Roar!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: FREE PULL OUT CAREERS GUIDE!! FREE King’s College London Guy’s Campus

King’s News King’s Entertainment Vol 19, Issue 5 December 13 January 23, 2011-12

www.roarnews.co.uk

IS IT ALL

Got a Story? editor@roarnews.co.uk @roar_news

Macadam Building, Surrey Street, London WC2R 2NS

COMMENTS

Roar! is an independent Student Media society at KCLSU. Views expressed in Roar! do not necessarily reflect those of Roar!’s Editorial Board, KCLSU, its trustees, or its employees, or of King’s College London.

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WORTH IT?

Talking Heads

A new addition to the Comment section, where King’s students can mouth off on everything from Strikes, Lecture cancellations and the Eurozone.

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KCLGMS get famous King’s very own Gospel Music Society featured on last week’s X Factor. We’re so proud!

SPORT

020 7379 9833

STUDENT GROUPS

roar! newspaper

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Elites at King’s Roar! met Paralympic Athlete and King’s Geography student Michael Smith.

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Meet the New Design Editor...

What better time to come into the Roar! family than at Christmas! Everyone has been hugely welcoming to me, and although I can see things are always hectic, they’re even more fun!

I’ve had a great time putting together the centre spread and adding little Christmassy touches here and there, so I hope you love this issue as much as I do! I plan to make Roar! just that little bit brighter, I have lots of ideas for all of the sections and can’t wait to really put them into full force come the new year!

If anyone is interested in getting involved with the design side of Roar!, please don’t hesitate to get in contact! We’re always looking for new helpers!

For now, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, a great new year, and I’ll see you in January!

Steph xx

Roar’s Favourite Christmas Jokes...

How do we know Santa is such a good race car driver?

Because he’s always in the pole position!

What do you get if Santa comes down the chimney while the fire is still burning?

Crisp Kringle!

This issue Roar! has gone a bit Christmas crazy! By the time you read this we will be well on our way into Advent, but there is something a little disconcerting about putting together a Christmas themed paper in mid November!

What better way to get us into the swing of thing than to impart some of our wisdom about what to do in London during the winter wilds? So check out the centre spread for all your top Christmas tips, and judging by the Facebook posts going around, some that you suggested yourselves!

For the next issue of Roar! (out on January 23rd) we are looking for all your suggestions on graduate schemes and post-graduate applications. We know that for most final years things will have kicked off by then, so if you are planning to apply/ in the process of doing so / have no idea what to do and are in need or some ‘pointers’. Please send us your top tips. We will put as many as we can in the paper. E-mail them to me: editor@roarnews.co.uk by the 10th of January.

On the home front we have adopted a cat. We are unsure of its gender at the moment so it has been named Deathface (Deathy for short). It’s really sweet but we have to hide it from one of our housemates, who loathes cats and the one and only time he saw it threatened to drop kick it into the prison! I’m sure the residents would have been very excited! I don’t particularly like cats but have been reduced to feeding this one left-over chicken and cooing!

Anyway, Deathy is now a resident...until our landlady or Hugo discovers it and then all hell breaks loose!

FASHION AND LIFESTYLE

I’m a second year studying French and Spanish and have finally found the courage to try and put my design skills to some use!

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ARTS

The Home Front...

Hi all,

All I Want For Christmas Is...

This year’s must haves!

La Soiree A review of the ‘kind of Cabaret/Variety

Have a great Christmas and debauched New Year!

Happy reading!

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show’

Lots of love,

Zoe xxx

editor@roarnews.co.uk

How does Rudolph know when Christmas is coming?

He looks at his calen-”deer”!

How do you describe a rich elf?

Welfy We had grandma for Christmas dinner!

Really, we had turkey !

The most viewed on w w w. r o a r n e w s . c o . u k

MUSIC

Steph Fairbairn

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

Editor’s Note

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Top Albums of the Year What really stood out in 2011

1. KCL students abuse Francis Maude In FW Building

FILM

2. The Suicide of Speed: Football Brings Happiness? - Vieri Capretta 3. Glory of the Days Gone By - Katie Sinclair 4. Diary of a Fresher: Swimming Gala and Initiation in Cambridge - Fraser Peh 5. Review: A Walk-On Part - Theodora Wakely, Arts Editor

We know that long journeys home are some of the most boring on earth so we thought we would provide you with a little diversion! As usual, no prizes but you do get our admiration! What more could you wish for?!

Film For A Fiver High Fidelity

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Editor Zoe Tipler editor@roarnews.co.uk

Comment Editor Michael Miller comment@roarnews.co.uk

Fashion and Lifestyle Editor Coryn Brisbane fashion@roarnews.co.uk

Music Editor Shivan Davis music@roarnews.co.uk

Legal and Advertising Fran Allfrey vpsme@kclsu.org

Head of Design Steph Fairbairn design@roarnew.co.uk

Features Editor Rupert Clague features@roarnews.co.uk

Arts Editor Theodora Wakeley arts@roarnews.co.uk

Sports Editor Charlotte Richardson sports@roarnews.co.uk

Next content deadline: 10/01/2012

News Editor Luke Chattaway news@roarnews.co.uk

Student Groups Editor Laura Arowolo students@raornews.co.uk

Film Editor Kate Loftus O’Brien film@roarnews.co.uk

Proofing Editor Sofie Kouropatov proof@roarnews.co.uk

This issue of Roar! was proofed by For 15% KCL student discount visit www.proofreading.co.uk/KCL.

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News

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

Edited by Luke Chattaway news@roarnews.co.uk

How Much Is Your Degree Worth?

After last year’s furore over the tuition fee rises, Roar! thought it was about time we sat down and considered the real financial impact of the changes on you, dear reader, the student.

Since different courses have more or less contact time depending on the way they are taught, we thought that one way to compare a selection of subjects across the College would be to calculate the approximate cost per hour of teaching for the current costs of £3375 per year and then again for the predicted £9000 per year that will come into force next year. The cost per hour is worked out by dividing the fees for 2012 by the number of teaching weeks and then dividing that by the hours of contact time (lectures, tutorials and seminars) per week. The figures we have calculated rely on average first year weekly contact hours with an approximate teaching year of 23 weeks.

Fun fact: Next year, an hour of Geography teaching time (£39.13) will cost almost twice as much as an hour playing LaserTag at Bunker 51 in SE7 (£20).

KCL’s response to our investigation: “There is no indication that current levels of contact time are insufficient.

The quality and standards of our degree programmes are monitored by a number of external agencies, including external examiners and the Quality Assurance Agency.”

‘“Nursing and midwifery programmes are 50% academic learning and 50% practicebased learning. Students are required to spend a specific number of hours on clinical placement in order to attain NMC registration. During placements, students receive direct support from a clinical mentor and have contact with a member of the school’s academic team.”

According to KCL none of the information about contact hours is held centrally and anyone hoping to find out must go to the department and schools directly.

This information was compiled

by Roar! Editor Zoe Tipler, News Editor Luke Chattaway, thanks to Jack Allen, for his help, and any department that happily gave up the information!

Number of Contact Hours

Cost Per Hour This Year

Cost Per Hour Next Year

£12.28

£32.60

Classics

13

£11.28

£30.10

Music

10

£14.67

£39.13

Chemistry

No undergraduates yet

No undergraduates yet

No undergraduates yet

Philosophy

£16.304

£43.48

Theology and Religious Studies

9 8

£12.28

£48.91

Geography

10

£14.67

£39.13

Computer Science Business Management

16.5

£8.89

£23.71

12

£12.28

£32.60

Law

12

£12.28

£32.60

English

8

£18.34

£48.91

Maths

16

£8.78

£23.43

French

10

£14.67

£39.13

SPLAS

14

£10.48

£27.95

10 16

£14.67 £9.17

£39.13 £24.46

20 11

Paid by NHS

Paid by NHS

Paid by NHS

Paid by NHS

Department War Studies

International Politics

Physics

Nursing Midwifery

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Having checked all the department websites and searched kcl.ac.uk repeatedly, the only schools where the information was freely available were English, Law and Management.

We at Roar! think the number of contact hours students receive should be printed prominently on each school website and in the prospectus- we believe that prospective students have the right to know what they can expect from their degree in terms of teaching time.

This is all part of Roar!’s campaign to ensure you are getting as much value for money from your degree as possible!

Roar! asked KCLSU President Hannah Barlow for her thoughts on contact hours- she never got back to us.

The yawning gap in price per hour between subjects with a lot of contact time and those with less is hard to ignore. Are subjects like English and Theology subsidising the funding of other, more teaching-intensive courses like Computer Science?

Is this fair?

Roar! were a bit surprised to receive an e-mail on 2nd of December regarding our Freedom of Information request. Mainly because we were unaware we had submitted one! However, apparently we did and it was declined

by KCL on the grounds that the investigation would a) take too long, b) be too expensive and c) KCL plan to publish this information next year. Read their full response on our website www. roarnews.co.uk.

Any departments not included in our list never responded to our request for the information.

Let us know what you think: do the number of contact hours reflect the amount you are asked to spend on them? Do you think you are getting what you pay for? Would the increases in fees put you off applying?

News

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

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KCL Continues Fight Against Illness With Innovative New Building Last Monday, builders broke ground on a brand new neuroscience facility at Denmark Hill campus (pictured, left). The £37 million new building, part of the Institute of Psychiatry, will work on developing the treatments for such disorders as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.

The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, as it will be officially known, will bring together over 250 doctors and scientists specialising in the inner functions of the brain. Professor Chris Shaw – who will become Director of the

KCL under fire over cosmetic links The College’s ethical integrity was called into question last week after the NUS issued a condemnation of KCL’s involvement with a controversial Israeli cosmetic company.

The company in question, Ahava, specialise in producing skincare creams using minerals taken from the Dead Sea. Their main manufacturing plant is in Mitzpe Shalem, an Isreali settlement in the Palestinian West Bank and considered by many observers to be an illegal occupation under international law.

King’s connection to the company comes through the research group NanoReTox, set up in 2008

Caught on Youtube: Shouting youths pursue elderly Tory MP through King’s building

Rob Prince and Luke Chattaway

to investigate the potential dangers that manmade nanomaterials pose to the environment.

The NUS motion aims to ‘condemn the collaboration between King’s College London and Ahava in the research project, and demand the immediate end of the university’s involvement in the project, and the rejection of the financial grant King’s has received for its participation’.

A petition was prepared by the KCL Palestine Campaign prior to the NUS decision, with over 1,000 signatures including those of academic Noam Chomsky and pro-Palestine campaigner Omar Barghouti.

A College spokesman responded to the statement: “King’s is supplying risk communications expertise on the project and has no involvement with Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories. The project, which will be completed in 2012, is a significant piece of research.”

Earlier this year, Ahava were forced to close a shop in Covent Garden after years of proPalestinian protests drove away customers.

open meeting organised by the KCL Conservative Society. Maude – a high profile speaker – is the MP for Horsham, as well as Minister for the Cabinet Office.

The footage shows a small group of students harassing the MP on his way out of the building, chanting abuse such as “Tory scum!” and “Build a bonfire… put the Tories on the top… we’ll burn the f*****g lot”.

King’s College London has an honoured history of political activity.

It is an institution that proudly displays the faces of Desmond Tutu, Frederick Maurice and its founder, The Duke of Wellington on its walls.

When reached for comment (the entirety of which can be read our website), the Student Socialist Worker Society – a group that took a leading role in organising the protest – claimed they had been barred from the meeting and also from reading out a statement they had prepared.

However, on the evening of the 29th November, a video was uploaded to YouTube showing mobile phone footage of a protest aimed at Francis Maude, who was leaving an

They added: ‘The fact that there were twice as many protesters as Tories proves that the Conservative Society’s attempts to characterise us as a fringe, extremist group are simply ludicrous.

‘Unlike us, Francis Maude and the Tories are given massive platforms in Parliament and the media every day to attempt to justify their policies.’

King’s Creates...Legends?

From Roar!’s position, nobody comes off well from this nasty episode.

True, healthy political debate is important and the Conservative Society should probably have kept their open meeting open to everyone; but that is hardly a justification for chasing an old man down a corridor. Shouting has no place in a productive political discourse.

Why is it apparently so difficult to talk to one another nicely?

Roar! extend an invitation to the KCLCS Conservative society to comment on our website or in the next issue of Roar! on this event.

New Home at College for Known Homer Scholar Edith Hall, a renowned expert in studies of the classical world, is to quit her Professorship at Royal Holloway in order to join the King’s Classics department after a row over the funding of her department.

The move comes as the latest in a series of high-profile protests by academics in the social sciences and humanities worlds over shrinking budgets and the widespread feeling that universities are abandoning traditional programmes of study in favour of more vocational courses.

Hall – famed for her studies of Greek literature – has said her

new Institute – stresses the interdisciplinary nature of the project.

Since the brain is such a complicated piece of equipment, specialists in certain areas of neuroscience often miss out on interacting and sharing ideas with one another. Shaw says the Institute will put everyone ‘in the same laboratory and in the same cafeteria.’

The new unit forms one of three buildings being funded by the £500 million World Questions, King’s Answers Campaign and is due for completion in the Spring of 2013.

decision came after her computer broke and she was told there was no money to fix it. In a damning resignation letter she wrote: “The intense stresses of a professional environment in which the senior management do not in my view uphold the values definitive of a university, and whose fiscal competence I do not trust, make it impossible for me to continue teaching and conducting research at Royal Holloway.”

While the nature of her departure will undoubtedly strike a huge blow to Royal Holloway’s academic reputation, KCL will welcome Hall – who counts among her fans Stephen Fry, Boris Johnson and literary theorist Terry Eagleton – in April next year.

FANCY SEEING YOUR NAME IN PRINT? EMAIL LUKE OUR NEWS EDITOR AND PITCH YOUR NEWS STORIES. NEWS@ROARNEWS.CO.UK

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Comment

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

Edited by Michael Miller comment@roarnews.co.uk

“MY TRAM EXPERIENCE”: LAWFUL OR NOT? YES

NO

The ‘My Tram Experience’ video

be said to have been intimidating

went viral and as a result less

from her sitting position, clutching

than a week later a date has been

her small child and struggling to

set for Emma West to appear at

string a sentence together. Yes, she

Croydon Magistrate’s court (the

demonstrated incredible prejudice

6th of December). The video has

but there are no laws about that,

shocked and offended those who

and ignorance is no crime either.

have seen it. It pulls racism back

To suggest this woman was incit-

from abstraction into reality – and

ing hatred narrows the bounds of

it’s unsettling. The video raises

the definition and would risk in-

a host of questions ranging from

fringing on our widely admired

‘what the hell?’ to more poignant

policy on freedom of speech. West

inquiries such as, where are the

did not infringe on anyone’s hu-

lines between freedom of speech

man rights or make any threats of

and hate speech? What is hate

violence. Yes, her language and

speech and what is merely hateful?

speech was hateful; it was directly and deliberately insulting but not

“

Freedom of speech should not be dominated by the court or taken away by the governent because a minority abuses it.

Freedom of speech regulations

inciting hatred according to com-

cite that ‘everyone shall have the

mon definitions. Unfortunately it

right to hold opinions without

is not written into the HR bill ‘one

interference’ and that ‘everyone

has the right not to be offended’.

shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include

Laws in a democratic society may

freedom to seek, receive and im-

change fairly or unfairly depending

part information and ideas of all

on how well they are sold to the

kinds, regardless of frontiers, ei-

public and indeed this case could

ther orally, in writing or in print,

lead to a decision that favours a

in the form of art, or through any

narrowing of people’s freedoms -

other media of his [or her] choice’.

but a case of hurt feelings should

Hate speech is defined as ‘speech

not impact

intended to intimidate, incite vio-

Increasing censorship could stifle

lence or prejudicial action against

the ability of a society to discuss

someone based on race, religion,

important issues and consequent-

sexual

disabil-

ly progress. Freedom of speech

ity, in either written or oral form’.

should not be dominated by the

orientation,

or

freedom of speech.

court or taken away by the governUndoubtedly, the media and those

ment because a minority abuses it.

who have seen the footage will follow the progress of this case and

Society naturally functions to

report the judgment. In light of this

regulate behavior such as Emma

there is already a degree of exter-

West’s. I don’t know of any-

nal pressure on the court to pun-

one who holds this video up as a

ish this woman for her antisocial

representation of our society. If

behaviour. But attentive audiences

anything, as a piece of footage,

should not expect too much from

it unites everyone behind a com-

the hearing. Unpleasant as her

mon cause of racial tolerance. I

demeanor and words were, they

do not agree with any of the views

didn’t quite transcend the bounds

she expressed but ultimately I do

of inciting racial hatred. She made

support her right to express them,

no particular threats, and can’t

if not a little more eloquently.

When Emma West was arrested following the explosion in popularity of the YouTube video that showed her racist outburst on a London tram, many people were confused. What exactly was she arrested for? The media reported that she was charged with a ‘raciallyaggravated public order offence’, but simply being racist, in private or in public, is not a crime. Under UK law, our freedom of speech is only restricted when it is deemed hate speech, defined as ‘speech intended to intimidate or incite violence or prejudicial action’.

I think that Emma West’s inebriated diatribe constitutes exactly that; moreover, I think any public display of racism fits. There is a question here as to what counts as racism. The far right often complain at being branded racists when they talk about immigration, but let’s be clear: it’s not racist to be concerned about the number of people immigrating to the UK. Emma West, however, goes further. In one of the many highlights of the video, she says, ‘What has this country come to?

A load of black people and a load of fucking Polish!’ Her logic is that the presence of people whose skin colour doesn’t conform to her concept of ‘Britishness’ means that the country is in some way worse than what it would be if everyone were white. Not to mention her choice of adjective to describe the nationality of the Polish. This is certainly not a voicing of concerns about immigration; this is racism at its most ugly.

Ignoring the question of what does, however, constitute racism (I’m happy to let a court decide that), I think being racist in public should be illegal. This is because, despite the shock and horror of the majority of the public at the video, outbursts like that nonetheless make immigrants, whether they are first, second or

By Matt Lever even third generation, feel like they are somehow inferior to everyone else. It succeeds in alerting them to the subsection of society that doesn’t want ‘outsiders’ here, that thinks that being white or having British ancestors somehow means that they have a right to live here and immigrants don’t.

This ban would extend to humour as well. Famous comedians still make racist jokes all the time behind the sheepish guise of ‘being ironic’. Not necessarily because they’re racist, but because racist jokes are still well received amongst audiences. ‘Why do black people have red eyes after sex?’ asks Jimmy Carr. ‘Mace’.

It’s a joke that got him in a lot of trouble with Channel 4, but he shouldn’t have made it in the first place, and with the threat of legal action, he probably wouldn’t have.

We can’t make racist comments in political spheres but somehow it’s okay to allow an undercurrent of racism to pervade comedy. It’s as though we can laugh at other races as long as we, like the comedians, say we’re doing it ‘ironically’.

Whilst it’s true that people don’t have the right to be offended, what’s also true is that this goes deeper: people don’t have the right to be racist. I’m all for freedom of speech in most cases, but there’s no reason why we should consider it an overriding good in all circumstances, all of the time. Freedom of speech allows us to debate, to expose untruths and to establish a conception of the good, but a conception of the good doesn’t necessarily presuppose equality. We know that racism is wrong; we don’t need a discussion to debate whether some people are racially superior to others or have a racially determined right to live somewhere.

The only person who doesn’t deserve to be here is Emma West.

“

I’m all for freedom of speech in most cases, but there’s no reason why we should consider it an overriding good in all circumstances

“

By Olivia Selley

“

Comment

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

The Honest Truth?

Chris Jowitt Being a journalist should be something that is respected, something that somebody takes pride in doing. It can make a huge difference for the better, and informing the world of the most important, relevant news that we would otherwise be entirely oblivious to is something so valuable that those who are lucky enough to be doing it are in a great, yet enviable position of responsibility. Apparently.

The great chasm in the ethics of the British media today has become hugely apparent in recent times, with the News of the World phone-hacking scandal bringing about the end of its 168 year circulation, the loss of 200 jobs and the arrest of 10 of its most prominent contributors. The morals behind the publication had become so skewed by the desire for readership and, ultimately, money that it became common practice to illegally tap into the

phones of anyone from celebrities, politicians and royalty, to the families of deceased soldiers and 7/7 bombing victims.

They even went so far as to delete voicemail messages from the phone of the then abducted Milly Dowler, giving the family false hope that she may still have been alive. In a society where sensationalism and gossip sells, it really is no surprise that such methods are rife.

The important thing today is not to tell of significant world events that would enrich our lives intellectually and allow us to stay on top of what truly needs our attention, but to provide us with shallow, exaggerated gossip that is of no importance to our daily lives and that, in reality, we have no right or necessity to know. In today’s media, whether something is true or not counts for less than whether it makes a good story.

Negative, damaging reports are given prominence and weight that far exceeds their newsworthiness. Any transparency and accountability that people

would expect in such significant organisations is entirely lacking, and any kind of attempt at subverting this can be easily dismissed by those with their own best interests at heart as an attack on freedom of speech.

That is not to say that all news is bad news. There still exists a good deal of quality reporting in the UK, it is just a shame that such institutions are fading into the background of modern journalism. One of Rupert Murdoch’s very own executives in Australia once said that ‘Britain has the best press in the world, and the worst press in the world, and sometimes it is in the same edition.’ We need to take note of this and realise the true purpose of media in today’s society. Stop caring so much about trivialities and gossip that not only have no impact on our own lives, but a negative one on those who are concerned, and begin to realise that there is so much more out there that is of genuine importance to our daily lives.

Agree? Disagree? tweet @roar_news now!

Talking Heads King’s students tell us what they are thinking Harry Knapman - 1st year Physiotherapy student - The ‘My Tram Experience’ video is bad, but it isn’t representative of what people really think.

Thea Fisher - 2nd year English student - The Euro-Zone crisis has started to cause me serious anxiety - while at first I could feel superior... I am now seriously concerned about the immediate effect it will have on Europe.

Nyree Adams - 2nd year Midwifery student - I’m worried about cuts to the public sector, I don’t want to break my back at 60 delivering a 4kg baby.

Alex Bartlett - 2nd year Classics student - The coffee stand in the entrance to the King’s building is not Pret, so why is it so damn expensive?

Josh Burns - 3rd year Biomedical Science student - The way that Unison has reacted to the comments made by Jeremy Clarkson on the public sector strikes is completey over the top, it was a joke!

Craig Holburd - 2nd year Law student - I hate that my lecture was cancelled and I still want a refund on my tuition fees but I support the teaching staff’s right to strike.

Caitlin Billyard - 1st year Medical Student - I already have something like 40 hours contact time a week, I don’t have time for the awfully slow internet connection at King’s.

Nicola Martin - 3rd year Philosophy Student - I’m ambivalent about the strikes, it’s great to excercise our rights to strike, but why should my education suffer as a result?

James Smythe - 3rd year History Student - Eating in catered halls should carry a health warning: this week, I found a chicken foot in my dinner, nails still attached.

If you have anything you would like to get off your chest please send us a message to comment@roarnews.co.uk with the subject line: TalkingHeads

‘I support standing up for your rights, but I can’t sympathise with the public sector strike’ Michael Miller Certainly, I agree we need to be questioning why George Osborne’s measures are set to hit those with less, while a wealthy few escape unscathed. But however much I sympathise with the causes of the strike on Wednesday 30th, I still hesitate to support the industrial action itself.

The measures proposed are the latest move by the Coalition to help Britain recover from the economic crisis and avoid the much feared double-dip recession. The proposals are to reform how pensions are increased in relation to inflation, increase contributions and a move to a career average salary scheme rather than final salary scheme. These measures are still in the midst of early negotiations and I believe the unions have jumped the gun and shown their hand too early. With a two million-strong strike around the UK in the

Note from the Comment Editor

public sector sending public services into disarray, the unions have set a dangerous precedent for the coming months that could see a backlash in an already exhausted public.

When everyone is feeling the pinch of harsh austerity measures, it is difficult to sympathise with the teachers who forced schools to close on Wednesday, last week, leaving cash-strapped parents, who had to work, to find alternative childcare for the day.

Many hospitals could only offer a limited service, with all ‘non-emergencies’ scheduled for the date postponed, while paramedics warned that those in need could expect longer wait times.

Francis Maude, Cabinet Office Minister, somewhat naively argued that “you enter public service to follow a vocation of public service”, which I suppose is somewhat true, but however nice it is to imagine that teachers teach for

7

the love of it, and paramedics’ only fulfilment in life is found in saving lives and responding to emergencies, it just isn’t true. While they may not be in it for the money exactly, the attractive pensions they do receive encourage talented people into these jobs - that otherwise would not be so appealing - securing public services. However, with people living increasingly longer year on year due to a strong national health service is it fair to expect the same pension provisions, when they are simply not there?

Disrupting the economy as they are, it seems evident that many people do not understand the current crisis this country has found itself in. Frankly, we cannot afford to pay ourselves as we do and these public sector pensions that are far higher than those received by those working in private services, are just unfeasible in the current economic climate.

This is my last issue of Roar - for this academic year at least - as I will be studying at UPenn in the spring semester.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the Comment section and been intrigued, annoyed or at least amused by our columnists’ opinions on current affairs over the past few months.

It has been a great opportunity and I want to wish my successor and the rest of the Roar Team and contributors good luck!

Mike

8

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

Student Groups Edited by Laura Arowolo students@roarnews.co.uk

KCLGMS have the X Factor!

Thought you saw some familiar faces performing with X Factor finalist Marcus Collins? Well.... On November 19th, week 7 of the X Factor Live Shows, the King’s College London Gospel Music Society (KCLGMS) graced the X Factor stage to support Marcus Collins’ take on the Jackie Wilson song ‘Higher and Higher’.

KCLGMS’s powerful vocals, alongside their synchronised, energetic choreography, was the icing on the cake of Marcus’s song. Without a doubt it was a brilliant, soulful performance and a great way to close the show. Afterwards, the judges were full of praise; Kelly Rowland said, ‘Marcus has been here and Marcus has shut the building down!’ Gary Barlow was also impressed and claimed that it was ‘by far the performance of the night tonight!’

So you guys are probably wondering what’s next for KCLGMS….

Well, they just hosted their annual Christmas show entitled ‘New Be-

ginnings’ (on December 1st) and yet again they delivered (if you weren’t at the show, you really missed out!).

‘New Beginnings’ was held at Tutu’s in the Macadam Building and we can truly say that KCLGMS ushered us into the festive season of Christmas.

The evening was action packed, as it featured meaningful and heartfelt poems, expressive dance acts, a powerful and evocative drama piece and of course songs from the choir.

The choir sung in various genres, and they performed traditional carols as well as adding a Caribbean feel to show with Caribbean Christmas medleys all the way from Trinidad.

Not only did they take us to the Caribbean but we also visited Africa, when they did a rendition of the Swahili song, ‘Hlonolofatsa’.

If you’ve missed KCLGMS performances so far, all is not lost, because they will be having their end of year show on March 1st & March 2nd

at the Greenwood Lecture Theatre, Guy’s Campus. And we’ve been told to expect the unexpected! Until then, you can keep up to date with all their movements by adding their facebook account ‘Kcl Gms’ and by following them on twitter @KCLGMS1.

Got a story to share about your society? Send your pics and articles to Laura at students@roarnews.co.uk, alternatively arrange an interview which means less writing for you!

Get ahead with The KCL Impresarios

KCL Impresarios is King’s College London’s only event management society.

After last year’s successful Be Brazen Charity Fashion Show, which not only gave the students a fantastically glamorous night but also raised £250, KCL Impresarios is back this year with more exciting events planned! So far, the Impresarios have held a welcome picnic and a Networking with Events Management Professionals session, and this month they ended 2011 with what they do best: an exciting event that raises money for charity, in the form of the Battle of the Societies!

If you want to get into event management, advertising or marketing then KCL Impresarios could be THE society for you. If you’ve missed out joining them before, then make sure you sign up for the new year, online at www.kclsu.org or at any KCLSU desk. Email kclimpresarios@gmail.com for more info.

Finally Introducing: The KCL French Society Steph Fairbairn

Calling all Frenchies! By that I mean Francophone or French people, French students and French enthusiasts, or indeed francophiles. Those of you who have been at King’s for at least a year will know that King’s boasts a fantastic French department: great lecturers, great courses, great support, but there’s always been one thing missing. That’s right, a French Society. Haven’t we all dreamed of donning stripy t-shirts and onion necklaces and parading around a dance floor with our fellow French enthusiasts? Haven’t we all wanted to eat cheese and drink wine before heading home on our basketed bicycle? Well dream and want no more.

The French Society is here!

Recently founded by four eager and dedicated students: Charlotte Gillies, President; Lucas Brechot, Cultural Secretary; Francesca Reece, Social Secretary; and Jessica Loftus, Operations Manager; KCL’s very own French society is up and

running and raring to go.

The first event, a simple ice-breaker gathering at the Waterfront, was a huge success, attracting many members and allowing people to get to know each other. The society is planning to follow this with a lot more French fun, including film screenings, wine tastings and many more events that will make you say ‘VA VA VOOM’!

The French Society is growing in stature and number every day. Its mission statement is, ‘To all gather on a regular basis to celebrate all things French; be that French cinema, art, literature, or of course French wine – which we will be sure to consume vast amounts of.’ So join the Facebook group, come and talk to the committee and meet the members, and come along to an event, s’il vous plait.

Image: Lukeas09 on Wikipedia.com

What’s on Dec ‘11 - Jan ‘12 13 December - doors at 7:30pm All the King’s Men and the King’s Chix Christmas Gig Stamford Street Lecture Theatre Join the most tuneful lads and lasses of King’s in their end of year extravaganza. Singalong not compulsorary.

Tickets: £5 (Students £3) 14 December - 6pm LAH Student Network: Festive Drinks The Waterfront kings.lahs@googlemail.com For a holiday-inspired drinking experience, come and join the Living at Home Students’ Network for our next event; Festive Drinks!

The plan is to meet at 18:15 (you can spot committee members by their LAHS logo t-shirts and big cheerful smiles).

15 December - 6pm till late London Student Open Assembly and X-mas Party University of London Union building For current writers and those interested in joining the big brother of London student newspapers: a shindig to finish of a great 1st semester for new editor and King’s Alumnus Hesham and team!

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

Student Groups

Careers Section Bartle Bogle Hegarty: A Presentation to Remember Georgia Rajah, Careers Editor the various opportunities within BBH with King’s and Roar!.

Strategy: “giving it purpose” Strategists are supposed to be the brains behind the campaigns, taking the briefs from the clients and whittling them down to something creative.

Team Management: “getting shit done”

Most humanities students are no doubt aware of the rigourous competition for jobs in the media industry. Until Bartle Bogle Hegarty came to King’s, I had personally never thought of applying for a career in advertising. However, as cliché as it sounds, BBH successfully managed turn me around and by the end of the presentation I was sold.

BBH is a creative advertising agency that works to create television, cinema, radio, print and digital ads. It has branches across the world in destinations such as Singapore, São Paolo, Mumbai and even New York.

Melanie, an employee in the Strategy department, and Sam, an intern for BBH, came to King’s to share the advantages of working for the agency.

BBH’s black sheep logo originated from a successful ad campaign for Levi’s. Their task was to get people interested in black jeans in a time when no one wore them, and the ad above became the vehicle through which they achieved

this goal. To this day BBH sticks by their original philoso

Team Management basically run the campaign from start to finish. This can range from booking studios to arranging meetings for clients and work-

department and the whole production process.

Design: “sprinkling it with glitter”

If creatives draw things, this department will bring them to life.

Zag: “inventing brands”

new

People in Zag are inventors, designers and businessmen.

BBH does not just rely on clients’ products; Zag representatives come up with their own and put them into the market.

Data: “strategy through numbers”

BBH has a very large Data department - it is in charge of finding research and data for BBH ad campaigns. Representatives from this group work closely with other departments.

phy of always asking, “Where is the newness?”

Bartle Bogle Hegarty is made up of many different departments. By interning with BBH through the home-grown scheme, applicants can try out a variety of roles to see where they could best fit within the company. Those who manage to make an impression will be asked to stay on with the agency. Melanie and Sam shared

ing with production design to make sure TV ads go out on time.

Creative: genius”

“thinking

up

These guys write the scripts and draw up press ads for television.

Production: “making it magic”

People in production ultimately manage those in the creative

One thing that Melanie and Sam stressed was that although you work really hard for the company, you’re well looked after, and the fun you have on the job really makes it worthwhile. Given the wide range of departments at BBH, people from all different backgrounds and degrees are encouraged to apply. BBH want diversity and emphasised that they were not looking for any specific type of person. So if you’re interested in applying for a work placement with the company then go to www.bbhhomegrown. co.uk.

Another good opportunity is the chance to be a tech intern with BBH Labs. This is a department made up of strategists and creatives who experiment with digital media to make sure that BBH is at the forefront of digital thinking. To find out more, email labs.intern@bartleboglehegarty.com.

For more information on advertising, visit www.prospects. ac.uk/marketing_advertising_ pr_sector.htm or download The Careers Group podcast on ‘Careers in Advertising: Your questions answered by Saatchi & Saatchi’ at www.careers.lon. ac.uk/output/Page795.asp#pr.

Find out about other Graduate vacancies and careers at http:// jobonline.thecareersgroup. co.uk/kings/student/Vacancies. aspx and don’t forget to note Media Week in your diaries!

It’s on 27th February to 2nd March 2012.

You can also check out the KCL Advertising, Marketing & PR Society (AMP Soc) on facebook.

Coming soon...

The KCLSU Elections 2012 Could you lead King’s? www.kclsu.org/elections

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Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

FEATURES Edited by Rupert Clague features@roarnews.co.uk

Daisy Stenham

Are You a Pretentious London Student?

I TOTALLY hate David Cameron but I am not entirely sure why.

Everything is ironic, post-ironic or even neo- ironic.

Sartre, Camus; God, people pretend they read that shit but I actually have, ‘Hell is other people’ (Very short Oxford Introduction to Existentialism, 2010).

It’s like no one takes academia seriously anymore you know, I spend eight hours a week tweeting when other people talk about man’s condition in this world (that P.S we don’t EVEN know exists). No wonder afterwards I have to decompress with my pocket Moleskine and a fairtrade coffee (black like Camus’ hair).

Of course I am LEFT WING, aren’t you? I tried being a communist for a day and a half last term but red doesn’t suit me.

It’s like East London is ‘over’ then South London is the new thing but what’s the point ‘cause by the time you get on the tube it will be ‘over’ too. I might as well just stay at home.

Yes, I like to take advantage of what London has to offer. No, I wouldn’t buy Timeout, I go off the beaten track, so to speak. Where do I go? Tate Modern, White Chapel, some noir thing at the BFI - but Christ, it’s SO middle class over there, take your yogurt-covered raspberries and shove them up your arse, you right wing anti-communists!

I am very excited to be going away this year to Berlin.

You will be able to see the pictures on my website- www. ithinkthereforeiam.com.

I occasionally go to visit friends in Sussex or Leeds, though they’ve got nothing on London nightlife.

Music, I knew this question was coming. Bit of folk/house/ D+B/Grime/neo-house/post-ironic Disney songs/garage (sorry, I mean 90s music)/electro - I can’t LIVE without my music. It’s a lifeline. Check out my blog - www.didsomeonedropabassline.com.

Cartoon

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

FEATURES

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So Lady Gaga Then Worse than Hitler?

Steven Edmondson

Someone who takes cultural symbols and twists them to their own ends?

While simultaneously draining the latest appropriated artifact of any pretence to meaning? Someone who elevates themselves to iconic status by subverting emerging media?

Someone who parlays a group’s onanistic sense of grievance into cultural capital? I’m talking about Lady Gaga right? Wrong. I’m talking about Hitler.

Now I’m talking about Lady Gaga.

It is ironic that two people received prison sentences over allegations that they sought to share her music. Of course she’s a fierce defender of copyright. How can an ‘artist’ continue to produce art if the end result can be appropriated without financial remuneration? If

we cut off the financial air supply, the creative impulse will wither.

It’s a shame then that Lady Gaga doesn’t take her own advice.

I was in a gay bar once and ‘Born This Way’ was playing, looped, for about an hour. Bad music, but how nice that she’d clearly commissioned Marco Brambilla to make the video.

Not exactly his best work - seemed at points as if he was cannibalizing his earlier Civilisation and Cathedral pieces - but it was at least a pleasingly post-modernist melding of high and low culture, the often gaudy excess of the former knowingly reflected back at itself through a trashy pop pastiche. But I was wrong.

It’s not a commission, just theft.

What’s more galling is how superficial her engagement is. Gaga just lifts the aesthetic essence - anything like a sense of conceptual coherency is void. She can steal the work, but it doesn’t look like she understands it.

It’s not as if Gaga lacks the resources to commission new work either. It’s not a huge leap to suggest that the work would benefit hugely. As it is though, Gaga stands as little more than a Tesco-value corporate Björk - someone who clearly has an interest in art, but who fails to mesh her visual sensibility with the music, someone choosing to leech off of the art world rather than support it.

Anyway, what I’m saying is, she’s shit.

Green Eyes@ roarnews.co.uk ‘Tis the season to be jolly… or in theory, anyhow. Here I was, under the naïve assumption that the worst thing a guy could do this time of year would be to grow an unflattering moustache for Movember.

But it seems the ‘unfairer sex’ have discovered how to be even more annoying than a visit from Jack Frost over Waterloo bridge.

That Brazil Trip in Full

Delia Piccinini

When my alarm went off this morning, I didn’t think it would be that hard to go back to normal life. Sure, we had landed in Heathrow less than 24 hours before, and had left a sunny and hot São Paulo to be welcomed by a grey and rainy London, but I had always been the kind of person that gets used to a routine in no time, especially after only two weeks abroad.

The thing is, it wasn’t a normal trip. I wasn’t alone with a backpack, a map, and an incredible amount of time on my hands. I was constantly surrounded by more than 40 people: students and professors, everyone catapulted in this new Brazilian reality paid for

by Santander Universities, not really knowing what to expect. We must have been a pretty funny sight, first at the airport, amazed that we had finally arrived, shocked that it was raining, but even more so the rest of the two weeks, being constantly followed by a photographer and carried around the city in four huge black vans, with blacked out windows, driven by

guys who looked like they escaped from an action movie set (I wondered more than once if they were the good guys trying to protect us or the bad guys trying to kidnap us!)

So there we were, visiting BOVESPA, the São Paulo stock exchange, and EMBRAER, Brazil’s largest aerospace company, and going around São Paulo universities, attending lectures on marketing, ecology, and engineering, eagerly waiting for coffee breaks, where we drank at least three Brazilian coffees in a row, eating all we could find in the buffet, to keep us going and help us sit through another two hours of lectures. I’m sure that all those who were jealous when I said I was one of the four King’s students chosen to go will think that, in the end, they didn’t miss out on much.

Wait for it, that’s not all we did.

State art gallery, museum of art, capoeira class, samba bar, free time at the beach, salsa club, football game, party on the beach with endless caipir-

inha; those were clearly the highlights of the trip, together with the fact that we had a simply amazing group of people. We now all have inside jokes, photographs, songs and countless things – Guarana, coffee, free food, waiters opening our Coke cans and much more – to miss. Although it was sometimes hard to pay attention – the wake-up calls at six in the morning clearly did not help – the lectures were an acceptable price to pay for the time we spent laughing and thinking about missing our return flight.

The whole trip was definitely worth it, even though sometimes, since back in the UK, we feel lost. I still have to get used to having to take a bus again, open my can of Coke by myself, not having a buffet waiting for me at the end of lectures and, last but not least, drink disgusting coffee. The huge advert for Brazil on the IMAX did not help me get back to normal life, but at least it reminded me of something: “experience life there”, it says. We already did.

The Christmas lights and ambiance create a perfect scene for a romantic first, second or even third date, if things are going well in your new blossoming romance. But the festivities have an ugly way of mocking those who find themselves not-sohappily single this time of year, especially if you’ve been stood up by a guy who pursued you in the first place. ‘Miss I-now-hate-Christmas’ from Guy’s campus was the latest victim of Nate Stringer, the notorious womanising flake whose hot and cold fluctuations have left many a pretty girl in despair.

And for the record, standing up a girl after being the initiator of the rendezvous is as bad as using someone else’s kitchen to bake delicious mince pies and only leaving them with the washing up (Henry Blake, I’m talking about you).

Speaking of guys we’d like to attack with a particularly sharp piece of holly this Christmas, David Wallow from Strand Campus has come under fire from his date after his unchivalrous conduct on their first and last date. Buying your date dinner will only get you so far if you hog your umbrella on the rainy, rainy walk to the station. Frizz Ease and waterproof mascara are not infallible, I’ll have you know, and you will not be hearing back from the frizzy-haired, panda-eyed girl whom you kissed at the end of the

date (shame really, you were a good kisser).

And another guy who seems to think that ‘King’s College’ was named after him... Matt Johnson.

Feel the wrath of public humiliation my friend, no-one spites a gossip columnist and gets away scar free.

Spending two hours of a party chatting up this lovely lady, asking her out and then solemnly declaring, ‘Oh, maybe I shouldn’t have done that... yeh, I have a girlfriend’, is behaviour even Barney Stinson would condemn! Girls, I feel like shaming the perpetrator of this vile offence, so suggestions of revenge are welcome :) But for those of you who find yourselves suitably loved up this Christmas, make the most of sharing a free mince pie at Starbucks on selected days when you order a Christmas coffee, steel drum performances of carols in Oxford Street and cheesy but ultimately loveable carol singers congregating around the tree in Trafalgar Square. My Christmas soundtrack for 2011 are covers of all the classics by Vonda Shepard, combined with a little Mariah (because there’s no excuse not to make your flatmates suffer as you screech along with the high notes in the shower).

Wishing you a very merry Christmas, with plenty of relaxation, but enough scandal to keep me entertained as I read your faithful emails.

And of course, my first column of 2012, the year of the Olympics, will be a marathon of gossip from the three week hiatus.

Peace and goodwill, Green eyes

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

Christmas in London...

Spend the remnants of your student loan at Duke’s in St James’s. They serve the ‘world’s best Martinis’. Get yourself all dressed up and enjoy a bit of the London life James Bond style! I’ll have mine shaken!

Duke’s, St James’s Place, London, SW1A 1NY

If you fancy something more refined than mince pies, mulled wine and mistletoe this Christmas I suggest you visit the Geffrye Museum’s ‘400 Years Of Seasonal Traditions In English Homes’ exhibition. The exhibition holds eleven period rooms, decorated in authentic festive style, evoking some of the traditions and celebrations of the past 400 years.

You can travel through 400 years in under an hour. Forget the ice skating when I offer you time travel…

Christmas Past, Geffrye Museum, Tuesday 29th November 2011-Sunday 8th January 2012.

Charlotte, Sports Editor

Zoe, Editor

For those staying in London for the Christmas holidays, I’d recommend heading on down to the Strand to watch the annual fireworks light up the Thames on New Year’s Eve. It’s a great way to celebrate the countdown, and as it’s located right in central London, going out after-wards shouldn’t be too much of a problem!

Bake! Just because you’re in London it doesn’t mean you have to be out every second of every day! Remember the small joys of staying at home with a few friends and whipping up all kinds of delights. Try a gingerbread nativity or a Santa Claus cake. When they’re done, sit back and eat them without feeling guilty, it is the festive season after all!

Georgia, Careers Editor

Steph, Design Editor

This Christmas I recommend wrapping up warm at home with a festive classic, such as Home Alone, Elf or even Love Actually - I hear that’s OK too!

Pantomime! What could be more festive than parting with your cash and braying at past-their-sell-by-date actors making penetration jokes? Sadly the best London can offer this year by way of ‘celebrities’ (Ex-Eastenders don’t count) is Jenny Eclair playing Cinderella’s fairy godmother in Richmond, but for something a little more original that might actually be fun try Beowulf at the Rosemary Branch Theatre. Anyone who saw the film will know this medieval legend can easily be interpreted as a camp spectacular and seven adultonly performances can only mean more innuendo and less embarrassed explanations. Which is a good thing.

Beowulf - The Panto! is showing until 8th January 2012, £10-20.

Theodora, Arts Editor

Michael, Comment Editor

Roar!, December 13th- January 22nd 2012

This Christmas break, grab some friends for a day of childish fun at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Make sure to sample some of the rides, games and souvenir stalls before stuffing yourself with bratwurst and cotton candy. The mulled wine is also a lovely treat (and hey, you will probably feel young and spry again after getting asked to show your ID!)

Sofie, Proofing Editor

Open 18th November - 3rd January

Staying in London this Christmas and stuck for something to do?? Well, don’t stay in watching a movie, for those of you who like to plan a little early, I recommend either Urban Nerds @ Hearn St or The Nest Presents NYE for your New Year’s celebrations!

Laura, http://www.timeout.com/london/clubs Student Groups Editor

I know you’re meant to avoid them like the plague this time of year but nothing jingles my bells quite like a department store in December.The playlist’s enough to have you dreaming of pine trees. And in a stroke of serendipity you might find your very own John Cusack. Alternatively indoors and watch the film.

Kate, stay Christmas cheer guaranteed.

The Bearcat Comedy Club in Twickenham hosts its annual Christmas night on the 17th December. If you’re looking for a cheap and fun night then this should suit you perfectly.

Tickets for non-members areShivan, just £15. The line up for the New Years part may be better, Music but it’s an off-putting £25... Editor

Film Editor

What better way to celebrate Christmas than by imitating baby Jesus himself. Get a feel for how it would have felt to be born in a stable, pick your own vegetables and see rare breeds of animals in London’s City farm, Shoreditch. Whether there’s room at the inn or not, don’t miss out on meeting Cordula the Goat.

Rupert,

‘For those of you who find your incongruous love of both sightseeing and water sports rarely catered for, the brilliantly named ‘Kayaking London: Ride the Yule Tide’ may just be the thing to make this Christmastime one to remember.

Visit www.kayakinglondon.com before December 18th to take part.’

Features Editor

Luke, News Editor

Walk across the road to Covent Garden to get you into the Christmas spirit. Not only is it great for Christmas shopping but you can have a tipple at The Mulled Wine Hut, indulge in mince pies, roasted chestnuts and foody treats. If the 32 ft topiary reindeer isn’t enough for you then you can go and see some real life reindeers at the petting zoo, cute!

Coryn, Fashion Editor

With Love, Roar!

14 Fashion & Life Style

Roar!, December13th- January 22nd 2012

Edited by Coryn Brisbane fashion@roarnews.co.uk

All I want for Christmas is...

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For those of you who always have a camera in your hand, this special Diana Mini Gold edition is set to be the most luxurious accessory.

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Alexander McQueen’s Pony Leopard Skull Charm Phone Case – expensive but beautiful, and only for those who have been really good this year

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Bridesmaids DVD, the perfect way to spend Boxing Day is watching this laugh out loud girl-fest with left-over Yule log and Baileys.

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Models Own nail varnish gift sets – our favourites are the Beetlejuice and Glitter collection; enough sparkle for any Christmas party.

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Dear Prudence for Urban Outfitter’s mugs: cute, kitsch and perfect for a serving of mulled wine.

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Touch Éclat – top of every girl’s Christmas list. This concealer is made of magic.

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Topshop’s Strut Tortoise Shell Platforms – a bargain for how beautiful they are and would go perfectly with number 5 on our list. Don’t say we aren’t always thinking of fashion coordination!

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This humbug has nothing to do with Scrooge, it’s KG’s gorgeous clutch.

Never Fully Dressed Hodson Collection, perfect over leather leggings, tights, jeans, denim, basically everything. We know we’ll be wearing it all year long.

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With each morning’s opening of another goodie in our Advent Calendar, Fashion and Lifestyle are here to give you another treat. For each day of Christmas, that’s 12 for those of you Scrooges who don’t know the song, we have an item we hope Santa will bring down our chimney.

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Ryan Gosling – if we unwrap him on Christmas morning we will be good forever and ever, we promise.

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Charbonnel et Walker’s Pink Champagne Truffles – after all, Christmas is about indulgence. Diet starts New Year’s Day...

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A 1st in our degree. Santa can perform miracles, right?

Blog Off Isabelle Noble So this is writer’s block’, I thought, contemplating the blank Word document. Sadly, I was not attempting to write a bestseller. I was merely composing my first ever blog post, a few words on my travels in India. Having selected the essentials, including a sparkling purple background and a cringe-worthy title, I realised I had no idea what to do next. After an intense ten minutes, I closed the page.

The last decade has seen the rise of the blog to a worldwide force. Gone are the days when mastering the art of writing a storming CV was the key to success. Now, having a certain online presence is also increasingly important in terms of employability. We are surrounded by successful blogs.

Take the increasingly popular Huffington Post, for example. Launched in 2005, the website brings together columnists (such as founder Arianna Huffington) and thousands of bloggers to create a publication covering topics that range from style to world news.

This blog-craze has resulted in a sudden influx of new sites, with countless bloggers hoping to be the next big thing in, say, pan-Asian cuisine. The fact is that absolutely anyone can set up a blog;

the problem is shining amongst the crowd. If someone like Alexandra Shulman (editor of British Vogue) shares her fashion expertise through a personal blog, there will no doubt be a mad rush to read it. For the rest of us, things work slightly differently. In an arena as competitive as the world of blogging, is it ever possible for an individual’s voice to stand out?

The task of an aspiring blogger is not easy. To succeed, you must find a particular niche to express your opinion, without coming across as overbearing. Approach the subject from a different angle and engage with your reader through constant feedback. What Katie Wore (www.whatkatiewore. com), by Joe Sinclair and Katie Mackay, is a great example: for a year, Joe records Katie’s different daily outfit selections. Now, the site is amongst The Guardian’s top ten fashion blogs.

Above all, accept that writing a memorable blog requires time; remember, Rome was not built in a day. Given a sufficient level of commitment (and with a bit of luck), of course it is possible to have an exciting voice heard from within the mass of the blog world. To quote Yves Saint-Laurent, the dress is not nearly as important as the woman who wears it.

Roar!, December13th- January 22nd 2012

Fashion & Life Style

The Office Christmas Special

TRENDING Cheryl Cole’s new shoe collection for Stylistpick.com.

With a pair called Byker Groove how could we not love them?

H&M’s upcoming collaboration with Marni. Yet another, set-to-be, amazing line.

Nanny Pat’s charity single of Last Christmas. May not beat Wham!’s but we bet it’ll be a laugh.

Bless.

John Lewis’ Hear Muffs. In the cold winter these headphones will keep your ears warm. And only £15, bargain.

Christmas Markets.

It’s not our fault if we turn up tipsy to lectures because of Mulled Wine offerings across the city.

It was the moment we had been waiting for for two years. It was our favourite will-they-won’t-they since Ross and Rachel and with a soundtrack of The Flying Pickets Only You Dawn and Tim finally kissed. Still makes us go awhhhh to this day!

Fashion and Lifestyle’s Top 5 Christmas Moments...

Christmas Adverts

Love Actually

Forget Oxford Street lights & the arrival of the Gingerbread Latte in Starbucks, nothing tells us the holidays are coming like the CocaCola advert. This year we’ve also been treated to a sickeningly cute John Lewis advert. Get the tissues ready!

Get the Baileys and Quality Street at the ready, the time of year has come where we can indulge in a Christmas rom-com like no other. Mark and Juliet’s heartfelt scene with the love signs sends us all tingly inside and that’s not just the Bailey’s talking.

Sommerset House hosts out favourite London event of the year (LFW of course), gives us the perfect setting for an afternoon study break and at Christmas delights is with a Tiffany’s ornamented Christmas tree, ice rink and all. We love you SH.

No women being represented in Sports Personality of the Year. Tut tut indeed.

Karlie Kloss’ new body. If you haven’t seen the new Victoria Secrets bod, google it. And the Size 0 debate begins all over again...

Recent stat that we spend 2 years of our lives hungover.

2/3 of our degree?

Sounds abour right.

TRAILING

Christmas Songs Nothing quite gets us in the Christmas spirit like a Christmas song. Step Into Christmas, Last Christmas, Do They Know Its Chritmas and Merry Christmas Everyone will be top of our pre-drink playlist this yuletide.

English Heritage Lauren Clark As London store openings go, the arrival of Rugby, Ralph Lauren’s younger preppier offspring, in Covent Garden last month caused considerable frenzy, for the fashion I add, not just the gorgeous male models. It is appropriate that London is the location of Rugby’s first European store. English heritage is, after all, the inspiration for the tweed, tartan and country swagger that characterises the brand.

Rugby is the more glamorous sibling to a family of clothing brands that specialise, and indeed capitalise, on the current love for all things preppy, exclusive and upmarket. The sexier, rebellious sister is Abercrombie & Fitch that opened on London’s Savile Row back in 2006. Home grown versions are famously Jack Wills, and the less well-known Lions Rampant. All embody that same classic, desirable, wealthy look, and enlist only the young and beautiful to sell their ware, making millions in the process.

After a binge of cheap shopping thrills that destined our outfits identikit, the preppy resurgence was both refreshing and appealing. Fairly high prices kept it predominantly to the private schools and leading universities, with the ‘A&F’ and ‘JW’ logos for a time being worn like badges of honour. Despite arguably similar collections season after season, the constant advertisement of sexiness enshrined in heritage and country wealth drew preppy wannabes to buy into the Ivy Coast and Rock lifestyle.

An exclusive and elite brand image is what fuels sales and profits for these businesses. Jack Wills encouraged its older customers to stop wearing its university targeted clothes by creating the more mature Aubin & Wills, while in dramatic fashion, Abercrombie & Fitch reportedly paid Geordie Shore stars to refrain from choosing the brand. Rugby, Jack Wills and Abercrombie and Fitch all controversially select store staff based on attractiveness. Location is an equally important concept; stores on Regents Street, concessions in Selfridges, outlets at Burghley Horse Trials and promotions through ‘seasonnaires’ in ski resorts and varsity rugby matches.

Despite an element of market saturation, and a decline in exclusivity, the preppy cause gallops on. The ‘Kings Road’ lifestyle is still terribly appealing, as demonstrated by sustained interest in Made in Chelsea, and the consistent kudos of the Cartier polo. Isabel Marant went for the genre in her S/S 2011 collection, while the Tommy Hilfiger Val d’Isere-style campaign has been all over print this Christmas. And so this love turns into gold too. Last year Jack Wills achieved profits of £17.4 million, while Lions Rampant, founded in May 2008 by an Exeter university student, has already opened two stores after flourishing online trade. I think I might canter into this club.

The When Harry Met Sally Question

Justin Bieber’s perfume...for girls. We don’t want to start the new year smelling of pubescent boys.

Having deadlines after Christmas. A quick rush through the crackers and turkey and back to the thousands upon thousands of words.

Thank You King’s.

Tiffany’s Skate at Sommerset House

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Rachael Krishna Before writing this article my view on whether men and women could just be friends was clear; boys and girls can definitely just be friends and anyone who thinks different has major jealousy issues, no offence. Like all big questions in life, we turn to the movies. An onslaught of films have raised the million dollar question, such as No Strings Attached, Friends With Benefits (how promisingly it started before resulting in a cliché ending) and of course our beloved When Harry Met Sally. Upon questioning friends I’ve found that the answer is not so clear and it became apparent why movies have pondered over and debated this issue at length.

‘Any guy I’ve ever been friends with has turned into a massive stalker,’ my friend Becky says.

‘Guys and girls as friends don’t work, there’s always an attraction.’ No there’s not, I shout in my head, it’s fine to be friends with guys! I quickly went to retort but I was stifled by an embarrassing realisation. I thought about my two best guy friends, both intelligent, both funny, both genuinely nice blokes and both who, for varying periods of my adolescent years, I had fancied and hadn’t necessarily left it at that. Bugger, I’m proving myself wrong.

I quickly move on to the topic of friends with benefits - no strings attached fun that is surely harmless and perfectly emotionless, right? ‘It can’t work,’ another classmate, Charlotte, answers. ‘The girl always wants more, it can never be detached.’ Again, I put on a front of girl power, emulating Carrie Bradshaw, feminism whoo!

Underneath, I painfully cringe at remembering how I got myself into a ‘friends with benefits’ situation because I was infatuated with the guy,

who has now become my best mate. Sigh, I’ve found little to support my cause.

I guess the problem in that commonly used phrase is that singular word ‘friend’. Even if you manage to have your cake and eat it too, at the end of the day the plate is empty. The plate in this metaphor being friendship. It’s hard (though not impossible) to go back to being friends when too much of you has been revealed, quite literally.

I decided that perhaps a male perspective might help; surely my male hall mates would share a common view? Wrong. ‘There will always be an underlying attraction, that’s why you are first drawn to them,’ one tells me. Good point, although after this comment I am now slightly scared of why one mate became friends with me.

I then think about other guy mates and as certain as I am that I have no feelings for them, never had and probably never will (the lust-factor just isn’t there), how can I ever be sure they haven’t had feelings for me?

Another friend adds to the confusion, ‘I disagree, you don’t have to be attracted to a girl to be friends, friendship is down to personality’.

The general consensus on this conundrum is that there is no clear answer. I’m guessing this is not the ground-breaking result you, or even I, wished for when I embarked on this journey of discovery. If we look to the movies, Harry ends up with Sally, Ashton falls for Natalie, Mila and Justin fall in love and let’s not get started on Ross and Rachel (or even Rachel and Joey for that matter). I still think guys and girls can be friends, although the line between that and a whole other messy world of complicated feelings is tenuously thin. Simple...theoretically.

Yule Log Recipe Our baking-guru turns all Christmassy this issue with a decadent Yule Log. Filling: Chocolate Sponge: 4 tablespoons Butter Icing: 3oz caster Sugar chocolate 5oz butter 2 ½ oz selfspread 10oz icing sugar raising flour 4 oz butter 1-2 tablespoons 1 tablespoon 8 oz icing sugar cocoa powder cocoa powder 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 3 eggs vanilla extract milk 1 tablespoon milk 1. Preheat oven to 190C/ fan 170C/ Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Beat the eggs and caster sugar over a pan of hot water until thick and creamy. Take off the heat.

3.Sieve flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Lightly fold them into the egg mixture with a metal spoon, until thoroughly combined.Pour onto baking tray and bake for 1015 minutes until springy to the touch.

6. Place a rectangle of greaseproof paper (bigger than the sponge itself) onto a work surface and sprinkle with caster sugar.

7. When the sponge is cooked turn out onto the greaseproof paper. Roll the sponge and greaseproof paper into a tight role, ensuring to use the shorter side of the sponge.

8. Once cool, carefully unroll the sponge and spread with a thin layer of chocolate spread. Next cream filling ingredients together until pale and creamy. Spread on top of the chocolate spread and carefully but firmly roll the sponge back, this time leaving out the greaseproof paper!

9.Next make the chocolate butter icing: cream the butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk together until the mixture is soft and spreadable.

10) Cut an end of the swiss roll cake at an angle and stick onto the side of the main cake (like a knot of a branch!) using a little of the icing. Cover the whole cake with the rest of the chocolate butter icing and use a fork to make peaks on the surface, just like a real log! Dust with icing sugar and decorate with a sprig of holly or something else Christmassy!

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Arts

Roar!, December13th- January 22nd 2012

Edited by Theodora Wakeley arts@roarnews.co.uk

La Soirée Melinda Frankland Back in London for an exclusive Christmas season at the Roundhouse, La Soiree is a nightly-changing line up of performers from around the world.

A kind of cabaret/variety show, bold comedic acts are interspersed with some truly talented performers – in particular look out for Yulia Pykhtina who performs a sensational hula hoop act, as well as Hugo Desmarais and Katherine Arnold, whose aerial acrobatics are literally breathtaking.

Other acts include roller-skating dancers, an operatic drag star, a crossdressing machete juggler, and various stripping acrobatic acts just to name a few. I was particularly excited to see the special guest for the evening

was someone I recognised - David Armand, the interpretive dance artist whose version of Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’ has reached nearly 5 million views on Youtube, and it was brilliant to watch other audience members’ reactions to his unique act.

Although undisputedly a thoroughly entertaining evening, I do think the humour side of the show let it down a little. The main ‘funny-man’ of the night, an overly-camp interpretation of Freddie Mercury became increasingly annoying throughout the night, and as he ordered the crowd to stand, sing and arm-wave to his mediocre-at-best rendition of We Are The Champions, I was left wishing the slot had been given to a more talented performer.

Saying that, maybe I am being a harsh. As a cash-strapped student, I have to admit I was a bit stingy and reluctant to splash out on drinks. But then if ever there was a show for simply drinking and having fun, then this is probably it. With the audience actively encouraged to get up and buy drinks throughout the performance, my sobriety was definitely in the minority, and I would encourage anyone and everyone to not only go, but make a night of it - grab a few beers and do it properly, as I should have.

Authoritarianism revisited. Again.

Joe Prestwich

Haruki Murakami isn’t a cult writer, yet 1Q84

is definitely his cult book. A full-blown epic romance of equally epic (three books, two volumes, ‘War & Peace’-size) proportions, it is definately ambitous.

His language is typically exact, over-detailed and detached, more so as Murakami has abandoned his usual first person narrative technique. This unfortunately leaves the novel feeling very stodgy and not a little boring.

The novel follows two protagonists whose stories are told in alternating chapters. Odd numbers present Aomame – an assassin who, being late for an appointment, abandons a taxi and descends an emergency staircase with the warning ‘things are not what they seem’ ringing in her ears. So, ‘things’ become distinctly odd. There are two moons in the sky, and the U.S. has teamed with the Soviets to build a moon base on one of them. She concludes (cleverly) that she has entered an alternate universe.

Even numbers are devoted to Tengo, a teacher and writer who is accosted to re-write a young girls manuscript of a story about a young girl in a cult-like commune where she meets a group of ‘Little People’ (who resemble the Munchkins if re-imagined by David Lynch), and submit it to for a literary award.

It emerges that this manuscript may hold more truth than fiction however, and both odd and even characters find themselves in amongst an authoritarian cult. It is here that the similarities between 1Q84 and 1984 come to the fore. The power of authoritarianism or the flight from controlling powers dominates that book and asks questions of Japanese obedience and acquiescence, especially in an historical context.

Yet it isn’t the relation to 1984 that makes an impact with this work. More so, it is the ideas of the ‘alternative’ and of fate. The ‘fantastical’ elements in the novel prompt questions about our own lives.

It is a question of finding meaning – his characters seek it in their own lives, so we must seek it in ours.

Do we submit to fate, as characters in 1Q84 (and 1984) submit to authority and cults? Or do we unwind the complexities of life to make our own path of our own life? If so, how do we find meaning?

If you’re new to him, pick up something more digestible, as this is one that stays in the gut as well as the mind.

IQ84, Books 1 and 2 and IQ84, Book 3 by Haruki Murakami, published by Harvill Secker.

La Soiree is showing at the Roundhouse until 29th January 2012, £15-65.

KCL Art Soc Charity Christmas Cards Theodora Wakeley The KCL Arts Society will be selling Christmas cards around the Strand campus in the last week of term to raise money for READ International.

READ is a fantastic charity which sends textbooks and chil-

dren’s fiction to Tanzania and Uganda and renovates libraries.

Each Summer up to 8 volunteers from King’s College London go to Tanzania to deliver the books they have collected and sorted – I went this year and know first-hand how essential any donations are.

The cards will also be personally designed by the creative members of the Arts Society. To the right is one by Kasia Zbrowska so, who knows, you may be able to sell them later on Ebay if our own King’s student turns out to be a future Emin or Hirst! Now there is no excuse for not using the last pennies of your student loan on something extremely worthwhile.

Ultimate multi-tasking: Christmas cards sorted and a good deed all in one!

The Legend Of Leonardo Sam Spencer For me growing up, Leonardo da Vinci was art. Before I was old enough to go to galleries, faded prints of Mona Lisa in old books symbolised everything that art was: mysterious, emotive, fantastic. That said, I have never been able to truly see his work up close. Whereas prolific geniuses like Turner or Picasso can be found in most major galleries, finding a da Vinci is always difficult. Even on the rare occasions where I have seen one, the conditions have never been right - the Louvre was far too crowded and both Virgins on the Rocks were ruined by that book of Illuminati claptrap. Therefore, when I heard the National Gallery would be displaying eight of his paintings together for the first time, I knew my time had come.

Many of the details about this show are astounding. It features half of all the known Leonardos that exist in the world.

It’s the first time this many have been together since 1939. It features Christ as Salvator Mundi, a work that was only identified as a Leonardo this summer. It features paintings that have not been moved for centuries and others that were only loaned to the gallery with the consent of religious leaders and governments (in fact, the negotiations that made this exhibition possible would make a fascinating show in themselves). These works, combined with around 50 of his drawings, make for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Clichés aside, seeing works such as Lady with an Ermine or La Belle Ferroniére for the first time shows you how groundbreaking he really was. While his contemporaries offered us dead-eyed portraits (see the work of his disciples, also shown here), Leonardo offers us eroticism, pain, jealousy or, in La Belle Ferroniére’s case, all three (in my view his true masterpiece, far better than the picture of some smiley woman).

I only have one criticism. Having the two Virgin on the Rocks on parallel walls rather than next to each other seems like the waste of a fantastic opportunity. However, perhaps the fact that they are even in the same room is enough – after all, not even da Vinci himself would have seen them together, and it is doubtful that they will ever been seen together again.

So to all art fans I say brave the queues (I waited two hours for my ticket, and I got the impression that was a quiet day), and see the most important show of the century, from the man who embodies art like no other.

Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan is showing at The National Gallery until 5th February 2012, Students £8.

Arts

Roar!, December13th- January 22nd 2012

Dazed and Confused and Just Plain Dull Angus Chisholm

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The Not-So-Empty Stage Bryony White As the Christmas season is officially upon us (and I know for sure that I’m not the only one humming Shakin’ Stevens under my breath) money is tight. Unfortunately for me, this has resulted in a distinct lack of theatre. However, I’m hoping to get to the following shows that are new, original and excitingly, £15 or less.

Foxfinder by Dawn King at The Finborough Theatre

Above a pub in the heart of Earl’s Court, the Finborough is a little gem.

Currently unfunded, they continue to produce really fresh, new writing whilst also delving into neglected works of the 19th and 20th Century.

Part of The Papatango New Writing Festival 2011 is Dawn King’s Foxfinder. William Bloor arrives at the Covey’s family farm in order to explore a suspected ‘contamination’ case. What unfolds is a sinister comedy that has lasting effects on the Covey family and the Foxfinder himself. Writer Dawn King has just won a Pearson Award Bursury as playwright in residence at the Finborough, thus her new play and the playwright herself seem undeniably promising.

Foxfinder is showing until 23rd December 2011, Students £11.

Audience at the SOHO Theatre

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Dazed & Confused. Really. But, man, going to the free exhibition at Somerset House celebrating their 20th anniversary, you don’t half feel like they believe their own hype. The exhibition spends too much of its time and energy telling you that Dazed is important rather than letting you decide for yourself.

The exhibition design itself is fine, with three rooms tracing the first decade, second decade and the last year of the magazine. Beyond that, two further rooms are dedicated to installations directed by the late Alexander McQueen.

In the centre of the three main rooms are sculptures that cleverly display editorials from the magazine’s history, many of which are more striking than what is on display on the walls, including the hit-and-miss celebrity photography of Rankin.

Interestingly, the third room, dedicated to material from 2011, is the strongest (the first is, well, meh). It features photography by Serge Leblon for the magazine’s excellent Yohji Yamamoto feature earlier in the year as well as Richard Burbridge’s memorable series It Came From The Sky, which combines black and white portraiture with colourful, baroque geometric patterning added in post-production.

Meanwhile, in the exhibition, as in life, Kate Moss is ubiquitous to an extent that numbs the senses while throughout, quotes on the walls are eager to impress upon you how great Dazed is. Even if the exhibition is mercifully light on the work of another famed regular Dazed collaborator, the terminally naff anti-photographer Terry Richardson, in contrast with i-D Magazine’s relatively unpretentious 30-year celebration at Red Gallery in September, it’s all a bit overbearing.

There’s no doubt that to those involved in its creation, Dazed is more than merely a magazine. Unfortunately, however, this exhibition struggles to convey that sentiment to us outsiders who have less glamorous lives to lead.

20 Years of Dazed & Confused Magazine is showing at Somerset House until 29th January 2012. Free.

Straight from its sell-out run at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, Audience is a performance about the audience, for the audience. Created by one of this world’s most mischievous, exciting and ground-breaking theatre companies Ontroerend Goed, the play pulls the focus away from actors, costumes and spectacular set design and puts us in the spotlight. For the sheer feat of making theatre from the act of going to the theatre, this show can’t be missed.

Audience is showing until 7th January 2012, 25 and under £10.

Theatre 4 Identity at The Calder Bookshop and Theatre Theatre 4 Identity is an artistic movement, formed by the Human Rights

Association of Argentina. Their work hopes to highlight and investigate the disappearances of the Argentinean children who were stolen from their families as babies during the dictatorship of 1976. The play centres on four short performances that hope to showcase some of the details of these disappearances as well as to offer a stimulating and exciting theatrical event. The performance is also followed by film screenings and an open public debate. The best part is that the whole event is free.

Theatre 4 Identity is showing until 11th December 2011, Free.

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Roar!, December13th- January 22nd 2012

Music Edited by Shivan Davis music@roarnews.co.uk

Roar! Albums of the year 2011:

A selection of writers argue the case for the best albums of the year.

-Wild Beasts- ‘Smother’ (Charles Pegg) The Kendal four piece’s third album takes the energy and weirdness of their Mercury-nominated sophomore record and morphs into a minimalistic masterpiece still full of all the passion, beauty and falsettos that has made Wild Beasts one of Britain’s greatest bands.

- Adele-‘ 21’ (Shivan Davis) With her second album, Adele has cemented herself as a leading figure in contemporary pop music. Although the album is far from perfect, the quality of some of the tracks and the strength of her distinctively soulful voice more than compensate for some of the weaker songs. Singles such as ‘Someone Like You’, ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ are now firmly established modern day soul classics.

- St.Vincent- ‘Strange Mercy’ (Shivan Davis) Most readers may not have heard of St Vincent, otherwise known as multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark, a member of Sufjan Stevens’ record label and touring band. ‘Strange Mercy’ is her third and certainly best album following her previous efforts ‘Marry Me’ and ‘Actor’. Strange Mercy sees her move on from her folksy roots to experiment with a more modern sound which suits her perfectly. This is a complex album addressing modern feminine identity in an original fashion that will both excite and challenge the listener. It’s a fantastic record that should bring her a legion of followers. Stand out tracks include ‘Cruel’, ‘Surgeon’ and ‘Strange Mercy’.’

-Girls- ‘Father, Son, Holy Ghost’ (Shivan Davis) Following up from their 2009 effort entitled ‘Album’, the psychedelic San Francisco outfit return with a more honed and personal album, addressing songwriter Christopher Owens’ relationship with women in his life. This may sound unoriginal, but given Owens’ remarkable backstory- his mother raised him in the Children of God cult and he wasn’t exposed to mainstream culture, the songs bear a rare intensity as Owens tries to come to terms with his upbringing and the effect it has had upon his relationships- there are some brilliant ex-girlfriends songs, Jamie Marie and Vomit.

- Lady Gaga, ‘Born This Way’ (Sam Spencer) Although by far not the best album of the year, no other album this year has brought me more pleasure than Lady Gaga’s sec-

Roar!’s Playlist: 1. John Lennon- “Happy Xmas (War is Over) 2. Judy Garland- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” 3. Billy Idol “Jinglebell Rock” 4. Mariah Carey- “All I want for Christmas Is You” 5. The Pogues -“Fairytale of New York” 6. Eartha Kitt- “Santa Baby” 7. Wham!- “Last Christmas” 8. Slade- “Merry Christmas Everyone” 9. Sufjan Stevens- “I Saw Three Ships” 10. Rage Against The Machine - “Killing in the Name”

ond-and-a-half album. Sometimes ridiculous (‘Highway Unicorn’), often surreal (‘Government Hooker’s’ ‘put your hands on me/John F Kennedy’ refrain) and always bordering on insanity (see the quasi-German of ‘Scheisse’ or ‘Heavy Metal Lover’ and its dirty pony)…’Born This Way’ jutters and fizzes through 17 tracks of sheer wild dancing abandon that show there’s more to Gaga than meat dresses and disco sticks.

- James Blake- ‘James Blake’ (Shivan Davis) The former Goldsmiths student’s EPs caused a storm on many music blogs before the release of his eponymous debut album.

By merging his skills as a producer with his talent at piano and vocals, Blake has formed an unmistakable sound that feels genuinely new. His single ‘Limit to Your Love’, a cover of the Feist track, even managed to break into the charts- some feat considering the obscurity of his music. The best tracks on the album include ‘Wilhelm’s Scream’, ‘Give Me My Mouth’, ‘Lindensfarne II’ and ‘Measurements’ -PJ Harvey- ‘Let England Shake’ (Shivan Davis) Few were surprised when it was announced that PJ Harvey had won the Mercury prize for the second time. Exploring the ideals of Englishness and frequently referencing warfare, in particular World War One (three of the songs are inspired by the Gallipoli campaign), Harvey carefully constructs a sound that is steeped in tradition and makes it sound startlingly original.

-Coldpaly- ‘Mylo Xyloto’- (Natasha Matten ) Why are Coldplay still so popular, you ask, especially during an age of Rihanna, B.o.B., and Lady Gaga? It might be their amazing and unforgettable concerts, one of which I’ve personally witnessed. It may have something to do with their ongoing celebrity status when Gwyneth Paltrow (Hollywood A-lister) married the lead singer Chris Martin. Perhaps it’s their musical diversity in more melancholy broody undertones found in earlier albums to their more uplifting heartfelt tones in recent songs. Or it may just be their timeless, quality sound that echoes every era of our lives.

- The Decemberists- ‘The King is Dead’ (Calvin D’Andrea) The King Is Dead, the 6th album from Portland-based indie-alternative outfit The Decemberists, is by far my favourite release of 2011. This is without a doubt their ‘barn album’ – in fact, it was recorded in one! It brings a cowboy twang to their usual blend of indie, folk and rock, and retains Meloy’s wonderfully eloquent, sometimes nonsensical and much loved word-salad lyrics. All in all, an incredibly strong offering from a band who already have a lot to show for themselves. My personal stand-out tracks are ‘Calamity Song’ and ‘This Is Why We Fight’. Definitely worth a listen.

- Fleet Foxes- ‘Helplessness Blues’ (Thomas Flannagan) Looking back on 2011, I can’t help but feel it was marked by a sense of conflict - there was jubilance, then there was disaster. It brought with it a larger-than-life feel to everything, which might be why Fleet Foxes’ Helplessness Blues stood out to me so much. The album’s raw, organic, weary sound is strangely quite charming; if Fleet Foxes’ self-titled debut was their bold march to the top, Helplessness Blues is surely the come-down. Hugely humbling, it’s a record that doesn’t seem to be trying to be anything other than what it is - a retreat from a world that’s overwhelming it. ‘Blue Spotted Tail’ and ‘Someone You’d Admire’ are quietly heartbreaking, bringing to mind visions of the forest homes Fleet Foxes often draw upon. The band’s harmonies course through the album’s 12 tracks; the stomp of ‘Battery Kinzie’ a reminder that the band hasn’t entirely ditched the lighter sounds of their debut. Yet, it seems that this earthy sound is more aligned with the six-piece’s roots than anything that came before.

‘Someday I’ll be like the man on the screen,’ is the hopeful cry on the record’s triumphant title track - but if anything, this is an album that needn’t change for anybody.

- Sum 41- ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’ (Henrique Laitenberger) 2011 can be considered as the year of punk: Zebrahead, Rise Against, Blink-182, Set Your Goals, H2O, Sick Of It All and Agnostic Front all released new albums in the course of this year.

But compared to the either (very) good (or even disappointing in the case of Rise Against) albums of the former, one album stood out among those releases: Screaming Bloody Murder by Sum 41. After the departure of their lead guitarist Dave Baksh and the largely deceiving album Underclass Hero, Sum 41 was seen as a band in decline. But Deryck Whibley and Co. proved all critics wrong by delivering a world-class album, showing a musical and lyrical sophistication and maturity which few would have expected. ‘A Dark Road Out Of Hell’ is an especially epic work, consisting of three songs, that deserves special attention as Sum 41’s apogee in terms of song-writing; the lyrics can, without any doubt, be classified as poetry and the music is marked by the recurring breaks in style, which are connected with a remarkable fluency. The influence of Sum 41’s new lead guitarist Tom Thacker, who produced the quite similar Muertos Vivos with his previous band Gob, can be speculated about. Screaming Bloody Murder is a remarkable comeback of a band which had already been written off – Let us hope that Sum 41 will continue to produce such monumental work. In the case that they do not, this album would nonetheless be an awe-inspiring legacy.

50 WORDS FOR SNOW **** Sam Spencer First things first - yes, this is (technically) a Christmas album. No, wait….before you abandon this album to the hideous festive wasteland of Bublés and Biebers, remember who we’re dealing with here. From her startling 1979 debut ‘Wuthering Heights’ (surely the ‘holy grail’ for the ambitious karaoke hipster), through the seminal Hounds of Love album and its classic single, ‘Running Up That Hill’, to her bizarre decision to allow the Utah Saints to make a dance song from her 1985 single ‘Cloudbusting’, Kate Bush has always been an artist ready to enthral us with a surreal world that no other musician would dare enter. Her latest album is no exception – in fact, this could be her weirdest yet. Stephen Fry narration, Elton John duets, songs about erotic attachment to snowmen (we’ve all been there)…it’s Christmas, but not as we know it.

Like all of Bush’s music, this album has the power to move you. As the delicate piano of opener ‘Snowflake’ kicked in, I could all but see the snow falling outside my window. Then we are taken to some strange places indeed – inside the oddest game of word-association ever played on record (the remarkably literal Stephen Fry duet ‘50 Words for Snow’), historical Christmases in Paris, Rome and World War II (‘Snowed in at Wheeler Street’), on the hunt for the yeti with ‘Wild Man’, and countless others where we’re not sure where the hell we are, but we’re having a wonderful time nonetheless.

It seems that revisiting her past (on Director’s Cut, also released this year), has allowed Kate Bush to make something beautifully and astonishingly new, though the casual listener of Bush may find this a very difficult album to square with the wide-eyed waif they know from ‘Wuthering Heights’ or ‘Babooshka’. That, however, should not stop them from trying; no album I have heard this year has so perfectly combined the sublime and the ridiculous. No one else could get away with a lyric like ‘don’t you know it’s not just the Eskimo/let me hear your 50 words for snow’ sung with an attitude that combines a pushy parent and a bemused lover. Is this the best Christmas album ever? Most definitely. Is this the best album of 2011?

Quite possibly. Not bad for an album that has a girl about to snog a snowman as its front cover.

Music

Roar!, December13th- January 22nd 2012

I Really Want To Go Skying Daniel West

***

Skying. Just say it to yourself now. Just think about the fact that the word you just said is the verb form of ‘sky’.

You are literally saying ‘to sky’. I’d love this album by virtue of its name alone, even if it sucked, but luckily for us it’s the latest release from The Horrors, so it doesn’t.

The Horrors are my favourite Conradian quoting band (get it?), and they are vanguards of the renewed and reinvigorated Shoegaze movement (so called because the guitarists always stare or ‘gaze’ at their shoes).

Shoegaze was originally a genre born out of the late 80s grunge scene, with its distortion and general mayhem giving Shoegaze its inspiration – hence why it is sometimes known as ‘noise pop’. Whilst they kept the musical style, they ditched the themes and instead took up more common and ‘pop-y’ themes such as love and… I don’t really know what else pop could be about. Excluding modern pop, obviously, Shoegaze bands didn’t write about grinding in the club with one’s homies, or rolling about in a whip and being hated on, to use the technical terms. No, instead they stuck to good old-fashioned, family-friendly pop lyrics, though you will probably never hear them over the ridiculously distorted guitar. Case in point: My Bloody Valentine’s ‘Shallow’, a paradoxically beautiful-sounding song, actually has quite lovely lyrics, but you cannot hear them for the life of you above the epic tremolo stylings of guitarist Bilinda Butcher.

The Horrors aren’t quite as noisy as My Bloody Valentine, at least not all the time. In fact, their first album is kind of a mess. I know some people will claim it’s their best work, but I don’t think that’s popular opinion at all. However, their last album, Primary Colours, represents a coming together of all the best facets of Shoegaze: the incredible harmonic instrumentation, the heavy driving bass-lines and the interesting lyrics (to the tune of ‘Time is ticking! Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick DEATH!’), combined with just the right amount of electronica. It makes for interesting listening.

Skying, then, represents their next genesis, where they refine their style further. The rhythms are simple and almost humble compared to Interpol’s impressive and complex drum and bass parts. The lyrics strike that balance between outlandish shouting about death and insightful comments on humanity. It’s just an incredibly well-put-together album; it’s competent without showing off, whilst also being an impressive piece of music. Skying isn’t something you will obsess over, necessarily, but you will always enjoy revisiting it.

Tycho- Dive Joe Brookes

*****

Every time I review an album, I sit down, shut my curtains and lock the door. The advantage of this is that I can focus on the sound, and nothing on the record can go amiss – nothing is distorted by the monotony of student living. When I put Dive by San Francisco producer and graphic designer Scott Hansen on, the first bleep of opening track ‘A Walk’ grabbed me by the collar and submerged me in his twilight world – so clean, it was like an electronic whisper, and the rest of the track is one of the most emotional dance songs I’ve ever heard. The tempo races and relaxes in sync with your heartbeat, and it’s liberating to finally find an artist who doesn’t get trapped within the technical requirements of his sub-genre – each song explores a new style or beat but slots nicely into the rest of the tracklist, and if you’re not paying attention the whole thing is able to blur together.

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Live Review – Frank Turner @ The Hammersmith Apollo 27/11/11 ***** Calvin D’Andrea

The crowd in the Apollo is incredibly diverse. I spot children as young as 12, women in their 60s, middle-aged punks, the odd emo kid, lads spilling beer and even a few nondescript ‘normal’ people. Yet when the lights go down and the melancholy horn introduction of ‘Eulogy’ floats over the audience, I can’t find a single face not twisted in ecstasy. Frank Turner is many things: folk-punk troubadour; anarchist and patriot; atheist and believer in the power of music; and he’ll make sure you’re aware of all these things by the end of all any of his gigs.

After ‘Eulogy’ comes ‘Try This At Home’, and anyone confused about what’s meant by ‘folk-punk’ has to look no further than this song. The tune and beat would feel at home in Irish folk, blasted out with the ferocity and enthusiasm of The Ramones. The lyrics are personal and sincere but also possess an ambition to change the world, sung at the absolute peak of lung capacity. Turner and his backing band, The Sleeping Souls, take us on a winding romp through all of Frank’s four albums, ranging from the seldom-played first collection Sleep Is For The Week to old favourites from the seminal Love, Ire And Song, whilst intermittently making their way through the fantastic newest offering, England Keep My Bones.

And don’t think for a moment that the crowd are the ones most in awe tonight – Turner introduces one song with a small caveat on how strange it is to play it on stage, headlining at the Apollo in front of thousands of people. In his words, ‘It’s a song about sitting on the steps outside, waiting to get into venues like this.’ One of the hardest-working people in music today, he’s played well over 1,000 shows since beginning his solo career in 2005, and seems to have loved every second of it. As we reach the end, he stirs everyone in the room into singing along with him on the final chorus of ‘Photosynthesis’, and they do so gladly. Yes, even the security guards.

But that’s Frank Turner for you. You sing your heart out, leave with a smile on your face and feel like you and he are best friends. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is a colourful sound, and every memory of cruising up and down the A1 in my friends’ cars listening to post-rock floods my mind with every listen. The limitless optimism of that last summer warms everything about this album. This is intelligent and reflective dance music in the realm of Four Tet, but where others fail it succeeds in maintaining an integrity and originality that will freshen up your music library, and won’t get you bored after those first few experimental listens. Yes, it’s essentially Electro-Pop, but the bass-lines and reverb-infused chords change with every phrase – there’s no formula here, it’s a constantly transforming landscape that you can travel through.

With track-names like ‘Adrift’ and ‘Ascension’ it’s as if Hansen is prescribing soundtracks to moments, or states of mind.

The elliptical application of instruments on this album makes it easy to digest the songs, and the melody comes through quite simply but firmly. Everything has its place, and as the names suggest, it’s incredibly relaxing to listen to. This is the perfect solitude for us London students to lock ourselves away in for a while, but still having the speed and progression of drum and bass in some parts to prevent boredom.

The Big Dawg Co-Signs KCLSU for NYE! KCL Radio and Roar! recently caught up with the behemoth OG of Hip Hop himself, Tim Westwood at the BBC 1Xtra studios in Great Portland Street. From university life and the pioneering force of student taste in music to the acts we should be looking out for in 2012 and Westwoods New Year’s Eve showdown at Tutu’s we covered it all. Read on for a snippet from the interview and tune in to KCL Radio for the full interview!

R: You’re playing KCLSU on New Year’s Eve, what can KCL students expect from you?

W: That we are so excited about this party. Now this party is open to students and non-students so it’s going to be real exciting in there. It’s going to be Hip Hop at it’s best and it’s going to be a celebration of life. So come down, celebrate life, see in 2012: as you know Tutu’s is overlooking the Thames and the London Eye so you can watch the midnight fireworks... it’s going to be on and popping, the ballers are going to be up there balling, the players are going to be there playing!

W: It was through doing an event for Deaf DJs here at KCL [that I first got in touch with] the manager at Tutu’s... by showing some love and being part of a charity event at Tutu’s, next minute I’m doing my New Year’s Eve party there, so I just think what you give, you definitely get back!

You can grab your tickets for Westwood at Tutu’s for NYE at www.kclsutickets.com. Tickets are a steal at £15 for the best view of the fireworks in London!

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Film

Roar!, December13th- January 22nd 2012

Edited by Kate Loftus O’Brien film@roarnews.co.uk

Coronet Theatre Nicole Bergin Picture the scene: you’re sitting in a stuffy lecture hall surrounded by your zombie-like peers, the lecturer is droning on about the million word essay due by tomorrow and all you can do is think about your hot date tonight. It took you three weeks to build up the courage to ask out your future wife and by some miracle she accepted. Now herein lies the problem. Where do you take her? The obvious choice is the cinema. It’s easy, relatively cheap and hosts numerous opportunities to get your back-seat smooch on. However, this girl is special. She needs more than a generic cinema and a box of £8.00 stale popcorn. That is where The Coronet Theatre comes in.

The Coronet Theatre is a converted theatre, built in 1898. I won’t bore you with its complete history, but I will mention that it was featured in the film Notting Hill starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. That little fact will make for an excellent conversation starter if you get desperate.

Dreams of a Life Katie Sinclair Did you know Joyce Vincent? I didn’t think so. She died in her Wood Green bedsit in December 2003, at age 38. She was found three years later, surrounded by Christmas presents she would never give, wrapped for people who wouldn’t even realise she was dead. Nobody even noticed the articles reporting her grim fate, bearing no picture, until filmmaker Carol Morley tracked them down.

Dreams of a Life unravels the pieces of a life forgotten, and questions the relationships within our society. Did you know Joyce Vincent?

Do we ever really know anyone?

When Joyce was found, after racking up rent debts, it seemed inconceivable that such a thing could have happened. Morley filmed friends and

family in order to try to piece her life together. Interspersed with their testimony, footage of Zawe Ashton portrays Joyce as an outwardly confident but inwardly insecure pretty young thing. Those who knew her couldn’t believe such a confident and popular girl could die uncared for and alone. But as the documentary unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that those who felt they knew Joyce in fact knew only a sliver, a part of her that she showed to the world. Her friends talk of sudden yet constant upheaval; moving from job to job, lover to lover, group to group. Nobody noticed quite how lost she always was, until they lost her.

Dreams of a Life is exactly that, dreams. Joyce Vincent’s life is reconstructed as imagined by those who knew her, or thought they did. Morley’s film does more than grimly fascinate. It pieces together a fragmented woman, and as an audience we are distinctly aware of never seeing the real,

full, her. The film is styled in the mode of a hard-hitting 4oD drama, but the message between the lines elevates this film above its format. Designed with a view to augmenting community spirit, the film is a reminder of those who slip through the cracks, and encourages us to look a little closer.

Joyce Vincent was found in 2006, but her story grows increasingly relevant. In May of this year, Attack of the 50ft Woman star Yvette Vickers was found dead, aged 82, mummified after more than a year of neglect.

Many wondered how a secretary could slip away into the shadows, let alone a once-iconic actress. There appear to be links of communication missing in relationship chains across backgrounds, across the world.

Joyce Vincent’s MP Lynne Featherstone campaigned for a full enquiry, examining the relationships within our communities. In death, then, Joyce has finally catalysed the connections she so sorely lacked in life.

The best day to take your potential partner is Monday, as it hosts a cracking student night when tickets are only £3.50 and that £8.00 stale popcorn will only cost you £1.50. The cinema itself is impressive, with two tiers of seating and a surprisingly large screen. Just sitting there makes you feel cultured, which is nice considering you’ll probably end up watching Twilight.

If you’re strapped for cash and want to impress, The Coronet is the place to do it. Steeped in history, it’s worlds away from your generic movie night. Be warned though, if you do decide to go on a Monday, book your tickets to avoid disappointment.

Movies That Remember The Movies

Film for a Fiver

Nash Sibanda

High Fidelity in a nutshell: John Cusack dissects his past relationships while listening to some cool tunes and judging people. Pretty sweet. Cusack is Rob Gordon, a man fuelled by music, who owns a record store and has been recently dumped by his girlfriend. His response is to make a top 5 of everything - from albums, to girls, to the ‘top 5 songs to make love to’ and even his top 5 break-ups. I was rather pleased then to see the film selling for a fitting £5.

The past year has seen the usual spectrum of film output from both Hollywood and the various cinemas of the world; summer blockbusters, awardsbait, festival favourites and subtitled oddities all coming together to create a tapestry of worthwhile entertainment. These films draw on numerous sources for inspiration, with adaptations of acclaimed properties sharing multiplex space with movies inspired by times gone by, both as a mirror to the present day and as a fond reminder of the way things once were. Nowhere is this more poignantly evident than within films that remember the youth of the medium, when directors cast a nostalgic eye towards earlier days of cinema.

J. J. Abrams’ Super 8, released this summer to excellent box office receipts, was acclaimed for its indelible sense of sentimental reminiscence, returning audiences to a time when summer afternoons were sometimes spent by children making home movies with real film and real ambition. The film itself is a knowing look back to classic adventure stories once found in the works of Spielberg or the sweeping adventure and science fiction films of the fifties and sixties. More recently, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo sets itself up as a family-friendly adventure film, yet its most affecting moments relate to the love letter Scorsese effectively writes to the films of Georges Méliès, and the experimentation and wonder that surrounded the days of silent cinema.

It does say a lot about modern cinematic practices that such a pointed and fairly prevalent sense of history surrounds the movies these days. Far from the screen-’em-and-bin-’em attitude of early cinema, not only are we as a general public more aware and appreciative of classic cinema, the films made for us are able to comment explicitly on that nostalgia. Michel Hazanavicius made The Artist earlier this year, released to universal acclaim on the festival circuit, made in the style of the silent cinema era it portrays. Far from being ignored as an outdated or obsolete mode of filmmaking, through the lens of history it is now infused with a fondness and a poignancy that speaks volumes to the modern mainstream audience’s cinematic literacy, as well as its ability to look back upon cinema’s past with rose-tinted glasses.

Now it is the audience, as well as the filmmakers, who can go to the movies and see where this spectacular form of entertainment all came from.

Phillip Bailey

Nick Hornby, of About a Boy fame, wrote the book on which High Fidelity is based and it’s the bigger, cooler, older brother of the two, but with the same wit and charm as the former. Cusack is wonderfully cynical and mopey as he meanders his way through his exes. But with Jack Black as his annoyingly eccentric employee and Tim Robbins

with a ponytail it’s not all black comedy. High Fidelity exists in a bizarre mix of reality and Gordon’s own thoughts.

The film’s biggest success is that it ultimately hits upon the universal neuroses that develop with heartbreak and the question you cannot help but ask: where did it all go wrong?

The characters in High Fidelity are funny and relatable and the various women Gordon meets are likely to ring true with girls that you know (or maybe even dated). Cusack and Black are hilarious as supposed music connoisseurs and I am sure you will know similar music snobs and elitists who populate independent music shops and rave about vinyl.

Cusack is perfect as the kinda nerdy/kinda cool music obsessed man and provides enough charm and character to keep his cynicism funny rather than depressing.

For £5, High Fidelity is a steal and the sort of a film you’ll probably give to a buddy sometime down the line. High Fidelity rings true and thats why it’s a great film, with introspective thoughts of the heartbroken, great characters and to top it all off, a great soundtrack.

Film

Roar!, December13th- January 22nd 2012

21

Roar!’s Christmas Film Picks It’s A Wonderful Life Hannah Ewens If Christmas films bring to mind the whining voice of Will Ferrell or the altogether disturbing image of Tim Allen in a Santa suit, then you need to go back to the classics! Nothing gets me in that warm, fuzzy, sitting-around-the-fire mood like Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. When I watch this film every year with my family, it’s amazing to think that both my grandma and mum have sat through countless Christmases with their families watching it through the decades. The film, that recounts the story of a frustrated businessman, George, who gets help from an angel at Christmastime, is not just a sickeningly sweet festive tale (despite the frequent embraces of James Stewart and Donna Reed). We see George on a desperate road to ruin, even contemplating suicide. For a long while into the film it seems as though this family’s Christmas is going to be a bleak one. In true seasonal style, however, he realises with the help of the angel what a ‘wonderful life’ he had and all is well leaving even the most heartless of viewers blubbering and wondering if maybe everyone’s Christmas would be better in black and white.

Hone Alone Love Actually Fabia Welch Well what can I say, the bittersweet sadness of some storylines combined with the teenage love and smiles of another – it’s a film that only works at Christmas. With the beautiful views of Southbank and St. Paul’s, along with all the problems of inter-generational relationships, Richard Curtis manages to give us all the love stories he can think of in one film. Though I can’t say this is a purely soppy film, what with shots of Hugh Grant dancing (the only time he does in a film), the UK taking on the US in a nod to those who were tired of Bush and a wonderful cameo from Rowan Atkinson. This star-studded film cannot fail to delight. There is not one person who does not feel some sympathy for Alan Rickman as he desperately tries to avoid a gift-wrapping disaster (with wife nearby), or for Emma Thompson wondering why there is a lobster at the nativity play (and then having to make the costume) and combined with the pure joy of Colin (Kris Marshall) when he gets to America and finds that girls ‘dig’ his accent, this is a film that really can make everyone smile. Recall also the wonderful awkwardness of Martin Freeman and Joanna Page, who are comfortable naked but have to find the courage to talk to each other, the desperation of Bill Nighy and the bumbling of the English trying to learn a new language (Colin Firth). With nine interlinked stories spanning three countries, this is a very English, romantic, funny film – and with the backdrop of Christmas in London, how can you not like it? This film is a nod to Christmas, without stuffing it down your face, so settle down with some mulled wine and a mince pie and laugh your socks off!

Mary Davies If you’re not grateful enough that Movember is over, be grateful that it’s the festive month of the year again. Christmas is a time to give thanks, so I say thank you to the kid who taught me how to protect myself on the streets of Elephant and Castle. Lessons learned: say no to strangers, irons are a great self-defence tool and it’s always good to have a few gangster films on the shelf.

Home Alone is about the antics of eight-year-old Kevin, who is accidentally left behind when his family jets off to Paris for the Christmas holidays. At first, Kevin revels in his new-found parentless freedom, gorging on junk food and generally causing havoc around the house. But of course, Kevin soon realises that Christmas is not Christmas without family. To make matters worse, the infamous ‘Wet Bandits’ burglar duo are on a rampage of the area. Cue a series of ingenious booby traps from Kevin - who knew what you could achieve with a bit of creativity and a handful of feathers? Miraculously his parents manage, in true predictable family comedy style, to be reunited with their son on Christmas morning. Round it off with a soundtrack that includes ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and you have yourself a cult Christmas classic.

Home Alone is a 90s gem. There’s no CGI, no flashy cinematography, just a lot of festive spirit. Let’s face it, no real life fantasy can ever compete with the brilliance of the burglar-thwarting glory that is Home Alone. But in tribute to Kevin McCallister, I’m going to spend a day this Christmas eating icecream and cereal, jumping up and down on my bed in my pajamas and pretending I don’t have 10,000 words to write.

The Muppets’ Christmas Carol Sam Spencer When it comes to Christmas films, I have a taste blind spot; no film is sentimental, predictable or downright awful enough to deter me from watching. From sappy romcoms to obscure specials from childhood cartoons that were better best forgotten, mention Christmas and shove a bit of tinsel into the shot and I’m there. Films that I wouldn’t watch in a million years suddenly become viable options. The twelve days of Christmas for me are a huge binge watch of ill-advised period dramas, Jennifer Aniston films and The Snowman on repeat (incidentally, worth watching just to see David Bowie in a ludicrous Christmas jumper and scarf combo).

Amongst this mince pie-strewn no-man’s-land, though, there is one film I love above all the dross: The Muppet Christmas Carol. It should be rubbish – after all, it is the most clichéd Christmas story of all (apparently, there are over 100 film versions of the story – I should know, over the eighteen Christmases of my life I must have seen them all….), with very few of the retellings having any redeeming features at all. However, giving it the Jim Henson treatment makes even the most hackneyed tale into something festively fantastic. It has everything; ingenious casting (I think casting is the right word) of the two Muppet hecklers, Statler and Waldorf, as the Marley Brothers, and Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit (most diva-ish portrayal of the character ever!), Michael Caine as Scrooge, singing lettuces and ‘It Feels Like Christmas’, perhaps the best song ever written containing the word ‘mittens’. It is impossible for me to truly be in the Christmas spirit until I’ve watched it at least twice, mulled wine in hand, with more mince pies than should be physically possible to eat in one sitting.

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Sports

Roar!, December 12th- January 23rd 2012

Edited by Charlotte Richardson sports@roarnews.co.uk

Christmas catch-up with KCLFC Charlotte’s Christmas Crackers IT’S CHRISTTTTTMASSSSS (Noddy Holder style) and what a treat I have in store for you lovely readers of Roar!...Here is a selection of the best King’s sporting achievements so far this academic year.

King’s Men’s Squash team have risen to the challenge of South Eastern 2B, winning all five of their games, notching up four consecutive 5-0 wins, rightly rewarded with the top spot.

Jack Denyer With the arrival of our new red and blue kit, KCL football club has developed a new ethos; even if we play shit football, we’re going to look gorgeous. Luckily for most of the six teams this hasn’t been the case, and our new red and blue stripes have often drawn similarities with a certain Catalonian outfit as opposed to what many have suggested, the Croydon one.

With an intake of over 50 freshers this year, all of our teams have benefitted from the addition of new players. None have quite exemplified this like the 1s, who currently perch at the top of both the ULU and BUCS leagues. Club Secretary William Reed-Wright (who only just managed to squeeze out this comment despite his overwhelming secretarial duties) has been report-

KCL Men’s Hockey are flying joint first in their league with Canterbury Christchurch, who have played one less game. The boys highlight of the season so far was versus rivals LSE 1s who they smashed 5-0.

ed as saying, ‘This is the best King’s 1st Team I’ve seen in 4 years’. Captain David Ranford has maintained his enigmatic managerial style by being unavailable for comment.

Key Player German Ben, playing like the dog’s ballacks.

Not to be overshadowed, the hockey ladies are in a secure second place in their league, with only one point separating them from leaders, Royal Vets. The team managed a morale boosting 5-2 victory against the Medics and go into 2012 with high hopes of promotion.

King’s College Women’s Rugby team destroyed Goldsmith’s 91-0 last week which is their best result since their inauguration and remain unbitten. Don’t bet against these ladies winning their championship and Varsity this year.

Our Lacrosse girls are competing at the top BUCs level of their sport. In a very tough league that accommodates the best of UCL, Brighton, Imperial, Royal Holloway and Portsmouth, the team is sitting comfortably in 4th place. They pulled apart Portsmouth 16-2 so go into next year full of momentum and confidence.

King’s Women’s Basketballers have smashed all their opponents this season and have maintained their spark throughout the cold, winter months. They are currently second in BUC’s top tier. They defeated leaders Brunel 1s 49-41so keep an eye out for these championship contenders next year.

The 2s on the other hand have had a difficult start to the season after their promotion to the top league last year. Spiritual members of the club have suggested that their fate is intertwined with captain TB’s personal conversion rate, which has currently reflected their impotency in front of the goal.

However, my sources at Walkabout have suggested that the cross hairs are fixed and the 2s could be close to scoring both on and off the field. Key Player – Samuel Tang.

The 3s and 5s look to be in direct competition for the title in ULU’s League 2, and their recent match together suggested that this could go all the way. After two early second half goals from Edward Greenland and Santiago Tomas Clausse, by 80 minutes the 5s looked to have sealed a surprise victory. However, after an utterly filthy finish by Chris Chapman at the near post, it was left to a 3rd minute injury time goal from Frazer Stroud to share the points. Unfortunately, 5s captain, Jamie Gordon, was too busy alphabetising his leather bound video cassette boxes to comment, but 3s captain Fergus said, ‘We were immensely lucky, and I think if we’re honest with ourselves the 5s should have come out winners in that match.’ Key Players – Jamie Stafford (3s), Tommy McElligott (5s).

After a mixed start to the season, the 4s enjoyed an excellent November plundering ten points from four games. The goal-scoring exploits of Igor Tikhturov, who has notched twelve goals in eight games, have been a particular highlight thus far in the campaign.

Games that stick in the memory include a 7-4 demolition of Imperial 6s and a hard-fought 3-2 victory over GKT 5s - having played over half the match with only ten men. The 6s also look to consolidate their position as the new boys in ULU League 3. Key Players: Oscar Farnese (4s), Rob Chesters (6s)- both solid between the sticks.

The boy ballers are doing well too. They are also second in their league, pipped to the top by East London who have played one more game.

This is just a small selection of what is going on in the world of sport at King’s College and our great achievements. My wish for Christmas? Long may it continue…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Charlotte

In other news, the club recently took an educational field trip around Covent Garden, which involved visiting local businesses, talking to the local homeless and choir practice – in particular a crowd-gathering rendition of Carole King’s ‘You’ve Got A Friend’. Organiser JJ Shaw reported, ‘It went down a storm this year. Really pleased with the turn out, and there was that right mix of drink-fueled efficiency and structured hooliganism to make it a quality night’ – and I think that’s a tune we can all sing to.

For more info on the club check out their website--www.kclfc.com

KCL Boat Club sink to defeat at Allom Cup Nathan Tyler

If you were to ask any member of KCL Boat club how they felt the Allom Cup, hosted by University of London Boat Club, had gone I’m fairly sure they would say they did themselves proud. Managing to get four crews into the finals of their events is a pretty impressive achieve-

ment for any college. However, when you look at the reality, they weren’t able to convert any of those positions into a victory, it was perhaps not such a successful day at the office. The promising Women’s Senior 4 who had a fantastic result at Vets Head winning their category failed to

overcome a surprising RUMS crew.

The senior men’s 4 was disqualified for crashing into the UCL 4 during their race. Both Men’s Intermediate 8s and Women’s senior 8s were unable to stand up to convincing Imperial College Medics performances.

Unfortunately it turned out to be UCL’s day. The boat club dominated the event on all fronts winning not only the Allom Cup itself but five other categories (the most of any other college crew) as well.

All crews will now be looking towards next terms Head Races for retribution!

Sports

Roar!, December 12th- January 23rd 2012

KCL Dance- Strictly the society to join...

Natasha Rawling

Dance Society is one o f KCL’s biggest societies and here’s a little glimpse of what we’ve been up to since the start of term...

We started the year with our Taster Day, which was a massive hit and was attended by a lot of you, both Freshers and old faces. There were all sorts of different styles of dance classes being held, from hip-hop to ballet. It was a great success and we

loved seeing so many of you. Next, our dance classes began, held from Monday – Thursday every week.

With levels ranging from beginners to advanced and from ballroom to tap, there is literally something for everybody. One of the reasons why Dance Soc is such a success is because everyone is made to feel welcome and from looking at how big our society is, there is a definite element of truth in what I’m saying! Of course we’ve had our share of socials this term too, both general ones and specific Salsa socials, which have all gone down a storm. We’ve hit Walkabout, Cubana and gone on a bar crawl with ballerina-esque rugby boys...I think it’s fair to say that we’ve had great fun so far this year!

We’ve also been doing our bit to help out around the University as well as dancing in the local community too. We held Latin and ballroom lessons and did a mini performance at the Camden Stroke Rehabilitation Centre. This was an enjoyable afternoon, both for the dancers and the patients. We recently danced in honour of the Olympic torch coming to our very own Quad at Guy’s campus too; this was great fun and something that I know we’ll all remember for a long time!

Our competition troupe, KCL Fusion, have been training hard and are fast approaching the first of five competitions that they will be participating in around the country. Royal Holloway is the first stop and we wish all of them the very best of luck!!

Even though we are coming to the end of a fantastic first term we still have loads of things coming up and it’s not too late for you all to get involved, even if it’s the first time you’ve joined us here at Dance Soc! We have our Christmas social on December 7th - a private Bus Party with our very own karaoke machine.

It will be taking us to some top West End bars and will be ending at a top secret club. Santa hats provided, it’s going to be a night not to be missed so make sure you check out Facebook for more details! December 14th and 15th will see our choreographer auditions for our annual show in March; get in contact with a Committee member for more details. This year the show is called ‘Once Upon a Time...’ and is destined to be even bigger and better than last year. Finally on the 16th December, 7.30 – 9pm we have our Charity Showcase, called ‘Twas the Fortnight before Christmas’. There will be many different King’s societies performing,

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ROAR!: Interview with Michael Smith Vieri Capretta If you have a genetic condition that affects one in 300,000 males, you are special. If you play for your country, you are special.

If you are going to represent your country at the Paralympics, you are special. Michael Smith is special. Smith is 20 years old and, despite his disability, has these accolades under his belt. Personable, distinguished and with a ready smile on his face, Smith is reading Geography here at King’s whilst simultaneously scoring goals for Queen and country. Losing his sight changed his life completely, but it has by no means hindered his sporting endeavours. His story is an inspiring one.

How did you lose your sight?

Spontaneously, actually. At the start of medical school in 2009, at a lecture I found it really difficult to see the board in front of me and the paper on my desk had become just as hazy. I was rushed to the Hospital, and after a couple of months it was revealed to me that I had Lybosothical Neuropathy, a genetic condition that affects one in 300,000 males, and that made me lose over 70-80% of my vision, which means I am now classed severely visually impaired and registered as blind. I had no history of visual catastrophic failures in my family, I had never worn glasses in my life, so it was an absolute shock.

How does Blind Football help you cope with your disability?

It’s fantastic, actually! When [losing my sight] happened, I assumed it was the end of my life as I had known it, but it obviously wasn’t. Playing Blind Football is a way for me to channel my frustration, my anger and my upset. And I’m really good at it! The great thing about it is the fact that you’re on that pitch in your own right; no one got you there. And each time I score a goal it’s a way in which I can combat the anger. Blind Football has ordered my thoughts; it’s fantastic!

How long have you been playing football for?

I’ve played all my life, really. It was only a hobby until I lost my sight and started playing for Middlesex. Now I take it much more seriously, because it’s a different game and I’m particularly good at it. I only started playing Blind Football a year ago, and I faced many difficulties at the first training session. I tried again after Christmas and I found it a lot easier, I really enjoyed it and I thought I could become good at it. I was really missing the ‘chasing the ball around the pitch’ and the camaraderie of the changing room of sighted football, so I needed the team spirit again.

For most people it seems impossible to play football without sight. How does Blind Football work?

It’s absolutely bizarre when you first start. We wear blindfolds so that everyone’s sight is on the same level and we play five or seven-a-side. It’s like closing your eyes, that’s all you see on the pitch, so you have to hear where the ball is and there are a couple of callers calling you towards the goal, and a person on the side to orientate you. It is really fluent and if you watch a game you wouldn’t notice it’s blind people playing. It’s a mental game that exhausts you mentally rather than physically. It’s really, really bizarre.

What position do you play?

I’m quite fit and pacey, so I’m up front for Middlesex and I’ve always played there. For England I play deeper, as second striker.

How did you get selected for England? What were the trials like?

My debut for Middlesex was in February, and I scored the opening goal, the best one I’ve ever scored, and the feeling was absolutely incredible! Then we played Everton the next month; I scored two goals, got into a fight and was fined £25 [laughs], but that showed my tenacity and I was invited to the England Development Squad Training, the equivalent of the England U-21, and it was incredible! Representing your country, being given the England kit, without having to buy it, is every boy’s dream. I love wearing the shirt, even if I can seem a chav to most people… [laughs] To know I’ve earned that shirt on the pitch is probably one of the proudest moments of my life!

Did you celebrate being selected?

Not really, because we aren’t allowed to drink, we’ve got a regulated diet.

What is this diet?

We’ve got a fitness coach and a sports scientist, and we have to submit a training program every week because we are dislocated from the main training at Hereford that involves keeping an optimal hydration level and training four times a week. We are not allowed to drink, but…I don’t think there is any problem with a cheeky one here or there [laughs]. We obviously aren’t allowed to smoke, and basically, if you represent your country you are more than just a university student; you need to remember who you are. I’ve been signing a lot of England shirts for young disabled kids and I’ve been doing a lot of public speaking; they look up to me! How I act outside [the pitch] is going to reflect on my teammates and I. It’s quite mature for a twenty-year-old, but I have to remember what I represent. as well as our very own KCL Fusion, and tickets are a mere £5. Absolutely all proceeds are going to charity too so don’t miss out on this very special evening, which will be complete with mulled wine and mince pies!

So that’s about it from KCL Dance Soc, we’re all about having fun, enjoying ourselves and of course dancing, so if you fancy coming and getting involved then check out our website or Facebook page and we’d love to meet you!

Send Roar! your updates from the season so far for our New Year issue! Pics and articles can be sent to Charlotte at sports@roarnews.co.uk We’ve also got a great photographer on hand, so let us know when you’re playing a big game or want some team photos.

What is the training like?

It’s not really difficult, I’m relatively fit and I feel that I’m good at what I do. The hardest thing is the juggling between a fulltime degree and training at Middlesex. I train full day on Saturdays, with the team; three hours of fitness and three of technical work. Then during the week I’ve got a couple of individual sessions to maintain my body strength and my fitness and an extra technical session. Playing for an international sports team you need incredible fitness levels, but it’s really worth it!

How does the League work?

We have a tournament every month, at the Royal National College of the Blind at Hereford. It’s a League fixture so we play four teams and each match is 45 minutes.

There’s six fully operational Blind Teams in the country, and we play a combination of those every League fixture. So I train every month for these League fixtures, and I also have an extra training with England every month for four days.

You have just scored your first international goal for England. How did it feel?

It was 1-1 going into the last 15 minutes, quite a vital time. It was quite a lucky goal; I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and slammed it into the goal! When you hear quite a few people cheering for you it’s always a special feeling, but you’re so immersed in the moment it’s more like a relief and you just want to defend that advantage. It is only when the game is over does the significance of scoring for England actually sink in; it was the reward for a year of hard work. An incredible feeling, difficult to describe!

Can Blind Football become your life, or are you focused on your studies?

I don’t really envisage myself in the life of a footballer. Professional Blind footballers train 20 hours a week, I train about eight. You need the commitment. I want to be a lawyer and I am studying to achieve this ambition. I started football as a hobby and found out I was really good at it and now I play for England, but I still don’t know if I’ll play in the Paralympics. I just want to see how this year goes. If I manage to do well at university as well as football then I can start thinking about it. It’s a degree for a lifetime against 3 or 4 Paralympics. I always give 100% on the pitch, but my true ambition is to become a lawyer.

If you represent England at the Paralympics and your ambition is to finish your studies, you are unique. This is Michael Smith, an incredible person.