InQuire Issue 10.9 by InQuire Media

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30 January 2015

Issue 10.9

Priced out of living • £500+ spent each month to survive • Regular money worries for 57% • 64% of Kent students unemployed • 43% rely upon friends and family Ruby Lyle Newspaper News Editor

It’s time to party on campus See Page 13 Photo by Christopher Bowley

tudents at Kent are paying in excess of £500 each month in order to survive, according to an investigation by InQuire. An InQuire Live poll, asking how much students spend per month on rent, food and living expences, found that the majority (33%) of those who took part (in a survey with 116 participants) pay more than £500 each month. If Student Finance England allocated the minimum maintenance loan for 2014/15 of £3,610 each year to a student, who had monthly costs upwards of £500, this would only support this student’s survival for seven months. To sustain this lifestyle after the maintenance loan has been exhausted, and without any additional expenses such as supplies for courses, bills and nights out, students would need to work for 24 hours each week if under 21 year or age, or 19 hours if over. The highest level of minimum wage, for those aged between 18 and 20, is £5.13. If over the age of 21, the minimum wage is £6.50. When living on campus as an undergraduate, the average cost for living in bed and bistro, en-suit accommodation, for 31 weeks only, is £6,298. This is almost twice the minimum maintenance loan given to students. Paying on a monthly basis, it would cost a student

Ginny Sanderson

£524 for food and housing. The 2014 University Living Costs Report produced by Kent Union found that 41% of students had a part time job at UKC, 43% had financial support from family and friends, and that 57% regularly worried about not having enough money to meet basic living expenses. When asked by a separate poll on InQuire Live, “How many paid hours of work do you do a week?”, it showed that the majority of respondents (64%) are not employed. For those who do work, most (15%) work between six and 10 hours per week. When speaking on the matter, second year student, Danielle Thompson, said: “If I lived off my maintenance loan alone, I would only be living on around £500 for the whole year. I’m under 21 and I have to work 18 hours (plus the odd bit of over time), each weekend to be able to live comfortably. Working at my job and spending time on my university work put a lot of strain on me, so much that I’ve had to seek help with my stress levels as they’re now starting to affect my health.”

Photo by attndotcom

To find out more about the issue and a recent petition designed to ensure all Kent Union staff recieve the living wage, visit InQuireLive.co.uk.

News Editor’s Note

Hello everyone, Welcome back to Kent! Refreshers’ is almost upon us and it’s time to get involved with a new society or sport if you didn’t get a chance to do so before. In this issue, check out an interesting report on homelessness in Comment, a special interview with Dekoningtan in Entertainment and how to get more cultured in Culture. Enjoy! Emma InQuireMedia

2014/2015 Editorial contacts: Natalie Tipping - Chair chairwoman Emma Shelton - Newspaper Editor newspaper.editor Emily Adams - Website Editor website.editor

Busking bans Graduate top Priya Patel

anterbury buskers will soon be faced with new laws in which a failure to comply can be met with community protection notice (CPN) fines as “a last resort”, forfeiture of equipment, and criminal convictions. Under new laws introduced by Canterbury City Council (CCC), buskers will no longer be allowed to perform over an hour in one place. Volume and amplification of performances will also have to adhere to stricter guidelines, and officials will have the power to disband any acts they deem to be “unreasonable”. The new legislation has been introduced to tackle the number of buskers, as well as the volume and duration of their performances. This is due to a growing concern by business proprietors who view them as a nuisance. However, the Keep Streets Live Campaign feels these new

laws will give the authorities too much power in which they will be “judge and jury with the power to destroy a musician’s life in an instant”. While CCC argues this will not be the case and a common sense approach will be adopted by officials, buskers have introduced a petition to protest the new rules. Under CCC guidelines, 3,000 signatories are needed in order for the busking community to be able to have a full discussion with the council. As of 22 January, a figure of 2,181 had been reached. In response to the petition, CCC said: “The petitioners have chosen to interpret this as an attempt by the council to restrict busking in Canterbury, but this is not the case. “Use of the CPN would never apply to buskers who are reasonable and comply with our code of conduct, as the majority do, and we want to make this clear to everyone.”

Newspaper: Ruby Lyle- News newspaper.news Ginny Sanderson - Comment newspaper.comment Katyanna Quách - Features newspaper.features Julia Mitchell - Culture newspaper.culture Meg Weal - Entertainment newspaper.entertainment Fraser Whieldon- Sport newspaper.sport

Photo by Ruby Lyle

Website: Georgina Coleman- News website.news Dave Cocozza - Comment website.comment Cerys Thomas - Features website.features Grace Beard - Entertainment website.entertainment Natalie Turco-Williams Culture website.culture Henry Sandercock - Sport website.sport

of the class Sarah Osborne

ew figures released this month by the Higher Education Statistics Agency show an increase in the number of students who have achieved upper-class second and firstclass degrees. There has also been a rise in first-year, fulltime undergraduates. According to the data, in 2014, 20% of students in the UK achieved a first-class degree, and 51% an upper-class second degree. A student at the University of Kent, Taz Samra said: “It’s not great. If we all graduate with similar degrees, our degrees will be worthless - it’s already hard enough to get a job. I’ll be in £27,000 debt for no reason. I bet universities will start marking even more harshly, and then we will lose out further because we’ll struggle to even achieve a 2:1.” Nicola Dandrige, Chief Executive of Universities UK, believes a new system is needed to calm fears of grade inflation. The number of first-class degrees has more than doubled in the last decade, when around one in ten graduates in 2004 achieved the top classification. It is 70% more than five years ago. Ms Dandrige argues that this can be blamed on the changes in

Photo by University of Kent

student funding and increased graduate contributions. The sector has recognised issues with the degree classification system, and is trialling alternative approaches at a number of universities. Two approaches are: the Higher Education Achievement Report, a report designed to encourage a more sophisticated approach to recording student achievement, and a grade-point average system.

Hey, what’s the big idea? Ruby Lyle Newspaper News Editor

Irene Antoniou Distribution distribution LaShanda Seaman Promotions and Events events Tina Stavarianou - Design design add @inquiremedia.co.uk

Photo by Dennis Wilkinson

KC students have the opportunity to win up to £1,000, an office at Kent Enterprise Hub, and a trip to the USA when taking part in a new Student Enterprise competition. The Elevator Pitch competition involves presenting a speech for up to 60 seconds which tells the judges about the student’s unique idea. To submit an entry, students would be required to record their pitch and email it to studententerprise@kent.ac.uk. The competition closes 19 February, and the winners will

be announced 2 March. The first prize winner will receive £100 worth of Amazon vouchers. The Big Ideas competition involves submitting a business pitch and demonstrating a strong understanding of your market, competition and your unique selling point. Rachel Elcombe, the Student Enterprise Assistant, said: “The Big Ideas competition is our flagship competition which gives one winning student, or a team of students, the opportunity to participate in the Global Business Concept Challenge, a prestigious competition held in the USA each year. The University of Kent is the only UK university to participate in

the competition and it would look great on any CV!” Last year’s winner, Disha Bansal, said: “I believe the main aim of the competition is to explore oneself and a business idea you’ve arrived at. The Big Idea’s Competition is a platform that validates your idea and gives you the necessary encouragement and start-up capital to move forward and make your dream come true. It’s a great alternate to the already existing path of working for someone else.” The submission form can be found on the Innovation and Enterprise section of the Kent website. All entries close 27 February.

Is one degree more valuable than another? James Pepper

ifferent university schools spend vastly different amounts per student, suggesting that some University of Kent degrees are better value for money than others. Two freedom of information (FOI) requests asked how many students were enrolled at the University of Kent, and how much money was allocated to each school. These FOI requests, answered on 17 November 2014 and 4 December 2014, and based on the latest financial report, revealed sharp differences in the amount of money each school spends. The School of Politics and International Relations spent approximately £3,581 per student, whereas the School of Biosciences spent £8,580 per student. This means that for a student of Politics, only 40% of their tuition fee is actually being spent by their school, and possibly even less when alternative sources of funding are considered. The School of Politics and International Relations recieves £3546,000; once divided by the number of students within the School, 990, it comes to approximately £3,581 spent per student.

Rebecca Walker, a course representative for Politics and International Relations, said: “I think we can understand why some schools need to spend more than others, but it’s an upward struggle in getting the most we can out of our degrees. There needs to be transparency about where the money is going, and whether the spending is fair across departments.” While Ted Jenkins, a course representative for Biosciences, said: “Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) teaching grants are generated for universites on a larger scale by courses like Biosciences, however the shortfall in teaching funding has to be met by tuition fees, so to an extent Arts students do cross-subsidise these courses. It is unfair that the government puts this extra-cost on students rather than the taxpayer.” HEFCE grants are allocated based on the type of course and the costs of providing that course. While all students contribute a portion of their tuition fees to communal resources, such as the library or the gym, it appears some students are contributing more than others. Spencer Lane, a third year War Studies student, said: “It’s not exactly fair because this

£3,581 by the School of Politics and International Relations

£8,580 by the School of Biosciences

basically means that one group of students is being subsidised by the others.” Most schools spend around £4,500 per student however some schools, such as the School of Anthropology and Conservation and the School

or equipment. While some universities, such as Coventry, charge variable tuition fees broadly based on the cost of providing the course, most universities charge a flat rate fee. This means that students

“I think it’s clear that longterm, responsible reform Photo by of higher education Number means: 10 “Making it more sustainable, by asking successful graduates who go on to earn a good salary to make a bigger contribution. “Making it more competitive and more responsive - with students calling the shots, and universities bending over backwards for them.” - David Cameron, speaking on 8 December, 2010, at the CentreForum think tank. of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, stand out as particularly big spenders. Each spends approximately £6,800 and £7,600 per student, respectively. The cost involved in providing a course can vary based on the contact hours required or the resources needed such as labs, performance space

on courses that are cheaper to provide, such as History or Politics, often subsidise those who are more expensive such as Anthropology and Psychology. Adam Webb, a third year Forensics Science student, said: “It’s a fair and simple system of everyone pays the same, which means people don’t pick their courses based on fees.” David Cameron has justified the £9,000 fees by arguing that students can now hold universities to account for the quality of their education. Nevertheless, with little information about how their tuition fees are spent, it is difficult for students to effectively challenge the University. Since the £9,000 fees came in, there has been a rise in dissatisfaction with degree prices. The number of first and second year students who

News

Photo by Daniel John

say they are receiving poor or very poor value for money has doubled to 33% nationally since 2012, according to The Student Academic Experience Survey 2014 by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA). The University of Kent raised its tuition fees for undergraduate courses to £9,000 in 2012. Tuition fees for home and EU students make up approximately 30% of the University’s income (2012/13) which is projected to rise to 42% (2014/15), however it is not clear what percentage these tuition fees goes towards tuition itself. A spokesperson for the University of Kent said that: “The University incurs spending across a variety of areas of provision, not just directly within academic schools” and that “these funds contribute to maintaining the high-quality student experience offered at Kent, highlighted by the University’s third place for ‘overall satisfaction’ in the National Student Survey 2014.” The National Student Survey includes 22 questions about the quality of a student’s course; however there is no question asking about value for money. Jack Lay, Kent Union VP (Education), said: “While schools will spend drastically different amounts of money, depending on how much income they receive from research grants, students and student reps should always be questioning how good their education is and how it could be improved.” Only schools were included in this analysis, the five university centres were removed due to incomplete data, however this amounts to less than 500 students in total.

News

Blackwell’s Bookshop: in association T with UKIP Your news Nic Weatherill

he President of Blackwell’s, a book shop which has a branch at the University of Kent, has come under political scrutiny after it was found that the owner was a supporter of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Julian Blackwell, according to the Electoral Commission, made two single donations of £125,000, and another of £50,000, in 2010. The latter donation was the second biggest single donation received by UKIP. The Blackwell’s university bookshop chain own around 40 stores across the country, with prominent stores featuring in Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Kent. Mr Blackwell stated that the donations were made using “money from outside Blackwell’s” as he “believed in what UKIP was trying to do”. He defended both UKIP and Nigel Farage, referring to him as a “close friend”. After Blackwell’s support became a matter of public comment, he has insisted that he has not made any further donations after 2010. UKIP, founded in 1993, has made significant headway in the last two years, achieving the third highest voting share in the 2013 local elections, then winning its first seats in the House of Commons through by-elections. The

Funds donated to UKIP

party also received the greatest number of votes in the 2014 European Elections. However, despite its rise in the political world, UKIP has also been embroiled in various scandals in recent years, including the use of homophobic and racist remarks, made by the UKIP candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock, Kerry Smith. In recordings obtained by the Mail on Sunday, Mr Smith referred to a constituent of Chinese origin as a “chinky”, and described gay party members as “poofters”. He has since resigned his candidacy. Additional problems for UKIP come from claims of sexual harassment by the former General Secretary of UKIP, Roger Bird, who has also resigned in the wake of the incident, despite being cleared of wrong doing by an internal enquiry. Blackwell’s UKIP links may cause controversy at “the UK’s European University”: the UKIP manifesto states that, if elected to Government, it would charge EU students the same fees as International students. Some of UKIP’s other more controversial policies include the legalization of handguns and a move towards more insurance-based healthcare. Mr Farage has previously expressed his sympathies for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has urged breastfeeding mothers to ‘cover up in public’.

In 2010 • £125,000 • £125,000 • £50,000

Photo by Daniel John

Your comment Ginny Sanderson Newspaper Comment Editor

o the owner of Blackwell’s is a UKIP bitch. What does this mean for us, the ‘European’ University? The Blackwell’s on campus sits alongside Essentials and the job centre, often opposite (or at least in the vicinity of the aroma of) the Thai food stall. Awkward. Does this mean the books we may buy are Ukip-approved, or – worse – Ukip-condoned? If you buy a dictionary, will it have erased any words with non-European origins (prey sure there’ll be about five words in that book)? Will a maths tome be addled with problems like ‘if Ahmed is scrounging £7 billion from the British taxpayer, what percentage of that is bloody outrageous?’ While perusing a Blackwell’s-bought textbook on the politics of Enoch Powell, will you be confronted with the scribbled-on lines ‘common sense policies’ and ‘we <3 Rivers of Blood’?

Answer to your presumed questions: probably no. But it is worrying, and somewhat of an oxymoron, that we have a Blackwell’s on campus, knowing what we now know. However, Mr Blackwell maintains that the donations are not related to his bookshop company, and this money stopped being provided after 2010. How far does one go, when it comes to reacting to this information? If you’re not all ‘yay Ukip’, is it appropriate to boycott? I’ve stopped buying Warburton’s bread because it’s a Tory donor. (I know right, protest!) But it does seem like in this scenario, it should be brought to the University’s attention and we should be keeping a beady eye on a certain Mr Blackwell. Given the law, which

means charities (yes, Kent Union counts as a charity) cannot be seen to favour any UK party over the rest, there could be some interesting implications for campus. Does this mean we’d have to have a Tory nightclub? This entails arriving by limo, a ‘toffs only’ entrance regulation, champagne on tap, and inside you are expected to wreck the place, a la the Bullingdon Club. Cute! Or, perhaps we’d have a Green Party cafe. Everything is organic, recyclable, bio-degradable, eco-friendly, vegan, locally sourced, YOU NAME IT. The Labour library would have a restricted section titled “Iraq”, and the Lib Dem computer suite would be disappointing. So, what’s the next step? How will this change our lives? I suppose you can now continue your current actions of not buying your books there (bloody expensive, right?).

Photo by European Parliament Photo by European Parliament

Comment

Homelessness in Canterbury Your news Otto Ilveskero

he East Kent Homelessness Prevention Strategy was unanimously accepted by Canterbury City Council (CCC) on 8 January, commencing from 2014-2019. The plan follows the 20082013 joint strategy between Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet, and focuses especially on preventing and responding to homelessness as well as providing affordable housing. Loss of work, insecurity of tenure, and relationship breakdown are seen as the main causes of homelessness in the new strategy. Similarly, the 2012 Welfare Reform Act and the lack of appropriate accommodation for large families are identified among potential causes. Due to changing national

economic framework, such as reduced government funding for local authorities, the councils involved stated that a revised response was required. The new plan is set to include regular review by a steering committee assisted by local forums. East Kent authorities are to work with voluntary organisations and other partners to tackle the issue

of homelessness in the area. The new strategy will operate alongside ‘Mind the Gap’, Kent Health Inequalities action plan, and the ‘Think Housing First’ action plan by the Join Policy and Planning Board, acknowledging the impact housing issues have on mental health and wellbeing. However, the plan addresses that the total amount of funding available is still unclear

preventing it from its sources; “responding” to sleeping rough (presumably this means more than just saying “oh, you’re rough sleeping” when stumbling across someone on the street); and providing more affordable housing. But the Council’s optimistic plans are somewhat undermined by government cuts. Local homeless support charity Catching Lives has suffered from significant cuts to its funding, while being busier than ever. Some of the many services the charity provides include food, toilets, showers, and significantly a postal address which enables individuals to look for work and register with a GP. So,

to anyone who wonders why homeless people don’t just ‘get a job’, know it’s nigh unimpossible to do so without help. Will CCC’s Homeless Prevention Strategy, alongside broader Kent Council inequality schemes, make sufficient progress to tackle rising homelessness? That’s obviously yet to see. But it’s one thing to say you’ll do all these grand (if vague) things, and totally another to live up to them. In my cynical view, I can’t see success in a plan that is receiving increasingly less and less funding. If you would like to help out with Catching Lives, visit catchinglives.org to volunteer.

and that the resources available are likely to be ‘considerably reduced’ over the next couple of years. In November 2013 CCC recorded 22 rough sleepers in the Canterbury district, amounting to approximately 2% of all the homeless cases recorded by the council annually. In total, CCC handled over 1,000 approaches for assistance in 2013.

The independent charity Catching Lives has recently estimated the number of rough sleepers to be around 40. The General Manager of Catching Lives Terry Gore has revealed that the charity’s night shelters are now busier than ever. Porchlight, another charity helping the homeless in East Kent, has also been under pressure due to cuts in funding from Kent County Council. The charity will be reducing its number of outreach workers to just four while only two years ago they hired 20. In addition, Porchlight’s 24-hour helpline receives on average over a 1,000 calls a month. To tackle homelessness in England, Porchlight helped create the ‘Let’s Make a Difference’ manifesto launched 15 January at the House of Lords. Locally, Catching Lives will continue to operate Canterbury winter shelters until 28 February.

Your comment Ginny Sanderson

t only takes a drunken walk down the high street on a Friday night to see the face of homelessness in Canterbury. Perhaps then, more acutely aware of the luxuries of a warm bed, we are more sympathetic to the plight of such people. In the bitter cold weather we’ve been having recently, it seems inconceivable that people are forced by circumstance to sleep outside. But they are. In November 2013, 22 ‘rough sleepers’ were reported. Now, the estimated number is almost double that, at 40. Why? A recent report by Oxfam found that half of the global wealth is held by 1% of the population. By 2016, this 1% will own more than the other 99% combined. Ultimately, the gap between rich and poor is widening. And those with the least are being left behind. Canterbury City Council (CCC) have announced plans to ‘tackle’ homelessness, which includes: focusing on

Photos by Sian Pratley

Comment

Should we be wary of the rising far right? Tobi Yasin

he recent Paris attacks make me think of past terrorist incidents and their effect on the British public. When soldier Drummer Lee Rigby was murdered in Woolwich on 22 May 2013, I wrote about it for my last assignment of my access course. Nearing the end of the assignment, I heard of the Boston marathon bombings and hoped it wasn’t an Islamic terrorist attack. When I found it was, my fears grew in expectation of attacks on Muslim communities. Such attacks have given a perceived legitimacy to right wing groups such as the EDL and Britain First. The media has its part to play in stoking up the fires of fear and retribution. Rupert Murdoch turned from old decrepit man being questioned by the Leveson Inquiry in April 2012, to the righteous Twitter commenter with his message “Maybe most Moslems are peaceful but until they recognise their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible”. Although there have been responses to his Twitter comments, blasting him for his ignorance, his comments are still popular with many.

Retweets of his message number over 7,000, but an online message is not the forefront matter of concern. The growing support for right wing groups is alarming. To a degree, the groups that grow in the UK pose no significant threat to Muslims. Marches held by the EDL have

to the EDL protest? Tea, biscuits and a game of football. Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu hailed their response as “typically Yorkshire combination when it comes to disarming hostile and extremist views”. Support for far right groups, however, is growing, with

a group calling themselves PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West) protest in Dresden and, even with counter protests, it seems that support for right wing political groups is on the rise. Is this justified? Should the Muslim community “have to

Photo by David Perez

routinely been outnumbered by anti-fascist groups, and the protest outside the mosque in Bull Lane in York was attended by six EDL supporters. The response to that planned protest was a hundred strong counter-protest of supporters of the mosque. How did the mosque attendants respond

the Front National in France espousing its anti-immigration sentiment particularly in relation to the growing North African population. Even its leader Marine Le Pen once expressed admiration for our own Nigel Farage and Ukip’s policies. In Germany, recent marches have seen

suffer”, as Martin Amis once said, “until it gets its house in order’”? The bravery of Lassana Bathily, the Malian, Muslim employee of the kosher supermarket under siege, suggests that his own house was indeed in order. He led Jewish customers to

the basement freezer to hide from jihadist gunman Amedy Coulibaly and saved them from being murdered. There has even been suggestions from Murdoch’s own Fox News network, when Steven Emerson, self-styled terrorism expert, claimed Birmingham was a no go area that is “totally Muslim, where non-Muslims just don’t go in”. Emerson has even been forced to apologise for his unsubstan tiated comments, with the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, considering suing Fox news for including Paris in this factually incorrect broadcast. Members of a so-called ‘Muslim patrol’ were recently arrested and jailed in East London for harassing innocent civilians perceived to threaten Muslim values. But the real threat from the wider Muslim community is, as far as I am concerned, unjustified. These patrols have been countered with equally illegitimate ‘Christian patrols’ by the anti-Islamic group Britain First, lead by Paul Golding claiming to fight the spread of Sharia law. My experience of most Muslims is the same as any nationality or religion: people getting on with their lives within the country they call home.

Pub Landlord calls time on Farage’s campaign Chris Heron

l Murray, namely “the Pub Landlord”, recently announced himself as a parliamentary candidate for South Thanet. Declaring that “the UK is ready for a bloke waving a pint around offering common sense solutions”, Murray is representing the Free United Kingdom Party (FUKP) with a manifesto making a pint of beer cost 1p and making Alex Salmond the First Minister of Norwich. Whilst Murray’s actions are obviously a joke, it is a surprisingly poignant political commentary. Comedians making political observations is not unusual. Shows, such as Have I Got News For You (HIGNFY) and

Mock the Week, are based around mocking the political climate. I for one pity whichever politician thought it was a great idea to go on HIGNFY and spend half an hour being mercilessly destroyed by Ian Hislop. But the climate is changing. In recent months I’ve noticed that comedians from all walks have become increasingly vocal. In an age where politicians from all parties are seemingly identical and unpopular (according to a recent ComRes poll, the single politician with a positive approval rating is Boris Johnson with a grand 7%), it’s the comedians who are taking an increasingly overt position of opposition to politics in general. You have Frankie Boyle,

who recently had a very public spat with Nigel Farage on Twitter (sparked by proUkip comments by another comedian) and then noting the hypocrisy by those publicly defending free speech in the aftermath of the attack on Charlie Hebdo. Moving away from stand up, comedy writers (such as Graham Lineham, one of the minds behind The IT Crowd) have also been incredibly vocal in their criticism of politicians of all forms. Inevitably, we come to Russell Brand, the driving force behind his self-proclaimed ‘revolution’. His views are expressed in his Youtube channel ‘Trews’. While Brand has been heavily criticised from all angles due to his politics (and his unwillingness to stand for

election), his words hold a lot of sway. His brilliant response to the ‘Parklife’ parody song won me over, even if his actual ideas have not. But why, from Brand to Boyle, have comedians suddenly come to the forefront? Comedians have always been vocal. Quick, articulate and with a self made platforms from their careers, they are well placed to speak their mind to a willing audience. Above all, they come across as truly and utterly human. With coarse jokes, excessive swearing and impressive amounts of facial hair (well, at least amongst the male ones) they come across as the antithesis of the smooth and sleek politicians of our age. They’d never win an election

(nor do I suspect they would want to), but comedians have become the opposition. One penny pints? As a pansy who doesn’t like beer I’d rather just see the Pub Landlord in the House of Commons. It would certainly make PMQs a bit more watchable.

Photo by Evil Sivan

Comment

Photo by LendingMemo

Where’s your £9K going? Grace Jacobs

Photo by Mark Seton

This article comments on the news story on page 3.

What Grinds my Gears T Newspaper Sport Editor Fraser Whieldon tells 1

us his pet peeves.

The General Election campaign: It’s only been a couple of weeks and I am already sick of the election. The whole thing seems so petty, with each party producing new policy dossiers, which nobody sensible will read. Each week the Conservatives say Labour will overspend. Labour say the NHS is flatlining. It’s an exercise in unadulterated ostracism.

Prime Minister’s Questions: Speaking of ostracising people, one thing that put me off British politics is this weekly bitch fight. Following the Charlie Hebdo massacre, you would expect the House of Commons to be gripped by a deadly lull of respectful silence. But after about five minutes, the two Leaders resorted to a round of Mitchell and Webb’s Numberwang, pelting each other with random figures they had plucked from the air. Apparently it was about A & E waiting times, not that you

could tell from this grossly disrespectful display.

The gaming industry: From Assassin’s Creed Unity, with its hilarious “no-face” glitch, to the constant delays with Grand Theft Auto V, the latest being for the PC version, game developers failed to pull their weight in the last year.

Cadbury’s: Take a Creme Egg away from me, will you? Chocolate is, I am proud to say, one of the few things in life which gives me pleasure. So what really grinds my gears is when companies make changes to the recipes of my favourite sweets in order to save money. Luckily, I still have 50p hazelnut chocolate from Essentials to cling on to. What grinds your gears? Email newspaper.comment@ inquiremedia.co.uk to get your words published.

his week saw the second installation of our accommodation payments sadly leave our accounts, but what we seem to momentarily forget is that we’ve also paid £9,000 to fund our degree. Or have we? Numerically speaking, the Kent School of Biosciences spends £8,580 of a student’s £9,000 tuition fee on students, whereas the Medway School of Pharmacy spends a mere £3,470 in comparison. This is just one example where a large portion of tuition fees are not fed directly into your course. Prior to the scheme whereby universities can increase their tuition fees to £9,000, fees were roughly £3,375 a year instead. So where does all this extra money go? If universities could survive and prosper on a significantly lower tuition fee payment, why increase it? I think a popular misconception of tuition fees is that they are all supposed to go directly towards your tuition (as the name would suggest). However, tuition at university encompasses use of the library (how many millions of books

does the Templeman have again?), campus facilities, staff wages and many others. Whilst these are all important aspects, is the value of them really an extra £5,000 a year, per student? A 2013 report by The University of Leicester highlights that whilst less than 50% of their tuition fees accounted for the University’s income, the tuition fee pays for more than just tuition.

students are seeing benefits from paying an increased tuition fee. Factually speaking, after a three year degree at university you will leave with a £27,000 debt for your tuition. It is possible to receive up to £4,000 in maintenance loan per year (depending on your household income), meaning that after three years a student could potentially owe a combined total of £39,000!

Photo by MTSO fan

Universities are changing the way in which they spend their money, and a decrease in public funding, combined with increased tuition fees, means that policies are becoming more student focused. A National Student Survey found higher student satisfaction levels in 2013 than in any other year since 2005, suggesting that (as a whole)

Whilst it is evident our fees get put back into our university and not into a ‘mystery pot’, and the repayment process is favourable, that amount does seem quite excessive. If this debate gets your brain ticking, have a look at the variety of campaigns for free higher education – education is a right and not a privilege, after all.

Banning WhatsApp is justified if it prevents terrorism Karisma Indra

t is perhaps not altogether surprising that Prime Minister, David Cameron has mentioned banning instant messaging apps such as ‘WhatsApp’, ‘SnapChat’ and ‘iMessage’ off of the back of the recent increase in terrorist activity. In the past month alone the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the attacks on the Kosher shop in France and the aborted terror attack in Belgium give European leaders a lot to worry about. Instant messaging applications are harder to monitor than email accounts or even text messages; there are so many different applications which can be bought on iPads, phones and tablets that it is increasingly difficult to

monitor. This is a liability that the British government cannot have. It is understandable that Cameron wishes to protect the British public as much as possible - the secret service have stopped four attacks in

the UK in the past several months. Applications, such as the ones the proposals are set to ban, are bought and used by millions of people, each sending pictures, images, videos and messages to

one another at a rapid pace. It is for this reason they could be deemed a security risk, simply because it may be easier for terrorists to communicate with one another than phone calls, but they becone harder to trace. The government has alluded to fears that allowing the continued usage of such apps may lead to more terrorist activity, especially with the number of Britons that have left to fight the Jihad in Syria, a large number of whom may come back. It may not seem fair to ban entire apps just because it may be a greater security risk, but it is clear to see just how concerned European governments are after the attacks in France and the thwarted one in Belgium. The vast majority of people

who use instant messaging apps are normal people who are just looking for an easy way to communicate, sometimes from halfway around the world. It will be very difficult for Cameron and his government to enforce the ban because of how widespread the apps are. With so many of us having access to at least one of the proposed banned apps, it will be hard to fully trace who has or hasn’t stopped using the apps in question. However, the stronger argument is that instant messaging apps pose significant security risks in terms of terrorism. It may seem drastic, and Cameron’s proposals may be met with outrage, but in the long run, if it makes the public safer, it is the right thing to do.

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Photos by Gersom de Koning

Features

The quest for the power of invisbility Malika White

he famous Invisibility Cloak in the Harry Potter series may be more than imagination , as leading researchers have unveiled their advancements in making such an invention a reality at the 2014 TEDx conference in Brussels. Professor Ulf Leonhardt of Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, who cites the Invisible Woman and Harry Potter as inspirations, has been working on making invisibility a reality for eight years. And he may be closer to his goal after being heavily funded by the European Research Council. Professor Leonhardt said: “In 2006, I began my involvement in turning invisibility from fiction into science, and, over the next two years, I plan to develop ideas that may turn invisibility from frontier science into applicable technology.” The science behind invisibility lies in optics, more specifically the geometry of light and how light bends as it passes through lenses. This effect can be seen in transparent materials such as glass or water, which appear to distort the geometry of space and is connected to many optical illusions, including invisibility. He added that the development of a device that could ‘hide’ objects could also shed light on dark energy -a form

of energy which extends throughout space to which very little is known about as it too is ‘invisible’. Research behind the concept of invisibility can potentially improve optics as a whole as it provides a better understanding of the phenomena of sight. It could lead to better technology in microscopes, cameras and much more. Surprisingly, this is not the first attempt at making fantasy a reality, as a Physics student at St Andrews in 2011, designed an optical sphere that he claimed was able to make objects invisible. Like Professor Leonhardt, his theory was that light could be ‘bent’ around an object to give the illusion that it is not there. PhD students at the University of Rochester have already developed a series of lenses which bend light rays to give the optical illusion of invisibility. Despite significant advances in research, developing the invisibility cloak poses a greater challenge as it cannot be worn against all backgrounds and they would become visible once they moved. Researchers are yet to find a way to slow down light rays which could make the invisibility cloak effective against all backgrounds. A key factor in the concept of invisibility is the use of ‘designer atoms’ or metamaterials which is a class of materials engineered to produce

properties that don’t occur naturally. These metamaterials are able to bend electromagnetic radiation, such as light, around an object. This is key to invisibility as light emitted or reflected from any object is the reason why it can be seen. If they are bent around the object, then in theory they should be invisible. Researchers from Cambridge University claim that while these materials have been successfully

applied for invisibility on a small scale, it remains unlikely that a complete invisibility cloak will be available. Professor Leonhardt adds: “Invisibility has fascinated people for millenia. Technology that enables invisibility has very obvious applications in the defence, aviation and medical industries but it goes far beyond that. I’m hoping that what most people consider magic could become the stuff of everyday thanks to science.”

Photo by Andrew Gustar

Act now to save the UK’s coastal towns Jess Duncan

ith so many warnings about the effects of global warming in the news, it’s hard to avoid hearing about it. The most recent headline is the acceleration of rising sea levels, results show that they are much higher than predicted and will peak in 2050. Yes, I know what you’re thinking; this is very far away, in fact 35 years away. But, the effects are already underway and we must plan now to prevent greater damage to coastal towns here in the United Kingdom. A recent report into the Impacts of Climate Change on Disadvantaged UK Coastal Communities by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, claims that “the total rise in sea levels off the UK coast may exceed one metre, and could potentially reach two

metres.” The rising sea levels are due to a combination of the expansion of warmer seawater, the melting of glaciers and ice sheets and the faster flow of freshwater from land due to human irrigation projects. It is clear that the main influence behind this is the rise in temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions. If this could be alleviated, then it would lessen the damage in coastal erosion and loss of habitats for species that survive in shallower water, which in turn affect us. Many towns rely on the sea for its economy with beaches attracting tourism and trade through ports and if no action is taken then we risk being seriously threatened by a sea-level rise of about half a metre by the end of the century. Scientists have found that the annual rate in the rise of sea levels has more

than doubled since 1990, compared to the preceding 90 years. This startling figure could prove fatal for the UK, as Jeremy Richardson who is senior analyst of the Climate and Energy Program said “we are an island nation; we live and die by the sea” highlighting our reliance on the coastal industries. It is estimated that three million people live on the UK’s coastline and it consists mainly of elderly populations due to jobs being inland. They are all in danger of losing their homes due to the land being worn away from the force of waves which will grow more powerful due to rising sea levels. The effects of climate change are becoming more dramatic, with erratic weather dominating the headlines. Between the 5 and 6 December, a series of storms battered the country, with strong winds and heavy rainfall causing

flooding and landslips. Thousands of people were evacuated and England’s east coast experienced the worst tidal surge in 60 years. Research suggests that each coastal region will be affected differently, with the northern and western coastlines being affected by winter precipitation resulting in a rise in flooding, and the east of England more vulnerable to erosion, with its low-lying and soft-sediment coasts, and towns near estuaries are particularly at risk. This is yet another example of how the delicate relationship between humans and their environment is under threat. There needs be tougher laws and regulations implemented on non-renewable energy companies but in the meantime, we must also look to changing our behaviour for a more sustainable world.

Photo by Annerley Johnson

Features

Facebook knows you better than your friends Ann-Katrin Daflis

hat do a few Facebook Likes say about your personality? A lot, apparently. A recent study has shown that our preferences, expressed through likes on Facebook, can serve as a very effective tool to make statements about our personal traits. This includes predicaments about our sexuality, political orientation, substance consumption, or if our parents are divorced. Statistically, it can tell us even more about ourselves than certain family members or friends. The study used the information from Facebook profiles of 58,000 volunteers. These volunteers were asked to participate in personality and intelligence tests, whilst another test using their Facebook likes were used to the find out the same results as the

tests done without Facebook. Despite the different methods used, the results from both were surprisingly similar. Researchers found that their algoritm was able to predict the participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality more accurately than a work colleague by analysing just ten Likes. The more Likes there were, the closer the algorith could get to the participant. 70 Likes let the algorithm know you better than a friend or roommate, while 150 Likes surpassed the levels of a parent, sibling or partners. And just 150 more Likes before the programme could evaluate character better than a spouse. This proved that seemingly simple and easily accessible digital data such as Facebook likes are able to reveal very personal data if analysed by the right algorithm. Data about our preferences and habits are religiously requested and collected

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by large businesses is nothing new. Their dogma is simple: maximum knowledge equals maximum profit. The more companies know about our habits and preferences, the better they can customize their products or manipulate our buying habits. The superstore chain Target attracted attention when it became known that they had found an algorithm to predict whether a female customer was pregnant or not. They had specifically targeted this group, hoping to win over soon-to-be families as their customers. Not because they are overly familyfriendly, of course, but, as such a huge life event makes customers more open to changing their buying habits, they aimed to bind them as loyal customers. Nonetheless, sending out coupons for baby clothes to expectant mothers went southwards when a teenager who had not told her parents about the pregnancy was sent said coupons. Another field that depends upon highly sensitive information is that of politics. Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s re-election

campaigners, for instance, explicitly used Facebook in order to get undecided or less politically engaged people on board. A self-designed software enabled them to identify those friends of a pro-Obama voter, who would most likely also vote for their candidate, if encouraged by a person they trusted. They then sent the pro-Obama voters a message, encouraging them to motivate these friends in particular to vote for Obama. The campaign was a huge success and the first of its kind. Without the data, it would not have been possible. Industries politicians and academics, they all profit from our data. But as the Target example has shown us, their knowledge can also infringe on our personal lifes in quite dramatic ways. So the question is, should we proceed on liking anything we fancy on Facebook, knowing that this seemingly harmless action gives away so much about us? And what do we actually gain by liking something on Facebook? Or is it already too late for us, anyway?

InQuire Sudoku Get your brain in gear for this term and solve these puzzles.

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Hard

Features

#uglygirlsclub and student Feminism Natalie Tipping Chair

et’s face it, with the rise of Snapchat, it’s become a bit of a thing to take rather unattractive selfies, with the security that the photo will only be available for however many seconds you set it to last for. If we take a leaf out of the Royal Holloway Feminist Society’s book however, we should be taking ‘unattractive’ photos of ourselves and putting them out there for the world to see, in protest against societal norms of what is beautiful. The campaign is entitled Ugly Girl’s Club, and has become a worldwide phenomenon, with the tag #uglygirlsclub. The name of the campaign came after a student at Royal Holloway was overheard derogatorily calling the members of the Feminist Society that name. Rather than being insulted by the comment, the girls found humour in it, and began to send each other tonguein-cheek or, rather, tongue-out-ofcheek selfies. Through using the tag on social media, the campaign has gained momentum, with women all around the globe taking unflattering photos of themselves and posting them on the Internet. This show of solidarity amongst both women and men against

the stereotypes of what is beautiful has helped many people to find new confidence in their appearance. With campaigns like this promoting positive body image, student feminist groups are smashing stereotypes of their own. No longer are feminist groups seen as men-hating braburning extremists, but as people who genuinely care about promoting positive female outlooks, and as people fighting for female issues. Indeed, this is the aim of our own Feminist Society here at the University of Kent. Speaking about the impact of the campaign on the wider community, Kent Union Women’s Officer Hannah McIntosh said: “#uglygirlsclub embraces and empowers those who do not strive to meet conventional and societal beauty standards. This allows students to reclaim a detrimental word and turn it on its head, commenting upon the damaging expectation of aesthetic appeal which is forced upon women from a young age.” The #uglygirlsclub is a prime example of what student activism can do, it sheds light on important issues, unifies the student body and gives a platform for voices to be heard. A second year student, Will Davies said: “It’s very important to be active, because students make up a lot of the

population and it is numbers that make an impact at the end of the day. And it encourages wider participation and engagement overall which is a good attitude to adopt when it comes to things such as student elections”. With

the help of campaigns such as these, student feminism and humanity as a whole can move into a period of not only acceptance of others, but also, and perhaps more importantly, a period of acceptance of oneself.

Photo by Natalie Tipping

Ways to keep warm if you can’t afford central heating April Yeung

hristmas has come and gone; for those who thought that the worse of the winter was over, you’re in for a nasty shock. Last week the first snow of Kent fell, sudden and heavy, a flurry of white and wet and cold against the backdrop of our beautiful Cathedral, glittering our green landscape with frost. Unfortunately it’s also that time of the year, when students are broke because of all the partying, socialising and gift-buying after Christmas. The cost of heating is so high in this country that keeping the radiator on all day is an unimaginable luxury. But sometimes when it’s absolutely freezing, and you don’t want to break the bank to keep yourselves warm at home, what can you do? Don’t worry, these techniques are completely effective. Penguin huddle with all your housemates Besides being good for splitting the rent and bills, housemates are also good for huddle sessions when it’s so cold but you don’t want to turn up the radiator – heck, even when you turn up those dodgy radiators of student

Photo by Hjem

homes, they’re not really that warm. Penguins employ the same trick, as well, hence the name: the penguin huddle. Put on all your jumpers at the same time Time to make good use of all those hoarded jumpers! When it’s cold and the heating’s not on, just pile on the jumpers, from the thinnest to the thickest. You might look like a gigantic ball of yarn rolling around the house, but at least you’ll be warm. And who knows, maybe it’ll become a fashion statement amongst us poor students. Exercise If all your housemates are out of the house and you can’t huddle together,

and all those jumpers don’t help, it is time to go for a run, outside, if you’re brave, or run up and down the stairs at home. Starjumps are also a good form of exercise that will get the blood pumping to warm you up. If you’re for it, pile all the mattresses together to create a bouncy castle, then bounce until you become hot and sweaty. Exercise provides a bit of fun to ease the dull monotony of winter and uni workload. Candles Since student houses’ fireplaces never seem to work, it is not suggested to create a fire. The next best thing therefore is candles! You can get them quite cheaply everywhere, Wilkinson’s, Tesco’s, etc. Place them strategically in your bedroom, living room, anywhere! Just make sure you keep an eye on them so that they don’t topple over and create a real fire in your house! If there are enough candles and they are big enough, you can even save on the cost of lighting. Bonus. Snuggle under the covers Working in bed is a really bad idea, since the risk of falling asleep gets higher, but it’s a good way to keep warm! The heat from your laptop can

be spread and contained under your duvet and warming you in the process. Putting books on top of your duvet will increase the weight of it, thus trapping more warmth! Sleeping also preserves energy, leaving more for the body to keep warm.

Photo by Grégory Tonon

It’s time to party on campus Ginny Sanderson Newspaper Comment Editor

university in New Jersey turned their library into a nightclub to celebrate finals. I know what you’re thinking: you’re sizing up the Templeman in your head. The cafe becomes a bar, the ‘social’ area plays club tunes, and just upstairs is R&B and the silent section becomes a silent disco. Well, library nightclubs are too mainstream now, and there are many superior places on campus crying to be renovated into legit clubbing honeypots. I pay nine grand a year, I know my rights! I expect to be able to party wherever and whenever I should choose on campus. Here is a list I have compiled of the most eligible locations for fellow students to ‘pardy’, as Jamie Laing (Made in Chelsea) would put it. Rutherford Ohmygosh wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a bar in Rutherford. Oh wait... too soon?

Photo by Daniel John

Essentials Booze and munchies for everyone! AND BURGERS! The aisles restrict the dancing, admittedly, but take it as an opportunity to get economic with your moves. Darwin Tower Room This should separate the boys from the men. Challenge one: find the tower. Challenge two: trek the four hundred flights of stairs to reach desired location. If you’re one of those whitegirls wasted at pre-drinks, no way are you going to bother scaling those heights.This makes for an elite group of cool, determined people at the party. Note: it may be so exclusive no one shows up. The Senate You know, that small building in front of the library that looks like it’s made out of Lego? What else is it for? Woolf Lecture Theatre 1 Helloooo! Have you ever been to this

Photo by Daniel John

gargantuan room and imagined how much the floor would be improved if it was smattered in empty beer cans, bits of glass and cigarette paraphernalia? It’s what Virginia Woolf would have wanted. Maybe. The Parkwood Pavillion Yes, it’s leagues away from civilisation. But that’s to a club’s advantage: less whiny neighbours, so less chance of being broken up by the popo! It’s foolproof. Bonus points for playing tennis or netball drunk. Try not to hurt yourself though. The weird crop circles on the field behind Eliot Obviously it has to be reasonably warm for this. The perfect destination for a summer equinox pagan piss up. Bring shisha and a blanket to sit on. The Student Media Centre Not that it isn’t already a party over here, but we could all appreciate some alcohol from time to time. Note: do not attempt to actually take this article literally. Unless you invite me.

Photo by Tom Turner

Look no further for your study buddy Shalyia Arumugathasan

hen starting the new year we all try to set ourselves new resolutions, and students such as ourselves always tend to say we will study harder. Luckily with the Internet and technology advancing as quickly as it is, it makes this goal much easier to achieve. There are millions of apps and websites out there to help us students study more efficiently. I've narrowed these down to some of my favourites. The best for organisation is the app Evernote. It allows you to make to-do lists and set dates for when you have to do it by, and nothing is more satisfying then ticking something off as done! Additionally it saves notes in it and it has a camera function so you can take pictures of documents or even business cards. This app is easy to use and straightforward for sorting out your work. Next, I found Microsoft’s OneNote app is perfect for actually typing up revision notes and essay plans and general work. You can create different notebooks for each subject or module and within each you create different sections and within that as many

pages as you require. For those of you who prefer to do all of your work on a computer or laptop, this is perfect for you. You can have your entire coursework on your laptop, where you are able to access your work from any device. Another favourite website for students is RefMe especially for those of you who are doing esay based degrees. Referencing essays can be long and tiresome, also difficult when making sure you are using the right system. RefMe makes it swift and easy to reference your sources, deducting hours from your work time! Now, these apps although, helpful for getting work done, they still don’t make the job any less tedious, that’s why the next few apps are more of a fun and motivating way to study. Firstly the website WrittenKitten! This is a very clever website to motivate you to keep writing your essays - when you reach a certain amount of words you receive a cute animal picture, it also saves your work even if you accidentally close the window. I know seminar presentations can also be quite dull to get through, therefore Prezi is the best solution for this. It is

a creative website where you can spice up your presentation with hundreds of different effects and styles; you can play around endlessly perfecting your presentations. Lastly my favourite is the Countdown app, one which every student will love. It does countdowns for exam dates and assignments or even fun events planned for after your exams are done. This is a good way to motivate and reassure you that it is not long until you can have a break or be free of deadlines. Therefore this term studying will be easier, all these apps and websites are easily accessible from most devices.

Features

Recipe Sian Pratley

Sweet Coconut Loaf You don’t need any fancy equipment to make this, just your trusty cake tin. I usually bake this in a loaf tin, but you can put it in any old cake tin or even make it into cupcakes. Poundland is surprisingly good for bakeware if you don’t own any. This cake is fluffly. light and best served warm. Ingredients: 85g dessicated coconut 120g cup caster sugar 135g cup self-raising flour 250 ml coconut milk or milk Optional additions: 64g cocoa powder for a chocolate loaf Chocolate chips Roughly chopped nuts 1 tsp cinnamon Zest of 1 lemon 1 tsp vanilla extract A lemon glaze: 1 tbsp lemon juice & 32g cup icing sugar Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 180˚C 2. Grease your cake tin by rubbing butter and flour on the sides and base. 3. Mix the self raising flour and caster sugar together. 4. Add the dessicated coconut 5. Pour in the milk and mix until the mixure is smooth with no lumps. 6. For a loaf: bake for 50 minutes to 60 minutes, (cover with foil if the top is browning too quickly.) For cupcakes: bake for 25 – 35 minutes For a round cake: bake for 30 minutes 7. Poke a knife in the centre to check if its done. If the knife comes out clean, its done. If not, leave for another 5 minutes.

Photo by Sian Pratley

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Entertainment

2015: The year of the game Fraser Whieldon Newspaper Sport Editor

t looks to be a bumper year for the video gaming community as a number of highly-anticipated games will be released in 2015. Despite the huye, January is a slow start with very few games of note being released. A high-definition remastering of Resident Evil is being released. Rugby 2015 will also be hitting shelves on 23 January. Grand Theft Auto V should be released on PC on 24 March. However, the date has aready been changed on numerous occasions. Releasing Grand Theft Auto in February will put it up against numerous innovative new games. Gamers may want to save their Christmas money for Evolve on 10 February, The Order: 1886 (exclusively for PlayStation) on 20 February, or a personal recommendation, Block N Load on the PC. 19 March sees the first of a number of high-profile releases in 2015, with Battlefield Hardline. Eschewing the scenarios of previous instalments, Hardline places the player as either a militarised cop, or a heavily-armoured bank robber. Whilst the year is dominated by high-profile releases on Xbox and Playstation, Wii U owners can tuck into

a slice of nostalgia with Mario Maker. This allows gamers to design and build personalised levels for Super Mario Bros. The second quarter of the year will be an onslaught of high-profile releases. First will be Mortal Combat X on 14 April, which will be the latest instalment in the long-running series of fighter games. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt comes out on 19 May, and has already attracted attention by winning IGN’s Best of E3 for role-playing games in both 2013 and 2014. A third sequel coming to the forefront during the early months of summer will be Batman: Arkham Knight, which will be released on 2 June. Arkham Knight features the ability to drive the legendary Batmobile. One game being released in the third quarter of the year, which is sure to dominate the sales charts for Xbox One, will be Halo: Guardians. Following the re-release of all the Halo games last year, Guardians is highly-anticipated. It is a safe bet that this will be one of the most talked-about releases of the year. The run-up to Christmas means another slew of high-profile releases.

Star Wars: Battlefront arrives at an unconfirmed time in the fourth quarter of the year. It is the fourth instalment in the Battlefront franchise, and will seek to capitalise on the new Star Wars film, which will be released on 16 December 2015. Battlefront will be a reboot of a popular video game series, an attribute it shares with another release set for the fourth quarter, Rise of the Tomb Raider. This is the sequel to Tomb Raider, which was released last year. 2015 looks to be a good year for Tom Clancy fans. Both The Siege and The Division, two very idiosyncratic additions to the shooter genre, will be released some time in the coming year. An exclusive for Xbox One, Quantum Break, is a dimension-bending and ambitious new release, which blends live action video with regular gameplay to create a unique experience. Alternatively, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is an exclusive release for the PS4. Thief’s End charts the adventures of Nathan Drake, intrepid adventurer and action hero. Wii U owners can look forward to The Legend of Zelda in 2015. Zelda’s release is highly-anticipated by Wii owners. Overall, 2015 looks to be a good year for every gamer. Whether you own a PS4, Xbox One, or Wii U, there are releases to keep us all happy.

Songs on Repeat Jennifer Nee alt-J – “Every Other Freckle” A song of contrasts, “Every Other Freckle” juxtaposes lead singer John Newman’s soft, choral-like vocals with a a rough, gravelly track. Which fits nicely with the sexual undertones the song suggests. The backing track is an unlikely (but surprisingly complimentary) mixture of orchestra and flute, juxtaposed with an electronic backing track.

Photo by Eddy BERTHIER

Sam Smith – “Like I Can” “Like I Can” showcases Smith’s pure tone of voice, as well as his mind-blowing falsetto, with the emphatic recurring guitar strumming in the backing track giving a dominant beat. This is yet again another impressive single from his album In The Lonely Hour.

Photo by StrobePT

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Fall Out Boy fall flat out - again Megan Weal Newspaper Entertainment Editor

en years ago, I sat in my bedroom wearing too much eyeliner, a heavy studded belt and Vans. Also ten years ago, Fall Out Boy released Under The Cork Tree, the album that would make them every sad teenager’s favourite band and send them into the mainstream. Thankfully for me, a lot had changed in ten years. Unfortunately, the last ten years haven’t been too kind to Fall Out Boy. Their success faltered and fell just like their overly straightened fringes. They became a kind-of-but-not-really successful band who only remained on the scene because of their 2005 fame.

Released on 20 January, Fall Out Boy’s new album American Beauty/ American Psycho serves as a blue print for the band’s up and coming plans. But, what they’ve got sketched out right now isn’t exactly innovative or exciting. Leaving their predominantely pop-punk days behind them, American Beauty/American Psycho takes Fall Out Boy into the Hip-Hop game. It’s like a strange genre sandwich, but the filling doesn’t taste right and the bread is going stale around the edges. One thing that Fall Out Boy must be applauded for is their overreaching ambition. The band’s use of sampling, most notable on “Uma Thurman”, is the album’s saving grace. It’s slickly mixed and well placed in a way that

encourages the song forward. Without this single, the album would have been lost with no hope. But for this one good song, Fall Out Boy offer several unforgettable ones. Tracks such as “Fourth of July” and “Favorite Record” went out of my mind as soon as the clichéd guitar riffs entered my head. Wholly forgettable. Patrick Stump is singing in a high voice again – shocker. It’s a strange mix of songs that promises little for the future of Fall Out Boy. There’s little that grabs the listeners’ attention and even less that will make them give the album a second listen. Sometimes, it’s better to leave things on a high. Can someone give Fall Out Boy that message?

Emily Kinney – “Expired Lover” Expired Lover unravels a quirky style of storytelling using animated symbolism and clever and witty lyrics like, “you’re a top back shelf, out of date, too late, expired lover”, telling the listener of her faded love. Kinney is lesser-known in the charts, yet “Expired Lover” hooks you in with its glockenspiel-dominated instrumental, stitched with the recurring acoustic guitar and a surprisingly endearing and upbeat melody.

Photo by Lorne Thomson

Entertainment

Following a sound

Rebecca Fatharly disscusses music, inspiration and entreprenurial spirit with UKC graduate Gersom de Koning and third year UKC student Verity Tan who, together, make Dekoningtan.

ekoningtan was born when Verity Tan (a third-year BA Drama and Theatre student) and Gersom de Koning (A recent Kent graduate on the MA Drama and Theatre programme) met in school in Bangkok, where they debuted a song at their high school talent show with one voice and beat-boxing to create a melody. They have played music together since 2007, but they decided to properly combine their talents as a duo in 2010. Their style has since then expanded to cover a range of styles, from rock to a capella. It wasn’t long before they soon realised that they could gain more coverage when they made music videos for YouTube (their channel is also called Dekoningtan, a combination of Verity’s and Gersom’s surnames). They merged their surnames together to present a musical unity. They cover a range of songs, such as “Scarborough Fair”, Men at Work’s “Land Down Under”, and Calvin Harris’ “I Need Your Love”. They received a small audience, but their first real breakthrough came after they uploaded a rendition of Nat King Cole’s ‘L.O.V.E’ in 2010. The internet exploded, as the video has received over 100,000 views (and still counting). The rise of the internet in recent years has meant that bands struggling for coverage finally have a platform in which they can show the world their talent. Verity was the one who decided that the duo should expand their music base by putting their work online. They were inspired by YouTube users MysteryGuitarMan and Pomplamoose, who are big on the music side of the million-dollar-industry website. They started out as beginners, aware that they were not yet professionals, but gained experience from writing, performing and making music for their own videos. The band itself is composed of just the two of them. On most of their videos, Gersom plays all of the instruments, whilst recording and arranging all of the music. Meanwhile, Verity sings, writes lyrics for composition and assists Gersom with the arrangements of each piece. Together, they edit the videos, which they find is the longest job to

do. Despite being an independent group, from time to time, they have collaborated with peers, such as Yaron Mesika, who was involved with their

with Arnie Voysey on composing the soundtrack for the new KTV film Julia Rose Marks. Speaking to Gersom, he believes that

Photos by Gersom de Koning

most popular cover, ‘L.O.V.E’, and other videos with their good friend Willem Dekker. In their most recent mash-up, combining the efforts of Fort Minor with Grizzly Bear, “Two Weeks on the High Road”, they got Luke Ilett-Mackie and Arnie Voysey to assist with filming. Currently, Gersom is also working

Dekoningtan is hard to place into any genre: “Our style is hard to describe because we don’t stick to any one genre. We really enjoy having the freedom to do whatever we think is fun to explore.” This entrepreneurial spirit can easily be seen when viewing their music. Their

unique combination of male and female vocals is similar to the Hush Sound, Fleetwood Mac, Angus and Julia Stone But, their music style resembles that of many of their influences, such as Imogen Heap, Pomplamoose, Jeremy Soule, Nightwish, Regina Spektor, Daughter, and the Black Eyed Peas Their mash-up of ‘Teardrop for the Young and Beautiful’ is a personal favourite. Verity’s voice has a haunting quality that is easy on the ear; she has the ability to make the listener feel what she wants them to feel. They were both into music from a very young age, as they were raised with a church background, where children learn to sing as part of a group. Gersom can play a variety of instruments, including guitar, drums and piano. His mother nurtured his musical talents by sending him to piano lessons from the age of 4-11, and drum lessons from 12-14. Gersom took this one step further and taught himself the guitar from the age of 14. In High School he learned to mix and record music, but became more passionate about it whilst studying for his BA in Utrecht. Verity, the second half to this dynamic duo, has always been a keen singer, with a particular love for singing along to RnB songs (Black Eyed Peas being a notable favourite.) As her voice grew, she began to expand her musical interest into Musical Theatre, Rock and Folk. Both Gersom and Verity have their own personal favourite songs. For Gersom, his favourite original song that the band have written is ‘Nostalgia,’ which had a significant meaning to him at the time of writing, and the fact he was moved by the way Verity conveyed the track through her voice. They enjoy all the covers they create, with Gersom’s particular favourite being their choral version of ‘Yesterday,’ whilst Verity’s is their most recent cover ‘Two Weeks on the High Road.’ Dekoningtan has a promising future ahead of them, as their YouTube presence continues to grow. Who knows, a couple of years from now, we could be watching them on the live stage with a large audience, rather than from behind a computer screen. Check out their music at www. youtube.com/dekoningtan.

In a band? Making a movie? Fancy yourself as a comedian? Got a successful YouTube channel? We’re interested. Contact newspaper.entertainment@inquirelive.co.uk for more details.

Entertainment

Is Canterbury making busking bust? Henry Mendoza

couple of years ago, I was walking along the Southbank, in London. I was on a short drama course, and was on my lunch break It was a warm day, with the glint of the sunshine reflecting off the London Eye. People were out, having ice cream, looking over the Thames, riding the carousel, all sorts. In my quest for sustenance, I suddenly became aware of a pleasant melody. Someone was singing, and playing acoustic guitar. “Not sayin’, it was your fault, but I know I could’ve done more...” It was ‘Naive’, by The Kooks. Sure enough, as I slowed and turned, I spotted her. This lovely voice emanating from this girl - not much older than me - with a guitar, speaker and an open guitar case. I looked at my watch - bags of time til I was due back. Lunch could wait. I stayed, watched and listened. She had a beautiful voice, and was playing a great mix of covers and some original songs she’d written, in a nice Folk/Pop style.

After having watched her for about it an offence to busk in the area without quarter of an hour (and chipping in a licence, and started threatening what spare change I had in my pocket), £1,000 fines for street performers. As I got chatting to her. Her name was Charlotte knows all too well, elsewhere Charlotte, and she apparently regularly in London, police will often move you performed around the area. I’d not been on from ideal spots that you’ve picked, to the Southbank much at this point, regardless of whether you’re bothering so wasn’t as aware anyone. of what a centre Now, it seems it is for street Canterbury is going performers. in much the same Fast-forward to way. the present day, When I first and I’ve become arrived in friends with Canterbury, I was Charlotte. I’ll often pleasantly surprised see her when I’m to see how much passing through more freedom Waterloo, en route buskers have here. to the National or I spoke to a guy the British Film who was singing Institue. When near the market I’ve had time, once and I asked if I’ve stopped and he faced a similar Photo by Henry Mendoza plight to his London listened, and when I’ve had change, counterparts. He I’ve happily given her some. happily told me no - as long as they’re The Southbank aside though, it’s not bothering anyone, him and his rather difficult to busk in London. In fellow street performers can entertain March last year, Camden Council made the locals to their heart’s content.

So, imagine my disappointment when I discovered that Canterbury City Council are now using the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 to target buskers. Unlicensed Canterbury buskers will now be facing even heftier fines than in Camden - £2,500. Authorities may even be able to destroy a musician’s instrument - as if a fine or criminal record wasn’t bad enough. Busking shouldn’t be demonised; it should be embraced. A street performer can make you stop what you’re doing, slow down, and smell the roses. Maybe just for a minute or two, maybe more, but it allows us to take in the beauty of the artist’s music, and of the world around us. Canterbury is a lovely city, and not everywhere in London matches up. Some of us non-local students, coming from more metropolitan places, might not appreciate Canterbury’s beauty, were it not for us being given a reason to slow down once in a while. Sometimes, it’s nice to pause, and indulge yourself in a little culture. Let’s not take that opportunity for granted.

2015 Oscar nominations Is Top Gear out of gear? Shalyia Arumugathasan

he 2015 Oscar nominees have been announced and it is safe to say there is a lot of variety of films and actors up for the awards. The top categories to look out for are Best Picture, Best Actors and Best Actresses, both leading and supporting. The selections for Best Picture range from American Sniper, to Selma, to The Theory of Everything. This year, there seems to be a broad selection of film genres, each having been very successful and well-received by the public. American Sniper, having been very recently released, has created quite the buzz in America. I feel it may be one of the top to win, especially with its star studded cast, including Bladley Cooper and Sienna Miller. The stars up for Best Actor seem to reflect the lead characters from the films in the Best Picture, although Steve Carrell has managed to wriggle his way in with his performance in Foxcatcher. This is also his first ever Oscar nomination. Some of the other actors who have made it are Bradley Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch, both of whom have played excellent roles in their films American Sniper and The Imitation Game. The award for best actress has two first time nominees up for the award. Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything and

Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl, a former Bond girl. Both showed excellent performances in their films and deserve to be up for the award. They’ll safely give Julianne Moore and Reese Witherspoon a run for their money. Another woman I cannot fail to mention is the 18 time nominee Meryl Streep who holds the record for havig the most Oscar nominations. Nominated for Actress in a Supporting Role for her part as the witch in ‘Into The Woods’; if she wins it will be her fourth rightful Oscar. Lastly we can’t forget the Animated Feature Film category. The films nominated are Big Hero 6, Boxtrolls, How to Train You Dragon 2, Song of the Sea and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. But people have questioned why The Lego Movie seems to have been snubbed out of the running. One thing’s for sure, the results will be interesting. And will surely be followed with a long line of criticism.

Photo by Cinema Scope

Priya Patel

or some, Top Gear’s Patagonia special may have been on your must-watch list over the holidays. The build-up earlier in the year saw the tabloids reporting on how the presenters and crew had to high tail it out of Argentina due to Jeremy Clarkson’s faux pas in which he ‘accidentally’ drove around with number plates referring to the Falklands conflict of 1982, which many of the locals did not take too kindly to. The road trip saw Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson making their way from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, in their respective Lotus Esprit, Mustang and the Porsche 928. While the first part was slow, the second part didn’t disappoint which saw the trio face their greatest obstacle yet, a chained gate. Clarkson was forced to abandon his car and make it on foot to fetch some bolt cutters. That’s right, he actually travels on foot. Clarkson was forced to admit walking was a safer option as his alternative plan to ride horseback fell through after his colleague, May, crack his ribs. Over the course of the special their shenanigans meant much of the episode was typically spent fixing their beleaguered rides. After finally arriving in Ushuaia they found their trip had been in vain.

The entire crew was kicked out of Argentina and they sought safe haven in Chile after surviving an angry, rock-throwing mob. So serious was the danger that the crew had to alter their route to Chile and seek an alternative one in which they had to cross a river via a ferry/lorry the presenters had used previously during their road trip. This was to avoid the wrath of another angry mob lying in wait. Whether Clarkson was aware of his number plate mishap we’ll never know, but one thing’s for sure, the way the show, and Clarkson himself, hyped up the episode made for a guaranteed ratings winner.

Culture

How to live a more cultured life in 2015 Ginny Sanderson Newspaper Comment Editor

ew year, new you! Lucky us. This year, why not try being more cultured? Your non-university-going friends will be thrilled to see you living up to the cliché of a horizon-broadened pseudo-intellectual student. Wear a monocle This attire will profoundly enhance your seminar participation marks, and you will instantly feel and look more upper class and studious. If you normally wear glasses, great! Who cares about the other eye when you feel this fabulous. If you must watch television, make it a documentary University Challenge is also acceptable, but only so you can practise emanating Jeremy Paxman’s illustrious asshole demeanour. Live in The Gulbenkian I mean it, no half measures, straight up live there. Absorb the cultural atmosphere like a thirsty sponge. This will top up your culture bar in no time.

Venture away from Wetherspoons I know I know, double up for a pound is so appealing. But you simply can’t be cultured in Spoons. You’ll have to frequent another watering hole, preferably one named after a literary figure. They aren’t hard to come by in Canterbury. When ordering tipple, stick only with local bitter or Scotch (no, Bells won’t do). Failing this, you can always fall back onto your trusty hip flask. Read books on public transport (or just in general) With a phone you could be any basic bitch. Channel your inner Pretentious Goon by perusing Nietzche or Derrida. The more obscure or philosophical the writer, the more you win at life. Chat up lines When wooing, say things like “I want to make love to your mind”. This will make you seem ultra-intellectual and not at all creepy. You’ll stand out from those other shallow people. Result! Clubbing If you must frequent a nightclub, take

headphones (and/or gramophone). Listen to Schubert or Mahler in a protest against the mainstream musical crap they play at such dives. This will only poison your cultivated cranium, ruining all our hard work. Assert your

Photo by Victorgrigas

Theatre to watch out for in February Rebekah Cox

nce again, we’re at that cold time of year, and it’s very tempting to hibernate until the summer. But winter doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom! The theatre line-up for the coming month is definitely something not to be missed. Shrek the Musical Marlowe Theatre Dates: Wednesday 11 February Sunday 1 March Tuesday- Saturday: 7pm, ThursdaySaturday: 2:30pm, Sunday: 1pm and 5pm.

Standard ticket price: starts from £24 After four feature length films, the much loved Shrek has finally made it to the theatre. It’s the perfect two and a half hours of entertainment for any fan of the Shrek saga out there. Featuring songs from the films such as ‘I’m a believer’ it is sure to be lighthearted and fun, perfect for satisfying your inner child. RSC Live: Love’s Labour Lost Gulbenkian Date: Wednesday 11 February: 7pm Student ticket: £13 If you’re more interested in a serious

Photo by Helen Maybanks

culturey-ness by requesting classical music from the DJ. For the rest of the night, linger in the smoking area with, it goes without saying really, a pipe and expression of haughty distaste.

drama, then Love’s Labour Lost may be of interest. Christopher Luscombe directs this take on the Shakespearian comedy: it’s perfect for any fan of Shakespearian literature and plays. Filled with drama, this screening is sure to be a great evening of entertainment. John Smith’s musical event Marlowe Theatre Date: Sunday 15 February: 8pm Ticket price: £13 Musical events are also a speciality of the local theatres. Make sure that you don’t miss the upcoming performance from the 2003 Young Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year, John Smith; an up and coming folk artist who has recently released his new album: Great Lakes. And for those who haven’t listened to the genre, this is the perfect opportunity to try something new and have an evening of entertainment too. The Edelweiss Pirates Gulbenkian Dates: Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 February: 7:30pm Student price: £5 This production is about The Edelweiss Pirates, a group of youth resisters in Nazi Germany. Set in Germany during 1943, this is sure to be a thought provoking story, particularly as it shows the perspective of a resistance movement. The show will be great for anyone who’s interested in the Second World War.

The Weird Word Challenge Can you slip these unusual words into every day conversation? Amphisbaena: a mythical serpent with a head at each end Pother: a commotion or fuss Transpicuous: transparent Blatherskite: a person who talks at great length without making much sense Noctambulist: a sleepwalker Constellate: to gather together in a cluster or group Incrassate: thickened in form or consistency

Culture

Read and Avoid Ruby Lyle Newspaper News Editor

Read

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

I’ve noticed that many of these reviews feature quality, highbrow literature. So here is one for you about coyote shifters, werewolves, vampires, and the fey. Joking aside, this really is a fantastic urban fantasy book which, thankfully, doesn’t suffer the pain of a simpering female lead, as paranormal romance often does. Thanks to the quick pace and unpredictable plot, this is not a read that you can get bored of. If you want something that isn’t Austen to get your mind off the reading you should be doing, you really can’t go far wrong with this book.

Avoid

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton Some things just shouldn’t happen. One of these greatest sins is published fan fiction. We’ve all suffered the consequences of Fifty Shades: they even have a board game! Sometimes, you can accept a story on fanfiction.net, if only because you expect it to be written by a bored 40-yearold woman in Utah. You don’t really mind the poor grammar and predictable events because, hey, it’s free and you can’t afford your reading habit. Wallbanger is one of these books. Somehow, something that was a mediocre fan fiction, now has a five book strong series, all named after cocktails. Save yourself from bad literature on sale on Amazon. You will want your £2 back.

The Costa book awards 2014 Julia Mitchell Newspaper Culture Editor

he category award winners of the 2014 Costa Book Awards were announced earlier this month, after much speculation following the release of the shortlist in November. The awards are designed to represent a wide range of literature, and consist of the following five categories: the Costa Novel Award, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s book. Each category has been judged by a panel of three judges, who are instructed to look for ‘well-written, enjoyable books that they would strongly recommend anyone to read’. Following these results, the winners are then judged once again to determine the overall award, the Costa Book of the Year. Here’s a rundown of all of the category winning titles from this year’s awards. Costa Novel Award: How to be Both by Ali Smith This book is split into two distinct sections: one following the Italian renaissance painter Francesco Del Cossa, and the other, a teenage girl named George who is mourning the recent loss of her mother. The lives of the two characters intertwine and, depending on the copy, either narrative may appear first. The judges said: “Deploying her conceit of different beginnings and endings with consummate ease and daring, Ali Smith has pulled off a truly dazzling and inventive story.” Costa First Novel Award:

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey This debut novel tells the story of Maud, an elderly woman who’s slipping into the tight grip of dementia. With her memory failing, Maud is convinced that Elizabeth, her friend, is missing, despite the fact that not a single person will believe her.

The Judges said: “This outstanding debut novel grabbed us from the very first page – once you start reading you won’t be able to stop. Not only is it gripping, but it shows incredible flair and unusual skill. A very special book.” Costa Biography Award: H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald Helen MacDonald is one of those rare individuals who has actually realised her childhood dream. Having always wanted to become a falconer, this book follows Helen’s journey after the death of her father, as she begins to train her

first ever goshawk: Mabel. The judges said: “A unique and beautiful book with a searing emotional honesty, and descriptive language that is unparalleled in modern literature.” Costa Poetry Award: My Family and Other Superheroes by Jonathan Edwards As English teacher Jonathan Edwards’ first offering, this poetry collection is reflective of a Welsh valleys upbringing, and features an eclectic mix of characters- or superheroes- including Ian Rush, Marty McFly, and a bicycling nun. The judges said: “We haven’t had as much fun reading a poetry collection in ages. Joyous, brilliant and moving - this is a poet to celebrate.” Costa Children’s Award: Five Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders Based on the characters from E. Nesbit’s the Five Children and It, this book is a leap forward in time: where four of the children have grown up, and the First World War has begun. It’s at this point that the sandfairy makes a reappearance, but this time, he has a problem. The judges said: “This profoundly moving and magical story tackles the biggest themes – love, family and friendship – set against the horrors of WWI. Kate Saunders’ astounding achievement is to have created a modern masterpiece that captures the spirit of a much-loved classic.”

£150 million drop in printed book sales Chris Heron

t was as if thousands of English graduates cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Sales of printed books have, somewhat unsurprisingly, taken a nose dive in recent years. Data from Nielsen BookScan has shown that since 2009, printed sales of adult fiction have fallen by over £150m. With the exception of westerns, almost all genres of fiction, suffered a fall in sales. Visual mediums that rely on physicality, such as graphic novels and children’s books, have bucked the trend and noted a rise in sales. For many, it seems that book readers have gravitated to *shudders* eBooks. To continue the Star Wars analogy, there has been a great disturbance in the force. Book snobbery aside, it’s not all doom and gloom to those of a literary

persuasion. The growth in eBooks has sparked a renaissance in self publishing, particularly within the short story genre.

Photo by Roberto Ventre

With only anthologies really available in major book stores, eBooks have

allowed punters to read and support individual short stories and their authors, rather than risking an entire collection. The advent of eBooks has not indicated the death of literature. While print literature has slowed, eBooks have expanded to fill the gap. For students, eBooks are a lifesaver. There’s only a finite number of print copies available, and during essay season, it is a luxury to have an electronic copy to fall back onto. They’re not flawless though, with one international survey noting that 92% of students preferred the print copies of books, citing eye strain as a particular barrier. Be it in print or online, books need buying. The median income of professional writers is £11,000, a fall of 29% since 2005, so they need all your support! It’s only the equivalent of three coffees...

Culture

Darnielle’s Wolf in White Van: reviewed Bill Garrett

ohn Darnielle has, for the past two decades, been known primarily as a singer-songwriter. He is the primary, and often sole member, of American folk-rock group, The Mountain Goats. His music, which has developed over time from scratchy lo-fi bedroom recordings, to clearer and more recent studio efforts, has always been celebrated for its literary qualities. His lyrics, set to a backdrop of simple folk instrumentation and delivered in his trademark nasally voice, weave elaborate, sometimes personal, stories of quiet desperation, escapism, and salvation. Darnielle’s lyricism has earned him a cult following and a tonne of critical acclaim, so it was met with little surprise when he announced last year that his debut novel, Wolf in White Van, would be released later in 2015. Like much of Darnielle’s musical output, the novel is chiefly about solitude and escapism. Sean Phillips is the book’s narrator, a man with a facial disfigurement from an undisclosed accident that occurred when he was seventeen. The novel unfolds non-chronologically,

moving back and forth between Sean’s childhood and his life after the accident.

The bulk of the story revolves around Trace Italian, an adventure roleplaying game that Sean creates while recuperating in the hospital, where

players must navigate their way through a post-apocalyptic landscape. Years later, Sean’s solitary life is interrupted when two teenagers take the game into the real world and are met with tragedy. Embroiled in a subsequent court case, Sean begins to realise how paper-thin the wall between fantasy and reality can be. Darnielle manages to illuminate Sean’s feelings of loneliness and vulnerability with remarkable restraint and lucidity. The book is peppered with fragments of prose from the Trace Italian game, where the emotionally numb Sean finds an outlet for expression, narrating otherwise with a stoic calm. The emotional impact of the book does not come from overwrought passages, but everyday aspects of Sean’s life, like the difficulty of going to the store and the unbearable pain of washing. These trivialities are communicated simply, but as the book progresses, their emotional weight percolates to the surface. As grim as the premise of the novel is, it is not without an underlying feeling of hope. Wolf in White Van shows us that escapism is a double-edged word which, for all its destructive qualities, has an unrivalled power of redemption.

The Palindrome at UKC’s Studio 3 Maddy Dunn

his spring, the University of Kent is holding a commemorative exhibition, in its 50th year, renewing the innovative and eclectic vibes of the University’s foundations called The Palindrome. The exhibition features two artists, Brian Rice and Richard Rome, who embody the revolutionary spirit of art in the setting of 1960’s Britain.

contribution to the landscape of postmodern art. The Rice pieces on display are a presentation of dynamic, bold, non-representational prints, in ink and watercolour. All four of these prints use a contrast of deep blues with the vibrancy of bright red. Contextually, when Rice first began exploring this medium he resided in London and attributed much of his influence to the London Underground,

Photo by Natalie Turco-Williams

Rice is fundamentally an abstract artist, who revelled in the vibrancy and optimism that the sixties excluded. With five solo exhibitions and around 200 group exhibitions to his name, Rice’s art is undeniably a significant

which is explicitly translated through these pieces. At first the prints look as if they are solely comprised of block colour, outlined in black ink, however upon closer inspection, one can decipher a

softer mix of the watercolours. This appears to create a gentler and more textured blend, which I think shows a real exploration of the illusions one can create in form through experimentation with different mediums. Richard Rome has also been active in the abstract movement since the 1960s, with high profile commissions such as the Millennium Fountain in Cannizaro Park. His work uses form to examine the relationship between objects, with many of his pieces embodying an almost anthropomorphic quality. Within the collection itself, whilst primarily a form-maker, the exhibition displays two sculptures, Cerass and an Untitled and a plethora of intricate working sketches, that really capture the evolution of ideas within the artistic process. Both of his sculptures are constructed from aluminium. Untitled is covered in a white lacquer, which enables the piece to work with the light of the exhibition, so that the shadows undulate beneath the model, creating a bold contrast with the white. As much of Rome’s work shows an interaction with the landscape, you can detect a slight subversive undertone to the pieces, using shape to present a sense of inspiration from the mundane. Encapsulating such a vibrant and inventive stage in British art, this exhibition is simply unmissable.

Society Spotlight Qudrat Khan

UKC Amnesty International

e are a volunteering society that aims to ‘campaign and fundraise for human rights here and abroad’. Just last term we raised awareness for a variety of issues, from Afghan women’s rights to LGBT rights and free speech. This was done via the medium of film screenings, a successful play held in Eliot Hall, slam poetry nights, an Alternative Christmas Market and letter-writing sessions, which show our solidarity with those we campaign for.

Photo by UKC Amnesty

This term we’re bringing human rights closer to home. We started to collect signatures just before Christmas to end torture on our doorstop. You may not realise that we are based near Dover Detention Centre, a stopping point for those who wish to enter UK soil. Here, basic rights are denied, from access to healthcare to the right to a fair trial. The signatures we have collected and will continue to collect, will be sent to our local MP, and the Home Secretary Theresa May, to ensure that more light is shed on this matter. We meet weekly, on Wednesdays in KS21 at 2pm, see you there! Email: ukcamnesty@gmail. com Facebook: UKC Amnesty International Want to see your society in this space? Contact newspaper.culture@ inquiremedia.co.uk.

Editorial

I need a dollar, dollar... How to make money at uni Emily Adams Website Editor

eing a student is tough. No seriously, it is. If you’ve had the trauma of accidentally putting your new black jeans in the wash with your whites, or forgetting about that 3,000 word essay which is actually due in tomorrow, then you’ll know what a treacherous and onerous life we students lead. Without mother dearest to guide me along the way, my life is a series of trial and error experiments. But I know, for me, (aside from the washing debacle) dealing with and most importantly, not spending, my money, is the hardest task. There are always places I want to go, food I want to try and clothes I want to buy, but even with a job (no, working in Essentials, Venners and Woodys isn’t enough for me), it’s still a struggle.

Photo by Keith Cooper

So how about some creative ideas to earn a bit of dollar in Canterbury alongside your studies? 1. Sell your stuff. ALL OF IT Okay, not all of it, but if you haven’t used it, worn it or played with it in the past six months, or, if you’re really brutal, the last month, then sell it on eBay. People will literally buy anything. Though saying that, I now have an ever increasing ‘eBay pile’ in the corner of my room, looking quite neglected and lost, wishing I would just send it to a new, loving home already. 2. Be a lab rat I’m not suggesting you sell

your body parts, although I hear that pays very handsomely, but it turns out that there are a lot of psychology students on campus conducting experiments, who need guinea pigs to take part. And the best bit is, they pay you for it. JobShop at Kent often advertises these experiments and whilst I’ve given up my money making secret just for you, it really is the best and easiest way to earn on campus. £7 for 20 mins, yeah I’ll take that. And to be honest, from eye tracking to brain tests, every experiment I’ve done has been very interesting and is worth getting involved in. 3. Procrastination pays

You know those emails the university keeps sending you that you don’t even read and just automatically discard? Well, every now and again, those emails are handing you money on a plate. All they’re asking you to do is fill in a survey or questionnaire, give them some basic info about yourself and press a few buttons and… hello £10 Amazon voucher. NUS do it all the time too. No more than 20 minutes of procrastination, and you’ve earned yourself a tenner. Time to trawl through that trash folder. 4. Humiliate yourself Remember that guy you saw in town, dressed like a baguette

or a slice of pizza,who handed you a flier that you immediately threw into the nearest bin? Well haven’t you always wished you were him? Okay, maybe not, but flyering isn’t a bad money earner. Show your sense of humour and risk your reputation for the dollar. It’s a bit more creative and it might even be fun (for your friends when they show up and take photos and post them all over facebook). 5. Oh sugar sugar Or if you’re really stuck for ideas, you may remember InQuire reported on the craze of Sugar Daddies a while back. Sign up and find your own part mentor, part sponsor, part ‘friend’. I know what you’re thinking but hey, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it I guess. If it works for some people... Our very own university has the highest number of ‘sugar babies’ in the country, so you’re in good company if you want a more drastic way to earn some extra money. Whatever you choose to do, good luck!

Embracing new seasons of life Julia Mitchell Newspaper Culture Editor

’ve always been fascinated by watching one season blend into another. Sometimes the transition happens slowly, as it does with autumn, and the leaves that sprinkle across the British landscape, drifting lazily from where they once grew. Other changes are much more sudden, a spiteful winter wind or a glaring ray of summer sunshine, beating down onto the inhabitants of our little floating ball of rock. Earth. Little earth, the lonely life sustainer of our solar system, whose orbit ensures that autumn will follow summer, that winter will follow autumn, and after every bitter winter, there will always be another spring.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about change. We’re now halfway through the academic year, which means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Final years are on the brink of completion, creeping closer to the moment when they will break out of the university bubble, and set out to find their places in the world. Conversely, the first years are still near the

beginning of their journey, not yet through their first full year of university study. Me? I’m now halfway through my second year, and halfway through my time at Kent. There’s something terrifying about being ‘halfway through’. Halfway is the point where we become closer to the end than we are to the beginning, closer to change, and the unknown, closer to a future where

anything could happen. One thing that I love about our seasons is the comforting fact that, despite the radical changes that each will inevitably bring, one will always follow another, in an infinite sequence that never changes in order. It’s a cycle that never grows dull, but one where we always know which is coming next. This isn’t a unique quality,

Photo by peddhapati

and our lives follow a similarly predictable cycle; with every passing second, each one of us is growing minutely older. Our lives follow a distinct pattern, but we can never really tell what exactly is going to happen next. Who are we to meet, and what are we to experience? Yes, spring and summer are the next two seasons to fall upon our country, but what weather will they really bring? It’s something that we can all guess at, but never truly know until they arrive. I’m over halfway through my second year, and over halfway through my time at university. Change is moving closer, bringing with it a future that is unwritten. I intend to make the most of my second half of student life. You know what? That’s the thing. We mustn’t fear change, but embrace it, and steer it in the direction we want to go.

Sport

UKC Rowing: “We wanted to help a charity that meant something to us” InQuire talks to Georgia Edwards from UKC Rowing about its charity fundraiser and how others can get involved. How did you get involved with the Kent Autistic Trust? It is a charity that the whole club was keen to support, due to the loss of a close family member of mine. We wanted to choose one that meant something to us personally, as this would inspire us all to complete the distance, and one that is local to The University of Kent, which could make a difference to the community. How much have you raised so far? So far, with the help of our Just Giving page, we have managed to raise £532.29, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Kent Autistic Trust. Our goal for this event was £500 and we are still accepting donations. Who took part in the event? All of the Senior Racing Squad took part alongside the Development crew. It was a great time for improvements to be made in preparation for the next season. We were even

8-10km, it was over five times the distance we usually do.

Photo by Harriet Menzel lucky enough for an alumni member to come down to help complete the distance. A week prior to the regular training camp, 39 of our members completed our Winter Training Camp: this is a tough week of training requiring high levels of commitment and perseverance. Did you feel the event was a success? Yes, even though the conditions were cold and damp

every member took it in their stride and gave their maximum effort. We are so thankful for those who took part and have continued to spread the awareness of the charity and help us raise as much as we can. Is 52km an exceptional distance to row? Bearing in mind it took us nearly six hours, it is a very long distance. Considering that our normal outings are only

What can we expect from rowing in 2015? Having already had successes in all the races we have entered we are looking to continue this approach to racing and training. With high levels of training and enthusiasm from the club members, the approaching year is very exciting. Things to watch out for are our Ergathon, Easter Training, our many intercollegiate events and of course BUCS being the highlight of our season. When and where do you train? Each week, the Men’s Captain, Charlie Falkus, and myself, with the help of a volunteer coach devise a training plan, which is sent to all the members. Typically. they complete a variety of training from circuits, rowing machines, spinning, weights and core. We also get down to our boathouse in Pluck’s Gutter to get some vital

water training in. Would you recommend people get involved in rowing? Yes, it’s a sport that is great for fitness, but it has a great social side to meet new people and try a new sport. There is no requirement for joining us here at Kent; we teach you how to row and even give gym lessons to those who have not yet been around the gym. Have you got any other charity events planned? Yes, we are also planning on an Ergathon challenge in which we complete a set distance on the rowing machine on campus and in town to fundraise for another chosen charity. Where can people donate? Donations are being accepted on our Just Giving page. https://www.justgiving.com/ ukc-rowing/ Make sure to follow UKC Rowing on Facebook and Twiter.

Snooker is to spectators what gourmet cuisine is to chefs: just perfect Natalie Tipping Chair

f you were to walk down the high street of any town or city in the country and ask people what their favourite sport to watch is, I’d bet that the majority would say football, rugby or tennis. I’m here to fight the corner for something completely different and, in my eyes, very much underrated. Snooker. Snooker is, for me, the ultimate spectator sport. Not only is it incredibly tense viewing, if you care enough to be rooting for one particular player, but it’s also incredibly interesting. ‘Interesting?!’ I hear you gasp. Yes, interesting. All you have to do is watch five minutes of any major tournament and trust me, you’ll be hooked. Whether it’s Ronnie O’Sullivan sweeping around the table and seemingly taking no time at all to think about which shot to play next – seriously, the guy just knows – or John Higgins wowing the crowd with a show of precision skill, snooker is a game that never

Photo by Peter Huys gets old. What’s most interesting for me is that the regular viewer (ie. me) can’t work out the shots more than a couple in advance. Unlike in football, where you can see the players getting ready to charge up the pitch towards the goal, with snooker, often shots are taken which you couldn’t work out from your vantage point. The glee of a century break, the gasps after a missed pot, the tentative sips of water from

either player as their competitor works their way around the table. All of this adds to the drama of watching a game that for many just doesn’t seem interesting. If you think about all of the effort that goes into becoming a professional snooker player, soon you’ll have a newfound respect for each and every competitor on the circuit. Thankfully, snooker has recently found a new surge in fans, with a whole new

generation waking up and smelling the snooker roses. This is all thanks to the spectacle of the game, and the characters who are involved. The spectacle of snooker today takes us back to the great games of the 70s, with ‘Hurricane’ Higgins whirling around the table, or the great Pot Black 1985 World Snooker Championship Final. Seriously, if you haven’t watched that final before, check out the documentary the BBC did on it last year, excellent

viewing. To me, snooker is not just about potting balls. It’s about the drama, it’s about the players psyching each other out, and is in fact as much a psychological game as it is one of logic. The recent Dafabet Masters Final is case in point. The world number one, Neil Robertson, was thoroughly thrashed by Shaun Murphy, a player who had previously won the UK and World titles, but was not the bookies’ favourite going into the competition. Murphy won the first five frames of the match, and with the winner being the first player to ten frames, this had a profound effect on the world number one. Robertson seemed beaten before the match was even over, with Murphy maintaining his dominance throughout the final to claim the title with a 10-2 victory. If you’re still not swayed, I implore you to watch the world championships later in the year. If I can’t convince you enough,the dulcet tones of John Virgo’s commentary should do it.

Sport

My favourite sporting events of 2015: Dakar, Varsity and more Fraser Whieldon Newspaper Sport Editor

or any sports fan, 2015 looks to be a great year. All our favourite annualised competitions are back on, with new dramas, new controversies, and new sporting heroes to consume. Personally, my year in sports will revolve mainly around sitting on my sofa, watching men hurl motorbikes around dry stone walls at over 100mph. Regrettably, I have missed most of the Dakar Rally this year (which began on 4 January), which is a shame as I adore the Dakar: the scenery, the vehicles, the break-downs, the great cross-section of different cultures and languages and the clash of personalitites. This, and the fact the whole event is drenched in history and regional politics (the race was originally in the Middle East, before switching to South America), makes Dakar one of my favourite sporting events of the year. After I spend a night,

Photo by Jonathan Camp drunkenly trying to master advanced mathematics and statistics, to understand the rules of the Superbowl, towards the end of February is Varsity. Whilst the sporting events on this list are mostly international, the historic battle between the University of Kent and Canterbury Christchurch University looks to be unmissable this year. With new sports participating, and improvements to infrastructure streamlining the whole event, the whole student body on both campuses will be able to suck in

the atmosphere and enjoy some quality spectator events. Over Christmas, whilst wrapped in a dozen or so layers, I looked enviously at the weather over India and the West Indies as exciting and highly atmospheric cricket matches unfolded. The Indian Premier League returns in April to shake up the traditionally stuffy world of cricket. Cheerleaders, fireworks and fast bowling are quite the departure from the starched whites and sleepy businessmen of The Oval.

I’m not normally much of a Formula 1 fan. I hate the rules and the uniform regularity of the races, week after week. However, Monaco is unmissable. It’s close quarters racing, where anything can happen! That, in addition to the beautiful architecture and view over the port with the private yachts parked, makes Monaco the best Grand Prix of the entire season. Speaking of motor sport, the Isle of Man TT is on in June. This has to be my favourite sporting event of the year. The pure adrenaline rush of watching men with absolutely no regard for their own lives, racing motorbikes through tight corners, with peoples’ houses only inches away from the apex of the corner, is excellent! Like the Dakar Rally, the Isle of Man TT shows that sport is still not all about match statistics, and transfer window fees: it’s also about competition and pushing yourself to the very edge, whilst providing some high-quality entertainment at the same time.

Men and women who went from star athlete to star actor Guy Hamilton

erry Crews is one of the latest examples of a sportstar who has made the transition from his previous career as a successful American football player, to a new career as a regular fixture on TV and cinema screens. His most notable roles are in The Expendables and the Old Spice adverts. He is only one of many former athletes who have given up the constant training and match fixtures, to take up a career in acting. Dwayne Johnson, formerly known as “The Rock”, is another example of a relatively famous athlete who became a world-famous actor. His addition to the regular cast of the Fast and Furious film series has been widely-praised by critics and fans, for helping revitalise the series, of which the latest instalment is coming out soon. But what is it that makes these people, who were all on handsome salaries as athletes, with sponsorship deals and many benefits, give up their lucrative careers for a more

UKC Home Fixtures 04/02/15 Badminton Men’s 1st vs. Kent Men’s 2nd Fencing Men’s 1st vs. Surrey 1st Football Men’s 2nd vs. Greenwich 1st Hockey Men’s 1st vs. Imperial Men’s 1st Hockey Women’s 1st vs. CCCU Women’s 1st Hockey Women’s 2nd vs. Queen Mary Women’s 2nd Lacrosse Men’s 1st vs. UCL 2nd Lacrosse Women’s 2nd vs. Hertfordshire Women’s 1st Netball Women’s 1st vs. Hertfordshire 1st Rugby Men’s 2nd vs. Hertfordshire 1st Tennis Men’s 1st vs. Royal Holloway 1st

11/02/15 Badminton Men’s 1st vs. LSE Men’s 1st Photo by Stewart popular role? Partly, it is to do with their age. Both Terry Crews and Dwayne Johnson were nearing the end of their prime, and risked becoming a parody of themselves if they continued on in their respective sports. Acting allows a much less physically demanding lifestyle,with stand-ins and stunt doubles taking the hits instead. Acting also allows athletes to maintain their salaries and

lifestyles. Dwayne Johnson reportedly makes around $20 million per movie, due to his strong reputation. Whilst this may or may not be a pay rise from his wrestling days, it is still a number many people would gasp at. Male athletes are not the only ones who are taking up this opportunity. Gina Carano has also made the transition from Mixed Martial Arts, to starring in critically-acclaimed films such as Haywire, alongside

Ewan McGregor and Michael Fassbender. She has also recently been tipped to star in a version of The Expendables with Sandra Bullock. Athletes becoming actors is not a new sensation and from the looks of it, it seems to be a trend which will continue on for a very long time. Here’s hoping that more athletes are able to make the transition from the courts and the circuits, to the cinema and television screens.

Basketball Men’s 1st vs. Essex Men’s 2nd Football Men’s 2nd vs. Queen Mary men’s 2nd Football Women’s 1st vs. Buckingham Women’s 1st Golf Men’s 1st vs. Hertfordshire Men’s 1st

InQuire sport www.inquirelive.co.uk/sport

Varsity: 28 February - 4 March

Photo by Kent Union Fraser Whieldon Newspaper Sport Editor

he University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University will go head-to-head at Varsity from 28 February to 4 March. This is the eighteenth consecutive year that the competition has taken place. Last year, the University of Kent proved victorious against Canterbury Christ Church University, winning for the eighteenth year in a row. Rugby, volleyball and tennis were particular highlights last year. Those teams, as well other members of Team Kent, will be

hoping to either retain or claim victory. CCCU will be hoping to break Kent’s winning streak this year. There will be even more chances for them to do so, with a timetable rammed full of sport, including some sports which have never before been played at Varsity. They are sure to add to the fevered atmosphere and good spirits of the event. This will also help make this years’ Varsity one of the most spectator-friendly ever, with new people being attracted by the broad range of sports available. With a lot of the fixtures being

played at the Kent campus, Team Kent are hoping for a home advantage in many games, with large crowds expected to be in attendance. CCCU will play host to fixtures which require facilities only they have access to, with other fixtures being played at neutral territories. Access to all these facilities means there is plenty of opportunity to support the teams. With the inclusion of shuttle buses running from UKC campus to other venues, there is no reason to miss out on Varsity fixtures taking place at CCCU. This means that there is no

reason to miss the incredible list of fixtures at the facilities at CCCU. Fixtures planned to take place at neither university include the swimming, which will take place as usual at Kingsmead Leisure Centre, and the rugby 1s, which will close off the competition at Canterbury Rugby Club. Even if your sport society is not entered in Varsity, come along and stretch every sinew in support of Team Kent. Make banners, carry the flag and join in with the celebrations along with your friends. Quite frankly, it would be foolish to miss it!

If you want to find a new way of witnessing the excitement events, InQuire Media are currently recruiting writers to help cover the wide range of fixtures on at Varsity. To become a member of InQuire costs only £5 and interested people should contact newspaper.sport@ inquiremedia. co.uk for more information.