THE RICHARD HUISH COLLEGE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
PLETHORA
MUSIC SPORT TRAVEL POLITICS HISTORY TECHNOLOGY MEDIA WRITING
As Forward enters it’s fourth year as the Huish student magazine, I am yet again astounded by the breadth and originality of the subjects covered. This truly is an eclectic mix of culture, facts, creativity and technology, so much so that the editorial team agreed the name Plethora would be most apt. My favourite articles are the interview with Chris Brossard (music, America and the Dalai Lama…) and Delving Underground, fascinating facts about a transport system we all take for granted. Pick up a copy, show it to you friends and family, it’s a great read. The student editorial team have excelled themselves and they are incredibly lucky to have Journalist Liz Webb and Graphic Designer Matt Williams, from the marketing department, to help them put together this issue. Well done everyone.
WELCOME CAT KING
Foreword
HELLO THERE! Welcome to the 2014 winter edition of Forward Magazine. We certainly have an interesting mixture for you to read this season. Such a mix in fact, the team had a real problem with coming up with a title for the edition. In the end we decided that ‘Plethora’ was the most suited word for it. This literally means ‘overabundance.’ Here at Huish we have so many keen students and budding journalists we just couldn’t keep any out! We have articles on: music (with a fantastic winter playlist on the back!) on politics and how a few of Huish’s students appeared on Question Time.
We have a continuation of one article that you guys loved from last time about Blurred Lines. And much, much more! If you, as the reader, want to get involved with Forward then please don’t hesitate to contact Liz Webb, Liz Williams and Matthew Williams, who we all owe a massive thank you to for their amazing efforts towards this edition and the time they put aside to help out the journalists that make this issue possible! Many thanks, Cat King. COVER IMAGE:
XL Recordings
MEET THE TEAM
Liz Williams Marketing Manager Sam Rooks
Matt Konig
Harry Boulton
Melissa Eveleigh
Mohammad Lone
Emma Hills
Iesha Thomas
Sam Dunnett
Imogen Snell
Hannah Govan
Estelle Luck
Jake Brown
Connie Nicholls
Diogo Santos Ganga
Stella Botes
Richard Huish College South Road, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3DZ forward@huish.ac.uk www.huish.ac.uk The college exists to provide routes to higher education and the professions through close tutorial support.
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4 | FKA TWIGS 6 | DON’T FORGET TO BE AWESOME 7 | CINEMA SOUNDTRACKS 8 | JOHN MAYER 9 | DELVING UNDERGROUND 10 | BANNED BOOKS WEEK 12 | THE STIGMA OF DEPRESSION
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15 | NEWS ACADEMY REVIEW 16 | COLLGE FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE
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29 | IS THE USA THE ‘SLEEPING GIANT’ OF RUGBY? 30 | A DECADE ON
17 | ARE FOOTBALLERS BE PAID SO MUCH?
31 | 7 THINGS TO DO ON YOUR GAP YEAR
18 | HUISH TAKES OFF!
32 | NEW STUDENT UNION
20 | 8 DAYS A WEEK 22 | DISSECTING FEAR
33 | AN INTERVIEW WITH: CAT KING
23 | TATOOS: CHIC OR CHAV?
34 | BUSINESS DEGREE
13 | BBC ON THE QT
24 | REPENT YOUR SYNTHS!
14 | BLURRED LINES: PAGE TO SCREEN
26 | GLASTONBURY ‘14 28 | THE SECOND TESLA REVOLUTION
CONTENTS SUMMER 2014
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35 | ONE TO ONE: CHRIS BROSSARD 36 | WINTER PLAYLIST
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MUSIC STELLA BOTES
FKA TWIGS The UK music industry is worth billions to our economy but is it possible to be new and fresh or has it all been done before?
However, out of this convoluting labyrinth of music has emerged a novel talent. Her name is FKA Twigs and she is a genre-defying musician and an artist in every sense of the word. When you first listen to FKA Twigs, her songs sound as though they are written in a different language, an ethereal form of tongues. Her lyrics hang off her tunes and float carefully across bars and phrases. This surrealist lyricism is demonstrated perfectly in her song Ache from her first track EP1, in which she whispers the words; ‘Fast train/Make my eyes blue/Your love/Make my night go boom.’ These sugary sweet and startlingly simple words contrast wonderfully with the fast-paced trap type beat underlying all of her songs. The muttered lyrics are transposed against heavy sub-bass and fluttering hi-hats to create a song that is unlike anything you’ve heard before. This is what is most important about Twigs, how wholly original she is. Countless critics have attempted to put her into some form of genre not only for the sake of categorising her music but also because they are so unaccustomed to new artists and it becomes a great inconvenience for journalists when they are unable to refer to an artist as ‘an [insert 70’s singer] for the youth of today’. Twigs’
music could span almost all categories; electro, hiphop, trap, R&B, experimental and indie - one could even go as far as to say opera as well (just listen to the vocals of Preface to prove this point). And Twigs does not disappoint visually as well. Her very first appearance on the internet as fully-formed FKA Twigs was with her video for Hide released in 2012. It shows the pale form of a naked woman with a giant red lily held delicately between her legs on a crimson background; if there is any way to burst onto the music scene that is probably it. With most of her aesthetics in collaboration with the artist Jesse Kanda, Twigs goes through transformations from a beetle-like glassy eyed creature in Water Me, a neo-cleopatra in Two Weeks, and a writhing black form in How’s That. All this is a far cry from her days as Tahlia Barnett when she lived in “kind of the middle of nowhere” in Gloustershire and was the only mixed-race girl at her private catholic school. Now she passes her time performing in New York, being photographed for Dazed magazine, directing short videos for Google, continent-hopping with her actor boyfriend Robert Pattinson and dancing with the UK’s leading krump crew Wet Wipez.
MUSIC STELLA BOTES
You wouldn’t be able to count every song you’ve ever heard. Nor would you be able to count the number of musical artists alive and dead. The number of musicians throughout existence is irrational; it’s growing constantly like a birth rate, a perpetual creation of melodic patterns and harmonies. Due to this extensive archive of music, it has become almost impossible to create something new. There are only a certain amount of notes on a piano, human voices have restricted range, and whatever you make has almost certainly been made before.
The only way to really get noticed in music now is to be original, and FKA Twigs has this by the shedload. Her songs are leaking slowly through the walls of the internet (where her musical career started) and into the wide world. Expect to hear her on international radios within months because, frankly, there doesn’t seem to be anything stopping her. To sum it all up, I quote a comment from one of her videos ‘…I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that she’s into witchcraft’, because how else can something so totally new be produced in a time when almost everything feels old?’
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DON’T FORGET TO BE
AWESOME: THE QUEST OF THE GREEN BROS
MEDIA EMMA HILLS
“Don’t Forget to Be Awesome”, the signature of Nerdfighteria, an ever growing online community devoted to the support of two extraordinary brothers and YouTube vloggers with an infallible moral code and desire to bring about positive change in the world. Emma Hills investigates... John Green, author of The Fault In Our Stars and executive producer of his next book film adaptation of Paper Towns; and Hank Green, co-creator of VidCon as well as lead singer of ‘Hank Green and the Perfect Strangers’, have been creating videos continuously since January 2007 starting with ‘Brotherhood 2.0’, an enterprise whereby the brothers ceased all communication by text and instead communicated only through daily videos posted to their joint YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers. Since then, John and Hank have gone on to produce hundreds of videos not only about their daily lives and latest ventures but about worldwide issues such as the recent Ebola outbreak, and the Net neutrality debate; about the global suffering population and about things they find kind of interesting. And somehow they manage to make every video relatable, understandable, filled with a contagious enthusiasm, and under 4 minutes (if they go over the time limit they are set challenges which must be completed, resulting in funny yet still thought-provoking videos) whilst simultaneously living their day to day lives and inspiring people in the world around them.
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On top of making YouTube videos for their joint channel and organising VidCon, John and Hank have also set up multiple other channels and charities and fundraisers. Their channels include ‘Crash Course’, where they aim to teach their audience about history, literature, science and psychology amongst other things, and ‘SciShow’, where they teach science because they find it cool and want everyone to understand just a little more about the world we all share. Meanwhile, the ‘Project4Awesome’ (12th13th December) is their main charity event where the money raised goes to help charities who, like them, decrease world suck. And astonishingly, on top of all this, they have set up a loan scheme on Kiva.org where the ever expanding community of Nerdfighteria and beyond can loan $25 or more to an entrepreneur in a third world country to help them escape poverty.
lives of those around you and the lives of those further afield.
Through all of this, the channel was noticed by Bill Gates who went, with John Green, to Africa to visit suffering families, underpaid farmers and hospital workers, clinics that are without the basic necessities to be able to care for the ill and sick and weak in order to show truth and open the eyes of anyone who will listen. John made a series of profound videos about the tough lives of these people and their contradictory peace and happiness which surprised and inspired him and which I would encourage anyone and everyone to watch, they will, I guarantee, change your outlook on life, the
VlogBrothers: www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers Crash Course: www.youtube.com/crashcourse SciShow: www.youtube.com/scishow
There is so much that I could write about the Green Brothers and this has only scratched the surface, but the resounding point that I am left with is that the Green Brothers and the community of Nerdfighteria are unlike anything else I have ever discovered. Nerdfighteria is a place where everyone is accepted and has a shared goal and it was all begun by two brothers with an extraordinary empathy and genius. It is physically impossible, I feel, to watch a Vlogbrothers video without becoming roused to make some form of change for the better to the lives of the people not only close to you, but the lives of people you have never even known or given half a thought to before. So I end with a challenge to anyone reading this: watch a video, any video, and see if I’m wrong! DFTBA
– THE BASSISTS TO CINEMA’S ROCK BAND Cinema without music is like a house with no furnishings – it may look pretty on the outside, but it’s truly empty inside. Whether it is artists lending their songs to a soundtrack, or a composer producing an original score, music affects the way we watch film. Used normally to accentuate the mood, original scores change not only the way we see a scene, but also how we feel when watching it. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho shower scene has one of the most iconic sound effects in the screeching violins, but Bernard Herrmann’s ignoring of Hitchcock’s order to leave the scene silent is the only reason we have it today. Again on the lines of composers’ refusals, Bernard Herrmann contrastingly nearly refused to do Taxi Driver with Martin Scorsese because “I don’t do cabbie films”, but luckily he had a change of heart, and we have the Taxi Driver Theme; arguably one of the most iconic film themes to date. Arguably the best directorcomposer relationship of this generation, Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer have been creating memorable and enigmatic scores for his past six films. Zimmer’s Molossus from Batman Begins used as the title
theme for the first two Batman films has been widely exploited for its cinematic and suspenseful feel, from your average TV show, to too many YouTube videos, to even historical documentaries. His creative and experimental exploits are shown clearly in Why So Serious? as he used razor blades on violin strings to emulate the slow screech, bringing terror yet intrigue. He continued his partnership with the recently released Interstellar, in which a range of soft strings to empowering organs to deafening silence is used to amplify the explorative and ingenious mood. Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut takes the crown for the most mysterious score, as Jocelyn Pook provided the demonic, masochistic and mystifying feel that suited the dark and occult tones provided by Kubrick. I will get rid of the enchanting yet satanic Masked Ball out of my head, and its adjacent stark piano notes. However the intriguing and immersive fact of Eyes Wide
FILM HARRY BOULTON
SOUNDTRACKS
Shut is that everything we hear as an audience, the character of Dr Bill Harford hears too, giving the audience a sense of scary realism, as a dream turns into a nightmare. Two films where music and soundtrack take key roles are Dazed and Confused and Almost Famous. Both similarly include classic and iconic rock hits from bands like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and The Who, but most importantly both films use a soundtrack as more than just a backing. Richard Linklater’s opening sequence in Dazed and Confused would feel lost without Aerosmith’s Sweet Emotion bellowing alongside, and Cameron Crowe turned a horrific stomach pump scene, into a display of infatuation and admiration just by putting Stevie Wonder’s My Cherie Amour over the top. The downside of these star studded soundtracks however is that they aren’t cheap, with Almost Famous going double over its supposed music budget, and the soundtrack costing one sixth of Dazed and Confused’s budget. By the same token, Scorsese moulded a lot of the scenes in Goodfellas around the music. Every movement is choreographed perfectly with both the music itself and the tone of the song, from the empowering brass of Rags to Riches in the opening credits, to the solemn outro of Layla juxtaposed with a hit list, to endowing guitar of Sunshine of your Love – Scorsese just gets it right. Because of their atypical nature in regards to the strings seen in classic gangster flicks like The Godfather these unorthodox music choices stand out as greats even more, solidifying Goodfellas as an instant classic. Radio 1’s rescoring of Drive (which has an outstanding Cliff Martinez score) made me realise how much we take music for granted in cinema, and how much it can make or break a film. Although not bad, Zane Lowe’s imagination in conjunction with artists like CHVRCHES, The 1975 and Bastille was lacking in comparison to the original, and it stood out how impactful and influential a score can be on a scene, as even the silent films of a time long before had music to hold its hand.
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album Room for Squares, to my Where the Light Is live album (which is signed by the man himself. Just saying…) to his new sound of folk for Born and Raised and Paradise Valley, the man just keeps producing amazing music.
JOHN MAYER:
THE SECRET LEGEND OF THIS CENTURY MUSIC IESHA THOMAS
O2 Arena London, 9th June 2014.
The hum of voices as the call for the encore begins, “Oh ah oh”, as the thousands of John Mayer fans sing the last line of his final song “Dear Marie”. The phones illuminate the darkness like stars, and shivers race up my spine. John Mayer is an American artist. For that is the only title deserving of the poetry that is the combination of his blue eyed soul / folk / rock voice, the mesmerising way he plays the guitar and his heart-achingly perfect lyrics, but most people only know him as the man behind Taylor Swift’s Dear John (completely biased by the way) and Katy Perry’s ex. This is simply horrendous as he deserves the highest recognition for his talent, which he doesn’t get.
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On June 9th 2014, after almost five years of religiously listening to all of my seven albums by JCM, I finally got to see him live for the first time at the O2 Arena in London. The anticipation was insane. I was almost shaking with excitement. The screams as he came on stage, with his signature Fender Stratocaster guitar and bandana. He started to twang away and sing “Queen of California”, and I just couldn’t believe it, he was even better live than in the studio. John oozed talent and humour as he chatted with the crowd and granted one girl her wish of playing a part of “Edge of Desire” for her. Her jaw dropped on the screen as Mayer sang “Don't say a word just come over and lie here with me, 'cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see”. One of the magical moments of the night. As song after song was played, I secretly hoped that my all-time favourite Mayer song “In Your Atmosphere” would be played, but as one of his less known songs, and the fact he scarcely ever played it, the chances were looking pretty slim.” But as Slow Dancing in a Burning Room came to a close, the notes I know off by heart, back to front, inside out, started to play. So I kind of freaked out. No way was this happening. It was the single most incredible performance I have EVER seen. John Mayer will not be for everyone. But just go on YouTube or iTunes, have a listen to Edge of Desire, Free Fallin’, In Your Atmosphere and Dear Marie. And prepare to be on the rollercoaster ride of John Mayer for the rest of your days.
Scrolling through YouTube one bored afternoon, aged 12, I stumbled upon Mayer’s infamous cover of Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty. My ears didn’t know what hit them. He is one of the most talented musicians of our generation. From his first studio
“Wherever you go, wherever you are I watch your life play out in pictures from afar”.
TRAVEL ESTELLE LUCK
DELVING UNDERGROUND
The first 50 years of construction saw the central network to be completed therefore lead to a focus on the development of the suburban areas. These areas were named ‘The Metroland.’ Towns grew up around stations in the suburbs and this made the British desire to live in the country more of a reality. This therefore spread development further away from the Thames River which formerly held the role of determining where urbanisation was going to appear next. As the network of stations expanded, London became increasingly black and sooty from the trains vents which released the fumes from the trains below, as of course, they ran on steam. The first electric train was opened in 1890 and this evidently improved cleanliness of the city but also therefore the health and well being of Londoners. 50 years later during the Second World War many underground stations were used as air-raid shelters, providing safety for the public from the German Zeppelins and bombs. To make the many people on the platform feel at home, special supply trains ran providing seven tonnes of food and 2,400 gallons of tea and cocoa every night. The tube didn’t only house people however; part of the Piccadilly Line was closed specifically for the storage of the treasures from the British Museum, and the Central Line was converted into a fighter aircraft factory which stretched for over two miles. The existence of this remained an official secret until the 1980s.
Who hasn’t jumped on the Tube to get around London? But have you ever thought about the history of this fascinating maze of By 2031 there will be an extra 1.8 million more people living and working in England’s capital which tunnels under our capital. The Tube accommodates up to 4 million passenger journeys per day and during peak times there are more than 535 trains travelling around our capital. Although the Underground is such a vital necessity for both tourists and of course inhabitants of London, it is likely that many people who take advantage of its services have no knowledge of its construction and some of the ways it has helped society besides being a form of transport. The maze of tunnels containing snake-like trains which writhe beneath the streets of London can be described as one of England’s greatest industrial developments of the 19th century. The first major central London Underground line – The Metropolitan Line – opened on the 9th of January 1863. This consisted of six intermediate stations between Paddington and Farringdon. Since then the underground network which we have all nicknamed the ‘Tube,’ has grown to consist of 270 stations and 11 lines covering pretty much every part of London. It is fair to say that the vast industrial development was really kick-started by the construction of the underground. Where the railway stations emerged urban development would soon grow close by as trains could not only transport building materials, but also vast numbers of workers. The London Underground allowed the densely populated areas of London, such as the East End, to diffuse into other boroughs and therefore aided the vast growth in population that London experienced in the nineteenth and twentieth century. This new form of transport had proved a great contrast from the horse drawn carriages which roamed the streets beforehand.
is an extra train full of people every three days. This means that the organisation ‘Transport for London’ needs to continue with the improvements they are already making; enhancing accessibility, reliability and service frequency, along with providing air conditioning on trains and Wi-Fi at every station as a way of keeping up with our ever increasing reliance on the internet. Now, trains on some lines consist of one long carriage with no partitions and there are plans for twenty four hour services at weekends. Perfect timing for those of you planning nights out if attending universities in London in the upcoming years!
INTERESTING FACTS 10 ABOUT THE LONDON UNDERGROUND: • There is only one Tube station which does not have any letters of the word ‘mackerel’ in it: St John’s Wood. • Aldgate Station, on the Circle and Metropolitan Lines, is built on a massive plague pit, where more than 1,000 bodies are buried. • Over 47 million litres of water are pumped from the Tube each day, enough to fill a standard leisure centre swimming pool (25 metres x 10 metres) every quarter of an hour. • In 1926, suicide pits were installed beneath tracks due to a rise in the numbers of passengers throwing themselves in front of trains. • In 1924, the first baby was
born on the Underground, on a train at Elephant & Castle on the Bakerloo Line. • An estimated half a million mice live in the Underground system. • Every week, Underground escalators travel the equivalent distance of going twice around the world. • In cockney rhyming slang, the London Underground is known as the Oxo (Cube/ Tube). • Even though smoking is banned on the tube, travelling for 40 minutes is the equivalent of smoking two cigarettes. • The air in the underground is on average 10 degrees Celsius hotter than the air on the surface.
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BANNED BOOKS WEEK:
GUANTANAMO, UNDERPANTS, & THE RIGHT TO READ
CENSORSHIP SAM DUNNETT
How we read nowadays has changed dramatically with modern technology but we we can read most things without censorship. That was not always the case as Sam Dunnett explains.
10th May, 1933. Across Germany, cities and towns light up as bonfires are fed by books – books by Jews, and communists, and foreigners; books which, according to the regime, display an intolerable 'un-German spirit.' 40,000 people pour into Berlin's Opernplatz to hear Joseph Goebells speak of a 'cleansing by fire' of German culture. 'No to decadence and moral corruption', he proclaims in the light of flames which consume, among many others, the work of German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine. 'Where they burn books', Heine wrote in 1820, 'they will also ultimately burn people.' Fourteen years later, Otto Frank, whose daughter's diary is about to make his family the most famous of all the Nazis' victims, is advised by his publisher to cut the heroic resistance of teachers and librarians around 30% of the book, due to passages detailing to 'challenges' to books' presence in schools and Anne Frank's burgeoning sexuality. public libraries across America. Public 'read outs' are held, in which participants read from their favourite Banned Books Week occurs annually on the last 'banned books.' In short, it is a celebration of the week of September and celebrates the 'freedom right to read what we want, when we want, whether to read'. It can be seen as opposing the censorship or not it challenges authority; whether or not it of both Anne Frank's publishers and that of her contains information or language puritans would murderers. It is a public acknowledgement of rather we not experience.
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In 2014, Dr Zeuss' Hop on Pop was challenged for promoting 'violence against fathers'. Elsewhere, matters take a darker turn. In 1959, the state of Alabama banned the children's book The Rabbit Wedding because it depicted a marriage between a black rabbit and a white one. One of the depressing reasons cited on the ALA's website for the frequent challenging of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is simply 'homosexuality.' A historical parallel can be found in Maurice, E.M. Forster's work about his own homosexuality, which was written in 1913 but only published in 1971. It is significant, however, that Chbosky's novel is mainly read by young people. The so-called 'innocence' of children has long been the unwitting accomplice of censors. 'Teen' novelist John Green reacted to the recent regional banning of his The Fault in Our Stars by writing that he was 'happy because apparently young people in Riverside, California will never witness or experience mortality since they won’t be reading my book.' The message behind his sarcasm is clear. Modern 'challenges' are often ridiculous attempts to shield children from the difficult facts of life. It is not just the corruption of children which puritans often claim to be concerned for. Anything which fails to explicitly damn adult deviations from sexual norms has, historically, been fair game. Forty years before the Nazis, the Bishop of Wakefield held public burnings of Thomas Hardy's 'Jude the Obscure' for 'condoning adultery.' Hardy consequentially gave up writing novels. In 1929, the Tarzan books raised anxieties because of the unmarried status of Tarzan and Jane. In 1959, the publishers of D.H. Lawrence decided to test boundaries of a new, more liberal British censorship law, and published the sexually explicit 'Lady Chatterly's Lover.' The implications of this decision, after a historic trial, changed Britain. Sex – or the wrong kind of sex – in literature was no longer something to prohibit. Sometimes, however, it seems like the world is still at the 'Lady Chatterly' trial of 1960; divided into those concerned about the corruption of readers' morals and those equally worried about the clampdown on the freedom to read. There has always been a political edge to censorship. We could infer that Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian,
a young adult novel about a boy growing up on a Native American reservation, for example, was one of the most challenged books of 2013 for reasons other than its bad language. Indeed, Banned Book Week's website contains a 'Banned Books that Shaped America section', listing, among others, Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee, an account of the destruction of Native American Civilisation, and the autobiography of militant civil rights leader Malcolm X. One must conclude that censors know that books can be genuinely subversive in a more powerful way than by accidentally upsetting some laughable moral code. Azar Nafisi's memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran speaks of the anti-authoritarian power of books and reading in 1990s Iran, the same nation that, in the previous decade, issued a 'Fatwa' against Salman Rushdie - a call for his murder for a satirical novel he dared to write. During the Cold War, books were used as ideological weapons. When Boris Pasternak's subversive novel Doctor Zhivago was banned in the USSR, the CIA saw it as their duty to distribute it among dissident Russians.
CENSORSHIP SAM DUNNETT
The past and present of book-banning is both sinister and strange. The most challenged books of all time are a mixture of the morally anachronistic (To Kill a Mockingbird), the rude (The Catcher in the Rye), and books whose banning seems downright odd (The Lord of the Rings trilogy – challenged for satanism, apparently.) The activity of people Kurt Vonnegut called 'anti-democratic bullies' is certainly almost comedic at times. The most challenged book franchise in 2013 and 2012 was the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pikley. Outraged parents and protesters across America held 'Down With Underpants!' signs with pride. 'If they don't understand you', explains the American Library Association’s (ALA) website, detailing the historic banning of Walt Whitman's groundbreaking poetry, 'sometimes they ban you.' Indeed.
The parallel tradition of censorship to maintain authority is also ancient. Ancient Athenian philosopher Plato famously proposes securing a future utopia by exiling all the poets. Until 1966, the Catholic Church's Index Librorum Prohibitorum banned works by countless atheist philosophers. William Shakespeare deliberately set none of his plays in the England of his day, precisely because he knew what awaited those who were seen to be challenging authority – the stocks, possible even 'The Tower.' Laughably, many fairy tales are banned in Guantanamo Bay, but more sinisterly, so too are the anti-war poems of Wilfred Owen and the harrowing writings of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Perhaps the modern prison camp bears more resemblance to the Gulags Solzhenistyn depicts than its administrators would like to admit. There is a strange, and, in the opinion of this believer in free expression, mostly incorrect, tendency in some anti-censorship arguments, to conflate such totalitarian censorship with what is termed 'Political Correctness.' I would argue that it is not 'Political Correctness' that serves as the present-day reminder to support Banned Books Week and other campaigns for the freedom to read, but Political Correctness's targets. We must remember, for example, that it was once 'politically correct' to ban a book about rabbits because it (allegedly) promoted racial harmony; to force E.M. Forster's homosexuality underground through the suppression of a book. Campaigning for fair representation for minorities, for example, and for an end to the power of cultural puritans is not incompatible. Banned Books Week is an attempt to ensure that the banning – or burning – of books for any reason remains firmly in the past, and fights it where it attempts to re-emerge in the modern age. New fronts have been opened in the war of ideas books have long been weapons in. The freedom to read is important.
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MENTAL HEALTH DIOGO SANTOS GANGA
they can vary wildly between persistent feelings of sadness to losing interest in the things you love. For many, depression begins as dampened spirit, lasting for many weeks, months, even years, growing to the point where social and family lives do not remain unscathed. Over time, its effects begin to blossom, ranging from physical symptoms such as a lack of sleep, changes in appetite or libido, and unexplained aches and pains. Arguably the worst symptoms are those of the mind; low self-esteem, an inability to derive enjoyment from life (anhedonia), becoming more irritable and lashing out in anger. If left untreated, depression can degenerate into self-loathing and the thought of self-harm or suicide becomes more frequent. In unique cases, depression manifests itself after the realisation that the world and life have no objective meaning, creating a crisis of existence as the afflicted try to find a purpose in life whilst knowing how insignificant they appear to be when compared to the universe.
THE STIGMA OF DEPRESSION How apt that depression is derived from the Latin deprimere (meaning, ‘to press down’). Depression is defined as a mental disorder resulting in extended sadness or apathy for an undefined amount of time and is marked by an inability to concentrate, feelings of hopelessness and pointlessness, and in extreme cases, suicidal tendencies. Still, many people consider depression as a case of the blues. Unfortunately, it is no such thing.
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Depression is a multi-faced foe; it can vary from a persistent low mood to something that isolates you away from the rest of society and prevents you from functioning as you normally would. Those suffering are not alone; with an estimated 121 million people across the world suffering from depression. Shockingly, 80% of those suffering from clinical depression are not receiving any treatment for their condition. The symptoms of depression are not universal, and depending on the individual
However, the melancholic have their detractors. There is this idea in society that whilst physical ailments are debilitating (which they are), to admit one has mental illness is apparently to admit to have failed in overcoming your problems. Women are more likely to become depressed than men (1 in 4 women will receive treatment for depression at some point in their lives, compared to 1 out of 10 men). Men are expected by society to be tough, macho figures, and to show weakness or tears is to essentially emasculate yourself. A 2006 Australian study found that 42% of people thought that those suffering from depression were unpredictable, and one quarter felt that depression was a sign of personal weakness. Those suffering from depression are expected to “get over it” and move on, as if depression is a mood that can simply be wished away. The blame for this attitude primarily lies in the hands of the media, portraying the mentally ill as dangerous, unhinged, and violent – even though the vast majority of those with mental disorders are non-violent and are not a threat to the public. Such attitudes create not only flawed,
So, what can be done to help those suffering from depression? The answer is quite simple; to treat the afflicted with compassion and understanding. Instead of yelling at them to “snap out of it”, be there for your friend – even if you only provide a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to, it’s the small gestures which count. Judging someone for their mental state is incredibly unhelpful, and only creates further feelings of shame and worthlessness. Educate yourself on depression; learn about the effects it can have on individuals, and once you understand those, you will be able to better support your loved one and let them know that they will be ok. More importantly than that, be patient – depression doesn’t go away in a day, and it can take many months (sometimes years) for the condition to improve. Just being by someone’s side will give them hope; something that the depressed seldom have. Last but not least, if the situation worsens, then it’s time to refer your friend to their local GP or doctor. Depression is a tough foe to face, and sometimes it can feel like there is no end. To anyone with depression, remember these words from the poet Langston Hughes: Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.
FOR HELP & ADVICE
Students can drop into Huish Health in H2 Tuesday or Thursday lunch times or if they are not confident to do that they can speak to their tutor, or a teacher in the first instance who can help them access support, such as counselling.
BBC ON THE QT
On the 23rd of October, as another episode of Question Time drew to a close, David Dimbleby announced the words: “next week, we’ll be at Taunton”- minutes later I was submitting my application to be an audience member.
One thing that surprised me was that the show itself wasn’t broadcast live- it was unedited, but filmed from 8pm-9pm and aired at 10:40pm-to give production the chance to remove any potentially inappropriate footage (a rarity).
POLITICS MOHAMMAD LONE
but dangerous views of those affected by depression, causing those affected to avoid treatment and suffer in silence.
Before filming, we sat in a waiting area, surrounded by TV screens broadcasting the news, and after a frankly brilliant talk from Dimbleby himself we headed into the studio.
It was very impressive how the team is able to produce a set that looks exactly the same in The show had never come to our every venue. A few of us got the humble Somerset town, and I chance to act as panellists in a was determined not to miss this pre-show mock debate to check opportunity. the sound and cameras- this was particularly fun, giving us a taste You see, there’s something of what it was like to be in the special about being at the filming seat of a panel member. of a program like Question Time The actual show was admittedly – you have the chance to play slightly disappointing – the a live role in the debate, freed selection of panelists was not from the usual confines of just overly inspiring, a potential shouting at your TV set. bust up between Caroline Lucas of the Green Party and A few days later I received Owen Patterson of the Tories a phone call approving my over the environment was application – and I had to avoided and when I did get formulate two questions. My my 5 seconds of fame, asking questions addressed the Middle a question on British foreign East and Britain’s place in the policy, the question was dodged EU- not the most imaginative by Anthony Horowitz and co. of topics, but nevertheless But what else could I expect significant ones. from a panel largely made up of politicians? We had to be at the Tacchi Morris Arts Centre for over three Nevertheless the experience was hours – one hour dedicated to incredible. It taught me about the show and two for admin and the sheer amount of work that organisation of the production. goes into TV productions and Every audience member had to being at the debate helped to be thoroughly checked and 5 or bring it to life. The topics were 6 questions had to be chosen enlightening and I got to witness from a pool of 160 – the chances Dimbleby’s expert mediation of my question getting picked first hand. It was an evening to were low and they weren’t. remember. FORWARD | 13
ART HANNAH GOVAN
Isabelle. ‘…this secret thing that promised new life and liberation should manifest itself in the colour of pain’ describes the emotions felt by Isabelle and her experience of the monthly cycle all women get at a young age in preparation for pregnancy and motherhood. This is also an irony, as Isabelle could not get pregnant with her husband but later in the book has a daughter, the father being Stephen (her love interest). Another chapter in the book further explores the sexual tension and desire Isabelle and Stephen have for each other when Stephen finally expressing his true feelings and they go into the Red Room to make love. Again, red is used for this room to express all these different ideas with war and blood, passion and danger. Philip Martin successfully portrays these visual scenes in the red room and as stated in the book, Isabelle wears a red sash.
WARNING THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SEXUALLY EXPLICIT REFERENCES
BLURRED LINES:
PAGE TO SCREEN Following on from ‘Blurred Lines: When does art become porn?’ featured in the last issue of Forward, this time Hannah Govan explores how love scenes in Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong and Philip Martin’s film adaptation differ. ‘She wanted to comfort him but also to be taken by him, to be used by him.’ Although Faulk’s recurring motifs and imagery have created a novel so ‘deeply moving’, as The Sunday Times states, about this love story caught in The First World War, it is difficult not to feel as if you want to turn away at a certain chapter in Part One of the book. Throughout the book we are given subtle references to the colour red and particularly, blood – used in elements of irony and the foreshadowing of the war. What was more interesting was the motif of blood in terms of life and women, especially 14 | FORWARD
Readers of the book are taken on a journey, mainly through Stephen’s viewpoint, but in this scene it changes to Isabelle’s, exploring a guilt complex she has with wanting Stephen but also wanting to be faithful to her husband, despite his abusive nature. Considering they go to the Red Room for privacy, the readers are forced into being present in the room with them. It is as if the readers can’t help but intrude and uncomfortably observe their love making. That we aren’t meant to read this part but stumble upon it making us witness the affair. Parts of the story make you blush. This is mirrored in the film adaptation, where the audience are locked into the Red Room with Isabelle and Stephen and have no other choice but to watch. This feels perverse and positioned at times, from Isabelle’s point of view. Sex is a ‘grown up thing’ but it is the feeling of emotion and passion people believe which is more than a biological urge. It is the beginning of a relationship. It is the evolution of a relationship. It is the end to a relationship. In all these cases it applies to Stephen and Isabelle. It is because of these emotional attachments we create with sex that it becomes unnerving and awkward to read. We are made to experience these desires someone has.
As actress, Clémence Poésy (Isabelle) stated: ‘‘I think it’s a very sexual story. It’s more a sex story, or a passion story, than a love story.’ It shows that this overwhelming desire for the two main characters as a deeper level of physical intimacy than it does on a ‘basic’ and emotional level. ‘It filled her with desire and happiness. I am at last what I am, she thought; I was born for this.’ Again here, the idea of birth and life, contrasting with the death of war, and the desire to find your identity is portrayed.
Isabelle has found it in the most uncomfortable way for the audience, with Stephen. The story develops in a darker sense, with the war and the relationship between the two becoming a battlefield in itself. Although the film seems to explore the sex in a graphic way, in the book Faulks wrote something very difficult for any audience to passively read. The way sex scenes are portrayed is always going to be controversial but it is, in a way, part of a person’s identity, such as with Isabelle, and can determine what happens. Or what is next.
MEDIA HARRY BOULTON
The sexual intimacy is almost unavoidable in order to follow the story in the book and you can’t exactly look away. But a strange thing happens with the film. There is a sense of desensitisation. You can assume that in a film that explicitly states the age restriction what can be expected. It can determine who dares to watch. In films such as The Hangover and films containing nudity and sex, an audience can choose to look away or watch at pertinent moments. However in the film we don’t experience that same sexual desire and passion Isabelle and Stephen have for each other that readers of the book would – their uncomfortable tension.
NEWS ACADEMY: REVIEW Huish English student, Harry Boulton, landed a week in The Sun at the first ever News Academy Summer School, by News UK, for aspiring journalists.
Although I had high expectations for what the News Academy could offer, I was most definitely surprised and thrilled by the end of the week. Journalism, in my opinion, is one of the most important industries in the world, as it brings instant news and stories to everyone – something that was never possible before. However, for me personally, Journalism and Criticism especially is a way to express and share my opinions and thoughts with other people, whether they agree or not is another matter. At the start of the week, the sixteen blank pages spread The News Academy gave me a across the wall honestly terrified once in a lifetime opportunity me as before the week I hadn’t to not only work in the world really thought of newspapers of journalism (as we created without the stories. Although our own newspaper), but it also now the thought of filling one gave me the chance to meet and hundred pages in one day is learn from the abundance of top still the stuff of nightmares, journalists that came in to talk I’ve learnt that with a talented to us. The most surprising and team of people surrounding you frankly stressful part I learnt was (which I certainly had), and the the constraints of word limits, desire to make anything a story, and the horror of subbing. As it’ll be a struggle not to fill the all of my writing previous to this blanks. week has been exclusively online, the task of cutting down a 700 If you have a passion for writing word review in half, and then in and/or want to explore the half again was like killing my own world of journalism, the News child, but in the end, only the Academy is definitely the place necessary information survived, to be, and I won’t hesitate to which made it a better piece. recommend it to anyone else. FORWARD | 15
TECHNOLOGY IMOGEN SNELL
COLLEGE FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE: THE UNITY PROJECT An amazing new enrichment opportunity from Patrick Keith-Hill and Lewis Riste that brings the realms of college and technology together. The Unity Project is an exciting new initiative based on the concept of making a virtual reality version of college. ‘Virtual Reality’ means that you can not only walk around in but interact with a 3D model of the campus. This is being built using Unity, a game development ecosystem and can be viewed using an Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset. Lewis and Patrick are both studying an Extended Diploma in Software Development. Patrick is currently developing highly responsive HTML5/CSS pages as well as a Unity-powered side scroller written in C# and Lewis is developing and researching different forms of artificial intelligence, and has recently developed a keen interest for jQuery, a custom library that you can use to develop JavaScript faster and more efficiently. They are both enjoying the project particularly in the way that it presents them with new challenges and tests their leadership skills.
to walk around Huish, play music, light a Bunsen Burner and turn on the water fountains. This will hopefully stimulate more students to get involved in IT and inspire them to be ambitious and look beyond what they can do as individuals, thinking about what they can do with other people, as a team.
As the only member of the team with the IT skills of a goldfish, I have been working on the administration and management side of the venture, but even this has shown me how amazing technology is and how lame IT jokes can be. (I mean really.) I spoke to a couple of the contributors to the project to see what they thought of it and The initiative not only gives the IT how it was going. They told me department as a whole a chance that it is useful because of its to showcase their work but also links with the BTEC Computing gives a great excuse for students course but also that it provides to share their skills and teach each something different to the other other new things. So how does it all work? Well, beginning with the Unity engine, designers make a 3D map of a building and then texture it with images of materials. The next step is to model individual objects such as chairs, desks and computers. They then use programming to instruct objects to react in certain ways, for example a lift to take you up a floor. After all of the parts/layers are complete, they all come together to form the model. Once the project is finished, prospective students will be able 16 | FORWARD
enrichment opportunities offered by the college. We have found some elements difficult in the early stages such as scaling and converging programmes to bring everything together. I have also been told that the programming side has been challenging, which I am clearly oblivious to. If you would like to find out more about any of the things that I’ve talked about then you can either Google them or you can use the links at the bottom of this page. Getting involved in the project is also not difficult, as our sessions are held on a Tuesday lunchtime in B14. The project has made me open my mind to what is possible and has even taught me a few things along the way that I never thought I would ever have an understanding of. The Unity Project will be able for viewing in the near future.
This attitude that skill and therefore success can be bought, and the strengthening of the impact of supply and demand this has caused in football has led to drastic changes in the wages of footballers. The average wage of Manchester City this year, the highest in the world, was £102,653. Not a year. Not a month. But per week. That's roughly £5.4 million a year.
SHOULD FOOTBALLERS BE PAID SO MUCH? No. No way. Maybe. They are good. They’re so talented. Mohammad Lone weighs up the arguments. It's a debate that's been steaming up in recent years; mostly by the activity of clubs such as Real Madrid, who spent a record-breaking £85 million to purchase Welshman Gareth Bale, along with a rumoured £300,000 a week pay package. Should footballers be paid such huge amounts? Astronomical salaries were made especially prominent in England by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, whose 140 million pound takeover of Chelsea FC in 2003 sent shockwaves throughout world football – being the first major introduction of obscene amounts of money into the sport. According to the Professional Footballers' Association, in the 1950s an England player at the height of his game would have earned today's equivalent of £75,000 a year- a good wage by today's standards (in nominal terms, disregarding inflation)- that of a doctor perhaps. Today, however, the story is very different. Money is being thrown about by the oligarchs, sheikhs and other billionaire owners of today's big clubs. Abramovich was rumoured to have lured Eden Hazard to Chelsea through a phone call, saying "I don't know what your wage is, but I'll triple it.". This is simply an example of market activity – supply
SPORT MOHAMMAD LONE
and demand. Numerous world class clubs other than Chelsea were after the young Belgian attackerdriving up his market price, to the point that he is being paid roughly £180,000 a week. Manchester United and Manchester City had been put in pole position to sign him, but the tables turned when Chelsea trumped their bids for him – paying £32million.
Much has been made of such astronomical figures. In a time of economic trouble and wage stagnation that has recently hit hard most of the population, footballers have been criticised for their huge multimillion salaries, 'all for kicking a ball around'. Middle and lower class wages have stagnated, whereas that of footballers has rocketed in the past decade. While this is arguably an issue of moral justice, particularly in nations such as Spain where the employment rate has recently hit 26%, is a curbing of football wages the most practical way to correct this? £2.3 million of income tax per Manchester City player (almost £60m altogether from the regular 25-man squad) will have entered the tax pot in the past year – and while this is not an earthshaking contribution (£105 billion was spent on the NHS in 2012/13), it is by no means useless – the tax from Manchester City players' wages alone equals a fifth of the Somerset County Council's budget. This is undoubtedly a positive contributionconsidering there are 20 such Premiership (and many lower league) teams contributing to tax revenues, allowing further investment by the government into things like infrastructure, education and healthcare. We must remember one aspect of this debatethe money used to pay footballers is by no means coming without choice from the regular taxpayer. If you want to contribute to footballers' wages you buy a shirt, you buy a ticket to a game – but still, the majority of money for the wages comes from the wealthy benefactor that is the owner – be it Roman Abramovich, or Sheikh Mansour, the owner of Manchester City. Footballers' wages are therefore in fact a very effective way in which to funnel money from the wealthy billionaires of the world – it is unlikely that Abramovich, Mansour and the numerous foreign owners of clubs in the Premier League would invest so many millions in Britain if something the scale of the Premier League was not in place. Roman Abramovich has invested over £1 billion on his beloved Chelsea – much of which has gone into the tax pot to contribute to public spending. FORWARD | 17
HUISH TAKES OFF! 2014 was the year students discovered these places....
Athens, Greece
New York City, USA
TRAVEL ENRICHMENT
New York City, USA Washington DC, USA
Athens, Greece Salamanca, Spain
New York City, USA 18 | FORWARD
New York City, USA
Washington DC, USA
Salamanca, Spain
New York City, USA
TRAVEL ENRICHMENT
Athens, Greece
Athens, Greece
Washington DC, USA
New York City, USA Athens, Greece
FORWARD | 19
CREATIVE WRITING HANNAH GOVAN
8 DAYS A WEEK I slammed the door behind me as I got back in the car. I couldn’t care less about my ‘photo finish’ that put a £100 dent in my pocket, so I just shoved it in the glove compartment, trying to be careful of the green velvet box inside as well. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to ask and I was late as it was without going to stupid traffic court. They spend their life devoted to law and serving justice, wearing those robes but actually end up just saying ‘speeding; guilty, pay up!’
to reduce in redness and infuriation. But the running tracks of sweat were still very visible, and it didn’t help that the heater in the car was set to blast hot, thick air onto my face and that I couldn’t reverse. The moment it’s wanted, it feels like an elderly gentleman just breathing on you.
The tarmac road just endlessly dragged at the tyres and it looked as if there was no hope of getting back home in the nick of time… whilst avoiding another three points on my licence. I saw Officer Peeler by It could’ve been right as you don’t hear much about the driveway where a grey car was parked. It was local crimes in this town. We’re certainly not friendly. there for a while so I assumed it must have been And you only have to look in my neighbourhood to moved. I nonchalantly smiled and gave the typical establish that we are neither the ‘boys next door’ hand greetings drivers are somehow obligated to nor the grey hooded ‘innits’ that you would give give, but Peeler just stared at me, then the corners your sweets AND money to, just to make sure they of his mouth perked up at the last minute. Smiling. don’t come back on Halloween. Even if it wasn’t ‘Evening’. He was still writing something on a page. Halloween. I think it was only me in that dingy court. I kept driving but the road oddly didn’t seem to have I don’t think the judge would’ve missed a single any corners. Well at least not any that led home. At moment of ‘action’ if he went for a muffin break. each point I thought I needed to turn it was nonThrough the mirror I could see my forehead starting existent. I guess things look different when you’re on the other side. I finally saw Mrs Gram by the sidewalk from earlier on. 20 | FORWARD
Snaking my way back, I was in my neighbourhood. Everyone looked as if they had gone inside. Except for Mr Greener; he was again trying to provide aid to a flower bed after the savage survival of his out of season tulips he insisted on keeping. Five of them. The soil looked as if it was trying to endure rain diluted the terracotta colour, almost faded and grey. His hands were quilted by green and brown gloves, cartooning his slender fingers as fat chipolatas. He gave a brief and polite wave; his head pivoted from his spinal cord, silver strands of hair clotting with soil and again just gave me an unresponsive look. He then gave a small smile at me. ‘Evening,’ he then whispered. It was more a sound than a greeting. I stopped my vehicle in the street rather than the garage and there peaked the heads of silver and steel polished cars, uniformly perched in their huts. Once I parked the car, I rummaged through the glove compartment for the green box to put in my pocket and also a crumpled green post-it that reminded me to buy a bunch of wild daisies. It was Jeanette’s favourite. It only took me a seconds notice to see that the speeding photo was missing. It must have gone down the back somewhere with all the other photos I had that appeared to go missing. I kept my head down and my fingers were fumbling about through the array of keys. It was as if my fingers had lost function. But it wasn’t there. I checked again but still not there. Pockets, car seat, glove compartment. They were missing and so now was the bunch of keys. I then became very aware of a bang, bang, banging. It was muffled and restrained. I looked up to find Jeanette hammering her fist at the window pane, turning white from the blood flow being restricted. Thin trails glistened on her cheeks and her lip was quivering my name. ‘Gabe! Gabe I’m locked in!’ Her palms were suctioned onto the glass. I too began a frantic punching at the window, since the doors were inexplicably sealed. I never thought I’d have a problem breaking it. Not that I’d purposely ever tried to. I looked at the edges and they appeared to be double glazed. I lobbed a rock at the window but it bounced back, as if it was just a small rubber ball. She mouthed that all possible exist were sealed closed, even the emergency fire escape (which now in this emergency seemed redundant to the task). I knew it’d be hopeless, but I clasped onto the handle, twisted and pulled in every direction to the point it nearly broke off. I could feel emotion rising up to the surface. I felt absolutely helpless for her.
The wind swept a small, grey envelope into my view. It was addressed to me. Next thing, it was in the car beside me. My thumb tucked under the flap and I opened it. ‘If you want the key back, start by going to The Guardian pub. Someone will be expecting you. Don’t keep us and Jeanette waiting.’ My hands became bleached white and my fingers were quivering so much I nearly lost the note. I looked to Jeanette to let her read it. We said nothing. Our palms were squashed to meet each other’s at the window. As we exchanged our final looks I noticed that the frames on the fireplace had none of our photos in them. Just the standard couple picture. The door opened and I dashed to The Guardian. It wasn’t far but I could feel the ground lift upwards to try and trip me over, the uneven gravel pressing firmly against the soles of my shoes. I wouldn’t stop. By the bar was Mr. Greener. The windows were so small only a handful of light escaped into view and Greener was just a large black thing with an illuminated view of glasses and bottles. His back hunched over to keep prying eyes off his pint of beer.
CREATIVE WRITING HANNAH GOVAN
‘Evening’. She was fiercely holding onto five of those humbugs in her left hand. I ground on the brake to halt for her and she shuffled her elasticated shoes on the gravel. Have you ever imagined walking a turtle? I don’t mean tortoise. I mean turtle. She finally went all the way to the end of the road fuelled by a system of short breaths and cranked her neck to meet my eyes with hers. I always thought they were blue and welcoming. This in the winter evening they appeared to be a stonewash grey. She retracted her gaze and her cheek bones lifted to smile thank you. Not dissimilar from Peeler’s.
‘Just walk forward. Order something, now.’ I asked for what Greener was having. I could see how cracked and faded his hands were, droplets of condensation sliding through his fingers. Beside him it looked like he was on his fifth pint. A glass drifted along the bar table into my hand, Greener raising his and engulfed a large portion of the drink. The head of mine was foaming away and it wasn’t as appetising as I had hoped. ‘Need you to do me a favour. I’m now on the brink of hammered and I need to get some bulbs. Tulips have had it.’ I shifted my glass away from temtation and I told him I couldn’t: car was at home and I was meeting someone. ‘That be me,’ he gurgled. I could see that beer was becoming an Achilles heel. And only on five. I didn’t have the time to ask questions. I sped back to the car, trying to avoid any sight of Jeanette to not get the wrong impression and I went to Greener’s shop. I picked up the bulbs that had the sign ‘in season’ underneath. I couldn’t care less but for safe measure I also bought a pack of tulip bulbs. The radio was on in the background, giving the local news. To actually think there was news. Again there was no report of any crimes committed. To save time I won’t tell you about the drive, but again the lack of turns was peculiar and I was sure I took a few more lefts than straight ahead. But I got back to the bar. Greener was nearly slumping out of his seat. ‘Cheers.’ He whisked the bulbs from me, gave that weird smile again and told me that Mrs. Gram wanted to see me. And that I’d better do it. To be continued...
FORWARD | 21
An example of a fear that the whole world shares, to a range of severity, would be a fear of heights. In the 1960’s, an experiment was conducted whereby baby goats and baby humans were encouraged to walk or crawl onto a transparent surface which gave the impression of walking over a cliff edge; both the subjects refused. This serves as an example to emphasise the theory that all widely-felt
The fear of snakes is a strong example of a fear that is inherent within us, despite a lack of any bad experiences with the animal. To demonstrate this natural serpentine fear, the psychologist Martin Seigelman conducted an experiment in which an electric shock was administered to the subject upon the sight of certain images. He found that when the picture was of something like a spider or a snake, it took only
CULTURE STELLA BOTES
nature. However, recent studies have shown that phobias can be hereditary, and bad memories associated with a stimulus can be passed down to offspring through genetics. This theory was demonstrated when scientists at the Emory University school of Medicine in Atlanta administered an electric shock to mice upon their experiencing the smell of cherry blossom. The next two generations of mice experienced the same fear of the odour of cherry blossom, despite never having experienced it before, so for some, unusual phobias can be a cause of the past experiences of your distant ancestors.
human fears are rooted in the reality of our unknown death. In other words, we have no control over our external and internal occurrences and we are unsure of how/when we will die, which leads us to try to prevent this fate as much as possible, as reflected in the way that masochism is, according to many psychologists, a psychological anomaly. No fear is irrational; all fears are embedded in a fear of death. As fear is a comprehensive emotion, it has become almost an international language, in the same way that a smile signifies happiness across all cultures. The expression of fear however, is particularly recognisable as we do not have an animal body language equivalent for a smile and happiness within species is signified in a different, more secretive way. Fear is the only emotion that uses a similar expression across all species; eye-rolling, quickened breath, flared nostrils, muscle tension and so on are characteristics of fearfulness that span not only human body language but also almost all mammals. Charles Darwin researched this topic fervently and was fascinated by this expression being an inter-species language. He would go to the reptile house at the London Zoological gardens and press his face to the glass of a puff adder cage as it sprang at him, and was unable to stop his face from tightening and jumping back, in his diaries he wrote that “My will and reason were powerless against the imagination of a danger which had never been experienced”. Darwin inferred that the facial expression we make is a result of the innate and instinctive tightening of muscles, as some of us may not have ever been bitten by a snake and yet are still terrified by them, it is an evolved response to certain stimulus.
DISSECTING FEAR Fear is one of our earliest emotional experiences of life, if not our very first emotion; the fear of the bright light and sharp cold at birth, culminating in the tears and screams characteristic of a new-born. Fear is an immediate response that is inherent within the human psyche. There are certain objects and characteristics that we all fear universally and a certain language of horror that can be recognised throughout all the species of the world. Everyone is affected at some point by fear. Without fail, this panic is shared with someone else, hence why phobias are diagnosed and named. Granted, there are some more obscure phobias such as Trypophobia (fear of objects with irregular holes, like beehives and ant nests) there are also fears that everyone in the world shares to varying degrees. Some fears are found to be particularly prevalent in specific societies, a culturally distinctive phobia in Japan is one called Taijin Kyofusho, meaning ‘the fear of offending other persons by an excess of modesty or showing respect’ and it is fascinating that certain phobias flourish under different circumstances, proving that for some fears it really is a case of nurture rather than 22 | FORWARD
two to four shocks to establish a phobia. When the picture was of something like a flower or a tree, it took a lot more shocks to get a real fear going.
But if we can be conditioned to become fearful of particular stimuli, why then is our fear of snakes and spiders more intense than our fear of bombs and other weapons of warfare? These fears would be more rational as in our modern society; a poisonous snake bite can easily be healed if medical attention is gained in time, the same goes for spiders. O. Joseph Bienvenu, Associate Director at Johns Hopkins Anxiety Disorders Clinic, has said that “you could put a gun in front of a monkey or a baby and they wouldn’t go ‘Ahhh!’ like they would with a plastic snake. We’re still catching up, if the evolutionary theories are right, with what we face today.”
CHIC OR CHAV?
Barbed wire wrapped round your biceps? Trite motto written in incorrect Latin down your spine? Or perhaps a full sleeve of black tribal scores or blooming exotic fauna? Tattoos are everywhere. It is believed that a fifth of all adults now have at least one. Even the prim Samantha Cameron has a cheeky dolphin jumping at her ankle. And a member of British acting royalty, Felicity Kendal, had a star tattooed on her calf at the age of 62.
does. We all judge people on their visual appearance; it’s human nature. And, like it or not, there is a ‘dress code’ with most jobs. A tattoo is not going to impress. It still says you are of a certain (irresponsible?) attitude. Might it suggest that at best you might be a slacker in your job? Or that you will move on quickly? Because that is how some people view tattoos – as a manifestation of anger, or hurt, or low self-esteem. Tattoo removal is now big business. Laser clinics are springing up everywhere, promising to remove your moments of madness for a few hundred quid, by a process more painful than getting tattooed in the first place.
CULTURE ASIA HARVEY
However not all fears are natural within us, such as the phobia of Friday the 13th (Paraskavedekatriaphobia), and it has been proved that fears can be conditioned into us by aversive stimulus. One of the first experiments of this type was performed by John B Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920. They took a young baby named Albert and conditioned him to fear white rats by clanging a hammer against a steel bar behind his head whenever he touched the rat. Not only did this make Albert fear the white rat but he also began to fear any white animals, and anything with a similar fur to the rat. The science behind this experiment is that a region in the brain called the amyglada connects the two events, forming an unconscious memory of the association. Then, when the stimulus is repeated, the amyglada is immediately activated, which triggers fear and anxiety. The automatic nature of the activation process reflects the fact that the amyglada does its work outside of conscious awareness. An example of this conditioned response would be the act of fainting, particularly in females, in response to blood, surgical instruments and dead bodies. This would have been conditioned into us in response to the frequent raiding bands in the early hunting and gathering societies.
However, if you are adamant that your life would not be complete What we don’t hear about is the without some body art, perhaps number of people who go on to you should look to Cheryl Cole regret being inked. The younger as your inspiration. She may have you are, the more likely you are been faced with a lot of criticism to regret a tattoo. You don’t for the deep red bouquet of think about what ‘permanent’ roses across the whole of her means when you’re 18. Many behind. But I actually think she young people believe that they got it right. She only needs to will always love their tattoo, will show it off if she wants to. It’s always want to show it off. But as not on her hands or her face or you get older, there’s no hiding anywhere that would show in your wrinkling skin and inevitable any polite situation. fading tattoo. Black becomes green. And tastes change. So perhaps the best advice is to do as Cheryl did. If you want It shouldn’t matter to an to get inked, and go big and go employer whether your bold. employee has a tattoo. But it FORWARD | 23
MUSIC MAKING MATT KONIG
REPENT FOR YOUR SYNTHS!
With the monophonic synthesizer market busier than ever, there are more and more new musicians, composers and producers learning how to operate synthesisers. Matt Konig explores how to use Logic’s ES1 synthesizer. Walk into any vintage synthesiser shop (not that there are many still in business) and the first synths you’ll see will probably be those with the most famous names – Moog, Yamaha, Korg, ARP, and all the other classic synthesizers of the 70s and 80s. It’s also highly likely that these synths will use subtractive synthesis – the basis of hundreds of other synths, and the focus of this article. First, let’s take a little trip back and look at the history of synthesizers. During the first part of the 20th century there were several attempts to make 24 | FORWARD
electronic keyboard instruments with no acoustic components. Some of these – like the Ondes Martenot and the Clavioline – were more successful than others. But the real breakthrough came with Robert Moog and his company, Moog Music. The first Moog synthesizers were developed in the early 1960s, but they were massive beasts, taking up whole rooms with their huge modular cabinets. The early 70s brought on the Minimoog, a much more portable dual-oscillator device with the keyboard built into the cabinet. However, the
“Mini” was still monophonic – it could only play one note at a time. The Polymoog, introduced in the late 70s, could play chords – but by this point other synth manufacturers such as Roland and Yamaha had latched on to the polysynth market. For many, though, the Minimoog remains the pinnacle of analogue synthesis, so much so that it has spawned dozens of copycat synths. One of these imitators (or should I say homages) is the ES1 synthesizer, which comes pre-packaged with Apple’s Logic
Pro digital audio workstation. ES1 replicates most of the functions and features of a classic Moogstyle monophonic synthesizer, and can be played with a standard MIDI-enabled controller (usually a keyboard). If you want to get into synthesis, learning how to program a basic monosynth is a very good start. So just how do we go about making a sound with our synth?
But say you don’t want a full buzz from your sound – perhaps you want it a bit more muffled, so to speak. That’s where the filter comes in. By opening and
The final step is the LFO – the low frequency oscillator. This oscillator does not form the basis of our sound, like the other oscillators; it adds effects to the sound that we have already created. Like the other oscillators, we have a choice of waveform; but we also have the choice of speed, as well as what part of our sound to affect – pitch, filter, or many other choices. Seems complex? It isn’t – honestly! For example, if we set the LFO to a saw wave at a slow rate, and set it to affect the pitch, the sound we hear resembles a police car’s siren. Setting the LFO to a faster but less intense rate with a triangle wave, meanwhile, produces an effect not unlike a
guitar’s vibrato. The intensity of the LFO can be set with a slider on the ES1 control panel – or it can be mapped to the modulation wheel or aftertouch of your MIDI controller keyboard, allowing for more expressive playing. And those are the basics – we could easily spend hours creating our own sounds. But the real challenge comes with trying to replicate the sounds of acoustic instruments – the original purpose of Robert Moog’s analogue synths. For example, how do you go about replicating the sound of a flute? The answer involves a bit of trial and error – it took me some time to find a waveform that was right for my primary oscillator. In the end I chose a triangle waveform with the filter only slightly open. A secondary noise oscillator was partially mixed in to replicate the sound of the flautist’s breath. For ADSR, the attack and release were set quite short – but not imperceptibly so. Decay and sustain were set on full. Finally, a medium-speed LFO was set using a triangle wave, to replicate the natural vibrato present in flute playing.
MUSIC MAKING MATT KONIG
Let’s start from scratch; we begin with a single oscillator, and a palette of several different waveforms to choose from. A waveform is essentially the basic shape of the sound’s wave as it moves through the air. The choice varies from synth to synth, but the varieties on offer in ES1 include square, saw and triangle waves. Our oscillator can also have its pitch changed, usually two octaves (in semitones) either direction. Simple enough, you might think. But then we can add another oscillator with its own waveform and pitch, and we can mix between the two, controlling how much of each oscillator we hear – and already our sound has its own individual character. (The ES1 has slightly different waveforms on its second oscillator, including a noise wave which proved useful for synthesising a realistic flute – more on that later.)
closing the filter, we can adjust the frequencies of our waveform, so it sounds brighter or duller respectively. Depending on what filter we choose, either the higher or lower frequencies will be reduced; the low frequency filter is the most commonly used. The filter’s resonance can also be changed, giving the sound a “crunchier” tone as the filter closes – ideal for meaty basses or wah-wah leads. The next step is ADSR – attack, decay, sustain and release. This essentially controls the shape of our sound as a whole – attack is how long it takes to “fade in” from nothing, decay is how long the sound takes to go from its maximum amplitude to its sustain point, sustain is how long the sound stays when the key is held, and release is how long it takes to “fade out” when the key is released.
So there you have it – how to operate Logic’s ES1 synthesiser, and how to recreate a flute sound. And that’s just the beginning of what you can do with synthesis – there’s a whole world out there… FORWARD | 25
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On Friday our work began and we experienced for the first time what it was like to film live at a music festival, getting to grips with the environment and what it demanded. After the first few bands our shift was done for the day and we had the rest of the day to do what we liked. Although later on a thunderstorm brought proceedings at John Peel to a halt as everything was shut down to avoid any chance of a lightning strike. Following a big effort from the crew and the artists cutting some songs from their sets, the schedule was soon back on track and the day finished with most of the John Peel staff stood at the side of the stage watching Kaiser Chiefs cause a riot. In fact, if you look closely behind the frontman when he jumps down off the stage you can just about see me and a few others from the film crew at the front of the group of John Peel staff stood at the side of the stage. On Saturday we were once again filming the artists and in a surreal moment I was stood on stage operating the roaming camera for Hosier’s performance, before handing the stage over to the BBC crew and Royal Blood. Saturday also brought another surreal moment later on when were asked by Phil Tickle, the stage manager and twin brother of John Tickle from TV’s Brainiac, to help build the video wall for MGMT as the stage crew were busy trying to sort out everything else.
GLASTONBURY SAM ROOKS
After three months of weekly training sessions and a practise run at Huish Live n’ Loud, we departed for Worthy Farm on 24th June, being allowed early access as we were staff, strolling through in minutes what would take hours for the amassing festival goers the next day. Wandering round the site on Tuesday night we saw Glastonbury in very much the calm before the storm and were among the other 1,800 staff taking the chance to freely explore. By the time we woke up the following morning the site was a hive of activity and wandering round the site that day despite passing the same places multiple times there was always something going on, even a wedding proposal up by the Glastonbury sign. And as our work didn’t start till the Friday we had the whole of Wednesday and Thursday to explore and experience what is perhaps the greatest part of the festival, its atmosphere.
SPECS, MUGS & ROCK N’ ROLL Working backstage at the Glastonbury Festival. Earlier this year, I with six other students got the chance to go and film on the John Peel stage at Glastonbury as part of the college’s multi-camera enrichment.
streaming on the screens as well as telling them which shots you wanted and cutting in appropriate moments and speeds to the song. On top of this, I was told in advance to be ready to capture the moment the frontman smashed up his guitar at the end of the last song. When it got to the moment, we managed to capture it from various angles, although the plan had been that he would smash the guitar in several hits but did it in one. Our work ended with the get out which went into the early hours of Monday, leaving the stage empty by the time morning came. Overall working at Glastonbury was an amazing experience and created moments that will be hard to forget. If ever you get the chance to do anything like this I highly recommend you do it. It is often said that opportunity won’t just come knocking on your door, but if you get involved in as much as you can and live for the moment, then maybe one day it will.
As well as operating the cameras we also took it in turns to vision mix, which is basically cutting between all the camera feeds to produce what is seen live on the screens by the mass of audience. My turn to do this came on Sunday morning for Darlia’s performance. This was something that was a constant job where you had to keep an eye on all the cameras, while telling them what camera is FORWARD | 27
announced model can go from 0-60mph in just 3.2 seconds, a fast speed for a supercar, let alone a 5 seat family saloon. The engine however is not the only place abundant with the latest technology – inside the car you will find a 17-inch display (the largest of any in-car display), from which you control everythingfrom the AC, the sunroof, the satnav – you can even browse the internet on it.
CHARGED UP
– THE SECOND TESLA REVOLUTION?
TECHNOLOGY MOHAMMAD LONE
The brainchild of PayPal creator and space venturer billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk (dubbed frequently by the press as the ‘real life Tony Stark’), the Tesla Model S is no ordinary car – in fact it is perhaps the most revolutionary car we have seen for years. Much is often made of hybrid cars these days- sparked by the Toyota Prius, the hybrid car market has grown exponentially over the past decade thanks to their green, fuel-efficient credentials. Despite the hype however, the fact remains that hybrid cars are still reliant upon fossil fuels – in a hybrid car, no fuel still means no drive. The Model S changes this – running fully on electricity, burning no fossil fuels and emitting no harmful gases. You may, however, have seen other electric cars on the market like the Nissan Leaf- which can only go just over 120 miles (optimistically) before running out of juice. But unlike the frankly miserable Leaf, the Tesla can surpass 280 miles- not an extraordinary range, but one not too difficult to live with. And once you do need a recharge, at a Tesla recharge station, known as a ‘Supercharger’, you can fill up for free – or you can plug it into the mains at your home, with computer systems able to select charging times to be when
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electricity demand and therefore price is low. As well as free recharging and zero emissions, the electric motor of the Model S offers many benefits – such as an almost silent engine, no road tax or congestion charge and more space; the batteries take up such little space that the bonnet of the car holds a second storage space, where the engine would be in a conventional car. The electric engine does wonders for the car’s performance as well – the immediate release of all the car’s power to the wheels mean the Model S accelerates smoothly and rapidly – a recently
A new technology called Autopilot allows the car to perform everyday driving tasks such as staying within or changing lane on the motorway, changing speed according to the speed limit, parking into a space, all autonomously. Elon Musk said this was Tesla’s first step towards a fully self-functioning car – a possibility he says will be realised very soon. The Tesla Model S, in principle, is a fantastic car- it’s technology is certainly indicative of the future of cars – but, practically, it is a hard sell at the moment. There are currently only 7 superchargers in the UK (though more are being built), the car itself starts at £49,000 and ultimately, our electricity largely comes from fossil fuels being burnt. But nevertheless, I think it really is the future. Plans have been drawn up for a cheaper, mainstream ‘Model 3’ to arrive in 2017, battery technology is continuously being developed as is charging infrastructure. Furthermore, as renewable electricity production is growing, electricity remains a contender for the future fuelling of our cars- though Toyota’s FCV Hydrogen-fuelled car is predicted to put up a fight. Whichever car wins ultimately, there is much reason to be optimistic with the future of cars.
You could pin it on the athleticism of the players in rugby 7s. With nearly half the players as the traditional game, it is faster and with a higher pace of action. It also means that the players need a lot more endurance and fitness to be able to compete at a high level. So although the US eagles have the endurance and the stamina, the skill isn’t there. The New Zealanders are said to have been “born with a rugby ball in their crib”, and considering Rugby is seen as the American’s ‘drop-out’ sport, the cultural ties are loose. The main problem the The USA Eagles currently stand at 16th in the IRB’s USA is facing with rugby union is international rankings; with only 20 teams in next year’s the lack of interest and financial rugby world cup, do they really stand a chance? support. Will Chang, a board member with USA Rugby said: Rugby has been in our history since 1823, when “Rugby in the U.S. is where soccer was 15 years William Webb Ellis, who gives his name to the world ago.” If this is true then the Eagles have a long way cup trophy, is said to have picked up a football to go in terms of development of the sport. during a game and ran with it. Although the story is dubious, it led to the first official rules of the game However the USA Eagles have the potential to be being created in 1845 at Rugby School. England the giant of Rugby Union, they just don’t know it yet. can’t however claim total dominance over the sport. The NFLs most valuable team, The Dallas Cowboys That goes to the notorious New Zealand team, the have a whopping net worth of $2.3 billion (£1.6) All Blacks, (named due to their kit colour, not a racial which trumps the rugby equivalent French club, connotation). What we can claim is its heritage Toulouse’s £27.4 million. Money isn’t the only thing and creation, much like with football, although it is America has an abundance of to give to Rugby. common knowledge that England’s football team In any given year there are about 15,000 seniors could learn a thing or two about success from the playing American football at college. Only 1.7% will current England rugby squad. make it to the NFL, according to NCAA figures. That is a massive amount of talented, athletic With the rugby world cup being held in just over a players who are left picking up the pieces of their year, here in England, many fix their eyes on Stuart shattered dreams of being an ‘NFL Superstar’. If Lancaster and his team to win the RWC 2015. Other only a seasoned, skilled coach would pick up their contenders for that ultimate flagship in rugby shattered pieces and turn them into a rugby dream, history are the All Blacks, South Africa, Ireland maybe the USA eagles would be a Tier 1 rugby team, and Australia. So where does the USA fit into this up there with the All Blacks. already tightly formed unit of strong contenders? All in all, it’s up to companies like Rugbylaw, formed Well it doesn’t really. The USA eagles currently for the sole purpose of making rugby tick in the US, stand at 16th in the IRB’s international rankings. to nurture the sleeping giant to full bone-crushing Considering there are only 20 teams in the world capacity. With their work to get big brands to sink cup, this doesn’t really give the ‘home of the brave’ a standing chance for the trophy. This is also backed millions of dollars into the sport, and their push to create America’s first ‘Rugby Football League’ this up with the disastrous defeat the Eagles faced could be the wakeup call the American giant needs. to the All Blacks recently, with a score of 74-6. In George Robertson, the founder of Rugbylaw states: any game that loss margin can shatter a team’s confidence; more so that this was the Eagles chance "It seems the world has lost track or forgotten the main truth of the NFL – it is the son of rugby union." to prove that they would be a thorn in the side of If this is the case, then all they need to do now is let any team in their pool for the world cup. So why the ‘father’ take control. aren’t the Eagles soaring high?
RUGBY JACOB BROWN
IS THE USA THE ‘SLEEPING GIANT’ OF RUGBY?
It is a puzzling idea, that the world leader in contact sport, with some of the greatest athletes in the world, can’t put together a strong enough rugby 15s team. I say rugby 15s because in the rugby 7s department the US is flying strong, with men like Carlin Isles, the self-proclaimed “fastest man in rugby”. They come in at 9th on the HSBC 7s leaderboard, double their position than the standard union game. Why is this?
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A DECADE ON ALIUMNI JADE NIXON
Richard Huish College alumni, Jade Nixon, reflects on how her experiences at Huish motivated for to become a teacher at home and abroad. Looking back is something I rarely do. Living in our fast paced world, getting to grips with the latest technological advances and always planning forward to the week ahead hardly leaves time to cast the mind back to school days. It was a real pleasure to get in touch with Yolanda Bentham who taught me 10 years ago and reflect on what has happened since I left her classroom. It was then that it occurred to me that time really has flown by. I can’t quite believe that it has been a decade since I was where you all are, wanting these carefree days to last and occasionally worrying about what it was I really wanted to do with my life. So let’s go back 10 years. As a student at Richard Huish I studied English Literature, Drama, Psychology and Performance Studies. I was blessed to have wonderful teachers who were all so passionate about their subjects and about helping their students reach their full potential. What strikes me so much about Huish is there is a real sense of 30 | FORWARD
community. Teachers were not just there to teach but to nurture and enable every student to achieve. My teachers really did care and with their help I was able to put together an application for university and go on to study drama at Exeter University. I look back at Huish with fond memories. I had a wonderful group of friends, fantastic teachers and found myself in a very supportive environment. Everyone went that extra mile and you can really see that students’ best interests are at heart. After leaving Huish I moved to Exeter to embark on my three year degree. Exeter is a wonderful city with much to offer young people. The campus is friendly, but socially tiring. There is so much to do you could easily forget why you were really there. Thankfully, Huish laid the foundations of my self motivation and I never lost sight of my degree. Quickly learning to balance a degree with the social aspects of uni is the first and most valuable lesson to achieving and having a great time whilst at uni! Going to university definitely opened many more doors for me. It was here where I met lifelong friends and finally decided what path to take in life. I quickly found a strong link between Huish and Exeter University. The teachers. At first I thought I was lucky, almost spoilt with the fantastic educators that had shaped and touched my life. All so caring, all so passionate, all would drop everything to help
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TREKAMERICA A fantastic way to see America, it can be pretty pricey, but it’s road tripping across the USA. Come. On.
2 their students. But I don’t believe in luck, I believe that through commitment and hard work you can achieve. So these people really do exist, there are people who don’t just teach for a job, they teach because they care, they teach from the heart, they teach to make a difference to one person’s life. I wanted to be part of that, I wanted to give back what the teachers at Huish and Exeter had instilled in me, a love of learning and a desire to help others achieve their dreams. To confirm this commitment and to be taken seriously as an applicant for a PGCE, I decided to dedicate the next year in educational settings. I spent six months working as a teaching assistant. The joy I got from this job nearly convinced me to stay but I wanted to spread my wings a little further and work from my own lesson plans. This led me to India where I volunteered as a class teacher for a school who sadly had no teachers. I needed no more convincing. Teaching is what I now wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to. India taught me patience, to live in the present moment but also a lot of grief, instilling a desire to go back to Asia and provide the best education I can for those forgotten children. When I was back from India, I travelled to Norfolk to enrol on a PGCE(M) in Primary Education at the University of East Anglia. I chose UEA due to the great reputation it has for teacher training courses. It was a tough year getting to grips with all the duties teachers have behind the scenes, on top of assignments and presentations. It did however prepare me for the real world of teaching. I could not have chosen a better institute to continue my studies; they echoed everything I believed education should be and were truly supportive practitioners. I am now coming to the end of my second year of teaching. It has been met with so much responsibility, challenges and changes but has been a huge stepping stone to the next chapter in my life. I am packing my bags and heading off to teach in an international school in Cambodia. To be able to mix my love of primary school teaching with travelling and having time to go out into the local community and educate local Cambodian teachers is nothing short of a dream. I would not change my job for the world. I am finally able to give back what so many of my teachers gave to me on my journey to where I am today.
INTER-RAIL ACROSS EUROPE You can get rail passes that allow you to see the sights of Amsterdam, Paris and Rome, or the beaches of Spain, Croatia or discover Scandinavia. Europe has an abundance of culture, history and of course, great nightlife.
GAP YEAR IESHA THOMAS
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THINGS TO DO ON YOUR GAP YEAR
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WORK A SKI SEASON A popular choice for Gap Years, but if you don’t fancy being a chalet maid, you can do bar work, waitressing, work as a rep or ski instructor.
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VOLUNTEER IN AFRICA Countries such as Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are breathtakingly beautiful, and you can volunteer to work with kids, or build new facilities in developing countries. Highly rewarding if you want to do some good in the world.
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GET AN INTERNSHIP Internships come at a low price, and you can work from Australia to Fiji to Spain to South America, just pick what you’d like to do and start packing!
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WORK AS AN AU PAIR For those wanting to go into education, or just want to do something different, you can live, work and be paid to look after kids for a year.
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WORK IN AN AMERICAN SUMMER CAMP Camp America offers the opportunity to work in a US Summer Camp, which I will be doing next summer for a minimum of 9 weeks. You have to be dedicated and organised but it is one of the most incredible experiences offered for Gap Years.
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THE STUDENT UNION MELISSA EVELEIGH
NEW STUDENT UNION Say hello to your new student union! We are a group of seven A2 students who meet once a week to try and think of ways to improve the college experience. Our new suggestion box will be up and running soon so keep an eye out and post your suggestions so we can see what you want to happen. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter @RHCStudentUnion! If you have any questions for us please feel free to email any of the members or alternatively email the Student Liaison Officer jamess@richuish.ac.uk.
Hi, I’m James and I’m the Student Liaison Officer. I studied Geography, Environmental Science and Archaeology at Richard Huish College from 2009-2011 before going to Lancaster University to study Earth and Environmental Science. During my second year at university I studied at the University of Virginia in America and got to travel the East Coast of the USA. I started fencing whilst in America and made the University of Virginia university team as well as the Lancaster University team when returning to Lancs for my third year. Whilst studying at Huish I was in the environmental group LEAF and was also the drummer for a couple of college bands.
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Hello there, my name is Mohammad Lone. I’m currently studying History, English Literature, Mathematics and French. My interests lie in global affairs, football and technology. I hope to serve you well as your representative. If you ever have any questions, suggestions or just want a chat, feel free to catch me around college or by email!
I am Sam Dunnett. I love English Literature, which I want to take at university, reading and writing. I would quite like to be a writer, but sometimes, I think that this aspiration might be similar to how people want to be astronauts. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind being an astronaut either. I take Performance Enrichment due to a lifelong passion for drama, and am chair of the Politics Society (we get politicians in and ask them difficult questions - it’s fun!) because I find politics interesting and believe that social change is important.
My name is Lottie and I am a member of the student union at Richard Huish. I’m currently studying English Literature and Language combined, Archaeology and History late modern, in the hope to make it to university to study Archaeology and Heritage Management. I run the college Amnesty International group and have been employed by the National Trust at Lytes Cary Manor for two years. I also enjoy playing hockey for a team outside college.
Hi, my name is Shayaan Akhtar and I live locally in Taunton. I’m 17 and I’m currently studying Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics at A Level, with an AS in Geography. I’m also heavily into sport enjoying Hockey in spring and Cricket in the summer.
Hi, my name is Cat King! I’m 18 and come from Martock which is near Yeovil. I currently study A Level Sociology, English Language and Politics. And in AS I studied Art. I’m into lots of stuff mainly campaigning and youth work. I also have two micro pigs; Albert and Lily.
I’m Dancey, I come from Taunton, I’m presuming most people know where that is. I do A Level, English Lit/Lang, Maths and Psychology. I enjoy doing anything that’s not work pretty much, but sports, music and gaming in particular.
My name is Melissa and I’m taking English Language, English Literature and Politics. If all goes to plan I’m hoping to study English Literature at university next year as a joint honours subject. I’ve enjoyed getting involved with societies like Amnesty International and Politics Society since I’ve been at college. I joined the union because, despite not knowing anyone when I arrived at college, Huish provided support that helped me to meet the amazing friends I have now and I’m hoping by doing more for the college community we can do that for more students.
PHOTOS: FIXERS
CAT KING
CAMPAIGN
How did you hook-up with Fixers? At a regional meeting of Youth Parliament, Fixers came and did a presentation. I explained my campaign to them and they suggested that we could work together. At the time I thought, ‘yeah right’ and didn’t think it would come to much so I was surprised by what they could do. In my mind, I just imagined that the video would be shown in schools but what we produced was a video, images, workshops and personal experiences. They helped me to unleash the potential of the campaign. How did it get on ITV news? Fixers works with ITV. They believed in the campaign and felt that it was a really good thing to get out in the news and that perhaps people in education would take notice. They asked if I would like to do a broadcast piece and I jumped at the chance. I felt really thankful that they had realised that it was an issue big enough to get on the news. I was nervous and excited. I can talk for England usually but I found that talking to camera is so different. When we started filming I would do a cut, then they would say try this and would let me do it again. They guided me through it. I was conscious of time and getting the message across well. We decided to come to college to film it. We started at 10am and finished at 7pm-filming a seven minute piece! We had an agenda, young actors and friends came in and there was a professional voiceover person. I was a real main director in it which was crucial as it was going down in my name.
Passionate campaigner Cat King featured on ITV regional news in September highlighting the shortfalls in teaching young What was it like having John Abbott’s support? people about healthy relationships. It was good to get his input and support as he is well Working with Fixers, a National Lottery funded project of the Public Service Broadcasting Trust and featured on ITV, the local youth parliament member has created a Healthy Relationships lesson pack to help teachers tackle talking about emotional and psychological parts of a relationship. Forward caught up with Cat to find out all about it. So Cat, why are you so passionate about promoting healthy relationships? My main manifesto for Youth Parliament was sex, relationships and bullying and I discovered that there was a lack of advice on healthy relationships being taught in schools. I think it is so crucial to teach young people the do’s and don’ts of a relationship. I’m not talking about extremes such as rape and domestic violence but things such as empowering people to decide to leave a relationship in which they don’t feel appreciated. I want to highlight the controlling behaviours that get overlooked like ‘she won’t let me text this person’ or ‘he won’t let me be friends with him’ scenarios that can actually have a huge effect on their emotional and psychological well being.
respected in college and education circles. It meant a lot to me that he was onboard with it. He has been in contact with me about how we can improve Huish Health at college. Watching it live? I was at home when it was broadcast and I felt a sense of completeness. The whole campaign had been going on for two years. It was the bow on the ribbon. Seeing it on the news, it all became real, it was done. People have been in contact since to do more things with it. I have been asked to speak at a charity conference in Cornwall next year. That’s exciting.
What does the future hold for you? I want to be a teacher. I am going to study Sociology at Uni. I am interested in politics but that will come later in life. I feel I need to gain experience of teaching and working in education before I can take a serious look at education policy.
Do you think this affects a lot of people? I have seen it around me and seen so many cases where people don’t even see it themselves. I want young people to have the confidence to question someone’s behaviour and think that maybe it is not right or actually to recognise that I do have a healthy relationship and this is a really great place to be in. FORWARD | 33
essential skills for anyone working in business today and in the future.
BUSINESS DEGREE VANESSA HARRIS
Richard Huish has provided outstanding teaching and insights into leadership and management. The tutors are dedicated to student learning and development. The course is very up-to-date in theory and my fellow students are great.
WHY VANESSA TRAVELLED 150 MILES FOR HER HUISH DEGREE!
Vanessa has just got a First in BA Applied Professional Studies (Leadership and Management) at Huish and is now studying for her Post Graduate Certificate in Education. This is Vanessa’s story: “Over the past 23 years I have had a successful career in brand and marketing consultancy initially in London and latterly in Plymouth, working for clients including Saab, The Economist, BT and Sport England to name a few. Throughout my career, the development of people has always been of importance to me. Then, when my daughter started primary school, I volunteered as a parent helper and it made me realise what a rewarding occupation teaching could be and I felt strongly motivated to pursue a career in teaching for myself. In order to make myself eligible for teacher training, I needed to top-up my HND in Business and Finance to a BA (Hons) degree qualification. The degree in Leadership and Management top-up offered by Richard Huish really appealed; it focused on leadership and management which I believe are
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I have learnt so much from this course. I would highly recommend it to anyone and it has been worth travelling 150 miles for one day a week to attend lectures. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in taking on a leadership and management role in the future.” Good luck Vanessa, we wish you well.
BUSINESS DEGREES AT HUISH All students on the BA Applied Professional Studies got Firsts or 2.1s. Since joining the course, they have secured management or co-ordinator roles with large employers, and another student plans to start her own business. What do Huish offer again…? Huish offers a Foundation Degree in Business and Management, which some of the students completed before progressing to the one year BA programme. The Foundation degree takes two years full time for usually a maximum of two days per week and the BA programme is one day a week for one year. So it takes the same time as a degree studying away at University. This means you can also work alongside studying, just like Vanessa and the others did. Could a Business and Management degree be for you? Have a look at our website – see what the courses involve and what the other student’s thought: www.huish.ac.uk/university or contact the Course Manager, Louisa Clavey for an informal chat on louisac@richuish.ac.uk.
It seems you’ve had a diverse upbringing, so what’s your favourite type of food? I really like European food – especially Italian and French food. I don’t eat a lot of American food, but it’s fun sometimes.
CHRIS BROSSARD
Buddist, Teacher, Author, Martial Artist, Musician and veteran of the Vietnam War – Huish’s own renaissance man. So Chris, you’re often the first face of Huish many of us see but a lot of your work is also behind the scenes. What’s your role at the college? I used to be Admissions and Marketing Director – my job was to deal with all the admissions, look at every application and make sure students had a good interview and induction experience. I also managed the college’s communications and publicity. Now, I’m retired – my main job is to do the school’s liaison, going out to secondary schools representing the college. What do you like most about education? It’s the students, definitely. I’ve taught both Business Studies and Geography for over 30 years at places like West Somerset College, and although I gave it up recently I wouldn’t have left the education environment because I love working with the interesting students at Huish. So what did you do before you became a teacher? When I left school in the States in 1968 I got immediately
conscripted to serve for the US Army as an infantryman in Vietnam- after that I moved to England, working in floor management for the BBC, and after travelling in Central America I decided to go to university when I was 26. If you were to choose one biggest turning point in your life, what would it be? My experience in Vietnam was a major turning point. I was strongly against the war, I had been marching against American presence in Vietnam but personal circumstances meant I had to accept to go and fight. It turned my political thinking – I became a pacifist and a Buddhist, I feel this, in particular, is a very definite statement of my belief in peace. The experience did a lot of damage to me, which I’ve had to live with and cope with since then. How was your upbringing? I was born and brought up in Mexico by an English mother and American father. We moved to England when I was 10, and I was really happy – I was at a great school, had great friends – but
What keeps you busy outside of work? My main interest has always been the world – particularly natural history. I love walking, birdwatching, and nature in general. I do martial arts – I teach Aikido here at college, and I love music – I play a lot of Elizabethan lute, and since I lived in New York I’ve loved to play the blues guitar.
INTERVIEW MOHAMMAD LONE
when I was 14 we moved back to the States and everything went wrong. I find the way of life here in England suits me better than in the US.
You’re writing two books – what are they about and what inspired you to write them? I’ve got a deep interest in the Somerset levels – there are many books about the levels, but no thorough ‘New Naturalist’ book on the area- my dream is to have one of these on the bookstore shelf. I’m also writing a joint autobiography with my sister and cousins – we’re trying to piece together why our lives were so frantic in our youth, why I was born in Mexico and lived in New York, London, moving in between… it’s really about how, as children, you suffer the consequences of your parents mistakes, and how you cope with them. Who’s your biggest inspiration in life? The Dalai Lama – I think it’s so brave to stand up as a world leader for a country and its people and be truly ethical. He’s trying to bring change, to unite the Tibetan people and bring peace to the world in a way few other people have been able to.
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MUSIC CONNIE NICHOLLS
EARL GREY SKIES
The essential Winter playlist
Walk in the Park – Beach House Blood Bank – Bon Iver Christmas at the Zoo – The Flaming Lips In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – Neutral Milk Hotel From – Dr Dog As Luck Would Have It – Tom Rosenthal All I Want For Christmas/ Creep – Peace Fog – Radiohead From the Night – Stars Neopolitan Dreams – Lisa Mitchell Starman – David Bowie I’m Gonna Stay Under These Covers – John Dufilho Knee Socks – Arctic Monkeys Animal – Neon Trees Angel in the Snow – Elliott Smith Got Something For You – Wavves & Best Coast Under Cover of Darkness – The Strokes Let’s Dance to Joy Division – The Wombats Come Back When You Can – Barcelona Venus in Furs – The Velvet Underground