Facebook announces Fashion Show draws record-breaking IPO spectators, funds Business, pages 10&11
News, page 4 Fashion, indigo page 3
Palatinate
No. 737
Durham’s student newspaper since 1948
www.palatinate.org.uk
Tuesday 14th February 2012 | FREE
Voting in JCR elections at an all-time low
Figures suggest students feel increasingly alienated from college politics Matthew Lee Hannah Shaddock
A survey of seven colleges based around the main Durham City site has found that over the last three years participation in JCR elections has steadily declined. In fact, some college elections are unable to escape single digits in terms of turnout. These figures reflect the general disregard among students about how their college is run. It is probably unsurprising that college elections have not been able to escape the apolitical stance of the Durham bubble. Last year, tuition fees mobilised thousands of students across the country with swathes of protestors marching on cities across England. In comparison, only 300 protestors congregated in Palace Green for anti-tuition fee demonstrations with a large contingent from local sixth-
form colleges. Last year’s elections for Durham Students’ Union sabbatical officers also failed to capture the enthusiasm of the 18,000 eligible voters. Only 25% chose to use the online ballot box, with Ustinov College recording just an 8% turnout.
13%
Van Mildert’s last referendum turnout
However, despite recent events, there has always been reason for optimism when it comes to JCR elections. Whereas the DSU can appear a distant and impersonal organisation, the expectation is that the college community provides a sense of familiarity that is absent from DSU politics. Unfortunately, this is not the
Features: Love & relationships: Valentine’s Day Special
case. According to the data available there has been, on average, a 10% decrease in JCR election turnout between the current academic year and 2010/2011. There are notable positive and negative exceptions to this average. For example, St Chad’s has remained steady at 40% average turnout over the last two years but since 2008 turnout has declined by 23%. St John’s detailed election statistics show that its turnout has also suffered with a higher than average 15% reduction since last year. Admittedly, this did not include the 96% turnout for a ‘games console’ referendum. The lowest turnout on record is at St Cuthbert’s, which achieved a 3% turnout for its boat club elections and just 8% for the more high profile ‘Sports and Societies Chair’, both during the last academic year. Continued on page 3
500 students took part in the DUCK cathedral sleep-out last weekend. See News, page 6 Photograph: Quin Murray
Comment: Are the Olympics worth our excitement?
Film & TV: A look at this year’s Oscar nominations
2
Editorial
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The changing face of journalism: what is our role? The News Corp saga rumbles on. Five more journalists – senior editors for the Sun – have been arrested in recent raids as part of the ongoing investigation into phone hacking and other dishonest practices in the press. The events of the last year have shone a spotlight on our national newspapers, and very few have escaped any sort of scandal. Even the usually faultless The Independent lost Johann Hari after he admitted to using other people’s words in his award-winning interviews. An Ipsos Mori survey completed in June last year – titled the ‘Veracity Index’ - showed that journalists as a professional group are seen as only marginally more trustworthy than politicians. ‘Professional television newsreaders’, however, remain high up on the index. Although many are technically journalists, they are still seen to possess an integrity that reporters for the old-fashioned printed press don’t, in an age of phone hacking, private eyes and paparazzi. So where does that leave us? As a student newspaper, our investigations are obviously on a much smaller scale, with much less at stake. Unlike the national dailies, whose circulation is falling at an alarming rate, we’re lucky enough to have a steady readership and guaranteed
funding, although a consistent income is proving elusive. It may seem that our role is clearer now than ever, as is it more necessary to defend our status as journalists and reporters, to investigate the most controversial stories, to expose hypocrisy and lies throughout our little city. But is our role instead to be ever more careful, to fold under the pressure of staying ‘on message’ and doing exactly what the university wants? The answer is in balancing both duties: we are in a sense like any other business, and have to satisfy sponsors and supervisors. Yet we must still be truthful and faithful to our readership, ensuring that we still report the real story. That is the difficulty of being a ‘highbrow’ publication; we have to investigate, report on and describe factual information whilst avoiding becoming a ‘university mouthpiece.’ This is something we feel Palatinate has continually achieved (although our rivals may disagree.) So how does our role in our community relate to the wider place of journalism in this country? Well, we firmly believe that although we’re a long way from being professional journalists, we are still journalists. We chase stories that many Durham students probably don’t know
Are degrees getting easier? Palatinate TV compares the difficulty of present degrees with those of the past.
are happening, we deal with Media Relations and PR firms, we talk to contacts and managers and sometimes lawyers, and we have to produce content that is both fair and honest but which also has integrity and purpose. We’re sure that we share this aim with the majority of journalists in this country, despite recent events, and that, as a profession, it is as vital and as influential as ever. The fact is, there will always be those who do things for the wrong reasons (or perhaps the wrong things for the right reasons). But it is also a fact that the good journalists as a body do far outweighs the bad. Whether it’s reporting on a desperate conflict in the Middle East or detailing the effect of a crime on a tight-knit community, good journalism continues, and serves a vital function. We hope that, in a small way, what we do here and the good practice we advocate will begin to challenge the perception of journalists as dishonest and self-serving. And yes, we do realise the irony of claiming journalists aren’t self-serving in a editorial dedicated to how important journalists are, but we promise we’re making a wider point here. Honest. Delaney Chambers & Hannah Shaddock
Hot Topic with Alex Morgan
This week, do people in the public eye have less of a right to privacy?
Valentine’s Day
Women’s Lacrosse
Palatinate TV explores how Valentine’s Day is celebrated amongst the student body
Highlights of the recent Women’s Lacrosse match against Bristol
Tuesday 14th February 2012 | PALATINATE
14.02.2012 No.737
Contents Palatinate News pages 3-7 News Features page 8-9 Business page 10-11 Politics page 12-13 Comment pages 14-16 Sport pages 17-20
indigo
Editorial page 2 Fashion page 3 Features pages 4-5 Food & Drink pages 6-7 Stage pages 8-9 Music pages 10-11 Film & TV pages 12-13 Books page 14 Travel page 15 Back page page 16
In Food: How to make the perfect Vday feast
Palatinate vacancies
Palatinate TV Editor This role involves managing the 8 different teams for PTV’s Arts, Sports, Features, News, and Entertainment sections. It includes scheduling deadlines, organising the logistics of equipment transfer, structuring the roles for members, and running organisational meetings.
Palatinate TV Technical Editor
In charge of uploading all the content to the PTV website and helping with all technical issues that may arise. Must have a comprehensive knowledge of video editing and uploading web content. E-mail ptv@palatinate.org.uk for an application form.
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. Send letters to: Editor, Palatinate, Durham Students’ Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN. Alternatively, send an e-mail to editor@palatinate.org.uk
Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Delaney Chambers Hannah Shaddock editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editors Alexandra Bottomer, Flo Snead & Olivia Swash deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Alex Bond & Nathan Noerr news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor Chris Murphy news.features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Matt Lee, Katie Pavid, & Tim Perry deputy.news@palatinate.org.uk Business Editor Jon Zhu business@palatinate.org.uk Careers Editor Charlotte Seager careers@palatinate.org.uk Profile Editor Jessica Waite profile@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editors Olivia Rudgard & Charlie Taverner comment@palatinate.org.uk Sport Editors Spencer Brown & William Warr sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editor Kate Houghton deputy.sport@palatinate.org.uk Indigo Editor Larry Bartleet indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Sarah Murray feature@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editors Catherine Bradfield & Ellie Ross Food and Drink Editor Molly Fowler food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor Alexandra Groom travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Tom Weller fashion@palatinate.org.uk Film and Television Editor Ed Owen film@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editor Anna Bailey and Sarah Johnson stage@palatinate.org.uk Music Editor Jess Denham music@palatinate.org.uk Music Multimedia Editor Briony Chappell music@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Music Editor Will Clement deputy.music@palatinate.org.uk Books Editor Izzie Bengoechea books@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub-Editor Kelsey Tollady sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Section Sub-Editors Alice Melton, Rebecca Lee, Rebecca Paul, Malik Al-Mahrouky & Gemma Neale Web Editor Rhiannon Mehta web.editor@palatinate.org.uk Online Editor Mei Leng Yew online.editor@palatinate.org.uk Photography Editor Nicoletta Asciuto photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editors Arthur Dimsdale & Katherine Merchant deputy.photography@palatinate.org.uk Illustrations Editor David Drysdale illustration@palatinate.org.uk Palatinate TV Editors Ellie Onions & Danford Showan ptv@palatinate.org.uk Blogs Editor Julie Fisher blogs@palatinate.org.uk Publicity Editor Charlie Taverner publicity@palatinate.org.uk
News News Editors: Alexander Bond Nathan Noerr news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor: Chris Murphy news.features@palatinate. org.uk
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Deputy Vice-Chancellor departs for new role at Essex University Katie Pavid
T
he Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Anthony Forster, has left Durham University to take up the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Essex. Professor Forster is a political scientist, and has contributed much to the University since he joined Durham in 2006. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor is responsible for all aspects of the education and student experience for Durham’s undergraduates and postgraduates. As well as this, he takes part in the leadership of a range of issues including Human Resources, diversity and equality, University IT, and employability and skills. Academically, Professor Forster is an expert on British defence policy, with a special interest in the duty of care owed by the government to British servicemen and women.
Vice-Chancellor Chris Higgins
students >> Durham excel in Tough Guy event, page 6
P
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Turn-out falling for JCR votes Continued from page 1 Such poor turnout seems to correlate to apparent disdain for ‘the exec’. One Van Mildert student stated: “I never vote in the elections because I don’t care about the exec or how it is run”. This feeling is mirrored by Van Mildert’s most recent referendum on its constitution achieving only a 13% turnout. This apathy towards the nature of governance is further reinforced by the fact that the average participation for referendums concerning NUS affiliation was only 17% across all colleges. The trend suggests that every year colleges are treated with more disregard among the incoming students.
“The expectation is that the college community provides a sense of familiarity”
“We all owe Anthony a debt of gratitude for ensuring that research-led education is at the heart of our strategy”
He has published widely on the armed forces and politics, and had held the position of Special Advisor to the House of Lords Select Committee on Common Foreign and Security Policy. In his time in Durham he held the post of Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) in 2008. David Currie, Chair of the University of Essex governing body, Council, said: “Professor Forster will bring wide strategic leadership and management experience to Essex. “He has played a leading role in placing research-led teaching, growth in postgraduate student numbers, internationalisation of the curriculum and development of international partnerships at the heart of Durham’s strategy.” Professor Chris Higgins, ViceChancellor of Durham University, said: “I am pleased to congratulate
News
Professor Anthony Forster, seen here at the launch of the Student Employment Service in June last year, is the new ViceChancellor at Essex Univerity Photograph: Durham University
Professor Anthony Forster on his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex, a role which he will take up later this year. “Anthony has given much to Durham University over the past six years, first as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health, and latterly as Pro-ViceChancellor (Education) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor. “We all owe Anthony a debt of gratitude for helping to ensure that
research-led education is placed at the heart of our strategy and the academic experience we offer our students. “He is the latest in a long line of Durham staff and alumni to become a Vice-Chancellor at universities around the world and on behalf of everyone at Durham we wish him well for the future. Discussions about a replacement for Anthony will take place in due course.”
These figures might cause JCRs to consider what can be done to engage students. While the college system undoubtedly plays a large role in providing students with the Durham difference, these statistics show that JCRs are increasingly distanced from their members. Last year JCRs were asked to choose between remaining an independent charity or becoming a Durham Student Organisation (DSO), which meant being absorbed into a University-wide framework, although not necessarily a closer working relationship with the University. The majority of colleges chose to become DSOs, with only Grey, St Cuthbert’s Society, Trevelyan and Ustinov remaining independent. The increased apathy shown towards college governance may reflect a growing dissatisfaction with how the University communicates with its students. The perception that students are not being consulted about decisions that affect them can be seen in the response to issues such as 38-week lets. The University’s handling of the matter was met with considerable criticism, with DSU President Mike King admitting “It is not good enough that college presidents have only been consulted once over a lunch”. This lack of engagement between the University and colleges may be one factor for the current apathy of students towards college matters. With student indifference at an all-time high, the DSU will no doubt be hoping for a significant turn out for the upcoming sabbatical elections, which will take place at the end of February.
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News
Record-breaking result for charity fashion show Matthew Lee Durham has, once again, displayed its commitment to charitable events by raising £7,000 according to early estimates. This entire fund raising success was thanks to the University Charity Fashion show which took centre stage for a record-breaking blitz of glitz and glamour during the last two days of January. Organisers made their intentions for the twenty-eighth annual DUCFS clear from the outset; a black tie event that would herald a ‘return to glamour’. Their choice of location certainly reflected these ambitions with a grand marquee on Palace Green the venue for both nights. They also selected the Teenage Cancer Trust, specifically the teenage cancer wing of the nearby Freemans Hospital, as the recipient of all the money raised. It was soon obvious that there was to be no shortage of enthusiasm. Final night VIP tickets were sold out in three days and the final show was slightly oversold so as not to disappoint demand. The event itself displayed a diverse collection of clothing ranges that included high-street brands such as River Island, Zara and Ann Summers. Student designers were also given the opportunity to produce and style outfits. ‘Verelst Designs’ and ‘Chet Alexander’ were just two of the ranges compiled exclusively by fashion literate Durham students.
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Tuesday 14th February 2012 | PALATINATE
DSU President’s Column Mike King DSU President This column is aiming to highlight my work as a DSU officer and how your student union benefits you as Durham University students. Monday morning involved the 9 a.m. officers’ meeting where course representatives, and DSU elections were discussed. On Monday afternoon, I attended a presentation on the proposed redevelopment plans for Dunelm House, which will hopefully result in a multimillion pound investment in your union.
Nitisha, a student from Grey College and one of the thirty four models involved this year, said “it was an amazing experience, it was so good to see so many people there”. Besides the catwalk action there were also enjoyable reminders of the worthy cause that would benefit from the money raised. A final night auction and raffle contributed £2,500 with £300 from a group of lucky girls who are to be treated to dinner by four of the models.
Remember to vote in the DSU elections, which begin on February 20th
“One of the best compliments we received was that it was groundbreaking”
Overall six hundred people attended the event with the majority more than impressed. As the President of the organising committee, Briony Chappell, commented “one of the best compliments we received after the show was that it was groundbreaking”. DUCK officer Archie Dallas added, “it’s incredible that students put this much time and effort into raising a phenomenal amount of money for charity”. The best acclaim came from the audience of the event, some of whom raved that it was “just like watching a catwalk in Paris or Milan”. Future students are unlikely to be disappointed as the Charity Fashion show has now established itself. This phenomenon could continue for a while yet.
One model on the catwalk at DUCFS Photograph: Yargi Erel
Student Volunteering Week: chance to make a change Katherine Smith
Ex-Chancellor Bill Bryson doing his bit for SCA Photograph: Durham University
On Tuesday, I attended University Council, the governing body of the University, where I fought for the need to improve the partnership where DSU acts as a critical friend to the University; particularly in this transitional period of rising tuition fees. I was then on a panel debate at St. Chad’s where the topics of discussion were internationalisation and the university estate. My tour of colleges continued to St. Cuthbert’s Society where an open forum regarding the unacceptably low compensation for the gas leak in Michaelmas term was held. I toured the building works on the science site on Thursday and pointed out areas where student’s needs had not been fully considered in the designs so these issues can be resolved. My Friday has been spent working on motions to the DSU council and DSU elections next week.
Monday 20th February to Sunday 26th February sees the celebration of national Student Volunteering Week with events running across the country. Student Community Action (SCA) is a fantastic way to do something different in the local community, improve your CV and help in a worthy cause. SCA will be outside the library throughout the week, giving you the opportunity to get involved. There are an extensive range of events in Durham including: a taster session for the SCA’s gardening and
decorating project, volunteering with local elderly residents and a litter pick with Bill Bryson on Friday afternoon. SCA are also hosting a comedy and cocktails evening on Sunday 28th at 8pm at the World Heritage Centre on Palace Green. The large range of events means finding something to volunteer with is easy. If you would like to get involved during Student Volunteering week meet on Palace Green at 3pm on Friday 24th February. There is also the opportunity to meet with SCA outside the library. If you would like more information email community.action@durham. ac.uk.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
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News
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Durham applications increase despite fee hike Tim Perry
23,147
The amount of applications Durham received by Jan 15th 2012
21,383
The amount of applications Durham received by the same date last year
It still however represents the highest percentage increase in all but one of the British universities in the top ten of both The Complete University Guide and Guardian University Guide.
standout
Durham applications up eight percent despite fee rise. Applications to study at Durham from October 2012 have risen by more than eight percent. According to official figures, the University had received 23,147 applications by January 15th 2012 – the deadline for undergraduates’ applications – to start this autumn. This represents an increase of 8.25 percent on last year, when 21,383 applications had been received by the same date. Professor Anthony Forster, Ex Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, welcomed the news. He said: “Durham is a top three UK university and we are delighted to remain an extremely popular choice with applicants because of our academic success, the first-class student experience offered by our colleges and the opportunities available through extra-curricular activities such as sport and community outreach. “The overall quality offered by a Durham education make the University an extremely attractive option for prospective students”.
Last week it was reported that there had been an average decrease of almost nine percent in UK university applications. Data from the University admissions service UCAS shows a slightly smaller increase for undergraduate applications to Durham (up 6.6 percent to 24,800 applicants since last year).
from the crowd
Postgraduate Study and Research Event 12 – 4pm Wednesday 29 February Students’ Union, Northumbria University Newcastle City Campus The Postgraduate Study and Research Event provides an excellent opportunity to talk to staff from our Academic Schools and The Graduate School to find out more about our wide range of postgraduate taught courses and research opportunities. You will also be able to: Find out more about funding and finance Learn about the benefits of postgraduate study and research Explore our University campus
www.northumbria.ac.uk/pg
Only St Andrews in Scotland has seen a larger percentage increase in applicant numbers, where fees for Scottish students are waived. Of the top ten universities in each guide, Durham attracted the third largest total number of undergraduate applicants, with only University College and Warwick attracting more applicants. Some of Durham’s rival universities experienced significant falls in application figures. King’s College London, Warwick, the London School of Economics and Bristol have all experienced a decline of more than five percent in applications. Durham fared well compared with other universities in the North-East. There was a fall in applications to Sunderland University, Northumbria and Newcastle. UCAS also revealed the breakdown of applications in different subject areas. “Non-European languages and related subjects” experienced the greatest fall in applications with only 6,000 applications received across the UK. Medicine degrees remained the most popular degree choice with almost 330,000 applicants.
Prospective students are willing to pay the higher fees for the Durham experience Photograph: Durham University
Penalties for universities who do not improve access Tim Perry Durham University could face fines of up to £500,000 if it fails to admit enough students from deprived backgrounds. The preferred candidate for the Head of Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has stated that he is willing to impose heavy fines on universities charging over £6,000 if they do not adhere to their Access Agreement. Professor Les Ebdon is the Vice Chancellor at Bedfordshire University and the Coalition’s favourite to take on the new role. His remarks have led some Conservative MPs, who disapprove of his critical outlook on the Higher Education Reform plans pushed by the government, to try and block his appointment. He believes that it is “important that universities set challenging targets” and that they should “know what things to do to improve participation”, despite seeing universities as independent organisations. Although OFFA have always had this power, Prof Les Ebdon’s comments come with renewed vigour at a time when the university fees sys-
tem is being overhauled. The richest 20% of students are seven times more likely to gain a place at an academically selective university than the poorest 40%. The Access Agreements, which aim to change this disparity, detail admissions targets and explain how the university will provide fee discounts and bursaries.
£11million The amount set aside as financial aid for prospective students
At Durham University, the number of offers made to state school pupils has been steadily declining since 2002. Between 2010 and 2011 offers made to state school pupils fell from 60.9% to 44.4% respectively. Socio-economic groupings also suggest that the majority of Durham students come from relatively
wealthy backgrounds, with 61.7% of student’s parents working in professional employment or intermediate occupations. However, the University has a comprehensive plan to ensure fair access as it raises its tuition fees to £9,000 per year for full time undergraduates in October. Durham’s Access Agreement states that those with a family income below £25,000 will receive a grant of £3,000 per year, part of the £11 million financial package set aside to help students. A student at University College who receives a scholarship from a civil engineering company, stated that “many students have to turn to industry because there are not enough grants available”. The grants that do exist are fiercely competitive, with hundreds of applicants per place. The Access Agreement states that “The University… works hard to identify those with the greatest merit and potential among applicants from all school types”. However, it insists that “Academic achievement remains the most important factor in determining which applicants receive an offer of a place”.
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News Sleeping in the cathedral for charity Photograph: Quin Murray
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Tuesday 14th February 2012 | PALATINATE
Made in Chelsea stars to visit Durham Channel 4 heart-throbs set to entertain students on Valentine’s Day Gabriel Samuels
DUCK host charity sleep-out Archie Dallas One of the most high-profile events that DUCK has hosted took place over the weekend. The cathedral sleep-out saw five hundred students spend a night in Durham Cathedral for the first time in living memory on 10th February. The application process closed early because of high levels of interest. DUCK is expecting to donate to 60 different charities, most of which are concentrated in the North East of England this year.
I am hopeful that despite your lack of disposable income, Durham students will continue to contribute to the fantastic work that DUCK and all its contributors do. The last settlers in the cathedral were 3,000 Scottish prisoners captured at the Battle of Dunbar. However, with 1,500 of these people dying, DUCK is aiming for a far more successful outcome from the event. The purpose of the event is to raise money for the homeless charity, Moving On Durham. One participant said “I am looking forward to spending an evening in this historic building.”
Josephine Butler President survives corruption scandal
Andrew Corner Alex Bailey, JCR President at Josephine Butler College, has comfortably beaten back a vote of no confidence following accusations of corruption. Despite the will of senior college members, only a small minority of twenty-nine members of the JCR had no confidence in Alex Bailey continuing as President, whilst two hundred and twenty seven supported him.
“Error in judgement” Alex Bailey accepts mistake
The President used the recent JCR meeting as an opportunity to explain his actions and apologise for an “error in judgement”, following a payment made to him by a photography company. Penguin Photography offered the President fifty pounds following the collection of money for matriculation photos in October. However, upon receiving an invoice for the photos with a fifty pound reduction marked as payment for JCR Presidential services, the JCR highlighted potential issues of the
payment with a Durham Sabbatical Officer (DSO) accountant. The JCR Treasurer and VicePresident subsequently asked the President to apologise and return the money. This request was refused. Following a meeting with the college Principal, Alex Bailey accepted the allegations, apologised and donated the money to charity. The Principal informed Alex Bailey that his actions were a breach of the Financial Regulations of the DSO framework. At the JCR meeting on Sunday the 29th January, Alex Bailey issued a statement and answered questions from students. Mr Bailey thanked those who had supported him and offered his most sincere apologies. Deputy Warden Professor Graham Towl stated that “a matter of JCR financial governance has been brought to our attention. We take such matters very seriously and are keen to expediate a fruitful resolution to the issues identified. We are confident that all concerned will want the very best for our students in taking this forward”. With elections for the new President imminent, these recent events mean that the candidates will have to contend with sustained scrutiny.
The male leads of E4’s Made in Chelsea, Hugo Taylor and Spencer Matthews, are hosting a luxury Valentines Party at Durham’s Whiskey River bar. Made in Chelsea has a large and loyal fan base with viewing figures peaking at over half a million throughout Season 2. Channel 4’s docudrama, which follows the lives and loves of London’s most extravagant socialites, has proven so popular since its premiere in May that a third series has already
been commissioned. On Valentine’s Night Hugo and Spencer, the best friends, who are two of the show’s most popular stars, are coming to Durham. The recently opened champagne and cocktail lounge, Whiskey River, has organised a ‘Made in Chelsea Valentine’s Extravaganza’. Hugo and Spencer will host the exclusive event. The bar which opened in July 2011 secured The Only Way is Essex star Mark Wright at the end of last term. The owners Hollie and Katie Shepherd are keen to repeat the success of this event. Hollie remarked that “it was important to make this Valentine’s night a special one.
“We are thrilled to have Hugo and Spencer hosting the party. For the boys to come all the way to Durham and Whiskey River is a massive coup for the city”. The event is happening tonight for an exclusive 150 party goers. The numbers are intentionally limited to create an ‘intimate’ atmosphere with the stars according to the owners. This intimacy is highlighted by every girl receiving a rose personally from Spencer and Hugo. They will also be making themselves available for pictures throughout the night. The event is set to be a luxurious occasion with each £25 ticket guaranteeing champagne and canapés.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
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St. Cuth’s students under investigation Rugby club members banned from St. Cuth’s and Hatfield bars after social antics Charlie Taverner
Members of St. Cuthbert’s Society rugby club are facing disciplinary action after lurid behaviour on a social two weeks ago. Following a club social on Monday 30th January, Hatfield College formally complained that two players stripped naked in their college bar, and three players were urinating off the balcony above the bar. Currently, the investigation into the behaviour on the social is ongoing. While the events of the evening are still being uncovered and punishments are being decided, members of St. Cuthbert’s rugby club have been banned from both St. Cuthbert’s bars (Brooks House and 12 South Bailey) and Hatfield College bar. On Friday afternoon, the ban from the two St. Cuthbert’s bars was lifted. Simon Watkinson, Hatfield College Senior Man, said: “Hatfield bar welcomes students and socials from all other colleges and hope they have a great time here, but we will not accept such antisocial behaviour and don’t believe any bar in Durham, college or otherwise, would either”. The members of the St. Cuthbert’s rugby side were taking part in a ‘her-
mit’ social, in which club members split into small groups, visit different locations and perform the funniest drunken activities possible. Many of the antics involve nudity, and photographs are taken as proof of the activities for when the club reconvene later in the evening. While it is impossible to foresee precisely what sanctions will be placed on either the players involved or the rugby club as a whole, St. Cuthbert’s Society’s college handbook states: “College Officers may impose fines or require community service for breaking rules or other anti-social behaviour”. Mrs Sharon Richardson, Interim Principal of St. Cuthbert’s, was only able to comment that: “The matter is currently being investigated by the Senior Tutor, Barbara Harrison”. St. Cuthbert’s rugby club will be hoping that the disruption will not damage their chances on the field in the run up to the end of the season. The college ‘A’ team is currently third in the Men’s Premiership, and is currently in the Quarter Final of the prestigious Floodlit Cup. In a statement, the rugby club said: “We do not want to comment on the events of 30th January in the press because of the on-going disciplinary process. Both the club and the particular players involved would like to apologise for their behaviour”.
Nick Freeman Professor Robert Winston, pioneer in IVF treatment and presenter of such BBC television series as Child of Our Time, The Secret Life of Twins and The Human Body visited the Durham Union Society to give an address on the question “Does science have a moral dimension?”. The Professor’s erudite scholarship did not cease to impress as he examined everything from laser technology to the internet and from World War II to genetic engineering. The orchestra practicing downstairs was even courteous enough to give atmospheric accompaniment to his vivid descriptions of the origins of life and evolution. Questions from the audience were answered with intense attention and thoughtfulness as the Professor paced the entirety of the Chamber, before retiring to the Reading Room at 24 North Bailey Bar for more informal discussion with those that attended.
Rugby club faces potential fines over antics Photograph: Charlie Taverner
Tough Guy success for steely students Joanna Thom
Playing with fire: Tough Guy event Photograph: Quin Murray
This week at Durham Union Society
Ninety Durham students competed in the infamous Tough Guy competition on Sunday 29th January. The competition is one of the most challenging feats of endurance and requires competitors to withstand the freezing cold, fire and even electric shocks. It consists of an assault course about 8 miles long which pushes participants to the limit of their mental and physical capacity. To add to the apprehension felt by competitors, a death disclaimer had to be signed before they took part to clear the organisers of any responsibility. However the participants were motivated by their desire to raise money and awareness for charities. The challenge saw competitors from more than twenty countries travelling from as far as the United
States. One third of the competitors did not complete the course, which is a testament to Durham’s success, as 89 of 90 of challengers finished the course. Some Durham students even completed the course in fancy dress highlighting both their success and their ambition to raise money and awareness for charitable causes. Unfortunately, for many the course was too difficult, this resulted in some participants being rescued by a crane. Many also were forced to endure injuries which included cuts, bruises and broken bones and, for many, the onset of hypothermia. Emily Field-Lucas, a student from Van Mildert College, was one of the competitors from Durham and was the first woman to complete the course. Emily said “I did not do anything in preparation. “I do not really remember it as I have blanked it all out. It was tough though”.
Professor Robert Winston speaks to students at DUS
I found myself rapt in mutual enthusiasm with Professor Winston over e-book technology, and other guests were offered a prison tour with Winston’s fellow Labour peers (for suggesting incarceration was “cosy”) and his personal academic references for an essay on abortion ethics. Professor Winston also touched upon phone hacking and scientific atheism – the latter of which will be defended on the 1st March at 8pm in the Debate Chamber when Professor A. C. Grayling gives his address on “What’s Good about the Good Book?” BBC Presenter Jeremy Vine, RGS Newcastle Headmaster Dr. Bernard Trafford, Huffington Post journalist Willard Foxton and ex-Wikileaks Guardian writer James Ball crossed swords in the Durham Union Society’s Debate Chamber on Friday, in what turned out to be a hugely entertaining balance of hilarity and intellect. Exclusive interviews with Jeremy Vine and James Ball will be available, along with our interview with John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief of The Economist, at purpleradio.co.uk. Non-members interested in seeing Professor A. C. Grayling at the Union Society, attending the famous Classic Cocktail social, and much more, should sign up in the Office for their complimentary wine, or on-line at dus.org.uk/Join.
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News Features
Moneythink scheme launches in Durham A group of Durham University students have launched the Moneythink scheme in County Durham. The programme teaches financial literacy and entrepreneurship to students who perhaps don’t have the capacity or money to go to university, or sixth form college. It was set up at the University of Chicago three years ago, and one member of the Durham team, Rebecca Ellul, met the founder at a global summit on social enterprise last year. She decided she’d like to extend the scheme to the UK, and the programme is also being set up in Cambridge and Oxford. She said: “We aim to change the perception students have about career choices and encourage innovation and enterprise as a means of creating a successful job through their own pursuits. “We try to keep the classes fun and interactive and teach through games and open discussions.” She spent her Christmas holidays making the syllabus relevant to British students, and now currently teaches three standard year eleven classes per week, as well as academically disadvantaged classes.
“[It’s] a positive environment where students feel they can make something of their lives” Rebecca Ellul Co-Founder Moneythink Durham
By the end of the programme the students will come out with a completed workbook which has notes on compounding interest, budgeting, as well as on entrepreneurship and business building. They also receive certificate of graduation from the programme. Ellul’s own experiences teaching classes have demonstrated to her the true need for the programme. In a class of just six fourteen-year-olds, a number had severe ADHD, and one had had a child seven months ago. The team have been shortlisted for the Durham Dragons’ Den.
Tuesday 14th February 2012 | PALATINATE
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Not just a detail of history
How the buildings at Auschwitz look today Photograph: Jillian Ward
Jillian Ward covers the visit of Holocaust survivor Arek Hersh
O
n Thursday February 2nd, Durham students had the privilege of listening to the story of Arek Hersh, a survivor of the Holocaust. Mr. Hersh has devoted his life to ensuring that the world will never forget the horrors and lessons of the Nazi murder of approximately six million Jews. His presentation began with a screening of the documentary Arek, which tells his life story, followed by a speech and a question and answer session. Over 200 students listened intently to Mr Hersh’s haunting and inspiring account of how he survived the Holocaust. As one first-year student stated: “you could have heard a pin drop in the room”. Although Mr Hersh’s speech was an unembellished statement of his life’s events, his courage, hope and humanity shined through at every turn, leaving students in awe. Hersh was only eleven years old when he was sent to Otoschno concentration camp, where he remained for eighteen months. There he carried out the horrifying task of moving cadavers to mass graves, some recognisable as his neighbours
and friends from his hometown. Today, there is no marker indicating that the clearing is a mass grave. Eventually, Arek was sent back to his home in the Sierdatz ghetto, which was liquidated in August 1942. He and his family were taken to Chelmo concentration camp, where Arek saw them for the last time. Although Arek attributes his survival to ‘luck’, his early exposure to the system of concentration camps as a boy in Otoschno taught him loopholes in the Nazi process of murder. At Chelmo, he lied to an SS officer saying he was a tailor, which literally “saved [his] life”. In Birkenau in 1944, he was first placed in a line with children and the elderly, but snuck into a line with men who looked fit to work, which turned out to be ‘the right side’ and “saved [his] life” once again.
“Man has not learned from history” Arek Hersh
By the time he was fourteen years old, Arek was in Auschwitz I, where he again lied – this time about his age – to evade murder. By the age of sixteen, he had survived two ghettos and four concentration camps. Mr. Hersh was liberated in 1945 by the Russian army and now lives in England with his wife, children and grandchildren. He dedicates his
time to speaking at schools, universities and various organizations about the Holocaust. He also brings groups on tours of remaining concentration camps. He finds this immensely “difficult”, but will continue to “do it for as long as [he] can” because it is “important to teach young people what actually went on”. In Arek’s view, everyone “must be vigilant” about learning the facts of the Holocaust regardless of their heritage. Helena Baker, the president of the Durham Jewish society who organised the event, agreed that it was “amazing to see other people there” who were not part of the Jewish Society. This writer agrees with Helena and Arek, having participated in the March of Remembrance and Hope, a two-week Holocaust educational trip run by the Canadian Centre for Diversity. I traveled alongside 59 other students from across Canada, two History professors, and two survivors of the Holocaust. We visited sites such as the house of the Wansee conference in Berlin and numerous concentration camps, including Auschwitz I and Birkenau, where Mr Hersh was imprisoned as a boy. The sheer magnitude of these places and what they represented was numbing, and it imbued everyone with the need to prevent discrimination in any form. Near the end of the trip we met with several Righteous Among the Living, people who hid Jews during the Shoah, and discussed ways in which to move forward with our
knowledge. Throughout his speech, Arek Hersh made constant references to the “indescribable” nature of the Holocaust and what he went through. However, he also emphasized the need for youth to strive towards a better grasp of what happened. Helena Baker agreed that our generation is in an extremely blessed position since we still have access to oral history of the Holocaust via its survivors. In her opinion, it is crucial to carry on the story of the Holocaust since it can be “downplayed” or denied altogether. As Mr. Hersh pointed out, “man has not learned from history” as seen in subsequent mass atrocities in Rwanda and Darfur, to name a few. The title of Mr. Hersh’s book, A Detail of History, turns the claim of French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen that the Holocaust was “just a detail in the history of World War II”, on its head. The Holocaust was a monumental atrocity that we have yet to learn from. Thankfully, survivors such as Arek Hersh are selfless enough to share their experiences. As Dr. Susan Frenk, who introduced Mr. Hersh, stated, “it is up to all of us to take this living, breathing witness out of the room tonight to educate others”.
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Studio: back for good?
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Christopher Murphy investigates what really happened to the old Durham favourite, and asks whether a change in management can bring it back to life
F
ollowing the closing-down of Studio at the end of the Michaelmas term, much of the Durham student population were up in arms. “Where will we spend our Monday nights now? Or Tuesdays? Or Thursdays? Or Fridays?” went the cry of despair from one first-year Aidan’s student. “I really don’t want to be forced to go to Klute” came the response from a second-year Collingwood student. Vimac Northern Ltd., the company that owned a number of similar venues across the North-East, had gone into liquidation forcing the closure of not only Studio Durham, but also the rest of their venues. Rumours spread about students not buying enough drinks, or the landlord putting up the prices of the rent.
£30,000 Total amount spent by the new Studio owners on refurbishing Jimmy Allen’s
However an investigation by Palatinate has revealed all these claims to be untrue. The company went into liquidation after struggling with its debts for a long period of time, and thus Studio was forced to shut
its doors. But this proved to be only temporary. At the beginning of January two local businessmen, who also own and operate Jimmy Allen’s, heard about the chance to purchase the lease on the site and quickly jumped at the opportunity. Business at Jimmy Allen’s has been as strong as ever, as it proves to be the choice penultimate venue of the night for most students. Lee Smurthwaite and Graham Burnard, the two men who own Jimmy’s and now Studio, saw a lot of potential with the venue. The launch night was incredibly successful, as North road flooded with students and the venue was packed to capacity. In recent weeks, though, the club has not seen as much business as it would have liked, with totally empty dance floors on occasion. However Mr Smurthwaite said that the pair were happy with the way their new venture was going: “We’ve only been open for three weeks, and we’ve got some big plans for the rest of term. Judge us in two to three months, rather than now.” The pair also addressed recent allegations that Studio is ripping off its customers when it comes to ordering spirits. The claims that they only sold Tolstoy, a 30% by volume white spirit, rather than vodka, were refuted by the Studio management.
The wide range of spirits available at Jimmy Allen’s and Studio Photograph: Christopher Murphy
Mr Burnard said: “We have a huge selection of different spirits ranging from Tolstoy to Absolut vodka. If you wanted premium vodka in Studio it is there. “But we know that students don’t want to pay £4.50 for a double Absolut and coke, or £3.90 for a double Smirnoff. Last night we did not sell a single serving of Absolut vodka” he continued. The simple fact of the matter is that Studio does sell a wide range of spirits, including many different types of vodka. But without doubt, most students prefer the cheapest option available. “We just can’t offer trebles made from premium vodka at £2 each. No club in Durham can” said Mr Burnard. Mr Smurthwaite went on to say that when they first bought Jimmy Allen’s, bar staff were left with people ordering vodka mixers with Smirnoff, only to walk away and not pay for the drink when given a price of around £3 rather than £1.75 or £2.
However, do most people that purchase a ‘double vodka coke’ and receive a double Tolstoy and coke realise that they’re not getting vodka? Probably not. Would they prefer to pay double the price for premium vodka? Probably not. But the choice is there if desired.
Scott Guy, previously an employee of Vimac Leisure who worked at studio, attempted to transfer the previous Studio nights such as the 50p Tuesday night to Academy, but has admitted that these efforts have not quite gone according to plan. Why, then, does Studio still remain half empty several nights a week? The bars are stocked with
cheap and premium drinks. The cheaper drinks ‘b4 midnight’ have been scrapped, with cheap drinks all night. 50p Tuesdays remain. Of course, the new Klute is still enjoying its honeymoon period and has become extremely popular despite the initial furore. Market Vaults, and the classy Whisky River are both proving to be favourite alternative destinations. But Studio is still there. The owners do have plans to refresh the décor and make general improvements, having spent £30,000 on refurbishing Jimmy Allen’s since they purchased it 12 months ago. New nights are also in the pipeline. With the much documented fuss over the rebranding of Klute, has Studio fallen by the wayside? Many students still say they have good nights in Studio, but that its empty dance floors are a major deterrent. Drinks and entry are both cheaper than under the previous management. But where Studio goes from here only time will tell.
Ben Woodhouse, social events coordinator of the society commented: “The event was such a success. Everyone had such a good time and had the chance to find out more about BLP. “We’ve got a great relationship with Ebony and we’re so pleased with what they were able to put on for us” he continued. The evening began at eight o’clock, with an impressive spread of canapés as the members of the society enjoyed the plush surroundings until long into the night.
Guests were also able to chat with some BLP trainees who were present at the event and discover more about what it is like to work at a top city firm. The Law Society is one of the most popular societies at Durham. However all students are welcome, not just those studying law. One second-year modern linguist present at the event commented: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk to law graduates, and am really considering this career path in the future”.
“We do sell a wide range of premium spirits, as well as Tolstoy”
Ebony hosts glamourous Law Society jazz evening Christopher Murphy
Whilst club-goers were getting their shoes stuck to the floor whilst listening to S Club 7 in some Durham establishments, Ebony was last week the host venue for a glamorous evening of champagne, cocktails and jazz for members of the Law Society. Attendees enjoyed a free glass of champagne and two free cocktails, as well as nibbles, for the bargain price of just £3 due to sponsorship from
law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner. One second year student commented: “Law Soc events are fabulous. “Thanks to the sponsorship we always get so much included! I would never be able to afford to come to somewhere like Ebony otherwise.” The social division of the Law Society organises many events throughout the year, providing members of the society with the opportunity to network with other members and legal professionals. Adding to the relaxed atmosphere
£5.95
Regular cost of a glass of Mercier Brut champagne, included in the price of a £3 ticket
in the recently refurbished champagne bar was a three-piece jazz band of Durham students, playing a two hour set of jazzy covers of popular songs.
10
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Just in case you missed these events over the winter
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Tuesday 14thFebruary 2012 | PALATINATE
January 2012
January 2012
10th: HS2, the UK’s largest infrastructure project for decades, sees its go-ahead at a cost of £32.7bn. Analysts predict the project will deliver future benefits of £47bn.
13th: Standard & Poor’s downgrades the credit rating of France, Austria, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Malta putting mounting pressure on these countries ability to raise finance in the bond market.
14th: Royal Bank of Scotland confirmed it was cutting an extra 3,500 jobs in investment banking.
16th: China’s economic growth slows to 8.9%.
Facebook’s IPO: Zuckerberg goes global 8 years after the company was first launched, Facebook is finally going public Justin Cash
I
t’s already being called the float of the century. Having amassed some 800 million users in the last 8 years, the time has finally come for Facebook to be listed on the stock exchange. With an estimated initial public offering (IPO) value of between $80-$100 billion, the social network has successfully launched the biggest ever stock market listing for a technology company. Given the amount of users and the initial list price, this effectively means that the market has valued each Facebook user at between $100 and $125. Though this may seem steep at first, the ability to target consumers though the social networking site has proved invaluable for marketers. In 2011, Facebook was able to generate just shy of $4 billion in revenues, with the vast majority attributable to demand for advertising space on the site.
$75-100bn Facebook’s estimated value
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Going public, however, means Facebook, and in particular CEO Mark Zuckerberg, will be under increasing pressure to improve the network’s profitability. This is likely to lead to increased advertising on the site, which many argue will worry potential new users and anger existing ones. It seems unlikely that the company can invent a radical new way to generate revenues that would even come close to attracting as much funding as advertising does.
Facebook has an average of 2.7 bil ‘likes’ and comments per day Photograph: Robert Scobie
Hosting charges for applications on the site have proved fruitful for Facebook in recent years. In fact, the social network is now reliant on Zynga, an online game developer for 12% of its revenues. But this path is also fraught with risk. Zynga has only been around for three years, and its growth has flattened out of late. There are still more compelling reasons to be skeptical over investing in Facebook though.
Competitors such as Twitter, Tumblr and LinkedIn are all growing at a far faster rate than Facebook, which has seen growth in user numbers slow down significantly over the last two years. Many put this down to user fatigue and the waning of the social network’s cutting edge over time, two problems which will be exacerbated as the years go by. What is more, privacy will become a bigger issue when Facebook finds itself having to ap-
peal to new backers for funds. At any rate, Facebook is arguably a company that has already reached maturity. Investors will be betting on a 27-year-old CEO who controls more than 60% of the company, so if things go pear shaped there is little room for maneuver. Of course people will flock to get their share of a household name, but, unfortunately, their expectations are unlikely to be met.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
January 2012 21st: Apple posted strong Q4 2011 results, much stronger than analyst’s predictions. The company reported $46.4 bn in sales and more than doubled its net profits to $13.1 bn.
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Business
www.palatinate.org.uk February 2012
February 2012
3rd: In January, UK’s service sector grew at its fastest rate since March 2011.
6th: Greece miss deadline on acceptance of EU130 bn bailout rescue plan from Germany and France.
4th: The US economy grew by a robust 2.8% in the final quarter of 2011, the quickest pace of growth since mid-2010.
25th: The UK economy shrinks by 0.2% in Q4 2011, as inflation drops to 4.2% for the month of December.
7th: Barclays Chairman ‘expects’ £2M bonus.
8th: Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is cleared of tax evasion.
Capitalism in crisis: waived bankers’ bonus
Unsurprisingly, public anger about bonuses is growing. But has ‘banker bashing’ gone too far?
should not be paid a bonus until their debt is repaid to the taxpayers. This public and government pressure had led Stephen Hester to waive his annual bonus. Sir Hampton recently suggested the amount of a bonus should be kept in check, and the finance industry needs better regulation to ensure consistency and transparency in regard to bankers’ bonuses and salaries. It is the rule of capitalism that the hardest worker will be paid the greatest, and similarly it is also the unwritten principle within the banking industry, state-owned or not. There is no reason why Hester cannot walk away from all the mess and leave the government to clean it all up if the public continues to misinterpret him as the villain who is stealing the public’s money when he is actually, as Nina dos Santos of CNN reported, the ‘hero’.
Zhen Lau Comment
It is not difficult to see where the public anger directed against high profile bankers comes from. More than ever, the excessive culture of bankers’ bonuses is exposed during an era of economic downturn. When the average pay rate of British worker is £26,000 a year, a bankers’ annual bonus, which can be worth over one million pounds on top of a lucrative annual salary, is seen by the public as an exborbitant source of greed. The Royal Bank of Scotland spent almost £1 billion last year on bonuses, while Barclays paid around £5-6 billion in compensation. There is no surprise the government are using bankers as a way of turning the spotlight from themselves.
“RBS Chairman Sir Philip Hampton believes the £963,000 bonus for CEO Stephen Hester is reasonable and an appropriate award ”
The former RBS boss was recently stripped of his knighthood Photograph: Takomabiblelot
Historically, bonus means ‘good’ in Latin. It is used traditionally in a capitalist market to provide greater incentive for workers to be diligent. It is simple mathematics. Good business means great employees, and great employees don’t come with small pay packages. Without incentives, there is no motivation for the most talented minds to work for you instead of your competitors. This is a con-
cept that works well with capitalism. The banking industry is arguably one of the most important sectors of the UK economy, notoriously coined as the ‘golden goose’. It is the extraordinarily handsome pays that has attracted the world’s best financiers to London. In turn, it is their willingness to work harder than others that has maintained the position of
£26,000
Average payrate of British worker
UK financial institutions as one of the world’s best. RBS Chairman Sir Philip Hampton, who recently turned down his own £1.3 million bonus, believes the £963,000 bonus of CEO Stephen Hester is reasonable and is an appropriate reward for his hard work in shrinking the RBS’s balance sheet. Sir Hampton also believes that Mr Hester is the best that money can buy. Many analysts argue that
Hester has performed well in overturning the mess left by their previous chief executive Fred Goodwin. Moreover, Hester’s bonus is significantly lesser than his peers; Lloyds’ boss Antonio Horta Osorio was offered £2.4 million in bonus last month and Barclay’s CEO is set to receive of £3 million for his work in 2011. Many critics of the bonus culture argue that a banker of a publicly owned bank such as RBS
Moreover, it is a major concern that international corporations and banking institutions would move away from London and towards countries with less prosecution and scrutiny, making the capital greatly vulnerable as they are the pumping veins of the economy. The centre of capitalism will be in risk of collapsing. All that said, it depends on the public to prevent a war against the bankers. The government are unlikely to adopt any policies, so it is the public’s responsibility to assess the issue with greater caution and stop treating bankers as the public enemy. Despite what the media portrays, they play a significant economic role.
Politics
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PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
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HMS Dauntless and Prince William have been sent to the Falklands as ‘routine measures’ Cartoon: Jack Hodsoll
Tensions mount over Falklands Michael Catania
As the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War approaches, recent moves by both the Argentine and British governments have heightened tensions over the island’s sovereignty once again. On 8th February Argentina announced it was making a formal complaint to the UN about the ‘Militarisation’ of the Islands. Argentina’s President, Ms Fernandez has claimed Britain’s recent actions pose a threat to “International Security” The British Government has accused Argentina of colonialism and, in what it claims are routine measures, Prince William has been sent on a six-week deployment to the islands and state-of-the-art HMS Dauntless is to be dispatched there. Buenos Aires has accused Britain of trying to militarise the diplomatic
conflict over the islands. “The Argentine people regret that the heir to the throne will come... with a conqueror’s uniform,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Furthermore, the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has denounced the “acts of provocation” by the British government and suggested that Venezuelan troops would become involved any military conflict.
Britain has held the Falklands since
1833
Recently the Argentine government has announced that the top football division will be named in honour of the Cruiser General Belgrano sunk during the Falklands conflict. The South American Mercosur trading bloc, made up of Argentina,
Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have agreed to prevent ships flying the Falklands flag from entering their ports. Additionally, Argentina looks set to block the Falklands’ only air link with the South American continent, a weekly flight from Chile that brings in perishable supplies that cannot be grown on the islands nor brought by ship. The island’s only air link would then be the twice-weekly 8000 mile flight via Ascension Island to London. The Argentinean government has been accused of attempting to win sovereignty by making the Falklands too expensive to maintain. Britain believes that those on the Falklands are “our own people”, as Margaret Thatcher proclaimed in 1982, and that the islanders have a right to self-determination. The present confrontation has arguably arisen as a result of the anni-
versary of the original conflict. Both governments have been accused of stoking tensions and nationalist sentiment to divert attention away from unpopular policies and declining electoral support. Or perhaps it is the arrival of the vast Liev Erikson oil rig to begin a round of drilling off the Falklands that can shed greater light on the rise in tensions. There are thought to be hundreds of millions of extractable barrels of oil, worth billions of pounds, under the waters. Some are now calling for compromise to avoid a future war. However after the UK’s letter to the UN Secretary General last week ruling out any sovereignty negotiation, any compromise seems unlikely. Britain has held the Falklands since 1833 and says there will be no negotiations with Argentina over sovereignty unless the islanders wish it.
Factfile: Your guide to the Republican Presidential candidates Mitt Romney
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-The ‘favourite’ -Won 3 states so far -3rd in 2008 Republican primaries -Former Governor of Massachusetts -Estimated wealth $250 million -Questions over tax payments
Newt Gingrich
-Former Time Magazine ‘Man of the Year’ and Speaker of House of Representatives -1st wife was his teacher -Asked 2nd wife for an ‘open marriage’ -Current wife is 23 years younger than he is
PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
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Huhne’s exit brings disruption to DECC Diamond New Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey faces a difficult start Elgan Alderman
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he Department of Energy and Climate Change will be looking to move on from the last week as quickly as possible. On Monday 30th January, a group of 101 MPs, including David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg, signed a letter to David Cameron opposing the £500million subsidy paid to the wind power industry per year. This comes in the same week that Chris Huhne, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, resigned after hearing the news that he would face the charge of perverting the course of justice over the allegation that his ex-wife took his speeding points, a crime facing a typical sentence of around two years for a guilty verdict. In reply to Huhne’s resignation Cameron said that he thought Mr. Huhne had “made the right decision under the circumstances”.
“There may have been a change at the helm, but there’ll be no change in direction or ambition” New Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey
As is always the case with politics, high-profile Coalition MPs are now singing the praises and mourning the loss of a man who frequently smeared Conservative Ministers and fought an ill-tempered campaign for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats. Mr. Huhne, a fervent supporter of
wind power, was a driving force behind the Coalition’s pursuit of them. A number of high-profile Tory MPs are against the Coalition’s proposals and many will hope that Mr Huhne’s departure will change the Coalition’s proposals. Downing Street maintains that the Government’s climate change strategy will not change course. This mini-revolt may prove to be a tough challenge for Huhne’s successor, Ed Davey. In their letter to the Prime Minister, MPs revealed their staunch opposition to the Coalition’s decision to increase consumer pay towards energy sources which they described as “inefficient” and “intermittent”. It would appear that the MPs’ claims are not unfounded. Research conducted by Professor David McKay of Cambridge University has claimed that wind turbines would have to cover an area the size of Wales just to provide a sixth of our nation’s daily energy needs. Critics, including the Duke of Edinburgh argue turbines are far too noisy and ruin the British countryside. There is not only the obvious reliance on wind for energy but in some instances they have had to be switched off when it is too windy. However, advocates praise wind for being a ‘clean’ energy source. MPs have asked the Prime Minister to consider reducing the amount of money given to onshore wind production, and share the funds with, arguably, more efficient forms of renewable energy such as solar power, hydroelectric power and geothermal energy. Over the course of the next twelve months, 478 turbines will be erected onshore and 303 around the coast; a significant increase on last year. The largest of these wind farms, off the coast of Cumbria was due to be opened by Mr Huhne. As far as Durham is concerned,
Ron Paul
-Opposses tax rises -Opposed the Iraq War -Promotes libertarian policies -Notable support amongst young Americans -Came 2nd in New Hampshire -Came third in Iowa and Nevada
EDF have submitted an application to erect four turbines in the Durham County Council area. However, Councillor Rob Crute has opposed the plans and thus a public meeting has been called to discuss the application. The MPs also want changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, which they claim “diminishes the chances of local people defeat-
ing onshore wind farm proposals through the planning system.” As the Coalition passes the baton from one Energy Minister to the next, it looks unlikely that the Government will change direction with their green strategy. Ed Davey has declared “there may have been a change at the helm, but there’ll be no change in direction or ambition.”
Jubilee Philippa Slaney
The 6th of February saw the 60th Anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne. This landmark raises questions as to the place of a constitutional monarchy in the UK. A four day weekend, from the 2nd June to the 5th will officially mark the occasion and will be the first such event since Queen Victoria’s in 1897, and Britain’s second ever Diamond Jubilee. Like the Royal Wedding, this event is expected to provoke a surge of pro-monarchist sentiment and national pride. The monarchy want to unite the nation through events such as a concert at Buckingham Palace, as well as the Big Jubilee Lunch, where Britons will be encouraged to host street parties. The celebrations will top the Golden Jubilee’s in 2002 when, as part of the festivities, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Durham.
1,000
Boats in the flotilla
Chris Huhne is an enthusiastic supporter of wind farms Photograph: DECCgovuk
Rick Santorum -Most socially conservative candidate -Narrowly lost in Iowa -Described homosexuality as comparable to “polygamy and incest”
Yet the 3rd of June will see a rival event: the Jubilee Protest. The antimonarchist group Republic has invited thousands to a protest against the hereditary nature of royalty. The demonstration, which it calls “the biggest…in modern times”, will utilize the international media coverage at the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, where a flotilla of nearly 1,000 boats will form with up to 30,000 subjects on passenger boats. June’s celebrations are likely to spark a heated debate about the Monarchy’s role as many now feel that a celebration of the Queen’s reign, and the privilege it symbolises, is misguided. The website throne-out.com bluntly calls the royal family “overpaid, inbred spongers”. However, the millions expected to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee are likely to undermine such protests and reinforce the idea of pride in the Royal Family, as does the Queen’s 75,000 “likes” on Facebook; impressive for an 85 year old. Even for those students ambivalent towards her there is always the four-day weekend to look forward to.
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Six months to go: are you excited about the Olympics?
As the countdown to the London Games enters the final stretch, are you looking forward to them? YES: Sarah Johnson
W
ith six months to go until the Olympics, Britain is gearing itself up for the biggest event it has ever hosted. The Olympic Village is nearing completion, medals are being made, our Olympic hopefuls are training day and night, yet Britain, it seems, is entirely ambivalent. A 2011 survey suggested that 68.5% of Brits are ‘not excited about the Olympic games’. Surely such a statistic could only be the result of an errant decimal point. However, a brief survey amongst friends suggests that this astonishing statistic has some basis in truth.
100,000
Estimated number of volunteers at the Games
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Tuesday 14th February 2012 | PALATINATE
Britain, it seems, could not care less about the Olympics. Aghast, I have been driven to action. So here you have it, my plea to the British nation. Eight reasons why Britain should be excited about the Olympics. Firstly, and most importantly, the sport. This summer, the greatest athletes in the world will compete together on our little island. From synchronised swimming, to women’s beach volleyball, it’s all there. Thousands of athletes will descend on our capital with gold in their sights. They’ve trained for years, made huge sacrifices and have just a few moments to prove themselves. Feats of unimaginable difficulty will be performed. Records will be broken. Some will win, some will
lose, but with copious amounts of tears, disqualifications and close shaves, the Olympic Games are, surely, anything other than dull. All the countries will be there, even the tiny little ones, with population sizes more or less comparable to the capacity of Klute on a busy night. They’re all thrillingly mixed together in the temporary melting pot of London’s East End. Even if you’re not interested in sport, fear not. The London 2012 Festival, a summer of free concerts, art exhibitions, children’s events and theatre, is the cultural arm of Britain’s Olympics. The organisers claim it will provide ‘10 million free opportunities’ throughout the summer months. As part of the festival, at the Globe Theatre three dozen theatre companies from around the world will perform Shakespeare’s plays in thirty-seven different languages. Hamlet performed in Lithuanian is, I imagine, not an experience that comes twice in one’s life. What’s more, from our society, constantly painted by the press as self-motivated and famed for not loving thy neighbour, over 100,000 people have offered their services as volunteers for the games. Olympic officials hope they might spark a new volunteering movement in Britain. The legacy of the Games will last much longer than a summer. East London’s Olympic Park will later be converted into a permanent giant urban park. Five thousand new homes will be created from the athletes’ apartments and the Olympic Village’s state of the art sports facilities will be opened up for community use. Moreover, location of the Olympic Park in Stratford, previously classed as the 11th most deprived area in the UK, is already sparking huge economic investment and regeneration in the area. Great Britain is called so for a rea-
The Olympic Park in East London is a huge investment in the city, son, but the national pride once felt at being the country of Churchill, Dickens, the Mini, crumpets, unflappable politeness and stiff upper lips has waned in recent years, with surveys showing that British national identity is at an all-time low.
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It’ll remind us what makes Britain ‘Great’
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Some things about Britain’s Olympics are a given. They are, let’s face it, unlikely to surpass the astounding spectacle of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Britain probably won’t win more medals than Russia. Boris Johnson will most certainly make a terrible speech, probably whilst riding a bike. But maybe, just maybe, in August 2012, as we open up our fair isles to the world, we’ll also be reminded about what makes Great Britain Great. So let’s all drop the cynicism, and start making some bunting.
NO: Niall Oddy
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o I’m told the Olympic Games are now less than six months away. Do I feel any excitement about them? I’m afraid to say that I do not. I vaguely remember watching on TV a long-distance race from the Sydney games in 2000. And I think I watched some of the Athens Olympics. And I know I watched some of the Beijing games four years ago, but all I can recall is that Usain Bolt broke a world record for sprinting. So I expect that I’ll watch some of this year’s events and then forget them almost immediately. But, wait, the games are to be held in London. And, for some reason, we are supposed to be excited about the fact that athletes from lots of countries will be doing the same stuff but now relatively close to us. I will not be attending the Olympic Games and I’ll probably deliberately avoid going into London for the whole period that they’re on for fear of how dreadfully congested the transport system will be. My feelings towards the 2012 Olympics are neither more positive nor negative than they would be if they
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PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
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Comment
Dear Durham... In a new feature, Heba Hashmi tells the University it is no global name
Dear Durham,
but will it provide a worthwhile legacy for London and Britain? Photograph: Darren J Lewis were being hosted anywhere else in the world. Those who have bought tickets and those who will be working at the games will probably have a great time; the Olympic Games are obviously something that excites them. But for those who aren’t interested, there is nothing that marks them out as special. At this stage in the writing process I decided to stop ranting and ask a few others what they thought. One housemate said she’d be excited if she had tickets but she didn’t get any because they were too expensive. Another housemate, more in line with my own thinking, said, ‘I couldn’t care less’ and promptly returned to his washing up. Tellingly, he derives more interest from a bowl of dirty dishes than the Olympic Games. I think the key word is ‘boring’. Talking about the Games is boring because the Games always are – and this year will be no exception – quite boring. We sit before our television sets and behold the spectacle of professional athletes running fast, running far, throwing things, jumping, sailing, swimming and so on. These people have been training constantly for a very long time because running or jumping or whatever is all they do. Breaking a record then isn’t really a surprise; in fact it’s almost expected. Watching amateurs would be something else. It would be much more impressive, and thus more exciting, to watch John who lives on your street run re-
ally really fast. I hear very few people talking about the Olympic Games. In fact, the only two people who have ever brought them up in conversation with me are both going to be working at them. Nevertheless, they are mentioned regularly on television and radio.
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The Olympics fail to capture the public imagination
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Here is a classic example of the media at odds with public opinion. Despite their almost ceaseless promotion of the games, the brutal truth is that the Olympic Games have failed to capture the public imagination. Real people just don’t talk about them. Finally, and crucially, billions of pounds of public money are being spent and the tangible benefits are likely to be few, if any. Indeed, if you
saw the headlines last week you will know that the UK tourism industry is expecting to lose £3.5 billion as a result of the Olympics, and are not to receive a massive boost as politicians have constantly promised. Incidentally, it is our politicians, those who have sanctioned this massive waste of money, that are to be given the best seats at the Olympic events. It seems almost too obvious to point out the economic crisis and suggest that there are much more important things the government could spend money on. Whilst admittedly not all returns are financial, the current apathy towards the Olympics suggests that they are unlikely to provoke a national morale boost. And we shouldn’t expect the games to increase Britain’s national reputation: remember the embarrassingly bad display – a red bus, David Beckham and some dancing, I seem to recall – the UK put on in Beijing at the end of the last games? If that exhibition is anything to go by, I can only assume that the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 games will also be something to watch, cringing, with disbelief. In short, what I’m saying about the 2012 Olympics is: who cares?
P
You’ve probably had the good fortune of hearing this often, what with our glowing student satisfaction statistics, but I love you to absolute shreds. However, I have to admit that introducing you to my parents was no fairytale. I can’t be sure if it was their dedication to the practice of medicine (thus limiting their idea of what constitutes ‘an education’) or their incredibly Asian thought pattern, but the blank look that I got from my mum and dad when I told them that Durham was my first choice for university was definitely not a reaction based on glowing statistics. It would have hurt less if they had thought that Durham wasn’t a good place to study, but I was in for an evening of heartache when they asked me if I had just conjured this magical town up from the depths of my over-active, Potter-esque imagination, all on my own. I can pre-empt those counter-arguments of yours that cry ‘stereotypical Asian infatuation with Oxbridge’ or ‘simple ignorance of the International community beyond Europe and parts of the US’, but grant me this one rant. The fact is that I’ve heard many a College Master and Head-of-Department in our self-contained little university-town express a desire to internationalise Durham, and to make it the centre of worldwide debate and research. Take it from an international representative, who admittedly didn’t know you existed before she scoured the league tables to look for a way to escape the labyrinth of the London Underground – that won’t happen without some modification of approach. A map of the UK looks completely unrecognisable when viewed through the eyes of an average South Asian; picture a large island anchored in the Atlantic, with one city – London. This city has the best and indeed the only institutes for higher
education in the country. Oxford and Cambridge are the only exceptions, but their proximity to London and their monopoly over secondary education in South Asia saves them from the clutches of obscurity. Anything and everything that is not in Central London, Oxford or Cambridge, constitutes of lush green pastures and sheep. One does not study in green pastures or among sheep. I have no desire to slate my hometown by making this fictitious map public knowledge, but I do want to show you what you’re working with if you really want to ‘internationalise’. Even besides maintaining an international presence with bodies like the Cambridge International Examinations or the Oxford University Press, these ‘known’ universities sell themselves by sending representatives to schools around the world, and very naturally forcing people to believe that they are the best, because they are the only ones trying to look it. With the humanities picking up an international interest, I really think you can carry your stellar reputation at home beyond the borders of the UK and Europe in many ways other than hiding at the top of a league table. As much as I want to keep you all to myself, I want people at home to know you exist – so I can feel the same high while parading around in my stash no matter where I am in the world.
Yours sincerely,
Heba Hashmi Want to write a letter to the University or the town, Durham’s population or its students? Tweet us on @PalatiComment or drop us an email (see p. 14)
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PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
Surprise? Lad culture goes too far The Unilad debate illustrates the fine line between banter and misogyny Louise McGolpin
T
his week, a bright young woman at University College took a motion to the JCR to inaugurate University College Feminists, and it was ratified. About time, you might think. Feminist thinking has formed a significant movement in our society for gone a hundred years now. Not a mind amongst the Durham alumni will be a stranger to the issues that feminists seek to address: there is raw data and debate at all levels which supports the assertion that these ideas are not fanciful, but real injustices in our society. As you would expect from a prolific institution, there are many individuals in Durham eager to tackle the issues that will affect generations to come. As you would not expect, the motion to ratify University College Feminists was a hair’s breadth from failure. Worse
still, when the motion did succeed it triggered a number of emails that made heard the ever-clanging bells of misogyny. This rejection of social progress can be seen in some manifestations of the increasingly unbridled ‘lad’ culture. Is ‘lad’ culture producing, in a readily digestible format, new wave misogyny for dispersion into modern society? Depending what definition you take, and how seriously you take yourself, there is nothing particularly offensive about being a ‘lad’, leaving aside the cringe-inducing crassness of the cliché. The idea that a group of guys go on a night out, have a few drinks, meet a few girls, try and stuff eighty eight chips in their mouth and shout banter at the same time without inducing asphyxiation, is a palatable suggestion to some men, and I dare say some women too. And, depending on where you get your chips, I don’t think anyone is generally much inclined to complain. Sadly, it doesn’t always stop there. This week, website UniLad
was taken down after an abhorrent article and ensuing Twitter ‘banter’ penned by Jamie Street overstepped the mark.
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Do we want our future leaders to think rape is a joke?
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The contention of the article ‘Sexual Mathematics’ - was that with 85% of rapes going unreported, if the girl a UniLad reader has taken out for a drink “won’t spread for your head” you have good odds of getting away with it. Street failed to argue that the content was a joke. Ask a woman who has been on the receiving end how funny it was when the joviality they thought was
harmless turned aggressive after a few pints of wife-beater and they ended up being assaulted. I doubt either party shouted ‘surprise’ when the act was over. The NUS, editorial teams at The Huffington Post, the BBC and The Week, and thousands of participants in the Twitter backlash have not all had a sense of humour failure. This incident isn’t the only one of its kind. ‘Lad’ culture stops being funny when it is being used to inculcate chauvinistic attitudes in otherwise educated young men, particularly when what was a response to second-wave feminism has now taken on a misogynistic life of its own. Occasionally, women buy into it too. But women’s behaviour is fodder for a separate piece. Abusive behaviour encouraged by a stereotype is not tolerable in either gender. It is dangerous. We were supposed to have grown out of the ‘but she did it too’ mentality when we left school. Temptation to eschew responsibility ought to be resisted. Think about it: it’s not about hairy-armpit loving, muff-diving,
power-dressing banshees yelling “vagina” into the night sky. Even a cretin will acknowledge how empty that stereotype is. The fact is that one hundred years ago, the feminist movement gained pace and recognition owing to its integrity. Since then our society has become brighter and more diverse. Given the violations that continue to take place, the movement cannot be allowed to grind to a halt. The pressing need to address the idiosyncrasies that persist must be met with a considered response. Participants of both genders are keen to work toward this aim, and we should at least let them, even if some of us don’t care to help. The pertinent issue is this: at the third best university in a country home to some of the best higher education institutions in the world, we should be nurturing a change in attitude. When our student body infiltrates government institutions and leading corporate entities, their attitudes will filter into society from the top. Do we want them to see rape as a joke?
The Middle East needs to carve its own path Western governments have their own reasons for supporting the Arab Spring Omar Naboulsi
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ince the current waves of Arab uprisings first began just over a year ago there has been not only uninvolved interest from spectators in the Western world but also genuine feelings and expressions of sympathy and solidarity with Arab struggles against tyranny. For the most part, these have been touching, much-welcome reminders that we are citizens of the same planet with the same human drives and desires. This is particularly the case when this solidarity comes from citizens, rather than from national leaders, many of whom coincidentally made decisions to stop backing their favourite tyrant at the exact same time his people began braying for his blood. There is no doubt that the vast majority of this outpouring of empathy is well-meaning and has the noblest of intentions. The Arab Spring was sparked by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a man who embodied the injustices felt by millions. But what exactly it is that has been taking place across the Arab world since is near
impossible to know for certain. People remain driven by the same needs: for freedom and sustenance and lives worth living. However, the Arab Spring is no longer a straightforward rush towards freedom, all of whose aspects are to be unquestioningly admired and encouraged.
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Any new Arab order must spring from within its own culture
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The world at large soon adjusted to the dynamics of revolution, and the bravery and willpower of the people was quickly sullied by the encroachment of the geo-political struggles of old. Even those peoples now officially declared free remain caught in the uncannily familiar throngs of poverty. Toppling a figurehead is no guar-
antee for a better life. Part of the problem lies in the fact that many Arab countries lack any form of opposition truly capable of taking over. For this reason the post-revolutionary periods so far have consisted of former members of tyrannical cabinets desperately trying to find new masks, while the countries’ resources continue to be siphoned off. Here special congratulations are in order to the members of NATO on their luckiest of windfalls, the entirety of Libyan oil. The so-called Arab Spring, in its current narrative, is defective. Popular demands are being simply incorporated into the pre-existing toolkit of geo-political manoeuvring. Decrying the aid, be it rhetorical or military, afforded by Western leaders to the uprisings might be labelled ingratitude. But one cannot help but wonder why it was that a procession of tyrants was put in place across various Arab countries in the first place and supported for decades by generations of Western leaders. Indeed, why is the Arab world split into bit-part nation-states at all, in the way that it currently is? Was the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire the final act in the conflict between West and East, finally putting paid to old enmities with the conso-
lation that divided was as good as conquered? However one might wish to answer such questions, it remains hugely unlikely that change facilitated and enabled by those very same entities to whose advantage has been partition and tyranny is in any way representative of real change. If this sounds like hyperbole, consider the possibility that, by some otherworldly miracle, the Arab world unites, stretching from the Atlantic ocean to the foothills of the Caucasus, friendly to the West but also an economic and intellectual rival, with its own distinct culture and mores. Would such an eventuality not alarm a good many of those who today trumpet the Arab Spring? The very notion of freedom is heavily loaded. What sort of revolution do foreign sympathisers of the Arab Spring have in mind, and what sort of revolution do the people of the Arab world desire? The overthrow of dictatorship might be the Arab Spring’s primary focus but its huge momentum carries with it all kinds of change. And while the Arab world might indeed be in need of development, overseas support for revolutionary movements becomes more contentious when Western audiences start to expect (and encourage) Arab social change to be squarely in the di-
rection of imitating the social vogues of the Western world. There appears to be a real notion that the Arab world might emerge from its dark ages and be accepted into the the modern world through mimicry of the West. I make no commentary on the superiority of either culture over the other. Rather, I seek to question the notion that the only natural means of progress is to blindly follow in the footsteps of Europe and the United States. If there is to be a real revolution, any new Arab order must spring from within its own cultural environment, under the auspices of its own people, and not through wellmeaning members of another culture, under the impression that they know better than those people do themselves. Nor is any true revolution going to happen under the paternal guidance of any current political powers, Western or otherwise. To be truly heard, the Arab people have to somehow develop their own voice.
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Club feature: DUSC have the wind in their sails
Palatinate is shown the ropes by the Durham University Sailing Club James Buckley Commentary
If I were to tell you that, at our last event, members of our squad quite literally offered blood, toil, tears and sweat in the name of our sport, you would be forgiven for thinking that I was referring to a Tough Guy competition or some obscure form of ritual masochism. In fact, though, I’m talking about the physically challenging and extremely tactical sport of dinghy sailing and specifically about team racing at university. Surprisingly few people know much about the sport - which is interesting given that sailing is (quite wrongly) considered a middle class sport - yet the Durham University Sailing Club has been around since 1966 and has an extensive alumni network. The small size of the club (we have eighteen members who train regularly for dinghy team racing) is largely due to mundane practicalities: we are limited by the number of boats we own and the fact that we train on a reservoir that is situated a good forty minutes away by car.
“Suffering the temporary loss of consciousness of one of our helms owing to the bitter cold”
Like many other minority sports, therefore, sailing can inevitably appear quite mysterious to the outsider.
Calm before the storm: DUSC preparing for their success in BUCS Photograph: Durham Sailing
College friends have been baffled variously by my absences (we train for four to five hours each session and often on both Saturday and Sunday). They have been baffled too by the unexpected drysuit hanging in the shower (which, when silhouetted, I’ve been told is quite alarming). They were left looking confused by the concept of Wednesday afternoon theory sessions (which involve hour-long lectures and discussions). And they were angry at the regular disappearance of milk cartons
the page for >> Turn an interview with the university’s boxing club
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Sport
For more, visit palatinate.org. uk Warming up for the race. Photograph: Durham Sailing Team
from communal fridges (I’ll let that one remain a mystery). But most of all, non-sailors do not seem to understand my insistence that, in comparison to training, a walk to Elvet Riverside (even in January) is not at all cold, but relatively tropical. And so perhaps by now, you may have garnered some understanding of how it was possible last weekend, that on a fairly small marine lake outside Liverpool, our sailing squad ended up gained three places out of the top six in the BUCS British Universities Sailing Association (BUSA) Northern Qualifiers. Also, in the process of this, one of our helms suffered the temporary loss of consciousness and we witnessed the tears of another owing to the biting cold, and the bleeding of many pairs of hands. But sailing has benefits too. The formal fitness programme consists entirely of optional Zumba sessions, and the socials are excellent and unusually tasteful for a university sports team. More importantly, team racing fosters an incredible sense of teamwork, as individual achievement is, unlike in fleet racing, not rewarded at all. Rather, teams have to make sure that their three boats arrive over the
finish line in the best possible overall combination. That said, it is very important to try to ensure that one of your own boats holds first place during the race, as that position makes it far easier for your others to convert their positions in the fleet, using a variety of methods, or ‘takeouts’. It was, however, against the odds that we achieved so highly in the Northern Qualifiers. Despite not winning the top place in the competition for the first time in seven years, our Firsts and the Seconds immediately qualified for the BUSA Finals and the Thirds only narrowly missed out, instead being sent to the playoffs in Glasgow, where they will be given a second chance at qualifying.
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Tuesday 14th February 2012 | PALATINATE
Wildcats experience growing pains, but all in the name of progress A mid-season review of Durham’s debut campaign in the BBL shows a bright future lies ahead
Hani Abidi
2011/2012 will be a season to remember for the Durham Wildcats. The franchise, which only turned professional last summer, have been competing in the top-tier of the English Basketball League after a meteoric rise through the divisions. Although the Wildcats find themselves towards the foot of the BBL table, they can take plenty of encouragement from their performances against some of the league’s stronger teams. The first fixture of the season provided the Wildcats with an opportunity to benchmark themselves against Britain’s most successful team - local rivals Newcastle Eagles.
90-86
The score-line in Durham’s recent BBL win over Cheshire Jets
Despite a 22-point loss, Wildcats coach Dave Elderkin was in a positive mood after the game. Performances from new signings such as Ralph Bucci, who made the BBL team of the week, and the vociferous home support at Newton Aycliffe gave Elderkin plenty of cause for optimism for the season ahead. The Wildcats went on to lose in the reverse fixture with Newcastle by a similar margin to the season opener. A double-header versus Glasgow Rocks followed with Durham losing out in both the home and away fixtures. The fans attending the Rocks game at Newton Aycliffe again created an impressive atmosphere but were unable to spur their side to victory which many observers thought may have been achievable. Dave Elderkin insisted Durham were learning valuable lessons playing at this level and stressed the importance of cutting out mistakes in their game. An early exit from the BBL Cup allowed the Wildcats to turn their attention to their first league fixture having competed for the Trophy in the season’s opening fixtures. Durham were able to win their first game of the season coming out on top 74-72 at home against fellow strugglers Cheshire Jets. A succession of defeats followed with Dur-
ham losing out narrowly on several occasions. A close fought game with last season’s champions Mersey Tigers, and a tough encounter with one of this year’s fancied teams Plymouth Raiders, resulted in two defeats despite impressive performances from the Wildcats. Dave Elderkin said after the Raiders game, “To be able to stick with Plymouth shows we are not far off where we want to be – we will win games as long as the crowd sticks with us – which I know they will.” The run of defeats continued after the Christmas break, with the hosts Guildford Heat crushing the Wildcats 99-67 on New Year’s Day. Durham then went into a home fixture against rivals Newcastle having lost thirteen games on the bounce. The Eagles on the other hand had won their previous six games. Once again the Wildcats’ home support helped the team stay within touching distance of the visitors. Having led at various stages of the game, Durham eventually lost out 94-101 after an impressive late surge from the Eagles.
“They’ve begun life in the BBL about as well as any starting franchise I can remember - both on and off the court”
Paul Blake, BBL Chairman The performance was a source of encouragement for the hosts, and not for the first time this season the Wildcats has caused a stronger team all sorts of problems. The following weekend, Durham recorded a crucial 90-86 win over ninth-placed Cheshire Jets. Having beaten Cheshire once before, Durham’s superior head-tohead record means they will qualify for the playoffs should both sides finish in 8th. The team recently received a ringing endorsement from BBL chairman Paul Blake: “They’ve begun life in the BBL about as well as any start-up franchise I can remember - both on and off the court”, he said.
Slam dunk: Wildcats player leaps to dunk the ball Photograph: Thomas Whitworth
PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
On the offensive: Ben Leigh in action Photograph: DUABC
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Packing a punch: boxing club goes for big BUCS bout
Durham Amateur Boxing Club is going from strength to strength, and are hoping to send a group of dedicated athletes to the BUCS championships William Warr
Boxing has recently featured heavily in the news. Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali has just turned 70 and his coach Angelo Dundee passed away last week. Based on the recent surge in boxing coverage, Palatinate has decided to cover Durham’s own boxing team, DUABC. Durham Amatuer Boxing is a rapidly developing club. “Last year we were only able to enter one competition” said club captain Simon Zieleniewski. This is because to enter the BUCS championships, participants are required to have at least two ‘bouts’ [matches] to their name. No one in the club had this last year.
“It is completely different from professional boxing” Simon Zieleniewski DUABC captain
This year, however, they hope to send a good proportion of the squad to the championships. The club has just recently returned from a warm-up event for BUCS, which helps to rank boxers for
the championships later this year. The squad train at least 5 times a week and have a visiting coach, Paul Lysaght. Because it is not recognised as one of the ‘upper tier’ sports by the university, the club receives very limited funding: roughly £250 per year.
200
The number of people who attended the fundraiser
To raise additional cash, Lysaght organises various fundraising events. Last Saturday, he hosted a charity dinner at the Ramside Hotel just outside Durham in order to raise additional money for the club. DUABC member Richard Scargill competed at the event. “The way these shows are done is you are put up against someone of similar age, weight and experience. “The guy I competed against was of similar experience on his official medical card”, said Scargill. Each boxer is required to have a medical card, which can be obtained after a general health check from a doctor who assesses eyesight, blood pressure and insulin levels. The medical card also shows a record of how many competitive matches each in which each boxer has competed. “The guys from the local clubs can have a lot of ‘unofficial’ fighting experience which will not show up on
their cards. “They can have been doing it for five years but only have done one official fight,” explained Scargill. Scargill explained the difference between boxers from university clubs like Durham and those from local clubs. “There is a big difference between us and boxers from the local clubs, who have the chance to dedicate their lives to the sport.” But Scargill put in a good fight and lost only on points to his opponent. Scargill and Zieleniewski admitted that going into the ring was a “pretty nerve-wracking experience, as you can never be truly sure who you are up against.”
“Nothing quite beats the feeling of getting your hand raised at the end”
However, according to both boxers, the risk is worth the gamble. “Nothing quite beats the feeling of getting your hand raised up at the end of the game.” Zieleniewski was adamant that, in amateur boxing, it is necessary to play by strict sets of rules. “Safety is paramount in amateur boxing. It is completely different to professional boxing, where the idea
is just to knock out your opponent.” Amateur boxing is instead all about points, though of course knockouts are still possible, given the right punch. Fitness is absolutely key to the success of DUABC. “You need to be able to go beyond what you are required to do. You can be as good as you like, but if you blow after two rounds, you will be no good”, said Scargill. But Zieleniekski also stressed the mental side of the game. “It is like a game of chess. You are trying to out smart your opponent.” “Half way through the first round you should have a good idea of what you are doing and how your opponent is reacting. And from this you should be able to tailor your game plan for the rest of the match.” said Scargill. The BUCS championships are to be held on the 24-25th in Sheffield, “something we are very excited about” Ziekeniewski said.
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Sport DURFC extend winning streak at expense of local rivals James Hallam
RUGBY UNION Northumbria University produced a strong second half display to push reigning BUCS champions Durham all the way in an entertaining league encounter at Maiden Castle. Northumbria clawed back a 30 point half-time deficit, producing three tries in quick succession, to make the score 22-33, before Durham eventually closed the game out 27-46. Durham were clear favourites heading into the fixture with a 32-game winning streak, and when the teams had met previously Durham ran out clear winners, scoring 72 points, while Northumbria could muster only a mere 7. Durham started strongly with a break from full-back Simon Hammersley providing David Haigh with a try underneath the posts. Northumbria struck back with a penalty before a turned over scrum lead to a superb break from Durham Number 8 Harrison Collins. Mike Ward kicked the conversion to tip the score 14-3 in the Palatinates’ favour. Two tries from lock Josh Beaumont and an outside break from centre Danny Holmes meant Durham finished the half with a 33-3 lead. In the second half, however, Northumbria came back fighting, a Durham error leading to a try for Northumbria fly-half Brad Pears. A driving maul close to the line brought a further try to make the score 15-33 before Northumbria scrum-half George Lewsey scored to bring Northumbria within two scores of Durham. Northumbria were growing in confidence, sensing an upset, but Durham composed themselves and two scores from Durham driving mauls and a penalty from Sam Watkinson meant that Brad Pears’ second try of the match was little more than a consolation. Durham’s Harrison Collins and man of the match Matt Steele produced strong displays to help their side to victory. This victory in the league brings them one step closer to claiming the BUCS Northern Premiership title and extends the winning streak to 33 games. The women’s rugby team are flying high after a momentous win over Loughborough last week.
Sport Boxers deliver knockout BUCS performance Richard Scargill
Durham University Amateur Boxing Club (DUABC) recently attended the inaugural BUCS English University Boxing Series at Balby Carr Sports Academy, Doncaster. Over 20 university clubs attended the event. Boxers were matched based on weight and experience. All matches were within Olympic weight categories and consisted of three two-minute rounds. The action got underway with Scargill taking on a student from Leeds University. Scargill weathered an early barrage of punches in the first round to come back strongly in the second and third rounds with well timed punches and fast movement. The final round especially saw clinical boxing from Scargill who gave his opponent a ‘standing-8’ count, from the referee after a well landed combination. The result was a unanimous victory, DUABC’s first for over a year.
“He inflicted an unrelenting and accurate assault of blows”
That bout was followed by lightwelterweight Jonnie Green, who defeated a student from Leeds Metropolitan University with an amazing display of determination. Green’s patient approach against a taller opponent paid off as he inflicted an unrelenting and accurate assault of blows on an exhausted opponent in the final round to seal an emphatic victory. Heavyweights Corry and Zieleniewski carried on DUABC’s strong showing.
PALATINATE | Tuesday 14th February 2012
Sailing club special feature Get an inside look at the club, page 17
Rugby add to winning streak Durham see off Northumbria, page 19
Boxing club’s BUCS ambitions
Special report on this developing club, page 19 Bouncing back: Wildcats get the spring back in their step. Photograph: Thomas Whitworth
Corry was narrowly edged out by his unorthodox opponent from Manchester, whose persistent clinching halted the flow of an otherwise exciting contest. Zieleniewski, DUABC’s southpaw captain, started cautiously as his taller opponent threw strong punches from range. He picked up the pace in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and used superior feet and head movement to breach his opponent’s defences. The final round was one-sided, and an onslaught of stern left-hand blows from Zieleniewski brought a standing-8 count to his opponent.
5
The number of bouts, out of 8, that DUABC’s fighters won
Zieleniewski kept the pressure up, hounding his opponent around the ring. Finally, after another strong left hand, the referee stopped the bout in favour of the Durham boxer. The highlights of the day were performances from second-year Jack Haslett. He boxed beautifully and looked at ease in the middleweight category, recording two victories against opponents from Sheffield Hallam University. Haslett used superior guile and tact to get the better of his first opponent and always looked in control of a fairly one-sided affair. His second contest however was much closer. This was the largest entry to an event by DUABC and its best set of results ever.
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Turn to page 18 to read about more of the Wildcats’ roar talent...
One giant leap: read our mid-season review of Durham Wildcats’ debut campaign in country’s elite league