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Editors Editor: Sam Cunningham editor@qmessenger.co.uk News: Sam Creighton news@qmessenger.co.uk Comment: Bradley Downing comment@qmessenger.co.uk Science & Environment: Richard Dodwell science@qmessenger.co.uk Craig Ferriman environment@qmessenger.co.uk Reviews: Gitika Bhardwaj & Rebecca Wynter reviews@qmessenger.co.uk Film: Alex MacDonald film@qmessenger.co.uk P: George Ramsay

P: George Ramsay

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3rd Nov ‘09 • Issue 16 • FREE

Queens Building prayer protest George Ramsay

Six hundred Muslim students attended Friday prayer outside the Queens Building to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the College’s attitude towards the ongoing problems with prayer facilities on campus.

Students from QM Muslims and the Islamic Society (ISoC) gathered outside Queen Mary’s administrative epicentre last week following months of failed campaigns, petitions and meetings with senior university figures to resolve the continuing prayer facility dispute.

President of the Islamic Society, Tarek Anchassi said: “I guess you could call it a demonstration, but it was with regard to the prayer room situation, showing the university that we’re concerned.”

Engaged in a diplomatic stalemate with the university, leaders of ISoC and QM Muslims are campaigning for extended opening hours of the Multi-Faith Centre, allowing students to pray throughout the day and not within restricted hours.

Muslim access to the centre, located adjacent to the Fogg Building, has been progressively reduced over the past three years; 0700 to 2100 in 2007; 1200 to 1800 in 2008; and this year, the hours available were cut to a total of three and a half. All changes, according to ISoC, were made without prior discussion with the society.

“This year, they restricted it even further, again without consultation. Many other universities will have a separate Muslim prayer room that is open all the time”, explained ISoC President, Mr Anchassi.

However, in a statement released last week in direct response to the demonstration, the university stressed the importance of catering for all faith groups and their specific needs and emphasised the “substantial investment from the college” in the centre.

“Its [Multi-Faith Centre] aim is to provide facilities for students of all faiths, with core principles of promoting tolerance, mutual understanding, and inter-faith dialogue, and ensuring fair access to staff and students of all faiths.

Continued page 3...

Play Suduko and Crossword Page 13

REVIEWS! Theatre...

Books...

Places...

Page 8-9

Should the BNP have a voice?

Student Loans cock up

Page 5

Page 6

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News

Got a news story? news@qmessenger.co.uk

03/11/2009

Inside Out Festival QM was one of nine universities to host the Inside Out festival this month. Organized by the London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange the week long event is aimed at promoting links between HE and the cultural sector. On October 22nd a talk was held at QM to discuss whether creativity and predictability are compatible with one another.

This was in conjunction with a series of workshops and exhibitions on the same topic.

QM alumni honored by British Library QM alumni and Honorary Fellow Eva Figes, who achieved acclaim as a novelist, has had her full archives bought by the British library. She came to Britain, escaping Nazi Germany, aged seven and in 1950 attended QM to study English. The British Library has spent £20,000 to acquire nine boxes of the writers notebooks, letters, typescripts and proofs. Figes was one of the leading voices in the feminist movement in the country during the 1960s and 70s Success for QM film student QM film student Hannah Dockeray has premiered her film ‘After You’re Gone’ at the Co-operative Young Filmmakers Festival. The five minute short film, centred around the aftermath of a break up and based on personal experience, has received much acclaim. Ms Dockeray said of the experience ‘I’m really excited about the festival. This is what I want to do and once I get my studies done I want to get an internship and go from there’.

Queen Mary Students’ Union calls for “Troops out of Afghanistan” Queen Mary Students’ Union has passed a motion calling for the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan and an end to the NATOled occupation. The Union noted and endorsed Stop the War Coalitions’ “10 reasons to get the troops out” campaign.

Tahmeena Bax, a member of the Student Council at Queen Mary commented upon the Unions decision: “I’m really proud that our Student Union has taken this important step in supporting this demonstration. Showing solidarity with the besieged people of Afghanistan and with the families of British soldiers is vital- the situation in Afghanistan is beyond despair.”

QM Professor suggests students living luxurious lifestyles Liza Edwards A professor at Queen Mary has suggested that massive student debt is down to luxurious lifestyles, not just fees.

Writing in the Times Higher Education supplement, Kevin Sharpe, Professor of Renaissance studies, said students are leaving university more than £20,000 in debt due to living in “posh pads” with two bathrooms and broadband access, like an English version of Friends: “a cool back drop for cool lives”.

“Some are plugged into the latest and fanciest iPods, while many more spend the half-hour on mobile calls at peak times. The (costly) coffee bars are crowded all day as students queue to consume four or five cappuccinos at nearly £2 a time, along with freshly squeezed OJ and smoked-salmon sandwiches.

Students are often on mobile phones booking travel or concerts with their credit cards. Last year I spotted a handful of gold American Express Cards.”

He added: “Students pour not from Aldi but from Waitrose, with bottles of wine and champagne as well as bottled water (bottled water!), expensive food and snacks.”

His concern is that whilst most students are financed by the “bank of mum and dad”, those less well off but anxious to keep up with their peers were falling deeper into debt in order to fit in.

However, Mr Sharpe’s article has angered students, who feel he is not seeing the whole picture.

“I think the students he’s looking at, the ones with gold American Express cards are very few. They don’t need loans to survive, that’s not where the money comes from.

P: George Ramsay

News in Brief

Prof. Kevin Sharpe claims students are leaving uni with heavy debts as they live lavish, luxurious lifestyles They are people that are well off, they were born well off,” said Sheeza Anjum, a history undergraduate.

She added: “I have a friend who walks to university for an hour so she can save on a tube fare. Students like that weren’t mentioned in the article, but then you probably wouldn’t see them hanging around coffee shops. I also don’t know anyone who drinks four or five cappuccinos at a time.”

Laura SeQueira, Head of Advice and Counselling Service at Queen Mary, also has a different view of student spending.

“The student lifestyle has inevitably changed since most of the staff at QM were students - this is bound to happen. Mobile phones, laptops, internet access at home these are now quite basic requirements for a student who wants to keep in touch with friends and family, and whose learning and social

activities are based around the internet. It isn’t these items themselves that are the problem; it is students understanding how to moderate their usage so that their expenditure is within their income, and unless they have the skills to do this it isn’t surprising that they make mistakes.”

She added: “International students also make up a significant percentage of the student population at QM. Although not all have cash to spare, many have more money to spend than we would normally associate with typical students.”

Ms Anjum believes universities themselves are at fault and more can be done to discourage lavish spending. “We’re surrounded by posh coffee which doesn’t exactly help those struggling to get by.

Food is really expensive on campus too,” she said.

The en-suite accommodation on campus which Mr Sharpe describes is also let out for conferences. Laura SeQuiera explains: “University accommodation has to meet the requirements of the conference market as well as the student market, so universities themselves have led the way in developing accommodation that students now come to expect.

Residence fees have increased accordingly though, so if a student is paying over £100 a week it is not surprising that they expect a decent standard - especially when they will be repaying the loan (with interest) that they have used to pay their rent bill.”

If you’d like more information about financial issues, please visit: www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk, www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk, or if you require personalised and confidential advice you can visit a Welfare Advisor.

Academics must now explain ‘economic impact’ of research Sian Tomlinson

In new proposals for allocating government funds, academics will be asked to provide evidence for the economic impact of their research.

The proposals for a new Research Excellence Framework (REF) suggest that university departments will be provided with research grants based on evidence provided for assessment. The evidence will be graded out of 60% for the quality of research, 25% for the impact of their research and 15% for the quality of the department. These proposals are still under consideration and Queen Mary, along with all other Higher Education institutions and

governing bodies, will be involved in the consultation process. The question is, what impact will these assessments have on Humanities departments?

In December 2008, Queen Mary was placed in the top 10% of UK universities in the Research Exercise Assessment, ranking above several Russell Group universities, such as KCL, Bristol and Durham. The English Language and Literature, Geography, Linguistics and Drama departments were placed in the top two. With these new demands for justifying the impact of their research, there are concerns that it will become more difficult for Queen Mary to maintain this prestigious position.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) claim

that the requirements for demonstrating economic impact have been exaggerated, for a footnote in the HEFCE consultation paper states that “there should be a wide definition of impacts, including economic, social, public policy, cultural and quality of life”.

Head of English, Chris Reid, admits that the question of “impact” could still be problematic, but that this definition allows “room for argument about what constitutes impact in Arts and Humanities subjects”. Head of Drama, Nick Ridout, argues that, although teaching staff are “concerned and anxious” about the constraints that these new assessments might force upon their research, these pressures may have a positive effect upon the Humanities department. It could “encour-

age interplay” between researchers, students, producers of culture, social organisations and those invloved in making public policy.

While the new assessments make room for justifying Humanities research, there are fears that so-called ‘stem subjects’ will be financially favoured. Students are regularly persuaded away from Humanities subjects by anxious parents, who encourage them to study Business, Science, Engineering and Maths because of their economic worth or impact on society, but the REF may offer Humanities departments the chance to improve their public image by proving the worth of their research.

News

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3

03/11/2009

The President

Multi-Faith Centre problems remain unresolved

Racism has many faces; there have been many procedures set in place for complaints and subsequent disciplinary procedures for blatant racism activity, whether in college or in the borough or in the country in general. Dispite this, racism still exists in many forms, however subtle it is.

Diversity and multi-culturalism is discussed over and over, but how much as individuals do we actually embrace other cultures?

We should ask ourselves; do we understand different cultures and ways of life? Do we respect them?

Or are we so wrapped up in our own opinions that we believe everyone else’s ways of doing things are wrong?

I believe we face a new kind of racism in this day and age, not so much one about the colour of our skin, but more about the background we come from, the religion we practice, and the culture we live by.

Having the leader of the BNP on Question Time caused an uproar from so many people around the country. I’m very glad it did, and I’m happy to see people caring about a blatant threat of a racist organisation, but how often do we look at our own selves, and the opinions we hold on other groups and nationalities?

We talk the talk but how often do we walk the walk (as far as clichés go)?

Ignorance I believe is the root of most of our problems. As students at an institute of higher education, its vital we educate ourselves on as many topics as possible, not just issues related to our fields of study or research! In this day and age that really isn’t good enough! A well rounded education incorporates so much more then lectures seminars and coursework. We need to cease the opportunities we have while here at university.

The library has mountains of knowledge we can use, or just meet and great as many cultures you can through engaging with all the different students at QM. I believe I was very lucky growing up in a very multi-cultural house (white European and Black African living in the Arab world) the forced engagement with all of these groups really opens ones eyes to so many things. Every culture has its beauty and also its flaws; so I actively try to pick out the beautiful things from as many cultures as I can, and in doing so create my own identity. I think we should all try doing the same.

Nasir Tarmann

“Over the past two academic years there have been a series of meetings held between the presidents of ISoC and senior management at the College, including the Principal, and the President of the Student Union.”

But, the effectiveness of the dialogue between the College and the concerned faith groups has been put into question by the Friday prayer demonstration.

According to the ISoC website, the university is “obliged to provide suitable prayer facilities on campus for all faith groups who require them.

“The lack of such facilities constitutes a failure on the part of the College and is one that should be challenged.”

This expression of Muslim solidarity has forced the university’s senior management into a diplomatic

corner. It is uncertain how this ongoing dispute will resolve itself, but due to the strength of ISoC and QM Muslims, the College cannot sit quietly.

Earlier this year, a row over the use of the centre led to a degree of animosity between ISoC and the Hindu Society. The National Hindu Students Forum UK claimed that members of the Islamic Society had physically prevented Hindu students from entering the prayer room.

Immediately after the incident, Chair of the National Hindu Students Forum UK, Kajal Valani said: “The Islamic Society refuses to move out of the room even though we have a booking to use it.”

In the statement released by the university, timetabling the access of various faith groups into the centre is “not straightforward” and the new, contested timetable “is intended to give reasonable and fair ac-

P: George Ramsay

...Continued from front page

Over 600 students turned up to Pray outside the Queens Building cess to different groups while as far as possible addressing their various needs for individual prayer at particular times”.

Proportionately and numerically, Queen Mary has one of the largest Muslim student populations in the UK – approximately 3,000 students. Numbers aside, ISoC are one

of the most active societies at the university and command a strong bargaining position.

The university has set-up a Multi-Faith Users’ Forum to facilitate productive discussions between faiths and to ensure the College is continually informed of users’ concerns.

Tories promise website to comment on lecturers

QM affiliate company gains £2.6m investment

Chantelle O’Connor

Philip Keech

If elected next year, the Tories have promised to set up a website offering students nationwide the chance to point out their lecturers’ good and bad points, as well as speak of their personal experience of university life.

David Willets, the Shadow Universities Secretary, believes the scheme is a much needed addition to the National Student Survey, which is only aimed at third year undergraduates.

One significant reason for the website is the looming possibility that tuition fees will rise dramatically in the next few years, and if this is to happen, students should have more of an input in teaching methods.

The proposal has sparked heated debate between students and lecturers’ unions concerning the fact that these websites could promote online bullying. Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “All staff and students have the right to work free from intimidation, online or otherwise. Online gossip might seem harmless enough and even fun to some people.

However, it can lead to serious online and offline bullying. If students have real concerns about their lecturers, they should go through the proper channels and try to

resolve the issue.”

Indeed, ratemyprofessors.com seems to be a form of bullying by rating lecturers not only on their teaching methods, but their personality, clarity and looks. QMUL student Nikki Lynch says: “This plan just sounds like another Conservative incentive to encourage student support for their party. Yes, I agree that ratings for departments as a whole are needed but by singling out lecturers and making comments personal, this kind of system could open the floodgates for academic bullying. Complaints should not be made personal. It’s unfair on individuals.”

Christopher Dodd, also a student at QMUL, thinks the scheme may be extremely beneficial to students, as we are the ones paying for our tuition, not the lecturers: “On the surface it seems a good idea, being able to comment on teaching standards will not only increase the standard of teaching in the long run, but could also prevent prospective students from choosing courses that have performed poorly.”

If tuition fees are to rise from around £3,000 today to an estimated £7,000, perhaps it is better if students have more of a voice in the conduct and codes of universities across Britain if they want to get their money’s worth.

Retroscreen Virology, a QM affiliate company and the world’s only viral research facility that uses human volunteers under quarantine conditions, has received £2.6 million of investment to begin drug development.

Retroscreen Virology was founded in 1989 by Professor John Oxford, currently a scientific director for the company. He also holds the position of Professor of Virology at St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London Hospital, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, and has published over 250 scientific papers.

Other members of Queen Mary staff involved with Retroscreen Virology include: Charles Perrin CBE, Honorary Treasure of Queen Mary; Caroline Quest, Managing Director of Queen Mary’s Innovation and Enterprise; and Professor Mike Curtis Institute of Cell and Molecular Science at Bart’s and the London, School of Medicine and Dentistry.

The new funding comes from fundraising campaigns led by Aquarius Equity Partners and IP Venture Fund (both venture capital fund businesses).

John Lyon, chairman of Retroscreen Virology, said: ‘The team at Aquarius Equity Partners are committed backers of innovative technology, and their investment in Retroscreen is a testament to the expertise and unique research ser-

vices Retroscreen provides to its clients. The proceeds will be used to grow our business, ensuring that Retroscreen remains at the forefront of virology research and development.’

In the past, Retroscreen Virology has been conducting work dedicated to creating the next generation of antivirals and vaccines for the treatment of a number of respiratory and viral infections. This injection of cash will allow researchers to investigate prominent viruses such as norovirus.

Norovirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis, around 90% of all non-bacterial outbreaks in Europe could be attributed to Norovirus. This virus can be spread by person to person contact, via aerosols, through contaminated food and water as well as via environmental surfaces. It is capable of affecting a large scale of people with outbreaks most typical in hospitals, schools or cruise ships.

Steve Sealey, chairman of Aquarius Equity Partners, commented: ‘My group is looking forward to providing Retroscreen Virology with the support it needs to realise the full potential of the company.’

To date, the centre has conducted more than 30 quarantines, infecting more than 700 volunteers. It claims that these studies reduce the cost and the duration of drug development by speeding up the selection of dose and dosing regimes.

4

News

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03/11/2009

Provide volunteers go to the Alternative Hair Show Ruth Faulkner Gitika Bhardway A lucky group of PROVIDE volunteers took to The Royal Albert Hall and offered their services to the Kaleidoscope Alternative Hair Show on Sunday 18th October. Amazed to be a part of a show which boasted a fashionable line-up of inspirational figures, talented hairstylists and beautiful models, they had a lavish evening.

Established by Tony Rizzo in 1983, after the loss of his son to leukaemia, the Alternative Hair Show helps raise funds for Leukaemia Research and has grown into the world’s most prestigious annual hairdressing event. So far it has raised an amazing £7million for research and continues to be a crucial resource to help Leukaemia Re-

search meet its fundraising targets.

This year’s event was a thrilling affair; enough to make any budding fashionista water at the mouth and any promising volunteer with an eye for noble causes, weak at the knees.

Volunteer Aysegul commented that “When we first got there, there was this momentary silence; everyone was in awe of the beautiful building”, she loved the venue as well, “one of the most amazing things you have to see while you’re in London is The Royal Albert Hall!”

Everyone was firstly generously fed before going to action, selling brochures and being available to help the organisers. They then got to watch the show itself, which normally cost £90 entry!

Aysegul exclaimed that “The show was fantastic albeit a little

weird!!

The main theme this year was a Winters Hair Concept with a Mahogany wash, and the PROVIDE volunteers got to meet the likes of: Sanrizz, Hair Fehringer, and TIGI. We asked Aysegul what she discovered about the Leukaemia Research Fund, as with the beauty of such an event it is easy to lose touch with the reason fund-raising like this is needed: “One thing I learnt was the stress that being diagnosed with leukaemia puts on the entire family and simply going on a trip to Disneyland Paris does enough to reunite them; it allows them to live a ‘normal’ life for a day and forget about everything... as a charity event I think it was extremely successful, and I had great fun; we sent around buckets and people gave very generously!!!”

This is just one of the broad and interesting volunteering opportunities organised by PROVIDE. Upcoming events include cooking breakfast for the local homeless at

Meet your student representatives...

the Whitechapel Mission and much more, so please visit the easy to use website for further one-off or regular volunteering. You chose what suits you.

POSITIONS STILL AVAILABLE, READ BELOW...

Hi all, here's introducing your SU officers and student representatives for the coming year. We are here to represent you on the QMSU Council so any queries, problems, feedback or complaints please do not hesitate to drop us an email. Also, each officer will hold their own working group meetings on a regular basis throughout the year. Everyone is welcome at these meetings - you can turn up on an adhoc basis or if you have something which you'd like to add to the agenda then please email the relevant officer. These meetings are the place to have your voice heard - so get involved! Looking forward to hearing from you and representing you over the coming year. There are also three positions on the Mile End Campus Board still available - Postgraduate Officer, Secretary and a final Student Representative Officer. If you are interested, email Anna Hiscocks, VP Welfare, at vpwelfare@qmsu.org.

Campaigns Officer Annabel Jones campaigns@qmsu.org

STUDENT REP OFFICER Natasha Neeson natasha.neeson @qmsu.org

ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER Craig Ferriman environmental@qmsu.org

STUDENT REP OFFICER Sophie Richardson sophie.richardson @qmsu.org

INTERNATIONAL OFFICER Bilal Saqib international@qmsu.org

STUDENT REP OFFICER Thomas Maltby thomas.maltby @qmsu.org

RAG OFFICER Sally Nguyen rag@qmsu.org

SOCIETIES OFFICER Ayuash Kumar societies@qmsu.org

STUDENT REP OFFICER Alex Mbaya alex.mbaya @qmsu.org

SPORTS OFFICER Dominic Bell sports@qmsu.org

STUDENT REP OFFICER Frances Legg frances.legg @qmsu.org

VOLUNTEERING OFFICER Viktoria Szmolar volunteering@qmsu.org

STUDENT REP OFFICER Natalie Jayne Langford natalie.langford @qmsu.org

WELFARE OFFICER Scott-Austin Shaw welfare@qmsu.org

STUDENT REP OFFICER Tahmeena Bax tahmeena.bax @qmsu.org

News

Got a news story? news@qmessenger.co.uk

5

03/11/2009

What’s going on in America?

QM’s Nick Thomson reports from across the Atlantic

Nargis Begum Thousands of university students from across the UK have begun what is meant to be the best three years of their life but lacking their promised funds as Student Finance England fail to pay loans and grants. Of the students who have applied for student finance, 16% have not received a loan or grant with a record 28% being first years.

The Student Loans Company has failed to verify the exact reasons behind their failings, blaming late applications and technical difficulties for the backlog of applications that are still yet to be processed.

When asked why a large

amount of students were having to start university without any loans or grants, a Student Finance customer services representative said ‘there was no reason as such’ and that ‘some applications were not yet processed’ but quickly blaming ‘late applications’ after realising what he had said. When asked why some applications had not been processed, he seemed muddled and evaded the question altogether. When he was asked to check an application query, he seemed confused by the question and unsure of his reply.

Since Queen Mary has begun its term a large amount of students are still waiting for their loans to arrive. One student who has yet to

receive her loan and grant said: ‘I am really stressed about this as it means I have to work part time for me to cover my living costs. I’m living away from home and my parents can’t afford to help me out, and I really don’t want to have to drop out.’

However, help is at hand as QM has a number of arrangements to ensure that students who have been affected can enroll fully by delaying the payment of their tuition fees until November or December. This is only applicable to those students who have applied to Student Finance but are still waiting to be processed. Students can also receive provisional financial support for living costs as Queen Mary

lend money to students whilst they wait for their loans and grants from Student Finance. For students who are experiencing particular delays, welfare advisors from the College’s Advice and Counselling Service on hand to liaise with Student Finance England directly to resolve the issue. You can contact the College’s Advice and Counselling Service for more information at www.welfare. qmul.ac.uk/contact/index.html or www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk/contact/ index.html An internal inquiry regarding the problems faced by students this year is to be carried out by the Student Loans Company.

Investigation ordered into loans cock up James Ayre An independent review of the Student Loans Company has been ordered to examine why thousands of students’ loan and grant payments have gone ‘spectacularly wrong‘.

The Higher Education minister, David Lammy, has ordered the review of the debacle as more than 88,000 students still await their loan and grant payments, with thousands more having received only a fraction of their installments.

Deian Hopkin, ex-vice-chancellor of London South Bank University, will chair the inquiry into the current failures, while Bernadette Kenny of HM Revenue and Customs will be leading a review of the Student Loans Company as a whole.

NUS President, Wes Streeting, said: “I am relieved that Sir Deian Hopkin and Bernadette Kenny have been appointed to cast an independent eye on the investigation into what has gone so spectacularly wrong with the payment of students’ grants and loans this summer.

“I hope that this review will lead to a full and frank analysis of this shambles and that the management of the SLC will be held to account for a fiasco that has left hundreds of thousands affected by late payments, lost documentation and a miserable start to their first term at university.”

Mr. Lammy has told MPs that the SLC had already announced an internal review, but that outside expertise would provide a “frank assessment of what went wrong”. He said there had been “unprecedented demand” for university places this year, but acknowledged that the sit-

uation was “unacceptable and falls short of what the public can expect”.

He added that the review will provide “external scrutiny and expertise and challenge to the company’s review of lessons learned from this year and the company’s preparedness to meet the challenges of next year.”

The SLC maintains it has dealt with more applications than it had at this time last year, but has apologised for the difficulties people have had in getting through on help lines.

They said that of the record 1,091,653 applications for student finance made by October, 84% have been processed - leaving 175,358 applications outstanding weeks after most courses started.

Queen Mary has implemented procedures to help students who have been affected by the delays.

Laura SeQueira, Head of Advice and Counselling Service, said: “Queen Mary has put in place a number of arrangements to ensure that students whose Student Finance has been delayed can fully enrol and can receive interim financial support for their living costs.”

In terms of tuition fees and residential fees, Ms SeQueira said the first instalments of payments can be delayed until November or December for those students who have applied for student finance but are still awaiting processing.

“For students whose applications for Student Finance are not straightforward, or who are experiencing particular delays, staff in the Advice and Counselling Service are liaising directly with Student Finance to remedy their situation as quickly as possible,” she said.

P: George Ramsay

After foolishly expecting a gradual orientation into the US educational system, I found I had already made a contribution to my final grade by the second week of classes. By the time of my final exams, I would have more or less 60% of my total grade already under my belt, a far cry from the QMUL history department where you waltz into the exam hall with only 25% of your mark secured.

Across the pond, final grades don’t just come from essays and exams, either; but from a broad array of marking, such as class participation to pop quizzes. For example, 5% of my final grade came from a quiz on the map of china. Such a small figure may seem irrelevant, but what is important is the relative amount of work put into a similar percentage back in the UK. A 2000 word essay more or less gave me that 5% last year, which somewhat puts things into perspective.

And yes, you heard, a MAP quiz at university.

Alas, this does not make college life here any easier. Because of the persistent assessment throughout the year, you keep your head down and work hard consistently. Skipping a class reading due to having one drink to many, or because you went surfing (its tough being a student in california!) is not an option because first, you are also graded for class participation; and secondly, and probably the worst fact of US college life, the month long revision break does not exist! There is no opportunity to make up for lost ground, something that saved my bacon last year...

Despite all my complaining, it is a lot less stressful. A local who went to the UK on exchange for a year told me “the British system rewards you if you are lucky on the day of the exam, the American system rewards you if you constantly work hard,” The dread of walking into a final exam - knowing the sheer scale of its importance; and that no matter how much you revised, your luck can often be dictated to you by the questions you get - is definitely something I like to be without. Here, though you have the constant awareness that you are being assessed for your actions, assessment is more based on what you do throughout the year, not how much you cram in May.

Loans still unaccessable to thousands

Some students are still without their student loans well into the first term Queen Mary is also lending students’ money for their living costs, while they wait for their first instalment of Student Finance to arrive.

David Willetts, Universities spokesman, said: “It is a shambles and it is causing enormous distress to many students. Ministers have been trying to avoid responsibility for this by hiding behind the SLC.” He also highlighted a specific case

where students sending application forms to Darlington had them delivered to Glasgow, only for them to be returned to Darlington after broken electronic scanners in Scotland could not process the applications.

It is unclear when the independent review will be completed.

6

Comment

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03/11/2009

Student Comment

Got something to say? Email comment@qmessenger.co.uk

THE DEBATE: Should the BNP appear on Question Time?

For - Alexander Penn Alexander Penn

man the right to express his opinion wouldn’t be British, nor would it be virtuous, nor would it be democratic. In fact, the very idea of such ideological control is knocking on the door of fascism. Therefore, I beg to support the BBC’s decision to allow BNP Leader, Nick Griffin onto Question Time.

The recent rise of the British National Party (BNP) has spread both fear and animosity across the country – they’re a hateful, immoral political party and I couldn’t be more against their vile policies. I just wanted to clear that up. Yet, this isn’t a debate about whether the BNP is a credible political party, this a debate about freedom, liberty and the very fabric of democracy that we hold so dear as a country. Freedom of speech is paramount. Denying a

I’d like to ask you, the reader, what right we have to judge whether an opinion is credible enough to be expressed?

Don’t misinterpret me, I’m not suggesting we enforce or even think of considering Griffin’s policies, yet denying him the right to simply express his opinion in a political forum is utterly ludicrous.

People have to remember that everything is subjective, people are different, cultures are different, we have the choice or the personal right to like, dislike, hate or love anything.

Against - Annabel Jones In this subjective world, what right do we have to objectively deny a man the right to express his opinion? We can’t pick and choose who is allowed to express their opinions based on our own pre-conceptions, that’s censorship, that’s gross political control and that’s stooping us down to the BNP’s level. The vital component of our governmental system is choice, democracy, political liberty for the British people.

The public should not be denied the choice of supporting a party they may well agree with – attempting to do so is an exercise of mountainous ill-virtue, deceiving the masses.

Concluding, in such a culturally open country, it’s a shock that we would even consider restricting a person’s freedom of speech.

What’s next? Closing Speakers’ Corner?

Annabel Jones

The right to free speech: one of the best things about modern Britain, eh? Other rights I’m quite fond of include my right not to be harassed, spat at, or physically intimidated as I walk down the street, but BNP supporters are less bothered about those rights, in my experience. At the risk of sounding like my mother, I’m leaning more and more towards the view that ‘with rights, come responsibilities’.

Some think it’s only fair that

the BNP got their turn on ‘Question Time’, as other small parties like the Greens and UKIP do. The thing is, I’ve never worried that I’m about to be hospitalised by an over-zealous Green Party member. Oh, and the Greens’ leader doesn’t have a nasty habit of Holocaust denial. The BBC says any ‘legitimate’ party, with enough support, should get to take part. But the word ‘legitimate’ is subjective. Consult a thesaurus, and words such as ‘lawful’ appear. But, this month, a court ruled that the BNP is anything but lawful, as its constitution clearly breaks race relations laws by banning Black, Asian, and Jewish people from joining.

People have also claimed that, despite his abhorrent views, Nick Griffin still has a right to freedom of speech.

But in the UK, freedom of speech does not actually ex-

ist without limitations. The UK outlaws inciting religious hatred, racial hatred, and homophobia, for good reasons.

As such, Question Time was never going to allow Griffin free speech anyway. He didn’t go there to spout his racism, religious hatred, and homophobia overtly. He went there to present a false image of a misrepresented victim of political correctness; to present a complete lie of what his racist, fascist, illegal organisation is about.

Giving a platform to Griffin disrespects the rights of all the black, Asian and gay people who constantly fear having a run-in with Griffin’s thug supporters. It also disrespects license-fee payers, whose money funded the airtime allocated to this odious criminal. Should you be interested though, licence fees also fund an easy-to-use BBC Complaints department.

Awkward partners Mathias Haeussler

The Tories are set on a reckless European policy. This is bad for Europe, but it is worse for Britain.

Recently, the Conservatives left the European People’s party, the mainstream centre-right coalition in the European Parliament, to form a new grouping – euphemistically called the “European Conser-

vatives and Reformists”. This new Eurosceptic coalition includes mainly Eastern European radical rightwingers, such as Poland’s Law and Justice Party (PiS), or the Latvian For Fatherland and Freedom party.

These people aren’t very nice.

The PiS MEP Michael Kaminski, for example, recently told a small election meeting that “the Germans think that anywhere they had their German tanks is their homeland, and they want to return”. Members of the Latvian party participate in an annual service commemorating Latvian units of Hitler’s WaffenSS. And Urzula Krupa (PiS) believes that global warming is a lie and homosexuality a “pathology”. In short, the Tories are siding with people who legitimise extremism, bigotry, and even Holocaust revisionism.

One might think that there are at least powerful political reasons for this move. Sadly, there are none.

By splitting from the European People’s party (EPP), the Conservatives have voluntarily given up their voice in the by far most important coalition within the parliament; a coalition which regularly brings together over half the heads of government in the EU, such as Angela Merkel or Nicolas Sarkozy.

The new grouping, however, is likely to leave the Tories sidelined and ignored by the overwhelming majority of MEPs. It is hard to see any

upsides in this move. As Wilfried Martens, former Belgian Prime Minister, put it: “Cameron’s campaign has been to take his party back to the centre in every policy area with one major exception: Europe.”

And it is not that this move will enhance Britain’s international standing, either: the Obama administration has already voiced its strong concerns. One diplomatic source said that “Hillary Clinton is concerned that the Tories would not take a lead in Europe. [...] The US wants Britain to be fully engaged in the EU – that makes Britain more relevant in US eyes.”

The Conservatives’ European policy is nothing short of a disaster. It will leave Britain isolated in Europe, together with a small bunch of nasty rightwing radicals. It will also seriously damage her international reputation. Britain cannot afford this in the increasingly interdependent world of the 21st century.

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03/11/2009

The struggle to keep art free George McFarlane

On my first Saturday at QMUL, my flatmates and I went on the tourist circuit. We wandered around the Tower of London and (especially – thanks ladies) Oxford Street, before ending up in Trafalgar Square

and the National Gallery.

I am a philistine when it comes to artwork. If asked for my recollection of a gallery tour, I’ll use phrases like “the one with Jesus in”. But even the ignorant can occasionally appreciate brilliance. Some in the group had never had the big city gallery experience before. It was memorable.

I spent summer last year working in a call centre, on behalf of a charity called Art Fund. The British public were largely unmoved by my pleading on behalf of The Great Works – Titian simply couldn’t evoke the sympathy so easily summoned by tales of impoverished children (and was not helped by me mispronouncing his name). Regardless of which timeless masterpiece was threatened with removal from our

shores, contributions were scarce.

Although I didn’t vote for him, I have a lot of time for the Mayor of London. My time working for Art Fund made me appreciate the struggle of great institutions like the National Gallery to pay the bills, but compelling museum and gallery visitors to pay entry fees is wrong.

Even if we are required simply to file past a ticket desk where we can decide not to pay, many will be put off.

Creative works need to be as accessible as possible. We should remember that they are exhibited for the public’s benefit.

It is not surprising that visitors are unwilling to shell out more – we are in a recession, after all. What is disgraceful is that the government refuses to give our cultural heritage the support it needs and deserves.

Arms investment and universities Julian Duane

In the public mind, universities are bastions of liberal and radical thought, resistant to the whims of

the market, and full of principled individuals who use their privileged position as professors or lecturers to criticise society. Of course, the truth is not so simple. Universities are one of the biggest recipients of grant money from companies that, even with a cursory glance, engage in repellent activities.

One such company is BAE Systems. Recently investigated for fraud regarding bribery in Tanzania, South Africa, Romania and the Czech Republic, BAE Systems have also supplied weapons to repressive countries such as Saudi Arabia (their deal described by the Financial Times as “the biggest [U.K.] sale ever of anything to anyone”), and Indonesia – weapons that were

then used to bomb East Timor during their war for independence, a war that claimed over 100,000 lives over 25 years.

These companies also, of course, engage in the graduate milk-round for employees. A university with a high-quality engineering department such as Queen Mary is a goldmine for companies like BAE looking for motivated, well-educated graduates to design the next generation of weapons systems. MBDA Missile Systems, a subsidiary of BAE, EADS (a Franco-German builder of cluster bomb components), and Finmeccanica (an Italian company that supplies Libya with border control equipment), is having a recruitment event on 23rd November at Queen Mary. They are looking for graduate employment

and undergraduate work placement candidates.

I may be speaking for more than might wish it, but I do not believe that the students of this uni-

versity would be happy with a company that produces nuclear missiles for the French and surface-toair missiles for Israel recruiting on campus.

The pointlessness of the Afghanistan war Nicolette Turki

There is going to be another round of elections taking place in Afghanistan no more than a few weeks from now, and as a society we are all waiting for the inevitable new round of boyishly youthful faces of the dead, evening after evening, occupy our television screens in the run up to this new election.

In an interview on the Today Programme last week, our Foreign Secretary David Miliband stated that “the reason why we are in Afghanistan militarily, sacrificing the lives of our soldiers, is because of the security of our society”. He went on to further emphasise that “the only reason why the government in this country would put our soldiers lives at danger is because of the security of our country”. But I don’t agree.

I don’t believe that is the only reason why our current great political leaders would be willing to sacrifice British lives. I believe they’d also be more than happy to throw away our young to gain political clout and good favour in Washington.

A person needn’t be already familiar with Afghanistan to be aware of the fact that no government in Kabul, no matter what form it takes or personality heads it, is able to provide the basic functions that any cit-

izen would require of their state – a credible and forceful protection and ability to defend. The next round of elections are going to be as entirely a fruitless and pointless an exercise as the first ones, with or without the crudely obvious election fraud taking place.

But Obama hung his electioneering hat on an un-Democrat-like hawkish position on Afghanistan, and our avowed and unrepentant Atlantacist Labour high command have seemingly pledged an unswerving oath of allegiance to their idol. There are other, far more important elections our Labour politicians have to consider while planning our Afghan strategy, the 2012 American ones. I believe this is the real reason why our young are dying in Afghanistan.

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03/11/2009

REVIEWS

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Music

Bootyliscious is back; Beyoncé Chloe Rogers Velvet curtains draw back, an intense melody plays out to the thousand of screaming fans and a spectacular cloud of smoke sweeps across the stage of the 02 arena. Stepping from beneath the soporific vista is Beyoncé Knowles, albeit in glamorous silhouette form, when the trombones and lights start up in tempo to Crazy in love. It is June 8th 2009, and for the second time in my life, I am almost rendered speechless at the extravagance that is the opening of her I Am...Sasha Fierce tour. Fastforward to the present and I am seriously putting all my efforts into avoiding EBay and those £90 tickets.

It’s what I call a harsh reality when I learn that Beyoncé is to return to the UK- and the student loan is already running dry.

Due to phenomenal interest and the sell-out of the scheduled 16th November 02 arena gig, the star has extended the tour to more British locations such as Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham. She will also be returning to London on the 14th November where no doubt, the

singer-come-actress and entrepreneur will again blow the audience away with her incredibly powerful and moving ballads such as Listen and the classical Ave Maria. More upbeat numbers included her bestreceived and well loved hits such as If I Were A Boy, which was ingeniously remixed with Alanis Morrisette’s Outta know, and the everpopular Single Ladies, performed after a screen viewing of the world’s reaction to the famous dance routine, including a comical appearance from President Obama. Other great performances integrated between striking-costume changes, were electro-sounding tracks from her album, I am...Sasha Fierce, such as Radio, featuring a background home-movie of Beyoncé as a child, Sweet Dreams, her most recent release, and a creative medley of Destiny’s Child’s chart-topping hits.

The impressive all-female band was merely a minor detail to the overall sassy sound: not only can Beyoncé belt out a good number of songs for 90 minutes, consistently on top form, but she can dance, of course with a little help from the gorgeous backing danc-

Places

Prepare to get lost; Camden Town Kayla Dos Santos Be prepared to get lost. The massive Camden Lock and Horse Stall markets consist of hundreds of vendors scattered among winding pathways, tunnels, and vast indoor spaces. It is not an easy place to navigate. This makes Camden the ideal place to spend hours wandering around for bargains, but it might be frustrating if you are short on time.

However, if your Saturday is free, Camden’s perfect hunting grounds for funky jewelry, vintage clothing, and odd knick-knacks. Of course, Camden has plenty of the standard market fare too, like ironic overpriced t-shirts, Banksy prints, and London memorabilia.

And then there is the food. Go

on an empty stomach because you will not be able to resist the diverse and delicious offerings. Thai food, Mexican, Italian, Camden has enough restaurants and stalls to satisfy even picky eaters. Best of all, you can eat your meal by Regent’s Canal, straddling on one of the many motorcycle chairs that encircle the market. If you are skint or just overwhelmed by so many choices, just go around and taste the many free samples.

While Camden Market is open every day of the week, the best time to go is Saturday. Although sure to be crowded, it is the only day where every stall is guaranteed to be open.

RATING... 6/10

ers. The set itself was eye-grabbing, with its flamboyant array of lights, shifting staircases and large screens displaying a number of innovative videos. The most poignant, and in my opinion, highpoint, of the concert was when Beyoncé proved herself as one of the most talented and dedicated performers by literally walking through the air and rotating head-over-heels whilst singing.

When landing on an isolated stage in the middle of the arena, she began a reggae-style composition, hyperbolically and suitably reflected through the green, red and yellow light display.

So, as this jaw-dropping tour reaches its end in November it is much anticipated if Beyoncé will alter any of the costumes or performances in any way, upholding her title of a fierce female with raw talent, soulful and energetic dance moves with a natural creative flair for performance variety and musical composition. My personal favourite was the closing-of-the-show; number one hit, Halo, where not only did she give a beautiful vocal performance but gracefully came down into the audience to brush hands

with her mesmerised fans (although by this time I’m slightly bitter at the fact I couldn’t afford the £300 front row ticket price) . Grab the chance to go in November and not only will you leave in awe of one of the world’s best entertainers; your boo-

ty will be shimmying its way home to log on to EBay, for your next, and in my case third, Beyoncé fix.

RATING... 9/10

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03/11/2009

Places

Andrenaline junkies; Metro Ski and Board Show Rebecca Wynter Stunting suicidal adrenaline junkies, stand-up, competitions, boutique stalls, trampolining catwalkers, gaming, ice skating, art, food and beer – the Metro Ski and Board Show kicked off the 09/10 ski season in Kensington Olympia.

A fresher’s fair for snow bums, the show was a must attend venue to see the latest gear and pick up some pre-season promotional bargains. Approximately 45,000 people attended making it the largest consumer winter sports show in Europe.

The show was dominated by the Trespass Big Air 50ft white board kicker in the centre. 12 freeskiers and 12 boarders competed in a dance-off of flips, grabs and rotations for the London Ride and British Snow Tour events. The UK’s freestyle elite spun some serious jumps to the commentator’s cries of “dude that’s so sick!” vamping mexican waves and counting claps from the crowd. England’s favourites for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics,

Sparrow Knox and James Woods, were among the elite competitors.

With a presenter reminiscent of Jackass’ Chris Pontius (Party Boy) The Fashion Show gave onlookers inspiration to look slick on the slopes this season showcasing a variety of brands including Quicksilver, Bonfire, Faiise, Salomon, Schöffel, and Westbeach. Body-popping dancers modelled this season’s bright gear with acrobatic stunts. The Skins Thermal Compression Wear got a big cheer from the crowd when the toned dancers strutted onto the stage revealing nearly all in the skintight garments. Prizes ranging from beanies to snowboards were flung into the audience at the end.

Reggae music, mulled wine, crepes and wild boar burgers brought the vibes of the mountain snowparks to central London. The whole montage of fashion, food, music and big air set the tone for the Freeze Festival.

RATING... 7/10

Theatre

Classics

The Globe; As You Like It Alexander Penn An attempt to think of something much more British than popping down to the Globe and seeing a Shakespeare play is certainly an exercise in futility. The historic Globe Theatre is the cornerstone of English culture; stunning artwork, beautiful architecture and the unique opentop atmosphere, all brought alive with a magnificent rendition of the Shakespeare comedy, ‘As You Like It’.

The main plot of play follows two young, exiled aristocrats as they chase each other’s hearts in a deep forest. The main plot is supported by a plethora of sub-plots culminating into a fun, extraordinarily entertaining ensemble piece. The read-

ing of the play was very light, while there were some touches of drama, the audience were often flung into fits of laughter. The very idea of going to watch a Shakespeare play could seem daunting to some; trying to follow such scholarly, literary verse instantaneously as the performance plays out. With this rendition, any concerns of that nature can be effectively rubbished! The story was as easy to follow as ‘The Sun’, which couldn’t have been possible without the impeccable cast.

Naomi Frederick pulled off a charming, captivating performance as Rosalind, whilst Dominic Rowan impressed as he executed his role as the Jester, Touchstone with ruthless efficiency – often sending the audience into rapture. Yet, Tim McMullan stole the show with his stunning

Anna Karenina rendition of the amusing yet devilishly deep Jaques. It was an utter delight to see McMullan’s Jaques roam around the theatre, almost omnisciently watching the events on stage, whilst interjecting with his witty embraces of dialogue including the unforgettable ‘All the world is but a stage’ monologue.

On top of the great job from the actors, the stagecraft was expertly constructed to match and embody the full Shakespearean experience.

The play consistently encouraged audience interaction whether it direct references in the dialogue or the characters entering the stage through the audience, it felt is if we were part of the play rather than watching it. This is what makes the globe so unparalleled to the rest of the theatrical world and why anybody interesting in English culture should come to see a show there.

Unfortunately, the Globe’s theatre season is now over and won’t start again till next year. In the birth of the next season, check out ‘As You Like It’. It may not be Shakespeare’s greatest play, but ,wow, they put on an amazing show.

Rating... 9/10

Alexander Penn Weighing in at around 900 pages, ‘Anna Karenina’ is a powerhouse read – a demanding, deep, intelligent novel that panoramically examines the darkest areas of humanity. Themes of jealousy, deceit and carnal desire unite in a gritty manner to culminate one of the world’s finest examples of literature.

The novel has a dual narrative structure, following two stories set in 19th century Russia. Anna Karenina and Levin are the two protagonists - the book tracks their turbulent affairs, taking the reader on a journey through a mosaic of high life difficulty. We’re guided through Anna’s dwindling and loveless marriage and Levin’s quest to discover himself.

Tolstoy juggles mood and tone around masterfully, one page we’re staring down the green abyss of jealousy, then the other we could be basking in a scene of glowing romance. ‘Anna Karenina’ is an eclectic experience, in every sense of the word – containing philosophical reflections, sudden embraces of social commentary and astonishing pas-

sages of complex emotional exposition.

‘Anna Karenina’ is nearly perfect – but it’s not for everyone. If you’re an idle, modest reader you’d probably use the book as a door stop after 50 pages. Yet if your passion lies in literature, ‘Anna Karenina’ is really a quintessential read. Under the opinion of this reviewer, European Literature is the bench-mark of which the whole literary world aspires to match – alongside Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations’ and Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and Punishment’, ‘Anna Karenina’ is a staple of European Literature.

Rating... 10/10

10

Film

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03/11/2009

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Alex MacDonald

Hey, look everyone! Terry Gilliam’s back! Now, normally, the re-emergence of Terry Gilliam is a sign for production companies to run for the hills, financial backers to burst into tears and critics to start sharpening their knives. After the bland Brothers Grimm, the intentionally unpleasant Tideland, the entire debacle of Don Quixote and having not had a financially successful movie since the early 80s, it looked as though Terry’s career had hit the skids. Then, out of nowhere, comes this film! As usual for Terry, there was disaster during production in that one of the leading men died. However, since this leading man happened to be Heath Ledger, who’d just starred the most successful film ever made (The Dark Knight) it was a different mat-

ter – see, because of this, Dr Parnassus will almost certainly be the most commercially successful film Terry will ever make; this alone will be enough to resurrect his flailing career and make him a viable prospect again. Of course, that’s no guarantee of quality – so what’s the film actually like? Well, it’s the best film he’s made since 12 Monkeys, that’s for sure. The plot revolves around a travelling show run by Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), which travels around a modern London encouraging people to venture inside his magic mirror where they will have all their dreams come to life. However, in 21st century London, people are too disinterested and unimaginative and so his show is no longer attracting people inside. Which is a bugger, because Dr. Parnassus is revealed to have made a deal with the devil (Tom Waits) for immortali-

The ‘stale’ Fantastic Mr. Fox

Guy Davis Wes Anderson’s 6th feature film and his debut-animated feature is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s novel with the same name. It follows Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) and his family and friends (voiced by a star studded cast) as they try to escape three evil farmers who are destroying their homes.

Anderson’s films are well known for being dialogue heavy and Fantastic Mr. Fox is no exception. Unfortunately this works to the detriment of the film as the themes and comedic elements that run through the dialogue are not child friendly; this, after all, being an adaptation of a children’s novel and marketed as a family film. The simple resolution to this problem is to inject a series of visual gags, which Anderson does and, in doing so, reveals a deeper problem within the film.

The animation is stale, unin-

spired and totally unsuitable for a Wes Anderson script. The characters are designed poorly, with pathetic attempts at facial expressions and lip syncs, particularly for Mr. Fox, the main character. The action is linear and at times difficult to watch, falling far short of the bar set by ‘Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’.

There are some redeeming qualities to the film with characters Ash (Jason Schwartzman) and Franklin Bean (Michael Gambon) providing an interesting character arc and an injection of comedy, respectively.

All in all it feels like Anderson is trying to reinvent an art form that he has absolutely no clue about.

STARS: *

ty and is stuck in a competition with him to be the first person to collect 5 souls, or else he must make a great sacrifice. The film is dazzling to look at – the imaginarium itself is filled with stunning and surreal imagery and the London locations are filled with a feeling of contemporary ennui. The acting is pretty uniform – Plummer is superbly grouchy, Lily Cole, as his daughter, gets the right balance of normalcy and eccentricity and Vernon Troyer as Parnassus’ sidekick does what he does best, albeit enduring the usual “look, a dwarf, LOL!” gags. As for Heath? Never thought much of him when he was alive, but since he died, he seems to just keep getting better; affecting an excellent British accent and shifting between paranoia and charm with ease, this a fine swansong. The trick of having him transform into Johnny Depp, Jude

Law and Colin Farrell, consecutively, works well with his schizoid character traits, even if the actual transformation is a bit under-elaborated – I also think that Johnny Depp’s appearance is a bit too brief. Still, the best performance – in fact the best thing in the whole film – is Tom Waits as the devil, Mr. Nick. His brilliantly crazed, eccentric, carnie-gone-bad persona works fantastically in the film and every scene with him is ingeniously dark, subversive and funny. On his own, it’s enough to ram the film up an extra star! I read a lot of reviews accusing the film of being confusing – I find that hard to understand, watching the film, since it’s pretty straightforward and linear. There is some occasional reality-blurring, but I think you’d have to have a fairly short attention span to lose track. Really, I can’t think of anything to complain about the film – maybe it’s a bit lightweight. I certainly can’t put it on the same level as Brazil or Twelve Monkeys, because it lacks their brand of dark satire and psychological deconstruction. Also, it can occasionally feel slightly reactionary. You certainly get the image of Gilliam as a somewhat naive idealist for a simpler time, less bound with the complexity and cynicism of modern life. Whether you consider this a bad or good thing is up to personal taste, I guess. Anyway, maybe after this film, the next time Terry comes onto the horizon, producers and critics might actually not duck for cover, but actually embrace him with open arms. Or maybe this was just a fluke, we’ll have to wait and see. For now, I declare it a success!

STARS: *****

Classic: The 100 foot Tarantula

Alex MacDonald

50’s science-fiction is perhaps the most underrated and misunderstood genre of all time. Mainly because there IS more shite in it than any other genre. But there’s also a lot of genius in it and the greatest genius was Jack Arnold. His most famous film of the era was certainly The Incredible Shrinking Man, but Tarantula is one of his more overlooked. The film’s plot is basic – scientist messes with nature and accidently creates a colossal giant tarantula. What’s great is the execution – see, Jack realised that the best way to create a realistic-looking giant tarantula is, well, use an actual tarantula! So, through brilliant use of super-imposing, you have the image of a 100 foot tarantula stalking the screen. Arachnophobes must not watch this film.

The film is set and shot in the Arizona desert - a beautiful, stark ter-

rain which Jack was very fond of using in his films and gives a great sense of mystery and desolation.

Well, y’know, the acting is no great shakes –not awful, but not really relevant either. Sci-fi films, unusually for the time, were fond of using intelligent female characters in leading roles and this also follows that tendency – otherwise, though, the actors are just there to spout pseudo-scientific nonsense and occasionally thought-provoking socio-political ideas. What’s great about these films is that they’re so humble and unpretentious and yet they say so much about the era and can still say so much about perceptions of science and its impact on society. Plus, it’s got one big freaking spider in it!

STARS: ****

What other people thought...

“The central flaw of the movie is that script too complex for no reason, that story of a girl we don’t really care about and a boy we just have to despise...This is just a new - and beautiful - dream of a director with a great imagination. But not a good story.” - Yann Lebecque “Maybe it’s coz my expectations were through the roof and i had had a fowl argument with my girlfriend BUT...i didn’t love it. In fact I only just liked it. I heard Gilliam had a lot of juggling to do after ledgers death but even so - I don’t think the story worked for me. I would have enjoyed more of people’s imaginations rather than the sometimes lame and pedestrian plot of the girl being gambled by the old man. Some nice performances - notably Tom Waits little devil almost cameo. bit of a shame i think” - Eternal Sunshine Ken

“Great film! Most people probably have that opinion, but only because the film is Heath Ledger’s last role. People need to open their minds to the fact, that really, it is a very strange, interesting, entertaining film! Not just Ledger though, each actor has exceptional moments, especially Tom Waits as Dr Nick! Stole the spotlight in ever scene he was in!” - toni-brough “I saw it a few days ago, and I honestly don’t know what to make of it. It was pretty spectacular, Terry Gilliam certainly has a wild imagination.” - scrimms_raised_eyebrow

Film Soc Screening Q THE WINGED SERPENT When a secretive underground cult resurrect a powerful Aztec god with a penchant for human flesh… who you gonna call? Larry Cohen’s critically disclaimed 1982 masterpiece Q The Winged Serpent predates the antics of ghosbusters. Fortunately however Q’s award winning leads Richard Roundtree (Shaft, Speedracer) and David Carradine (Kill Bill, Mean Streets) prove more than up to the challenge. And that’s in no way overlooking the compelling performance of Micheal Moriaty (Hitler Meets Christ). But Q is far more than a sum of its cast: Cohen seamlessly interweaves the lives of small time crooks, bigshot detectives and underappreciated girlfriends into the chaos of the action driven thriller genre without skipping a frame. In short Q The Winged Serpent adds up to a monster movie you cant afford to miss!

Science & Environment

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11

03/11/2009

Queen Mary Researchers reveal rapid increase in Down’s Syndrome pregnancies Over the last 20 years, the number of Down’s syndrome pregnancies has risen sharply as women opt to have children later. In that time, there has also been major improvements in pre-natal screening for the condition and a subsequent increase in the number of women seeking to be screened. The number of babies being born has remained relatively level, at around 750 babies a year. However, many wom-

en are opting for an abortion following screenings which reveal their unborn child to have the condition.

According to Joan Morris, Professor Medical Statistics: “What we’re seeing here is a steep rise in pregnancies with Down’s syndrome but that is being offset by improvements in screening. It was thought that these improvements would lead to a decrease in the number of births with Down’s syndrome. However due to

increases in maternal age, this has not occurred.”

The data, collected from the National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register at Queen Mary, reveals a 71 percent increase in Down’s syndrome pregnancies which researchers feel is down to women choosing to have children later in life.

The proportion of women who decide to terminate a Down’s syndrome pregnancy has remained

Darwin teaching continues to divide opinion in the 21st century

A poll for the British Council has revealed that more than half of adults in a survey of 10 countries thought that school science lessons should teach theories of evolution alongside myths of creationism. Among the few participants of the study who knew of Darwinism, on average around 53% felt that other possible perspectives should also be taught to secondary school pupils. In Great

Britain 60% felt this way whereas in Egypt, only 27% said such theories should not be in science lessons at all.

The people were asked in an interview which statements were closed to their own opinion about how the theory of evolution should be conveyed to pupils in science lessons. One in five in developing countries, including China and

South Africa, thought that evolutionary theories should not be taught altogether.

Commenting on the results, Dr Fern Elsdon-Baker said: “It is quite an interesting response and we need to think about why that is.”

The divided results prove that Darwinism continues to be a controversial belief, despite a wealth of scientific evidence.

Doctors report making deathly decisions with patients in their care A third of doctors report making decisions which they expect will hasten the death of a patient in their care, according to research from Queen Mary, University of London.

Approximately 29 percent claimed they had made decisions which they expected, but were not specifically intended, to hasten death. A further 7 percent said they had made decisions which were partly or explicitly intended to hasten death.

The decisions include withhold-

ing treatment, CPR, feeding or water, or giving drugs to control pain or other symptoms.

These findings are from a survey of almost 3.000 doctors reporting on the last patient they attended who died. These decisions were more likely made in intensive care in hospitals, than in care homes or hospices. The decisions were also less likely to be made by doctors who held strong religious beliefs.

Results also show that decisions which were expected or intended to

hasten death were no more likely when doctors were treating vulnerable patients, such as the very elderly or those suffering with dementia.

Professor Clive Seale of Queen Mary said: “These results are reassuring because they suggest that doctors are consulting with their patients. They also suggest that patients who might be considered to be vulnerable are receiving the same treatment as others.”

Did you know... n Shark pups are born with supersized livers, providing them with nutrients to help them survive early life. The researchers who made this discovery say it shows how the sleek fish have evolved to “invest” in their newborns.

n Engineers working on the Large Hadron Collider, as featured in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, have successful injected beams of particles into two sections of the vast machine. An LHC spokesperson said this was the first time

particle beams had been inside the LHC since it was shut down late september 2008. The successful move serves as a “milestone” for future collisions of particularly large hadrons.

QM Environment

350 of what?

Tanya Dimitrova The 24 October 2009 was the International Day for Climate Action organized by 350.org – a world-wide eco-campaign. More than 5200 events took place in 181 countries around the world. There was everything from hundreds of people forming in the shape of 350, to some enthusiasts climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or diving in the Great Barrier Reef with a sign stating just that: 350. So what is it all about?

The number 350 means 350ppm (parts per million) of CO2 in the atmosphere. For most of human history until about 200 years ago, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was stable at 275 ppm. Since we started taking carbon out of the ground and putting in into the atmosphere by means of burning fossil fuels, this number has continued to grow.

Today we are at around 387ppm and rising. Scientists have determined that the maximum safe level of CO2 in the air is 350ppm if we are to avoid a climate catastrophe.

We passed that level in 1990.

So how do we get there? By less non-renewable fossil fuel, and more green renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. But first, we need to raise awareness about this problem in our politicians – the people who set the targets for CO2 emission reductions. There is no better time to do that than now. Why? Because in only a few weeks time, the world leaders will meet at the UN Climate

Summit in Copenhagen to discuss our global CO2 emissions and possible solutions to the problem. So we need to send the right message to them. Uniting around the world in thousands of 350-events is just one way to do that.

Inspired by the 350 campaign, QMUL students decided to join ‘The Big 5’ event in Central London. Hundreds of people gathered together for an aerial photograph of the digit ‘5’ to couple with a ‘3’ taken in Sydney, and a ‘0’ taken in Copenhagen. We smiled and waved at the camera on the platform above and felt great about taking an action on the International Day for Climate Action.

The event was marked by the presence of inspirational speakers such as Roz Savage – a world-renowned ocean-rower, environmental campaigner and a UN Climate Hero. Roz is the only woman in the world who has rowed solo across the Atlantic and two thirds of the Pacific ocean. As she puts it: “It took me 1 million oar-strokes to row across the Atlantic. If I looked at it that way from the beginning, I would have never started. The only way I could complete my journey was to take it one stroke at a time.

Anything can be achieved if you take it one little step at a time.” So what will be your little step today towards saving the environment?

Want to learn more about the Kyoto Agreement and the Copenhagen Climate Summit? Look for the next issue of QMessenger.

Sport

Interested in sport? sports@qmessenger.co.uk

13

03/11/2009

Hockey Club soaring on Penniket’s wings Emily Dobson Darren McGuinness Women’s Hockey QM 7-0 Herts 2s Last Wednesday (21st October) the Women’s Hockey 1st team went to Redbridge to meet the Hertfortshire Uni ladies 2s.

Still grinning after their first match win of 6-0 the ladies got off to a fine start with Elaine Penniket scoring 2 sensational goals, one from a short corner and one from a brilliantly driven ball up the field.

Anastasia Nicholl then went to slam the ball in mid-air at the goal from a flick at a short corner; their opponents tried to argue it, but overall it was known to be genius...and thus their third goal was tallied.

Roseanna Asher-Relf, the Leopardettes’ premier driver up the right wing, got the next one, with great team support from the forwards Rose McCourt and Kirsten Mejnertsen.

The defence, consisting of Jenn Fisher, Captain Dobson, Tatiana Elaguila and Grace Lancer, had a small defensive game, however, when push came to shove they defended brilliantly - even pushing forward to become part of the offensive lines.

Jenny Hawkes in left-midfield played a fantastic game, assisting Elaguila and Mejenrtsen to drive up the left-hand side of the field. But the hero of the day has to be Penniket (Pennitiketiket) scoring 5 goals out of the winning total 7. Captain Emily Dobson is a “very proud mother hen” whilst Social Sec Anastasia Nicholl looked forward to “Gining the hell out of Elaine, ‘The Perfect Woman’!”

and Gütshow’s finish into the top corner after another great break put the hosts 5-2 up.

A controversial call and a good finish moved the lead back to two, but despite protests and other associated actions the QM boys kept the two-goal lead and recorded their first, hopefully of many, victories

Cup fixtures Regrettably both runs came to an abrupt end on Wednesday 28th October as both men and women alike shipped 7 goals apiece, crashing out to Greenwich and

RUMS respectively. Sam Ecott and Matt Stott made it interesting in the men’s game, as they pulled it back to 4-2, but a hat-trick of short corner strikes from the bandana-wearing Greenwich centre back was enough to put them through.

Men’s Hockey QM 5-3 GKT 2s On the back of a good win early last season against GKT, the men continued their form against the medics as they sauntered to a big win.

Despite the scoreline, the game was far more Queen Mary’s for the taking than GKT’s for the saving as the boys put pressure on every line.

Markus Gütshow put the Leopards ahead after a short-corner broke down, and captain Sam Ecott and Matt Stott threw the boys threeone up at the break after a rough deflection put the ball past makeshift keeper James Grundy.

A positive half-time team-talk kept the Leopards’ heads up, though a well-worked move put the visitors within one, but a cameo appearance from Shawn Pautz restored the lead

Crossword No. 4

The Hockey Men and Women both record solid victories in the league but disappointingly crash out of the cup

Suduko No. 7 & 8

Across 2. Ships (7) 7. Uncover (4) 8. Edible mollusc (4) 9. Norwegian name of Norway (5) 10. Force (6) 11. Active (6) 12. Dress with care (5) 14. An instant (5) 19. Lassoing (6) 21. Against (6) 22. Spanish river (5) 23. Trash (4) 24. Confer (4) 25. Spirit (7)

Medium

this season.

Hard

Down 1. Hedge (7) 2. Locale (5) 3. Squirts (6) 4. Builds (6) 5. Run hastily (7) 6. Umbilicus (5) 13. Error (7) 15. Confer (7) 16. Declares (6) 17. Source (6) 18. Russian spacecraft (5) 20. Dough (5)

Last issue’s solution (Crossword no. 3)

Last issue’s solutions (Sudukos no. 5 & 6) Medium

Hard

14

Sport

Interested in sport? sports@qmessenger.co.uk

03/11/2009

McGuinness’ Moment “The referee’s to thank for…” (the game going ahead) For too long have we relied not only on our friends but instead the kindness of strangers and ex-players of the Sports we love coming out to officiate for us. However, as has been made abundantly clear to me personally, it is a favour and they don’t HAVE to. So for those who disrespect the officials, be warned.

As a qualified umpire myself, I should have known better than to protest during the recent victory the men had over GKT 2s in the BUCS League (Wednesday 21st October – see the report). Indeed, it wasn’t just ex-players or kindly souls that turned out to ensure we weren’t anarchic in our fixture, but rather current members of the women’s team, who I’d umpired not long before taking to the stage myself.

I wasn’t just critical, instead I was scathing; my comments, while perhaps repeatable, don’t ever deserve airing again and I was fully aware of how wrong it was to say them despite being caught up in the moment. Never again, I trust.

And this is a call to all those who think thee are holier than thou.

You’re not. Even if in all reality the referee or umpiring official is blatantly wrong, it is them with the power to eject you from the field of play, it is they who decides what is right and wrong, and it is they who can determine whether you win or lose, or indeed whether you are brought in front of a disciplinary hearing.

I’ve seen worse behaviour than mine before. In truth, I’ve been on the receiving end. More than once.

And it isn’t pretty.

So, in the words of the Rolling Stones, have some sympathy. None of us is above the law, let alone the laws of Sport under which we play with such strict regard for the rules and spirit. Gamesmanship is one thing, but a lack of Sportsmanship is something completely different, and I don’t want to hear about it again. It almost cost me friendships, and the effects in the longrun could have been much worse.

Until the Clubs at these Universities are playing in a high enough standard to deserve panel-appointed officiating, let’s be a lot less hasty to point the finger at the man or woman in charge. Let’s stick to our guns, get good, and then, by that time, it won’t matter; you’ll be too focussed on winning to start pointless arguments that only damage your chances of success.

Darren McGuinness

First half strikes sweep Leopards past St George’s

Ashley Sweetman

QM 3s free shackles of slow start to season

Abacus in Nottingham

James Aldridge

Men’s Football RUMS 2s 0-3 QM 3s Queen Mary’s III team got their season up and running with a hardfought 3-0 victory over Royal Free & University College Medical School II’s after a virtuoso second half performance in which their class shone through.

Notoriously slow starters in the league season, Queen Mary came into the fixture on the back of an opening day draw against Royal Holloway IV’s, and an unfortunate defeat away at UCL VI’s, in which they were made to pay for a sloppy opening quarter.

It appeared this sluggish tendency would be their downfall again, as Royal Free began the game much the stronger, with some intricate central midfield interplay nullifying the threat posed by Queen Mary’s neat and tidy pairing of James McManus and Iain Turner. With a playing style based around expansive, counter-attacking football focused on the direct pace of James Aldridge and the flair of Simeon Gavalyugov from either wing, early signs were that a more organic approach would be needed to grind out a result.

However, for all their early domination Royal Free looked unlikely to breach the cultured centre half partnership of Tom Bassam and Will Phoenix, who were distributing the ball with ease from the de-

fence. Indeed, it was thanks to some intelligent passing that the deadlock was finally broken on the stroke of half time. Laying the ball off for Iain Turner in midfield, captain Jack Olliver spun his defender and collected the return ball on the byline.

Turner made a gamble into the 6 yard box and managed to get a toepoke on the cut-back, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and sending the ball trickling into the corner. It was a goal that rewarded a rare moment of attacking originality from Queen Mary, who went in at the interval leading, perhaps undeservedly.

As the teams returned for the second period, however, there was a rejuvenated feel to the III’s. Buoyed by the goal, they managed to assert their authority onto proceedings and pass the ball around in style, particularly Turner who was having an increasing influence on the game. It was he who won the corner that led to the second, crucial, goal.

James McManus, whose delivery from dead balls had been excellent all day, swung in a corner which was powerfully headed home by substitute Dominic Malone. And a matter of moments later, the result was all but secured as Turner beat the goalkeeper to a through ball, before slotting into an empty net.

As the full time whistle blew, Queen Mary could be left satisfied with a professional performance.

However, if their assault on the league title is to be launched, they will hope their fluid football can be found on a more regular basis.

Men’s Football QM 4s 4-2 St George’s 2s Following a disappointing loss to King’s College Thirds in their last match, Queen Mary’s Fourths were determined to kick-start their season with a solid performance against a physically impressive St. George’s Second Team.

The match started edgily, both teams taking a pragmatic approach and hoping to catch the other on the break. After some fairly impressive football by both sides, QM took an unlikely lead through midfield dynamo Johnny Mallet, closely followed by some smart striking from speedy forward Martin Bergesson.

The Leopards now began to play some of their best football of the game, and even though they conceded a goal, taking a 4-1 victory into the break was an impressive achievement, given the strength

John Yau

The Queen Mary Abacus Football team was lucky enough to be invited Nottingham Games 2009, the biggest sports event for Chinese students in the UK. We were put in to a ‘Group of Death’ along with UCL Abacus, Durham Chinese Society and Warwick Chinese Society. It was a really tough group for us since we were making our Nottingham Games debut and people had tipped Durham and UCL to win the tournament. Therefore no one gave us a chance to qualify for the quarter finals.

However, the Abacus Leopards made the most of the draw between UCL and Durham by taking 3 points against Warwick, thanks to a quick brace from Intersoc Legend Billy Leung. The first was a left foot curer in to the top corner after being put through by Andy Chan, and for his second he took advantage of some poor defending to round the keeper to slot home from a tight angle.

The second match was against Durham which finished 0-0, with nothing separating the two sides.

The final group game against UCL was a must-win for both teams to be sure of qualification for the quarter-finals.

The facts were stacked against QM, having lost their last 3 meet-

and pace of the St. George’s attack.

The second half saw QM slightly drop off the pace, some sloppy play and decision-making providing their opposition with a platform from which to counter-attack. Determined defending, however, from Femi Rotimi and constant midfield pressure by the central partnership of Mallet and Mitch Ingram made it difficult for St. George’s to actually break through, until 15 minutes from time, when their speedy target man carved through the QM defence to slot home the goal his performance had warranted.

Emerging victorious from such a hard-fought game stands the 4s in good stead for their next fixture. Having only played together twice previously, understandably the team is still bonding, yet a 4-2 victory having played far below their full potential can only mean a bright future for Queen Mary’s Fourths.

ings and UCL being the defending champions. As expected UCL dominated the match and only a couple world class saves from John Yau kept us in the match, and possibly the tournament. With the match finishing 0-0, both teams knew qualification would depend on the result of the final match in the group between Durham and Warwick.

It was a tense match for the two sides watching on since if Durham won by two goals or more they would be qualifying at the expense of QM or UCL, but the match finished 3-2 to Durham, which meant both QM and UCL qualified for the quarter-final. where they played Southampton Chinese Society and Manchester Chi Society respectively.

The quarter final took place with strong gusts across the field, meaning the teams couldn’t play their usual game. Southampton took advantage of the wind and scored the winner just before half time, which broke QM hearts and send us packing.

Having sustained a few injuries in the tournament, Abacus will be looking to regroup and return to fitness, not for Intersoc but rather the London Abacus Football League for this coming winter. Dru Ngo’s men will join a host of other talented sides from across the capital in their quest to dethrone the now infamous UCL side.

Sport

Interested in sport? sports@qmessenger.co.uk

15

03/11/2009

VP Activities Speaks...

Rain, rain come again...

Sarah Howell

Women’s Netball QM 1s 24-16 Imperial 1s (21st October) Despite dreadful weather conditions and a court covered in puddles, the QM Netball 1st team achieved a fantastic victory over Imperial in their second match of the season.

I have to say that I am becoming deeply concerned about the state of the world, and the main issue I feel I must address today is that of recycling.

Recycling: such an easy and effortless way of saving the world, so why do so many students insist upon creating unnecessary waste? I find plastic bags to be the cause of much of my agitation these days.

Why, I ask myself daily, do people continue to leave the house to go food shopping without taking with them a few of the millions of plastic bags they have lying around their room? Or why do they not stick to good oldfashioned custom, and carry a nice wicker basket with them in which to put their groceries?!

I personally know somebody to whom there is no greater enjoyment in life than taking a nice wicker basket down to Borough Market each week and filling up with fresh vegetables. This is not only saving the life of yet another plastic bag, but is also very helpful in supporting local farmers (well local-ish).

So now I have to somehow find a way to tie this in with the topic I am supposed to write about: sport. Is there a way? I doubt it, so I will just quickly say something sport related – so far the QM teams are doing pretty well (I think).

Oh, and one more thing (neither sport nor recycling related) – can the people who are leaving the tables they have used for society stalls in library square please put them away. It’s starting to p*** me off.

You know you love me, xoxo – Gossip Girl. (This is a television reference – if you don’t get it you clearly don’t watch enough 4OD. Get a life) We make the magic happen.

Vratislav Domalip III VP Activities

We began the game in our usual fast-paced manner, but Imperial seemed to have the upper hand in the first quarter, ending 8-5. It was only when the Leopardettes slowed the pace down, with short, sharp passes that they began to play much more smoothly and they pulled back the deficit, with the second quarter ending 11-10.

The third quarter was the best by far for the hosts, as GD Kate moved to C and we really took control of the flow of play, with Kate and all the attackers working well to get

the ball into the shooters, and the shots were being popped in with ease. The goals mounted up, and by the end of the third quarter QM had taken the lead.

At the Imperial attacking end, the QM defence constantly piled the pressure on and, although the shots were accurate, they often cut down the flow of play, with players’ player Sophie doing a brilliant job stepping in as GD and the Leopardettes pulled away. The game ended 2416, a well-deserved win for the QM Netball 1sts. The women came from behind and overtook, romping away to their first win this season. Player of the match was Kate O’ Sullivan, who was crucial to their victory.

Goldsmiths 20-21 QM 1s (26th October) Reading 2s 15-25 QM 1s (28th October) It was a winning week for the QM Netball First team, with 2 more victories to celebrate. On Monday, they travelled to Goldsmiths, and

won 21-20. It was a close-fought match, as the visitors pulled away comfortably in the 1st quarter, with a smooth flow of play and the shots going in, but then the Leopardettes also started to make a lot of silly mistakes, which broke down this flow of play. However, when they regrouped and started to play their natural game, QM mounted a lead of 6 goals, and after a shaky last quarter, they managed to hold onto the lead and achieved our 2nd victory.

Wednesday afternoon saw a trip to Reading and their 3rd win of the season. The girls managed to work the ball well throughout the court for most of the game, which was edgy and fast-paced. It was a very physical game but they put their tactics into force as they had managed in the previous comebacks, and the last quarter in particular was very successful. Katie O’ Sullivan made a star turn, stepping in to play GA, far removed from her normal position, GD. For this she earned players’ player. Player of the

match was Kirsty Roy. With 3 victories in the bag already this season, the Netball First team is looking strong.

Leopards leave it late at home Tobi Ozzie Osibodu Men’s Basketball QM 1s 78 - 76 Roehampton The Basketball team did it again!

Their first home game, cheerleaders, large crowd, music, full team: the scene was set. Roehampton had a good team up; they claimed to have recruited some good ball players and it was noticeable that it was not a fallacy - after 3 quarters the hosts were down by 10, and simply had shown none of the form of the previous week despite outstanding performances from Gennaro Anane and Jason Gibbs.

It was again a change in de-

fence that turned the game. The Leopards shut down the visitors with intensity and good transition offence.

In the final minute of the match, onlookers could be forgiven for biting their nails and mopping their brows as the hosts brought the game back to 76 – 76. Ozzie Osidobu called a time out – it was clear that they needed to get the ball to their best player’s hands, giving him every opportunity to finally overhaul that huge margin, and they did.

Anane dribbled the ball around the three-point line for 5 seconds, took the ball towards the baseline to make an impossible blind shot behind the basket to win the game!

An eruption of cheers accompanied the move and the QM boys continued their big start to the season.

Thanks to the cheerleaders for their support and BIG thanks to the

crowd that made the game something special.

Rugby firsts trounce Southbank ...Continued from back page mates, who howled in delight as he ran three-quarters of the length of the pitch, through the heart of the Southbank defence, and then around the now heartbroken Southbank left wing, to score an amazing solo effort.

Welshman Matt Bolous had a solid game at fly-half, which included a penalty, a conversion, and a try. But he let himself down with a lapse of ill-discipline, by getting

sin-binned for kicking a player on the ground.

Credit is also due to Andy Kanyemba’s performance and ferocious play, which resulted in him having to leave the park with a dislocation.

A proud but humble Sam Kirby said after the game: “I was impressed by the performance of the guys today. They put in 100%. They had a really good work ethic. The game could have got a bit scrappy but we stuck to our guns, and did

what we do best. And managed to keep it nice and tight throughout and not concede any points.

“Everyone played well but one of the outstanding players was Rainer Iveson playing inside centre. He put in some very big tackles and carried the ball very well throughout.

“Phil Simpson was especially good today. His commitment has been perfect, his support play was brilliant and did all the leg work that no one [recognises]. He put the hard graft in to get possession for

points.”

With their victory away at Burgess Park, the 1sts continued their great start to the season with their third win in a row after impressive outings against Middlesex (26-12) and Greenwich (36-0). The prospects look bright for the season ahead. Could this be the season that Queen Mary come home with the bacon? To find out, watch this space...

QSPORT

Bringing you all the latest fixtures and results from the QM Sports teams Sports Editor: Darren McGuinness sports@qmessenger.co.uk Sub Editor: Rebecca Ngakane proofing@qmessenger.co.uk

3rd Nov ‘09 • Issue 16 • FREE

Inside... Cheerleaders storm the court as men’s basketball steal late win (above)... Netballers on a roll... Abacus society play in the Nottingham Games... Plus more...

Easy pickings for Rugby Leopards against Southbank Harvir Bhogal Men’s Rugby QM 1s 57 - 0 Southbank The Queen Mary forwards completely dominated their opposition and their power advantage was obvious. They won many of the Southbank scrums and were especially lethal with their driving mauls, and with turnovers in rucks, to set up good attacking positions. Despite being large, their deceptive pace was responsible for many inspiring charges carrying the ball in hand, and regularly getting past the gain line.

The backs were led by captain and

scrum-half Sam Kirby, who scored five of the tries and was ever-present all over the park. His touchkicking from penalties was solid, and his leadership credentials were evident for all to see. As well as being a terrier with his breakaways from breakdown positions, a particular highlight was his use of a basketball-style pass on two occasions; one to assist a try.

The tenacious pair of centres, Rainer Iveson and James Tuttiett, with their flowing locks, both made scintillating breaks on many an occasion and linked up well with the half-backs, and with full-back Joe McDonald who frequently and fluently joined the back line. Tuttiett opened the scoring and Iveson ran in two touchdowns in the sec-

ond half.

Southbank showed glimpses of potential, especially at the end of each half when they had the momentum. And their backs showed their speed through some exciting solo runs. However, their players lacked experience, quality and the leadership that Queen Mary had in abundance. As the match wore on, they were more tired and their defence in particular suffered as the Leopards ran through to score with relative ease.

Ben Challinor on the right wing, haunted his opponent number with the frantic and formidable chasing down of kicks. It was his try that captivated the minds of his team Continued page 15...