765 by Palatinate

Have we seen the death of the Italian Dream? (page 15)

indigo talks to Durham’s triumphant University Challenge team (page i6)

Durham’s independent student newspaper

Palatinate Thursday 23rd October 2014 | FREE

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No. 765

News Features: Average fresher gains nearly a stone

Politics: Is Clacton the first of many?

Unfinished blocks of student flats in the Viaduct have come under fire from students and residents

Photograph: James Poole

Durham student leaders demand radical change

Tom Fenton

Fashion: Most fashionable fresher photoshoot

Student leaders are demanding radical change in the way the University is run in a document seen by Palatinate. Durham Students for University Reform have produced ten proposals with the support of twelve other student groups, including Durham University Feminism Society, International Students Association, Durham University Labour Club and Durham University Students Against Austerity. The group describes recent relations between the Vice

Chancellorship and “numerous groups within the University community” as “deteriorating”. The document declares: “Restructuring plans [have] threatened to take power away from students, greater work burdens have been imposed on staff, unjust wage policies disadvantage local workers and increased student intake and construction projects have enraged residents. “Though we all suffer the rising costs of living and education, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor has made unpopular decisions without meaningful dialogue with students, staff,

workers or residents.” It also states: “It is crucial that the search for a new ViceChancellor is more than the search for a new personality to continue business as usual. “The student feedback sessions organised by the DSU are a promising start, but a wider discussion must take place within the community aimed at addressing issues of University policy, facilities and governance.” Harry Cross, the co-chair of the group, told Palatinate: “Several of us realised at the end of last year that the Vice-Chancellor was the major obstacle

blocking student campaigns to reform and improve the university. “When Chris Higgins stood down, we sensed this was an important opportunity that could not be missed. It made sense to combine our efforts to advance several campaigns that had been stalled for years.” “It’s important that the university no longer assumes that the student body is passive. Too many unpopular decisions have been forced through on that assumption.”

Continued on page 4

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Editorial For a more responsive university My opinion, as ever, is not backed by facts or science, but rather by a small feeling in the back of my head that something here has changed. It is now two years and some months into my time here at Durham and I’m beginning to notice a change in the air, call it a revolutionary spirit, perhaps brought in by last year’s college centralisation scandal. This, of course, was an event that rocked the JCRs to their respective cores, and sent heads of college scurrying from the titanic impact of the beast that is student outrage. It is certainly true that Durham University has never been known for outraged or outspoken students. Mass demonstrations we leave to our brethren in the big cities, the Continent, or the (former) Colonies. These days, when American friends tell me of protests they have staged or picket lines they have formed, I find the best policy is always to glare severely at them over a cup of tea until they subside. Yet again, I say, something is different. In this issue of Palatinate you will find articles about

students speaking out about the VC consultation process, student complaints about housing developers, and a list of demands for the new Vice Chancellor. You will have seen yellow ribbons and umbrellas near the Bill Bryson library in support of Hong Kong students and new student pushes for the living wage. Across Durham the truth is emerging that students care about things and are increasingly willing to show it. For better or worse, students at higher fees are more consumers than beneficiaries, and we’ve always had a say. What we think counts more than you might imagine. When Palatinate released a leaked proposal detailing plans to centralise colleges last year, the student outcry was immense, and the university responded by instantly backtracking on their leaked paper. What we students say matters. With a new incoming VC, we now have an opportunity to be more vocal with our satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and that’s where we, your student paper, come in. Our editors drink enough

Thursday 23rd October 2014 | PALATINATE

Inside 765

coffee to keep Starbucks in business so that we can shed light on issues important to students. If you disagree with our material, we want to hear it, and if we write about something that stirs your revolutionary ire, we want to hear that too. And as for the new Vice Chancellor, he or she has to be many things. Chiefly, they, and by extension the University, need to be responsive to what students want. Now, in the selection process is our chance to make that clear. We want to know what you think - with your letters to the editor and your comment pieces. With your meetings and your picket lines. With your megaphone chants and with your grim mumblings. Email us, dear reader, tell us what’s on your mind. Justin Villamil

News pages 3-9

Politics pages 11-12 SciTech page 13

Comment pages 14-16 Sport pages 17-20

indigo

Editorial page 2 Stage page 3

Fashion pages 4-5

Features pages 6-7 Visual Arts page 8 Music page 9

Books page 10

Creative Writing page 11 Film & TV pages 12-13 Travel page 14

Food & Drink page 15

Vacancy

Business & Economics Editor It is the job of Business & Economics Editor to provide upto-date and relevant news and features relating to business and economics in the UK and globally. With a space in every print edition and a thriving online section, the successful candidate will have an eye for a good story and will possess the ability to make even the dullest financial story engaging.

The best of Palatinate Online www.palatinate.org.uk

News: Student assulted on Hild Bede towpath

Comment: VC elections: where next after student consultation?

A Durham University student was assulted in the early hours on Saturday morning on the towpath close to the College of St Hild and St Bede.

Harry Cross discusses the appointment of a new VC and questions why students aren’t trusted with greater involvement in the process.

Visual Arts: Is architecture an art?

Becky Wallbank debates how a building can be awarded artistic status.

Stage: The difficulties of casting in Durham Samantha Ball discusses the plethora of problems associated with casting a student production in Durham.

Palatinate is published by Durham Students’ Union on a fortnightly basis during term and is editorially independent. All contributors and editors are full-time students at Durham University. Send letters to: Editor, Palatinate, Durham Students’ Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN. Alternatively, send an e-mail to editor@palatinate.org.uk

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Christopher Somers & Justin Villamil editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editor Lawrence Holmes deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors James Poole & Tom Fenton news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor Henry Clare news.features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Josh Smith, Rebekah Wilson, Pippa Cole Politics Editor Marcus Natale politics@palatinate.org.uk Careers Editor Toyosi Taiwo careers@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Careers Editor Olivia Rosenthall Science and Technology Editor Sadie Bartholomew scitech@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editor Patrick Brennan comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editors Ellen Orange & Sandy Thin deputy.comment@palatinate.org.uk Sport Editor Nick Friend sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors John Evans & Mark Ganly Indigo Editor Kate Wilkinson indigo@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Indigo Editor Sraddha Venkataraman indigo.deputy@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Francesca Jaworska feature@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editor Zosia Eyres Food and Drink Editor Anisha Mohan food@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Food and Drink Editor Tanya Birkett Travel Editor Oliver Collard travel@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Travel Editor Naoise Murphy deputy.travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editors Jessica Ng & Megan Magee fashion@palatinate.org.uk Film and Television Editor Jonathan Peters film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editor Amy Price stage@palatinate.org.uk Music Editors Ana Symecko music@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Music Editor Will Throp deputy.music@palatinate.org.uk Books Editors Atifa Jiwa & Florianne Humphrey books@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Frances Marsh visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub-Editor Lucy Hart sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Sub-Editors Morgan Hayden-Kent & Marianna Mukhametzyanova Online Editor Kat Hind online.editor@palatinate.org.uk Web Editor Ian Ager web.editor@palatinate.org.uk Photography Editor Venus Loi & Megan Liardet photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editors Emma Wind Illustrations Editor Harriet-Jade Harrow illustration@palatinate.org.uk Blogs Editor Katie Winter blogs@palatinate.org.uk Publicity Officer Alexandra Fitzgerald publicity@palatinate.org.uk Advertising Officer Jess Sham advertising@palatinate.org.uk

PALATINATE | Thursday 23rd October 2014

Union President’s Column

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Dan Slavin I’d like to use my first column of the year to extend a big warm welcome to all our new students and a welcome back to those returning. The four student officers and I were elected to represent you. Over the next couple of weeks we will be out and about listening to your opinions on what matters to you as a student in Durham. So if asked please take five minutes, we promise we are not trying to sell you something. Through your Students’ Union you get to have your say on your education, our role in the community and your Union, as well as get involved in lots of fun activities, to ensure you can get the most out of your university experience. Our Vice-Chancellor (VC) recruitment forums have really kick-started this work. During the first weeks of term all students were invited to participate in these forums to advise the Union and the University on what characteristics we would like to see in the next VC. There were nine sessions in total across the two campuses. I am extremely grateful to all those who attended. It was great to see students keen to get involved in this exciting process, which will shape the future of our university. Coinciding with these sessions was the recruitment of our course and faculty reps. Both postgrads and undergrads had the opportunity to become an academic rep and Leigh, Academic Affairs Officer, is delighted to see so many people putting themselves forward. Voting closes at 17:00 on Friday 24th October, so make sure you cast your vote. The new academic year is your chance to try something different, so make sure to embrace this opportunity, get involved and try something new. Our Give it a Go programme of weekly activities is the perfect way to do this, without committing in the long term. Find out more about the range of activities taking place this term on our website (www.durhamsu. com). Finally, congratulations to our University Challenge team. The Union’s inter-college competition to find next year’s contestants is already up and running so good luck to all involved.

TV production crew, Company Pictures, has been filming at locations across Durham city over the last three weeks for a new series of Inspector George Gently, due to be aired on BBC One in mid-2015. The crew is now on the hunt for students to play extras, with roles being fully paid and meals provided. For more details contact Jen Rhodes at jennifer.macauley@live.co.uk Photograph: Kate Wilkinson

Development slammed by students and residents

Students eat insects for national competition

Pro-VC raises £2,000 in charity sleep out

Photograph: James Poole

Photograph: Sam Shuttleworth

Photograph: Professor Tom Ward

Around 90 students have moved into brand new accommodation on Ainsley Street only to find that major exterior and interior building work is still ongoing, with many students describing the development as a “building site”.

St Mary’s College students Sam Shuttleworth and Finlay Milner have reached the final of the Npower Future Leaders Challenge 2014 with their campaign, ‘Student Grub’, which aims to encourage people to eat insects in kebabs and deserts. Turn to page 5 to read more

Professor Tom Ward, the University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education, last week joined business leaders from the north-east in a charity sleepout at Newcastle United Football Club.

Turn to page 5 to read more

News in brief

Turn to page 8 to read more

DURHAM STUDENT CROWNED “BEST AND BRIGHTEST”

FORMER BLUE PETER EDITOR RETURNS TO MARY’S

KLUTE SUFFERS THREE POWER CUTS IN ONE WEEK

Holly Anderson, a 3rd-year student from St Mary’s College, has been crowned the “best and brightest” in the UK after winning a paid internship with Siemens. The Engineering student fought off competition from over 6,000 students from 166 universities.

One of the most famous St Mary’s College alumni, Biddy Baxter, returned to Durham on Saturday to open an exhibition of art work from the hit TV programme, Blue Peter. The college hosted a drinks reception and buffet from 6pm for guests.

Durham’s infamous nightclub suffered a series of power cuts last week that it blamed on faults with the National Grid’s network. Students were plunged into darkness last Sunday and twice on the follwoing Friday but were all given free entry passes in compensation.

News

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Purple Pass: students respond

Becky Wilson Purple Pass, the brainchild of enterprising Masters student Andy Mathews, has taken Durham’s students and city by storm. Costing £10, and offering discounts at fifty local businesses, the card has now been bought by over 1,000 thrifty students. “I thought it would be cool to try and create a card that offered discounts at the places where students actually spend most of their time and money”, says Mathews, who started up the Purple Pass after watching other student cards run by companies outside of the student body “pop up and fizzle out pretty quickly.” For Mathews, currently studying Computer Sciences, the card’s student origins and online presence add a level of credibility and accountability to the pass. Despite this, some students have become frustrated with a misleading discount offered by Mathews’ card. Alex Hill, from Collingwood, bought the card to benefit from discounted beers at Head of Steam. He said: “The initial email [promoting the pass] said that the deal was 50% off beers there. After buying the card I found that the deal had been cancelled.” Continued from front page

Sofia Hewson, the Co-Chair of the group and President of University College Feminists, said: “We are acting in response to the insidious privatisation of UK universities over the last few years. “Vice-Chancellors now command bloated CEO salaries, arts and humanities teaching grants have been cut entirely and students are better described as consumers.

Describing the search for a new VC as “an exciting opportunity for renewal and reform within the institution”, the group make the following proposals:

The current consultations with students and staff to be extended throughout the year with a wider agenda concerning each stage of the ViceChancellor recruitment process and issues of University policy, facilities and governance.

Durham’s poor figures for inclusion of state school students to be remedied by a target of a 2/3 state school intake of undergraduates, making Durham more diverse

Mathews explains that this transpired following an issue with the online advertising of the deal. “As soon as Head of Steam pulled out, their deal was removed from the website and any students that purchased the cards were told they were no longer participating.” Hill says “I’m pretty annoyed. Had the deal been in place the card would have been well worth the money. As it is I haven’t gotten any use out of the pass so far.” Ella Egerton, a second year from St Aidan’s, also believes buying the card was a mistake. “I still haven’t used Purple Pass and I doubt I will.” However, many students like Ingeborg Holba, believe that at £10, the card is well worth the money. “I got 40% off a meal, cheaper drinks, and a queue jump at Nova, which was great because the queue was huge. I’ve already saved more money than I spent on the card initially, so I’d definitely recommend it to others”. For Mathews, Purple Pass is a win-win venture, because businesses benefit as well as students. “Lots of the local businesses involved have reported an increase in customers as a result of the scheme, and some are keen to add even more deals throughout the year,” he tells Palatinate. He believes there are many op-

“It’s exciting to see so many progressive groups in Durham unite behind the need for university reform.” Hani Latif, the Co-Chair of Durham University Labour Club, which also supports the proposals, told Palatinate: “For too long we’ve seen our collegiate system attacked and our university mismanaged because Durham’s students have not convinced the management that they want to have a say in how this institution is run.

and more representative of UK society.

International and postgraduate student tuition fees to be fixed as opposed to periodically increasing throughout a student’s time of study.

All Durham University staff to be paid at least the Living Wage.

University-wide commitment to cultural change regarding rape, sexual abuse, assault and harassment. This will accompany a policy with clear sanctions for perpetrators, centralised systems for reporting, pastoral care and support for

DUCK Chair’s Column Jordan Riley

Andy Mathews (right) with sales exec Alexander Barnes Photograph: Andy Mathews portunities available to Durham students wanting to start up their own business. “My advice to other students would be to take advantage of the facilities that are available to us as students. “Sending an email to the entire student body through the university email system helped spread the word about Purple Pass.”

“When societies come together like this, we are showing that the student body does care and we offer our guidance and support to the university in making a transition to a more transparent and accessible system. “I welcome more student groups to get in contact and add their names to this document.” The proposals are also supported by Durham Young Greens, Durham Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society, University Col-

victim-survivors, and training for staff to support and empower victim-survivors.

Durham University to cancel all contracts with G4S, which has a track record of human rights violations in its global operations, including in Palestine, South Africa and Guantanamo Bay.

Durham University to divest from fossil fuel companies, following the University of Glasgow.

The University to improve engagement with residents, in order to ascertain their concerns regarding students

It should be mentioned that sending an email through the university email system for commercial reasons is technically against University policy. “Being a student also helped out when approaching local businesses – many are keen to get more students through their doors, so being a student yourself is a great starting point,” Mathews said.

lege Feminists, It Happens Here Campaign, Amnesty International, Durham University Living Wage Campaign, Durham University Friends of Palestine and People & Planet.

What do you think? Email us your thoughts at news@palatinate.org.uk with your name, college and subject. If you do not want to be identified, please say you would like to remain anonymous but still send your details.

and the University, and to act concretely and transparently upon them.

The long- and short-lists of candidates to be made public in the current and all future Vice-Chancellor recruitment processes. Candidates present on the ballot paper to include submissions by both the Senate and the DSU, and to consist of 50% women.

In the future, the ViceChancellorship shall be reformed so that the position is directly elected by all students and staff. The Vice-Chancellor to serve a limited term before standing for re-election.

Since this is my first column in Palatinate this year, I thought I’d better take the time to introduce myself; I’m Jordan, a member of St Cuthbert’s, in my final year of studying English Literature and Education and most importantly this year I am also the Chair of DUCK. Despite still only being in the early stages of Michaelmas term, DUCK has already seen so much engagement and support from students across Durham and Queen’s Campus – it’s been a fantastic start to the year! From new sign ups at the Fresher’s Fairs to welcoming back old students at our own DUCK fair, we’ve been busy spreading the word of DUCK and encouraging people to get involved. For anyone who missed us and hasn’t really heard of DUCK yet, I can give you a brief summary here: In short, DUCK (Durham University Charities Kommittee) exists to support students and staff in raising money for and awareness of an array of charities throughout the UK and beyond! We offer extraordinary opportunities to meet new people through our events, explore the world through our expeditions and test your endurance levels through our challenges. So that’s DUCK in a nutshell, however I feel like the very best way to learn more about us is to get involved and see what we’re all about. We have so much going on over the next couple of weeks; our Durham Expeditions Fair is this Sunday in the Student’s Union between 2-5pm, where there will be loads of information about all of trips, plus free paella! Then next week sees the opening of our Movember campaign, so you’ll undoubtedly see moustaches flying around the city at some point. Also, one of our most anticipated events, Jailbreak will be opening for sign up next week so make sure you keep your eye out for that too! That’s all for now, make sure you sign up to DUCK via the Union’s website or by liking us on Facebook to keep track of what we’re up to. In the meantime, I shall root out my school uniform in prep for tonight’s Back to School night!

PALATINATE | Thursday 23rd October 2014

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Development slammed by students and residents James Poole Around 90 students have moved into brand new accommodation on Ainsley Street only to find that major exterior and interior building work is still ongoing, with many students describing the development as a “building site.” The students, who are paying between £125 and £195 per week on a 52-week contract, have told Palatinate about their anger over builders entering their rooms unannounced, the lack of outside lighting and the safety of the fire evacuation procedure. The £17m development, which has been named ‘The Village @ The Viaduct’, has massively overrun, with students originally being told that the development was due to be finished by August. The construction company have now given Friday 24th October as a date for completion. Many tenants who spoke to Palatinate refused to give their names in fear of aggravating their landlord, Universal Student Living. One tenant, an undergraduate Physics student who pays £125 per week, said: “I don’t think it’s right that students have been moved in when building work isn’t finished. It’s unfair how they disguised the fact that there’s work going on until you actually get here. They’re be-

ing dishonest. “There’s also no outside lighting that’s working which is quite dangerous and there’s no real fire exits, just a set of stairs.” A Maths student added: “I was really annoyed because I rang up before arriving to ask if there would be any work happening and I was told that it was only finishing touches but it’s still a building site with major work ongoing. “When I arrived my washing machine wasn’t working either but I didn’t have anywhere else to go so I had to stay.” Another tenant told Palatinate: “I was really disappointed when I arrived. There are machines and cars all over the site and sometimes workmen just knock on your door to complete work that isn’t finished.” Chloe, the only student spoken to by Palatinate willing to give their name said: “I was really disappointed when I arrived to find teams of workmen still on site. I think everyone was. It’s just not right to have students paying for something that isn’t finished.” The Accommodation Manager at ‘The Village’ responded to students’ and residents’ concerns, saying: “I don’t think it’s a building site. There’s no scaffolding. I can appreciate that it was not what students were expecting but we’ve tried to be open with students before they

arrived. We know there’s been ups and downs but we’ve worked very hard to deliver an outstanding service to students.” The development, which has been named ‘The Village @ The Viaduct’ by Universal Student Living, has also attracted criticism from residents in Durham City. One resident on Waddington Street, Jackie Levitas, told Palatinate: “If I was a student living on the site I think it would be horrendous. To put them amid all that noise and machinery is unfair and not right.” Mike Costello, a resident in the Viaduct, shared these concerns: “We’re very worried about the safety of the students. They’re living on a building site – is there a fire certificate? What’s the

“It’s unfair how they disguised the fact that there’s work going on until you get here. They’re being dishonest.” Tenant at ‘The Village’

evacuation procedure? Usually a site of this size would have

One of the entrances to the development last week Photograph: James Poole

assembly points for evacuation on site. “None of it has been planned well. The first project manager walked out within weeks which speaks for itself really. The construction company are in it for the money and have no real care for the students.” He added: “We’ve been in touch with the University and had absolutely no response. As a collegiate university Durham should be building more accommodation for its students.” Professor Graham Towl, ProVice-Chancellor and Deputy Warden responded to this, commenting:

“As a collegiate University we offer all first year students accommodation. Some second and third year undergraduates and postgraduates live in our Colleges. However, we recognise that many of our students welcome the opportunity, particularly in the second year to live out as part of their overall University experience. “Private providers of accommodation have, overall, more variable pricing and, as a sector, more varied accommodation offers. “If our students would like us to increase our College accommodation further it would be a conversation that we would be delighted to have.”

help Sam and Finlay’s campaign by liking their Facebook page (www. facebook.com/studentgrub), and

following them on Twitter @studentgrub1.

Students eat insects for national competition

Pippa Cole Sam Shuttleworth and Finlay Milner of St Mary’s College are in the final of the Npower Future Leaders Challenge 2014. The competition asked both students and employees to run a project promoting sustainability in their local communities, and asked them to film their progress for the final submission ahead of the final on December 4th. Sam and Finlay, both second year engineers, designed the campaign ‘Student Grub.’ Their aim is to encourage people to eat insects due to the environmental and financial benefits. To get their message across to their local community, they have visited Joseph Swan School in Gateshead, been promoting on campus in Durham, visited Npower’s office in Rainton, and ap-

peared on BBC Radio North East. During their visits and events, they have been serving up a variety of different insect-based foods, including grasshopper kebabs and chocolate covered crickets. Npower requested originality and forward-thinking in the initial brief for the competition. Sam and Finlay have overcome stiff competition from universities all over the country to make it to the shortlist of eight teams. For the winning team, a once in a lifetime trip to the Amazon awaits, which will involve joining

“I’d definitely recommend the experience.” Sam Shuttleworth

the Kaxinawá tribe in the jungle, living with the Huni Kui people in the Brazilian side of the Amazon rainforest, and installing renewable technology such as solar energy panels and a solar water pump. Palatinate spoke to Sam Shuttleworth, who said: “I’d definitely recommend the experience as I’ve grown in confidence after approaching so many people in order to spread our big idea. “I believe we’ll definitely leave some form of legacy in convincing people to take up a more sustainable diet in the future.” When asked what part of the Amazon trip he would most be looking forward to were they to win, Sam commented: “Spending time with the host tribe would probably be the most memorable experience but I’m not looking forward to the snakes.” Fellow Durham students can

Insect kebabs

Photograph: Sam Shuttleworth

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Thursday 23rd October 2014 | PALATINATE

Students slate VC recruitment forums

James Poole

Last week’s Vice-Chancellor recruitment forums have left students feeling “unoptimistic” about the influence their opinion will have on the University’s appointment of a new VC. Students have also voiced their anger over the fact that student consultation has lasted just under two weeks in a recruitment process that is set to last until Easter 2015. The forums, which each lasted an hour, asked students what they felt Durham’s strengths and weaknesses are, whether students feel the new VC should be an academic or not and what kind of VC students want. The President of the Students’ Union, Dan Slavin, led the forums but Perrett Laver, the global executive search firm assisting the University in the recruitment

process, set the questions that students could respond to. Officials from Perrett Laver were unable to attend any of the forums, despite initially agreeing to.

“The University claims that the forums are democratic but we don’t have any say in the final appointment” Rachel Piper President of Durham University Feminism Society

When asked how successful he feels the recruitment forums have been, Dan Slavin said: “They have gone very well. We worked to ensure that as many students as possible had the opportunity to contribute, in the tight timeline available. “Students have been open and honest about the issues they really care about. There have been interesting points raised throughout the sessions that will be used to direct the work of the Union.” Students, however, feel quite differently about the forums. Harry Cross, a 3rd year at St. Aidan’s College, attended a forum last Monday and told Palatinate: “I’m not at all optimistic that our opinions will have any significance in the University’s appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor. It’s undoubtedly a good thing that the University is consulting students over this matter but there needs to be more consultation with

“We’re very disappointed that Dan Slavin is the only person representing students at the highest level”

Marciej Matuszewski PhD student students and it is not clear how they’ll integrate and properly use student opinion.” The President of Durham University Feminism Society, Rachel Piper, shared these concerns, saying: “The University claims that the forums are democratic but we don’t have any say in the

final appointment. Universities in the UK and from around the world consult so much more with students so I don’t see why Durham can’t do the same. “This initial consultation is a good sign for students but the University should be consulting with students at every point through the process if this is to be seen as meaningful consultation.” James Crickmore, a fourth year Natural Sciences student, added: “We have no guarantee that our opinions have definitely been taken into account by senior University members of staff.” Marciej Matuszewski also attended a forum last Wednesday and told Palatinate: “We’re disappointed that Dan Slavin is the only person representing students at the highest level. This means that the student body will have relatively little say over the appointment itself.” The University plans to have appointed a new VC by Easter

Christian group holds “Alternative’ Freshers’ Fair” Tom Fenton

Just Love, Durham, held their first “Alternative Freshers’ Fair” on 13th October for local charities and community projects. The fair, held at Sanctuary 21, saw 16 local organisations and student groups come together and run their own stalls. Local groups included Durham Christian Partnership, Sanctuary 21, A Way Out and Junction 42. The Christian organisation, which was founded in April this year, also works with four international charities — Tearfund, International Justice Mission, Open Doors and Christian Aid — as well as student groups including Durham University Stop the Trafficking of People Society, Ecumenical Society and Children Achieving Through Student Support, part of Student Community Action. Jack Williams, the Secretary of the group who helped run the

“These are organisations that are no way going to be able to afford a stall [at the Freshers’ Fair]” Jack Williams Just Love

fair, told Palatinate their aim is “seeking justice through advocacy, projects and prayer”. He said: “The idea behind it was that there are a load of organisations who do incredible things for justice in Durham that a lot of students just have no idea about. These are organisations

that are no way going to be able to afford a stall [at the Freshers’ Fair]. “So if someone says ‘I really want to help out with people who are homeless’, I can say we actually know the guys at Handcrafted, or the people who work with the Food Bank, really well, let me go and talk to them for you.’ “And then we can go to them because we know them personally and say ‘we know you really need volunteers, here are some students who want to get involved.’ We can put these people together. We can release the compassion people have.” “Hopefully we can see Durham begin to change and see justice in Durham locally.” Alex Rowe, a 1st year Theology student St John’s College, told Palatinate: “I thought that the Alternative Freshers’ Fair was fantastic. It was great to have various charities from the city and surrounding area represented, showcasing the work they do in loving and serving the community.

Just Love at the “Alternative Freshers’ Fair” “Their vision of encouraging students to be part of the wider Durham community through charitable works is so essential to bridging the gap between the student and resident populations. “Furthermore, tackling injustice and loving those around us is at the heart of the holistic good-news

Photograph: Jack Williams

story of Jesus. Jesus was incredibly people-focussed, and he would be proud to see his acts of love and service being emulated. “Just Love don’t try to be an inward-looking huddle of ‘good people;’ they just want to get out onto the streets and love.”

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Durham University establishing groundbreaking practices in the field of mental health Josh Smith Durham’s new Head of Mental Health Research Group in Queen’s Campus has told Palatinate about the University’s newfound dedication in establishing groundbreaking practices in the field of mental health. Dr Helen Stain helped create Youth Speak, a mental health research group based in the northeast, in late 2013. Youth Speak is directly informed by the experiences of young people and is centred on the concept of patient and public involvement (PPI). This includes people who have experienced mental health problems themselves, have been a carer, or have no experience at all. Dr Stain concentrates on the resilience and wellbeing of young people experiencing mental health problems. Youth Speak channels this research in order to change health policy. Speaking to Palatinate, Dr Stain commended PPI in the United Kingdom: “Young people are now becoming the drivers of research. “People definitely underestimate the potential of young people. One reaction was, ‘that will never work’. If that’s the prevailing attitude, our research will be totally isolated from the real world.” Twenty per cent of young people aged between 14 and 25 expe-

rience a mental health disorder. ‘Tomorrow’s Healthy Adults’ is a key research theme for the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing, based in Queen’s Campus. However, the social and emotional wellbeing of young adults is being increasingly challenged by the difficulties in identifying mental health problems. Many young people, who experience mental health problems, such as depression or psychosis, are often too afraid to speak out about their condition. Misconceptions surrounding mental health are incredibly destructive, not only for the young person concerned but for everyone. Dr Stain elaborated on the subject of negative attitudes towards mental health, telling Palatinate: “Young people are often portrayed negatively, let alone about mental health. “There are basic old-age labels that you’re crazy, that you can’t be trusted. Labels really shouldn’t matter.” Youth Speak deconstructs these labels and works on reducing youth mental health stigma. Last year, a workshop was run by its members to change attitudes among researchers and health professionals when engaging with young people. The group meets on a monthly basis to discuss and shape research for university academics working in youth mental health.

Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing An EU grant application of €6 million has been submitted for 2015, and will establish Youth Speak in other countries and expand their practices. However, Dr Stain explained to Palatinate that it is difficult to acquire funds, given that only 5% of EU grant applications are successful: “Youth Speak is the most difficult to fund as it is not a research project…it’s quite a unique model.” However, Dr Stain’s project requires the University’s help to reach its true potential. As Head of the Mental Health Research Group, Dr Stain intends to launch a PR campaign to get more people,

Durham bosses sleep rough for charity Tom Fenton A Durham professor has joined business leaders for a sleep-out at Newcastle United Football Club in aid of charity. Professor Tom Ward, the ProVice-Chancellor (Education), told Palatinate that he and Chief Information Officer Dr Carolyn Brown had raised over £2,000 so far for the charity CEO Sleepout. He said the group that slept out at St James’ Park, between 9th and 10th October, raised over £30,000. The charity said the event saw “business leaders from across the UK give up their bed to help those who don’t have one”. Professor Ward told Palatinate when asked about his experience:

“It would be naive to imagine that a single night in a good sleeping bag in a friendly crowd of people in a secure place gives any real insight. “The CEO sleepout idea is more about doing something eye-catching to raise awareness. Through other routes I have some awareness of the immensely complex challenges faced by the homeless - and by the much larger number of people who are inadequately housed, or vulnerable in their housing. “It is well-known that homelessness causes enormous physical and mental stress, with devastating consequences on both physical and mental well-being.” He said the charity was “something very much in the spirit of Durham University.

“Our students are remarkable in many ways, including a real commitment to social action and to making a positive difference to the world. “I know that while I was snoozing in St James’ Park a great many Durham students would have been engaged with many different charities, and it is a privilege to feel part of that.” He added: “Fortunately it wasn’t very cold that night - to be honest the biggest obstacle to sleeping was noise from some of the other volunteers, who had a bit of a party until about 4am [but] I won’t point fingers.” Other members of the group included the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, the Principal of Newcastle College and a number of CEOs and business leaders.

Photograph: Madlen Popignatovajkit

especially University students, involved. “We are looking for people to join us in our community engagement for research. “There is a very clear theme. We can’t ‘do’ youth mental health unless we ask young people.” Youth Speak is free to join and does far more than just raising awareness since it teaches youthfriendly practices for research and advocates for changes in youth mental health services. Dr Lisa Webster, a post-doctoral researcher with the Mental Health Research Group alongside Dr Stain, commented on the highly useful services the Group pro-

vides. She told Palatinate that seminars and conferences are available to all students to help further the understanding of youth mental health and that “it’s not only academics and professors, but service users and carers that give advice.” Dr Stain is also developing a new study to recruit through the colleges in order to make students aware of the impact of childhood adversity or trauma on mental health. “Everybody has a responsibility of raising awareness. Helping someone mentally, it’s the same as learning basic physical first aid.”

Durham Police St Cuthbert Chief honoured Gospel returns by Queen to Palace Green Ellie Gould

Rose Malleson

Durham Police’s Chief Constable, Mike Barton, has this month received an honour from the Queen to recognise his services to the police force. Named in the 2014 Birthday Honours list, Mr Barton was invited to London to receive the Queen’s Police Medal, given for exceptional service or bravery. Upon receiving the award, Mr Barton said: “I’m immensely proud to have served the communities of Lancashire, County Durham and Darlington for over 34 years now. “I would like to think the award is a massive vote of confidence for Durham Constabulary.”

The St Cuthbert Gospel is the centrepiece of the latest exhibition taking place at Durham University’s History of the Book Gallery. Called “Bound to Last: Book Binding from the Middle Ages to the Modern Day”, the exhibition explores the history of bookbinding. The gospel was created in the 7th century and is the earliest European book that was found in its original binding. The exhibition will run until 4 January 2015. Opening hours are Monday 12-5pm, Tuesday – Sunday 10am-5pm and entry is free for students.

PALATINATE | Thursday 23rd October 2013

News Features

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Freshers put on nearly a stone in first term Survey reveals that the average fresher puts on eleven pounds in the first term of university Henry Clare The university dining experience is a world away from your average family dinner. With many universities hosting meals in large, impressive dining halls with long, grand tables and intimidating portraits of former Principles, the simple act of eating is almost a ceremony in itself. Dinnertime gives fresh-faced first years the perfect opportunity to put the world to rights, with everything from tomorrow’s early morning lecture to next year’s General Election being discussed over a well-earned plate of food. One topic that isn’t typically on the agenda, though, is weight. A recent survey by money saving website ‘VoucherCodesPro’ has revealed that, in their desire to embrace the university experience, freshers can put on as much as 11lbs in their first term of university. The study asked freshers from 2013 about their spending and eating habits, discovering that the aver-

scious to get stuck into a grease-laden pizza. “Late night takeaways are a killer. The social aspect of walking home via a takeaway restaurant after a night out with friends makes the temptation all the greater.” Connie also remarks that, in many instances people feel under pressure to eat well in front of their new friends. “I think there can be an underlying element of competitive eating. No one wants to look like they’re dieting and sometimes it seems that boys, and occasionally girls, are almost attempting to ‘out man’ each other by arriving at the table with a plate piled high with curly fries. “In general I think this isn’t much of a big deal but there can be the sense that everyone is aware that everyone else is aware of exactly what you’ve got and what you leave on your plate.” Although she does believe that the social aspect of university can cause people to put on weight, Connie doesn’t feel that alcohol is a significant issue.

Why did students spent so much on food in their first term? Data: VoucherCodesPro.com

age student spends £97.58 per week on food and drink in their first term. Furthermore, 67% of the 2,581 students surveyed admitted that their weight had increased in the first term of university. When asked how much, the average student responded that they had put on eleven pounds. When asked why they spent so much money, 57% of those surveyed claimed that they ‘had to jump straight into the university experience of being social’. So, is the thrill of starting University the root of the problem? Connie McCool Duncan, a fresher at Hild Bede, believes the need to make new friends can cause unhealthy eating habits. “The desire to embrace the full University experience and not be left out of any trip or possible bonding moment encourages even those who are normally more health con-

“I think that putting on weight through drinking is perhaps more of a male problem than a female one, because boys will drink pints whereas girls tend to stick to spirits which are slightly less fattening. I think a lot of the alcohol calories get sweated out on the dance floor.”

“Late night takeaways are a killer”

Connie McCool Duncan However, Patricia Flanagan, a partner at the Claypath and University Medical Group, believes that alcohol is one of the primary causes of weight gain. “I suspect that alcohol consumption plays a large part in any weight gain whilst at university and excessive consumption is damaging on so

Students enjoy a well-earned plate of food

many levels. “Alcohol binges are commonly followed by fast food binges, adding to, rather than replacing, the calories consumed at normal mealtimes.” Flanagan also alludes to the longterm health and social issues that are associated with a vast increase in weight. However, on closer inspection, the statistics might not be as startling as they first seem.

“Alcohol binges are commonly followed by fast food binges, adding to, rather than replacing, the calories consumed at mealtimes ” Patricia Flanagan

As well as showing that Freshers spend nearly £100 every week on food and drink in their first term of university, they also show that the weekly spend falls to £47.50 by the end of the third term of first year. Furthermore, whilst an increase in weight is often associated with bad health, weight gain can be healthy. John Firth, Durham University’s Rugby League captain, believes that the statistics on weight often fail to account for this. “Weight is always a tricky subject, as it can be put on both healthily, through muscle gain, and unhealthily via bad dieting.

Photograph: Rich Root Illustration: Harriet-Jade Harrow

“I believe that weight gain statistics really should take into account the gains made in the gym, especially given the ease of access and affordability of college gyms.” Furthermore, Harry Thompson, the University’s Rugby Union captain says that, although players do often need to bulk up and put on weight, they do so at their own discretion. “I think there can be a mis-conception that players are put under a lot of pressure to gain weight by coaches and, whilst I would be lying if I said that coaches don’t mention to specific players the need to gain more size, it tends to be a lot more about gaining the strength element, rather than just the weight itself. “As rugby is such an intense contact sport, players do need to gain size to not only be effective, but also to protect themselves in the contact areas, otherwise you tend to find that they sustain a much higher number of injuries. Gaining size is a relatively simple way to counteract that, which is why I think it is frequently chosen

“I believe that weight statistics should take into account gains made in the gym, especially given the the ease and affordability of college gyms” John Firth by players - but developing your skill set would be just as effective. “When you do find players feeling pressurized to gain weight, particularly at Durham, it’s not usually the coaches who are the motivating force behind that drive, but the players themselves. The fierce element of competition and the desire to reach the very top of their game often makes guys put themselves under pressure to increase their weight and strength.”

Where did the students spend their money? Data: VoucherCodesPro.com

PALATINATE | Thursday 23rd October 2014

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Politics

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Green with envy: Bennett’s debate jealousy Oliver Collard Last Monday, the Green Party threatened a legal challenge against TV broadcasters after the announcement of a proposal for next year’s televised electoral debates. The proposal - jointly outlined by the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Sky – would see UKIP leader Nigel Farage included in one of several debates, along with the three main party leaders. Behind the plan to open up the debates, some have sensed a relaxation of the two-party system’s already ailing grip on British public life.

Election 2015

Nonetheless, critics of the plan have been quick to point out that by objective criteria, the Greens have as much right to enjoy the oxygen of televisual publicity as their more rightwing counterparts and indeed, Nick Clegg’s party. The Green MP Caroline Lucas has sat in Parliament for the last four

‘Unlike UKIP, they gained traction in Scotland and found support in Wales’

Illustration: Uel McCreary

years, and if it lacks the polling impetus of its right wing counterpart, the party still enjoys similar figures to the beleaguered Liberal Democrats. Indeed, they outperformed the latter in this year’s European elections, both in the number of MEPs returned and in overall share of the vote. Another important factor for consideration is the Greens’ nationwide appeal. Unlike UKIP, they have gained traction in Scotland and found support in Wales. The debates will give participants the chance to give their arguments a thorough airing ahead of next year’s general election. From a liberal standpoint then, excluding one party and choosing to include another might be said to debase the free marketplace of ideas. Speaking to The Guardian, Natalie Bennett said that “the public want a serious debate in which they hear the full range of views, including a party that stands up against Ukip on immigration”. This sense that the Greens might act as a countervailing force against the excesses of UKIP is possibly one of the reasons why David Cameron has uncharacteristically decided to throw his weight behind the environmental party. If UKIP are gnashing at the heels of the Tories, then in some ways the Greens themselves are beginning to champ behind Farage and his flun-

Natalie Bennett Green Party Leader Photograph: Scottish Greens

kies. It would be rash to conclude that the genuine indignation of the protest vote - so efficiently courted by UKIP in recent years - cannot yet be availed by the Greens.

“The public want a serious debate in which they hear a range of views, including a party that stands up against UKIP on immigration” Natalie Bennet

Commentators have pointed out that the Greens lack the sleek media

machine of the UKIP camp, but what is less commonly accepted is the encumbrances that are inherent in the Green message. UKIP has already managed to convince many voters that anti-immigration policies and leaving the EU are a panacea for the strife of austerity Britain. Conversely, if environmentalism is winning all of the scientific arguments and an ever-increasing number of supporters, the Greens have yet to convince people of the merits of policies which go against the grain of domestic politics in recent years. Even if the debates do get knocked into a more inclusive format, this will only be the start of the Greens’ challenge to explain the full implications of what is a radical vision for governing Britain.

Dealing with female genital mutilation in the UK Alex Cupples The funding to services being provided to end female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK is at risk of cuts, campaigners at the Labour party conference in Manchester told politicians last month. FGM is the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-

‘Cameron calls for an end to FGM in the UK in this generation’

medical reasons; it has no health benefits to women and is illegal in the UK. Despite this, 137,000 girls and women in the UK are suffering the consequences of FGM and it is esti-

mated that 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk. The extent of female genital mutilation in the UK has, until recently, been largely ignored by the government despite being illegal since 1985. The first prosecutions in relation to FGM did not take place until earlier this year. In July the issue was addressed when David Cameron hosted a Girl Summit with Unicef. At the summit he called for an end to FGM in the UK ‘in this generation’. Measures introduced to achieve this goal include training for police, doctors, social workers and teachers to help them recognise potential cases of FGM as well as making it a legal obligation to report such cases. Parents who allow FGM can now also be prosecuted. David Cameron also promised a prevention programme, in partnership with NHS England, to care for

survivors and safeguard those at risk, as well as a new specialist FGM service which will include social services, to “proactively identify and respond to FGM”.

‘Only £1 million has been allocated to the eradication of FGM in the UK’

Last month, Britain’s first specialist FGM clinic for physical and psychological treatment of young FGM victims opened in London. The opening of this clinic marks a step forward in the protection and treatment of the most vulnerable victims. Previously, children were seen either in adult clinics or not at all. Experts believe that parents

are having their daughters cut at a younger age to avoid detection and moving towards less invasive, but still illegal, types of FGM which are harder to detect. Despite all the positive efforts to put a stop to FGM in the UK, campaigners are still facing setbacks. Councillor Ellie Robinson from Newham council in east London said she feared that due to the lack of data currently available, the already limited funds for tackling FGM were likely to be cut. Only £1 million has been allocated to the eradication of FGM in the UK whereas £35m has been allocated to the cause overseas. Robinson fears that the extent of FGM in the UK is underestimated and that without the data to prove the need for intervention it will be difficult to get the funding to set up more clinics. For David Cameron to eradicate

FGM in this generation, it will take much more than the training of teachers, social workers, doctors and police in recognising and reporting cases. The funding for data collection needs to be given in order to identify trends and set up clinics to help victims of the abuse. Prevention of FGM also needs to be taken seriously, protecting vulnerable girls from being sent abroad during the summer when it is suspected they are to be subjected to FGM and confiscating the tools used for FGM being brought through UK border control. Politicians are beginning to identify and combat FGM in the UK but it is important that efforts do not fizzle out under economic pressures. Women are still vulnerable in the UK and they must be protected by people who are not afraid to talk about what’s happening.

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Thursday 23th October 2014 | PALATINATE

Conference season round-up

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Archie Hill looks at the final conference season ahead of next year’s election The last party conference before the general election is meant to be awash with eye-catching new policies and ideas; a chance for leaders to set out their political stall and, as often as not, whip supporters and potential voters into a frenzy of excitement and positivity. Now though, as the dust settles, elation seems in short supply. The Liberal Democrat conference appeared to have turned into a wake, with Nick Clegg’s bold but unconvincing claim to have spearheaded all the successes of the last four years of coalition seeming slightly tragic, as the party’s approval rating continues plunging towards single figures. The Conservatives were haunted by the twin glooms of mass desertion to UKIP and George Osborne’s announcement of further austerity measures and benefit cuts, but cheered considerably by the now traditional Boris Johnson Show (in which, as one commentator gruesomely if accurately put it, the Mayor

of London seeks to find ‘the clitoris of the Conservative Party’). Meanwhile, in a pub somewhere in Doncaster, Nigel Farage continued his boozy,

Simon MacAdam

ple,” in the words of Abraham Lincoln and John Wycliffe before him. For those who “sit aside a mass of power,” he warned, “Wycliffe’s words will become ever more insistent.” He ended by appealing to “meaningful democracy” – something that is not embodied in the “cosy cartel politics” of the three-party system. After listening to his speech I wasn’t sure whether I was more overwhelmed by UKIP’s historic victory, or by the fact that I was agreeing with everything a ‘Kipper’ was saying. His words were imbued with that ubiquitous disaffection with the Westminster elite, and he demanded a redefinition of the relationship between rulers and ruled. For a brief couple of minutes I felt what hundreds of thousands of Brits feel when they listen to UKIP attacking the establishment and the parties in which they have lost (or never had) favour. When you peel away the outer layers of rudeness and often haphazard emotional tirades against immigration, Europe and the hapless Mr Van Rompuy, UKIP does have some reasonable appeal. Those of us who are frankly disturbed by the rise of the Right and monitor its progress with disbelief and disdain, are sometimes very quick to write off UKIP and its supporters as

‘Labour seemed determined to undermine themselves’

stratospheric rise in popularity, predicting (correctly as it turns out) that UKIP would soon have an elected MP at Westminster. The ‘non-racist party’ as they have begun to brand themselves, were jubilant, if not a little over-enthusiastic with the champagne. The biggest headline story of conference season however, unfolded in Manchester as Labour seemed determined to undermine themselves. It’s a strange position: Ed Miliband is, if the most recent YouGov polls are to be believed, on course to lead his party to a majority in the

next election, despite having a popularity level slightly lower than Abu Qatada and the Yorkshire Ripper. Indeed, he’s seen as such a liability to Labour’s chances in 2015 that the whole conference looked like the final act of Julius Caesar. While no one went as far as actually planting a knife in his back, several shadow cabinet members seemed more interested in launching themselves as pretenders to the Labour throne. What he needed more than anything else was a strong and convincing performance that could establish him as a credible Prime Minister. Instead, his speech was noticeable mainly for its absence of any economic issues – he had been speaking without notes, and claimed to have forgotten the relevant section. Obviously this is by no means a major disaster for the Labour campaign (although it was a telling moment to see Ed Balls finally begin to start agreeing with Osborne on the need for

austerity) and was overshadowed by other events at the conference; most notably 91-year old war veteran Harry Smith’s passionate plea on behalf of the NHS. However this all adds to the growing picture that has been developing in the run-up to 2015, that Miliband is the largest obstacle to his own victory. Murmurs have become less subdued: former deputy leader John (now Lord) Prescott openly attacked Miliband’s leadership, while other MPs under the cloak of anonymity suggested that former Home Secretary Alan Johnson should make a leadership bid. This is definitely not what the opposition should look and sound like at the end of conference season, at the beginning of what might be the runup to power. There was none of the quiet optimism of the Conservatives, buoyed by promising economic forecasts, a confident performance by its leader, and appealing incentives such as the raising of the 40p tax rate which aims to

substantially reduce the financial drag on middle-income families. Instead, Miliband is once again on the back foot, with Labour’s lead in the polls reduced when he will have hoped for it to have grown, making the upcoming election – said to have been his to lose – dangerously close. William Hague, no stranger to party conferences, having spoken at his first in 1977 when he was sixteen, pointed out that you had to go back as far as 1983 when Michael Foot was Labour leader to find an opposition so unprepared for leadership this close to an election. That will be one of the legacies of this year’s party conferences: that more and more voters will be focusing on Ed Miliband and his weaknesses, rather than whatever the Labour party might have to offer Britain. He will need to drastically change this if he has any hope of securing power in seven months time. Oh yes, the Greens also had a conference. In Birmingham, I think. Well, good for them.

Clacton: first of many for the Kippers? In a brief but uneasy ceremony on 13th October, Douglas Carswell MP retook his seat in the House of Commons as the parliamentary leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). This followed his resounding by-election victory in his East Anglian constituency of Clacton-on-Sea where he picked up 60% of the vote. In his acceptance speech, Mr Carswell defended his actions on the grounds of the desire to serve his constituents first and foremost, answering to them before party. He went on to make calls for

‘The rise of UKIP is, however, part and parcel of popular alienation from disappointing liberal parties’

humility, modesty and compassion, in UKIP’s efforts to offer an alternative to the “smears of the Westminster machine,” offering instead “democracy of the people, by the people, for the peo-

ignorant and jingoistic. But they are in some shape or form a plea from millions of Britons for change. It may be that the plea has not been made in a fashion that the more moderate among us would approve of – blaming

‘UKIP demolished the Labour majority by 90% to just 617 votes’ immigrants and bashing foreigners is unfortunately a classic choice of antidote to people’s societal woes. The rise of UKIP is, however, part and parcel of popular alienation from disappointing liberal parties One, Two and Three. The magnitude of support for UKIP in Clacton was impressive. But in terms of the bigger picture it is more than worthwhile looking at what the party achieved in Heywood and Middleton. There they didn’t manage to win the seat, but they did manage to gain another 10,000 supporters compared to 2010 and more importantly they demolished the Labour majority by 90% to just 617 votes. Upon being announced as the late Jim Dobbin’s successor as Labour MP for the constituency, Liz McInnes MP somehow found

Douglas Carswell UKIP’s first MP Photograph: Flickr Douglas Carswell

it in her to declare that, “Tonight people gave their backing to Ed Miliband’s plans.” Although Ms McInnes managed to gain just shy of a percentage point of support on 2010, her remarks couldn’t help being dreadfully out of place given UKIP’s performance and the evaporation of her constituency’s ‘safe Labour seat’ status. The MP’s tactic of choosing to ignore the elephant in the room when she assessed the result was a ‘courageous’ move to make, as Sir Humphrey Appleby would say. However, it begs the question for the other main parties about how best to respond to the march of the ‘People’s Army’. What can they do to avoid

another Clacton? Toughened rhetoric from the Labour and Conservative front benches is doomed to fail. “Out-Faraging Farage” is desperate and voters can see right through it. In fact it only certifies the effectiveness of voting UKIP – it works in getting your voice heard. UKIP will have a substantial impact next year, and then it will be up to the next government to prove by deed, and not by mechanical verbal reflex, that they deserve to win back alienated supporters. There is little that words can achieve between now and the election. Clacton was the first. Many more will follow.

PALATINATE | Thursday 23rd October 2014

SciTech

Reader’s Scigest A QUICK LOOK AT SCIENCE

EBOLA EXPECTATIONS

The outbreak of the viral disease Ebola, which has killed over 4,500 people since first appearing in a toddler in Guinea in December last year, has the potential to be the “definitive humanitarian disaster of our generation,” according to the charity Oxfam. And, just as Barack Obama urged Americans not to panic, their Chief Executive Mark Goldring declared that the world was “in the eye of a storm.” The United Nations has expressed similar worry, asserting that if the epidemic cannot be contained within 52 days then the world faces an “entirely unprecedented situation,” but reassuring that otherwise it can be stopped.

POTENTIAL LIGHT CAST ON DARK MATTER A peculiar signal in the electromagnetic spectrum of the sun could be the first direct detection of a dark matter particle. Researchers from the University of Leicester noticed an anomalous reading in the intensity of X-rays detected by the European Space Agency’s XMMNewton observatory and, after failing to find an explanation based on conventional physics, have suggested that it is due to the presence of axions, particles which stream from the sun’s core and emit Xrays when they meet the earth’s magnetic field. Introduced by the Peccei-Quinn theory in 1977, they are thought to be an essential component of dark matter.

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A week at the British Science Festival Explosions, excitement and (hopefully) equality

INTO THE ANTHROPOCENE? A panel of thirty specialists met in Berlin last week to consider whether humanity has impacted the planet to a level that merits the classification of a new geological time period. Anthropocene, a term denoting the age of human inhabitation, has been in popular usage since the millennium but may soon become a formal epoch pending a consensus and a successful proposal in 2016 by the group. The soaring speed that sea level is rising and ice melting, the extraordinary rate at which wildlife is being wiped out and the high levels of atmospheric pollutants are some of the issues that have given scientists reason to deliberate conclusion of the Holocene, the earth’s geological state since the retreat of glaciers some 11,700 years ago.

Bryony Hockin

his summer I was lucky enough to attend the British Science Festival. Held in Birmingham for a week in September, this event brings together scientists, students and members of the public to celebrate science in all of its geeky glory. I attended the festival as part of my BP Women in Science Award, a bursary awarded to women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at Durham. The need for such an award might surprise some people; in 2014, haven’t we achieved gender equality? Well, no. Although I come from an undergraduate class with a 50:50 gender ratio, the lack of women in STEM becomes increasingly apparent as you advance in the field of science. As soon as I arrived at the festival, my belief that women in STEM should be encouraged as much as possible was cemented even further. At most of the talks I attended, the audience, and indeed the lecturers themselves, consisted of about 80% men. The biggest issue with the lack of

women in STEM seems to be that it is an invisible problem; many of the people I spoke to at the festival thought that it was a non-issue, something that had been solved years ago by employment diversity quotas. After the closing presidential address, Sir Paul Nurse was asked about the lack of women in senior scientist positions. He suggested that better maternity leave and part-time positions were the solution. I asked him if he had any other ideas, considering the fact that women are not just for having babies – this seemed to stump him since he didn’t really answer the question. It was this kind of lively debate that I really enjoyed at the festival – being surrounded by so many like-minded people created lots of fascinating discussions, spurred on by the varied talks. During the festival, every day was packed with events; everything from climate change to cancer therapy, fusion power to the future of cities was discussed. As an extremely keen chemistry student I particularly enjoyed the explosive practical demonstration of alchemy given by Jim Al-Khalili and Andrea Sella. I’m not sure my

eardrums will ever be the same again. Of course, when the sun goes down, the science doesn’t stop; on one night, we spent an evening celebrating Joseph Priestley with liquid nitrogen cooled cocktails, magic tricks, more exploding experiments and some slightly bonkers performance art. Politics was ever-present at the festival, appropriately enough considering how much influence it has over modern science research. The first event that I attended, entitled ‘Is Politics Bad at Science?’ gave me my favourite quote of the entire festival: Lord Dick Taverne referred to MPs as “wretched, despicable creatures.” Also discussing government policy at the festival was David Nutt, who gave a talk about the UK’s drugs and alcohol policy. The general opinion given by many of the speakers seemed to be that government policy needs to be more conscious of science and that scientists need to be taken more seriously by politicians. The event that I most looked forward to at the festival was the Women in Science networking event, and I was not disappointed.

Although I was initially a bit apprehensive, I was lured in by the prospect of free food and wine, and once there I found the atmosphere friendly and supportive. I had the opportunity to talk to many members of the scientific community who were all focused specifically on encouraging women into scientific careers. I also spoke to representatives from the Daphne Jackson Trust, a charity specialising in helping people to return to careers in STEM research after a career break, often as a result of having children or caring for family members. While situations like this are no longer exclusively applicable to women, women are certainly counted in the majority of those who need opportunities like this. Overall I found the festival to be a fantastic experience, and I’m surprised more people don’t know about it. Most of the talks are free and it’s held during summer holidays, so it’s perfect for students. I would highly recommend all STEM students (particularly women) to apply to any kind of scholarship or bursary you can get your hands on, especially if it gets you to places like this.

the game. Lead developer, Markus “Notch” Pearson, also revealed that the pressures of developing one of the largest franchises in gaming history was a core factor in selling the games studio. A bigger question to ask, however, is why Microsoft would buy out Mojang for such a large sum of money on the back of the success of one game. Microsoft itself has not hidden the fact that the deal would help shore up its position in the mobile market. But it is certainly interesting. With Minecraft already available on competitors’ platforms, the tech giant has vowed to “maintain Minecraft and its community in all the ways people love today.” There is no way to know how the title will change, however it is clear that Microsoft has been enticed by the whole ecosystem, stating Minecraft to be “more than a great game franchise.” This has pushed some to specu-

late that, because of the heavily networked user base and community, the game could be used as a tool to leverage some form of social media in Microsoft’s direction. Another possibility enters my mind. To me, Minecraft is fun because you are placed in a world with very few rules and left to go

nuts. It’s true you can ‘beat’ Minecraft by digging a hole and hiding in it. For some people this pointlessness is enough to put them off. But I can see many parallels drawn with computer programming – just because it works doesn’t mean you can’t do it better.

Minecraft sale: a game changer?

Alistair Madden Mojang, the development company behind hit indie game Minecraft, has been sold to Microsoft for two and a half billion dollars. Anyone who knows anything about games will have heard of Minecraft. The hit indie title has achieved unparalleled success, making one hundred million dollars last year alone. Minecraft, now over five years old, consistently tops popular games lists. The game itself sees players shaping their own virtual world with nearly limitless possibilities – building, mining and crafting (whilst fending off monsters) being the core mechanics. To many, the sale of this monster of a franchise to Microsoft is jarring. Minecraft has always been multiplatform and highly tweakable – a lot of content has been added to the game through so-called mods – and in a statement Mojang acknowledge this to be one of the cornerstones of

Illustration: Mariam Hayat

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Thursday 23rd October 2014| PALATINATE

Top Gear controversy: are their antics justified? GK Teh

Two viewpoints on the recent Top Gear scandal in Argentina G.K. Teh defends the right to make jokes on television

Top Gear isn’t your ordinary motoring programme. Ordinary motoring programmes teach you how to get optimum fuel economy from your Honda and entertain you with moderate defensive driving techniques (before plastering a Health and Safety warning in your face). Ordinary motoring programmes do not get the local populace to pelt their crew with rocks by driving a car whose plates allegedly refer to a war in 1982 in a certain South American country. The instinctive reaction to this debacle is to take the side of the Argen-

Joshua Bailey

When Lord Reith, the first Director General of the BBC, outlined the principles around which the BBC should conduct itself - the now august mantra of ‘educate, inform and entertain’ - I am fairly sure that he did not have the Top Gear gits in mind. Allow me to be clear from the outset: as far as I am concerned, Jeremy Clarkson and his nasty little friends fall considerably short of all three aims and I think that the Beeb should never let any of them appear on television ever again. Here’s why. Clarkson’s laundry list of transgressions makes for very depressing reading. From the racist epithets and xenophobic comments, through the homophobia to the callous snark of taunting Gordon Brown for having a glass eye; the list goes on (not least the most recent Argentinean incident). Being offensive has become Clarkson’s trope, his USP. But these pathetic attempts at being mischievously offensive are frankly unacceptable. They are also cowardly.

tineans and pelt the Top Gear team with Ofcom rocks. For many, Top Gear stopped existing within the realm of the acceptable about eighteen seasons ago. The show attracts a typical vocabulary of complaints - irreverent, pointlessly provocative has-beens, and, of course, politically incorrect. But have you noticed how bad we are at defining ‘political correctness’? In the mid twentieth century, the English speaking world decided that segregationist laws and attitudes towards a) non-Caucasian races and b) those with disabilities was no longer in good political grace. For centuries these people had suffered various atrocities borne out of an impression of supremacy. The progressive world decided they deserved better treatment; that we should make efforts not to offend those whom we have wronged. This

should be the essence of political correctness.

They’re cowardly because instead of standing by the prejudice of his remarks, Clarkson chooses to appeal to discrimination and bias through droll humour and then slither back under his slimy rock and refuse to

haviour but one that we should not be prepared to accept. Standards of decency and respect for others are intransigent and the BBC should recognise this. And then we come to the trite and lazy defence of intolerance often employed by Clarkson and his defenders - “Oh, it’s just a laugh,” or the equally apt but even less persuasive: “This is political correctness gone mad.” I fail to understand why comedy demands that we have a laugh at the expense of people who are considerably worse-off than ourselves. I don’t see how being racist in a ‘playful’ way is in any way more acceptable than being racist in a nasty, callous and vile way. I wonder if those who defend him would also think it acceptable to use the language Clarkson does when speaking to a black person or a gay person or an Argentinean or a Mexican or anyone else who he has sought to poke fun at. Something to ponder on, perhaps. I’ll end by borrowing the words of Musa Okwonga who said that he is “fed up with being expected to serve up elegant, dignified and dispassionate responses each time one of his jibes against a racial group emerges into the airwaves.”

“

Political correctness gone mad suffocates artistic talent - particularly comedic talent.

”

Yet, what we are being vigilantes for today is not political incorrectness. Putting Top Gear under siege in this ridiculous witch hunt against

anything with the slightest potential to offend is, firstly, a waste of everyone’s time. It provides a convenient breeding ground for gossip journalism and diverts far too much attention away from issues worth paying attention to. Secondly - and more damningly - political correctness gone mad suffocates artistic talent - particularly comedic talent. This doesn’t just affect fresh faces vying to break through. Even veteran acts such as Monty Python have been ‘willingly’ forced to censor the lyrics to such songs as ‘I like Chinese’. A song ruined? Yes. This is not to say that Top Gear has a clean record in political correctness. Eight years ago, the crew caused uproar in Alabama over displaying pro-LGBT slogans on their cars as they drove through the conservative

state. More recently, the presenters attracted considerable complaint over comments made about Mexico. However, what these two controversies have in common is that they were both done to amuse. With a casualty of a thousand soldiers and civilians, the Falklands War (to which the plates H982FKL supposedly refer) is hardly a topic for comedy. It is not a joke in bad taste - it is not a joke at all. It is such a shame that Top Gear’s track record has led to stringent scrutiny and a tendency to accuse them of wrongdoing without duly considering the situation. It’s also a shame that our misinformed concept of political correctness is murdering comedic talent. I would include some choice comments about the Daily Mail, but it wouldn’t be politically correct to offend fellow journalists, would it?

I agree and whilst this lacks the elegance of Okwonga, I wish to end on a similarly acerbic note. So Mr Clarkson, kindly take your race baiting, homophobic and just plain nasty friends and views and clear off.

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Joshua Bailey: It’s time to sack Clarkson and his mates

“

These pathetic attempts at being mischievously offensive are frankly unacceptable.

”

defend himself in public. It smacks of a special kind of cowardice and of a man with nothing that might constitute scruples - only a snarky and pernicious nature to fill their place. The worst of it is that if Top Gear wasn’t as popular as it sadly is, the three of them would have been sacked years ago. The cover of profit is a useful one for bigots who can point to it as a justification for their intolerant be-

Illustration: Lara Salam

PALATINATE | Thursday 23rd October 2014

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La Dolce Vita: Italy’s long road to economic stability A nation blinded by pride? Oliver Greenwood explores the Italian political psyche Oliver Greenwood

“With this headline alone, you can begin to understand the current state of affairs in 21st Century Italy,” my boss proclaimed as he passed me the newspaper across the green plastic table. We were sitting at the restaurant he had eaten lunch at every weekday for the past eight years – the Blue Cross Café in Le Sieci, just outside Florence. This man was adamant to teach me not only about how to produce wine, the subject of a two month internship in Tuscany as part of my university Year Abroad, but also about the Italian psyche and the reasons behind Italy’s supposedly incessant decline. Before me lay a column entitled ’50 years ago we dreamed, today at best we can hope’. Not my idea of light lunchtime reading...

The 1960s were the Italian boom years. For the first time, almost everyone could afford a car, more often than not the iconic Fiat 500, and the economy was charging forwards having made a relatively speedy post-war recovery. Today, with almost unbelievable levels of youth unemployment (43% at the last count), ever increasing doubts about EU membership, and countless African migrants drowning off the coast of Lampedusa in an effort to follow their dreams, Italy reeks of decline. Yet this isn’t the déclinisme Simon Kuper spoke of in his recent article on the French mentality in the FT Weekend Magazine (13th September). While that is certainly a symptom of what is going on here, and many lament the direction their country is heading in, the true culprit is the omnipresent Italian characteristic of pride. For those with a trained eye, pride is everywhere you look. It is one of the reasons that the Italians are so obsessive about the

consistency of their pasta sauce, the cause of their genuine shock when you inform them that you’ve never visited Bari, and it lies at the heart of that key Italian principle of ‘campanilismo’, which inextricably ties every Italian to their hometown. In some ways it is also the attitude that is holding Italy back. Their pride in the past and in their historical, artistic and scientific achievements to date is more than understandable, but it serves to heighten their fear of an uncertain future, and they feel powerless. As with several European nations, Italy sees itself as a shadow of its former self, and it’s taking its toll. The Italians still feel somehow special, and there is no denying that they live in a special place, but the judicial, political and administrative rules found elsewhere on the continent must still apply. Doing things ‘the Italian way’ is what got them into this mess. There is something sinister in the way in which they are handling the situation. As is often the case, politi-

cians are taking a great deal of the blame, and in many cases rightly so. Pick up a copy of any Italian newspaper and the first ten pages will be filled with dramatic changes in the political scene that are hard to keep up with. Stability is foreign, and a cabinet is doing well if it passes the 2-year mark. Collective guilt, however, is hard to come across, and debate on the scars left over from the period of terrorism in the 70s or theories on bribery in national and international football is kept between close friends and family. At the dinner table, discussion of politics is taboo, and for good reason. Tales of neofascists, endless corruption scandals and bunga bunga parties are enough to ruin anyone’s appetite. It’s probably best to stick to complimenting the food. Genuine pride is beginning to look dented and battered. When I tell people I meet that the most well known modern Italian figure outside of Italy is not some croon-

ing male singer or TV personality, but probably Silvio Berlusconi, they shudder. Here, image is king, but marketing this country is becoming an increasingly difficult task, and it’s going to take a lot more than planting a few more Cyprus trees in the Tuscan hills to turn it around. With the Italian economy recently back in recession, the concept of confidence comes to mind. If the country is to recover, they must up their game and start looking forwards rather than back. Pessimism may continue to reign , but the Italian dream is not dead. It lives on for tourists who arrive in their millions every year to experience La Dolce Vita.

Illustration: Asher Klassen

ISIS: A movement spread through social media Ellen Finch: more than miltary action is needed to stop this new terrorist threat Ellen Finch

The videos of US journalist James Foley’s alleged execution by ISIS fighters went viral in August. Followed by the beheadings of Steven Sotloff and David Haines, ISIS have furthered the militant Islamist ideology of leaders like Osama bin Laden to the point where al-Qaeda have cut all ties with the group due to its brutality. The threat of ISIS stems not least from the use of an apparently British militant carrying out the executions, which begs the question: if they have the power and ability to reach the ‘desperate and disaffected youth,’ as quoted by The Guardian, just how dangerous are they to the reputation of Islam, and to the safety of the world? ISIS has a decade-long history of activity spanning Iraq, Syria and Turkey, but it is their recent actions that have brought the group to the attention of our media. They have advanced beyond suicides and car

bombings to focus specifically on targeting the US and Britain, reaching a more personal means of attack by targeting individuals, and therefore their families and communities. Their use of the internet in perpetrating these crimes demonstrates their understanding of its power: they know that people are, by nature, strangely fascinated by the violent and macabre, and that therefore their disturbing videos will swiftly circulate. And even when people refuse to watch the videos – by principal, or because they are affected by the nature of the murders – they still make the headlines of world media. ISIS has proved quite clearly that it can make an impact on the world extremely quickly. By placing a British figure at the forefront of their videos, ISIS also demonstrates the ease with which it is able to ‘radicalise’ Westerners. This decision has more purpose than to shock viewers: it means we can no longer easily dehumanise perpetrators of terrorist acts and dismiss them as ‘others.’ We have to recognise that young people from our own countries are capable of the acts many cultures

deem ‘barbaric’ – and with this, we must question why young people are joining ISIS in the first place. By using social media to reach out to more people than has previously been possible, ISIS can use recruitment techniques reminiscent of military campaigns through time – the depiction of an idealised Jihadist to which future fighters should aspire, coupled with promises of glory, money and women – to communicate their ideology to young Muslims who may sympathise with their cause. They draw upon instances of western or Christian crimes against Muslims that are rarely or never discussed in our media, and remind recruits of the often tendentious depiction of Islamic militants in comparison to violent groups of other religions and cultures. By reversing the language often used by our media, ISIS has effectively created an opportunity for young Muslims to break away from Western values and fight for a cause not previously open or available to them. And their propaganda is effective – over 500 British Muslims have travelled overseas to join ISIS in the

last year, and 250 more have returned as converted Jihadists. ISIS’s claim to be ‘an Islamic army accepted by a large number of Muslims worldwide’ is damaging enough to the reputation of the Islamic faith. Whilst ISIS justifies its actions with a retaliatory argument, it has encountered criticism from Islamic groups around the world. A recent letter to David Cameron, signed by representatives of the Islamic Society of Britain and the Association of Muslim Lawyers, asserted that ‘[ISIS] is neither Islamic, nor is it a state. The group has no standing with faithful Muslims.’ The issue is that years of poor media coverage and poor education around religious issues have led to a widespread ignorance amongst the public as to the difference between the peaceful teachings of Islam and the extremist views of groups such as ISIS. Efforts to solve this problem are wasted when politicians and the media continue to use language that implies that ISIS has any ties with mainstream Islamic values, such as their persistent referring to ISIS as ‘Islamic State’, which somewhat reinforces ISIS’s claim to be a true ‘Is-

lamic army.’ Whilst the West works to fight ISIS and its collaborators, efforts should be made in our own communities to prevent ISIS from further threatening the reputation of Islam, and to dissuade young Muslims from joining the group. We should work to counter the claims of ISIS as a ‘widely-accepted’ Islamic army by educating people about the difference between Islam’s teachings and extremists’ actions. ISIS’s online presence should be challenged by anti-ISIS efforts on our part – although the US has recently attempted this with its ‘Think Again, Turn Away’ mock ISIS recruitment video. A movement that crosses the boundaries of its predecessors, occupying social media as well as territorial space, needs more than gunfire and airstrikes to defeat it.

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The push for gender equality in India Tom Garmeson on the situation he encountered on a UKIERI Study India Programme

Tom Garmeson

As we walk through the slum at Chattarpur, police are supervising a digger as its driver haphazardly attempts to knock down the first floor of a nearby house. For the inhabitants of this corner of south Delhi, life is precarious. Most are employed in unskilled labour, with neither benefits nor job security. They receive as little as one hundred rupees (about £1) per day, and the work is monotonous and often hazardous. Many live in illegal housing on government land, which is at risk of being demolished at any time. There is also a huge gender imbalance: For every thousand boys there are only 836 girls; symp-

tomatic of a society which has long favoured its male offspring. On 16th December 2012, Jyoti Singh Pandey, a 23-year-old student, was the victim of a brutal gang rape on a private bus in South Delhi, just a few kilometres from Chattarpur. She suffered numerous injuries, and died 13 days later. That now infamous attack sparked a public outcry; there were mass protests in a number of Indian cities, and the world’s media put India’s gender inequality issues under intense scrutiny. The government fast-tracked the perpetrators through the justice system, and scrambled to introduce harsher new penalties for sexual violence, as well as classifying offences such as voyeurism and stalking as criminal acts for the first time. Despite these reforms, many argue that the new legislation does not go far enough. Indeed, most forms of marital rape are technically still le-

gal in India. Clearly, bringing about real social change in a country of 1.2 billion people of disparate educational, economic and cultural backgrounds will not happen overnight. For many, the time has come at last for a wider debate on women’s rights in India, but in poor or rural communities many women remain unaware that a debate is even taking place. That is where the Crisis Intervention Centre (CIC) comes in. The CIC at Chattarpur is well hidden. There is no sign outside to advertise its presence, and no banner to welcome its attendees. It’s not much to look at either; just a couple of tiny rooms perched on the first floor of a crumbling building. But as Amitabh Kumar, head of Media and Communications at the Centre for Social Research (who run the CIC), points out, that’s the whole idea. “The women have to feel comfort-

able there... like they’re in someone’s home,” he says. The centre provides help for victims of domestic violence, marital rape and other gender-related issues. Crucially, men are involved at every stage of the process, a policy arising from the belief that gender inequality is a social issue, rather than solely a women’s issue. For head counsellor Rekha Dubey, who has lived in the community for many years, the first step towards female empowerment is for all women to be aware of their individual rights. On a case-by-case basis, she is helping to build a women’s support network spanning the local community, which now numbers over a thousand members. They all look out for one another, going door to door to check up on their neighbours, attempting to ensure that no woman feels trapped and isolated in her own home. Dubey herself says she now lives a life without fear, and

only wishes all the women in Chattarpur could feel the same. Back at CSR’s headquarters, Amitabh Kumar acknowledges the relative success of this centre is a drop in the ocean. “It’s a generational process,” he admits, “and I know that things won’t change within my lifetime.” But in certain circles, there is a mood of quiet optimism. The new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, addressing the nation on India’s Independence Day, used the opportunity to speak directly to the country’s hundreds of millions of parents. On a day usually reserved for celebration, he spoke of India’s “shameful” rape problem, and stated that it was the parents’ responsibility to teach their sons right from wrong. In a culture which for centuries has emphasised the importance of parent-child relationships, this could arguably be just as significant as any new piece of legislation.

Trolling: an unstoppable anonymous threat? In light of Brenda Leyland’s suicide, Kiern Moriarty explores ‘Troll’ culture Kieran Moriarty

In folklore, a troll is defined as an ugly, cave-dwelling creature; an outcast who menaces society through fear and violence. When we consider the modern definition of a ‘troll,’ the role is not so different. A ‘troll’ today is an individual that deliberately bombards people (usually people in the public eye) with vile, abusive messages on social media websites, to cause maximum disruption and distress, usually from a dark room, illuminated only by the computer they are working from. The motivations behind trolling are always dark: trolls are driven by revenge, boredom or the sadistic thrill of upsetting people. What we considered in the past as ‘Cyber Bullying’ has now mutated into ‘Trolling,’ evolving into a poisonous Internet phenomenon in which the instigators are free to spew their vitriol all over the Web, protected by the shroud of anonymity among millions and without fear of meaningful punishment. Trolling is sadly back in the news with the death of Brenda Leyland, a

woman exposed by Sky News to be a ‘troll’, who had waged a campaign of abuse and slander at the McCann family. After the exposé, she was deluged by hateful messages on Twitter, defending the McCann family. Leyland was found dead a few days later. A horrible irony that a ‘troll’ was driven to suicide by the dark

Illustration: Grace Armatage art she practised. As sad as this incident was, the wider perspective of this episode has been to highlight the blight that trolling has become on social media and posed the question, is enough being done to stop it? You could argue that the Internet is a lawless Wild West based on the outrageous comments that people appear to get away with posting. However there is legislation in place, designed to prosecute such trolls. Section 127 of the Communi-

cation Act (2003) states that it is an offence to ‘send by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character’. This all sounds very firm and sound in theory. However in practice, is this law effective? It is incredibly difficult for the police to enforce these laws regarding trolling. Firstly the sheer numbers of offenders makes it impossible to police efficiently. Look at some of the tweets sent to high profile figures and the extent of trolling is clearly apparent. Among the many polite and friendly interactions some celebrities receive from followers, there are always several abusive messages interspersed among them. A second problem is that the vast majority of trolls have false aliases, ensuring they are shrouded in anonymity and lost among millions online. The police are not the Secret Service and simply do not have the time or resources to trace the IP Addresses of every computer that has been involved in trolling back to the culprits. Finally, there is the issue of determining whether the abuse is serious enough to warrant prosecution. It is easy to prosecute when the abuse is

obviously offensive but the lines are less clear if it is far more subtle. If celebrities interact with the public, where is the line between ‘banter’ and trolling? A blasé remark could be interpreted by some as trolling, whereas other might find it perfectly innocent. Those who are caught will always shriek the same old line of defence about “Freedom of Speech” and censorship of people’s opinions and argue that measures to regulate what people can post is just a step towards the government-controlled Internet networks of North Korea and China. However, in cases such as Leyland and for numerous celebrities, trolling is just an ugly distortion of “Free Speech,” deliberately aimed to spout bile to cause misery, anger and distress. In some cases, offenders may have certain personality disorders and character traits which mean they are more susceptible to participate in trolling, perhaps not fully understanding the offence they are causing. Often, the abuse is unfounded and irrational. People are targeted purely for the thrill of infuriating someone that has done the troll no wrong. For the majority of trolls, the motivations for trolling are a trium-

virate of boredom, revenge and a desire to cause distress. This is why I struggle to believe trolls are troubled souls. Their motivations are dark, selfish and attention-seeking. They are not “troubled,” they are just trying to cause trouble. Not all trolling is horrible. Sometimes it can be very witty, toungein-cheek and quite entertaining. However, in the context of Leyland’s case and examples of that nature, it is wrong and should be a criminal offence. Needless to say, there will be more of these cases appearing in our newspapers until the authorities introduce even firmer legislation to address this issue. Section 127 has seen arrests for trolling increase, but it is not enough to combat the epidemic. Until more is done, it will be the responsibility of James Blunt to lead the crusade against “trolling” online.

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DURFC thrash Leeds in charity game Durham start badminton Ali Neden Durham 1st XV opened their BUCS campaign with a resounding 26-3 victory over Leeds University in a rainy encounter at Durham City. After a tough pre-season including fixtures against Bath and Bristol, the team were raring to go and impress the crowd at the much-anticipated annual charity match in support of Sport in Action Zambia. The rain had already been coming down for an hour when the game finally kicked off. Durham came out of the traps like a train and a few hard running lines, especially from centre Harry Sanders, began to make inroads into the Leeds defence. However, the early breakthrough came through fresher Buchan Richardson. Having received the ball coming round the corner, he managed to break a tackle and steam away to slide in under the posts. A simple conversion from fullback Louis Molloy gave Durham an early seven point lead.

Leeds were not about to throw in the towel. They started to put some pressure on the Durham line and after some brief resistance and counter attacking from the Durham backs, they won themselves and converted a penalty from just outside the 22. Over £2,400 was raised for Sport Action Zambia from this year’s annual charity rugby match

The rest of the first half appeared even, with the rain meaning that retaining possession was becoming more challenging. However, after some good lineout work and a drive from the Durham pack, a piece of sharp work around the back of the breakdown allowed Molloy to go over for the second try of the match, which he duly converted with aplomb. The players headed in for half time with the game tilting in Durham’s favour at 14-3. The second half continued in the same way as the first had been fin-

Former fresher relishing Bristol chance Nick Friend

The 19-year-old is grateful to Durham and what it offered him, describing it as ‘highly valuable to [his] rugby development.’ He recognises that he cannot rest on his laurels and tells me that his ambition is to achieve his potential – whether that means returning to Durham or representing England. Currently sleeping on the living room floor of a friend’s house, Turner’s ultimate dream is, by his own admission, ‘a long way off.’ Understandably, he is predictably upbeat – not just for his future - but also for that of DURFC, for whom he is expecting great things in the year ahead.

A year ago, Tim Turner joined Durham University as a fresher. A year on, it’s all change for the 19-yearold. Turner is nearly 300 miles away. A year after joining DURFC, the 19 year-old scrum-half is working away under the watchful eye of former England and Scotland coach Andy Robinson at Bristol Rugby – an experience that he describes as ‘an absolute pleasure to be part of.’ By his own admission, the opportunity to train alongside the likes of British Lions stars Dwayne Peel and Ian Evans ‘will improve not only [his] basic skills, but also help [him] to mature as a player.’ He has already made quite an impression, coming off the bench to touch down twice in a preseason romp against Clifton RFC. Having previously represented both England U16 and Bath Academy, Turner understands the magnitude of this opening, calling it a ‘fantastic opportunity to put [his] foot in the door of professional rugby.’ There’s a refreshing honesty and humility to Turner as he discusses his determination to succeed at Ashton Gate. In reference to his ex-teammates at Durham, he is almost apologetic in acknowledging the number of talented players who haven’t been given the break they deserve. It is this, he says, that acts as his motivation – claiming that he ‘owes it to them to keep working hard and to Tim Turner (left) of Bristol keep improving.’ Photograph: John White Media

ished. Durham were sticking to their philosophy in spite of conditions and were having more success as the forwards began to dominate. Strong scrummaging from props Adam Brocklebank and Dave Spelman paved the way for the next try. A huge push from the pack forced the Leeds scrum to buckle and the ref awarded a penalty try. Again, Molloy kicked the conversion. The Leeds team continued to press forward in search of a way back into the game. But with conditions worsening and some fine tactical kicking from halfbacks Nathan Holmes and Jack Barker, Durham pinned their opponents inside their own 22. A well-worked try in the corner ended proceedings and secured Durham their first bonus point win of the season. Overall, a fantastic early season performance from the 1st XV. On top of the win, a great effort from all those who went down to support Action Zambia, raising over £2,400 for the charity in the process.

season with easy win Charlie Taylor-Kroll Team Durham Men’s Badminton continued their winning streak following on from a 5-3 win last week, annihilating a tired and lacklustre Keele Squad. Even the final score of 8-0 doesn’t tell the whole story; both the singles and doubles easily managed to secure victory in very little time. Durham introduced three new players into their squad from last season: Mantej Bahra, Ryan MacCarthy and Yiheng He, all of whom played in doubles teams and recorded dominant wins. Bahra and MacCarthy swept Keele aside in all four games winning 21-3 and 21-4 against Keele’s 2nd side, and 21-3 and 21-6 against their 1st side. Similarly, Yiheng He and partner Josh Males enjoyed landslide victories, winning 21-7 and 21-6 in their first games, followed by 21-4 and 21-10 wins in the others.

It was not, however, the new players who achieved all the success; the ‘old guard’ were equally dominant in the singles games. Captain Mike Roe and Ben Birks also successfully managed dominant performances in all their matches, adding further embarrassment for Keele. Roe successfully managed confortable victories against Keele’s second team, winning 21-6 and 21-5, as well as against their first, winning 21-6 and 21-1. Birks’ record was equally impressive, winning 21-3 and 21-5 against his first opponents and 21-6 and 21-8 against his second. It is definitely an encouraging lead for Team Durham’s Men’s Badminton 1st team, starting very confidently in their first game in the Northern 1A League. Not only did they win all eight games, but they did so with ease. Durham will travel to Leeds for their next game, where they will expect tougher opposition than that which they faced in last week’s matches.

Strong start to BUCS season for Durham John Evans On the whole, it was a successful start to the BUCS season for the majority of Durham teams. Whether at Maiden Castle or in another part of the country, most teams picked up valuable points to kick off their season in style. The Women’s Hockey 1st Team defeated Nottingham 3-0. The Men’s 2nd Team came away with a hardfought 2-2 draw with Leeds Beckett’s 1st team, matching the result of the women’s 2nd team playing against the same opposition. The men’s 3rd team also picked up a draw in West Yorkshire, this time 1-1 with Leeds’ 2nd XI. Special mention should go to the women’s 5th team who beat Leeds’ 8th XI 12-0. Durham’s lacrosse teams picked up from where they left off at the end of last season, with both the men’s and women’s 1st sides picking up resounding victories. The women beat Nottingham’s 1st team 22-2, whilst the men beat opponents from the same university 11-1. The women’s 2nd team thrashed Manchester 240, and the men’s 2nd team beat their Manchester counterparts 5-0. It was a disappointing start to the season, however, for the Men’s Football and Rugby 1st Teams, both tasting defeat last week. The footballers lost 3-0 away at Stirling, whilst the rugby team experienced a shock 3522 defeat at Northumbria. The wom-

en fared much better however, with the Women’s Rugby 1st XV beating Leeds Beckett 1st XV 17-5, whilst the Women’s Football 1st XI also had a successful trip to Leeds, beating the newly-named university 5-2. The Men’s Rugby 2nd XV picked up an impressive victory, defeating York’s 1st team 24-12. The 3rd and 4th teams also had a successful day, beating Liverpool 1st team 23-15 and Northumbria 1st XV 36-19 respectively. The Men’s Football 2nd Team came away from York with a 3-1 victory after beating their 2nd team, whereas the Women’s 2nd Team held Leeds Beckett 2nd XI to a draw to pick up a valuable away point. The women’s 3rd team will be disappointed with their 3-1 away defeat against Huddersfield’s 1st team. The Women’s Tennis 1st Team also started the season with confidence, thrashing a strong Nottingham team 12-0. The Men’s 1sts struggled however, losing 8-4 away at Leeds Beckett. The 2nd team faced up against Durham 3rds and avoided any embarrassment by winning 10-2. The 4th team beat Newcastle’s 2nd side 12-0, and the 5th team defeated Teeside’s 2nd team by the same margin. Apart from the 1st team, Durham’s women fared less well. The 2nd team lost 12-0 away against Loughborough’s 1sts, but the 3rds managed a 6-6 draw with Leeds. Both male and female volleyball 1st teams had something to celebrate on Wednesday night after they

both beat their respective Edinburgh sides 3-0 at home. The Women’s Basketball 1st Team started their season with a win, defeating Northumbria’s 1st team 7466. The men disappointingly lost against the same opponents, the game ending 74-85. The Women’s Fencing 1st Team also struggled, losing 135-91 to an impressive St Andrews outfit. The men pulled off an impressive victory north of the border, however, beating the men’s St Andrews team 132-100. It was a similarly mixed set of results for the badminton teams. The men thrashed Keele 8-0, whilst the women lost 6-3 to Nottingham. It was a tale of close defeats for Durham in netball. The 1st VII lost 37-42 to Northumbria’s 2nd VII and Durham’s 2nds lost agonisingly - 2829 - to Northumbria 3rds. It was a convincing start to the season for the squash teams. The Men’s Squash 1st Team beat the visiting Manchester Metropolitan team 4-1. The women’s 1st side faced the always difficult task of facing their teammates in Durham’s 2nd team., but won convincingly 4-0. A similar task awaited the table tennis teams, the men’s 1st side overcoming the seconds 13-4. The women’s 2nd team had to play against Durham’s 3rd side, but defeated them 5-0. Roll on next week where there is a full programme of fixtures for Durham’s teams to build on their strong start.

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Thursday 23rd October 2014 | PALATINATE

Exclusive: Olivier Bernard talks foot Training has just finished at New Ferens Park and I find Olivier Bernard lying thoughtfully in the dugout. The former Newcastle left back’s thoughtful demeanour rarely changes as I quiz him about a variety of topics, from his role as owner of Durham City Football Club to his work with to his time on loan at Darlington.

Nick Friend Over the next forty minutes, Bernard sparks into life when discussing his three main passions: football, the north-east and his anti-racism work. Olivier’s association with the north-east goes all the way back to 2000 when he joined a Newcastle side managed by Sir Bobby Robson – a man he describes as “probably the best English manager ever.” He soon headed down the road to Darlington on loan – an experience that he calls “the best thing I’ve ever done”. It is clear even from this early stage of our chat that this man is sincerely grateful for the way in which the local community has accepted him over the past fourteen years. Durham City FC – the Northern League club that he owns – is Ber-

“Without being too much of a dreamer, next year should be the one to really aim for promotion”

nard’s way of thanking the region. “I love the north-east,” he starts out. “Part of me is trying to give back to the community and wanting to thank the community for what they’ve given me. I owe it to my life so far in the north-east to do this. I want to do this until I find some players who go on to play for big clubs.”

I know from listening to him that Olivier means every word. His exceptional English even has a Geordie twang to it. He deeply cares about northeast football and cannot fathom why there is such a lack of talent coming through the academies at Newcastle and Sunderland. “The north-east is vast – it’s big. The Durham area is bigger than Newcastle and the fact that we don’t have more northeast talent is quite strange because the passion is there and with the right coaching, you would be able to get a lot more kids through to higher levels.” He is right. Only Yorkshire is bigger than Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland. He is trying his best to change this. The plan is for Durham “to become a club for everyone from six years-old to senior level.” He says that he wants to “educate and train youngsters because it’s a fantastic game if you play it right.” Ultimately, though, Bernard’s primary aim at Durham City is the same as any owner. “We’re all passionate about helping the club to progress. We need to establish ourselves as a force in the Northern League and then push forward. I think this year we have a good squad and if we can get promoted this year, then fantastic. But, I think that, without being too much of a dreamer, next year should be the one to really aim for promotion.” At this moment, the disparity between Durham City and Newcastle means that despite his relationship with “the club that gave me so much”, the Premier League side are unwilling to loan young players to Bernard’s part-timers. His affection for his old club is boundless. He still writes a column, covering the club, for The Newcastle Chronicle. “I’ll always be there for them. I spent some fantastic years at Newcastle – it was a really good era.”

He is true to his word, telling me that he has helped the club’s many Frenchmen to settle into the area. Whenever we talk about the club, there is a joviality about the office in which we are sat. During his five-year spell, Bernard reached a UEFA Cup semi-final, the Champions League second round and finished third in the Premier League. In one season of European football, he played against Xavi, Christian Vieri, Fabio Cannavaro, Javier Zanetti and “the best I’ve ever played against” in Alessandro del Piero. Hearing the Champions League song is, for him, both the highlight of his career but also a dream come true. He is convinced that – injuries

aside – Robson’s team would have claimed silverware. A semi-final UEFA Cup defeat at the Stade Vélodrome – with nine first-team players missing - was the closest they came. Their luck was so bad that, Bernard believes, “there must be a bit of a curse”. Despite the misfortune, Olivier is hugely fond of his time at the club. He worked with his two footballing idols at St James’ Park in Sir Bobby Robson and the late Gary Speed, of whom he can’t speak highly enough. When asked of the best he played with at the club, his response is instantaneous. Not Alan Shearer, not Laurent Robert, but Speed – a man who he describes as “a proper exam-

ple for youngsters” and “top drawer in terms of professionalism.” Robert, though, does get a mention as we recount an amusing incident at Leicester City a decade ago. Robert, whose left-foot was in Bernard’s words “really fantastic,” leathered a clearance into Bernard’s head – knocking him unconscious. “I’ve watched it enough but I can’t remember exactly how it happened. It’s just a complete blackout. I did finish the game though! All I can remember is going back to the dressing room at half time and saying to the physio, “I’ve got a massive headache, you need to sort me out.” He just said, “well you’ve been knocked out so I understand.”

the match with victories in their previous fixture, the opening exchanges between the two saw both have plenty of possession on the ball. Jordan Atkinson started a quick counter-attack for Durham when breaking down the right-hand side and winning the away side a corner. Victoria Linsley came to the rescue when Doncaster fired a dangerous ball into the box but the defender was there to get the ball clear. Fifteen minutes in and there had been no clear-cut chances for either side until Courtney Sweetman-Kirk put the home side ahead in the nineteenth minute.

Capitalising on a defensive error by Durham, Sweetman-Kirk reacted quickest to slot the ball past Danielle Hill. Doncaster could have had their second of the match when Sue Smith made the most of another Hill error to lob the goalkeeper. As Hill tracked back the ball crashed onto the roof of the net and Durham survived another Doncaster attack. Hill produced a fantastic save to deny Sweetman-Kirk, acrobatically getting down to her left-hand side to push the ball out for a corner. From the resulting corner, Doncas-

ter doubled their advantage. Roberts rose unmarked to meet the ball and head the ball into the back of the net. Beth Hepple went close just before half-time but her shot was deflected and saved easily by Nicola Hobbs. Half-time, and it was 2-0 to Doncaster. Durham’s best chance of the game came when Ellie Christon’s cross found Zoe Ness unmarked in the box but the Scotland U19 international’s lob rose high over the bar. There were worrying moments for the Wildcats when Jess Sigsworth’s cross was met by Sweetman-Kirk’s leg only for it to flash wide of the post. Strong defending from Linsley and

Sarah Wilson managed to keep Doncaster’s attacking threat at bay. Each time Durham searched for a way back into the game the passes either fell short or they were cleared by the Doncaster side. Hill reacted quickly to get her tip Sigsworth’s shot over the bar after the striker weaved her way into the box. As the game entered the final 1tenminutes it was Doncaster who continued to search for a third goal but time ran out and the home side ran out 2-0 winners.

Durham City Football Club, adjacent to Soccarena.

Photograph: Nick Friend

Durham Ladies defeated by Doncaster Zoë Vicarage Goals from Courtney Sweetman-Kirk and Rhiannon Roberts were enough for Doncaster Rovers Belles to condemn Durham Women to a 2-0 defeat. Sweetman-Kirk’s strike came when making the most of poor Durham defending to put the Belles 1-0 up before Roberts doubled her side’s advantage ten minutes before halftime. With both sides having come into

PALATINATE | Thursday 23rd October 2014

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tball, racism & life in the north-east I did finish the game though! All I can remember is going back to the dressing room at half time and saying to the physio, ‘I’ve got a massive headache, you need to sort me out.’ He just said, ‘well you’ve been knocked out so I understand.’ I just said, ‘what do you mean?’ I couldn’t remember it happening at all. Even when I watch it, I can’t even picture it. That’s how bad it was.” A moment that Olivier has no trouble remembering is his goal at Highbury in a 3-2 defeat to the invincible Arsenal side. Running onto a through ball, he slid the ball over Jens Lehmann to equalise. He describes the goal as “one of his best.” Perhaps, more famously, he lobbed Fabien Barthez with - what he admits – was a cross. He laughs as he recalls “aiming for Alan Shearer at the back post” – only to see the ball nestle in the Stretford End net. I now steer the conversation towards a more difficult topic. Bernard

was forced to retire aged only 28. He calls it “a big shock and an awkward moment”. He had no degree or career to fall back on. However, he then starts talking about one of his major passions. Quickly after his retirement, Olivier began to work with Show Racism the Red Card. “It consists of going into schools and talking about this awkward topic of racism. It’s something that I’m passionate about because I’ve suffered from it as a player and more since I retired. “People tend to forget who I am and you get treated at times like you’re a refugee or a homeless person. Then I tell people who I am and what I’ve done they click and change attitude. It shouldn’t matter though and that’s what we’re trying to explain through the campaign – that a black man that played for Newcastle and another black man should be treated the same, treated nicely – it

doesn’t matter who they are.” The more I listen to Olivier, the more I admire and respect everything about him. As he talks, it is clear that he has experienced the hurt and grief caused by racism. He is generous in his praise of England’s “proactive” approach to the issue. Abroad, though, he is acutely aware of the problems that still exist – calling it a “taboo subject”. “Before, everyone wanted to blank it out and not think about it but nowadays you can’t and there’s too much stuff happening and people know what racism is now. “Before, people didn’t really know what it was. They thought that as long as you didn’t comment about my skin colour then it’s fine. “But it’s not just about skin colour and a lot of people are now starting to realise that anybody can suffer from racism. You don’t just have to be black. Muslims get treated unfairly, gypsies get mistreated.

“It’s not just black people. You know, anybody can suffer from it. It is a difficult topic to talk about but we’re trying our best to make people understand that it’s not fair and that it shouldn’t happen.”

“A black man that played for Newcastle and another black man should be treated the same - it doesnt matter who they are.”

He is equally passionate in his criticism of FIFA’s lack of reaction, suggesting that they simply didn’t care. “I definitely think FIFA didn’t take it seriously at first. People used to tell me that it was banter and to get on with it. If someone threw a banana at me, I was meant to just smile. It’s not like that. It’s deeper than that. When you hear the monkey noises, it’s deeper than just a song. It’s history. “You’re attacking history and it’s slavery you’re talking about. People don’t realise that it’s a lot deeper than just a song. It’s the slavery that comes across. It is deeply painful.” On Chris Samba and Kevin PrinceBoateng’s decisions to leave the pitch after being targeted, Bernard was philosophical, citing that it was “what they had to do at that mo-

ment”. The sense and honesty with which he speaks is unbelievably refreshing and belies his years. For, despite the wisdom with which he talks and what he has achieved, Olivier Bernard is only 35 years-old. He has some of his coaching badges and plans to complete them in the next five years. His dream is to be coaching at a Premier League club – preferably his beloved Newcastle – within the next ten years. He believes that he owes them for “all that they gave me”. Bernard’s loyalty is wonderful to hear, so rare is it nowadays to find a foreign player with such an emotional attachment to not just a club, but a whole region. His first spell at the club ended abruptly when Graeme Souness replaced him with Chelsea’s Celestine Babayaro. He moved on to join Rangers. Yet, he is eager to make clear that he never wanted to leave. “Why would I leave?” he asks me. “I was playing week-in-week-out.” He would later re-join the club when Glenn Roeder replaced Souness as manager, claiming that he “signed back straight away as I never wanted to leave”. The episode is typical of Bernard’s attitude and loyalty towards Newcastle and the northeast. He is totally committed to creating a link between the club and the University – perhaps even borrowing some players from Team Durham. When this interview was set up, I didn’t know what to expect. Spending forty minutes with Olivier was an absolute pleasure. His stories of his times at Newcastle and what he achieved are, of course, fascinating. Yet what was so brilliant to hear was his feverish passion for the North East and his determination to stamp out racism in our society.

Please get behind Durham City Football Club. The ground is a five-minute drive from Elvet Riverside. For Durham students to go and watch Durham City at New Ferens Park DH1 1GG, match tickets are only £6. DCAFC play their next home match on Tuesday 28th against Annfield Plain at 19:30. For more details go to: www.durhamcityafc.com

Photograph: Durham City AFC

Sport

Thursday 23rd October 2014 | PALATINATE

Olivier Bernard exclusive

Nick Friend sits down with the Durham City AFC owner p. 18 & 19

Sport round-up

Catch up with the first round of BUCS results p. 17

DURFC

Charity match review and catch up with Bristol Rugby’s Tim Turner p.17

Van Mildert beat Cuth’s on penalties in Floodlit Cup John Evans Van Mildert A progressed through to the second round of the Floodlit Cup after beating St Cuthbert’s A on penalties in a thrilling encounter on Wednesday night last week. Mildert led 2-0 for the majority of the game, but a late comeback from St Cuthbert’s forced the tie to penalties.

Van Mildert A 2-2 St Cuthbert’s A (5-4 on penalties)

Exclusive Interview: Durham City FC owner & Former Newcaslte United left-back Olivier Bernard (page 18&19) Photograph: Nick Friend

Hockey 1st XI beat strong Notts side George Winstanley

The men’s hockey 1st XI enjoyed a bright start to their BUCS campaign this week with a 3-0 win over the University of Nottingham. However, despite the seemingly emphatic margin of victory, Durham, who finished as runners up last season, were made to work hard by a spirited Nottingham side. The Palatinates raced out of the traps, and dominated the majority of the first half. A piece of brilliant ball control from Harry Kilbourn led to the first chance of the match, just four minutes in. Despite the goalmouth scramble that ensued, the home side failed to convert. Soon after, Durham did manage to put the ball in the net, only for Harry Jackson’s strike to be disallowed for an infringement, to the frustration of players and fans alike. However, when Matt Murphy flicked the ball high into the top cor-

ner of the net on ten minutes, there was no doubting the legality of the goal and Durham fully deserved to be in front. Despite going 1-0 up, there was no sign of complacency as the Palatinates sniffed blood. Just minutes after scoring the first, Murphy converted again after his shot deflected over the despairing hands of the Nottingham goalkeeper. With Durham seemingly in control of the game, spectators would have been forgiven for expecting an emphatic victory. However, the start of the second half brought a change of momentum as Nottingham got back into the game. In truth they could, and perhaps should, have scored on several occasions but were well denied by Durham’s goalkeeper. The home side seemed trapped in their own half for most of the second half but with fifteen minutes of the game to go, Nottingham were made to pay for failing to take their chances.

From a rare short corner, the ball fell to Matt Murphy who converted his, and Durham’s, third goal of the game, slamming the ball low into the bottom right corner to kill off any hope of a Nottingham comeback. Nottingham still had chances to get off the mark but it just wasn’t to be. The last action of the match was a low pass across the box which would have ended in the Durham net, had Nottingham’s striker managed to connect with it. He couldn’t though and Durham survived to claim a solid 3-0 win. Man of the match was Ollie Davies for being the heart of the huge defensive performance that was so instrumental in securing the three points as well as being a steadying influence on the team when the game was in the balance. Durham have some tough fixtures in the next few weeks but this victory will give the 1st XI confidence they can go one better than last season and top the table.

Men’s Hockey Results:

15/10/14 Durham 1st XI 3-0 Nottingham 1st Leeds Beckett 1st XI 2 -2 2nd XI Leeds 2nd X1 1-1 Durham 3rd XI Durham 4th XI 2-1 Leeds 3rd XI Sheffield 4th XI 2-6 Durham 5th XI

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Both sides held their nerve well, each scoring their first four penalties, until Cuth’s fifth was well kept out by a diving stop from the Mildert keeper. This meant the Hill college could win the tie with their final spot-kick, which was converted and prompted jubilant celebrations from the amassed Mildert support. Mildert had taken the lead in the first ten minutes of the game when the Cuth’s defence failed to clear a whipped free kick, which was prodded home. A scrappy affair was punctuated with set-piece chances for both sides, and Mildert doubled their lead when a corner fell to the feet of a Mildert player on the edge of the box, who smashed past Cuth’s keeper Nick Woolhead. But the real drama happened late-on. A controversial penalty was awarded to Cuth’s on eighty minutes, and Tom Haste stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way and half the deficit. And that man Haste popped up again to find the equaliser for Cuth’s, flicking in a low corner to send the tie to penalties. Although Mildert progressed after a tense shoot-out, both teams can be proud of their performance in a match that was a great advert for college football.