QMessenger 21

QMessenger

FREE! THE DEBATE: Tony Blair and the Iraq war Page 6

23rd Feb ‘10 • Issue 21 • FREE

Pick up your FREE copy of QMessenger from any of the QMSU outlets. These include QMotion and Drapersbar, Ground Coffee Shop, The Blomeley Centre, and The Village Shop. You can also grab a copy from the library.

Merger Cup warm up as QM 1s face Barts 1s Back page

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: Helen Knight & Rebecca Wynter reviews@qmessenger.co.uk Film: Alex MacDonald film@qmessenger.co.uk

Success for QM scientists’ VISTA telescope Play Sudoku and Crossword Page 12

Page 4

BLSA President comes under scrutiny from medical students

Sam Creighton Barts and the London Student Association (BLSA) President, Jeeves Wijesuriya, has come under scrutiny after a series of complaints alleging unprofessional behaviour were submitted to the editor of QMessenger.

Two major concerns have been raised: the handling of ‘Jaceygate’

and the sending of unprofessional emails.

The most controversial event of Wijesuriya’s term has been ‘Jaceygate’, where, it is alleged, he ‘orchestrated’ the removal of Jacey Ip as Barts and the London’s RAG (BL RAG) Captain. Ip was accused of being “incompetent” on the basis of four criteria: a lack of professionalism, the failure to deal with concerns, the state of RAG finances and damaging

Continued page 2...

The BLSA Association building (pictured) is steeped in tradition and history and there is a healthy sporting rivalry between QMSU and BLSA, yet this can be unproductive if taken too far

2

News

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23/02/2010

News in Brief Great Hall refurbishment Queen Mary and the Westfield Trust have committed £3.5 million to a planned refurbishment of the Great Hall. The hall will be closed for the work from the end of this year until January 2012.

The revamped venue will host a series of events celebrating the lead up to the Olympics. Senior Vice Principal Philip Ogden commented that “our aim is to make this a much more suitable space for major partnerships with a variety of institutions to benefit both the students at Queen Mary and our local community.”

Vice-chancellor attacks 1994 group

The study by the 1994 Group on PhD funding which called for a greater concentration on research has been attacked by Professor Wendy Purcell, an adviser to the Government’s postgraduate review. She labelled the data collected “skewed” and “poor research”. She argues that research should be judged on its quality and not concentrated on the top four institutions.

Courses for over 50s Universities UK has recommended an expansion in courses accessible and suitable for those over 50. According to their report “Active Ageing and Universities: Engaging Older Learners”, people should prepare for mentally active lives up to twenty years beyond retirement age and that education should play a major part in “unlocking mental capital and promoting wellbeing” at this time. The report adds that universities should apply their widening participation agendas to all age groups, not just the young and working adults.

Got a News in Brief story?

Email it to Sam Creighton at news@qmessenger.co.uk

Complaints submitted about BLSA President ...Continued from front page the reputation of BL RAG. Denis Shukur, last year’s Vice President Education, Welfare and Representation (VP EWR), stated that: “Joy Clark and Jacey Ip both ran for RAG Captain while I was VP Welfare and Jacey won. Jeeves expressed his discontent at the result and asked what could be done. I suggested to him that the only way someone could be removed from a position is if they lost a vote of no confidence at an SPC meeting.” The Student President Committee (SPC) is a group of 18 students elected from all five years of the dental and medical courses which run at BLSA. This build-up of resentment is corroborated by one SPC member who says that before the vote of no confidence took place “Jeeves had already written to various people to try and remove her from the position before her term had even started.

When this wasn’t working he started printing off Facebook conversations to show to the SPC to drum up support for getting rid of her.”

Wijesuriya denies any premeditation, saying “it’s not like I’m a dictator that’s come in and gone ‘this RAG officer is this or that’. I’d like to think I was supportive in the beginning but there were problems that weren’t rectified.”

Ip was initially voted out through email correspondence but Anna Hiscocks, the VP EWR at the time, informed the SPC that this was “unconstitutional as it had to be done by a secret paper ballot.” She chaired a second meeting to “make sure it ran correctly” but commented that “I personally didn’t think she’d been

given enough time to prove herself.”

Ip was in position for shortly over five weeks. A member of the SPC has expressed reservations about how the meeting unfolded, explaining that “both Jeeves and Jacey were given the opportunity to talk. When Jeeves spoke Jacey remained polite and quiet. When Jacey was given the chance to defend herself, Jeeves repeatedly interrupted; cutting her off, calling her a liar, almost bullying her. It was only when myself and another SPC member told Jeeves to be quiet, that Jacey was allowed to finish.” Anna Hiscocks says while Jeeves did interrupt Jacey the vehemence of these interjections have been exaggerated.

The eventual result was close, with 17 SPC members present and 9 voted to remove Ip. The aftermath of ‘Jaceygate’ ties into the second allegation levelled against Wijesuriya, that he has sent out several “unprofessional” emails to all BLSA students. A number of students have complained about how the Jacey incident was publicised through an email “only showing his side of the story.” One BL student said “it was inappropriate for Jeeves to make himself out as the hero and the RAG captain the villain. Regardless of what went on, he should have taken a more dignified approach instead of publicly humiliating someone.” Jeeves responded saying “the email was stronger than it needed to be and I’ve apologised for this but I stand by the fact that we can’t make a decision about removing an elected officer without telling people.”

Wijesuriya considers the matter closed, stating “it was an SPC decision, the majority voted against her and I back that.” However, a mem-

ber of the SPC added: “I don’t think she was given a chance to fuck up. It was harsh, Jacey wasn’t as informed as she should have been and some people only had access to one side of the story.”

Another email that has come under scrutiny is one sent during the recent Students’ Union elections that named and supported three BLSA students running for trustee positions. It said: “Three of our very own BL students (Andrew McKnight, Jon Fenn and Oliver “The Chairman” Woolf) [are] running for office [as trustees] to protect BLSA, its finances resources and students against the QM hordes!” It is a breach of the constitution for either a sabbatical officer to back a candidate or for any email to support and name more than one candidate in an election.

Jeeves has responded by saying that “naming them was an error” but did not see a problem with his remarks regarding BLSA and Queen Mary, which some students have perceived as inflammatory, adding “I apologise for that alone.”

Due to emails such as this, some students, including some of our sources, say they are hesitant about coming forward; with one saying “I would personally like to remain anonymous for the simple reason that I don’t fancy being the subject of one of Jeeves’ emails.”

One Barts student complained that “Jeeves constantly attacks the links with QM,” while another added that “we need to get over the antiQM sentiments that Jeeves encourages.” However, a prominent individual within BLSA explained that the problem was more far-reaching “a big part of our identity down

here at Barts is hating QM and while Jeeves definitely takes part in this, he doesn’t play a direct role in stirring it up.” Other students have rallied around Jeeves denying that he exacerbated tensions, with one saying “it would be a dreadful shame for friendly banter to be turned into something it is not.”

After QMessenger consulted Wijesuriya with a first draft of the article a number of students came out in his support. With one going as far to say that “Jeeves has been everything that you want a president to be.”

Anyone in a position of power will attract criticisms as no decision is going to please everyone. However, due to the fact that sabbatical officers are elected by the entire student body to safeguard their interests they have a responsibility to act with professionalism at all times.

It is therefore in the public interest that any allegations to the contrary are fully investigated and reported.

Top-up fees should not replace public funding Philip Keech Higher student fees should not be treated as a replacement for public spending; members of the Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance have been told.

Top-up fees were implemented by the government in 2006 with the purpose that the income bought in would be additional to other university income providing a higher standard of learning for students.

However, the government’s decision to opt for a low loan rate charge on student fees has meant the Top-up fees system now costs up to £1.2 billion a year.

As a result, since December 2009 universities have seen a reduction in the unit of teaching funding.

Universities face a cut of up to £600 million with the possibility of further cuts after the general election.

Professor Steve Smith, president of the Universities UK told the independent review: “Universities are efficient: they work on very narrow financial surpluses. We think some kinds of cuts can be absorbed. But if you start cutting further, quality will suffer and, frankly, that is not just an issue for higher education, it is an issue for the future of the country.”

The government’s pledge to maintain a high level of funding per student was a pivotal reason behind the introduction of the top-up fees; therefore a cut on spending would be a retraction from this promise.

Smith continued: “We should be very concerned indeed if whatever scheme was introduced as a result of your review was simply used to replace spending.”

Other officials have warned that university cutbacks could lead to larger universities expanding further thus forcing smaller universities out of the competition and out of business.

Professor David Eastwood, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England said: “the number of each institution can accept is controlled centrally, preventing popular universities from expanding.”

However, a higher education report published last year called for a more “contestability” amongst universities for student places. This change would mean a more marketbased sector thus changing the central control on universities.

Professor Smith also commented: “Some institutions may face the possibility of folding. I know of one institution that has twelve applica-

tions per place, and another that has two. If you allow the institution with twelve to expand, the consequence is obvious.”

Another possibility to university cuts is the merging of institutions.

Though former Education Secretary Charles Clarke said: ‘I think there is a great conservatism in universities, which is preserving some very good things, but is also conserving ways of operating that are not as radical as they need to be.’

News

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23/02/2010

The President

The relationship between QMSU and BLSA has been a major focus of attention for the sabbatical teams for quite a few years.

I think it’s important to note a few facts before I go on. Barts and the London Students’ Association is based in Whitechapel and aims to provide services and representation for Queen Mary Medical and Dental students. BLSA is a part of QMSU and receives its funding through QMSU and its staff are all appointed and managed by QMSU. I, as President of the student body, am also responsible for representing all BL Students to college through Queen Mary Senior Executives and College Council.

There are sports clubs and societies at BLSA which cater specifically to medical and dental students, and there are often competitions between the two campuses. However, these are usually friendly with sports related banter and a competitive edge which is always healthy for sporting environments.

Over the past few months the relationship between the two sites has somewhat taken on a different note.

Views of separation and autonomy have been amplified by several individuals who would suggest that QMSU is in some way always trying to infringe on BLSA. I think it is very important to note that the majority of the sabbatical team has strived and continue to strive to bridge the gaps between the two campuses. The geographic distance will most likely never change, however mindsets can! And when we realise we are all students of the same university, using the same resources, being funded by the same accounts and finally all being members of QMSU, only then will we realise that in reality there is no gap between us. We are all one and the same kind of stake holder – STUDENTS! Wanting to make the most of our time at the college and not be subject to any negative atmosphere which breeds hate or animosity between any of our campuses.

I myself have worked at BLSA for about a year, serving the needs and queries of medical and dental students. I also have many friends who study medicine and dentistry and who are shocked and very against any form of separation between the two campuses. The Mile End campus has many services, events and societies which are not available at Whitechapel and all the Medical and Dental students are welcome and encouraged to take part in the activities. I hope all the medical and dental students would feel just as “at home” here in Mile End as they do anywhere else, and not be steered away by the few - but loud - haters of our inevitable union as students.

Nasir Tarmann

More than 200,000 students to miss out on university places

What’s going on in America?

QM’s Nick Thomson reports from across the Atlantic

Matthew Gordon Vice-chancellors have warned that more than 200,000 students face missing out on degree courses as budget cuts force universities to freeze places.

The crisis of higher education appears to be an international issue in which budget cuts appear to be on the menu. In Britain, £449 million that has been slashed from teaching and research meaning approximately 6000 UCAS applicants will have wasted their time.

The move risks “shattering the dreams” of record numbers of school-leavers competing to get into higher education in the economic downturn, it was claimed.

One university leader warned that institutions were being forced to prioritise foreign students over those from the UK because they can be charged as much as £30,000 a year.

It also emerged that almost seven people are competing for each place at elite universities, prompting claims that more students with straight As will be rejected.

But David Lammy, the Higher Education Minister, insisted that talk of shortages was “scaremongering”.

The comments came as the Government’s Higher Education Funding Council for England announced university budgets would be cut by £449 million in 2010/11.

“Almost seven people are competing for each place at elite universities, prompting claims that more students with straight As will be rejected.”

This includes a 1.6 per cent reduction – £215 million – in teaching funding and a 17 per cent cut in money for facilities.

Research budgets will remain unchanged compared to last year.

The majority of universities are being forced to freeze or reduce places this year. It comes despite the fact that the number of applications for degree courses is up by an estimated 12 per cent compared with 2009.

Prof Steve Smith, president of Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, suggested more than 200,000 students could miss out as a result of the squeeze.

“Last year about 160,000 students who applied didn’t end up going to university,” he said.

200,000 students face missing out on university places next year “This year, we already know that there are about another 75,000 applying for university. So the number of students who go to university will be less than the number that actually want to go and thus there will be a lot of students this year who do not get a place.”

The Government has already warned that universities will be fined £3,700 for every British and EU student recruited beyond strict targets.

Prof David Green, vice-chan-

cellor of Worcester University, said the number of students being rejected could eventually be between 250,000 and 300,000.

Some 640,000 students applied to university last year and 482,000 were admitted – a record high.

Sussex University said numbers were up by a third to 11,500, even though places have been frozen at 2,500. Applications to Oxford increased by 12 per cent to 17,000, despite places being capped at 3,200.

Though I can!t deny that we had no problems all along, the UK no longer feels like a relative paradise for higher education compared to its Californian counterpart, which has been shaken to its foundations by the state!s budget crisis, causing fee increases so significant, that many students are unable to return next year.

But what do we do about it? Grumble, unless your are a QMSU electoral candidate. On the other hand, as our Californian student cousins are facing a worse crisis, they are not letting it pass without a fight.

We are in indeed in times where political norms are being challenged and new far reaching precedents are being made: The US voted its first black president and these political ripples have crossed the pond to the UK where the BNP, celebrating this great advancement in race relations, have opened up their ranks to ignorant tosspots of every colour or creed.

Maybe this is a time to stand up and make a great difference. Perhaps we can take a page from their book and do something about it. Could the tactics that the students of Santa Cruz have used be repeated in the UK? It turns out that yes, they would and quite easily so.

Throughout this year, students in Santa Cruz have shown they will not let the cuts happen without a fight by holding, wait for it, dance parties. The system has been smashed repeatedly by a boom box, a projector and some powerpoint slides of typical Lenin quotes such as “NO CUTS”.

Poorly constructed sarcasm aside, most of these raves on campus have had the general lack of meaning or direction. Most students I asked even told me this, admitting that “Hey, its an excuse to drink and dance on campus.”

Although this is a typical cynic!s response to the actions, and indeed they can respond to this by claiming “we!re spreading awareness! so does a regular protest, or an occupation.

With this in mind, I propose we try to mirror this radical approach out in the QMUL campus. Lets meet at Drapers this Friday at 9:00pm, and smash the system until 2 in the morning. Just bring £3 for entry.

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News

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23/02/2010

Nation Convention Against Fees and Cuts meets Jack White The National Convention Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) gathered at UCL on Saturday 6th February to discuss the Government’s aggressive policies on Higher Education and to formulate a response from the student population.

The goal of the conference was to create a radical, democratic organisation of students, to fight at a national and international level for the reduction of tuition fees and against the cuts to university funding that have been proposed by the Government.

Taking a cue from regional groups, an open national steering committee for the new National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, has been convened to coordinate student retaliation against government attacks. A formal statement of intent will be published shortly, condemning the government’s policies and calling for action to save Britain’s first-rate education system from the axe.

Attendance at the conference was high from all areas of Britain, numbering well into the hundreds.

An initial plenary session featured representatives of university and sixth-form students, university staff and the conference organisers. Later the conference split up for a sequence of workshops on different issues affecting student organisation and welfare.

Following from discussion on topics related directly to university and student funding, a key point of the conference arrived with a split into regional subgroups. The London region elected three individuals who will convene regional meetings, run a web site and maintain a mailing list. Organisation will clearly be the hallmark of this campaign.

During the final session, a final statement was drawn up, stating the goals and aspirations of the conference. Motions were submitted by both groups and individuals and voted upon by all attendees.

The full statement has not yet been published, however the essence of the document was a fiery indictment of current government policy on Higher Education. Secondary features include a call for a strong, unified left-wing slate for the National Union of Students elections, ex-

Crossword No. 9

Students met at UCL for the National Convention Against Fees and Cuts to discuss goverment’s agressive policies pressions of support for groups disproportionately affected by government policy and a bold statement on the future of democracy in student unions.

Hard

also released reports in 2009 and January 2010, recommending a fee cap of £7,000 a year and supporting the current policy of fees up to £3,225 a year.

Sudoku No. 17 & 18

Across 6. Corridor (7) 7. Poison produced by an organism (5) 8. Defeats (5) 10. Noisiest (7) 12. Remebling wool (6) 13. Swindle (6) 15. Consisting of earth (6) 17. Rise (6) 20. Soon (7) 22. Shyly (5) 24. Experiment (5) 25. Midpoint (7)

Medium

The business Secretary, Peter Mandelson, recently announced cuts to the universities budget of £533m. Universities UK, the organisation of university chiefs,

Down 1. Swell (4) 2. Maiden (6) 3. Boat spines (5) 4. Breed of dog (6) 5. Triumphs (4) 8. Curvature of the legs (3, 4) 9. Purge (5) 11. Third day of the week (7) 14. Very hard mineral (5) 16. Muslim headdress (6) 18. Unhealthy (6) 19. Kent coastal town (5) 21. German Mister (4) 23. Idle away time (4)

Last issue’s solution (Crossword no. 8)

Last issue’s solutions (Sudokus no. 15 & 16)

Medium

Hard

6

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23/02/2010

Student Comment

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THE DEBATE:

The Iraq war - did Tony Blair lie or was it justified?

Iraq: Blair did not lie

Blair, Iraq, lies and disaster

Mathias Haeussler

Tahmeena Bax

Did Tony Blair lie over Iraq?

No. Would Tony Blair have lied over Iraq? Probably.

Does this even matter? Not at all.

“I never regarded 11 September as an attack on America, I regarded it as an attack on us”, Tony Blair recently told the Chilcot Inquiry, adding that “given Saddam’s history, given his use of chemical weapons, given the over one million people whose deaths he had caused, given 10 years of breaking UN resolutions, could we take the risk of this man reconstituting his weapons programs or is that a risk that it would be irresponsible to take?”.

This was Blair’s key argument in favour of the war; given the “changed worldwide security sit-

uation” after 9/11, he felt it would have been irresponsible to take any risks in dealing with Iraq. “This isn’t about a lie or a conspiracy or a deceit or a deception [..], it’s a decision.”

It was his decision, driven by the determination to make the world a safer place. In Blair’s eyes, Saddam Hussein was a “monster” who threatened “not just the region but the world”.

Blair’s appearance at the Chilcot inquiry was a passionate and convincing defence of this decision, delivered with the self-assuring confidence of a trained lawyer and former Prime Minister. His thoughts were completely consistent with his general mindset after 9/11, when he embarked upon a more aggressive foreign policy, announcing almost immediately after the attacks that Britain

stood by her American friends, vowing not to rest until “this evil is driven from our world”.

Thus, there is little doubt that Blair honestly believed in many of the intelligence reports on Saddam’s alleged WMDs. If the question is whether Tony Blair had deliberately misled the country over Iraq, the answer has to be no. He was convinced by the available intelligence and he was determined to act accordingly.

Yet, understanding a decision does not vindicate it as such. Back in 2002, a number of people were not quite as convinced as Blair was: thousands of people protested on the streets of London.

France and Germany openly declared that they would not back an invasion. Most importantly, however, the Anglo-American actions were not authorised by the UN Security Council – the war was therefore illegal. These arguments are not driven by hindsight, since the majority of Foreign Office legal advisers were rather open about the war’s illegality at the time. It, therefore, does not matter the slightest whether Blair has – or has not – lied over some ‘dodgy dossiers’. The point is that the intervention was a serious breach of international law, with no apparent legal justification of the actions taken. The fact that Blair, obsessed with his own perceptions of national security, felt empowered not only to deliberately bypass a corner-stone of international law, but also to risk the lives of thousands of British soldiers, is the true scandal that the Chilcot inquiry may hopefully uncover in the months to come.

Proponents of the Iraq War argue that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. However, the Chilcot Inquiry, the furore surrounding the Iraq War Dossier and its infamous 45-minute claim only illustrates that evidence of Saddam housing illegal weapons was indeed “sexed up.”

But the most important fact is usually left unnoticed: if, as Tony Blair says, he

feared for the safety of Britain in that one day Saddam would launch an attack on this country with WMDs, then why did Saddam not use those weapons to fight us at anytime during the invasion? Whilst many are quick to attack anti-war demonstrators as irrational, simple logic lacks in the case for war.

Another pretext for the war was to remove Saddam Hussein and install democratic government. Democracy has not come to Afghanistan through an invasion; neither has it done so in Iraq. Moreover, the UN could not provide the mandate that is needed for war, as under international law it remains illegal to invade a sovereign state with the intention of regime change. The invasion of Iraq was illegal from the start and Blair took this country to war in full knowledge and violation of this.

Blair used the War on Terror to justify the Iraq War claiming that “terrorism and weapons of mass destruction come together.” But the only terrorist attack here was in 2005, more than two years after the invasion. In their vid-

eo testimonies, the July 7th bombers said they were reacting to our government’s foreign policy. We were told that war was imperative in the fight against Al-Qaida, but Al-Qaida were not even in Iraq and are there now only to fight the foreign occupation. It has become clear that the idea of the War on Islamic Terrorism was created and exaggerated to justify USUK military policy in Muslim countries.

On the 29th of January this year, Blair was called to give evidence at the Chilcot inquiry. The few hundred people who demonstrated that day represented the majority public opinion that he should be tried as a war criminal at The Hague, not merely a witness at an inquiry.

The facts remain, legally the war was wrong but morally the implications are far bigger: over one million Iraqi’s have been killed, children born with deformities from the depleted uranium used by our forces and four million made refugees. Since leaving office, Blair earns annually £2.5 million from JP Morgan, the company controlling the banking system in Occupied Iraq. The war had nothing to do with democracy, unless we say that it is common for democracies to invade and kill in non-democratic countries. It had nothing to do with terrorism, as instead it created a backlash of violence. The war was about a US-UK alliance which sought to monopolise Iraq’s rich oil reserves and invading people and their land was the only means by which to do this. A war that has such detrimental effects on a people, whilst enriching a wealthy minority cannot appeal to moral and reason; instead it can be justified only by lies.

Comment

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7

23/02/2010

In defense of QMSU and its democratic processes Craig Ferriman

“We are failed by SU bureaucracy and the lack of any proper involvement” according to Karl Sielman Parry, who levelled a damning indictment against the union in the last edition of QMes-

senger. What a load of rubbish!

The fact that over 2000 students voted in the elections for sabbatical officers last week shows that engagement with the student populace remains as high as ever.

That may only be 15% of students at QM who voted, but voter turnout is higher here than many other universities.

Sielman-Parry argues that “the SU needs to be radically democratised.” Granted that is not totally unfounded. Indeed, like any representative body, there are weaknesses that need to be addressed, but QMSU has overhauled its operational process to be more inclusive and democratic this year by abolishing the executive committee in favour of a student council represented by officers with portfolios, which all students may attend. This

replaced regular UGMs where few people turned up. I asked the President last week about a key concern: “who of us are even aware when student council meetings are being held?” President Tarmann accepts that communication of the strong work of our SU has been let down by failing to make the dates accessible to students. This will be addressed, he said. Change takes time to be measured and as is so often with the effect of student politics, one has graduated before the effects of many actions are realised.

What’s his alternative?

The QM Student Alliance! Alas it could not have a “space to meet up, chat and organise” if it were not for subsidisation from the SU. He could not attack our union, if this union-funded newspaper did not exist.

I am not against his alternative

suggestion of a QM Students Alliance. Yet, having sat on numerous college boards, I know the influence and clout the Union holds, because this union is so pro-active and gets things done. No system is perfect, but let’s get behind the estab-

lished Union and give its new governance structure chance to work, rather than shouting down the ‘undemocratic’ union that allows him to write such poppycock. Irony – I think so!

The group involved in this year’s QMSU elections in library square

Gordon Brown and Labour save the day, and the banks Sergio Esposito

Recently, a huge wave of public dissatisfaction has been thrown the way of Gordon Brown as a leader and at the Labour government. Yet, some people seem to

completely ignore Gordon Brown and the government’s attempts to save the banking sector, which in turn saved hundreds of thousands of people’s homes and savings. We have all pretty much come to the conclusion that bailing out the banks was essentially the only thing we could do. I think few are in much doubt that the right action was taken.

We have to face the facts, yes Gordon Brown is no great political orator like Tony Blair, or lacks the charisma of David Cameron, but is this really what Britain needs?

Gordon Brown and the Labour government – love or hate them – ensured that the recession did not turn into a depression. That cannot be said for the Conservative

Party, which is calling for severe and deep cuts that would put this economic recovery at risk. Yes, cuts and tax rises are needed to pay back the debt, but if we started cutting public spending now, we would be kicking Britain while she was just getting to her feet. Is this a coincidence or a result of Labour spending to get the economy moving or Tory cuts and laissezfaire economics?

Under Gordon Brown as Chancellor, Britain saw 51 continuous quarters of economic growth, never before seen in Britain since records began. A first ever national minimum wage, more police on the streets, overall crime down; the list goes on and on. People keep on crying out for change, yet interestingly the polls have narrowed

in the last month, showing the Conservatives on 39% and Labour on 31%, a Tory fall of 4-5% in two months. Is this mere coincidence

consign the first past the post system to history, should not just be endorsed by parliament, but should be put to the British people for a referendum. This is all very noble, Mr. Brown, but why have you only started to care now? Well, cos, uh, maybe it’s a last minute “deathbed conversion.” In anticipation of losing the next general election, he hopes to woo the Liberal Democrats, who will hold the balance of power in the event of a hung parliament. Furthermore, it is designed to wrong-foot the Tories, who in opposing the reform, will allow Mr Brown to try to portray Labour as a progressive party.

In many respects, AV offers

little prospect of a move towards greater proportionality and in certain circumstances it has even less proportionality than first past the post. However, it is not all doom and gloom. The representation of minority parties should theoretically increase as supporters of these parties will be to vote for them with their first vote, and give their second preference to one of the mainstream parties. The other more pertinent point is that under AV, the benefit of a close constituency link for MPs would be maintained.

So was this a move dictated by a solid foundation of values? No. Was it a cynical, tactical, political move? Yes. Will it

Bailing out the banks was the right action by Gordon Brown and his team or are the British people waking up to the fact that the current Labour government has actually done a lot of good?

New preferential voting system could save Labour Harvey Bhogal

The way in which the general public views politicians and

the British political establishment is dire. Many people have become depoliticised, feel disenfranchised, or are disillusioned. Voter turnouts are relatively low.

And then there was the expenses scandal. (I don’t think I need to say another word about that). In this climate some fresh changes would be most welcome. Thus Gordon Brown’s avocation of a “new politics”, epitomised by his electoral reform package, in which a change to the Alternative Vote system is at the forefront, should be music to our ears. Right?

Mr. Brown believes that the proposed changes, which would

be better than FTTP? Yes. Is it enough of a change to increase democracy and accountability?

Hmmm, not quite convinced.

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Reviews

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23/02/2010

REVIEWS

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Jellied eels? Mash it up you schlaag...

Tom Cridford Cockneys, the Kray twins, the Blitz; East London is a place steeped in history and for less than a Lady Godiva (that’s a fiver to the rest of us) you can buy yourself a slice of the real East End. Situated right in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Roman Road, G.Kelly’s traditional pie and mash shop upholds one of the capital’s greatest traditions and it’s definitely worth a ‘butchers’.

When first walking through the door, you may be forgiven for feeling you’ve somehow travelled back in time to the 1930’s. Black and white period posters line the white tiled walls, pre-war swing music greets you along with the smell of fresh pastry from the open kitchen,

and even the staff seemed to add to the retro effect; their hair perfectly styled into the fashions of yester year.

Clearly authenticity is high on the G.Kelly’s tick list of priorities and like all self respecting London pie and mash shops, they also trade in that quintessentially cockney dish: jellied eels.

Now I realise that many of you would probably rather come face to face with Jack the Ripper in a dark alley than pit yourself against a plate of these jellied monsters but they’re not as bad as all that; I’ve tried them ... I promise. Admittedly a little on the tough side texture wise, the flavour more than makes up it; fishy and very tasty when served in the traditional chilli vinegar... if you don’t believe me I dare you to try them.

However this unique institution is under threat. More and more regularly Roman road is playing host to modern

fast food enterprises that are poaching the business of smaller establishments such as G.Kelly’s.

“There is competition but I’ve tried to stay true to my aim, I sell pie and mash and I’ve always maintained that I won’t change,” said the owner of the shop, Susan Venning.

“The truth is we have more personality than a MacDonlads and I think customers realise that. The real difference?” she adds with a smile. “Well KFC certainly won’t sell you a jellied eel”.

Although this may not be everyone’s idea of the perfect fast food Susan is right. Don’t waste your student loans on Burger King or KFC– for the same price you can experience the true flavour of East London.

RATING 6/10

Possibly the best damn pizza in the East Flo Sethi Now, before I start, I have a confession. My opinion of pizza is rather indifferent. My fondness for pizza only stretches as far as the delight of returning from a night out and blurrily spotting my housemates’ left over Domino’s, dousing it with balsamic vinegar, mayonnaise and possibly onion marmalade (depending on my patience) and inhaling it with one breath. How revolting. Now don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say no to pizza, but I wouldn’t beg for it.

So can Pizza East bring me to my knees?

Located on the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Bethnal Green road in a converted warehouse, one may expect Pizza East to have an industrial feel, be swarming with ‘Shoreditch Dandy’ (and to be perfectly honest rather pretentious) types, it wasn’t. We were greeted by warm, helpful, and may I say very handsome staff and regardless of the brick walls and pipes running across the ceiling, features that gave a slight ‘edginess’ rather than dominating the room, the restaurant felt surprisingly homely.

Enough about incidentals and lets get down to business. Our plates of starters were presented

on wooden slabs and three clean plates already stacked on the table with the assumption that we were going to share, a task that I find painfully challenging when it comes to food. The calamari with caper mayonnaise was my favourite of the three starters, the batter was barely noticeable, light and did not reign over the delicate flavour of the squid, while the saltiness of the capers enhanced it. The wood roasted mussels with fennel aioli were what mussels should be; they came in a delicate broth a refreshing change to typically cream drenched mussels. The battered casing should have provided the crunch that was needed to contrast with the soft aubergine inside, but the lashings of balsamic with chilli and orange prevented it, making the texture of the dish its downfall, delicious flavours though. We were off to a good start.

Before I looked at the menu, I had already assumed that I wouldn’t order pizza. I was wrong.

The veal meatball, prosciutto, sage, lemon and cream pizza was not a culinary opportunity that I was willing to let slip through my hands. It was incredible. All of the components worked beautifully together, especially the lemon, which played a vital role in lifting the potentially heavy dish. While I was more than happy with my choice, my friend

Ruby, was not. The sausage, broccoli and mozzarella pizza that she ordered had a taste that didn’t belong there, and we came to the conclusion that it was fennel. It dominated the whole dish, leaving Ruby claiming “this is the most disappointed in a main course I have ever been.” Poor old Ruby, she did still manage to eat it all though, what a trooper.

I didn’t really need pudding. In fact, I definitely didn’t need pudding. I needed a lie down. With the intention of having something light I found my self ordering doughnuts with chocolate sauce. Regretting my greed immediately after ordering them for fear of vomiting, I was pleasantly surprised with their lightness. Although not a particularly refined desert, their sweetness finished off the meal perfectly.

We realised that it was time to go when Ruby pointed out that I had chocolate sauce dripping down my arm, oh the shame. The bill came to £33 each, including two carafes of (delicious) house red, and service. Not bad considering we forgot that we were students for the night and went all out. We waddled home planning our next trip back to Pizza East, surely the sign of a victorious meal.

RATING 8/10

Reviews

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9

23/02/2010

Exhibition of ‘The Neurotransmitting Gnat of Zeitgeist’ Helen Knight Known as “the neurotransmitting Gnat of Zeitgeist” Nat Finkelstein was a celebrity’s necessity, a political activist and a sympathiser to the Russian Mafia. His images, which have been displayed worldwide including in the Tate and V&A, are now regarded as some of the most iconic of the time.

The exhibition at the Idea Generation Gallery in Shoreditch is aptly named From One Extreme to the Other, as the collection features Finkelstein’s hedonistic, drug fuelled days in The Factory and the tumultuous unrest of the civil rights movement. It is a surprise that this exhibition could even be created after all the negatives were somehow destroyed. But as I’m told by a passer-by, all the prints were reincarnated from contacts found underneath his bed after his death in October 2009. “So how will each painting

be signed by the artist, as it says under each print?” I ask. “Who knows darling. It’s Finkelstein; he’s dead but still a genius. He’ll figure it out.”

It is the thoughtful layout which lends most favourably to the exhibition. The gallery is simple, all white and relatively small. The ground floor bends round in a soft ‘S’ shape and here are housed The Factory days where he spent three years. With a pensive Warhol crouched in the corner, with a can of paint and a fragile Edie Sedgwick looking out from under spidery lashes, it is immediately clear these are not exactly the characters we see in the 2006 film Factory Girl.

Finkelstein’s genius comes from his ability to strip down huge personas and his portraits of Sedgwick show the neediness and fragility underneath the hunger for fame. As he put himself “These were the great dissemblers, professional image projectors, showing only as much as they were paid to reveal...I became as much of a spy as a journalist.” All of the shots are based

in the debauchery of the time, a Velvet Underground rehearsal, a party in The Factory, but somehow Finkelstein manages to slow down these hurried “butterflies on speed”. His anecdotes below each print show how the celebrities come looking for exposure but leave him a little more human.

As you continue up the small stairs more images are hung there. These pictures are not of celebrities but of unnamed and unknown couples kissing and strangers dancing in blurs of neon light. The images are heady, slightly confusing but strangely alluring. As you continue the style of the images changes dramatically, as the eye is greeted by a deflated Uncle Sam on a porch and a humble picnic of patriotic snacks. This is Finkelstein’s America, his ideal, his love. Despite his trouble with the authorities these images show his unfailing allegiance to the country.

At the top of the stairs on the gallery, above the confusion of ego and fame, is Finkelstein’s most daring and selfless work as a photojournalist: grit-

ty scenes of rallies for civil rights. The shots are riotous and emotional but captured another side to the rallies.

Finkelstein attempts to flip the common perception and show the previously unseen. His shots are in the centre of danger where few other photojournalists would place themselves.

He ignored the violence and aggression shown towards him from the police, in order to document both sides of the rallies.

From One Extreme to the Other certainly does showcase just that, displaying Finkelstein’s ease and insight with both worlds. The opening attracted an array of people from photog-

raphy to fashion, one of which being Sienna Miller who starred as Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl. It was clear to see that she was fascinated by this world and engrossed she gazed at the prints completely oblivious to her surrounding admirers. Only an hour in to the opening, small orange stickers could be seen on many of the prints. They had sold them already. Thankfully the exhibition will be there till the 14th of February so get down quick, the beautiful shots Dylan in the Dark and Self Portrait alone are worth going to see.

RATING 8/10

A night of Cabaret with Queen Mary Theatre Company Hatty Evans A night of Cabaret at “Le Bijou Vert” was truly a night to remember. The audience was completely submerged in the sordid life of Cabaret. Entering the glitz and glamour of this dream-like world we were unsure what we were to be presented with. Tom Machell and Georgia Bradley worked as a hilarious duo pulling in audience members to fill the candle lit tables that littered the Pinter Studio. Machell and Bradley really displayed superb acting bounc-

ing off the reactions of the audience in the foyer, we were treated and indeed ended up feeling like guilty customers once more coming back to enjoy the delights of the showgirls at Le Bijou Vert.

This show was unlike any I had seen previously performed in the Pinter. The black box space has often proved daunting to those wanting to create a believable world. But directors Emily Beeton Everitt and Sian Tomlinson really excelled themselves in completely transforming the space. With the wine flowing

and characters sitting amongst us, the audience became eager punters yearning for the next act. The acts themselves were many and all different, ranging from beautiful acapella group pieces by the showgirls, to amusing mime acts, and enchanting solos. Klea Villeaneuva’s singing abilities were very impressive and she seemed to utterly embody her role. But I cannot mention any of the vocal acts without paying tribute to the live band onstage and the namely Seb Hartzell, musical director for the show.

As the performance came to an

end, perhaps a little too soon, one by one the actors left the stage.

Eventually the audience was left alone, still contemplating the acts of the evening, until we were ordered to leave the “club”. There was no room for clapping, we were not allowed to break the ambience of the world laid out around us. As Seb stated, when we left the theatre, the Cabaret world ‘ceased to exist’; we were woken up from the dream. A really fantastic show.

RATING 8/10

Head back to the 1940s at The Blitz Party in Shoredtich Rebecca Wynter I’m sure we’ve all fantasised about being swept away by an American GI or a handsome allied soldier in uniform. We’ve all slipped into daydreams during our QM History lectures; dreams based on the more Hollywood glamorised interpretations of history.

Well to add a bit of spice to my studies, and re-live history, I indulged in a bit of ‘innovative learning’ attending The Blitz Party at Village Underground in Shoreditch.

The spirit of the 1940s was

captured by the buzzing wartime music bustling through the underground venue that had been creatively transformed into an air-raid bunker. Supplied by bands Ta Mère and Twin Tonic, the live swing music certainly swung the atmosphere back seven decades to a time my grandparents would be partying in a rare carefree evening putting the horror of the Blitz to one side.

Surrounded by fancy dress, the partygoers hadn’t let the side down; sailors, GIs and medal donned soldiers sidled up to munitions factory girls sporting lipstick, tea-dresses and elaborately rolled hair.

The makeshift bunker was au-

thentically complete with sandbags, black-out curtains, and military bunk beds lining the walls.

The Spitfire bar dominated the shelter and ration books were used as bar tabs. However once I’d had my rationed share, the cocktails were overpriced - even for the black market supplies of 1945. In a neighbouring room original newsreels and snippets from wartime films were projected onto a wall accompanied by more live music.

For some forties fashion and fun frolics the next event will be on Saturday 13th March.

RATING 5/10

Film

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11

23/02/2010

Beyond the Pole is only lukewarm The movie of our time Alex MacDonald If America is currently swamping the world with its own brand of indie comedies, then Britain is as well, with the likes of Beyond the Pole.

Whereas most of America’s output takes its cues from Wes Anderson and his ilk though, in Britain it’s most certainly the likes of The Office and its ilk – Beyond the Pole is yet another deadpan mockumentary; the sophomore effort of director David L. Williams, detailing the fictional account of two men (Rhys Thomas and Stephen Mangan) as they attempt to make the first carbon neutral, organic, vegetarian expedition to the North Pole. Things don’t go as smoothly as they’d hoped (who’d have thought?) Now, I personally have no problem with the format.

Potentially it can be very funny and it’s not a terrible idea at all. The problem is in the execution.

First, let me be blunt, it’s not very funny. And the few funny parts are banal and over-exposed mockumentary gags, that sound like they were recycled from any number of films and TV shows like The Office or even This is Spinal Tap. Guys on camera, really enthusiastic, looking really cheerful, someone else is angry or upset, main character remains positive but clearly uncomfortable. Lots of that kind of thing, which has been done to death really. The other problem with the film

is a problem it shares with the Simpsons Movie. Even if you ignore the fact the environment has been done to death as a topic as well, the film sets up these characters as ignorant and naive about the topic from the beginning – part of the humour is supposed to be derived from their obvious lack of knowledge about the topic and their misunderstanding of it; they are spoofing environmentalists and treehuggers. However, towards the end of the film, the tone changes completely and the “serious” side of the film comes out in which we are supposed to believe that these guys actually really do want to save the planet and that we should be learning from them and the film tries to turn itself into a genuinely moral film about the destruction of the environment. And it does not work at all.

The film spends its whole time ridiculing the naivety and stupidity of the characters and then turns right round tells the audience that they actually do know what they’re talking about? It doesn’t work at all and the attempts at pathos that the film tries to make, completely fail as well. In trying to make you empathise with such ridiculous characters in a ridiculous situation, it merely becomes boring. I mean, I suppose it’s not a terrible film – the actors are good and the general style could have worked. But it’s not funny in the slightest and it’s not intelligent in the slightest – but it sets itself up as both and that’s why it comes crashing down.

Alex MacDonald

I’d say that it’s about time to review 2010, the vastly underrated sequel to Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick’s epochal 2001: A Space Odyssey.

It’s always interesting to view films that were, at the time they were made, set in the far distant future of, well, now and see whether their predictions have come true. Well, in the case of 2010, the main thing is the Cold War tension that pervades the story of a joint Russian and American mission sent to discover what happened to the original Discovery space shuttle around Jupiter. Only two cast members return

from the original, along with the introduction of Roy Scheider as an American scientist and Helen Mirren (of all people) as a Russian scientist. The reason I think why the film is often derided is that it’s a very different beast from 2001 – it’s not a visual tapestry of music synchronised with celestial imagery, but a much more dialogue and plot based science fiction story. Having said that, there are some stunning visuals and the overall feel of the film is as far away from the operatic fantasy of Star Wars as you could like.

A truly refreshing blast of intelligent sci-fi.

Feline Follies with Felix Sweet Sweetback leaves bitter taste Alex Macdonald Going back a bit now, Feline Follies was the first cartoon to feature Felix the Cat – although he is not named as such– and it was first released in 1919.

The basic plot is as follows: a black tomcat asks a white cat out on a date. She agrees. They go out on a date and a fun time is had by all.

They go out the next night and he serenades her with a banjo. Meanwhile, mice wreck his home. He goes home and falls asleep. His owner comes back and kicks him out of the house for the mess. He goes to his girlfriend and finds that she has given birth to a crap load of his children. Upon realising this, the tomcat goes to a gasworks, puts a tube in his mouth and gasses himself to death. The end.

Ah, it was a more innocent time then! The cartoon, which precedes even the earliest Disney short by several years, is silent, sketchy, simple and completely lacks the fluidity and imagination of Max Steiner or even Disney himself’s

cartoons from the late 1920’s and early 30’s. Still, there is something strangely appealing about the almost robotic nature of the cartoon and its almost staggering simplicity. Throw in the catchy ragtime score and you have a great evocation of the post-WWI era before the decadence of the Roaring Twenties took off.

The cartoon is public domain and available on YouTube and other sites.

Edward Braddock This is a bad film, in every way.

It’s directed by legendary movie-man Melvin Van Peebles and stars his own bad self as Sweet Sweetback, a bad-as-a-Germanbath cat who finds himself on the run after punching the ticket of a white cop.

Released in 1971, the film slammed into the hearts and minds of an African-American public reeling from riots, assassinations and suck-ass Sidney Poitier movies.

The film was the first film to kick open the doors of a burgeoning African-American independent cinema. Shaft is the wet-behindthe-eats little brother to Sweetback’s alpha male dominance.

It shocked and horrified a neat and cosy nation, became the flagship film of the Black Panthers and gave the all-white censor board jury something to think about.

What you have is graphic violence, unsimulated sex - both legal and underage - black power, white power, religion, drugs, booze,

prostitution, big butter and egg men, love, hate, Earth, Wind and Fire. Looking like it was edited by a whippoorwill on moonshine, acting like a mummy on steroids and telling you like it is, tight as a cun’s nunt, the film is a dagger in the face of the Hollywood bourgeoisie that

makes Easy Rider look like Sound of Music’s younger, hairier brother.

Like I said, it’s one very, very bad film.

12

Science & Environment

Got a story? science@qmessenger.co.uk

23/02/2010

What’s the matter with Dark Matter? Looking through the heart Martin Henry Higgins Those of you who have been keeping up to date with the recent advancement in science will no doubt be aware that deep underground in the sensibly named Cryogenic Dark Matter Search II observatory located half a mile down an iron mine, an elusive phenomenon known as dark matter may well have been observed after two “hits” of what could be dark matter. If this is true it would be one of the greatest discoveries mankind has ever made, a find on par with finding the “higgs boson,” the feat currently being undertaken in Cern, would verify theories of universe formation.

But what actually is it, what is this mysterious substance that seems to have caused all this fuss and yet inexplicably has managed to remain hidden for over eighty years? Well, Dark matter was proposed in 1934 to accommodate for strange anomalies found in the evolution of galaxies and has been suggested that it may comprise up to 90% of the universe, something you might not know however is its theological implications if it is discovered.

You see once upon a time there were two opposing arguments for universe creation, “creative design” and “the theory of a perpetually expanding and collapsing universe”.

Richard Dodwell An experimental image acquired by two researchers from the Centre for Microvascular Research at the William Harvey Research Institute has won first prize in the British Heart Foundation’s Reflections of Research competition.

Dr Mathieu-Benoit Voisin and Miss Doris Proebstl scooped first place with the image entitled: Looking through the heart.

The cells depicted are being

Dark matter could be one of the greatest ever discoveries by mankind The creative design argument states that the select magnitudes for gravity and magnetism are so fantastically perfect that for them to be chosen by shear chance is such a mathematical inconceivability that they simply must have been overseen by a greater power. While the latter argument states otherwise, they believe we are simply one of many universes that been created by a huge quantum fluctuation, then collapsed under its own weight and that our universe will eventually do the same as the kinetic energy of our expanding universe will be the same as its gravitational potential energy (under the laws govern-

ing a quantum fluctuation.)

Currently without dark matter our estimations for the universe fall short of the value needed for quantum fluctuation theory to be plausible by a factor of ten, indicating that dark matter may comprise 90% of the known universe. So another question you may ask is, is this it? Can we justify that the creation of the universe in now truly without the need of a greater power or influence? Could this be the last nail in the coffin for intelligent design?

Personally I choose to believe otherwise, I’d like to see more than two lonesome interactions before I go believing that God is dead.

VISTA telescope unveils mysteries Richard Dodwell The new VISTA telescope, designed and built by a team of scientists led by Queen Mary, University of London, has revealed the hidden secrets of the Orion Nebula in a dramatic image.

The telescope’s huge field of view can show the full splendour of the whole nebula. VISTA’s infrared vision can also allow it to peer more deeply in to the dusty regions that are usually hidden.

This can expose the curious, and elusive behaviour of the very ac-

tive young stars which are born there.

Professor Jim Emerson, leader of the VISTA consortium from Queen Mary’s Astronomy Unit said: “When I started in infrared astronomy we had to collect data with 1 pixel cameras. The UK expertise that designed and built VISTA now enables us to acquire images like this with 100s of millions of pixels. It’s amazing how much this will push forward the frontiers of our knowledge of star formation.”

Are these stunning pictures the result of some “intelligent design” or a series of random reactions between dust clouds and

tiny particles? The debate will continue for as long as these nebulae will burn. I just think they’re pretty.

m Scientists believe that a meteorite that crashed into Earth 40 years ago contains millions of different carbon-containing, or organic molecules. May the existence of a planet, quite like that of ‘Pandora’ in James Cameron’s masterpiece ‘Avatar,’ in fact be a reality?

m Ants are altruistic.When ants of the species Temnothoraz unifasciatus get sick, they abandon their nest and walk away from their relatives to die alone. They are the unsung heroes of the ant world who do this to prevent their illness from spreading to the rest of the colony.

Did you know...

m The Egyptian ‘boy king’ Tutankhamun may possible have died of malaria after the disease ravaged a body crippled by a rare bone disorder, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

studied in order to discover how inflammation in the heart muscle may be limited, to prevent further damage, following a heart attack.

The annual science image competition, which is now in its fourth year, invites BHF funded scientists from across the UK to submit their images and videos which represent their area of cardiovascular research.

The results illustrate the wealth of pioneering work been carried out in the UK to help discover new ways in which to tackle heart and circulatory disease.

An experimental image has won first prize in Reflections of Research

Northern Lights show

Richard Dodwell

If you’re like me, then you probably think that you’d need to head up to northern Scandinavia or somewhere cold within the Arctic Circle, for a chance to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, or the popularly named, “Northern Lights.”

However, in recent days a frequent question posed to Aberdeen tourist information staff has been “when are the lights going to be turned on?”

Experts have been reporting that the sun was stirring after a period of low activity, and the increased eruptions from the sun’s surface were expected to make the aurora a more frequent event in the region. Unfortunate visitors, unaware that the aurora was a phenomenon related to the Sun’s activity, would ask tourism staff what time they were switched on each night. Professor Eric Priest, of the Solar and Magnetospheric Research Group at the University of St Andrews, said the chances of seeing the aurora were likely to improve as the sun heads for what is known as a solar maximum.

He said: “The Sun’s activity var-

ies with an 11-year cycle and when it is more active there are more eruptions from the Sun called coronal mass ejections - some of which are related to flares.When they reach the Earth after about two days they produce an enhanced Aurora Borealis.” and “In order to see it clearly you need to be away from lights and also as far north as possible, and so on those two counts Scotland is a great place to see the aurora.”

With prices of flights (with the option to offset your carbon emissions) starting below £50 to Aberdeen from London, versus £300+ on a trip further afield, there is now a greater possibility for my fellow students, and those on a tighter budget, to stare up at the night sky and watch, what I consider, the greatest show on earth.

Science Quote of the Month: “I believe that an orderly universe, one indifferent to human preoccupations, in which everything has an explanation even if we still have a long way to go before we find it, is a more beautiful, more wonderful place than a universe tricked out with capricious ad hoc magic.” -- Richard Dawkins, Unweaving the Rainbow

Science & Environment

Got a story? science@qmessenger.co.uk

13

23/02/2010

You don’t have to be an environmentalist Ben West

QM Environment Perhaps ‘Climategate’ is a good thing...

Charlie Hodd So after years of scientists telling us that we are heading towards devastating climate change, adjusting our lives accordingly, the hacked emails resulting in the ‘Climategate’ scandal of the past few months have blown everything we’ve been lead to believe up in the air.

The files exposed from the University of East Anglia including- 1079 emails and 72 documents- claim that there has been no “statistically significant” evidence of warming for the past 15 years, and most disturbingly suggest that much of the published data has been manipulated to support worldwide political policy. As one reads deeper into some of the content of these emails, it is clear that this is one of the most brutal, significant and shocking exposures in recent times. Is this the final nail in the coffin for the supporters of anthropogenic global warming? Should we stick to our beliefs in the face of such overwhelming evidence? And what of the scientific evidence to prove that global warming is happening, and happening now? Has it really all been manipulated? These are just a tiny frac-

tion of the questions being asked in the wake of these events.

As the files were conveniently exposed just before the recent key climate talks in Copenhagen, government bodies scrambled to dismiss the reports, making it all the more harder for people like ourselves to make a judgement. The Met Office gave this statement: “The bottom line is that temperatures continue to rise and humans are responsible for it. We have every confidence in the science and the various datasets we use.” In the wake of the emails, can we rely on this as gospel, or is it really just another piece of government spin to hide an inconvenient truth?

Inevitably only we can decide.

Perhaps the most important factor in this scandal is the fact that both sides of the great climate debate are well and truly out in the open, in the public arena. There are clear arguments from both sides and few hiding places. But what if the recent exposure is wrong? How dangerous could the skeptics really be if we give up on fighting global warming, and which route do we take from now on? Only time will tell. It seems that this is now just the beginning, and the recent scandal is all just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ as to what the future holds.

Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. If you pay any attention to the news, it’s a pretty horrible time to be involved in climate change stuff. First, there were the UN talks in Copenhagen which turned out to be the biggest anti-climax since Susan Boyle came second in Britain’s Got Talent. Since then, we’ve had stolen emails jumped on by conspiracy theorists, attacks on honest scientists by publicity-seeking know-italls, resignations and who knows what else. It’d be as laughable as an overhyped Dan Brown novel if it wasn’t so serious.

So what should those of us who give a damn do? Well for starters, don’t lose your head. The numbers of people driving this climate sceptic twaddle are relatively small. Nasty, cynical, vocal, below-the-belt, but small. And between you and me, they don’t tend to be very clever either- most of them are definitely not climate scientists themselves.

And guess what? Scientists can generally be trusted. Whether it’s monitoring the safety the food you buy in the supermarket or ensuring that those flu tablets won’t kill you, these guys don’t lie for a living. They earn their money (and their reputations) by getting it right most of the time, and being honest about when they don’t. So, emails or no emails, when tens of thousands of scientists across the world tell you something, sensible people take notice.

What’s interesting though is that when you speak to the people peddling the anti-climate change rubbish, it’s not really the science that they’re interested in. They buy food and take medicine like the rest of us. It’s not the scientists or the science that they dislike, it’s us. The

‘bossy environmentalists’. The ‘alarmists’ with their heads in the clouds. The ‘loony lefties’. The ‘political correctness brigade’, trying to tell people how to live their lives. If ‘climate-gate’ teaches us anything, it’s that environmentalists have got a serious image problem, and that if a few emails or doubts about the science give people an excuse to stop listening or caring, many will.

But here’s the thing. When you look at the things that need to be done to tackle climate change, they’re things which any sane person would agree with. You don’t have to be an environmentalist to think that the trains or buses should be cheaper and more reliable so that the roads are less blocked up with polluting cars. You don’t have to be sick of yo-yoing petrol prices or extortionate heating bills to want a cleaner alternative. Green industries are booming. $200bn was spent on renewable energy last year, double the amount in 2006.

At times like these, you don’t have to be an activist to have a secure, well-paying

green job.

The point is, the best way to get action on climate change may well be to stop talking about it as a scientific or environmental problem. For years, we’ve banged on about polar bears, whinged about ice caps, waved our placards and shouted slogans. Although it’s got us some of the way, huge sections of ordinary people have been left out in the cold.

Don’t get me wrong- the polar bears matter, but if you want to save them, then we need engage people beyond the usual suspects. We need a new, diverse, inclusive climate movement that is able to connect with people’s everyday concerns and day-today lives. Let’s get the message out that a post-carbon World isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for our health, our wallets and our quality of life.

It’s an opportunity for all of us, and you don’t have to be an environmentalist to want to be a part of it.

TEA - It’s what’s brewing Anika Bahra QM’s Environmental Society suffered several teething problems getting off the ground but it is now being re-launched, rebranded and re-imagined as TEA, the True Earth Alliance.

The world as we know it is changing- America has a real president, the Copenhagen Accord acknowledges the dangers of climate change, even the BNP abandoned its ‘indigenous British’ memberonly policy! Now is the perfect time for Queen Mary to sip some TEA. Green activism and social awareness are the ways of the present- and the future. It is the moment we have all been waiting for… the TEA is hot.

TEA is a community-based

society whose aim is to raise environmental, social and creative awareness and involvement within campus, the East End and London as a whole. This group is not just for people who are ‘environmentalists’ but rather, for people who want to be active in exploring conscious creativity; it is for people who want to start doing things, but

don’t know where to begin, whilst welcoming those who have ideas for TEA and want to make them happen.

We are currently organising events that spread across a wide range of disciplines: outdoor yoga workshops, volunteering at homeless shelters, on-campus art installations, a Spring Equinox musical and dance celebration- as just some examples. But YOUR ideas are critical to its success too. Our goal, above all, is to bring people from different backgrounds together, to bring our campus together – to be sustainable, with some swagger. So, if you’re thirsty for a new socie-TEA, then look up TEA-True Earth Alliance on facebook, or email true.earth.alliance@ gmail.com to get involved and share ideas!

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Sport

Interested in sport? sports@qmessenger.co.uk

23/02/2010

VP Activities Speaks...

QM History Soc faring well in first season in Intersoc football Matt Watts

IN THIS week’s column I would firstly like to mention my recent election as next year’s SU president, and say a huge thank you to everyone who helped me campaign (in the freezing cold and rain) and to all of you who took the time to vote.

In those two weeks of election campaigning I was not able to fully keep up with all my normal work as VPSA, so if any of you have felt the effects of this I sincerely apologise and I can assure you that I am doing everything I can to get back on track as quickly as possible, so bear with me!

The second important thing that I want to talk about is SYNERGY! This event, which I mentioned in my column last month, is now very close. It takes place on March 1st at Indigo2 at the 02 arena. And I can tell you now that tickets FREE! You can come and pick up your tickets from the Blomeley Centre!

I expect to see all of you there, partly to support of your fellow students but mostly because this really will be an incredible showcase of talent. Oh, and we have a celebrity act....

George Sampson! For those of you who don’t know he is a young street dancer who was the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2008!

Our sports teams have been doing very well lately. Men’s Football 2nds are in the ULU cup final while Rugby 1s beat the league leaders 12-10!

Hopefully many of our teams will be promoted this year and win some nice silverware! That’s all from me this week, but I will see you all at the AMAZING Synergy show.

INTERSOC, OR inter-society Football, is not simply a substitute for QM 11-a-side. Matches are incredibly challenging both mentally and physically. Each game lasts 30 minutes, but in the closed environment of the QM sports hall a high degree of fitness remains essential. The dynamics of the game are completely different to what you might expect. The ball matches the height from which it was bounced every time, making precision and timing the most demanding aspect of playing, not to mention close-quarter Football, steady control and

Vratislav Domalip III VP Activities

opponents goal within shooting distance scores will usually

First Year Academic Study Workshops For students who want to be ahead of the game The Language and Learning Unit is running a number of workshops which aim to improve the quality of the work you are producing Making sense of marks and feedback Wednesday 20 January 1-3 Thursday 21 January 4-6 Getting started with a written assignment Wednesday 27 January 1-3 Thursday 28 January 4-6 Selection is the key! From highlighters to notes you can use Wednesday 3 February 1-3 Thursday 4 February 4-6 Revision planning and technique Wednesday 10 February 1-3 Thursday 11 February 4-6 Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s – handing in a good assignment Wednesday 17 February 1-3 Thursday 18 February 4-6 All Wednesday workshops will be in Francis Bancroft Room 3.16 All Thursday workshops will be in Francis Bancroft 3.15 These workshops are open to any first year undergraduate student If you would like to book your place at one of these workshops, please email Stacie Withers on s.s.f.withers@qmul.ac.uk*

*Please note that spaces will fill up very fast especially at the beginning of term so you are advised to book early.

For more information, please go www.languageandlearning.qmul.ac.uk/elss/study

Further information

Ciao Vraj x

team effort to win. Traditional scoring does not count. With the

Language and Learning Unit Queen Mary, University of London Mile End Rd London E1 4NS Tel: + 44 (0)20 7882 2826/2827

www.languageandlearning.qmul.ac.uk/elss/study

reach into double figures. This is no kick about in the park.

Spectators are welcome at every game. If you know your society is playing (Thursday between 4 and 7) then you can witness some of the epic battles that take place. Passions will flair and it is a great way into the Intersoc banter. The teams with spectator support tend to do better, though with such an intense rivalry, it is not unusual to be greeted with a mix of fans who want to give you the edge against one of the bigger teams in the league. After the game all rivalries on the pitch dissolve into joking and what-ifs.

I’m speaking from the perspective of QM History, who entered Intersoc for the first time this year. We usually train on a Fridays, which involves a knockabout followed by a game on the astro pitches at Mile End Sports Centre. We have had a string of close games recently, winning our last game against Mauritian Society and losing the prior game in the final few minutes to the Sudanese Society. The post match drink in Drapers is a good way of getting people talking when they may not have met before. Analysis of the game, lessons to be learnt and formations, all which succumb to completely delusional banter over the following hours, usually ending with a unanimous decision that Charlton will win the Premiership in two years time. Entering a team into the league is a good way of promoting the society to other people who may not have heard of it before. We are also up for playing societies outside of the league so send us a message if you’re up for it.

Let QMessenger know how your team is getting on at Intersoc by emailing Darren McGuinness at sports@qmessenger.co.uk.

Sport

Interested in sport? sports@qmessenger.co.uk

15

23/02/2010

McGuinness’ Moment

QM 2s beat 3s QM 1s defeat to reach ULU Merger rivals semi-final Nick Wright Men’s football QM 2s 2-1 QM 3s

The final push HEROES AND heroines, this is a reminder that it’ll be less than a month until the Merger Cup is upon us. Barts won it back last year and it wasn’t a pleasant experience for most of us who were thumped on the day.

Not again, please.

Yes, league schedules have been obliterated by oppositions’ availabilities and the weather, and yes, fitting those games in is probably more important at the moment than preparing for the Cup. But that somewhat misses the point. For the Colleges it is thew one day where the Union’s pride is fought for, and by proving that one University is better than the other on our hallowed turfs. The Leopards and Griffins, those who have represented you, the students, all year, will lock arms in battle for the final time in the academic year on March 24th, and your cheers will inspire them forwards.

In a (Winter) Olympic year, in the year the World Cup goes to Africa for the first time, it is a great chance to get behind Sports much closer to home and behind your friends and University families that you have come to know and love. QMSU <3s U, so why not show it back?

In the meantime, it’s vital that we stay focussed on the task in hand. As mentioned, there’s plenty of the season left to go and there’s a high chance of promotions across the board.

Although no one is sat pretty at the moment, the icing on the cake could well be a Merger victory to top off a great year.

QUEEN MARY 2s secured a place in the last four of the ULU Reserves Cup with a hard-fought victory over the 3s at Chislehurst last Wednesday.

With both teams struggling for form in their respective leagues, this quarter-final derby took on even greater significance.

The match started at a frantic pace and after just 5 minutes the 2s opened the scoring; Hassan Shurmahi sent over a corner from the right which caused panic in the 3s defence allowing winger Sam Soile to bundle the ball over the line. It was a poor goal to concede for the 3s, but a perfect start for the 2s.

The fierce rivalry between the two teams began to show itself with a series of crunching tackles, but the 3s rallied quickly and began to control the majority of possession as they pressed for an equaliser. After thirty minutes their period of pressure was capped with a goal; having stolen possession

in midfield, the 3s were quick to counter-attack and the ball was slid through to captain Jack Oliver, who finished coolly under the advancing Gareth Roberts in goal.

Tempers flared shortly before half-time when the 3s had a second breakaway goal ruled out for offside, but despite the furious protest of would-be goal scorer James Aldridge, the referee stood by his decision. It was a let off for the 2s - who had looked rattled after conceding an equaliser - and the teams went into the interval with the score at 1-1.

2s captain Adam Hewitt demanded more from his side at the break and a sloppy first half was quickly forgotten as they began to look more assured and comfortable in possession.

The decisive goal arrived mid-way through the half courtesy of set-piece specialist Shurmahi, his brilliant free kick from the corner of the box sailing over the wall and into the net.

Substitute James Griffiths volleyed wide as the 2s looked to kill the game off, but a onegoal margin would eventually prove sufficient. Rhys Tyrell was

...Continued from back page all but killed Barts’ remaining spirit.

Robbie Hepburn as a the big target man held up the ball long enough for his delicate through ball to be met by Captain Frank Foster, who Cruyff turned his marker mid-run and fired a shot with the outside of his right foot across the keeper, sealing an impressive performance at the heart of midfield.

This was a clinical, efficient and devastating performance from QM excellent at the heart of the 2s defence and with the exception of a late header over the bar from the dangerous Iain Turner, the 3s could muster little in the way of chances in the game’s final stages.

that signalled not only their intent to fight on in the ULU league, but to annihilate Barts in the Merger Cup. There is no doubt that Barts will come back in a month’s time with more than a point to prove, but with QM hitting a run of good form, some key players returning to full fitness and hopefully a bigger pitch on our side of Chislelhurst, it seems that a Merger Cup point won’t be the only thing heading back to Mile End in a bag.

The 2s will welcome LSE 3s to Chislehurst for the semi-final on 20th February where they will look to win a place in the final, and an opportunity to bring silverware to Queen Mary.

If you’re interested in getting involved with the Sports section of QMessenger email Darren McGuinness at: sports@ qmessenger.co.uk.

Darren McGuinness Sport Editor

QM 2s defeat club rivals 3s in a close-fought match to book there place in the semi-finals of the ULU Reserves Cup

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 23rd Feb ‘10 • Issue 21 • FREE

QM 1s put in a great performance to defeat their sporting rivals Barts 1s in what will send out a warning message for the forthcoming Merger Cup competition in March

QM 1s sound Merger Cup warning as they beat Barts James Barker Men’s football QM 1s 3 - 0 Barts 1s As Merger Cup warm-ups go, this couldn’t have gone any better for QM 1sts as they romped to a 3-0 victory against the Queen Mary Medics.

In what was not only an important ULU game for QM but also a timely prelude to the Merger Cup on the 24th March, QM kicked off the

game understandably psyched for the forthcoming 90 minutes; this passion and determination was immediately too much for Barts, a defence-splitting pass in the opening 3 minutes allowing Mark Hyzler to run through and slot home coolly into the far corner. Barts were keen to avoid this early humiliation happening again, and so followed through-out the 1st half a series of dubious offside decisions that would make one hope the linesman has better eyesight when in surgery.

Barts responded with a period of sustained pressure, but failed to

break down the imperious QM defensive unit, with chances coming from a stumbling run through the box that resulted in a shot cannoning off the outside of a post, and a hopeful cross that bounced through to the back post forcing keeper James Barker to spread himself in front of the incoming shot.

At half-time QM knew that although they had dominated, they were still not out of the woods, and their response in the 2nd half reasserted their belief that the game needed to be killed off. QM strung pass after beautiful pass togeth-

er, the ball eventually arriving in the box with top scorer Elliot Morsia reacting first with a rasping volley the Barts keeper just couldn’t hold onto and fumbled into his own net. With a comfortable 2 goal lead QM settled into a rhythm, whilst Barts desperately tried to find a way into the QM net and restore some much needed pride, resorting once again to hopeful high balls that QM dealt with comfortably.

QM sealed the impressive victory with a swift counter attack that Continued page 15...

INSIDE <<< >Q M 2s take on 3s in ULU quarter-final match up, p15 >H istory Soc faring well in first Intersoc season, p14