Durham’s independent student newspaper
Palatinate Thursday 24th October 2013 | FREE
www.palatinate.org.uk
£10 million project for Cathedral
News: Former Professor exposes Iran controversy
7
8
News Features: ‘Studentification’ driving out locals
Plans are underway for a new exhibition space to display the Cathedral’s most prized artefacts
Are Durham degrees getting easier?
Statistics reveal grade inflation over the past thirteen years at the University
Statistics published by the Durham Student Registry have highlighted that the classification of degrees awarded to graduating finalists has been increasing over the past thirteen years. In 1999, 65.5% of graduates were awarded a 2:1 or above by the University, whilst by 2012 this figure had increased to 84%. This means the vast majority of students are now leaving university with a ‘good’ degree: either a first or an upper second classification.
Moreover, the amount of first class honours degrees awarded to Durham graduates nearly doubled from 11.2% to 21.26%. This is consistent with a nationwide trend in the United Kingdom, with Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reporting that 40,670 graduates left university with a first in 2012, accounting for 16.7%, or around 1/6 of total graduates. The extent of grade inflation in UK universities has led to allegations that university is becoming easier, and that the value of a good degree is now diminishing because of the number of students attaining higher marks.
Percentage of Durham graduates with a 2:1 or above in 1999
Percentage of Durham graduates with a 2:1 or above in 2012
Charlotte Bransgrove
16
17
Comment: Battle of Arts and Sciences
Sport: Coverage of the latest college clashes
Photograph: Annie Pekie
65.5%
Correspondingly, the number of students obtaining a 2:2 has more than halved from 27.6% in 1999 to 13.85% in 2012, whilst those receiving a third dropped from 5.3% to just 1.01%.
84%
Speaking to Palatinate, Sam Dale, Deputy Academic Registrar for the University, commented: “Since the late 1990s, the number of students leaving with first class degrees has increased at universities across the
country. “Research indicates that this may be due to a number of factors, such as improvements to the quality and structure of teaching nationwide, use of a broader range of assessment methods that test different graduate skills, and a rise in entry criteria, particularly at highly selective universities such as Durham. “The rise in the number of firsts should accordingly not be interpreted as a decline in academic standards. “We have a long history of producing sought-after graduates and an ambitious Employability and Enterprise Skills Strategy, committing us to producing graduates who are in high demand and stand the best chance of securing the employment they want.” David Morris, Academic Affairs Officer for Durham Students’ Union, branded the subject of assessment processes as “an incredibly complex issue, difficult to break down.” He added that further research is required to fully understand such issues, stating: “Both in Durham and nationally we need far more hard evidence, particularly in the form of student
feedback and student engagement, to ascertain whether grades really are rising in line with better student learning, or if there is something else at work.” Many students will, however, take comfort in the fact it is highly likely they will leave university with a good degree, particularly when entering into extremely competitive job markets in which many graduate schemes require a minimum of a 2:1 degree to even submit an application. Dan, a third year reading Mathematics, said: “I work really hard to get high marks because I’m aware of how tough the job situation is. It’s encouraging to see that it’s likely all my efforts will be paid off when I come to graduate.” Others however, believe grade inflation only adds to the problem because employers cannot distinguish between applicants. Joe, a second year Natural Sciences student, commented: “Grade inflation does little to benefit students because nearly everyone ends up with similar results, so having a good degree does not make you stand out.” continued on page 4
2
Editorial
www.palatinate.org.uk
First as a tragedy, second as a farce Freshers and returners alike will no doubt have been struck by the deep history that pervades Durham. As one of the oldest universities in the country, and a seat of learning in the North-East for far longer, we have a rich background of student experience and scholarly endeavour. This should not be overlooked, and is too often forgotten. The city and university binds us together, provoking common memories of rolling cathedral bells on Palace Green, the rush of the Wear on an early morning, to the dulcet tones of a porter letting you into your room at 3.00am on misplacing your key. Such memories will have been shared by Durham students under the reign of William IV along with those during that of Elizabeth II. The repetition, and reoccurrence, of our experiences across the generations is always a source of fascination for returning alumni and incumbent students looking back to their forebears. One only needs to look into the archives of Palatinate, founded in 1948, to get a flavour of this. Issues and stories resurface again and again: history repeating itself? Certainly not in the sense of fatalistic foreboding that it is often associated with. Indeed, this week it is the 125th year since my college, St Cuthbert’s Society, was founded; some questions and plans about development that date back from before the centenary celebrations are still being
considered and reconsidered. The revisiting and reinvigoration of discussion and debate is something to be encouraged and admired. This is one of the greatest achievements of the free press in Britain, and something that newspapers should eagerly align to. This edition of Palatinate attempts to tread such a path. Suggestions of degree inflation, and the devaluation that entails, are not new; nor are the staunch denials of faculty members. Indeed, the issue itself is not a comfortable one: who would be happy if told that their degree would be worth less than one ten years ago, and at a far greater monetary cost? It is reasonable to think that this increase is down to a number of factors; better teaching and alternative, often summative, assessments as well as the national scramble for league table places being culpable. In some regards, this is almost missing the point. The British degree grading system is broad, and with more people gaining first and upper second-class degrees, regardless of cause, a greater need for a more precise system is ever more relevant. The differences between departments in terms of results is an interesting topic (the statistics are freely available online) and the disparity even within the same faculty is startling. Continuing in this theme, the rivalry of Science and Arts students is explored in Comment with the equally contentious,
The best of Palatinate Online www.palatinate.org.uk
Blogs: Diary of a Liver Out Bryony Hockin shares the trials and tribulations of the Livers’ Out experience
SciTech: This year’s Nobel Prizes
Politics: Greek government ‘clampdown’ The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn Party is being confronted in Greece.
Visual Arts: Bansky: Better Out Than In
and changing trends in accommodation, and the ‘studentification’ of parts of Durham is investigated in News Features. Examining these reports alongside those from the past, is not as straightforward as one might think. Far from being static, the issues shift and change in beat with the city. Upon examination, in almost all cases, relationships and prospects are improving. Tensions between ‘town and gown’ that were so marked in the past, especially (and unsurprisingly) in the 1980s, have significantly reduced. Likewise, academic achievements continue to impress, being marked in Arts and Humanities as thirtieth in the world. Durham is more than just a degree, it is an opportunity to engage on an extracurricular level in a way that you may never be able to again. A chance to see what you enjoy, what you love and how to be a force for change that you think is right: be it on a stage, a sports field, or as a writer for the newspaper. Have an opinion. Share it. To change a single mind is to alter the course of history. Ben Hamer
Vacancies Sub Editors
Our team of sub-editors is looking for another person to join the team. Successful candidates will have a good eye for spelling and grammar and enjoy reading other people’s work.
Deputy Web Editor
Our online team is hard at work redesigning our website, and they need a helping hand. If you have experience in HTML and PHP, we’d love to hear from you.
To apply, email editor@palatinate.org. uk for an application form. You can also email us about any questions you have concerning the vacancies.
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
Inside 754 News pages 3-7
News Features page 8 Careers page 10
Business page 11 Politics page 12 SciTech page 13 Comment pages 14-16 Sport pages 17-20
indigo
Editorial page 2 Visual Arts page 3 Features pages 4 & 5 Stage page 6 Film & TV page 7 Fashion page 8 & 9 Travel page 10 & 11 Food & Drink page 12 Books pages 13 Music pages 14 & 15
Get involved! Interested in joining the Palatinate team? No experience is neccessary! We’re on the lookout for the following types of contributors:
Writers To write for us, email the editor of the section you’re interested in and ask to be placed on their mailing list. You will then receive regular content calls from them. Alternately, you can contact editors with your own story ideas. Photographers Palatinate’s photography team needs new contributors. To learn how you can take photos for us, email Emma at photography@ palatinate.org.uk.
Illustrators If you have an idea for a comic strip or want to illustrate for our articles, contact Harriet at illustration@ palatinate.org.uk.
Letters to the editor Want to see your name in print on the editorial page? We’d love to hear your opinion on our stories. If you have praise for Palatinate or a bone to pick with us, email editor@ palatinate.org.uk. Your letter could appear on this page in our next print edition.
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 University. 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 Ben Hamer & Jillian Ward editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editor Sally Wardle deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Charlotte Bransgrove & Natasha Tierney news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor Justin Villamil news.features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Gabriel Samuels, Amal Vaidya & Benjamin Williams Politics Editor Joe Mayes politics@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Politics Editor Marcus Natale Business Editor Jisoo Kim business@palatinate.org.uk Careers Editor careers@palatinate.org.uk Science and Technology Editor Jonny Bowers scitech@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Science and Technology Editor Chris Somers Comment Editor Catherine Malpass & Cressida Peever comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editor Richard Morgan Sport Editors Emily Beech & Madeleine Sears sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Thomas Dimaio, Lawrence Holmes, & Dominic Thurlow-Wood Indigo Editors Robin Marshall & Justina Crabtree indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Rohan Banerjee feature@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editor Francesca Jaworska deputy.feature@palatinate.org.uk Food and Drink Editor Diana Grant-Davie food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Isobel Buckingham & Katie Shuff fashion@palatinate.org.uk Film and Television Editor Aalok Vora film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editor Emma Dawson stage@palatinate.org.uk Music Editors Larry Bartleet & Sophia Smith-Galer music@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Music Editor Jack Collins deputy.music@palatinate.org.uk Books Editor Kate Wilkinson books@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Lucy Edwardes Jones visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub-Editor Katrina Muhly sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Sub-Editors Ellie de la Bedoyere, Jordan Harries, Jacob Ratcliffe, & Thom Willshaw Online Editor Victoria Ferguson online.editor@palatinate.org.uk Web Editor Rhiannon Mehta web.editor@palatinate.org.uk Photography Editor Emma Werner photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editors Rose Innes, Nicola Todhunter, Joyce Uerpairojkit, & Emma Wind Illustrations Editor Harriet-Jade Harrow illustration@palatinate.org.uk Blogs Editor Eleanor Lowe blogs@palatinate.org.uk Publicity Officer Olivia le Poidevin publicity@palatinate.org.uk Advertising Officer Christopher Murphy advertising@palatinate.org.uk
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th October 2013
News in brief University News
DURHAM STUDENTS HAVE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE Following a recently survey by Lloyds, Durham university has come top out of 91 universities regarding satisfaction of student life. The collegiate system and comparatively cheaper prices in the north seem to have been the decisive factors. Durham beat Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, and neighbouring Newcastle for the quality of its student life. The survey also tested factors such as cost of living and course satisfaction. BILL BRYSON LIBRARY UNDERGOES MAJOR REFURBISHMENT The University’s Bill Bryson Library is undergoing a major refurbishment to introduce a range of new services and facilities. The two-year project is to focus on the older areas of the Library in an effort to bring the facilities in these sections up to the standard of those currently in the newly developed East Wing. The heating, lighting and ventilation systems will be replaced to improve the study environment throughout the building. DURHAM STUDENT WINS NATIONAL WRITING COMPETITION George Pearson from Collingwood College won a creative writing competition run by UCAS and The Times. The entrants were encouraged to write a piece about why the decided to pursue their degree subject at university level, particularly in the current economic climate. George came top of the arts and humanities section with his entry about his love of Classics. The prizes included £3,000, a day’s work experience at The Times and a six-month subscription to The Times online.
3
News
www.palatinate.org.uk
University reviews new allocations process New automated policy trialled alongside system currently in use Natasha Tierney
The University has held a committee meeting to review results of a trial of the new college allocations system, due to be implemented this year. The new, automated allocations policy was trialled alongside the system currently in use. Unlike the old system – in which applicants are reviewed by Senior Tutors before being accepted by a college – the new policy automatically places candidates within their first choice college where possible. The results suggested that 73.2 percent of students would have been allocated their first choice had the automated system been used.This compares to the 70.5 percent of applicants who were actually placed into the college of their choice last year. Last week, Professor Chris Hutchison, who is in charge of Recruitment and Allocations in the Colleges Office, met with other members of the review committee including the Master of University College, the Senior Tutor of Trevelyan College and the JCR presidents of St Chad’s and Hild Bede. Professor Hutchison told Palatinate about the main benefits of the new policy, including the decision to put all applicants through the allocations process at the same time, once most of the University’s offers have been made: “By the second week of February,
95% of offers have been made. So if we run the process then, then most of the people who have expressed an interest in Durham at that time will have received an offer, so everyone will go through the system at the same time. “The main advantage is that it irons out the perceived inequalities in the old system.” However, Chloe Williamson, Senior Woman of Chad’s college, was less certain of the trial’s success. Speaking to Palatinate prior to Thursday’s meeting, Williamson said: “In actual fact, the comparison showed that at Chad’s, with the new automated allocation system, 43.3% of students who applied were given an offer, compared to the previous system where 45% of students got their first choice. “Similarly, in University College 35.7% of the people who applied got an offer with the automated system, whereas with the previous system 37.9% were given their first choice. “So, you can see that at the two most over-subscribed colleges, the automated system actually allocated fewer students to their first-choice college. However, different data was used to compare the two systems, so any comparison is unfair.” Professor Hutchison did also acknowledge some flaws in the data, stating: “What we didn’t have to look at was a baseline – a random selection of people who actually turned up at each college on October the
first. “We didn’t have the baseline data in front of us, so what we’d like to do is go back and carry out that study again but with the baseline data included- the baseline data meaning who is actually in the college this year.” However, he maintained confidence in the trial’s success: “We’ve run simulations five times over the previous year though and each has run exactly the same as the previous, so it looks as though it will work just fine.”
“The new automated system could mean that colleges may be less diverse” Chloe Williamson, Senior Woman of Chad’s College
Williamson also expressed concern about what the new policy could mean for diversity across the colleges: “The new automated system could mean that colleges may be less diverse. For example, lots of students from independent schools apply to Hild Bede, so under the new allocations system you would expect that if 70% of the people applying to Hild Bede were from independent schools then 70% of the people at
CONDUCTOR”S WORK DONATED TO UNIVERSITY An archive of the work of Ezra Rachlin, a world famous conductor, has been donated to the University by his widow. The work was given to Grey College by Ann Rachlin, who took up a Fellowship at the college in 2010. She said: “I could not think of anywhere better than Durham Univerisity to house the work. I know it will always be looked after.” Ezra Rachlin started out as a conceert pianist before taking up conduction in his twenties. He was also a talented photographer and some of his photographs are included.
The new policy places candidates within their first choice college where possible Photograph: Venus Loi
Hild Bede would be from independent schools.” Whilst Professor Hutchison did not comment on how the new process might affect things such as independent and state school diversity, he did emphasise a focus on ensuring that there were students with a range of interests across all colleges: “We ran a random selection of a hundred people who would have gone to University college or would have gone to Chad’s had the process been run this year. “If you look through the list of skills they were rugby and lacrosse players - many of those people do musical instruments as well, they do volunteering and quite a lot of them were head boy or head girl. “So if you think of a cross section of any skill or interest that colleges would be interested in, then those people encapsulate it.” He also argued that the automated system would benefit Senior Tutors, allowing them time to focus on persuading successful applicants to accept their offers: “We really need to re-deploy labour to communicating with successful applicants and making sure that we maximise conversion, as actually this is a big issue.
“We ... need to re-deploy labour to communicating with successful applicants”
Professor Chris Hutchinson, Deputy Head (Recruitment and Allocations) “You can start to communicate with applicants in a personalized way to make them understand that we’ve given them an offer and we really want them to come.” After many have voiced concerns about the depersonalisation of the allocations process, Hutchison added: “There will still be head of house discretion within the system. Even as it works now we have instances where we clearly put a student in a college which is not appropriate and heads of house have discretion to move people around- that will still be the case with the new system.” Professor Graham Towl, the ProVice-Chancellor and Deputy Warden, commented on the results of the trial, telling Palatinate: “The overall aim of introducing the automatic allocation process is to ensure we have a fair, open and transparent process for College allocations in place which maximises the number of students offered a place in their preferred College. Our trial data shows that the automatic process meets this objective.”
4
News News in brief LOCAL NEWS
NEWCASTLE-BORN PETER HIGGS AWARDED NOBEL PRIZE The discovery of the Higgs boson has been the crowning achievement of CERN’s £6 billion Large Hadron Collider. First theorised in the 1960s and officially ‘found’ in July last year, the particle explains why some particles in the Standard Model have mass. Long sought after, the discovery required the data from trillions of proton collisions in order to be confirmed. Sharing the prize with Francois Englert, Professor Higgs said, “I am overwhelmed to receive this award, and thank the Royal Swedish Academy.”
GEOLOGY OF BRITAIN CAPTURED IN NEW SCULPTURE A sculpture representing the geological makeup of the British Isles has been unveiled in Durham city. What Lies Beneath Us displays the unusual diversity of rock types found across Britain and Ireland. Stonemason/ artist John de Pauley took 18 months to complete the sculpture, which has been funded by a £100,000 donation from The Banks Group. The public are invited to take photos standing on cities or their home town. Photographs can be tweeted to @durham_ uni and with #GeoSculpture. RESIDENTS’ ANGER AT STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
Durham residents have united against a new £200m housing scheme due to be built on the Mount Oswald golf course. Despite large scale resistance, Banks Property won outline planning permission. To promote the project, David Wilson Homes held a public exhibition for the first stage of the proposals, with 61 properties worth up to £750,000 due to be built. The work is due to start early in 2014, with developers hoping for residents to move in before the end of the year.
CHIMNEY FALLS ON NORTH ROAD Early on Monday 14th October a chimney above Sherlock’s Hair Salon on North Road began to collapse, possibly due to high winds and potential water damage. The area was quickly cordoned off by the police and fire brigade, who closed Sherlock’s until lunchtime, and diverted many buses whilst the area was being made safe. A spokeswoman for Durham fire brigade said that one fire engine and an aerial ladder platform had been dispatched to the area. Although the falling bricks damaged a nearby parked car, no injuries were reported.
www.palatinate.org.uk
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
Former Professor exposes Iran controversy Durham University has been accused of gathering intelligence for the US State Department Amal Vaidya
A former Durham professor has accused the University of using an academic project to gather intelligence for the US State Department. Dr Reza Molavi is a former director of Durham’s Centre for Iranian Studies and is currently a guest professor at the University of Tehran. He is a prominent commentator on Iranian politics and Iran’s relationship with the West. In 2009, the project officially invited prominent Iranian academics and officials to Durham for a political and cultural exchange. Dr Molavi had voiced his concerns at the time, but the project went ahead. Speaking recently to ITV, he said that the project had been used as a means to contact sympathetic Iranians. “The sort of questions that were raised and the sort of people that were invited looked more like a planned targeting for other purposes beyond academic learning.” A confidential diplomatic cable sent from the US embassy in London, released by WikiLeaks in 2011, also suggests that there was an ulterior interest. It shows how, in 2008, the University applied for hundreds of thousands of dollars from the US State Department’s “Iranian Democracy Small Grants Programme” to run proposed projects with the aim of contacting various Iranian non-governmental organisations, academics and officials. The cable makes special note of the political access that the University had due to its academic reputation and acknowledges the difficulties for the US State Department to gain similar “political cover.” “Durham University’s demonstrated access to academic and civil institutions gives this proposal the strongest prospects of broad, meaningful Iranian participation given the
restrictive current political conditions in Iran.” The cable suggests that the State Department saw the University as a means to extend its influence within Iran. It also lists a Durham academic (not Dr Molavi) as a “key embassy contact” and also commends their ability to generate “political cover” within Iran. The bulk of the cable lists several proposals, some with distinct social and humanitarian goals such as a project entitled “Durham Workshops: Women’s NGOs” that aims to help “US and Iranian universities and NGOs working to empower women.” Many of the listed projects, however, involved contacting influential members of Iranian society for discussions about political and religious ideology. The cable comments that the proposals would allow Iranian officials “to engage in dialogue with U.S. counterparts and U.S. and UK experts.” An official described as an “Iran watcher” also comments that further proposals would help bring together more US specialists with influential Iranians: “If Department supports
further exploration, might offer U.S. and USG (United States Government) observers a useful look inside Iranian politics at a grassroots level.” After the programme was run in 2009, Dr Molavi grew increasingly unhappy in Durham and resigned in 2010. While returning to the UK from a trip to Iran, he was arrested in Tehran in April 2010 on suspicion of aiding a velvet revolution. He spent roughly thirteen months in the notorious Evin Prison, where he was repeatedly interrogated. He spent several months in solitary confinement and was denied access to his family. Speaking on ITV news, Dr Molavi said that “many of the questions asked were based on the revelation that Durham University had organised a seminar or a conference.” He admitted that he was angry at the University, but speaking to the Northern Echo he refused to condemn the Iranian regime, saying: “I don’t want to become bitter. I want to spread goodwill.” He still continues to work for political cooperation between Iran and the West. Palatinate asked the University whether they believed that pro-
The Al-Qasimi Building hosts seminars for Iranian Studies
Photograph: Donkey Hotey grammes such as this one harm its international reputation. It responded: “These activities contribute to enhancing individual students’ academic learning and, more broadly, play a constructive role in building mutual understanding, respect and a better world. “An institution in which academic freedom is suppressed is not a university in the generally accepted sense of the term.”
Photograph: Emma Wind
Degree rankings show disparity between Arts and Sciences
Continued from page 1: “It’s high time we started distinguishing between students just scraping 70% to those reaching above 80% in first class honours so that employers can separate exceptional candidates. “The current degree classification system is severely outdated.” Furthermore, the statistics also demonstrate that the number of firsts and upper seconds awarded varies greatly for different departments. In 2012 for example, 41.48% of English Literature graduates obtained a first class honours degree,
while in Government and International Affairs only 9.54% of graduates received a first. This raises further concerns about whether marking is consistent across departments and whether it is easier to get higher marks in certain subjects. Sam, a finalist in International Relations, reacted to the statistics, noting: “Even within the arts faculty, it appears that there is disparity with marking between departments. “Most humanities subjects require similar skills such as essay writing and extracting information
from sources, and many people choose joint honours degrees or opt to take elective modules in different departments. “The entrance requirements across Durham are very high, and so it seems strange that students with similar applications and skills may or may not get a first depending on what subject they choose to specialise in.” Responding to concerns over marking, Dale commented: “The University has a rigorous quality management framework which maintains the integrity of our academic standards.
“The classification of students’ performance is overseen by Boards of Examiners comprised of academic staff and verified by external examiners, who consistently confirm that our standards are appropriate and comparable to other leading institutions. “Classification data is reviewed annually at department, faculty and University level to ensure that this mechanism remains robust.” Further information and all statistics can be found at Durham Student Registry on the University website.
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th October 2013
News in brief
5
News
www.palatinate.org.uk
Durham SU President’s Column
NATIONAL NEWS
STUDY SAYS HOMESICK STUDENTS REQUIRE EXTRA HELP A study published in the Journal of American College Health states that many new students who have just had their freshers’ week will suffer intense homesickness. The study claims that the pressures of finding new friends, moving into an unfamiliar environment and added responsibility all contribute. It suggests that universities should aim to provide a “warm, fun, relaxed orientation where incoming students have a chance to connect socially and familiarize themselves.” NO LAW DEGREE FOR WOULDBE SOLICITORS
Experts have predicted the ‘death’ of the traditional law degree following a suggested overhaul of the legal training system in Britain. The Solicitors Regulation Authority have suggested that instead of the conventional route into the profession – completing a degree, a legal practice course and then a two-year training contract – solicitors should be able to qualify by simply demonstrating that they have the right skills and qualities needed for the job. The current system is deemed to be too constricting by some who suggest that the new system would open up new opportunities and reduce financial burdens. Changes are not expected to be implemented before 2017-18.
FRESHERS TO BE GIVEN ADVICE VIA TWITTER
The National Union of Students is running a series of ‘Freshers Survival’ support sessions which will be conducted for the first time via twitter. The question and answer sessions are hoping to attract record numbers of students with the use of social media. Among the topics covered are careers and social lives, budgeting, and sex and relationships. Students can take part by using the #FreshersSurvival hashtag on Twitter.
UNIVERSITY STAFF TO STRIKE OVER PAY Following the announcement of a teachers strike on Thursday, university staff across the country are expected to take part in a one-day strike over pay. Members of Union, Universities and Colleges Union and Unite unions will stage a strike which the Universities and Colleges Employers Association has called a great disappointment. This is the first time that all three unions with be striking simultaneously, following a 13% decrease in pay since October 2008.
Dan Slavin
“Blurred Lines” has sparked debate at universities across the country
Photograph: Avhell
Lines blurred over censorship during Freshers’ Week Ben Williams Controversy over Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” grew earlier this month, as debates emerged about whether it should be played during Freshers’ Week events. Following in Edinburgh University’s footsteps, some Durham Colleges decided to boycott the song across the week due to its ‘degrading’ content, leaving other colleges the subject of criticism. St. John’s, St. Mary’s and St. Chad’s Colleges as well as St. Cuthbert’s Society banded together with several Student Union officers at JCR Presidents’ Committee (PresComm), a fortnightly meeting of all College JCR Presidents, to promote the idea of banning the song in Durham. Josephine Butler College held a vote involving over sixty members of the college in order to decide whether the song should be stricken from their Freshers’ Week playlist. Will Kendall, Josephine Butler College’s JCR President, remarked: “It was a unanimous decision that it should not be included in our inhouse playlist and it had no disruption on what was an excellent Freshers’ Week.” Hatfield College, however, decided not to ban the song, which currently ranks No. 9 on Spotify and No. 32 on the UK chart after its release in March. One Hatfield Fresher was in support of their decision, arguing: “I don’t believe that they should be banning any forms of art. It’s morally questionable, even if the subject matter is controversial.” On a nationwide level, the National Union of Students (NUS) sucessfully placed pressure on SUBtv, a music channel which holds the contract for
many student union buildings (including Dunelm House) to remove the song from all of its playlists. Therefore, “Blurred Lines” will not be played anywhere in the Union building. Studio is currently the only one of Durham’s clubs to have openly instructed its DJs not to play the song following a campaign led by St. Chad’s College Senior Woman, Chloe Williamson. Williamson commented: “If this song being banned in several establishments makes artists think twice about including degrading lyrics in their songs then that can only be a good thing. “I think that it’s fair to say that this song not being played will not upset many people, but this song being played has the potential to upset a minority of people in a major way.”
“I don’t believe that they should be banning any forms of art” Hatfield Fresher
This movement has also been adopted by the University of Derby, Leeds University, Kingston University, and the University of West Scotland. Some students, however, have questioned the targeting of this particular song. A second year from St Mary’s College said: “I don’t know why people have such an issue with it. It’s no different from other sexual imagery in most pop songs.” Durham University Feminist Society’s Publicity Officer, Florence Perry,
commented on this criticism, noting: “Obviously, we are aware that this is not an isolated incident, but it has become somewhat of a poster boy, which means it would have the biggest impact.” She continued: “It is lines like good girl and the way you grab me that encourage the idea that all girls naturally want to be dominated and normalises victim naming. There should be nothing that a girl can say other than the obvious that means I want to have sex. “Wouldn’t it be nice if rape victims didn’t have to listen to such lines, which are often used by rapists, every time they go to Klute?” The song also made a significant appearance in Durham University Feminism Society’s publicity campaign, where members of the public were asked to write the reason why they need feminism on a whiteboard. Comments such as, “No, Robin Thicke, I don’t want it,” featured prominently in the responses. The topic has been widely debated in the national press, with Thicke claiming that the song and its video were meant to create a point about the industry’s attitude towards the portrayal of women. He argues: “We tried to do everything that was taboo: Bestiality, drug injections, and everything that is completely derogatory towards women. Because all three of us are happily married with children, we were like, ‘We’re the perfect guys to make fun of this.’” Emily Ratajkowski, one of the models who starred in the controversial video has said of her role in the video: “It’s something very important for young women today to have that confidence. [The video] is actually celebrating women and their bodies.”
I know we are nearly a month in, but can I just take the opportunity to say welcome to your new term at the University. For those that are enjoying their very first Durham experience, can I say on your behalf: a massive thank you to the small army of enthusiastic, stashedup and face paint-wielding FREPS, WREPS and Exec who are responsible for your welcome. On Freshers’ Sunday, I visited every college except one (ironically my own) and I can say that the atmosphere and excitement was infectious across the colleges. It was great for me and the other elected Union Officers to tour the Colleges and see everyone’s unique way of welcoming Durham’s newest crop. The Union’s rebrand and new website have all been designed to make it easier for you to engage with us, YOUR Union. This is not just about a logo. It is about matching our new image with opportunities, support, facilities and services available to you. This is a challenge for all involved and one we meet every day. At Matriculation I issued a challenge to all new students, opening with the question: What are you going to do to create positive change? Over the years, our students have done amazing things: forming over 180 societies, Palatinate, a radio station, and raising nearly £1/2 million for charity annually to mention a few. So, I challenge you now, be that course rep, nominate yourself for that committee, or join that society at www.durhamsu. com (shameless plug, sorry). But whatever you do, make sure you do something. Don’t be someone who sits back and lets opportunities pass you by, who complains and doesn’t attempt to change something or regrets not doing something that you had the opportunity to during your time at Durham. If you grab opportunities you might even be writing this column one day.
6
News News in brief LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS
ULU PRESIDENT ARRESTED Daniel Cooper, Vice-President of the University of London Union, was arrested after objecting to the conduct of police officers during a drug search at a university party at Royal Holloway. According to reports, Mr Cooper was “wrestled” to the ground by seven police officers after attempting to “obstruct the search of two black students.” Cooper was said to have been angered by the “disproportionate” singling out of minorities students for drug searches. He was later released with a caution.
MORE UNIVERSITIES “LOOK BEYOND GRADES”
A greater number of UK universities are using personal and other additional information to decide which students get places, as opposed to merely focusing on academic credentials, an independent report suggests. According to research carried out by Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA), 37% of the universities surveyed said they used such ‘contextual data’ to make informed decisions, with the remainder planning on doing so in the future. University leaders are calling for a more informed public debate on the issue.
DISABLED STUDENTS CALL FOR BETTER ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY FACILITIES Disabled students are appealing to UK universities to do more to improve disabled access to campus facilities. According to a report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s Trailblazers group, only half of universities have made all their teaching rooms, study rooms and libraries fully accessible for students with mobility diffficulties. In addition, many disabled students are unable to use lecture theatres and libraries while only a quarter of the universities audited had considered disabled studetnts when planning their Frehsers’ Weeks.
STONEMASON WHO LEFT MESSAGE IN BOTTLE IDENTIFIED
The man who concealed a mysterious message in a bottle under the flagstones of Durham Catherdral a century ago has been identified as local stonemason William Rayboyle. Rayboyle was successfully identified as the author by his granddaughter Theresa Armitage, who confirmed him to be a stonemason and ex-military man. The faded message reads: “This grave was opened on Sunday May 11th 1913.”
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
www.palatinate.org.uk
Student finance leaves students short-changed Sally Wardle An NUS report has labelled the current cost of university living as an ‘emerging student crisis.’ The analysis, which compared estimated costs of living for the 2013– 2014 academic year with average government maintenance loans and grants during this period, found many students are struggling to meet the cost of everyday living. The report reveals that students living outside of London will be, on average, £7693 out of pocket, whilst those living in London will face an estimated shortfall of £7654. Although many students receive loans for both tuition fees and maintenance, these have not been kept in proportion with the rising cost of living. Similarly, the thresholds of family income, which determine the level of financial support a student will receive, have not been altered despite the economic hardship of recent years. Whilst expenses such as rent and utilities are steadily increasing in cost every year, the level at which students get maximum support has remained at £25,000 household income since 2008. Grants and loan rates were also frozen this year, and are projected to rise by only one percent next year. Toni Pearce, NUS President, expressed her concern over the current system of student finance: “Many students starting university this month are facing a cost of living crisis, with available financial
support in loans and grants failing to keep pace with spiralling bills for basic essentials. “Those who do not have the rare luxury of resorting to the ‘bank of mum and dad’ are increasingly being driven to work full-time alongside study where jobs can be found, or worse still into the arms of predatory pay day lenders just to make ends meet. “We need a financial support system that ensures students get what the support they need, when they need it.” The report echoes concerns raised by the ‘Pound in Your Pocket’ survey, which found that more than half of all students regularly worry about being able to afford basic living costs whilst at university. Harriet Jones, a third year student at Southampton University, told Palatinate: “I get a grant and bursary so I’m one of the lucky ones. However, I still want to get a part-time job as really my loan only covers the basics. “I’m very far into my overdraft and that is always scary.” The upfront nature of living costs in Durham is a particular strain on students. Many students who choose to live out of college are forced to start paying rent as early as June, despite moving in at a much later date. Amy Ashlee, a third year Collingwood student, commented: “We had to start paying monthly rent from July onwards. My student loan wasn’t due in until October, so this expense was a huge strain on me. I got to the very bottom of my
overdraft and had to borrow money from my dad, which caused me so much stress. “Even now that my loan has come in, it barely covers anything. I have to work hard to cover the difference between my loan and actual living costs. “I find the student finance system really frustrating. The system is based on how much your parents earn, but doesn’t take into account the number of members in your family and whether your parents are ac-
tually giving you money.” Lauren Hitchman, a second year Durham English student, added: “I’d much rather have a larger loan than have to get my parents to support me; it means that even at university I am still financially dependent on my parents, which I shouldn’t have to be as an adult.”
Durham has high living costs
Photograph: Rose Innes
work on the project’s next phase, focussing on the Cathedral’s multiple exhibition routes, is forecast to commence in early 2014. Several significant items in the Cathedral’s collections, including three copies of the Magna Carta, the Durham Gospel and a first edition of the King James Bible, are not on display due to current lack of suitable space in which to exhibit them. According to the project’s financial estimates, the second phase will cost a total of £10million over a three year programme of restoration. The Cathedral has previously covered the cost of associated fees and staff time during the research and strategy stages of the project. Several other grants have already been obtained and include £500,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation, £300,000 from The Friends of Durham Cathedral and £130,000 from The Monument Trust. A statement from Durham Cathedral read: “We are hugely grateful for all our donors have contributed to this project. Thanks to public bodies, charitable trusts and other companies and donors, we will raise the £10 million needed to complete
‘Open Treasure’ “’Open Treasure’ is more than a capital development project. It is integral to the mission of the Cathedral and its future and we are delighted with the changes being made.
*NUS estimated average student expenditure for the 2013/14 academic year (39 weeks)[1]
£10 million re-development for Cathedral
Gabriel Samuels
A development venture overseeing changes to several of Durham Cathedral’s oldest facilities is in the process of securing a £3.5million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The ‘Open Treasure’ project, which aims to “improve understanding of the Cathedral’s heritage by opening up more of its outstanding collections to a wider audience,” has received a first stage pass from the HLF for the significant funding grant. ‘Open Treasure’ was first unveiled in early 2012 with blueprints for the renovation of the Monk’s Dormitory, the only intact 14th-century facility of its kind in the UK, as well improvements to the Cathedral’s Great Kitchen and Collections Gallery. The preliminary phase of Open Treasure - the redevelopment of the Cathedral shop, foyer, and choir vestries - was finalised late last year and cost £1.4million of the Cathedral’s own funds. The new facilities were officially opened by Baroness Tanni GreyThomson in November 2012 and
“It is unacceptable to have such remarkable historic artefacts as the Magna Carta hidden away in the archives.” Dr Stephen Cherry, Residentiary Canon of Durham Cathedral
The outcome of the HLF grant application is due to be announced by the end of the year. The new exhibition spaces will open in September 2015 to coincide with the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. Dr Stephen Cherry, a Residentiary Canon of Durham Cathedral, said: “’Open Treasure’ is such a wonderful thing for our Cathedral, and is sure to
bring more visitors to our precious site. “It is unacceptable to have such remarkable historic artefacts as the Magna Carta hidden away in the archives. They simply must be on display to the public, and ‘Open Treasure’ is going a long way to ensuring this.” Over the past year the Cathedral has lead various fundraising projects in aid of the ‘Open Treasure’ project, including the ongoing construction of a scale-model LEGO cathedral in which donors pay £1 per brick they place on the model. The project is closely aligned with tourism and economic strategies for County Durham and comes alongside recent developments to other local sites such as Auckland Castle and Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey. The Cathedral is participating in Local Giving’s ‘Grow your Tenner 2013 Campaign’ which has a pot of £500,000, to raise money for ‘Open Treasure’. If you would like to donate this way please visit www.localgiving. com/charity/durhamcathedral .
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th October 2013
News in brief INTERNATIONAL NEWS
FORMER CIA DIRECTOR TO TAKE HARVARD POST The retired four-star army general and former CIA director David Petraeus has been appointed as a senior fellow at Harvard’s John F Kennedy School of Government. He will help lead a new project focusing on the factors that are influencing renewed North American competitiveness. Petraeus is known for leading American forces in Iraq and the famous ‘surge’ tactics he used. He also commanded US international forces in Afghanistan before becoming the CIA director. Six students were arrested in a protest against his appointment at the City University of New York. Protestors have accused him of being a “war criminal.”
PROTESTS IN FRANCE DUE TO DEPORTATION OF STUDENTS
French students have held protests and blocked access to schools due to the deportation of two students. The anger is mainly directed at the case of 15-year-old Leonarda Dibrani, who was removed from a school bus to be expelled with her family earlier this month. It has led to protests in Paris’ Bastille Square and clashes with riot police. Protesters are calling for the resignation of Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who has defended the action taken by authorities and generally has a tough stance on policy towards Roma immigrants. There were fewer protests outside of Paris but schools in Marseille, Lyon and Rouen were affected.
YALE RECEIVES LARGEST DONATION EVER An alumnus of the Universityformer Franklin Resources Inc chairman Charles Johnson- has given the ivy league university $250 million, the largest donation in the University’s 312 year history. The donation leaves the university $80 million in debt short of the funding it will need to begin work on two new residential colleges. The news comes as Yale’s great rival, Harvard University, launched a fundraising appeal that aims to bring in $6.5 billion in donations.
7
News
www.palatinate.org.uk
Lindisfarne exhibition a “resounding success” James Poole
Just over three weeks since its closure, the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition has been unanimously hailed a “resounding success” by its programme partners. Durham University, Durham County Council, and Durham Cathedral jointly coordinated the exhibition, which finished on 30th September, and managed to attract almost 100,000 national and international visitors to Durham. The exhibition, which was staged in the Palace Green Library, offered the general public the chance to catch a glimpse of the oldest book in European history, St. Cuthbert’s Gospel. Bought for £9 million by the British Library in April 2012, the Gospel was on loan to Durham from 1st July to 30th September, during which time only three of the book’s 516 pages were on display to the public. The exhibition also gave visitors the unique opportunity to virtually turn the pages of the book through state-of-the-art digital technology. In addition, the exhibition programme saw 20,000 children take part in learning sessions organised by the Palace Green Library and over 1,000 individual events held in churches, museums and galleries across the UK. A spokesman for the British Library described the exhibition as “the blockbuster event of summer 2013” and added: “We would like to
congratulate Durham on its success.” The widespread popularity of the display has been felt throughout the city, with many local businesses reporting record-breaking profits for the summer of 2013.
“The blockbuster event of Summer 2013”
Spokesman for the British Library Gail Proudlock of The Georgian Window, Saddler Street, told Palatinate that she was forced to “double and, in some cases, treble stock orders” throughout the months of the exhibition and commented that “from the first day of the programme we had a definite increase in custom.” Similarly, Trudy Crawley, manager of The Café on the Green said that there had been “a noticeable increase in takings over the summer, particularly in August.” Visitors to the exhibition left highly positive reviews in the Palace Green Library’s visitor book, with Mrs. G Dunn, a local resident, telling Palatinate that “the Palace Green Library did an outstanding job of presenting and organising the exhibition.” Another local resident, Mrs. P Gibson, visited the display with her book club and said, “I had never been to the Palace Green Library before so it was a really interesting and informative experience on many levels.”
However, some local residents expressed disappointment with the availability of tickets for the exhibition. Furthermore, the timing of the display over the summer holidays meant that the vast majority of students found themselves missing out on the exhibition, despite the University contributing £250,000 to the programme. Dominic Hudson, a first year Music student, commented: “It’s disappointing that the exhibition wasn’t made accessible for all students during term time, there would have been a good level of interest.” Dr. Sheila Hingley, Head of Heritage Collections at the Palace Green Library, defended the timing of the exhibition by saying that “the loan from the British Library was completely non-negotiable.” She continued: “We always aim to have as much University involvement in exhibitions as possible and try to remain conscious that we are part of the University.” Additionally, the exhibition placed considerable strain on the resources and services provided by the Palace Green Library, with entire book collections having to be relocated to 5 The College, a separate building in the Cathedral Precinct. The programme partners are yet to announce whether or not the estimated cost of the exhibition (£1.8 million) has been exceeded and conduct an official economic impact assessment.
EUROPE TEMPTS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AWAY FROM UK A new study suggests that a growing number of students are being tempted by European universities offering courses in English. The report, carried out by the Institue of International Education, showed a 38 percent rise in the number of English language Masters courses being offered on the Continent in the past 18 months.
Durham enjoyed a “resounding success” from the Gospels exhibit Photograph: Emma Werner
DUCK Chair’s Column Naz Atkinson Hi everyone! For those of you who are Freshers, we are Durham University Charities Kommittee (DUCK for short!) and we’re the guys who raise thousands of pounds for charity every year by organising a variety of entertaining and quite frankly insane events! Hitchhiking, Bungee Jumping, Skydiving, Sleeping in Durham Cathedral – that’s all us, and with us you can have a life changing year. During the summer, we ran eight expeditions to various locations across the world! Over 130 students have recently returned from the likes of Cambodia, Kilimanjaro, and Borneo, raving not only about how ‘epic’ and ‘legendary’ these expeditions are but also about the Charity projects they were involved in and the people they met along the way! I personally got the chance to experience the delights of Peru (and a cheeky bit of Bolivia) and couldn’t recommend it more. There were twelve awesome students, hundreds of excited kids, a few too many Disney stickers, one volcano, two floating islands, and – of course – a sneaky peak at Macchu Picchu, which I assure you is not to be missed! DUCK Expeditions raised over £130,000 for charity last year and continue to make a huge impact on the charities we support. This year, our donation in Peru is enabling the charity Globalteer to rent the top floor of Picaflor House where we volunteered. More room means more space for resources and more children attending the school. In Nepal, part of the donation to Future for Nepal pays for five children to receive an education and attend school year on year! The Expeditions Fair is taking place on Sunday 27th October in Durham Students’ Union from 2-5pm. You not only get the chance to find out more about the Expeditions that we run, but you can also meet the leaders and eat some free paella. For more information please email our Expedition’s Coordinator at dsu.duck-expeditions@durham.ac.uk. Get involved!
8
News Features
www.palatinate.org.uk
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
The ‘studentification’ impact
Increasing development of student housing outside of Durham city centre may be causing long-time residents to leave Justin Villamil
Mike Costello’s home is a warm, friendly building nestled far up the Viaduct. From the comfort of a room adorned with pictures of his grandchildren, in a house where he has lived for the past 25 years, Costello admits that residence in Durham is not as idyllic as it used to be. “I should have moved 20 years ago,” Costello told Palatinate, leaning in to make the point. “There used to be a vitality to this area, but you have to have balance.” Resident Exodus
Costello is one of many residents faced with a recent wave of student accommodation developments around Durham City that he claims is driving residents out. “These days, on this road, there are only six permanent houses out of about twenty,” Costello said. Currently, based on the accommodation strategy released by Durham University last year, the combined capacity of all sixteen colleges is around 6,600. Based on the same projections, the number of students is set to increase to 16,500 for the 2015/2016 year, and to 18,700 for 2019/2020. The official target for the University, set by the Durham City Council, is set at a minimum of 50 percent of students living in college accommodation. This year, the University has missed this target by 7 percent.
“In the 70s and 80s, Durham was typically full of independent stalls. You had game, you had butchers, toy stores, hardware. Everything that we’ve now got in the market was in the city centre in a much bigger way” Colin Wilkes Though the University has recognized the need for increased college residential space, it is unclear what developments are currently in the works. Palatinate has confirmed the sale
This graph of the age percentage breakdown by ward shows that students might be driving out residents Chart courtesy of the Crossgate Community Partnership, numbers from the 2001 Census of St Margaret’s Flats, formerly residence halls for St John’s College, to a private developer for £4.41 million. The funds are partly to be used for the construction of new accommodation blocks. A St John’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment. Professor Graham Towl, ProVice-Chancellor and Deputy Warden, however, told Palatinate that the University does not anticipate an overall change in student numbers in the University strategy, only an overall increase in the proportion of postgraduates. For David Freeman, a City Councillor for Elvet and Gilesgate, the ‘studentification’ of Durham has been a problem since the 1990s, when Durham originally began to expand. “Durham University claims to have an accommodation strategy but this is not leading to any substantial new purpose-built accommodation being built,” Freeman told Palatinate. “Unfortunately Durham University now has a very poor reputation with many local residents because of its abject failure to plan properly for the increase in numbers.” In Freeman’s view, the Council itself is not exempt. “The Council has through inactivity let both permanent residents and students down through its lack of any control over the housing situation in the city.” Roger Cornwell, Chairman of the Crossgate Community Partnership (CCP), told Palatinate in a statement: “The council never introduced planning policies which would allow city streets to maintain a balance of residential and student properties.”
Cornwell went on to mention problematic areas like the Viaduct, where over 70 percent of the houses are student lets, the so-called House in Multiple Occupation or HMO. “[This is] a consequence of longterm residents – families, retirees, local workers – feeling unable to live in streets which have become nothing but extensions of the University campus,” Cornwell concluded. Student Behaviour
Costello agrees with Cornwell’s sentiment. “I don’t think they [students] realise that there are residents around them,” Costello told Palatinate. “Really, though, if they’re being rowdy and you approach one of them, they’re really quite nice – I just don’t think they realise sometimes.” “I suppose you don’t normally meet a lot of local residents, unless you happen to be out in a pub,” Mark Balfour, a student living in Gilesgate told Palatinate. “When you do meet them, though, they’re nothing but friendly and welcoming, I don’t think we’ve ever had any problems.” Costello took me on a quick tour of his street, past empty beer cans and vomit. He indicated a disused children’s park across the street. “This used to be very family friendly, but now it’s been abandoned. It’s very sad really,” Costello said. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Towl takes these complaints seriously, telling Palatinate that the University is working with the City Council to establish accreditation policies with private landlords.
Towl argues that these policies will include behavioural expectations for tenants. “We take complaints very seriously and work closely with the police, the council, Durham Students’ Union, and our wider student body to resolve them,” Towl told Palatinate. However, for Costello and residents like him, the problem extends further than the occasional group of inebriated students. For them, it is the character of a city that has been lost. Business Concerns
On the issue of studentification’s impact on local businesses, opinion is divided. Colin Wilkes, the tall, genial managing director of the Durham Markets Company, told Palatinate that though the business landscape has indeed changed drastically, it is not the student influx that is the problem, but the decentralised development. “In the 70s and 80s, Durham was typically full of independent stalls. You had game, you had butchers, toy stores, hardware. Everything that we’ve now got in the market was in the city centre in a much bigger way.” Wilkes said that most of the changes were due to normal market forces. However, he mentioned that when the Durham Students’ Union and Elvet Riverside became student destinations in the Elvet area, many of the independent shops lost out to more student-focused businesses. “You look at the city centre now and you see an awful lot of mobile
phone shops, charity shops. So it has changed,” said Wilkes. The major change came with the development of the Arnison Centre, anchored by Sainsbury’s, and Tesco, which slowly began to pull business away from the independents. “As they’ve pulled shoppers out of the city centre, the hope is that students will fill that gap. However, as students are starting to live further out, that might start to pull more people away,” Wilkes told Palatinate. Wilkes admitted that there is a chance that students may drive out local residents, and says that this is not unproblematic from a business standpoint. “My best guess [for a local vs student breakdown of business] would be 80-20,” Wilkes said. However, Wilkes said further that most of his customer base comes in by bus, and do not live locally, so the impact of studentification for the Durham Indoor Market is minimal. Wilkes has been managing director for the past twenty years. A former Grey College law student, he said he understands the desire of students to shop at the large, familiar shops like Tesco. “With a purely retail hat on, we really have to encourage more students to come in and support local businesses,” Wilkes said.
P
The remainder of this article can be read online at www. palatinate.org. uk
© 2013 Accenture. All rights reserved.
you imagined
be
Bring your talent and passion to a global organisation at the forefront of business, technology and innovation. Collaborate with diverse, talented colleagues and leaders who support your success. Help evolve organisations and communities around the world. Sharpen your skills with industryleading training and development, as you build an extraordinary career. Discover how great you can be. Visit accenture.com/ukgraduates
318527_Durham_340x254.indd 1
Graduate opportunities in Consulting and Technology We are in business to help our clients achieve higher performance. It’s why we’re recognised as one of the leading management consulting, technology services and outsourcing companies in the world today. Join us as an Analyst within our Analyst Consulting Group (ACG) or as a Technical Specialist with Accenture Technology Solutions (ATS), and you’ll discover how you can evolve yourself.
Wherever you join us, you can rely on getting the training you need, when you need it. Be the first to know the latest news: ‘Like’ Accenture Careers UK Follow accentureukjobs on Twitter Watch us on YouTube AccentureUKcareers Visit accenture.com/ukgraduates
As a guide to help you decide, our Analysts must have a strong interest in technology plus good commercial awareness, and Technical Specialists will need a technical degree.
30/09/2013 14:16
10
Careers
www.palatinate.org.uk
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
Durham students dominate Unilever scheme
This summer, three of the four places for Unilever’s marketing internship were filled by Durham students: Alex Deung from Hatfield, Amy Tyrer from Mary’s, and Lucy Edwardes-Jones, also from Mary’s. Palatinate catches up with them to find out more.
tory degree definitely helped me to analyse huge chunks of complex information whilst keeping up with the world of fast moving consume goods. However I also found myself thankful of my Maths A-Level when faced with spreadsheets of market data, and of the teamwork skills gained from extracurricular activities when coordinating diverse teams. Amy: I study Sociology, which you may not think has much in common with Marketing, but as part of my degree I have to do a lot of reading and then draw a substantiated conclusion. This is a skill that is used all the time in Marketing; you constantly have to justify your course of action.
Lucy Edwardes-Jones
What attracted you to apply for the Unilever summer placement? Alex: First of all, Unilever is a marketer’s dream – Lynx, Ben & Jerry’s, Dove, Magnum.. The company is home to incredible brands and, as an intern, you get to play with them for real. Secondly, I’m really attracted to marketing management and the commercial side of marketing (as opposed to the creative work of advertising agencies) so I knew that working for an industry-leading supplier would allow me to explore this. Lucy: Having experienced snippets of the marketing process during my holiday job at a Market Research agency and a week’s work experience at an advertising agency, I was keen to gain an overview of the marketing lifecycle. I was initially attracted to Unilever by the exciting range of brands, but it was the company’s Sustainable Living Plan which really set Unilever apart for me. Amy: It was a combination of wanting to know more about marketing and find out if it was a career that I could see my self pursuing. In the current job market, any experience you can gain that separates you from other applicants is invaluable. What did you work on over the summer?
“Any experience you can gain that separates you from other applicants is invaluable”
Amy Tyrer
Alex: I was on the Brand Building team for Sure Men UK & Ireland, with just my line manager and I running the nation’s largest male deo brand. This meant keeping on top of sales and financials, but also managing a product relaunch, briefing out sales promotions, managing cross-agency teams on new adverts, making sure we have a strong presence in retailers, signing partnership deals. Lucy: I worked in the Snacking category, predominantly on the Pot Noodle account. Working on a fun, youth brand meant that there was a lot of freedom for amazing marketing ideas to be implemented; I helped to launch a Pot Noodle pop-up restaurant and a student scholarship competition to win a year’s tuition fees! However I also got to grips with the important commercial strategy behind these ideas, analysing huge spreadsheets of market data. Amy: My placement was with the
“I’ve got to admit, I now have more Sure deodorant than I could ever need”
Alex Deung
Durham student and Unilever intern Alex Deung with Andrew Henderson, freestyle football champion, at a Sure event Photograph: Alex Deung ice cream team, covering everything much from day one. It felt very daunt- just numbers makes for a really enfrom Ben and Jerry’s to Cornetto, to ing. But you do surprise yourself and joyable role. Lucy: Taking charge of my own Pot Twister. My main project was help- end up managing complete projects ing to plan marketing stratagy for out and events that you never thought Noodle projects! I was plunged in at the deep end with real responsiof home products in summer 2014. I you could. bilities rather than intern duties. One was also involved in launching prodmonth in, I was presenting my finducts, creating Facebook apps and lots “I was plunged ings from a focus group and competimore. in at the deep end tor review back to an all-agency team of 15. What did you find most challengwith real responsi- Amy: Seeing things that you have ing? been involved with in the shops or on Alex: Dealing with what feels like billions of emails hitting your inbox bilities rather than TV. everyday, all requiring different acWhich skills from your Durham tions. We English students, with our intern duties” degree were you able to apply durvirtually non-existent contact hours, Lucy Edwardes Jones ing your placement? just aren’t trained for that type of exAlex: In all honestly, it was everyperience! thing I do outside of my degree that Lucy: The first couple of weeks! Having never studied marketing, I What did you find most reward- helped me get the job and do the job. It was activities like being part of a was slightly overwhelmed with a ing? whole new vocabulary of acronyms Alex: Firstly, nothing beats the sat- student society exec and rowing in a such as P&L (profit and loss), VOD isfaction of seeing your hard work team that really made the difference, (volume on deal) and, my personal come to life in tangible ways: new giving me crucial experience of dealfavourite, OOH (out of home). How- products, new adverts, people inter- ing with different types of people, ever I soon lost any embarrassment acting with your brand, but also your making difficult decisions, managing in regularly asking ‘sorry what does market share growing whilst your my time and priorities, and working that mean?’. competitors’ shares fall. Secondly it’s in teams. Lucy: The infinite reading lists and Amy: The amount and complexity hugely rewarding to be involved in of work that is given to you pretty teams; working with people and not impending essay deadlines of my His-
Which Unilever product features most prominently in your student house? Alex: I’ve got to admit, I now have more Sure deodorant than I could ever need. If you ever catch me sweating then there’s no hope for any of us! Lucy: I should probably say Pot Noodle, shouldn’t I? But really I’m more of a Ben & Jerry’s girl, especially the new Peanut Butter Cup flavour! Amy: It may sound a bit rogue, but BOVRIL, I am obsessed with the stuff!
Upcoming Unilever events • 24th October: Leadership Presentation by Matt Close, Vice President of Ice Cream, Europe– hosted by Entrepreneurs Durham in the Palace Green Debating Chamber (sign up on the ED website) • 28th October: Making Marmite Magic (Marketing Workshop) - Stockton • 29th October - Making Marmite Magic (Marketing Workshop) – Durham
Applications for Unilever Summer Placements and the Unilever Future Leaders Programme are open now: http://www.unilever.co.uk/careersjobs/graduates/.
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th October 2013
11
Business
www.palatinate.org.uk
Students scramble for textbook alternatives Expensive book vendors have competitors thanks to student-led initiatives
Jisoo Kim
It’s the start of another year. Freshers are flooding into University, perhaps with some excitement in pursuing their new study, whilst returners are solemnly determined to work harder this year. But they face one major problem: the high costs of core textbooks. The most well-known and the only off-line textbook store in Durham is Waterstones’ Academic Bookshop, a partner outlet of Durham University. However, it is hard to deny that the original price of textbooks this store charges is a burden on students with tight budgets. This has been increasingly brought up as a matter of grave concern within the student community, since the maximum charge of annual tuition fee rose to £9,000 last year. In the midst of these worries, Ta-sian Litchfield (PPE) and George Cantlay (Joint Social Science) from Trevelyan College created an online textbook retail website called Book Regeneration. Its sale opened on the 5th October. This student enterprise exclusively targets Durham students. As its slogan says, now students can ‘Buy books save money, Sell books make money’ online without knowing who they are exchanging to. Previously, cheaper textbooks were only available through personal connections. In other words, there is a progressively higher tendency to look for year-above students
Waterstones’ Academic Bookshop is the only off-line textbook store available in Durham. Photograph: Emma Werner who read the same subject and could sell their used books cheaper than the original price. Buying a textbook at the lowest price possible requires a wealth of information about who’s selling which book at what price. The winner of this system therefore would have to have fairly wide personal connections within the Durham
Acquiring textbooks can be a major financial stress for students Photograph: Emma Werner
community. On Book Regeneration, sellers can be anyone including current students, graduates and alumni, since all the exchange is through the website. Sellers simply sign up for an account and add new listings of books, with personally judged ‘fair’ prices and conditions marked. Book Regeneration’s recommended retail price is 5060% of the original price. Since sellers have to create their own advert, they also post images and brief overviews. To make their suggested prices more appealing, some students have directly mentioned the difference with the original Waterstones’ price. An anonymous seller wrote “Can be bought in Waterstones for £50” for an Economics core textbook. “We’ve had 300 orders so far, with an average of two books per order,” says Ta-sian. Currently a total of 185 books are available for purchase on the website. The enterprise takes a commission of 7.5% for each sale, and its own courier service costs £2.50, which delivers sold books to colleges or University home addresses within 36 hours. However, this website cannot be a weight off those students’ shoulders who read subjects in which the reading lists change every year.
For instance, Anisha Passcuran, a second-year law student, says she spent “around £215 for law textbooks, which would cost at least £250 in Waterstones.” She could not buy cheaper books from her third-year colleagues since the reading lists for her modules changed this year.
“I’m already an international student. My tuition fees rose from £12,600 last year to £13,300 this year” Anisha Passcuran
Expressing strong discontent over this matter, Passcuran said, “I’m already an international student. My tuition fees rose from £12,600 last year to £13,300 this year.” She also raised the problem of having to buy new annual editions of statute books which will be used for just one year. This year she has had to buy four of
these in total, which cannot be sold to the students in the year below. Some subjects, such as Mathematics and Engineering, do not require students to buy textbooks, but ‘recommend’ doing so. Furthermore, departments such as Modern Languages have implemented their own booklets, but this replaces the need to buy textbooks by only a fairly limited extent. Jonny Bowers, a third-year geologist, mentioned the possibility of borrowing core textbooks from the University library in the very beginning of a year, and then renewing them every three weeks. He acknowledged the need to return them if there is a request to do so. Waterstones sells certain textbooks in packs; they are discounted if they are from the same publisher. Four first-year Economics core textbooks in a pack are discounted by sixty pounds in total since they are all published by Pearsons. It is highly unlikely, however, that all required textbooks are from the same publisher. Students’ frustrations over getting their required textbooks are increasingly prevalent. Will students’ thoughts and initiatives to provide cheaper solutions to surpass the monopolistic Waterstones?
12
Politics
www.palatinate.org.uk
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
The Speaker addresses the Union Society Joe Mayes
J
ohn Bercow MP, the Speaker of the House of Commons, gave a rousing address at the Durham Union Society in the first week of Michaelmas term. In front of a packed Debating Chamber with the bells of Durham Cathedral ringing outside, Mr Bercow spoke passionately about his work as Speaker and the importance of the institution of Parliament, displaying an eloquence and oratorical flair befitting his title. Mixing amusing anecdotes with a comprehensive discussion of his job, the Speaker likened his role in the House to that of a “referee in a football match, or, perhaps more fittingly, the headteacher of a school.” He spoke of his efforts to create a “culture change” in Parliament and to make sure that it “best works for
the benefit of the British people,” achieved through measures such as improving the conduct of Prime Minister’s Questions and giving greater parliamentary time to backbench business. On the frequently-questioned issue of his relationship with his constituents, Mr Bercow drew a parallel with Government Ministers, saying that he could not speak in the House on their behalf, but he still maintained correspondences with them and addressed their concerns. In addition to his discussions of Parliament, the Speaker drew frequent laughs from the audience with a selection of excellent impressions of famous politicians, ranging from a spot-on William Hague to an aptly haughty and powerful Margaret Thatcher. The address was then followed by a lively question and answer session, with students present doing their ut-
most to draw the Speaker into commenting upon party political issues. Robert, from Hatfield College, asked Mr Bercow which party he thought was the worst behaved in Parliament. Responding even-handedly, the Speaker said that all the parties were as bad as each other but that female MPs were certainly the best behaved. Dermot, from University College, questioned Mr Bercow on whether he thought he would be calling more UKIP MPs to speak in the House after the next general election. The Speaker commended the ingenuity of the question but responded frankly and said that he did not. On the question of the media, the Speaker admitted that he took very little notice of what was written about him in the papers but that he enjoyed reading parliamentary sketches. Mr Bercow also spoke combat-
John Bercow at the Union Society Photograph: Joe Mayes ively in defence of his wife, Sally, acknowledging that she was a controversial figure in the Tory press but he said that she had every right to express her own views.
The Speaker was thanked with rapturous applause at the end of his speech and signed autographs for attendees.
Five Days in May: inside the ‘war room’ Palatinate interviews Lord Adonis at the Durham Book Festival
Spencer Brown
Lord Andrew Adonis – the former Education Minister and Transport Minister who was elevated to the House of Lords at the age of just 42 – recently spoke to a Durham audience about his new book, Five Days in May. As part of the ongoing Durham Book Festival, Adonis discussed his new release – which reveals the efforts of the Labour Party to secure a coalition with the Liberal Democrats after the unsuccessful 2010 election – as well as his varied political journey. Five Days In May is a punchy and insightful mini-memoir, penned in the immediate weeks after the election, which produced a hung parliament and thus tense cross-party negotiations.
“A unique eye-witness account of a pivotal moment in political history” Lord Andrew Adonis
Ultimately, Nick Clegg and his party opted to join forces with the Tories – who had received the most votes, but not enough to establish an overall majority – forming the first
Photograph: National Archives peace-time coalition since the 1930s. Adonis was a high-ranking figure within Labour who in a dramatic five days – a period during which he said he had “a strong sense something historic was happening” – attempted to broker a deal with the Lib Dems to keep his party, and the beleaguered Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in government. Speaking to a sold-out audience at Durham Town Hall, he explained how he is a “historian” as well as a politician, and how he felt a sense of duty to chronicle the inner machinations of the discussions. He also believed his warts-and-all diaries could be used as a “yardstick” for future coalition negotiations. The book synopsis promises “a unique eye-witness account of a
pivotal moment in political history,” and as well as revealing the fascinating day-by-day developments, bluffs, counter-bluffs, concessions and controversies as Labour and the Conservatives vied for the Lib Dems’ support, it also includes some intriguing snippets of inside information and detail. Gordon Brown and his team, for example, actually conducted most of their work in 12 Downing Street, in an open-plan complex nicknamed the “war room”. For one of Brown’s speeches to the massed ranks of the press during the dramatic five days, the only lectern available was so old and rickety that it had to be forcibly taped to the ground (the irony of his government breaking apart at the same time is too strong to ignore). Also, on the day of Brown’s resignation, there was a Privy Council meeting with the Queen at 5pm that couldn’t be re-scheduled. The last business of the Labour Government, after thirteen years in power, was thus an Order for the discontinuance of burials in Holy Trinity Churchyard in Buildwas, Shropshire. Such are the intricacies and eccentricities of British politics. During the Book Festival talk, when discussing the wider world of politics in general, Adonis expressed his admiration for the much-pilloried Gordon Brown, insisting that the true
test of a leader is “how you handle the biggest challenges,” and that he had dealt expertly with the financial crisis.
“Something historic was happening” Lord Andrew Adonis
“I loved my university years so much I extended them. I went back and did a doctorate afterwards and then became a university lecturer... I can’t recommend them [universities] enough.” His snappy, breezy, insightful and captivating mini-memoir, Five Days In May, can’t be recommended highly enough either.
Five facts about Lord Adonis
He conceded, however, that Brown was not necessarily a great leader of the Labour Party itself, observing that perhaps he “came to it a bit too late.” The floor was opened to questions, and he came across as erudite and principled when grilled on subjects such as the restoration of grammar schools, the proposed HS2 high-speed rail-link (of which he is a leading advocate) and Britain’s relationship with Europe. Naturally, he concluded with an optimistic, if slightly tongue-incheek, trumpet-blast for Labour’s prospects in the next general election. Palatinate talked to him briefly after the event, when he spoke with fondness of Durham (“it’s doing fantastically well as a city”), and the north-east’s importance to the economy, before explaining why to him the university years he spent at Oxford were so special.
• When he was at Oxford University, William Hague was the President of the Oxford Union. • He was elected to Oxford City Council at the age of just 23.
• Whle at university, he successfully campaigned for kebab vans to be kept in the city.
• He has won allies across the political divide, with Michael Gove famously stating - with regards to education policy - that “we are on the same page as Andrew Adonis.”
• He began his working life as a journalist, and wrote for the Financial Times for five years.
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th October 2013
13
SciTech
www.palatinate.org.uk
IP: are we addressing the shortage? Alex Brown Supplies of addresses used to uniquely identify devices on the Internet are running out as global demand for connections increases. Without an upgrade to the global system, popular applications could stop working within the next ten years. All computers attached to the Internet communicate with each other using a system called Internet Protocol (IP), which delivers information between devices using an IP address to identify the destination in the same way as a telephone number works. European IP Networks (known as RIPE, derived from the French), the organisation in charge
house to one per street, increasing the potential problems. ISPs in Asia and the Pacific region also face total exhaustion of the number supply in 2021. North and South American ISPs will face rationing next year, with the date of total exhaustion thought to be before 2025 worldwide. The current version of IP allows a maximum of just over four billion addresses globally. At the time IP was introduced, there were only a handful of computers in the entire world, so this number was beyond all expectations for future demand. However, due to the massive growth in computers with Internet access, as well as smartphones and ‘smart’ televisions with access to the Inter-
net, there are now believed to be almost nine billion devices connected worldwide. The permanent solution is a migration to IP version six (IPv6), which uses longer addresses to allow enough combinations to number every grain of sand on the Earth, solving any shortages. However, this requires ISPs to upgrade their equipment at a significant cost, and so despite IPv6 being developed in 1996, only two percent of devices are using it as of September 2013. The University does not support IPv6 connections, nor do any major ISPs in the UK such as BT, Virgin Media or Sky. With Europe already running on borrowed time, how long will it be until ISPs finally make the switch?
A QUICK LOOK AT SCIENCE
“home” 3D printers cost between $1000-$4000 (£600-£2500), depending on whether they are preassembled. However, these desktop machines are much more limited than the industrial machines, especially when it comes to the range of materials that can be used. So how exactly does it work? First, a 3D digital model is created using computer software. This can be drawn by hand, or an existing model – such as a face – can be scanned in. This is then converted into 2D “slices” that are sent to the printing machine. It then prints the object by
building up each of these 2D layers into the final 3D object. The material used is usually a powder (sometimes a paste) of plastic or metal, which is further solidified by lasers. 3D printing is already saving and improving lives. As well as often being used to print out replacement parts for repairs, there is a huge amount of research into 3D printed medical implants. Recent cases include the printing of new metal bones for facial reconstruction, and the life-saving construction of a new windpipe made from bio-absorbable materials for a two-month-old baby. There is even the possibility, well into the future, of using stem cells to print new organs. Of course, any news story wouldn’t be complete without an adorable animal, so here: a one-legged duck has gained a new 3D printed foot. One advantage of the technique is that it can create objects with ‘impossible’ geometries. It has become very popular with artists and toymakers, and can even be used to make cheaper, more complex jewellery, using gold and silver powders instead of plastic. Amongst the more frivolous uses of 3D printing are ideas such as a 3D printed record, which is converted from an mp3 file.
If nothing else ever comes of 3D printing, remember that you can get a miniature chocolate model of your own head for a loved one to devour. Too creepy? Do not worry, there is also a 3D printed pizza on the way! The project is funded by NASA, whose astronauts are clearly bored of eating freeze-dried protein sludge. The recipe includes melted together flavour powders and slightly suspect preserved food extracts, so unless you are in space (and really desperate), you might be better off getting a frozen one from Tesco. Patent and copyright laws are unfortunately still an issue, because big businesses who are already extremely wealthy from making and selling things are outraged that anyone could make their own things without having to pay enormous amounts of money to profiteering corporations such as themselves. Such is the struggle of capitalism. Admittedly, 3D printing is an incredible development in technology, but we still have a long way to go. It will probably never be a solution to all of our construction needs, since it does not have the capacity to make large-scale objects. For everything else, the possibilities are endless.
The Pasteur institute, which fights disease epidemics in poorer countries has warned that Madagascar could be under threat from an assailant mostly associated with medieval times; bubonic plague. Since last year 50 deaths have been recorded from disease, with the latest outbreak being blamed on poor conditions within Madagascar’s crowded prisons. In recent times there have only been a few isolated outbreaks of the disease but many worry that this could be a larger scale resurgence. Bubonic plague is easily treatable with modern antibiotics, but there are fears that it is only a matter of time before a resistant strain develops
mentia treatment study’, it becomes difficult to stifle a skeptical yawn. Indeed, a search on the Daily Mail website for ‘Alzheimer’s cure’ returns a remarkable 292 articles. Despite this deluge of promising studies, drugs approaching a cure are still conspicuously absent. Why could an article, published this week in Science Translational Medicine, be any different? An answer lies in the type of process targeted by the chemical used by the research team. Instead of focusing on features specific to each disease, they manipulated a cell defence pathway
commonly activated in a range of neurodegenerative diseases, which shuts down protein production in reaction to the accumulation of defective, ‘misfolded’ proteins. As the long-term activation of this system effectively causes neurons to starve and die, repetition of the process in many cells across the brain can progressively corrupt a range of functions, including motor function and memory. However, by blocking the action of an enzyme called PERK in the defence process, the compound used by the researchers was able to prevent the death of brain tissue in mice that
would otherwise have shown severe cognitive deficits resulting from an aggressive form of prion disease. As lead researcher Professor Giovanna Mallucci put it: “It was extraordinary – they were absolutely fine. “[The] compound has completely prevented neurodegeneration, and that’s a first.” Other experts in the field mirrored Mallucci’s positive comments but urged for caution in interpreting the results, emphasizing the need for this preliminary work to be repeated in all models of neurodegenerative disease. If a success, the subsequent development and testing of drugs based on the compound could take at least a decade, while the significant weight loss and mild diabetes caused by the compound
also demonstrates the need for side effects to be minimized. Despite these reservations, the resonance of this investigation throughout the global scientific community is a good indicator of its therapeutic potential; few recent studies have generated so much interest. Indeed, Professor Roger Morris (King’s College London) predicted the work would represent a landmark in the field, saying: “This finding, I suspect, will be judged by history as a turning point in the search for medicines to control and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.” Such a forecast indicates a degree of anticipation seen very rarely in a field where the scientists themselves are often more skeptical than most.
of allocating addresses to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) based in Europe reached its final ‘block’ of sixteen million addresses in September 2012. Since then the organisation has been rationing supplies to ISPs but the pool is still expected to be exhausted by 2021. As a temporary solution, a technology called Network Address Translation (NAT) is used, which allows multiple devices to share one address. However, the lack of unique addresses causes problems with services such as Skype, playing online games, or sharing files with other people. NAT is being used over increasingly wide areas as addresses become scarce, from the current situation of having one IP address per
What on earth is 3D printing? A new dimension in technology
3D Printing: the future? Bryony Hockin
I
n the words of the late, great Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” 3D printing is the stuff of science fiction, and now, increasingly, it is becoming a reality. Are we ushering in a new era of super-advanced technology, or is it all just an overhyped gimmick? The technique of 3D printing has been around for nearly thirty years, but it is still in its infancy. These days,
Photograph: Juliane Clausen
Breakthrough in dementia research Rob Berkeley
A research group, based at the Medical Research Council Toxicology unit of the university of Leicester, has uncovered a chemical with the ability to prevent the death of brain tissue in neurodegenerative disease. The collective sigh of the public at news of this type is almost audible, and that is partly understandable. The popular press (and specifically a certain British contingent) churn out such stories on such a regular basis that, for each groundbreaking ‘de-
Reader’s Scigest PANDA-ING TO THE CROWDS It has emerged that Edinburgh Zoo’s giant panda, Tian Tian, is no longer pregnant. Officials from the zoo have announced that the panda’s hormonal and behavioural patterns now indicate that the foetus she carried for the past six months has been lost. Tian Tian was artificially inseminated in april, after failed attempts to conceive by natural means with her partner Yang Guang. The zoo has stressed that Tian Tian received the best possible care during her pregnancy, and insist that it is still highly likely that she will give birth at some point during her life. FLEA FOR YOUR LIVES
HIGH IMPACT RESEARCH
A chunk of the meteorite that infamously hit Russia this February has been recovered from Lake Chebarkul., leaving a six metre wide hole in the ice. The space rock is now undergoing examinations at Chelyabinsk State University. It is believed to be among one of the ten biggest meteor fragments ever recovered.
14
Comment
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
www.palatinate.org.uk
Down with the trolls (and anonymity online)! Anonymity on online forums is a hiding place for bullies which should be removed
“
inevitable that this small change will drastically reduce the amount
this small change will drastically reduce the amount of racist, sexist, homophobic and just downright rude verbal reflexes
”
The Huffington Post has changed its commenting policy to discourage trolling Illustration: Harriet-Jade Harrow
Cressida Peever
The growth of the Internet has seen many great achievements: you can research practically anything with the click of a button; it’s easy to video-call friends on the other side of the world; staying up to date with the latest news and events whenever and wherever you want is effortless. But lurking in the seedy underbelly of this great and glorious world is a creature devoted to ruining the
safety and community of it, whose only aim is to victimise, intimidate and persecute: the troll. A troll, in Internet slang, is someone who can be identified as continually starting arguments or leaving provocative – and often offensive – posts on websites where commenting is permitted. In a move to try to eradicate these horrible beings from their website, The Huffington Post has changed its commenting policy so that henceforth, anonymous commenting will be prohibited and users identities will have to be internally verified. Managing Director Jimmy Soni, appearing on CNN, stated, “We’re looking to promote a civil discourse on
our site.” When The Huffington Post made the announcement at the end of August (with policy to commence from September) I waited eagerly for other websites to follow suit, but at the time of writing, none have decided to join the online newspaper’s bid for a friendlier online experience. In fact, many have actually condemned the change, saying that it limits freedom of speech and strips away equality online. However, it is important to remember that commenters are not being stopped from expressing whatever opinion they may hold, only being asked to put their name alongside their reaction. It seems
of racist, sexist, homophobic, and just downright rude verbal reflexes of those who type before they think. Whilst interning at a national newspaper earlier this year, one of my tasks each morning was to moderate the comments that had been posted by online readers. I was truly horrified by the amount of derogatory responses that erupted each day. It was particularly frustrating when users would make an extremely insightful and intelligent argument, but finish off their comment by swearing, or leaving an offensive remark, meaning that the entire comment would have to be removed. Eliminating anonymity from forums would encourage people to think twice about their reactions because they would be liable for what they expressed. This pause for thought might also help people to have a more measured, logical, and rational response, rather than spewing out expletives in a fit of inculpable rage. Of course, in some cases, people will still feel the need to be derogatory even after they have considered the consequences. When I first started writing articles for online papers, I stumbled across a blog where someone with no connection to me had decided to berate my writing. They had even gone to the trouble of taking my photograph from Twitter to accompany their post, making it look like an attack on me, rather than a response to my writing. Needless
to say, this blogger was acting under a pseudonym, and when I contacted them, they were keen not to indulge their identity, despite the fact that they had sneered at mine. Understandably, anonymity serves a more important purpose in countries where individuals may be victimised simply for speaking out against the government, or where communities are not as freethinking as we like to believe we are in the West. Similarly, anonymity can be useful on self-help forums and chat rooms where people may be less keen to share their identity due to the personal nature of their posts. However, the way to tackle this problem is to have users create a username and profile specific to the forum, which means that although users identities are not divulged, they are still accountable for any offence they cause as they build up a history of comments, which can be monitored by an admin.
“
If a person’s name were emblazoning their opinion, they would be more careful to ensure that what they said was what they meant
”
The Internet is never going to be a safe haven whilst still retaining its best characteristics of being a platform for uninhibited learning and debate. However, we should work towards removing hiding places for bullies and bigots. If a person’s name were to be emblazoning their opinion, I believe that they would be more careful to ensure that what they said was actually what they meant. Although I don’t feel that ‘trolling’ could ever be banished entirely, at least those who practiced it would do so in full acceptance of their accountability.
15
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th October 2013
Comment
www.palatinate.org.uk
Battle of the degrees: why do scientists win? Arts and science students should enjoy their studies rather than comparing grades Madeleine Brown
Tim Minchin recently gave a speech for a graduation ceremony at the University of Western Australia, in which he raised the issue of the contemporary conflict between arts and science degrees, imploring us to challenge the “recent, stupid and damaging idea” that the “arts and sciences are at odds with one another.” As a student of the Combined Honours in Arts and Social Sciences Programme, it is naturally a source of pride to me that Durham University’s Arts and Humanities Department has climbed 18 places from last year and are now ranked 30th in the world by the Times Higher Rankings. However, this in no way means that I am prejudiced towards the arts and humanities over science degree programmes, I consider them both very worthy and equally important to the development of knowledge. Meeting students from the vast spectrum of degrees offered by the University during Freshers’ Week has been novel and inspiring. As the lure of social events and extra-curricular activities has enticed us from our respective academic departments, it has been interesting to note the similarities between students of seemingly disparate disciplines. I’ve hula-hooped with a sociologist, been to the pub with a geologist, and on Sunday I danced Swing with a psychologist. We are all human; we all
have interests in common, personalities and characteristics that aren’t purely defined by our academic commitments. Nevertheless, it is increasingly the case that arts and humanities students argue that it is more difficult to gain a first class degree in these subject areas in comparison to students studying science and maths degrees. Admittedly, simple observation of the distribution of exam results data exposes a contrast in
“
Exam results data exposes a contrast in trends between science and arts subjects
”
trends between science and arts and humanities subjects. With science subjects, there tends to be a polarisation of results, indicating that students can either do science and do it well or else flunk with dismal grades. In contrast, the bell curve of results in arts disciplines have a greater proportion of students gaining enough marks to pass but very few progressing beyond a 2:1 to a first. This corresponds with the generally accepted
notion that the knowledge rigorously developed in the field of science is in some way distinct from the imprecise and whimsical wisdom conjured up by the arts and humanities. And perhaps it is true that the hardest working amongst us are the medics and engineers, whose degree study will lead to a definite, esteemed and rewarding career, whereas the philosophers are wasting many a potential studying opportunity procrastinating, pontificating, and gazing abstractedly out of the window of their local Starbucks cafe (that is, if they can overcome their ethical qualms about endorsing a socially irresponsible corporation in the pursuit of satisfying their desire for a cup of excessively-priced coffee). Personally, I don’t believe such a distinction exists, either between
academic disciplines or the individuals committed to the study of them. As students, we are all here for one reason; because we want to study, regardless of the specific subject area. At some point or another, we are all going to have to pick up a book. There are interdisciplinary elements between all subject areas, and the epistemological skills that we develop through our study at university should allow us to approach, contemplate, digest, and regurgitate knowledge from the diversity of academic disciplines without a need to discriminate between them. As Tim Minchin so astutely argues, “The arts and sciences need to work together to improve how knowledge is communicated.” As students at a world-class institution, we are all facing this same challenging experience together. I believe that to make the most of the
opportunities we are being provided – to succeed in both an academic and personal, developmental sense – we need to work collaboratively, exploring alternative perspectives and sharing similarities. It can be over a pint of beer or a cross-over and triple step. So perhaps more scientists are gaining first class degrees in comparison to arts and humanities students, but if we all hold a passion for our study, fundamentally, I would question whether it is really relevant at all. Photographs by Emma Werner. Illustration by Leina Kay.
P
For more, visit palatinate.org. uk
16
Comment
Thursday 24thOctober 2013 | PALATINATE
www.palatinate.org.uk
Health and safety has reached its limits There is a ridiculous preoccupation with wrapping British children in cotton wool Kieran Moriarty
(Readers are advised to wear gloves whilst reading Palatinate, so as to avoid potential paper cuts, which may be inflicted while turning pages). It was reported recently that nine-year-old Lewis Pierce cut his thumb on a fountain whilst trying to punch another child. After his mother sued the school, the fountain was deemed unsafe. I can only imagine the rightful discipline the child deserved was completely lost in the invasion by the ‘Elf and Safety’ Army. There’s a depressing message for the youth of today: you can get away with anything as long as you give yourself a little injury whilst doing it. I am quite annoyed with myself. I missed many potential moneymaking ventures in my childhood that I could have had, by not exposing the ‘death trap’ that was my primary school playground. I have fantastic memories of playing British Bulldog on a cold, unforgiving concrete playground, that I was acquainted with every time I was tackled. My memories of dodgeball are priceless, tearing up and down hills, hiding up trees and even knowing where to avoid the jagged spike
of rusted metal sticking out of the ground. From boarded up ponds, to all manner of playground games, I amassed an impressive array of scars, cuts, bruises, scabs and mild concussions. I wouldn’t exchange those memories for the world.
“
The Health and Safety Spectre haunts the playground
”
Consider the Industrial Revolution at its peak. Health and safety was conceived at this time when it was desperately needed. Amputations, poisoning, broken bones, severed limbs, fatalities and children being assigned tasks such as picking fluff out of whirring machine cogs, were far too frequent in the workplace. The concept of health and safety was non-existent and disregarded but thankfully, basic human reasoning finally took hold and changes were made, that ensured these shocking stories are now condemned as remnants of the past in
Britain. Over the decades, health and safety legislation has been updated to align itself with the fast changing, modern world. I appreciate the positive impact it has made on Britons’ working lives. However something that was once championed is now fast becoming a running joke in British society. Quite frankly, ‘Elf and Safety’ has now become a ridiculous caricature of what it should stand for and is now seeping into all areas of society with corrosive effects. Therefore, it saddens me to see health and safety eradicating these experiences for future generations. If I pass my old school, I see those grassy hills are now fenced off, sports equipment is sponge, and Bulldog is the devil’s work to any playground monitors. This is happening all across Britain. The newspapers are littered with depressing stories of football being banned, ties labelled as lethal weapons, conkers deemed dangerous. The Health and safety spectre haunts beyond the playground. Traditional activities like climbing trees, flying kites, even bumper cars in some miserable places, are deemed too dangerous. Fathers have even been told they can only swim with one of their children at a time, so they don’t lose the other one. When health and safety starts to tell people how to parent, people will understandably be irritated.
A mother sued her son’s school after he cut his thumb on a water fountain Photograph: Emma Werner
The overarching theme is that health and safety has expanded from an area where it was fundamental, and has now encroached into the sacred area of childhood, with a ‘cotton wool’ approach, that not only is draining away fun, but also affecting children’s development. Only a few generations ago, children were working in factories, sticking their hands into fast moving machinery. These days, children are not even allowed to have a sack race at Sports Day, in case they fall and hurt their knee. Obviously, children should be safe, and I’m not advocating a boycott of all health and safety measures, otherwise the majority of the population aged between five and eleven would be in hospital. Yet despite this, there needs to be a compromise between safety and common sense. Otherwise childhood will become far less active and adventurous, leading our children to shun the outdoors, and retreat to their TVs, to shoot people in the face on Call of Duty, or become indoctrinated by reality shows like TOWIE. This call for balance is extended to all areas of society, where health and safety has engulfed everything in its ‘cotton wool’ embrace. Where health and safety was once the ultimate victory for the workplace in securing safe conditions, now it is the bane of employees and managers alike, with ridiculous training courses and procedures. Health and safety even has the capacity to spoil the fun for everyone. From street parties being banned because the bunting is too low for fire engines, to the Red Arrows having their wings clipped, prevented from flying over residential areas, in case the “vibrations” damage buildings, the incredulity continues. Such is the ridiculous nature of health and safety these days in Britain, there are even examples of people being penalised by health and safety for implementing health and safety measures. People who have tried to clear icy footpaths so others do not slip have been told not to, in case they fall over themselves. I appreciate safety where it is due. Having worked on a building site, I was very glad I was wearing my hard hat when a bit of brick was thrown from the second floor and hit me on the head. We all need to have awareness of the hazards of our working environments, in the same way that children need to in their classrooms and playgrounds. However, there needs to be moderation and common sense. It’s not healthy to be this obsessed with safety.
P
Tweet your reactions to
@PalatiComment
Soapbox
Sam Bentwood on ending abuse towards Hatfield College students
I enjoyed a brilliant Freshers’ Week at St Mary’s, just as most of you will have done at your respective colleges. A significant part of our enjoyment would undoubtedly have been the lovely atmosphere created by the really friendly and welcoming people at our own colleges and all around Durham. However, Freshers at Hatfield college may have experienced a very different university-wide atmosphere to the rest of us over that week.
Just as you will all have done, I heard the Hatfield jokes from an early point during the week. I found the jokes quite amusing at first and looked forward to a lot more intercollege banter and rivalry. But my attitude changed when I heard the tales of some Hatfield Freshers I met later on that week. One friend told me she’d been confronted by a group chanting “Hatfield slag” on her first night at Klute. Others told how they were unable to sleep due to hateful chants being shouted at their windows late at night. Those who chanted these phrases and songs were surely not acting maliciously and likely believed they were participating in a fun Durham tradition. But while there’s no doubt that those infamous Hatfield rugby players can look after themselves, others may have found these actions extremely intimidating.
As to why Hatfield is the butt of most jokes across the University, I believe it may have developed during a period in the 1970s when Hatfield was very over-subscribed and a lot of resentful former Hatfield applicants ended up at other colleges. In my opinion, college rivalry is brilliant and should be encouraged, but I believe that in this case it has become much more like bullying than banter. Hatfield College is being isolated and prospective applicants are being dissuaded from applying there. Of course we should be loyal to our colleges, but firstly we should be loyal to our fantastic University. We must end this abuse of one of our great colleges. Jokes should be kept light-hearted and should be evenly spread across all colleges. Current and future Hatfield students should not be made to feel intimidated, isolated or ashamed. They should be welcomed with open arms by everyone, just as the rest of us are at this great institution.
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th October 2013
17
Sport
www.palatinate.org.uk
“School sport is just not working,” says Tanni Emily Beech Maddy Sears Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is undoubtedly the most successful Paralympian this country has ever seen. Across a career spanning two decades and five Paralympic Games, she won eleven gold medals in Wheelchair Racing at four different distances. In 2010 she was introduced to the House of Lords as a cross-bench peer, sparking the beginning of a highly successful political career. In a recent interview with Palatinate, the 44-year-old was scathing about the provision of sport in schools particularly for disabled children, arguing this is behind the a lack of disabled sport at university level. “The number of disabled students who are at university is not a great number so that is a challenge in terms of participation. “If you look at the numbers at the UK School Games, there aren’t that many there who are also doing PE in mainstream school.
“In schools lots of children are just sent to the library, so sport is just not encouraged at a young enough age. “We need to be better at school PE...for girls as well, because it’s rubbish really... it’s just not working.” The Baroness explained how the lack of teacher training in PE at primary school level is one of the areas in which she would like to see an improvement. As it stands, trainees are fortunate to receive four hours of instruction on how to teach PE to a class of thirty children. Grey-Thompson is so disillusioned with the system that she sends her daughter to an independent school
TANNI TALKS MEDALS...
where PE is more fundamental to the curriculum. “She does sport every single day because I don’t want her doing 40 minutes of sport a week. “In Wales alone, childhood obesity costs £75 million a year, we’re just being stupid by not taking it seriously. “It’s about giving children good skills at a young age, and we’ve found that if you actually teach physical literacy to girls they’re more likely to stay in sport.” Another concern for the 11-time Paralympic champion is the cutting of Olympic and Paralympic funding
Where do you keep them? “They’re in a rucksack by my washing machine; I don’t really do much with them to be honest.”
What’s your favourite medal? “My 100m gold in Athens. It was my last Paralympics and I was beaten in the 800m for the first time in 12 years, so coming back and winning the 100m - I wasn’t expecting to win.”
after Rio 2016. “There is not that emotional attachment, so the biggest danger we have is after Rio.” She highlighted the plight of the Australian team in London 2012, where they slipped to tenth in the medals’ table – their lowest position in 20 years. “It was quite miserable when the Australians did so badly in London. I’d rather beat them when they’re doing well. “That is what will happen to us if we don’t invest.” The Rio games represent one of the final legacies of former IOC president Jacques Rogge, who stepped down after twelve years in charge, a tenure that Grey-Thompson highly praised: “He’s done an amazing job and he’s been far more open to the Paralympics. “I would like to see more integration between the IOC and the IPC: they have so much money and if they just gave the Paralympic committee a little bit we’d be so much richer than we are now... It depends on what
point Seb [Lord Coe] becomes IOC president - he’s on his way and he will get there. “If Seb became president of the IOC, that would be amazing. He just gets it, and he just understands sport.”
Palatinate Sports Editors with Tanni GreyThompson Photograph: Emily Beech
Smith talks about success of cricketing summer
Ex-Palatinate Will Smith talks about his career and his time at Durham University Ellery (back row, second from right) with GB teammates Photograph: Megan Ellery
Ellery represents GB at World Uni Games Emily Beech Last spring, after three seasons of playing university netball, student Megan Ellery decided to swap the hoop for the rugby posts. Such a change would be a difficult transition for most, but not for Ellery; this summer she landed herself a spot in the Great Britain Rugby Sevens team to compete at the 27th World University Games in Kazan, in western Russia, with 10,400 athletes from 162 different countries. The DUWRFC player said: “It was an honour to be selected for the side, and in terms of the overall experience it was amazing. “I just wish that I could have performed to the best of my ability on such a big stage, but hopefully other chances will come my way soon.” Great Britain started the tournament with a flourish, with a 35-0 win over under-dogs China, before beating eventual finalists Italy 2419. GB ensured they finished top of
the group with wins against Brazil (35-10) and the USA (21-10) to go through to the Quarter-finals unbeaten. In a low scoring quarter-final, Great Britain squeezed through 12-7 against France to set up a rematch with Italy in the semi-finals. The British could not secure a repeat victory, losing 5-14 and moving into the bronze medal match, in which they were outplayed from start to finish by Canada who ran home 36-0. Despite missing out on a medal, it was still an impressive achievement for the side, considering the group had trained together for only one week in Russia prior to the tournament. Ellery has now been selected for Great Britain’s Women’s Elite Squad along with teammate Sophie Lee. She will also continue to represent Team Durham by playing for the Women’s Rugby 1st Team.
Graduating in 2005, Collingwood College Alumnus Will Smith has been a permanent fixture on the county circuit for seven years, winning three County Championship titles with Durham in 2008, 2009 and in 2013. At the end of a summer which saw Durham CCC host its first Ashes test and claim its third County Championship title, Palatinate Sports Editor Maddy Sears spoke exclusively to Will about his time at Durham University, the Ashes and his professional career.
MS: Was the cricket Centre of Excellence part of why you came to Durham University? WS: It was pretty much the absolute reason. I was playing for Nottinghamshire… but they advised me that I should perhaps take the opportunity to go to university. It was the best thing that I could have done. The three years there was absolutely priceless in terms of developing me as a player and also how to organise your life. MS: Why do you think Durham produces so many good players? WS: Durham attracts the better cricketers first and foremost, and that’s probably come about because of the history of it. It has built up something of a legacy and having Graeme Fowler as coach as well is another huge factor. He was and still is a great influence on me. MS: Any fond memories? WS: When you’re involved in a sports
team at the university it’s quite allencumbering with the social side of things. There were so many nights many including Graeme Fowler actually. MS: What did hosting an ashes test mean to Durham CCC? WS: It’s massive. It seems that each year that goes by in its very short first-class history something happens each year that is ground-breaking and it’s such a progressive club. The ashes test is something that if you’d mentioned it five or six years ago it would have been something that was high up on the wish-list but a lot of people would have thought that it was a long way off. MS: What did you make of the series? WS: It was a funny series, obviously England won very easily but the way the play actually panned out it was quite hard-fought. If you just saw the cricket and didn’t know the result you would have been hard-pushed to see that England won 3-0. It was fairly competitive cricket. MS: What have been the reasons for your success at he County Championship this year? WS: I think having
Paul Collingwood as captain has been a huge factor. He has a real calm, considered way in leading people...What you see is what you get and I think a lot of people have responded to that. MS: Dream signing? WS: On current form Hashim Amla. He played for Surrey against us on a bowler-friendly wicket and he made it look so easy. MS: County bowler you most dislike facing? WS: I’ve always enjoyed playing against but never felt that I was in control against Alan Richardson [Worcestershire]. He takes 50 or 60 wickets every year and is an honest performer who is often underrated. Shortly after the end of the County Championship season, Will Smith signed for Hampshire CCC. Photograph: Rachael Simmonite
18
Sport Sport
www.palatinate.org.uk
Round up of Men’s football Premiership
Reigning champions Collingwood annihilate Cuth’s 10-0 Adam White
The start of the season is a nervous time for any college sports captain, as the fate of the team can often rely on the quality of Fresher talent. Freshers’ Week is always a busy time for CCAFC as the captains must find enough players to re-stock the 10 teams that now play in the official football league. However, the huge interest in football at Collingwood never ceases to amaze, as another bumper crop of Fresher footballers has led to the college looking at the possibility of forming a record-breaking “K” team. Collingwood has dominated college football over the last two seasons, with CCAFC claiming 2 of the 3 honours for the last two years. As with all leagues, it is crucial to get off to a good start, and the CCAFC A team did just that. For the third consecutive year, CCAFC A met Cuth’s A on the opening day of the season but neither team could have anticipated such a resounding outcome. Collingwood dominated possession in the early stages, which led to a host of chances – none of which were taken. Cuth’s then took this opportunity to shift the game’s momentum, and the lively front duo of Green and Den-
ham kept the Collingwood back line on their toes. However, inevitably the deadlock was soon broken as Man of the Match Will Bates headed home from close range. CCAFC then tightened their grip on the game as goals began to come from all areas, and Collingwood finished the half with a commanding 4-0 lead. After the interval, having spent the best part of 45 minutes chasing shadows, the floodgates opened as tired Cuths’ legs allowed Collingwood players too much time and space. Free flowing football carved open
the Cuth’s backline time and time again, and chances were seemingly created with every move. Short, sharp interchanges combined with the expansive boot of Jack Shiel, the midfield anchor, proved to be a winning formula. The impressive Bates finished the game with 4 goals and the final score line read 10-0. Expectations are always high for the CCAFC A team and the minimum expectation will be to retain the Premiership title. Although ambitious, the team’s ultimate goal of winning a College Football Treble is not unrealistic.
A strong challenge from Collingwood on Cuth’s Photograph: Richard Root
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
First ever College Sport Manager explains his role Tom Newman This year, over 6000 students will take part in college sport: close to 90% of the undergraduate population; a participation rate unrivalled by any other university. 5,700 fixtures will be played by over 300 teams lead by student captains and executive committees across 16 sports. My name is Tom Newman and I am the new College Sport Manager for Team Durham. My role is new this year with the view to ensure that the college sport program is the best that it has ever been. I personally guarantee that I will do everything I can to make your college sport experience second to none. My personal experience as a student at Durham was shaped by my participation in both college and university sport. The fact that I was – and remain – a student at Durham means that I understand how important sport is to all of our students at whatever level they play. There are a number of aspects of the existing sport program which I would like to work on during my time in the post. As well as improving the general day to day management of college sport, I aim to improve the communication between Team Durham staff and students; ensuring that those who participate in college sport are represented within Team Durham. To bridge the gap even further between University and college sport, I aim to actively encourage the University coaches to get involved in college sport, either by offering: coaching to
college teams; umpire and referee training and talent spotting at fixtures, which will also help to develop university athletes and grow our performance program. Palatinate and social media will be key to increasing the profile of Durham College Sport, whilst the college points table will, for the first time since it was created, be regularly updated throughout the year.
“My role is... to ensure that the college sport program is the best”
Sports, including rowing, will contribute to the final points total for the first time, and new sports such as mini tennis and futsal will be added to the program. I also hope to run one-off events in golf, athletics, swimming and volleyball. Finally, the college festival of sport (which will take place in the summer term post-exams) will be the pinnacle of the year, with the majority of college sports participating in one massive event. If you have any questions regarding college or University sport, I am based in the Team Durham office in the DSU along with Hannah Lowther, the Team Durham President. I wish you all the best for your upcoming season, and I look forward to making it the best year for college sport yet.
Clash of the Hill Hatfield victorious over Grey Aidan’s overcomes Mary’s
Adam White
The only Hill clash of the opening football fixtures ended in a 2-0 victory to Aidan’s A. The match started as a cagey affair, with both teams having spells of pressure but with little to show for it. However, after half-an-hour, Aidan’s began to see more of the ball and a few more chances came their way. Finally the deadlock was breached with a scrappy goal coming from a corner and falling to an Aidan’s player 6 yards out. The second came only minutes later from some swift passing down the right. The ball was then squared for a neat tap in for the left midfielder. Mary’s, however, were not to be beaten and came back stronger in the second half, forcing the Aidan’s keeper to make an outstanding save
tipping a goal bound header onto the bar. Unfortunately for them, this pressure came to no fruition and the game concluded 2-0. After the match, the Aidan’s skipper Rick Hartley spoke to Palatinate about the victory. Hartley believes “it’s probably still too early to say what [Aidan’s] realistic ambitions are […] with so many new players. Safety is definitely a main priority.” However, with the addition of two university level goalkeepers and another fresher who has represented Burnley FC to the side, Aidan’s should certainly be looking to build on last year, when they were only two points from winning the title. Hartley was “extremely happy with the performance. We were good on the ball at times in the first half and then dug in in the second half when we were under a bit of pressure.”
Nick Friend
The College Premiership football season got underway with Hatfield taking on Grey on a bitterly cold afternoon. With both sides fielding plenty of Freshers eager to impress, the game started at a frantic pace. The first opportunity of the afternoon went the way of Grey, a rare slip at the back letting Edward Preece in on goal, only to slice his shot high and wide, and in doing so, squander his side’s best chance of the afternoon. In a game of few clear-cut chances, it was always going to take something special to separate two relatively evenly-matched sides. After ten minutes of Hatfield pressure, the Bailey College grabbed a deserved lead in somewhat fortuitous style. Ollie Clarke, described by teammate Henry Parker as having played “exceptionally well,” received the ball wide and whipped in a crosscum-shot which nestled in the far corner leaving the goalkeeper with
no chance. What came next, however, was no fluke. Finding himself “in the hole” between the Grey midfield and defence, Nye Williams lashed a 25 yard strike into the top corner to give Hatfield a 2-0 lead that they rarely
“Although it’s always disappointing to lose, we can take a lot of positives from the game” Anthony Johnson, Grey football captain
looked like throwing away. Both sides threatened intermittently in a second half that appeared to highlight the effects of Freshers’
Week as the game became more stretched. Chris Drakeford-Lewis missed Hatfield’s best opportunity of the half, heading high over the bar from close range, whilst only a penalty area scramble and some desperate defending late on prevented Grey from getting a goal back. Overall, both sides will be satisfied with their starts following a tight game which was only decided by two bits of real quality. Grey Captain Anthony Johnson had this to say on his team’s performance. “Although it’s always disappointing to lose, we can take a lot of positives from the game, not least our second half display. We plan to bounce back the best way possible, and that’s by winning our next game on Saturday. How the season pans out isn’t decided by the first game and so long as we pick ourselves up for the next game and start again, I see no reason why we can’t challenge for the league this year.”
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th October 2013
19
Sport
www.palatinate.org.uk
Netball unbeaten in openers Sophie Bingham Maddy Sears After a difficult season last year, the Netball Club returned to the court with renewed vigour, securing four wins out of four in the opening week of their BUCS campaign. With three games already won, the 1st team took centre stage on court at Maiden Castle, ensuring the winning start for the club with a 4034 victory. The Palatinate were made to work hard, however by Newcastle 2nd, trailing by six goals at half-time. Fresh legs and an impressive
shooting combination of Sarah Parking and Kat Bullock led the comeback as the third quarter was won by the home side 11-4. In the final period, Durham stretched their lead, restricting Newcastle with relentless defensive pressure from Pippa Brock to finish the game 40-34 ahead. Previously, the 2nd team got the season underway against Huddersfield 1st producing a stylish 45-17 win. Precise feeds into the circle by Anna Coveney and accurate shooting by Freya Russell helped the Palatinates to a 25-7 lead at half-time. The third quarter demonstrated the
defensive strength of the side, conceding just 4 goals during the fifteenminute period, partly thanks to the excellent work rate of Rosie Smith in defence. The final scoreline reflected the convincing performance of a side hoping to win promotion this year. Next on court was the 4th team who overcame Huddersfield 2nd 4412, with impressive defensive work by Nicole Weir restricting the away side. Meanwhile, the 3rd team travelled to Sunderland and secured a tight 36-31 win under the guidance of captain Tash Barrington.
Above: GS Freya Russell in action Photograph: Alex Austin
Seven out of Toynton double eight for DULTC secures win Maddy Sears The Tennis Club opened up their BUCS campaign with an impressive set of results, losing just one of their eight fixtures last week. Despite the men’s number one, Jordan Rux, missing through injury, the 1st team still managed a comfortable 10-2 win only dropping one singles match in the process. Kirill Sinitsyn, having been promoted to the number two spot for the fixture, was particularly impressed after winning his singles tie in two sets. The men’s 2nd team missed their opportunity after managing only a 6-6 draw at Liverpool John Moores University. Playing at home were the men’s 3rd team, who won 8-4 against Leeds 2nd team, with the highlight of the game in the form of a 6-0 6-0 win by James Milligan playing at number four. Some impressive performances by this year’s Freshers helped the men’s 4th team to a well-earned draw against the Newcastle 1st team. First year Sam Lowden came back from 2-5 down in the third set to win his tie, while there were other singles victories from fellow freshers Henry
Goode and Finlay Milner. The women’s teams, meanwhile, continued the successful opening round for the club, claiming two further wins and a draw. The 1st team opened up with a 12-0 whitewash against the Leeds 1st team, losing just two service games in the process with number one Nastia Putilina leading the team from the front with an impressive singles victory. At Leeds Metropolitan University, the women’s 2nd team were happy to secure a draw against strong op-
2
Number of service games lost by the Women’s 1sts
position. First year Isabelle Hearnshaw impressed on her BUCS debut, performing well against the worldranked Nicole Petersen for the home side. In the final match-up of the round, the women’s 3rd team took on their teammates, the 4th team, winning 10-2.
President’s Column Team Durham President, Hannah Lowther: The BUCS 2013/14 season has begun! 57 fixtures took place last Wednesday, with students covering nearly 5000 miles cumulatively to represent the Palatinates, winning 32 out of 53 matches. We had a difficult start to the BUCS league programme, with twelve of our
fourteen Premier North sides being without the home advantage. However we did not disappoint. Of these, we won eleven, drew one and lost two. It must be remembered that many of our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th teams play against University 1st and 2nd teams, which a very commendable statistic. Highlight: After a difficult last year, the Netball Club certainly showed their new strength and determination with four out of four teams being successful: a remarkable result! Photograph: Hannah Lowther
Maddy Sears Two goals from forward, Alice Toynton, helped the Women’s 1st XI on the way to an opening 4-0 against Leeds University. Toynton opened up her account after just three minutes when she converted a simple tap-in in front of goal to lead 1-0. The first twenty minutes were all Durham, with the visitors being outplayed from the whistle. Their best chance of the first half came as a result of a sloppy piece of Durham possession in midfield. After being gifted the ball, the away side broke away, advancing quickly into the D and claiming a short corner. From the set-piece Leeds did manage get the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for a foul. Durham continued to pressurise, but were lacking the composure needed to finish off their opportunities. Toynton had a golden opportunity to grab another after an overlap created space for a cross from the left, however couldn’t gain complete control in front of goal to finish. After 24 minutes Toynton did grab her second, again finishing from close range. Going into half-time Durham would have been disappointed
to be only 2-0 after the creating so many chances. The second half began in the same vain with Leeds looking lethargic in the terrible conditions, while the rain did little to alter the speed around the pitch of the Durham side. Ten minutes after the break, the game was effectively sealed as another brilliant passing play picked out Ellen Patterson on the back post; she made no mistake, taking the score the 3-0. A later penalty flick from Justine Angelina provided the gloss to the score line with the game finishing 4-0 to the home side. Meanwhile the Women’s 2nd and 3rd XI faced each other at Maiden Castle in their Northern 1A division opener drawing 2-2. The Women’s 4th XI were also in action at home against Hull University 1st XI, winning 3-0. While the Men’s 1st XI had a break from BUCS competition last week, the 2nd XI beat Sheffield University 1st XI 4-0, a fantastic opening result at Maiden Castle. The 3rd XI also enjoyed an opening win, overcoming Sheffield Hallam 2nd XI 4-2 at home. The 4th XI could not make it an unbeaten start for the club, however, as they were on the receiving end of a 1-4 defeat by Northumbria 1st XI.
The Men’s XI pressurise in their opening match Photograph: Malcolm Evans
Sport in Brief BADMINTON: It was a mixed week for the badminton club, as the men and women had very different fortunes. The Men’s 1st team won 7-1 against Hull 1st, and the Men’s 2nd team won 8-0 against York 3rd. The women, however, were truly outclassed in their opening matches, with both the 1st and 2nd team losing 8-0 against Loughborough 1st and Sheffield Hallam 1st, respectively. The Women’s 3rd team received a walkover from Teesside 1st. BASKETBALL: The Wildcats ran it very close in their opening BUCS fixture against Worcester, sneaking home 88-84. It was far simpler for the Women’s 1st team, however, as they secured a 105-40 win over Edinburgh 1st. The Men’s 2nd could not match their achievements, losing out to Sheffield 1st 76-51. FENCING: The Men’s 1st and 2nd teams dominated at Maiden Castle in their opening round of fixtures, beating St Andrews 1st and Newcastle 2nd in comfortable fashion. The 1st team won 135-62, while the 2nd team finished 135-46 ahead. The Men’s 3rd fought hard against Leeds 1st but came up short, 135-112. The Women’s 2nd team also lost at Newcastle, 133-92. GOLF: The Mixed 2nd team were the only result from the first round of competition, winning away to Hull 1st 3.5-2.5. FOOTBALL: The Men’s 1st enjoyed some good periods of play away to Stirling 1st, but two unlucky goals saw them lose 3-0. The Men’s 2nd could not take advantage of a 3-1 lead against Bishop Burton College, and finished 3-3 at Maiden Castle. The Women’s 1st XI enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 start to their BUCS season away at Birmingham. The Women’s 2nd XI could not repeat this success, losing 4-1 away to Leeds 1st XI. RUGBY LEAGUE: The University’s Rugby League side couldn’t make home advantage count in round one, losing 24-10 to Bradford University. SQUASH: Only the Women’s 1st team manage to win in the opening round of fixtures, as they eased past Sheffield 1st 4-0. Elsewhere it was a tale of struggle as the Men’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams lost, along with the Women’s 3rd team. The Men’s 1st team came unstuck away to Leeds Metropolitan 1st team (3-2), while the 2nd and 3rd teams lost 1-4 and 0-3 to Northumbria 1st and Hull 1st, respectively. The Women’s 3rd could not turn things around for the club on a disappointing day, losing out to Leeds 3rd 1-3. TABLE TENNIS: The only team in action last week were the Men’s 2nd team, who were on the receiving end of a 17-0 hiding from Northumbria 1st. VOLLEYBALL: The Men’s 1st team enjoyed a 3-0 sets win over Leeds Metropolitan 1st on the opening day, while the Men’s 2nd team were left without a game, receiving a walkover from York St John 1st. The Women’s 2nd couldn’t manage an opening win and lost 3-0 to Northumbria 3rd.
For all the latest BUCS results visit www.palatinate.org.uk
Sport
Thursday 24th October 2013 | PALATINATE
University Sport round-up All the latest news and results p. 19
College Sport season kicks off
Men’s Football Premiership up and running , p. 18
Baroness Grey-Thompson
Paralympic legend talks to Palatinate p. 17
All too easy for Lacrosse Maddy Sears
Durham centre James Middleton breaks through the line against Nottingham 1st XV
Photograph: Emma Werner
Stunning start sets BUCS marker Maddy Sears
At the beginning of the year, Team Durham set out their aim to become the best ranked university in team sports. Over the last fortnight, their students have delivered in emphatic fashion, winning 64% of fixtures so far, including a perfect opening week where the Palatinates secured five wins out of five on the opening day of the BUCS season and seven wins out of eight overall. The Men’s 1st XV continued their unbeaten streak into the 2013/2014 BUCS season with an opening day victory against Nottingham University, followed by a win at Leeds Univeristy. The 1st XV were dominant in their match at Durham City Rugby Club which ended 44-14 in favour of the Palatinates. This was one of the side’s biggest games of the season as it was their annual charity match in aid of Sport in Action, Zambia, for which they raised over £2,000. The first half ended with the score-line at 13-11, which did not reflect the authority which Durham showed. Nottingham were first to cross the line leading 8-3 early on, with
the home side dropping several clear chances to score. A quick response came with a try from Middleton. A second five-points before halftime ensured Durham went into the break with a slender lead. It was in the second period of play that the Palatinates raced away from their opposition with a flurry of tries, thanks to the strength of the Durham bench. Despite some early mishaps, Senior Coach Alex Keay was pleased with the performance of his side, saying that the first half “did not tell the whole story.” “The last twenty minutes we got stronger, and it shows that we’re fitter than most sides.”
“... it shows we’re fitter than most sides” Senior Coach Alex Keay
The side is greatly changed from last year’s BUCS Championship winning squad with nine players leaving. “They were good players so of course that’s going to hurt you,” said
Keay. “But there have been some really good players come in and good players who will now move forward.” Last Wednesday, the 1st XV travelled to Leeds University for their second game. The Palatinates manage to deliver a solid 0-17 win thanks to three tries and a conversion. Elsewhere, the 2nd XV endured a tough game against York University 1st XV, coming through 26-21. Clements and Rosillo crossed over the line for the Palatinates with Watkinson kicking three penalties and a conversion despite windy conditions. The 3rd XV found little resistance in their first BUCS game against Northumbria University 3rd XV. The home side ran away 58-0 in a game which demonstrated the vast difference in strength between the two teams. Finally the 4th XV travelled to Sheffield Hallam University for their first fixture in the Northern 3B division. Against the home team’s 2nd XV, Durham looked comfortable in the late kick-off securing a 27-12 win. Last Wednesday saw the 2nd XV in action away to Birmingham. Palatinate’s lack of discipline cost them in the end, as the penalty count proved the difference between the
two sides. Despite three converted tries apiece, four Birmingham penalites meant the Palatinates missed out on their second win, with the final score 33-24 to the hosts. Meanwhile, the 3rd XV were top of the Northern 2B division after another emphatic win last Wednesday. The side returned from York St John University with a comfortable 0-29 away win. The home side had no response to the Palatinates, leaving the Durham side with an impressive points difference of +87 after two games. The 4th XV welcomed local rivals Newcastle University 4th XV last Wednesday, and ground out an 18-0 win against their opponents. Men’s 1st XV vs Leeds Metropolitan (Home) Men’s 2nd XV vs Nottingham Trent (Home) Men’s 3rd XV vs Newcastle, (Home)
P
To see how all the teams got on, visit www.palatinate.org. uk.
Teams will be quaking in their boots at the prospect of playing Durham at Lacrosse anytime soon. The club scored 84 goals in five games in the opening round of the BUCS season, an average of just under 17 per game. The most convincing of them all came from the Men’s 1st team, who handed out an embarrassing 30-0 defeat to their hosts, Nottingham University, last Wednesday. The Men’s 2nd team faced off with local opponents Newcastle in their first match of the BUCS season on Wednesday, and they too didn’t disappoint, delivering a spectacular 19-0 victory. The Palatinates scored goals from all sides of the field; even a defensive player managed to score straight from the face off.
16.8
Average number of goals per game for DULC last week
The Women’s 1st team were also in fine form, overcoming hosts Birmingham 4-14. At a ‘friendly’ encounter at Maiden Castle, the Women’s 2nd team took on the Women’s 3rd team. However, there was nothing ‘friendly’ about the 2nd team’s 21-0 dispatching of their team mates on the Rubber Crumb. The sole disappointment for the club came in the Women’s 4th team game away to Newcastle 2nd, where the Palatinates lost 8-0. The Durham Lacrosse juggernaut looked to hand out more thrashings yesterday, with both 1st teams welcoming Loughborough University to Maiden Castle, while the Women’s 2nd team travelled to Liverpool University. Elsewhere, the Men’s 2nd team visited York University, while the Women’s 3rd and 4th teams played Leeds Metropolitan and York at home, respectively.