2013, Term 1, Issue 8

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POETRY SHOWCASE DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATIONS AT SUSSEX FEATURE

THE BIG DEBATE

Helping foster care leavers into uni

Is striking still effec14 tivePage in 2013?

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SCIENCE

ARTS

Watching TV makes you a better person!

Page 11

Page 12

Poetry special: Exclusive with the founder of ‘Hi Zero’ Page 15

SPORT TUNE IN ONLINE

Welcome to The Underwater University

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Sussex sex scandal GANG APPEAR IN COURT ACCUSED OF USING PARK VILLAGE AS BROTHEL AND TRAFFICKING 50+ YOUNG WOMEN IN TO THE UK

Daniel Green

Student accommodation on campus was used by an international prostitution ring, a court was told at a hearing last week.

A Hungarian gang is accused of flying more than 50 young women into the UK and setting them up in hotels and residential accommodation across Sussex, as well as the Park Village student residences on the University campus.

Mate Puskas, Victoria Brown, Zoltan Mohacsi, Istvan Toth, and Peter Toth allegedly have links to a ‘Hungarian sex gang’; each deny their involvement in the trafficking of young women for prostitution.

Hove Crown Court was told how the gang advertised the girls for sex via an adult website.

The prosecution, led by David Walbank, told the court that the gang recruited women as young as 18 from Hungary and arranged for them to be flown out of the country to the UK. Once they had landed, the gang are accused of having organised pornographic photo shoots, appointments with clients and negotiated on sexual services and prices.

Mr Walbank, in his opening remarks, said to the court: “This is a case about individual people, specifically the young Hungarian women who are the most obvious victims.

“The overall history of what was done by these girls and to these girls is a series of human tragedies, the consequences of which will affect them for a lifetime.”

He added that although only five defendants and 50 women have been identified, the “scale [and] complexity” of the operation suggests many more may have been involved.

Mr Walbank also said: “Each of these defendants was actively involved in an inter-

Ana Ramiez

Mate Puskas, inset, is one of five facing three counts of conspiracy to control the activities of prostitutes for gain, conspiracy to traffic into the UK and conspiracy to traffic within the UK. national prostitution ring which involved the trafficking of young women from Hungary.

“They arranged appointments with paying clients whom these young women were expected to service by performing every imaginable type of sexual activity and then pocketing a large slice of the case proceeds”.

Martin West, the University’s Building Manager for Park Village, told the court that he was alerted to an email advertising escorts in Park Village and that in one of the

profiles, he was able to recognise campus curtains and bedding that a prostitute was sprawled across.

The jury heard that when investigated, he found a young woman wearing a vest top and knickers, as well as a large box of condoms and wet wipes.

It is alleged that the gang also set up brothels in hotels near Gatwick Airport, and even further afield in places such as Margate, Kent and Glasgow.

The jury heard how one prostitute, found

in a basement flat in Eastbourne, called the address a brothel and confessed to having sex with up to 15 clients a day.

The defendants face three counts of conspiracy to control the activities of prostitutes for gain, conspiracy to traffic into the UK and conspiracy to traffic within the UK. Last year, government figures suggested that the number of people being trafficked into the UK is rising, with gangs from China, Vietnam, Nigeria and Eastern Europe posing the biggest threat.

Although authorities discovered 946 victims of sexual trafficking in 2011, estimates by the Home Office suggest the true figure may be as high as 5,000.

It is estimated that women and girls comprise 55 percent of all those in forced labour and 98 percent of all those in sex trafficking.

The University said it was unable to comment, as the case is still ongoing. It is expected to last eight weeks.

Istvan and Peter Toth, who were not in court, are being tried in their absence.

the badger

11 novemBER 2013

in pictures • 2

INInPICTURES pictures: what’s happening in your town Dia de Muertos

Mexican Students Society

Amy Louise Williams SMuTS and Show Choir - Rocky Horror show

Amy Louise Williams Lewes Bonfire Night

Mina Rassouli Lewes Bonfire Night

Emily Ransley

Ho Wah So

Diwali

Sussex Student Minds Society - bake sale

Mina Rassouli

Shima Jalal Kamali Sussex Men’s Football Team

James Crowley

Rhiannon McCluskey Careers Fair

Emma Stevens

Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair

Kiattisak Thepsuriya

Laura Campanella Studio

the badger

11 November 2013

NEWS • 3

NEWS

Conservative MP Weatherley takes on ex-student in ‘coward’ case Gabriel Webber Alex Cline, an English Literature graduate from the University of Sussex, appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on the 31 October to face charges of causing Hove and Portslade MP Mike Weatherley “harassment, alarm and distress” during a protest on the University campus in November 2012.

The Conservative MP has long been a prominent anti-squatting campaigner. His website claims that he was instrumental in the criminalisation of squatting in residential properties, and has since been the victim of a “a vitriolic [twitter] campaign”, by squatters who “routinely call for Mike’s death”.

The case is being heard in front of a district judge sitting without a jury.

The Counsel for the prosecution alleged that Mr Cline “precipitated a maelstrom of abuse” against the Conservative MP by shouting, “You’re a coward, Mike Weatherley”, when Mr Weatherley visited The University campus to participate in a debate about the criminalisation of squatting. Cline was a student at the time.

During the course of the trial,

which was delayed as a result of University security only releasing crucial CCTV footage to lawyers on the morning of the hearing, the MP described how “40 to 50 people ran up to me with the intent of doing myself damage,” and described his flight through the campus to a lockable ‘sanctuary room’ in the Silverstone building, during which he was hit on the back by what “felt as hard as any rock I’ve ever been hit by”.

Aided by video footage from YouTube, a form of evidence that the judge decided to allow, he told the court: “I heard chants including ‘Get Weatherley’, ‘Scum’ and, most frightening at the time, ‘One Solution: Execution’.”

He continued: “We ran for our lives, quite frankly; we were terrified.

I cannot tell you how terrified we were.” Mike Weatherley spent nearly two hours being quizzed by barristers about his experience on the University campus last November.

During Weatherley’s hostile crossexamination, Owen Greenhall – who wrote a chapter on the law of occupations in ‘The Protest Handbook’ – replayed the video and argued that at the time Cline made the ‘coward’ remark, he was not shouting or acting

especially threateningly.

“I realise you are a politician, Mr Weatherley,” Greenhall remarked at one point, “but you are not answering my question. Did the defendant walk towards you?”

“Not physically,” the MP responded, after Judge Tanweer Ikram instructed him to give a clear answer.

Throughout, the defense argued that the right to free speech and freedom of assembly were paramount.

At one point the judge asked, “Is the entire case built on the defendant calling an MP a coward?” However, the prosecutor submitted that the context of “all mayhem being let loose” was relevant.

Greenhall also sought to highlight a discrepancy between Weatherley’s testimony in court about the size of the protest, and his witness statement written on the day of the incident, which estimated a smaller number of demonstrators.

The trial will resume on Monday 11th November at Brighton Magistrates’ Court, when witnesses will include members of Weatherley’s staff, a police officer and Matt Boughton, former President of The University of Sussex Conservative Society.

Rich/poor student divide ‘widens’ Miriam Steiner

The gap between the richest and poorest students attending university is at its highest level since 1963, according to a recent report by the London School of Economics.

The report found that although the higher education participation rate of students from working class backgrounds increased from 4 percent in 1963, to 20 percent in the year 2000, this was coupled with a disproportionately large increase in participation by students from welloff backgrounds.

The study highlighted that despite initiatives including the national curriculum and free education for all, higher education is still more likely to benefit the economic-elite over people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

In 1961, 25 percent of students came from a family where the main breadwinner had a “manual” occupation. Fifty years later, this had risen by just 2 percent, suggesting that socio-economic factors still play a significant role in access to higher education.

At The University of Sussex, in a

bid to attract students from a wider range of educational backgrounds, the First-Generation Scholar scheme has been set up to provide training, advice and support to students who are both entitled to the maximum grant from the Student Loans Company, and are part of the first generation of their family to go to university.

On top of academic assistance, the scheme also provides discounts for accommodation in the first year, fees in all subsequent years, and a cash bursary.

However, concerns have been raised over how the First Generation Scholar scheme will be affected by cuts to the National Scholarship Programme. Already it has been confirmed that by 2015-2016, said cuts will lead to the complete withdrawal of a £3,000 bursary for The University; which until this point had been mandated and provided for by the government, and allocated to every student whose family income was £25,000 per year.

The LSE report also emphasises the importance of investment early on in children’s education. The University of Sussex has been active in sending Student Ambassadors into

local schools, but this scheme predominantly targets students in year 10 and above, whom critics argue may have already decided the direction of their educational future.

The report didn’t assess the impact of the 2010 fee increase, which tripled the maximum cost of higher education, amid concerns that it could have a detrimental impact on applicant numbers from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Water goes Brighton’s down the drain waste epidemic Jack Williams News Editor

Zoe Ambrozewska

A “serious problem” at a pumping station in Lewes left residents in and around the University without water for up to sixteen hours on Tuesday November 5.

A recent poll of 2,000 consumers across the UK has ranked Brighton and Hove as the 15th most wasteful city in the country, with the third highest food wastage in the southeast. On average each household is estimated to be binning £536.12 worth of food per year.

Nathan Au, a representative from Fareshare Brighton, believes the key to tacking Brighton’s waste epidemic is

Southern Water, utility suppliers to the south-eastern regions of the UK, advised the Estates and Facilities Management to switch off all water supplies while repair works were under way.

During the outage, the University appealed to students to keep their water usage to a minimum.

In an e-mail addressed to all on campus residents, the University explained that there had been a “major leak on the Southern Water pipe work”, and asked that students “turn off all taps and showers to avoid flooding when the water supply is returned”.

The temporary suspension of water services forced the closure of the University’s Library due to concerns that remaining open would lead to an over usage of water. The University's website confirmed that normal service was resumed in the early hours of the following morning.

Hundreds of bottles of water were provided to students outside Bramber House while the pipe supplies were out of action. Reserve water tanks at certain accommodation buildings mitigated some of the inconvenience experienced by students and many were reported to be unaffected by the suspension of water supplies.

A Northfield resident explained: “there was a small trickle of water, so enough to drink. It didn't really affect anything, but it was useful that the university emailed us directly about the issue.”

Another resident, who lives in Stanmer Court, said: “The outage had no effect on me or my flatmates whatsoever. Despite seeing an email about a water outage by Residential Services, it didn't seem like a massive problem.”

The University were contacted for response but did not reply at the time of going to press.

engaging with students, who are likely to be mindful about how to save on their food bills.

“We have a lot of students who perhaps don’t have cooking and food management skills. I think education is vitally important and this should be introduced as soon as possible.”

Vera Zakharov, Brighton and Hove’s Love Food Hate Waste project coordinator, explained: “It’s not just students but also working professionals. It’s difficult when everyone is buying food separately and then cooking separately.

That’s an area where I think we can improve.”

She added: “We don’t need to have everything all the time.”

When asked about wastage in the Students’ Union-run outlets, Emily Holliday, Students’ Union Operations Officer, said: “Our bars recycle everything they use. Used cooking oil is sent to The Big Lemon, all our waste food is composted, plastic and glass is recycled.

“Also in our shops, we have trialed schemes where any waste food has been collected and given to the homeless.

“However, practical issues arose around this in relation to when the food was collected, but this is something we are looking at and would like to bring back soon.”

She went on to highlight the Union’s Freeshop and reuse schemes, as well as adding: “We also take part in Green Impact run by the NUS. Part of this works to reduce waste. Last year we won the highest accreditation, the ‘Excellence Award’ and prior to this we won Gold for 2 years”.

THE BADGER

11 NOVEMBER 13

NEWS • 4

Sharia law compliant Festival of student loans launched light shines

Yasmin Centeno News Editor

After pressure from the National Union of Students (NUS), the Prime Minister, David Cameron, has announced the go ahead for Sharia compliant student loans, allowing a large number of British Muslims access to student loans, previously denied to them because of interest rates relating to repayment.

Under Sharia Law, ‘Riba’ or ‘interest’ is forbidden and considered a major sin.

It is the belief that interest capital is an unjust gain in trade or business, and has meant that Muslims who adhere to this thinking have been unable to take out loans from the government due to the repayment methods.

As of 2012, the rate of repayment of tuition or maintenance loans is at the rate of interest plus 3%. The previous terms of repayment only required the student loan to be repaid back at the rate of inflation, effectively paying back the exact money borrowed.

A government hosted e-petition signed by 6,835 people called for “the creation of an alternative student loan system, based on Shariah-compliant financing.”

According to the National Union of Students (NUS): “Many Muslim students feel unable to take out student loans because of religious objections to interest bearing loans.”

The new repayment terms had reportedly made many Muslim students feel isolated as they were unable to comply with the SLC’s terms and con-

ditions.

Under the new system, terms of repayment will be agreed upon before the loan is taken out, enabling those who have previously had to exclude themselves from the financial support of the government, to have access to the same amounts of money that other students have had previously.

Toni Pearce, President of the NUS said: “It’s fantastic that the Prime Minister has accepted this very real need for sharia compliant loans.”

One student said: “this is a very helpful move on the part of the government, and helps put me and many others in a more economically stable situation while sudying for our degrees here and at universities across the UK”.

Keisha Rajaram

The Indian Student Society’s Diwali festival was very well received, as hundreds of students joined the festivities to celebrate the festival of lights.

The event was held in partnership with the Students’ Union and the University with a turnout of around 450 people.

The evening’s events were held in Mandella Hall and received rave reviews from those who attended.

"The Diwali show on campus was a wonderful combination of dance and music. The talent was apparent seeing so many wonderful traditional dance forms and music,” said Eldhose Skaria,

a student at the University.

The performances was followed by food in the Common Room and dancing to finish the evening’s events.

“The authentic Indian food was mouthwatering and I certainly would love to experience it all over again, it really did emulate a great Diwali tradition," she added.

Grace Karunanithy, one of the event coordinators commented: “as one of the main organisers, it was a challenge but one that is close to my heart.

This show couldn't have been a success without the assistance of Laurence Wilson, and John Sanders, The University of Sussex Liaison Officer. I was pleasantly surprised to see many non-South Asian faces.”

Tibet conference hosted Ayomide Oluyemi

The University last week played host to the annual Students for a Free Tibet UK (STFUK) activist conference.

The UK-based branch of Students for a Free Tibet, an international, nongovernmental organisation was set up in 2003.

The conference focused on developing the attendants’ skills to help deal with the situation in Tibet.

Since 1950 the Chinese government has used its army to occupy Tibet, a region located north-east of the Himalayas, and committed alleged human rights abuses, including allegations of political and religious oppression.

Many Tibetans wish to be led by the Dalai Lama, who was forced to flee the region in 1959 after a failed

uprising. Yusrà Supdarowa, SFTUK’S director, described the current situation as “growing more and more severe by the day” and added that “in under a year, over a hundred more Tibetans have undergone the ultimate sacrifice of self-immolating.”

‘Self immolating’ is the act of setting oneself on fire as an act of political protest.

The first day of the conference opened with an overview of the ongoing plight of the Tibetans and the strategies SFT is implementing to help support citizens under the regime.

A number of workshops were held over the two days on a variety of topics including public speaking, nonviolent direct action, lobbying MPs and campaigning.

Students also had the opportunity to learn about Tibet’s distinct cul-

ture.

Six Tibetans were in attendance.

The University of Sussex was chosen as the location for this years conference because of it’s “radical history and reputation”.

The numerous past successes of the University’s Free Tibet society also reportedly influenced the decision.

One member of the Free Tibet Society who attended said “it was a really inspiring weekend.” The member also praised the conference’s closing speech, delivered by the Dalai Lama’s representative to Northern Europe, Thubten Samdup.

“It was a very moving and personal speech, which was extremely informative about the current situation in Tibet and the direction the movement will take in the future.”

University of Sussex

Celebrating the Dia de Muertos

Juliette Cule Education Officer

The feedback loop This campus has a feedback problem. We are all constantly asking for feedback, but we never seem to have enough. The University, the Union, the students and the schools all complain about lack of feedback. What to do?

Feedback is only useful if the recipient acts on what they are hearing. It can easily transform into a consumer term in which feedback is collected and amassed for feedbacks’ sake. We can all be guilty of this.

The University uses the NSS to measure student satisfaction on feedback – a measure I fundamen-

University of Sussex

tally disagree with. Feedback is not meant to satisfy any of us – it should generate action, change, and discomfort with what went wrong.

This campus could be a hub of critical thought, self-reflection and transformation, but it is easier and less painful for all of us to ignore the feedback that would allow this to happen. The University needs to lead by example, valuing the opinions of its community and using them to generate change.

I’m asking all of us (myself included) to challenge ourselves, valuing the opinions of others and using them for self-reflection and positive change.

Seamus Mulrenan On Friday, 1 November, the University of Sussex held their own Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos in Spanish) celebrations at Falmer Bar. The Dia de Muertos celebrations were organised by both the Mexican Students Society at Sussex (MEXSAS) as well as Chiwa, a charity to help educate poor Mexican women.

The Day of the Dead is a holiday that is celebrated by Mexicans and other cultures around the world to remember and pray for dead relatives and friends.

Celebrations take place over three days commencing on October 31. Over 300 people attended the event that consisted of music, bright decorations and drinks.

The event attracted an array of members from the University community.

THE BADGER

11 NOVEMBER 2013

SUSSEX SAYS • 5

SUSSEX SAYS

Claim To Fame

THE MOAN ZONE

When in Rome...

Maddy Smithers The year was 2006 and everything was awesome. Not because the financial downturn recession crisis double dip credit crunch hadn’t happened yet, but because I was in Rome for a long weekend, rather than being in high school. It was a treat for my brother’s eighteenth birthday and we had done the traditional ‘Romany things’ (as in the things that tourists in Rome do, not the things people of

Unfortunately the twist of this story is not that the portrait of Tom Cruise comes to life Dorian Grey style and makes my whole holiday. Unwilling to spend (valuable in those days) Euros, we moved on to our next cliché.

A little while later, we walked back to our hotel which happened to be via the street from earlier. The busy bustle from earlier had evolved into a massive crowd gathered around the road side. Obviously we were curious as to what was going on so joined the crowd. Mission Impossible style, I

but not only did one of the most famous men on the planet walk past me, but also planned his wedding to coincide with my visit to Rome! And they all lived happily ever after (oh the irony!)

metal barrier by rowdy Italians was worth it...” squeezed my way to the front row of the throng until I reached a metal barrier separating the mob from what appeared to be a ridiculously grand hotel. My Italian is as good as my Zulu, which is fairly average, so I was unhappily not able to ask what was going on. Half an hour of being pressed against a metal barrier by rowdy Italians in twenty-five degree heat was actually totally worth it; Tom Cruise walked out of the hotel right in front of me! It turns out he was marrying Katie Holmes in Rome that very day.

I did not actually get to meet him,

The lecturers have significant leverage over their employers. However, a day of unpaid vacation by a soggy train station was not an exercise of said leverage.

It is undeniable that there is a well-represented faction of students on campus who are, to grossly under exaggerate, left-leaning. These individuals have romanticised the idea of industrial action to such an extent that they have become blind to pragmatism, seemingly unable to separate the 1980s from last week’s events.

“...Half an hour of being pressed up against a

the Roma community do), visited the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon and numerous other clichés. The most interesting thing happened, however, when we were walking down a street.

It seemed pretty normal, if rather busy.

There was the typical sight of portrait artists parked on the pavement, surrounded by their previous sketches, most of which were of celebrities.

My mum pointed one out which was actually very good, a man in the process of sketching Tom Cruise. It was like Tom Cruise was actually there.

This week: Lecturers are not coal miners

HAVE YOU GOT A CLAIM? Had any encounters with any celebrities?

We want to hear about it!!

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

By this, I mean to point out that lecturers affect almost zero damage to the University when they go AWOL, because the customers (the students) pay a fixed sum regardless. And of course, this fact leaves the fundamental end, to which industrial action is a means, unfulfilled. The fact that the lecturers chose to demonstrate on a week day, as opposed to a Saturday or a Sunday, was exclusively to the detriment of the students. Divide your annual tuition fee by the number of lectures you have in a year, and that will provide you with a crude representation of the losses inflicted upon you, and only you, for each of Thursday’s cancellations.

If the lecturers were to leverage their influence over the University in a non-trivial manner, they would threaten to permanently vacate their positions (i.e., not just for a day in the drizzle). Replacing teaching staff en masse would undoubtedly be laborious and expensive, as well as immensely damaging to the institution’s reputation. A genuine threat, as outlined in this paragraph, is the only way to instigate a serious dialogue between staff and employer.

Of course, the lecturers won’t raise the stakes in such a way as to endanger themselves; the battle is far too small, and they are far too comfortable.

Creatures of the Night @SussexSays #Moan Mark Tovey

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT Claire McDonagh Following one of the major films of my generation Mean Girls I distinctly remember the quote ‘In the regular world, Halloween is when children dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it’.

However, in student world, this is another reason for us to dig out our most outrageous outfits we can possibly find and stay out until the early hours. This past week I’ve seen it all: witches, cats, zombies, superheroes and even the early appearances of Santa and the Easter bunny. Living in Brighton you are indeed guaranteed an interesting night and with the imaginative yet comical imaginations of us students there was

indeed an incredible variety of characters roaming around town.

With what we thought was our ingenious idea of dressing as make shift minions from ‘Despicable Me’, us girls received a lot of attention. From drunk students at the bus stop shouting to the high heavens ‘Oh my God are you Where’s Wally?’ to others asking for pictures, us three girls were obviously popular with our different choice of costume. What proved to be more comical however was how much attention our costumes attracted in the club.

Trying to avoid the cliché of Nightmare on West Street on Halloween my friends and I decided to attend the Haunted House at Madame Geishas.

Again our costumes proved to be very much a conversation starter. Not only did we get the attention of a number of people, but apparently it was the perfect ice breaker for a somewhat vivacious twenty something man to chat us up. Not only did he then proceed with his reckoning for why he was unsuccessful with the ladies but clung onto us for dear life due to his ‘big love’ for minions. With the small capacity of the club and our eye-catching yellow cluster, we

were not a group that could disappear within the crowd easily. It seemed that our biggest fan not only wanted to keep us nearby but also did not want others to approach us, which I later discovered when he and his friends created a human wall to stop others from coming nearby as well as stopping us from walking away. It wasn’t until we made a quick and abrupt exit from our ‘human fort’ that our loyal supporters got the message.

Although Brighton never fails to be entertaining, Halloween is the one night that Brighton is roaming, quite literally, with ‘creatures of the night’.

HAVE YOU GOT A STORY?

Share your moaning moments

TOP CELEBRITY TWEETS OF THE WEEK “I really hate it when people hug you and kiss you hello… and then say shit like “sorry I’m really ill at the moment” #thanks #prick” @example “Last night, my son explained to me that “pumpernickel” loosely translated, means “Devil’s Fart”. He is, in fact, correct.” @SteveCarell “I love getting nom’d for awards coz the only one I got in school was a Certificate of Participation in the Walkathon #peopleschoice” @RebelWilson “A cancelled work out class is the ultimate grownup snow day.” @Oliviawilde “Simon Cowell tweeted he’s spotted a gap in the music market. I think it’s the one between Sam Bailey’s teeth.” @jimmycarr

the badger

11 november 2013

Letters • 7

LETTERS

I challenge the chairman of the Tory Soc Dear Badger, I am a ‘small c’ conservative and I was on the picket line yesterday.

I was interested to find that the leader of the Tory Society on campus decided to break the picket line.

This is interesting because one would have logically thought if someone is a Conservative they would want to defend education from the agenda of this government.

Now of course this isn’t the case and the ‘unconservative’ party have basically made it their goal to destroy education and to turn us all into swivel-eyed loons.

I therefore challenge the chairman of Tory Soc to an open debate on what it is to be a conservative and why he believes that neo-liberal reforms to the higher education sector will preserve and strengthen higher education.

Best wishes, James Cullis

Why striking is silly Dear Badger, As much as anyone has their freedom of speech, I struggle to understand the need to protest or strike. I write this as a working student, who I believe that the Socialist Student Workers Party should be representing.

I do agree that pay disparity is unfair.

The fact that many of my counterparts will have to do a similar paid job until they retire with little benefits or infrastructure to fall back on when times get tough- that is unfair. I disagree with how the government cuts are being implemented and how public services are being run like a business.

On a moral level I believe much of what the left wing represent to be fair. But in terms of the current theme of last week’s strike, in terms of the academic staff and pay not being in line with inflation, I understand. I would be upset

to be in a similar situation but it’s better to be paid than not being paid at all.

On a practical level we are in a recession, it sucks for everyone. It is not going to be resolved by blowing a couple of horns.

The majority of lower paid jobs on campus do not just pay better than any other job in Brighton; I have found the managers to be a lot more considerate of my university commitments than other employers in the city. The pay is a pound per hour more than what is advertised in Brighton for a similar job, hence my confusion in the need to protest when what we receive is significantly better than the labour market.

Many international students have lived through worse conditions caused by economic decline; my family being among the millions affected by 1998 recession in East Asia. I probably share the same view of many international and EU staff and students that we should be grateful for what we have considering the situation, although they are not ideal.

Again, I believe that many of those who strike and protest about things like wages have little experience of how bad things can really get.

There are times where I agree with a lot of what they are trying to achieve but feel isolated by their methods of voicing their concern. I feel a lot of the students who are taking part in the campaigns fail to understand what they are trying to promote nor understand what is like to be in the shoes of those they are trying to ‘fight’ for.

I am sure that I am not the only one who thinks this way. But this perception of those involved in left wing politics undermines their efforts despite their good will.

Yes Sussex is a predominately left wing university, and yes we have been on the frontier of many influential protests in our short history, but we should be protesting for something that is worthwhile.

Thanks for the deadline extension!

Anon

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

RE: Unfair Pay: ‘Enough is Enough’ Dear Badger, In response to last week’s article, the Green Party Society wants to let you know that we are soon going to be running the 10:1 Fair Pay Campus campaign at Sussex.

We think that the large pay disparities we experience at Sussex – with the salaries of staff falling in real terms and those of the university leaders rising – are inacceptable.

As several Sussex Professors pointed out last week in the Guardian, Sussex University had a financial surplus of £13.7m in 2012 – but neither students nor staff have benefitted much of this.

Instead, the salary of the Vice-Chancellor now surpasses that of David Cameron’s.

For these reasons, we strongly support the strike action that has been taken and the antiprivatization campaign on campus.

With a 10:1 pay ratio on Campus (almost) everyone would be better off -it can be shown that greater income equality has positive impacts on productivity and well-being.

Check out http://fairpayunis. wordpress.com/ for more info. If you want to support us with this campaign, come around to our fortnightly meetings or find us on Facebook.

Jasmin Lukasz for University of Sussex Green Party Society

Shopping sham Dear Badger, Online food shopping. The simplest option for us university students. Our house did our 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 to organise the road to be opened for the delivery. The van finally arrived at five to 1 which was cutting it fine.

Although I was slightly annoyed;

sitting round waiting around for two hours, everything seemed to be going smoothly- our house-mates relaying all the shopping into our house.

Then 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. The lady on the phone asked us whether we wanted a refund.

My flatmate refused as 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 4 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’.

Finally they called back but in the middle of my first lecture when I specifically told them I wasn’t free until 3pm that day. Two days on and we were 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.

Tarryne Rolle

# T hebadger the week in tweets

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@richiejv1 This week, @SussexUni has had protests, an occupation, a strike, and a visit from the Queen. Never a dull moment.

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the badger

11 november 2013

FEATURE • 8

FEATURE

Ho Wah So

Smashing the glass ceiling Features Editor, Holly Davis-Bollard, interviews an anonymous foster care leaver, and asks whether the government and social services are doing enough to support care leavers upon entering university.

Leaving home to attend university is always going to be an emotional minefield, but what does this mean for young adults leaving foster care?

It is a sad truth that those in foster care are not expected to strive for higher education. The question is, what does this lack of expectation place upon those that want to get all they can from the British educational system?

On the 31st of March 2011, 48,530 children were living with foster families. Statistics from the “Who Cares Trust” say that the figure of care leavers that attend University used to be around 1%, but has risen over the past few years to nearer 5%. Compare this to the fact that a whopping 37% of all young people attend University, and the ratio of foster care leavers to all other students is staggering.

Issues of finance, housing, and general support arise for all university students, even with such a high percentage of young people attending universities across the country.

In the last two years Sussex University alone has seen two large protests by its staff and students against its general management. If the majority of the university populous is feeling under-represented, how can universities, and the government that dictates how they are financed, be expected to cater with reasonable success to such a small percentage of students with such specific needs, that of the 5% of foster care leavers.

Just over a week ago, The Fostering Network began their “Tick the Box” awareness campaign in reaction to a fear that the majority of “care experienced” young adults are not receiving the support they need due to a lack of information about the benefits they are entitled to. By ticking the box on their university applications that indi-

“When I was at university, I had to bring things up with the social services that they had never had to deal with before.” cates they have a history in the foster care system, they are better placed to infiltrate the support networks created for them.

Robert Tapsfield, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said: “Going to university can be a huge challenge, and for those who may not have a family to support them through higher education, universities can help – but they can only know who to offer this to if care leavers tick the box.

“By applying to university young care experienced people are already

smashing the glass ceiling that many have put over them in their past and I hope that when they do Tick the Box, they do it with pride that they are real academic trailblazers”.

In theory, this project is revolutionary. But what about those who know their rights but are faced with barriers when trying to access them? Coming into contact with professionals who have no idea how to handle the issues that arise when foster care leavers attend University, is only too common an occurrence for one anonymous foster care leaver.

In his hometown of the London Borough of Barnet, there were two foster care leavers to go to University in the year that he started at Sussex.

He was one of them.

“There are two main things: A Levels is one of them. Not a lot of people do them. Lots of people drop out. When I did A Levels, that coincided with me turning 18. When you turn 18 you are technically an adult and have to move into your own place. At 17 they try and train you up for that, and put you into temporary accommodation.

When I was 18 they tried to force me out of foster care. I didn’t want that, so I refused and got the head of my sixth form involved. We managed to get it overturned.”

The issue here, is that living independently is not the situation most University students come from, and the daily pressures of living independently with a limited support network

would usually prove too much stress for a young care leaver to contemplate applying for University.

Even in school education, care leavers are still faced with great difficulties, so having finally made it to University, these issues only become more prevalent.

“When I was at university, I had to bring things up with the social services that they had never had to deal with before. They had to invent new regulations for me.

“I am supposed to be paid every week outside of term time. This was an issue, especially last Christmas. They failed to pay me every week. I had to speak to senior management. There are a lot of different levels of authority. One manager might promise you something, but they might be wrong.”

The question is: should it really be the job of young people, even if they have passed the age limit that defines them as an “adult”, to chase up the benefits and rights they deserve as valued members of society who have been put into the situation where their opportunities for success are so much fewer?

But it’s not all bad news. Sussex University is extremely supportive of its foster leavers. Some of the benefits it offers include: • A Care Leavers’ Bursary of £3000 cash for every year of study.

• £500 study grant in the first year.

• Priority for the Access to Learning Fund (ALF).

• Permission to remain in a campusbased Hall of Residence, including all holidays.

Monetary benefits may be available, yet tuition fees are covered in the same way they are covered for students not in care – through a student loan.

Having these financial strains looming at the end of a university degree is dubious enough for someone with the ability to move back home until they have a chance to earn enough money to live independently. So how discouraging must it be to know that you might be placing yourself into financial difficulties with nothing secure to fall back on?

Education is an investment for the future, but those in foster care are used to living for the immediate. Every aspect of trying to get to university is a threat to their security, whether it is leaving work to complete an access course or uprooting themselves to live in halls.

Ticking the “foster experience” box on a UCAS form is one thing, but getting to the point in your life where you have the opportunity to tick that box, is another.

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THE BADGER

11 OCTOBER 2013

COMMENT • 10

COMMENT Occupy Sussex piles more misery on students Paul Millar Comment Editor On a wet and miserable lunchtime on the eve of the Halloween strike, theOccupy Sussex group piled further misery on students and took over the Arts A1 Lecture Theatre.

With so many buildings empty on campus that afternoon, for the 50 or so occupiers to disrupt an afternoon of teaching seems daft.

With traditionally fewer lessons on Wednesday afternoons due to sport, the instigators of the action must have thought the lecture theatre was free.

But, they thought wrong, and the fact they didn’t check shows a total disregard to the interests of their fellow students. They later released conflicting statements, with one senior member of the group insisting that ‘no classes were scheduled’, while another saying there were.

Such was the arrogance of the Occupy Sussex clique that they say they personally made alternative arrangements for affected students on the Wednesday.

What the Arts A1 occupation was, in a nutshell, a needless, attentionseeking exercise. Patrolling outside Arts A1, a security guard explained the bitter taste left by the infamous

March 25th demonstration, which led to the front doors of Sussex house being smashed in, and staff being left frightened.

Occupy Sussex seem more concerned with disrupting the University’s generaly day-to-day business than properly and carefully promoting their cause to the wider campus community.

While I wouldn’t go as far as he did in saying the occupiers are “biting the hand that feeds them” – the hand might be feeding us but it is also strangling us with debt – what they’re doing is disenfranchising the majority from the underlying matter at hand, the marketization of higher education.

Because the debate goes so much deeper than outsourcing. The University of Sussex masterplan intends to nearly double student numbers, with outsourcing seen as a means of easing this transition.

One former senior management figure told me last week that the outsourcing was specifically to adapt and modernise its services for this expansion.

By shaking hands with Conservative Society President Louis Patel, as a member of the Labour Society, I condemned the occupiers in the most public way possible, not their

Union box

Emily Holliday Operations Officer

Snap it Off! The National Union of Students (NUS) has created a new scheme – Snap it Off – in response to concerns from students about how much energy is being wasted through unnecessary lighting – and not just on campus, but anywhere in our communities.

The NUS are asking students to simply take a photo of any light left on, send it in to them, and check back on the status of your photo later on.

They will then get in contact with the relevant people to ensure the light is turned off, and energy is conserved.

They are looking for photos of lights that are left on in

empty rooms, lights on in the daytime, too many lights left on in one place, or old inefficient lights.

So far they have had over 300 so-called ‘eco-crimes’ reported to them from across the country, and the number continues to grow.

You can submit your photos of inefficient lighting and help to save the enivornment through the Snap it Off website at http://snapitoff.nus.org. uk/.

Once lights have been switched off they are marked as ‘resolved’, and we can all help to ensure less energy is wasted at Sussex and across the country.

cause. To those who later attacked me on Twitter, I ask why people of different persuasions can’t agree on the basic fundamental principle of protecting student learning, especially with our generation having to pay tuition fees.

Because the rules have changed, occupying lecture theatres is never going to be popular. I see myself as more of a realist, more of a Robert Webb than a Russell Brand. Michael Segelov, a leading figure in the antiprivatisation movement, is more of a Brand, boasting on Twitter moments after Arts A1 was occupied: “Who’s campus? Our campus”.

The ‘Our’ presumably refers to him and his devoted comrades, not the 13,000 students studying at the University. In an ideal world, the University of Sussex campus should neither be in the control of management, nor to a couple of hundred students; but ought to instead belong democratically to the entire, evolving academic community. The Students’ Union, which quite rightly condemned the actions of the occupiers, could step up to the plate and reunite the majority of students with the issue of university privatisation.

But this ideal world won’t be achieved by marches and occupations. In fact, the guerrilla tactics of the March 25th demonstration undid much of their hard work. To onlookers, and the media, this is just any kind of student protest. Our Vice Chancellor, Michael Farthing, might have visibly aged as a result of the hounding he’s had (would you saviour the sight of angry Marxists wearing a mask of your face?).

But, like Margaret Thatcher, he will probably look back and count his blessings over how fortunate he’s been with his rivals. Farthing doesn’t understand the meaning of the protest, and I’m not surprised.

Nor do half of Occupy.

My Lewes Court porter last term outlined his fears that outsourcing of facilities and estates management, which is now going ahead in January, will make his job less en-

way it treats its staff? If this potential impact of privatisation was promoted more by Occupy Sussex, ‘Save the 235’ would take on a slightly more emotional meaning.

That said, February’s occupation of Bramber House was a great example of effective collective action. No classes were disrupted, only management conference rooms, stopping meetings about such patronising topics as ‘Community Cohesion’.

joyable.

Rumours of pensions being affected, and jobs will be lost, as suggested by Occupy, proved false.

No, my old porter said his job satisfaction was based almost solely as the comradery he enjoys with students. Outsourcing will almost certainly add process to a job which already involves picking up strewn rubbish.

As students, do we want to be treated as consumers? Should university be setting an example of the

Great speeches from Will Self and Caroline Lucas put the space, usually reserved for management meetings about ‘community cohesion’, to good use. If outsourcing is ever properly scrutinised, I doubt it’ll be thanks to Occupy Sussex. Many of their members dedicate their life to righting political wrongs.

Shouting ‘Chartwells is shit’ through a broken megaphone, as one girl did in the first rally of the term in October, isn’t going to interest any fresher.

University tutor values pay cheque over passion Jasmine Knight A tutor recently told me that the only reason she taught the class we were taking was for the money. This got me thinking, is this what our society has come to? Bills need to be paid or rent needs to be met, but must we swap our passions for a pay cheque?

Surely there must be another way.

This may just be the ramblings of a naive student living off a loan that she will someday need to repay; but isn’t it better to die knowing you followed your passions? One day I too will need to support a family, and for this I know that sacrifices need to be made. But must you view

your time at work only as a means to an end? Surely education is worth more than that.

I am not saying that all teachers subscribe to this view, but where I was taught the staff had pride in what they did. And before you make assumptions, no, I was not private school educated; nor did I attend the ‘crème-de-la-crème’ of state schools.

My school was a regular comprehensive in the heart of a small Devonshire town.

But at our school, the teachers always had time for us: if we had a question, they would give us an answer, if we had a problem they would give us their time - they wouldn’t merely tell us to “come to my office hour” (time you typically

spent in their corridor waiting for another student to finish).

My point here is not to slate teachers, i t is to praise them. You have a wonderful job. You go to work in the morning knowing that you have the power to change someone’s future for the better. You have the opportunity to help the wayward, and to push the strong. All I’m saying is, take this opportunity seriously!

Take pride in what you do - don’t simply view it as a world of box-ticking and strict regulations. Because if this is the case, then why am I paying £9000 to be educated by someone who doesn’t care either way as long as they get their pay cheque?

the badger

11 november 2013

comment • 11

THE BIG DEBATE

In today’s society, is striking still an effective form of direct action?

In the wake of the October 31 Higher Education strike that took place here on campus and across the UK, The Badger asks whether or not the age old practice of striking is still effective in meeting its desried ends

No Amy Dunning

People love to complain. Grumbling about the problems the government have caused, or that the waiter has been too slow at bringing the food over – there is always something to nag about.

We Brits are exceptionally talented in this field. We pride ourselves on it. Despite this innate ability to notice when something is wrong, or doesn’t meet our expectations, it is incredibly difficult to do something about it.

Yes, you can refuse to pay full price for your meal, but the table to your right will be entirely satisfied with their service and not only pay full price, but will probably leave a more than generous tip – completely overshadowing your discontent.

The academic world is similarly unhappy. The proposed spending cuts and insufficient wage increases have caused nationwide outcry from tutors and lecturers, resulting in the strike last Thursday.

They stood on the picket line, come rain or shine, to fight for their right to a fair deal…and then went straight back to work the next day.

Many members of the Unions didn’t strike at all. Striking can only be effective when it has a direct impact on the body that is causing the problem. Impact must be substantial.

Solidarity is the key for any kind of direct action to work. It is this reason why so many strikes have been ineffective; there has simply not been enough long-term support.

The strikes against increased tuition fees failed because the strike did not pose a threat to society.

A day of unpaid staff is hardly going to be written into the history books. Violent action

is not necessarily the most politically correct approach to take, nor the only alternative to striking, but it certainly is memorable, and for a limited time, worrying for the powers that be. Sabotage, blockades, sit-ins and occupations are far more likely to have an impact.

Therefore, a protest is most effective if it is both memorable and threatening.

If all of the teachers in the academic world were to unite, and decided that it would be better for them to teach the Commons instead of their students – that would be entertaining.

Alternatively, they could try hacktivism.

In the technological age we live in, is it not more appropriate to hack and promote social change virtually?

Not only would they have a more enjoyable time than standing on the picket line, but there would be a direct involvement with the people who are causing the problem.

Protesting is anybody’s game. There have been so many strikes, over so many issues that it has lost its shock factor. Perhaps this is ultimately because we are selfish beings.

Why should we put our necks on the line and lose a day’s pay for something that will ultimately fail anyway?

It would be much easier to sit in the comfort of your own bed, or at your desk and participate in a virtual campaign, which is still a form of non-violent direct action, but with a modern twist.

Regardless of your opinion of the video, Russell Brand’s interview with Jeremy Paxman circulated like wild fire.

It seems that in our society, trolls on web forums have a bigger impact than strikers do at getting their point across.

The internet is a vast domain that is still a public space.

It is time that direct action swapped the night shifts for the twitter newsfeeds.

Yes Charlotte Wade

What is it that you think of when you hear the word ‘strike’?

Is it the verb in the dictionary meaning “hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand or a weapon or other implement” or did you think of the more traditional stance on things with the noun: “a refusal to work organised by a body of employees as a form of protest, typically in an attempt to gain a concession or concessions from their employer”?

Whatever it was, the latter has been of topical importance this week with nationwide strikes happening all over universities due to an increasing and bitter argument over unfair pay (a rise of 1%) and vice chancellors receiving up to a hefty £250,000 as a bonus pay packet.

Looking at strikes for all you fashionistas out there, they’ve been around for what can only be branded as ‘donkey’s years’.

In Exodus 5:7 in the Old Testament, a form of striking occurs when a Pharaoh tells his brick makers that they will not receive any more straw from him, and that they must keep producing bricks regardless, causing them to voice their anger.

Striking is still very much a part of our society. It is a human right – if people are unhappy with a particular situation then they need to vent that pent up frustration with non-violent protesting.

If it wasn’t effective would we still be avoiding picket lines today? Striking is wholly effective because of its power to disrupt and change a certain rigid routine.

Logging into my emails last week, yet another gasp escaped from my mouth as I saw that the deadline for my portfolio had been changed

for the third time due to striking action in the University.

Talking to other students in my lectures proved to show how it had impacted them. Due to seminars and workshops being rescheduled for Friday, their weekend plans to go home had gone AWOL. One girl was so genuinely distressed I suggested she have a lie down. The underlying point here is that striking makes people listen and ultimately changes things, no matter how small. To solve a problem, some sort of conflict is needed to highlight the issue and make it go away.

This was illustrated by a wave of national strikes organised by the Fire Brigades Union last week, with fire fighters abandoning their duties at specific times on two separate days.

This was in response to union leaders rejecting an 11% pay offer which was recommended by an independent review. If this isn’t effective in its direct action then I don’t know what is.

Fire fighters (in case any of us needed this spelt out), save lives and contribute to our social cohesion and safety. All because of one strike, Britain was effectively in a state of emergency.

High rise buildings potentially had to be evacuated as well as hospitals and public services being forced into practicing emergency procedures.

Fire fighters striking could potentially lead to a complete disaster in our society.

So to answer the question… of course strikes are still an effect form of direct action. They create results when they have irritated and twisted enough important people’s routines and schedules (a.k.a the government or the ‘big wigs’).

With perseverance, determination and the right amount of belief, strikes will lead to results and coinciding with this, workers and protesters satisfaction.

the badger

11 november 2013

SCIENCE • 12

SCIENCE

Is there mercury in your mascara?

Marie Hawkins In early October, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global and legally binding treaty agreed by governments across the world was formally adopted as international law. The convention provides controls and reductions across a wide range of products, as well as looking at processes and industries where mercury is used, released or emitted. The treaty addresses the direct mining of mercury, the export and import of the metal and safe storage of waste mercury.

This new treaty is the first global convention on environment and health for close to a decade. This treaty arose from a devastating public health disaster which occurred in the mid 20th century in Minamata, Japan. Between 1932 and 1968, the seafood in Minamata Bay became contaminated by mercury. This was a result of the release of the toxic metal in industrial wastewater form Chisso Corporation’s chemical factory, operating near the bay. As a consequence, many people

science factoid of the week

were poisoned. Following the event, the neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning became to be known as Minamata Disease.

The effects of Mercury on the body can be fatal. It is a potent neuro-toxicant, so high levels can cause serious neurological effects. If a pregnant woman is exposed, lower concentrations can cause disruption to the brain of the developing fetus. Exposure to mercury also can impair thyroid and liver function and cause tremors, disturbances to vision, memory loss and cardiovascular problems. Extreme mercury intake can cause paralysis within weeks, or even a coma or death.

Under the Minamata Convention, governments have agreed on a list of products containing mercury whose production, import and export will be banned by 2020. These items have non-mercury alternatives that will be phased in as those containing mercury are phased out. These products include: soaps and cosmetics that use mercury as a skin whitener, certain light bulbs, some batteries and mercury-containing medical items such

Almost all of us occasionally pop an echinacea tablet if we are feeling under the weather, or maybe a little st John’s wort if we are feeling a bit low.

Well put the bottle of ginseng down! A recent study from Canada’s University of Guelph, concluded that around 60% of herbal supplements have ingredients in them that aren’t listen in the label through contamination or even substitution.

All the more reason to put that multi-vitamin bottle down and grab an orange. You’ll be fine.

says that “mercury is one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern and is a substance which disperses into and remains in ecosystems for generations, causing severe ill health and intellectual impairment to exposed populations.” Therefore, this treaty aims to combat the serious health problems and environmental damage caused by mercury, so that fu-

ture generations and the world can be protected once and for all from its very harmful effects.

With this said, as the mercury is in such a small amount in certain products there must be very little risk to our health. But considering the lack of scientific study around the area, it seems unsure whether we should start to put down that mascara wand.

Sussex research says watching TV makes you a better person Varun Manoj

Herbal pills aren’t what they seem

as thermometers and blood pressure devices.

Nevertheless, mascara and other eye makeup is exempt. This is because it contains mercury at a concentration of up to 65 parts per million, such a small amount that it would not be enough to cause any health problems, so do not worry ladies! It is primarily used as a preservative and germ-killer, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi that could spoil the products and that could infect and damage the eye. This in turn gives it a longer shelf life because cosmetics can go bad very fast, thus reducing the cost of goods at the benefit of consumers and the major companies.

However most companies have found alternatives or substitute preservatives which do not include mercury, such as phenoxyethanol and methylisothiazolinone. Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the advocacy group Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, feels that “there’s absolutely no reason to not include it in the treaty.”

Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization,

Ever watched a T.V show like Scrubs and then gone through the day thinking “What would J.D do?”. New research conducted by psychologist Dr David Farsides and his team at the University of Sussex suggest that this might be close to the truth.

Farside’s research suggests that watching inspirational characters on T.V or in the movies may inspire us to emulate them and be more pro-social, so as to be more like them.

Dubbed the Don Quixote effect, after the memorable character created by Miguel de Cervantes in his eponymous novel, it was empirically tested by the research team by having a group of 95 participants watch two clips from the movie Dead Poets Society. In the first clip, participants saw an enthusiastic Robin Williams urging his students to “seize the day” and generally be very inspiring. The second clip however showed a more sombre scene, where a teacher was educating students to assess and produce poetry.

Afterwards one group of students were asked to personally reflect on what they had just seen and were prompted by questions that related directly to them such as “what holds you back

from being more like this?” and “how could you overcome these hurdles?”.

The other group of students were posed much more objective questions about specific details of the clips they had just seen such as the names of two students in the clips.

Finally the two groups filled out a 21 item survey which measured their inclination to act altruistically. The results of the surveys showed that the group which had to do more soul searching and had personally reflected on the film’s meaning and implications, also rated higher on altruism.

Another experiment conducted by the research team had a participant group of 29 medical students watch a medley of clips from medical shows and films such as Patch Adams and E.R. They watched scenes that showed doctors who appeared highly empathetic and altruistic toward “the vulnerable and needy.”

Similar to the first experiment one group of participants were asked questions that personally pertained to the participants and made them identify with the characters on-screen. The other group of participants were asked questions which were more formal and asked their opinion on the clips as “medical opinion leaders”. The wording of the questions they were asked placed

the emphasis on established norms rather than personal feelings.

The results of this showed that medical students who were asked their professional opinion on the scenes gave a more professional opinion on the clips and they deemed that the characters actions were “veering toward being deemed excessive rather than ideal”.

On the flip side, the other group of participants who reflected personally on the fictional characters behaviour gave the opinion that they were “role models that should, could, and would be personally emulated”. Thus, further

exemplifying the Don Quixote effect.

Ultimately, this is good news in terms of media affecting people for the better, in a culture where television and film are often criticised for promoting violence and antisocial behaviour. Furthermore, this notion of personal reflection to transform altruistic feeling into action means that T.V writers and producers have their work cut out for them to make hard hitting dramas such as the Newsroom and Game of Thrones resonate with their audiences to a make a personal connection rather than just superficial entertainment.

the badger

11 NOvember 2013 ARTS • 14

ARTS

Alternative Waxahatchee Green Door Store 29th October

Adam Ismail

Interview: Mazes

In the second of a new, monthly series looking at local, up-and-coming Brighton musicians, Arts Editor and History student Will Fortna talks to Mazes about their new “mini-album”, the music industry and the tragic decline of music bloggers

Waxahatchee Press With Tuesday’s performance at The Green Door Store, the part-pop, partpunk twin sister duo of Katie and Allison Crutchfield concluded their tour of the UK in grand fashion.

Katie, headed the bill as Waxahatchee while Allison provided the opening act with her group Swearin’.

Although they were both impressive, you’d be forgiven for confusing the two bands.

To those unfamiliar with their work, it may have seemed like one, extra-long double set - certainly not helped by the fact that Waxahatchee’s drummer, Keith Spencer, also plays bass for Swearin’.

However, comparing studio albums, Swearin’s oh-so catchy, party punk hooks clash strikingly with Waxahatchee’s minimalist, intimate sound.

But live, these differences aren’t quite as clear.

You get the sense that Katie and Allison are telling the same story, albeit from two different points of view.

Mind you, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Swearin’ showed off cuts from their upcoming album Surfing Strange, where the band takes a surprising turn for a messier, heavier, perhaps even darker sound. The track “Echo Locate” is a perfect example of this, with singer Kyle Gilbride showing no hesitation in embracing his inner Pinkerton-era Rivers Cuomo.

Likewise, Waxahatchee’s set showed a fullness and purpose that was in short supply in earlier material. The encore, a solo rendition of “Dixie Cups and Jars,” shined as one of the best moments of the night, with Katie delivering across her range for a truly impassioned vocal performance. Certain songs could’ve easily passed as the work of either band, but if the packed Green Door crowd was any indication, none of that mattered.

After all, you can never have too much of a good thing.

Mazes Press

Will Fortna Arts Editor

Brighton has been key to Mazes’ life as a band.

Having formed in London in 2008, it was Brighton and its scene revolving around the now-defunct Sex is Disgusting label that, in the words of singer/guitarist Jack Cooper, “took us under [its] wing”. Though the band now speak of that “microscene” in the past tense, they remain tightly linked to the city - their label, the excellent Fat Cat, is located here.

Green Door Store, the Prince Albert, Grubbs and Iydea are also name-checked as their favourite places to perform and eat, respectively.

The band will be returning to Brighton later this month, to play

Alternative Jaga Jazzist The Old Market 24th October

Callie Payne Jaga Jazzist are a band who are difficult to categorise due to their enormous range of influence; you can find the rhythm of afrobeat, the experimentalism of progressive rock, and the freedom of jazz, sometimes within the boundaries of just one track!

Having listened to them for some years now, I thought that I had

the Prince Albert, and are sure to be on form, having been touring for the last couple of months straight.

When I spoke to the band they were in the middle of a European tour with their friends, New York’s excellent Parquet Courts, and were clearly enjoying playing their music for new and like-minded crowds.

“Parquet Courts have very quickly garnered this really discerning music-lover type of fan and the reaction to us has been completely respectful and enthusiastic.

“Their fans have either heard of us or respect PC’s taste enough to give us a shot”.

The two bands certainly have a lot in common, both musically (although Mazes remain tighter and less rough around the edges than their slightly more punky counterparts) and in the

way they approach being in a band.

Both show a healthy disdain for the prevailing music industry and a thoroughly DIY approach.

Mazes, for instance, bemoan the decline of the numerous music blogs that sprang up around five or so years ago – smaller, independent blogs driven by music fanatics that shared free MP3s.

In the years since, Cooper say that blog-centred music culture “is kind of over”.

Bigger blogs and magazines have snapped up some of the better writers, some bloggers “got sick of dealing with PRs” and others have simply started up their own labels.

Indeed, music seems to be just another area where the once-promising democratizing nature of the internet is being monopolistically eroded

some idea of what to expect seeing them live, but of course, I was wrong.

Seeing Jaga Jazzist live was another experience altogether.

Unfortunately the introspective, intimate style of Jaga Jazzist did not suit the venue of The Old Market Hall, acoustically or spatially.

We popped in to see the support act, Physics House Band, and the sound was really uncomfortable.

We left, feeling extraordinarily old and grumpy, but thanks to some lucky advice from some overly prepared peers who put our ‘old before our time’ status to shame, we acquired earplugs.

Safely protected from the higher

pitches of the show, we returned to watch and enjoy Jaga Jazzist.

Again, to reiterate, it just wasn’t the best venue or set up to watch such an atmospheric band, and after a few particularly explorative dives and holds in the music, standing shortly became a restless activity.

People were propped up against podiums, bars, and the person next to me and adopted a meditative seat on the floor, eyes closed against the forest of wavering legs.

Someone else, (ahem) tried to lean casually against the sound box set up at the back, but it shifted a foot or so to the left and ‘they’ received a bored, indignant glare from the sound engineer and

(hello, Pitchfork).

It’s not all doom and gloom though.

The band seem energized after a successful tour, and Cooper issues a DIY rallying cry for music fans everywhere.

“There’s a part of me that still thinks blogging is an easy way out.

If you love music and you have this weird compulsion like many of us do, then do something proactive and positive.

“Learn an instrument, start a label or put on shows.”

Mazes certainly practice what they preach.

Bassist, Conan runs Italian Beach Babes, a London-based label (which put out previous Badger interviewee Theo Verney’s 1st EP), and band members have been involved in other labels and nights in the past.

This tour sees the band promote their new “mini-album”, Better Ghosts, a collection of sketches, covers and songs-proper that was recorded during rehearsals and time off since the last LP– February’s excellent Ores and Minerals.

The latter saw the band move from the melodic 90s slacker-rock of their debut, to a more taut, rhythmical sound that intertwines excellent guitar lines with motorik-indebted bass and drums.

This base lets the band extend their songs live, and becomes a platform for Jack Cooper’s at-times Tom Verlaine-esque lead guitar.

Earlier this year I witnessed Mazes blow the Prince Albert apart, and I would recommend that you join me for round two.

Mazes play Prince Albert 25th November. Better Ghosts is Out Now. DJ. While this doesn’t seem like a promising start like a review, the band played well, amazingly well.

It was unbelievable witnessing the nine piece band interact with each other in such a way, with each member adopting their own distinctive and unique aspect within the performance.

It’s the kind of music that really clears the head, a truly immersive and broody experience.

Progressive yet retrospective, they somehow manage to make electronica both personal and meditative, Jaga Jazzist are a band that will forever embody contradiction, and pleasingly at that.

the badger

11 november 2013 ARTS • 15

Reviews

Poetry Special

Interview

With the founder of Hi Zero - Joe Luna

Azad Sharma Last Monday marked Hi Zero’s 23rd monthly poetry reading.

Upstairs at The Hope, on Queen’s Road in central Brighton, Sussex’s own J.D. Rhodes shared his work for the first time alongside Christina Chalmers and Danny Hayward.

I interviewed Hi Zero’s founder, editor and host poet, Joe Luna, to find out more about this exciting event.

What is Hi Zero and how did it begin?

Hi Zero is a contemporary poetry reading series that takes place in the upstairs room at The Hope.

The readings happen once a month, with breaks over the holiday periods of the academic year.

Hi Zero began as a means to fill the gap in terms of Brighton’s innovative and experimental poetry scene - when I moved to Brighton in 2010, two fantastic reading series had recently come to an end.

The name “Hi Zero” is a deliberate misspelling of “High Zero,” the title of a sequence by the poet Andrew Crozier,

Music

Mark Kozelek All Saints Church 29th October Louis Martin Who would have thought that churches still serve a purpose?

Last Tuesday it was of a physical, rather than metaphysical, kind - though you’d be forgiven for thinking that Kozelek’s yearning vocal hinted at the prospect of a better world.

All Saints’ acoustics complimented Kozelek’s voice and guitar beautifully, particularly on ‘You Missed My Heart’ and ‘Ceiling Gazing’ both which feature on his 2013 effort ‘Perils From The Sea’.

To the detriment of the record, Jimmy Lavelle’s production prefers electronic bleeps to acoustic intricacies, so it was nice to see these songs stripped down, allowing Kozelek’s visceral qualities to shine through.

I have the feeling Mark shares my dissatisfaction.

Introducing ‘I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love’ provided him with the perfect opportunity to promote his upcoming album ‘Benjy’, of which the named song appears; “It’s

Review

who taught at Sussex between 1973 and 2005.

Sussex Guild of Poetry first reading

Where do you see Hi Zero in the world of poetry recital?

The Meeting House

Hi Zero nights are poetry readings, not recitals; the name recital feels too laden with connotations of chamber music and courtly obeisance for my taste!

The poetry reading world is a very small one; we operate at the far-left, sharp end of the spectrum.

That is to say, we host poets whose tendencies are towards the experimental, the avant-garde, the politically committed and the formally distinct.

What do you feel is the importance of Hi Zero and what is it trying to achieve?

30th October

Cesca Rampley Arts Editor

Jessamy Cat Hawke

Hi Zero, and Hi Zero magazine, which accompanies the series and features many of the poets who have read here over the years, helps to maintain and nurture a healthy dissenting literary culture.

It’s really wonderful to see so many undergraduates and members of the public alike come down to the readings month after month.

The importance of the series is just that: to engender a lively, radical literary community, and to impel dialogue and debate about the work being disseminated and its social relevance.

I hope we can continue for as long as possible!

better”, Kozelek promises.

Why? “Because it’s just me.”

If the ballad is anything to go by, his fans should be very excited.

The vocal melody soared over a steady, measured, fingerpicked progression, and though the lyrics were difficult to distinguish live due to the thick reverb, the obscurity only heightened my enjoyment. (As I found out later, the lyrics are trite tripe). Now, did he behave himself?

Infamous for a temperamental attitude towards audiences as well as an indifference to playing the songs properly, I was initially surprised to find him both polite and professional - a far cry from the man who rejected a blind man’s request to hear fan-favourite ‘Have You Forgotten’.

He wasn’t, however, all giggles.

During his trademark tune-up, he entreated the Brighton audience to show some love; “talk to me, I’m fucking lonely.”

Amongst nervous mumblings, one member of the audience sitting near me whispers louder than intended; “are you tuning... a harp?”

The reaction is deathly silence, followed by a violent rendition of ‘Richard Ramirez’, in which Kozelek spits out without cessation a stream of thoughts that flow from the Texan serial killer to chats with his plumber.

“Gonna have to tune up again, I

hope you don’t mind.”

Laughter erupts all around as Kozelek returns to his victim.

“You ever tuned down to A sharp?”

“No”.

“There you go, shut the fuck up and mind your own business.”

On Wednesday The Sussex Guild of Poetry hosted their first recital alongside the unveiling of the second issue of their monthly pamphlet.

The recital took place in the Meeting House, a conscious decision that elevated the event before it had even begun.

This choice certainly put the message across that the student founders of this poetry outlet intend it to go beyond a regular pamphlet and expect it to be taken seriously.

As described by one of the founders themselves, the Guild is ‘a platform for serious, dedicated and erudite student poetry’.

The focus on sincerity was certainly present amongst the audience of around sixty who sat quietly in the chapel room, waiting for the first poet to begin.

There were eight poets who read around three poems each, some slightly more.

What was refreshing was to see such a variety among the poets in regard to their experience in the field.

Music

Deap Vally Concorde 2

1st November

Victoria Rodrigues O’Donnell Arts Editor

“If you gonna play guitar in front of a crowd of people do you think they’d come?”

The boy is silent now, and I almost felt sorry for him.

“Well shut the fuck up then and don’t criticize me.”

“Anyone got anything nice to say?”

That the tranquility of Kozelek’s serenades was underpinned by an unsettling sense that no one was fully safe from disgrace, making for a thrilling experience. It is one that should be dared by all.

If you were at Concorde 2 on Friday, you wouldn’t be mistaken in thinking you’d also been transported back to the 1970s.

As part of their UK tour, The LA two-piece Deap Vally strutted on stage and wasted no time in giving the hungry audience exactly what they wanted.

Almost as soon as the lead singer/ guitarist, Lindsey Troy, struck her first guitar string, the crowd rose into a gratified roar.

A sound reminiscent of classic rock groups such as Led Zeppelin, The Who and Heart in particular, it is surprising that the gig’s immense aural energy was produced by a band comprising of just two girls playing two instruments.

Think The White Stripes and you get the picture, especially with Julie Edwards’ striking drum smacks.

A quick glance around the audience shows that this sound is not specifically favoured by just one demographic; students were headbang-

This ranged from one who had never read her poems to an audience before, to an English lecturer, reading out extracts from a soon-to-be published collection.

The styles of poetry presented were also mixed.

Some poems were funny, invoking the audience to chuckle and nod slightly in agreement to the poet’s witty observations.

Others were deeply raw in their words and performance, exposing wounds of the poet’s mind to the stunned audience facing them.

This was incredibly powerful and made me truly admire the courage of these student poets in standing in front of a group of strangers and revealing all.

Poetry is a very intimate thing.

Half way through the recital, there was a twenty-minute break where people rushed to Falmer bar to catch the end of happy hour, and others popped out for a smoke - we are still students after all.

It was a fascinating evening that - after a few more drinks at the bar with the rest of the poetry entourage - had my housemate and I debating ideas all the way home.

It made me aware that I was confronted with something that is important right now and is only going to grow, so watch this poetic space…

Submissions for the next pamphlet are still open. If you want to get involved, send your poetry to: sussexguildofpoetry@yahoo.co.uk ing along just as hard as older couples or metalheads.

Having recently released their debut album Sistrionix, the girls ripped through every song as if it were there last.

The duo’s bluesy hit single “Gonna Make My Own Money” sent the audience into a thunderous cheer, whilst other songs on the set such as “Lies” and “Baby I Call Hell” showcased their speciality in sultry anthems.

Even for those unfamiliar with Deap Vally’s repertoire, most songs were easy enough to ardently chant along to.

At times, it did seem that each song would unknowingly melt into the next, revealing a lack of distinction and variety. However, with every distorted echo and thumping drum beat, the duo’s force shattered any doubts.

A haunting rendition of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” during the encore particularly. It did seem very fitting to end on a note acknowledging their mesmerised audience.

An incredibly absorbing performance and most certainly a sweaty affair if you found yourself in the moshpit.

The girls maintained a visceral strength throughout and it’ll be interesting to see where the band will go with their fierce attitude and empowering hooks.

the badger

11 November 2013 ARTS • 16

LIFESTYLE Hopeless housing: the trouble

with boarding abroad at Sussex Jess Bailey This piece is not meant to criticise the Housing or International and Study Abroad offices, as they must be praised for how hard they work to make memorable experiences for both outgoing and incoming students.

Conversations between Sussex students and alumni about University of Sussex housing can only be compared to the way in which English people talk about the weather, and more often than not - unfortunately - Sussex University housing can be as depressing a topic as the English weather.

Year upon year, Freshers miss out on places in halls due to varying circumstances - though with the new accommodation buildings in Northfield, this looks set to become less of a problem.

However, it is not just our younger compatriots we should be thinking of. Study abroad students are also faced with a tough time, with ERASMUS students sometimes coming off worst.

ERASMUS students throughout the UK are often left at the bottom of the priority list of students to house and therefore students at some universities start their exchange semesters either homeless or stuck in hostels.

Although at Sussex Norwich House has typically been the place for study

Amber Roberts abroad students to live, many prefer to live off-campus in the city centre in order to fully enjoy living like a true Brightonian.

However, this in itself is also a real effort for students studying abroad who have to arrange this housing before coming to the UK and often struggle to find tenancy lengths of less than 10 months.

Of course, websites such as Gumtree and EasyRoomate have definitely aided the possibility of finding accommodation in the UK, but it must be stressed that using these websites leaves foreign students and anyone for that matter - open to scammers, fraudsters and of course, weirdos.

However, I have recently become aware of a new, free, internationallyrecognised online housing platform which is aimed solely at students.

Housinganywhere.com operates

in more than 70 university cities in over 22 countries.

The website is written entirely in English - opening up its accessibility - and uses a Google maps interface which easily allows students to view their prospective house and its respective distance from the university and other important city locations, e.g Oceana (hear my sarcasm).

Housinganywhere.com has been active since 2009 and no scams have occurred during these years due to the unique safety feature which requires each user to have a registered university email address in order to post a room on the platform.

Not only would HousingAnywhere. com benefit incoming international students, but it will also encourage more full-time Sussex students to take part in a study abroad program.

According to the NUS, 82% of those who study abroad are from

the top three socioeconomic classes, suggesting that studying abroad lacks inclusivity.

With the possibility of renting your room to an incoming exchange student - and therefore avoiding the predicament of having to pay rent in Brighton - more people would feel they are able to go on exchange.

In addition, it would be easier for Sussex students to find accommodation upon their return from studying abroad.

I know from my own experience that trying to find a room from a private landlord from January to May was a major problem.

So much so, that the University had to house me and some friends in university-owned accommodation.

Now, I am not complaining.

I thoroughly enjoyed my six-windowed sea view room in the city centre, yet I couldn’t help but feel that I had left some first years or foreign students that did not know Brighton homeless.

I understand that there are other ways to help incoming and outgoing exchange students with housing problems, and that the Study Abroad Office does all it can to improve the experiences of students.

However, I strongly believe that in allowing students to rent their empty rooms in Brighton to incoming students, we can create a more sustainable and cost-efficient solution to this problem.

hungryhouse.co.uk: Mexican with Los Amigos Cesca Rampley Arts Editor

It is a standard Sunday evening and the Sunday blues are on their way as Monday creeps slowly closer.

But wait, we are having Mexican tonight from the restaurant Los Amigos and it’s going to be great… we hope, as we are ravenous and there is no food in the house.

This takeaway is something of a luxury for my housemate and I, as we firstly would usually spend the money on wine and secondly, have obtained the role of Mexican Monday feeders to a group of insatiable friends.

The food takes around half an hour to arrive so no complaining there, it is coming from Hove after all.

My housemate is vegetarian so her meal of choice was a vegetable burrito and I picked the enchilada, chicken of course. We also shared a generous portion of nachos ‘for one’.

All was admittedly tasty; both mains came with refried beans and vegetable rice, the former also with guacamole.

Los Amigos The burrito was stuffed full of an array of vegetables in a juicy tomato sauce and just on the right side of stodgy.

The enchilada - although slightly smaller - was as tasty and satisfyingly cheesy, with plenty of chicken to munch on.

What was surprising was the refried beans and how delicious they were.

Grease-free, they were soupy and a bit like dhal.

They went nicely with the soft rice that was well-cooked and fresh.

Although well-practised in nacho constructing (Do people actually make their own tortilla chips? If so, how?), the nachos were indeed good.

For one, it was a decent sized portion and the toppings were pleasant.

Guacamole is a favourite of mine and Los Amigos certainly didn’t disappoint.

It was creamy and smooth like baby food but in a good way.

They were also liberal with the jalapeños much to my housemate’s delight, which sadly, I can’t hack.

So. all in all the food was, let’s say 7.5/10.

This is excluding the prices however, which were somewhat problematic.

Both mains were £9.95 and the nachos £5.

Maybe this isn’t too bad; I’m not the most experienced takeaway-consumer, so slightly clueless in this field.

My view is further skewed by a gluttonous friend’s takeaway addiction, once spending £25 on himself.

Madness?

I cannot deny the food was great but, to be fully satisfied, one must spend at least a tenner and personally I think this is too much.

You are probably better off going to the restaurant, paying the same and getting the atmosphere of eating out rather than devouring the takeaway in bed.

Good experience but wouldn’t do it again though, their nachos weren’t as good as ours anyway…

JOIN THE CLUB Coalition

Brighton Noise Tarryne Rolle No, not anything to doCarmelH with the Government for those politics buffs out there, unfortunately, but a pretty cool grungy nightclub on the seafront.

I went to Coalition on a Thursday night for ‘Secret Discothèque’ - all full of 90s hits.

We were on the Facebook guestlist, so it was only 90p entry- bargain!!

We partied the night away to cheesy tunes from the likes of S Club 7 and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Don’t be put off if you don’t like 90s music, they had an accompanying blend of chart stuff, so it wasn’t a complete cheese fest.

In comparison to the music, the venue’s décor has a grungy vibe - similar to all the seafront clubs - but I found that Coalition seemed darker and edgier.

If you like having your pictures taken by ‘professional’ photographers at clubs, this is the place to be as the ‘Paparazzi’ float around constantly snapping at groups.

I went back to Coalition recently after going to a gig and we waited 45 minutes in the queue only to be told the entrance fee was £8!

Bear in mind that this was after 12 on a Saturday night, and we weren’t on the guestlist that time.

But still, I think that was a bit ridiculous!

So, if you decide to go to Coalition, go on a night where entry and drinks are cheap particularly on a Thursday.

the badger

11 november 2013 Arts •18

Arts

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

Gigs

ALTERNATIVE White Denim The Haunt

Photography

Club

THEATRE Twisted Cabaret The Marlborough Theatre

Sunday 17th November, 7pm £15

Alternative Future Of The Left The Haunt

The Texan four-piece will be bringing their fiercely committed onstage persona to The Haunt.

Showcasing their winning mixture of punk, Southern Rock and psychedlia, be prepared to soak in the band’s manic energy.

After several shifts in line-up, Welsh underground heavyweights return to The Haunt with their new album How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident. Support is provided by The Wytches and Treasure.

PHOTOGRAPHY Brighton Photo Fringe Phoenix Brighton 2 November - 1 December Free

Tuesday 12th November, 7pm £10

Film

EXPERIMENTAL Julia Holter Komedia

Showcasing the best in new photography, Phoenix Brighton hosts its annual Photo Fringe. As well as having selected works exhibited, the BPG also features artists’ talks, feedback forums and workshops.

Perfect for anyone interested in improving their photography or simply want to pursue the art.

Quiz

Tuesday 12th November, 7:30pm £13

This Tuesday sees Komedia hosting Julia Holter and her experimental musical creations. Having recently released her third studio album, Loud City Song, Holter’s rich and idiosyncratic work should not be missed live.

FILM CineCity Across Brighton

14 November - 1 December

Returning for the 11th year running, Brighton’s film festival will continue to showcase the best of International cinema. Including premieres and previews, the festival screenings include Richard Ayoade’s The Double, a selection of recent work by Brighton film-makers and a particular focus on the Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer.

Quiz iQuiz

Tuesday 19th November Free, at the IDS Bar

CLUB Soulful Strut The Green Door Store Saturday 16th November Playing funk, jazz, soul (obviously) and disco: be prepared to dance the night away at The Green Door Store’s monthly Soulful Strut night.

ARCHITECTURE Brighton Dome Discovery Tour Brighton Dome Saturday 16th November 11pm Ever wondered what has gone on behind the closed doors at Brighton Dome? Here’s your chance to satisfy your curiosities and learn more about Brighton’s heritage.

A student-only quiz run by the i newspaper, if you can make a team of four, you will stand the chance of winning a 14-day European tour with Topdeck. Like University Challenge but better - particularly without Paxo’s intimidating glares.

Victoria Rodrigues O’Donnell Arts Editor

Victoria Rodrigues O’Donnell Arts Editor As part of Brighton’s CineCity film festival, Duke of York’s will be hosting a special screening of David Fincher’s cult classic, Fight Club.

The audience will be then be treated to an extended Q&A session with Chuck Palahniuk himself - the critically acclaimed author of Fight Club and Choke.

Comedy

Architecture

PREVIEW: Q&A with Chuck Palahniuk Saturday 16th November, Duke of York’s

Returning to Brighton following their debut tour earlier this year, MS MR will be bringing their distinctive noir-pop to The Old Market.

Garnering attention through their unique sound and image it’s no surprise that they’ve been compared to Lana Del Rey and Florence and the Machine (before

Thursday 14th November 8pm £8 Think Weimar Republic flamboyance and you’re in the right place to enjoy a night of musical comedy and sublime provocation.

11pm Free

PREVIEW: MS MR Tuesday 5th November, The Old Market Calvin Harris I might add).

The New York-based duo capture the zeitgeist of ennui (think of endlessly scrolling through Tumblr) perfectly whilst harmoniously causing a sonic storm.

A synth-heavy set, the night promises to be one which will completely absorb and delight.

If the title of their debut album, Secondhand Rapture, is anything to go by - you’ll be haunted for days.

Theatre

Hailed as one of America’s best contemporary writers, Palahniuk will undoubtedly be answering questions regarding his distinct style of writing - which he has entitled as transgressional fiction.

As well as answering whatever questions the audience pose, Palahniuk will also be reading from his new novel, Doomed.

Unfortunately sold out - film buffs should keep an eye out for more CineCity events.

COMEDY Paul Foot The Old Market Monday 15th November 7:30pm £12.50

A familiar face on Never Mind the Buzzcocks (you can see the link with Noel Fielding regardless), the awardwinning comedian Paul Foot brings his alternative comedy to The Old Market. Expect surreal tangents and masterful gags that’ll leave you laughing for days.

watch, write, review Get involved in the Arts team by joining us at our writers meetings or searching on Facebook for : “Badger Writers” See submission guidelines on the Badger website

the badger

11 November 2013

SporTS • 20

SPORTS Welcome to The Underwater University James Georgalakis USSAC Diving Officer

Over twenty students studying at Sussex, Brighton and BSMS have started their diver training with the University of Sussex Sub Aqua Club (USSAC).

Freshers flocked to the try dives held in a local swimming pool last month to find out what it was like to use SCUBA equipment. Twelve absolute beginners have now started their diving course, which will last the whole academic year. This term they will learn in the classroom all about the effects of diving on the body, the equipment they will be using and the local diving conditions they can expect.

Next term the real fun begins with the commencement of their training in the pool. In April they will embark on their first big challenge - diving in the open water. A flooded quarry in Somerset, complete with sunken aircraft and cars, a fully equipped dive centre, hot showers and most importantly a burger van, is where they will get their first taste of UK diving. Then they will be able to join expeditions on-board Paradox, the six meter rigid hull inflatable dive boat, to explore some amazing local dive sites off the Sussex coast.

This year has been a particularly special one for the club, because as well as the popularity of the beginners’ course, we have had unprecedented levels of interest in our more advanced

training programme.

Years ago university was the first chance many people had to learn to dive. However, the rise in cheap resort diving courses and gap years mean quite a number of undergraduates arrive at university with a basic diving qualification. Around a dozen students have joined USSAC this term to continue their diver training with our Sport Diver course which prepares them thoroughly for diving in UK conditions down to a depth of 35 metres.

This qualification opens up to them some of the best diving on offer off the South coast of England.

Many people seem surprised that there is much to see in our local waters but there really is. We have a huge number of historic wrecks to explore including warships, merchant ships, aircraft and submarines lost in the two World Wars.

The biggest attraction for most is the diverse marine life. We have regular encounters with huge shoals of large fish, lobsters, cuttlefish and monster conger eels. Travel a little further along the coast and you can even dive with playful seals. For those who hanker after clear blue waters and sunbathing between dives the club goes on at least one overseas trip each year.

We have recently visited the Red Sea, Madeira and Malta.

University diving clubs like USSAC fulfil such an important role in promoting and sustaining UK diving.

This year the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC), the national body that USSAC belongs to, celebrates its 60th anniversary. Ever since the very first SCUBA equipment became available people have been exploring the hidden world that lies beneath the seas surrounding Brighton.

Despite this, some local BSAC clubs are struggling to attract new members.

It is university clubs that continue to introduce new generations to the excitement and adventure of UK diving.

USSAC is growing from strength to strength with our very high number of new super keen trainees, our solid base of qualified student members and our dedicated team of volunteer diving instructors.

USSAC is giving Sussex students the chance to make the most of studying at a coastal university. One of our new trainees summed it up perfectly when she wrote in her application to join the beginners course this year: “Scuba diving constantly fascinates me, and USSAC is the perfect opportunity to finally learn.…It would be so exciting to discover awesome underwater landscapes and I love the fact that there is so much more underneath the waves, which you cannot see in the everyday.”

You can follow Sussex students’ underwater adventures on Facebook or on Twitter @USSAC. To find out how you can get involved yourself visit: www.sussexsubaqua.co.uk

Sussex Women’s Football start as they mean to go on Anne van Buuren ‘Start as you mean to go on’ - that seems to the be the motto for Sussex Women’s Football this year. The team was off to a raging start with their Pre-Season, an intense week-long training including some military fitness to get the girls back in shape after a long and lazy summer.

This included the pain of crawling and running up and down Brighton beach, squats in the cold sea, and yoga - the latter surprisingly received as especially ‘brutal’.

It seems all the hard work paid off: in their first match of the season the team beat their rivals, the Brighton Panthers, for the first time in four years with a whopping 6-1. This success was only to be followed by a overwhelming 23-0 win against Brunel.

“Since the start of pre-season we have worked our socks off,” said Sussex Coach Kim. “We started training 3 weeks earlier than anyone else, we worked hard as a team and work well with the new freshers coming in.”

On the social side of the Club, Women’s Football are definitely thriving. With 20+ new recruits, their Welcome To The Team social played host to over 45 people. Both

Niko Chan

Ed Hartnell

PLAYER PROFILES - Zak Knill Michael Morrow Sports Editor

Women’s Football Tuesday and Friday training sessions have grown accordingly, with an average of 30 footballers on the pitch.

Megan Franklin, former President and one of the oldest members, is brimming with enthusiasm: “This is my fourth year at the club and each year it gets better and better, both on and off the pitch. The improvements I’ve seen over the past 4 years at the club are incredible, and it’s the most successful and fun year yet!”

The next game will be a loaded one, as

the team is playing Westminster 1st - “the team to beat”, according to captain Sophie Gauster. Boosted by their impressive wins the team feels confident - and so does the coach: “I am looking forward to the future with this team, as it has great potential!”

Wednesday November 13th Sussex Women’s Football will be playing Westminster 1st at home. The match will be at the Falmer Sports Complex and supporters are more than welcome!

Zak Knill represents Sussex in hockey.

His passion for hockey began at the tender age of 8, when he first picked up a hockey stick.

His love for the game was still in its infancy when he decided at the age of eleven that he was to pursue sporting greatness on the field of rugby, which meant putting hockey to one side.

However Zak soon realised the error of his ways and was re-united with hockey in secondary school, and ever since then he has been a hockey player through and through.

Zak openly admits that he is “in touch with my inner nerd” and is currently in his second year of a computer science degree, a subject which he hopes will form the basis of his future career. Despite his passion for his subject, Zak is very clear that the best part of his university life is hockey: “The hockey team is by far my favourite part of life at Sussex.

“We train, play and drink as a team and hockey team banter is by far the best ban-

ter, making us a very close but welcoming club.”

Zak’s passion for hockey is clear to see both on and off the pitch, he cites his greatest personal achievement in his time at Sussex as not having received a single card on the pitch, despite being an extremely passionate player.

When asked why people should consider joining the Men’s Hockey Team, Zak honestly answers: “I could tell you that hockey is a great cardiovascular team sport that promotes fitness and team based skills.

“The truth is: we are the best club, with the best nights out, and the best sport, but maybe I am a little biased.”

Both mens hockey teams are optimistic for this year, and Zak says we can expect the 1st team to be challenging for a promotion come the end of the season. The 2nds also expect to be extremely competitive in their league this year, citing a 2nd placed finish as a reasonable objective.

Zak says the one place you can be sure to find the team without fail is at Oceana on a Wednesday.

the badger

11th November 2013 ARTS • 17

Sussex Showcase - Poetry Special The Blackbird

Autumn

The night clouds drift on, Indifferent as continents.

I saw yesterday floating over its cold dead body.

My expectations grew wings, insubstantial old things they burned and singed as the sun fell.

The pleasures of the past lie in the paling daylight like a cigarette-butt on the floor.

Now the sky trembles under its night-shroud, dark cape, heavy and tired.

We scurried, scattered like spiders banished from their centre.

Autumn hangs on a clothing line.

Sunlight, in demise glared down with cooling eyes so what will be remains unseen and what has been is now a phantom, tucked up in a dream.

Constanza Chiavari

Unmade Bed Each night I climb into unmade bed The smell of you still hung heavy Through the sheets.

I promise myself each morning Afresh To wash them clean of you To wash you from my sleep So my dreams can be clear again clear again and unsullied by too-busy reminiscences of passions died and pale.

Each night I wish you here with me again and I lay, waiting for sleep to prise me from anxious thoughts My unmade bed covering me in the stink of tired love.

Mary Parnwell

Neoklis and Stefan talk of stars.

They talk with flushed ideas, Which excitedly stand from Their chairs in the coffee houses.

They ask one another: What does the brain humour In being self-aware?

Surely it is familiar With its body?

They talk long Before looking to the stars.

Stefan is content for Words to run and soak On a golden Kathikas day: Neoklis wishes to be a philosopher, To stride from the coffee houses Out to the square.

The other has no plans, But, as an ox is fed By the man on his cart, Expects no more recompense Than a residual enlightenment.

Each night is an infancy, Each morning an adolescence And each sunset a deathbed.

Neoklis once exclaimed: This world is sweet, And we animals are Anchored just as much to it!

The young men are anchored To the very days, As pure-eyed and inarticulate As their stars.

When each day begins, All the while, the Blackbird Glaring and deflecting, sits in the square.

The young men slowly lower She owns a title, regalia, Their battlements. Speeches But the young men are formCrowd at the gates. less, The sun too eases its watch, Free like the loping morning Looking upon them more kindly Until night is imparted, a se- wind.

She has felt hers, cret.

And has no desire to marry It is then That Neoklis and Stefan talk of again.

Her mouth now mimics stars.

Only the priest’s.

All the words which run The Blackbird sits in the Disperse, and fly to the sky square From the hard and pierced On the knot of Gordius. ground, As close as she dwells An ambitious crew.

To Neoklis and Stefan, The young men also grow in She cannot say that she courage: Governs them, any wiser.

All things to her pass Without explanation.

Things closer to her than the stars, Dongshen Li Like the night clouds, drift on, Indifferent as continents.

Week Ten’s theme is

FIRE Send your creative pursuits to frampley@gmail.com by 19th November

They talk of love.

Neoklis says that he Sees her pale nostrils Shiver with the wind, And pictures them also When she sleeps.

Stefan reveres Another girl, for She is proud And intelligent.

They walk over the hills To see Aphrodite in Paphos, And do not forsake on the way The freckle of a butterfly, The elegant fingernails of Cypresses, The downy grass on the earth’s lip.

Stefan is needed at home.

He and his father linger Until the stars are birthed.

Jessamy Hawke Guild Illustrator

Luke Surl Resident Guild Poet