Palatinate 821

Palatinate Officially the UK’s Best Student Publication, 2018

Thursday 31st October 2019 | No. 821

Interview talks to Alistair Petrie and Mark Gatiss

Durham employs half as many BAME staff as Russell Group average Tom Mitchell & Tom Saunders News Team Data seen by Palatinate reveals that Durham University employs fewer BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) staff than other top UK universities.

For the 2017/18 academic year, whilst 14% of academics were BAME, 2.1% below the Russel Group average, this number fell to 7% when accounting for all staff, compared to an average of 13.7% across other elite universities.

This is despite the fact that 23% of all applications to jobs at Durham came from BAME candidates in the third quarter of 2018, rising to 26.6%in the previous quarter of this year.

Palatinate spoke to Dr Winston Morgan, reader in Toxicology and Clinical Biochemistry at the University of East London, and author of “Why is my professor still not black?”

Dr Morgan raised concerns that a lack of BAME staff could dissuade prospective BAME undergraduates from applying to the University: “If BAME students go on an open day and see BAME staff, they’re more likely to want to go”.

But he added: “It’s even more important for white students. If you’re training world leaders, then you need to get used to seeing BAME staff in positions of authority”.

“Even though [the University] are embarrassed by it, they don’t know why they’re embarrassed.

There’s a whole different issue they don’t even realise.”

Nailah Haque, President of Durham People of Colour Association (DPoCA), also expressed concern: “There isn’t a large BAME community here , which...

Continued on page 6

www.palatinate.org.uk | FREE

Comment covers Durham expansion, XR and catcalling

Matthew Hedges: “Nothing has changed, things have probably gotten worse” Anna Marshall Deputy News Editor Almost a year since he was pardoned by UAE authorities after being sentenced to life imprisonment, Matthew Hedges has called for universities to ensure better provisions are in place for travelling academics.

After embarking on a two-week research trip to the UAE last year as a Hatfield College PhD candidate, Hedges spent almost seven months in solitary confinement after being accused of spying on behalf of the British government.

“I’m trying to get myself back to a better place,” Hedges told Palatinate, “and that is obviously quite difficult. It has its

ups and downs. I am teaching in Durham every Monday, which I like getting involved in. I’ve finished my research. I’m on my last draft - I’m giving that in soon, so I should be finishing in January.”

Further opening up about the difficulties he has faced following release, Hedges states: “It’s quite difficult to make people understand. Because it’s so unrelat-

able, it’s so difficult. How are you supposed to be able to understand that? It is quite difficult. People try and support you, in those different ways, but it’s not always successful.

“It’s been a year since I got back, but I haven’t started [mental health] treatment yet. The NHS is quite...

Continued on page 5

In their words: Students on taking study drugs Naomi Clarke, Oscar Elmon & Jack Taylor News Editor & Editors-in-Chief

▲ Hatfield’s new lioness sculpture. (Naomi Clarke)

Many students are seeking alternative boosts to deal with academic pressure, lack of concentration and tiredness.

Be that a coffee, the infamous 20-minute power nap or the rarely discussed ‘study drugs’.

‘Study drugs’ are those substances taken by people in hope of increasing concentration and alertness. The Durham University students that spoke with Palatinate have taken Modafinil, Adderall and Ritalin.

The most used ‘study drug’ amongst students Palatinate spoke with was Modafinil, usually prescribed to treat narcolepsy or sleep apnoea.

A current Durham 3rd year told Palatinate: “We are all trying to reach the best of our potential, and as adults we are entitled to do that in the way that we see as most beneficial - for some people it might be a triple shot latte on the way to the library, for others it’s taking a Modafinil when they feel their focus slipping.

“University is a lot of pressure a lot of the time, and especially when you take part

in extra-curricular activities on top of your degree, the need to utilise your time effectively is very real. I wouldn’t have got a first without the all-nighters I pulled throughout the year, and I wouldn’t have been able to do them without Modafinil.”

Some students admitted to buying ‘study drugs’ from other people, whilst others actually had a prescription.

A philosophy postgraduate told Palatinate: “I first tried Modafinil during exam season in first year.

I later also tried Armodafinil, Ritalin and Dextroamphetamine.

“I’ve only used Ritalin once, as it is rather hard to get by, but definitely the best one. I would do Modafinil or Armodafinil more frequently, but mainly when it came to pulling an allnighter or during exam period.

Most students affirmed that pressure came mainly from themselves, but that academic deadlines and stress added to their situation.

A Classics graduate of 2019 spoke of the pressure: “I think it came from myself mainly but that was in response to the University and the department- some deadlines were so close together.”

Sam Johnson-Audini, The Students’ Union...

Continued on page 3

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Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

Editorial

Four weeks feels like a year

A

wave of stress seems to have flowed into my friendship groups as term gets close to halfway done. Graduate schemes, editing Palatinate, essays, seminars, my dissertation and trying to have a social life have all left me pushed for time.

I’ve attempted to solve this by spending less time in bed, avoiding washing up (sorry Calum and Ollie!) and sometimes just ignoring the fact I have things to do.

Like most people, I’m trying to find the correct balance of my time in Durham, but I think this time next year I’ll miss being so busy. Just months ago I was complaining to my parents about being bored, stuck in a field in Somerset for summer.

Summer feels like years ago after only 4 weeks of going to lectures That feels like years ago after only 4 weeks of going to lectures. Since coming back from Somerset, via a week working in London, we’ve already published three editions of Palatinate, hired over ten new Editors and published over 100 articles. I’ve technically been Editor-in-Chief now for five months but every single day I seem to learn something new. I’m hoping the next two terms are as good as the past 4 weeks.

To those that see joining Palatinate as out of reach, please don’t! Every single person on our Editorial Board is a fellow student, most without any previous experience.

Personally, I started out writing for the Politics section at the

end of first year. I wanted to do more with my degree so applied to become Deputy Politics Editor.

Getting involved as Deputy introduced me to the inner workings, which is basically our equipped office in the SU and a team of dedicated students. From Politics I moved to editing the Comment section, pages 7 to 9 of this edition, until the end of Michaelmas Term 2018.

By this point I wanted to get more involved and wanted to write more. I was successful in applying to become News Editor and continued until the end of my second year.

It was after a year within Palatinate that I found myself wanting to pass on everything I had learnt to the next year group of student journalists. After exams had finished, I went for Editorin-Chief and, as they might now regret, the Editorial Board voted me in.

We have much planned for the next year - keep an eye out on our social media pages for updates to come.

In this edition, we have been speaking to students that take ‘study drugs’ in order to improve their focus when working. Personally, I stick to caffeine when pulling an all-nighter, of which there have been a few over the years, but I can see why people take the decision to use ‘study drugs’.

ever, that more could be done to advertise the issues with taking ‘study drugs’. One student we spoke to noted that Modafinil can “throw you totally out of any sleep pattern, so people end up crashing and burning.”

I’ll stick to a strong coffee and numerous trips to get through my next all nighter, possible now with a 24 hour Bill Bryson.

Profile and Politics notably features Brexit in this edition. Simon Hoare MP, Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, sits down with Profile to discuss Ireland’s place in Brexit, whilst our Politics Editor Jack Parker provides an update on all things Brexit. Bear in mind this was written on Tuesday evening as the election was announced and might have changed since!

We’ve actually had to remove a page of Scitech in this edition in order to fit an advertisement. Do keep an eye online for those articles to come out in the coming days. I know Hannah and Ewan would want to you read them.

As always, do get involved with Palatinate if you have an idea for an article. On this page are the emails for every section, and our Editors would be more than happy to accept pitches from any Durham student.

Inside 819 News pages 3-6 Comment pages 7-9 Profile pages 10-11 SciTech page 12 Politics pages 14-16 Sport pages 18-20

indigo

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

Find us on social media

Jack Taylor

I’ll stick to a strong coffee and numerous trips to get through my next all nighter Choosing to take anything is a personal choice and comes down to the individual. I do think, how-

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

FASHION: Fashion look at the significance of Rihanna’s recent Vogue cover and its impact on diversity in fashion.

FOOD AND DRINK:

NEWS FEATURE:

NEWS:

Charlie Wilson shares her experience of living, cooking and eating as a vegan in Durham.

Durham Student Theatre’s official venue, the Assembly Rooms, has reopened after a £2.4 million refurbishment.

An auction of excess stones from Durham Cathedral raised over £125,000.

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Oscar Elmon & Jack Taylor editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editors Jamima Westermann & Tom Mitchell deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Naomi Clarke & Will Hutchings news@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Emma Lucia Felisi, Joshua Hurn & Tom Saunders deputy.news@palatinate.org.uk Investigations Editor Toby Dungan-Cross investigations@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editor Natasha Livingstone comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editors Jacob Whitehead & Lauren Naughton Profile Editors Philipa Murrison & Alexandra Beste profile@palatinate.org.uk Science & Technology Editors Ewan Jones & Hannah Goldswain scitech@palatinate.org.uk Politics Editors Katie Fraser & Jack Parker politics@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Politics Editor Chloe Sutton Sport Editor Tim Sigsworth & Tomas Hill LopezMenchero sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Alana Ker Mercer & Hector Pearce Indigo Editor Shauna Lewis indigo@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Indigo Editor Imogen Usherwood Features Editor Kleopatra Olympiou features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editor Mary Bradshaw deputy.features@palatinate.org.uk Food & Drink Editors Imogen Higgins & Elle WoodsMarshall food@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Molly Goetzee fashion@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Fashion Editors Freya Ellingsen & Hugo Millard Film & Television Editor Madeleine Strom & Aadira Parakkatt film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editor Martha Wrench stages@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Stage Editor Gabriella Sills Music Editors Theo Golden & Matthew Prudham music@palatinate.org.uk Books Editors Lotte Hall & Clara Knight books@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor Abir Mishra travel@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Travel Editor Alex Bicknell-Cummings Interview Editors Kiara Davies & Rachael Brown Chief Sub-Editor Alex Leggatt Sub-Editors Alice Latham, Juliette Holland & Lizzie Murrall Photography Editors Mark Norton photography@palatinate.org.uk Illustrations Editor Nayva Lobo illustration@palatinate.org.uk Website Administrator Calum Johnston Advertising Officer Oliver Henry oliver.advertising@palatinate.org.uk Social Media Officers Connie Castle

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

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PALATINATE | Thursday 31st October 2019

News

“I wouldn’t have achieved a 2:1 without modafinil”

A month has passed since Freshers’ Week and Michaelmas term is very much under way. I hope you have settled into lectures, made the most of the opportunities that the start of the academic year brings and, if you’re new to Durham, begun to feel a part of our community.

Community is something I have been thinking about a lot this week.

Amelia, your Welfare and Liberation Officer, has launched her ‘Bursting the Bubble’ campaign, which challenges us to think beyond stereotypes about what it means to be a Durham student. Last week I presented the SU’s new Community Engagement Strategy to a group of representatives from the local area, and was so pleased to get a warm, enthusiastic response. We’ve also been reminding you to register to vote. You need to register in order to get a say in who represents you in parliament, which is fundamental to the future of communities across the region, and across the country.

Looking ahead, there are challenges to our communities on the horizon that the Officer team and I have been preparing for. Our eventual, potential, exit from the European Union has uncertain implications for some of our staff and students, and I have had success in pushing for clearer communication about the support available from the University. Some members of staff are currently being balloted over possible strike action, due to a dispute over fair pay and pensions. I know that we as students care deeply about the fair treatment of our librarians, lecturers and support staff, and we have already started conversations with UCU to ensure that we work together to make Durham a better place for all in our community.

And lastly, as deadlines get closer and the weather gets a little less welcoming, remember that Kingsgate Café is now open for business on B Level – I would recommend the vegan cake!

Continued from font Sam Johnson-Audini, The Students’ Union Undergraduate Academic Officer, reacted to Palatinate’s findings: “An academic environment in which some students feel the need to take study drugs, despite the risks associated with these substances, is an environment which is not taking into account the needs of all students.

“As part of my priorities this year, I am working to make sure that the model of academia at Durham is more reflective of the reality of student life and takes into account the complexities of wellbeing in an academic context.

“Durham University needs to consider using a variety of assessment methods” “Durham University needs to consider using a variety of assessment methods, which are inclusive of students’ experiences, and complement these with a student support system that allows students to access necessary adjustments and help when they need them.”

second year.”

In a survey across 35 countries, 29.9% of participants had taken cognitive enhancers The student explained how they had sought academic help but stated: “It can be difficult to be seen quickly and efficiently when seeking help for those sorts of extenuating circumstances, and as much as I wish I didn’t have to resort to it, modafinil allowed me to push past these difficulties.”

According to the Global Drug Survey 2019, in which 123,814 people across 35 countries were surveyed, 29.9% of participants had taken pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE) at least once in the past 12 months.

This broke down as 22.1% amphetamine (Adderall), 4.7% caffeine tablets, 2.8% methylphenidate (Ritalin and Cocerta), and 1.3% modafinil.

There has been a steady increase from previous studies.

Between 2015 and 2017, people using PCE substances jumped from 5% to 23% in the UK alone, according to the same survey.

A National Union of Students study in 2018, which surveyed almost 3,000 UK-based students, found that 1 in 10 of all students who took part in the survey said they had taken “study drugs” to improve focus and motivation.

While modafinil is considered non-addictive, it can equally bring its own side effects

There is a similar story for many Durham students, who also take on numerous extracurricular positions and have to balance their lifestyle.

The Classics graduate spoke of their “frustration” that they were tired all of the time with work and drama rehearsals. “I felt like I was never reaching my full potential. I also have sleeping issues generally. It seemed like the best way to write an essay” Another 3rd year student spoke of how they struggled with “juggling some really challenging family circumstances with the mounting academic pressure of

Adderall specifically leads to the consistent release of dopamine in the brain, and, as this level remains artificially high, users put themselves at a higher risk of addiction.

Whilst modafinil is considered nonaddictive, it can equally bring its own side effects. A Philosophy postgraduate explained to Palatinate how they suffered “terrible chest pain, arrhythmia and very low moods at the comedown, especially when done frequently and larger dosages.”

A History graduate told of the issues they’ve seen their friends experience when taking the drug: “it throws you totally out of

any sleep pattern so people end up crashing and burning - people that take it a lot tend to panic when it’s worn off and end up missing deadlines.”

Another third year student spoke of how the academic pressures they felt drove them to a position where they felt like there was “no other option” but to take modafinil. They continued: “The academic pressure we’re constantly put under sometimes means we have to do an all-nighter and for me I couldn’t do that without taking something to keep me awake and make me concentrate.”

“I felt like there was no other option but for me to take modafinil” However, they were aware of the risks that came with it, admitting: “Sometimes the risks scared me and you can never be 100% sure what is in the drug you’re taking but if it gives me a better chance of getting a higher mark, I’d do it. Having become more aware of the strain that that kind of behaviour put on my mental health, I decided not to take the drug again.”

Palatinate approached the University for comment on students taking study drugs when completing their academic work.

Jeremy Cook, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Colleges and Student Experience), said “We are aware that some students take prescription drugs to increase concentration for the purpose of studying, following medical advice.

“Durham University takes very seriously the health and wellbeing of our students and is considering whether it is appropriate to apply further policies in this area.”

“Last year, I had to juggle some really challenging family circumstances with the mounting academic pressure of second year. It can be difficult to be seen quickly and efficiently when seeking help for these sort of extenuating circumstances, and as much as I wish I didn’t have to resort to it, modafinil allowed me to push past these difficulties. At times it did make me feel jittery and even overly emotional if I didn’t take it without planning my day carefully ahead, but overall I love how it takes my mind away from anything other than the task at hand.

I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have achieved a 2:1 without it. I also regularly took melatonin as a sleep supplement, as both the academic pressure around exam season, and the same extenuating circumstances would keep me awake at night, affecting my performance when revising during the day.”

“We are all trying to reach the best of our potential, and as adults we are entitled to do that in the way that we see as most beneficial for us as individuals - for some people it might be a triple shot latte on the way to the library, for others it’s taking a modafinil when they feel their focus slipping.

University is a lot of pressure a lot of the time, and especially when you take part in extra-curricular activities on top of your degree, the need to utilise your time effectively is very real. I wouldn’t have got a first without the all-nighters I pulled throughout the year, and I wouldn’t have been able to do them without modafinil.”

“I’ve been using modafinil for almost two years now. I was quite cautious at first, but after reading a few reassuring articles and asking a relative about it (a pretty liberal psychiatrist) I decided to give it a go. What I noticed immediately was time was no object; my degree involves a lot of absorption of material I’m not necessarily always interested in, but I was suddenly able to read vast quantities and not get bored. I’ve also found it particularly useful for repetitive music practice. I’ve even started using it almost ‘recreationally’ - for example, if I want to stay focused in lectures after a heavy night of drinking, or just to feel sharp and on top of my game.”

It’s cheap, harmless and non-addictive, and ultimately everything I do while on it is my own work - if caffeine isn’t frowned upon, why should nootropics be?”

Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

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News

#RippedOff: Cuth’s students protest rising accommodation costs “If the accommodation rent is raised, then the landlords in the local area raise their rents as well.” Pearce stressed the fact that “this isn’t a partisan issuethis affects everyone.”

The #RippedOff team at Cuth’s were very persistent in their encouragement of others to set up similar campaigns at their colleges. Caitlin said at the Committee’s OGM on Thursday, “In terms of seeing change, the best way is to urge everyone to start a #RippedOff society in their colleges.”

(Naomi Clarke)

Will Hutchings News Editor Disgruntled students of St Cuthbert’s have begun to lay banners to protest the University’s increase of accommodation costs.

These banners have been laid in front of the Bill Bryson library, outside Elvet Riverside 1 (which has since been removed), and on the gates of the Vice-Chancellor’s house.

The #RippedOff campaign was set up in May 2017 after a policy was passed at the SU Assembly.

Inspired by the campaign’s activity, Caitlin Guibout and Jack Pearce

submitted a motion to create a separate #RippedOff society at St. Cuthbert’s. Guibout is now the sitting President of the society, and Pearce holds the position of Social Secretary.

As well as these two roles, they also have a Treasurer and Secretary, and on Thursday they elected a Campaigns Rep, Bailey Rep, and Parsons Rep. In an interview with Palatinate, Pearce explained the necessity of the campaign: “In some colleges, as little as 30% of the accommodation costs actually go towards improving the accommodation.

“This isn’t a partisan issue- this affects everyone”

strike.

A rent strike is enacted when students pay their accommodation costs into one large private account, and then a representative holds this money in the account until the University formally agrees to lower accommodation costs.

Rent strikes have proven remarkably effective in the past.

University College London and Goldsmiths both agreed to lower accommodation costs after some of their students went on strike, and in Goldsmiths, accommodation costs were even cut by 35%.

However, the #RippedOff team

Currently, Durham has some of the highest accommodation costs in the country outside of London.

Their ideas for activism include the creation of more banners, distribution of informative leaflets, and ‘chalking’, which involves marking the cost of University accommodation with chalk on the outside wall.

The team has been fighting hard to get their message heard, largely because they don’t want to be forced to consider a rent

is only considering this as a “last resort”, as it can cause harm and financial insecurity to college staff and JCR exec members.

As well as their main campaign, they have also endorsed other housing-related initiatives.

Guibout has been particularly supportive of Cuth’s Welfare’s ‘Take Time to Sign’ campaign, which encourages students to wait for a house such that they don’t get taken advantage of.

(Jack Pearce)

‘Mind the age gap’: Durham’s senior freshers

Will Hutchings News Editor After working for 30 years in telecom engineering, Michael Webber decided that he wanted something different. So he applied to Durham, and is now studying Liberal Arts on a foundation year.

Born in Walls End, Michael settled in Darlington at the age of 16.

Over the course of his life, he’d gone global; and after living in California and Paris among other places, attending university “felt like unfinished business”.

The lightbulb moment came while he was chatting to close friend Frank Worthington, lectur-

er on Human Resource Management at Newcastle University. As Durham was the local university, it only made sense to apply there.

Securing the place was something of an uphill battle. Due to the time that had passed since taking his O and A levels, he had forgotten many of the details of his qualifications.

“The been

experience has “humbling”

Thankfully for him, the department got in contact with Michael and asked him to interview on the strength of his personal statement. He was very pleased

with the “exemplary” foundation centre- with the exception of the University’s “poor room numbering”.

Since the start of his course, he has found the foundation year is “everything I had hoped for”.

These sentiments were echoed by his friend, and fellow senior, Amaryllis ‘Ann’ Belladonna, who marvelled at “how far we’ve come in three weeks”.

She has found the adjustment strange because, she explained, “we have spent a lifetime raising children, organising our lives: we’re good at things. And we’re starting here like children.”

“I’m not here for a degree, I’m here to be at university” It has been challenging; as freshers who, for years, felt like they had finished with education, “we have no clue how you expect us to do things”.

Overall, they have found the experience has been “humbling”.

Ann is a resident of Kent, who decided against completing her A levels and attending university, instead spending her life working.

Now in her fifties, she decided to apply for higher education.

As “the family’s grown up” and she’s found more time to herself,

she claimed, “Over the last few years I’ve found I just wanted to learn. I should have gone to university when I was young, but I didn’t value it”.

Ann is in her first year of a liberal arts degree, though she has already completed a foundation year here. Michael agreed with her sentiments on the joy of academia, saying “I’m not here for a degree, I’m here to be at university. It’s all about the learning.”

The pair also agreed that the hindsight given to them by age was what made them value learning. They were quick to note that many of the younger students were very “career-focused”, attending university “mainly so they wouldn’t have to work a lowpaying job”.

“This is the sort of thing were age makes you realise the value of education,” Michael said.

“I should have gone to university when I was young, but I didn’t value it”.

Both students are at Stevenson, and although Michael lives out, they have found the college experience to be rewarding. Ann has particularly enjoyed living in postgraduate accommodation, as there are students who share her

enthusiasm.

Both Michael and Ann have found that the best way to quench their thirst for knowledge is with a liberal arts degree, which they agreed makes for a more diverse curriculum.

Despite their passion for learning being very much fulfilled, both reported occasionally feeling “invisible” due to the age gap between them and the majority of students.

Michael went to the Freshers’ Fair with bounding enthusiasm, but when he approached the drama table “their eyes just glazed over” him. “It was like they just didn’t see me,” he said.

Ann had a similar experience at a tutorial. When discussion was opened, the rest of the first year students, who were all 18-20, talked amongst themselves while she was left at a table on her own.

Neither have let these setbacks affect them, claiming that they don’t “take it personally” and, when asked if they felt their age mattered, answered with a definitive “no”.

They have thus been able to enjoy their studies and are looking forward to even more years of challenging discussion, churning out essays, and trying desperately to work out the room numbers.

PALATINATE | Thursday 31st October 2019

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News

“What lessons have been learnt? Why has nothing been assessed?”

Continued from front The NHS is quite burdensome and bureaucratic. I’ve been assessed by three different psychiatrists - I’ve got PTSD, depression and anxiety. We’re also in the process to get the University’s insurance to pay for private care with a specialist trauma centre”.

The Sunday Telegraph reported last year that Hedges had been forced to take a cocktail of drugs, including Xanax, Valium and Ritalin.

Opening up about his ongoing dependency on these drugs, Hedges admits “they have been a stabilisation. The suicidal thoughts have come back, the selfharming has come back’ but actually the medication has helped.

“I have to take this medication every day. Anxiety and depression happened before I went. That’s fairly normal for postgrads; there’s an extremely high level of that, which is a separate issue” In the next month, Hedges expects to hear back regarding the

complaints he lodged to the UN and to Parliament, as it is almost a year since his release.

Hedges also praised the ongoing support he has received from fellow academics since his release: “There’s lots of people with similar situations, and for whatever reason they haven’t said anything, because they might have felt a certain stigma attached to it.

“It’s a certain embarrassment, part of that cycle of feeling guilty, feeling they might have done something wrong - there are different reasons for it, there’s the idea that they messed up in some way. Feeling that they maybe were caught out.”

Hedges also criticised a general lack of education about engaging in fieldwork as an academic, stating there “should be a greater awareness of the difficulties that academics face when engaging in fieldwork.”

In his own case, Hedges affirms that his imprisonment was undoubtedly for political reasons: “Across the region, they

use people as ransom, it’s a similar strategy taken by other states.

By making me admit and confess to working for the British government, they were involving them [the British government] in that way.”

When asked whether his trip would have been received differently if it had occurred this year, Hedges claims “nothing has changed, things have probably gotten worse.”

“Two weeks ago some Edinburgh University students were arrested in Cairo, and so Edinburgh sent all their students home, so my simple remark would be: what on earth were those students doing there in the first place?”

Hedges believes “we need to learn from what happened,” continuing that it is “negligent that Edinburgh University sent their students to Cairo, for the fact of the known human rights abuses in Egypt - the known security risks that there are; the ethical assessment; and the complete lack of training and capability devel-

opment - meant it was negligent to send their students.”

“We’re really trying hard to get Durham to take the lead on this, to set a standard for academics to be better prepared. This is something that Stuart Corbridge [ViceChancellor of Durham University] promised, but it hasn’t materialised.”

In response to Hedges’ comments, Professor Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor & Warden, said:

(Dani ela Tejada) “Following Matt’s arrest, Durham University immediately and publicly confirmed the reasons for Matt’s travel and the nature of his PhD research.

“The University then worked actively to secure Matt’s release throughout the period of his detention. The University has since undertaken a thorough internal review of its research approvals process which will conclude shortly.”

£7,500 raised in honour of Durham Student Naomi Clarke News Editor Durham University students have raised over £7,500 after a 24hour ‘ergathon’ fundraiser and crowdfunding campaign in honour of Durham student George Somerset.

We will remember him most for how he made other people feel so happy George was to enter the 3rd year of his Modern Languages and Cultures course in October 2019.

He tragically died during the summer holidays in his hometown of Kent.

George Somerset was in the College of St Hild and St Bede and was well known for being greatly involved in college life, being active in Ultimate Frisbee, Hild Bede Boat Club, where he was an active rower, and also as a Freshers’ Rep for the 2018 freshers.

In memory of his passion for rowing, his friends organised the ‘ergathon’ at the College of St Hild and St Bede for Saturday 19th October. The original target was to raise £3000 to purchase a single seater boat or a seat in HBBC’s new VIII, Lady Penelope, as legacy to George.

The extra proceedings will be donated to the charity Mind, an organisation close to George’s heart.

His friends stated:”George had wanted to do a 24-hour ergathon to raise money for ‘Mind’, being a keen rower himself. In his honour we decided to host one ourselves at our college, one where people of all rowing abilities (and none!) could take part.”

Lucy Heenan, his college wife, told Palatinate: “It was a lovely way to commemorate George, and the event was well supported by his friends and family.

George loved college sport and events and always took pleasure in being surrounded by friends.”

“We will remember him most for how he made other people feel so happy and teaching us to be positive even when life is difficult. That is his legacy.”

A memorial service was held for Somerset the following day on the 20th of October at St Hild and St Bede’s College Chapel.

The Great Durham Charity Ergathon, a team relay race which collectively covers the distance of Land’s End to John O’ Groats, has also been attributed to the memory of Somerset this year. The events states that ‘DARC, DU and DCR have all come together to raise money for Mind, a charity that focuses on supporting those struggling with their mental health.’

The event is to be held on November 10th, and it is open to the entire Durham Rowing community, university students and Durham residents alike.

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Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

News

New LGBT+ Mondays in Klute

Emma Lucia Felisi Deputy News Editor Durham’s most famous nightclub, Klute, has introduced its first weekly LGBT+ club night in Durham.

The new Klute LGBT+ club night kicked off on the 14th of October, and has been dubbed ‘Loud and Proud Mondays.’

It will be the first regular LGBT+ night to be introduced in Durham since the Osbournes’

LGBT+

nights

5

years

ago.

The first regular LGBT+ night to be introduced in Durham in 5 years.

Klute’s ‘Loud and Proud’ nights happen to fall on the same night as Osbournes’ LGBT+ night, which has sparked discussion within the LGBT+ community on whether this will help or limit the community.

Tess Tickle, regular Drag Queen

at Osbournes and founder of Durham’s first LGBTQI night 6 years ago, as well as the founder of Osbournes’ first LGBT+ night alongside fellow Drag Queen performer Emma Royd, told Palatinate: “Personally, I think Klute should work with the existing night at Osbournes rather than working against it by holding their event at the same time and maybe opting to become a club for party goers to move on to, offering the LGBTQI community

a safe place to club after hours.”

Tess Tickle continued: “Adding to the night would be much more beneficial than trying to dilute an amazing night.”

“Giving us variety of club nights in Durham is just amazing but I think diluting an audience isn’t great when both nights could benefit from working together.”

“LGBT+ club nights give me a real sense of security.”

Rowan May, LGBT+ rep of St. Cuthbert’s Society, believes the new LGBT+ nights at Klute might be beneficial to the community.

She stated: “I love Osbournes, it’s familiar to me and I’ll always see faces I know there. The music is great and I’ve gotten to know the drag queens.”

“I think it’s fantastic that we have new club nights like Glow and the one at Klute to accommodate what seems to be an expanding community.”

Hatfield unveils new lioness Tom Saunders Deputy News Editor Hatfield College has unveiled a new Lioness sculpture to commemorate 30 years since Hatfield became a mixed-gender college.

Symbolises so much about the modern-day College, inclusive, All One Hatfield The sculpture itself was funded by all three common rooms: the Hatfield Trust, Hatfield Alumni & Friends of the College.

It was unveiled last Tuesday by Hatfield alumna Dr Nicola Candlish, CEO of the British Young Opera.

Professor Ann MacLarnon, Master of Hatfield, described the lioness as symbolising “so much about the modern-day College, inclusive, All One Hatfield.

“Lionesses are a great model they are strong, they belong to a community, they work together.

This has been a great College project, a great contemporary

reflection of our mascot the lion, from our College crest.”

Hatfield’s Senior Feminist Rep, Madeleine Strom, commented that: “The Lioness sculpture is there to resemble the progress Hatfield is making with inclusivity.

We are striving to reach a status of equality within both the College and University. It is a symbol of growth and new beginnings.”

The sculpture itself was designed and sculpted by Emma Stothard, a sculptor based in Whitby. Her willow sculptures have been commissioned by the Louis C Tiffany Museum and Water Gardens in Matsue, Japan. She has also presented to the Prince of Wales.

The statue itself was designed and sculpted by Emma Stothard The College has some significant female alumnae. These include two British rowers (Emily Taylor and Alice Freeman) and Katharine Ford, a multiple recordbreaking British Ultracyclist and Epilepsy campaigner.

(Naomi Clarke)

Only 37% of Durham staff are women Continued from front ...“can make coming up here feel scary and isolating.

“The curriculum is very white and very Eurocentric […] and hiring more BAME professors or bringing in more BAME students will only ever solve so much [without] administrative changes to dismantle the racism that permeates the different levels of the University structure”.

Jon Bryan, a spokesperson for the University and College Union’s

(UCU) northern branch, said: “It is quite shocking that we are having to ballot our members to get universities like Durham to start seriously addressing the issue of progression in higher education.

The data also indicated that only 37% of Durham academics are women “It is going to take systematic change and some difficult conversations if we are going to

make any headway.”

The data also indicated that only 36.6% of Durham academics are women, 6% less than the Russell Group average, and that the University employs fewer disabled academics than average.

Speaking to Palatinate¸ Professor Antony Long, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, said: “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpins everything we do at Durham and is central to the successful delivery of our University Strategy.”

The University wants to increase the number of female staff The University wants to “increase the percentage of academic staff who are female to be in the top third of the Russell Group by 2027 and the percentage of academic staff who declare their ethnicity as BME to be at the Russell Group median by 2026.

“To achieve this, we have a

number of actions underway both at individual departmental and broader institutional level relating to recruitment, retention and progression.

“We appreciate that there is more we can do in this area and will continue to work with our staff and recruitment partners to achieve this.”

HEARD ANYTHING NEWSWORTHY? Email news@palatinate.org.uk

7

PALATINATE | Thursday 31st October

Comment

Abortion is finally legal in Northern Ireland: Why did it take so long?

Sinn Fein and “ the DUP still put Pip Murrison

Historic new laws decriminalising abortion in Northern Ireland went into effect at midnight on the 21st of October, following a vote in July with a majority of 332 to 99 in Westminster.

This means that women in Northern Ireland finally have the basic human right of female bodily autonomy and can terminate a pregnancy without fear of prosecution. Services will be introduced into Northern Ireland by the 1st of April 2020, meaning that those seeking an abortion will no longer have to travel abroad. Instead, terminations will be provided at two hospital sites within the country.

Many Pro-Life campaigners see that they have ground to contest the decision This brings Northern Ireland in line with both the rest of the UK, where under the Abortion Act of 1967, access to abortion was made possible, and with the Republic of Ireland, who voted overwhelmingly in a 2018 referendum to lift the ban.

No matter how monumental the vote may appear to Pro-Choice campaigners, the victory is bittersweet. Many Pro-Life campaigners see that they have grounds to contest the decision, as it was taken by

a Westminster government, not by a Northern Irish one at Stormont.

Durham Students for Life group commented, ‘the key principal, that local people can more effectively make laws for themselves than a national government, has been swept aside by Westminster in forcing abortion on Northern Ireland.’

The largest party in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), have likewise condemned the results, with their leader Arlene Foster labelling the 22nd October as a ‘shameful day’ and vowed to try ‘every possible legal option’ to block the new law coming into force.

Such was their despair at the prospect of the decriminalisation of abortion that Northern Ireland’s assembly sat for the first time in almost over three years. The DUP and politicians from some other unionist parties came together to make a last-ditch attempt to stop the bill coming into effect.

Although this move was always going to be symbolic, Sinn Féin described it as ‘pantomime politics’, as the assembly cannot act without an elected speaker. However, the fact that the assembly sat having been suspended since 2017 sent a strong message to Westminster - the bill had been ‘imposed’ upon them.

‘There is no way that [the abortion bill] would pass through the Assembly in Northern Ireland’, Arlene Foster concluded.

Naomi Clarke, a student at Durham and Northern Irish citizen remarked that it was ‘infuriating that trying to suppress these hu-

man rights was what ignited some Northern Irish MLA’s to get back to work after an absence of over 1000 days, still on full pay and expenses funded by tax payers’ money.’

Pro-Life groups may be demanding the revocation of Westminster’s decision, but polls show that 65% of adults from Northern Ireland agree that abortion should not be a crime, and 66% said that, in the absence of a devolved government, Westminster should legislate to reform the law.

Although Stormont has been bypassed, Westminster has been used as a channel to revoke an act passed in 1861 which falls foul both of human rights held by the rest of the UK and of popular opinion across Northern Ireland.

In an ideal world, the Northern Irish Assembly would be able to legislate such matters for themselves, making the bill more watertight and the grounds of argument of the Pro-Life campaign void. However, this has not been possible whilst Sinn Féin and the DUP still put their rift above representing the views of their people.

don’t think many people are holding their breath out for that’, says Naomi Clarke.

This latest failure to use the powers of devolution will have seen ever more people in Northern Ireland asking their biggest political question, ‘What is the point ofStormont?’

their rift above representing the people

”

Northern Ireland’s assembly sat for the fiirst time in almost over three years ‘I would now like to hope that talks could potentially resume in the near future at Stormont so that we can get back to passing legislation on our own terms. Although, after more than 1000 days without a working government and with the state of politics right now, I

(Workers Solidarity Movement)

Dangerous, not just stupid - it’s time to call out catcalling Eden Szymura Society is becoming increasingly aware of the sexually inappropriate behaviour that people, mainly women and the LGBT+ community, face. But for many of us, the reality is that we are still regularly sexually and verbally harassed (or worse) in our day to day lives. One of the most common types of harassment comes in the form of catcalling: defined as ‘a loud, sexually suggestive call or comment directed at someone publicly’ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

The ‘catcaller’ is a thriving, albeit malevolent, breed of harasser.

They have an amazing but incredibly frustrating talent of bestowing their ‘compliments’ upon their victims when they are five paces down the road. However, whilst they are resourceful and creative in their attempts at ‘flattery’ and humiliation, their frequent inability to master sophisticated language highlights their telling lack of cognitive development.

Statements such as ‘someone call the police; it’s about to get hot’ (Claypath, Durham) clearly show a misunderstanding of the differing emergency services. Then, there is the lack of recognition over how

transport works. Shouting ‘oh baby I can take you places’ (Reading) whilst on a bicycle, is pretty impractical and doesn’t solicit eager responses of ‘hell yeah, a free taxi’.

If we were to play catcall bingo, it wouldn’t take long to get a full-house consisting of a builder on-site, a takeaway worker and a drunk middle-aged white man.

Let’s not forget the van man. Clearly, for us women there is nothing like being beeped at by a jeering man in a high-vis jacket to really get us going; my ovaries simply scream ‘take me’ whenever some lad in a modified Vauxhall Corsa graces me with an unwinded window.

But satire aside, catcalling isn’t

just stupid – it’s dangerous. Experiencing comments such as ‘I’m going to make your fanny look like roadkill’ (North Road, Durham) make you feel unsafe and violated whenever you leave the house.

I’ve stuck up many a middle finger in my time to this kind of behaviour only to feel more vulnerable that I’m placing myself in a dangerous position. I hate feeling forced to accept harassment because it is better than the alternative of being attacked by a perpetrator that doesn’t like the taste of his own medicine.

And that’s just it, catcalling fundamentally aims to humiliate the victim into feelings of shame and

helplessness whilst placing the perpetrator in a position of power. Street harassers want to see women squirm and get flustered by their inappropriate behaviour; by making you seem insignificant and objectified, the catcaller masks their own insecurities and fears of emasculation.

Ultimately, I’m fed up of living in a society where women get changed before going out to make themselves less of a ’target’, as if that will help. I’m fed up of living in a society where screaming out of car windows at women is a teenage rite of passage. I’m fed up of living in a society where the price of a laugh is a school girl’s humiliation.

It’s time to call out catcalling.

8

Thursday 31th October | PALATINATE

Comment

Extinction Rebellion is here to stay Kai Dattani Extinction Rebellion (XR) isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. As political parties right across the spectrum gear up to tackle a climate emergency, be it offering a radical Green New Deal, or on a flatter, more Conservative note, promising new green-coloured number plates, XR’s ability to disrupt and engage people, parties and businesses is crucial.

However, a movement that is both at the centre of political discourse, as well as quite literally at the centre of the streets, cannot avoid scrutiny, in spite of their noble cause. Therefore, it has to be asked whether XR is a genuine, bottom-up movement, attacking the vested interests causing a climate emergency, or if it is instead a middle-class camping club for white vegetarians with too many Smiths songs on their Spotify playlists.

XR needs to stick to activism nationwide and stay away from

Newham. Many of the class and race based criticisms of XR have come to light in the context of the movement’s choice to disrupt public transport in Canning Town, preventing largely working-class commuters in one of London’s poorest boroughs from their day to day activities.

This foolish and ineffective attack on those most likely to face the consequences of climate change throws into question whether the makeup of XR is suitable for their cause and environment. XR have swanned into London, Barbour jacket-clad, carrying a rural, countryside-alliance aesthetic, reinforced by its key activists coming from rural and semi-rural areas.

It is a middle-class camping club for white vegetarians with too many Smiths songs on their Spotify playlists Despite their cause being one shared by most Londoners, XR’s image and activism seems less and less concerned with tackling the neoliberalism in the Global North

and the neo-colonialism in the Global South which is driving a climate emergency.

It’s key strategy is based around mass arrest, something that affects people of colour to a far greater degree The movement has been shown to be out of touch with the working class by examples such as: a Question Time appearance by Rupert Read, a key XR activist who has pointed to migration as a key cause of climate change, protestors sending flowers to the historically institutionally racist Brixton police station, and its occupation of Smithfield’s meat market. These examples neglect the multicultural London communities who have been victims to the same causes of the climate emergency that XR have been fighting against.

XR are not ‘enemies of the people’. Despite what has been presented by some on the right, XR are probably not inherently classist or racist. At the heart of this discon-

nect between XR and the people is their idea that the environmental crisis is not political and exists beyond the social and racial inequalities that plague Britain.

Their view is idealistic, but simply untrue in reality. When it is clear that the most ethnically diverse and poorest communities will face the wrath of climate change, XR cannot continue without deep, integral involvement from these communities. However, how can it invite this sort of involvement when its key strategy is based around mass-arrest, something that affects people of colour to a far greater degree?

XR seems to ignore the social consequences of neoliberalism in the name of intersectionality, and appearing ‘beyond politics’. Populists across the West, be it Trump, Le Pen or the Gilets Jaunes, position themselves as activists against the poverty, austerity and racial inequality that is very much tied in with the factors and structures causing a climate emergency. However, they then only succeed in selling environmentalism as a movement for the elite, not the people, which XR need to seek.

The test of the future, for the movement, is based around its ability to escape being presented as a middle-class, doomsday cult, out of touch with the various issues facing common working people. Extinction Rebellion needs to pack away the circus skills and trance music, and embrace the very communities that share their frustrations with an economically and environmentally unjust system.

“The test of the

future is based around its ability to escape being presented as a middle-class doomsday cult

”

Trick or treat? Halloween’s meaning in modern Britain Nathan Choat Halloween is an oddity in the list of the UK’s annual festivities, celebrated by people across the nation without us really knowing why.

Has it got something to do with religion… maybe the devil? Nobody really knows. Plus, aside from children, nobody really seems to care: a quick survey of what my housemates think of Halloween resulted in answers ranging from “I have no real opinion” to “why are you even asking me that question?”

This curious tension between apathy and enthusiasm lies at the heart of our celebrations of Halloween Nevertheless, figures show that Halloween is becoming more popular than ever, with shoppers spending 82% more on the festival in 2018 than they did in 2013; that’s £419m spent on pumpkins, fancy dress and toffee apples. This curious tension between apathy and enthusiasm lies at the heart of our celebrations of Halloween and raises questions about the role and meaning of the festival in Britain today. (Spoiler: it’s not as black

and white as you might think).

Believe it or not, Halloween is said to have originated from an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. On the night of the 31st October, large bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits, as the festival was said to symbolise the porous boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead.

The proportion of people that take part in Halloween in the States is much greater This information is interesting in itself – more interesting, dare I say, than re-watching The Nightmare Before Christmas for the thousandth time, or trying to decide what Halloween costume to wear this year. However, nobody knows about it, because in recent years the festival has become nothing more than an opportunity for companies to take advantage of people’s curiosity for the supernatural and to compel them to spend money on things that, frankly, they really don’t need.

Nowhere is this more the case than in America, where Halloween is not just a festival, it’s an industry. For one, the proportion of people that take part in Halloween in the States is much greater than here, at 81% compared to the UK’s

23%. Moreover, whereas each Brit will spend an average of £33 on Halloween every year, the typical American will shell out $74 – in total, Americans spend $9bn on the celebrations annually.

Furthermore, multinational businesses play on people’s willingness to drop vast sums of money on Halloween by introducing special ‘spooky’ products, which recently seems simply to involve dyeing food unusual colours. Phantom Frappuccino, anyone? How about a black burger…?

In the UK we might not quite have reached America’s level of Halloween mania, but we are certainly moving in that direction.

Each year, we never fail to spend yet more money on the holiday, dressing up in evermore ambitious costumes, decorating our houses in evermore intricate detail, and carving our pumpkins into evermore complicated designs (which is also an American import – originally people carved turnips).

Nevertheless, one question remains: why? If we don’t really care much about the true origins or meaning of Halloween, why do we allow ourselves to be so enchanted by its consumerist appeal?

We have not reached America’s level of Halloween-mania

(Navya Lobo)

The answer lies in the fact that, ultimately, it is the very ambiguity of Halloween that makes it so endearing, as well as so easy to hijack for commercial gain. Besides its vague link to the supernatural, Halloween acts as a clean slate, a blank canvas onto which we can’t resist projecting our childlike terror of ghosts that go ‘boo!’ and monsters that lurk menacingly under our beds in the night. Aside from this, it is also a simple excuse to spend time with loved ones, celebrating a festival that isn’t burdened by the

cultural and religious baggage of Christmas or Easter. To many, Halloween is the ultimate form of escapism.

So, on the surface, Halloween could be seen as nothing more than a greedy cash-grab, and this perspective holds a lot of truth. However, it also means much more than that, never failing to grip people’s imaginations and evoke a shared, childish sense of creativity and wonder. No matter what you think of Halloween, this surely can’t be a bad thing.

9

PALATINATE | Thursday 31st October

Comment

The Durham bubble is about to burst Josh Preston

On nearly every house in Durham, just to the side of the front door, there will be a small archshaped enclave, sometimes with an old, rusted metal bar across it. Going virtually unnoticed, this bygone feature was for returning miners to scrape their shoes before coming home for tea.

Further vestiges of Durham’s mining past are sprinkled over the city - relics of an age never to return. In its place is a swelling student population which has quickly subsumed an old pit-town, and boasts of being one of the best higher education institutions in the country whilst seeking to expand further.

But at what cost? The question is how much responsibility the University has to a community it has both usurped and ironically saved.

Without the University, Durham would be yet another deprived Northern town making ends meet from trickling tourism, providing £400m and 6,600 jobs. And yet, many feel that we’re losing what Durham is and was. Hundreds of millions of pounds of investment is flowing into the University, which will doubtlessly benefit the area financially, but with an unspecified cost to its culture.

Culture and community are

easy terms to scoff at, and in modern times have been demonised.

This contempt will only continue whilst humanities are a shadow of their former selves and objective, globally orientated STEM subjects reign supreme. But Durham has a people and a lineage stretching further back than St. Bede’s body in the Cathedral. We are not UCL, LSE, or any other metropolitan, urban institution: a blank slate ripe for corporate investment. Durham is a UNESCO World Heritage site; it is a community of both of locals and students.

Vestiges of Durham’s mining past are sprinkled over the city Our sporting prowess, our events like DUCFS and our sprawl of societies are almost unparalleled. But I am reticent to give the University credit for what are student-motivated achievements.

It is the system we’ve had that has led to us attracting such extraordinary individuals who have done so much, and which is being lost.

The reduction of college staff in the Operations Review has thrown chaos the Collegiate system’s way.

This system is only thing to differentiate Durham from its Russell Group competitors, and yet the administration threaten its existence with cuts and untimely construction projects. Bullish and poor decisions by administrators displaced over half of Trevs fresh-

ers this year, and did similar to Hatfield students the year before.

The University’s ‘Master Plan’ intends to add 4,000 more students by 2027 from the current 19,000. Even though Durham pledges to house 55% of students in University accommodation by then, it says little about local concerns. Can a small pit town deal with 21% more students when infrastructure barely accommodates the current crop? Lack of housing, train seat shortages leaving people standing for hours, poor parking and excessive congestion cannot be fixed overnight, and maybe not even at all. Not to mention how even now students overwhelm and alienate homegrown locals.

But the University doesn’t give these issues due concern. Stuart Corbridge’s congregation and matriculation speeches left me, my family and my friends’ families

disappointed. There was little to inspire undergraduates when his esoteric, self-aggrandising rhetoric made no mention of student satisfaction or the local area but merely lauded research, global appeal, and ‘diversity’.

Corbridge claims that ‘we do the student experience better than Oxbridge’, and this is scant achievement. At one of the Cambridge summer balls my housemate attended, he was dismayed to find Cantabs merely sipping VKs trying to enjoy their anaemic idea of fun. His sister burst her appendix after finishing her finals. No one looks at Oxbridge for its glittering student experience. If this is the bar we try to surpass, it is rather low.

It is a question of what this institution is. We are called the University of Durham, some-

thing which future plans fail to recognise. To paraphrase David Goodhart’s book, The Road to Somewhere, this University certainly is a ‘somewhere’ - a locality, a place which defines and yet is also importantly defined by where it is. But the Administration treats us like ‘anywheres’, not taking concerns about Durham City seriously, with a global, dislocated identity in mind.

Perhaps, Durham ought to heed advice from St. Andrew’s, now ranked the best UK University by The Times Good University Guide, whilst Durham stays 7th due to abysmal student satisfaction scores. With a similar historical past, but with merely 9000 students, St. Andrew’s is aware of its own identity and doesn’t seek to be something it is not. Durham’s administration would do well to take note.

(mrgarethm)

Durham is letting its students down regarding sexual health provision - it must improve Kiara Davies Recently, Durham University was named the second-worst for sexual health support by online medical group Zava, losing out only to the University of South Wales.

The findings were based on the quality of online sexual health information available, the location and opening hours of clinics, and the ease of access to sexual health provisions.

It is not hard to work out how Zava came to these conclusions.

Unlike at Liverpool University, which was rated as the best, Durham does not have a dedicated sexual health clinic for students.

The best that the university can offer is some mediocre signposting to

the sexual health clinic at the University Hospital of North Durham, whose open hours are limited to a few hours on a Tuesday; it is hardly very accessible to students.

The only other option is for students to be signed up to a local GP. While of course signing up to a GP is beneficial for other health reasons, not all students will. The result is when a student needs to see a medical professional for sexual health assistance, they are virtually inaccessible.

When a student needs to see a medical professional for sexual health assistance, they are virtually inaccessible Amelia McLoughlan, DSU Welfare and Liberation Officer, commented in response to the article: “Sexual health is an important part

of students’ lives, and though there are definite improvements to be made in this area, there are several ways students may access advice, supplies or support, namely at the GUM clinic at University Hospital of North Durham.”

Sexual health is an important part of students’ lives “College Welfare Officers also do a great job of making sexual health supplies available for free, the C Card scheme gives access to free condoms, and the University is conducting sexual health ‘roadshows’ across the campus. The SU is committed to promoting positive sexual health and signposting to appropriate resources and will continue to monitor student feedback in regard to student health issues.”

I refuse to deny the attempts that

colleges undertake to combat the lack of effort the University makes.

St Chad’s, for example, provide a number of supplies: condoms, lube, pregnancy tests and other necessary items. But they cannot be there for all sexual health needs and concerns.

In an age where the average University student will have unprotected sex 12 times, the needs of students stretch beyond what the Collegiate System alone can offer.

Furthermore, these supplies come out of JCR money, which is limited in its welfare spending.

In an already adverse situation, matters could become worse due to the University’s expansion plans, igniting the issue. Local medical provisions in this area will be stretched to a breaking point.

Frankly, is it ethical for the University to spend what it expects to be £350 million between 2017-2027

on their expansion projects, but yet cannot provide the essential welfare programs in this regard for the current student cohort when other universities do guarantee this?

Of course not. I don’t believe, however, that the university are in any way responsible for the individual sexual health of all students.

We are, of course, all adults. However, when the provisions are so limited, as they are in Durham, it is not about the individual. It is about what the University can do to ensure the required provisions to protect the welfare of all students here.

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10

Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

Profile

Simon says: An Exclusive Interview with MP Simon Hoare

Profile speaks to the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, MP Simon Hoare, about Northern Ireland, Brexit, and the state of democracy.

Pip Murrison & Alexandra Beste Profile Editors Why do you think the DUP have not been supportive of Theresa May’s or Boris Johnson’s deal?

It’s impossible to physically police the border. Any infrastructure put in for customs surveillance, number plate recognition, et cetera would be torn down six hours after being put up […] So there was no way on God’s earth – and this was the challenge, really - that you could have any form of hard or soft border along the border between the two and maintain the integrity of the Good Friday agreement. […] What has been realised is that you couldn’t do a northsouth border arrangement which did not fall foul of the Good Friday agreement. The Good Friday agreement is a bit weird because if you talk to, dare I say ‘your generation’, you have only ever known no IRA activity on the mainland. Not opening your daily newspaper reporting on the latest horrific bomb blast taking place somewhere in Northern Ireland. It’s not so real.

The DUP, possibly, are kicking themselves that they didn’t support Theresa May’s deal, because they are ending up with the prospect of a Customs Union line down the Irish sea, which Theresa said she could never countenance and Boris said he would never support.

Do you think that leaving the EU will impact Northern Irish identity?

I don’t think people identify their citizenship, their nationality, their head of state relationship by the mechanism through which their breakfast cornflakes have arrived from the depot onto their breakfast table. Very few people, maybe two people who are rather eccentric, identify by the customs arrangements that gets products in and out of their country.

Do you think that Northern Ireland will want to reunite with the Republic at some point in the future?

My hunch is there is a certain inevitability which leads you to certainly having a border poll. […] the answer lies within the unionist community itself or their political representatives. The DUP needs a David Cameron type figure, who modernizes it and makes a positive case for secular unionism rather than religious, Ulster nationalism.

Unless or until they do that, the base is shrinking! If you look at the Tory party, unless we do a wider cast of our net, we’re only scoring the majority of votes in the over 65 age bracket, which is shrinking because of natural wastage!

Unless we keep people cryogenically frozen and only defrost them at election time and wheel them out to the polling station, it is a declining group of people that you are relying upon.

What are your predictions for the next general election?

If Brexit hasn’t been delivered, the winners will be the Brexit party and the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservative Party and the Labour Party will be squashed in the middle, because in essence it will be a re-run of the referendum. If it has been delivered, then I think the choice will be between competence and communism. And I hope, competence wins the day.

What were your reasons for voting remain in 2016, and how has your stance on Brexit changed since then?

We kept saying (Brexit) was a national debate; it wasn’t, it was a fault line in the Conservative Party and we used the nation to try and solve it. Well that went beautifully well, didn’t it?

I think we are now more divided as a country than we ever have been probably since appeasement and certainly since the English Civil War. But if you are a democrat, you say, ‘We asked the country a question and they gave us the answer.’

Did the answer come as a shocker and a surprise? Yes, it actually came as a shocker and a surprise to people like Michael Gove and Boris Johnson. They were staggered to win. But you

can’t then go and second guess the electorate.

I get very frustrated with people who were on my side of the referendum (remain), saying, ‘We will only leave when the terms are as good as we have today.’ It can’t happen because no organization is going to give you the same terms and privileges and rights with no subscription fee being paid. It’s a bloody nonsense.

They’re either hoping for a general election which is going to change it or somebody goes ‘you can’t rely upon the position taken in 2016, you’ve got to have another one to refresh the mandate’. That is now causing considerable alarm and annoyance to a lot of our constituents, irrespective of how our constituents voted.

Do you think that abortion and same-sex marriage for Northern Ireland should be decided by Westminster or Stormont?

As the Chairman of the (Northern Ireland Affairs) Select Committee, I didn’t take part in any of the votes – but in essence it was a defacto declaration of direct rule on two important yet emotive public policy issues, which hitherto had been devolved.

We then ran into the unanswerable question: ‘If there is pressure for change, and the vehicle that can deliver or debate the change, i.e. Stormont, isn’t in existence, does that mean that change can’t be delivered?’ That was the very strong argument that people put.

I’m sure that for some it was a leg pulling exercise. You say Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, the citizen who lives in Belfast has exactly the same rights as someone who lives in Blandford Forum in my constituency - except when it comes to abortion, except when it comes to civil marriage, we want to be entirely different. So there was a bit of a challenge for the narrative logic of unionism: we want to be the same, except when we want to be different.

Has Brexit become more about political machinations rather than listening to and acting on behalf of voters?

I think a lot has become selfendorsing echo chamber. I hear the same arguments deployed to support leave, to support remain, as I heard three and a half years ago. This is the crunch moment of politics. Politicians are always held in pretty low regard, below estate agents, rat catchers and maybe taxidermists. But we said we would listen, and we said we would abide. Well if you extrapolate that out and we don’t […] What’s the point of voting?

What we don’t want to see is a dramatic downturn in the turnout in the next general election where people just say, ‘What’s the point?’

Do you think the youth vote and turnout has been affected

by Brexit?

I can remember shortly after the referendum walking across College Green, there was a big protest, predominantly of young people, who were wanting to remain. And someone said to me ‘you look like a Tory MP’. I’m not quite sure what that means…. well guilty as charged!

I ended up having one of those conversations with twenty people, sort of like a mini public meeting. Only ten of them had voted in the referendum. I said, ‘Well what do you do?’ ‘Well we tweeted about it. We posted on Facebook about it.’

They probably thought I was just trying to be a clever dick, but I said, ‘The returning officer counts ballot papers, he does not do a calculation: now we’ve

got this many votes, that many tweets, those many Facebook posts, that equals that therefore the result is… No, he just counts the ballet papers.’ The making of politics is the making of the case, the knocking on the doors, the putting up the posters, making street stalls, and advocating for what you believe to be right to the general public.

You have bricks thrown at you, you have flowers thrown at you, but that’s democracy. We’ve moved from democracy to ‘clickocracy’. And that’s very very worrying indeed. There was no demonstrable shift in the dial of first or young voters on 2017 as we’ve had in previous elections.

One last question: this issue will come out on October 31.

What is your prediction for Brexit?

Oh God. Can’t I give you the lottery numbers for Christmas eve? I think that would be a lot easier. I hope so. But the mathematics of parliament don’t suggest that we will.

We are locked in our own little room of mania at the moment, and there’s a door, but we have not got the key. This is going to be decided by how many people on the Labour side believe that democracy and delivering democracy trumps party affiliation. That is broadly what it is going to be defined by.

I don’t think the DUP are going to support the deal one

MP Simon Hoare in his office in the Houses of Parliament (Photograph by Alex Beste)

PALATINATE |Thursday 31st October 2019

11

Profile

The Notorious B-Word: Students on Brexit

Profile speaks to British and European students at Durham about their predictions, perspectives, and opinions on Brexit.

Alexandra Beste Profile Editor Today, on October 31, the United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union – or is it? Over the past three years, Brexit has taken centre stage in national and European politics, engendering legislative and political uncertainty.

Amidst this confusion, however, the individual impact felt by UK and European citizens has often been overlooked. In advance of the October 31 deadline, Profile decided to ask Durham students from the UK and Europe three questions: 1) What is your prediction for October 31 and for Brexit?

2) What is your greatest concern regarding Brexit?

3) Have you had to prepare for Brexit in any way, and if so, how?

Naomi, English Literature It’s looking highly likely that the ominous ‘Brexit day’ on Halloween will be further postponed. I’m unsure if we’ll get the full extension until 31 January, as it’s evident more and more EU officials are getting exasperated at the constant delay requests.

However, an extension until then offers us the best chance of not leaving without a deal. I think Boris might just get his general election request for December, but I genuinely couldn’t predict that election any better than I could predict the next ridiculous comment to come out of Westminster.

I genuinely couldn’t predict... the next ridiculous comment to come out of Westminster As a Northern Irish resident, the border between us and the Republic is a constant concern.

To give an example, I heard that if the Guinness factory (classic, but hear me out) had to wait any

amount of time at a border when crossing from Dublin to their Belfast factory, it would destroy their whole production line and they’d pull their Belfast branch.

That’s one case out of an unbelievable amount of companies, partnerships, and families that would suffer if a proper solution isn’t found.

Equally, I don’t think people quite understand the effort made by cross community groups since the 1997 Peace Agreement to foster better relationships. I fear if an agreement which doesn’t take due care to protect that relationship is in place then things will get inevitably more hostile.

It would cause a lot of outrage in Northern Ireland if we weren’t able to identify as how we see ourselves My family and I got our Irish passports renewed so we are holding on to that dual BritishIrish citizenship. I’m fortunate to be in this position currently and I hope nothing happens to compromise that, as I think it would cause a lot of outrage in Northern Ireland if we weren’t able to identify as how we see ourselves.

Auguste, Psychology I’m really not too sure what to expect for the 31st of October. I have been hearing warnings for businesses on the radio, which I admit I found very scary. I think the general gist is that international boundaries are going to be much more severe and travelling to the UK will become much harder for a lot of people.

In my honest opinion, though, I doubt very large and controversial changes will occur.

The United Kingdom have been a part of Europe for a very long time - this separation will not be a brutal and savage one, just a bureaucratic one.

My greatest concern is a currency crash for the United Kingdom, which would lead to intense poverty all around the country. Poverty is already spread around the country but this could have immediate repercussions such as violent actions and riots.

My greatest concern is a currency crash, which would lead to intense poverty all around the country Although, as I said before, I do, in reality, believe that people will just keep on living and whether the country is part of Europe or not will not really impact this.

I personally have not made any preparation for Brexit, as I am of dual nationality, so in reality, Brexit will not bring any kind of practical issue for me. I do know that friends of mine who are not from the UK have had to file forms and get letters signed to prepare getting authorisation to stay in the UK.

Louise, Psychology At this point, I could hardly predict anything – especially with such a character as Prime Minister who I don’t have a positive opinion about. There has to be some kind of deal coming out of those endless “negotations”, but I’m assuming that yet another extension will be close to inevitable.

I would like to stay in Britain long-term so I’m concerned about Brexit changing a) my fee status as a current Home/EU student, and b) the requirement for me to immigrate here.

There has to be some kind of deal coming out of those endless ‘negotations’ Beyond that rather egocentric aspect, I’m worried that academia and cultural exchange may suffer as the sciences and international

collaboration in general would be affected by the lack of funding.

Another factor that concerns me is the political imbalance at the moment with global influences like Russia, China and the US - a somewhat “united Europe” would be in a better position in terms of political and economic power. Since the UK is one of the strongest members, its exit would most likely weaken itself as well as the EU. In terms of preparing for Brexit, I intend to apply for a presettlement scheme.

Darrius, English Literature In terms of a prediction for Brexit, I can’t say I am expecting much of a resolution. As I am writing this, there are six days to go and there is still no element of certainty.

If I am forced to make a prediction, I think we’re just going to end up extending the deadline, and even the possibility of a deadline is being delayed at the moment.

My greatest concern is the uncertainty of it all. I never really obsessively followed politics until a year or so before I voted for the first time because I remember just missing out on being old enough to vote for or against Brexit.

I never really obsessively followed politics until a year or so before I voted for the first time At that point, I began to follow politics a little more because I was wondering how our departure from the EU would affect me, my family and the country as whole.

From then on I didn’t like the idea of us not having a definitive plan for what comes next and now, 3 years later, I still feel the same.

I personally haven’t had to do anything drastic to prepare. I probably will have to renew my passport and get health insurance (which I had to have anyway so I could visit my family in Ghana) but it’s more a matter of waiting

to see what happens than doing anything currently.

My mum was considering moving to Ghana for economic stability since Brexit has raised many questions about economic stability in the UK.

Sean, PPE It has been clear for a long time now that we will not be leaving in any capacity by this time. The vast majority of MPs have not backed any Brexit deal because they do not believe that any of the Brexit options are better than what we currently have — and that is membership of the European Union on our current terms.

I would personally prefer to have a referendum to put the deal to the public Even with a deadline extension to the end of January, I would personally prefer to have a referendum to put the deal to the public versus an option to remain before any general election is had. It should be reaffirmed that this is what the people wanted. If so, then we should leave on such terms.

My greatest concern regarding Brexit is how it has managed to successfully divide our country down the middle. It has become more and more like the sort of culture war you see in the United States.

I personally have prepared for Brexit by stockpiling nonperishables. Firstly in March, before we were due to leave, and at the beginning of October.

It’s not really anything drastic because we don’t really know what Brexit would entail — deal or otherwise.

To see more Palatinate Profile interviews, including Jeremy Vine and Anton du Beke, visit: palatinate.org.uk/category/ profile

12

Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

SciTech

Why was only one of fifteen Nobel laureates female?

Annalise Murray So, the Nobel prize winners were announced this week. The Prize for Physics was awarded one half to James Peebles for “theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology”, and the other jointly to Michael Major and Didier Queloz for the “discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star”. John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshio jointly took the Chemistry Prize for “the development of lithium-ion batteries”. The “discovery of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability” won William Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza the Prize in Medicine.

Women weren’t even allowed degrees at most institutions You might have noticed something - there are no women on this list. In fact, this year, of fifteen Nobel laureates, there was only one woman; Esther Duflo, who jointly won the Prize in Economic Sciences for an “experimental approach for alleviating global poverty”.

This isn’t unusual – in the history of the Nobel Prize, the science prizes have only been received by

year. They are not some kind of divine commendation of good science; you only have to be told the story of Rosalind Franklin to see that. What they are, however, is a symptom of a wider issue.

Fewer girls go into STEM in the first place, and women leave the profession at a much higher rate than men. Fewer scientists mean fewer Nobel laureates.

22 women, and two of them were Marie Curie. In the same period of time, men have received the same prizes a startling 677 times.

The science Nobel prizes have only been won by 22 women So why? Maybe women are just worse at science. Maybe women are just significantly worse (thirty times worse, if we’re to extrapolate the Nobel statistics) at the scientific method, because of hormones, or the size of their brains, or something. That’s the belief that would drive eminent physicist Alessandro Strumia to announce to a crowd at CERN that there are fewer women in physics because of differences in IQ, and that any attempt to change that is “cultural Marxism”.

But studies have shown repeatedly that most cognitive differences between the sexes are either non-existent, or so slight as to be non-existent.

Seeing as the cornerstone of the scientific method is modification of hypotheses if the data doesn’t support them, maintaining the belief that women are inherently worse at science seems a bit, well, un-scientific.

We have to look for another explanation, and one can be found in the societal barriers that have historically faced women in STEM or girls looking into it. When

Women leave the profession at a much higher rate than men

Are there fewer women in research? (Image by Ken Berean) the Nobel prize was founded, in 1901, women weren’t even allowed to receive degrees at most institutions, so it’s unsurprising they had limited opportunity to conduct the kind of research that receives a Nobel prize. These barriers still exist, although in less obvious ways. There’s the issue of workplace bias, not to mention the burden of childcare and other family responsibilities falling

largely on women. There’s the enormous barrier of perception; girls as young as primary school age are aware of the stereotypes that science and maths are for boys.

The Nobel prizes, despite their illustrious reputation, are just one group of scientific prizes, awarded by just one committee of (unsurprisingly, mostly male) judges, in one country, once a

The question of how to fix that, and if it needs fixing at all, is a fraught one, and there’s unlikely to be a simple answer. One thing is certain, though, and that’s that the future depends entirely on what each of us does every day. So, girls in STEM, go: encourage younger girls who are interested in science, and join Durham University Women in STEM, and when you sit in your fourth 9am of the week, know that you’re contributing, in some small but important way, to science working the way science works best: when it works for everybody.

Know that you’re contributing, in some small but important way, to science

Reader’s SciGest Elise Garcon

The death of a star, the Tycho Supernova (Image by NASA/CXC/RIKEN & GSFC/T. Sato et al; Optical: DSS)

£2.6 million has been granted to researchers at Eindhoven University to further develop an artificial womb for premature babies.

The prototype avoids previous issues with this technology: where nutrients were provided to underdeveloped organs, damaging them. The team hope to have the womb working in clinics within 5 years: a world first.

Saturn now has a recorded total of 82 moons, after 20 more were found by astronomers. It now has the highest number of these in the solar system, surpassing Jupiter’s 79.

A cheap and widely available drug, tranexamic acid, has been found to reduce the risks of head injuries, by preventing the break down of blood clots. This could

save thousands of lives if administered, treating some of the estimated 70 million head injuries per year.

Durham University is leading a research project into hydrogen fuel Durham University is leading a research project into hydrogen fuel, attempting to reduce the use of fossil fuels in transport. The £1million ‘Network-H2’ project will work nationally to research hydrogen as a possible renewable alternative, and will focus on the technological, social, and political factors around this.

Want to write for us?

Send an email to scitech@palatinate.org.uk

14

Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

Politics

Trick or leave? The Brexit update

Jack Parker Politics Editor As we approach the latest in a series of deadline days, it’s unclear how far the UK is from leaving the European Union. What is clear is that it’s been yet another tumultuous fortnight in the Brexit saga.

Whether you love or loathe Brexit, Boris Johnson deserves some credit for doing what appeared to be impossible – getting the EU back around the negotiating table and finding an alternative, be it viable or not, to the backstop. The newly-renegotiated plans, which essentially involved drawing a customs border down the Irish Sea, were shot down by the DUP, who claimed Mr Johnson was ‘too eager to get a deal at any cost’, but were supported by the pro-Brexit ERG, who remained a thorn in Theresa May’s side throughout her premiership.

Boris Johnson deserves some credit for doing what appeared to be impossible But if Mr Johnson thought getting his deal through Parliament was going to be easy, he was very much mistaken. Having called back Parliament for its first Saturday sitting in 37 years specifically to vote on this deal, the Prime Minister’s plans were thrown into disarray by a passed amendment put forward by former Tory MP Sir Oliver Letwin, which forced Johnson to ask for a Brexit extension,

something he famously said he would rather ‘die in a ditch’ than do.

It was supposed to be the day when the fog surrounding Brexit finally started to clear, when the finish line finally came into sight, but by pulling the vote on his Brexit deal, Johnson turned ‘Super Saturday’ into a non-event. He decided that his deal and the Letwin amendment were mutually exclusive, that any MP in favour of further scrutinizing one of the most significant pieces of legislation in generations was ‘anti-Brexit’. The finish line was pushed even further into the distance and, rightly or wrongly, the Prime Minister blamed Parliament.

After initially saying he would refuse to ‘negotiate’ with the EU over a delay to Brexit, despite the recently-passed Benn Act legally forcing him to do so, Mr Johnson found himself writing to EU leaders just hours later. Notably, he left the official request for an extension unsigned, but signed an additional two letters recommending that the extension be denied.

Despite being rendered basically symbolic by the Letwin amendment, Johnson’s Brexit deal was passed in a vote on the bill’s second reading a few days later, by 329 to 299. For the first time since Article 50 was triggered over two and a half years ago, Parliament had reached some form of consensus over a way forward in the Brexit process, so the significance of this moment shouldn’t be understated. However, any bliss Mr Johnson felt sitting behind the despatch box was short-lived. Just

under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act. However, as can be expected in the long and complicated history of Brexit, other parties still aren’t giving way. Despite calling for a general election at virtually every opportunity since the 2017 poll, Jeremy Corbyn continues to give Mr Johnson more hurdles to jump over, withholding Labour support for a December vote until a No Deal Brexit is ‘off the table’.

The Liberal Democrats and the SNP have joined forces to push for bringing the election forwards to 9th December, a move which risks looking more like tedious pedantry than a useful way out of the Brexit paralysis.

In spite of one of the most dramatic fortnights in the history of Chatham House via Wikimedia Commons British politics, uncertainty re17 minutes later, MPs voted down but giving the UK the opportunity mains the new status quo. Boris his proposal to ram through the to leave should the deal be passed Johnson may have taken a significant step forward by both securlegislation in three days. In that before this date. moment, his ‘do or die’ promise of The Prime Minister has made ing a Brexit deal and getting some leaving the EU by the 31st Octono secret of the fact that he feels form of approval for it from Parliaber evaporated, and an extension the current Parliament has ‘out- ment, but the future still doesn’t was going to be needed. lived its usefulness’, and has al- look significantly clearer, with a ready tried twice for a general first December general election almost a century is looking inThe EU kept a close eye on election. His latest push for an in election, this time on December creasingly likely. In the game of events in Westminster over 12th, was announced in an open chess that Brexit has become, a general election could throw eveletter written to Jeremy Corbyn. the weekend In the letter, Johnson repeatedly rything into the air. It’s impossible transposes any blame for delays to predict how the pieces will land The European Union kept a to Brexit onto Corbyn’s shoul- and, more importantly, what this close eye on events in Westminders, writing ‘this Parliament has, means for the future of Brexit. ster over the weekend, trying to with your encouragement, voted judge whether consensus was repeatedly for delay’. It’s a dancloser to being reached over a gerous game to play for someone Due to the rapidly changing situasnap general election, or getting who will need a sizeable chunk of tion surrounding Brexit, note that Johnson’s renegotiated deal into Labour MPs to vote with him in the information in this article was law. EU leaders settled on a threeorder to reach the two-thirds ma- accurate as of Monday 28th Octomonth ‘flextension’, pushing Brexjority needed to trigger an election ber. it back to the 31st January 2020,

Politics degrees: the new vogue?

William Costley In what has been argued as the UK’s most decisive and contentious political period since World War 2, it is unsurprising that commentators attribute the 28% rise in applications for Politics Degrees, since the 2016 referendum, to Brexit. UCAS has stated that compared with 2013, there has been a 40% rise in applications. Although Brexit is clearly stimulating political interest for young people, it would be premature to attribute it wholly to the current political quagmire.

the rise of Greta Thunberg, and the appeal towards plant-based diets has also been at the forefront of much political discussion.

With green parties beginning to make its mark on the political landscape (especially in the Eu-

ropean Parliament) it is hard to claim that Brexit is the totality of adolescent political concern. Perhaps the bitter and decisive Brexit debate, which seems to pull people into distant political corners, is overshadowing a more youthful

and optimistic green movement.

Furthermore, the spike in student applications for politics degrees began at around 2013, which is several years after the 2009 world financial crisis.

Additionally, in 2010, it was an-

The spike in student applications for politics degrees began at around 2013

It is hard to claim that Brexit is the totality of adolescent political concern Firstly, Brexit is not the only controversial topic grabbing headlines. Extinction Rebellion,

nounced that from 2012 student fees would be capped at £9,000.

With the economic order appearing to be set up against students and young people, one could argue that the demise of the world economy has triggered an urgent need for political change.

ZC Comm via Wikimedia Commons

These examples show that not everything is simply down to Brexit. To solely credit the spike in student political interest to Brexit would be another irresponsible move to gloss over other important and pressing world challenges. As Brexit required 3 years to just agree on a Withdrawal Agreement, students may be inclined to solving and questioning more urgent matters.

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Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

Politics

DEBATE: Extinction Rebellion ban The climate change protest group, Extinction Rebellion, have been banned from carrying out protests in London. This decision was made after days of protests throughout the centre of the English capital.

Josh Preston and Kai Dattani debate whether the ban will be effective in curtailing a movement that has become out of hand or whether it will lay the groundwork for more volatile protests, respectively.

Josh Preston After Extinction Rebellion’s antics over the weekend, I sincerely hope their hysteria is correct and we all die. I can never unsee that horrific inbetweenersstyle hippy ‘dancing’ on Trafalgar square and so the only remedy is a swift end in cataclysmic fashion.

There is a fine line between protest and public nuisance Unfortunately their doom mongering, like their dress sense, is emphatically wrong and so the next best thing was to ban the sorry event. And yet, the rather worn Voltairean adage that ‘I wholly disapprove of what you say—and will defend to the death your right to say it’ does apply.

To a degree. There’s a fine line between protest and public nuisance, a line mediated by the people who finally found that the lady doth protest too much. Only 30% of pollers agreed with the Extinction Rebellion protest, whereas

it is not the aggressive, disruptive train climbers who are facing the wrath, but instead the rather peaceful, campers who have set up tents across the streets of London. Protest, by its very nature, must have the ability to disrupt, and those who have camped and organised peaceful demonstration against the climate emergency have managed to do this whilst still capturing the hearts of many environmentally concerned Londoners.

53% were outwardly opposed to it.

The tube fracas during morning rush hour was the epitome of arrogance The police action was legal, and the notion of brutality a falsehood.

Consider Catalonia, Hong Kong, or Venezuela for comparison.

Our police are purposeful; they wear hi-vis and carrying protestors deftly into police vans like a restless child to a pram, which is how they behave. One smothered himself in Marmite like an unsupervised three year-old.

Yet their petulance displays itself most obviously in their total disregard for normal, working Londoners. They cost £37m in police provisions, straining resources during London’s knife-crime epidemic. The Tube fracas at east London Tube stations during morning rush hour was the epitome of arrogance, and commuters reacted predictably with anger.

Extinction Rebellion care nothing for consequences, using unfounded catastrophic language to justify their insane demands under which which flying would end, 38 million cars would be scrapped and 26 million gas boilers disconnected for a start. They would plunge people into abject poverty and cause millions of deaths worldwide, when no evidence or reputable organisation shares their views. The children have had

The climate emergency isn’t going away and neither is Extinction Rebellion

their fun, returning the capital to normal was long overdue.

Kai Dattani It is fair to say that Extinction Rebellion’s reputation has soured a fair amount recently. What originated over summer as a much needed, young, progressive movement tackling the big banks and corporations of London has seen its stock fall dramatically, as protestors targeted commuters not from Nationwide, but from working-class Newham, with this particular incident descending into chaos condemned by both the left

via Pixabay and the right.

For the police, this was the last straw, and now, XR find themselves faced with a Section 14: a comprehensive ban on their demonstrations across London.

Protest, by its very nature, must have the ability to disrupt However, what seems like a victory for law and order in the short term may cause even more chaos in the long run. As XR is gradually swept out of London by a zealous and interventionist police force,

This overly interventionist ban comes in the context of a general hardening of Britain’s police force – exemplified by Priti Patel’s speech earlier this month. It therefore, has the potential to drive away the more moderate protestors, and lay the foundations for a ‘police versus the people’ narrative inspiring the future of XR. This paves the way for future protest to look less like Smiths-listening, banner-waving teenagers on Westminster Bridge, and more like something similar to London’s 2011 riots. Today’s climate emergency is not going away any time soon, and therefore by extension, neither is Extinction Rebellion. Harder policing and banning of demonstration will only push the movement in a hardened, antiestablishment direction, fighting not against climate change, but against its own oppression.

Chile demands social change looting every supermarket they see. The anger and violence demonstrated represent the biggest problem for Chilean society and its values as a modern country.

Helen Paton More than a million people have taken to the streets of Chile’s capital, Santiago, in a social outbreak to rally against Sebastian Piñera’s government.

Pinera: “we are at war with an enemy within”

The “us” against “them” dynamic is still the heart of public ideology For the past decade, Chile has been known as the most economically stable and prosperous country in Latin America, often called the neoliberal project and the triumphant fruit of free-market economics. A land shaped by Pinochet’s regime and the thousands of people who disappeared over the course of his dictatorship, there are no grey areas in

Carlos Figueroa via Wikimedia Commons Chilean politics – the ‘us’’ against ‘’them’’ dynamic still beats at the heart of public ideology.

The clock has been ticking for years as GDP growth obscures the underlying inequality that lives within. The tensions have been adding up on several core social issues: from pensions to politician’s salaries. In a matter of days,

however, things rapidly changed; what started with a protest against one of the most expensive subway fares in the world, ended up in a rally to demand change with immediate social demands.

While the protests have taken a peaceful spin towards demanding change, vandals are still destroying anything in their way and

This state of emergency saw the army take to the streets for the first time in 30 years. As these army authorities are a symbol of repression and the latent memory of what happened before democracy, there are conflicting beliefs about how to guard safety without inciting war. With curfews every night to protect people, there’s agony as people fear what’s going to happen next.

The invisible rules of law and order are distorted, and the state is incapable of imposing force because of its history of violat-

ing human rights. Instead of infuriating protesters, the military should see this as an opportunity to change the way they are perceived and protect the masses as they ought to without killing people for no reason. In a modernday Chile divided between those who can barely pay for their basic needs and the consumerist upper classes, there’s hope among some that with these protests, things will change for the better.

Piñera may be a Harvard economics graduate, but he clearly has failed to manage the microeconomics of his time in office. Instead of trying to unite the country on his public response to the crisis, he stated that “we are at war with an enemy within”, causing panic and inflaming the fires of public discontent. He has no political perception of people’s needs by leading from opinion polls to maintain his reputation.

Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

16

Politics

The Democrat 2020 debate Meera Navlakha On October 15th, twelve candidates took the stage in Westerville, Ohio, in what was the fourth Democratic party presidential debate.

The three-hour-long debate was hosted by CNN and the New York Times, and brought forth some changes in the election climate.

Who made it to this round?

The 12 candidates are the main contenders in the record-large field running for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President in the 2020 election. Among the participants were Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren – the leading two candidates in the polls – as well as Kamala Harris, 2016 runner-up Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard.

support for the proceedings. All candidates also shared their position against Trump’s withdrawal of troops in Syria, with Biden calling it ‘shameful’.

Buttigeg and Klobucher challenged Warren’s ‘Medicine for All’ policy But apart from certain unanimous judgments, many of the candidates found themselves on opposite ends of certain issues pertaining to the American people.

Among the highlights included Gabbard questioning the presence of American troops in Syria in the

All candidates were against Trump’s withdrawl of troops from Syria The most prominent topics of the night were dictated by recent occurrences, with questions regarding immigration, health care, foreign policy, and guns sitting at the forefront of the debate. Notably, the ongoing Trump impeachment inquiry was acknowledged and debated; all twelve Democratic candidates expressed their

Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

first place, an idea which was vehemently contested by Buttigieg, who said Gabbard was ‘dead wrong.’ Harris criticised Warren for not supporting the efforts to suspend Trump’s Twitter account.

Meanwhile, Buttigieg and O’Rourke disagreed strongly over gun policy, while Buttigieg and Klobuchar challenged Warren on her ‘Medicare for All’ policy. Many have said that Buttigieg proved himself as a fighter particularly in this debate with Warren. Warren was also attacked by O’Rourke who called her proposal of a wealth tax a divisive idea.

Other highlights include Sanders, who was recently hospitalized with a heart attack, reassuring voters that his health is intact.

Harris focused on reproductive rights, bringing up her anger that the debate did not focus on the issue of abortion. Biden found himself in the spotlight concerning his son, Hunter Biden, and the latter’s business dealings in Ukraine. The presidential candidate emphasised that his son did nothing wrong.

Many critics and observers have said that the fourth debate was Biden’s best performance yet, a fact exemplified by the current national polling average which is firmly in his favour. Warren currently comes in at a strong second, followed by Sanders, Buttigieg, and Harris.

Canada votes Bryn Evans For what was dubbed Canada’s “most uncertain federal election in decades” by Maclean’s Magazine during the lead-up to voting day, the results of the October 21st Canadian election were far from ground-breaking. While soaring expectations across all four of Canada’s major parties translated to widespread disappointment on election day, each party’s haul was firmly within the realm of predictability.

Incumbent Prime Minister Trudeau suffered the smallest disappointment Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer brought in 22 more MPs than in 2015 but could not imitate Stephen Harper’s glory days. Progressive leader of the New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh failed to translate popular vote to seats and saw NDP seats nearly halved. Although she tripled her party’s representation in Parliament, Green Party’s Elizabeth May did so by gaining just two MPs. Ultimately, it was incumbent Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who suffered the smallest disappointment, losing 20 seats but retaining a minority government.

It seems unlikely that any significant political shift occurs from pre-election Trudeau will now be permitted to attempt to form a government through a coalition or informal agreement. He may look to Singh’s progressive NDP or, in a more unlikely scenario, the Québec-exclusive Bloc, the Québecois Party, to help him build a majority. Both the NDP and the Bloc hold enough seats to boost the Liberals to a majority; whether Trudeau wants to appeal to a younger crowd by siding with the NDP or attempt to win back support in his father’s native province by teaming up with the Bloc is for him to decide.

It seems unlikely that any significant political shift occurs from pre-election. While there is greater Conservative Party representation in Parliament, Trudeau is also increasingly likely to consider leftist NDP views due to his minority.

For now, however, Prime Minister Trudeau can be content that from the spread of losing parties, his party seems to have lost the least.

REALITY CHECK? For sources on this and all our articles please see our online editions at www.palatinate.org.uk

Protesting for independence Reeya Gadhvana Protests erupted in Catalonia early last week, a day after the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced nine pro-independence Catalan leaders to prison with terms of up to 13 years for sedition and other offences.

Public reaction has been catastrophic, with several highways in the region cut off by both demonstrators, as well as hundreds of delayed flights following a storming of Barcelona’s airport.

Many Spaniards are horrifed by what they see as the separatists’ disregard for the constitution Tensions are rapidly rising at a critical period in Spain’s political history – Spain is just weeks from its fourth general election in four years, reflecting the current volatility plaguing the national polity.

While the reaction of the proindependence Catalan protes-

tors has been exhibited on the streets, many Spaniards are horrified by what they see as the separatists’ disregard for the constitution, and the rights of the half of Catalonia that are opposed to independence.

Only half of the population of Catalonia supports sovereignty of the region Numerous critics have also claimed that the focus of the world media on the separatists overlooks the fact that Catalonian politics itself is incredibly fractured. Of the 4 million inhabitants of Catalonia, only 2 million are in support of the final step towards sovereignty for the region, which is just short of an army, tax collections and recognition as a state.

Politicians from both the right and left have urged the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to do more to respond to the large-scale separatist demonstrations. Sánchez has thus far refused twice over the weekend

to take calls from Qium Torra, the pro-independence head of the regional independence movement.

Ciudadanos, one of the parties most fiercely opposed to Catalonia’s independence, and headed by a Catalan, is now open to supporting Sánchez, who has espoused engagement and conciliation with Catalan leaders. Such sentiments have triggered a regression of support for Socialists in the polls ahead of the vote, while support for the centre-right People’s Party – which advocates a tougher stance on Catalonia – is rising.

prior to the Supreme Court verdict, will likely be shattered.

Peace will only be finally be achieved once the question of independence is addressed with finality

The populism and nationalism spreading elsewhere takes a unique form in the Spanish nation, and arguably peace will only be finally achieved once the question of independence is addressed with finality; an event unlikely to occur before November’s general election.

Populism and nationalism takes a unique form in the Spanish nation While calls have been made for greater dialogue, it seems likely the consequence of these events will be a nation more divided, polarized, and an even more disparate Catalonia. The moderation demonstrated by Spain’s mainstream parties

Lecreusois via Pixabay

Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

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Opinion: Can Phil Parkinson turn the tide at Sunderland?

Luke Power When Phil Parkinson greeted the journalists in his first press conference as Sunderland manager, he apologised for being late.

Although Parkinson probably meant nothing more than to be polite to the sea of faces and flashing cameras, you can’t help but marvel at the deeper meaning of his words; indeed, Sunderland have been waiting for a man like Parkinson for many years.

Parkinson arrives on the back of the worst season in the club’s history in terms of league position. This season is only their third ever outside the top two divisions, and the Black Cats don’t want to prowl around this garden any longer.

Not long ago, the likes of Darren Bent, Asamoah Gyan, and Jermain Defoe donned the famous red and white stripes, yet now fans groan at four 1-1 draws in the opening quarter of a League One season.

And yet, to dispel the hangover of disappointment which has hung over the club ever since Charlton Athletic beat them in the playoffs in May, a small blessing

has arrived in the form of Phil Parkinson.

As far as appointments by promotion hopefuls go, Sunderland’s choice of Parkinson is a quietly impressive one.

With three promotions to his name during his managerial career, he certainly ticks the box for experience, but this isn’t all that’s needed.

After all, Simon Grayson had achieved a mighty four promotions by the time he touched down at the Stadium of Light in 2017, yet he only won three of his 18 games in charge before being sacked on Halloween. So, who is to say that Parkinson’s reign won’t be just as dreadful?

Ultimately, nobody can say for sure whether a manager is going be successful or not, but his track record singles him out as an ideal man for the job.

When Parkinson took the job at Bolton Wanderers in June 2016, the club were in a worse position than Sunderland are in currently.

Bolton were licking fresh wounds from a disastrous relegation, had lost several key players and were facing the abyss of a transfer

embargo.

Parkinson, however, had an instant impact, winning his first four games, and over the course of the season he managed to transform the club. He galvanised talents like Jay Spearing and Josh Vela and even teased a ridiculous nine goals out of centre-back David Wheater, leading the Trotters to automatic promotion.

Thanks to him, Bolton were a Championship side again.

There were signs of Parkinson forming his own ideas in his first match against Wycombe But Parkinson is more than just a one-season wonder. It would be better to categorise him as an architect who plans for the long term; this is a man who has managed over 100 games at four of his five clubs with great success in most cases. But he’s also an architect who requires patience.

Take his most famous success: Bradford City. In his first season at the club, Parkinson was no revelation − the Bantams finished

18th in League Two. It was only over time that he moulded something special; promotion and a run to the League Cup final in the next season, an FA Cup quarter-final, and nearpromotion to the Championship in the final years of his reign.

Not only did he help develop the Football League striking sensation that is Nakhi Wells, but he made sure his Bradford side had one of the most solid defences in League One. He eked the best out of Stephen Darby at the back and utilised the towering James Hanson up front to his full effect. In short, Parkinson proved at Bradford that he can get the absolute best out of individual players while fostering a team cohesion that made them more than the sum of their parts. That’s something that Sunderland, so brimming with talent, have been missing until now.

Sunderland’s slump is the result of a long-term mess It’s hard to define exactly how monumental the challenge at Sunderland will be. In his first game in charge, away at highflyers Wycombe on Saturday, Parkinson’s men slumped to a 1-0 defeat and only registered a single shot on target. Of course, it would be unfair to judge him based on that one game; he had only had one training session with the players.

But there were signs of Parkinson developing his own ideas about his team’s shape against Wycombe. He made five changes to the line-up, including handing a first league start of the season to goalkeeper Lee Burge, a decision based on the questionable form of usual first choice Jon McLaughlin.

Rewarding Duncan Watmore with a start after his goal against Grimsby in the Football League Trophy showed conviction, as Watmore has been struggling with injuries again this season.

The new manager also showed willingness to be tactically flexible, switching up the formation midway through the game.

Yet all the problems which have haunted Sunderland this season resurfaced against Wycombe. The Black Cats need to get to grips with direct opposition as the last seven goals they have conceded have all stemmed from balls Sunderland fans have experienced several years of heartache and will need to give Parkinson time (Ronnie Macdonald) crossed into the box. Granted,

Wycombe do boast Adebayo Akinfenwa as their personal knock-down machine, but such an excuse can’t be made against every other team.

Despite being superior at retaining the ball thanks to their 4-2-3-1 formation, Sunderland also lacked a cutting edge.

Wycombe had double their amount of shots.

However, in their 5-0 home win against Tranmere in Parkinson’s second game, his imprint on the side was evident.

A willingness to be first to the ball resulted in Duncan Watmore’s opening goal, and from then on, a masterclass in coolness and creativity left Tranmere spellbound.

A perfectly placed Chris Maguire free kick after 26 minutes saw the lead doubled, and predatory instinct in the box from Lynden Gooch, Will Grigg and Luke O’Nien extended Sunderland’s lead in a roaring return to top form.

Parkinson has done well so far, but there remain defensive frailties and attacking breakdowns which need addressing urgently. The talent is there for all to see; players like Aiden McGeady, Max Power and Will Grigg could all ply their trade in the Championship.

But Sunderland sit 8th in the table, five points behind the automatic promotion places. Not bad, but also not the glory they crave.

Sunderland sit 8th in the table, five points behind automatic promotion The club is also enduring some serious turbulence in the boardroom; Managing Director Tony Davison recently left and there have been unsettling whispers of an American consortium taking over the club.

Amid the buzz of panic and ambition and boardroom change, it can be easy to become overwhelmed. What Sunderland need from their gaffer is the coolest head on Wearside. What the gaffer needs from Sunderland is confidence, even if they don’t go up this year. Their current slump is the result of a long-term mess, a series of failures in multiple departments.

Parkinson has started brightly enough at the Stadium of Light, but you have to hope that, even if there is short-term pain, Sunderland will give him time.

PALATINATE | Thursday 31st October 2019

Team Durham march on as BUCS kicks off in earnest Tim Sigsworth Sport Editor With the BUCS season officially underway, the third round of inter-university fixtures brought plenty of success Durham’s way.

The Palatinates clashed with ever-formidable opponents, Loughborough, in badminton, basketball, fencing, football, rugby and volleyball throughout the day.

In fencing, 135-41 and 13539 wins saw Durham’s men’s and women’s 1s both beat their Loughborough counterparts in what turned out to be a rather comfortable double header.

On the indoor courts, the men’s volleyball 1s triumphed 3-0 and the men’s basketball 1s won 8564. But the badminton teams could not match those results, with Loughborough’s men’s and women’s 1s both victorious.

There was disappointment for the men’s football 1s, who were narrowly defeated 2-1, while the 3s were knocked out of the cup in a 3-1 loss to Sheffield’s 2s. Men’s rugby 2s also fell to a crushing 4819 defeat to Loughborough’s 2s.

However, such losses were avoided by the women’s football 1s, whose emphatic 4-1 win against their arch rivals saw Durham Women FC players Iris Achterhof, Megan Bell and Molly Sharpe all get on the scoresheet in a terrific all-round performance.

Similarly, the men’s rugby 1s saw off stiff opposition in the form of Cardiff Met’s 1s with a 20-9 win which extended their 100 per cent start to the season with four wins from four matches, leaving them as the only unbeaten team in BUCS Super Rugby.

On the hockey pitches, wins for the women’s 1s, 4s, and 5s and the men’s 4s and 5s offset the women’s 2s loss to Nottingham Trent as almost all of DUHC’s teams progressed to the next round of the cup.

Further excellent performances came in the lacrosse, where 2-1, 34-0 and 19-1 wins for the men’s 3s, women’s 5s and women’s 6s respectively were equalled by an equally important victory for the women’s 1s.

Maggie McClain led the way in the 13-5 victory against Birmingham 1s, with four goals left the Palatinates as the only undefeated team in their league.

Wins in golf for the mixed 4s, netball for the women’s 1s and water polo for the women’s 1s rounded off a highly succesful day for Team Durham.

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CCAFC extend local roots with Spennymoor Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero Sport Editor Continued from back page...

The club’s charity sponsor for the 2019-2020 season is the Sir Stanley Matthews Coaching Foundation (SSMCF), which aims to give young people access to sport, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“A primary aim of CCAFC for the upcoming year, and the next step in its natural progression as a club, is to further its outreach in terms of being involved in the local Durham community,” outreach secretary Callum Elson, who set up the coaching academy with Spennymoor, said. “The partnership with Spennymoor is just one strand of our wider vision, and concentrates on providing students with opportunities further than simply playing football in the college leagues.”

The club’s 24 Hours Of Football in aid of the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) raised over £7,500 last year and was named the Best Student Led Event

by Durham’s Student Union.

This year an even bigger event

Vice Chancellor Stuart Corbridge gets stuck in during Collingwood’s 24 Hours Of Football last year (Toby Hillery)

is planned for 22-23 November with other colleges, disability teams, junior teams and the Vice Chancellor’s ‘dream team’ all taking part for SSMCF. One of the club’s most notable community initiatives is the upcoming Foodbank 5-a-side League for local teenagers to make use of Collingwood’s state-of-the-art facilities, which will kick off later this term. All donations from the tournament

will go to Durham Foodbank, which provides three day’s emergency food to anyone going hungry as part of a nationwide network of foodbanks.

It is clear that CCAFC are not content with just being another college football side, even with 14 teams playing across the leagues.

“These initiatives are important for many reasons,” said Elson. “Not only do we raise crucial funds and awareness

for charitable causes, but we make CCAFC more than just a football club – giving members opportunities to better themselves and other people.”

Club president Butterworth said: “At CCAFC we recognise our relative advantage in society and therefore must strive to give something back to others. We have wonderful facilities up at Collingwood and many members who are keen to get involved.

DURFC charity clash raises £5,400 for Sport in Action Hector Pearce Deputy Sport Editor DURFC’s annual charity match against Northumbria in aid of Sport in Action showcased the very best of Durham sport.

The men’s 1s, imperious in victory, defeated Northumbria 1s 48-7. England 7s star Charlie Spawforth was decisive in Durham’s victory and earned himself a deserved man of the match award.

The women’s victory was even more convincing, a 44-12 annihilation of their local rivals.

Captained by Beth Blacklock, the result was testament to DUWRFC’s continued success as the biggest women’s rugby programme in the UK, which took the team to the BUCS final last year.

One of the biggest charity matches in the University’s history, the battle for the North East drew a crowd of over 3,000 spectators.

Ben Fowles, the men’s 1s captain, highlighted the significance of the crowd’s support, which provided “that extra boost” to drive forward and ensure victory.

An annual event supporting Sport in Action, this year’s matches raised an astounding £5,400 for the charity’s work

Both the men’s and women’s teams recorded imperious victories over Northumbria in the double header (DURFC)

in Zambia. The charity impacts thousands of young people’s lives through programmes such as the Fountain of Hope project, an initiative which provides a secure home and education to 94 boys and 48 girls previously living on the streets of Lusaka, the nation’s capital.

Money from last year’s event kept the walk-in clinic supplied with essential medicines, provided desks and chairs for the classroom where previously children had to sit on the floor, kept the showers and toilets working, and enabled the

programme to provide three meals a day for all residents.

Furthermore, DURFC and Team Durham’s continued support has enabled the reconstruction of basketball and netball courts, as well as supplying £1,100 to help fund sports equipment for sites across Lusaka. It is emblematic of Team Durham’s message of stimulation through sport, ensuring the development of programmes that have a positive effect on the community.

This year’s event was nothing short of a triumph and a testament to both the sporting

capacity and charitable nature of the Durham community. The dominant scorelines in both matches reflected the size and support of the vibrant crowd at Hollow Drift last Wednesday.

Such performances bode well for the club, who have a series of important home matches coming up. The men’s unbeaten run, with four wins from four games so far this season, is indicative of the team’s potential, while DUWRFC’s continued success points to the growing popularity of women’s rugby at the University. It promises to be another exciting

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Thursday 31st October 2019 | PALATINATE

DURFC charity match raises £5,400 for Sport in Action Our roundup of the Palatinates’ huge clash against Northumbria (page 19)

Parkinson takes the reigns at Sunderland

A look at whether the Black Cats’ new manager can turn things around (page 18)

CCAFC announce joint coaching academy with Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero

Sport Editor

Payne makes a save at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia. It was his third time at the tournament. (GB Hockey)

Triumph for Durham student at Sultan of Johor Cup Alana Ker Mercer

Deputy Sport Editor Great Britain U21 men were crowned the 2019 Sultan of Johor Cup winners, claiming a 2-1 victory over India in the final.

Durham University’s own goalkeeper, Ollie Payne, played a significant role in the squad’s success, deservedly claiming the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award after an impressive overall performance.

Hosted in Malaysia, this was Payne’s third participation in the tournament, having claimed a spot in the final for the past three years and achieving gold for the first time in 2018.

Discussing the competition, Payne said the opportunity to perform in front of a large crowd against less familiar, non-European teams was a “wonderful experience”.

European teams often choose

to limit travel and perform against closer squads. Travelling the distance to perform in a competition with teams from New Zealand, Malaysia, India and Australia therefore provides players with a chance to experience unknown opposition and a taste of what future performance with the senior squads on the world stage may offer.

Payne was pleased to have been chosen as overall keeper of the tournament, but considered the squad’s overall performance and his “contribution to success” to be the most vital takeaway from the experience.

Having appeared in the final for the past two years, Payne and other players consider the competition to be an opportunity to “learn to manage” and handle the pressures of elite performance on the world stage.

For Durham University Hockey Club, possessing two of the current Great Britain U21

Goalkeepers in Ollie Payne and Louisa Bray cements the club’s status as one of the top performance centres for hockey development at university level.

DUHC combines high-level academics with that of high-level performance, constructing a competitive environment attractive to those “reassuringly talented” athletes – as boasted by the match-day ‘stella’ sweaters, unique to DUHC. Looking to the future, Payne intends to continue with training alongside the U21 Great Britain squad in preparation of summer tournaments, before turning his attention to the U23s squad and the possibility of the senior squad.

Payne is one of a number of international athletes at the club.

Tess Howard was recently selected for Great Britain’s senior women’s Olympic qualifier against Chile, which will be played this coming weekend. DUHC are going from strength to strength.

GB’s Path To Third Gold Preliminary Round

Great Britain 2-0 NZ (Russell and Oates) Japan 1-2 Great Britain (Wall and Park) Great Britain 1-0 Australia (Golden) Malaysia 1-0 Great Britain Great Britain 3-3 India (Wall, McConnell and Ramshaw) Final India 1-2 Great Britain (Rushmere x2)

Collingwood College Football Club may be the biggest association of their kind in the country with teams running from A to N, but now they can also claim to be more than just a football club thanks to a new initiative with National League North side Spennymoor Town, aimed at students interested in coaching.

The partnership will give Collingwood students the chance to earn their FA Level 1 and Level 2 in Coaching Football qualifications at no extra cost while helping to coach teams from under-6 to under-18 level in Spennymoor’s impressive academy system. Both clubs will fund the coaching badges, which would usually cost £150 and £300, respectively.

“This is a very important development for CCAFC,” president Abe Butterworth told Palatinate. “It’s allowing us to move on from the idea that we are just about football matches at the weekend. We’re striving to be a club that supports our members, giving them platforms to go and better themselves but also one that gives something back to the local community.”

Spennymoor are a north-east club on the rise having achieved three promotions in the past five seasons, and narrowly missed out on promotion to the National League this year when they lost on penalties in the playoff final. CCAFC members will benefit from work experience opportunities in the club’s social media and marketing, finance, mascot work, matchday logistics and stewarding departments as part of the agreement.

The new coaching academy is just one of the ways CCAFC are getting involved in the local community.

Continued on p.19...