QMessenger Issue 65

Q

MONDAY 15th OCTOBER 2012 ISSUE 65

QMESSENGER.CO.UK

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF QUEEN MARY STUDENTS’ UNION

The Price of Student Housing:

£10,770,561.54 Rejected: Students Denied Clearing Places

NEWS

COMMENT

FASCIST GROUP ATTACKS STUDENTS

ONE NATION? LABOUR OR TORY?

CULTURE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

SATIRE

SOCIETIES

SPORTS

ABU HAMZA GOES ON HOLIDAY

ECONOMICS SOCIETY FOR ALL

TWO PAGE SPORTS PREVIEW

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Monday 15th October

News

Facism on Campus

Editorial Team: Executive Editor Kashmira Gander Managing Editor Sean Richardson Creative Director - Lloyd Ramos Cartoon Editors - Anna Titov and Charlotte Byrne Photography - Bethia Stone Sub Editors - Jasmine Virhia, Sarah Power, Issy Leach and Bethia Stone News - Joseph Flaig and Bethany Moffett Features - Aamna Mohdin and Preston Abell Comment - Stevie Rankin and Ruth Irwin Culture - Belphoebe New and Rhiannon Evans Satire - Benedict Fulford-Brown, Patrick Ford and Lucretia McCarthy Societies - Becky Adkins Sports - Hannah Clarke and Jeremy Baily Cover image by Sidewalk Flying Flickr CC Special thanks to Tom Sutton, Melissa Snyder, Rory Moore and Mark Gregory Our other media outlets include: QMTV Station Manager: Ozzy Amir www.qmtvchannel.co.uk CUB Magazine Managing Editor: Anna Matheson www.qmessenger.co.uk Quest Radio Station Manager: Chris Smith www.questradio.co.uk

QMessenger is printed at Mortons of Horncastle Ltd, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6JR. Tel: 01507 523 456. Each issue has a print run of 1,000 and costs £445 to print and deliver.

Established in 2008, QMessenger is the free weekly newspaper of Queen Mary Students’ Union. We are proud of our editorial independence and endeavour to always hold the College, Union and external bodies to account and to provide the best news and analysis to the students of Queen Mary, University of London.

QMessenger is created entirely by students and the publication retains all copyright of design, text, photographs and graphics, along with the individual contributor.

Any views expressed in QMessenger are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the paper, the editorial board, Queen Mary Students’ Union or Queen Mary, University of London.

Mantonio Aerlonio

The threat we can fight at our university

S

INCE APPEARING more than a week ago, posters that were placed on campus calling for a ‘white civil rights movement’ have become the centre of a debate across the university.

The posters also claim that the media is Zionist (ie. Jewish nationalist) controlled, and that our government is a Marxist dictatorship. The anti-Marxist views suggests that the name of the group (London Socialist) is a facetious front for a collection of far-right groups too scared to show their real face in With this in the balance, Queen Mary is mindful of where it stands. a diverse environment.

The websites listed on the poster led to links to the British People’s Party (BPP), which actively denies the Holocaust, and condemns multiculturalism as ‘an unnatural fantasy’.

It is an openly neo-Nazi group that calls for fascism, nationalism, white separatism and the expulsion of all Jews and non-white people from the

country. In addition, it is an openly homophobic group that wants to outlaw homosexuality, and believes that the United Kingdom should stop sending aid to Third World countries. Members have been convicted of being in possession of explosive devices and inciting racial hatred.

The BPP website contains a host of links to a large number of affiliated organisations and websites, all of which hold a similar far right agenda.

One site, which goes under several names but is most commonly known as Redwatch, encourages users to contribute photos, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of any known left wing activists. It is often unclear, however, just how involved with Marxist activism many of the featured people really are.

Photos of crowds are published indiscriminately, and no-one escapes having their privacy intruded on. Jamil Keating, a 17 year old NUS

officer, is plastered over one section of the site, with more than 25 of his photos published alongside his Facebook address.

An emergency meeting was held on Tuesday evening in Drapers to discuss the posters and what the university could do about the issue.

In addition to students, lecturers and union members, campus security was also represented, and it was made clear that security guards should be the first people to be alerted if the group is seen again on campus, and they will escort them off university property.

During the meeting, one of the most contentious issues was a ‘no platform’ policy for fascists at the university. This would essentially mean that any member of a fascist group would be forbidden from engaging in a public debate of any kind with any member of the student union, therefore preventing their views from being part of the popular discourse.

Boundary Shift Bethany Moffet

U

NIVERSITY GRADING could change substantially within the next year.

Several pilot schemes have been set up across the UK to score students on performance during the year, as well as displaying the end result. The aim of this being to stop the faults of the current system.

Creators of the scheme argue that the grading would allow for a better perception of a student, giving a greater picture of the skills and experience of a student.

The scheme, which is operating in around 90 Universities in the Country, claims to be able to end the ‘damaging obsession’ of the current assessment system.

Moreover, the Higher Education Achievement Reports (Hear) would create a consistency between Universities. Allowing for a greater and more reliable comparison between students for employers.

The document would reveal all modular results across the degree, plus all extracurricular activities, such as volunteering, sports, societies and employment during University. Hears have

A no platform policy is generally created to ensure that the views held by a group cannot gain any sort of legitimacy, but was criticised by some at the meeting as an attack on free speech.

The policy was raised as part of a motion at the Student Council meeting on Tuesday, alongside a suggestion that the union should affiliate with Unite Against Fascism. After much debate, in which elections, the current situation in Europe and historical events were cited, the policy was voted out, as a result of its undemocratic nature.

Subsequently, when it came to voting for the motion as a whole, it failed to win enough support.

Although the university has yet to make any formal advances in organising an opposition to the fascist groups, the public debate in the last week has meant that more students are becoming aware of the issue, which is surely a good thing.

ULU Review Bethany Moffet

support from the National Union of Students, who helped develop the scheme. David Willetts, Universities Minister, has also welcomed the proposals.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Professor Sir Robert Burgess, has stated that ‘Universities have recognised for some time that a single degree classification cannot do justice to the range of skills, knowledge and experience students gain during their time in higher education.’

In the current job market, where graduates are finding it especially hard to find employment after University, this proposed scheme will certainly increase the individuality and distinction of students.

Often exaggeration is seen in the job market when CVs are concerned, but this method of grading and evaluating students would allow for a blunt honesty of the student’s achievements.

Perhaps this will also make students more aware of their progress in their degree, increasing the pressure to perform at the highest level always.

A

FUNDING review of the University of London Union has moved a step forward in its progress.

The University of London Collegiate Council have agreed on terms of reference and membership for the review.

Proposed in order to consider the role and the future of the Union, acting President of ULU stated that ‘I really feel this is an opportunity for local constituent colleges to shape the future direction of the organisation. And while it may be easy to reflect on the lull in recent work by the Union, I feel it would be better to use the review to put the organisation in the state we want it to be in.’

The University of London Collegiate Council will be contributing to the review, and will be working with Students’ Unions and their role in the process. Moreover, Cooper has announced a ‘Development Day’, where by the senior staff of ULU will meet to discuss their areas of work for the year.

He emphasised that the main focus of the day would be ‘to set in train the strategic development plan for ULU.’

The Union is currently in the process of electing a new President, which will no doubt be a focus of some discussion within these proposed meetings.

Nominations will close 26th October The election, for which nominations will close on the 26th of October, has had its first election Committee meeting in early October. The minutes of the meeting are yet to be released, but acting-President Cooper stated that issues discussed included promotion of the election, general logistics, and a candidate question time, along with many other elements of the process. He made sure to highlight that ‘we are on time with everything and promotion has been going well.’

The next elections committee will be held on the 29th of October.

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Monday 15th October 2012

EDL Trouble Joe Flaig

T

HE ENGLISH Defence League (EDL) are set for a return to the streets of East London, with another demonstration being planned for the culturally diverse district of Walthamstow, on 27th October.

The demonstration is the second time that the racist ‘organisation’ of football hooligans and right-wing extremists has marched in Walthamstow this year.

In September, around 200-300 EDL members converged on the East London borough, but were hugely outnumbered by the local residents and members of Unite Against Facism (UAF) who gathered in opposition.

The EDL march was widely viewed as a humiliation for the group, with the low turn-out and disruption leading to infighting between Tommy Robinson, the EDL leader, and other key members of the group.

The September march was in

itself a sequel to a march from the year before, when the EDL descended on Tower Hamlets only to be chased out of town and ferried away on police escorted buses. The upcoming march will be a key indicator of wether the EDL will survive for much longer.

Recent demonstrations have seen consistently small turnouts, and many regional factions claim to have split up.

Their return to Walthamstow seems to be an ‘all or nothing’ approach, that may well result in many more defections. Even Nick Griffin of the British National Part (BNP), hardly a stalwart of reason and logic, has released a video urging Robinson and the EDL not to return to East London.

The air of uncertainty surrounding the EDL means that it is never completely certain that the march will go ahead, but whatever happens, the next few weeks will be of key importance to their fate.

News

Student Council Motions Passed

Joe Flaig

T

HE STUDENT Council has met for the first time this year to debate and vote upon a variety of motions concerning student life and more general aspects of the university.

The meeting, which happened last Tuesday evening, began with reports from the Student Union’s Executive Officers: President Babs Williams, Vice President Barts and the London Andy Smith (VP), VP Education Jade Lee and VP Welfare Ellen Kiely.

The gathered students heard of the officers’ actions, including a plan for more transparent union finances, an introduction of joint honours Course Reps, and the arrangement of ‘Mental Health Week’, an event to raise awareness of the issues faced by students with mental health problems.

The students in attendance were also told that ‘Careers Fortnight’ will be moved to October instead of February.

This move should ensure that the event will be early enough in the year to have some positive effect, rather than being left too late in the year for third year students almost at the end of their education. 17 motions were then introduced to the floor to be voted on.

The most contested point was regarding the recent racist posters that were posted around campus (see Facism on Campus).

After a spirited call from Ellen Tansey for the university to affiliate with Unite Against Fascism (UAF), to organise future counter demonstrations against fascist groups and to adopt a ‘no platform’ policy for fascist groups, the issue was hotly contested, and the motion was ultimately dropped.

Motions calling for the creation of an ‘Environment Officer’ and unconditional support for striking lecturers affected by the recent restructuring of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences were also voted down.

Review how departments are spending their book budgets in order to make books more accessible for the students who need them, and to bring down costs Ban payday loan companies from campus and union affiliated events.

Attempt to improve communication with students going through the appeals process, and campaign for more resources to deal with the process.

Campaign to get every student at Queen Mary appropriate feedback on their exams.

Campaign for the college to receive Guarantor status for international students.

Lobby the College to ban all water coolers by the end of the academic year, and to install more water fountains.

T

HE QUEEN Mary Theatre Company and the AfroCaribbean society have announced that they will be collaborating on a production for Black History Month. The play chosen is ‘A Raisin in the Sun’, written by Lorraine Hansberry and will be directed by students Enyi Okoronkwo and Margaret Atugonza. The

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Monday 15th October

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Monday 15th October 2012

News

Images by Ewan M Flickr CC

University Fails to Fill Quota

Many students were left without places after the University did not budge on its AAB standard

Bethany Moffett

Q

UEEN MARY has missed out on filling a worringly high number of student places at the beginning of the academic year, QMessenger has discovered via information leaked by a head of department.

The University, which aimed to fill its empty places in the Clearing, a process used by the the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), failed to meet the 3006 place quota in many subjects.

Overall the university faced a loss of nearly 300 students for the 2012/2013 academic year.

Prospective students were let down due to the College’s refusal to abandon their AAB grade boundary.

There is concern that the university’s refusal to accept students through the Clearing process was due to pressure the institution feels after being awarded Russell Group status in March last year.

With this in the balance, Queen Mary is mindful of where it stands.

A head of department at the University has called the situation ‘disgraceful’.

Subjects that were among the most effected include Comparative Literature, which filled only 14 out of 45 places through Clearing, just 31% of it’s target.

Moreover, French lost out on 25 places, while Hispanic Studies filled just 22 of 38 places.

A loss of nearly 300 students Adding to this problem is the Coalition Government’s decision to raise tuition fees to £9,000 this year, meaning that over £8 million was lost in the College’s failure to fill courses, when a three year degree is considered at the new fee price.

When considering the higher costs for international students and the possibility that many students may take longer, four year degrees, including subjects such as French and some science based courses, the estimated total would be even higher.

In addition, the university has

also lost money when on-campus spending is considered. The student bar, coffee shops, restaurants and the book shop will all miss out on money due to the depleted number of students on campus this year.

The information comes as suggestions have been made about the falling of standards of UK universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Phil Baty, editor of the Times Higher Education rankings, said that: ‘England’s world-class universities face a collapse into global mediocrity, while investment in top research universities in Asia is starting to pay off’.

Out of touch with finances Moreover, this year with the

fee rise, 52,000 fewer people applied to go to university via UCAS. A study by the University of Oxford found that prospective university students were also less willing to go through the clearing process because of the fee rise, and the danger of a higher level of debt.

This may also account for the lack of places filled by Queen Mary University in August.

Dr Carasso, from the Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance in Oxford University’s Educational Department stated that ‘fewer (students) are willing to accept an offer of a course or institution that was not on their original shortlist.

This news raises concerns that the university is out of touch with its finances at a time when prices are rising across campus, from the 11% hike in rent for on campus accommodation to what students are being charged in coffee shops including Ground.

However, the question between dropping grade boundaries, verses losing funding is a hard pill to swallow.

The Facts 2776/3006 places were filled CompLit only hit 31% of its target 52,000 fewer applicants to university this year

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Monday 15th October 2012

Comment

Cadbury’s: Only if you have Ovaries The latest manufacturer to take the biscuit on gendered marketing

Stevie Elizabeth Rankin

S

INCE WHEN was the female body incapable of digesting the same food as the male equiva-

Images by KiriKiri Flickr CC

lent?

Since fire was discovered and food was cooked, both the female and male body has gradually reduced the size and need of its second stomach (known to us these days as the superfluous appendix). I cannot fathom why there would be confectionary being produced and released with only men or women in mind, when their bodies process these foods in exactly the same way.

Gender bears no correlation to the pressure the human body is capable of producing with its jaw, so why is it that a chunky chocolate bar named ‘Yorkie’ is “not for girls”? An advertisement in 2002 was one of the first to promote Yorkie’s (and Nestle’s) tactless sexism. It portrays women having to sport fake beards, lower their voices, and be ‘tested’ by shopkeepers before getting their hands on a Yorkie (then only, of course, to be denied the Yorkie once more after receiving a compliment—and falling for it!) Whilst men take aggressive, large chunks out of their food, women seductively nibble. The industry gives off a real stink of “Me Tarzan; you Jane.” (Dawn French and her notorious Terry’s Chocolate Orange ads

being the only exception that comes to mind).

Nestle, however, are not alone in their repugnant perception of women and their dietary habits. McCoy’s crisps, produced by United Biscuits in the UK, offer “man crisps in man flavours” to their consumers.

Take a short foray over to their website to partake in such extracurricular activities as their enthralling “Man Quiz”, all whilst being addressed by a disembodied voice reminiscent of Wickes’ recent television commercials. I scored 57% after wading through questions that implied ‘manly’ cooking is “something your mum and other females do for you.”

Upon completing the ‘quiz’, I was advised to “check gender on passport.” I worry as much for women as for men who are taking this quiz; as much as I detest being reduced to feminine archetypes, there are men out there who are being led to believe that they can’t buy Yorkies without growing beards, or eat crisps without a shrine to Jeremy Clarkson’s ultimate arseholery.

On top of these delightful products, Cadbury’s have just released their first new chocolate bar since 1996: the Crispello bar, for women.

‘Crispello’, because women clearly can’t handle ‘crisp-y’. The bar will

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be smaller than most of Cadbury’s products, and aims to appeal most to women because it sports less calories than its candy cousins. At 165 calories per bar, however, it’s only 5 calories more than a bag of ‘manly’ Salted McCoy’s. It’s insulting to suggest that the decline in confectionary sales is down to health-conscious women.

Every woman is a grazer Not only because men have become increasingly aware of and interested in their own health and fitness, but because it could just as easily be explained by the rise in prices of said products. To attempt to counteract this drop with a new product, ‘lowcalorie’ and (supposedly) exclusively for women, is to further endorse and give power to the beauty standard which is in desperate need of disempowerment. And the ‘Cadbury mentality’, as I am newly inclined to call it, is not so veiled. The Crispello’s packaging is resealable, so that each of its three pieces can be eaten individually. Of course, because every self-defining woman is a grazer. I’m

not sure I even know a woman who wouldn’t devour the chocolate she has just bought for herself (because she is an independent, working woman who can spend her money how she pleases) in one sitting. It would be a crime against appetite not to satisfy it completely. A woman knows how to give her stomach what it wants, and she does it with “real” chocolate, not with a low-calorie, wafer-y slap in the face.

In the 18th century, pink was a ‘man’s colour’—much in demand in particular by young professionals— as well as being a popular colour for some ladies’ frocks. In the 1800s, both female and male toddlers wore long, white dresses. Why then, is present-day society so obsessed with segregating the sexes, not only through our personal attire, but also through sustenance: the very fuel that keeps us alive? And there are countless companies who operate outside of the food industry that are just as guilty of polluting society’s perception of gender relations, if not more so. “For him” and “for her” gifts and products have existed for as long as I can remember, and have remained fairly consistent in their level of vulgarity.

Indeed, there are some things that are more understandably defined as

goods for women, but even then, why must sanitary products be advertised in the way that they are? Everything has to be soft, flowery; everything must smell fresh. Why is the female body so insulting that it must be constantly masked by other smells, kept tidy, and yet be all at once revealed for your viewing pleasure?

And then there are products not for the consumption of the individual, but for the home. Ah, yes. I delight in watching the adverts for laundry detergent, for cleaning products, and all things gastronomic. To see a fellow woman clean a house just about makes my day.

Everything must be kept tidy, everything must be clean; it is the woman’s job to ensure that everything is in order--advertising told me so. You would recoil in horror to observe me or any other female on the Underground, consuming her lunch anything but fastidiously and with her bare hands. But according to numberless corporations, after an arduous six-day working week, we have houses to clean and dinner to cook, so thank goodness Cadbury’s thoughtfully released the Crispello bar so that we can keep our energy levels up whilst maintaining our figures for our unkempt, bearded, and ravenous warriors.

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Monday 15th October 2012

Behind ‘One Nation’

Comment

The Dangerous Game

Noah Sin

Images by Ed Milliband

O

NE YEAR ago, Ed Miliband presented his second conference speech as party leader. Frankly it was a display of presentation idiocy, and not much attention was paid. This year in Manchester, the same criticism cannot be leveled at him. No notes, no platform or podium to hide behind and no more geeky gestures and shaky footsteps. Ed Miliband left the stage as a confident leader and left his audience with one big idea – One Nation.

Described as “a stroke of genius” that revealed “an unashamed egalitarian to the core of his being” by Polly Toynbee of the Guardian and praised by other political commentators, Ed Miliband’s speech was well received by the public and endorsed by the Progressive left with excitement. But what really lies behind his grand slogan?

No more New Labour?

He broke away from New Labour. “I will never accept an economy where the gap between rich and poor just grows wider and wider,” said Miliband, “in One Nation, in my faith, inequality matters. It matters to our country.” No longer intensely relaxed about the “filthy rich”, and in contrast with the New Labour promise, One Nation Labour will act to close the income gap even if it means rising taxes.

Miliband passionately defended comprehensive education, of which he was a product. He firmly believes that “we need an education system that works for all young people” and declared an end to ‘elitist’ education; meaning apprenticeships for 50% of the youth “forgotten” by New Labour.

When it came to the National Health Service, Miliband unequivocally promised to “repeal the NHS bill” by the coalition. He landed some heavy criticisms on the ‘marketization’ of the NHS, arguably supported

by New Labour, and vowed to terminate the “free market” phenomenon of the NHS. The simplistic view is that Ed Miliband has moved the party to the left. Big mistake.

He ensured Labour stays approximately in the ‘centre ground’ territory. First, Miliband fought off the attempts to dominate his leadership by trade unionists such as Len McCluskey and stood firm to his stance on pension reform whilst resisting the temptation to support irresponsible strikes.

He rejected the calls to scrap tuition fees or even lower it to £3000. He never ruled out competition within the NHS either. His Shadow Chancellor told us Labour would be “ruthless” and “examine every penny” of the budget if elected, a reflection of Gordon Brown’s early ‘prudence’ policy. People forget, after all, Ed Miliband too was part of the New Labour project and a minister under both Blair and Brown.

However enlightening or inspiring the rest of his speech may sound, the electorate only want to find out his view on one thing

– the economy.

It may surprise you to hear that the worst policy of all is to break up the banks into retail and investment divisions. For the selfish bankers, Ed has a tough message for them. “Either you fix it yourselves between now and the election or… we will break you up by law.” Alistair Darling spoke out against this proposal when he was still chancellor, explaining that smaller banks are not necessarily safer, and there is no evidence why it would be safer now.

Instead of following the Vickers Report and the government blindly, Miliband should provide a brand new alternative. The plan to build 100,000 homes is not a bad idea, but will it bring the economic growth the country needs so badly and immediately?

On the other hand, while the 50p tax rate is crucial for the economy, it is nevertheless a temporary measure; Miliband’s promise to maintain the rate will haunt him perpetually in government. Miliband is slowly but steadily walking into the danger zone of being wedded to a series of short sighted policies.

A fundamental issue with Ed Moreover, his unequivocal defense of the comprehensive system could backfire on him, as comprehensive schools are outperformed by academies, introduced by New Labour, and traditional grammar schools, supported by Tories.

There is one more problem – the slogan.

Why would an ordinary family struggling to

make ends meet be looking up Disraeli and rejoicing to the grand call of ‘returning’ to One Nation? This exposes a fundamental issue with Ed Miliband – he is an intellectual who cannot get out of the political bubble, stuck in the world of complicated propositions such as ‘pre-distribution’.

Plus, One Nation is a conservative idea. I can certainly see David Cameron standing up at the Conservative conference next week to “welcome” the “endorsement”

by Miliband, and “reclaim” One Nation conservatism as his own. “One Nation” is a dangerous game to play.

We must be frank with ourselves Openly embraced by those who call themselves One Nation conservatives like Harold MacMillan and David Cameron, and

by Tony Blair and New Labour in a more subtle way, One Nation is nothing new. In spite of patriotism’s role in New Labour’s electoral success, it was matched with a strong element of globalization and the idea of Britons as confident global citizens.

My greatest fear is if Ed Miliband departs from this key element of New Labour, and is drawn into the Blue Labour narrative of socialism, he could constitute towards an agenda that disadvantages Britain economically and closes Britain up culturally.

No doubt, Labour members of all rank and files have shown dignity and loyalty at the conference, united behind their leader.

But we must be frank with ourselves:

we’re not there yet! Still importantly, Ed Miliband is not yet ready for the top job.

Dan Hodges, perhaps the most right wing (therefore also the most hated) Labour member and commentator, pin points the problem for us. “History may come to record this as the week that saw Ed Miliband and his troops moving closer to power. But they are not any closer to being prepared for it.” In other words, this might be one big step for Miliband and his fans inside the conference hall, it is only one small step for the British public glaring from the outside.

Of course, Labour members reading this article might question my loyalty, criticize my defense for the “New Labour orthodoxy”, or even denounce me as “neoliberal”.

This is not how we should approach our problems. If Ed Miliband wants to be a truly pragmatic leader, a compromising yet uniting figure, and a successful Prime Minister, he must be willing to accept the need for a vibrant banking system at the same time he taxes the rich, he must support competition in public sector whilst protecting government services, and he must ensure globalization remains the policy even if he is dancing to the rhythm of patriotism.

By displaying strength, compassion and a general direction, Ed Miliband has won hearts in his party and votes in the public this week. But for now, One Nation Labour is just an empty rhetoric and a policy vacuum. There’s nothing wrong with that though. Remember Green Conservatism? You know, David Cameron hugging a Husky in the North Pole? No you don’t. Well, he became Prime Minister. Ed Miliband can do the same, and One Nation will be his husky, forever left behind in his North Pole – Labour Conference, Manchester, 2012.

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Monday 15th October 2012

Comment

The Great Debate:

Should the age of consent be changed?

Are under 16’s able to make their own minds up about sex?

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T

YES Becky Hipkiss

NO

ertheless true that children are not always as innocent as we should like to think them. The continent generally has a much more relaxed attitude to other ‘adult’ pursuits from which we hysterically shield our offspring, like a good glug of Beaujolais with dinner. What we are so keen to preserve is the idea that children are fragile and may fall to pieces as soon as they get a whiff of whisky or glimpse someone’s genitals.

Now, this may be different for girls. Being the predominant object of men’s attractions (it is, after all, the men that walk around with an expansionist army in their trousers) we need to ensure that girls are not exploited by these invasive weapon-wielders. I have no doubt that a little quiet frottage between man and boy will not bring down western civilisation. I am sure that at age twelve I was able to give consent to sexual activity with a man; I first seduced someone at eleven.

A girl, however, is a fragile thing.

And predominantly because she is more cosseted than even our frangible boys. This article is almost certainly going to shock more women than men because male infancy is a more sexually-charged and exploratory affair than girlhood.

Where does that leave me, then?

Can I really cop out and argue for the age of consent to be lowered for my gender while leaving someone with a vagina to decide what is best for the young minds of her sex?

Yes, actually. I think that’s exactly what I’ll do.

Robert Hainault

N

O SERIOUS person is going to make the argument that a young person is able to consent at exactly the point they turn sixteen. It is a question of emotional and sexual maturity.

Some will be ready to leap into bed with whichever Humbert Humbert toddles along at the age of twelve without requiring legal reparations.

Others at eighteen may find themselves a post-coital wreck of shame and self-loathing.

The law cannot prevent psychological fallout from having sex.

However, age of consent laws seek to minimise it by ensuring that those who are too young to be able to choose prudently do not get a choice at all. Of course, two twelveyear-olds fooling around behind the bike-sheds is unlikely to wind either of them up in jail. The real concern is that adults do not exploit the naiveté of those younger than themselves in order to gain sexual gratification at their expense.

However, a complex moral question requires complex legislation.

Consider: Austria has an age of consent of fourteen; in Germany it is fourteen; in Italy and Portugal it is fourteen; in Spain it is thirteen! Are these countries riddled with abuse?

Not particularly. There is legislation in place to prevent people in positions of influence over the child exploiting any lack of sexual agency.

But of course, in Britain we cosset our children with matronly glee much longer than we need to. We are repulsed by the idea of a spectrum of child self-determination. It may be uncomfortable, but it is nev-

EENAGER ARE going to have sex whether the government likes it or not. Teenage pregnancy is going to occur whether you like it or not.

It’s a number. I think it’s the right number, but it’s just a number. At 16, you are emotionally mature enough to deal with the psychological aspect of sex, even if your body has been ready for the physical side for what seems like years. That’s what you call hormones my dear. I myself had sex before I was 16; perhaps you could call me hypocritical for arguing this side of the dispute but I speak from experience. I don’t regret who, what or where, I just regret the when. I would even go as far as to say I have only begun to completely enjoy and understand the experience of sex fully in the past year or so. Not because I don’t love my boyfriend of nearly 4 years but because I feel comfortable with it - with my body, his body and the meaning behind it.

Let’s say the government decides to go along with lowering the consent age to 14. Are you being serious, really? At 14, most of us are still struggling through high school dramas via the bitchiness of Facebook and throwing full on wobblers at home when things don’t go our way. You’re telling me you are psychologically ready to have full on sex at this point of your life?

Are you aware of the dangers of STI’s and teenage pregnancy and the importance of the word ‘no’?

Probably not judging by the state of sex education in schools nowadays, as teachers daren’t promote

by Charlotte Byrne

a criminal offence. You’re just adding unnecessary peer pressure to an already suffocated teenage society. Girl hits 14 and she’s considered ‘frigid’ if she doesn’t have sex with her boyfriend. Boy hits 14 and he looks like a ‘pussy’ if he doesn’t go and have sex with the nearest breathing female. Welcome to high school. Look at the long term consequences of lowering it and you hit an easy get out clause for rapists and paedophiles, not to mention the costs involved due to a higher rate of teen pregnancies and STI’s.

However, I’m not saying this number ‘16’ is set in stone, some teenagers do choose to wait. Quite a few of my 18 year old friends are still virgins and that’s their personal choice. Changing the age of consent to even older isn’t, in my opinion, a plausible argument; it would just criminalise even more young people for doing something that is impossible to police. Personally I think it would inadvertently encourage younger people to have sex, given the temptation and the idea it’s illegal - like drinking. Find me someone who, apart from religious reasons, hasn’t at least tried alcohol before their 18th birthday. Secondly, it would make it even harder to get contraception for those younger and wishing to practise safe sex. Not exactly what you want when faced with the fact the UK has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Europe.

The stark truth is this: teenagers will continue to have sex when they want to, regardless of the law. So why change it?

9

Monday 15th October 2012

Comment

The Innocence of Muslims Heena Battiwala

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HE INSULTING amateur film ‘Innocence of Muslims’ has caused much controversy around the world in recent weeks.

It is perhaps unsurprising that, as a British Muslim, I have chosen to write about it. Firstly, let us clarify one thing: it is undeniable that this film which mocks and ridicules the religion of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad in a shameless and highly provocative way is unnecessary, insensitive and wholly insulting. It takes unfair advantage of the principle of ‘freedom of speech’ which has allowed it to be ‘released’ on to YouTube in the first place and the creators blatantly sought to provoke anger amongst Muslims. However, for me, this frankly laughable film is not as upsetting as the realisation that numerous violent protestors across the Muslim world have played straight in to the hands of these untalented and

frankly unintelligent filmmakers.

The badly made 1 hour long movie which makes a spoof of the life of the Prophets Muhammad went almost completely unnoticed on its initial release on the 1st of July. It was only in early September that the film was discovered by various Arab television stations and was subsequently brought to public attention. It has since been seen by hundreds of thousands of people and provoked much discussion and violence. Considering it starred amateur actors, a plot which showcased an outright misunderstanding of the religion and dubbing that would make even a toddler cringe, the best treatment towards such a sham of a film would have been to ignore it and thus to avoid giving it a platform to force its backward view of Muslims on the rest of the world.

It could be argued that this film is too pathetic to be taken as a serious

threat or even criticism of Islam and yet many Muslims around the world have done precisely that.

Having said that, just as YouTube has refused to take down this ‘creation’ of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (the ‘director’ of the film) in the name of freedom of speech, Muslims and general believers of a multi-racial and respectful society, have the right to peaceful protest.

We live in a society which yearns to discuss and criticise and question and therefore protest is essential for the maintenance of our rights as citizens and as a means to express disapproval. Muslims have a right to be offended and a right to campaign and lobby against something which makes a mockery out of their beliefs. One would be mistaken to think that the violent reaction is simply an over-exaggerated response to this hour long film. The offence felt by Muslims

The film made about Islam has sparked disgust amongst Muslim groups

all over the world also lies in the anger and injustice they feel due to the foreign policies of America and the West concerning the Muslim world, for example Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For many Muslims both in the Arab and Western world, America is seen as being hostile and aggressive towards Muslims and this can be seen in the fact that America has been the target of these protests despite both Obama and Hilary Clinton paying for TV adverts in Pakistan explaining that they were not involved in the film nor did they condone it.

Yet this film has fuelled violence in already politically unstable and troubled Muslim countries (partly due Western interference but that’s another story) such as Egypt, Pakistan and Libya. These protests have resulted in the deaths of innocent people; Muslims and non-

Muslims alike have suffered including the American ambassador and his colleagues who were killed in Libya. The long term effect of this violent reaction is even more damaging and in my view renders these protests essentially counterproductive.

Due to the immense reaction to this pathetic film, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula and his conspirators have achieved exactly what they most probably desired- further violence and upheaval amongst Muslims and a strengthening of the stereotypes about them in the media and amongst ordinary people.

This makes it even more difficult for Muslims to reasonably express their disapproval and discontentment with this film and to work productively towards reversing the gross misunderstandings which exist amongst many critics of Islam and its followers.

Image Credit Sailing “Footprints: Real to Reel” (Ronn ashore)

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10

Monday 15th October 2012

Culture

A Chorus of Dissapointment

Tom Roberts

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ESPITE AN initial scepticism that accompanies all star-studded West End productions, Trevor Nunn’s reprisal of Alan Ayckbourn’s A Chorus of Disapproval disappoints for other reasons than celeb casting for marketing’s sake. In fact, Rob Brydon’s performance is one of the few saving graces of an otherwise twodimensional reprisal.

Set in the provincial town of Pendon in the 1980s, the play follows the Light Operatic Society’s (P.A.L.O.S) calamity prone rehearsals of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera and the small-town social politics, backstabbing and lecherous going-ons between the cast and crew. The middle class of the Thatcherite era take a beating, stereotyped to the extreme and then moulded into distinct characters: the depressed and love-starved housewife; the old, borderline alco-

holic with aristocratic airs and her eccentric husband with his fiercely Victorian work-ethic; and the sexually liberal yuppy couple who hold swingers parties and partake in shady business deals.

Brydon fans will not be displeased. He steals the show as P.A.L.O.S director Dafydd, succeeding in balancing a good mix of desperation, sober reflection, and a cheery ‘onward-and-upwards’ mentality that are engaging throughout.

However, his excellence is somewhat of a double-edged blade in so much as it often highlights the lack of depth in the other cast members.

Nigel Harman’s performance as the introvert lothario Guy Jones is difficult to pass judgement on due to Ayckbourn wanting the character to be acted as a blank canvas, a ‘giant slate that everyone scribbles

on’. If Harman had this in mind whilst preparing the role then faulting his lack of depth would be better directed at the playwright.

He does convey Guy’s susceptibility to influence – the root of all evil in the play – perfectly by drawing out his hesitation to accept a monetary ‘pay-off’, but this is overshadowed by the unconvincing shifts between painfully shy, overenthusiastic, and sensitive lover that obscure a solidly constructed character. It detracts from all episodes that demand a reaction; the comic is far less comical, the tragic far less tragic.

Perhaps an opposite view would be taken if everyone else’s scribbles were convincing. Understandably, playing a credible stereotype is somewhat of a paradox and the cast perform harmoniously when they all take to the stage and bounce off each other’s sharply op-

posing dispositions – the standoff between spoilt princess Linda and feisty barmaid Bridget being a perfect example – but seem lost for direction when left to their own devices. Although this positively adds to the brilliantly cringeworthy silences that arise from an awkward remark or, memorably, a conversation confusing sexual and gastronomic preference, something doesn’t click and you become very aware of the whole plays orchestration.

The most disappointing factor is the real lack of ingenuity on Nunn’s part in the way he handles the plays most interesting and original concepts.

He glosses over the interweaving plotlines of the two plays and explores the play-within-a-play model in a very predictable and stale way, having Dafydd direct from the floor and shout demands

at the light technician from the boxes.

On the other hand, what saves the production from drowning in the excess of a vast West End budget is Nunn’s appreciation of an effective, simple set. After all, a play that revolves around rehearsals on a community hall stage could only suffer by having large amounts of money invested in elaborate stage props.

A sense of dissatisfaction attends the final bow. All in all, the performance lacks authenticity; it is lost amidst the confusion created by an ensemble of garish social stereotypes, roles too easy to fall into at the expense of real character depth. All in all, even with a large number of £10 student tickets for each performance, the money is better spent elsewhere.

Showing until January 5tth.Tickets £10 - £53.50

Campus in Focus: Mental Health Awareness

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Images by Aaron Parr

HROUGHOUT THE coming year Vice President Welfare Ellen Kiely will be running a series of events promoting her mental health awareness campaign.

This week QMessenger caught up with her and International Welfare Officer Katarina Nordanger on a stall in library square. Students were asked to write on an apple shaped piece of card their mental health ‘5-a-day’ and place it on a mental health awareness tree.

Katarina said: “It was nice seeing that students responded, and that they were very receptive and open towards the event and what we were trying to raise awareness of which was mental health.

It is something that affects us all, and it is important to make sure that students know they are not alone and that they know where they can find people to talk to, and where they can find support if they need it” Some students’ suggestions were more outrageous than others. We picked our favourites and guessed which BNOCs (Big Name on Campus) they might secretly be written by.

cultureqmessenger@gmail.com

Could this be Women’s Officer Amberine Khan liberating the female side of campus?

VP Welfare Ellen Kiely looking to move up in the job stakes?

Perhaps Sports Officer Rory Moore is looking to pack on more muscle before Rugby Season hits home?

A little self centered Katarina? Or perhaps boyfriend Humanities Rep James Grant is to blame?

11

Monday 15th October 2012

Culture

Review: The Casual Vacancy

Leigh Whitlie

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MIXTURE of excitement and trepidation hit me as I finally sat down to read J.K. Rowling’s anticipated new novel The Casual Vacancy.

The author who dominated my childhood with her magical world of Harry Potter was surely set to stir the same feelings of escapism with the book, described as ‘a big novel about a small town...’, reminding me of the community of Hogwarts.

Yet I can honestly say that all I was left with was a feeling of stone cold disappointment.

Harry Potter was always going to be hard to live up to; I knew there would be no elements of the magic, fantasy and action that made the bespectacled boy a household name all over the world. Despite the writing style being so characteristically ‘JK’, The Casual Vacancy still lacks the magic of her previous serial and the majority of it can be summed up in one word- boring.

In attempting to aim for an adult audience, Rowling inserts every possible cliché that

is attributed to the darker side of humanity- rape, drug abuse, teenage suicide, child death, self-harming and adultery to name but a few.

Bleakest and depressing ending to a novel

The novel depicts the different classes of people in the fictional town of Pagford.

When a seat on the Parish Council unexpectedly becomes available after its inhabitant dies, there is a sudden explosion of stock characters reminiscent of a soap. The consequences of fighting for political power are shown through the bleakest and depressing ending of a novel I have ever had to encounter.

Nevertheless Rowling, like in Harry Potter, has made an excellent job of writing the teen-

age characters who I felt I could connect with. Perhaps it’s the near similarity in age but they are given some depth which prevents the entire novel turning into one huge farce.

Also, the random descriptions of sexual encounters threaded through out appear to have been enforced in order to move as far away from Harry Potter as possible. And she has succeeded.

Unfortunately though, the shock value has left her with one disenchanted reader.

Is the Creative Capital Under Attack?

I

S THE Creative Capital under attack? London has established a reputation as one of the most creative and artistic cities in the world, drawing upon its multitude of successful galleries, its literary history and its design innovation.

However the future of London could be in danger.

Sir Nicolas Serota, the director of the TATE gallery criticised the government’s plans to replace the GCSEs earlier this month. The new scheme will not include Art on the list of core subjects. This will be accompanied by many other supposedly ‘soft’ subjects such as P.E, drama, music and religious studies.

Sir Nicolas Sorota commented that this would lead to a lack of funding in the arts and would “deprive a generation of the cultural skills they will need”. There are fears that this will only further isolate pupils who are not as able to achieve academically. Some suggest that the lack of an artistic outlet will make pupils from more troubled or disadvantaged backgrounds more vulnerable to crime or substance abuse.

This slashing of the arts in schools is accompanied by another threat to the arts in London. Cork Street, a hub of independent art galleries and salerooms a stones through from the Royal academy of the arts, has been threatened with a multimillion-pound property development.

This plan comes only months after seven galleries on the opposite side of the street were evicted to develop a large luxury apartment

complex. The developers have said that the galleries will still be accommodated but behind a new façade. They stated that “we are keen to preserve and build upon cork streets reputation as an art gallery location by providing higher quality space”.

However there are fears in the art world that the smaller galleries will not be able to afford the larger more expensive gallery spaces.

Many gallery owners fear the disappearance of the arts from Mayfair as one was quoted as saying “Cork Street has been killed off by the greed of the landlords.”

Hoxton square is also to suffer a blow as the white-cube gallery is set to close. The famous gallery that has hosted exhibitions by; Damien Hirst, Gilbert and George, and Tracey Emin is scheduled to close in the approach to Christmas. Despite being one of the most successful galleries in the area the owner has chosen to focus his efforts on the Mason’s Yard and, the newlyopened Bermondsey Street space.

London appears to be seeing a retreat in its artistic sector. This could be seen as a result of the economic problems facing the city, and a change in priorities for investors and the government.

However the arts are crucial for social development and the cities culture. In discussing the arts in both education and British society Sir Nicolas Serota stated that the debate was ever more important as “it is about the kind of society that we want to have in 20 years’ time”.

Images by masochistmtango Flickr CC

Rachel Irons

cultureqmessenger@gmail.com

12

Monday 15th October 2012

Satire

Tit pics 2 go?

Lucretia McCarthy

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CAMPAIGN IS taking over the country to ban the daily page 3 section in The Sun newspaper.

If the ban goes through the popular paper will no longer be able to feature naked women as a full page spread, forcing the number of ‘tit pics’ to the other 72 peripheral pages of the paper. But in the great debate, how many have actually considered the implications of depriving perverts and nonce’s everywhere of wanking material. Some have claimed that page 3 is only the tip of the iceberg and that this is the token for naked pictures of women saturating the press. Unfortunately due to the sensitivity of the issue, where many men are likely to go off the rails and start madly attacking and humping everything, this side of the story has largely gone under the radar.

Campaigners against the ban include cheeky lover Lembit Opik and the husband of ex-MP Jacqui Smith alongside the expected rabble of fourteen year old boys and dirty old men. It is thought that if the ban goes through, these people will be driven underground towards the secret phenomenon called ‘porn’. It

is not yet clear how popular it could become if naked women are limited to the public in this way. To see the catastrophic effects such a ban could have on the nation, we exclusively spoke to a spokeswoman for the glamour models supplied to The Sun who was keen to show that there is no need for a campaign at all.

She claimed “well it’s called glamour modelling innit, what could be more glamorous than 50 year old men wanking over you? Who doesn’t wanna be leered at? To look this amazin’ I don’t really eat food, I just eat compliments so this is my dream job. Anyway, the weirdos that want it banned are just ugly hairy women who can’t get money for takin’ their clothes off”.“I know they say we’re bein’ objectified but who wouldn’t wanna be an object when shoes and sparkly jewellery are objects and well nicer than people.”

By contrast, the seemingly unfettered More magazine for women featuring wall to wall naked men will continue unchallenged due to the un-barbarous nature of the female race.

Beno Fulford-Brown

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ONGRATULATIONS TO this week’s competition winner Abu Hamza, aged 54, from Finsbury Park, who has won an all-expenses paid trip to the USA. Abu will spend his first few nights in the Big Apple at the 5* Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he will be treated to the exquisite and tranquil Solitary Suite.

Mr Hamza can expect to spend up to 23 hours a day alone in his suite whilst spending up to one hour a day exercising on the state of the art luxury roof top gym! What’s more, if found guilty in his forthcoming trial, Mr Hamza will have the opportunity to be upgraded to a Supermax suite!

To win this competition all Mr Hamza had to do was to complete the simple task of being a full time professional terror for the past twenty years, preaching an abhorrent cocktail of bile, bullshit and religious fundamentalism (isn’t this tautology? Ed.). Abu claims his hero is

Osama Bin Laden. Said hooked Hamza: “ I’d like to thank Binny for everything, being such a disgusting individual is a difficult thing to achieve and he has always been there for me and pointing me in the right direction”.

This holiday has come at the right time for Abu who has been suffering from depression recently. Possibly the guilty conscience of a man who has spent his adult life whipping plotting terrorist atrocities and whipping up young men into a fervor of religious hatred.

Our competition winner can look forward to a whole host of activities during his stay in the Land of the Free, with Guantanamo Bay offering water-boarding, stress position yoga, Jihady Bingo and so much more!

On behalf of everyone here at QMSatire, we hope Abu has a truly fantastic stay and lives out his days hook whilst being held in stress position number 3.

satireqmessenger@gmail.com

One Nation? Shoots Patrick Ford

Abel Muzorewa

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OLLOWING THE success of Ed Miliband’s Labour conference speech, littered with his new catch phrase “One Nation”, the leader has proposed to set out on a nationwide “One Nation Bus Tour”. The tour will be modelled on that of Sarah Palin, who led a triumphant tour by the same name in 2011. The governor of Alaska and close affiliate of the Tea Party has become a role model for the British party particularly due to her imaginative and stirring expression when addressing her fans.

It is her successful rhetoric and idolatry that comes from her widely agreed good looks that Miliband feels he wants to emulate.

Other notable speakers have used the ‘One Nation’ slogan to great effect, including Benjamin Disraeli, Margaret Thatcher and even paraphrased in ‘big socie-

ty’ conferences by Conservative leader David Cameron. Despite desperately wishing to be compared to the Conservatives, confused socialist Miliband feels that being seen to use Palin’s words will really improve his profile as she is undisputedly respected as a political tour de force.

When questioned on what inspired his “One Nation” speech, Miliband wanted it to be off the record that he heard the phrase first from Disraeli because he is eager to avoid being seen as stuffy and old by the youth he is so eager to be “down with”. He later gave a statement dedicated to Palin, the influential gun slinging maverick, thanking her for her inspiration. He is said to be monitoring her moves closely for further tips on becoming popular, charismatic and most importantly, attractive.

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ORMAN LAMONT, Vera Baird and John Major are all senior politicians who have been ridiculed for insisting that the “green shoots” of economic recovery are visible during the recessions of the past twenty years. Since 2008, senior economists, politicians and businessmen have been desperately searching for any sign of these famous, and previously elusive “green shoots”. But now a team of venerable botanists based at Queen Mary, University of London has revealed that the they have discovered the precise location of these tentative signs of promise. Said Dr. Hans Downherpantz, a specialist in the study of deflowering: “We have found these “green shoots” in the Regent’s Canal, which borders campus. There is a thick layer of these green plants and they seem to have completely taken over the ecosystem. They actually appear to be taking over, and suffocating everything else that was there before”.

13

Monday 15th October 2012

Societies

QM Economics Society Hana Hammouda

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banker donning a crisp suit, wearing highly polished shoes to match his shiny sports car, who’s shouting across the trading room floor while wielding 3 telephones. Or, you may associate it with greying, bearded, monocle-wearing wise old men sat around a circular glossed mahogany table in a dimly lit room, discussing inflation, economic growth and monetary policy in some obscure corner of the Bank of England.

While it is not uncommon for Economics and Finance graduates to go in to these roles (with or without the monocle), the Economics society can introduce you to careers and help you get the connections and information you need to target the job you want. This isn’t limited to Economics students either; we can assist anyone that is interested in exploring their

potential career paths. We are excited to be networking at the Bloomberg offices in London, and participating in a CIMA business game at the CIMA headquarters in November. An upcoming event with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales might be more up your street.

In addition, we host lectures with guest speakers. This semester, we have the privilege of presenting Sir Frank Chapman, Chairman of BG Group, who will be discussing the future of the UK energy industry. BG Group is the oil and gas exploration arm of the former nationalised British Gas, and is one of the leading energy companies in the world. We’re hopeful that those who attend will be drilling down to engage with the raw message of his argument, and extracting the information that

will channel their resources towards or away from a career in the energy sector. We are also excited that Detlev Schlichter, an Austrian Economist and financial markets professional, will be joining us in November.

The Economics Society also hosts a student versus staff football tournament every Monday between 2:00-3:00pm at QMotion, among other sporting events throughout the year.

So if you enjoy a kick-about (or have a vendetta against a particular lecturer) you may want to fasten your football boots and join us.

For those of you who like to meet new people, our regular social events might interest you! Keep on the lookout for our Economics Society magazine ‘Chronicle of Economic Affairs’ which will be coming out shortly.

The outcome of the election for the Societies Committee members who will be representing Barts this year.

Cultural Societies Representative - Brian Mburu Academic Societies Representative - Talha Atcha Performing Societies Representative - Jon Panaguiton Special Interest Societies Representative - Ali Jawad Campaign Societies Representative - Curtis Osborne

These people will be your first port of call regarding any issues or any queries for societies specifically at Barts.

Images by Aaron Parr

HY WOULD you want to be part of the Economics Society if you’re not studying anything related to business, finance or economics? Or even if you are?

Economics is a social science that underpins much of what happens every day. We are all directly, or indirectly, affected by economics; it is highly relevant in the world we live in.

Broaden your horizons, step out of your comfort zone and join us in looking at situations differently, through the tinted lens of Economics!

Although we are an academic society, we have numerous social, sports and careers events available to our members.

We have a variety of careers events coming up that you might be interested in. You might think of an Economics graduate working as Wall Street type

Barts Reps

Quick chat with Amnesty International Becky Adkins

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UICK CHAT is QMessenger’s way of informing students (and staff) of the societies that are available to them at QM by interviewing some of the key figures in societies. This week, we spoke to the President of Amnesty International on why his cause is such a fundamental one in today’s world.

1. What is Amnesty International?

Amnesty International is a human rights group which supports people who have been unjustly imprisoned. Its main aim is to fight for justice for those who are unfairly treated. Here at QM Amnesty we try to spread awareness of human rights issues through the hosting of a variety of events.

2. Who can join your society and how much does it cost?

Absolutely anyone can join –

Amnesty is all about inclusion and fairness for all. Our membership this year is just £1!

3. How did Freshers’ go for you?

This year’s Freshers’ Fair was very successful for us as we had more people express interest and sign up to the society than last year! I spent my two days having good discussions with a variety of people who seem really enthusiastic about Amnesty which was great!

4. Fill me in on some of the events you’ve got coming up this year.

In October we are going to take a trip to Amnesty Headquarters in order to get our members talking to some people who dedicate their lives to Amnesty International and also to see how the organisation is run as a whole. Anyone is welcome

to come to this! Later in the year we’ll be hosting a debate on the Death Penalty which will examine the key ethical issues of the death penalty and also whether there are any plus points. We have also decided to hold ‘Jamnesty’ which will be a music evening with the aim of spreading the message of Amnesty and hopefully raising some money for the cause!

5. What was your highlight of last year?

For me it was the end of year BBQ. It was very successful, people were able to discuss Amnesty related issues in a relaxed environment. It was great fun to host and be a part of!

6. What do you hope to achieve this year?

As a society, QM Amnesty hopes to support Amnesty International as much as possible. We want to

motivate the wider student body to engage with the charity and give as much as they can. We would like to work with some of the other societies at QM to help raise awareness of key human rights issues across campus.

We want to spread awareness of human rights issues 7. When and where do you meet?

The plan at the moment is that we are going to hold regular Open Committee Meetings with those who want to help to shape the society. For those who can’t make the meetings, we will send out regular

emails about what is happening so join our mailing list!

8. What do you think about the new spotlight night at Drapers?

I really like the idea. I think it will be a good way of publicising the society, so I have registered!

Hopefully we will be hosting one in the near future!

9. How should people get in touch with you?

We have a range of methods of communication. Firstly, you can find us and add us as a friend on Facebook – QM Amnesty. Secondly, you can search #QMAmnesty on Twitter for updates and finally you can email us at qmamnesty@ hotmail.co.uk.

So there we are, the President of Amnesty International on why you should join QM Amnesty and help support the cause!

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14

Monday 15th October 2012

Sport

Netball

Emily Crosland

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e had a very successful season last year and came second in ULU, whilst missing out on promotion in BUCs by a narrow margin. After a good off season of club development, we are in a better position than ever to go for the promotion. BUCs this season will undoubtedly be a challenge but with a good intake of freshers and Liz Bundy doing a fantastic job as coach QMN should be vying for promotion come March! Players to watch are: fresher Ruby Kite, our exciting new centre and also making her debut on the first team is club

Hockey

Fern Champion

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A SUMMARY OF

o the hockey season has started again and doesn’t it feel great! We kicked things off with a friendly against Barts (booooo!) last Wednesday which resulted in an unfortunate 2-0 loss but saw the beginnings of some great potential within the QMHC Ladies 1sts. Old and new worked fantastically together with joint players of the match going to our new ‘striking’ forward, Zoe Cantley and golden oldie keeper, Ailis Carmody. With promotion at the end of this season most definitely in our sights, it was great to see a new team work so effortlessly together to show that yes – anything is possible this season! Watch this space, BUCS, because QMHC are coming for you!

Football

Jacob Ohrvik-Stott

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s the new season rapidly approaches, I’ve taken newly elected QMFC social secretary Tom Street aside for a quick chat about the new season. A sea change has occurred in the firsts with attractive football and leafy Europeans replacing the previously favored ‘get it long to the bulky drama-studying centre forward’. Spearheading this revolution will be first team captain Oliver Manhi, once labelled the new Anthony Gardner, and attention deficit disorder-ridden second team captain James W Flude. Despite Street’s assertion that Manhi had done “absoutely nothing”, he retains hope that the decision to appoint him will eventually bare fruit, with a focus on keeping it simple and limiting his creative responsibilities. The gem in the crown of the side this season is tipped to be Malachi Duberry, returning from a successful loan at West Croydon Youth club’s U18 setup. ‘’He’s a game changer, a special player- although I expect him to develop his artistic abilities and progress from last season’s slightly limited chant ‘lads, lads, we are the lads’,” suggested Street. Oliver Manhi, with a pleasantly contrasting demeanor to Street’s philosophical musings, summed up the feeling around the club ‘’ I like football and I like playing it. I want to enjoy the game in the fresh air with my friends whilst playing really nice football, but at the end of the day, girls just wanna have fun. ‘’ They do.

Tennis

Edd Clibbens

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think it’s fair to say that this year is likely to be the finest year in Queen Mary Tennis Club’s history.

We have three teams who will all, without doubt, be vying for promotion. The Men’s first team have an especially strong team this year and will be pushing for promotion to Division 1, whilst also having a very realistic chance of winning the cup. This year there are seven players of first team standard, of whom only four can compete each week. So high is the standard that one of those players is a former world junior no.100, which says it all really. Equally our women’s first team has tripled in terms of popularity and the standard has increased remarkably. The standard of that team now is well above that of the third division in which they will be competing. Finally the men’s second team, which only came into existence last year, entering into Division 5, also has a previously unseen level of strength in depth.

Let’s hope we can live up to this promise.

sportqmessenger@gmail.com

15

Monday 15th October 2012

Sport

Men’s Hockey Mark Gregory

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fter a successful 2011-12 season, BL Men’s Hockey have been recruiting faster than the Chinese Army in a bid for double promotion this year. An influx of 14 freshers, all fine physical specimens has bolstered the squad and kept both the senior hockey gentlemen and the BL ladies on their toes.

The club has been whipped into shape by their new coach Asif, who is both a tactical genius and an evil dictator in the making. The fitness sessions have at times left us hugging the floor and begging for relief, but there is now a distinct hint of ‘Ab’ beneath the gut and a good team spirit to go with it.

The campaign gets underway on Wednesday with fixtures against St Georges and East London. 4 freshers are set to be included in the first team squad, with another 7 in the second team squad. I for one am beside myself with anticipation to see who makes a name for themselves on debut.

So it begins, a possible 40 fixtures over 6 months. Goals to be scored, Dick of the days to be awarded, Away days to deepest Essex to be navigated. One thing’s to be sure, BL hockey is a club to watch this year.

BL Squash

Sam Williams

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L SQUASH have a lot to look forward to this year with a narrow second place in the league last year, a strong coaching base and a pretty incredible new intake!

Stavros, our 1st team captain, is as excited as his new team to begin in Division 1 of the new London Universities Sports Leagues. Promise hangs in the air for our second team too with a depth in talent never before experienced by our small club and we are keen to get as many involved here as possible. We have been inundated with enthusiastic new members, making this the most exciting opening to a season the club has ever had.

Equally we have a ladies team in development with an enthusiastic captain in Sarah who is trying hard to set up friendlies with local teams. Needless to say if you are interested in getting involved with this then she (and we) are very keen to meet you!

I must add that we’re still looking for keen players for all of our teams and if you want to play for us then now is the time to get involved! Send an email to blsquashclub@gmail.com and I’ll pass on all the information you need to play with us.

BL Running Rosa Gallie

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L RUNNING CLUB has started its year off well with great attendance at our first few sessions. It looks as though we have recruited some great new talent and we are very excited about the outcome of our first fixture of the London Colleges Cross Country League. For the first time this year we have a coach who we are sure is going to work us very hard, and hopefully help us get some great results at cross country as well as road races and the London Marathon in April. It’s never too early to start preparation!

Images by Edd Clibens and Eleanor Doughty

Sailing Club Laura McKay

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ART’S AND THE LONDON Sailing Club is an active and friendly club that aims to introduce students to sailing, and provide opportunities for those already with some experience to continue to develop their skills, all within a fun and welcoming environment.

We have been part of the Royal Burnham Yacht Club for many years, situated in the scenic Burnham-on-crouch (in Essex) alongside the river Crouch. Our weekend trips here consist of sailing during the day and socialising in the evening with a BBQ and few drinks!

Recently we have become members of the Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre which allows us to use DSWC boats for free in open sessions, and to enter race events at the discounted member rates. We are also affiliated to the Cruising Association, which offers courses to advance members skills by directing them to internationally recognised qualifications and certificates.

All members of the sailing club are very friendly and willing to teach and we look forward to getting to know you all!

sportqmessenger@gmail.com

16

Monday 15th October 2012

Introducing Andre Villas-Boas Anthony Tipping imprinted his name into the history books, becoming the youngest manager to win a European competition at the still maturing age of 33.

AVB’s short stint at Chelsea is an illustration of football’s dark and unforgiving face. Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s owner, so impressed by AVB’s performance at Porto, brought the man to English soil. However, as AVB struggled to find a foothold near the top of the table, the fears of many were realised. Mourinho’s unparalleled success at Chelsea a few years earlier prompted an impossible legacy.

After a mere nine months at Chelsea Football Club, André Villas-Boas was sacked like so many before him. Truly, the most saddening moment in managerial history.

The most saddening moment in managerial history It is extraordinary that the Portuguese do not falter in producing the astonishing in football. André Villas-Boas is only the latest in an exhaustless list. Eusébio, Paulo Futre and Luís Figo are footballers which will stand the test of time.

Educating yourselves in these names will quench any sporting deprivation you may have, for they are truly something special. Even Cristiano Ronaldo, with so much left to give, is currently in a class of his own.

Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas, to present his full name, has given football precisely what it has needed: success, passion and style. After being knocked down he has found his feet once more at Tottenham. To Chelsea’s detriment, AVB will work wonders at his new club. Abramovich will one day look to the heavens and proclaim, ‘what a silly man I am’.

sportqmessenger@qmessenger.co.uk

Images by Aaron Parr

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HE CELEBRATIONS following Tottenham Hotspur’s victory over Manchester United were spearheaded

by André Villas-Boas’ celebration at the final whistle.

Such passion and fervour from a manager inspires both players and fans. It was Spurs’ first success at Old Trafford for twenty three years. Fill your body with all manner of illegal substances and you will still struggle to match that moment of pure ecstasy, as VillasBoas’ fist pummelled the air.

Tottenham under AVB began their campaign in the English Premier League with only one win in three games. They would need to improve considerably to boast as a title-contending side. For many, this start was proof of AVB’s unrestrained decline. His Portuguese style of play did not seem suited to the brutish English game. But now with successive victories under his belt, not least the 3-2 demolition of United, confidence has been restored in this stylish manager.

Many forget that AVB spent a large portion of his career under the limelight and guidance of José Mourinho. But far from an impediment, it gave AVB the opportunity to develop as a coach under the brilliance of the selfproclaimed ‘special one’. The Portuguese chemistry proved electric, as Mourinho promptly achieved unparalleled success. AVB, tired of basking in the shadow of the ‘special one’, eventually divorced himself from the loving relationship, soon to create his own legacy.

Proud sponsor of the sideline squat, André Villas-Boas has already proved himself as an extremely capable and successful manager. At first glance AVB does not fit the mould of an ideal coach.

Compared to many, he is a child.

Yet his youth is his greatest asset. This is a man who has already defied history. At Porto he brought a new vigour and flair to the beautiful game. His first and only season at Porto saw him win no less than four trophies. By winning the UEFA Europa League, AVB

Results: Rugby 1st XV result: RUMS 1sts (UCL Medics) 22 - Queen Mary 6 Rugby 2nd XV result: Barts and the London 2nds 10 - Queen Mary 34