Roar!

90 DAYS SINCE STUDENT COUNCIL PASSED THE MOTION FOR THE REMOVAL OF LORD CAREY FROM THE STRAND CAMPUS WINDOWS

ROAR!

Feminists respond to page three Christmas controversy, pg 7

Monday 21st January - Sunday 3rd February 2013

roarnews.co.uk

OH, THE HUMANITIES! (ir rele vant)

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) -

KCL TO BOOT OUT ACADEMICS INTO TEMPORARY HOLBORN BUILDING STAFF in the Arts & Humanities departments are set to move from their Strand Campus homes to a new site based at Kingsway, off Aldwych. The relocation is motivated by the College’s strategic growth plan, which intends to recruit 150 extra academics and 2,250 extra students by 2016 in the Arts & Sciences Schools.

An email sent out to students in the affected departments describes the site at 22 Kingsway: ‘This new accommoture to meet academic needs and is only a six minute walk from Strand reception. A 14 year lease with a nine year break clause has been negotiated, which will be appropriate for the College’s medium term planning.’

FULL STORY on page 4

Victory over UCL in stunning rugby encounter, pg 22

21st January - 3rd February 2013

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REBIRTH, REDEMPTION, ROAR! ROAR! www.roarnews.co.uk LAURA FRATER EDITOR editor@roarnews.co.uk BEN JACKSON DEPUTY/NEWS EDITOR news@roarnews.co.uk NIDA ALI LONDON NEWS EDITOR

facebook.com/roarnews @roar_news

MAX EDWARDS SAMUEL SPENCER ARTS EDITORS arts@roarnews.co.uk KATIE SINCLAIR AOIFE DOWLING FILM EDITORS film@roarnews.co.uk WILL DAVENPORT HANNAH EWENS MUSIC EDITORS music@roarnews.co.uk

LIAM JACKSON SPORTS EDITOR sports@roarnews.co.uk

EVA CHAIDEFTOS FASHION & LIFESTYLE EDITOR fashion@roarnews.co.uk

OLIVIA SELLEY COMMENT EDITOR comment@roarnews.co.uk

MARY DAVIES CAREERS EDITOR marydavies_@hotmail.com

ANTHONY SHAW FEATURES EDITOR features@roarnews.co.uk

MATT LEVER ONLINE EDITOR CHARLOTTE RICHARDSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF vpsme@kclsu.org

WHAT’S HOT The Book of Margery Kempe. Thanks to a thing called nostalgia. And Josh Davies being a saint!

Not having essays or exams! And so the countdown to results begins. You’re welcome.

KCLSU Refreshers Week.

Get involved and make friends!

Our brand new Roar! hoodies! Now you know who to egg on campus!

Walkabout Wednesdays.

Maybe. Just maybe.

‘DES WAS A BOWIE FAN’ - Indie night at Tutu’s.

The London Underground 150 years old! (see page 5) King’s students getting free tickets to the Shard viewing platform. (see page 9)

WHAT’S NOT The way your body clock fails during the holidays.

FML! Ice-breakers in seminars.

I don’t care about any of you, I’m sorry.

Millwall supporters. ...

Direct Temping (see page 4) Jack Rivlin and his uninformed view on KCL Think Tank Society.

Spurious earthquake claims (see page 9) If you have a complaint about the editorial content in this newspaper which directly affects you, then email the editor-in-chief with your complaint: vpsme@kclsu.org

22 Kingsway, “a ten-minute hike in the pissing rain from the Strand.” Inset: the route.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Last term ended on a sad note for Roar! as our editors experienced an onslaught of anger on social media about an article in our Christmas issue.

On behalf of this newspaper, I apologise for any upset the article caused.

lege (and the union too) and keep them accountable to you, through objective, informed news reporting. That’s my new year’s resolution anyway. will read about the College’s plans

As journalists, we are accountable to you. We are living in an age where the immediacy of accountability is thrilling, almost frightening. This month, Suzanne Moore violently responded to accusations of transphobia due to an off-hand remark in an article on women’s anger. Although I have learned lessons about dealing with complaints via Twitter, I’d like to think I dealt with them better than her.

Nevertheless, I think some would do well to consider that there are real people behind these avatars and handles, people who react in very real ways.

I expect the College to be keeping a close eye on Roar! because of complaints about our Christmas issue.

This act of observing works both ways; it is our role to watch the Col-

manities and Social Sciences departments to a new site at Kingsway.

No undergraduate lectures or seminars are planned to be held there, don’t worry. I haven’t yet formed an opinion on the Kingsway move. experiences of student ambassadors at the hands of a company called Direct Temping, which King’s has used since October to pay its staff.

From my own experiences with the company, I think this is a bad thing and the College should survey students and staff about it.

Contrary to popular opinion, we’re not always outraged and vindictive at this newspaper. Inside these pages,

such as my friend’s experiences as he embarks on a life-changing semester are currently gracing the big screen, tittle-tattle from the ULU ski trip, a rant against my beloved Twitter, a report on our glorious rugby win over UCL, and a recipe for a chocolate mousse cake. Mousse and cake? Curious.

Here at King’s, we are seeing big changes and real growth in our student media societies. Resources are beginning to arise as if out of thin air, institutions seem to be taking notice of the work we’re doing. I have to be vague right now, but things are happening.

After a period of drought, we’re bringing the rain. I invite you to join us.

I wish all our readers, wherever you are, a happy new year and the best of luck for the term ahead.

Ben Jackson

HOME TWEET HOME Too lazy to check your Twitter account? Here are some of our favourite tweets from the last few weeks.

@MissWoolnough @oliviaselley1 @roar_news great. Irony makes misogyny acceptable.

@KCLFemSoc Ooh and if anyone was wondering, we’re in the process of putting together our response to collaboration :)

@JeanPierreLaake Ridiculous fuss about that @roar_news article! If you can’t joke in a student publication where can you joke? #WitchHunt #SenseOfHumourFail

@OliviaSelley1 @roar_news I would just like to assure anyone offended by the latest comment article that it was written with a deeply ironic sentiment.

@stavvers @MatthewJLever @roar_news My my, you really lack a sense of humour if you think parroting mundane sexism equals satire.

fem

ini

st e d it ion

@NickehBee I go away for two hours and the entire world heres about the my... @KCLFemSoc Thanks to @VagendaMagazine and word of sexism in our Student Paper!

You can tweet directly to them @roar_news @katttpierce @roar_news @KCLFemSoc the article trivialises what is a serious and sensitive issue, sexist ‘jokes’ are increadibly damaging

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21st January - 3rd February 2013

NEWS Ben Jackson News Editor news@roarnews.co.uk

facebook.com/groups/roarnewsroom

MOVE TO KINGSWAY MARKS NEW CHAPTER FOR STRANDIES Ben Jackson

CONTINUED from front page The following are the proposed departments that will have ofthough this list is subject to change : • Classics • Comparative Literature • Culture, Media & Creative Industries • Digital Humanities • English Language & Literature • European & International Studies • French • German • Hellenic Studies • Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies • Theology & Religious Studies including Middle East & Mediterranean Studies The proposal has been met with a mixed reception from students and staff, with some undergraduates questioning whether it is a sensible move.

Rena Minegishi, a second-year English Language & Literature student, said of the plans: ‘I think it’s awful that this is happening. I think it’s super important that students can easily access and communicate with their professors, especially in humanities.I was really pissed off that the already disjointed King’s was going to be even more fragmented, and said the students If [the outgoing departments] don’t even know what the interior of the building is going to look like, why The decisions concerning the affected departments will be made in accordance with the College’s Investing in Strength strategy and are under the authority of the Expansion Implementation Group, chaired by War Studies Professor and Vice Principal, Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman.

Professor Freedman spoke to Roar! about the decision to move selected departments to the new site: ‘The need to acquire more space on the Strand site has been pressing for some time as staff and students can

testify. We have been looking at a variety of options, but appropriate property in central London is hard to come by. We were therefore delighted when we got the opportunity to lease 22 Kingsway, which is a substantial building, a few minutes walk away from the established Strand Campus and the Maughan Library, ‘The only way to ease the space prob-

building for many of the academic staff already based there. Given the fragmented and often sub-standard quality of much of the current accommodation of Arts & Humanities, and the potential quality of the space at Kingsway, this appeared as the natural candidate for a move.

We could bring together dispersed departments and reinforce its many interdisciplinary and interdepartmental initiatives, accommodate the School’s outstanding growth in externally funded research projects and in obtaining research fellowships.’

could be better space and facilities for graduate students [at 22 Kingsway], allowing them to be more closely integrated into the research community.

Frank Polatch, a department representative, said: ‘People were (are) annoyed, certainly. I think in the English Department we are always slightly marginalised; we get all our funding cut, and moved up to one of the most soulless streets in central London, whilst the Law Department gets a massive new redevelopment when they already have a load of space in Waterloo. When I was in a meeting with Jo [McDonagh] and some others, a few people seemed quite excited about making a new space with the character of an English Department, and they had some quite ambitious plans, and I am with them personally.’

Asked whether his job as a professor

Freedman believes the site will mas-

enced his role as chair of the Expansion Implementation Group, Freedman said: ‘My academic specialism is irrelevant to my role in this process. I have been acting as a Vice Principal.’

munity in the School, saying: ‘There

A member of the Kingsway Project

Board told us: “The College’s aim is for 22 Kingsway to provide a great academic home for staff and student alike for our world-class School of Arts & Humanities. To do this, we have worked with KCLSU, students reps and staff. We have run tours, 14 workshops and a survey to listen carefully to what students and staff need.’

“We have had a brilliant response on the way the College plans to design the interior of 22 Kingsway.

There’s been an overwhelming desire from both students and staff for a space that provides a better sense of community and identify for departments, many of which are currently spread over several locations on the Strand and lack social space where students and staff can meet.’

The Strand Campus master plan includes the redevelopment of the quadrangle and the space beneath it, which involved an architectural competition won by Hall McKnight in October last year. Freedman said: ‘The Quad redevelopment will soon be starting and that will require moving some science activities.’

The entrance to the proposed College space. Inset: Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman.

ANGER AS KING’S ‘OUTSOURCES STAFF PAYMENTS’ Geoffrey Chapman

lems have meant that payments have taken up to three months.

The recent contracting out the payroll of temporary workers for King’s has caused severe delays in payments.

In a time when students may feel particularly hard pressed with increasing tuition fees and rising rent, the ability to earn some extra money while at university may appear like an appetising prospect. However if the the reality of the situation was known beforehand, there may be fewer takers; students may spend as long chasing their earnings as the time it took in making them.

Since the end of October 2012, King’s stopped directly paying temporary workers and instead ceded the responsibility to Direct Temping – an organisation that claims to have made the process ‘easy’.

However, the confusion of the transition, an extra layer of bureaucracy and technical prob-

Direct Temping now oversees the

payment and application process for all temporary student jobs within King’s on campus. Previously, this was done by the department within King’s which the student had worked for. Additional steps before a payment is made now include having to regis-

ping and being required to present your passport and visa in person to a representative who is only available on campus at select times of the week.

This is followed by having to confer with both the department and Direct

steps (and in my personal experience, a lengthy delay due to technical problems on Direct Temping’s behalf).

I did get paid eventually, but with the time I had to spend to making sure, I’m not sure I’d do it again.”

This heavily affects student ambassadors who are responsible for representing the university to the public.

Anthony Shaw, who helped with the thestudentroom.co.uk open week says:

It remains to be seen as to whether the service will improve but hopefully these were just transitional problems.

“I was hoping to get the payment before Christmas but it was such a hassle. At every stage I had to email around to get an idea whether I was going to be paid soon.

If the situation remains the same, these problems will disincentivise many applicants who will already be busy enough with their studies.

This would be great shame as temporary work provides a key service to many students both to supplement their income and improve their CV.

21st January - 3rd February 2013

NEWS

5

@Jackson12th

#PAGE3GATE AND THE FEMINIST SOCIETY UPROAR! Max Edwards

merous complaints about the article where posted to Roar! editors as well

When Casey L, Roar!’s limited Christmas edition, left the press on December 14th, it provoked instant controversy among some readers.

account as the article was misconstrued as serious, with the points made actually held by the author and supported by Roar!’s editorial staff.

The article in question, “In Defence of ical piece that was not viewed as such.

Caitlin Herrity, the then-president of KCL FemSoc posted on Ben Jackson’s Roar! submissions page: “Can’t work out whether you’ve decided to endorse “outdated, hurtful and offensive comments” accross [sic] the board, or just regarding women.”

Arguing for The Sun’s infamous Page of praise and admiration, Thomson attempted to satirically critique the institution by providing reasons he felt were bordering on the ridiculous.

Led by the KCL Feminist Society, and supported by other students, nu-

The situation surrounding the offending article was not helped by Roar!’s initial response. Hindered by internal miscommunication, the of-

story was “serious as far as I know”.

This was quickly remedied when new information came to light.

More outrage followed as the article was posted on KCL FemSoc’s Facebook page, with the top half of it missing.

It appears that the satire was not taken as such by all students. Comments in the article were deemed to be of a misogynistic nature, and the ‘jokes’ crude and offensive to a group that views itself as marginalised by society.

Quotes in the article such as “with a bit of plastic surgery and a decent diet, any girl can look like that” were deemed by the Roar! editorial team as too farcical to be construed as serious, while some students felt that they

were demeaning and went too far.

The Feminist Society were invited to partake in the media forum that was scheduled the next day. Three members of KCL FemSoc attended to air their grievances about the article.

though it was reiterated that no offence was intended and that the article was farcical in the extreme.

Having discussed the article for twenty minutes, the Feminist Society thanked the Media Forum members who at-

Media Forum chair and Roar! News Editor, Ben Jackson handed chairmanship over to Vice President of Student Media and Engagement (VPSME), Charlotte Richardson, who acts as Editor-in-Chief for the newspaper and the other KCLSU media societies.

As part of the terms agreed in the media forum, the Feminist Society have written a collaborative piece in response to the initial article. They have also used the opportunity to discuss the wider issues surrounding women’s rights and rape culture in the UK.

She, and many of the Roar! team who were in attendance, proceeded to respond to the allegations of misogyny.

An apology was issued to those who took offence from the VPSME,

Society’s statement on page 7.

Should you wish to respond to it, email editor@roarnews.co.uk

Roar!’s Christmas issue.

London news edited by Nida Ali

TFL CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF THE TUBE Nida Ali The London Underground may not be your ideal mode of transportation, but it’s undoubtedly less stressful and expensive than trying to drive in London, quicker than buses and warmer than walking. It also remains one of the world’s most complex underground travel systems, with a 249mile track, that gives passage to an estimated 1.1 billion people annually.

Thus, it’s unsurprising that for most London students, their Oyster card inevitably becomes their best friend.

This year the London Underground celebrates its 150th anniversary, so watch out for the special events of which took place on the mornLocomotive 1, a steam train built in

1898, travelled between Kensington Olympia and Moorgate, carrying specially invited guests including Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Met Locomotive 1 followed the path of the original Metropolitan Line (now known as the Hammersmith & line that opened between Paddington Mayor Johnson called the trip “extraordinary”, and said “We had steam coming in through the windows, huge thick clouds of white steam going past and then bits of soot coming through from the engine. It was fascinating, as the train started to go up from Kensington to Notting Hill you could feel the engine really strain, but as we leveled off it picked up a lot of speed”.

Further adding “It was romantic.

You understand all those Victorian novels and the assignations that pos-

sibly took place on those velvet seats. It was pure Conan Doyle.”

Sam Mullins, director of the London Transport Museum added: “It was almost a little surreal, you’re sitting in a wonderfully restored Victorian railway carriage, looking out through steam onto a 21st-century metro platform with pressed aluminum. As you looked to the platforms, everybody had a smile on their face.”

Hundreds of rail enthusiasts joined commuters on stations and bridges to catch a glimpse of the train, often being covered by steam as it travelled past. The restored steam train made two more trips that day, both sold-out, between Olympia and Moorgate, and then Moorgate to Edgware Road. More steam journeys are expected on 20th January to continue the celebrations.

Other celebration plans include a series of theatrical productions at the disused Aldwych station, screenings of London Underground themed

ing history and looking at the vital role it will continue in the future - “both in the lives of Londoners and to the economic life of London and the UK”.

exhibition entitled “Poster Art 150: London’s Greatest Designs” at the London Transport Museum, to exhibit some of the Underground’s distinctive artwork from across the decades. Art on the Underground also intend to have a prominent British artist bring artworks into each station as well as publish limited edition tube themed posters and prints by

Mike Brown, Managing Director of London Underground, also touched upon the Underground’s future, stating: “As we mark the 150th anniver-

Also to mark the anniversary, the Royal Mail has issued commemorative stamps, while the Royal Mint is pressing special edition £2 coins. Commuters can also purchase commemorative Oyster cards.

According to TFL, the events are aimed at exploring the Tube’s fascinat-

As Sunday’s steam journey drew to an end, Mayor Johnson fondly remarked: “The arrival of the Tube was truly revolutionary and today it is still admired around the world. It

railway we are also building for the future”. Well let’s hope so; considering the population of London is expected to increase by one million in the next 20 years, making the London Under-

and is the throbbing cardiovascular system of the greatest city on earth.”

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21st January - 3rd February 2013

COMMENT Olivia Selley Comment Editor comment@roarnews.co.uk

facebook.com/roarnews

TRADING IN THE HEART OF DARKNESS Alexander Roberts In yet another fantastic wildlife series, Africa, David Attenborough doesn’t shy away from presenting the daily competition for life and death in explicit detail.

The animal world, it seems is populated solely by predators and prey of one sort or another.

Our corner of the animal kingdom is no different, and Africa, unfortunately, is the perfect example of that. In the last 100 years Africa has struggled to develop into the productive and autonomous region that every other continent has, more or less.

Many interventions have been attempted over the decades to try and get Africa on its feet and give haven’t worked. Aid has achieved many great things but, on the whole, has the condition of the Does there appear to be a general trend towards genuine and lasting development across the board?

Not really. The same sad stories keep repeating themselves.

This is the case, not because the rich countries aren’t doing enough but because we’re doing too much.

Africa would be best left alone, and the reason we don’t leave it be is ultimately because it’s more Africa undeveloped and dependent on tokenistic handouts than to In the 1600s nutmeg was worth many times more than it’s weight in gold. A decent size sack could set you up for life, with a house, staff and expensive wine till the day you died. It also only grew on a few islands in modern day Indonesia. That constituted it as a serious complication in a time when Indonesia wasn’t even on any English maps.

But eventually English merchants decided to cut out the Venetian and Persian middle men and go directly to the source (in little wooden boats from the west country, with no toothbrushes but plenty of scurvy) to a successful mission could make. nutmeg at its source was dirt cheap.

The natives of the Spice Islands weren’t exactly stakeholders in the international economy and as such they charged almost nothing for their nutmeg, and were happy to almost give it away by the boat load.

It was so lucrative that it gave the English a nasty habit for making of

poorer

undeveloped

it’s own native companies that can compete with the multi nationals nor does it bar them from entry.

The result is not only exploitation of it’s resources but a lack of native African economic development as African companies fail to compete with the multi nationals that have

nations.

The trading company that led these missions to the Spice Islands became the English East India Company. hugely expensive and risky missions to the Spice Islands, modern multi national companies know from experience that big investment in the early stages reaching out and exploiting natural resources at their source can really pay off in the long run.

Before the industrial revolution, England was a relatively poor nation of Europe. So it protected its resources and domestic markets until its native industries were strong enough to trade competitively with those on the continent.

For all the barbarous plundering and bloodshed of the British Empire, the real wealth was made through its trade in markets that it dominated. Just like with the nutmeg.

But, to be the lucky multi national that gets to go there and do that you have to have the supply that meets a demand. If a country already has a lot of competition from similar service providers there’s no demand for you. If a country’s laws protect itself from big foreign companies, you the big multi national are not the supply they want.

It’s called protecting your infant industries and it didn’t only work for the British. The Americans did it

Africa, on the whole, neither has

WW2 also helped even out the

century America was isolationist politically and protectionist economically. It made great use of its natural resources domestically until it was ready to compete internationally.

international economy, which America was then able to dominate. And that seems to have worked out well for them too.

China is the most recent example and even more relevant to Africa, the only remaining undeveloped continent: After 100 years of being exploited and generally pushed around by Britain and others, China shut down its boarders during the middle of the 20th century and developed in safe isolation.

About 25 years later it started to slowly open for business when it felt good and ready and that has gone pretty well for them too I’d say.

Spare a thought for poor Mali.

Once an empire made possible by the trans Saharan trade route, on the back of camels in much the same way that Europeans later the trans Saharan Today Mali can’t defences against and has to rely on

routes obsolete. afford adequate Islamist rebels France for help.

500 years ago we developed the competitive advantage over Africa.

Isn’t it about time we let go?

THE ECHO CHAMBER OF TWITTER

James Rowland

When announcing my hate for Twitter to people, the usual response is one of surprise. That’s what is so great about talking to actual people, they respond to you, and in ‘real time’ too.

I realise that not everyone loves Twitter and so this article may be preaching to the unconverted, but to those Twitter converts and avid practicing Tweeters I hope it highlights its utter redundancy and uselessness.

Some of the proposed advantages of Twitter are as follows: it is a great business tool; it gives the individual a voice; it gives users real time access to gossip and current affairs; connects friends; connects people who might not otherwise meet but who have common interests. All of these are widely considered positive attributes of Twitter. However in reality none of them are particularly positive.

Companies use it to target a potential client base. There is plenty of statistical analysis available online that tell businesses things such as ‘1/4 people will follow companies and discounts’. Having read this

random companies start following ‘randomers’ in the hope that they might be followed back. You are game. They want your custom, not your opinion or your love. The cold hearted bastards. Besides as if we need to be any more bombarded by advertising than we already are by the endless stream in magazines, internet pop ups, YouTube, 4OD, billboards, buses, television.

Secondly while I don’t think individuals having a voice is a bad idea entirely, I do think that given the opportunity individuals feel a strange urge to vomit all their thoughts into the bottomless pit that is the Twittersphere. Did I use that right? Twittersphere? Similarly it gives anyone who has an opinion on an opinion you have expressed the opportunity to contact you and tell you exactly why they think you are wrong. And while one practices discretion by not re-tweeting such things, you have still had to read and digest whatever it is this person has said despite having never asked for provides a wonderful platform for secondly, broadcast their offence to

the world. When not taking offence people are broadcasting their choice of breakfast cereal or latest wardrobe decisions…snore. Besides, most of us are fortunate enough to have actual voices, it’s a wonder we don’t use them more to talk, rather than Tweet.

Mark Henderson, author of The Geek Manifesto says that Twitter brings friends together by allowing them to share experiences with one another.

He says ‘the beauty of Twitter is that if you feel the wind though your hair, and want to share that experience with people, Twitter allows you to do that’. It’s a pretty trivial example, but a very accurate one. People do take to Twitter to share experiences, even when they are already sharing it with someone else. People use it to broadcast what a great time they are having with a chum and fellow Twitter user, but really that just interrupts the time they are spending together. It becomes a tool of selfvalidation, look at me, I have a voice and I have a friend! Congratulations.

rolling news updates and coverage

Twitter is a forum for glorious misinformation or dangerously abbreviated information. Every Twitter user seems to think they are journalists themselves, re-tweeting adding and adding their own spin on stories to the point where the truth becomes buried in some collaborative tome of error. Thirdly, all of this emphasis on ‘real time’ information is rather counterproductive. Rather than providing an educative base it encourages minimal gestation of information as

people form opinions instantly and then discard the vital broader information and context. Informed in 140 characters. Yeah, right.

I don’t think Twitter is an especially divisive issue because, I hope, no one cares enough. And this is the does care about it, but still millions of people engage with it every day.

Why? It only indicates our mindless subordination to the idea that hyperconnectivity is a good idea. Well, I don’t think so, there are far too many freaks out there in the sphere.

Perhaps the ‘real-time’ access to news and current affairs is the indisputable advantage of Twitter?

Well, no. First of all, every paper and news channel provides 24-hour

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WRITE FOR COMMENT, GET IN TOUCH AT COMMENT@ROARNEWS.CO.UK

21st January - 3rd February 2013

LETTERS

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@roar_news

#PAGE3GATE, AND WHY THE* FEMINISTS GOT ALL ANGRY…

In light of a meeting with representatives of the KCL Feminist Society, Roar! invited them to provide a response to that article.

This is their full, uncensored statement...

KCL Feminist Society Bloody feminists complaining about something or other again; what is it now..?

So you may or may not have heard the furore at the end of last term, which saw Roar! fall under accusations of sexism and misogyny. This was the result of a full page article published in the Christmas special edition, entispread and the article was circulated, people quickly moved from disbelief to genuine anger and outrage, reading lines such as ‘with a bit of plastic surgery and a decent diet, any girl can look like that. Women have a duty. Could be the motivation they need’. There were so many offensive lines such as this that we’re not going to offer a point by point response to the December article; instead, we’re going to explain our position.

One of the most obvious issues with the article was that it was supposedly ‘just a joke’ and therefore shouldn’t be taken seriously or found offensive.... However, there were many at the time who were unsure if it was a joke or not (including members of the Roar! Editorial Team!) and this is hugely telling.

The fact that we can’t immediately discern whether such sexist hatespeech is meant to be humourous or not, shows how prevalent these attitudes have become; that it has somediscrimination. Furthermore, even if it was meant as a joke, at whose expense was the joke being made? It’s clear that the ‘arguments’ were not aimed at stereotyped sexist men who buy The Sun, but rather at ‘fat old women’ probably just jealous themselves’.

Irony, satire or just political humour are meant to ridicule and belittle sexism; not perpetuate it. It’s not good enough to say that irony is in the conception, not the reception: the entire premise of irony is to show contempt for something contemptible, whilst mocking it. If you fail at the contempt you fail at the irony, and simply end up reproducing and thus reinforcing that which you’re meant to be criticising. (After the article was

published, members of the Feminist Society shared various brilliant satires, for example John Scalzi’s ‘Hi I’m a Rapist’, to prove this point).

Whatever your intentions, if you say something sexist you’ve said something sexist, and need to accept your responsibility. You cannot simply spew sexist bile by slyly hiding your words under the veil of ‘satire’, and then dismissing other peoples upset as an ‘overreaction’.

If you walk up to someone and accidentally step on their foot, you can’t blame them for having their foot there: you walked up to them and you ought to have watched where you were going. It also raises the question: would Roar! have ever printed such derogatory comments about a race or religion? Probably not, and this brings us to the wider issue.

Right now the national No More raising awareness through activism of how people feel about the widespread availability of teenage breasts in a family newspaper, and what impact it is having on society.

To state the bleeding obvious, the Roar! article ‘In Defence of Page airbrushed photo of a skinny white glamour model. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with the image itself, but by choosing this, rather than a satirical cartoon or a photo of readers of The Sun, once again shows the real attitude of the piece.

As research by the Everyday Sexism Project (@EverydaySexism) shows, there is strong evidence that such images contribute to ‘a deeply problematic ideology in the public consciousness relating to women’s breasts’; who owns them, who has the right to touch them and who is entitled to judge and comment on them. The cause it feeds into a wider sexist culture (brace yourselves for some stats).

Sexism IS important because we’re living in a world where less than 1 in 4 of our MPs and only 1 in 5 of those in the House of Lords is female. ues commemorating people around

*Headline chosen by KCL Feminist Society

the UK are of women and less than 1 in 10 of our engineers are female.

This problem pervades every part of our society: in Chemistry 50% of undergraduates are women, but only 6% of professors, and only year were directed by women.

Perhaps most terrifyingly, in a Home of those polled said it was acceptable in some circumstances “for a man to hit or slap his wife or girlfriend in response to her being dressed in sexy or

said a woman should be held fully or partially responsible if she is sexually assaulted or raped whilst drunk.

As MP and former equalities minister Lynne Featherstone said, the link beis “about the constant drip, drip of women being sexualised in the public space [which] has a great bearing on attitudes and domestic violence”.

So where do we go from here? Well

on the bright side it’s Women’s History Month in March, and our Society and the whole of KCLSU will be celebrating amazing women, who despite the odds have overcome this everyday sexism to achieve great things.

You can also join the KCL Feminist Society (@KCLFemSoc), an open liberation group founded this year for all King’s students (yes, including the boys) where we can come together to ism from our university, and our lives.

8

21st January - 3rd February 2013

FEATURES Anthony Shaw Features Editor features@roarnews.co.uk

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WELCOME TO NORTH CAROLINA! WE’RE VERY FRIENDLY…

James Thorpe

You learn many things when you live in a city like London. One thing that you do not learn is how to respect and make time for others.

I like to think that I am reasonably polite but I’ve often pushed past dawdling people on the tube or exchanged a ‘hi-ok-thanks-bye’ with the man who just served me a coffee; and, as every Londoner likes to repeat to establish their position as a Londoner: don’t even get me started on tourists.

I have been in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for just one week and I already feel very welcome. Almost everyone I have met is amicable from the beginning. ‘Hello sir, how are you today?’ and ‘Oh, you’re welcome!’ are seldom used in London. The former ter as pointless- why would you acknowledge that someone has just said thankyou when you’ve already done something to warrant the thankyou?

The title ‘sir’ is only used by old fashioned people or perhaps a police peers and adults, and vice versa. They are small and brief pleasantries but, as an American once told me, they show the other person that you respect them.

It extends beyond etiquette as well: the South appears to deserve its reputation for hospitality. Earlier this afternoon, Elise, whom I had only met two days ago, offered to drive me half an hour to the supermarket so I could live beyond my Spartan regimen of coffee-bagel-coffee-pizza.

Beyond London, the excessive politeness of English people is often counter-productive. I am not an awkward person but I have often been in situations where I do not ask questions because ‘It is rude to ask too many questions’. At an American friend’s dinner party the other night, the guests seemed interested in asking me questions without being too inquisitive and, conversely, were just as happy to talk about themselves.

The Americans I have met so far have seemed eager to achieve a familiarity with me yet they are aware that it’s always nice to be polite.

Although British people are known for their excessive politeness, I do think that London is outside of this maxim. Londoners’ attitudes towards others seem to run along these lines: ‘this is a big city so I’ll never see this guy again, why do I need to bother being friendly?’ or ‘I live in London; I am a big shot; I have no time for manners’. It is easy to come to the city and get caught up in a mentality which leaves little time for people who are not your friends.

Carolina will be exposed as naïve but I feel that Americans here are sincere in their friendly demeanour. I’m not sure why people are more approachable and welcoming but it is a refreshing environment to live in.

I like to think that I’ll come back home and be a bit more pleasant to fellow Londoners and tourists alike. amanshouldtravel.wordpress.com

HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR HOLIDAY? Dora Robinson

I live in the Czech Republic where for Christmas people keep live carp in their bathtubs.

And then they eat them. Well, most of the time...

I have a friend whose family somehow forgot about the carp one year.

They found its corpse several weeks

later in a bathroom they didn’t use.

this year got me thinking about the bizarre ways people around the world have spent their holidays. Or the ones we don’t know about at least.

whilst asking each other questions such as ‘Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?’ or ‘What do you get if you cross Father Christmas with a duck?’.

(The answers, which I’m sure you’re absolutely dying to know, are ‘a mince spy’ and ‘a Christmas quacker’.)

In the UK, you decorate your houses drag on stage and wear paper crowns

To an extraterrestrial visitor, these traditions would probably be just as bizarre as the traditions of other cultures.

These are some of my favourite ways people have spent their holidays around the world: • In Japan, they queue up for the ultimate romantic meal at KFC. The company has cleverly marketed fried chicken as being the traditional food for Christmas day, which is also considered as a time to spend with your loved one.

• In New York, there is a riveting television programme lasting 24 hours. You spend your Christmas day watching a virtual burning log.

• Naughty children are threatened turinn, or the Christmas Cat, in Iceland. If that doesn’t work there is always the threat of the Christmas trolls. Or banking collapse.

• 75% of Finns like to spend time at a cemetery. It makes for a very merry Christmas.

• There is a game in America, called Snap Dragon, where contestants pick raisins out of burning brandy and put them out with their mouths.

• In Arizona in America, gun clubs offer the opportunity for families show their peace and goodwill by pos-

ing with Father Christmas. Oh, and AK47s, machine guns and grenades.

• To brighten up an otherwise dreary morning at church, inhabitants of Caracas, Venezuela, arrive on roller-skates.

• New Year’s Eve in Germany, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands, Austria, South Africa, Denmark, Norway etc. etc. etc. is celebrated by watching on television an elderly English aristocrat being served dinner by her butler with her imaginary friends.

Whilst ‘Dinner for One’ has its merits, I prefer the version ‘Euros for No One’ featuring Angela Merkel and Nicholas Sarkozy.

• For some, all around the world, the cal mountains such as Rtanj mountain in Serbia or Bugarach in France to escape the expected apocalypse.

Others spent their money wisesurvival posedly

pods that could supwithstand 1km waves.

However, as the world has not ended we have all had to return to King’s and the world of deadlines and exams.

Welcome back, everyone.

21st January - 3rd February 2013

FEATURES

9

@roar_news

OUR TOP FIVE WATERING HOLES AROUND STRAND

Henry Cross

What are the best pubs in the area around King’s?

SHARD GIVEN A PLATFORM Liam Jackson

The majestic tall glass building erecting from London Bridge shines brightly even in the dull winter morning. The peace and splendour is slightly ruined by the onslaught of commuters to building works which seem forever non-ending. The entrance to the shard is a wide open plan space still containing the fresh layer of smell that you get from new construction that few have yet walked upon.

The lifts themselves are split into two,

level and then another up to the 68th.

Signs that there was still work to be done before the grand opening on the 1st February could be seen, the lift attendant informing us that the smashed lights in the lift was due to an error by a workmen with clumsy hands equipped with a ladder. En-route halfway up one of the side panels decided to leave the wall, all quite comical and minor things that tend to happen in that hasty run up to public opening.

Passing through one set of security checking tickets, you climb the stairs into the main hall, where you snake through the line and thus have to pass through airport like security of full body scanner, after which you empty your pockets and hand your bags to go through the x-ray. Having done

a mighty 800ft above the ground, the lift whistles, ears begin to pop and the one screen still working on the ceiling shows colourful animations of weather going from torrential rain to bright sunshine as you reach the top.

There were two parts to the viewing

a memorable one. Murals litter each side of the wall, containing famous landmarks such as Marble Arch and the National Theatre, celebrities from over the decades were drawn into the frames, the Queen on the scooter with her corgis and London Mayor Boris Johnson shining the shoes of a top hated former mayor Ken Liv-

vertigo sufferers like myself who still feel safe enclosed and not less afraid

admired, the river snakes through the middle as living words of tales and words of wisdom from around the boroughs of London strewn across the design such as “London’s earliest tea house was here” and so on.

to the streets. The view itself was not great due to the morning’s cloudy plume, however the awe at being so high above London was fascinating, a rare feeling to be so far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

On a clear day, the view can reach out over 40 miles into the distance; a view that over shines any other building in Western Europe. The special sential in this glum morning, designers using the unpredictability of London visibility to their advantages. Not

only do they show a live feed through the lens, but also an “as it is” image, a pre recorded visual ranging from what London looks like on a clear day to that of also a sunset view and a night time view. By focusing on landmarks, an audible hearing relates some information about the points of interest.

It was then a short walk up the stairs to the outdoor level; the scaffolding that still lay to one corner increased my moderate fear of heights and a hasty few moments wondering if they had successfully completed this section yet. After a nervous walk to the edge you quickly realised you are not as exposed as originally thought. After a few touristy snaps on the camminutes back down, passing the gift shop still in its refurbishment infancy.

Before you know it you’re back out to reality, back to the London as you know it, a strange feeling in itself. The whole trip took around 25 minutes, queuing was minimal and the process very smooth. All staff were very friendly and informative, ready to answer any ques-

In regards to price, tickets are selling at £25 per adult for the experiexpensive, however with this being cheaper than the London, Eye, a better view, and to be honest a much more pleasant and enjoyable visit, the price for the new top London attraction seems to be rather rewarding.

Whether you just want a quick tipple, a longer session, or even a London cultural experience, where should you go to spend your hard earned student loan?

In no particular order, here is a quick distance pubs:

1. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street Apparantly Dickens used to frequent and once you have found your way in, you can see that the place has kept much of its character. Great for a reasonably priced pint of bitter and not too far from Kings on Fleet Street, a must-visit for any history, and beer, lover.

2. The Knight’s Templar, Chancery Lane Not just any old Wetherspoons. Impressive and just across the road from the Maughan library, this pub is a fantastic, affordable place to have a nice pint and a bit of pub-grub to boot. Not going into too much detail – it’s a Wetherspoons so is pretty much like any other – it is certainly worth a visit, if for nothing else to make you feel slightly more important than your budget allows!

3. The Princess Louis, High Holborn A personal favourite. Just down High Holborn opposite Holborn station, this is a real gem. Separated into compartments in original Victorian style with authentic furnishings, it feels like a top hat should be on the dress code. But the casual atmosphere makes it a truly enjoyable place to

have a drink and everywhere there are unexpected delights (the urinals in the gents haven’t changed since Victorian times!)

4. The George, Strand A cosy, Sunday lunch pub. Opposite the Royal courts of Justice, this is the place to sit in the warm, put your feet up, bring out the pipe (electronic of course) and read The Times (or Roar!). Also deserving of a mention is the Ye Olde Cock Tavern just up the road which has many of the same attributes. For more grandeur on the Strand, try the Old Bank of England. side are just a taste of its majesty.

5. The Punch and Judy, Covent Garden A bit of wild card considering other greats such as the Seven Stars and the Lyceum, but certainly worthy of a top overlooking the various performers and market of Covent garden, this is acter of one of the most vibrant parts of London. Although pretty pricey, it’s just for the one!

So there you have it, the best pubs around King’s.

Although it’s a list worth following, feedback would be welcome and around King’s or anywhere in London message me on henry.cross@kcl. ac.uk, and your suggestions will be included in forthcoming articles.

Also, anywhere around the centre of London you cannot go wrong with Samuel Smiths run pubs.

Just give that title a quick internet search and every pub desire you have will be satiated.

A DEADLY EARTHQUAKE OR A RUMBLY TUMMY? Ben Jackson

I was working at The Bolton News this month when a strange call came in from a man in the area who claimed he woke up to a small earthquake.

The pensioner, who wished to remain anonymous, said he woke up at 1:10am to his house shaking. At heart attack. I mused, perhaps he’d had a heavy night of drinking and his stomach was rumbling the next morning. Maybe he’d had tremendous wind? Fortunately, I had the tact to keep these thoughts to myself.

He alleged the tremors slowly died went back to sleep. If my house was shaking for half an hour, I imagine I’d probably get the heck out of there, but to each their own.

“It felt as though plywood was being sawed with an old blade,” said the pensioner, aged 79, which I thought was a rather prudish way of describing an earth tremor. Generally, quake testimonies tend to produce erotic connotations, with all the intense vibrations that one must experience during the event.

The man from Bolton had called a

friend in the area, who suggested that it might be due to a possible collapse underground in one of the local coal mines, which date back to the 18th century. I was however still suspicious about these curious claims.

any kind, detected by the BGS seismograph network. It may well be the case that a man in Bolton did experience something but, whatever it was, may have been so localised and too small to be recorded.”

Keen to get to the bottom of the case and help my new friend out, I contacted Julian Bukits of the British Geological Survey (BGS), who scrutinised the signals from the nearest seismograph sites and found that there had been no noticeable change the night before.

A small quake hit my home county of Cumbria last year, reaching a magnitude of 2.1 on the Richter scale.

It is suspected that it was caused by fracking in nearby Lancashire.

Fracking is a controversial process that involves drilling down into the earth and creating small explosions to shatter shale rocks to release the gas inside. Who ever thought setting off bombs underground was a good idea?

Bukits said: “There was no evidence of a seismic disturbance, of

British earthquakes aren’t a recent thing; they were occurring long before the infamous rise of shale gas drilling. BGS started operating in

a mere boy, and they experience around 20 earthquakes a year, most of which occur along the west coast.

If you wake up in the middle of the night and think your house is shaking, I encourage you to feel your stomach before calling the press. After the unusual task of investigating the claim of a local earthquake, I am certain of one thing – I fracking hope my dear friend in Bolton gets his bowels sorted out.

10

21st January - 3rd February 2013

FEATURES

facebook.com/roarnews

HUGH THOMSON REVIEWS TOILETS Hugh Thomson We live in a society in which the “review” plays a very important role.

At one time a preserve of the Arts, an evaluation of almost anything can now be found online, and we’ll rarely hand over our cash or tap in our advice of a stranger on the internet.

But don’t for a moment let me give you the impression that I’m bemoaning the rise of the review, for they can often be invaluable.

Take, for example, Andrew’s review on Amazon for Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel Creme (200 ml), priced at a fairly reasonable £5.44.

“Being a loose cannon who does not was ignore the warning and smear this all over my knob and bollocks.

The bollocks I knew and loved are gone now. In their place is a maroon coloured bag of agony which sends stabs of pain up my body every time it grazes against my thigh or an article of clothing. I am suffering so that you don’t have to. Heed my lesson. DO NOT PUT ON KNOB AND BOLLOCKS.” [Andrew went on to give the product a 5 star rating because “despite the fact that

I think my bollocks might fall off, they are now completely hairless”]

Andrew’s decision to share his experience with this product online means that thousands of men across the nation, perhaps even the world, will be spared the ordeal that he so bravely endured. But if this isn’t enough to justify our tendency to review every object we come into contact with, we only need to look at smartphone “apps”, which can identify your location and give you detailed user reviews of every service you could possibly require within your local area.

Well, almost every service. One evening last summer, however, I was not in need of an Italian restaurant, a traditional English pub, a cosy independent cinema, or even a high-class hooker. Instead I required the services of a public lavatory. I smiled complacently as I took out my phone and readied myself to see what the various reviewers had to say about the central London facilities. No results found.

It took some time for my horror to abate itself, but, once it had I resolved that there was only one option: I would have to write my own reviews. A lot has happened since then, and recently I was promoted to the position of chief lavatory critic for a major newspaper.

Allow me to share with you three of my recent reviews.

Broadwick Street, Soho Great Marlborough Street, Soho What better place to start than Broadwick Street Public Toilets, a lavatory of almost unequalled reputation.

Another celebrated venue in Soho, although this reviewer’s experience was unfortunately not a very positive one.

The iron gates which surround the steps leading down to the atrium (spacious but not excessively so) tell you what you should already know: you are entering a high class establishment.

With a rather steep cover charge of 50p this establishment tends to attract an upmarket crowd: young, professional types with a bit too much cash to splash.

As if I wasn’t excited enough during my visit, upon arriving I noticed a sign above the steps which informed me that CCTV cameras were operating inside: a sure sign that there would be some celebrities in that night.

Nevertheless I grudgingly paid and approached the attendant. ‘Urinal for one, sir?’ he asked. I hesitated, before responding: ‘Er… no just a cubicle for one tonight, please’.

He nodded, smiled and led me to my cubicle where I wasted no time in making myself comfortable.

I must admit I was a little surprised to see one unfortunate patron sprawled but it’s a sad inevitability that at an establishment like this where celebrities can be spotted, the excitement will prove too much for some.

An acquaintance I happened to bump into reliably informed me that George Michael had dropped in earlier on in the night: this would go some way But apart from that, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

The décor, I must admit, is a bit bare, but my eye was caught on this occasion by two holes in the side of the derstand what they could possibly be for, but later in the evening I realised.

I left GMS public lavatory with a sour taste in my mouth, feeling I hadn’t really got my money’s worth.

Covent Garden Here’s one for when you face that

conundrum. I was supposed to be meeting a work colleague and couldn’t for the life of me decide on a venue.

In the end I decided on the public bathroom just off Covent Garden, and couldn’t have made a better decision. Arriving a good quarter of an hour early I thought I might as well go downstairs rather than waiting outside in the cold.

One minor disadvantage: It should be pointed out that this establishment does require its patrons to roll up their trousers upon entering: the inch of urine that covers ambiance, but can also stain trousers, as any veteran will know.

The social aspect of this one has a lot to be said for itself, though. Taking my place at a urinal (I had to settle for a middle one – reserve at least a few days in advance if you want an end one) it was not long before I struck up a conversation with a fellow patron, who turned out to be a former lavatory critic for a major TV news channel. change

many

entertaining anec-

Next week: reviews of the best abortion clinics in London!

CAREERS

21st January - 3rd February 2013

Mary Davies Careers Editor marydavies_@hotmail.com

@roar_news

WATCH THIS SPACE Introduction to Assessment Centre 21/01/2013 12:00 K0.18 Assessment Centre Skills 21/01/2013 13:00 S0.13 How to...Cover Letters 21/01/2013 16:30 Careers & Employability Centre, The Bridge, Level 1 Macadam Building How to get to the Assessment Centre!

21/01/2013 17:30 FWB 1.17 Psychometric Testing 22/01/2013 12:00 FWB 3.52 Group Work 22/01/2013 13:00 FWB 1.17 Group Excersise 22/01/2013 17:30 K2.29, Council Room Strength Based Interviews 23/01/2013 12:00 K0.20 Microsoft Tech Talk 23/01/2013 18:00 K0.20 The Secret to Assessment Centres 24/01/2013 12:00 FWB 3.52 Demystifying Assessment Centres 24/01/2013 17:30 FWB 1.11 Assessment Centre Day 25/01/2013 10:00 Careers & Employability Centre, The Bridge, Level 1 Macadam Building Mock Assessment Centre 28/01/2013 12:30 26 Chapter Street SW1P 4NP For more information regarding these events please go to: http://iextras.thecareersgroup.co.uk/ rss/kingsrss.aspx

11

KCL THINK TANK PUBLIC POLICY WEEK

Kathryn Hale & Aylan Aliyeva

College London will be holding Careers in Public Policy Week - a week of events and workshops about working in political organisations, think tanks and other public policy roles.

This informative week has been jointly organised by KCL’s Careers Service, KCL Think Tank Society, KCL Model United Nations Society, and KCL Politics Society. for this kind of event. While students get plenty of information on how to proceed in banking, law, consultancy and other sectors, surprisingly little information is available to help those with an interest in politics and policy.

The Careers in Public Policy Week aims to address the shortfall in available information by hosting accessible events, engaging workshops and networking events.

The events continue KCL Think Tank’s commitment to empowering students by providing them with opportunities to contribute to the policy debate in a constructive manner. The debates held by the society are supported by subject experts, and give students an opportunity to netKCL Think Tank’s annual journal, The Spectrum, provides students with an opportunity to voice their opinions and have them heard With continuing pessimism over the economic climate – both domestically and internationally – students are increasingly voicing their concerns over their career prospects. Strong competition for jobs means that students need additional skills and experience in order for their applications to stand out.

Careers in Public Policy Week aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experience they need in order to pursue a successful career in politics or public policy.

KCL Think Tank President Sebastiaan Debrouwere argues, “Students at a university with world-leading departments and faculty in Political Science should be well-informed

about how they can succeed in making a mark on their societies through a career in public policy.”

The events will concentrate on a whole spectrum of career options in public policy.

At its event ‘Working for a Think Tank’ on Monday, KCL Think Tank will be providing students with a valuable insight into the world of think tanks.

Sebastiaan Debrouwere says, “Think tanks are not only some of the most prominent actors in the political arena, but also some of the most valuable ones in terms of stimulating innovation. At our event, students will be able to see how they can progress in it, and capitalise on internships and other extracurricular experiences to take a head-start.”

minster’

event

on

Thursday.

Ramtin Hajimonshi, the society’s President, comments, “This event will inform students on decisionmaking at high levels and, in so doing, provide students with a greater capacity to secure internThe Careers Service will be running a number of workshops and policy-tailored drop in sessions for students, while EU Careers will be giving talks and advice to students hoping to pursue a career in the EU.

TUESDAY 29TH JANUARY Careers Service International Organisations by KCL MUN WEDNESDAY 30TH JANUARY organised by EU Careers Service Afternoon (TBC): Policy-tailored drop in sessions by Careers Service THURSDAY 31ST JANUARY

MONDAY 28TH JANUARY

reers Service

Careers Service

by KCL Politics Society

Tank by KCL Think Tank (K6.29)

Please visit Careers in Public Policy Week’s Facebook page for more information, including regular updates on the events and workshops being held.

KCL Politics Society will be hosting its ‘Working in West-

THIS WEEK: ASSESSMENT CENTRE WEEK

Assessment centre coming up?

Do you want to know what to expect and what skills will be useful?

Thankfully this week is Assessment Centre week. Check out the events list, left, Even if you have no got an assessment centre lined up in the near future it is a good idea to get geared up in advance.

For the majority of graduate schemes and internships it is a necessity to pass the assessment

centre to land yourself the job.

Assessment centres last day and consist of a ety of projects from ersises to one-to-one

for a whole wide varigroup excinterviews.

You may be required to undertake different tasks such as a presentation or competency tests.

The best way to avoid being daunted on the day is to prepare in advance.

Research

the

company

in

de-

tail, the the you

showing you are aware of company’s history and how company works shows that have an interest in the job.

Check if there is any helpful information available on their websites regarding the assessment centre and look up what tasks you will have to undertake.

PB: Some Assessment Centre Week events must be booked in adance. Check out: http://iextras.thecareersgroup.co.uk/ rss/kingsrss.aspx for more information

14

21st January - 3rd February 2013

ARTS Max Edwards Arts Editor arts@roarnews.co.uk

EDITOR’S PICKS

Privates on Parade, @ the Noel Coward Theatre. Until March 2nd, 2013, tickets from £10.

facebook.com/roarnews

1970s STYLE

Max Edwards

stars Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw have been on stage together.

Elsewhere,

The Rolling Stones, who release ar-

Michael Grandage (see below for aa review of Privates on Parade) is

Last Tuesday morning, music fans emitted an excited gasp in unison that measured on the Richter Scale.

and Fleetwood Mac, whose ‘Rumours’ sold more copies (probably) than Damien Hirst has pounds.

and masterful casts will blow away hundreds of thousands of audience members over the course of the year.

He’s back. The Thin White Duke.

Ziggy Stardust. The Labyrinth Goblin King (the ‘80s were a simpler time) or, to you and me, David Bowie.

gest culture stories are …oh wait…

David Bowie (the subject of a massive retrospective at the V&A, the most hotly anticipated show since….well, their ‘Hollywood Costume’ show of last month, but you know what I mean), and the Stones and the Mac, the bookies’ favourites for Glastonbury.

Contrary to my esteemed subeditor (pipe down at the back!),

Samuel Spencer

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, @ the Natural History Museum.

Until March 3rd 2013, concessions £5.

Luisa Omielan - What Would Beyonce Do?, @ The Soho Theatre. Until January 26th 2013, student tickets at £12.50-£15

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, @ the National Portrait Gallery, Until February 17th 2013, free.

Hollywood Costume, @ the Victoria & Albert Museum. Until January 27th, Student tickets £9

NEW YEAR, NEW ART, NEW YOU

And whereas this is not the place to discuss how generally amazing this is (SO AMAZING), Bowie’s reappearance sees him, in a rare moment of conformity, following the trend rather than leading it; looking at the arts calthat it might as well have three-day weeks and sport an ill-advised afro.

Imagine the arts scene in the 1970s.

The radio is dominated by Bowie, who spends the entire decade casually creating classic albums like ‘Heroes’ and ‘Ziggy Stardust’.

But it doesn’t stop there – the Tate Modern may as well install a lightbine, with their two big draws for the year being Roy Lichtenstein and Kraftwerk, who bring das UberRobotFunk to the gallery this February.

and

but

is

in

fact

about

brand

we

have new

the

usu-

exhibitions.

However the most exciting bit of ing shown at the Tate Modern.

Never before shown in the UK, this

itself.

What better time to look at a British artist of Britain than when we

than a brand new play featuring some new and some old(er) British talent?

Grandage brings us Peter and Alice in March, John Logan’s brand new play about the real life inspirations for Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. And aren’t we lucky to see two amazing talent as M and Q hit the stage together, in a kind of bi-

post-Olympic glow (it’s like postcoital, only ... more patriotic).

Be sure that the Olympics will feature heavily as London in particular tries to keep the happiness alive. tural year, but it will be unique, itself, its own best friend.

Instead of harking back it will create its own legacy, and be something to hark back to. The ‘70s are so last century.

GET YOUR PRIVATES OUT Max Edwards

portrayal of chino-Malayan waiters.

Michael Grandage, formerly artistic director of the Donmar warehouse, makes his directorial debut since leaving to form his own theatre company with Privates on Parade.

Silent throughout the play, their vital actions drive the plot forward. vested of their stereotypical clothing, wearing business suits and shaking hands in front of an image of a modern-day East Asian city.

idency at the Noel Coward theatre, is an all-singing, all-dancing, play-withsongs, that follows SADUSEA, the Song And dance Unit, South East Asia.

The message here is clear, as colonialism’s bounds are thrown off, and the rather ominous threat of the East’s rapid expansion and continual presence is Western affairs is critiqued

Tasked with entertaining the troops in post-war Malaya, the camper and innuendo is turned up to eleven throughout, providing an excellent platform for a wonderful cast of comic actors.

Of these, Simon Russell Beale is the stand out performer. Perhaps lacking the ‘star’ quality of the season’s other plays (which includes the likes of Judi Dench, Jude Law and Daniel Radcliffe), Beale creates his own hype with a stunning performance as Corporal Terri Denis.

Privates have been paraded, both ter Nichols’s play has a heart that beats a serious tune beneath the musical chorus that overlays it.

The aggressive camp of his performance lends it a little daring, as the does the full nudity of a shower scene.

Beale’s counterpoint, Major Flack, played with great gusto and surprising subtleties by Angus Wright, is the perfect foil for the camp centre stage. Naively blind to homosexual behaviour going on in front of his eyes, and always wanting to do right for the nation, he leads the troop into disastrous actual military action in the heart of Malaya.

However, this shock factor is shot full with satire – at no point does it feel like just another Cabaret-clone, instead it is a full blooded performance with a message to get across.

However, we are led to feel sorry for this blithely upper class gent, who only has what he feels are the best interests of the men at heart, with his kindness and unswerving faith in God.

a mockery of standard army procetendre and a mincing stage presence.

While the absurdities of Beale are perfectly counterpointed with the small gestures of this masterful actor, at times Wright misses a little subtlety that could lend his performance a greater edge.

Timms’ fresh-faced innocence leads to many jokes at his expense: when informed that a new intelligence corps member is to “be attached to your section”, Beale’s Terri responds with a lascivious “Sounds heaven”.

However, that is not to take away from what was an inspired casting choice.

Marquez is one of the major human-interest sub plots.

Away from Beale, Joseph Timms as Corporal Flowers, and John Marquez as a foul mouthed, working class corporal wrestling with his sexuality are excellent.

His relationship with a fellow, out, infantryman means a lot of soul searching Grandage’s masterstroke, apart from Beale’s casting, comes however in his

ing opportunity for all to experience excellent casts at the hands of probably the best director that British theatre has to offer, for prices that the West End hasn’t seen for years.

Perhaps taking from the success of the National Theatre’s £12 Travelex tickwill offer around 200 tickets per show at just £10, more than affordable for all.

This is an opportunity to see some -

21st January - 3rd February 2013

ARTS Samuel Spencer Arts Sub-Editor arts@roarnews.co.uk

@onechaptermore

MASTER AND MARGARITA James Sharpe

Simon McBurney’s theatre company Complicate is enjoying its thirtieth anniversary this year and its productions are just as exhilarating as ever.

Its most recent production, The Master and Margarita, has returned to the Barbican for two months after playing there last Spring and going on world tour for most of last year.

It is concept theatre at its very best.

Far too many productions start with big ideas that get smaller during the rehearsal process, often becoming so compromised that the idea that inspired the production might as well not be there.

Here, the overwhelming nature of the technical wizardry and intricate movement of the actors throughout brings the mad Originally a book written by Mikhail Bulgakov lampooning Stalinist Russia, it was never published in his lifetime.

It tells of the Devil’s visit to Moscow (disguised as Professor Woland, an expert in Black Magic) and the havoc he wreaks, as well as the tale of

15

the Master and his lover, Margarita.

The book has been recreated on stage almost scene for scene, which is one of the reasons why alone is the best part of two hours.

However for all its length it never drags.

Several sections could easily have been cut or condensed, but this would have made a more conventional play.

One of the key characteristics of the production is that it feels more like a book through which we are being led.

A vast array of technical wizardry has been employed to realise Bulgakov’s weird world.

Indeed, so much so that the production is too reliant on it. from Professor Woland’s arrival in Moscow to the end of his performance at the Moscow Variety Theatre, there is so much trickery that it occasionally becomes messy, especially when the actors’ microphones were not adjusted swiftly enough.

On the other hand, the constant use of

to create disconnect between some of the characters, and to give an idea of the overwhelming nature of Moscow and of the Russian state, worked well.

Even so it does feel slightly odd to have a play in which the central characters bemoan the increasing reliance on technology to be executed with such reliance on it.

KATE’S PORTRAIT - IT’S A BIT SHITE REALLY...

Notable among the cast is Paul Rhys as the Master whose slightly pale and haunted stage presence was mixed with a quiet, precise and ethereal spoken voice which is, at the same time, likeable and ever so slightly disconcerting.

It’s this that enables him to execute a thrilling technical feat near the end of the play. Susan Lynch is also exhilarating as Margarita, falling halfway to madness. Sadly the most exciting character in the book, Behemoth, was a disappointment.

The uncouth cat companion of Woland is made so foul and sexually explicit in this production that he is repulsive rather than frightening and fun.

Complicate’s production deserves two viewings rather than just one.

With this in mind, I very much hope it’s not too long before it is revived.

John Walters The new portrait of Kate Middleton revealed at the National Art Gallery has polarised the art world.

Some have praised as both warm and informal, a stark contrast to the usual stiff and stern monarchical portraits we are used to.

But in this author’s opinion, it’s just a bit shite really.

How can a portrait of such a beautiful young woman make her look like a withered old ghost?

It is both unpleasant and ghastly and Kate seems to leer from a dark corner while seemingly holding in a simple passing of wind.

Normally I wouldn’t mind Kate Middleton hiding in the corner of my room but this incarnation makes me a posy together to go and burn her.

Remember that ruckus over those photos of Kate a few months ago?

Well this portrait appears to have been

made with the sole intention of stopping those who have not viewed the photos from viewing those photos!

Now I’m not suggesting that the portrait should have been one of her naked or from the waist up, I mean - good heavens - that would be preposterous - but a portrait of the future Queen, a role-model to the world and should really do her more justice.

A have

stick

woman been

would better…

And I’m not alone in this view, Guardian arts writer Charlotte Higgins said that Kate’s mouth looked clenched, her eyes looked dead, and that the whole thing had “sepulchral gloom” about it.

“Kate Middleton is — whatever you think of the monarchy and all its inane surrounding pomp — a pretty young woman with an infectious smile, a cascade of chestnut hair and a healthy bloom,” she wrote in a post to her newspaper’s website. “So how is it that she has been transformed into something unpleasant from the ‘Twilight’ franchise?”

KURT SCHWITTERS AT THE TATE MODERN Samuel Spencer

Amongst a frankly stellar line-up at the Tates this year (Lichtenin London, Glam style at Liverpool), the exhibition I’m probably most looking forward too is ‘Kurt Schwitters in Britain’, opening next week at the Tate Britain.

Dada, the exhibition features the work

Britain in 1940 following his work being labelled ‘degenerate’ by the Nazis.

And if degenerate art isn’t enough to justify a visit for me (I know it is bition of his work in Britain, with the majority of these works not havAnyone who spends as much time in the permanent collections as I do will already be familiar with his collage ‘Picture of Spatial Growths’

(it’s the collage with stubs and the two black this exhibit features 150 ist’s other collages and

the ticket lines), and of the artsculptures.

Amongst many other achievements, Schwitters was famous for his wordless poetry symphonies, and his work treats art in a similar way – all the elements are there, but in totally unrecognisable and utterly fascinating forms.

Although some of this shocking impact has been dulled by collage’s

integration into the mainstream via advertising, etc. (to which Schwitters himself must take some of the credit) most of this work still feels amazingly avant-garde for pieces that are 70 years old, and

diverse as Damien Hirst and Richard Hamilton, with his poetry performances being the missing link between the European art world and beatboxing.

So this might not be the ideal show for those of you who found the Turner Prize a little too out there for your tastes – Schwitters at his most extreme makes Spartacus Chetwynd look like Hans Holbein.

But for those of us who can’t think of anything better than an afternoon spent exploring the mind of a genius who considered pram wheels and cotton wool on an artistic parallel with paint (which is so 2012), you can certainly do a lot worse than Kurt Schwitters.

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21st January - 3rd February 2013

MUSIC Hannah Rose Ewens and Will Davenport Music Editors music@roarnews.co.uk

facebook.com/roarnews

LONDON’S CLUBBING DRUG SCENE Sami Agush and Alex Browne

Most discussion on the London club scene focuses on either the Mayfair excesses of the city’s young high-earners, or on the underground scene that has proved to be fertile ground for a bounty of London born and bred artists.

Little attention is devoted to the middle-ground that is the territory of London’s student population; entry fees under a tenner and cheap drinks.

This is because on the surface it is a fairly typical student environment.

However, for many people there is a limit to how many Walkies or Tutus night one can do before the whole thing becomes a bit

stale, and the opportunities for different experiences are plentiful.

There are a variety of events that are regular student haunts and that are heavily bound to a strong drug culture.

At universities such as Newcastle or in particular Manchester there are similar opportunities for students, but in those cities events revolve around students and are set up so as to best cater their needs.

In London, however, there is a more mixed array of opportunities.

Fabric, for example, has been running for years and is a London institution.

It might cost more than your

standard student night but the quality is almost certainly better, and it has unique appeals.

The drug culture is also sprouting and is an integral part of the student club culture. In fabric for example you won’t be surprised to see young people dancing almost in kind of ‘trance’ to the music (which itself contributes to the drug experience).

Ecstasy is the most common ‘meal’ of choice, while hashish and weed are considered more of a casual decision and not really something that exciting (although good for ‘chill out’).

In London, prejudices against the drug culture exist amongst students, as it is normal towards any group

different from the norm, but there is wide spread acceptance of it.

Still social factors dictate that whatever is more widespread is considered less dangerous- like alcohol.

Although with many harmful effects and far more addictive and life threatening than weed for example, fewer prejudices exist amongst students against alcohol consumption than against drug usage.

The heavy sounds in Fabric or some touch from the appropriate ‘medicine’.

The usage of the drug contributes to a wholesome experience, where the students let go the steam from

their everyday study dominated life, through socialising and euphoriaboth highly humane acts and states.

As modern society is not particularly well design to give excitement and emotional satisfaction to people, the drug culture provides students with an old shamanisThe truth is, that the club scene and drug culture are one. And although students are very busy and carry the yolk of academic study, they are the most creative and novel part of society.

They need to recharge their inspiration through more stimuli and the club scene provides a route for that.

THE HARSH REALITY OF TICKET FRAUD Zahra Mirza

About a year ago, my sister came back to our apartment, doubled over in laughter or tears, I couldn’t quite tell.

It was basically the picture of hysteria. So, obviously I was curious and asked what had happened. Turns out, she and her friends had bought tickets to see Coldplay that night. They’d bought the tickets recently (last minute tickets are expensive, think £££) from a secondary site and lo and behold – those tickets were fakes!

They spent their night banging their heads at a restaurant instead of to Coldplay. I decided that she was doubled over in laughter, so I joined her.

Well, there’s this little thing called ‘Karma’, and we all know how this article is going to go; it involves someone getting bitten in the ass (me). I really wish I hadn’t laughed that hard.

Just over a month ago I read that Kevin Hart was coming to London (an amazing comedian, if you don’t know him, YouTube…now).

bummer. But, wait! There were all these secondary sites promising ofSo, I got a pair of e-tickets emailed to me, printed them out and excitedly handed my scrunched up paper to the guy with the magical machine that zaps it and lets you through.

That’s what’s meant to happen.

Imagine how Cinderella would feel if she transformed back into her rags, washcloth in hand and all, before she’s meant to, right in the middle of the ball – I could sum up that feeling in the defeated double beep of the machine that zapped my ticket. It was a mix between the sound of a ‘you’re wrong’ buzzer on a game show and Voldemort’s wand and I wanted to bang the machine till it made the happy ‘ping’ sound. I was asked to “step aside, please”. That’s never good, but I did.

HOW TO…react to realising you’ve been sold fake/duplicate tickets: The only good thing that happened when I stepped aside was that I saw I wasn’t the only one and that

made me feel a whole lot better. Because I always expect the worst luck when it comes to myself, I didn’t take my situation too seriously and I got to observe others. You could be in one of two reaction groups: DENIAL: These people will demand to see ‘the manager’. Who is ‘the manager’ of a concert or its equivalent?

The performer? The venue manager?

The bouncer? Specify, people! In any case, they’ll stomp and fume till they get in somehow, and when they realise there is no way that they’re going to get in, they turn to the person who’s been rejected with them and start ranting while painfully jabbing them to emphasise their very logical points.

INNOCENCE: These people will honestly not realise what has happened. “Honey, what does he mean we can’t go in? The tickets…we paid for them. Well, it must be a misunderstand…Yes, let’s go talk to someone again…I’m excited to see the show too!” It’s a bit sad to watch, but at least there’s hope?

After people went through their chosen emotional reaction, we were

asked to leave our details/tickets/receipts etc. so the ‘people who han-

what happened. It was like I was running on autopilot after the Voldemort-like buzz of the ticket zapper, so I left my details, then left myself.

This is what should have happened: HOW TO…come up with an ideal conversation that you wish you could go back in time and carry out: “Hi, I’m sorry that your tickets are fake. Can I get your details please, so fake tickets are being circulated.”

rejected entrance into this event because of these false tickets. Then, I for this venue, and give me said letter!”

Those are basically the details you should get straight away, so that you save yourself a world of pain in waiting/wondering/constant emailing (very, very annoying). It took over a month for me to get this, but I eventually did get a refund from the site I bought my tickets from, and I thought I would have wanted someone to tell me all this information before, so I’m doing it now.

“Sure!” [pass on e-tickets, name, number etc.]

SO: What I would say to you as some form of advice or help when you’re buying your tickets this year:

“Great, thank you – ”

WHATEVER YOU DO!...

“No, we are not done! Now you give me your details!”

Don’t be lazy and out-of-the-loop – go to the official site of the venue, find their official sellers, know when tickets are going on sale, or pre-sale, or even call them up if you’re unsure, and then buy the tickets as early as you can! Or, maybe you all are already much, much more intelligent than I

“What – ” “I want you to write me a letter right now, stating the bar code/serial number of the tickets I purchased,

21st January - 3rd February 2013

MUSIC

17

@roar_news

KING’S PRESENTS MISS TERRY BLUE Interview by Hannah Rose Ewens

There is little doubt that in the past twelve months the UoL spotlight has scene. From the Faustine Buttenshaw and her adventurous determination to follow her singing dream, to the KCL choir who were the only non-Oxbridge University choir to sing in the Christmas Concert, and, - the crowning glory on an impressive year - a win at the Uni Music League by Miss Terry Blue. With a new EP, ‘Hush’, promised to be released within the next few months on iTunes and Spotify, lead vocalist, Bella, and the rest of gang were eager to catch up with Roar!

and also to encourage others to go for the Uni Music League competition this year.

SO GUYS, DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND FOR ANYONE READING WHO HASN’T HEARD YOU YET. We would probably say we’re a mix of pop/funk/soul. However, we take so many different elements from so many different genres which means our sound becomes a massive melting melting pot of styles and sounds.

We have songs using elements from rock, funk, disco, dubstep, chillout, Motown – everything!

YOU’RE ALL FROM LONDON AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, SOME OF YOUR MEMBERS ARE FROM KINGS!

work, and the other bands were all really fantastic – it was great to hear so many different kinds of music coming out of Universities in London!

Yes, two of us are currently studying at Kings, the rest all studied at Tech Music School in West London. King’s is a great university, because it really supports the students. At the moment Tom and Bella have tons of work to do in their course, but it is manageable with the help of professors and tutors.

In the end we won a management deal and an EP production with Matt Lawrence, an amazing producer who worked with artist like Robbie Williams, Amy Winehouse, Mumford&Sons....etc. It was such an amazing experience to be able to work with someone who has a lot of experience and contacts in the music industry. And it seems like we will be working with him more on upcoming albums etc.

Also King’s organise really cool events and nights out which is always fun. I guess it’s just great to go to a university which has such a good reputation all over the world. And the best thing is you meet so many different kind of people, we love the multicultural atmosphere and diversity.

That’s also true for the band ;) English, Scottish, Russian, Italian, German...a very international band.

Tom and Bella had the chance to go to San Francisco for a week last December. This was a very inspirational trip...even for our music :)

WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST TO OTHER STUDENTS HOPING TO COMPETE IN THE COMPETITION? ANY HANDY HINTS? You need to do something to make yourselves stick out amongst all the other bands out there, whether it’s giving away stuff, or merchandising or crazy videos or whatever! People need to want to listen you and pay attention!

were great experiences. Sometimes it is great to play at a small venue, for example the Notting Hill Arts Club, but have such an amazing crowd, that the atmosphere and the energy of the gig are just amazing!

WHAT ARE YOUR SONGS ABOUT? TELL US A FEW OF YOUR FAVOURITES WE SHOULD LISTEN TO. The songs are about many things to do with the situations or problems in life that most people can relate to. This includes for example Love, Going out, Illness, people and their relationships to each other and to themselves.

Most of our songs are upbeat and uplifting, although some are emotional, but still they are for people to have fun and enjoy them..so we mostly show the positive side of things.

Most of the songs encourage you to enjoy life and make the most out of the things you experienced in the past.

And of course we love all of our songs – so you should listen to them all!

YOU’VE PLAYED SOME IM- WE WILL! SO FINALLY, WHAT HOW DID YOU EVENTUALLY PRESSIVE GIGS IN LON- CAN WE EXPECT FROM MEET AND FORM AS A BAND? DON ALREADY. WHERE WAS MISS TERRY BLUE IN 2013?

YOUR FAVOURITE VENUE? We’ve all come together over the past couple of years, mainly through studying music – though Tom joined us later through meeting Bella at Kings.

YOU WON THE UNI LEAGUE MUSIC COMPETITION LAST YEAR; CONGRATS! TELL US WHAT THAT INVOLVED? Basically, loads of gigs, loads of promotion and loads of fun! It was hard

Oooh, that’s tricky! We’ve had so many great gigs at so many good venues all over London. The University of London Union is a great venue – we really enjoyed playing there as part of the Uni Music League.

We also had a great gig at Tutu’s, for the Kings College Fresher Fair.

Also the O2 Academy in Islington and Kensington Roof Gardens

We just released our new single ‘Hush’ on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify

result of our work with Matt Lawrence, so have a listen and support us by downloading it if you like! Also the new EP is going to be fantastic when Check out Miss Terry Blue at: www.facebook.com/MissTerryBlue www.youtube.com/user/missterryblue

CAPTAIN MURPHY: DUALITY Will Davenport

After a long summer of speculative web-murmuring by every clickmonkey in the hype machine, hip-hop lovers need no longer contemplate the true identity of California’s man of mystery, Captain Murphy.

Before Christmas in LA, the anonymous rapper stepped out from the shadows and onto the stage in a sequined gold cape and a ski mask.

At the end of his live debut to a sweatbox of devotees, the hood was thrown down to reveal the benevolent grin of a familiar face. And the word was out: Captain Murphy is Flying Lotus.

The world keeps spinning. What endures is Duality, the Captain’s 15-track debut featuring guest bars from Earl Sweatshirt as well as Brainfeeder peripheries, Jeremiah Jae and Azizi Gibson.

Production credits on the tape boast not only a new swamp of

FlyLo instrumentals, but also the collected beat-power of Madlib, Just Blaze and TNGHT.

falls short of offering an overarching theme as everything tumbles down a rabbit-hole of stoned gimmickry.

With a patchwork of audio pinched from anything from the Heaven’s Gate Cult Initiation Tape to the Simpsons, the tape’s backdrop winds up sounding like something close to the sound collages popularised by an early MF Doom.

Once looped into the swing of the Captain’s ‘swag of seven sailors’ though, you’re unlikely to notice, less even, care.

With the constant re-pitching on its vocals, the project also calls to mind Madlib’s heliumLike Quasimoto’s, Captain Murphy’s world is a smoked-out cartoon universe sated with ADD references to everything in the urban nerd’s imagination: man are all bases covered here.

Unsurprising given its collaborative conception, the bars on Duality tend to thrive in the same lyrical vein as Odd Future: heavy on sniggering nonsequiturs and rich in lewd wordplay.

Though often clever, the release

his voice in the dark lyrical universe of The Ritual, a moody after-party narrative that rides through moonlit woods to a carnal sex-rite before an ing in my ear that’s she a virgin’.

Crucially too, these macabre fables are all fed to us over the top of the past year’s premium in rap instrumentals.

At the end of Gone Fishing and Mighty Morphin Foreskin we get the pleasure of Ellison’s crates reconstituted into short musical afterludes, instrumental moments that borrow heavily from the darker side of seventies psychedelia.

For those looking for stand-outs though, look no further than Be-

tween Friends, an eerie-beautiful back-and-forth between CM and Earl Sweatshirt that will stay with you for the rest of the day.

of this hip-hop pudding too: Duality is all yours to watch in its original form in hyperspace, a available over at www.captainmurphy.xxx Grab a spoon, doopid.

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21st January - 3rd February 2013

FILM Katie Sinclair Film Editor film@roarnews.co.uk

facebook.com/roarnews

LES MISERABLES FILMS THE DREAM truly

Henry Cross The

long

running,

much

laud-

screen. It had to be done. Or did it?

As I watched a melee of Hollywood stars belt out Schonberg’s classics, concentrating more on their performances than the music, I wondered if it should have been left on the stage.

But the adaptation Tom Hooper has given us challenged my doubts. tic historical verisimilitude to boot, ally, and was rounded off by some

outstanding

performances.

1800s France. In the midst of political discontent, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is given parole after 20 years behind bars for stealing a loaf (Russell Crowe), warns him to remember him, but a sign of grace from God causes Valjean to renounce his former identity and start a new life.

With revolution brewing, Valjean is constantly looking over his shoulder for Jalvert, who is only ever a step behind him. A dramatic opus of misery, heartbreak and love ensues.

I genuinely did not think that any-

my hairs stand up on end, but Anne Hathaway’s rendition of I Dreamed a Dream... well. Let’s just say she certainly topped SuBo. The relatively brief period of time that she graced the screen as Fantine was by far the Her saviour, Hugh Jackman also put in a great performance. He was benevolent, he was masculine, and he could sing – his Oscar nod is well deserved.

Another highlight was relative newcomer Eddie Redmayne, who put in a stirring performance as Marius, his temporarily unrequited love and passion almost palpable. With him the other revolutionaries atop

of the barricade were an excellent supporting group. Even Russell Crowe, who has received less than favourable feedback on the quality of his bass, was not all that bad.

is well directed and looks fantastic.

In the opening scene, with a haggard Jackman tugging at a huge galley whilst belting out Look Down along with his fellow prisoners beneath the authority of Crowe, the toil is palpable.

Later, when revolution kicks in, it feels as though the barricade has been constructed in the cinema. Nineteenthcentury France is reconstructed and the passion of revolution can be felt

It is only when they start singing that this feeling is broken by melodrama.

The drama is given comic relief in scenes featuring the impeccably cast Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as thieving innkeepers.

The humour may be tame, but the cinema roared with laughter.

Overall, Les Misérables is well executed and entertaining. Whether or not it should have been made, or whether you like the idea of big-time actors singing at you for three hours, the theatrical achieve-

THE HOBBIT, LORD OF THE BFI IMAX

Yeganeh Abyare

Being a hardcore Lord of the Rings fan, both my anticipation and stress for Peter Jackson`s prequel, The Hobbit had been extremely high.

With holding 17 Oscars and beFilms on IMDB, it is pretty a hard, demanding and almost impossible job to create a new trilogy able to keep up with Lord of the Rings.

Part one of the trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, tells the tale of its eponymous Bilbo Baggins as he journeys alongside Gandalf the Grey and a group of dwarves to reclaim their home on Lonely Mountain.

Some critics claim the many changes have damaged the storyline and that the familiar themes and motifs from Lord of the Rings have only been “recycled”. But others praise this as nostalgia and suggest changes are crucial to make the book adaptable. tor ever to use 48 fps instead of the up with the actions and cause a huge headache during and after. Jackson`s -

techniques will surely improve the present and future technology in cinema just like his previous innovations in Lord of the Rings already have.

Beautiful sceneries in Lord of the Rings look basic compared to The raphy and amazing special effects make us lose the reality and accompany the characters in Middle-Earth The Hobbit is fairly faithful to Tolkien`s book. Vocal music and folklore songs play powerful parts in Tolkien`s literature. Unlike, The Lord of the Rings, Jackson`s The Hobbit has actually used songs from the book. The performances are brilliant: Martin Freeman as Bilbo shines during every scene he appears in and dwarves are dynamic, interesting characters. Andy Serkis as Gollum is dazzling as always and it would not be unfair to say that the best sequence

by Bilbo`s encounter with Gollum. technological condition, (IMAX at the BFI like me, if you can!) and enjoy it without expecting it to be The Lord of the Rings. Try not to compare it and take it as a different masterpiece.

21st January - 3rd February 2013

FILM

19

Aoife Dowling Film Sub-Editor film@roarnews.co.uk

@roar_news

THE IMPOSSIBLE Chandni Lakhani

young boys, particularly the superbly talented Tom Holland, who carried

with the capacity to explore such a dense subject as The Impossible does, to tell the audience a story about an event so far beyond the scope of imagination whilst maintaining its grounding in reality, the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004.

vey the intense emotional maturation Lucas goes through when he is thrust into adulthood by forces far beyond his control. The make-up and mise en scène were utterly convincing, if

screen and a distant roar of a wave, immediately paralysing the audience with a sense of impending doom. Then we cut to an airplane; in which an ordinary family begin what they think is going to be an ordinary holiday.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Aoife Dowling

Miss Havisham is one of Dickens’ greatest creations. A ghost-like woman in a mildewed wedding dress, she has captivated readers for over onethy. She haunts because she is haunted; she breaks hearts because she is heartbroken. This is no batty old lady, but a complex and misguided human – simply hurt by the jilted wedding of her past. Her presence stands at the heart of Great Expectations – from her lonely mansion, she pulls the strings of the entire production.

This most recent adaptation, directed by Mike Newell, fundamentally fails to capture the essence of Miss Havisham’s character. Helena Bonham Carter puts in a reasonable performance as Havisham, but she is nonetheless miscast. Bonham-Carter

is Tim Burton-weird, not Dickens-

Carter met the real Miss Havisham, she’d most likely just straight-talk her into seeing sense. She’d hand Miss Havisham a stiff drink and tell her to move on with her life. much like the character of Miss Havisham; safe, but by no means convincing. Conservative production choices make the performance dull and trudging. Even the set is quite uninspiring – we only get tiny, tantalising glimpses of Victorian London.

Attractive Jeremy Irvine plays a passable protagonist Pip, rising through the ranks of society, but he brings nothing new to the role. Equally, Holliday Grainger’s Estella is suitably cold and beautiful, but quite uninteresting. The two look lovely together (as proven in the many

tube station posters), but the chemistry is non-existent. The will-theywon’t-they routine is merely tedious.

Naomi Watts and Ewen McGregor are two normal parents, with three sons (Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin & Oaklee Pendergast), spending Christmas in Thailand. And just as quickly as their normalcy is established, it is instantly wiped away when the Tsunami hits. In the wake of the disaster the family is split up, Maria and Lucas (Watts & Holland) are pulled away on a journey of survival whilst Henry (McGregor) is left with two young sons and a sense of desperahe fears he will never see again. The ily’s struggle to be reunited amongst the chaos of what is left behind.

Aside from Watts and McGregor’s outstanding performances, it was the

12A rating became questionable in the more graphic scenes - director Bayona (The Orphanage) maintained the emotional investment in each character so intensly that the violence and gore became hard to watch. other ‘true story’ narratives with the backdrop of an imfamous tragedy is its ability to focus on small details, gestures and characters whose presence create the authenticity. Bayona does not try to tell the whole story of the Tsunami, nor focus on everybody trying to survive, but focuses on the microcosm of one family in order to suggest that in such desolate circumstances one is forced to rely on those around us. People The Impossible should have been made, as if its existence tries to emblemise the scale of the event.

Instead, I walked away from this unlikely compassion in unlikely circumstances which ultimately

points. Little-known actor Olly Alexander is delightful as Pip’s friend Herbert, bringing wit and charisma ticulous in its portrayal of the social life of Victorian Britain – highlighting the geographic and class divides of the age. The fraught relationship between the ‘gentleman’ Pip and his blacksmith friend Joe is displayed elegantly; we can see the pain on Joe’s face when Pip shows heartless contempt for his manners and class.

Ultimately, is an ideal tion. It deals plotline and a

more

Great Expectations school-trip produccomprehensively with literary themes, but

adventurous

approach.

NATIVITY 2: DANGER AT THE BOX OFFICE? Charlotte Woods

has divided the audience and the critics. Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (Debbie Isitt) picks up a loyal audience from its heartwarming 2009 prequel, Nativity!

Nativity 2 leaves that audience grinning and full of Christmas spirit, but leaves critics grumbling like the Grinch.

Donald Peterson takes on a job at a handle and a teaching assistant who

is impossible to handle, to support his pregnant wife. Amongst the chaos the class convince Donald to let them participate in a talent show. The day trip to the show was left unplanned and a search party goes looking for the missing class. Mr Peterson’s wife is part of the search party and during the shenanigans goes into labour; in a manger (you get the picture!)

It seems though, no-one can deny this mas - focussing on the real Nativity story, carol singing and young children excited for Christmas. Neither can one ignore the fact that all the

ish Mr Poppy (Marc Wootton), all the young (and super cute) kids and the fantastic element of improvisation.

The script-less technique has slightly lost its novelty from the taneous actions make for incredible viewing (and the outtakes are even more hilarious than usual).

The idea of having a modern day nativity story running through the plot, adds a clever twist - i.e., teachers wife, Mrs Peterson (Joanna Page)

in labour, on a donkey, following Mr Poppy who is dressed as a star due being part of the production, to the manger. Although, for adult viewing, the costumes do seem a little O.T.T. Indeed, much of the criticism does seem to be directed against the Credit has to be given to David Tennant, who plays twin brothers Donald (the new teacher) and Roderick Peterson (his successful and obnoxious been played by one actor (remember The Parent Trap?) but credit can be given to Tennant for playing both the

‘goodie’ and the ‘baddie’ brilliantly.

The talented young children also deserve a special mention as they are set to be stars of the future. cally brilliant in comparison to other releases this festive season - but it makes for fun and uplifting viewing, taking viewers young and old back to the simplicity of Christmas.

In my opinion, a simple story of good versus evil, character change, singing and tradition is all you need at Christmas time.

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21st January - 3rd February 2013

FASHION Eva Chaideftos Fashion & Lifestyle Editor fashion@roarnews.co.uk

facebook.com/roarnews

ROAR!’S FAVOURITE 201 Rachel Hummel

something new to the fashion world.

New Year, New You! Roar! has picked out the best trends of the new season for you. Enjoy!

Blown up proportions was the stand

1. Brush up on your geometry: At fashion statement was being made.

As models descended down futuristic escalators onto the runway the presence of geometry took center stage.

Checkered playsuits and jackets stood out, and offered a refreshing change to the design houses usually feminine aesthetic. The structure of the mid length dresses and jackets were genius.

LV not only brought the 60s back show, but made it modern and fresh.

The sleek proportions and amaz-

bell sleeves and extremely full skirts the show was a complete success.

Sander knows how to run a show, and perfectly offset her oversized proportions with a sleek low ponytail and light make up.

After seasons and seasons of body skimming clothing being shown on collection revolutionizes how we

among us can honestly say that Oxford Street, and in particular Topshop does not constitute a muststop during a shopping-spree?

yourselves for the anything geometric.

The shop is organized differently every time and the stock changes regularly to bring us small surprises on each trip.

2.Think big: With Jil Sander’s return to her eponymous design house founded nity were waiting with baited breath.

The past few weeks have witnessed designs contrasting to their usual looks, especially grunge, mod and minimal.

so brace hunt for

Would she be able to top her predecessor? Would her designs bring something new to the table? The answer was a unanimous yes. minimalistic quality that her brand has come to represent, but she also brought

Pastel colours, from light mauve, sky blue, and mint green seem to dominate section after section of the shop and has brought a new lightness and carefree element to the new collections.

Keep an eye out for lace eyelet crop tops, high silk shorts in lavender, and a beautiful light blue overcoat. Another standout is a Chanel inspired

THE HOTS AND NOTS AND OD HOT! Kristen Stewart:

NOT! Kim Kardash style:

The fashion muse of 2012 – spot-on every time.

Oh, apart from the time she had an affair. Unless Rob’s a douche in which case he deserved it. He probably is.

WHERE to start… the Givench The baggy leather trousers? T green baby doll dress? The cuttop with see-through skirt ensem She still gets cred for her ass th

HOT! Men: Kristen knows what we’re talking about… ah jokes, obviously we mean the increasing popularity of menswear (the Guardian termed it “the rise of the fashionisto”) folFashion Week in London last June.

We’re looking forward to more!

HOT!Oversize: One year cozy mer.

of our favourite trends last because it kept us warm and and made our legs look slimWe’re exstatic that this trend

21st January - 3rd February 2013

LIFESTYLE

21

@roar_news

13 TRENDS boxy short blazer in white. will go beautifully with any of clothing really, but it will cially compliment light pastel

This item espehues.

With a lot of London’s predominant street style focusing on edgier stand out if you indulge your sugar craving with some sweet pastels.

Sophie Hutchings 4. Kinky knickers: Mary Portas’ newest addition to her ‘Shop British’ campaign is the new line of ‘Kinky Knickers’.

Handmade by a team of specially trained lace-making apprentices, they lace, and designed to be not only comfortable and VPL-free, but super sexy!

With the new line said to feature a fabric made with anti-cellulite qualities, and each pair beautifully packaged with a secret message hidden in the gusset, these are a fashion must!

Available largely at department stores, but also at ASOS where you can get some student discount on these babies!

What can be hotter than a pair of kinky knickers?

DDS OF 2012

hian +

Hmm...the Pyjama Party Trend:

hy boots?

The neon -out crop mble? hough.

A fashion statement if there ever was one, and it does look amazing… but only against an haute couture backdrop.

In the club, not-somuch.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE RECIPE

Kristin Freeman

This is a great alternative to cheesecake. I served mine in individual ramekins but it’s also great served in one big bowl everyone can help themselves to!

Serves 8 For the biscuit base: 9oz/ 225g digestive biscuits 2 tbs cocoa powder 6oz/150g butter For the mousse: 8oz/200g dark chocolate, chopped 2 tsp vanilla extract 4 tbs water 1oz/25g butter, diced ¼ tsp cream of tartar 2oz/50g caster sugar cream Fresh fruit such as raspberries or strawberries, to decorate (optional) 1) Firstly make the biscuit base: Melt the butter gently over a low heat.

Meanwhile place the digestive biscuits in a freezer bag, or any other bag to hand, and bash the biscuits with a

bread crumbs.

Tip the biscuit crumbs into a bowl and sieve in the cocoa powder, stir to combine.

Once the butter is melted stir into the biscuit crumbs until everything is thoroughly mixed together.

Divide the biscuit mixture between eight individual glasses or ramekins.

Allow to cool slightly before putting in the fridge to set.

2) Secondly make the mousse: Melt the chocolate, vanilla extract and water together in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring every now and then until the mixture is smooth. Take off the heat and stir in the butter. Next beat in the egg yolks one by one, making sure they are well mixed in. Leave to cool whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients. soft peaks (test this by making peaks on the surface of the egg whites; they should be just thick enough to only just hold their shape but the mixture would fall out of the bowl if you tipped it above your head!)

Whisk until sugar and cream of tartar are mixed in.

Continue whisking, adding a spoonful of caster sugar at a time, until all the sugar is incorporated and the egg whites form stiff peaks (this is when you can hold the bowl above your head and none of the mixture will drop out-this is a fun trick to play on housemates…)

Beat a few tablespoons of this into the chocolate mixture.

4)

In another bowl whisk the

Add the cream and the rest of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture.

Use a large metal spoon or a spatula to fold the egg whites and the cream into the chocolate mixture until all ingredients or thoroughly combined.

Spoon the mixture on top of the biscuit bases, cover each individual glass

5) Decorate with fresh fruit and grated white chocolate or just eat simply as it is. Enjoy!

Add the cream of tartar and a spoonful of the caster sugar.

WE LIKE PRETAPORTOBELLO Hmm...

Creepers: Are you brave enough to sport these oddly named creatures?

We’re not... or are we? #confused

Sneha Choudhury

pendent brands and designers, pre-

To all lovers of fashion, if you have not yet discovered pretaportobello. com, then it is about time that you do. A great place to look for something different to what the high street has to offer, Pretaportobello has a truly stunning range of clothes and accessories ranging from vintage to hip, and casual to super chic.

place to go if you want to set yourself apart. Prices are student friendly, partly due to the greatest feature of the website: the haggle-option!

So it is now time to wean yourselves off Topshop (it might be dif-

This allows the buyer to literally haggle, yes, you saw right, HAGGLE for a better deal instantly on selected items! Fashion miracles do occur!

are painfully tear-jerking) so just have one look at this website and you will understand just why it is one of the best fashion websites around.

As a stockist of the coolest inde-

Alongside their quirky and eclectic

fashion collections, there is a guide to the must-see markets in Lon-

22

21st January - 3rd February 2013

SPORT Liam Jackson Sports Editor sports@roarnews.co.uk

facebook.com/roarnews

KCLRFC - FIRST TEAM NEW YEAR WRAP UP Jake Seeds

After what has been a testing start to the season for KCLRFC, we are heading into the New Year with an optimistic attitude.

Last season did not end as many would have hoped. Our 1st XV suffered league relegation after gaining promotion the previous year, in what was a testing season in a very competitive and physical league.

This was made even harder to swallow by the bitter defeat in The London Varsity match at the hands of UCLRFC, a match which for many will be remembered only for bad behaviour in the crowd, underWe also said goodbye to several of our best players, but fortunately there was a good intake of freshers, several of whom have stepped up to the plate and are now regular The season has started fairly well: league, just 2 points behind the front runner after 4 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses. The 2nd XV are having a slightly harder time in their can however take encouragement from some extremely spirited performances towards the end of last term.

The 1st XV are also looking to capitalise on their success so far, with ning the league, and thus securing promotion back into a league we all feel we can compete and excel in.

The on-pitch highlight of the season so far was without a doubt was the outstanding home victory against our good friends UCLRFC on 5th December. For the majority of the squad picked to play, the memory of the Varsity defeat was fresh in our minds, and we were determined not to allow a repeat on our home patch.

The morning of the match arrived, and most team members went through their usual pre-match rituals at home that all rugby players undertake: putting on socks in slow motion while listening to the Gladiator soundtrack or watching the ing protein shake. We were ready.

However, South West Trains had slightly different ideas. I’m not sure if you remember but that week saw temperatures of as low as 2 degrees centigrade, which as we all know is the temperature at which all public transport and rational thought in the UK stops.

After a good deal of waiting at Waterloo, including consultation with UCLRFC, some of whom suggested calling off the match (a sign of things to come) we managed to arrive at our destination on a delayed train after the driver made an unscheduled stop at Berrylands station.

Despite this small hurdle on our path to glory we maintained our motivation. Kick off arrived and what followed was 80 minutes of some of game, which made England’s recent victory over the All Blacks look like a Sunday league 5-a-side match.

Despite several injuries, KCL mount-

ed a sustained attack against the opposition, dominating the break down ney Lynock suffered a serious head injury, only to carry on and dance through the UCL line to score under the posts. He subsequently left the

In his intervening absence, UCL conceded a kickable penalty, which was taken, in lieu of a kicker by an over conNeedless to say, the kick missed by a country mile, but to the surprise of UCL, and Fawcett, it was fol-

lowed up by a gazelle-like chase

by KCL second rower Deji ‘Athleticism’ Olonilua, who gathered the ball and touched it down before the unbelieving eyes of the opposition, the result of what transpired to be a deft assist from the kicker.

Despite conceding a try in our corner and a penalty try from a scrum, KCL fought back, kicking two penalties and scoring another try in the last minutes of the game thanks to scrum half Will ‘Messi’ Gibson, after a kick was charged down leading to a well deserved 25-12 win.

Other highlights include KCL winger Joe Calnan-Son breaking down in

tears after an altercation with our captain Stu Cook regarding the referee, which resulted in CalnanSon being sent to bed early after the match with no pudding.

The stand out player was by far and away James ‘Slytherin’ Dixon, who was everywhere, and yet nowhere, throughout.

Despite a deal of uncertainty regarding the future of The London Varsity and some off the pitch disciplinary issues, KCLRFC is relishing the possibilities of the year ahead and will continue to focus on improving its rugby and representing the College at the highest possible level.

KCL VOLLEYBALL REACHES NEW HEIGHTS Sharon Poon So, just after the Christmas holidays, what good news has KCL Volleyball got for you all? Plenty. For a starter, if you didn’t already know, our men’s leyball England Student Cup. They played four matches in one day and completely smashed them all. Okay it sounds quite easy like that, but take into account that they were on a train at the ungodly hour of 6:45am on a Saturday, you’ve got to admit that’s quite impressive. If you think that’s all in terms of us winning, think again.

Our women’s team is sailing through the season without losing one single match in league 1A. Yes I hear you ask – how are we doing in comparison with UCL? A lot better would be an understatement. We played them twice so far and won both matches with ease and in style. Just

look at our brand new proper Italian kits, not going to show you a photo but UCL was wearing these strange purple t-shirts… Just saying.

Enough bragging, parties are what we can also show our squad is really about. We had our annual Christmas party not long ago in totally club-ofthe-year-style. It happened on one cold winter Friday night, in an actuAll our players let their hair down (literally, well maybe except Ana) and mingled with the rest of the club.

Oh I forgot to mention, we also have a bunch of keen volleyballers who do not enjoy walking over the defeated opponents as much as the They do it every Wednesday near Shoreditch, if you are one of them, hurry up and join us! Anyway, as per usual people don’t remember too much from the party. But according 7pm to 6am, with plenty of food and

drinks. We are probably the only house party throwers that provide you with absolutely delicious stuffed mushrooms, chicken stew with rice and fresh fruit soaked in vodka…

There were lots of chatting, drinking games, music playing, dancing and some sort of hooking ups as we all know. But the night came to life with highlights such as our (self-proclaimgoing down on his knee to propose ting God knows how many people on a bed and eventually breaking it (sorry Alex) and plenty of lost/unclaimed clothes. Textbook awesome party.

If you are feeling gutted that you miss out on so much volleyball goodness, come to us when you’re back from your warm homes next term. We will show you the wonderful volleyball world and take you to this pub that has amazing pizza and beer, promise. Happy New Year KCL! Hope you havn’t eaten too much otherwise you can’t jump…

21st January - 3rd February 2013

SPORT

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@Liam_SportRoar

THE ULU SKI TRIP - SUN, SNOW AND STUDENT DEBAUCHERY Liam Jackson

oclock, that means ski bag, back pack and rucksack all competing with the onslaught of angry commuters, a long week at work to be greeted on the tube with a six foot bag wielding student, clotheslining apologetically to anyone within the vicinity.

The coach to Dover has a buzz of anticipation in the air, meeting new faces, a whole week of no university and dreary London.The rules were tight, NO ALCOHOL ON THE BUS, this was a lesson well learnt in previous years, people too inebriated to make it onto the ferry, the titanic fanatics whose enactment goes horribly wrong over the English Channel.

The ferry itself was a student only crossing, keeping all the nutters on one ship away from the normal people, the queue for the bar being nearly as long as the queue to get into the duty free for the week ahead. The mood ing itself. The deck strewn with the unfortunate who hadn’t brought their sea legs, green in the face, the braver were sipping their pints as the boat churned under the heavy waves, rocking people like crabs from side to side.

The trip through France is always much quieter, most fall asleep, with the few sneaky ones who had brought a few snipples of juice onto the forbidden murmuring and giggling away into the night.

The highlight of the trip there is the supermarket at the bottom of the mountains, the French delicacies on display from the fois gras to the patisseries, boulangeries and not forgetting the two euro litre any top shelf retailer in England.

All packed up you leave the motorway behind and head up the Alps into the snow laden mountains and snaky bends. After a good 20 hour travel you arrive in resort, brimming with skiers and boarders alike, milling around, a feel of a good Winter holiday.

The room allocation is next, you straight away feel you may be getting that bit closer to your friends this week by the study size space, with this being the last time you see the ing the shortest straw led to beds being given. To some such as JJ Shaw and Ben Brown who snuggled on the sofa, they had a week of having as much sleep as the last man standing and the earliest riser. Every room needs a clean freak and a keen cook, ours was in the form of Nick Morris and Josh Burns, Nick being the only man who could complain about the state of the toilet and mess even when on slope, with Josh showing us how hotdog sausages with cheese on pasta can really be eaten six nights in a row.

Wasting no time in our cellar, the ski’s were it all seems a little unfamiliar, after a few face plants and wayward ski’s the feeling comes back, ready for another week in the perfect conditions of Val Thorens.The sun was out for a full two days, the snow was thick and soft and the extra ski pass of “Les Trois Vallées”, the largest range in the There were enough pistes to keep you skiing on new snow for weeks, with neighbouring resorts of Meribel and Courcheval having some breathtaking tree runs as well as various snowparks for the ambitious or for a good spectacle.

Anyone who has ever been on a student ski trip or any busy resort knows the fun doesn’t stop in the afternoon,

a trip to folie douce, by far the most hedonistic place upwards of 2000m.

The wooden shack at the end of the make you wonder the increased avalanche risk. Firebrather, dancers and the personal favourite of “champagne showers” took place for hours, the the dark. Mulled wine, whisky warmto catchy euro trance results in a hazardous and playful ten minutes skiing down the slopes back to the hotels.

A quick few hours nap and then the nights start with a good old student pasta concoction and a bit of “hair of the dog” as you mix cramp with was a good idea on the slopes.

The night starts, hundreds of students

all dressed from elves to umpa lumpas, togas to animal onesies. The debauchery begins! It’s the well known presumption that when people leave the country, the wildness seems to kick in, the extra height above sea level puts the hormones into overdrive and the lust from that “50 Shades of Grey” that everyone has been reading for the last year seems to be released!

As a believer of not naming and shaming people in the paper, a certain CompSci student was the leader in his rendition of the famous Casanova, his smoothness now seeked widely around the world for his hidden techniques in the art of seduction.

Get It On” through the speakers quickly dissipitated the frolics between a roommate and his new found love.

There was no time for romance in some people’s rooms, ours containing eight lads who were not for having their sleep taken away from them.

Playing Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s

There is currently an Easter trip planned by NUCO travel to Les Arcs for only £329. For more information go onto the ULU Facebook page for more details.

The reps on the trip were your port of call, whether it was a lost ski pass, a drunken friend or just a friendly face, making the trip that bit safer and more heartening than having to deal with the gendome, whose pet hate it tourists, especially ones from across the channel!

So if you havn’t yet expereienced the brilliance of a ULU ski trip, whether skills, or even to do more partying than skiing, this is the place to come.

KCL KINETIC FITNESS CLUB - REDUCED MEMBERSHIP Liam Jackson

campuses! So come down, meet our friendly staff and give it a go!

What is Kinetic? - Here at Kinetic Fitness Club, we offer you high quality equipment, exciting classes and great facilities all at student friendly prices that are open to everyone.

What are the prices? - Currently the New Year offer is at only £99 for a six month membership, so if you have had to many mince pies this Christmas, or you want to tone up for that summer beach holiday that seems to be ever more quickly creeping up, Kinetic gym is the place to go.

With our modern cardio and lifting equipment (our treadmills have TVs on them) as well as an extensive calendar of classes for people of all abilities, we have something for you whether you’re want to wear short shorts in public.

Where is Kinetic? - We’re located just

by Waterloo campus, that’s just 10 minutes from both Strand and Guy’s

How to contact - For more information, follow us on Twitter at: @ formation on opening times and daily classes on the Facebook page and online through the kclsu homepage.

To telephone, call (020) 7848 4650.