Palatinate Officially the UK’s Best Student Publication, 2018
Thursday 24th January 2019 | No. 813
New year, new you? Comment looks at how useful New Year’s resolutions really are
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ShouldweallbedoingVeganuary? Food and Drink tell us why we should give it a chance
University denies grade inflation Melissa Tutesigensi and Alex Leggatt News Editors
▲ Outside the Bill Bryson library, ‘Cry for Justice - The Scream’ by North-East sculptor Fenwick Lawson (Maddie Flisher)
Durham’s£2millionunauditedartbillrevealed Over £1.5 million was purchased through the University’s Keeper of Fine Art’s own private business before the position was scrapped in 2013
Julia Atherley, Jack Taylor and Alex Leggatt Over £2 million of University money was invested in works of art between 2008 and 2015 without being audited properly, a freedom of information request has revealed The same request revealed that between 2008-2013 the University allowed over £1.5 million worth of artwork to be purchased through Henry Dyson Fine Art Ltd, the private business owned by the University’s own Keeper of the Fine Art, Henry Dyson. The Keeper of Fine Art was a paid position from 2008 until it was scrapped in 2013 as “professional standards and ethics were reviewed
and changes were implemented”, according to the University. Durham University came under fire at the time for its spending on art during the £50 million development programme which included the construction of the Palatine centre. Speaking to Palatinate in 2013, the University defended the decision by labelling themselves as a “custodian of many fine treasures”. Palatinate also found that the post of Keeper of Fine Art was not filled through an open competition application process. The Keeper of Fine Art incurred expenses totalling £81,958 between 2008/09 and 2012/13. The post holder also benefited from free or subsidised accom-
modation prior to January 2014. In response to the findings, Henry Dyson Fine Art Ltd told Palatinate: “Henry Dyson Fine Art Ltd was an approved supplier to the University and was engaged under a consultancy contract agreed with the University Treasurer (the post now called Chief Financial Officer). “Henry Dyson Fine Art Ltd purchased works of art on behalf of the University according to a program agreed with the ViceChancellor. “Henry Dyson Fine Art Ltd acted as an agent of the University and not as a principal. All purchases were approved by the Treasurer and the Vice-Chancellor.” The University now claims that the Western art collection is used for “research, teaching and engage-
ment”. The collection includes works by Sandra Blow, Victor Vaserely, Alexander Calder, Terry Frost, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. There are 85 works of University art in Hollingside House, a building inhabited by previous Vice-Chancellors and now used for business, hospitality and accommodation. The freedom of information request found that over the past 10 years, the University’s spending on fine art has totalled £2,459,724. This high level of spending is partly due to the £591,200 spent in 2011/12 and £701,750 in 2012/13 with the Keeper ... Continued on page 3
Durham University has denied accusations of apparent grade inflation, instead arguing that all grades reflect the true abilities of students. According to an investigation by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), Durham University has seen the highest increase in first-class honours than any other Russell Group University, jumping from 17.8% in 2011 to 30.2% in 2016. As shown in an investigation by The Sunday Times, Durham University is part of a larger trend of apparent grade inflation, which some argue is in response to the tripling of tuition fees five years ago. The government aims to crack down on University grade inflation in response to a near 10% increase in first-class and upper-second class degrees from 2010-11 to 2016-17 according to the government watchdog Office for Students (OfS). The OfS believes that “spiralling grade inflation” risked undermining public confidence. Universities that are deemed excessive in their awarding of first-class and upper secondclass degrees will be downgraded within the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF). Damian Hinds, Secretary of State for Education, hoped that these figures would act as a “wake-up call”: “the scale of this increase in firsts and 2:1s cannot be proportionate to improving standards.” Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, argued that n increase in work ethic can explain the proportional increase in first class degrees being awarded: “As you wander round universities, the student union bars are empty […] and working environments are full”. Continued on page 5
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Thursday 24th January 2019 | PALATINATE
Editorial
Inside 813
Welcome back to Durham W
elcome back to Durham. And welcome to the first Palatinate of Epiphany term and fittingly, my first as Editor-in-Chief. I hope this edition reaches you as a break from summatives, dissertations and any other form of commitment. Now comes the generic rhetoric about this term usually being the hardest; you have to say no to plans (to my friends, I’m sorry) and reside in the Bill Bryson for lengthy stints. For many final years, including myself, you may also be writing (…) a dissertation. When I check back for another editorial in four weeks’ time, no doubt I will be solely residing between Bill Bryson and the Palatinate office.
Now comes the generic rhetoric about this term usually being the hardest As a final year, I reflect quite often about my time in Durham and I would love to be able to say that a lot has changed in Durham since I have worked on Palatinate. In many ways, Durham today is somewhat unrecognisable from the city I applied to study in four years ago. The University has gained two new colleges in the Stockton transition; Ustinov found a new home; a flashy new maths building joined the science site and Maiden Castle won a £35 million refurb. The city centre gained a remodelled Paddy’s, Players, and albeit temporarily, a Prét-à-Manger. The Gates development will soon pump a host of new restaurants into the
city, in a construction effort worth £30 million. Developments have been made, in a physical sense. Yet why is Palatinate still reporting on the same issues now as it were when I started as a student at Durham, almost four years ago?
Why is Palatinate still reporting on the same issues now as when I was a fresher? Back in 2016, we reported that Durham University had been ranked the third highest English university spender on artwork, with expenditure totalling over £2 million since 2010. The University boasted that the graphic art collection, the majority of which is kept in the Palatine Centre, was among ‘’the largest and most successful in the UK.” In #813, News digs deeper and uncovers how much of this spending was unaudited, and how the University has acknowledged that its “processes haven’t always been transparent”. Yet, the University was overtly transparent with regards to raising accommodation fees by 3.5%, to an astronomical £7,672, back in October. It is evident that there is still work to be done in terms of challenging the University and its spending habits, something we will continue to do at Palatinate for as long as necessary. It seems editorial posterity will be tackling the same issues in the years to come. Elsewhere in the edition this week, Comment covers a broad range of debates: whether our theatre reviews should be honest, New Years’ Resolutions and
embarking on Veganuary are just a few of many (pages 8-10). Food and Drink also have their take on all things vegan (including a recipe) (page 7); Features looks at the origins of college names (page 8); and Music interview the stars of Palatinate’s new music podcast, Alfie (page 3) (you can listen at soundcloud.com/palatinmusic). Visual Arts takes a look at the regeneration of Bishop Auckland’s arts scene (page 4); Fashion shows us the trends to watch in 2019 (pages 14 and 15) and indigo snags an interview with Made in Chelsea star, Eliza Batten (page 16). Politics’s feature on page 15 will enlighten you on the workings of the U.N. Profile also provides us with the long-awaited sit-down interview with Matthew Hedges (page 11). There’s plenty to keep you occupied and we’re here every fortnight. If you didn’t manage to catch us at the refreshers’ fair, drop us an email at editor@palatinate.org.uk and let us know what you are interested in. Or just tell us what we did wrong. Anna Tatham
News pages 4-7 Comment pages 8-10 Profile page 11 Politics pages 13-15 SciTech page 16 Sport pages 18-20
indigo
Editorial page 2 Music page 3 Visual arts page 4 Travel page 5 Food and Drink pages 6-7 Features page 8 Books page 9 Film and TV pages 10-11 Creative writing page 12 Stage page 13 Fashion pages 14-15 Interview page 16
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VISUAL ARTS: Fortnightly bulletin of Durham arts events
STAGE: Review: DULOG’s singing in the rain
POLITICS: The ABC murders: All Brexit catastrophe
NEWS: Protest against proposed council relief roads
Ever complained about not being able to find arts events or spaces in Durham? Palatinate Visual Arts has compiled a list of local events.
“A toe tapping evening of fabulous dancing and music, with some great comedy moments thrown in too!”
Politics take a look at the last few turbulent weeks at Westminster, with a break down of the Brexit Agreement Vote.
Various local groups joined together to protest in the City Centre against the building of a new relief road.
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 Julia Atherley & Anna Tatham editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editors Millie Fender & Oscar Elmon deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Jack Taylor & Alex Leggatt news@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Melissa Tutesigensi, Lydia Blundell, Naomi Clarke & Anna Ley deputy.news@palatinate.org.uk Investigations Editor Anna Marshall investigations@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editors Scarlet Hannington & Tom Davidson comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editors Jacob Whitehead, Emily Kilner & Hannah Anson Profile Editor Ella Catherall profile@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Profile Editor Jamima Westermann Science & Technology Editors Ewan Jones & Charlie Hetherington scitech@palatinate.org.uk Politics Editors Alice Lassman & Sarina Rivlin-Sanders politics@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Politics Editor Matthew Spivey, Katie Fraser & Tom Loring Sport Editor James Smith sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Ed Lord, Alana Ker Mercer, Tim Sigsworth & Finlay Smart Indigo Editor Adele Cooke indigo@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Indigo Editor Carys Frost Features Editor Kleopatra Olympiou features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editor Imogen Usherwood deputy.features@palatinate.org.uk Food & Drink Editor Piers Eaton food@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Anna Gibbs fashion@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Fashion Editor Ana Hamilton & Frankie Reffell Film & Television Editor Hugh Johnson film@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Film & Television Editor Josh Sagoo Deputy Stage Editor Martha Wrench Music Editors Tom Watling & Francesca Howard music@palatinate.org.uk Creative Writing Editor Rhiannon Morris creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Creative Writing Editor Susie Bradley Books Editors Freya Neason & Shauna Lewis books@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Stella Botes visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Visual Arts Editor Jo Chandler Travel Editor Abir Mishra Deputy Travel Editor Alex Bicknell-Cummings Interview Editors Zue Leong and Nathan Kelly Chief Sub-Editor Daisy Robinson Sub-Editors Heather Craddock, Ines Pandzic, Isabella Beaumont, Constance Castle, Namrata Menon & Freya Ellingsen Photography Editor Madeleine Flisher photography@palatinate.org.uk Illustrations Editor Nayva Lobo illustration@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Illustrations Editor Elena Onwochei-Garcia Website Administrator Bilal Mohd Advertising Officer Harriet Willis advertising@palatinate.org.uk Social Media Officers Connie Castle & Shoaib Ahmed
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
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Durham’s unaudited art bill
£2 million spent on art before “professional standards and ethics were reviewed” Continued from front-page
With the Christmas break now over, I hope that everyone is refreshed and ready start 2019 and a new term at Durham. This Epiphany term promises to be an exciting one, with a huge amount happening across the University. At Durham SU, we are looking forward to a term of democracy! Nominations to be a Students’ Union Officer or Trustee for the 2019/20 academic year are open until 28th January, with voting in the elections taking place from 17-20th February. Running to be an Officer or Trustee is fantastic way to have a positive impact at Durham, so if you can think of something you would like to change, please do consider running! Alongside the elections, we will also be holding a referendum on required changes to our Articles of Association. The Durham SU Board has set out some proposed changes we would like to make, and students can propose any amendments to these up until 1st February. If you have any questions about standing for any of the roles or the referendum, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! Last term, we consulted all students on how you would like the money from the UCU strike fund to be spent. We received a great response, with over 1100 of you filling out our survey. I’m pleased that the results show strong support for the options we put forward, with students keen to see the money spent on important initiatives such as more widespread mental health first aid training across the university, more resources for our counselling service and renovations to Dunelm House to provide more quality study space. The Officer Team and I will be working with the University to allocate the money accordingly, and will keep you updated throughout the process. We have busy term ahead at Durham and I look forward to seeing you all around campus!
perately needs to be questioned if over £2 million pounds is being spent on art instead of providing more library for students trying to study. Personally, I came here to get a degree, not to look at ‘geosculptures.” Latika Rodway-Anand, a fourthyear German and History student said: I’ve literally never seen any [art]”. “I enjoy the picture of all of the college principals that used to be in Calman, but also the fact they have all those Picassos and we never get to see them is stupid”, commented Sean Maplesden, a Modern Languages student.
....of Fine Art’s own private business. The University stated that when possible they seek out funding to match University spending, although this totalled only £271,781 over the past decade. In response to these findings Pro Vice Chancellor Professor David Cowling said: “The post of Keeper of Fine Art was discontinued in 2013, when, following auditors’ advice, the Librarian and their professionally qualified staff – working to national standards – became responsible for our western art collection.
“We recognise that, in the past, our processes haven’t always been transparent” “At this point, professional standards and ethics were reviewed and changes were implemented. “While we recognise that, in the past, our processes haven’t always been transparent, since 2015 all new acquisitions have been presented, in detail, to a specialist panel – which our Collections Committee oversees – to ensure the University is working within the Museum Association’s ethical guidelines.
Since 2011, University accommodation fees have risen by almost £3000 “We are working towards national accreditation standards for all parts of our collections.” Steps have since been taken to make the process more transparent. An Acquisitions and Disposal Panel was established, inline with
(Maddie Flisher) national best practice. Since 2015 all acquisitions and disposals have been presented to this panel, overseen by the Collections Committee. In 2016, Durham University was ranked the third highest English university spender on artwork, with expenditure. A Freedom of Information request issued by the BBC on the amount English universities spend on art saw the University ranked as the third highest spender. Durham was only outspent by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Durham’s most expensive piece of artwork lies outside the Bill Bryson library. The ‘geosculpture’, a geographical map of the United Kingdom, cost the University £90,000. Since 2011, University accommodation fees have risen by almost £3000, which has sparked student protests and the #RippedOff campaign. In the same period, Durham University has spent just under
£2.5 million on purchasing artwork.
What do students think? Adam Davies, a fourth year Maths student said: “I would say only a small proportion of students appreciate the art, compared with the amount of our tuition fees that go towards it”
“I’ve literally never seen any [art]” Charlie Norton, a third-year English Literature student told Palatinate: “It’s difficult to appreciate fine art around the University when you’re too busy rushing to the Bill Bryson to try and get a seat. The order of priorities des-
“Spending so much on art is a huge kick in the teeth to students” Ted Lavis-Coward, a third-year English Literature student told Palatinate: “Spending so much on art is a huge kick in the teeth to students waiting three months to access consistently underfunded mental health services and when working class students cannot afford to study here.” They added: “The University has failed to suitably specify how money will be invested to accommodate such a huge influx of students, with the mental health services sure to be under even more strain and rents in the city sure to continue to spiral out of control. “Durham University isn’t even attempting to uphold a representation of a fair institution that is invested in its students and staff.”
£2.46m £2.2m 2013
£21,000 2008
2018
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Thursday 24th January 2019 | PALATINATE
News
Professor Michael O’Neill dies aged 65
Alex Leggatt News Editor Professor Michael O’Neill, a professor in the Department of English Studies at Durham University, passed away on 21st December 2018, aged 65. Professor O’Neill had been a lecturer at Durham University since 1979, and was Head of Department from 1997-2005.
Professor O’Neill had been a lecturer at Durham University since 1979 In an email to staff, Vice-Chancellor Stuart Corbridge said: “Michael had come through the initial phase of his illness with immense courage, and continued to give lectures and supervise his PhD students until the week before his death.” While working at Durham University, Professor O’Neill was key in the establishing the Institute of Advanced Study (IAS), and was a Director of the IAS from 20052011. Professor O’Neill was a widely published and respected scholar specialising in Romantic Literature, specifically in the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley. His first published work was in 1989, entitled, The Human Mind’s Imaginings: Conflict and Achievement in Shel-
ley’s Poetry. He also edited The Cambridge History of English Poetry (2010), and co-edited works such as The Oxford Handbook of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Dante Rediscovered: From Blake to Rodin, with S. Hebron and D. Bindman. He was a Founding Fellow of the English Association and sat on various editorial boards, including the Keats-Shelley Review, Romantic Circles and The Wordsworth Circle. In addition to his scholarly work, Professor O’Neill was also an award-winning poet, publishing four collections of poems with another collection published posthumously. His 2018 collection Return of the Gift, addresses themes of resilience in the face of loss and illness, was awarded a Special Commendation from the Poetry Book Society.
His collection Return of the Gift, addresses themes of resilience in the face of loss and illness Professor O’Neill’s long career at Durham and outstanding scholarly reputation has seen many tributes from the University and elsewhere. Current English student, Emily Colquhoun, told Palatinate: “This is very sad news of the passing of
an intellectual, warming and lovely man. I am sure that everyone who had the pleasure of being lectured, tutored, or met him in one way or another will share my response.” The online blog Research in English At Durham (READ) wrote in a post: “He will be remembered by generations of students and scholars as an inspirational lecturer and mentor. “Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Michael’s family at this extremely sad time. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.” Former student Alexander Larman tweeted: “Very sad to hear about the death of great literature scholar and professor Michael O’Neill. I remember him lecturing on Milton’s Sonnet 23 and his engagement and enthusiasm made the poem seem unforgettably, overwhelmingly moving. Which, of course, it is.”
wrote: “With supreme skill and insight, Michael manages to articulate what some of us may have caught glimpses of but could never have expressed so richly,” adding “he loved and knew poetry like no other.” Dr Anna Mercer also expressed her sorrow at his passing, tweeting: “very saddened by the death of the wonderful Michael O’Neill: inspiring poet, extraordinary Shel-
ley scholar, a mentor to me in my studies and an incredibly kind, generous man. He will be sorely missed,” before recalling his memorable reading at Keats House last year. Donations, if desired, should be made to The Northern OesophagoGastric Cancer Unit at The Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, or to The Marie Curie Team at St Cuthbert’s Hospice, Durham.
“
He loved and knew poetry like no other
”
Heidi Thomson, in an obituary written for Professor O’Neill on behalf of The Keats Foundation
▲ Michael O’Neill at signing of The Stripped Bed (Freddie Phillips via Flickr)
‘Super-Ketamine’ found in Durham Lydia Blundell Deputy News Editor A strand of “super-ketamine” has been discovered in Durham following drug testing by The Loop. The Loop, founded in 2013, is a non-profit organisation which provides a drug safety testing ser-
vice at various events as well as raising drug awareness. Durham became the second city in the UK to provide The Loop’s Multi-Agency Safety Testing (MAST) to the general public, after Bristol. The Loop’s pop-up lab was set up in St Nicholas Church on Market Square in Durham on the 12th and
▲ The loop staff (Steve Bolles)
15th of December, with the Christmas period being the busiest time of the year for drug and alcohol related hospital admissions. Fiona Measham, who has been Professor of Criminology at Durham University since 2013, cofounded The Loop and is now Director.
Durham students bought drugs from a local dealer under the impression it was ketamine Professor Measham told Palatinate: “We live in the real world where, despite everything we may do to stop it, some people will take drugs and we want to help them make informed decisions about the risks involved. “The Loop’s drug safety testing over the last three years shows information like this can change behaviour, reduce hospital admissions, provide valuable intelligence about drugs in circulation to alert emergency services and the wider community, and ultimately, we belief, help to reduce drug-re-
lated harm. “We are grateful to Durham Constabuluary, Durham University and all our partners for their support in making this happen, and especially to St Nicholas Church for allowing us to reach out to the local community from their church during the festive season.” People could bring in one dose of any substance of concern for testing by The Loop chemists as well as chemists from Durham University Chemistry Department. Testers would then have a fifteen-minute consultation with health care staff regarding the results, with the option to dispose of the substance there and then. Durham students bought drugs from a local dealer under the impression it was ketamine, but after taking some suspected that it was not. After testing by The Loop, the drug was found to be the first verified samples of 2-FDCK to appear in the UK. 2-FDCK is a ketamine analogue which is stronger and longer lasting. The Loop issued a social media alert after the find, which stated,
“2-FDCK (2-fluorodeschloroketamine) sold as ketamine. Tested by The Loop in Durham, UK. About 1.5x more potent than ketamine with 2-3x longer duration. Multiple samples confirmed.”
It is about 1.5x more potent than ketamine with 2-3x longer duration They then reported the discovery to the EMCDDA early warning system and passed on the analytical library reference of 2-FDCK to other drug safety testing NGOs around the world so that it is more easily identified. Mike Barton, Chief Constable of Durham, said of the testing: “I think this is a welcome initiative to deal with an unwelcome problem. Anyone who thinks drugs are not freely available in the UK is hiding their head in the sand. “We need to know what dangerous chemicals are in those drugs which are, all too often, available and this initiative is about making it safer for people.”
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
5
News
“Our students are fully deserving of the high grades” Melissa Tutesigensi & Alex Leggatt Continued from front page ...reflect the quality of our students and the education they receive at Durham. Durham admits exceptional students, and then strives to bring out the best in each and every one of them.
“Our students are fully deserving of the high grades which they work hard for” “External examiners consistently commend the rigour of Durham degrees. We are committed to maintaining this, and we are scrupulous in decisions made regarding our degree classifications. Our students are fully deserving of the high grades which they work hard for.”
“The rising attainment of our students follows extensive and ongoing work to progress the quality of education at Durham. In particular, we have promoted the value of thorough and constructive feedback, which enables our students to make huge strides and to reach their full potential. “Our commitment to researchled education and our outstanding wider student experience give our students important intellectual capabilities, enhanced employment skills, and challenges them to learn independently and problem solve.
Durham is among 11 British universities, including Oxford and Edinburgh where no students failed their degrees
and postgraduate recruiters place high value in a Durham degree classification.”
“
Our awards reflect the quality of our students and the education they receive at Durham
”
“Durham graduates are some of the most sought-after nationally, demonstrating that employers
(Maddie Flisher)
Durham University signs estranged students pledge Jack Taylor News Editor Durham University has officially signed the ‘Stand Alone Pledge’, publicly committing to support students who are studying without the support of their family. The pledge, created by the charity Stand Alone, is designed to help institutions develop four areas of support for the benefit of estranged students. Cambridge, Oxford, Exeter and UCL have already signed up the the scheme. The pledge was created by Stand Alone in response to their research that found 14% of estranged students had dropped out of university, with 41% considering the same, due to money pressures, stress or mental health struggles, three times higher than the average national student.
Those Student Finance England (or equivalent) define as estranged students are eligible to receive the full Durham Grant – currently £2,000 per year. The university also operates a hardship fund for cases of urgent financial difficulty.
All the outlined support will especially help students outside of term-time “University accommodation is available 365 days a year. Durham students are not required to provide a guarantor or pay a deposit for University accommodation.
Our Students’ Union is also working on a guarantor scheme to support estranged students in private housing. “Our Colleges provide a pastoral support network able to offer guidance, as well as signposting students to relevant services such as Disability Support or the Counselling Service. Academic Advisers, responsible for academic advice, are available in academic departments. “Estranged students are prioritised for the University’s two outreach programmes for local Year 12 students. Successful completion of these programme can lead to a guaranteed conditional offer,
typically two grades below the standard offer.”
Estranged students are prioritised for the University’s two outreach programmes Amie Key, leader of the Durham Estranged Students group, welcomed the pledge. She said: “The Durham Estranged Students group are delighted that the University has signed the Stand Alone Pledge. Last term we ran a successful campaign, facilitated by the Students’ Union and Stand Alone, to raise awareness of family es-
“Anyone with the ability and desire to benefit from a Durham education should be able to do so” They also found that 60% of cases had a lack of social service intervention, with 28% not feeling comfortable enough accessing support from their university. In their announcement the University said: “We believe that anyone with the ability and desire to benefit from a Durham education should be able to do so, regardless of their background, but we know that students who lack a family network or support face special challenges that most other students don’t.
▲ The Durham Estranged Students group’s campaign got the attention of the University (Maddie Flisher)
trangement and encourage the University to sign the Stand Alone Pledge, so to hear that they have signed the Pledge following this is fantastic news. “All the outlined support will especially help students outside of term-time, when Student Finance money is stretched further than it’s designed to go on rent and estranged students may be left alone in Durham.
The University announced in October that the college accommodation fees will rise “While most of the support they’ve announced has been in place for a while, it is excellent that they are advertising this support and who is eligible to access it. “ This comes after the University announced in October that the college accommodation fees will rise for 2019/20 to £7,672. The Durham Estranged Student’s group is planned to meet the Vice-Chancellor in the coming weeks to discuss their experiences at the University, something that is commonly done by other institutions that sign the pledge. The group is committed to pressuring the university into further action. Key commented “Our focus is to continue to lobby the University to improve their support, raise awareness of family estrangement across Durham, and develop our network for students who want to know others who are estranged from their families.”
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Thursday 24th January 2019 | PALATINATE
News
Emergency homeless shelter launched in city Jack Taylor News Editor An emergency night shelter, supported by local churches, The Salvation Army and student group Just Love, is being trialed in Durham City.
The six week long trail provides emergency shelter to Durham city’s homeless The six week long trial provides emergency shelter to Durham’s homeless when the temperature drops one degree celsius or below. The local council already provide a similar service but it is only activated after three consecutive days of below zero temperatures. The shelter aims to provide somewhere warm sleep and a meal for those that find them-
selves on the streets during Durham’s cold nights. Alaister Taylor, a student from Just Love, told Palatinate: “it wasn’t until the ‘Beast from the East’ hit us last year that I started to think seriously about setting up a shelter. “We wanted to set up a 6-week trial Shelter. This would allow us to access the scale of the rough sleeper issue. The local council already has cold weather provisions but we wanted to provide emergency accommodation to compliment this. “We have a leadership team of five people and from early November we’ve amassed 75 trained volunteers”. When asked about future plans for the shelter Taylor said: “A really exciting possibility is the potential to help accommodate people who are newly out of prison. Ex-prisoners can be left in a very vulnerable
position. “They are given a small amount of money and essentially told to fend for themselves. This can often lead to homelessness and addiction issues. It would be fantastic if the Church community could help in some way.”
“
It wasn’t until the ‘Beast from the East’ hit us last year that I started thinking about a shelter
” Removal of Durham Cathedral’s scaffolding begins ▲ The shelter on North Road (Durham Winter Night Shelter Facebook)
Alex Leggatt News Editor Work to remove the scaffolding and cladding on the central tower of Durham Cathedral has begun, following a three-year restoration project.
The scaffolding is set to be taken down in the upcoming months A protective cladding sheet, taken down in December, was used to shield the tower whilst repairs to masonry and lead roofing took place. The scaffolding is set to be taken down in the upcoming months. Built over the 15th-century, the central tower is built from golden sandstone, meaning the struc-
ture is particularly susceptible to weathering and erosion. When the tower was repaired in 1859-60 by the architect George Gilbert Scott, the ironwork used rusted and expanded, causing surrounding stones to crack. The first phase of work was completed in early 2018, where around 200 stone blocks were lowered to ground level. Speaking in a video for Durham Cathedral’s YouTube account, Scott Richardson, Clerk of Works at Durham Cathedral estimated that up to “50-60 stones had been replaced across the building in total”. Mr. Richardson commented: “The work has been challenging, dealing with the logistics of working at such a height, at times halting high level work because of bad weather and winter snow. “Our team of stone masons have
relished working on the tower project knowing that the central part of Durham Cathedral and Durham City’s skyline is being conserved for future generations to enjoy.”
“At times work was halted due to bad weather” Due to the location of the World Heritage Site, work to erect and remove the scaffolding has taken longer than originally expected. Since the stonemasons are working with lead, the air quality is continually monitored, and regular blood tests are taken to ensure there is no impact on health. Maya Polenz, head of property at Durham Cathedral, previously stated: “It takes quite a bit of work, it’s quite a bit of engineering.” Speaking in December 2017,
Polenz confirmed that “this time next year we hope to have the scaffolding down.” Despite this, there have been delays, caused by the complex nature of the restoration: “We had to remove more stones in phase one than we had anticipated” Kate Pawley, Media and PR Officer for Durham Cathedral, told Palatinate that “the scaffold is still in the process of being removed and after this the tower project will enter the final stages of refurbishment “The final stage will be the removal of the lift that has been on the exterior of the tower throughout the work. This last effort will be in preparation for the grandreopening of the Central Tower and the reestablishment of public access which is scheduled to recommence later in 2019.”
(Maddie Flisher)
Labour Club stage sleep-in against college fees
Jack Taylor News Editor Twelve members of the Durham University Labour Club slept in the Palatine Centre last thursday, to protest the University’s accomdation fees. The University announced that college residence fees will rise by 3.5% to £7,672 for the 2019/20 academic year back in October. Prices have previously increased from under £5,000 a year in 2011/12 to over £7,000 for this academic year.
Kate McIntosh, DULC Co-Chair, told Palatinate: “It will cost up to £8,149 to live in college in 2019, and fees have been rising every single year, pricing out students from lower income backgrounds, negatively impacting student health and wellbeing, and jeopardising our relationship with our local community by pushing up private rents.” “We’re now paying £38 per night for a college room. We’ve decided that tonight we are going to get our money’s worth and sleep in Durham’s most premium accommodation: the floor of the
Palatine Centre”. The Durham University Labour Club say that they have future plans to escalate their efforts. Owen Adams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Colleges and Student Experience), Durham University, said: “Like any other enterprise, the cost of running the University increases each year. College fees have been raised so as to reflect rising staff, utility, and building costs. “However, we know some of our students face real financial pressures. We offer a bursary scheme, known as the Durham Grant
Scheme (DGS). The DGS is available to Undergraduates – throughout their course – who are Home Students, studying their first degree, and who have a household income of less than £25,000 a year. We are constantly seeking to expand these forms of support, as much as possible. “We are committed to freedom of expression within the law and encourage free expression and debate amongst our staff, students and visitors.”
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PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
News
‘Formally Lost’ a success despite lost participants halving pints and making signs. “We got picked up by a couple but they were not going back to Newcastle, instead we got dropped off at the station, by this time it was past midnight. In the car we decided to call Flavia (the friend that posted for the group).
Jack Taylor News Editor The Durham University Charity Committee’s ‘Formally Lost’ took place at the weekend, leaving two participants lost in Carlisle. Students taking part in the event, in aid of the charity Young Minds. were driven 2 hours out of Durham by coach on Sunday morning and had to get back to Durham in time for a formal dinner in Castle.
“We woke up at 5.50am to get the first train back to Durham in our black tie and Josh still managed to make his 9am”
Zack Emmett and Josh Dowley found themselves stranded in Carlisle, 76 miles from Durham. In teams of 2 or more, dressed in full black tie, the first group back officially won but teams were also encouraged to take their time and complete challenges along the
way. One team found it harder than others to complete the challenge, that last year raised £2,135 for the charity Cool Earth.
(Jamima Westermann)
(DUCK charities) Zack Emmett and Josh Dowley found themselves stranded in Carlisle, 76 miles from Durham. With their phone batteries low an unable to get transport or accommodation late at night, they had to resort to a friend posting on ‘Overheard at Durham Uni’ in a bid to find help. The pair were orignally dropped off in Preston before hitchhiking to Lancaster University. After having no luck at a near-by motorway junction they took a train to Carlisle. Zack Emmett told Palatinate: “We thought we were being clever going north to then head east rather than heading north then west, which everyone else took. 'We got to Carlisle around 9pm and wandered to a pub where we spent the next hour and a half
The post at 10.34pm amassed 98 reactions before the boys eventually found somewhere to sleep in the early morning. “At around 12.30pm we wandered to a Ibis hotel and found a bed. We woke up at 5.50am to get the first train back to Durham in our black tie and Josh still managed to make his 9am”. Despite their ordeal, Zack and Josh raised £140 for the charity. Jamima Westermann, another student who took part in Formally Lost told Palatinate: “The one thing that really amazed us throughout the trip was how much people were willing to help, and how much they wanted to. “Our first ride was with a man and his granddaughter who went 60 miles out of their way to get us to Harrogate to give us the best chance they could of getting us back to Durham. “From there we had the most incredibly heart-warming experience when the conductor on
(Zack Emmett via Instagram) Northern rail gave us a free trip up to York, on the one condition we got a photo with him and our signs. “We had a brief chat with him on the train telling him all about what we were up to, and we all teared up a little when he made an announcement on the train telling everyone about what we were doing and all about our fundraiser, he even got in touch with the organisers the next day to see how he could donate. “Of course, the experience, the dinner and the castle formal were incredible, but what really made it so memorable for us was the kindness and generosity of everyone we met along the way”
Union Society offers vulnerable adults a ‘Second Chance’ Anna Ley Deputy News Editor Student mentors from the Durham Union Society help recovering addicts and young adults at risk of homelessness master the art of debating in the ‘Changing Lives Project’, formerly known as ‘The Second Chance Scheme’.
The program saw students collaborate with local charities Free the Way and DASH The program, now in its eleventh year, saw students collaborate with local charities Free the Way and DASH to support the development of those battling drug addiction, domestic violence and mental disorders. Proving that formal debating is far from archaic, volunteers
of this year’s scheme agree that debating can offer transferable communication and confidence skills to those experiencing a lull in their career. Alice Lassman, a volunteer from the project said: “Formal Westminster debating may not be too useful in itself if you’re not competing, but debating is a composite skill. “It helps you to form and follow a cohesive argument and to channel your feelings into words”. But it was the change in confidence that coordinator of the scheme, and Durham Union Treasurer, Sarina Rivlin-Sanders, saw the most progress.
Individuals initially shy and reluctant soon gained a ‘willingness to speak’ Individuals initially shy and reluctant soon gained a
“willingness to speak”, as they argued “their own point eloquently and persuasively” in front of a large audience in the final debate. Changing the lives of both participant and student, the 2018 volunteers share an appreciation for the opportunity to “sit down and learn” from the adults they have since built lasting relationships with.
The scheme is set to run once more in Michaelmas term of 2019 Lassman learned that one of the participants found “enough confidence in themselves to move away to a new job” encouraged, like the many other participants applying to university foundation courses at Durham and beyond, by a newfound intellectual curiosity. Weekly contests culminated in one last debate within the Union’s chambers, entitled ‘This House
Believes that the World would be a Safer Place without Nuclear Weapons’ and was won by the opposition, after which certificates and celebrations were shared. Continuing to celebrate student-community relations,
(Durham University) the scheme is set to run once more in Michaelmas term of 2019. Students should look out for an email from the Director of Debating in Easter term if they wish to get involved.
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
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The ethics of reviewing student theatre Page 10
Comment Why going cold turkey on all meat products doesn’t
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have to be your jam
Izzy Sasada Are you doing more cardio? Cutting back on paddies? Spending less time binge watching Netflix? Many people use the new year as a period of reset: “new year, new me right?” Many are aiming to cut back on unhealthy habits and saving money after Christmas festivities, and “Veganuary” is no exception. Vegans have branded themselves as radiant and inclusive advocates of the ethical and healthy lifestyle movement, and they are challenging meat-eaters to join in by trying a vegan plant-based diet for a month. We’ve been here before with faddish food trends – we’ve seen the paleo, the keto and the atkins to name but a few, all hailed as the dietary solution during their brief 15 minutes in the limelight. Veganism claims to offer a complete solution, cutting out all meat products in the name of animal cruelty, environmental concerns and health benefits.
Social media is playing an important part in spreading the hype – there are over 400,000 #veganuary posts on Instagram as well as countless online support groups to track progress and share recipe ideas. Food industry players have caught on to the trend with Greggs releasing a “vegan sausage roll”, McDonalds adding a veggin Mcwrap to its menu and Pizza Hut bringing out a vegan pizza.
There are certainty some fadd-ish qualities about Veganuary
since going vegan I no longer have it. I get sick less and have better digestion.” It’s debatable whether going cold-turkey on all meat products for 31 days is a sustainable way to cut your intake of animal products. I have nothing but respect for fulltime vegans, but there are certainty some fadd-ish qualities about Veganuary. From Instagram influencers posting pictures of green shakes and Buddha bowls with the caption
As well as sparing animal cruelty in agricultural practices and reducing the damage we are inflicting on the environment, Veganuary’s website lists endless health benefits of a balanced vegan diet, helping with weight loss, cutting blood pressure and lowering levels of diabetes. Phoebe Hagen, vegan PPE 2nd year attests to the health benefits of going vegan even for a short spell: “My skin got clearer and I have more energy. I used to have hayfever and
‘nom nom’ #ad, to the social media frenzy following Greggs’ release of the vegan sausage roll, my concern is that veganism will join “Atkins” “Keto and “Paleo” as a long-forgotten trend. The usefulness of month-long goals such as Veganuary and dry January are put into question if on February 1st the partakers soon return to their old ways. Perhaps instead of completely cutting out all meat-produce for a month, it is more
(Illustation by Anna Thomas)
sustainable to make smaller, gradual changes. I urge part-time vegans to remember their motives behind Veganuary. If the main concern is animal rights, why should this mean you can’t eat cage-free eggs or sustainably sourced salmon?
Is going cold-turkey on all meat products is a sustainable way to cut your intake of animal products? If health is a concern, why put your body at risk of B12 deficiency? Be realistic about your goals - a big mac meal is cheaper than a punnet of strawberries and the celebrities advocating veganism have more resources to put towards their diet. Challenges like “veganuary’ are a great way to challenge yourself, but they are rendered worthless if they are reversed on February 1st. Instead, perhaps a more gradual approach is more realistic and will have a bigger impact on the environment and on your health than a short term spell.
My Open Letter to the Home Secretary William Costley Sajid, I’ve heard a few things about you recently. Things which I think people have used as an excuse to unfairly label you. I’ve heard people call you a ‘racist’, a ‘race traitor’, an ‘internalised xenophobe’ and, to be completely honest, I almost bought into the same narrative. After much thought, I came to realise that you are definitely not a racist, nor a traitor to your ‘people’, but instead a victim of this country’s institutionalised nationalist agenda. I think you’ve sadly become so entrenched by the deep-rooted anti-immigration media, that you’ve become completely blind to its effects and implications for people who were probably in the same position as your family when they came over from Pakistan. As a second-generation immigrant myself, I hope this letter makes you think about the impact of the rhetoric you use when you brand the channel crossing of a couple of migrants as a ‘major crisis’. Ultimately, if our handful of migrants crossing over from France
is a ‘major incident’ then the Greek and Italian refugee crises are, by extension, apocalyptic.
How has a child from a family of immigrants become a mouthpiece for xenophobia? Almost every news outlet discredited your remarks and went through the numbers to prove that your word choice was extremely misleading. So, the real question is not about whether or not what you said was true, but why you chose to use those words in the first place. How has a child from a family of immigrants now become a mouthpiece for the institutionalised xenophobia that is apparent in the
current ruling classes? To be in a position of power to improve and rewrite this country’s polarising immigration narrative, and chose to not to do that, is simply perplexing. I think this decision you’ve taken can be explained by three reasons. If they are wrong, then please write back to me and I can make some corrections. The current opportunities for these immigrants are vastly different from those available to the generation that came before. Benefits have become harder to obtain under the Universal Credit scheme, higher education is more expensive, and a rise in right-wing politics and media narratives has seen an increase in overt public racism. This lack of opportunities is not
(Illustration by Navya Lobo)
just exclusive to immigrants but also to the millennial generation. The political establishment and media have blamed the problems on immigrants. I feel that because you are a successful immigrant, or a socalled ‘success story’, you have unfortunately come under the notion that if one wishes to succeed in this country, one must work harder.
If our handful of migrants is a ‘major incident’ then the Greek and Italian refugee crises are apocalyptic This is not the case, and I hope you reflect on this point. The problems are not welfare-dependent immigrants, but an economic system which has decreased opportunity. Another reason, which I feel is the most mournful, is that you have sold yourself out. I think that it is impossible for you to hold this position without holding the belief that immigration in this country is a serious issue. To run the Home Office, which has run an anti-immigration agenda with Theresa May and Amber Rudd, comes with the condition of holding
anti-immigration concerns. I am unsure if you are driven by calculated ambition or blind loyalty to the party line, but you have somehow lost sight of your compassion to fellow human beings in some of the worst situations imaginable. To even attempt to question the legitimacy of their status as refugees, using unfounded and broad assumptions, only helps to further dehumanise and ‘other’ these people. I pity you that you have become tainted by the hostile environment that exists within British politics today, and that the system has failed to address the issues that have led to your becoming an unwitting tool of elitist, xenophobic and aggressively nationalist bigots. Shame on you, Mr. Javid. But more importantly, shame on the people who continue to reinforce this obviously false and deeply damaging narrative. So that is my message to you. I hope you understand where I’m coming from and take a step back from the needless fuelling of the unavailing anti-immigrant propaganda.
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Thursday 24th January 2019| PALATINATE
Comment
Has #MeToo reached its legal limits?
Comment look at the case of Varun Patra, who admitted to illegally recording a sexual encounter because he was afraid of the repercussions of the #MeToo movement Bryn Evans
Varun Patra is the latest figure to become implicated in the all too well known #MeToo movement, although for a slightly different reason than most others. The co-founder and marketing head of media company Homegrown has recently stepped down after admitting to using his phone to record the audio of a sexual encounter without the other party’s consent. Although the consensual nature of the sex remains heavily disputed— the anonymous woman alleges that the sex involved non-consensual digital penetration, while Patra maintains that all activities that evening were consensual—both parties have disclosed that Patra secretly recorded the sexual encounter using his phone’s microphone. In a statement to Rolling Stone India, Patra admitted that the decision to record was “not ok” and that he was “extremely anxious and fearful that any sexual activity, irrespective of consent, could be used against [him],” explicitly referencing the #MeToo movement.
There is legitimate public worry in the face of a decisive #MeToo movement It would be simple to brush off Patra’s decision as that of yet another insensitive media mogul. And, to clarify, I believe he did make an irrefutably poor decision; as a non-consensual action during sex, the recording could be construed as sexual assault. Having said that, I would like to delve beyond the external facts and into the story’s meaning by asking whether Patra’s choice could represent a manifestation of very legitimate public worry in the face of a decisive and unyielding #MeToo movement. The Indian criminal system like practically all democratic systems, places the legal burden of proof on the prosecution, the wouldbe defendant Patra felt the need to preemptively gather evidence corroborating his own innocence, should the situation have come to legal proceedings. Patra’s unease was not entirely misguided.
The #MeToo movement began with a New York Times article in October of 2017 detailing allegations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein. Public accusations against Weinstein now number over 80, including five ongoing criminal charges and numerous civil claims. A police recording of Weinstein admitting to groping an accuser as well as non-disclosure agreements and large monetary settlements between Weinstein and several of his accusers have also surfaced. Given the undeniable breadth of evidence, employment termination and public denunciation were delivered deservedly.
His unease was not entirely misguided The plight of others, however, has not been so morally straightforward. US senator Al Franken was urged by members of the public and two dozen Democratic senators to step down from office before the Senate Ethics Committee had completed its investigation into the sexual assault allegations against him. That same month, Democratic Congressional candidate Andrea Ramsey was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee and, though she fervently refuted the accusation, was forced to end her election campaign because of the Democratic Party’s no-tolerance policy on sexual harassment. Aziz Ansari, known for his stand-up comedy and TV show, Master of None, was publicly indicted on social media after an anonymous woman contended that their date—which involved her refusal of vaginal intercourse, followed by oral sex, watching an episode of Seinfeld, and a final awkward kiss—amounted to sexual assault.
It is imperative that we now recall the judicial nature of our conversation and consider each situation objectively I am not alone when I say that the #MeToo movement has been a monumental and long-overdue victory for equality, both between men and women and between subordinates and their superi-
ors. Yet Varun Patra’s anxiety over the potential repercussions of his sexual encounter highlights what might be best described as a public tendency toward impulsiveness amid the justifiable outrage of #MeToo.
It seems irresponsible for us to pass judgement on public figures when there is little to no material evidence I am not suggesting that Franken, Ramsey, Ansari, or any of the numerous other figures who have suffered losses as a result of mere allegations did not commit sexual crimes. It is undeniable, however, as Patra perhaps internalized, that the guilt of the latter accused individuals was largely presumed before any definitive evidence was gathered or due process effected. In our pursuit of justice, it seems irresponsible of us to pass judgement on public figures or engage in social media wars when there is little to no material evidence—be that legal documents, court rulings, or other—on the guilt of the accused.
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Prejudice and inequality are exactly what #MeToo sought to eradicate
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Prejudice and inequality are exactly what #MeToo sought to eradicate; sexual assault is notoriously controversial given its inherent person versus person dynamic and, despite a history marred by under-criminalization, it is imperative that we now recall the judicial nature of our conversation and consider each situation objectively. No one, in the eyes of the law, should or will be favoured: not superiors, not subordinates, not defendants, not plaintiffs, not women, and not men.
Graphic by Jacob Whitehead
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
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Comment
Student theatre reviews: honesty is never the best policy Imogen Usherwood A “script that should never have been written”, a “wooden performance”, a “rushed and unprofessional” atmosphere. No, it’s not someone feeling especially critical of the new Fantastic Beasts film: all are comments by reviewers from Durham’s various publications for different DST productions in Michaelmas Term. Though, it would be unfair to use these quotes without some much-needed context, namely that such comments are part of thoughtful and (usually) balanced reviews that appreciate the successes and shortcomings of a show.
However well written they might be, by their very nature student reviews are a far cry from professional criticism Ultimately, however, the reviewer has to make a decision; they have to fall on one side or the other. Upon publication, the byline will either read “X is impressed/delighted by …” or “X is disappointed/confused by…”. We need to draw a line when it comes to the tone of reviewing student theatre, and everyone needs to know where it is. However well-written they
might be, by their very nature student reviews are a far cry from professional criticism. Theatre critics make a living attending shows and publishing their thoughts on them, and feel entirely at ease giving their honest opinions about a production. The cast and crew are likely to be strangers, and at any rate the expectation is that they are brutally honest so that theatregoers can make an informed decision to spend their hard-earned savings on that production of Hamlet at the Globe.
Ultimately the reviewer has to make a decision; they have to fall on one side or the other Student reviews are different, for the simple reason that everyone involved is in the same boat – we are all students. It’s part and parcel of university life; it’s wonderful that anyone can act, write, direct, produce or review at any stage of their university career, regardless of prior experience. But it also means that reviewers come from the same pool of people as actors, directors, producers and writers. To this end, it’s not the same as professional reviewing, where you can say exactly what you think because it’s no skin off your nose how the director or leading actor feels about your work – you’re just doing your job. As a student reviewer – especially one also involved in DST – chances are that you know somebody involved
in the production, or may well get to know them in the not-toodistant future. To that end, it’s worth choosing your words carefully. Another consequence of the student community is that, unlike taking part in a production, there is no audition process or interview for writing reviews; it just wouldn’t be practical to have one, as a small number of people would have to review every show in Durham all year round. Everyone has to start somewhere, and it means people who have never reviewed before (like me last term) can give it a go and discover something they enjoy – arguably the whole point of university, after all – but it also means that someone with little or no experience of how to write a review, using only a brief online guide to help them, might form a significant part of your show’s publicity, for better or for worse. Indeed, the function of student reviews is not the same as professional journalism, because the review is as much for the team behind the show as
it is for anyone thinking of buying a ticket. Anyone involved in DST will tell you about the suspense of waiting for the reviews the morning after opening night.
Slating a production is entirely unhelpful for the cast and crew Actors and production teams want feedback, constructive criticism and, yes, praise doesn’t go amiss either. Slating a production is utterly unhelpful for the cast and crew, as is a detailed account of ‘What I would have preferred to see…’ or ‘What I would have done…’ (thankfully I haven’t seen a review take that line of argument). Thoughtful, constructive criticism is essential. This isn’t to say that
honesty isn’t important, because a sugar-coated review negates its purpose in every way, but there is a line between productive, considerate truthfulness and frank, potentially offensive honesty. No one who has put weeks of hard work into a two-hour show wants you to tell the entire student community that it was awful; don’t overestimate how thick a person’s skin might be (especially first-time actors or directors), and deal out your criticism with care.
A sugar-coated review negates its purpose in every way What they want to hear are the relative successes and shortcomings of their play in a polite, gracious article. As a generation so concerned with mental health (and rightfully so), the same rules of watching what you say – and of just being a nice person – in real life still apply in writing. If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t say it in your review.
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If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t say it in your review
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New Year resolutions: A mentality, not a to-do list Johnny Stocks After consuming six billion units of alcohol over a 7-day period, much of Britain wakes on the first of January to debt, regret and a potent headache. It is therefore not a great day to be aspirational, but millions of us commit ourselves to strange new regimes for the New Year. We busily ask our friends and family what they will be ‘changing’ along with the date.
Why not look at the good, and strive to continue these too? ‘In time we hate that which we often fear.’ Charmian’s notorious line from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra parallels the negativity and uneasiness that surrounds January. It exposes our failings and
deficiencies, and becomes feared for the annual hysteria it provokes as we all strive to improve ourselves. However, it also offers a convenient opportunity for reassessing our behaviours and starting with a clean slate. The problem is we have been doing it all wrong.
New Year’s resolutions should not be a to-do list of disparate tasks. There must be a philosophy that ties it all together We too readily identify specific things that we
should not do, instead of working out what we should be doing and, more importantly, why we should be doing these things. Why not look at the good, and strive to continue these too? Just like Cleopatra we have ‘immortal longings’ in us that grow out of mass societal pressure to be busy, productive and social. These longings produce long lists of behaviours that we would like to bring into our lives. Maybe yoga, maybe writing a blog or maybe even volunteering for charity. The primary
issue is that New Year’s resolutions should not be a to-do list of seemingly disparate tasks. There must be a philosophy that ties it all together. It is effectively a matter of mindset. By reinvigorating your mindset with clarity, gratitude and focus, you will naturally live a better existence, that will automatically animate you to make better use of your time.
mentality. A positive mindset is not a chore, but something we can maintain. This January we look to Cleopatra: it’s time for change, and time to make ‘death proud to take us’.
This January we look to Cleopatra: it’s time to change, and time to make ‘death proud to take us’
‘Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have immortal longings in me.’
Despite these best intentions, recent research has found that whilst two thirds of Britons make resolutions for the New Year, a third of these say they are broken by the end of January. Again, this is partly because we commit ourselves to specific tasks and projects, which puts excessive pressure on us. However, we can stick to a
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A positive mindset is not a chore, but something we can maintain
Tell us what you think by emailing us at comment@ palatinate.org.uk
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
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Profile
“They didn’t want to believe the truth” Profile speaks to Matthew Hedges about his time in prison, the recovery process and trying to clear his name Ella Catherall & Jamima Westermann Profile Editors While the media storm around him is starting to settle, the recovery process for Durham academic Matthew Hedges and his family is just beginning. “I’m going through a process to heal mentally” he says, and admits a hard battle lies ahead. “I already had anxiety beforehand, but it was exacerbated by the situation,” he explains. “It’s going to take months”.
“I’m going through a process to heal mentally… it’s going to take months”
Matthew spent all but three days of his time in prison in solitary confinement. It was “just a room, no light, no natural air”, lit only by “dentist lights” and with no forms of distraction. It was only after a brief stint in hospital after thoughts of self-harm and suicide that they allowed Matthew something to occupy him, putting a TV in his room and giving him books to read. However, as Daniela points out, these were only very minimal distractions that “nearly end up replacing human contact.” Matthew’s time in prison was also mentally exhausting, as he had to practically construct a double life in order to appease the authorities, deciding that to make it ‘easier’ he would “go along with whatever they wanted me to say.” It’s this that appeared
was give them what they wanted: “Sure, I’m a captain”, he told them.
“That’s when you really question due process. Though there’s never been due process”
Matthew constructed the identity they believed he had: having to remember “every detail in my head” from his emails and thesis, to try and match up with the ‘evidence’ they claimed they had. Every answer Matthew gave was a calculated effort “so they can back it all up and say we’ve got this piece of evidence, he said this in the interview, so this is correct.” When asked if he thought they believed his stories, he had “no clue.” Even when Matthew offered the truth – that his wife Daniela was Colombian, for example – they refused to believe it: “How can an MI6 agent have a foreign wife?” they asked. Matthew realised the truth was going to get him nowhere: “They didn’t want to believe the truth.”
“How can an MI6 agent have a foreign wife?”
This decision followed him into the courts, as Matthew explains his reasoning for falsely confessing to spying for MI6 while in the UAE. Telling the truth would cause him to perjure himself, doubtlessly leading to prison time, and so he decided to
The Durham University Business School building named after UAE emir academic Dr Al-Qasimi (Des Blenkinsopp via Flickr) to have the greatest impact on Matthew: “it feels like my head’s on fire” he began, “I need to put it in snow to get rid of all the steam.” Convinced Matthew was a spy, “they were postulating the ranks saying are you a second lieutenant, first lieutenant, major, captain?” to which Matthew felt all he could do
confess, “once I started that was it, there was no turning back.” Matthew’s sentencing lasted less than five minutes, and was spoken entirely in Arabic. Surrounded by four armed guards, Matthew understood only what the interpreter chose to explain. The confirmation of his guilty verdict
was followed by a sentencing of both life imprisonment and deportation. Confused by how that could be, Matthew asked, “how did that work? But they just repeated it.” With Matthew taken from the courtroom through one exit, and his family through another, he was “blindfolded, handcuffed in a blacked-out car” and started to recognise the bumps in the road which, rather than prison, were leading back to the same interrogation room he had been in before. “That’s when you really question due process” Daniela adds, “though there’s never been due process.” When Matthew was eventually released, he “didn’t want to take anything to heart” until he was on the plane, and that plane was in the air. Even now though, Matthew claims he is “still on edge, all the time” and is trying to come to terms with what happened to him: “when I can’t sleep, I watch Dani in the news and people speak about it… I need to understand the extent and level to which it came and the level of support it has driven.”
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It feels like my head’s on fire. I need to put it in snow to get rid of all the steam
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Matthew and Daniela were overwhelmed by the support they received, both from the community at Durham and from academics around the world. “The community has been amazing” Daniela says, “they mobilised the University to be more outspoken about the situation”. They believe there is an “institutional issue across all UK universities” that needs to be addressed, however. “They waited for Matt to get a life in prison sentence” Daniela explains, “before they were full-on, ‘he’s innocent’”. They found the organisation of support from the general public “incredible”, however. “Everyday we’ve had people stopping us in the street and saying we’re so happy to see you’re back”, Matthew explains. They’re kind of proud, and that makes me feel
Hedges and his wife Daniela Tejada are at the start of a long legal process to clear Matthew’s name (Daniela Tejada) even prouder”. As well as 700 prominent academics pledging their support, over 250,000 people worldwide signed a petition to get Matthew home after he was sentenced, which he admits was an “insane” achievement over such a short amount of time. Matthew was completely in the dark about this campaign while in solitary confinement however, and first heard from the British Embassy only after “six or seven weeks”. “It was such a relief to know that I wasn’t by myself”, he explains. While the embassy was helpful, the “British government as a whole” could have done more, they believe. Although Matthew’s was an isolated case, it “could have happened to anyone”, Daniela points out, and explains there is a need for the British public to question the procedure used in cases like these. “No-one is exempt from these stories” Daniela says. “It’s just like cancer – it’s a thing that happens to others, but it doesn’t to you, until it happens to your mother, or your siblings, or your grandparents.”
It’s just like cancer- it’s a thing that happens to others, but it doesn’t to you, until it happens to your mother, or your siblings, or your grandparents
Matthew and Daniela now find themselves at the start of a long road to justice. Matthew
was pardoned by the UAE, not acquitted, so is still officially deemed guilty, and is responsible for making sure his name is cleared. They are taking on a legal case to fight the impact Matthew’s conviction is having on his academic legitimacy and his abilities to continue his research abroad. “It will be an expensive and lengthy process”, they explain, and as well as seeking support from benefactors, they have started a fundraiser to help cover the immense legal costs. “It’s about justice, really” Daniela explains. “It’s about setting a precedent.”
“Everyday we’ve had people stopping us in the street and saying we’re so happy to see you back”
When asked whether he’ll continue his PhD among the chaos however, Matthew is clear he will see it through. “One hundred percent I’ll finish my thesis” he says, “I can’t stop now!” “It’s part of fighting for justice, too”, Daniela adds, “Finishing what got you into trouble to begin with”.
To see more Palatinate Profile interviews, including Michael Crick, and Will Millard visit: www.palatinate.org.uk/ category/profile
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PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
Politics
Bolsonaro, who is he President for? Sophie Blitz Within just weeks of being elected, the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has already sparked controversy across South America. Already known as ‘Trump of the Tropics’, the President has started to implement early changes upon gun-ownership rights and Brazil’s indigenous communities. On 15th January 2019, Bolsonaro signed a degree to loosen the restrictions on gun ownership amongst citizens. With Brazil’s homicide rate peaking at 63,880 deaths last year, the President’s actions have been met with grave concern. Since 2003, only Brazil’s police and security forces have been allowed to own and carry firearms; Bolsonaro seeks to extend this right to all citizens, except criminal-record holders.
The president’s actions have been met with grave concern
The President believes that this
decree will allow citizens to protect themselves against the country’s violent crime, or in his words, “that good citizens can at this first moment have peace inside their homes.” By contrast, the Brazilian Public Security Forum’s President, Renato Lima, said that the decree “is a gateway to violence and terrible news for public security.”
The destruction of their territories could be result in genocide
Perhaps even more controversial is Bolsonaro’s action upon Brazil’s indigenous communities. “It’s a shame that the Brazilian cavalry wasn’t as efficient as the Americans, who exterminated their Indians,” said Bolsonaro in 1998, a lifelong critic of indigenous communities. Brazil is home to 900,000 indigenous people, who have not only offered substantial contributions in modern medicine, but have also committed to a decades-long fight for land rights. Their land has
been demarcated, meaning that it is clearly distinguished from non-indigenous territory and protected from incoming attacks. For the indigenous population, the destruction of their territories could result in genocide and the extinction of approximately seventy uncontacted tribes. On his first day as President, Bolsonaro shifted the responsibility for the demarcations of indigenous territories to the ministry of agriculture, which carries strong ties to Brazil’s deforestation and ‘agribusiness’. Though Bolsonaro justified his move by claiming that the demarcation of indigenous land was akin to keeping its people “secluded in reserves like zoo animals”, critics have predicted that the President and the ministry of agriculture will aim to turn indigenous land into private land for the mining and farming industries. Whilst these are significant movements within the early days of Presidency, they are not surprising. Bolsonaro is notoriously unsympathetic to the social inequalities within his own
Not so fresh off the boat Christina Fialova Following an increase in the number of people trying to reach Britain in small boats, in an interview with the Guardian the home secretary, Sajid Javid, remarked: “A question has to be asked: if you are a genuine asylum seeker why have you not sought asylum in the first safe country you arrived in?... Because France is not a country where anyone would argue it is not safe in any way whatsoever, and if you are genuine then why not seek asylum in your first safe country?” The Refugee Council’s Director of Advocacy, Dr Lisa Doyle said that these comments were “deeply concerning,” and added that “the outcome of an asylum application cannot be pre-judged before it has been made and must be processed on its individual merit, irrespective of how that person reached the country.’”
From Sajid Javid those words seemed to be a dichotomy.
From Sajid Javid these words seemed more than ‘deeply concerning’. Had these comments emerged from someone used to the nationalist rhetoric surrounding Brexit, such a dichotomy could easily be believed. But it seems strange for someone who themselves is second generation to be the driving force behind a harsh line of immigration. Sajid Javid’s father, Abdul Ghani,
arrived in Britain from a Pakistani village in 1961. Back in 2014, as Culture Secretary Sajid Javid remarked how his father was not satisfied with simply working in a cotton mill and then on buses.
He has himself become dissociated
Other migrants come to the UK not fleeing war or oppression, but in search of oppurtunities and a better life. Since 1948, when the UK faced a labour shortage and invited labourers from Caribbean countries to migrate to the UK, the UK situated itself on a global level as a place to offer a better life for many - an image that has been perpetually continued. If you are going to embark on such a treacherous journey, you would strive to reach the best place you can imagine for yourself or your family. Sajid Javid represents something for those dissociated with the stereotypes of the Conserva-
(Foreign and Commonwealth Office) tive party. Yet, it seems that rather than continuing to offer something for those dissociated, as he arguable did as Culture Secretary, he has himself become dissociated. Whether it is simply the case that Sajid Javid has become a cog in the big establishment machine or this is just another a representation of the general dissociation politicians seem to have with their voters, only time will tell.
Has Sajid Javid become a cog in the ig establishment machine? In the meantime, before the inevitable apology and clarification, our home secretary should reflect on his hard stance on immigration - especially when his own experiences of plight are such public knowledge.
ment the full extent of his political agenda, his first few weeks have given a flavour of what controversies might arise in the near future.
An outspoken critic of abortion, homosexuality, the indigenous population and feminism
Whilst it is too early to tell whether Bolsonaro will be able to imple-
(Senado Federal via Flickr)
Young and European
Xhulio Ismalaj
He seems to have lost sight of their plight’s real meaning
As second generation himself he seems to have lost sight of their plight’s real meaning and what was at the crux of their intentions. It saddens me that a man who was apparently ‘immediately impacted’ by the fallout from the Windrush revelations, would be so closed minded now.
society; an outspoken critic of abortion, homosexuality, the indigenous population and feminism, he has claimed, for example, that he would not employ a woman since “[they] get more labour rights than men”, and that a female child is a “weakness”. These views are particularly worrying for Brazil’s education system. Ignoring the country’s rising illiteracy rate and crumbling schools in the north, President Bolsonaro has vowed to rid the curriculum of “Marxist garbage”, especially gender-related discussions. As a former army captain, he wants to instil a military-like system of discipline and hierarchy into Brazilian schools, emphasising moral and civic duties.
In the days following the 2016 European Union membership referendum, the idea of arranging a second referendum, was unthinkable. Remainers accepted the result as they believed the undermining of the democratic process would be severely more dangerous than withdrawing from the EU. The idea of a no-deal Brexit has been looming since the triggering of Article 50 in 2017, but it was not until Theresa May postponed Parliament’s vote on her Brexit deal last December that the possibility of a no-deal Brexit had severely increased.
We should prevent no-deal Brexit at all costs
Now, many are of the firm belief that we should prevent nodeal Brexit at all costs – whether that entails accepting May’s deal with the European Union, arranging a people’s vote, or stopping Brexit altogether. Woefully, it is young people that will take on the burden of Brexit the most. According to a poll by Lord Ashcroft, 73% of people under 24 voted to remain in the EU. Further to this, 87% of young people who were too young to vote at the time of the referendum but old enough to vote today want to remain. It is particularly those graduating from university head-
first into a market of shrinking job prospects who stand to lose the most. Leading graduate recruiters have already begun rolling back frontiers, and with Brexit uncertainty often cited in audit reports, this comes as no surprise.
87% of young people, too young to vote at the time want to remain
As well as work opportunities, educational opportunities – the eligibility for funding through the Erasmus exchange program – which more than 200,000 UK students have participated in since its inception – will be drastically lowered at best, and eliminated at worst. The majority of young British citizens do not want to be recluse – particularly in a world of increasing interconnectedness. We want to remain linked to opportunities provided across the world, and Europe plays a significant role in that. Many are not willing to take material damage on an arbitrary perception of sovereignty and will support any viable option in opposition to a no-deal Brexit. This angle is not niche and will camouflage itself through a barrage of articles similarly arguing for common sense, though what should be apparent is not guaranteed and it is therefore imperative that we collectively denounce the most devastating outcome.
Thursday 24th January 2019 | PALATINATE
14
Politics
To govern or not to govern? Kelly Norways As the longest government shutdown in U.S history drags into its fifth week, the standoff between President Trump and Democrats over his demands for a $5.7 billion budget for a U.S-Mexico border wall shows no signs of subsiding. Democrats have little incentive to approve wall funding, polls by ABC News and the Washington Post show 53% of respondents blame Trump for the shutdown. A downturn in the economy would weaken Trump’s position. The Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates a weekly drop of GDP by 0.13%.
GDP drops by 0.13% every week of the shutdown
With nine federal departments closed, a total of 800,000 government employees are not being paid. 420,000 of them, those declared ‘essential’ in departments includ-
(The White House via Flickr)
ing the TSA and FBI, have been expected to continue working, though absenteeism has increased. The situation has produced a tense standoff between Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. After Pelosi suggested that Trump delay the annual State Union of Address, the President retaliated by announcing that the Speaker would be denied use of military aircraft for a trip to Afghanistan.
Democrats have little incentive to approve wall funding, polls show 53% blame Trump
Whilst the House has approved short-term spending bills that would lessen the shutdown the Republican Senate refuses to vote on bills lacking White House support. With the stalemate showing no signs of reaching a conclusive end, Evercore’s head of political analysis has predicted that the shutdown has a 40 percent chance of lasting until February. There have been concerns that the shutdown will affect the Super Bowl next month, as it is heavily reliant on TSA security. With the President threatening to keep the partial shutdown going for “months, or even years”, the government employees waits for a end to the gridlock that seems to be profiting neither side.
The tale of two presidents Sarina Rivlin-Sanders It has been 26 days since the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) went to the polls to choose their new president and the result is still unclear.
Already 34 people have been killed
On Sunday the DRC’s Constitutional Court declared that Felix Tshisekedi had won the poll. Tshisekedi was the leader of the main opposition party in the country, and government sources have suggested their willingness to cooperate with him to ensure a peaceful transition of power, which would be the first in 59 years since the DRC’s independence from Belgium. After years of civil war is the DRC finally on the road to peace and responsible government?
It seems unlikely to remain peaceful for long
However, independent monitoring groups, including the Catholic Church which is very influential in the DRC, have suggested votes were cast differently. The Guardian and the FT claim to have seen data suggesting that opposition candidate Martin Fayulu won around 59.4% of the vote.
(MONUSCO Photos via Flickr) Fayulu is much more an outsider then Tshisekedi. He has targeted grassroots support, lashing out at the political elites for being corrupt and far removed, which attracted many to him. Many international organisations also support his claim, including the African Union (AU), which recently broke its decades-long tradition of always supporting governments in power to openly call for the electoral commission to suspend its declaration of results. On the 21st of January Fayulu declared himself the ‘sole legitimate President-elect of the DRC’, encouraging his supporters to begin a campaign of peaceful civil disobedience, after the court ruled against him. Given the DRC’s recent his-
tory it seems unlikely to remain peaceful for long. Already 34 people have been killed in sporadic unrest following the poll, and many injured or arrested.
Macron’s government has agreed to scrap the planned increases in fuel tax and most ground-breaking of all, in his address to the nation on December 10th, Macron agreed to raise the SMIC (The French minimum wage) by €100 per month, a measure which will affect 2.6 million people. All this, from a president who had promised zero cooperation with violent protestors. Many things about the Gilet Jaunes movement are unprecedented, not least the scale and extent of the violence. The role of social media in streamlin-
ing localised protests, the mutual exclusivity of environmental policy and social policy, and the extent of the government concessions in the face of violence.
Reports suggest the internet is back online
Fayulu claims that a deal has been struck between Tshiisekedi and the ruling President Joseph Kabila to give him the victory yet both sides deny that any such deal has taken place. Reports suggest that the internet is back online, after 20 days suspension following the elections it remains to be seen if further pressures will be taken to try and stop Fayulu supporters from protesting the results.
Gilets Jaunes: A yellow guillotine Charlotte Hughes-Morgan A French man shrugged it away with ‘En France, on aime la Revolution.’ (In France, one loves the Revolution). He has a point. Fighting back against the establishment is an integral part of the French psyche. Over the last few weeks the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ (Yellow Vests) movement has brought some of the worst violence seen in decades, with 6 deaths and thousands of arrests throughout the country. Almost 90,000 police and military personnel were deployed in order to quash it.
The movement of the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ morphed into a monster of many heads
Just what is going on in France at the moment? Over an extraordinarily short period of time, the movement of the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ morphed into a monster of many heads. The ‘Gilets Jaunes’ started as individuals from rural areas protesting against a planned rise in fuel tax (the fluorescent vest
is an appropriate symbol - the ‘Gilet Jaune’ required by law to be carried in all cars in France). Their frustration stemmed from the fact that they cannot do without their cars to get to work. The Parisians have the advantage of public transport, whilst those in the countryside do not.
Some as young as 15 are protesting
In addition to this wide-ranging group, there are ‘Les casseurs’ (the thugs). These are the groups thought to be responsible for smashed windows and explosions in the streets of Lyon and Paris. Most alarmingly, these include a number of extreme political groups in France. The French Interior Minister Castanar has accused far-left and far-right groups of simply exploiting an opportunity for violent protest. Finally there are the students, some as young as 15, protesting against the recent changes to the University admissions system, which many feel goes against the French principle of equality of opportunity in education.
The discontent was undoubtedly triggered by the rise in fuel tax but underlying problems have accumulated over time. President Macron was elected on a platform of economic reform but since his election, lower and middle income families have seen a drop in household income, whilst the scrapping of the wealth tax has been seen to benefit only the richest in society. In France, the country where ‘Liberté, Egalité and Fraternité’ is still written proudly across the entrance of nursery schools, such a feeling won’t be let to lie. So, what next? Needless to say, large-scale violent protest has hit the French economy, shops and restaurants staying boarded up in central areas are losing out on business. Tourists have been put off, monuments closed, and repairing the damage with French tax-payers’ money will be no mean feat.
Repairing the damage will be no mean feat
In response to the latest and most violent protests in the capital,
The demands have become impossible to ignore
Gone are the days when France’s leaders disappeared to Versailles and hoped the people got bored of giving up their weekends to protest. Clearly, the demands have become impossible to ignore.
(Jeanne Menjoulet via Flickr)
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
15
How secure is the Council? Isabella Chalmers-Arnold The UN can be intimidating. This is especially true for the UN Security Council, the most powerful and controversial of all the UN bodies.
What is it?
The Security Council offers a platform for countries to debate international military action and issue binding resolutions, permtting states with severe political and economic differences to work together on the most pressing global problems. Some of their peacekeeping efforts have stabilised countries engulfed in conflict and provided accountability to states that subvert international law. However, whether the Council fulfils its very concept, to be a protector of security and peace,
can be debated. Ten of the fifteen members alternate every two years and the other five permanent members have the right to veto which can alone completely overrule resolutions. There is little accountability or public say; power is retained in what were once the world’s most dominant states.
Who is in the Council?
The composition of the council has been largely unchanged since 1971, when the People’s Republic of China took up the permanent position. Unsurprisingly, the body is still entrenched in Cold War ideology. Moreover, the vetoes show how Russia and China seem to work together to block resolutions in areas such as the Middle East and reports of genocide. This makes the Coun-
cil appear as a playground for national ideology politics, rather than a means of securing peace.
Politics
FEATURE
The United Nations
Why is it controversial?
The Council has been criticised for its lack of effective intervention. The Rwandan genocide of 1994, defeats in the Balkans war and allegations of UN peacekeepers assaulting the people they should protect all put doubt in the Council’s effectiveness. We can kid ourselves that the Council is harmonious and works as efficiently but the national politics of the permanent members cause conflict. It limits the progressive nature of the body and engulfs it in controversy. This institution has great powers and little accountability. We should all be active in questioning the state of the Council and its role.
A month in the life of the Security Council
Zoe Haylock At a press conference on 2nd January, José Singer of the Dominican Republic outlined his plans for the Security Council in January, under his country’s presidency emphasizing the guiding principles of peace, social justice and the rule of law. The meetings in January include several discussions surrounding the various conflictridden regions in the world today.
2.6 million are internationally displaced
These began with a briefing on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) where a special representative declared that political turbulence was still a threat to progress. Somalia’s humanitarian crisis is amongst the most complex in the world, and despite improvements to general conditions over the past year, 4.2
million people are still in need of assistance - out of which two-thirds are children; 1.5 million people are food insecure at crisis or emergency levels; and 2.6 million are internally displaced. This comes largely as a result of above-average rains. This was followed by a meeting to discuss the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been at the centre of what many observers refer to as ‘Africa’s world war’. DRC also recently held another controversial presidential election that is under international scrutiny. Next, the council held a briefing on the United Nations Office for West Africa and Sahel (UNOWAS) on the 10th of January, as several elections are due to take place in the region in 2019- such as the high stakes elections in Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritania and Benin. It was agreed that the respect for human rights would be essential for the success of those elections and for safeguarding stability. An open debate on the Mid(Versello via Flickr)
dle East was held on 15th of January, as the region continues to witness several conflicts and civil wars such as in Syria, Yemen, Israel-Palestine and Iraq.
Tensions remain a threat to peace despite UN action
On 16th January, the Security Council was briefed on the situation in Mali, where the security situation continues to be a growing concern with the attacks against civilians, representatives from local, regional and State institutions, as well as national, international and United nations security forces, and communal violence. The Council had a discussion on Sudan on 17th January, where it debated the future of sanctions imposed on Sudan over thirteen years ago, and the worrying persistence of sexual violence in the region.
Climate change has gained the status of ‘global-security threat’
Finally, the Security Council is scheduled to discuss the situation in Cyprus on 17th January where tensions between the Greek and Turkish populations remain a threat to peace despite prior UN intervention. A high-level Council debate on climate change will be held on 25th January. Climate change has gradually gained the status of a global security threat, and concern is particularly high in the Caribbean region, where the very existence of many countries is at risk.
Killing for peace Leo Barnes Since the inception of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in 1948, the UN has launched more than seventy peacekeeping operations to monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas around the world. Currently, more than 110,000 military, police, and civilian staff are engaged in active peacekeeping missions aiming to create stability through confidencebuilding measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development. At present there are fourteen active peacekeeping missions, primarily in two regions: The Middle East and Africa. Currently in the former there is four peacekeeping missions, including operations in Lebanon and Cyprus. The seven missions in Africa are largely directed towards managing the fallout from the Sudanese Civil War and the continuing instability of the Central African Republic. However, the future of the UN peacekeeping operations is in jeopardy due to financial instability. Earlier this month a report by ‘The Defence Post’ highlighted how the UN’s current cash balances cover less than two months of operations; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote: ‘Active peacekeeping missions are soon expected to face liquidity gaps due to late payments and increasing arrears’. Whilst the United States was the highest contributor in 2018
(MONUSCO Photos via Flickr) (28.47%) towards peacekeeping operations, a proposal for increased UN financing for African Union led missions has met with strong resistance from the US.
110,000 are involved in peace-keeping missions
The debate regarding the efficacy of the UN’s Peacekeeping Operations will likely continue with little prospect of a conclusive consensus, however, in a current international political climate that is witnessing the rise of right-wing populism, the proliferation of terror networks and the fragility of cooperative multilateralism, UN peacekeeping operations could become a far more important element of the maintaining international order than we had previously recognised.
REALITY CHECK? For sources on this and all our articles please see our online editions at www.palatinate.org.uk
16
Thursday 24th January 2019 | PALATINATE
SciTech
A cosmic carcrash... in 2.4 billion years
Frances Rigby The Milky Way is set for a collision with a nearby galaxy that could eject the Solar System from the Milky Way, new research shows. Astrophysicists from Durham University predict that the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a nearby galaxy, could collide with our own in 2.4 billion years, approximately 6 billion years sooner than the expected impact with the Andromeda galaxy.
A nearby galaxy could collide with our own in 2.4 billion years The LMC orbits the Milky Way at 163,000 lightyears. Until recently it was predicted that it would either stay in orbit for many billions of years or escape from the Milky Way’s gravitational pull. Scientists now say that the LMC is rapidly losing energy and spiralling in towards the Milky Way. The galaxy was discovered to contain
twice the amount of dark matter and hence have a higher mass than previously thought. Simulations were used to predict how the outcome of the merger will affect the Milky Way. This technology, looks at similar mergers that have already occurred in order to predict how the Milky Way will change. The research shows that the dormant black hole that lies in the centre of our galaxy will be awakened by this collision, causing it to increase in size by up to eight times. The lead author Dr Marius Catun, a postdoctoral fellow in Durham University’s Institute for Computational Cosmology said: “The destruction of the Large Magellanic Cloud, as it is devoured by the Milky Way, will wreak havoc with our galaxy, waking up the black hole that lives at its centre and turning our galaxy into an ‘active galactic nucleus’ or quasar. “This phenomenon will generate powerful jets of high energy radiation emanating from just outside the black hole. While this will
mass upon merging with the LMC is expected to develop the Milky Way into a truly standard spiral galaxy.
There is a small chance that we might not escape unscathed from the collision
not affect our Solar System, there is a small chance that we might not escape unscathed from the collision between the two galaxies which could knock us out of the Milky Way and into interstellar space.” The Milky Way is not thought to be a typical spiral galaxy but the collision with the LMC could rec-
The Large Magellanic Cloud (NASA) tify this, according to the researchers. The abnormalities stem from the undersized central black hole and the below-average metallicity of the stellar halo - a measure of the amount of elements heavier than helium in the population of stars that surround the spiral of our galaxy. An increase in stellar halo metallicity and black hole
One Giant Step for China’s Space Program Moon’s slow rotation), subjecting the seedlings to temperatures of -50ºC, killing them.
Ewan Jones Scitech Editor On 3rd January, China successfully landed a spacecraft on the far side of the Moon, becoming the first country in history to do so.
Scientists working on Chang’e 4 gave the craft a 50% chance of making a successful landing
Chang’e 4 is named after the ancient Chinese moon goddess Chang’e 4, named after the ancient Chinese moon goddess, is China’s fourth mission to the moon. Its successful landing in the face of myriad issues will enable it to undertake tasks including growing plants, and shedding light on the previously untouched far side of our planet’s pockmarked neighbour. But why does the Moon even have a constant far side, and what challenges does this new frontier pose? The Moon is ‘tidally locked’ to Earth, with its rotation having been slowed down over billions of years until its rotation matched that of Earth, causing us to only ever see one side. The far side of the Moon is especially challenging to explore because of the difficulties involved
(Martin Cathrae via Flickr) in radio transmission with Earth from the far side. Direct communication is impossible with the Moon’s mass in-between us and the lander. To address the issue a second craft, the Queqiao relay satellite, has been placed in an irregular orbit around the moon. Scientists working on Chang’e 4 gave the craft just a 50% chance of making a successful landing, citing difficulties in communication and motor control as possible factors. Luckily the landing was flawless. In a few recent rollercoaster days, cotton plants on board
Chang’e germinated, becoming the first plants to ever do so on the lunar surface.
Direct communication is impossible with the moon’s mass between us and the lander However, the day after this fascinating news, the lander ran out of power after a prolonged absence of sunlight (the solar-powered Chang’e will see a day/night cycle of 2 weeks each due to the
Simple germination is still a phenomenal step forward for lunar biology, setting a precedent for similar experiments in the future. Chang’e is also exploring the lunar surface, sending back images and geological information. Chang’e is also ‘listening to the Universe’ via the Queqiao’s sensitive recording technology. Having the Moon between it and the Earth allows Chang’e to have an unfettered view of the cosmos. Chang’e’s success has bolstered China’s space program, with a statement from China confirming that they will attempt to land yet another lander, Chang’e 5. Other countries must either follow in China’s footsteps or strive to overtake in the future in order to remain relevant in the present-day space race.
Co-author Dr. Alis Deason, of Durham University’s Institute for Computational Cosmology, said: “We think that up to now our galaxy has had only a few mergers with very low mass galaxies. This represents very slim pickings when compared to nearby galaxies of the same size as the Milky Way. For example, our nearest neighbour, the Andromeda galaxy, devoured galaxies weighing nearly 30 times more than those consumed by the Milky Way.” “Therefore, the collision with the Large Magellanic Cloud is long overdue and it is needed to make our galaxy typical.”
Reader’s Scigest Daisy Balmont An Engineer at Durham has helped develop a computational method for simulating wind in order to improve accuracy of shortterm wind-power forecasting in wind farms. Using a Random Forest learning method (a combination of predictive algorithms) on historical data, the group successfully trained a model to predict short-term wind power. The model performed significantly better than its predecessors, and can be used to improve efficiency of daily operation. Elsewhere, researchers from Durham investigated behaviour in the workplace and how it changes when different ‘Situation Contingencies’ (personalilty traits, specifically conscientiousness and neuroticism) are present in individuals. The study observed 124 managers before, during, and after performing a range of different tasks over the course of 2 years, with their performance rated. It found that managers were more highly rated when 3 of the 6 situation contingencies were present, providing the first evidence of the predictive validity for situation contingencies. ’.
Thursday 24th January 2019 | PALATINATE
18
Sport
La Liga: A season full of surprises
Barcelona five points clear after nineteen games and Real Madrid lost as many games as they did last season Ben Fleming With Christmas and New Year over, football fans can now get back to watching copious hours of football without feeling guilty that they should be spending time with their families. Many British football fans will have their eyes focused on the captivating title race ensuing between Liverpool and Manchester City.
Costa’s return from injury will provide some help for Antoine Griezmann However, whilst not currently being able to provide such a compelling title race, La Liga sits halfway through a very intriguing season, which football fans would be foolish to miss out on. Barcelona are champions in waiting and look favourites to retain the league title given that they are five points clear of their nearest challengers, Atlético Madrid, and have taken maximum points out of their last six games (at the time of writing). Their season has been spearheaded quite superbly by the goal scoring exploits of Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez who boast thirty- one combined league goals, which is more than any team in the league except Sevilla and Celta Vigo.
Only time will tell if Real Madrid can recover their form The signing of promising central midfielder Arthur, from Brazilian side Grêmio, has been an overwhelming success, with many seeing him as the
successor to club legend, Xavi. The only possible negative to Barcelona’s season has been the form of club record signing, Phillipe Coutinho. The Brazilian playmaker has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Barcelona side and thus has managed to rack up a meagre four goals and two assists in ten games. The later rounds of the continental competition could provide opportunities for other teams to beat Barcelona, given they will inevitably rotate their side, but it would seem unlikely that anybody will surpass the Catalan giants as they bid for their twenty-sixth La Liga title. If they were to slip up, Barcelona’s closest rivals are Atlético Madrid, led by Diego Simeone. As has been the case since the beginning of the Argentinian’s tenure, Atlético have been hard to beat in their well organised 4-4-2 formation. They have conceded a leaguelow thirteen goals and have only lost one game but have struggled to score enough goals and find themselves five points behind Barcelona.
The mid-table battle in La Liga is particularly interesting Diego Costa’s return from injury will provide some help for Antoine Griezmann, who has scored Atlético’s last six goals. Investment in a striker in the January transfer window would be welcome to Atlético’s title bid, but would seem unlikely given Atlético have rarely made January transfers signings under Simeone. One of the biggest surprises of the season has been the poor form of the European champions, Real Madrid.
The Camp Nou has seen nineteen league title lifted since it opened in 1957 (Mutari via Wikimedia Commons)
After the shock resignation of Zidane, Spanish national team coach, Julen Lopetegui, was brought in to lead Los Blancos. Over the summer, they lost their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, and they have struggled to fill the void left by the Portuguese striker.
The tide of a season can be changed after just a few good results The last team to look at is the struggling Villareal, who despite finishing fifth last season,
Ed Lord Deputy Sports Editor It looks like for the first time since the 2013/14 season, the Premier league has a title race on its hands. Many would have been forgiven for assuming that Man City would run away with the league for the second year in a row, having added £60m Mahrez to their already world class squad in the summer transfer window.
La Liga sits halfway through a very intriguing season They have only scored twentyeight goals and their top scorer is Karim Benzema, with seven. Lopetegui has already been replaced by Solari and the new manager has struggled to find a settled formation, or starting XI, meaning Real’s form has not managed to improve greatly. In their most recent game against Real Betis, Solari played five in defence, and despite winning 2-1, only had twenty- six percent possession (their lowest since 2012 against Barcelona). Only time will tell if Real Madrid can recover their form but without a reliable formation and goal scorer, it looks set to be a disappointing year. The final team making up the top five is Alavés, who have surpassed all odds to leave them with aspirations of continental qualification heading into the second half of the season. The Basque team finished fourteenth last season but an incredible unbeaten run at home with victories over Valencia and Real Madrid mean that they are comfortably in fifth place and only one point behind Real Madrid and Champions League qualification. Only time will tell if they can sustain such form, but continental qualification for a team of the size of Alavés would be a remarkable achievement. The mid-table battle in La Liga is particularly interesting given that only six points separate sixth and sixteenth position. One of those teams stuck in the battle is the under-performing Valencia, after only four wins and eleven draws - leaving manager Marcelino clinging onto his job. They are into the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey but Marcelino may be replaced if results don’t improve in the league, especially given that they finished fourth last season.
First real title in years?
This is most definitely a one horse race
Karim Benzema is Real’s Top Scorer (Chris Deahr Via Wikimedia Commons)
find themselves in nineteenth, four points from safety. Despite promising young talent in Fornals and Chukwueze starting alongside seasoned veterans in Iborra and Santi Cazorla, Villareal have struggled this season. They have struggled to replace key players such as Bakambu and Mussachio who departed for China and AC Milan respectively. They have also missed the presence of ball winning midfielder Bruno in the middle of the park.
“
Real’s form has not managed to improve greatly
” Javier Calleja was replaced before Christmas by Luis García, but results have not improved. Fans have commented on a lack of intensity. It remains to be seen if Villareal will improve their form, but on paper their squad is far too strong to be involved in a relegation battle and questions will be asked if they do go down. Needless to say, La Liga this season is one not be missed. Whilst it may not boast the same array of top-tier teams that the Premier League does, the gulf between the top and bottom is far smaller. The tide of a season can be changed after just a few good results.
But a poor run of form in December, in which they lost to Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester, see them sitting four points behind leaders Liverpool (at the time of writing). Up until January, Liverpool looked clear favourites as they went unbeaten in their first twenty games, scoring fortyeight goals, and conceding only eight in the process. However, they lost 2-1 to City in the ‘Premier League Final’ on the 4th January, making sure that a title race was well and truly on. Since then, Liverpool ground out a 1-0 win over Brighton in an ugly performance, that they have been unable to master in previous seasons, whereas City impressively beat a decent Wolves side aside in a 3-0 win. With key players AlexanderArnold, Wijnaldum, Gomez, Matip and Dejan Lovren on Liverpool’s injury table, the pressure seems to be mounting up on the Reds. They will need to rely on the experience of players like James Milner and the ability of their key players such as Alisson, Virgil Van Dijk and Mohammed Salah if they are going to end the long twenty-eight year wait the club has had for a league title.
A title race is on its hands City, who are really starting to gain their swagger again, are gathering momentum though – but it is still out of their hands, and Liverpool’s to lose. The only thing one can predict, when looking at the table right now, is that we are about to get one of the best title races in Premier League history. A special mention must, of course, go to Spurs – who, in the most Tottenham way imaginable, dropped out of the title race a mere three days after joining it, after defeat to Wolves. Now, with an injury to Harry Kane and Son Heung-min leaving for the Asian Cup, I think it’s safe to say that this is most definitely a two horse race.
PALATINATE | Thursday 24th January 2019
19
Murray: The man who changed tennis
Sport
After Andy Murray’s shock announcement that he’s to retire, Sport reflect on his remarkable career and how he changed the game Doubles specialist Bob Byran has backed Andy Murray to come back from hip surgery and resume his career at the highest level. He stated “I personally don’t underestimate Andy Murray. You look at the great workers in history; Lendl, Courier and Roddick. This guy is maybe even a step up from those guys. I think he could do it.” Whether Murray continues his career in tennis or not, his announcement naturally prompted among friends and admirers a rose-tinted tribute to the man who defied what anyone thought possible of a shy, awkward and gangly boy from the streets of Dunblane.
Murray has become a the figurehead and inspiration of a new generation
(E01 via Flickr)
Finlay Smart Deputy Sport Editor Forty-five ATP Tour singles titles, three Grand Slams and two Olympic gold medals later, and it looks as if the curtain is finally closing on the long and remarkable career of one of Britain’s most well-liked and successful sportsmen.
He has also spearheaded British success in the prestigious Davis Cup
His eighteen-month battle with recurring hip and shoulder injuries has seen Murray slide to three-hundred and seventyfifth in the world rankings.
Bob Byran has backed Andy Murray to come back from hip surgery Having been knocked out of the Australian Open after losing in the first round to world number twenty-four Roberto Batista Agut, Murray regrettably, and somewhat emotionally, acknowledged that
he might have just played his last competitive game of tennis. However, anyone who has been lucky enough to watch Murray over the years will be more than aware of his perseverance and tenacity in the face of adversity. Whilst Murray himself has still maintained his desire to end his career with one final appearance in front of the adoring crowds at Wimbledon, his friends and colleagues around the Tour have insisted that Murray’s career, should he wish to undertake surgery, could be anything but over.
Not only has the former World Number One and three-time Grand Slam champion enjoyed over a decade of individual success at the elite level of men’s tennis, but he has also spearheaded British success in the prestigious Davis Cup. During the 2015 campaign, the Scot won eleven of Britain’s twelve points; in fact, never has the phrase ‘one-man team’ been so appropriate.
And so the career of one of Britain’s most beloved sportsmen draws to a close As a result, Murray has become the figurehead and inspiration of a new generation of young British tennis players. The rise of the likes of Kyle Edmund and Johana Konta both owe much to the path Murray paved,
even if the Scot does leave behind shoes too big for either to fill. “Thinking fundamentally about our sport without him, particularly at home, is almost a little bit unimaginable”, said Konta. Indeed, the esteem in which Murray is held owes much to the support for women and the women’s game that Murray has cultivated and encouraged over the years. Konta added, “there have been many examples of when he has stood up for us – not just for women’s tennis but for women in general”. As an American journalist gushingly congratulated Sam Querrey on his status as the “first American player” to reach a Wimbledon Semi Final in eight years, Murray could be heard interjecting, deadpan, not once but twice with the words “male player”.
The man who defied what anyone thought possible And so as the career of one of Britain’s most beloved sportsmen draws to a close, we look forward to what the future holds for a man who has, since the age of three, known nothing but the game of tennis. As Billie Jean King proclaimed, “your impact on the world may be yet to come. Your voice for equality will inspire future generations”.
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“There is undoubted quality outside the Football League” ...continued from the back page ...relations are incredibly strong at non-league level. Players, managers and other club staff, mix with fans in clubhouses and stadium bars and are open to answering supporters’ questions. Prices are fair, and are usually discounted for season ticket holders, whilst there’s also none of the secrecy, undisclosed transfer fees and limited supporter-club interaction which has become so common in the professional game over the last few decades. With fans and their clubs united, non-league clubs boast vociferous support which belies their low attendances. In comparison, English professional football’s supporter
culture – dogged by hooliganism on one hand and the sterile atmospheres of ultra-modern stadia on the other – is a mere shadow of its former self. At non-league clubs such as Dulwich Hamlet, Clapton FC and FC United of Manchester, ninety-ninety atmospheres (90% of supporters singing for 90% of the time). Inflamed by pyro-donning supporters and invigorated by passion and pride ensure that terrace culture remains alive and kicking at non-league level. With seating and standing often unrestricted, fans of different clubs can interact with each other face to face and foster friendly rivalries which resist the animosity and violence that footballing
rivalries can aggravate elsewhere. In a sentence, what non-league football does best is optimise the supporter experience. Though the facilities and quality of play may be lower than in the professional game, that’s an unavoidable reality when everyone involved is part-time and anyway, that’s part of the beauty. Non-league football is salt of the earth football played, ran and supported by salt of the earth people. In its openness and honesty it is far closer to the game we all fell in love with as children kicking a ball about on the streets with our mates than the gaudy, sterile and airbrushed television programme which the modern professional game has become.
Perhaps in that blissful authenticity lie lessons which professional clubs and governing bodies could learn. They could put what was once the working
man’s game back into the hands of the people who made it as it is today: rather than for the broadcaster and the shareholder.
Barnet FC play their games in the Conference Premier (Kafuffle via Wikipedia)
Sport
Thursday 24h January 2019 | PALATINATE
Andy Murray Palatinate reviews how the Great British Tennis superstar is coming to the end of his magnificent career (page 19)
La Liga: a season full of surprises Real Madrid still struggling, and Barcelona five points clear, have they got it wrapped up, and how is the rest of the table shaping up? (page 18)
What can we learn from nonleague football? Tim Sigsworth Deputy Sports Editor
▲ Claudia MacDonald showing off her skills that are taking her to the top level of English Rugby (Grace Besmond)
Twenty-eight professional contracts offered to female English rugby stars
The program is the first of its kind to be offered to women in the fifteens game by the Rugby Football Union and hopes to accelerate the development of a female rugby pathway
Alana Ker Mercer Deputy Sports Editor England Rugby have announced a ‘game-changing’ twenty-eight full-time contracts to be awarded to female athletes. This program is the first of its kind to be granted to women in the fifteens game by the Rugby Football Union. The introduction of full-time contracts is aimed to accelerate the development of a female rugby pathway, whilst rewarding those already performing at an elite level for the hard work and effort in previous performance. Previous success has seen England Women’s Rugby defeat Ireland twice within the Quilter
Internationals. As well as this, they enjoyed a strong tally of wins within the six nations and dominance within the Woman’s World Cup, narrowly losing 41-32 to New Zealand in the final back in 2017. Tilly Kidd, Club Captain of DUWRFC, speaks of how the contracts are “a testament to the spirit” that exists within woman’s rugby right down to the grassroots. She went on to further praise the move, stating that it is “sending a message that aspiring players can now view rugby as a real pathway for female athletes’. Durham itself boasts to hold the largest university woman’s rugby programme in the UK. They hold three strong Team
Durham squads and thirteen college teams, often supporting players competing at the top level in international sides. A mix of new and experienced players, and their commitment to the community in the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, has built a club of unrivalled success and ambition. This has been capitalised with the announcement of their upcoming charity match on 30th January. So far this season, the Women’s First XV have completed a 3410 win over rivals Northumbria, thrashings of Loughborough and Birmingham 69-0 and 78-0 respectively, and now hold a position as the only undefeated team in the BUCS premier league. Verification of the strength
of DUWRFC is that of Claudia MacDonald, a recent graduate who only last season captained the Women’s first XV. Claudia now competes for London Wasps woman’s rugby side, whilst being among one of seven who has been offered an ‘elite player’ position. Claudia will attend camps and England training alongside those of the twenty-eight on full-time contracts, gaining experience and involvement in anticipation for her future development. This is an incredible achievement which will hopefully lead Claudia towards the full-time profession in future years, as she is part of a generation of Female Rugby players set on expanding the English game.
Often wrongly associated with the stereotypes of Sunday League, non-league football has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance in recent years due to the spiralling prices of top-level football. Granted, there are teams whose forward line consists of a ‘target man’ who loves nothing more than to chew the ref’s ear off for ninety minutes, but these stereotypes become blatant misconceptions when applied to the entirety of semi-professional football. After all, there is undoubted quality outside the Football League. Jamie Vardy, Charlie Austin, Michail Antonio and Yannick Bolasie all started their careers in non-league. More recently, Lewis Wing has made the step-up from working in a warehouse whilst at ninth-tier AFC Shildon to being one of Championship side Middlesbrough’s most creative players. However, players aren’t the only thing which the professional game should take from non-league. One of the main strengths of the non-league game is its affordability. At a time when professional clubs’ incomes rise year-on-year through multi-billion-pound television deals and ridiculously diversified commercial activities, savings are rarely passed on to their supporters (or customers, as they are becoming increasingly known as). In contrast, without the diverse array of financial inflows seen in the professional game, non-league clubs depend on their supporters to a greater extent. Out of this dependency emerges a symbiotic relationship where supporters and clubs work together for mutual benefit. On the one hand, supporters are often more directly involved with their club. Whether it be by volunteering on matchdays, assisting with ground maintenance or organising fundraising drives, they’re in it for the long haul and provide their clubs with vital support. In essence, supporter-club... Continued on page 19