The Lion - Issue 1

3

Save the UKFC!

How John went from Petition to Sky News

Mr President

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James Johnston on being president

the

Heythrop Students’ Union Volume 1 Issue 1 Tuesday 28th September 2010 heythropstudentsunion.co.uk

Doctor No

How New Who has lost its way

10

Lion

London Student in Anti-Semitism Row

• ULU President requests all issues removed from UL colleges

• Birkbeck Union Chair: article was “disgraceful” and “rascist” • Editor challenges President’s action as “unconstitutional” Alex Hackett News Editor The London Student has been mired in controversy over the printing of an allegedly anti-Semitic article in its maiden issue of this academic year. ULU President Clare Solomon has formally requested the removal of every copy from UL college campuses and has stated she is “receiving further legal advice” on the issue.

The article in question, entitled the “Tight Fist” was written by PHD Economics Student Dan Stein and aims to teach students how to have a good time on a budget. Dan states “Jews such as [him]self possess tried and true penny-pinching strategies that have been handed down through the generations”.

The article also contains an accompanying picture, showing a cartoon hand tightly grasping a wad of bank notes, with a Star of David bangle wrapped around its wrist.

In Ms Solomon’s open letter to the ULU senate, she affirms that “The welfare of Advertisement

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all our students is of the highest priority and I do not want this sort of thing to be found by unsuspecting students. I am in no doubt that the vile image of a hand grabbing a handful of money with a Star of David hanging from it drudges up horrific memories for many of our Jewish friends who so many of will have had friends and family suffer at the hands of the Nazi’s”.

Birkbecks’ Students’ Union Chair Sean Rillo Raczka has publicly denounced the article, saying that “perpetuating racist stereotypes in our University is unacceptable and causes continued harm to Jewish students.” He has also asked for a personal apology from Editor Joe Ren- TIGHT FIST: Dan Stien’s controversial article looms large over ULU - Image © London Student nison, asking him to “recognise the deep offence he will have caused...as well as promising to never again publish such a disgraceful article” The London Student Editorial Board have sent out an apology for the incident saying “It is never our intention to offend or cause offence through our publication...We would like to state, with clarity and conviction, that we do not, and will not, tolerate any form of anti-Semitic content appearing in our pages.”

The Board does however go on to disagree with Ms Solomon’s verdict that the article is indeed anti-Semitic – “We do not feel that we are guilty of antiSemitism but accept that our complainants feel differently.”

In his letter to the London Student Journalism Support Network, Joe Rennison also called into question the legitimacy of Ms Solomon’s actions “It is our belief that it is a minority of colleges that are upset by the article, thereby making Clare’s action undemocratic...

Continued on P3>

CCTV to be installed around Heythrop Campus Gala Jackson-Coombs Comment Editor In April 2010, students received an email stating that CCTV (closedcircuit television) was going to be installed around campus to insure the “health, safety and security” of Heythrop’s staff and students.

There are an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras in the UK, which equates to roughly 1 camera for every 14 people in the country. CCTV, although presumed a very effective crime deterrent is in fact, statistically, the opposite. According to a report by BBC news, only

3% of street robberies in London are solved in conjunction with CCTV evidence. This is due to criminals being unafraid of being caught on film, and obscuring their face from view when committing a crime.

It remains to be seen if they will prove effective to the college, considering that installing and monitoring CCTV is relatively expensive. Heythrop is not the only college in the University of London to have CCTV on its campus, Goldsmiths, Queen Marys, and UCL also have CCTV systems in operation. In this sense, it has become very normal for a college to use CCTV cameras on-site.

The group email sent by Nadeem Ahmad (IT consultant of Heythrop Col-

lege) to all students of the college said that the cameras themselves were mainly filming the entrances and exits of the various buildings, but that some of the cameras would be in “certain other strategic locations”. I have inquired as to the specific locations that were eluded to in the email, but as this article goes to press I am yet to receive a reply. Allegedly, there will be one placed in the canteen, to discourage theft, loss of stock and to find the culprits. This claim is yet to be confirmed by the college.

When asked about the CCTV installation Chris Pedley, the college librarian, replied “The College is conscious of its responsibility to ensure the safety and Continued on P3>

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

NEWS New Website for Heythrop Students’ Union Alex Hackett News Editor

also contain up-to-minute information about union activities such as events and campaigns.

The Heythrop Students’ Union has hit a new milestone in its development with the creation of a dedicated HSU Website. The website, designed by myself and compiled by Gala JacksonCoombs, was created completely from scratch to serve past, present and future students of the college.

Working alongside the website will be a brand new YouTube Channel imaginatively titled “TheHSUTube”. This will become the creative centre of the site and will host video con tent from anyone willing to create something, from sports and societies to student vloggers.

The site currently contains copies of all union documents including the constitution and the strategic plan, as well as containing minutes from executive committee meetings. The site will

To visit the site, simply go to heythropstudentsunion.co.uk For any more information about taking part in website, email Gala at Web developer@heythropstudentsunion.co.uk

HSU ONLINE: Gala Jackson Coombs is now the HSU Web Developer - Image © HSU

heythropstudentsunion.co.uk

VP Development Redecorates the Common room - for FREE HSU Vice President for Develpment Chris Nicholson explains how he redecorated the Basement using only freecycle.org Chris Nicholson Development Officer Throughout the summer your Union has been working hard to make your common rooms much more comfortable. Having spent quite a bit of the budget on both a jukebox and magazine subscriptions, we had become rather cash poor, which meant we had to be inventive in our sourcing of sofas Buying them was out of the equation and they aren’t the kind of thing that is easily shoplifted (your pockets sometimes aren’t big enough.) Fortunately I stumbled upon freecycle.org, got plenty of free stuff and developed a slight addiction to checking the site just in case some good booty came up.

I love freecycle - it offers stuff for free, a motivation to explore obscure areas of London and most importantly a chance for me to be nosey. Some of the items on the website are laughable, some are utter toss, most are items of little to no interest to me and occasionally you find what you are looking for just waiting for a new home; I do however have to confess I was sorely tempted by the ‘carrier bag of assorted keys left by a previous tenant’ from Newham.

So here is a provisional list of what has been donated to the common rooms: a super sized suggestions box which was formerly in the Design Council’s front window, 4 sofas, 2 arm chairs, a couple of coffee tables, a wicker chair and a load of mugs. Some items were easier to collect than others. For instance, two of the sofas were simply wheeled from the Alban Halls, whereas other items proved more problematic. The other two sofas were from Westbourne Grove

FREECYCLER: Chris relaxing with his Beano - Image © Heythrop Archive

(a short jaunt from Portobello market) and were a completely different story to the easy wheeling a sofa through the garden. Typically the sofas were on the first floor of people’s houses; apparently Londoners don’t have houses with traditional layouts. It also soon became apparent that the elite of Notting Hill Gate have never seen a couple of people shifting a sofa on a trolley before.

That, or they were oblivious to their impending crushed toes - trolley rage was a certain feature of my free-cycling experience.

Freecycle is great; whilst a little unreliable if you need something urgently, usually you can find what you need in the end. If you need stuff for your flats and don’t really enjoy trips around Swedish flat pack furniture stores, this may be a solution for you - especially as it only costs your transport to collect the item (from my experience if you can carry it tfl will let you take it!)

If you wish to freecycle yourself half a

the Co-Creator and Editor-in-Chief

News Editor

Alex Hackett

Alex Hackett

Co-Creator and Editor

Features Editor

Gala Jackson-Coombs

Editor

Katie Plumb The Lion is the independent student newspaper of Heythrop College, University of London. We distribute at least 1000 free copies during term time around campus and to popular student venues in and around Kensington.

The Lion is published by HackJack Ltd. and printed by Mortons Print Ltd. All Copyright is the exclusive property of HackJack Ltd. No part of this publication is to reproduced, stored on a retrieval system or submitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Katie Plumb

Comment Editor

Gala Jackson-Coombs

Culture Editor

Gala Jackson-Coombs (to become Almaz Messenger)

Societies Editor

Gala Jackson-Coombs (to become Bradley Smith)

common room like our daringly dashing protagonist you will need: • • • • • •

London A-Z One trolley One Oyster card One internet connection A minimum of one burley shifter Something to bribe people into helping you with

What’s left to do is to offer my thanks to Ross Owens, Bradley Smith and Kyrie Phimster for their help and lifting expertise (Ross’ lifting may be called into question) without their help there would be significantly less sofas and coffee tables in the common room, I owe you all a beer but you may have to wait for a home brewing kit to be free cycled first.

Disclaimer: The Union does not condone or likewise encourage shop lifting or big pockets.

Editorial team

NEXT DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS

12.10.10

Please send your submissions to: comsandpubs@heythropcollege.ac.uk The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editors or of the Heythrop Students’ Union. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright for any material used in this issue, and to ensure the accuracy of this fortnight’s stories. © HackJack Ltd. 2010, 639 Nell Gwynn House, Sloane Ave, Kensington, London SW3 3BE Pages 1 -8 - Designed by Alex Hackett Pages 9 -16 - Designed by Gala Jackson-Coombs

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

LS in AntiSemetism Row >Continued from P1 It is our belief that this was a unilateral decision without proper consultation with other trustees, thereby making it unconstitutional. However, as yet, these are unconfirmed beliefs.”

The LS Board however do accept that they broke their constitutional duty with the Union by not submitting the article to be proofed by the ULU Board of Trustees; because of this they confirm that “all criticism and complaint surrounding the article should be directed solely at London Student and its editor Joe Rennison.”

Heythrop Students’ Union President James Johnston has confirmed that he won’t be pulling the paper from the college stands, so as to allow students to “be able to read the article before they make a judgement on it”. Asked whether he therefore thought Ms Solomon made the wrong decision ordering the paper’s removal, Mr Johnston defended the ULU President’s decision “She had a choice between pulling it or putting it out and letting it offend some people. She has acted in the way she has to ensure that no person can be offended by it, which there is undoubtedly a lot to be said for”.

Mr Johnston states that “because of the ethos of the college and the students’ union, I’d like people to read it before they decide what it is saying”.

The article can be read in its entirety on the Communications and Publications noticeboard in “The Basement”

CCTV installed in Heythrop Campus >Continued from P1 well being of all those using the campus and particularly those who are resident... The recording, retention and use of CCTV is governed by the Data Protection Act and we are duly registered under the Act. This imposes restriction on who can view the material, what we can use if for and who we can share it with. We cannot post it on YouTube or Facebook!”

This is not the only new security device Heythrop College has introduced. Last year saw the introduction of the new Heythrop College identity card. This card holds your name and photo, to allow the reader to acknowledge your identity. Many universities have increased their security due to the heightened terror alert and it seems only logical that Heythrop follow suit, especially as it is in such close proximity to many embassies, outside which many protests take place.

Save the UKFC!

NEWS

..and how I went on Sky News with a hole in my cardy

Heythrop Alumni and Ex HSU President John Underwood recounts his story of how he went from creating an online petition to being live on the evening news John Underwood Alumni On 26th July, the worldwide community which makes and watches British film was outraged when Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt made the first cuts of his reign and, along with various other public bodies, put the UK Film Council under a sentence of death. Its crime was allegedly being overfunded and underproductive, but even the most cursory examination of the facts will reveal the untruth of Hunts’s allegations. The UK Film Council’s budget clocks in at under £27 million, which is chickenfeed when you consider that the Health and Safety Executive (pah!) demands more than £231m in order to fund its less than vital work (last year it spent several million creating a fictional rock group called Bäackpain), and in the ten years of the UKFC’s existence our film industry has grown by 50%, generating an extraordinary £700m since 2000 in box offices worldwide. British actors, directors and crews are among the most sought-after in the world, and our overall economy is now being bolstered to the tune of £4.3 billion a year by the proceeds of the world’s love affair with UK film.

Alas, none of this matters to Jeremy Hunt. The decision to attack the UKFC, which he took without granting its executives the courtesy of a discussion or even a warning, came hard on the heels of a not-so-veiled threat against the license fee and therefore the future of the BBC - another organisation which has been known to put cultural profits over fiscal success. Hunt’s actions are manifestly driven by ideology rather than economics, and there is a real danger that once the Film Council has fallen he will turn his austerity axe on the BFI or Arts Council. The Film Council may have seemed like an easy target. It was, after all, a relatively low-profile body, most visible through the logo which appears at the beginning of films it has funded - many film-goers had no idea what it did or how its loss would affect UK cinema.

Happily, that is no longer the case.

When the Council’s closure was announced, I was working as an editorial intern with cinema website bestforfilm. com. I stumbled back from lunch to a press release and a sombre email from my editor, and after quickly checking my facts (I was another one of those people who didn’t really know what the UKFC did, you see) I did what I always do in situations like these. I started a petition.

In perhaps his most spectacularly cowardly move to date, David Cameron chose to disable Number10.gov’s excellent ‘Petitions’ section the day after

SKY HIGH: The Sky News Studio | Insert: John’s fated appearance - Main Image © panoramaaudiovisual.com

the general election, claiming it was in need of reform. Needless to say, it has never reappeared. Starved of a legitimate channel for my displeasure, I wandered onto the first free petition website I could find and bashed out a quick blurb about how outraged I was, hoping a few dozen people might rally round and join the cause. The word went out on Facebook and within an hour or so I had my few dozen fellow protestors, but I had totally failed to anticipate what would happen next.

My short article and the link to the petition were flung across the Internet with reckless abandon, and Facebook and Twitter started to heave with outrage as more and more people realised how many superb British films - Brick Lane, Harry Brown, Adulthood, 28 Days Later, Bend it Like Beckham, The Last King of Scotland and dozens more - had all been brought to the screen through the vital work of the UKFC. Signatures poured in, and when writer-director Armando Iannucci publicly supported our campaign through a Retweet we started to count signatures by the score, then the hundred. By the time I left the office that day, the petition was on the verge of breaking the 1,000 signature barrier, and when I got back in the next morning it was pushing 4,000.

A few celebrity endorsements later, there was no more need to beg friends online - we were gaining signatures at a rate of thousands per day, and the press were quick to sit up and take notice.

Digitalspy and Screen International

were the first big sites to ask for interviews with Best For Film and the chaps who started the Facebook campaign, although my favourite was the article in the Hollywood Reporter which described me as the ‘former director of communications for the Labour Party’.

Alastair Campbell’s predecessor was indeed a John Underwood, but when he was in office I was, alas, more interested in Lego than independent and challenging cinema.

Two days after starting the petition, I had a very strange email which i initially assumed was a hoax. It was from a Gmail account, so I couldn’t check its authenticity, and its writer claimed to be a researcher for Sky. I called the number she’d given, expecting my flatmate/President/troublemaker James Johnston to pick up, and to my intense shock I was put through to Sky’s London newsdesk and offered a slot on that evening’s live show. As soon as I’d agreed, wangled a car to pick me up and managed not to faint, I realised that, naturally, the day Sky had chosen to call was of course the one day I’d accidentally gone with the winning sartorial combination of a shirt with a ripped pocket and a cardigan with a hole in the shoulder. My ragged attire notwithstanding, I collapsed into Mr Murdoch’s big, shiny corporate chariot that evening and was whisked away to Sky’s Westminster studios. I arrived (late) only to discover that my interviewer was in White City, and that I would have to sit in an empty and over-illuminated room and talk into a

camera as questions boomed out of the sound system. It was the most frightening and exhilarating experience of my life, and speaking as someone who once used a urinal adjacent to the one being used by Levi Roots I think I know what I’m talking about.

The campaign has gone from strength to strength, hitting 25,000 signatories in its first month (dwarfing the 16,000-voter majority in Mr Hunt’s constituency), and dozens of luminaries from the world of film have come forward to join the resistance.

The DCMS’ decision has not been rescinded, but there have been extensive meetings between the Government and representatives of the UKFC, and in interviews Hunt is now more likely to speak of reform than dissolution. There may still be hope, and until we are presented with a credible system for ensuring investment in British film we will continue to campaign. We’d love your support.

(Incidentally, I didn’t get to see my interview til a month after it went out, but Sky eventually sent ‘John Munderwood’ a DVD. Unlike the UKFC, I do occasionally have a penchant for style over substance, so wouldn’t you know it? The hole in my cardigan was staring at the camera through the whole bloody thing. Pfft.)

You can support the campaign

by Googling ‘film council petition’, or read more at www.bestforfilm.com

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

EXCLUSIVE

“Attend everything, talk to everyone and don’t get chlamydia.”

Heythrop Students’ Union President James Johnston talks exclusively to The Lion about everything from the future of Heythrop to what he’s looking forward to in Freshers’ Week.

Watch the interview in it’s entirity on the youtube.com/theHSUtube Ask James anything at formspring.me/askthepresident

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

EXCLUSIVE What is the best bit about being Heythrop students’ union president?

Being part of a Union where I can genuinely make a difference. You find that with a lot of big unions like LSE Students’ Union or UCL Students’ Union, Students’ Union’s that have been around for years, weirdly there’s very little you can actually do (I’m sure they wouldn’t thank me for saying this!)

At Heythrop it’s really only over the last few years that we’ve started doing things as a real union, that we are building something that could even be considered a legitimate union and because of that there are some really big things we can do to make a difference. Just a few examples are that we physically redecorated our common room, you made a paper from scratch, Gala made a paper from scratch, I was our first ever delegate to NUS National Conference and I’m the one getting involved in ULU. Because we are so small and because we’re only starting to develop, the best bit about being president is that I can genuinely do things that will have a lasting impact, that will make a difference and will be built upon for years to come.

With that in mind what would be your one big aim for the year?

I think if I only had one big aim I wouldn’t be a very good president. I’ve got a lot of things that I want to and fully intend to do before my time here’s up, a lot relating to life on campus. I want to continue to represent students at the college committees and I want to help students if they’re unsure about thing or having difficulties. I’m primarily here to help the students either through my own efforts or through the efforts of the committee. I want to continue to help build the Heythrop community and I feel that that and things relating to that are going to be big parts of what I do in my day to day life as president. Another huge area I want to work on is how we’re perceived offcampus. Because we’re a very new students’ union, I think it’s only with John and Ben’s union that we’re building up to something considerable and I want to tell people about that. I’ve already got really involved in ULU, I get on very well with Clare Solomon (The fantastic President of ULU) and I want to continue to make all these links with other colleges. I want to let people know who we are, what we do and why they should take notice of us.

Where do you see Heythrop in 3 years time?

One of the difficulties of the HSU is we’re very, very small. I’m only the second ever sabbatical officer in Heythrop’s history. Because of this things have tended to change massively year on year as new people come in each year with new ideas. What’s important

to bare that in mind is that we retain a sense that things are carrying on .One of the great things John Underwood and Chris Knowles’ Union did a couple of years ago was to build a strategic plan, a plan of where the union should be heading over a period of about three years. What me and VP Development Chris Nicholson plan to do is to draft another strategic plan to cover the next three years so that unions after us, no matter what they think or want to add themselves, always have in mind a sense that the HSU is building and is becoming more developed.

You mention there has been a rapid development from John’s union to Ben’s union to your own.

If you were in their seat when they were President, is there anything you’d have done differently?

What John and Chris did was take essentially a students’ union that sat on a couple of committees and did the summer ball, and made it into something coherent, into a real union that represents its students and an organisation that students could be proud of.

It’s because of them we got our first sabbatical officer and I think that has made a massive, massive difference. I also don’t think Ben could have done a better job, I think he was fantastic.

I was definitely the person who could continue the work of the last few years and show the outside world what’s been happening here.

You had quite a distinctive election campaign, your posters becoming rather famous around campus, is there anything however you regret promising in that campaign in particular any points on your manifesto?

No. Strangely I do regularly look at my manifesto just for peace of mind.

Whenever I get stressed or whenever I’ve had a really bad day, I glance at my manifesto and think “God! Am I doing any of it! Am I vaguely on track?” It’s all still do-able and I still will do it all.

There are things you’ve already achieved of your manifesto. What of those are you most proud of?

There are many of the little things I’m quite proud of. Access to Imperial gym is quite a good one and I’m quite proud of the ULU involvement we’ve had and all the work we’ve done with other small and specialist colleges. I think the think I’m most proud of though doesn’t quite link to a single manifesto promise as such. It’s just how this students’ union has worked together. I would be utterly foolish to take single responsibility for anything that’s been done so far, everything we’re achieved we’ve achieved together as a collaborative effort. This time last year Heythrop didn’t have a paper, didn’t have a website, didn’t have as strong links with other colleges, didn’t really have a massive presence within ULU, and this year, before the students have even arrived, things are very, very different. We’ve really come on leaps and bounds and all of that’s been down to the committee as a whole.

“

One of the difficulties of the HSU is we’re very, very small. I’m only the second ever sabbatical officer in Heythrop’s history

“

Alex Hackett News Editor

What inspired you to run for president in the first place?

I’ve spend three years at Heythrop and in that time you develop a fierce pride about the place. It’s the sort of place you arrive at and instantly fall in love with it. There are some very passionate, very intelligent people here and on the whole the boring don’t apply. We don’t offer courses in business management or beauty thereby. People at Heythrop are here because they have a certain type of outlook on things, they want to know more about themselves and they want to know more about what they think about things. Because of that I felt I had to give something back. Also to be quite honest, I knew I could make a difference and I knew I’d be good, I felt

How do you think the relationship is within the committee and what do you think has been the greatest achievement of a single union member?

As with any group of people working together under occasionally high stress conditions, there are going to be occasional speed bumps. However they are nothing that can’t be resolved with a nice chat and a hug.

There’s a lot of individual achievement I’m very proud of. The paper and the website, it has to be said are very, very good (however I don’t want you to get too arrogant). The constitution Chris is working on is also a huge achievement and we’re got a great freshers’ week planned by the Events Team - Alex and Jazz. There have been so many I couldn’t pick a single one.

What are you most looking forward to in Freshers’ Week?

The medieval banquet and the Freshers’ Fayre are going to be good. I’m also greatly looking forward to the Freshers’ Festival up at ULU. It’s all going to be NUTS.

Ask James Questions asked and answered on the Presidents Formspring Complete this sentence: Dr. Peter Vardy is...

Peter Vardy is. The sentence is already complete.

Do you ever shave?

I have asked the same question to Santa, but unfortunately am still waiting for a response.

How/where do we get Imperial Union cards?

Go to Imperial and ask nicely I believe. I have been told they cost about £3.

Does it help to have every book on your reading list?

It will help but it will not help your finances. We have two great libraries and you have access to Senate House.

I am missing a compulsory module on my module list. What do I do?

The best thing to do is to contact Student Services, or just raise it at registration.

If you could only give 3 pieces of advice to Freshers what would they be?

Attend everything, talk to everyone and don’t get chlamydia.

Did Rolf Harris invent dubstep?

Yes. The dubstep movement was indeed pioneered by Rolf ‘Original Badman’ Harris, and his wobble board What are the worst things and the best things about Alban halls of residence?

Best; You’re onsite, living with friends in the most expensive postcode in Europe.

Worst; You don’t really have much of an excuse for missing lectures..

What furniture is already in the rooms in the Alban Halls and what stuff should I bring with me?

There is wardrobe space, a bed, a bedside table, a desk and a sink. Anything else you’ll need to bring yourself. I wish I had all the nice furniture halls provide, I live in a shoe...

If there is one person in Heythrop you admire most, who is it and why?

I admire everyone at Heythrop. Especially people who put up with me.

Why do birds, suddenly appear, everytime, you are near?

Because I am slowly but surely luring them to their death.

Post you questions to James at formspring.me/askthepresident

For more information about James or any other Executive Committee member, visit the HSU’s Brand New Website

heythropstudentsunion.co.uk

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

NEWS Seen something amazing on the campus?

Got a passion for photography?

Got a Digital Camera?

then start snapping!

There aren’t many photographs of the inside of our beautiful campus, and we are asking you, the students, to change that. We are holding a photography competition to try and find the image that best encapsulates Heythrop. It doesn’t have to be a building; it could be a friend or a specific pose that is undoubtedly Heythropian. The winning entry will be given a page in the paper, as well as a short interview regarding their piece. Applicants, please send your entries to comsandpubs@heythropcollege.ac.uk

by Monday 11th October. The higher the resolution of the picture, the better.

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

NEWS

“Take the opportunities as they come, you are privileged people” HSU Vice President for Campaigns Philip Woods talks to his friend, the outgoing Chaplain, creator of Donkey Club and all round Heythrop legend Roy Dorey about his time at the college and his plans for the future

HEYTHROP LEGEND: Heythrop Entrance © Heythrop Archive - INSERT - The man himself

Philip Woods Campaigns Officer Tell us a bit about your life before Heythrop and your most significant/interesting experiences.

The Christian faith found me as a national service man, through the life of another airman. I was ordained in the 60s as a Baptist ministry and have spent the years in educational appointments as well as pastoral ministry. I have been the head teacher of two schools for children with disabilities, one in this country and one in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The latter was a Muslim charity. My church ministry has been mostly in the inner-city.

How long have you been at Heythrop and how did you come to be Chaplain?

I came to do a master’s in Pastoral Theology in 2000, and in my second year I was asked to help with the chaplaincy, when Sr. Bernie was chaplain. When she left John asked me to be the chaplain.

Do you have any amusing anec-

dotes about your experiences as a student and then as Chaplain at Heythrop?

I am not sure about amusing, but I have particularly appreciated working with students from overseas on their academic English.

Tell us the story of Donkey Club.

Chris Kendrick [the other person involved] and I do not remember it in the same way. I remember the two of us meeting and we went to the Prince of Wales pub in Kensington Church Street. We found we had a common interest in real ale, and it grew out of that.

The origins of the title are only to be disclosed verbally, but they are Biblical!

What were the best, as well as the hardest and most trying parts of being Chaplain at Heythrop?

The worst thing about being chaplain was getting to the college on the Circle Line. My learning curve was quite steep, in understanding some of the ways the college did things, but it has always been enjoyable. I was used to an academic milieu but this was different.

It sounds corney, but the best thing was treating the college as if it was my ‘par-

ish’ and entering into the ongoing life, especially with the students.

Tell us about the most significant relationships you formed at this college?

As a student the most significant person was Dr Theo Davey, who has since retired. He was a great encouragement, and supportive to me. It has been good working with John as, despite our ecclesial differences, we have much in common in terms of the best interests of the college and its students. Three or four students who have looked to me for help have taught me a great deal.

What have you learnt from your time at Heythrop? Do you feel that it has made you a better person and a better Christian? Do you feel that it has brought you closer to God? I am never sure about this. Better for others to say than myself. It has been good, towards the end of my official working life, to be able to use past experience and some skills, in the service of the students and staff of Heythrop.

Where do you go from here?

I am pleased that Heythrop can be a resource for my continuing study. No doubt I will keep in touch with some of the people and attend some of the events planned, but it will not be ‘hands on’ in the same way.

As someone very outspoken politically and given your own experience, what are your views on Higher Education cuts and tuition fees?

I regret the closure of the polytechnics, which were geared to practice and skill development. I also regret the aim that everyone should go to university. My experience in many levels of education tells me that is a mistake. To set fees at all is to miss out on investment in people, and it is economically bad sense not to support HE. To scale fees up in the ways proposed is to reduce incentives for education at this level. My view is that university education is not to be geared to employment but to the development of the person in classic humanitarian terms.

How would you describe your politics?

Critical of the blatant self-interest of most politicians, and over the years

I have known a few. Generally left of Tony Benn!

What will you miss most about Heythrop?

The stimulation of so many great people, especially students, I have known well.

What is your farewell message to the students of Heythrop?

Take the opportunities as they come.

You are privileged people.

What is your advice for your successors?

Do not listen to advice from past chaplains.

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

FEAtURE An interview with....

Lord Hylton © vgm8383

Katie Plumb Features Editor After working my way through the security at the House of Lords I was greeted by a tall, lean man with a kind smile; Lord Hylton. I had heard a lot about his work in conflict reconciliation in Ireland, Europe and the Middle East. It is probably his regard for the poor and the marginalised (same terms used as Hylton) that enabled him to remain as one of the now 92 hereditary peers in the House of Lords after the House of Lords Act 1999.

He guided me through the lavishly decorated halls of the House to the visitors’ room. We sat by a window over looking the Thames with St Thomas’ Hospital beyond, and over a cup of tea I began to ask Lord Hylton about the importance of faith during his childhood: “My family background is quite mixed because my Father was an Anglican, but my Mother became a Catholic before they met. And so I discovered much later that I had two religious traditions within my family. I went to what might be called “Protestant schools” in England, but nevertheless remained a Catholic but had that minority experience quite young. And later on when I became involved with Northern Ireland, I found having two religious and political traditions in one family also very helpful background for trying to understand the incredibly interwoven situation which did exist, and still does exist to a large extent in the whole of Ireland but with particular force in Northern Ireland.”

He inherited his peerage in late sixties, “I was reasonably prepared, or better than some! What I majored on in the beginning in Parliament was housing questions and then later moved on to the Northern Ireland problem and became quite heavily involved in prison, visiting both Northern Ireland and in England.” In regard to his survival of the House of Lords Act 1999, he comments that, “Perhaps I was slightly ahead of the game!”

According to theyworkforyou.com, Hylton’s record in the House of Lords is well above average. He spoke in 20 debates and has received answers to 240 written questions in the last year; a very high record amongst the Lords.

This impressive record is by no means a new thing for Hylton, “I’ve been involved for a long time with peace building efforts in conflict situations. Northern Ireland was the first one but I have at various times visited Cyprus and then later, after the fall of the old Soviet Union, I was brought into what was going on in Moldova. Situated between Romania and the Ukraine, it was one of the new countries made independent following the demise of the Soviet Union. But no sooner than it was independent, one part of it wanted to break away and that led to a nasty civil war. No political solution has yet been found. We tried very hard to help the two sides to come to terms, but in spite of our best efforts it didn’t work and still hasn’t happened, and so it has become the poorest country in the whole of Western Europe; poorer than Albania.”

Hylton has continued his vision for reconciliation to this day. He is focusing on inter-faith dialogue.

“I am trustee of the Amerdown centre near Bath, which is an ecumenical Christian foundation that has specialised in inter-faith dialogue. It currently runs a Jewish, Christian, Muslim summer school and other related events.

I am also working with Canon Andrew White who has done major reconciliation work regarding the Shia and Sunni religious leaders as well as the various small Christian churches who have long existed in Iraq, but many of whose members have been forced to run away and move to Syria, Jordan, Sweden and other countries.”

In order to carry out reconciliation work you have to move out of your own comfort zone in order to assist and bring healing to others. Hylton has travelled with his work. He has gone to dangerous areas in order to bring about reconciliation in forgotten places. “I have already made 2 visits to Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan with Canon White. I have over many years made frequent visits to Israel and Palestine, including Gaza.”

It seems that faith motivates Hylton to strive to help the homeless, the refugee and the oppressed. He does not so much preach but console. As a Catholic, one would expect his experience within politics to be a little different but he claims that “issues come up from time to time, such as euthanasia or abortion; pro-life issues where there is a well-defined Christian position that one would try to defend and uphold. Otherwise, I think that in both houses the atmosphere is usually friendly between those who come from a secular point of view and members who are Christian. Though I wouldn’t claim to be a professional politician!

That is one of the benefits of the House of Lords as it exists at the moment. It can be seen particularly in the crossbenchers the independent element in the house who can look at issues on their merits, who have no party line or party whips and just make up their own minds!” This seems to be what he sees as the main strength of the House of Lords. “Since the reform in 1999 many appointments have been excellent; People of the widest possible range of experience. It does seem that no issue can come up without somebody or other knowing it in depth or possibly having devoted the whole of their working life to it.”

By coincidence, Lord Hylton had been at Heythrop the week before for an inter-faith conference. Because of his experience in inter-faith reconciliation, he puts a high value on the study of philosophy and theology. “They provide values that will guide the ethical and moral decisions of people who are grappling with real life issues.

In today’s world, there are conflicts going on all the time and they tend to be what holds back development, reduction of poverty and a better life for those who live in difficult circumstances. Conflict resolution, -wherever possible- mediation, reconciliation, I believe are very important ways of dealing with the problems we have.”

So how does he apply Catholic teachings to his vision for peace? He explains; “The key principle of Catholic teaching in regard to peace making is Solidarity and Subsidiary; they are most important. Solidarity means that, like Jesus Christ, we are on the side of the oppressed, poor, and marginalised.

We campaign for the homeless, for fairness towards asylum applicants, and for rehabilitation of offenders and addicts. We try to be a voice for the voiceless. Subsidiary, which is also part of the theory of the European Union, means that decisions should be taken at the lowest practical level, provided they do not harm public order and the common good of society.

They go back over a hundred of years and this all the time is being developed and applied in new current situation.

Peace building needs to operate on all levels from the very lowest, most local and most community based to the highest levels of government.”

The House of Lords Act 1999 For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats; the Act removed such a right. However, as part of a compromise, the Act did permit ninety-two hereditary peers to remain in the House on an interim basis. Another ten hereditary peers became life peers to be able to remain in the House.

The Act decreased the membership of the House from 1,330 (October 1999) to 669 (March 2000). As another result of the Act, the majority of the Lords are now life peers, whose numbers had been gradually increasing since the Life Peerages Act 1958.

Source:Wikipedia

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

CuLTUrE

Jazz Purewal Events Officer For those of you who have noticed the torrent of Facebook status’ and tweets in praise of Christopher Nolan’s latest work ‘Inception’, wake up! This film is a refreshing must-see cinematic experience that is highly polished in all aspects of production and in its conceptual aspects.

The manner in which some dream scenes are portrayed are subtle enough to be realistic, while others extend into cinematic mastery, such as the lucid scene with physics-bending Ariadne and some of the final scenes. All of which are beautifully executed, looking like an advert for high-def, especially the dream deconstruction scenes which are stunning and highlight the ingenious way the brain can interpret external stimuli in a dream state.

I should note here, that I really don’t want to hype this film too much. Belief in the hype surrounding this film is however, possibly its only flaw. Many people I’ve spoken too felt let down by the film because they were expecting something really clever and hard to understand. It’s really better than that, one of Christopher Nolan’s completely original pieces just shows the genius of this man.

Even if you have no interest in the psychological or philosophical aspects of the film (which I’m sure all of you do) the two and a half hours wont feel wasted, the first half of the film is an intro to the dream concept and explores some of its workings. This part of the

Katie Plumb Editor

film re-kindled the idea of lucid dreaming for me, exploring the potential of the mind’s architecture. The second half feels like a bank heist film, with the added perk of being completely insane due the fact its orchestrated simultaneously in four frames within a frame.

The plot is held together by the character Cobb, and his own emotional revelations are central to the film, but not the main focus, for me they were a plot device and a curiosity about how the mind deals with loss and guilt. The most interesting parts of the film, I can’t talk about without revealing too much plot, but the ideas having been plaguing my mind for a while, it’s nice to see so many interesting and familiar ideas brought together in one place, tied ever so imaginatively together. I’ll finish by saying buy this film and then the soundtrack. Hans Zimmer is up to par and Zack Hemsey’s piece Mind Heist is suitably epic. Also, where the hell was Michael Caine?

Theatre Review: Design for Living John Ord President of HeADS Design for Living was originally written by Noël Coward for himself and his two good friends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontane to star in, which they achieved on Broadway in 1933. The show was received with record-breaking successes.

The play focuses on the ‘erotic hotchpotch’ that exists between the three main characters: Leo, Otto and Gilda.

Coward is on fine form with almost every line full of witticisms and the whole show is charged with a timeless charm.

From its first performance it has lost none of the brilliance that it is renowned for and it is certainly some of the best writing I have ever encountered.

The cast of this new revival builds on a marvellous foundation from eminent director Anthony Page, whose relaxed style is perfect for the material. The production itself lacks nothing at all.

The costumes are stunning and all add something to the show, the sets are detailed and fashionable and allow the audience to easily tap into the ‘perfect silliness’ of the three main characters and their supporting cast.

The acting is also of the highest order with each character, right down to Matthew the butler in the final scenes, being perfectly characterised and all delivering standout performances. There were few faults and all of which are easily subscribed to first week creases that are yet to be ironed out by the weeks of rigorous performances that will delight every audience member that attends.

Admitting that there were slight flaws in no way detracts from the brilliance of a show that seems to come together so perfectly that my only complaint could be that it was so funny that at times the audience wouldn’t stop laughing.

All in all, I would say that this production is a near as makes no difference perfect synergy of casting (including Andrew Scott (Leo) whom people who saw Sherlock on the BBC will recognise as the infamous Moriarty), set, direction and scripting. It’s as if the actors were made for the roles and the roles for the actors.

Unmissable.

Simply

unmissable.

I am rather ashamed to say that, like many Freshers, I did not greatly explore the rich cultural scene that London has to offer. The grand total of museum visits was 4 for my first year.

This year, I intend to double that number in my attempt to educate myself beyond the realms of Rahner, to help me become a cultured Londoner.

My first museum trip of the academic year led me to a valuable discovery; The Youth Forum at the National Portrait Gallery. The Forum is a group of young people who put on events for 14-24 year olds at the Gallery. Yes, that age bracket did fill me with scepticism, but fear not, their events are not just

Sherlock Katie Plumb Editor Sherlock in twentieth century London.

Can I picture walking out of Baker Street tube and spotting Benedict Cumberbatch (Small Island, Starter For Ten) dashing past with Martin Freeman (The Office, Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) lagging behind? At the beginning of the series; no, but three episodes later I definitely can.

The series was suggested to me by a friend, notably the best way to filter through the numerable dramas available. As he described it to me I was not impressed with the concept, indeed it is hit or miss, but under Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ watchful eyes it has formed into enthralling episodes; fully deserving of a second season.

The length of each episode is 90 mins, that’s 45 more than Doctor Who. The additional length may account for the great plot and character development that is achieved in each episode. Taking a fantastic idea and having the air time to develop it to realise its full potential.

teenbopper activities; they are a great way to escape the buzz of the City and get in touch with your creative side.

The event Alice Heans and I visited was a drop-in where you make a creative self-portrait, based on a few abstract artists. We used magazines and newspapers to make portrait collages. It sounds like child’s play, maybe it was, but Alice and I spent a good hour cutting and sticking to create what we consider to be masterpieces (have a look on my fridge to judge for yourself!) The forum members who ran the event were friendly and kept us inspired with some soulful R&B in the background. The best bit is that once you are done you can walk upstairs and wander around the gallery for a while before going back to the swarm of tourists that is Trafalgar Square. I am going to go to other events they run and would encourage you to do the same. Check out their website for information about events at the Gallery. www.npg.org.uk

If only Moffat, who is also executive producer of Doctor Who, would transfer the great plot development over. Coincidentally, Cumberbatch apparently turned down the chance to audition for the role of the Doctor. Fine by me, I’m happy to watch him as a freakishly pale Sherlock, solving mysteries with his convenient knowledge of everything.

Watson could not have been cast better than Freeman, he adds the human touch that Cumberbatch skilfully lacks.

Bring on the next season, coming to the small screen in autumn 2011. This is definitely the Doctor Who for the mystery minded.

© Cindy Andrie

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National Portrait Gallery: Youth Forum Event.

Film Review: Inception

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

“COMMENT.” Edited by Gala Jackson-Coombs

possibilities such as Doctor Who must be a dream job for any writer, talented or not. My first problem with the new series of Doctor Who is Moffat’s choice of casting. Some characters (River Song, Vincent Van Gogh) are impeccably well chosen. However, in Doctor Who Confidential, Moffat says one of the prime reasons he chose Karen Gillian for the role of Amy Pond was because she was attractive. This of course is not a tremendous shock to anyone aware of the industry and it would not concern me if her acting talents outshone her looks, unfortunately they do not. The new Doctor (Matt Smith) is a better actor than I expected when I witnessed his first snippet at the end of the last series. I feel he has acted well and been a relatively believable Doctor, yet I found him difficult to empathise with as his emotions fail to ever seem deep or genuine enough for such a complex character. Perhaps this is due to Smith himself never watching the show before becoming its lead, as he fails to completely grasp the motivations of the Doctor.

Secondly, Moffat’s writing and continuation work seems sloppy in comparison to the delicately interwoven plots and sub-plots we have become so used to in the reign of RTD. I believe this is not due to his inability to weave such stories and scripts (he showcased this talent recently with his amazing miniseries Sherlock), I believe it is because he has switched his target audience to children rather than the family. This also seems confused, with a kiss-agram as a companion who is constantly trying to jump on the doctor in some weird Electra complex, hardly seeming appropriate for children’s viewing.

I have no problem with vague sexual references mentioned, but only as long as they fulfil a purpose, or are used to teach the viewer something. The overtly sexual Amy Pond seems to be neither of the above.

© BBC

The 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan).

The New Era of Doctor Who: A Retrospective Gala Jackson-Coombs Comment Editor I have never been a die-hard fan of scifi fantasy shows. With a few exceptions (Firefly and Star Trek: Voyager mainly), I find the genre is often too simplistic narratively or too scientifically ridiculous to ever hold my attention. However, when Doctor Who was repackaged for a new audience with Russell T Davies at the helm, I waited eagerly with the rest of the viewing public to see if the series could live up to the expectation: it did not disappoint.

Russell T Davies has a stellar record for writing great comedy dramas such as Casanova and Queer as Folk, with Doctor Who being the most recent in his long line of successful shows. I myself had not seen enough of the “classic series” to call myself a fan before view-

ing RTD’s interpretation of the Doctor.

Doctor Who always reminded me of the 60’s and 70’s show, creating scary monsters on a shoestring budget with the aid of dry ice and tin cans. This no longer felt the case, as every monster was meticulously designed and brought to life with the help of great BBC CGI team. Yes, I do admit that at the start of Russell T’s reign I had my doubts if it was strong enough to grip its target audience, with the first monsters of the show seeming weak and pathetic and with a Doctor so brooding after emerging from the Time War he seemed to care little for humanity, the race he was supposedly so eager to save. However, as the storylines progressed and the character’s developed the story became much deeper and richer than I had expected. We began to see the humanity within the Doctor himself, that he too had flaws, made mistakes, and could not always save the day.

One of the greatest things RTD’s Doctor

Who has achieved is to show the originality and skill of the BBC in creating such an imaginative and well-produced series. Also, it created not one but three new programs for the BBC with the addition of the Sarah Jane Adventures (a more child-friendly version starring the old companion Sarah Jane Smith) and Torchwood (targeted at a more adult audience, starring the polysexual Jack Harkness). Another success of RTD was to bring homosexuality to the forefront of a show aimed at all the family, a milestone many shows have never dared attempt. It is comforting to know that in our future sexuality is no longer considered an issue, and teaches this image to the children watching the show.

David Tennant and Russell T Davies have proved a winning combination, working together in both Casanova and Doctor Who. Tennant is, in my opinion, one of the greatest British actors of our generation, as proven in the latest

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Email comsandpubs @heythropcollege.ac.uk BBC interpretation of Hamlet shown at Christmas. Tennant was always going to be the toughest act to follow, some labelling him the best Doctor yet. So, like many converted Doctor Who fans I waited with baited breath to see what direction the new Head Writer Stephen Moffat would take the show in next.

Moffat himself is held in high regard by many as a very clever writer, and given the gift of a show with such limitless

With the new series of Doctor Who beginning with the Christmas Special, as has become the pattern of the series, I doubt the new era of Doctor Who will enthral me any more than it did in the last series, as Moffat continues to write a show for children. What I feel Moffat fails to grasp is that children hate being talked down to, almost as much as he has failed to grasp that his target audience is not just children but the entire family who have come to love the stories of the Doctor and his travels through time and space. Even children prefer RTD’s writing as it is clearer and based firmly in the realms of real human emotion, which helps children to understand the complexity of the situations the Doctor faces.

Thank god Torchwood, the more adult version of Doctor Who, is still going strong after its unbelievable five-part mini-series, Children of Earth. It has been commissioned for its fifth series where Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) will return on Torchwood missions around the globe, rather than being restricted to Cardiff. The 10-part series will be funded by BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and the US cable network Starz Entertainment. At least I have something to look forward to, with the reliably stellar writing talents of Russell T Davies back on our screens shortly.

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comment

Shame on you, Mr. Blair!

Joshua White st 1 year Philosophy A Journey is the title of the self-serving piece of narcissistic trash churned out

by Tony Blair, like so many other lies, for the “rabble” to feast upon. Clearly, Mr Blair is not content with the Medal of Freedom from George Bush, the £20 million he has amassed since he left office or his cushy job as Peace Envoy to the Middle East. No, it is not enough for him, he must play a part in crafting his own legacy. Blair can’t help himself, he must distort the truth further for the sake of self-glorification. Mr Blair would prefer it if we, the people he despises, were to remember him as a “progressive” for implementing the minimum wage, working tax-credits, repealing Section 28 and devolving power to Scotland and Wales. These were just tokens, symbolic gestures Blair threw to the “rabble” to look like a “progressive”. Blair is less proud of banning fox hunting, which he boasts of sabotaging in his book, and coming up with the Freedom of Information act, because it enables journalists to ask annoying questions.

The donation Blair has made to British troops is also a token, a symbolic gesture of caring to help the image.

Of course, in donating the proceeds to soldiers Blair does not absolve himself of the role he played in engineering a blood bath in the Middle East. There is no compensation for the 1 millionplus Iraqis slaughtered and the 4 million displaced because of the decisions made under him. If we lived in a civilised society the Blair cabinet and the Bush administration would be in The Hague. He would rather we forgot about Iraq and Afghanistan, and would prefer we remember him as a great man for bringing peace to Ireland and the Balkans. But we the people, whom he harbours such contempt for, should not forget him as the neo-conservative who opposed tighter regulations of banking whilst supporting a campaign of violence in the Middle East.

In 2007, Blair was driven out of office. He was succeeded by the much loathed Gordon Brown, just one year

short of meeting Thatcher’s record of 11 years in power - a goal so petty we know it must have consumed him. In retrospect, it was sad to see Blair leave office so prematurely, as we were denied the pleasure of his downfall and had to “make-do” with Brown. He has only resurfaced recently to peddle copies of his mediocre book, which Richard Seymour described as “Blair’s fat little compendium of pseudo-revelations, attacks on personal acquaintances and colleagues, self-justifying circumlocutions, political polemic, and narcissistic reflections, comes with its own selfdestruct button.” Blair compares himself to Lady Diana, claiming she was as manipulative as he is, and remarks that he felt “armoured and able to float above the demonic rabble tethering at his limbs.”

Recently, when being interviewed by Andrew Marr, Blair appeared glib as always. He was keen to come across as the maker of right decisions and humble enough to admit a few faults. The “right decision” being the invasion of Iraq, the “fault” being the ban on fox hunting. But it would be a gross understatement to say that Blair is “outof-touch”. The old Poodle is now to the Right of Nick Clegg on foreign policy and to the Right of David Cameron on ID cards, civil liberties and immigration. Blair even claims that Brown lost the election because he deviated from the “New Labour programme” and insisted that the Labour Party has to be open to “successful people”, like himself obviously. This Poodle has even gone so far as to back the Con-Dem Coalition in the cuts agenda they are pursuing, further demonstrating that his loyalty to the Labour Party is little more than a shallow tribal instinct. The only thing “red” about Tony Blair is the blood under his fingernails.

Whether he likes it or not, Tony Blair will go down in history for his part in the illegal invasion of Iraq and the shameful way in which he aligned himself with the Bush administration. He claims that aligning himself with the Bushites brought him closer to the American people, even though Bush was anointed by the US Supreme Court not the American people (out of

The Papal Visit James Barber 2nd year Theology Princes, Bishops and Soldiers stood to attention as the hunched figure of Pope Benedict XVI emerged into fresh Scottish lowland weather. Months of planning and rumour were about to be tested under concrete reality. The long cavalcade to whisk Pontiff and Prince alike to Holyrood Palace, built upon monastic ruins and steeped in EnglishCatholic history, depicted in wood carvings and wall-sized paintings throughout. With haste the Pope jumped from his car to greet Her Majesty before they walked through the Palace and exchanged gifts: drawings for His Holiness from the Royal Collection, and the Codex Aureus of Lorsch for Her Majesty; they seem to know each other’s tastes well. After a brief time in private, Elizabeth II greeted Benedict XVI who afterwards spoke warmly of her welcome, acknowledging great Brit-

ish historical figures who, inspired by faith, performed noted acts of mercy.

During his greeting His Holiness made a pointed warning against forces who wish to eradicate God from society with aggressive atheism, drawing upon his own experiences of Nazi Germany, and praised how Britain stood against its tyranny. He then greeted Scottish leaders, both religious and secular with a noted warmth, resulting in big smiles all-round. He left the Palace through scores of people who just came out to see him, retiring to his cardinals home after greeting school children gathered outside. A meal, Nap and flight later; thousands gathered for the Papal Mass in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, ending the first day with a sermon calling people to have no fear in living the Faith publicly in face of attempts to privatise religious belief. A decided bang in media eyes.

Pope Benedict called children gathered in Saint Mary’s University to holiness and to be saints of the third millennium, opening the second day. Then

a populace of over 300 million people only 50 million people voted for Bush).

We should not forget that ‘George the Anointed’ and his policies only really benefited around 1% of Americans. It was the richest 1% of the population which gained $1.6 trillion under the Bush tax-cuts. So the invasion of Iraq, an act of aggression which would be condemned under the Nuremberg principles, is certainly not a crime perpetrated by the majority of the American people - the same is true of Britain.

The responsibility lies on the members of Blair’s cabinet and the Bush administration.

In the Andrew Marr interview Blair proclaimed that it is moral to overthrow tyrants because they are tyrants.

However he was keen to point out exceptions, such as Mugabe, these exceptions made along “pragmatic grounds”.

Of course King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Hosni Mubarak, dictators backed by Britain and America, were not examples of choice. This is the principle which is supposed to vindicate Mr Blair of the illegal invasion of Iraq and the deaths of over 1 million Iraqis. He still claims that the invasion was down to Saddam’s violations of UN resolutions over weapons of mass-destruction. Blair has backed away from a previous statement in which he “revealed” that he would have invaded Iraq even if he had known that Saddam did not have a WMD. After realising that this is an indefensible position which leaves him vulnerable to even more criticism, Blair backed away from it.

Tony Blair stands next to Foreign Secretary William Hague at a conference

© The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Poodle also claimed that the invasion of Iraq was not for America, it was for Britain. The truth is that it was not for a country at all. The no-bid reconstruction contracts handed over to companies like Halliburton and Bechtel via executive agreements are evidence of this. It’s been estimated that 80% of Iraqi oil has been seized by American and British energy corporations.

Not only that, the economy of Iraq has been transformed - for the worse - with the public sector being decimated by a series of economic reforms known as “shock therapy”. These policies were not the result of a “fledgling democracy” but were imposed through the Coalition Provisional Authority, which

was made up of Americans and Brits. It was “shock therapy”, which slashed the corporation tax down from 40% to 15% and has allowed multinational corporations to transfer 100% of their profits out of Iraq tax-free. The war Blair embarked on for Britain, was more like an armed looting spree for corporations.

history was made in as His Holiness walked where none of his predecessors had walked before, entering the great Westminster Abbey sharing Evensong with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The day was filled with strong statements to Britain’s political heart in Parliament, but it all seemed just a build-up to that great moment when His Holiness, through the great west passage, broke new ground; laying one more brick to the bridge between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. Rowan Williams shared the clerical kiss with Pope Benedict, a truly meaningful and emotional gesture that should remain with us for years to come.

After speaking briefly with leaders of major political parties, the Pontiff vested in red for the Votive Mass of the Precious Blood in Westminster Cathedral.

He entered to the booming voices of the choir singing “Tu es Petrus” or “Thou art Peter” to the rest of us; the third day began. His sermon looked inwards, reflecting on Christ’s sacrifice and particularly His Precious Blood; then giving a deep apology for clerical child abuse, expressing his shame, humiliation and sorrow but hope that Christ’s grace and sacrifice will give healing to the victims,

and purification to the Church. Outside the cathedral representatives from every parish in England, Wales and Scotland had gathered to be greeted by His Holiness after Mass. They gave a roaring welcome, and he gave warm words in response; blessing a candle-stand titled “infinite love”, the symbol chosen for Catholic youth ministry in England and Wales. After staying with the young longer than planned he moved inside to bless a new mosaic of St David, patron of Wales, because he was not visiting the Welsh. Then whilst thousands gathered in Hyde Park including those same young people, His Holiness visited the elderly in Vauxhall. From St Peter’s residence, the Papal cavalcade carried the Pontiff down the Mall which had been decorated with Papal Flags, through to Hyde Park where he celebrated Benediction with thousands gathered from across the country. His sermon directed the faithful to devote their lives to God, and to give sincere adoration to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

A helicopter flight later the rain cleared above Cofton Park just in time for Pope Benedict’s arrival. Thousands gathered yet again, from hours before daylight to witness the Beatification of Cardinal

Blair is not the first to bring out a book to set the record “straight”, and he will not be the last. George W Bush will be releasing his book Decision Points in November of this year. As Michael Moore once said, we live in fictitious times in which we have fictitious election results and fictitious governments

who send the poor off to kill other poor people for fictitious reasons. Shame on you, Mr Blair! Though it is no surprise that these people are now attempting to sway and distort history in their favour. Let’s hope that New Labour and its “noble lies” are dead now, the only way forward for the Labour Party is a return to its heritage of working-class radicalism. Nothing short of a trial in The Hague would be a moral end to this chapter in 21st Century politics. Sadly, the chapter may outlive Blair and Bush, as the extremities of the past decade will reverberate throughout government for years to come.

John Henry Newman; the fourth day.

His contribution to Theology and secondary school education in England is substantial and he is now known as ‘blessed’, many of his works are in Heythrop’s library. Before leaving Cofton Park the Pope gave an account of Blessed Newman’s life, reflecting on his devotion to the Virgin Mary. The pastoral side of this visit culminated in this Mass before he was whisked away back to that Alitalia flight which brought him. He gave his last farewells at Birmingham airport leaving the media to work over all that had happened, and much there was to dwell on. Huge effects on the Anglican Communion, British Catholics and secular powers were felt and will be felt for days and weeks to come. Historical on every level for individuals and groups alike.

Surprisingly warm was his demeanour, nothing of the coldness we imagined a Supreme Pontiff to hold; and that is perhaps what will last in memories, when the Pope’s heart spoke unto ours.

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

CommENt Miss! Mrs! Ms? Mollie Puttock 2 year Undergraduate nd

This summer whilst travelling with my partner I was misdiagnosed as being “Mrs Jones“. Due to my own embarrassment at my boyfriend of only a year probably scanning the room to find the nearest exits and my rather British social graces, I simply turned bright red and nodded. Yet it led me to thinking, not only as to why my boyfriend smiled in a quite smug, satisfied way, but also as to why just those first three letters struck such a strange chord within me.

I detest the way that honorific’s such as Mrs, Mr, Miss and Dr seem to convey clues as to who the holder of the name is. Simply by changing my prefix I can be conceived as several different people; when I use Miss I am seen as young, naïve and sexually obtainable, when using Mrs one is deemed as older more respectable but owned by a man, yet Ms definitely has some of the strangest social/cultural meanings. Whilst conducting a little internet research/procrastination I found that the general thoughts about women who used Ms as their title came under 3 categories. The women were either; 1 - Big, hairy, manly, feminists.

2 - Lesbians.

3 - Bitter Divorcees.

Yet I do not think of any of these stereotypes. I simply feel that as a woman I am a person in my own right and that in any social situation that relies upon these ridiculous monikers is only intending to categorise people. In my opinion being viewed as a feminist, a divorcee, or a lesbian is much more preferable than being seen as naïve or

owned by another being. If all young women had the strength and open mind to take on the title of Ms then not only would we be viewed as equal to men, but also it would stop prejudice and be looked upon favourably.

4 - A strong educated woman?

Having always been interested in Feminism due to my Mothers involvement within union politics as well as my own life experiences, I looked to Germaine Greer for an answer. After scouring her books for a decent answer I didn’t find what I was looking for; a comment that would be of use to the woman of 2010.

As I was lucky enough to meet her only a week ago at a seminar of hers in my home town I asked her how she felt about the “Miss! Mrs! Ms?” debate and to my surprise she simply answered that surely we all should get rid of these outdated prefixes as there are much more important things in life.

Thus I still urge young women to use Ms when forced to in forms and such like, yet one must always remember we are defined by our personalities and not letters before (or indeed after our names!

As university students, feminism in its new 21st century liquid form is very important for us (and I am talking to both genders here) as we are the next generation of medical staff, politicians, clergy and business brains. The reason why I feel young women and men need to understand these issues is because we are all equal yet different not only in gender, but also in race, culture, age and sexuality. Together armed with this understanding I can see a brighter future for us all, and on that Jerry Springer-style final thought I am off.

Bad-Ass Wing of the Catholic Church Tom Sojer Erasmus On the new HSU website, HSU president James Johnston calls the Jesuits the “bad ass wing of the Catholic Church”. This statement made me think why that is and led me to find some interesting things in the life story of the Society of Jesus, so the Jesuits call themselves. Who are these guys founding and leading Heythrop College?

One of the most exciting moments in life is birth. Even if nobody can remember it, you celebrate this day every year for a whole lifetime. That’s similar with a religious community. Even if today nobody was personally involved in the events of the foundation, every member of an order envisions himself as a part of this new awakening. Therefore a Jesuit considers himself not only as an associate of the today’s Society of Jesus which lives all around the world working in all areas of life, he also thinks of himself as a continuation of a sixteenthcentury Spanish man called Iñigo de Loyola, who changed something in the church and world history.

This Iñigo de Loyola wasn’t a common fellow or a paragon. He was a knight. A knight in a time where knighthood was quickly being replaced by mercenaries.

A time, in which the high principles of knighthood were replaced by greed and power-madness. The 30 year old aristocrat Iñigo was wounded and his career as a knight was over. This incident made Iñigo start his lifelong quest for

A Word About Welfare John Ord Male Welfare Officer This column in The Lion has been dedicated to the Welfare Team so that we can keep you in the loop regarding various events in and around college that we think you would benefit from knowing about and attending or where we will give you helpful pointers and information that we think will be of use to you. Any suggestions can, as always, be sent to our email addresses or you can always tell us if you see us directly!

This is the first issue (congratulations to the production team!) and I will be focusing on three points that you should be aware of when you first move down to university. The freshers’ packs that we have put together give you a comprehensive body of literature about safety and becoming comfortable down here but here are three things that you’ll want to be sure of.

Mumps and Meningococcal Meningitis It is strongly advised that you ensure you’ve been immunised to protect yourself against these two illnesses that statistically occur more commonly among university students. There have been outbreaks in several UK universi-

ties in recent years and both can have serious implications. Meningococcal Meningitis can kill and Mumps can damage fertility. It is recommended that two doses of MMR vaccine are required to adequately guard against infection.

Disability The college is able to do a lot to level the playing field for disabled students, allowing you to gain the degree that you are capable of and the most important thing for you to do is to let us know! Dyslexia, physical or mental health problems and unseen medical conditions that may affect your ability to work in the same fashion or at the same speed as your peers are all worth letting us know about. See either us, Dominic or your Personal Tutor.

Personal Tutor Your Personal Tutor is someone well worth meeting as early as possible.

They are your first port of call for any academic difficulties and will be your tutor for the duration of your time at Heythrop. There is a meeting schedule where you can meet them in the first week but if you muss this it is advised that you re-arrange it and introduce yourselves so you know who each other are. They aren’t just a port of call in stormy weather – they are always keen

to know how you’re getting on and welcome good news as well!

A final note in this issue will be a mention of Daisy Hayes, the college Counsellor. She will be present during the induction week and more details of her weekly availability will be present in an upcoming issue.

I hope that the information in this article has been useful to you and that you come back next issue to see what the Welfare Team has to offer you!

truth. This quest took him away from his home and made him travel through Europe, even to the Holy Land and back. His whole lifetime had only one target: to win souls for God. For his mission, Iñigo developed out of his own personal experiences the so called spiritual exercises. They are a contemplative way to find basic decisions for one’s life and to get a clearer view of reality. His ministry brought him lots of troubles: he was in front of the judgement of the inquisiton eight times. But some were attracted by his way to find God and founded together with him to form the Society of Jesus in 1534. Iñigo wanted them to serve in the Holy land, but as that didn’t work they offered themselves to the Pope to send them wherever he might want them to go. This was the birth of the track record of the Jesuits.

They had a real rush of young men and only a few years after they were founded the first missionaries spread out in Asia, followed by South America, Africa and the rest of the world. In Europe they were at the spearhead of the Counterreformation. They worked in pastoral care, universities and humanitarian aid.

ens XIV terminated the whole order in 1773. The remaining Jesuits lived in the diaspora until Pope Pius VII reinstalled the Jesuits, which obtained the old extent in a short time. They were later persecuted in several European countries in another hundred years with its climax in the time of the Third Reich.

Even today, the Society of Jesus faces persecution and refusal because of their special way to find God in all things. In history and now they can be truly called the “bad ass wing of the Catholic Church” because they dared to go to placed where nobody dared, they dared to speak about things in a new way nobody dared, and they dared to effectuate new ideas, like nobody had before. Even if that means to go to the hilt, they dared to do it. Why do they dare? Because a crazy Spanish man named Iñigo fell head over heels in love with this world, and thousands upon thousands have followed him for more than 460 years now.

Tom Sojer is a student of the Jesuit Faculty in Innsbruck, Austria.

During the time of Baroque they had their wild teenage times: The order was at the peak of power and influence.

Most of European leaders had Jesuits as personal advisers. This caused plenty of enemies and caused France, Spain and Portugal to ban the Jesuits in the middle of the eighteenth century.

The situation collapsed and Pope Clem-

Interested in Journalism?

Write for The Lion! Join our Writers’ Group on Facebook to keep up to date with competitions, writers’ meets as well as writers’ trips!

Submit your articles to comsandpubs@heythropcollege.ac.uk

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13

TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

CommENt

How are we Expected to Fill Education’s Giant Financial Hole?

A critique of Lord Browne’s upcoming University tuition review.

Duy Hoang 2 year Philosophy nd

A review which is to be spearheaded by former BP executive Lord Browne will give evidence on whether to increase the maximum cap on university tuition fees. An area of debate over the past year, many students as well as educationalists believe that the idea of raising the maximum cap on tuition fees will continue to widen the gap in education and make higher education inaccessible to those from poorer backgrounds.

With the review drawing to a close, conclusive findings will reveal to the public autumn this year whether some universities should be allowed to increase the maximum cap of tuition fees from the current £3,250 to £7,000, increasing the leaving debt for university students from £15,000 to £27,000 outside London.

Commenting earlier this year, the review came to the consensus that still too many students are deterred from attending high education because of top-up fees, with initial findings suggesting that although widening participation has increased over the last five years, that more selective universities have had almost no change. Many still agree that due to the fact that many selective universities are charging the maximum amount of tuition fees, applicants are still deterred from applying and have instead opted to attend other universities with lower fees or to not enter higher education at all. The fact that many teenagers feel that they are unable to pay for such a large amount when leaving university has been one of the many aggravating consequences of the cap since it was introduced nine years ago.

So what are the aims of the review?

They will look into whether or not to increase the maximum fee cap, taking into account participation rates of universities but also the quality of teaching within the system. Students studying in the arts and humanities have argued that there isn’t much ‘value for money’ in universities due to the lack of teaching hours in some establishments, with many universities charging students the maximum amount of tuition fees, yet only having 8 hours of teaching per week and poor facilities. Lord Mandelson, who started the review, said last year that “the country had to face up to the challenge of paying for excellence” at a time when the Labour Party promised an increase in university places.

But is increasing the amount that each student should pay be the method of trying to increase teaching standards and the quality facilities at universities? A problem seen by many who had applied this year was the lack of university places, and an area which will come under review will be the number of places given to international students.

In the last five years, there has been a sharp rise in international student applications with the fees paid by most helping to subsidise facilities and allow

Lord Browne © Enviromental Agency

universities to expand their campuses.

Another reason that this review has come under way is because of the contrast in the quality of teaching between the UK and USA and how the financial system is helping them. In terms of teaching, students in the US get more ‘value for money’ not only in teaching hours but also in extracurricular activities such as free language tuition, better facilities and subsidised meals and accommodation. The difference between UK and the US fees however is that a US national will pay in excess of $35,000 in fees per year in a private institution and half that for a public institution making their debt $140,000 when they leave university, three times as much as ours in the UK. So, why don’t we have the same approach as the Americans? One of the main reasons is that the fees system in the US began early on and was hence fully integrated into the micro-economic model, with parents sometimes saving for college from when their children are born. Another reason why American universities charge so much is that, on average, American families are wealthier than families within the UK, with higher net incomes per family. The idea of raising fees to the level like that of most US universities would deter a large number of students, causing many to just simply go straight into work. The review must then look into the socioeconomic mentality of families within the UK where consumerism has taught many families to spend and not save.

Politically, this review comes at a time when the government are cutting across the board and areas such as research grants are being reviewed. The need to continue the flow of money for univer-

sities is crucial if universites are to keep up standards. Cuts force many large colleges and universities to cut administrative jobs and in some situations, even cutting departments. The axing of Middlesex University’s philosophy department is one such case. What Middlesex described as necessary left many professors and lecturers without jobs.

So, are there any alternatives to increasing tuition fees? An alternative proposed by Business Secretary Vince Cable is that of a graduate tax. The idea is that graduates pay a tax on the basis of how much they earn, with the government paying the universities upfront and the students paying after graduation. The main proponents to this tax are that of the leading Russell group universities who argue that under the new measures, a biomedical degree will cost more than those studying English.

This may deter many from choosing certain subjects and thus cause universities make cuts in these departments.

Other consequences include that of how students who drop out after one year or more will pay and how those who move oversees are expected to pay. The upside to such a method is that if you earn less, you don’t have to pay that much.

This idea was eventually quashed by the coalition government as many have seen it as unfair and beyond the status quo of the ordinary top-up fees.

Another alternative is to just raise the cap but not to lift it completely so that there is a limit for the maximum amount of tuition fees. The idea propagates that tuition fees may increase again and again over the long term e.g. £7,000 in five years to £10,000 in ten years. Welcomed by the 1994 group of research universities who believe that

each institution should get £7,000 per student per year, other Universities and College Unions as well as the National Union of Students highly oppose such an idea. The pros that have been presented are that it would make students view their education more seriously and help universities who are financially struggling. On the other hand, it would mean that the more elite and selective universities may get less than those with less research focus, primarily on the number of students they admit. Another opponent to this idea are the Liberal Democrat party who believe that university education should be free, but have since come to the conclusion that such an idea would be too costly on the UK economy and hence unaffordable.

The polar extreme to cutting fees entirely is to allow universities to have unlimited control over how much students may be charged for their education. The Russell group are said to highly support this alternative since many students would not be deterred from studying at a more selective university. Here, the Universities and Colleges Union, the National Union of Students and Universities UK as well as a majority of higher education think tanks are against this idea.

The hike in fees would easily deter many from even entering the higher education system and would only increase money being paid to selective universities. It is obvious that the last alternative is to have no cap at all would lead to a vicious circle whereby smaller colleges, as well as less selective universities, would lose students and have to make dramatic cuts to the point where they may even close down. However, an even more con-

troversial alternative being made by Provost of University College London and many other heads of Russell group universities is to cut the number of places at “pile it high, sell it cheap” universities to protect world class research and teaching at other universities. If this approach was introduced at Middlesex University, they may have cut the already failing dance department and lost fewer students than when they cut the philosophy department. The Research Assessment Exercise rating Middlesex universities philosophy department received was at grade five, placing it amongst the best in the UK and that of ‘world class quality’ and yet the decision was made to cut it.

With the rising of tuition fees still with a cap almost certainly to be the conclusion of the review, the question that many are posing is, how will this affect new and current students? The review will merely advise the government on whether to increase the cap and such a report may not be valuable but if such higher fees were to be introduced, they would likely come into affect in 2013 and would hence not affect those currently studying at university. It is unclear whether or not it will affect those who will re-enter their second year of university to find that they may have to pay a higher fee than before but it is highly unlikely to come for a while.

We will just have to wait and see what is said in the review when it is made accessible to the public late Autumn 2010.

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TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

Sport & Societies Welcome Badminton to HeADS! Soceity John Ord President of HeADS

Tanya Leonard President of Badminton

HeADS is the Heythrop Amateur Dramatic Society and we have an actionpacked year ahead of us, let me tell you! There is a ridiculous amount of opportunity for you to get involved in everything we’re doing and we always love to see someone keen to impress, whether it’s on the stage or behind it.

The programme for the coming term runs as follows:

Hello and Welcome to the Badminton society!

I hope you all had a great summer. Although summer has finished, new opportunities await all of you, whether it’s new Freshers or returning students; we hope there is something for all to join in at our new and existing societies.

One Society in particular I would like to raise your attention to is the new Badminton Society! Here at the badminton society, we offer a fun sport to play. You don’t have to be a professional or even have a partner to play with, just bring

Our primary production will be a double bill of Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone at the end of term.

This will be in the Loyola Hall and will be the main event of the term.

In addition to this there will be a smaller evening in the week before reading week. This term it takes the form of a poetry evening where people can share their favourite poetry and even stuff they’ve written themselves. We will be making an evening of it with the Poetry Society leading the field.

But wait, that’s not all! Every other week there will be a masterclass conducted by the professionals who teach at Fordham University, the American Drama School that we are fortunate enough to share a campus with. They are energetic and talented people and their years of experience will benefit everyone who chooses to draw from it.

We have a brand spanking new email (drama@heythropcollege.ac.uk) which is checked daily so you can be sure that your queries and comments will be seen and taken on board.

This year we are keen to encourage as many people as possible to get involved with the society. The productions this term allow those of you who want some lines and some stage time to have exactly that as well as giving the people who like to fiddle with backstage stuff the chance to do that. Those of you who have never been involved in drama before are also always welcome – we all have to start somewhere and the masterclasses are perfect opportunities for you to see what it’s like in the business.

There really is something for everyone!

We wholeheartedly hope that as many of you as possible turn up to the auditions for the show on the 6th October, for which there will be posters splattered around the basement giving more details when they are available. Hope to see you there!

yourself! Friends from other universities are also welcome.

The society aims to help and improve current skills in the sport by practising. We will also be playing different badminton games to motivate students and to keep up competitive spirits. For those who are competitive, we can also organise some matches against other universities!

We provide racquets and other equipment which means its completely free and open to everyone!

If you are worried about not knowing anyone, don’t worry as we will have a daily social to get to know each other! The club is after all a great way of meeting new people who share the same interests, whilst having fun playing badminton.

For more information, check out our video online on the HSUtube or feel free to contact me on

New Islamic Society Aishah Mehmood President of Islamic Society Welcome to Heythrop’s Islamic Society! Our society’s main aim is to eradicate any misconceptions of Islam; we will discuss the issues in order to resolve the problems, in the hope of giving Heythrop students the opportunity to understand the Muslim community. We are all human beings, but also different in many ways, whether it’s the colour of our skin, our ethnic background or our religious affiliation.

That doesn’t mean all of these unique individuals can’t get along. I believe the reason why some of us don’t get along is due to ignorance. I believe ignorance is a disease. However, I believe that knowledge is the cure. Knowledge is our key to salvation and understanding each other. Therefore we would like to welcome all students to come to our events with an open mind, and ask us any questions they may have. We hope to have Islamic scholars and lecturers to answer your queries. I believe that if we never ask questions, we wouldn’t learn from our mistakes or misconceptions.

Additionally, we also have a new Youtube channel named “HeythropIslamicSoc”, where we have created many informative playlists, so you can learn about various Islamic beliefs and practices, as well as our book recommendations. There are so many different playlists, some of which are: An Introduction to Islam, Controversial Issues, The Qur’an, Islamic music and also some Films!

One film, we would totally recommend (which is in our playlists!) for anyone who is eager to learn about Islam, is the film: The Message. This superb film directed in 1976 by Moustapha Akkad, starring Anthony Quinn, documents the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)*.The reason why we would recommend this film is because I believe

that if one wants to learn about Islam, then learning about the life of the Prophet is imperative. Because from there, one will come to understand the many beliefs and practices of Islam, the Qur’an and also the character of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Islam pays large significance to the Prophet Muhammad because we believe he was the final Prophet and the one to whom the Qur’an was revealed to. Moreover, the Qur’an explains the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the ideal role model to every Muslim, as it says in the Qur’an: “You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much. (Surat alAhzab: 21)”.

Therefore all Muslims look at Hadith

my college email: tanya.leonard@ heythropcollege.ac.uk.

We look forward to meeting you all and hope to see you soon!

(teachings and sayings of the prophet) as a guide to pray and moral ethics in Islam. I honestly believe that if all Muslims followed the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad properly, then there would be no violent Muslims: Narrated Sayyiatina ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): The Prophet (pbuh) said, “The most hated person in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome person.” (Bukhari) However, as we all know there will always be pious and tyrannous people in all religions and ways of life as many individuals never practice what they preach.

Nevertheless it’s our duty to see beyond the false actions of Muslims, and to learn the true actions of practising Muslims, to give us a clear vision of Islam.

We hope to see you soon at our future society events!

Peace be with you, Aishah *- Means ‘Peace be upon him’. It is a sign for respect to all prophets.

© D7ooM Bin M7mD

Budo Society Ross Owens Member of Budo The Budo society is Heythrop’s martial arts club, and one of the most successful societies at the college. Started last October it has flourished and grown, seeing weekly classes in Aikido for a year and weekly classes in Karate and self defence since January. The club has seen several students gain grades in Aikido after attending national and international courses, and make headway for a grading in Karate. We have also built links with other clubs around London and the UK - students have been to courses in Kettering, Great Yarmouth and Milton Keynes, as well as hosting courses in college. In the immediate future, the Budo society has a busy schedule: we are going to a weekend course in Belgium at the end of October, hosting a day course at the beginning of November and going to another weekend course in Kettering at the end of November.

Teaching Aikido is Bradley Smith – HSU Sports and Societies Officer, and a 3rdyear student. He has trained in martial arts since he was knee-high to a grasshopper and he was graded to 1st Dan (black belt) in Aikido in April of this year. Aikido is about a practical application of self defence which is both effective and beautiful. Winning a fight isn’t the sole aim, either. We train to be able to defend ourselves without using lethal force, with training serving as a workout and a way to develop self-discipline, as well as building a repertoire of techniques.

Teaching Karate is Chris Samuel, an instructor external to the college. He is a 3rdDan in Shotokan Karate, with over 20 years of martial arts experience in a wide range of disciplines. Chris has trained with world-class Karate practitioners across the world, and has spent a lot of time in the Orient. Karate is the Japanese martial art which focuses on punching, kicking, and blocking. It is studied all over the world by people of all ages. As a student you will rapidly learn both the art, and the selfdefence side of it. You will learn to defend yourself from all angles, and from a multitude of attacks. The learning curve is rapid in the early stages where you will learn to use body mechanics to increase the power of your strikes and blocks. The strategies you will deal with will increase your self confidence, strength, and stamina. In Shotokan karate training is split into various interconnected areas including basics, sparring, kata, competition, self defence, and weapons. Self defence includes locks, throws, and escapes from holds. Competition sparring is great fun, and forces the student to perform under pressure-but it is by no means obligatory.

All of our classes are open to all students. Man, woman, short, tall, fast or slow; everyone is welcome. No prior experience is needed, only a willingness to learn and work hard! Look out for us at the Freshers’ Fayre, and keep an ear to the ground about our social after a class early in the term! We look forward to seeing you all and getting beaten up by new people! We don’t bite (but we do punch.)

Follow us on Facebook (‘like’ the Heythrop Budo Society) and get regular updates on what we’re doing and when!

15

TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | THE LION

SPoRt & SoCIEtIES

Bike Polo Joe Walsh President of Bike Polo What the hell is it?!

Importantly for you it is... · On Campus, on Heythrop’s own tennis courts. · CHEAP · And...I will even supply the equipment. (Mallets and Helmets) THE FACTS Bike Polo was invented in 1981 by an Irishman, however, Urban or Hardcourt Polo, which we will be playing is a less formal city version. Essentially, 6-10 people on bikes attempt to hit a ball between opposing traffic cones! Although there is a lot more to the game than that. London and New York lead the way in Urban Bike Polo, with local teams all over london, which I eventually hope we can compete with!

THE RULES · · · ·

Three to Five Players per Team 10 Minute Matches No Substitutions First To Five Points Wins

THE NO-NOS! · No touching the floor with your feet · No Contact: ◦ Body on Body ◦ Bike on Bike ◦ Mallet on Mallet · IF these occur, the player must return to the center of the court and ‘touch down’ on the central point, if there is a serious deliberate contact incident, this will be taken very seriously.

COMMON QUESTIONS · Do I need a bike? ◦ Yes, but as you may have noticed, just outside college is a hire bike station. Hence for a mere £4 (first time) you can hire a bike, then after that it is exactly £1 a game. Not bad eh?! · Do I need to know how to ride? ◦ No! Kensington and Chelsea offers free cycle training for beginners, so we’ll be going on mass, no matter how experienced, at the start of term · Does it matter if I haven’t played before? ◦ No, This is a society for everyone of any experience designed around friendly games and perhaps a wee pub visit after.

THE AIM · To score the ball must be hit across the goal line (traffic cones) with the NARROW END OF THE MALLET, this is a ‘shot’ or ‘hit’

Music Society Amy Simpson President of Music Society Some say that love makes the world go round. Others say whiskey. We say to hell with that, and crack open your guitars!

Wherever you go, no matter what country, continent, and even planet you’re on, music is going to be around.

Whether it’s that Indie band on the main stage at Reading, or tribal drums in the Amazon, music is an essential part of life.

In a culture where we just take, take, take many view the Western music industry as just another corporate capitalist thieving bastard. But if you can see beyond that, you will find that music has the wonderful capability of bringing people from different backgrounds and socities together: regardless of whether it’s in that grungy basement club in Soho, or at a Wedding reception in the Bahamas.

until we’ve come around from our wine induced stupor and we’ll do something about it.

Don’t worry about grades or anything, we’re not looking for grade 6 pianists, but if you are, we will embrace you with open arms. Don’t panic if you think our president doesn’t have enough experience or whatever to manage a Music society, we have a resident musical professional, employed by the college for the sole purpose of whipping us into shape, who is utterly fabulous.

So if you think this is your cup of tea, then come along and have a biscuit. If you don’t like it we won’t hold a gun to your head. If you have any questions you will find us on Facebook. Failing that, talk to one of the following lovelies; Amy Simpson, John C Ross, Annabel Sykes and Alice Wilkinson.

the

So it is for these reasons that we heartily encourage you to join Heythrop Music Society. If you haven’t got it yet, we don’t care whether you can play the harmonica or can just about hit middle C in your vocal range. Music society is a place for people who appreciate creating unique sounds, and trust me, unique is what you’ll find after a bottle of wine, regardless of ability!

Fun is our main theme. Sure we’ll put on a few concerts, shows, whatever you like, and that’s important too. If you have an opinion or view that could make things even greater then yell at us

Thanks for reading our very first issue!

We hope you enjoyed it.

The next issue will be released on Tuesday 19th October. If you want your work published in the next issue, please email your submissions to: comsandpubs@heythropcollege.ac.uk by the 11th of October.

Thank you!

© Beverly & Pack

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