Issue 23 (February 2015)

You decide:

Is it time to go sober?

SU Elections Pamphlet, full manifestos of sabbatical officer candidates 2015/2016, page 16

Robbie Wojciechowski discusses students struggling with alcohol addiction Read more on page 14

Official Goldsmiths student newspaper

@leopardnews

Full-time women’s officer campaign The leopard catches up with Bahar Mustafa on page 6

www.theleopard.co.uk

Goblin to Rose Famous pub gets revamp, Antoni Devlin explores on page 9

Issue 23 February 2015 Free

Pornography: Sex Education For The 21st Century?

S

ixty per cent of students use porn to find out more about sex, according to a recent survey by the National Union of Students (NUS).

40 per cent of students also find watching porn helps their understanding of sex, but over three quarters of those surveyed found it provided unrealistic expectations.

Sarah El-alfy, education officer at Goldsmiths SU said: “It’s well known that the porn industry gives out unrealistic expectations, and it doesn’t surprise me that neither consent nor diversity are discussed, but these are important concerns that need to be addressed and I hope that these results will be the catalyst for change.”

The NUS report showed that consent was not discussed in sex education in the experience of two thirds of students. LGBT issues were largely absent, with more than 80 per cent of students saying LGBT relationships were not discussed at all.

“Consent workshops need to begin happening nation-wide in schools, alongside mandatory SRE which is actually well researched and thought out. Intersectionality and inclusion also need to be included and made accessible for everyone.”

Over half the 2441 students surveyed by NUS were between 16 and 19 years old.

Ewan Atkinson, a Goldsmiths student from Brighton, said: “I remember sex education at my secondary school being pretty informal and relaxed, but really informative. They definitely discussed consent and LGBT issues with us.”

However, William Francis, a Goldsmiths student from Hastings, remembered a less thorough approach to sex education.

“It kind of felt like a lot of information was

shoehorned in, and wasn’t really applicable to real life,” said Francis.

The national curriculum for the UK states that Sex and Relationships Education must be a compulsory part of the education of students from age 11 onwards.

The Leopard contacted Goldsmiths’ Student Engagement Department for comment, but they did not reply to the enquiries by time of writing.

Photo Credit: Liz MC (flickr-creative commons liscence)

By Abigail Lister

2

NEWS

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

Prestigious Goldsmiths Grads Raise £1.4 million For New Art Gallery

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Zak Thomas Deputy Editor: Cristina Lăpădean Chief Sub-Editor: Erica Masserano News Editor: Sebastian Kettley Features Editor: Medhashrree Dutta Features Editor: Jake Roberts Culture Editor: Cornelia Prior Sports Editor: Olly Bellamy Photography Editor: Alex Turner Social Media Editor: Lamees Altalebi Chief Designer: Nina Smale Chief Designer: Alaa Alsaraji

A campus.

rtwork by prestigious Goldsmiths alumni raised £1.4m towards funding a new art gallery on

Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas were amongst the famous artists who donated works for auction to help build an art gallery in the Victorian water tanks at the Laurie Grove Baths.

Dr Richard Noble, head of Goldsmiths Art Department, said:“Through the overwhelming generosity of our illustrious alumni we have raised the incredible sum of £1.4m, which will enable us to create a new centre for contemporary art in south London.”

The figure raised was shy of the £2.8 million needed to build the

gallery, but Goldsmiths’ press office told The Leopard that the university were pleased with the amount raised and independent funders would be making up for the shortfall. The university will also continue to apply for further funding.

The highest selling item was Hirst’s “Ipratropium Bromide” as predicted, which sold for £542,500.

Sarah Lucas’ Nahuiolin, estimated at £120,000 - £180,000 also reached £266,500. Whilst Antony Gormley’s sculpture, Another Time XX, sold for £194,500.

“The gallery at Goldsmiths will offer a unique, research-driven programme of exhibitions, projects and residencies. The exhibition and events programme will reflect

the dynamic culture of making and researching visual art at Goldsmiths by acting as a laboratory, generating new artworks, new exhibitions and new research projects, benefiting a diverse audience including Goldsmiths students, local residents and the international art world,” added Noble.

honoured to contribute to an institution that is further promoting its identity as an inspirational source of creativity for students, practitioners and the public.

The Gallery will host an international programme of exhibitions, residencies and projects.

“We are eternally grateful to all of the artists and collectors who contributed to today’s auction, and to Christie’s for their ongoing support.”

Over the past 25 years, Goldsmiths has had 30 nominees and seven winners of the Turner Prize.

Assemble, the London based architecture group that designed the art gallery said: “We are

Photo: Beautiful Spread Your Wings, Open Your Mind Painting (2007) inside the Laurie Grove Baths - sold for £110,500

By Sebastian Kettley News Editor

NEWS

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

3

Stop Taxing Periods. Period.

Goldsmiths students call on the chancellor to end taxes on sanitary products

G

oldsmiths students who’s campaign to end tax on sanitary products has gathered over 155,000 supporters, are planning to hand the petition directly to the government.

Goldsmiths students Laura Coryton and Rosie Scott started the Stop Taxing Periods.

Period. campaign on Change.org to protest against the five per cent VAT on sanitary products, whilst wares such as exotic meats are sold tax-free.

“I am extremely excited to confront George Osborne, chancellor of the exchequer, alongside our amazing supporters prior to his budget announcement on March 18,” said Coryton.

“Let’s hope that Osborne realises how essential sanitary products really are after we march up to Downing Street and demand he acknowledge the 157,885 people campaigning to end the gender bias tax.”

C

lub Pulse’s women only sessions have been met with little interest, attracting 10 or less members a week, The Leopard understands.

Dean Suleyman, assistant manager at Club Pulse, said: “The numbers on the weekend vary from week to week, with between two and 10 members in the club within the hour, but the women only boxercise class is doing better at holding a steady number of participants, between 10 and 12 each week.”

Club Pulse started offering women only sessions in January, after the SU asked them if they would consider providing the service last summer.

Bahar Mustafa, welfare and diversity officer at Goldsmiths SU, was more upbeat about the poor turnout.

“I think the fact that we won [having women only sessions] in the first place is in itself a success. What can be quite worrying is when we start measuring success by quantity as opposed to quality. The fact that the space exists is important first and foremost,” said Mustafa.

“It will take some time to get enough promotion around it and build more interest in it. We need to think of it as a snowball effect: the more people start going, obviously, the more successful it will be,” she concluded.

“We have not really had any Muslim women attending the sessions. This is quite

Coryton told The Leopard that the campaign was actually set up out of procrastination.

“It was an issue that my twin’s house mate raised with me. It pissed me off and because I was in my grumpy feminist mid-revision mode I decided to start up a petition,” said Coryton.

“Our initial target was to reach 100 signatures, but I didn’t think it would make it to that.

Overnight we reached 2,000 and it took off from there.”

In a move to counteract the VAT charge, Goldsmiths SU will sell the products at wholesale price. Always Ultras for example will be reduced from £2.40 to £1.96.

Coryton said: “I was super nervous [at the assembly], because I wasn’t expecting such a huge turnout. However, I couldn’t be happier with the support shown by those who attended the assembly meeting.”

“I love the amount of emails we get from our supporters, telling us how they have actively supported the campaign. I feel very lucky to be a part of the campaign,” she said.

“I wasn’t expecting a unanimous vote in favour of our motion but I’m really pleased that it went through. Howard [Littler, SU President] has also been a great supporter of the campaign and I am very thankful that he proposed the motion.”

The SU’s shop will also no longer profit from sanitary products, in response to the campaign.

Goldsmiths SU has joined the University of East Anglia, who stopped charging profit on sanitary products last November.

A motion for Goldsmiths SU to not profit from sanitary products was passed at student assembly earlier this month.

Dolly Ogunrinde, women’s officer at UEA SU, told The Independent in November: “It is a disgrace that sanitary products are being

disappointing as one of the aims was to build a more culturally diverse gym environment,” Suleyman added.

Both Mustafa and Suleyman highlighted that the sessions needed more advertising in order to attract more customers.

Emily Stuart, a non-Goldsmiths student who attends both regular and women only sessions, stated she found it “a really good idea” because she thinks working out with men around is “a bit intimidating.”

“It is a shame that not many people are here,” she said.

A regular male gym customer of five years, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I have never observed men behaving in a sexual way. I observe respect.”

Suleyman said weekends were chosen for women only hours because the gym can include the sessions without affecting the usual opening hours. The gym is now opening an hour earlier and closing an hour later at weekends to accommodate the sessions.

Club Pulse’s women only hours are held at 9am and 4.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The gym has a women only boxercise class, a mix of boxing and exercise, on Wednesdays from 3:30pm. Yoga classes for women are also held on Wednesday and Saturday at 9am.

By Lamees Altalebi Social Media Editor

taxed at the rate of a ‘luxury item’ when they simply are essentials for so many women. I am proud to say that the University of East Anglia is now selling them at no profit and feel that other student unions should follow suit.”

“To know that people actively care about opposing gender bias taxation and that together we can and have made a real difference not only to those who menstruate, but towards challenging archaic parliamentary androcentricity, is inspiring,” Coryton said.

Coryton is currently in talks with Change.org to hand the petition in at Downing Street, alongside a demonstration ahead of the government’s budget statement on March 18.

By Zak Thomas Editor-in-Chief

Slow Turnout For Women’s Workout

Club Pulse struggling for numbers on women only sessions Photo credit: E’Lisa Campbell (flickr - creative commons license)

4

NEWS

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

Students Sign Up To Match Making Service As Student Debt Balloons

S

eventy nine Goldsmiths students have reportedly signed up to a match making service that pairs people with wealthy “sugar daddies and mommas.”

Nearly 2000 women students across the country have signed up to Seekingarrangement.com, which boasts that over a third of its users are students.

The website also claims to have 3.6 million active users across the globe, with 2.6 million “sugar babies” to one million “sugar daddies and mommas.”

Angela Bermudo, a spokesperson for Seeking Arrangement, said: “Tripling tuition fees are crippling students, who are left to sort out how to afford their education. True, they can do it the hard way, but why struggle when there are people who are happy to help?”

“For many, this is a viable option to pursue an education without worrying about the financial burden.”

Student debt is set to rise to billions of pounds a year over the next three decades

according to government figures obtained by John Denham, Labour’s former universities minister and published in The Independent.

Brandon Wade, the founder of Seeking Arrangement, told The Tab: “At a time when graduates are guaranteed debt rather than a well-paying job, or even employment for that matter, sugar daddies are sought out for opportunity and not just financial stability.”

Bermudo also said: “Negotiating who pays the bill or having to split the bill during meals, not being able to go on vacation together, or spending less time together just to make ends meet destroys the nature of romance in traditional relationships.”

“Arrangements are more like the relationships of old, where men felt inclined to be the provider.”

Johanna Going, a Media and Communications student, told The Leopard: “To be honest, it’s kind of sad that people feel they need to resort to that sort of thing to earn money, but at the same time, the government is making it pretty hard to even be at university.”

Bermudo said there is nothing wrong

with spreading the wealth through the “cultivation” of young adults.

signed up to the service: 180, according to the website.

“I believe this is a form of empowerment for women. That they can be independent, goal oriented, and ambitious, while openly voicing what they expect in a partner. There’s no shame in wanting to be with someone who will elevate your position in life, ” said Bermudo.

By Sebastian Kettley News Editor

Annie Suraj, a Psychology student, said: “Personally, I think that the students should be left alone and not be judged as it is their life and we tend to do what’s best for us at the moment.”

Goldsmiths is ranked eleventh in the UK for the amount of students using Seeking Arrangement, whilst the University of Westminster is the one with the most students

SU Votes To Support Campaign To End Israeli Occupation Of Palestine

G

oldsmiths SU overwhelmingly voted to support a global campaign to increase pressure on Israel to end the occupation of Palestine this month.

The motion to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel (BDS) movement erupted into an intensely heated debate, as concerns were raised about the movement’s message at student assembly.

One student raised concerns about whether or not a boycott was the right form of protest, as it did nothing to stabilise the situation and achieve peace.

Another student responded: “If boycotting isn’t going to work, then what will? Boycotting isn’t violent.”

One student said in defence of the movement: “BDS is not an attack on individuals – it serves to break the ties with institutions that are complicit with human rights violations.”

Another concern was raised when a student said they felt the movement was discriminatory, with a student stating: “This is a motion against Jews on campus.”

to include Jordan alongside Israel in the motion. Reportedly, there were over three million Palestinians living in Jordan in 2008.

The amendment failed with a majority vote.

Tara Mariwani, who proposed the motion, said: “On behalf of Goldsmiths Palestine Campaign, we would like to thank everyone for their support of the BDS movement at Goldsmiths Students’ Union.”

The explicit facts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were also debated, with students bringing statistics and their personal experiences to the floor.

“We could not have achieved this great victory without the help of the student body, especially those who participated in activism around campus to raise awareness.”

Several times students shouted over each other across the assembly hall, and union chair Ziggi Szafranski had to remind everyone to calm down and adhere to conduct policies.

One student tried to add an amendment

“Student Assembly showed that though there may be some opposition, the Goldsmiths student community will never be intimidated into silencing the voice of the oppressed and occupied. We feel honoured to be able to

show solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

The motion to support BDS passed with a majority vote of 129. Eight students voted against it and six abstained.

Heated discussions continued outside the Professor Stuart Hall building after the vote finished.

Goldsmiths Jewish Society was contacted

by The Leopard, but did not reply to the enquiries by time of writing.

By Sebastian Kettley News Editor

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

FEATURES

International Students on the Immigration Policy Shake Out

5

Goldsmiths students shared their thoughts on an immigration policy that could have a huge impact on their future

T course.

heresa May, home securaty recently announced a proposal to expel international students from the country as soon as they finish their

It drew a lot of flak from the international community and other political, academic entities, so The Leopard asked international students at Goldsmiths how they felt about the proposal.

1. Niw Wong from Thailand said: “Organisations should consider a candidate to be eligible based on his or her competence and capability, not nationality. But sadly, the government’s current policy on immigration is a highly discriminating one.”

and cultural life, aren’t welcome here. By proposing the immigration bill, it will create discriminating barriers. ” “Changes should definitely be made to visa regulations for students post the completion of their courses. Countries like the USA, Canada, Australia have far more relaxed visa norms and provide better opportunities compared to the UK. If Britain still wishes to attract more international students, then its high time it rethinks its visa policies and regulations.”

By Medashrree Dutta Features Editor

“The UK should not limit its chance that it might get from people around the world. The diversity of people in the country’s workforce is a vital aspect of its overall socio-cultural and economic prosperity.”

2. Rikke Monsen from Norway said: “It is very sad when you have the education, language skills as well as the cultural understanding of the place, and yet one has to deal with absurd visa restrictions. I see my fellow international students as a great resource to the UK.” “I sincerely hope that there will be a better solution and the best possible outcome for international students. Although the present scenario may not look very attractive to majority of the non-EU students, but life here is good.”

3. Mumtaz Wattoo from Pakistan said: “If the government is so anti-immigration then I would request it to not promote the UK as a land of unlimited opportunities and dreams.

There is no doubt that the education here is world class but neither the various industries nor the UK government is welcoming towards foreign candidates.”

1

2

“The international students’ intake should be somehow linked with the current industry requirements or placement opportunities.

After all, most of us who come here from different countries have a dream of gaining some international work exposure post their education.”

4. Divya Rao, from the United Arab Emirates said: “These extreme policies send out a message that we - international students, that are worth over £3 billion annually and contribute to the country’s economy

3

4

6

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

“We Haven’t Won Everything”

Bahar Mustafa on the campaign for a full time women’s officer

FEATURES

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

FEATURES

A

motion was passed in student assembly last academic year to pursue funding for a full time sabbatical women’s officer to represent women of all backgrounds at Goldsmiths. Currently, Goldsmiths provides its students with two part time women’s officers, whose time on campus is limited.

Bahar Mustafa, this year’s welfare and diversity officer, has heavily championed the campaign for a full time women’s officer. She began dreaming of it when she was working as a part time women’s officer last year.

“When I first started the campaign, I didn’t feel at the time I could represent all the issues, even though as time has gone by, I realised I actually am [representing them]. My politics were very different back [then], I didn’t realise I could affect change”, said Mustafa.

Her campaign is still going strong. At Freshers’, Mustafa managed to get two hundred students to sign a petition in favour. She holds a women’s forum regularly alongside the women’s officers, where they gather and discuss issues concerning sexual abuse and harassment.

Liz Bromley, registrar and secretary at Goldsmiths, joined them at one meeting

to talk about her own experience. “She [Bromley] spoke about her experiences and how she’s seen the change – the women’s liberation and the shift over time and people responded well to that, but I thought there was a lot of space to talk about how yes, women have won a lot of struggles over the decades, but we haven’t won everything and I feel like there’s still more,” Mustafa told The Leopard. She said senior management has been responding fairly well to her proposal, but she still has some more convincing to do.

Mustafa published a blog post earlier this year making note of five different reasons why she is pursuing this sabbatical officer position.

One of the most pressing ones seems to be the fact that two thirds of Goldsmiths’ student body is female and nationally, one in seven women have experienced sexual harassment and/or assault whilst on campus.

But Goldsmiths doesn’t have a particularly laddish culture.

Mustafa is very proud of the sports teams on our campus and she thinks they have been “Really responsive and really great when it comes to liberation issues” and this was something she has been focusing on this year. “Our sports officer has been great in highlighting liberation issues in sports and

The Student Perspective: Cecile, 23, Media & Comms: “I think it would be a good idea to know someone is there full time.”

Naaman, 20, Media & Comms: “We do need a full time officer [to campaign for those things], but someone that is qualified and not necessarily a woman. If a man is up to that and if he has experience, absolutely.”

Ada, 21, Media & Modern Literature: “There is already a counselling service and I feel safe knowing I can use that if in need. However, with the counselling department so backed up, maybe we do need something to help counteract that.”

Irene, 21, Media & Modern Literature: “Due to the increasing statistics regarding gender violence, I think it would be a positive addition to the school. However, I don’t use this service myself, but it’s nice to know women who need it have the option.”

I think that whilst we don’t have as much of a lad culture as other universities do, it still doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem”, she added.

But then we asked Mustafa if having a full time women’s officer will really benefit female students, as our campus does have a counselling department designed specifically to deal with sensitive issues.

Senior management has already posed this question and Mustafa has replied by saying, “Having a sabbatical officer to campaign full time on issues that affect women of all backgrounds will not only be able to signpost services like counselling or the survivors support network we have on campus, but also to empower other women on campus to keep up these campaigns and eventually effect social change on campus and beyond it.”

Her final presentation to get funding is in March, when Mustafa will be presenting her ideas to Goldsmiths’ warden, Pat Loughrey.

She says, “We have a list of demands, things we feel are pivotal to improving student experience on campus and student welfare, and particularly focussing on the women’s officer.” And if they don’t manage to convince senior management? “I think the students

7

are going to kick off, as students usually do.

Also because students have picked up on the hypocrisy of Goldsmiths being nominated for the diversity awards, the diverse workforce we have and yet, if we don’t get a full time women’s officer or we don’t say anything about lack of support for disabled students, we’re going to have to make some noise.”

A full time women’s officer may prove to be beneficial in the long run, but what would stop men from demanding a full time men’s officer? Mustafa said: “I trust that our students will make the right choice when it comes to someone wanting to have a full time men’s officer. I trust that we are politically engaged enough to recognise that in the entire world, men tend to have privileged backgrounds.”

Goldsmiths press office was unable to provide comment from the university at time of writing.

Photo Credit: Alex Turner

By Cristina Lăpădean Deputy Editor

8

FEATURES

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

Syriza Wins Greece: Is the left back?

Jamie Green, a Political Communications MA student at Goldsmiths gives a first hand account of the recent general elections in Greece.

Photo credit: bluto blutarski (flickr - creative commons license)

W

alking through the streets of Athens on the night before Greece’s snap general election, the run down nature of the city, with its closed supermarkets and shops, came as no surprise. It was indicative of a country that has seen its economy shrink massively. 25 per cent of its population is out of work, pensions have been cut by 45 per cent, half of young people are unemployed, and the national debt sits a whopping 176 per cent of GDP. Despite the gloomy picture, there was certainly a glimmer of hope. As I joined young people from around the world in distributing posters to businesses and passers-by saying ‘Hope is Coming’, the reaction I got was certainly one of optimism. Although people I spoke to knew things would be tough, they had hope that Syriza could deliver, even if that was just a slight alleviation from the painful austerity that had been inflicted on them by the Troika (the EU, IMF and European Central Bank).

No one expected miracles, but after years of corrupt governments and political dynasties the mood of voters was sombre, hopeful, but realistic.

Syriza were set up around 2004, and their name means Coalition of the Radical Left. It’s a coalition of around 17 groups from across the left, including Social Democrats, Greens, Marxists and Maoists. They became the main opposition party in 2012 on a platform of nationalising the banks and devolving power to neighbourhood committees.

As exciting Syriza’s victory is, it’s important to underline that they’re not offering a socialist programme just yet. However, their ‘Thessanoliki Plan’, although moderated somewhat from the 2012 manifesto, is a radical road map to ending the country’s humanitarian crisis, restoring the minimum wage and trade union rights, clamping down on tax avoidance and engaging in a fight with the Troika to renegotiate its bail-out debts,

which has been an albatross around the nation’s neck.

of hope that things could change, not only in Greece, but across Europe.

As the ballot closed and the exit polls were released on Sunday night, victory seemed imminent. As a young Marxist, used to defeat and failure, the emphatic atmosphere around Syriza’s campaign tent was unlike anything I’ve seen before. As the numberstrong Italian delegation lead sing-alongs of ‘Bandiera Rossa’ - which has lyrics like ‘Long Live Communism and Freedom’, I was taken back by how this was a genuine left wing victory and something I’ve never experienced properly before.

There has been no grand revolution in Greece yet, but the page has turned and a change of narrative could be forthcoming if we want it. Syriza’s victory means now we can argue there is an alternative to austerity.

The crowds gathered outside of the Athens academy to welcome the new Greek Prime Minister, the youthful anti-capitalist Alexis Tsipras. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the victory flags flew, but you couldn’t hear a pin drop during his victory speech, as he promised to restore Greek dignity. Although, again, what he’s promised is not quite a socialist order, we sang and celebrated a bit

Is the left back? No, not just yet. But what I witnessed in Greece that weekend could well be the start of a new kind of politics that spreads across Europe and the World fast.

By Jamie Green

FEATURES

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

Goblin to Rose Pub Review

“The geek inside me squealed internally upon discovery of the touch-sensitive heater controls, and I seated myself as close as possible to them, gleefully prodding them whenever the heaters turned off.”

B

efore it’s swanky transformation into The Rose Inn, the pub across the street from New Cross Gate station was called the Hobgoblin, a grubby but well-frequented pub, beloved by bar-loving Goldsmiths students. It was like the drunk guy standing at the bar who somehow managed to charm you into liking him.

The transformation from Goblin to Rose took exactly one month and it was spectacular to watch. Bare-brick walls appeared on the inside, a wooden patio was built up at the front, and a lounge room was opened on the first floor. The back garden features a gazebo in the far right corner, the entrance to which is guarded by statues depicting what may be gargoyles. The whole right side of the garden has been transformed, with a roof, heaters, squishy red-leather couches, and a lonely “Hobgoblin” sign on the wall, to mark the pub’s heritage.

So I thought I’d check it out on opening night. We arrived at 8pm, greeted by a decent amount of people clamouring for the bartenders’ attention. We ordered drinks and went to sit in one of the roofed-off areas outside. To the confusion of some patrons, these are both non-smoking, despite being outside. The geek inside me squealed internally upon discovery of the touch-sensitive heater controls, and I seated myself as close as possible to them, gleefully prodding them whenever the heaters turned off. The upstairs is a nice addition, but the suggestion of the “view over London” it offers, while accurate, is a bit disappointing. I only noticed the photos hanging on the walls when I returned for Sunday lunch: the walls are covered in black and white prints of various recognisable streets and buildings in New Cross and the surrounding area. Bring your friends and play “Guess the Intersection.”

It’s more fun than it sounds.

The kitchen was understandably backed-up with food orders on opening night, and I sadly didn’t get to sample anything from their brand new pizza oven. Instead, I forgot about it by drinking a few too many pints of a wonderful organic beer called “Freedom Lager,” which Freedom Brewery says is “Craft brewed by hand, not mass-produced by machine.” Bonus points awarded for being great fun to order: “One pint of Freedom please!”

We returned the following Sunday for a late lunch. Service was swift and the staff were amicable. I noticed the pretty menus from opening night, printed on thick creamy paper, were gone, replaced by photocopied sheets of A4 - no doubt courtesy of students wanting to take home a souvenir. I ordered the roast chicken, with a side of greens, roast potatoes, but the Yorkshire pudding was sadly dry, which I’m hoping was just a one off. Two of my friends ordered the pork belly, which I immediately regretted not getting. My chicken was delicious, but seeing how their eyes rolled back in pork-bellied ecstasy made me jealous.

On the whole, I really enjoyed both my trips to the Rose Inn. It has been beautifully redone, the staff are friendly, and there is a variety of things to drink and munch. There were a few hiccups on opening night, which is perhaps to be expected when half of Goldsmiths descends on your bar demanding beer, but nothing that would keep me from returning to sample the pork belly.

Photo Credit: Alex Turner

By Antoni Devlin

9

10

FEATURES

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

Music and the social: Camacho’s The Wolf Game

I

t’s almost commonplace that arts in postmodernity lack engagement with the social. Fortunately, it isn’t always so.

Rodrigo Camacho’s The Wolf Game: Death by Hyperstress will be premiered at Goldsmiths next month, and it draws inspiration from the experimental wings of radical music and multiple artistic experiences. The piece is a work of ‘performance art with music’ according to the author. The young composer aims to investigate the structures and strategies of people’s relationships in adversarial situations.

The concert will see a handful of trained game-players engaging in a live match of Lupus, a role-play game. It involves a group of ‘villagers’, an uninformed plurality, having to face the night time attacks of two unknown murderers hidden among them called the wolves – an aware minority. The enemies must be eliminated through a trial after each

Rodrigo Camacho

killing. Discussion, strategy, persuasiveness combine with the progressive flow of information, growing from phase to phase.

Camacho is clear about the source of his fascination for this little game.

“It’s interesting, one of the smallest but most complex emergence games. The will to play is the will to prevail, to win, and to be considered victorious in a social environment.

It provides a metaphor for the global, a roleplay game where you have to impose yourself mostly without knowing what’s going on,” said Camacho.

“The rules are few, and you can be a very good player without understanding the syntax of the whole, because it’s based on deceiving. If you’re good at it, then you can win without accounting to the structure, as the others will follow you. This fascinates me,” said Camacho.

Camacho’s version of the game works like this: an instrumental ensemble is appointed to translate how the game unfolds musically and to intervene in it, stage after stage. Every possible event, from stasis to murder, receives its acoustic counterpart. A wide set of musical materials are disposed, accountable to all potential developments. However, only a small amount of them will be crystallised and formed during the performance.

“Music is a translation of spontaneous live actions, but also a ‘sonification’, an intervention, a stimulus to all participants adding confusion to that complexity,” said Camacho.

“As chaos intensifies, stress sharpens and turns into hyperstress, a condition of social paranoia.”

A critical, investigative character informs Camacho’s artistic attitude, which is mostly

participative and engaged rather than contemplatively distant. During the event, the audience will be free to walk, chat, explore the space around and get closer to the musicians. The only rule: no interactions with the game-players.

Most likely, it will be a thrilling live experience: not just a representation of social dynamics, but rather their active performance will be realised by everyone. All are invited and warmly encouraged to come and take part.

Rodrigo Camacho’s The Wolf Game: Death by Hyperstress will be premiered at Goldsmiths by the New Music Ensemble in the Great Hall, on March 27. For further information, see: thewolfgamedeathbyhyperstress.wordpress. com

By Gabriele Cavallo

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE LEOPARD

COMMENT

11

Postgrad Loans On the Political Chessboard

"Promising lower tuition fees or postgraduate government handouts is like throwing dust in the wind. In the long run it just means another government will have to take the shortfall.”

Photo credit: Gideon (flickr - creative commons license)

I

magine finishing university at 30 with not just one loan payable at 9 per cent over earnings of £21,000, but two. When you’ll have finished a masters degree with no real chance of getting into the workforce, but for which you’ll have to pay RPI and 3 per cent interest back, chances are for most of your life.

That is what George Osbourne missed when he addressed Parliament in his December 2014 Autumn Statement, where he announced an overhaul of the postgraduate student loans.

According to Osbourne, from 2016, students younger than 30 will be able to borrow government money for a masters degree, with the repaying conditions standing as they are: a 9 per cent yearly cap on any earnings

over £21,000, to be paid concurrently with any existing undergraduate loans.

But that won’t really help anyone. Osbourne said in his speech: “Until now there has been almost no financial support available, and the upfront costs of postgraduate degrees deter bright students from poorer backgrounds.”

And he may be right, but the Treasury evaluated this move to cost £300 million in 2016 – 17, and £425 million, £395 million and £365 million for the next three years.

Last year David Willett, the universities minister revealed that the write off figure for student loans is fast approaching the 48.6 per cent mark and that the Treasury is reaching a point of receiving zero financial reward after tripling tuition fees in 2012.

It seems politically irresponsible to continue

adding up debt for people who may or may never reach the £21,000 threshold because they are joining an employment sector whose offer is perpetually rising, but with a demand that simply doesn’t provide enough graduate jobs.

Last year, a study published by the National Office of Statistics showed that half of Britain’s graduates are stuck in non – graduate roles for almost five years after graduation. Former Labour minister for universities, John Denham, said in January: “There is mismatch between the education of many graduates and the needs of employers and the economy.”

Tuition fees are likely to become a ticking bomb with the upcoming election. On May 7, thousands of students will hopefully vote and the political class is well aware of what a swing

vote could look like. But promising lower tuition fees or postgraduate government handouts is like throwing dust in the wind. In the long run it just means another government will have to take the shortfall.

And ultimately, the ones paying the price are the students. An educational system that provides us only with more debt, instead of more graduate roles and a higher education that is authentically useful seems to be just another ill thought out piece on the political chessboard.

By Cristina Lăpădean Deputy Editor

12

COMMENT

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE LEOPARD

The Plain Idiocy of Islamophobia

“The real responsibility lies in educating people on the differences between the minority of extremists and the majority who practice their religion peacefully.”

C

hristian fundamentalist and antiabortion activist Scott Roeder murdered Wichita doctor George Riller in 2009. It was written off as a terrible tragedy and in no way related to his choice of religion.

In 2015, two Muslim fundamentalists forced their way into the Parisian magazine offices of Charlie Hebdo and murdered 11 people, including cartoonists and editors, because the magazine had published a drawing of Mohamed.

two insurgents. The tweet, posted by Rupert Murdoch to his half a million followers, was retweeted 7,300 times. Comparatively, his last unrelated tweet only gained 27 retweets.

A valid question being raised is why is it that if Muslims commit an attack, all of Islam and its culture are blamed? Especially when Christian extremists who commit attacks are seen as merely deranged individuals. Murdoch’s tweet is representative of a disturbing trend against innocent people who happen to belong to the same religion as a small group that have committed acts of terror.

In response, arguably the most powerful man in the media tweeted “Maybe most Moslems are peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible.” Muslims in the West felt the familiar fear after a terror attack of a flow of prejudice and discrimination against them, despite having nothing to do with the

15 anti-Muslim attacks were carried out in France in the two days after the Charlie Hebdo massacre. But these kinds of crimes against Muslims were on the rise well before the January attack on the political magazine.

According to a 2013 IPSOS survey, there were 691 attacks against Muslims in France in 2013 alone.

Photo credit: Thanwan Singh (flickr - creative commons license), edited black and white

Islamophobia is also rife in English media, with red top publications printing derogatory shock-factor headlines like “BBC put Muslims before YOU!” and “Christmas is banned: it offends Muslims.”

One aspect of this growing racism is the language used by the Muslim fundamentalist groups. ISIS called on Muslims across to world to “rise up” and “cause terror in the hearts of the kuffar [unbelievers].” But the American anti-abortion group that Scott Roeder belonged to also called on fellow Christians to “rise up” and “take action” against threats to Christianity and proclaimed that any force is “legitimate to protect the life of an unborn child.” They also carried out bombings and shootings throughout the 90s.

Is all of Christianity to blame for this? No, of course not. Is all of Islam to blame for the Charlie Hebdo massacre? Not at all.

Murdoch said all Muslims have a responsibility to “recognize and destroy” their fundamentalists, but the real responsibility lies in educating people on the differences between the minority of extremists and the majority who practice their religion peacefully. And maybe then, we can hope to live in a world where the actions of few will not infringe on the livelihoods of many.

By Alice Sidgwick

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

COMMENT

Awards Season Lacks Diversity “What we see on screen should be a reflection of the world around us, in which we find a myriad of people.”

A

wards season is, for any film fan, one of the best times of the year. The onslaught of wonderful movies, the increase in interviews and think pieces about the industry, the recognition going deservedly to the biggest and best all mean that chatter about cinema is everywhere. Film is first and foremost commercial but its value as an art form is often forgotten because of that. Awards season is an opportunity for the industry to recognise the wonderful things that have been created in the last year.

But objections have been raised in the film industry following both the BAFTA and Oscar nominations, which were announced last month. These saw films such as Boyhood, Birdman and The Theory of Everything ramp up multiple nominations, but the lack of diversity has caused some controversy.

All the contenders for acting awards are white, with only British or American actors nominated, in both the BAFTAs and Oscars. In particular, the lack of nomination for British actor David Oyelowo for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma has sparked anger.

With four British actors, a British production company behind it and wonderful reviews from all angles, it seems peculiar that what is clearly a good film with heavy British involvement is not being recognised at the BAFTAs. Despite the lack of racial diversity hitting the headlines, the lack of female presence behind the scenes has also been forgotten. No female directors have been nominated in either the Oscars or the BAFTA’s for Best Director, and in fact only one woman has ever won the Oscar for it; Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt

Locker. The same is true for the writing nominations at the Oscars, and the BAFTAs have one female nominee for adapted screenplay, Gillian Flynn who adapted her novel Gone Girl into a film. From the outside looking in it certainly seems that white, middle class men dominate this awards season.

I’m not suggesting, that there’s a simple solution; that actors of different ethnicities or genders are shoehorned in and given awards just to fill quotas. Instead what I’m suggesting is a rise in the range of roles available. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch came under fire recently for suggesting that “coloured” actors have a harder time getting parts in the US than in the UK. His use of the word “coloured” was quickly identified as racist, but the point he was making seems to have been forgotten.

As a non-white actor entering the industry, it is inevitably going to be harder to secure roles, both because of prejudice and because of the narrow purview of the film industry.

Arguably, what we see on screen should be a reflection of the world around us, in which we find a myriad of people. Black actors, women actors, disabled actors, transgender actors, queer actors: that is accurate representation. Last year’s Oscars saw 12 Years a Slave storm the boards, and Goldsmiths Alumni Steve McQueen win Best Director. McQueen was the first black director to win an Oscar, and when looking at the nominations for this year I wonder when we will get another.

Photo credit: touchedmuch (flickr - creative commons license)

By Sian Brett

13

14

COMMENT

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE LEOPARD

Is It L Time To Go Sober?

ike most students – I’m worried about the role alcohol plays in my life Every weekend, for the last couple of years, I’ve pushed the lines of consumption – downing pint after pint with horrible excess, while the slow hum of a pub jukebox has soundtracked my downfall.

From pub to club to house party – every social outing is one where alcohol has played a major part. Which makes me wonder – why is it that British student culture is so caught up with a need to drink,, and is there any way to reverse this dichotomy?

Much has been said on why alcohol is so prevalent to the British identity. From Hemingway to Wilde, Amis to Orwell each one has provoked a social comment on society’s relationship with drink. To start with, it’s the romanticising of alcohol culture that’s at the heart of the problem. Whilst we like to endure the notion that getting tanked up leads to us down a path of entertaining experiences – the reality is a far from a

happy realisation that alcohol itself is part of the struggle to overcome the anxiety that stops us acting naturally in front of people.

Likewise, its stimulation has its downsides – depression being only the start.

I worry because I’ve been there. For years, like most students, alcohol has acted as the stress relief to the difficult nature of working life. It’s become the levy by which everything seems a lot more manageable, and the means to cope when I’ve found myself in uncomfortable and difficult situations. But getting tangled up in that cycle can be dangerous. Not only does alcohol abuse lead to depression – but it also offers no solution to the long-term triggers behind stress related problems.

The statistics that surround alcohol consumption are terrifying too. In 2012, 6,490 people died from alcohol related deaths in the UK– while a fifth of all violent incidents in the same year, took place around a pub or club. Half of all young people excluded

from schools are regular drinkers, and if that wasn’t enough – over 10,000 fines are handed out a year to young people aged 1619 due to being drunken and disorderly. So why – if it’s attribution to health difficulties and violence is so significant – is alcohol the means by which we use to solve some of life’s most difficult problems?

Filmmaker, Kitty Horlick is someone who has sought to find answers to these issues. After battling with alcohol related health issues – she decided to set up an experiment to find out how prevalent a role alcohol played in her friend’s social lives. The resulting film, A study in student Sobriety saw Kitty challenge 200 of her friends to give up drinking for seven days. 140 immediately responded they wouldn’t or couldn’t do it – but 60 agreed.

Already, those are pretty shocking statistics – but when you realise only 10 of the original 200 successfully completed the task, it’s then that the uncomfortable truth about our reliance on alcohol becomes visible.

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

COMMENT

For the 60 who participated, the seven days became an uncomfortable downtime full of social difficulties. In short video responses, participants told a selection of stories about how they’d had to turn down going out, struggled to feel comfortable in spaces where alcohol was present, and avoided parties in favour of staying in. The one thing that seemed immediate was people’s inability to participate in everyday social events because they weren’t drinking. Which begs the question, with British social life so intrinsically married to booze culture – pubs, clubs and parties – how is it that we’re ever to find an alternative to inebriation?

For Kitty, the results of the study were hardly surprising. After overcoming alcohol addiction, she became hypersensitive to the prevalence of booze in the student lifestyle.

Like many of us, alcohol offered Kitty the emotional anaesthetic to deal with the pains and stresses of everyday life.

The wide variety of responses and reflections in Kitty’s film are enlightening. The most prominent was the feeling of anxiety abstaining from drinking triggered. Not only was the anxiety – based on their need for alcohol to socialise, but also on their drinking habits. “You’re socially inhibited if you don’t drink,” said one participant, with another asking,, “how is having a coffee to wake you up in the morning any different from having a beer in the evening to relax?”

Much of the problem is that we wrap up alcohol with solutions – expecting that sobriety will somehow lead us to a cure for the hapless addiction to stimulation that we’ve set upon ourselves. Solutions to difficult problems aren’t meant come easily - but numbing problems through alcohol doesn’t deal with things.

There’s a funny backlash within the student community. As consumers, we’re relatively concerned with our health. We make rational decisions when it comes to food purchases, and we’re well informed when it comes to the

harms and effects of certain stimulants on our body, but when it comes to drinking we can’t seem to stop.

I worry that we’re too dependent on an incessant need for stimulation. To me, the mind-set of the 21st century individual is one that has come to embody the restless over-stimulation we get from social media, mobile phones and 24-hour rolling news.

And it’s taking an effect on our bodies. Why social activities have to point to environments where alcohol is prevalent is a myth to me.

With a wider public discourse amongst the student community couldn’t we find another way to battle the torrent that is booze?

Photo credit: Sunil Mistry

By Robbie Wojciechowski

15

16

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

ELECTIONS

— GOLDSMITHSSU ELECTIONS 2015

Hi I’m Alex and I’m running to be your Union President. Read

STUDENT ASSEMBLY Black and Minority Ethnic Students Officer Disabled Students Officer Ethical and Environmental Officer Housing Officer International Students Officer LGBTQ Officer Palestine Twinning Officer Societies Officer Union Chair Women’s Officer

Student Trustee

ALEXANDRA CRAWFORD what I stand for below. Thank you!

- Charlotte Hamilton - Emma Marie Rodgers and Eva-Grace Bor

Having been a part­time Women’s Officer this year I have the

- Eliane Edmond

issues affecting women and LGBTQ + students.

experience to be a strong voice for the Union. I will continue to expand upon measures already undertaken to highlight I will lead and direct a politically active union, a union

- Nazneen Master

which supports local and national groups fighting back

- Sian Cannell

against government cuts affecting students and the wider

- Divya Rao

community.

- Polutropos McEwan

consultation hours and a more inclusive social programme.

- Tara Mariwany and Alessia Cancemi - Aisha Khan - Anna Suraj - Laith Whitwham

NUS Delegate

Overcrowding in the library and a distinct lack of rehearsal/ studio space are indicators of a problem set to get worse.

With student numbers planned to increase to approximately 12,000 by 2020, plans to expand on space and resources need to be made clear to students. I will take these concerns

- Serena Savini and Alice-India Garwood - Lynsay Rebecca Hodges

- Kenny Ladipo - Luize Lazdane - Osob Yusuf - Cece Egan - Yusuf Hassan - Amy-Louie Palesa Ball - Ibrahim Abdille

I will amplify marginalised student voices by providing more

- Kenny Ladipo - Simona Rata - Charlotte Hamilton - Osob Yusuf - Alice-India Garwood - Laith Whitwham - Liam Renouf - Ibrahim Abdille

to management and demand a better quality learning experience for your money.

I will lobby the university to provide more academic support to international students, mature students or those from vocational backgrounds who often get overlooked and can feel ill­equipped to meet academic requirements.

Did you know that postgraduate students currently comprise over 40% of the student population? If not it might be because their needs are often marginalised and concerns go unheard. As president I would aim to address this imbalance by campaigning to increase the number of postgrad DSCs and establish a dedicated fraction within the Union to represent and highlight their specific experiences.

MEDIA The Leopard Editor [SMITHS] Editor Wired Radio Manager

- Sabrina Sharif - Colin Cortbus - Christina Mihoko Deakin - Autumn Chawner and Adam Morby - Sean O’Daly and Natasha Shehata - Sofia Messina and Vlad Frolov - Johanna Going and Joseph Foley

Student welfare is a top priority. I will implement campaigns to increase child support for student parents and address a lack of adequate funding to the counselling service.

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

ADRIHANI RASHID

ZIGGI SZAFRANSKI

17

SAMUEL READ

My main targets as President would be to ensure that the

Hello! Yes, I’m Ziggi and I’m running for President. This is

VOTE SAMUEL READ FOR SU PRESIDENT!

Union reaches as much of the student population as it

my 4th year here at Goldsmiths and I’ve seen it go from

Hi everyone, as a 3rd year undergraduate student I’ve loved

possibly can, ensuring that the work of the SU team has a real

strength to strength - but we can do better. As a DSC I’ve

and gained a lot from my past three years here at Goldsmiths. I

impact on student life. I believe that part-time officers, sport

had so many students come to me about needing space,

want to give something back and take the opportunity to serve

and society leaders, and student representatives deserve

whether that’s for their course, for their own work or for

our student community by running for SU President. As the

more support in terms of skill development and results-

their clubs and societies, having already been refused it.

founder and president of the Debating society plus a student

based incentives for the effort they put into their work. I also

But there is so much space that’s underutilised and this

representative, I’ve seen our SU from the both the outside and

believe that we have a responsibility to give back to our local

needs to change! And it will - I’ve already spoken with the

inside and I’ve spoken personally to many students about the

community, and will work with student volunteers and the

Warden and have his support on space issues, and if you

change they want to happen at Goldsmiths. I believe I have the

Outreach team to ensure that we have a positive impression.

choose me to be your President I’ll have a lot more clout to

initiative, experience and passion needed to move our student’s

I will push for major improvements to the union website and

make sure it gets done!

union forward. Here’s my election manifesto.

online presence to ensure that students are up to date with

As a postgrad myself, I’ve noticed how few PGs know

Taking our COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE to the next level:

the latest events, and that every activity organised by the

about the union - let’s get out there and make sure we’re

More investment into societies, giving them greater exposure

union can be voted for via online polls to ensure an all round

making their union work for them. SU on Tour has been a

and organisational support.

approach to democracy. In terms of employability, I will

great initiative but I want to build on this and have weekly

Events designed to help you get to know people on your

lobby for college-wide policies to ensure that Goldsmiths

drop ins everywhere and anywhere on campus - so often

courses and in your department.

graduates get first preference when it comes to hiring within

I hear that people don’t know where to go or who to talk

Tailor made social, cultural, networking, sports events to

the college, and the use of student-designed materials

to about something, and having a face to chat with in the

bring students together, with more inclusion for international

and student performers for internal events. I believe that

places they go can only help that. The President also has

students.

there is great potential for networking and skill-sharing

a huge role to play liaising with senior management and

Lobby for more affordable on-campus catering.

platforms involving both current students and alumni, to

since I’ve already cultivated good working relationships

Increasing your EMPLOYABILITY:

ensure that students can work on enhancing the skills they

with the Warden and his team, and sit on Council in my

With more talks and presentations from experts in their

will need for life after graduation. Peer to peer mentoring

current role as Union Chair, I feel I can make your needs

academic/work field.

programmes and liberation-group targeted workshops will

matter to them and get our changes through. But at the

Offer

also be a focal point of my work if elected. I will also set

end of the day what I want is less important than what you

opportunities and graduate advice.

out to ensure a consistent schedule of diverse events and

want. If you want something changed, I’ll be there to make

Provide leadership and personal development programs to

weekly bar opening times, plus better facilities for rehearsal,

it happen.

improve your soft skills.

revision, and social use on campus. This is merely a sample

Your Union Your Voice - Let’s Get Talking!

Pushing for greater SU ENGAGEMENT:

more

employable

skills

workshops,

experience

of the work I would like to do as a sabbatical officer, and I

Become an SU that is accountable, transparent and engages

will always strive to ensure that the student voice is heard

with students and their needs.

through my actions.

Channels to get to know your Sabb officers better, give them your feedback and receive regular updates through video blogs.

Increase participation in the student assembly through better promotion and having students vote online.

Improving the quality of OUR EDUCATION: Lobby for a better equipped library, with more e-books and improved computers.

Push for a consistent feedback and communication system between students, lecturers and departments.

Lobby for the setup of overseas exchange programs.

FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS, VOTE SAMUEL READ.

18

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

ELECTIONS

WELFARE AND DIVERSITY OFFICER

BAHAR MUSTAFA

DAVID MURPHY

DECLAN HIER HARRON

Bahar Mustafa @BarbarMoostafa

Studying English at Goldsmiths has been an excellent

Hi I’m Declan Hier Harron and I’m running to be your next

WOmanifesto

experience. As a mature student I’ve captained the Men’s

Campaigns and Activities Officer. If elected I will focus on

Experience: As the current welfare and diversity officer I have

1st Football team, tutored 11-18 year olds, and worked in

these main issues:

already:

our IT Department. I want to ensure students get the most

Mental Health – There has already been a lot of great work

Played an active role in the mental health strategy to challenge the

out of their time at University. We should all feel able to

been put in by students campaigning for better mental

lack of resources to student services such as counselling and the

take part regardless of age/gender/finance (or anything

health support and open conversations on the issue at

Disability team. I have also committed to regular drop­in hours for

else you feel holds you back). If elected I’ll be campaigning

Goldsmiths. But I recognise that a lot more needs to be

students in need of welfare advice.

for:

done. Our counselling service currently has 60-100 students

Promoted liberation in sports: won budget for the ‘welfare bus’ to

on the waiting list just to be seen, that is unacceptable.

ensure safety of vulnerable students during event nights, and to

IMPROVED LIBRARY FACILITIES – Our 24-hour Library

With the university planning a huge increase in student

take sport teams to and from matches and training. Won women

is a great resource, but the facilities need updating.

intake, I will campaign for more resources to be directed

­only sessions in the gym.

Faulty IT Equipment, not enough books, and insufficient

to the counselling service in line with so that every student

Launched campaign for a full­time Women’s Officer: two ­thirds of

heating impact on student experience. Having worked in

can access help when they need it most.

Goldsmiths students are women and we need more representation!

our IT department and Library I will campaign to ensure

I will support the brilliant new Dedicated Listeners service

Furthermore, I have put policy in place to reimburse child care costs

the University focuses on updating equipment in both

run by student volunteers. This will launch later this year as

for student ­parents and carers; and, initiated a survivor led campaign

departments.

a face to face support network for students. I will support

to challenge structural misogyny inherent in organisations which do

ACTIVITIES - KEEP WEDNESDAYS FREE – Being part

giving this service a permanent home in a room in the

not have liberation and feminist politics at its heart.

of a society or sports team often feels undervalued at

university.

As a BME, queer, disabled woman from a working class immigrant

Goldsmiths. This is an excellent way to have fun, socialise,

Housing – I will continue the work the student union

family, I have first hand experience in the multiple ways that barriers

and unwind from a busy schedule. Wednesday afternoons

is doing to create an SU run letting agency, by finding

to education manifest, and have therefore developed strategies to

need to be kept free to increase participation in activities.

landlords who want to let through a responsible, not for

challenge this:

Financial procedures also need to be addressed to ensure

profit agency run in the interest of students.

Facilitated workshops for liberation groups, such as BME and

societies and sports teams have better access to their

Campaign to keep halls fees down.

women, in the run up to elections to encourage traditionally

money.

Liberation

marginalised groups to participate in Students’ Union.

HOUSING ADVICE – Safe and affordable accommodation

Continue the campaign for a full time Women’s officer to

I sit on the NUS Women’s committee as Disabled women’s rep, and

is a huge priority as a student. If elected I’ll campaign to

win a dedicated representative in next year’s SU election.

on the NUS Welfare committee. I can therefore influence national

provide housing advice for all students.

Support the liberation campaigns that are fighting sexism,

policy and:

THE STRETCH BAR – Our newly revamped Student

racism, fascism, homophobia, transphobia, islamaphobia,

Continue to fight for FREE EDUCATION FOR ALL!

Union Bar is a fantastic space to put on gigs, club nights,

disablism and other forms of discrimination.

Reject the counter­terrorism bill which pressures lecturers to

society events, and more. This is our space and I will be

Fossil Fuel Divestment – I will campaign for Goldsmiths

monitor Black, Brown and Muslim students: this is both a racist

campaigning to increase accessibility to all.

to commit to join the rapidly growing number of global

and Islamophobic piece of legislation that promotes a culture of

CAREERS – Working as a student ambassador has fitted

institutions moving their money away from the fossil fuel

surveillance and squashes freedom of expression.

perfectly alongside my studies. I want to highlight the wide

industry for good.

Continue to campaigned with Goldsmiths Palestine Society as

range of paid and voluntary opportunities available on-

I oppose fees and stand for universal free education.

part of the wider movement to promote justice and peace for the

campus.

I’ll campaign against the pay freezes and cuts to our

people of Palestine.

teaching staff in the face of unjustifiable pay rises for the

Present a list of demands to senior management which includes:

I’d love to hear from you about any issues you’ve faced. By

management

full access to all aspects of university life for ALL disabled students

identifying what matters to you I can campaign to promote

I will oppose the casualisation of teaching staff through

and staff; and, putting a stop to the culture of pay ­freezes for staff

a more positive student experience for all.

short term contracts that impact negatively on our

and lecturers, while senior management award themselves big bonuses and spend students’ money recklessly on unnecessary refurbishments. https://bahar4welfare.wordpress.com/

education.

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

ELECTIONS

CAMPAIGNS AND ACTIVITIES OFFICER

RACHEL SUNDERLAND

ALEXANDER ETCHES

TATIANA BRANCO

Hello! I’m Rachel, I’m 21 and in my final year

I am a 2nd year Sociology student at Goldsmiths and I am

studying English and Drama. As a full time student

running to be your campaigns officer.

(part time waitress) and current President of Goldsmiths’

I have recently been your part time campaigns officer

Comedy Society, I have been able to experience the key

and also on the National Young Members committee of

areas which need development to ensure YOU, as students,

Unite the Union representing over hundred thousand

are given the best experience possible during your time at

young people. This has given me campaign experience

Goldsmiths.

necessary to win real power for students and not just

No manifesto

concessions from an out of touch university management.

FACILITIES – So, you want to put on a Neo-Skiffle Musical at The Stretch. Amazing. But, for this to happen, YOU

I will be campaigning for:

have to source your own equipment, microphones, lighting (if you want any other colours than blue or pink). Not so

1) More power for students and staff.

cool any more, no? My main aim is to support students

University management has constantly shown itself

in their efforts to do extra-curricular activities by getting

incapable of putting students’ interests at the heart

better facilities in The Stretch and centralising events to

of their decisions which has lead to strikes, unhappy

make sure there is a consistent range each week. And yes,

lecturers

that means QUIZ.

Shockingly management recently chose to spend millions

EMPLOYABILITY – I would like to campaign for a quality

renovating the front of the RHB while 60-100 students are

career’s service that works harder to understand the needs

on a waiting list to see a university counsellor, I will secure

of its students from their very first year, while developing

more decision-making powers for students to ensure that

links with Alumni to help secure places for graduates.

we have a say over the institution we fund.

and

shoddy

student

accommodation.

RECOGNISE – I want to recognise the achievements of current students with an Activities Exhibit in Fresher’s

2) Fighting racism.

Week, where each society is encouraged to showcase their

The extremism bill going through Parliament will attempt

vibe and best work in a 15 minute slot.

to divide our campus by targeting Muslim students

SUPPORT – Encourage societies and activities to utilise

forcing lectures to inform on students if they feel they

student media by working with each platform to create

have been ‘radicalised’. I will dedicate my time to ensure

advertisements and collaboration projects.

all racist measures from parliament are opposed and

ALUMNI – WHO went to Goldsmiths?! I would like to

fascist groups like the EDL are stopped.

organise a monthly alumni event of the great thinkers, performers and artists of Goldsmiths’ past to ignite passion

3) Fighting Sexism.

in current students.

We have come so far in challenging sexist attitudes on our campus and in our movement, however we should

I stand for this position with the aim to heighten your

not stop here. I will work with the women’s representative

chance of employability.

structures to do what is necessary ensure that sexism

Vote for someone who is going to put YOUR career first.

is constantly challenged on our campus and in our movement.

—

DON’T MISS QUESTION TIME IT’S YOUR CHANCE TO PUT QUESTIONS TO ALL THE CANDIDATES! RHB 137A ON FEB 26 NATURA ON FEB 27

19

20

ELECTIONS

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

EDUCATION OFFICER

DANIEL NASR

EMMA KIRK

SIWAN ELLISON

I am a third year BA Design student from Beirut, Lebanon,

Hi, I’m Emma - third year Anthropology and Sociology student

Hi my name’s Siwan, I’m a final year Sociology & Politics

currently working on a project within Syrian refugee camps

and aspiring Education Officer. I want everyone to be able to

student and the current Women’s Officer, and I’m running

to facilitate community based education. I have been

get the most out of their time at Goldsmiths, and this means

to be your next Education Officer.

previously a DSC and student representative for the past

we need the right resources, the right support, and the right

Education is political. Access to education is political. I

three years, as well as being an active member of PalSoc

inspiration,

want to fight for the students who come to Goldsmiths,

on campus. I hope to both learn, and utilise my experiences

These are some of the issues I think are important to achieve this,

and those who don’t get the chance to. Free education

given the opportunity to serve as Education Officer.

but I’d love to have a chat and hear what you think. If you want

isn’t just about fees – it’s about a decent quality of life

Our tutors are our most valuable resource. In the face of

someone who will represent YOU, vote Emma for Education!

while studying, an adequately funded disabled students’

ongoing cuts to staff budgets, pensions and wages, I will

allowance, support for student carers and parents, a

fight to support lecturers in protecting their resources and

LIBRARY RESOURCES

continue to lobby for better support for them. I will also

Increase the number of computers and workspaces so that

campaign for more resources for students - more computers

everyone can work in the library

If elected, I promise to campaign for:

in the library, more available printers, better study spaces,

Better communication between departments and the library to

Increase in study spaces & department facilities -

and new equipment in teaching rooms.

make sure that books relevant to reading lists are available

Goldsmiths is expanding, more students are being

I will expand inclusivity in student representation: Currently

More (working!) printers

admitted but departmental facilities and study spaces are

there are 2 DSCs in each department, but they don’t

COUNSELLING SERVICE

in short supply –there is less space, and a lot more demand

always get a chance to speak to all students because of

The number of students seeking counselling is increasing (up

for computers and textbooks in the library– the university

the demanding role, so I plan to establish bi-annual open

33% since 2008)*, and 20% of students consider themselves to

needs to address this.

student forums to include more students in the feedback

have a mental health problem**. More students means more

I will hold education surgeries, with specific meetings

cycle. This gives every student the chance to have their

support is needed, including:

catered to marginalised student groups.

concerns addressed.

Quick access to the counselling service when you need it

Tackling hidden course costs, it’s ridiculous Goldsmiths

I want to establish better connections with the local

A better range of counselling and support

expects final years to self-fund all creative projects, from

community, making Goldsmiths more local, open and

Additional funds for the Students’ Union to provide more

theatre or design to fine art – I will lobby the university to

connected. I will work with local schools, colleges and

support

set up a financial support fund to help finance students’

organisations to build a network of academic and social

Supporting student-led initiatives

creative projects.

support which will allow for better quality opportunities for

PERSONAL TUTORS

More spaces in the university nursery for student parents,

student placements, internships, and projects.

Organise termly informal group tutorials with Personal Tutors so

spaces should be relative to the number of students

As International students, our fees are subject to increases

that students are aware of their role and feel comfortable asking

admitted.

year on year, leaving students with a financial burden. I will

for guidance and discussing their work.

Something I’m extremely passionate about is making sure

keep lobbying Goldsmiths to eradicate fluctuating fees for

WHAT NEXT?

we support marginalised students throughout their time at

International students.

Bring together Goldsmiths alumni and current students to

Goldsmiths – I want to introduce specific support packs for

The current government have made things increasingly

explore where your education can lead to and inspire current

international students, carers & student parents, work with

tough for International students - threatening the Post

students.

departments to introduce content warnings for triggering

Study Work Visa, adding NHS charges, proposing unfair visa

WI-FI – Just reliable wi-fi we can use all over campus, please!

topics in the classroom, & increase academic support for

controls, leaving students out of pocket and without time to

liberated curriculum, and a democratically-run university.

mature students and those who have come from vocational

look for employment after graduating. I will join the national

If these issues are important to you too, vote Emma for

campaign to reverse these changes and give all graduates a

Education.

fair chance to work in the UK. Think I’ve missed something? It’s up to the Education Officer to make sure students’ views are heard, so let me know what matters to you. I’d love to have a chat about my manifesto and what you want to see change at Goldsmiths.

backgrounds.

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

COMMENT

21

General Election 2015: isn’t there more to politics?

“Don’t believe anyone who tells you that voting is the be all and end all”

T

here’s no such thing as apolitical.

Even if you don’t know the name of the Prime Minister - it’s Boris Johnson by the way, you’ll still hold opinions on politics. And I’m not talking about knowing what the level of income tax is or who the Shadow Chancellor is - Balls, I’ve forgotten myself.

The things you complain about everyday and the structures that govern your life - that’s all politics. Live in shit housing? Angry about the tuition fee debt cloud hanging over your head? Noticed the cost of living increasing?

In May this year the country will be picking its next set of dorks. We’ll spend another five years painfully watching them try to run things, mess it up, then repeat again. They’ll promise you 365 days of summer, immortality

and a ticket to the Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory to get your tick in the box, then steal your granny’s free bus pass.

Just like last time there’s a strong possibility the British public don’t want to vote for anyone again, which means we could end up with a kind of Parliamentary lottery. We could have another Tory Lib Dem coalition, a Labour SNP government or will UKIP and the Greens cut a deal with Al Murray as Home Secretary? I joke but these predictions are as accurate as anyone else’s. The loss of faith in mainstream politics has gotten so bad that no one party can achieve a ruling majority.

women were asked to leave a Brighton store for kissing; the women of the New Era Estate forced investors trying to hike their rents to withdraw their proposals and pull out; Ritzy Cinema Workers fought hard against their employers to get a pay rise through trade union organisation and a boycott; students occupied their campuses at Warwick and Sussex; thousands marched for free education in London; outsourced cleaners at the University of London won sick pay and holiday; students and family justice campaigns are campaigning against police brutality and the anti-fascist movement decimated the EDL and the BNP.

But I’m not entirely cynical. Politics is happening elsewhere, at a grassroots level, and it’s bloody impressive. Protesters organised a snog in at Sainsburys after two

All of these struggles and successes have been fought despite and often in opposition to Westminster, so don’t believe anyone who tells you that voting is the be all and end all.

photo credit: William Warby (flickr - creative commons license)

It’s important, but politics happens on the streets and always has done.

To register to vote visit gov.uk/register-tovote, it takes five minutes and all you need is your National Insurance Number.

By Howard Littler SU President

22

FEBRURY 2015 THE LEOPARD

CULTURE

Birdman

The Tunnel

Film Review

Book Review

No one understood the trailer. The general consensus was: It’s a film about a man starring in a fledging Broadway play. He has telekinetic powers. He fights Edward Norton.

And he believes he is a bird? And yet, following its January release, it has already conquered American Sniper, Boyhood and The Theory of Everything, to become one of the best films of the year. It is stylish, hilarious, endearing, involving.

The filming and editing make it seem as if it was all produced in one shot. This effect creates an atmosphere that adds to the paranoia and chaos of the plot. It feels as though you are watching a play, following the actor from backstage to onstage, you feel the rush of a sold out audience with him.

Michael Keaton stars as Riggan, a has-been Hollywood actor who made it big playing the character of a superhero, ‘Birdman’, and is trying to save his credibility through this play. Keaton commands the scene and yet also draws sympathy, because at times he seems like a loser. Outside of the world he has created in his head he is vulnerable, outof-touch and losing his mental battle against the alter ego of the bird that he cannot shake off.

Perhaps because director Alejandro González Iñárritu ingeniously chose a cast that has almost entirely starred in superhero movies in the past, there isn’t one actor who was miscast. The film has the perfect cast from Edward Norton to Naomi Watts and Emma Stone deserves special credit as Riggan’s recovering addict daughter Sam, who looks for some kind of fix while being trapped as her dad’s PA. One speech she gives is particularly memorable in which she tells her father just how irrelevant he is; as she finishes yelling at him, her face falls and you can see the instant regret. So, go see Birdman, it is definitely not one to be missed. But be aware that when you leave the cinema you may find the film stays with you like a certain bird.

Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

By Alice Sidgwick

Compelling, bewildering, and dramatic define Ernesto Sabato’s book The Tunnel.

Written in 1948, this novel is narrated by Juan Pablo Castel, a frustrated artist, who finds himself obsessed and in love with a woman he killed. The offset of the book introduces you to the misanthropist murderer of the novel who is narrating the story from his prison cell about why and how he killed María, the only woman capable of understanding him.

Ex Machina Film Review

Ex Machina is a technologically determinist sci-fi drama centred on one of the most popular phenomena of our modern world – artificial intelligence. Grappling with morality and the risks of playing God, this is an intelligent film, which transforms into a psychologically thrilling and tense viewing experience.

First time director and experienced writer, Alex Garland, notable for his novel The Beach and his screenplay; 28 Days Later, delivers a refreshing direction on artificial intelligence which questions the deeper philosophical meanings of life and the revolutionary, yet manipulative potential, of intelligent machinery.

Led by a three people cast, Nathan, played

by Oscar Isaac is an enigmatic yet humorous character, a recluse who lives in a research facility in an isolated forest. Caleb, played

by Domhnall Gleeson is at first overpowered and overwhelmed by his cocky and often drunk boss, but during the third act of the film, we witness the unravelling relationship of conflict and a battle of decency between the two. Throughout the course of Caleb’s stay he is engaged in conversation with Ava, portrayed by Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, who delivers an intimidating performance of a cunning and breathtaking robot. As these sessions pan out, deeper and more subtextual themes are brought to the surface and it is fascinating to watch the interplay between these three characters when you are consistently thrown off by their unpredictable motives.

Accompanied by an ominous and foreboding score, this is an aesthetically pleasing and futuristically styled film which provides an interesting take on our willingness to apply sentiment and be deceived by what we try so desperately to make human. What makes for uncomfortable viewing is the film’s deceptive take on sexuality and objectification of female robots and yet this is an enthralling and intimate watch with a lot of interesting twists.

Photo credit: Steve Jurvetson (flickr - creative commons license)

By Yasmine Hajji

The book parallels how Juan Pablo Castel has been captive of his own life even before being shut down among the four walls of prison. His dislike towards humanity captures and fills the reader with sadness yet it makes us empathise even more with the loneliness that the narrator was enduring at the time he wasn’t behind bars. “I have always had a tenderness and compassion for children, especially when through supreme mental effort I have tried to forget that they will be adults like anyone else.” His lonely mind and inability to communicate or find good in others is what drives him to the madness of killing María. She was the only one who cared about him, but was the first one he let hurt him through her “disloyalty”.

Still alive in literature, Ernesto Sabato succeeds to write a novel, which portrays the destroyed mind of a murder artist. It is a novel open to the chaos of mystery, disorder, irrationality and laughter, which forces the reader to flip the page nonstop. Moreover, although Sabato is an Argentinian writer, he doesn’t narrow the audience down to South American’s because the narration describes a modern city which addresses the universal crowd, and, moreover, confronts with the darkest thoughts of the self. Endlessly, The Tunnel extricates the hidden parts of the ubiquitous mind and arouses not only the great reading of literature, but also the human sympathising to the darkest inner most mysterious desires.

Photo credit: Robert Couse-Baker (flickr creative commons license)

By Michelle Monks

Jane Austen Project

Book Review

Marianne is on her mobile. Elinor is checking Facebook. There is something dramatically less romanticized about the Dashwood girls in the 21st century, compared to Jane Austen’s setting of Victorian England. Yet, the story plot still has you turning pages of Joanna Trollope’s installment of Sense and Sensibility, which is one of three books already released in The Austen Project.

As an avid Austen fan, I was interested to read the modern take on a storyline so familiar to me. The overall feeling was odd. I found the relationship between Marianne, who is still only about 19-years-old, and Colonel “Bill” Brandon, who is described as being older than Mrs Dashwood, a bit far fetched for the 21st century.

Additionally, the female characters lack the motivation that many would expect of modern-day Austen heroines. Austin’s women are witty and intelligent. Yet Trollope’s heroines lack this. Instead, Marianne is a rude teenager who snubs the people trying to help her family, yet mocks Elinor when she actually does something to improve their situation. And Elinor, although motivated to financially aid her family, she is so despondent throughout the entire book that you almost lack any sympathy for her.

On the other hand, the story does stick tightly to the original. From the ejection of the family from Norland Park to Marianne getting caught in the rain and being rescued

by John “Wills” Willoughby. Readers of the original will feel the familiar rollercoaster of emotions Elinor and Marianne go through in “Sense and Sensibility.”

Sense and Sensibility was the first of the Jane Austen Project books to be released in 2013.

Northanger Abbey and most recently, Emma

by Alexander McCall Smith have followed it. Pride and Prejudice is the next expected release later this year.

Photo credit: Christopher (flickr - creative commons license)

By Caitlin Burns

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE LEOPARD

CULTURE

Archipelago

Papers Please

If you fancy something different from the usual pub grub from your local and are up for trying dishes like python Carpaccio, bison steak, cricket salad and kangaroo skewers, then ‘Archipelago’ in west London is the place to go.

Papers Please seems disappointingly simple at first, like a concept that was never meant to make it to production. And while the core game mechanics are so simple a monkey could play, the game is quite a bit deeper and darker than it appears.

Game Review

Restaurant Review

For some it may twist their stomachs in a very direct way and for others it could be just an exciting turn of events. The menu offers dishes prepared in the usual restaurant way. However, instead of making it with ingredients that are available at Tesco or Waitrose, the restaurant gets theirs from a bit further down the road.

The interior of the restaurant is quirky, filled with different jungle themed designs, achieved in a very tasteful style. There is no crocodile greeting you at the entrance to guide you to your table, but a few subtle birds on the walls, paintings of wildlife and flowers everywhere. The small space of the restaurant and the comforting surrounding warmth makes the experience a bit less tense.

The service is very adequate, the waiters are knowledgeable about the menu and are able to answer any questions. Upon arrival they explain whatever creature can be found on your plate and how it is prepared. It is quite interesting that whilst informing you, a cheeky smile is on their faces knowing what the customer is about to experience.

There is certainly some excitement when my starter, zebra jerky, arrives. The dish looks very appealing on the plate, accompanied with chilli sauce and ginger jelly. If you have ever had beef jerky, this has the same consistency except it has a spicy, fried coating around it, which sends me into space. It is that exact opposite of a snack one could imagine eating in front of the TV. For the main I decided to be a bit more cautious and got chicken prepared two ways with some coconut rice. Surprisingly, the side dish was the highlight of this part of the meal.

Usually I do not enjoy the combination of savoury and sweet, but this was amazing. The coconut was subtle, and added a flavour that made me just want to eat more and more.

None of the flavours were unpleasant and everything was perfectly enjoyable.

Overall, this is a fun and exciting, inexpensive experience in London. If you fancy an adventurous night out with a date or a group of friends, then this should be at the top of the list.

Photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar (flickr creative commons license)

By Luize Lazdane

23

Isabelle Conaro Art Review

Each piece in Isabelle Conaro’s Paysage avec poussin exhibit at South London Gallery can be considered an off-beat sort of landscape, made up of a miscellany of found and personal objects. The main hall installation places the objects on plinths and invites the viewer to enter into the space, where companion film pieces guide the onlooker through the eye of the camera.

The artist’s background in art history heavily influences her work, the installation loosely imitating the paintings of Nicolas Poussin, 17th century baroque artist — but by no means does this make the exhibition stuffy. It is suitable for all audiences.

The objects themselves look a little like antiques in a museum, but unlike a museum, or even a typical art gallery, there are no guiding placards or labels. What are the objects? Why are they here? The viewer is forced to answer these questions themselves.

By using this arrangement Cornaro explores the shift in meaning that comes with taking an object out of context and putting it in a gallery setting. She considers our relationship with objects and what we, as a culture, place on metaphorical pedestals.

Mimicking Poussin’s paintings, the work plays with the strict perspective rules of the genre by placing larger objects in the foreground and smaller in the background. This heightens the sense of distance in the space, but the illusion is shattered as you walk through the landscape.

The gallery is very quiet, during my Sunday afternoon visit and the main hall was completely empty at times. It’s a small but charming space, and it doesn’t take long to see the whole exhibit. Well worth a trip, swing by around lunchtime for a free gallery tour, 1pm Tuesday to Sunday.

This exhibition is free and closes on April 5.

Photo credit: South London Gallery

By Alina Weston-Ihnatowicz

You play an immigration officer stationed at the border separating imaginary countries Kolechia and Arstotzka, a place that might as well have been Soviet Russia. You let people into the country if their documents are in order, and reject them if not. You’re not a bad guy, you’re just doing your job, earning a dismal salary to support your family of four, who apparently can’t lift a finger to do anything besides tell you they’re cold, hungry and sick.

The game is based around not screwing up at work and getting your pay docked, and helping out strangers out of the goodness of your heart. Or for bribes. Mostly bribes. It’s quite a grim game. And yet it still managed to make me chuckle. A passport written in crayon, issued in a fake place called Bestburg with the number “1234-OKOK?” Comedy gold.

This is a difficult game. The controls seem deliberately fiddly. Keeping mis-clicks to a minimum and your virtual desk organised becomes a challenge when you’re inspecting five documents per person and making sure their story checks out. But the fiddlyness works! It conveys the kind of hectic atmosphere there might actually be at an immigration checkpoint: papers everywhere, disgruntled travelers, you get the score.

The concept behind Papers, Please definitely makes it worth playing, and really scratched my itch for completing repetitive tasks over and over and over again. However, if you are incapable or unwilling of focusing on minute details for extended periods of time, you won’t get much enjoyment out of Papers, Please. Maybe stick to Call of Duty. Or Candy Crush.

Photo credit: Ian Mackenzie (flickr - creative commons license)

By Antoni Devlin

The Walking Dead S2 Game Review

I wasn’t completely sold on the whole “episodic gaming” thing, but seeing as seasons one and two were heavily discounted on Steam, I gave the first one a shot. The game rewarded me by ripping my heart out and curb stomping it in the best way possible.

I was worried that this would have the same story as the TV show, but the two are completely different, minus the zombies.

You play Lee, a man cursed with the gift of being universally hated. Or maybe that was just the way I played him. There’s not much to say about the story without spoiling the plot, but you meet people along the way, and have to interact with them to survive the Zombie apocalypse. Picking the wrong dialogue option can lead to consequences later in the game, like being disliked, or having their face chewed on by the undead.

The game is absolutely heartbreaking and miserable to an extent that I don’t remember the TV show being. Characters die horrible deaths, and horrible life changing decisions need to be made. And the choices can drastically affect the story, determining which characters stay and which ones get chewed on by the undead.

This game is a graphic novel of which you determine the outcome. You can walk around, and click on things. That’s it. There is some combat, It’s mostly glorified quicktime events. The few times you get to free aim your gun, the hit boxes on your targets make aiming barely necessary.

It’s an emotional game, more than the show could ever be, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. There is a huge emphasis on telling an engaging story, but things like combat and explore-ability got left behind.

Don’t play it if you just want to shoot zombies in the face, it’s not L4D2.

Photo credit: Pedro Travassos (flickr creative commons license)

By Antoni Devlin

24

FEBRURY 2015 THE LEOPARD

CULTURE

End User Exhibition Review

E

nd User at The Hayward Gallery’s Project Space concretizes the contact points in everyday life between the human and the virtual, forming a small congregation of artists contributing to the valid and necessary discourse continuing the post-internet art trajectory.

To be clear, the category of ‘post-internet art’ by no means suggests that the overwhelming developments in technology no longer faze us. Rather, just as postmodernism absorbed and adapted the tropes of modernism, ‘postinternet’ art has subsumed the concerns of Net art, an earlier movement during the mid to late nineties; which used the Internet both as subject and medium. The post-internet has introduced its virtual subject to the old materiality of ‘artwork’.

End User contributes to the Web We Want festival at the Southbank Centre, featuring works by Cory Arcangel; one of the most famous of the post-internet artists, Aram Bartholl, Ami Clarke and Richard Cochrane, Tyler Coburn and many more. Appropriately, none of the works are more than six years old, however, considering the rate at which technology evolves, this seems positively ancient. Thus posing the problems faced by artists choosing to engage with the electronic interface that has infiltrated nearly all aspects

of our lives: how to keep up.

Bartholl’s redundant LED signage melancholically reflects upon the mutation of the Internet from an open, public domain, to a platform increasingly censored by governments or subject to the will of private corporations. Operations of exploitation are exposed by Ami Clarke and Richard Cochrane’s Low Animal Spirits, adopts algorithms used by businesses to trade speculatively on identified ‘trending’ words.

Divorced from purpose, drawing from 994 English language global news feeds, projected clouds of words jostle, pushing through to the foreground as their interest peaks, before retreating. The levitating language is accompanied by a computerised monotone sounding out speculation.

These hidden algorithmic mechanisms and protocols that shape our online experiences are examined by Coburn.

The autonomy of the end user is hijacked in Scourti’s AdWords; a webcam video diary of Scourti reading out in passive monotones the online advertising language she was targeted by, thanks to the dairy entry style emails Scourti sent herself over the period of a year.

Through a mirror dark, online self-portraiture is uncannily made present in Sterry’s Kay’s Blog. Sterry’s installation dumps the

bedroom of Canadian blogger Kay into the middle of the gallery. We peer through the ‘window’ of the exhibition into a troublingly accurate reproduction of a stranger’s inner sanctum and are forced to wonder how much we ourselves have inadvertently revealed online.

Rafman’s 9 Eyes is a similar exposition of the omnipresence of the Internet. In an ongoing project, Rafman trawls through images gathered by the ‘nine eyes’ of Google street view’s car-mounted cameras. The images gathered are at times funny, sometimes beautiful and frequently disturbing. For End User the series of images were presented as a slideshow, problematically placing the medium of artwork and the subject in tandem; however the sweeping slideshow didn’t venture beyond the titillation of some of these photos. Rafman’s images compile and consider everyday life across the globe with a lightness of touch comparable to Robert Frank’s The Americans.

Of course, no self-respecting Internet themed exhibition would be complete without a few cat videos. Our guilty pleasure is satisfied

by Cory Arcangel’s Drei Klavierstücke op.

11, a cat video collage of our feline friends’ escapades on pianos. However, as is indicated by the title of the piece, using home

videos Arcangel has composed a rendition of Arnold Schoenberg’s forenamed classical piece. The work embodies the strangeness of juxtapositions of our interactions with the Internet, in an absurd and knowing collision of high and low.

Most of the artworks shown are in reality rather minor interventions, or simplistic re- presentations, merely puncturing the increasingly problematic virtual sphere the Internet poses. Yet this tentative broaching is direct and relatable, insistent on the need for constant probing.

Photo credit: Michael Brzezinski - Installation view End User, Hayward Project Space, Hayward Gallery, November 2014 – February 2015

By Zara Worth

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

SPORT

25

Season So Far: Sports Roundup

G

oldsmiths currently sit 135 in the British Universities and College Sports league, two places below Lincoln College who have 308 undergraduate students and two places above Bishop Grosseteste who I’ve never heard of before. This page shows our season so far: Basketball After earning a promotion to the top flight in the BUCS basketball league, Goldsmiths 1sts have endured a tough time at the top and are currently sitting in the relegation zone with 3 points overall. However, the team have reached the semi finals of the LUSL basketball cup, in which they finished runners up last year.

The women’s team are unfortunately sitting at the bottom of Division 1 having suffered close defeats to Imperial medics, London School of Economics and Queen Mary.

Football The men’s first team are currently sixth in BUCS Division 4D despite a promising start to the season with a 9 – 2 win over Essex 3rds. They are faring better in the Premier LUSL league where they are comfortably sitting mid table thanks to a very impressive 4 – 1 win over UCL 1sts and a 4 – 0 win over Royal Holloway 2nds as well as draws against Imperial Medics and LSE. The men’s 3rds have overturned some difficult results and are sitting sixth in their league. A 4 – 1 win over St Bartholomew’s was the team’s first win of the season. They endured a crowded few weeks of matches in which they lost to Hult International Business School and Royal Holloway before picking up a win against UCL 7ths. A draw with LSE 7ths and a win against UCL 7ths was stifled by two losses in a row after Christmas.

The women’s football team have struggled to make an impact so far this year managing

only a draw against University of Greenwich 1sts. They are sitting at the bottom of the table behind Greenwich University based on goal difference, and Greenwich have two games in hand. But the two teams will have met by the time this article goes to print, so hopefully Goldsmiths will have lifted themselves off the bottom of the table by the time you read this.

Hockey Matches against London South Bank and LSE have seen the usual lively spirit within the team. They are particularly exciting to watch in attack. They are fighting around the middle of the table at the moment and consistent wins would go a long way in securing Goldsmiths’ position.

Rugby The men’s rugby team have had a very difficult season following such an impressive push for promotion last year. They’ve so far not managed a win but are locked in a

difficult league consisting of Essex, Medway, Kent, Hertfordshire and Royal Veterinary College. The team will be looking ahead to when they play Royal Veterinary College away on February 25.

Volleyball The Goldsmiths volleyball team have firmly cemented their place at the top of the LUSL Premier League, currently six points ahead of second placed UCL. The team will be looking to maximize their points over the next few weeks.

Photo credit: See-ming Lee (flickr creative commons license)

By Olly Bellamy Sports Editor

26

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

SPORT

Varsity Preview 2015

“The final whistle blows and results are announced but everyone’s too busy looking up local chicken shops on Google maps” Varsity is a time of the year when Goldsmiths dusts off its robes, places the patriotic colours squarely on its shoulders and everyone almost convinces themselves that they give a shit about sports.

There’s undoubtedly questionable weather, very little food and half the players are drunk before they’ve got on the pitch. But when two of Great Britain’s finest universities join together in potentially the most un-sporty sports event of the year, something beautiful happens.

Varsity is split into an indoor and outdoor day; the proceedings usually entail some sort of fuck up where the referee has been sent to Manchester rather than the students’ union.

But nevertheless the volleyball begins, where they hack blast around a ball for an hour. The game finishes when one team has won or the other has given in to repetitive strain injuries.

Following this we switch over to basketball,

which is like volleyball, but with less netting.

With an end to what the national press described as: “The most exciting day of sports ever known to mankind, no seriously, this is so exciting,” we’re catapulted to the second day which is something really special.

It’s like the first day but it’s played outdoors and it’s fucking freezing. If you’re like me, by the time you get to the venue your nipples will key all the cars you walk past.

With the first wave of football complete, which usually goes straight to penalties because nobody can afford to pay the ref for an extra 30 minutes, we see the men’s 2nds and ultimate Frisbee. Meanwhile the hockey team have been placed on the nearest available AstroTurf pitch which happens to be bloody miles away, meaning most players have to rely on pigeon mail if they want to know any score updates. It’s like Twitter, but with real birds.

At the same time as this, the women’s netball team are playing somewhere in the vast chasm that resembles the inside of the Tardis.

Once they’re finished, the same players take off their first team jerseys, put on the second team jerseys and play each other again.

At this point you’re likely to be hungry, tired and very confused. Word has spread that Goldsmiths have won varsity by 18 points to three, despite there being only 12 events.

Then it’s time to bring out the rugby team, only they’ve been told last minute they’re actually playing in Birmingham. Of course the coach under original instruction has dropped them vaguely near a shopping centre and there’s no option but to walk to the match location. Then everything starts to get a bit more rowdy due to the growing consumption of alcohol. Three hours later than scheduled, the grand finale arrives; the men’s football 1sts gallantly bob around the pitch, flailing limbs around elegantly.

The final whistle blows and results are announced but everyone’s too busy looking up local chicken shops on Google maps to care. The buses whisk everyone away to the SU where we host our guests to a night of elegant tunes from 50 Cent and Robin Thicke.

Personally I’m usually too drunk to remember what happens but there are some awards and everyone’s disgustingly respectful while I’m drunkenly rambling on about Frank Lampard’s goal against Germany in 2010 that somehow crossed the line but wasn’t given.

There’s dancing and stuff and then it’s over before I spend the next three days writing up everything, fighting off boredom with the idea that it needs to be done quickly to still be relevant.

Photo credit: Feans (flickr - creative commons license)

By Olly Bellamy Sports Editor

FEBRUARY 2015 THE LEOPARD

SPORT

27

Women’s Netball Pushing For Third

T

he women’s netball team have enjoyed a solid campaign this year. Their first league match against UCL 9ths started the season with a very convincing 28 – 8 victory. UCL showed little prowess in attack and seemed lazy at times when getting back to defend.

Goldsmiths next game against the SOAS 1sts proved a closer match with both teams sharing possession. Goldsmiths managed a 25 – 23 win, which may prove very important in their midtable fight. It wasn’t until after Christmas that Goldsmiths could enjoy victory again, this time over Imperial 9ths whose disorganisation heavily let them down. Goldsmiths however offered good teamwork and the team worked well for a highly deserved 40 – 10 victory.

They started the LUSL league off positively as well thanks to a victory over Royal Free and University College Medical School 4ths. Defeats in the league and cup followed but they bounced back quickly to snatch a 37 – 7 win over SOAS 1sts. Another loss was followed by a win over Queen Mary 4ths before they lost to Imperial in their next match.

At time of writing the netball team were set to play St George’s University away on February 16.

Both teams would have been chasing a win as St George’s needed to get out of the relegation zone, while a win for Goldsmiths could have seen them jump King’s and UCL to move into fourth .

After their game against St George’s, they will have played the University for the Creative Arts on February 18. Goldsmiths were favourites to win this game with Creative Arts managing just one win this season at time of writing. A win here may have seen us move into third place in the BUCS league.

Photo credit: Charles Clegg (flickr creative commons license)

By Olly Bellamy Sports Editor

...continued from page 28: In their final game before the Christmas break, Goldsmiths played against Writtle College 1sts. Writtle showed a lot of passion, but after vice-captain Levi McDonald put Smiths one up, their lack of cohesion at the back was evident, with McDonald making no mistake in putting a further two past their keeper. Keegan Shepherd wrapped things up nicely to make it 4 – 1 to the hosts.

Louis Lima really pinpoints this win as the sticking point for their form, stating that “It was after these two, three victories the team got know each other better. The matches reflected the players’ solidarity; we played the ball in a ‘two touches’ manner, which requires the player to know his teammate.”

After the Christmas break the team wanted to build on their hard earned victories before the winter break. Writtle had been a good game to end on, however their next opponent UCL 4ths were significantly better equipped. UCL are known for having a well organised squad that’s well trained. But, perhaps the Christmas turkey had more of an effect on UCL as they failed to make any sort of attack, allowing Goldsmiths to walk away with a 2 – 0 victory and their first clean sheet of the season.

Goldsmiths next game was against the LSE 5ths another big university that’s known for their sports facilities and pack mentality. But Goldsmiths again showed great consistency and built on the momentum from previous

matches to open up the game early on with Michael Armah, Deji Maxwell and Max Esara all scoring.

Following a walkover against Greenwich, who were unable to field a team, Goldsmiths were playing Writtle College again, this time at their home ground in Essex. They immediately seemed more comfortable playing at home, enjoying reasonable spells of possession, having learnt from their previous matches.

However they were unable to really leave a mark on the team and despite some nervy defending, Goldsmiths managed to hold out on a 2 – 1 victory thanks to a brace by man of the match Keegan Shepherd.

When asked about how the season had turned round so dramatically, captain Lima

said: “I cannot really mention anyone in particular, it would get close to 15,” but they did add that the general team mentality was to thank.

Goldsmiths 2nds are currently first in the BUCS league on goal difference, and they have also managed to pull themselves out of the relegation zone into seventh in Division 3 of the LUSL league.

By Olly Bellamy Sports Editor

28

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE LEOPARD

SPORT

Men’s 2nds Sit Top Of The BUCS League After Rocky Start

T

he men’s football 2nds have strung together some impressive wins and are sitting pretty at the top of the BUCS table, after a rocky start to the season.

Goldsmiths first game of the season was against arch rivals University of the Arts (UAL) in the South Eastern Conference Plate.

Their second team were desperate to win after being battered at Varsity last year and certainly took their chances. After four goals apiece it went to penalties with UAL winning 4 – 3 on penalties.

The team’s first league game proved less dramatic, as they started with a victory at home against Royal Holloway 5ths. Taking advantage of some badly coordinated

defending, Goldsmiths showed no mercy in their four-goal demolition of the sorry north Londoners who could only manage a meagre consolation goal. It also proved to be an important game for Michael Armah, with the right back scoring his first goal for Goldsmiths in his four year career. The celebrations were short lived however, as Goldsmiths could only show a glimmer of their potential against Essex 7ths. Their next game against King’s College London GKT 3rds resulted in a 3 – 1 loss at home.

Despite having lost their last three matches, the team’s performance against UCL 5ths was spirited and significantly more organised.

Their attacking form was attractive and opened the opposition up, if leaving them more vulnerable to counter attacks. The team walked away with their first win in three matches and they started to gain momentum.

Louis Lima, 2nds captain said: “We had this period when we travelled very far with limited amounts of players due to injuries; it was a tough situation.”

Goldsmiths bleak results continued with their next away game to Royal Free and University College Medical School 2nds. The team have always had a strong attacking presence and managed to pick apart the Goldsmiths back line in a 5 – 2 thumping.

“Playing against UCL, the new kit had arrived and we’d had a break of ten days. The team had time to work and focus. We played great football that day, the whole team was outstanding. A victory was what we needed to get the players angry for more. Afterwards,

every player gave 100 per cent, whether at training or in matches, we could really see the difference.”

With their next game at home, the 2nds were greeted by the reassuring surroundings of Goldsmiths’ Fort Loring. Yet, with no home victory since their win against Royal Holloway there was a desire to restore a reason behind the nickname Fort Loring. It was by no means an easy game to play, with Imperial Medics 2nds known for their organisation and aggressive midfield play. Yet Goldsmiths kept their composure throughout and held the ball well in a comfortable 3 – 1 victory. ... Continued on page 27 Photo credit: Goldsmiths SU