QMessenger 19

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THE DEBATE: Should Gordon Brown stay or go?

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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

Review: Clooney’s new comedy

Only top unis may get PhD funding Page 6

26th Jan ‘10 • Issue 19 • FREE

Play Suduko and Crossword Page 9

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Vice Chancellors look into preventing violent extremism on campuses Survey reveals 88% of small and medium businesses would not employ graduates in the recession, p3

Sheeza Anjum THE HEAD of UCL is to lead a panel of Vice Chancellors who will look into how universities can take action to prevent violent extremism while maintaining freedom of speech on campus.

Universities UK, the organisation of Vice Chancellors in Britain set up this committee after former UCL student Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, became the suspected of blowing up a flight to Detroit on Christmas day.

Twenty-three year old Umar Farouk was president of UCL’s Islamic Society from 2006 to 2007 and graduated with a degree in Engineering and Business Finance in 2008.

UCL Provost Malcolm Grant, has rejected the claims that Umar Farouk was radicalised during his time at University. However, a UCL spokesperson confirmed that Grant has launched an independent review into Umar Farouk’s time at the institution.

UCL’s Student Union issued a statement declaring that MusContinued page 5...

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26/01/2010

News University grade inflation rise in Brief James McMillan

ACS send out homophobic Facebook message The African Caribbean Society here at Queen Mary has sent out a Facebook message and created a group containing a blatnantly homophobic message. The group was set up to advertise their end of term party before the Christmas break and the subsequent message was sent to all group members attempting to raise awareness of the party.

Information on the group page which was also included in the message, advising on a dress code, stated: “GIRLS: DRESS SEXY AND ELEGANT BOYS: PYJAMA’S ONLY, FOR MOST OF YOU THAT’S TOPLESS (NO HOMO)” After receiving a complaint about the message, the Students’ Union contacted the society immidiately requesting that the group be removed from Facebook. A meeting between the SU and the president of the ACS has been arranged for the 27th January.

Check out the next issue of QMessenger for more information about what occurs from this.

Sabbatical and Student Trustee Elections It’s that exciting time of year again when you have the opportunity to run to become one of the next Vice-Presidents or The President of QMSU. There are also 5 part-time voluntary positions available for Student Trustees. The nominations for the elections have opened so if you want to run you must submit your application by 4pm Tuesday 2nd Feb. All of the information about the roles and more is available at www.qmsu.org/elections or from the Blomeley Centre. If you have any questions contact the Deputy Returning Officer – Anna Hiscocks at vpedandrep@qmsu.org. F or those of you who do not want to run then remember it’s even more important for you to vote.

The voting opens 10pm Tuesday 9th Feb until 4pm Thursday 11th Feb. It is up to you to make sure that the right person gets the job.

IN A perpetually more competitive job market the pressure to graduate with a good degree is higher than ever before. This may not be a worry for some considering that 2009 saw universities award students a higher proportion of 1st and 2:1 degrees than has been achieved across the last 25 years.

However, this is apparently because we are all thick.

Moaning about grade inflation is a heavily rehearsed occupation for a great body of contemporary UK media. With google a mere keystroke away it certainly doesnt take much effort to discover that grade inflation has been a recurring column filler for over a decade. And still it earns broadsheet attention in january, months away from exams and the end of the academic year. Many of the statistics quoted in said articles could easily be pulled straight from a Chris Morris sketch and are suitably rounded to the point of hyperbole. However the main lines of evidence can be easily summarized into a few key points: The proportion of 1st class degrees awarded is estimated to have risen by 5.6% in the last decade. Individual universities are awarding up to 38% more 1st’s than ten

years agoWith such a high number of people entering university there should (for some undisclosed reason) be more weak students than strong ones.

Sure there is plenty of “logic” thrown about as anonymous experts and random professors all jump in to speculate on how the rise in graduate success can and should be attributed to anything other than hard work. The fountain of wisdom that is Boris Johnson declaring “id love to believe that students are getting ever more brilliant and they probably are, just not to this extent”. Certainly there is some cynical reasoning for assessors to push up any grade short of the next class. With the introduction of tuition fee’s students are now paying for what they are taught and quite rightly demand to be taught well and according to some professors students are often quick to externalize their failures rather than seek self improvement.

Lecturers are perceived as supporting grade inflation by awarding 10% marks for attendance. Although this may seem it is perfectly applicable to courses that are assessed through seminar and workshop orientated discussion.

Yet what is the basis of all this pessimism? my own research is unable to draw any genuine conclusion. One “expert” (who has chosen to remain anonymous) calculated

that grade inflation could account for 10% of a universities league table position. This doesnt sound like much when you consider 90% of the league table position is based on the billion and one other factors that go into such rankings. A few cynics contest that grade inflation is an insidious way for universities to attract students who believe that if they go to a good university they will get a good degree. However this fails to account for the fact that universities are largely funded through research quality and the number of students that can be recruited per annum is capped anyway.

Fundamentally however is that little research has combined accusations of grade inflation with research into why average academic performance has risen. A bit of dig-

ging through the National Statistics website indicates that more women are in education than before, and that women tend to out perform men academically across the board. In Wales around 37% of undergraduates are mature students who are either retraining or entering higher education after the experience of work, a demographic surely more capable and willing to bear the workload that an 18 year first year may begrudge.

As keen as the media may be to remind us that our education is valueless and even if we do make the grade its probably because we’re morons. Bear in mind that these views are not being passed through the scathing critique that we are subjected to every deadline.

PhD funding for only top universities Emma Aldridge

rector of research for Lord Mandelson.

A report is expected in the next few weeks which will claim that funding for PhD students should be limited to only the best research-intensive universities in the country. The review was led

by Professor Adrian Smith, former principal of Queen Mary and di-

Paul Marshall, Executive Director of the 1994 Group of leading research-intensive universities, (including Queen Mary) claims that “a new quality threshold on PhD provision must be introduced. HEFCE’s [Higher Education Finance Council for England] funding should be

more concentrated than it currently is, in order for Government investment to be channelled as effectively as possible and at the best value.

This would still allow all institutions to provide PhDs if they wish, but provision below the quality threshold would be reliant on fee income rather than Government funds”. The implication is that as non-1994 and Russell Group universities have less academically recognised staff on board, the quality of doctorate students produced is lower.

This standpoint has been heavily criticised as it forces smaller and newer universities to stop offering a provision for students to study for PhD’s and suggests that the elitist structure in universities will be increased.

Just a brief look at comments to the relevant article on the Times Online website demonstrates how unhappy many people (including academics) are with the statement made by the 1994 Group. One university lecturer and researcher claimed that, in his experience there was ‘very little evidence supporting the view that doctoral students are “better supervised” in

“top rank research Universities” and some evidence that the quality and pastoral aspects of supervision are better dealt with in smaller institutions.’

There is some support for the move however with another Internet user asking ‘Do we really need to be producing so many people with PhDs?’ This is a viable argument and a reduction in the number of available PhD places would ensure that the standard remained high. But I just can’t bring myself to accept this view. The initial report stems from Mandelson who is looking at cutting university funding at so many levels and PhD funding just seems to be the next area on his hit list. Students should have the opportunity to study at the university that best matches their research area and topic. Government should not decide for the student where they can and cannot study. I am also ashamed that Queen Mary, as a 1994 Group university, is behind this elitist idea.

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26/01/2010

The President

Graduate employment worsening Janani Rathakrishnan

After a motion was passed to affiliate to London Citizens at student council earlier this academic year I am now finalising the details and then we will be an official member which means we will be part of the community organisers that fought and continue to fight for London Living Wage, a minimum hourly rate paid to those living in London and struggling to survive on the national minimum wage.

QM Geography as well as security are proud members that helped that fight, and now we the student body need to help keep the campaign alive.

London Citizens have many other campaigns which can all be viewed here, www.londoncitizens.org.uk , I myself am a very big fan of this organisation, they get things done, rather then running pointless campaigns they strive to be effective in everything they do, and all for the improvement of society, I would strongly encourage you all to have a read and get involved. Its not every day you come across a group of people who’s passion is to improve the communities and societies we live in and make them a healthier safer and more prosperous place to live. It only makes sense that we forward thinking, energetic, passionate, righteous students who fight for what is right and who want to change the world to a better place be at the forefront of these campaigns. Or maybe we are too lazy and caught up in our own little worlds that we could care less, in which case it would be sad times indeed for those who rely on us for there futures.

Do this please, take out a minute of your time to visit www. youtube.com and then search for “London citizens city Safe Campaign” it’s a 6:13 minute video clip, very inspiring.

As always if you want to get more involved with London Citizens or any of our other campaigns that we are planning here at QMSU please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Nasir Tarmann

According to an article published by Jessica Shepherd in The Guardian, a survey of small and medium businesses revealed that nearly 88% would not recruit recent graduates during the recession. This is a considerable blow for university leavers as these employers account for 99% of all companies in the UK. Unemployment has been rising rapidly amongst 18 – 24 year olds, a fifth of these possessing university degrees.

Despite government initiatives to help place graduates in employment such as ‘the Graduate Talent Pool’: a scheme that matches graduates with employers looking for interns, as well as providing funds to support 10,000 internships in small businesses, many businesses still refuse to take on graduates. Employers claim to value skills and experience over a university education. James Kewin, joint managing director of the Centre for Enterprise, said: “most small and medium size businesses that do not recruit reported that lack of demand, rather than inadequate and unsuitable supply, was their primary reason for not recruiting.”

Kewin is not the only one who holds such an opinion. Peter McAleer, transport manager at Prolink, a haulage company that employs 26 people, said he had not hired a recent graduate for at least two years. He said: “The cost of employing them is too much. I don’t think they give added value. They haven’t got the experience. Working life doesn’t revolve around the knowledge in a textbook.” The problem seems to lie in that the fact companies appear to not have va-

A survey of small and medium businesses revealed that 88% would not currently employ new graduates cancies appropriate for graduates and furthermore no longer value the skills gained in degrees. This is supported by the findings of the Association of Graduate Recruiters last July which found that graduate vacancies had fallen by a quarter and that, on average, 48 applicants were competing for each job.

However, 48% of companies said they would consider recruiting graduates if the government offered them a subsidy to do so. Furthermore, surveys have revealed that almost a third of businesses have been confusing the academic value of degrees with the likes of ALevels, meaning that thousands of

graduates may be being overlooked.

While the current recession has caused businesses to avoid hiring costly graduates. Perhaps the record levels of unemployment among university graduates could be more to do with businesses today preferring more experienced individuals than those with degrees.

of raising money as a huge success and last year has started raising a further £80 million.

Any student at Queen Mary can look at the delayed new humanities building, due to the construction firm charged with completing it going bust last summer, to see how difficult it is to finance and maintain building development during the current economic crisis but it is odd that Cambridge, with an investment portfolio worth £1.4 billion, needs to resort to this form of raising money. This is particularly striking when the American Universities such as Harvard, which created an unprecedented $2.5 billion in bonds last year,

and Princeton, $1 billion, have done this primarily to stay afloat. Indeed, only last month Harvard indefinitely postponed construction of a new science complex due to lack of funds due to the recession.

This could be explained by the failure of in-house investment committees, aimed at reducing the universities dependence on government funding which currently accounts for over half the universities budget, due to the financial crisis and other events which have created a hole in the universities budget.

However this all could simply be an experiment to see the best ways to raise money during a financial crisis for use if the University ever did

enter a troubled financial state. As there has been no shortage of opportunities being taken by the University during this period such as Trinity College which last year acquired the lease for the O2 Arena which is quite impressive for a university which also owns the lease for Times Square in New York.

Overall this bond seems to be the best method for Cambridge to raise money for the institutions continued development during these financial times especially when you consider how loath it is to take Government funds particularly during a period when the Labour Government has severely cut funding for Universities.

Cambridge Uni ‘creates’ £400 million Ed Martin Cambridge University has created £400 million in 30 to 40 year bonds to help finance construction and development during the current financial climate. These bonds, which are primarily for the construction of one site and the regeneration of another, are the first time the university has resorted to raising money outside of government or donations following a trend created by Ivy League universities and a few select UK institutions. For instance the University of Lancaster started with a £35 million bond in 1995 and has reported this method

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26/01/2010

QM’s Great Hall too dangerous This week is Queen Mary’s very first Student Volunteering Week and we at Provide have thrown together a huge array of volunteering opportunities and events that all of you must get involved in!

Provide Volunteering is giving you the chance to visit our first ever Volunteering Fair in the Octagon on Wednesday 27th January from 11am - 2pm. Here you can attend a CV workshop tailored to your volunteering experience, focused on boosting your CV for job applications and don’t worry if you don’t have any experience as you can talk to over 20 different charities and organisations that will be showcasing their many opportunities, for you to get involved in this term.

In addition, we also have several fun Provide Community Action Days that anyone can participate in. There’s a Barnardo’s Trolley Dash on the 28th January where 70 volunteers are still needed to dash through a toy’s fair and grab as much as they can from stalls, all to be given away for charity! Also, we have arranged an Environmental ClearUp day on the 27th January to get stuck in with and many more opportunities, all of which can be found on our regularly updated website: www.providevolunteering.org.

La Sykes The People’s Palace is an integral part of our university.

Placed at our main entrance it proudly stands between the Mile End road and us. Along with the Queen’s Building it provides our university’s face to the world.

In fact it was one of the buildings that founded our university. Our beloved People’s Palace began life in 1887, when it was open by Queen Victoria. The Palace was one of three such buildings opened for the recreation and education of the masses; the others were Alexandra Palace and

Crystal Palace. The People’s Palace was intended to be ‘a place where people of all classes and conditions could congregate’; an admirable aim in the diverse East end of London. Sadly in 1931 this original Building burnt down, to be replaced by the building we know today.

Throughout its history the People’s Palace has offered space to people who need it. Despite gradually becoming a university building after 1902 the Palace has always strived to stay true to its roots and offer space to the wider public. Currently our Great Hall not only provides us with space to sit our exams and have

open days but also makes space available for other communities.

For instance it has served as a venue for influential theatre performances; last year in was host to ‘Miss America’ a play by the seminal lesbian theatre company Split Britches.

So the Spirit of the Peoples’ Palace is still alive, but what about the building?

Sadly the Great Hall of the Peoples’ Palace is no longer in a fit state to fully serve its community. It may be safe to have exams or our graduation in, but both the stage and the dressing rooms below are in such a state of disrepair that they are

too dangerous to use. However as they are still functional in the universities eyes it seems little is being done to save our heritage. It is incredibly sad that such a valuable piece of our universities history is being allowed to deteriorate like this. The Peoples’ Palace is one of the foundations of our university, and sadly it is falling into a state in which it cannot be utilized the way it was intended to be. Perhaps it is time that us students did something to bring this incredible building back to its prime?

The stage and the dressing rooms below in The Great Hall have fallen into disrepair and have been deemed too dangerous to use

Has Queen Mary got any talent?

Nargis Begum

So remember, Volunteering Week is running up until Sunday 31st January. If you want any volunteering experience, help to boost your CV for job applications, work placements or just want to get stuck in, make sure you get involved!

THE EAGERLY anticipated Queen Mary’s Got Talent has arrived.

Hosted by READ London East, Queen Mary’s Got Talent looks to be a spectacular event showcasing a wide range of talent. It seems that Queen Mary has some secret gems hidden in the corners of its campus as acts range from singing and dancing to stand-up comedy.

READ London East is part of READ

International, a charity whose vision is to send unused KS3, KS4 and KS5 school textbooks to poverty-stricken schools in Tanzania. READ London East was the first READ Project in London and has now been running at Queen Mary for three years. To date, it has sent more than 40,000 textbooks to Tanzania and has raised more than £15,000 in order to ship them.

Queen Mary’s Got Talent has been organised by READ London East to help them finance their cause further whilst giving back to the student community. Tickets are £4

in advance and can be brought on 07846163968. Tickets can also be brought on the door.

Auditions held at the end of Semester A were hugely popular as Queen Mary students turned up in vast numbers to impress the judges. Some came along to support their friends and were even shocked at their hidden talents whilst judges were hugely impressed. Afterwards we caught up with one of the judges, who had this to say, “I was astounded by the level of talent that was delivered.

Totally looking forward to that ac-

tual event, we’re guaranteed a good show!”

Queen Mary’s Got Talent will be held in the Mason Lecture Theatre, Francis Bancroft, Mile End Campus at 7pm on Thursday 28th January. Just like the ITV series, the audience will decide the winner and runner up. Non- QM students are also welcome to attend so bring your friends and family to witness the best talent that Queen Mary has. For more information contact londoneast@readbookproject.org.uk .

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26/01/2010

What’s going on in America?

QM’s Nick Thomson reports from across the Atlantic

It only took me 3 months in the States before the inevitable happened. I shot a gun. After witnessing the 2nd amendment first hand I have decided that, for all their bad reputation and in the hands of your average Joe, guns are awesome. Over this weekend my perception of gun owners changed and I learnt a lot about what it is to own a gun, which turns out to be not much.

Michael Moore had drilled it into my head that anyone who has ever remotely enjoyed firing a weapon will be an incestuous, xenophobic confederate loving hick who actually believes that Obama is Stalin, needless to say I was surprised that they let me have a go.

The most striking this was the simple indifference to the whole shooting thing; there were no cowboys here. The whole experience was relaxed, as we kicked back with a Coors Light between turns, but nevertheless organised in a sportlike manner. In fact, Iʼd say that the farmers I had to work for at my local clay pigeon shooting range in Norfolk were more like what Moore depicted. The only thing that worried me about this experience was that my shooting skills were dwarfed by a 12 year old, and because of this I now fear the younger generation even more.

Of course this is not to say that guns per se are good, Iʼm sure not everyone is so indifferent, like the people of Mozambique who decided to shove an AK-47 on their flag and of course, guns and crime donʼt mix well. The issue of gun control splits the US down the middle but I believe that the extreme examples of gun owners have been over represented.

The side of gun ownership I witnessed showed that these guys did not fit the images when I think of gun owners, who sleep with them under their beds as a method of defence. Instead, shooting was simply a sport, not a political statement or aspect of culture. Guns were an ends to themselves, just a bit fun, and not a means to protect oneself from the New World Order or when the Reds finally come. Or maybe the USA is turning me into the over represented typical conservative gun nut and i donʼt know it yet...in which case Mr. Moore, I take it back.

Funding and uni places to be cut Sam Cunningham Universities across the United Kingdom face a massive cut in funding for the 2010-11 academic year and it looks likely that a reduction of university places will follow as a result. This may only be the beginning of funding cuts in Higher Education (HE) as additional cuts of 12.3 percent are required for 2011/12 if the government is to succeed in halving national debt by 2013.

Peter Mandelson, the government’s Business Secretary who oversees HE funding, has told universities that they face approximately a £135 million cut in funding for the 201011 academic year. He argues, how-

Vice Chancellors looking to prevent violent extremism on campuses ...Continued from front page lim students made valuable contributions to the university and it was important to recognise them. But it also stated that if evidence of Umar Farouk being radicalised at UCL was found, the union would take appropriate action to ensure effectiveness of monitoring and controlling systems for all UCLU societies.

UUK president, Professor Steve Smith, said: “It is essential that as a society we respond rationally to the issue of extremism. Universities UK therefore is fully supportive of the measured and effective response of UCL following the arrest of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

“Universities, their staff and students take their responsibility for civic safety extremely seriously, and will always take appropriate action for dealing with all forms of extremism.”

The police and MI5 are launching investigations to determine whether or not Umar Farouk was radicalised at University. Alan Johnson, the home secretary, has offered Universities support and guidance to help prevent extremism.

“Alongside this [the guidance], each university has a designated police security contact that university management can discuss concerns with. The Prevent strand of Contest, our counter-terrorism strategy, works closely with the higher and further education sectors and funds a full-time prevent officer at the NUS,” Johnson said.

ever, that the UK’s Higher Education system is still in a thriving position.

He said: “Universities have never enjoyed such a long and sustained period of public financial support, and more students will be studying next year than ever before in our history. These new constraints are very small in the context of overall university income, and certainly do not reverse a decade of investment in excellence.”

As a country we currently produce 7.9% of the world’s research publications and 12% of all citations. On a national level, higher education contributed £33.4 billion to the UK’s economy in 2007/2008 – more than the pharmaceutical or aerospace industry. This looks set to change, however, if the government hits universities with such

high cuts.

Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group – a group constituting of the top twenty universities in the UK, and Michael Arthur, its Chairman, wrote in The Guardian: “It has taken more than 800 years to create one of the world’s greatest education systems, and it looks like it will take just six months to bring it to its knees. Reports suggest that as many as 30 universities may not survive in their current form if even minimal funding cuts are introduced.”

Steve Smith, president of Universities UK, the group in place to support UK institutions and their interests, agrees with the Russell Group leaders, stating: “If you take 30 per cent of government funding away, something has to give.

All you can do in such dire circumstances is cut the number of courses, students, staff or pay – or a combination of these things.

With cuts of the level we are talking about here, the measures taken would be drastic – the kind we have not seen since the 1980s.”

While the UK is backtracking with educational funding, other countries are doing the complete opposite. France have invested €11 billion and Germany €18 billion in higher education, while Barack Obama has put $21 billion into scientific funding in the United States.

A bleak few years look set to follow for the UK’s HE system and begs the question; with countries all around the world investing in education to rival our own, can we stay ahead of the game?

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26/01/2010

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THE DEBATE: Gordon Brown - should he stay or go?

For: Labour’s Hope

Against: He Has To Go

George McFarlane

Alex Green-Wilkes

MUCH HAS been written concerning the Labour party’s so-called changing fortunes.

A prominent pollster recently sought to parody public sentiment by quipping “The Tories are scary – run away!”

Some in the left-leaning press argue that the Conservative brand has become so toxic, after Britain’s twelve years of utopian statism, as to make the party unelectable. They point to ideological divides within the Tory party and Gordon Brown’s stewardship of Britain’s post-meltdown economy as signs of the Government’s impending, narrow, re-election. Heads are shaken in disbelief at those who suggest the Tories will secure anything more than a minority administration.

This is fantasy. The Prime Minister is crushingly, historically unpopular with the general public. Voters are measurably more likely to vote Tory when they see him on television. HM Opposition may not enjoy a lead of twenty points (as it should, given the political weather), but it nonetheless averages a comfortable twelve more than Labour. That number will increase as the voters see more of both Cameron (whom they like) and Brown (whom they despise), but that is not necessary for the Conservatives to secure a majority. Labour will not be in government after the general election – this must be a first principal when discussing its present leadership.

I will not defend Gordon Brown’s appalling record. He

has squandered the golden fiscal inheritance bequeathed to him by Ken Clarke, introduced an unprecedented number of stealth taxes, stalled many of Tony Blair’s worthy public service reforms and led one of the most tribal, cynical governments in British political history. That he responded quickly and wisely to the financial crisis is immaterial, considering his leading role in destroying Britain’s public finances and encouraging a laissez-faire approach to the City of London.

Yet it would be political suicide to replace him now. As there is no clear successor, the party would be torn asunder with such violence as to make the disquiet caused by Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt seem incidental. The numerous candidates would be forced to condemn their predecessor’s record – effectively fighting the Tories’ campaign for them. It is moreover unlikely that the eventual result would calm the new per-

sonality cults spawned by the competition and the inevitable infighting, after Labour’s defeat, could no longer be written off as the downfall of a long-doomed premier. On the contrary, the search for someone to blame would occupy Labour well into the Conservative party’s second term.

The Cabinet squandered the opportunity to cleanly remove Brown after the European elections – its party must now face the consequences. Labour’s defeat, although inevitable, need not be severe. It must not exacerbate its demise by turning inwards at this crucial juncture. A hotly contested leadership contest would be a serious distraction this close to the election, but would allow for a constructive debate about the party’s future if it takes place afterwards. Once united under a fresh leader, it could provide serious opposition to what will be weak, divided Tory government.

“WE CAN’T go on like this!”

No, this is not the Conservative Party election slogan but the desperate cries from Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon last week. Although their attempted coup to oust Gordon Brown failed, it revealed that the Labour Party and the country have lost confidence in their leader. If he cannot even unify his ministers in the face of an upcoming election, what hope does he have for running the country effectively for the next five years? He has to go.

The charges against him

are endless; he lacks political courage, is indecisive, a control freak, has a ‘brutish’ way of doing business, has a chronic inability to listen and has the charisma (and smile) of a dead fish. Some argue that these criticisms are superficial, but if you are the face of a nation and have a seat on the world negotiating table, the ability to compromise, charm and be charismatic is vitally important.

He cannot even rely on a solid reputation of economic competence. He promised us it was the end of boom and bust, and has now been humiliated. Although the global financial crisis was not his fault, he does not even agree with his own Chancellor on how to get us out of the recession! The result of thirteen years of Labour is Great Britain having the largest deficit since the Second World War and being the only big economy trapped in re-

Will there be a smile or a frown on Gordon Brown’s face when the public cast their vote in the next General Election?

cession. To get out of this mess we need a change.

It would be in Labour’s best interest to replace him.

It is unlikely they will win the general election with him as leader. The January coup was so damaging that it even made the Conservative Party look stable! Members of the public who are ideologically left-leaning are turned off at the prospect of Brown for the next five years, or having another unelected leader if he is replaced after the election.

This is exemplified by recent polls which show Brown is less popular than David Cameron and that memorable Nick what’s-his-name.

The coup enhanced the Conservatives’ election strategy: if his own party doesn’t want him, why should you? If Brown was replaced, the Tories would have to go back to the drawing board and New Labour could finally disassociate themselves with their past.

He does not have the confidence of the country and is a divisive figure in his own party. An effective government relies upon on confidence in a leader and a party that is unified. The only reason why he is still leader is because ministers thought it was too risky to have a leadership contest only a few months before a general election. The bell rang but Labour was too scared to enter the ring. This is a negative way to run the country.

Keeping him in power would be flogging a dead political horse.

Like a dying cat that has been hit by a car and reversed over several times, it is time to put Gordon Brown out of his misery. If it proves too late to replace him before the general election, only one conclusion remains: vote Labour out.

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26/01/2010

Airport security and unsafe solutions Mathias Haeussler

The exact chain of failures has to be investigated, the role of intelligence scrutinised and established security procedures reviewed. Yet, policy-makers have nothing better to do than immediately introduce

“Flying will never be 100% safe. No human activity ever will. Somebody determined to kill himself and thousands more will always find a way around security checks.”

THE FAILED bomb plot on Christmas Day has led to yet another wave of senseless activism by policy-makers. It will have no impact on airport security whatsoever. The fact that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a terrorist already known by US and UK intelligence, was able to board a transatlantic flight, smuggle explosives through security and almost managed to blow the whole plane up, is certainly a most alarming event.

a number of completely senseless rules. Extending the ban on liquids certainly won’t prevent a potential terrorist stuffing his panties with explosive powder. Forbidding passengers to use the lavatory one hour prior to landing won’t impress him very much either. And neither will an invasion of Yemen.

The problem is not that the already existing security measures are wholly inadequate; the problem is rather that they lack suf-

ficient funding to be carried out properly. A shortage of personnel often prevents proper inspection. And there are also some very obvious procedural failures, too: potential terrorists are able to buy everything they’d need for a grand-scale attack after their security check – in one of the many duty-free shops, as the European Cockpit Association has recently complained.

Flying will never be 100% safe. No human activity ever will.

Somebody determined to kill himself, and thousands more, will always find a way around security checks. The suddenly so highly-praised body scanners won’t guarantee absolute security either – in fact, Al-Qaeda has already bought its very own specimen to test it for potential flaws!

The premature introduction of new technologies will have no impact on airport security whatsoever. Neither will hastily comprised rules be able to deter potential terrorists. What is rather needed is a comprehensive review of the system already in place, combined with a substantial increase in financial and personnel resources.

Airport security is not good enough but no solutions are yet to surface

Cuts! Cuts! The Conservatives’ way forward Bradley Downing Comment Editor

and arts spending; let there be no doubt that within the coming weeks, this list will grow. What they conveniently forget to announce along-

“The Conservatives are riding high after 13 years in opposition; rubbing their hands with glee as they set about tricking ordinary people into believing Thatcherism was a thing of the past.”

It is likely the Conservatives will be voted into office at the next UK general election; David Cameron, George Osborne and the rest of the Thatcherite Nasties. If my prediction is right (dear God, I hope I’m wrong) then this country is in for at least five years of austerity, pain and torture.

The public sector will face massive cuts if the Conservatives are elected

The Conservatives plan to solve the £178bn government deficit by making cuts across the public sector. Cuts are planned to be the biggest in 30 years; university funding will fall, alongside help for families

side their savage promises is that, despite warnings from economists and political commentators, life will get a lot harder for the majority in society, not least the poorest. Unfortunately talk about spending cuts has now saturated the media and public opinion; it is no longer necessary for the Conservatives to hide their real ambitions.

By now I’m sure somebody has accused me of overlooking Labour and the Liberal Democrats, both of whom offer nothing significantly brighter. La-

bour, I would contend, have at least promised to increase government spending if they win the next election: £31bn in the first year. The Conservatives are in danger of derailing the plans already in place.

David Blunkett reminded us, when he recently visited my history seminar, the UK debt from the Second World War was finally only paid off in 2007 (around 60 years after the hostilities ceased). I hope history serves to prove my point that debts are not solved overnight and without continued government spending, the road to recovery lacks foresight and carries hardship. The Conservatives are riding high after 13 years in opposition; rubbing their hands with glee as they set about tricking ordinary people into believing Thatcherism was a thing of the past: fat chance come this time next year.

8

Reviews

Written a review? reviews@qmessenger.co.uk

26/01/2010

REVIEWS

write a review and send it to reviews@qmessenger.co.uk

Vampire Weekend host freezing, free outdoor gig Shaun Ramanah With Britain experiencing one of the coldest winters ever, what better way could Vampire Weekend showcase their new album, Contra, than with a free outdoor gig in the courtyard of Somerset House? What a great idea.

Contra’s album cover-art was projected onto the ornate walls of the magnificent building and the stage was set up on the high balcony whilst the whole courtyard was lit up. Unfortunately, the audience was cramped behind the ice-rink far away from the stage and with King’s College just around the corner the place was soon packed with more pretentious indie kids than you could shake a glowstick at.

Vampire Weekend came on late, annoying fans who had been waiting for ages, and opened boldly with ‘White Sky’ and ‘Holiday’, two of the slower songs off Contra which failed to get the crowd going.

Shockingly, this continued during ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ and ‘M79’, which were further spoilt as the speakers were too quiet to block out background noise.

Luckily their new single ‘Cousins’ finally got the whole audience going. The performance was incredible and it was clear the band were enjoying themselves too. The catchy guitar riffs echoed harmoniously throughout the venue complimenting singer Ezra Koenig.

They followed with ‘Californian English’, one of the weirdest new songs which had pure Vampire Weekend wit as Ezra used an Auto-Tune to execute the tongue-twister lyrics perfectly.

The New York rockers then treated their fans to the fantastic ‘Oxford Comma’ which the whole crowd sang along to; it was extraordinary to see everyone so happy. Things got even crazier when they played ‘A Punk’ and everyone jumped around and sang. This level of excitement seemed only possible at summer festivals, but Vampire Weekend were able to create it on a freezing cold January night.

The next new song ‘Horchata’ gripped the crowd who listened intently to Ezra’s soft vocals whilst the subtle xylophone melody resounded beautifully in the silence.

Sadly, this was ruined by a power failure which cut out the speakers.

When the power was restored Vam-

pire Weekend ended with another classic, ‘Walcott’, restoring the atmosphere with the best experience possible.

Overall Vampire Weekend showed how versatile their music is

by playing the old and new songs in equal measure. They were so passionate and really adored their fans, so were forgiven for a ropey start.

Most impressively they managed to get hundreds of students to turn

up, jump about, and have fun outside in the cold without using any alcohol!

RATING: 9/10

Cyberdogs trade underground tunnel for new store Rebecca Wynter Reviews Editor Cyberdogs has traded in its underworld underground tunnels for a more spacious store, moving just around the corner to Camden’s Stables Market entrance on Chalk Farm Road.

Although it is an elaborate upgrade, Cyberdogs has kept its quirky and irresistible charm. The store’s entrance is guarded by two striking 20ft robots glaring over the market crowds and once inside your eyes are immediately drawn to the skimpily dressed dancers (showcasing the latest UV outfits and their bum cheeks) in two caged podiums on the shops ceiling.

Guided down escalators to the dark UV lit basement floor, the shopper is met by rails packed with bright fluorescent dance clothing, specialist raver’s accessories, an extensive range of dazzling makeup, and not forgetting the variety of glow sticks.

I’m assuming Cyberdog retail assistants must have severe tinnitus because the floor vibrates with loud

techno-bass trance music pumping constantly through the stores immense sound system. The music beats are mirrored by a massive technicolour equalizer behind the counter; the most impressive lighting display I’ve ever seen in any shop.

If the retail assistants aren’t scary enough with their pink dreadlocked hair, extensive piercings, and terminator contact lenses, the robotic chrome mannequins lurking in alcoves with LED eyes and bizarre flashing body parts will certainly freak you out.

Now I’m guessing the majority of QMessenger readers would not describe their fashion as “neon-fairy-warriors”, so I’m recommending Cyberdogs purely as a must-see Camden attraction rather than a store for a bit of light shopping – if you want mainstream fashion, head to oxford street Topshop.

Upholding its funky reputation, this latest venue upgrade for Cyberdogs is a token of its massive success, evolving from the retail chain’s early days as a small goa-trance market stall in 1990.

RATING: 10/10

Reviews

Written a review? reviews@qmessenger.co.uk

9

26/01/2010

Would you like garlic with that?

Christina Valsiva

Located just off Old Compton Street on Frith Street, Garlic & Shots is said to be one of a kind.

Established in 1989, it is probably the only restaurant in the UK where everything on the menu contains garlic. Even the beer contains garlic. Their tagline is “you can order more garlic but never less” and “as you leave the restaurant you should feel like you have been garlic marinated”.

It is a Swedish establishment that takes pride not only in

its assortment of garlic food but also in it’s incredible bar loaded with 101 different flavoured shots. The menu is largely texmex, as my American friend Shaniqua would put it, but as far as I am concerned it is all garlic to me.

The prices are high, the food is average, but the shots are something else. Priced at only £2.50 it is quite likely that you’ll end up buying no less than five. However, I do not recommend the garlic beer unless you really like large chunks of garlic floating in your foam.

Garlic & Shots certainly boasts an interesting interior.

The music in the place is good old fashioned rock and downstairs there’s a bar with a coffin. The staff are a bit pompous, courtesy never killed anybody, and the service is extremely slow. But drinks do arrive quickly.

I would most certainly recommend the experience but perhaps would suggest that the food be given a second thought.

Garlic & Shots is most definitely worth visiting for the shots.

The Chilli Tequila in particular is worth a try if you’re brave enough.

RATING: 6/10

I’d run away with Julian Casablancas...

Gemma Combellack Before I properly start this review, I think I should make it known that I love Julian Casablancas. Not love like I love chocolate, but love like I would happily leave university and run away with him tomorrow.

Luckily when I went along to see him play at the HMV forum on the 16th December I was in similar company.

From the moment that Casablancas came onto the stage he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Performing tracks from his recent solo venture ‘Phrases for the Young’, his new electronic crossed with country sound went down extremely well with the crowd. Single ‘11th dimension’

had the whole crowd singing and dancing, as did stand out tracks from the album such as River of Brakelights and Out of the Blue.

The pinnacle moment of the evening had to be the moment Casablancas reappeared onto the stage, announcing he was going

“I think I should make it known that I love Julian Casablancas.” to perform ‘a semi-cover.’ With just a keyboard to accompany him, the opening bars of ‘I’ll Try Anything Once’ by Casablancas’ band The Strokes filled the HMV forum. The stripped down version of this modern day classic had a vulnerability to it that was simply beautiful and as the whole crowd sang along a true moment

was made.

The set was not flawless, there were many mistakes, but he wasn’t afraid of highlighting them by simply stating ‘I fucked up.’ However, this only added to the intimacy of the entire evening.

With the announcement of The Strokes heading back into the studio this year as well as headlining so far the Rockness and Isle of Wight festivals, to see Mr Casablancas himself playing in such a small venue was breathtaking.

So after that night, I think the January loan will be spent on festival tickets. The bank account will just have to suffer.

Unless Julian takes me up on that offer...

RATING: 10/10

Discovering the underworld of QMTC’s ‘Mojo’ Hatty Evans After a night of experiencing the exposed underbelly of the big city’s world that is “Mojo” I came away with mixed feelings. This was a play of dense accents and brutal coarseness of what really “goes on” in the dark underworld of the gangster driven club.

After discovering their boss’s murder the six characters battle with their consciences and each other for survival against the all mighty “them” who will inevitably come after them also. Set in the black box space of the Pinter Studio a world of drink, drugs and sex was pencilled out for an audience to consume. A flash-

ing jukebox and glittering chairs captured our imaginations and lead us by the hand into 1950s London.

The acting on the whole was near faultless, but particular at-

“This was a play of dense accents and brutal coarseness of what really ‘goes on’ in the dark underworld of the gangstar driven club.” tention must be paid to Patrick Strain and Geoff Rainsford who grasped the audiences’ attention with their witty and sometimes disturbing renditions of men who had simply taken the need for fun too far.

However, I did feel that the impact of the play was deducted by the lack of cutting that seemed to dominate the beginning of both halves. The pace seemed to lag at these crucial moments where the audience needed to be most engaged. Yet, the striking execution and repetition within the dialogue quickly made up for this point.

It appears that Queen Mary Theatre Company are really pushing and challenging themselves with the material they are choosing which is definitely refreshing, and makes me eager to see what else is to come.

The next show, “Cabaret” will be presented on the 13 th and 14 th February.

RATING: 7/10

10

Film

Like films? film@qmessenger.co.uk

26/01/2010

It’s the end of the world as we know it

Clooney’s up in the air

James McMillan

Alex MacDonald

MANY OTHER reviews have inevitably drawn attention to the fact that The Road is not a cheerful endeavor. They’re right. It Isn’t. But don’t let that put you off! The Road stands out as a rebuff of preconceptions often associated with contemporary science fiction, and is a prime example of what can be achieved with a genre of stereotyped as a predilection of nerdy adolescents. Further to that, it’s also very good, here’s why: The end of the world has been traditional cinematic fodder for decades. As we all know it’s an exciting era populated with leather clad badassess (Mad Max), shit roasting weaponry (Vash The Stampede) and awesome robots (Terminator) for whom excitement and adventure is never far away. While this is all perfectly acceptable escapism, few scifi films really break away from these clichés and provide the plot-character driven sobriety that would be expected in less “fantastical” genres.

Yet for The Road, the key to success lies in its authenticity and waives any effort on part of the audience to suspend disbelief.

Set in the aftermath of an unnamed disaster that has sapped the earth of life leaving the sparse human population to starve in the barren wilderness that remains. Among the survivors are Viggo Mortenson (The Lord of the Rings) who plays a father weary of suffering his miserable existence yet driven to survive and protect his son (Kodi SmitMcPhee) from the atrocities to which others have resorted to after societies collapse. Author Cormac McCarthy (whose book the film is adapted

from) is unflinching in his treatment of said atrocities with cannibalism, rape and infanticide all present to challenge the ethics of post judgment day man. McCarthy clearly has little faith in humanities better qualities, yet still manages to write characters that are emotionally realistic and pragmatic in the face of their awful circumstances which helps to maintain audience sympathy for their cause.

The realism of The Road is further enhanced by its spectacular visuals. Director John Hillcoat has made the wise decision not to overburden McCarthy’s world with the paraphilia of CGI. Distracting sets are also avoided by filming in areas of genuine disaster (Mt St Helens, New Orleans). These locations are suitably rendered in an uninviting pallet that serves to build up a truly lonely and foreboding atmosphere. Large field and wide angle shots help to contextualize the characters within this landscape and emphasize their vulnerability to the events that unfold.

The look and feel of the film has

clearly received much attention and is a large part of what maintains the films suspense and makes it a successful enterprise. Yet technical aspects serve primarily to support a plot that shies from traditional Hollywood gloss. None of the pain is taken away from what the characters go through, there is no adagio for strings to remind you to cry, and the horror is truly horrifying and needs no “psycho” strings. The action is not played for cheap thrills either and there is no deus ex machina to save anyone from harm at the last minute.

This review may have dwelled heavily on what The Road is not yet this is this the underlying reason to watch it. It is not more of the same and depressing though it may be, it is a much needed antidote to the ham-fisted sci-fi *cough* Terminator 4 *cough*that Hollywood usually spits out.

UP IN the Air is this month’s serving of indie comedy fodder, detailing the exploits of Ryan Gingham (George Clooney), a man whose career is basically to fly all around the USA, firing people for companies who can’t bring themselves to do it.

Directed by Jason (son of Ivan) Reitman, who was responsible for the Rosetta stone of indie comedies, Juno, the film pretty much ticks all the boxes of the genre – “quirky” characters, “meaningful” agenda, inoffensive “indie” soundtrack, sardonic banter, lots of people looking bemused etc.

If I was being really cynical I might say the film was basically like a feature-length, not-as-funny episode Scrubs, but there are some redeeming factors - firstly, it stars George Clooney, who really couldn’t be bad in a film if he wanted to be.

He exudes his usual charm and charisma and elevates the potentially forgettable material into a engaging experiences.

The film also contains some beautiful locales – the trans-American style of the film allows for some stunning on-location shooting (also, am I the only one thinks airports are really ethereal places?)

The real problem with the film is that the “message” of the film is predictable almost instantly – that Ryan has a hollow and isolated life in which he never allows himself to be truly close with another person.

The film spends its entire length telling us what is blatantly obvious right from the beginning and the film is basically rendered irrelevant.

Still, if you can’t think of anything else to watch then Up in the Air isn’t a terrible choice. Not a bad film, but pretty much forgettable.

A film to snuggle up to

Amazing cast does not make for amazing film

Helen Knight

Eleanor Dickens

“THIS IS a story of boy meets girl. But you must know upfront this is not a love story.” 500 days of summer is a beautifully shot film and boasts one of the most exciting soundtracks.

Tom Hansen, a believer in fate and true love, meets Summer Finn when working for a greeting card company in Los Angeles. The film begins after their break up where Tom travels through random days of their relationship to find out why it all went so wrong.

The two characters create some very memorable scenes within the film, notably a visit to Ikea where they enact a domestic life together in the model kitchen and living rooms.

But there relationship is turbulent and an understanding is formed that Tom and Summer could never be as happy together as they are apart and thinking of one another.

One of the great achievements of the film is the perfectly chosen soundtrack. The film opens with Regina Spektor’s us and also has the brilliant Sweet Disposition from The Temper Trap. Other amazing tracks are used by The Smiths and Mumm-ra.

A brilliant film to snuggle up with your boyfriend/girlfriend and feel all gooey or wallow alone and know that in the end fate will deliver your true love

NINE IS a film with an incredibly secure initial footing. It’s based on a highly successful west end show, which is in turn based on the cult sixties film ‘8 ½’ by Federico Fellini. It comes from the Director of Chicago (Rob Marshall) and has one of the most ridiculously star studded casts I have seen in a very long time. Just the fact that the notoriously fussyabout-roles Daniel Day Lewis takes the lead should be enough of an indication of the film’s potential weight.

Then surround him with (take a deep breath…) Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Lauren, Judi Dench, Fergie and Kate Hudson, all dripping in faultless sixties glamour, and you’ve got a film to expect big things from. When in fact I left the cinema utterly underwhelmed… and on reflection with a few feminist feathers ruffled.

The story centres on Guido Contini, a director with writers block, suffering from women trouble and a minor mid life crisis. Yet any actual plot is so sparse that that half sentence of description is literally all you need.

The film simply showcases, in clunking, chronological chunks, a succession of beautiful women falling at Guido’s unworthy feet.

Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance is strong, yet placed in the context of the weak story I still found myself unable to care what happened to him.

In fact this is consistent across the board, with many of the performances bordering on fantastic and still failing to save the film. Notably compelling was Marion Cotillard, whose performance of one particular song is about the only thing that stuck in my head.

Sadly none of the actors seem to have really connected, the lack of chemistry even further deepening my indifference. To top it off the songs were not bad, but certainly not powerful, or

even simply catchy, as I was expecting from the director of Chicago.

Basically without any sort of lustre reaching deeper than awesome costumes and a romantically shot Rome the whole thing just felt shallow, and at times unpleasantly reminiscent of an Ann Summers advert.

The trailer showcases every aspect of the film worth watching, leaving the actual two hour feature to feel like caviar spread very thinly on cardboard.

Science & Environment

Got a story? science@qmessenger.co.uk

11

26/01/2010

New pond life discovery encouraging conservation Scientists from Queen Mary’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences have discovered new species of pond dwelling organisms at a nature reserve in Dorset.

The minute aquatic organisms, invisible to the naked eye, further boost the reserve’s scientific importance as an area to be preserved. The ‘Wet Fens Project’ is being launched in order to study the ‘cryptic biodiversity’ and to raise awareness to the general public.

The reserve’s reed fen, on the floodplain of the River Frome near the town of Wool, is a declining habitat with very of its type left.

Dr Genoveva Esteban of Queen Mary’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, said “Cryptic Biodiversity helps nature ecosys-

tems to bounce back in response to environmental change. The Wet Fens Project in partnership with Dorset Wildlife Trust and the Freshwater Biological Association is pioneer work

in the UK, to link research with conservation practice with the aim of incorporating small organisms into wetland conservation management.”

A royal appointment for Queen Mary alumni, Honorary Fellows and Academic Staff Not surprisingly, one of Queen Mary’s academics has been honoured in the New Year’s Honours List for his services to medicine.

Professor Adrian Newland from the Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science was made an official Commander of the British Empire. His main research interests lie within the fields of Immuno-haematology - the study of the immune system in patients with blood

disorders, and Leukaemia. His department and lab at Barts Hospital are the main referral centre in the UK for the treatment of and research into autoimmune disorders of the blood.

In reference to his CBE, Professor Newland commented “It is a pleasure to be recognised in this way and in particular for ‘services to medicine.’ I would not have been able to achieve what I have without the staunch support of the College

and the Trust and I am grateful to them for that.”

Furthermore, Queen Mary Honorary Fellow Vijay Kakkar became an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to clinical science. Former genetics studentKaren Vousden was made a CBE and medical school alumnus Mansel Aylward was knighted.

Space Pilots - now recruiting If you had ever fancied becoming a pilot, but felt that 40,000 ft wasn’t really high enough for your tastes, becoming a pilot of a spaceship is projected to become a regular job in just 20 years time.

A government study into the jobs of the future has suggested that space piloting may become a regular

job in the next couple of decades, alongside the employment of people to make human body parts.

The report was carried out by market research group Fast Future, which tried to determine a list of both jobs that do not currently exist and current jobs that could become more prominent in the future.

Study shows stem cell role in child brain tumours New research from scientists and academics at Queen Mary have shown how the most common type of brain cancer in children can arise from stem cells.

The new research, published on the

11th of January 2010 in Oncogene, shows that medulloblastomas can grow from a type of brain stem cell and that these cancers are a distinct form of the disease which may require a completely different approach to treatment.

Medulloblastomas make up for one in five of all children’s brain tumours. They are most common in children between the age of three and eight but they can also affect young adults.

Did you know...

Did you know?

Did you know?

The ‘Doomsday Clock’ - a barometer of nuclear danger for the past 63 years has been moved one minute further away from the “midnight hour.” The timepiece now stands at six minutes to the hour due to a more “hopeful state of world affairs.”

The European Space Agency wants answers. They want to make a decision in 2010 on an extension to the life of the International Space Station (ISS). Currently, no funding is in place to support the station beyond 2015.

All science content compiled by Richard Dodwell, Science Editor

QM Environment

QMSU on path to Fairtrade status

Craig Ferriman

Environmental editor Queen Mary Students Union is a Fairtrade union. Fact or Fiction?

Well, actually, it’s largely fact thanks to all its commercial catering outlets proudly boasting a compliment of completely fair trade stock.

From Ground to Bar Med, The Village Shop to Infusion you’ll struggle to not find a range of quality and affordable fair trade produce. The Students’ Union is going through a process of proving that it is complying to fair trade regulations and can join a host of higher education institutions across the UK all boasting fairtrade status.

People & Planet began the scheme of awarding universities fairtrade status, on the basis that they could prove they were, back in 2003 with Oxford Brookes University being the first recipient of the status.

QMSU is very close to completing the process of submitting evidence of meeting the set criteria targets which are: creating a fairtrade policy, making available fairtrade produce available in all shops, bars and café’s on campus, ensuring fairtrade tea and coffee is served at all college meetings, ensuring a commitment to campaign for increased Fairtrade consumption on campus and setting up a Fairtrade steering group.

On top of that you can look at for loads more stuff in Fairtrade Week on campus on 1st - 5th March.

The new Environmental Manager/Champion, Jake Scott has met with the Students’ Union and College Catering to talk about the college gaining ‘FAIRTRADE STATUS’.

The idea has been enthusiastically embraced across the College and already you should see FAIRTRADE products stocked in all college catering and retail outlets, as well as at

meetings catered for by the college.

The scheme started in 2003 when Oxford Brookes University became the first Fairtrade University. People & Planet groups across the country took up the challenge and now there are over 70 Fairtrade Universities and Colleges in the UK, with many more working towards status.

Queen Mary will have a FAIRTRADE STEERING group meeting initially once a month, with an aim to meet the five goals which will qualify Queen Mary as a FAIRTRADE University. The goals are: •

The Student Union (or equivalent) and the university or college authorities both create a Fairtrade policy incorporating these five goals.

•

Fairtrade foods are made available for sale in all campus shops. Fairtrade foods are used in all cafés/restaurants/bars on campus. Where this is not possible, there is a commitment to begin to use Fairtrade foods in these establishments as soon as it becomes possible to do so.

•

Fairtrade foods (for example, coffee and tea) are served at all meetings hosted by the university or college and the Student Union (or equivalent), and are served in all university or college and Student Union management offices.

•

There is a commitment to campaign for increased Fairtrade consumption on campus.

If you would like to know more visit www.fairtrade.org.uk. If you would like to get involved in promoting and helping FAIRTRADE and Queen Mary then contact: environmental@ qmsu.org.

Sport

Interested in sport? sports@qmessenger.co.uk

13

26/01/2010

Gunners Bag Mercenary Sol-dier Sport Ops: Got an opinion about sport?

Email it to sports@qmessenger.co.uk Vaishali Bhardwaj As claimed by John Cross in last Wednesday’s Daily Mirror, Sol Campbell made the ‘biggest comeback story in Premier League history’ after signing a six-month, £40,000-aweek contract with Arsenal last week.

Following a short-lived spell at Notts County in August 2009, where the 35-year-old made just one appearance for the League Two club, Campbell had been training with Arsenal for four months before sensationally penning a deal last week.

It represents the first time that Arséne Wenger has resigned a former player but it seems Campbell was determined to put on a good performance in his first appearance for his club in the West Ham Reserves v Arsenal Reserves match at Upton Park last Tuesday.

Although only finding out about Campbell’s return to Arsenal about two hours prior to the match, I decided to go and

see just how good of a signing Wenger had made.

In front of only a few hundred fans on an absolutely freezing night Campbell helped his teammates, which included midfielder Fran Mérida, to a 4-2 victory over the home side which was watched over by both Wenger and Gianfranco Zola.

Although being substituted at half-time, the man who famously walked out at half-time during a match against West Ham at Highbury four years ago, Campbell certainly put in a solid performance.

The small proportion of Arsenal fans present cheered on Campbell as he played, West Ham fans cheered when they spotted Zola in the stands and indeed everyone gave Wenger a standing ovation (for what reason I was unable to gather) when he appeared out of nowhere to watch over his new signing sitting comfortably in the stands.

After the match not many people decided to try and meet Sol. But if the lack of human presence deceived then it shouldn’t have; as soon as Campbell began

Crossword No. 7

driving to the gates of the car park, two cameramen suddenly appeared armed with a news reporter along with 10 screaming boys (and men) who wanted a piece of the new Gunner.

The no-nonsense news reporter, literally pulled one of the boys away in order that the cameramen could get a clearer shot of Campbell, and although looking like he wanted to make a quick exit, he stayed and took pictures with fans and signed autographs (I got my exclusive Sol Campbell autograph in a West Ham autograph book – say no more!)

After Sol’s departure there was enough time for Gitika and I to meet Fran Mérida, the 19-year-old who scored Arsenal’s second goal against Bolton at the Reebok stadium on Sunday and there was also enough time to meet Zola, who although actually attempting to make a hasty exit from the screaming boys (and men), decided to give Gitika and I some autographs and crack a few jokes at the same time.

Is Sol Campbell’s move back to Arsenal the shrewdest of his career?

Suduko No. 13 & 14

Across 1. Own (7) 5. An Afrikaner (4) 8. Anthropoid (3-4) 9. River in S Africa (7) 10. Distinct sort or kind (7) 12. Red Bordeaux (6) 15. Steeps (5) 18. Entangle (6) 20. Writhe (7) 23. Become less dark (7) 25. Scrutinise (7) 26. Sell (4) 27. Uppermost part of a tree (7) Down 1. Communal (6) Medium

Hard

2. Fraud (4) 3. Uncovers (7) 4. Greek island in the E Aegean (5) 5. Spree (5) 6. Qualified (8) 7. Little ((5) 11. Prod (4) 13. Make active (8) 14. Tribute (4) 16. Cuddle (7) 17. Fragrant (5) 19. Fixation (4-2) 21. Whet (5) 22. Choose (5) 24. Deomnstrative pronoun (4)

Last issue’s solution (Crossword no. 6)

Last issue’s solutions (Sudukos no. 13 & 14) Medium

Hard

14

Sport

Interested in sport? sports@qmessenger.co.uk

26/01/2010

VP Activities Speaks...

Rums ruin Leopards’ run Darren McGuinness Sport Editor Men’s hockey QM 1-3 RUMS 2s HAVING HAD no training for the best part of 6 weeks and with most of the QM team avoiding working off their heavy holiday haunches, the Leopards fell foul of a couple of controversial umpiring decisions and an altogether fitter RUMS team on Wednesday, 20th January.

Today I want to talk to you about an event which, as VPSA I have had the happy (or maybe not that happy) task of organising. No, in all honesty this event will be spectacular, a showcase of all the talent of Queen Mary and BLSA’s many clubs and societies. This is the second year of this fantastic show ‘Synergy’ and it will be taking place on the 1st March 2010 at the world famous IndigO2 at the O2, formally known as the millennium dome(ah and how we all wish it was still the millennium dome, what a fun place that was.) Hopefully this is not the first you have heard of this as I have spent most of my time as VPSA making posters. If you haven’t seen them I’ll feel like a failure.

Anyway, back to the point.

Tickets will be on sale...soon, I hope... no honestly, they will be. If you’d like to volunteer to help behind the scenes to make sure this event goes smoothly there are still some places available, so come to the Blomeley Centre if you are interested. This event is an important one on the QM Students’ Union calendar, not only because of all the hard work which goes into it by everyone involved, but also because it is a chance to unite Barts and Queen Mary in this celebration of the talents of the clubs and societies. So watch this space for more details and make sure you make a note of the date in your diary.

So enough of that and back to me. This month I have given up drinking in a bid to raise some money for RAG, and for the charity I previously mentioned in my column, Right To Play. So far I am doing well, although strangely my health has deteriorated and I’m in bed right now with a cold...Anyway, if you read this column for the sports club info, sorry to disappoint, again. Ahoj. (Embracing my Czech roots, it means goodbye.

And hello. I know, we are strange people.) xxxxx

Vratislav Domalip III VP Activities

Their first game in 2010 came after two postponements due to the weather the week before, and so when the 14 boys took the pitch they were rusty and out of touch.

That said, they soon found rhythm and after even play were perhaps unfortunate to go a goal behind from a well-worked short corner.

A superb sweeping move down the left hand side drew the RUMS defence across midway through the first half, with Matt Stott on hand to eventually put the ball into the goal to level the scores rather nonchalantly, but poor midfield play left the visitors with five strikers to two defenders and the goalie, and they duly regained the lead shortly before the whistle.

Goalkeeper Darren McGuinness made a number of good saves and

QM men’s hockey team struggled to keep pace with a fitter RUMs side who ended their unbeaten run

“Their first game in 2010 came after two postponements due to the weather the week before, and so when the 14 boys took the pitch they were rusty and out of touch. “

blocks to prevent the visitors going any further ahead, but having lost goal scorer Stott and midfield dynamo Tom Bateman to another commitment at half time, the Leopards’ comeback was a big ask.

A stretched defensive line couldn’t stop a third, as Alex Reeves pushed the attacker wide only for him to slot past the onrushing McGuinness, and with two goals now the cushion and five

minutes to play, it was almost out of the question.

QM continued to press, but couldn’t find anyone to apply the finishing touch, eventually losing winger Mike Hazlewood to injury in the process. It’s a tough loss to take, but when they finally get a training facility sorted QSport has faith that they’ll bounce back and be ready for a promotion push and a Merger Cup success.

cement their lead, with gaps in the midfield inviting pressure from their LSE counterparts, only manof-the-match Manuel Sebastian and a superb penalty-save from goalkeeper Sean Mahoney prevented the home side from scoring the goal they had earned.

LSE did score a late consolation, yet QM managed to hold out for a scrappy victory. Whilst QM secured the 3 points, an all-round shaky performance leaves much to be desired for the 4th team as they attempt to climb the table and push for promotion.

Football 4s scrape victory Andrew Kennedy Men’s football LSE 6s 1-2 QM 4s Having lost their previous two encounters this season, Queen Mary 4s needed to build on the previous week’s spirited performance against league leaders SSEES 1s with victory on an overcast day at LSE’s Berrylands home ground.

QM started the game with a flourish, creating numerous chances and smothering the LSE midfield, before a Johnny Mallet cross was met by the head of American Bob Hosken to give to the away side a deserved 1-0 lead.

However the fourth team were unable to capitalise on their advantage. Despite the best efforts of striker Martin Bergesson, who consistently exposed the LSE right back, they fell out of steam in front of goal, leading to a LSE resurgence towards the end of the second half.

The Leopards regained the

momentum straight from the kick off, with Mallet gliding past the opposition midfield before finding Bergesson, who turned the LSE centre half and slotted the ball past the flailing keeper to continue his phenomenal goal scoring run.

Yet QM were again unable to

Football 4s grind out first win of the season and are looking to climb up the table in the coming months

Sport

Interested in sport? sports@qmessenger.co.uk

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26/01/2010

McGuinness’ Moment

Vraj ‘VPSA’ Domalip At the halfway point in his tenure as head of student activities for the Students’ Union, QMessenger caught up with Vraj to discuss his successes so far and what more is to come...

ELECTED by a majority in the second round, Vratislav Vraj Domalip III, plain ol’ Vraj to pretty much everyone here at Queen Mary and Barts, has always been a popular figure during his time as a student, but would that give him a platform from which to reach out or fall? Sports Editor Darren McGuinness met him to find out.

The March towards Merger The weather outside has been frightful, and it has been to the detriment of many of the Clubs here at QM and Barts who have either had fixtures postponed or been unable to complete rearranged matches from clashes earlier in the season – January is generally kept free from the schedule for a reason.

However, the drive and desire to perform is still there.

Over Christmas I personally put on three quarters of a stone (4 kg in new money). I’ve not done any running and I am feeling out of breath even when just walking up stairs at home. So I think it’s time we started getting back into the swing of things.

And what greater incentive than to reclaim the Merger Cup. Barts won it last year, deservedly so, after dominance from QM over the previous few seasons, but the Leopards have probably outplayed the Griffins in the various Sports competed in the March medley. It could be a really exciting season.

Qmotion has stayed open almost the entire time over this period of cold weather, and from what I’ve seen it’s getting a good work out by the hordes of heroes and heroines who are going to shift some holiday weight and get back to potential perfection. So if you’re feeling sluggish or have an essay to avoid, I urge you to make the most of the facilities. For your teammates and for your fellow sporsters, if not for yourself.

If you do want to get your Sports team heard then feel free to write an article and submit a picture or two over the season. We’re all about inclusion here at QMessenger, so the more the merrier. Email the Sportsdesk at: sports@qmessenger.co.uk

Darren McGuinness Sport Editor

Vraj still maintains the passion that won him the election last February and wears a smile that never seems forced. “It’s been a really good experience,” he began. “When I started the job I had completely different expectations, but it’s been really fun and I’ve met so many people. I’ve got involved in so many things that I never thought I would have been willing to do if I wasn’t in this position.

“The Sabbs have been a really good laugh, we’ve been getting on really well, but aside from that we’ve all been achieving what we set out to do whilst having a good time.”

I asked him what his greatest achievement has been so far, and with no hesitation he responded: “The Freshers’ Boat Ball. It’s something that hasn’t been done for a very long time at QM. Having it on a boat meant that new students moving to London for the first time would be able to see all the sites whilst meeting new people and finding their feet, well…sea legs to start with anyway!

“All the Sports teams are excelling, hopefully we’ll be promoted in lots of leagues. It’s also great to see the work the Societies have done.”

The Union’s Clubs and Societies have long been just something people do alongside their degrees, but in recent years there has been a huge investment in the time and effort dedicated to them.

That may be because students know they’ll need more on their CV than just a grade, or perhaps that they’re more passionate now about things other than simply drinking or meeting up with the same people than previous generations, but student investment has kept pace with such trends.

“One of my big achievements has been getting new members and increasing memberships in the Clubs and Societies, something that’s plagued the SU for a long time.” Vraj adds, looking at the plaques in the meeting room naming all those who have had a hand in running the SU in the past. “Students don’t usually want to pay their membership to a Club or Society, but now they’ve started and I hope this will continue.” It has indeed grown phenomenally, aided by the re-launch of QMSU. org where students can pay memberships online, from 2,500 students as paid-up members of a Club or Society

over the 2008-2009 academic year to 3,500 subscribed members in the first semester this time around. More members means more funds – points make prizes.

Vraj is at the helm for the new decade, and alongside Toby Emmerson is instrumental in ensuring that the facilities are there for those who want or need them. He was a key factor in resolving the issue over the Multi-Faith Centre, which rocked University and a couple of QMessenger’s front pages over the last 18 months.

“All the parties involved now seem happy with the situation. It’s taken a few years, but we’re very proud with what we’ve managed,” he said of the situation.

It’s not all plain sailing for the former Boat Clubber, though, as his wonderfully refreshing and approachable nature has sometimes caused him some midnight trauma.

“The biggest thing that annoys me is that a number of students got hold of my number, and between 1-3 in the morning people from house parties or coming out of Drapers are calling me up asking me where they can go to continue the good times! It’s not in my remit.

“The biggest issues that we’re having at the moment are teams not always being able to put out a full side, thus forfeiting, and pulling out at the last minute leading to walkovers. Both sides tend to appeal the points, so it’s difficult finding out who’s at fault and that’s very time consuming.

“There have been a few issues with Clubs who’ve got no training facilities, so trying to locate them decent grounds in the local vicinity is very difficult. Bookings with Sports Halls and studios has also been very tricky, because so many teams want to use the facilities, especially the Sports Hall [in Qmotion], so we have a completely packed-out timetable. Unfortunately late-comers or people who only want a one-off tend to struggle to find a slot.”

A typical day for our VPSA involves “firing up the computer” before responding to the hundreds of emails he receives each day. He claims that his job is very “face-to-face”, even with the swathes of messages he gets sent, as he has to “meet with a lot of people about a lot of things, such as finances, fixtures and future events, including training facilities.

“At the moment it’s about planning Synergy,” he continued. “I’ve been planning Synergy for a while now, for March 1st, and it’ll be at the same venue as last year [IndigO2]. Very prestigious, and offers consistency for the show. We’ve just done the first round of auditions.”

With Synergy only six weeks away, it’s no surprise to hear Vraj has his plate full with it at the moment. “Everything

Vraj is hoping QM will win the BUCS ‘most improved university’ award from now on to Synergy will be dedicated to securing sponsorship and finding acts that will appeal to the students – all religions, all races given the multicultural demographic of the University.

Synergy is what I’m mainly looking at.”

Sometimes mistaken as a pillar holding up the ceiling in Drapers, the giant Czech has undertaken a vow of alcoholic abstinence throughout January.

“It’s going well. I’m 21 days into it. Sponsorship so far hasn’t been so great, because people genuinely believe I won’t be able to do it, but I’ve only got a week left and I’m not going to let RAG down now. I’ve saved a lot of money, and now going out and seeing the state that my friends are getting into and realising ‘that’s probably not what I want to be like’.

Having pledged £5 myself, I have a vested interest in his exploits, but we are all stakeholders in one other very important occasion that tradition dictates must hold bragging rights for the rest of the year. The Merger Cup. “Obviously it’s going to go to QM. Looking at our results so far we’re doing better than Barts, and I know all the teams are going to be working harder leading up to it. We lost it last year, but that was due mostly to the weather conditions towards the end of the season and fixture congestion or not being able to play. I’ll return it for us this year.”

“Will that be your legacy?” I asked.

He paused, perhaps taking into account the weight of the word ‘legacy’, perhaps because he felt like he had to sneeze.

“I hope that there’ll be things other than the Multi-Faith Centre that I’ll be remembered for, hopefully Synergy if I’m being honest. I really hope that our teams continue doing so well, and if we do manage to win the BUCS most-improved University then that will be the legacy I want to leave, so I’m striving for that the most. We’re definitely on track to achieve that.”

To win the BUCS accolade would sit neatly alongside the University’s vic-

tory in November when we won ‘most improved student experience’, no small feat but not unsurprising given the amount of effort everyone has put into making it so. The QMSU website has also played a major part in improving students’ willingness and the ease with which they can pay their subscription fees.

What interested me most about the time with Vraj was how he has matched what some might perceive to be an overly assured persona with one of genuine maturity, which makes for a confident and driven thinker in the hot seat.

May the SU have more like him in the future, paving the way for generations to come.

Ticket prices for Synergy, Monday 1st March: Standard - £10 VIP - £15 (includes upper-tier seating) Visit the Blomeley Centre for more details.

Snow halts sport across country ...Continued from back page tures, which in turn will encourage people to spend more time focusing on getting their teams to fight for one another.

QM and Barts now face a huge battle to avoid the fixture congestion that cost some Sports their place at the Merger Cup last year.

The QM Rugby Club was of particular note, with fatigue and injury taking its toll as they sought promotion, but to the cost of their Merger Cup match, which was forfeited attempting to fulfil their league requirements.

QSPORT

Sports Desk ALMOST all the scheduled fixtures in early January, including rearrangements, fell foul of the weather as up to 3 feet of snow and huge drifts prevented facilities being match-fit and transport links were left severed.

Professional Sports were hit just as bad as amateur or college programmes, which itself is fairly rare.

Despite a far larger proportion of investment even the largest and most famous Clubs and teams were unable to beat the conditions.

Although usually immune from such problems, London was perhaps one of the worst hit regions in the country, especially for University Sport, given that there are so few locations where matches could be relocated. Fitting the fixtures in over the next few weeks may again prove tricky as exams will deplete players’ availabilities and Reading Weeks will be less than a month away.

January is traditionally kept free in University scheduling due to exams and the likelihood of inclement weather, but with other fixtures earlier in the season being rearranged for the first month of the new decade it has hit those who had hoped

to hit the ground running after Christmas the hardest.

Fixtures will now likely have to be played on weekends and weekdays as well as the usual Wednesday matches, or some fixtures might have to move indoors if the weather persists, for example Netball or Tennis matches.

Questions will again be asked of how Reading Weeks are still used as an excuse to delay a fixture given the fallout from this bout of bad weather. Sportsdesk will call once again for forfeits or walkovers to be granted instead of rearranging fixContinued page 15...

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 26th Jan ‘10 • Issue 19 • FREE

INSIDE <<<

>T he man in charge of QM sports teams talks to QMessenger, p15 >H ockey’s rusty mens team end recent good run against RUMS, p14 >S port ops: Has Sol Campbell made the best move of his career? p13