Palatinate Officially the UK’s Best Student Publication, 2018
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | No. 819
Features reflects on personal jounrneys during first year
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Profile speak to Tim Luckhurst about the ethical duties of reporting
Library collects £150,000 in fines from forgetful students Jack Taylor Editor-in-Chief
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▲ John Snow’s JCR welcome incoming first years on Freshers’ Sunday. See page 3 for more photos. (Jack Judge)
Trevelyan: 108 freshers without their college room on arrival
• Students’ Union President: “The University has failed these students at one of the most crucial stages” • Holdups to refurbishments mean Collingwood and Teikyo host 30 students • Water certification delay sends 78 first years temporarily to Stephenson College Naomi Clarke & Jack Taylor Delayed building works and water certification led to 108 Trevelyan College freshers being housed in adjacent accommodation as they arrived in Durham on Sunday. According to the College, delayed restoration work originally meant that 54 rooms would be unavailable until this number was reduced to 36. Professor Martyn Evans, Principle of Trevelyan College, stated that the College
were “working hard to complete the refurbishments of student bedrooms as soon as possible.” An email was sent to affected students a week prior to move-in day, in which Trevelyan College stated that “about 30 rooms” would be affected, and that the work would “overrun into the first two weeks of term.” A further 78 first year students were also temporarily housed in Stephenson College on arrival, due to a delay in receiving water certification for parts of Trevelyan College accommodation.
These students were only written to the day before moving in. Originally displaced students have been housed together as groups in adjacent college accommodation. Professor Evans told Palatinate that “as of Monday 30th September, 12 students are being accommodated at Collingwood College and 18 at Teikyo University of Japan in Durham.” This brings the total number of affected students to 108. Kate McIntosh, Students’ Union President commented on the news: “The University has failed these
students at one of the most crucial stages of their academic lives. “Despite being assured that the University has been taking Trevelyan College’s delayed building work seriously, it’s clear that the disruption is more serious than originally thought. Over one hundred students are unable to stay in their college during their first days in Durham, and this represents a substantial, sustained failure to factor students into the strategic decisions that greatly impact students’ lives. Continued to page 3
The University has collected over £150,000 in library fines over the past two academic years from forgetful studnets. £78,979 and £72,351 was paid in fines by students in 2017/18 and 2018/19 respectively. Professor Janet Stewart, Executive Dean (Arts & Humanities), expects these numbers to decrease in the future: “The total amount collected in library fines has been decreasing year on year, from £107,000 in 2015/16 to approximately £72,300 in 2018/19, a trend which we expect will continue in the future as overall print loans reduce in number.” These figures account for only an average total fine for each student of £4.38 and £3.87. However, students have told Palatinate a different story. One third year student admitted to paying a £73 library fine for late fees on nine books during Easter Term and another had to pay for a book they had lost. The fines paid by students are invested into library operations to “enhance the educational experience” of students and other library users. Professor Steward commented: “the use of funds include the purchase of information resources and the upgrading of audio equipment in group study rooms.” Fines range from £1 per hour late on 3-hour loan book to 20p per day for a standard loan. Multiple students have told Palatinate of fines ranging from £2 to £3 due to this standard loan charge, mainly as a result of forgetting to return books or renew them over the holidays.
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
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Editorial
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So, what do you do?
nother year brings another set of fresh faced first years to Durham, arriving crammed in the backseat of a car too small for all their earthly possessions. That was me two years ago. I was crushed between a pile of Philosophy books I still haven’t read and brand new bedding for the 7 hour drive up from Somerset. My home for the year was Trevelyan College, before it was subject to delayed building works. To those Trevelyan freshers that find themselves starting their time at Durham elsewhere, do not worry! I found my feet in second year with Palatinate Like all colleges, it has its downsides, but it is the place where I met my best friends, forged my favourite memories and made some of the funnier mistakes. Your freps are still doing their best to help you settle into Durham and this will be the funny anecdote you reminisce on in a years time. Take my advice and get involved this year. I wasted my first year in parts by going too much, not focusing on my course and spending too many mornings sleeping in. There is too much going on in Durham to let it pass you by. I found my feet in second year with Palatinate; one 200 word article led to editing the politics section, then Comment, then News and finally for some reason my fellow editors elected me as Editorin-Chief. You never know where any small opportunity you get at this university will take you. I hope that Palatinate can help you find your feet over the next term and year. We are currently
advertising for vacancies on our Editorial Board and always welcome articles from student writers. Do not be afraid to reach out with any questions or ideas, this is a newspaper run by your fellow students. As our Deputy Editor Jamima Westermann wrote last year, at times student journalism “is a group of students, perhaps a little too interested in current affairs and politics, huddled around an old MacBook in a dodgy room in the back of the SU waiting for their next trip to the pub.” I’d also like to introduce Palatinate’s core values that we try to uphold in everything we do Holding the University to account In the past year the University has gone through some dramatic changes, most are to leave a lasting impression in more ways than one. We have always tried to cover these changes with speed, accuracy and fairness. Epiphany Term last year saw the University announce reviews into the Operations of colleges and Department faculties. Both saw staff members in scope for redundancies and changed roles. Palatinate was there to announce the reviews to the wider university population and listen to staff members affected. The same term saw us reveal the University’s £2 million art bill, with spending between 2008 and 2015 not being properly audited. We aim to bring these stories to the student population so that you are better informed with the changes happening at our rapidly advancing university.
Representing the voice of students This newspaper hosts the work and opinions of our student writers. Our Comment section has covered everything from changes in the University, the choice not to have a child and study drugs. We will always try to find under reported stories around Durham and cover the issues that matter to students. If you think there is something we have missed, do reach out to our editorial team. Showcase the best Durham has to offer There is something going on in Durham every single day. Whether its a DU Rugby game, a Durham Student Theatre performance or concert, we will be covering it. With over 20 sections and our own arts and lifestyle magazine Indigo we aim to celebrate the successes and feature the work of students life ourselves. By students, for students Palatinate is made possible by a team of over sixty Editorial Board members and hundreds of student contributors. We are made for students, by students. Do come and join us! Jack Taylor
Inside 819 News pages 3-7 Comment pages 8-9 Profile page 11 SciTech page 12 Politics pages 14-16 Sport pages 17-20
indigo
Editorial page 2 Film & TV page 3 Features pages 4-5 Interview page 6 Stage page 7 Books page 8-9 Music page 10 Food and Drink page 11 Fashion pages 12-13 Creative Writing page 14 Visual Arts page 15 Travel page 16
Vacancies We are currently advertising for the following positions. - Comment Editor - Deputy News Editor - Deputy Sports Editor - Deputy Investigations Editor Email editor@palatinate.org.uk for an application form and more information
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Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Oscar Elmon & Jack Taylor editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editors Jamima Westermann & Tom Mitchell deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Naomi Clarke & Will Hutchings news@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Emma Lucia Felisi, Joshua Hurn & Tom Saunders deputy.news@palatinate.org.uk Investigations Editor Anna Marshall investigations@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editor Natasha Livingstone & Hannah Anson comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editors Jacob Whitehead, Emily Kilner & Lauren Naughton Profile Editors Philipa Murrison & Alexandra Beste profile@palatinate.org.uk Science & Technology Editors Ewan Jones & Hannah Goldswain scitech@palatinate.org.uk Politics Editors Katie Fraser & Jack Parker politics@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Politics Editor Alisa Anwar & Chloe Sutton Sport Editor Tim Sigsworth & Tomas Hill LopezMenchero sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Alana Ker Mercer & Hector Pearce Indigo Editor Shauna Lewis indigo@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Indigo Editor Carys Frost Features Editor Kleopatra Olympiou features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editor Mary Bradshaw deputy.features@palatinate.org.uk Food & Drink Editors Imogen Higgins & Elle WoodsMarshall food@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Molly Goetzee fashion@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Fashion Editors Freya Ellingsen & Hugo Millard Film & Television Editor Madeleine Strom & Aadira Parakkatt film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editor Martha Wrench stages@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Stage Editor Gabriella Sills Music Editors Theo Golden & Matthew Prudham music@palatinate.org.uk Books Editors Lotte Hall & Imogen Usherwood books@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor Abir Mishra travel@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Travel Editor Alex Bicknell-Cummings Interview Editors Kiara Davies & Rachael Brown Chief Sub-Editor Alex Leggatt Sub-Editors Clara Knight, Juliette Holland & Lizzie Murrall Photography Editors Mark Norton photography@palatinate.org.uk Illustrations Editor Nayva Lobo illustration@palatinate.org.uk Website Administrator Calum Johnston Advertising Officer Oliver Henry oliver.advertising@palatinate.org.uk Social Media Officers Connie Castle & Shoaib Ahmed
Palatinate is published by Durham Students’ Union on a fortnightly basis during term and is editorially independent. All contributors and editors are full-time students at Durham University. Send letters to: Editor, Palatinate, Durham Students’ Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN. Alternatively, send an e-mail to editor@palatinate.org.uk
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PALATINATE | Wednesday 2nd October 2019
News
Hello! Welcome to the first President’s column of the year, and welcome to Durham whether you’re a new or returning student. As President of the Students’ Union it’s my job to represent you to the University, local community, and National Union of Students. The officer team and I have been working hard all summer to prepare for the year ahead, and we are so excited to speak to you and represent you in the coming months. If you’ve just arrived to Durham as a fresher, I hope that you are enjoying your first few days here. Durham is a remarkable place to be a student; it has a breathtaking history, and a present that’s full of all sorts of opportunities. Despite that, it’s important to remember that freshers’ week can be really hard – a new city, new people, and new academic expectations mean you’ve got a lot on your plate. After feeling awful all the way through my freshers’ week, my best advice is to remember that everyone will feel unsure or anxious for even just a minute and that’s more than okay. Look forward to exploring all the ways in which this small city is actually big and complex and full of different groups of people doing really cool things. And don’t worry about not following all the daft advice you’re given about fitting in or the right things to bring – it actually doesn’t matter if your flat has seven
cheese graters or if you have to go out and buy clothes hangers when you get here! Freshers’ week is just a tiny part of your time in Durham, and there’s so much to get out of your college, common room, and the Students’ Union. Our 250 student groups will be showcasing everything you can get involved in at our Freshers’ Fair, which is on Wednesday and Thursday this week in Dunelm House. You can be certain that there’s something (or many things) that you’ll love getting involved in. You will also get to meet our Associations, student groups with a special representation and campaigning role that bring together marginalised groups of people. As well as joining a student group or two, you can also get involved in the democratic side of the Students’ Union. SU Assembly is the body where students from all over the university come together to debate what we care about most, and what we’re going to do about it, which you can be elected to. You can run to be a delegate to the National Union of Students’ Conference, which gives you the chance to propose and debate national policy on behalf of Durham students. Or you can pitch your own campaign ideas to us, and we can support you to change Durham for the better. The SU is led by five elected student officers, who work full-time representing you and campaigning on the things students’ care about. There’s me, the President; Sam, your Undergraduate Academic Officer; David, your Postgraduate Academic Officer; Amelia, your Welfare and Liberation Officer; and Jess, your Opportunities Officer. Over the course of the year I’ll be using this space to keep you up to date on our work. For now, I hope that you all have a fantastic start to the year.
“Given how stressful a time starting university can be, it’s ridiculous” Continued from front “It is equally unacceptable that hardworking volunteers have been left to fill the gap in support available to these students, stepping in to do vital work to make move-in possible with little recognition, at the same time as pulling off a fantastic freshers’ week welcome.” Trevelyan College, according to the University website, has 235 first year undergraduate rooms, of which 20 are shared between two students. On Monday 30th September Professor Evans commented to Palatinate that Trevelyan College expected all of the 78 students to return to college by Tuesday 1st, with the remaining 30 soon after. A first year Trevelyan College student spoke to Palatinate about their frustration: “I think given how stressful a time starting university can be, it’s ridiculous that
something like this could ever be a possibility. “The added stress on freshers in these weeks is unfortunate, unnecessary and irresponsible.” All students involved are still eating in College and attending all activities put in place by the College. The University have stated that compensation has been organised: “For the period of time students are not able to live in College, those students will incur no residential fees for that period. “For those living in College but where the bathroom on their link or corridor is unavailable, their residential fees will be reduced by the cost of their meals in College for that period.” The University statement in full: Professor Martyn Evans, Principal, Trevelyan College, said: “We are working hard to complete the refurbishment of student bed-
(Will Hutchings)
rooms as soon as possible and have been able to reduce the number of rooms that are unavailable for the start of term to 36. “As of Monday 30 September, 12 students are being accommodated at Collingwood College and 18 at Teikyo University of Japan in Durham. “Due to a delay in receiving water certification for a section of College, an additional 78 students are being accommodated at Stephenson College. We wrote to these students to inform them of these temporary arrangements prior to their arrival, on Saturday 28 September. “All three of these alternative locations are less than five minutes’ walk from College. All students are eating in College and able to enjoy all College activities. “We expect the 78 students currently at Stephenson to return on Tuesday 1 October and the remaining 30 soon afterwards. “For the period of time students are not able to live in College, those students will incur no residential fees for that period. For those living in College but where the bathroom on their link or corridor is unavailable, their residential fees will be reduced by the cost of their meals in College for that period. “We wrote to all new Trevelyan undergraduates, both those affected and those not affected, to outline the impact and details of the compensation available.”
Welcome to Durham: Freshers’ Sunday in pictures
(Jack Judge)
(Imogen Usherwood)
(Lauren E White)
(Jack Judge)
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Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
News
Cathedral to auction off ancient stones from renovations Emma Lucia Felisi Deputy News Editor Durham Cathedral will host a first-of-its-kind event, as 60 of the stones that were removed from the top of the UNESCO World Heritage site’s central tower go up for auction. Removed over the last three years, some of the stones originate from the Victorian period where renovation work was last carried out in 1861.
Renovation work was last carried out in 1861
(Maddie Flisher)
The auction will be hosted on the 19th of October by local auction house Anderson and Garland in the historic Chapter House. It will be possible to bid in person and online.
To complement the auction, catalogues will be provided, describing the shape, sizes and origins of the stones. These catalogues, along with other information, will be released closer to the date of the actual auction. Gaye Kirby, the Cathedral’s Head of Development and Strategy, said: “Durham Cathedral has a long history of adorning the skyline of our historic city and the stone auction provides people with an opportunity to literally own a piece of that history. “All proceeds will go toward supporting our Foundation 2020 endowment campaign and so will forever support the cathedral’s ongoing repair work.” Foundation 2020 is Durham Cathedral’s campaign to build a £10m endowment fund to cover the costs of the Cathedral’s annual programme of maintenance for the almost 1,000 year old Norman
building. Every donation will also be matched £1 for £1 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Julian Thomson, Chairman and Managing Director at the auction house has also stated “The fact that Durham Cathedral continues to win awards and attract thousands of people each year as one of the UK’s favourite destinations, is testament to the special place it holds in people’s hearts.” According to Durham cathedral, the stones will also be on display to the general public before the auction. The stones can be found in the DLI memorial garden at the back of the cathedral from the 14th to 19th of October.
HEARD ANYTHING NEWSWORTHY? Email news@palatinate.org.uk
Durham welcomes five new heads of college Joshua Hurn & Tom Saunders Deputy News Editors
place Simon Hackett as Principal of St Mary’s College, as Mr Hackett will now become Associate Provost at Durham.
Durham University has appointed five new Heads of College for the next academic year. Four of them will replace existing Heads of College whilst one will become the inaugural head of South College, which will open in 2020. Professor Adekunle Adeyeye will replace Professor Martyn Evans as the principal of Trevelyan College. Professor Martyn Evans will continue his career at Durham as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Colleges and Student Experience). Mr Adekunle graduated with First Class Honours from the University of IIorin, Nigeria, and has gone on to conduct pioneering research work in the field of nanomagnetism. He has won various awards including being named as one of the top 100 young innovators in the world by TR100. Professor Maggi Dawn will re-
Four of them will replace existing Heads of College whilst one will become the inaugural head of South College, which will open in 2020.
Professor Tim Luckurst
Professor Rob Lynes
Ms Dawn’s career started in the music industry, where she recorded five albums from 1985 to 1996. Her book, Like the Wideness of the Sea, was cited in parliament to support a debate on female bishops. She has also contributed to the Guardian on various topics, including why “Facebook is no worse than avocado bathrooms.” She previously taught at Yale Divinity School, where she was Associate Dean, and Associate Professor of Theology and Literature. Professor Simon Forrest will take over from Professor Jan Clarke as Principal of the College of St Hild and St Bede. Professor
Forrest also comes from a musical career, specifically the ‘Indie Pop’ scene of the late 1980s. Professor Forrest was the head of the School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health in Durham between 2009 and 2017 before moving to Newcastle University. He has helped to develop curriculum which support students’ socio-cultural understanding of public health through ‘real-world’ experience. Professor Rob Lynes will take over from Professor John Ashworth as principal of Stephenson College. Mr Lynes has spent 23 years working in various roles at the British Council, has lived and worked in many countries around the world, and studied Russian and Polish at the Joint Services School of Languages. He has an MA in Applied Linguistics from Lancaster University and was most recently an adviser for Future Hope, an NGO which helps children who live on the streets of Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.
Professor Adekunle Adeyeye
Professor Tim Luckhurst will be the first head of the new ‘South College’, which is due to open for the start of the academic year in 2020. He will also become the Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Engagement. Having graduated from Cambridge with a history degree, Professor Luckhurst has been served as private secretary for the Rt Hon. Donald Dewer, and stood for election as a Labour candidate for the 1987 general election.
Roles are initially a fixed term of five years During the late 1980s and 1990s, Luckhurst worked for the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, where he covered some of the most significant events of the late 20th century, including the Romanian Revolution of 1989, the First Gulf War, and the end of the Balkan War. During his time at the BBC, Luckhurst won two Sony Radio Academy Awards for news broad-
Professor Maggi Dawn
casting. The University made clear the level of engagement expected from new college heads in the requirements listed for the role on the university website. College heads must “help to ensure that the College be a diverse and distinctive educational community, with a significant component of its student membership in residence, enabling staff and students from different backgrounds and disciplines to support each other in their endeavours at the University.” They must also “maintain and continue to develop their academic interests, with time shared proportionately between College and an appropriate academic department, normally between 60% and 80% devoted to the College, in order to ensure ongoing professional academic activity whether that be research or teaching.” Roles are initially a fixed term of five years with the possibility for college heads to carry on for another five years.
Professor Simon Forrest
PALATINATE | Wednesday 2nd October 2019
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News
Nightclub Babylon sprouts roots in Durham Will Hutchings News Editor A new nightclub, themed around the hanging Gardens of Babylon, is to open in Durham city centre. Customers will enter an interior which mimics the gardens, full of lush greenery, and will be able to order signature cocktails among other drinks. Management also plans to create a menu which is expected to be ready for customers in February 2020. Under the management of Northumberland Taverns, Babylon is planning to open at the end of this month, having spent most of
it looking for staff. They have even organised an event for Freshers’ Week to open the bar with a bang. Original cocktails feature prominently in the venue’s marketing, especially on their Facebook page. Andy Fenwick, Operations Manager of Northumberland Taverns, has referred to them as ‘the finest cocktails in Durham’.
Customers will enter an interior which mimics the Gardens of Babylon, full of lush greenery The new hotspot is situated on North Road, in a building which has previously been home to a
vintage cinema, Australia-inspired pub Walkabout, and most recently the Chinese restaurant, Chinatown. As well as a weekly club night on Wednesdays, the spot also plans to show sports channels on ‘the biggest screens in Durham’. Since August 13th, the club has built a strong social media presence, featuring photos of the construction process to build anticipation. This has not gone unnoticed; in fact, many colleges are planning on taking incoming freshers to the new club during Freshers Week. The club intends to offer a ‘relaxed vibe’, with ‘stylish decor’ and ‘perfect ambience’.
(Will Hutchings)
Lebaneat owner fined £20,000 for suspected illegal worker Will Hutchings News Editor The owner of Lebaneat has been fined £20,000 after the discovery of a suspected illegal worker at their North Bailey restaurant. On Wednesday 4th September, Durham and Cleveland police officers visited three Lebaneat restaurants in Durham City and Yarm. This resulted in the discovery of the possibly illegal worker, and subsequently the imposition of the fine. The officers also discovered a number of other breaches, including breaches of food hygiene standards, and building regulations, and minimum wage payments to staff, which are currently under review.
This is not the first time that the restaurant chain has had runins with the law. Police discovered illegal workers at the North Bailey and Claypath premises in August 2018, and the restaurant lost its alcohol license as a conse-
The Labour party has backed a policy to limit the number of private school pupils admitted to universities at 7%, the wider number of society. Delegates at the party’s 2019 national conference endorced the move as part of further radical plans for the education sector. The same policy package would also see a Labour government abolish private schools by removing their charity status and then redistruting their endowments, properties and assests to the state sector. A limit of 7% on university admissions would dramatically alter the make up of higher education.
the Home Office. Following this discovery, police have urged citizens to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Kevin Benson, who organised the investigation, said his ‘main aim is to protect vulnerable peo-
ple from exploitation’ and stressed that it is ‘very important’ that the public are vigilant.
Police officers visited three Lebaneat restaurants in Durham City and Yarm This news has sparked outrage among locals and students alike. One Durham local told Facebook that he believed that ‘the restaurants should be closed’. This sentiment was echoed by a Durham student in conversation with Palatinate, and they expressed their shock that ‘the chain is somehow able to keep running.’ When contacted, Sayed declined to comment.
(Will Hutchings)
Labour to limit private school admissions Jack Taylor Editor-in-Chief
quence. The owner has also made repeated unsuccessful attempts to regain the license. Ahmed Sayed, the owner of the Durham chain, was previously fined £30,000 for similar employment practices after a visit from
The Sunday Times reported in 2019 that Durham University admitted 46.5% of pupils from non-grammar state schools, while 38.7% were admitted from independent schools, and 14.8% from grammar schools.
Data taken from The Sunday Times
Durham Union Michealmas Term Card Addresses: Jeremy Vine - Vetern Radio and TV Host Muntadhar Al-Zaidi - Iraqi Jounrnalist and Protester who threw shoes at George Bush
Stefania Murizi - Journalsim who helped publish the Snowden Files Iyad El-Naghdadi - Saudi Arabian Journalist and Dissident Clara Ponsati - Exiled Catalonian Education Minister
Debates: This House Welcomes the Decline of Organised Religion This House Has No Confidence in Facebook This House Would Criminalise the Failure to Vaccinate Children
Vanessa Neumann - Venezuelan Ambassador
Guy Mowbray - Legendary World Cup and EPL Commentator
Alistair Petrie - Star of Sex Education and The Night Manager
Grace Blakeley - Economist, Author and Activist
This House Regrets the Gig Economy
Mark Gatiss - Creator and Star of Sherlock
Dominic Grieve MP - Former Conservative Brexit Rebel
This House Has No Confidence in HM Government
Paul Mason - Author, Film Maker and Activist
Anthony Gelling - Widnes Vikings Centre and Sports Personality
Kristinn Hrafnsson - Editor in Chief of Wikileaks
David Moyes - Former Manager of Manchester United
This House Believes That the Monarchy Should End with the Passing of HM The Queen
This House Fears the Russian Bear
A Panel On: Race and Sport
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Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
News
Bill Bryson Library to now remain open 24/7
Alex Leggatt Durham University’s Bill Bryson Library will now remain open 24/7 throughout the whole of term time, beginning at the start of next term. Saul Cahill, Ex-Student Union’s Undergraduate Academic Officer, made the announcement in July through the SU website. He described “campaign[ing] for a library that was open 24/7 throughout the entirety of term time” as one of his “key pledges” following his election to the role last year. Cahill said that he was “thrilled” to announce the policy: “During my election campaign, students talked to me about the added flexibility that extended opening hours could provide, as well as the benefits to students who worked
or have caring responsibilities. “I am confident that these extra opening hours will deliver a library that is there for students when they need it, but won’t pressure students into feeling like they need it for longer than they do. Most of all, I hope this extra flexibility will prove useful to you over the rest of your studies!” The policy, first proposed by Stuart Goldie (Science Postgraduate Faculty Rep), was passed following a year-long campaign.
The assembly also noted that students were “under increasing pressure to perform well at university” Following “ongoing work with the Library, Security and
Estates & Buildings” in Epiphany term 2019, the policy was trialled during exam period in Easter term and reviewed. The initial SU assembly noted that there was “a growing trend among UK universities to offer full time 24/7 library access,” with numerous campaigns attempting to lobby for 24/7 library access in recent years. However, the assembly also noted that students were “under increasing pressure to perform well at university,” with an FOI request revealing that 1141 undergraduates (8.5% of the student body) were being seen by University counsellors in the academic year from October 2016 – July 2017. The SU recognised that “actively lobbying the University to spend funds facilitating all
hours working may contribute to the growing problems with student mental health.” The assembly thus required “suitable evidence” to support the motion, and resolved to “investigate the pros and cons of library 24/7 opening,” research which Mr Cahill was mandated to undertake.
The research included analysing three years’ worth of data from the University Library, which found that there was “a demand for 24/7 opening outside of what is currently available.” The analysis also found that there was “very little difference
in library usage between the last week of ordinary opening hours in Epiphany Term and the following week when the library is open 24/7.” This suggested that the main cause of increased library use was “pressure from assessments” rather than opening hours. Cahill revealed that the University Library will be working alongside library security to monitor students’ wellbeing in the library, as well as working with the SU to promote healthy study habits through the “Revise Wise” campaign. The university introduced 200 new study spaces and a new cafe in February earlier this year, to address complaints that there were not enough library seats for the number of students using the library.
Rankings by Subject 2019, including 10 in the World Top 50. Three of the subjects are in the World Top 10 – Theology and Religion (fifth), Archaeology (sixth) and Geography (ninth). Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Law are also all in the top 50 in the 2019 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject. Nationally, the University consistently ranks in the top 10 in the UK. Durham University
is currently ranked fifth in the Guardian University Guide 2020, sixth in The Complete University Guide 2020 and seventh in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019. Ellie Bothwell, Rankings Editor at Times Higher Education, said “For Durham University to be included is a fantastic achievement, showing that it is considered to be one of the most prestigious higher education institutions across the globe by leading scholars.”
The University Library will be working alongside library security to monitor students’ wellbeing in the library
Durham ranked in world top 100 for reputation Naomi Clarke News Editor Durham University has been named one of the world Top 100 universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings 2019. Durham placed in the 91-100 range, which the university states will help cement “its place as a globally outstanding university.” The latest ranking success comes just weeks after Durham achieved 78th in the world in the QS World University Rankings and fifth in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2020. The Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings are based on the world’s largest invitation-only opinion survey of senior, published academics. It asks scholars to name up to 15 universities that they believe are the best for research and teaching in their field, based on their own experience. Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor and Warden,
Durham University, stated: To encourage this research “Our inclusion in these global and scholars from across the reputation rankings is a world to visit Durham and study wonderful acknowledgement of the county’s outstanding special the esteem that our academic collections, the University has peers have for Durham. worked with partners to establish “It shows that we are recognised the Residential Research Library. across the globe for inspiring Earlier this year this led to the the next generation through our discovery of a 400 year old Royal teaching excellence, and for our Charter from the reign of King John. boundary-breaking research.” These subjects are receiving equal global recognition with subjects in the World Top “It shows that we are recog- 18 100 of the QS World University
nised across the globe for inspiring the next generation”
In recent weeks, Durham Physicists have revealed how they are using supercomputer simulations to test alternative theories to explain how gravity works and galaxies form, beyond Einstein’s theory of General Relativity. Meanwhile, Durham’s Department of Archaeology led the first UK university team ever to be permitted to undertake excavations within Beijing’s Forbidden City.
(Maddie Fishler)
Vice-Chancellor spent nearly £25,000 on flights Emma Lucia Felisi Deputy News Editor Durham’s Vice-Chancellor spent nearly £25,000 on luxury flights in the past 3 years and even more on hotels, taxi rides and trains. Originally reported by The Mail on Sunday, Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor since September 2015, claimed the amount whilst travelling to represent the University internationally.
This includes £4,348.86 and £2,168.86 spent on Business and Premium Economy return flights in November 2018, to Beijing and New York, respectively.
This includes £4,348.86 and £2,168.86 spent on Business and Premium Economy returnflightsinNovember2018 Jennifer
Sewel,
University
Secretary, said: “Our Expenses and Hospitality Policy requires all spending to be in the public interest and achieve value for money. “For example, when flying the Vice-Chancellor travels by economy or premium economy class unless he is required to travel overnight or has a meeting directly after a long haul flight.” Published expenses show that Vice-Chancellor spent over £3000 in 2018 on accommodation during his travels, and close
to £10,000 over three years. Other claims made include £533.06 and £543.12 spent on taxis in June and July 2018,and £253 spent on a 6 month visa to China. The University reports the quarterly expenses of senior staff online, including those of all ProVice-Chancellors, the COO and CFO.
All expense claims and payments made to senior managers of the University are in accordance with the University’s financial regulations. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education spent £188.95 on an Apple Pencil and Moleskin iPad Pro case in August of 2017.
The University reports the quarterly expenses of senior staff online
HEARD ANYTHING NEWSWORTHY? Email news@palatinate.org.uk
PALATINATE | Wednesday 2nd October 2019
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News
Ex-Chernobyl student to study international relations Joshua Hurn Deputy News Editor Nineteen-year-old Olenka Bordakova, who was raised near the site of the infamous 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, has secured a place to study international relations at Durham this academic year. Miss Bordakova arrived in the UK seven years ago and, with the help of the Chernobyl Children’s Lifetime charity, which aided children affected by the fallout from the disaster, she was placed under the care of foster parents Chrissi and Thomas Kelly. She gradually learnt English reading children’s books such as The Gruffalo. With the help of her school, Bishopstrow College, a school for international students, she was successful in her GCSE examinations and won a full bursary to study for her A-Levels at Cheltenham Ladies’ College in 2017. She received her grades whilst at home in the Ukraine and successfully secured a place on her course, achieving AAB in
politics, maths and economics, respectively. Ms Bordakova described how different her childhood was living in Britain, describing how opportunities often taken for granted here were incredibly difficult under the shroud of Chernobyl. Speaking to The Times, she remembered how access to fresh fruits and vegetables was difficult due to them being of a “really low quality” or full of “a lot of chemicals”. Looking to the future, she also mentioned how she wishes to go into a political or diplomatic career, mentioning her desire to “do something for my country” and how going to Durham was for “the benefit of everybody” and not just herself. Speaking to Palatinate, Olena described how she adjusted to life abroad and what finally made her choose Durham: What was the most difficult thing about adjusting to life in the UK? The most difficult thing about coming to the UK, I guess, was adjusting to the British culture
which was completely new to me. Learning to say ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ so many times a day was difficult at first, but I did get a hang of it in the end. Also, the language. Before I arrived, I’d have never studied anything in English and so doing Maths and the sciences turned out particularly hard. However, I did have the best possible tutoring at Bishopstrow College, where they taught me all I had to know.
going, keep pushing through and not let anyone stand in your way. Higher education is what gives us specific knowledge that so many people don’t possess. And knowledge is power, so pursuing it means becoming powerful. Powerful individuals thrive and push others to thrive with them!
What excited coming
The biggest inspiration on my journey to Durham would have to be Chrissi Kelly, my all-time supporter. Ever since I stayed with her and her husband for the first time in 2012, I knew she was a fascinating woman. From her I learned perseverance and resilience. I thank Chrissi for all the work she’s put into me. Every word of hers makes me believe in myself and what I’m capable of. One should never let such people go.
are you most for/nervous about to Durham?
It’s funny, but the thing I’m most excited but also nervous about is making friends and fitting in with the community. What’s exciting is that I know we’re all in the same boat; we’re equals, which means it will be easy for us to get along with each other. I’m looking forward to all the new experiences at Durham. Lectures and classes, enjoying but also failing at being independent. It is the learning process of being on my own that excites me in both educational and living aspects. On the other hand, it’s so scary and I’m even a bit apprehensive about being in a new environment and living a completely different life. Dividing my time appropriately so that’s it’s not all work and no play, but a healthy balance. Although I’m sure I’ll learn everything when I get to Durham! What would you say to someone in a similar situation to yours who doesn’t have the confidence to strive for higher education? I would definitely recommend to just believe in yourself. It doesn’t matter what the odds of your success are, if you just go towards your aim, you’ll get there one way or another. I’ve had numerous setbacks on my journey and I’m sure I’ll have many more. The secret is to keep
Who was your biggest inspiration on your journey to Durham?
Where do you see yourself in the future after graduating? As I chose to do International Relations at Durham, I see myself internationally involved in the future. By this I mean that I want to keep learning and working with people from all over the world, but at the same time stay connected to Ukraine, where I’m from. Being educated in the UK is not a selfish endeavour for me. What I want most of all is to give back to the community I grew up in and the community that helped me on my way. I want other Ukrainians to follow my example and believe in themselves, because we are not just a post-soviet nation, we are the future of progress. If at all, how do you think your upbringing makes you different from other young people? It’s hard to say whether I’m much different from other young people. I like to think that I’ve had two upbringings: one back at home
and one here, in the UK. Although, I guess, I do sometimes see things differently than others. My parents brought me up to know the value of money, to learn that before you spend, you have to earn. I was also taught to love education. No matter whether I enjoy it or not, it’s one of the most useful things in life (luckily I do enjoy education). Living in the UK, however, taught me to be adaptable. Today, I can get used to anything, and that I think is a strong trait. What made you choose Durham as your firm choice? I’d never been to the north of England before I chose Durham. Going somewhere new really excited me. This, however, wasn’t the reason I actually chose it as my firm choice. I luckily had the opportunity to hear from someone with the firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to be a student at Durham. It was Chrissi Kelly’s son who told me all about it and verbally made me fall in love with the place and the environment. He himself did PPE, close enough to what I wanted to study, and so I knew it was a place for me. Having visited Durham only confirmed my feelings about going there, and so now I’m over the moon! Which you decide
college on and
did why?
It didn’t matter to me which college I would be allocated to, as I knew every one of them would be a great home for me. Having researched all of the colleges, I simply couldn’t make up my mind as all of them presented a superb environment for a student like me! Olenka will join the university in the new academic year of 2019 amongst thousands of other successful applicants, and has created a GoFundMe page in the hope of raising £60,000 to cover international tuition.
In pictures: new Learning and Teaching Centre
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Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
Comment
Scrapping Oxbridge wouldn’t solve social inequality Catriona Inglis In July 2019, the Financial Times published an article titled ‘How Oxbridge distorts British life,’ suggesting that removing Oxbridge at undergraduate level would increase social mobility in a similar way that it has done for Canada, Sweden and Australia. The article suggests that Oxbridge supercharges the social elite into positions of power, leaving those not privileged enough to secure places lagging behind forever. At first look, this article seems to have a point. After all of the fifty-five Prime Ministers Britain has had, 28 went to Oxford and 14 went to Cambridge. 24% of MPs elected in the 2017 elections went to Oxbridge. Considering that Oxbridge graduates make up less than 1% of the UK population, it does seem that a disproportionate number of Oxbridge graduates end up at Westminster. Comparatively, only 10 current MPs attended Durham University and no rime Ministers so unfortunately it seems that Doxbridge, at least in Parliament, is not a thing. However, the Financial Times is
wrong to place the blame of the lack of social mobility in the UK exclusively on Oxbridge and other elite universities rather than the overall impact of elite private education. The article parallels the UK’s private school system with Canada, which has private schools but no elite universities. The article claims that as Canada is the most socially mobile country in the developed world and has fee-paying schools but no elite universities, therefore elite universities, not private schools are what prevent upward mobility.
Canada, Sweden and Australia all have something else that the UK doesn’t: well-funded state schools. This argument is fundamentally flawed as Canada, Sweden and Australia all have something else that the UK doesn’t: well-funded state schools. In the UK, the last year has seen teachers become increasingly overworked and underpaid and students, suffering from increasingly larger class sizes, have less special needs support and less funding. By blaming elite universities for the lack of social mobility, the Finan-
cial Times is suggesting that removing them at undergraduate level will somehow prevent 18 years of family privilege and superior education from manifesting. Unfortunately, depriving the social elite of their three years at esteemed Oxbridge universities is not the solution to the UK’s class problem. The gap between private and state education has always been large in the UK but it is an ever-growing gap. Although Boris Johnson has promised more funding for schools, this only raises it back to what it was a decade ago, which will not mitigate the effects of decades of cuts, nor solve the problem of the chronic lack of teachers caused by people leaving the profession at an astounding rate. It is true that 24% of MPs went to Oxbridge but perhaps the more shocking statistic is that 29% went to private schools. Considering that only 7% of the population are privately educated there definitely seems to be something going on here. Even more shocking of the privately educated MPs, over 1 in 10 of them went to Eton. A total of 20 UK prime ministers went to Eton and the UK has only ever had 9 prime ministers who have been educated
in non-fee-paying schools. Just nine. Blaming Oxbridge for the social elite privileges of the few is perhaps then, a bit of a stretch. If anything, if the application system weren’t so distorted (whereby I mean private schools tutoring their students through the application process) Oxbridge could act as a great leveller, a place where talent and application could triumph over family and class. However, for as long as people are able to buy their way in, Oxbridge perhaps is just another place where our next generation of privately educated leaders go to finishing school before popping down to Westminster to administer yet another round of state school cuts.
The gap between private and state education has always been large in the UK but it is an ever-growing gap. The Labour party is promising to remove the VAT exemption on private schools, something that has always been ludicrous as it relies on the ‘charitable status’ of private schools. Private schools have long claimed that this allows them to offer scholarships to less the financial-
ly fortunate however it is particularly nonsensical considering that state Sixth Form colleges are required to pay VAT. Whether this is enough is a matter for debate, however trying to shift the debate on social mobility from the problem of private schools onto elite universities only camouflages the real issue. As Durham students, it would be lovely to blame the UK’s problem on Oxbridge - we are all Oxbridge rejects after all. Alas, the facts speak louder than dreams. Oxbridge is only the symptom of the wider private school problem.
“
Oxbridge is only the symptom of the wider private school problem.
”
Please learn from my first year mistakes Anonymous Submission Dear Freshers, Now I am a wise and elderly finalist, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on some of the awful decisions I made in my first year, in the hope that others may learn from my mistakes:
Mistake one: Not breaking up with my boyfriend from home Everyone told me to, did I listen? No. I proudly cock-blocked myself in freshers week by telling every fit guy I had a boyfriend. Then, when said boyfriend was predictably unfaithful, I had to get the news out I was now available. Doing this through Facebook status was a little dramatic, but, on balance, effective. Yet if I
(StartupStockPhotos vis Pixabay)
had my time again, I would simply dump said boyfriend before freshers’ week. First year brings many temptations, and if you don’t cheat on them, they’ll probably cheat on you. Mistake two: Sleeping with the guy on my corridor The temptation I was talking about came in the form of the cocky guy down the corridor who, over time, became attractive. After lots of time together and, let’s face it, lots of alcohol, we got together. This was a huge mistake. Unlike other one night stands, you can’t block their number and blissfully never see them again. Instead, you will bump into them when you go to the toilet, have a shower, eat breakfast, or do literally ANYTHING. That is the nature of college life, and something, I’m frankly relieved I no longer have to suffer. Having said that, pretty much everyone does it, and you probably will to. Mistake three: Not eating the soggy vegetables in college Everyone bangs on about college
potatoes, and yes, by the end of the year you will be impressed by how many shapes and sizes the college cooks can mould spuds into. But for me, the greatest problem with college food was the veg. It was soggy. So, very very soggy. In my revulsion, I decided to avoid digging into mushy carrots, peas, or broccoli, instead relying on the trusty salad bar, where I could always find a non-liquified green: cucumber. Unsurprisingly, just eating cucumber meant I did not have a great immunity to freshers flue and couldn’t hear out of one ear for most of the first term. Mistake four: Not wearing glasses to college meals Those college dining halls are larger than you think. Those glasses did look a bit nerdy, but after piling up those cucumbers and turning around to find that your mates, who have sat down at a table, have blurred into oblivion with the rest of the college, is quite traumatic. To avoid standing at the salad bar like a confused bat with no friends, just wear your glasses.
Mistake five: Not backing up summative work I decided I didn’t need to bother backing my work up through the university’s iCloud, because I had a Mac and they’re invincible, right? Turns out laptops have very weak defences against large volumes of Prosecco, which ended up being spilled on my beloved Mac, the day before a 40% coursework deadline. Luckily, the lovely man in Stormfront managed to extract the harddrive just in time for me to sprint to the printers in Billy B before the deadline. I now back everything up on the uni’s free cloud system. Mistake six: Trying to read for lectures First year doesn’t count and it’s a waste of time. I like to think I have learnt from all my errors and am now a sophisticated student. I’m not sure anyone agrees, but I have offered my advice nonetheless- feel free to ignore it!
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PALATINATE | Wednesday 2nd October 2019
Comment
A case against employment quotas Bryn Evans It often feels like the progress being made to rectify the lack of gender and ethnic diversity in the workplace is painstakingly slow. Too frequently placed on the back-burner by policymakers and businesspeople overwhelmed by more topical issues, representation of women and Black, Asian, and ethnic minority (BAME) individuals in business has risen only incrementally since the turn of the century. Today, women occupy just 35% of senior management positions in the UK (which is admittedly slightly higher than the global average of 29%), while BAME individuals, who account for roughly 15% of the UK population, hold just 6% of senior management posts in the country. Studies show that a healthier balance of men and women as well as a wide ethnic representation contributes to both increased company earnings and higher worker satisfaction. Nor are these studies being ignored; according to
PwC’s global survey, nearly 9 of 10 CEOs agree that having a diverse and inclusive workplace population improves their company’s bottom line. How then can the issue be remedied? The answer is not positive discrimination quotas - not only are they ineffectual, and likely unachievable without additional large-scale social restructuring, but they threaten the very equality which they seek to promote.
Women occupy just 35% of senior management positions in the UK This is largely due to the fact that such quotas are a band-aid fix, that deal with the symptom rather than the fundamental issue, namely the deeply rooted structural inequalities in society which prevent such workers from rising to senior positions. Dr Roaa Ali, a research associate at the University of Manchester, believes that to be effective, quotas must “coincide with a drastic structural change of the culture and discourse on
diversity, and perception around the contribution of ethnic minorities.” Quotas have all the right intentions. They are simply too unsophisticated, superficial, and borderline discriminatory to advance workplace diversity in any meaningful way. Returning to Dr Roaa Ali’s comments, deep structural changes are imperative. This starts with outreach. The more advocacy is done and the more hiring managers, executives, and general public— not just CEOs—are made aware of the need to increase professional diversity, the more widespread the eventual changes. However, the solution goes deeper than mere outreach; after all, a hiring manager can understand all he pleases about the importance of diversity yet still be pushed to hire a white male due to a lack of other qualified candidates.
Of all postgraduate students, only 48% were women and 10% were BAME Reworking education and the
perceptions surrounding women and BAME individuals in academia is therefore equally, if not more, important than outreach. Already, we are seeing record numbers of underrepresented demographics attending post-secondary institutions. In 2017, UK higher education firm HESA reported that women represented 57% of all students currently enrolled in postsecondary degrees, while BAME students stood at 18% of the total.
The issue is rooted in systematic social inequality However, dig deeper into the statistics, and the numbers are less promising: of postgraduate students, only 48% were women and 10% were BAME. In the same year, the Financial Times reported that just 34% of British MBA students were female—a number interestingly similar to the percentage of senior manager posts (35%) occupied by women referenced in the introduction. Improved education on the benefits of workplace diversity,
a decreased pay-gap to facilitate the pursuit of higher education for women and BAME individuals, and initiatives to recruit more of these individuals to leadership degrees are all structural changes which can be made to promote workplace diversity. The issue is rooted in systemic social inequality, a complex trend that quotas are ill-equipped to change. You wouldn’t choose a bandaid to repair a broken bone; why choose a quota to mend a centuriesold societal fracture?
“
Such quotas are a band-aid fix, that deal with the symptom rather than the fundamental issue,
”
Has the runway closed for Victoria’s Secret? Lauren Naughton One of the leading lingerie brands in the world, Victoria’s Secret, has reported a $500 million drop in revenues since 2016, with 35 stores being closed in the first quarter of 2019. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which has been active for 24 years and serves as a major marketing pull for the company, will no longer be broadcast on television. There have been multiple reasons speculated as to the brand’s decline. Victoria’s secret has suffered serious setbacks such as its regressive presentation of women, Jeffrey Epstein’s proximity to the brand, and lack of inclusivity. Supermodel Karlie Kloss was an ‘Angel’ in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for two years. Her Vogue covers and brand partnerships make her a prominent face in fashion, however she left the company in 2017, concerned about its portrayal of women. She said at the time: “The reason I decided to stop working with Victoria’s Secret was I didn’t feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am and the kind of message I want to send to young women around the world about
what it means to be beautiful.” Added to this, the brand landed on the wrong side of the #MeToo movement, as it found itself embroiled in the case of Jeffrey Epstein, convicted sex offender and financier who abused his access to Victoria’s Secret models. This, combined with its voyeuristic view of women, could be warning away shoppers, as stores display photographs and videos of models in underwear.
There have been multiple reasons speculated as to the brand’s decline But there are further failures to take into account. Up to this point, Victoria’s Secret has demonstrated a misunderstanding of its market. It has fought against the forces of inclusivity and refused to cast transgender models, as many of its customers wish. Executive Ed Razek was quoted by the BBC as saying by the: “Shouldn’t we have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.” It is possible that the company is beginning to modernise as it reflects on its failings. In August 2019, transgender model Valentina Sampaio was allegedly cast, and the runway show is set to feature a
(StockSnap vis Pixabay)
number of models of colour.
“I didn’t feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am” But the move speaks of inauthenticity and a low-effort approach to the issues. New online underwear brands such as Savage
x Fenty and Nubian Skin have championed progressive values like body positivity for years. These brands resonate with Millennials and Gen Z, and have seen their market share increase as a result: from 28.1% in 2013 to 36.2% in 2018. The fact is that more than ever, consumers are choosing to buy from companies that align with
their values. The opportunity for Victoria’s Secret to adapt to its market came years ago, and the company chose not to cash in.
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PALATINATE | Wednesday 2nd October 2019
11
“Speaking truth to power” Tim Luckhurst
Profile
Profile speaks to journalist and academic Tim Luckhurst about the Romanian Revolution, the ethical duties
of reporting, and the challenges facing modern media Alexandra Beste Profile Editor From pursuing a career in journalism to working within academia, Tim Luckhurst is a person accustomed to asking questions. Now that he is joining the Durham community as Principal of South College and Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor Engagement, I decided to turn the tables and ask him the questions for a change.
“I had the joy of going to a new college at an ancient university and taking part in creating its traditions” As Principal of South College, Tim will be taking on the responsibility of launching Durham’s newest college. To some, this challenge may seem daunting, but this is not Tim’s first rodeo. He explained that as an undergraduate at Robinson College, Cambridge, ‘I had the joy of going to a new college at an ancient university and taking part in creating its traditions, its societies… I really want to bring some of the excitement and pioneering experience that I enjoyed as an undergraduate and hopefully inspire that at South College.’ Since his university days, Tim has continued to bring this ‘pioneering spirit’ to new projects. He was one of the senior members of the team that launched Radio 5 Live at the BBC, the founding head of the Centre for Journalism at the University of Kent, and the founder of KMTV, ‘the only university-based commercial television station in the UK’. What links all of these endeavours is his dedication to journalism. At the age of 26 years old, Tim first joined the world of journalism, working for the Today programme at Radio 4.
“I’d come to work with my wallet, my passport and my credit card” ‘I wanted to be a journalist for one absolutely straightforward reason: I wanted to do something
that was really important, and I think that journalism’s role in informing democracy, in speaking truth to power, and in holding power to account is an essential foundation of democracy.’ ‘I also recognized very early in my life that journalism… is one of the few jobs in which you can do something that really matters whilst also having an exciting career and not doing the same thing every day. It never let me down in that respect.’ A clear example of this was Tim’s experience covering the R o m a n i a n Revolution. One day in 1989, his editor came into the newsroom and stated that there was trouble being reported in the western Romanian town of Timișoara. Tim recounts, ‘I’d come to work with my wallet, my passport and my credit card, because that’s what we were always told to do. The editor said, “Who’s got wallet, passport and credit card?” I said, “I have”… and literally ten minutes later we were in a cab to Heathrow.’ After landing in what was then Yugoslavia and assuring the car rental desk at Belgrade airport that ‘under no circumstances’ would they take the car anywhere near Romania, the reporters drove straight to the border of a country which had not let in Western journalists for several decades. ‘We sat at the border for nearly eight hours whilst the border guards worked out what they could do. It was pretty clear though that the regime was falling because there were Securitate men fleeing across the field beside the border post.’
Finally, they were allowed to enter Romania. It was inside the Eastern Bloc state that Tim witnessed the ‘brutal fighting between those who supported the democratic cause and those were defending the regime.’ His ‘single most powerful memory’ is from Boxing Day, 1989. Tim and his colleague were at the rebel-held radio station in Timișoara when news came from the capital that the Romanian
President and Romanian Communisty Party General Secretary, Nicolae Ceaușescu, had been executed.
“We sat at the border for almost eight hours whilst the border guards worked out what they could do” ‘We made the mistake of saying that was a tragedy, by which
we meant that we felt that even though he’d been an appalling man, he deserved a fair trial. One of the rebels looked at me and said, “Yes you’re right, we should have tortured him first” – which is certainly not what we meant.’ Following this first experience in conflict reporting, Tim went on to cover the Gulf War in 1991 for BBC Radio 4 and the conflicts in Northern Ireland during the mid-1990s for Radio 5 Live. As a reporter for The Scotsman and other newspapers, he also wrote about the violence in Kosovo and Serbia during the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Referring to the lessons he learned while reporting in such high-pressure situations, Tim explains, ‘When people tell you stories of the other side’s brutality, you have to be very careful not to be used as an agent of propaganda, but to check thoroughly and to the best of your ability whether those allegations are true before you refer to them.’ He adds, ‘As a reporter, you have a great responsibility to accuracy. That is the greatest ethical duty that a reporter has - you must tell the truth.’ Here, Tim’s academic focus intersects with his journalistic work. Taking an interest in evacuation policies, conscientious objection, and the area bombing of German cities, he studies how journalists challenged the government during World War Two. ‘The duty to speak truth to power is never more compelling than in a democracy at war’, he
states, ‘and the Second World War tests the journalist’s duty to perform that role.’ While Tim’s academic research looks to the past, the former reporter also deliberates on the nature of journalism in the twenty-first century. ‘I think that the biggest single problem journalism faces at the moment is not the excellence of professional reporting… the problem is that vast numbers of people are not reading, watching or listening to that reporting,’ he argues. ‘They are instead taking their news from the echo chamber of social media. That is not news. That is unmediated prejudice and opinion.’
“The former reporter also deliberates on the nature of journalism in the twenty-first century” Tim views this as an issue of legal accountability towards accuracy. ‘Newspapers and broadcasters are treated as publishers. And as publishers, we are responsible for the content we publish…Facebook, Google, the social media giants deny that they are publishers… If they were treated as publishers, then they would have to take care to ensure that everything they published was accurate, decent, and honest.’ Another cause for concern is the issue of offence. ‘I worry that we have begun to confuse offence and harm,’ he explains. ‘I take the view that we can choose to be offended, and we can choose not to be offended... I don’t think we can choose not to be harmed.’ It is on this note that Tim gives a call to action. ‘I think that by hearing those with whom I profoundly disagree, I equip myself to argue effectively against them... We should never close our ears to them, because that is to deny ourselves knowledge, information and wisdom.’
To see more Palatinate Profile interviews, including Anton du Beke and Ed Gamble visit: palatinate.org.uk/category/ profile
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
12
SciTech
A penny for your thoughts: How do people think?
Hannah Goldswain SciTech Editor Thinking is second nature. We are constantly thinking about what we did, what to do next, what hasn’t been done. But what is the language of thinking? Is it words or numbers that pop into our heads as we mull things over? Pictures or colours? And if it is, how could we accomplish the unthinkable- thinking about how we think about the things we think? If ‘think’ doesn’t even sound like a word to you anymore then we’re in the same boat. But your internal monologue must amount to something other than judging everyone’s outfit choice in Jimmy’s. And when it’s pondering other things like that formative you haven’t handed in again, or which potato college will dish up tomorrowhow are you thinking it? Are you reeling off the words like a script
(why is everyone wearing flares?), seeing the image of that essay loom in your mind’s eye, or is it an emotional response (please not boiled potatoes again)?
It seems that our thoughts are more varied than we may anticipate It turns out that how you think is quite difficult to assess and quantify, because once you start thinking about it you have lost your previous train of thought. The perfect catch-22. So, whatever you were thinking, and however you were thinking it, remain a mystery. This begs the question of how psychologists investigate how people think. Psychologist Charles Fernyhough, a professor in psychology at Durham University, has teamed up with Russell Hurlburt, a psychologist at the University of Nevada, to look at what the inner experience of thinking consists of.
According to Hurlburt’s decade of research training people to view their inner experience of thought with more clarity, it seems that our thoughts are more varied than we may anticipate. A common misconception includes people thinking they think in words, when in fact words don’t seem to feature as much. But researching the inner experience is easier said than done, as most people are not used to focusing on their thoughts in such a way. Prompts and questions to investigate thinking can lead people to think or answer a certain way that will inaccurately represent people’s experiences. Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) is a method to delve into people’s thoughts that Hurlburt started to develop in the 1970s. It involves a portable device that is kept on you throughout day-to-day life. The idea is for it to beep unexpectedly and for you to cast your mind to what you
were thinking just before the beep. A psychologist then asks you what was on your mind and tries to figure out what form your thoughts took in the moments before the beeps, which occur several times a day.
Maybe there’s more to the daydreams of Sunday Night Klute than you thought In 2013, Hurlburt helped put together a review on DES which highlighted huge individual differences between people in how much time they spend talking to themselves in their head, with inner speaking ranging from 100% down to 0% in participants. This led to the formation of five categories of inner experience: inner speaking, inner seeing, feelings, sensory awareness and unsymbolised thinking. So, if you don’t talk to yourself (and even if you do), you’re still covered.
Turning to brain scans to examine if there are any correlations between what people say they are thinking and what is happening in the brain, Hurlburt and Fernyhough collaborated to investigate the use of fMRI scans. Initially trained in DES, participants were recorded during fMRI scans to see how the brain processes things. Results for the five participants were published in 2018 and suggest that what people say they are thinking about and what is actually occurring in their brain correlate. Fernyhough told the BBC that there is “a really interesting correlation between what’s going on in their brains and what they say is going on.” More participants in these studies could provide food for thought on how we think things the way we do. Maybe there’s more to the daydreams of Sunday Night Klute than you thought?
Hangovers and why we’re so familiar with them Hannah Goldswain SciTech Editor It’s Freshers’ Week. We’re talking seven nights out on the trot, or at the very least a pint in the college bar. But, apart from making you nap through all your induction lectures, why do we get hangovers and why do some people not at all? Hangovers are a product of excessive amounts of alcohol the night before. You might not need to be told, but they result in the disruption (or total avoidance) of everyday tasks, having both mental and physical impacts on the body. Hangovers vary depending on the alcohol consumed, and rumour has it that red wine is good for you, but it can still leave lasting hangovers. So pick your formal wines carefully. Whilst ethanol is the ultimate undoing of alcoholic beverages, drinks also contain by-products of the alcohol processing stages which are know as congeners. These include chemicals such as acetaldehyde, acetone and methanol, which add to the taste and aroma of a beverage. Once in the body, enzymes metabolise the
congeners. However, some linger around longer than others. At high concentrations, the metabolised products of methanol can cause blindness, while at lower concentrations they have similarly significant, although less drastic symptoms. Support for this is demonstrated by alcohols containing more methanol, such as whiskey, brandy and red wine, which give more pronounced hangovers than those with less methanol, such as white wine, vodka and gin.
A hangover induces a sort of ‘jet-lag’ effect as the nightly sleep is disrupted Alcohol is toxic to the body, so the immune system gets involved in its expulsion. To remove alcohol from the body we produce chemicals called cytokines, which have several jobs in immune responses to infection. The cytokines produced after alcohol consumption contribute to the inflammatory response and lead to hangover symptom development. Humans contain over 1000 species of microbiota in the body, with most of them necessary for bodily functions to be carried out. But how do 3 jäger bombs for £5 relate
to all those microbiota? Several studies have shown that alcohol consumption causes changes in the intestinal and oral microbiota compositions in humans and rodents. This dysbiosis causes increased levels of pro-inflammatory bacteria and decreased levels of antiinflammatory bacteria and an overall reduction in gut health. Without the microbiota balance needed for a healthy gut, the intestinal barrier is compromised, causing a ‘leaky gut’, which leads to pro-inflammatory cytokine production and escape and a worsening hangover. Whilst there are many chemical responses firing throughout the body during a hangover, there might be a more simple explanation for them: disrupting your daily routine. The early hours of partying when your brain should be dreaming of further reading and seminars might be the key to your next-day headache. The disruption of circadian rhythm, the body’s 24 hour body clock, could contribute to hangover symptoms and a restored circadian rhythm has been found to be imperative in hangover recovery in rodents. A hangover induces a sort of ‘jet-lag’ effect as
Skittledog via Creative Commons the nightly sleep, temperature and growth hormone release pattern is disrupted. How is it, then, that there’s always one who claims to avoid hangovers. They wake up after the same heavy night as you, fresh as a daisy while you’re confined to a day in. And it seems that for 23% of people, being bright eyed and bushy tailed the day after a night out is a reality. Hangover resistance is suggested to have graced around a fifth of the population with no apparent reason why. But looking further into this with a group of Dutch students claiming to never get hangovers revealed that they simply weren’t drinking enough to get one. And they’re not the only ones to provide data like this. A group of UK students surveyed re-
vealed a similar case, where 65% of hangover negative students had a blood alcohol content of the same or less than 0.08%, the legal UK driving limit, which was therefore not enough to give hangover symptoms. Which begs the question- does hangover immunity actually exist? What one study did reveal was that alcohol is metabolised at different rates in different people. The people who metabolised alcohol faster and had less in their urine had fewer hangover symptoms, suggesting your hangover immunity could be in your genes.
Want to write for us? Send an email to scitech@palatinate.org.uk
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
14
Politics
Moscow elections: results and implicatons
Charles Kershaw The recent elections in Russia brought about surprising results and troubling consequences. Although polls were held across the country, the city council elections in Moscow had the most impactful results. Moreover, they occurred amidst brutal crackdowns by police on demonstrators, the biggest in almost a decade.
The elections occurred amidst brutal crackdowns by police on demonstrators For many years, Vladimir Putin’s party, United Russia, has had a firm grip on power and a strong majority in parliament. Yet, in a surprising upset, United Russia barely held onto their majority. They lost 13 seats on the Moscow city council, going down from 38 to 25. What might have been an entirely unremarkable municipal election has caused both pro and anti-Kremlin supporters to hail it as a victory. Alexei Navalny, one of the main leaders of the opposition, attributed the loss of seats to the tactic of “smart voting”: voting for can-
didates who had the best chance of beating a candidate supported by the Kremlin. On the other hand, Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed the vote was “successful for United Russia” and that the party had “demonstrated its political leadership”.
Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed the vote was “successful for United Russia” All this begs the question of how beneficial this election has been for either side. Will Putin and his party continue to hold power for the foreseeable future, unabashed by protests and a loss of seats? Or is this the beginning of the end for the President and his party? Well, things are perhaps not so clear cut. Granted, this is a victory for the opposition, albeit a small one. It is worth noting that despite the increase in support for opposition candidates, voter turnout was exceedingly low at only 22%. It is possible that due to continuous accusations of vote tampering in elections, primarily through ballotstuffing, the electorate question the validity of the Russian democratic process and suspect that United
AndreyFilippov.com From Creative Commons Russia will stay in power as they have done since the early 2000s.
Parties that are mostly loyal to United Russia give the appearance of democracy Moreover, many of the opposition candidates were barred from standing. Putin dismissed concerns
over the matter, stating that “it is quality not quantity that is important”. The fact that these parties managed to win seats is marred by the fact that the parties that could stand, apart from the liberal Yabloko party, are part of Russia’s systemic opposition: parties that are mostly loyal to United Russia in order to give the appearance of de-
mocracy. Thus, in actuality Putin’s grasp on government is much the same as always. However, what it does prove is that smart voting has been effective and the elections further prove a rise in support for pro-democracy candidates. United Russia’s popularity has started to wane. The opposition can see this as a victory, if only a small one.
Debate: Is it worth protesting Brexit? Jack Parker Politics Editor On the 3rd September, the evening in which MPs were preparing to outlaw a no-deal Halloween Brexit and Boris Johnson was prepared to dismiss 21 of his own party, a couple of hundred protesters gathered in Parliament Square. There seemed to be an aimlessness in the air, a futility that was strange considering the severity of the events unfolding across the street. Protests like this, devoid of media presence and on an evening when the attention of those in power is firmly directed elsewhere, begs the question: is there any point in protesting Brexit? Brexit has driven us to unprecedented levels of protest – around a million people filled the streets of London earlier this year to campaign for a People’s Vote in the UK’s largest protest since the Iraq War. Ultimately, however, it’s hard to conclude that protests are ever successful. Protests for a People’s Vote and against prorogation and Donald Trump have all been futile. Democracy necessarily reduces complicated and multifaceted is-
sues to binary choices. The result is that voters with hugely divergent views can be categorised (or miscategorised) by the powerbrokers in Westminster.
Brexit has driven us to unprecedented levels of protest On every normal issue, if we feel our representatives have misread our will, we can kick them out after a few years and move on with our lives. Brexit is not a normal issue. We can’t do the hokey-cokey with our membership of the European Union, because once we’re out, that’s it. The permanence of Brexit is what makes it more important and amplifies its contentiousness and the apparent need to protest. People can either carry on protesting every decision they disagree with, or accept that not knowing exactly what people want is a natural part of the democratic process, and wait until the polling stations open to tell our representatives if they’ve misunderstood us.
Tom Mitchell Deputy Editor Why protest? Bluntly, because the alternative is to give up.
When 52% of the population demand 100% of the spoils, when a reckless government flirts with calamity, when second referendums are denied, laws broken and petitions ignored, peacefully protesting is the symbolic last resort for those of us who are Brexit heretics. There are, of course, also practical advantages to taking to the streets. Increasing the visibility of a cause, showing the depth and strength of opposition, fostering solidarity amongst participants and building relations between activists are all widely-recognised benefits of protesting.
There are, of course, also practical advantages to taking to the streets Furthermore, a study by Harvard University has found that the primary effect of protests is to motivate and energise the participants, who are then more effective dissenters over the long-term. The anti-Brexit march earlier this year turned apathy into activism and made the middle-classes militant. However, with Brexit, the value of protesting is even more profound. 2016’s referendum unleashed a
bizarre tyranny of the majority on the country. We are now a populous riven by profound disagreements on the sort of nation we want to be, and yet the real power brokers in Westminster seek to completely ignore the views of the 16.1 million who voted Remain.
Leaving the EU without a deal would be an astonishing act of national self-harm Leaving the EU without a deal would be an astonishing act of national self-harm, and it would be the demographics that principally voted to Remain (or who were too young even to vote) who would be tasked with salvaging what they could from the wreckage. With compromise now a dirty word, Remainers are left with a stark choice: resign themselves to being a beaten, ignored, voiceless minority, or protest and say ‘not in our name’. I know which option I prefer.
REALITY CHECK? For sources on this and all our articles please see our online editions at www.palatinate.org.uk
(michaelday_bath via Flickr)
PALATINATE | Wednesday 2nd October 2019
15
Politics
Hong Kong protests: where are we now? Tabatha Baylis Let’s have a quick recap. The original protests starting March 31st this year were sparked by an extradition bill, allowing suspects in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China for trial.
The bill caused an outcry that drove hundreds of thousands onto the streets
A sobering reminder of the countdown to 2047, when Hong Kong’s semi-autonomous status will come to an end, the bill caused an outcry that drove hundreds of thousands onto the streets. Condemning it as a “dragnet over all of Hong Kong,” critics of the bill are worried that China would take advantage of this law to a rbitrarily detain Hongkongers - for example, those who openly dissent against the Chinese govern-
ment or advocate for human rights. The resulting turmoil has been in place for 24 weeks and counting, with Carrie Lam having announced the bill’s withdrawal over 10 days ago, despite officials in Beijing declaring that there would be no concessions the day before. In light of the timing, Mrs Lam’s concession has been dismissed as too little, too late, and protests are now being sustained by broader grievances against the Chinese gov-
ernment and its efforts to impose greater control over Hong Kong. Few in Beijing would dare to openly condemn Mr Xi for the government’s handling of the protests. However, there have been murmurs that his authoritarian control and concentration of power may have promoted the government’s underestimation, or genuine obliviousness to, the depth of animosity among the Hong Kong people towards the mainland. Beijing has since been slow to adapt, resulting in a widening political severance between China’s government and many of the seven million Hongkongers that reside in an international hub of trade and finance.
Beijing has intensified its propaganda in the wake of protests
Studio Incendo via Flickr
In a private remark to business leaders that was leaked and published, Mrs Lam herself provided a candid view on Beijing’s position: “Maybe they don’t care about Hong Kong, but they care about ‘one country, two systems.’ They care about the country’s international profile. It has taken
China a long time to build up to that sort of international profile.” For the time being, Beijing has intensified its propaganda in the wake of the protests, launching an information (and disinformation) campaign against the protesters and opposition leaders. Hongkongers, along with the city itself , have been portrayed as spoilt and ungrateful, oblivious to the gifts bestowed upon them by Beijing. Although, this patronising dismissal of Hong Kong rings hollow when faced with the aggression attributed to the Chinese police, of which a number of concerning stories have come to light. Disturbing footage of policeand triad membersattacking citizens riding the MTR has surfaced on the internet, and a first aider was shot by police with a rubber bullet, resulting in the loss of her eye. For some, this will be a last cry for democracy before Hong Kong is swallowed into the mainland, putting the ‘one country, two systems’ policy to rest. For others, it is the beginning of a new revolutionary era for the financial hub. It remains to be seen whether either is right. Mr. Xi continues to remain silent about the protests.
Death of Mugabe: Nationalist, Liberator, Tyrant Sarah Nalepa Zimbabwe’s National Stadium boasts 60,000 seats (for reference the O₂ arena has 20,000), and Robert Mugabe’s funeral renders the stadium 75% empty. A fitting end, perhaps, for a man who evoked much criticism during his lifetime.
Mugabe supported the Ghanaian government’s aim to create equality in education Mugabe was born in South Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1924, just months after it became a British colony, resulting in the subjugation of the black majority population. He studied at the University College of Fort Hare in South Africa. His graduation in 1951 made him unique as education did not exceed grammar school for the majority of his fellow countrymen. As a self-declared Marxist, Mugabe supported the Ghanaian government’s aim to create equality in education. In 1960, Mugabe returned to South Rhodesia. Here, tens of thousands of black families were displaced, which was a horrific dis-
play of colonial racism that angered Mugabe’s core ethos of equality. When one traces the early career of Mugabe, one sees a man of great potential geared to empower black communities. Indeed, when he formed the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) with Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole in 1963, this was his goal. He spent ten years in prison for “subversive speech”, and then led the Patriotic Front in the civil war to fight against the white-ruled government. In 1980, Mugabe’s party (now ZANU-PF) became the elected government. He initially improved life for black Zimbabweans, increasing earnings and opportunities. White people, in their masses, left Zimbabwe. Yet his hunger for power became evident. He converted Zimbabwe into a one-party state, becoming its first executive president in 1987. The economy was in decline, leading to much civil unrest. Farmers were ousted from their farms and inexperienced individuals stepped in. This act, combined with a drought, led to food shortages. In the 1980s, the Gukurahundi massacres killed more than 20,000 civilians of the Ndebele
community (who largely supported Mugabe’s rival). Mugabe denied being guilty at the time, but it is now believed he was culpable. He cut media freedom, beat and harassed the opposition, and his mass demolitions rendered tens of thousands of people homeless. In 2007, Zimbabwe had the highest rate of inflation in the world and most people had little access to basic necessities. Nonetheless, he was endorsed by his party for the 2008 elections.
His final political moment was one of failure when he resigned His final political moment was one of failure when he resigned in 2017. Mugabe exemplifies how intelligence and determination can deteriorate into corruption and violence under the power grapple of politics. President Mnangagwa claims to have plans to boost the damaged
Yann MACHEREZ via LinkedIn economy. However, he is seen as cunning, and was linked with some of the worst atrocities of ZANU-PF. One young woman, Itai Chikwenga, echoed the respect for Mugabe some people still hold: “Bread is now 10 dollars. Robert Mugabe would have said “enough is enough, make it one dollar.” And it would have been one dollar.” she says, taking her seat in a vacuous stadium whilst anti- Mugabe protests rage on throughout Zimbabwe.
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Politics
Monday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
Vive la France, Vive la Flag
Rollo Speak Politicians and institutions find it crucial to maintain a strong sense of nationhood by highlighting what makes a good citizen, teaching us to love our country, and that people from other places are in some ways fundamentally different from us. Most people group up knowing where they are from and are proud of their nationality. So why did the French government decide to introduce a new law making it mandatory for all primary and secondary classrooms to display the French flag? Is the French youth forgetting where they come from? Probably not.
It is unsurprising that the rule was introduced by a rightwing politician It is unsurprising that the rule was introduced by a right-wing politician, which makes the question of why the government allowed the amendment to be approved altogether more interesting. More controversially, classrooms must also now display the lyrics to the French national anthem and the national motto, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”. With much of the criticism predictable in its condemnation of being too nationalistic a policy, it is important to understand why the French government felt it necessary to take such steps towards
placing national identity on the political agenda.
French voters may be swayed towards the centre by superficial symbols of national pride One reason could be to curb voters from leaning towards influential far-right figures such as Marine Le Pen, who beat Macron’s party in the recent European elections. A move such as implementing mandatory French flags may sentimentally appease Eurosceptic voters, giving them the feeling that the French way of life has not been forgotten by the enthusiastically pro-European government. Much like the UK’s mawkish decision to return to blue coloured passports, French voters may be swayed back towards the centre by similarly superficial symbols of national pride. However, what does this move say about national identity in the political sphere? It is nothing new to see politicians utilising patriotism and nationhood as a means to rally voters to their side. Therefore, what is unique in this situation is that what it means to be French is becoming more contentious to define.
No longer can politicians easily dismiss minority communities
No longer can politicians easily dismiss minority communities that exist and make up a large part of a nation. If one tries to find all the markers which encapsulate the perfect French citizen, there would be plenty of exclusion, disagreement, and the realisation that such a task is almost impossible. Is it language or accent? Is it ancestry? Is it race? So, with a country as diverse as
France, it would seem that the only way to bring everyone together and push forward nationhood without discrimination is through a Foucauldian panopticon of the ever-gazing French flag. Students from all backgrounds will be walking into the same class and see the same tricolore and revolutionary motto pinned on the wall. Whoever you are, and whatever group of people you represent, the
fdecomite via Flickr French government is telling you, through perhaps one of the only universally approved symbols of nationhood left, that you are firstly French; everything else is second.
Students from all backgrounds will see the same tricolore and revolutionary motto pinned on the wall
Lib Dem’s pledge to revoke Article 50: a claim too bold? Tanay Vankayalapati The Liberal Democrats have pledged to revoke Article 50 if they secure a majority in the upcoming general election, without recourse of a second referendum as previously supported. This radical shift in policy gained an overwhelming majority by its members on Sunday during their party conference in Bournemouth.
This radical shift in policy gained an overhwleming majority by its members The party membership want to provide hope to those who voted Remain in the 2016 referendum, now accompanied by Leavers who have since changed their minds. But critics have dismissed the decision as undemocratic, or just another false promise by the Lib Dems - many have not yet forgotten about the tuition fee pledge.
The party is unique in continually supporting the EU Jo Swinson’s unequivocal proRemain position has aided the party in doubling its membership since the referendum in 2016. The party is unique in continually supporting the EU, evidenced by their ‘Bollocks to Brexit’ campaign; separating themselves from their rival parties divided down the middle by the issue. Perhaps the new policy has been carefully configurated to do just this, distinguishing their Brexit message from others in the Commons. Ms Swinson, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, claims that “when we have an election, if we haven’t had a People’s Vote, people will be looking to resolve the issue of Brexit, and there are so many people in this country who are so sick of hearing about it.” Could this explicit message be interpreted as an attempt to alienate
Leave voters further, or even the Remainers clinging onto the possibility of a second referendum? The latter appears to be the politically viable action to take, even if argued to be somewhat undemocratic. So why have the Lib Dems jumped the gun, given the unlikely chance of gaining a majority? Perhaps they are opposing Brexit, or at least as much as it possible for them to do so, as a propaganda tool to demonstrate they are the only party with clear intentions. For Remainers, it provides certainty after years of failed negotiations, over the prolonged alternative of an agreed second referendum followed by the ambivalent result. Essentially, the party’s new position would mean cutting out the middle-man.
that this is simply undemocratic, and something tells us we are unable to trust the party which has failed to keep promises in the past. Although providing certainty on
the surface, it seems as though the Lib Dems are just another liability, simmering into the division found amongst all parties on the issue of Brexit.
For Remainers, it provides certainty after years of failed negotiations However, our intuitions tell us
‘Dunk’ via Flickr
PALATINATE | Wednesday 2nd October 2019
17
Why I’ll miss Argentine football
Sport
Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero details his love for Argentine football
Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero Sports Editor It is towards the end of my first experience of Argentine football that I realise people live the game differently here. Huracán, the team I have come to support, are drawing 0-0 against their bitter rivals San Lorenzo in the first round of the Copa Superliga. The home side have just won a penalty in the dying minutes, sending the stadium into delirium. Lucas Barrios steps up to take it and… misses. The mood in the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó switches in an instant as the referee blows his whistle, signalling the match will go to penalties. My friend has his head in his hands and looks as if he is about to cry. He looks upwards at the sky and grabs his shirt. “Por Dios, ¿porqué?”, he shouts. For the love of God, why? Then he unleashes a string of swear words. But things are about to get worse for Huracán. Barrios (who else?) balloons his effort off the crossbar and into the crowd, and then San Lorenzo’s goalkeeper saves one. Huracán keeper Fernando Pellegrino replies with a stop of his own, but Andrés Rentería keeps his nerve for the deciding penalty. He and his teammates run to the corner to celebrate, and the whistle blows to a backdrop of total silence. Even with the ban on away fans in Argentina, it was strange to see a stadium which had been bouncing moments earlier stunned into silence like that. It was just one of the ways Argentine football surprised me during the five months I spent in Buenos Aires. There was the time a group of Argentinos Juniors fans gathered in front of Boca Juniors players to hurl abuse at them as they warmed up before a ball had even been kicked, when one man landed a ball of spit on Darío Benedetto’s head. Or the time Independiente supporters streamed forward and threw missiles at the referee as he consulted the VAR monitor by the side of the pitch. Football here is a game of extremes. Then there was the deafening sound of the Bombonera at kickoff, with 49,000 people stuffed inside the yellow-and-blue cauldron singing at the top of their voices in unison. Visiting Boca’s famous stadium is a pilgrimage for any football fan, and I doubt I will ever experience an atmosphere like it again. It is hard to believe any side could lose with that kind of support behind them. With over 20 professional teams in the city and its suburbs,
Buenos Aires can legitimately claim to be the football capital of the world. Going to any match is a unique experience; the chants are constant, the lyrics almost as colourful as the sea of shirts on display in the stands. The old-school stadia are historical relics themselves, and it is not uncommon to feel the ground beneath you shake when a goal is scored.
Then there was the deafening sound of the Bombonera at kick-off, with 49,000 people stuffed inside Every stadium has its own story, its own piece of Argentina’s footballing past. Take Huracán’s Tomás Ducó with its art-deco tower, fondly known as El Palacio, which my friends were only too happy to explain was the first Argentine stadium to feature in an Oscar-winning movie. Or Argentinos’ ground, where a 15year old Diego Maradona once juggled a ball for the delight of thousands of spectators at halftime of every match. These days, the stadium is named after El Diego and players make their way onto a pitch through an inflatable tunnel in his likeness. This is Argentina, after all. Of course, Argentine football has its problems. Almost all the games I saw were cagey affairs where teams seemed more interested in keeping a clean sheet than scoring. There was little in the way of stylish play, and players seemed to lack fitness. That is only natural in a league where the most promising players make their way to Europe early in their careers, leaving behind a strange mix of journeymen and youngsters who are not quite good enough. The more serious issue is fan violence, which led to the Argentine FA banning all away fans at matches after the death of a supporter in 2013. The radical groups of fans known as the barra bravas still exercise a huge amount of power at the top clubs, and are often the ones tasked with maintaining atmosphere in the stadia. In return, they decide who benefits from the club’s success.
Almost all the games I saw were cagey affairs where teams seemed more interested in keeping a clean sheet than scoring. The farce of the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate last year
The mood in the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó switches in an instant (Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero)
showcased these problems on a global scale, but in truth it could have been far worse. It was a group of River barras who allegedly attacked Boca’s team bus as it made its way to the Monumental stadium for the second leg of the final in November, with Boca players hit by tear gas entering through the bus’s broken windows. There were ugly scenes outside the ground as supporters clashed with security forces, and questions asked of policing after the bus was redirected down the same street where River fans usually assemble. The match was called off and moved to Madrid due to security concerns, the irony of the trophy named after South America’s Liberators being awarded in the Spanish capital seemingly lost on the CONMEBOL. The difficulty lies in the way football and politics are so closely intertwined. Current President Mauricio Macri was the president of Boca for over a decade, Independiente president Hugo Moyano is one of the country’s most powerful trade unionists, while San Lorenzo vice-president Marcelo Tinelli is a TV magnate said to have political aspirations. Football is often a platform to government, and barras are invaluable to politicians. A lobby group called Salvemos al Fútbol – Let’s Save Football – keeps an up-to-date list of all football-related deaths in Argentina. There are 332 names on the list dating back to 1922, the
latest fatality a 21-year old River fan called Exequiel Neris who was stabbed to death on 9 December 2018 by a group of Boca fans after celebrating his side’s triumph in that Superclásico final. This month the two giants of Argentine football meet again in the semifinals of the same competition. It is right, then, to ask whether all this passion is worth it. I never witnessed any football-related violence, but it was easy to see how the vitriol in the stands could translate into physical aggression. Can you have the sound and colour of Argentine football without the violence it causes?
It is right, then, to ask whether all this passion is worth it. That is a question for someone who has spent more time studying Argentina, but it would be wrong to tar all fans with the same brush. The vast majority of Argentine fans are ordinary people who let their emotions out on a Saturday afternoon. The supporters I spoke to were overwhelmingly welcoming and always wanted to hear more about English football culture. They are hugely passionate, but that is what makes Argentine football so special. There are also plenty of ways football is still a force for good. The rise of the women’s game, for instance, is intrinsically linked to the burgeoning #NiUnaMenos feminist movement. In March Boca took apart Lanús in the first
women’s match to be held at the Bombonera, a landmark moment for the game in Argentina. Then in the summer the women’s national team recorded their first ever World Cup point in France against 2015 finalists Japan and came close to making the last 16. For a team who had been systematically neglected by their own federation for years and had not played at all between 2015 and 2017, it was a huge achievement. But the most remarkable story I heard during my time in Buenos Aires was that of Fulham fan Henry May, who fell in love with Huracán when he was living there in 2008. On his return to the UK, he founded a Sunday league team called Huracán FC London who made national headlines when they started gaining fans from the ‘real’ Huracán on Facebook. The club invited May and his friends to the Tomás Ducó for a game against their reserves, and fans treated them like celebrities. May has since set up The Huracán Foundation which funds projects that use football to improve education, and even now you will find Huracán London shirts dotted around the stadium on matchdays. That is why, for all its flaws, I will miss the Argentine game. This is a country which loves its football, where there is a passion for the sport which does not exist elsewhere. As my favourite football shirt seller Lito put it, “Everyone is fanatical here”. And that is something which is hard to get out of your system.
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
18
Sport
Meet the captains
DU and college captains speak to Palatinate about their sports teams
College Sport introduction Polly Pearse College Sport is a great way to socialise, try new sports and fully immerse yourself in the Durham University experience. Competing for your college against other colleges, there are twenty different sports available to get involved in, ranging from Rugby, Football, and Netball to Ultimate Frisbee, Pool, and Cheerleading. With over eight-hundred teams taking part there is something out there for everyone no matter the ability, experience or preferred commitment level. Fixtures are played on the weekends with floodlit knockout competitions running on mid-week evenings. The competitiveness between colleges provides a great atmosphere for spectators, especially in the Floodlit Cup which is a great social occasion for both teams and supporters. But if playing sport isn’t your thing, you can join the twohundred-and-fifty student officials and coaches who help to deliver the programme. Head to the College Sport website to find out more about the programme and get to know your College Sport Officer who oversees the day to day organisation of sport in your college. Make sure you attend your College Sports Fair where you will be able to meet the team captains of all the sports clubs available at your college. Sign up and get involved! The most important thing to remember is that college sport is for everyone so do not be afraid to give it a go, and good luck to everyone in their fixtures over the coming term!
Touch Rugby Anyalemma Igwe Touch Rugby is one of the UK’s fastest growing and most exciting sports. Experience what it’s all about with Durham University Touch Rugby Club (DUTRC), a mixed club offering both competitive and social Touch. Touch is a non-contact version of rugby which is a thrilling sport that is great for fitness and is already massively popular in the southern hemisphere. Touch’s emphasis on handling skills and agility make it a fantastic
complement to rugby. However, a rugby background is certainly not necessary to try Touch as the sport’s straightforward rules make it easy for anyone to pick up. DUTRC has already attracted many new players to Touch, all of whom have rapidly excelled at and enjoyed the sport. DUTRC is an ambitious and holistic club that balances its competitive aspirations with being a genuinely welcoming and bonded community. Despite being a brand-new Team Durham club, DUTRC has already claimed dominant victories in England’s premier university Touch competition: the University National Touch Series. This year, to further boost the club’s development, DUTRC will launch regular performance workshops run by current and ex-England Touch internationals. The club also organises and enters competitions of varying standards to ensure that all those who wish to compete may do so.
DUTRC is an ambitious and holistic club As well as competitive training, the club holds weekly ‘social’ sessions that are open to nonmember students and non-student O2 Touch members. These relaxed sessions are a perfect way to have fun and get fit with friends. Why not swing by for a free taster session? Find us on Facebook, Instagram (‘@ durhamuniversitytrc’) or via the O2 Touch app.
Women’s Rugby Erin Collins “Diversity is the one thing we all have in common”. I don’t know who said that but I’m betting they played Women’s rugby. With a huge variety of people, positions, shapes and sizes, this is a sport that refuses to be pigeonholed. Boasting one of largest women’s rugby programmes in the UK, Durham attracts top class players and total beginners; even some of our most famous players picked up a rugby ball for the first time right here. Whilst you are putting up with that pseudo-expert watching the World Cup in the bar why not try the real thing? Haven’t got a clue where to start? Most of us didn’t. So we joined our college team. We were a jumble of girls who
Members of the Durham University Women’s Rugby Football Club (Durham University)
turned up with borrowed kit and left covered in mud, with great new friends and huge smiles. College rugby is built on beginners because the teams are small. If you enjoy the Development Days or the University team, who are heavily involved in running the college system, has scouted you then DUWRFC is your next step. It truly feels like coming home to a huge muddy family because once you’ve shared long coach journeys and felt the thrill of putting on the Palatinate shirt you will realise that your weeks now revolve around Game Day on a Wednesday.
“Diversity is the one thing we all have in common” There are so many things we could say about Women’s rugby ask any of us and we’ll tell you! We were runners, netball girls, hockey gals and not-so-sporty types who found that picking up the ball and running with it is the best way to play the game. We were distinctly average and found a sport that made that a good thing. We were looking for something new, and we found a way to get fit, make friends and have fun! Interested? Check out your college team and DUWRFC on social media. We can’t wait to meet you.
Baseball Chris Sword Baseball is one of the fastestgrowing university sports in
Britain, with well over 1,000 registered members at more than 30 universities. Founded in 2016, Durham University Baseball has evolved from a small group of friends into one of the UK’s top baseball teams, with multiple national titles alongside regular top three finishes. As a club we are a very active team, training three-to-four times per week throughout the year. Our close ties with local teams also allow for regular friendlies during term-time, benefiting both seasoned players and players new to the game. Thinking of getting involved? You’re not the only one! Our truly international roster contains students from all corners of the globe. In 2018, our team at the National Finals in London consisted of players from seven countries. With some players joining as complete beginners, Durham University Baseball offers the chance for new and experienced players alike the chance to represent Team Durham. Durham University Baseball also completes an annual tour where our players can have the chance to play in some of the best baseball facilities abroad and competing against some of the best teams in Europe. In 2018, we visited and played an international friendly in the 1992 Olympic Park in Barcelona, and in 2019, we played in The Netherlands, the country with arguably the best baseball competitive structure in Europe. Durham University Baseball is holding taster sessions throughout fresher’s week. With two teams competing there are places for
new and existing students to get involved and represent the University. If you have any further questions email our president James Reilly at james.reilly@durham.ac.uk.
Tennis Olivia Christie Whether you’re looking to compete for the University at the top level, represent your college or simply pick up a racket for the first time, DULTC can offer you a range of opportunities to get involved in tennis at Durham. At the highest level, DULTC is consistently ranked the No. 1 university tennis club in the country, with both the men and women’s first teams regularly winning national titles. The club has six male and five female sides that compete on a weekly basis in BUCS leagues and competitions, whilst team players train indoors and have access to fitness suits, and strength and conditioning sessions. Trials for team spaces will take place during fresher’s week and we would be delighted to see many new faces, whatever your academic year. For more information about trials or anything else DULTC related make sure to visit our stand at the fresher’s fair on October 1st and 2nd. If competitive tennis is not for you, however, DULTC has a growing development programme that caters for all players, ranging from beginners right through to those just beneath the University team’s level.
PALATINATE | Wednesday 2nd October 2019
Students can receive coaching from some of our top postgrad tennis scholars. The sessions last for one-and-a-half hours every weekend and now take place across all three terms. This is a great opportunity for players to build their tennis skills and move from the advanced development squad into the main team. If you have any further questions please email our tennis coordinator Paul at paul.j.midgley@durham.ac.uk and don’t forget to visit our stand at Fresher’s Fair!
The College Barbarians Hockey Team Patrick Cox The standard of hockey at Durham University is very high, and thus successfully passing Hockey trials to enter the University teams is very hard and most are unsuccessful. As a result, the College Hockey League is of a very high standard, mixing competitive hockey with a more relaxed and social approach, even though the disparity in the standard of hockey between University and College level is apparent. Hild Bede Hockey Club is unique, as we not only compete in the college league but also in the
2017/18 season, and also wining the college Premiership that year. Such success is testament to the level of hockey played by the team whose increasingly cross-college roster enables us to provide an opportunity to play a unique brand of hockey.
The College Hockey League mixes competitive hockey with a relaxed approach Current players have since played for the University teams, and therefore the Barbarians Team is also a great way to develop further among other high-level players enabling success in trials the following year. Combining a relaxed college approach to a higher level of hockey, this is a new opportunity for all new and existing college hockey players at Durham University. We train once a week and play matches on Saturdays. If you are interested in joining, please contact patrick.r.cox@durham. ac.uk.
Cycling Jack Crook Cycling is a sport of both endurance and recreation; it can both push you to your limits and be a great way of getting away from the Durham bubble and clear your head. Durham University Cycling
Members of Durham University Touch Rugby (Durham University)
North East Hockey League against other local clubs and universities such as Newcastle and Durham itself. Previously, we have had a few players from other colleges play for us in the North East league, however this year we aim to push the idea of creating a Durham cross-college hockey team, the College Barbarians. The College Barbarians team will give college players, especially those who miss out in University trials, the ability to play a higher level of hockey than is provided in the college leagues. As a team we have been very successful, our proudest achievement would be beating the Durham University 4s twice in the
Club welcomes riders of all disciplines and abilities, providing a performance program to enable elite riders to train at elite level, as well as events to aid fitness and wellbeing. Whether you are just starting out as a cyclist, want to get involved in competitive racing, or continue to perform at an elite level DUCC has the programs and opportunities for you. DUCC consists of two parts, the road and mountain biking teams, both of which meet two-to-three times per week for group rides, along with social events on a regular basis. For the first time this year members will also have the opportunity to access a range of coached sessions aided by the new
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sports facilities at Maiden Castle that will allow a greater set up for indoor training and monitoring. In addition, we run many annual trips and training camps away which is a great way to enhance performance in a refreshing environment and bond as a team. This is a very exciting time for the club and is reflected in our results. Winning the BUCS road race and coming fourth in the Durham round of the Men’s Elite Tour Series are but a few highlights. We look forward to welcoming any prospective riders or established elite racers looking for a good training programme. You can find out more by exploring the difference sections of our website or by getting in touch via the contacts page. Rides are Wednesday (2pm), Saturday (9pm), and Sunday (9am) outside the Bill Bryson Library.
Rowing Jack Chrisp Rowing at Durham University is renowned across the country. The University boat club has won medals at Henley Royal Regatta and has many nationally acclaimed athletes amongst their current and alumni ranks and the ranks. However, rowing at Durham is also famous for another reason. It is one of only a handful of universities in the country to offer collegiate rowing as an alternative to the ultra-high pressure and performance focus of the University Boat Club. College rowing differs slightly to other college sports, too; as well as competing against each other, Durham college rowing clubs also compete in regional and national events, competing against schools, clubs and universities. All college boat clubs are furnished with their own boat house and fleets, all of which are looked after by the students. The beauty of college rowing, over and above the alternative ways it provides for rowing at Durham, is that it offers something for everyone. There is a place just as much a place for people who just fancy going for a little paddle and people who have never picked up an oar ‘blade’ in their life as there is for highly experienced and committed rowers. To illustrate this, I will draw on the example of Collingwood College Boat club (CCBC), of which I am a member. No matter your standard or commitment level there will be a boat for you at CCBC.
All colleges also offer the chance for people who have never rowed before to get involved in the sport.
Sport
Members of Durham Divas (Durham University)
The top boats regularly compete on the highest stages university rowing has to offer such as BUCS regatta and Henley Royal and Henley Women’s Regatta. For those who want it there is regular training, with 2-3 water sessions (some of which take place on the River Tyne) and 2-3 ERG sessions a week, as well as weights and mobility. However, this is not to say if you join the club you will have to train like an elite level athlete. There are many boats for people who are perhaps not so committed and do not want to train so rigorously; people who love rowing but hate getting out of bed at 6am. Such boats still have the opportunity to compete and have success, entering local regattas here in Durham and the surrounding area. All colleges also offer the chance for people who have never rowed before to get involved in the sport. Novice development programs are focused on getting people on the water and enjoying themselves. Such programmes also offer novices the opportunity to quickly start competing at regional events, and in some cases national events, with last year’s Collingwood novice 8 doing well at both Head of the River and BUCS regatta. These are also available for those who want to try their hand at coxing. You do not even have to row to be involved in college rowing. As it has one of the most vibrant social scenes of any sport, social members are welcome at any and all college boat clubs in Durham. College boat club socials are certainly not to be missed. I hope this brief description of what college rowing has to offer will encourage as many people as possible to get involved!
Durham University Netball Club
across eighty countries, according to the International Netball Federation. These people are of all ages, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds, and like most sports, it is a powerful tool for unification. Even if you have never played netball, you may still have seen Helen Housby score a final second goal in the final of the 2018 Commonwealth Games to win the Gold Medal for England as they beat Australia, the current World Champions and No. 1 team in the world. It was a magical moment for all England fans out there, and certainly an inspiration to many girls across the country, including the members of Durham University Netball Club. DUNC is a friendly and welcoming yet highly competitive club with around 50 members. Much like England in the 2018 Commenwealth Games Final, we have been familiar with coming out on top in critical moments over the past few seasons. Last season, our fourth team won the Northern Conference Plate in a nail-biting final in which they won 36-35 in the final moments of the game! We have five squads, which compete in BUCS leagues, from Northern 1A to Northern 7B. Last season we boasted numerous successes, such as the Plate win for the fourth team, promotion for the third and fifth teams and a second-place league finish for the newly promoted first team. Training comes in various forms; a variety of sessions allows us to maintain peak fitness during the season and keeps us mentally prepared and ready to face novel challenges on the court! These sessions include court sessions, strength, conditioning, flexibility and mobility, and positionally specific coaching, as well as one-to-one feedback sessions with our coaches and captains. If you would like to trial for us or find out more, come and see us at the Freshers’ Fair, or message one of our social media pages.
Anna Hunt Netball is a vibrant sport that is played by twenty million people
Want to write for us? Email us at sport@palatinate.org.uk
Sport
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 | PALATINATE
Meet the captains
Palatinate talk to DU and college captains about their sports teams (pages 18-19)
Meet the captains
Palatinate talk to DU and college captains about their sports teams (page 17)
(FallingMage via Flickr and Creative Commons)
The sun is yet to set on racism in football Amelia Hatfield Five games into the Premier League season, racism has returned to rear its ugly head. Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford was subject to a tirade of online racist abuse and threats from his club’s own fans after missing a penalty against Crystal Palace in August, following a week in which Twitter has been condemned for its inaction over racist abuse targeted at Paul Pogba and Tammy Abraham. This is part of a worrying trend: in the 2018/2019 season alone, anti-racism charity Kick It Out received 274 reports of racist incidents at all levels of English football. This includes the incident caught on live television where a Chelsea fan was filmed screaming abuse at Raheem Sterling. Last weekend, Dover Athletic striker Inih Effiong was subjected to racist abuse from a number of Hartlepool United supporters after cupping his ear to celebrate the penalty he had just scored. Two arrests have since been made. It appeals that no BAME player can escape the racism that exists within English football. But this is
nothing new. For decades, black players at every level of English football have had to contend with racist chanting and behaviours. Paul Canoville, Chelsea’s first black player, remembers vividly how his own fans threw bananas onto the pitch and made monkey noises at him as he warmed up in the 1980s. He was offered no support from the FA or Chelsea, and no fans were ever penalised for their actions. He was left helpless and undefended as he was battered by vicious threats and insults. In later life, years of racial trauma proved psychologically damaging and Canoville turned to substance abuse to mitigate the effects of the racism he suffered during his career as a footballer. In 2018, thirty years after Canoville retired, a Tottenham fan was banned for four years for throwing a banana skin at Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a chillingly similar event. Evidently, racism is an issue embedded in English football, and an historic inadequacy in addressing this can be observed in the recurring frequency of racist incidents. However, racism in English
football extends beyond singular incidents that are overtly abusive, and is embedded in English football’s very structure. The EFL has been widely criticised for a lack of BAME representation and is disproportionately dominated by white managers. Until 1993, there had not been a single black manager in the football league and currently England’s top four divisons only feature three sides managed by BAME men. Across English football, executorial positions are held exclusively by white men. And despite the appointment of six BAME individuals (Chris Powell, Michael Johnson, Jason Euell, Marcus Bignot, Omer Riza and Matthew Thorpe) on oneyear placements with various England age-groups, the FA has never had a BAME executive and representation at the very top of the game sets the precedent that football is a sport that largely belongs to white men. Previous strategies to try and tackle racism within English football have been limited by their focus on football alone, as though it is an isolated sphere with little to no societal impact. As shown by
the continuation of racial abuse and inequality, such strategies have thus far failed. To effectively confront racism in football, the game must be viewed as a microcosm of society, not a separate entity. A comprehensive approach to tackling racism in football would recognise it as a symptom of, and contributor to, wider racial injustices, not something detached from the rest of society. Social media has facilitated a rise in overall number of racist incidents within English football as the anonymity allowed by platforms mean that verbal racist abuse is becoming easier to commit and harder to catch. Consequently, football’s historic problem with racism is being exacerbated by the emergence of social media, and social media companies’ inability and reluctance to investigate these behaviours has reversed much of the progress made against racism over the past two decades. Again, this is symptomatic of the historic problem football has with countering racism, but is also a feature of wider society. Online racist abuse is not confined to football, and is even more prevalent in politics. After missing
their penalties, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba experienced the vile, often terrifying, verbal abuse that BAME politicians such as Diane Abbot and David Lammy are subject to on a daily basis. It must be acknowledged that for English football to truly tackle racism it should be understood within the context of society as a whole. Whilst football has monumental problems with a lack of BAME representation in managerial and executorial positions, this mirrors a lack of representation in senior positions of power across society. Whilst football has a serious issue with online racist abuse, this is a global phenomenon that is not being handled effectively by the companies in charge of these platforms. Football’s governing bodies are helpless to tackle online racist abuse when even government agencies cannot do so. Viewing it as the responsibility of football alone to confront these issues is akin to putting a sticking plaster over a stab wound – treating the symptom, but not the cause. English football has an entrenched, historic problem with racism, and so does British society.