720

Fairtrade’s Father Richard Adams

A league of WitTank thrill Edinburgh our own?

St John’s alumnus on ethical business

All the best from The Fringe

University rankings

indigo, Stage

PALATINATE

Palatinate, News Features

Palatinate, Profile

The official student newspaper of Durham Students’ Union since 1948

Tuesday 5th October 2010 | Edition 720 | palatinate.org.uk MARTIN DORSET-PURKIS

College expands as University takes on extra student places

First Folio returns

The first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays returns to Durham twelve years after its theft Page 3

Facebook hits exam results

Jack Battersby

St. Mary’s College has welcomed 40 additional students as part of a government-led initiative to strengthen the higher education sector.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) invited the University to bid for additional places for students studying subjects deemed ‘strategically important and vulnerable’, including mathematics and foreign languages.

Although the University has been aware of the additional numbers since mid summer, the final decision on which college would take on the new students was not taken until early September.

This followed a period in which a number of alternatives were explored, including the use of Ushaw College, a seminary for Roman Catholic priests connected to the University.

The students will take up residence in Houghall College, a former agricultural training centre located opposite Maiden Castle.

Speaking to Palatinate, St. Mary’s Principal Philip Gilmartin defended against criticism that the additional students would not be able to take a full part in college life.

“For us it’s very exciting that they’ll have an opportunity to come to Mary’s. The best way to give these students the full Durham experience is to place them under one college. This is not just an administrative error – it’s part of a planned process.”

One of the smallest colleges in the University, the 2010-11 academic year is the first time that St. Mary’s received more applications than available places.

The accommodation at Houghall boasts an impressive range of facilities, including a digital television for each of the five floors, well-equipped pantries and communal living space.

Students will have the choice of eating breakfast from a canteen at Houghall or making the 15 minute walk to Mary’s enroute to lectures. Lunch and dinner will be served from the college canteen only.

“As a JCR we’re really excited to welcome the new freshers. The extra numbers will benefit our clubs and societies, boosting our performance in sports,” said JCR President Emily Warburton-Brown.

Newsbox

Psychologists conclude that students who use Facebook whilst studying risk 20% lower grades Page 4

Market Square revamped

Council invests millions of pounds upgrading Durham City’s pavements and roads Page 5

World university rankings

Vice-Chancellor Chris Higgins defends the University’s performance against international rivals Page 6

DUCK takes Durham students around the world on charitable expeditions. See p5 for the officer’s column.

University invests £48m

Building work begins on a new Law school and student services hub Mei Leng Yew

Work on the University’s £48 million Gateway project began last month, following two years of consultation with students, staff and local residents.

The development is situated along Stockton Road by the existing Science Site and will feature the Palatine Centre, which will incorporate student services, an extension of the Law department and a major addition to the Main Library.

The Vice Chancellor is particularly hopeful that “our new Law School will build on our renowned academic strengths”. As the University’s law department is ranked 8th

by The Times and 22nd by The Guardian, after Lancaster (14th) and Queen Mary (3rd), it is no surprise that Higgins regards the development as “central to Durham University”.

However, he is also keen to emphasise

that the Gateway project is not an expansion of the University but “a reconfiguration” of existing facilities.

“Over the past 150 years our Durham City estate has expanded in a somewhat ad-hoc fashion. The scheme as a whole takes advantage of an under-utilised site to provide a coherent, high-quality new development.”

The site was a former mine shaft and home to a number of diseased trees and unoccupied residential buildings. However, once the Gateway development is complete, the currently divided Law department will be united under one roof while the numerous student services that are at present scattered across Durham City will be brought together.

The premises vacated by the move will either be redeveloped or sold to the benefit of the local community. Already, 14-15 Old Elvet has been sold to One North East, the soon to be scrapped regional development

agency (RDA) responsible for sustainable economic growth in the North East of England. Old Shire Hall has also been sold to the RDA who are considering converting this grade II listed building into a boutique hotel.

Meanwhile, the relocation of the Law collection from Palace Green Library will make available a space that can be dedicated to publicly-accessible exhibitions. The University intends to display permanent artefacts and works of interest, such as the recently recovered Shakespeare First Folio, as well as hosting visiting collections.

The former Almshouses situated on the approach to Palace Green will also be transformed into a World Heritage Site visitors’ centre which will open during Easter next year, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Durham City gaining status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Continued on page 5

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Friday 8th Oct, 6pm @ DSU (Fonteyn Ballroom)

indigo

Not quite ready to let go of the summer? Read on for all things travel, festival and more

Is fashion superficial? i8

Tuesday 5th October 2010 PALATINATE

2

Editorial Favourites, letters, corrections and editorial

PALATINATE Hello, hurrah and well done!

C

ongratulations. You’ve made the best decision of your life. No, not by inadvertently offending that Oxbridge don mid-interview (tut-tut).

Nor by the coin landing heads rather than tails, meaning you directed the Volvo north rather than nosing it down south to Bristol.

Yes, you might have already exchanged simmering, across-the-table glances with your future spouse at last night’s formal. Or ventilated a few crotchety, below-the-belt jibes at your future business partner in the lunch queue. But that is nothing that a hasty annulment or bitter and fractious feud can’t cure.

No, I’m talking about a decision of far greater import. A vessel built of very different timber. Far beyond the frills and fripperies of Fresherdom. For at this very moment, curled within your trembling and inexplicably unsteady grasp, is something else entirely. Forty heaving pages, curved and chiselled just for you and bearing such an exotic, courtly sounding name: Palatinate. All those round and bouncy vowel sounds stirring journalistic urges you never knew you had.

Perfectly natural. You are as genetically primed for such things as any other.

One trembly, uncertain mass of Fresher bestriding the cobbles and smiling at anything with a pulse. But how is one, you cry, to navigate through the overpowering forestry and leafy thickets crowding the path to success at Durham?

Relax and breathe deeply – it is simple.

No peak-gazing careerist worth their stinging tongue or iron fist can hope to machete their way to the top without a fortnightly helping of Palatinate. It has everything you could want of a student newspaper. Not so much a student rag as a bespoke, plushpurple, gold-buttoned vestment for the gentleman or lady reader.

We like to think we accommodate sir or

madam’s every need. No whim or flight of fancy is too troublesome a task. Palatinate is very much the latest fashion in all-in-one journalistic appliances. A readerly covering to trouser your every shank and limb.

Satisfying whatever need might happen to spring upon you, whenever such a need occurs.

Sporting a shade of purple that is, I’m told, ticking every box from London to Paris this year, Palatinate is first and foremost a fashion accessory. Co-ordinating well with scruffy jeans and that unbuttoned, rumpled shirt of an indistinguishable check, it is the perfect extra something to model across Elvet Bridge or have carelessly unfurled over a coffee and croissant when between lectures. Our special design is notoriously adaptable, able to be tucked, folded and bent into any shape and dovetailing delightfully into most high-street handbags or off-the-shoulder luggage wear. Café, lecture hall or college, this is a newspaper that is never out of place.

But we don’t stop there. Beneath the shiny and comely exterior lies a periodical unmatched in serious, edifying earnestness. We don’t subscribe to the rules of the marketplace. We’re a brand-leader. Unlike other outfits, here at Palatinate we don’t think a voluptuous, knee-weakening exterior guards against true journalistic soul.

Beneath this muscular and massy frame lies a sensitivity rivalled by none. However, back to the paper…

From every department on campus, we handpick and train the brightest and the best to create an editorial board of sculpted beauty and burgeoning talent. Diversity is the name of the game. Before you lies an indecent array, a gaudy excess, of textual joy to gauge and slurp on at your leisure.

Binge or nibble, sip or gulp, the choice is very much yours.

Whether you want News so hard hitting

you need medication to read it, fanciful and frothy Features or the excoriating and fist-pumping polemic of Comment, every shade and verbal stripe queues patiently inside for your attention.

We pride ourselves on all-round appeal.

There is no one Palatinate reader. From the muddy sportsman checking the latest leagues, the goateed trombonist savouring a quick skim between orchestra and jazz band or the bespectacled Union member refreshing knowledge of the latest moves in Slavic theology before the Friday night debate – all are welcome.

There really is no use to which your copy of Palatinate cannot be put. We can liven up lectures, get you top marks in tutorials and unite you with life-partners.

Matchmaker, educator, comedy-store, organ of debate, dispute and downright verbal deliciousness, we here provide round-the-clock service for you our loyal reader. No season or time, no problem or query, is too trivial for us to handle. Every cobble and comment in Durham life is seasoned, salted and dished up here. From Vice-Chancellor to Van Mildert, Klute to kickboxing, all conceivables are taken care of. Gift-wrapped and delivered to your door. Completely free and published every other Tuesday.

What more could you possibly want?

Able to be scooped up and digested at every good Durham college, university library, DSU or Elvet Riverside. Truly, no Durham degree is complete without it.

To have your say on anything featured visit palatinate.org.uk

05.10.2010 No. 720 Contents Palatinate News pages 3-5 News Features pages 6 Politics page 8 Careers page 10 Profile page 11 Comment pages 12-14 Sport pages 17-20

indigo Features page 3-5 Food page 6 Travel page 7 Fashion pages 8-10 Film and TV page 11 Stage pages 12-13 Music page 14 Books page 15 Games & Photography page 16

Favourites Politics page 8

Labour’s leadership

- MR

A quick thank you to all those who have helped us both immensely with preparing for the fresher’s edition; Danny Dyson, Jack Battersby, Daniel Johnson, Rosie Boscawen, Sophie Zeldin-O’Neill, Thom Addinal-Bidduph, and Alison Moulds!

- AB

PalatiTV (Multimedia Team) FLICKRID: VIDEOCRAB

This year we are launching our brand new Multimedia channel.

The contest to end all contests Careers page 10

Getting ahead

That means we need your help.

We are looking for: Directors Head of Filming Section Editors Presenters If you would like to get involved email:

multimedia@palatinate.org.uk Web Editors

Deputy Web Editor

Web Section Editor

We are looking to add to our Web team in the forthcoming term.

The Deputy Web Editor will work with our current Chief Web Editor in sorting out the technical aspects of the Palatinate website.

Our Web Section Editor will be responsible for looking after main paper content on the website.

Good technical knowledge is needed.

Sport pages 17-20

College sport

Web Team If you would like to get involved in the Palatinate team, then we are looking for:

Durham graduates in business

If you are interested contact: editor@palatinate.org.uk

A new season of college sport begins

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

Editors-in-Chief Matthew Richardson Ally Bacon editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editor Rosanna Boscawen deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editor Jack Battersby news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor Dan Johnson news.features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Lucinda Rouse Rachel Aroesti Hugh Anderson-Elliot deputy.news@palatinate.org.uk Queens’ Campus News Editor Lea Georgeson queens@palatinate.org.uk Politics Editors David Wynne-Griffith Huw Silk politics@palatinate.org.uk Careers Editor Rachael Revesz careers@palatinate.org.uk Profile Editor Kirstyn Wood profile@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editors Thom Addinall-Biddulph Alexandra Bottomer comment@palatinate.org.uk Sport Editor Richard Lowe-Lauri sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Ed Dove John Burn-Murdoch Hugo Morrissey deputy.sport@palatinate.org.uk Indigo Editors Daniel Dyson Sophie Zeldin-O’Neill indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Alison Moulds features@palatinate.org.uk Food and Drink Editor Lydia Ashby food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor Jess Jones travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor s Antonia Thier Emma Spedding fashion@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Tamara Gates visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Film and Television Editor Madeleine Cuff film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editors Kathy Laszlo Lyndsey Fineran stage@palatinate.org.uk Music Editors Olivia Swash music@palatinate.org.uk Books Editor James Leadill books@palatinate.org.uk Games Editor Jon Zhu games@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub-Editor Lisa Paul sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Section Sub-Editors Kayleigh Brandon, Mei Leng Yew Chief Web Editor Chris Wastell web.editor@palatinate.org.uk Illustrations Editors David Drysdale Claire Coombes illustration@palatinate.org.uk Photography Editor Quin Murray photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editor Rob Burgess deputy.photography@palatinate.org.uk Publicity Editor Jo Rowley publicity@palatinate.org.uk Multimedia George Stafford multimedia@palatinate.org.uk

3

PALATINATE Tuesday 5th October 2010

For more news visit palatinate.org.uk

Durham News

Rachel Aroesti

he First Folio, which was stolen from Palace Green Library in 1998 has finally been returned to Durham University.

The folio, the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, was returned to the university after the conviction of Raymond Scott, aged 53 and from Washington, Tyne and Wear. He was convicted of handling and removing the copy of the Folio from the country, and was jailed for eight years.

£1.5m

News in brief DURHAM UNIVERSITY

Shakespeare’s First Folio returns to Durham T The estimated value of the book even with the damage to it

DURHAM UNIVERSITY

He was cleared of stealing the Folio.

In 2008, Scott presented the Folio unannounced at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C., which houses 79 copies of the book. Scott denied theft or handling stolen property, insisting instead that he had discovered the book in Cuba.

In a recent BBC documentary, Scott claimed the book had been in the family of an ex-bodyguard of Fidel Castro for generations and that its value had never been known. The Folio is regarded as one of the most important books in the world as it allowed Shakespeare’s work to be available to the public for the first time.

County Durham vulnerable to spending cuts Rosanna Boscawen

FLICKR ID: @NICKY COLMAN

After graduating from Durham , the majority of students will head South for employment

book home to the when it eventually goes on display.”

Dr Sheila Hingley (pictured), Head of Collections at the University described the return of the Folio, the only source of many of Shakespeare’s plays, including Macbeth, as “one of the best days of my life.” The University will consult with experts to find the best way to rebind the book. The Folio will go on display in a new exhibition facility at Palace Green Library in January.

Two North East academies get the go-ahead Hugh Anderson-Elliot

Two new academies in Stockton and Durham have recently opened, as part of the coalition’s scheme to fast track schools ranked ‘outstanding’ to academy status.

North Shore Health Academy and Thornaby Academy both applied for academy status last year and operate under sponsorship from the NHS and Teesside University respectively.

Although newly opened this September, both the Thornaby and North Shore Academies are old style Labour academies.

This involves initial set up with the help of a sponsor, after which funding can be obtained directly from the government, by-passing the local school boards and councils.

Conservatives have argued that there is a desire within schools throughout the country to have greater autonomy and more control over the curriculum, a significant motivator in the creation of North Shore Health Academy.

Using the expertise of the NHS sponsor, its website describes the curriculum as delivering a “science specialism, with a strong focus on health and well-being, and sport”.

Shotton Hall School has been a specialist arts college since 2002, and has a strong focus on the performing arts. With academy status it too will have the power to further specialize its curriculum, as well as control over teachers’ pay, the length of terms and of the school day.

There have been only 16 applications nationally for the creation of new ‘free schools’, despite over 700 groups registering an interest.

Labour has described this as “laughable”, questioning whether it is worth the hundreds of school building projects which have been scrapped by the coalition under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

FLICKR ID: CONSERVATIVEPARTY

County Durham’s inability to cope with economic cuts is partly responsible for the decision of many Durham students to move to the south after graduating.

The Experian study, recently commissioned by the BBC, shows that County Durham and Sunderland are among the most ill-equipped districts to withstand future economic cuts.

With almost one in three people employed in the public sector in some parts of the Sunderland, Durham and Darlington districts, the percentage of jobs at risk is far higher than in the south and the economy is weaker as a result.

A significant proportion of Durham stu-

dents move to London after graduation because the relative strength of the economy makes it a more appealing place to live.

“There are far more opportunities jobwise, and also the social life is much more vibrant,” said one Durham finalist.

In an interview with the BBC, Andrew McLaughlin, chief economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland, emphasized the that “the private sector will respond”, but there are fears that there are not enough private sector jobs to support the economy or keep unemployment levels down.

The strength of four areas – business, community, people and place – was tested in the study that placed Durham 276 in a table of 324 districts across the nation.

concerns over loss of value. “It doesn’t make much difference, we’re not going to sell the book, it’s part of Durham University’s heritage.”

Chancellor of Durham University Bill Bryson said: “Shakespeare’s First Folio is arguably the most important book in English literature. It is fantastic that Durham’s copy is coming home at last.

“I look forward to joining everyone in welcoming this wonderfully important

Andrew Telford

As one of the perks of membership of the prestigious Oxford Union, students are being offered a discount of up to 10% at local sex shop, listed as one of the ‘Treasurer’s Treats’ on the society’s website.

Members of the famous debating society, founded in 1823, are able to get their discount by “flashing” their membership card.

It comes as part of a scheme designed to encourage members, many of them students at the University of Oxford, to use local businesses and receive a discount.

But the inclusion of a sex shop on the list, which primarily includes restaurants and bars, has been criticised by some members who claim it is offensive and undermines its women’s initiative.

In defence of the scheme, Union representatives said that the discount was one of 63 included in an arrangement that gives members a better deal overall.

The partnership is about to begin its second year of operation.

One source told the Daily Telegraph: “It’s incongruous with the image of the Union, its prestigious history and the list of great and good who have spoken there.”

Degree result challenged in high court

Dr Sheila Hingley, Head of Collections at the University, described the return of the Folio as “one of the best days of my life”

The Folio was later identified as the stolen Durham copy by the book’s measurements and a handwritten note reading “Troilus and Cressida”, unique among the 231 known Folios. The title leaf had been removed and the binding cut off, believed to have been in order to disguise the Folio.

Durham University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Higgins, described it as “like someone going to the national gallery and slashing a Constable” but dismissed

Sex shop savings for Oxford Union members

Lyndsey Fineran

A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast is challenging his degree result by taking it to the high court.

Andrew Croskery of Northern Ireland, who obtained a 2:2 in electrical engineering is attempting to overturn his result, claiming if he had received better supervision he would have achieved a 2:1. Croskery had allegedly been denied his right to appeal against his classification by his university because he had already graduated from Queen’s this summer.

The case is currently adjourned while it is determined whether the courts should have jurisdiction on such a matter. A decision is expected next month.

Students rely on money from parents to stay at university Jamie Sherman

A recent poll has revealed that the number of students relying on money from parents and other relatives has dramatically increased in recent years.

The survey of 3,863 undergraduates living in England found that 47% of those asked received financial help from family and friends. It also showed that some 60% of those who receive handouts from relatives would not be able to complete their degrees without it.

NUS President Aaron Porter warned that “for many students, the money they receive from family and friends is the difference between going to university or being shut out”, fearing that poorer students might be left behind.

Think you could write a great investigative feature?

Want to gain experience of journalism?

Email news@palatinate.org.uk Education Secretary Michael Gove

Tuesday 5th October 2010 PALATINATE

4

Durham News

National News

Andrew Willard

Martin Dorset-Purkis

“Martin; I’m going to apply for this, and you’re going to apply for it with me” announced Kate, bursting into my first year Collingwood room with a poster she’d just plucked off the wall. “I see”, I replied in the polite but self-preservative tone I’d adopted sometimes during Freshers’ week.

Not ten minutes later, she’d talked me around and I was filling in the application form to the 2008 DUCK expedition to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Nine months later, Kate and I were standing atop the highest free-standing mountain in the world surrounded by 25 of the most incredible people I know, having helped to raise over £30,000 for charity.

I’ve now graduated but am spending the next year working for DUCK, so it’s something of an understatement to suggest that DUCK has influenced my time at Durham. If you ask around though, it won’t be long until you find a sizeable group of people who would say the same. One of the reasons why DUCK is able to raise almost £60 per undergraduate each year is that it has spread its wings so well. There is literally something for everyone.

If expeditions to far off lands are a little ambitious, some have opted instead to stay closer to home and attempt to climb the highest three mountains in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours. It’s cruel to pigeonhole ducks, and I haven’t got space to do it here even if I wanted to. The best way to get a feel for what DUCK is, what we do and indeed how you could be doing it, is to come speak to us. We’re constantly looking for help to put on, promote and run events but otherwise keep your eye out for my weekly yellow and black emails or visit our shiny new website at duck.dsu.org. uk for details of everything coming up.

20%

The average grade drop experienced by students who used Facebook while studying

Professor Kirschner, of the Open University in Holland, said, ‘while people may think constant task-switching allows them to get more done in less time, the reality is it extends the amount of time needed to carry out tasks and leads to more mistakes’.

A quarter of the sampled students who used Facebook conceded it had a detrimen-

Researchers have found that students who use Facebook while they work, are likely to face an average grade drop of 20%

tal effect on their studies. Durham students seemed similarly unsurprised to hear of the study’s findings.

One student from Josephine Butler College said, ‘If I give myself three or four hours

Daniel Johnson

Tuition fees could be replaced by a ‘graduate tax’ under proposals outlined by Business Secretary Vince Cable earlier this summer, as part of a higher education funding rethink.

Cable argued that variable graduate contributions are the “only possible way forward” in ensuring the sustainability of higher education funding, adding that students will “almost certainly have to pay more”.

The Business Secretary said he had asked former BP boss Lord Browne, who is leading a review of higher education funding set up under the previous government, to look into “the feasibility of variable graduate contributions.” The review is due to publish its report this autumn.

Under a ‘graduate tax’ system students’

fees would be paid by the government to universities. Graduates would then pay a higher rate of taxation.

Despite receiving criticism from the University and College Union (UCU) and the Russell Group, the Business Secretary insisted that the proposals for a graduate tax are “progressive”.

Mr Cable criticized the current system of funding, arguing “If you’re a school teacher or a youth worker you pay the same amount as if you were a surgeon or a highlypaid commercial lawyer. I think most people would think that’s unfair.”

However, UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt described the idea as “an exercise in rebranding” and attacked the government for trying to “get the public to swallow higher fees as some sort of graduate tax.”

National Union of Students’ (NUS) President Aaron Porter welcomed the idea,

James Hubbard

Whether this is your first time in Durham or you’re now practically a native, there are reasons for joining SCA. With a long history of volunteering in the community, SCA’s broad range of projects offer something to suit everyone’s tastes and skills. SCA’s uniquely student-led, student-focused approach means that your project is built by you and for you.

Welcome to all freshers! SCA offers you the opportunity to get behind the scenes in the city, meeting and helping a massive range of people. We’ve got interesting, enjoyable projects that you can easily fit in around other commitments.

A welcome back to all seasoned Durhamites! SCA is a unique place to put something different on your CV. Whether considering a career in teaching or banking we can help give you that extra boost.

Voluntary work has been part of the Durham student experience since 1989.

We aim to cater for your needs, placing you somewhere convenient and relevant. Want to find out more? Email us at community.action@dur.ac.uk or find us at DSU level A.

to study, I probably spend half an hour of that time flicking between Facebook and my work’.

Of the 219 sampled students, the grade point average measured on a scale of zero to

Support grows for the graduate tax

FLICKR ID: BISGOVUK

SCA Column

S

labelling it a “fair and sustainable alternative to the broken and discredited system of tuition fees”.

Higher education funding is a politically sensitive issue for the Liberal Democrats: prior to the election their MPs and prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) pledged not to raise fees in this parliament.

Second year Castle student William Clement described Cable’s suggestion as “a poor compromise compared with the Lib Dems election campaign promise to abolish tuition fees.”

Meanwhile, incoming Labour leader Ed Miliband has campaigned to scrap tuition fees and replace them with a graduate tax.

Despite surveys indicating that as many as two-thirds of students oppose graduate contributions, it would appear that the tax is gaining significant support from across the political spectrum.

Uni prof fined £155 for early departure Jack Battersby

University philosophy professor Martyn Evans was asked to pay £155 to leave Darlington station after getting off his train one stop early.

Prof Evans had bought three advanced first-class singles to cover his journey from Durham to London, on to Birmingham and back to Durham.

Doing the maths

£3,290

Current level at which tuition fees are capped for the year 2010-11

1-2%

The potential extra tax that graduates would have to pay once the leave university under the proposal

2/3

Proportion of students opposed to the graduate tax. Source: totaljobs.com

£7,000 The Business Secretary Vince Cable, speaking at London South Bank University this summer

four was 3.06 for Facebook users and 3.82 for non-users. The full results will be published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour.

DURHAM TIMES

DUCK Officer’s Column

tudents who use Facebook while they study risk a significant drop in their exam grades, psychologists have suggested.

A study of students at an American university concluded that those who use the social networking site while they work, even if only intermittently in the background, face an average drop of twenty percent in their marks compared to those who do not.

Researchers argue that their findings cast doubt over claims that young people are proficient at multitasking on electronic devices. Users are likely to have Facebook, their emails and instant messaging programmes all running simultaneously. This leads to carelessness in their work according to Professor Paul Kirschner, the research paper’s author.

ROBERT BURGESS

Facebook hits students’ results by 20%

The rumoured level to which tuition fees may rise under recommendations by the Brown review. Source: Sunday Times

Peeved Prof Martyn Evans with his ticket

After deciding to get off at the last stop before his final destination, station staff demanded he pay the full price of a ticket from Birmingham to Darlington.

Prof Evans said, “Like most people, it did not enter my head that I was in default of the terms and conditions by getting off the train early.

“Anyone would understand that you’d be liable to pay extra if you stayed on the train too long. The whole process made me feel like a wrongdoer from the start and that disgusted me more than the money itself.”

An East Coast spokesman said: “The terms and conditions of the Advanced Purchase First Class ticket, which Professor Evans had used, clearly state that breaking a journey en route, or starting from an intermediate station, is not permitted.”

However, East Coast have since cancelled the excess fare he was charged “as a gesture of goodwill”, accepting the Prof Evans made “a genuine mistake” in breaking his journey.

5

PALATINATE Tuesday 5th October 2010

Follow us at www.twitter.com/palatiNEWS

Durham, national and columns News

Durham City celebrates a summer of change

DSU President’s Column

From pavements to pubs, millions of pounds are being invested to bring the historic capital of the North into the 21st century

Sam Roseveare

JACK BATTERSBY

A Facebook group called ‘Say NO to Durham County Council taking the Horse out of the Market Place’ attracted over 4,500 members

Sarah Ingrams

A

surprise awaits newly-returned students in Market Square; the famous statue has been unveiled in its new location following renovation.

The sculpture, depicting the 3rd Marquis of Londonderry astride his horse, was revealed to the public in an official ceremony on 10th September.

Since its removal in October last year, the copper-electroplated statue has been transformed. The previously corroded, green horse and rider have been restored to their original colour. Installed in 1861, the sculpture commemorates the colliery own-

er famous for building Seaham Harbour.

The 11 month long renovation work was carried out by conservator Rupert Harris, a consultant to English Heritage, and his team. Mr Harris said: “With regular maintenance, there’s no reason the statue shouldn’t stand for generations to come.”

Third-year Hild Bede student, Alex Larkin, said: “it’s nice to see it returned to its former glory and central to the future of Durham town centre.” But despite the positive reaction to Lord Londonderry’s new appearance, his relocation remains a controversial issue.

A protest in August 2009, allegedly the biggest in Durham’s history, was organised

by the City of Durham Trust in response to Durham County Council’s proposal to relocate the statue. A petition collected 6,000 signatures and a Facebook group called ‘Say NO to Durham Council taking the Horse out of the Market Place’ attracted over 4,500 members.

The Trust argued that moving the equestrian statue 26 metres to the south-west would diminish its status: “The proposed new site will leave the tall statue side-lined, a bystander looking down over a barren Market Place.” The permission of the Secretary of State had to be granted before work could begin.

The relocation of the statue is part of

Durham’s Heart of the City regeneration project which intends to rejuvenate the city centre over the next four years. The creation of a larger event space in Market Square is hoped to increase visitors to the city, at a cost of £5.5 million.

The other statue, of Neptune the Roman god of the sea, has also been removed and is awaiting installation at its new location at the end of Sadler Street.

Although the Sadler Street road improvements will not be completed until 13th November, the road will be re-opened for freshers’ week to allow vital access. The town centre works are due to be fully completed by March 2011.

Welcome to Durham! My name is Sam Roseveare, and I am the President of Durham Students’ Union, or DSU. Every student at Durham is automatically a member of Durham Students’ Union and uniquely in the Higher Education Sector – it won’t cost you a penny.

DSU is Durham Students’ Union, your Union. It is the representative body for all Durham students: lobbying and campaigning on issues that concern you, providing services such as the Advice Centre and the Accommodation Office, supporting over 150 student societies and an awarding winning Charities Kommittee (DUCK), publishing a newspaper (Palatinate) and broadcasting 24 hours a day through Purple Radio, it is the largest venue in Durham, with the best balcony in the city – all in one building, Dunelm House.

Durham Students’ Union is not another College, nor a JCR. Instead, it is all of the colleges and all of the students speaking with a unified voice to represent you. Your Union is run by students, and it is your input that defines your Union, so get in touch with the Senior DSU Rep on your College Exec if there’s something you’d like to see DSU doing.

The Freshers’ Fair on Tuesday and Wednesday of Freshers’ Week is your chance to see the range of societies and activities that we have on offer in Durham – come and get involved! We also host the Durham University Freshers’ Ball later on in October and the Freshers’ Bop in the first week. Don’t forget to check our website at www.dsu.org.uk for the latest information about everything that’s going on in your Union.

Durham students elect four officers to work full time and run the Union on a day to day basis. You are more than welcome to come visit us in our offices (on level A at DSU) at any time – come and have a chat, or alternatively phone or email us!

I hope you have a fantastic time in Durham, and look forward to meeting you soon!

ALLY BACON

Work on the Gateway project is expected to be completed by September 2012

Continued from front page

This is a move that has been welcomed

by Durham City Council, which has been working with the University and the Cathedral to support the development of the City’s tourist economy.

Councillor Neil Foster commented, “The jobs which will be created by the University’s investment could not have come at a better time.”

Nonetheless, University students will not benefit from the Gateway project until its expected completion date of September 2012.

A city celebrates

The refurbished New Inn comes complete with an updated food menu, University rowing memorabilia and a new beer garden

25th

The anniversary of gaining UNESCO World Heritage Site status, Easter 2011

13

Grade I listed buildings in the city centre, including the Castle, Cathedral and St. John’s College

Work on Saddler street will be completed by late November

Riverside Cafe’s floor has received a much-needed makeover

Tuesday 5th October 2010 PALATINATE

6

World University Rankings

Want to get involved with investigative journalism? E-mail news.features@palatinate.org.uk

Durham receives mixed reviews in international rankings DURHAM UNIVERSITY

‘Durham difference’ is a term frequently used by the University, but as 2010’s international university league tables place Durham below many of its national rivals, Palatinate asks, are we as exceptional as we are led to believe?

The university hopes that a new Havard-style Law school will improve the student experience as well as Durham’s international reputation

Daniel Johnson

A

recently published international league table has placed Durham below over fifteen of its national counterparts, including Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham.

The QS World University Rankings placed Durham 92nd, behind a number of less prominent British universities. Although improving on last years performance, the university was well outside the top 50 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

“In many cases an academic is no better placed to judge the quality of teaching than a man on the street”

Evidently, this is in stark contrast to the plaudits received in national university rankings. The discrepancy between as high as fourth best university in the country and as low as 92nd in the world in this globalised economy could be viewed as cause for concern.

Unsurprisingly, the university’s media office has a slightly different take on the rankings, instead claiming: “These international successes rounded-off a landmark year of recognition for the University with

systematic rises up all major UK league tables.”

In an interview with Palatinate, Steve Chadwick (Director of SPCU in the Strategic Planning and Change Unit) was unequivocal in his explanation of Durham’s relatively poorer showing internationally.

“The further you move away from facts to people’s perceptions, the worse Durham tends to do.” Chadwick was deeply critical about the methodology of international tables for being “heavily based on perception” and for using “incredibly crude” methods of measuring different universities.

Mr Chadwick also suggested that Durham is significantly disadvantaged simply by the nature of the city itself. Whilst people, he argues, “may not have even heard of Durham, they have certainly heard of the University of Manchester. It is three times our size, it is a well known city and it has a football team.”

Despite obvious differences between the two, which may have an impact, in the QS rankings Manchester is over 60 places ahead of Durham, something that may come as a surprise to students.

This is not a phenomenon that is unique to Durham: it has been commented in the Sunday Times that St. Andrews and LSE also “inhabit surprisingly low ranks in the worldwide tables” and at the same time universities “that failed to do well in the domestic rankings have shone much brighter on the international stage.”

Phil Baty, editor of the new THE rankings, boasted that their methodology represents “a new level of sophistication” delivering their “most rigorous, transparent and reliable rankings tables ever.”

Mr Chadwick on the other hand was

deeply critical, alleging: “There is a sort of quasi-professionalism about these tables when academics are asked to rate the quality of teaching in a university the other side of the world.”

Chadwick called upon the academic community to take the international tables with “a pinch of salt” adding, “in many cases an academic is no better placed to judge the quality of the student experience of teaching than a man on the street.”

Whilst his comments may seem slightly extreme, it makes you question why the university celebrates being in the top 100 of a table that has a methodology with which they so profoundly disagree.

The university did not denounce the new international tables’ methodology for being “heavily based on perception”. Instead, a university press release welcomed the new rankings as showing that “Durham University has further cemented its position among the world’s leading universities after a second successive international rankings guide placed Durham firmly in its Top 100.”

Durham’s vice-chancellor Professor Chris Higgins, said: “It is good to be recognised by both national and international league tables as one of the very best universities around.” This press release made little mention of the university’s apparent disagreement with how the international tables are compiled.

It is hardly surprising that the university is trying to enhance its status and brand, spinning each league table in a way that gives Durham positive press. It is also the case that the university has been steadily climbing the national league tables and is firmly in the top ten of several rankings.

However, it is hard to imagine the university mentioning league tables so much if they gave a less favourable appraisal of Durham’s performance. For instance, in the most recent press release there is no mention of the Guardian University Guide, which placed Durham 17th in the country.

Perhaps the marked discrepancy between different tables points to one conclusion: our obsession with league tables as a method for rating students from different universities does not always reflect reality, and it is far from an exact science. When applying to university, league tables influence students’ choices perhaps too heavily.

“It is hard to imagine the university mentioning league tables so much if they gave a less favourable appraisal” Ultimately, students can achieve what they want at university and in employment on their own merits, not simply because the university they attended five years ago has scored well in the latest university league tables.

University rankings undoubtedly have a role to play as in invaluable indicator and clearly Durham is faring well in national league tables, but the furor surrounding the release of each table seems to marginalise the impact that students can themselves have on their future employment opportunities.

Durham in numbers

92nd

Durham’s position in the 2010 QS World University Rankings 2010

£48m

The amount being spent on the new Gateway project

4th

Where Durham is placed in the Independent Complete University Guide

2020

The year by which the university hopes to break into the world’s top 50

17th

Durham’s position in the Guardian University Guide, the methodology of which has been criticised by the university

In a league of our own...

Vice-Chancellor Chris Higgins

Those of us who have been privileged, like me, to have been a student at Durham University will understand what a genuinely distinctive university community we have.

The education we offer through our outstanding departments and colleges, to some of the most able and motivated students from the UK and around the world, helps students reach their potential and succeed in whatever they choose do in life.

Whatever we think of league tables, they are important for our students. The better our reputation and the higher we are in league tables, the more value is added to your degree with employers and others.

In the three key UK league tables, which draw on robust data from verified UK sources including the National Student Survey (NSS), Durham is now ranked firmly in the UK’s top four comprehensive universities, along with Oxford, Cambridge and University College London (the top six if one includes the single Faculty London Colleges Imperial and LSE).

Of course, there is always more to do but we are investing heavily in worldclass facilities, even at a time when Government cuts are being imposed. For example, new sports facilities in Stockton and Durham are to open shortly, and a major library extension, new student services centre and prestigious law school are due for completion in the summer of 2012.

The UK league tables are based on factual data but such data are not available for universities around the world.

Thus, international league tables are always more variable and, we all have to admit, can be spurious.

Nevertheless, we should celebrate the fact that Durham is one of the fastest movers upwards, going from 103 to 85 in the most influential THE World league table. Durham’s strategy clearly outlines our ambition to be in the world’s top 50 by 2020 and we are well on our way to achieving this.

The world league tables are based in part on perceptions from people around the world. These criteria clearly favour large universities in well-known cities (especially those with world-renowned Premier league football teams). This is why some large, metropolitan universities flourish above the educational opportunities the NSS demonstrates they actually provide, as size is sometimes assumed (wrongly) to be an indicator of importance or quality.

What is most impressive and, most important for our students, is that we are in the 2010 Top 25 world ranking by 5,000 blue-chip global employers for the demand for our graduates. This is truly impressive for a small University.

The impact of our research already reaches across the globe and is internationally-leading across many academic fields. In space science and astronomy, for example, we are rated number 1 in Europe and 4 in the world.

We all, staff, students and alumni, have a responsibility to keep raising Durham’s international profile and advancing ourwherever we go to ensure the world knows what a special and distinctive university Durham is.

8

Tuesday 5th October 2010 PALATINATE

Read more of our Politics blogs at www.palatinate.org.uk

News and Information Politics

Politics Brother against brother - the recent war of attrition

National, local, student political news From the UN to the DSU

Ed Milliband received the support of 50.6 per cent of the vote in the head-to-head against his brother David. The brothers qualified for the final round under the Alternative Vote electoral system following the eliminations of Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and Diane Abbot.

Here Callum Totten, the chair of the Durham University Labour Club, assesses both the race and the future of the Labour Party.

E

d Miliband will attempt to shift the Labour party in a direction away from that of his brother, whilst also trying to avoid potential splits.

The Labour party leadership has been an unusual contest by the conventional standards of internal party elections. Quite aside from the fact that the two front-runners were brothers, it has also been a remarkably long campaign - taking almost twice as long as the elections for either Nick Clegg or David Cameron.

The rationale behind this decision to have an elongated election campaign seems to be a reaction against the negative impact of the non-election of Gordon Brown. In contrast to that occasion, when there was a fundamental failure to engage in a discussion about Labour’s future, this election has enjoyed a more diverse field of candidates.

This spirit of renewal explains the decision to lift the restriction on new party members voting in leadership elections, a decision which means that around 32,000 votes in the members’ section of the ballot comes from entirely new members.

A more positive but equally unusual aspect of this election has been the positive fashion in which it has been carried out. Negative briefings often associated with these types of elections – for instance, conniving catchphrases such as ‘Calamity Clegg’ – have been notably absent.

Yet there has certainly not been a lack of

serious policy debate between candidates.

The Iraq War, which for many defined New Labour’s time in office for good or (more often) for bad, has been important throughout. Two of the candidates identified themselves as anti-Iraq from the outset; Diane Abbott and Ed Miliband (of the two only Abbott was outspoken in her criticism). David Miliband and Ed Balls both used the benefit of hindsight to declare the war a mistake, although both still stand by their decisions based on the evidence put to them at the time. Only Andy Burnham still believed the war to have been the right decision.

Of greater significance for the future of the party is the debate surrounding the speed of deficit reduction. This debate has revolved around whether Labour should

“The campaign has seen a rejuvenation of thinking which Labour has lacked for many years...” stick to their manifesto plan to halve the deficit in four years. Ed Balls focused his campaign around the economy, arguing that even Alistair Darling’s plan to halve the deficit in four years was too hasty. Instead, he claimed that Labour must fight for jobs and growth and that this can only be achieved through continued public spending – we must not, he argues, repeat the mistakes of the 1930’s. In contrast, David Miliband stuck to Darling’s plan while his brother Ed was less precise about his time-

table for deficit reduction. The economy will be crucial for the new leader, as they have precious little time before the October spending review to present a credible alternative to the coalition’s cuts. The evidence seems to suggest, however, that the public backs Labour’s economic stance; according to a Populus poll in mid-September, 75% of those polled believe that the coalition is cutting too much, too soon.

In the longer term, Labour must reshape its model of political economy. Again, this will be a question of choosing selectively what to preserve from New Labour. The general recognition is that Labour was too reliant on the financial sector and that the banking collapse was not just one sector’s failure, but the failure of light touch regulation as a whole. There is also a consensus on higher taxes on banker’s bonuses and on high earners. Conversely, the basic principle of New Labour, that private sector economic growth is the best way of improving the opportunities of the worst off in society, still holds true with all of the candidates, except Diane Abbott.

The contest has also dug fertile ground for new progressive policies. The contest’s competitive nature has brought innovative policy suggestions to the fore. All candidates have supported calls for a living wage of £7.60 an hour and for an end to unpaid internships, building directly on New Labour’s minimum wage. These are policies that could do much to improve the lives of the poor while not forcing them to rely on benefits or tax credits. Andy Burnham’s National Care Service ensured that the elderly get appropriate care and David Miliband’s mansion tax plan advocated a progressive land tax.

The greatest challenge for Ed Milliband will be reconnecting with the electorate.

New Labour was remarkably successful at

DAVID DRYSDALE

Callum Totten, Chair of the Durham University Labour Club, analyzes the Labour leadership campaign

The two brothers went head-to-head in one of the most engaging contests of resent years

marketing itself, primarily through close media ties; these led to the party becoming dangerously disconnected from voters’ concerns by the end of their time in power.

This unpopularity has been reflected in Ed Miliband’s recognition of New Labour’s mistakes on civil liberties, which distanced people from their government, and was seen most clearly in David Miliband’s emphasis on re-establishing Labour’s roots in local communities’ organisation. It should not have been a surprise that David Miliband (wrongly labelled the ‘Blairite’ candidate) was endorsed by traditional ‘lefties’ such as Jon Cruddas and Dennis Skinner, unless one still believes that these tradi-

tionalists are 1980s-style, anti-capitalist, class warriors. The truth is that Labour’s real roots lie in the community organising of the trade unions and in co-operative societies. Time will tell as to whether Ed Miliband can reflect these policies.

The contest has seen a serious reflection on New Labour and also Labour’s more distant past and while there is far from agreement among the candidates, there is an emerging consensus about the tasks that lie ahead for the party. There will undoubtedly be a serious reckoning, but the campaign has seen a rejuvenation of thinking which Labour has lacked for many years – and which gives them hope for the future.

Coalition craze: parties across the planet merge for a majority FLICKRID: DECCGOVUK

Alexandra Bottomer & Thom Addinall-Biddulph

In recent years there has been a move by political parties in many countries towards the centre ground, most notably here in the United Kingdom. Voters everywhere seem to feel that their principal parties are becoming increasingly similar.

Look at today’s Labour and Conservative parties. They disagree mostly on policy details and not always on those, a sharp contrast to the difference between the distinguished left-wing Militant Tendency of Michael Foot’s Labour and the right-wing, union-smashing Conservatives of Margaret Thatcher in the early 1980’s.

“There has been a move by political parties in many countries towards the centre ground...”

The upshot has been that voters have less to choose from between the major parties, leading to two effects that make hung Parliaments more likely. One is that votes may be spread more evenly between major par-

The political tribalism of the eighties has given way to greater middle-ground consensus

ties. This was evident in the Australian general election, with Labor polling 50.12% to the Liberal/Nationals’ 49.88%. Moreover, the 2006 midterms in the United States saw the Democrats and Republicans both emerge with 49 seats in the Senate.

The other is the rise of smaller parties.

In the UK, we have the first Green MP and

general advances by the BNP and UKIP, whilst the USA has the burgeoning Tea Party movement, and in the Swedish Parliament the far-right Swedish Democrats have twenty seats for the first time.

Thus, hung Parliaments are becoming more likely, as the global economic crisis leaves voters confused about which party

offers them the best chance of recovery.

The UK has got its first hung Parliament in thirty-six years, and first coalition government in sixty-five years, whilst Australia has its first hung Parliament since 1940.

Australia has, however, gone down the route of minority government, whilst we have chosen a coalition, a decision that has completely changed the British political landscape. In Australia though, one side of the political divide is inherently, a coalition, the Liberal-National coalition.

This is a common arrangement: Italy has right and left coalitions, as do several European countries. Canada’s incumbent Conservative party came together in 2003 out of the old Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance. Indeed, in the 1980s, we had an opposition coalition: the Alliance, made up of the Liberals and the Social Democrats, which merged in 1988 to become the Liberal Democrats. So coalitions are nothing new; they are common in many nations, though equally alien to others, such as the US. Do they work, or is minority government better? Coalitions can give undue influence to a party with a small percentage of the votes. An example is the Yisrael Beiteinu party in Israel, which got 8.99% of the vote in 2006, and which is now in coalition with Likud. The party is hard-line, and can make life difficult for Likud if it concedes

too much ground to the Palestinians. Germany’s Free Democrats got 14.6% of the vote in 2009 and are now Angela Merkel’s coalition partner. It works in Germany, however, by virtue of their fruitful economic position. By contrast, Italian governments rarely last long because they are so unstable, another charge against coalitions.

However, minority governments may find it hard to achieve anything if the other

“Coalitions attempt to ensure that a wider range of views are represented...” parties are all implacably opposed to their policies. They also have to face the fact they do not have the majority of voters’ support, though that can also happen to majority governments: the Conservatives got a higher proportion of the vote in 2010 than Labour did in 2005. Coalitions ensure that a wider range of views are represented, which can lead to compromised policies that are less divisive than individual parties’ plans. Will this political experiment work?

Only time will tell.

10

Tuesday 5th October 2010 PALATINATE

News and Information Careers

Careers Tips and Tricks from the Top

Tom Davies

Get your applications skates on well before Christmas.

Michaelmas term is a very busy one for you as well as for employers who are looking to recruit you for graduate and intern jobs.

Durham is targeted by many organisations as a source of students like you who are highly intelligent and broad ranging in skills, gained from societies and college activities.

Many closing dates for public sector, commercial organisations and charities are before or just after Christmas. For example, Civil Service Fast Stream (mostly 30 November but some as early as 18 October), JP Morgan (7 November 2010), Cancer Research (opening recruitment in November 2010), Local Government National Graduate Development Programme (10 January 2011).

Therefore you need to give considerable thought as to how you can balance your very important degree assignment deadlines alongside making effective applications. It can be said that quality is more important than quantity; however, don’t pin your hopes on only one or two applications. Employers are often telling me; “Get your Durham students to sell the skills they clearly possess, as in an increasingly competitive job market, if they don’t, students somewhere else will.”

Durham City 49 New Elvet Durham DH1 3PF Tel: 0191 334 1430 Fax: 0191 334 1436 careers-advice@durham.ac.uk Queen’s Campus Stockton 2nd Floor Ebsworth Building (in IRC) Thornaby Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6BH Tel: 0191 334 0204 Fax: 0191 334 0204 cas.stockton@durham.ac.uk Term time opening hours: Monday-Friday (10am-5pm) If you fancy writing for the Careers section or have any queries and questions for Tom Davies, email us at: careers@palatinate.org.uk

A career at Rolls Royce?

Palatinate interviews a Durham graduate who spills the beans on how to get ahead Rachael Revesz

Every fortnight Palatinate will be asking a Durham graduate to dish their career dirt.

This edition we asked Claire Lewis, 22, a former physics student from Collingwood College, to tell us about her graduate scheme at Rolls Royce.

Were you worried about the lack of graduate jobs as a student?

I was worried, yes, but I was really lucky.

I did a ten week summer internship with Rolls Royce and was offered a job at the end of it. Internships are a key experience when it comes to filling out your application.”

“Internships are a key experience when filling out application forms” Can you tell us about the two non-engineering graduate schemes that Rolls Royce offers?

The first is Professional Excellence which trains you to be a specialist in your field – that is what I do. The other is looking towards Leadership – five years training to become a manager. Both schemes offer a combination of placements in varied locations and “real jobs”. “ How would you describe your job?

I work in developing the supply chain. For example, I look at the costs and how I can

Many finalists will be starting to apply for places on graduate training schemes like Rolls Royce

reduce them. I have to make sure that processes are working correctly and report to my seniors. I start work on a new project every three months.”

Where are you based?

In Derby. New graduates can spend up to a year and a half – 8 placements – moving around before they are posted somewhere indefinitely. I’m going to Bristol next. “

“One of the most prestigious companies in the world...”

– you don’t necessarily need a science degree. They recruited over 200 graduates on a global level this year – they’re one of the few companies who are not cutting down on employees.”

So why choose Rolls Royce?

Starting salary?

Between £24-33 k.”

What are Rolls Royce looking for?

You need a 2:1. Languages, geography, law

As a graduate you get immense support, good guidance and proper training. You are treated with respect and, best of all, you are working for one of the most prestigious companies in the world.

The trials, tribulations and triumphs of an intern

A bad first impression isn’t the end of the world...even in pharmaceutical advertising Claire Davidson

My summer internship journey began with another, non-metaphorical, journey. That is, the return flight from my family’s Easter holiday. While I was stuffed into the back corner of the plane with a picturesque view of the back of my Granddad’s head, my Mum was at the front, chatting to the lady next to her about – of course – me.

Or at least, my Mum thought she was chatting about me. She was in actual fact talking about a mythical or imaginary daughter who coincidentally also studied English at Durham and was looking for a summer internship. But that is where the similarities end, as this mythical daughter apparently had a strong interest in scientific and technical writing, a field which I had never seriously considered.

Nevertheless, when my Mum gave me the email address of her seatmate, whose pharmaceutical advertising agency ran a summer internship program, I was more than willing to seize the opportunity. And as I had done a lot of biology and anatomy in high school, I thought I might be able to pass myself off as at least semi-literate in scientific terms. So I listed my exams on my CV alphabetically with biology at the top, and emailed it off.

FLICKRID: DONNAGRAYSON

Seek one to one help and advice from the Careers Advisory and attend presentations by employers, as well as talks by careers staff on CV and application form writing. Look out for our emails on events and vacancies; they offer you the information, encouragement and incentive you need to getting started on finding your dream career!

The latest news in the graduate jobs market Advice from the Careers Advisory Service

FLICKRID: JONLARGE

Tom Davies, from the Careers Advisory Service, will be giving us top career tips each fortnight.

Follow us on Twitter @palatiCAREERS

Despite common perception, degrees can offer considerable training for the job market

And then, probably due to the seniority of the employee who referred my CV rather than my clever alphabetical gambit, I was offered the internship. Thus, having stumbled into the job, I stumbled into the office on my first day a mere forty-five minutes late, having been caught in a massive traffic jam, missed both my intended train and my back-up train, and then in desperation torn off my high heels and run a mile barefoot and at top speed. As I walked into the intern office, sweaty, probably smelly, and hideously embarrassed, I clung to the thought that, having begun so inauspiciously, every-

thing and anything after that would seem a mere trifle.

I was more or less right. While the first few days were fairly awkward, no amount of uncertainty over how to write my first report or who to go to with my silly questions could ever equal that awful first impression.

After the first week or so, the awkwardness faded away, and I began to experience agency life in all its glory.

Although interns were required to do tasks which I came to call “BS Projects”, we were also given the opportunity to observe and participate in most aspects of the

company’s day-to-day operations. Through observing countless meetings, I learned all about medical advertising strategies and the logistics of targeted campaigns, and became something of an expert on Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia and Gastro-Intestinal Stromal Tumours.

But I think the most important part of my summer learning experience was the way in which it made me aware that my degree course, contrary to popular belief, is a great preparation for the so-called real world. I discovered that the English department’s tutorial system is excellent for familiarising myself with the way corporate meetings work. For example, there was one man present in many of the meetings I attended who reminded me of certain characters in my tutorial groups: people who like hearing the sound of their own voice and do not have anything useful to add to the discussion. The looks of extreme impatience and distaste shot at this man every time he spoke were, I’m sure, exactly the same as those I have seen on my classmates’ faces in many a tutorial. There is only one difference between my experience of corporate meetings and University tutorials: the swearing. And I’m sure I can handle that.

Tell us about your own work experiences at careers@palatinate.org.uk

11

PALATINATE Tuesday 5th October 2010

Check out our archive of interviews at palatinate.org.uk

Profile The original ethical entrepreneur Richard Adams

Interviews Profile

Look inside the minds of today’s big movers Interviews with those shaping the world

Kirstyn Wood talks to the Father of Fair Trade about the role faith plays in his career, studying Sociology at St John’s, and how he aims always to keep life and business both ethical and environmentally friendly.

Kirstyn Wood

able to me - it’s given me an inlet into the way people think in different cultures.

KW: Before we start, what is the question that people most often ask you?

KW: At what point did you realise that ethics was a subject largely overlooked in the business world?

RA: Why can’t the fairtrade mark do a mark for dairy products in the UK? Why can’t the success of the fairtrade mark be extended to home-grown or locally-sourced stuff? The answer is that it would greatly confuse the message - the mark is about international development. What confuses me is why the mark isn’t so much seen as a strong example to follow. It requires people in those areas to see the possibilities and make the move. It’s been done in forestry and fishing. It is being done elsewhere.

KW: So, to begin with, your memories of your student days at St John’s...You did a degree in Sociology at Durham, why Sociology?

RA: Well it sounds trite but it was chosen for me. I actually applied to do the Social Studies Degree- the lowest of the low- you hardly needed to get any qualifications for it. I got a letter from John Rex saying he was starting a new honours course and was I interested in ‘upgrading’ to it, which I duly did. He was conducting a kind of semiMarxist social experiment- bringing all sorts of people from different backgrounds into one course at Durham together... we were guinea pigs. It was a sort of 60s thing that was growing rapidly then. It was fairly well established academically. It wasn’t as if it was new. Weber etc, had been working on it in the 19th century. It was seen as a sort of way to create a new society without the old strata of class. The other, not incompatible, view was that it would reshape the world.

It was a tool that any self-respecting radical should have in their tool box! Our first tutorial taught me that if we became social workers John Rex would regard himself as an outright failure.

KW: Do you have any regrets about your time here?

KW: Do you feel that it has continued to bear relevance in your career or has it become merely decorative on your CV? RA: In my career, no, in my life, yes. I tend to distinguish, I don’t say I’ve had a career, I’ve had a life. I’ve found my degree useful for living, not for work. I’ve been fortunate in that I can steer the work that I do towards and in line with the values I have. I have enjoyed everything I’ve done and that to me is what’s important - you have to enjoy what you do! I don’t split my life into work and career. Sociology has be immensely valu-

KW: Did you immediately see your opportunity to change this precedent? Or was the development of the concept of ‘fairtrade’ a gradual process?

RA: Yes, right from the beginning I thought you had to build in a value system to business. But generally, in the 80s, ethical values were becoming more prominent. I’d been running a small business from the grassroots up, I didn’t have a lot of corporate baggage to carry around with me. It was therefore easier to be more radical because you didn’t have a corporation to wrangle with.

KW: You are the Father of Fairtrade- did it frighten you that you were pushing a concept that nobody had ever thought of previously?

RA: It wasn’t that people hadn’t thought of it- people had. The idea of trying to provide aid through trade had been around for a little while. It might go back to the late 40s.

The first was set up in Holland in the late 60s- it was happening on the continent in parallel with ere and in the 70s we began to recognise we were doing the same thing.

With decolonisation and the changes in world economics it was realised that it wasn’t just politics that was required to seek world justice, there was an economic dimension too.

KW: What role did, and does, your faith play in your career?

RA: Well it’s hard to draw a distinction, but it’s clearly quite influential. What you believe really needs to drive every facet of your life. If you can, and I think most can, you need to reflect your values in every aspect of your life - how you work, spend, save and so on. My belief and my faith have

KW: You made your first foray into the literary world in 1989 with ‘Who Profits?’ What was that book about and why did you write it?

RA: It was a story to date, it was autobiographical. An account of the 10 or 12 years that I’d been involved in putting Tearcraft and Traidcraft together.

KW: Since then, one of your other works ‘The Global Consumer’, has become the textbook of consumer guides to products from developing countries. How does it feel to effectively have set the moral standard for a whole swathe of the business world?

RA: That’s probably over egging the pudding- after I left Traidcraft I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. If I made the decision to leave I felt I would find something. Writing the book I found that corporate ethics was becoming bigger and wider and being interpreted in different ways by different people and I wanted to establish a research group to look into how companies should behave to establish a better world, I suppose. It was an analysis of how consumers could reflect in their purchases, their belief in ethical business practise.

KW: What is the most offensive aspect of the business world’s continuing disregard for trade standards in your view?

RA: Over the last 20 years the importance of environmental impact and the effect on the world as a whole has become quite important to me and that’s linked to the sense of what individuals can do about it and what we have to do about global equityour consumption of finite resources. What we do in terms of technology and so on- the way we live generally in Western civilisa-

up vegetarianism?

tion is as if we’re drawing on the resources of 2 or 3 planets- that’s not sustainable. We can’t do that. We have to urgently come to terms with our patterns of living and that involves all sorts of things- the type of food we eat, energy, travel and so on. It’s implicit in much of how we live that the economic system is designed to ignore much of these issues. We don’t have the incentive to buy products that will last longer. My main concern is that we haven’t realised we need to have a fundamental change. Change is achievable but only through a general, global, mass, realisation.

Vegetarianism is essential- I do advocate it. I think more people are looking at it but we’re not all going to change overnight. It’s a gradual process. It makes sense in so many ways; food resources last, we all eat healthier and cheaper food, sustainably.

KW: Two in three UK households now regularly buy Fairtrade. Students are quite short of money, most of the time, and there is a perception that Fairtrade products are slightly more pricey than others. What would you say to encourage students to buy your products?

People have to come to terms with the fact that the standards of living we’ve achieved may have to be scaled back to allow for international justice.

I’m fairly pessimistic about this subject. It’s difficult to say what will bring this change about. I won’t say that we’ll have a series of massive international natural catastrophes which will bring the population down to a manageable size so we can start again!

We will just be forced, perhaps, over a very long, very slow, very painful process, over hundreds of years to come. There isn’t going to be an overnight transformation.

We’ve got too many conflicting objectives in world economics today and we’ve got too many people who strive to maintain and improve their standard of living. I fear there will be a great deal of pain along the way. As an individual you have to do what you can where you can.

RA: I suppose the thing is to shop around.

Fairtrade is, like other things, very much a lifestyle choice. I’m sure that you’re absolutely on the bread line then you’re always going to buy the cheapest and be absolutely frugal. But students no more than anyone else behave like that- you behave according to your perceptions of value. If you buy a premium lager why will you eschew Fairtrade products? People are not consistent in the ways they spend their money. I am often humbled to find people on very low incomes spending their money to support Fairtrade. The other thing is you must look around in supermarkets- branded chocolate and coffee is all about the same price as Fairtrade, it’s really at the low end of the market that you find cheaper products.

All the advertising that brands spend on is given to the farmers with Fairtrade. If you compare branded coffee tea or chocolate with a Fairtrade product, there’s virtually no difference in price.

KW: What have your experiences and your opinions on the subject of climate change led you to conclude about human nature?

KW: Of more than 2000 Fairtrade product lines, which would you recommend as the easiest for a student living in Durham to incorporate into his or her daily life, at little extra expense?

There are immense pressures on people to go along with the main stream. It’s very difficult for people to break out of that.

But with every generation people do break out of that- we are capable of reform and change, it just isn’t happening with the sort of magnitude that we need for change at the moment!

Twenty years ago I became a vegetarian, not for issues of animal welfare but because it seems an incredibly wasteful way of generating food- 12lbs of grain for 1lb of beef. People find it very difficult to fight ingrained food habits.

RA: Tea. And teabags. You can get very good value in both those lines. Bananas are good for healthy eating, they may be slightly more expensive.

KW: You would advocate that we all take FAIRTRADE WEBSITE

RA: It’s hard to think of any, I made friends that I still have - the majority of my close friends are from Durham days. My wife and I met there and we have that in common. Looking back, you realise it was immensely privileged compared today in a way, because I realised you could manage to get through the term on my grant and there weren’t any tuition fees. Three meals a day, seven days a week and you had money left over. I left college with no debts whatsoever and having had a really good time.

Our beds were even made for us! Don’t think my bedder did it, but some bedders even did sweeping, dusting and washing up coffee mugs!

RA: Initially I was focussing on getting a business off the ground. Towards the end of my time at Traidcraft - we’re now talking about 12 years post-Durham - that was the time when I thought to generalise business ethics.

found expression in my practical day to day activities. I’ve done his for the most partand this isn’t open to a great many peopleby starting businesses which reflect on my values. For some this will be maximum financial returns, for others this will be a commitment to personal. For me it was trying to make the world a better place. As Marx has said- philosophers have interpreted the world, the point is to change it. Mine was a Christian perspective but a fairly well thought through one.

KW: The Independent once listed you as one of the top 50 British people who have made the world a better place and you received an OBE in 2000 for your services to ethical business. Would you say you are a role model for all those who do not know for sure what they want to do as a career but know they want to make the world a better place?

RA: I felt that it was possible to have a view about how to bring a little bit more equality and justice in the world and that I was able to do that- so, yes, I’m an example. The opportunities to do that are no less than they were forty years ago, so go for it.

KW: Nobody is perfect. What is the most unethical thing you did yesterday?

RA: Probably things that I didn’t do rather than things that I did do- ummmmm- I’m thinking hard! I’ve got a petrol lawnmower- I drove into our nearest town to get a newspaper but I was dropping my wife at the doctor’s so that’s kind of justified. I put some slug pellets out for our vegetables- it’s not environmentally friendly and I had real qualms but I just couldn’t face the environmentally friendly alternative...

Tuesday 5th October 2010 PALATINATE

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Comment Analysis

Comment From the Union As I write this column in the week before our Freshers arrive, the Union Society office is already packed with students organizing socials, booking trains for speakers, arranging debating workshops, and checking whether Domino’s has a limit on the number of pizzas you can order in one night –thankfully the answer is no!

There’s a fantastic atmosphere of excitement and enthusiasm about the year, and what the next few months will hold.

To kick off the term, we are going to welcome our new members in unprecedented style in 24 North Bailey Club.

The free, all-inclusive Freshers’ Drinks welcome party is a great opportunity to meet people, chat to our exec, and enjoy 24’s signature cocktails alongside plenty of Domino’s pizza.

Our Friday Night debates begin on the 8th of October with the ever-controversial question “This House Would discriminate against privately educated pupils.” This debate is open to everyone.

As well as our traditional line-up of expert speakers, we are also introducing new emergency debates from 8pm, where you can join in (or just watch) as our students tackle the week’s most important or amusing questions.

The debate continues with some of the most important issues in modern life as we ask whether the West has a duty to impose democracy; if abortion is a fundamental human right; has the new atheist movement gone too far; and should size-zero models be banned. As ever, we offer unique debating coaching whether you’re a beginner or a potential World champion, starting at our Monday Night Novice Workshops.

As ever, the term is packed with a great variety of socials. At our ‘Night of Devilish Sin’ you will be instructed in the art of wine tasting before trying out your newly acquired skills on 24’s cellar.

Other highlights include the student favourite Hallowe’en party, our exclusive Venetian Ball in Lumley Castle, and our free members’ XXX-mas party - a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek way to celebrate the festive season.

We are also offering trips to Murrayfield rugby and the Durham Brewery at incredible prices. Tickets for all our events are available now in our office, and are already selling fast!

The Union’s members are responsible for its success, whether debating, organizing sponsorship, or just joining us for the parties.

This year we want to make the Union as accessible and open as possible, and we hope that you’ll take every opportunity to come to events, join the debates, and make suggestions for where we can improve. I can’t wait for the term to begin and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. www.dus.org.uk

Our writers discuss topical matters This edition: are benefit cuts necessary?

Languages teaching needs a major overhaul

Our writer proposes how modern languages lessons can be made more useful and relevant Niall Oddy Analysis

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uch media outrage was directed at the state of foreign language learning in schools following this year’s GCSE results. Various comment pieces expounded the many negative consequences, but they barely touched on the possible solutions, proposing vaguely to make lessons more interesting and mooting the idea of making languages compulsory at GCSE once more. This comes no way close to fully addressing the challenges of the declining study of foreign languages. Complaining without offering credible alternatives is unhelpful at best and futile at worst.

The resolution to this problem lies in Key Stage 3: get pupils hooked then and they will choose to pursue languages at GCSE and maybe beyond. So what should be going on at Key Stage 3?

To answer this question we need to consider why teenagers are rejecting languages. Ask them and they tend to give similar responses: they’re too difficult, they’re boring and they’re not useful are the most common. We can dismiss the third: it doesn’t matter how many excellent reasons there are to study languages, droves of young people are not going to pursue something they regard as boring and difficult even if they accept it as useful.

So forget trying to tell teenagers about how important foreign languages are and focus on changing the perception that they are boring and difficult.

Because that’s all it is, perception. Languages are not objectively boring. Languages are not objectively difficult.

The key is confidence. How many of us took a language to GCSE or A Level but rock up in that country unable to utter a word? We learnt our irregular verbs and we memorised a speech about healthy living but we’re in a supermarket in France and our voices fail completely, locking in even a simple merci, reducing our oh so

SPEAKER’S CORNER

Freddie Myles hates: the Edinburgh Fringe

eloquent selves to smiling, nodding, silent fools. All that embarrassment because all those years of language teaching did not give us the confidence to express ourselves.

Of course, you can change the content of languages at Key Stage 3 to make it more interesting (let’s listen to Spanish pop music!) and you can make it seem less difficult, but tweaking what is taught is a flaccid response. Altering how languages are taught is the way forward.

KNITTYMARIE

Anna Holt

Debate with us on Twitter @PalatiCOMMENT

“Language teaching should use the language almost all of the time ” Language teaching should try to ignore English as much as possible and use the target language almost all of the time, even at Key Stage 3. I spent this summer teaching English in Moscow and I didn’t use a single word of Russian in my lessons, not even the classes for beginners. ‘Doesn’t abandoning English make learning languages more difficult?’ some of you ask.

Yet, having to use German in a German lesson forces everyone to have conversations in German and makes them think, ‘Hey, I just spoke German successfully,’ thus increasing their confidence. And the more confident you feel about something, the less difficult you perceive it to be.

A communicative approach to language learning, whereby the focus is not on learning grammar rules and memorising paragraphs for oral exams but on how to communicate in the real world, does wonders for confidence and is more interesting in itself. As such, listening and speaking should be privileged in the classroom at the expense of reading and writing. There obviously needs to be some room for these skills (especially in homework) but lesson time is precious, and listening and speaking exercises with real-life contexts are the best ways of improving linguistic ability and confidence.

Confidence encourages language

H

aving lived in Edinburgh for twenty years and having worked at the fringe festival for the past four, I’ll hazard to make a judgement on it. My declaration? A bloated and complacent mess of cultural nonenities.

There will always be numerous exceptions to this slightly priggish dismissal. In the Roxy Arthouse or in some late-night drunken showcase shafts of light will mercifully appear. Beyond the fringe festival, in the book or jazz line-ups, I plead ignorance. It is towards the collection of comedians and other performers who dominate the streets and newspapers that I direct my attack. This milieu, concentrated around the larger venues, displays a disappointing lack of intelligence or artistry.

As part of this year’s job I had contact with a number of performers, many of them well reviewed and sold. What struck me was these individuals’ lack of knowledge about the frameworks of their shows.

A particular low point was the “surrealist genius” who after humming and haahing revealed that this Buñuel name “rang a bell” (“he made films?”) and that he really liked the melting clock man. Which was nice. More examples of this kind of embarrassment; the youth crime ensemble who suggested parents may be important in a

Empty languages classrooms are a common sight around the UK, but this could be changed

learners to take risks, to try to say something and not keep their mouths shut. It is through this process of risk taking, of actually speaking, that we learn to communicate in a foreign language. We need grammar and we need vocabulary but these should be integrated to the primary aim of communicative competence.

It is time to shake up the curriculum, and insist that schools focus on giving pupils the confidence to communicate.

Every language teacher must shape lessons around situations that may arise in the real

world and ensure their students are actually speaking and practising new vocabulary and linguistic structures in their contexts.

A fourteen-year-old who has the confidence to communicate in a foreign language is much less likely to judge languages boring and difficult than I was at that age after three years of reading and writing some basic French, but using my mouth to speak only English.

I’m now about to embark on my year abroad, wishing I’d experienced a communicative approach at school.

balanced upbringing; the war-on-terror troupe whose argument began and ended with “George Bush sucked”. These truisms, resisting any stabs at deeper explanations or any wishes for a smidgen of erudition, proceeded principally in wasting the audience’s time. But it went beyond a torture of us snobs. The surrealist’s lack of Buñuel made his show lack direction, not knowing where the tropes of surrealism could take him. The silent comic who didn’t know his Chaplin couldn’t understand the possible range of his art, beyond the slapstick towards the ballet and poetry in the twitch of an arm.

This comic, while he remained in ignorance, was condemned to unknowingly repeat in pale imitations his master’s work.

He was unable to use Chaplin’s groundwork to launch his own performance.

Not considering fundamentals makes for a conservative performance. The comedian who failed to appreciate the bizarreness of parroting the same lines night after night as though ‘off the cuff’ was trapped into repeating other’s routines of vacillating whimsy and shock. These samey routines are boring, with desperate attempts to shock leading to comedians seizing on rape “jokes” as their last tools to grab the audience’s attention.

How has this situation come about? The

keys to acceptability in the performer’s circle are a willingness to applaud and a willingness to drink. Not a lot of time is left for the library. Politeness means that a show is called “sharp” merely due to a patter-full delivery, or “brave” due to the mention of family.

“Here’s an idea: we cancel The Fringe” Do I have a solution to this state of affairs? The mass nature of the festival means it has a confident history of middlebrow disappointment. At least there do remain imaginative productions, and hopefully these will transfer to the major venues.

Against this is an economic structure where a living can be made only through constant touring. Performers are so deeply immersed in the Melbourne-to-Adelaide-to-Edinburgh hamster wheel that they have no perspective on their genial but predictable shows.

Here’s an idea; next August all the money spent on venues and tickets can be handed out for the performers’ living expenses. Then we cancel the fringe. No shows for a year, a precious month to read Brecht, to watch Buñuel.

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PALATINATE Tuesday 5th October 2010

Browse our archived opinion pieces at palatinate.org.uk

Opinion Comment LEO REYNOLDS

The sad tale of Hague

DVIDSHUB

A particularly nasty and laughable ‘scandal’ Alexandra Bottomer

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The case against the trades unions Serious change is needed now in the organised labour movement Thom AddinallBiddulph

W

hat I am about to write is, in general terms, quite controversial.

For someone, like me, who is firmly ‘left-liberal’, it is very close to heresy.

However, in what I hope is proof that buttonholing people into political wings and orthodoxies is rarely useful, I am writing in order to talk about why this and other countries might be better off without the trades unions, and more specifically their signature move- the strike. As the cuts start to take shape, and London and France reel with stoppages, this cuts straight to the heart of how workers should unite.

When I say the trades unions, I mean the trades unions in their current form. Most readers are aware, I would imagine, that the new Leader of Her Majesty’s Official Opposition, Ed Miliband, won his post thanks to the trades unions. His unfortunately banana-afflicted elder brother won amongst both Labour members and MPs/MEPs. Already Baroness Warsi, the Conservative co-chairman, has criticised him for this.

“I tend to believe that negotiation always trumps confrontation” This is point one of my complaint against the trades unions: they are too politicised. It is impossible for a trade union not to be political to some degree, but I would much rather they act like the police and armed forces. That is to say, willing to state their case and push for what they need, but not taking the partisan viewpoints and actions the unions do. There is a historical reason for this. Labour is called Labour for a reason. It is, historically and in principle, the party of organised labour.

That does not mean the unions should, a century later, still be so bound up with the

party. It would be far better for both the unions and Labour if they decoupled; far harder for the other parties to snipe. It would also, by the by, be a huge boost towards cleaning up the dead marshes of party funding.

There would be nothing stopping union members and leaders contributing individually and transparently to Labour, after all.

Related to this is the highly politicised nature of their leadership, most obviously personified by the general secretary of the RMT, Bob Crow. These leaders are, often, shrill Marxists with whom it is nigh on impossible to have meaningful dialogue, in public anyway. I cannot imagine these figures especially encourage the public to support union demands (though in a standard political Catch-22 they are generally popular with those who already support the unions, and their members).

This is not my main problem with the unions though. My principal issue is the frequency with which they massively inconvenience millions of people and inflict economic damage by striking, quite often over relatively minor demands.

Massive Tube strikes are still not uncommon, and neither are air travel-related stoppages. A good deal of the time the reason is that management and the unions are a percentage point apart on a pay rise, or the unions object to some very slightly unreasonable new rule introduced.

I do not dispute for a minute that the unions were, in the past, incredibly necessary. It is largely thanks to them that workers in many countries, including this one, enjoy many of the rights and defences they now have. Nowadays, however, there is stringent employment legislation in place and the work culture has changed hugely. Yes, abuses still happen all too frequently and many readers will know of personal examples. Compared to just fifty years ago, though, things are much better.

I tend to believe that negotiation always trumps confrontation. I also tend to believe that shutting down a major city’s transport network is something that should be kept as a nuclear option, a last resort. It needs to be clear it is an option that they won’t hesitate to use if necessary, but will only use when necessary.

A former teacher of mine pointed out

that the working man owes me nothing; it is a matter for him whether he does his job or not. But if you are providing an important service, my belief is that you should think very carefully before withdrawing that service, however temporarily, whether you are a government minister wielding the budgetary axe, the boss of Ryanair deciding to remove seats from your aircraft, or a Tube driver. The issue of whether your pay rise is 1% or 2%

“The unions should become more like many pressure groups: non-partisan bodies pushing for their members’ rights” does not warrant this action to my mind.

This does not mean I believe that workers are lazy, complaining, workshy reprobates. Far from it. Most union members do hard, unpleasant, and vital jobs for generally pretty low reimbursement. Management often does treat them with disdain and disrespect. They do need the ability to negotiate as a bloc.

I cannot be alone in wondering, though, if this is really only achievable by constant strikes and threats of strikes.

Coolheaded negotiation, with the silentbut-ever-present background potential for strikes, ought to be preferable. Workers aren’t going to walk out on the unions suddenly, and if they did then that would only signal the passing of their time.

Much better, then, that the unions become more like many pressure groups: nonpartisan bodies pushing for their members’ rights, providing support services for workers, and arguing the case for their beliefs, but reserving aggression, confrontation and striking for when it is a real necessity.

A Trades Union Congress of this ilk would command far more respect and support, and be far harder for opponents to dismiss; a considerably more desirable new labour.

nd so, after another summer of media ups and downs, World Cup woes and fears of a double-dip recession, I return to the world of Palatinate Comment with one “summer story” standing out as more ridiculous, more bizarre and more vindictive than the rest.

I admit, there were many to choose from, but for me, “Hague‘gay’te” really took some beating in terms of full blown, storm-in-a-teacup media madness. Now that the storm has calmed to a gentle breeze, fanning the odd column-inch in the daily nationals, perhaps there are lessons to be learned from what unfolded to be one of the most absurd and malicious news “stories” of recent months.

Somehow, the fact that William Hague had decided to share a hotel room with one of his campaign assistants during the run-up to the last election managed to fuel front-page headlines for well over a week.

It was considered mysterious that this room-sharing assistant, Christopher Myers, had since been promoted to the role of “Special Advisor” to William Hague.

Then, a vital missing link seemed to be solved in this bogus jigsaw of events: Myers was gay. Not even “in the closet gay” (the biggest media coup of all) sense but an out-and-out homosexual. And so rumour upon rumour fought its way into the national press because, this obviously meant that Hague, too, was a homosexual (closeted, clearly) and that he and Myers had been indulging in illicit sex on the campaign trail, at the cost of the taxpayer.

What a load of twaddle – a textbook example of journalism at its very worst.

This story allowed a beam of light to fall upon the media in its darkest and most fetid machinations. So, William Hague shared a room with a colleague – heaven forbid! This is the 21st Century. I fail to see how two people sharing a twin bedroom implies that they are sexual partners, regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of the parties concerned.

concern or speculation than their hair colour – then again, even in that most basic of characteristics, we have the phenomenon of “ginger-ism”. I despair, I really do.

Shared bedrooms or not, Christopher Myers was promoted to the role of “Special Advisor” after the election. Maybe I am suffering from political myopia, but I fail to see how this has anything to do with the fact that Myers is gay, or indeed, that Hague is straight. Sexuality, last time I checked, has no bearing on whether or not someone is good at their job.

Just as an aside, what if Hague and Myers were having an affair? So what? Committing adultery may be somewhat morally bankrupt, but it isn’t against the law.

And, politicians having affairs is hardly something new: David Blunkett, John Prescott, John Major and most famously “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” (but we all know you did) Bill Clinton, have all been exposed in recent years – along with scores of pop stars, film stars, footballers... and (the general public seems to forget this) ordinary people too!

One point seems to have been overlooked. By sharing a room, Hague and Myers were actually saving the taxpayer money. In our post-expenses scandal, strapped-for-cash, deficit fuelled world, an MP was, for once, making an effort to save a couple of quid. Frankly, that’s quite refreshing. Although, after this debacle, I doubt that any politician will consider the prospect of room sharing again.

“It is totally wrong that Hague had to release such private and personal details” To imply otherwise, would be to suggest that two human beings sharing a room are bound by some cosmic force to have sex with one another. Now, I would quite happily share a twin hotel room with a friend... but, emphatically, this does not mean I would have any intention, or indeed, inclination to sleep with them! Room sharing is a fairly common phenomenon in most walks of life, both private and professional.

People share twin hotel rooms all the time, so why has this story provoked so much speculation? I do wonder if the same media furore would have occurred if Christopher Myers was straight. Has the mass media moved on so little since homosexuality was legalised? Is the media seriously implying that if a gay man shares a room with another man, he is biologically programmed to want to have sex with him?

This latent homophobia is all too often present in modern media. Why does it remain such an issue if someone is straight or gay? I look forward to the day when someone’s sexuality is no more a cause for

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Lastly, whether you agree with Hague’s politics or not, he must be treated as a human being. It is totally wrong that Hague had to release such private and personal details about himself and his wife’s struggle with infertility, in a vain attempt to quash the rumours which inevitably led to Myers’ resignation. All of this heartache and drama because the mass media has trouble getting its head around the fact that two men shared a hotel room. It’s just sad, really, isn’t it?

Gossip, whether revelatory, accusatory or just plain mendacious will always play a role in the media, just as it plays a role in daily life. The fact is, no matter how malevolent the gossip it is, it isn’t going to go away whilst we live in a society fuelled by sensationalism and a love of scandal. After all, newspapers print the stories that sell, the stories which we want to read, the stories that we buy into. So, no matter how much we balk at the headlines and decry the hear-

Tuesday 5th October 2010 PALATINATE

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Comment Featured article

Share your views with the Palatinate readership at palatinate.org.uk

Extremists of all religions are stuck immovably in the past The Islamic cultural centre near Ground Zero and the reaction to it reminds us of the problems of fundamentalism DAVID SHANKBONE

Tony Barrett Featured Article

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s the furore dies down over Pastor Terry Jones and his cancelled International Burn a Koran Day (hardly the most imaginatively title, the Ronseal of campaigns, if you will), what conclusions can be drawn from this most recent faithfuelled spat between Christianity and Islam?

Arguably, the initial step by Jones to stage the incredibly tasteless and crude event, and the inevitable reaction by the Muslim world (burning effigies and flags, demonstrations, wishing death upon America, etc.) shows that the Islamic and Christian spheres are still a long way away from the state of “mutual interest and mutual respect” that Barack Obama envisaged in his 2009 speech in Cairo, and served to once again demonstrate how passionate and implacable the beliefs in question here are.

When two faiths collide (increasingly in recent times it has been Islam and Christianity, though you could equally say Islam and Judaism in the Middle East, or Christianity and Judaism in the Middle Ages), you could liken the clash to an immovable object being hit by an unstoppable force; a zero-sum-game, where there can be no compromise or backwards steps, where for both parties involved defeat or concession is utterly unthinkable.

“For evangelical Christians it is a clearcut choice that does not even require debate”

and require sensitivity. But for evangelical Christians it is a clear-cut choice that does not even require debate, purely because the Bible has made clear its hostility towards them. And the Bible, like the Qur’an for Muslims, is never, ever wrong.

Such zealous belief held by these fundamentalists, that they and they alone are ‘right’, and by extension all others are intrinsically wrong, is reinforced by their respective holy books. In John 14:6 of the New International Version of the Bible, Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. Needless to say, heathens who reject Jesus as ‘the way and the truth’ don’t have it so sweet; in 2 Thessalonians 1:8, Paul says Jesus “will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus”.

The Qur’an is similarly univocal about the truth of Allah; “He (Allah) is God, the one, the self-sufficient master . . . there is no one comparable to Him”. Elsewhere, hell is described as place to “torment the disbelievers” (Qur’an 37:19). Both holy books reinforce this impression that they alone are the correct and the valid one, with no conceivable possibility of ever being ‘wrong’. Therefore, anyone who rejects that path is to be viewed with hostility as heretical and inherently wrong.

Ergo, for Christians they are right and Muslims will always be wrong, and for Muslims they are right and Christians will always be wrong. And that, even by the Ohio boy’s standards, is ‘black and white’.

With such a simplistic view of the world, it is clear why different religions so rarely manage to operate side-by-side, or fundamentalists find it so hard to tolerate multi-polarity. Extremists have this misconstrued perception of ‘us-and-them’, where they are undoubtedly right, and all others are inherently false. There is an air of the medieval about them. Instead of viewing multi-faith societies as an inherent part of the patchwork of modern society, extremists still view the presence of another religion in their traditional sphere of influence as a heretical group infringing on their territory, and threatening the ‘true’ god.

Al-Qaeda claimed that atrocities such as 9/11 and the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing was a response to ‘infringements’ such as American troops in Saudi Arabia. In the minds of these extremists, ‘American troops’ on Islamic holy land was synonymous and equated to ‘Christian troops’ on Islamic holy land. And when Muslim extremists have been taught to discriminate and view non-Muslims as heretical and almost inferior, such an ‘invasion’ of Islamic land is utterly unacceptMICHELE DI SEI

What secular commentators sometimes fail to appreciate on these occasions is how dogmatic and unswerving the beliefs of these (extremely) religious parties are. Whether Muslim or Christian, fundamentalists believe whole-heartedly in the validity of their religion, with no possibility of being wrong. There is no doubt, no debate to be held, and no question of compromise. Neither logic nor scientific evidence can affect their belief, and they hold their theory to be the universal truth, and adhere to it with total obedience.

They have had their faith drilled into them from a young age, and in adulthood their doctrine is reinforced by their neighbours, their national culture and its values, and often the state and its judiciary. It is difficult to overstress how staunch their belief is, where the thought that they may be mistaken is not only incomprehensible, but has probably never occurred to them.

This kind of religious cabin fever is most often associated with the Muslim world, but it is just as applicable in evangelical America. Anyone who has seen Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing’s wonderful documentary Jesus Camp will have gained an insight into America’s Pentecostal Christians, how dogmatic their religious belief is, and how quick they are to indoctrinate children with these extreme (and dangerous) views. Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion cites the 2004 example of when a boy in Ohio (probably at the encouragement of his parents) wore to his school a t-shirt that proclaimed, ‘Homosexuality is a sin, Islam is a lie, abortion is murder.

Some issues are just black and white!’

Now for ninety-nine per cent of onlookers it is obvious such issues are palpably not ‘black and white’, and indeed are complex

The islamic cultural centre being built near the site of the World Trade Centre has attracted a great deal of protest in America, being dubbed the ‘9/11 Victory Mosque’ in certain quarters

London’s Central Mosque- the modern global spread of the old religions is inescapable

able, warranting an aggressive response.

It is not radically different amongst the American evangelists. Pastor Jones’ foolhardy stunt was in itself a reaction to the perception that a mosque was being built on Ground Zero. This is a complete misunderstanding. As Charlie Brooker so deftly pointed out in an article in the Guardian, the ‘mosque’ is actually an Islamic cultural centre that holds, amongst other things, a basketball court and a restaurant, and ‘Ground Zero’ is actually two blocks away. Closer to Ground Zero is a McDonald’s and a Burger King, a lingerie shop, and a strip club, New York Dolls.

“The extremist wings of the world’s religions are still lagging at least a century behind the moral zeitgeist of today” This paranoia isn’t just limited to the fear of Muslims undermining their Christian state either. Atheists too are in the firing line, if they support or promote perceived ‘anti-Christian’ values. In 2009, Dr. George Tiller, an abortionist, was shot dead for providing late-service abortions, while again Richard Dawkins gives the 1994 example of when the Reverend Paul Hill killed another abortionist, Dr John Britton (and was subsequently defended by his Presbyterian church).

Meanwhile, Randall Terry, a pro-life Christian activist, has in the past addressed abortionists with the following: “When I, or people like me, are running the country, you’d better flee, because we will find you, we will try you, and we’ll execute you”. Significantly, the rationalist and secularist website Adult Thought has coined the term ‘the American Tali-

ban’ for such fundamentalist evangelists.

This is the terrible result of the unparalleled pig-headedness, the arrogance, that fundamentalist religion encourages.

Extremists are so utterly convinced they are in the right, regardless of whatever logic or evidence is issued against them, that they are imbued with this dreadful, misplaced confidence to attempt to force their beliefs upon everyone else.

In the twenty-first century it is incredible we still have such popular fundamentalist movements (the National Association of Evangelicals in the United States has over thirty million members, while the electorate of North Carolina voted into office for thirty years a man who called homosexuals “weak, morally sick wretches”), religious movements so self-assured and eager to impose on everyone else that they will kill and bully rather than tolerate diversity.

And this is the message the Pastor Jones debacle has reinforced. It seems the extremist wings of the world religions are still lagging (at least) a century behind the moral zeitgeist of today’s ‘mainstream’, convinced it is their divinely-ordained right to make everyone submit to their particular faith-issued morals and values.

In Iran, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a woman accused of adultery, is still set to be stoned to death for her ‘crime’, the grim result of having a state based upon the literal, most exclusivist reading of their holy book.

It is still the objective of al-Qaeda to establish a global Islamic caliphate and submit the world’s population to Shariah law (a goal they have thankfully utterly failed in achieving thus far), while in 1998 a homosexual University of Wyoming student called Matthew Shepard was tortured and murdered by two thugs, purely due to his sexuality.

This is the horrendous outcome of teaching a generation that it is okay to hate, discriminate, and hold prejudices against anyone who departs from your narrow definition of ‘normal’, a still very active danger that hopefully the Pastor Jones debate has helped raise awareness against.

17

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Sport

Sport

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Motorsport society race to success over summer holidays While the summer has been quiet for many, others have had all together a much racier time of it Adam Sprott ADAM SPROTT

S

tudents and alumni from Durham University’s motorsport society joined forces this summer to take part in one of the biggest challenges known to motorsport, the EPEC British twenty-fourhour endurance kart race, against seventyseven teams from around the globe. The race took place at the Teesside International Autodrome, situated in the heart of Middlesbrough, a track where Team Durham has seen many victories over rival university squads in recent years.

The challenge was not only to race and to be competitive for a whole twenty-four hours but to prepare, maintain and repair the twin engined Honda ‘Prokart’, capable of over 65mph in a straight line and pulling around 2g in corners. The team, ‘24hr Karty People’, comprised the usual suspects from the university’s British championship squads; Adam Sprot, Rob Marwood, Mitch Ralley, James Hoskisson, Chris Wignall, Luke Roberts and Andrew McKendry were the drivers, with Matthew Hook and Gary Laverick providing some invaluable mechanical assistance throughout the race.

The weekend began with high hopes as the Friday practice session showed great potential from the team with lap times capable of putting them in amongst the seasoned professionals who race every weekend. This was even more incredible when comparing their setup in the paddock area

underway.

The first stints seemed very promising with the team hovering within a few places of their qualifying position. With the drivers still getting used to the kart and track, the lap times were tumbling. However, disaster struck around three hours into the race when accident damage, due to another kart crashing into the rear left of the kart, destroyed the tyre and damaged the brakes.

“Against all the odds, the team completed the full twenty-four hours...”

Sprott appluading the team after taking the chequered flag

that ranged from their medium wheelbase transit van to the top teams, some of which turned up with two HGVs and a setup comparable to Formula One! The Saturday morning went exceptionally well. With new tyres on the kart, Durham set a blistering qualifying pace, putting them an almighty twenty-fifth on the grid. Consistency was the key and the team was set to be challenging for the top thirty throughout the race. A result to be proud of given their budget, four-year-old

second hand kart, small array of spare parts and lack of experience in endurance racing, with most kart races lasting around fifteen minutes! Racing at night for one and a half hour stints was a big shock to the system.

The race supported the Help for Heroes charity and one ‘team’, consisting of just one driver, raised over £6,000 for the cause in his mission to complete the entire race by himself. He led the first lap as almost eighty karts thundered around the track, the union jack was waved and the challenge was

The team lost about fifteen to twenty laps in the pits from repairs. Unfortunately, it was not the same again and for the next ten hours the team struggled with shredding sprockets among other things.

Almost midnight, the team decided to take drastic measures to finish the race, which had now become the main and only objective. All nine members were working frantically to dismantle the entire rear end of the kart, removing both of the engines, reseating the clutches, the brakes and rear axle in order to try and find the source of their problem. Amazingly, due to amazing team work, the kart was reassembled and back on the circuit within one hour. From

quarter past midnight until the end of the race almost thirteen hours later, the team had no further mechanical issues.

Despite this, the last half of the race was far from easy with a heavy rain shower just three hours from the end that, yet again, almost saw the end of the race as another kart lost control and ploughed into the back of the kart, this time causing much more serious damage bending the rear axle.

The team brought the kart in to the pits, and though most of them had been awake around twenty-six hours, worked frantically to straighten the axle. With help from other teams the axle was straightened to the point of being able to drive again. The final two stints were nervously counted down and with just five minutes to go, the seat mount sheared and the right side of the seat was supported only by the right hand engine. The clutch was burning through the seat with smoke rising. Nothing would stop them at this stage and the final three laps were raced at half pace sitting as far forward in the seat as possible.

From epic qualifying pace, to an eventful race being at one point stone dead last by twenty-one laps, the team managed against all odds to not only complete the full twenty four hours but to pull back a few places and finish sixty ninth out of seventy eight.

They are already making plans for their return next year.

Marital misdeamnour: this season’s fashion

Various off-the-field antics have been grabbing headlines recently. Hugo Morrissey investigates...

FLICKRID: KEITH ALLISON

Hugo Morrissey

“They play to win, a quality becoming rarer, where money means some are content to sit on the bench...” heroism and, as ‘adults’ (used loosely), they should know this and act accordingly. That is not to say adultery is OK if you’re not a world-class sportsmen. It simply means

that, irrelevant of your profession, being unfaithful is one incredibly foolish thing to do and that getting caught because you’re an international star under constant media scrutiny is likely to result in double trouble.

The glare of the paparazzi’s lens should have served as a constant reminder to these men about right and wrong and stopped them straying from the path whenever they felt tempted, bored or lonely.

If the media are so involved with uncovering these ugly truths, they should also have a part to play in rebuilding the lives of Woods and Rooney. Helping them up should be as important as knocking them down. The priority of the media is to report. If these men actively seek change for the good, demonstrate remorse and regret and go back to terrifying opponents then this should be reported. I stand in awe at the sporting talent of Rooney and Woods and no one is saying they should be lavFLICKRID: TOKSUEDE

One hundred and twenty two women and a forty-eight year old grandmother. This statistic represents the combined haul of Tiger Woods and Wayne Rooney’s alleged infidelities. Aside from being premiere athletes, they are both seemingly very different men. One black, one white, one English the other American. Whilst Woods has always been a difficult customer their intellect also seemed as far apart as their homes are geographically.

They do, however, share three striking similarities. The first is that both men’s actions were eventually unearthed on the back of dour form in their respective games.

Woods missed the cut at the 2009 British Open (+5) whilst Rooney had gone over 1,000 minutes without a goal for club or country. The second and unimportant case

being that neither is blessed with a scalp like Sampson. Indeed, given the stress their marital misdemeanours have caused it is clear to see, via the media, that the hairlines of these two sporting giants are disintegrating faster than the international respect they once commanded. The final and third is the deplorable behaviour they have demonstrated with regard to their marriages.

Whilst it must be noted that one hundred and twenty one of these ladies are attributable to an errant Mr Woods, the principle remains set in stone – that of marriage being a faithful bond. I am not saying these men should be hung out to dry anymore than the Toms, Dicks and Harrys that commit this offence every week, but at the same time to afford them a higher degree of sympathy or forgiveness would be cowardly and toothless.

Ultimately, both men harvest vast arrays

of technical and physical skills that have made them contemporary greats of their game, and for that proverbial hats should be taken off to them. What is undeniable however is that, with this power comes a responsibility they have been unable to shoulder. Was the physical strength of these men’s shoulders transferrable into a mental strength, knowing what is socially acceptable may not have been such a problem for these two, wayward and misguided individuals. As it is though, their major indiscretions have cost them dearly, bringing their respective profiles down to earth with a bump so large that it’d rival humpty dumpty’s were he to fall from the roof of anyone of Tiger’s mistresses’ houses.

There are people who will and have made a case for Woods’ and Rooney’s lives being private, stating that it isn’t the business of the public. In normal circumstances, a man or women’s private life would usually remain just that, private. These men, however, do not lead ‘normal’ lives. They are modern day Greek Gods, saluted and heralded for their acts of power, precision and

ished with praise as reformed individuals.

Far from it – a dose of tough love may be just what the doctor ordered. But all a constant media hammering will do is drive these wildly talented men away from what they do best: entertaining. If a spectator of Woods and/or Rooney thinks that’s what they deserve, all they will succeed in doing is missing the point more acutely than these men’s vows on their big days. They were born to play and, instead of just ‘turning up’, they play to win, a trait that is becoming regrettably rare within the world of commercialised sport, where money has led to sportsmen and women being happy on the bench or finishing in the middle of the field.

The point of all this? If a sports star that you love is having a rock-bottom dip in form, then get down to the bookies. Chances are they are out-of-bounds, offside – call it what you will. Scandal is part of sport and infidelity seems to be this season’s fashion.

19

PALATINATE Tuesday 5th October 2010

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Sport

Anyone’s contest: excitement builds in anticipation of this year’s college sport

John Burn-Murdoch

A

s a new Durham year gets underway one of the main topics of conversation among freshers will be college sport. How good is the football team? Are the rugby boys short of a winger? How did the netball team get on last year? These questions and many more will be flitting across tables in college bars as students look forward to one of the most hotly anticipated aspects of life at Durham.

Every Wednesday afternoon thousands of students flock to the fields, sports halls and rivers around the city to pit themselves against their comrades in a bid to make the team for the coming weekend’s fixture.

An impressive win will be the talk of the

bar while an ignominious defeat can put a downer on the rest of the weekend. As well as the more immediate concern of avoiding relegation or mounting a title challenge, every college team is fighting for valuable points for the college sport league table and the bragging rights that come with the honour of finishing on top of the pile.

Last year saw Collingwood finish first and even as one of the larger colleges this is no mean feat. With points collected from all sports and all competitions throughout the entire year, being crowned College Sport Champions requires more than just an unbeatable rugby side for example, and even the Ultimate Frisbee team can have their say in proceedings.

The coming year of college sport promises to raise the heart rate of players and

DAN JEFFRIES CHRIS WILLETTS

DELANEY CHAMBERS

The tears and joy, victory and defeat: another whole annum of sporting excitement

spectators alike as last term’s various champions set out to hold on to their titles while teams who endured a bleak season will be itching to set the record straight this time round.

In men’s football Hatfield A were the standout side last year, storming home to a league and cup double with St Aidan’s A picking up the third and final trophy in the form of the knockout cup. With both sides losing a number of experienced players over the summer, however, it remains to be seen whether their cup-winning exploits will be repeated this year. Much will depend on the intake of freshers, where a good crop can herald the start of something truly special. With three different winners in the last three years, the men’s Premiership title is one of the most open and hotly contested leagues in college sport, and with the right mix of experienced heads and new talent, any one of the twelve sides competing for top spot could realistically end up as champions.

In the women’s game it was Ustinov A’s year. Undefeated league champions with eight wins out of nine, they were clearly a force to be reckoned with, and they lived up to their all conquering reputation with victories in both the floodlit and knockout cup finals. A lethal combination of pace and power saw Ustinov rack up a number of overwhelming victories on their way to the

treble and 2009/10 will no doubt be fondly remembered by squad members for years to come.

Another great story in women’s football came in the shape of St Mary’s A. Competing in the second tier the girls began the year hopeful of a promotion chase, but what followed was a real underdog story.

Missing out on the title by a single point and scoring 46 goals in six league games, Mary’s dominated for much of the league season then went on to reach the finals of

“Throw yourself into the action and see what you can achieve!” both cup competitions, defeating Premiership opposition on several occasions. After a restructuring of the women’s league system Mary’s A will start the year as one of six sides in a new, stronger Division 1 and their opponents would be wise not to take them lightly. Who knows, with a good intake of freshers they may even go one step further in the cups and stop the runaway train that is Ustinov!

Moving away from football, St Cuths A

took their third successive Premiership title in men’s rugby. An excellent campaign saw the boys from the Bailey cap this success with a victory in the floodlit cup. In the First Division, Stephenson A took top spot, and were joined in promotion to the top flight

by St Aidan’s A. After a couple of years in the doldrums, Aidan’s will be delighted to be back among the elite and hoping to do more than just stave off relegation this time round. In the annual clash between the best of the Hill and Bailey Colleges it was the latter who triumphed, though this could be the year the Hill colleges turn the tide!

Back to the girls, and last year saw Hild Bede A crowned as college netball champions, finishing the campaign with only a single defeat to their name. In what was a fantastic season for Hild Bede’s netballers, their B and C teams added to the glory by finishing at the top of the second and third tiers respectively, both going one step further than the A team in achieving 100% records.

These stories have only scratched the surface of what was a typically exciting and unpredictable year in college sport at Durham, and there will be plenty more making the back pages throughout the coming year.

All that remains is for you to throw yourself into the action and see what you can achieve!

Despair for British tennis after another dismal summer Palatinate invesitgates why Andy Murray has still yet to break through to his first major grand slam win October. It’s a depressing month. It’s cold and damp, but more importantly, even leaves would rather jump to their deaths from the trees than look back on a summer of disappointing British tennis.

We’ve had Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, and Andy Murray, the sole British player in the world rankings, has won none of them. He has lost in a fourth round, semi-final and third round respectively this year, despite reaching the final of the Australian Open in January. Hardly Mr Consistency – his sole title of the year may have come from an impressive display at the Toronto Masters in August, but he failed to convert this into success on other hard courts, losing in the quarter-finals of Cincinnati and then embarrassingly early at the US Open.

While it’s fair to say that Murray underperforms in tour tournaments, perhaps his slam record is less surprising. Roland Garros and the US saw early defeats, but against Thomas Berdych and Stanislas Wawrinka respectively. Both are formidable players whose rankings (17 and 27) do not reflect the form they can sometimes produce.

Wawrinka in particular played one of the best matches of his career. Considering Ra-

fael Nadal’s performance at Wimbledon, it’s hardly shocking that he could beat Murray in a semi.

But it’s not just the competition to blame. Murray’s form can drop at key moments and he can look lethargic on court.

He lacked some of the flair during the Wawrinka match that we saw from him in Sydney and Toronto, and grumbled and moaned as he lost to Berdych. John Lloyd, Britain’s Davis Cup coach and former British number one, has recently gone on record saying that he believes Murray will need to change his psychological approach if he is to win the majors of which he is capable. It certainly appears that, for all the epic five-setters we’ve seen him come through, he can give up in the face of defeat, sealing his own fate; in a game which demands as much mental stamina as tennis, that’s hardly helpful.

He’s far from a hopeless case. He is ranked 4 in the world, still only 23 years old, in impressive physical shape and facing the prospect of a new coach to help him reassess his game. He has 15 tour singles titles and has been in two grand slam finals. That said, Murray still has far to go before he reaches the dizzying heights that Brits dream of, and if he wants to become world number one, chances are he’ll have to go through Roger Federer, Nadal and

even Novak Djokovic first. He’s beaten all of them at least once, but their dominance as the top three in the men’s game since the Dark Ages will not be broken easily.

Still, there’s another question to raise here. Britain only seems to produce one good player at a time. The British men’s number two is Alex Bogdanovic, sitting pretty at the time of writing at number 220 in the world. Why is Murray our only hope?

The answer would appear to be in his background. Like Tim Henman before him, he comes from a sporting family; though Henman’s upbringing was considerably more privileged, Murray’s parents could send him away to train in Barcelona at the age of 15. Tennis still seems to be the reserve of the wealthy in Britain, largely because of vast under-investment over the years. The vast majority of investment in British sport goes either on more mainstream sports or potential Olympic hopefuls, while not enough is being done to find and develop young tennis talent. While this has begun to improve (Britain boasts some promising juniors such as Laura Robson), the crucial stage lies in transferring junior successes into future adult champions.

Time will tell whether we can get this right.

Until we do, no amount of strawberries and cream can change the fact that Britain deserves all the yearly disappointment it gets.

FLICKRID: EO1

Sarah Parkin

British tennis is still going through a frustrating period. Can Murray change it?

Tuesday 5th October PALATINATE

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Inside: motoracing triumps, the start of college sport, Murray tennis news, the rejuvenation of sport facilities

This year will be our best ever, says Team Durham ROBERT BURGESS

The various redevelopments spell an exciting time for the future of sport at Durham

New facilities at Maiden Castle and Queen’s Campus will revolutionize sport at Durham

Richard Lowe-Lauri

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o begins another academic year, and with it, another season for British University Sport. Except this time, Team Durham is expecting its best ever performance. In a recent interview, Peter Warburton, Director of Sport for Team Durham, told Palatinate: “In terms of highcalibre British sport, we believe this year is going to be the best we’ve ever had.”

Reflecting on Durham’s sixth place finish in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) overall points table last year, he added: “We would certainly be very disappointed not to finish in the top five this season.” Team Durham has, of course, finished in the top five before.

In 2008, it achieved an impressive 2584 points – its highest number ever – to take fourth place ahead of Edinburgh, and came fifth in both 2003 and 2005.

What makes this year so special? The answer lies, partly, with the £13m sports facilities upgrade nearing completion at Maiden Castle and Queen’s Campus.

Warburton believes these long-sought after developments will revolutionise sport here at Durham, and for good reason. Worldclass facilities can and will better performance.

Leeds Metropolitan University’s climb in the BUCS League Table from 14th in 2007 to 2nd last year is proof of that.

Of course, no strength and conditioning suite or 28-station ergo gallery will ever be more important than the athletes and their coaches. But this facelift levels the playing field with many of Durham’s sporting rivals and, in time, is sure to attract some of the best talent in the country. It’s almost a given that Team Durham will dominate, again, in its usual sports: rowing, cricket and hockey. A particularly impressive summer for Durham University Boat Club (DUBC) heralds great things for the coming year; its athletes triumphed at the U23 World Championships in Brest, Belarus, and at the World University Rowing Championships in Szeged, Hungary, where Matthew Rossiter, Will Fletcher, Emily Taylor and Jamie Watson each brought home medals. Further success followed at the European Universities Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, when Durham boats won silver in both the women’s quadruple and double sculls and bronze in the women’s four.

But with top-class facilities to support its high-performance programme, combined with some of its strongest squads in recent years, Team Durham is expecting results

across the board. The men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, men’s basketball and women’s tennis sides have a real shot at their respective national titles. Similarly, further coaching support for Durham University Cycling Club will hope to better last year’s second place finish, and the appointment of a new Director of Rugby promises an exciting year for the rugby union. Keep an eye out for certain athletes from other sports, too, like Abigail Ryan, Durham University Netball captain and last season’s Team Durham ‘Sportswoman of the Year’, and Sandra Hyslop who won gold in the Team Classics Event at the Canoe Slalom World Cup in Prague in June – Great Britain’s first gold medal at the championships for 35 years. They, and others like them, will be crucial to any Durham success story. Much will, ultimately, depend on fellow BUCS competitors, particularly sporting powerhouses Loughborough and Birmingham, whom Palatinates underestimate at their peril. Nevertheless, with the developments at Maiden Castle and Queen’s Campus, the strength and finesse of its athletes and a healthy dose of luck, this could well prove Team Durham’s year.

New Director of Rugby James Oram

Without wanting to over-dramatise, this autumn heralds the beginning of a new dawn for the University’s oldest club: the advent of professionalism.

Introducing a Director of Rugby has been an appointment long in the making.

Various names have been bandied around over recent seasons but only now do we have Mr. Alex Keay (coincidentally, the first paid coach in the history of a club that has produced over thirty capped internationals in the last forty years).

Having master-minded an about turn in the fortunes of Preston Grasshoppers, and having galvanised the inexorable rise of Manchester RFC – two famous clubs from the Northern leagues – he is about to embark on his next assignment. The ethos of Durham University rugby is about to change for the better.

The likes of Hartpury and Loughborough have raised the bar for competing Universities over the last decade, and can now justifiably term themselves institutions of ‘Performance Rugby’. In the case of Durham, however, there remains a caveat that has thus far prevented competition on a level playing field. That is, the difficulty of reconciling ‘Performance Rugby’ with the stringent demands of the academic environment in which all players find themselves at an establishment such as Durham University.

However, far from being perennially dominated by these giants of University rugby, in the last five seasons, the 1st XV have finished in the top three of the Northern Premier A Division on three occasions, including joint top with Loughborough at the end of the 2008/9 campaign. Similarly, the 2nd XV are in the Premier B Division, their highest possible position, and actually beat Loughborough away in the first game of last season in a thrilling encounter.

But those statistics only tell half the story.

Last season’s 2nd XV were a perfect case study to illustrate the problems that have

plagued Durham Rugby. Having won four out of the first five league fixtures (despite a turbulent, disorganised preseason) and sitting pretty at the top of the division, the momentum began to slow, as increasing academic demands, mismanagement and poor preparation, began to derail a promising operation, leaving the side with a mustwin clash in February against league leaders, Leeds, in order to avoid relegation.

This sort of collapse will soon be a thing of the past, with a new regime commencing for the club. Rob Malaney, this season’s 1st XV captain, is convinced that “this year, more so than any other, all three league teams should be prepared to hit the ground running; and come 13th October (the first league matches), we will be in a position to launch a hugely successful challenge against the best sides in the country”.

The club is now being given the chance to maximise its potential. On top of the resources of recent years, and the new appointment of Mr. Keay, the club can now also call upon: use of the new rubber crumb facility; access to nutritional guidance seminars and additional nutritional information; access to an on-site doctor; video analyses for 1st XV; the newly-implemented mentoring system; and finally, fundraising support.

But, lest we forget, the players are the spirit of a club, not the coach. The camaraderie that student rugby engenders is the most important part of rugby at this University in the eyes of the players. It will be vital to them that this is not compromised by draconian management. Up to this point, ‘player power’ has been a key part of the uniqueness of the club.

Now, and Mr. Keay will be well aware of this, the buck stops with him. What had previously been the prerogative of students, now fall under his jurisdiction. But the fears of the players should be swiftly allayed; Mr. Keay will be able to strike exactly the right balance.

This is the beginning of a very exciting era for DURFC.