ROAR!
London Calling: culture at King’s and beyond, pages 6, 7, 8
King's news, comment, culture and sport
roarnews.co.uk
KING’S No1.
FOR CRIME
Sensational new rankings in uni guide But can the stats be trusted? James Thorpe THE recently published ‘University Crime Table’, which KCL topped, could mislead university applicants, critics have warned. The Complete University Guide, an independent group that provides university rankings tables, posted the data on 22 July. But King’s Professor of Criminology and Law, Elaine Player, warned the table may be of limited use. “They provide a guide on general levels of crime but are unhelpful if trying to assess who is most at risk,” she said. The table is not based on crime levels as reported by students. Instead, it uses crime rates per thousand
within a three-mile radius of each university. Crimes included in the criteria are burglary, robbery, and violent crime, which covers GBH and sexual assault. According to The Complete University Guide, students are most vulnerable to these offences. London universities are based in the highest crime zones, according to the table. Seventeen of the top twenty universities with the most crime are in the capital. King’s is closely followed in the table by its rivals LSE and UCL. Kingston University in south-west London scored the best in London. Its total crime rate is less than half of King’s.
SEE PAGE 4
Photo: Laura Jessop
INSIDE: WHY YOU SHOULD STILL CHOOSE KING’S ANYWAY
ROAR! Editor Ben Jackson editor@roarnews.co.uk Deputy Editor (Print) Robbie Hirst Deputy Editor (Online) Megan Hector
Culture Editor Samuel Spencer culture@roarnews.co.uk
Comment Editors Henry Cross & Madhav Bakshi comment@roarnews.co.uk
Politics Editors Michael Di Benedetto & Nida Ali politics@roarnews.co.uk
Webmasters Ammaar Reshi & Anna Huckerby online@roarnews.co.uk
Features Editors Yasmyne Kricha & Laura Jessop features@roarnews.co.uk
Science Editors Durr-e Tariq & Vanessa Megaro science@roarnews.co.uk
News Editors James Thorpe & Ben Wilson news@roarnews.co.uk
Careers Editor Juliana Ruseva careers@roarnews.co.uk
Sports Editor James Monaghan sports@roarnews.co.uk
‘Intersectional Feminist Society’
FEMSOC CHANGES ITS NAME
NINE KCL Feminist Society members met in July to form a new policy of initiation for their Facebook group. During the meeting, they voted to change the name of the group to ‘KCL Intersectional FemSoc’ to reflect the society’s values. Their president, Shanice McBean, said “We’ve agreed to kick start a new page in September called KCL Intersectional FemSoc which clearly outlines the political position of the society: we’re against all oppressions and won’t tolerate any kind of oppressive behaviour in the society.” The committee also voted to make prospective members sign a survey before being allowed to join.
Alice Ewer (pictured below) is a third-year Medicine student who plays netball for GKT. She has also starred professionally for Hertfordshire Mavericks in the Superleague and even has her own fans!
showcasing the best King’s students EVERY month. If you know someone who deserves to be featured, email us at editor@roarnews.co.uk
EDITOR’S NOTE More than a newspaper.
Discussions, meetings, screenings
PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY AT KING’S
STUDENTS have formed the KCL People’s Assembly Against Austerity, to be launched at the College in September. Ali Sargent, a member of KCL PAAA, said “The KCL People’s Assembly has been launched to provide a point of convergence for students and staff looking to organise anti-austerity action on campus. We are hoping to bring people together from a spectrum of political views, organisations and experience. The elected committee will be from different political groups on campus.”
If you have a complaint about the editorial content in this newspaper, which directly affects you, then email KCLSU with your complaint: studentmedia@kclsu.org
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It’s mid-August and what does that mean for students in the UK? A-level results. And for some who are reading this issue, that means navigating the minefield of Ucas clearing. So the Roar! team resolved to put the beach balls and sun cream away for a couple of days and do a special digital edition to tell you about our university and London life. So think of this as something to get your teeth into while you wait for freshers’. Roar! is now more than a newspaper. It’s a student news organisation that comprises a highly developed print edition, a new website and soon we’ll be coming to you on the iPad. Behind all that, I’m thrilled to be part of such a talented set of intelligent, creative and fun students. The best King’s students work for Roar!. Now for a little bit of background.
Roar! traces its lineage back to 1973 with the Buzzard, a short paper featuring news and letters. A while later, Casey L arrived, a magazine with a heavy focus on King’s cultural scene. Some time after that, and we’re not really sure when, it rebranded as Roar! in a full newspaper format. Our name is inspired by King’s mascot, Reggie the Lion, and our insistence on not shutting up. We’re relaunching roarnews.co.uk on 14 August. We’ve employed two highly skilled webmasters to maintain it. It will feature exclusive content produced and edited by our team, some of whom have been employed to specialise in online student journalism. Make sure you connect with us on Twitter and Facebook too. September will see the birth of Roar!’s culture pullout, and we’re calling it Rated R. Expect innova-
tion, professionalism and bite. Plus you’ll be able to literally pull out the pullout, as we’re doing away with staples for the first time in Roar!’s history. We’re through the looking glass here, people. There are more firsts. Roar! has chosen Teens Unite Fighting Cancer to be its official charity for the year. It supports those aged between 13 and 24 with cancer and other life limiting illnesses, aiming to build their self esteem and confidence. Teens Unite gives teenagers the opportunity to share experiences and have fun on activities and days out. We plan on supporting them through print and digital promotion and fundraising. Visit teensunitefightingcancer.org for information on how you can support them too. Our main news story this month covers King’s performance in The
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Complete University Guide’s crime table. For once, our College is at the top of something. But the results are not what they seem, as James Thorpe shows. Two of our campuses are near massive transport hubs in Waterloo and London Bridge - hotspots for criminal activity. So before you cancel your King’s offer and head for somewhere safe and shit like Birmingham, make sure you have a read of James’ analysis. These days, you can get involved with Roar! in any number of ways. We’re always on the lookout for new talent. If you think you’ve got what it takes to join the original and best source of King’s news, comment, culture and sport, send us an email at editor@roarnews.co.uk - And of course, we’ll see you at freshers’ fair. Ben Jackson @jackson12th
@jackson12th: Striking new look over at @Roar_News, feedback appreciated as ever
section’s ‘September Issue’ headed by @samspencer1993 and @stylegirlscout!
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4 ROAR!
I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU SAY,
I LOVE THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON! Madhav Bakshi
ASK any King’s student who our mortal enemies are and they will give you two answers - UCL and LSE. It may be to do with the geographical proximity, or it may just be the fact that all their students think the sun shines out of their backsides. Either way, it is definitely one of those two things. But the truth is that we are all bound in an unholy union known as the University of London. This devil’s pact was forged 177 years ago, in the fires of Mount Doom through the union of King’s College London and UCL, making it the third oldest university in the country.
Since then, it has grown to include 18 colleges and 10 institutions, and has now become one of the best things about being a student at King’s.
The heart of the organisation is situated in verdant Bloomsbury at Senate House: a 1930s building complete with a wonderful deco lobby and an uncomfortable relationship with fascist dictators! Once considered by Hitler as a potential Headquarters in Britain and seen as an excellent ministry for an oppressive government by George Orwell, perhaps this location seems quite fitting for such an unholy union! However, Senate House today is more famous for the library on its top four floors, and has undoubt-
edly become the first port of call for any student essay crisis - particularly as it seems to contain every book ever published. Access to the library’s vast collection is available free of charge to all University of London students, and the terms for borrowing are far more generous than those you usually find at King’s. And it isn’t just Senate House you get access to - quite a few other libraries are open to you 24 hours a day, which means that the night-before-deadline panic becomes a lot more manageable.
When you’re not frantically studying for exams or doing last minute essays, the University of London Union (ULU) bar offers a cheap and easy night out in the heart of
the city. Although ULU is currently being dragged kicking and screaming into the bureaucratic dustbin, the union bar, which for many people was its sole reason for existing, is fortunately sticking around. I am also told that the Union offers excellent gym facilities (although that is definitely not my area of expertise!).
But one of the greatest things about being part of the University of London is that it allows you to meet people from lots of different colleges, and the best way to do that is by living in intercollegiate halls. As a fresher it can be tempting to try and stick to the small clique of people doing your course, but living in
intercollegiate halls forced me to talk to people I would normally have crossed the street to avoid. Being part of the University of London has made a huge difference to my time at King’s, giving me access to an almost unparalleled range of resources and offering me a place in a large and vibrant student community. It even forced me to swallow my disgust and interact with the forces of darkness, as I now count myself lucky to consider some people from UCL among my closest friends. It turns out some of them are nice people. Well, almost.
THAT’S CRIMINAL! MISLEADING STATS SEND KING’S APPLICANTS RUNNING How King’s fared in the rankings
(per thousand, within three mile radius of main campus) Burglary: 1.24 Robbery: 0.56 Violent crime: 1.99 Total crime: 3.79
Highest Crime rate Universities
1. King’s 2. London South Bank 3. Pearson College 4. City University London 5. LSE
Lowest Crime rate Universities 1. Kingston 2. St Mary’s 3. Roehampton 4. St George’s 5. Middlesex
CONTINUED from front page
King’s so these statistics don’t mean a lot to me.”
David Jobbins, consultant to The Complete University Guide, said the table gave prospective students a fuller picture of universities they could apply to.
Jobbins has responded to criticism: “They really are just to encourage students to become prospective students and consider personal security,” he said.
“It’s meant to give them an indication of the environment they’d be going into if they were to attend that specific university,” he said.
There have been calls for British universities to proactively release numbers on campus crime but they are under no obligation to do so. In the US, universities must provide detailed reports about the amount of crime committed on campus, on non-campus buildings, and on public property around the university. In addition to this, they have an ‘alert system’ whereby students are notified of on-campus crimes via email or text message.
The table uses freely available police data from police.uk, collected between May 2012 and April 2013. Second year King’s English student Craig McDonald said the table does not account for the fact most London students do not live within three miles of campus. “In first year I lived in Hampstead, which is over six miles away from the Strand, and in second year I lived at home like many other King’s students,” he said. “I spend a lot of time over three miles away from
Professor Player said the table should be read with caution. “The data refers to crimes within a three mile radius and it is simplistic to suggest that an individual’s level of risk would be increased because they were passing through that area,” she said.
Representation of crime rates around the Strand Campus. Google
DITCH THE POSH, GET THE DOSH... THE REAL COST OF LONDON LIVING Yasmyne Kricha LONDON has the full package. It has the good looks, the history and experience, the hard-working attitude, the charm and a taste for fine wine. With its cultural diversity, beautiful architecture and buzzing nightlife, it’s no wonder London is a desirable destination for over a hundred thousand students. However, many prospective undergraduates understandably worry that living in the capital comes with a huge financial cost. After a year of calling London home, I can alleviate these concerns and share a number of ways you can combat the expenses of living to protect your precious bank balance. The student diet is famous for being full of carbohydrates, alcohol and little else. Baked beans, noodles, pasta and rice are however extremely cheap and keep you feeling full, so are great to stock up on. Nevertheless, around coursework deadlines and exam periods, it’s
especially vital to get that five-aday and balance your diet to keep energy levels up. Local markets are a great place to get hold of cheap fruit and vegetables, particularly at the end of the trading day when they almost give it away!
teresting
what you begin prioritising.
Similarly, there’s no shame in getting half price nourishment from the reduced section in your local supermarket: ‘we are students after all’! This catchphrase is a personal favourite of mine and normally gets you out of most trouble. Use it wisely. Swapping Waitrose and M&S delicacies for Aldi and Lidl versions may seem pretty tough at first, but when that £15 you saved equates to a bottle of Disaronno AND you still have plenty of food in the fridge, you’ll feel a strange sense of accomplishment! When your bank balance is nottoo-forgiving and has a tendency to gravitate towards a zero, it’s in-
For some of my friends, going out was the biggest expense
in their budget. Entry to London clubs can be pricey, not to mention them nonchalantly charging £8.50 for a single vodka and Coke when you get inside. Thanks to economics and the law of supply and demand, with so many bars and clubs, plenty of them offer student nights with cheap guestlist entry. Some places offer free entry for girls too, meaning that time you spent doing your hair and makeup has paid off: now who’s laughing, boys? If clubbing isn’t really your thing, there are hundreds of quirky bars all around London waiting to be discovered. Entry is also likely to be no more than a few pounds, which is always a bonus when you’re saving the pennies. Although cocktails are expensive, there are often happy hours with 2-4-1 drinks: the perfect plan for catching up with friends in Covent Garden after lectures! After all that lovely (affordable) food and drink, there are plenty of
free ways to work off that Disaronno and keep in shape. There seems to be a disproportionately large number of runners all around London. You’ll see them everywhere from a flat jog along the river to a challenging route over Notting Hill, so dig out that Lycra! If running isn’t for you, there are outdoor swimming pools at Hampstead Heath, over 550 Boris bike stations and 400 free outdoor gyms dispersed around the capital. The views as you discover different parts of London on a workout beat those of any sweaty, super-expensive gyms. If you’re feeling less adventurous with your activities, there are a number of gyms that offer packages from £15 a month, not forgetting societies and teams at King’s for every sport you could wish for! While on the surface London may seem like a city of suits and Kensington cliques, it’s still possible to stretch your student loan to Bloody Marys in Chelsea every once in a while!
6 ROAR!
RATED R. THE NEW ROAR! CULTURE SECTION.
COMING SOON.
CULTURAL
WELCOME TO THE WORLD’S GREATEST CITY. FROM SHAKESPEARE TO THE SEX PISTOLS, LONDON HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CENTRE OF THE CULTURAL UNIVERSE, SO LET ROAR!’s NEW CULTURE SECTION TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT...
YOUR CULTURAL ENLIGHTENMENT AWAITS YOU! Daisy Bartlett The vibrant arts scene in London is completely unrivalled; from amateur opera to awardwinning West End productions, there’s something to whet every appetite. No other city in the UK can provide you with a student experience close to London’s. Unlike some of our friends, we might not be partying as much (or as cheaply) but that certainly doesn’t mean that we’re boring or limited! Instead you’re more likely to find a King’s student soaking up an exhibition at the V & A or enjoying a comedy night in Islington. And just because it’s London, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s expensive. Part of the beauty of studying in London is that there’s something for every budget, however big or small! For under a fiver you can soak up some Shakespeare at the Globe, head to one of London’s many free art galleries, catch some comedy or even a poetry slam. Up your budget to £10 and you can grab yourself tickets for the opera, the Donmar Warehouse or a brand new play at the Almeida. As home to over 300 museums, there’s an array of intriguing exhibitions on at any
one time. From the British Museum, which welcomed 480,000 visitors in August 2012, to the slightly more obscure. For example, Greenwich’s Fan Museum (the only homage to the humble cooling device on the planet) or the Cartoon Museum which celebrates the very best of British cartoons, caricatures and comics from the 18th century to the present day, excitingly exhibiting some original work from The Beano and The Dandy. For the budding Oscar-and-Olivier winners amongst you, there’s also plenty of opportunity to be involved in staging a performance, with societies dedicated to showcasing the more talented of us in TV, film, theatre... wherever you think your talents lie. Not only does King’s put on a number of productions each year, there’s always plenty of offerings from the other universities in London, so even if you stay inside London’s student bubble you can still enjoy a wealth of culture. In the last year I’ve been treated to musicals, an opera, a comedy revue and student written plays highlighting the variety of student life in London. It’s simply impossible to satiate your thirst for culture in the capital. I can guarantee you won’t regret choosing to come and study in London, all you need to do is grab the bull by its horns and ensure that you don’t miss out on any of the opportunities available to you!
FABULOUS
Lauren Clark
Stella McCartney, Cara Delevigne, Somerset House, Mary Katrantzou, Kate Moss, Burberry Prorsum and Vivienne Westwood. What do all these revered fashion stalwarts have in common? The answer, of course, is London. A city stocked high with accessible fashion from Bond Street to Brick Lane, rails upon rails of sartorial creativity by fashion houses, designers and art school students, and four figure column inches churned out daily by fashion publications.
Careers. Yes that dark spectre you believe is so far away in the future as you anticipate which university will come with the cheapest dietvodkalemonade. London may struggle to provide a night out for less than Loughborough but it has some of the best job and internship opportunities in the country, with KCL having one of the top ten graduate employment rates for 2013.
“More fashion than Naomi Campbell could throw a phone at...”
In fact, London’s fashion journalists have good reason to scribble. They are talking about the £21 billion British fashion industry, one of the country’s most economically important, and which places the capital as a key player in the international style stakes. In the heart of this exciting fashion bazaar we find King’s College London. The university’s Strand campus can count the bi-annual London Fashion Week at Somerset House as its neighbour, while on Guys campus it’s a stiletto’s throw to fashion bibles Marie Claire, InStyle and Look at IPC Media. This may arguably make it the most stylish university in the United Kingdom – now if only there was a league table for that!
Photos: Oliver Hunt Model: Nicky Phillips
Spitalfield Market and Brick Lane. In London, a place where you can get away with wearing whatever you like, every taste is catered for. The more responsible thing to also add about the capital’s thousands of shops is the wealth of student-friendly sales assistant jobs that naturally follow.
KCL’s geographical position as the most central London university makes it the ideal stronghold from which to shop. Armed with a bulging new academic year student loan it is within effortless reach of general shopping precincts Oxford Street and Covent Garden, the upmarket designers on Bond Street and Knightsbridge and the trendy hubs of
This applies no less to fashion careers. The city is a European leader in terms of flagship stores from global brands, HQ to British brands, PR and modeling agencies, and numerous other fashion-focused businesses that make the industry tick – naturally they all need people. Additionally, London houses numerous fashion magazines, websites and more freelance fashion journalists and self-styled bloggers than Naomi Campbell could throw a phone at. KCL therefore has a material advantage if you have a professional, or only a vague interest in fashion. The vibrancy of London stems from the fabulous street style of its inhabitants, its independent boutiques and budding designers. However, what nudges it up a gear is the big brand investment from the likes of Philip Green, the international renown of British fashion types including Christopher Bailey and Phoebe Philo, and the opportunity to bump into Hilary Alexander, Poppy Delevigne and Alexa Chung mere metres from your history lecture.
CAPITAL FASHION
Chloe Moss
I have always and will always offer London as my favourite city for fashion because of the inimitably cool and unashamedly British style that it has cultivated. As much as I hate the phrase, London embraces its ‘home grown’ designers in a big way, and champions new names in the industry every year, providing an invaluable platform for those striving to make it in an incredibly tough industry. Not only this, but we are home to one of the best high streets in the world, and the marriage of fast fashion and high design grows continually, making fashion accessible to everyone. Designer collaborations with some of our best-loved brands are proving an amazing platform for emerging talent, and I am continually amazed by the support offered by powerhouse brands. My favourite designers at the moment, our most exciting design talent, are all British and have based themselves in London. The likes of JW Anderson, Christopher Kane, Louise Gray and Henry Holland - are all highlights of Fashion Week due to their unique take on the London style that they are growing to determine.
London’s fashion creativity is best explored through its street style. My own street style is nourished by this exposure to different trends, and also by the ample opportunity for part-time work that London offers students. I’m able to work in one of London’s busiest shopping districts, which means I can experience fashion trends, news and events firsthand, as well as being able to fund student life. With King’s Strand Campus being located right next to Somerset House, we as students are able to see firsthand the circus of London Fashion Week, as well as being next to the location for many exciting fashion exhibits. As a blogger I know that London is the best place for me to be in terms of events, news, and cutting edge inspiration. Furthermore, London bloggers have a great community that grows every season, and we’re seeing more and more of our best online faces in the front row of shows, or collaborating with labels - both things that are amping up the spotlight for fashion blogging, providing a great launch pad for young bloggers like myself.
“The best place to be for cutting edge inspiration...”
Working and living in London means that I’m exposed to the incredible street style that we all see every day. The clash of different trends, styles and characters created through outfits never ceases to amaze me and make me strive to change my style without fear.
King’s students are in the lucky position that they can experience fashion trends, news and moments every day, whether they choose to or not, because we are immersed in London’s unique take on fashion, a take that the rest of the world is, and will continue, to watch every season.
ROAR! 7
FILM LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Charlotte Woods King’s is a fantastic place to study for so many reasons; it’s a beautiful university with a friendly atmosphere, strong internal connections with some of the best researchers in the world, and the place where I can honestly say I have experienced the best years of my life. But one of the most exciting things about King’s is its location. Being situated in the heart of one of the best cities in the world, means you get to see the beautiful sights, views and experience the culture of London in its entirety every day. There is always something to do in London, whatever your budget - in fact you can enjoy a great deal of London without spending a single penny. You can go sightseeing, take in the history of London at one of the many free museums and embrace the excitement along the South Bank or in Covent Garden. Whatever tickles your fancy, London has it all. There
is not one person in this world who can say that they get bored in London. As a bit of a film fanatic I want to draw your attention to enjoying all that London has to offer in terms of film and celebrity. London has been the filming location for so many films over the years, so why not take a stroll around London and see some of the most famous locations the film industry has to offer. For example, go to Notting Hill and see if you can meet Hugh Grant in the local bookshop (I wish!), go to the fountains in Hyde Park and imagine Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver fighting over Bridget Jones, take a boat trip along the Thames and pretend you are James Bond on a secret mission... you get the picture. Choose one of your favourite films that was shot in London and then go and see its real location. What’s more, why not head to Leicester Square when a film premier
is on and see if you can do some celebspotting (take an autograph book and a camera with you, just in case!) However, if classic or independent films are more your cup of tea or if you just want to try something a little bit different, then head to the BFI (it’s right on your doorstep) where you can tickle your curiosity with something new and exciting. In London there is always something to do or somewhere to go that will make your day amazing, from film to shopping and from art to history there is something for everyone , no matter what your budget is. And it just so happens to be the home of King’s- a top UK and global university, with fantastic prospects for future graduates and a great, welcoming, friendly and all-round awesome atmosphere in which to be a student. King’s is the place where I have had the best times of my life and the place where the rest of my life begins.
8 ROAR!
A MUSICIAN’S EXPERIENCE OF LONDON Joe Brookes
I arrived in London straight out of school, stunned and sweaty, weighed down by my books, guitar case and clothes. I wanted to be genuine, to enter the heady utopia with objectives intact: to find creative minds, musicians or poets, people searching for the sublime. I brought a b l i n d desire to find what the city offers a musician, a community of likeminded voices. I could sense beneath the commercial tapestry of legendary streets there was a u t h e n t i c i t y, a vibrant hub of creativity; with a hunger to be noticed, yes, but also a need to be unique.
I had wrangled a room at Stamford Street on the top floor with a view of the Gherkin and the halfcompleted Shard. What struck me first was the turquoise light spewing in through the window; a distinctly London light, and in that dusky moment came a new dawn: “I am at the centre of the artistic world,” I said to myself, “let’s make something of this.” Within hours of this realisation came the anticipated meeting with my new flatmates. Conversation immediately darted towards gigs, venues, an unmissable event the day following. Three new faces, and with them endless possibilities. We walked straight onto Waterloo Bridge. The turquoise light had turned a shade of orange which struck hallucinatory patterns off the sea of windows. Soon after we had the first jam of what must be hundreds now, and a new addition to my Spotify: ‘Atlantis’ by Donovan, with its perfectly-timed message: “let us sing, and dance, and ring in the new.” Two years later this nucleus has expanded into an artistic community. Like a developing brain, a plethora of connections have been made, extending all over the city, and across oceans. Once sat in a poetry class learning about the American Poets in
Europe in the early part of the twentieth century, I was awakened to the importance of the creative collective, and through KCL’s distinct links with the city I have been given the opportunity to rise above my Midlands origins and be connected with a wider creative consciousness. King’s unique location is clearly responsible: being on the bank of the Thames means you’re connected to the spine of hundreds of years of artistic development, a learning environment feeding on the electrical ethos of innovation which drives the metropolis, and one that attracts likeminded people with the same level of ambition which I hope I have expressed in this article. KCL acknowledges this position with poetic authority. The Strand campus sits majestically on the river as the fuel of all creative minds flows past. Unlike the typical stuffy university campus which cordons its students off from the living, KCL is entangled with its city through threads of curiosity. You are immediately a resident; skip the waiting line usually enforced in education. My creative direction is now led by a genuine appetite for experience, not quashed by the claustrophobia of the campus bubble, and that whisper getting louder. Come live!
KING’S COLLEGE OR MUSIC COLLEGE?
Oscar King Davies
For young musicians, the choice between going to music college and university is tough. Whilst the former is regarded as better for becoming a performer, the latter enables you to have the full ‘uni experience’. However, King’s avoids this dichotomy, offering a tantalising alternative: partnership with the Royal Academy of Music. The combination of these two longstanding institutions, both field-leaders, allows music students at KCL to be taught by worldfamous teachers: whilst the academy recently boasted a unique 100% employment rate for British post-secondary institutions, King’s is regarded in the top 10 in the UK for Music. From my friends who decided on Music College, all I hear is ‘practice, practice, practice’. Whilst this is of course essential in making a good musician, there seems to be little scope to live
life when they are constantly trying to attain professionalism. Not only does this engender bitchiness and insecurity, it also leaves little time to enjoy London’s astonishing culture.
This is in huge contrast with being a music student at KCL. As soon as I entered halls as a Fresher I was bombarded with amazing nights out in some of the world’s best clubs (the music of course being the most important thing…) The fact that King’s offers these exclusive nights is symbolic of how it treats music as not only an academic art but also as a social experience. In addition, there is a proliferation of orchestras, choirs and bands, ranging from amateur to professional, which are open to students of all subjects. I took part in the choral scholarship scheme this year. You are paid to sing in the amazing red-and-gold clad chapel every week, and
after most services there is free wine (although I would not want this to influence your decision...) Not only did we perform at venues like St Paul’s Cathedral but also we go on tours – for free! In Christmas we ventured to Venice where the canals were eerily quiet and shrouded in mist. We were astounded at the size of St Mark’s Basilica in contrast with the tiny labyrinthine streets which enveloped us. If you cannot decide on whether music at King’s is right for you, I hope by reading this article you have a better idea of how it works. Whilst many go on to become professional musicians, Kings’ academic reputation also gives you the option to go into a range of professional sectors. For this versatility alone, I would urge you to chose King’s over music college, and any other university for that matter!
CONFESSIONS OF AN OXBRIDGE REJECT Jessica Moffatt-Owen
KCL has a reputation for being a cesspit universities for students who failed their Oxbridge journey. The smart, but not quite smart enough. Well, I have a dark confession to make: my name is Jessica and I am an Oxbridge Reject. My reasons? The kudos of an Oxford degree and my dear grandmother willing me to go there since I was in the uterus. Needless to say, my A level in English Language (not Literature) and my diabolical ELAT result meant that I didn’t cruise into Oxford and had to start looking for alternatives. And my God, am I glad that my university application experience took this course. Okay, yes, maybe KCL was not my first choice, but I wouldn’t swap it for the world. I realised within two weeks of being here that no other city could give me such an enriching experience. You name it, I did it – frequenting huge house nights in Dalston and Shoreditch, watching open air screenings of La Boheme in Trafalgar Square, collating
enough postcards from museums and galleries to wallpaper a whole wall, sitting in Regent’s Park with a good book, watching Sheridan Smith smash it in Hedda Gabler, eating the best sandwich of my life at Borough Market… Would you really be able to do that in Oxford?
It is a beautiful town and I love going to visit my friends there, but a weekend is all I can take - one can only go punting so many times. I am yet to have a moment in London where I can’t find something exciting and, most importantly, cheap or free to do. What about King’s itself? The best thing about my course is the freedom. You get choice, from an elective in your first year through to an optional dissertation. A phenomenal range, from medieval literature through to modern photography. The Oxford tutoring technique is suited to a particular set of people, and I have realised I’m not that type I don’t like to be smothered. To top it all off, you’re situated in the city’s heart, which as
an English student, means you’re walking the same streets as the greats: Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens just for starters. And just to big us up even more, our library’s round reading room is Dumbledore’s office, and you can ice skate next door in the winter. No other universities can say that. So what if it was my second choice? So what if it was yours too? If you’re independent, if you want to enrich yourself everyday by constantly discovering something new, if you want to be in the hub of arts and culture, if you want to have some of the best libraries to enhance your studies and generally just meet diverse people and experience mind-boggling events then come out of the closet! You’re a King’s Oxbridge Reject – welcome aboard.
POP CULTURED. RATED R. THE NEW ROAR! CULTURE SECTION. SEPTEMBER 2013.
10 ROAR!
COME AND FIND YOUR HEART Seven million Londoners, seven million perspectives of the city. Are you ready to find your own? Laura Jessop SAMUEL Johnson once said “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life” and having studied at King’s College London for two years - it’s hard to see how he could be wrong! Often described as the ‘world in one city’, London not only offers a wealth of cultural diversity but also a thriving social mix, as there really is something for everyone. As a student, when you’re not frantically studying for exams, writing last minute essays or filling out internship applications, your time usually seems to be spent thinking about what to do next or where to go later. But unlike studying at other universities, the options for students
in London can seem endless. With London being the biggest city in the UK, the thought of moving from the comfort of your home town to the capital can initially seem both exciting and daunting. Where will I spend most of my time? And how expensive will things be? Whether you’re familiarising yourself with the heart for the first time by visiting attractions such as the British Museum and Natural History Museum or whether you just enjoy watching quirky live art at the London Tate Gallery and Barbican Centre, London can offer plenty of things to do for those on a student budget! Now if you’re a student who is already from London, don’t think that you’ve seen everything there
is to see! London is so much more than just tourist attractions. Perhaps you’re keen to explore the contrasting vibes that London has to offer? Camden Town is definitely an area which is popular with London students who are searching for cheap thrills. With its grubby punk rock image which is becoming increasingly more fashionable, bass-thumping market stalls, live night time music at bars such as Underworld and bizarre rave shops like Cyberdog, you’ll never have a dull moment in Camden. But if this doesn’t sound like quite your scene, South London’s Brixton, with its crowds of rockers, clubbers and artists is often a good student spot, particularly for any medical or science students located on Guy’s Campus
that may live south of the river and in general for any King’s students searching for a good party! Renowned for its live music venues and booming club nights, the Hootananny and Brixton Academy have once hosted bands such as The Smiths and The Sex Pistols - all of which seem a bit more exciting than that tiny bar at home playing last year’s chart music! But if you just fancied sampling an alternative to student-budget supermarket food, Brixton Market is open every day selling an exotic range of African-Caribbean, Indian and Vietnamese products to try. Many King’s students come to London to seek the thrill of living right in the heart. If that’s your thing, Soho is the place to be for entertainment, nightlife and libera-
tion. From dining in one of China Town’s all-you-can-eat buffets to catching a last minute West End performance, Soho offers a variety of things to do for those in search of a break from studying. With its own distinctive nightlife, nights out in Soho are becoming increasingly popular with students and with the LGBT community as Cheapskate Wednesdays advertise £1 drinks and G-A-Y bar plays the dance classics that have definitely stood the test of time. With all of this on offer and more, London will not only entertain you but continue to fascinate you with its fast pace, new cultures and vibrant people. As a King’s student I can tell you this: we are there, right in the centre of all this madness and it is fantastic.
WHY STUDY SCIENCE AT KING’S? Durr-e Maknoon Tariq
WHEN we are trying to choose a university, the first question that we ask ourselves is, ‘why study there?’ And if King’s is one of your choices and you want to study science, you must also be asking yourself the question, ‘why study science at King’s?’ So, I will make your life a bit easier by answering that question. And the good thing is that you will get know it all from a student’s perspective, rather than an old professor telling you in an unbearable monotone (Don’t tell anyone that I said that!). So without wasting any time, let’s get down to business! At King’s, we have six academic schools dedicated to science, five health sciences schools and one for natural science. These include the School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, the Institute of Psychiatry, and School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. Now, let’s not talk about the technical stuff regarding specific courses because you can find that in the King’s prospectus. Instead, I will tell you about the interesting and exciting facts related to our science schools. Let’s talk about our health schools first. The most important fact is more than ten thousand students study under the five health schools, which makes King’s the largest centre for healthcare training and education in the whole of Europe. Now that’s something to be legitimately proud of (Although we are also quite proud of stealing Jeremy Bentham’s head form UCL but that’s another story). On top of that, King’s is home to six Medical Research Council (MRC) Centres, which is more than Oxford, Cambridge and UCL (just saying!) and in fact more than any other university in the UK. And the best thing about studying at King’s health schools is that you are taught by leading researchers. Everyone who is in-
volved in research at King’s must teach and everyone who teaches is involved in research as well. This combination ensures students receive the best education possible whether they study Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Biomedical Science or any other health science. Now, if all this doesn’t convince you that King’s is a great place to study health sciences, some of our great King’s health sciences personalities should. One of the most obvious ones is Florence Nightingale, who founded our School of Nursing and Midwifery as the name suggests. Another one is Thomas Guy, who founded the Guy’s Hospital and after whom our amazing Guy’s Campus is named. Whenever we are talking about great King’s personalities, we have to mention Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Both these scientists played a crucial role in discovering the structure of DNA and nowadays they feature outside our Franklin-Wilkins Building at Waterloo Campus. If I had more words I would talk about each of our five health schools individually but the word limit does not permit me to do so. So before I run out of space, let’s give you a perspective on the School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (NMS) as well. Just like our health schools, the teaching and research in the School of NMS go hand in hand. Cutting edge research takes place in areas of bioinformatics, theoretical physics, chemistry, robotics and many more subjects. The most amazing fact about this school is that Professor Higgs studied here. He is the same Professor Higgs who is famous for predicting the existence of the Higgs-Boson particle, which is of fundamental importance in physics and is hence known as the God Particle. I hope I have convinced you that King’s is a great place to study science. If not, visit our website or give us a visit and you’ll see for yourself!
“At King’s, we have six academic schools dedicated to science, five health sciences schools and one for natural science.” FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, FOUNDER OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
“Cutting edge research takes place in areas of bioinformatics, theoretical physics, chemistry, robotics and many more subjects.” THOMAS GUY, FOUNDER OF GUY’S HOSPITAL
ROAR! 11
CAFFEINE, THE FUEL FOR UNI LIFE Vanessa Megaro
LONDON. It’s the big apple of Europe, the city that’s always buzzing but unlike the concrete jungle of New York we have the added luxury of having some of the finest greenery. So why study in London? And more importantly, why choose King’s College London? Well, if you want a true taste of the capital, it makes sense to go to the most central university in the city! Its vibrant, upbeat atmosphere and colourful mix of students is something that makes the university one of the best in the country from
a student’s prospective as well as excelling in all fields of academia. But the one I’m drawing to your attention is the scientific field.
You might ask yourself what gives the students of King’s College a drive to succeed and in general what gives Londoners that lively edge? A big contributing factor is caffeine. This is just a minute fraction of what our health and science schools have to offer in terms of study. If you’re interested in rocket science, we have the Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Science, but if the
newest rapidly advancing field of science, neuroscience, takes your fancy, we’ve got that too! We have a department, a centre or an institute in each scientific discipline to suit everyone. Not only do we ensure our teaching is more than up to scratch but we make sure we stay on top of our research. Our lecturers have the superhuman ability of being able to articulate complex scientific ideas to students as well as investigating the neural pathways of learning new words or building a computer model of an epileptic brain. Nevertheless, caffeine acts for
many students as the fuel for uni life. But what is caffeine actually doing to our students? Caffeine is a molecule that travels from our stomach into our bloodstream and eventually makes it into our brain. Our brain cells have specific receptors that sit on the outside and detect the molecule Adenosine. This molecule is responsible for making us feel sleepy! Caffeine has a very similar shape to adenosine, so when we drink our latte, we effectively block those receptors with the caffeine molecule so that adenosine can’t bind
and voilà! We no longer feel tired! Now, we don’t all have to love coffee to have our caffeine hit. We’ve got the energy drinks, cans of Coca Cola, and there are even caffeine pills! But even if caffeine isn’t your thing, don’t let that put you off because the best thing about studying in such a vast city like London is you will definitely find someone like you. Don’t listen to the anxious tales and stories. Thousands of students flock to the capital, come to King’s and have the time of their lives. Let that be you!
PRESENTING: YOUR UNION (NOT KCLSU, THE OTHER ONE) Michael Di Benedetto
“IT’S London!” “It won’t have a university feel!” “It isn’t a student city!” How often is the stated intention of studying in London met with one of these refrain? Your counter-riposte? The University of London Union (ULU). Formed in 1921 and comprising 21 constituent colleges of the University of London, ULU is the focal point of student life in the capital. The task of satisfying 120,000 members is a tall order, and ULU has responded with a union like no other. Sports clubs? Societies? Check. The largest student-run newspaper in Europe? Check. Live events? Check. Club nights? Check.
World-class leisure ties? Check. Check.
faciliCheck.
From capoeira to windsurfing and nearly everything in between, its sports clubs and societies offer a new dimension to the KCLSU experience, allowing for pan-London representation, co-operation, and yes, competition. As well as its own sports leagues, ULU provides leisure facilities such as a gym and swimming pool, plus social areas in which its societies can gather and host their events. These are all held in high regard by students, with membership rates for sports clubs and societies continuing to increase. The nightlife, too, is outstanding. Its central feature, The Venue, has
played host to some of the biggest names in music, including Coldplay and the Foo Fighters, and its bars are rarely empty. Students from across London frequent these locales, a great opportunity to meet new people in an acces-
well as an acclaimed culture section. Not only is the paper an exciting, refreshing and engaging source of news for students in London, it also offers a fantastic opportunity for any budding journalists, with new students routinely writing for the paper. Another feature of ULU is the platform that it offers to campaigning groups.
sible and inexpensive setting. Possibly ULU’s richest offering is its long-running newspaper, London Student. Editorially independent from the union, it has a fearsome reputation for breaking stories, as
These focus largely on student-centred issues, such as affordable housing, but also extend further afield, recently securing a living wage for staff at the University of London. Similar student campaign
networks have for a long time been an effective way of making a positive difference at home and abroad, and ULU is central to student political activity in the capital. Not willing to rest on its laurels, ULU is set to transform further, improving its reach and engagement with a new panLondon students’ union. This process will take place throughout your time at KCL, a process directed by students. That for students, by students, ethos is at the forefront of ULU, providing a friendly atmosphere and allowing for the union to continue changing to satisfy new demands. So choose KCL and choose ULU, you won’t regret it.
BROADENING CULTURAL HORIZONS Steph Fairbairn
AS a language student, cultural diversity was one of my considerations when choosing which university to attend. Naturally, I was drawn to London; the vibrant UK capital where over 8 million people live and more than 300 languages are spoken. You hear it everyday, but London really is a melting pot, of colours, creeds and everything in-between. As a Geordie girl, I spent the first 18 years of my life thinking that New-
castle really was the world, the be all and end all of life and society. We’re encouraged to think that the Toon is yem, and yem’s all we’ve got (Yem means home for anyone unfamiliar with the Geordie lingo).
wide world out there, but what could be bigger and better than Newcastle? Well... London. London is officially the most linguistically diverse city in the world, and with language comes culture.
I spent my school years obsessed with learning languages, spending hours looking up French grammar or studying Spanish culture. I think it’s fair to say that I learned the languages but I didn’t really know what I was learning them for. I was told that there was a big
On any given day in London, I can guarantee that you will hear at least five different languages spoken, see people from at least ten different countries and learn something about the world that you just can’t learn anywhere else in the UK. For me, London is the biggest
and best example you can find to prove that multiculturalism is alive and well and that there is no better place to be, in order to make friends from all over the world. In this sense, you could say that King’s is London on a smaller scale. King’s is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse universities in the UK, we boast almost 140 different nationalities with over 30,000 alumni of international origin, from 180 countries worldwide. The 2011/12 academic year
saw 24,550 students studying at King’s, 7293 of whom were international students. This means 30% of King’s studentship was of foreign origin. Moreover, of the approximately 5030 members of staff, 2076 of them were of international origin - that’s 41%. The numbers really do speak for themselves. Olympics or not, the motto is still true, London really is ‘the world in one city’, and there’s no better place to feel at home as a world citizen.