University Professor John Parnell enjoys stellar success with the Foton M3 project The University Of Aberdeen Student Newspaper est. 1934
Gaudie
Free 6th October 2008
On The Inside News - For the second year running the university faces an accommodation crisis Page 2 Features - Ruth Minto examines the university’s idea of allowing freshers 3 months to acclimatise to life on campus. Page 3
Accomodation Crisis Hits Aberdeen
Arts - The pros and cons of life as a gameshow contestant are discussed by Fergus Kinnon Page 4 - 5 Music - Pink’s question of “So What?” is answered firmly and fairly. The Legend of Yeti Gonzales is also under scrutiny. Page 6 - 7 Opine - The merits of dating outwith your age range are discussed in a rather candid article. Pages 8 Listings - A round-up of whos, whats, whys and wherefors. All in Aberdeen Pages 9 Sport - A diamond in the granite, Aberdeen Uni’s secret world-class athlete. New sports kit finally sees the light of day...in Butchart and a look into lacrosse. Page 11 - 12
Hillhead Halls: has seen a number of new students sleep in kitchens. Bradley Aden
left bitterly disappointed.
For the second consecutive year, Aberdeen University has been faced with an accommodation crisis. Although the majority of the new students have settled in after Freshers Week and are content with their new surroundings, some have been
Numerous students, many of whom have come to Aberdeen for the first time during Freshers Week, found themselves without a room. Instead, the University have provided temporary accommodation which ranges from rooms at local hotels to
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sleeping in common areas with Masters Degrees, an MSC temporary bedding facilities. student and a PhD student. One such example of this is to be found at Adam Smith Halls, whereby the communal television room has been transformed into a dorm room accommodating ten new students. Amongst them are eight students studying
Five beds are lined along each wall, with a small metal locker for the students personal belongings, which means many are still living out of their suitcases. Due to the differing courses
Story Continued Overleaf.
elections may be over but there’s still every opportunity to contribute, send articles to gaudie.editor@abdn.ac.uk
Page 2 - 6th October 2008
•News. Continued From Page 1
After numerous attempts at trying to find out about the living conditions for the future, the students affected were sent letters on Friday 3rd October, informing them that permanent accommodation is available.
each student living within each room is undertaking and the differences in social activities, being able to study or sleep have become almost impossible. One student proclaimed, “I haven’t been able to sleep since I have arrived.” The University managed to contact some of these students before their arrival to the campus which told them their accommodation may not be ready in time. But none were told about the two week wait for their new living quarters. Furthermore, they were told they would be accommodated in a room with six others. The students did not have a say whether or not they wanted this form of
Leith Forsyth, the Director of Campus Services, stated that those hit by the accommodation shortage on campus, including the 100 students currently living in hotels round the Aberdeen area, would all have permanent living space by Wednesday 8th October. The reason for the accommodation shortage, according to Mr Forsyth, is due to the University’s success in drawing large numbers of new undergraduate and postgraduate students to study Makeshift Bedding Arrangement: in Hillhead kitchens at Aberdeen. Furthermore, accommodation. Many of their first instalment of rent seen no contract or written it is uncertain when or if the students also received for the temporary rooms had confirmation about what they undergraduate students will letters informing them that to be paid soon. They have are paying for or entering into. turn up for their new rooms, as
they can range from Freshers week, to half way through October, to some not arriving at all due to the deferred entry system which allows students to defer their entry until next year. Also, on Wednesday, there will be a meeting which will detail plans for a new building at the Hillhead site. However, this will not be available in time for the new students in September 2009, but will hopefully be ready for the new students arriving in 2010. Despite these problems, the inhabitants of the temporary accommodation are still managing to be optimistic and have managed to bond with one another and with other students who currently have rooms in the halls around them. One student said “Its lucky that they are all friendly and nice guys.”
Professor Aids Space Studies Kelly Cromar Intelligent life from other planets would be able to tell that Earth is inhabited if they had come into contact with a space voyaging piece of Orkney rock, scientists have revealed. The specially prepared slab of rock was launched into space attached to a Russian spacecraft by University of Aberdeen experts in September last year as part of a European Space Agency mission. Studies of the quarter of the rock which survived the journey have shown that if it had landed as a meteorite on another far distant planet and been tested by an alien life form, its chemical formations would have shown that life exists on other planets. Findings unveil that the chemical information found within the rock survived the rigorous process of atmospheric entry after 12 days orbiting the Earth. These chemicals, which exist in the rock due to biological processes and could not have been formed by chance, would have provided evidence of life on the planet from which the rock arrived. Professor John Parnell,
School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen who led the study with colleague Dr. Stephen Bowden, will present the findings of the rock’s space voyage at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh Workshop: Habitability in our Galaxy in Edinburgh next week (Wednesday 8 October). Professor Parnell said: “The specially prepared piece of Orkney rock took part in the unmanned Foton M3 mission which aimed to examine the rock’s behaviour when it was exposed to the extreme temperatures involved in it’s re-entry through the Earth’s atmosphere. “Three quarters of the rock, which was about the size of a small pork pie, was burnt off in the experiment. However, the quarter which returned to Earth has shown us that if intelligent life were to have come into contact with the rock, it would have provided them with evidence that life exists on another planet.
Foton M83: the craft that held the piece of Orkney rock which holds evidence of life on Earth.
“If they were to have scientifically analysed the rock the chemical information extracted would have indicated that the remains of some other life form had been incorporated within the rock, as those chemicals could not have existed or been created
by chance. In this case, the rock contains the remains of primitive algae that lived in the Orkney region almost 400 million years ago. We would be extremely excited if we found similar remains in a meteorite arriving from another world.”
“The Orkney rock was chosen for the experiment due to its robust qualities which made it most likely to be able to survive the harsh conditions endured during re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, and its organic-rich nature which gave us a chemical signature
to search for after the experiment.” The rock was blasted into space along with 35 other European Space Agency experiments in life and physical sciences.
Professor Parnell said: “The findings of the experiment tell us that we should look very carefully at meteorites arriving on Earth from Mars, in case they show signs of any life that might once have existed there.”
6th October 2008 - Page 3
•Features.
Feeling lost? Ruth Minto looks into the university’s decision to allow freshers to familiarise themselves with the campus 3 months before Freshers Week With first year being a time of new surroundings and often great confusion, would you not prefer to come earlier and get your bearings?
own University has come up with a brilliant new scheme that allows new students to enjoy the benefits of academic life, not one week earlier but three months earlier. The Associate Student Scheme enables undergraduate students who are due to start their studies in September to come and sample our campus services, in the shape of the libraries, computer rooms and gym facilities months before the academic term commences. This innovative idea aims to give students the chance to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings, which many people hope will benefit them academically in the long run. Rachel Sandison, Head of Student Recruitment and Admissions comments to QS Top Universities, “We believe that giving students the chance to get to know the University over the summer months will not only benefit them in terms of their own personal, academic and social interests, but ultimately enhance their overall university experience.”
By the time Freshers Week is over, students will almost certainly have acquainted themselves to their new surroundings, spent countless hours swigging as many alcoholic concoctions than they themselves thought humanly possible before sampling what Aberdeen’s nightlife has to offer. All this occurs in the dead of night, yet only a few hours later you see groups of hung over freshers wandering aimlessly round the campus, trying to find out where the hell everything is whilst simultaneously acquiring freebies from a variety of sources. To top it all off, these poor unsuspecting people have to actually start waking up at a decent hour and again wandering with a lost expression on their faces trying to find a variety of destinations. What if you could just come to university a couple of months earlier, get Aberdeen is the only used to the size of the campus university in Scotland to and truly embrace student life introduce this incentive. But before the hard work begins? what does the average first year really think about it? One Well, now you can. Our very student following a degree in
Geography commented, “I feel lost and disorientated most of the time and it can be really frustrating trying to find the right building especially within a certain time.” I’m sure most of us can sympathise with this. It can’t really be much fun not knowing where you are, and having to stop random passers by to get the answer you could probably decipher for yourself if you had only been in the city a wee while longer. This said, other freshers are loving the fact that everything is a little alien to them at the moment as another comments, “I’m really enjoying the freedom already that university gives and although it does get annoying not knowing where everything is, it is totally part of the fun, I wouldn’t want to be here three months earlier, what would I do? I’m sure only a handful of people would be here, and knowing me I’d be bored.” So what do we really think about this scheme? Is it an innovative idea or simply an idea that will never take off the ground? Also, would it not be a great idea to present to our international students? I’m sure they feel more lost than anyone when then get here, being in a totally new
country and all….would they not appreciate this incentive? Currently, it is only open to people from Aberdeen and the surrounding Aberdeenshire area, although they are hoping to expand it to other localities next year. Anything that is beneficial for students can never be a bad thing, especially if it helps those who may be anxious about being away from home for the first time. Another thing to bear in mind is that we are lucky enough to have most of our campus on the same site. This can be another daunting prospect for new students. Perhaps if they were familiarised beforehand, the progression from being a first year fresher to a first year student would go more smoothly. Numbers of students have also commented that it has taken some of them almost two years to really settle in to life in a new city, this scheme could help people to feel at home from the get go. A lot of students are, at first, in the dark as to what range of facilities are open to them. Many assume that there is only one library where they can study and only a handful of computer rooms. Only after a few weeks of exploration
does this change. If we were to be on campus earlier, we would have all this information beforehand, leaving us free to get on with our studies. While this is a positive new move by the Student Recruitment and Admissions, does it not, on the other hand, somehow take the fun out of being somewhere new and would these students enjoy Freshers Week as much as the others. Although this scheme intends on providing students with knowledge of the campus and facilities, like all curious people, they are bound to venture out and discover places that are well kept secrets for Freshers Week. Who would know about Liquid if it weren’t for the cunning marketing work from our Students Association? Would you really want to move to university three months earlier where inevitably the excitement of being somewhere different would start to wear off before you had even met the majority of your flat mates? Also, you would have to wait three whole months until you were able to witness the hilarity of all the activities and nights planned by the Students
Association. Liquid wouldn’t be Liquid anymore, it would just be a hubbub of drunk, lathered up students otherwise known as the foam party as well as usually well turned out men in skirts and pigtails, otherwise known as the rugby boys night out…only joking of course…we all know the reference was to the one and only school disco. Your first year is mean to be the time of your life. One student even commented, “I wish first year could be like Groundhog Day.” Would this still be a common perception if every new student were to come three months early? Surely, after school we all look forward to the long summer of lazing around and not having a care in the world. Would we want to disrupt this by moving to Uni almost immediately? Whatever the opinion on this, it is safe to say that first year is a magical time. A roller coaster of emotion, most probably spurred on by the drink of course. It will benefit the people that feel they would like to be acquainted with what the University of Aberdeen has to offer before term. Those who come before Freshers Week, we hope your ready.
Features will require contributors through the year, so send your stuff to gaudie.editor@abdn
Page 4 - 6th October 2008
•Arts.
Peter Pan Ready to Wow Festive Audience
CHRISTMAS THEATRE TREAT: His Majesty's Theatre is showing Peter Pan over the month of December; Keith Jack (right), star of BBC1's Any Dream Will Do, will be playing Peter Pan.
Zara Cameron IT’S THE joy of the season and the pinnacle of Christmas indulgence. Not an extravagant feast but the panto. Call it corny or enthusiastically boo and hiss, His Majesty Theatre’s Peter Pan is not to be missed! This year the city is invited to Neverland with Alan Fletcher who will be playing a role less heroic than his usual Karl Kennedy. Instead, Fletcher will be donning a wig and hook in
the twisted part of Dr. Hook. Joining him on stage is another celebrated television star, Keith Jack of Any Dream Will Do, playing the lead role of Peter Pan. Although unsuccessful in bagging the part of Joseph, Jack - who worked in a supermarket before his experience on the reality TV show - was grateful for the experience and of course will add glamour when he takes to the stage in December.
seeing some faces from even closer to home than that of the enduring Neighbours cast playing the parts of Micheal and John Darling. Four skilled actors will share the parts for the busy twice-a-day shows running between December and January. This follows the great success of Hazelhead Academy pupil Laura Harrow in last year’s Aladdin. Harrow has gone on to study at Stella Mann College in Hampstead specialising in theatre and We can also look forward to dance so this is an exciting
can be sure to be transported into another world of make believe and staying forever young. Peter Pan runs twice a day at 2pm and again at 7pm from 6th December until 4th January and prices are from £14.25. There is a signed performance on December 18th and students get a discount.
Crazy for You Set To Hit The Stage Laura Merchant AS IT approaches its twentieth birthday, a campus-based theatre group is preparing for its next show, the Gershwinbased musical Crazy For You.
MUSICAL MASTERPIECE: TTB are staging the Gershwin musical
opportunity for the locals important thing is for the boys involved. to have lots of energy, to be able to keep a cool head at all Auditions were judged times and to have a spirit of by Director Alan Cohen, adventure.” Aberdeen Performing Arts Executive Duncan Henry, 2007 saw audiences thrilled the Evening Express’s with massive audience notorious Entertainment participation in the form of Editor Scott Begbie and 3D glasses and foam missiles Aberdeen Performing Arts to add to the traditional Marketing Manager Lauren taunts aimed at the pantos Taylor. In keeping with the baddies. With promises of an youthful nature of Peter abundance of fairy dust and Pan, Alan Cohen’s advice to plenty of flying around the those audtioning: “The most beautiful setting of HMT we
Treading the Boards Musical Society will stage the illustrious musical Crazy For You in Aberdeen Arts Centre from Wednesday 4th to Saturday 7th February 2009. The show itself features songs by prodigious musical pair George and Ira Gershwin. Famed for the jazz compositions of George and soulful lyrics of Ira respectively, Crazy For You proved a hit with theatre-goers running for 1662 performances when it opened on Broadway in 1992. Its endurance has been viewed
over the years with stars including musical sensation and television personality Ruthie Henshall all taking to the stage. Crazy For You sees its action based at the Zangler theatre in New York during the 1930s and
parts up for grabs, solos and chorus numbers ranging from smooth jazz to uptempo swing and some intricate and quickmoving tap dance routines. This should prove a well-met challenge for TTB, a group who
"solos and chorus numbers ranging from smooth jazz to uptempo swing" centres around the love story between failed auditionee Bobby Child and budding star Polly Baker. Featuring famous songs including I Got Rhythm and Someone To Watch Over Me, Crazy For You marks the first venture of Treading the Boards, more commonly known as TTB, into the music of the Gershwins. The show will appeal to singers, thespians and dancers alike with several
have already proved both their singing and dancing abilities with shows such as 42nd Street since its founding in 1989. TTB’s committee and production team have been promoting Crazy For You on the social networking site Bebo before extending the search for cast members from online to the less virtual setting of the University campus. Production
team member Calum Runcie expressed the need for singers and dancers but also those interested in the technical elements such as lighting and sound. By getting involved in TTB, cast members will also be able to contribute on an altruistic level, as the show is affiliated with local charity Cash For Kids. By the time this has gone to press, Treading The Boards will have already had their first meeting and auditions for Crazy for You will have taken place. However, further details on the society and how to get involved with the group can be found on Treading The Boards’ bebo page: http://www.bebo.com/ ttbweb.
ART
6th October 2008 - Page 5
Gameshows: The Inside Story An easy way to make money? Fergus Kinnon explores the world of tv gameshows. HI, I’M Fergus Kinnon. You may remember me from such TV games shows as The Weakest Link or Who Dares Wins. If you fancy getting loads of cash for minimal effort then the world of TV game shows is for you. In this article, I hope to inform you how to get on game shows. The first stage of getting on a game show is the online application. The questions will vary from show to show but the premise is the same. Make yourself sound as interesting as possible. Joining the Revelation Rock-Gospel Choir at Aberdeen University played a key part in getting auditions as the researchers thought I was going to be a Scottish mix of Alice cooper and Whoopi Goldberg.
If the researchers have thought you suitable for the show, they will phone you and give you a short interview. When the Weakest Link phoned I was given a long personal interview before being offered an audition; however, when Don’t Forget the Lyrics called I had to sing down the phone and do a lyrics challenge. The phone call is the second stage in appearing on a show, this game show lark doesn’t sound too taxing does it! The audition is where the wheat is firmly separated from the chaff. First of all, you’re going to have to travel. You will get around a week’s notice so if you don’t drive you will most likely meet my friend Mr. Megabus – hey we are students, we practically live
on the megabus as it is. The audition is likely to be in either Glasgow or Edinburgh (Weakest Link comes to Aberdeen). The TV show pay nothing towards expenses (at this stage) and
(Celebrity Big Brother) but less than Daphne (Eggheads). Next you will run through the actual show with fellow wannabe contestants, this is usually very fun so keep smiling and
"people on the show will phone you all the time to arrange flights, accommodation, diva demands…" don’t care if you have to miss act interesting as all the time work or university. the researchers are deciding who is getting the chop. Once If you have managed to the researchers/producers overcome these hurdles and have seen enough they will find yourself at an audition announce who is getting to do you are doing well. At the a “piece to camera” and who audition you can expect to be is getting sent home early. The given some sort of written test “piece to camera” is usually – to check you have an IQ about a five minute filmed level above that of Chantelle interview, this is what the
big-cheese producers watch in their offices in London to decide who is getting on the show. If the big-cheese producers like what they see, you will get a “congratulations” phone call and from then on you’re treated like a star. The people on the show will phone you all the time to arrange flights, accommodation, diva demands… you name it. Once you are at the TV studio the fun begins: celebrities everywhere, free food and drink, people giving you money for meals you never even ate. Absolutely everything is paid for. On the first series of the National Lottery: Who Dares Wins I won five thousand pounds tax free. On the second series I won thirty thousand pounds
(also tax free!). Ok so it’s not all glamour and riches: over the last two years I must have done 10 or so megabus trips to audition for shows including going to London and Manchester and been flatly rejected. However, after getting on Who Dares Wins all the hours on the bus were worth it. If you are interested in entering the world of gameshows there are tons of shows looking for contestants. For example on www.bbc. co.uk/beonashow you can apply to be on Weakest Link, Eggheads or Wipeout (not the Bob Monkhouse one). www. starnow.co.uk is another website that lists new adverts for gameshow contestants. Happy game showing…
TELEVISION APPEARANCES: My team mate Matt and I (with the short lived blonde hair) on the first series of Who Dares Wins; looking terrified (centre) on the Weakest Link.
interested in contributing to the arts section? drop an e-mail to gaudie.arts@abdn.ac.uk
Page 6 - 6th October 2008
•Music. Yeti Gonzales Apparently Set For Legendary Status Album Review Yeti “The Legend of Yeti Gonzales ”
to it. There is a slight country flavour about ‘Jermyn Girls’, but for all the influences that have been drawn into this album, the sound is distinctly Yeti. Influence at no point becomes imitation. In fact the whole album flows brilliantly. ‘The last time that you go’ is fast paced, and full of resolve. It ends the album perfectly because it is shorter than most of the other tracks, faster and little less laid back. It will drag you out of your seat. As for ‘Shane McGowan’ it is simply a ‘just for fun’ track that begins, “Shane isn’t like a big bad snake, he’s Shane McGowan”. It’s the kind of track that is light relief and, most definitely, for the encore. However, it is easily one of the best encore songs in ages.
Katie Henderson IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME coming but finally, on June the 23rd this year, ‘The legend of Yeti Gonzales’, Yeti’s debut album was released. And it’s not a disappointment. The scheduled release may have been for the start of April but this is one album definitely worth the wait. John Hassall’s project doesn’t even hint at his past as one of the Libertines, leaving this album the chance to stand alone in its own right. The only slight disappointment, and it is slight, is that for those of us who have been listening to Yeti for the past three years, there are no surprises. You only have to read the back of the album sleeve to realise that all the old favourites such as ‘Merry Go Round’, with its poetic lyrics and light catchy chorus, ‘Never lose your sense of wonder’, sure to put a spring in your step and keep you singing along, and ‘Night Flight’, with its disturbing lyrical
Yeti: Mid set, Mark realised he had forgotten to feed the cat... content yet jazzy melody, are all on there. As for the rest of the album? It is fantastically likeable and you will listen again and again. ‘Obviously’, the first track on the album, will have you
singing and dancing around your room in no time. ‘Don’t go back to the one you love’ is full of harmony and building tension in the guitars. There are slight clashes in tone but these only help in bringing
out these tensions without the music sounding wrong. Indeed, the album is so brilliantly written that the music, lyrics, melody, harmony, and rhythm all come together to create a homogenous
sound. ‘In like with you’ is a soulful number but the rhythm keeps it moving, as it does through the whole album, which means it’s as easy to dance to this song, as it is to relax and listen
This is an album that you will keep forever and your best mate, brother and mum will all love. It has such a wide appeal thanks to how well written it is ‘The Legend of Yeti Gonzales’ sounds so different to all of the repetitive dancefloor, semiironic, indie that is everywhere right now. And with the news that Yeti are working on their second album, lets hope it’s not another three years away.
Electro Propaganda Society Gives Us Tunes In The Dunes Rosanne Chambers
continued right through until past 6am the next day. I caught up with Cristoforo Ranocchi, the resident Minival DJ to find out exactly what it was all about...
For those of you who joined the droves at this year’s Fresher’s Fayre, you might have noticed a new society perched slyly amongst many of the other regulars, The Electro The primary idea that the Electro propaganda society Propaganda society. has, is to diffuse the new Stemming from parties at wave of electronic music to University halls and last year’s the Aberdeen Uni students; house/minimal Minival, this society aims to minimal satisfy those with a penchant techno in particular, as a for all things electronic genre which has seen a rapid particularly minimal house and and successful diffusion not onlyaround Europe but also techno. across the seas. We feel that Last term the group found Aberdeen hasn’t witnessed resounding success with this expansion, even though, its beach party Minival and as seen at Minival, the demand this only continued with its is high for Electronic music and successor, Maxival. So if you the atmosphere that it brings were after something from with it. In fact, I am convinced your fresher’s week other than that there is a growing crowd a cruise down Belmont Street within the Aberdeen Uni and on to the exhiliration of Student Community that either Liquid, this was exactly what cultivates passion for this style, or at least claims their interest the doctor ordered. in trying it out (therefore we Set in what can only be created our own society Electro described as a crater, nestled Propaganda). between the enormous sand dunes of Balmedie beach, the The events we propose aim action kicked off at 6pm and towards popularizing electronic
music all around (from Electro and Deep Funky House to Drum’n’Bass, Techno and so on), but with the influence of the so called genre, Minimal. Though minimal can sometimes be seen as a grungy underground genre, it is not this at all, or at least not the minimal we propose. Our intention is to combine minimal with a fun, sociable and sometimes congenial atmosphere. From here the name Minival arose, a mix between carnival and minimal. Maxival was the awesome stepbrother. The name gives it away: farewell to the intimate atmosphere; the rest of the ideas which minival stands for are still valid, but everything is done with twice the attitude. It was amplified, from the actual sound system, to the guest DJ line-up, the lighting effects, the music choice, the euphoria, and so on. It served as a launch party to demonstrate that minival was a new start, not just a rare glimpse into the real electronic music world and culture for Aberdeen. In fact, the plan is to propose a number
Balmedie beach: where the action took place of other events throughout the 2008/2009 academic year. Electro Propaganda won’t stop at music, but will offer the whole package. It will promote
Electronic music culture, getting members involved, either working on their PR relations, and offering ground for aspiring musicians Dj’s and
much more. The society will feed members with constant updates of what’s ON in Aberdeen within the Electronic music scene.
MUSIC
6th October 2008 - Page 7
Pink Might Think Her Actions Have No Consequences But... Single Review Pink “So What” Chris Regan On a personal level, Pink’s 2003 single “Feel Good Time” holds a special place in my heart. It was around this time that I was completely engulfed in all things Beck, particularly his fan-dividing, Prince-aping Midnite Vultures album. Having fanboyed my 16 year old self to dizzying new heights of snobdom, I’d come across the fact that Midnite Vultures was originally conceived as a double album; leaving a whole albums worth of material on the chopping board when the idea was ditched. So what was I to think when I heard Pink’s stab at this ludicrous slice of Parliament style funk other than “I bet that’s a Beck song”. Two weeks later, leafing through an “Easy To Play Pop” guitar book, it was confirmed to me. Under the writing credits for “Feel Good Time” were the names Beck Hansen and William Orbit – the writing team on Midnite
Vultures. At this precise moment I knew I’d arrived in the High Fidelity, Rob Fleming world of being a dick about music. It felt terrific. This moment of pure joy has always coloured the way I see Pink (top notch pun there, you can’t teach that). Her new single, “So What” does little to change that. To start with, it’s so indebted to Deep Purple’s “Dark Night” that to not pay royalties would be legally irresponsible. Lyrically it’s the same mess Pink has been peddling her entire career, the forced bravado of getting over her estranged husband only highlighting how vulnerable and essentially how “totally not over him” she really is. Pink has always smacked of over-compensation, as if being an independent, confident woman in an industry full of fame hungry size-0’s isn’t enough, Pink feels the need to shove her over-wrought brand of tomboyism down the listeners throat to thoroughly illustrate just how different she really is. Inevitably this all comes across as a bit of a
gimmick and ironically starts to hint at the sort of contrived, major label, think-tank sourced image she so publicly rails against and lambasts in her contemporaries. While it is true that women in pop music are poorly represented in what is essentially still a terribly misogynistic industry, characters like Pink only serve to undo any good work done by the likes of Missy Elliot who not only create insistent, relevant and original music but who also demonstrate that it is possible to be a respected voice in the traditionally male oriented forum of popular music whilst retaining femininity. It might only be pop music, but Pink’s constant assertions that she’s so different and singular positively invite criticism of this sort; the fact that she deems herself above the Hollywood trash only places her high enough to aim the big guns at. The track ends with Pink blowing a raspberry - the juvenile sentiment won’t be lost on anyone.
Pink: Her antics have Emily Pankhurst rolling in her grave.
Music News - News About Music - Musical News Views That doesn’t smell like ‘Teen Things have indeed split up Spirit’... after a mere three years. AN AUSTRALIAN ARTIST is claiming that as part of an exhibition she will smoke the ashes of Kurt Cobain, the late
Front man Carl Barat commented that the members of the band would be pursuing new musical projects, but that these would not involve The Libertines. In their final waltz Dirty Pretty things will be playing Glasgow ABC (October 4 )and Edinburgh Old Picture House (5). Clarity for Coldplay (well... almost.)
nirvana front man, in a spliff. Recently stolen from Courtney Love, the ashes seem to have mysteriously found their way into Natascha Stellmach’s hands and will be smoked at the Set Me Free exhibition at Berlin’s Wagner + Partner gallery. Stellmach is claiming that the act will symbolically “set free” Cobain from the media circus. Deep. Dirty Pretty Deadwood
Things
IN A RECENT interview, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has revealed that his band are “less shit than they used to be” in an interview to be broadcast tonight. After a gig in Munich, Martin commented to a reporter, “I think our concert is the least shit Coldplay concert at the moment that you could have possibly ever seen. Do you see what I mean?” No, I don’t think we do Chris...
are Asked whether the band felt more comfortable playing large venues, Martin commented: IT WAS ANNOUNCED on “We’ve turned from a Mars Bar Wednesday that Dirty Pretty into a King-Sized Mars Bar.”
National, Fiery Furnaces, Bruce 8/11/08. Springsteen and Vampire Cheap but not so cheerful for weekend. Tricked into Rick the Kills Not one to keep his political views to himself, Jay-Z also RICK ASTLEY has been AS IF A FLEA RIDDEN front man prerecorded a message of nominated as Best Act Ever was not enough for The Kills, at next month’s MTV Europe those indie scenesters seem to Music Awards. have misplaced not only their This isn’t, in case you were tour bus but their bus driver too, midway through the band’s wondering, due to to some well current US tour supporting The deserved career recognition Raconteurs. The duo said in a but instead the result of a statement that the FBI were prank sweeping the net known currently searching for their as Rickrolling. driver, last seen on September The Rickrolling craze tricked 26 in Los Angeles. nearly 15 million internet users support for Obama back in into clicking a link to watching Despite the disappearance March and on recent tours has a video of the 42-year-old’s of the van and the recent flea on occasion stopped to flash 1980’s hit Never Gonna Give infestation, front woman Alison an image of the senator onto You Up. Mosshart said the band were screens to resounding cheers remaining upbeat evening from the audience. MTV Awards chief Richard with the loss of many of their Godfrey commented: “MTV has possessions. She’s a Santogoldigger been well and truly Rickrolled. Jay-Z to Play Free Obama Shows IT SEEMS THAT EVERYONE who’s er... anyone, wants a bit of Barack at the moment. Joining Jay-Z, in support of the presidential hopeful at free voter registration drive shows, includes the likes of My Morning Jacket, The
NOT ONE TO KEEP his face out of the Gaudie pages for too long, Kanye West this week announced the support for his upcoming tour will be none other than the electro, indie, nu-ravLil Chris sound alike, Santogold. The tour kicks off in Belfast on
Eavis hopes that this will mean everyone will have the same chance of being able to purchase a hallowed ticket for the Somerset festival. Festival goers will have the option of buying the full price ticket (coming it a whopping £175!), or reserving one by paying £50 deposit. Next year’s festival will also Eager Eavis 8 months early. be a full five days running from Wednesday 24 June until IN A BID TO DEVELOP the fairest Sunday 28 June 2009. ticket buying operation ever Michael Eavis has announced Enoughy for Duffy? that for the first time tickets for Glastonbury will be on IT HAS BEEN REVEALED this sale eight months before the week that welsh whinger is event from the 5th of October apparently on the verge of a onwards. nervous breakdown. Yay.
Page 8 - 6th October 2008
•Opine. The Stigma Surrounding Cougars and Playboys
The Hef and his Bunnies attending a Premier in Los Angeles Nike Akinfenwa I’m sure y ou ’ ve all heard the terms; g o l d - d i g g e r, sugar d a d d y, c o u g a r, t o y b o y, jailbait, Lolita, M . I . L . F. , c r a d l e - s n a t c h e r and Chihuahua. Age difference in a sexual relationship is not an easy thing to m o r a l l y s u p p o r t a s i t ’s considered a taboo, or in some cases illegal, i n o u r s o c i e t y. A l o t of us have a policy of ‘look but don’t touch’ in regard to the age gap, and some of us believe age is nothing but a number – but could that be an excuse for potential cradle snatchers? Age in a relationship doesn’t make a difference, u n l e s s i t ’s a r i d i c u l o u s amount of years. L e t ’ s c o n s i d e r f a m i l y, friends, and colleagues
that may disapprove or even onlookers that choose to make it their b u s i n e s s . Yo u c a n ’ t avoid everyone to maintain a relationship a n d e v e n t u a l l y y o u ’d have to shine the red l i g h t o n e a c h o t h e r ’s I.D and ask whether all the nonsense is worth having your toyboy or Chihuahua. A s l o n g a s i t ’s l e g a l why w o r r y. Right? Finding out the age of your partner and age of consent in your country saves you from waiting for your partner to become of age in jail. I look, but don’t touch – there are handsome manlooking boys (Nick Jonas) but because I do act like a child sometimes, I don’t intend to take care of o n e m y s e l f, I f i n d t h e whole idea slightly
suspect. If the gap is significant people will be able to notice. If not physically then by general conversation – which leads me to think that age is nothing but a number of years experienced. A mature sixteen year old would still like to play video games or go and hang out with friends in the local mall. It doesn’t matter if they live by themselves or pay their own bills eventually you’ll end up playing the parent. I suppose when the man is older they like the thought of being able to take care of their girl, be able to protect her from ‘bad t h i n g s ’. I t j u s t s e e m s like shady business when the woman is o l d e r, l i k e s o m e o n e i s being used, if not both parties. I wouldn’t
mind hooking up with a youngling at an older age but when it comes to responsibility and s e c u r i t y, I w o n ’ t l i e , I ’d b e d a m n m a d i f I had to deal with such t h i n g s m y s e l f. Yo u n g e r men themselves don’t seem to have a problem with huge age gaps. For most of them, would it just be sexual? For a young man to s c o r e a c o u g a r, w h a t would it take? Good looks maturity and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y, p e r h a p s a down-play on the ego since she will be caring for him a lot. A s f o r t h e c o u g a r, younger men would probably go for the physical attraction, m a t u r i t y, c o n f i d e n c e and experience. Why would a young woman fall for the o l d g u y ? We l l t h e r e ’s
wouldn’t be right – I ’d b e t h i n k i n g a b o u t his age all the time (eventually). When your parents are the same age or younger than your p a r t n e r, why would you want one of your worries t o b e w h o ’d k i c k t h e bucket first. Cougarstoyboys, or chihuahuasugar daddies, how seriously am I meant t o t a ke t h e m ? I f i t ’s n o t a b o u t t h e m o n e y, looks, charisma or good ‘co nve rs at i o n ’ then maybe its love, and love is meant to be blind, but no one said it shouldn’t make any sense. The bottom line is in my opinion, the whole age gap topic It is possible to fall appears to suspect, f o r a n o l d e r g u y w i t h b u t h o w e v e r, charisma as I can’t help I would still hook but wonder about late with George night conversations up with Mr C l o o n e y, Clooney and risk being but the whole thing suspect! m o n e y, sometimes looks, great sex c o n v e r s a t i o n , m o n e y, more ‘co nve rs at i o n ’ and money – if you’re not convinced look at H u g h H e f n e r. H e ’ s a successful business man with plenty of m o n e y, a n d I ’ m s u r e h i s bunnies would vouch fo r h i s ‘c o nv e rs a t i o n ’ skills. Personality in an older man goes a l o n g w a y, a n d t h e k i l l e r deal maker would be charisma. If George Clooney wasn’t such a smooth talker and oozing with charisma he wouldn’t look so damn good in a suit, the same with Sean C o n n e r y.
Page 9 - 6th October 2008
•Listings. Listings for Friday 17th
Listings for Tuesday 14th
Listings for Wednesday 15th
Listings for Thursday 16th
Music Hall An Evening with Ray Mears 19.30 Tickets: £20
Drummonds Open Mic Night 10pm Free
HMT An Ideal Husband 14/10/08-18/10/08 19.30 Tickets: £13.50-£23.50
King’s College Teatime Recital 17.15
The Lemon Tree Snafu Indie-Cent Exposure The Dirty Hearts Club: Endor Static in the City DHC 21.00 Tickets: £5 DJs Entry: £3 Snafu 21.00 Leatherhead with Giles Walker 22.00 The Lemon Tree Tickets: £6 The Jamm 19.30 Tickets: £12 AECC Abba the Show The Blue Lamp 18.30 The Ryan Quigley Sextet Tickets: £32.50 19.30 Tickets: £8 at the door Moshulu (take student card for TWO Cancer Bats FOR ONE offer) 19.00
King’s College Director’s Cut: Hans Petter Moland 6pm, Free
Sports Union: Winter Blues Ball @Liquid 10.30pm-2am Drinks Promos all night.
Aberdeen Art Gallery Lunchbreak Concert: Vertavo Quartet 12.45-13.30 Free
Tickets: £7.00
Listings for Saturday 18th
Listings for Sunday 19th
The Lemon Tree Rumba Caliente 21.00 Tickets: £12
Snafu Chris T-T and the Hoodrats Mark McCabe and the Tearoom Posse Doors: 20.00 Entry: £5
Snafu Jimpster (freerange) Funky Transport 22.00 Tickets: £6
with
Moshulu Glasvegas plus Friendly Fire 19.30 Tickets: £12
The Music Hall Hayley Westenra 19.30 Tickets: £26.50 Moshulu Bromheads Jacket 19.30
Gonzo Aftershow Party feat. Tickets: £8.00 Zane Lowe (DJ set) 23.00 Entry: £5
The Music Hall The Hoosiers 19.30 Tickets: £17.50 Moshulu Creeping Nobodies 19.30 Tickets: £5
Listings for Monday 20th The Blacktooth Rock Lounge: FUDGE DJS Entry: £3 Doors: 21:00 Free Passes from Moorings and Retro Rebels The Lemon Tree Il Panico 13.30 and 19.30 Tickets: £8
Drunk Kitty (Sedated after going to the vet)
Youtube Clip The Week
of
Ever had too much to drink? I think this kitty has...
Page 10 - 6th October 2008
•Editorial. it might not look like much, it might look like the decapitated head of the Iron Giant, but to Professor John Parnell and his colleague Dr. Stephen Bowden it represents their own “one giant leap for mankind”. The students of Aberdeen University should not only regard this as the wonderful achievement it is, rather it should also serve to affirm the world class quality of staff the university attracts. However, while it seems that the university shines academically at the moment as it seeks to maintain it’s great reputation, on a practical level it would appear mistakes are being made. For the second year running new students have been left without adequate accommodation. Though not as severe as last years miscalculation, questions must surely be asked as to how this has happened again, and whether the university can realistically seek to offer housing to every first year student, as it currently does.
While there is no question that the university has gone to great lengths to make those unfortunate few comfortable for the time being, there can be no doubt that this is a massive inconvenience both for the students themselves who rightfully expected better from such an institution, but also to those staff who are still trying to permanently place those in temporary dorms. Again it is doubtless that their time could be better spent. However, as pertinent as it may be to enquire how this has happened and ruminate the mistakes made, at least one eye must be settled on the future, with a view to ensuring the same situation cannot happen again.
similar set-backs. This week has seen the introductory nights-out of a number of sporting societies, with the legendary King St. Shuffle bearing it’s usual fruits; nappies was it guys? On a similar and altogether more relevant note, the Gaudie had it’s editorial elections and welcomes to the fold our new sports editors; Michael Repper and John Braid, our news team; Bradley Aden, Ruth Minto and Robyn Travis, new opine editor; Katy Campbell and new listings editor Lily Paterson. These guys all come aboard with impressive enthusiasm and every intention of making the paper as good as it can be which is frankly all we could ever as of them.
So while, to the outside world at least, Aberdeen University seems to be in the rudest of academic health, the infrastructure so necessary for attracting future leading minds would seem to be somewhat insecure.
Though it will take a number of issues to iron out the creases it is clear to the existing staff that everyone involved believes this can be an excellent year for the Gaudie. If you think you can write better articles than are currently being published That’s not to say that the why not contribute? Send all student-run activities and your efforts to gaudie.editor@ societies are suffering any abdn.ac.uk
Room 103, The Hub Elphinstone Road Old Aberdeen AB24 3TU Tel: 01224 272965 Web: www.ausa.org.uk Email: gaudie.editor@abdn.ac.uk Printed by BAM Editor-in-chief: Duncan McKay This weeks edition was produced by: Editor: Chris Regan Deputy Editors: Nick Hafezi Alex Lewis News: Bradley Aden Ruth Minto Robyn Travis Features: Rupert Williams Arts: Kevin Guyan Music: Rosanna Chambers Opine: Katy Campbell Listings: Lily Paterson Sport: John Braid Michael Repper Copy Editing: Katie Henderson Delivery: Sandy MacKinnon Advertising: Shannon Tubby Ross Brechin We voluntarily adhere to the Press Complaints Commision Code of Conduct (http://www.pcc. org.uk/) and aim to provide fair and balanced reporting of local, national and international affairs. We are always anxious to correct any mistakes thatmay occur during publication. If you find any
6th October 2008 - Page 11
•Sport.
The Fastest Sport on Two Legs: Lacrosse Diane Mennie THE FASTEST SPORT on two legs, the best nights out at uni, the biggest thrill of your life? Lacrosse is definitely the hidden gem in the sports union, a great team sport and brilliant Women’s and Men’s Clubs. So what is it? It’s a 12-aside team game played with sticks with nets on the end of them, and the aim of the game is throw the ball between the players in order to score goals!
we don’t hit each other with the sticks, the mixed practices and games are also non-contact. The men’s lacrosse club wear body armour and helmets, so boys you can hit the hell out of each other as much as you want without the pain!
So if you fancy picking up a new sport, or dusting the cobwebs off your lacrosse stick, and want to get involved in a relaxed and friendly, then lacrosse is the sport for you!
Ladies and Mixed- aberdeenu- playing Lacrosse, but fancy nilacrosse@hotmail.com watching a match, we have two coming up: Men’s- u01ik4@abdn.ac.uk Wed 8th October- Aberdeen 1st Also, if you’re not sure about Ladies v St Andrews 2nds, 3pm
Kings Pitches Wed 15th October- Aberdeen 1st Ladies v Edinburgh 2nds, 3pm Kings Pitches
Ladies practice is on Wednesdays 2-4pm, Mixed We compete in BUCS and the practice is on Sundays 12pmScottish League so there are 2pm on the Kings Pitches. plenty of road trips all over practices are Scotland. Also the Women’s Mens and Men’s Clubs have plenty Wednesdays 2-5pm and of socials together. The graffiti Sundays 2-5pm on the Kings night went down a storm last Pitches. Wednesday whereby many white t-shirts were used and If you’re interested feel free It is not as scary as it looks, abused by permanent mark- get in touch via email or just for the girls its non-contact so ers. come along to a practice.
Take this coupon to our Links Place Shop
interested in sport?
Student Discount!
10
Get
%off
all your home officeÞ supplies To redeem this offer present it to the cashier in our Links Place shop and receive a further 10% off already discounted prices for personal use. Offer ends 07.11.08
Aberdeen: 1 Links Place, Aberdeen AB11 5DY Tel: 01224 212212 Fax: 01224 210066 www.langstane.co.uk
the sports pages need contributors, so even if you feel under qualified to contribute, get in touch with us and we can talk you through writing your articles. all sports will be covered so with 58 societies to chose from there’s plenty of them to report on plenty of matches to cover. gaudie.editor@abdn.ac.uk
Page 12 - 6th October 2008
Gaudie Sport.
Century Old Teams Take Delivery Of New Colours That situation was consigned to the past today when hundreds of students pulled SOME OF THE OLDEST sports on their new matching strips teams in the world pulled on and shorts at University’s new kits today when students at Butchart Recreation Centre. the University of Aberdeen took delivery of their new colours. Some 3,500 pieces of modern sports clothing were delivThe University’s Sports ered, and between 500 and Union boasts around 60 clubs, 750 students posed in their from aikido and athletics to new togs, which have been golf and gliding. Several other custom-made by kit firm, Kukri. clubs such as rugby, shinty and the boat club have been A special design was created in existence since the 1860s. for the kit using the colours from the University crest and However, many of the has been named ‘Butchart’. teams have sported completely different strips over Gordon Cox, Vice President the years, with all six football of Sport within the Students and rugby sides turning out in Association has respondifferent colours last season. sibility for all the teams
Kelly Cromar
within the Sports Union. He said: “Some of our teams are the oldest in the world but we’ve always had the slightly unsatisfying situation of many of the University sides playing in completely different colours. “The goal of every one of our teams turning out in the same kit is something we have been working towards for some time now, so getting the funding from the University for such distinctive new clothing is brilliant. “The kit has caused a bit of stir among the clubs as well as alumni and now everyone is just eager for the new season to get going.”
Aberdeen University Sports Union members in their new kit
World No 1 Status For Aberdeen Runner Kelly Cromar
letic achievements in the field of middle distance running. AN ABERDEEN ACADEMIC has She is rated third in the world reached the top of the world across 5000 metres, fifth in the rankings for middle distance world across 1500 metres and ninth in the world across 400 running. metres. Laura Mahady, a Teaching Laura is now preparFellow in the School of Medical Sciences at the University of ing for the British and Irish
this category, running 6 days a week alongside three weekly gym sessions. “This year I have already achieved various medals in the World Masters Indoors, Scottish Masters and Irish Masters but the intense run up to the Sport Tayside cham-
“Laura is rated third in the world across 5000 metres, fifth in the world across 1500 metres and ninth in the world across 400 metres” Aberdeen, has been named Masters Cross Country which the fastest 800m athlete in the take place on November 15th in Swansea where she will over-50 age group. represent Scotland, and the A member of the Aberdeen World Masters Track and Field Amateur Athletic Club, Laura Championships which will be achieved the accolade follow- held in Finland in July, 2009 ing her victory in the Sport where she will represent Tayside championships in Perth Britain. earlier this month, where she celebrated a personal best of 2 Laura said: “In February this year I moved up into a new minutes 24.05 seconds. age group. I had been training This latest world ranking relentlessly for what I hoped I adds to Laura’s host of ath- could achieve when I entered
pionships was one of the most challenging times in my running career. I am thrilled to have been successful in reaching the top of the world rankings in this category and plan to train hard to maintain my form in the hope of striking gold at the world championships next year.”
Laura Mahady: fellow in the School of Medical Science