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NEWS

BADGER

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE STUDENTS’ UNION

FEATURE

We discuss the issues3 surrounding Page ‘Blurred Lines’ Page 10 Page 4

University Clearing spaces at record high

COMMENT

ARTS

Law: a predominantPage 14 proffely male-led sion?

Pages 10

Godless congregation: the Sunday Assembly Page 14

SPORTS TUNE IN ONLINE The Saxons prepare for an exciting season

Page 18

Shadow leader of HoC comes to campus Paul Millar and Bree Allegretti Comment Editor and Editor-in-chief

Angela Eagle, the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, spoke to Labour Society students this week.

As part of her ‘Your Britain’ campaign to reengage young people in politics, Eagle addressed the concerns of 20 students inside Falmer House last Monday.

Angela Eagle only had to travel a short distance from Brighton seafront after she made a speech at the Labour Party Conference.

The MP for Wallasey robustly defended the last Labour government, arguing that without her stand on gay rights, a Conservative government would not have passed a same-sex marriage bill.

Of other ideas, Eagle challenged the view that the electorate is more distanced from the political class than ever before, a point put forward by a secondyear Biology student: “When you look at the House of Commons now, they’re always shouting at each other. It’s like they’re back at primary school.”

Labour Society President Rob Frost praised Eagle’s workshop, gushing: “What a wonderful lady! Angela Eagle is very experienced and has achieved so much for Labour, and Britain.”

“It was a privilege for us to host Angela, and shows it’s the Labour Society once again making the splash.

One student was left unimpressed however, saying a workshop focusing on disengagement in politics was irrelevant to university students and should have been pitched at 16 year olds.

The Falmer campus is no stranger to visits by MPs and influential members

of the government.

In previous years, David Milliband, Vince Cable, Chuka Umunna and Simon Kirby have all visited the campus to attend a range of different events and engage students in an attempt to win over voters.

The Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, last week travelled to campus to attend the Freshers Fair and speak at the Green Party’s student society stall.

Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove, also visited the campus last year to take part in a debate on squatting, following his pioneering of a bill in the House of Commons that eventually led to the criminalisation of squatters occupying commercial property.

He was chased out of Arts A by a group of protesters from the Brighton and Hove area and was pelted with rocks and vegetables as he fled to the Silverstone building.

However, Weatherley’s visit seems not to have peturbed other MPs from coming to the campus, with party activists wide-ranging in their hue and political position.

With a set of active political societies, and Sussex having recently been voted the most politically enegaged University in the South of England, it is likely that Eagle’s appearance on campus will be one of many more to come.

The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons was visiting Brighton to attend her party’s anual conference, which finished on 25 September.

The Liberal Democrats party conference ended the previous weekend and the Conservative Party will be meeting in Manchester on 29 September.

A party at the party conference Bree Allegretti Editor-in-chief Last week the city played host to the Labour Party Conferece, which saw key policy pledges announced at the mid-term point of the Coalition’s time in government.

For four days the city was home to Westminster’s opposition party, along with hordes of activists and journalists.

The usual landscape of West Street was temporarily dismantled as MPs strolled past Yates, Laser Quest and Oceana. Not a sight one often sees.

Hotels alongside the seafront were lined with politicians living like the rest of us, eating fish and chips on the pier and caught off

guard by the savage seagulls snapping at their salty fingers.

We even saw pictures of Ed Milliband going for a family walk along the sea.

Mr. Milliband made a number of policy announcements that stirred interest in the Fleet Street press and divided opinion.

Most unusually of all was the number of large-scale pledges that were emphasised as being planned to work in consultation with industry professionals and the like announced a whole year and a half before the General Election, rather than springing them on people “last minute” as one shadow minister commented.

I was also asked to attend the ‘Labour Students Disco’ (-I don’t know how long it’s been Freshers Week in full swing

since I attended a ‘disco’) but politiely declined the offer to mingle with single party activists at ‘the Coalition club’ and talk policy over a glass of port.

Overall, political busybodies have been divided over some of the contentious issues raised in fringe events at the conference.

LabourList has come out in full force for Mr. Milliband, whilst the Telegraph has remained rather more sceptical about the planning and implementation of policy.

Either way, it makes for interesting viewing watching everyone bicker.

Maybe we should heed advice from Shaun of The Dead and just go to East Slope Bar and wait for this all to blow over.

University of Sussex Students Union

the badger

30 september 2013

news • 2

IN PICTURES In pictures: what’s happening in your city Naomi Horsfall

Naomi Horsfall

Mina Rassouli

Ho Wah So

Mina Rassouli

Daniel Green

Mina Rassouli

Ho Wah So

Mina Rassouli

Abi Grant

Hannah Shaw

Lorna Raymond

Ho Wah So

THE BADGER

30 SEPTEMBER 2013

NEWS • 3

NEWS

Student Pride bows out of Brighton CONFUSION OVER VENUE COSTS PUSHES STUDENT PRIDE OUT OF CITY: “WE JUST COULDN’T CONTINUE IN BRIGHTON”

Daniel Green After five years in Brighton, the organisers of Student Pride have announced that the annual flagship LGBT festival traditionally held in the city is set to move to London.

According to Tom Guy, President of Student Pride, running costs for use of the Brighton Dome are “too high”, claiming expenditure had exceeded £10,000.

He went on to claim that this was the result of Brighton Dome charging the not-for-profit company at a corporate, rather than a cheaper community rate.

From 2014, the University of Westminster will play host to the majority of the LGBT festival’s events, including most of the free daytime events.

The move away from Brighton is thought to be a permanent one, following an apparent break down of negotiations over the price of renting out Brighton Dome.

Tom Guy asserted that the team had tried very hard to negotiate with the the Dome’s executive body, but despite a small reduction they were still considered a corporate event and not an arts event.

There functions, which are granted considerable discounts, would have been a major factor in hoping to help keep Student Pride in the Brighton area, he said. “We just couldn’t continue in Brighton at these costs”.

These claims have been denied by Andrew Comben, Chief Executive of Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival, who explained that: “Student Pride always receives a substantial community event discount when hiring the venue.

“We always endeavour to be a flexible and approachable venue when it comes to supporting the local community”.

When asked about negotiations with Student Pride over costs, Comben stated: “Student Pride has not been in touch with us to discuss the costs for their 2014 event”.

However, there were other salient factors that prompted Student Pride’s exodus from Brighton, including apparent signs of competition from other popular LGBT clubs in the city.

Some had previously worked in collaboration with Student Pride, hosting various parties over the Pride weekend.

However during the 2013 event there were claims that some clubs

were actively trying to get students to miss the official Student Pride night events and go straight to their own venues, by handing out flyers to students at the bar crawl, angering several students from Kent University who had travelled to Brighton for the weekend’s events.

An official press release by Student Pride stated “our move to London is a sign of our growth and a tribute to all the students, sponsors, supporters and friends who have helped us develop from a one-off event to an essential part of the UK’s LGBT calendar”.

Kelly McBride, President of the University of Sussex Students’ Union and Secretary of Student Pride, said: “as an event that is not-for-profit and relies heavily on volunteers, the high costs of running such an event in Brighton has made this increasingly challenging.

“For the last five years the event has brought together thousands of LGBTQ students from across the UK and beyond to Brighton, and it will be a great loss for a city with such a longstanding reputation for welcoming LGBTQ visitors.”

Despite this, Kelly was positive about the event’s future, stating: “I’m sure the event will find a new lease of

life in London”.

This view is shared by Betty, Welfare Officer for Sussex LGBTQ, who said: “It’s a shame to see Student Pride move, it’s a wonderful event

“I know that I personally am very excited about it.”

Student Pride started in 2005 as a debate in response to a talk by the Oxford Brookes Christian Union on

and it’s been lovely having it right on our doorstep.

“However, we understand the move is what is best for Student Pride and committee members of the LGBTQ society still want to experience and be a part of Student Pride.

sosogay.com Homosexuality and the Bible. Now into its eighth year, the event has received acclaim from David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, as well as corporate sponsors like Ernest & Young, ASDA and the Co-operative, amongst others.

Student carers ‘don’t get enough support’ Ryan Bourne

It’s Time to Change Campaigning is one of the best bits of this job - securing real change for the students who need it.

I was reminded of this again this week, when I woke up to the news that ASDA and Tesco had stocked really quite alarming ‘Mental Patient’ and ‘Psycho’ costumes which were blood stained and weapon wielding.

It’s a stark reminder that we still live in a world where sometimes mental health is associated with danger, and is something to laugh at.

That’s why I think the Time to Change campaign is one of the most important campaigns that the Studets’ Union runs. It not only looks at the support services for students with mental health issues, but it is about challenging the stigma that comes along with mental health.

I’m so grateful that is is here, and it has allowed me to talk to officers, staff and students about my mental health in an incredibly empowering way.

Juliette Cule Education Officer

My mental patient costume was mostly band tshirts and baggy jeans. When I was 14 after a two year struggle with family issues and my own anxieties I burnt out and I tried to kill myself. I was in hospital for two weeks, and the doctors transferred me to an adolescent mental health unit which I stayed in for six months. It saved my life.

Whilst it can be sad to think about, I remember my time in the mental health unit as a period of tine where I started becoming the person I am. The patience and understanding of the doctors, nurses and staff in the unit rebuilt my faith and understanding of the world. I still use the tools and techniques that I learnt in the hospital to tackle bad days.

Mental health is so often unseen and unheard about. For it to hit the news via an irrelevant, ugly and outdated costume is the motivation I needed to come out and say that I’m a mental patient. And I don’t often look like that!

The first ever national report conducted on the experiences of student carers in the United Kingdom has recently been revealed by the National Union of Students (NUS).

The report concluded many student carers in the UK feel they do not receive a high enough level of support from their universities or colleges.

‘Pound in Your Pocket’, The NUS’ 18 month project, researched financial support for student carers.

It showed that 56 percent of student carers considered stopping their university course, when compared with 39 percent of students without caring responsibilities.

67 percent of student carers regularly worry about not having enough money to meet their basic living expenses and 15 percent admitted that they had suffered from mental health difficulties.

Dr Moira Fraser, the Director of Policy and Research of Carers Trust said: “providing them with the support they

need to pursue their studies is vital.”

Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: “A lack of support for young people who care does serious and long-term damage to their education, career prospects, social inclusion and their mental and physical health.”

Qualitative data from the interview scheme ‘Learning with Care’ disclosed that student carers in receipt of Carer’s allowance did not feel that the benefit entitled to them was adequate. It also revealed that full-time students are not eligible for Carer’s allowance, contributing to their financial hardship.

The University of Sussex stated that it: “doesn’t currently collect information about student carers”.

Sophie van der Ham, the Welfare officer for the Students’ Union said: “We are committed to ensuring that all students get the most out of university life.

“We support student carers through the Advice and Representation Centre, which can help student carers work out what grants and bursaries they are entitled to.”

THE BADGER

23 SEPTEMBER 13

NEWS • 4

HSBC branch closes Zoe Ambrozewska

Sussex students were shocked to learn upon returning after the summer break that the HSBC bank on campus has closed.

This proves to be one of the most recent in a long line of HSBC closures, and part of over 200 closures in the last three years. The bank has previously cited reduced use of branches and a move to online and mobile banking as the reason for this.

When contacted, HSBC described the University of Sussex as “a case in point”, adding: “Customer usage of the branch has fallen very significantly over the past few years”.

Furthermore, HSBC also made it

clear that they “worked with the small number of customers who use the branch to help them reorganise their finances”, and that the staff at the bank “have transferred to our other HSBC branches in the area”.

This bank closure, however, has left the University with a distinct lack of cash points, the only remaining ones being the two at Barclays bank, which are available for customers of most banks and building societies, at the front-end of campus.

On the issue, Charles Dudley, the Director of Residential, Sport and Trading Services for the University, said: “The continuing availability of cash dispensers and banking services on campus is very important to students, staff and visitors and we will

be coming forward with proposals as quickly as possible”.

Further to this, a University of Sussex spokesperson explained: “The University is exploring whether additional cash dispensers can be provided on campus”.

Additionally, students have the option to receive up to £50 of cash back, a service available at the Co-operative store and Post Office in Bramber House, the Students’ Union’s shop and both East Slope and Falmer Bars.

There are also more opportunities to pay by card on campus, including in many of the cafes and catering facilities.

The nearest HSBC branch for Sussex students is now at Fiveways, Ditchling Road, Brighton.

Naomi Horsfall

Language Cafe: Allons-y Jack Williams News Editor The Students’ Union has cut the ribbon on a new initiative intended to encourage students from different cultural backgrounds to interact with each other, called the Language Café.

The maiden Language Café took place in Falmer Back Bar on 24 September, attracting around 100 students from a myriad of nationalities to sample the scheme.

This unique initiative is the first of its kind experimented by the Students’ Union and was introduced as a branch of the Union’s Buddy Scheme.

The University of Sussex has a reputation for its multicultural environment with the student populace comprised of over 120 different nationalities, and international students representing 20 percent of the overall student population.

Students were issued a sticker upon entry listing both the languages they already know, and

those they wish to learn. Attendees were encouraged to freely taxi between tables and broaden their horizon by conversing with people from different nationalities.

With the large cohort of students milling around the sign-up desk, Natalie Sacks, Advice and Representation Centre Co-ordinatior, exclaimed: “I’ve just been on the doors and we’ve ended up with far more students than we predicted would attend”.

In a welcoming speech, Alise Viba declared that the organisers were “really happy to bring people together to learn the language they want to learn and assist others in improving their language skills”.

Sophie van der Ham, Students’ Union Welfare Officer, who championed the notion of a Language Café as part of her successful election bid in February, emphasised that the primary purpose of the launch was to galvanise more international students to become involved in the Students’ Union.

She commented: “I thought it

would be a really fun thing to do to get loads of international students involved in the Union. It’s a really good way for students to meet people from different cultures that they might otherwise not have met”.

Questioned on whether the influx of visitors and an overwhelming positive feedback could potentially spur an expansion of the scheme, Sophie added: “Of course.

This is for now a pilot scheme, but we have great plans for it. It currently runs in conjunction with the Buddy Scheme and we are thinking to incorporate film screenings for different languages”.

Three Chinese international students in attendance, who all visited in the hope is becoming more fluent in English, said they were already contemplating returning to the Language Café in the near future.

The Language Café takes place fortnightly, with the next event being staged in Falmer Back Bar at 5pm on 8 October 2013.

Clearing spaces at record high Ben Lippett Students have challenged the University over what they see as supply for courses outweighing demand from students to fill them, as a high number of places remain advertised on the Clearing website.

UCAS has listed 140 courses that are available to enrol in at the University, which is a dramatic rise compared to previous years.

In 2011, there were no courses advertised for clearing at the University of Sussex at all, what many see as ring the over subscription of places struggling to gain entry to higher education institutions before the tuition fee cap was raised.

Clearing has been described by some as a contingency plan for students, primed to attract student who did not meet their academic expectation in their A-level examinations.

However, this reputation is diminishing as more and more of the UK’s top universities open their doors to candidates via the clearing process.

This advent allows students who narrowly missed their predicated grades a route into some of the country’s most prestigious universities.

A first year psychology student believes that: “clearing is a fantastic process; it gives a chance to people who might have been under pressure [during their A-level exams] or been unlucky with their results”.

A spokesperson for the University of Sussex stated: “This is growth with a purpose: to ensure that more students can benefit from the education we provide and that our distinctive contribution to research can thrive on a sustainable basis”.

Under the last Labour Government, each university was allocated a set number of students they could recruit each academic year.

But this year, universities have been given powers to enrol unlimited numbers of students – those with at least an A and two Bs at A-level – while capping places for other candidates.

Statistics concerning the number of surplus places at the university are yet to be released.

Ho Wah So

Richard Mashiter Activities Officer

New year, new club night It’s been an amazing start to the new academic year. During Freshers Week our sports clubs, societies and campaigns attracted loads of new students at the Freshers Fair, new students tried out loads of sports over our ‘trials and tasters’ weekend, and everyone’s been getting involved in different socials and meeting new people.

The new academic year has also seen the start of our new club night - Antics at Wah Kiki, every Saturday night! The launch night last weekend was packed, reaching capacity, and everyone had an amazing night!

Offering a student-friendly (and

wallet-friendly) Saturday night alternative, Antics is the place to be.

Everyone’s favourite weekday club night also kicked off again, with Oceana Wednesdays back during Freshers Week. Over 2000 of you came along, including loads of our sports clubs and societies, and as always had an amazing night.

We also had our first Campus Halls Cub of the term, kicking off with Dodgeball. Loads of new freshers came along to represent their halls. You can find out more about Campus Halls Cup at sussexstudent.com/campushallscup.

THE BADGER

30 SEPTERMBER 2013

SUSSEX SAYS • 5

SUSSEX SAYS

Claim To Fame

THE MOAN ZONE

Not Such Good News Kate Reader Picture the scene: five in the morning, tracksuit bottoms on, hair tied in a messy knot on the top of my head, huge bags under my eyes and no makeup to hide behind.

Safe to say that I was not looking my best on that morning at Gatwick Airport.

I climbed on board my flight to Alicante to meet up with my family who were already out there, yawning heavily with my cup of coffee clutched in hand.

All that was on my mind was having a small nap on the plane and then getting my iPad out to watch Russell Howard’s stand up (which I had downloaded to keep me entertained for the journey).

I am a massive comedy geek with a soft spot for the childish humour of Russell Howard – the perfect cure for sleepiness.

However, my preparations for this flight were not going to go so smoothly.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blonde haired man loading his hand luggage into the overhead compartment.

I thought I must be sleep deprived because that couldn’t be who

I thought it was. He was on my mind and that’s why I thought it was him.

But then he sat down next to me and I froze. Russell Howard was sitting next to me. I was so excited I literally couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly I regretted the comfortable choice of my tracksuit bottoms, the scruffiness of my hair and that stale coffee smell on my breath.

But then an even bigger problem occurred to me… I had downloaded his stand up to watch on the plane.

I couldn’t possibly watch it with him sitting next to me - that would be so embarrassing and verging on creepily stalker-ish!

Although Russell was a perfect next-seat neighbour by keeping the armrest vacant in case I wanted to use it, I slightly resented the situation in which I met him.

I ended up sitting bolt upright, keeping my arms tightly folded across my body so I didn’t accidentally elbow him.

That wasn’t the worst part though, because of him I had no entertainment for the entire 3 hour journey so I had to sit there doing nothing.

It felt like the longest and most uncomfortable three hours of my life and I didn’t even get to speak to

This week: Not So Fast Food

him because he was plugged into his mp3 player.

They say meeting your heroes can only disappoint you, so in hindsight I am glad I never spoke to him.

I couldn’t risk losing one of my favourite comedians!

HAVE YOU GOT A CLAIM? Swooned by a celebrity?

Done something so embarrasing in front of your hero you’ve never told anyone?

E-mail Sussex Says at lmh34@sussex.ac.uk

Katie Wadeson Before starting at Sussex last year, a night out for me would consist of the standard; dancing, chatting to guys and a drunk taxi home. At worst, a ‘tactical chunder’ may be in order at the end of the night. However, having lived in Brighton for the past year I feel like I have witnessed some of the craziest, most hilarious and just plain weird moments which means that normality is just no longer an option. I feel that my last night of being a fresher expresses this successfully.

A Monday night and the usual heavy drinking began at some absurd time in the afternoon. The funnel was passed around, the guitar came out and we all sang along to a rendition of ‘Mr Brightside’, and by the time the usual noise

to be my initiative in my very drunk state I grabbed the cardboard box on the floor to my left and thrust it down in front of her just in time for when she brought up what I can only imagine to be the entire lining of her stomach.

What I hadn’t realised was this box happened to be part of a guy’s fancy dress costume which clearly meant a great deal to him, initiating a minor break down and a lot of shouting.

“our friends had taken a particular liking to an old man’s shoes” After a loud, hot and bumpy ride into town, we headed to the seafront clubs.

But of course, a night out wouldn’t be complete without a half an hour chat with a pair of homeless buskers at the cash point which quickly led us to an empathy-filled chip-buying session.

It is always a relief once you’ve made it safely onto the late bus home. However this night, the girl sitting in front was clearly the latest victim of one-tomany-jagerbombs. Using what seemed

Creatures of the Night @THEMOANZONE Tarryne Rolle

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT complaint came in at around 11, we concluded that it was time to catch the 25 into town.

Attempting to get everyone onto the same bus is always a challenge. Whilst two of my friends had discovered a new found love for a small puppy out on a walk, another was hastily mounting a motorbike in the car park which quickly resulted in an almighty crash and a drunken shout for help from beneath it.

Online food shopping. The simplest option for all university students. Our house did its first big food shop at the end of the week to stock up on the basic necessities. It was set to arrive the next day between 11am and 1pm. I forced myself to be up early after a really late night out in Brighton (very painful) in order to organise for the road to be opened to allow the delivery van through.

The van finally arrived at five minutes to one, which was cutting it fine! Although I was slightly annoyed having had to sit around waiting around for two hours, everything seemed to be going smoothly- my house-mates and I relayed all the shopping into our house. However, it did not all go so well we noticed that not all the products we had ordered were there. We phoned the number for queries which cost my flatmate 70p extra on top of her normal tariff! Daylight robbery! The lady on the phone asked us whether we wanted a refund. My flatmate refused and rightly so; we all wanted those missing items - in particular my flatmate who was taking the call as half of her shopping had not turned up including 5 bottles of orange juice which she was quite looking forward to drinking (not all at once I might add!) The lady said we should get a phone call later on in the day to rearrange another time slot. Great - another waiting game.

They did not call back that day so the following day I called them four times as I was waiting for this call. Twice I was put on hold with that ‘elevator music’, all I kept on thinking was this is charging me every minute to listen to this awful music. Finally they called back, but it wasn’t until I was in the middle of my first lecture bearing in mind that I had specifically told them I wasn’t free until 3pm that day. Two days on and we’re still waiting for our food... even though I wasn’t as affected by the missing order with only two items missing, I felt deflated for my other house-mates who will go hungry without their ‘own brand’ ready meals and dinner in a tin can.

Whilst this was happening, another of our friends had taken a particular liking to an old man’s shoes, and appeared to be having a very in depth discussion with them about it.

The next morning we woke up to our usual group meeting, this time consisting of the faint smell of vomit, a variety of bruises, and a pair of very old shoes, all of which helped us to piece together the events that took place the night before.

Share your moaning moments

TOP CELEBRITY TWEET’S OF THE WEEK “To the person who shop-lifted one single egg from the carton I bought, I commend your delicacy but question your lifestyle.” @Oliviawilde “No Mum...I’m not going to teach you how to twerk!!!” @ollielocke “So far, my favourite suggestions for my Halloween costume are a dancing hamster and Miley’s foam finger.

Keep ‘em coming!” @TheEllenShow “You know when you mean to order Eggs Benedict but you say “Begs Anydick” instead? FML” @example “I’m glad that the unauthorised use of NFL broadcasts is “strictly prohibited” if it were just “prohibited” all hell would break loose.” @SteveCarell

the badger

30 SEPTEMBER 2013

Letters • 7

LETTERS

“No one cares about your Gap Year” Dear Badger, Honestly, nobody cares. Not your flatmates, not your lecturers, not the rest of your seminar group. Not one person cares about your ‘enlightening’ trip to Cambodia or how ‘fulfilling’ it was to volunteer in a Malawian school.

Because let’s face it, you’re not in the Peace Corps, you didn’t risk your life to aid others, you went to Thailand and rode an elephant. It hasn’t made you a better person or given you a richer soul; it’s just made you annoying. Well done you.

You can always tell the gap year students because they still seem to think they’re on their gap year and can therefore dress in the ‘local attire’…On campus it’s leggings and Ugg boots not harem pants and weird overly patterned scarves. It’s autumn in England and it’s raining, does that really warrant flip-flops? I hope you get hypothermia.

Don’t even get me started on the people that manage to link every question and topic they are asked about in seminars to something profound they learned about life in their gap year. How much can you have learned about life in one of your eighteen years? If I hear the phrase, “because this really reminds me of this one time on my gap yah” again, I will strangle you with that ethnic beaded pendant you picked up on your travels.

If you love South East Asia so much you should have just stayed there where your messy bun and tie-dye vest make sense.

Lydia Shaw

Long Distance Relationships Dear Badger, When I tell people that my boyfriend lives thousands of miles away (two flights, and a five hours’ time difference, but who’s counting, right?)

people treat me like I’m a widower.

They smile that smile which says, ‘Oh, poor you, how long will you continue?’

Yes, we currently live apart; it’s not ideal.

Long distance relationships have become a stigma, a bit like admitting to actually liking One Direction.

Someone once said to me, ‘err, what’s the point if you can’t see them?’ as if I chose who I fell in love with. People seriously think I opted for long distance. As if it was like, ‘hey, you live two plane rides away, let’s fall in love.’ It went more like, ‘I think you’re awesome, and it’s very annoying that your postcode doesn’t start with BN1’.

My situation is that we have a three year gap, after that, we’ll go from there. Incidentally, he lives in Guyana (I’d never heard of it either) so if you’re worrying about what your other is doing a Cardiff, I think I win right?

People assume that a long distance relationship is a pointless love and that actually, we should settle for someone within a twenty mile radius. I sympathise with those of you who have boy/girlfriends at other universities around England (unless they study at Lincoln Uni, you can do better). People egg you on to just forget about them and sleep with the next person you meet.

Of the couples I knew from school, only one relationship has survived.

The root cause being the guys were persuaded to cheat as, hey, it’s Fresher’s right? I’m not saying that all guys have that mentality, but I’ve heard that story many times. In truth, if you actually love your partner, you can make any distance work. It’s not forever; you can move there, they can move here.

However, it is difficult staying in sync with each other. You have to find a balance, and take care that your relationship doesn’t turn into a series of ‘Whatssapp’ messages. We at first decided to Skype every day, but where’s the romance in that? Also, constantly telling each other how much you love one another is a bad idea. We never did that when living together, so why now?

It becomes insignificant telling someone you love them whilst sat in a boring lecture. I’ve also found that when people try and comfort you about the situation, it’ll only make you angry, it turns into a

The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not nessesarily represent those of the Student’s Union, unless explicitly stated.

University of Sussex Students’ Union Falmer, East Sussex, BN1 9QF

email: badger-letters@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

BADGER

THE

reminder rather than a comfort.

The best advice I can give to anyone reading this in my situation, is have faith. It’s not forever. We can’t chose who we fall in love with, treat this period as a test on your relationship; it’ll make a good story in the end.

Louis Patel

Students from the North Dear Badger, Having travelled all the way from Leeds in glorious Yorkshire to get to Sussex University, I’m quite a long way from home. So I suppose it is only inevitable that every conversation initiated with a stranger consists of the question; ‘Where are you from?’

I didn’t previously believe my accent to be very strong, but clearly, everyone in the South has some sort of builtin radar detection for it. After they have established my heritage, they politely enquire about my course.

When I reply with ‘Neuroscience,’ a look of thinly veiled shock follows.

The stereotype has kicked in. How can anybody from Yorkshire be taking a course perceived as ‘intelligent?’

Don’t get me wrong, I have watched the local news many a time, only to cringe at someone with a blaringly broad accent stating the obvious, stood by a green field with a flat cap on. But I assure you, I personally, despite having lived in Yorkshire all my life till now, have never actually met anyone like that.

Equally, the current television show ‘Educating Yorkshire,’ does nothing in regards of boosting the profile in a positive light. However, I believe that essentially the schools broadcasted could be from anywhere within the country, give or take a few minor details. People down here expect me to have a substantial knowledge of farming, along with an undisguised brashness. It is with regret that I possess neither of those attributes.

Again, I can understand how we have earned ourselves a reputation of bluntness, but I think it is for a very good reason; we are very passionate people. If we care about something, we like to let people know. If we feel that

we are being treated unjustly, or that others are, we will not likely sit and resignedly accept it; we will strive for a resolution. In short, we are not afraid to fight if the occasion calls for it. Some may view that as a negative trait, but personally, I admire those who have their values and stick by them.

For example, as I was born in Bradford, and spent the first few years of my life there, I support their football team. I always have, and always will. This is not affected by any amount of losses or wins. They are my team, I will remain loyal.

That is what the Yorkshire ethic is all about. Indeed, I have also found that my flatmates have been surprised by small things; that I have done their washing up without being asked or baked for them, or loaned them things they needed without a second thought. To me, it is commonplace behaviour; in Yorkshire, you can nearly always find someone to help you if in need. People will go above and beyond, and I will certainly miss that.

So, I merely ask that you reconsider your assumptions about students from the North. If you just get to know us, you’ll see that we can be great people to know.

Hannah Dickinson

Misuse of statisitcs by Labour Party Society Dear Badger, The University of Sussex Green Party would like to clarify that the society signed up 160 Freshers at the Freshers Fair.

Annie Pickering

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the badger

30 September 2013

FEATURE • 8

FEATURE

A ‘Blurred Line’ in the sand

In the aftermath of the ‘Blurred Lines’ controversy, The Badger debates the issues surrounding the summer hit.

Mike Gray Ladies, do you think it is ok to be described as an “animal”?

Are you having a big night out this week? Planning on cracking out some of your best moves? Perhaps you’ve always fancied a go at “twerking”, meaning (according to the modern day bible, Urban Dictionary) the “rhythmic gyrating of the lower fleshy extremities in a lascivious manner with the intent to elicit sexual arousal or laughter from the intended audience”.

If that is exactly what you had in mind, but just hadn’t put the idea into words yet, now you have no excuse. And if you were to choose the perfect song to twerk to, ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke would be my number one choice.

‘Blurred Lines’ is one of the most popular songs on the radio at the moment, a worldwide hit, selling over 1 million copies in the UK, and making Robin Thicke the first lead solo male artist to reach number one in the US since 2004. If nothing else, he has taken over some of Justin Bieber’s airtime, thereby deserving some sort of “services to humanity” medal.

At least, this was certainly the case until the rather swift arrival of the “Blurred Lines controversy”.

Those of you familiar with this will know it isn’t all twerking and

flesh coloured bikini’s; the song has been banned by a number of Universities across the UK, initiated by Edinburgh, a University famed for its strong feminist movement, and rapidly followed by Leeds.

“Given that other lyrics refer to women as ‘bitches’ and ‘animals’, he might just be talking out of his arse.”

With a strong feminist society of our own and a strict sexual harassment policy defining harassment as “pressing an individual to accept unwelcome invitations” (“You know you want it”?), the Students’ Union have decided not to play ‘Blurred Lines’ on URF, the University radio station, or in their shops and bars, and after playing for under a minute on URF at the Fresher’s Fair, the song was turned off. When staff are inducted into the Students’ Union, part of their

training tells them that they are not allowed to play offensive music or that which is not conducive to a welcoming retail or bar environment.

Whether we officially ban the song is yet to be determined.

When asked about the song’s meaning in an interview with NME magazine, Thicke defended it, claiming “it’s supposed to stir conversation, it’s supposed to make us talk about what’s important and what the relationship between men and women is, but if you listen to the lyrics it says ‘That man is not your maker’ — it’s actually a feminist movement within itself.”

This is a little tough to swallow, and given that some of his other lyrics refer to women as ‘bitches’ and ‘animals’, he might just be talking out of his arse.

But what does Robin care? The more publicity he gets, the more tracks he sells, and the more tracks he sells the more money he can take to his bank in a wheelbarrow.

Yet how can we focus so entirely on ‘Blurred Lines’ when there is such an abundance of objectifying and demeaning music on the airwaves, with Boy Better Know demanding more girls (assumingly not for the purpose of pleasant conversation), and Eminem remaining determined to prevent his girlfriend from making her own decisions by threatening to tie her to the bed and set the house on

fire. And let us not mention the lyrics from Kanye West’s new album.

But is it the sheer popularity of ‘Blurred Lines’ that has made it a target for feminist objection?

Alice Smart, an officer at Leeds Student Union, explained that whilst many songs are equally derogatory, “we’ve chosen this one to make an example because it’s so popular”.

The song has been covered by both Vampire Weekend, and Queens of the Stone Age on Radio 1’s live lounge, and if it didn’t undermine the point of this article, I would encourage you to go away and listen to them both to admire their interpretations of this distinctive track. But that would be somewhat self-defeating.

The BBC has banned many tracks in the past for a variety of reasons, notably The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, and The Prodigy’s “Smack my Bitch Up”, both for fairly obvious reasons. Should “Blurred Lines” be given the same treatment?

I suspect that if a government corporation such as the BBC were to make such a decision, there would be outrage over our loss of freedom of speech and expression.

I had a Youtube session with my new flatmates the other day, and between talking dogs and angry babies, we watched an advert showing a German family sitting in their

car enjoying a catchy English song whilst not understanding the lyrics which were explicitly describing a particular type of sex in English.

I use this example because how many of us that listen to music really hear the lyrics of a song? We can enjoy a song without paying attention to its lyrics, so is it really necessary to ban ‘Blurred Lines’?

I would not describe myself as a feminist, although the definition of feminism is “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”, and this is a belief I share.

However, this song is demeaning to women and exploitative of the fairer sex (is that positive discrimination? Are women fairer? Feminism is certainly a minefield…) and it does condone animal instincts over intelligent thought.

It may be the fastest selling single download in history, but no matter how catchy a song it might be, Sussex would be within its right to ban it.

Regardless, I am going to be heading out this week, and I am going to be twerking to my heart’s content. In all likelihood my twerking will elicit laughter rather than any kind of sexual arousal, but I’m good with that.

Here is a final thought for you, a quotation tweeted by Rachel Vail taken directly from her son’s University orientation: “Consent is really too low a bar. Hold out for enthusiasm”.

THE BADGER

30 SEPTEMBER 2013

COMMENT • 10

COMMENT

My freshers day Kufre Medo

I’m not sure where the word ‘freshers’ was coined but whoever came up with it, did an imaginative job.

Where I come from, new students are called ‘Jambites’, not as imaginative though. I didn’t have high expectations for freshers week because I felt I’d rather save the fun for when I’m a second year student, not in foundation year. But that didn’t stop my fellows from joining

in the fun.

My intention during that week, once the Study Centre was done boring us to the ground with their seminars, was to look for what clubs I could sink my tentacles into. I must say, I was impressed with the initiative of the ‘Ask Me’ students and I took every opportunity to ask them, as commanded.

The first club that snatched my attention was the swimming club, I immedi-

ately took note. Next I saw the taekwondo, definitely not for me. I went ahead to the drama club, nahh. The dance club looked promising but I can’t bust a move to save my life. I was relieved to spot the debate club after getting bored with photography- I ignored the free cookies and signed myself up.

I wasn’t too keen on signing up for the Badger but I was desperate for an opportunity to write and this was it. By the time I breezed by the Model United Nations, I had been approached 6 times by the Sussex Saxons with flyers. I had taken the flyer from the third person and simply waved it to the remaining

who attempted.

I summoned the courage to head to the Saxons stall, had a nice chat with one of the coaches and that’s how I signed myself up for the Sussex Saxons.

I wasn’t pressurized or intimidated as one would assume with American Football, I simply made my decision within minutes!

I had to get back for yet another English test that afternoon, but I enjoyed my stay at the fair. Yes it didn’t last up to an hour with me in it but it was so much fun. Everyone was so enthusiastic and ready to help and it makes you wonder, are they getting paid to do this?

Most of my mates were in the UK for the first time so their being shy was unavoidable, including me. This was my only downturn during fresher’s week, having to walk up and introduce myself, but once you start that conversation, you notice how they lighten up and it’s clear that they’re happy that you made the first move.

This was my freshers week; just visiting the fair, no thanks to the Study Centre.

I didn’t attend the parties or head to the night clubs though, I have an uncle who swears that the students were insanely wild!

Law: A predominantly male-led profession?

Anousha Vasantha

In recent years, the number of women entering and excelling within the legal profession has grown, ever so slightly.

Comparative to various other European countries, the UK appears to struggle with too few women in the highest echelons of the judiciary and senior positions of top city firms.

The Law Society however claims, “in recent years more women than men have been qualifying as solicitors”.

Nevertheless on closer inspection, statistics for 2013 show that female lawyers in the United Kingdom only make up 18% of partners in top city firms.

In addition, the UK seems to be one of the worst at employing female judges according to last year’s Council of Europe report.

Although judicial diversity is slowly but surely improving, the concept of gender equality and women making it to the top of the legal ladder is far from a recent phenomenon.

Baroness Hale, our only female judge sitting in the Supreme Court, expressed her views over the matter, claiming that “unconscious sexism” occurs as a result of a lack of familiarity of women, as employers are more comfortable with men.

Specifically Baroness Hale argues that the more employers are exposed to women, the easier it is to “assess somebody who is a candidate”.

Although the concept of familiarity makes sense, the crucial issue here is flexibility within the profession. Variations between men and women arise in

relation to particular aspects of satisfaction; for example women are less satisfied with their promotion prospects, for instance being made partner of a firm.

It would be ludicrous to suggest that women should simply be handed these senior positions in top firms for the purpose of balancing the scales of equality.

Instead, these senior positions should be earned through hard work and satisfying the criteria to be the best candidate for the job, but this can only be achieved if more flexibility is intro-

duced.

The legal profession appears to be somewhat anachronistic in today’s modern society. Lucy-Scott, president of the Law Society, suggests that we should embrace more flexibility to accommodate more women in the profession.

In the years to come, barriers arising from this ‘unconscious bias’ must be overcome, in the hope that more women break through to these senior positions within the legal elite.

Rethinking the badger cull Naomi Brown

Emily Holliday Operations Officer

Successful Free Shop for students and local YMCA The Free Shop or Reuse Scheme is a great way to save the environment by stopping perfectly good, but no longer wanted items at the end of first year going to landfill.

We held our huge annual Free Shop in Falmer House during Freshers Week, with hundreds of new students coming down to pick up some great items for their new homes, including stationary, kitchenware, household items and clothing.

In total, 178 huge pink crates of items were donated to the scheme, and another huge and overflowing 12 boxes stacked full of stationary donated by the University. The items were thoroughly sorted, and then shared with all the new students, eager to find some ‘bargains’ in amongst the piles of donations.

The scheme also means we’ve been able to work with a local charity and raise money for struggling people in our community in Brighton. Lots of things, such as electricals and some clothes could

not be taken by the reuse scheme on campus, but instead were donated to the local YMCA, allowing them raise over £6,000.

But for students, it means in those first few expensive months at university, they will be able to have items they need, but night not be able to afford, or it means they’ll be able to spend their money on more exciting things, such as meeting friends at Freshers’ events!

I think it’s a perfect way for the student community to give back to itself, especially for international students who may not want to pay to take all their kitchenware home at the end of first year.

Students can know that all of their donations are going to help someone else, whether that is a student or someone receiving support from YMCA. A smaller version of the Free Shop will be back in the Common Room next week - feel free to donate and help yourself.

With the current measures taking place in Somerset and Gloucestershire to control the spread of TB, the debate about the methods used to prevent this spread has once again moved to the forefront of the media and for good reason.

This widespread massacre has, inevitably, resulted in a strong body of resistance for ethical reasons but, beyond this, there are even greater issues in relation to the ‘trial culls’ taking place.

Scientific evidence suggests that it would take a period of nine years for the public to see a significant reduction in the spread of TB in local cattle, and even then only by a figure of 12-16% (which scientists have also claimed could be an exaggeration of data depending on certain variables). And while the results of the 1996 Randomized Badger Culling do claim to prove that culling badgers can cause a reduction in the spread of bovine TB in the area in which the cull takes place, this experiment saw a significant rise in TB in the areas surrounding the cull as Badgers fled their original habitats, taking the virus with them.

The benefit was, therefore, marginal and temporary at best. Lord

John Krebs himself (who was responsible for this badger culling in 1996, costing £50 million) has claimed that the badger cull would only have a temporary and nonsignificant impact on the spread of TB. The inhumanity of these cullings has already inspired hundreds of people to protest, both in Gloucestershire and Somerset, some even with a passion that has led to their arrests.

With so many against this ‘solution’, surely it is time to look for an alternative? The solution I would put forward is the suggestion to immunize cattle, cutting off the spread of TB at the source of the problem.

If our cattle are properly vaccinated, the badgers no longer pose a threat to our livestock. This method also has the advantage of being considerably more economically viNaomi Horsfall able than the current practices that have been put in place.

Cattle vaccines for bovine TB are currently banned under EU legislation but should this ban be repealed, a mass slaughter could be prevented, the issue of TB could be dealt with in a more permanent way and tax payers money could be pushed towards the real issues that our society faces in this everchanging world.

the badger

30 September 2013

THEShould BIG fracking DEBATE be made illegal in the UK?

comment • 11

The Badger asks whether or not ‘fracking’, the controversial technique designed to recover gas and oil from underground shale rock, should be a banned practice on British soil?

No

Alice Nettleship

Fracking – a controversial issue if ever there was one. Basically shale gas and oil are extracted through rock using hydraulic fracturing – an unconventional method, yet one I’d choose to invest in.

It is true that there are environmental risks in the process, but only without due care and regulation – and there are risks to be found in any form of energy harnessing. Tar sand wastelands from oil extraction, earthquakes from geothermal, destruction of wildlife and ecosystems through wind turbines and tidal energy – not to even start on the ridiculous amount of disaster stories associated with nuclear power plants.

The procedures involved in fracking involve relatively minimal risk, which has been blown out of proportion by sceptics. The sceptics, however, have little basis for their scepticism.

The USA has proven fracking’s success, taking the risk with an unknown technology for us. We just need to follow their lead. From a country which in 2005 was in an energy crisis from running out of gas, America now has surplus to export, lower emissions and critics have hypothesised that they could soon be self-sufficient, all due to an investment in fracking.

The UK can match this, as it was found in a survey that one of the smallest reserves of

shale gas in the country would be enough to power us for almost 50 years.

In fact, the infrastructure and processes of fracking would bring so many jobs and investments to home soil that we could potentially make some huge progress in the economy – why would we choose a more expensive option when some of the country’s poorest people are having to choose whether to heat or eat?

We are investing billions in HS2 when tens of thousands of British pensioners die in cold homes. Why not invest public money into something that makes sense?

Green power, in this respect, is an option that is definitely out – the public is fooled by the word “green”, thinking it means clean, futuristic and reliable when the reality is that they are not. Turbines, for example, are an eye sore and only work on windy days. The cheapest and most sensible option is fracking; we can look back into “green” power again in fifty to one hundred years when it is actually suitable to run a country without causing nationwide blackouts on a calm day.

After all, England is already well on track with its Kyoto global emissions targets, especially when you compare us to others - UK was down 1%, whereas China rose 102% and India was up by 60%. We should worry about spending money on British citizens, and focus on green investments once we can walk through certain other cities without protective face masks from the sheer pollution levels.

Britain is energy insecure. North Sea supplies are depleting. What would you invest in?

society of the week: green party society We know that Sussex University is the perfect institution from which to let loose the tendrils of the Green revolution. We know because you are reading this.

The University is charged and its students educated. It is our perogative to raise awareness for issues such as anti-fracking, necessary not only to you, to the Green Party, but to life itself. It is not hopeless, your anger and outrage on sustainability issues is our passion. We can put things right.

Caroline Lucas, the only Green MP currently in Westminster and representative of Brighton Pa-

Yes

Calyx Palmer

Whether you’re looking at the environmental impact or the host of related health issues, the effects of fracking are obviously negative, and yet this is still a debate that we have to devote time and energy into. It’s been two years since France banned fracking, but whether it is a good idea or not is still a matter of some contention. It honestly amazes me that, despite the increase in discussion on the topic and the relatively well publicised and huge drawbacks, in a recent survey there were still around 20% of British people who considered themselves undecided.

The environmental impact alone should be enough to dissuade you from supporting fracking: triggering seismic activity, causing pollution in multiple mediums, and detrimentally affecting the local wildlife. Not only does fracking cause problems, it takes away the focus from renewables, while actually increasing climate change. We need to work on energy sources that will neither run out, nor cause such excessive damage to harvest.

Fracking has a long and colourful history, but each country it takes place in can tell a cautionary tale. Whether it’s of contaminated groundwater across the United States, or multiple accusations of waste mismanagement, fracking has been tied to a series of serious incidents. In South Africa, the yielding pro-

james pearson

vilion’s constituency is the leading curator of said initiative, and in Green policies we trust.

The University of Sussex Green Party Society (USGP) are grateful to all those who care, and in essence we are striving for a community.

It seems like a comi-tragedy as the public ideologically accept the greediness of politicians. You and I know better. We need to change Westminster’s definition of ‘Green’ as that which acquaints to cash and profits.

The Green Party want to put into practice comprehensive economic, social and environmental-

accounting procedures. They want to move management from a national to a much more local level.

They want to grab the political bull by the horns.

Our society at university has a serious head and a fun heart. We want to encourage any and all students from undergrads to postgrads to come and see what we are trying to put into practice.

Change is a matter of public opinion and we hope you will join us to spearhead it towards a safe future.

We meet Tuesdays in Falmer House, Room 4, fortnightly. Our next meeting will be taking place on the 7th October.

cess depleted the water supplies, and damaged aquatic life in the area. In the UK, USA, and Canada, it has caused earthquakes of a great enough seismic value that they could be sensed by humans, despite taking place nowhere near fault lines. Across the world, research suggests that fracking leads to serious air pollution, as well as potentially causing serious impact in terms of climate change.

Of course, some of the most problematic allegations levelled at hydraulic fracturing are those regarding serious health concerns. The increase in various illnesses and health problems, including cancer, around areas where fracking has taken place cannot be ignored.

While a few studies have linked hydraulic fracturing with radiation contamination and poisoning, they do not seem to have the publicity they deserve. In fact, certain energy companies have attempted to bury several studies that look into the damage that fracking causes on the health of workers and local communities. Multiple studies have linked fracking and air pollution with a variety of health problems, such as blackouts and migraines.

After the earthquakes in Lancashire in 2011, fracking was voluntarily suspended in the UK for almost a year. If an international oil and gas company becomes too wary of the effects of the hydraulic fracturing process, should we not take that as a very clear warning sign? Given the overwhelming negatives of the process, it seems incredible that the “benefits” can even be called that. Fracking is quite clearly a dangerous process, and the longer we allow it to continue, the more damage will be done.

fracking debate TOMORROW (1 October) 5pm, ARTS C 113 FREE FOR ALL

Sussex Uni Green Society are holding a debate on the use of fracking Pro fracking speakers include: Mary Mears- former Conservative chair of Brighton and Hove City Council Ed Mead- University of Sussex Labour Party representative Anti-fracking speakers include: Alexis Rowell- Lewes Green Party Professor Allan Rew- Balcombe activist group

the badger

30 September 2013

SCIENCE • 12

SCIENCE

A bitter pill to swallow Naomi Horsfall James Quinn The Diet Pill, 2, 4-dinitrophenol (DNP), has been making headlines in the news recently with it causing the death of a medical student. Her father has called for action from

Fun science fact of the week

bomb detecting plants Danielle Warren

Plants are known to do some extraordinary things, one might say that they are more productive than all freshers combined. When computationally redesigning and attaching a specific receptor to the outer cells, they are capable of reacting to environmental factors, you and I don’t necessarily see, smell or notice. Such as bombs. Scary thought, but not when you have a plant alarming you by going pale as snow white before you get on that plane.

the Prime Minister to put an end to the selling of this drug and many others like it on the internet. The father as quoted on BBC news said that “It seems incomprehensible to us that such a toxic substance can be available in tablet form to

be sold in the UK for human consumption across the internet”.

This is not the only case of death caused by DNP as there have been 12 deaths accredited to it between 2001 and 2010.

DNP is sold legally for use as a pesticide, however it is banned for human consumption. It is freely available online with one company selling it for €2.50 per 200mg capsule. I have also been able to find many websites advertising it as a miracle weight loss tool for bodybuilders who want to lose fat but keep muscle.

The first question many people will ask is what is DNP? The drug was used in the 1930s as a weight loss tool but was banned in 1938 due to its side effects. DNP works by preventing the synthesis of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) which is the body’s way of using and transferring energy. ATP is vital for all bodily processes so the body in-

creases its metabolic rate to produce more ATP in order to compensate for the lack of it in the system.

DNP causes a shift in the electrical gradient of protons thus causing the potential energy that would normally be stored as ATP to be released as heat. Overdosing on DNP is extremely easy because it has a very small threshold on how toxic the drug is. The side effects can include cataracts, elevated body temperature, signs of acute poisoning and death.

The reason why DNP has recently re-emerged in the news is due to the fact that a 23 year old medical student died from taking it along with anti-depressants in an attempt to fix her problems with weight. This has brought up many questions about the way the media and the public portray images of the “perfect” person we should all aspire to be.

A second year English and Philos-

ophy student thinks that: “It really highlights the problem with our society that especially young people are being bombarded by the media with images of the ideal body.”

Pharmaceutical companies, government and the NHS have longed searched for the miracle drug to combat the obesity epidemic which has gripped the western world over the last 30 years. Science and healthcare have long been seen as the answer for the problems we face today.

The position of power these companies hold has meant that society looks to them to find the solution to all of their problems when in fact they don’t have the answers.

Camilla Tornoe Teaching Fellow in Neuroscience believes that “It is very sad that we not only feel pressurized into seeking so-called improvements to our bodies but that also we are forever on the hunt for the quick- fix route.”

New hope for Alzheimer’s sufferers Hannah Dickinson Alzheimer’s is a disease that has become increasingly notorious within our modern society, and it seems that everybody knows somebody who is afflicted. It is feared on a similar level to cancer, or perhaps even more so, because with Alzheimer’s we appear to lose our very selves.

Memory is something we may take for granted, but to those with memory disorders and their families, everyday life is an ordeal. This is why a new breakthrough may provide hope for millions.

Scientists have suggested for a while that the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease is tau tangles. This occurs when tau proteins cease to function correctly, no longer stabilising microtubules.

The tau proteins consequently become twisted around each other, causing neurofibrillary tangles. When this happens the microtubules disintegrate, which leads to a lack of communication between nerve cells and potentially causing neuronal death. Plaques also seem to present in those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

They are formed when beta amyloid proteins accumulate together. These masses inhibit signals between cells via synapses, which leads to the deterioration in memory; all of which creates a pathway for disease. But now, researchers have discovered a new usage for PET scans in regards to the detection of these debilitating plaques and tangles.

PET scans, or positron emission topography, can produce three-dimensional images of functional processes within the body. A tracer chemical can be injected into the individual’s bloodstream which can pass the blood-brain barrier and has great binding affinity to the tau tangles. Using the tracers and fluorescence, the tau tangles can be detected with the PET scan, providing information about the precise location of the tangles.

Makoto Higuchi, head of the team who have developed this revolutionary new tracer, hails the discovery as ‘of critical significance’ due to the fact that tau lesions are thought to be a greater causational factor for the onset of Alzheimer’s than the plaques in isolation, which was what was originally thought.

The new tracer has already proved its worth; enabling scientists to learn that tau tangles seem to initially accumulate in the hippocampus, which is effectively the memory centre of the brain, when plaques are already prevalent. Prior research suggests plaques are relatively harmless themselves, but may facilitate the spread of the tau tangles from the hippocampus.

The scale of the tangles provides an indication of the progression of the disease; therefore treatment can now be more easily ascertained. Particularly as early detection is now a possibility, with plaques developing as much as 10 to 15 years before other symptoms present themselves.

From this study it is deemed possible that in the future we will be able to track the disease in a living person, and possibly even diagnose prior to symptoms occurring. However, despite

recent research advancing from using the brains of the deceased, we are still a long way off from discovering an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Amy Sanders

the badger

30 September 2013 ARTS • 14

Arts

CulturE

Music

The Duckworth Lewis Method

The Sunday Assembly: a Godless Congregation

St. George’s Church 20th September Jake Wilson

St. Andrew’s Church 22nd September

Matthew McGregor-Morales As Sanderson Jones came to the end of his speech, with loud movements he called the congregation to stand and sing.

The band struck up, guitars and piano giving the lead-in to a song that everybody knew, everybody loved.

However, Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ isn’t a hymn, and despite the quiet setting of St Andrews church a stone’s throw from the Brighton seafront, this wasn’t a religious event.

It was, in Jones’ own words, ‘a church without God’; The Sunday Assembly, an atheist church on the move had now reached Brighton.

Sunday’s assembly was the latest incarnation of what was founded in last January by stand-up comedians Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones.

The concept: a non-believers’ Sunday service that would eventually have sibling offshoots as far and wide as Queensland, LA and now Brighton.

However, the movement has not been without its criticism: ‘How can you be an Atheist and worship in a church? Surely it’s a contradiction in terms’ said the Rev. Saviour Grech of the Catholic Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Ho Wah So Church (Finsbury) when, in December 2012, news first spread of the date of the original service in North London.

But as Jones put it on Sunday, ‘we prefer to think of it as a celebration of life, you’re able to inspire people and bring them together’.

And true to this positive ideal there were no denouncements and no dogmatic sermons from the pulpit.

Speakers on the topic of new beginnings shared their experiences with the aid of Powerpoint to an ever celebratory crowd.

Out of Sunday’s assembly it would appear that there is now a thirst in Brighton for an ‘initiative in community building and engineered serendipity’, as guest speaker Mark Stevenson put it.

Stevenson filled his speech with positive symbolism to actively encourage ‘communities to congregate and be co-inspired without having to sign up to a religious worldview’.

When Jones himself took to the stage, a cocktail of stand-up and serious contemplation ensued - mentions of death minus the afterlife included.

Now, the movement is spreading: starting October 20th is the 40 days, 40 nights tour that sees Evans and Jones open at least 30 new churches worldwide.

Finalised dates include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester and Dublin, as well as London and a return to Brighton in October.

The tour then crosses the Atlantic in November to major cities in the U.S. and then on to Australia.

So, after all these plans, where can the assembly go next?

‘I have no idea’, answered Stevenson, ‘but I hope we see similar initiatives in every town and city in the world’.

As godless congregation begins to snowball across the globe, fate seems to be playing into the hands of a religion that refuses to believe in it.

Music

Paul Woolford Audio

21st September Thomas Powell Arts Editor It would be hard to start this term’s run of Warehouse club nights at Audio with a better, more diverse or interesting representative of UK house and techno than Paul Woolford.

With Soul Music, a double album of tracks produced under his ‘Special Request’ moniker set to drop in the next month, Woolford presented a DJ set that featured some of the early highlights from the release.

However, despite his leanings towards breakbeat heavy house in the last year, much of Woolford’s track list consisted of new and lesser known house and techno of a more conventional variety.

With this in mind, one of the

Thomas Powell

Described as ‘Purveyors of top notch Cricket Pop’, The Duckworth Lewis Method have made a name for themselves in the incredibly small niche of cricket-based musical performance.

As their genre choice may suggest, the Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon and his partner-in-crime Thomas Walsh haven’t struggled to make an impact on the charts: their debut album, which they described as ‘a kaleidoscopic musical adventure through the beautiful and rather silly world of cricket’ gained the pair a considerable following.

To celebrate the release of the no-

toriously-difficult second album, The Duckworth Lewis Method popped down south to perform at St. George’s Church in the city centre.

Although the church is not the most lively venue Brighton has to offer, the band put on a performance that would have got any Englishman in the mood for this winter’s Ashes tour of Australia.

The 90 minute extravaganza featured a setlist of around twenty songs, which were all performed without a ‘no ball’ in sight.

The set itself was as bouncy and energetic as the band’s eccentric dress would suggest which made for a very enjoyable experience in such an intimate venue.

Although St. George’s may not have been the perfect setting for a concert such as this, the band did the best to create an energetic atmosphere, acting just the same as if they’d been anywhere else.

The night was a good one; all that was missing was jug of Pimm’s, some sunshine and a boundary or two.

Duckworth Lewis Method Press

standout tracks was Tiga and Audion’s new release ‘Lets Go Dancing’, a great party track with a catchy vocal and old school techno feel.

However, to fans of his work, the best moments were when Woolford played his own tracks.

As he tested the bass on his Hackney Parrot VIP early on in the set, the DJ teased the crowd with a huge track that was to be played out in full much later on.

Without much hesitation, Woolford made amends for having toyed with his audience - rolling out his remix of Friend Within’s ‘The Renegade’ - a track which modernises a 90s classic with its sample of Wildchild’s ‘Renegade Master’.

Foot shufflers such as ‘The Renegade’ and the deliciously chopped vocals of Special Request’s Lana Del Rey remix (‘Ride’) helped keep the set from being too far from mainstream accessibility, while remaining rooted firmly in house.

Meanwhile, the DJ’s breaks infused Special Request productions brought real diversity to the set.

While these tracks still fall under the umbrella of house music they prevented the floor from be-

coming a sea of motionless zombies listening to 4/4 bass kicks.

From the other end of his own productions, Woolford aired the stabbing piano house of Untitled a 12” released in June on Scuba’s Hotflush label.

The variety in Woolford’s own creations, let alone in his record collection made for a set with very few dull tracks.

As with most experienced DJs, Woolford was able to build his set up to a frenetic, crowd pleasing close: the final twenty minutes leapt from amen breaks at house tempos to hard techno and back again.

The room was sent into a frenzy by the three built in rewinds on the Special Request VIP of Tessela’s ‘Hackney Parrot’ (now finally unleashed in full).

Woolford’s re-work of the Tessela track was a fine lesson in progressively building tension and releasing it with each bass drop.

By close at 4am, with the lights up and Lone’s ‘Crystal Caverns 1991’ playing to an ever more weary crowd, no one in Audio was disappointed.

the badger

30 September 2013 ARTS • 15

Reviews music

Photography

Concorde 2

One Eyed Jacks

Seamus Mulrenan

Will Fortna Arts Editor

Graham Miller

Swim Deep 25th September

The growing Birmingham quartet Swim Deep has a name that brings to mind many positive thoughts.

A revitalising presence; cold streams flowing at the bottom of a river - images conjuring a fresh summer.

However, after a sweaty set in a dark, sweltering room, Swim Deep is suggestive of a bleaker proposition – swim deep: swim really, really deep.

Yet this isn’t to say that their set at Concorde 2 was entirely irredeemable.

Let me explain. Swim Deep are not an appropriate band to listen to at twenty five or thirty.

In fact, you would be hard-pressed to say someone over the age of sixteen would enjoy them live – indeed the combined age of the audience was around fifteen.

Swim Deep’s influences, from Nirvana to The Stone Roses, predated most of the audience - which isn’t problematic in itself.

Yet when the audience is so young that you start to feel your own sense of mortality, the ache in your knees, the irrelevancy of your fashion, the need to call non-existent grandchildren – it can greatly inhibit one’s enjoyment of a performance.

This might seem a fickle and shallow complaint but the age and ma-

Charlie Brooker - Heather Gwyther Swim Deep Press turity of the audience was strangely mirrored by the band.

For instance, Swim Deep have picked their psychedelic threads from the past four decades of fashion, yet seem to have simply concentrated on what’s cool now and worked backwards from there.

Likewise, the magpie tendencies of the band could be heard in their song: from saccharine opener ‘Honey’ to the encore.

A distinctive sound was so lacking that all the songs merged into viscous blob.

This isn’t to suggest that the actual music was bad or offensive.

In fact it was upbeat and melodic.

Yet when they pulled out a version of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” the

central problem of the night became clear: they have sought so many influences that each one nullifies and makes the others, in turn, feel insubstantial.

Their music may regularly be classified grunge but this is grunge with no edge; with the potent venom atrophied.

In the end the problem is that although Swim Deep have an undeniable stage presence, positivity and sense of melody, they lack a lasting grit.

Like water they may go down smoothly but in the end if there’s too much of it you may be in danger.

Swim - but I wouldn’t recommend swimming deep.

Though less than a year old, One Eyed Jacks, a small photography gallery nestled incongruously at the top of York Place, has established a clear aesthetic and its latest exhibition – the work of the Australian Graham Miller – fits it perfectly.

Miller’s nationality, however, is perhaps a red herring.

The photographs so far exhibited at One Eyed Jacks (named after the casino in Twin Peaks) seem to, often consciously, play into a particularly American visual style, most notably in their treatment of light and space.

Graham Miller’s photographs, both portraits and suburban landscapes, seem to capture the world in the same light as canonical American figures such as Edward Hopper, David Lynch and William Eggleston, and more contemporary stateside photographers like Todd Hido, Alec

Soth and Philip-Lorca DiCorcia.

Like the above artists, Miller manages to portray at once a real beauty and an unmistakable melancholy.

Interestingly, he achieves this sitting in between the narrative style of Gregory Crewdson and the more documentary approach of Soth or Eggleston.

Like the former, several of these images have the quality of film stills and it is these that stand out above the rest.

At times however, this work - for all its beauty - seems to suffer from its very place in this visual aesthetic and Miller does not perhaps show the individuality that would truly place him alongside these aforementioned figures.

Indeed, a couple of the photographs, in particular the image of a suburban home at night, could well be taken straight out of Crewdson’s Twilight series.

This was however, a superb collection of beautiful and captivating photographs, and it would be wise to make it on over to Jacks while the exhibition is still running.

The Graham Miller Exhibition is running until October.

Sony Picture Classics

Music

Night Beats

The Blind Tiger Club 23rd September

Rebecca Legister-Anderson Its not every gig when the supporting act is more attention grabbing than the main, but this certainly happened to be the case for Night Beats at the Blind Tiger.

While the supporting act made an interesting choice of art direction by playing a 70’s porno in the background of their set, Night Beats stuck to a more or less traditional set up.

With a plain backdrop augmented only by a disco ball, the band let the music do the talking.

Hailing from Seattle, the psychedelic rock trio is an amalgamation of distorted riffs and coarse vocals that conjures Texan scenery.

Although strong attributes, the combination surprisingly didn’t leave a lasting or memorable im-

Graham Miller

Rebecca Legister-Anderson pression at all.

The set, including opener ‘Love Ain’t Strange’, consisted mostly of material from the newly released album Sonic Bloom.

Beginning with a droning riff that would be fitting for a western, Lee Blackwell’s harsh vocals toy with the microphone but are unfortunately

lost against the charging, energetic drumming from behind.

The band achieved a psychedelic and dreamy atmosphere by melding their songs together with distorted guitars between songs.

While this created a seamless and uninterrupted set, it was hard to distinguish when one song ended

have loved the consistent music and and another began.

This hazy spell was broken half- no general chatter approach, I had way through when ‘Playing Dead’s found myself craving a little more thundering drum intro came into audience interaction from the band.

But then again, perhaps this lack play, helping to relieve the feeling of of interaction was for the best. mid-set fatigue.

The performance was a solid one At this point, the famously reserved British crowd had begun to and created the perfect atmosphere loosen up and danced without in- for the young, intoxicated audience hibition to other crowd pleasers to aggressively dance and head-bang Buttons at Concorde 2 - Rhyddian Pugh away. such as ‘Outta Mind’ and ‘Rat King’, Fuck where the audience screamed with That however was, ironically, delight as Blackwell screeched the when the band was most impressive infectious chorus.

– as great background music to get Despite having previously toured drunk to and not remember particuwith Black Lips, the band’s stage larly well the next morning. theatrics were decidedly more lowkey than the American rock veterans’ infamous antics.

And while dedicated fans may

the badger

30 September 2013 ARTS • 16

LIFESTYLE Burgers, business and Brighton

Philosophy and English Literature student Charlie Summerville interviews the creator of the ever-popular pub adjoining burger joint, Troll’s Pantry

JOIN THE CLUB The Mesmerist

Charlie Summerville Burgers from The Troll’s Pantry are perhaps the best I’ve ever eaten, but with MEATliquor opening metres from their usual Hobgoblin haunt what does the future hold for the establishment?

I visited their new outlet at The Brunswick to get the basics on their burger business.

Where did The Troll’s pantry begin?

It was conceived when I found myself unemployed.

I got fed-up of working in places where they were serving up premade junk from the cash and carry to customers - it was really depressing.

So I researched a business plan and came up with the idea of mobile catering because there are cheap startup costs and no one tells you what to do.

What processes are involved in making a Troll’s Pantry burger?

I’ll run you through The Smoky Mountain: most people who make barbecue sauce just throw in a load of tomato puree, a can of coke and a few spices but we get the freshest vine-ripened tomatoes - locallysourced of course - then roast them,

press them, and get the juices from that to make the base. Our spices are ethically-soruced.

Every detail we think of that we can source ethically we do, which is why our burgers are a bit pricer than others - we stick to our guns.

It’s a lot more difficult to source everything locally; where most places get everything from the cash and carry, we have ten different suppliers all around Sussex.

It makes ordering a bit tiresome but the end product is worth it.

The farm we get our beef from is a conservation project. They rear the animals in the most natural way possible and they live entirely free lives - until they get a bolt gun through their head.

The beef itself is English Longhorn, nothing goes in it other than steak mince.

We mould the patties by hand and season lightly with smoked sea salt.

Lettuce? We just use Iceberg because it’s got the crunch and everything else just goes soggy.

We can’t always get it locally which is a pain, but it’s the kind of compromise I’ve had to make.

What’s the importance of using locally-sourced produce?

Naomi Horsfall There’s a question for another coffee - there are countless reasons!

The main reason for me is the fact that we’re so reliant on imported food.

Oil prices are rising sharply, there’s global instability; we take for granted that we’ll be able to get food shipped over at any moment.

The problem with that is that your own country’s food infrastructure will just deteriorate and become dependent on imported food to the point where, when shit does hit the fan, there won’t be any food growing in this country.

It’s important for us to support local farmers because they’re the ones who have got our backs when that does happen.

Secondly, it’s fresher and it hasn’t been sitting around in cold storage

for six months.

It’s better quality, you’re supporting the local economy and there’s traceability - you know where your stuffs coming from in case there’s any problem with it.

Where do you see The Troll’s Pantry in the future?

I have an endgame: my own smallholding where we rear some of our own animals, make our own cheese, grow our own crops.

Maybe some places to camp and have outdoor festivals.

In the meantime, I’m letting the business decide where it goes - I know where I want to get to but there are a million different paths I can take to get there.

BBC

Most people have heard of eating disorders, but rarely are they fully understood.

In my experience, it’s this lack of understanding which stops people from helping themselves or others who are suffering.

With this in mind, it’s time to start talking about eating disorders.

Last year, a relatively mild form of an eating disorder began affecting my life severely.

Whilst fighting depression, anorexic behaviour became a problem that accompanied it.

Anorexic behaviour is characterised by under-eating, obsession with body image, weight loss and a fear of weight gain.

Sufferers still feel hunger, but deny themselves a reasonable amount of food.

When I first started suffering from depression I began starving myself because of low self-esteem and a distorted body image.

These problems led to an irrational

Naomi Horsfall fear of eating due to an abnormal fear of gaining weight.

At my worst, I lost nearly a stone in just over a fortnight and my BMI score fell to underweight.

As each day passed I became physically weaker and weaker; weight gain, body image and eating were constantly on my mind - it felt like an inescapable form of torture.

People I was close to were not always able to understand the situation, the common advice I received was “just eat more” - a massive oversimplification of the psychological issues associated with eating problems.

I look back at this period in shock

at the damage that was being done to my body, but at the time I was unable to acknowledge it as dangerous, or even problematic.

I had listened to various figures in my life express concern about my eating but I didn’t believe what I was being told and continued regardless.

The only time it occurred to me that I was unhealthy was after a scary incident in a supermarket.

I had continued my day as normal (‘normal’ for me at that time meaning ‘not having eaten substantially’), when suddenly my body was unable to maintain consciousness.

The next thing I knew I was being dragged into an ambulance.

Holly Davis-Bollard Features Editor ‘Not your typical club night’CarmelH is a phrase tossed around far too frequently these days.

Most suspicious was the rebranding of Pound Dance to Fresh Meat, which retained the same night, venue, and playlist, but acquired (oh, wait) a brand new set of prices that differ significantly to their pound a drink predecessor.

But discussing The Mesmerist is not a time for bitterness.

It is, in fact, an occasion to

Eating disorders: Not just for girls Ben Perkins

Ho Wah So

Whilst eating disorders are more common in women, it is often forgotten that men - like me - get them too.

If you notice a change in your eating patterns or those of people you know, do not suffer quietly or stand by and watch.

You can recover from eating disorders - my case is proof of that - but without seeking help you risk allowing something as simple as sustenance turning your life into chaos.

If you have been affected by a similar issue, you can seek help from the University by: Arranging a one-to-one meeting at the Student Life Centre with a Student Life Advisor, Speaking to the Students’ Union Welfare Officer, Sophie van der Ham, who is based on Falmer House or can be emailed at welfare@sussexstudent.com, Or by visiting the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre, on the first floor of Falmer House.

celebrate the brand new night many of us have been hoping for.

You will find yourself in a smoky bar (okay, bars haven’t been smoky since 2007) packed out with your average student crowd, serving Jack Daniels and Lilt.

Yep, you heard it here first, your favourite fruity sugar-coma is now sold in bars, and it comes with alcohol!

The playlist is an electrifying medley of jazz, funk and old, old school R&B, (think I Got A Woman

by Ray Charles, the original sample of Gold Digger).

The downside to this original playlist might be that you find yourself at the end of the night, standing in a brightly lit, slowly emptying bar, dancing like you do at Hot Wuk to the kinds of songs played at your cousin’s wedding.

the badger

30 September 2013 ARTS • 17

Sussex Showcase - ‘Destruction’ Battlefield The battlefield makes work for idle hearts as flesh dictates the will of none.

Metal sores as empty birds would fly, and the sweeping flocks feast on mortal souls.

Those who kill then heave the mass as their souls must gasp unworthy sky, Men must shed and become the Sin, like a banal God slaying all that’s pure.

One war in time a man took to arms, his shell a vessel of unchaste thought.

The gun he held spewed none but farce, as it lied to the wind with toxic spit.

In a second his life was changed anew, so his shoulders dropped with fated ties.

His aim was straight and woefully true, as the bullet impaled and darkness binged.

His choice was made as paths were crossed, now dire straights were his to run.

The man he’d killed had no bad blood, just a stray aloft from innocent depths.

As cells decayed a life was born, a widow to bear a new sense of self.

She cried her vowels with lips of dust, her head on his heart that once had loved.

As the birds lost flight a silence embarked, the soldier’s hands stayed fair and dry.

For what was done had rested on a just cause plied from twisted mouths.

A noble force then took to form, as the widow refused her grief a blade.

She sang her steps and held her head, then cast a line towards his ear.

The whisper fell on beating drums, but chopped and changed to muted strains.

The soldier fell from zenith heights, to land in chains beside her feet.

“Fear not” he squawked with wholesome eyes, As the widow bowed with ill repent, “I take mine as I have taken yours”, then showered his crown for her tears were spent.

- Anon

Kim Nelson Ben PitQt, Music Student

Leila Gunn, Chemistry Student

This photograph was taken on a slow shutter speed while zooming in and out.

‘She passed through a graveyard today to feel more alive.

How can she feel so numb being the only living soul among so many dead?

‘His life is a beautiful memory’.

So many reunited in death.

A ghost of life she moves without ripples.

After finding so much solace here she doesn’t think she can leave.

She pictures herself lying among the graves and staying there.

Seeking the peace that so many here have found.

Not dead, but not alive; there.

It worried her how much comfort she found in the thought.

This is the place she’d been searching for: Nature, life, death, solace, silence, privacy.

Somewhere to cry and feel at one with the earth.

She spoke to him on the phone and pulled her heart out.

Words that had seemed too big to utter Lost their power once exposed to the light.

She felt cleansed.

As if her mind had been baptised in the pool of water she sat by.

She had strength. Enough to think about leaving, Enough to put one foot in front of the other.

She didn’t know where it would take her, But she no longer felt weak.’

Week four theme is:

ELECTRIC If inspired, send something to frampley@gmail.com by 7th October.

- Holly Hagan-Walker

the badger

30 September 2013 Arts •18

Arts

The agenda This week’s cultural highlights that you must see

Pop

Folk

TV

Comedy

FOLK Seth Lakeman St George’s Church Friday 4th October, 7pm £20

Fuck Buttons

Pop San Cisco The Haunt,

A past Mercury Music Prize nominee and multi-instrumentalist, Lakeman showcases his distinctive flair with folk.

Film

Sunday 6th October, 7pm

£14.50

Classic Post-punk outfit tours new album Change Becomes Us. The Australian four-piece begin their UK tour at Brighton’s very own The Haunt. Expect energetic and “squelchy” indie pop.

R’n’B R’n’B Marques Toliver & The Sometimes The Haunt, Wednesday 2nd October, 7pm

If you know anything and everything about the inhabitants of Springfield,

The Brighton Comedy Festival takes place across the city during the month of October. If you missed Edinburgh, here’s a chance to see Britain’s best comedians on your very own doorstep!

this is the thing for you.

Club FILM The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology + Satellite Q&A with Slavoj Žižek Duke’s @Komedia Friday 4th October 7pm

SOLD OUT

£9

When Adele announces you as her “new favourite artist”, you unsurprisingly have high expectations to meet.

Coming from a classical background, Toliver has worked with the likes of Grizzly Bear and Holly Miranda alongside worldwide solo tours of his debut EP. A unique mix of speech, R’n’B music and even news reports from the London riots, Toliver’s show is not one to miss.

TV QUIZ Simpsons Quiz Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar Tuesday 1st October 8pm £1

With intent of exploring how the authorities treat us as ‘subjects of pleasure’, the director Sophie Fiennes and philosopher Slavoj Žižek join forces in this engaging and provocative documentary.

Featuring clips from films as eclectic as The Sound of Music and Brazil, Žižek appears frequently appears in costume to illustrate his points via reconstruction. Certainly something which has to be seen to be believed.

CLUB White Mink: Electro Swing Speakeasy The Old Market Friday 4th October 8pm £14

Considered the second best party in the UK (how unfortunate), this revival of the speakeasy is taking Brighton by storm. If Baz Lurhman’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby left you feeling sour about The Jazz Age, White Mink guarantee to restore your faith in the glitz and glamour of the 1920s.

Winner of this year’s Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award, Bridget Christie brings her critically acclaimed show to the festival. A proud feminist, Christie is undoubtedly out to hit a nerve.

COMEDY Opening Night Gala Brighton Dome Friday 4th October, 8pm £25 Hosted by the nation’s favourite Chatty Man, Alan Carr will be leading the Opening Night Gala of Brighton’s 12th Comedy Festival.

In aid of Sussex Beacon, the show will also include side-splitting performances by Jack Dee, Kevin Bridges, Jon Richardson, Angela Barnes, Seann Walsh and Suzi Ruffel.

PREVIEW: The South Monday 30th September, Komedia

PREVIEW: Landshapes Monday 7th October, Green Door Store

Victoria Rodrigues O’Donnell

Victoria Rodrigues O’Donnell

Formed from the ashes of The Beautiful South, nine members continue on their 90s success as The South.

Performing at the North Laine’s one and only Komedia, the group will be playing a mixture of hits such as ‘A Little Time’ and ‘Rotterdam’ alongside new material from their debut album ‘Sweet

Refrains’.

Promising to be “still as Beautiful as they ever were”, the show is part of their first tour since reforming.

Support will be provided by the Brighton based Kim Slade, a singer/songwriter who cites influences as varied as The Jam and The Streets.

Following the release of his first EP ‘Bognor Vegas’, he is definitely one to watch.

Mixing ethereal melodies with heavy percussion and explosive harmonies, you’d be forgiven for thinking Landshapes were your average folk-pop group.

Formally known as Lulu and the Lampshades, their song ‘Miss Me When I’m Gone’ went viral and was also made famous by Anna Kendrick who performed this cup-percussion

COMEDY Bridget Christie: A BiC for Her Brighton Dome Sunday 6th October 7:45 pm £10

piece in the film Pitch Perfect.

Renaming the band evidenced a shift in their music to much darker terrains and although they’ve only recently released their debut album, Rambutan, it is clear that they’ve matured from clap-happy hooks.

Known for their interesting stage presence as a result of the members’ constant movement and multiinstrumentalism, the performance is guaranteed to be as absorbing as their music.

COMEDY Andy Parsons: I’ve got a Shed Corn Exchange Saturday 5th October 7:30 pm £15

A regular on the BBC’s Mock the Week, Andy Parsons joins the Comedy Festival with his new show. Expect his typical sardonic take on all members of the cabinet.

watch, write, review Get involved in the Arts team by joining us at our writers meetings or searching on Facebook for :

“Badger Writers”

the badger

30 September 2013

SporTS • 20

SPORTS

Sussex Saxons prepared for exciting season Sam Jackson

Sussex Saxons American Football team are set for an exciting season having joined established sports such as football and hockey in the cosy club of Students Union funded teams.

The 2013/14 season will be their inaugural venture into the BUCS leagues after one season spent playing Association games in their guise as a Development outfit following the team’s creation at the start of last season.

It is a testament to the Saxons’ organisation and desire that the squad were even able to operate as a Development team, fundraising £9000 over the course of the season and being the recipients of another £9000 in the shape of a Sport England grant in order to be able to compete.

American Football is by no means a cheap sport to play, with the mandatory matchday hiring of ambulances bumping up costs alongside the already extensive kitbag.

In tandem with other match, training and travel expenses, the Saxons achievement in this regard is certainly not to be sniffed at.

Despite the obvious difficulties for the team, they won 4 out of their 5 fixtures and attracted 45 players, a statistic made all the more impressive when one considers that the established Oxford University American Football team boasts a roster consisting of around 20 players.

With Student Union funding taking care of the financial side of things, the team are this year able

Fair Play Michael Morrow Sports Editor

Freshers fair is one of the headline events in any good Freshers week. Light hearted in its very nature, the fair showcases all of Sussex’s great clubs and societies and offers all students the chance to sign up to as many of these as they please. It may be light hearted and fun, but for all the University’s sports clubs the fair is a crucial event, as here they are able to not only alert any students of their existence but to scout new players for their team. With the end of every academic year there is obviously a huge amount of students who graduate from the university therefore leaving them ineligible to represent the university in competition. And this

to focus all their efforts on playing.

With kit purchased and a year of playing experience under their belts, the Saxons are awaiting the coming season with an optimistic outlook.

Saxons’ Defensive Captain Matt Burden has described the opportunity to play in BUCS competitions as “awesome,” with the squad looking to push forward with success.

Whilst last year the vast majority of the squad were complete newcomers to the sport, returning players are now equipped with a season’s worth of experience and skills that were acquired over the course of the Development year.

Team spirit and camaraderie are fully established leaving the Saxons with an impressively obtained set-up and sturdy foundations in place.

As far as sports are concerned at Sussex, Varsity is never far from people’s lips. After being on the receiving end of an impressive Brighton performance last season, the Saxons are looking to reverse the story and settle their score this time around.

Use of the word revenge in this city usually comes hand in hand with mention of a trip to the UK’s premier LGBTQ venue, although when used in the context of Sussex Saxons, it simply describes the teams desire to overhaul last year’s drubbing.

The Saxons play the motley bunch from across the A27 twice this season, in the BUCS league in addition to the Varsity fixture, with the squad aiming to exorcise the ghosts of Varsity 2013 on both occasions. is exactly why recruiting new team members is necessary, to replace those players who have graduated and can no longer play for the club.

The turnout at this year’s fair was highly impressive, waves upon waves of students assembled around Falmer House to see what was on offer. As cynical as this may sound, a high turnout means a bigger talent pool for the sports teams to choose from; a fact which makes the sporting year ahead all the more exciting as with so many people offering their services to a sports club, only the very best players will be representing our University. Sussex’s Squash club president Stuart Etherington told The Badger that a good turnout at Freshers fair can only improve the club, “After losing more than a few of Sussex’s finest talents to the real world last year, squash needed a strong influx of new arrivals. Thankfully, it delivered. The future looks bright for squash with the men’s first

Andy O’Neil To add to the excitement surrounding the Saxons’ campaign, the team have a sprinkling of international stardust in their ranks this year in the shape of Alessandro Mella, an Italian international wide receiver with 7 years of playing experience, and a veteran of European Championship competition. The Saxons’ Defensive Captain Burden was waxing lyrical about the team’s new man when he caught up with The Badger, praising Mella’s leadership skills, drive and obvious quality.

Having played with Mella at just one training session so far, Burden was keen to emphasize the impressive mark already made by the new player and the team’s excitement at having such quality at their disposal, telling the Badger “we are lucky to have him”.

The Saxons play their home fixtures at Brighton University’s Astro Turf pitch, a 5 minute walk from Falmer Station. The team had 300 supporters at their first game last year, and with the Saxons’ first fixture still lit-

tle way off, a midday start on November the 10th, readers have plenty of time to clear their diaries. Go along and lend your support to arguably Sussex’s most promising team. An exciting season awaits.

For more information on the Sussex Saxons and details of how you can get involved as a player or fan, ‘Like’ the Ssusex Saxons’ Facebook page, or head over to their website at www.sussexsaxonsafc.com

Player Profiles - Josie Nelder

team trying to maintain their recent promotion place, the seconds pushing for a top place finish and the ladies also looking for promotion. Taster sessions were a success with a great turnout.” The Fair is also an opportunity for the sports teams to invite new players along for taster sessions or trials. Sophie Gauster, Women’s Football Captain was happy to see that many Freshers braved the horrible weather and joined the current team in the trials. Freshers fair, aside from the masses of leaflets and free sweets, really does help our keep our sports clubs competing on a national level. Let’s just hope that at the end of this year Sussex will have fulfilled its potential on the sporting stage!

Reuben Cross Josie Nelder is Team Captain of the Sussex Women’s Rugby Team and plays at fly-half.

Making the transition from football to rugby at age 13, Josie has played for her hometown club Horsham, as well as Sussex and South East England prior to joining the team at Sussex in the January of her first year.

Now a third year and proud to be captaining the title winning side, her individual targets and targets for the team this year are to improve on form by scoring more tries and to increase the squad size through recruiting more girls

with a passion for the game, perhaps even leading them to another victorious season.

Josie believes that winning the league last season and being chosen by the committee at the tail end of last year to become captain are amongst her proudest achievements.

She has the utmost respect for her teammates who turn up week in, week out, rain or shine, and enjoy themselves despite the immense physicality of an 80 minute game, saying that they wouldn’t turn up if they didn’t love it.

Her favourite player in the game of professional rugby is Danny Care and has been a Harlequins season ticket holder for five years, trying her hardest not to miss a game even around her studies for a degree in Biomedical Science.

contact badger sport If you would like to write for the Badger sports page, please email: badger-sports @ussu.sussex.ac.uk If you or your club would like to submit a match report or advertise an event you are holding, please get in touch via the email address above.