DECEMBER 2010 Issue 003 Free
Rally Against The Cuts! ‘Those windows can be replaced’ was the keynote of James Haywood’s speech at the Rally against the Cuts event on Thursday 27th November in the Great Hall. The evening boasted a handful of politicians and activists all speaking on the governments latest cuts program. The line-up of speakers included Tony Benn, James Haywood, John Rees and John McDonnell MP, as well as local representatives campaigning against cuts on a local level. The ‘Wanted’ posters advertised a discussion of an alternative to cuts.
Students Protest Across the Nation
The night promised challenging CONTINUES ON PAGE 4
CONTENTS: CUTS SPECIAL PAGE 4 DEVIL'S ADVOCATE ROMANSICKCOLUMN LEOPARD’S EYE James Howell, Sub-Editor The protests that took place on Wednesday 10th of November seem to have entirely split both student and public opinion.
Save New Cross Library Campaign Seb Wheeler, Local Correspondent On 18 November, James Holland, chief organizer of the Save New Cross Library campaign, presented a petition to the mayor of Lewisham during a heated sit-in, which
The peaceful march, where an estimated 50,000 students and lecturers took part, was vastly overshadowed by a splinter of those involved taking their protests to Millbank Tower, directly to the Conservative Campaign
Head Quarters. But what were they fighting about?
various local bodies appealed for survival in the face of impending cuts to public spending.
ative is Mr. Holland, 38, from New Cross, is part of a larger collective fighting to keep libraries open across Lewisham. Campaigns are up and running in Sydenham, Grove Park, Crofton Park and Blackheath, as well as New Cross.
The list of names numbered 5063; every signature in support of keeping New Cross library open and unscathed by a total £60m of cutbacks that will be implemented by Lewisham council over the next four years. The group, whose main represent-
Some of the highlighted events of 30 Millbank were the smashed lobby, bonfires and the infamous falling fire extinguisher. But
Library users are worried that facilities within the borough will be reduced, relocated to obscure locations or closed completely; with detrimental affect to the communi-
doesn’t a smashed government building sound familiar? Well, the feminists’ champion Emmeline Pankhurst would not have disapproved - ‘Deeds not words’ - the slogan used by the WSPU CONTINUES ON PAGE 5
ties they serve. The Save New Cross Library campaign, along with groups representing the 4 other libraries under threat in Lewisham, was started with the aim of taking on the concerns of local residents. During a series of recent council initiated public consultations, CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
GREAT DEBATE PAGE 6 STUDENT ASSEMBLY NEWS PAGE 3 LIFESTYLE P.9 LISTINGS P.10 SOCIETIES NEWS PAGE 7
THE LEOPARD DECEMBER 2010
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WELCOME NEWS IN BRIEF Merry Christmas! + all other festivities The Leopard Editors-In-Chief: Johnny Blonde Hannah Wright Layout: Pug Rock Design Leopard Logo: Emily Harthern Executive Editor: James Haywood Interested in becoming a contributor in any area of The Leopard? E-mail: leopard@su.gold.ac.uk
Sub Editor: James Howell Culture Editor: Kate Walters Sports Desk: Steve Howe Illustration Desk: Abbie Cohen Contributors: Nindyani Atmodipoero Joanna Jackson Alexi Kervezee Dom Bardill Francine Maynard-Gay Daniel Nield Kristina Sarkisova Gaynor Tutani Chloe Wade Matt West Seb Wheeler
Letter from the editors
You may notice that this month’s issue of the Leopard has alot of coverage on the recent actions against the cuts. This is because news of the fees protests and marches have hit headlines around the world and has provoked debate all around the country. As a student newspaper in a highly active University, reports keep flooding in [We could produce a whole paper on the content that we have on the ‘cuts’ topic] and it has become an important issue for students both happy and angry at the
Interest in our paper keeps on growing, before we were struggling to fill our column inches and now we’re struggling to fit all the articles in! So we also have a wide range of other articles for you all to read, from debate pieces to local news and even some fashion.
events since the beginning of November. Opinion is especially divided over the stance of our own Students’ Union in the matter and a couple of articles comment on that. It’s not just all cuts however, Here at the Leopard it’s quite the opposite.
So please enjoy, tell your friends, write to us and have a great holiday season. See you in February! If you feel you want to contribute in future issues in any way at all, please don’t hesitate to contact: leopard@su.gold.ac.uk
Marches More News in Brief Than Just A-B Stories for the breakfast table. By Alexei Kervezee announcement of the formation Slowdown on of a childcare working group has The most encouraging aspect been made. The group is set to of the past two demonstrations Nursery start in February, though constant against massive tuition fee increasupdates on this will be issued from es and the scrapping of E.M.A is Campaign Maintaining the campaign to keep childcare facilities on campus has become a ‘slow process’ President Bindz Patel has said. Since getting the university to keep the Nursery open for another year, action has yet to be furthered. However the
Open Meeting to Be Called Over Reform Denis Shukur, Democracy and Representation officer for the Students’ Union is calling an open meeting to discuss the findings of the ‘Representaion Review’. The review, which could alter
1994 Group By Matt West
Goldsmiths Senior Management Team has said very little about it’s position on tuition fees. Phrases such as “Making the best of a bad situation” or “We have to plan to deal with these cuts” are providing little support to a student and teaching body campaigning day and night to resist the cuts.
the Students’ Union.
In other news the Students Not Suspects and Anti-BNP campaigns along with an extended Safety Nightbus scheme have been put on the back-burner due to work on the Nursery and Anti-Cuts campaigns. how the union assembly looks had three proposals from focus groups, including one to abolish the position of Activities and Services officer, as reported in The Leopard last month. The union has urged for a ‘blue sky’ approach to the representation reform proposals. The open meeting is due to be held during early December. However luckily the 1994 group, of which Goldsmiths is a member, makes very clear its position on the Browne Review. The 1994 group hailed the Browne Review as “a bold and progressive vision for the sector.” The group which brings together nineteen internationally renowned, researchintensive universities works to work as a lobbying group as well as a forum for discussion between its members.
not the numbers, age, or backgrounds of those present, it is their determination not to be controlled by either of the authorities present, the police and the N.U.S. In the wake of the ‘Siege of Millbank’ the liberal elite led by N.U.S President Aaron Porter queued up to condemn the actions, frothing with rage at broken windows, injured police and the hijacking of their carefully stage-managed, CV boosting “Demo-lition”, seemingly oblivious to the irony that they mirror the indignant ranting of the right-wing press. In a typical whimper our own brave SU sent out its own condemnation while wishing “to exercise our democratic right to hold politicians t o account”. How quaint this idea of legitimate protest. That if we ask nicely Cameron and Clegg will hold their hands up and admit defeat. Infact, governments love the kind of ineffective A-B marching that we have seen over the past decade, it’s used as a pressure valve, as people exercise their “democratic right” before going home to put their feet up infront of the x-factor, and as proof of our fair society. CONTINUES ON PAGE 4
Photo: James Holland
Painting the library, which faces closure by Lewisham council. FROM FRONT PAGE
Mr. Holland says that Mayor Bullock’s decision was a direct result of groups such as the Save New Cross Library campaign: “This only happened because we came together as a community and showed that we wouldn’t be pushed around.” While awaiting an outcome, the Save New Cross Library campaign is keeping active, as Mr Holland explains: “We are forming a group of people who can take an active part in making the current library as good as it can be. At the moment the library has been neglected and poorly run by the council, which means there’s quite a lot of work to do, including trying to make more use of the building, raising and managing
funds, arranging events, managing repairs, making sure the council do what they should be doing.” He continues, “The library campaign has started to show that we can stand up for ourselves and make our voices heard.” The Save New Cross Library campaign came to the fore in October when activists painted slogans of support on the metal shutters of New Cross library in broad daylight on a day when it was closed. That action was soon followed by a march and rally at Lewisham Town Hall which involved all the library campaign groups. Anyone interested in the Save New Cross Library campaign should email james@dogmanet.org
DECEMBER 2010 THE LEOPARD
First Student Assembly Fades Johnny Blonde
Return of the 24-hour library, new halls of residence, internet in Raymont, all new societies affiliated and a meeting cut short with a minority Assembly. The year’s first Student Assembly meeting took place on 23rd November, nearly three months since the start of term. The meeting was poorly attended by Assembly members and even fewer students arrived to be the audience. The attendance record of Assembly meetings has been a bone of contention for a while now. With this month’s meeting having little to no promotion amongst the student population, it’s almost no surprise why. The Leopard however was there for the duration to provide first-hand coverage of the Union’s decision making body.
in the SU shop and the creation of Goldsmiths as a hate crime reporting site. This last scheme allows anyone interested to get training from the Students’ Union to deal with reports. One other plan Bancarino announced is to start a campaign to get internet installed in Raymont Hall, which unlike Loring, Surrey House etc doesn’t have a stable access to the internet. Campaigns and Communications Officer James Haywood had little to say, only announcing that work
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UNION NEWS & COMMENT a ban on advertising and publicity that ‘is discriminatory in it’s nature’ was passed. Nestle, McDonalds and The White Hart Hotel are the businesses mentioned in the motion. Manoj Kerai’s motion to offer drinks promotions on both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to cater for non-drinkers was also passed.
Devil’s Advocate
An abrupt end
Every month there will be a piece challenging ideas and campaigns put forward by both Goldsmiths Student Union and the National Union of Students. This will not be a vindictive attack on these institutions; however as students and a student paper I do think it is vital that these ideas are challenged for what they say.
At this point in the first meeting of the year it became apparent to the chair of the meeting that if one more Assembly member left, there would not be a majority of the assembly there to pass any more motions. Photo: leopardmedia
President Patel then mentioned that discussions are taking place with the university over a proposal for new halls, which the Students’ Union are arguing to be ‘low cost - value for money’ halls of residence. The site of the new halls would be on the St.James site on campus. This is good news of progress as housing space for students is starting to become a big issue at Goldsmiths with Francesca Bancarino overseeing a housing crisis earlier this term. Officer Bancarino told the assembly of the success that four Union organised ‘housing meets’ had in helping unsuccessful halls applicants find housing in the private sector. Francesca Bancarino has had a good start in the role as Welfare and Education Officer this year as evidenced in her report delivery. She has been working on the recently implemented ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy, alcohol awareness week, poppies for peace
Before I start I’d like to take a moment to explain the purpose of this column.
This column will not focus just on Goldsmiths SU, but take on publications from all student institutions and expose them for what they are. In this column I will be championing free speech, free thought, equality and waging war on dictatorial control, irrationality and social panics.
Sabbatical Reports In the first meeting since the 8th June the Sabbatical officers gave their status reports; President Bindz Patel noted the success of the 24 hour library period during April and May of the last academic year, also announcing that 24 hour opening would return during this year with the addition of a January opening period. Large numbers of students using the library during 24 hour access last year was a large factor in getting it brought back again.
Free Speech has to have diversity too By James Howell
15 out of the 29 members present vote through a motion
has yet to start on a ‘No Platform Policy’ against the BNP and mentioning what his and other students’ roles were in the recent Anti-Cuts rally in central London and the Millbank tower. Officer Haywood said there was ‘no concern whatsoever’ over charges brought to himself and the 7 other Goldsmiths students that were arrested.
Activities and Services officer Manoj Kerai praised the success of October’s bone marrow drive and stated that plans for a ‘water only’ queue for the SU bar during club sandwich were being investigated. Motions After a presentation of the Representation Review by Denis Shukur, the Democracy and Representation Co-ordinator, ratification of affiliation for societies and motions began to take place. All new societies were passed, with no objections from the Student Assembly, avoiding a repeat of last year’s failed attempt of affiliation by the Gentlemen’s Club society. Of the Motions brought to table,
There are 29 members of the Student Assembly and only 14 were left in attendance at that point. An urgent departure of the 14th member necessitated that the meeting be closed and all un-read motions be added to the agenda of the next Student Assembly meeting. It doesn’t seem right that the first meeting of the Student Assembly for the year was not fully attended by all its members. A few from the assembly expressed concern that despite them all receiving numerous e-mails about the meeting, nearly half failed to show up at all. Of course, lack of promotion did not make many students aware that the Assembly meeting was taken place. The Leopard was only informed by an off-the-cuff remark by one Students’ Union officer. So we’d like to take the time and tell you now; The next Student Assembly meeting will be on Tuesday 14th December. It’s scheduled to be at 5:30 pm in the New Academic Building’s lecture hall. We encourage all students to attend. Constitutional reform for the Students’ Union is on the cards.
Goldsmiths Students’ Union is famed for having a very active campaigns output and it does itself credit. Occasionally. However a certain policy it has fought with a lot of virulence is its Anti-Fascism and Anti-Racism campaign. This war was declared on mainly the British National Party and the English Defence League. Trips were organised to picket the marches of these organisations all across Britain and most notably a protest at the BBC television centre over the Question Time appearance of BNP leader Nick Griffin. In its Campaigns Guide 2010/11 it outlines its achievements in battling fascism. Some worth noting are the storming the Oxford Debating Society when Nick Griffin was scheduled to speak, occupying the BBC lobby for half an hour and challenging the EDL march with Geert Wilders in Westminster. These protesters were making a stand against the far-right institutions, honestly believing what they say is going to gain them a foothold. The protesters who hosted these stands against the EDL and the BNP are making an abhorrent attack on free speech. This is as illiberal as the policies held by both institutions that are labelled Nazis. Furthermore, the union’s ‘No Platform for Fascists’ policy, although they deny it in the Campaigns Guide, is a huge attack on free speech. The hatred towards these institutions and its members
is so much that they treating members of them as sub-human by denying them freedom of expression. In a quote from the guide, Manoj Kerai the Activities and Services officer, boasts that ‘We want to continue to hold events, film showings and organising events throughout the year, particularly in combating the BNP presence in the local area.’ If you were to substitute the word BNP for, as an example, Jew, you would think you were reading a Hitler Youth poster, not an apparent liberal forward thinking group like the Goldsmiths Students’ Union or Unite Against Fascism [UAF]. That may seem a little extreme to compare the two however just because they differ in your views, denying them to speak on either the BBC or debate at Oxford University is entirely an attack on free speech and freedom of thought. The stifling of the BNP and EDL is only handing them a victim card to play. It would appear that although Goldsmiths SU boasts ‘diversity and multiculturalism’ in the Campaigns Guide, its idea of diversity is skewed. There is absolutely nothing diverse about demonising members of far-right groups. The sheer idea of some points of view being more valid was argued by Orwell about Stalinism; ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.’ The abolishment of a difference of opinion because it differs to the majority is as authoritarian as what the BNP and EDL campaign for. But the question that baffles me is why are people like the Goldsmiths SU and Unite Against Fascism are allowed to stop the groups speaking to a group of intelligent, rational university students at Goldsmiths and Oxford or the Question Time audience? It was made clear by the BBC Question Time discussion, in November last year, that it is not needed by the UAF, Goldsmiths and other campaigner to show to rational human beings that what the BNP promote is absurd. However UAF argue they want to stop the BNP gaining a foothold. But to stop voters voting for party is entirely undemocratic and based on the presumption that the people who vote for the BNP are wrong to do so. Racism is wrong, but thinking isn’t. Free speech is for all, unfortunately including racists. Campaign Guides are available from the Sabbatical office.
THE LEOPARD DECEMBER 2010
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SPECIAL CUTS PROTESTS The Leopard’s double page spread on the protest action that has got a nation talking.
Students Strike Back Anger at Government and the NUS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
With articles commenting on the situation as a whole and what is going on at Goldsmiths.
The spectacle of millions on the street is just as much a con as the Lib-Dem manifesto, people are tricked into thinking their opinion matters and that our dear leaders will listen.
Left: Goldsmiths students march on Whitehall in november.
Photo: Emily Harthern
Goldsmiths Lecturers Support Anti-Cuts Action By Seb Wheeler
Members of Goldsmiths’ University and Colleges Union have openly come out in support of student campaigners who have staged protests in opposition to cuts to public spending on education and a rise in tuition fees. During the nation-wide student walk-out on 24 November, Goldsmiths UCU staged a rally outside the Richard Hoggart building in solidarity with the anti-cuts actions taken by Goldsmiths students. Earlier in the day, around 200 from the college had left to join a demonstration at Trafalgar Square, part of an estimated 130,000 students involved in a walk-out across the country. Speaking at the rally, Media & Communications lecturer Angela Phillips said: “This government
thinks that only those who can afford these higher fees have the right to go to university. They are saying that thinking is something that should be done for private profit and not the public good.” Although college management has distanced itself from the anti-cuts movement, Goldsmiths UCU has remained outspoken. Following the Demolition demonstration called by the National Union of Students on 10th November, in which up to 50,000 students marched through central London and the Conservative party HQ was occupied, lecturers issued a statement in support of the protest. They were subsequently condemned by Downing Street. “The real violence in this situ-
ation relates not to a smashed window but to the destructive impact of the cuts and privatisation that will follow if tuition fees are increased and if massive reductions in HE funding are implemented,” the statement read. In a press conference following the demonstration on 12 November, Goldsmiths UCU president John Wadsworth said: “We do not condone violence.We understand students’ anger but we do not want to see students scapegoated for government policy. I was on the march and I saw the anger not just in front of Millbank Tower. I saw the anger all the way down Whitehall” Lecturers made their position clear during an initial public meeting held in the New Academic Building on 4 November, during which professor Natalie Fenton pronounced the coalition government’s cuts as “the end of public education for the public good” as well as a “wholesale rebellion by the government against opportunity and equality.”
Cuts Rally, The fruitless left. By James Howell CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
debate, a variety of visions and a way forward. But, for some reason, I felt sadly let down. From the entering the Richard Hoggart building you could have mistaken yourself from walking into the First International [defunct communist organization], not a conference to discuss the problem of the governments cuts. However the line up proved fruitful. The night opened with John McDonnell MP whose message of solidarity rang true with the audience. The interesting message from the Member of Parliament was his proud stance of advocating the violence used at 30 Millbank; which was brave and he was right to do so. Only last week, London Student
came forward with its front cover blazoning a damning ‘36% agree with this…64% don’t.’ Inside it continued to condemn any notion of direct action/violence, call it what you will. Too many people have been too quick to distance themselves from the wreckage at Millbank, leading only to a splintered resistance. Other speeches of note were Jack Jordan’s tale of leading a walkout of his local primary school, Haberdasher Aske, New Cross. An inspiring story from a young student of not even 16 years old, however some were true to their occupation. Politician Romayne Phoenix took ten minutes to utilize the opportunity to glorify the Green Party’s policies on higher education; even managing to drag climate change, albeit by the most tenuous link,
into the centre of the cuts issue. As the talk went on it became tedious, each speaker standing up saying their piece, which usually were on the same lines of direct action and not being passive. However our Campaigns and Communications officer, James Haywood, gave a notable five or so minutes. Contrary to the report By London Student survey of the University of London colleges which stated that Haywood did not support the violence, he gave a passionate speech
At Millbank the protesters realised that they needed to tear up the script to have any effect. Bored by endless speeches from careerists such as Porter, S.W.P hacks and the ultimate self-parody that is Tony Benn, they took their anger out on a building. Those poor windows! Those abused walls! “The argument of the broken window pane is the most valuable argument in modern politics”, said Emelline Pankhurst, who’s militancy now enables women to “exercise their democratic rights”. Moreover the action that took place ensured a further demonstration a fortnight later, with another to come on Tuesday 30th, and extensive media coverage that all subjectivity aside has assured that education cuts remain firmly in the public eye. On the 24th the stage was set for Round 2, the kids were about to march on lib-dem HQ and give another innocent building a right echoing a McDonnell’s solidarity and calling for more direct action now. Haywood’s speech was what the Campaigns Officer’s should have been, a rallying call to the students who were the largest part of the audience. A less than punctual Tony Benn arrived and was straight on stage. As he walked in, he was received with a standing ovation as he walked down the aisle to the stage. His short speech was packed with no surprises. His greatest contribution came from his age, saying that in all his years of politics, never had he seen this much anger. But like the rest, he regurgitated the same revolutionary action but was careful not to come out with a sound byte of pro-violent tactics. However as the old wise man of Old Labour, at a generous age of eighty-five, his speech was inspiring in a way that some of the others weren’t. In honesty it was not what he said, he said nothing new, but the way he said it. Irrespective of politics, Tony Benn’s speech proved that an old fashioned orator can still be more convincing that
going over. Fortunately for Aaron Porter the police exercised their own democratic rights and the kids were treated to endless hours of being imprisoned in the freezing cold, batons, horse charges and in one instance an illegal toxic spray used by a medic. But the police didn’t have it all their own way, after being held the protesters repeatedly attempted to break out and over the afternoon a large amount did manage to squeeze their way through the infamous police kettle. Considering the numbers of police present, some sources suggest 800 deployed throughout the day, that is a considerable achievement that shows great determination. Just as protesters have not been cowed by self-serving condemnation from student leaders I do not think they will be intimidated by harsh police strategy either. There is a good chance that the experience of being kettled will lead to different tactics, the police are trained and equipped to counter large immobile mobs and will always succeed in those situations. However they have shown in the past, indeed on the 24th even, when freed protesters ran rings round the police around the Strand, that they can not cope with fast moving, independent dynamism of the kind feared by both the government and the N.U.S. the crying tactics of the American Tea-Party. As rousing and passionate the speeches were, from all the speakers, something lacked. The speeches were filled with rhetoric of how important this direct action was, the importance of standing up to government, how the police were abhorrent to ‘kettle’ in school children for nine hours and so on. While all valid points, there was a lack of real debate and discussion to alternatives to the cuts, only blind direct action, and this is where the evening was a let down. Advertised as a discussion of an alternative to cuts and where to go after the march of 10th November, it offered neither but instead had insistent speeches of how we shouldn’t be pushed around and were told like children how well we did at Millbank. The source of my disappointment must be from the similarity of the speakers. Transcripts of the speeches would read almost identical for most of the speakers, but goes to prove that good orators like Benn, Haywood and Rees can still go a long way.
DECEMBER 2010 THE LEOPARD
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CUTS PROTESTS SPECIAL
Polly Put the Kettle On
Police kettling technique in use at the G20 protest in London, March 2009.
By Daniel Nield
Its a cold November night and I was in the pub after a successful march on Westminster, the first time I have ever felt compelled to march for anything other than my sexuality. The tv switched to Sky News and there before me was something I had only seen in my childhood, people standing up to a Conservative government. The debate at the table quickly led to the morality of smashing up a building, then it became a desire to witness the event. After seeing some of the fallout of earlier disobedience in the 80’s I was a little reluctant to go, but go I did. The police number was higher than had been on the tv but the high visibility jackets you saw on the news were gone aside from those in the courtyard, this was a brigade decked in black. We walked past them hiding round the corner and spoke to some of the people still hanging around the front, one man in his 60’s has just come out to get some tea. The athmosphere was calm, maybe a little confused, people taking in what had just happened. Then they started to move. At first preventing passers by from entering the area as we had just done. They moved out from the side of the building then along the river wall, silently trapping us in. It was
at this point that I realised why the G20 had gone wrong. Standing there faced with a wall of annonymous shields and battons is intimidating, you cannot get out now and they are coming for you. Its a classic fight or flight complex, yet nothing happened. They did not move and after the initial shock of being penned in people began to chat, some over the phone, others to strangers and friends on the other side of the wall. Concerned as to what was going to happen I went with a friend to ask one of the officers what was going on. They did not know was the response, they were told to hold us in place and that was all for now. Their orders were incomplete, thats part of the power complex perhaps and they seemed quite happy not knowing, they are used to not knowing, they hadn’t put the kettle on after all. As we stood there talking and waiting the ‘kettle’ got smaller and we got to know each other,we had begun to ‘bubble,’ there were students, members of staff and members of the public, we were a mix, Goldsmiths, SOAS, Sussex and quite a few retirees . It was a networking opportunity and many people siezed it. As the waiting drew on people began to get restless, needing the toilet was a
Photo: Charlotte Gilhooly
major concern that received no sympathy. So to pass the time the students and police began talking. One of the officers I spoke to was bewailing the second hand equipment they have, apparetly their CB’s are ex BA, they were used to strikes at least. Then one by one the police from the other side of the line began picking people out for questioning and searches. The kettle got smaller still as the crowd pressed to that side, eager to be let out. The freed began chanting our rights not to answer questions or be searched or photographed. One man showed his business card to the police at the edge and began shouting legislation to us about
Old Fashioned Protesting For New Universities By James Howell saying in an Observer interview, when asked about his challenge over the tuition fees, ‘Success is ensuring that a market in fees does not emerge’. Those trying to attack the change to education’s funding are arguing that a USA market style of education would be disastrous, and it would. Porter and the union should try and reclaim education for education’s sake.
FROM FRONT PAGE
in fighting for universal suffrage. This may seem at first hyperbolic to compare one of the great struggles of the early 20th century to a rise in tuition fees for the select few in society; however it is not. The trebling of tuition fees is not any less important, as the increase will deter the number of applicants in the future, and in this destroy one of the few methods of social mobility. This seemed to be the grounding for the rage directed at the Tory HQ on the 10th November. But, it shouldn’t stop there. This is not arguing for the abolition of fees altogether; though admitting that the proposed £7000 or more is too much to pay for education is admitting that education is a consumer issue. This is the part of a greater loss of sight by the NUS and the protesters. The modern university is now used as a passport to higher paid jobs, rather than the broadening of the mind and enrichment through knowledge. This should not be overlooked, as
often the university stepping stone falls short and provides neither an automatic good income nor social status of the educated elite. The NUS president Aaron Porter, currently parading as a consumer watchdog rather than a Union leader, is at the frontline of defending the neo-university. Being quoted
It is not just the NUS and students that have forgotten their purpose, but those who are supposed to guide us through the cave of wonders that is education - the lecturers. Although the march was organised by the NUS, the UCU also joined in. Goldsmiths Lecturers Union has advocated the protest at 30 Millbank, a move that was deemed ‘irresponsible’ by Downing Street. However, this is not discussing the tactics of the 10th November. But lecturers should, with the NUS, be striving to champion education for education’s own end. The neo-university can’t help but
our rights, he was escorted further away and taped off, away from us. After over two hours confined my turn came and even though the police had been polite I was cold, desperate to piss and hungry, I was in short, maliable. This is the purpose of the exercise, they wanted information. They did not know who had been a ‘criminal’ and who hadn’t. The good thing was I had not been involved and so couldn’t give anything away, I had nothing to hide. If they were trying to match my face to cctv at least thats time spent on nothing I thought. Speaking to my questioning offer I finished by pointing out remind one of a system of education that Mr Thomas Gradgrind would be proud of. However, to counter the argument of this neo-university being the passport, it has brought down the ivory tower of the upper classes and brought purpose to higher education through the widening of course choices. Furthermore, it doesn’t have to be one or the other, as I imagine you are screaming at the page. In most cases it is indeed both. However on the other hand, many university applicants view it as a sure footing to a better career and admittance to a new academic elite, when in truth the modern day university is quite different. The access to a higher level of education for a larger portion of the population can only improve things. Although the hike in fees has taken most of the attention, there is yet worse in the Browne Review. The panel that investigated higher education have suggested that, quoted from the executive summary, ‘The interests of students should be protected by minimum levels of quality by regulation.’ This proposal should be fought as hard as
that whilst maybe it had gone a bit far, the banks were a more deserving target as they were holding the purse strings behind the whole thing. The officer smirked, placed a finger to his lips and quietly said, ‘I know, but I can’t say anything.’ I was marched on to the video camera, ‘Name and date of birth..’ ‘Daniel Nield, 22 of January 1980.’ ‘Turn around’ I did a twirl for them and I was free, but I was cataloged. I’m a model of dissent now and to be honest I feel like a fraud. I broke nothing, but maybe in that one officer I did break something, maybe the kettle has sprung a leak... the rise in fees. Universities have long been placed outside society, but government intervention of setting ‘standards’ is abhorrent and echoes strangely of Thatcherism. The power of universities to choose who they accept to be passed to a democratically elected body is far from being in the best interest of the student. Education is a privilege and selective through academic qualities, to be laid down by the institution and not by Westminster. The lack of acknowledgement relating to this element of the Browne Review is worrying and needs to be addressed by both the NUS and students alike. The problem now facing students is reclaiming the title of scholars, not consumers. The march and violence at Millbank on 10th November should have not been entirely over rising fees, but about being branded as a monetised and treated like consumers. It is, however, a loss of focus from the top. The NUS not seeing its purpose and lowering itself into a political squabble over the future of education funding shows indeed how far we, as students, have yet to go to truly defend education.
THE LEOPARD DECEMBER 2010
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OPINION
The Great Debate
In this issue of The Leopard, we hear both sides of a debate concerning allowing soldiers on to the campus of Goldsmiths. FOR A number of years ago Goldsmiths Students Union voted through a ban on just 89 votes (approximately) out of the entire population of the University, to ban soldiers from coming onto campus. This vote was not only badly drawn up and executed so that it warrants no mandate to enforce such a ban, but was also crudely passed off as part of the “anti-war policy”. This is a subject close to my heart, as I have family and friends who are in the forces or plan to join. Their motivation for joining is not one of war, hatred or any other label Goldsmiths may try to attach to such people. Contrary to that view, most armed forces personnel join because they wish to serve their nation and its people in any way, shape or form. The point is, the armed forces are not all about war, nor do they choose to go to war. Furthermore, if it was an anti-war statement, which Goldsmiths’ students are welcome to make, then what would the reason be for Goldsmiths Students Union refusing to ban the Labour party, the decision-makers when it came to the Iraq war? The answer is there isn’t one. Whether it was an anti-war statement or not, it was weak. One that ensures there will be no backlash and one that is characteristic of a pseudo-revolutionary group when trying to make a radical point. Our soldiers support war-torn countries, deliver aid to poorer nations, rescue people after natural disasters and they protect the most vulnerable and important people in the world. They are a symbol of our culture and of respect and discipline. Perhaps the campaign is really against all of these things, as they stand in the way of the outrageously unrealistic and cruel ideology of the extreme left. Sadly, there is truth in what I say, and many people are unaware of it. Let us not forget, these men and women are people’s children, parents, siblings and partners, who have turned to us and said, ‘let me protect you’. Anyone with any selfrespect and brain cells would know that today it is more vital than ever to have a defence system in place for your country. The same institution that fought against the Nazis, with the country rallied behind them in support. Their leader, Winston Churchill, actually denounced (and probably still would) the very people who today, in Goldsmiths Students Union, try to ban them from our day to day lives. From speaking to soldiers fighting overseas I find, particularly within the Helmand province, that many
soldiers believe they shouldn’t be there; however in their duty they must follow through with their promise to serve the nation. I also have many friends who are from war torn countries and regions. Not one single person I have spoken to would even dream of badmouthing our soldiers; their view is usually one of respect for our soldiers and our nation. Nevertheless, we will never win total respect if we cannot even respect ourselves. Some people try to say that this ban is good for students who are intimidated by the forces. This is a resentful argument and unreliable, since these students are still able to study in the UK despite being from war torn countries and moreover these students wouldn’t come to the UK if they were fearful of its soldiers! So, why should we support our troops? We should support them as a statement of healthy patriotism, as a symbol of our appreciation for their intention upon signing away their lives whether we agree or not. We should support them because the good they do outweighs any unethical practices forced on them by the government. They are human beings and we should respect them as one of our people.
AGAINST The presence of British Armed Forces on university campuses is not a new source of concern for students. In 2008, the uproar over UCL’s banning of the military on campus was deafening; like the case of tuition fee rises today, opinion was incredibly polarised. Do we allow the Armed Forces to sign students up to military service on campus, thus giving them a platform to justify the current ‘war’, or is it something we should actively seek to discourage?
FACTS ABOUT MILITARY PRESENCE ON CAMPUS: There is no absolute ban - any kind of military are just ‘not invited’. This has been in place since 2007, Proposed under the last governance structure. Students are able to call a referendum on any topic.
This issue is a tricky mental mire; one does not want to suggest that we shouldn’t respect the servicemen and women who do suffer horrendous injury and death in Afghanistan and Iraq, but these soldiers are also killing thousands of innocent civilians, following orders they receive. The war is one that rests on a flimsy pretext, and is stained with the blood of thousands, under both Labour and the new government.
Let’s be clear: there is a difference between the rightful respect ‘For’, Words by Dom Bardill we must uphold for the men and ‘Against’, Words by Chloe Wade women who risk their lives everyday, and disdain for the current situation in AfghaniAfter a meeting with the SU president regarding the is- stan and Iraq. The ‘war’ in which Armed Forces are sue, It came to my attention that the ban was not a ban embroiled in is a non-defensive conflict; the UK and but a policy, stating the Army “were not encouraged” its allies are not being attacked by either Iraq or Afonto campus. However, the literature still portrays it ghanistan’s military forces, despite the tenuous ‘war as a “ban.” This is incredibly misleading, and when re- on terror’ justification. It is an example of imperialisquested to change the literature, the request was refused. tic attack, rather than the need to protect civilians of Furthermore, after a lawyer looked through sev- the UK. So, as we can see, we as students can simuleral documents including the charter, the univer- taneously respect and support servicemen and women sity constitution and the SU’s motions and poli- and the appalling circumstances they face, and comcy, it was found that the Students Union has no mit to a moral stand against a war which is built on legal authority to enforce a ban; let alone vote on injustice, ignorance and imperialism. it. There are students on campus either going into the forces or are already part of the University Of- The risks of letting the Armed Forces onto a campus ficer Training Corps. What about those students? as politically diverse as Goldsmiths are myriad; a In honour of what is right, I will ensure the Officer great deal of hostility may be generated to staff, not to Training Corps attends the next Fresher’s Fair along mention conflict and anger directed between students with any other events. I call on you, the good and who feel incredibly strongly about this issue. It is esgreat people of Goldsmiths, to come forward and timated that 50% of recruitment in the British Armed denounce the SU’s unjust double-standards; slap- Forces is generated by university students, and it’s ping of our military down with one hand and shak- worth considering the consequences for the governing hands with MP’s who control them with the other. ment if the number of students seduced into service was drastically reduced. All that is needed is a thank you to our boys and girls. Out of true liberalism and respect for the human choice, we must let our students choose for In this respect, how can we advocate allowing the themselves what they think about issues. NOBODY military to coerce our students into either atrocious should be banned from a University campus as it suffering or playing a part in the suffering of others? undermines the very purpose of a University. Es- Obviously, we must take into account freedom of pecially not those who would seek to defend it. speech and choice. Students should be able to choose whether they want to feel the presence of the mili-
tary on their campus or not. I put forward a democratic choice for the student body: a vote. Rather than the autocratic banning or allowing of a campus-based military presence, the student body decides. Which is, interestingly, exactly what has already been undertaken in Goldsmiths Student’s Union, where students voted against allowing the Military to be present during Fresher’s Week. In 2008, UCL voted in their Annual General Meeting to ban the presence of military staff on campus entirely, stating: “This Union believes ‘That because the British military under the Labour Government is currently engaged in an aggressive war overseas, for the Union to use its resources to encourage students to join the military or participate in military recruitment activities at this time would give political and material support to the war.” Hypothetically, if GSU were to call another vote at the Annual General Meeting on this issue, and the Armed Forces were allowed to be active on campus during Fresher’s Week, the necessary course of action would be to step up anti-war campaigning in order to counteract and balance the military presence on our campus. It is our right as students to choose whether we want to accept military presence, and whether we as civilians accept the ‘war’ currently raging in the Middle East. In the United States of America, for example, the Solomon Amendment exists as a federal law that allows the Secretary of Defence to deny federal grants (including research grants) to institutions of higher education if they prohibit or prevent military recruitment on campus. This anti-opposition amendment does not allow U.S. students to take a moral stand against this illegal and unnecessary war, and likewise, we too deserve to be able to take a moral stance as students and intellectuals. This is why a democratic union vote is the way forward, rather than automatically allowing the government to lead yet more young people into death and destruction. It is, above all, our right to choose. If you have an issue that you want debated in The Leopard, please email leopard@su.gold.ac.uk
DECEMBER 2010 THE LEOPARD
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SOCIETY & CULTURE The Leopard’s Eye on London
Karma Cakes
Words by Abbie Cohen
Words by Kristina Sarkisova Something is brewing in the midst of Goldsmiths Students’ Union and it is the brand new, Karma Cakes Society! “Bake for a clear conscience” is the motto: baking to raise funds for charity is what we do. We are a student, volunteer-based society that collaborates (mostly) with Oxfam and tries to get awareness and money flowing towards the places in the world that need it the most and often get it less. Being altruistic has never been so sweet: Karma Cakes has set out to impress your taste buds every other Tuesday in the Students’ Union. The project is simple: bake a fabulous cake, pastry, batch of sumthin’ sumthin’, etc., and donate it on the day of a bake sale for us to sell. Or, just as important: donate some of your precious time between classes and help us sell scrumptious guiltfree morsels. Word on the street is Karma Cakes are calorie-free, as well as for a good cause*. If you just don’t like cakes, you can always come by and pay a visit to The Donation Jar. To steal someone else’s motto: “every little helps!” Karma Cakes Society have a blog: http://www.bakeforoxfam.blogspot.com, and you can write to us there or on our Facebook Group about what cause you would like to target. We address one issue a
month, and try to bake our hearts out for it. November we’ve chosen to help Oxfam fund a Disaster Risk Reduction Project in Haiti, as they are unfortunate enough to be in the eye of the storm for many a natural (and as we’ve seen recently also sanitary) disaster. We managed to raise over £60 in under 5 hours, thanks to some lovely volunteers and philanthropic/sweet-toothed students. With enough help and enthusiasm, there are no limits to how much we can do. We will be there for Haiti again on Tuesday the 30th, and in December, help us bake for the Truelight Orphanage in India. This is a cause that is close to one of our members’ hearts, as she worked in the orphanage herself for several months while living in India last year. As you can see, we welcome the causes that matter to you. Remember, you don’t need to become a member, pay a fee, attend any meetings (in fact, there are no meetings), etc. Just pass on the love and improve your karma. Somewhere, someone in the world will be better off for your dime or your time. To get involved or for more info., write to kris_s8@hotmail.com or find us on Facebook (Karma Cakes Society). *unknown source.
Living London on a budget can be a challenge for any debt-ridden student. If you’re a stranger to such a wild city and are clueless as to where to have a blast with your mates, you may just have wandered onto the right column. As your willing and trusted guinea pig, every month I will undertake the tedious task of having fun, in order to dig out the best (and cheapest) outings for your very own pleasure. In honor of the season’s festivities, I set out earlier today to explore a Christmas attraction, with no more than twenty pounds in my pocket. The said attraction, rightfully called Winter Wonderland, is an amusement park set in Hyde Park. Newly opened and explorable until the 4th of January, this event makes for an excellent opportunity to unwind with your family and friends. Stepping into this park brought out the little girl in me; it had just the right amount of rides and distractions to last a full afternoon. From marshmallow-topped hot chocolate to iced heart-shaped cookies (and let’s not forget the traditional candy floss), this park offers a great variety of food and drink for the hungry tummy. You may also consider bringing home a rather reasonably-priced souvenir or two, whether a warm wool hat or a wooden turtle figurine, by selecting from the incredibly vast range
of colourful objects on display in the market stalls. Although many rides are geared at children, you will be sure to find something to suit your taste, no matter how intense an experience you’re aiming for. I must admit that the Snow Slide and Power Tower tempted me, but my mind was set on the five-pound suspended Christmas Coaster ride, which allowed me to discover my friend’s earsplitting yell for the first time, and left me feeling both shaky and thirsting for more. If I were to head back there, I would most definitely take a spin on the ice-skating rink, venture into Santaland for a photo with Father Christmas, and eventually make my way atop the Giant Observation Wheel, where I’m positive the view over Serpentine lake is worth a photo or two.
GOLDSMITHS FASHIONISTA: FROM RUNWAY TO OUR WAY Words by Nindya Atmodipoero Photography by Goldsmiths’ Style Gurus of CollegeFashionista.com
As we might have noticed ourselves, a lot of people at Goldsmiths really put an effort dressing up for college and they look great indeed! This fashion-conscious Goldsmiths population are the reason why Amy Levin, director and founder of CollegeFashionista. com decided to showcase a Goldsmiths page on the website. CollegeFashionista.com is a fashion blog website that features the latest trends on campuses around the world. The site has been operating since 2008 after Amy noticed that university students, with their own unique style, are the new fashion influencers. She started CollegeFashionista.com so that it can be a medium for students as the current trendsetters to show-
case their style and therefore inspire others. The site reports daily trends on campuses. Each day brings a different topic and format such as Style Advice, Trends, Boutique of the Week, Weekend Forecast, and Fashion News. These topics are written by different Style Gurus, allowing a wide variety of fashion views and tips to help students to incorporate the styles into their own wardrobes. So what kind of fashion tips can we expect from this student run website? Already featured on the Goldsmiths page are comments on the latest trend of footwear to walk the corridors, how best to wear layers from autumn to winter and beyond and where to find the best
high street bargains for all your fashionista needs! Goldsmiths is one among 80 universities featured on CollegeFashionista.com as of November 2010. We have five Style Gurus who will be reporting each day: Sophie Francisco, Emily Dyer, Nindya Atmodipoero, Louise Eve Shanks, and Shadya Houry. So far, the Goldsmiths page has been operating really well and Amy “is beyond pleased and look[s] forward to continuing to see the page grow!”
Check out the Goldsmiths page on www.collegefashionista.com and don’t forget to “Style On”!
Back in my little room, with a mug of hot tea in my hands and my feet pressed against a heater, I can happily conclude that there is not a minute I regret spending at that park, which I can only recommend to those seeking a joy-filled time out from work. My piece of advice for you, dear student, would be to not forget your mittens, snap as many shots as you possibly can of your friends’ exhilarated expressions, and choose your rides carefully (without which you may end up either broke, or queasy)! How do you get there? Hop on bus 436 (or 36) and off at Hyde Park Corner What’s the budget? Count £4 for bus fare, £10 to £15 for rides and goodies, and an additional £2 to £5 for sweet treats For further information, visit http://www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com.
THE LEOPARD DECEMBER 2010
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COLUMNISTS
Romansick
Column: Fresher’s Diary Blame It on the Weather By Nindya Atmodipoero
It always feels good to know that you’re not alone. I’m talking about how my reading week turned into a so-called essay writing week. What supposed to be the week where I can just sit back, relax, and do a bit of reading had turned into sleepless nights of drafting and redrafting essays. Oh yes, I’m such a procrastinator and so are most of my course mates (well after all, aren’t we all procrastinators?). Anyway, it is relieving to know that I’m just like everyone else whose life motto is “Procrastinate Now, and Panic Later”. Thank God. Speaking of being part of “everyone”, I’m glad to announce that I’ve met my ‘clique’. Don’t get me wrong, I do socialize with everybody and I like it. However, it’s nice to have a few people as ‘buddies’, right? Now that I have partner(s) in crime, I’m more than ready to take London down and tackle this winter. Or not. Here’s a little winter reminder: do bring your own gloves when you go to Winter Wonderland if you don’t want your hand to freeze up, leaving dry skin and numb fingers (happened to me and I strongly did not recommend this to happen to you). Moving on, lately I’ve been very lazy. Not only I find it hard to get up in the morning to come to lectures, I also get tired and sleepy more easily. My excuse for this laziness is definitely the weather. As the weather become colder and days become shorter, I can’t help it but to stay in my room with the heater turned on and simply keeping myself warm. Maybe the situation would be better if I actually do something productive while I’m staying in, the thing is, I don’t. Aside from watching movies online and facebook-ing, I’ve been living by ”the beauty of
doing nothing” philosophy. In fact, I think writing this article has been the most productive activity I’ve done lately. Another thing that comes with the lowering temperature is I begin to develop this massive appetite. So now not only that I want to sleep, but also to eat. It seems like I get hungry every two hour and I need to have at least a glass of hot chocolate to ease this hunger. I’m getting used to have a midnight snack –to be precise, it’s more of a “midnight lunch” actually– and it’s not even something healthy. Peanut butter and jelly, toasts, chocolates, cookies, chips, instant noodles…and still counting. Put it in simple words “You’re the one for me, fatty”. To tell you the truth, this new eating habit worries me since I’m quite self-conscious but I just can’t resist another bar of chocolate! Scattered pieces of crisps on my table and breadcrumbs on the hinges of my books (just before you judge me as being gross, I’d like to inform you that I do clean them afterwards and yes, I do, still take a shower) are no longer a strange sight. Thanks to the weather, I’m embracing this couch potato lifestyle for now. Oh well, it’s winter, it’s the time of the year to ‘fatten up’, in my defense. Gee, all of sudden the Carrie Bradshaw life that I’ve imagined myself live in before has shifted into a more of Bridget Jones’, sadly without Hugh Grant coming in the picture. Once again, blame it on the weather! Nindy is a first year Media and Communications student who is going to try her best to lose weight before her aunt comes visit her this Christmas.
Yeah yeah, quite often love gives us nausea. For that sickness, quickly rush out to The Leopard’s own love doctor who can cure your emergency and hopefully ease the misery. Problem 1: Hi there, So, I’ve been seeing this guy and actually I like him a lot! I have high hopes that we will have a more serious relationship in the future. The thing is…he’s a Taurus and I’m an Aquarius! Astrologically, we’re not compatible and this is freaking me out! SOS! Yours truly, Little Miss Superstitious Dr. Romansick suggests… Okay, honey we’re living in the 21st century here and I’m pretty sure that scientifically, the sun’s position to the constellation at the time of one’s birth does not affect one’s personality. So don’t waste your time freaking out! Take your time and see how things go. If it doesn’t work out, oh well….
boyfriends come and go. Problem 2: Hello,
I’m 25 and I’m single. As always. I don’t know why, but I think this is because I’m smart and I just ‘repel’ men. Gosh, I just really want to be in a relationship and get laid! Should I just call those dating hotlines or is it better if I ask my friends to set me up on a date? Worst situation, I might ask my parents for an arranged marriage! Yours, I Need a Man Dr. Romansick says… Darling, to be honest, you’re making me mad here. Firstly, never ever be ashamed of your intelligence! Dumb boyfriends are just…dumb. And you deserve smarter. Secondly, it’s better to ask your friends to set you up on a date, if you really really are desperate for a partner (I don’t suggest you to go on those hotlines or website,
New Cross on YouTube
Gareth Ellis takes a look at the videos representing New Cross online Trawling YouTube is a popular pastime these days. I have an extensive collection of favourites saved on my account (377 to be precise), and some of my favourites include the infamous Tiger Ballet, the ‘Judderman’ advert, the Nicholas Brothers and Cab Calloway in Jumpin’ Jive and an impromptu interview with John Lennon set to some stunning animation, called I Met The Walrus… but enough of that. Recently I was given the task of seeing what the local area had to offer on YouTube, so here I will give you a tour of our lovely area’s geocybernetick (yes, I invented a word) presence online. Here is what I found when I typed in “New Cross”… South London Ghettos. Nice. I don’t really get the point of this one, it has a few crime stats and then cracks into photos of housing blocks (some derelict) fading into each other along with a grimy rap soundtrack, because that
is all we listen to here in the ghetto. Innit.* http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=l5TiGAgcDHc Five O putting it on Pecknarm and New Cross. Another rude soundtrack with four and a half minutes of helicopter footage showing loads of po-po detaining a lot of people. I don’t know what or why. Answers on a postcard? http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Qcj2ljjvYo8
sorry hun, I just don’t believe in digital-love). Considering your age, I don’t think you should be worrying about wedding bells, so no need to ask for an arranged marriage. Go out and get a life, take as many experiences as possible and one day…you will get laid! Good luck searching! Problem 3: Hi Doctor, My girlfriend has turned into my mother! Everyday she ‘lectures’ me about almost everything, from tidying up the house, toilet seats, food, showers, classes, career… I’m going crazy and I’m thinking of breaking up with her. This is the right decision, right? Yours, I Don’t Love Her Dr. Romansick recommends… Well, relationships work in two ways so I think you should talk to your girlfriend if you’re not comfy with her attitude. Then you both can figure out the best solution. Another option, maybe you can try acting like her dad and make it even!
London/Walk To The Cash Machine/New Cross. This one is an interesting and slightly voyeuristic vid of some guys embarking on a night out, getting cash out from Sainsbury’s and debating door policy regarding trainers. Strangely watchable. Oh, Bevan, what are you like? http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=aCobo9SeCbI Here is a gem I couldn’t resist including. The Peckham Terminator... I don’t need to say anything about this. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2waIvp265CM I will leave you with this:
Train ride from New Cross to London Bridge. Basic and pretty bleak, does what it says on the tin. Like a strange art film: overcast sky, train noise, window. So deep, but…why? Who made this? Whoever it is certainly has lots of similar videos for you to enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lgjx6BWYQEQ
Only Living Boy in New Cross by that thrilling 90s outfit, Carter USM. [see left] http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=piyGAdcd_s8
* I have never been shanked.
DECEMBER 2010 THE LEOPARD
9
LIFESTYLE
How to Enjoy Spending Ridiculous Amounts of Money Joanna Jackson encourages us to enjoy everything Goldsmiths has to offer Being a new arrival in the UK, I don’t want to get into political waters that go way over my head, but I do want to talk about fees. Whether we had the money to spend on our degrees in the first place or not, every single student at Goldsmiths has to somehow come up with the goods in order to study here. When cuts to education were announced earlier this year, an impromptu statement against the imminent rise in fees was erected on the wall outside the library. Students were invited to share how much they have already put themselves into debt all in the name of university education. Some sticky notes advertised as much as £40,000 of debt, if not more. I’m not going to get into just how crazy the world must be for this to even be possible, let alone necessary, but I will say this: if we as students are prepared to get ourselves into this kind of debt, we must really want to be here. However I have recently detected a wavering in the collective resolve. You see, when one spends spectacular amounts of money, one can experience they many
worth”. Don’t get me wrong, as “consumers” of education this is our right. It’s just that the conversations I’ve been hearing can get a little cynical and depressing.
symptoms of acute financial anxiety. Two emotions tend to bubble up to the surface relatively quickly: Guilt and Dread. If the money has come out of the pockets of The Parental Unit then Guilt probably has you by the short-andcurlies already. If you’re financing your year through a loan, then the Dread of paying it back will kick in soon. If you have relied on all of the above, then good luck to you. Whereas some of us internalize these emotions, others externalize them and the anxiety turns into resentment. I have entered into many a conversation with fellow students who all seem quite concerned about whether or not we’re all “getting our money’s
They involve long analyses of where the money actually goes and how much we’re charged per minute to have a “structured discussion”. It is very easy to get sucked down into this kind of gloomy pondering. Cynical conversations have a knack for making you feel deeply dubious about things you’ve never questioned before: “Pay?! For knowledge?! This is an outrage!” I suppose I’m writing this article in an attempt to help all those in financial doubt to reconnect with what we all came for. After all, it might come at a price but we are darn lucky to be getting any kind of university education at all. We could debate long and hard about whether or not a year at Goldsmiths ought to cost £6,000 to £9,000 a year, but the bottom line is we’re here. We paid. Let’s not forget why we did it.
I passed my undergraduate degree in France where students only pay €300 tops for a year at university. This has got amazing upsides to it: French students don’t leave university up to their neck in debt the way they do in the UK. Plus, students who might not have had the chance to go to university manage to scrape the fees together because €300 is more manageable than £4,000. However I see a stark contrast between what is available to students in the UK and what is available to students in most French universities. Goldsmiths has got some kind of a spring in its step; it feels more dynamic and exciting than any institution I’ve ever been to. Unfortunately, this “je ne sais quoi” probably boils down to how much money is pumped into the establishment. So, we’ve spent the money. What do we get out of the bargain? Well, we’ve paid for the chance to study in London, we’ve paid for the chairs we sit on and the water we flush the toilets with, we’ve paid for our teacher’s time and skills, we’ve paid for access to a high-tech library, we’ve paid for an active and exciting Student’s Union... “Getting our money’s worth” is not only a question of what is provided
SEX AND THE STI
Words by Valerie Robertson, Illustration by Abbie Cohen If you have ever had the misfortune to have a friend show you ‘blue waffle’** on the Internet then you will undoubtedly know the kind of reaction that was felt when a friend showed this image to me. Although this is a fairly extreme example of an STI allowed to go savage, it is a cautionary image that should be a warning for all. Now that the first few months of a new academic year are over, I’m willing to put quite a bit of money on the fact that more than a few of Goldsmiths student population have woken up after a heavy night out with a dry mouth, a pounding headache and a stranger in their bed. It happens. Particularly during Freshers, where you aren’t very sure of yourself and every new person you meet is your new best friend...sometimes it seems like a good idea to take them home with you when you’ve had too many Jagerbombs. There are several reasons why encounters such as these are just not-
a-very-good-idea...the most pressing would be that you have to see this ‘stranger’ in the corridors of uni and have to do a good job of examining the walls to avoid making eye contact. Once the embarrassment has faded, however, you could be left with a more uncomfortable reminder of your late night rendezvous. According to a survey carried out by the Chlamydia - Worth Talking About campaign, nine out of ten people don’t get tested for STIs before getting into a new relationship and two thirds don’t use a condom when they have sex with a new partner for the first time. So that person for whom you have been saving all your best moves could have a silent dose of Chlamydia, Herpes or even Genital Warts. It would be ridiculous, ignorant and just plain silly to imagine that students are ever going to give up sex or stop having casual relationships. For a lot of people, coming to university is a chance to escape home and explore new things- and
sex can be a part of this. What isn’t either ridiculous or silly is to imagine that students can take responsibility for their own sexual health and get clued up on the facts. Unfortunately, despite ongoing campaigns from the NHS, it seems that too many students still remain ignorant to the facts of sexual health. There aren’t any facts from which I will quote for this, but I’m sure every person reading this has had a conversation with a friend where they think, “How could you think that!?” Let me put a fact out there to get you thinking- did you know that you don’t even have to have penetrative sex to get an STI? Pubic lice, scabies, bacterial vaginosis cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, and human papillomavirus virus (HPV) can all be contracted through ‘mutual masturbation’...so just by touching. The positive thing about STI’s is that although they can be nasty, there are many ways in which you can safeguard yourself against
them. Most obviously, use condoms. For the student skinflints, there are pick-and-mix trays of condoms in the Student’s Union, right next to the Sabbatical officers office space- so grab a few free condoms and pop in to say ‘hi’ to the sabbs at the same time. It is also a good idea to get yourself checked out every so often. The Waldron Centre in New Cross offers drop in sexual health appointments and you don’t have to be registered with a doctor in London to attend. Take a friend along so you don’t feel embarrassed going alone and get them to make an appointment too- that way you can go for a drink afterwards, share your experience of the ‘traumatic’ experience (it’s actually really not that bad) and make a pact that you will never be careless with condoms and one night stands again. **On a side note, for anyone who has since googled “blue waffle” because of this article...well, I’m just really, really sorry.
for us outright, it is also a question of how much we invest ourselves into what is made readily available to us. Something people often forget is that, in a way, we’re also paying for each other’s company. By joining a society, getting to know your classmates or just pitching up to an event, you might find yourself founding not only personal relationships, but potential “business” relationships too. You might go on to build a theatre company with your roommate, or get a computer programming job through a tutor. Or maybe you’ll make a breakthrough on your novel because a fellow student gave you some sound advice. These are potentially depressing times. All I’m saying is this: One way or another we’ve all just spent a ridiculous amount of money. Let’s not forget why we thought it was a worthwhile investment. That’s certainly not how I would want to spend my costly year at Goldsmiths. This university is a pretty special place to be studying and we’ve all just indulged in studying here. Let’s enjoy it! Hopefully the cuts to education won’t make Goldsmiths an impossible dream for those who follow in our footsteps.
THE LEOPARD DECEMBER 2010
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LISTINGS December Listings:
MEET YOUR SOCIETIES
It’s a sparse listings page in The Leopard this month...mostly Words by Francine Maynard-Gay because we have a nice months holiday half way through December. Enjoy the festive season! Wednesday 1st December
Tuesday 14th December
First day of Hanukkah
17.30-19.30: Student Assembly Meeting Your chance to get involved with our Student representative body Location: NAB LG02 Cost: Free
16.00 – 18.00- Fighting Racism and Islamophobia today Defend our Rights — Celebrate Diversity Location: Stephen Lawrence Committee room, Ground Floor Goldsmiths Students’ Union Friday 3rd December Until 5th December Gifted - A weekend of art and design in Deptford For more info: http://www. deptfordartmap.com/new-event/ details/609-gifted-a-weekend-ofart-
Wednesday 15th December 18.30 – 20.00: Goldsmiths’ Carol Concert Cost: This event is free of charge, but please register online at www. gold.ac.uk/carolconcert if you would like to attend. Location: The Great Hall 21.00- 01.00: Club Sandwich! Thursday 16th December
17.00 – 19.00: Film Screening: “Inside I’m Dancing” International Day of Disabled Persons Location: Common Room, Tiananmen Building (Students’ Union)
02.30-10.00: 3rd Ashes Test First Day [England v Australia] Location: Sky Sports 1 + Radio 4 Longwave Cost: Your sleep
00.00-07.00: 2nd Ashes Test First Day [England v Australia] Location: Sky Sports 1 + Radio 4 Longwave Cost: Your sleep
End of term!
Monday 6th December
23.30-6.30: 4th Ashes Test First Day [England v Australia] Location: Sky Sports 1 + Radio 4 Longwave Cost: Your sleep
St Nicholas Day Turner Prize winner 2010 announced. Wednesday 8th December 18.00-21.00: Feeding Feedback: come and enjoy Christmas snacks and mulled wine as you get issues off your chest to the English and Comparative Literature Department Student Coordinators Location: SU Common Room Cost: Free for English and Comparative Literature students 20.00-00.00: Jingle Jive: Goldsmiths’ Christmas Ball Location: Rivoli Ballroom, 350 Brockley Road, SE4 2BY Cost: £10/£13 door, includes Club Sandwich entry Monday 13th December 20.00-23.00: Happy Mondays with Zoe Lyons Location: Amersham Arms Cost: £6/£4 Student
Friday 17th December
Saturday 25th December Christmas Day!
Sunday 26th December Boxing day! Start of Kwanzaa Friday 31st December New Year’s Eve/Hogmanay! To keep our listings page up to date with events that interest the students of Goldsmiths, we need your help! If you are organising an event and think that it should appear in our pages, please email leopard@su.gold.ac.uk
Correction:
The Leopard would like to appologise for not crediting an article printed in issue 2. The Goldsmiths Telephone campaign article was written by Alice Yehia.
This new monthly feature seeks to give you all a better insight into the various societies we have here at Goldsmiths and what they’re all about! This month I sat down with Captain Rosann Ling from the Dance Club. HOW DID THE GOLDSMITHS DANCE CLUB GET STARTED? Well in 2008 a friend of mine, who, like me, had been dancing for her whole life, came to uni and found it very odd that there wasn’t any society for dance or for anyone to get involved with dance. Finding that life in London as a student is expensive and the classes at dance studios in central London charge quite a lot so she decided to start a society herself for students to get more involved in a more recreational sport as opposed to a competitive sport. We started quite small with just a few classes each week and have now expanded to 5 classes a week and are upto about 110 members since the beginning of this year. SO WHAT IS THE DANCE CLUB ABOUT? It’s about getting people involved in a more recreational sport. It is also about helping people develop within themselves. With the classes like Burlesque, a lot of girls come at the beginning feeling a little intimidated and shy, as Burlesque is quite an open dance, so it is great to see how they have progressed from the beginning to the showcase and it is great to see how the girls have blossomed in terms of self-development and gaining confidence. For me as a captain I really like to see that and I really like to see that we as a team can bring a change to some people’s lives in this way. So in short the Dance Society is not only about getting people involved in a more recreational sport but also about helping one another to develop and gain confidence through the art of dance. CAN ANYBODY JOIN OR DO MEMBERS HAVE TO HAVE SOME PREVIOUS DANCE
EXPERIENCE?* Definitely, anyone can join. Most of our members join the society as complete beginners in dance, whilst with most of our specialised dance styles like ballet some of our ballerinas are more advanced. We do encourage people to come and get involved. At the Freshers Fayre people did come up to us and ask us if they had to have to be very experienced and you don’t. The society is open to everyone at all levels. If we have a class that does have some of the more advanced dancers in it with some of the beginners we do try to split up the class so that we can accommodate for the different levels. WHAT HAS THE DANCE CLUB ACHIEVED? No competitions as yet as it is particularly difficult for us to go into these kinds of things as we run very differently to the more competitive sports clubs, as people can pick and choose which classes to come to. Our end of year showcase is the highlight of our year and an achievement in itself. We had our first showcase last year and one of the points of this showcase was to push the society further in terms of advertising ourselves better within the university and to raise awareness of the dance society within the university, but the main focus was giving the dancers something to work towards and for them to feel like they have achieved something as well. As most of our member start as complete beginners for them to participate in the showcase is a great thing and something they might not have the chance to do anywhere else. WHAT KIND OF BENEFITS DOES YOUR CLUB OFFER ITS MEMBERS/POTENTIAL MEMBERS? Definitely a good work out and variety. Next term we have some more rigorous dance trainers, for example Zumba which is more like a dance workout. We really hope to cater for different types of people, so if you’re not the type of
person who wants to be involved in something as specialised as ballet or tap then you can come along to our more freer classes. This term we are offering classes in ballet, burlesque, jazz, modern and tap. Next term we are offering classes in bollywood, belly dance, zumba and more to be confirmed. WHAT CAN GOLDSMITHS LOOK FORWARD TO FROM THE DANCE CLUB? Our upcoming showcase on the 12th of December at the Stretch. The theme this year is a casino style theme and the show itself is called Roulette and after the showcase itself we’ll transform the Stretch into a casino and people can place bets on Roulette and Black Jack. For the showcase we’re also hiring in instructors that will be doing belly dance, burlesque and contemporary so we will have a mix of both our students and instructors. Last week we did a flash mob in the canteen to give the students a taste of what was to come in the showcase and because of the theme of the showcase we designed these £12 notes and at the end of the flash mob we threw wads of these £12 from the balcony and the dancers on the ground also threw wads of the £12 notes. Look out for the trailer it should be out soon. Tickets are on sale now £5 for member, £6 for students and staff and £7 for the general public. Part of the proceeds will be going to Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.** AND LASTLY, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE GOLDSMITHS DANCE CLUB? We would definitely like to keep on expanding the team. We did think about a tour but we aren’t too sure yet. We have no solid plans as yet but we hope that with the growing support from the students we can just keep getting bigger and better! *Joining fee is £5 for the whole year. Classes are £2 each for members and £3.50 each for nonmembers so you can come along if you aren’t a member. **Money raised by the Dance Club is put back into the society to pay for uniforms, performances and equipment. For more info visit http:// goldsmithsdance.webs.com or check out their Facebook page, Goldsmiths Dance
DECEMBER 2010 THE LEOPARD
Noel Clarke Connects The Olive Till Memorial Debate Words by James Laird
Although hardly the type to regularly indulge in extracurricular activities, the opportunity to hear London’s own Noel Clarke interviewed last Wednesday proved too tempting an offer to refuse. Part of the event’s appeal was obviously the rare chance to see one of British entertainment’s brightest stars, and the youngest film maker to be a guest at the event, in such intimate surroundings. Of equal interest was the mystery behind Goldsmith’s annual Olive Till Memorial Debate: specifically, who was she? And why, year after year, do the crème de la crème of the British film industry - Danny Boyle, Michael Winterbottom and
Paul Greengrass to name a few flock to our uninviting corner of South-East London to speak in honour of this “feisty” woman? Newly-appointed warden Pat Loughrey, who opened the event, was able to shed some light on the background of one of the College’s most prestigious but least understood events: an administrator in the Sociology Department, Olive Till’s personal ambitions in the media industry were stifled by a network of institutional backscratchers who took little interest in advancing unheralded talent, instead focusing their attentions – and sizeable pocketbooks – on continuing to promote “the great and the good,” as Loughrey phrased it.
TOP 10 (affordable) ALTERNATIVE XMAS GIFTS Words by Natalia Trendler
Here it is again, ‘the most wonderful time of the year’. It’s (almost) Christmas guys and girls and you know what that means…. Christmas Shopping and presents GALORE! However being a poor old student at Christmas can be hard going, not to mention during the CREDIT CRUNCH! Especially when you want to treat those special people in your life to fantastic prezzies which generally cost money. So I have devised a selection of available online inspiring ‘UNISEX alternative gift ideas’ intended for a variety of different budgets with suggestions on where to find them (as tried and tested by me). However if you ‘Google’ most gifts a variety of online stores are likely to provide the same sorts of gifts – so shop around! 1) Magazine Subscriptions e.g.
‘EMPIRE’, ‘ELLE’ around £20 give or take depending upon the subscription- either 6 or 12 months. Children’s magazines are also offered. Available from: www.magazine-group.co.uk 2) Personalised Photo Gifts from £3. e.g. Mugs, calendars, mouse mats, cushions and boxers. Available from: www.snapfish. co.uk 3) Funky Wall calendars 2011 from £5. Available from: www.calendarclub.co.uk 4) Annual cinema pass £13.50 a month ( if you are a fanatic this really does save you bucks) only at http://www.cineworld.co.uk/ unlimited - then again you could just get someone a cinema ‘gift card’ with any amount of money on that they can put towards a viewing of their choice; www. odeon.co.uk/fanatic/gift-voucher/
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REVIEW Although only mentioned in passing at the moment, it was a theme that thoroughly resonated with the message Clarke delivered on the night. After a brief montage comprising highlights of his directorial and acting career, Clarke’s interview – hardly a ‘debate,’ for the event lacked any palpable sense of confrontation – commences, presided over by Angela McRobbie. If there were a better foil for the relaxed, witty, and casually-dressed Clarke, the Media and Communications Department could scarcely have found it. Clarke’s attire – leather jacket, beige cap, and T-shirt provocatively stating “notagangster” – oozes the kind of urban sophistication that can only be borne from real-life experience and seems genuinely comfortable in his surroundings. McRobbie, on the other hand, is clearly an academic and at times asks questions which seem lost in translation; one such question draws an amusing blank from Clarke: “I have no idea what you just said.”
that couldn’t afford name-brand trainers, that got involved with a crowd that would “get up to mischief” without being “really bad”, and who consequently left school with only one GSCE, a B in Drama. He is also keen to emphasize the uphill struggle faced by young British artists, especially minorities, and the importance of seizing opportunities, however unlikely: when Notting Hill was released in 1999 and wealth began to install itself in his West London area, it was working as a lifeguard at a local leisure center that Clarke began to make some of the contacts that would help launch his career. Before that, he says, he was writing sci-fi scripts and penning films about supermodels. It seems a far cry from the Clarke that now lives very much in the public eye and is considered something of a seer in his ability to understand and articulate youth culture, as evidenced by the solidarity he expresses with the ongoing student protests across the country: “an outrage,” he says of LibCon plans to increase tuition fees.
Indeed, the vast social and cultural difference between the two was underlined by Clarke’s calm yet emphatic response to the first question posed by McRobbie: “Go for it babe”. Indeed, as one might expect from an actor, Clarke is singularly at ease on the stage and engages the audience from the start. One of the first things he is keen to stress is his modest background: he was the boy at school
From a cultural point of view, it is not a rosy picture being painted. Sure, through a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck, Clarke got his break and made the most of it. The question is: how many more Noel Clarke’s are there out there still being neglected? “I could have died. I could have been in jail,” he says candidly. Those sitting in the ivory towers of the artistic world need to take note. The lack of trust
or www.myvue.com 5) In keeping with the above if you know of a movie buff who doesn’t already ‘LoveFilm’ maybe you should give them a nudge in the right direction! The whole concept is fantastic, and easily accessible, ‘give the gift of LoveFilm’ from £15 or spend £24 or over and receive a gift box and a FREE movie book or DVD too! Available from: www.lovefilm. com/gifts/vouchers/ 6) It’s simply not Christmas without the old school Christmas classic films, so if you know of a poor sole who hasn’t yet experienced ‘Home Alone’,‘Christmas with the Kranks’ or ‘Santa Claus’ then do them a favour and enhance their DVD collection from £3. Available from: www.hmv.com 7) For someone who loves to curl up with a good book and a cuppa tea ‘The Book People’ are the best for amazingly cheap books, and sets. Available from: www. thebookpeople.co.uk
8) The ‘Amazon Kindle’ allows you to store up to 3,500 books on the slim-line easy to navigate device. From £109 for ‘Kindle Wifi’ or £149 for the ‘Kindle 3G’ (free 3G + wi-fi). It is well worth the price, it could be given as a joint gift and is an excellent space saver, imagine how much shelving you’d need for 3,500 books! However much I rate it I am still in love with real books and the feel of pages! Available from www.amazon.co.uk search: ‘Kindle’. 9) ‘BUZZ’ is the ultimate D.I.Y. quiz show that could be given as a ‘family gift’ as it will keep them all entertained throughout Christmas day and New Years! It’s available for all the ‘PlayStation’ games consoles and hooks up to your TV for around £50. Find a great deal on www.amazon.co.uk search: ‘Buzz Quizz TV with Buzzers’. 10) If you are feeling fed up and have a slight case of the winter blues why not take off with a
in emerging artists, the risk-averse nature of investors and benefactors in an uncertain economic climate, and the rise and rise of 21st century sanitisation – from high culture to high street – means that the window of opportunity for firmly establishing organic, self-nurturing industries is closing. For how long will aspiring young film-makers have to, like Clarke, look across the pond to Tarantino and Spike Lee for inspiration? At least British film now has a credible ambassador to future generations and, more specifically, one who proves that commercial success is not incompatible with artistic integrity. His unashamedly cheeky sense of humour endears him to the audience but never detracts from the serious concerns he articulates: from the injustice of tuition fees, to the importance of multiculturalism, and the “impossible” struggle faced by independent black filmmakers. Quite simply, Clarke connects with young people in a way few academics ever will, and he somehow manages to infuse the otherwise sterile trappings of the New Academic Building with a real sense of atmosphere. If only by virtue of Clarke’s presence on the evening, it was electric.
special someone on a short city break to somewhere like Paris for example from £92 Available from: www.lastminute.com I hope that my alternative Christmas gift ideas will help to make your shopping go as smoothly as possible. For all of you who are very busy bee’s my suggestions will enable you to avoid the bustling high street altogether, shopping from the comfort of your own home (however popping out will get you feeling really Christmassy). Above all remember that when it comes to buying Christmas prezzies it is the thought that counts! Merry Christmas and Happy 2011!
THE LEOPARD DECEMBER 2010
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SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
SPORT Sometimes you have to start on a bad note, you may notice that the Men’s basketball team has failed to win a game this month, we’re hoping that streak will be broken soon. On the plus side, Goldsmiths men’s 3rd football team have done well, only losing one game in their last four matches. Let’s see some more of that. In other news, Cricket nets and training will commence after the Winter break, so if you want to join up see Ruth in the SU offices.
Breaking Point Over Tennis Court Nets Steve Howe Sports Editor Taking a stroll around the side of the New Academic Building, your eyes may fall upon the tennis courts, freshly re-laid towards the beginning of the autumn term. A piece of wood can be seen protruding lopsidedly from a hole in the black concrete, its purpose to cling to a piece of tape stretching across the width of the court, tied to the fence at the other end. What at first looks like what could be a measuring tool forgotten by the contractors is, in fact, a couple of students’ attempt to create a net. To date, the courts have remained net-less, appearing abandoned compared to the bustle within the neighbouring New Academic Building. Jamie Curme, men’s captain of the recently-founded Goldsmiths Tennis Club, explained why the club had been formed: “The old tennis courts were out of action while the New Academic Building was being constructed,” he said, “so we wanted to start a club as the new courts were becoming available.” The club have been left waiting, however, right up to December, at which point the tennis season is a mere fuzzy yellow spot on the horizon. “I assumed that the courts would be completed along with the New Academic Building and that they would be ready to go for the Autumn term,” Mr.Curme said, “I think that it has been poorly handled by the college and the construction company. Because the nets still aren’t up we haven’t been able to properly develop the club due to the lack of serviceable courts. People just aren’t keen to play on courts with no nets and rightly so.” Catriona Boulton, Head of Capital Projects, sympathised with prospective players, and
Pie in the Sky for Tennis Courts?
explained the reason for the delay: “The tennis courts were the last section of the site to be completed, because that is where the site huts and compound were located during the main construction works”, she said. She went on to indentify a doublefault made by the contractors, who at first made holes for the net posts in the wrong location, then did the same again recently: “when we looked at them today, I think they are still wrong and even slightly crooked, so we have asked them to come and rectify them again.” Far from attracting a minimal interest from students, many are eagerly anticipating the completion of the courts. When asked, a representative for Goldsmiths Sports said that there had been “a fair few” students who had been to the office to enquire about the courts. Jamie Curme reiterated that it is not just one or two disappointed students making a racquet: “When Ayesha [Saifuddin] and I started the club we received loads more interest than we were expecting. We enrolled 28 paid members and over 80 details of people interested in playing during the freshers’ fair earlier this term,” he said, “Tennis as a sport is increasingly becoming more familiar to us all as the strawberries and cream attitude towards it is disappearing. The college is right to have courts to support this rising interest and to encourage people to play what is an easily accessible sport.” A spokesperson for Goldsmiths stressed that they were behind the sport flourishing on the campus: “We do consider tennis to be an important sport at Goldsmiths and that is why we have spent money restoring the courts. Soon everyone will be able to enjoy them.” The College have said that they envisage the work being completed in a week’s time. It remains to be seen, however, how much longer the continuing rally between the University and its contractors in reality will last.
Match Results: November 2010 Basketball 27/10/10 (ULU) 07/11/10 (ULU) 15/11/10 (ULU) 17/11/10 (BUCS) 19/11/10 (ULU Cup) 25/11/10 (ULU) Football 30/10/10 (ULU) 30/10/10 (ULU) 03/11/10 (BUCS Cup) 03/11/10 (ULU Vase Cup) 06/11/10 (ULU) 13/11/10 (ULU) 13/11/10 (ULU) 17/11/10 (BUCS) 17/11/10 (ULU) 17/11/10 (ULU) 20/11/10 (ULU) 24/11/10 (BUCS Cup) 24/11/10 (BUCS Cup) Hockey 03/11/10 (BUCS Cup) Netball 01/11/10 (ULU) 01/11/10 (ULU) 15/11/10 (ULU) 15/11/10 (ULU) 20/11/10 (BUCS) 22/11/10 (ULU) 22/11/10 (ULU)
Goldsmiths Men’s 1st 34 – 98 University of Essex 1s Royal Holloway Men’s 1st 94 – 30 Goldsmiths Men’s 1st Goldsmiths Men’s 1st 33 – 103 School of Oriental and African Studies Men’s 1st Goldsmiths Men’s 1st 28 – 98 University of East London Men’s 1st Goldsmiths Men’s 1st 30 – 67 Royal Holloway Men’s 1st School of Oriental and African Studies Women’s 1st 52 – 18 Goldsmiths Women’s 1st Goldsmiths Men’s 2nd 0 – 2 St. Georges 2s Goldsmiths Men’s 3rd 2 – 1 Royal Holloway 6s University Campus Suffolk Men’s 1st 0 – 0 Goldsmiths Men’s 1st (Goldsmiths progress 2-3 on penalties) St Barts & the Royal London 4s 0 – 6 Goldsmiths Men’s 2nd Kings College Men’s 5s 3 – 3 Goldsmiths Men’s 3s Kings College Men’s 2nd 3 – 3 Goldsmiths Men’s 1st Goldsmiths Men’s 3s 1 – 6 Kings College Men’s 4s University of Greenwich Men’s 2nd 2 – 1 Goldsmiths Men’s 1st Goldsmiths Men’s 2nd 3 – 6 School of Oriental and African Studies Men’s 2nd University College London Men’s 7s 0 – 2 Goldsmiths Men’s 3s University College London Men’s 6s 3 – 3 Goldsmiths Men’s 2nd Goldsmiths Men’s 1st 0 – 0 Queen Mary Men’s 1st (Queen Mary progress 0 – 4 AET) Royal Free & University College Medical School Men’s 3s 3 – 2 Goldsmiths Men’s 2nd Goldsmiths Women’s 1st 0 – 15 Royal Veterinary College Women’s 1st
Goldsmiths Women’s 1st 38 – 13 King’s College Women’s 3s King’s College Women’s 4s 25 – 21 Goldsmiths Women’s 2nd Imperial Medics Women’s 4s 29 – 21 Goldsmiths Women’s 2nd Royal Vetinary College Women’s 3s 11 – 24 Goldsmiths Women’s 1st City University London Women’s 1st 38 – 18 Goldsmiths Women’s 2nd Goldsmiths Women’s 1st 30 – 23 London School of Economics Women’s 3s Goldsmiths Women’s 2nd 18 – 28 Royal Free & University College Medical School Women’s 3s
Rugby 17/11/10 (BUCS)
Goldsmiths Men’s 1st 19 – 25 University College Men’s 2nd
Volleyball 15/11/10 (ULU)
Goldsmiths Mixed 1st 3 – 2 London School of Economics Mixed 1st Fixtures will be appearing alongside the Results in the New Year.