If things fall flat this Valentine’s, indigo has retail therapy for you
Durham graduate Will HallSmith talks about Gradulthood, his film venture
Fashion, pages 4-5
Careers, page 10
Palatinate
No. 748
Durham’s student newspaper since 1948
www.palatinate.org.uk
Thursday 14th February 2013 | FREE
University Fashion Show raises over £7,000
Comment: Kony2013: is there a future for online activism?
The fashion show has raised over £7,000 for CRY after a decadent performance Photograph: Yargi Erel
Durham applications on the decline Jillian Ward
Applications to Durham University have decreased by 1.1% as of 1st February 2013, according to official figures. Nationally, university applications have increased by 3.5%, according to UCAS statistics released on the 15th January deadline of this year. After an initial downturn, UCAS saw an upward surge of applications closer to the deadline. Director General of the Russell Group of Universities Dr Wendy Piatt said that prospective students are “rightly taking longer to decide” to apply to university after the tuition fee increase. As an explanation to the last-
minute surge, she added that applicants “know a good degree remains a sound investment for the vast majority.” Durham, however, was excluded from the last-minute rush in applications.
1.1%
Decrease in applications to Durham for 2013 entry
In a statement to Palatinate, Richard Emborg, Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions at Durham University, commented: “UCAS applications to Durham are marginally down compared to last year.
“But in sharp contrast to the sector average, our figures for entry in 2013 remain significantly up on those for 2011, the year before student tuition fees were increased. “Applicants are attracted to Durham because of the distinctive education we offer.” According to official university figures, applications to Durham increased by 5.6% between 2011 and 2013, while the national average decreased by 9.6% in the same period. However, while Durham’s application figures may be above the sector average, other universities have seen a massive increase in applications this year. A survey conducted by the Sunday Times suggests that prospective students are now basing degree and university selection on future employment prospects.
For instance, UCAS applications for engineering are up by 8.4% and up for computer science by 12.3%. Exeter University, which was chosen as the Times University of the Year for 2013, saw a 25% increase in applications as of 13th January, according to the survey.
25%
Increase in applications at Exeter University for 2013
Despite Durham’s surprising increase in applications of over 8% last year, it now lags behind other universities’ application numbers.
Continued on page 3
News Features: An investigation into election campaign policy
Travel: Combine history with stunning scenery in Prague
2 www.palatinate.org.uk Editorial It’s time for a spring-time shake up It’s that stage of term. The Christmas holidays feel like ages ago and yet somehow, the end of term hasn’t even come over the horizon. Frankly, there’s never been a better time to shake things up a bit. With this in mind, here at Palatinate we felt it was time to herald some changes of our own. As you can see, the addition of a ‘News in Brief’ element to the News section brings with it a fresh new take on our reportage. So, even if you’ve only got a few minutes to skim this edition between lectures, this feature gives you the chance to catch up quickly on what’s been going on both here in Durham and also further afield. For the more beady-eyed amongst our readers, you might also have noticed two new editors in the list on the right-hand side of this page. I am of course referring to our new Science & Technology section, which is well underway in establishment. We hope you’re as excited as we are about this long overdue ad-
dition to Palatinate. This section will inject some fascinating new content into our repertoire, which is always a good thing. Whether you already have a vested interested in Science & Technology or would just like to learn more, this section will have something for everyone. So don’t forget to check it out online this weekend, and if you’d like to write, email scitech@ palatinate.org.uk to get involved. I’m certainly looking forward to broadening my scientific outlook beyond whatever Sheldon happens to say in ‘Big Bang Theory’! But all this excitement is making me feel positively light-headed, and it’s worth noting that not all recent changes in Durham can be as well-received. Despite the academic success of our student body and its commitment to other ventures – see pages 6 and 7 for details of the hugely successful cathedral sleep-out and charity fashion show – admissions to the University have suffered a percentage decrease of 1.1% for
2013 entry. This is all the more disconcerting when compared to other Russell Group institutions that have enjoyed a big increase in recent years. You might wonder then, why has Durham suffered in the admissions stakes? But is it even worth asking, when other queries, such as the potential adjustments to the Senior Tutor roles highlighted in our previous issue, continue to fall on deaf ears and leave Durham students in the dark? It seems that the time has therefore come for the University to make some changes of its own with regards to how it can respond to students’ questions more effectively. If only it were willing to do so. Florence Snead
Thursday 14th February 2013| PALATINATE
Inside 748
Editorial Board
News pages 3-7
Editors-in-Chief Harriet Line & Florence Snead editor@palatinate.org.uk
News Features pages 9
Careers page 10 Business page 11
Politics pages 12-13
Comment pages 14-16 Sport pages 17-20
indigo
Editorial page 2 Features page 3 Fashion pages 4-5 Film page 6 Books pages 7-8 Music pages 9-10
Stage pages 11-12
Food page 13 Travel page 14 Visual Arts page 15 The Last Word page 16 Putin gives the go ahead for adoption ban (page 12), while Jack Savorreti discusses his ‘whiskey-tinged’ music (i9)
DUAXC get down and dirty at BUCS (page 17)
In Visual Arts, Cressida Peever argues that 3D printing undermines creativity (i15)
The best of Palatinate TV this fortnight www.palatinate.org.uk
PTV: DH1 Chinese New Year
The DH1 team take a look at how Durham celebrates the start of the year of Snake
PTV Preview: Pride and Prejudice
We meet some of the cast and crew performing a new stage adaptation of Austen’s iconic novel
Write for us! Palatinate has launched a brand new Science and Technology section! If you’re interested in writing for the new section, just send an email to scitech@palatinate.org.uk to be put on the content mailing list.
Publicity Officer Tilly Barr publicity@palatinate.org.uk Advertising Officer Natalie Carnachan advertising@palatinate.org.uk
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
Deputy Editor Matt Lee deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Jillian Ward & Sally Wardle news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor Joanna Thom news.features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors James Ablett, Natasha Tierney & Justin Villamil Business Editor Florence Childs business@palatinate.org.uk Careers Editor Amy Sandiford-Watts careers@palatinate.org.uk Profile Editor Anna Miles profile@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editor David Siesage comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editor Catherine Malpass Science & Technology Editor Jonathan Bowers scitech@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Science & Technology Editor Christopher Somers Sport Editors Kate Houghton & Rob Berkeley sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Ben March & Daniel Hobbs Indigo Editors Robin Marshall & Justina Crabtree indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Sophia Chan feature@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editor Emily Woodhouse Food and Drink Editor Prudence Wade food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor Dan Hunt travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editors Cordelia Yeung & Lois Edmett fashion@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Fashion Editor Jess McGahan Film and Television Editor Alex Leadbeater film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editor Victoria Ferguson stage@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Stage Editor Gabriel Samuels Music Editors Patrick Bernard & Alex Denby music@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Music Editor Sophia Smith Galer Books Editor Stepahnie Stafford books@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Lucy Edwardes Jones visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub-Editor Kelsey Tollady sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Sub-Editors Tom Willshaw, Aurelien Hayman, Frances Teehan, Helen Tredget & Patrick Fletcher Online Editor Ben Hamer online.editor@palatinate.org.uk Web Editor Rhiannon Mehta web.editor@palatinate.org.uk Photography Editor Nicoletta Asciuto photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editors Asher Haynes, Naomi Ellis, Rose Innes, Emma Werner and Samuel Spencer Illustrations Editor James Crosland-Mills illustration@palatinate.org.uk Palatinate TV Station Manager Livia Carron ptv@palatinate.org.uk Blogs Editor Michelle Wray blogs@palatinate.org.uk
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
News
News in brief DURHAM UNIVERSITY NEWS
News Editors: Jillian Ward & Sally Wardle
Candidate Jeremiah Riad was disqualified from the Trevelyan presidential election following a breach of the standing orders. According to election guidelines at the college candidates must not use social media in their campaigns. Jeremiah was found to have broken guidelines by ‘liking’ comments on a ‘Vote Jerry’ page set up by his supporters. His only opponent, Adam Thompson, eventually won with 72% of the vote. 28% voted for the election to be re-run, in light of the controversy. The disqualification has sparked a debate over the use of electronic publicity in campaigns. A committee will present a revised motion which would allow social media campaigns at the next JCR meeting. STUDENT LEADERSHIP RACE 2013: NOMINATIONS CLOSE
Nominations have closed for the five new officer roles in the student leadership race 2013. In a shake up of the sabbatical positions, students could apply for the role of DSU President, Academic Affairs Officer, Activities Officer, Community Officer and Development Officer. The next stage of the election will see the candidates husting at the DSU on Monday 18th February at 7pm. Speaking to Palatinate, current DSU President Archie Dallas said, “I’m incredibly excited, and a little bit jealous that I can’t run for one myself.” Voting will open on 26th Febraury, with results announced on 1st March.
UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES ONE WORLD WEEK
Palatinate
Musicians’ move to Trevs falls flat The Durham University Music Society (DUMS) has moved many of its instruments to Trevelyan College, following complaints about a lack of storage and rehearsal space for the University’s largest orchestras in the Music Department on Palace Green. The issue was raised at a meeting last term between the presidents of all the University’s music groups and societies. DUMS has since worked with Experience Durham to find a solution to the problem, eventually deciding on the move to Trevelyan College. As a result, the University’s biggest music ensembles, including Durham University Orchestra Society (DUOS), Durham University Palatinate Orchestra (DUPO), and Durham Opera Ensemble (DOE), now rehearse in the Sir James Knott Hall of Trevelyan College.
“We can’t rehearse a full ensemble” A music society member
Laura List-Shipsey, President of DUOS, was positive about the move, telling Palatinate: “Trevs really is the best option for us - we already have better equipment which it just wouldn’t have been possible to store in the Music Department.” However, not all of the societies
affected are happy with the changes, with one musician, who wished to remain anonymous, complaining: “Societies that stayed in the Music Department were told that any required duplicates of percussion would be bought; they still haven’t been. “The majority of societies have not moved and are suffering as a consequence of this action. “Our society has the national championships coming up in just over a week and we can’t rehearse as a full ensemble as some of the percussion we require is in Trevs.” Students have also complained about the increased walking time to reach rehearsals in Trevelyan College for those who live out or are not in a Hill college. However, Laura List-Shipsey points out: “Although we are no longer always in the centre of town, we are now perfectly placed for students living on the hill. “The close vicinity of college bars has already helped facilitate an improved social atmosphere within the society. There have been lots of positive responses from the musicians themselves who are on the whole proving to be undeterred by what is for some a slightly longer walk.” Matthew Counsell, President of DUPO, was also extremely positive about the benefits of the move for his society, commenting: “Not only have Trevelyan given us a more suitable rehearsal venue, they have allowed us to use their dining hall for our concert this term.
Musicians have mixed views on the relocation of their equipment to Trevelyan College Photograph: Durham University “This will allow us to perform a piano concerto, which would have otherwise been impossible given our financial position and other facilities in Durham available to us.” Although Calum Zuckert, conductor of DUOS and the Experience Durham and DSU music coordinator, has acknowledged some “teething difficulties” with the new arrangements, he insists that these are now being worked out: “This move represents an important early step in the investment and support of music in Durham and looks to be a very positive step forward. “I’m aware of the couple of slight troubles we’ve had over the first few weeks, and we’re working very hard to have them resolved swiftly; my
door is always open to anyone who would like to chat about this wonderful development.” This sentiment is echoed by the Dean of Experience Durham, Dr Peter Warburton OBE, who also noted the many benefits of the new arrangement even for those societies still using the old music department: “The students felt that the music facility before wasn’t big enough. In one sense, the gain of the move is more space within the old Music Department as well. I’m here to help facilitate change that is meant to improve opportunities for the students. “From what I can understand, the majority of students were happy with the new venue. The key from here is how we help the people who are not.”
UCAS statistics show ‘no bounce back’ 0
10000
20000
4th – 10th February saw One World Week take over Durham. The campaign week raised awareness of gender and sexual identity, disabilities and international identity, through college-based and University-wide events.
30000
40000
50000
60000
2010: 570,556 applications 2011: 583,546 applications 2012: 540,073 applications
UNIVERSITY RESPONDS TO VICECHANCELLOR’S PAY RISE Durham University Vice-Chancellor Chris Higgins received a £21,000 pay raise in 2011-12, it has been revealed. The rise in pay brought the vice-chancellor’s basic income from £211,000 to £232,000. In a statement to Palatinate, Robert Gilespie, Chariman of Durham University Council, said: “competitive salary packages are essential to attract and retain outstanding individuals in an international market for talent.” He also added that “the salary of the Vice-Chancellor was 78th on the Times Higher Educations’s annual survey list of 152 UK V-Cs.”
@PalatinateUK
news@palatinate.org.uk
Natasha Tierney TREVELYAN COLLEGE ELECTION ROW
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www.palatinate.org.uk
2013: 558,898 applications
Total number of national UCAS applications per year
Continued from page 1 Furthermore, the overall 3.5% increase does not bring national application numbers up to their pre-2011 levels. Applications were 583,546 in 2011, 540,073 in 2012, and 558,898 in 2013 by the 15th January deadline each year. University think tank million+ declared that UCAS application statistics “show modest improvements
but no bounce-back”. “Comparing the 2013 figures to 2011 and 2010, there has been a fall in applications.” The statement added “Compared to 2011 there is a decline of -4.2% and a decline of -2.0% when compared to the same point in the applications cycle in 2010.” In a recent NUS report, NUS president Liam Burns argued “the government cannot assume that recovering application levels tell the whole story.
30 25 20
25%
23%
15
19%
18%
10 5 0
-5
Exeter
Aston
Swansea
Queen Mary
-1.1%
Durham
Percentage change for applications to different universities
“The long-term impact on individual decision-making of subjecting an entire generation to tens of thousands of pounds of pseudo-debt needs to be properly and fully explored.” Demographics and financial concerns are contributing factors to the lack of recovery in applications. Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group, commented: “More than half a million potential
students have rightly recognised the benefits of going to university.” However, she added: “demographic changes mean there are fewer 18-year-olds in England and Wales this year than last.” Recent NUS research found that 49% of full-time undergraduates who had seriously considered dropping out of university did so because of financial difficulties.
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News News in brief
www.palatinate.org.uk
Thursday 14th February 2013 | PALATINATE
Speculation over future of Senior Tutors
LOCAL NEWS
Sally Wardle DURHAM ORIENTAL MUSEUM RAIDERS IMPRISONED Two men and four co-accused have been sentenced for the break-in and theft at the Durham Oriental Museum last April. The men overcame a “fairly sophisticated alarm system” to steal £2 million worth of historical treasures. Following sentencing, the men have been jailed for a total of seventeen years. Police have since increased security around the museum. £600,000 LIGHTS FOR DURHAM CASTLE AND CATHEDRAL
New lighting has been installed at Durham Castle and Cathedral to replace a previous system in place since the 1970s. Around 130 new lights have been installed at the Cathedral and around 120 at the Castle, which will be switched on at a ceremony on 20th February. The lights reduce energy consumption by up to 80%, and have cost about £600,000.
Speculation is mounting over the future of Senior Tutors, as a University statement hints at a shake-up in college administration. A source, who does not wish to be named, told Palatinate of proposed changes which will mean Senior Tutors have to reapply for their positions. It has been suggested that the role of Senior Tutors will be split into two separate positions, with one member of staff responsible for academic support, and one for welfare. The University did not confirm or deny this development however in a statement, Professor Graham Towl, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Warden of Durham University, commented: “Through our colleges, we are keen to provide the highest quality of services for our students. To that end, Heads of Colleges periodically look afresh at the best possible match between staffing and improved services. “There will be no reduction in the levels of welfare and other support delivered to our students through the colleges. We are confident that
the changes will further improve the services we offer to our students.” The redefinition of the Senior Tutor role comes after significant changes to the college allocations policy. The changes, implemented this academic year, mean that Senior Tutors are no longer responsible for selecting who is accepted into their college. Rather, all students who apply to a college will be automatically assigned there. If a college is oversubscribed, candidates will be randomly selected, with the surplus randomly allocated to an alternative college. In an interview last month with Palatinate, the Vice-Chancellor argued that Senior Tutors were “not academically qualified” to make decisions over which candidates to admit into their college. Some colleges have reacted with particular anger to the changes to the allocations process, over concerns about the impact on the collegiate system. Following the news released in Palatinate (‘New system for college allocation implemented’), some students reacted with anger to the lack of awareness and student consultation in the decision to change the
policy. St Chad’s and University College are particularly concerned about the changes, as traditionally, they are oversubscribed.
“We are confident that the changes will further improve the services we offer to our students” Pro-Vice Chancellor, Graham Towl
At University College, Senior Man Jenny Dell called for the matter to be discussed at a JCR meeting, which took place on February 3rd, with a turn out estimated at 170 students. In addition, students were asked to vote in an online poll to express whether they were in favour or against the changes which have been made to the allocations process. The JCR were asked: ‘Do you support the proposed ‘blind’ selection of candidates in college admissions?’ An overwhelming 333 students voted ‘No’, compared to just 18 votes in support of the changes. A turn out of 351 votes represents just under half of the University College undergraduate community, suggesting the strong opposition to the
changes in allocation policy. St Chad’s College JCR has also consulted its student body on the matter. On Thursday 7th February a meeting took place, chaired by Senior Man Tom Bishop and College Principal Joe Cassidy to discuss the changes to the allocations process. In an email to the JCR, Tom Bishop called for “stronger action” to be taken. Students were also asked students to sign a petition addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, detailing the opposition to the college allocations policy as it stands. In his appeal to students, Tom argued that, “A merit criteria should be used to judge students. In the same way that departments use merit criteria, colleges should be able to do the same. “A merit criteria allows stronger candidates to differentiate themselves from the rest, and earn a place at their preferred college on merit.” He added, “This decision unfairly penalises those colleges that already have a fair and transparent criteria for selecting students. “Instead of resorting to a system of random allocation, the university should create criteria that each college can use to select students.”
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
News in brief NATIONAL NEWS
ROD SEEKS NUS PRESIDENCY This year’s National Union of Students election, due in April, sees two women candidates, a male candidate, and an ‘inanimate carbon rod’. Samuel Gaus, a student officer at University College London, has secured a place on the NUS presidential ballot on behalf of the rod. Andrew Tindall, who helped start the campaign, says it arose out of frustration of seeing “candidates with all the usual affiliations declaring their candidacy and launching bland campaigns that offer nothing but another rehash of the same empty slogans and promises we see every year.” The campaign is inspired by a 1994 episode of The Simpsons, where an inanimate carbon rod is made worked of the week at Springfield nuclear power plant.
EXETER SAFER SEX BALL SPARKS MEDIA STORM CCTV footage of two students engaged in sexual activity at Exeter University’s recent Safer Sex Ball was leaked online, sparking an international media frenzy. Exeter’s student newspaper Exeposé reported that staff members working for the Students’ Guild were responsible for filming and sharing the footage and were dismissed following an investigation. The University Guild commented, “the event has been running for over 20 years and generates a significant charitable contribution each year for safer sex awareness charities.” RECORD NUMBERS OF POOR STUENTS APPLY TO UNIVERSITY
University application rates for low income students have nearly doubled in the past decade. One in five 18 year olds living in the poorest areas have applied for a degree course for the next academic year. This rise comes despite the sharp increase in tuition fees in recent years. Supporters have used this information to suggest that poor students have not been deterred from attending University as a result of the increase in tuition fees. THIRD OF ACADEMICS ON TEMPORARY CONTRACTS
Recent data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) shows that more than a third of the academic workforce is now on temporary, fixed-term contracts. The University and College Union (UCU) is holding a national day of action for casual workers next month. It says that higher education has become one of the most casualised sectors in the UK.
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Mount Oswald gets go-ahead DUCK University works towards development of new college Officer’s Column Sally Wardle
An application for a £200m development on Mount Oswald Golf Course has been approved by councillors. The development, proposed by Banks Property, includes the construction of a 1,000 bed student block alongside family housing, offices and community facilities at the site off South Road. After nearly two hours of discussions on Tuesday 5th February, the majority of Durham County Council’s planning committee voted in favour of the plans, with only four voting against. In an interview with Palatinate last year, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Higgins, explained the University’s intentions to acquire the land from Banks Property as a site for further college accommodation. However, the University’s plans were dependent on the outcome of planning permission. At the time, the Vice-Chancellor suggested it was “urgent that planning permission goes through for that site.” Following the approval, Professor Ray Hudson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Durham University commented: “We are pleased to have been able
to work with the Banks Group to secure this outline planning permission. “However, a lot more work remains to be done on the proposals for the site before we are ready to submit a detailed planning application.
“Banks has demonstrated its commitment to the development of collegiate accommodation” Professor Ray Hudon, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
“By recently entering into a twelvemonth exclusivity contract with the University, Banks has demonstrated its commitment to the development of collegiate accommodation on the site – rather than development of halls of residence – which in turn will ensure the student population is well-managed and that the development contributes positively to the landscape and life of Durham City.” The approval for the development comes despite fierce opposition from local residents. The ‘Save the Mount Oswald Campaign Group’ gathered over 2000 signatures on a petition objecting the
proposals. The group had argued the plans were too extensive, and would potentially damage one of the “most beautiful spaces [in Durham city].” Reaction to the approval has been mixed. Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at the Banks Group, said: “Work on drawing up a detailed planning application for a collegiate development on the northeast corner of the Mount Oswald site will be undertaken in partnership with the University over the next few months. “A 12-month exclusivity agreement has been signed between Banks and the University, during which time we will also be working towards an agreement for the University to purchase the part of the site on which the collegiate development would be located.” However, Alan Wray, from the Save Mount Oswald Campaign group said he was “totally devastated” by the approval of plans. MP Roberta Blackman-Woods, speaking to The Durham Times after the decision, said: “I think it’s really sad for Durham and democracy.” Mark Dowdall suggested that subject to further detailed planning applications, work on the site could begin by the end of the year.
DUS bids for debating championship Stuart Flegg
At the close of last year, the Durham Union Society launched a bid for Durham to host the 2014 European Debating Championships. A successful bid would result in Durham hosting about seven hundred of Europe’s best debaters during the summer of 2014, running from the 10th to the 16th of August.
“Exposure to the best debaters from Europe [...] will have a lasting impact.”
Simon Tunnicliffe, DUS director of Debating
The proposals would involve debating rounds across the University from the Science Site to Palace Green, including the historic Library, Castle, debating chamber and even Cathedral. The proposals are detailed on the official bid website durhameudc. com, which lists Durham’s college amenities, historic buildings and the existence of Klute as arguments in favour of the bid. Current DUS director of Debating and prospective deputy convenor of the competition, Simon Tunnicliffe, stated that a successful bid would
Carmen O’Loughlin DUCK Officer This week brings a day loved by lovers, hated by singletons and awkward for everyone else in that ‘do they like me, don’t they like me stage’. I am of course talking about Valentine ’s Day. A day devoted to love, aimed at couples, but ultimately open to everyone, which can only mean one thing for those willing to acknowledge it; who and what do you get people for valentine’s day? Well, loved up people of Durham, here’s how DUCK can help. If you have a special person in your life, why not show them how much you care by buying them a lovely Valentine ’s Day rose from one of your college reps? Options of secret deliveries are available in certain colleges (the perfect option if you’re in that tricky in-between stage). If you want to move away from the standard red rose option, you could try a more unusual gift, one of our 15,000 rubber ducks that will be swimming in this year’s DUCK race on 23rd February. If their DUCK comes first, the £1000 first prize will definitely keep you in their good books for a while. Alternatively, if you’re feeling incredibly generous, why not sign them up for something more adventurous like a charity skydive- what better way to show you love someone by getting them to jump out of a plane? Right?...There may be a reason why I’ve been single for a while.. Thankfully later this term, DUCK Blind Dates will be back with a vengeance to ensure that next year, we also have someone special to be our Valentine.
The debating chambers provide an ideal setting for the Championship Photograph: Durham University “would have a great impact on Durham debating. “Exposure to the best debaters from Europe [that] individuals from Durham will receive will have a lasting impact. “The bid is a joint venture from the Durham Union Society and Dur-
ham University and a close working relationship with Event Durham. “The Vice-Chancellor has expressed great support for the bid,” he added. The result of the bid will be decided at this summer’s European Debating Championships in Manchester.
DUCK Blind Date will heal any aching hearts later this term Photograph: Greylock
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News News in brief NATIONAL NEWS
POSTGRADUATE DEGREES A THREAT TO SOCIAL MOBILITY A report by the Sutton Trust has warned about the impact of University education on social mobility. Careers previously open to those with A-levels are now only accessible for those with degrees. The trust warns that a similar pattern may develop with university graduates, who will not have access to certain jobs unless they gain a postgraduate degree. According to statistics, those with a postgraduate degrees earn on average £5,500 more than those with bachelors degrees. ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY FORMALLY CONFIRMED The Most Reverend Justin Portal Welby, outgoing Bishop of Durham, was formally confirmed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on Monday 4th February. The Confirmation of Election service took place at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. The exDurham Bishop succeeds Dr Rowan Williams, who stood down as Archbishop in December. The next Bishop of Durham has yet to be announced. GRADUATE JOB PROSPECTS IMPROVE The AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey 2013 asked 197 large companies to estimate vacancy rates and graduate salaries and found the number of graduate vacancies offered in 20122013 should rise by 8.8%. However, banking and financial companies reported their vacancies would fall by more than a quarter. The median graduate annual salary is predicted to rise from £26,000 and £26,500. The public sector predicted a 7.5% increase in starting salaries, the biggest rise in any sector. INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INCREASE SUCCESS IN UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS Applications made by students at Britain’s top independent schools resulted in an offer in more than 75% of cases. Previously, about 70% of such applications were successful. According to statistics, 95% of applications by privately educated students to Exeter University resulted in an offer. This increase comes despite a move by government to increase the proportion of University places offered to state school students.
Thursday 14th February 2013 | PALATINATE
Drop in Durham burglaries reported by police Justin Villamil Despite isolated reports from the Viaduct and surrounding areas, rates of theft and burglary have decreased in Durham this year. According to Phil Raine, the University Liaison Police Officer, “Burglary has definitely been on the way down.” Mr Raine stated: “There’s always the possibility, but most of the reports we get now are from stolen bikes, and even those are down.” Statistics from ‘CrimeStoppers’ corroborate Raine’s assertion. According to the website, crime in the city centre, which is taken to be about a mile radius out of the Palace Green, has seen falling burglary rates since September. December saw a drop in the number of burglaries to just eleven incidents, down from twenty in October and twenty in November. Although numbers from January are yet to be released, Raine believes they have again fallen significantly. Phil Raine believes that the reason for falling levels of crime around Durham is increased student awareness: “Even for the bikes we hear about, the vast majority of bikes that have been stolen have been locked, which
is good because it means that people are taking precautions.” The police recommend those concerned about the security of their bikes use a D-lock, rather than a cable lock, and advise students to lock windows and doors to prevent burglary. Raine asserts that Durham is generally among the safest places to live, but that recent incidents of burglary in the Viaduct suggest the need to exercise caution. Stephen Harrison, a second-year Earth Science student from Collingwood, spoke to Palatinate about his recent experience of crime in Durham: “We had a break-in a little while ago. We came downstairs and the back gate was open and the room was a mess.” Harrison indicated a small window in the corner of the room: “We think they came in through that window. It was unlocked, so they just had to climb over the wall.” Harrison and his housemates were confused by the actions of the thief: “He took one person’s laptop, but another person’s charger, and my Playstation 2 was out in the room, but all he took were the games.” He added, “He took two pairs of boots and left all the other boots and
DUCFS triumphs Sally Wardle
The weekend of Friday 1st February saw the return of the annual Durham University Charity Fashion Show. The event, which spanned over two evenings, took place at Mount Oswald Golf Course. An approximate £7,000 has so far been raised through the incredible event - with more money still being counted - and all proceeds are in aid of this year’s nominated charity, ‘Cardiac Risk in the Young’ (CRY). The figure is a testament to the hard work of this year’s Fashion Show committee, led by President Harriet Bamford.
All proceeds will go to CRY, set aside in a fund established in memory of last year’s president
CRY is a charity devoted to preventing unexpected cardiac arrest in the young, by raising awareness and introducing early screening programs to detect underlying, potentially fatal heart conditions. The nomination of CRY as this year’s charity cause had a particular significance and poignancy after last
year’s Joint President for the show, Sara Pilkington, tragically passed away following a cardiac related illness. All of the proceeds which were raised from this year’s show are to be donated directly to CRY, and will be set aside in a fund established Sara’s memory. Sara’s memorial fund is focused on establishing a cardiac screening program at Durham University, to detect any underlying conditions which may lead to sudden cardiacrelated death, and prevent a repeat of her tragic passing. The evening, centred on the theme of ‘decadence’, saw models walk in a variety of clothes, including those of student designers Emily Verelst and Chet Alexander, alongside those of Jaime Laing’s ‘Candy Kittens’ range. Saturday night’s annual auction contributed significantly to fundraising efforts, as prizes, ranging from a group post-exam holiday, to work experience with Unilever. One particularly keen bidder splashed out £1,200 on a date with Made in Chelsea’s Jamie Laing, contributing significantly to funds raised.
P
Check out the photographs at palatinate.org.uk
Are we immune to crime? Photograph: Peter Roberts shoes here. So we’re not sure what happened.” Harrison’s house has put the events down to bad luck. They told Palatinate that though they had called the police immediately, they do not expect anything to come of it. “Nothing’s happened yet. Now we’ve just started locking everything up,” said Harrison. Further reports of break-ins among Durham livers-out are generally confined to small-scale theft. The item most frequently stolen during break-ins is a laptop. “Generally we hear about laptops being stolen,” said Raine. “It makes sense. Laptops are portable and easy to carry out.” He added, “It is all just common
sense: lock windows and doors, even if you’re going out for a short time.” However, apart from the occasional theft, Raine confidently states that crimes are down in general around Durham. Poppy Goddard, a second year Hilde and Bede student spoke to Palatinate about security in Durham: “I guess I feel pretty safe in Gilesgate in general. We’re just off the main road which tends to be safer. We just make sure to always keep the door locked.” In a final statement, Raine indicated that though he couldn’t speak to the exact numbers, he can say that they are at least encouraging: “Durham is very safe; I really wouldn’t worry too much about this.”
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
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News in brief NATIONAL NEWS
EDUCATION SECRETARY FACES ALLEGATIONS OF MISLEADING COMMENTS IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT UK Education Secretary Michael Gove is now facing allegations of not being entirely truthful and having misled Parliament. Gove, while presumably fully aware of an internal investigation in his department of bullying by senior officials nonetheless attested to Labour MP Ian Mearns that he was not aware of any allegations of people acting inappropriately in his department. A senior official was secretly paid £25,000 out of public funds after a procedure which questioned the integrity of Gove’s team members Dominic Cummings and James Frayne. INTERNATIONAL NEWS
HARVARD STUDENTS FACE ACADEMIC SANCTIONS FOR CHEATING More than half of 125 students at Harvard University are under investigation for cheating after it was discovered that the many of the answers to separate take-home tests were identical.
CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS FINANCE EXPANSION AT HUGE COST TO FUTURE TAXPAYERS
The Santa Ana Unified School District in California, USA faces the prospect of passing massive debts accrued in 2009 to the next generation. Using a new and controversial bond program, the school district has effectively borrowed $35 million and will eventually have to pay over $340 million to retire that debt.
GOVERNMENT CRITICISED FOR CRACKDOWN ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS The chairmen and chairwomen of five influential UK parliamentary committees have signed an open letter to David Cameron asking him to remove international students from the UK immigration figures. The government has committed itself to reducing net inward immigration, including international students, to below 100,000 per year by 2015. SYRIAN STUDENTS FACE DEPORTATION
Global online pressure group Avaaz has set up a petition calling for the Foreign Office to assist Syrians studying in the UK. According to the group, about 670 Syrian students face removal from their courses due to lack of funding.
Durham Dames Arise for V-Day Isabella Grotto Today, Durham is hosting a One Billion Rising event titled the ‘Durham Dames Arise.’ The event takes its name from UN statistics showing that one in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. Between 12 and 2pm, the Market Square will host a series of talks and activities to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of V-Day, a global activist movement intent on ending violence against women. The movement takes both name and inspiration from its founder Eve Ensler’s famous play, The Vagina Monologues. Taster classes in Zumba and Bokwa, dance performances, poetry recitals and music by young local musicians will all be on show.
Archie Dallas
Violence against women
One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in their lifetime. One in seven female students have been the victims of serious physical or sexual assault
Guest speakers include Vera Baird QC, the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, and Dr Nicole Westmarland, a Durham University Criminology lecturer and the CEO of Durham and Darlington Rape Crisis (RSACC). Organisations including Harbour, the Crown Prosecution Service, the End Violence Against Women Coalition, and Durham University Welfare Services are just some of the organizations that will be present. V-Day has gathered considerable support, with many other non-profit organizations such as EducAid and
Eve Ensler Photograph: Lindsay Aikman and Michael Priest Amnesty International joining the campaign. Instances of sexual violence are not absent from UK campuses. According to a survey by the NUS, one in seven female students have been the victims of a serious physical or sexual assault. Durham students have also expressed concern that sexist attitudes are prevalent at the University. Alex, 21, says he is constantly surprised at the fact that so many songs in clubs are openly misogy-
nistic, “and yet girls seem perfectly happy to dance to them, as if taking for granted that if you are going on a night out, sexist attitudes are part of the deal”. Another Durham student, Lizzie, added that going out entails the risk of being manhandled, groped, shoved, and generally being subject to unwelcome physical attention. “And the idea that there may be a culture of misogyny behind such actions makes them all the more offensive,” she commented.
have made contact with some of the support workers. “We are now working to look at future funding opportunities in local communities such as my own in North Durham.”
When asked to summarise the event, a third year student told Palatinate: “I challenge anyone to find a more novel way to spend a night than pitching up to the Cathedral, having your Kit-Kat Chunkys forcibly confiscated, Bananagraming with friends, listening to acoustic music and catching a few precious hours of shut-eye having wedged yourself between choir powers.” DUCK Events Coordinator, David Murphy, was delighted with the event and over £6,000 of fundraising. He commented: “I’d like to thank the Cathedral for hosting the event for a second year, my colleagues in DUCK for their support and mostly everyone who came and participated in the evening. “I can only hope that you all want to come and do it again next year.”
Second annual sleep-out success Nicholas Abel-Smith
February 1st saw the second annual sleep-out event at Durham cathedral. Students stay in the cathedral overnight, fundraising a minimum of £25 for the Charity Moving On. The charity aims to break the cycle of youth homelessness in Country Durham. An eighteen-year-old, formerly homeless man gave an inspiring talk. He was supported by Moving On after going through a troubled period in which he was asked to leave his house by his father. He attended the Cathedral Sleepout in 2012 but was too nervous to do a speech. One first-year student at Mary’s who was particularly moved by the volunteers commented: “I
DSU President’s column
£6,000
Total fundraising of the sleep-out for the charity Moving On
After several inspiring speeches, the evening took a musical turn. Two formerly homeless young men, aged eighteen and 26, described their experiences by rapping their stories, accompanied by guitar. The performance was followed by acoustic contributions from various Durham students.
The Union is looking at three big topics at the moment which may pique your interest at Zone meetings next week. First up on Monday is a discussion, led by Jenny James, about whether students why a year abroad isn’t on offer to all our students, not just those who look pretentious, smoke roll-ups and read books in Arabic (Modern Language students in case you’re wondering). On Tuesday lunch, I’ll be leading the discussion about Residence Charges. Obviously, these are rising year on year and a large part of my work this year has been around trying to keep these in a region that is even vaguely affordable from a student pocket. Tensions run high on this topic, and rightly so. This will be your chance to find out a bit more of what’s happening and input any opinions of what you want the Union to do next. Both Monday and Tuesday’s session will be at 12pm in the Engineering Department (E101) Finally, on Wednesday we’ll be in Queens’ Campus asking you to tell us what you want the Union to offer you. This is your chance to come and outline to us what areas you’d like us to work at in the future; whether it’s greater society presence, more time spent on campus or a separate Union building entirely this is entirely up to you. (D111 – 12pm) All of these sessions will be around an hour long, although you’re obviously welcome to chat to the Student Officers for as long as you want. These sessions are incredibly informal, so don’t feel intimidated about turning up. They are a chance to chat about stuff that you’re interested in, even if you have no ‘background’ in it and are really important to us as it gives us a range of opinions that we can then feed back to the University. Any questions, email dsu.president@durham.ac.uk.
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
News Features
News Features Editor: Joanna Thom
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Students call for a coherent election policy Joanna Thom
F
ollowing the disqualification of a Presidential Candidate at Trevelyan College, News Features explores the different ways in which elections are conducted across the University.
Social Media
The disqualification of candidate Jeremiah Riad occurred because of the use of social media during his campaign. Trevelyan College currently bans the use of social media in election campaigns, though following the controversy a motion has been proposed to reverse this decision. Advocators of the change in standing orders argue that social media may increase voter participation and reach students who do not live in College.
“Using social media might encourage more voters” Lottie Birks
However, concerns have been raised that the college would be unable to monitor the election process and prevent any negative or unfair campaigning. Benjamin Lambert, JCR chair of Trevelyan college, commented on the current rules regarding election publicity: “The rules on social networking were considered and maintained as they are at last year’s constitutional review.” However, these rules are not mirrored across the University. The Durham Student Union elections, nominations for which opened on February 1st, do allow candidates to use social media to aid their campaign. While emailing to University mailing lists is not allowed, candidates running for the positions of DSU President, Academic Affairs Officer, Activities Officer, Community Officer and Development Officer are allowed to campaign on Facebook groups. However, these groups must remain public, and can be monitored by the University. Some argue that the comparison between college and DSU elections is not accurate: the DSU Elections are required to reach a far larger body of students than individual college or society elections, and therefore require campaign methods which are further reaching. Cate Lough, a 3rd year Hatfield student, agreed that there should
be a distinction between college and DSU elections: “Elections in college don’t need social media as it’s quite a small place and canvassing is pretty easy, but it would be really hard to do this for the whole of Durham.” However, some colleges do allow the use of social media during election campaigns.
“Elections in College don’t need social media” Cate Lough
At Hild Bede College, candidates are also allowed to use social media; however, they are not allowed to blanket email their online friends, and have to individually name emails if they are using social media. Such rules are to prevent the competition from being judged on how many Facebook friends or Twitter followers a candidate has. Lottie Birks, a 1st year Hild Bede student, agrees with this policy: “Many people check their Facebook more than their University Email, so using social media might encourage more voters.” However she also saw the importance of candidates being active and recognisable during their campaign: “It is important that candidates make an appearance at dinner or in the JCR as otherwise it will just become a popularity contest.” In most elections across the colleges candidates are given a document with guidelines indicating the limitations on their activities. However, some of these limitations are often unclear, particularly in regards to social media. While a candidate may post a link to the voting site on their Facebook wall, this link can make no mention of the fact that they are standing. Kirsty Walters, a Languages student at Trevelyan College, said: “While it makes sense to ban social media to prevent the elections from just being a popularity contest, they need to be clearer about the guidelines for this.” College JCRs understandably want to keep elections as fair as possible, yet there is an urgent need to increase voter participation, so that any candidates chosen are representative of the student body . Presedential candidate Jeremiah Riad was disqualified from the Trevelyan election because a Facebook page was made which encouraged students to vote for him. Although he did not create the page, his activity on it indicated his involvement and led the regulators of the elections to deem his punish-
Many colleges restrict the resources candidates can use in campaigns Photograph: Joanna Thom
ment appropriate. Some students have called for the full use of social media to be allowed to clear up any uncertainties concerning what is prohibited in election campaigns.
Resource Restrictions
Candidates for Durham Student Union Elections may also only spend a maximum of £60 on their campaign. Many colleges also restrict the resources candidates can put into a campaign. For a position in Van Mildert College, candidates are only allowed to distribute 100 A4 manifestos and 126 A5 manifestos, limiting the amount that can be spent on canvassing voters. In previous years students run-
£60
The maximum amount allowed to be spent on DSU election campaigns.
ning for positions within the DSU have been able to spend unlimited funds on their campaign which has been thought to disadvantage poorer candidates. These resource restrictions ensure that money does not play a part in the voting process. Most students spoken to agree that this restriction was good as it prevented any economic disparity from affecting the outcome of an election.
Simon Harris sees these restrictions as a positive part of the elections: “£60 is a small amount of money for a campaign, forcing candidates to plan effectively and be efficient. This demonstrates candidates’ additional abilities, such as efficiency, which are desirable in a successful candidate.”
Disciplinary Actions
Actions taken by colleges and the University vary concerning candidates who have not followed the proper guidelines. Earlier this year a student at Van Mildert College standing for Senior Freshers’ Representative was banned from attending college for the remaining duration of the election, preventing him from canvassing students. His conduct during the election was deemed to have breached regulations and justified the punishment. While at Trevelyan College Presidential Candidate Jeremiah Riad was removed from the election for breaching standing orders, if the Student Union finds a candidate has committed a misdemeanour, they are made to take remedial action within a given time scale. Additionally, students applying for Student Union positions are required to attend a ‘Clean Campaign’ seminar to prevent any accidental breeches of the campaign guidelines.
No Canvassing
For many societies, positions are elected at an Annual General Meeting, where students give speeches and are then- immediately voted for.
In some cases candidates are not allowed any election publicity or campaigning besides a manifesto which is emailed out before the election. These strict regulations are put in place to make the election results as fair as possible and to ensure that the best candidate is elected for the position, regardless of their popularity. However some feel that while
“People will just vote for big names if they never get to meet the candidates” Bea Cooper
these restrictions are often put in place to stop the elections from merely being a popularity contest, they can actually make it into more of one. Bea Cooper disagreed with this way of positions being allocated: “Just having a manifesto and no canvassing encourages popularity contests. People will just vote for names they know if they never get to meet the candidates.” The introduction of a coherent policy that applies to all students would allow for greater clarity for candidates in running their campaigns and for governing bodies in regulating these campaigns.
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Careers
Careers Editor: Amy Sandiford-Watts
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Thursday 14th Februrary 2013 | PALATINATE @PalatiCAREERS Palatinate
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After graduation comes Gradulthood Amy Sandiford-Watts
G
raduating in the current economic climate can be a challenge, to say the least. Whilst 87% of Durham graduates will secure employment within six months of graduation, getting that foot in the door is tougher than it has ever been before – and as a result some are resorting to rather unusual methods to get noticed. Recently, a graduate from Winchester University attracted a lot of attention (although perhaps notably not a job) by spending his last £500 on a giant billboard bearing his picture and the message ‘Please give me a job’. In the US, web product manager Phillipe Dubost put himself up for sale on a mock Amazon site, complete with customer reviews, shipping information and his best marathon time (he did it in three hours 22 minutes). And it seems there have been so many graduates walking around the City wearing giant sandwich board CVs that it hardly raises an eyebrow anymore. University College graduate Will Hall-Smith hasn’t resorted to advertising his job hunt with an oversized billboard, or doorstepping recruiters with boxes of sweets (an idea which seems to get thrown about a lot on graduate employment forums), but has turned his experiences of the limbo between university and your first ‘real’ job into a sitcom. Graduating with a first in Philosophy and Psychology in 2011, Will now works for a company specialising in television documentaries, but remembers the struggle he and his friends went through to get hired.
“My character prints a 3000gsm CV to make sure he stands out ”
Gradulthood is about the limbo between university and becoming a proper, full-time employed grown up, and exploits the comedic possibilities of just how far some graduates will go to get there. “When I started looking for jobs, I remember having lots of stupid conversations in my head about how to make myself stand out. Stuff like whether to print my CV on 80gsm paper or pay a bit more for 120gsm…
as if something like that was going to be the difference between being employed or unemployed,” he says. “Those internal dialogues really made me laugh and I just amplified them a bit for the script.” As a result, the character he plays prints a giant 3000gsm CV to make sure he stands out. Other characters attempt to find employment by exploiting diversity quotas and launching questionable ‘modelling’ careers.
“Make the most of those really long holidays you get as a student because once you start working you’ll never get that much time off! ”
Will, who admits he was surprised at how hard it was to find a job despite having a first from a good university, says he started the pilot at a point where the characters have been out of university for a while “and are really getting desperate, because I think that’s when people start to do really bizarre things.” Unsurprisingly, these attempts don’t get the characters in Gradulthood very far. But how did the real life examples turn out? Adam Pacitti, who took out the billboard ad, gained a lot of publicity but also a lot of criticism. Much of it was directed towards his so-called ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree (Media production from Winchester) but he was also perceived as begging for employment rather than using the opportunity to show off his skills and experience. His website, on which he boasts about his web design skills, has been criticised for being poorly designed. Importantly, he’s still out of work. Will Hall-Smith says he thinks it’s important that graduates don’t undervalue themselves. “I can understand [using a gimmick get a job], the job market is very competitive now. You look at some sites and there are hundreds of applicants for every advertised job. However, I think it’s important not to sell yourself short – no one is going to value you as an employee if you’re that desperate.” Despite the problems some graduates have finding work, Will has never questioned the point of attending
university. “For me it’s always been a bit different because I always knew that my degree, Philosophy and Psychology, wasn’t really going to help when it came to finding work in the television industry. That never really bothered me because I knew that there would be transferable skills and that personally I would gain a lot from going to university. Bill Bryson, then chancellor, used to say ‘don’t let your degree get in the way of your education’ and I really like that quote. Personally I learnt as much outside of my course as I did in it. Extra-curricular activities like rowing and the friends I made really helped me develop as a person. I wanted to do an academic degree but I chose one that I felt would help me to write better scripts in the future.” When it comes to unpaid internships, Will feels that “it depends on the type of work you’re doing and who is benefitting the most. If you’re genuinely contributing to the company, you should be paid the going rate. If they’re the ones doing you a favour by offering the experience, then I think it’s difficult to argue you should be paid. The problem is that often the line is blurry or your role at the company changes over time. When that happens, I think you need to be assertive and explain why you should be paid.” The key advice for graduates trying to get noticed is to do it by standing out through your previous experience, rather than an ‘innovative’ strategy. In a recent survey of graduate recruiters, over half said that that graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are unlikely
to be successful during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for their organisation’s graduate programmes. Moreover, the same survey found that 36% of vacancies for 2013 were expected to be filled by graduates who had already worked for the employer. Whilst trying something outside the box to get noticed may show initiative, if you can’t follow through with great experience to talk about in the interview you’re unlikely to get hired. Tom Davie, from Durham’s careers centre, says “Gimmicks in
How do you feel about trying modelling to launch your career? Durham graduate, Will Hall-Smith (top), discusses his film Gradulthood and life after University. Photographs: Neal Kirke
general don’t work so I personally wouldn’t advising trying them as there is always a level of risk. With the academic prowess combined with further high levels of skills gained by Durham students through collegiate, charity and vacation work, emphasis on these alongside early applications for internships and graduate jobs should lead to success. Durham, according to the recent High Fliers report, is the 6th most targeted university by major international, national and regional employers.” Visit youtube.com to watch the Gradulthood sitcom pilot.
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
Business
Business Editor: Flo Childs business@palatinate.org.uk
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Business spotlight: EURO not out of the woods yet
As the IMF’s January report dampens hopes for growth, political crisis on both sides of the Atlantic may spell trouble for the global economy in future Photograph: Creative Commons
Isabella Grotto
T
he New Year comes bearing bad news for the global economy. Little over three weeks into 2013 the IMF released its projection for growth in the coming year, and at 3.5% the figure appears 0.1% lower than last forecast in October. The predictions resonate with findings from another global economic think-tank, the OECD, which downsized its forecast in its biannual Economic Outlook from 4.2% in May 2012 to 3.4% in October. Having grown from 3.2% in 2012, the global economy is still pulling itself from the recession, but remains fragile and vulnerable to political crises, particularly in the Eurozone and US. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, the head of the IMF Christine Lagarde warned that 2013 would be a “make or break year for the global economy”, characterising the current recovery trend as “fragile and timid”, particularly because of its dependence on success in a politically and economically unstable Euro area.
“The global economy is still pulling itself from the recession”
A further threat to the global economy comes from across the Atlantic, where excessive fiscal consolidation and over-zealous attacks on the US deficit could slow down the world’s largest economy dangerously. With the Eurozone predicted to contract,
and newly industrialised Asian economies set to grow less than previously hoped, America may find itself forced to shoulder much of the expectations for growth in the world’s advanced economies. To do so, it is vital that an agreement is reached between the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress, currently at loggerheads over fiscal policy plans.
“The IMF revises its prediction from growth to contradiction ”
Uncertainty and weakness in highly developed economies, expensive currencies for commodity exporters and raised production costs, are likely to mean growth in emergent markets will not return to 20102011 levels, the Fund also warned. Attention is now focused on the Eurozone and, increasingly, the US. In both areas, necessary policymaking efforts look to be dangerously beset by partisan conflict, and as the IMF revises its prediction from growth to contraction in the Eurozone, the need for reform appears more urgent than ever. Among the causes for concern, therefore, the Eurozone remains significant. Policies aimed at strengthening the zone’s economy have failed to restore confidence and, despite somewhat easing financial conditions for governments and banks, have ‘not yet translated into improved borrowing conditions for the private sector’, according to the IMF’s report in January. The Fund lowered its growth forecast from 0.1% to
-0.2%, predicting a contraction in the already beleaguered area, where propensity for political crises and slowdecision making do little to ease the minds of investors. Such weakness in policy-making powers is said to contribute to the view of the Eurozone as an unfinished project. With dangerous structural flaws making urgently needed policy action both difficult and slow to pass, confidence in the Euro venture continues to wane. As some of the zone’s largest economies, including Italy, Spain and Greece, continue to struggle under a toxic combination of high levels of debt and sluggish growth, the deepening recession predicted by the IMF’s most recent figures have caused alarm within and outside the Euro area. The region is now seen as posing a ‘large downside risk’ to the whole global economy, according to the Fund’s most recent report, and it is not difficult to trace the fall in predictions for global growth back to the dramatically revised outlook for the Eurozone.
“The US fiscal deadlock is the biggest risk”
However, though bleak, the current outlook is by far the worst scenario for the area. With the IMF still predicting positive, though slowed, growth for 2014, there is hope that the Eurozone is still on route to recovery. Nevertheless, this cautious optimism remains heavily reliant on union policy makers continuing their drive for reform and economic
cooperation. If the current pressure on the weaker economies in the zone is loosened and reform efforts begin to slow, the Euro area may lose the impetus it needs to safely beat the recession once and for all. Indeed, if the Eurozone crisis were to deepen this year, the UN estimates it would impact global growth at -0.3% in 2013, -0.7% in 2014 and up to -1.1% in 2015. Since the start of the year, moreover, a new threat to the global economy has gained momentum, as the fiscal impasse between Democrats and Republicans in the United States continues to stray increasingly towards political brinkmanship. January 31st saw the passing of a long-awaited Congressional vote to extend the nation’s debt ceiling until May, a step that will no doubt assuage some of the most pressing concerns. However, talks must continue if the US is to finally stave off the threat of combined spending cuts and tax hikes that would come into force were its economy allowed to fall into the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’. Having managed to avoid this fate at the end of the past year, the cuts were postponed for two months until March 1st, but the risk remains high. Recently, the United Nations indicated the US fiscal deadlock as the biggest risk facing the global economy, followed by the eventualities of a slow in China’s growth and a deepening of the Euro crisis. According to UN data, the possible impact on global growth of the US fiscal cliff is estimated at a staggering -1.2% in 2013, increasing to -2.1% in 2014 and -2.5% in 2015. Although a financial crisis is unlikely to be sparked, even in the event
of the March deadline not heralding some agreement on savings, as it would be some time before the cuts were felt, the projected growth rates for the next three years stand testimony to the long-term impact that such a slowing of the world’s strongest economy could have. Thus news of uncertainty in the US is likely to continue to cause concern world-wide. The picture for the coming year, therefore, looks morose. The world awakens in 2013 to a new set of risks for the global economy, whose resolution appears far from certain. Lack of confidence in a receding EU on one hand, and deadlock in the US Congress over fiscal measures on the other, mean that the global economy is once again under serious threat in a moment when recovery is still weak and far from consolidated.
“The world awakens in 2013 to a new set of risks ”
By reflecting the unsure economic environment, the IMF’s revised growth rates caused widespread concern at the beginning of the year, and are likely to set a sombre tone for economic discourse and policymaking over the coming months. However, the Fund’s message remained cautiously but determinedly optimistic, its report stressing that these figures still reflect an overall improvement in nearly all areas of the global economy (a conspicuous exception being the EU) and that although the world economy may be far from out of the woods, there is hope for recovery yet.
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Politics
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Thursday 14th February 2013 | PALATINATE
Politics Editor: Francis Still
Deputy Politics Editor: Joe Mayes
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HS2: Manchester to London at top speed Tom Dimaio
A
s is the case with many political debates, the issue surrounding the HS2 high-speed rail line has become muddied due to party politics. There are of course answers to some of the questions raised by this issue, contrary to what some politicians might have you believe. First and foremost, would a highspeed rail link between Manchester and London be a good thing? Yes, of course it would. This is obviously not the argument that should be focused on.
£32 billion The estimated price of the high speed rail service
The real question of course is a more financial one. Is £32 billion too much to spend on this project? Probably. If an investment of this size is made into our railways, is HS2 the right way to do it? Perhaps not. As a Durham student who travels by train frequently, it has become apparent that there are numerous problems with our railways that could be fixed with this investment.
Firstly, the price of train tickets have been steadily increasing year by year, to the stage where if one wished to travel from Durham to a London terminal it could cost as much as £150. Although train fares for Durham students are costly, this is not the area that could be best helped with investment. High-speed rail is meant to boost business and help the economy. This could best be done by slashing consumer costs, not journey times. In an age where train fares and technological capability are rising year on year, investment is being planned in the wrong area. If the government were to invest in the railways, they should do so by subsidising commuter ticket prices. If this were done it would provide a key boost to the economy, as bigspending city workers would have more cash to pump into other areas. This comes alongside the obvious benefit of increased demand for train travel, again boosting our economy. The point about technological advancement is also key. As smartphones and laptops evolve, so does the capability for an individual to be productive outside of the office. This certainly means that there is less need for shorter journey times as work no longer begins and ends at the office door. Spectator columnist James De-
The new train service will cost the taxpayer £32 billion Photograph: Jon Curnow on Flickr lingpole quite rightly pointed out on the BBC’s Question Time that people “use the train as their office, it doesn’t matter if they can get from Manchester to London in ten seconds”. Although ten seconds seems ambitious, I do believe that this observation could prove to be the crux of the matter. Finally a word must be said about this idea of stimulating business in
the north by creating this high-speed rail link to Manchester. Whereas in principle this makes sense, what might instead happen is that we see the complete reverse effect occur. Yes, HS2 would create a link from the South to the North, it is however a two-way street. It might also act as a passage from the North to set up business in the less economically
damaged half of the country. From the government’s point of view, I’m not sure whether this would be a wise risk to take. This £32 billion project constitutes a huge opportunity for the government to make sound capital investment. However, it seems that a focus on speed rather than cost could be an unwise move.
stead of only 55. However, the real downfall of the process is how the overall public vote can be unnecessarily distorted by the winner-takes-all system employed in 48 of America’s 50 states. As the name suggests, the winning candidate in the particular state takes all of its Electoral College votes, no matter how close the contest. This means, in the grander scheme of things, the final Electoral College results can be significantly misrepresentative of the general vote. In 1996, Clinton won only 49% of the popular vote but over 70% in the Electoral College. More recently, the 2012 election appeared to be a close race until the Electoral College mechanism was factored in. Overall, Obama did pip Romney to the simple public vote with 51% to the Republican’s 47%. However, the results were dra-
matically different in the College. Obama won over 62% of the votes while Romney took a mere 32%, giving the impression of an overwhelming victory. Nothing sums up the inadequacy of the current system more than the presidential election of 2000. In one of the closest White House elections of all time, the final result came down to the 25 votes of the state of Florida. Despite Al Gore winning 48.4% of the country’s approval, Bush clinched the presidency with only 48% by marginally winning the local contest in Florida and thus taking all of their College votes. What is more, this outdated system also disadvantages third parties on the national stage, as the unfortunate Ross Perot will testify, and discourages voter turnout in states underrepresented in the College, whose individual voters feel their votes are of little worth.
While the Electoral College may have been a practical solution in the dawn of America’s nationhood, in the 21st Century the Founding Fathers’ creation appears to be outmoded and unnecessary. For a country that prides itself so much on its claims to be a model-forall democracy, the continued inadequacy and palpable unfairness of the Electoral College seems hard to comprehend. A simple plurality system, a straight nationwide vote, would provide the most sensible and obvious solution to a situation that should have been rectified years ago. Though the Electoral College may not have dramatically affected the result of last year’s election, it is scary to think that this obsolete feature might have the potential to elect the most powerful man on Earth, against the majority of his country’s wishes.
The Debate: Presidential electoral system Jack Wilde Last year’s re-election of Barack Obama has re-opened the debate in the United States over its presidential electoral system, primarily over the future of the controversial Electoral College and its role in influencing the selection of the next leader of the free world. The College, the final stage in the presidential election process, has the potential to distort the votes of the American public to such an extent that a majority in the public vote might not guarantee a candidate their seat in The Oval Office. As part of the 1787 Constitution, the College was of course the result of compromise. In this case the matter was settled between those who believed a purely public vote could be too reckless, and those who objected to giving Congress the sole
power to select the President. To this day, the original process remains largely unchanged. Each state has a number of votes equal to the number of its Senators, two in each state, plus the number of its House Representatives, which varies according to population. Including three votes for Washington DC, a successful candidate requires a majority of 270 from a final total of 538. In this allocation lies the first problem of the system: small states such as Wyoming are disproportionately overrepresented in the Electoral College. Each person’s vote in these smaller states is comparatively ‘worth more’ due to the misallocation of votes per state. To put it into figures: in 2004, California had one Electoral College vote for every 617,000 constituents. If California was granted one vote for every 167,000, as Wyoming were, they would have had 205 votes in-
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February
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Autonomy in the city Alex Hunt On the whole, Britain voted against American-style city mayors in last year’s referendum. However, Britain will be getting American- style city financing. New proposals would let local councils keep taxes above a certain level. This gives cities the opportunity to invest in the projects that matter most to their citizens. So far the eight largest cities in the UK (Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester and Sheffield) are signed up to the reforms; known as ‘city deals’. Councils will have an incentive to cut red tape and relax planning rules to encourage business investment, which will hopefully lower the UK’s high land prices. The extra money comes from borrowing against the taxes – councils borrow now, invest the money and use the increased tax revenue (from the successful investment) to pay off the loan. This is known as tax-increment financing. There are promising signs of success – Greater Manchester has been granted total control over its transport budget due to the success of local governments in generating and using money to invest in transport. As the Great Manchester example has shown, councils can be inspired to work together, to allow investment that a single council could never have undertaken and deal with cross city problems. However, such private-public partnerships have had unpleasant results in the past. PFI (Public Finance Initiative) scandals have occurred, where private companies cost the taxpayer millions for poor service. In addition, there is the possibility that councils engage in race to the bottom tactics to ‘steal’ businesses from one another, to gain greater revenue, rather than encouraging new business and growth. In addition, while this is a brave experiment to undertake in the UK, it is a common system in the US. Therefore, much bolder reform might be needed and Britain may have to look wider afield – Sweden and Norway for example have managed to radically redesign their governments – Britain is getting there, but there’s a long way to go.
President Putin has fired another shot in the ongoing diplomatic crossfire in this case Photograph: World Economic Forum
Adoptions banned in latest US-Russia row Rosie Child
O
n the 6th March 2009, Hillary Clinton presented the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with a “reset button”, symbolizing the wish to reset the relations between the two countries, which had been characterized by years of hostility and tension. The US secretary of state found herself in an awkward predicament when it turned out that the word spelt out above the red reset button “peregruzka” came to mean “overload” or “overcharge” instead of the intended “reset”- “perezagruzka”. A worrying turn of events indicates how this faux pas has gone a long way to becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy over the past few years. Relations have since deteriorated between the two countries. The latest row manifesting in a widely publicised ban on the adoption of Russian children by U.S citizens; a thinly veiled response to the US Congress’s ban on visas for Russian officials judged to have violated human rights. President Putin signed the adoption ban into law at the start of this year, with it carrying depressing news for the U.S families that were in the finalizing stages of their adoption
contracts. 60,000 Russian children have been adopted by American citizens in the past 20 years. Approximately 52 applications for adoption were being processed with a further 1000 American families in the early stages of the adoption process when the bill was signed on 1st January. Although there was a reprieve for the small number of families whose adoption cases had already been approved at the time of the bill’s signing, the Kremlin has taken a firm stance on the matter. The Russian Foreign Ministry officially stated that it is revoking and not suspending the November 1st agreement for the adoption of Russian orphans by U.S families, leaving little hope that the decision will be overturned in the near future. According to a correspondent for “Russia: Beyond the Headlines” and several other Western press agencies, the ban came in retaliation to the Magnitsky Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on 14th December 2012. This act blacklists those Russians implicated in the murder of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a pre-trial detention centre, in 2009. Magnitsky claimed he had exposed a fraudulent tax rebate scheme
through which law enforcement officers allegedly siphoned off at least $230 million from Russia’s state budget but were never prosecuted. Other sources maintain that Magnitsky had been trialled for tax evasion himself. Russian opponents of the law have labelled it an impulsive move and think it imperative that orphaned children should not be used as pawns in this seemingly infinite game of political chess between the two nations. In the largest protest to have taken place since the President’s inauguration in May 2012 a “March Against Scoundrels” filled the streets of Moscow on Sunday 13th January. The protestors chanted “Take your hands off children” and the damnatory word “Pozor”, meaning shame, at the parliamentarians. Certain allegations cited in support of the ban are largely unsubstantiated and spurious. For example, according to the New York Times, some law-makers claimed, “Americans want Russian children so they can later steal their organs for transplant or conscript them into the military.” Conversely, President Putin and other politicians are keen to point out that the adoption ban law is named after Dima Yakovlev, a Russian boy who died in 2008 after be-
ing left alone in a car for nine hours by his adoptive father in Washington, D.C. They view the measure as a sanction in itself on the inadequate judicial response and lenient sentences on the aforementioned and eighteen other reported deaths of Russian adopted children; the said adoptive father getting away with a mere fine. Moreover, supporters of the bill view foreign adoption as a form of child trade and Putin was quick to point out that higher living standards abroad were not a reason for foreign adoptions, even though the U.S families saw it as a legitimate one. Despite reportedly political reasons for the adoption ban, these measures will also have an impact for the developing Russia and its identity, a country that has seen around five million of its citizens emigrate in the past 20 years. “More than anything for countries who desire to be seen as part of the developed world, the mark of success is, can you care for your children?’ says Frank Garrott, president of the Gladney Center for Adoption. If the dynamic of the US-Russia relationship continues to become “overcharged”, with confrontation, their relations will only be “reset” to the Cold War default, not the bright future Clinton first envisaged.
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Comment Editor: David Siesage
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PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
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KONY2013: a future for online activism? After dominating social media, the Kony campaign faltered due to real life apathy
Invisible Children’s campaign to raise awareness of Kony saw great success, but online activism did not produce tangible results Photograph: Robert Raines
Lucy Edwardes Jones
C
ast your mind back to March 2012. Joseph Kony, the East African warlord, became a household name after a frenzied campaign by the organisation Invisible Children. The ‘KONY2012’ video received over 100 million views, politicians and celebrities pledged their support, and American military resources were deployed to Uganda. Social media created a manhunt for this mass-murdering, raping, kidnapping tyrant. Kony was evil and we could stop him through sharing a video on Facebook. But 2012 has been and gone, and Kony has not. So why has he been forgotten? Despite the campaign’s huge digital presence, it did not translate into sustained, real-life action. Invisible Children’s ‘Cover the Night’ initiative tried, and failed, to wallpaper cities across the world with posters of Kony’s face. Questions soon emerged regarding the credibility of Invisible Children’s simplistic strategy and murky use of funds - not helped by the very public (and naked) break-
down of its filmmaker, Jason Russell. The campaign may have been flawed. Yet this does not mean that the actions of Kony and the ‘Lord’s Resistance Army’ should have been allowed to fade into obscurity. Whilst the supporters of ‘KONY2012’ retreated in embarrassment, Kony himself remained at large.
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The ‘KONY2012’ campaign spoonfed us online activism
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The warlord’s whereabouts remains unknown and the LRA’s attacks have grown more frequent in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A coalition of NGOs have criticised UN efforts to bring an end to the LRA’s reign of terror in Eastern Africa. Invisible Children’s campaign managed to ‘#MakeKonyFamous’, so why did it not ‘#GetKony’? The ‘KONY2012’ campaign spoonfed us online activism, without en-
couraging us to consider the underlying issues of the region. Although an indisputably evil man, Joseph Kony is not the sole cause of conflict and suffering in Eastern Africa; his removal would not be a panacea. However, a video of a religious extremist imposing his psychotic rule on innocent people is emotive and somewhat digestible. The reality is just as harrowing, but not as easy to digest. The Ugandan army, shown by the video as a force for good, has since been exposed for committing some of the same atrocities as the LRA. The attacks of Kony’s army were shown to be confined to Uganda, yet for several years the LRA have been spreading across the region, particularly into the Congo. This spreading political turmoil continues to be shaped by a scramble for the region’s ‘conflict minerals’ – resources which are sold through middlemen to foreign powers. It is one thing to accuse the Western world of passivity, but it would be another, far less popular, approach to suggest complicity. This complex reality would certainly not make for a punchy thirty minute YouTube sensation, with Jason Russell talking to his conveniently adorable son. Russell has since de-
fended the one-dimensional narrative of the video, arguing that “if you just report the facts and the statistics of a war, people can’t relate... they turn it off.” There is some truth in this. ‘KONY2012’ achieved monumental success due to a clever online marketing strategy, rather than by helping us to understand this geopolitical crisis.
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Online activism holds huge potential, but is yet to be harnessed
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Invisible Children organised the largest march on Washington DC for an African cause, including the Darfur massacre. This is not because Kony had claimed more victims and brought about greater suffering - he hadn’t. It is because our perception of
Kony was shaped by a punchy social media campaign, whilst our knowledge of Darfur was gleaned from news reports. It is perfectly easy to share an emotive video via Facebook, to retweet a catchy slogan, or even to donate a couple of pounds via Paypal. We can make a difference from the comfort of our cushioned computer chair. And then we can forget about it and flick back onto Facebook chat. It is far more difficult to research an issue and take a real stand against it. Online activism holds huge potential, but is yet to be harnessed. It is undoubtedly a positive thing that ‘KONY2012’ was able to use the free, fast-paced medium of social networking to bring attention to the horrific crimes committed by the campaign’s namesake. Yet it was an ill-informed and short-lived spurt of attention. Greater analysis of context and underlying issues would make social media campaigns harder to latch on to. Yet if this were balanced with the emotive and accessible presentation of Invisible Children’s video, online campaigns could hold a deep, lasting impact - in real-life and online. Then perhaps we would see a #KONY2013 campaign that would actually #GetKony.
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University remunerations are outdated
The Vice-Chancellor’s large pay rise highlights the inequality at Durham University Dale Bihari
P
alatinate recently reported that between the years 2010/11 and 2011/12, Chris Higgins, the Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, received a pay rise of £21,000, taking his yearly salary up to a staggering £232,000. Many would ask if this pay increase is fair when there are some that work within the University who are still not paid the Living Wage. The answer is unequivocally no. Most would find the fact that the University does not already pay the Living Wage morally repugnant, especially since it is currently set at a mere £7.45 an hour by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. £7.45 has been calculated at the amount that allows for a basic standard of living. The minimum wage no longer covers this, and the Living Wage was introduced as a way by which organisations can guarantee their employees an acceptable living standard
through voluntary means. That Durham University have increased the Vice-Chancellor’s salary while refusing to implement the Living Wage shows at best an ignorance of the severe inequality within a deprived area, at worst an attitude that the majority of the population would find abhorrent.
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The statistics for the Living Wage speak for themselves
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As of 2011, there were approximately 500 full-time Durham University employees who did not receive the Living Wage. These are mainly employees such as cleaners and kitchen staff whose main source of income is the wage paid to them by the university. Students living in their college
during their time in Durham see first-hand the dedication and commitment these employees have to their job. If you acknowledge and value the amount of work that these employees do, you can hardly deny that they deserve a reasonable standard of living. Many question the benefits of the Living Wage, but the statistics speak for themselves. For an almost insignificant impact on the expenditure of an institution, diverse and significant benefits have been recorded. For example, research by the Greater London Authority has shown that 80% of employers believed that the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of work from their staff. A report on the costs and benefits was produced by Queen Mary, University of London, which showed that after implementation 54% of employees felt more positive about their work place and 52% felt more loyal to their employer. The most significant statistic, however, does not show how the Living Wage benefits an employer, but how it benefits the employee; 32% of workers felt it allowed them to spend more time with their family. Durham University should be
proud to implement the Living Wage, given their history as an ethical employer with Fairtrade Accreditation since 2007. It seems obvious that the Living Wage would be a natural evolution of this ethical status.
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The university should tackle the inequaliy it is propagating
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Those who protest against the Living Wage should take a look at the institutions that already pay it. KPMG, Linklaters, Deloitte and PwC are names most commonly heard in the nightmares and dreams of those of us in final year, but these are actually the names of some of the companies which already pay the Living Wage. Looking closer to our situation as a university, more appropriate ex-
amples of organisations which pay the Living Wage may be the Universities of Manchester, Kent and Surrey. Durham University should undoubtedly be part of this growing list; we should be helping lead the campaign from the front. As an institution which leads by reputation in not only this region, but this country, Durham University should tackle the inequality it is propagating. The university strategy outlined by the Vice-Chancellor himself aims to “enhance… local, regional and national communities as places in which all can realise their full potential.” It is high time the vice-chancellor took steps to ensure that “all can realise their full potential” by fully supporting the Living Wage and considering if he can justifiably accept a pay rise which in itself is significantly larger than the annual salary of some of his employees. If you support the Living Wage campaign and would like it to be implemented at Durham University you can sign the petition online at change.org, by searching for ‘Durham University should pay all staff a living wage’.
Whilst Vice-Chancellor Chris Higgins receives a substantial pay rise, many university staff are still denied the Living Wage Photograph: Durham University
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Comment
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
Say ‘no’ to misogyny, not nudity The ‘No More Page 3’ campaign misses the real examples of sexism David Siesage
T
he sexualisation of children and the degradation of women are topics much discussed, and with the rise of movements like the ‘No More Page 3’ campaign they have re-emerged with renewed fervour. This campaign seeks to persuade Dominic Mohan, in a rather snide and sarcastic manner, to remove the halfnaked women from page three of The Sun, because ‘boobs are not news’. It is antiquated, and it objectifies and demeans women. Their petition has gained over 60,000 signatures. I feel now is the time to bring up some of my concerns. This campaign is one which easily attracts support from liberals who want to be seen as revolutionary, but it misses the most important forum for misogyny in the tabloid press, instead attacking the visible and less important. Page three is just one of the many things which contribute to the degrading rhetoric of the red top press, and it is not The Sun’s boobs which are the main culprits of the sexualisation of children and degradation of women. The general approach of the tabloids is far more objectionable. Boobs aren’t news, but neither is most of the content of The Sun, which Liam Mullone pointed out is “comprised entirely of hearsay, gossip and trenchant opinion.” Nor is The Sun a ‘family newspaper’; it is a light entertainment magazine in the guise of a paper, which no one can be expected to take seriously. The boobs, youthful as they are, are probably the most current, up to date part. Page three is a fairly mild, if dis-
The tabloid press has a history of suppressing young women Photograph: divinenephron tasteful, distraction before you get to the real bile. The influence of newspapers is great in the realms of stereotypes and social norms, so even if the content isn’t taken seriously, their views can gradually infiltrate and take hold. It was the Daily Mail who (thankfully unsuccessfully) campaigned against the extension of the franchise in the 1920s, and the tabloid press have continued in their subtle campaign to supress and demonise young women ever since. ‘News in Briefs’ does far more damage than nudity – ‘look, these women have their boobs out and have opinions on modern politics/ are capable of coherent thought! What a hoot!’ This is indicative of The Sun’s irritating tendency to blur the line between objective reporting and editorial comment, and of the preva-
No more backstreet botox...
Botox laws come too late Illustration: James Crosland-Mills
lent misogyny in much of the tabloid press. The Sun is just one of many perpetrators guilty of ‘normalising the objectification of women’ for the younger generation. It is also probably one of the tamest. Most children are now computer literate. If so, they can stumble upon a whole world of material far more objectifying and demeaning than page three.
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Moral conservativism will not lead to decency or equality
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The internet is a much murkier arena of sexual corruption. Like Pan’s labyrinth, it is possible, if it takes your fancy, to be lost in smutty, degrading squalor for a long time. But it is far from mythical. This is where children could be corrupted; page three is not exactly a comparable beast. One area which should also be targeted for sexualising children is our good friend the Daily Mail, in particular the Mail Online. ‘Femail’, one of the most unpleasant ‘news’ outlets on the internet, coupled with its ‘sidebar of shame’, repeatedly sexualises the young daughters of celebrities.
Using phrases like ‘All grown up!’ and ‘beyond her years’, they encourage their readership to view children as adults, capable of sexual attraction and available to be viewed in such a way. It is vile. Graham Linehan called the Daily Mail ‘the Jimmy Savile of newspapers’ as a result of this phenomenon. This is a greater problem, yet there is no campaign to stop it. Page three is not nice. It is a damning indictment on our society that the editors feel that its inclusion will help sales. But it is also not the most damaging, demeaning or objectifying things in tabloid newspapers. The campaign has picked something obvious, well-known and visible to target, and in doing so misses what should be its target: boobs aren’t inherently bad; the general culture of sexism in these papers is. Pick your battles, but I think this campaign has chosen the wrong one. Moral conservatism will not lead to decency or equality. The removal of page three will do nothing to change attitudes towards women; smashing the shop window does not destroy the produce. What we need is better, comprehensive sex education in schools, a campaign against the Mail Online’s attitude, and for the tabloid press to change their general approach towards women. Unfortunately, the removal of page three would be a drop in the ocean.
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Soapbox Ellie Jones on the indulgence of smoking Before smoking’s full dangers were known, or at least before they were so well publicised that they could no longer be ignored, smoking was a habit, a vice and something to break up the monotony of life. Offices and restaurants were open to smoking, and surely it was better to be partaking than choking. There was something innocent and less indulgent about it in those days because it was just the thing to do. Nowadays you have to work harder than ever to become a smoker. In the last few years it has become a constant, bitter battle to have a cigarette; you’re forced not just to brave the freezing cold weather but the critical, pitying glares, along with the unavoidable knowledge that you are probably killing yourself a little bit. This brings us to the question, is there something especially tragic about Durham smokers? Generally, the most committed or, at least, obvious Durham smokers are well-presented, designer-clad London girls in their Barbours and furs, designer bag on arm, Marlboro Light packet in hand. Despite their appearance, these girls are incredibly hardy, braving the northern weather with bitter determination and a certain desperation. While they may have the same hardy determination to enjoy their cigarette, Durham students differ from those who crave or require comfort from smoking. They are not beaten down by life, most have experienced very little hardship, their days are not monotonous, and they are lying to themselves if they think they need a vice. Most students must have worked exceptionally hard to cultivate their habit in the last couple of years at a time when smoking is more difficult than ever. In fact, becoming a smoker in the last couple of years is something of a feat. You’ve had to ignore the cancerous growths glaring back at you from your packet of cigarettes and embrace your place in a self-inflicted minority openly scorned and scolded. The whole process is tiresome and for what? I guess because it’s fun, and a little bit naughty (but not too naughty), a little bit edgy (but not too edgy), because it becomes ‘your thing’, and eventually your image, and you get to be one of the smoking club. Becoming a smoker today is vain and self-indulgent. But you sort of have to admire this generation’s relentless perseverance to continue something that society, on the whole, is revolted by.
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
Sport
Sport Editors: Kate Houghton & Rob Berkeley
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Mud, sweat and beers: DUAXC Durham athletes shine in awful conditions at this year’s BUCS Cross Country Championships
DUAXC celebrate, embracing the conditions at the BUCS Cross Country Championships. Above: men’s squad. Below: women’s squad Photographs: Eleanor Martin
Joe Carton Saturday February 2nd 2013 saw Leeds host the annual BUCS Cross Country Championships - an event where the phrase ‘mud, sweat and beers’ can duly be applied. In stark contrast to last year’s Cardiff course, Leeds offered a traditional, more conventional cross country race. A bitter westerly wind whipped across the challenging course causing even the gentlest of jogs to be energy-sapping. Those who had let the recent snow disrupt their training grew concerned at the possibility of paying the price. As usual, the BUCS Championships offered a competitive field in all three races. St. Mary’s looked to be dominant in the team event, however Birmingham, Southampton and Loughborough aimed to disrupt the west London university’s supremacy on the podium. The first race of the day was the men’s ‘A’ race where DUAXC was represented by Dan Jenkin, Owen Walpole, Ben Douglas, Rory Johnson, Peter Hawkings and Andrew Clarke.
Three laps of the same 3.25 km loop meant the athletes fought the daunting psychology of facing the same climbs as the grass progressively turned to bog and the rectus femoris fatigued.
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Laps of a 3.25 km loop make up the men’s race
Nevertheless, the DUAXC athletes battled on. Spearheading Durham’s team was Dan Jenkin, whose sublime run earned him an eleventh place finish. Dan’s finishing position was the second highest ever recorded by a Durham male athlete at the BUCS Cross Country Championships. Following Dan home were Owen Walpole and Ben Douglas who both put in a courageous effort to finish in 63rd and 92nd respectively. Completing the scoring team was 137th-placed Rory Johnson, who finished in front of Peter Hawkings (157) and Andrew Clarke (162). The team achieved a credible twelfth placed finish out of
53 teams. The second race of the day saw the DUAXC female athletes take their place on the start line, ready to tackle the 6.55 km course. It had been suggested that lacking their usual lead runner Jennifer Walsh, the team would struggle in the team event. However, despite this hindrance, the team managed an impressive eleventh place finish out of 51 teams. Striding down the finishing funnel to claim DUAXC women’s first pointscoring position was Jennifer Douglas in nineteenth place. Rachel Dunn and Ellie Wilson both ran strongly, picking off fading athletes in the final third of the race to achieve 73rd and 95th position respectively. Completing the DUAXC team was Jennifer Hack, finishing in 102nd place. The turnout for the DUAXC women’s team was notably impressive. The other female finishers for Durham were: Lucy Reid (118), Briony Bendle (128), Elizabeth Lee (136), Claudia Conway (188), Alex Slotwinski (192), Kat O’Mahony (216), Abigail Plank (231), Rachel Bentley (240), Claire Holden (274), Freya Semken (292), Juliet Robey (297), Eleanor Martin (313), Victoria Wells
(316), Sophie Davie (331), Sarah Findlay (335) and Jane Wood (358).
“The grass progessively turned to bog”
The men’s ‘B’ race, a greatly anticipated spectacle, which guarantees partisan tribal chants and fluorescent body paint, was the next to set off. After the previous two races, the ground had been churned up into a marshy bog, making
any smooth running exceptionally difficult. Nonetheless, Durham’s B team dug deep to produce a solid performance. The team’s finishers were: Max Coventry (129), David Rich (133), Callum Rowett (159), Jamie Isaac (160), Rory Bowe (169), George Malle (176), Tom Bardsley (187), Alistair Galt (203), John Gedling (236) and Peter Davison (244). After the day of competing, the Leeds Student Union hosted a spectacular after party with three different rooms on offer. The Durham team are reported to have behaved themselves, although there were no sightings of any early Sunday morning runs the following day.
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Sport
Thursday 14th February 2013 | PALATINATE
DULTC reinforces its status among Durham University Lawn Tennis Club has enjoyed another prosperous season at the summit of university sport
Durham University tennis has flourished thanks to talents such as Jonny Binding and GB University number one Jen Migan Photographs: Andrew Bennison James Telford
Sitting consistently in the higher echelons of Peter Warburton’s infamous ‘Wednesday Sports Review’ over recent years, Durham University tennis has undoubtedly begun to enjoy incremental levels of success. Though the above formality serves only to promote competitive rivalry within Team Durham, a more concrete testament to the rising impact of DULTC is to be found not far from this mark. As one of the top contributors of BUCS points, and by extension a key factor in Durham’s eminence amongst the elite of university sport, DULTC has amassed 557 points in the last two years, 60 more than any other tennis-playing university in the same period. Durham men’s firsts have made the semi-finals of the Championship on one occasion, while the women have exceeded this achievement by winning the Championship in the 2010/11 season and reaching the semi-finals last year. It is in the individual field, however, that Durham has truly shone. Playing
at number one for the 2011-12 season, Reka Zsilinszka triumphed in an all-Durham affair to lift the women’s individual trophy. This was the second consecutive year that a Durham player has clinched the title - the first in the University’s history arrived the previous year by the racket of Iva Saric. Correspondingly, our men have performed to an equally impressive standard. Richard Wire fell just short as the runner-up in 2010-11 whilst Slavko Radman progressed to the semi-finals last year. On a more general note, Durham now has men’s teams placed in consecutive league tiers. This is outdone only by our women, who now command two teams in the Premiership, one in Division 1, and one in Division 2. Without a doubt, this is a fantastic accomplishment in itself and will surely be built upon in the years to come as more teams harbour promotion aspirations. The current season has shown no signs of breaking with Durham’s formidable tradition in this sport. Indeed, we continue to be the premier university side in the UK in as far as BUCS points are concerned. Our men’s firsts have finished
a narrow second to Stirling in the Northern Premiership. Meanwhile, the women’s firsts dominated to claim the Northern Premiership title and the seconds continue to battle with Loughborough to stay in the top tier. The other Durham sides remain comfortable in their divisions most noteworthy being the women’s fourths, who have claimed the Division Two title.
10.2%
The contribution of DULTC to Durham’s BUCS points total since 2011 Similarly, there is much to look forward to as the BUCS Individuals reach their conclusion in the Spring. In particular, Jonny Pullar and Chris Drakeford-Lewis have already produced exceptional performances to come through the Warwick Qualifiers and will join a six-strong team heading to the finals. Likewise, Miranda Cooney and Ceara Howey overcame a talented field in the
Leeds Met Qualifiers to add to our women’s title hopes later this year. Equally telling of the ability in our ranks are the notable efforts of Andres Carrasco, James Telford, Toni Santos, Jen Migan, Selma Babic, Miranda Cooney and Julia Huschke. Having achieved individual top ten singles rankings across the entire field of university players in the UK, their form demonstrates the high quality of Durham athletes this year. Indeed, Migan holds the coveted number one place. Of more significant value, this collective achievement must first and foremost be regarded as an outstanding reflection of the sheer depth of talent, organisation and competitive spirit of Durham’s squad at all levels. That opaque statistics and elaborate figures on Team Durham’s achievements make for necessarily reassuring sentiment is axiomatic. All in all, everyone should agree that numbers alone will not suffice in constructing the full picture. It might therefore be of comfort to hear that the quality of training sessions, strong commitment to improve and the calibre of coaching staff does justice to our season performance.
An insight into key inidivudals: The Recruits: Srugo, Carrasco, Santos, Stanivuk, Babic, Migan and Huschke. As a former number one at the University College of Los Angeles and current Israel Davis Cup member, Harel Srugo spearheads the men’s squad. Offering a wealth of experience at the highest level, Srugo’s career-high world singles ranking of 703, and 460 in doubles, speaks volumes about his ability. Coaching the men’s seconds, his contribution has been immeasurable on and off the court. Former number one at Arizona State University, Andres Carrasco’s talent is matched only by his stardom as resident comedian and tennis impressionist. His compatriot Toni Santos joins him with four years’ experience in NCAA Division 1 College tennis - America’s top tier. Coaching the men’s thirds and fourths respectively, Carrasco and Santos have been excellent additions to the squad as they endow their tactical knowledge throughout the teams.
PALATINATE | Thursday 14th February 2013
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the BUCS elite DUAFC near to stealing as their profile within Team Durham grows
shock futsal promotion Footballers just denied by Northumbria in north-east showdown Billy Phillips
Members of the league-winning DULTC women’s first team Plying their craft in the Bosnian Fed Cup team, Jelena Stanivuk and Selma Babic are demonstrably among the best female players Durham has ever had compete on its behalf. The WTA-ranked Jen Migan (career-high 840) and Julia Huschke complete an immense women’s first four, whose domination seems unlikely to be derailed any time soon.
The Scholars: Jonny Binding, James Wilson and Miranda Cooney. Vice-Presidents Binding and Wilson represent the highest crop of British talent on offer. Binding, whose contribution to the men’s firsts cannot be understated, was lauded at an early age as a top GB junior, competing in the National Finals at U14, U16 and U18 level. Though Wilson’s current season has been marred by a persistent wrist injury, he was a prominent player in the firsts for the past two years, including an undefeated season as a fresher. In spite of this setback he has recovered of late to remain undefeated in consecutive
outings - proof of why he remains an integral part of his home County Cup squad, Kent. Generously hailed as ‘probably holding up well at Wimbledon’, Wilson’s serve has proved a tour de force for the seconds. Miranda Cooney’s talent has been no less evident on the women’s side. Deploying a big-hitting game, her contribution to the women’s firsts and seconds has been considerable. The Exec: Tom Newman, Emma Jameson and Pete Kealey. Last but by no means least, Newman has fully embraced the role of DULTC President; removing his organisational ingenuity would produce an irreplaceable hole and, quite possibly, an implacable mutiny. As DULTC Vice-President, Jameson’s deep involvement in sourcing sponsorship and match kit deserves equally high praise. The entire club owes the pair a great debt. Reliable, efficient and organized, Kealey delivers his role as Treasurer with aplomb and it is thanks to him, among others, that DULTC is able to function so smoothly.
Futsal, a small-sided version of football exported from the streets of Brazil, has made its way to Durham. The university side, reformed last year after fizzling out several years ago, completed their league fixtures last weekend, and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Northern Premiership. Durham were entered into BUCS division Northern 1A at the start of the season, alongside Newcastle 1s, Sunderland 1s and Northumbria 1s and 2s. With every team based in close vicinity to each other, the decision was taken to hold nearly all of the season’s fixtures in one day in a roundrobin format. That day was Sunday 3rd February, and the location was Northumbria University’s impressive indoor sporting facilities in the centre of Newcastle. Sunderland had withdrawn their team from the league, meaning Durham faced just three fixtures, starting with Northumbria 2s in the morning. Though the home side established an early lead, Durham soon adapted to the small, heavy ball and narrow pitch to edge ahead at half-time. They then pulled ahead convincingly in the second half and ran out 8-4 winners, a hugely impressive and encouraging start ahead of the following fixture against Newcastle 1s. The Newcastle game started quickly after the first one, meaning
The 2012-13 Durham University men’s tennis squad at their Puma Sunderland training base
Durham had to cleverly utilise their ten-man squad. After only eight seconds, however, Durham had gone 1-0 up, and a gulf in class was evident throughout the 40 minutes. Durham dominated possession and threatened with seemingly every attack, eventually finishing as 13-3 winners. Two games, two wins. All that stood between Durham and an unexpected promotion in their debut season was Northumbria 1s, who had also won their opening two fixtures comfortably.
“To come so close to upsetting Northumbria, fustal specialists, is testament to the attitudes of everyone involved” Spencer Brown DUAFC Club Captain
With a specialist coach, specialist team and futsal facilities, it should have been a stroll for the home side. They stormed into a 3-0 lead after just six minutes, and adopted a hugely physical approach, not often seen
on a cultured futsal pitch. Once Durham had adapted their tactics and recovered from a poor start, they fought their way right back into the game, and a late flurry of pressure brought the scoreline to 5-3 in Northumbria’s favour. The referee’s whistle blew with Durham relentlessly pressing forward, and another five minutes would have made things very interesting. A dream promotion was not quite to be, though the foundations have been laid for the sport of futsal to grow and improve at Durham over the coming years. Durham University Association Football Club (DUAFC) Captain Spencer Brown believes the day was step one for futsal at the university. He said: “The futsal team is an offshoot of DUAFC at the moment, and as a club we were keen to give it our best shot today, against specialist futsal opponents. “We definitely did that, and to come so close to upsetting Northumbria 1s in the final game is testament to the attitudes of everyone involved. “We’ll be back next year, stronger, more organised and more prepared than ever. “It’s an exciting time for football at Durham University at the moment, and the development of futsal is a key part of that.” Durham squad: Kyri Pittalis, Matt Goss, Oli Gill, Tom Almond, Chris Musgrave, Spencer Brown, Oli Salt, Jonny Giles, Ray Hackett, Shoya Miyashita.
Futsal explained:
. .. .. .
Five-a-side indoor football with a small, heavy ball and small goals.
Games last 40 minutes.
Originated in Brazil and Uruguay in the 1930s. First FIFA World Championships held in 1989.
Places emphasis on close control, skill, quick reflexes and touch.
Played by the likes of Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Denilson in their youth.
Sport
Thursday 14th February 2013 | PALATINATE
Palatinate profiles: DULTC Tennis stars maintain dominance, p.18
BUCS cross-country review DUAXC battle the Yorkshire winter, p.17
Collingwood and St. Aidan’s forwards collide at the scrummage, under the floodlights of the rubber crumb in the Floodlit Cup Photograph: Samuel Spencerh:
Collingwood triumph in titanic cup tie Emily Beech
On the night of Friday 8th February, Collingwood took on St. Aidan’s in the in quarter-final of college rugby’s Floodlit Cup. With Collingwood being one of the strongest teams in the Premiership and St. Aidan’s competing in Division 1, the latter side were always going to be the underdogs coming into the match. But with other lower league teams having already toppled Premiership favourites, there was every chance of an upset. St. Aidan’s ignited the burners early on and James Murchison scored the opening try after just four minutes with a quick and agile run. Tom Callaghan converted to give Aidan’s a 7-0 lead.
However, Collingwood soon fought back and their physical dominance began to show as they drove dangerously towards the try line. It was proving to be an exciting end-to-end match as a storming fifty metre run from Aidan’s Ivan Jones left Collingwood desperately tracking back. Yet just minutes later it was Aidan’s who were left exposed as Collingwood expertly maximised the width of the pitch, resulting in Rory Sanderson driving over for Collingwood’s first try. David Sparrow calmly took the opportunity to add the extra two points with a straightforward conversion. After twenty minutes neither team could control possession and Collingwood slowly began to assert some dominance on to the game. Despite some crunching tackles, Aidan’s defence was breached by a
weaving Harry Graham run resulting in a try which was again converted to give Collingwood a seven point lead. A missed penalty kick by Aidan’s left the half time the score at 14-7 to Collingwood.
28-24 Score at the final whistle
Collingwood immediately extended their advantage in the second half, as Conor Horgan made an excellent thirty metre dash, dodging tackles en route to the try line. Despite Collingwood now holding a 14-point lead, Aidan’s displayed their fighting spirit as they began to dictate the play in the Collingwood half.
The Aidan’s pressure paid off as they hit back with a try from Alex Stock and once again Callaghan converted to bring the scoreline to 21-14 with fifteen minutes remaining. However, it only took four minutes for fortunes to fluctuate once more with Collingwood replying with another Horgan try. Sparrow impressively converted his fourth kick to make the score 2814. Although Aidan’s hopes of a victory were fading, a sudden Edwin Simmons try gave them hope and meant that Collingwood could not afford to be complacent as the game entereted its latter stages. With the partisan crowd behind them, the Aidan’s players gave it their all. Although a number of them were suffering from cramp, substitute Charlie Greenwood slipped through
the Collingwood lines to score. The conversion was missed leaving a four point difference with just a few minutes until the close of play. An excellent closing spell from Aidan’s kept their hopes alive for a last minute try, but Collingwood remained solid in defence. The whistle blew with the final score 28-24 to Collingwood. After the game, Elgan Alderman, St. Aidan’s rugby captain, labelled the match their ‘Dunkirk’ as “everyone stepped up their game to give a collective team effort.” After being narrowly denied promotion on two occasions, Alderman believes their performance here is proof that St. Aidan’s college can compete at a higher level. On the day, though, Collingwood’s composure, strength and consistency proved too much, and they progress to the semi-final.