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The Big Debate: Theresa May as PM >> p7
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The Official Weekly Term-time Newspaper of Sussex’s Student Union The Official Weekly Term-time Newspaper of Sussex’s Student Union
Funded by the Student Union • Edition 3 • 10th October 2016 • thebadgeronline.com • Twitter: @TheBadgerNews • Facebook: /thebadgersussex • Printed on recycled paper
1.1k signatures for Cut the Rent
Tom Robinson News Sub-Editor
During a demonstration organised by ‘Sussex, Cut the Rent’ and attended by approximately 35 students, a petition calling for a better accommodation deal for students was handed over to University management. The demonstration, which took place on Wednesday, began in Library Square and, after handing in the petition at Sussex House, the protesters marched on to Bramber House - where members of senior management were in a senate meeting - to shout campaign slogans.
Accommodation has become a contentious issue on campus, with students raising serious concerns over high rent and poor quality accommodation. It has been revealed that 180 home students have been placed in the White Hart Hotel in Lewes, sharing two to a room for £145 a week, and 150 home and exchange students are staying in hotels in Lewes and Hove. Whilst a Badger exclusive revealed that Sussex has made over £3m from accomodation between 2013-2015. The petition, which has attracted over 1,100 signatures, sets out three broad demands. Firstly, that accommo-
dation should never be more than 70% of the student loan; housingshould be never be more expensive than 70% of the maximum student loan (£148 per week in 2016/17) and the cheapest accommodation on campus should be no more expensive than 70% of the minimum student loan (£69 per week in 2016/17). The petition also calls on the University to address the issues highlighted by last year’s accommodation experience survey. The survey ‘found low student satisfaction with on campus accommodation, particularly among marginalised groups’ (women, BAME, LGBTQ+ and those with disabilities).
The final demand is that the ‘management of halls should be democratic and non-profit, with the university establishing a joint board consisting of students living in halls, Student Union officers, management and accommodation staff’. Speaking to the Badger, Megan, a first year Sociology student said: ‘I paid £5,500 for Stanmer Court and all the things in my room are broken, I was in my shower yesterday and I went to open the door and the handle came off in my hand. My flatmate had to come and let me out!’. Similarly, another first year student complained that ‘the first floor of my
ARTS “Art should always be divorced from the artist”
Art for Art’s sake >>p11
halls got flooded’, another that when they first moved in, there were ‘disgusting stains on my mattress, meaning I had to sleep on my floor during the first two days of freshers.’ Another first year student who is staying in Lewes Court said ‘my student loan doesn’t actually cover my rent so I have to pay about a grand out of my savings which I’ve worked up for. It’s just very expensive’. A second year student who had lived in Park House told The Badger how a ‘light fitting fell out of the ceiling whilst I was talking to someone, missing my head by inches’. >> p3
2 the
The Badger 10.10.2016
BADGER
Editor-in-Chief Freya Marshall Payne
badger@sussexstudent.com
Badger Time Capsule October 1969.
Deputy Editor Glenn Houlihan
In 1969, The Wine Press, the student paper which had stood through the 1960’s, closed down. It was to be replaced by Union News, with The Badger taking up the mantle of the official stdent newspaper on 5th October 1995. Here you can see In Focus, the ‘News Magazine of the University of Sussex’ run by the university’s information office, reporting on the closure of The Wine Press. The paper was closed with a vote of 24 to 7, In Focus reports, making the point that only 25 people deciding on the fate of a paper supposed to cater for 3,500 is hardly ideal. (Sussex only had 3,500 students at the time!) This page is a scathing attack on the value of the Wine Press, and directs cutting remarks towards the Union in general. However, what seems most surprising today is that Union News was due to open in an environment where there were so many rival campus publicatons - The Mole, Sussex Student, Insight and the TV guide In Camera. The front page of the last edition of the Wine Press, reproduced on the page, is also an interesting contrast. With the amusing pun ‘The Presses Fall Silent’, the paper closed down to make way for the line of different newspapers which gave way to The Badger 21 years ago last week.
Online Editor Remel Logan Crichlow badger@sussexstudent.com
The News Team Daniel Green Luke Richards Tom Robinson
badger-news@sussexstudent.com
The Arts Team Bianca Serafini thebadger-arts@sussexstudent.com
Miles Fagge thebadger.theatre@gmail.com
Rosie Dodds thebadger.culture@gmail.com
Lucie Andrau thebadger.culture@gmail.com
Monica Cherrie thebadger.film@gmail.com
Lauren Wade thebadger.music@gmail.com
The Comment Team William Singh Devin Thomas
badger-opinion@sussexstudent.com
Letters Editor Fraser Coppin
badger-letters@sussexstudent.com
Features Editor Charlotte Tuxworth-Holden
badger-features@sussexstudent.com
Lifestyle Alex Carter badger-lifestyle@sussexstudent.com
Science Editors Duncan Michie Kate Dearling badger-science@sussexstudent.com
Sports Editor Aaron Stephen badger-sport@sussexstudent.com
Events and Publicity Coordinator Sophie Clark
badger-publicity@sussexstudent.com
Proof Reader: Billie-Jean Johnson Front page headline image: Freya Marshall Payne. All other images: credited on the article they illustrate within the paper.
Editorial:
There is a great value to varied views
Other controversial and potentially disagreeing pieces are to be found in Arts: Monica Cherrie’s piece on This week The Badger is showing its nature as a platform to collect and feature the topic of ‘Art for Art’s sake’ which Woody Allen and the many controverthe view of all our community. A narsies around him, and a review by Becky ratie of student protest runs through several sections, linking News and Cul- Snowdon of Allen’s film Cafe Society. These two pairings of articles may ture - in News, Tom Robinson’s report seem to suggest contradictory aton the Cut the Rent petition hand-in, and in Culture, Rosie Dodd’s discussion titudes or angles: but we at The Badger see opposing pieces as complimentary. of the interesction between economic privilege and activism (and what might They are part of the discussions and debates which take part daily on our be called ‘champagne socialism’). We publish all sorts of views from all campus between people of different views, and we want The Badger to be sorts of people at Sussex. The editorial able to be part of this. line of The Badger is that we will give a The role of student media, when all space to everyone who has something is sead and done, is to reflect the realto say, regardless of what individuals ity of the world for students around working on the team may think of any us, not dictate. given piece. The Badger does not reflect Where we draw the line is insult or the views of the team; The Badger does targeted threats. When this happens, not reflect the view of the Student I will sit down with the writer and Union. The Badger collects many views, discuss exacty what they want to say often opposing and contradictory, and gives them space to develop into debate. and how we might reframe it. Freya Marshall Payne
On another note, it’s officially Black History Month! We’re happy to announce that next week’s Badger will be a themed edition. We want this to be a celebration of black history, with its long and radical routes, and of life now for black and minority ethnic people in our student comminuty. So with the aim of making this edition as wide-ranging and reflective as possible, we’re looking for any and all ideas for how we could best help you celebrate Black History Month in our pages. We would like to reflect and expand on the themes which the Student Union Black History Month launch has set out: “learning from the past, thinking in the now, decolonising the future.” Black History Month has been marked every October since 1987, celebrating the heritage and experience (past and present) of black and minority ethnic people. Perhaps now, after Brexit and the rise in ra-
Badger fact:
Brian May from Queen ran a seminar about the Protection of Badgers Act (1992) at Sussex. He is a campaigner for badger rights and composed a song called ‘The Badger Song’. cialised abuse - which, sadly, has taken place as close to home as Brighton, with the local papers reporting several incidents - the focus of using the past to look forward has become even more poigant. The past can be built on to inform how we shape the future. We would love to see The Badger be able to act as a platform for discussion between our black and minority ethnic writers and readers next week, acting in conjunction with events at Sussex and in the local area throughout the month.
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The Badger 10.10.16
NEWS
NHS launch #IAMWHOLE campaign for mental health Daniel Green News Editor The NHS and the YMCA have launched a new campaign to break the stigma surrounding mental health conditions among young people. The #IAMWHOLE campaign calls on young people to be open about mental health issues, find and seek out support, and challenge harmful language when they hear it. The campaign, which was born in Brighton, was launched to coincide with World Mental Health Day today (October 10th), and encourages people to share ‘circle on hand’ selfies to promote the cause on social media. Jordan Stephens, ambassador of the campaign and one half of Brighton band Rizzle Kicks, said: ‘The campaign’s message that ‘together we are whole’ is so important and I am pleased to be launching it today on World Mental Health Day’. At a press preview on Friday, hosted at the new British Airways i360, Mr Stephens performed his new solo single ‘Whole’, which deals with tackling mental health issues, to launch the campaign. Mr Stephens added: ‘I wrote ‘Whole’ to express how I was feeling at the bottom of a situation. When the NHS suggested it could be used to give other people a way of feeling less alone, man that felt really good’. The launch coincides with research released by the YMCA today (October 10th), which reveals that one in three young people who suffer from a men-
tal health condition feel stigmatised, with over half saying that the stigma made them less likely to seek support. The YMCA reserch also found that 77 per cent of young people know someone who has experienced difficulties with their mental health. Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of YMCA England, said: ‘YMCA’s research backs up conversations we have had with young people in which they have told us mental health is one of the principle worries affecting their generation today’. Last year the Government pledged to spend another £1.25 billion to support improvements in mental health and well-being for young people, and the #IAMWHOLE campaign aims to assist that by normalising mental
health issues. Dr Tim Kendall, National Clincal Director for Mental Health for NHS England, said: ‘Reaching out to young people who aren’t coming forward to access services due to fear of stigma is so important, and the #IAMWHOLE campaign is helping to start that conversation with young people today’. Grainne Gahan, Welfare Officer for the Students’ Union, said: ‘If you are affected by any of the issues mentioned in this article, the Student Life Centre, the on-campus counselling service and the NHS provide confidential help and advice for those suffering from a mental health condition’.
STATS BOX
YMCA research published this week found:
One in three young people with mental health difficulties feel stigmatised 54 per cent said they experience hurtful behaviour about their mental health from their friends 56 per cent said the stigma around mental health made them less likely to seek professional support One in ten young people will suffer from a mental health condition
Daniel Green
Cut the Rent protest Badger launches drug survey Louise Davis
Freya Marshall Payne Continued from front page... In a speech at the demo that drew loud cheers from the assembled students, a member of the campaign warned ‘loads of first years are in accommodation they did not apply for and so cannot afford’. ‘We have heard horror stories of first years’ accommodation having literal shit flood into their halls and their apartments and they pay what, £140 a week for this?’ Going on to add that ‘having a roof over your head, somewhere you can relax, somewhere you can chill out, somewhere you can work, should not put you into your over-
draft, should not put you into debt, yet we have University managers making hundreds of thousands of pounds whilst subjecting students to quite frankly f*cking awful conditions’. In response, a university spokesperson said: ‘The VC is grateful for the Cut the Rent Action team for handing him the petition and is keen to hear their views on this important matter. Talks are already underway with the Students’ Union and other people around campus about rent prices.’
The Badger has launched a drug survey of Sussex students to examine drug habits at university. The survey, the first of its kind in four years, asks students what drugs (legal and illegal) they have tried, how much they spend per week, and looks at the welfare issues linked to drug and alcohol use. Freya Marshall Payne, Editor of The Badger, said: ‘I think it is a really exciting project, as it is going to give us a lot of information to produce a good feature, and to work with the Students’ Union so that students can get tailored help for drug and alcohol issues. ‘Regardless of where you stand on it, drug use is a large part of student life across the country, not just at Sussex, and this is going to provide worthwile insight.’ The publication has also worked with the Students’ Union to promote the survey, and encourage more students to participate. The Students’ Union said: ‘The last survey of its kind was done
by The Badger in 2013’. The 2013 survey found 97% of respondents admitted to smoking
cannabis, 69% admitting to trying MDMA or ecstasy, and 2.6% admitting to trying heroin.
Badger
the
Complete the Badger drugs survey at tinyurl.com/badgerdrugssurvey All answers are completely anonymous and will not be shared with third parties
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The Badger 10.10.2016
NEWS
As freshers drink less, should Freshers’ Week adapt? Freya Marshall Payne Editor-in-Chief Sussex Students’ Union (USSU) discussed making 60% of all Freshers’ Week events alcohol-free at Council last week. This year, USSU already held a ‘cafe crawl’ as distinct from the traditional alcohol-based ‘bar crawl’. Only a day later, The Headmasters and Headmistresses Annual Conference heard that ‘many new university students’ want to scrap Freshers’ Week and start teaching from week one, according to the BBC. General Secretary of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference William Richardson said that Freshers’ Week can be an isolating and expensive experience based on anecdotal evidence from talking to new first year students. The current generation of stu-
dents are facing £9,000 tuition fees as well as the recently-introduced maintenance loans which have replaced maintenance grants for new students. Mr Richardson said that students are now more focused on studying than in previous times, partly down to the financial burden. These comments come not long after a survey reported by the BBC showed that 27% of 2,000 students surveyed at independent schools said their top priority was workload. 25% of those same 2,000 said their priority was money. Mr Richardson also raised a range of non-economic issues. He said: ‘There is concern about Freshers’ Week being culturally very clunky. ‘So, the teetotal, faith-based female student, who wants to enjoy Freshers’ Week, at a venue where you can’t say no to drinking - that’s definitely an issue.’
Freedom of speech policy to comply with anti-terror legislation Luke Richards News Sub-editor After a brief consultation, the university has released its new freedom of speech policy to comply with the government’s controversial Prevent agenda. This comes after unions on campus, representing both staff and students, voiced concerns about its implementation and the lack of consultation undertaken by the university’s management. Vice-Chancellor Adam Tickell launched the consultation after university staff members of University and College Union (UCU) circulated the university’s original response to the legislation. The policy had been drafted to satisfy Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) that the university was complying with the 2015 Terrorism and Security Act. The act stipulates that universities are now required to have a ‘due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’. A point of contention for the Students’ Union was the way in which external speakers would have to be vetted to comply with the law before being allowed to speak at or attend events associated with the union. In response to the policy’s launch the President of the Student’s Union Annie Pickering said: ‘As result of this consultation, the vast majority of decisions about external speakers on campus will remain with the event organisers such as students,
similar to before. ‘Therefore we imagine that the impact on students will be minimal, however the new policy under Prevent has highlighted the potential for limitations to be put on external speakers coming to campus.’ A similar sentiment was expressed in an email by the Vice Chancellor in which he said: ‘In the overwhelming majority of cases where we invite external speakers to meetings either on or off campus, there will be no risk and hence no further action will be necessary. ‘However, our new approach does place significant responsibility on the meeting organiser to assess this and you will need to ensure that you take advice under the procedure if you have any doubts at all.’ The negative reaction to the Prevent Agenda has also come from beyond campus. Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, stated that: ‘UCU has consistently warned that the Prevent duty risks doing more harm than good by shutting down debate on contentious topics and creating mistrust between teachers and students. ‘College teachers have always taken their duty of care to students very seriously, so the focus on implementing the Prevent duty is both unnecessary and potentially counterproductive.’ Warnings have also come from the NUS who had claimed the legislation was a ‘significant threat to civil liberties and freedom of speech on campuses’ - a threat the ViceChancellor’s consultation has sought to allay.
It seems a change is already taking place in how students socialise on campus, with drink taking a less central role. NUS research published in February shows that coffee shops have replaced clubs and bars as the most used facility, at 81%. Clubs came to 78% and bars, 74%. National Union of Students Vice-President for Union Development Richard Brooks said: ‘Students are asking more and more for different opportunities to meet other students in a variety of spaces. ‘Students’ unions are rising to the challenge and providing a range of events that reflect this and finding ways to welcome new and returning students. ‘NUS research has previously shown students are becoming more interested in all sorts of activities.’ All of this comes amidst what
the BBC has dubbed a ‘teetotal trend’. Binge drinking has been falling over the last few years, falling from 29% in 2005 and 18% in 2013. In fact, in London, almost one-third of all adults said they never drink alcohol. There is an age trend: the decrease in binge drinking is mainly amongst the 16-24 age group and the 25-44 age group. Annie Pickering, USSU Presi-
dent, said: “Our Freshers events were varied this year including the welcome party, tea crawl, a crafternoon and lots of sport events to try and cater for everyone’s needs and interests. We always welcome students to get involved and put on other events. Freshers week is a time for students to get to know their new home and place of study, however they wish.’
Sussex cuts emissions, yet concerns remain Tom Robinson News Sub-editor Sussex has reduced its carbon output by 5.4% over last year, saving money on utility bills and bringing £20,000 worth of carbon tax savings. However concerns remain over its ethical investment, water reduction and waste and recycling policy, which in the 2015 People and Planet University league table scored 0%, 0% and 26% respectively. In a press release, the University credited this reduction in CO2 emissions to ‘upgrades in engine performance and an increase in operational hours’ of the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit.The CHP unit provides power and heating to campus, and since having been installed in Boiler House in 2007, it ‘supplies one-third of the campus electricity demand from Monday to Friday and almost half every weekend’. Matthew Arnold, Energy and Environmental Manager for SEF, said: ‘We’re immensely proud of our efforts to reduce the University’s
emissions, for low to no cost. ‘This achievement demonstrates the success of our proactive approach to carbon reduction, resulting in energy cost savings and a healthier outlook for the campus environment.’ Sussex has been placed 43rd in the People and Planet University League Table, yet scored poorly for ethical investment, water reduction and waste and recycling. Speaking to the Badger, a University spokesman said ‘we are currently scoping several projects around lighting, solar power and heating [and we have] taken inroads into improving its ethical investment policy’, a new socially responsible investment policy which came out in April of this year. Martin McCann, Independent Council member, and chair of the working group which reviewed the policy, commented at the time: ‘Establishing protocols for onward investments can be complex, especially for organisations with a charitable status that need to see
strong returns, however we wanted to take action to do this as responsibly as possible’. Working to improve its waste and recycling policy, a spokesman stated ‘all campus kitchens will have two recycling/hardwearing bags (Mixed Recycling and Glass) within the next 5 weeks. We are aware that up to now it’s been difficult for our campus residents to recycle and we believe that this will help promote it’. Sussex has also attempted to raise awareness of water reduction through a social media campaign on the Sussex Estates and Facilities Twitter page. Whilst, the new housing complex which is set to replace East Slope will be built to BREEAM Excellent (the world’s foremost environmental assessment method and rating systems for buildings) and will incorporate solar electricity panel, grey water harvesting, efficient lighting, heating and cooling throughout (all efficiently controlled).
Tuition fees to top £9,500 Eric Swindon
Tuition fees for students starting in autumn 2018 are set to exceed £9,500, the Government has announced. Jo Johnson, Universities Minister, said: ‘The Government has already announced plans to increase fees’. A Sussex University spokesperson said: ‘Tuition fees are clearly something for students to consider carefully and we strongly urge them to ensure they are aware of the grants that may be available to them from different universities’. However, they added that, as the rise in tuition fess is subject to parliamentary approval, they are
unable to comment on whether fees will rise at Sussex. The government has said higher fees will be linked to teaching quality assessed through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The TEF has not yet been set up, and while it is finalised, the government has allowed an across-the-board increase to £9,250 from autumn 2017. The Department for Education says the fee increases for 2018 will be a second ‘trial year’ before a system with different fee bands based on teaching quality. ‘Universities will not be able to increase their fees unless they pass rigorous quality standards’, said a Department for Education
spokeswoman. When the TEF is in place, universities will be graded in three bands: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The forecast for inflation for 2018-19 from the Office for Budget Responsibility is 3.2% which would push the cost of fees above £9,500. As The Badger previously reported, the University of Sussex Students’ Union (USSU) has joined the National Union of Students (NUS) in encouraging a boycott of the National Student Survey, a key component in the TEF, because USSU opposes the marketisation of higher education.
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The Badger 10.10.2016
NEWS
The News Where You Aren’t The News team review some of the big stories from campuses across the country St. Andrews
Glasgow
A former Glasgow University student is set to be extradited to the United States after allegedly hacking into government websites. Lauri Love, a former physics student and a political activist, will face three separate trials for hacking into US agencies, including NASA, the Federal Reserve and the FBI. Love, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, faces the possibility of 99 years behind bars if found guilty, and claims that being extradited to the US could result in depression or suicide. The extradition is subject to Home Office approval, with Home Secretary Amber Rudd expected to make a decision next month.
By the time of publication students at St. Andrews will have possibly held a debate titled, ‘This House Would Assassinate President Trump’. The debate, due to have taken place last Thursday, was recognised by the debating society as being one of their ‘most controversial events of the semester’. Defending their choice of topic, the Committee of the Union Debating stated that: ‘Mocking Donald Trump’s blatantly offensive ideas is the only approach to a debate on the US election. All speeches on the night will be satirical. ‘Scotland has shown its complete contempt for Donald Trump repeatedly. We aim to follow in that proud tradition.’
York
Women’s Officers at the University of York have labelled students as being ‘dangerously naïve’ after they walked out of consent classes. Students at the university walked out of the classes stating that they were ‘patronising’. The officers went on to say that the walkouts make it look as if York ‘has a rape problem’. One student, Ben Froughi, said: ‘If students really need lessons in how to say yes or no then they should not be at university’. York Women’s Officer, Lucy Robinson, repudiated his statement in an article on The Telegraph website by contrasting the reality of the ‘rape problem’ faced by students across the UK.
Wales
Students from Wales have been struck by a recent report that suggests grants covering their tuition fees should be replaced by support for their living costs instead. The report recommends that the £5,100 tuition fee grant be replaced with £1000 for all students, with a universal element increasing the total grant awarded to less affluent students to a maximum of £9,133. Jonathan Jones, President of the University of South Wales Students’ Union, says: ‘The new maintenance grant system seems fair and the £1,000 non-means tested grant is a welcomed surprise’. Students from Wales on average leave university with less debt than their English peers.
Oxford
Cherwell, the independent newspaper for the University of Oxford has reported that University Challenge is edited when students cannot answer questions. Scenes where both teams are unable to answer the same question are cut out of the final version. The revelations came to light when Jeremy Paxman was speaking at the Henley Literary Festival about his autobiography, saying ‘I’ll let you into a secret (about how) University Challenge is recorded. If we get a run of questions, it doesn’t happen very often, say one show in seven or eight or 10 or something, you might get a run of unanswered starter questions, they all get edited out’. The Telegraph has reported that neither teams are able to answer a string of questions around two or three times a recording.
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COMMENT
The Badger 10.10.2016
THE BIG DEBATE
‘Theresa May’s first three Months show she’ll be a good Prime Minister’
IN FAVOUR Chris Seymour
Theresa May’s first three months as prime minister have been a resounding success and have shown that which a majority of people both inside and outside the Conservative Party already knew: she will be a good PM. Theresa May was in the eyes of most an excellent and extremely competent Home Secretary, shown by the fact that she had the longest tenure at the Home Office in more than 60 years - under Blair/Brown Home Secretaries lasted an average of two years. Objectively, a good prime minister should always be capable and experienced and May has shown herself to be both of these things at the Home Office, and now in Downing Street. In all areas of government policy she is moving towards accomplishing her aims, and in opinion polls and at Prime Minister’s Questions she is triumphing. Let’s deal with the most important/ obvious issue first: Brexit. She is committed to following the will of the people - as any prime minister should - and has directed the Treasury to make plans for any negative effects which may occur during and following the implementation of the electorate’s decision. Furthermore, whilst on her post-Brexitvote diplomatic tour of European capitals she has shown herself to be an excellent global statesman and UK representative on the world stage, for example by securing the La Touquet Agreement whilst in Paris, and she is also doing a sterling job at home. On the 20th of July, May stood at the dispatch box for her first Prime Minister’s Questions; what followed was nothing short of a bloodbath. She
put the raucous spectacle that was past PMQ’s behind her, and with cool confidence, sincerity, and commanding authority roundly thrashed her hapless opponent – so easily it almost seemed cruel. Two key parts of being a good PM are having the ability to defeat one’s opponents in a debate, and being able to speak with natural charisma and utilise razor-sharp delivery – May certainly does all of these things. Of course, Theresa May has most popular appeal amongst Conservatives, however, regardless of the side of the political spectrum on which one finds oneself, she almost certainly has at least one unobjectionable policy (excluding that she sacked Osborne). Those who have a strong belief in the power and rights of the worker will be delighted by her setting up a workers’ rights review. Headed by a former Labour No.10 Policy Unit chief, the review will look into zero-hours contracts, job security, pay, training, worker representation on company boards, and improving opportunities for the disabled. Those who feel that disabled people and those with health conditions or impairments have been unfairly treated by past governments will be pleased by two new developments since she took office. Firstly, recipients of Employment and Support Allowance with a chronic illness and no hope of any improvement will not be subject to retesting (this has been welcomed by the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary and various charities, such as the MS Society). Secondly, the contract with Concentrix for handling benefits claims will not be renewed; this is a decision which will undoubtedly be supported by those who previously had to deal with the company. The three examples above prove one key thing: Theresa May is looking to
create a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. With social mobility at the heart of her policies, Theresa May is doing exactly what any good prime minister would: ignoring ideology and petty politics to create a better country for all its citizens. Moreover, Theresa May is proving herself to be a good prime minister by being the driving force behind bold decisions. She supported renewing our submarine defence, and the Commons supported her. She felt the involvement of the Chinese Government in the computer systems at Hinkley Point presented a danger to national security, so she postponed the deal. She deemed a decision on the new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick to have been deferred for too long, so she stated that a final announcement will be made in the Autumn. This shows that, quite simply, Theresa May has the competence and confidence in her decision-making that is required of any good prime minister. The public is certainly in agreement with me when I say that Theresa May is shaping up to be a great PM. In a poll of 23 polls released last week by the British Polling Council predicted that if a snap election was held today the Conservative majority would soar to 62; surely in part due to Theresa May’s excellence in her role, rather than purely because of Corbyn’s earth-shattering incompetence. All in all, it is very difficult to convincingly argue that Theresa May’s first three months in Downing Street have been anything less than hugely successful, and, if she’s started as she means to go on, Theresa May is shaping up to be the best prime minister in a while. She is certainly something the UK needs in what may well be turbulent times: an Iron Lady.
Flickr: Russell Watkins
AGAINST Harry Page
Theresa May has been Prime Minister for over three months. Her party miraculously still fairly intact after a referendum fraught with personal insults, Theresa May would seem to be at the reins of a resurgent Britain going its own way. That’s not the case. Between alarmed European politicians reluctant to concede anything more than token trading privileges and a public torn down the middle between leaving in a hurry and people who would gladly see Brexit die in legal battles, Theresa May will be on the precipice of successive political defeats if everything fails to run like clockwork. Theresa May has a track record her party’s Eurosceptic wing can go along with despite her backing the Remain campaign. Her appointment as a female Prime Minister during the Brexit fallout was notable and, although Leave voters would have preferred a Prime Minister who had voted Leave themselves, these voters weren’t specifically Conservative. I suspect many northern and elderly voters were Eurosceptic Labour supporters who couldn’t care for Tory government and longed instead for the ‘old Labour’ Labour party and it’s narrative of Europe as a big ‘capitalist club’ - which Jeremy Corbyn used to subscribe to. This is a dilemma at the heart of Brexit politics: no one seems to have legitimacy. Not only does Corbyn face continuing uncertain territory over Europe and immigration in Labour heartlands, but in Theresa May we have an unelected prime minister presiding over the greatest constitutional shift in modern British history. Theresa May has said there won’t be an early election, leaving the Brexit parliament almost exactly the same as it was when Cameron defeated Miliband. Miliband seems like years ago. It feels like Cameron will go the same way in our minds too. The political landscape is different and our prime minister, presumably overworked and/or too cautious, won’t hold an election that she could win. It’s hardly a ringing endorsement of Theresa May that she is less disliked a politician than her leadership rivals Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom, who championed all the ideas people in general like the least about conservatives. Theresa May is the product of an unexpected result and continued the theme with firing Nicky Morgan whilst appointing Boris Johnson as foreign minister. Realistically Boris deserved a senior position for his patronage, but his
brash comments about the international community make him far from qualified to represent Britain, and a reckless apointment at a time when close friends will be needed to take the slack from what will be a messy divorce. So we have an unelected prime minister who isn’t very divisive. Is there anything else going for her? Not really. Theresa may looks like the autopilot stopping the plane from crashing. All her efforts to create a new brand of politics, her previous political experience and any legacy she wants to have will rest on handling Brexit and delivering a workable resolution to the public, grammar schools be damned.
The public and the markets want something better than “Brexit means Brexit” The public and the markets want something better to grasp for the future than ‘Brexit means Brexit.’ On October 2nd we did have clarity that article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty would be invoked by March 2017. This would give Theresa may until March 2019 to deliver Brexit, a lofty goal if ever there was one. After Greenland voted to leave the European Economic Community in 1982 it took 3 years to leave, with most of that wrangling solely about fishing rights. With a much larger political and legal entanglement between the UK and EU the two year timetable looks wildly optimistic. As it stands the Government looks increasingly defined by an issue it hasn’t got control over in relation to what the EU states fancy giving to Britain. The Governments of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have defied May by saying they’ll veto any deal that denies free movement to their workers seeking jobs in Britain. The pound is at a 31 year low. The Interest rate has been cut again and the Chancellor Phillip Hammond surprised everyone by promising more economic growth just to stop it from sinking. Theresa May will do better than her predecessor simply by avoiding coalitions and pig scandals. She will surely have hoped that Nigel Farage’s resignation had remained permanent, and he will be another spectre of seduction for backbenchers doubting May’s conviction for a ‘hard’ Brexit. The tortured economy and an uncertain political future don’t bode well for her career in the long term. A week is a long time in politics. After 90 days in office it looks true for besieged Mrs May.
The Badger 10.10.2016
7 COMMENT
As Brighton residents, we should be doing more to combat homelessness Devin Thomas Comment Sub-Editor Walking down any busy street in Brighton turns the issue of homelessness into a vivid reality- a reality I don’t doubt every student at Sussex is interested in eliminating. We are a progressive University with a history of strong social action and a list of groups dedicated to various causes longer than most probably even realise, with groups declaring themselves friends to Yemen, Palestine and Kurdistan and which aim variously to dedicate themselves to the causes of sustainability, stopping AIDs, advocating animal rights and creating access for those with disabilities- to print every social action group we accommodate would result in extreme and unnecessarily high-quantity ink purchases for this issue of the Badger. Why, then, is there such a lack of student action combating homelessness? The faint glimmer of hope that we might have at least some student action combating homelessness, which I experienced upon noticing for the first time the ‘Raising and Giving’ (or RAG) society on the Students’ Union website, was put out as soon as I read the list of causes they give to - although undeniably one of our most essential social societies, the RAG society still highlight to me the glaring absence of thought about ac-
tion to benefit the homeless in our consciousness as a University. We were hit with an 18% increase in rent last year in Brighton- something that possibly doesn’t shock students, who are used to ridiculous fees. When this statistic is compared to the far less significant 4.9% rent hike in rent of 2015 nationally, though, we see that we are an outlier- this is clearly an issue that is affecting our city more noticeably than most others. However, there is no outspoken response from Sussex students that I can see (although I sincerely hope someone will point out that I’m wrong and correct me). While solidarity with homeless students is as strong as should be expected, in a city with a rapidly increasing homelessness problem, a progressive population and two Universities of similarly socially radical frames of mind, why is there such stark silence on the issue at large? Homeless women have a life expectancy of 43 years. That of homeless men is slightly higher at 47, but this is less assuring as there are nine times as many homeless men as there are women. In March of 2015 a count in Brighton and Hove found 132 rough sleepers, although since that number increased from just 41 in a count the previous year it has almost definitely increased substantially in the year and a half
since. Statistics like this are not just shocking, they are unacceptable. These are real people: people whose quality of life is so bad that they are 35 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, and of whom nearly three quarters struggle with alcoholism. Tributes can occasionally be seen for dead homeless people when walking around the city centre, the sobering reality of which could be expected to result in some outrage and action. This expectation is not met at our University.
It is exactly because homelessness is so prevalent that we have a tendency to ignore it. The easier thing to do is to close your eyes and hope some other person will be the one to finally step up and combat it. I don’t condemn the institution, or its students, for this shortcoming- I’m sure we do far more great things for a far more varied group of causes than almost any other stu-
dent population, and I love being at Sussex for this reason. However, it must be addressed that there are glaring gaps in the causes we choose to champion, and the most glaring of these is, to me, that of homelessness. Perhaps it is exactly because homelessness is so prevalent on our streets that we have a tendency to ignore it. Feelings of guilt and inadequacy come to me every time I pass a homeless person on the street and don’t stop to give them money- which is almost every time, since I’m a student, and therefore skint. The easier thing to do by far is to close your eyes to it and hope that some other institution, some
other person even, will be the one to finally step up and combat it. We must accept the fact straight away, though, that the combat has to begin with us. The tools for fighting such a rampant and damaging issue just doesn’t exist currently- if they did, there would be no problem to combat. We are privileged enough to be in a position from which we can make a real, beneficial difference in the lives of the least fortunate members of our society. I hope very much that this is something that we, as students, will take up the mantle of responsibility for, and that real action on this issue can be made by students at Sussex in the near future.
There is no place for Nationalism in the 21st Century Georgia Grace In recent years, with the rise of terrorism, anti-immigration movements and everyday racism, many have attempted to redefine our sense of nationalism to make it more accommodating. Broadcasters such as the BBC have churned out a range of documentaries, news podcasts and reality shows that challenge our traditional perceptions of “Britishness”. Nowadays, anyone can be British, and there is a great deal of pride to be felt in the diversity and accepting attitude that comes with that. However, the notion of a new nationalism with nation-blind equality and diversity at its heart – although perhaps an attractive prospect – is inherently flawed. Nationalism is by definition a celebration of one’s own lands and
people, to the detriment of others. So long as one considers theirs own nation superior, even if they accept this as subjective, they are belittling the existence of everyone who does not adhere to it. It is because of nationalism – among many other issues – that millions of children can die of hunger in far off lands. While few of us would argue the superiority of a British child over an African child, the psychological barriers that we have drawn up between ourselves and the rest of the world, reduce our sense of compassion for the latter. While we may argue that it is appalling that the government does not assist homeless Brits, we are more forgiving of its rejection of refugees and economic immigrants. If we truly cared for all people equally irregardless of nationality, there would be no reason to care for
the welfare of Brits over the welfare It is in its nature a tool to stimulate competition, which has of foreigners. inevitably lead to conflict. Some may suggest that this Nationalism is an ab- tendency towards violence can be curtailed, that we can utilise comstract concept, invented petition for mutual growth rather to draw imaginary links than aggression. The truth is that and divides between this has never been less the case. We have reached a time of capipeople on the arbitrary talist crisis, in which the problems of overproduction, declining basis of birth. natural resources and oversaturated markets mean that economic competition is more ruthless than Nationalism is, of course, an abstract concept, invented to draw ever before. We are also in a nuclear age, imaginary links and divides between people, on the arbitrary basis in which all serious competition of where in the universe they first poses the threat of mass destrucappeared. It has been used through- tion. Now more than ever, the world out history to justify imperialism, to rally behind murderous dictators, needs unity. Scientists theorise and to push vulnerable citizens into that climate change is reaching irfighting wars that have nothing to reversible levels, and that if we do not act now the future of the hudo with them.
man race could be at stake. So long as governments continue to follow their own economic and political agendas, the issue of the environment will not addressed. So long as we continue to focus on nationalism, crises that affect the international population can never be efficiently addressed, from world hunger, to animal rights, to women’s liberation. I don’t propose to condemn the flying of the union flag or the viewing of The Great British Bake Off. However, I do hope that the significance of nationalism in social norms will begin to wear away as we move towards international unity. This is not a hateful attack on patriots, but a call for us to put our hatred to one side. It is a call to fight, not amongst each other but together, against the forces that threated our planet and all of its inhabitants.
The Comment section are always looking for writers to submit content every week. If you hold an opinion you would like to air, we welcome you to contact us to pitch an idea or submit an article by email at Badger-Opinion@ Sussex.ac.uk or to come along to one of our regular writers’ meetings on Fridays at 11am.
8
FEATURES
The Badger 10.10.16
The greatest donation
Despite efforts from healthcare professionals and policymakers world-wide, rates of body donation remain low. The number of patients in urgent need of a transplant is rising. Charlotte Tuxworth-Holden Features Editor
E
veryone has their own preference as to what it means to be a hero. Depending on age, gender, cultural background, the individuals we look up to will differ. Your hero may be the Olympic athlete you watch wide-eyed on your television screen; they may be a musician who guided you through those awkward teenage years. Your hero may be your mother, father, brother, aunt. Despite our differences, it seems there’s one act of heroism that it unanimous: saving lives. Perhaps the most powerful thing a person can do, those who save the lives of others are consistently praised in our culture: in fiction, in the media, in art, in science. A few weeks ago, the Nobel Prize for Medicine – an award indiciating heroism if there ever was one – was awarded to Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi for his pioneering discoveries of cell mechanisms that have given scientists new perspectives on cancer and neurological diseases.
“The prospect of helping dying individuals to survive transcends any value we place in academic or monetary achievement” Indeed, the prospect of helping dying individuals to survive transcends any value we place in academic or monetary achievement: it is a power of raw humanity. Why then is saving lives through body donation so stigmatised in our culture? Why do we reject the possibility of helping others? I refer specifically to organ and stem cell donation – gifting a healthy part of your body to the suffering body of another. This is possible both when the donor has passed away and when they are living, depending on the type of donation. Organ and stem cell donation can treat a wide range of life-threatening conditions, including chronic kidney disease and blood cancer. In 2013, the BBC reported that just 31% of people in the United Kingdom are registered organ donors. Put simply, registering means you are agreeing that your organs
and tissue may be used to help someone who needs a transplant after you have passed away. England, Scotland and Northern Ireland currently operate using an “opt-in” system for donation: becoming an organ donor requires actively adding your name to the register. In December 2015, Wales adopted an “opt-out” system, which presumes consent unless an adult individual actively registers that they do not wish to be a donor. Early last month, NHS Blood and Transplant released figures indicating that the results of this change were positive: more organs were being donated, more lives were being saved. So what’s stopping the rest of the UK? There are many reasons why some of the population oppose presumed consent in donating organs. In 2008, the Organ Donation Taskforce – a UK government-appointed body – released a report that rejected the idea of an opt-out system in spite of support from both the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Heart Foundation. The overriding justification seemed to be a matter of trust: the taskforce asserted that patients in intensive care and their families may worry that, under a presumed consent system, less effort will be made to keep them alive if their organs could potentially save another person. As well as issues of trust, stances that oppose an opt-out system and organ donation as a whole are motivated by religious and ethical beliefs. These reasons must of course be respected no matter where you stand on the issue. But if an opt-out system prevents suffering and death by increasing the number of donors, it is surely the favourable option for the health of our society. The 2008 report signaled the negative connotations around organ donation that existed then and continue to exist today. The effort by medical professionals to implement a presumed consent system in the rest of the UK continues in 2016: in June, the British Medical Association voted to actively lobby for one. Donating stem cells, unlike donating most organs and tissue, can occur when the donor is living. A separate register - run by the NHS and the blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan Trust - holds the names of those who have provided a small sample of saliva or blood and have opted to be a donor. Donated stem cells are used to treat blood cancer and rare blood conditions – the stem cells of a healthy donor who is found to be a match for a patient are extracted
from their body and gifted to the patient who needs them. Healthy stem cells can come from three sources: bone marrow, blood collected from an umbilical cord, and peripheral (or circulating) blood. The latter is the most common form of donation, and is performed using a process similar to that of giving blood. Georgia Lewis, a former Sussex student who graduated this year, was recently called up for a donation by Anthony Nolan. She told me about her experience. “I couldn’t believe I was a match for someone. Having only been on the register for a few months, it seemed like a miracle,” she says. “The donation process itself was fine, just a little draining. I had four sets of injections to trigger my stem cells to overproduce, causing aches and pains in my limbs and lower back. However, the Anthony Nolan nurses were exceptional once I made it to the clinic in London to donate”. Miss Lewis gave me some detail about the process itself: “after two days of lying in a hospital bed while a whirring machine separated cells from my blood, my little stem cells were sent to my recipient for their transplant! I am hoping and praying that it was a success, and that maybe one day I can meet them,” she says. The short-term discomfort of the donation process didn’t deter Georgia, and she urges everyone to sign up to the register. “Nothing beats saving a life and it is something I will never forget and still can’t really believe I did”. Miss Lewis is happy, healthy and
working in a graduate job at a fashion company. Her donation will impact the lives of so many, and she has contributed to the heroic effort to fight cancer and terminal illness. Miss Lewis registered to become a donor whilst she was a university student, and many others have done the same. Ruth Chanarin, President of the Brighton and Sussex Marrow Society, tells me that 1 in 4 matches found by Anthony Nolan in the UK are recruited by University Marrow groups. She stresses the importance of getting as many people as possible on the register: “since it is so difficult to find a suitable stem cell match, there needs to be a greater number of potential donors to select from. The work of Marrow groups is truly lifesaving stuff, and well worth getting involved in”. Miss Chanarin and the rest of the Marrow Society work year-round, fundraising and recruiting to fight blood cancer, and giving patients hope for a last chance at life. Last Wednesday, the society hosted a recruitment drive at the Students Union, signing up potential donors. If you missed it, keep an eye out for the next one – signing up by giving a small sample of saliva means you could help one of the thousands of people diagnosed with blood cancer in the UK every year. You can find more information about becoming a donor by talking to someone from the society or on Anthony Nolan’s website. If becoming a donor isn’t right for you, there’s plenty of other ways to help out, including buying cake from
the regular sales the the Marrow Society hold.
“A change in attitude and an openness to becoming a donor could prevent lives from being lost” This summer, The Guardian reported that 1,000 patients in the UK die every year because of organ shortages – a change in attitude and an openness to becoming a donor could prevent these lives from being lost. Every 20 minutes, someone in the UK finds out they have blood cancer, and the grueling treatment begins. 60% of patients currently find their best possible match from a stranger – this number drops to 20.5% if the patient is from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background. The importance of building and diversifying the stem cell donation register cannot be stressed enough. The universally heroic act of saving a life is undeniable, but the stigmas attached to body donation continue to prevent lives from being saved. The passion of student movements has proved capable of provoking real change, and we can all be part of a wider effort to raise awareness of the positive impact body donation can have on the lives of patients and the donors that help them.
Pixabay Healthy blood stem cells are essential to human survival. For patients with blood cancer and rare blood conditions, finding a donor is often their last chance at life.
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The Badger 03.10.2016
ARTS
Art for Art’s Sake
Monica Cherrie Film Editor In a culture where we are inundated with information about celebrities and the fairly private aspects of their personal lives, should we let this information and scandal influence our experience of their art? Last week, while speaking to Bustle about why there was a lack of diversity in his films, acclaimed director Tim Burton had this to say: ‘Nowadays, people are talking about it more’, he says regarding film diversity. But ‘things either call for things, or they don’t. I remember back when I was a child watching The Brady Bunch and they started to get all politically correct. Like, OK, let’s have an Asian child and a black. I used to get more offended by that than just... I grew up watching Blaxploitation movies, right? And I said, that’s great. I didn’t go like, OK, there should be more white people in these movies’. This is quite clearly a troubling view to take, as it suggests that white is the default and that by casting an actor of a different ethnicity he would be adding an attribute to the character. This indicates he believes an actor who isn’t white can only play a role that panders to racial stereotypes. Burton’s words made it strikingly clear that he does not under-
stand the issues surrounding race. It’s especially saddening that someone so widely revered by self-identifying outsiders has failed to understand the complications surrounding real marginalised groups. No one complained about there being no whites in Blaxploitation films because that was kind of the point. They were a social commentary, a way to respond to 70s Hollywood and speak to a marginalised group of people’s frustration with the world. So yes, Tim Burton is tone deaf when it comes to race, and would quite clearly rather focus his artistic energy on imaginary marginalised groups, like men with scissors for hands. But does this mean we should boycott Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children like the good people on Twitter are rallying for? I don’t believe so.
Image: Stefano Caporilli. Wikimedia Commons
This isn’t because I don’t agree with those who have criticised his statement, it’s rather because I don’t believe an artist’s personal views should come into play when experiencing their art. Art should always be divorced from the artist. This concept was popularised in the 19th Century by Théophile Gautier. ‘Art for art’s sake’ sought to establish the value of art as art, and also that artistic pursuits did not need moral justification and were even meant to be morally neutral or subversive. This separation of the art from the artist is necessary when considering the sheer amount of icons whose behaviour in their personal life has been truly deplorable. John Lennon’s domestic violence even finds it’s way into his music. In Getting Better he sings, ‘I used to be cruel to my woman I’d beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved’. It’s still possible to enjoy the Beatles in spite of Lennon’s notoriously horrible nature. The same can be said for Woody Allen. The director met his current wife, Soon-Yi when she was 7 years old, after his partner at the time, Mia Farrow, adopted her from Korea. Their father-daughter relationship later developed into something far more lascivious. However, this uncomfortable information paired with all of his sexual abuse allegations shouldn’t detract from your enjoyment of his canonical
masterpieces. This line of argument is difficult to digest when thinking of more extreme cases. I don’t think there are
Sussex Sour Apples Results Bridget Jones’ Baby 33% Kubo and the Two Strings - 13% Captain Fantastic - 13% The Magnificent Seven 13%
thesource.com
many people watching re-runs of Jim’ll Fix It knowing what we know now about Jimmy Savile. So where do we draw the line? And really, what are the implications of removing the question of morality from cultural art forms? If we continue to endorse artists who do not use their position in the public eye wisely, our progression and growth as a society may be stunted. I guess it’s important to have everyone’s voice heard – enjoy their art for what it is and take solace in the fact that your idols are imperfect.
Bad Moms - 8% Cafe Society - 8% Sausage Party - 8% Remember to vote online to give your input in Sussex Sour Apples! Contact our Film Editor Monica Cherrie at badger-arts@ sussexstudent.com
Rise of the Champagne Student Rosie Dodds
Culture Editor With the Which? University survey 2016 placing Sussex in the top four most politically active universities in the country alongside SOAS, Oxford and LSE; previous hurrahs such as the protests against the deportation of Luqman Onikosi last year; and the Sussex Five debacle of 2013 - it’s fair to suggest that a large proportion of Sussex students are politically active,
or at least become more so within their first year of study. More importantly, it’s also fair to say that there is a strong lean to the left amongst Sussex students, with the Anarchist, Labour, and Marxist societies attracting continual popular interest in recent years. A left-wing attitude is almost ingrained in the culture of Sussex, and moreover, the culture of Brighton. Having held its Green seat under Caroline Lucas since 2010, and with
ceasefiremagazine.co.uk
Labour occupying it from 1997 prior to this, it’s hard to avoid a general concern over issues of social equality amongst individuals associated with both the university and the town. But what happens when this concern for social justice and democracy filters into a scene of privilege? With the dramatic increase of university fees in 2012, and the scrap of grants in the last year, it is hard to deny that universities remain ‘bastions of middle class culture’ as The Telegraph noted in 2014, even with widening participation schemes. This is not to suggest that only middle class students are concerned with left wing politics, or even that this demographic of students are not allowed to be interested in social progression, but rather, it is to question what this increased interest in left wing politics suggests about young people today. I first noticed an example of this in my second year when I caught a student I had known to be very invested in left wing politics at Sussex going into Brown’s armed with his Mother and her authentic Chanel handbag. Upon further research I also found
that he had previously attended one of Britain’s most elite private schools.
“With the dramatic increase of university fees in 2012, and the scrap of grants in the last year, it is hard to deny that universities remain ‘bastions of middle class culture’” Suddenly that student’s political activism and concern for social justice seemed terribly bogus to me. With his whole demeanour so purposefully focused against denying his obvious privilege- grown out hair, ripped tracksuits and badges with catchy socialist slogans, I wondered what he was trying to prove. Has an interest in left-wing politics become a trend? Is it simply part of a refusal to accept privilege? A method of escapism even? Of course this particular student is not representative of all politically
active students at Sussex, and it is also unfair to assume that a student’s political orientation is solely dictated by their social background. However, it also seems impossible to ignore a growing trend of liberalism at Sussex, particularly in those who may be more privileged than others, no matter how hard they attempt to pretend that this isn’t the case.
Do you have something to say about the cultural side of life in Brighton? Contact our Culture Editor Rosie Dodds at badger-arts@ sussexstudent.com
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The Badger 10.10.2016
ARTS
Theatre
Wine, Women and Richard Burton, and a lot of laughs
Miles Fagge Theatre Editor If you take a walk past Churchill Square and into the more regal location of Hove, you may stumble on The Iron Duke Hotel. Immediately inside is a homely pub and, perhaps unexpectedly, tucked round the back is a theatre. On Wednesday 28th September this theatre hosted Wine, Women and Richard Burton, a one man show from cabaret comic Ted Hockin, which is a mixture of song and comedy with a spattering of Richard Burton’s ghost.
from the audience, as the pretext of Hockin being haunted until Burton is granted a kazoo solo recurs – a proposition that is as bizarre as it is entertaining. Hockin sits on stage, slightly to one side, in front of his keyboard which also shares its table with cigarettes, a can of Guinness and a bottle of wine that is liberally partaken in. Hockin himself is dressed in a three piece suit to match his extravagant persona, and remains entirely engaging from the start of the performance to the finish.
Lucie Andrau The performance starts with an entirely dark room, from which the voice of Richard Burton’s ghost ominously resounds – or to be more accurate, Ted Hockin impersonating the late great actor. Throughout the show the interplay between Hockin and the recording of the ‘ghost’ never fails to bring ripples of laughter
When not in antagonistic disagreement with Richard Burton’s ghost, Hockin is always addressing the audience, and early on he announces ‘I will be performing songs about the abiding pleasures of my life, namely wine and women’. Whilst there is undoubtedly a fair amount of time spent on those subjects, it is fair to
say the show and the songs are more complex than that tongue in cheek introduction gives credit for. Hockin deconstructs various styles of song, an early example of which is his take on the sea shanty, which is introduced with the promise to invade Cornwall ‘in the name of good taste’. We noticed there is no Cornish date for the show yet. This deconstruction is at its most acute when taking down the modern pop song, jokingly described as failed attempt at Eurovision.
“The song itself may not quite match up to musical standards of The Police’s Every Breath You Take, but it certainly has a greater self-awareness” In the song he takes the conventional love song and takes it to a further extreme, mercilessly mocking the obsessive tone of many lyrics in popular songs with the promise to be there ‘whether you want me there or not’. The song itself may not quite match up to musical standards of The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’, but it certainly has a greater self-awareness. The show is also full of literary references, and these are at their most entertaining in the song ‘Miss Havisham’.
Lucie Andrau Joking he is a ‘literary hipster’ who finds Dickens ‘mainstream’, Hockin does confess to a teenage infatuation with the jilted bride of Dickens’ Great Expectations. This again parodies many facets of the modern pop song and the wittiness of lines like ‘we’ll get on like a house on fire’ are testament to Hockin’s intelligent, inventive humour. The regular interaction with the audience and self-referencing nature of the show make it a unique experience. Hockin does not shy from selfdepreciation, at one point joking he is a ‘pound shop Derren Brown’, and is happy to make himself the butt of jokes. This culminates in the grand reveal at the end that is hinted at by the ghost throughout the show. Hockin pauses his anguished cries to exclaim ‘please Mr. Journalist don’t print that’, and who am I to deny that request? You will have to see the show for yourself if you want to find out the secret, although I will say
Interested in Theatre Journalism?
Lucie Andrau
Coming up in Brighton
The University of Sussex Show Choir is a society giving students the opportunity to rehearse and perform a huge range of songs, from jazz to modern pop to old classics, showtunes and lots more! If you love to sing and perform, Show Choir is definitely the society for you! You can audition whether you are a student or not, and as a matter of fact many of our members stay in the choir even after they leave university! If you don’t have the time for regular rehearsals we would still love to see you at our gigs, or you could even take part in our talent show, which is an amazing opportunity for both members and non-members to perform, details will be posted soon- check out our facebook page! - Sussex Showchoir
that it is suitably surreal. The final song of the evening is a wonderful mocking of strip clubs entitled Spearmint Rhino Regret, and the audience are encouraged to join in the final chorus. Hockin finishes by telling us ‘frankly, I’m knackered’, and that is no surprise. He has put himself entirely into the performance and the audience leave feeling entirely entertained. The show is perceptive, engaging and above all else, hilarious.
Sweeney Todd Oct 4th-29th, 88 London Road A Room With A View 10th-15th, Theatre Royal Nosferatu’s Shadow Oct 21st, The Dukebox Theatre Year Without Summer Oct 27th, The Dukebox Theatre The Wizard of Oz 9th-17th Nov, Brighton Little Theatre
showchoir
Lady Chatterly’s Lover Nov 15th-19th, Theatre Royal
If you’re interested in theatre and want to get involved then email badger-arts@sussexstudent.com and we’ll get in touch. Writing for the theatre section can mean attedning perfomances to review them, interviewing performers and those working in productions amongst other things. We would love to work with you!
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The Badger 10.10.2016
ARTS
Reviews
FILM
Café Society Becky Snowden Woody Allen’s latest, Café Society, takes a nostalgic turn of cinematic beauty as he looks back romantically at the Golden Age of Hollywood and New York. It boasts endearingly charming performances from its lead players, Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, who give the story its depth and intelligence. Café Society follows Bobby Dorfman (Eisenberg), a young man from the Bronx looking to broaden his horizons and escape working for his crabby father, played by Ken Stott. Bobby is just another version of Woody Allen; panicky, romantic and cunning, as he attempts to find himself in Hollywood where he begins working as a clichéd Hollywood assistant to his uncle, Phil (Steve Carrell).
lionsgate Phil is a big-shot Hollywood director who knows everyone and everything and opens Bobby’s eyes, but not to the glitz and glamour of movie stars, instead to Phil’s beautiful assistant, Vonnie (Stewart). As this blossoms and falls into an unsatisfying friendship, Bobby returns to New York to work with his ruthless gangster brother, Ben (Corey Stoll), who is known for ‘getting rid’ of business associates in shallow, concrete filled graves by the river. Eisenberg plays Bobby perfectly, in one of his most suited and perfect roles to date. He transitions
MUSIC
from the ‘boy’ to the man with great ease, as he becomes the authoritative man in control of the club he and Ben purchase. As ever the awkward, bumbling man, Eisenberg was born to play a version of his director. Stewart’s Vonnie is endearing and seductive yet passive, with a constantly cool demeanor. But she is the heart of the film, always present even whilst absent from screen, carrying the narrative and becoming the cause of Bobby’s development. The cinematography was, as is always the case with Allen, executed stunningly, its landscape scenes always still and photographic, reminiscent of his iconic film Manhattan. Golden Age Hollywood comes across as elegant and fun, the great actors being name-dropped intermittently. Its art deco style, a clear tribute to the crisp cinema of the 1930s, risks becoming too lavish and distracting from the script. In some ways, it is the cinematography that carries Café Society, unlike Midnight in Paris, where it merely compliments the enjoyable narrative. There are moments when it becomes uncomfortable, with jokes about underage sex, plus the relationship between an older man and a younger woman, that critics of Allen will surely note. His reputation as a lecherous creep who may or may not have abused underage girls is not helped by these references, but it also is of its era, and these are not the underlying motives for the film. If audiences overlook these aspects, the film itself is one of Allen’s most poignant and beautiful releases. Having said all that, Café Society does not succeed to the extent of Annie Hall or Manhattan, but it seems more of an attempt to combine all the elements of his previous films and becomes slightly excessive. Overall, though, it is entertaining and aesthetically pleasing. It is a definite for fans of Allen or Golden Age cinema.
Music Editor
third album borders on hypnotic and will have you rushing to repeat the ten beautifully blissful ballads over and over. Tracks such as '33 "God"' are laced with the simplest of songwriting and soaring melodies that sound utterly divine when fixed together.
It's been five years since we last heard from Justin Vernon, the man behind Bon Iver and his third album shows he's not one for convention or rule-following. News of his latest release reached fans when he played the album in its entirety at his own festival in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The mostly unpronounceable track names were sent out via an app and tongues have been waggling away ever since. Vernon's most experimental material yet has been a long time in the making. The eagerly-anticipated
Ever since Vernon's 2012 (arguably rightful) Grammy Awards win, the discussion has rarely halted amongst critics and fans alike as to what path the musician would choose when it came to making the next move in his career. '22, A Million' is edgier, bolder and more fantastic than ever before but it took more than just a prestigious award win to turn him to the ex-
22, A Million Bon Iver Lauren Wade
“Similarly, album opener ‘00000 Million’ and ‘8 (Circle)’ take on more melancholic tones”
THEATRE Cast Iron Theatre Performances Sydney Jennett On a side of Brighton few students go, though a mere twenty minute walk from the clubs of Old Steine, is a small pub and B&B, named the Iron Duke. Inside, although feeling vaguely reminiscent of a theatre bar, I felt as lost as the night before (having intended to write this review on Friday). However, along a corridor in the back, I arrived in a small black box theatre, unremarkble in design or size, with a stage no larger than four by ten feet, just in time for the entertainment to start. Our host, and Artistic Director, Andrew Allen, began the evening in an informal spiel, explaining that tonight six short plays and an unrehearsed, recently submitted and profoundly rough five minute short were to be performed. His showmanship resounded with us, frequently breaking the fourth wall in humorous jokes (specifically his ‘it’s not pantomime season yet’ met by the audience response ‘oh yes it is’) though still remaining informative about the coming show. The first Rapid Response’ Play was a political philosophy debate wrapped up in a friendly discussion of a new fiver stuck to a plinth in Trafalgar. Although the delivery was stilted and unrehearsed, the subject was interesting, gearing us for the thought provoking evening ahead. Abruptly, the bit ended, and resounding applause from the packed out theatre masked the restaging process. A woman dressed as a refugee, Chelsea Newton Mountney, entered the stage, sat down, and fearfully checked her passport. Shonali Rodrigues entered with more confidence but a subtle angst, and the play looked at a captivating parallel of a post-epi-
perimental side and bring him out of the mythical cabin. Vernon's 2011 self-titled album 'Bon Iver' read like a 'Visit Wisconsin' advert, with its geographic track names and autumnal tunes the perfect accompaniment for any woodland walk. '22, A Million' sees a departure from this past seasonal state. ‘10 d E A T h b R E a s T’ features heavy uses of synthesizers and manipulated vocals that Vernon had yet to tackle, but this mesmerizing track nails it in one. That's not to say all of the elements of his previous material are rendered obsolete. '666' sounds the most stylistically similar to old hit single 'Blood Bank', proving there's still a touch of the former insular musician tucked away inside Vernon somewhere. Similarly, album opener '00000 Million' and '8 (Circle)' take on more melancholic tones and feel more closely related to songs from
demic Britain with the current refugee crises. The shocking conclusion of murder and theft resolved the play, signalling that fear drives even good people to such extremes. Tide by Michelle Donkin was an exciting introduction into this new genre. A Piece of Work by A.N. Other, staring our host Andrew Allen, began with a humorous tone, typical of his raconteur introduction, he is fumbling with the sound desk. However, as he begins his Hamlet monologue, we quickly find the heart of his story. He is confronted by a ghost, more a remembrance of a past colleague, whom Allen’s character lets slip he has murdered. An insight into the mind of an actor rehearsing, more a comment on nervousness than murder, A Piece of Work was entertaining and interesting.
Iron Theatre The act finishedCast with Sophie Anna Swithinbanks’ humorous response to conception in Biology Lesson. Characterising Heather-Rose Andrews as the lonely egg, X, and Matt Mulvay as the spunky sperm, Y, they told a tale of romance between the most unlikely pair of likely partners. X and Y bounced off each other with a good rapport and the jokes kept coming. Though comedic, the piece conceived in our minds the thoughts of such familiar lessons in our Sex Ed classes at school. The second act began with a touching story of an old lady’s meeting Vernon's 2008 breakout album 'For Emma, Forever Ago'. Justin Vernon may have spent a fair amount of time on the brink of isolation in the past, and he may not have employed the same tactics with record number three but his labour’s
with two young women in a karaoke booth. The former, Judith Greenfield, explains life as she sees it to these young girls in a feminine way, her stories revolving around an old, recently dead friend, likening herself to the two girls, Judey Bignell and Emma Ruggins. A heart warming story of friendship, ageing and the female spirit, Andrew Allen’s direction really let these actors shine. Trig Point by Andrew Croucher brought us away from the warm booth and up to a frigid mountain peak, set ten minutes after a man has suffered a diabetic coma. Although we see Rich Foyster as the uncapable party, Matt Swan as the nurse, the action revereses, the situation was engineered by Swan due to Facebook like jealousy. Ultimately the real friends are united, at the expense of the dead facebook friend. Running between jokes on friendship and messages questioning what friendship is their humour had us in stitches. Lastly, Four Minutes bookmarked the night, an angry play contemplating the rise of fascist nations betraying poor undefended Britain in 2020. Starring Alix Cavanagh, Ramesh Nair, Annie Packman, and James Macauley, Four Minutes explored the political alongside the personal in a play that left a bitter taste in our mouths on the rise of ‘madmen’. An evening of humour and some poilitcs thrown in, Andrew Allen’s constructing of a new experimental genre of theatre was a success. The plays touched me as an actor, and the experimental nature leads me to believe the show is a show for actors. Moroever, Allen is looking for writers, actors and directors of any experience to contribute to the Cast Iron IX, with information on facebook. The acting was of good standard in general and the evening was absorbing, innovative and fun.
paid off, regardless of the route he took to get there. The otherworldly balled-packed album documents the struggle of identity whilst ensuring that people learn you don't have to fully 'get' a piece of music to take pleasure from it.
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The Badger 10.10.2016
ARTS
Music
Apple Music Vs Spotify: Round One
Louisa Streeting Within the last few decades, music has become an art form that has been passed around and shared. Whether you loan a friend a record, a tape, or CD, this transaction is legal and socially accepted. However, the arrival of the Internet and the invention of the mp3 file meant that there was a more immediate demand for music. Popular streaming services were pioneered to fight piracy and illegal downloading.
“the giant [Spotify] has 40 million paying subscribers and it is undeniably the leader of the group” When streaming music over the Internet, the transaction is different. A user of Spotify or Apple Music cannot own the album, and they cannot lend it. Although, a more recent feature allows you to save playlists online on multiple devices, giveing users a sense of ownership. There is a psychological difference between the physical act of owning something and streaming it online. As consumers, there is still a need to own a physical copy, seen by the rise in vinyl purchases - because it’s tangible. As the Internet grew faster and more accessible in homes, so did the demand for musical content. The sales of CDs plummeted as the level of illegal Internet downloads increased. Streaming services combat-
ted this activity, allowing members to pay a subscription to access a vast catalogue of music. Spotify, launched in 2008, was enabled by this increase in Internet usage. As one of the first successful streaming services, the giant has 40 million paying subscribers and it is undeniably the leader of the group. If you imagine Spotify to be similar to a personal jukebox, where the records are borrowed. Apple Music plays up the consumer desire of ownership of the record by merging your music library with Apple’s exclusive music catalogue. Spotify offers a similar function, saving your music in a local files playlist. However, Apple Music combines this through the search bar on the application.
“Apple Music plays up the consumer desire of ownership of the record” For many people, choice of streaming service comes down to content quality. Companies rival over obtaining exclusive artist releases to entice people to their subscription.
Tidal most notably does this by offering an elite service through videos and sound quality, with artists such as Drake choosing to premiere their albums on the application. Similarly, with the prestige that Apple has as a company, this allows it to obtain more exclusive releases than Spotify due to the power that it has within the market. Personally, the feature of Spotify that places it above the rest is the ‘Discover Weekly’ playlist. Updated every Monday of the week, this twohour playlist is generated to suggest personal music recommendations based on the user’s listening habits and favourite artists. In fact, Apple Music does offer a similar service to this on their app through a bizarre ditial ball pit, encouraging users to click ‘like’ or ‘love’ on an artist. Spotify promotes the sharing of music through social media and within its application through the click of a button. The company recommends that you connect your account to Facebook to make it easier to share and follow your friends’ playlists. The right-hand side of the programme allows you to see a live feed of what your friends are listening to. For me, this is what music is
all about. Although there is not necessarily a discussion, sharing music with friends encourages a community online. On the other hand, Apple Music captures users through a more personal, direct appraoch through their consumerist ethos. Their music library is more personal and catered to their tastes of what users already know.
“The feature of Spotify that places it above the rest is the ‘Discover Weekly’ playlist” Both services cater to specific consumer needs, but the spirit of Spotify seems to be more attractive. The user interface is accessible and simple. Spotify has been crticised for their substantially low payments to artists through a number of plays. Although these music releases are the livelihood of an artist, surely it is more important to have your record heard on a streaming service that’s perfectly legal, than not at all.
Gigs this week Oct 10 Babeheaven The Prince Albert £5.50 Oct 11 MØ Concorde 2 £13.75 Oct 11 Skinny Living The Prince Albert £8.05 Oct 12 Parquet Courts The Old Market, Hove £16.90 Oct 13 Angel Olsen Concorde 2 £13.20 Oct 16 Amber Arcades The Green Door Store £8.80
Lauren Wade Xavier Clarke
Lauren Wade Music Editor In an age where music is taking serious inspiration from decades gone by, it’s refreshing to see a rock duo who strip it back with no-nonsense blues and sleazy garage-rock. Deap Vally are comprised of guitarist Lindsey Troy and drummer Julie Edwards and they come across as surprisingly down to earth, despite making it big and living the dream every musician hopes to achieve someday. The band headlined Brighton’s Concorde 2 recently and were excited to return to the city following performances in previous years at The Great Escape Festvial. ‘We LOVE Brighton. As far as we can tell, it’s the only city in England with a real wheatgrass juice shop,’ explains Julie before commenting that ‘It’s always better to be by the sea’. It’s a good thing they’re
Interview: Deap Vally fans of the seaside as the venue they headlined is located mere metres from the beach. Concorde 2’s not the most intimate of venues but it’s small enough to make you break out in a sweat, whether you’re involved in the inevitable mosh pits or not. The duo’s new track ‘Grunge Bond’ taken from their recently released second album ‘Femejism’ is perfect for their Brighton takeover. ‘It started out as a instrumental jam that would allow Lindsey to crowd surf while I did a drum solo.’ This source of unity and sisterhood is the key to Deap Vally’s continued success. The pair compose their music together telling us ‘It’s a joint effort’, and they thrive on their musical vibes that are strongly rooted in feminism. The pair challenge gender stereotypes through their powerful, visceral anthems and ensure that nobody messes with them. Previous hit single ‘Lies’ puts that message across the best, saying: ‘Babe, I wasn’t bluffin’, From now on you get nothin’. Not
everyone might agree with their message, but hopefully it’s one Julie will pass on to her young daughter, who was present on the night of their Brighton gig.
“It’s refreshing to see a rock duo who strip it back with no-nonsense blues and sleazy garage-rock” ‘We’ve got mouths to feed now!’ Exclaims front woman Lindsey during their set, as she urged the crowd to go out and purchase their new album for themselves, a friend and friends of their friends. Deap Vally have endless ambition and enthusiasm and that also stretches to new musicians trying to get a leg up in the music industry. The Californian duo cites JJUUJJUU, Fat White Family, Courtney Barnett
and Parquet Courts as just a few of the new acts they’re really loving and taking inspiration from at the moment. They also praise fellow duo and current tour support, The Velveteers, and after a storming performance warming the crowd up for the main offering, we wouldn’t be surprised to see The Velveteers go as far as Deap Vally. The DIY aesthetic as the heart of Deap Vally is perhaps why so many people have fallen under their spell. After releasing their debut album to great acclaim, they parted ways with their record label and made the decision to carve their own path in the music industry and do it their own way. Fast-forward a few years and a couple of hair colour changes later and the band are at the best they’ve ever been. The two met at a LA knitting shop many years ago, and whilst they’ve swapped the knitting for making music, Troy and Edwards have always been fans of getting down and doing it yourself.
The duo always appear to have something new up their sleeve but hopefully they won’t be leaving it another three years before a third album is recorded and released. If you’re wondering what their next move is then ponder no more. ‘We go right back on tour in the US with Death From Above 1979 and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. No time off until Chanukah!’
Wikimedia Commons
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The Badger 03.10.2016
ARTS
The Street Some of Brighton’s most captivating aspects can be found in its colourful streets; you can find just about anything over here, all you have to do is look. On this Street corner we will be displaying Sussex students’ very own creative work, and just like the streets of Brighton, it will be truly one of a kind. We’re always looking for new submissions — poetry, photography, cartoons, and everything in between — to showcase any and all creative talent. Help us fill up this new page!
Contact Lucie Andrau at badger-arts@ sussexstudent.com for any contributions full porfolio available online !
Nathalie Ratcliffe, Art History student, 2nd year.
‘‘I have always loved painting and drawing as a pass time and it really relaxes me so I often turn to it when I’m stressing out over work ! I love to paint nature a lot and I definitely feel inspired after walking in the countryside, but I am currently trying to work on my figures because I have always been drawn to them.’
Archie Mustow, Law student, 2nd year.
‘I have been drawing ever since I was young. I actually studied graphic design and art before I came to uni. I get a lot of my inspiration from anime and cartoons, graffiti-type works, comic book illustration... usually mainly fictional works.’
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LIFESTYLE
The Badger 10.10.2016
On the hunt for a good Roast Dinner The one meal you can’t make better than mum
Ruby Carmichael Perhaps one of the hardest days of the student week is Sunday. There’s all that reading that you thought you had more time for, perhaps the slight (or more than slight) hangover looming and worst of all, there is not a home cooked roast dinner waiting for you. If you’ve cooked a roast before, or have watched someone else do it, you will know that the process is rather long and requires more pots and pans than your housemates probably have combined. If you are living on campus, a large roast chicken certainly won’t fit into your halls oven which is only just big enough for an Aldi pizza. The British among us, can appreciate how important a roast dinner is. It would be like having salt but no pepper. However, if you’re new to the UK, you will soon discover this social institution cannot be missed out on and to ensure you don’t miss out, I have conjured a list of my top roast dinners for you to try. However, after the distressing news earlier this year that Weatherspoon’s have decided to permanently remove the £7 roast from the menu there is a question to be answered. Can we still get a good value roast in Brighton? Bohemia 54-55 Meeting House Lane, http://www.bohemiabrighton.co.uk Whilst the online menu conjures up images of a medieval banquet, there is not a wench costume, prop pig on a spit or jester in sight. Instead Bohemia has attentive staff, books everywhere and a great playlist to listen to while you munch. Their
Sunday menu offers a beef, chicken or pork roast dinner and a mushroom and brie wellington or nutroast for vegetarians. Although the wellington was not available the day we went – it makes a change from the standard nut-roast vegetarian option that pubs assume all vegetarians will like. The meal itself was delicious and pretty filling, although surely more restrained than the food comas so easily fallen into at home. Bohemia gets a big thumbs up for providing extra gravy on request and (stop reading if you are a Sunday roast purist) for providing a Yorkshire with every roast, not just beef. A definite crowd pleaser. Although not cheap, it was delicious. Go and grab a meat roast with all the trimmings for £13 or choose a vegetarian option for £11
Ruby Carmichael
Ruby Carmichael
The Lion and Lobster 24 Sillwood Street http://www.thelionandlobster.co.uk This Tardis of a building boasts three bars, two beer gardens and a restaurant with a homely, quaint feel. It is really the place for you if you are an indecisive meat lover. The Lion and Lobster offer half and half combinations of the pork, lamb, beef, chicken or nut roast, all served with more vegetables than you can shake a stick at and of course roast potatoes. Yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls and cauliflower cheese can be added for a minimal addition to the £12 fee, keeping things affordable. Vegan friends unfortunately will probably have to order something from the a la carte menu. If you are still keen to try it out, book one of the sittings 12, 2 or 4pm, as it is almost always fully booked. Vbites 14 East Street, Brighton www.vbites.com Clean and contemporary, the only thing not traditional about the Vbites roast is the lack of the conventional pub atmosphere, oh and the fact that is it all 100% vegan. The standard Vbites fare includes pizza and burgers, still 100% vegan, but this gets spruced up on a Sunday to offer a nut roast or turkey/beef/gammon style roast served with all the trimmings. This includes cranberry stuffing, an element sorely lacking in some of the other joints in town (excuse the pun). If that wasn’t enough to get excited about, The Lanes address makes it an ideal starting point for a stroll along the beach to walk it off. At only £9.95 this is a dish worth trying whether herbivore, omnivore or even,
a carnivore.
The Franklin Arms 158 Lewes Road, Brighton www.franklinbrighton.co.uk An ale drinker’s paradise, The Franklin Arms already has a reputation for quizzes, open mic nights and as a good place to watch the football, but most importantly how does the roast measure up? If you like your chicken lemon and thymed, pork with a cider and raisin compote or an atypical vegan nut roast made with orange beetroot and leek this may be the place for you. And if not they also offer beef, lamb and a goats cheese and butternut wellington, the in vogue vegetarian roast dish apparently. But anyway that adds up to two vegetarian options! This can all be devoured in the natural habitat of a student: a pub. Situated on Lewes Road and costing between £10 for the nut roast and £12 for the pork, there’s no need to crack out the student credit card just yet.
Vbites East Slope Bar University of Sussex, Refectory Rd, Brighton BN1 9RP On-campus kids, this could be a good shout. Our much beloved stickyfloored local also offers traditional Sunday fare. Not only is this roast nearly half the price of the other two options mentioned here, East Slope Bar offers TWO veggie/vegan options and it is only a bed’s roll away. The meal itself could benefit from a slightly thicker gravy and is slightly reminiscent of school dinners, but the portions are massive. Definitely value for money. You get your five-aday, and then some, and the potatoes are really crispy. To top this off, 15 minutes wait and your feast is ready.
Obviously, this is by no means an extensive list of places, but a few I have found to be particularly worth checking out. There are delicious and affordable options out there for us students. Only tip – limit yourself to one a day! The research for this article has left me stuffed.
Interested in writing for Lifestyle? We want you! Contact Lifestyle Editor Alex Carter at ac572@sussex.ac.uk
Ruby Carmichael
How to make your Uni room the best it can be My top picks to creating your home away from home
Alex Carter Lifestyle Editor
and Christmas Memories. There is something about these little gems which really do make you feel nostalAfter a long and exhausting day at gic: and warm and fuzzing inside- so University, the last thing we all want if you are feeling homesick and are to do is return to a bare and undeco- wanting to be reminded of Christmas rated bedroom. Whether you are in time with the family, a Yankee candle Halls or in a student house, you is the one for you. They can be found shouldn’t have to dread going back in Clintons and come in a range of to your accommodation, you should sizes. I personally couldn’t resist the be craving its cosiness! That’s why I big whopper at £21.99. However, the have put together some quick, easy smaller tea light candles smell just and affordable tips to make the most a strong and are only £6.99, a small out of your university room because price to pay for such a comforting after all, we deserve some Zen after 7 feeling- they just don’t last as long. If hours of lectures. you are new to the candle scene and 1) Candles are not willing to spend much, then Personally, I am a candle personpop into Poundland where there is a but even if you are not, it’s not too surprisingly large range of scented late to change that. We all love a and unscented candles. If you don’t gorgeous smell, so what’s better than trust yourself with fire, or aren’t almaking your room smell wonderful lowed candles in your accomodation, and inviting.. You have many choices, you can always buy a reed diffuser. one being to splash your cash on They produce an aroma which is just one of the luxurious Yankee Candles as delicious as a candle, and they which come in many delicious scents look just as elegant, only without the such as Vanilla Cupcake, Black Cherry flame.
2) Cushions I am sure you were all as devastated as I was when I found out that BHS had gone into administration. It was always my go-to store for anything bedroom related. However, fear not, you can still get your cushion fix elsewhere. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on these little accessories, Primark have a great Home collection and always have a good range of cushions; fluffy, knitted, embroidered and tartan. Additionally, do not rule out a trip to a retail park. B&Q and Homebase both have a great selection of cushions at a reasonable price. 3) Photos If not only to prove that you have friends to your new housemates, decorate your room with photos to cover some blank wall space and to remind you of home. You can print photos in any Boots by simply connecting a cable to your phone or apple device in store. Use your creativity when it comes to photos;
pin the photo’s up on a notice board, organise them into a heart shape on the wall or peg them to a garland of fairy lights! If you are not a photographer and do not have/want hundreds of photos on your wall, choose one or two of your favourites and purchase some standing picture frames for them that you can place on a shelf or window sill. You can buy photo frames for cheap in Homesense on North Street. In fact, Homesense is marvellous for anything home related…sorry to state the obvious.
Fllickr: purplevintagespaceprincess 4) Bed Linen I have memories of flicking
through the Argos catalogue at Christmas and folding the pages of toys I desperately wanted Santa to leave under the tree. However, Christmas lists are not all Argos is good for. It happens to be brilliant for bed linen! They have an extensive collection of duvet covers, both double and single which range from plain colours to loud gaudy prints. There is an Argos on Western Road, a little further on from Primark so if you are making a trip down to Primark to buy your cushions, make it a double whammy and pop into Argos too. Argos have the option to browse online and reserve products in store. This means you do not have to pay for delivery-so unless you are buying a bedside cabinet that you obviously won’t be able to carry, take advantage of this option. Perhaps this is my OCD talking, but I HAVE to wash new bedding before I sleep in it. I want it to be soft and smell of fabric softener- but each to their own. So remember to do just that to maximise your cosiness!
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The Badger 10.09.2016
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LETTERS
16
The big debate:Freedom of speech IS absolute
Dear Badger, I suppose the normal way to start off a piece agreeing that free speech is absolute would be to quote John Stuart Mill’s so-called ‘harm principle’, which argues that someone can only have their actions curtailed in order to prevent harm to others. It seems like a coherent concept. There’s just one problem. What does one define as harm? I would define harm as a statement which incites violence against a person or a group of people. However, people at this university, amongst others, have a rather looser definition of harm. Some view harm as simply causing offence, or hurting someone’s feelings. This view is fundamentally flawed because it’s based on the alleged victim’s subjective claim that their feelings have been hurt, and it would therefore be up to the ‘victim’ to decide whether or not the ‘perpetrator’ has broken the ‘rules’. Even vile and offensive views deserve to be heard, because it’s only through people being confronted in their controversial views that we as a society will test our own opinions. It isn’t hard to think back to occasions where idiotic bigots have been given the oxygen of publicity, and have withered amidst the sneers of public opinion. In 2009, Nick Griffin, the then leader of the British National Party, was set to appear on the BBC’s Question Time programme. The decision to allow him on the programme sparked protests, on the grounds that Griffin was a racist with ‘dangerous’ views. However, the BBC commendably stood firm, and Griffin did more than wither, he performed terribly amidst jeers from the audience. He and the have BNP subsequently sunk without a trace; and it vindicated the decision to allow him on the programme. This is why I disagree with the ‘no-platforming’ and safe spaces. Of course we should protect vulnerable people in society, but in allowing controversial opinions to be aired, it allows us to question and either fortify or alter our own beliefs, based on the arguments aired; if someone gets upset by the views expressed then that is an unfortunate consequence. The abolition of capital punishment and the legalisation
of abortion both started out as so-called ‘Private Members Bills’, in other words, they were bills raised by individual MPs rather than the government of the day. At the time, particularly with capital punishment, its abolition went against a strong current of popular opinion in the country at the time, but through being aired and listened to, the legislators in Parliament were persuaded and the law was changed. Imagine if the MP who had raised that bill had not been allowed to do so, because their ‘opinion’ was controversial and out of step with public opinion. Society would certainly be in a different place today if that had been the case. Additionally, the Government’s decision to go forward with the so-called ‘Prevent’ legislation, which forces institutions such as universities to monitor their students for ‘extremist views’, is another imposition on our right to free speech. In the legislation, extremism is defined as “vocal or active opposition to British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs”. The evident hilarity in the above statement is that, in on the one hand it talks about tolerance of different beliefs being a key British value, and then on the other it regards an extremist view – and therefore one that should be banned – as opposition to British values. What if someone held a firm belief in achieving socialism via a revolution and tried to persuade others to join her cause, surely – in opposing democracy and the rule of law on paper – that would fall under the blanket of the legislation? This shows that we are abandoning real tolerance and replacing it with a form of liberal authoritarianism, picking and choosing at our values in the name of fighting terrorism. The right to free speech should be absolute, but it is clear that its under serious threat. Yours, Harry Howard
The Badger 03.10.2016
October 10th is World Mental Health Day - Why it matters
Dear Badger, It is easy to ignore those days for this and days for that, these things seem to pop up all the time. You can barely browse Facebook anymore without being reminded of “world cross-stitching for cats day” or something. But World Mental Health Day this week is an important exception that we should all be paying attention to. It is estimated that 1 in 4 people in Britain have a diagnosable mental health condition. Many young people and children in particular are facing these issues every day, with over 80,000 suffering from severe depression. These statistics make worrying reading. The previous government made some important strides in mental health care, spearheaded by the hard work of former health minister Norman Lamb MP, now Lib Dem spokesperson for health. They introduced waiting time targets for depression and anxiety for the first time, as well as early intervention in psychosis treatment. Unfortunately despite promising to spend over £1 billion on mental health by 2020, this promise isn’t even
technically funded, and no doubt it’ll be forgotten about soon amid the Brexit chaos. The Tories quite frankly don’t seem to give a toss about this issue. Meanwhile out here in the real world, people are struggling every day. I myself am currently a name on some waiting list, and it’s looking like I’ll have to wait 2 or 3 months to even begin my treatment. That is not good enough, plain and simple. Our NHS services are underfunded, too bureaucratic and simply not equipped to deal with these problems. A huge push to eventually bring mental health support in line with physical health, is desperately needed. Mental health is certainly not the most glamourous issue in Britain right now. But we need to build our understanding of these issues, and the often appalling way we treat those who suffer from them. October 10th is a small chance to stand with all these people and their families, let’s not let it go by unnoticed. Yours,
As a Sussex student, I’m somewhat disappointed by the lack of water fountains provided by the university. Not only do doctors recommend that everyone should consume several litres of water a day for general wellbeing, good hydration has been proven to aid studying and brain function. Therefore, I am puzzled about why Sussex University has a distinct lack of water fountains around campus. Surely providing drinking water is part of the University’s duty of care, even with academic advantages of drinking plenty of water aside. If this is an attempt to force students to buy bottled water from the University’s outlets, then it is irresponsible and despicable, as well as harmful to the environment. On a student budget, one is unlikely to spend money on endless bottles of water, nor should they. I am aware that Eat Central,
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The best tweets of the week @JamieRoss7: In a kind gift to headline writers, Tory MP Crispin Blunt is currently talking at a fringe event about the legalisation of cannabis. @frasercoppin: “I reckon this geezer might be on to something” - Guy in my seminar on the philosophy of Michel Foucault
Anon
We need more water fountains Dear Badger,
#TheBadger
Falmer Bar etcetera provide jugs of water for customers, but what about when people are studying? What about when students are rushing to lectures? I believe that providing water fountains in key academic buildings such as Fulton, Bramber House, Falmer House and the Arts Buildings, to name but a few, would be a wise and welcomed use of the fees we students are paying. I sincerely hope that the University of Sussex considers investing in water fountains to keep its hard-working students hydrated, both for their wellbeing and academic success. Yours, Annie Christensen
@EdwardTHardy: Outrage in 2007 when Brown said British jobs for British workers. Applause for May when she says it in 2016. Was Brown ahead of his time? @ThatMiriam: In the year I was born I made more money than Donald Trump. @Maomentum_: Happy New Year to my Jewish friends and to ALL other types of my friends. @CYMuzik: Depression is real. Uplift the ones that are hurting by treating people the way you want to be.
Tweet us at #TheBadger and you could be published here next week!
The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Student’s Union, unless explicitly stated. University of Sussex Students’ Union Falmer, East Sussex, BN1 9QF
SCIENCE
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The Badger 10.10.2016
Hannah Richards
JMS: The man, the myth, the building
Winner of the Crafoord Prize, John Maynard Smith was a world leading evolutionary biologist and geneticist, he had an influential impact on the use of game theory in evolution and proposed important ideas in the evolution of sex and signalling theory. Not only is he quite the legend in evolutionary biology, he was a founding member of the University of Sussex- making him quite the legend here too. In fact, the life sciences building was renamed the ‘John Maynard Smith Building’ in his honour. John Maynard Smith actually began his academic life as an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War, but his passion lay firmly within evolutionary biology. He took it upon himself to develop and further his enthusiasm for the subject
reading the works of Darwin and Haldane. His desire to understand evolutionary biology provoked a career change from military air craft design to study for a second degree in Zoology at University College London, there he studied fruit flies as a student of Haldane. After graduating he became a lecturer at the university leading genetic studies on fruit flies and published his first book ‘The Theory of Evolution’ in 1958. In 1962 he became the founding dean of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sussex, John remained at Sussex for the rest of his life. He was best known for his theories and research in game theory and the evolution of sex found in his distinguished publications Evolution of Sex (1978) and Theory of Games (1982). In a nutshell the evolution of sex theory uses mathematics to
examine the notion of ‘two-fold cost of sex’ which explains why sexual reproduction may not be so advantageous. In Theory of Games, John Maynard Smith determined the fundamental concept in evolutionary game theory known as the Evolutionarily Stable Strategy (ESS). Game theory uses mathematical models depicting conflict and cooperation between intelligent and rational decision-makers in order to reason about behavior, it is frequently used in economics and psychology. John Maynard Smith applied game theory to an evolving biological population, the success of an organism depends on its behavioral interactions with others, therefore the fitness of an individual organism cannot be measured in isolation. An organism’s fitness should be calculated with respect to the rest of the population- thus introducing
Catching poachers is all fun and games Kate Dearling Science and Texhnology Sub-Editor Poaching has been a threat for many years but the situation is now so critical that elephants and rhinos may become extinct within our lifetime. The population of Black Rhino has fallen 97.6% since 1960 and 35,000 African Elephants were killed in the last year. Despite the ongoing effort of wildlife organizations, there’s been a recent surge in poaching, which has been attributed to increased wealth in Asia. In traditional Chinese medicine the rhino horn is thought to cure impotence, fever, cancer and hangovers –there is no proof that it cures any of these ailments but this hasn’t stopped a lump of keratin becoming worth more than its weight in gold. Another motivation for the increase in poaching is a global rise in the price of Ivory, it is now worth up to $1000 a kilogram and 70% of this ivory is sold in China. Rangers are still the most direct way of tackling the poaching problem but most patrolling teams are small and have huge areas of land to cover so don’t catch many of the traps set by poachers. They also tend to follow the same patrol routes making it easy for poachers to learn where not to hide their traps. This is where Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security (which coincidently, or perhaps very deliberately, abbreviates to PAWS) comes in. PAWS is a form of artificial intelligence designed to create more efficient routes for rangers to follow, giving them a competitive advantage as they can invest their limited resources into areas where they are most likely to catch poachers. Inputting information about the protected area and
previous information about patrolling and poaching activities into an algorithm produces these routes. The algorithm is based on game theory (similar to that used to create opponents in online games such as poker) and a model of poachers’ behaviour, generated by ordinary subjects and experts playing a ranger vs. poacher computer game. Data from the game was used to predict poaching hotspots and how poachers will adapt and react when different patrol routes are used, thus generating a model of their behaviour. Overtime, extra data on poaching in the area is collected allowing PAWS to learn more about the behaviour of the poachers and provide rangers with even more effective routes. PAWS was first trialled in Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda, the results from this test are now starting to come in and it seems PAWS is doing exactly what it’s supposed to - in the first month of the trial rangers found 10 antelope traps and elephant snares waiting to be released, which is far more than rangers could expect to find without the assistance of technology. However PAWS is not without faults, poor Internet and
mobile signal could prevent rangers from using the softwware altogether. PAWS also puts rangers in danger as they are more likely to come into contact with poachers and it is not unheard-of for poachers to turn their guns to the rangers. In Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, poachers have killed 150 rangers in the last 10 years; in parks using PAWS this figure could be even higher. Undeterred by these potential setbacks, Team Core, the research group that made PAWS, is applying computational game theory to a range of problems. For example improving the allocation of officers and canine units in airports and transit systems to further reduce acts of terrorism. The application of readily available technology to a range of scenarios is both creative and resourceful; similar thinking would not go amiss throughout the rest of the scientific community and could generate a range of solutions to the problems our society faces.
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the game theory analogy. An organism’s innate genetic characteristics and behaviours are like its strategy in a game. The organism’s fitness is the game outcome which depends on the strategies (characteristics) of the organisms with which it interacts. Game theory ideas such as Nash equilibrium are important to reason about the outcome of the game, the equilibrium is a chosen strategy by each player that persists throughout the game. Evolutionarily Stable Strategy was Maynard Smith’s analogous concept to the Nash equilibrium, which states that a genetically determined strategy (characteristic) will persist once it’s prevalent in a population. A strategy that is evolutionarily stable means the whole population is using that strategy, any sub-populations using a different strategy will die out. These mathematical models are useful ways to make predictions of evolution of a population, Maynard Smith’s Hawk-Dove game is his sin-
Wikimedia Commons gle most significant game theoretical model. John Maynard Smith received many awards and fellowships in his scientific career including election as a Fellow of the Royal Society and he was awarded the Darwin, Royal, and Copley Medals of the Royal Society. His contributions to evolutionary biology changed the field immensely and his contributions to the University have inspired many student biologists.
Bad trips ain’t all that bad
New research brings new light on whether “bad” trips deserve the negative press Duncan Michie Science and Technology Editor Research at the John Hopkins University shows participants recalling bad trips from ‘shrooms’ felt like it had a positive impact on their lives. A study led by Roland Griffiths surveyed 1,993 adults found on psychedelic forums and social media groups about their experiences with bad trips. All results are of course anecdotal, so take this with a pinch of salt, but the results are rather interesting nonetheless. Magic Mushrooms, or Psilocybin mushrooms as they’re known by boring people in lab coats, is one of the oldest drugs around. Thought to have been used since prehistoric times, the drug only recently became illegal in the UK in 2005, despite no strong evidence of it being exceptionally harmful. Now to the research: 84% of the people who had experienced a bad trip said they benefitted from the experience. 34% of participants said their trip was in the top five of their most meaningful experiences with 31% saying it was in the top five of their most spiritual. 76% said the bad trip resulted in a stronger sense of life satisfaction while 46% said they would be willing to experience this traumatising experience all over again. However it’s not all rainbows, 62% of people said their trip was in their top ten most psychologically difficult
situations ever experienced while 11% put it as their number one. The study also found that bad trips can have severe consequences. 11% of participants put either themselves or others into risk of physical harm while 2.6% became aggressive or violent. 3% looked for medical help while three cases experienced enduring and impairing psychotic symptoms. Shockingly, three participants attempted suicide. In response to that, the degree of psychological difficulty had a correlation with better outcomes. Increasingly challenging experiences were normally seen as more beneficial or meaningful. Though bad trips which were sustained for longer periods of time were associated with less positive outcomes. This research is very interesting: it seems to imply maybe the drug itself is causing lasting positive effects regardless of the experience one went through once ingested. It also shows that the drug can be dangerous - the sample covered 1,993 bad trips and out of these, there were three cases of attempted suicide and three cases of long-lasting negative effects. This shows that there is a danger. With more research also piling in on the ability of psychedelics to combat depression and certain conditions such as chronic cluster headaches, the discussion over legality may soon come to the forefront of formal discussion.
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The Badger 10.10.2016
SPORT A shift geared towards equality? Patrick Isitt F1, the pinnacle of motorsport, has been dominated my male drivers since it’s existence. The same names that flood your sports news feed after every Grand Prix are the ones getting their place on the starting grid in each and every race. But will the power ever shift in what appears ostensibly as a patriarchal sport? Susie Wolff, former Williams F1 test driver, believes that increasing the number of girls getting involved in motorsport from a young age will be the only way we start to see female drivers on the starting grid. Wolff: ‘Numbers need to be higher at a younger age for women to reach the top of motorsport’ “Everybody would always ask me ‘why aren’t there more women at the top level of motorsport?’ It’s simply a numbers game - there are not enough girls starting at a young age.” [BBC Sport] Wolff, who took part in four Grand Prix practice sessions between 2014 and 2015, admitted she has been guilty of sidestepping the topic of gender in the sport. “It’s too difficult to put a timescale on it but I would hope that within the next 10 years we’ll see a female driver on the grid of an F1 race.”
Though optimistic about the future for women in motorsport, the former Williams employee admits the changes to technical regulations may make the next few years tougher for women to break through. “There is going to be more downforce and bigger tyres. All the testing so far has indicated it’s a lot more physical for the drivers. In my time in F1, I never doubted I could be successful. I sadly never made it on to the starting grid of an F1 race, but during testing I completed a race distance. I knew I could drive that car fast.” After retiring in 2015, Wolff decided to give something back to the sport and proposed the ‘Dare to be Different’ campaign, which introduces more girls and women to on-track racing and to the different roles within motorsport. Wolff ’s desire to get more girls involved in motorsport highlights an overarching issue in sport as a whole. According to Sport England, only 31% of women participate in sport weekly, compared to 40% of men. Sexism is perhaps the cause of these figures. As of last year, 40% of women commented that they had been the point of sexist remarks whilst playing sport.
BBC’s Women’s Sports Week, for which Wolff was speaking on behalf of, is set up to get more women involved in sport as a whole. Women are severely underrepresented in sport and only receive 7% of all media coverage, while commercial investment falls as low as 0.4%. [BBC Sport] Wolff concluded with a point that highlights gender ultimately does not count for on track performance in F1. “Ultimately, when you’re out on track with your helmet on, nobody can see the driver. Nobody can judge you on what you look like if your hair is long or short, if you’re black or you’re white, if you’re male or female. All that matters is your performance. The stopwatch is the factor that determines your success or not.”
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A legacy intact: baseballer Jose Fernandez dies
Elliot Thornton
There are professional athletes whose ability can take one’s breath away. These are the Lebron James’ and David Beckham’s of the world that showcase how one’s passion
can be translated into an art form. Their talent is exemplary, their accomplishments are laudable and their influence extends beyond the boundaries of their respective sport. Then, there are athletes that aim
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for this spectacle. The players who do not fall under the category of a star in today’s current context, yet are grounded with the same ability and adoration for the game to merge on to this path. This is where Jose Fernandez fits in. A man of unshakable character whose career was cut short, the 24-year old pitcher made an everlasting imprint upon his extraordinary arrival and unfortunate departure from the game of baseball. Following a fatal boating accident this past September, family, friends, and fans remember the young man who reached his dreams and the unforgettable legacy he built. As a 15-year old immigrant from Santa Clara, Cuba, Fernandez left his homeland for something greater. After four grueling attempts at fleeing a communist stricken government, Fernandez, his mother, and sister successfully migrated to the United States in Tampa, Florida.
Obtaining full citizenship and having an opportunity at new life, Fernandez pursued something that no one could stop him from doing: playing baseball. Emerging as a dominant pitcher with command, size, and all the desirable traits of a pitcher, Fernandez was drafted 14th overall by the Miami Marlins in 2011. The right-hander’s ethics as a young, ambitious immigrant propelled him to a Rookie of the Year Award in 2013, two All-Star appearances, and a reputation as one of the best upcoming aces in the Major League Baseball. These accolades signify the natural gift Fernandez had on the field, but his tale of perseverance and overcoming hardship makes his life amount to more than just baseball. After attempting four times at defection from Cuba, Fernandez was also charged as “a traitor to Fidel Castro” and the Cuban government as an adolescent. Fernandez inevitably kept his family’s interest at heart throughout his journey to
professional baseball. While his résumé might not match up with some of the better revered players like Alex Rodriguez or former Marlin teammate Ichiro Suzuki, Fernandez’s character as a humble and selfless man stretch far beyond any list of milestones or performances on the field. Today, fans and fellow sports enthusiasts do not mourn the loss of a tremendous life but instead pay tribute to Jose Fernandez and his contributions beyond the realm of baseball. In a similar, yet different way from the fading greats before him, Fernandez paved the way for what it means to be a professional athlete of modesty, determination and pure talent. Like any other legend making their final appearance in a uniform, the time of Jose Fernandez has come to an end. But it is his legacy on and off the field that will remain intact.