indigo is back...
Arts, Lifestyle & Leisure The Future Edition
“Durham was great” Hatfield alumnus Richard Dannatt on life on the front line and a possible future in politics Profile
PALATINATE
The official student newspaper of Durham Students’ Union since 1948
Tuesday 26th January 2010 | Edition 714 | palatinate.org.uk PETER MACDIARMID
JCR finance investigation
Tragic student death
Popular second-year University College History student has been found dead in the street Page 3
Jodie Smith
Four of Durham University’s college JCRs will temporarily hand over control of their finances to the University as a result of poor accounting. The JCRs, which include University, St Aidan’s, Collingwood and George Stephenson, did not complete their 2008 accounts for the Business Assurance audit. As a result of this, two of the aforementioned colleges are now being investigated for misappropriation of funds, George Stephenson and St Aidan’s. The recently-resigned president of Aidan’s, Thomas Hall, told Palatinate “We’re not in a position to comment at the moment, as we haven’t yet concluded a dialogue with the University”. The 1994 Education Act means that the University has the right to administrate accounts if there is any indication that they have not been completed correctly. Aside from some irregularities, the independent audit also revealed a disparate number of accounts in some JCRs. In the case of the four JCRs who are now having their accounts administered externally, a lack of formal training is at fault. Treasurers often receive no training which is problematic if they are inexperienced in dealing with large turnovers. Collingwood president Nic Peters also spoke to Palatinate about the situation; “Bad habits get passed down from treasurer to treasurer. At Collingwood we had this problem as our accounts were incorrectly formatted”. University Vice-Chancellor Chris Higgins says that effective training will be implemented to prevent this situation from reoccurring. “The University wants to protect student money whilst maintaining as much freedom as possible for the JCRs,” he said. “We are working closely with JCRs to get them back on track and make sure they effectively manage their accounts in the future. When the situation improves we will hand control back to the JCRs and make sure that treasurers are fully aware of their responsibilities”.
Newsbox
Aidan’s Ball cancelled
Coaches oversight leaves students stranded at college whilst dinner is served at Ramside Hall Page 4
University funding cut
Lord Mandleson leaves universities in the lurch after cutting £500 million of funding from their budgets Page 5
Snowbound Britain
As the country is blanketed in snow, the country ground to a halt - but why haven’t the lessons of last year been learned? Page 6
BNP Leader Nick Griffin and left-hand man Andrew Brons (far right...) at a protest march in London after being elected as MEPs in June 2009
DUS invites BNP in
Union Society President defends decision despite university reservations Vincent McAviney
The Durham Union Society (DUS) has invited two members of the far right British National Party (BNP) to debate in opposition to a multicultural Britain this term. Andrew Brons, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, and Councillor Chris Beverley, Leeds City Council , will debate the issue on Friday 12th February with Edward Leigh, MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, and Kulveer Ranger, advisor to the Mayor of London. Palatinate has learned that BNP Leader Nick Griffin was also invited to speak and had accepted the invitation before pulling out for “personal reasons”.
DUS Epiphany Term President Anna Birley defended the decision, saying “Andrew Brons MEP received over 120,000 votes and Cllr Chris Beverley is the only BNP member of the City Council of Leeds, a multicultural city”. She continued “The BNP’s anti-multiculturalist views are no secret and while many in Durham will not agree with them, inviting them gives our members the opportunity to openly debate the issue”. However Durham Students Union (DSU) President Natalie Crisp was quick to distance herself from the event, “Obviously the Union Society is completely separate from the DSU so therefore we have no overall say in what they do”. She added
“DSU currently does not have a ‘no platform’ policy but this is something which we are looking at in the run-up to the general election and we will consult with the wider student body”. Vice-Chancellor Chris Higgins confirmed that the University had been approached by the DUS prior to making the invitation and had agreed to it. “I, personally, abhor the views of the BNP which I consider inappropriate, shallow and offensive. However, because the University is a strong advocate of freedom of speech, we did not oppose the right of DUS to invite BNP members as long as they spoke as Continued on page 3
House Hunting Did J W Woods start off an early unnecessary panic? Page 7
Tuesday 26th January 2010 PALATINATE
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Editorial Favourites, vacancies, corrections and editorial
PALATINATE Editors in Chief - Liza Miller & Vincent McAviney - editor@palatinate.org.uk
New Decade, New Newspaper It’s time to regenerate
W
elcome to the rejuvenated Palatinate! After a term’s absence at the hands of an evil master our indigo pull-out magazine has regenerated (see what we did there?) to make procrastinating from all those summatives easier than ever. Fresh with a new design and a new attitude, we hope you have as much fun reading it as we did writing it. When we took over as editors, we knew an awful lot of the changes we wanted to implement would be behind the scenes for most of the students at Durham - we’ve focused on the mysterious inner workings of the editorial board rather than fiddling too much with the paper itself - so chances are the main differences you’ll notice will be indigo and a marked increase in the grammatical ‘banter’ present in Lloyds/Loveshack every other Wednesday. However, a lot of the work we have been doing has required a lot of help from and coordination with the wonderful staff and sabbs of DSU. In the past Palatinate has been known to be critical of DSU, even on this very page, so we wanted to take the opportunity to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the regen-
eration of indigo and the refurbishment of the office actually happen. And drum roll please... we’re going to break the rules of our constitution to do it. Technically, we’re not supposed to refer to DSU staff by name, but we’re hoping (pretty please?) they’ll be willing to overlook it just this once. To Keith, the ‘diabetic’ with a suspicious fondness for chocolate, Frank - we hope Greg’s Garden fails so you can get your name on the SAC after all - Gordon and Ray, without whose keys and screwdrivers we would never be able to achieve anything at all - thank you, and we’re sorry for being generally inconvenient! To Kevin, Stacey, Carol and Aspasia, thank you for being willing to sign off those lovely blue forms and letting us rifle through your offices for useful bits. The Kayleighs put up with the phone constantly ringing and odd-shaped packages arriving at all hours, and sabb Ben lets us moan about all things Palatinate for hours on end. Finally, the fabulous Joe Elliott, who is in our minds, a god - thank you for being a magician, even if your lack of respect for The Eagles is hurtful. We love you all a LOT. We were inundated with applications for
positions we advertised before Christmas. With only about 10 positions available and over 80 applications received, naturally we had to reject a lot of good candidates. If you were one of them, or if you’ve always wanted to get involved, e-mail the appropriate section editor (see box on right) and ask to be put on their mailing list so you can start contributing articles and gain some Palatinate experience. Those who were successful and have joined the board, we’ve loved getting to know you in the past couple of weeks and hope you will have some great times in our little newspaper office under the stairs. Finally, we’d like to end our first editorial by talking about our new team at Queen’s Campus in Stockton. We’ve increased the number of locations we distribute to there, and are looking to cover more news from Stockton, as well as feature more articles from Queen’s students throughout the paper. If you’d like to get involved in the Stockton News team, please e-mail Queen’s Editor Jessica Lamb at queens@palatinate. org.uk. For all other sections, use the list to the right. Happy New Year - to the 2010s!
To have your say on anything featured visit palatinate.org.uk
26.01.2010 No. 714 Contents Palatinate
News pages 3-7 Elections pages 9 Careers page 10 Profile page 11 Comment page 12-15 Sport pages 17-20
indigo Features page 3-5 Food page 6 Travel page 7 Fashion page 8-9 Visual Arts page 10 Film and TV page 11 Stage page page 12-13 Music page 14 Books page15 Games & Photography page page 16
Favourites Comment page 12
What will be this decade’s conflicts?
Palatinate takes up tweeting In keeping with the new decade (2010s, 20Teens, Tenners or Tenties?!), we are embracing new media and have created Twitter feeds for every section of the newspaper. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, setting up a Twitter account is easy and only takes a few minutes. Despite what you may have heard, Twitter is not just another way of following celebrities - all around the world people follow the sources most relevant to them and access information via Twitter as it happens, from breaking world news to updates from friends.
It’s effectively a real-time personal wire service and provides a great forum for engaging with news and events. Judging by the traditional media’s mass adoption and integration of the site into its output, Twitter isn’t going to fade out any time soon - so you might as well get involved and check it out for yourself Once you have opened an account, search for these Palatinate sections and start following us to keep up with the top stories, comment on articles and get in touch with our section editors.
Editor @palatiEDITOR News @palatiNEWS Comment - @palatiCOMMENT Elections - @palatiELECTIONS Indigo @palatiINDIGO Features - @palatiFEATURES Books @palatiBOOKS Food @palatiFOOD Music @palatiMUSIC Travel @palatiTRAVEL Film & TV - @palatiFILMandTV Stage @palatiSTAGE Sport @palatiSPORT
Invasions, interventions and all-out war Travel 7 25 Film &page TV page
Break from the crowd!
Special Thanks
The first issue of a new term and editorship is always a particularly difficult one. We would like to thanks all those who have put work in over their Christmas holidays, particularly Ally Bacon, Rosanna Boscawen, Jonathan Allen, Jodie Smith and Rajvir Rai. We are also sad to lose Dipal Acharya and Fiona Hicks and would like to thank them for their contribution over the years, and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavours.
Correction
Music page 14
The front page image used in Edition 713 was wrongly attributed to Jonathan Allen. The actual photographer was Thomas Welch.
Vacancies Fashion and Food Both the Fashion and Food Editor positions in our exciting new pull-out magazine indigo are vacant. The Fashion Editor is responsible for organising photo shoots and reporting on the latest catwalk
trends. The Food Editor is responsible for reviewing restaurants and sourcing cost effective student recipes. If you think you’ve got the creativity, dedication and skill to join the Palatinate
Indigo’s Travel Editor Kathryn Balls marches around the world to a different beat
editorial board, why not email us at editor@palatinate.org.uk for an application form. Those who submit a successful application form will procceed to the interview round.
Oh how we raged ...well sort of
Facebook activism reaches a new high
Palatinate is published by Durham Students’ Union on a fortnightly basis during term and is editorially independent. All contributors and editors are full-time students at Durham Send letters to: Editor, Palatinate, Durham Students’ Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN. Alternatively, send an e-mail to editor@palatinate.org.uk
Editorial Board
Deputy Editor Matthew Richardson deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editor Jodie Smith news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor George Stafford news.features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Alec Dibble Richard Lowe-Lauri Lucinda Rouse deputy.news@palatinate.org.uk Elections Editor Jack Battersby elections@palatinate.org.uk Careers Editor Izzy Barker careers@palatinate.org.uk Profile Editor Anna Brook profile@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editor Thom Addinall-Biddulph Deputy Comment Editor Alexandra Bottomer comment@palatinate.org.uk Sport Editor Rajvir Rai sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Delaney Chambers Ellie Ross deputy.sport@palatinate.org.uk Indigo Editor Ally Bacon Rosanna Boscawen indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Alex Mansell features@palatinate.org.uk Food and Drink Editor Fiona Hicks food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor Katy Balls travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Dipal Acharya fashion@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Rosanna Boscawen visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Film and Television Editor Alison Moulds film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editors Daniel Dyson Sophie Zeldin-O’Neill stage@palatinate.org.uk Music Editors Olivia Swash David Tshulak music@palatinate.org.uk Books Editor Alica Graves books@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Books Editor James Leadill deputy.books@palatinate.org.uk Games Editor Jon Zhu games@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub-Editor Louise Quarmby sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Section Sub-Editors Katie Ashcroft, Lisa Paul, Joe Salmon, Mei Leng Yew Website Editor Gwilym Newton web.editor@palatinate.org.uk Illustration Editor Anthonie Chiu-Smit illustration@palatinate.org.uk Photography Editors James Dunn Jonathan Allen photography@palatinate.org.uk
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PALATINATE Tuesday 26th January 2010
For the latest news follow us on Twitter @palatiNEWS Continued from front page
part of an open debate in which their views would be challenged”. The turnout for the debate is expected to be high, and as a precaution the University agreed to the debate only if the police were informed and approved of it. The Vice-Chancellor has encouraged students to attend the debate and exercise their freedom of speech from the floor to “ensure views other than those of the BNP are heard and prevail”. Miss Birley shares this hope, saying “[The BNP] thrive from publicity when their views on multiculturalism are not questioned. This debate is different as it’s a rare opportunity for our members to examine their opinions thoroughly. I have confidence in our members to scrutinise everything they hear during the debate”. Mr Brons, one of the scheduled speakers at DUS, began his career in the National Socialist Movement, an organisation that was deliberately founded on Hitler’s birthday by Colin Jordan, the British Nazi Leader. The group was responsible for an arson campaign against Jewish property and synagogues in the 1960s. Following this, Brons - who also worked as a secondary school teacher in Harrogate - became a prominent member of the National Front (NF). Notorious for its extreme racism and violence, Mr Brons served as the organisation’s Education Officer before eventually rising to the position of Chairman. In the NF’s manifesto Brons called inter alia for a global apartheid to prevent the “extinction” of whites everywhere, “The NF rejects the whole concept of multiracialism. We recognise inherent racial differences in Man. The races of Man are profoundly unequal in their characteristics, potential and abilities.” This is not the first time the DUS has courted controversy for inviting extreme speakers. Following a 2007 Oxford Union Society debate with Nick Griffin and Holocaust denier David Irving, a 2008 DUS President Luke Wells invited Richard Barnbrook, BNP candidate for Mayor of London to speak. However, Wells caved to pressure and withdrew the invitation. So far no complaints have been made, but Miss Birley invited anyone concerned to e-mail her at president@dus.org.uk.
Durham News
Second year student dies tragically
In the wake of the failed Christmas Day plane bomb attempt fears about the radicalisation of students in universities have re-surfaced. The alleged bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, enrolled on a mechanical engineering course at University College London between 2005 and 2008. Questions are now being asked as to how exceptional he was. The accused Nigerian bomber’s ‘Islamic extremism’ allegedly goes back to his time as a student in London, where he was President of the Islamic society in 2006/2007. The UCL engineering department however described Mr Abdulmutallab “wellmannered, quietly spoken, polite and able young man,” who “never gave his tutors any cause for concern”. His predecessor as President of the Islamic Society Qasim Rafiq said he had not shown any sign of violent extremism whilst in London. This kind of event is not without precedent. Last year two Pakistani students studying at John Moores University in Liverpool were accused but not charged
Jodie Smith
DSU selling newspapers again Daily newspapers are now available again at the DSU after the closure of the shop at the start of the academic year. After a term of no discounted newspapers, Durham students will now be able to break out of the bubble once more by buying The Telegraph, Independent, Guardian, Financial Times or The Times from DSU reception. The DSU Trustee board recently agreed to hold a trial run of selling the papers and a contract was then negotiated by DSU. However, it has been agreed that the service will only be able to continue if enough students come in to buy the broadsheets. Prices start at just 25p, and the DSU hopes that the venture will be successful and will be able to continue in the coming term. University College second year history student Jordan Harker pictured at his college’s 2009 June Ball
Richard Lowe-Lauri
A popular second year History student from University College was found dead only days before the end of Michaelmas Term. The body of nineteen-year-old Jordan David Harker was discovered near Beechcrest, next to Nevilledale Terrace, following a call from ambulance control just before 9.20am on Friday 11th December. He was certified dead at the scene by paramedics. Durham Police said a post-mortem examination established he died from internal injuries, and his death is not being treated as suspicious. Professor Maurice Tucker, Master of University College, said: “Everyone at University College is deeply saddened by the death of Jordan Harker, a second-year student reading History at Durham University. “Jordan was an extremely popular student, a very keen football player, and doing verywellinhisstudies.Weextendoursincere
condolences to Jordan’s family and friends”. Professor Tucker assured that all was being done for students grieving the loss of a friend, adding: “The College and the University’s counselling service are offering their full support to Jordan’s fellow students who are deeply upset by his death”.
“the College and University’s counselling service are offering their full support to Jordan’s fellow students”
In a similar statement Dr Jo Fox, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Senior Lecturer in History, said the Department was “very saddened to hear of Jordan’s tragic death,” and that the
news “affected all of our students and staff very deeply at the end of last term. “Jordan was a popular, conscientious, and thoughtful student, who was a delight to teach. He will be very badly missed by his tutors and fellow students. We are thinking of Jordan’s family at this difficult time”. A Facebook memorial group entitled ‘Rest in peace Jordan Harker’ has drawn over 1,000 members wishing to pay their respects. More than 200 tribute messages have been posted by friends and fellow students. One person wrote: “Your kindness, humour, softly spoken nature, unique football technique and talent will never be forgotten”. Another said: “All who met Jordan are privileged and no doubt better people for the experience”. Ben Hardy, the group’s creator and an old school friend of Jordan’s, told Palatinate: “Jordan was simply the most genuine guy you could ever meet. It’s such a sad loss as he had the world at his feet”.
University: the root of religious extremism? David McDermott & Daniel Johnson
News in brief
for an alleged terror plot. In this instance the Home Office’s response was to attempt to deport them.
“the University embraces freedom of expression and challenging debate, but it does not condone any extremist views” In 2007, the UCU (University and College Union) unanimously rejected government advice for lecturers to monitor campus extremism. The UCU’s general secretary Sally Hunt said that student trust would be undermined by fears of a “quasi-secret service”. The UCU claimed that the measures equated to a continued escalation of the “demonization of Muslim and other minorities”. The disclosing of Abdulmutallab’s academic history raise security concerns
within multi-faith University communities. Sam Dale, Deputy Academic Registrar, assured Palatinate that there is “no evidence that the presence of extremist groups on campus is an issue at Durham University”. “The University have already done a lot of work to ensure national guidelines are followed on promoting good campus relations and on ensuring staff and students can live, study and work in a respectful and tolerant environment”. Nevertheless, the issue of extremism remains deep-rooted. Durham University is represented as a member of a local partnership between the police, Durham County Council, health organisations and educational providers who meet on a regular basis to discuss the strategy for averting extremism and responding to other related issues. Such actions potentially undermine the liberal values of diversity of expression and call into question the extent to which students can express their beliefs without fear of reprisal. The University is keen to strike a balance in respect to this, with Dale claiming “the University embraces freedom of expression and challenging debate, but it
does not condone any extremist views”. A similar stance is advocated by Durham Student’s Union in its Equal Opportunities policy that provides a framework for it to pursue its duties to promote good campus relations and positive attitudes between people of diverse backgrounds in all its activities. The policy forbids discrimination on religious grounds, threatening penalties of lifetime bans from the DSU and University action under the Respect at Work and Study act. President of Durham Student’s Union and Equal Opportunities Officer, Natalie Crisp, accepts there is no room for complacency with extremism and is working in partnership with the University and the Islamic society “to ensure there is a full and frank dialogue between us all and to prevent backlash against students in light of current events.” “Durham Islamic Society like others around the country, have been and continue to be heavily involved in interfaith work and hosting positive and interesting debate, both within the society and with others and I have full confidence in them.”
New club opens on North Road Durham’s burgeoning club scene is getting ready to welcome a new venue in the coming term. The Durham Academy is situated in the former Walkabout pub on North Road. The club itself will open in February, but in the meantime it is playing host to weekly Monday night events, Dirty Pop. The first such event took place last week and welcomed clubbers with an exciting mix of music, drinks promotions and entertainment. When Durham Academy opens it will be one of the city’s only venues for live acts to perform. Details of acts are yet to be released, but the club’s owners told Palatinate that there may well be some big names coming up soon. The Durham Academy’s owners, who also operate Loveshack and Fat Buddha in Durham, as well as Sam Jack’s in Newcastle, hope that the new venue will give Durham students the chance to enjoy a different kind of night out. Jonny Crosby, Events Manager for Mish Mash Events who run the Dirty Pop night commented, “It’s about giving students what they deserve on a night out. Good music, reasonably priced drinks and something a bit different”.
Hilde Bede AFC’s bad behaviour punished Hild Bede’s football teams have received disciplinary warnings over their behaviour last term. The warning comes after reports of problems with rowdy behaviour and a lack of consideration for others. One female student was left shocked after an incident which took place near Collingwood College on a Hild Bede football social. She was knocked over by one of the team’s members and received little sympathy from the footballers. They later sent her an email to apologise for their actions. Hild Bede’s Senior Tutor, Laura White, told Palatinate, “The teams have not been banned from going to other college bars on their socials, as has been rumoured, but they are required to behave themselves in future”.
Tuesday 26th January 2010 PALATINATE
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Durham News
News Durham
Selection ofUniversity Challenge Team Degree of Daisy Wyatt
DUCK Officer’s Column Mel Punton
For up-to-date DUCK news and information why not follow Mel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dsuDUCK
proved too much for the postgraduates, as they came out victorious with a score of 155 points to 60, and were crowned winners of the 2009/10 inter-collegiate University Challenge tournament. Durham now has to pass an interview conducted by the show, which will be something resembling an exam, to make sure the team has not been cheating so far. After this, the team will proceed to the televised filming of University Challenge.
Charity abseilers scale library for DUCK LIZZIE NAY
News just in: DUCK donated £76,961.77 to 60 different local, national and international charities last term. By ‘just in’ I mean after a week of laborious calculations using Excel spreadsheets and unravelling the mysteries of SAGE. By ‘donated last term’ I mean everything that we’ve raised that has already been given charity, not including the thousands you’ve raised for DUCK’s general funding pot. A bit of a mouthful, but we at DUCK think it’s important we’re transparent about these things. Talking about transparency, it’s an endless issue with DUCK that you don’t know where the money you raise goes – the money you stick in DUCK collection tins, pay through attending many and varied DUCK events, or use to buy DUCK cocktails, toasties, keyrings and calendars. This isn’t really acceptable. So over Christmas I’ve made it a lot easier for you to find out. Log onto the charities section of the DUCK website (duck.dsu.org.uk), where firstly you’ll find a list of where the money donated so far this year has gone, and secondly last year’s allocations. ‘Allocations’ is a bit of a mysterious term, I’m thinking of changing it to the ‘DUCK Appeal Fund’ or something a bit more catchy. Thoughts on a postcard. These allocations are given out to charities who apply for funds out of our general fundraising pot – the pot you contribute to by sticking it in collection tins, attending those DUCK events and buying cocktails, toasties, keyrings and calendars. Most of these charities are small and local, from Central Palz, who aim to improve the quality of life for Durham patients with life limiting illnesses, to Moving On, who work to break the cycle of youth homelessness in the Durham area. The problem with all of this is that it’s all a bit remote and academic. Fundraising can often seem like this. It’s easy to tell you that shaking buckets on a street corner or buying raffle tickets can help make real impact on people’s lives, but it’s harder to feel like you’re really making a difference. We want to work more on fundraising for the causes you’re really passionate about. Doing more to respond to local, national and international fundraising appeals like the Haiti Earthquake Appeal. Giving you more opportunity to tell us where you want our money to go; look out for the chance to vote for a microfinancing cause in DUCK week. Working with SCA to let you see and help out first hand with the projects your DUCK money is supporting. And if you have any ideas about the causes we should be financing, the ways we should be doing it, or how to give better answers to the all-important question ‘where does my money go?’, get in touch at duck.charities@dur.ac.uk.
Durham’s twelfth University Challenge Team has been selected by Societies and Student Development Officer Ben Robertson. The team consists of the top four players from the inter-collegiate tournament: Captain Matt Hann (Ustinov, M.A. in Political Thought), Lucy McGough (St.
Mary’s College, B.A. in English), Roger Fox (St. Mary’s College, B.Sc. in Mathematics), Matthew Griffiths (Ustinov, PhD in Poetry and Climate Change) and Tudor Skinner (St. Chad’s, PhD in Early Medieval Archaeology) who is to be the reserve. The inter-collegiate University Challenge tournament was the biggest on record, with each of Durham’s sixteen colleges entering a team. The final pitted Ustinov against St. Mary’s. Mary’s performance
Andy Willard
A group of 35 brave fundraisers demonstrated that they had a head for heights when they abseiled off the roof of the Main Library just prior to the Christmas break. Durham University Charities Kommittee (DUCK) has reason to celebrate as the exercise has already raised in excess of £2000, with sponsorship money still coming in. Participation by staff, students and the DUCK Sabbatical Manager ensured that the whole university population was well represented by the volunteers, who were raising money for the general allocation fund. The proceeds will then be distributed to a variety of charities to be decided upon after the Easter holidays.
Jessica Sorah
The government’s recent proposal for fasttrack degrees has led to outcry from university staff and students throughout Britain. If put in place, traditional three-year courses for subjects such as English and Music would be reduced to two years. Students on such degrees would have shorter vacation periods with long distance learning in the summer months with study materials being made available online. It is hoped these measures will enable government ministers to achieve their target of having 50% of young people in higher education by this year. As such, the proposed two-year courses are targeted at potential students who are put off by the high tuition and accommodation fees presented by three years of study at university.
“it is foreseeable that a ‘two-tier’ degree system will develop”
“the exercise has already raised in excess of £2000 with sponsorship money still coming in” The feat, which took place on Friday 11th December, is the first of its kind to have occurred in recent memory. Substantial health and safety concerns and insurance issues had hindered previous attempts to stage such an endeavour. This time, however, tremendous support offered by both the library staff and the outdoor pursuits company KECO ensured the venture was able to be organised for the first time in at least six years. “Without their fantastic assistance the abseil simply wouldn’t have been able to go ahead,” Central DUCK Challenge Officer Lizzy Nay commented. Lizzy also extended her praise to Teach First for their sponsorship of the event. The success of the day has ensured that plans are already afoot for a future abseil in the summer, with organisers anticipating that more favourable weath-
the future?
Those with a head for heights ditched the books and avoided essays in the name of charity
er will allow an even greater number of willing volunteers to participate. In the long term it is hoped that students might regularly be dropping their
books in favour of climbing ropes and harnesses – the library abseil has the potential to become an annual event.
Government officials argue that reduced time in higher education will enable students to enter the workplace more quickly and with less debt. However, it remains to be seen if these financial ‘gains’ are matched by the value of the fast-track degree and the student’s overall university experience. An increase in students attending such courses would lead to a significant growth in class sizes and create more work for already under-paid and over-worked lecturers. Critics have also questioned whether the subject matter covered would be as thorough as the traditional three-year course. With redbrick universities unwilling to introduce the condensed degrees, it is foreseeable that a ‘two-tier’ degree system will develop, potentially stigmatising students on such ‘accessible’ courses. Although education ministers continue to refute the devaluation of fast-track degrees, it is undeniable that students on the two-year courses will be unable to be as heavily involved in university activities as their peers. This could have negative repercussion in today’s highly competitive workplace with employers seeking well-rounded and academically successful individuals, not freshfaced youths clutching a piece of paper in hand. It appears that the targets of fast-track courses need to be reconsidered. The two-year degree’s appeal seems more applicable to mature students retraining for the workplace, not young students who have academic and life learning to do.
Aidan’s President resigns after JCR meltdown Lucinda Rouse
St Aidan’s JCR president, Thomas Hall, resigned last week after a tumultuous period which saw the Jingle Ball cancelled and the University seizing control of JCR finances. The college was unable to celebrate the end of the Michaelmas term with its customary ‘Jingle Ball’ after the coaches expected to take partygoers to the Ramside Hall Hotel failed to turn up. All of the 160 students affected were fully refunded, and £1,000 from the social
committee’s account was put behind the college bar for the evening. It has been estimated the social committee made a loss of £3,000 as a result. Alternative coach and even taxi companies were contacted as a last-ditch attempt at salvaging the evening, but unfortunately the event had to be abandoned. Doug Long, Aidan’s social chair, insists the loss won’t affect the quality of future social events. He said, “We’re still richer than this time last year - we started the year with a lot of money”.
The social committee is said to have confirmed the booking by telephone with Durham City Coaches for 15th December several weeks prior to the event, after contacting the company for an initial quote. A spokesman from Durham City Coaches contradicted the assertion, saying that all confirmations – as well as quotations – are undertaken via email. He claimed no such confirmation had been received. The company was contacted when the coaches failed to appear. They claimed never to have received a telephone call confirm-
ing the booking. Durham City Coaches has provided a good service for social events in the past. The social chair says he will insist on paying in advance and receive written confirmation in the future. For student bookings, money is normally collected on the night of travel due to the difficulties faced in obtaining the money in advance. President Hall stepped down with immediate effect, citing medical reasons. His duties are to be shared among the remaining members of the JCR executive.
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PALATINATE Tuesday 26th January2010
For the latest news follow us on Twitter @palatiNEWS
Durham, national and columns News
JONANTHAN ALLEN
Photographer snaps up first prize in competition Durham improving for student satisfaction Charlotte Ryder
Jonathan Crosby’s photograph evokes the atmosphere at sunset in Serengeti game park, Tanzania
Jodie Smith
A Durham photographer has scooped a top prize in an international competition. Jonathan Allen is a PhD student from Trevelyan College and entered his photo, Serengeti Sunset, into the Travel Photographer of the Year 2009 contest. His photo was one of five winners in one of the competition’s categories, First Shot, which is aimed at less experienced photographers who show promising talent. The five winners will then benefit from the tuition on offer as their prize. Five runner up entries were also chosen. Prizes for winners in the category included a place on a Photo Iconic course and Adobe Photoshop Elements. Jonathan, who is also Photography Editor of Palatinate, snapped the picture
in Serengeti National Park whilst on safari with other students in Tanzania. “We were speeding across the park at over 50mph heading towards a zebra sighting,” he said.
“they looked promising but I never thought they would achieve this kind of success” “We were getting bashed from side-toside in the jeep when I looked back at the car pursuing us through the sunset and snapped a few shots of the scene. “When I looked at them on the camera screen I knew they looked promising but I never thought they would achieve this
kind of success. It makes all the bumps and bruises worth it,” he remarked. The Travel Photographer of the Year competition was created in 2003 by photographer Chris Coe. It aims to provide an international showcase for travel photography and is run ‘by photographers for photographers’. The contest offers three portfolio categories, including the One Shot single image category, Young Travel Photographer of the Year and the First Shot beginners’ award The competition is judged by a panel of photographic experts, including the photographic director of Conde Nast Traveller, editors of British Journal of Photography, Practical Photography and Germany’s Fotomagazin. Celebrated photographers Steve Bloom, Jeremy Hoare, Nick Meers and Chris Weston were also on the judging panel.
The Times Higher Education last week published the 2009 figures for their annual university student experience poll. The results indicate Durham is going from strength to strength as it ascends in the rankings. More than 11,000 full-time undergraduates from a broad range of universities participated in the survey between September 2008 and June 2009. The university’s student satisfaction levels achieved 12th within the UK, up from 19th in 2008. Loughborough, Oxford and Cambridge Universities have held the top three places for the past four years. The survey asked students to rank their institution’s performance over 22 different categories, which include the quality of teaching in lectures, staff support, social life, student union, and the structure of courses. Durham scored highly across the board, only dropping down to the national average in the categories of convenience of facilities and industry connections. These results now place Durham above Newcastle University in the rankings, making it the best institution in the North East for student satisfaction. DSU president, Natalie Crisp commented, “with Durham’s unique collegiate structure it is no wonder that students feel supported and satisfied with their university experience”. However, there is still room for development in order for Durham to reach the top ten. Natalie continues, “it is important not to be complacent and ensure that improvements are built on to ensure the best experience possible for students”.
Uproar as Government cuts university funding Alex Dibble
Universities across the country will be forced to cut back on staff, courses and research after Lord Mandelson announced that over £500m would be slashed from their budgets. Vice-chancellors were quick to condemn the plans, warning of ‘severe pressure’, which would negatively affect the quality of degrees. The pre-Budget report outlined measures to remove a further £270m from the higher education pot, in addition to the £263m that had already been promised. Steve Smith, president of Universities UK said, “A reduction in the public funding per student could seriously threaten our ability to offer the high-quality experience our students deserve and expect”. There are worries that Lord Browne, who is leading a review of higher education funding, may have no option but to lift the tuition fee cap to deal with the shortfall. Should this occur, students could have to pay over £5,000 a year. The Government have also clamped
down on over-recruitment, fining universities £3,700 for every student they admitted for 2009-10 over and above their quota. This amounts to between £59m and £81m for the higher education system as a whole. The move was seized upon by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats as proof that Labour have not been true to their “education, education, education” motto. David Willetts, Shadow Universities Secretary said, “We now have the bizarre situation that universities are being fined for meeting targets set by this government”. Stephen Williams of the Liberal Democrats remarked: “The Government failed to live up to its commitment to fund extra university places”. Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the lecturers’ union UCU, warned of the cuts: “We will see teachers on the dole, students in larger classes and a higher education sector unable to contribute as much to the economy or society”. The Government have also confirmed that a further £315m would be taken away from universities by 2013, resulting in a total of almost £1bn – 12.5 per cent of the current budget – withdrawn.
Leaders of the Russell Group of 20 leading UK universities attacked Gordon Brown, claiming: “it has taken more than 800 years to create one of the world’s greatest education systems, and it looks like it will take just six months to bring it to its knees. These huge cuts will have a devastating effect not only on students and staff, but also on our international competitiveness, national economy, and ability to recover from the recession”.
“We are an absolute cornerstone of British society” Michael Arthur, chair of the group, said: “We are an absolute cornerstone of British society; the part of the engine that drives the economy of the nation. We supply highly-skilled graduates to the knowledge economy”. Vice-Chancellor Chris Higgins said that Durham is in a strong position to manage the higher education cuts compared with
other universities. In his latest bulletin, Higgins drew attention to the fact that only a third of Durham’s income is made up from the Government grant. In addition, the pre-Budget report announced that research funding must be protected, ensuring research-intensive universities such as Durham will take a lesser share of the cuts than teaching-only institutions. Proposals to make savings are being considered prior to a Council meeting in February, and “Once a strategy has been agreed I will, of course, communicate this to all” promised Higgins. The latest development saw a voluntary severance and early retirement scheme launched for staff, on whom the University currently spends 60 per cent of its budget. Labour minister for higher education, David Lammy, claimed that the Russell Group’s criticisms were “misleading”. He said, “The fact is that the government’s teaching and research funding will grow between 2009-10 and 2010-11. We are minimising the effect on the frontline by asking the Higher Education Funding Council for England to look to reduce funding which will not impact on teaching”.
DSU President’s Column Natalie Crisp
A big welcome back to everyone following the Christmas break, I hope you had a lovely time and are feeling rejuvenated and looking forward to the term ahead. In this week’s column I thought I’d give you a brief overview of some of the exciting things which we have planned, and in subsequent weeks I’ll be able to expand on them, and other things in more detail. One of the major things which will be occurring this term is Election Week. During this week the four sabbatical positions (President, Societies and Student Development Officer, Education and Welfare Officer and DUCK Manager) are all up for election as are four student trustee positions. This means that the people steering the direction of DSU and representing you next year are all being elected at the same time. Here and now I’d like to encourage you all to get involved, make your voice heard and have an active say in who runs DSU next year. Furthermore anyone at all is more than welcome to stand; there is no need to have been involved previously in DSU, if you have a desire to help shape the organisation. If there’s anything you want to change, or think we should be doing then stand! On the topic of democracy we will also be encouraging students to register to vote in the upcoming general election. We’re in a particularly exciting position here in Durham because the constituency is a swing seat, meaning each and every student vote really can make a difference. We will be encouraging livers out to register to vote, and ensuring that all those who live in college (who are automatically registered) utilise that vote effectively when the general election is called. We have loads of events planned this term to hopefully get you thinking about who you think should be Durham’s MP. Here is also a good opportunity to say thank-you to everyone who has brought a newspaper in DSU, since term began; we really appreciate all the constructive comments which have been left on the Facebook event. This was a service reintroduced at your request, our members, so if there is anything else you think we should be doing then let us know. The only way we can change things, is when we know! I’d just like to re-iterate the fact that it can only continue if it does break even, so the newspapers will require students’ continual support, but hopefully it will be able to continue long into the future. As ever if you have any comments, queries or questions there are plenty of ways you can get in touch. You can email me at dsu.president@durham. ac.uk, follow me on twitter at DSUPresident, ring my office phone on (0191) 334 1811 or you can interact with me via my radio show which is on every Monday at 4 o’clock. You are also always welcome to pop into the Sabb Suite on level A in DSU. I really value your input, to ensure I’m doing my job to the best of my ability so would welcome your views. Want to write for News? E-mail the section editor at news@palatinate.org.uk to join the mailing list.
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Tuesday 26th January 2010 PALATINATE
News In Focus
Want to get involved with the newspaper or website? E-mail editor@palatinate.org.uk
North East hammered by freak weather
The coldest winter for fifty years has caused accidents, forced airports to close and brought communities together across the country. Kirstie Hopkin investigates how Durham was affected. JONATHAN ALLEN
Liam McAllister
Many councils have declared that they have enough grit to treat roads, but not pavements. Durham could be more slippery than ever.
Kirstie Hopkin
The coldest winter for fifty years has seen temperatures as low as -22C recorded in northern Scotland and millions caught in transport chaos in the north. The freeze is set to last for most of January. The first week of 2010 saw the north come to a virtual standstill with eight inches of snow, which then spread to the south. Although the north of England is more acclimatized to the cold, there were massive disruptions to roads, trains and airports. Newcastle airport closed on the 5th as did the A66 road. A fatal accident killed a woman in her early forties on the single lane A1. A 16-year old boy also died having been hit by a lorry as he and his mother tried to reach the hard shoulder after colliding with the central reservation. Lorries jack-knifed and police warned drivers to take extra care despite the grit. Police at the Scottish border warned drivers not to continue unless it was ‘a matter of life or death’. Most of the taxi companies in County Durham were closed; only one company put snow tyres on and resumed service. The RAC are receiving
twice the number of normal calls and the demand on gas is up, putting supplies on red alert due to a record high of consumption. Extra gas has been pumped in from Belgium and Norway, but for the first time in ten years supplies had to be rationed. Panic buying of thermal clothing and food has been rife. Tesco reported soup sales to be up by 80 per cent. Most sports matches had to be postponed – over the weekend of the 9th and 10th only two of the scheduled Premier League football matches were played. Across the country more than 1,000 schools were closed endangering those due to take exams, and 8,000 houses were without power. There is also a worrying shortage of grit. A salt mine in North Yorkshire has freed up some of its salt intended for the export market for local uses, but grit is still having to be rationed and prioritized. This is all despite Durham County Council being given an extra £1 million this winter to be spent on gritting pavements and roads to prevent accidents. As these are freak weather conditions for Britain, the country can only prepare to a certain extent; there are limits to how much salt can be stored for public use.
In the private sector, B&Q’s rock salt sales increased by 150 per cent. The government has ordered salt supplies from abroad, but these will not reach the United Kingdom until 21st January. The Prime Minister commented that the picture was ‘worrying’, but grit will reach ‘where it is most needed’ and that gas will not run out.
“By 10th January the total of weather-related deaths numbered 26 .”
The head teacher of a Northumberland school has described their council’s response as ‘appalling’; one of the five deaths in two days occurred in Northumberland when a cliff collapsed under the weight of snow and ice. By 10th January the total weather-related deaths numbered 26. The teacher fears, along with many, that the whole country could skid to a halt. But a spokesperson for the local authority argues they are doing all they can to keep transport functioning, as do Durham County Council. Durham MP, Roberta
Blackman-Woods, has also been busy chasing up the local gritting supplies in London. She visited the House of Commons on 7th January to press the Transport Minister to work with salt mines to ensure a constant supply of grit. She said the Council were ‘working very hard’ but that it is a ‘very cold spell’. She spoke to the local mine herself to ensure deliveries to Durham throughout the spell and claims to be in constant contact with Durham County Council to make sure the extra money they have been given for gritting is used. Predictably there have been numerous accidents and hold ups. Just before Christmas paramedics in County Durham reported difficulties because some of the main roads had not been gritted, an unnecessary worry at a time when they are under ‘immense pressure’. But the Council say their gritters have been out continuously and the gritting team report that they have been working 24 hours a day. The snow also had indirect effects such as rubbish not being collected in Durham, even though Stockton managed. This leads to a belief that the Council could have done more. They have said it will be collected ‘as
soon as it is safe to do so’. It seems the wholly unexpected weather has meant the country is chronically underprepared. However, the lack of information from the authorities has also been a problem; for example passengers were not allowed off a grounded plane at Newcastle, so became ‘disruptive’ and police had to be called in. In the same vein, a team of gritters had to be escorted by police to clear the roads after drivers blocked them. The unusual weather conditions seem far too much for the country and its services to deal with. The picture is not all negative, since the arctic conditions brought communities closer together. This was the case for Esh Winning, when local resident Andrew Purves kept the houses of his neighbours clear with landscaping equipment from his business. They kindly say that, “He is one of the best citizens and neighbours I have come across”. West Yorkshire builders, not able to carry on with their own work, offered to help a charity with a meals-onwheels service. At a time of such disruption from unpredictable weather, the rest of Britain should learn from the north’s charity in the face of meteorological adversity.
PALATINATE Tuesday 26th January 2010
7
News In Focus
Read this and other detailed stories online at palatinate.org.uk
The stupidity of the Durham house hunt Jess Gordon
The university-wide house hunt has begun earlier than ever this year. Independent research reveals that two thirds of 09’s enthusiastic first years have already signed for their houses. Tellingly, of Hope Estate’s 67 properties, only 50 per cent remain on the market. A spokesperson for the company has revealed that this time last year only 20 per cent of their properties had been signed for. Evidently essay submissions weren’t the only deadlines on students’ minds last term; despite the advice issued by the DSU urging patience, it seems freshers were keener than ever to snatch up a house before Christmas. This trend cannot come as a surprise to any Durham student; it is widely recognized that the search begins progressively more prematurely with each academic year. It is however difficult to justify the rush, given that housing supply outweighs the demand. A walk around the streets alone will qualify this assertion; it is impossible to bypass any road in the city (residential or not) without being confronted by numerous adverts proclaiming “for rent!”
HAMISH CAMPBELL
The rush to find housing seems to start earlier and get more intense every year. But is the panic really necessary? Palatinate investigates...
“I was told that if I didn’t sign then and there all the good houses would be taken” The statistics are eye opening; J W Wood are responsible for between 100 and 200 student houses, and the properties owned by Hope Estates and Clubeasy combined amount to almost 150. Studentpad.co.uk- a site in affiliation with the DSU’s accommodation office- advertises 579 of Durham’s privately owned student houses, the equivalent of 2,542 bedspaces. StudentHomeZone.com, another online database of privately owned housing, represents six of Durham’s landlords who be-
The rush to get housing this year began even earlier than usual, but is it really necessary?
tween them, have to capacity to house 400 students. Add freshers, livers-in and Durham’s array of independently advertised private landlords to the equation, and it becomes apparent that the famously dubbed ‘house-hunt’ is somewhat undeserving of its title. Evidently, supply is not a problem, so why do we feel the need to take such drasDAVID WEBBER
No matter what happens , this will not be you next year.
tic action despite the University’s recommendations to the contrary? It is difficult to project the blame for the trend onto anybody other than ourselves; findings from an opinion poll conducted amongst Hild Bede first years reveal that it is the imparted wisdom of the older students which exerts the most pressure. Recommendations to sign early are founded upon the myth that the best houses go quickly. Indeed, second years, who have effectively had a year in which to locate their ideal abode, tend to secure Durham’s finest as soon as possible. However, the houses that remain are perfectly adequate and plentiful in supply. Those confident enough to sit out on the hunt and wait until Easter often secure the best deals. J W Wood confirmed that by the months of March, April and May landlords are usually willing to compromise on rent or certain aspects of the contract. The rewards offered to current tenants by private landlords as an incentive to help to lease the house confirms that in time, the house hunt is tipped upside down as the hunters become the hunted. One of the predominant reasons why the DSU delivers presentations to every college in December urging a policy of patience is to prevent cases in which students sign for a house and then change their mind. Survey findings reveal a general consensus amongst first years who felt that Michaelmas term was too early to be 100 per cent certain about who they want to live with. One girl expressed sincere concern about her arrangements for the forthcoming year and explained that her decision was based not upon who she definitely wanted to live with, but upon who she definitely
did not. A decision which will ultimately affect the entirety of your second year at university should not constitute “a gamble,” as this girl described it, but should rather be based upon considerable thought. Estate agents themselves were the second most frequently cited catalyst. Students reported feeling pressurised during viewings in which landlords would urge an immediate decision. One student said, “I was told that if I didn’t sign then and there all the good houses would be taken”. It has become apparent, however, that several properties which were ‘reserved’ have since become available again.
“several properties that were ‘reserved’ have since become available again”
Earlier this term, J W Wood went one step too far in their advertising campaign by acquiring the E-mail addresses of a set of Durham University students to whom a series of E-mails were sent. The messages, distributed in early November, wished “Happy House Hunting!” and contained details of various potential areas in which to live. The scandal was first leaked to a friend during a viewing conducted by a competing agent. Ironically, the allegation was confirmed later that day during a group viewing with the disgraced agency, in which an employee casually laughed and joked about her colleague’s precarious tactics. When questioned about the misdemeanour, Caroline Heslop from the DSU
accommodation office said that whilst she had not seen the E-mail in question, she was fully aware of its circulation. She claimed to have no knowledge regarding how J W Wood had managed to acquire the E-mail addresses. Heslop also endeavoured to emphasise the fact that J W Wood remain entirely independent of the University; unlike Student Q and Clubeasy, they are not DSU approved. This means that their properties are not in compliance with the University code of standards, which should be available to view online via your college’s SRC - JCR equivalent - website. Students questioning the J W Wood E-mail swiftly resulted in a reply from the Head of the DSU reassuring first years that they need not panic. Caroline asserted that the house hunt has not begun unusually early as a result of the incident. Nick Swift of Hope Estates, however, answered “definitely” to the question of whether or not students have signed for houses earlier than previous years. Clubeasy, on the other hand, stated that the rush was “right on time.” A J W Wood representative acknowledged that the search commences earlier each year, and referred to exam timetables as a possible influencing factor. She failed to mention in her suggestions, however, the impact of her company’s audacious advertising campaign. Whatever the precise causes for the trend, the house hunt in Durham occurs far earlier than necessary. As a result, what should otherwise be an incredible term of fun, friendship and festivities, can leave freshers with an unfortunate bitter aftertaste, which has nothing to do with the night before.
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PALATINATE Tuesday 26th January 2010
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Ahead of an expected May general election, Palatinate asks: what’s in it for students?
UK PARLIAMENT
Sebastian Payne
K
icking off Palatinate’s new Elections section, it is time to survey the political scene, taking a look at how parties will be hoping to attract the student vote and examining the shape of local politics. The incumbent Labour Party have traditionally been very supportive of education – who could ever forget “Education! Education! Education!” – but will the national deficit and ongoing recession result in shifted priorities elsewhere? The Conservatives have long supported extra university places and vetoed the introduction of top-up fees. The Liberal Democrats also voted against top-up fees in the past, but have recently put their long standing commitment to scrapping tuition fees on hold due to the current economic climate. Labour have everything to lose in this election, holding a solid (if small) majority in Parliament. The recent tide of expense scandals, perceived lack of confidence in their leader and the continued recession means significant changes are required if they are to take the next Parliament.
“Labour have everything to lose in this election”
Recent news from the government does not provide a happy picture for students either. The £2.5 billion in university funding cuts have been lambasted by many key figures in higher education, including Durham vice chancellor Chris Higgins. Labour is still aiming to educate 50% of the eligible population at university level and continues to support tuition and top-up fees. Where do they stand on the economy and jobs? Business as usual, it appears. The Conservatives have everything to gain in this election. The mood of the country is one of change, much like that of the 1997 election. The Party claims it has the
The Conservatives would need to win around 140 more seats in order to form a government after the next election
ability to turn around the current state of affairs, but whether this happens in reality remains to be seen. Their policies on the NHS and national security have been published, but they remain reluctant to publish a comprehensive higher education manifesto. However, the Party has announced intentions to create 10,000 new university places, introduce an early repayment bonus on student loans, as well as introducing new measures to stimulate the economy and jobs market for graduates. Taking a tough stance on public spending will be unpopular with voters, but will those tax breaks most expect from a Conservative government be seen any time soon? Judging by the size of our current deficit, it seems unlikely. Traditionally, the Liberal Democrats are keen to promote a student-friendly agenda. Most would doubt their ability to gain the 264 seats needed for them to form
a government, but the party have long supported green issues, a less interventionist foreign policy and ending of the Iraq war. Less populist than the other two contenders and covering the more edgy issues that matter to students has made them popular with the younger section of the population; protection of civil liberties and extra job creation are likely to be strong contenders in their manifesto. The party takes environmental matters very seriously, claiming that it is at the heart of all their work. Looking at the election in a local sense, the status quo remains just as captivating. Students living in Durham fall under the City of Durham constituency, a Labour stronghold since 1935. Is this likely to ever change? Safe seats are traditionally used for testing candidates for integrity and determination but for one party, this is not the case. The Liberal Democrats have run Carol Woods as their candidate in the past two elections, making progressive inroads
and managing to achieve 39.8% of the vote in the 2005 election.
“The contenders are ready...before long their game plans will be revealed”
The Conservatives have a minimal foothold, attracting only 9% of voters at the last election. This indicates that Durham City will most likely be a two horse race between Labour incumbent Roberta Blackman-Woods and the Liberal Democrats. This decade has welcomed the most unpredictable national contest in decades. Thatcher’s inaugural election of 1979 was the last time the three major parties entered an election with all new leaders. With everything at stake, the fight is on.
NUS National Conference delegates elected
Daniel Johnson
Prior to Christmas, four candidates were elected to represent Durham’s view as delegates at the National Union of Students (NUS) National Conference. Those elected were Ben Robertson (also Durham Students’ Union (DSU) Societies and Student Development Officer), Sam Roseveare, Nicky Godfrey (also DSU Education and Welfare Officer) and Ghassan Al-Sammari. The NUS National Conference takes place for three days in April, in nearby Gateshead. The delegates’ role is to act as a representative voice for Durham students. Hence, policy is formed largely from the views and suggestions of the student body. DSU president Natalie Crisp stated that the Union would be showcasing suggested policies next term, “to ensure that our delegates truly represent Durham students”. In line with the DSU’s election strategy, outdoor
Jack Battersby
stalls will be set up to ascertain opinions on the big issues at the NUS, as well an online consultation. Elected delegate Ben Robertson, told
“We are now ensuring that we make full use of the NUS” Palatinate that he holds a “big passion for issues regarding local communities and the rights of young people”. Yet, he said he is going to the conference “as an elected Durham delegate first”. The message from the attendees, then, is that student opinions genuinely determine the agenda taken to Gateshead. Following the NUS affiliation referendum last term, in which a large majority
(80% of those who voted) chose to remain affiliated, Ms Crisp defended Durham’s relationship with the country’s largest student organisation. She said that “we are now ensuring that we make full use of the NUS”, in light of the fact that DSU continues to pay £18,000 per year to retain affiliation. No suggestion was made that the referendum had affected the relationship in a negative way, with a regional advisor from the NUS spending a day at the DSU to work through plans for next term. Part of the reinvigoration of the relationship is an effort to take events like the National Conference “much more seriously” than was the case in previous years. Just over 1,500 students voted – the highest turnout in this election since 2004. However, whilst the DSU President was “exceptionally pleased” with the turnout, delegate Robertson admitted the number of candidates standing for election is a
cause for concern. Just seven candidates stood this year, compared with the seventeen that stood last year. The DSU’s comprehensive 2009-11 election strategy seeks to rectify this, as well as setting targets for election turnout in each college. But this year was by no means the worst for the number of candidates standing; in 2008 there were fewer candidates than places available at the conference, causing a dismal turnout of 2%. Undoubtedly, the delegates will be pushing hard for Durham’s interests at the National Conference in April. Their job this term is to discover what those interests
Next edition... In the run-up to the general election, Palatinate will be interviewing Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to elections@palatinate.org.uk.
2010 is the year that social media matters. For the first time, politicians and activists will have to take seriously how their party is perceived on the internet if they wish to do well at the general election. Whilst the issues will remain the same – health, education, the economy – campaigning will undergo a digital revolution. At the 2005 general election, social media was virtually non-existent. Facebook was unheard of and Twitter had not been invented. YouTube was in its infancy and blogs were few and far between. Politicians and the electorate communicated using methods that had not changed dramatically since the first televised party political broadcast was made in 1951. Publicity spending was limited to posters, TV airtime, phone calls and postage stamps, with clumsy mailing lists used to track membership bases. 2009 was Twitter’s year. MPs ‘tweeted’ a collective 52,383 times, on issues ranging from the Iraq war inquiry to complaints from local constituents. Government departments now maintain their own feeds, responding to questions posed by public users. Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah now attracts over a million followers, whilst House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has voiced his concerns over MPs accessing the site using mobile devices from within the chamber. The blogosphere also blossomed into maturity. Internet users from across the political spectrum took up popular sites like Blogger or WordPress to express their opinion on the issues of the day. The best pages now attract wide readerships and often act as a stepping stone to a career in journalism. Veteran broadsheet writers such as Polly Toynbee of The Guardian and William Rees-Mogg of The Times now engage in online debates with other bloggers, bridging the gap between high politics and public opinion. The establishment has responded to the Twitter-led social media revolution with uncharacteristic fervour. Recently, Labour appointed Kerry McCarthy MP as its New Media Campaign Spokesperson. Her remit includes monitoring online opinion to help shape the response to events such as the failed Hoon-Hewitt leadership coup. David Cameron spearheads the Conservative internet campaign through his ‘WebCameron’ video diaries posted on YouTube. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats’ student support base boasts some of the internet’s most enthusiastic bloggers. Voters now have an unprecedented opportunity to take part in the election debate. By joining a Facebook group, blogging an opinion, or following a favourite Palatinate section on Twitter, internet users become part of the political process. It is clear that the Twitter factor will make 2010 the most unpredictable and exciting general election for decades.
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Tuesday 26th January 2010 PALATINATE
News and Information Careers
Follow us on Twitter @palatiCAREERS
Careers Slavery in the City?
The latest news in the graduate jobs market Advice from the Careers Advisory Service HARSHIL SHAH
T
hey say slavery was abolished in 1833, but with the increased number of employers offering weeks of unpaid work experience to impoverished students this could be contested. Given the credit crunch most of us are aware that it’s not the best time to be graduating - it’s definitely necessary to partake in work experience to increase employability.
“The staff were friendly and treated me like a fellow employee rather than the dogsbody” However, rather than wallow in our misfortune, we should use the lack of job vacancies and increased competition for graduate scheme places as motivation to fulfil our potential. Work experience is a great way to do this and since Durham students are faced with an extensively long summer holiday there is the possibility to fit in both paid holiday work and career-enhancing unpaid work. As an arts student, and probably as a
consequence of watching Carrie Bradshaw type up her column one too many times, I decided to get some journalism work experience this summer. What then followed was e-mailing around twenty publications with my CV. Eventually a few offers came through and I chose to undertake two weeks work experience with the National Magazine Company in London. On arrival at their large office in central London, I was given a security pass, my own company email address, Mac computer and telephone. If this was the 21st Century version of slavery, I was not complaining. I then spent the following two weeks helping out with magazine competitions, researching for a number of articles, and updating the content board. The staff were all friendly and treated me like a fellow employee rather than the dogsbody.
“If this was the 21st Century version of slavery, I was not complaining” The National Magazine Company offer a good quality professional work experience programme by which you are given
Careers Information and Contact Details Careers is a returning Palatinate section here to give you information about different career avenues, internships, work experience and the careers help and advice available for Durham University students. Each fortnight features on different topics - advice on internships, tips on how to boost your employability, the problems for graduates in the current economic climate - will be published, as well as a column on the upcoming careers events. There are a number of services available, ranging from help for those who are focused on a specific career and need to research work experience or tailor their CV, to those who have no career direction. Mock interviews, one-to-one careers advice and group workshops are all available from the service. For the fortnight of 26th January to 9th February, careers events highlights include: assessment centre workshops, the Science, Engineering and IT Fair and ‘Getting into the Media Industry’ talk. For more information on any of these events, to book a careers appointment or a place on a talk, please visit the website of the Careers Advisory Service: http:// www.dur.ac.uk/careers-advice. The Durham University Careers Advisory Service is available to students in both Durham and Queen’s Campus, Stockton. Contact details
Durham City 49 New Elvet Durham DH1 3PF Telephone: 0191 334 1430 Fax: 0191 334 1436 E-mail: careers-advice@durham.ac.uk Opening hours Term Time: Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm
Sunset over the iconic Gherkin in London, a city where many undertake work experience in the hopes of starting a career
choice and flexibility in the tasks you can do. I was given a general project of researching for articles and then, depending on what was happening in the office, I would be asked to perform other tasks; including sampling cheesecake recipes. This was
great as it meant I always had something to do and did not feel in the way. Work experience, on paper, does not seem fun, and though it is possible to obtain paid experience, a lot of it will be unpaid. Although I was offered no expenses
and I had to pay to tour the London underground before work each day, what I received was more beneficial than any minor snags. Overall, I realised that a career in journalism would interest me, gained that all important reference and even enjoyed it.
Experience conquers all
How to get a foot in the door to the world of newspaper journalism Jessica Lamb
This week I have experienced one of those life-affirming moments when you feel content, with all the hysteria over the meaning of life and your place in it cut back for a period of satisfaction. This satisfaction comes from the realisation
that you must be doing something right if you are standing in the spot you are currently in. I was not on a Himalayan mountain staring at a beautiful sunrise or anything like that. I did not fall in love, I did not even buy a new pair of shoes. No, I was actually sat at a desk when this struck me. On a work experience placement.
Holidays: Monday to Friday 10am – 1pm and 2.15pm – 5pm
GIOVANNI PPORTELLI
Katy Balls
EDITORSWEBLOG.ORG
The pros and cons of whoring ourselves out on work experience in the capital
Queen’s Campus, Stockton 2nd Floor Ebsworth Building (in IRC) Thornaby Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6BH Telephone: 0191 334 0202 Fax: 0191 334 0204 E-mail: cas.stockton@dur.ac.uk Opening hours Term Time: Monday to Friday 10am – 4.30pm Holidays: Monday to Friday 10am – 12pm and 1pm to – 4.30 Work experience, whilst often perceived as boring, our writer found life-affirming
Journalism is what I want to do, and so I was euphoric at the most trivial of office discussions. The week mainly consisted of much of this plus lots of menial desk labour. To someone else, it would have been mind numbingly boring; but not to me. I found out about the work experience by writing directly to the newspaper. Sell yourself: attach a (journalism-focused) CV and a link to any online material you may have written (it takes five minutes to start a blog – online media is the future). This is the only way you will get a foot in the door. Journalism is one of those funny professions which is not dependent on what degree you do but on seizing - or creating - opportunities. Be excessive. Write to every newspaper and publication you can think of and more. Also, be proactive. Visit your local library for reference books of newspaper contact details you may overlook in internet research. Once you have your placement, use the opportunity. This week I managed to get a number of (pretty mundane) things published, providing me with a start to a vital portfolio come graduation. Learn from the people you sit next to. Finally, be gracious: write a thank you letter. You never know, they may write back giving you further advice or opportunities for further work.
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PALATINATE Tuesday 26th January 2010
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The former head of the British Army talks to Palatinate about his experiences at Durham, his career in the armed forces, the future of defence and his new political role George Stafford
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here is no denying that Richard Dannatt has had an extremely successful career in the armed forces, starting when he was just 21. His record is formidably impressive: he was commissioned into The Green Howards Regiment, served in Northern Ireland, and won a Military Cross for bravery, all before starting at university. After studying at Durham, Dannatt rejoined the army, going on to command forces in Cyprus, Germany, and Bosnia.
“He served in Northern Ireland and won a Military Cross for bravery - before starting at university” Then, after commanding the 4th Armoured Brigade, the 3rd Division, and the British forces in Bosnia, Dannatt was given command of NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and finally, in March 2005, the whole British Army as Chief of the General Staff. After retiring from the role in August of last year, Dannatt became Constable to the Tower of London, a member of the House of Lords, and a Defence advisor to the Conservative Party. Suffice to say, this is a man with a host of triumphs under his belt. Clearly military success was no quite enough as, after three years in the army, Dannatt left to study Economic History at Hatfield. Despite having already been an officer in the army, he wished to have a conventional university experience: “I had it in mind that I wanted to be just like a normal fresher. My cover was blown virtually on day one as I walked through the gates of Hatfield and someone put their hand out and said, ‘You’re not a normal first-year, are you?’”
“I walked through the gates of Hatfield and someone put their hand out and said, ‘You’re not a normal first-year, are you?’” Speaking very warmly of studying at Durham, Dannatt referred affectionately to
his time as President of the Union - “being a rather argumentative sort” - and of having done “the classic Durham thing” of meeting his future spouse. However, “having not worked as conscientiously as I should have done”, Dannatt achieved a 2:2. As all five of his housemates fared similarly in their exams, their house at 2 Lumley Road was dubbed ‘2:2 Lumley Road’ by their friends. Graduating meant returning to the army, where he remained for another 32 years (having only ever intending to stay for three). When asked if he would make the same choice again, Dannatt was explicit: “You bet I would do it all again. I really enjoyed my soldiering – it was worthwhile, it was difficult, it was dangerous at times, but it was really rewarding”. He went on to stress the great personal rewards that a career in the army can provide: “If you really want to pit yourself against yourself, ask ‘What is my character? What are my qualities?’, then join the army and you will find out a lot about yourself. People surprise themselves with just how much resilience and how much strength they’ve got to offer. Even if you’re not planning to make a full career out of it, three, four or five years in the army, particularly at this time, is a great foundation to whatever you go into subsequently”.
“Durham was great: the people, wonderful place, and a good atmosphere” Despite considering returning to civilian life several times, Dannatt always concluded that he would get more satisfaction from staying in the armed forces and thus did so. He suggested that it is the relationship that a leader has with those under their command that is the defining measure of a good army officer: “As an officer you’re in quite a privileged position and you have to understand the responsibilities of being a leader. First of all ask of your men only what you would of yourself. Second, you’ve got to be as technically good as they are in physical fitness, shooting and so on, because they will look to you. They will be asking themselves, ‘Do I trust this guy? Do I respect this guy?’ You have got to earn that respect by being open, not stuffy, but equally at times not too friendly, establishing yourself as a leader and someone people can look up to, and follow. It’s a great challenge, but it’s also a great privilege”. This is clearly a man born to be a leader. With widespread cuts in government spending expected after the next general election, Dannatt is adamant that the military should not face cutbacks, stressing
RICHARD DANNATT
Richard Dannatt: From the front line to the front bench
“Ask of your men only what you would of yourself”: Dannatt emphasises the importance of the relationship between a general and his troops
“this is not the right time to be cutting a relatively modest defence budget”, while accepting that the defence budget does need to be re-prioritised. As several large military procurement orders remain under review, Dannatt wished to remain uncommitted as to whether all the planned projects should continue until the Strategic Defence Review was published later this year. He did, however, indicate where he thought defence spending should be prioritised over the next few years, focusing on units vital to land conflicts such as the
“If you really want to pit yourself against yourself, and say ‘What is my character?’ then join the army and you will find out” Royal Marines, the Army, and the transport and helicopter support aspects of the Royal Air Force. Maintenance of all other aspects of defence should not be ignored, however, as he strongly considered that the UK should preserve the ability to defend itself in a wide variety of ways in order to protect against the overwhelming uncertainty of the future.
Regarding Afghanistan, Dannatt was optimistic about the future of the conflict, saying, “the tide is beginning to turn in a number of ways”. He argued that much of the progress in the country went unreported, because “it’s rather boring for the media to report wells being dug or schools being built, and farmers switching from poppy growing to other forms of agriculture”. Nevertheless, he maintained that pulling out by 2011 would be premature, although progress was being made and, in his opinion, more would be achieved with an increase in men and resources. Despite the difficulty of such foreign operations and the rising cost of interventionist expeditions in a global downturn, Dannatt remained convinced that Britain should maintain its international role. “We cannot walk away from the legacy of our colonial and imperial history. Iraq was a state we effectively set up in the 1930s. We were the rulers of the subcontinent up until 1947, we drew the line between Afghanistan and what is now Pakistan, and we set up a lot of the tribal areas where the terrorists take their refuge. Our historic fingerprints are all over this, it’s very difficult for us to say ‘It’s not our business’. I’m afraid we’ve got some responsibility for all of this”. It is this haunting conviction about the UK’s geopolitical responsibilities and the maintenance of the military covenant that keeps Dannatt from going into full retirement. There is a vigor about him, a desire to do what is right for the world which is particularly stirring and
clearly characteristic of his past success. He has no regrets about continuing life in the public eye in his role as Defence Advisor to the Conservative Party. “I was quite passionate about these things up until the 28th of August last year” (the day before he retired from his role as head of the Army) “ … it’s quite hard to wake up the next morning and think ‘It’s not my business anymore’”.
“We cannot walk away from the legacy of our colonial & imperial history. Our historic fingerprints are all over this”
It is this passion that may lead him further down the political rabbit-hole than any other retiring General in recent years. It is possible that he sees his new role in the Conservative Party as the first step on a ladder to becoming a British Eisenhower. His response to whether he was considering a career as a serious politician was suggestively ambivalent: “I don’t know. I’ve always believed in taking things one step at a time”. With these words in mind, it is likely that this is not the last step in Dannatt’s career path. He is driven and ambitious and the only way forward is onwards and upwards.
Tuesday 26th January 2010 PALATINATE
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Our writers discuss topical matters This edition: Is there a new class war?
The conflicts of the new decade will be many
From the The 2010s bring with them the potential for a vast array of geopolitical and cultural clashes Union
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he next decade, or indeed this decade as it now (debatably) is, may seem like a time for change, a chance to move on from the wars, cultural and geopolitical, of the violent Noughties. In this country we are very likely to have a new leader on 7th May, and to many this will offer a sense of renewal, a fresh government after the long twilight of New Labour. Revolutions surround us which provide sustenance for optimism: Avatar’s success (a little undeserved, perhaps) at the Golden Globes indicates the dawn of a new, exciting era in cinema and entertainment in general; answers to the most fundamental questions about our universe may emerge from CERN; and new ways of combating disease are being found all the time. It would be wrong to say that these sources of hope should be dismissed. But, equally, it would be wrong not to understand that this decade will see continuing conflicts, and new ones emerging. Perhaps the most immediately obvious was brought home to us at the very end of the Noughties, when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted a terrorist act on a plane into Detroit. The war on terrorwhatever that amorphous, ill-defined term may mean- is not over. The West is now turning its eyes towards Yemen as the new home of Al-Qaida; who knows what conflicts may emerge from this new direction. The war in Afghanistan is far from over, and Iraq is a long way from being a stable state. Let there be no doubt in anyone’s minds that the spectre of terrorism will not diminish in the coming years. If the West does not tread very carefully in Yemen, as it failed so spectacularly to do elsewhere, then the long-brewing cauldron that is the Middle East might finally boil over. In fact, this may be the decade when that cataclysm happens. Many people in the Middle East genuinely resent the West for its actions in the region; many people welcome it as a bringer of liberty. The division between those who support the regimes of Ahmadinejad, Abdullah, Saleh, and the like, and those who wish for a freer society, may lead to full civil war, internally and internationally. The West will be damned either way: intervene, and face a massively expanded version of Iraq; stay out of it and watch millions of people tear their world to pieces. It is perfectly possible, and I hope this will be the case, that this will not happen. There is no indifferent force decreeing that it must. Yet it is hard to believe that, within the next few years, the Iranian revolutionaries will overthrow the Islamic state, or even simply remove Ahmadinejad and his like; that Israel and Palestine will finally reach an accord; that Saudi Arabia will suddenly begin to respect its citizens’ rights. The recent decline in relations between the
“Chavez is like Ahmadinejad, a swaggering demagogue who sees himself as beloved defender of the people against the immoral West” Things will likely remain at an unsteady stalemate while Barack Obama occupies the White House, but if his fortunes do not improve (which they may very well) he could lose it in 2012. I’m not convinced that the American people are quite so stupid as to vote for Sarah Palin for President, but it is a surety that Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty or some other Republican as yet unknown would raise the stakes. The coming power vacuum in Cuba will be another source for conflict: Raúl Castro is 78, and it is unclear who will succeed him. The USA will doubtless try to use the opportunity to bring Western democracy to the island. Cuba’s allies, like Chavez, will respond hostilely to any such move. There may be a reckoning coming between Western capitalist democracy and its opposition, disparate and far from ideologically coherent but united by a common dislike of their foe. Nor is it just political conflict that may tear us apart in the 2010s: the planet may yet rid itself of its troublesome priests. The eminent philosopher John Gray spoke at
STEVE RHODES
Thom AddinallBiddulph
Anna Birley
once-friendly Turkey and Israel does not bode well. One fears for the lives of Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi and their supporters in Iran. It remains my fervent hope that regional leaders are not so suicidal as to provoke all-out war, but it is a conflict that is now tinder-dry in a region broiling with fire. There are other conflicts on the horizon to concern us too. The rise of South American socialism, and leaders such as Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales and Rafael Correa, has already caused occasional combustion with the still firmly entrenched capitalism of the North. It is unlikely this will lead to any sort of military conflict, but proxy wars will no doubt be fought as American companies are pushed out of the South, and leaders will trade increasingly strong words. Chavez, the most dangerous of the group, is like Ahmadinejad, a swaggering demagogue who sees himself as beloved defender of the people against the immoral West. Some of his principles, and those of his colleagues in Bolivia, Ecuador and elsewhere, are not unreasonable, and put by a calmer, less egotistical leader might be very welcome. Chavez, though, wants conflict- not armed conflict, but a cultural and political conflict, one he has no intention of losing. The protests in Iran are a symbol of the brewing global clash between cultures and ideologies
Durham’s Book Festival last term about the resource wars we are likely to face soon: climate change (and this is true whether or not it is manmade) will cause energy and food supplies to dwindle, and that could easily lead to nations attacking each other to ensure their own people’s survival. One need only look at Haiti to be reminded that natural disasters can bring down society at the drop of a needle; the response from some on the American and British right indicates how easily resource wars could start. I have yet to mention China, and the whole section could be devoted to the conflicts that nation’s rise could cause; eventually, either it will have to accept Western democracy, or we will have to accept Chinese authoritarianism. Economic and industrial competition will increase resentment between it and the USA, and the rest of the world may find itself having to choose sides. Price wars, format wars, trade wars and technological wars will all escalate this decade- it must be said, with some benefit to us all as technology is improved and probably cheapened, but the aggressive tactics we are already seeing will not be good for the common man. One is reminded of the film tagline ‘Whoever wins…we lose’. There is a great deal of other conflict that will occur this decade. Some final decision about how the internet, business, copyright and the economy all intertwine will need making. The current situation is not sustainable for anybody- artists cannot live on applause alone, but equally consumers are now increasingly set against
paying for certain kinds of content, and advance many convincing arguments for why they should not start. The entire economy of the creative and technological industries is facing a radical shift, but expect there to be many arguments and lawsuits before it is completed.
“This will be a decade of conflict and reckoningthere will be blood” Recriminations about the financial crisis will continue for years, and inevitably another one will come. It seems unlikely the fallout will cause the massive restructuring of the system that has been predicted, but public anger will not die down for some time, and the elite may find themselves less and less secure in their positions. The war between science and religion will only get uglier, especially if the US elects a religious conservative in 2012. Should that happen, it is quite possible similar-minded people elsewhere, such as in the UK, will be encouraged to make a move they currently do not dare to make. Yet in all this, one must remember that in thousands of years of civilization, mankind has not destroyed itself yet, and the worst apocalyptic predictions of the Cold War never came to pass. This will be a decade of conflict and reckoning. To quote another film, there will be blood. But chaos cannot exist without order. There will be a dawn for man.
Last week, we saw a packed chamber to debate the highs and lows of President Obama’s first year in office. There is no doubt that he led one of the most memorable campaigns in American history, but the task of turning election rhetoric into Washington politicking and workable compromises was always going to be a challenge. The debate last week was the perfect opportunity, one year on from Obama’s Oath of Office, to reflect on his progress. It was made all the more relevant after the Kennedy brothers’ Massachusetts senate seat turned red. The line up of speakers from both sides of the Atlantic, and the chairmen of the Republicans and Democrats in the UK, definitely did the subject justice. Actively promoting debate is never going to please everybody as it can involve listening to things that we disagree with or even find offensive. However, the more that you disagree with something, find it disgraceful, distasteful or outrageous, the more important it is to confront it in healthy debate. This Epiphany, we have a wide variety of events and guests which I hope will engage everybody on some level – be it whether we held an event in the first place or the content of the speeches themselves. With a line-up including BNP politicians, a radical defence lawyer, ambassadors, football managers, a former radical Islamist, a Page 3 girl and more, I hope that there is something to please or challenge everyone. This week, we are focussing on issues close to home: the gender gap in the legal profession and the cost of your degree. Tonight, we have a line-up of some of the UK’s most successful female legal minds in the country, who will be discussing the concept of a glass ceiling and answering your questions on women in law. It will be in the Debating Chamber on Palace Green this evening at 8.30 and is for members only, although anyone can join on the door. On Friday, we will look at higher education. Given the post-recession world of savage spending cuts, the relationship between the student and the cost of their education is changing. This will be an opportunity to hear all sides of the issue – from the Presidents of the Student Union, Universities and Colleges Union and the Institue for Economic Affairs – and to have your say. The debate will take place on Friday on Palace Green at 8.30pm. Again, it is for members only, but you can join on your way in.
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PALATINATE Tuesday 26th January 2010
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Debate Comment
Recent election rhetoric suggests the class war is not over Labour’s attacks on David Cameron’s privileged background indicate that class conflict has not died yet after all NICK ATKINS
Vincent McAviney YES
NO
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he British have two great preoccupations: the weather and class. Upper, upper-middle, middle middle, lower middle, working are the classic classifications. Whilst you may not think about or utter them often, everytime you use their modern cousins ‘chav’ and ‘rah’ - labels which seem to divide our student body - you are talking class. When thinking about class and politics in Britain, strangely the first thing I think of is the American Dream. Instilled in American youth is the notion that any citizen, no matter what their class, colour or creed, can through hard work and determination rise up to hold the highest office in the land. President Obama may have fulfilled this seemingly wild notion last year but sadly I doubt very much the same thing could happen in Britain. Our effective Prime-Minister-in-waiting does not share in this Hollywood-esque rise-through-adversity backstory. When Michael Howard resigned as Conservative Party leader after failing to win the 2005 General Election, there was a a leadership race between two Davids. Within a party who referred to its leader Margaret Thatcher as “that grocer’s daughter”, class - and the chances and connections affiliated - were always going to play a significant factor. David Davis was the initial front-runner, raised on a council estate in Tooting, South London by a single mother. He attended the local grammar school but initially did not achieve the necessary A-Level grades to attend university. Davis persevered, working as both an insurance clerk and Territorial Army officer to earn the money to retake his exams. Upon gaining the necessary grades, he attended Warwick University before going on to the London Business School and Harvard for Masters, and being elected as MP for Boothberry in 1987.
“Whilst most would find it difficult to get a personal reference from the Palace for our first job this is how Cameron got his start in politics” David Cameron on the other hand descends from a family with a long history of wealth and privilege. He was educated at three of the most prestigious institutions in the country, Heatherdown Prep, Eton and Oxford where he was a member of the elite Bullingdon Dining Club alongside Boris Johnson. Upon graduating with a first class honours BA in PPE he applied to join the Conservative Research Department. It has been widely documented that on the day of his interview a curious phone call was made from Buckingham Palace to Conservative Central Office, and subsequently
Tony Barrett
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We’ll see him everywhere over the coming weeks, but is Cameron too upper-class for voters?
22-year-old Cameron was hired over more qualified candidates. Whilst most would find it difficult to get a personal reference from the Palace for our first job applications, this is how “call me Dave” Cameron, a relation of the Queen, got his start in politics. Back to 2005, and Cameron was initially seen as ‘too posh’ for the post-New Labour public, but after an underwhelming conference speech stalled Davis’ momentum, Cameron’s posse of Eton and Oxford comrades (whose numbers are vastly disproportionate on the Tory front bench) engaged in a careful PR campaign to sell their David as a moderate who could appeal to young voters. Their strategy worked. Five years on, Blair 2.0 has rebranded the Conservatives into a greeny, hug-a-hoodie, centre party. Yet, despite the high polling numbers indicating that the Conservatives will win this year’s general election, Cameron’s own approval ratings with the public are not so buoyant. Time and again voters cannot accept Cameron when he talks about the daily struggle faced by those not born with a silver spoon. It is this connection to politicians that is central to class still being a relevant factor in 21st century British politics. If you feel as a voter that your representative knows
what life is really like for constitutents, you are more willing to vote for them. For those in the working and even middle classes, David Cameron’s financial security from the day he was born - and his inability to acknowledge it - is a hindrance to forming this trusting bond. The knock-on effect is that even if the Conservatives return to power under Cameron, they will only have a narrow majority in the Commons compared to the landslide that Blair, a dab hand at properly connecting with the public, achieved thanks in most part to ‘Mondeo man’. Approaching the 2010 General Election, Harriet Harman, equalities minister as well as Labour deputy leader, has been leading the class war rhetoric since Brown fired the first shot over the playing fields of Eton. She has made much of a government-commissioned report released this week which confirms that class is more important than gender and race in affecting chances. Thus despite all of the government’s ‘social mobility’ initiatives, class is still relevant in the British mindset. Finally, in an election year following the biggest political scandal of the new millenium - when it looked like members of all parties were living the high life at the taxpayers’ expense - it is little surprise that the C-word has returned to politics.
t does not take a hugely detailed analysis of the distribution of wealth in Britain, or the social background of our political (or professional) elite, to reaffirm what most British citizens at the very least suspected anyway: that, despite social progress over the last century and a shift towards equality-minded meritocracy, there still remains the strong structure of a class system in British society. The fact that 1% of the population possesses 21% of Britain’s wealth, or that 32% of our MPs went to independent schools (which overall educate 7% of the population), are ever-present reminders that Britain’s traditional elephant in the room perseveres, and that a closed gate-system still survives in the higher echelons of professional life. However, despite this disproportionate wealth and inherent inequality, this does not necessarily mean that ‘class’ is still Britain’s polarising agent politically, with the electorate in this year’s general election inevitably going to vote along perceived class lines that was the fashion circa the 19th century. An indication of this is the ongoing saga of Gordon Brown’s remark in Parliament early December, that the Tories – and David Cameron in particular – designed their taxation policies on the “playing fields of Eton”. This has led some to suggest that the clock has been rewound and electioneering this year will be along class lines, in an old-fashioned Labour-working class versus Conservative-middle and upper class stand-off. Instead, in hindsight, this remark about Cameron’s privileged background rings as a desperate cheap shot by a desperate Prime Minister, who is losing ground on the key areas that matter, and so resorted to easy, clichéd pot-shots. The subsequent troubled and awkward Labour reaction only confirmed this. Jack Straw, clearly uncomfortable when pressed on the issue, played down the remark in an interview, while Tessa Jowell felt moved to remind voters that Labour would not fight a class war, with even Gordon Brown on The Andrew Marr Show saying his ‘Eton’ quip was “only a joke”. Meanwhile, The Times reported that the Labour cabinet was split over this class-based approach, with Straw, Jowell, and Peter Mandelson having reservations. From this context, the ‘Eton’ jab is now seen as an embarrassing and immature slip-up that could do more harm to Labour than the Conservatives. The reason for playing down that wellpublicised remark is because the electorate are no longer interested primarily in class. Despite the Conservatives’ traditionally upper-class background (59% of their MPs went to independent schools), they still lead in every opinion poll, with political forecasters at worst predicting a hung Parliament for the Tories. Voters appear to have moved on from such trivialities as class, as seen in the 2008 Crewe and Nantwich by-election. In the run-up, Labour electioneering aimed a series of barbs at Tory candidate Edward Timpson’s alleged privileged upbringing, Timpson being dubbed “Lord Snooty”
and “Tory boy Timpson”, with Labour activists wearing top hats to mock the prospective MP. The result of this inverse snobbery? A Conservative victory in an area of north-west England that had been Labour for 25 years and, if there really is meant to be a class war and a divided Britain, is meant to be red through-andthrough. It is even debatable as to whether that traditional Labour-working class allegiance, if a class war is to be fought, is still strong, if it exists at all. In September 2009 The Sun, traditionally the ‘paper of the people’ at 30p, defected to the Conservatives, in an indication that widespread dissatisfaction with the government had damaged the working-class’ decades-old marriage to Labour. More tellingly, in the 2009 EU and council elections, Labour votes were lost en masse in traditionally-working class areas to the Conservatives, e.g. in Lincolnshire and Lancashire.
“The ‘Eton’ jab is now seen as an embarrassing and immature slip-up that could do more harm to Labour than the Conservatives” Even worse, the BNP gaining two European Parliament seats was attributed by analysts to working-class dissatisfaction and defection from Labour – indeed, those two seats were won in Yorkshire and Humber and the North West, hardly middle-class silver-spoon Tory land. Clearly a parting of ways is occurring, if it has not already happened. Arguably it was Blair who first abandoned the working class with his brand of ‘New Labour’ shifting from the left to centre-ground politics, trying to woo the middle-class, e.g. abolishing Labour’s long-cherished clause 4 in 1995, or Brown since 1997 courting the city (of course when it was still acceptable to do so, before the recession). From this perspective, it is hard to see a class war occurring, when Labour does not appear to have a class to tie its flag to. All the above suggests that, in a century of added gravitas and morbidity, where catastrophe and the apocalypse is seemingly only a melted ice cap or a terrorist attack away, there are far bigger issues pressing other than class. Therefore, the electorate will vote for whatever party seems to offer the best solution to these insolvable problems, regardless of their background, which is why Brown and the exhausted New Labour machine are flagging. When the past year alone has seen the G20 protests in London, the Copenhagen demonstrations this winter, and the widespread uproar over Afghanistan, the fact that David Cameron and George Osborne were in the Bullingdon Club at Oxford seems, by comparison, to pale into irrelevance, providing only below-the-belt material for sinking Prime Ministers in Parliament, and appeals, in vain, to that now-antiquated sense of class allegiance.
Tuesday 26th January 2010 PALATINATE
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Debate with us on Twitter @PalatiCOMMENT
Religious coexistence remains one of our chief challenges BRANDON GODFREY
The recent festive period and the actions of the Detroit bomber remind us of the eternal social presence of faith Rachael Revesz
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hilst waiting at a bus stop in sub-zero temperatures during the Christmas holidays, my eye spotted “Good Enough?”, a Christian tract lying discarded on the pavement: “If you are relying on self-righteousness and good works to enter heaven when you die, you will be forever in a Christ-less grave and a lost eternity”. (1 Corinthians, 15:3-4.) According to the 2001 UK Census, over 78% of the British population describe themselves as Christians, amongst whom there must be a fair few who would agree with the above quote. With an Israeli father, an atheist grandmother and a sister currently in a relationship with a Muslim, I found myself staring at these rather sinister words a little too intently. In Richard Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion, he argues that religion is like a virus which attacks young children and which uses fear as an effective form of moral policing. I was twelve years old when my friend first asked me if I was scared at the thought of going to hell. I was taken aback – after all, we were just burning digestive biscuits on Bunsen burners in the science lab. It hasn’t been mentioned since and we’re close friends. However, it is clear that, although my friend does occasionally
Religion plays an incredibly large role for all
stray from the word of her God, the image of Dante’s Inferno remains an imprint on her consciousness. I find it fascinating how our well-developed veneer of politeness and respect towards each another manages to mask the expression of such a profound and, some might argue, irrational belief. It seems that our well-mannered British culture is shared by airport security in Amsterdam. Consider the case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutullab, the 23-year old Nigerian who attempted to ignite a bomb on a passenger plane to Detroit. Former President of the Islamic society at UCL, he was well-known and respected amongst his fellow students and teachers, and was described as “friendly” and “polite” in The Times. He may well not insult your homemade cake but, in the name of al-Qaida, he might put a bomb in it. A perfect example of religious coexistence in a less potentially deadly situation would be our dinner party a few weeks ago. Sitting around a table with lit candles and a dodgy rock version of “Jingle Bells”, the conversation turned to religion – a subject which can make any person talk. It seems ironic that amongst a circle of believers and non-believers, we can sit down to eat together, fully aware of our opposing beliefs and, according to Christians, our diverging paths into the afterlife. To them, existence on Earth is merely a fleeting moment, yet it is a moment which holds ultimate importance regarding which path will eventually be available to us. There are
two paths, two options. We were put on this Earth with the free will to enable us to make our own choices but, really, there is only one right answer. So what’s the point? I might as well eat too much cake and hate my neighbours for, after all, I am destined to eternal suffering.
Our morals, our sense of right and wrong, are not always driven by instinct. Rather it is our culture, our background and our paper-thin layers of civilisation which help direct us to make decisions. We were all friends at that dinner party. But behind that façade of diplomacy, we were divided in two. When the conversation inevitably turned to hell, I felt a tangible shift of atmosphere: the Christian side of the table was uncomfortable. When directly questioned on the subject they averted their eyes, raised their hands and told us “that’s God’s judgement.” In heaven do we become isolated, estranged beings who relish the ecstasy of God’s presence and don’t give two hoots about the people we loved on Earth enduring eternal agony? People have the right to believe what they want, but there is often a consequence for everyone else and therefore a degree of responsibility. I find it extremely difficult to reduce our existence to the mechanics of science, and would never presume to completely segregate science and religion, as there are many people who believe in both. I take comfort from the fact that my reality is anything that is alive to the five senses, and I am also happy to take full responsibility in what I believe. For some, however, there is not much room for argument. In order to respect some people’s beliefs, I might as well start bracing myself against the pain of my afterlife, so when I am eventually asked “Good Enough?” I can grit my
“Our sense of right and wrong is not always driven by instinct” Christians are, to quote my friends, driven out of love to share knowledge of their God and thereby help us to discover our instinctual awareness of Him. He is omnipresent in their life: would this be so at a time when no formal knowledge of God existed? My friends also argued that, statistically, Christianity is the fastestgrowing belief in Middle-Eastern countries. However, is Christianity an instinct strong enough to connect you with God, even if you were born in war-torn Iraq into a Muslim family? Is the presence of God strong enough to penetrate the mind of someone who is severely mentally handicapped, to ensure their entry into heaven? Is a good portion of my family, who were gassed to death in Auschwitz, burning in hell right now as I’m watching Eastenders? I just can’t get my mind round it. Women used to have no rights. Homosexual people used to be imprisoned.
The idea of a university ‘market’ leads to a raft of problems Richard Smith
I
t is a well-known fact that the UK university sector has been hit by heavy cuts to the part of its income that comes from the state. At the same time there is extensive discussion about raising ‘top-up’ fees from their present maximum of just over £3000 per year. In a few years time some universities, including Durham, may be charging much higher fees than that. These points are connected: increased fees are one way for universities to make up for income lost from other sources. Current students need not panic: this will not affect you, though it may affect your younger brothers and sisters, and it seems certain to affect your children – even if this seems a long way off at the moment! Now anyone standing to incur that kind of debt when they graduate will want to shop around carefully. Does the university charging top fees really offer enough in return to make it a good investment? How much more likely are you to get the kind of job that will enable you to pay back your debt? Where the potential student becomes a customer and thinks in this sort of way, higher education becomes a market. The
BALAZS HOLLOS
Some aspects of this policy towards higher education may appeal, but the disadvantages are large and inescapable student, armed with league tables and other information, is in the driving seat, in theory, and each university has to improve what it provides in order to attract customers. The market thus raises standards of provision. This part of it, at least, looks like a Good Thing.
“If education is primarily an investment for the individual then it is no longer a public good ” There are, however, some familiar objections. First, if education is primarily an investment for the individual then it is no longer a public good, justified by producing civilised graduates who put their enhanced capacities at the services of other people and the planet. Second, if Durham (say) charges realistic fees and improves what it offers, perhaps even more students will apply than now. But then the University is in the driving seat, not the student – because the University can pick and choose who it takes. This only changes if Durham can take many more undergraduates than it does now. But, if this happens, future students would lose what a lot of you cur-
Future university prospectuses may market a university ‘brand’ instead of outlining teaching
rently value about Durham – its relatively small scale and intimacy. Third, where you have a market you have commodification, the creation of a brand which becomes more important than the real thing. Just as people buy some items of clothing mainly for their label, it might become more important to graduate with a particular University ‘label’ than actually to be well-taught there. Then it would pay for universities to polish their image and invest in their websites, prospectuses and advertising, to make their brand or label better known. A fourth objection to ‘the market’ is
this: education, it is often said, exists not simply to satisfy preferences, but to shape them. That is, while most providers of goods try to find out what their customers want (or can be persuaded to want) and provide it, education does something different. It says, in effect, ‘you may want to study this, but we think you’d benefit from something else. You may want to go on studying Nazi Germany, which you enjoyed at A-level, and the idea of a module on medieval France may not float your boat. But we think it would do you good. And we should know: we are, after all, the experts on History’.
This objection appeals to university lecturers, partly because it confirms the traditional view of their status, but also because there is a lot of truth in it. What position is the budding philosophy student in to say that she can’t be doing with that scary-looking stuff on formal logic, but Buddhism for Beginners looks a bit more chilled? Still there are dangers here. Perhaps a university might market itself as Reassuringly Difficult, as well as reassuringly expensive. A Hogwarts Higher Education, more or less. Worse than this, such a view might seem to absolve a university from explaining why it teaches what it teaches – the students are in no position to understand, and will have to take it on trust, from the experts. But students can understand good reasons, and explaining their reasons is precisely what universities need to do a lot more. It would help their students to understand just why they are studying what they are. It would help the wider world understand what universities are for and why they matter, and win them more friends and allies against underfunding. We need a ‘market’ in university education that involves more explanation and discussion, and less league tables and image management. This itself would be educational progress. Richard Smith is a professor in the Department of Education.
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PALATINATE Tuesday 26th January 2010
Debate with us on Twitter @PalatiCOMMENT
Opinion Comment
Will the Robinsons’ sorry saga change Northern Ireland? The politics of the much-reported controversy surrounding the First Minister and his wife is a complicated matter
S
he’s no stranger to controversy. Iris Robinson MP - the woman who declared homosexuality a viler act than sexually abusing children – found herself in the headlines once again early in the New Year for all the wrong reasons. For a woman who quotes Leviticus in her theological and moral battle against the liberal attitudes of the 21st century, Iris Robinson seems to hold far softer views on the Bible’s stance on adultery. The Bible leaves no doubt: both acts are hugely sinful in the Christian faith. Yet the wife of Northern Ireland’s First Minister was recently part of an extra-marital affair with a nineteen-year old man. She was 59-years old, at the time. BBC investigations raised further worrying issues: for one, the manner in which Iris Robinson had used her sway with local councils and property developers in Northern Ireland to finance her secret lover Kirk McCambley’s business opportunity in Belfast. Her handling of the finances has also been questioned, since she illegally failed to declare the money and in turn broke numerous governmental guidelines. This moral deviance, if you will, stands in stark contrast to her unshakable views
on homosexuality. The Strangford MP claimed just last year that homosexuality was an “abomination” and that it could be rectified through “prayer” and through finding God. The comments sparked controversy both in Northern Ireland and mainland Britain, and many on both sides of the water will find the latest revelations both disturbing and shameful. However, these allegations will have a greater impact on the Northern Ireland political system than they would have in England.
DUP PHOTOSI
Chris McQuillan
“Voters in Northern Ireland often form a very personal loyalty to their politicians” Ireland holds a reputation as a very spiritual country. Whether this reputation is well-deserved is a matter for another day, but there can be little doubt that religion is deeply ingrained within the fabric of both sides of the border, for better or for worse. The Northern Ireland electorate itself is divided far more by religion – or rather, sectarianism – than by policy. Iris Robinson and her husband Peter are both MPs and MLAs for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). For those unacquainted with it, the DUP is the more extreme of the two large Unionist parties in Northern Ireland. Through de facto association,
Peter Robinson is likely to remain popular amongst Democratic Unionists despite his travails
unionism in Northern Ireland is closely bound to the Protestant faith. Protestants form a large chunk of the DUP’s voting base, and a large swathe may well share Iris Robinson’s views on issues such as homosexuality. Sadly, homophobia is common. However, there are likely to be many who are far less impressed by what her husband has branded “her recent inappropriate behaviour” as it has violated the supposed sanctity of marriage held strongly in Irish Protestantism. The damage doesn’t end there. At time
of writing, after growing calls from within Northern Ireland, the First Minister himself has stepped aside for six weeks while investigations are held into his conduct. His final resignation – whilst by no means guaranteed – may well come in the nottoo-distant future. Alas, politics in Northern Ireland is a curious affair. There are far fewer swingvoters than one would find in local elections in Great Britain, since one’s religious views don’t tend to swing between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The
portions of the electorate who will most loudly criticise the so-called “First Couple” are never likely to have voted for them in the first place. And there will always be die-hard voters who will find reasons – sometimes bereft of logic – to continue their voting ritual. I am acquainted with a gay man who votes without fail for the political party that declares his sexuality to be an abomination. On his Facebook profile, just hours after revelations of Iris Robinson’s suicide attempt were made public, he posted that his prayers were with her. This was no sarcasm or snide remark, but sincere and devout political allegiance that is illogical. Voters in Northern Ireland – whether it is due to the closely-knit sectarian allegiances or simply because of its sheer diminutive stature geographically – seem often to form a very personal loyalty to their politicians: one that can protect them from too much political damage. This is the conundrum of politics in Northern Ireland. Iris Robinson’s revelations will raise questions, and she will certainly not escape punishment. And whilst opposition parties will rip the Robinsons’ malpractice to political shreds, Iris Robinson will remain in the hearts of many as a beacon of Christian righteousness: a woman who “made a mistake”. If nothing else however, perhaps next time she will consider her words more carefully before delivering another damning indictment of many members of our society in the name of Jesus Christ.
There is no end in sight for the ‘war on terror’ after Detroit BENTLEY SMITH
The foiled Christmas bombing sets the sights of the West on Yemen in the next attempt to seem to ‘do something’ James Funnell
“It is a fight against an undefinable enemy, limited neither by space, time nor target”
A
bdulmullatab’s bomb never went off. Yet somehow, its aftershock has reverberated across the world. The narrative of western leaders’ responses to the attempted Detroit plane bombing this Christmas should surprise no-one. It follows the well-trodden path of exploiting the crisis (or in this case, near crisis), reinforcing the fear, and following up with a targeted foreign and domestic policy assault. With regards to the former, we have seen what appears to be the emergence of a new front in the war on terror. The United States (with Britain naturally dragged along in tow) has officially stepped up their partnership with the Yemeni state by more than doubling aid to the country, funding a counter-terrorism police unit, ‘training and equipping security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al-Qaida terrorists’. In other words, a savage dictator is to be supported, air strikes killing civilians are to be escalated, and al-Qaida are to be given a free recruitment drive. Taking his cue from the infamous Anglo-American ‘special relationship’, Brown has even set up an international meeting to discuss ‘extremism in Yemen’
the north-western province of Sa’ada, and placed into overcrowded refugee camps with painfully scarce supplies. UNICEF claim that around a third of the children there are acutely malnourished.
It is hard to say what the next step in the oft-criticised war will be, but Yemen will be key to it
for the end of January, falling on the same day and location as the scheduled London Conference on Afghanistan. Needless to say, the collision of dates is far from coincidence, and sets the stage for official incorporation of Yemen into the wider struggle against terrorism. Although US and Yemeni government rhetoric suggests that intervention is likely to remain covert for the foreseeable future, the escalation and expansion of the war on terror is undeniable. The long-time dictator of the Republic of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is simply the
next in an endless line of brutal regimes to be upheld by the supposedly humanitarian occident. Evidence of human rights abuses abounds. The recent report of the United Nations Committee against Torture cited the common occurrence of extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances, and arbitrary torture, while accounts of Yemeni Human Rights groups state that innocent children have suffered sexual abuse and beatings under the watch of Saleh’s forces. It is estimated that almost 200,000 people, of which 80% are women and children, have been displaced by the civil war in
Such abuses will undoubtedly be aggravated with the expansion of western military and financial support. The US mid-December air strikes in Abyan are a taster of what is to come, and indeed what we have seen time and again throughout the past decade of the war on terrorism: the indiscriminate murder of 64 civilians, in this case including 40 women and children, for the cause of a few alleged al-Qaida terrorists. While politicians and the media continually bang on about geographical safe havens, al-Qaida can secretly rejoice that the US has voluntarily added to its enduring list of grievances against the west through the intensification of its own everexpanding campaign of terror. The domestic front has also taken a further hit with the implementation of counter-productive, knee-jerk counterterrorism policies. The most visible of these is the proposed implementation of new
airport security measures, which fly in the face of both ethical and practical considerations: both full-body scanners and racial profiling are seemingly regressive, and threaten to erode the very foundations of our democracy. It is just another example of a thoughtless reflex policy founded on the false premise that ‘something must be done’. Dangers of subtly creeping across the thin line between freedom of speech and its authoritarian restriction are, of course, unreservedly sidelined. Whether it be calculated neglect or unintentional ignorance, the British government continues to misconceive the root causes of the terrorist threat. James Madison famously stated that ‘if tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy’. It is a fight against an undefinable enemy, limited neither by space, time, nor target, yet constrained within its own parameters to include only those perceived enemies of the West. It is an enemy that cannot be defeated, yet at the same time one which poses a negligible threat to our national security. It is a campaign of fear and coercion and a war against freedom and democracy, ready to exploit every opportunity in the name of the fight against terror, whether it be the erosion of our civil liberties or the fortification of a vicious dictator. The backlash from the Detroit plane bomb plot therefore epitomises the true nature of our war on terror in every possible way.
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17
PALATINATE Friday 26th January 2010
Whatever your game, get into it at palatinate.org.uk
Sport
Sport
Inside: 2012 Olympic hopefuls , future sporting stars to remember and a look forward at this term’s sporting calendar.
Be the best: 2010’s must-have sports gadgets Ellie Ross
FITNESS-GADGETS.COM
FITNESS-GADGETS.COM
FLICKR ID: MAGNUS_D
YONEX.COM
Durham Divas dance their way to success Lottie Linter
Yonex Arc Sabre Slash Z (£159.99)
ARUP Powered Rowing Tank (£100,000)
Already been used to break the world record for fastest smash (414 km ph) this racquet is the figurehead of the 2010 collection and is a must for players who want to play the quickest and most skillful game they can. Weighing only 85g, it is reported to have zero air resistance thanks to its HS graphite composition. Not only this, but the CupStack carbon nanotube apparently improves precision shots. I’m not particulalry sure what Cup-Stack carbon technology is, but I do know that this racquet weighs less than two mars bars. And the price? £159.99. Not bad say we for a racquet which is as light and streamlined as the Yonex Arc Sabre Z slash.
ARUP have introduced a powered rowing tank unlike previous tanks. Current rowing tanks leave beginners unprepared for the use of a real boat, and the more experienced frustrated with the utterly unrealistic features of the tank. When using regular oars in the tank, the London Regatta Centre estimates that rowing in a tank is about 40 times harder than on the river. The tank has rocking motion simulating the water, space for a cox and can be adapted for either rowing or sculling. At around £100,000 to install, it might be a while before Durham University acquires such a beast.
Ideal for all of you Durham Hillwalking Society members, this water bottle, which has been developed especially for hikers and campers, has all of the electronics stored in the lid to avoid the water ruining any mechanisms. The LED light spreads a warm glow throughout the bottle which is perfect when sitting around campfires as it is basically two pieces of equipment: a glorious lamp and a water repository all in one. It could be argued that the Firefly water bottle provides opportunities for spontaneity. Where once potholing or caving in the dark without previous planning would have been ill-advised, the Fiirefly bottle now allows you to make the most of your nighttime hours.
FITNESS-GADGETS.COM
Fireflye Water Bottle (£18)
My water-polo playing friend discovered an item that she insistenly believes will increase stamina in the pool and ultimately make training sessions more fun. The underwater pogo stick allows a variety of ‘water borne stunts to be performed’ which can help tone and strengthen the swimmer. The bouncy ball is weighted with water,thus ensuring it remains on the bottom of the pool. For only £35 it is surely something that both DUWPC and DUSC will want to purchase immediately. For all those lucky people with their own pool at home, and those going on holiday this gadget looks like great fun.
ADIDAS.COM
The best sports gadget without doubt this year has to be the Human Touch Board. Whilst there are many gym based gadgets for skiers, penny-pinching snow boarders have recently been forgotten. This nifty little board, mounted on a plinth ‘pitches, mounts and yaws’ but the Independent claims that it wiggles, but wiggles effectively at three different speeds. As many of us will have realised whilst on various ski trips, fitness levels on the slopes are key. Two 15 minute sessions a day, and you have a toned body, can balance like a pro, and are ready to hit the slopes. It’s cute, tidy-away -easily design will please countless students who have been allocated small rooms in college.
The ‘ball claw makes life easier’. So says the slogan which describes the ‘craze sweeping the nation’. Actually the ball claw does look rather nifty. A plastic socket attached to the wall can grip around whatever ball you choose to throw at it. This little invention will save you valuable time as you no longer have to search every corner of the house for that beloved ball of yours. It is also a safety device as it could help to prevent a nasty fall by tidying up arbitrary balls lying around the house. Although not as exciting sounding as some of our other featured gadgets, its practicality and inexpensiveness make it a very worthwhile investment.
GUYTODESIGNS.COM
HUMANTOUCHBOARD.COM
Human Touch Board (£299)
Underwater Pogo Stick (£35)
Ball Claw (£ 7.99)
Adidas MiCoach (£60)
Tennis Swivel Pads (£35)
The prospect of having a personal trainer clipped to my arm while I struggle through my exercise routine doesn’t strike me with joy. With Adidas MiCoach however, this small black gadget shouts encouragements, yells about the calories currently burnt and barks orders at the user. Online personal feedback is given via the Adidas website about performance and any improvements that could be made. As well as feedback and motivation, the MiCoach also help to keep your heart in the best ‘zone’ for your body type and age. The zones are also used to highlight the optimum effort needed for fat fighting, endurance and muscle building, with the MiCoach alerting you ti you change from one ‘state to the other.’
The Tennis Swivel Pads may look very much like nothing at all, but they represent what being a good tennis player is all about. As the strongest players will attest, a good shot depends more on whole body strength than just that of the shoulders and arms. These pads create a foot base on court, which, full of ball bearings, help to create a smooth swivel when practicing full body shots. The product boasts an improvement in balance, and has instructions to help you release your power from the hips to ensure maximum release. For those wanting to improve both their forehand and backhand topspin, the Tennis Swivel Pads will help Durham players reach their peak in strength.
On December 13th Durham’s cheerleading squad the Durham Divas headed to the ICC University Championships in Leeds. Despite the lack of preparation time, as the coach got lost, the girls pulled off a good routine in the first division of the day, jazz, and set the tone for the rest of the competition. Straight after was the pom division, an upbeat dance which is marked on visual effects, sharpness and energy. The girls had plenty and came off the mat pleased with their performance. After a quick change out of tutus and into cheer gear and hairbows, the more nerve racking cheer section of the day began. The Diva’s first division was group stunt. The group stunt team, made up of flyers Lottie Linter and Lulu Trask, and bases Gemma Gillie, Ruth Perry and Hannah Jenkins, ran on to the mat full of nerves but executed an excellent routine. Despite a couple of small wobbles the relieved five came off the mat very happy. The final and most anticipated division of the day was cheer. This, like group stunt, can be either co-ed or all girl, and is a two and a half minute routine to fast music made up of lifts, tosses, pyramids, standing and running tumbling, jumps, chants and dance. The squads are marked on every single element of the routine, right down to their facial expressions, giving a final mark out of 300. The 25 strong varsity squad ran onto the mat knowing that a term of hard training had led up to that moment. Despite a few mistakes, which are to be expected so early in the season, the routine and stunts went without a hitch and looked very tight and well practiced. The squad picked up 2nd and 3rd place trophies for jazz and pom respectively and were announced as champions in group stunt, just beating local rivals Newcastle,. The best news of the day came as the girls found out they had, by a single point, been crowned national champions in cheer as well - their third national title in four years. The Divas have worked their way towards being known as one of the best university squads in country. However, the squad cannot rest on their laurels this term, as standards are constantly improving in the UK. The girls have just four weeks to improve and polish their routine for the next national event in Loughborough in February, where they are hoping to have an equally successful day.
Tuesday 26th January 2010 PALATINATE
18
Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date Durham sports new and results @palatiSPORT
Sport The next generation
Durham continues proud tradition of Rajvir Rai
We are a month into what is being billed by the government as the “decade of sport”, and undoubtedly the highlight will be the London 2012 Olympic games. Athletes up and down the country
are dreaming of stepping out in front of a roaring home crowd, and for some of the current crop of Palatinates this dream may well become a reality in two years. The 2008 Beijing games saw four Durham students, James Clarke, Alice Freeman, Louisa Reeve and Stephen Row-
botham, who won a bronze medal, make the Great Britain Rowing Squad and join a illustrious list of Durham students to compete at the games so far; a list topped by gold medal triple-jumper Jonathan Edwards and Wade Hall-Craggs. There is great confidence amongst
Team Durham officials that the athletes profiled below will be able to emulate their successful predecessors. Quentin Sloper, Team Durham’s Assistant Director of Sport, said: “If the athletes continue to train hard, remain dedicated and stay injury-free then we are very con-
fident that they can make the 2012 squad. “And if they make the games, then they have every chance of winning a medal”. The last games were Team GB’s most successful to date; let’s hope they can rewrite the history books in front of the roaring home crowd.
Name: Kiera Roberts Age: 20 Subject: English College: University Sport: Fencing
Name: Matt Gunby Age: 21 Subject: Economics College: St.John’s Sport: Triathlon
Greatest sporting achievements? Competing in the World University Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships four times. Representing Britain at Cadet, Junior and Senior level abroad. Being the current Junior Commonwealth Champion. I’m also proud of being BUCS Individual Champion in 2008, coming close second in 2009. I’m honoured to be Senior Sportswoman of the Year in Durham and on the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship.
Greatest sporting achievements? Representing Great Britain at Under 23 Level in Triathlon and Duathlon over the past 2 years, with my highest placing being 2nd at the European Under-23 Championships in 2008.
What would it mean to you to compete at 2012? It would be a great achievement in which I would feel that years of hard work had finally paid off.
What would it mean to you to compete at 2012? Just qualifying for the Olympic Team would be a huge achievement. Competing in the greatest sporting event in the world would be incredible, and having the home support would be unreal.
What would be your aims for 2012? Medals! You cannot aim for anything lower really.
What would be your aims for 2012? Every athlete has to have a lot of self belief. Standing on the starting pontoon I would almost certainly think I had a chance of winning the race.
How many hours a week do you spend on training? 3-5 times a week fencing excluding the weekend, as there is usually a competition on at the weekends, 2-3 times a week strength and conditioning and twice a week I do my own training.
How many hours a week do you spend on training? On average I spend 25 hours a week training (12 swimming, 7 cycling and 6 running). When I turn professional next year, this will increase to around 30 hours a week.
Name: Matt Rossiter Age: 20 Subject: Biology College: St.Cuthberts Sport: Rowing
Greatest sporting achievements? World Rowing Junior Championships, Beijing, 2007; Gold Medal in the Great Britain Coxless 4;World Rowing U23 Championships, Brandenburg, 2008, 5th Place in Great Britain; World Rowing U23 Championships, Prague, 2009, Bronze Medal in Great Britain 8; Australian Youth Olympic Festival, 2009, three Gold Medals in Pair, Coxless 4 and 8. What would it mean to you to compete at 2012? It would be a dream to compete at an Olympic Games and with them being in London, it would be something really special and a huge honour. What would be your aims for 2012? Primarily my aim is to try and get into the team and if I were to achieve that, the aim would have to be to get a medal.
Name: Emily Taylor Age: 22 Subject: Economics and Finance College: Hatfield Sport: Rowing
Greatest sporting achievements? Gold at U23 World Rowing Championships 2009. Team Durham Sportswoman of the Year 2008/9. Bronze at U23 World Rowing Championships 2008, Silver at European Rowing Championships 2008, Bronze at U23 World Rowing Championships 2007. 15 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze medals in BUCS. What would it mean to you to compete at 2012? It would be absolutely amazing. Sometimes training is really difficult but having 2012 as a goal makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning. I had never been in a boat until I came to Durham, and after only 18 months of rowing I won a bronze medal at the U23s World Championships, and since then things have only got better, so to take it one step further and make the Olympic squad would mean so much to me. What would be your aims for 2012? I definitely would be aiming for a medal if I made the team.
How many hours a week do you spend on training? It depends week on week but typically it would be about 18 hours.
How many hours a week do you spend on training? 20 hours including water work, ergos, weights, core and cross training.
How do you balance your degree, sporting commitments and social life? It can be hard to get the balance right - I try to get the training done as efficiently as possible to leave time in the day to get work done and to leave my evenings free.
How do you balance your degree, sporting commitments and social life? It is difficult but as long as I stay organised and plan my day, it can be done. I think it is important to make time to see friends and do something completely unrelated to rowing each week otherwise I would go mad!
19
PALATINATE Tuesday 26th January 2010
Whatever your game, get into it at palatinate.org.uk
The next generation Sport
harnessing top quality sporting talent One must not forget that the university has also produced many outstanding ‘nonOlympic athletes’, and the next decade will without question see the list of famous alumni grow rapidly. Current England and Durham Coun-
try Cricket captains Andrew Strauss and Will Smith, along with Nasser Hussain, who too has captained his country, and wicket-keeper James Forster, are all notable graduates of our fine Centre of Cricket Excellence.
Equally impressive is the fact that former England rugby captains Will Carling and Phil De Granville, and former vice-captain Will Greenwood, are products of an outstanding rugby program that, since 1967, has produced 25 full internationals includ-
ing Tim Stimpson, Duncan Hodge, David Walder and Charlie Hodgson. No one can predict the future, but the students below have the talent and attitude needed to reach the top of their respective sports.
Should you be on this list? If you are a talented sportsperson and believe you should have been profiled, please contact us at: sport@palatinate.org.uk
Name: Holly Colvin Age: 20 Subject: Natural Sciences College: St.Mary’s Sport: Cricket
Name: Sandra Hyslop Age:19 Subject: Natural Sciences College: C’wood Sport: Kayaking
Greatest sporting achievements? Winning the Ashes in 2005 and retaining them in 2008 and 2009. Being the youngest ever cricket male or female to play a test for England. Becoming the number 1 bowler in the World ICC rankings.
Greatest sporting achievements? European Championships Silver Medalist, Sprint event 2009. World Championships Silver Medallist, Sprint team event 2008. Junior European Champion, Classic and Sprint 2008. Junior World Champion, Classic and Classic team 2007. Junior World Championships Silver Medallist, Sprint 2007. Shortlisted for BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2007.
What are your aims for the next few years? To get my first five-wicket haul, and be promoted up the batting order. To take over captaincy at some sort of domestic level.
What are your aims for the next few years? To just keep working hard and improving my game.
How many hours a week do you spend on training? Including fitness, about eight.
How many hours a week do you spend on training? About fifteen hours a week on average.
How do you balance your degree, sporting commitments and social life?’ I’m quite organised so I don’t leave things to the last minute. I went on tour for two weeks during the first term and just took a bit of work with me, and did the rest when I got back. Balancing my social life is hard but luckily I’ve made some really good friends who understand why I don’t go out as much as them.
How do you balance your degree, sporting commitments and social life? My social life mainly consists of my sporting commitments, as most of my friends are paddlers. I do most of my training in the morning before lectures, and in the evening or afternoon when lectures allow. Weekends are spent on white water rivers in the local area or on training camps or races.
Name: James Birch Age: 20 Subject: Geography College: Hatfield Sport: Motorsport
Name: Alex Waddingham Age:20 Subject: Sport College: Hild Bede Sport: Rugby Union
Greatest sporting achievements? European Formula Vee 2009 Champion, 2nd place in 2008 and 5th place in 2007, 2005 Karting NKRA National Junior Championion, Grand Final winner and Southern Area winner.
Greatest sporting achievements? Being selected for the England Students squad for 2009-2010 season. Winning the Durham County Championship Plate in 2008-2009 and being awarded Player of the Season in 2007-2008. Making my first appearance in the inter-squad First Team Sale Sharks match at Edgeley Park in 2006.
What are your aims for the next few years? Hopefully next year I will win the Mid-European Formula Renault Championship and graduate to Formula 3 Europe, with Formula 1 being the final pinnacle. However, if I cannot make it in single seaters I would like to make the switch to touring cars with a look to moving into Le Mans prototype cars. What is your overall career aim? My main aim is just to make a career out of motorsport. How many hours a week do you spend on training? My training started over Christmas with three strength and conditioning sessions. The problem with motorsport is you have to be toned rather than built. I cannot exceed a certain weight, although I must be over a certain weight, and my training is basically a mission to stay within that weight, while building up as much muscle as possible. How do you balance your degree, sporting commitments and social life? On race weekends I’m away Thursday and Friday, however the University is very accepting and I catch up on the work in between races. The week before a race, I have to cut out alcohol completely.
What are your aims for the next few years? To play in the upcoming games against Portugal, Irish Colleges and France Universities for England Students, and to break into the first team at Sale. How many hours a week do you spend on training? Whilst at university I spend about four hours in the gym and another four playing rugby with the first team. I also have to complete extra speed and fitness work so that I meet standards when I return to Sale because the training hours are far more intense. When I’m with Sale over the holidays, I can be training for up to four hours a day, five days a week. How do you balance your degree, sporting commitments and social life? I find it quite difficult - the degree and training are on level ground because it is a crucial year for both my rugby and my work. I’m not going on as many nights out this year and if I do I’m not staying late. However, I’m a nondrinker so I dont have the hangover effects! At Sale I was taking dissertation work to the training ground with me to get on with over breaks.
Tuesday 26th January PALATINATE
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Inside: The future of Durham’s most promising stars and this year’s must-haves in new sports equipment
Durham sport enters the all-important make-or-break period
This term will be important for both university and college teams as they fight to finish as high as possible in their respective leagues DELANEY CHAMBERS
Delaney Chambers
As many college and university teams face promotion or relegation during the upcoming term in the multiplicity of leagues and sports that Durham has to offer, focus turns to the games that will play the largest roles in determining these changes. All matches this term are of crucial importance as the battle for points really hots up. Below is a selection of games that especially catch the eye and will go a long way in determining where both teams end up at the end of the season. College Sport
Men’s Football: 20/02/09 Trevelyan College A v Josephine Butler A (Racecourse) After having been relegated to Division One last year, Trevelyan College AFC are now favourites for the closely watched promotion to the Premiership after an undefeated season. They have already beaten Premiership team Aidan’s in a friendly and drawn with Van Mildert. Trevelyan A and Josephine Butler A were top of the A and B groups respectively in the Division One League. Their game is the one to watch in Men’s football, when undefeated Trevs face Butler, who have only lost one game this season. Men’s Rugby: 17/02/10 Castle A v Hild Bede A (Maiden Castle 3G Rubber Crumb) In the competition to stay in the Premiership are the Castle A and Hild Bede A Men’s Rugby teams, who will be playing each other on the 17th Feb 2010 at 19:30 on the Maiden Castle Rubber Crumb pitch. Neither team has won more than one game so far this season and both desperately need maximum points to improve their chances of staying in the college rugby Premiership. Women’s Hockey: 30/01/10 Hild Bede A v Josephine Butler A (Maiden Castle Water) Current contenders for promotion into the Premiership, Division One leaders Hild Bede A, Chads A and Josephine Butler A are scheduled to play each other this second term. Having only lost once, Butler are one place off the top spot with a game in hand, while Hild Bede’s only loss in the league was a walkover defeat to John Snow A, and their only defeat came in the knockouts at the hands of Collingwood A, who are in the Premiership. Butler must look to beat Hild Bede in their late January clash if they wish to keep up their push for the top spot.
Action from Trevelyan’s Men’s Football A’s match against their Grey counterparts: expect all matches this term to be that little bit more competitive at both college and university level
University Sport
Men’s Rugby Union First XV: 17/02/10 against Newcastle Firsts (Away)
Men’s Football Firsts: 17/03/10 against Leeds Seconds (Home)
Women’s Lacrosse Firsts: 27/01/10 against Manchester Firsts (Home)
The Men’s First XV play local rivals Newcastle on the 17th February, looking to advance ahead of them in the Northern Premier League. Earlier in the season Durham narrowly lost at home to their neighbours 10-13 and will definitely be out for revenge. With the bottom four teams in the league having won just three games each all year, the Palatinates know a win will go a long way in such a competitive league. Defeat in this match will drag the squad into a relegation battle that they do not want to be a part of. With local bragging rights and Premiership status at stake, this clash of two closely-matched teams is going to be hotly contested.
The Durham University Men’s First Team clash with the University of Leeds’ Seconds, who currently lead the league, on the 17th March 2010 just after the British Universities & Colleges Sport Championship. Durham’s Men’s Firsts, currently in Northern League Three, need to finish first above Leeds in order to be promoted. Currently in second, Durham’s only loss in the league was a 1-4 defeat away to their title rivals. With this being the last game of the season, the Durham men will not only be looking for revenge, but will also know that if they can maintain their winning ways this match will also decide who will gain promotion.
In the last Women’s Lacrosse clash of the season, Durham face Manchester’s Firsts at home. Durham’s position in the Northern Premier League will be determined by this last game. They are currently in second, having only lost two games this season. The last time these two teams were up against each other was last November, a game in which Durham won 19-3, and the women have only lost one game since, to league leaders Birmingham. If they win their game against Manchester, they will finish second in the league.
Some teams are nearing the end of their seasons, and some still have a term of games left, but there is no doubt that this is the term in which titles are won or lost. It is games like these that will either make or break the hearts of many; only time will dictate which one will come to be. For a full list of college and university games, please see fixtures on the Team Durham website at http://www.teamdurham.com. The league position of university teams can be found at http://www.bucs.org.uk. Please note that due to weather and other factors, games are subject to change of time, place, and venue, as well as cancellation, at short notice. The information provided here was correct as of 16th January 2010.