funny kind of job, but having already been a sabb for a year, I thought I had a pretty good idea, and at the very least a head start. A sabbatical post is more a lifestyle than a job, one that quickly consumes your life, but in a strange, charming way that you can’t quite begrudge, however much you try. I was ready for a second year of that, but after watching someone do it day in, day out, I still had no idea just how much stuff there could be in this one role. So let’s start with what I’ve been up to over the last week. I wrote a paper on the nice, narrow topic of student related), among other bits and pieces on your Top 10. I went door knocking Naomi and the Student Community Partnership. I had the pleasure of atMeetings, where CTV, bathimpact and 1449AM URB got together to

tackle matters of import. As a team the sabbs started the week with half a day of planning for the future, ended it with our weekly Friday breakfast and debated strikes and demos in the midhours of University meetings, 8 hours of Union meetings, roughly 400 emails (only half of which were spam), and interviews for the new Elections Committee Chair. Over the course of the week I interacted with dozens of student issues: money, assessment, fees, timetabling, the challenges of double jeopardy, the bars, buses, sports clubs, all the wonderful headaches a student newspaper causes on a weekly basis. you’ll forgive that I had to consult my diary to remember half of it. Maybe it sounds like a lot of hard work (or maybe not, but I learnt early

not to judge until you’ve tried), but it’s also a lot of fun. Can there really be anything better than a job where you’re an equal at a table with the Vice Chancellor and University Council distegic direction one day and the details of URB’s carpets the next? I’ve missed out the most important bit: all the students I get to meet along the way. There are other perks too (who can afford loan?) but at the end of the day, in no other job am I likely to be exposed to the wonders of student life every day, and I doubt my week would end with a fantastically enjoyable performance from Bath University Student Theatre. Some of my friends went off into graduate recruitment schemes and others are busy studying for PhDs. My fellow sabbs live with their (incredibly important) issues every day. But I get the joy of a hundred new things, and dozens of new people, every week. If that thought excites you even just a little, then maybe you should be the President in eight months’ time. And if things to get involved in, because everyone should try living life in 7th gear at least once.

» Sabb priorities this year...

ach year the Students’ Union pools together all of its research on student opinion (including the aptly named Student Opinion Survey, run each January) to formulate the top issues of all students, creating ten broad headings that direct the work we do to represent you.

While it would never be possible to distill the student experience into a mere ten areas, these serve as a guide, backed up by a detailed action plan, for the sabbs across the year.

1. Money

6. Assessment & Feedback

We will be addressing the costs of living and studying, working towards a better deal for students. This includes providing support on finances, and looking at improving opportunities for part-time work both during term-time and branching out into vacation periods.

2. Teaching We will be representing your views on how you want your teaching delivered, and continuing to lobby to ensure you get courses and programmes that are delivered to fit your needs.

3. Placements We will be working to improve the whole placement experience, from application to re-induction, to ensure every student gets and enjoys the placement that they deserve.

4. Timetabling

this year’s Top Ten, and get an idea for the kind of changes (in no particular order) we want to bring for you.

We will continue to campaign to improve feedback, still an issue highlighted in the National Student Survey, while monitoring the effects of introducing assessments that don’t contribute to assessments in all modules last year.

7. Transport We will lobby to improve bus services, and will be looking to increase support for cycling and other alternatives, such as access to locker and shower facilities.

8. Recreation & Sport We will be focusing on making sure you can make the most of free Wednesday afternoons, through improving facilities for both sports and other activities, with continued lobbying on the new Arts Complex.

9. Digital & Learning Resources

We will push for better unit information, keeping Wednesday afternoons free, and moving forward start examining the effects and possible solutions to long gaps in timetables.

We will be pushing for improved resources, such as online lecture notes, reading lists, and online coursework submission, while exploring the ways new digital improvements can enhance your student experience.

5. Housing

10. Induction

We will be representing your views on student housing in Bath, in particular campaigning on the hot issue of planning permission and Article 4 directives covered in bathimpact’s last issue.

We will concentrate on improving the induction process at every level from Foundation to PhD, striving to make sure that you have a smooth and supported transition into whatever level of higher education you choose.

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Activities Why can’t we all just get along? Naomi Mackrill VP Community and Diversity At the NUS Welfare Zone Conference last week, one of the sessions at the conference was about the launch of a report into hate crimes at further and higher education institutions. They had a particular focus on sexual orientation and gender identity. The report found that almost one in three lesbian, gay or bisexual students reported that at some point during their studies, they had experienced at least one hate incident related to their sexual orientation. 45 per cent of trans respondents reported that they had experienced at least one hate incident motivated by prejudice against their gender identity. The report covers fear of victimisation, the extent and nature of hate incidents, location of incidents and perpetrator profiles, reporting of hate incidents and the impact on victims and really does have some shocking findings for 2011. 20 percent of trans respondents had experienced at least one incident of physical abuse and 38 per cent reported at least one incident of verbal abuse, threats of violence or threatening behaviour. When asked about the perpetrator of the hate crimes, 45 per cent were believed to be fellow students. This report is one of four, the other three focussing on disabled students, Black students (NUS uses the term Black to describe students of African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean descent) and students of a religious persuastion. For anyone who wishes to read the actual report on sexual orientation and gender identity, I have a hard copy of it in my office. At Bath, the hate crime reporting centre is in the Advice and Representation Centre, on level 3 of the Student Centre. If anyone feels they have been the victim of hate crime, by which we mean “any incident, which may or may not constitute a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate” then do come and report it to us and we can support you and talk through the available options.

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Growing Asian society at Bath T

his year the Bath University Asian Student Society (BUASS) has increased their membership by five times the number this time in previous years. Not only has it attracted more students from the Asian community, but it has diversified and attracted members from all ethnic backgrounds. The BUASS Diwali-Eid Ball, aim to celebrate the festival of light for the Hindu community and the festival of sacrifice for the Islamic community. Uniting the two events resulted in a total sell out within the first week. The BUASS Diwali-Eid Ball was held in Eastern Eye, in the UK’s top 30 Indian restaurants on Wednesday 26th October. Eastern Eye offered top-quality food and permitted the use of the venue for the ball. A Diwali Aarti (Hindu prayer) was held in the Chaplaincy earlier in the day. A great thanks has to be said to Mr Muhammad Hafeez Malik (General Manager of Eastern Eye) for cooperating and helping BUASS to hold a successful event.

An event which saw more than 100 members attending no less. There are many more events planned for the rest of the year including the fun festival of Holi, collaborated with the Bristol Hindu Society. Over 200Kg of paint has

been ordered for this event. One should also look out for the annual Asian Night. This is a talent show hosted by members and it tends to attract several hundred spectators every year. BUASS is full of various cul-

tures, aiming to accommodate everyone to make members feel a part of a growing society. The positive start to the year will only make the society more successful, allowing us to organise more events and get more people involved.

Diwali is the festival of light is set in motion through this decorative display of tea-light candles

The Insider visits RAG and dealer’s choice... R

AG is the main charity fundraising group on campus; the Insider decided to attend one of the fortnightly members’ meetings. my head is how strikingly different this was to the RAG meeting I came to last year. Last year’s turnout was around a dozen and the meeting

going on RAG-wise, interrupted by bouts of random silliness. This year, the lecture theatre was full to capacity and everything was much more professional; if I didn’t know better I would have assumed I had walked

in on some kind of seminar, apologised and left. No, not the academic kind of seminar, the trendy management type of seminar, complete with trendy management-style slides; the theme for this particular meeting was, after all, Event Management. There were few interruptions; the vast majority of the audience were impressed into silence by the Chair’s expert knowledge of the myriad of procedures. The few interruptions came towards the end, mostly from a couple of veteran ‘Raggies’ who knew most of it anyway. Most of the attendees were

women, as are the entire committee; guys, you’re wanted! Anyway, I had to repeatedly remind myself that this woman was not a consultant (at least not yet); she isn’t even a Management student. To summarise: every event should ideally have an events committee consisting of a chair, treasur-

is vital and everything is going to be great this year because half of it is already done; organisation is the key to everything! Oh and there’s a 40 page booklet explaining everything but you can’t see it as there aren’t enough copies. No doubt this will scare off some people, but having done this sort of thing before I can tell you that this is stuff prospective event managers need to know. After discussions with the committee, the 40 page booklet should be coming online at some point. The Insider does not promote eloping with members of the RAG committee on Carribbean islands written by Patrick Marber and was performed by Bath University Student Theatre (BUST). The price was

a mere £4 for students, seemingly a bargain compared to the usual £5; I found out why on being charged £1 for fruit juice during the interval. To be fair, it was nice juice. As the name might suggest, Dealer’s Choice is about a group of compulsive gamblers and a high-stakes game of poker. The programme (also £1) credited the Poker Society (yes, there is actually a Poker Society, go check it out) with helping the actors to pull off a realistic poker game. Advertised as a “high-octane drama”, it lived up to its name despite the lack of hydrocarbons of any kind (or does alcohol count as a hydrocarbon? Help me, oh great Features Editor!), with gambling debts between a confusing web of people to be settled. The characters, designed to be equally detestable in their own way, were rendered brilliantly by BUST’s student actors, among which you to put in unbelievable hours and dedication. If not, just sit back and watch, like I did. Who is the Insider, I hear you ask? The answer is, you probably already know…

Monday 31st October 2011

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Activities

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SCA... Santa Julian House sleep out Clause Arrives! S o, lets talk about Christmas! Yes, it is that dreaded time of year once again, when at least two months before the actual festive season, Christmas creeps up on us. Whether it’s in shops or even on TV, you can’t escape the festive hounding. And we, Student Community Action, are no exception to this rule! Now I know you may be thinking, why is this something to publicise? But Christmas is one of our busiest times of year. For some people the festive season can be one of the most lonely times, and seeing as everyone always seems that little bit more giving we've scooped this up and this year we have an exciting week of activities planned. There is the Kids Christmas Party that takes place in a local school's after school club, with games, music, crafts, performances from different societies and our very own santa's grotto. It's a great afternoon for everyone involved, the kids and even the volunteers! This volunteering opportunity really only asks as much as you can give running up to the party itself. We have to do a small amount of fundraising to cover costs such as presents but it’s a really good way to start off volunteering if its something you've never done before, or just want something to do along side your degree before the Christmas break. This year

we also have a new project called the Old Person's Tea Party, where for an afternoon before Christmas we will be descending on some of the elderly people in the Bath area who use the local Age Concern projects and showing them a good time! There will be food, performances from societies such as dancing and music and we'll be putting everyone in the festive mood. Again, like the Kids Christmas Party it’s a really simple volunteering opportunity and we do love to see as many people as possible wanting to get involved. We also do a Christmas shoe box appeal, where we organize for students and staff to get the oppor-

provide with either toys or house hold products depending on the age and gender they choose their box to be aimed at. This year we will also be found at the Moorland Road Christmas lights switch on, selling roast chestnuts, mulled wine and maybe even a mince pie or two with the ‘Be a Champion’ project. If any of these opportunities take your fancy or you want to know more please visit the SCA page on the SU website, or pop along to the volunteer centre in the SU corridor. For those of you that want to take a bigger role in these or any of our projects we're still recruiting project leaders!

Raise and Give (RAG) volunteers getting geared up and their layers on for the sleep out last year

leepout for just one night, so others don’t have to. On Thursday 17th November Bath RAG (raise and give) are holding their annual Sleepout where you have the chance to sleep outside the library, under the stars and enjoy an evening of entertainment from different SU societies. Including cardboard house building fun and free food (Bath Soup Company and Pizza from Dominos.) all in the name of charity. Additionally this year there will be an exciting outdoor film screening with the help from the FilmSoc. It’s FREE to take part, with just a minimum sponsorship of £10 required. So come along, arm yourself with a sleeping bag

and warm clothes, or just stay for the film and entertainment and make a donation. To get involved sign up online at: www.bathstudent.com/rag/ sleepout and check out our event

on facebook: ‘Bath RAG Charity Sleepout for Julian House’. It’s all in aid of Julian House, the local charity for the homeless.

They provide night shelters and create opportunities for the homeless to reach their full potential. Any money raised by this event will allow Julian House to continue its great work. If you’re interested then come along to the first interest meeting on Monday 24th October at either1.15 or 6.15 in 1West 3.15. For more information email: events@bathrag.com. Hope to see you all there. In other RAG event news, student tickets for the RAG and Rotary Club Fireworks Display in town are still on sale for just £2 in advance now: outside the library, in Fresh Express (previously known as the Student Centre shop) and online at www.bathrag.com

Societies catch-up O

Who really cares that Christams is still two months away?

ur societies have been busy since the last issue of Impact. You may remember us mentioning BUST’s performance of The Dealers’ Choice. The show went really well for all those involved. BUASS also put on a Diwali Eid Ball down at the Eastern Eye which had a great reception. Last week, BEST (Economics) organised a talk about the financial markets in Asia, and all of the Arts Societies got involved

in Show in the Deep. This was a great success with lots of people having their first experience of a show here at Bath. We definitely have some budding talent coming through (watch this space). Thursday was a busy day, The Islamic Society put on a tea party, BEAMES (Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) showed their expertise with cars on the go-kart track, whilst at the same time, CESA (Chemical Engineers) were

on a site visit to Barry Island in Dow Corning. Over the weekend, Cheerleading headed down to M&S for a spot of charity bag packing and the Debating Society hosted the Bath IV. Our MUN group headed over to Oxford for the OxiMUN conference. As you can see the Societies Area has been getting active, to find out what we are up to over the next 3 weeks... head on over to bathstudent.com

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Activities

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BUMUN and Amnesty unite forces T

he Global Poverty Project is an organisation which aims at catalysing the international movement to end extreme poverty. The centrepiece of the project is 1.4 Billion Reasons: a simple but groundbreaking presentation which intends to move audience to take action and become part of the movement. They focus on communicating issues, notably by addressing straightforward questions such as: What is extreme poverty? What are the main

barriers to ending extreme poverty? What achievements have been made to date in tackling extreme poverty? Why should I care? The aim is to explain how your everyday actions –in what you learn, say, buy, give and do- can be connected to the ending of extreme poverty. As their website claims: ‘Small actions in life can create big opportunities for the world’s poorest’. The project started on the initiative of Hugh Evans and Simon Moss, two former campaigners for the Australian

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY and leaders of The Oaktree Foundation. After being struck by the powerful message on climate change of An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, they decided to use a similar way to convert their message. They received full support from UN Millennium Campaign Director Salil Shetty and the project was launched at a UN High Level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals in September 2008. Come to the presentation taking place on campus, where you’ll learn about actual issues in solving extreme poverty, but more importantly what you, without using up excessive means, can do to help. Eradicating extreme poverty is one of the main Millennium Development Goals but still today 25% of the world’s population, that is to say around 1.4 billion people, lives onless than $1.25 a day. This project has received huge support from the United Nations but also from different leaders and experts such as the economist Jeffrey Sachs or Achmat Dangor, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Since its launch in 2009, the presentation has been delivered to over 75,000 people across Australia, UK, New Zealand, Canada

and the US, encountering a wide acclaim. Details of the November 17th presentation will be revealed soon, notably on the event page on Facebook ‘Bath University Global Poverty Project presentation’. To book a place, say you will attend on the event page! This event is co-hosted by the Bath

University Model United Nations (BUMUN) society and the Amnesty group. If you have any question, contact us at mb515@bath.ac.uk (BUMUN) or jb501@bath.ac.uk (Amnesty) For more information about the project, see: www.globalpovertyproject.com

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Monday 31st October 2011

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International

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The end of ETA violence? Cristiana Rodenas reports on the apparent turn in their ideals

hursday October 21st 2011 will surely become a historical date for Spanish citizens. After more than half a century of to renounce to armed struggle as a tool for achieving the independence of the Basque state. Fifty-three years after ETA´s founding, three of its leaders appeared last Thursday in a video where they put forward their deciactivity. A a result of this statement hope for peace has been rapidly ignited in the hearts of democrats and the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, called on all Spaniards to “live today the legitimate satisfaction for the victory of democracy, law and reason.” ETA said it would campaign for its cause through peaceful means, and called on the Spanish and French governments to respond with “a process of direct dialogue”. Carmen Chacon, Minister of defence has already told Spanish TV that there “is nothing to negotiate

with ETA.” That’s what I like to call a great start! It could well be that Carmen Chacon´s initial reaction springs out of her distrust towards ETA´s cease-

and abandoned them both. Thereby, if we take empirical data as evidence, to debate. Is this truly the end of the terrorist organisation or just another game of cry wolf? What is true is that ETA is now weaker than it has ever been in its 50 year history, although one could argue that it was already weak in 2006 when only to break it by bombing an airport car park in Madrid, killing two people. Therefore, I would like to add that as a Spanish citizen I still believe that ous ones and there are a few things that remain ambiguous when we anaFirst of all, what struck me when I watched the video was that the three leaders are shown sitting behind a

behind them. Secondly, that the organisation does such a thing without mentioning the 829 people they have assassinated and of the hundreds of people that have been wounded throughout their 40 years of terrorist attacks. Finally, although ETA claims that they now want to achieve their aims by peaceful democratic means, they still “call on all Basque citizens to continue in the struggle.” When all of these factors are put together it appears as though anything but a temporary seems more like another pause in the violence rather than the beginLet’s not reach too many precipitated conclusions, though. Instead, let’s allow the new Spanish government to emerge after the general elections on the 20th of November and take charge of the peace proctil then, there’s nothing much one can do other than wait and see what happens next…

The ETA making their announcement earlier this month

Your money or your morals? Kylie Barton bathimpact Editor in Chief impact-editor@bath.ac.uk

he arms trade is a highly controversial issue that is attacked from many angles. The most

Spring to mute citizens protesting for democracy, this may have also been the case in other struggling countries such as Egypt and Bahrain. got their wires crossed (once again). In fact, all Western, democratised countries have. It is a new level of hypocrisy to on one hand promote the democratic Flickr

arms with countries that are politically unstable, and potentially dangerous. Another case where it could be argued capitalist economics are trumping morality. Reports from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills show

million worth of export licences for the sale of ‘controlled products’ such as tear gas, riot gear and ammunition in Libya in September 2010. It is likely that such military equipment was used

2009 Disarm DSEi anti-arms trade - an annual event

principles of a liberal state whereby the right to protest and freedom of speech are crucial elements, and on the other to supply oppressive regimes with the means to stop such activity (whilst calling it ‘Ethical Foreign Policy’), or more accurately – shoot it dead. It is clear not all members of the government believe such actions are permissible. Bath MP Don Foster said when asked for his views on the issue: ho about it… I seriously think we should be making much more of a stand in terms of the sale and export of arms it just goes against everything I think is so important.” Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox takes a somewhat different approach. At the end of September, he attended the Defence System and Equipment International Exhibition (DSEi), an arms fair to promote the economic ment. Dr Fox has recently resigned from his position after breaking the ministerial code by taking friend Adam Werritty (who has strong links with the ‘defence’ industry) on over 18 business trips abroad. On the day, hundreds of people gathered around Whitehall to protest against the advocation of selling weapons to such fragile states; a demonstration which Green MP Caroline Lucas attended. In a letter to Vince Cable

(Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills) Lucas expressed her numerous concerns about such a fair taking place in London. She stated that 14 authoritarian regimes that are known to have a poor civic relations which have been named by the For-

deemed illegal by the DSEi including the Defence Export Promotion Organization of Pakistan who were actively promoting cluster bombs. Beechwood Equipment were advertising products for sale including oversized leg cuffs, waist chains, and lead chains for restraint purposes; also prohibited. Lucas wrote: “The Secretary of State for censing regime is already the toughest in the world… my experiences suggest there is a vast gulf between the rules that exist and British enforcement. I therefore call on you to provide an immediate guarantee that no illegal activity will be permitted to take place at future arms fairs in Britain.” Various pressure groups are also campaigning for change in the way Britain places itself within the global arms trade. Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) who have been active since 1974 have recently launched a fresh initiative relating to universi-

ties. The group will be ‘supporting students, staff and academics to ban BAE and other arms companies from all aspects of university life’. BAE are one of the largest producers of arms acknowledged to have a poor human rights record, and are a familiar face at careers fairs across universities, including Bath. BAE have come up against several allegations over the years regarding bribery and ‘accounting irregularities’ which they pleaded guilty to in 2010. gineering and science students whose skills are keenly sought by the arms industry but are in high demand in other sectors such as renewable energy technology’ according to CAAT. The arms argument always falls back to ‘but it’s good for the economy’. this needs to be balanced against the cost of sending in our troops to clear up the mess (in-part) brought about by this industry, and the successive loss Moreover, further thought needs to be given to the civilian casualties caused We are now thinking in a globalised way when it comes to economic gain, so isn’t it about time we extended this further and globalised our morals too?

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

International

The search is over Magali Calabressi bathimpact Treasurer impact-money@bath.ac.uk

go. Rebels are said to have captured

ixed feelings have taken over Libya, after the man who ruled for over four decades, during which time Libya seemed a constant family feud governed by an excessive ostentatious theatrical display, was killed on Thursday 20th October. After the fall of Libya’s capital of

hometown of Sirte, although exact details are still greatly controversial. Hours later, a reporter informed that during the operation both Mutassim and Abu-Bakr Younis Jabr, sor, his son Seif Al-Islam, managed

to escape and is believed to still remain in the country.

A Wad of World News AFP

www.bathimpact.com

version of the story may never be known; but videos and images of the controversial version of an assassination, over the widely claimed

last place where loyalists were still dominant, his hometown Sirte located in District 2. Early Thursday, he planned to escape District 2 in a convoy of vehicles, along with his son Mutassim, Minister of Defence Abu-Bakr Younis Jabr and other key partisans. The convoy was spotted by a French aircraft operating as part of NATO, and was attacked as it tried to cross National Transitional Council (NTC) lines. At least 15 pick-up trucks were destroyed

On Sunday 23rd October 2011, an earthquake measuring 7.2 shook eastern Turkey, worst affecting the province of Van. The death toll has increased to 432 (at the time of writing), with almost 1,352 more that have been injured. With almost 2,000 buildings trapping hundreds more people, rescuers are working around the clock. In light of the disaster, many Turks are calling for reconcilia-

and a few followers were able to escape and found refugee in a pair of drainage pipes. As rebels closed in on them, there was nowhere else to

sociated with backpacking? Instead of shelling out thousands of pounds for the privilege, imagine you actually got paid to travel the world and saved money rather than spent it? Instead of staying in cheap, un-

“

63% of HR Managers would be more likely to employ a graduate who had constructive gap year experience than one who did not

”

safe hostels and skipping meals to save money, you could get to live and work in a luxurious, safe and secure environment with your meals and accommodation provided for. Well, you’ll be pleased to know there is a better way and thousands of smart student gappers are choosing to spend their gap year getting paid to travel the world by doing one of the following: 1) Working on cruise ships The cruise industry is rapidly expanding and one in every twelve package holidays booked in the UK is a cruise. There are thousands of cruise job opportunities for students with different skills, experi-

ence and qualifications. 2) Working on superyachts Getting paid to travel the world by working on a billionaire’s superyacht in absolute luxury is perhaps one of the most exciting and rewarding ways to fill in a gap year. After all, meeting the rich and famous is a part of your daily job description! ant The airline industry offers tremendous opportunities for world travel. You’ll also gain invaluable customer service experience and training that will complement any future career that you choose. Each of these industries is perfectly geared for gap year students particularly with the short-term contracts arrangements, which are typically three to six months long. Importantly, the work experience you’ll gain as a direct result of working in one of these three hospitality focused industries will give you tremendous advantages when it comes to the time you leave your studies and embark on your chosen career. But be warned, with each of these industries comes a very addictive lifestyle and you may find the most challenging aspect is returning to your studies at the end of your gap year!

On 20th October, Indigenous Bolivians ended a 63 day march to the country’s capital city, La Paz, in protest of a jungle highway. The protesters believe that the construction of the road would destroy their livelihoods as it would cut through the Amazon forest. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed

or many students taking a gap year is a way to see the world before starting university, embarking on a new career or as a way to recover after the stress of exams. Some students even take a gap year just to give them enough time to think clearly about which course they really want to do, and there are several great options the travel industry has to offer students during their gap year. Taking a gap year offers many benefits to students; not least coming back to university fully focused and mentally prepared to perform better academically. A recent survey by YouGov revealed that 63 per cent of HR Managers would be more likely to employ a graduate who had constructive gap year experience than one who did not. Unfortunately, when most people think “Gap Year” they automatically conjure up images of financiallychallenged backpackers, “dodgy” hostels and not washing for weeks at a time. This is a fairly accurate picture when you consider the average gap year costs £5,000! Suppose, however, that there were better ways for students to reap all the benefits of a constructive gap year, without the financial burden and safety implications as-

Dario Kenner

Still studying? Gap year!

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton visits Pakistan fort two days of talks and warns the country’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza to give the America more aid against Afghan terrorism.

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

Science

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The vaccine of hope Clodagh McGuire bathimpact Contributor

Professor Science What does the internet actually look like, then?

AFP

The vaccine will soon spell the end of the deadly mosquito

Geeky Gadgets

One small step for your common man

impact-features@bath.ac.uk

The spaceport - soon to be an everday phenomenon Christiana Langma bathimpact Contributor

The internet - basically just a big mess -

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

Business

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Eurozone Bad news for Spain debt crisis I Cristina Tomàs bathimpact Contributor

bathimpact contributor Aran Gnana asks if we should let Greece go

s EU finance ministers meet in Brussels, the future of Greece once again dominates the agenda. It has been bailed out twice by the ‘Troika’ of lenders (the EU, IMF and ECB), and the next tranche of bailouts has just been approved as Greece do not look any nearer to easing their worries. This perhaps justifies raising the question of whether the time has come for Greece to exit the euro, which would almost certainly result in them defaulting on their debts. So why would this option be attractive? Despite the large bailouts and tough austerity measures? Greece are borrowing from the markets at extortionate rates of 22%, their public debt stands at over 140% and they are set to miss their deficit target this year. Furthermore, the Greek economy is not growing, which is essential to dealing with deficit reduction as higher growth means higher tax receipts. Therefore, an alternative route may be needed to address the mess. There is actually some evidence to show that debt default may not be a bad idea. Take Argentina for example; they had similar problems to Greece, but instead of pushing through difficult austerity measures, they decided to default in 2001. This allowed Argentina to significantly devalue their currency, thus boosting exports and grow by more than 60 per cent over the

following six years. Greece’s situation, however, has some differences to Argentina’s. If Greece leaves the euro, then fears may spread that other indebted Eurozone countries such as Italy and Spain may also follow suit. The consequence of this scenario could be catastrophic; as the economies of Italy and Spain are far bigger than Greece’s, and banks owning sovereign debt would suffer heavy losses. Since these banks are still weak, just like in the widespread panic in the autumn of 2008, they would come very close to collapse, possibly causing another global financial crisis. If an exit from the euro is to be ruled out, what can be done instead? There is no ‘magic solution’, but there are a few options being considered. First of all, the European Financial Stability Facility (the Eurozone rescue fund) can be expanded in order to deal with further problems and even handle the economies of Italy and Spain. Secondly, there is already an agreement in place for banks that have lent Greece money to write off about 20% of what is owed. Talks are ongoing as to whether this figure should be higher and, in order for banks to absorb such losses finance ministers are looking at banks raising €100bn in capital. Considering the enormity of the mess, perhaps implementing both measures would be better than choosing one or the other.

f any of you have heard any talk about Spain in the news recently, aside from the Basque separatist group ETA’s recent and hopefully definite declaration of a ceasefire, chances are it hasn’t been anything good. For the most part, other news coming from the country has been far less encouraging because, as it is now almost even redundant to say, Spain has been hard hit by the notorious Eurozone economic crisis. Although it has just been commented that Spain is supposedly “on track to meet economic goals”, according to government sources, just a few days ago the big news coming from Spain was Moody’s downgrading of Spain’s credit rating to A1 with a negative outlook. This was just a few days after Standard & Poor’s, as well as Fitch, gave the country similar credit downgradings. For the last few years Spain’s economy has been, to say the least, mercurial, and has had a definite overall negative tendency; indeed, plenty of Spaniards are more than fed up of hearing about the dismal state of their country’s finances and are disheartened by a seemingly remote chance of recovery, as well as being disillusioned by a political state that many view as equally unlikely of being able to solve the country’s woes any time soon. What does this all really mean in practice? In what ways does it effect Spain’s citizens? For starters, Spain has the highest official unemployment rate in the industrialised world, with a staggering 21.2% overall unemployment according

to the Eurostat August 2011 figures. For youths this figure is even more dismal: the country has an astonishing 46.2% unemployment rate. However, it is also important to recognise that, while maybe not all of the unemployed are included in this group, many of the unemployed certainly do include highly qualified people; the primary problem in terms of finding jobs is

46.2% Spanish youth unemployment rate not of a lack of education in Spain – there is simply a scarcity of employment opportunities, which forces even more qualified people into vying for the positions available that do not even require their qualifications out of sheer desperation. Furthermore, in June of 2011 it was reported that evictions of those incapable of making their mortgage payments had increased threefold since the beginning of the financial crisis and that in only the first four months of 2011, approximately 15,000 families had been forced out of their homes. Unlike other countries in which once an eviction takes place the evicted party is not expected to repay their debt, in Spain those evicted are still held accountable for eventually paying up even though they no longer are allowed the house that was once theirs. There have also

been austerity cuts-a-plenty, with health and education being the most disputed areas affected by these measures: among the many consequences this has had, some hospital emergency rooms have been open for fewer hours, forcing patients to sometimes go further for care, medical copayment methods have been discussed, and, for example, the money available for scholarships and education grants has been decreased while tuition fees have been increased slightly, albeit still not as drastically as in the UK. The stress this has imposed has also been noticed at soup kitchens and other such charities, which have experienced a notably increased demand in their services: now more than one in five people in Spain live below the official poverty line. If anything, Spain is now, thus, a prime example of the human toll the financial crisis has taken. Given this state of affairs, is it of any wonder that the country has been home to the Indignados (“the Indignant”) of the 15-M movement of people camping out in the city centres throughout the country? Or that mass protests taking the streets have become so popular in cities like Barcelona or Madrid, among others, that they are now hardly considered news? On November 20th Spain is taking to the polls to decide, in elections that have been called four months early, the political future of a country in which political disappointment has become commonplace; perhaps then also the future of all of its troubles will also be determined.

France’s AAA rating threatened Magali Calabressi Treasurer impact-money@bath.ac.uk oody’s ratings agency has threatened to downgrade France from its current topnotch AAA rating if costs incurred by the bailing out of banks during the next few months stretches its budget too much. The threat is a direct response to talks amongst European Union leaders to safeguard the EU from a likely Greek debt default, in which case banks that are highly exposed to Greek debt would need to be adequately recapitalised. In addition, the agency feels sceptical about the conclusion of any plans to save the euro during Sunday’s summit (Summit had not yet taken place at time of writing).

Borrowing costs for France soared after the US-based agency’s announcement of France’s outlook. In fact, the difference between its borrowing costs to the other Eurozone’s powerhouse, Germany, rose to a 21-year high. Moody’s stated in its report that “the deterioration in debt metrics and the potential for further contingent liabilities to emerge are exerting pressure on the stable outlook of the government’s AAA debt rating.” Adding that to save their outstanding rating, the country would require “continued commitment to implementing the

ing, whilst the nation’s President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for bold action during the Summit this weekend. He warned, “allowing the destruction of the euro is to risk the destruction of Europe” and that “those who destroy Europe and the euro will bear respon-

measures.” France’s current Finance Minister François Baroin has pledged to do whatever necessary to defend the country’s current sovereign debt rat-

looking guilty. The whole issue has caused quite

division on our continent.” France is the weakest of Europe’s triple-A countries, with Paris’ growth outlooks for next year being “probably too high.” Bearing in mind these growth projections are necessary for

already overwhelmed by debt-heavy countries such as Greece.

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

Business

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The Euro: what next? Y Julia Fioretti bathimpact Contributor et another summit, yet another vague plan. When referring to the EU summit held on October 23rd, François Baroin, France’s Finance Minister said “decisive” measures had to be agreed in order to tackle

increase in the size of the EFSF. In July, European leaders had suggested a voluntary debt restructuring on the part of private banks coupled with deal fell short of helping Greece whilst providing excessive relief to the banks. Raoul Ruparel of Open Europe, a think tank, claims that around 50% of Greek debt ought to be restructured and that European banks ought to be able to weather the ensuing storm thanks to a recapitalisation program through the EFSF. The European Central Bank (ECB), however, has long been adamantly opposed to any form of writedown, which also raises implications for how exactly the EFSF would be gered Italian and Spanish economies without ECB funding. Gavyn Davies, writing for the Financial Times, explains that in order for Greece to reach an ambitious debt target of 80 per cent of GDP by 2016, the rescue package would have to amount to €200bn. A 50 per cent haircut on Greek debt that is held in private hands and which currently amounts to €240bn would thus raise €120bn, which still leaves a hole of €80bn. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that the 50% haircut could be

A bite of business

Magali Calabressi brings you business that’s short and sweet

EU bans ‘naked’ CDS

The Euro’s sole existence is under threat

implemented voluntarily, thus raising the spectre of a technical default. A corollary of the debt write-down is the problem of banking liquidity (or lack of it). Martin Wolf (FT) explains that the debt overhang impairs both solvency and liquidity in the banking through capital injections and central bank support as the solution. However, as Gavyn Davies rightly points out, the amount of recapitalisation needed depends on the size of the write-downs on Greek debt and on the market’s expectations of possible future writedowns on other sovereign debt bewhy it is absolutely vital to protect Italy and Spain from being engulfed in the

“

Some kind of haircut on Greek bonds is necessary

”

crisis by putting Europe’s banking sector on sound footing. George Magnus, a senior economic adviser at UBS Investment Bank, believes that the ECB ought to be prepared to stand by and buy any amount of Spanish and Italian bonds to prevent banking contagion. Unfortunately, the need to build a a bolstering of the EFSF, which at its to ring-fence the crisis. Policy-makers have been bending over backwards to get around the ECB’s unwillingness to buy struggling economies’ bonds and to lend to the EFSF, touting various ideas which involve borrowing from public institutions that already have a banking license and that therefore have access to ECB funding. Another option would be for the EFSF to guarnew bonds issued by ailing countries; it would be able to implement this without requiring money from the ECB but the prospect of a bank recapitalisation will sharply deplete its

reserves rendering this harder. Gavyn Davies argues that the EFSF however could use its remaining capital, estimated at €200bn after various rescue packages and possible recapitalisation programmes, to insure about €1000bn bond purchases in Spain and Italy, thus covering their bond issuances for the next three years. This would soothe markets’ nerves and more importantly, buy European leaders a window frame in which they could tackle the euro zone’s underlying problems, namely lack of competitiveness and growth in the periphery countries. Fostering growth in Greece and its neighbours is a daunting task, to say the least. Yet without growth the debt burden will linger on, as Vicky Pryce, senior managing director of economics at FTI Consulting, pointed out. The have been adhering so zealously is only one side of the coin and does not solve the structural problems that affect the Mediterranean countries. One needs only to look at the ominous slashing of growth forecasts in the United Kingdom, which has embarked on an auto see how austerity can tighten the tap of an economy reducing it to a mere trickle. Christopher Smallwood, writing for Lombard Street Research, claims that the Club Med will restore competitiveness by falling wages and mass layoffs, both of which are likely to have extremely painful repercussions.

he EU has put a ban on ‘naked’ credit default swaps trading. A CDS is like a conventional insurance policy in that the seller of the CDS has to compensate the buyer in case of a loan default. Now ‘naked’ refers to the purchasing of a CDS by an investor who holds no position in the underlying sovereign debt – in other words, they are insuring something inexistent in which case they are still compensated in case of default. Being a highly controversial issue, talks of such ban have been going on

for over a year. However European parliament and member states have reached an agreement in that this ban will regulate traders short selling of bonds and shares and buying credit insurance. The main issue lies in the buying of CDS by traders as a sure win rather than a means of reducing their exposure to risk on underlying positions. the issue, many of which claim that there is little to no proof such ban will have an effect on a country’s stability.

Short selling is another form of gambling in the CDS market

BP reaches ‘turning point’

P, the oil and gas giant, has promised to increase shareholder return by announcing its plans to sell $15bn (£9bn) of assets after reaching a “definite turning point” following last year’s Gulf of Mexico spills. BP shares rose by 4 per cent after its chief executive Bob Dud-

ley, raised planned disposals to $45bn from the earlier $30bn, an impressive growth of 50 per cent. These strong quarterly updates from BP (and also BG Group) have made investors optimistic and aided Britain’s top share index in reaching a two and a half month high. Graham Turner

zone. “Decisive”, however, does not seem like the right word to use after European politicians delayed the disbursement of the next €8bn tranche of the rescue package for Greece until November, thereby disseminating even more uncertainty in the markets. Furthermore, all the public talk about a possible restructuring of Greek debt has done precious little to soothe investors’ frazzled nerves. The decision to postpone the next disbursement of money is the least of everyone’s problems however, and was probably taken in an attempt to push Athens into further reforms as there are no big bond payments due in coming weeks. The medium and long-term decisions are the ones that European leaders are proving unbelievably loath to take, such as agreeing on a partial write-down of Greece’s debts, recapitalising European banks and bolstering the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF). Yet everyone seems in agreement that the more European leaders prevaricate, the more entrenched and harder to resolve the crisis becomes. Most experts agree that some kind of haircut on Greek bonds is necessary, as long as it is combined with

shock but it will also have the corollary effect of slowing down the adjustment process. Furthermore, Martin Wolf fall in Greece and its neighbours, then surpluses must fall in other countries, notably Germany. Yet discussion on this aspect has been conspicuously absent. The quagmire in which the Euroginning of a very long and tortuous process to address the fundamental imbalances within it, which were disastrously overlooked in its inception.

BP stock gain aided the increase in Britain’s top share index

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

Sport

www.bathimpact.com

International sports news Matthew Givans bathimpact Contributor

early a quarter of a century since winning the inaugural Rugby World Cup, New Zealand lifted the Webb Ellis Cup for a second against a fearless French side. A narrow 8-7 win capped a memorable tournament down under,

With the All Blacks winning all seven pool games, most of which will go down as deserving champions, despite being largely outComing into the game, France were widely derided for being the ‘worst team to ever grace the New Zealand would win in comfortable fashion. The reality was anything but, as a heroic effort marshalled by the outstanding Thierry Dusautoir nearly gave the Northern Hemisphere its second world title. end, Bath bound Stephen Donald received the call up to replace the himself was only promoted after

the Rec will be welcoming a new addition with the same impressive accolade. What is certain is that Bath have gained a quality player who will be brimming with The tournament itself has been a fantastic advert for rugby, with the New Zealand public embracing all 20 participating teams, and ensuring that there was a vibrant atmosphere throughout the country in both stadiums and the various fan parks. With most high at 9am BST on weekends, it certainly has been two months of early starts and bacon sandwiches for those of us back home, with pubs enjoying a roaring trade at the unlikeliest of hours. For a New Zealand nation that is as obsessed with rugby as England is with football, this win will go down in their history. Auck-

cheering their heroes on an emotional ride through the city. Richie McCaw, three times IRB player of the year, joins an impressive list of World Cup winning captains, and for a player who has achieved so much in the game, this surely is the pinnacle. His reaction of a victorious home World

days later, Donald would make all games, and would end up kicking the winning points to clinch the game. Coach Graham Henry and Captain Richie McCaw were suitably impressed, with Henry commenting “Donald came on and played bloody well”. With -

one of the guys. We stuck to our guns and got there in the end.” with upsets, quality abound and in the end a deserving winner. get the chance to host the eighth Rugby World Cup Tournament. Can they follow on from New

Bath Fencing; sharp as ever Tom Ash bathimpact Contributor

or most at Bath the first weekend of October is all about Toga Night and the delightful hangover induced by a week of fresher-related fun. For our fencers however, this is the weekend of the Under 20 British Championships, one of the toughest and most fiercely-contested events on the fencing calendar. Three Bath students made their way up to Sheffield in order to compete. GB team member Chris Hay made a promising start to the Commenting on his first round,

www.Guardian.co.uk “You don’t like to see hookers going down on players like that”

Rugby World Cup final.

quarter finals. Here he came up against reigning U20 world champion Philip Marsh, who trains at

and a half before I got kitted up and ready to fence, armed to the nately I was fencing really well and I finished the first round seeded first in the competition.”

victories with Florence Bird hot on her heels, dropping just one close Going into the elimination, both girls made it through comfortably they both fell victim to tougher draws than should perhaps have been the case at this stage.

Chris Hay (left) in action at the U20 British Championships

Interdepartmental football kicks off Jonathan Gleave bathimpact Sport Editor impact-sport@bath.ac.uk The IDFC got under way on October

will certainly hope so.

Quote of the day

Chris was being pushed hard to defend his seeding; bruising en-

going on to take the title for the second year running. Hay was able to take the positives out of the fight, remarking: “All things considered I thought I was fencing very well. I have another competition in Newcastle this weekend to qualify for a World Cup in Slovakia in November.” Since the time of writing, Chris has won the Newcastle selection event. He is currently ranked lected for Slovakia. All in all, Fencing in Bath looks to be in pretty good shape.

the recommended way of warming up for a national championship. I

games being played on grass, this departed Bath over the summer,

champion Toni Denham of Wellington, who had had a slow start to the day but had, by now, upped her game, whilst Florence came up ing champion Elisabeth Powell of Team Melia, who in the end proved too much for her to handle.

the University with Bath Sword. A close fight ensued. Marsh emerged

Education

Elec Eng

Chem Eng

Chemistry

NatSci

Physics

Maths

BUMS

Management ACE

Mech Eng 0-3

CompSci like they may be the teams to beat.

Economics Biology

SPS

3:Thirty Club launch this week Tom Lacey bathimpact Contributor This week is the launch week for the '3:Thirty Club' at the University of Bath. The Sport England funded club is being launched in order to improve the amount of intramural, recreational and social sport at the University and give you, the students, a say over what you want to play and when. of sports YOU want to play. On the programme currently there

is Football, Touch Rugby, Volleyball, Cricket, Futsal, Tennis, Basketball, Netball, Table Tennis, Badminton and Trampolining. So there is quite literally some-

thing for everyone. For more information on how to get involved go to: www.teambath.com/sport/ student/3thirty-club

Monday 31st October 2011

bathimpact

Sport

www.bathimpact.com

Results Endacott’s been sleighed roundup »

Gleave’s gripes

This week’s gripe is going to be

Nik Simon bathimpact Contributor

Jonathan Gleave bathimpact Sport Editor impact-sport@bath.ac.uk

By the power of magnets my arse

hopes that the bobsleigh training -

GB Bobsleigh/Mike Varey

their great start to the season by beat-

Whilst contesting with a Gloucester -

Endacott showing off her new mode of transport

Your selected matches of the week Hockey Men’s 1st: Bath vs Exeter 2nd November, astro pitch 2, 2:45pm.

The only reason these things

Basketball Men’s 1st: Bath vs Gloucestershire 9th November, Founders Hall at 1pm -

bitches?!

impactsport Rugby Union, p22

Monday 31st October 2011

Inside impactsport Endacott turns her hand to bobsleigh University of Bath graduate Katherine Endacott follows up on her double medal success at last year’s Commonwealth Games on the track by being selected for GB Bobsleigh.

The Founders Hall, the hub of most social and rec sports. Drab, uninviting and in need of major investment when compared to the STV

Bath’s Sports Pass is not class Jonathan Gleave bathimpact Sport Editor impact-sport@bath.ac.uk

ast issue’s article on the Sports Pass being class appeared to confuse a few people. The article was never intended to be expressed as the views of myself, the Students Union, the paper or of the article’s author. It was an interview to put across the Sports Department’s view on why they set it up and why they deemed it to be a good thing. Some improvements have been made already, such as a ten per cent increase in the time available for student clubs to use the University’s sporting facilities. It remains however that a lot of students are still disgruntled about having to pay £100 for something that this time last year, was completely free. This is totally understandable and it’s only fair that now that the Sports Department have had their view published, the students get their views published too. You will have heard both sides of the argument and can decide which side of the fence you come under. Or alternatively, you can just choose to sit on it. The simple reason why a lot of students feel they aren’t getting the best

out of their £100 fee is probably because they were promised too much too soon. More has been promised by the Sports Department than they can actually deliver on; this isn’t due to a lack of effort on their part, more due to a lack of control. Priority has to be given to external bodies for some facilities. This is because a lot of the Sports Training Village build was funded by Sport England and other national governing bodies. Part of the agreement when the STV was built was for national set-ups and local community clubs to be given facility time, and in some cases preference over student use. This is an unfortunate oversight that the Sports Pass cannot realistically address. If too much time were to be given to student usage, then the risk would be run of government funding being removed altogether and us losing the privilege of having such fantastic sporting facilities in the The Sports Pass doesn’t just have logistical problems either. The main gripe with students is the fact that if you play for a club team it is actually going to cost you £130 pounds. This is so because you have to join the Sports Association and pay club fees to play

Some students are unhappy, probably not this unhappy though

competitive, non intramural sport. All of these fees do eventually add up and make playing sport quite an expensive endeavour. Not only is it quite expensive for those wanting to play organised, competitive sport, there are also currently limited provisions for intramural or social level sport, although the new ‘3:Thirty Club’ programme brought in this month is going to go a long way to address that. One point raised by staff and stu-

December When the barriers are rumoured to be in place dents alike is that ‘freeloaders’ can leech off of their friends who have paid the Sports Pass and booked the court. They can then just turn up and play for a comparatively measly 50 pence. James Pomery, a fourth year Economics student, made the point that “as a Sports Pass holder, if I book a tennis court my friend can come and play for just 50 pence, posing the question of why I should pay £100 for the same privilege? I enjoy playing tennis, but would have to play 200 times in my 201 days I am at university during semesters to get the same value... Brilliant, a day off!” He has a valid point. There have also been some major problems with the logistical implementation of the pass. The plan included a new barrier system to be built over the summer ready for the new term. The latest rumours are

that it will in fact not be in place until December. As it stands many people can get away with using the facilities without having paid as staff simply do not have the man power to check that every single person entering the building has paid. This really does suggest a fundais supposed to work and operate. This is before we even consider the Founders Hall. It is currently operating an “honesty box”, for pay and play users to drop 50 pence into every time they use the facility. There is a rough plan in place by the Students’ Union Sports Association (which is completely separate from the Sports Department) to bring down the cost for more casual users in semester two. This will hopefully go some way to try and bridge the gap possibly existing between elite/ BUCS players and more every day, recreational users; a lot of whom feel that the Pass has left them somewhat marginalised. The new 3:Thirty Club programme up issue four when it comes out) will also address some of the issues raised regarding recreational users. Until that can get under way however, and until physical improvements in some of the facilities can be seen (particularly in the founders hall), there will be a lot of students who will feel hard done by. The general consensus will remain that until these things happen, although the Sports Department claim to have provided the best value possible, students still feel they are a long way from fully justifying what is in essence, quite a lot of money.

Nik Simon caught up with Endacott for impactsport, turn to page 23 for more

Nothing blunt about Bath Fencing Earlier this month Bath Fencing Club had some of their members competing at the U20 British Championships.

they got on

Matches of the Week A new feature of impactsport this year that you may have already noticed are the advertised ‘Matches of the Week’. This issue sees our Mens’s Hockey and Basketball teams being selected as the teams to watch. Turn to page 23 to see where, when, and who they are playing and why you should show your support

impactsport needs you! Do you want to write a match report for your team? Do you have something to say about sport at our University? Interested in sports journalism, design or photography? Or even just passionate about sport in general? Get in touch! impactsport wants to hear from people like you! Contact bathimpact Sport Editor Jon Gleave (impact-sport@bath. ac.uk) to find out more details about how you can get yourself involved.

RituaL Nowhere on campus is safe Pages 8 & 9

Monday 31st October 2011

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EDITORIAL

Our Reality

by Holly Narey

Holly Narey bite Editor

impact-bite@bath.ac.uk

CONTENTS Student Lifestyle Our Reality of Rituals - Page 2 Why I Never Left University Page 3 Overworked and Underpaid Page 5

Sex & Relationships Death by Alsatians is Not an Option - Page 6 Sexual sacrament - Page 6

The Guide Page 7

Fashion Do you have what it takes to survive? - Pages 8 & 9

Music

Example, Playing in the Shadows - Page 11 Crouching Beaver, Hidden Squirrel reviews - Page 11 You Me at Six, Sinners Never Sleep - Page 11 Get Yourselves Educated - Page 12

Film

Do you have what it takes to survive? - Pages 8 & 9 Get Yourselves Educated - Page 12 Wicker... Men? - Page 12 The Adventures of Tintin - Page 13 Horror Films Just Aren’t Scary Enough - Page 13

Food

Love Food Hate Waste - Page 15 Bread and Butter Pudding - Page 15

Puzzle corner Page 16

www.facebook.com/bathimpactbite www.bathimpact.com U n i v e r s i t y

o f

B a t h

S t u d e n t s ’

U n i o n

STUDENT

m edia

Welcome, again, to bite. I’m hoping that by now reading this magazine will have become one of your fortnightly rituals. Did you notice my clever link to the theme just there? I hope so. And that’s why I’m the editor, people. Our lead article this week has been written by one Anna Vidos, who on page 2 is exploring the rituals hidden in our dayto-day life. On page 3 Jenny Allen responds to Simon O’Kane’s article from issue 1, and tells us why she never left education. Our regular contributor, Rowan Emslie, continues his commentary on the life of a placement student on page 5, and explains why, for him, a successful work life and social life are at odds with each other. For those who want something pretty juicy, page 6 has our relationship and sex columnists returning to tell us about how to avoid going through the motions in a relationship, and all the details of some bizarre historic sexual rituals (as well as a few modern ones). If you’re at a loss at what to do in Bath over the next couple of weeks, see The Guide on page 7 to see what’s on both in town and on campus. For those wanting to read about fashion, the fashion pages have again changed this week to a seasonal theme. A few willing Bath University students have allowed me to turn them into the undead for a zombie apocalypse photo shoot and survival guide. Head to pages 8 and 9 to see more... if you dare, buahahaha. For the music-lovers out there, pages 11 and 12 are for you. Page 11 has a plethora of reviews of new music for you to feast your eyes on, written by Sam Faulkner, Iwan Best and by URB’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Squirrel. Page 12 sees Nick Hill again encouraging us to get ourselves educated. Also on page 12, John Barlow gives us an overview of the striking differences between the original and remake of The Wickerman. For anyone thinking of going to the cinema soon, on page 13 Ron Morrow tells us why we should all be booking to see The Adventures of Tintin. read on page 13 why Esther Osarfo-Mensah thinks this is a waste of time. Don’t throw away those leftovers. If you’re wondering why, see Nia Evans’ advice on food waste on page 15, and her idea of what to do with your almost-stale bread. For the second week in a row, Dorian Liddle is king of the puzzles as he again challenges us to use our brains for once on page 16. So, enjoy. Any comments, queries, or desire to get involved, send me an email at impact-bite@bath.ac.uk

Advertising Enquires Helen Freeman H.Freeman@bath.ac.uk 01225 386806

bathimpact Students’ Union University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY 01225 38 6151 01225 44 4061 The opinions expressed in bathimpact are not necessarily those of the bathimpact editors nor of the University of Bath Students’ Union. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct and accurate at the time of going to print, the publisher cannot accept any liability for information which is later altered or incorrect. bathimpact as a publication adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Conduct. Please contact them for any information.

University of Bath Students’ Union

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Boo.

Written by Anna Vidos

ow that such a mischievous time is upon us and our zombie and vampire costumes are dusted down, the tradition of Halloween takes centre stage. It all started in Scotland with bonfires and lanterns, but our rituals today are more based on an American model. We have trick-or-treating, jack-o-lanterns, costumes and most of all, parties. Getting dressed up and going out is far from the quiet contemplation of All Souls’ Eve, where soul cakes were eaten and a glass of wine was left out for the souls of the ancestors. Most of you must have noticed the signs in Sainsbury’s, controlling egg and flour sales for under-eighteens during the Halloween season. Either Sainsbury’s hates children baking during the holiday season, or it reflects that the ritual of Halloween has taken a very different, mischievous turn in the past few centuries. So what exactly are rituals today? When we think of them, most of us imagine nights out as freshers getting so wasted that we can’t find our own mouths. And let’s admit it; we hear about plenty of other initiations from our own friends at university, when they talk about coming home smelling of ketchup, mustard, sick and vodka. Each year we are laughed at by everyone, yet each year it continues. But never mind that, who doesn’t like seeing freshers reeking of vomit and alcohol in ridiculous outfits? There are so many other rituals in our everyday life that we never even pause to think about, and yet, when we give them the time of day, they can seem just as ridiculous as those messy nights out we love to hate. Rituals can be personal, like the way you organise your morning, keep your notes tidy, without a speck or a smudge, or they can be huge, enveloping cultures, countries, religions. How can you know that you have your own little rituals? Most of them are unnoticeable until you, or someone else breaks them. When you are introduced to someone, you hold out your hand to shake theirs. If they instead give you a courteous nod with their head and your hand is left hanging, what is that, if not a broken ritual? For you, that is. If you sneeze, I’ll say bless you. Or gesundheit, maybe Santé, Salud or Na Zdravje. I could answer you in nearly any language, and there would be a common factor in all of them (except for American sign-language for some reason) as they would all refer to a sort of blessing of God to your health. Where does it originate from? There are many explanations, so here are just a few of the funny ones to entertain you. Back in the days, when bubonic plague was still kicking about, people thought that sneezing was one of the first symptoms of the sickness. The Pope at the time (Gregory I) thought that praying would be a great way of avoiding the epidemic, so when anyone sneezed, it was advised to bless them to save them and yourself. Another explanation is to do with the medieval idea of your heart stopping or that evil spirits leave your body when you sneeze. Even though we don’t really believe these myths nowadays, it’s another strange ritual that we unconsciously abide to over and over again, anywhere in the world. George Mikes, a Hungarian dissident of the 1940s, wrote a fabulous book titled How to be an Alien (1946) about the curious quirks of British society. He draws parallels between the rest of Europe and England, for example how the topic of weather would be avoided on the Continent (being thought of as awfully boring), while “in England, if you do not repeat the phrase “Lovely day, isn’t it?” at least two hundred times a day, you are considered a bit dull.” And it is true, isn’t it? While we always talk of the typical English weather, being the same, rainy and dull, there is such a lot to be talked about, a ritual topic that has to be discussed in order to be polite. Queues are an even closer topic to the student body. Especially since we can’t hear of anything else but the queues in Oldfield Park for the 9.15 lectures, as I imagine most of the readers themselves have experienced when a full bus rolls past us and we glare with the utmost hatred. But would anyone dare to cut the line? No, people stand in an orderly fashion, even if they are missing a lecture by doing so. For those waiting for the buses, it really is a morning ritual. Should you try to exercise the same sort of behaviour in a bus stop in most other countries, you would definitely not get on a bus for a very long time. It’s just a fact, try it. And another national passion; tea! Feeling under the weather? Brew up a cuppa! Have you heard any bad news? I’ll put the kettle on! Awkward moment when meeting your friends’ parents? There is plenty to talk about: how many sugars they take it with, milk or no milk! While coffee is all the rage in most countries I have visited, here, the English breakfast tea is dominating common taste. Douglas Adams wrote instructions to making a proper cup of tea for Americans who don’t understand the obsession with the beverage. The water must be boiling, rather than boiled, milk should go in first

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of Rituals and then the tea (though the writer does admit, that it’s socially incorrect to do so), and teapot over teacup. But just because a writer makes his tea this way, don’t we all have our own habit? Loose tea leaves versus teabags, porcelain teapots against individual cups, and plenty of other variations for the observant eye. In contrast to the little things of everyday life, there are bigger rituals, seeped into a country’s customs. Weddings and funerals are an intriguing strange “Sky Burial” which consists of hacking the deceased to pieces on top of a mountain and then leaving them to be pecked away by the vultures? Or that you could get yourself shot up to space and have your ashes implanted on the moon’s surface? If you’re interested on paying a small fortune for a space burial, then check out the website of Memorial Spaceflights here: www.memorialspaceflights.com. With weddings, we expect a white dress, the church bells chiming and a huge wedding cake, while in a Hindu setting red is the most auspicious colour for a wedding saree, and without the presence of a sacred fire the wedding is deemed incomplete by law. Even just the colour white holds so many different messages; while it’s associated with weddings in Western communities, it’s the colour of grief in most EastAsian countries. Various rituals exist that we engage in on an everyday basis, whether we acknowledge it or not. They are the ancient building blocks of our society; they guide us through situations, our days and remain as effortless and comforting, yet oddly symbolic gestures throughout our whole lives.

You can’t even make a pot of tea without running into countless cultural and personal differences

Why I Never Left Education Written by Jenny Allen

can echo the point raised by Simon O’Kane, ‘every academic has been a fresher at one point’. So here I am, a student at the University of Bath, a grandmother, persuaded by my grandson, a BBA student currently in Ja-

of Humanities and Science (Education). Maybe that’s unusual, a grandmother and a grandson on the same campus, perhaps a mother and a son, but a grandmother and grandson, oh no! I’ve been through three generations of schooling, well four, if you count my mother’s experience, and seven if you count my great-great-grandmother’s experience, for as a straw-plaiter in 1861, aged 9, she didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, and had to attend a workshop to support the trade of straw bonhistory of a single-sex school for girls, which is in the process of cataloguing and restoring its archives. How did it all begin and why? Was there a need for girls How were you taught to read? I just loved a sticker on the back window of cars belonging to teacher-trainee students in Australia (stickers on cars now a teacher, taught children single syllable words, so, be, it; it be so; so it be, which if said in a Bristolian accent... Well, I’ll leave that for you to work out. My experience was R for Rover, a picture of a dog. This, for most readers, will be sori School in Australia and could read at 3 and a half, they’ve got K (er), E (ee) R (rr) O (oh) there, sounding out the letters and reading from a sign in a garage which had KERO (short for kerosene). My grandson, on the other hand, learnt from ‘looking and saying’ and on parking in a shopping centre, read and said, ‘they’ve got ANGEL parking’ (angle parking). So we come full circle, laden with tonnes of experiences. I have loved teaching both children and student teachers, and have co-ordinated Gifted Children’s programmes for country children. I have loved their stories of grandparents in the 1930s living in the isolated ‘outback’, in a mud house lined with hessian

my thesis. Jenny Allen has written a book to be published and launched on February 24th, 2012.

Throughout the generations, teaching has changed, but a joy of learning has remained

Monday 31st October 2011

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Overworked and Underpaid Written by Rowan Emslie

“

What is it that you actually do?”

I’ve been at my job for two months now and, with each and every passing day, I find it more and more difficult to explain what it is I’m doing. I tend to fall back on a vague description of what the organisation does which is fairly obscure - the human rights sector is basically pretty obscure - and tends to illicit one of two responses. The first and most common is a mostly disinterested “oh that sounds great, good for you,” meaning that I am labelled as a generic do-gooder which tends to lead straight to literally any other topic of conversation. The second response is much rarer but is also double thickness - anger and mockery. People who read The Daily Mail with a straight face tend to tip out their scorn bucket all over my head when I reveal that I work “in human rights”, challenging my decision to do so with elegant put-downs like:

“Oh right you’re one of them who protects terrorists?” Or: “Fucking human rights, what have they ever done for anyone? Get a real job.” In these situations the ability to coherently outline what you do and why it is important would be extremely useful. It’s quite difficult to do that when I find it almost impossible to articulate to normal human beings how my working hours are filled. The problem is jargon. As anyone who has ever encountered annoying management speak or attempted to do a degree in the social sciences (Sample: “The black is a white construction, he admits, that is a consequence of a social world that stands between phylogenetic and ontogenetic forces”) will know that there are relatively few things that still seem particularly complicated after you’ve translated them into a recognisable human language. In fact, I would say that the main thing my degree programme has taught me this far is how to do these jargon-tohuman translations. Unfortunately, the world of international development is one of codes and acronyms, so many acronyms that it makes a lot of the conversations infinitely less accessible. There are seventeen UN agencies all of which are commonly referred to by their acronyms. Seventeen! Last week I overheard a bit of conversation that went almost exactly like this:

“We need to insert the RTI agenda into the post-MDG landscape.” “Yeah, we’ll get it on the table at Rio 2012, see if the TI guys will back us up.” “Do we know if DFID or OHCHR are behind this?” Needless to say, I do a lot of Googling. After looking up acronyms and translating my activities into vaguely understandable words the people who have mocked or dismissed my working life have normally gotten bored and wandered off. It’s a little disheartening. In the last instalment of this column I made a triumphant reference to the seemingly modest achievement of not being regarded as a complete simpleton by my colleagues and thus being engaged with by them and getting more involved in some of the activities of the organisation. I stand by this being a wonderful thing but it has led to new problems. When I first got here basically all I did was convert old PDF files into HTML (acronyms ahoy) files for the organisation’s website. It was a riot. My ability to not obviously break any-

thing while I did that task allowed me access to some more interesting work - copy editing press releases, researching topics for interviews, building up contact lists - which gave me access to still more acronyms: hey, Rowan, can you upload this letter to all the UN agencies on the website? Make sure you put the full name of all the agencies! The more I am allowed to participate with what the organisation is doing, the more impenetrable jargon there is and, therefore, the harder it is to explain to non-development people. What is quite nice is that the increase in the awkward social situations I find myself in is directly proportionate to how engaged I am with my job - the lack of party small talk is because things are going well at work. Now all I have to do is properly convince myself that this is a good thing. I’ve adopted that phrase as a sort of mantra, repeating it to myself as reassurance that things are as they should be. Now I think about, constantly muttering ‘this is a good thing’ under my breath might skew my data somewhat... Coming across as a mad person doesn’t necessarily make things socially awkward, does it?

For more go to http://rowanemslieintern.worpress.com/ Or follow me at http://twitter.com/RowanEmslie

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Death by Alsatians is Not an Option Written by bite’s Relationship Columnist

elationships run the risk of turning into ritual monotony rather than the raucous rambunctiousness that they started out as. It is a trap that all of us fall into at some point or another, the trick is taking a step back

the opposite sex, hence the dramatic expansion of the little

A ritual can be described as a stereotyped activity or be-

recalling the name or face of your conquest. The thrill of the single life starts fade sooner or later, and

evolve subconsciously rather than actively seek to take up, of choice and you actively seek any available attention from

that comfort, regularity and yes, a relationship, is actually

begin to resent the person that in your mind has restrained this part of your life and your transformation into a bunny boiler begins.

rocky, and you as a result have to make changes. Therefore

else you do. The comfort blanket becomes suffocating rather To avoid the bad ending that everybody hates... communicate, liberate and titillate each other every day and most -

They may look cute and cuddly, but they’re hungry for the blood of singletons

Sexual Sacrament Written by bite’s Sex Columnist

ike many of my quotidian pleasantries, sex, or sexual acts have become something of a ritual. When a member of the opposite sex isn’t at hand, I’ll admit, I might indulge myself by getting to

human microcosm through ritual to achieve creajoined to perform the sacred ritual of permitted public sex. It is believed that rituals bring people together,

routine, or maybe even tickle my taco right before bed

as “a great family day out”…. cringe… On a slightly less grim note, sexual ritual is a core

day.

bringing people together and fostering stronger con-

Christmas is coming round the corner… and damn, do After a short spell of research, the links to ritual and sex appear to be even stronger than once imagined.

people other than the bridegroom and especially his

The nights are getting longer... you don’t want to know what might going on in the shadows of these stones

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The Guide

The dog may be dead but these guys are alive and kicking. Watch this space.

Music

Arts & Nights Out

Friendly Fires Bristol - O2 Academy - 10th November - 7pm £16 As the winter begins and the cold starts to set in, get back in the summer mood with the perfect party soundtrack. With the recent release of their new album “Pala”, Friendly Fires visit the nearby city of Bristol in the well-known O2 Academy for their 2011 tour. Known for their nerdy look and upbeat rhythms this going to be a good’un.

Get Inside the New York Times Bath - The Little Theatre Cinema - November 7th 6pm

Moles Disarray Bath - Moles - 7th November - 7:30 Free Entry With four bands waiting in the wings and free entry for everyone this is not a night to stay in. With music from the every varied “The Blood Choir”, a mix of tunes from folk to grunge. A more light hearted set from “The Wind Singpick up the pace with soulful melodies and some hip hop rhythms, with mouth beats and percussion provided by S30. Finishing off with “Chimerical” another local band on their UK tour with a combination of catchy hooks and rumears ringing Dog is Dead Moles - 4th November - 10pm £5 With their many EP releases and travelling all the way from Nottingham Dog is Dead are on a cooldown after their festival tours and their time spent supporting Bombay Bicycle Club. These guys are about to make it big as their youtube hits start to soar, with their unique indie style with lots of love for harmonies. Get on youtube/spotify and get these guys in your head because on 4th November they are here in bath for one night at the bargain price of £5, in one of our favourite sweaty hotspots that is, of course, Moles.

documentary gives the viewer an inside look at one of the the problems facing print forms of journalism, and highlights how newspapers and their professional journalists provide the investigative groundwork from which all other forms of media derive their material. Posing the question… without print, would there be the in-depth information needed to create online and television news? After the screening our very own Editor in Chief, Kylie Barton, will be sitting on a panel to discuss how the internet has affected print journalism. 11/11/11 - All One: A Global Awakening For Peace and Awareness The Tub - 11th November - 10pm Tickets TBC with a global campaign started by the Outallectual Collective, focussed on peace and global unity. This is also the day of the their Oattallectual Agenda web/magazine. Check it out on fa-

Roller Disco Bath Pavillion - Every Monday 7:30pm £5 (NUS) bruises. With free skate hire, some retro banging tunes and more importantly a bar, this is a chance to return to childhood pastimes for a bargain price. Choose either some roller blades or roller skates and get ready to rip up the Pavillion. Bad hair and spandex is optional.

On Campus Rag Firework Display Bath Recreation Ground - November 5th - 7pm Tickets £2 have combined resources to put on this fantastic display and kindly sponsored by Bath Building Society and First Bus. This will be the only Fireworks display in the city worth going to, and will incorporate displays from the Bath University Students’ Union Clubs and Societies as well as a fantastic drinks stands will also be onsite! Fireworks will be at 8:30. This is not an event to miss; every year students and residents alike roll up to campus for a

ICIA Seen any pictures or photographs on the walls on your way to lectures lately? It’ll be ICIA’s doing. As this semester starts, they are not only busy with their dance, performance, visual arts and music classes, but also with bringing today’s artists’ work to the campus. On Wednesday the 2nd Alan Cotton gives a talk on A Sense of Place. The Guide is sure you must have seen the posters across campus for bgroup’s dance performance, The Lessening of Difference, and it’s your chance to see it on Saturday the 12th. On the 13th it’s the Choral and Orchestral Soci-

website at www.bath.ac.uk/icia

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Written by The Survivors of the Apocalypse

The Rules

Observe and take note: how mobile are they? How long do they take to “turn”? Are they Dawn of the Dead or more 28 Days Later? How do you kill them? Usually it’s a headshot, but being in the UK might make guns an issue.

Don’t let yourself be cornered. if you’re cornered, you’re dinner. No hiding out in basements or getting into any kind of panic room situation. You will have to get out soon enough, and very quickly - KNOW YOUR ESCAPE ROUTES.

Don’t get distracted. This isn’t an essay mark you’re jeopardising, it’s your life. Don’t go anywhere alone, have someone watching your back at all times. In return, watch your teammates’ backs, you’ll need them in an emergency

Don’t be a dick. You will die. Dicks always die. Also, don’t be a hero. If you act the hero, you will probably die. All your showy gallantry will just give them more time to get you. If you get the chance to run away, take it. You don’t want to end up with your head in a microwave.

Campus carnage

Go somewhere with a low surface area to volume ratio; the more windows and doors, the more ways in for the zombies; you want a few

If you can trap them, do it. Don’t get sentimental about the people you love. Don’t hesitate to kill your zombie friends, and don’t keep them in the shed and try to play videogames with them.

a balance.

Importantly, how intelligent are they? Do they retain any of their former personality? If so, can you reason with them? Can they effectively plan and execute an attack? If so... oh dear.

Everything is a weapon. Pool cues, big books, maybe head to the STV and try to get your hands on a crossbow. The more badass, the better.

Run fast. Bad advice in hindsight, but if you think there’s a zombie invasion on the horizon, start hitting the gym.

If you can’t beat them, join them You need: White facepaint Grey facepaint Dark red facepaint Black eye-pencil Liquid latex Fake blood Sponges

We all know that it’s the scientists who do it. Bloody scientists, don’t they know when to stop? So presumably, either by some radiation accident or the production of some terrifying genetically-modifying retrovirus, it’ll all go wrong somewhere in those mysterious science-houses (sometimes called “labs” by people in the know). The infection will, of course, head to the area of highest population (aka food concentration); shown here as the library, (but let’s be honest, it would probably be The Plug). From there it would spread swiftly to the various accommodations, as woozy students go home to recover from their bite marks from those weird students, assuming the infected were just incredibly hungover and mistook them for a burger. OH HOW WRONG THEY WILL BE. Once it’s established in the different halls, it’s up to the survivors’ wit and cunning to survive. If you’re in Westwood, you’re probably screwed. Especially if you live in a terrace; the narrow corridor, one way down design will almost ensure you’ll be trapped. Get outta there! Brendon Court and Eastwood have it better. If you manage to clear a lockable area of the infected, you’ll be able to set up a stronghold worthy of big screen

Thanks to Emily Robson, Ben Hooper, Harriet Tangney, Tom Brennan, Eleanor Shiavone, Jessie Catt and Gemma Hazel Isherwood. Special thanks to Sam Short, photographer.

level. Proximity to the student shop and The Plug’s kitchof brain-hungry undead, waiting it out for an army rescue might be your only chance. Here’s hoping you did a well-timed Sainsbury’s shop recently. Marleborough and Solsbury, I’m sorry to say it, but you’ll probably get surrounded, especially if the Turned retain their eyesight; seeing a tasty dinner through your big windows will cause a hoard at the outside of your corridor. It may look like a Freshers’ Week party, but it’s not quite as welcoming. Good luck to you though! Woodland probably have a pretty good chance; with multiple ways out via stairs or lift (assuming Survival at the end of the day will depend on the cooperation of the various student strongholds, so surely this more than anything is an incentive for all of us to throw away our differences and work, united, as a student body. A lesson to be learnt: If there are any big inter-house Our Zombies having a bite to eat

Jessie Catt

1) Firstly, apply liquid latex to the victim’s skin in areas that you want to look like terrible wounds, layering it gradually with a sponge, allowing each layer to dry, until you can pull it away from the skin (like when you’re a kid and cover your hands with glue just so you can pull it off again. 2) Then gradually splodge white facepaint on the face, neck, arms and other exposed skin to give a death pallor. 3) Add grey areas to either side of the bridge of the nose and around the cheekbone area to give definition and a drawn look to the face. Also add grey areas to where you want the appearance of bruises. 4) Where you want the bruises, now add dark red patches. Use the black eye pen on the top of the eyelids and in the area under the eyes to give a sunken look. 5) Finally, the best part; the fake blood. Ensure that you’re not wearing any favourite clothes, and be generous. Cover the areas of liquid latex, dripping down the face and all over the hands and arms. 6) Look hungry for brains

Getting ready for the shoot

Fun with liquid latex

Monday 31st October 2011

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Music

Example - Playing in the Shadows Released 04.09.11

Listen Up URB’s Crouching Beaver, Hidden Squirrel give us an overview of recent releases

Albums

Written by Sam Faulkner

M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming Released 18.10.11 Anthony Gonzalez follows up the grand statement of ‘Saturdays = Youth’ with a messy, exhilarating double album that never outstays its welcome. Neon synths, strings, guitars, drums and saxophone(!) certainly makes for one of the most dramatic albums of the year; and with hooky tracks like ‘Midnight City’ and ‘Steve McQueen’, Gonzalez creates some of the best pop moments of 2011 too.

scientific lyrics nearly overshadow the release itself - no surprise as the album maintains a gentle, mysterious quality even when unleashing a wild jungle coda (Crystalline) or soaring chorus (Mutual Core). The mid-section may be a bit too obtuse for its own good, but for the umpteenth time Bjork releases an album both innovative and satisfying.

Check Out: ‘Midnight City’

Check Out: ‘Crystalline’

Student-distraction award: Most likely to cause air-drumming.

Student-distraction award: Most likely to subliminally sneak phrases into your essay.

Bjork - Biophilia Released 27.09.11

Ash - The Best of Released 17.10.11 Ash’s commercial stock may have waned since their late 90s/early 00s heyday, but they remain one of the greatest singles bands alive today (and a personal favourite). Newer, ambitious tracks (Arcadia, Orpheus) sit comfortably beside older classics (Girl from Mars, Shining Light, Burn Baby Burn) in the perfect entry to Ash’s world of sugary hooks and pop-punk sonics. Check Out: ‘Shining Light’ Student-distraction award: Most likely to make you phone up your first love.

This is Example’s third album, and it marks a move away from the dance sound that made him famous, and towards a more electronic and dubstep-orientated style. This album does, however, have elements that should keep devout fans happy whilst simultaneously converting previous critics of Example. Songs like ‘Never Had A Day’ and ‘Changed The Way You Kissed Me’ (the latter being a number 1 single) make it clear that Example still has the ability to create clean, inoffensive but undeni-

capabilities. Nero and Laidback Luke can be felt throughout this album, so if you’re a listen. However, despite the plethora of potential hits offered in this album, there are no songs which are particularly ground-breaking or likely to change the way you think about music. the UK, this is by no means just for die-hard fans of Example’s previous work and would be a good addition to anyone’s music collection.

You Me At Six - Sinners Never Sleep Released 03.10.11 Written by Iwan Best YMAS have always been a bit of a success story that should never have ipe for success, but tell that to a band who’ve just had an album peak at #3 in the charts and have tempted Oli Sykes to guest vocal for them. The release of their third album in three years marks somewhat of a plateau in their rise to stardom as well as an acceptance of what kind of band they are. In all honesty, Sinners Never Sleep doesn’t really break any new ground or give you cause to really stop and think; but then again it wasn’t supposed ride through an album of unadulterated fun. Fast, punchy songs mixed with a mild dose of angst create an album reminiscent of a time almost forgotten, when Green Day and Weezer made music that everyone criticised but everyone loved. Love them or hate them, YMAS are a refreshing breath of fresh air in a hyper cool, indie-marshalled Britnot dead yet.

Singles Phantogram - Don’t Move Released 01.11.11 Electro-pop duo Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter deliver one of the most infectious, perfectly built tracks I’ve heard in a long time. About 10 different hooks and switches make this summery pop ditty stand up to the tons of listens you’ll probably be giving it: cut ‘n’ paste funk, horn stabs and aloof female vocals while still breezy enough to sell a Renault. Student-distraction award: Most likely to cause uncontrollable head-nodding and shoulderjerking.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - AKA... What a Life Released 11.09.11 I’ve heard a lot of comparisons to Coldplay in this song, but anyone who heard the trippier excursions of Dig Out Your Soul and Noel’s work with the Chemical Brothers will know Noel’s experimented with house and psychedelia long before (and more effectively) than Coldplay. Certainly Noel’s falsetto and the barrelling piano wouldn’t be out of place on a newer Coldplay track, but there is both a darkness and ecstasy in this track that Chris Martin could never approach. Student-distraction award: Least likely to make you want to try that LSD again.

Lana Del Rey - Video Games Released 10.10.11 Like last year’s ‘Fuck You’, hype surrounding this release has snowballed since it leaked in the summer - and for good reason. The ‘gangsta Nancy Sinatra’s performance is equal parts swagger, melancholy and hooks without any histrionics, delivering a devastating opening salvo. And the heartache is genuine - she nearly broke down in tears during her Jools Holland debut. Student-distraction award: Most likely to elicit embarrassing attempts at lounge singing.

Monday 31st October 2011

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Get Yourself Educated

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Written by Nick Hill bite’s clasteeth into.

and McCartney, Simon and Garfunkel and many other phase where he just couldn’t write it down fast enough. Born to Run mixes warm songs and pieces that retain

Album Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run I’m a huge Springsteen fan and have been since my

every track is solid gold. More importantly for you, it was Springsteen that inspired bands like Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, The Killers and Kings of Leon. Well worth a listen.

Look at their angry faces. Grr.

Film 12 Angry Men

thinking that Springsteen is just another artist who was be very wrong. He has released four albums in the last

It stars Henry Fonda, as a member of a jury in the proc-

and it is in black and white. I realise that I am perhaps not the Superbowl Halftime act. All in all not bad, bearing in mind that Born to Run is 36 years old. Springsteen had written most of the album a couple of years earlier but it took over a year just to record the album. Six months was spent on the song Born to Run alone. It was during this time that Bruce cemented his reputation as a perfectionist. He could hear a sound in his head and would do anything to record that sound. Weeks were spent hitting a drum just to try and get the snare sound that he could hear. There are only eight tracks on the album. He wrote nine tracks and cut one. He knew exactly what he wanted and would accept nothing else. This was the last album that he wrote in that manner. His next album had 10 tracks but he wrote nearly a hundred songs

drama genre. In it, Henry Fonda’s character, who is never named, disagrees with the other 11 members of the jury and are wrong. I was someone who, until a couple of years ago, avoided things in black and white at all costs, assuming that

surprisingly watchable and I found myself telling all of my friends to see it. As this column is all about trying to judge I cannot recommend this more. As always don’t just read

36 years on and still running

bums to impact-secretary@bath.ac.uk

Film: Wicker... Men? Written by John Barlow

hances are, if you watch much horror, you’ve heard of the wicker man. If, however, you are one of those peo-

story. A policeman gets sent a letter about a missing child on an island. He goes to investigate! It soon becomes quite clear that not everything is as it seems! Exciting, no? Jokes aside, plots to horrors always seem a bit cheesy when talked about. ly, there are two of them, written 33 years apart by different directors of different nationalities, and set in different countries (Scotland and America), and secondly, if you ask anyone about them you get one of three answers: “WTF was that director on”, “it wasn’t scary at all” or “I loved it, wooooooo”. Well, with the original anyway. Let’s just keep the second in the dunce corner for now.

Lee playing Lord Summerdale and Brit Ekland, who spends most of her time naked (in Scotland, I know!) It’s easy to see why. With such a vast array of acting talent, it would seem that have somewhat rocky beginnings, with its distributers hating it so much that they weren’t going to show it for fear of losing

like that… Conversely, the 2006 remake has become much more

naked dancing, lots of folk singing, Lee in a dress… and there’s also the way the horror is presented. man hostility, you also never get the feeling that the islanders

cholas Cage as the policeman, Ellen Burstyn as sister Summerdale (yes, it’s now a matriarchal society). The plots are quite similar but the most striking differences are... Actually, it’s such a bad remake I don’t particularly want to talk about it. So instead I’m going to rant a bit about why it’s such a bad remake. Firstly the plot is extremely dumbed down. In fact,

another. This I think shows a very socially advanced horror,

been Americanised, to become suitable for the country that

about haunting or exorcism. This horror is about people, it involves people, and the situation is one you can easily see being

For all of you who don’t know how to spot an “American”

of Edward Woodward who plays the policeman, Christopher background), here is a small guide. 1) The main character will always have a underlying moral imperative. 2) The bad guys will always be stupid and illogical or highly intelligent and foreign. 3) All random happenings can be described by deep set trauma. 4) Unless a money-making sequel is planned, all nutshell perfectly explain why the remake is so bad.

the odd rituals, to make the citizens more obviously backward and evil, even removing the two contrasting religions facing

Edward Woodward’s on the case

Nicolas Cage has a cage on his face

I suppose it’s worth it for that.

Monday 31st October 2011

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The Adventures of Tintin Written by Ron Morrow

should preface this by saying that the adventures of the ginger quiffed journalist weren’t a huge part of my childhood. The strongest memory I have of the books is that weird bit that circulated the internet a while ago where Tintin steals an ape’s skin for a cunning disguise. What I’m getting at is that despite not being a fanboy of make me wish I had been. The Secret of the Unicorn follows the same rough outline as any mystery story: protagonist A discovers plot hook B, and has to beat antagonist C to the answer of the riddle. But it’s the way in which Tintin manages to create something so utterly charming out of this simple strucBell in his second amazing performance of the year (his in The Eagle) and a model ship with 3 masts, 2 decks and 50 guns (as you will be frequently reminded) equalling B. The ship is, of course, The Unicorn, originally helmed by

alcoholic to boot. We round things off with Daniel Craig being equal to C, who is the perfect level of evil for such an outing. Throw in Pegg and Frost as Thompson + Thomson for a bit of extra comedy and you’ve got a formula for success. Despite being of Belgian origin, American directed whole thing wonderfully British, the most telling of this being subtle giggles and guffaws as the comedy of choice. The action and adventure is nicely balanced too with enough super sleuthing to keep the mind engaged, though

concealed enough to keep you only a step ahead at most. The visuals aren’t to be scoffed at either using a mixture of motion capture and animation; a method I wish more cartoon adaptations would choose. The characters are full of life and really give the actors a chance to explore the world in a skin not their own. As I mentioned at the start, Tintin has been known to cover some rather risqué and sometimes downright

his face, and making him seem more like a clown drinking silly juice than a Friday night bouncer-harasser. The inclusion of guns surprised me the most, with Tintin himself owning a pistol (kids these days, honestly); yet in true Stormtrooper fashion almost every shot misses. Except the one guy who dies in an unseen drive-by (again; kids these days). Either way, these issues are cleverly handled and more than suitable for younglings.

it manages to cover some pretty heavy ground. The Scot

of its parts, but oh what parts they were to begin with. Whether new to this tale or you’re a seasoned Tintinologist (the internet assures me this is a real thing), I hope

name (of course whiskey is the beverage of choice), an issue sidestepped by having the plot rely upon him to be off

Horror Films Just Aren’t Scary Enough O

man Centipede with my housemate. Do I feel ill?

What I am feeling is a rush of annoyance at how I’ve just wasted 90 minutes of my precious life watching this claptrap of a movie, when I could have spent the same amount of time doing coursework, staring listlessly at facebook or keeping The pure need to grab a pillow and tape it around my entire head to drown out all this is hellish. I wanted to see and feel all three things at the exact same time. Instead I spent most

Written by Esther Osarfo-Mensah

(another word that young people these days use to describe the act of laughing)’d at the ending, which quite frankly

So maybe some people like horrors because they are an excellent source of comedic satisfaction. ously scares me more than any horror could. Surely feela massive sociopath. Basing your sexual fantasies on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre just isn’t practical or sane. You’d

and getting angry when they didn’t listen to the advice I was housemate and I looked at each other and I knew then that we were both thinking the exact same thing. Was that really it? Why on earth do people watch horror movies? Watching people getting ripped apart or hearing desperate screams for mercy ringing throughout the room isn’t really a past-time of mine. It’s just that for once, just once, I want to be so scared of a horror that I pee myself a little. That I can’t sleep without the aid of a night-light. That I need therapy sessions to help me get over the terror the blared out of the laptop monitor. Surely the whole point of horror genre is that people love being scared out of their wits. Look at the Oscars any time soon, but anyone who’s anyone has seen at Yet it seems that we’re just getting too desensitized. I also recently watched The Eye with friends. It had been the best movie night all three of us had had for a long time. We lol’d

The Eye

go through partners faster than our prime minister goes through top hats and walking sticks. In fact if I ever made an acquaintance with such a soul, I would initiate an elaborate game of hide and seek in which I move to another country and become a chef in a shady gangster restaurant. In conclusion, let’s face it - when observing someone’s mouth being sewn onto a guy’s anus isn’t disturbing enough, you know you need to step away from the horror scene and until you become sweet and innocent enough so that when you return, you’ll poop your pants just like you were sup-

Monday 31st October 2011

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Love Food, Hate Waste Written by Nia Evans

very night one billion people around the world go to bed hungry. Every year we Britons man age to waste 8.3 million tonnes of food. Where’s the logic in that? food culture is on the rise while soaring food prices are contributing to a national poverty crisis right here in the U.K. Surely alarms bells should be ringing! throwaway society cannot continue and that there are far more economical and sustainable ways of obtaining

night but surely something must be done about the amount of food we waste. There is so much more we could be doing at home to reduce food wastage, after all, around two thirds of the £17 billion worth of food which is wasted every year comes from households. So what should we be doing? Here are some great tips which will save you money and reduce the amount you throw away:

Use the freezer! and just take out a few slices as and when you need them. all then make sure you cover it properly. So much food is wasted because it is left out, so in

Get the perfect portions!

to highlight the sheer volume of food which is wasted by doing their weekly food shop at the supermarket skips rather than the supermarket itself. Some peo ple call them clever and resourceful where as others think they are completely bonkers but the amount of

Plan your meals. This is a great way to make sure everything is used up and you make the most out of your ingredients. Measure out your portions. need.

mately £1000 worth of food in one night. Brown, who is neither homeless nor lives below the poverty line, stated that he never bought food and that he shared his findings with his friends and family believing that is it clearly obvious as to what is safe to eat and what is not.

calling on supermarkets to scrap confusing ‘sell by’ and ‘display by’ dates on food packaging. These dates are believed to be misleading consumers and contrib uting to the mass wastage of food which is still safe to eat. The government is urging supermarket bosses to put more emphasis on the ‘use by’ dates on items such as prawns and yoghurt, which have a definite shelf life.

Use your leftovers. There are so many great leftover recipes, if you’ve made too much a skip to stop food wastage, every little thing we do can help in such a big way. So, remember: LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE!

Freegans doing their daily shop

visit: www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Bread and Butter Pudding

on’t know what to do with all that stale bread which is about to start growing mould any minute? Well, here’s your answer! This super tasty bread and butter pudding is one of my all time favourite deserts and the perfect way to end a meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients: 25g/ 10z butter 8 slices of bread 50g/ 200z sultanas or raisins

2 eggs 25g / 10z sugar Method: bottom.

or raisins. Keep layering the bread and fruit until it is all used up. it doesn’t boil.

top. 180°/335f/Gas 4. brown.

Why put it in the bin when you can put it in your stomach?

Monday 31st October 2011

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Puzzle Corner Quick Crossword

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Created by Dorian Lidell

JigsawDoku precisely once in each row, column and barred block. In standard shape at all.

One-Upper Across 8 9 10 11 Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented

Down 1 Monument in honour of a 2 3 4

Improvised incendiary

12 14 16

5 6

Customary phrase uttered

precisely once in each row and column. A bar between two cells indiis no bar between two cells, the numbers in the cells differ by more

Strategy game played on a 7

19 21 25 27

Unconventional, peculiar

13 15 17

Video games company whose name translates to “leave luck

Indian clay oven used to 18 20 22 23

someone with an IQ between

Last Week’s Solution 26

Quiz This fortnight: Music! 1. ment?

Bridgeit Solution

Arithmaster Solution

2. Which American hip-hop group’s debut album was entitled “Yo! Bum Rush the Show”? 3. which television programme? 4. 5. opera? 6. 7. disappear” are the opening lyrics from which Michael Jackson song?

bite needs you

ever to win a Grammy award? 9. 10.

ANSWERS

Get in touch at: impact-bite@bath.ac.uk

2. Public Enemy

If you have any interest in getting involved at a contributor level, or if you’re interested in learning how to lay up a magazine, get in touch and join the team. There will also be chances for free gig tickets for reviews, and even chances to interview your favourite artists.

originally designed to emulate which stringed instrument?