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PALATINATE
The official student newspaper of Durham Students’ Union since 1948
Tuesday 25th January 2011 | Edition 725 www.palatinate.org.uk
PhD student sentenced to seven years in Iranian prison
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Convicted for crimes including “insulting the leader” Friends critical of university’s initial response
Students asked to vote again in NUS referendum Hannah Shaddock
Debate about whether Durham Student Union should be affiliated with the National Union of Students begins anew this week, as voting opens in the third referendum on the issue. Voting opened at 9am on Monday and closes at 5pm on Friday. The referendum is the third to be held on the issue in the last two years. The vote takes place almost exactly a year since Durham students chose to disaffiliate from the NUS in last year’s referendum, which was called after the aggressive actions of the NUS caused a debate about multiculturalism at the Durham Union Society to be cancelled. Controversy began when two executive members of the NUS sent a letter to the Union Society which seemed to threaten violence if the debate, featuring members of the British National Party, went ahead. FLICKRID: THE CBI
Daniel Johnson
Ehsan Abdoh-Tabrizi, a PhD student at the School of Government and International Affairs, has been sentenced to seven years in Iranian jail for “insulting the leader”, “having links with foreign elements” and taking part in protests. He was arrested and imprisoned in mid-January 2010 at Imam Khomeini International Airport, while visiting family in Iran during the Christmas holidays. It is believed that he was held in solitary confinement for 50 days after his arrest, following demonstrations in the Iranian capital. His father Hossein Abdoh-Tabrizi insists that his son is totally innocent. Speaking to the BBC’s Persian Service he said: “Ehsan is not a political person and is only a history researcher. He’s been in prison for almost a year now and I don’t [even] think anyone in the judiciary system accepts this sentence. “Our understanding is that even the persecutor and judge don’t believe this crime. “I urge authorities to investigate such issues and to disallow this magnitude of injustice.” Some friends and colleagues of Ehsan suspect that one reason for his arrest may be because his father is the manager of the banned reformist newspaper Sarmayeh. He has also been secretarygeneral of the Tehran Stock Exchange, and was reportedly a constant critic of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s economic policies. Ehsan is currently being held in Iran’s notorious Evin prison along with other political prisoners. His parents were finally allowed to visit him in prison four months after his arrest. In an official statement made on the 1 January 2011, Professor Anthony Forster, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) said: “Durham University is extremely disappointed and concerned to hear of the continued imprisonment of Ehsan Abdoh-Tabrizi. “Throughout Ehsan’s imprisonment we have been concerned for his health and wellbeing and remain committed to supporting his family in securing a positive outcome in his case.” In August, there were mounting concerns about the deteriorating
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NUS President Aaron Porter spoke at Sunday’s debate
contacted ITV News, notifying them of his detention in Evin prison. “Upon learning that ITV News was in the process of doing a story about Abdoh Tabrizi, Durham University threatened the ITV News. In an e-mail leaked on the 15 April 2010 between Durham University and ITV News the message stated that if ITV News covered the issue regarding Abdoh Tabrizi’s imprisonment in Evin, this would ‘endanger his life’.” According to The Guardian, up until June the university refused to even acknowledge Abdoh-Tabrizi’s arrest. “Journalists who contacted the university faced stonewalling and warnings that any publicity could endanger him.” One friend of Abdoh-Tabrizi complained to the newspaper that “those
In recognition of the high profile of the case, last year’s NUS President Wes Streeting came to Durham to personally address the issue in front of a crowd of around 300 students. Although he agreed that the NUS had made a “huge, monumental cock-up”, Streeting’s appearance did little to appease students and a petition was filed shortly afterwards which prompted the referendum. Despite the fact that a vote had already been held on the subject in November, with 80% voting in favour of affiliation with the NUS, a second referendum took place in March. 1295 students voted to leave the NUS, and 1217 voted to stay. Last year, the DSU remained neutral on the issue. This year, however, DSU President Sam Roseveare is taking a public pro-affiliation stance, speaking, along with current NUS President Aaron Porter, in favour of re-affiliation in a debate last Sunday.
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Ehsan Abdoh-Tabrizi was arrested by police whilst travelling to Tehran to visit his family in January of last year
health of Mr Abdoh-Tabrizi. Speaking at the time, Professor Forster said: “the university has become increasingly concerned about Ehsan’s well-being following reports of poor health and continued ambiguity relating to the charges that have been brought against him.”
and deteriorating health.” Professor Forster also wrote an open letter to the Iranian Ambassador in London, calling on him “to exert whatever influence you can to ensure that Mr Abdoh-Tabrizi’s case is resolved as soon as possible thereby enabling him to complete his studies after three years of hard work.” However, some friends and colleagues of Mr Abdoh-Tabrizi have been highly critical of the university’s early response to Ehsan’s arrest. On www.iranian.com, one friend and colleague wrote: “What is both disturbing and utterly shocking regarding Abdoh Tabrizi’s imprisonment is the lack of care that Durham University has Ehsan’s father, Hossein Abdoh-Tabrizi shown concerning this grave injustice He added: “the university has an that the Islamic Republic has commitobligation and a duty of care to raise ted against one of their students.” awareness of Ehsan’s imprisonment “Concerned friends and colleagues
“Our understanding is that even the persecutor and judge don’t believe this crime”
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Editorial Favourites, letters, corrections and editorial Editorial
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PALATINATE Thanks from the Editors Palatinate is a product of the hard work of around forty full-time students at Durham. Without the help of the names to the right, this newspaper wouldn’t exist. Each editor is responsible for their own section: sourcing writers, proof-reading articles, commissioning photographs and (usually the hardest part) making it all look good in print. Operating out of an office in the DSU, we bring you Durham’s latest news and sport, comment on local and national issues, high-profile interviews and careers advice. And that’s just Palatinate.
Re-launched a year ago, Indigo is an eclectic mix of student journalism and photography – a showcase of the best arts and lifestyle features we’ve got to offer. Whether you’re reading an interview with author Jonathan Safran Foer, or a probing investigation into Durham’s private school stereotype, you can be sure that you’ve picked up an award-winning student newspaper. Perhaps more importantly, you can be sure that Palatinate is fair, balanced and non-partisan. During the upcoming referendum on NUS affiliation, we will publicize both campaigns equally,
lending our media muscle only to the cause of a high voter turnout. But that doesn’t mean we shy away from the facts. At every turn we hold the University and the DSU to account, celebrating their achievements and highlighting their shortcomings. Over our 63 year history, our constitution has ensured that we are able to publish any story that is legally sound. Each term sees new Editorsin-Chief take over the running of Palatinate. It is a mammoth task, but nonetheless worthwhile - we’ve learnt more this last fortnight than in three years...
25.01.2011 No. 725 Contents Palatinate
News pages 3-5
News Features pages 6-7 Careers pages 8- 9 Profile page 11 Comment page 12-15 Sport pages 17-20
indigo
Reviews page 2 Cover Story page 3 Features pages 4-5 Food & Drink page 6 Travel indigo, page 7 Fashion pages 8-9
From the archives: 6 March 1992 th
Film & TV page 10 Visual Arts page 11 Stage pages 12-13 Music page 14 Books page 15 Games & Photography page 16
Favourites Travel indigo, page 7
Easter Island
Journey to the centre of the earth Comment Palatinate, page 15
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n Monday 2nd March 1992, Yolanda Stowell was elected as Hatfield’s Senior Woman by just one vote. Palatinate described the incredibly close result as the storming of the last bastion of male chauvinism. The vote received mixed reactions, with a group of third year students threatening to boycott the next day’s
Skydiving for charity formal dinner. Stowell’s door was also smeared with chips and tomato sauce. Hatfield Principal Dr Barber was pleased with the result. “I’m delighted, it’s up to the JCR to choose whom they wish, for the first time ever it’s a woman and that’s fine by me.” Asked about the various protests, Stowell remarked, “I don’t care if people do that kind of thing if they
haven’t got the guts to say anything to my face.” Many students were supportive of the result. Secretary-elect David Price described it as “a change for the better.” Student Emily Gasson added that “women have not had much representation before.”
Palatinate editorial vacancies DEPUTY COMMENT EDITOR You’ll assist the Comment Editor in leading a team of dedicated writers, sourcing images and editing the section. No previous experience is needed. For an application form e-mail comment@palatinate. org.uk
DEPUTY SPORT EDITOR Got a passion for sport? You could help lead a team of sports journalists and photographers as we cover college and University fixtures. No previous experience is needed. For an application form e-mail sport@palatinate.org.uk
Why it may not be the best way to help the poor Sport Palatinate, page 19
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PUBLICITY EDITOR Think you’ve got what it takes to spread the word about Palatinate across Durham? If you’re PR-savvy with an eye for a good advert e-mail editor@palatinate.org. uk. No previous experience is needed. We speak to the award-winning team
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Editorial Board
Editors-in-Chief Jack Battersby Rosanna Boscawen editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editor Sophie Zeldin-O’Neill deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editor Daniel Johnson news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor Hugh Anderson-Elliott news.features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Mei Leng Yew Sarah Ingrams Hannah Shaddock deputy.news@palatinate.org.uk Queen’s Campus News Editor Lea Georgeson queens@palatinate.org.uk Careers Editor Rachael Revesz careers@palatinate.org.uk Profile Editor David Wynne-Griffith profile@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editors Thom Addinall-Biddulph Alexandra Bottomer comment@palatinate.org.uk Sport Editor John Burn-Murdoch sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editor Hugo Morrissey deputy.sport@palatinate.org.uk Indigo Editors Daniel Dyson & Madeleine Cuff indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Alison Moulds feature@palatinate.org.uk Food and Drink Editor Charlotte Allen food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor Jess Jones travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Antonia Thier fashion@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Fashion Editors Laura Gregory, Rachel Bailin & Tom Weller deputy.fashion@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Tamara Gates visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Film and Television Editor Madeleine Cuff film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editors Kathy Laszlo & Lyndsey Fineran stage@palatinate.org.uk Music Editors Olivia Swash & Nico Franks music@palatinate.org.uk Books Editor James Leadill books@palatinate.org.uk Games Editor Jon Zhu games@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub-Editor Lisa Paul sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Section Sub-Editors Joanna Turner, Olivia Mercer, Kayleigh Brandon & Gemma Neale Website Editor Chris Miley web.editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Web Editors Tom Weightman & Chris Wastell deputy.web@palatinate.org.uk Photography Editor Quin Murray photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editor Robert Burgess photography@palatinate.org.uk Illustrations Editors David Drysdale & Claire Coombes illustration@palatinate.org.uk Multimedia Editor Alex Parsons multimedia@palatinate.org.uk
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
Students silence Spags Fabio ordered to turn music off earlier as local residents complain to the Council
Mei Leng Yew
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bjections from students have prompted Durham City Council to place restrictions on popular Italian restaurant, La Spaghettata. Owner Fabio Ciampolillo must stop playing music at midnight from Sunday to Thursdays and at 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, the council’s licensing sub-committee decided earlier this month. Mr Ciampolillo had originally applied to extend his premises license so that live jazz could be played until 2.30am every day. He also applied for permission for dancing. However, his application was met with opposition from students living nearby, particularly in Moatside Mews, who felt that the existing noise levels in the area were already excessive as Fabio’s Bar, also owned by Mr Ciampolillo, is located directly above La Spaghettata. Nula Clark, from St. John’s, said: “The level of noise is not fair for residents and neighbours of Fabio’s. “The persistence and volume of the noise has severely disturbed my sleeping patterns. I fear this will cause difficulties with my academic work, particularly during the examination period.” Charles Delaney, a finalist from Van
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Durham News News Durham
www.palatinate.org.uk WILL NICHOLLS
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Mildert was also concerned about the noise. He said: “This final year is absolutely crucial for my degree. “Although I do not mind a bit of noise from other properties occasionally, the level which already comes from La Spaghettata has already been severely disrupting my academic studies and sleep patterns.”
tles are emptied into recycling bins beneath his bedroom window. “Whilst we have all taken to wearing expensive ear plugs, even this is struggling to keep out the noise,” Mr Evans wrote. “As a student who socialises into the early hours I understand the want for playing music loudly, but the restaurant is in too close proximity to a large number of homes.” Committee chairman Colin Carr said that he had “great concerns” after some of the written complaints claimed that La Spaghettata had already been playing loud music late in the night, without prior permission from Durham City Council. “The music has continued despite the fact that the licence is currently under application,” said Classics student Liam O’Brien. “Living in these conditions has proved extremely difficult with one of my housemates’ work suffering through lack of sleep.” Although Mr Ciampolillo’s application has been partially extended, he is now required to install noise-limiting devices and keep windows and doors closed when music is playing. The council also ordered that no bottles can be disposed of between 11pm and 7am. Council environmental protection officer, John Dodds, will monitor the situation going forward.
“Even expensive ear plugs struggle to keep out the noise” Mr Ciampolillo said he had been unaware of any noise concerns amongst the local residents until students lodged their complaints late last year. “If I had known there was a problem, I would have dealt with it straight away,” said Mr Ciampolillo. In his initial application to the Council, he said that he ran a trouble-free establishment and enjoyed a good relationship with the police. He also pledged to minimise noise levels so that the restaurant “would not be a nuisance to neighbouring properties.” Six students from the University lodged their concerns to licensing officer Jane Kevan in writing. Charles Evans, from Hatfield wrote in to complain about the noise created when glass bot-
Fabio has been ordered to stop playing music at midnight from Sunday to Thursdays
First folio is centerpiece of treasures exhibition Self-styled playboy Raymond Scott, who stole the folio, has likened prison to ‘life in an expensive health club’
DURHAM UNIVERSITY
The rare edition of Shakespeare’s work was stolen by self-styled playboy Raymond Scott
James Ufland
A recently recovered first folio of Shakespeare’s works is currently the main attraction in the inaugural exhibition at the Wolfson Gallery. Having resurfaced after a major international police investigation, it will now form the centrepiece of ‘The Treasures of Durham University’ exhibition until Sunday 6th March. The folio will be displayed in the damaged state it was found in, after its bindings and a number of pages were removed in an attempt to disguise the book’s origin. The rare 1623 edition of the playwright’s work had been stored in Palace Green library until it was stolen in 1998. Last August, 53 year old playboy Raymond Scott, was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the work’s disappearance. He was caught in June 2008 when he asked the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC to value the folio, which he claimed he had found in Cuba. Although acquitted of the original theft, Scott was found
guilty of handling stolen goods and removing stolen property from Britain. In recent interviews Scott has compared life in jail to that at an expensive health club. The former Cuban cigar smoking and champagne drinking council house resident is adapting well to a life without luxuries and is enjoying
“People pay thousands for the treatment I have received inside, which I, of course, get for nothing”
the perks of free specialist healthcare. Now receiving treatment for his alcoholism and depression, Scott remarked, “There are people who pay thousands to go to places for the treatment I have received inside, which I, of course, get for nothing.”
University appoints first non-Christian chaplain
Local priest jailed on 16 counts of child pornography
Durham University has appointed its first non-Christian chaplain, in a move that is planned to reflect the diversification of the student population. Rabbi Mati Kos, from Poland, was officially confirmed in his role by the university last term. Rabbi Kos’s main responsibilities will be to provide support and organise activities for the fast growing number of Jewish students in Durham. Events organised so far include a donut making session to celebrate Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, “Earthday Birthday” – a special meal to mark the Jewish New Year of the Trees and several learning sessions. JAMES UFLAND
A local Roman Catholic priest faces an eight month jail sentence after admitting 16 counts of child pornography. John Terence Paul Shannon, who was found guilty at Durham Crown Court admitted to viewing and possessing indecent images of children, some as young as 9. Further to his sentence, Mr Shannon has been placed on the sex offenders register and will be forbidden to work with children indefinitely. The priest blamed his celibacy for his compulsion to view the indecent images, stating that “curiosity and lack of self control led him to access these websites.” CHARLOTTE KERTRESTEL
Controversial curtain call for Durham director Tim Perry
. The director of Durham’s Gala Theatre, Simon Stallworthy, has resigned. Mr Stallworthy stepped down on December 31, having been in charge since 2005. In a statement he said: “It has been nearly two years since Durham County Council took over the theatre, and in this time I’d expected to see a clear indication of Gala’s future form of governance. With this uncertainty as to Gala’s future, it is very difficult to run the building with the kind of energy and creativity it needs and which I believe I had provided.” He also accused the theatre of being “in limbo” and “increasingly bogged down by policies and procedures not relevant to a creative business.” The number of shows in Stallworthy’s tenure which were premieres
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Nick Whitton, head of commissioning at Durham County Council, responded: “It is correct that the authority is considering the governance arrangements for Gala for the future, but it is not the case that the organisation or our staff have been left in limbo since Gala became part of Durham County Council. After registering losses in its first year in 2002, Mr Stallworthy’s statement also revealed that the theatre now has an average annual audience of 200,000, 45 per cent higher than that of four years ago. Its current pantomime, Cinderella, is the biggest-selling show in the theatre’s history. Twelve of the fifteen shows during Mr Stallworthy’s tenure were premieres, including a first stage adaptation of the James Herriot stories All Creatures Great and Small.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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News Durham Durham News
DUCK Officer’s Column
Charlie Taverner
Throughout his time at Durham, Bill Bryson has often been caught advising students in no uncertain terms to “not let your degree get in the way of your education”. With Bill due to move on this summer, it’s hoped that this sentiment features in his handover notes, for it forms the central part of the ‘Great -DUCKdevelopment-feedback-loop’. See, although without doubt, the best thing about DUCK is the tangible difference students’ fundraising makes to some awe-inspiring and invaluable projects, there are some tangible differences that those fundraising often notice in themselves along the way too. Everything that goes into making DUCK what it is, from putting on citywide events to leading international expeditions facilitates the honing of a dizzying array of skills. From group leadership to marketing, from budget-setting to website design, DUCK’s endlessly diverse activities foster abundant opportunities for achieving new proficiencies. It is too, for good reason, a very central part of our constitution to support such ‘education’. Why? Because the better our organisers get at organising, our leaders get at leading and our budgeters get at budgeting, the more likely we are to raise larger and larger sums for the awe-inspiring projects we get involved in DUCK in the first place for. And so the Great-DUCKdevelopment-feedback-loop keeps feeding back, and year on year more charities are supported in greater and more professional ways and more students leave Durham with more skills than they know what to do with. If your degree is getting in the way of your personal development, or you simply want to get more involved in raising funds for our remarkable charities, all you need to do is ask. Drop by the office or send us an email and we’ll slightly too eagerly find ways to get you involved and in the ‘loop’.
Professor Jeremy Dibble, Acting Head of the Department of Music, presented a section of the BBC’s ‘Songs of Praise’ Edwardian festive special, charting the growth of the Christmas carol. Professor Dibble explained that it was in 1870s that carols came to be performed in churches and cathedrals. Previously, hymns were sung at home or in taverns but in this period church musician, John Stainer, produced many of the now-popular arrangements of Christmas classics such as ‘God rest ye merry gentlemen’ and ‘Good King Wenceslas’. The first full carol service took place in Truro in 1880. Professor Dibble said: “It’s only quite recently that many of the carols we sing have come from being sung around the home and the hearth and in taverns and when collecting the poor and things like this. “[Carols] moved from being sung in a more secular environment to being sung in churches and that happened really at the end of the Victorian period: 1870-1880”.
Iranian students who tried to protest the university’s inaction were either reprimanded privately or shunned.” The university strongly denies the allegations, and insists that they have kept staff, students and media outlets informed about Ehsan’s case. Professor Forster declined the opportunity to discuss the case with Palatinate. Ariabarzan Mohammadighalehtaki, a fellow PhD student of Ehsan’s at SGIA, said: “Ehsan’s friends and fellow students including myself were critical of the University’s initial approach regarding Ehsan’s arrest and imprisonment”. However, he called on the university to put in place a number of initiatives to raise awareness about Ehsan’s arrest. “The University can establish a scholarship in subjects related to Iran after Ehsan’s name to send a message to the world saying that the flame of academic enquiry can never be put off by jailing one of Durham University’s most talented students. “Many students will continue Ehsan’s academic path in his absence and will join him in his scholarly endeavor when he returns from Iran”.
Dibble believes the popularity of Christmas carols will continue: “Some have people asked me if the Christmas carol is in decline, and I think the answer is definitely not. “You only need to go to Durham Cathedral during the three weeks before Christmas, and it’s full of schools and organisations - they all want to have a Christmas carol service”.
DURHAM UNIVERSITY
Music professor presents on ‘Songs of Praise’
Martin Dorset-Purkis
Continued from front page
Durham News
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DSU President’s Column Sam Roseveare
Professor Jeremy Dibble presented a section of the BBC’s ‘Songs of Praise’ festive special
KPMG to sponsor Durham degree Jess Gordon
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ccountancy firm KPMG have announced their intention to sponsor the degrees of their trainees who study at Durham University from autumn 2011. Seventy-five students will have their fees paid to study for a BSc in Accounting and will also eventually obtain a chartered accountancy qualification. KPMG specifies that successful applicants must get ABB in their A-levels and pass a series of interviews and tests. Students will be required to divide their
“The incentive is part of a wider national plan to ‘raise the glass ceiling’” time between studying at Durham and working, under the supervision of a mentor, at the firm. Following completion of the four year course, the graduates will undertake a further two years training in London, Manchester or Birmingham, for which they will receive a salary of £20,000. The incentive is part of a wider na-
tional plan to “raise the glass ceiling”. Talking about the scheme, KPMG’s Oliver Tant said that “social immobility” can put the UK at a disadvantage against global competitors. The plan responds to a report into social mobility conducted in 2009, which revealed that people entering professions such as medicine, law and journalism are increasingly likely to be from more affluent families. Conducted by former minister Alan Milburn, the study highlighted a need for more equal opportunities in education and employment. “We’re an ideas business” says Tant, KPMG’s head of audit. “We need diverse talent. We need to find the most gifted. We’re fighting on a global stage and China and Japan don’t have the same social immobility”. Tant acknowledges that the level of student debt is going to become an “intimidating prospect”. The sponsorship offer is intended to ensure that the company’s graduate intake will be consistently representative of a wide social spectrum. The company claim that the scheme will be a “blueprint” for private sector support for students when fees in England rise in 2012 to up to £9,000. Responding positively to the strategy, Universities minister David Willets advised other universities and business-
es to “study the scheme carefully”. KPMG is not, however, the first company to fund future employees. Several other firms have already implemented similar programs. Supermarket chain Morrisons sponsors 20 undergraduates on a three year BSc in Business and Management at Bradford University. Launched in January, the corporation covers students’ tuition fees on the premise that they will work for the company for at least three years following graduation. Tesco also sponsor a course in retail with Manchester Metropolitan UniThe number of students who will have their fees paid by the firm
75
versity and the University of the Arts London. KPMG’s sponsorship plan has been recognised as part of a developing trend of commercialisation in England’s university system. With the fear that students could be graduating with a debt of up to £30,000, the likelihood that corporate degrees will proliferate in the next few years is a reassuring prospect. Applications for the KPMG sponsored degrees, which will be processed direct – not through UCAS – open at the end of February.
A belated Happy New Year to you all, and a welcome into the Epiphany Term. I thought it might be worth sketching out the term ahead, in some very broad strokes. With the dust settling on the new fee regime, the University is set to make some very significant decisions over the course of the next two terms. Whatever the increase, and we know that there will be an increase in fees, it’s imperative that the University delivers value for money, encourages widening access and importantly, continues to deliver the ‘Durham Degree’. This debate is really key for the student body, and if you have any opinion or thoughts at all in the matter, please get in touch. The opening of the Wolfson Gallery last week is the first stage in the redevelopment of Palace Green Library. For many years, the University’s special collections have been confined to shelves and storage (or worse, in the case of the Shakespeare First Folio), and plans are currently underway to showcase the full range of treasures that Durham University has to offer. With a very prestigious list of tomes on display, it is well worth a visit; and is free to Durham University Campus Card holders. The National Student Survey (NSS) opens across the country over January and February, and is a vital gauge of student opinion. Durham students respond in significant numbers to the survey, and drives over the past few years have only boosted numbers. NSS wields significant influence over University league tables, and so impacts upon Durham’s relative position in comparison to other Universities. Look for more information bubbling through JCRs in the near future! On the local level, the NUS Referendum will be in full swing by the time you read this column, and I look forward to positive debate over the course of the next week. The referendum ends on Friday 28th January at 5pm, so do ensure you vote. A Cost Benefit analysis is available online, which has been put together by Kristina Hagen, the Societies and Student Development Officer. In addition, the nominations for DSU Sabbaticals have opened up, and will be contested later in February, with the election week lasting from the 21st to the 25th February. Nomination packs can be collected from Sarah Elliot, in DSU – visit DSU Reception if you’re interested in standing. It’s also advisable to speak to the current incumbent, to get a better grasp of the role, and what it entails. I look forward to seeing a wide range of candidates, and some excellent husts! Last but not least is the re-configuration of Revolver on Saturday evenings. With lower prices, themed rooms and a refresh of the music on offer, it promises to be an improvement on the offering last term. As with all DSU events, it would be useful to get feedback from you on these events – so please do drop me an email if you have any suggestions!
Want to join our team of reporters? E-mail news@ palatinate.org.uk
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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National News
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Thousands to face rejection as applications soar to beat fee rise
Drug smuggling pigeon
Universities will have a £400m shortfall as teaching budgets are slashed
FLICKR: COUNTY DURHAM DEVELOPMENT CATEGORY
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Weird World News In Colombia, police are investigating after discovering a pigeon with a suspicious package strapped to its back attempting to fly into a prison. The struggling bird was picked up by concerned prison guards, but tests later revealed its excess baggage contained crack cocaine and marijuana. It is thought that the weight of the package, 45g of drugs in total, prevented the pigeon from reaching its destination. A police chief referred to the incident as a “new case of criminal ingenuity”, but it is not thought that the jailbird will face charges.
Cat called for jury duty
How clever is your cat? Tabby Sal, confirmed to be “a domestic shorthaired feline”, has been summoned to do jury service in Boston, US. Despite his owner’s pleas that he is “unable to speak and understand English” the jury commissioner insisted that he “must attend” on 23rd March. Tabby’s owner, Mrs Esposito, explained that she listed her cat as a pet on the last Census form but an unfortunate mix-up has occurred. “When they ask him guilty or not guilty? What’s he supposed to say - miaow?” she asks. But fortunately for Tabby, a website for the US judicial system offers some consolation: jurors are “not expected to speak perfect [or should that be purrfect?] English”.
Sex doll to the rescue? Labour HE spokesman, Gareth Thomas, said: “Just when we thought things couldn’t get worse for students, the government is cutting funding to universities” Sarah Ingrams
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niversity applications may have reached record levels this year as students compete to beat the tuition fee increase, UCAS figures reveal. A 2.5% increase in applications has been recorded for 2011; the last year before undergraduates face fees of up to £9000. Released at the start of January, the statistics indicate that over 8,000 more pupils have applied than at the equivalent time last year. The number of applicants has exceeded previous years ever since the admissions cycle began in September 2010, with November witnessing a 20% increase in applications. By 4th January a total of 335,795 students had submitted an application for 2011 entry. But after one in three candidates missed out on a university place in 2010, there will be even more disappointment this year. Universities Minister, David Willets, warned, “Going to university has always been a competitive process, and not all those who apply will be accepted.”
Protester jailed
Huw Silk
A sixth form student has been jailed for 20 months after he threw a fire extinguisher at police during November’s student protests in London. Edward Woollard, 18, was one of up to a thousand students who stormed the Conservative Party headquarters in protest at plans to raise tuition fees .
Last year, government ministers funded an additional 10,000 places in English universities to combat the surge in applications. These places will be available in 2011 but funding will be withdrawn the following year, further intensifying competition for the limited number of places. Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the Lecturers’ Union (UCU), said: “The increase in applications […] would prompt most governments to make extra places available. “Yet our government seems intent on ignoring the global trend of increasing access to university, which will see thousands of applicants denied the chance to fulfill their potential. “Rationing higher education and making it more expensive, at a time when the rest of the world is investing in universities, will seriously risk our standing on the world stage.” Despite tuition fee rises and increasing competition, Hild Bede student Joy Gaultney’s brother still hopes to go to university in 2012. “My siblings and I have always planned to go to university, whatever the cost, but I
Mr Woollard, who must serve at least ten months in a young offenders’ institute, admitted causing violent disorder when an empty canister, which he hurled from the roof of the sevenstorey building, landed inches from a line of police. Judge Geoffrey Rivlin said that he regretted having to send the student to prison. However, he said that the severity of the crime left him little alternative, insisting that a precedent had to be set for those who abuse the right to peaceful protest.
am worried that some talented young people who have the capabilities to pursue careers which require a university education might not do so now as a result of the rise in fees.” Ms Gaultney also points out that the fee increases in England will reduce the difference in cost of attending university abroad, particularly in America. To make the situation even worse, teaching budget cuts will come into force before increased tuition fees can make up for the shortfall. Business Secretary Vince Cable said that “there’s a year’s lag” as the budgets are reduced by up to £400m in a year to reduce the teaching budget from £4.9bn to £4.6bn.
1 in 3
Number of candidates who missed out on a university place in 2010
Thomas, Labour higher education spokesman, commented. “Inevitably it will have an impact on the quality of courses and on lecturers and it is further bad news for universities.” But ministers insist that difficulties will be temporary and that fee increases will compensate for cuts. Mr Cable explains: “the following year, [universities] will have an opportunity to replace that loss of income with new income from the graduate contribution.” The £400m cut in central government funding for universities is a small portion of the overall reductions planned. The October Spending Review determined that the teaching budget will be diminished from £7.1bn to £4.2bn by 2014/15. Most cuts will not be implemented until the higher fees are in place, so it remains to be seen how universities will cope. Coalition sources admitted that 2011/12 could be the “the toughest year” for universities.
“Just when we thought things couldn’t get worse for students, the government is cutting funding to universities” Gareth Continued from front page
Talking to Palatinate, Roseveare stressed the vital support that the NUS provides to student unions behind the scenes. He spoke of the “positive direction and resources” which membership to the NUS would bring, helping “big changes” to take place within the DSU. Roseveare suggested that many students voting to disaffiliate in last year’s referendum, perhaps for economic reasons, did not realise that they had been “let down, not by the NUS, but by the
DSU”. On the political benefits of membership to the NUS, Roseveare referred to the DSU’s “responsibility to ensure [its] students are heard on a national level”, and said that no organisation “became great in isolation”. To vote, and to find information from both sides of the debate, go to https://www.dur.ac.uk/student. elections/dsu/. The result will be announced in Kingsgate Bar, shortly after voting closes on Friday. Stay tuned to www.palatinate.org.uk.
A blow up sex doll “is not a recognised flotation device”, police officers in Australia warned two teenagers after they had to be rescued from Victoria’s Yarra River. The recent floods had seemed like a perfect opportunity for an afternoon trip down the river for the 19 year old boy and girl. However, the water was more turbulent than anticipated and the female was soon thrown off her ride. While her blow up doll and bikini bottoms floated down river, the girl was left clinging to a floating gum tree. Fortunately, a generous passerby kayaked over to provide both her and her friend with lifejackets. The emergency services also kindly provided the female with a towel when the pair were rescued an hour later.
Heidi the opossum is latest animal sensation For those of you who have been missing Paul the psychic octopus after his tragic demise in October last year, meet Heidi the cross-eyed opossum. The latest animal media sensation in Germany, Heidi already has 65,000 fans on Facebook and a dedicated web page. According to the YouTube song dedicated to her “Heidi is so sweet. How nice that she exists. I fell so in love with her from the first.”
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PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
6
Student Protests
www.palatinate.org.uk
So were the protests worth it? Palatinate looks back on the largest student protests in a generation and their political aftermath
Why were Durham protesters so scarce? Malik Al-Mahrouky It appears that more universities than ever, no matter where or what they are, clearly possess a strong sentiment in demonstrating their feelings about the rise in tuition fees. This of course begs the question: Why were marks of protest in Durham so poor compared to other universities? Not for one second am I quashing the efforts made by those who attended the organised march from Market Square to Palace Green last term. Nonetheless, one cannot help but think that with a combined student population of over 15,000, that only 3% of this number came out and participated in this national affair is a pitiful effort. It was remarkably noticeable that there is an element of apathy amongst students here at Durham; a feeling that for some reason their voice will go unheard and it will act as just another thumbnail to the Government’s list of institutions making unnecessary and ineffectual noise. Maybe the geographical location was the catalyst of disinterest. It does make a little sense. There are no physical embodiments of government that can be focal points for a protest. And there’s very little possibility we might get to lay a hand on a royal. There were also fewer national and international news stations looking for stories. Maybe it was all
Whilst tens of thousands of students across the country marched in protests, events in Durham saw poor attendance and apathy
Sarah Ingrams
300 attended the Durham demonstration. As Palatinate concluded on 7th December, “Durham disappoints on icknamed “the Dubstep rebel- day of inaction”. lion” by the BBC’s Newsnight, student protests attracted Months in jail for the widespread media attention in the latstudent caught ter months of 2010. Nine months after throwing a fire higher education funding cuts and tuiextinguisher tion fees increases were first hinted at in the general election campaign, does the picture for the future of university education look any brighter? The decision is announced The crunch came on 9th December Initial protests 2010 as the government announced On 10th November, London wit- their victory in the House of Comnessed the biggest student demon- mons vote. With a majority of just 21, stration in a generation as 52,000 stu- the coalition’s plans to allow universidents and lecturers took to the streets ties to charge up to £9,000 per year and in a protest organised by the National reduce the higher education budget Union of Students (NUS) to oppose were passed. The controversial vote plans to raise tuition fees and cut higher saw 21 Lib Dem and 6 Tory MPs rebel. education funding. Although intended Amongst these was Lib Dem MP Greg to be peaceful, the day ended with 14 Mulholland who commented “I am injured and 51 arrested after violence voting against the government today that the Prime Minister condemned as because I simply cannot accept that “unacceptable”. fees of up to £9,000 are the fairest and A second demonstration followed most sustainable way of funding higher on 24th November which will be re- education”. membered for the “kettling” of thouAnother motion, backed by the same sands of protesters on Whitehall and majority, raised the “basic threshold” charges into the crowd by police on for fees, currently £3,290, to £6,000 per horseback. This time, 153 were arrest- year from 2012-13. ed. Once the outcome of the vote beMeanwhile, across the country, uni- came clear, the violence of protesters at versities staged their own demonstra- Westminster intensified and students tions. While in Manchester more than smashed windows in the Treasury de1,000 participated in the protest and a partment. 2,000-strong crowd marched through Despite the violent objections, the the centre of Bristol, only an estimated proposal was finalised on 14th Decem-
N
32
ber as the House of Lords passed the proposal by 68 votes. Labour spokesman Lord Triesman said: “This afternoon’s decision will switch the concept of universities from being a public good, as they have always been through modern history, to essentially a private sector, market-driven by personal private investment.” Doubts and misgivings Although Aaron Porter, president of the NUS, argued that the students’ protests had “won the arguments and the battle for public opinion”, many groups have expressed their worries over the future of universities. In December, the Sutton Trust voiced its concerns that fee rises would make higher education even more inaccessible for the poorest pupils. This is despite the government’s efforts to make opportunities more equal for students of different backgrounds under the National Scholarship Programme for English universities. Costing £150million per year, the
school meals. But the Trust believes that the “reforms amount to a completely new and uncertain landscape for university access for less privileged students.” It fears that there will be little impact on the country’s most prestigious universities outside major urban areas which are infrequently attended by the poorest students.
2011: the difficult year ahead Trying to allay worries at the beginning of the year, Mr Hughes, the government’s advisor on access to higher education, encouraged universities to be more active in searching for the most intelligent state school pupils. He said that so far they had “failed miserably” in this task. He continued, “you have gained quite a lot in the settlement.” “You now have to deliver in turn”. But with the teaching grant in England due to be reduced for 2011-12 whilst additional funding from the fees increase is not due until 2012, this year will be a time of hardship for universities. Professor Steve Smith, President of Universities UK, said that this reduction could be damaging and “result in loss of capacity in some parts of the sector”. He continued: “We would urge the government and the funding council to do what they can to smooth the effects of cuts in grant over this period.” Programme will pay the first year’s And the Higher Education Policy tuition fees of student eligible for free
“The decision will switch the concept of universities from being a public good”
The protests compared
52,000 2000 1000 300
London Bristol Manchester Durham
Institute’s (Hepi) announcement that “the government’s new proposals are as likely to cost as to save public money” makes the future look even bleaker. The investigation that re-evaluated the government’s plans, in light of concessions made shortly before the vote on the fees increase was decided, concluded that the savings made, if any, would be marginal. Hepi reported that the annual raising of the repayment threshold “will add substantially to the cost” of the reforms, and “if the earnings increase falls short of the government’s assumptions by just 16%, there will be no savings.” Following the demonstrations of the past few months, this announcement is rather a bitter pill to swallow.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
7
Durham News Private Schools
www.palatinate.org.uk
From private school to Palace Green Palatinate investigates whether Durham really lives up to the private school stereotype
FLICKR ID: NETNICHOLLS
Even in a town as historic as Durham there is rarely anything as picturesque as Rugby School in Warickwhire, the quintessential independent school Hugh Anderson-Elliott
D
urham is a university in which stereotypes abound. The nature of the college system lends itself to generalisation: Hatfield are posh and arrogant, John’s are religious, Hilde Bede are sporty. There is rarely anything more than the most threadbare shred of truth in these mass produced opinions. National stereotypes about the student body as a whole are just as common. Durham is infamously supposed to be the home of Oxbridge rejects, something that Palatinate recently investigated. Whether or not this is true, or indeed a bad thing, is debatable. But perhaps the more damaging generalisation is that the privately educated, and more specifically those wishing to stay within particular circles of the wealthy, overly populate Durham. This impression is developed to the extent that it is well known enough to inform the decision of sixth formers choosing which institutions to apply to. Speaking to Palatinate, one student who wishes to remain anonymous said, “My sister warned me not to apply to Durham because it was full of
snobs. I wouldn’t have considered it at all if I hadn’t really enjoyed my college open day”. Similar stories are not hard to come by; one third-year said, “It was only after I’d accepted my offer that I was told by a teacher I’d applied to a college famous for being upper class”.
1,353
Independent school students in 2009
This year the proportion of Durham places taken by independently educated students was 43.2%. This is only 0.5% less than Oxford, and is actually a higher proportion than Cambridge, which admitted around 42% of its undergraduates from independent schools. In addition some colleges admitted more privately educated students than they did from the state sector. Hilde Bede was the most significant disparity, with over 60% of freshers coming from independent schools. Hatfield and St. Cuth’s also had majorities, with 51.4% and 52.7% respectively coming from the private sector. At the
other end of the scale, Josephine Butler has the largest proportion of state school pupils of the Durham city campus with around 71%. There’s also a significant disparity between Hill and Bailey colleges, with Bailey having a notably higher percentage of privately educated students. If the Queen’s Campus colleges are removed from the statistics, then around 45% of those admitted in 2009 come from independent schools, more than Oxford and Cambridge as well as every Russell Group institution. In fact the Durham city campus would have the highest proportion of students from independent schools of all major British universities. However, to claim that Durham is unusually dominated by the privately educated is not necessarily true. When the statistics are compared to those of other universities these claims become less and less sensational. This academic year Bristol University, which has been accused in the past of being biased against applications from independent schools to meet targets, took 41% of it’s undergraduate admissions from private schools. UCL, famous for increasing university access to a wider variety of
Number Crunching
60%
The proportion of Hild Bede’s 2009 intake from independent schools
28%
At Josephine Butler the independent school intake was much lower
43%
The percentage of 2009 Durham students from independent schools
socio-economic backgrounds, admitted 33%. Four further institutions, Nottingham, Imperial College London, LSE and Newcastle have student bodies that contain over 30% of students from independent schools. It is also not only Durham that has had criticism levelled at it. Recently there has even been a growing school of opinion that Newcastle is becoming famed for particularly visible and numerous proportions of privately educated students. In an infamous article in the Sunday Times, Giles Hattersley described his consternation at the class tension within the university. Students from the private sector were living a completely separate lifestyle from the rest of the university, going to different bars and clubs, and living in the most expensive areas of Newcastle in their second year. In Durham the protests were lacklustre to say the least, with the figure quoted in the Guardian of 700 seeming hopelessly optimistic to those who had attended or seen the march up to Palace Green. Student discussion often linked this to the normal Durham stereotypes, citing the number of stu-
42%
Cambridge actually has a lower percentage than Durham
dents with wealthy families who would not need to worry about any increase in fees. This or the decision to hold it on a wet Wednesday when many had either lectures or sports fixtures. There are certainly aspects to Durham that are commonly associated with private school life. Rugby, a sport dominated by the independent sector at school level, is played by many and is definitely one of the most competitive college competitions. But while these are integral parts of the life of many Durham students, this does not mean that they are either only played by those that attended an independent school or that they are only part of Durham because of the number of independently educated students. As one of the oldest universities in the country Durham has held on to traditions and antiquated practices, and student life reflects this. It is also true that many of the student population were unsuccessful applicants to Oxbridge, and that there are more privately educated students than at many other universities. Although having said that, Hatfield does have the highest proportion of gap year students. Make of that what you will.
7%
The percentage of School children in the UK in independent schools
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
8
Careers
Careers
www.palatinate.org.uk
Oli Marlow-Thomas’ revolutionary road
The former Collingwood student has set up GoCarShare, looking to radicalise the way we travel
T
hinking of booking a train home this term? Think again. Oli Marlow-Thomas, a 2009 history and politics Durham graduate, is turning way we travel on its head. After graduating, the former Collingwood student and his business partner, Drummond Gilbert, went on to launch an exciting online business – GoCarShare. After logging in via Facebook, you can sell your empty car seats to passengers as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly mode of transport. The website currently receives up to 400 hits a day and is especially popular among students travelling to and from Uni. There are currently 38 million empty car seats on the road at any one time in Britain. And with train prices set to rise again in 2011, GoCarShare encourages drivers to post their journeys online to gain fee-paying passengers. The concept is unique in Britain, and has been influenced from already functioning websites in Germany, where many people choose to share lifts instead of travelling by other modes of transport. Safety is a big issue for Oli and Drummond. Passengers are able to browse and review their potential driver (and vice versa), who may well be a friend of a friend. In fact, through this system of “friends” online, the average person’s network is 250,000 people. Passengers are also able to see exactly how long their driver has had their license before they click “accept”. They
GOCARSHARE
Rachael Revesz
might also like to take a look at how their driver has been rated in the past: whether they drive safely, if their car is clean, or even what kind of music they listen to. Furthermore, GoCarShare is an ecofriendly initiative. “Four people travelling in a car is equivalent to four people travelling by train, in terms of carbon footprint,” Oli explains. “It’s also good for your pocket. As a driver travelling from Durham to London, with three passengers, you can make a profit of about £15, and your petrol would be covered.” The results of GoCarShare’s survey were surprising. A massive 2000 of you responded, admitting that you travel on average 4.8 times a term and that 24% of you have a car in Durham. There seems to be enormous potential for this business. The idea was conceived in January 2009. After graduating, Oli and Drummond launched the website within four months. They were lucky, thanks to many a networking evening, to find an investor who could start them off with 20 k. Oli advises entrepreneurs to be cautious, gain basic business experience prior to launching your own company and to not invest too much of your own money. Ultimately, you must have faith in your idea. “I haven’t eaten very much recently – I put all my time into this,” he says. “But it’s very exciting. I’m completely optimistic!”
Who knew a road trip home could be so much fun?
IBM: the“ideas company”
Durham History graduate Jack Fitzgerald talks to Palatinate about life at IBM What is your job title?
What does that entail? As a company, we take a part of our I’m a Junior Client Solutions Executive. client’s I.T. department and run it for them, so they can get on with the things they’re good at. I play the second part in this deal-making process. The business development executives build up a rapport with the client and then hand
“We are so much more than an I.T. company.” them over to us to close the deal. What kind of deals are we talking about? Anything up to 600 million dollars, but currently I’m working on much smaller ones. The whole process of making a deal can take anywhere between a few weeks and 18 months. Can you tell us about the grad schemes? We have a wide variety of graduate schemes in finance, HR, project man-
agement and many other sectors. We are so much more than computers. Usually trainees will undertake four placements of six months each but it’s flexible. We’re taking on between 150200 new graduates at the moment, but we hope to recruit more for 2011. Tell us something we don’t know about IBM.
messages in one inbox, as if they have all been fed from the same source. In actual fact, Cloud Computing enables your messages to be stored in Germany, Japan – all over the world –– on differ-
“The deals we make at IBM can be anything up to 600 million dollars.”
The innovative team have their own campus with tennis courts and a swimming pool, and they walk around in shorts and t-shirts. It’s a beautiful building like St Mary’s College. I’ve been there a few times. ent websites, to ensure that your system doesn’t crash when you run out of storStarting salary? age space. It’s a smart strategy we use to help meet our clients’ needs. £27 - 32 k. We don’t guarantee an annual pay increase – it’s entirely perform- So why work for IBM? ance related. I think that’s a good thing, to motivate you to meet your targets. Because we are so much more than an I.T. company – not many people Most exciting project? know that we are a bank in our own right (IGF). We are an ideas company I’m currently working on a project and we have supported many of our which is to do with “Cloud Comput- employees’ patents, for example. We ing”. To explain; every time you log on feed off people’s energy, ideas and new to your email address, you see all your approaches with an aim to shaping the
Ever fancied working in the United States for 9 weeks on a children’s summer camp, with the opportunity to travel afterwards? Here is your chance to gain international work experience, and meet likeminded adventurous people who also have a thirst for life. Come along to one of our Camp Director Fairs taking place this month, where you will have the chance to liaise and network with US Camp Directors, and possibly secure a placement this summer. First you need to register on mycampamerica.com, then complete the application form and bring it as well as original references with you. Edinburgh 25th January 2pm at the Caledonian Hilton Hotel, Princes St, Edinburgh, EH1 2AB Manchester 27th January 2pm at the Palace Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester, M60 7HA London 29th January 12pm at the Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, Kensington, London, W8 7NX
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
9
Durham News Careers
www.palatinate.org.uk
Talent search: the European Union
Recent restructuring means the EU now recruits graduates straight from universities Robyn Morris
L
ast November as part of a new pilot project, twenty-five students from twenty top Universities around Europe came together on a training weekend in Brussels. Their
aim: to start promoting graduate careers in the European Union. As one of the major countries within the EU, it was shocking to find out that the UK is severely under-represented in terms of employees that work directly for the European Union. As a public entity, the EU does not
have the funds or man-power to promote careers on the scale that many other large corporate companies have, therefore students often simply don’t hear about the fantastic range of opportunities and competitive salaries that are on offer by working within the EU. In the current financial market the
Competitive salaries and varied work: the EU has exciting career prospects
media is constantly reminding us how difficult it is to get a job after graduating. There are many careers available in the EU including parliament, constitution, law, accounting and interpreting; a pre-condition is fluent English and one other foreign language (at present this must be German, Spanish or French). Starting salaries range around €40,000 net. The EU has recently restructured their recruitment strategy, and it is now possible to obtain a job for when you graduate. The main recruitment batches run in March and in July for interpreters and translators. The application process involves psychometric testing and several other components, all of which can be prepared for by going on the EU Careers website. (www. eu-careers.eu.) For regular updates on vacancies you can also become a fan of EU Careers on Facebook. Moreover, the EU Careers Durham University Facebook page provides relevant information to Durham students. EU Careers events in Durham will be advertised and you can contact the Durham Ambassador for advice or be introduced to a Durham Graduate working in the EU who may be able to give you a further insight into your career of choice. It would be great to get more people interested in representing our country on the continent! So get applying, and bon chance!
“
Many people will try to advise you that ‘success’ means a certain job title and substantial salary. As someone who had those things and chose to forgo them, I would suggest that success comes in many forms and, without inner happiness, satisfaction from external sources is very transient and fleeting. Everyone has their own definition of success.
Amanda Carroll, 39, ex-St Cuthbert’s Society student and former lawyer
”
Aldi hunts Teaching English can take you far, far afield for Durham graduates Pippa Wilkinson
private lessons pay much better than a school. And the beauty of English teaching is that you can go anywhere; I have met teachers working in Germany, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Most teachers stay a few years then head home to settle down. However, there are long-term career options such as teacher training, private lessons in businesses and setting up your own school or agency.
So, it’s time to throw a dart at a map of the world, and book your tickets! Useful websites: www.ihworld.com www.britishcouncil.org www.celta.org.uk www.cambridgeesol.org
RACHAEL REVESZ
The German supermarket chain Aldi is looking to recruit several new Durham graduates to fill positions on its award-winning Area Management Programme. Positioned fifth in the Times Top 100 list of graduate employers, Aldi‘s one-year Area Management Programme provides comprehensive training for the role of Area Manager, covering all aspects of retail management, whilst developing leadership skills, commercial awareness and technical and managerial skills. The role is offered with a fully expensed Audi A4 to allow graduates to visit stores up-to the Scottish borders and down to Leeds, giving great travel opportunities to North East graduates. With a starting salary of £40,000 rising to £61,000 after three years, the Area Management Programme has opportunities for development, including international secondment. The role is ideal for a retailfocused graduate who is looking for unrivalled levels of responsibility. Aldi is also looking for two individuals to join its Retail Placement Scheme, a 9 to 12 month programme for students looking for placements to compliment their degree course. The starting salary for the Retail Placement Scheme is £20,000.
Many of us seem to be feeling the pressure to start applying for jobs in banks and financial consultants. But if the thought makes you shudder in horror, or you don’t feel quite ready to settle into a long-term career, then teaching English as a foreign language is an option worth looking into. The demand for English teachers abroad and in the UK has never been higher, and before you dismiss teaching English as a stopgap, there are some highly useful skills to be gained in the classroom. Firstly, teachers stand up in front of their classes everyday, and attempt to convey information in a clear and interesting way – it is vital to keep the class’s attention. Not only does it give you confidence and improve your communication skills, but it will make important presentations to your future bosses easy in comparison. Secondly, living in a foreign country will force you to get to grips with the language. China, for example, is the biggest expanding market in English teaching, and Chinese would stand out on your CV, as would any foreign language. Living abroad also makes you more independent and immerses you in another culture, broadening your mind, as well as your eating habits! On the other hand, if you prefer staying closer to home, there are plenty of English language schools in the UK for both visiting students and permanent residents. So, where to start? You will need a TEFL qualification, like a CELTA, which can be studied at home or abroad
– just be sure to check that the school is accredited. I did mine at a large chain of schools called International House in Barcelona. Most of my group were under 30, and they became my first friends in my new home. Some schools, like the highly respected British Council, recruit from the UK, but for smaller institutions you would ideally already be in the area. Another thing to remember is that
Why stay at home? Teaching English could take you all over the world
Durham News
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PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
11
Profile
DurhamProfile News Floxx.com
www.palatinate.org.uk
FitFinder is back: introducing floxx.com
In May of last year, anonymous flirting website FitFinder was taken down following a dispute with UCL Now it’s back with a new name, a new look, and the backing of former TV Dragon Doug Richard Jack Battersby
T
he launch of FitFinder in April 2010 caused somewhat of a stir in universities across the UK. Combining Twitter and Facebook, the site allowed students to exchange flirtatious messages at campus locations up and down the country. Achieving over 5 million hits and 50,000 posts, FitFinder was an instant hit with those looking for distraction during lonely library hours. After just a month online, senior staff at UCL demanded that the site be taken down, claiming to have been contacted by other universities unhappy about FitFinder. Founder Richard Martell was fined £300 for bringing his university into disrepute, with a letter threatening him that non-payment would result in his Computer Sciences degree results being withheld. After finishing his final exam, Martell temporarily took down the site to secure his degree. Fast forward six months, and FitFinder is back, but under a new name – Floxx. The site, launched in early January, works in much the same way as its predecessor. Users register for an anonymous account and are then free to post messages describing the objects of their affection for all to see. Every post is linked to a location, with Durham’s currently including colleges, the Main Library and various lecture theatres.
“FitFinder achieved over five million hits and 50,000 posts.” Where Floxx differs from FitFinder is in the look and feel of the site. Incorporating a map to show post locations and ‘trending locations’, Floxx offers a clean, clutter-free interface. The search facility shows a sample of nearby locations – with DH1 currently displaying St Cuthbert’s Society and Palace Green Library, amongst others. The work of a supremely intelligent web designer, Floxx is part of the next generation of dynamic social networking websites. Speaking to Palatinate, Martell – now CEO of Floxx.com – looked back on the events leading up to the relaunch. “After leaving university, I took a job in London whilst continuing to work on the site. There was a period of about four months where I was working day and night. I would get home from my job, and be up until 3am building the site, having only a few hours sleep before returning to work”. Behind Martell’s considered recollections is an exhilarating, almost unbelievable, story of how his site attracted the financial backing of Californian entrepreneur Doug Richard. “I was at home and some of my friends texted me about some talk on Twitter of a businessman wanting to get in touch with me. I didn’t think too much of it,
An entrepreneurial pair: UCL graduate and Floxx.com CEO Richard Martell (left) with former Dragons’ Den investor Doug Richard (right) but logged on to see what all the fuss was about. “I saw that quite a few people had mentioned a tweet by Doug asking if anybody knew me. Within an hour I was on the phone to him. It was all a bit surreal to be honest”. The former Dragons’ Den investor encountered FitFinder when UK newspapers reported the site’s conflict with UCL authorities. Richard acknowledges the extraordinary nature of how he came across what he saw as an incredible business opportunity. “I was literally sitting at home reading the Sunday papers. What caught my attention was the sheer pace of growth and the number of people using his site. “It’s extremely uncommon to see anybody creating something that expands so quickly – so I knew I wanted to be part of it”. Speaking with Martell, Richard was surprised to learn that he had not been approached by anyone else seeking an investment opportunity. “I was the only one who’d called him – that was fine for me! One thing led to another, and we started working with each other”. It is clear that having the backing of an experienced investor means more to Martell than just financial security. “He knows the right people and has all the right contacts. I can pick up the phone and work out any problems I’m having. It’s great to have someone who invests in you as well as your idea”. At its peak in April 2010, Durham was one of the most popular locations in the country for FitFinder users. However, the site endured criticism for the derogatory – and often abusive – nature of many posts. “With any social media it’s very difficult to moderate everything in real-time,” said Martell.
“You do put a certain trust in what people are posting, but we have introduced a number of ways to help combat abusive posts – including the ability to report them to us. People know what the site is for, and if a line is crossed we can have posts taken down”. Floxx has also encountered early difficulties, with several schools and colleges banning the sites from their networks. Martell remains upbeat about the site’s potential to reach out to young people: “We’re moving towards the use of the site on mobile devices to allow access to Floxx on the go. That’s really where the site comes into its own: using it in a location you choose. We do expect that social networking sites will be banned in some places to prevent extensive procrastination”. Looking to the future, Richard predicts that Floxx will achieve influence across America and Western Europe within five years. “I take the view that
make something hugely successful with just a fraction of the users they’ve attracted. I think what we have is very special indeed”.
Looking into 2011, Martell and Floxx may have the raw ingredients to provide the next great evolution in the social networking phenomenon.
“I think what we have is very special indeed.” - Investor Doug Richard when investing you should do very few projects and carry them through as deeply as possible. I’ve been largely focused on the business side, leaving most of the technical issues to Richard. As we grow our user base, we’re going to become extremely attractive to advertisers”. Asked where Floxx will be in five years time, the entrepreneur’s intentions are clear. “Sold, I hope. Facebook was a once-in-a-lifetime, generationchanging site. But you know, you can
Floxx is set to launch a smartphone application for on-the-go users
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Comment
Comment From the Union Rishi Mansigani
Welcome back to Durham and to Epiphany term at the Durham Union Society. At the beginning of Epiphany term many students often have a sudden realisation that they haven’t got involved with as much as they intended to at the start of the year. For some students it’s a time to get more involved in academia and engrossed in their subject and for others it’s a time to get more involved in the plethora of incredible societies Durham offers. I hope that for many of you Epiphany term will provide the opportunity to attend some of the events that your Union is putting on for you. This term at the Union we will be exploring topics such as the success of the Coalition Government and whether the Church has failed Christianity as well as whether we should fight for Queen and Country and the divisive debate on tuition fees. I am sure the debates will be both entertaining and informative. Guests at this Friday’s (January 28th) debate range from Page three models to the head of the Communist Marxist Lennist Party. In addition to our usual programme of Friday Night Debates, this term the Union has at least eight high profile addresses scheduled with speakers including ex-secret service agents, former extremists, historians, Olympic athletes, diplomats and even the ex-head of the Army. Our first address from Norman Benotman a former Islamic extremist, who now works to disband extremist groups will be at 8pm on January 31st in the Debating Chamber and is open to everyone at the University. The Union puts on more than just debates and addresses, and our social calendar this term is packed with events for everyone from our Epiphany ball on February 4th with an exclusive after party featuring Itchy Feet, to wine and chocolate tasting, cocktail making classes, theatre trips and much more. There’s something for everyone in this terms social calender. The DUS is your Society; please do get involved . We want to innovate the society and always put on the best possible events for our members. I hope to see you soon at one of our events or at our bar 24 North Bailey.
For more information on the Durham Union Society visit: www.dus.org.uk
Durham News
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How to choose the Chancellor?
Since Bill Bryson announced he would be standing down as Chancellor, students and staff have been invited to nominate his replacement. But what sort of person fits the bill? Thom Addinall-Biddulph
T
he Chancellor of a University is an odd figure. They do not possess the sort of power that other Chancellors possess- the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chancellor of Germany, the Lord Chancellor- but still they have the title and much of the accompanying ceremony. It is, however, the Vice-Chancellor that actually runs the University; this is quite clear in Durham from the fact that Bill Bryson is not on the Senior Management team in his role, whilst Chris Higgins is. The principal role of the Chancellor is to confer degrees at graduation, and this is by far their most public role. In Durham, it certainly seems as if the culmination of most students’ time here is the fabled photo with Dr Bryson. Graduation also, however, displays in general much of the Chancellor’s role, and in some ways it is very much like the Queen’s. The Chancellor provides a figurehead above the day-to-day administration of the University who can act as an ambassador for the University. Bill Bryson is beloved by many of us, as was Peter Ustinov before him; personally, I read his books as a child and much of my interest in American culture stems from them, a subject I am now covering in my PhD. By contrast, the Vice-Chan-
SPEAKERS’ CORNER
Michelle Wisson hates: Silvio Berlusconi
cellor is inevitably a controversial figure as many students will blame him for whatever goes wrong in the University. The role of the Chancellor is, explicitly, to provide this service: “an affection for and an interest in students and staff” as the University puts it. To be committed to the scholarly world is another point. It is surprising how important this role can be: I was personally very happy when Dr Bryson expressed what seemed a genuine interest in my research at MA graduation. It made it all seem worthwhile, given his own role as a bestselling author on Amer-
F
or all that we complain about political scandal diverting our attention and trust from our politicians, the United Kingdom does not have a politician so embroiled in legal and moral disputes as the chauvinist and hedonist Silvio Berlusconi, who makes a mockery of Italian politics. To my joy Berlusconi’s leadership has been disintegrating under pressure from other MPs and ordinary Italians. We have reason to hope that 2011 may signify his demise. 2010 was the year Berlusconi and his coalition partner publicly split and amongst fresh scandals, confidence votes were held in July, September and December. Berlusconi clung on through the latest vote by the narrowest of margins using government positions and even support for mortgage payments to curry favour. Berlusconi’s majority in Parliament is slim, and it seems unlikely that Berlusconi will defeat further challenges. Berlusconi’s record with the law has been sketchy, to be generous. He has been accused of crimes including embezzlement, tax fraud, false accounting and attempting to bribe a judge. A controversial law in 2008, overturned in 2009 by the Constitutional Court, even laid out that while in power he could not be charged, suspending investigations against him. He has been acquitted of some charges and won appeals against others when he was found guilty. Fur-
i
c a . So then, what sort of person should we look for as Chancellor? Certainly someone who has demonstrated some commitment to education themselves; someone who students will find an affection for; someone who can unite the University. This last point is why any suggestion of a political figure- some have mentioned Tony Blair- is incredibly wrongheaded. Several friends have told me they would refuse to accept their degree from Blair, who remains a deeply polarising character. Generally someone with a presence, who can make a good speech at Congregation, is desirable- hence why we have had actors and writers in the past. More than anything, we need someone who can display the same genuine affection for Durham as a place and community as Bryson has so thoroughly shown. It will be very interesting to see who is selected as his successor later this year...
Job description: Durham University Chancellor
ther charges still linger over his name. His denigrating attitude to women and alleged illegal actions are too disgraceful for words. In 2009 his second wife wrote an open letter, confirming her divorce with a man who “consorts with minors”. At a shocking age of seventy-
been launched as to whether he intervened to get a Moroccan nightclub dancer released from prison; within these charges allegations of underage prostitution have reached the media. Berlusconi has a dangerous control over Italy, with an estimated wealth of a staggering $9 billion as a business and media tycoon, who can affect which information easily reaches Italians. Berlusconi controls the three biggest private television stations in Italy, and his appointees run three public ones. It has been argued that such control has meant that comedians who have satirised Berlusconi have never appeared on TV again. His links to newspapers meant that he succeeded in blocking the publication of hundreds of photos of young women at his hedonistic parties, revealed by a Spanish newspaper. Italians have taken to the streets to show anger at Berlusconi. In October 2009 almost 100,000 women signed a petition against his comments to a female politician that she “was more beautiful than intelligent”. Moreover, tens of thousands of people called for his resignation in December 2009 and the confidence vote of December 2010 was met by rioting in Rome. If this flamboyant Berlusconi, known as the “Il Cavaliere” (the knight) is not prepared to dismount from his horse, his political weakness may finally mean he soon has no choice.
four he attends teenagers’ parties and hosts his soirees with an alleged concoction of young scantily clad women and drugs. When accused of having paid for sex by multiple women, he quipped that he didn’t because that “takes away the thrill of conquest”. Currently an investigation has
Ceremonial Over the course of the June-July graduation week, the Chancellor shakes hands with over 3,500 new graduates. Pastoral Expected to show a genuine interest in the activities of students and staff, including community work and sporting activities. Ambassadorial Able to carry the Durham University banner at home and abroad. Personal qualities Will be warm, friendly and approachable - with a genuine affection for people from all walks of life.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Comment
www.palatinate.org.uk
Skydiving for charity will not help the poor From jumping out of an aeroplane to trekking through the mountains of Nepal, charitable adventures are more popular than ever. But are they really the best way of helping a for charity?
Essay
G
ood intentions can get you far. In the world of charity, there is an increasingly popular phenomenon whereby people engage in a whole host of exotic activities under the guise of charity. Anything slightly extreme, unusual or silly will secure you good sponsorship if you present it properly wrapped up in good intentions. This win-win charity with its seductions of the spectacular will have you doing anything from ‘jumping out of an aeroplane’ to trekking through the mountains of Nepal. I am not saying that people abuse the generosity of others simply to partfund a skydiving or trekking ambition; I have no doubt that there really are good intentions embedded in the business model. But it is said, I believe, that the road to hell is paved by good intentions. On the face of it, everybody does seem to win. You have fun jetting off to Sydney on a free plane ticket, three thousand pounds is being better spent on water supplies than Christmas decorations and there’s a general sense of satisfaction for all involved. Enough money makes everything seem worthwhile. But if the ultimate goal is the eradication of poverties and social injustices, is it really an effective step to achieving it? Money is not the be all and end all, even though at times it seems the only measure of success. It is a very powerful facilitator but is essentially just that, a means not an end. We certainly need money to tackle social injustice and poverty but we also need to bring about a change to the way we live. There is much debate surrounding the causes and effects of poverty, but what is overwhelmingly apparent is that by some means - as untraceable, convoluted and esoteric as they may be in the global web of media
we live in - it is the overconsumption of the rich that sustains the poverties suffered by the poor. In 2005, the wealthiest 20% of the world accounted for 76.6% of total private consumption, the poorest fifth just 1.5%. So, unless we’re going to give away nearly three quarters of everything we own, then poverty is not going to be eradicated by donations alone. Win-win gestures which siphon up people’s spare change are simply not enough. But the win-win industry around charitable activity presents a greater problem than simply not providing a complete solution. If we are not careful with how we engage in finding a solution for social justice, we can very quickly find ourselves strengthening the pathways of our society through which poverty and social injustice is maintained. The main problem with this winwin charity that gives us all a satisfied feeling and a quirky experience is just that; it leaves us all far too satisfied. This type of charity is judged only on how much money we raise; indeed, it is only justified by how much money is raised. We flaunt great sums of money as successes but disregard the costs incurred in raising it, and I do not mean financially. Sometimes we don’t even consider where the money is going to, only that it is ‘for charity’; that great homogenised blob of omnibenevolence. Don’t get me wrong, I am not proposing more bureaucracy to clog the system up, that would only be counterintuitive, but I think this lack of concern reflects a greater sense of disempowerment that this type of charity engenders. Charity becomes a transaction; the sale of our conscience becomes a service, our peace of mind a commodity to be bought. Ultimately, we are left satisfied that we have done ‘our bit’.
who are oppressed but those who oppress, even if they do so unknowingly. The stress we feel to consume, to achieve and demonstrate our position in the world PIERRICK VABRE
James Murray
It plays on a sense of a larger system that we think we can’t tackle as an individual. It plays on the overworked, overstressed nature of lives - all we can hope to do is use our surplus wealth to pay some large charity to do something on our behalf. It effectively anaesthetises people who may otherwise be more active. Living in a global society where there is prolific and systematic dehumanization does not only affect those
both nationally and individually, is taking its toll. Many feel cornered and squashed into everyday life to such an extent that they begin to believe they have no power. Such is this type of charity, increasingly ingrained in the economic system to such an extent that it has become a party to, and supportive of, aspects of society which cause the very effects that it is trying to counter. This win-win charity is a relief method only in the sense that it helps
the wealthy relieve their consciences in the most painless way possible, allowing them to carry on carelessly. It is a mechanism built into the system which perpetuates social injustice. It lulls us into a sense of inertia, and reassures us ‘that’s all we can do’. Poverty can only be eradicated if charitable acts lead to engagement and further consciousness about our lifestyles – contrary to this, this charity is a system of disengagement. Poverty will only be eradicated if we, a global middle class, can accept the responsibility of our position as global citizens and consume responsibly. We need to live our lives differently; we need to live within our means. This demands that we don’t feel satisfied at all – quite the opposite. People need to feel incensed, enamoured and empowered; we need to believe that our lifestyle choices can make a
difference, and understand that currently they are responsible. In the face of giant multi-national institutions, we have been oppressed by a feeling of helplessness, and so we revert to ‘doing what we can’. And this, contrary to being exactly what we can do and need to do (the individual moderation of our consumption), has become a pseudo-spectacular system of novelties, competitive fundraising targets and misplaced good intentions. Indignez-vous! As Stéphane Hessel demands, let’s take back our lives. When you have taken what you need, give what you can. There is no need to make a show of it, a spectacle, or receive a pay-off. Charity does not need to be self-deprecating or sacrificial; just reasoned, humble and caring.
Reforms to University applications would be very welcome CONSERVAYIVE PARTY
Joe Adams
I
f university is going to cost students three times as much, at least the government is finally making steps in the direction of ensuring the fairness of the admissions procedure. The recent announcement (in an unpublished White Paper) that students will now be able to apply to university after receiving their A-Level results is very welcome. For those who missed the story, overshadowed as it was by the news from Tunisia, Brazil and Australia, the paper will suggest that university terms begin in January and exams are taken some weeks earlier than they are now. Furthermore, this raises the possibility of the first year of a degree being shortened, a welcome cost-cutting
Michael Gove could reform ‘A’-levels
measure. After all, the point of that year is to find your feet and get used to university; why drag out the process when two terms would suffice? The most significant change will be the end of predicted grades, a staggering half of which are currently proved incorrect. Many private schools give their students a huge advantage by over-predicting their grades, with schools like my own eager to make A* predictions. Additionally, the current system punishes those who do poorly on their AS Levels. Poor results lead to poor predictions, poor predictions to a lack of offers, which hardly encourages effort at A2. Instead, the Year 12 slacker-slashparty animal can now be rewarded for pulling his proverbial socks up in his Alevels, rather than be dragged down by his teacher’s lack of confidence in him. If innovation is taking place, is it not time to end the farcical concept that is the personal statement? Certainly the moniker is incorrect: it is far from
personal, usually being subjected to the advice and rewrites of parents, teachers and friends, and it is a less of a statement than a flagrant boast. The content of a typical statement, which often revolves around why the applicant wishes to study their chosen subject, is frankly ridiculous. The simple and often true answer, that the student likes the subject, is never enough. One wonders if admissions tutors grow tired of reading a thousand variations of “I like maths”. Replacing the personal statement with an aptitude test tailored to degree programmes (especially in subjects not offered at A-level) would provide a much better indicator of ability. This announcement of earlier exams, while momentous, is hardly innovative. Most European countries, as well as the USA, apply with grades in hand. Why has the UK, a country supposedly famed for its higher education, lagged so far behind? The coalition will no doubt blame the previous
government; certainly they must be blamed for lack of legislation making declaring AS level results compulsory, rather than the current system which allows a student gaining, for example, three Cs at AS to be predicted three As for their UCAS form. Arguably it is irrelevant who to pin the blame on in this case, more important is ensuring those who deserve to gain places at their desired (and soon-to-be-horribly-overpriced) universities. Are Messrs Gove and Willetts finally getting their act together as the men in charge of our education? However, the paper will not even be published until spring, debated endlessly, and, if passed, the reforms would have to wait at least two years to avoid disruption to existing students. As per usual, the British government is happy to take its time (Crossrail, for example, was proposed in 1989- it will be supposedly completed in 2018) when there is no financial reward involved.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Comment
www.palatinate.org.uk NAMEALUS
Obama comforts a nation with speech David Wynne-Griffith
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We should confront the challenge of superpower China head on Matthew Lee
T
here are few absolute truths in world politics. Promises and pledges are subordinate either to the needs of a nation or the needs of an individual. Dishonesty is the currency with which power is bartered for and yet amongst this plethora of falsehoods there are a few truths that remain constant. The one fact that has been at the forefront of every political demagogue is China’s status as a superpower. No one can doubt China’s credentials. In a little over twenty years the middle kingdom has become the middle man on the world stage. It has become the fastest growing economy, the epicentre for technological advancement and, most importantly, a nuclear power backed up by military might. Despite the fact that China is undoubtedly a superpower, countries around the world struggle to produce a coherent policy to deal with it. Two months ago Dr Marcus Power of Durham’s Geography Department highlighted the main stumbling blocks for improved relations between the UK and China. A highly-respected authority on the subject, Dr Power encouraged a conciliatory approach in the vein of France and Germany who have both made progress towards more open trade. However, as with all rhetoric focused on improved relations with China, the subtext can be worrying. Inevitably, extending the hand of friendship will mean compromise usually in the form of turning a blind eye. Dr Power touched on the complex issues of human rights and domestic policy. For many politicians this is the keystone of their ap-
proach. In order to reap the benefits of trade, to be able to harvest the billions of dollars which China generates, they must suspend their beliefs. China is not a traditional superpower founded on free trade and democracy. It is an amalgamation of the worst bits of two systems, a mythical beast with the head of Reagan and the body of Mao. Exploitation and repression are still rife but now they have a human face.
“China is an amalgamation of the worst bits of two systems, a mythical beast with the head of Reagan and the body of Mao. Exploitation and repression are still rife” China claims that it has lifted millions out of poverty with a statecontrolled economy but the financial disparity between the urban and rural Chinese is growing. In short, GDP per capita may have increased but in the tradition of an industrial nation this money is making a small minority filthy rich at the cost of an impoverished majority. Even more chilling is China’s manipulation of a western image to herald a new age of openness and freedom. A clear example of this was the Beijing Olympics when a Panorama reporter was supposedly given access to cover China’s preparations for the Games. He was shadowed by the po-
lice, harassed by state officials and even temporarily incarcerated for refusing to hand over footage which showed forced evictions around the Olympic construction sites. More recently, Liu Xiaobo was denied the opportunity to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Even after twenty years, the Chinese government is incapable of a small acknowledgment that maybe their attitude towards human rights is not quite right. China has not made the fundamental changes that Western superpowers have been forced to make. The only thing that has changed in China is that they are churning out money faster than if George W. Bush broke into the Royal Mint. And for many politicians around the world, the emerald glow of a dollar bill is enough for them to abandon their principles in an instant. So the choice should be simple, trade, wealth and prosperity at the cost of the democracy and human rights that we all benefit from. Dr Power seems to be tipping the scales in favour of trade but here our opinions differ. It would be wrong to say this is a decision between redemption and damnation. Just like truth and lies are fickle in theworldofpolitics,soaregoodandbad. My real argument is this: a choice between trade and principles does not exist. As much as I wish these were the two options, we are beyond such a choice. Dr Power talked about colonialisation and the fact is we have already been colonised. Half of our national debt is owed to China, we rely on their manufacturing to support our servicebased economy and their favour to have views heard on the world stage. We have been in China’s pocket for a long time. So the real choice is this, do we continue meekly into subordination or do we go down fighting for the rights we have but never value? Only then will we know how to deal with China.
obody could fail to be shocked and appalled at the mindless killings that occurred in Tucson, Arizona. The shooting spree left six dead, including a nine-year old girl born on 9/11, and dozens wounded, including Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. It was a sinister massacre, the kind with which the American people have become far too familiar in recent years. However, the political fallout of the tragedy is what has captivated most commentators. Although the controversy over aggressive, hostile and loaded political rhetoric may seem to be targeted around the formation of ‘an ever perfect union’, in reality it is simply a vehicle for what Obama called “politics, point-scoring and pettiness”. Reactions to this type of incredulous violence take various forms. One of the most common forces people to seek for rationality. To unveil clarity through the misty madness, to make sense of the senseless. So, the American public divided once more along partisan lines. Sarah Palin was demonized for having ‘blood on her hands’ thanks to an aged campaign map which placed Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional seat in the cross-hairs of a gun target. Commentators clamored around the prospect that America’s political heat had lit the touch paper of Jared Loughner’s fateful firearm. In annoyance, Ms Palin managed to do what she seems to do best- annoy the Democrats. She cast the attack against her political brand as a ‘blood libel’, alienating any Jewish voters she may have had and bolstering the same metaphor for which she was being condemned. Although Ms Palin seemed to nullify the validity of the debate over aggressive political rhetoric, she stoked the fire once more. Cue Obama, for what was arguably the most important speech of his presidency. He had to capture the mood of a moment, much like Bill Clinton had done after the Oklahoma city bombings in 1994. All the pre-speech debate was over whether Obama would risk even mentioning the political rhetoric saga. Would he validate a side, or would he ignore the debate completely? The truth is that Obama revels in these types of situations. He may be no ‘bargainer-in-chief’ like Lyndon Johnson and he may not dictate the intellectual authority of a Richard Nixon, but for a man who has lost popularity in office amongst the electorate almost as fast as he gained it before entering office, he does have one saving grace. In short, he can empathise. He retains that much-vaunted presidential ability to accurately capture the public mood through oratory, to sooth their twanging heartstrings, to address their collective humanity. His words at the University of Arizona have calmed the political waters, instead of further splitting them. The speech has received acclaim from both sides of the political spectrum. At the University Medical Centre in Tucson this week, where Gabrielle Giffords still remains in intensive care, a retired US marine and Republican said, “Do I believe in all Mr Obama’s policies? No, but the President was right on the
mark. He mentioned each and every one of the souls that was slain. It was the right thing to do”. In essence, whatever Obama’s words meant politically, his speech appeared bipartisan, devoid of politics and filled with feeling. On the political rhetoric debate, he was clear. He stated that if these deaths “help usher in more civility within our pubic discourse, let us remember it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy – it did not – but because only a more civil public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation, in a way that would make them proud”. In saying this, the President not only provided some cooling common sense to the rising political heat surrounding the tragedy, but he also may have retracted his party from a position into which they were foolish to get themselves into in the first instance. They were attempting to extract enough momentum out of the tragedy to land an electoral blow against the Republicans. Obama had the political foresight and emotional intelligence to see this. Whatever happens to Obama’s presidency over the coming year, whether he becomes a lame-duck waiting for electoral extermination, or whether we see an unexpected resurgence in his vacillating popularity, one thing is certain. At this critical moment, Obama’s politics were sanguine, his delivery eloquent and his words brilliantly conciliatory.
STEVE RHODES
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Durham News Comment
www.palatinate.org.uk
Are students necessary victims of the troubled economy?
As the Coalition’s spending cuts start to bite, students continue to bemoan the outcome of the Browne Report JUDYBOO
Reuben Kirkham YES
NO
F
ew people could have missed the recent student protests. Tory HQ was, perhaps tastefully, redecorated. Prince Charles and Camilla were set upon by an angry mob. The catalyst for these protests was the Coalition’s decision to allow universities to charge up to £9,000 a year and the cuts in the government subsidy of higher education. The cuts being made by the Coalition extend across the board – only the NHS and the Department for International Development are exempt. Yet the rest of the cuts have attracted very little in the way of protest. Is this because they are unlikely to have a similar level of impact? Or is it simply because the Higher Education sector is more vocal? How about the cuts to our schools? On average, schools get just over £5,000 per pupil per year – substantially less than what universities receive for their students. The Coalition intend to remove 25% of the schools budget – which means that there will be fewer teachers, larger class sizes and, ultimately, a poorer education provided to students. A substantial number of students leave the education system unable to read and write effectively. A large portion of students leave without C grades or above in their English and Maths GCSEs. The effect of further diminishing the opportunities of many young people will be costly for wider society. Financially, these people will pay less tax and contribute less to society – some will be forced to become dependent upon the state instead – and we also must not forget the human cost. The cuts in education are likely to be compounded by the fact that the Coalition is also disproportionately targeting the poorer areas of the country. For instance, Manchester is expected to reduce its number of employees by nearly 20% - directly this represents a cut in nearly every service that the council provides, be it leisure centres and libraries or social housing and social services. The cuts to the public sector will of course mean a significant loss of jobs. Crime will most likely rise as a consequence of disenfranchising more people from society, together of course with the cuts being made to policing, also at 25%. In fact, the cuts are so deep and damaging that the Institute of Fiscal Studies predicts that by 2014, one million more people will be in poverty compared to now. The Coalition is also targeting disabled people. As things stand disabled people often get a raw deal. There are plans afoot to slash the mobility and care payments disabled people receive, in effect restricting their liberty – in many cases this will mean that disabled people are confined to their homes. Disabled people, some of whom are very vulnerable, are going to have their liberties restricted even more than they are now. By contrast, no one is going to be directly harmed by the cuts being made to higher education. Indeed, the two main claims made by protestors, that access will be harmed and that the education provided by the university sector will be harmed, are both non-sequiturs. The “debts” incurred by students, unless they earn over £21,000 a year, might as well be Monopoly money. Even af-
Alexandra Bottomer
I
Student protests have often hit the news in recent weeks, but how justified is the complaint?
ter that, they pay back a proportion of their salary over this threshold – indeed for most people it will act as a tax which they pay until they have repaid the cost of their education. Equally, whilst widening participation is very important, the damage is not going to be caused by the £9,000 fees, but the cuts being made to EMA, schooling and to the working classes in general.
“No one is going to be directly harmed by the cuts being made to higher education” Indeed, it is unlikely that many universities will be able to charge £9,000 tuition fees without substantially improving the education that they provide. Taking Durham as an example, there are already many complaints about the lack of contact time received by students. The Mathematics department for many modules only entitles its students to lectures – so no interaction
between student and teacher. Similar complaints have been made elsewhere: Bristol history students lament being provided largely just “library access and a reading list” and Manchester also saw substantial student complaints. Whilst there are services provided, the truth of the matter is that our universities are massively inefficient when it comes to educating students. The reason for this lies in how they are ran. Most decisions are made by academics, who get to vote upon how much tuition they would like to provide and how they would like to provide it. A lot of expenditure in universities is also very wasteful – Durham,for instance, spent £450,000 on a “web refresh”, and another £500,000 on employment tribunals. Nearly everyone agrees that there must be cuts up to a certain point. As things stand, everyone, rich and poor, will pay some price as a result of these cuts – though, naturally, the poor will collect most of the misery. Given the damage that the rest of the cuts will inflict on ordinary people, it is far better for society if most of these other cuts were to be reversed, before we consider reversing the cuts to higher education. Indeed, the changes in higher education are comparatively well thought-out.
t is easy to judge students as idle, binge-drinking scum who flounce around university studying a subject which probably has no bearing on how well they can do a job. Students are seen as sofa-surfing, Countdownwatching, late-to-bed-late-to-rise, taxdodging ingrates. After three years, they swan off into a highly-paid job from where they can look down superciliously on the rest of society. The flames of this disgust are inevitably fanned by articles in the national media describing, “Mickey Mouse degrees” in subjects such as “Applied Golf Management Studies”, available from the University of Birmingham. Degrees were described as a circus, and then someone discovered that the University of Kent offers a degree in Circus Studies. Durham hasn’t been spared either. Upon announcing that there would be a new optional module in the BA Education Studies called “Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion”, the “Harry Potter Degree” was ridiculed. Nick Seaton, Chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, was quoted in the national press saying, “It does not merit a course at one of the country’s top universities”. Even supposedly “safe” academic subjects are being lambasted. The website toptenz.net describes Philosophy as “a fun-time four years, open to stoners, egocentrics and those that love the sound of their own voice, who will finish the course even more confused at what they want to do in life and probably end up working in a convenience store”. As a student of English Literature, I am perpetually defending my choice of subject. Most often, I am under attack from science students who laugh at my woefully low number of contact hours, and who seem to believe that only those students who are actually researching a cure for cancer are doing a “proper degree”. So, why, with all of the above in mind, am I arguing that students are not necessary victims of the harsh economic times? The answer is simple. Education is essential, and, education should be universal. I am not saying that everyone should go to university, far from it. There are many hundreds of brilliant careers which do not require a university degree. An air traffic controller may earn more than £80,000 a year without the need for a degree. And, above all else, you cannot put a price on job satisfaction. There are many jobs which are not highly paid at all, and yet, can be fulfilling for both the individual and the wider community. Instead, I argue, that everyone should have the right, and by extension, the means to go to university if they want to. This is the very right which is being eroded by the education cuts. The Education Maintenance Allowance is a lifeline for many who attend colleges across the country. The sum, which may total £30 a week, can provide money for books, transport costs, field trips, or any other equipment which could assist a youngster to stay in education. Without a doubt, the EMA is open to abuse. Tighten the system and cut
the waste certainly, but preserve the grants for those who really need them, in order to give them a better opportunity in life. The NUS is campaigning to prevent fees in Further Education; a branch of the education system often referred to as “adult learning”. There are also cuts planned for ESOL, or to give it its full title of English for Speakers of Other Languages, is essential for many people living in Britain for whom English is not their first language. And then, we come to university tuition fees. As an arts student, I am disgusted by the cuts to arts funding and, were I in a position where tuition fees were £9,000 a year, I would resent paying up to £130 a lecture. What on earth is such a monumental amount of cash funding? The government assures us that if
“It is from middleincome families that future doctors, lawyers, teachers and scientists will be lost.” fees were increased, poorer students would continue to be supported, although it is unknown whether it will affect the number of applications from less fortunate backgrounds. Similarly, students from affluent families will be able to afford the tuition fee hike, regardless of how expensive university became. The real crisis becomes apparent in students from families with average incomes. They do not qualify for means-tested assistance, whilst not being well-off enough to ride out the storm regardless of cost. It is from these middle-income families that future doctors, lawyers, teachers and scientists will be lost. “Aha!” cry the sceptics, “But it is not the families that are paying, but the students themselves, they can still get loans to help them, which they pay back only when they are earning a reasonable amount of money. It will teach them to appreciate their education”. This is inescapably true, to a point. With increases in inflation severely impacting on the cost of living, the average age of a first-time buyer of a home is 31, and the average deposit on a house is more than £30,000. Add to this £40,000 of university debt, the prospect of recession-related unemployment and pay freezes, pay cuts and redundancies, and the picture for graduates seems a lot less rosy. Intrepid graduates will move abroad resulting in a so-called “brain-drain”, which in time will affect the economy as businesses see the UK as a decreasingly attractive place to operate and be successful. Students should pay for their education. They should not, however, be treated as cash cows to be plundered and pillaged. Good graduates are an essential part of the economy and society. By all means, hone the system and cut the waste, but don’t punish those with a genuine desire to learn, or else the country will become an intellectual wasteland, available only to the rich and privileged.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Durham News News Durham
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Sport
Aussies prove unequal to unstoppable England
The contrast could hardly have been starker: four years ago, having just hit a towering six over midwicket, Australia’s new-ball bully Matthew Hayden punched one into the covers to complete the most emphatic of Ashes wins. The Australian team lapped up the adoration poured on them from a packed SCG, whilst the English roamed around, looking like outsiders at their own party. Fast forward to 2011, and it was the England team partaking in the lap of honour in front of a not even half full stadium; despite the lure of free entry, the Australian public clearly had no intention of honouring a team that had routed their boys so comprehensively. However the Barmy Army, numbering over 17,000, were in full flow. Shane Watson earlier in the series bemoaned the support (and noise) they gave the England team; the Australians could be forgiven at times in thinking they were playing an away match. In fairness, the Aussies haven’t given the public much reason to turn up and shout. A resounding win at Perth aside, they were outplayed in all of the other test matches. A series that was billed as too close to call in November soon turned out to be a tale of two sides: an average Australia and an outstanding England. The Aussies did have some notable performers – Michael Hussey held the batting together during the first three tests, and Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris provided pace and energy in an otherwise lacklustre attack. However, for each of these men there were a number
of passengers. Ricky Ponting looked like a man overwhelmed and Mitchell Johnson, aside from his wonderful display at Perth, was unable to provide the consistency his team so badly needed. However, don’t be fooled by the Australian media: the series result was more an England victory than an Australian loss. Led by the unstoppable Cook, the batsmen piled on runs, amassing four scores over 500. Special mention must be given to Cook not only for the sheer volume of runs, but the way he responded after a barren English summer, where only an Oval ton saved him from the selectors’ axe. The batting was superb, but the games were ultimately won by a bowling attack that completely outperformed their Australian counterparts. When conditions were not as helpful as Melbourne, they won wickets by strangling the Aussie batsmen. For a man who on the last tour was sure to dish up a four-ball an over, James Anderson was notable for not only his mastery over swing and seam, but ability to bowl maiden after maiden. Modest by nature, Anderson was quick to praise his fellow bowlers, but he’ll know that he was the key to England’s success. So much has been said about the performances of the players, that we mustn’t forget a man ever conspicuous in his absence from the victory celebrations. Andy Flower must surely have sat back and reflected on a job well done. Having inherited a team in disarray not even two years ago, he has overseen home and away Ashes victories, as well as notable performances in South Africa and the World T20. Together with Andrew Strauss, he has instilled steel
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David Hynes
Almost without exception Australia’s batsmen had a something of a torrid time over the festive period into this England side that hasn’t been it being hailed from all corners, such a tic game to produce cricketers good present since the famous 2005 victory. move is welcome and should be recog- enough to challenge the best. Instead, Credit also must also be given to the nised. now the Australians must return to the Australian administrators, who strived This Ashes victory is not just a vic- drawing board to decide how best to to created better cricket wickets. By tory for the team, but for English crick- turn around their fortunes. leaving more grass on the pitches at et as a whole. Four years ago, people The English meanwhile can sleep Melbourne and Sydney and creating a called for wholesale change. Nothing sound in the knowledge the Ashes are particularly spicy wicket at Perth, the was saved from an angry public: Kol- coming home - and could be staying for Australians helped ensure results would paks, counties, and competitions all the forseeable future. be had, even if they didn’t go their way. came under threat. Yet the result shows At a time when the death of test cricket the continuing ability of the domes-
Student life put on hold as Ashes fever strikes FLICKR ID: PJ_IN_OZ
Eyes glued to the game: there was no missing the winter’s main event Tom Clarke
It has been a tough winter for students. First they shoot fees sky high making every hour of contact for us BA students worth (probably) at least £100, then they put the Ashes series slap bang through the business end of Michael-
mas term. Any hope of attending those 4 hours of lectures a week is bleaker than the mid-winter itself. Mentally, we are down under; physically, we can’t cope. Ashes fever has been sprinkling across Durham. The results will be released late June as to whether we have
survived. The symptoms are bizarre. Men are driven to commit that most serious of faux pas - not even Ashes banter can justify engaging in conversation at the urinals. And rather than a ‘pull at any cost’ attiude, staying single and mobile is imperative for a rapid get away to
catch those all important early morning overs. In fact, staying away from the alcohol all together is vital to the success of an Ashes party. Lessons were learnt the hard way on the first day of the first test. My drunken euphoria lasted about as long as a Ricky Ponting innings. Counting down days until your dissertation hand in date is not best done sober, but it’s a sacrifice worth making to witness records tumble like Aussie wickets. I’ve lost count of the number of times a record was broken for, example, ‘the 6th wicket partnership on a 3rd day of an Ashes test match for England in Adelaide’, but every one was priceless. Only the bitterest Aussie will sledge Collingwood for his meagre contribution with the bat this series. He is a great example of where we will only know what we had once he has gone. Nevertheless, the future looks bright for England. Steven Finn will feel hard done by to miss out on the last two tests, Stuart Broad will relegate Tim Bresnan to a very good reserve and Eoin Morgan will be more than a match for Colly’s efforts at the crease and even in the field. Judging by England’s latest fielding
efforts, Colly’s absence in this department will barely be noticed - a legacy he can be proud of leaving. But in the end, it is for the big record that this series will be remembered. But for a few ‘6th year mavericks’ we were not alive the last time England won in Australia, and most of the last 24 years of Ashes wilderness in the Aussie bush will have been inconsequential to us - “Go to bed! You can watch the highlights (or lowlights) tomorrow” - but the sense of history is very palpable. Watching the normally long faced Boycott, Nasser and Botham grinning like kids in a sweet shop is enough to get us equally giddy at 4am. As academics we are able to use a few more adjectives than KP (“everything is just amazing”), even though outstanding, superlative and unrivaled can’t quite sum up this England squad as well as they deserve. The series will not reverberate around the globe in the way 2005’s did, mainly because Australia’s efforts had all the heart of sticking a large white flag out of their window most mornings. And for that may we gloat for two and a half glorious years. If Geoffrey Boycott can, it’s about time Andrew Flower afforded himself a smile.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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News Durham Sport: Cycling
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Durham cycling: new sponsors on eve of BUCS race Alex Clayton
Richard Abraham
Breaking free of the clichéd corporate sponsorship deals that populate so many Durham kits, the cycling club have signed a multi-year agreement with AURA Cycles to form Durham University - AURA Cycles. Alongside AURA Cycles, the club jersey will also feature Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research in memory of Tom Chantry (1988-2009). AURA Cycles, directed by alumni Paul Hoban who graduated with an Engineering Degree in 2001, specialise in bespoke Italian frames, using titanium, carbon fibre and steel. Regarding the deal Paul said: ‘Durham is well known for its sporting success in Rugby, Cricket and Rowing. The cycling club has come a long way in the 10 years since I was a member and is on track to compete at a similarly high level in the coming years. AURA Cycles aims to help in this development.’ As well matching the monetary value of the club’s previous sponsorship deal, club members will have discounted options on AURA custom builds. Alex Clayton, cycling club jointpresident, noted: ‘Paul was the vicepresident of the club whilst at Durham so is very aware of the dynamics of the club. His only expectation is that we enjoy our riding whilst representing AURA which fits well with the club ethic. Quentin (Sloper) appreciates that we tend to bring home quite a few BUCS points along the way and have a strong performance squad, but that’s not the sole focus of the club. Perhaps that’s why so many people defect to us from DUBC!’
ith Victoria Pendleton appearing on TV, and a grinning Sir Chris Hoy plastered up and down the supermarket cereal aisle, evidence is growing that the last few years have seen the sport of cycling begin to enter the nation’s popular consciousness. Yet, even as ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Wiggins’ become household names, one would struggle to find someone in the UK who has come across the discipline of cyclocross, or CX for short. It’s a shame that this form of racing, characterised by riders caked in mud slipping, sliding and crawling their way around a course surrounded by screaming spectators, is yet to really take off in the UK. Cyclocross combines lightweight bikes with racing across fields, steep banks, steps, tight hairpins and any other obstacle that the race committee decides to throw at them. Unlike watching many road races, where riders zoom past at 30mph and then are gone within 15 seconds, cyclocross riders race laps for one hour around a course of around a mile in length. Typically, strong riders will cope admirably with the technical obstacles which often require them to dismount and remount efficiently. However, challenging the riders is the duty of the race organisers, and a wise ‘cross racer will expect to have their fair share of crashes during the course of the hour. Far from being a specialist sport, cyclocross attracts all sorts of riders with its demands of immense endurance and considerable technical skill. Immensely popular in Belgium and The
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Netherlands, some of the best riders you will see in the Tour de France today began their careers on the CX course. Much more familiar to readers of Palatinate will be BUCS. Top athletes from the universities around the country will descend on Durham for the BUCS cyclocross on Sunday 30th January to compete for the title of BUCS CX Champion. Given the performances at recent BUCS cycling events, these athletes will represent some of the most talented young riders in the UK and will no doubt provide a very high standard of racing. In conjunction with the BUCS event, the penultimate round of the local cyclocross league, Cyclocross North East, will run on the same day and course. Racing starts with the juniors at 10:30am and culminates with the BUCS Championships at 2:30pm. The course winds its way around the Racecourse pitches, with the cricket pavilion at its centre, giving plenty of space for spectators. Durham’s sportsmen and women will be familiar with the steep bank that cuts across the playing fields. Rest assured that this will feature strongly in the course! Hosting this event is a huge step forward for the Cycling Club, Team Durham, the University, and for Durham as a city. It is the first event the club has ever organised, the first cycle race the University has hosted, and the first cyclocross race to come to the city. Being completely free, it is open to everyone – students and local residents alike. It is a terrific opportunity not only to bring the people of Durham together, but to do so whilst building on the successful running of the Tour of Britain and Halfords Tour Series in the city.
All whilst raising the understanding of cycling and showcasing the talent that the UK is home to. Hot drinks and food will be on sale, so there is no reason not to come down to The Racecourse to enjoy some top notch sporting entertainment. Why
not come and show your support for the club and the riders competing, especially those from Durham! More information, including a course map and schedule are available from the Cycling Club website, www. dur.ac.uk/cycling.club. See you there!
Sunday 30th January - The Racecourse Racing starts 10:30am BUCS race 2:30pm
Legend’s reputation at stake as pressure mounts One of the stories which slipped under the sporting headlines in the last week was the retirement of Lance Armstrong from professional cycling. Armstrong is one of the few examples of an athlete who truly transcends his sport, comparable to stars such as Michal Jordan and Tiger Woods. He has dined with Presidents, dated pop stars, and raised millions for charity. This was all in between dominating sport’s most gruelling event; the Tour de France. He won the event for seven straight years, a feat never before achieved and unlikely to be repeated. His success was all the more astonishing given that he had been diagnosed with advanced brain, lung and testicular cancer in 1996. This miraculous journey from despair to triumph was one of sporting legend. However, over the last few years, Armstrong’s credibility has come under intense scrutiny, which perhaps explains why his retirement has garnered so little media attention. A number of former teammates and colleagues have recently alleged that his comeback story wasn’t quite the miracle it has been portrayed as. His former coach, Dr. Michele Ferrari, has admitted to supplying athletes with banned substances, despite Armstrong’s defence of his practices. Last year Floyd Landis, a former teammate, claimed that Armstrong had encouraged him to use blood transfu-
sions and testosterone in order to ‘prepare’ for the 2002 Tour de France. Perhaps his most serious accusation was that Armstrong had failed a test in 2001 for the blood- thickening drug EPO. Landis claims that Armstrong then ‘donated’ $100,000 to the UCI (the sport’s governing body), in order to prevent the result from being made public. Throughout his career, Armstrong has gone to extreme lengths to maintain his image as a genuine, honest athlete. He has surrounded himself with an imposing legal team who up until now have done an effective job of batting away the journalists and former associates who have questioned his ethics. However, the last six months have seen a number of specific and damaging accusations against Armstrong, and yet little legal action has been taken to refute these claims. His critics are growing in number and confidence, and the allegations are becoming more specific and damaging. Armstrong has consistently denied ever having cheated. His oft-repeated claim is that he has never (publicly) failed a test. Unfortunately this is a defence that is difficult to maintain. Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones has never failed a test, but she has admitted to being doped for years. Professional cycling is a punishing business, and the demands placed on the riders’ bodies are savage. The sport has a long history of substance abuse, and its sinister practices have claimed the lives of numerous young athletes. One of the most famous victims of cy-
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Andrew Clarke
Lance Armstrong: one of the world’s most inspiring sports figures cling’s doping culture was British cyclist sludge through abuse of EPO, the new Tom Simpson, who collapsed and died wonder drug that could transform alsoon the slopes of Mont Ventoux during rans into thoroughbreds. the 1967 Tour de France. The 1990’s The Armstrong era appeared to saw the deaths of dozens of apparently bring a new time of honesty and opsuper fit young athletes from strokes timism, not just for cycling but for all and heart attacks. sports. Instead, Armstrong’s career, Their bodies could simply not cope whether artificially aided or not, has cowith blood that had turned to a thick incided with a period in which doping
techniques have become increasingly sophisticated. The testers struggle to keep up with the doctors who fill their clients with life threatening chemicals in order to find the edge over the competition. And it is not just cycling that is suffering. A 2006 raid on a Madrid laboratory found bags of blood and vials of EPO destined for athletes across a number of sports, including football and tennis. The financial incentives on offer to young athletes are immense. Armstrong is a shining example of the rewards a successful career can bring. However, role models are required who will speak out against doping, even if it means becoming a pariah amongst their colleagues. People like Filippo Simeoni, a reformed doper, who has criticised the UCI and team managers for not doing enough to discourage young riders from making bad choices. Simeoni was subsequently bullied out of the sport by fellow riders, Armstrong among them. The Armstrong story has inspired millions around the world. However, he now faces a federal investigation and a possible prison sentence. His reputation will be permanently tarnished if the allegations made against him are found to be true. The blow to professional cycling would be catastrophic. Dr. Ferrari unwittingly summed up the sad state of modern professional sport when he advised a reporter: “do not believe in fairytales.” It looks like the Armstrong fairytale is finally coming to an end.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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DurhamSport News Durham
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Meet the Divas: presenting Durham’s cheerleaders TEAM DURHAM
Lulu Trask
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tatistically, the Durham Divas cheerleaders are one of Team Durham’s most successful sports clubs, yet many university members are unaware of both the existence and success of a squad that travels across the UK to represent their university. Since 2007, the club, already regional champions, has won four national championships, and in the world of university-level cheerleading are recognised as consistently successful competitors. As one of the university’s youngest sports clubs, formed just six years ago in 2005, the Durham Divas have upped
The girls are one of Durham’s most highly-decorated sports teams their game each year, and last year The Durham Divas are made up of ceased to come away from any regional two squads, Junior Varsity (JV) and or national competition with less then Varsity. JV are non-competitive, supsecond place in all three cheer divisions porting university spots clubs at games, entered. in particular the Durham Saints AmeriPuzzled? Thought the Durham Di- can football team, and the Durham vas stood at sidelines and waved pom Wildcats basketball team. poms? Understandably so, as this is the They cheer and stunt at the sidelines, general perception of cheerleading as and perform quarter-time and halfit is portrayed in the media, yet it is, in time routines. JV members also comfact, a highly dangerous sport (The Na- bine with Varsity members to become tional Center for Catastrophic Sports part of the Divas competitive dance Injury Research [USA] has recorded team. that 66% of catastrophic injuries in Varsity are the competitive squad, young women are caused by cheerlead- which involves entering selected stunt ing accidents) and is becoming increas- groups into stunting competitions as ingly popular in the UK, with almost well as the full 25 member co-ed Varall universities having a representative sity squad into regional and national squad. cheerleading competitions, in which
they perform an explosive routine consisting of stunts, jumps, tumbles, dance and pyramids, and, best of all, bring home the silverware! The Durham Divas pride themselves on their friendliness and approachability. “Being a cheerleader holds the unfortunate stereotype of bitchiness and self-obsession, and this stereotype is something that the Divas wholeheartedly disagree with, and are working hard to change,” says Dayna Platts, Vice-Captain. The Divas spend their time teaching cheerleading to young children in schools in Durham, as well as helping two Durham University colleges set up their own cheerleading squads this year. The Divas with full coaching qualifications hold workshops for the college squads, and each year the Divas host and organise the College Cheerleading Competition complete with National cheerleading judges (Van Mildert were crowned the December 2010 champions), allowing the college squads to compete, as well as helping to raise the profile of cheerleading across the university. Being part of the Durham Divas costs its cheerleaders approximately £500 each per year, and with no university funding this comes out of the cheerleaders’ pockets. The Divas hold many fundraising events throughout the academic year, but lack of money and profile means these events are limited in their size, and thus limits the funds raised. The hard work of the Divas does result in successful fundraisers, however it is not always enough and unfortunately
Team Durham update: Tennis Peter Vickers
Durham University Tennis Club is only going one way. This season has been a huge success at almost every level and Ladies Coach, Lucy Scott is very happy about it, “After one term, we’re sitting exactly where we wanted to be sitting: top of the Premier. We lost away to Loughborough but beat them at home so now we’re joint top with them” Scott says with a smile, “Beating them is definitely my highlight of the season so far, but we’ve got to make sure we keep our rubbers up to stay ahead and get the better seeding for the knock-outs”. Ladies Tennis at Durham boasts a wealth of coaching talent with Scott being part of a trident of coaches including Sally Pearson and Iva Saric. “We have the biggest University Tennis club in Britain with 4 men’s and 4 women’s teams” explains Scott, “And then we have Beginner and Development squads to oversee, too”. Pearson is keen for it to continue to
develop and improve, she explains “We want the Tennis programme here to be one of the top ones in the country”. Injuries have been a blight of the 1st team all season but the wins have continued to come, with Saric and Pearson both playing through the pain barrier and 2nd team players filling the gaps when required. Unfortunately the 2nd’s have been the ones to suffer from the injury crisis, “The 2nd’s aren’t completely safe; they’re fifth at the moment and could end up in the relegation play-off but with a full compliment of players they should stay up, despite the strength of their league” says Scott. Things are looking strong in the 3rd and 4th teams, “The 3rd’s are joint second and have a game in hand, they started really well and then had a few tough matches against the Sheffield Universities but they’re still doing well. The 4th team are top but they’ve only had two matches due to the snow” explains Pearson. With one successful term under their belt, Scott and Pearson are keen to do even better next term, “The goal is to win everything!” says Pearson, “And to beat London Met because they beat us last year in the final” adds Scott, “I think the 2nd’s can stay up and it would be great if the 3rd team got promoted. It would be good to have two teams in the 1st division.” Along with Anna Oswald and Rosie Jackson, Durham’s player coaches will head down to London to compete in the BUCS individual’s tournament in April where success is a real possibility for Durham in the Singles but also in the Doubles with Scott and Pearson looking to defend
their crown from last year. Men’s Coach Richard Wire is pulling the strings behind the scenes of Durham’s Tennis Club and things appear to be going superbly on court, “We’ve started the season unbelievably well with all our teams unbeaten in the league, which I don’t think has been done before at Durham” he says “We’re top of all our leagues, which is great but we’ve got to look forward to next year when all of our matches will be tougher”. Wire has brought a degree of professionalism to the club that is working well, “Everyone’s responded really well to the program, all the guys are working hard and enjoying it. When they come to training, they really get on with it and bring a high level of intensity.” Ross Adams, Club Captain of Durham Tennis is equally happy about the achievement of the first term, “We have a new 4th team this year and the coaching structure we now have means that players of all teams are training with each other so everyone’s learning from one another. When you get to hit with a player as good as Rich (Wire), it’s just a great learning experience” he explains. Wire believes one of the reasons for their success has been the consistency of the play, particularly in the doubles, “Doubles is now worth the same points as singles so it’s even more important. In the past it’s been a lot more fluid here but this year we are really trying to develop confidence playing with one person”. Durham appear to be swallowing up any opposition that cross their path with numerous players on impressive
individual runs. “Players are really stepping up and seizing their chances in matches, like Rich Hartland and Harrison Probert who are both undefeated in the 3rd team” says Adams. Wire continues “Myself and James Wilson are both undefeated in the 1st team and Ross (Adams) has won every singles game in the 2nd’s. We’ve even had a couple of the lads from the 2nd’s step up to the 1st’s and win some matches like Alistair Owers-Bradley and Ben James, which is a great sign for next year as they’re likely to be promoted into that league”. It looks as though Durham could perform a clean sweep of the leagues this season and Wire and Adams are keen to ensure that the dream becomes a reality, “The 1st’s have the league pretty much sewn up and if the 2nd’s can beat Leeds Met at home then they’re the favourites for their league.” says Wire. “The 3rd’s need to watch out against Newcastle 1st’s and Leeds 2nd’s but they could definitely win it. The 2nd’s and 3rd’s will both have their eyes on the cup too, which would be great to win”. The individuals trophy is looming and Durham will have 11 male representatives hunting for success with Wire sure to be seeded at no.1 and Maxime Adam and James Hibberd both on the hunt for upsets in the singles and doubles. “We really want to stamp our authority on University Tennis this year and a promotion for our 1st’s into the Premier league, promotions elsewhere and some individual successes will definitely get us noticed!” concludes Adams.
this year three members have already had to drop out due to extreme costs. Despite this, the Divas are remaining positive and are convinced this will be their most successful year yet. A new uniform design, a longer and tougher training schedule, and the introduction of an All-Star coach has given them the tools to take themselves to the next level. This year the Divas are hoping not only to have yet another successful competitive year, but to become known by members of the university as their cheerleaders. Every squad member is proud to be at Durham, proud to wear the stash that says so, and feels privileged to be part of a club that dedicates its time to both representing the university and supporting its other clubs, as well as the local community. Whether you already knew a little bit about the Durham Divas, and now know a lot, or had no idea that Durham even had had a cheerleading squad, and now you do, keep an eye out for your four-times national champions. With two more trips to nationals this term, the Durham Divas could not only be one of the most successful Team Durham clubs, but one of the most successful university-level cheerleading squads across the UK. They’re all incredibly excited for this term and are really hoping that the university will support them in their trips to nationals. Keep an eye out for their fundraising events, and come at watch them perform at various events throughout the year. After all, they’re Divas by name, not by nature! Any words from the Durham Divas as a group? “Watch this space!”
Durham alumni in mid-Atlantic challenge John Burn-Murdoch
Currently somewhere in the midAtlantic, the Hallin Marine and it’s intrepid crew - Team Hallin - are on a quest to break the cross-Atlantic rowing record. Among the six hardy competitors are David Hosking, Chris Covey, Naomi Hoogesteger and Paddy Thomas, all former Durham students. With the current record standing at 33 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes, Team Hallin are looking to stamp their own mark on Atlantic rowing and break the 30 day barrier. Setting off from Tenerife on January 6th, the group are looking to cover 3000 miles as they make their way to their destination in Barbados. Splitting the work between them, three of the group will row at a time, alternating every two hours throughout the whole day. Only able to catch brief snatches of sleep, rest will be at a premium. No doubt the group will be hopeful that adverse weather conditions do not add to the mental stresses likely to be experienced. Team Hallin have chosen Combat Stress as their charity, and are looking to raise £60,000 through their efforts. For us onshore, all that remains is to wait and see whether the Hallin Marine makes landfall by the target date of February 3rd!
PALATINATE | Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Rugby boys make perfect start to the new year Durham
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Nottingham
7
Peter Vickers
from 30 metres. Durham then killed the tie off by securing three tries in the final 10 minutes of the 1st half. First a trademark driving maul from a Durham line-out was pushed the best part of 20 metres for second row Beaumont to cap a fine display with the try. Then winger Sam Rupar continued his excellent season with a brace of counter- attacking tries that both stemmed from Durham’s ever-impres-
sive forwards winning balls from the scrum and then open-play. Rupar’s jinking runs left him with open ground to tear up as he took Durham into half time at 30-0. Durham played like a team on top of the league: demonstrating a strong attacking instinct. Not once did they kick for the posts, always opting to scrum or kicking for touch: a clear statement of their confidence in their finishing ability. JOHN BURN-MURDOCH
V
isitors Nottingham were abruptly awoken from the mid-season hibernation of the Christmas break as Durham dealt them a brutal 56-7 defeat. Unbeaten at the top of the Northern Premier, coach Alex Keaye likened his team’s situation to that of Manchester United saying: “Teams want nothing more than to beat us, so they will raise their game. We have to be prepared for that every week”. If anyone had been worried about the unwelcome Christmas break disrupting Durham’s run of form, their anxiousness would have been settled as early as the 2nd minute when no.8 Joe Allen picked up from the base of the scrum and attacked on the blind side where strong Durham runs and offloads found skipper Rob Malaney free to go over in the corner for Durham first score of the afternoon. Durham were quickly back into the groove of last terms success with the forwards piling on the pressure, winning penalties and gaining metres at every phase with superb rucking and brave carries at close quarters. Durham crept forward and eventually won a scrum 10 metres from the Nottingham line. Another pick-up form Allen who again combined with Andrew McCulla to this time set free
Durham’s veteran back, Tom O’Toole who went over in the left corner. It didn’t take long for Durham to stretch their lead further, as possession was stolen from an isolated Nottingham attacker by hooker Fred Stonell. McCulla lead the counter-attack finding Centre Tom Dugarin with a misspass who then offloaded back inside to O’Toole whose cheeky back-handed pass completely confused the defence leaving McCulla to scamper home
Durham’s pack dominated proceedings as the hosts eased to a comfortable victory over Nottingham
This week saw more of the powerful forward play that we come to expect from our boys but also a sharper counter-attacking movement. Keaye’s decision to move long- standing winger O’Toole to full-back proved a successful one as he often lead the counter attack with pace and ingenuity. The second half was a different tale as Nottingham managed to obtain more possession and string some phases together. However, aside from one solo effort by Nottingham’s scrum half, which resulted in a well-taken try, Durham’s defence remained resolute. The difference came in Durham’s attacking play as they struggled to secure the dominance of the first half. Perhaps the motivational fore had burned out in the bellies of the players or maybe Nottingham upped their game or Durham’s growing injury list caught up with them but Durham let a number of chances slip. Shiel was honest about the display: “We’re not being as clinical as we can be and we are disappointed not to have scored more points”, showing the high standards that the players have come to expect of themselves. Their view appears to be shared by Keaye who was visibly not happy on the touchline despite their biggest win of the season. A couple of clever substitutions returned the urgency to the Durham team and the fresh legs pushed Durham past the 50 mark for the first time this season. A penalty try secured by more great work in the maul from the pack was followed by Johnny Mills breaking 70 metres to score a great solo effort and the match was then wrapped up convincingly by fellow substitute David Hague bustling his way to two late tries, destructively knocking over any opposition that stood in his way.
Palatinates defeated despite brave fightback Durham
3
Loughborough
4
To begin their second half of the season, Durham University’s X1 hoped to secure their second place in the B.U.C.S league with a home victory against rivals Loughborough. The game set off to a fast start, with both sides playing with determination, developing momentum and allowing little room for the opposition to continuously retain the ball. It was Loughborough however, who took the early advantage, converting their first penalty corner of the game with an unstoppable strike from the top of the circle on 5 minutes. The away side gave no chance for the shaken Durham players to re-gain their composure, and just one minute later, Loughborough fired the ball into the back of the net once again, to bring the score to 2-0. Nevertheless, Durham appeared undeterred, beginning to retain much of the possession and showcasing some strong pressing to pin Loughborough into their half of the pitch. However, Durham were unable to capitalize on their chances, narrowly
Durham’s defence did well to absorb much of the pressure, but a penalty corner awarded at 20 minutes allowed Loughborough to re-establish their lead, with another fantastic strike into the bottom corner of the Durham goal from the top of the circle. After a ten minute spell of end to end play, Libby
Sherriff was able to replicate the performance of the opposition, with her own fantastic strike off a penalty corner to take her second goal of the game, and bring the score to 4-3. With Durham narrowly putting the ball wide of the Loughborough goal in the final minute of the game, the final
whistle blew with the score at 4-3. Having left themselves with an insurmountable challenge after going 3-0 down within the first quarter, Durham will be disappointed with their performance and need to rectify many aspects of their game in preparation for their next fixture against Manchester. JOHN BURN-MURDOCH
Louisa Boddy
missing the target on numerous occasions, whilst Loughborough on the other hand proved ruthless, breaking through the Durham Midfield and clinically driving the ball into the back of the net to take a convincing 3-0 lead. A disgruntled Durham had left themselves with a mountain to climb, and despite displaying some promising spells of play, failed to convert two crucial penalty corner opportunities. Durham’s first half efforts remained unrewarded until the final ten minutes, when some quick passing in front of goal allowed Cherry Seaborn to tap the ball in on the far post to get a frustrated Durham on the scoreboard. Both teams found equal footing during the final stages of the half, with neither team able to successfully challenge the oppositions defence. A Durham penalty corner on the stroke of half time failed to see the ball hit the back of the net, and the two sides entered half time with the score at 3-1. Some much needed encouragement during the half-time break seemed to revive Durham’s campaign, and a fantastic break on just 7 minutes gave Captain Libby Sherriff enough room to power the ball past a helpless Loughborough keeper, narrowing the score line to 3-2. However, Durham were unable to continue their form, and Loughborough began to take hold of the game, retaining the ball well within their own half and only narrowly missing two penalty corner opportunities.
Backs-against-the-wall defending saw Loughborough open up a two goal advantage over the hosts