Palatinate Issue 743

indigo gets an exclusive backstage pass to the new series of Peep Show

First fashion shoot of the year: Fit Freshers

indigo, page 13

indigo, pages 4-7

Palatinate

www.palatinate.org.uk Tuesday 30th October 2012 FREE

Durham’s student newspaper since 1948

No. 743

Vice-Chancellor defends foreign donations policy Matt Lee Professor Chris Higgins has defended the University’s acceptance of a donation from a former Kuwaiti Prime Minister accused of corruption.

In an exclusive interview with Palatinate at the official opening of the Palatine Centre, the Vice-Chancellor also reiterated his belief that the University’s policy on donations is “transparent” and that all donors are “vetted appropriately.”

His comments were in response to a £2.5 million endowment pledged

by Nasser al-Mohammed al-Sabah and officially presented to Durham University last month.

The former Prime Minister of Kuwait was forced to resign from office eight months after he committed to the endowment in March 2011.

His resignation came amidst allegations that his government paid Kuwaiti MPs to support government policies.

He was cleared of wrongdoing by a judicial tribunal in May of this year, but only after the Constitutional Court had blocked parliamentary attempts to question him.

Professor Higgins dismissed

any controversy that may have accompanied the endowment. “We’re very proud of it [the donation]. It’s enhancing our academic and educational reputation.

“We will always consider reviewing a case if there is a problem but people are always innocent until proven guilty.”

“We’re very proud of the donation. It’s enhancing our acadamic reputation.”

Professor Chris Higgins

Furthermore, the Vice-Chancellor reaffirmed his belief in the criteria used to judge each donation.

“Any money that might cause a conflict of interest, limit academic freedom or come from an illegal source we would reject.

“We have very clear guidelines laid down and we’re responsible for making those decisions.”

He pointed to a recent donation to

Comment: A summer in Libya - a country renewed?

support his claim that all donations were vetted rigorously.

“We had a recent offer of a donation from Durham Cathedral which, on the face of it, has nothing to do with academic freedom.

“We couldn’t accept it until it was debated in council… there was an issue, at first, that a legacy gift would restrict academic freedom, in which case we couldn’t accept it.”

Additionally, he said that once gifts are pledged to the University, there are obstacles to returning them.

“It is very difficult for us to return the money after it’s been donated for legal reasons. We’re legally obliged to take money for our purposes as a charity... which is education and research.”

Nevertheless, he went onto say that Durham University would “probably” consider rejecting a donation based on student opinion but that this, again, was dependent on practical considerations.

“If there was a big issue of course we would listen very carefully to the students but one of the difficulties is that students come from very different places. continued on page 3

DUCK’s zombie invasion had students running scared on Saturday, and all in the name of charity fundraising. Read your DUCK officer’s column inside, page 6 Photograph: Krystina Warrington

Business: Unleashing Africa’s economic potential

Music: Bastille chat to indigo ahead of their Newcastle debut

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Editorial

Find your own next step beyond the bubble So you’ve made it through the madness of freshers’ in one piece.

Congratulations. While you nurse that residual headache and studiously ignore the massive pile of work you have to do, spare a thought for a cohort of students who are feeling a more than a tad stressed at the moment.

There is one topic of discussion dominant amongst final year students- what on earth are we going to do next? For many, it’s only just beginning to dawn that in less than a year’s time, we will be mercilessly ejected from our comfortable little bubble and brutally forced to do something (in theory) productive to society.

Being a student in Durham, whilst sociable and involving, can at the same time be hugely isolating. It’s tempting to think that our little community is independent of the outside world, entirely selfsufficient and separate from all the problems that plague elsewhere.

This manifests itself in some unexpected places. Palatinate’s investigation into college food waste (p.7) shows that sometimes students don’t think quite as much as they should do about what they’re

putting on their plates. In college, we don’t deal with waste at all. It’s fantastic for those of us who are allergic to washing-up (ahem), but it can put us out of touch with how much we actually throw away.

This is also problematic when it comes to the thorny issue of graduate employment. This washingup-free, government-aided existence doesn’t last forever. At some point, we will have to move on.

My own strategy when it comes to the grad scheme discussions that currently seem to make up most of my conversations with my friends has been to stick my fingers in my ears and sing loudly and tunelessly at them until they cease and desist. I believe the medical term for this is denial.

It’s working for now, but at some point we all have to face up to the reality of the job market. Unless we are going travelling (lucky) or carrying on with education (insane), we don’t have a choice if we want to avoid the return to our childhood rooms and paying our parents rent (if indeed we are so fortunate as to have that option).

The tempting answer for many is to go for the highest-paid, most

prestigious roles, even if it means selling your soul. A note of caution can be found on p.12, as we interview an ex-banker who packed it all in to follow his dreams.

Corny? Certainly, but there’s a cautionary tale in there about not following the crowd. If banking happens to be your thing, excellent (and I’m definitely staying friends with you). It certainly isn’t for everyone, and there is pressure in the grad scheme madness to go for a certain type of role as a preponderance of management consultancy, banking and finance can make you feel like there are no other options. Trust me, there are.

If you are feeling a bit helpless in the face of the grad scheme juggernaut, and for a more varied look, head to our Careers section (p.10-11), where we’ve been looking at the options available at Sainsbury’s and Unilever.

And if you really want to aim for the unachievable, take a look at our Profile (p.9) of comedian Daniel Sloss, who at 22 is making a living by making people laugh. We can but dream.

Olivia Rudgard

The best of Palatinate Online this week www.palatinate.org.uk Palatinate TV enjoy culinary delights at the Durham Food Festival

PTV Profile: Jean-Christophe Novelli

PTV Features: Durham Food Festival

Interview with the award-winning chef

Film & TV: Prepare yourself for Skyfall

Blogs: Lens A new photography blog

with our week-long series of Bond factfiles

focusing on Durham’s photographic talentsend your pictures to blogs@palatinate.org.uk

Keep up to date with Durham news, sport, comment and cultural coverage at www.palatinate.org.uk

Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

Editors’ Picks

Inside No.743 Palatinate

Profile: Scotland’s fastest rising young comedian Comment: Prospects for Libya are better than we think

News Features: The problem of college food waste Food: How to make your Halloween delicious

Business: The banker who gave it all up for music

Get Involved!

Wondering how to get involved with Palatinate? Miss out on signing up in freshers’ week? No problem. Just head to http://bit.ly/TwhiEi and email the section editors for the topics you’re interested in writing on. You don’t need any experience and we’d love to hear from you! We’re also looking for illustrators, photographers, and presenters and editors for Palatinate TV.

News pages 3-8 Profile page 9 Careers pages 10-11 Business pages 12-13 Comment pages 14-16 Sport pages 17-20

indigo

Editorial page 2 Stage page 3

Fashion pages 4-7 Music pages 8-9

Features pages 10-11 Food pages 12

Film page 13

Books page 14

Travel pages 15

The Back Page page 16

Editorial Board

Editors-in-Chief Charlie Taverner & Olivia Rudgard editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editor Joe Adams deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Matt Lee & Harriet Line news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor Sally Wardle news.features@palatinate.org.uk Indigo Editor Alexandra Groom indigo@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub-Editor Kelsey Tollady sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Section Sub-Editors Patrick Fletcher, Aurelien Hayman, Helen Tredget, Frances Teehan & Tom Willshaw Photography Editor Nicoletta Asciuto photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editors Naomi Ellis, Rose Innes, Asher Haynes & Anni Pekie Illustrations Editor James Crosland-Mills illustration@palatinate.org.uk Palatinate TV Station Manager Livia Carron ptv@palatinate.org.uk Publicity Officer Tilly Barr publicity@palatinate.org.uk Advertising Officer Natalie Carnachan advertising@palatinate.org.uk For the full team see Palatinate Online

Palatinate is published by Durham Students’ Union on a fortnightly basis during term and retains full editorial independence from DSU and Durham University. 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

PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

News

News Editors: Matt Lee & Harriet Line news@palatinate.org.uk

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@PalatinateUK

Deputies: Lizzie McAdam, James Ablett & Jillian Ward

Palatinate

Survey reveals inconsistent student satisfaction James Ablett Student satisfaction at Durham University has come under scrutiny in light of the National Student Survey data released last month.

The survey shows inconsistent performance across the board, with some departments performing excellently, and others offering a comparatively substandard service.

Five courses returned 98 per cent satisfaction, including Theology and History. However there was cause for concern with the Anthropology and Sociology course, where only 74 per cent of students were satisfied.

Similar results were recorded in Chemistry (the BSc course), with 75 per cent, and Ancient History and Archeology (78 per cent).

The mark is constructed from six sections of between five and three questions each, thus allowing for a full deconstruction of students’ woes.

For example, in the aforementioned A&S course, the statement in the “Assessment and feedback” section “Feedback on my work has helped me clarify things I did not understand” was agreed with by only 35 per cent of students.

This contrasts with a 90 per cent agreement rate to the same question by Theology students.

Such a discrepancy displays Durham’s somewhat conflicting satisfaction results.

Furthermore, Durham Students’ Union was also roundly criticised by its members, with a mere 56% of 2456 students agreeing with the statement ‘I am satisfied with the Students’ Union at my institution.’

The University has blamed the collegiate system, pointing to similar outcomes at both Cambridge and Oxford, where figures of just 46 and 39 per cent were recorded respectively. This compares to, for example, 76 per cent at the University of Exeter and 73 per cent at the University of St Andrews.

The outcome of the NSS survey also echoes the result of the Sunday Times Good University Guide rankings this year.

Durham slipped from third to fourth place, falling behind the University of Bath, with only one point separating the institutions.

Bath scored two percentage points more in overall student satisfaction, a key contributing factor to Durham’s slide.

Professor Higgins spoke to Palatinate at the opening of the newly built Palatine Centre

Photograph: Durham University

Foreign donations crucial for “cultural understanding” Continued from page 1 “They have very different views on what’s an appropriate donation. The view of one student is not the view of another student.”

It is not the first time that that Durham University funding has come under scrutiny.

Last year, Conservative MP Robert Halfon found that the University had accepted £11,000 from the Iranian government.

“Even though UK students are paying more, the University isn’t getting more.”

Professor Chris Higgins

Specifically, he alleged that Durham University had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Iranian government which traded joint resources and research for

funds.

Mr Halfon also commented on the recent donation from Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed al-Sabah.

He claimed it was “astonishing” that the University accepted the grant from an ex-leader who was surrounded by “controversies.”

However, Professor Higgins had a similar attitude towards the Iranian donation.

“We’re very proud of the money we got from Iran. It promotes cultural understanding.”

Moreover, he went on to say that this specific “cultural understanding” gave the University “influence” that could be used effectively in certain circumstances.

“Just as a good example, we had an Iranian student who was jailed in Iran and because of the fact that we had influence through ambassadors, they managed to get him released from jail.”

The student in question is Ehsan Abdoh-Tabrizi, a Durham University PhD student who was imprisoned by Iranian authorities in 2010.

He was subsequently released in August 2011.

£11,000 The amount of money Mr Halfon claims the University accepted from Iran

Professor Higgins stressed the importance of donations to aid the University’s financial situation, saying: “Even though UK students are paying more, the University isn’t getting more.

“We can’t provide teaching, resources, the library etcetera, if we don’t have money to do it.”

Inside Palatinate >> More on the opening of the Palatine Centre p.4

Sheikh Nasser alMohammed al-Sabah - Appointed as PM for the first time by his uncle, the emir of Kuwait, in 2006.

- Pledged £2.5 million to the Universirty in March 2011.

- Has resigned a total of four times as Prime Minister.

- Most recent resignation followed a mass demonstration of 50,000 in November 2011.

- Cleared by a judicial tribunal in May 2012.

- Endowment will fund the ‘Nasser al- Mohammed alSabah Programme in International Relations, Regional Politics and Security’.

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News

DSU President’s Column

Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

Nobel laureate demands “proper funding” for British universities

Archie Dallas DSU President

To be honest, I was expecting the DSU’s score in the National Student Survey to be lower than it was.

The NSS, for those who don’t have the joy of working in student statistics, is filled in by final year students before they leave.

Therefore, it is a reflection on the last three or four years of their time at Durham.

When these students arrived back in 2009, students saw us as a dreary building hosting a club. The Students’ Union was a very different night that no one went to, which made us lose thousands of pounds per night.

The point I’m making, albeit obliquely, is that students knew it as a venue.

Durham Students’ Union is an organisation, not a building.

Dunelm House was designed back in the 60s when everyone was excited about concrete and ‘brutalist architecture’.

We are lucky enough to be based here – and when it’s refurbished it will be incredible. So what is the Union?

The Union is the only organisation

“Durham Students’ Union is an organisation, not a building ” Archie Dallas

that will fight for your rights with the University over your education.

The Union is what allows over 150 societies, and thousands of members, to exist and thrive.

The Union brings together and supports all the colleges to make your time in Durham as good as possible.

The Union has an Advice Centre that helps thousands of you solve your problems each year.

The Union hosts student media in Durham, including the paper that you are holding in your hands right now.

The Union has a tall order of changes and improvements to make, and we are on the case.

Sir Paul Nurse and Christopher Higgins at the official opening of the Palatine Centre Photograph: Durham University Harriet Line Universities are “critical” and “need to be cherished”, said a Nobel Prize winner at the official opening of the Palatine Centre on Wednesday 24th October.

Sir Paul Nurse, the President of the Royal Society and a Nobel Prize winner who works in genetics, made the comments in his speech to an audience of journalists and University officials as the £50 million development was unveiled.

He used the platform to plea to the government for “proper funding” for British universities, which he believed were “critical” as “earners for Britain.”

In an interview with Palatinate, the Nobel Prize winner showed support for the Universities Minister David Willetts, but was cautious about the change in fees.

“I think that we have to keep a very close eye on that [the rise in fees] actually works. They were doing well before.”

Sir Paul also criticised how the Border Agency revoked visas at the London Metropolitan University, stating that the government should have handled the problems “completely differently”, as it had “damaged our reputation.”

Despite his only tie to the University being his honorary degree, he

believed that Durham was a good place to be a scholar, and was impressed by the new building.

Professor Chris Higgins, the ViceChancellor, described the Palatine Centre as a “world class building”, and was proud that the work had been completed on time and on budget.

“When we first opened it, the students were running to the library

“Universities need to be cherished, valued and properly supported. I want the Government to note that, so I’ll repeat it.”

Sir Paul Nurse

to find desks and on one Sunday, at 10am, twelve per cent of the entire student population were in the library. This says something about Durham University students.”

The Palatine Centre houses frontline student services such as the University’s Careers, Employability and Enterprise Centre, Academic and International Offices, Counselling and Disabilities Services and the IT and Finance help desks, which were previously spread around the City.

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PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

@PalatinateUK Palatinate

Letting agent calls for halt to early student housing rush Matt Lee

Student Home Zone, one of the largest letting agencies in Durham, has called for a uniform agreement between landlords and letting agencies to combat the trend of freshers signing early for houses.

The organisation, which describes itself as a “consortium of Durham City landlords,” is pressing for a city-wide agreement preventing all estate agents from advertising properties until Epiphany term.

Nearly all of the organisations who let houses to students, Student Home Zone included, have been accused of inducing ‘freshers panic’ by advertising the availability of housing as early as November.

Figures from ‘Bill Free Homes’, a subsidiary of Student Home Zone, appear to support the belief that students are signing earlier and earlier.

In 2010 the first contract was signed on 12th November whereas in 2011 the first let was signed on 26th October. Moreover, 50% of their properties were let before Christmas in 2011 with just 30%

let at the same point in 2010.

Although it is unclear how many of these let agreements involved first year students, there is growing concern that freshers are signing too early.

Grey College Livers-Out Officer, Ben Plumb said: “The sight of these estate agents signs outside the houses implies to the freshers, very early on, that they ought to start thinking about it […] they are not equipped to find house-

26th October

The date of the first student let by Bill Free Homes in 2011

mates or a house at this stage in their university career and so they panic.”

Student Home Zone admitted that they also advertise early but that this was because of a “domino effect” where one letting agency “breaks ranks” and the others follow.

They urged the University to take a lead role in addressing the problem, rather than just estate agents.

Matt Deakin, Head of Opera-

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tions (Colleges) and City Liaison Officer, said: “the University has been working in partnership with Durham County Council since taking over the property advertising function of the Accommodation Office from DSU in 2011.

“We have consulted with a small group of landlords over bringing in a voluntary licensing agreement for student landlords in Durham City.

“This work is under development at present and it is due to be agreed and subsequently announced in the next few months.”

A Student Home Zone spokesperson said: “The University has worked fairly hard to bring in a stricter, universal agreement but the process has been slowed down by internal politics.”

They also criticised the enforcement of the existing policy, saying that there was “no carrot and no stick” to ensure that letting agents do not advertise early.

Other letting agencies have also given their tentative support to the proposal.

A spokesperson for Q Student commented: “I think there’s an argument for having it later in the year” since “all parties would benefit.”

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Some private landlords have already started advertising properties Photograph: Samuel Spencer

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News

DUCK Officer’s Column Carmen O’Loughlin DUCK Officer One day, one hundred people, one aim: Project Ten Grand.

E-mail, Facebook, BBM, Whatsapp, Twitter, text messages: if the noughties have brought us anything, it’s the ability to be contacted immediately and become overloaded with information. At times everything can become a bit too much.

“One day, one hundred people, one aim: Project Ten Grand”

We get caught up in a world of expectations, deadlines and Durham identities which can often make the Durham bubble get a bit claustrophobic.

That’s why one of my favourite aspects with DUCK is rag raiding. It’s the simplest form of fundraising and is an experience like no other.

When else do you have an excuse to dance in the street dressed as a crocodile? Get donated a love heart for smiling as a fairy? Or talk to a grandmother who’s put a pound in your bucket because her grandson suffered from meningitis - a cause that you’re helping out for a day?

The fact that free transport and accommodation is thrown in as well is just another bonus!

So within the manic world we now live in, this year DUCK has decided to make things simple again.

On an economic level we know that actually, keeping things simple means that we can make things big.

Very big.

That’s why this year we’re running: Project Ten Grand.

For November 3rd we’re keeping the premise simple: 100 people, 100 buckets, London or Edinburgh, one weekend, everyone aiming to raise at least £100 for Oxfam.

Oxfam are a charity that helps people all over the world working to end global poverty – what better way to spend a simple Saturday?

So, if you want to sign up to become part of a team that will literally be raising thousands of pounds for charity, take a second, ignore your e-mails and have a look here: duck. dsu.org.uk.

331634J_NewcatleCourier_Layout 1 15/10/2012 11:57 Page 1

Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

Students voice concern over poor attendance at societies showcase Lizzie McAdam

Recent showcases to get more students involved in the union’s societies in Durham were met with a mixed response from students.

This year is the first time the Union has hosted society showcases which were designed to provide further opportunities for students to see what societies there are and to sign up.

It was felt that as some students are unable to make it to all of the Durham Students’ Union Fair due to the hectic pressures of freshers’ week a second chance should be provided.

The showcases are an example of how there is a push to establish closer ties between the Union and societies which should hopefully make it easier for the Union to support them in achieving the best for their members.

University wide societies provide a great opportunity for students to learn key skills, express new and continuing interests and to socialise outside of their college environment.

The showcases ran from 3pm-8pm

on three consecutive Wednesdays, the last being the 24th of October.

Despite the long hours of availability there was very little awareness or interest shown by students.

Some have questioned the decision to hold the event at this stage during the term so soon after freshers’ week, arguing that the hype of a new term has passed and people have been adjusting to new routines

“This was the first time the union has held a societies showcase... Footfall was disappointing” Jim Elliot DSU Societies and Student Development Officer

and timetables so were not looking to add more commitments to them quite yet.

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There were also some promotional costs of the event, calling into question whether it was worth the money. Unless already involved in the societies, students tended to be unaware of the event.

Advertising focused mainly on emails, websites and Facebook. There were signs put up by Dunelm House, one of which was stolen, but word of mouth didn’t spread and the number of students who turned up to sign up for societies was minimal.

Jim Elliot, DSU Societies and Student Development Officer, admitted to the event being a let down due to the lack of turnout.

He said: “This was the first time the union has held a societies showcase, so we didn’t know what to expect. Footfall was disappointing.”

Discussions are currently underway amongst the societies involved and the Union as to the future of the event.

Feedback shows there is still support amongst societies for it to happen again, but students believe that timing and promotional issues must be resolved.

PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

News Features

News Features Editor: Sally Wardle

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news.features@palatinate.org.uk

Palatinate

Colleges face challenges of food waste A behind-the-scenes look at college catering reveals the extent of food wastage by students Tom Ryder Sally Wardle

A Palatinate investigation has revealed the shocking extent of food waste in colleges at Durham University.

Statistics from a 2011 study by the University disclosed that 113g of food waste is created per three course servery meal at colleges, including waste from production and food left over on plates.

The revelation coincides with the growing presence of the ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign throughout the University, an initiative encouraging students to think realistically about the amount of food they put on their plate.

In conjunction with the campaign, Grey College have begun collecting and weighing the food wasted on plates to measure the extent of their problem.

368.6

The number of kilograms of food waste from plates at Grey College in one week

During Freshers’ Week, with around 260 students present, 260.2 kilograms of food were cleared directly from plates.

With second and third years also taking meals, this figure jumped to 368.6 kilograms of waste for the following week.

If this figure was maintained throughout the academic year, 8,846.4 kilograms of waste would be produced at Grey College alone.

These high figures are in spite of Grey’s policy of ‘seconds’, which means students can go back for more food if they are still hungry after their first portion.

The strategy was intended to reduce the amount of food which stu-

Food in numbers

113g - the amount of food waste created per three course servery

447,140 apples, 202,500 bananas and 94,184 kilos of fresh meat provided to colleges by university catering per year

dents put on their plates, and often cannot finish.

Dave Greenwood, Assistant Operations Facilities Manager at Grey, suggested it was “scandalous” that students continue to take excessive quantities despite being able to return for seconds. Yet Nicola Gittins, Food and Beverage Services Manager at Grey stressed that these figures should not be considered as unique to the college: the amount of waste produced is reflective of others.

Many students do not understand the extent of the problem, and a lack of awareness is evident.

Lucy, a first-year at Collingwood suggested: “Because we are all so busy, we are normally pretty hungry and so can finish everything.

“I think on the whole we are not too wasteful, and it is just the minority who are.”

Whilst one third-year liver-in recognised the problem of food waste, she attributed this to the system of serving food: “At Castle, you don’t serve yourself for any of the mains, so they do tend to give you a large portion that can be difficult to finish.” She added, “I wish there was more control about the amount of food you are given.”

Ricky Cohen, Deputy Head of University and Colleges Catering, suggested that the facts of mass catering and production mean some waste is inevitable.

“There will always be a small percentage of production food waste, as it is required to facilitate meal

“Suppliers are required to demonstrate environmental commitment”

Deputy Head of University and Colleges Catering choice, because meal uptake fluctuates, as students choose to eat some meals elsewhere and because some ingredients will always produce waste, for example vegetable peelings.”

Policies are in place to limit production food waste to the Univer-

sity’s target of 3% of total food production.

Cohen explained, “During the procurement tendering process, suppliers are required to demonstrate environmental commitment, for example using peelings and other vegetable waste for natural fertilisers and the recycling of waste oil.”

He added that the use of standardised menus in a three week cycle allows the kitchen teams “to build up knowledge of meal uptake per menu item and then adjust production quantities to further reduce waste.”

However, by taking too much food, students provide inaccurate information to the kitchens. This leads to excessive quantities of food being produced during the subsequent three week cycle.

The amount of waste produced may only be a small dent in the 15 million tonnes of food that is thrown away every year in the UK, but it has direct implications for students and the environment. University catering is conducted on a large scale – annually 447,140 apples, 202,500 bananas and 94,184 kilos of fresh meat are provided to colleges. However a percentage of this is wasted,

not consumed.

This wastage evidently has financial implications, with money lost through cost of purchase, preparation, cooking, serving and the disposal of food waste. Ultimately, this wastage is funded by the students.

Ricky Cohen also cited “unnecessary consumption of water (for growing and washing) and power (for growing and cooking), along with methane and CO2 emissions from decomposing food” as environmental consequences of food waste.

Grey President James Mullinder was keen to express that the waste left on students’ plates “is not intentional most of the time”, but a consequence of lack of awareness.

Many students admit they are guilty of piling their plates far too high with potatoes, chips and salads: only a change in attitude can reduce the sheer amount of waste produced in college kitchens.

P

Go online for behind-thescenes footage of a college kitchen

Students often forget the consequences of over filling their plates with college food Photograph: Dan Trouille

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News

Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

Ongoing book relocation causes inconvenience Fran Ryan Delays in the movement of books in the library has caused difficulties for students at the beginning of the Michaelmas term.

Plans for the £11 million re-development of Durham’s Bill Bryson Library focused on the completion of the East Wing by the start of the 2012 Easter term last year.

This was to provide additional study spaces and seating for students over the examination period.

However, this focus on one aspect of the re-development has resulted

12 kilometres

The length of the new movable shelving units

in delays in the movement and re-organisation of books in the Bill Bryson Library.

The delayed installation of 12 kilometres of movable shelving units on Level One prevented the library’s extensive collection of printed journals from being re-housed.

Subsequent delays have ensued as the movement of books into the spaces occupied by the printed journals were unable to take place over the summer.

The work was not completed by September 2012 as originally forecast and movement of the books is still ongoing.

One affected student commented: “It is a bit inconvenient but only because it isn’t signposted very well.

There is a bit of gap between some shelf marks, meaning that you need to ask for help.”

Questions have been raised as to whether the movement of books should have been completed over the summer holidays in preparation for the commencement of term.

This is due in part to the levels of noise and inconvenience created by the movement of books at the beginning of term.

In response to this, Pete Maggs, Deputy Librarian, commented that the option to move the 1.6 million books in a series of over 100 stages has “ensured that items have been available within the library and study spaces have been accessible at all times throughout the moving process.”

Whilst acknowledging this has caused “some disruption”, Mr Maggs emphasised that this was the preferable choice in contrast to the “significant disruption” the process may have caused had it taken place during the examination period last May. Mr Maggs also refuted the claim that some of the library staff were assigned to assist the Law department’s move into the new Palatine Centre.

Despite the disturbance, the library’s instigation of a new Dewey Decimal shelfmark system aims to create an easier system of access for students when locating books.

The library aims to complete the re-organisation of books by November 2012.

Books are yet to be reshelved after the library refurbishment Photographs: Samuel Spencer

Durham police “crack down” on student noise levels Jillian Ward

A recent rise in noise complaints has prompted new approaches from Durham Police when dealing with student rowdiness.

Alongside Buckingham and Aberystwyth, Durham has one of the lowest crime levels of all university campuses in the UK. Although the city’s crime rates remain at a constant low, University Police Liaison Officer Philip Raine has noted that noise complaints are on the rise.

In an interview with Palatinate, Mr. Raine said that the majority of students “are well-behaved and well-mannered.”

However, the police station has “received a number of complaints from the public regarding noisy parties [and] noisy students walk-

ing through the city on their way to and from clubs,” mostly in the Bailey area.

The rise in noise complaints, asserted Raine, is typical of Michaelmas term due to Induction Week, the desire to host house parties in untried accommodation, and the desire to make the most of Durham’s nightlife before the pressure of summative deadlines.

While noise in town is nothing new, police approaches to the issue are changing.

Raine stated that the police have been asked to “crack down” on noisy or disrespectful behaviour, but that they are doing so “with a friendly approach.”

New methods include handing out leaflets in residential areas about behaving appropriately as well as greater police presence at events known to be rowdy.

Wednesdays, for instance, have

seen a “special campaign’ in which police work ‘until the early hours of the morning’ to constrain noise caused by sport-related social activities.

“The role of the JCR is not to condescend and be overly paternal to its student body” Nick Kryzwkowski, Van Mildert Livers-Out Rep

Many complaints have occurred due to noise levels at house parties. According to the University Code of Conduct on living out, students should “remember to inform [...] neighbours” when hosting a party and “to promise them that

it will finish at a reasonable specified time.”

The police have visited house parties before noise complaints occur to remind students to turn down music or to close their doors and windows.

Raine clarified that the goal is not to bring the parties to an end, as the police “want [students] to have a good time,” but to ensure that students act “a little more sensible.”

The Code of Conduct for students living out of college, which is distributed to most students by their college JCR, is the main source of information concerning behaviour while living out.

Similar to other Livers-Out Representatives, Nick Kryzwkowski, Livers-Out Officer at Van Mildert College, distributes the Code of Conduct to students living out alongside other information.

He noted, however, that “the role of the JCR is not to condescend and be overly paternal to its student body.”

Kryzkowski added that “one can only give advice; it is then up to the respective livers-out to act upon it.”

Raine agreed that any anti-social behaviour on the behalf of students is “the student’s responsibility, because they’re adults.”

Raine also noted that issues with livers-out stem from a lack of communication. Although firstyears living in college receive a speech from the Police on crime and safety during induction week, communication with students living out is more restricted.

“It would be a good thing to get all the livers-out together and talk to them before term started [...] it’s certainly something to look at for next year.”

PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

Profile: Daniel Sloss

9

www.palatinate.org.uk

Profile Editor: Anna Miles profile@palatinate.org.uk

Half-man Half-Xbox Anna Miles interviews award winning young comedian Daniel Sloss, Scotland’s comic prodigy

M

aking his stand-up debut at just 16, Daniel Sloss is no doubt one of the UK’s fastest rising stars in the world of comedy.

His October 2009 debut at London’s Soho Theatre made him the youngest stand-up comedian ever to perform a solo season in the West End, and by 2011 Daniel had already claimed the title of ‘Best New Comedian’ at the Scottish Variety Awards.

His many television appearances include such popular comedy programmes as, ‘8 Out of 10 Cats’, ‘Mock the Week’, and ‘Michael McIntyre’ s Comedy Roadshow’ alongside comedy giants Jason Manford, Frankie Boyle and Rob Brydon.

With his baby face, cutting sarcasm, and youthful addiction to video games, this hilarious young comic has taken the British comedy scene by storm and, despite his hectic schedule, I managed to catch up with Daniel during his busy UK tour to ask a few questions about his impressive career so far.

What made you realise you wanted to do comedy as a career?

I realised I would probably hate having a real job.

Would you say that your material is influenced by a particular comedian?

I wouldn’t say my material was influenced, but definitely my style.

I like comedians like Bill Burr, Louis CK, Jim Jeffries, Glenn Wool- all co-

“I realised I would probably hate doing a real job”

medians who have something to say and get their point across amazingly.

How was it doing work experience with such a well-known comedian as Frankie Boyle?

It was an utter joy, and as you can imagine, very, very funny. It gave me the confidence to actually go out and give it a proper go.

And was this the moment when

you realised that you wanted to do stand-up for a living?

I didn’t really realise that until I was about a year into my stand-up career. And I’m still as surprised as everyone else that I actually manage to do this for a living.

I’ve heard that when you were 14 Frankie Boyle used one of your jokes on Mock the Week - how did this come about?

This story gets more and more ridiculous every time I hear it. And I get younger and younger. I was 16.

He offered me the chance to meet and hang out with him and ask him questions about comedy and he was a lovely guy and really friendly. Ba-

“I’m not really that young. I’m halfway through my life”

sically, he suggested I try learning to write material to a deadline and about certain topics. So, he gave me some Mock the Week topics and he talked me through my material, how to edit it and tighten it, then he used 2 or 3 on Mock the Week’ At no point was Frankie sitting in his dressing room thinking “F***! I don’t have the 4 mediocre jokes Daniel Sloss wrote for me! DAMMIT! CANCEL THE SHOW! I CAN’T GO ON!” Has an audience member ever taken offence to your jokes?

Probably. I tend not to listen to people who get offended by comedy because 99 times out of a hundred they are a complete and utter moron. So therefore, anything they have to say on the matter really doesn’t matter at all. Some old person got offended when I said the c-word once, which was ironic, because judging from his attitude it definitely couldn’t have been the first time he heard it.

He couldn’t let it go, he had to stop the entire show that everyone else was enjoying, to loudly complain

Sloss won Best New Comedian at the 2011 Scottish Variety Awards Photograph: Trudie Stade to me. But he’s probably dead now.

Which is nice.

Do you get heckled a lot for being so young?

No. I think people assume that because I’m young I’ll break down and cry if I get heckled, when in fact, it’s the opposite. If I get heckled I’ll happily destroy the person that had the stupidity to try.

Do you get recognised in the street?

Occasionally I get noticed, although more so in Scotland than in England. But I tend not to notice it.

It’s my friends that point it out saying, “That group of girls pointed at you and smiled.” Meanwhile my head is in the clouds.

Have you had any weird encounters with fans?

Some of them buy me presents after gigs. They’re always lovely. I once went for a drink with a fan who was on a first date with a girl he met online. They had a huge argument in front of me and Kai (my support act) and we had to quickly make our excuses and leave.

A lot of comics talk about using material from life experience. Being one of the youngest comedians on the circuit, do you ever feel at a slight disadvantage?

No. I am young, and like all young people most of my opinions are

wrong, which audiences find amusing. Being young helped me a lot in my earlier career, because people didn’t expect me to be funny. But now I’m 22, I’m really not that young, I’m halfway through my life.

Do you get your sense of humour from your family members?

Who is the funniest member of your family?

My mum and dad are both very funny people and their unique style

“I’ve done every Fringe Festival since 2008... I love it.”

of sarcasm-based discipline has definitely shaped my sense of humour.

And killed me emotionally inside.

Your first DVD is being released on the 19th of November. So is that all your Christmas presents sorted then?

Only for the people I hate.

You performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the first time at just 17 - what do you think this did for your career?

I think it did me wonders. I’ve

done every Fringe Festival since 2008 and it’s forced me to really turn over my material and up my game each year. I love it.

What advice would you give to Durham students who are aspiring comedians and performers?

Do it. Just do it. Don’t think about it. Put a date in your diary and give yourself a deadline. You’ve got to be strict with yourself and the longer you put it on, the longer you’re denying yourself one of the greatest experiences of your life.

So, you got a place at Dundee University to read History but chose comedy instead. Do you feel that in some ways you have missed out on student life?

Yeah, I’m really gutted I don’t have any debt to pay off.

I’ve seen on your blog that you review nightclubs. ‘Klute’ in Durham infamously finished runnerup in FHM’s ‘Worst Nightclubs in Europe’, but since the winner burnt down it has proudly taken the title. Have you ever been to Klute?

No, but now you have completely sold it to me… I definitely want to go.

‘Daniel Sloss Live’ will be released on DVD on 19th November, and his tour brings him to Durham’s own Gala theatre on 2nd November.

10

Careers Careers

Careers Editor: Amy Sandiford-Watts

www.palatinate.org.uk

Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

careers@palatinate.org.uk

A day in the life: Andrew Mann, Sainsbury’s Amy Sandiford-Watts

Andrew Mann is Customer Loyalty and Insight Director at Sainsbury’s.

He spoke to Palatinate about working in the retail sector.

I

graduated from Chad’s in 1987 – so that’s quite a long time ago.

My best memories were the people, and living on the Bailey for 3 years. My own graduate experience was slightly unique in that I almost applied to retail to begin with, but I ended up starting off with CadburySchweppes, working for them as a

“As a graduate I wanted - like most people - a big company where I’d get great training”

graduate, working my way round the UK and internationally, and ending up as UK marketing director. As a graduate, I think what I wanted was – like most people – a big company where I’d get great training and a great opportunity for career development, as well a company that had the right value set. I found that at Cadbury’s back then, and now I’ve found the same values – a focus on people and doing the right thing – in my current role at Sainsbury’s.

On a typical day I tend to be in the office by 8 o’clock. I’ll have a coffee and some breakfast, and my first

meeting will start at 8.30. As Customer Loyalty and Insight Director, what I’ll be doing with my team a lot of the time is listening to customers, understanding what they want through collected data and then actually persuading the business to do something about it, or I’ll be doing something about it with my direct communications team.

In the morning I’ll have a series of meetings, and I spend some of my time dealing directly with graduates - both in the marketing department, and with the graduate I mentor through our 2020 scheme.

We launched the 2020 programme last year and what we’re looking to do is pick the best and brightest potential leaders in the UK and absolutely hothouse them in the next 5 years so they can become our leaders in 2020.

We don’t really know where we’ll be then; we’ve got a retail business, but our online business is growing at 25% per annum, and we’re continually launching new ventures. One thing we do know is that we’re going to need real leaders - we’re talking about directors and senior managers – in 2020.

Once the morning’s meetings are done, and I’ve met up with my graduates to talk to them about their careers and how they can develop, I’ll get my lunch. It’s often just a soup and a sandwich, but it’s good to have a chance to sit down and talk to people.

What we tend to do later in the afternoon is look at project work that we’re doing, and where we’re going with different projects mov-

ing forward. What we look at tends to vary during the week. At the beginning of the week we’re looking at what happened last week and planning if we need to change anything for next week, towards the end of the week we’re looking at more long term projects that could impact what we’re doing in the next three to five years.

We’re launching lots of new businesses – two weeks ago we announced that we’d launched a marketing services business called ITC (Insight to Communication), and about three months ago we bought

an online digital retailer where you can buy digital books and entertainment.

In my current role I travel around the UK a lot and the potential for de-

Ask around: chances are that your or a friend’s family might have links abroad. This is advantageous as the contact is already out there, and can give you the heads up on whether it is a good place to work and a nice area to live in.

Be proactive and send lots of emails: it is far better to have five offers than none! Check the email address is the right one, particularly for the older offers.

A quick extra tip: placements in the diplomatic business aren’t eligible for Erasmus funding, so only go for one of them if you really want to do something like that in the future. On an Erasmus note, to receive funding

your placements must start and end within around 5 days of each other.

This changes every year and is one of the things that is extremely vital to listen out for in the meetings.

When you get an interview on the phone or via Skype for a job that you’re not sure about, take the interview: it’ll be vital experience for when you interview with the company you really want.

Next you’ve got the job. Well done!

Now comes one of the more laborious parts of the year abroad paperwork.

There is a fair amount of paperwork to fill out, but if you get motivated and set aside the time to work your way through these forms, it doesn’t need

to take a massive amount of time.

As far as accommodation is concerned, there are two different opinions. Some people like to go to the country a week or so before their placement starts, and try and find a place to live then, as they prefer to visit the properties and see the area.

This can be a fairly risky strategy as you have to be able to run the risk of not finding anything before you start work.

The second option is finding somewhere to live while you are still here.

This takes away some of the pressure: you know that you will have somewhere to live. If you can find a job that offers accommodation as well, that is

A career in retail can provide great opportunities for development Photograph: Clive Darra

“In my current role the potential for developing my career internationally is pretty significant”

veloping my career internationally is pretty significant.

The advice I’d give to students and graduates is don’t worry too much about what degree you’ve got.

If you’ve got a 2:1 or are forecast to get a 2:1 and have the potential to be a leader – that’s about judgement, drive and the ability to influence people to move things forward – there’s going to be lots of different opportunities in lots of different businesses for you. And if you want to be the leader of a commercial organisation, who works in a very multifunctional area – retail could be for you.

A guide to finding year abroad placements

Phil Harrison

Phil shares his tips for language students looking to spend their third year working abroad.

First step: you’ve decided that you want to work on your year abroad either for the entirety or part of your year. Don’t worry if it’s something you’ve never done before, it’s a great chance to try something new and broaden your experience (and CV).

Play to your strengths when applying, but don’t refrain from applying for lots of jobs just because you are looking for the perfect one!

a massive bonus.

If you don’t manage to get a placement for the second half of your year whilst you are in Durham, again don’t panic: some companies get people dropping out at the last minute and put up vacancies, or just wait until later in the year to put up their adverts.

Just a quick reminder: the first few days in a foreign country are always the hardest. Don’t panic! It isn’t the easiest start in the world, but give it a few days and you’ll be a pro.

P

Read more Careers content online at palatinate.org.uk

PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

11

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@PalatiCAREERS Palatinate

Spotlight on: opportunities at Unilever Joe Adams

O

rla Meade, Graduate Attraction Specialist at Unilever UK & Ireland, speaks to Palatinate about internship and graduate opportunities at Unilever.

What sort of opportunities does Unilever offer graduates?

We offer a two-year management graduate programme called the Unilever Future Leaders Programme (UFLP) with roles in seven different business areas: Financial Management, Supply Chain Management, Business & Technology Management, Research & Development, Customer Management (Sales), Human Resources, and Marketing. However, it’s not all about graduates: we also offer 12 week summer placements and 12 month industrial placements and, for astute first years who are keen to sort out their graduate career while still early in their university lives, we’ve just launched our Spring Programme which gives students the opportunity to find out more about our business and secure a placement earlier, which ultimately leads to being fast-tracked to our graduate programme.

What differentiates Unilever from its competitors?

At Unilever, our graduate programme is all about a fast-track to management, but it doesn’t end there: graduates are given continuous opportunities for development and training well after the two year programme has finished. We truly are looking for the directors and VPs (Vice Presidents) of the future, and the fact that three members of the current UK and Ireland board of directors started life with Unilever as graduates is proof that grads can, and do, go far.

But it’s more than just the opportunities that attract graduates – and mid-career professionals too – to Unilever. In recent years we’ve found that many students want to join the company because of the way we do business. Our ambition to double the size of our business while halving our environmental impact and increasing our social impact is well known, and every employee has a part to play in achieving the timebound commitments we’ve made to be a sustainable business. That’s really attractive to employees today.

How will the environment differ from the traditional City and

Law firms that recruit in Durham?

When students come to our UK & Ireland head office for their assessment centre, they’re often struck by the informal and welcoming environment, from our very own hair salon, beauty salon and gym on-site to the free Ben & Jerry’s scoop café.

The building environment reflects the people within it and our passion for our brands and what we do - and grads are instantly part of this when they join the company.

There’s also a sense of trust and autonomy. We have a culture of agile working which means it’s not about the number of hours for which you sit at your desk, it’s about having the flexibility to work where and when you want (within reason!) as long as you perform and get the job done.

“Students are often struck by the informal and welcoming environment”

Which degrees do you prefer?

We recruit placement students and graduates based on our core competencies, which can be found on our website, as well as business

motivation – which is why people want to work for the particular business area for which they’ve applied, and why at Unilever. We do require a degree, a 2:2 or higher, and at least 300 UCAS points but we don’t have a specific degree requirement, except in R&D where we require a strong technical or scientific discipline.

What can final year and younger students be doing now to improve their chances?

Students should be looking to gain any experience they can during their time at university to build their CV, but it’s important to remember too that we value extra-curricular activities and commitments equally as highly. In interviews, we ask for students to use specific examples from their experiences to demonstrate their competencies - and this can be from being part of a society or club, a sports team, working with an organisation such as SIFE/ENACTUS or, of course, work experience. So students in all years should be looking for opportunities to take part and broaden their experiences.

When applying for a placement or the graduate programme, a useful tip is to look more broadly than just at the website for information about Unilever. In an interview situation,

we’re not looking for students who can recall exactly what we say about ourselves on our corporate website: we want your opinion and your individual thoughts to demonstrate why you want to be part of Unilever.

“We don’t ask for specific experience but we do look for students who understand the business area ”

What should students expect at interview?

There are no surprises in our interview process and we’re not looking to trip anyone up – the different stages are all detailed on our website as are the competencies against which we judge applicants. If students take the time to understand what we’re looking for and how they can demonstrate to us that they have the skills we look for, it’ll stand them in good stead for our application process.

Many students will have little to no experience in some of your

business areas – what can they expect, and how should they prove they are right for the job?

We don’t ask for specific experience, but we do look for students who fully understand the business area for which they’re applying.

There are a number of ways for students to get a good grip on what a job in Customer Management (Sales), for example, is like at Unilever, such as through asking questions on our Facebook page which is run by grads, for grads, or watching videos or reading blogs that we share online too.

Describe the experiences of a typical Unilever graduate in their first few months.

All graduates, regardless of their role, have a jam-packed induction during their first week, in which they’ll spend three days with the whole group and then two further days with their specific business area. During the week, they’ll have the opportunity to visit some Unilever sites around the country, such as a warehouse, factory and R&D site, to get a good feel for the business, as well as meeting members of the UK & Ireland board of directors. From week two, graduates start their first rotation, are set their goals, and it’s time to hit the ground running!

Unilever’s graduate programme is a fast track to management Photograph: Sean Biehle

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Business

Business Editor: Flo Childs

Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

www.palatinate.org.uk

business@palatinate.org.uk

The banker who broke ranks Florence Childs

D

urham is teeming with the promise of graduate employment. Fuelled by post-summer internship chatter and the influx of painfully enthusiastic campus recruiters, the arduous process has certainly begun.

Competition is tough and many of us will haphazardly fire immaculate CVs in the direction of The Times Top 100, re-visiting flawless GCSE results and the occasions in which we have worked as a team.

But while the promise of financial freedom, city life and sophisticated trips to Embargo’s Gold Room seems to be in sight, there is a side that many of us forget.

Stephen Ridley graduated from Durham University in 2010 with a First Class Honours Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Following this success, and a brief internship in 2009, he went straight into the Investment Banking Division UBS. He worked eighteen hour days, six days a week for sixteen months, before quitting in October 2011 to pursue a music career.

Palatinate caught up with Stephen one year on. His words are blunt, honest and true, but used in the hope that his experience will offer some form of caution to those of you willing to sell your soul to the likes of the Vampire Squid and its cohorts.

“I decided I wanted a career in money; that’s all I cared about”

Could you tell me how you found your internship? It must have gone very well for you to receive an offer.

I decided that I wanted a career with money; that’s all I cared about.

I went on the internet, googled ‘highest paid grad careers’ and applied to them all. Once I had offers for internships I knew that all I had to do was show up and not be terrible in order to convert into a full-time position.

You spent 16 months in a top tier Investment Banking Division following your internship - can you describe your time there?

I had the mother of all desk jobs.

There’s something I never realised about these illustrious grad programmes. You are based in an office; an office is a series of desks with computers on them; your life is sitting at a desk on a computer in a suit.

Catrin Jones

“I think people need to grow a pair and take a leap of faith”

Investment Banking involved extremely long hours (16-17 per day average, often more, most weekends). The work was uninteresting to me; frankly unless you are doing your passion or running your own business, no person can find happiness living at a desk; it’s hardly the natural state of man.

What would you say is the most liberating thing about being a musician, and doing something you’re truly passionate about?

I used to work a job I hated, and I hated myself for doing that. To do without willingness is the act of a slave. I felt enslaved. And in quitting this, I felt a real burst of liberty.

Suddenly the world opened up and I could do and be whatever I wanted.

For me, my wildest dream was being a big musician, and so that’s exactly what I set about doing.

Through banking I came to realise how short life is and how nothing really matters; all of this prestige and safety that you are indoctrinated with through school and university, it’s all bullsh*t.

Life is short. You’re young, you’re old, you’re dead. React to that knowledge. The best thing about being a musician: taking responsibility for my life and living exactly the life I want!

Where do you see yourself in ten years time: will finance be an industry you’ll ever re-visit?

I say with great happiness that I don’t know where I will be in 10

Durham Women in Business need you!

Stephen Ridley gave up a career in banking to be a musician Photograph: Stephen Ridley years. They say “aww, your life looks great now, but what about in 10 years?” I answer the same: I don’t know (and thank God for that!) but I know I’ll be fine because my source of security is not a job or my wallet or what people think of me - my source of security is my knowingness that I have all the tools I need to succeed at anything I want if I work hard at it.

“I used to work a job I hated, and I hated myself for doing that”

So I don’t know where I’ll be in 10 years, but I know it’ll be fun, I know I’ll be loving it, and I guess you’ll be sat next to me saying the same thing.

I think people need to grow a pair

and take a leap of faith; faith in themselves.

Finally, could you perhaps offer one piece of advice to aspiring investment bankers?

If you are smart enough to go into banking, then you are smart enough to do something better with your life.

Lose the risk aversion that is making you pursue such a dull insipid situation, take life by the horns and really be what you want to be.

I don’t believe there is a student out there that deep down wants to be a banker. They just want to be rich and feel important. There are much more fun ways to it which involve much less self-torture and misery.

P

For more, visit palatinate.org. uk

Durham University Women in Business Society looks to promote and encourage the females of Durham, to sharpen their understanding of business and entrepreneurship, and give them the skills they will need to become future leaders.

A recent study has shown that, in higher education, women usually match their male counterparts, and often out-perform them (Higher Education Policy Institute 2009). However, only 3.8% of the Fortune Global 500 have female CEOs. DUWIB aims to change this and break through that glass ceiling. Despite offering opportunities to all students, DUWIB encourages female speakers and company representatives to lead events and recount their paths to success.

With applications for positions with top graduate recruiters becoming heavily reliant on the impression you can give in no more than 3000 characters, it is becoming more and more competitive to get that golden internship that is likely to guarantee you a job once you leave university.

DUWIB therefore provides its members with a forum to get to know the more personal side of the company and actually talk to their employees - this can range from someone from graduate recruitment, to partners at firms such as Clifford Chance, Unilever or Goldman Sachs.

A number of our 1500+ members have also made such a significant impression on our sponsors that they have been fast tracked along to the final stage of the recruitment process, and have gone on to accept some fantastic job offers.

This year we are diversifying the society by providing an insight into sectors such as fashion, property, retail and consultancy alongside our usual banking and law events.

By offering a diverse range of events we hope that the intimidating, real world outside the Durham Bubble becomes a little bit more accessible, and try to give an impression of what it might be like to work in some of the top companies out there!

If you are interested in this event or think you want to join Durham University Women in Business, then please contact women.inbusiness@ durham.ac.uk.

PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

13

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@PalatinateUK Palatinate

Now is the time for Africa to flourish

Nairobi in Kenya is one of many African cities benefiting from increased investment and industrial development Photograph: Valentina Storti Afiola Etomi

M

any of you will have spent time teaching English to the (impressively) cheerful children of Tanzanah, scanning the plains of the Serengeti for wildebeest, and engaging with all things Gap Yah by night.

Yet few of you, I’d imagine, express the desire to return in a suit and implement a much-needed business plan. However, I hope you might soon see things a little differently. For the ‘dark continent’ is teeming with life; I’m not referring to the sounds of bleating giraffes but of technology, infrastructure and growth.

Africa still attracts only a tiny proportion of the globe’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), a significant achievement given the fact that the last decade’s annual investment from the BRIC economies grew by an astounding rate of 13% annually.

This left the larger proportion of investment to come from developed countries. GDP growth in Africa remained relatively strong through the depths of the post-2008 crisis, a period where most of the developed world was plunged into recession.

Africa’s growth rate slowed to 2% in 2009 and bounced back to nearly

5% in 2010. This is a highly significant point as it highlights some of the distinct advantages, peculiar to the economies of sub-Saharan Africa, which drive and sustain this growth.

It has been said that disappointment is often a disguised blessing.

This has become the foundation of my Africa optimism: the fact that there are thousands of schools to build, airports to expand, road networks to develop and natural resources to extract.

21%

Increased investment in African companies 2003 - 2010

Undertaking this mammoth task would necessitate both local and foreign technological input. These companies need auditors, investment managers and management consultants. And this is happening; from the expanding activities of big consumer companies such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble, to mining and oil giants Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell, and financial services firms Standard Chartered and Ernst & Young.

Sceptics tend to claim that rising global prices of commodities like iron ore and crude oil are driving Africa’s growth. Whilst this has undoubtedly aided industries in oil and mining, this notion wholly ignores the broad-based nature of African growth, which the evidence shows is coming from other areas.

One of the major advantages of the largest Sub-Saharan economies is the existence of growing consumer demand on an unprecedented scale.

It has been projected that consumers will buy $1.4 trillion worth of goods and services in 2020.

It’s quite a simple scenario; people in Finland and Ireland already have their iPhones and microwaves. This leaves the potential customers for such goods largely in one continent, Africa - and chances are they will be able to afford them soon.

Companies such as Indian telecommunications company Airtel and their Middle Eastern competitors Etisalat have recently expanded their operations in sub-Saharan Africa, tapping into a recent telecommunications revolution that has put mobile phones into the pockets of people from inner city market traders to company executives.

The Harvard Business Review estimates the telecoms industry in Africa has gained 316 million sub-

scribers (more than the entire U.S. population) in the last twelve years.

This has made companies like South African MTN very, very rich, with their revenues in 2011 totalling over £10 billion.

“These very real challenges entrench Africa’s perception problem”

MTN’s impressive achievements within the continent also serve as a prime example of Ernst & Young’s observation that Africans are driving investment through their continent, increasing such activities by 21% between 2003 and 2010. Political reforms and growing stability in countries such as Ghana and Angola seem to have boosted investor confidence.

This confidence has extended to portfolio investment in securities, which haven’t traditionally been an investment mechanism, exemplified by Nigeria raising $500 million through the issuance of its first-ever bond on international capital markets in 2011.

The regulatory atmosphere seems to be improving. Combine this with

cheap labour and a broad sector of developing industries and you have El Dorado. The vast and largely untouched natural reserves of iron ore in Guinea, coal in Mozambique, the oil boom of Angola, the technological leaps of mobile money expansion alongside Africa’s largest infrastructure project in Kenya show that there is a lot to be optimistic about.

Naturally there are both internal and external challenges. These include corruption, poverty, instability, lack of skilled workers, huge infrastructural deficits, and continue to plague most of the continent. These are sometimes exacerbated by allegations of multinational ‘plundering’ or the ‘new scramble for Africa.’

These very real challenges entrench Africa’s perception problem.

Of course, the ‘brain drain’ remains a concern. However, with adequate risk management, success is very possible. “The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe… In one word, it creates a world after its own image.”

One cannot overstate the irony in Marx’s quotation concluding an article on investment. However, it does appear we have fulfilled his prophecies so far, so why, oh why, don’t we see them all through.

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Comment

Comment Editor: Florence Snead

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Deputy: David Siesage

Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

No place for crudeness in the sexism debate Julia Gillard’s speech was courageous, but it has been misrepresented by the media Daisy Srblin

W

ith almost two million YouTube views in the last week, Australia’s first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s fiery attack on Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott has gone viral.

Gillard berated Abbott for over fifteen minutes in the House of Representatives stating: “I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man… if he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia… he needs a mirror.” Such prejudice, she argued, was evident in his decision to give speeches next to signs describing Gillard as a male politician’s ‘bitch’, before later telling the press “I’ve had enough. Australian women have had enough. When I see sexism and misogyny I’m going to call them for what they are.”

Gillard’s courage in openly condemning the problem of sexism towards women in public life justifiably received a great deal of sympathy. Australian news site ‘New Matilda’ described Gillard’s speech as a sign of “a re-emergence of feminism in public life.” In fact, the debate has been so high-profile that the editor of ‘Macquarie’, Australia’s equivalent to the OED, intends to amend the longstanding definition of ‘misogyny’ (the ‘hatred of women’) to include ‘entrenched prejudice against women’, to reflect the modern usage and understanding of the term.

17%

Difference between male and female full-time pay

Unfortunately though, much of the coverage of the Gillard debate has missed the point. Certainly Gillard was right to expose Abbott’s previously reactionary attitude to women, which included an appeal to “what the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing” in energy policy discussions, and reference to abortion as “the easy way out.”

There is no doubt that women remain under-represented and under-valued in what continues to

be a male-dominated world. In Gillard’s own profession only 27% of MPs are women, while the difference between men and women’s full-time pay is a significant 17%.

“

Gillard was right to speak out against the sexism she has faced

”

However, media coverage has totally disregarded the context of the Gillard-Abbott debate: the House was debating a motion calling for the resignation of the Speaker of the Lower House, Peter Slipper, after a series of text messages were released revealing his vulgar and derogatory references to female genitalia in exchanges with a former staffer.

You might be thinking that Gillard’s passionate speech against the sort of sexism in public life that Slipper’s attitude clearly demonstrated was in proposition of the motion. In actual fact, Gillard gave him her full support and opposed the motion calling for his resignation.

In supporting Slipper despite his repulsive comments objectifying women, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Julie Bishop’s comment that Gillard would “be remembered as the Prime Minister who let down the women of Australia when put to the test” is clearly justified. In fact, despite Gillard’s attack on Abbott’s sexist attitudes, in not pushing for Slipper’s resignation Gillard seems to legitimise such opinions in high politics.

Simply put, the Speaker’s standards were unavoidably those of the Prime Minister unless she took an active stand against such opinions.

It is clear then that Gillard is herself as guilty of hypocrisy as Abbott by tolerating such views in politics when politically expedient: Gillard currently heads a minority coalition government.

However, perhaps the most reprehensible aspect of this debate, has been the less than thoughtful use of

such terms as ‘misogyny’ without a proper understanding of their definition. Gillard was right to speak out against the sexism she has faced. In Australia, sexism in public life seems particularly prevalent, demonstrated

by Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan’s statement that the “deliberately barren” and unmarried Gillard was not fit to lead the country. However, there is a distinction between the existence of sexism in society and calling an individual a sexist.

Furthermore, by using the specific term ‘misogynist’, i.e. ‘one who hates women’, Gillard and other contemporary feminists perpetuate the idea that sexual inequality is an ‘us’ and ‘them’ problem, with women the victims and men the perpetrators.

Gillard’s own culpability in the embedding of sexist attitudes in public life should be evidence enough that women have a significant role to play in refusing to tolerate sexist attitudes.

And if sexual equality can ever be achieved it can only be done through the realisation that men have to be part of the solution – an idea that the accusation of ‘misogyny’ cannot accommodate.

“

Much of the coverage of the Gillard debate has missed the point

”

The final word should go to the Australian Greens’ Deputy Leader Adam Bandt who stated: “I think yesterday decency was being trashed all around by everyone frankly.” The crude obsession both Gillard and Abbott demonstrated with party-political gains perhaps best demonstrates that deep thinking about the pervasiveness of sexism in society hardly ever takes place in high politics.

If we ever want to see men and women on equal terms we will need to go beyond the simplistic presentations and shallow arguments presented by those who claim higher authority.

Illustration: Christian Kriticos

Soapbox Cressida Peever Living in Oxfordshire with friends attending Oxford and Cambridge, I have grown accustomed to hearing Durham disparaged by Oxbridge students. They particularly love to mock the term ‘Doxbridge’, a hideous word which seeks to make the three universities into a circle of peers. This idea is ridiculous.

A debate about the term ‘Doxbridge’ was published online on The Cambrige Tab in January, in which the current Editor of Palatinate, Charlie Taverner, defended Durham against Reanne Mackenzie’s view.

The piece by the latter was not so much a structured argument as an excuse to belittle our university. As a representation of the establishment defending its elitist ideas, I expected more of an argument than “it’s too hilly to ride a bike” as a reason for Durham’s inferiority.

Clearly the whole idea is a huge joke to Mackenzie, but it seems awfully insolent to me to think that being accepted into Cambridge gives her the right to criticise the tradition and education that we are so proud of at Durham.

What is more shocking, is that beneath their pieces, there are comments from readers such as ‘Durham is s***’ and ‘Durham can f*** off’.

How articulate and well structured!

Perhaps Oxbridge should consider running a module on good manners.

Is Durham really keen to be associated with this sort of behaviour?

Taverner highlights the great similarities between Durham and Oxbridge as primarily an ‘unmistakeable blend of tradition and excellence’, and although I agree, I feel as though in one respect we will never be the same; the Durham ethos is so far removed from that of Oxbridge that I would prefer not to be in their gang. I doubt Oxbridge advises not to ‘let your degree get in the way of your education’.

I am proud of the Durham mentality. We are intelligent people who are also fun-loving and well-rounded.

Urban Dictionary defines ‘Doxbridge’ as ‘made up by Durham rah students to further inflate their sense of worth by associating themselves with and embarrassing the two ancient, far superior universities’.

It is probably true that the term is a Durham invention. However, I urge Durham students not to emulate them. It is acceptable to hold the same values, such as striving for excellence and maintaining tradition, but equally, we should preserve our pride to be students of Durham University, of having our own values.

To join their circle would be to lose our own tradition of independence, and for what? One letter added to Oxbridge – an example of the insignificance with which Durham would be viewed if we were to unite. I think it would actually exacerbate the idea of Durham as a ‘wannabe’. The ‘Doxbridge’ Debate should be dropped; it is unnecessary and unwelcome.

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PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

@PalatinateUK Palatinate

We must not write off Libya too quickly

Contrary to some reports, post-revolutionary Libya is alive with a sense of change

In the post-Gaddafi era, Libyans face a better future and are now free to make what they want of themselves and of their country Photograph: Al Russell

Al Russell

L

ibya hasn’t gone backwards; it’s gone somewhere, I don’t know where. These words, said to me by a Libyan journalist in Tripoli in August, constituted the most accurate analysis of the state of the country that I heard throughout my six-week stay.

The country is in limbo as it looks to find its feet after eighteen months of gargantuan upheaval, but I for one am not despairing for the prospects of my unorthodox summer destination.

At first glance, the post-revolutionary situation in Libya is dire: it has virtually no effective infrastructure, is awash with weaponry, endures frequent terrorist attacks and, in the last week, has seen the collapse of the country’s first ever democratically elected government before it even took office.

In context, however, Libya’s relative stability is nigh on miraculous.

Having emerged from forty-two years of cruel and eccentric dictatorship, democratic elections took

place safely and fairly. Considering that there are thought to be about as many Kalashnikovs as people in the country, the levels of violence are incredibly low.

This is testament to the fact that the vast majority of the population is determined to make their free country work, as shown by the anti-extremism protests since last month’s fatal attack in Benghazi.

One only has to look to Syria, which started its revolution a month after Libya, to see how much worse the situation could be.

“

Violence sells more newspapers than peace

”

Violence sells more newspapers than peace, and for this reason we of-

ten overlook the fact that day-to-day life continues relatively unchanged in Libya. Like so many other ‘dangerous’ countries, the political situation has few tangible short-term effects on the lives of most people.

It is easy to write off such places as basket cases, forgetting that families still go to the beach, children still go to school and the men still sit in cafes in the evening smoking shisha.

It is undeniable that the challenge facing the country is now infinitely more complex than it was during last year’s revolution when ‘Libya Hurra’ (Free Libya) was the only concern.

Now, infrastructure must follow revolution.

The goal of liberation has been achieved, engendering a very obvious sense of joy. When I attended the inauguration of parliament, men and women sat weeping as they realised that the moment that they had fought so hard and waited so long for had finally come. Nevertheless, a lot of the work still remains to be done.

Now that the country is ruled by its population, it is mired in an identity crisis, as Islamists and democrats vie for control.

However, the fact that this debate can even take place is encouraging

as under Gaddafi protests were met with 50 calibre machine guns and dissidents fled for their lives.

“

Libya stands at a moment of huge opportunity

”

The revolution has reinvigorated not only the country, but the individuals in it too; people care far more now that they live in a society where they can make a personal impact, and can live without the fear of an unpredictable tyrant.

Two journalists that I met had their lives transformed by the revolution. One had been a medical student with no interest in the news who was so struck by the impact made by ordinary people during the revolution that he left university to set up his own newspaper. The other was a bored stockbroker in Benghazi, who

started working as a fixer for foreign journalists, before taking to journalism himself - he is now an awardwinning documentary film-maker.

These examples are symptomatic of the real feeling of opportunity in the country; there is a sense that in the post-Gaddafi era, Libyans can make what they want of themselves and their country.

Libya stands at a moment of huge opportunity: it is a country with the potential for incredible wealth thanks to its vast oil reserves, and it has a public with an ardent desire to help its fledgling democracy find its feet.

We must be less quick to write off such places, and take time to appreciate the unbelievable achievement that the country’s transition to democracy has been.

Al Russell spent six weeks in Libya over the summer holiday working for the Libya Herald newspaper. For more information, visit www.libyaherald.com

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Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

McKinnon verdict bodes well for future The decision not to extradite the computer hacker is a victory for common sense David Siesage

F

or a decade, Asperger’s suffering computer hacker Gary McKinnon has been fighting against an extradition ruling which could have seen him sent to a US prison for around 60 years. This month he won the battle to stay in the UK when Home Secretary Theresa May blocked the extradition on the basis of the Human Rights Act. Although the US is ‘disappointed’ with this verdict, we should look on this as a positive thing: both a victory for common sense and a step in the right direction towards changing the extradition procedure.

Nonetheless, the reasons behind the decision are complex and somewhat murky.

The irony of May using the Human Rights Act for the greater good is lost on few; this is the same Home Secretary who stated that she would “personally like to see the Human

Rights Act go because I think we’ve had some problems with it.”

Indeed, the human rights aspect of this case does set a worrying precedent. May was only able to stop the extradition using claims that McKinnon would possibly kill himself if extradited; what is to stop even the most incompetent of lawyers claiming their client is on the brink of suicide?

63

Number of extraditions between 2003 and 2009

And why save McKinnon and not fellow Asperger’s sufferer Talha Ahsan? Well, probably because of the terrorism aspect, but the family of Babar Ahmad, one of the five terror suspects including Abu Hamza and Ahsan extradited to the US earlier this month, asked, “Why within the space of two weeks, a British citizen with Asperger’s accused of computer-related activity is not extradited, while two other British citizens, one

with Asperger’s, engaged in computer-related activity are extradited? A clear demonstration of double standards.” McKinnon became the focus of a populist campaign movement, and this verdict shows their power.

Speculation has subsequently arisen about May’s actions, some suggesting that in a period of intense governmental scrutiny, this decision could have been in the interests of popularity. Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson even claimed her decision was “in her own party’s best interests but it’s not in the best interests of this country.”

It should not have gone this far.

The pursuing of this case made America look spiteful and petty as the public perception of McKinnon was that of a troubled and humble computer nerd, whilst US authorities claimed that his conduct was “intentional and calculated to influence and affect the US government by intimidation and coercion.”

Really, the US should be relieved that it was McKinnon, and not someone more dangerous, who broke into their computers and exposed the weaknesses in their security. It is clear that he is no super-criminal

and May’s decision is a victory for common sense.

But why the decision was made is less important that the fact that it was at all. One of the most important repercussions of this case is that it has brought these imbalanced extradition procedures to the public consciousness.

“

May’s decision is a victory for common sense

”

There is incongruity in the agreement: whilst the US only need to find ‘reasonable suspicion’ to extradite someone from the UK, British prosecutors need to find ‘probable cause’.

Although Sir Scott Baker’s extradi-

tion review found no real difference between the two, the semantics imply a worrying inconsistency.

We cannot remain subservient to American whims when it comes to extradition. The Washington Post suggested the ruling “could ignite tensions in an otherwise close transatlantic relationship”, but we must look into the extradition treaty. It was created in 2003 for the purpose of bringing terror suspects to justice, but of the 63 extraditions between 2003 and 2009, only one was a terrorist.

Thankfully, in the wake of the Abu Hamza case, May vowed to review the process.

Thus despite the complex and not universally positive reasons behind May’s decision to block the extradition, it is a blessing for the future of extradition legislation, if not the future of transatlantic relations.

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The Savile affair must result in justice

Recent allegations remind us that sexual harrassment must always be challenged Catherine Malpass

I

nquiries into Jimmy Savile’s sexual harassment and abuse charges have increased in recent weeks.

With over 200 potential victims and allegations being made from as early as 1959, the same question is now on everyone’s mind – how was this allowed to happen?

The stark, sickening reality of recent revelations is this: it took over 50 years for anyone to take sexual abuse allegations at all seriously.

There were copious occasions where Savile was allowed off the hook. The last attempt to expose Savile was in December 2011, during a six-week BBC Newsnight investigation into claims that the Crown Prosecution Service and police had shelved inquiries into the allegations. However, the show was dropped.

So what finally opened our eyes to the truth? ITV’s broadcast ‘Expo-

sure: the Other Side of Jimmy Savile’, broadcast in early October. During the show, several women alleged Savile had abused them whilst they were underage. Many other victims were also stirred by this to speak out.

Yet why this lengthy struggle for justice? Who is to blame? The BBC has come under attack for failing to flag up abusive claims; Harriet Harman, has claimed that the allegations have “cast a stain” upon the corporation.

During his career, Savile worked closely with children and the vulnerable in his hit TV show ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ and through his hospital work. Both institutions are now carrying out investigations into the allegations.

It has been argued that Savile evaded blame due to his position at the BBC, which was opportune for him to carry out his assaults. Savile, who was renowned for his eccentric and bizarre character, became such a hit that he was almost untouchable.

David Nicolson, who worked with Savile on ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ and ‘Top of the Pops’ recently told The Guardian that he notified BBC bosses about Savile’s suspected reputation at the time, yet his allegations were ignored.

The case has also been argued to have escalated to such a degree because of contemporary attitudes to women in the workplace. Sexual degradation was indeed more common in the 1970s and 1980s, of which Savile wrongly took advantage.

“

Sexual harassment in the workplace is still very real

”

Both of these arguments are missing the point – Savile is to blame.

Despite contemporary attitudes to women as sexualised objects in the workplace, Savile must have known his actions were wrong.

Unfortunately, the BBC are now

having to pick up the pieces for something that went wrong in a different era, for a man who carried out his assaults independently, who is not here to speak for himself and take the blame. However, if they did turn a blind eye to all those allegations made years ago, they should be blamed. We need to establish what went wrong here.

Modern response to the allegations has admittedly been very thorough, with two BBC inquiries, a Broadmoor inquiry and a criminal inquiry now happening. But if any of these establishments did know of Savile’s actions, are they now not just thinking on their feet?

Yes, they are the new generation detached from that of Savile, and are exempt from contemporary blame. Yet would they have been so thorough had ITV not broadcast these revelations? It reminds me of the political expenses scandal, with the same ‘keep quiet until you are caught’ mentality. Yet prevention is better than cure, and Savile’s victims should have been assured safety at the time.

Now the question of Savile’s knighthood has now come into the

firing line. Savile gained the knighthood for his work with children and the media.

In light of recent allegations, should they be proved correct, the knighthood should be revoked. But, despite general public consensus and support for this cause from David Cameron, the Cabinet Office has said that there are no arrangements in place to remove knighthoods posthumously. In this extreme case however, the Honours Forfeiture Committee may have to reconsider the rules.

One thing that has been shown by this case is that sexual harassment in the workplace is still very real.

Some progress has been made, but not enough. We can only hope now that with inquiries such as this in the media, this phenomena will be eradicated once and for all.

Another positive outcome from the inquiries is that women may be more likely to feel that they can be heard. Although Savile is not here to speak for himself, if the allegations are true, at least the victims will ultimately get justice. However, one cannot help but think this is just 50 years, and a knighthood, too late.

PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

Sport

Sport Editors: Kate Houghton & Tom Ryder

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DUWP sink Leeds University Major rivals Leeds prove no match for Durham men’s first team in a compelling close contest

Marked by violent underwater scuffles and seriously ruthless tackling, water polo is arguably one of the toughest sports out there Photograph: Caroline Brewster

Kate Houghton Water polo: officially the world’s toughest sport.

Players are required to endure up to one hour of swimming, advancing the ball up the pool to complete their attack in just thirty seconds whilst fending off opponents and concealing their kicks, jabs and blows beneath the water’s surface away from the piercing eyes of the referee.

2nd

DUWPC’s BUCS ranking last year in the men’s 1A

A truly brutal sport, but one in which the Durham University Water Polo Club thrive.

As North East Champions in the 2010/2011 season, runners up the following year as well as obtaining second place in the BUCS water polo

2011/2012 men’s 1A cateory, this Durham squad have an outstanding reputation and are a threatening prospect to any opposition.

Friday 26th October saw Leeds University take on this challenge and ,having remained in the top tier of British water polo since 2009, they should not be underestimated.

As this was DUWPC’s only home game this season, a huge crowd emerged in high spirits, full of enthusiasm for the home side.

To their delight Durham established a strong start, scoring instantaneously in the first quarter.

Leeds were quick to respond, driving the ball towards the goal where a shot was taken and missed.

Regaining the ball, Durham wasted no time in confronting the Leeds defence, creating a brilliant chance, only for Hawkins to agonisingly hit the post, awarding Leeds with possession.

They did not mess around this time, and punished Durham with a goal.

Frustrated, Durham’s captain

Brown stepped up, managing to convert one for Durham.

Having gained momentum this was quickly followed by another from Gabriel to put Durham in the lead.

Leeds attempted to fight back, with a rapid shot from D. Heng, but the Durham defence proved too solid, and a slingshot pass from Durham goalkeeper Jennings up the pool saw Durham score again, and again.

Before the whistle blew on the first quarter, Leeds sneakily put one past Jennings, leaving the score 5-2 as the second quarter began.

Similarly to the first quarter, Durham pounced with a goal thirty six seconds in from Brown.

Their subsequent attack however, saw Bennet fumble it, placing the ball into the preying hands of Heep, passing it onto D. Heng who found the back of the Durham net.

Unalarmed, a composed Durham side thrashed back harder.

With goals from Marques and Gabriel the second quarter finished 8-3 to Durham.

The third quarter was not so fruitful for the Palatinate side as they had

“Credit to Leeds for fighting so hard, but Durham proved too resilient” Toby Gomersall Ex-president of DUWPC

to sustain a wave of Leeds attack.

Jennings produced some epic blocks, but eventually it was the persistant D. Heng again who found a gap, accumulating another goal for his side.

Despite their goal drought, the third quarter ended 8-4 to Durham, giving them a comfortable lead as they headed into the closing stages of the game.

They were however, not relaxed for long as the infamous D. Heng

struck again.

Durham retaliated but to no avail, Marques hit the post allowing T. Heng to put another away for Leeds bringing the score to 8-6 with only a few minutes left on the clock.

Jennings managed one more for Durham, but with seconds left D. Heng clinched a final goal: a nailbiting game which concluded 9-7 to Durham.

Toby Gomersall, the ex-president of DUWPC and an avid member of the crowd who had returned to Durham for the ‘old boys’ weekend was pleased to have been able to back his old team-mates.

He said: “With 50 old Palatinates back, the Durham University Water Polo vikings stormed to victory.

“Credit to Leeds for fighting so hard, but Durham proved too resilient on this occasion.

“Gabriel, Santy and Brown were just too strong to overcome.”

DUWPC’s next game sees them face Newcastle, with hopefully another Durham domination on the cards.

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Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

DUJC find fighting form Competition Durham University Judo Club produce medal-winning performances as they compete in the toughest tournament in the North East region Kathryn Beeson

September saw the launch of The Great North Open, judo’s newest brutal tournament.

This ‘three-star’ competition attracted fighters from all over the North and Midlands, drawing in several talented judoka who ensured the competition would be fierce.

However, an un-phased and focused Durham University Judo Club stepped up to the challenge and were rewarded for their efforts with national rankings.

Rachel Wheatley made her debut, fighting in the under 63kg weight category.

Not only did she have the tough task of adjusting to an unfamiliar, heavier set of opponents, her first battle saw her face a member of the British judo squad.

Although Wheatley lost, she bounced back in her second fight, a grueling affair which pushed her to her limits.

Neither Wheatley nor her challenger managed to achieve jippon - judo’s highest score, which when reached ends the match, meaning this combat was fought until the dying minutes.

Wheatley, however, had the edge, and after securing some points early on, she came away with a silver medal.

In the male under 90kg category, juggernaut Joe Troughton’s endeavour to achieve a podium position was similarly arduous.

His early successes almost counted for nothing when one of his attacks was countered seeing him slammed emphatically onto the mat for jippon.

This brutal move which should

“His attack was countered and he was slammed emphatically onto the mat”

have seen Troughton make a premature exit from the tournament turned out to be a blessing in disguise as whilst performing the attack his opponent dislocated his shoulder

and, unable to continue, was forced to withdraw, conceding his place to the fortuitous Troughton.

2

The number of silver medals won by DUJC

A merciless leg sweep against his successive opponent awarded him silver.

After tirelessly progressing their way through the pool rounds of the men’s under 73kg category, Durham middleweights Sam Westlake and Rob Edge were drawn against each other for passage into the quarterfinals.

After an extremely close combat it was Westlake who triumphed following a stylish eri-tai-otoshi to eliminate the DUJC captain.

Unfortunately, Westlake met the same tragic fate in the quarters, but through victories in the repechage contest he achieved a highly respectable fifth place.

As a result of their outstanding and impressive performances, Wheatley, Troughton and Westlake earned spots in the national rankings of 24th, 29th and 33rd respectively.

still fierce in college sport

Palatinate takes a look at some college sporting snippets from the opening week Ben March

Daniel Hobbs

DARTS

FOOTBALL

Castle A were victorious away against darts powerhouse Hild Bede, potentially signalling an end to their dominance in the college darts league.

Hild Bede have been league champions the past two years, achieving a streak of over 50 games unbeaten. Playing them was a daunting prospect for Castle.

A match consists of each of the eight players on a team playing a game of best of three legs against an opponent. The ‘beer leg’ takes place halfway through and is a single leg in which everyone competes, for beer.

The first four games went to Castle. Kieron Smith battled through illness to check-out on 50 and 80, and Matt Funnell won a leg by over 200 points, ensuring a yard for his opponent.

In the beer leg Castle recovered from a heavy deficit, with Tom DiMaio clinching it.

Hild Bede then hit back, convincingly winning the fifth game before Castle talent Chris Saunders sealed the victory with two

Collingwood B started their defence of the football league cup with a convincing 10-0 win over Josephine Butler D. On paper it was always going to be a tough fixture for Butler who compete in a full four leagues below Collingwood B in the college system.

However, the underdogs got off to a strong start and after fifteen minutes the scores were level after a controversial decision by the referee to deny Collingwood a penalty.

Despite this good fortune Butler were unable to hold on for long.

With Collingwood dominating possession and creating a host of chances, the deadlock was eventually broken.

The Butler goalkeeper failed to deal with a corner, parrying the ball into the path of Daniel Hobbs who finished from five yards to initiate Collingwood’s influx of goals.

Alex Macpherson added another after some fine play down the right wing and by halftime the score was 6-0.

Butler persisted in the second half, reshuffling their team and moving striker James Priest to centre back in an effort to strengthen their defence.

This was to no avail as Collingwood players repeatedly penetrated the Butler goal.

Alex Macpherson secured his hat-trick after wrong-footing the goal keeper with a shot from the edge of the box along with Rob Haimes and Tom Sanders who also clinched one each.

With one minute left on the clock Butler made a final attempt to get on the score sheet.

After outnumbering the Collingwood defence on a break a clumsy tackle from a Collingwood defender saw a Butler player crumble to the ground inside the box: a penalty was awarded.

Butler captain Ed Bligh stepped

18

The number of 180s college darts produced last year

Slamming their way to a silver medal: Rachel Wheatley and Joe Troughton Photograph: DUJC

stunning legs, scoring 160 from three arrows in the first.

Hild Bede saved face by taking the next game before Castle captain Jonathan Gaskell made the final score 6-2, emphatically beating Hild Bede’s Rory Dunnett and securing another yard.

Last season college darts produced eighteen 180s and the best leg was finished in only sixteen darts.

Despite the high standard, getting involved is easy, and the team welcomes players of all standards.

PALATINATE | Tuesday 30th October 2012

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Ladies and gentlemen, let’s, play, darts: Castle find the mark in a thrilling contest with defending league champions Hild Bede Photograph: Ben March up to try to get his side a consolation goal, but the ball agonisingly hit the bar.

Eventually the final whistle put Butler out of their misery with the final score 10-0 to Collingwood.

Although this may have been an easy victory, Tom Sanders outlined Collingwood’s challenge to retain the cup this season.

He said: “We’re delighted with our performance but there’s still a long way to go, we’re going to face some much tougher challenges and we will have to be at our best.”

Joe Williams

MIXED LACROSSE In the first college lacrosse game of the season “college spirit” was demonstrated in full force.

As Castle took on Trevs, crowds flocked to the fields of Maiden Castle in support of their beloved teams.

A group of fifty castlemen provided the atmosphere, from the usual college songs and jeers to the more extreme blaring trumpet.

The crowd’s enthusiam was rewarded as a roused Castle team

found the net an almighty seven times.

An impressive score for any team, but particularly for Castle, who have managed to exceed last season’s goal tally in just one game.

Castle did not have long to celebrate, though, as Trev’s fought back, clinching an equaliser minutes from the game’s close.

It was a ferocious, closely fought game in which both teams demonstrated their hunger to triumph and with plenty of goals and action, the crowd did not go away disappointed.

Rob Burkeley

POOL The Durham University Pool League 2012-13 season commenced last week.

With last year’s Premiership such a keenly fought contest, each team contending for the title knows the importance of gaining early ground on their college rivals.

Mary’s A produced a solid and convincing start and after demolishing Aidan B’s 8-1 could have expected to spend the first week at number one spot.

However, they were quickly outdone by Van Mildert A, who showed no mercy when faced against their own B side; an annihilation at 9-0.

9

Van Mildert A’s top score ranking them number one

Castle too were dominant during their trip to Ustinov, whilst Cuth’s A, Trev’s A, Grey A and Ustinov B had tougher, hard-fought wins.

The upset of the weekend, however, was to be found at Collingwood; the defending champions unexpectedly fell 6-3 to Aidan’s A. As favourties to snatch the title, Collingwood must come back strong and confident in their upcoming match against Grey.

Elsewhere in the League, Ustinov take the top spot in Division 1, whilst Hild Bede D sit comfortably in the lead in Division 2.

Kate Houghton

NETBALL Hild Bede A netball team are looking unstoppable this season as they thrashed Aidan’s A 54-12.

Following a hugely successful season last year, the girls hope to triumph once more and, judging by their most recent performances, this is well within their grasp.

Aidan’s managed to get off to a positive start converting from their centre passes.

However, it was not long before the mighty Bede pounced, gaining possession and pounding Aidan’s helpless defence.

Aidan’s captain Hannah Simms encouraged and supported her team as best she could, but with Hild Bede goal attack Bella Bertolotti on top form this was a lost cause.

42

The goal difference between Hild Bede and Aidan’s

With unbelievable accuracy and very few misses it was unsurprising that Hild Bede took such a strong and unassailable lead.

Despite the score-line, Felicity Allen, the Hild Bede wing attack, found it to be a really good match.

She said: “Hild Bede did dominate, but Aidan’s fought hard.

We’re lucky to have a really strong team this year. We’re hoping to

dominate the league once again as well as continuing our winning streak.”

Although Hild Bede A saw success, a narrow defeat at the hands of Cuths A team meant Hild Bede B were not so lucky.

“We want to dominate the league and continue our winning streak” Felicity Allen

From the outset it was obvious it would be a closely fought contest with both teams giving everything.

Throughout the first, second and third quarter Hild Bede and Cuths kept possesion and converted on their centre passes; when one team scored, the other was quick to retaliate meaning it was left until the final quarter to see which team had the edge.

Although goal attack Claudia Bertolotti, wing attack Freya Rowson, and wing defence Rach Brodie Brown all produced noble performances for Hild Bede, it was not enough. They were unable to respond to Cuths’ last efforts, and the match finished 32-28 to Cuths.

Sport

Tuesday 30th October 2012 | PALATINATE

Water polo team take on rivals Can DUWP maintain their fearsome reputation? p. 17

Judo, lacrosse, darts and more Life on the mat, in the bar and on the pitch... p. 18 & 19

Greater financial backing and BUCS points mean that Durham Saints face the coming season with the credibility they deserve Photograph: Rich Rooth

Delighted Saints granted BUCS status Tom Ryder Rich Root American football has been widely touted as the fastest growing sport in the UK; indeed, there are moves within the USA to make the UK the second home of the sport.

The popularity of the sport within the UK has rocketed. Wembley has hosted the annual NFL Intenational Series in London since 2006, which this year featured a clash between the Patriots and St. Louis Rams.

Additionally, the BritBowl - the UK equivalent of the Super Bowl - enjoyed record attendance at the Don Valley stadium in Sheffield in August 2012.

Enter Durham Saints: formed in 2006, the club has grown every year to its largest size yet in the 2012 season, and thanks to a strong exec

and the solidarity of its members, the club has overcome numerous financial and logistical difficulties to remain up and running.

This hard work has paid off, as in July this year Durham’s American football team was granted BUCS recognition.

Despite competition for BUCS membership from a diverse range of other sports, American Football can now proudly call itself an official

6:2

Saints’ intended win:loss ratio this coming season

University Sport, enabling teams to compete at the highest level as well as contributing points to the BUCS Overall Championship in which Dur-

ham finished second last year.

The Saints are keen to emphasise that the size of players is no issue in the sport: “We had a few freshers wanting to sign up but they were worried they weren’t big enough.

“But some of them were pretty big guys, far bigger than those we have in the squad at the moment! Even so, the sport takes all types - you don’t have to be a particular shape.”

However, Alex Thompson, the club captain, also pointed out that “we did have ‘Chief’ here last season, and he weighed in at 24 stone!”

The Saints’ first home fixture of the season will be on November 18th, when they play host to Northumbria University. A large crowd is anticipated, and the Durham Divas Varsity Cheerleaders will also be at the event, as they are at all home fixtures. If you enjoy the type of high intensity entertainment that only an

American sport can provide, stick the date in your diary.

“We had ‘Chief’ last season...he weighed in at 24 stone!”

Alex ‘Tomo’ Thompson, club captain

After a record of five wins and three losses last year, the Saints are aiming for an even better season of six wins to two losses, allowing them to push for more financial backing and support for the club’s four squads, as well as the chance of ex-

pansion.

Saints players also have an opportunity to represent their country; something which both alumni and current players have been selected for.

Saints player Jamie Haliday is an All-Ireland champion with the Belfast Trojans and Tom LeVick, an alumnus, now plays for both the Birmingham Lions and the GB Lions.

This year, the GB Students team will be travelling to Sweden to compete, and anybody who puts in the hard work could be selected.

As the Saints’ next BUCS fixture is not scheduled until 11th November there is plenty of time for newcomers to get trained and coached in this sport.

If you fancy yourself as the next BritBowl champion then email american.football@durham.ac.uk to sign up.