Palatinate 803

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Thursday 8th February 2018 | No. 803

Moral Fibres

Features and Fashion collaborate to investigate positive fashion and sustainability

Academics’ strike set to cause major disruption

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Lessons in Love

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, our editors share their insights into romance and relationships

• Fourteen days of strikes planned across 61 UK universities, including Durham

• 88% of union members vote in favour of action amid pensions dispute Cameron McIntosh News Editor Durham students will face 14 days of disruption over the course of the next five weeks, after University staff voted overwhelmingly to support strike action amid an ongoing pensions dispute.

Lectures, seminars and exams are threatened by industrial action orchestrated by the University and College Union (UCU) at 61 universities nationwide, including Durham, Oxford and Cambridge.

The strikes are set to begin on the 22nd February, to be followed by a series of escalating walkouts for four consecutive weeks that, in total, will disrupt 14 days of the teaching timetable.

Controversial proposals to alter how pension remunerations are calculated, introduced by Universities UK (UUK), has provoked vehement opposition from the UCU. As previously reported by Palatinate, a ballot of Durham’s 853 UCU members resulted in 88% approval for strike action and a further 93% approval for other forms of industrial action, in which the turnout was 57%.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “Staff who have delivered the international excellence universities boast of are understandably angry at efforts to slash their pensions.

“They feel let down by ViceChancellors who seem to care more about defending their own pay and perks than the rights of their staff.

“Strike action on this scale has not been seen before on UK cam-

puses, but universities need to know the full scale of the disruption they will be hit with if they refuse to sort this mess out.”

According to independent analysis, the average academic will lose £200,000 during retirement under plans to change the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which will make pensions subject to changes in the stock market.

Professor Alan Houston, Durham University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education told Palatinate: “The University will take every measure possible to minimise disruption to our students and is working with Durham Students’ Union to try to achieve this.”

Furthermore, in a message addressed to all members of staff, Durham University’s ViceChancellor, Stuart Corbridge, acknowledged his colleagues’ concern about changes to pension schemes and said: “I am aware that the decision to vote in favour of industrial action will not have been taken lightly by many of our staff.

“Durham University respects the right of staff to take part in industrial action and we understand the strength of feeling in relation to the proposed changes to USS.” He further clarified the position of the University in relation to the strikes in setting out the relevant procedures for those involved, adding “any industrial action that has an impact on the education of our students goes to the heart of the contract of employment.”

Continued on page 4...

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will be in the city on Thursday 15th February (Ian Livesey via Flickr)

Prince Charles to visit Durham Cameron McIntosh News Editor Prince Charles will visit Durham on Thursday the 15th of February, the University has announced.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will be making the trip to Durham to unveil a plaque in memory of his ancestor, Dame Elizabeth Bowes at Bowes House, which now forms part of St John’s College.

This will be followed by a number of royal duties, including the ceremonial opening of the Open Treasure Visitor experience at Durham Cathedral, after which he will attend a University hosted concert at the Cathedral, to honour the centenary of the death of composer Sir Hubert Parry.

A rendition of the popular hymn ‘Jerusalem,’ Parry’s most famous work, will close the con-

cert, set to be attended by 350 people. The Prince of Wales will then meet University staff and students, Cathedral staff, volunteers and choristers.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to greet the Prince on Palace Green at around 1pm on Thursday afternoon.

Durham’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart Corbridge said he was “very excited” to be welcoming the Prince to the University.

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Thursday 8th February 2018 | PALATINATE

Editorial

A chance for your voice to be heard

W

hen I was in first year, I lived behind some bins.

‘Moatside,’ it’s called.

You’ll have walked past the place dozens of times: the grimy alleyway across the street from Flat White Kitchen, just along from the bookshop, where the empty bottles of the Library Bar, the forgotten pizza boxes of Urban Oven, and Castle freshers’ motivation to achieve things in life go to die.

My room was a handful of square feet larger than the shoebox advertised on page 3 of the last Palatinate. The showers had an unshakeable habit of dribbling tepidness on me. And the tap-water once came out yellow.

That would all have been acceptable, though, were the fees premised on the quality of the accommodation. They were quite pointedly not, and in the two years since my time in Moatside, the cost of living is of course now even more steep than 2015’s already extortionate rate.

But I’m not one to complain, all eight previous sentences

excluded. The question is, are you?

Having reported on the troughs and troughs of Durham accommodation for months, and with fees breaching the dreaded £8,000 benchmark for the first time next year, Palatinate has decided to ask what our readers think about the whole situation.

I’m not one to complain – the question is, are you?

Our housing survey (see page 7 for the scannable QR code) aims to collect data, aggregate opinion, and catch the odd housing horror story.

It only takes a couple of minutes, and your answers will be invaluable in helping us build the bigger picture of what’s really going on across the city.

It’s also a good way to procrastinate from your essay on the particularities of FDR’s New Deal legislation, your critical analysis of symbolism in Ulysses, or whatever it is science people do.

This edition of Palatinate, the paper’s 803rd, should also prove a fine distraction from your studies.

There’s plenty of News to go around, with Prince Charles’ visit to Palace Green (overleaf) and the monumental success of the Durham University Charity Fashion Show (page 6) getting people talking in particular.

Five years ago, a Palatinate front page heralded the 2013

DUCFS’s fundraising total of £7,000. That puts this year’s total of £106,000 into an even more awe-inspiring perspective.

The strike of Durham’s academics in two weeks’ time (page 4) is already showing signs of major disruption to student timetables. If you have strong opinions on the strikes, we want to hear them – just drop a line to comment@palatinate.org.uk.

Speaking of which, our Comment writers explore everything from the “predictable art of the celebrity apology,” to the pecularities of love (pages 8-11), and the special Valentine’s Day feature on page 11 is particularly worth a look.

Meanwhile, Profile and Politics both have famous faces in their respective pages, featuring fascinating discussions with Tory anti-Brexiteer Anna Soubry MP and Trump-advising political titan Roger Stone on pages 12 and 14 respectively.

We’ll be back again in two weeks’ time, when we hope to reveal your opinions on student housing.

Eugene Smith

Inside 803 News pages 4-7 Comment pages 8-11 Profile page 12 Politics pages 13-15 SciTech page 16 Sport pages 18-20

indigo Editorial page 2 Creative Writing page 3 Features/Fashion page 4-5 Books pages 6-7 Visual Arts pages 8-9 Food & Drink page 10 Travel page 11 Music pages 12-13 Film & TV page 14 Stage page 15 Interview page 16

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NEWS: “The enemy is profit”: A report into the People & Planet ‘die-in’ protest

COMMENT: Dying for renewable energy

POLITICS: Lord Adonis talks government approach to Brexit

STAGE: A Murder is Announced review: “slightly amateurish”

Cameron McIntosh investigates the story behind the viral Palatinate video of Durham People & Planet’s lecture protest.

One participant of the People & Planet protest (left), Jo Chandler, explains the wider perspective behind the chants.

In a Palatinate exclusive, Rhodri Sheldrake-Davies gathers the thoughts of the former minister on all things political.

“It was not exceptional, but it was satisfactory,” writes Tom Pymer of this student production of Agatha Christie’s classic.

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

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Eugene Smith & Sophie Gregory editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editors Anna Tatham & Caitlin Allard deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Tania Chakraborti & Cameron McIntosh news@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Clara Gaspar, Natasha Livingstone & Tom Mitchell deputy.news@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editor Zoë Boothby comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editors Hana Kapetanovic & Danny Walker Profile Editor Isabelle Ardron profile@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Profile Editor Holly Adams Science & Technology Editors Martha Bözic & Jack Eardley scitech@palatinate.org.uk Politics Editors Rhodri Sheldrake-Davies & Julia Atherley politics@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Politics Editors Jack Parker & Tom Walsh Sport Editor Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Ollie Godden, Will Jennings, Ella Jerman & Louis Gibbon Indigo Editor Tamsin Bracher indigo@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Indigo Editor Adele Cooke deputy.indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Rosie Dowsing features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editor Katie Anderson Food & Drink Editor Emma Taylor food@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Food & Drink Editor Sapphire Demirsöz Travel Editor Harriet Willis travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Anna Gibbs fashion@palatinate.org.uk Film & Television Editor Imogen Kaufman film@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Film & Television Editor Alexander Priston Stage Editor Helena Snider stage@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Stage Editor Helen Chatterton Music Editor Ashleigh Goodall & Tom Watling music@palatinate.org.uk Creative Writing Editor Chloe Scaling creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Creative Writing Editor Kleopatra Olympiou Books Editors Tanvi Pahwa & Alex Leggatt books@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Madeleine Cater visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Visual Arts Editor Anna Thomas Chief Sub-Editor Yongchang Chin Sub-Editors Inka Kärnä, Aoife Clements, Mint Paribatra, Zuzanna Gwadera & Angelos Sofocleous Photography Editor Madeleine Flisher photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editors Claire Cortese and Yangjia Lin Illustrations Editor Katie Butler illustration@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Illustrations Editors Charlotte Way, Akansha Naraindas & Holly Murphy Social Media Officer Helen Paton Website Administrator Alex Stuckey Advertising Officer Alex Hewitt advertising@palatinate.org.uk

PALATINATE | Thursday 8th February 2018

3

#fakenews

Trev’s Rugby Club to host Academics’ Strike-themed social “Our last social, themed around the 1984 Miners’ Strike, was a big hit [drawing fierce condemnation from the Durham Miners’ Association, horrified national newspaper coverage, and the abrupt cancellation of the event at the forceful behest of everyone with a conscience]. We’ve absolutely not learned our lesson, and this one will be an even bigger hit.”

Margaret Scargill

If you’re a finalist, there’s undoubtedly a lot on your mind right now, whether that’s your dissertation, upcoming exams, or post-graduation plans. Also on your radar, may be the National Students’ Survey you have been requested to fill out.

The NSS is a controversial subject. While the Durham SU Officer team have explained our position on the Durham SU website, we want students to be able to make their own informed decision. Some students’ unions are boycotting the survey, but we don’t believe this is an effective course of action. We’d rather avoid the official promotional materials and provide a balanced view of the survey’s pros and cons. So here we go: a simplified version of the reasons for and against filling out the NSS. Reasons to fill out the survey include: that it ensures universities listen to the student voice; it generates a large amount of data that can examine student satisfaction; that this data can be used to lobby the University; and that the survey’s metrics can help secondary school students compare institutions and courses to make an informed decision on their higher education.

Reasons not to fill out the survey include: it is used for the Teaching Excellence Framework, which has been linked to the marketisation of education and could be used in the future to increase fees; the amount of data produced means universities can overlook certain problems and simply focus on making the data look better for the next NSS; the survey asks about ‘Overall satisfaction’, which is too broad to judge all parts of a university experience; and failing NSS scores can be used to unfairly justify course closures.

If you would like more information, there’s an extended version of these pros and cons on the Durham SU website so take a look and make your decision.

Megan Croll

Trevelyan Rugby Club have surprised no one at all by announcing they will next week host a social event inspired by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) strike.

The Facebook event description instructs attendees to: “Think labcoats… think research papers… think potential pension losses of up to £200,000”.

The ‘forwards’ are to dress as professors, with “glasses, intellect, and a general disregard for people who haven’t done the reading” According to sources familiar with the plans, the ‘forwards’ have been told to arrive dressed as Dur-

Academics at the University of Leeds protest on behalf of the Universities and Colleges Union (Nick Efford via Flickr)

ham academics, with “glasses, intellect and a general disregard for people who haven’t done the seminar reading”.

The ‘backs’ will meanwhile dress as University management, with one member elected to represent Vice-Chancellor Professor

Stuart Corbridge.

The club’s social secretary told Palatinate: “Trev’s Rugby has a proud history of heavy drinking, sport-sanctioned physical violence and the gratuitous mockery of industrial action. Why stop now?

“

Think lab-coats... think research papers... think potential pension losses of £200,000

”

Prince Charles “considering “Why not eat this packet of crisps in the library?” selfish tw-t asks self a Thursday night Klute” A spokesperson told Palatinate: “His Royal Highness is very much looking forward to nursing a Taddy’s in the Swan, but is yet to make up his mind whether an hour or two in Europe’s worst nightclub is on the cards for later on.

“His Royal Highness is looking forward to nursing a pint in the Swan,” his spokesperson said Elizabeth Windsor His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is “very close to making a decision” on whether he’ll chance it on a night out in Klute when he visits Durham next week, palace sources confirmed last night.

“Such a visit would be rather fitting, since alongside his interests in homoepathy and the environment, Prince Charles has been a lifelong and very vocal public advocate for bringing back the quaddie.”

Photograph: Dan Marsh via Flickr

Bill E. Bea The legacy of former Durham Chancellor Bill Bryson was tarnished from afar yesterday afternoon, as one inconsiderate student accosted the ears of all around her by crunching her way through a packet of prawn cocktail at a desk within the library named after him.

Food consumption is illegal in all areas of the library except the ‘e-den’ bit you’ve never heard of and that small strip of floor by the entrance 19-year-old Geography student Gabby Lineker was halfway through a densely worded review article on silt deposits in Hunstanton when she “felt a bit

peckish” and reached into her bag for a snack.

“I could hear every single crunch,” said one distraught onlooker Ms Lineker then began eating the crisps, in clear violation of the illegality of food consumption in any area of the library except the ‘e-den’ bit you’ve never heard of and that small strip of floor by the entrance.

“She took about twenty minutes, and ate them with her mouth open,” said one distraught neighbour. “You know how quiet the library is – I could hear every single crunch. It was torture.”

When approached for comment

by Palatinate, Ms Lineker started talking with her mouth full, which just made things worse.

Dear Zodiac Zoëllo...

Palatinate’s resident Agony Aunt solves the biggest problems of Durham student life Dear Zodiac Zoëllo... What is the best way to secure a seat in the Bill Bryson Library? It’s been so busy since Stockton campus moved!

This is a tricky one.

Like all true Durham students, I am fed up of all these Stockton students coming over here and taking our seats – they haven’t worked for them. For this reason I have been trying to coordinate a University-wide campaign to #TakeBackControl of Bill Bryson Library.

If we voted to send all the Stockton students back to where they came from, that would definitely solve the seating problem.

In the meantime, however, I would suggest that you stop whining and just get to the library before mid-afternoon like the rest of us.

Dear Zodiac Zoëllo...

My housemate never does the dishes despite my constant nagging – what can I do?

There are a number of stages to

this problem.

You are in Stage 2 – anger. You have moved past the denial stage and have realized that, actually, yes, your housemate is a lazy bastard.

Next is bargaining – if you do the dishes, I’ll take the bins out all week! I’ll unblock the sink!

Soon, however, you will realise that this, and other methods, are futile and arrive at the final stage: acceptance.

The sooner you realise that you will be doing your housemate’s washing all year, the better.

The only thing that will preserve your friendship is for you to accept that she is a slovenly pig and for her to accept that you are an anal control freak.

4

Thursday 8th February 2018| PALATINATE

News

“Strike action on this scale has not been seen before on UK campuses,” the union’s general secretary says Continued from front page...

In a subsequent email to University staff, seen by Palatinate, it was confirmed that all withheld pay from the strikes will be donated to the Student Hardship Fund.

This offers support to Durham students in times of financial difficulty. The email also made clear that their intentions were to keep University and college services running as far as possible to minimise student disruption.

President of Durham Students’ Union, Megan Croll, expressed her concerns regarding the impact of the planned strike action on students.

In a public post, Ms Croll outlined the position of Durham’s SU: “It is vitally important that our academic staff are represented, and able to get their voices heard on issues that are impacting them, and ultimately students too.

“I have the utmost respect for the position of UCU in this regard and understand that this is a highly emotive issue for both the staff and students affected.

“In particular, I respect the right of academic staff to strike. Our priority when speaking to both UCU and the University on any future strike action is to ensure that the negative impacts for students are as limited as possible.

Academics “feel let down by Vice-Chancellors who care more about their own pay and perks than the rights of their staff”

“I could not support strike action where the goals were to cause as much disruption as possible to students, thus using student outrage and frustration as an amplifier to give weight to academics’ case to the University.

“While I understand the appeal of this tactic, it hurts students, most of whom are not a party in this dispute. I believe that strike action can be planned in ways that have only minor impact on students, and significant impact on the University internally. We believe that by directly disrupting University activity, rather than student learning, our academics will be able to more effectively have their voices heard.”

All withheld pay from the strikes will be donated to the Student Hardship Fund

In response to this announcement, Durham University Labour Club (DULC) issued a public statement to express their disappointment at the stance taken by the Students’ Union.

DULC Co-Chair, Joe DharampalHornby, told Palatinate: “DULC expresses solidarity with all staff members affected by the proposed pension-changes and supports their planned strike action this month, backed by 88% of staff at 61 universities.

“We hope that all universities, including Durham, will see sense and reach a fair agreement with the UCU as soon as possible, which will benefit both staff and students in the long run.”

Durham NUS delegate and former President of the Union Society, Tom Harwood, voiced his opposition to the strike action. He tweeted: “Deeply disappointed that the greed of a well remunerated academic class is threatening my education.”

Fellow NUS delegate, George Walker, responded by stating: “Lecturers are not demanding any increase in remuneration, they are simply asking to not lose £10,000 a year in retirement, which is not unreasonable.”

Mr Walker further clarified his stance: “I broadly support the SU position which is to sympathise with UCU members and working with them behind the scenes, whilst also seeking to minimise disruption and push for the University to put unpaid wages into a student hardship fund (suggested by the UCU).”

The National Union of Students (NUS) issued a statement in support of the UCU and urged its members to express solidarity with academics by making their views known to Universities.

It read: “NUS and UCU are sister organisations committed to promoting the interests of our members and to defending education.

We are proud of our work together in calling for a better deal for students and staff and in challenging the marketisation of education.”

Some students are “deeply disappointed the greed of a well remunerated academic class is threatening [their] education”

It went on to state: “We believe that the current policy of paying ever higher salaries for VCs and Principals while cutting pensions for those who do the work sends a hugely damaging signal to both students and staff.”

The first strikes will take place on February 22nd

The planned dates of the strikes are as follows. In February: Thursday 22, Friday 23, Monday 26, Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28. In March: Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7, Thursday 8, Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15, Friday 16. In total strike action was approved by 21,685 UCU members nationwide.

Photographs (in descending order): Dun.Can via Flickr, Gavin Reed via Flir and Geoff Dexter via Flickr

Durham students to give back to community in Student Volunteering Week 2018 Tom Mitchell Deputy News Editor Durham University students are set to take part in Student Volunteering Week 2018 from the 19th to 25th February.

The week is a nationwide initiative that encourages university students to volunteer within their local communities, and aims to bring together organisations from different sectors to promote and celebrate the volunteering efforts of students.

This includes volunteering

across the University by Student Community Action (SCA), the largest volunteering organisation at Durham, colleges, Team Durham Community as well as music and theatre outreach.

Now in its seventeenth year, Student Volunteering Week is organised by the Student Volunteering Network and supported by Student Hubs and the NUS. Last year, over 55,000 students and 100 institutions got involved.

During the week, Durham University’s Student Community Action (SCA) will offer 25 ‘Give it a Go’ sessions and one-off volun-

teering opportunities for the students at their Durham City and Stockton campuses.

Last year, more than 55,000 students at 100 institutions got involved

Highlights include a conservation event set in Auckland Castle, a spring-themed children’s party and an Olympics sports day with disabled adults at Pelton Community Centre.

Over 1,000 Durham students regularly volunteer across 84

projects and collectively contribute 25,000 hours to identify and respond to community need.

Student volunteers are entitled to free and exclusive training organised by the SCA to prepare them for each project, in collaboration with external companies and institutions.

Training includes preparation for one-to-one tutoring projects, child behaviour management training, Nightline’s ‘active listening skills’ and certified qualifications in Emergency First Aid at Work.

The volunteering projects also

allow Durham University to establish partnerships with employers, third sector organisations, and members of the local community.

Harriet Scott, President of SCA Volunteering, said: “Student Volunteering Week is a fantastic opportunity to give back to the community.”

Vice-President Lauren Goulder said: “To have a whole week dedicated to volunteering is a wonderful thing as it brings so many different people together and it shows students just how much fun volunteering can be.”

PALATINATE | Thursday 8th February 2018

5

News

Durham University sixth lowest for state school intake Natasha Livingstone Deputy News Editor Durham has the sixth lowest rate for state school entry in the UK, government figures have shown.

Although the proportion of state school students at Durham has in fact risen by 2%, other institutions have seen a faster rate of increases.

The figures, released on 1st February by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), reveal that the percentage of young fulltime students from state schools commencing study at Durham University increased from 60.5% in 2015/16 to 62.9% in 2016/17.

This compares against the national average of 90% state school entrants in 2016/17.

This means Durham has risen from the third lowest university for state school entry in 2015/16 to the sixth. The University is ahead of Oxbridge, with 5.3%

more state school undergraduates than Oxford and 0.3% more than Cambridge.

The University will invest £11.5m in outreach as part of their 2018/19 Access Agreement

Durham has seen improvements in social mobility, as the percentage of young full-time first degree students from low participation neighbourhoods at Durham has increased from 5.1% in 2015/16 to 5.2% in 2016/17. The greatest growth regards mature degree students from low participation neighbourhoods, which has risen from 9.2% in 2015/16 to 18% in 2016/17.

Looking forward, the University’s Access Agreement for 2018/19 commits Durham to an investment of £11.5 million in outreach, student success, progres-

sion and evaluation activities.

This will include using contextual admissions to enable students with potential to attend Durham, including varying entry grade requirements by one or two grades to take account of disadvantage.

University officials also plan to expand the Supported Progression scheme and create a centre for academic development.

Durham performs better than Oxbridge, with 5.3% more state school undergraduates than Oxford

In response to HESA’s findings, Professor Alan Houston, Durham Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, told Palatinate: “At Durham University we are focused on providing the very best education and empowering our students to succeed. We welcome students from all backgrounds with merit and

Photograph: Anguskirk via Flickr potential and we have robust systems in place to ensure our admissions process is fair and transparent.

“Our new Access Agreement marks a step-change in our approach. We welcome the progress

demonstrated by these Performance Indicators and in consultation with our partners we will build on progress we have made to date through experience, data and research.”

She wrote: “This weekend has been one of the hardest of my life.

Seeing those closest to me use personal defamation to get one up in the countdown to National Conference was destroying me from the inside out.

However, other high-profile NUS figures have since made similar accusations. NUS Trans Liberation Officer, Jess Bradley said: “This string of complaints about Shakira’s bullying behaviour towards fellow officers and people in the movement has drawn this crisis in NUS into sharp focus for me.

“I can honestly say that becoming an NUS Officer often results in a sharp decline in mental health, and this hostility from the President is only making things worse.”

Durham’s recently elected NUS delegate, Helen Paton, told Palatinate: “The world of student politics can be very toxic and this is just proof of it.

“The allegations are a consequence of several tweets and messages that threaten other student leaders within the NUS.

semitism (still an issue) and now bullying between officers.

NUS President hits back at ‘bullying’ allegations day. I feel like I’m back in a domestic abuses realationship [sic].”

The NUS women’s officer, Hareem Ghani, responded to the exchange by announcing that she intended to report Martin for bullying.

On Twitter she publicly denounced the comparison to domestic abuse and made clear her intentions to seek an investigation into the President’s conduct in recent months.

Photograph: willowbarbican via Wikimedia Commons

Cameron McIntosh News Editor Shakira Martin, the President of the National Union of Students (NUS), is the subject of an internal investigation into allegations of bullying and intimidation at the Union’s HQ. Ms Martin categorically denies any wrongdoing and has hit back at her critics, claiming she is the victim of “racism and classism”.

All union officers were instructed to work from home while an investigation into the conduct of Ms Martin was carried out at their London headquarters.

An NUS spokesperson said it was a temporary measure to “protect all parties”.

The allegations against the President were first made after

she became embroiled in a social media exchange with Mark Crawford, University College London Postgraduate Students’ Officer. In a tweet that has since been deleted, he labelled the NUS President a “scab” during a dispute over student protests.

Ms Martin was criticised for likening a critical Tweet to her domestic abuse This prompted Ms Martin to liken the exchange to domestic abuse.

In a public post on Facebook she said: “This is the name calling and abuse I have to put up with. I’m a scab now yeh... these people are as abusive as my ex was too me [sic], emotionally trying to break me down at every level every single

“She has threatened and bullied officers over the last six months,” the NUS Women’s Officer writes

She wrote: “I spent this morning debating whether to remain silent on such a horrendous (and frankly dangerous) comparison between political accountability and domestic violence.

“I’ll be submitting a complaint against the President. Not only [because] of this horrendous comparison, but [because] she has threatened and bullied officers over the course of the last 6 months.”

After live-streaming herself in the early hours of the morning speaking candidly about the events, Ms Martin took to social media once more to defend her actions.

She denied the allegations and claimed her accusers were seeking electoral benefit in the upcoming NUS elections.

“The NUS is once again in a leadership crisis,” says Helen Paton, a Durham delegate

“The expressions and approach of Shakira in social media are unacceptable. Comparing domestic abuse in response to a formal criticism tweet shows how off topic the NUS leadership can get.

“The NUS is once again in a leadership crisis, first it was anti-

“I’m a strong, outspoken, and articulate black woman,” Ms Martin says:“I’m not going to change myself”

“How do we expect to be represented like this? How is the government ever going to take the NUS seriously?”

In an interview with The Guardian Ms Martin said: “For the past few weeks I’ve been a victim of racism and classism.

“I don’t have a degree. I’m a single parent. I’m aware of how I sound. To people that know me – yeah, that’s Shakira. To people that don’t know me, it’s creating that picture and it’s a false picture.

“I’m a strong, outspoken, articulate black woman that likes piercings and tattoos and I’ve got swagger. I’m not going to change myself.”

Ms Martin defeated last year’s incumbent NUS president, Malia Bouattia, in April 2017 with 56% of the vote, assuming office in July.

In her acceptance speech, she said she would “spend her time listening, learning and leading.”

She was previously Vice-President for Education and promised to unify the organisation after bitter divisions had dogged the presidency of her predecessor.

The investigation into Ms Martin’s conduct was ongoing at the time this article went to print.

Thursday 8th February 2018 | PALATINATE

6

News

Charity Fashion Show raises record £106,000 Rosie Dowsing News Correspondent The 2018 Durham University Charity Fashion Show (DUCFS) has raised just over £100,000, beating last year’s total by £31,000 and setting an all-time record for the event.

The fashion show, which this year marked its 35th anniversary, took place across two nights on Friday 3rd to Saturday 4th February in the Rainton Meadows Arena.

Organisers claim the 1,800 available tickets had sold out within two seconds of going live, and attendees further added to the fundraising through donations, a charity auction and a raffle.

The money raised, estimated at around £106,000, will be donated to Mind, a charity that raises awareness of mental health issues and provides support for people suffering with them.

One auction item was a square foot of land entitling the owner to the title of Lord or Lady The event featured 52 student models showcasing more than 200 outfits from 24 brands, which ranged from such well-known labels as ASOS and Tommy Hilfiger, to emerging designers like Sahira, Dmitry Gotsfrid and Dora Larsen Lingerie.

The theme, Revolution/ Evolution, attempted to “harness the power of creative resistance,” using brands that represent either activism or the notion of revolution through their aesthetic.

Guests were also given the chance to bid for a variety of prizes in the auction, including a ride in a police riot van, a two night stay in Barcelona, and a square foot of land which entitles the owner to the title of Lord or Lady.

Iona Cameron, President of DUCFS, told Palatinate: “I am completely overwhelmed and speechless with the success of DUCFS 2018. It has been 10 months in the making and the weekend made all our hard work worth it.”

Iona Cameron, President of DUCFS 2018, makes the announcement of the fundraising total on Saturday 4th February (Sam Harrison)

Durham students vote to “regret Brexit”

Palatinate report from last week’s high-profile debate at the Union Society Cameron McIntosh News Editor Durham students voted by a narrow margin to support the motion ‘This House Regrets Brexit’ after an impassioned debate between high-profile public figures at the Durham Union Society.

The motion, which was supported by Conservative MP Anna Soubry, Labour peer Lord Adonis and Cambridge Professor Brendan Simms, passed by a margin of 105 votes to 82 on the night, after several hours of debate.

The motion was carried by 105 votes to 82 Although a greater margin than the Brexit referendum itself, which split the country 52% to 48%, the support for Brexit was much higher among Durham students than is the case for most young people aged between 18 and 24. According to a YouGov poll, 75% of voters in that demographic voted remain, alongside a majority of those aged 25-49.

Speaking for the opposition were former Secretary of State Peter Lilley, former UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe and right-wing journalist James Delingpole.

Delingpole opened his speech by referring to a controversial column he produced for The Spectator in which he claimed: “For a

real Oxbridge education you have to go to Durham.”

The executive editor of Breitbart London expressed delight in returning to Durham, which he described as a “decent, proper University” compared to the “horrible Oxbridge”.

Likening Britain’s decision to leave the European Union to “taking down the Death Star” and being “given the keys to our prison doors,” Delingpole spoke passionately about the democratic verdict of June 23rd 2016.

“It was the first vote I’d ever cast in my life that I felt really, really counted for something,” he said.

Despite his private school background and Oxbridge education, he declared himself “a man of the people... the people of the North, the people of the countryside,” and expressed his disdain for those opposed to Brexit, whom he labelled “corporate lawyers, bankers, quangocrats, [and] people who work for Greenpeace”.

because “they simply grasped something people who read gender studies at the University of the West of England didn’t – good oldfashioned common sense.”

In characteristic style, the rightwing commentator joked: “Call me an honorary peasant... on Brexit I feel like I am [one of the mob].”

Similar sentiments were echoed by former Conservative Secretary of State for Social Security, Peter Lilley, who said: “We should be delighted that we have taken back control,” and spoke of the opportunity to “have a genuinely nonracist immigration policy, about numbers not nationality.”

The final speaker for the opposition was a former UKIP politician Steven Woolfe, who was once

touted as the successor to Nigel Farage. He said to the audience: “You are living in a period of history that not only will you remember, but also your children will remember.”

“Call me an honorary peasant,” said Delingpole, but “on Brexit I feel like I am one of the mob” Anna Soubry, who was labelled one of the ‘Brexit mutineers’ by the front page of The Daily Telegraph last year, countered these speeches in her own address.

Soubry said: “Call me old-fashioned, but I think one of the ways you win a debate is to make a good

Delingpole, executive editor of Breitbart London, claimed Durham was a “decent, proper University” – unlike Oxbridge He continued in the same vein: “Despite all these experts, somehow 17.4 million people in Britain said ‘nah, we’ll take our chances thanks, we’re not going to listen to you,’” which he explained was

Photograph: The Durham Union Society

argument.”

Upon Steven Woolfe’s attempt to interrupt her, she quipped, “You’re both a buggar and a bastard,” which she claimed were words borrowed from Delingpole and not her own. Directly addressing the latter, she said “the most you’ve ever done in your life is to write for The Daily Telegraph.”

“I hang my head in shame,” said the Tory politician of the division created by the Brexit vote. Citing a case wherein one of her constituents was the victim of a racially motivated incident in the immediate aftermath of the referendum, she lamented that many people “feel they are no longer wanted in our country”.

“I hang my head in shame,” said Anna Soubry, in light of divisions caused by the vote Soubry went on to say Brexit was “a huge distraction from the big issues that face our country,” which was supported by former education minister and serving Labour peer, Lord Adonis.

Although Adonis recognised that “there is a massive challenge faced by a left behind Britain,” he said Brexit “is seeking to scapegoat Europe and foreigners for all of the problems at home.” He said directly to the audience composed largely of young people: “You’re going to have to live with the consequences.”

PALATINATE | Thursday 8th February 2018

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News

Managing the Stockton move: too much too soon?

How the University is managing increased student numbers to Durham City campus

Clara Gaspar Deputy News Editor

•

Last month, the University announced its commitment to increasing the total number of students to a maximum of 21,500 by 2027.

The figure stands at 18,013 for the 2017/18. The University added that these numbers would include an increase in the number of UK students as well as non-UK students.

Despite rising concern that resources will be stretched, the University made clear that “to cater for the increased number of students, the University has already increased, and will continue to increase, facilities and services.”

They cited the ways in which Durham University is working to increase facilities in line with student increases:

•

• • • •

Increasing study spaces at the Bill Bryson Library Developing Sheraton Park as a new home for Ustinov College Developing two new colleges at Mount Oswald Creating a state-of-the-art Centre for Teaching and Learning at Lower Mountjoy

Investing £29.5 million in sports facilities at Maiden Castle Providing financial support to allow John Snow and Stephenson College to operate across both Queen’s Campus and Durham City, investing £1.4 million in a new building at the Howlands site, which will be ready for 2018/19 academic year

Professor Antony Long, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, said: “The movement of Queen’s Campus staff and students to Durham City is a major part of the new University Strategy.

“The original decision was made on the clear commitment that we would provide sufficient facilities to ensure that all students continue to have access to excellent facilities. That remains the case.

“So, as we grow to a maximum of 21,500 students by 2027, we will develop a wide range of facilities and services which will ensure we deliver a world-class education and wider student experience.

However, the lack of sufficient study spaces in the Bill Bryson Library continues to be of concern

Photograph: Rose Innes

for many students, given the discrepancy between the high influx of new students this year and the comparatively small number of study spaces added.

Student numbers are up by 1,081 this year – but there are only 100 additional study spaces in the Library Census data suggests that there are 1,081 more students in Durham city this year than last year.

The University said: “The increased student numbers at Durham are partly due to the Queen’s Campus relocation (550 students have relocated for 2017/18) and partly due to growth in student numbers.”

However, the Bill Bryson Library has only increased their capacity by 100 study spaces. The competition to find a study space in the Library has been heightened by the shortening of library opening hours.

The University maintains that this is not due to financial matters

and is a temporary occurrence, telling Palatinate: “The closure of the Bill Bryson Library at 10pm from Sunday to Thursday is a temporary measure, from Monday 15 January to Sunday 11 February.

From Monday 12 February, the Library will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until Monday 19 March.

Jane Robinson, Chief Operating Officer, said: “The University took the decision to temporarily reduce opening hours at the Bill Bryson Library by ten hours per week for the first four weeks of Epiphany Term due to temporary staff shortages.

“This was not a matter of financial resources. We continue to prioritise student safety and the provision of high quality services.”

Rising student numbers are also putting pressure on the availability of affordable and good quality, private housing in Durham City. Collingwood first year students were warned that prices of houses in the viaduct could rise up to £15 per person per week in

Photograph: Amy Deng 2018/2019.

According to statistics presented early this year by the national anti-poverty group, ACORN, only 15% of Durham students would recommend their accommodation to a friend or family member, while only 29% of Durham students deemed their accommodation “value for money”.

The University aims for the student population to rise from 18,000 to 21,500 by 2027 When asked about how the influx of students from Stockton campus had affected him, second year History student Harry Morris said: “In general, I have not found myself to have been seriously affected by the migration of Stockton students to Durham city.

“However, house prices have evidently risen... whilst the lack of Bill Bryson expansion has forced me to rely on our college library to a greater extent.”

Take our Durham accommodation survey and have your say Scan the QR code on the right to access the poll and have your say about your experiences of college and non-college housing in Durham.

The results will be published in a following edition.

Image credits: Flickr via Creative Commons

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Thursday 8th February 2018 | PALATINATE

Comment Valentine’s Day Special Pages 10 and 11

Comment

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Durham University: make mental a health priority now Sophie Paterson University, we are often told, is meant to be some of the best years of your life.

In saying this, however, many are overlooking the consequences that the intense pressures of maintaining a social life whilst juggling academic commitments can lead to.

It is certainly the case that the atmosphere of intense pressure that such academically-esteemed universities as our own can breed is often to the detriment of students’ mental health. Why then, if this is such common knowledge, does Durham University not provide adequate support and provisions for students suffering with their mental health?

University is meant to be the best years of your life It must first be stated that where the University does have systems in place, they are remarkably under-advertised and oversubscribed. Despite the fact that, according to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health related issue in a given year, the University counselling service only has the equivalent of 5.4 fulltime counsellors and 2 mental health advisors.

This lack of suitable and adequate mental health support

is not a problem that is exclusive to Durham. It has recently been reported that, in the past eighteen months alone, seven students at Bristol University have taken their own lives.

It is an insult to students that universities don’t take mental health seriously These reports have raised concerns that universities are not equipped to handle rising numbers of students expressing struggles with their mental health.

It is an insult and a disservice to the students that their universities do not take their pastoral care seriously - it shouldn’t be the case that universities only take the initiative to develop better pastoral support once students have taken their own lives. There should be support systems in place, and more transparency in terms of what services universities have to offer.

Durham is unique in terms of the welfare support on offer In their defence, Durham is fairly unique in terms of the welfare support systems it offers. These systems often stem first from the student body itself with welfare services within colleges as well as University-wide schemes such as ‘Nightline’. Support also comes in the form of the college staff themselves, dedicated student support advisors who help to

signpost and support students with any kind of issues during their time at university. Beyond this, the University Counselling Service also offers students faceto-face support sessions.

Indeed, having personally made use of many of the welfare systems the University has to offer, it has been made evident time and time again that whilst help is available, it is highly sought-after and waiting lists tend to be extensive.

Though the University counselling service can be truly useful, waiting lists may prevent students from being seen immediately.

70% of children and adolescens do not seek treatment at an early enough age For this reason, students tend to not even bother registering themselves for these services due to the wait, or the fact that they perceive their problems are not severe enough to warrant counselling.

The Mental Health Foundation has estimated that 70% of children and adolescents do not seek treatment at early enough an age, and barriers to seeking treatment, such as the ones students face at university, only worsen the issue.

It is also crucial to have specialist advisors that are equipped to deal with specific mental illnesses to ensure that, especially as there are a maximum number of counselling sessions, students get the help that Illustration: Katie Butler

they so desperately need.

In simple terms, more funding and resources need to be funneled into these services. It is promising that the Counselling Service has planned to increase its overall expenditure, but the University needs to recognise that investment into student psychological wellbeing has to be one of their utmost priorities.

With mental health issues in the student population on the rise, Durham as a University has to take accountability and ensure that its students are able to deal with the academic pressures exerted on them during their studies. We need more counsellors, especially those specialised in Mental Health and Sexual Violence, so that when students are admitted to the Counselling service they can be given the appropriate treatment.

The University should also provide coherent information on what the university and the NHS can offer beyond 6 counselling sessions. When I finished my first round of counselling in first year, I felt like I had been abruptly dropped by the service with no signposting signaling what steps I should take next. Without these follow-up support systems, the positive effects of counselling services can be limited and shortterm.

The University needs to better advertise what services are available Part of the problem also lies within the lack of clarity in terms of what services are available to students. Online, the Counselling Service’s website has an abundance of resources and selfhelp links that students should be directed to as early as first year.

It is essential that we do not wait for students to reach crisis point before we provide them with treatment, or whatever resources might be suitable. Ideally, freps and colleges should make the options available to their students clearer from the very beginning of their degree.

Although the organisation Talking Change runs ‘Academic Wellbeing’ sessions throughout the year, which make use of CBT techniques, these could be far better advertised. If this were the case, I am sure that they would have more of an impact.

Additionally, the skills sessions that the Disability Service offers can be helpful in encouraging individuals with existing mental

health conditions to develop their own techniques for managing stress associated with studies, but many don’t approach the service because they don’t know exactly what can be gained.

Often, these are discovered by word-of-mouth or only recommended to students once they reach a crisis point, when in reality people should be aware of the access they have to these programmes as early as possible in order to reduce the severity of the problem. University mental health services undoubtedly do help improve the lives of students, but they can only succeed if they reach the students that desperately need them.

We need to make sure we help students before they reach crisis point Most students are encouraged to refer to college welfare or student support officers who can then inform them of what services are available; however, this lack of anonymity could be what prevents them from seeking help in the first place. By educating students on what options are available to them in a more transparent and coherent way, one could hope that more would be able to benefit from these resources. As students, we are certainly lucky to go to a University that does have such a multitude of resources available, but it’s crucial that the available support structures are presented to students in a coherent way.

Just as the University encourages students to sign up to the University Health Centre ahead of arrival, they also have to take responsibility in ensuring that the students are equipped to handle any mental health problems they may encounter during their studies. It could be as easy as colleges including a comprehensive leaflet detailing the different, specific types of support that the University does offer. Mental health should be prioritised as part of the curriculum as early as Freshers’ Week, by encouraging students to establish support systems in both college and the Disability Service.

If students are made more aware of the multitude of services that are at their disposal at any given time, perhaps fewer students would reach crisis point.

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PALATINATE | Thursday 8th February 2018

Comment

We have a Tenants’ Union but more must be done Madeleine Horton It is testimony to the extent of the student housing problem here in Durham that a Tenants’ Union has been forced into existence to help alleviate the problem. Created together with the national antipoverty group, ACORN, the new tenants’ pressure group aims to “wage war” on these shameless “slumlords” and return power to vulnerable local students.

Unhappy tenancies here in Durham are certainly not universal. However, horror stories surrounding rogue landlords are often heard; the key complaints often being extortionate rent hikes and poor living conditions. ‘Good value for money’ is not a phrase much used to describe student digs in the city.

The demand for student housing is greater than ever Rat infestations are not unheard of, in addition to mould, damp, dirt, broken appliances, lack of security and, more worryingly, landlords

who actively exploit students into clawing back as much of that hefty deposit as possible.

One story goes of a local landlady who apparently wanders into their student property unannounced, and pointedly searches the house for small scuffs and natural wear and tear in order to make significant deductions on their deposits. She gleefully boasted of “another cruise for me this summer!” to her tenants before waltzing out of the place.

Very tactful.

Students have often felt powerless to complain about poor housing My own student house is so cold that I spend a lot of time down at the well-heated library; a single-glazed, badly insulated old house is difficult to live in, particularly during the winter.

Problems such as mould, dirt and poor heating obviously have a significant effect upon health, both physically and mentally. This can only exacerbate the poor health many students suffer at university, where they are often run down by stress or caught in the never-ending cycle of freshers’ flu.

The closure of the Stockton campus is creating a bottleneck in the city; the demand for student housing is greater than ever, and landlords are able to demand a premium on their properties – particularly those in desirable central locations such as Elvet and Whinney Hill, which have seen price hikes of as much as £20 per week for tenants.

The high demand has only served to worsen the already poor relations with the local community, who have felt themselves pushed out of the city by the monopolisation of properties by student landlords. Affordable housing for locals is difficult to find, and it is irritating that these student properties are only occupied for six months of the year.

It is a process of “studentification” which is worsening each year in Durham, growing as serious as Photograph: Neitram via Wikimedia

the complete domination of tiny St Andrews, which struggles to accommodate its population and suffers a similar town vs gown problem.

The issues in Durham will only worsen as the University expands, and the formation of the Tenants’ Union will hopefully serve to help rectify these issues, also improving relations with the local community.

High rents and housing issues are certainly not problems unique to Durham. Rents for students have increased nationally by 2.9% between the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 academic years. In London, the problem is worse than ever. According to an NUS survey, the average student rent is £226 per week, and often of poor quality for such a steep price.

High demand for student housing has worsened relations with the local community National polls for satisfaction with student housing paint a dismal picture. This new focus comes to light amid a general worsening satisfaction among students

for their all-round university experience.

The formation of a Tenants’ Union is perhaps a well-overdue move.

It has been strongly welcomed by students. In fact, it’s surprising that a student body of this type has not already been formed, as the issue is surely one of the biggest concerns among the student population. This neglect has surely gone on for too long. Dissatisfaction with housing is so rife that it is almost normal.

It’s surprising that a body like the Tenants’ Union hasn’t already been formed There has been something of a complacency among students, who have come to accept poor housing as just part of the student experience.

Students have often felt powerless to complain; and that results would not be achieved without the back-up of the University.

A students’ body to address housing issues will be really beneficial to local students, who will now have the support to actively take on their landlord if they are dissatisfied with their housing.

Perfecting the predictable art of the celebrity apology Hana Kapetanovic Another day, another celebrity apology. Although I couldn’t tell you what the most recent one is, the form of the apology, unlike the subject matter, is quite predictable.

So predictable, in fact, that there is a ‘Celebrity Perv’ apology generator and even an apology bot created exclusively for Lena Dunham.

For those composing their own apologies to share on social media, there is, of course, the iconic medium of the iPhone Notes app, as used recently by Logan Paul. In said apology, he claimed that his video filmed in Japan’s ‘suicide forest’ was merely a means of raising awareness about suicide.

A statement like this somewhat detracts from the original aim of a sincere and honest apology.

This is a tactic that had previously been similarly used by others, such as when Ariana Grande in 2015 claimed she was trying to raise awareness about obesity when a video leaked in which she licked a doughnut and said that she hated America. If I had to apologise every time I did that, then maybe I’d tweet more.

The Ariana episode is a prime example of apology-dodging, conforming exactly to Rachel Parris’ guide to the public apology in a segment on the new satirical news show The Mash Report. She has identified the two most frequent characteristics of celebrity apologies – the ‘it was taken out of context’ and the ‘if I did that’ qualifiers, both of which feature in Ariana’s apology.

If I had to apologise for every time I licked a doughnut, maybe I’d tweet more Parris looked at two midJanuary apologies to make her case. The first is that of Jo Marney, then-girlfriend of UKIP leader Henry Bolton, who made the innocent mistake of expressing fears that Meghan Markle’s “seed” will “taint” the Royal Family, which was accompanied by an array of racial slurs. Just a few days earlier, Conservative MP Ben Bradley announced his plans to reform the image of Conservatives.

Unfortunately, a week later it surfaced that he had suggested in 2012 that benefits claimants should have vasectomies, a statement this time accompanied by classist slurs.

In an effort to make these mishaps relatable, Rachel Parris fairly pointed out that, “We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve accidentally made an egregious racial slur or suggested an unemployed person should be sterilised. That kind of thing can slip out of anyone’s mouth.”

Although this is a satirical exaggeration, it is true that we all make mistakes. This is a fact that we seem to forget when we ask celebrities to apologise for everything they do and have ever done. This quest for perfection leaves no space for discussion, openness, and progress. Constantly looking for more dirt to dig up on celebrities allows us to ignore our own behaviour. And who are these people trawling through years-old tweets anyway?

When demanding apologies, we seem to forget that we all make mistakes The answer is usually critics of the person in question. For example, Amena Khan, a British Muslim, recently quit a L’Oreal campaign after old tweets of hers were unearthed in which she attacked Israel during the IsraelGaza conflict of 2014. The people

that found these tweets were from a right-wing US news outlet, whose website also featured headlines such as ‘These DACA Recipients Are Out There Just Living The Dream, Smuggling In Other Illegal Immigrants’ and ‘OK, Dude -- Dem Congressman REALLY Reached For This Comparison Of Trump And Nazi Germany’.

Who are the people trawling through years-old tweets anyway?

These people have clear motivations: to trip up that person and point out their flaws.

This is not a reflection of how we actually live our lives. Unlike on the internet, not all discourse is written down, and so we are not able to scrutinise everything someone has said in normal Photograph: p-a-t-r-i-c-k via Flickr

conversation, nor would we want to as we are aware of the fact that we all say the wrong thing sometimes.

I’ve said “you too” when someone has wished me a “happy birthday” – sue me, society.

When someone does apologise after revelations such as these, it just feels insincere to me. Am I really supposed to believe that Jo Marney’s texts were taken out of context and that she truly apologises for offence caused?

In reality, unlike on the internet, not all discourse is written down and recorded That being said, people do say some truly horrific things and these incidents should be scrutinised and apologised for. This is particularly true when it comes from someone in a position of power and the comments are directly relevant to their position. There is a difference between my problematic 13-yearold self’s Facebook statuses and Ben Bradley’s blog posts as an adult in which he writes about a “vast sea of unemployed wasters’” He can act on those views; I’m not in a position of power to. But at least if I get there, I’ll have this handy guide to writing public apologies.

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Thursday 8th February 2018 | PALATINATE

Comment

The Durham University 70 % marriage phenomenon Wilfred Goodhart Everyone can still remember that traumatic first day of university.

Your palms and brow sweat out so much liquid that it could amount to a small pond and your heart beats faster than Usain Bolt running on performance-enhancing steroids.

As a young, naïve fresher myself, these memories are all still very vivid for me. As my family turned away, I felt like I was being abandoned, never to see them again.

In that brief moment, I thought I knew how Mowgli must have felt when he found himself in the jungle to be raised by a pack of wolves in Rudyard Kipling’s tale.

University made me feel like I had found myself lost in the jungle Perhaps comparing St Chad’s College to the jungle and its students to a pack of feral creatures is just a little harsh, but it shows how different the world you enter at university can feel. Despite my initial melodramatic fears, I soon

found that my quad was not inhabited by perilous wildlife and that I wouldn’t have to eat burgers that had come from animals I had been forced to kill with my bare hands. Nevertheless, it was still a scary experience.

The pressures Durham University exerts are not just academic, but romantic When enrolling at Durham, however, there is an extra element of pressure derived from a certain statistic to add to the already daunting task of starting university. I’m sure you will have all have heard this statistic before, or at least will be aware of its message.

It is a number that looms over us like Mitchell Starc over a fragile England batting line up, like the Brexit cut-off date of 29th March 2019, or like the ominous presence of Shere Khan over his jungle.

Indeed, I’m talking about the astonishing statistic that 70% of us will apparently marry fellow Durham students. Consider that number for a short while. Even if you are not good with numbers, or are just fairly incompetent in general, you will still be aware that this number is a lot higher than seems

plausible.

To put that number into perspective, there is a 70% chance that Donald Trump will not be impeached in his first term of presidency. Though he may possess the tweeting habits of an angry teenager and the foul mouth of an extremely angry teenager, will he really become the first president ever to be impeached from office?

Apparently 70% of us will marry fellow Durham students For the sports fanatics among you, there is a 70% chance that Manchester City will be winning against Burnley this weekend at half time. For those of you who are not avid followers of football, Manchester City are twelve points clear at the top of the premier league.

And Burnley are Burnley.

Now that you know that Durham is more likely than unlikely to produce you a spouse, let’s talk about the dating culture of this city. Does Durham possess a hidden secret, unknown to the rest of the country, that enables students to immediately fall madly in love and stay that way?

Dating in Durham is unusual

because it is such a small place. If you go on a date and land yourself a window seat in a Bailey restaurant, you will naturally be spotted by your best mate, your housemate, and somehow your granny and grandad will find out too.

Here, everyone knows everything.

The Durham dating circuit ranges from the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the Lumiere light show to the spectacle that is Sunday night Klute. Although Durham is small, there is more than enough on offer.

But what is it that makes Durham University so successful at producing student couples that stay together for a lifetime (or at least plan to)? Does the ‘Durham experience’ create a certain type of person, uniquely moulded by their university days, who is solely attracted to similar people?

If you go on a date in Durham, you will be spotted by your best mate Personally, my guess would be that Durham student life is a bubble. This is a bubble that is very rarely left, except for the odd night out in Newcastle, enabling students to spend vast periods of

Photograph: Peter Pham via Flickr

time with the same people in the same place. Intrinsic to its success, the collegiate system also makes it very easy to branch out into different groups, exposing you to a whole network of different potential partners-to-be.

So, with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the time for romance is now. Indeed, if Manchester City are winning at half time this weekend, then it is also time for you to take on the role of Shanti and lure Mowgli from his college.

HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION?

Tell us what you think by emailing us at comment@palatinate.org. uk.

Teen relationships are an education in their own right Zoë Boothby It’s tough being a teenager. Your face breaks out. Your body starts to grow in weird and unpredictable ways.

You have all these feelings that your parents just don’t understand.

Sometimes it feels like the only respite from crippling teenage anxiety is the cute boy that sits across from you in English. His dreamy eyes. His gummy smile. His beautiful long tresses, with just the perfect amount of flickiness (this was 2009, after all). The only thing getting you through the long dark night of teenagedom is the vain hope that one day this cute boy might ask you out.

The only respite from teenage anxiety is the cute boy in English But not if the powers that be have their way. Late last month, Toby Belfield, the head teacher of a boarding school in Wales, sent an email to pupils to warn them against engaging in romantic relationships. He encouraged them to devote themselves to “their studies” as opposed to “the emotional turmoil connected with

teenage romance”.

It is widely accepted that the 21st Century is not a fun time to be a young person. Our university education, which had been sold to us as a necessary commodity, will leave us in tens of thousands of pounds worth of debt that we can have little hope of paying off.

After that, we are offered little choice but to enter an over-saturated job market, after first toiling over unpaid ‘internships’ and ‘work experience’. We might never own a house, and even if we eventually do, then we will probably still be renting shoddy accommodation furnished by that flatpack Swedish company until we are well into our thirties.

As many as 70% of school children get stressed about taking tests At the very least, these are all pressures that a young person would not be expected to deal with until they reach adulthood. And, hey, at least we have those halcyon days of youth to fall back on.

Except maybe not. Stress amongst school children is now at an all-time high. Recent data has suggested that over 70% of school-age children get anxious about tests, even when they are

well-prepared for them. The pressure to perform, and awareness of the consequences if they fail to do so, is causing a mental health crisis in many schools across the UK. Toby Belfield justified his decision by arguing that students who engage in relationships whilst at school were in danger of “academically underachieving” and therefore unlikely to attend “the best universities in the world”. Of course, this statement completely brushes over the fact that many students do not want or are not suited to go to university and would be much happier exploring other pathways. Belfield’s statement serves as yet another rePhotograph: Leo Hidalgo via Flickr

minder of what our society values when it comes to education: attainment, attainment, attainment.

Belfield forgets that many people don’t want to go to university That cute boy in English never asked me out (he ended up going out with one of my best friends), but someone came along soon enough.

Though Belfield said it was his desire to “put education first” that motivated him to send the email, he forgot that not all education is academic. Sometimes the most important lessons of teenagehood take place outside of the classroom.

Sure, I might have learned the difference between differentiation and integration, or how to draw a parabola. But my teenage relationship taught me compassion, trust, and compromise. It also made me a more rounded individual, and taught me as much about myself as it did the other person. And I can definitely remember the lessons from that relationship better than anything I ever learned in the maths classroom.

Of course, not all teenage relationships are so stable. Though Taylor Swift may have promised dancing in the rain and earth-shattering first kisses (also in the rain), the reality of

early romance is often more bumpy than not. However, even these relationships can shape people in positive ways.

Making mistakes is often the best way to learn, as you are more likely to remember the lessons. So why not make your romantic mistakes whilst you are also making the worst hair and fashion mistakes of your life? Then, by the time you are (at least meant to be) a fully-formed person, you will have a much surer sense of what you do and what you don’t want.

People can learn from the mistakes of even bumpy teen relationships At a time when young people feel less in control of their destinies than ever, it is silly to further limit the choices available to them when they should be learning about themselves – be that through academics or relationships. Forcing young people to not engage in romantic entanglements is less likely to leave them feeling more equipped academically and more likely to make them feel ill-equipped emotionally. But, hey, as long as they know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell – that’s what’s important, right?

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PALATINATE | Thursday 8th February 2018

Comment

Comment asks Palatinate questions about love With Valentine’s Day almost upon us, Comment decided to settle some of the most debated issues related to dating and relationships by asking the true love experts: the Palatinate Editorial Board.

Can you be friends with your ex?

Probably not. As severe as it sounds, you broke up for a reason and that reason still exists.

Sometimes you hold back in the next relationship because your ex is still hanging around.

Name: Julia Position: Politics Editor Relationship status: Single

Is age just a number?

Whilst I agree that an age barrier shouldn’t get in the way, some shared experiences would be nice.

If he keeps telling you about how hard it was for him during the war, he’s probably too old.

Once a cheater?

cheater,

always

a

Is it better to meet people IRL?

Does it matter if you have different political views?

Definitely! What you put forward on an online profile is normally not really you. You can’t exactly tell if you’ve got chemistry over a screen.

As much as I’d like to remain neutral on this one, a difference in opinion can fracture a relationship from the start. Your political views are usually pretty fundamental,

Cheating is often a sign that something isn’t quite right in the relationship, so although I’m in favour of forgiveness, sometimes things just aren’t meant to be.

Some people make mistakes and learn from them. Some people make mistakes and don’t.

Is it important to like your partner’s family?

Can lying ever be justified in a relationship?

It’s not essential, but it definitely helps. Your choice of partner shouldn’t be dictated by what you think of their family though.

It’s okay to tell the odd white lie but anything more is risky territory.

Are you pro ‘Facebook official’?

Name: Tomas Position: Sports Editor Relationship status: Taken

Sleeping with someone on the first date - yes or no?

Name: Tania Position: News Editor Relationship status: Single

and we can be pretty stubborn about them. Unless heated political debates are what you are after, I’d probably avoid dating someone from the opposite camp.

People always say you should wait but, to be honest, if there’s a connection and it feels right in the moment then I don’t see why not.

It can just be for fun and nothing may come of it but, equally, I know people who have done that and are now in long-term relationships so it doesn’t define where the relationship is going if it does happen. Just see how you feel in the moment!

If you’re serious about someone after a significant amount of time then I don’t see anything wrong with it. Having said that, I can understand why some people are hesitant about it.

Do opposites attract?

Opposites definitely attract in my experience. It doesn’t necessarily have to fizzle out after the initial attraction. If you do a different subject or do different extracurriculars, it can be quite fun to share those experiences with someone who has a completely different perspective. Long-term, perhaps it helps to have common interests, but it’s all case by case.

Is ‘ghosting’ ever ok?

Ghosting is honestly the worst.

Can you love two people at once?

No, probably not.

Is arguing healthy?

Not in my experience.

Do you believe in the one?

Not particularly.

Name: Ollie Position: Deputy Sports Editor Relationship status: ‘You know my name not my story’

What’s the best way to mend a broken heart?

Stimulate your brain in other

Can you change your partner?

People can change in relationships, but I don’t think you should aim to change your partner - it probably won’t work and it’s a bad sign if you’re trying to do it anyway.

I hate it when someone doesn’t reply, I would rather they were upfront and honest even if it’s to say ‘sorry not interested’. However, it’s probably okay if you’ve already been genuinely direct a number of times and they’re ignoring what you have to say.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Love at first sight? No, not really.

You can have an intense attraction to someone but love generally comes from getting to know someone inside and out. You can’t

Is love blind?

Can I get back to you on this one?

Physical attraction is key to a relationship but so are mutual interests, a shared sense of humour, common goals… I guess love looks past lust and that’s how things last long-term.

Is long-distance worth it?

Definitely. It’s tough at times but if you’re with the right person then it’s all worthwhile, especially as it makes seeing them again even more special. If you think there’s even a remote chance of things working out then you should give it a try.

Is snooping ever okay?

No, if you’re snooping on your partner then you clearly don’t trust them. Nothing good can come out of it. know a person from an initial glance, though you can sense good vibes from them.

Is sexting cheating?

It depends on the premise of the relationship but I really do think it is. If you are in a committed relationship, it’s a breach of trust in the same way as physas you’re talking about intimacy with someone who isn’t your partner.

ways - try some challenging sudokus or a game of chess with a good friend.

What is worse, emotional cheating or physical cheating?

I don’t really know what emotional cheating is, so probably physical.

What’s your dealbreaker?

Not laughing at my jokes.

Illustrations: Katie Butler

Thursday 8th February 2018 | PALATINATE

12

Profile

The “Brexit mutineer”

Outspoken Tory MP Anna Soubry briefs Profile on business, Boris and the other B-word Izzy Ardron Profile Editor

A

nna Soubry MP has become best known in recent months for her vocal support for Remain, and opposition to a hard Brexit.

Her journey to becoming one of the most recognisable members of the Conservative back benches, she tells me, began at university.

Having been involved in Conservative politics as a student, Soubry then left for a career in journalism, before spending sixteen years as a criminal barrister. She first ran for election in 2005, and entered Parliament on her second attempt in 2010.

Her advice to aspiring student politicians is to not “let it consume your life,” and suggests her involvement in student politics meant that she “didn’t enjoy university as much as I would have otherwise done”.

However, Soubry’s other piece of advice to upcoming politicians is to “be true to what you believe in,” a commitment to her beliefs which saw her return to politics and has characterised her career as an MP.

Soubry’s involvement in student politics meant she “didn’t enjoy university as much as I would have done” Nowhere has this trait been more apparent than in her stance on leaving the EU, firstly as a prominent Remain campaigner, and now as an advocate of a soft Brexit, despite the position of many in her party.

▲ Soubry was one of 15 Tory MP “mutineers” singled out by the Daily Telegraph in November

Soubry, who considers herself “in every respect” a Conservative who supports policies which she says have been “mainstream” in the party for the last “fifty-odd” years, nonetheless fears that the government is getting Brexit “horribly wrong”.

Saying she “accept[s] that we’re leaving the European Union”, Soubry’s priority now is “to get a deal that puts the economy at its heart”.

She argues that “what we mustn’t do is damage our economy,” and believes that “we don’t need to do that if we stay in the single market and the customs union”.

Soubry describes the ‘No Deal’ option as “jumping off the cliff,” suggesting Prime Minister Theresa May is “wrong” in trying to “appease” what she characterises as the small but vocal minority of MPs advocating a hard Brexit, and instead argues that a cross-party majority are in favour of a more moderate departure process.

She emphasises that “we’ve got to be realistic about the position we’re in and what’s achievable,” and warns that “the idea we’re going to get a deal that’s as good as what we’ve got at the moment is for the fairies”.

Soubry is highly critical of the overall approach taken during the Brexit campaign.

She denounces Remain as “a dreadful campaign” which “never sang the positives of our membership of the European Union” and committed the “terrible mistake” of failing to talk about immigration.

Boris Johnson has “really let himself down as foreign secretary” Whilst condemning the “atrocious fibbing” which occurred during the Leave campaign, and stressing that “they blatantly told lies on a bus,” Soubry believes “they ran a very good campaign,” citing in particular their “outstanding” slogan of “take back control”.

She also refers to “the terrible three” figures she feels were most prominent in the vote to leave: Michael Gove (“the brains” behind Leave), Boris Johnson (“the populism”), and Jeremy Corbyn, who is “a Brexiteer and always has been,” and who failed to push for Remain.

Soubry “absolutely” stands by her recent tweets calling for Johnson to be sacked for “longstanding incompetence and disloyalty,” stating he has “really

let himself down as foreign secretary” and “has been found badly wanting,” failing to follow his stint as “a really good mayor of London”.

Jeremy Corbyn is a Brexiteer, she says – and he “always has been” Soubry’s high-profile campaign for a soft Brexit has attracted significant criticism from some sections of the media. She was recently named as one of a group of “Brexit Mutineers” on the front page of the Daily Telegraph newspaper (below left).

She describes such behaviour, in addition to other prominent criticisms of those seen to be acting against Brexit – such as the Daily Mail’s infamous “enemies of the people” characterisation of the judges who ruled Article 50 could not be triggered without a Parliamentary vote, as “appalling behaviour”.

Characterising the writers of such headlines as “Brexit bully boys” who “will use any trick in the book” to further their own ideologies, she believes there is “definitely” a link between these “deeply irresponsible” media portrayals and the death threats she has received.

She states that “the language [used in the media] is often mirrored” in these threats, and emphasises it is “beholden on everybody involved in public life” to “respect other people’s views” and “have a responsibility over the language [they] use”.

On the problem of the abuse of MPs, many of them female, through social media and other channels, Soubry believes “we do have a problem” with misogyny.

Referring to the recent Presidents Club scandal, Soubry says she is “horrified” that “in 2018 we still have all-male dinners where women are being hired as bait for rich, powerful men”.

She suggests that “a lot of it is up to your generation,” encouraging students and millennials to protect and further the freedoms achieved during the lifetimes of their mothers and grandmothers.

Discussing the recent harassment scandals within Parliament, Soubry champions ensuring “proper procedure and proper protection” to investigate accusations of abuse.

On the Prime Minister and criticisms of her performance in office, Soubry argues it would be “deeply irresponsible” to undergo a Conservative leadership campaign during the Brexit negotiations, a period she views as dominated by “the most important set of decisions since the Second World War”.

Moving to discuss her own legacy as a parliamentarian, Soubry recalls the work she did as a minister, and is proud of her influence over policies to ensure pensions for military widows who remarry, and in preventing the fall of the British steel industry during

her time as Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise.

It is clear, however, that Soubry still has much to say in Parliament, and that her legacy may yet involve an influential contribution as Britain approaches the loomng Brexit deadline.

“

The idea that we’re going to get a [Brexit] deal that’s as good as what we’ve got now is for the fairies

”

Soubry is “horrified” that “in 2018 we still have all-male dinners where women are being hired as bait for rich, powerful men” Also discussing issues such as the recent pay scandal at the BBC, and the abuse of women in public life, Soubry admits that “I do worry about where we are with the equality and emancipation of women”.

▲ The MP was in Durham last week to speak to the Durham University

Conservative Association (Claire Cortese)

PALATINATE | Thursday 8th February 2018

13

Politics

This Week in Politics Yemen war crimes

Turkey airstrikes

Hammond vs Rees-Mogg

Eloise Allan

Leo N Barnes

Megan Dyson

On January 19th Germany announced the cessation of arms exports to countries involved in the ongoing war in Yemen. Due to violations of humanitarian law by the Saudi-backed coalition states, there has been public condemnation of arms provisions exported from the UK, the US and Germany. The UN said the war could be the worst man-made humanitarian disaster in 50 years, reporting an estimated 9000 fatalities since March 2015. Saudi Arabia in particular has been accused of deliberately targeting civilians.

Germany’s weapons sales to Saudi were valued at €450 million by September 2017. Germany’s decision marks a triumph for human rights groups, but a financial blow for Germany’s arms industry.

On the 20th of January, Turkey conducted numerous airstrikes against the People’s Protection Unit (YPG), a US-backed Kurdish militia based in Syria. The US was warned of the airstrikes in advance by Turkey, however, US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis did not issue a reaction to the warning or the attacks themselves.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry voiced their concerns over the airstrikes, urging all parties involved to “show restraint”. The airstrikes were focused on Afrin Province and targeted at least 100 locations, causing at least 8 fatalities, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces General Command.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has demanded that May rejects EU demands for Brexit, branding the EU’s opening position on the transition as “unacceptable”. Warning about rules being imposed on Britain, the Eurosceptic backbencher has compared Brexit to the Norman conquest of 1066. In stark contrast, Chancellor Philip Hammond has stated that he hopes the UK and the EU will only move “very modestly” apart after Brexit. Despite Hammond’s stance, by demanding that Britain must negotiate harder to weaken Brussel’s demands, and accusing Brexit negotiators as being “cowed by the EU”, Rees-Mogg has made his standpoint clear; that “the government’s tone on Brexit needs to fundamentally change”.

Duncan C via Flickr

World Humanitirian Summit

Labour anti-Semitism

Patrick Williamson

Victor Keegan via Flickr

Following Jeremy Corbyn’s recent visit to the Holocaust Educational Trust, allegations of anti-Semitism against the Labour Party have intensified. Corbyn, in a memorial book, referred to “millions who died” without specific reference to Jews. Despite several suspensions in the past year, the Jewish Labour Movement expresses regret about Labour’s failure to deal with a “vast” backlog of antiSemitism among its membership.

Jackie Walker, who has previously been removed from the role of vice-chair of Momentum for antiJewish slurs, says allegations of anti-Semitism within the party are “nonsense”. However, Jon Lansman, who is Jewish and founded Momentum, has accused Labour of “denial” regarding the issue.

Chatham House via Flickr

Defence Sec on Russia

Rhianna Cameron Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has warned that Russia has been gathering information the UK’s national infrastructure, particularly regarding British energy supplies. He said that if the UK’s eight undersea international power suppliers were cut by a Russian attack, this could cause “thousands and thousands and thousands” of deaths. Williamson views the threat to the country as real and believes that Russia could act in a manner “that any other nation would see as completely unacceptable”.

The spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry responded mockingly, stating that Williamson has probably “lost his grasp on reason” and had a “morbid fear” of Russia.

Bruno Vanbesin vis Flickr

Minister reprimanded over Presidents Club Gala Kate McIntosh Nadim Zahawi is a man who generally manages to avoid scandal.

The Conservative MP for Stratfordupon-Avon boosted his profile last year by condemning President Trump’s ‘travel ban’, he himself born in Iraq.

He has faced scrutiny for the substantial expenses claims

He has faced scrutiny for substantial expenses claims, but as newly appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, and a pro-Brexit campaigner, his future in the party seems assured. That is, of course, until last month, when it was revealed he attended the disgraced Presidents Club dinner, a charity event which has attracted national attention.

The Presidents Club Charitable Trust has now closed, such was the outcry at the nature of the men-on-

ly event, in which the all-women staff were made to sign non-disclosure agreements. They then reportedly faced a barrage of sexually motivated harassment and assault from the 360 guests at the dinner, effectively used as bait to encourage donations to the Trust.

Mr Sahawi condemned the behaviour of his fellow guests When asked for comment, Mr Zahawi condemned the behaviour of his fellow guests, called the report “truly shocking,” and that he had left by 9.35pm. “I will never attend a men only function again ever,” he tweeted.

“I will never attend a men only function again ever,” he tweeted

No. 10 via Flickr

The minister, who allegedly attended the event as early as 2010, has faced calls for his resignation from a newly won post at the Department for Education. When Prime Minister Theresa May heard about the nature of the event,

which occurred at the Dorchester Hotel, she said she was “appalled”.

May excused Zahawi’s attendance on the grounds that he “left early,” when asked about why he attended at all. Maria Miller, who chairs the Select Committee for Women in Equalities, said Mr Zahawi should not have accepted the invite.

Anger from the Conservative benches was met with calls for resignation from Labour activitists

Anger from the Conservative benches was met with calls for resignation from Labour activists.

Constituents organised a protest outside Mr Zahawi’s office in Stratford-upon-Avon, and Emma Bradley, the vice chairman of Stratford Labour Women who led the protest, commented on the fact that their MP seemed to have “gone to ground,” and not been available to meet with constituents.

“He needs to answer these questions,” she told reporters, after she delivered a letter to Mr Zahawi from Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner. “We posted Angela

Rayner’s letter through the letterbox so hopefully it will be on his desk tomorrow morning,” she explained.

Theresa May excused Mr Zahawi’s attendance on the grounds that he “left early”

The letter from the Shadow Education Secretary, which had not received a response at the time of going to print, asked if Mr Zahawi used a ministerial – and therefore publicly funded – car to get to the dinner, and, crucially, if he was surprised at the nature of the event, given that he has attended it before.

The minister, who allegedly attended the event as early as 2010, has faced calls for his resignation

The question of how Mr Zahawi did not know this event’s mainstay was harassment of women employees, given its reputation in the service industry, and the fact that he has been on the invite list previously, is also yet to be answered.

Thursday 8th February 2018 | PALATINATE

14

Politics

Roger Stone: “I’m not ever going to be shut up” Julia Atherley Politics Editor

R

oger Stone is currently one of the most powerful men in the Republican Party. The words ‘Roger Stone’ are usually followed by ‘dirty trickster’, having become infamous for his unorthodox political tactics. It is not unfair to say that Donald Trump would not currently be in the White House were it not for Roger Stone.

Speaking to Stone before his address at the Union, I am aware that this is a man at the centre of American politics. A recent Netflix documentary entitled Get Me Roger Stone charts his rise to political fame, culminating in Trump’s election.

“I think censorship is what erodes our democracy,” he says

We spoke first about his treatment by the media and his reactions to his recent Twitter ban, due to his explicit comments towards CNN. Stone responded, “I think censorship is what erodes our democracy; something has changed

in our politics, it used to be that we wanted to debate those that we disagreed with, now we just want to silence them. It is proof that my critics... aren’t able to compete in the battlefield of ideas so they engage in censorship – they just want to shut you up. I’m not ever going to be shut up.”

Stone’s critics “aren’t able to compete in the battlefield of ideas”

An article published by the Guardian has criticised the BBC for “normalising Roger Stone” and not providing strong enough opposition when he appeared on the Today programme with John Humphreys. “I think the Guardian should be ashamed of themselves for saying the BBC shouldn’t interview Roger Stone. Well, better for them to interview me and challenge me than for them to censor me”.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the publication of Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury has caused a chaotic backlash amongst Trump supporters. Stone admits to me that he hasn’t actually read the entire book because he refuses to pay for it. He

does, however, recall Wolff’s “reputation for fabrication” and notes how in many of his interviews he tells us not how things are but how they should have been. “I am shocked that Bannon would engage in such poor judgement but also in such a stunning act of betrayal”. He comments on Bannon’s relatively new introduction to politics and his appointment to a high position by Donald Trump. “He repaid that elevation with treachery.

The President is entitled to... dis-

Brexit’s sequential talks have been labelled “basically illegal” by Richard Tice, co-founder of the organisation ‘Leave Means Leave’. Mr Tice made the comment in a scathing interview he gave to Sky News, condemning Theresa May for “negotiating against herself,” before prescribing Phillip Hammond to “take a happy pill” if negotiations are to provide a more positive outcome.

As UK businesses have begun to doubt whether the EU trade deals will be succesful, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has been considered a viable alternative, a notion backed by large company owners, such as Wetherspoons

founder Tim Martin. The WTO is an organisation already used by Australia and the USA, but in order to become an active member Britain must first autonomise itself from the EU.

Chancellor Phillip Hammond has faced a backlash

Meanwhile, Chancellor Phillip Hammond has faced a backlash after proposing “modest negotiations,” though he claims the comment has been taken out of context.

With no sign of resolution until 2019, the “modest” approach that Mr Hammond has (rightly or Cow PR via Flickr

Stone admits to me that he hasn’t actually read all of Fire and Fury Stone has wanted Trump to run for the candidacy since 1998, and he puts this down to his “universal celebrity: everybody knew who he was”. A candidate has to be known before they can put forward any

Helen Paton via The Durham Union

Britain’s Brexit debilitations

Matthew Spivey

cretion at a minimum and loyalty most certainly”.

wrongly) promoted has not been received well by key figures in the worlds of politics or business.

There is no sign of resolution before 2019

Tensions have also been rising between the Chancellor and Brexit negotiator David Davis; though Mr Davis has attempted to assure us that the pair have “no difference” on the terms of the Brexit outcomes, only the strategy by which to achieve them. Though Theresa May’s Brexit team have been clear to assert that they are determined to achieve a negotiation “that serves the British economy and that serves the British people” alike.

Tensions have also been rising between the Chancellor and Brexit negotiator David Davis

Mr Hammond was accused by Mr Tice of “trying to trap us into some sort of Brexit membership into the European Union” and, unless the PM’s team can secure a deal by early 2019, it certainly will begin to feel that way.

political policies. He then mentioned Kamala Harris: Nobody in America outside of California knows who she is and getting well known in the United States is more difficult than it may first appear”.

He is “shocked that Bannon would engage in such a stunning act of betrayal”

Stone then adds how consistent the ratings were for all 15 seasons of The Apprentice, a show which brought Donald Trump into the public spotlight. It is clear to me interviewing Stone, that popularity, and not policy, has become the driving force in his politics.

Not many can claim to have had such an impact, good or bad, upon global politics as Roger Stone.

His personality almost defines the Trump era: confident, determined, and more than willing to disregard convention. When discussing his presence in the media, Stone is quick to comment that both CNN and MSNBC have had him on their shows since the ban.

He adds, “they must have thought I was newsworthy”.

Malaysia go to the polls Weiling Tany This election year in Malaysia, the main contenders are the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN), and new opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH). Relative economic prosperity, peace, and protection of ethnic-based privileges for roughly 69% of the Malay population has preserved the BN’s power since the country’s independence. Despite accusations of corruption, incompetence, and repression, they may yet regain the popular vote along with their easily retained parliamentary majority.

Ironically, the PH candidate for Prime Minister is Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a former BN stalwart. As Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003, he oversaw rapid modernisation, diminished judicial power, and re-

striction of civil liberties.

Political opposition was long defined against him; the previous leader was his former deputy and subsequent rival, Anwar Ibrahim.

Now imprisoned for sodomy, Anwar apparently gives Mahathir his blessing.

The response has been vicious its proponents receive daily abuse

Not everyone is so forgiving. A small independent movement to spoil votes, #UndiRosak, is gaining steam. Response has been vicious – its proponents receive daily abuse, many of the misogynistic variety.

These often come from PH supporters, who fear vote-splitting.

Imprisoned for sodomy, Anwar apparently gives Mahathir his blessing

Will #UndiRosak lead to better standards for Malaysian politics, or just more of the same, as detractors argue? It remains to be seen.

Elections must be held before September; much can still happen before then.

Phallin Ooi via flickr

PALATINATE | Thursday 8th February 2018

15

Politics

The Trump-Morgan Show

Macron speaks at World Economic Forum

Tom Cameron

Sarina Rivlin-Sanders

President Trump, in an interview with Piers Morgan on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, has said he would be willing to apologise for retweeting three Britain First videos – an act which saw a major backlash from British politicians and media alike. In the interview, President Trump stated he did not know what Britain First stood for, and that if they did stand for “terrible racism,” he would be willing to apologise.

This is yet another major U-turn

by President Trump, who at first strongly defended his decision, hitting back at Theresa May over Twitter for voicing her concerns over the retweet.

President Trump said he did not know what Britain First stood for

However, despite a low in relations, President Trump was keen to reaffirm America’s close alliance with the UK, stating the U.S. would defend Britain if ever attacked, alongside vocally supporting Theresa May on her decisions, even stating the UK and USA were very similar on some policies; especially

Peter Riches via Wikimedia

border control.

The retweets saw a major backlash at the time The state visit was also mentioned, however Mr Trump claimed he did not know whether he would be making one.

Imagine you are Emmanuel Macron. You go to your speech at the World Economic Forum at Davos, knowing that Trump will speak from the same podium as you in two days, that he will rail against the global order and claim that globalisation and cooperation are redundant and should be thrown out in favour of closed walled nationalism. And you have one shot to defend said liberal world. What would you say? I challenge you come up with a better speech than the one Emmanuel Macron delivered on the 24th of January.

It wasn’t just the jokes, (though the jokes were funny, a rarity in politics) – “Obviously and fortunately you didn’t invite anyone sceptical with global warming this year,” he quipped, tone utterly dry.

It was also the way that he spoke with the utter confidence of a man who knows that he is increasingly seen as the last hope of the liberal established left.

Macron struck a sober tone, discussing the previous failures of globalisation He struck a sober tone, discuss-

It does appear Britain and America’s special relationship remains strong

This is yet another turn in the unusual Presidency of Trump, however; it appears Britain and America’s special relationship remains strong.

Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff via Flickr

ing the previous failures of globalisation and the marginalised communities who feel left behind by it. This however did not stop his vision that globalisation, with an innovative and modernised France at the centre of it is the way forward for Europe and indeed the world.

He emphasised the continued importance of Europe, in relations with the USA and China and called for a more ambitious vision for the EU. “Those who don’t want to move forward should not block the most ambitious people in the room.” He said, calling for greater action for a more united and more democratic EU.

He spoke with the utter confidence of a man who knows he is seen as the last hope of the liberal left establishment

Overall he carried out his task with aplomb and statesman-like calm, which was probably the point, in a fractured and divided world he wanted to emphasis that France can be the new lynchpin on which the West revolves.

New Zealand PM: “I’m pregnant, not incapacitated” Becky Mingard Three months after her election, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s newest Prime Minister, seems set to continue trampling gender roles with a casual ease that belies the significance of her achievements.

The unmarried 37-year-old has recently announced her pregnancy, stating she would be taking only six weeks of maternity leave before returning to parliament. Her partner, Clarke Gayford, will happily become a stay-at-home Dad.

work, such as post-natal depression. However, these concerns are based on a possibility, a potential for medical eventualities that may equally never occur. By this premise, should we also voice concern for political males over 60, for their increased potential for

heart disease? If such complications arise, I have no doubt that Ardern would make a decision as to whether she could continue to serve her country at that time, but for now these claims are baseless.

Some have also raised concerns for the period of time she will be

During the six weeks of her maternity leave, New Zealand will have an unelected Prime Minister

However, Peters will be restrained in his acting position by the Cabinet Manual, so will be unable to make radical policy change in his brief period of leadership. Furthermore the truth of a functioning political system is that it will largely keep running without its head of state: after all, Trump has been on leave for 91 days of his term, so far, in order to play golf.

The response to her announcement has been overwhelmingly positive

Over 800 newspapers and magazines around the world reported the news and while the response to her announcement has been overwhelmingly positive, some voices have been critical of her pregnancy.

There is, of course, some legitimacy to those concerns which have been raised. Understandably, many journalists have brought up the possibility of medical complications resulting from pregnancy which could prevent her doing her

on leave. During these six weeks, New Zealand will be faced with an arguably unelected Acting Prime Minister, with Winston Peters only having gained the position only through coalition.

Her critics fail to see the incredible changes such a public pregnancy can bring for women

Dave Hay via Flickr

Her critics also fail to see the incredible changes such a public pregnancy can bring about for women. Voters who have previ-

ously felt shut out of an often elite political world are able to connect with Ardern. An entire class of working women, continually underrepresented, have found in her a ‘walking manifestation of modern women’s strife.’ Her surety that a woman can both raise a child and hold a high-stress job highlights several generations of women who have done the same, ignoring conservative social constraints.

It is often said that politics needs a breath of fresh air – Arden is providing a gale

In fact, her motherhood, the very reason some believe she will not be able to hold a political job, could be the very thing that politics needs. Her experience will no doubt be very different to that of the majority male ministers, but it is this diversity of view which is essential to encourage progressive change. Yes, she may do things differently, but this is very different from doing things deficiently.

It is often said that politics needs a breath of fresh air – and Ardern seems to provide a gale.

16

Thursday 8th February 2018 | PALATINATE

SciTech

Ignoring the need for conservation will be costly

James McGurk Working out what nature is worth is increasingly important if we are to motivate governments and businesses to allocate resources to conservation. But how can we place such a value on an abstract concept?

On the 25th February, influential conservation scientist Georgina Mace led a guest seminar at Durham University to discuss this pressing issue.

During the seminar, Mace presented worrying research showing that on the local scale, species richness has declined by 14% between the years 1500 and 2000. That decline is accelerating; if we’re to honour a government White Paper pledging to be the first generation that leaves the

Reader’s Scigest Lucy Williams

The latter part of January treated us to some exciting science.

The ‘super blue blood moon’ of January 31st was a highlight, where the moon was both at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit AND coincided with a total lunar eclipse, although this phenomenon was sadly not observable in Britain.

Injections helped the immune systems of mice to destroy their tumors In other news, a DNA sequencer was used to map the whole human genome by scanning over a million DNA letters at a time; injections helped the immune systems of mice to destroy their tumours; and an Orca named Wikie learned to say hello (seriously, it’s impressive)!

environment in a better state than that in which we inherited it, we have to turn things around.

Looking at the value of nature may provide a way to do so.

Some of the value pertaining to the natural world are evident.

We can easily calculate, for example, the yield of a fishery, and discern how much will be lost if overfishing almost eradicates the population. This has been the case far too often, Newfoundland, which was formerly the world’s most productive fishing ground, being the prime example.

Marine protected areas in comparison, not subject to ovrfishing, quickly pay for themselves by increasing the catch in adjacent waters by 46-90%.

Other measures of value are less obvious. What are the puffins on the local coastline worth?

That’s not as pointless a question as it might seem. There is only a finite amount of money that could be allocated towards conservation, and an effectively infinite list of other things we could spend it on.

We must determine how much to spend on conservation, and what to prioritise With 5583 species currently critically endangered according to IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and countless species we lack the data to classify, we can’t save everything

from anthropogenic threats.

So we must determine how much to spend on conservation, and what to prioritise. This is an issue Mace has researched and advised the government on for many years.

Continuing to emit CO2 at current levels will cost $14.6 - $20.6 billion to coral reef fisheries alone Around the turn of the millennium, putting a financial value to nature was a major focus of conservation. The resulting values were often astounding: for instance, continuing to emit CO2 at current levels will cost $14.6 $20.6 billion to coral reef fisheries alone.

This is just one measure of the importance of coral reefs, one that does not even begin to take into account further costs in lost livelihoods. Similar studies showed that the destructive exploitation of many ecosystems often costs more than it’s worth.

Yet Mace stressed from the start of her talk that nature’s value is more than monetary The natural world facilitates our ability to even survive through doing the obvious, such as producing oxygen and maintaining soils. Other important elements of the natural world are hard to quantify: it brings happiness to many people, inspires art, has an important role in many cultures, holds

the genetic diversity we need to develop more productive crops and more effective medicines… the list is infinite.

Financial valuations are useful to persuade policy-makers that conservation investment brings big returns, but will always underestimate nature’s worth.

They often show that exploitation brings short-term private profit but incurs greater costs in the long-term, which are spread across the community. This is not enough to stop unscrupulous corporations taking that quick, unsustainable profit.

Financial valuations are useful but will always underestimate nature’s worth Mace contributed to a recent study incorporating those nonmarket values, such as recreational value, to estimates of the future value of agricultural land in the UK. The result: reducing greenhouse gas emissions combined with strengthening environmental regulations gave the greatest future productivity.

This study, however, still neglected to acknowledge some many of the benefits of protecting the natural world. For example, healthy wetlands filtering water could save Northumbrian Water millions of pounds here in the North East.

During the seminar, Mace also

presented research suggesting woodland conservation gave a higher return on investment than most forms of infrastructure spending, excluding broadband.

The importance of a thriving environment can never be wholly understood. Yet, even examining a few benefits here demonstrates that conservation is worthwhile Conservation efforts directly benefit humans as well as wildlife.

Mitigating climate change will save millions of people from being made homeless by rising sea levels. Indeed, many valuable steps toward conservation barely cost anything. Minimising single-use plastic consumption, switching unused electrical items off, choosing food without palm oil, and with certifications from organisations like the rainforest alliance, are just a few every day choices we can make to improve environmental conservation.

Mitigating climate change will save millions of people from being made homeless by rising sea levels Georgina Mace described Britain’s conservation targets as “very unambitious”.

She maintains it will be simple and worthwhile to focus om making things better, rather than stopping them getting worse. I, for one, agree wholeheartedly.

(Jussi Puikkonen/KNAW via Wikimedia Commons)

Durham research might help put an end to animal testing Martha Bozic SciTech Editor New Durham University research may help put an end to the controversial topic of animal testing.

The Department of Biosciences has created a substance called Alvetex, a polystyrene scaffold which can be used to support the growth of human tissues in three dimensions, from cells cultivated in the laboratory.

This development allows for more realistic and accurate drug testing than in previous studies, which have relied on twodimensional cell cultures in petri dishes.

It also reduces the need for animal experimentation, a controversial topic which made a return to the spotlight, following the opening of the new biomedical research centre at Bristol

University last week.

The event saw a small group of animal rights protestors gather outside the building for a graphic demonstration, in which a dead frog was cut open and displayed to passers-by. In a statement, a spokesperson for the university clarified that animal testing was only used “when absolutely necessary”.

Current uses of the substance include studying the impact of the environment Professor Stefan Przyborski, of Durham University, suggested that the growth of three-dimensional cell cultures would “have benefits for the number of animals used in research”.

Following from the first developments made in university labs, Przyborski founded a

business venture to commercialise Alvetex, which has recently opened a new European headquarters in Glasgow, alongside an already operational facility in County Durham.

Current uses of the substance include studying the impact of the environment on synthetic human skin; developing three-dimensional

human tissue models from pre-existing two-dimensional models; and creating a model of the human intestine for further study of the impacts of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

This could be the start of a more optimistic future for our furry friends in medical research.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Thursday 8h February 2018 | PALATINATE

18

Sport

Darts hitting the mark at Durham

Ahead of the Hill-Bailey event at the DSU on Friday, Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero speaks to a few of the key figures in the University and college darts scene about why the sport is so popular in Durham Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero Sport Editor

D

arts has not always been fashionable. Not long ago it was derided as a pantomime sport, one which was more about drinking than any form of skill. Some still contest it is a game rather than a sport, as if this should affect our appreciation of the spectacle.

And yet, there is no denying the huge appeal of darts. The PDC World Championship, for instance, has become a Christmas mainstay since its move to Alexandra Palace 10 years ago. Every year, tickets sell out within days and fans descend on the venue in fancy dress. It is as much about the atmosphere as the skill on show, a sporting event like no other.

It is no surprise that this format has been exported to Durham, where darts has gone from strength to strength. Following the huge success of Ally Pally Comes To Durham last year, this Friday sees a Hill versus Bailey encounter at the Student’s Union which has long-since sold out.

There is something about darts in Durham which makes it special.

Although it does not come under Team Durham’s remit, it is hugely popular, with over 40 college teams competing across three divisions.

“In Hatfield, [the darts club] has the most members of any club, more than football, more than rugby”, says Nick Harrington, Hatfield captain. “We had cricket, football, darts next to each other at the fresher’s fair – darts was more than anything by about 25 members who had signed up.”

Although darts is by no means exclusive to Durham, it does not enjoy the same status at other universities across the country.

“Whenever I speak to other people, my friends at different universities, and you explain about darts, they never quite comprehend how much of a big deal it is here”, Sam Watson, St Cuthbert’s captain and a member of the University team, explains.

“I think if other people did come here and saw what it would be like, they would wonder why that sort of thing doesn’t happen at their own university.”

One of the main reasons behind this is the college system, which means that anyone can play at a level which suits them.

“Obviously, it lends itself to easy access for lots of people of different levels”, Watson says.

“I think there’s more avenues for people to get into it. York’s another big darts university, and that is collegiate as well.

“As long as you can stand at the oche and throw a dart, you’re in a pretty good position to improve and get involved with it. And even people who are slightly nervous about playing in a more serious situation, they can start their own teams in the lower leagues and get involved that way.”

Harrington agrees, and says the balance between competitiveness and entertainment is important.

“Because it’s a collegiate system, sport in general in Durham works so much better that way. If you’re playing as a college, you’re playing against your mates from other colleges, you naturally want to win. And so it’s good in the sense that it’s great fun, but it’s also just competitive enough without it being taken too seriously.”

It is not just restricted to boys, either. St Cuthbert’s recently developed a third women’s team, while Harrington says more and more girls are getting involved in the sport at Hatfield.

For those who are not satisfied playing college darts, however, there is the University team.

“

People from other universities never quite comprehend how much of a big deal it is here

”

Richard Nicklin, the no.1 seeded player for the upcoming singles University championship and a third-year student at Josephine Butler, captains the side. He says the atmosphere generated is part of the reason behind the rise of the sport in Durham.

“It’s the events afterwards that are a big part of it”, he tells me. “We don’t just have the eight people playing, we have 12 or 13 people come down to watch.”

The social side is a big draw for many students, which Nicklin says “definitely” sets darts apart from

▲ Darts’ popularity in Durham is partly down to the college system, which means anyone can play (Sam Watson) other sports at Durham. As the organiser of the night out in Loft after the Monday night fixtures, Watson is heavily involved with this aspect of the game.

“I think there’s a lot of teams that still just like hanging out in their own groups and meet up with friends. But I know for a lot of the teams we play against, we always see them around in the clubs afterwards and you drink with them during the evening. It’s all a good atmosphere.

“It’s very good fun, and the social side is what’s made me enjoy it so much over the last couple of years.”

Predictably, the three answer unanimously when asked how they class darts.

“Sport, 100 percent a sport,” says Watson. “It involves skill, physical skill, throwing – it’s obviously not the most athletic and fitness isn’t required as much but I still think it fits under that category as a sport.”

“The professional stuff is the epitome of what sport can be”, adds Harrington. “It’s not athletic, but the theatre of it, and sport’s moving more and more, say cricket and football, towards the entertainment business.”

But interestingly, opinion is divided when it comes to whether darts should be an official University sport. Nicklin says it should contribute towards BUCS rankings, but Watson is not so

sure. Perhaps such a unique sport like darts does not require that kind of validation.

“I don’t think anyone’s particularly pressuring darts to become BUCS”, he says. “I don’t think it needs to, really. Being its own separate organisation, it just means it can be slightly more focused on itself rather than have to comply with more of the Durham University sports regulations.

“It’s a very different set-up, it doesn’t have Wednesday fixtures and Saturday fixtures, it’s solely Monday nights in college bars so there’s probably no need for it to become involved with BUCS.” The sell-out Ally Pally events at the Student’s Union are proof that darts can hold its own in Durham without becoming a BUCS sport.

Both Watson and Harrington are taking part in the Hill-Bailey battle, which they see as a great way of getting even more people involved.

Harrington will play his brother, Ed, in a match which he says he expects to win. With the two brothers representing the two

“

It’s great fun, but also just competitive enough

”

sides of the tournament – Ed is at St Aidan’s – it could stretch family ties. Nick lost last time the pair met, but he already has an excuse lined up if he is unable to beat his brother on Friday.

“It’s a big moment in my life, almost too big – it’s a bit sad really.

“The nice thing is that it’s a winwin because we play with two pros [who] come and it’s doubles, so it will be me and a pro versus my brother and a pro, and it will be the same for different matches.

“If I lose I can just blame it on [my brother’s pro] … because the pro is obviously much better than us, but he will have hit the doubles, hit the high scores and my brother won’t have done anything. But if I win, then obviously I’ll claim it for myself.”

With sell-out events like this, the only question is how much further darts can grow in Durham.

“I’d say at the moment darts is at an optimum level”, says Watson. “[There’s] a lot of teams playing, a lot of involvement and a lot of talk around Durham.”

Whatever happens next, for a sport like darts to have carved out such a following in Durham is an achievement in itself.

“It’s amazing how it’s become this big thing in Durham, and not at other unis really”, says Harrington.

“For something seemingly so small, to have such an impact, such a wide reach, it’s pretty cool.”

PALATINATE | Thursday 8th February 2018

19

Sport

Play-offs beckon for DUAFC after final day heartbreak

▲ The 1s were beaten to top spot by Nottingham Trent (DUAFC/Twitter)

Will Jennings Deputy Sport Editor At half past three last Wednesday afternoon, DUAFC’s First XI had done their job. Their local rivals Northumbria had been taken care of. Two terms and 10 gruelling fixtures had been endured, a turbulent run of games that had seen Chris Moore’s side accumulate a laudable 19 points.

A polished 3-1 victory on the final day had propelled them to the

summit of the Northern Premier Division. All they had to do was wait.

160 miles south in the East Midlands, Nottingham Trent were yet to play. Loughborough, slumped at the bottom of the table yet with faint hopes of top flight survival still lingering, were their opponents. The equation was simple: anything other than a Loughborough win and Durham’s temporary tenure at the top of the league would be rendered

irrelevant.

It wasn’t to be. Despite its relative inevitability, Durham hearts were broken as Trent did what they knew was required of them and professionally swept their visitors aside in a 4-1 win.

Celebrations ensued as the deserved champions took to social media to disseminate tales of their triumph. The title was theirs.

Durham only have themselves to blame after a season filled with doses of promise and inconsistency in equal measure.

Only one week before, they had profligately failed to protect their two-goal lead against eventual champions Trent, conceding a crushing stoppage-time equaliser and therefore handing their travelling opponents the initiative going into the final day. They were jubilant. Durham were devastated.

The emotion was palpable.

The game was a microcosm of Durham’s season, a campaign saturated with moments of opportunity yet one in which the team failed to capitalise.

Back-to-back wins against Loughborough, Northumbria and Stirling were followed by a barren spell of just three points in four

games, while a slow start to the season saw Durham accumulate just a solitary point from their opening two matches. They will surely look back with regret.

Despite that strong finish to the campaign a few minutes down the road last week, it was too little, too late. Indeed, it is difficult to argue that Trent did not deserve their success. While performances on the pitch have often been promising, it is ultimately results that matter.

Nevertheless, showings from much of the team throughout the season have been impressive.

Captain Alex McGrath led his side admirably, demonstrating not only his ability to command but also his tenacity and skilful distribution.

Fresher Ben Sampson has partnered him with considerable competence in the emergence of a dynamic midfield duo, while Gibraltar Under-21 international Tom Isola has been characteristically superb.

Going forward, target-man James Philpott continued his clinical exploits in his third year, scoring five goals and more significantly becoming Durham’s leading scorer in Northern

Premier League history. Matty Cornish was even more prolific from the right-wing and finished as the team’s top scorer, while Kyle Patten’s composed finish in the penultimate game against Trent showed his goal scoring prowess.

Despite the Palatinates leaking goals with alarming consistency, Jack Dancey has impressed in defence.

While the prestige of winning the league has been lost, the side remain optimistic prior to the advent of the national play-offs later this term.

Having finished runners-up in the Northern League, they are guaranteed a fast-track route straight into the quarter-finals, where they will receive a home draw later this term.

They will enter the apogee of the tournament with a fervent desire to avenge the events in the regional competition.

They are aware of the magnitude of the task in hand. They will be ready.

As a collective, we can only hope that they discover the form found all too intermittently this season and flourish on the bigger stage.

Saints look to extend unbeaten run

Charlie Neal Last October, Durham Head Coach Jonathan Rooney moulded together a group of students, many of whom had very little previous experience playing American football.

The Saints side was formed mostly of rookies, with the addition of some British returners and American scholars.

And yet, they sit top of BUCS Premiership North and are undefeated at the time of writing.

In their most recent fixture, Durham travelled to Leeds and put in a remarkably dominant performance.

Despite many rookies making their debuts, the Saints triumphed 36-0.

The victory extended Durham’s league lead over second-place Stirling, who host Durham in what will be an exciting season finale in late February.

Coach Rooney described the performance as “really solid work” stating that they had “played well in all phases and showed what we can do”.

Even so, he still believes his Saints side are “capable of even more”.

Wide receiver Eric Poindexter, who has already been a huge part of the Saints’ success this season, did something rarely witnessed in American football in the Carnegie match.

He completed a trifecta, which involves scoring a touchdown in three different ways – a catch, a pass, and a run.

Poindexter firstly caught a Clayton Turner pass in the end zone to give the Saints the initial lead. He then stepped in at quarterback at half time in place of Turner, proceeded to throw two touchdowns and recorded a running touchdown - an outstanding achievement for the scholar.

Although the Saints dictated the game against Leeds, their unbeaten streak hasn’t been an easy ride.

One week prior, they found themselves playing in snowy conditions against Derby and narrowly escaped defeat, edging out a 10-7 victory over the Braves.

Conceding just one touchdown in two games, the Saints’ defensive unit has been exceptional.

Throughout their first five games, the Saints shut out their opponents twice and conceded more than two touchdowns on just one occasion.

The Saints’ offensive unit is powerful, but their defence has been just as impressive this year.

Stopping the opposition from scoring allows Durham to remain a threat in each contest, and tallying touchdowns from interceptions and fumble recoveries has undoubtedly made winning a much easier task for them.

A solid defensive unit is the key to winning Championships, but the Saints aren’t looking that far ahead just yet.

“Being undefeated is a great feeling, and shows how hard everyone has worked so far, but we know we need to keep improving to ensure we are still on top at the end of the season”, Club President Joe Partington said.

The Saints have been the dominant force in the BUCS Premiership North thus far and

▲ The Saints have been the dominant force in the league (Photo Finish) look to take the next step on their Championship journey against the Loughborough Students at Maiden Castle.

Loughborough come into the game having won just one game this season and are fighting a relegation battle with Derby at the bottom of the league at the time of writing.

Therefore, Saints expect their

biggest challenge of the season thus far, facing a team literally fighting for survival in the BUCS Premiership North.

“Loughborough are another team that will come in and fight for their lives. They’re staring down relegation and won’t go down without a fight”, Rooney said.

Sport

Thursday 8th February 2018 | PALATINATE

The rise of darts in Durham We look at the success of the sport ahead of the Hill-Bailey event this Friday (page 18)

DUAFC look forward to playoffs The 1s are looking to regroup after narrowly missing out on the Premier North title (page 19)

Collingwood claim varsity crown against Grey but result flatters Stags Ollie Godden Deputy Sport Editor

▲ Players jump for the ball in the men’s rugby clash during the Collingwood-Grey varsity. Collingwood won the varsity overall with a score of 6.5-2.5 (Grant Slater)

Teams announced for inaugural Loughborough intramural varsity Ella Jerman Deputy Sport Editor Durham University’s college sports sides are set to welcome teams from Loughborough University on Sunday, February 11th for a highly-anticipated intramural varsity event between the two sporting powerhouses.

Back in November, Durham stormed to a 7-4 away victory over fierce rivals Loughborough in the prestigious varsity to earn crucial BUCS points.

This time around, however, it is not about the BUCS overall points table, but rather a brand new opportunity for Durham’s college sport teams to showcase the players and skills that have earned them success in their leagues so far this season.

A selection of successful college teams across nine sports have been chosen to represent Durham against Loughborough’s best intramural teams at Maiden Castle this Sunday.

Reigning unbeaten at the top of the Premiership, Stephenson A have been chosen to represent Durham in mixed badminton and will be hoping to replicate their 8-1 victory over St Cuthbert’s B against Loughborough on Sunday.

Collingwood and Josephine Butler will be representing Durham in men’s and women’s basketball respectively.

Reigning Division One champions St Cuthbert’s A represent Durham in the men’s football, whilst unbeaten Grey A will compete in the women’s 7-a-side.

Last year’s Premiership winners St Hild and St Bede A will represent the men, and Grey A the women on the new waterbased hockey pitches. Grey will be determined to extend their current 26-game unbeaten run into yet another competition.

Sunday will also see Van Mildert A take on Loughborough’s best intramural netball team, before unbeaten rugby Premiership leaders Collingwood A go head to head against their counterparts.

College Sport Manager LJ Crawford is full of anticipation for Sunday’s match-up: “Starting an annual varsity is no small feat, especially when it is a varsity against our biggest BUCS rivals, Loughborough.

“With no previous records to track, this competition could go

to anyone, but I wouldn’t have had the first year of this head-to-head anywhere other than at home in Durham to give college sport the first chance at claiming victory right here on home ground.”

Loughborough college varsity fixtures 12pm: Mixed Badminton, Sports Hall 12:30pm: Women’s Football, Rubber Crumb 2 1pm: Men’s Basketball, Sports Hall 1pm: Netball, Outdoor Netball Court 1 2pm: Women’s Basketball, Sports Hall 2pm: Men’s Football, Rubber Crumb 2 4pm: Women’s Hockey, Water Based Astro 1 4pm: Men’s Rugby, Rubber Crumb 1 5pm: Men’s Hockey, Water Based Astro 1 6:15pm: Awards Ceremony

The annual Collingwood vs Grey battle took place later than usual this year but was still full of fantastic talent and unpredictable excitement. In the only Durham college varsity counting for Premiership league points, the two sides competed across nine sports, meaning either college had to claim five wins to walk away with the varsity title held by Grey from last year.

Things started well for Collingwood, claiming a table tennis victory, but Grey’s impressive ultimate frisbee side levelled the scores as they edged an 11-10 win.

Two matches which were impossible to predict pre-game were lacrosse and men’s squash.

Collingwood managed to claim two victories, both by one point margins. This meant Collingwood were able to take the varsity crown before the evening session had begun, as their women’s squash took a 4-1 win while the biggest result of the day came from the 27-3 mauling on the netball court.

Three huge games were still to be played in the context of league points however, and Grey women did well to come away with a 2-1 win in the hockey, Collingwood’s first loss. The men’s rugby contest was also a tight affair until the last 10 minutes, a 33-3 score line flattering the league favorites.

A final clash between two quality Premiership football sides rounded off the day, and it looked as if Grey would have the last laugh as they snuck in two early goals.

However, a spirited fightback was capped off by a Callum Elson levelling header just seconds before the end of play.

A final varsity score of 6.5-2.5 will please the Team Collingwood faithful, but it does not do justice to the competitiveness throughout the day, and all involved should be hailed for an outstanding effort.