Volume 16 Issue 9

bathimpact The University of Bath Students’ Union Newspaper

Volume 16 Issue 9

Your newspaper. Your news. facebook.com/bathimpact

Monday 23rd March 2015

EXCLUSIVE RESULTS: bathimpact Weed Survey

COST OF LIVING: student loans barely cover living

Bath students spend 110pc of loan on rent Deputy Editor Benjamin Butcher looks at how students are spending 110% of their maintainence loans on rent alone, exploring where and how students are spending their money. Figures suggest that the average student needs £10,000 in order to live comfortably in the city of Bath, or over £250 a week.

See more page 4

TAMPONS: women pay ‘luxury tax’ on tampons

Fighting against the ‘period tax’ at Bath News and Comment Editor Ramiye Thavabalasingam explores the national furore over the ‘luxury tax’ currently being paid on feminine hygiene products, focusing on what is being done here at the University of Bath. As the conversation grows louder, she asks what we can do to help lower the cost.

HWUPetroleum

See more page 6

TERROR: New laws could effect university free speech

Terror law could hurt Bath freedom of speech As the government announces their new Prevent legislation aimed at tackling radicalisation at universities, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Butcher explores how the new guidelines could impact who is monitored and who could potentially be banned from speaking at Uni. See more page 6

75% OF BATH WANT WEED LEGALISED Survey reveals that 70% of students have smoked weed Around 5% smoke marijuana every day, whilst a quarter do at least weekly

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survey conducted by bathimpact has found that 73.6% of University of Bath students support legalisation of cannabis. Of the 436 students surveyed, 64.6% have taken cannabis at some point in their life, over double the national average for 16 - 24 yearolds. The majority of students who have taken cannabis do so infrequently or do not smoke anymore, however 25.4% of those who have taken it do so on at least a weekly basis, corresponding to 16.5% of the total student body. The report comes as issues of legalisation are being discussed in the run up to the General Election, with a lot particularly being written about the effects of stronger strains such as ‘skunk’.

Full story page 8 and 9 of bite

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SU elections are finally over O

n the last Thursday afternoon of this year’s Students’ Union Officers elections, the candidates and their teams were all out on Parade dancing to incredibly loud music and playing badminton. The reasoning behind this was apparently to get more people to vote and improve the rather lacklustre turnout, because obviously all electorates respond to obvious desperation and having their work disrupted by ‘Let it Go’ being blared at a deafening volume.

After the election, the SU claimed that a record number of students had voted. What they didn’t say was that this was largely because we have an extra 1,500 students due to expansions at the University. A lot was made over beating Bath Spa’s turnout, because that’s how we should meas-

ure all our democratic achievements, but we beat them with a turnout of 28.8%. That’s the political equivalent of being proud of getting gonorrhoea because it’s not syphilis, if the General Election turnout was that low there would be a national outcry.

There is a clear apathy problem amongst the student body, which could be caused by many things; however the obsessive nature with which a small minority treat the elections is no doubt a contributing factor. For two weeks students are bombarded with incessant and often incoherent messages on Facebook, ridiculous gimmicks that couldn’t bee any more annoying and a series of terribly sung campaign videos with an almost impressively low production value.

Parade becomes a no go zone if you want to get to your lecture in peace

and at times the whole thing feels more like a high school popularity concert rather than a serious election. It’s no surprise that students get turned off when the time finally comes to vote.

This year also brought out an excessively aggressive and unrelenting online campaign from and against certain candidates. This led to long arguments that meant the original points often became lost amongst the verbal fog that was created in the comment streams.

Consequently, much of the election appeared at times to be mostly composed of petty score settling amongst small groups. bathimpact were dragged into this at certain times when we were covering hustings. We were live tweeting the events, attempting to be as objective and factual as possible, and certain supporters

or detractors would attach their own meaning to these messages to further their own arguments.

This was then displayed all over social media, often in a libellous and completely fabricated fashion.

Due to our role and positing within the Union, the bathimpact team is more engaged with and interested in SU politics than the average student, yet even we were very glad to see the back of this year’s elections.

Next year we would prefer to see a much more measured and informative campaign period. One in which the discourse is not dominated by a few overly passionate groups who in turn annoy the rest of the electorate to the extent they no longer wish to participate. We do, however, also realise this might be overly optimistic, so at the very least, please leave us out of your shit slinging.

Bath unaffordable for students R ecent SU Officer elections as well as announcements made by the Labour Party ahead of the General Election to be held in May this year have recast the light onto the topic of tuition fees that need to be paid in order to attend university in the United Kingdom.

In recent editions of bathimpact, we have reported on the possibility of further increases to tuition fees that, according to Vice Chancellors across the country, may be necessary in order to sustain the quality of the provision of education in our Higher Education institutions. In this issue however, the focus has been on the cost of living whilst at university. Aside from the issues that tuition fees pose to prospective and current students, another of the main preoccupations of students is how they will be able to survive financially during their

time at university.

Bath is an expensive city to live in, and rents are increasing without noticeable improvements to the quality of houses on offer to students. The current standard maintenance loan on offer from Student Finance without means testing of household income, stands at around £3,610 a year, leaving many students unable to be self-sufficient at university.

Currently students are on average being forced to pay 110% of their student maintenance grant on rent leaving them dependent on other sources of finance to survive.

Even on campus, with only a handful of the accommodation provided by the University of Bath able to be covered by the standard maintenance loan. If increases in the cost of living continue, it would appear to bathimpact, that this would represent the biggest

issue facing Higher Education and not the issue posed by tuition fees.

The £3,610 fee is non-means tested, that is to say that household income is not taken into account. This however, does not necessarily imply that the household is able to support a dependent financially through university and therefore too many students are being forced to work one or more jobs on unstable contracts in order to fund themselves through university.

In addition to rent, the list of outgoings for students is huge, with the need to pay for books, shopping, laundry, bills etc. This is all before students even consider the costs of joining clubs, going out and socializing with friends.

This issue is compounded by ever increasing prices and as reported recently in the media, females are being charged an extra 5% on the

purchase of sanitary goods such as tampons due to their classification as a ‘luxury product’.

Increasingly, students are having to stuggle to find ways to pay their rent. Your time at university should not be dominated by a constant anxiety brought on by financial worries.

The dependence of many students on their parents in order to be able to even cover their rent in Bath is unacceptable. bathimpact believes that it is important that the government rethinks the support that it provides to students, but also that each institution should be doing more in order to assure that the financial support is available to those students that need it. It shouldn’t be the case that talented individuals are deprived of the opportunity to further their education purely because they are unable to cope financially.

Petitions are being ridiculed I

n a week marred by a catastrophic typhoon in Vanuatu and the largest-ever privatisation of the NHS, Britain was transfixed by the injustice engulfing a car obsessed, self-entitled TV presenter who, for one reason or another, had been suspended from the BBC for causing a ‘fracas’. Jeremy Clarkson’s supposed mishap seems to have involved an absent steak, a Top Gear producer and, finally, an attempted sucker punch against said producer who may, or may not, have been responsible for the lack of steak.

Whilst the media speculated over how much of this, if any, was true, right-wing political blogger Guido Fawkes saw it as his duty to start a petition. Given that Clarkson had already been warned for probably calling a Vietnamese man a slope and perhaps casually using the word nigger in a nursery rhyme, Mr Fawkes – who

launched his petition before any news had been reveled – assumed he had performed another act of rating-grabbing political incorrectness. “A bunch of left-wing pinkos at the BBC have been out to get him for ages,” he said.

But he hadn’t done anything politically incorrect. He had tried to hit a man; his boss no less. Regardless, almost one million people had signed the petition at the time of writing. It took three years for the #NoMorePage3 campaign to reach a quarter of a million, but fighting to clear Jeremy Clarkson of attempted GBH took less than three days.

Petitions make us feel empowered. We put our names on something we see growing before our eyes. Take the petition to stop changes to the academic year shape here at the University of Bath. In less than twenty-four hours, the petition had over two

thousand signatures. Less than two days later, an event organised by the Students’ Union to discuss how to fight the changes drew in less than thirty students.

There is nothing wrong with signing a petition; they are slowly become part of our generation’s input into politics. One might suggest that, in an ideal world, petitions will become a constant means for us to influence the decisions Government makes on a variety of issues, from seal clubbing to immigration. For now, however, it will continue to be treated for what it is: a passive way of showing vague dissatisfaction with something.

Unfortunately, politics extends far beyond the realms of online polls or the constant stream of what’s trending on Twitter. Government doesn’t function like the votes cast for the X-Factor, but rather by something a little more

active.

Here at bathimpact, we agree that petitions form a way to express some kind of dissatisfaction but they cannot be seen as a valid form of participation. Voting is participation; protesting is participation; writing and speeches are participation. Clicking on the ‘I agree’ button is not.

And so, back to the Jeremy Clarkson petition. There will be no mass protests on the street of London or a drawn-out campaign to challenge the roots of social injustice like the #NoMorePage3 campaign have committed to.

There will simply be a one million, self-entitled car lovers who are a little bit irritated because that guy they like won’t be on the TV for a couple of weeks, and the BBC knows that. But if you really can’t wait till next season, bathimpact suggests switching over to Dave.

The bathimpact team Matt Powell Editor-in-Chief impact-editor@bath.ac.uk

Benjamin Butcher Deputy Editor-in-Chief impact-deputy@bath.ac.uk

John Barlow bite Editor impact-bite@bath.ac.uk

Ramiye Thavabalasingam News and Comment Editor impact-news@bath.ac.uk

Alexandra Egan Features Editor impact-features@bath.ac.uk

Michael Powell Sport Editor impact-sport@bath.ac.uk

Olly Bailey Photography Editor impact-photo@bath.ac.uk

Thomas Gane Online Editor impact-it@bath.ac.uk

Connor McGregor Morton Publicity Officer impact-publicity@bath.ac.uk

Siân Maria Morgan Design Editor impact-design@bath.ac.uk

Elliott Campbell Media Officer su-media-officer@bath.ac.uk

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

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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.

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expressimpact

cartoon of the fortnight

The new national minimum wage set by George Osborne, to be applied from October 2015

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The number of black female professors that teach at British universities

figures of the fortnight

£6.70

infographic of the fortnight

News Lite

11 Standing

17 Standing

UPCOMING EVENT

NATIONAL

UPCOMING EVENT

‘Bath and Beyond’ SU Ethical & Political Socs Conference. The Ethical and Political societies are hosting a conference with a series of talks, workshops and debates on the theme ‘World challenges and how to overcome them’. Tickets are available via BathStudent.com.

The new £1 coin is to feature a drawing by a fifteen year old boy, the Royal Mint has revealed. The boy, David Pearce from Walsall, won a competition to design the ‘tails’ side of the coin with his sketch of the four plants associated with the four nations that make up the country. The coin is also set to be the same shape as the old 12-sided threepence piece.

Human Rights and Media Bias in Israel/Palestine. The Amnesty Society and Middle Eastern Awareness Society are holding a discussion on the reporting of human rights abuses in the conflict, with guests Amena Saleem from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign

HEALTH

UPCOMING EVENT

INTERNATIONAL

Breastfeeding is linked to a higher IQ, according to a long-term study by the Lancet Global Health. The research studied 3,500 babies from different backgrounds, finding that those who had been breastfed for longer as babies went on to achieve higher scores in IQ tests as adults, irrespective of social class.

Bath RAG Take Me Out 2015. Bath RAG are hosting their own version of ITV’s hit reality show, with three guys attempting to win over a panel of 15 girls, and vice versa. Tickets are £4 each and are available via BathStudent.com.

Emergency aid has been supplied to the worst-hit islands of Vanuatu after the arrival of Cyclone Pam. Food, water and medical supplies have been sent to Tanna island, which saw the flattening of entire villages in the aftermath of the cyclone, with 80% of homes and buildings reportedly either partially or completely destroyed.

When: Saturday 28th March, 11am Where: East Building

When: Friday 27th March, 7pm Where: Chancellor’s Building 1.11

When: Tuesday 24th March, 6:45pm Where: 8 West 3.22

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he average student at the University of Bath is spending around 110% of their maintenance loan on rent alone, bathimpact can reveal.

This arises after the national average maintenance loan was just £3,920, compared to the £4,320 a student can expect to spend on a twelve-month contract in the city of Bath.

Combined with other essential costs of living, the ‘average’ student at Bath needs around £9,850, per academic year in order to feel comfortable at university, meaning the maintenance loan represents just under 40% of the necessary budget needed.

This means, that with all things taken into account, students are spending up to £259.00 each week on living costs.

This figure takes into account a number of factors, including rent, utility bills, clothing, books, food

and personal expenditure, although calculating the cost of the ‘average’ student can prove arbitrary. It does, however, supply a revealing picture of how stretched finances are whilst studying at university.

The University of Bath is often highlighted as one of the more costly universities to study at outside of London, normally placed in the same category as Durham or Exeter, but slightly cheaper than Oxford or Cambridge.

The Students’ Union Community Officer, Tommy Parker told bathimpact: “Ensuring that students are able to live with dignity whilst at university is of the upmost importance”.

“We work hard to ensure that where financial support and advice is needed, we are able to help.

A student’s experience should not be marred by stress and anxiety over money. Whilst the maintainence loan often fails to offer a much needed support mechanism for students, it is important we

Produced with Piktochart

Benjamin Butcher Deputy Editor-in-Chief impact-deputy@bath.ac.uk

Matt Brown

110% of student loan spent on rent

The city of Bath is considered one of the most expensive student cities in the United Kingdom find ways to reduce the burden for commitment to responsible retail- jobs can be found, or worse still ing”. everyone.” into the arms of predatory pay day The cost of student living has lenders just to make ends meet.”

Weekly student living costs vary greatly across the UK from become increasingly contentious The cost of living crisis has £182.00 in Nottingham to the in the last few years, particularly seen the number of students tak£273.00 needed in Oxford, statis- in the wake of increased rent pric- ing on part-time jobs increase es and the introduction of £9,000 considerably over recent years. A tics from HSBC suggest.

In March this year, the MP tuition fees.

2014 survey conducted by insurThere has also been staunch ance provider Endsleigh and the for Cambridge, Liberal Democrat Julian Huppert, argued that stu- criticism of the impact of mainte- National Union of Students redents in the city should receive nance loans when ‘hidden costs’ vealed that 45% of students now the same maintainence loan as are taken into account, including had part-time jobs, with 13% takstudents in London, which is textbooks, printing costs, internet ing on full-time jobs. capped at £2,000 more than else- and – of course – unplannable The report also revealed that emergency costs, including bro- 25% of students feel the need where.

In terms of the cost of the Unito ‘dip into’ their overdraft, but versity of Bath campus, the Unimore significantly, around 67% of versity and Students’ Union are in students saw their maintenance Student experience the higher end of the table, but are loan as a vital source of income, should not be marred by no means the most expensive. up from 60% on the previous year.

Currently the cheapest availFor University of Bath stuby financial anxiety” able University accommodation dents, the highest maintenance Tommy Parker, SU loan one can receive is £5,500, (self-catered, single room) at the University of Bath stands at Community Officer however – as mentioned above – £88.00 per week. the national average awarded is Compared to other non-Lon- ken equipment or medical inju- measured at £3,920. For students don, campus-based universities ries. living in families with a houseIn 2013, the National Union of hold income of less than £25,000 this is not unreasonable, with the cheapest at York and Reading Students released a report which a year, students can request maincosting £103.00 and £99.00 alike. suggested that students outside tenance grants on top of their loan Ranking the cheapest-available of London could be spending as with a value of around £3,400. accommodation nationally, ac- much as £12,160 each year on a At the end of February, Ed cording to these criteria, the Uni- range of non-academic related ex- Miliband, leader of the Labour versity of Bath comes 8th out of penses.

Party, pledged to increase the Toni Pearce, President of the 18 universities (of Russell or 1992 maintenance loan by £400 by NUS, said in relation Group institutions). investing £200 million The University of Bath does fall to this, “Many stuinto the scheme. starting behind on the cost of the cheap- dents The figest pint available in the Students’ university this ures used are Union standing at £2.50, with the month by bathima University of Edinburgh offer- facing pact will ing a pint for £1.60, University of cost of livbe availDurham for 1.50 and the Univer- ing crisis, able onwith availsity of Kent for £2.00. line, howNationally, there are few Stu- able finanever they dents’ Unions which sell beer at cial support a s s u m e a more costly price, with the Uni- in loans and £90.00 is versity of East Anglia, University grants failing spent each of Cambridge and University of to keep pace week on rent, spiralling Loughborough being notable ex- with £15.00 on utilbills for basic essenceptions. ity bills, and a weekly University of Bath Students’ tials.” phone contract of £5.00.

“Those who do not have the Union President Jordan Kenny They also assume that around said on the higher than average rare luxury of resorting to the £40.00 is spent each week on cost of beer: “the prices in the ‘bank of mum and dad’ are in- food, £14.00 on travel and £7.00 Plug and Tub reflect the cost price creasingly being driven to work on clothing and is based on reof purchasing beer, as well as our full-time alongside study where search by the University.

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Quarter of students smoke weed weekly Brett Levin

Thomas Gane Online Editor impact-it@bath.ac.uk

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n a survey of 436 students conducted by bathimpact, it was found that 64.4% of University of Bath students have taken cannabis at some point in their life, and that 73.6% of students support legalisation of cannabis in the UK. It was also found that 45.4% of Bath students know someone who has had a negative experience from taking cannabis.

The full report of the surveys findings can be found on pages eight and nine of bite.

The figure of 64.4% is more than double the national average of 26% of 16 – 24s year-olds who admitted to taking cannabis in the British Drugs Survey 2014 (conducted by The Observer and Opium Research).

This difference could be explained somewhat due to our research being conducted online and promoted via social media, so there is likely an element of selfselective bias. However, the British Drugs Survey also showed that 40% of drug users were in social grades AB, so the high usage could be reflective of Bath being an affluent area.

Of the students that claimed to have taken cannabis, the majority are infrequent users who smoke on a less than monthly basis (26.0%) or used to take the drug

The survey revealed that nearly a three-quarters of Bath students support legalising cannabis but no longer do (31.3%). How- Of the 436 students surveyed, be carried out allowing the Uniever, there are also a significant 35.1% of respondents claimed versity to carry out its own discinumber of students who smoke they had purchased cannabis plinary proceedings. If in the first on a regular basis, with 25.6% of from ‘a dealer’, almost identical to offence the University is satisfied those who have taken cannabis the national average of 35% of 16 the drugs are for personal use and claiming that they currently do so – 24s (The British Drugs Survey, are not in the most serious categoon at least a weekly basis.

2014), whilst 21.3% had done so ries, there is the discretion to give The bathimpact survey also in Bath. no more than a written warning, found that 58.7% of University of The University policy towards however on repeat offences there Bath students have ethical or safe- illegal drugs is that the police will be automatic referral to the ty concerns over buying cannabis should be called whenever they University Secretary to take acfrom the illegal market, and this are discovered, unless it is clear tion under the formal disciplinary is reflected in the lower number that a class ‘C’ drug is involved and procedures and, if in residences, of students who claimed to have that a small quantity is involved. the student will be required to bought cannabis from ‘a dealer’. Investigative interviews may also leave their accommodation and

James Gallagher bathimpact Contributor ccess to university education across the United Kingdom is slowly becoming fairer and more inclusive, according to new information released by the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Comparative annual data collected

by UCAS reveals that the entry rate for disadvantaged students into top UK institutions, including Russell Group universities, has risen every year since 2011, with a record breaking intake in 2014. Whilst the gap between disadvantaged and better-off students in terms of access is narrowing, there is still a very long way to go.

Historically, social mobility and higher education has always been a contentious issue in the UK, with the numbers of working-class students at top universities appearing stubbornly resistant to change.

Even in recent years, selective institutions have been unable to consistently deliver on widening participation. A 2013 report by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission revealed that between 2003 and 2011, the percentage of state-educated students at Russell Group universities fell. According to the same report, the odds of being admitted to Oxbridge for a Year 11 child who was eligible for free school meals and attended a state school being admitted were

almost 2,000 to 1. Contrast this to the odds of a privately-educated child being admitted to Oxbridge; 20 to 1. So what do UK universities in some of the most traditionally disadvantaged areas plan to do to increase widening participation and social mobility?

North of the border, the Scottish Government have taken a rather more interventionist approach to widening participation than England, linking admissions targets for disadvantaged students directly to funding. Although there has been widespread resistance by universities, the Scottish Government has funded over £30million worth of access schemes. The fact that Scottish students are able to study the first part of their degree in a higher education college, and then transfer into a selective university to finish the course has been praised for opening up doors for disadvantaged students.

To the west, the Welsh Government has laid out plans to establish a series of widening participation hubs in a variety of different universities in order to bolster the successful access scheme it already runs in Cardiff. These new hubs will be based on Cardiff University’s ‘Step Up to University’ scheme, which involves campus events, personal development mentoring, academic taster sessions and summer schools for disadvantaged students. The University also uses

pay the usual termination charge.

The University Senate has also attempted to ban legal highs on campus for Health and Safety reasons, and have been holding packages delivered to Student Accommodation that they believe to be legal highs, including Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas).

The Students’ Union has fought the decision as the University Senate does not have the authority to ban a legal product, whilst also arguing the current arrangement violates the Postal Services Act. The Academic Body has also supported the Student’s Union on this and the motion was blocked, however the Student’s Union has agreed to hold an awareness campaign over the dangers of legal highs.

Earlier in March, police discovered £100,000 worth of cannabis plants at a rented house in Twerton, Bath, in what Avon and Somerset Police called a “sophisticated” cannabis factory.

This is the second significant find in the area recently, with officers seizing nearly 200 plants at a house in Poolemead Road.

After the second discovery, Avon and Somerset Police claimed that “This is not a back-street dealer peddling in a few pounds of cannabis. This is serious, organised crime and I’m very eager for members of the public to report any of their suspicions to me.”

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velkr0

Social mobility in education on the rise

Access to higher education institutions remains low for those from disadvantaged backgrounds information about student back- than in 2011. Taking a look at the appropriate: “good, but could do grounds to guarantee both inter- raw data, the number of disadvan- better”. views and offers to those from taged pupils entering top univerThe picture gained from these disadvantaged backgrounds – al- sities has increased from 3,105 in new figures is one of gentle prothough not at a level lower than for 2011 to 4,040 in 2014. Against a gress, as top institutions begin applicants from traditional back- backdrop of 500,000 applications to invest in a variety of inclusive grounds. to UCAS this year, the statistics access schemes. UK universities It is important to note how- begin to look less and less ground- must aim to consistently improve ever, that the actual number of breaking. on these results, and use this moddisadvantaged students at selecThis slight increase in widening est success to build momentum tive institutions has always been participation in higher education for investment in even more broad relatively small, meaning that mi- has been felt least of all by the most access initiatives. Whilst it may nor variations in raw data can lead disadvantaged students in the UK. be hard to deny that access to UK to striking, and in some respects Between 2011 and 2014, only 0.9% universities is slowly becoming misleading percentage changes. more severely disadvantaged stu- fairer and more inclusive, quesThe data released by UCAS, for in- dents were admitted to highly se- tions still need to be asked about stance, reveals that disadvantaged lective universities. In response to whether this change is happening students were 30% more likely to this new data, the ruling of the Of- quickly enough, for enough people, enter a selective institution in 2014 fice For Fair Access (OFFA) seems in enough universities.

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SU pushes to remove tampon tax Aaron Fulkerson

Ramiye Thavabalasingam News and Comment Editor impact-news@bath.ac.uk

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he University of Bath Students’ Union is campaigning to remove the 5 per cent value-added tax on feminine hygiene products in Fresh, the campus shop.

This move comes after similar campaigns at other universities around the country, including the University of East Anglia, which was the first students’ union to successfully campaign on the issue.

Earlier this year the University of Sussex Students’ Union also introduced new prices to these so-called ‘luxury’ products, reducing the price of tampons and sanitary towels by approximately 30 per cent.

Sanitary products in Fresh Express are currently priced from £1.49 to £3.59 per pack, making tampons and sanitary towels contribute to a considerable part of the budgets of menstruating students on campus. The Students’ Union had attempted to lobby the store to subsidise the VAT on these products earlier this year. Unfortunately for the Union this proposal failed as a result of limited finances, as the SU would be unable to cover any of the costs themselves.

Speaking to bathimpact about the SU’s plans for this campaign, Gender Equality Chair Chloe Scutt

Feminine hygiene products are currently taxed at 5 per cent due to their ‘luxury’ categorisation said, “So on the 24th we’re doing we’re in a franchise with the larger ment, feminine hygiene products a stall for the Diversity and Sup- Co-op group. We use their till sys- are still considered as a luxury. port Fair, raising awareness of the tems, so it would be pretty difficult Furthermore, products such as the tax, and hopefully giving away free to override this, even if we had the contraceptive pill and condoms are sanitary products,” adding, “I’ve political will to do so.” readily available for free in many also asked the university to investiThe main argument from cam- cases, yet a related product such as gate whether they can sell sanitary paigners is that whilst tampons and tampons continue to be taxed. products at cost price but I don’t sanitary towels or ‘women-centric Karina Délcheva, the National think I’ll hear the results from that products’ are categorised as luxury Union of Students (NUS) Womfor a while.” products under British trading law en’s Delegate for the University of Whilst there may be room for – meaning that they must be taxed Bath, is currently pushing a motion subsidy in the Fresh Express, the - these products are a necessity for on this issue at the NUS Women’s larger store on campus remains off most women. Whereas products Conference later this month. “The limits. A spokesman for the Uni- such as nicotine patches and razors problem is the categorisation of versity told , “In the larger Fresh, are deemed as essential by govern- the products,” Miss Délcheva told

bathimpact, adding, “If we decategorise them from luxurious to necessity, we wouldn’t have to tax them at all”.

This issue of the period tax is also being debated at an international level, with Jyoti Sanghera, chief of the UN Human Rights Office on Economic and Social Issues, calling the stigma around menstrual hygiene “a violation of several human rights, most importantly the right to human dignity”.

Due to the luxurious categorisation of these products, tampons and sanitary towels are not provided in foreign aid, making this dispute also significant outside of the UK. If the NUS’s campaign succeeds, students may become the driving force behind changing this classification.

Though little has been done to get rid of this tax on sanitary products on campus, the possibility of subsidising this cost still remains.

When asked whether or not the University itself is pushing for the removal of the so-called ‘period tax’ on campus, the University spokesman said, “We are not planning to,” though he also added, “If the question was asked [on subsidisation of tampons] it is definitely something we would look closer into”. Thus, there remains hope for the SU’s campaign against the taxation of feminine hygiene products.

University of Bath to tackle extremism Benjamin Butcher Deputy Editor impact-deputy@bath.ac.uk

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Caleb Wheeler-Robinson

he University of Bath is likely to update its Freedom of Expression guidelines in light of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act which was passed on 12th March.

Currently, the University of Bath policy provides a platform for all speakers, with the exception of those who preach violence. It is possible that, given Home Office Prevent guidelines expected by the

end of the month, these exemptions could be extended to ‘non-violent extremists’.

The move is prompted after the controversial Counter Terrorism and Security Act passed through Parliament. Key to the legislation are a set of guidelines, known as Prevent, which aim to tackle the roots of extremism including within universities and schools.

The bill has, however, been strongly watered down both in the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Freedom of expression is an important aspect of university life

Significantly, the legislation made no reference to external speakers at universities, something which had been lambasted by higher education institutions.

This omission is said to be down to a refusal by Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg and Vince Cable who were said to have blocked any rules, amid concerns about the potential impact on free speech on campus.

The Prevent guidelines will issue guidance on external speakers in the future. Once announced, the University of Bath will be obliged to update its Freedom of Expression guidelines, which could extend to more closely monitoring ‘nonviolent extremists’.

A spokesman for the University of Bath Students’ Union told bathimpact, “Once the Prevent guidelines are issued at the end of the month we work closely with the University in order to update Freedom of Expression policy. In doing so we will ensure our obligations to providing free debate remain unhindered.”

Currently, the Freedom of Expression guidelines state that, under the duty of the 1986 Education Act, “the University is committed to promoting and positively encouraging free debate and enquiry.”

“This means that it accommodates a wide range of views, political as well as academic, even when they are unpopular, controversial and provocative”, it goes on to say.

In 2008, the University of Bath received national attention after cancelling a visit of British National

“

We will ensure our obligations to providing free debate remain unhindered.””

Bath SU spokesman

Party leader, Nick Griffin, on the grounds of the “likelihood of substantial public order problems and real possibility of disruption.”

On the legislation, a University of Bath spokesperson said, “The guidance for higher education and other sectors has recently been published and is due to be considered soon by both Houses of Parliament. Further guidance is also due to come out on visiting speakers.

Once the final form of guidance is clear, the University will reflect on how to ensure it is compliant with the new legislative framework.”

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act does make reference to the fact that “young people continue to make up a disproportionately high number of those arrested…for terrorist-related offences,” and that “universities must be vigilant and aware of the risks this poses.”

Suggestions on how to do so will be highlighted in the Prevent guidelines, however it is unlikely to demand certain students are

monitored by the University. The act is clear, however, that universities and student unions must work to challenge extremist view which draw people to terrorism.

Certain classes have already been called to question with one Polis staff member being asked whether Skype calls, which were used to provide Asian perspectives on terrorism, could risk radicalising students by the Vice Chancellor.

The legislation does imply that University staff and Students’ Union Officers on how to identify students at-risk of radicalisation which, again, will be clarified in the Prevent guidelines.

Last week it was announced that any rules on external speakers would not include the University of Cambridge or Oxford students’ unions as they are, by law, entirely separate from the actual institutions.

Radicalisation at universities have been called into question over the past few weeks after it emerged the infamous ‘Jihadi John’, known for executing aid workers and journalists for IS, was a graduate from the University of Westminster.

A report issued by the Centre for Social Cohesion in 2010 suggested that more than 30% of people convicted for Al Qa’ida-associated terrorist offences in the UK between 1999 and 2009 are known to have attended university or a higher education institution.

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Your new SU Officers for 2015/16 Marianne Gros bathimpact Contributor

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fter two weeks of campaigning, three live debates and the all-important results night, the Students’ Union is now ready to welcome its new officers for the forthcoming academic year.

Seventeen candidates competed for the opportunity to work with the

Students’ Union for a year as part of a 5-member team of which the roles include: Presidency, Sports, Activities, Education, and Community.

The Results were announced on Friday the 14th of March, declaring Jordan Kenny as the reelected SU President, who will be working alongside Lucy Woodcock, Matt Humberstone, Holly Clemens, and

Wadzi Pasipamire as Education, Community, Sports and Activities respectively.

As staff members of the Students’ Union, the Officers deal with a range of issues that affect students’ experience at the university. From greater skills training to better Sports-Societies collaboration, Lad Culture to facilities, and cultural diversity to

useful coursework feedback, an incredibly broad scope of policies were discussed and promised during election season.

4,589 students practiced their democratic right to vote in this year’s elections, of which 95.58% were undergraduates and 40.36% were first years. Postgraduate students represented only 4.32% of votes, which is a slight decrease from last year’s 5.17%. The increasing number of students at the university has made first and second year students as the dominant voting demographic.

In spite of being a historical record for our Student’s Union in terms of participation, the numbers mean that the newly elected Officer team acts on behalf of just 28.8% of students at the University of Bath.

This underwhelming participation is a result of an overall sentiment of disinterest amongst students regarding the SU elections, who feel as though the work of the officer team does not actually impact their day-to-day life at university.

Manifestos are often made up of redundant policies regarding issues that cannot be tackled in just a year, leaving students to overlook the candidates themselves. If the issues remain important, the effect that one contender will have over another in so little time is harder to grasp, which contributes to voters distancing themselves from the elections.

On the subject, current Community Officer Tommy Parker claims that “the Students’ Union holds a lot of power over the University and the Officer team are the people that dictate what change happens. Whoever is elected will have a profound impact on student life and it’s getting that message across that will improve student engagement. Sadly this message doesn’t get disseminated enough which results in student apathy.”

Every year the SU works to increase its transparency and publicity so as to involve students to a greater extent. As of this year students were able to ‘recommend a friend’ to run for the elections, which contributed to rising the number of candidates from 11 in 2014 to 17 this year.

The use of ‘tickbox’ as an interactive voting platform facilitated access to information regarding the elections. It enabled students to compare candidates and look through their policy ideas so as to gain a better understanding of the issues.

This new program paired with the usual coverage done by Campus TV, URB and bathimpact contribute to make it as easy as possible for students to get informed and vote.

The current officer team will remain in office until the end of this academic year, while providing training for their successor so as to insure a smooth transition in June.

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India can, and will change for women Alisha Lobo bathimpact Writer

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Ramesh Lalwani

ference of opinion in society The incident brought a discussion about gender inequality that was long overdue in India. With a skewed sex ratio and rampant sexual assault of women as an Indian, dare I say that when I heard about this, I was not surprised?

The brutality no doubt was an outlier and deserved the national and international condemnation it received, but the crime itself was not shocking. It is said that a woman is raped every twenty minutes in India. It was a slap in the face to one the world’s strongest economies that its own society was still lagging behind in protecting more than half its population’s rights.

The recent incidences of gang rape have resulted in a push for greater gender equality in India

However, Indian citizens rose to the occasion and the attackers were arrested within days and a fasttracked trial found the assailants all guilty and charged with the d e a t h penalty less than a year after the crime was committed.

It was a speedy result that is rarely seen, even in Western countries.

However, to say that the fight for equality has just begun would be presumptuous as it begins as far back as 1972 with the Mathura custodial rape case. The rape of a Dalit girl by two policemen resulted in reform of the definition of consent in the Indian Penal code.

The December 16th case of Jyoti Singh resulted in radical action taken by the judiciary of India. A three person commission led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Varma, recommended the expansion of the definition of sexual assault, the fast- tracking of rape cases, reform within the police force, and the suggestion for a Bill of Rights for women amongst others. There has been some major reform within India as well as a tremendous

will of the youth to see this change through.

The incident raised the question of the challenges it is to be a modern day Indian woman. The societal backlash women face as well as the ingrained backward patriarchal mentality, although not as widespread as previous generations, me studying here is a testament to that, is something that many still women grapple to overcome. In recent days however, the Indian government has banned the showing of the documentary showing how quickly the country can regress back into its conservative norms. It has been argued that the viewing of the documentary gives a platform to the justification and reasoning behind the rapes. However, I see it as burying its head in the sand, unable to look at the mirror, and ignoring the problem, that India could be committing international suicide. Although there is a very long uphill battle, I remain hopeful for the rights of women in the country that I call home.

Ramesh Lalwani

n light of the recent International Women’s Day and the release of the BBC documentary ‘India’s Daughter’, the debate on Indian women’s rights has resurfaced.

The documentary covered the incident and those related to the December 16th brutal gang-rape and subsequent death of 23 year old medical student, Jyoti Singh, by six men. The documentary succeeded in creating shock value with the disgraceful comments of the defense lawyers “Our culture [Indian] is the best culture, as there is no place for women” and one of the accused

Mukesh Singh stating “a decent girl wouldn’t roam around past nine o’clock with a man.” The documentary portrayed the dichotomy present in modern Indian society- the struggle to balance and align the influence of Western liberal thinking and its fit into a culture that is deeply entrenched in patriarchal tradition. Jyoti’s parents represented the ‘new thinking’, spending money saved for marriage and the sale of their ancestral land on her higher education. Udwin was skillful in pitching the sides of Indian society, continuously flipping between the family of the victim and the accused. The contrast of views presented added to the ghastly dif-

It’s time to stop the tax on periods

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‘Stop taxing periods. Period.’ campaign launched by Laura Coryton, a student at Goldsmiths University. The aim of the petition is to shine light on an unjust sex-specific tax that women have been paying on their periods for over 40 years. In 1973, the UK joined the Common Market, the EU as we know it today, and adopted the VAT system under which tampons and pads were first taxed at 17.5%.

Successful campaigning efforts brought this tax down to a reduced

rate of 5% in 2001, but the battle persists. Sanitary products are essential items and should be exempt from tax.

Tampons and pads are wonderful creations. They have revolutionised menstrual health for women and serve an important purpose in managing a bleeding vagina, effectively allowing us to continue with our normal routines in public or private life. We are privileged to have access to such simple, life-saving products. Mil-

lions of girls and women in the world face daily restrictions and further health problems from the

“

We are being taxed for being women”

lack of such products and poor hygiene. I would argue that access to maternal and menstrual healthcare, which includes safe sanitary products, should be a right and Saloona

Marral Shamshiri bathimpact Writer eriods are annoying. Exuding blood and uterine tissue out of your vagina for a week is a massive inconvenience.

Awful tummy cramps remind you it’s that time of month again. The bloating, backache, headaches and mood swings are unsolicited.

We’ve all ruined our favourite pair of knickers and occasionally smeared a bed sheet or two. It’s a major monthly hassle and something we don’t talk enough about.

For most women with a regular menstrual cycle, the time of month is expected and worked around.

For those of us with irregular patterns, the immediate benefits of sporadic menstruation are reaped but the period always creeps up on us even heavier at the least desirable of times. Carrying a spare tampon or pad is a necessity for most.

Sanitary protection products are necessary, essential items per se.

This has somehow been disregarded by our government which absurdly deems sanitary products as luxury and ‘non-essential’ items which are consequently subject to taxation.

A current petition to stop this period tax is successfully conveying an important message. Over 200,000 people have signed the

Feminine hygiene products are regarded as ‘non-essential’ by government despite being a necessity

not a privilege, but that’s one for another day. Should I be grateful that I have such amenities instead of nit-picking over an arguably miniscule 5% tax rate?

Yes, grateful I am. But relative progress is always to be made, and the tax on periods is fundamentally sexist. It reflects the outdated patriarchal decisions of a once, and still, male-dominated government. It reflects the continued blindness towards sex-specific issues which have been side-lined for too long. It reflects a certain subjugation of women. It reflects the wider lacking knowledge of and unacquaintance with women’s issues, which despite predominantly affecting women, are not exclusively so and should not be pushed aside to the confined domain of women.

This period tax needs to go because sanitary products are essential and because it is discriminatory on the basis of sex. We are being taxed for being women. I would like to think that it isn’t a deliberate tax but simply another indicator of the male-focused agenda which has incessantly underpinned both politics and the public sphere. An end to period tax might seem like a small gain to be made, but its symbolic value will speak volumes.

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Is weed legalisation a joint issue?

Fintan O’Brien bathimpact Writer

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ven if you missed Drugs Live on Channel 4 earlier this month, you have likely seen a video of Jon Snow having his soul “wrenched from [his] body” while pulling the whitey of the year.

Whether you see this as confirmation that cannabis is a dangerous drug or evidence that being inside a loud, claustrophobic MRI machine is a terrible place to be high, this programme has opened up the cannabis legalisation debate to the mainstream once again.

This is a debate we should be having. There is a growing trend around the world of countries adopting a more progressive drugs policy; from Portugal, where possession of all drugs has been decriminalised since 2000, to Uruguay, where personal use and growth of cannabis is now completely legal, albeit heavily regulated by the Government. Yet the U.K. Government seems unwilling to even consider drugs reform; going so far as to ignore its own report on the issue towards the end of last year – a report which concluded that tough drug laws have no impact on drug use.

One would assume that the basis for deciding whether or not a drug should be legal would be to

Cannabis remains illegal despite alcohol and tobacco being considered legally safe for consumption compare it to other drugs to assess how harmful it is; worryingly this is not the case. Professor David Nutt gives an objective analysis of cannabis and alcohol harms in his lecture “The Inconvenient Truth about Drugs” (it’s on YouTube!) where he concludes that alcohol is far more harmful than weed by looking at data collected over many years. It also doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to understand that alcohol is involved in many incidents of assault, rape and A&E admissions. Conversely, I don’t think

anyone has ever smoked a joint then gone out looking for a fight.

I am by no means saying that cannabis is a harmless drug, but the reason it is illegal is not because of how harmful it is but because we are stuck with an outdated dogma, incapable of rational discussion of the issue. If we can tolerate and justify the societal harms of alcohol, we can likely tolerate problems caused by weed.

The argument for legal pot goes beyond personal freedoms; there would also be benefits of regulat-

ing it, the perfect case study being Colorado.

Colorado businesses sold over $300 million of recreational marijuana last year corresponding to $44 million in tax; that is a lot of money going to schools and even more not finding its way into the hands of criminals. Early indications are that violent crime has fallen and incidents of drunk driving have also decreased since cannabis was legalised, although it is far too early to directly correlate these stats to legalisation.

As a medicine, weed helps can-

cer patients to eat and helps people deal with chronic pain. There is a form of medicinal cannabis called Charlotte’s Web, named after a girl who suffered 300 epileptic seizures a week due to Dravet syndrome.

The parents had exhausted every medical option available to them and the seizures were so violent that they placed a “do not resuscitate order” on her medical records.

This was before they came across this strain of medicinal cannabis, developed by the Stanley brothers and originally called Hippie’s disappointment due to its low THC content. The oil extracted from this strain was used as a medicine for Charlotte and her seizures have now reduced to two or three per month. In this case, marijuana literally saved a girl’s life. How many children won’t be so lucky because the medicine they need isn’t available where they live?

There are so many more arguments to make, I haven’t even touched on needless incarceration for possession for example, so I implore you to research this yourself. I think anyone who has looked at this discussion in detail will find that there is no real, objective reason why alcohol and tobacco are legal while cannabis (or any other drug for that matter) is not. Legalisation is just a matter of time.

I

t isn’t hugely surprising that a poll taken by bathimpact last week found that 26% of Bath students are Green party supporters. Although this only reflects the views of the 356 students surveyed, it sounds about right. It’s a cliché that young men are radicals and old men conservatives.

For some reason or another, the left is always seen as fashionable amongst young people. It’s for this reason, coupled with the abject uselessness of the main parties, that Green sympathisers are on the rise. Only last month there was an article in this paper entitled, “The Future is Bright, the Future is Green.” Reading this piece reinforced my opinion that Green party-supporting students either hate their own country - and want to see it radically t r a n s formed and irreversibly changed - or simply don’t understand the radical nature of the party itself and what its real intentions are.

Party members and followers have been dubbed watermelons,

a green outer skin that conceals the red underneath. The party is the inheritor of a fierce ideology of the old left, and has simply changed its form. A future under the Green party therefore would not be green at all, nor would it be bright. In fact the Green’s vision of the future bears the most amazing relation to that described in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. A place of soma and sex, designed to distract people from the horrible reality in which they live, where absolutely everything is subordinate to the state. This may sound like an exaggeration but it really isn’t.

Stupefying drugs such as cannabis would be legalised, as would the possession - for personal use - of class A and B drugs. The underground sex industry, prostitution and brothels would also be decriminalised; in addition to state investment into research for new contraceptives and the handing out of free condoms in order to enhance controls on population growth. Anyone remember Linda’s contraceptive belt in Brave New World, or bathimpact

Harry Brennan bathimpact Writer

Open Rights Group

The future isn’t bright under Greens

Party Leader Natalie Bennett and Bath candidate Dominic Tristam (left) are popular with students the soma?

ISIS or Al Qaeda. This, along with good idea. The Re-nationalisation Personal freedoms would be an immigration policy where bor- of the railways as well would be subordinate to the good of society der controls would be “progres- good to see. The party’s stance on and the welfare of animals with sively reduced” doesn’t seem like the abolition of University tuition new measures imposed to encour- the best mix. fees is also quite luring, and the age veganism and vegetarianism.

As for the monarchy, that reason so many students identify We would be instructed on how would go. Britain itself would with them. Though, that really is to makes these lifestyle changes most likely cease to exist, as the the crux of the problem here. So by educational programs that the Green party is in favour of Scot- many people are sucked in by this BBC would be forced to broad- tish independence, not to mention policy, without taking note of any cast – by the state – during prime being in favour of giving Cornwall other, nor of the lunacy of these time. The state will be entering the status of a stateless nation. people. And do you really think people’s homes and telling them I could go on about the numer- that they will be able to implement how to behave and what to eat. ous new taxes that would be im- such a policy? I’m not so sure. In They have some other strange posed and the mad desire to have any case, one of the best things ideas as well, regarding freedom a zero growth economy. The Green about the Green’s rise in popularof expression. They don’t quite party has an enormous amount of ity is that their policies will now seem to have grasped the con- policies, many of which are sim- be scrutinized in much greater decept particularly well. Under the ply ridiculous, some of which are tail. Go and read the policy stateGreens it would be legal to join sensible. Scrapping Trident for ments if you don’t believe me, it’s terrorist organisations such as example seems to me to be pretty all there and it’s mostly all nuts.

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Tuesday 3rd March 2015

Politics & Society

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“Nobody dislikes the Green Party” Olly Bailey

Ramiye Thavabalasingam News and Comment Editor impact-news@bath.ac.uk

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anvassing in Oldfield Park, Dominic Tristram - the Green Party’s parliamentary candidate for Bath - found himself reminiscing about student life, as well as the time he spent living in the area when he first moved to the heritage city fifteen years ago.

“The Woolworths has become a pound stretcher or something has it? When I was a student Woolworths was the most useful shop you could possibly find because it sold everything: sweets, records, screwdrivers,” Dominic ponders as we walk down Moorland Road.

He was, however, incorrect; it was in fact the Sainsbury’s Local that replaced the former retail chain, as his fellow Green Party member and local candidate for Westmoreland Jon Lucas pointed out. There’s a certain sense of nostalgia about Dominic Tristram; he seems very keen to venture into his student past, from his sex-crazed housemates to never having lost a deposit on a student house. His efforts to appear student-friendly to a student-run newspaper were certainly effective.

In the last issue of bathimpact a poll revealed the Greens to be the favoured party amongst students at the University of Bath, and Dominic was quick to reference the results.

“Well as you know we’re doing pretty well, certainly with students

Bath’s Green Party candidate Dominic Tristram speaking at the University of Bath on March 5th at the university, your bathim- than people expect.” met, and those votes aren’t going to pact poll showed us pretty much Dominic seemed very at ease the Conservatives, they’re gonna go in front just about and I think the about the campaign trail in Bath, somewhere else and because we’re talk I did at the University’s Politics but was quick to defend his confi- on track to do better than Labour Society went reasonably well,” he dence, describing the election as “all in Bath, we would be the natural says, adding, “Nationally we polled up in the air.” choice for someone who doesn’t like first with 16-24 year olds and in the “I don’t want to make it sound the coalition, so we’re very optimissouth west that’s true as well. So I’m like we’re gonna do..,” he hesitates, tic.” pretty confident of our vote with the continuing, “I’m very positive that Dominic isn’t too far off with this younger people, and just gener- actually we’re going to do much statement; Labour have yet to win ally I think we’re doing pretty well. better than people expected and over the constituents of Bath, havI mean we got 20% in the European we’ve actually got a real chance. ing never won the parliamentary elections and that was before our You have to bear in mind that this seat in its history. However, much enormous growth in membership, is the fourth safest Lib Dem seat to his dismay, the first house in this so yeah, I think it’s generally better and they’ve seen their vote plum- canvassing session was occupied by

someone whose vote is set for Ed Miliband’s party in the upcoming election. “It’s just a shame that the first person who answered the door there was somebody saying they’d vote Labour because the last time we came round everyone was very positive.”

Dominic said, continuously emphasising the success of a previous canvassing attempt in the Oldfield area.

Dominic spends little time talking about Green Party policy, but rather prefers discussing the faults with all the other political parties running in Bath. “Bath is, I would say small “L” liberal, so there’s a lot of people who’ve voted Lib Dem to keep the Tories out and now the Lib Dems have pretty much shown that they’re more or less the same as the Tories in a lot of ways,” he says, adding that, whilst the Tories won’t lose any voters, he doubts that they will swing many voters either. As for UKIP, Dominic is rather dismissive, saying, “I don’t think UKIP in Bath are really much of a threat to anyone but if they do take votes away it’ll be from the Tories.”

Despite the backhanded comments about the other parties, Dominic comes across as a bit of an everyman: in his casual clothing, his friendly mannerisms and the quiet confidence he has about him. In a sense, he is the epitome of the Green Party; as he himself said, “Nobody dislikes the Green Party…

The worst we ever get is ‘you’re unrealistic hippies’.”

“Vote Lib Dem in Bath, or get Tories” John Barlow bite Editor impact-bite@bath.ac.uk

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he Liberal Democrats are in an interesting position in the run up to the general election. According to IPSOS MORI the party is polling at 6%, the lowest in 25 years. Don Foster, a wellregarded Member of Parliament, who has held the constituency since 1992 is retiring and a student body of 13,000 eligible voters seemingly mistrust the party as a whole (only 6% of students backed the party in a recent bathimpact poll).

Come May, parties will see this as a prime time to break the stronghold Bath still is for the Liberal Democrats.

With the barbarians at the gates of Rome, how the Lib Dems choose to present themselves could vastly affect their chances of remaining a major party.

With this in mind, it was with anticipation that I sat inside the White Hart organising my notes waiting to meet Steve Bradley the new Candidate for Bath & North East Somerset.

I first met Steve outside the White Hart in Widcombe; standing on the corner inspecting the roadworks, he seemed content to chat to locals and find out about their problems. Stepping out of the pub we quickly made our hellos before asking me about my degree and how much I personally am involved with politics.

Asked about his own interest in politics, he candidly admitted that “being from Northern Ireland around the 80’s and 90’s, I was quite disillusioned with party politics”. All through University, he wanted to be an observer and commenter, but the idea of joining a party was still alien to him. It was only after the decision to go to war in Iraq that he demonstrated with thousands and was ignored; he decided that the best way to make a difference was in politics.

Inevitably after the first few houses we started talking about his experiences at Bath. Having been SU president for two years; where he broke a monopoly the First Group had on the student services by introducing a rival bus company. He went on to say how he was still interested in ensuring the quality of service for students, including the reduction of congestion in the city centre.

At the doors Steve seemed friendly and calm, focusing more on the local community than on overall party politics, keen to stress that the Liberal Democrats were a party committed to improving the local area.

At times I felt he was perhaps too keen to point out that the constituency is a two horse race and that voting for other party’s would be a waste of a vote; Stating that, he “was the only sensible vote if the green agenda is one you personally care about.”

Steve seemed very passionate

Liberal Democrat candidate Steve Bradley used to be Students’ Union President at Uni of Bath about green issues, his prior job being which held some regret for Steve. He of the political world, and generally an self-employed environmental con- was still of the belief that a pure Lib seems to care about the people in and sultant. Stating that he wants “Bath Dem government would have upheld around bath. to become an example of how small its promise, but that he does not bePerhaps it is my cynicism or incities can be more environmentally lieve the decision made was the wrong herent mistrust of politicians talking conscious” and that “improving the one, but a reality of being in a coali- then, when I worry that as a candidate environment in and around Bath will tion. Sometimes you cannot com- he seems almost too perfectly picked have many positive impacts on the pletely block decisions but must aim for the constituency. quality of life” to negotiate the best possible outcome Personally I found nothing wrong When asked if he would have voted or in this case reduce the impact on with the man behind the party, howagainst the tuition fee increases if in a students the initial no-limit fee’s pro- ever it will be interesting to hear him position to do so, also being quick to posal would have had. in a more intellectual setting, where point out that only about a third of Lib Steve Bradley definitely has ties to personal politics may give way to naDem MP’s voted yes, with the major- Bath, grew up in an area where love tional ideals, and the calm friendly ity abstaining or voting no. for the political system is not strong, intellectual veneer may come under The subject of tuition fees was one has had many life experiences outside more intense scrutiny.

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Politics & Society

The man challenging the Lib Dems Conservative Party

Rhys Harry bathimpact Contributor

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orry, that was Downing Street on the phone.” This remark by Ben Howlett, the Conservative Party’s parliamentary candidate for Bath, would usually signify a sense of entitlement and of condescension. My presumption was soon dispelled, however, as quickly as it was formed. Ben defies many stereotypes of a Conservative candidate; openly homosexual and embracing his dyslexia from childbirth, he quashes fears of a stiff-neck PPE Oxford alumnus fighting for the constituency. After working on a minimum-wage job for 18 months once he graduated from university, Ben received funding to start a lucrative NHS consultancy firm in London. He then turned his focus to politics where he became the National Chairman of Conservative Future in 2010 and was chosen by local residents in 2013 to contest the seat ahead of two other local candidates.

What Ben lacks in not being born-and-bred in Bath, he certainly compensates for in passion for the World Heritage City; also attracting a reputation amongst a number of students for enthusiastic drinking habits and a fondness for Bath’s limited nightlife. Being in his late 20s, Ben feels the strains of many locals with his deposit for a house being eaten into in order to fund his campaign. Nevertheless, Ben does not demure from the challenge ahead: he asserts that he has been out can-

Ben Howlett, the Conserative Party parliamentary candidate for Bath, will start surgeries on campus vassing every day since 2013, and the local issues he is prioritising. city, especially on brownfield sites. whilst this smells of exaggeration, From his initial six-point-plan for Although he does not believe rental the fluency and depth of the issues the city, to his detailed 14-page man- caps is the solution to high prices, Ben elucidates on suggest other- ifesto on transport in Bath, Ben has in opposition to the Labour policy, wise. Being able to roll-off numbers, certainly done his homework. Pro- warning the risk this poses could dates, areas, people and solutions posals to make Bath greener and re- drive prices higher. with ease, you would not be able to duce congestions are the bud of his On youth engagement he said pick him out from a slew of Bathoni- campaign, with a view to creating an that it was ridiculous for MPs to ans all voicing their local issues and Oyster card style system within the not hold constituency surgeries on concerns – so long as you ignore the Somerset vicinity that can be used university campuses and would like distinct lacking of the indigenous ac- on all services. Segregated cycling is to start this immediately if elected. cent. also on his agenda and he hopes this Then in divisive fashion, Ben took Trekking up Bathwick Hill on the can be implemented across the city the stance that the argument for recanvassing trail, we moved onto his in conjunction to his proposals to ducing tuition fees has been lost and campaign mission and spoke about improve housing availability in the believes that the current system is

the most equitable and does believe non-attendees should subsidise fees.

Although he wants to see the tuition fees system reformed by cutting out lump-sum allocation by the government, instead preferring universities to receive fees according to per pupil satisfaction to increase competition.

Ben asserted that he takes no ideological rooting in his beliefs, rather describing himself as a ´pragmatist´ in an attempt to attract support from all percentiles of society. For instance, with visceral confidence he informed me that his first campaign was to successfully fight against his local conservatives when they tried to close down a special needs school.

Too often prospective parliamentary candidates build their local campaign off rhetoric formulated in the national campaign and thus demonstrate a blissful ignorance of the concerns and tribulations facing the constituents. Bath might have seen a number of high-profile conservative cabinet ministers visit in the past few months, but there is not a sense that this campaign amplifies, or even revolves around, the national party message. Instead, in the face of fierce attacks by the Liberal Democrats, Ben has taken the moral high ground and has not been dissuaded; rather he is proud of his accomplishments in the face of prejudice and with his endearing ambition to reaffirm Bath’s interests, overturning the fourth-safest Liberal Democrat seat is certainly a challenge he has risen to.

Edward Moledon bathimpact Writer

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ou may not have noticed, but it’s coming up to election time. The never-ending spiel of facts and accusations that tell you what you should care about is in full flow, and we are all being instructed as to what issues are really important and will affect us drastically. We are being warned of cataclysmic results if we don’t pay attention to the right person rather than the evil one with the slightly dodgy haircut. It’s already tiring, and deep down the majority of us won’t particularly care as to what they say and will feign interest as it is what we’re supposed to do.

Behind this enthralling media drama however, you will come across a naïve and innocent looking intern or a middle-aged man or woman, who in a mid-life crisis might have forsaken family life for pursuing the alluring dream of political standing. These are the people who create your daily dose of TV about how the Labour/Conservatives/Lib Dems/UKIP are the only party you can trust. About how their candidate is a born and bred local person who understands that the spectre of seagulls and traffic congestion are the key issues of the day. These are the local campaigners, I was one of them

once, an intern in a local branch of one of the four main parties, and there is a darker side of political campaigning amongst the cheery door knocking and flyer distribution.

Behind the innocence and good intentions of local politics hides the Machiavellian scheming of a political organisation that will stop at nothing (OK, that’s a slight exaggeration) for the chance to control the local council. To decide what toilets or bus services shall be curtailed in light of the never ending cuts, which always hit local councils the hardest. This lack of funding consequently caused my branch to deceive their own party HQ about their membership size. They would sign up lodgers and family members, some who were unable to speak English, without their knowledge, as the more members they have the more money they receive. It was a slightly depressing spectacle that occupied the efforts of the local group for several weeks, and then was conceived as a major success, suggesting they had managed to fool themselves along with their own party.

I can also recall a slightly pathetic attempt to sabotage a rival’s campaign by attending an open selection of their Parliamentary candidate and vote for the candidate

Scott Cornell

Fear and loathing in party politics

Although political door-knockers may not be squeaky clean, get off your arse and give them a listen they believe to be the weakest. The by the paternalistic intervention of might be less innocent then they amateur style 007 subterfuge and the current MP, stepping in to per- look, but they are still doing the intrigue doesn’t end there either, suade one of his children against thankless task of knocking on peoas in the pursuit of power candi- throwing a strop on their brother’s ple’s doors and enduring people’s dates and councillors will turn on birthday because they didn’t get to ‘issues’ with the world and their one another quicker than rats will play on the swing. It wasn’t exactly party, when all they want to know in a barrel. One disgruntled coun- House of Cards, but it didn’t paint is if you intend to vote and who cillor was angered at being over- the best picture of the party. for. So if you want to lighten their looked as the next MP candidate Despite this layer of skuldug- day feign interest in what they say and attempted to hold a putsch gery which lies beneath the sur- as after you close the door they go against the selected candidate by face, I still urge you to not refuse next door and knock, whilst you sit refusing to support their campaign to move from your sofa when down and watch ‘Gogglebox’ and and organising other members someone with a rosette on their laugh at the idiocy of those idiots against them. This was only halted lapel rings your doorbell. They saying idiot things.

Monday 23rd March 2015

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World

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Tommi Mazzanti bathimpact Writer fter years of corruption, family entitlements and harsh military rule had plagued the upper echelons of Indonesian governance, Jakarta and the world praised the election of democratic party leader Widodo (President Jokowi) in late October. Ready to tackle the prevalent drug crisis, Jokowi vowed to refuse all clemency appeals for felons on death row. No executions had taken place in over a year, but on January 18, six people, five of which being foreigners, were executed by a firing squad. Sixty-four death row inmates await their final day on Nusa Kambagan island, where executions take place. At least half are foreigners whose governments have pleaded, demanded and negotiated for their lives to be spared. Whilst it is clear a foreigner must abide to local laws, discussion is foggier on the punishment, especially if the local penalty is abolished in the country of origin.

Two of the more recognisable faces on Nusa Kambagan are Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, two Australians arrested in 2005 as part of a drug smuggling team now known as the Bali Nine.

Their seven accomplices have since received pardons for their initial execution sentences; six on life in prison and one serving 20 years. Since their arrest both Chan and Sukumaran have undergone a spiritual transformation that has

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gained them controversial support worldwide; from drug-smugglingcriminals to inspirational artist for Sukumaran and Bible preacher in Chan’s case. The French newspaper ‘Liberation’ stated that the likes of Richard Branson and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Lommi have written to President Jokowi to reconsider his stance, but all appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

Australian politicians have for their part used diplomacy to try and safeguard the pair’s life. The Bali Nine were caught smuggling 8.3kg of heroin out of Indonesia, an amount that in Australia would get you locked up for life. Clearly, it has never been a discussion of innocence, but of just punishment.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop firstly offered a prisoner exchange, with the BBC underlining that the three Indonesians offered up by Bishop had been caught with an amount of heroin 47 times that of the Bali Nine’s package. Australia subsequently promised to fund the life imprisonment of the two Australians, as many advocates of capital punishment decry the cost of keeping a person in prison his whole life. Jokowi has stuck by his initial statement and refused all negotiations for a pardon.

The New York Times noticed diplomatic tension had boiled over when Australia’s Prime Minister Abbott claimed Indonesia owed them this favour following the $1 billion aid granted by his country to Indonesian Tsunami ap-

uyeah

Australians to face firing squad

Indonesian President Jokowi has ignored pleas for the release of foreign criminals on death row peal back in 2004. Such shameful woman sentenced to be beheaded is more depressing is a modern claims have overstepped bounda- in Saudi Arabia. A two-way street democratic nation unable to eduries, meaning negotiations have is apparent because, if the oppo- cate and protect its citizens from come to tarnish diplomatic rela- site situation will present itself, a criminal drug world. However, tions. Indonesia has already al- Indonesia would remember Saudi what I find most depressing is a nalowed these executions to damage Arabia’s consideration. The issue tion still using capital punishment. its political network as both Brazil arises when two nations disagree Negotiations for clemency would and the Netherlands have recalled on the moral ground of the punish- vanish along with the death pentheir ambassadors since their com- ment, as Abbott was quoted by The alty; proof being the other seven of patriots were among the five killed Guardian saying, “As Australians the Bali Nine. No nation, no musiwe abhor drug crime. We stand cian, no celebrity is demanding for in January.

Indonesia stands unwavering, resolute against drug crime, but their release. Foreign nations must however, as it is their sovereign we are against the death penalty as respect other’s sovereign rights right to choose laws, try defend- well.” to preserve order and convivialIt is depressing to see a person ity. But when this sovereign right ants and execute punishment.

However, there’s a hint of hypocri- born in a country where capital supports capital punishment, is sy. As The New York Times points punishment is abolished voluntar- this sovereign not disrespecting a out, last year Indonesia paid $2 ily cross a border conduct deal- larger right, a human right; that no million to save an Indonesian ings that risk the death row. What man should take another’s life.

EU pledges to Oz Teenage terrorist cut emissions

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tant EU, one avenue to pursue would be to promote climatesmart growth within developing nations.

EU funding for initiatives like low-carbon cities, renewable energy generation and forest restoration in the developing world could support economic growth in a more sustainable manner.

The Paris summit arguably represents one of the best chances in recent years to achieve a legally binding, shared agreement on climate change, as many developing nations like Russia, India and Brazil start to recognise the need for a collective cap.

Whilst the EU’s latest internal commitments are a welcome step in the right direction, more needs to be done to ensure that an ambitious global emissions deal can be reached in Paris.

In the lead up to the lastchance saloon for UN-led action this December, the EU must lead the way in challenging other nations to make comparative international emissions pledges and promote global climatesmart development.

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Russavia

James Gallagher bathimpact Writer he European Union has unveiled its latest commitment to tackle climate change – a legally binding pledge to cut internal emissions by at least 40% by 2030. The EU hopes to use this deal as a springboard for lobbying other nations at a UN summit in Paris this December, urging the creation of a new climate deal which would see global emissions cut 60% by 2050.

Whilst current domestic pledges from the EU and other developed nations are promising, the reality is that they just don’t go far enough, and are unlikely to be further revised after this hard-fought compromise. In order to meet its global reduction target of 60%, the EU must seek the assistance of other nations.

The solution, according to Green MEP Bas Eickhout, lies with China and other developing nations “who are most affected by climate change”, and are increasingly eager to take action because of it. To reduce the need for further expensive carbon cuts in an already reluc-

Lily Yaping Lang bathimpact Writer ight after the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s announcement that he planned to send an additional 300 troops to help train Iraq forces fighting ISIS on 3 March, Australia was struck by the shocking news that an Australian schoolboy who travelled to the Middle East to fight with ISIS had reportedly been involved in a suicide bomb attack on behalf of ISIS in Iraq.

A photograph showing an image of an ISIS suicide van alongside another photograph of a young man, who appears to be 18-year-old Australian Jake Bilardi, sitting in the driver’s seat, is going viral on social media. The images are said to be taken from an ISIS propaganda video. The Twitter user @Allmorabitt10, who has been associated with ISIS in the past, tweeted a photograph of the Melbourne teenager alongside the message “For today’s Martyrs.”

Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, confirmed that officials are “seeking to independently verify that he was part of this suicide bombing attack”, and “if these reports are confirmed, this is another tragic example of a young Australian being lured to a senseless and violent death by a

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop with Prime Minister Tony Abbott brutal terrorist organization that discovered online, laying out how is intent on imposing suffering he had become disillusioned with and misery, not only in Iraq and Western society and had been fascinated by Islam.

Syria, but beyond.”

Following reports of the suiMs. Bishop also stated that his passport had already been can- cide bombing, BBC journalist Secelled in October after he left for cunder Kermani stated that he has the Middle East in August, “How- interviewed the young Australian ever, when he stayed in Iraq and in December, when the teenager Syria, with IS, it was very difficult told him he was “chasing death”.

Currently at least 90 Australfor us to keep track of him”.

Members of two mosques in ians are fighting with and supMelbourne and friends of the porting terrorist groups in Iraq teenager confirmed his identity, and Syria, and more than twenty explaining that he had converted have reportedly been killed. Last to Islam after his mother died of week two Australia-born teenage cancer and he became confused brothers were stopped at Sydney and angry. In addition, after his airport on suspicion of heading to reported death, a blog believed to the Middle East to join ISIS fighthave been written by Bilardi was ers.

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Ebola is on the Murder hits Moscow way out in Africa

Global Panorama jchensiyuan

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Ebola’s crisis could be soon overcome. Currently, the only country still strongly affected by it is Sierra Leone. Even so, the World Health Organization puts its trust in the work of experts and believes that the disease transmission can be completely stopped by this summer.

However, it is clear that this will require much more effort, as well as the deployment of further economic aid. As Dr. Bruce Aylward explains, ‘’there’s a need for reinvestment and reinvigoration of the program if we are to get this finished’’.

Furthermore, WHO officials consider that health workers do have the suitable facilities to stop the epidemic, no matter how many challenges they may have to face. More accurately, the UN has presented the need for a $400 million-program which would fight Ebola by the end of June, including $125 million for the WHO. The declaration of Liberia and Guinea as Ebola-free countries is giving the global community the hope that, in spite of the difficulties, the crisis will soon come to an end. Furthermore, there are also those who believe that investing more money and doing further research could lead to the creation of effective vaccinations against Ebola. This would not only stop any future outbreak of the disease, but it would also lead to its total defeat. Although it may seem still far in the future, this aspiration is shared by many scientists whose dream is Ebola’s permanent disappearance.

Liberia and Guinea are now believed to be entirely Ebola-free

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to identify the contractors who ordered the brutal killing of the Russian president’s leading adversary. The assassination came just days before Nemtsov was allegedly due to publish a report detailing Russia’s military involvement in eastern Ukraine. Despite mounting evidence, Putin is denying rumours that Russian troops are in Ukraine and that Moscow has been arming Russian separatists.

Though Putin has publicly condemned the ‘audacious murder’ of Nemtsov, labelling it as a ‘disgrace’, it has done little to eliminate suspicion that Nemtsov’s death was ordered to silence his dissenting voice.

Zhanna Nemtsova, has labelled the death of her father as a ‘political killing’, and the records suggest it was certainly not the first.

In March 2013, Putin critic Boris Berezovsky was found dead in his home, and preceeding that, a string of investigative journalists and spies were also amongst the dissenters punished for their outspoken views.

However, despite the strong case for a Putin-ordered killing, many express doubt over his direct involvement in the plot.

Some rumours speculate that the dramatic backdrop of the assassination may have been chosen to intimidate Russia’s political elite, arguing that if Putin had ordered the killing so close to the Kremlin, he would be framing himself as the orchestrator. Other assassination theories have linked the murder to the Charlie Hebdo killings, suggested Nemtsov was merely a sacrificial victim for the opposition, or that the blame lies with an individual who was offended by Nemtsov’s colourful love life.

Regardless of the motive behind the attack, the assassination of a man who advocated peace, democracy and honesty deserves a transparent and thorough investigation void of bias or corruption.

Russian politics has lost a unifying figure, and there is now a danger that the fractures in democracy will worsen if the Kremlin choose to exercise repression and political threats as forms of dominance over the people of Russia. Failure to deal with the aftermath of the assassination justly and effectively could cause a climate of extremism in an already polarised society where there is potential for a revolutionary reaction to a death that has shocked nations.

Bath RAG Ilya Voyager

Eleonora Monoscalco bathimpact Writer n March 8 Liberia discharged its last Ebola patient. This represents not only a great victory for the country, but also for the global health system. At a meeting in Washington, Dr. Tom Frieden described Ebola as one of the biggest crises he had never come across, ‘’the only thing like this has been AIDs” he stated. After one year of grappling with the disease, Liberia will be declared Ebola-free unless new cases are found within 42 days. The virus, first detected in West Africa in March 2014, has caused around 4,100 casualties in Liberia, and infected more than 9,700 up to the 28 February.

After identifying the situation as an ‘’international public health emergency’’ last summer, the United Nations Health Agency suggested that a prompt response should be sent to prevent the virus from further spreading. As a consequence, a lot has been done to improve surveillance systems and to build adequate infrastructures to deal with the situation. Even if the countries have responded positively, Western intervention has also raised cultural barriers and caused distrust from local communities. In particular, persuading them to abandon their traditional burial practices for safety reasons has been quite a hard goal to achieve.

Notwithstanding, the fact that Liberia has almost overcome the virus and no other cases have been reported recently in Guinea means that

Eve Alcock bathimpact Writer ince the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia’s relationship with Ukraine has been tainted by war, turbulence and revolution.

Vladimir Putin’s aggressive annexation of the Crimea in April 2014 resulted in violent protests as Russia attempted to regain its troubled phantom limb. Described as a ‘kleptocracy’ by Russian scholar Karen Dawisha, Putin’s rule has been criticised by a number of public figures, most notably, liberal reformer and former deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov.

On the 27 February, an unidentified attacker shot Boris Nemtsov in the back four times from the safety of a car on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, just meters away from the Kremlin and Moscow’s central Red Square. Nemtsov had been in Moscow organising a rally against the Ukraine war and the economic crisis; an event he had been publicising on his Facebook and Twitter pages the day of the attack.

As a prominent outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, it is understandable why people are eager

Boris Nemtsov’s violent murder has been followed by a lot of criticism against Vladimir Putin

Courts against Sudan leader Gaia Caramazza bathimpact Writer udanese authorities have been under the scrutiny of the International Criminal Court for some time now.

Accused of various crimes against his own people, amongst these a serious claim of mass killing and rape, Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir is the primary figure in the international issue. Consequences of his campaigns in Darfur have caused thousands of deaths, and 50,000 people to flee their homes. As president since 1989, alBashir has made his way up the political ladder since he took power by means of an Islamist-backed military coup. His reign has been sustained by questionable elections labelled as “propaganda”, and his rule with an iron fist. Opposition parties are calling for a boycott of elections as they do not give Sudanese people democracy, but merely keep an illusion of it.

Accusations from the ICC have obviously been repeatedly ignored by Sudanese authorities. Omar al-Bashir is

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the first sitting president indicted by the ICC and has been since 2009.

The African Union (AU) sees this accusation as highly controversial, claiming that the focus on Sudan has been due to ethnic discrimination whereas numerous other states are committing worst crimes with little to no backlash. Other African leaders who have been under the international microscope include Joseph Kabila, leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a controversial leader who has also been condemned for crimes similar to those of al-Bashir. The AU calls for other crimes against humanity, such as those resulting from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to be dealt with before the West compromises African authority once more.

The ICC has no police force and no other binding legislation which allows it to act in accordance with its own verdicts. The institution, which is headquartered in The Hague, relies on foreign governments for any type of international authority. In cases such as the Sudanese authority, this

results in a long-overdue need for harsh consequences for pseudo-dictators that violate the rights of their own citizens frequently and ruthlessly.

The international community has been called to act quickly to resolve the situation, with the ICC calling for a strong United Nations response to the crimes committed under the mandate of Omar al-Bashir. Unfortunately, it is unclear what actions the Security Council can take, looking at its previous history of disagreements on pressing international issues. In 2005, the Security Council was asked to open investigations into Sudan, but calls for decisive action were unsuccessful and numerous officials fled the country. This conflict is highlighted by Sudan’s strong relations with both Russia and China, which have no reason to prosecute a fellow ally.

It remains unclear what exactly will result following the International Criminal Court’s indictment of Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir.

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Science & Tech

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Professor Science: chocolate love C

hocolate – humanities favourite confectionery, with a long history and a fascinating and complex journey from ripe cocoa pod to chocolaty treats.

Cocoa, cacao and chocolate are all products of the same plant Theobroma cacao, native to Central and South America.

One of the earliest uses of cacao seeds was the production of drinking chocolate. Archaeological sites in Mexico provide scientists with evidence of cacao beverages as early as 1900 BC. The residues found on the drinking vessels indicated that the beans were fermented to make an alcoholic drink. Mayan glyphs and cacao residues on drinking vessels found in Mayan tombs from around 460AD point to a frothy, bitter, hot drink used for ceremonial purposes and in everyday life.

The Europeans only found out about chocolate in the 16th century, when Christopher Columbus encountered cacao beans on his fourth mission to the Americas.

However, the bitter drink did not exactly struck as a favourite and they were quick to add sugar and honey to sweeten it up. Nowadays, chocolate is a global favourite and comes in a myriad of shapes and flavours.

The first step after harvest of the cocoa beans is their fermen-

tation. This is the job of a host of microbial minions. So far this has been a rather randomly spontaneous process. The cocoa beans are inoculated by bacteria and yeast that happen to float around the air and local environment as the beans are cut out of their pods at harvest time. The beans are tightly packed, so that no oxygen can penetrate the mass and fermentation starts. Yeasts convert the sugars in the cocoa beans into alcohol, just as in beer and wine production.

Alongside yeast, bacteria convert sugars into lactic and citric acid, just as in yoghurt and cheese production. As the yeasts are working away they also break down pectin, creating a sweaty liquid. The liquid slowly evaporates leaving room for air to enter the mass of beans. Airflow is important for a third class of microbial minions to kick into action. Acetic acid bacteria oxidise the ethanol into acetic acid, aka vinegar. This process heats up the pulp and kills off yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. The acetic acid also kills off any embryonic seedlings in the cocoa beans and starts chemical reactions that will eventually create the rich colour, aroma and flavours of cocoa.

This first step is critical in keeping the chocolate river flowing and leaving things up to nature is a risky business. So, scientists and

Carlos Luna

Google opens shop

Google has now opened a new shop on Tottenham Court Road Amy Hooper bathimpact Writer Technology giant Google have opened their first ever physical retail store, within Currys PC World on Tottenham Court Road in central London. The company plans to open two more ‘Google Shops’ in Fulham and Essex soon.

Customers will be able to try out Google’s range of Chromebook laptops and Nexus mobile handsets, as well as its new Chromecast TV streaming service, with staff on hand to provide demonstrations. The Google Marketing department claims the shop will be a ‘genuinely unique try-before-youbuy-experience’, which may seem a little dubious to anyone who has ever set foot in an Apple Store.

However, the claim that the shop is unique is not without warrant; it comes complete with all of the cool gimmicks you might expect. Visitors to the shop can use artificial spray cans to draw on the digital ‘Doodle Wall’; watch films and YouTube videos in the

‘Chromecast Pod’ and play with the nine 1080p screens devoted to a large scale showcase of Google Earth.

It would not be unreasonable to ask whether the shops are really the innovative breakthrough that they are deemed to be and not a sudden attempt to play catch up with some of their rivals.

Both Microsoft and Apple already have dedicated areas for themselves within the same shop.

Whether the Google Shops will play a large part in Google’s future remains to be seen, but seems unlikely. The vast majority of Google’s profit still comes from advertising; they certainly do not need to expand their retail presence for commercial reasons. The doodle wall and the Google Earth display might attract people to the shop but will not necessarily persuade people to buy Chromebooks and Android Phones. The Google Shop seems more of a tourist attraction than a place people go to buy their new laptop.

chocolatiers around the world have decided to give this fermentation step a helping hand by developing a “starter cocktail” of fermentative microbes that will do the best job and deliver high quality beans.

Once fermentation is deemed complete (after about 10 days), the beans are dried and roasted, and are now ready to be processed into chocolate products. The fat in the beans, A.K.A. cocoa butter, is removed by pressing the beans either cold making cacao or by heating the beans making cocoa. The shells of the beans are removed to extract the nibs, which are ground into powder. Chocolate is made using cocoa or cacao with added sugar, milk fat, fruit, nuts and whatever tickles the chocolatier’s fancy.

Cocoa, not to be confused with cocaine from the coca plant Erythroxylum coca, is a known mild natural stimulant containing chemicals that can imitate our feel-good neurotransmitters. The main active ingredient in cocoa is theobromine. The effects are similar to caffeine, creating a feeling of alertness and sharpness of mind. It can also act as a vasodilator, causing blood vessels to relax allowing blood to flow more freely. This can not only affect blood flow through the brain, but can also lead to a Viagra-like effect on men, which perhaps lead to chocolate’s reputa-

Nemo

Our trustworthy scientist looks at our favourite sweet snack

Professor Science talks chocolatey treats and tasty cacao beans tion as an aphrodisiac. But theo- with vomiting, diarrhoea, possible bromine also has its downsides. It seizures and organ failure. Cats can be a powerful diuretic (making have a more severe problem, but you need the bathroom a lot) and do not seem to have such a sweet the consumption of large amounts tooth.

Some say chocolate is addictive, can cause the same effects as a caffeine overdose, including anxiety, but scientists struggle to isolate the addictive ingredient. Addictive headaches and nausea.

Man’s best friend, dogs, are un- or not, most people find it deliable to process chocolate in the cious! Personally, I have more of same way humans do, so theobro- a hankering for a juicy fern, but mine accumulates in their bodies maybe that’s just a Diplodocus to toxic levels causing an overdose thing.

Help others, help yourself Alexandra Egan Features Editor impact-features@bath.ac.uk

F

eatures Editor Alexandra Egan had the opportunity to interview Bath graduate Simon Hills, co-founder of ‘helpfulpeeps’, to get to know his company a little better.

What exactly is helpfulpeeps.com?

Founded by Saf Nazeer & Simon Hills, helpfulpeeps is a social sharing network that makes it easier for people who want help to connect with people who are able and willing to help. For Free. Users help each other out and their actions form the basis for their Karma Score which acts as equity on the network. Users can appeal for help with just about anything (DIY, lifts, CV proof-reading, guitar lessons etc.) and earn karma by helping others.

What does helpfulpeeps. com hope to achieve for its users?

Our mission is to become the world’s most helpful network - to empower individuals and unite communities. We want to give every user the opportunity to improve their own lives and to experience the joy of giving back and helping another.

What are the principles that helpfulpeeps.com believe in?

We believe that each and every one of us can bring a vast array of

knowledge, skills and interests to the table that could add value to each other and society. We believe in sharing our human capital (time/ energy) with each other to impact positive change in our lives. We want to inspire change by demonstrating that sharing freely leads to higher quality interactions and is more fulfilling than monetary transactions.

What benefits do users get from helpfulpeeps.com?

You can expand your network and connect with people based on

“

....it could become part of the social psyche...

Simon Hill

shared interests, required skills and location with the intention of being able to assist them when needed and in return they will be there for you in your time of need.

You will be able to gain access to various goods, services and skills and to connect with people based on shared interests, required skills and location with the intention of being able to assist them when needed and in return they will be there for you in your time of need.

You can be part of a new kind of society that aims to create a ‘karma based economy’ where reputa-

tion is the only currency you need.

Your status within this community is determined only by your actions (for example, how many people you have helped).

Finally, you will experience the joy of giving. We believe that people are inherently good and so we want to provide a platform for people to share their own gifts with others in the community and experience the joy of giving (as a bonus you would also receive Karma points).

What does helpfulpeeps. com hope to do in the future?

We hope to get as many people as possible engaged on the network helping each other out. Successful social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have changed the way we interact online but what we want to do with helpfulpeeps is to change people’s behaviour in real life. We want to measure metrics like the number of lives improved and how many times people have paid it forward; those would be great metrics as you can see just how effective and useful the network has been in facilitating positive change.

So it is about making people aware of it, getting people using it and really then getting the benefits for themselves and then once that happens, we believe that it could become part of the social psyche where helpfulpeeps becomes your first port of call whether you need help or whether you are looking to help.

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I

able to offer my own alternative at a different price?

Medicines in particular are a difficult thing. Yes, a company who spend billions designing a pill should be able to profit from it, but is medicine really something we should keep away from people for the sake of money?

Stories of readily available malaria tablets unable to enter the markets of developing markets are abound, as intellectual property laws stop any company from producing similar, but cheaper, alternatives.

So when should you cheat and copy someone’s work? The obvious answer is when you know you won’t get caught, or when the risks of cheating outweigh the potential cost. Let’s take another look at the ‘Blurred Lines’ case. The track has sold 7.3 million copies in the USA alone, and continues to make money each time it is played on the radio, on the TV or covered by other artists. It is a song which is worth far more than £5 million pounds. Had the song genuinely been copied in the way the Gayes imply, it was a risk that paid off for Pharell and Thicke, even if they did get caught.

What about plagiarising for essays at university? Here we have to approach it as a zerosum game. If the University of Bath catches you, they win and you automatically lose everything. If you don’t, then the University loses and you gain whatever mark the person who actually did the work got.

Plagiarism, like any economic decision, is about risk. If you take a calculated risk, you know what is at stake. And if you don’t manage to cash in, you risk losing everything.

Milford

magine, one day, you flick on the radio and hear a song you had written. Not only are you, for all intents and purposes, the ‘owner’ of that tune, but said artist is making a killing from your work. Imagine if that ‘hit song’ was ‘Blurred Lines’, the now infamous ‘date rape’ glorifying funk-fest which, two years ago, made Robin Thicke and Pharell Williams household.

The ‘ripped off’ people in this case were the Gayes; the family of the emblematic soul singer Marvin Gaye. This song, they claimed, was not so much an inspired call back to the days of funk, but an outright copy of Marin’s 1966 classic ‘Got to Give It Up’. The court process bought up all kinds of potential challenges to similar cases, but most importantly, it won the Gayes a handsome pay-out of almost £5 million.

It might seem that we live in a world of innovation followed by imitation. Apple makes an iPhone which is immediately followed by an identical product by Samsung. Whenever we can get away with copying other people, we do. But the calculations of when to do it raise some interesting points.

Copyright and intellectual property laws are a contentious set of legislation. It is generally agreed that, when someone flat out uses your ideas to make money, they should be punished. But are there limits as to when and where this should be applied? No, someone shouldn’t make money directly from your song, but shouldn’t they be able to draw inspiration from it, visà-vis Williams and Thicke? If you create a toy, shouldn’t I be

BHS gone for a quid Brian Robert Marshall

Economics of...

Cheating

Sir Philip Green has sold BHS to Retail Acquisitions Ltd. and remais positive about the company’s future

Agathe Barceló bathimpact Writer

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usinessman Philip Green has sold BHS to an investment vehicle called Retail Acquisitions Ltd. for a nominal price of £1.

BHS is one of the best-known high-street retail companies with 171 stores and over 11,000 staff.

Sir Phillip seemed optimistic with the company’s future stating “I am pleased that we have found a buyer in Retail Acquisitions Ltd. who wants to develop the BHS brand”. One of the owners of Retail Acquisition, Keith Smith, was confident that a new strategy brought to the company “would return BHS to profitability, and safeguard the workforce”.

In fact, Retail Acquisition Ltd. has shown its commitment in backing the existing management board and pledging to continue selling clothing from others brands. Furthermore, Sir Philip agreed with the buyers to write-off the chain’s debts and the maintenance of £90m of cash. The biggest issue for the Retail Acquisition Ltd will be the acquisition of the BHS pension fund, which has

an estimated deficit of £130m.

However, the fact that a littleknown group of investors can better recover BHS’s position in the retail industry than Sir Philip, one of Britain’s best-known businessmen, has been received with more scepticism than hoped by many market analysts.

Joshua Raymond, chief market strategist at broker City Index argues that Retail Acquisitions faces a “monumental” challenge in trying to turn around the fortunes of BHS. Last year, the company reported a 3.5% fall in annual sales to £675.7 m and pre-tax losses of £69.9 m, dragging down profits to £143.1 m to Arcadia, the company that also owns Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.

BHS’s insolvency problems can be explained by the failure to modernise the chain’s image while competition across the high street was only becoming stronger. When asked on Oxford Street, customers claimed that much of BHS was out-dated. Faith, 49, says, “The merchandise looks a bit old. I usually shop in Debenhams.”

The blame could be put in the

company’s management, who have not considered the longterm viability of the firm. According to Stephen Springam, a retail analyst claims that “BHS was a very good deal for Philip Green.

It enabled him to buy Arcadia and make an attempt to buy Marks & Spencer. He has taken a lot of money out of it and a lot of costs out but he has not made it for the future”.

The executive board of Retail Acquisition Ltd. recognises these issues and has already put a strategic plan in place that would return the company’s profits in at least two years. The first decision is to split between profitable and loss-making stores, raising the prospect of BHS stores potential ly closing or using them for other retailers. The main idea would be to enhance and modernise BHS’s reputation, adapting it to the digital age by expanding its online retailing. Changing BHS’s image is the main priority for the executive board of Retail Acquisition Ltd. Nevertheless, they will have to invest more than one pound if they have any hope of staging a high street comeback.

Whopping new NHS Deal Rhys Harry bathimpact Writer he NHS has agreed to the largest-ever privatisation of its services with a colossal £780 million deal aimed at tackling the backlog of patients waiting for surgery and tests.

Under the contract, eleven companies will be paid to ease the workload of hospitals to diagnose and treat patients with services including heart, joint and other types of operations and scans, and many of the services will be provided in mobile facilities rather than hospitals. It is believed the mobile services will increase patient satisfaction and help steer the NHS waiting time targets back on track.

NHS Supply Chain, the health

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What is plaigiarism in an era that draws inspiration from the past?

service’s procumbent body, has agreed for the deal to be dispersed across the health service with individual NHS Trusts able to hire the mobile firms to address patient backlogs. A spokesman for the NHS Business Services Authority, which oversees NHS Supply Chain, said “This framework was introduced to provide a central point from which mobile and strategic clinical services could be procured efficiently within the NHS.” The nine-digit deal has raised eyebrows with concerns over three of the eleven health-care companies involved having been besmirched for providing poor quality care in hospitals and care homes; Vanguard, Circle and Care UK all have tarnished reputations for providing under-performing

NHS services.

Labour’s shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham has reprimanded the coalition government for this deal. Burnham said: “It is outrageous that large chunks of the NHS are being parcelled up and sold without the permission of a single person in this country.”

However, just last week an unpublished report by the cross-party Health Select Committee found that under the coalition NHS private provision has in fact slowed since 2010, after Mr Burnham departed as Health Secretary. Discarding the rhetoric and answering the question: will this deal improve NHS services? And will the NHS remain free at the point of use? It appears the answer is yes and yes - for now.

Monday 23rd March 2015

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The ACE society are acing it R

unning a student-centred society for the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering was never going to be an easy job. Engineering and Civil Society Secretary and architecture students are some of the most reluctant to get involved in extracurricular activities, given their relatively heavy workloads and antisocial working hours. It is therefore even more remarkable that the ACE Society has been experiencing an unprecedented rise in popularity and activity over the last few years. Following a brief period of total desperation (up until December 2011, the society was actually disaffiliated from the Students’ Union due to lack of members), successive cohorts of students have gradually managed to revive it and bring it to new heights in terms of

activity and membership numbers.

This achievement was recognised by the Students’ Union when it awarded ACE the ‘Best Departmental Society of the Year’ award in April 2014.

We add to the student experience at Bath: we organise socials, host industry networking events and invite working professionals for evening talks. The fact that we are a joint society, catering to both architecture and engineering students, gives an exciting dynamic to our work, but also means that every event is a careful balancing act of interests and opinions. The inclusion of the two subjects under the umbrella of one single society stems from our own Department’s philosophy, which argues that the most successful built environment designs are those based on a collaborative nexus of both architecture and engineering. This is ultimately what gives our department

and our society, a unique insight into the world of design and construction.

Over the last couple of years we have successfully organised several extracurricular talks on a whole range of. Last year we were fortunate enough to hear a Bath alumnus working at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios deliver a talk on the recently-opened Edge building on campus, as well as host a lecture by the world-renowned bridge engineer Bill Harvey, which attracted an audience of 130. This academic year saw two more practicing architects give hugely popular lectures: Harbinder Birdi from Hawk-

ins Brown Architects and Kim Quazi from Arup Associates - both placed a distinctive emphasis on the collaborative nature of the profession.

Over the coming months and years, we are hoping to see the society grow and evolve further.

Our most recent event, the ACE debate on the topic of sustainability in the built-environment, which took place on 5 March, proved extremely successful and popular with students, staff and working professionals alike. For more information, visit us at http:// www.bathstudent.com/socs/societies/ArchitectureCivilEng/.

ACE

Jakub Ryng bathimpact Writer

Christopher Harvey bathimpact Writer

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epresenting the University of Bath at a national level is an incredible achievement for any student. While the University loves to boast about its sporting achievements, it rarely publicises society achievements. Hopefully Bath University NCS will help buck that trend!

“The National University eSports League” provides a National competition for League of Legends with over 200 active teams that represent over 70% of UK Universities.

On the 22 February “no bads allowed”, captained by Harry Hartley (HJH), claimed 12th place and qualified for the last spot in the Super 8 promotion to compete against one of the 4 bottom seeds in the Super 8 on the 1 March. Initially it looked quite bleak as they faced the might of the “Cambridge Dongers”, seeded 5th. This was a team that had proved themselves in LAN tournaments’ such as the “4 Nations” but had never looked the same since the departure of their mid-laner.

The first game saw Bath gamble with a “protect the marksmen” composition, designed to create room for Oscar Tan (ForeverBeyond) to decimate the Cambridge side. In a tense game Bath managed to pull out a small lead before catching their opponents’ off-guard by taking a crucial objective, that proved to be decisive as they cruised home after 35 minutes.

Though Cambridge were down, they were far from out, after switching around roles they then proceeded to pick a questionable composition based on picking off targets with mages. Bath stuck to their guns but struggled to keep up with the intensity of the Cambridge players. In a prolonged game the “Dongers” managed to find the crucial targets, squaring the series up at 1 -1.

In the deciding match, “no bads allowed” brought their secret weapon.

Kristoffer Thuesen (Krisso) stepped into the line-up and with his wealth of experience playing in International tournaments led from the front and Bath switched to a more balanced composition that favoured all-round

BUNCS

BUNCS talk video games

Chris interviews Harry Hartley before the Best of the South West team play. Cambridge took a page out after 50 minutes intense minutes. of Bath’s book opting for a “protect After the game, “GGWP” (Good the marksmen” style. The two teams’ Game, well played) filled the chat, traded equal blows as both searched and the teams talked for long affor an opening, unfortunately it was ter the match ended. There were no Cambridge that found the first weak- “ego-trips” but recognition at the levness, splitting open Bath’s defence el of play and analysis of what could in one manoeuvre. However Bath have been. weathered the storm to hit their item Finishing in this manner revealed thresholds before managing to slowly the true nature of eSports (and sports push the “Dongers” back. With their too). That at the end of it all, it’s just composition faltering the “Dongers” a game! tried a last ditch attempt to reclaim To find out about BUNCS, The their Super 8 position, but Kris- Video Gaming Society, and the variso’s positioning helped to tear the ety of competitive and casual games “Dongers” apart and close the game we play, visit our Facebook page!

Talia Cox bathimpact Writer n 28 March Bath’s political and ethical societies are hosting a conference as part of the Socs Extravaganza.

The theme of the Bath and Beyond Conference is ‘world challenges and how to overcome them’.

The societies involved are: Bath Amnesty International, Middle Eastern Awareness Society, People and Planet, TEDx Bath, Model United Nations, Debating, Social Policy, Politics, Engineers Without Borders and, Bath Atheists, Humanists and Secularists. Sister societies from other universities will also be attending.

The conference will be host-

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University of Bath Students’ Union

Conference comes to Bath

ing external speakers, workshops and debates around topical issues such as education, human rights

and the upcoming general election. The speakers are in the process of being confirmed, but

check out the conference Facebook page for updates!

Together the societies are trying to create more political engagement at the University, where political engagement amongst students is extremely low, and showcase some examples of the work and activities they do during the year.

This conference has the potential to become a pull factor for the Uni for students who want to get involved in political activism and broaden their horizons out of Bath and to the beyond...

Attendance is free, but ensure your seat by signing up through www.bathstudent.com or by checking out the event Facebook page “'Bath and Beyond' SU Ethical & Political Socs Conference”.

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Activities

Knit Soc go to a museum KnitSoc member bathimpact Writer ast month, I had the pleasure of attending a trip to the American Museum with KnitSoc. The main focus of the trip was to see an exhibition of David Kaffe, an artist specialising in knitted creations. It was fascinating to see an artist excelling in such an unusual field, as I’ve become accustomed to painters or sculptors.

Walking up to the exhibition was exciting enough.

Lampposts and trees stood adorned with wool, the colours looking so unusually fitting on such normal objects. It’s weird how graffiti looks so beautiful when done with wool instead of paint. It seemed to fit; rather than ruining the scenery it just added to it, making the trees more beautiful just through the addition of colour.

The exhibition itself was

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“

Sadly it was not him - that would have been too cool” KnitSoc member

equally stunning. A single room was the main centrepiece, each wall decorated with a different block colour; blue jumpers on one wall contrasted with bright, stark yellow. Everywhere you looked there was vivid, unforgettable displays of extraordinary talent from one genius mind. In each of these colour blocks, Kaffe had done not only paintings, but jumpers, hats, bags you name it, he had knitted it.

Around the corner from this room full of contrast stood a wall adorned with Kaffe’s quotes, which added a personal touch to the display; without this humanistic feature the whole thing would have been lost in the madness of colour with no explanation behind it. There was even a man looking at this wall in a hugely knitted jumper who looked a lot like the picture of Kaffe on the wall. Sadly it was not him - that would have been too cool.

The exhibition may have been small but the beauty and lasting impression definitely made this a worthwhile trip.

Why not pop along one week to try out knitting club and see what it is like? Find for information at: http://www.bathstudent.com/socs/societies/ knitsoc/.

Monday 23rd March 2015

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Modern Pentathlon comes to Bath Michael Powell Sport Editor impact-sport@bath.ac.uk

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ickets have gone on sale for the Modern Pentathlon European Championships which are being held at the University of Bath from August 18-23 this year. Tickets officially went on sale last week after being launched by former World Champion Mhairi Spence, double Olympian Nick

“

We’re bringing sporting heritage here in what will be a great display of world class sporting action” Kara Luck

Woodbridge, Event Director Kara Luck and Pentathlon GB Chief Executive Nigel Laughton. The event will be the first senior international competition held in the UK

since the London 2012 Olympics and will see over 100 athletes from across Europe travelling to Bath to compete.

The event will be a qualification competition for the Rio 2016 Olympics with it providing the first opportunity for pentathletes to try and achieve the qualifying standard required for the games. The University is home to Pentathlon GB with the headquarters based on campus and all of the sport’s high performance athletes using the sport facilities. The competition should bring a buzz to both the city and the university at a time when no students will be around and event director Kara Luck told bathimpact “Bath’s a fantastic city, it’s got a lot of heritage and we’re bringing sporting heritage here in what will be a great display of world class sporting action across our 5 different disciplines of Modern Pentathlon - swimming, fencing, riding and combined run and shoot - so there will be plenty for

Michael Powell

The European Modern Pentathlon Championships are being held at the University this summer with the event officially launched last week

Tickets went of sale last week after being launched by Spence, Laughton, Luck and Woodbridge everyone to see.” the athletes on. There’s plenty of bring people to Bath, helping the Tickets for the event start at £6 space so what we’d say is sign up city to thrive. With the road to Rio for adults and all under 18’s can at- for your tickets and get them ear- 2016 being on all athletes minds, tend a day for just £1. Luck contin- ly.” prospective Olympians will be on ued that “the prices we’ve set are The hope is that the event will show, ensuring the competition is family friendly and we’re hoping to encourage more people to take of high quality and a great spectahave fantastic crowds in to cheer part in Modern Pentathlon and cle for those watching.

What is Team Bath? Triathlon try Biathlon an estimated 1.4 million visitors coming through the doors every year and growth unlikely on an already crowded campus. The diversity of the sports teams who use Team Bath facilities means that trying to keep everybody happy is a tough task, particularly with the range in ability and aspirations of users.

Therefore, Team Bath is much more than a university sports centre, it is one of the highest profile multi-sports institutions in the country with a plethora of world-famous alumni and facilities available to students that are second to none. The Department still keep students at heart though and student sport is seen as just as important as the elite athletes who train in Bath.

However Team Bath has originated from humble beginnings and it is the support procedures in place that allow students to train, play and recuperate at the maximum of their ability that breeds this success. Student development is seen as critical by the department with many schemes and opportunities to ensure everybody reaches their potential and receives the maximum support and benefit.

If you take a walk around any part of STV you will see everybody from toddlers to pensioners and casual sports players to elite athletes, all of whom are treated equally, looked after and cared about by the department, and this is the key to maintaining the Team Bath family.

T h e STV at Bath started off as a concept design with all the key features that were required included, before architects were consulted to design a roof around these plans, ensuring that the arrangement of features was the priority. In contrast, new designs have been constructed the other way around with the building created first and then individual parts located within it, damaging the ability to create the special environment that is seen at Bath.

Naturally, the enormous growth and success doesn’t come without issues. It is arguable that the STV is now not big enough to be able to house everybody with

Tom Pettingale impactsport Contributor he BUCS Biathlon Championships in Oxford last week saw a range of strong performances by University of Bath Triathlon club members.

Seven athletes represented Bath in the event which comprised of two legs: a lunchtime 1.6km run, followed by a 200m sprint in the pool a couple of hours later.

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ings. The team standings are calculated based upon the times of the fastest three athletes from each University. This meant that Chris Milbourne, despite valiant efforts, was unable to contribute.

He was left in 49th place individually and was somewhat despondent having been unable to break into the much coveted top 48.

A special mention must also

Michael Powell

become known as Team Durham while Surrey changed to Team Surrey after having an overhaul of their facilities.

Despite this, Team Bath still remains unique with others being unable to create the special atmosphere.

Michael Powell

continued from back page fit, win Olympic gold medals or follow a sports related career.

There is also educational support for users, either through a formal education as an undergraduate degree or sporting education with physiotherapists and nutritionists.

The Department also work extremely closely with SU Sport and the volunteer recognition scheme has been introduced to acknowledge student’s achievements and help them prepare for future life by articulating the development of their key transferable skills they have gained through sport.

With Team Bath becoming a huge success, top level coaches were approached to look after individual sports such as Aaron James in Rugby, Pete Bush in Badminton and Jess Thirlby in Netball. Once again, the main aim was for the family environment to be kept with Thirlby coaching both the Team Bath Superleague Netball team, the most successful franchise in Superleague history, and the university netball teams.

The system meant everyone benefitted with students studying at the university receiving top level coaching and elite athletes being able to use the fantastic facilities that were created. In fact, the Team Bath brand became so successful that others soon started to follow their lead. Durham University’s sports department

The girl’s team came fourth in the BUCS Biarthlon competition The girl’s team of Rachel Whit- go to the club’s lovely volunteers ford, Sophie Page, and Issy Dun- Ashia and Tom. Whilst Tom spent lop, all put in sterling performanc- the majority of his time holding es on the day and spearheaded by a stopwatch, making him feel far Rachel’s 6th place overall they fin- more important than he actually ished 4th in the team event. was, swim coach Ashia was put The male squad also turned up to work as swim heat starter and in a big way. Chairman Josh Alcu- referee after organisers seemingly lumbre put on quite the show for forgot the importance of such jobs the ladies gathered in the audi- – an oversight which meant they ence by sporting extremely high- did not hire their own. cut shorts which lead to chants of The next Triathlon club event is “who wears short shorts” from the the BUCS Sprint Triathlon in May. raucous crowd gathered at Oxford After the more low key nature of University’s Sir Roger Bannister the slightly more niche Biathlon it Running Track. promises to be a major date in the The boy’s team of Justin Austin, University sporting calendar with Brian Glynn and Josh stormed to many of the club’s 100 members an overall 7th place in the stand- set to take part.

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Judo reclaim their number one place U

University of Bath Judo Club

nless you are one of the fortunate few whose weight falls exactly on the upper end of the weight category, you have to cut down on food and water intake to make the weight.

Everyone on the University of Bath team has invested months of training and take their sport seriously enough to warrant a brief period of discomfort to give themselves an advantage. When competing at the top level in a combat sport, athletes will be subject to a certain weight class and they will aim to be the strongest and heaviest person in

that class. Serious athletes cut their weight down to a lower class only to add weight after the weigh-in. They are then heavier for the actual fight, and have the potential to be stronger than their opponents. This is not easy with people having to give up their favourite foods for weeks, but it’s all part of the preparation for the all-important BUCS Judo competition.

The event is divided into an individual and a team competition, which are then divided into various weight categories with two grades offered in each competition. The two grades are Dan grade (Black Belts) and restricted Kyu grade

Judo Athletes often diet to be at the top of their weight category

(everything else except for white belts).

The intention was clear from the start, Bath Judo were aiming to reclaim its title as the number one university Judo team - after all they had to get something back after giving up on many a tasty pleasure.

The team were able to seal an overwhelming victory for the University during the BUCS competition held at the end of February. Not only did they come back with almost everyone medaling, but they were also able to make history by regaining the team’s tittle which meant that after a short stint, Bath reclaimed the team event’s title, which it has been the holder of for 8 of the past 15 years, five of which were consecutive.

This year, after losing many fighters to injury, a team of 6 men and 2 women was sent to represent Bath Judo. They came back with 7 medals; two bronze, one silver and four gold. The club was also victorious in the team’s event yielding the 5 men comprising the team 5 more gold medals. Gold medals in the men’s categories were claimed for Jan Gosiwski, Adam Conroy, Chloe Robyns-Landricombe, and Conor Murphy; while Renz Vvallejera won a silver medal and Alix Patrick-Warren won bronze, all of which were in the Dan Grade. Special Mention goes to Nam Wong for a very good performance in the Restricted Kyu Grade category.

The impressive performances the athletes delivered to obtain gold medals has secured them places to represent Bath Judo and the Uni-

The Judo Club won the team event at this year’s BUCS Nationals versity at the European Universi- els. With weekly Judo and fitness ties Championships in October training sessions run by experi2015. The dedication and training enced coaches and students, there the athletes have invested has defi- is a place for everyone, whether nitely paid off and the whole club is you aim to compete or do the sport behind them, supporting them in recreationally. There are two teams their preparation for the upcoming at the University, a full-time high competition. performance team, and a student’s The Judo team currently has club for recreational fighters. The 84 BUCS points, a 41% increase sport is often misunderstood for a over the last year, and that number physical contact sport, but the club could have been greater if it was not like to think of it as more of an art, for the athletes who were prevented a physical game of chess if you will from fighting due to injury. This is as it does not include any striking. testament to the growth, improve- If you would like more information ment and development the club about the sport or the club, please has been experiencing over the past either contact the club’s chair Abcouple of years. delrahman Fathalla at af491@bath.

The Judo Club is a friendly and ac.uk, or like their Facebook page, fun club which welcomes individu- University of Bath Judo, at www. als of all experience and skill lev- facebook.com/UOBJudo.

a superb voluntary to show what he was capable of.

Next was BUCS 3 Ladies, where Katie Holmes pulled out an excellent set routine, however sadly not quite completing her voluntary routine. Finally to finish off day 1 was the highest level categories, BUCS 1 Men and Ladies.

In the Ladies category Alice Macaulay managed to pull out fantastic routines despite only realising she was competing in this category the week before, so special congratulations must go to her. Charlotte Male has been working tirelessly to improve her height and form as well as on new moves, which paid off as she qualified into the semi-finals in 5th place.

In the Men’s category, Patrick Harper performed an extremely neat set routine, however his difficult voluntary did not quite go to plan unfortunately only completing 2 double somersaults. It was then Nick Ledwold who showed us 2 show stopping routines, resulting in him qualifying into the semi-finals in 2nd place.

Sunday was finals day, a great day for Bath as we had 4 competitors that had qualified. First

The Trampolining Club had a successful week-end in Sheffield was Sam Lowiss who battled her domino final meaning all eyes nerves to finish a fantastic 18th were on one competitor, which place in her first national compe- really put the pressure on. Howtition, a great achievement given ever, this did not faze the two that there were so many people in athletes, with Charlotte finishing this category. in 4th place and Nick in 3rd. This Next was Mark Percival, who meant that they both came away after a slight setback managed to with BUCS points that would conpull out all the stops and was the tribute towards the total for the winner of BUCS 2 Men! University of Bath.

Charlotte Male and Nick LedThe week-end was very sucwold in BUCS 1 managed to do cessful for Bath and demonstratenough to qualify from the semi- ed that the hard work of head finals to the finals. This was a coach Emily Purpuri is paying off.

University of Bath Judo Club

Abdelrahman Fathalla impactsport Contributor

Sophie Ingram impactsport Contributor

A

Michael Powell

t the end of February, 13 trampolinists travelled up to Sheffield for the annual BUCS championships. The Bath entrants arrived late on the Friday evening and settled into their hotel ready for an early start the next day. On Saturday they arrived at the ice rink (yes, ice rink) ready for the 2 days of competition ahead of them, with day 1 being the preliminary round and day 2 the finals, where the top 20% of each category would complete their routines again to find the overall winner.

The Saturday started with 4 of the club’s BUCS 2 Ladies. All the girls in this category pulled out fantastic routines, with Sophie Ingram just missing the finals in 15th, Hannah Milbourn 18th, Emma De Cruz 26th in her first time competing at this level having moved up from last year and Nicola Williams 32nd out of 52 competitors.

These were all fantastic achievements given there were national level competitors in this category.

Next up was Samantha Lowiss in BUCS 5, and defying all the

odds (and her constant denial that she would make it into double digits) she performed a fantastic routine which placed her 9th out of 108 competitors! This meant she had done enough to make it into the finals to be held the next day. Mark Percival in BUCS 2 Men pulled out 2 fantastic routines,

with excellent time of flight scores that placed him 1st going into the finals the next day. Following on from his success, Thu’ee Nguyen conquered her fears in BUCS 4 Ladies and with brilliant routines she ended up placing in the top half of her group consisting of over 140 competitors which was a great accomplishment. Toby Nash also in BUCS 4, despite unfortunate deductions in his set routine for landing on the mat, showed us

Nicola Williams

Percival wins BUCS Nationals title

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Karate claim medals Bev Lung

Bev Lung impactsport Contributor

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he University of Bath badminton team earnt success at the recent BUCS Individuals Badminton Championships as they claimed two medals at the largest badminton tournament in the UK. Bath’s top singles player, Chris Evans, was in sublime form as he cruised through his first five rounds to reach the semi-finals only conceding more than 14 points in one set along the way.

Unfortunately, Glasgow’s Matt Carder , who went on to win the tournament, proved too good for Evans on the day and the Bath hopeful had to settle for bronze, equalling his position from two years ago.

Sam Dobson and Chris Hotchen were Bath’s top performers as they battled into the final of the men’s doubles. The 61 minute semi-final against the second seeds, Ryan McCarthy and Michael Roe (Durham), was prob-

Will Germany impactsport Contributor very year, hundreds of fencers descend on Sheffield for the BUCS individual championships, a competition designed to find the best and brightest individual fencing talents. With league fixtures being team-based, something many fencers only experience once they begin competing at university level, the individual championships is a refreshing throwback to the style of competition many fencers experienced when forging their careers on the cadet and junior national circuits. All events were held over the course of the weekend, with a high quality of fencing displayed from all fencers from the University of Bath.

elimination stages. Unfortunately 3 bowed out in the round of 128, fencing well but unable to catch their opponents. Credit must go to Matt Hale and James Wilkinson who narrowly lost in close fights after running their opponents right to the wire. Still left in was Alex Fernandez Grande who unfortunately drew teammate Stuart Scott in the 64. In a good humoured fight, Alex, the natural foilist defeated Stuart to advance.

He then met one of the top seeded fencers left in the competition. The fight was close, Alex showing several examples of the lovely bladework he possesses. Unfortunately he couldn’t seize the win, losing to the fencer who went on to finish 3rd. In the Women’s epee compe-

Friday saw the mens’ sabre competition. All Bath fencers survived the cut into the Direct Elimination rounds, achieving byes to the Last64. Sabre is a fast and furious cutting weapon with a target area everywhere above the waist, making it an excellent spectator sport. In the elimination rounds, Matt Hudson fenced well, showing why he had been selected to represent Guernsey at the Commonwealth fencing championships, but unfortunately bowed out in the Last-64. Noah Rogerson and Stuart Scott, showing the same red-hot form that had earned them call ups to the British Under-20s national team, both defeated their opponents 15-0 before reaching the Last 16. There, Noah, after an explosive fight, bowed out in nerve wracking fashion 14-15, finishing 10th overall. Stuart Scott, in another close fight, couldn’t quite overcome his opponent, losing out 12-15 to finish 14th.

The next day saw the men’s foil and women’s epee competitions.

The tip of a foil is the 2nd fastest moving object in Olympic sport, behind a bullet, and when watching foil it is easy to see why. In a particularly strong field, 6 Bath fencers participated, with 5 out of the 6 making it through to the

tition, Madi Bond and Jess Varley both fenced commendably, Madi being unfortunate to miss out on qualifying by a single place – despite fencing with an injured shin.

Jess qualified for the elimination rounds, and fencing a highly experienced and knowledgeable opponent sadly bowed out in the Last64 stage.

The third and final day saw the male epeeists competing. Epee is a thrusting weapon, and the target area is everywhere on the body.

Epee matches, are often regarded as a game of chess, trying to manoeuver yourself into advantageous situations and forcing your opponent to commit an error. Of the 2 Bath fencers competing, both made it through to the elimination rounds. There, James Male sadly bowed out in last 64 after a highly contested fight. Will Germany managed to reach the Last 32 stage, but sadly couldn’t hold his nerve against his opponent, losing a tight fight 11-12.

After three days of high class fencing, the final results across all weapons show real promise, an encouraging sign for the league season next year. Congratulations to all of the fencers who took part – here’s to the 2015/16 season!

E The Karate Club won numerous medals at the BUCS Nationals bronze medals were won across all 3 Bar.” Coach Ben Whetherly added, weight categories by Shakira Smith, “the effort and commitment put Rose Nnando and Bev Lung. (Let’s into training sessions was outstandignore the part where I write about ing, so it came as no shock how well myself!). The second gold medal of the team performed. They pushed the competition was won by first themselves through intense training year Charlie Wedd, who has only which meant they had superior fitbeen doing karate for less than 6 ness to keep them going. I’m proud months, but triumphed as the nov- to say I coach UBKC.” Ali, who has ice middleweight champion. “It was been the kumite coach since 2013, my first competition so I’m really said “it was a great team effort and happy” Charlie said. “We did well as I’m proud of all the competitors and a club too so it was great all round.” the progress over the last 2 years. To There were some excellent team be 2nd is an incredible achievement performances in both kata and ku- – and I’m positive we will do even mite, as well as the senior kumite better in 2016!” tournament where the auditorium At the time of going to press, received stunning masterclasses UBKC are preparing for the Art from black belts Andrei Ivtshenko, of Movement kata competition in and Leigh Matheson, winning high- London. Just as Ali told the club ly-deserving bronze medals. before BUCS, “We are Bath. We are Out of over 50 university teams winners,” I have a sneaky suspicion who competed this year, Bath was there will soon be a few more medplaced 2nd overall, jumping 5 plac- als in the bag to add to the colleces from last year. Chair of UBKC, tion.

James Weber, said “achieving 2nd For more information about place nationally is a huge success for University of Bath Karate Club, the club. The competitors competed visit http://www.bathstudent.com/ to their best along with the training sport/clubs/Karate/ or contact the and help from our dedicated coaches Chair, James Weber at: jw2071@ and with sponsorship from Central bath.ac.uk

Drama at Badminton Chris Hotchen impactsport Contributor

Promising BUCS for Bath Fencers

ably the most dramatic match of the weekend. The Durham pair got off to the better start with McCarthy dominating the game from the offset and taking the first set 21-15. However, the Bath duo were resilient and adapted their tactics as they claimed the second set 21-19. The third and final set was to be decisive for both sides.

Dobson twisted his ankle early on and despite playing through the pain the Bath pair found themselves 11-4 down at the halfway stage. However, the match was also taking its toll on the opposition as McCarthy began to cramp.

The Bath duo saved three match points to stage a late comeback, with Dobson hitting two supreme serves to force the Durham players to falter under the pressure.

Eventually the scores were level at 20-20 with the winner needing to be two clear points ahead.

After a lengthy rally the Durham pair were again within one point of victory but McCarthy’s fatigue got the better of him as he suf-

fered severe muscle cramps and was forced to retire. Consequently Dobson and Hotchen progressed to the final. However, Dobson’s earlier injury was gradually worsening and he was advised to withdraw from the final and accept silver.

The Bath team had some other notable finishes with James Scott and Angus Pedersen reaching the quarter finals of the men’s doubles before bowing out to the eventual gold medallists from Loughborough. Pedersen also just missed out on a bronze medal in the men’s singles as he narrowly lost to the top seed in three sets.

The 15-strong team from Bath competed well with players of both national and international standard with some players exceeding expectations. The club’s achievements have been helped by their coach Pete Bush, whose tactical advice and excellent training is largely responsible for the team’s success throughout the season.

Michael Powell

t the end of February, a 40-strong team of Bath students travelled to Sheffield to compete in the BUCS Karate Nationals. Ponds Forge International Hall saw an action-packed, adrenaline-fuelled weekend for the University of Bath Karate Club (UBKC), with ‘kata’ and ‘kumite’ tournaments on Saturday and Sunday.

Kata, the execution of choreographed combat techniques (individually or in a team), is judged by 5 judges after opponents go head to head. Kumite, on the other hand, involves 2 opponents sparring against each other. The categories can be further broken down into weight groups and novice/senior status.

Day 1 of the tournament got underway with the kata rounds; some were so intense you would quite literally be able to hear a pin drop among the hushed silence. In the Women’s Novice category, Andrea ‘Tina’ Rendora celebrated her first ever medal – an incredible gold.

Even more incredibly, the final was an all-Bath one, with Andrea up against her teammate Shakira ‘Sledgehammer’ Smith. With two guaranteed medals, it was almost too close to call and there was just one vote between them.

More medals were scooped up on Day 2, with the whole team fighting superbly thanks to coaching from World and European Masters medallist Ali Nyoni and Jim McCafferty, who has over 20 years of top level fighting and coaching experience.

In the male novice heavyweight category, Ashley Heath picked up a bronze medal whilst Alex Powell completed his triple BUCS medal collection with a hard-fought silver. In the female novice categories,

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impactsport BUCS Nationals Special pages 22-23

Michael Powell

Michael Powell

Michael Powell

Monday 23rd March 2015

What does the Team Bath brand mean?

Sports Editor Michael Powell went to investigate how Team Bath arised

A

ll students know that the University of Bath’s sport brand is known as Team Bath, but less know what Team Bath involves and how and why it was formed.

The Team Bath brand was set up in the 1990’s and includes sports for students, local residents and elite athletes alike. The main aims were to supply fantastic facilities for both students studying at the University and elite athletes who were based in Bath by creating a positive working environment where all sports were located under one roof.

This was achieved by locating everything athletes require from food to fitness, and changing rooms to sports halls in one build-

ing instead of being located in several places across campus as is the case at many other institutions, thus encouraging collaboration between all of the clubs using the facilities.

There is support for athletes of all ages and levels and it is possible to for an individual to join Team Bath as a child and stay in the system all of the way through to becoming an Olympic Champion with support and inspiration along each step of the journey. There is also the offer of a ‘Team Bath athlete support package’ where those competing at BUCS level for the University may be entitled to discounted sports services (physio, massage, strength and conditioning) packages to help

pentathlon

with their recovery after games.

From the inside, the Department of Sports Development and Recreation’s main aim has been achieved with Team Bath seen as one big family with shared services and facilities.

However, whilst the name encompassed all sports, the national media immediately associated the brand with elite sports when stars such as Mark Foster and Colin Jackson were seen competing with the Team Bath logo on their outfits.

The Department has always made every effort to debunk this myth though and let the student body know that the brand is as much theirs as for the elites. The Team Bath aim

biathlon get involved

European Championships come to Bath

Bath do well in competitive BUCS Competition

Pentathlon GB, who are based at the University of Bath will be hosting the Modern Pentathlon European Championships in August. impactsport Editor Michael Powell went along to the offical ticket launch to find out more.

impactsport’s Tom Pettingale writes about the BUCS Biathlon Championships in Oxford where University of Bath Triathlon Club members tried their hand at the shorter event.

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has always been focussed on the ‘environment’ that people train and play in so when Sitec gave their support to the SU, the first move made by the department was to supply all clubs with kits including the Team Bath logo, not just those at the top of their profession. This meant all members of the brand felt included and respected with their shared uniforms.

However, the Department isn’t just focused on those who play sport, it also aims to encourage student development and allow people to follow their sporting dreams, whether this is playing, coaching or volunteering and whether it is an ambition to keep Turn to page 21

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We’re always looking for writers, photographers, people to take part, or just all round sports buffs to help out.

So if you are interested in sport and want to contribute, then contact impactsport Editor Michael Powell (impact-sport@bath.ac.uk) to find out more about how you can get involved.